Throwbacks, Friends and Horsin'

Stephen (pronounced Steff-en) and Andrea were our neighbors when we lived in our folks' rental house on Great Northern Road.  Stephen was also one of Bill's Boy Scouts.  I taught both Stephen and Andrea.  Both have always been industrious and have led very productive lives as adults. 

Yesterday I ran across some old local papers, which I had saved in a photo album for one reason or another, and all these years later, it's fun to see the treasures immortalized by journalists and photographers for these papers.  

On an editorial note, it's also really nice to see names with the faces.  

Nothing is more exasperating to me than to be reading the paper and see a photo with a group of local people who have won an award or contributed something special to the community AND NO NAMES. 

One of the principal rules of beginning journalism is NAMES MAKE NEWS and that we as journalists are also chronicling the historical record.  

For the most part "back in the day" we could always count on seeing names to match the faces in these pictures, although there's one below where I still haven't found Craig Wooden---maybe a sister or two and maybe Kim McDonnell Bond but no Craig Wooden. 

So, yes, mistakes do happen when listing names, but at least the effort is there and 40-50 years later that effort becomes all the more important.  

I really wonder what kind of printed historical record we're going to have several decades from now when all those photos of folks with no names frustrate the heck out of future historians. 

Granted, with small-town newspapers, resources are stretched, especially on daily papers, but taking a few minutes to jot down those names and include them with the photo is more than worth the effort.  

After all, as evidenced this morning, print journalism has a long shelf life, and, in a small town, those names are very important to readers as well as the people in the pictures.   

Just sayin'!

Anywho, I know my blog assistant editor may get a kick out of the photo below from the Sandpoint News Bulletin.  Seems like Cherry might see a relative.

Twould be fun to hear from one of these ladies a few decades later to see how the camping experience was.  I do see a few of them around town; maybe I'll have to ask. 

Challenge of the day:  find Craig Wooden. 

The Love Family at an event back in the day when we had no gray hair.  I was asking Annie a while back if she has gray hair; seems like she says she's seen a strand or two.  For the record, three of us have lightened up a bit since this photo, which I believe was taken by Marie Sulze O' Brien. 

For the record, William E. Love III, Mom Love, Annie Love and Bill Love.

Yesterday, while walking into to Elite Tire to see the gentleman pictured below, I saw one of my classmates, Karen Martin Rolf, who lives at Hope.  We enjoyed a nice visit, talking about our kids and fellow classmates.

I included this photo in today's blog because I know that Meserve family members might see it and mention the photo to Geneva, a good friend of Karen's.  

Last week during my day-long cell phone update saga, during one session, one of the AT and T staffers who sold me the phone told me that her brother was Billy Mueller.

Well, that ended up with my bringing her a copy of my last book where I devoted a couple of pages to Billy.  She also told me that Billy had moved back to Sandpoint after spending five years in North Dakota AND that he had opened a tire shop on Kootenai Cut-off Road.

As I mentioned to Billy yesterday, he's one of the many reasons I am grateful to have been a teacher.  The anecdote in the book Lessons with Love tells of Billy getting into some trouble at the high school.

The fighting incident resulted in his being kicked out of school for the rest of the year.

In an attempt to get re-instated, he approached me and asked if I would write a letter to the school board in his behalf.

I responded with an emphatic NO.

Then, I told Billy what I would do for him.

You take responsibility for your actions, deal with the consequences and when you come back to Sandpoint High School, I'll be your biggest cheerleader.  
Billy did just that.

He returned to school the following year, and later he even spoke to the entire student body at a Veterans' Day Assembly about his grandfather Jack Stevens, whom he truly admired because of his service in World War II.

I have to say that watching Billy address the student body that day was one of the proudest moments of my teaching career.

Billy has never been afraid of work in any way shape or form, and to know that he now has his own tire shop back home is pretty darned neat.

Elite Tire on Kootenai Cutoff Road is open five days a week and on Saturday mornings.  I would vouch for the fact that Billy knows tires with all of his experience at Les Schwab and with his tire shop in North Dakota.

Go check it out, and tell him Mrs. Love sent you.

~~~~~~

No grass growing under these new retirees: 

Barbara Tibbs


My sisters have been cleaning up at a regional Arabian show in Nampa this week with Barbara's Half Arabian gelding Dun in Style aka "Dusty."

So far, they've won two Top Five Ribbons in trail competition and showmanship, respectively.  That's Laurie below after her class yesterday.

More to come as Barbara shows again today.

So, I'm guessing retirement has been agreeing with them so far. 

Laurie Tibbs