Down Country Roads

Thank you, longtime Idahoan/country roads supervisor Steve Klatt and your crews for yesterday's fine work on our country road.  

I read this morning in the local letters to the editor that Idaho is being attacked.  

In the same letter, the writer also implied that it's the longtime residents who have stood by and let education, roads and forests deteriorate in the state.

I also read in this opinion piece that people are fleeing to our state of Idaho from other states like Massachusetts, California and New York to escape bad stuff the government and the deviant people are causing.  

I even think the writer may have been one of those immigrants who escaped to Idaho

Seems to me these people could easily be compared to the undocumented immigrants from around the world who are fleeing bad stuff their governments and deviant leaders are causing.

According to the letter, these Gem State transplants don't want Idaho to go down the drain like those other states.    

Hmmm.  

Seems like some conflicting information here.  I'll just keep scratching my head and muttering along as I enjoy being a "longtimer" here in Idaho. 

I'm actually feeling a little guilty this morning after reading that letter.  

Nevertheless, I'm still gonna vote in the May 15 primary for some of the third and fourth-generation folks I know.

They must have done something right to have all those masses fleeing to our state and wanting to keep it the way it is.  

Maybe Idaho needs a wall.

In other news, it's getting prettier every day, and people are out doing good things along the country roads in our Selle Valley neighborhood. 

A lot of them are third and fourth generationers too!

It was fun stopping by the Selle Valley Carden School yesterday where a stand was placed near the road in front of the school for upcoming sales projects.  

I heard that a couple of Eagle Scout candidates from down the road were instrumental in the construction of the stand.  Hats off to all involved.  

It's always neat to see what those kids and their teachers are up to.  Once the stand was placed, the kids headed off to the forest next door to learn about tree bark.  

These rural students are very involved in forestry projects----writing winning essays for a statewide contest about the forest and learning forestry basics for the upcoming Idaho State Forestry Contest. 

I also saw another longtimer on his tractor (well, he is younger than I am but has still been around here a while).

He was out dragging his pasture land with a harrow.

I did a little of that myself yesterday on Pasture No. 1, which means Pasture No. 2 and the hay fields are yet to go.  Dragging fields in the springtime or the fall is THE BEST part of living on a farm.

Fresh air, beautiful scenery and delightful solitude while making a difference in the pasture's growth and beauty. 

In the "Foster (above) sez this is truly amazing category, I must include a note below. 

First, hats off to all the people from Sandpoint to every corner of Idaho who have contributed and continue to contribute to the realization of the massive vision set forth by Sandpointers Luke Mayville and Garrett Strizich with their "can do" attitudes. 

It looks as if Luke, Garrett and the gang of hundreds are about to make history in this state.   We'll know for sure by May 1, the day after the deadline for petitions to be submitted. 

I'll let Luke's note about Reclaim Idaho's grass roots movement to ensure that an Initiate to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 60,000 Idahoans will appear on Idaho's general election ballot this November. 

Sandpoint's Nancy Gerth was the first to sign the Medicaid Mobile during its send-off last July. 

If you have heard about this movement and would like to sign a petition, Luke's note provides information for how you can do just that by this weekend, specifically April 30th. 

April 23, 2018

From Luke Mayville, co-founder of Reclaim Idaho with co-founder Garrett Strizich, the grass roots movement which has spread throughout the state AND is about to pull off a miraculous feat:  ensuring that the Initiative to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 60,000 Idahoans will appear on the Idaho general election ballot this November. 

"Reclaim Idaho estimates that the campaign to put Medicaid Expansion on the ballot has gathered over 54,000 valid signatures as of 5:30 p.m. on April 21. 

Because totals are not official until qualified by individual county clerks, volunteers are encouraged to continue gathering signatures at every opportunity & to turn in all petitions to their their county leaders through the April 30 deadline. 56,192 valid signatures are needed to get Medicaid Expansion on the ballot. 

Additionally, signatures from 6% of registered voters in 18 different districts are required. Campaign volunteers are still working to estimate the individual district totals.

"Over 200 volunteers gathered 1800+ signatures in Canyon County on Saturday April 21. Canvassing events are planned across the state through the April 30 deadline, including events for in Boise, Moscow, Idaho Falls. & Sandpoint.

"We are very close to meeting our goal of 56,192 signatures, but we must keep collecting signatures, because we don’t want to just meet that total; We want to shatter it. The health care of 62,000 Idahoans is too important to leave anything to chance."

If you live in the Sandpoint area you may SIGN THE PETITION at any of the following locations:

Family Health Center 606 N. 3rd Ave, Sandpoint, ID

Women's Healthcare, 1251 Michigan St., Sandpoint ID

Panhandle Art Glass 514 Pine St, Sandpoint, ID

All Seasons Garden and Floral, 31831 Hwy 200 East, Kootenai, ID 

If you have petitions, THEY MUST BE NOTARIZED AND TURNED IN NO LATER THAN APRIL 30TH. You can have them notarized at your bank or the library and turn them in to Evans Brothers Coffee, 524 Church St., Sandpoint.
THERE WILL BE NOTARYS AT EVANS BROTHERS on April 29 from 9 a.m. - 11 am who can both notarize and collect your petitions!

~~~~~~~

Again, huge pats on the back to all throughout the state who have worked tirelessly to help make this happen.  It's definitely provided an outstanding and constructive example of democracy in action. 

Also, in my gratitude department this morning, I'm sending my thanks once again to our son Willie who came over after school last night and helped carry heavy stall mats to put in place AND dug out the doors to the horses' three stalls. 

With Ma and Pa standing and supervising, Willie did a stellar job of flinging the mud and opening the way for those doors to open the way they should.

Thank you, Willie. I really appreciate your help. 

And, with that, this "second-generation" Idahoan whose mother fled from Michigan to the Idaho "wilderness" in 1945, Happy Wednesday. 

GO, Mike Boeck!  Go, Jim Woodward!  Go, Scotchman Peaks Wilderness! GO, Medicaid for Idaho!

Enjoy the photos.