Saturday Slight

What a week! I received a note yesterday from Chris Bessler entitled "The Eagle Has Flown." That means the final, final, final edition of my manuscript is on its way to the printer. Chris says to expect a book in four weeks, maybe sooner. In the meantime, with all my deadlines completed, I've been enjoying the first days of supposed freedom from the bonds of that ever-gnawing sensation of hurrying up to get on to the next story. There's a gap in that for a couple of weeks, and I'm ready to enjoy a deadline hiatus.

So, thoughts have turned outside where much dirt needs to be turned or transported to newly created garden spots and where residual leaves that hung on tight before winter's assault are waiting to be scooped up and hauled to the burn pile. It's been an adventure carefully clearing off the flower beds and finding a myriad of buds of various shapes and sizes pushing upward toward the soil.

For me, this has been like meeting new friends cuz I've never worked these beds before. I figure it's going to take a couple of years to know where they're all located and to be aware of what care needs to be taken to ensure that they stay put rather than being ripped from their homes by a weed-seeking rake.

Another busy Saturday lies ahead, so on with the Slight:

• I heard the DJ on the local country station report yesterday that Donny Osmond's new TV show "American Dream" has been abruptly cancelled even before its second run. The announcer mirrored my thoughts precisely when he said that was the stupidest show he'd ever seen on television. He said he watched it from beginning to end and then asked his daughter, "Can you believe we've actually sat through this thing?" As I listened, the only variance was that I made a similar comment to Bill who was reading the paper and never looked up to see just how dumb it was to watch that big overgrown bald oaf keep hugging Donny as the sexpots displayed all the prizes he was going to win along with a new head of hair. I watched for just ten minutes and flipped the channel to the Baby Boomer documentary. After the DJ's comments on the Donny show, he reached into my thoughts once again by noting that the only thing that would trump "American Dream's" cancellation would be to have that wacky kid Sanjaya voted off from "American Idol." I agreed, but I don't think that's gonna happen. We're in an anti-Idol mode these days, and Sanjaya has played into it. With his lack of talent, his big cheesy smile and his off-the-head hairdos he's earning a place in history while the talented souls drop off the show one by one. Of course, the website www.vote4theworst has a lot to do with his success. Makes me wonder what's gonna happen with the upcoming Presidential race. If Hillary could just start wearing her hair in that Sanjaya mohawk, she wouldn't have to send Bill off to raise more millions to get him back where he had so much fun------Slap my face. I know I was bad.
• We're in birthday fortnight mode now: Happy birthday to all the following---Kevin, Cousin Jim, Chad, Willie, Bill and twin sister Margaret, Laurie, Jacob, Justine, Grace and special thoughts of Grandpa Tibbs. I'm sure I've forgotten someone. So, happy birthday to all.
• I was asked to get the scoop on the new Ponderay Nursery along HWY 95 north of Sandpoint Building Supply. Well, Betsy, all I've gleaned so far is that it's the same individual who applied for a housing development in the old Motor Movie area north of the nursery and across from the Nazarene Church. Apparently, he didn't get to do the development, so he's starting a nursery instead. Will keep sleuthing. By the way, the old Motor Movie eventually turned into Pine Trailer Park, operated by the Gilmore family. Both Marianne Brown and Ray Holt rented trailers--er---mobile homes there in our teaching youth. It was the closeness that got to me, a farm girl. There was a lady named Doris who lived next door, and she, along with her herd of kids, got much too chummy. One day I came home from school and found them all inside my trailer; the kids had been into the cookies too. Thank God for Bill coming along to rescue me from that existence. He rented a trailer over across the lake, and when we got married that summer I could finally escape Nosy Doris and the rug rats.
  
• Big day ahead, so I'd better get moving. Happy spring vacation to all the teachers and their students. This week has become one of the quieter weeks in Sandpoint because so many people leave town in search of the sun. While they're doing that, the rest of us can enjoy the peace that comes before the spring, summer and fall influx.
  

Happy Saturday.

Don't waste your time

This week begins the string of birthday celebrations in our family. With hubby, kids, in-laws, cousins, siblings, grand-nieces and a grand-nephew, I've lost count of how many will be celebrating their special day from March 29 through the 12th of April. We always remember the 12th because it was our dad's birthday. He would be 91 if he were still alive.

We always grinch about those birthdays that line up in the multiples cuz it's hard to keep up with them all. I know the other side of this grinching too because mine falls within a busy batch of milestones in our family also. Somehow, though, we get through them every year, and everyone just keeps getting older.

What's really getting to me, however, is picking up the paper each morning and reading the obituaries. There's a danger in living in one's hometown forever because when you get older, you recognize too many names. I can remember my friend Helen making this statement at a forum several years ago when she noted that she was sure spending a lot more time attending funerals. That hasn't changed because a couple of weeks ago she told me she had attended three in three days.

In my case, I don't attend a lot of funerals, but I still feel the pain each time another name appears in the paper and a generation of my elders continues to dwindle. Lately, in too many cases, names haven't even come from that demographic group of seniors: many have been younger than I. I guess there's a double whammy when one teaches more than three decades worth of community citizens. They're dying also.

The other night I watched a PBS documentary on the era of the Baby Boomers of which I'm one of the millions. As various segments focused on the civil rights struggle, the Kennedy Assassination, the Vietnam War, the changes in music, the development of the computer age, and the vastly different role women have taken on in the professional world, I had the feeling that this program was signaling the sunset for another generation---my own.

It seemed like the program's producers were beginning the process of pushing our generation aside by tying together the events that have defined us, wrapping up our loose ends and packaging us for historical storage.

Not just yet, I thought.

We certainly have more to accomplish of a positive nature before Hollywood writes us off as yet another era of the past. Then, I thought about the folks in The Greatest Generation and how we may have a long ways to go before we earn the esteem they have enjoyed ever since World War II. And, they're almost gone. The focus is on us Boomers.

All these almost daily reminders of mortality in the local paper set an urgency to our lives. What have we done, and what have we failed to do? When we celebrate birthdays of any age, we celebrate the ongoing motion of a human being. The mindset is that there's still more to come, and who knows what can be accomplished or experienced in the continuing journey of each individual's life.

When we read of deaths of those we know, however, and read of it more often than ever, we not only consider the finality of that person's stay here on earth, but we also look in the mirror, knowing that our own time will come. And, as we keep flinching from those frequent reminders in the obituary column, there's a continual taking stock of how we're using this gift called Life.

In my mind, there always comes a resounding answer----use it well.

Hello, This Is Bonnie from Connie’s

Love Notes

by Marianne Love

for The River Journal

March, 2007

If LaQuinta Inn manager Bonnie Eng has her way, Connie’s Cafe will reopen as soon as possible.

“I’m doing everything within my power to get Connie’s reopened,” Bonnie told me last week. “I’m even trying to do things not within my power.” Knowing the restaurant’s unofficial guardian angel who, like Connie’s, is a bona fide Sandpoint treasure herself, I can tell you that if Bonnie has set her mind to see that it happens, Connie’s will reopen. The only question is when.

The well-known Sandpoint restaurant at the corner of Fourth and Cedar closed a couple of months ago when its lease with Sand-Ida Service, Inc. expired. For decades, Connies, named for former owner Conrad “Connie” Balch, served as a popular eatery/coffee shop and informal meeting place for Sandpoint locals and visitors. In fact, in response to a blog entry I wrote for my Slightdetour blog about the restaurant shortly after it closed, one reader summed up Connie’s community importance.

“I used to say if you wanted to know how a school levy or some other issue on the ballot was going,” the writer stated, “go into Sandpoint, eat breakfast at Connies, stop in for afternoon coffee, mind your business and listen to the conversations around you.”

Recently, Bonne told me that the publicized suggestion that Connie’s was shutting down forever is incorrect. Since before the closure, she has been hunting for someone to take over the lease. During this search, Hospitality Associates, which now owns the restaurant/lounge/motel complex, has done extensive work to spruce up and repair basic infrastructure, including kitchen equipment.

