Good Morning from Selle

 

It's another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Yesterday was another beautiful day in many ways. 

The sunshine was bright as was a clear sense of hope, most notably for public education in Idaho.

Once again, we have our local hero Luke Mayville and his amazing team of volunteers energized and ready to effect more financial support to our public schools and their teachers.   

Luke met with local volunteers and education-oriented political candidates yesterday at  Matchwood Brewing Co. 

This dynamic young man, with his SHS classmate and friend Garett Strizich, founded Reclaim Idaho.  

The organization, with its growing number of volunteers, later spearheaded a successful Initiative to increase Medicaid funding throughout the state. 

In his initial comments yesterday, Luke told the group about the recent people's victory in the Idaho Supreme Court.

The court unanimously struck down legislation enacted this spring which would severely limit the Initiative process in Idaho. 

And, they made a strong statement, Luke said, by requiring that all legal fees incurred by Reclaim Idaho in the court case be paid. 

He also assured listeners that similar Legislative decisions to limit the rights of the people with Initiatives would be next to impossible. 

That said, it was time to talk about the current Initiative campaign which could ultimately lead to a substantial increase educational funds throughout the state. 

Luke's encouragement for volunteers to go door knocking for signatures for this Initiative was echoed by two candidates for school board, Tonya Sherman (running for the seat of retiring board member Cary Kelly and Gary Suppiger (running for re-election).  

Jason Welker, candidate for Sandpoint City Council, also spoke in support of the Initiative. 

Afterward, volunteers went out into the community, seeking signatures.  A little over 2,000 are needed for Boundary and Bonner County. 

I brought a petition home with me and will happily make arrangements for anyone, who's a registered voter and wishing to sign.  

And, so another process starts in the original three-pronged goal for Reclaim Idaho, which included support of healthcare, education and public lands. 

It was an uplifting experience to hear of the latest success for this group and equally exciting to see what the statewide army of volunteers can do in the people's interest with this newest Initiative effort.

I also can report this morning that "hope" turned into jubilation in the homes of Montana Grizzly fans, more specifically the Casey family of Sandpoint.  

Brandon Casey, a former Sandpoint Bulldog football star and once a hay hand for us, plays for the Grizzlies. 

The last time the Montana Grizzlies beat the Washington Huskies:  1920.  

A mere 101 years later, they did it again yesterday, by golly, and by a score of 13-7. 

  Washington was ranked No. 20. 

 

Great moments yesterday for a couple of our Sandpoint High graduates:  Luke and Brandon. 

 

Luke Mayville

Tonya Sherman

I'm also holding out hope for my manure-pile cantaloupe. 

Now it's a competition with me, the deer, the weather and the voles/moles. 

Critters have been keeping close track of the manure pile vines and taters. 

Their teeth have been busy too. 

We may not have any frost threats over the next week or so, which gives those melons a chance to increase in size and those deer and moles more territory for chewing. 

If I can keep one step ahead of all three threats, maybe we'll get to taste some homegrown cantaloupe. 

If not, we came close during this hot, hot year.