“We have been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning,” she says. “We had all the old wall paper taken down, textured and painted. We ripped up all the old carpet and replaced it. I had some slate installed in both entry ways as well as the entry into the public bathrooms. It looks very nice. Bill [Bowman] would approve.

“When I am alone at the cafe, at times I truly can feel Bill’s presence,” Bonnie says. “He’s making sure I do it right. Quality control from beyond.”

Lured to her present position nearly 30 years ago when the late Bill and Lorraine Bowman decided to expand their business to include both the restaurant and a new motel, Bonnie has both sentimental and professional reasons to see Connie’s re-open.

First of all, the telephone keeps ringing. People keep appearing at the door. She says folks in the community don’t believe everything they read in the papers. They know it will reopen. Besides its obvious employment value, the cafe provides an important complement to LaQuinta.

“Connie’s Cafe handles all the room service for LaQuinta Inn, and we value that amenity greatly for our guests,” Bonnie explains. “Our guests want the cafe open, and they want it open as soon as possible. That is one thing we all agree on.”

A Sandpoint native, Bonnie is no stranger to the restaurant business, especially on Cedar Street. Her childhood was spent working and playing in her family’s Chinese restaurant, Lee’s Cafe, just down the street. She peeled French fries and filled buttercups. She also sold cigarettes before she could read by memorizing the packages and who smoked which brands. On Saturday’s the banquet room at Lee’s (now Sullivan Homes Sandpoint office) turned into a bedroom for Bonnie and her three siblings.

“The cafe stayed open for the bar crowd, and all four of us kids spent every Saturday night sleeping [there] on rollaways and cots,” she recalls. “”We had all our games and toys and TV back there . . . Occasionally a drunk would wander back looking for the bathroom. My mother always headed them off at the pass. . . .”

Birthday parties on Sundays when the restaurant was closed remain another special memory.

“I’d invite many friends and Mom would fire up the grill and cook hamburgers and fries for all the kids,” Bonnie recalls. “We had the cafe to ourselves. How fun would that be now. It was just a way of life back then.”

Prior to her professional involvement with Connie’s, Bonnie, now a mom and grandma, worked for a local bank and Safeco Title Co. Bill Bowman asked her to come to work in 1980 to manage the motel.

“The motel and office was still under construction so I worked out of a guest room (125),” she recalls. “My first job was to create a system for reservations . . . he handed me a shoebox full of napkins and scratches of paper. My job was to decipher it all and get it down in some sort of book or file.”

From there, Bonnie learned all aspects of the business through mentorship from Bill and Lorraine, whom she greatly admired. Once, they even sent her to the North Shore (now The Coeur d’Alene Resort) for a week to shadow their front-office manager and learn everything she could. She also participated in all aspects of the restaurant/motel business, always paying close attention to Bill’s principles.

“I learned Bill’s motto in the restaurant and lounge,” Bonnie says. “‘If you can lean, you can clean.’ I heard his commitment to customer service and quality food. I love Connie’s Cafe and Lounge. It’s been around my entire life.

“Connie’s Cafe is owned by the company I work for, but Connie’s Cafe really belongs to the community,” she adds. “It’s very much a part of Sandpoint’s past, and it is important that it remain a part of the community.”

With that passionate spirit in mind, Bonnie Eng continues to work diligently at getting those doors open again soon, so that she can once again answer the phone with “Hello, this is Bonnie at Connie’s.”

When that happens, a portion of Sandpoint’s soul will once again be restored. And, that is a good thing.

Note from Bonnie, regarding the sign: The Connie’s Cafe sign is still up because Bill and Lorraine Bowman could not afford to buy a new sign when they purchased the cafe in 1972 from Connie and Donna Balch. Later there was no way they would ever change it; it was a true landmark. A few years ago we filed the papers to register the sign as an historic sign. Prior to Connie’s Cafe it was “Fred’s Diner,” and prior to that, a gas station.

Finally: For up-to-the hour news on the reopening of Connie's, keep checking www.slightdetour.blogspot.com. When Bonnie has some news, she'll share it with slightdetour readers and (www.riverjournal.com) first.

Too much to do, too little time

Seems like it happens every year at this time here in Bonner County. We come out of the winter cocoon and see work everywhere. We also know that if we waste even a few minutes, we're gonna get behind because the grass will grow and the weeds will multiply.

And, while we're outside tending to all that, the house is getting piled hire and deeper. Dishes gather in the sink. The mail stack, with all those catalogs and offers for us to donate to three thousand causes, grows so high it falls over and creates a new mail pile. Dust grows. Outside dirt and mud burrow into the carpets.

A rainy day will solve that, we figure, so we just continue to go at it hard outside, even in the rain sometimes. I spent a good share of my day outside yesterday, planting spuds, transplanting tomatoes, dropping seeds in new pots, raking out flower beds, scooping up piles of flower bed debris and trying to get a fire to burn. All the leaves and grass burned but not the wood which has been sitting there since before we moved here. Guess I'll have to wait for dryer weather and try it again.

Anyway, the moral to this story is simple: when spring comes to North Idaho, don't waste it. So, that's my excuse for not writing much today. Can't wait to get back out there and play in the dirt.

Have a good day, and Happy Birthday to Bootsie. He's that old goat who does cartoons with horses and stuff. Today he's an older goat but lovable in spite of it all.

Never told stories

THE BEST HORSE STORIES NEVER TOLD: The popular Cup of Comfort book series is now seeking inspiring true stories for publication in A Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers. Celebrating the powerful, almost magical, bond between horses and humans, this anthology will feature 50 personal essays that reveal the extraordinary impact that these magnificent creatures have on the people who ride, own, raise, train, race, study, care for, rescue, or simply love them. We want stories that portray horses (or ponies) as companions, helpers, messengers, healers, teachers, heroes, and inspirational forces in people’s lives as well as stories about the incredible things that people do out of love for a horse or horses. Stories must be uplifting and 1000-2000 words. Preference given to narrative nonfiction stories that read like fiction. $500 grand prize; $100 ea. all other stories published, plus copy of book. No entry fee. Submission Deadline: 5/15/07. For guidelines:

(www.cupofcomfort.com) (click on Share Your Story).

I ran across the announcement above on my equine journalists' newsgroup postings today. Besides passing it along to anyone who has a horse story forever sitting on hold but now ready to be told, I got to thinking about the broad subject of stories never told. Then, I got to thinking about stories I've never told. Then, I really got to thinking: which stories haven't I told? That's gonna keep me thinking all day long.

Seems like that could be a whole new book. I just have to think of what there is left to tell because most folks will tell you I spend a lot of time telling. I've never really thought about not telling. Well, yes I have. Some folks can even pinpoint some stories I haven't told. Well, I've told 'em but not for public consumption.

We have lots of reasons for not telling stories. One is we forget. I often find myself having entire telephone conversations with folks, hanging up and then realizing I didn't tell them what I called to tell them. Then, I have to decide if I really want to dial that number again and bother them after having already talked to them for an hour. Sometimes I just leave the story untold. I think this is an age-related reason for not telling a story, just as much as telling stories over and over and over seems to be a bit age-related.

There are other reasons we have those never-told stories. We value our lives. We know that if we told the story, even without all the juicy details, someone may come and beat us up. I got this threat a lot when I was 0-18. "Don't you dare tell Mother!" was the common reminder. Sometimes I heard it every day while said story was still on the family burner.

"I'm telling!" I'd scream.

"I'll beat you up," said enforcer would immediately retort. Well, okay, I didn't tell. I saved myself a lot of physical abuse during those formative years by surprisingly keeping my mouth shut and leaving some zingers untold. Some of these stories had to do with report cards, pilfered food, vehicle activity, cigarette smoking before the age of reason, or even bovine rodeo action. This gives me an idea.

I think I'd like to follow suit from those folks up above and make a mint off from my own series of books that other people write and I put the title on the cover. So, I'm gonna call on all frustrated authors to have their first opportunity for fame between the covers of a book. Since it's taken me so long to figure out this wonderful get-rich-quick scheme, I'm gonna multi-task and get several books going at once. We'll call this the "Love Stories Never Told Series."

Since I don't want to do a lot of work, I'll allow 500 words max. Deadline, since I wanta get rich really fast, is this Saturday. I haven't found a publisher yet, so you might have to rely on the blog for the first printing of all these gems. If they get enough good comments, we'll move on to the next leg and actually get them on paper and between a cover.

So, here we go: I'm looking for the best stories you've never told on the following subjects:

Best Never Told Smoking Stories
Best Never Told Church Stories
Best Never Told Food Stories
Best Never Told Watching TV Stories
Best Never Told Report Card Stories
Best Never Told Lying Stories---now tell the truth

And, at this very moment, I could add another category: Best Never Told Cat Spits Up a Hairball in the Corner story.

I think this idea has potential. So, don't tell anyone, okay??? Just send in your submission--even in the hairball category--- to the comments column between now and Saturday.

Monday morning distractions

I'm distracted this morning, and so are the blogger gods. I've sat here for the past hour, posting pictures from our visit to the Kootenai Valley yesterday. All but the photo you see have floated off into cyberspace. In between postings, I've been reading the last twenty pages of my final, final manuscript. It's included stories about Billy Meuller, Sarah Aavedal and other folks who created precious moments in my teaching career. Every time I revisit these stories, I float off into a zone all my own, savoring once more some incredible experiences that my students provided me. And, apparently because I've been floating off, the cybergods have chosen to do the same. Besides feeling the urgency to get this manuscript finished and back down to Keokee Publishing so they can make those last-minute changes and send this thing to the printers, I've allowed other distractions on this gorgeous Monday morning. The window to this upstairs bedroom is open, allowing me to hear the morning concert of spring songbirds and to squint as the sun has risen over the Cabinets. Though a busy schedule lies ahead, I'm ordering myself to savor the current moments just as much as those past memories that have contributed so much to this book. And, I'm loving it all. If I could just find those photos, it would be a perfect Monday.

A final note to Denise: if you're reading, we did drive right past Mimi's house yesterday; it looked like they had a lot of company, so we just kept driving. We saw a sheep and the Halflingers, so we knew we had the right place.

No brainer for the woodsmen

We have a feature called "Who Am I?" appearing every other Sunday in the Daily Blat. A community member supplies his or her childhood photo and provides a biography, taking great care to avoid easy identification. I usually score about 50-50 in figuring out who these people are. I knew Kathe Murphy a few weeks ago because of the clue "grew up in New York" and one of three sisters. Besides, I recognized her face; apparently Kathe has aged well since childhood.

It's not so easy with the men. Today's subject provided a shot of himself with a Hereford calf. When he said he was from Oden, I figured I'd know him, but they'd already featured Don Johnson, so I remained stymied. When I came inside from a nice walk in the woods, Bill's first comment was that today's person was a "no brainer." In a sneaky effort to weasel out the answer and maintain my pride as a local who knows everyone, I played skeptical teacher.

"Oh, who is it?" I calmly asked, as if I were testing him and already knew.

"Al Kluver," he announced. "Growing up in Oden. Going off to the war with his buddies. Working at the Pack River mill for 43 years." The only part that did anything for me in wagering a guess was Oden, and that hadn't helped.

I then admitted to Bill that I hadn't been able to figure it out.

"Yeah, that's a no-brainer for a woodsman," I said. Through all these years of being married to Bill, I know there's a fraternity among loggers, mill workers and foresters which runs deep. I saw that yesterday as Bill gave his talk on Humbird Lumber Co. and occasionally summoned comments or validations from a few guys in the audience who surely knew most details of what he had to offer.

"Isn't that right, Jim?" I heard him say early on in the presentation. Jim sat near the back row in his Filson coat and simply nodded. Jim got to nod a few more times during the next hour. So, did Phil. When Bill was explaining stuff about Gifford Pinchot "Father of the Forest Service," he noted that Phil and he were members of the Society of American Foresters.

Later I learned that Jim certainly would know what Bill was talking about. Jim Toomey and his wife Margaret bought the first season's passes ever sold at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, and Jim worked in the forests with Pack River Lumber Co. back in the good ol' days before Schweitzer had ever become a reality. So, Jim and Bill were on the same plane throughout the presentation. I learned also that Bill had never really worked with Phil cuz he came from California forests, but they're still part of the brotherhood.

The room had a few of those brothers in timber who had come to listen and to reflect on their lifetimes spent dealing with some aspect of the trees, whether it was restoring forests, working on thinning projects, manufacturing lumber---they all had a bond, and Bill was reinforcing the bond by acknowledging snippets of their personal history along with that of many others who'd gone before them.

So, yes, Bill knew it was Al Kluver this morning when his homegrown wife had not a clue. That's how it is with the folks of the forest, just as it is with any profession where people spend the years working as professionals and coming in contact with one another. They know the people and appreciate what each contributes to the whole. I've seen that with teaching, time and again.

And, as a member of the teaching profession here in this community, I know of the sad event that will occur at Sandpoint Middle School today as the education profession and its youthful products say good bye to a comrade who gave much to the future through his remarkable and passionate work with hundreds of young people.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to Steve Guthrie's family and to all who have been so grief-stricken by this loss. Bill knew this gifted teacher because of a common love for the forests. Every year he brought his Sagle students to the State Forestry contest in May, Bill told me soon after he learned of Steve's passing earlier this week.

I'm sure there's a no-brainer for the woodsmen as they reflect about Steve during walks through the forests, and more than likely, I'm guessing there may be a tree or two planted in his memory. That's just how it is with folks who love the land.

Saturday Slight

They promised that the rain will stop by noon, so I'm not complaining. Besides, I have a book to read, coffee to drink at DiLuna's, gossip to be shared, and maybe even a speech about Humbird's influence in this area to attend.

Bill is the featured speaker at the Library's Bonner County Centennial Celebration there this afternoon. I've heard his Humbird speech before, but that was before we lived on the Lovestead, which was in the heart of Humbird's North Idaho logging empire, so I may listen to it with a different perspective.

This weekend does mark the one-year anniversary of when we first set foot on this place with realtor Mark Hall. It was a rainy day just like today, and Jolene had waxed the wooden steps on the staircase. Mark warned us to be careful while ascending and descending the stairs as we checked out the house. That was good. I lived in fear of the prospect of those stairs thereafter because it was clear that waxing wood steps does not present the safest situation for even the most careful of walkers, especially for old codgers like me.

The wax wore off, however, but not the instant love for all things Future Lovestead. I remember being overwhelmed while walking through the yard and listening to Jolene spout off the names to more plants and shrubs than I'd ever remember. As we set off through the woods, she showed me the cement circle where their son had practiced his shot putting drills. We heard that he almost made the Olympic team while attending the University of Idaho. We thought about who in the family might make use of that cement circle. Maybe little Jakie some day when he's Big Jakie.

The woods with its grassy carpet brought back memories of childhood for me and visions of great forestry practices for Bill. As we walked along, I could imagine the thrill of taking daily strolls out through the trees, losing myself from all remnants of civilization and finding a tranquil peace I had not known for years.


When we came out of the woods and spotted the God Tree, so named after we actually moved here, I knew this beautiful place would be home. And, so it has been for nearly nine months. We haven't killed ourselves on the stairs. The first purple crocus appeared in a front-yard flower bed yesterday. Nobody but the cats has found a use for that shot putting circle. Bill has spent nearly every waking hour possible out there in his woods, and I've enjoyed many escapes with dogs frolicking alongside me into that peaceful forest.

We have many signatures on the Lodgepole Log, which documents all visitors to the God Tree, and we're looking forward to many more before our first year here is up. We're hoping sometime when the weather turns nice to just have an open house where anyone who wants to get a taste of Love Heaven can drop by and enjoy the same joy we've had for these past several months.

For now, I'd better get back on task and forge ahead on the plan of the day. Happy Saturday.

Tunnel vision, the bypass and the book

I'm not going to write about the proposed tunnel underneath downtown Sandpoint. I also promise not to write about the Sandpoint Bypass. And, I'm not giving too many secrets away about the book. There is a commonality, however, and I've reached that point.

There IZ light at the end of the tunnel, and the book WILL appear before the Bypass does.

That said, I must explain. Book publishing is a bit like building bypasses, and sometimes the process seems to last almost as long as Sandpoint's talk/debate/impatience about a bypass around the town----let's see are we pushing 60 years on that subject? Fortunate for blog readers, my occasional updates on book progress do indicate some forward motion.

Today I pick up the almost final, final version and read it again. That's called the galley. This time it will include all corrections from the product I reviewed two weeks ago. In addition, the graphic formatting will appear. Yesterday, I received a black-and-white copy of the front cover to send off to the Appaloosa Journal for an ad. I've yet to see the cover in its entirety, but that may happen this morning. Once any last-minute corrections are keyed in, the book heads to the printers and should return in completed form and ready for consumption four weeks later.

So, my weekend will be spent reading my own book for about the fourth or fifth time. Wouldya believe, I've read it so much I even know what's happening in the end of every story! In fact, I've got it memorized and could almost quote you lines just like all "Monty Python" followers, "Napoleon Dynamite" aficionados and "Friends, Romans, countryman" sufferers (who passed through my classes) can do. If only this one could become half the classic of the aforementioned, I'd be a happy camper.

In anticipation of such success with my final product, let's try a few choice nuggets for memorization and see if a large audience of earlybirds could spout these great lines within individual stories on command.

• "Did you dye your hair? . . . Marianne, it's time"----these quotes came to mind because prior to yesterday afternoon's session with my personal beautician Joyce, the second comment would have been appropriate, but if I were sitting in front of a class of juniors this morning, I'd be sure to hear the first---no need for memorization there.
  
• "What are the adverb questions?" . . . "When?" . . . Response: "Just now." . . . "Why?" . . . Response: Someone ate beans . . . ." These appear in the earthy chapter called "Get My Drift." Probably no need to explain and more than likely no need to memorize.
• "Well, why didn't you give them to us?" [notes sent home from Mrs. Sawyer to young Mr. Love's parents] "You never asked for them." This one may take a little more work, but I'm sure anyone who's ever had a kid has learned to ask questions----and maybe even interrogate.
• "No---she would never do such a thing. We didn’t get along so well," I told the dean. “I’m sure she hated me." . . . "She said you'd say that," the well-informed voice announced next. Only an "Angel" named Angela knows this one now, but it's definitely a keeper in the quote department.

So, there ya go. An assignment. There are more such excerpts that could turn into classics, but we'll wait until the book appears before deciding which ones get the nod. In the meantime, I am seeing light in that tunnel and I'm proud to announce that "Lessons with Love" will, indeed, appear in Sandpoint long before the bypass does. In the meantime, do your memorizing!

Of 60-year-olds and stuff

Ann Gehring is a far better Catholic than I'll ever hope to be. Well, at least she shows up for Mass significantly more often than I do. I know this because I rely on her reports to see what's going on down there at St. Joseph's. Yup, Ann's earning the points on the church charts, and she's also turning a lot older than I am. I know this because I've already wished her a happy birthday this morning. She's 60 today, and I'm still 59!

So, I hope everyone who knows Ann calls her up and rubs it in about how ancient she became overnight. It's happening a lot these days. Seems to be an epidemic, but I've managed to evade it so far. Not my friends Janis, Andrea, Robin or Denise, though. And, this week there's a whole crop of Lincolnites getting really old. I think if I have it right Harmon Cantrell gets 60-itis on Sunday, Lesle Oliver on Monday, and good ol' Arthur "Smokey" Chubb on Friday.

I don't know what you do to avoid this, but I'm not going to worry about it. What I do know, however, is that Ann is one of my best friends, and that I won't hold her Catholic superiority or chronological seniority against her. I'm sure at 60 she'll be just as fun, just as nice, just as gullible, just as devoted to family, friends, life in general and even The Church as she's ever been. And, I know she'll continue to age like a fine bottle of Pend Oreille Chardonnay.

At least, I hope she does, cuz she's gotta keep me informed on church matters like she's done for so many years. I remember last year when we dubbed our mutual friend Katharine as St. Katharine because her 60th birthday was so close to the real St. Katharine's designated celebration day. So, this year officially on March 22, 2007, I, a very saintly-impaired Marianne, dub thee Ann of Gehring as St. Ann from this day forth.

So, if you know my friend or even if you don't call 263-6294 and ask for St. Ann. I'm sure she'll come to the phone. Oh, and wish her a happy 60th.

On to other matters. I've got some additional items to announce this morning.

• Congratulations to Bob Hamilton, Jr., Sandpoint High Class of 1973, who recently learned of his promotion to assistant managing editor of the Baltimore Sun photography department. Like so many in his family, Bob, son of my mentor Bob, snaps good pictures. He's won lots of awards for his photos from all over the world, including "Military Photographer of the Year" and has worked at the Sun since the '80s. Naturally, his dad and all who know him are proud of one more Sandpointer who's making a significant difference in this world.
• Pamela Stangel Roberts wrote in this week and asked me to mention a sleeping bag drive for the homeless today and tomorrow at the General Store in Spokane from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days. If you have extra sleeping bags and are headed to Spokane either day, stop by and drop them off. I know they will be appreciated.
• Also, I don't often pass along links, but this week I've run into some good ones. First, a former student Theresa Sharpe Radocy (Class of 1982) sent me a link to her photography album. She's a phenomenal photographer, and some of the album includes Sandpoint pictures. Theresa has lived in New York City for a number of years, so there are plenty of shots from the Big Apple too. The album features slide shows, and I found it very enjoyable, so check it out at (http://tradocy.zenfolio.com/
• Another link has been sent to me twice in the past 24 hours. It's definitely for dog lovers, and it will definitely warm your heart. You can find this wonderful site at (http://www.doyourememberlove.com/musiconly.html).
• Also, I have to mention to Betsy and Andy, whom I know totally because of this blog, how nice it was to meet you face to face at Yoke’s this past weekend. I’ll try to get that photo the next time a pink layer of light spends some morning moments up there at Schweitzer. Your readership, along with that of all others, makes this morning activity a total pleasure and inspires me to keep on writing. Thank you.

Blue Skies, nothin' but blue skies do I see

It seems like they keep changing the first day of spring. Sometimes people say it's March 20, sometimes, March 21. Well, as far as I'm concerned it's always been March 21, and if today is any indication of a first day of spring, I'll take it. As the sun rose over the Cabinets, a temporary layer of hot pink covered the back side of Schweitzer, which we view out our west windows.

Any morning that we can see those ski runs is a good morning because that means they're not socked in by dreary, rain-filled clouds. Today's spring christening lacks the hint of any cloud in the vast blue sky.

My horses must know it's spring cuz this morning they didn't stand at the doors to their stalls contemplating their next move for ten minutes. Their reluctance of late to stick that first toe out into the cold water still standing along the side of the barn has reminded me of many times I've stood in Lake Pend Oreille holding my hands upward and hesitating to take the full dip into the cool water.

Like a good refreshing swim that follows that initial full submersion, there's a carrot out there in the barn pasture, and the horses know it. Finally, they take the plunge and head for their morning hay piles. This morning they jumped right out their doors, taking no time to look first leap later. They'll take this spring day too.

It's a good day for all students and educational staff in our school district because the levy passed by a resounding vote yesterday. That means no staff layoffs and no cessation of programs within the district. Plus, they can pay the bills for maintenance, a few new buses, etc.
I've heard lots of good vibes coming from throughout the school district this past year, so I'm not surprised that the levy passed.

I have good memories of other positives from yesterday. I attended the Selle Extension Club meeting at Toni Britton's beautiful home just a mile or so away. The Brittons have the most beautiful view out their series of windows. I told Toni it was better than television to sit in one of their overstuffed chairs and just look out onto their pond where a pair of Canadian geese have set up shop for the upcoming kiddies.

Besides some good visiting with those attending, including a revelation from Carol Mundell that their place once served as home to the Humbird Lumber Co. horse stable, we enjoyed a slide show by Jim Payne who last fall took a mostly solo trip down the Mississippi River from Vicksburg to New Orleans----in his kayak. He had a few hair-raising adventures along the way, and he found out the true meaning of solitude while paddling for hours and days without talking to anybody.

He eventually met up with another kayaker who had put in on the Yellowstone River in Montana and paddled his way down the Mississippi. The two chummed up and enjoyed the rest of their trip from Baton Rouge to New Orleans where the Montanan had a mother and sister waiting for him.

I often wish I had the courage to go do something like that all by myself, but I'm the world's biggest chicken when it comes to being in the wilds or the center of civilized culture all by myself. Both extremes scare me, and I don't know what one does to overcome such fears. Seems like we're pretty stifled from all the potential that exists out there in this great big world. I always appreciate reading and hearing from the folks who have no fear.

Another bright spot in the day occurred at Northside School when Mother and I voted. I walked her down the hallway where two teachers invited us into their classroom. It was there that I learned about and saw the works of the Clark family. I'm afraid I don't have their complete names except for Mary Pandrea, but from what I've learned, they're a mother-daughter pair who write and illustrate books about the Upper Pack River area where their family has lived for years.

Their work is exquisite, both the stories and the illustrations. Their plan is to put out a series of children's books written from the perspective of the various little critters who roam the land around their family dwellings. I saw a map of the Pack River Valley detailing where all the Clark family lived and saw samples of the first two books. These women have something very special, and as Karen Remmetter suggested, the idea could be replicated in all the little nooks and crannies around our county.

I've heard they're taking their show to Farmin-Stidwell Elementary this Friday, so maybe I'll find out more and pass along more information. Both my mother (the artist) and I (the writer) agree that their work needs to be seen and appreciated by more folks.

Well, as readers can tell it's definitely a zippidy doo dah day here in North Idaho, and I don't want to waste it. So, I'll head out there to those horse apples and then try to do a little more spring yard work at the Lovestead.

Happy Spring to all.

Vote today

A vote to support our young people, our schools and our educational staff ensures a bright future for everyone.

Drive your Chevy to the Levy--Tomorrow

I am honored this morning to turn the show over to a fellow journalist. I first heard about Mindy Cameron back in the early '90s from my teaching friend Betty Fredricksen. Betty arranged for us to get acquainted, and later, Mindy kindly agreed to come to my journalism class and talk about her experiences in the news business.

A few members of that particular class moved on as writers/journalists: most notably, Erica Curless whose byline appears daily in the Spokesman-Review. Since retiring and moving full time to Sandpoint, Mindy has devoted a large chunk of her life toward the betterment of education here in Lake Pend Oreille School District 84. She now serves as a member of the school board.

Just for fun and to honor the dedication of our local school district trustees, I pulled some comments about the school board written by senior staff members of the Sandpoint High School Monticola staff for their 1923 yearbook. They precede Mindy's Q and A contribution focusing on tomorrow's school levy election.

One final comment. Please encourage folks to vote tomorrow. Also, encourage people to visit Slight Detour today to see Mindy's comments about the election. I hope they can be of some help to voters as they make their decision on this levy.


The Board of Education -- Sandpoint High School White Pine yearbook, 1914

The ordinary High School student, when he contemplates the educational system of his community is likely to think it consists chiefly of teachers, buildings, and equipment. He knows there is a board of trustees, but he does not usually realize what an important and vital part is played by the men and women of the school board who serve without pay or thought of pecuniary gain.

Independent School District Number One is especially fortunate in the personnel of its trustees. The five men and one woman constituting the local board are representative citizens of the highest type. Chosen by popular vote, they have been faithful to the trust imposed in them. They have employed in their official capacity the same progressive methods of integrity which characterize their actions in private life. Their motto seems to be that nothing is too good for the schools or for the young people of this city. Holding as they do, the purse-strings and deciding questions of general policy and finance, they have in their hands tremendous influence. Unselfish, impartial and devoted to the interests of the whole people, they wield this influence for the benefit of the whole people. Their reward will be found when the youth of Sandpoint more fully realize and appreciate the educational facilities provided by a generous public.

We who are to be voters and office-holders of tomorrow salute you who now hold the reins of power and who provide the training which is to fit us for the proper exercise of those duties soon to devolve upon us. School Board members: F.E. Catlin, W. L. Ellison, Mrs. G.H. Martin, President V. Godrey, A.K Bowden, and T. Solberg.

Q and A with Mindy Cameron. . . . . . . .

Full name: Melinda Cameron

Association with school district/for how long. What position do you hold on the school board?

I am vice chair of the school board, now completing my first three-year term. I plan to run for a second term this spring.

Other education-related activities:

Along with my husband, Bill Berg, I co-founded the Panhandle Alliance for Education five years ago. I continue to stay active with PAFE.

How long in Sandpoint?

I moved to Sandpoint six years ago, but have owned a small cabin here for 20 years and spent many weekends and summer vacations here.

What did you do before coming to Sandpoint?

My most recent job was editorial page editor of the Seattle Times, where I also wrote a personal opinion column. I worked at the Times for 20 years. Prior to that I was managing editor of the Lewiston Tribune, in Lewiston, Idaho. I have also worked for Idaho Public Television and the Idaho Statesman in Boise, so my Idaho connection is pretty deep.

Have you had children educated in the local school district? If so, their names and when they graduated? What do they do now?

My oldest son, Matt, graduated from Sandpoint High in 1984. He is now a mechanical engineer living in Portland, OR. My youngest son, Tim, went to Farmin-Stidwell and Sandpoint Middle School. He moved to Seattle in 1982 to live with me and attend high school. He is now the head chef of a restaurant north of Seattle.

Were you satisfied with their education locally?

The boys were living with their father (my ex-husband, Ken Cameron, a Sandpoint optometrist) while attending school in Sandpoint. Everything I knew about their schooling was quite satisfactory. They are now wonderful fathers and productive citizens and I credit their schooling for at least some of that!

Why have you dedicated yourself to educational issues in this area?

When I retired from the newspaper business I had two goals: move to our rural acreage in Sagle and get involved in the community. Doing something for local schools was a natural. My interest in public education goes way back to when my father was a member of the school board in the district where I attended schools (Beaverton, Oregon). As a journalist I often researched and wrote about public education.

The school district was very controversial when I moved here and I decided I wanted to put my energy into doing something positive about the schools. Teachers, students and families should not have to pay the price for lack of quality leadership at the board and administrative level. That led me and Bill to recruit other like-minded people for a steering committee that resulted in PAFE.

When a vacancy occurred in my school district zone I decided to run to continue my work with the schools in a more direct way.

What do you foresee as the major challenges our district faces over the next five-ten years?

Adequate funding will always be a challenge for public schools in Idaho. In our district another challenge is how the face of our community is changing. We are growing, but much of that growth is people like me – retired with no school-age children. At the same time families who move here bring with them high expectations for their children’s education. Also, despite the growth and healthy job climate, many children face hardships at home, including poverty and broken homes. Balancing the concerns of taxpayers, the expectations of parents and the needs of children from struggling families is an ongoing challenge. Finally, we cannot ignore the reality of a changing world. Our business community expects an educated workforce and our schools must provide a solid foundation for young people headed to college, work or vocational training, and, ultimately, citizenship.

Give the basic facts of Tuesday’s levy: how much, why, where to vote, voting hours, who can vote:

The levy total is $8,968,000 over two years. It is a replacement levy for the current maintenance and operation levy that expires June 30. The money will be used to pay for technology, textbooks and other curriculum materials, extracurricular activities, facility maintenance, teaching staff to maintain small class sizes, extra help for kindergartners who need a boost to be ready for 1st grade. The money also will be used to purchase the following equipment: two school buses, a boiler, two dishwashers, three convection ovens, a refrigerator and a freezer. The school kitchen items are important upgrades for health and safety of the school lunch program.

You must be registered to vote, but can register on voting day, March 20, at the County Courthouse. You can vote between 8 am and 8 pm at any polling site. All schools, with the exception of Sandpoint Middle School and Lake Pend Oreille High School (the alternative school), are polling places.

Why is success of the upcoming levy important in your eyes?

I am proud of the work of the school district in the past three years. We have first-rate financial management and a fine new district leader in Dick Cvitanich. Passage of this levy will mean we can continue the good work that is well underway. Failure means deep, deep cuts and moving backward.

What arguments have you heard from voters skeptical toward school levies?

Well, I really haven’t heard much from skeptical voters this time. I do know, however, that some people are not sure the school district woes of prior years are really over. I hear about problems from five, ten and even more years ago. All I can say is that those problems are in the past. There is a new team leading the district. The work going on in the classroom is, with few exceptions, really quite wonderful.

I confess that it is frustrating for those of us working so hard to change things in the school district to hear the old horror stories from people who assume nothing has changed. I try to be patient because I know it takes a long time for new realities to overcome old perceptions. All I can say is that there IS a new reality at the school district. I hope that former skeptics are ready to listen and learn and begin to trust us.

How do you answer these arguments?

I guess I just did that! (see above)

What do kids need to know to survive and succeed in our world in comparison to other generations?

This is a really important question and gets to one of my frustrations. Some critics of public schools look backward to their own education and what worked fine for them in a simpler time, instead of forward to the very complex future facing today’s students. In addition to the basic skills – reading, writing, math, science – that worked for my generation, students today need access to technology and the know-how to master it; they need to understand how to solve complex problems, how to work in teams, how to ask questions and find answers, how to analyze the world around them. And so much more.

What will happen if the levy fails?

The board and superintendent will begin the process of very, very difficult decisions. Failure surely will lead to layoffs of many teachers, cuts in extracurricular programs, few new textbooks, crippling cuts in the district-wide technology program. It is not a topic we have spent much time thinking about. We expect the levy to pass.

Can or will the board attempt another levy should this one fail?

Quite honestly, we have not discussed this.

Why should retirees or people who do not have children enrolled in school vote yes for the levy?

Pardon me if I get a little sappy about this. I really do believe to my core that each of us has personal civic responsibility for tending to the basic needs of our community. The people who came before us did their share and now it is our turn to do ours. Whether it is for roads, police and fire, parks or schools, we have an obligation to participate as taxpayers. That’s the only way our democracy can thrive.

Give us the state of the Lake Pend Oreille School District 84. Why now should voters trust that their money will be spent wisely?

The State of the District is A+. We have spent the money raised by the 2005 levy exactly as we said we would. We budget levy money by line item so that any taxpayer who wants to check up on us can do so. In recent years, at the advice of our business manager Lisa Hals, we established for the first time a reserve account. Under Lisa’s watchful eye and careful guidance, and now the experienced leadership of Dick Cvitanich the school district is very well managed as well. All staff members are held accountable for doing their job well. The district is required to have an independent audit each year. For the past three years we have received an A+ rating.

What do you say to voters who worry about their tax statements because of past confusion with property assessments?

The confusion about property taxes in Idaho, and especially in Bonner County, has been a frustration for all of us. I am very sympathetic with folks who are trying to make sense of the current situation and project down the road a little. Right now, the most important thing to remember is that the 3 mils the state levied for schools in previous years has been removed from our property tax bill. The state shifted that tax burden to the sales tax last year. Now the only school tax you will see on your tax bill is for this replacement levy.

As for the future, the new county assessor has told us he doesn’t expect the escalating assessments to continue. He projects a 0-5 percent increase this year. Also, the homeowner’s exemption is going up, which will provide additional relief for many.

As a school board member what are your overall goals for our district over the next five years? next ten?

My first goal is to solidify and sustain the gains we are making in district leadership so that five and ten years from now LPOSD is respected and trusted by local taxpayers. My second goal is to provide a quality education that is a source of pride for all residents of the district. My third goal is to pass a facilities bond or levy that will – FINALLY – allow us to address our facility needs.

Questions from other constituents.

I can think of one that people raise quite often when I hear levies being discussed: Why is any taxpayer money going to support extra curricular activities, specifically sports?

If you can, I would suggest to her that she not give the usual pat answer about the well-rounded child and band and art and so forth. Thinking people know those programs receive money but the biggest thing people see in the community is football and 20 coaches lined up and buses transporting these kids and often not school buses but charters they see dollar signs and asked why…. Especially if their child or grandchildren isn’t involved.

* Is Bulldog Bench still a viable organization? Do they raise money any more to support activities? I recall hearing stories of local people sponsoring players or making sure they got home after practice, etc…. I don’t know if these things still happen or not. And I do realize that for years Eva Whitehead lent financial support to many activities.

* I’ll look at the web page and their levy information and come up with some more questions… that one just popped out because I hear it so often.

* We received the “mailer” yesterday or the day before and I just glanced at it…. I tried to read it but the dark-colored backgrounds made it difficult to read so I tossed it. I already know I’m voting for it and my husband is too so I didn’t need to study it.

Ok, no “pat answers” about “the well-rounded child.” Moving all extracurricular expenses to the levy was a board decision. We wanted to keep core academic programs in the general fund and let voters decide whether to continue the robust schedule of extracurricular activities that our students and their families now enjoy. It’s a gamble, but given the high levels of participation and the community support apparent through fundraising beyond school support, I think the answer will be yes.

I’m sorry, but I don’t know the current status of the Bulldog Bench. I do know that various teams and groups – athletic, academic, musical and others – raise money to support their activities beyond what the district provides. I am especially proud of the high school Academic Decathlon teams. Sandpoint High’s team took first in state last year and second this year. Clark Fork placed in the regional competition in its division.

Questions from same person after reading the website: I think we have a good school board now and from what I can tell from reading his articles and listening to him on Bill Litsinger’s show a couple of times, we probably have the best school superintendent we’ve ever had.

Thanks. Re: Superintendent Dick Cvitanich, I agree. We are lucky to have him.

* What is the percentage of graduating students from Sandpoint and Clark Fork High Schools that go to college? What is our district doing to prepare students who don’t go to college to be able to work and afford to stay here?

Board members have been asking this question for several years. Unfortunately, the district has not tracked this information. That tracking is now underway. The district has professional-technical classes for students who don’t plan to go to college. One new opportunity is the Horizon Credit Union branch that just opened at Sandpoint High School. Students will get real-world training and experience as they provide banking service to students and staff.

* Why does Bonner County rank 9th lowest in the state for the amount of our property taxes that goes to schools - $68.50 compared to $310.00 state wide? Is this because of poor management by previous boards and administrations? Can this be changed? If it can, would it reduce the need for special levies? It appears that if we paid a larger share through our property taxes (as most other districts in the state do), we wouldn’t need the special levy.

LPOSD ranks among the lowest in the state in local property taxes for schools because we do not have a plant facility bond or levy. We failed in an attempt to pass a plant facility levy last fall. The last time taxpayers approved a plant facility levy was 20 years ago. The last facilities bond was passed in the 1950s. For whatever reasons -- taxpayer resistance, leadership failures or some combination -- this district has not kept up with its building needs.

Most districts that have a facility bond or levy also routinely run supplemental maintenance and operation levies. If we had a facility bond or levy our replacement levies for basic operations would be less because technology and equipment purchases, including buses, would be paid for out of the facilities measure.

* Without the $2,000,000 in this levy for staffing, where will cuts be made? I read the list but I don’t think many people will be concerned about cuts in extracurricular activities and not having the floors mopped every day.

The major cuts would be in the teaching staff. The result would be larger classes, fewer class choices for high school students, fewer specialized learning opportunities for children at all grade levels.

* Why is the amount for maintenance more than double the amount in the previous levy? Is this for personnel or replacement of equipment (e.g., things like furnaces)?

The maintenance portion of the levy includes $70,000 for a new boiler at Farmin-Stidwell. The major increase is 18 percent more for utilities. This is a combination of rate increases and greater use of facilities, mostly the latter. Also, more of the district maintenance costs are included in the levy this time than in the 2005 levy.

* It appears by your literature that almost 50% of the schools in Idaho rely on special levies for day to day operations and you blame the state legislature for this. This excuse – it’s the state’s fault - has been promoted forever. What is our board doing to change this state-level problem? Isn’t it time you vocally supported candidates who are willing to go against the mainstream and fight for these changes? It appears the ones we keep sending aren’t making any headway. There must be a state-wide organization of school board members. What is that organization doing?

The LPOSD board has become active on two fronts. We are working within the Idaho School Board Association, which lobbies on behalf of school districts at the state legislature. Also, we have begun to meet on a regular basis with our legislative delegation. Our goal is to let them know what our interests and concerns are. Individually, board members contact members of our delegation during the session. I have personally done this on a number of occasions this year. Working in the political trenches is a long, slow process. We have made a start. At least the lawmakers respond to our e-mails now! (Usually.)

* It appears having small schools is creating part of our funding problem. Why hasn’t the district combined schools and closed the small schools and, if necessary, gone to split shifts, 4-day weeks or year round school?

Closing and/or combining schools is the most difficult and disruptive decision any school board can make. I don’t believe we are at the point where that is an option to be considered. Perhaps it will be if this levy fails.

As for double-shifting and 4-day weeks, these are decisions other districts make at a time of crisis. They certainly are not made for the sake of improving student learning. Passing levies is how we avoid a crisis and continue our primary goal of assuring a good education for our children.

Philosophically I am intrigued by year-round schools. I have never heard anyone around here suggest it, however, and my guess is it would not be a popular option, or a cost-saving one.

One last question from a different constituent:

* Ok... here is my question. The explaining part is long.. so will only ask one question And really it is the only question I have. The part I don't understand... is we are coming off of a levy that is 3 million+ ... now they want more money... a million more or close to it... and yet we are told that the census is down quite a bit... With all the new homes that were built and moved in.. all at the cost of $220,000 and way up from there (where $300,000 is common). Wouldn't there be more money coming in to the school coffers? After all, when the old levy was brought in, the houses were valued from $100,000 less than they are now...and there were less of them. Most people could live with the levy being the same price as the old one. So what can you tell me that would change my mind if I wasn't happy with the increase?

Let me break this into two parts. 1. Why more money if there are fewer students? It’s true; our enrollment this year dropped by about 130 students. We project it may drop slightly more, and then level off. When you remove 130 kids from classes across a district of nearly 3,900 students, it makes barely a ripple in individual classrooms. It doesn’t mean you just eliminate a first grade class or a high school math class and the teachers. Also, we are trying to improve instruction, not just hold the line.

The state pays us per student (actually per average daily attendance), but school districts make budgets based on actual costs – salaries, maintenance, curriculum, technology, etc. The job of the board and district administrators is to balance our primary goal of improving student achievement with the reality of declining state (and federal) dollars and taxpayer willingness.

2. You are correct about the impact of growth and escalating property values on the tax rates. Please keep in mind, however, that the state school tax on property has been removed, significantly easing our property tax burden.

Early in the process of developing this levy proposal, the board members agreed we would try to keep the total amount near the current levy. We conducted six public workshops and heard budget realities, including declining revenue from state and federal sources, details of district needs, and views of staff and members of the public. At the end of that process the board was persuaded that to achieve our goal of continuing to improve student learning we would need to ask voters for a larger levy amount.

Even though we cut back on many department requests, we arrived at the $8.96 million levy as the necessary amount to continue our progress. We think it is fair. We know it will be put to good use. I hope you agree.

(I can be contacted directly at mindycameron@earthlink.net).

Zippidy Doo DA

"Stop in the name of Love!" No, I'm not gonna do that this morning. Nothing's gonna stop me from enjoying this day, especially every time I return to the computer and click on the background music link that my blogging friend Cis sent me. If anyone else is interested, you can find it at http://www.tropicalglen.com/. Now, the Beach Boys are "California Dreaming." Thanks, Cis.

Naturally, I clicked on 1965, and naturally I'm transported back to that wonderful time in life when a future, yet-unknown and certainly filled with oodles of adventure, lay ahead. Petula Clark is going downtown now. Back then, I went to downtown Moscow a few weeks after graduating.

My first job away from home took me to the Radio-TV Center at the University of Idaho. From there, my friend Terri Chronic and I (who were among the first Federal Work-Study students at U of I) went to Camp Neewahlu on Lake Coeur d'Alene and washed dishes for the rest of the summer.

We both graduated from U of I----Terry as a geologist, and I, as a teacher. We went our separate ways, had careers, married, and had kids. I can't help but tear up a little as I write this because Terry is no longer with us. She was living in Alaska when she died suddenly from a heart problem a few years ago. I have moved on with life.

Now, Sonny and Cher are singing "I've Got You, Babe." Too bad for them as they quit having each other, and Sonny eventually died. Cis, why did you send this to me? It's reviving on all sorts of emotions as the tunes continue to play. Of course, I could turn it off, head outside and listen to birds sing instead while rejoicing this wonderful life which has been cut short for so many.

Well, at least, for a moment, the sentimentality has gone on hold as they're playing some song that didn't exactly make my billboard charts. It's some guy singing about treating his girl right; I'm sure it was a great Twist song. In fact, maybe I need to get up and practice my style. That was one dance that I could do without anyone laughing at me, and "I Could Get Satisfaction" from not being embarrassed like the poor guy singing "Hey, Hey, Hey" right now.

I can remember playing these songs while kids were working or studying during my last year of teaching. Annie stole a bunch of them off Napster and made me some CD's, which are packed away in the hundreds of boxes we brought to the Lovestead when we moved. Now, Roger Miller is pushing his broom and missing his cigarettes. I haven't missed my cigarettes for 38 years now, and I'm not so desperate to smoke some ol' stogie found in a boxcar.

Started smoking those L & M's shortly after leaving for the university. Back in those days, smoking served as a mark of maturity, at least in many of our minds. These days, you'll see me running the other way when someone lights up. Well, Roger's finished being the King and another song I don't know is playing. It's probably a classic for some, but this guy's lovesick and wondering if his girl will have him back again. There's a big loud electric guitar helping him make his promises if she'll just have him back again. Sorta like he'll quit all his bad habits.

I can tell him as I approach 60 that we tend to revert back to our old habits no matter how much we promise to change. That's the nature of life, but who knows that when we're 20?

Well, the gal's getting ready for love now, so I don't want to get too kinky on this gorgeous early spring morning, so I'll pull myself away from the computer while she's just talking about holding hands. I'd better hurry before the song gets X-rated. But then again, I don't think the songs of 1965 ever got too X-rated by today's standards.

I don't know what year Zippidy Doo Da Day came out, but it seems pretty appropriate for this Sunday morning. My oh my, have a wonderful day!

Saturday Slight

I just read that Al Gore received 300,000 signatures for something he's going to do about climate change. Since he invented the Internet and now plans to blow enough cold air to keep us from melting into oblivion, I wonder if he'd come over here to North Idaho and get rid of the fog. Seems like a little hot air might do the trick.

They promised us 60-degree temperatures this weekend, but they didn't say anything about outdoor steam baths. I hope it lifts today because yesterday sure wasn't the most uplifting of days. Regardless of fog, I'm still in a better mood cuz I'm Irish. And, St. Paddy's Day brings out the best feelings among all the Irish, regardless of the weather. No, I haven't been drinking any green beer either. Just that usual cup of Folgers which seems to be doing the trick this morning.

It's Saturday Slight time . . . .

• Today I'm going on a tour of the old high school, junior high, Ninth Grade Center, et.al. Same building different names over the generations. The owner's wife has generously consented to usher me through the structure to see the progress of the building's extensive restoration. I'm really looking forward to the experience and to meeting her; if she's anything like her husband, she's a keeper. They single-handedly are giving the community one of the most treasured gifts ever.
• Nick and Willy's----Ya've gotta try it. I stopped by Nick and Willy's Take-Out Pizza Shop in Rathdrum on my way home from the airport last Sunday. Picked up a pizza and decided to try their plate of cinnamon pull-aparts. Bill waited patiently for my arrival home and then waited patiently while the pizza cooked in the oven. His expression and his willingness to go back for seconds revealed total approval. We had a Hawaiian-style pizza with pineapple and miniature orange slices. Mighty good. Then, I put the pull-aparts in the oven. When they'd popped up to size, I pulled them out and smothered them with the frosting sauce provided with the plate. Shades of that day at Eleanor Delamarter's house so many moons ago when I ate 13 of her orange cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven immediately came to mind as both Bill and I dug in and dug in and dug in. I think either of us in our days of youth would have eaten the entire plate, but we've been indoctrinated enough with the cholesterol/heart attack propaganda that we dug deep into our self discipline to leave at least a third on the plate for morning consumption. They are so good that when Bill went to Rathdrum last night for a Society of American Foresters meeting, a stop by Nick and Willy's was included on his itinerary. I'm being strong this morning, but come afternoon, if any are still left, I'll gorge a little. Merris, Mason and the crowd have a winning formula at their pizza shop, so be sure to stop by when traveling through Rathdrum.
  
• My new garden spot is growing, even in spite of yesterday's snow and rain. It's definitely back breaking work, spading up sod, dumping sod, spading up moldy manure, and dumping moldy manure, but as it continues to grow, my visions of veggies aplenty keeps me eager to keep spading. I'm guessing at the rate I'm going, it should reach the desired spot in the next week or so. As for garden, the marigolds, zinnias, tomatoes, assorted flowers, spinach and even some lettuce are flourishing at different levels of development in the open air. Some pots are in the house while others are in the quansit where it's fairly humid and bright (when the sun shines, that is---where ARE you, Al?)

Nothing much else this morning except I'm wearing my St. Paddy's shirt from the fun run/walk in Seattle last week. Also have a shamrock necklace compliments of Annie.

May you all see green today, and for those of you who see it in the form of grass, enjoy! Erin Go Brougham!

Bag of good thoughts

Some mornings coffee just doesn't do it. Most of the time, caffeine certainly serves as the early morning elixir for grouches. The first sip starts the process, and four jolts later, the brain has come alive and all gears are full speed ahead with positive expectations for the new day ahead. At least, that's been my experience.

There are those times, though, that a combination of events can stifle even the effects of high-octane caffeine. In my case, the number-one perennial nemesis for a good swig of caffeine is the weather. And, in today's case, the confluence of a new blanket of snow with the reality that there is no joy in Zagdom has rendered my coffee powerless. I'm a grouch looking for therapy.

I think a lot has to do with the letdown after a gorgeous spring day filled with sunshine, singing birds, dirt digging in a new garden bed, and trips to the house to watch segments of the NCAA games, one of which included a victorious Washington State University. Add to that a tasty meal of slow-baked chicken smothered in barbecue sauce, doctored-up Bush baked beans, garlic bread and steamed baby carrots swimming in a pool of garlic margarine.

These carrots were not just any carrots. These dainty beauties came from the ground at the Lovestead quite by accident. While I was spading the garden bed around the dog kennel, the day before yesterday, something orange appeared in the dirt. It was the lower end of a carrot sliced off by the shovel's sharp edge. Taking care from that point on, I uncovered about a dozen slender carrots that I had planted last July.

The winter had been good to them, so I announced to Bill yesterday morning that dinner would revolve around those orange veggies----the first actual produced planted by Loves at the Lovestead. Bill seemed genuinely excited, saying that he'd even bypass the soup buffet at the Presbyterian Lenten service in favor of those carrots.

They did not disappoint, and so a perfect day continued as did the expectation for the big game with the team that our family has followed all season with such loyalty, admiration and excitement. It was evident from the start that what was once known as the Cinderella team was turning orange, not like my lovely carrots, but like the fabled pumpkin. The Zags dance performance lacked those glass slippers that have brought so much joy to so many.

When it was over, I did what I've done throughout my life on similar occasions. I attempted to stifle my disappointment, thinking tomorrow's another day. Spring is here. Even greener grass, more sunshine and plenty of time to keep digging away at that new garden bed would be enough drown the sorrows of the Zags demise. I went to bed sure of that.

This morning, when Bill told me it was snowing outside, I groaned. When I went outside into the darkness and found it tempered by a vast white blanket, I groaned some more. I read the paper and the commentary on last night's game. The sportswriters sounded as bleak as I felt. And, now an hour or so later, the white blanket still remains. Mama said there'd be days like this . . . .

Those of us who've lived a day or two know that on days like this we must reach deep within the bag to find some positive vibes to jerk us out of our state of blahdom. While walking the fields, looking and thinking a while ago, I reasoned to myself that by noon this will all be but a blip.

The fog will lift. The snow will melt. The green that we Irish love so much will once again appear, and the promise of an ever-awakening spring will foster new expectation and new reasons to maneuver past the disappointments we so often encounter along our way. It's all a part of the life cycle which calls for a few dark moments to make the light shine brighter.

Tomorrow will be St. Patrick's Day, and we'll all be greeting folks with the line Cis sent me in an e-card this morning---The Top of the Mornin' to You with "When Irish Eyes Are Smilin'" as a musical backdrop.

I think I'm gonna go into the bathroom right now, stand in front of the mirror and get these Irish eyes to smile in preparation for the big day tomorrow.

Top of the Mornin' to You, and may the snow melt quickly!

Beware the Ides of March Madness

As an old and getting older English teacher, I had to do it. Today's headline signifies the date Julius needed to heed as well as the date when insanity begins to reign centuries afterward in a land unknown to Romans. Julius had to beware cuz his senators were mad and were going after him with their knives. I don't think we have any knife-wielding senators these days, but they seem to have their own share of madness about their leader.

But who wants to talk politics when madness of a different nature threatens to consume the hearts, minds and working ability of millions here in these United States of America. I read in the paper this morning that employers have learned, in many cases, to avoid trying to fight off the uncontrollable zeal associated with the NCAA basketball tournament. In fact, some are going easy on their employees, knowing the alternative is fruitless.

Years ago, my son showed his true leadership by sidling up to the school librarian and convincing her that it really would be a good idea to put that television set out among the tables where more students and teachers could sneak out of class and watch a few minutes of Michigan, UCLA or Kentucky trouncing their Cinderella opponents in NCAA pair-offs. Little did we know it, but young William was, indeed, getting his education for future pursuits.

Now he goes to work where televisions stay alive 24 hours a day with sports news and events. He gets paid to know all about who's going to pair off for the final dance of this year's national tournament. Well, he also has to follow some track, baseball, tennis, soccer and whatever other spring sports are keeping high school kids on the go in Southern Idaho.

And, up north his family, including Grandma, have developed the same excitement he experienced each March when he'd convince Bonnie Spitzer to keep those televisions wired up. Grandma's got all her notes and everything off the Internet that his Aunt Barbara printed off for her regarding the tournament. No doubt, at this very minute she's getting that Zags sweatshirt out and ready to wear.

We, at the Lovestead, have our "GO ZAGS" sign supplied by the Spokesman-Review taped and facing outward from the living room window. We don't want anyone maneuvering the mudholes on South Center Valley Road to forget that the Zags play tonight at 6:55 p.m. And, we can't forget the Cougs. We'll admit to being Zag diehards, but we're proud that the WSU Cougs have made it to the dance. They'll be playing later this morning, and some of us will be watching.

Bill's got a bit of a struggle because he has to miss the first part of the Zags game tonight due to a Lenten service. But I'm sure the Presbyterian praying will be helpful as our team takes on the Indiana Hoosiers. I just don't know, however, if Nancy's going to allow Bill to wear his Zags hat at the church service.

Yup, it's madness all right, more than 2,000 years after Julius fateful day. Think of it. If those Romans had just had TVs and the NCAA tournament to keep them occupied, Julius may have avoided their wrath. History could have been a LOT different.

GO ZAGS !! ---- GO COUGS!!

Special note: On Monday I plan to feature a "Drive Your Chevy to the Levy" posting about the Lake Pend Oreille School District levy election next Tuesday, March 20. In fact, I'll have a guest writer that day who has happily agreed to answer any questions anyone has regarding the levy. Her name is Mindy Cameron. She's on the school board, and she's a journalist who knows how to dig for every answer.

So, if any local readers have questions about the levy, she'll be happy to answer them. You can put your questions on the comments section of today's and tomorrow's postings or send them to me at malove@imbris.net. I told Mindy I'd send her questions by Friday night, so keep that in mind.