Let’s talk about Priest River

When Cathy Reynolds arrived at Priest River Animal Rescue to take over the afternoon shift caring for animals today, she found them gone!

All the dogs and approximately 50 cats had disappeared some time between closing time yesterday and noon today.

Since no one sounded the alarm this morning, it should be safe to assume that the person scheduled to feed and care for the dogs this morning knows where they went.

That person is one of the four members of Priest River Animal Rescue’s Board of Directors who also left their resignations on the counter for today’s workers to find.

Naturally, workers today called the police. Not only were the dogs stolen, but the food supply was gone as well. It also appeared that carry crates were missing. It was a clear case of theft.

But Priest River Police said no – it was a civil matter. This in spite of the fact that when one cat disappeared last week it was treated as a theft.

Make any sense to you??

Where are these critters tonight? Are they safe? Or are they on their way to be sold to WSU for experimentation? Other area shelters have been contacted and report that Priest River’s dogs were not brought to them.

PRAR has been plagued with internal disputes in recent months. Directors in particular seem to have forgotten that PRAR is about the animals – not about power or ego.

The political wrangling is the reason why, after being a founding member, I dropped out of the organization a few years ago. Unfortunately, I was not the only one who left for that reason.

I hope the remaining members can pull things together and get the organization back on track. The dogs and cats in this community need them.

Meanwhile… something stinks in Priest River.

On May 17, the residents of Priest River, Idaho will be asked to vote on a Bond and Levy to support the West Bonner Library District, which covers Priest River and Blanchard, Idaho.

If this passes, the current Priest River library will get a 5,400 s.f. addition – adding more room for books and videos,  expansion of the computer area, and more space for community functions.

This fell short of passing in the last election, but just barely. So those of us who support the library are hoping for a better turn-out and better response this time.

Here in Priest River passage will amount to a tax increase of about $2.41 per month per household – less than the cost of a movie rental, which patrons will be able to get for free if the election is successful. Right now, we can borrow movies, but the selection is pretty small.

More and more people are using the library.

Library workers tell me that usage has gone up dramatically since the current economic crisis – in fact, 2010 usage was up 41% from 2009.

Years ago, a visit to the local library meant checking out a book to take home and read for entertainment.

Now, every time I go in I see the  computer stations in use – sometimes with people waiting their turn. Many are students, but many are adults. Some come to pay bills, send an e-mail, or just look around. But Library volunteers tell me they are often called upon to show patrons how to do job searches, and how to find information on writing resumes’.

And then there are the activities. From story hours for the kids to crafts for both children and adults, to evening presentations from authors, the library seems to be humming all the time. And we hope it will hum even more in the future. In addition to more computers, one of the services that will be added if the levy passes is test proctoring for distance learners. Right now, distance learners have at least an hour’s drive to find proctoring services.

But back to the books, which is the reason why I’m a frequent visitor.

The West Bonner County Library District has joined the Washington Idaho Network of Libraries – which means we can request books from other libraries all over Washington and Idaho. All we have to do is go on line, find the book we want, and it will be delivered to our Priest River library for our reading pleasure.

Support the Library on May 17!!

Last week-end Popeye’s Tavern burned. This week-end the demolition and clean up is nearly complete.

After listening to the interviews on the news, I’ve been wondering if any of the people who frequented the place remember that the name came from Popeye Rose – who was the owner 60 years ago. Or if they remember that Popeye’s brother was a town cop – and Popeye ran a poker game in the back room.

I only know that because my Dad used to deal for him sometimes.

We’ve been reminiscing about all the bars that used to be down town, and trying to remember if King’s Bar and Hotel went first, or if it was Phil’s Club. Both of them burned.

Then there was the Log Cabin – which later became Mercer’s Memories. I’ve heard many tales about that place dating back to the 1930′s and 40′s – and had some fun dancing there myself in the 70′s. Back when I was in High School the proprietor rented an apartment from my Mom – and the only way she could collect rent was to send me down to the bar to ask for it.

Now I suppose it would be considered “contributing to the delinquency of a minor” to send a teen-ager into a bar for any reason.

Each time another of the old buildings burns in downtown Priest River we lose a bit of history. But in some cases we get something good in return – just look at the park-like area next door to the library!

After the last year or so, I think nearly everyone needs either a kick in the pants to get moving, or maybe a strong hand to lift them off the floor. It really was a tough year for a lot of people, and it won’t get better unless everyone learns to look for the positive.

Maybe YOU can be the one to give someone that lift.

The new year and decade can be a fresh beginning for personal goals, priorities and ways to make a difference in the world.

The movie and book, Every Monday Matters, puts into action the idea of making a difference by offering one activity for each of the 52 Mondays. Watch this 3 minute movie to get inspired about how to be involved in making a positive impact in the lives of those around you and the world!

So take a minute to watch… no, take 3 minutes.

Here’s to a fantastic 2010!

This isn’t about Priest River – it’s a story I read in a forum today and got permission to use. I just thought it was too good not to share…

Thanks go to Angie for this one:

It’s said that you can never have too many friends, but Christmas was just a week away and I had five people left to shop for on my Christmas list and only three dollars to my name. How do you tell you mother, brother, and three friends that you can only spend sixty cent on each of them?
“Let’s set a price limit on our gifts this year,” I suggested to my best friend, Joanie.
“That’s a good idea,” Joanie agreed. “How about nothing over five dollars?”
“How about nothing over sixty cents?” I felt like the biggest cheapskate in the world.
“I guess this is where I’m supposed to say it’s not the gift, it’s the thought that counts,” Joanie smiled. “But don’t blame me if all you get is a stick of gum!”
It is almost impossible to buy anything for under sixty cents, so it was going to have to be very small gifts with very big thoughts. I’d  never spent so much time or effort trying to come up with the right gift for the right person. Finally, Christmas day arrived, and I was worried how people would feel about my “cheap” gifts.
I gave my mother a scented candle with a note that said, “You are the brightest light in my life.” Shoe almost cried when she read the note.
I gave my brother a wooden ruler. On the back of it I’d painted. “No brother in the world could measure up to you.” He gave me a bag of sugar and had written on i t “You’re sweet.” He’d never said anything like that to me before.
For Joanie, I painted an old pair of shoes gold and stuck flowers in them with a note that said, “No one could ever fill your shoes.” She gave me a feather and a Band Aid. She said I always tickled her funny bone and made her laugh until her sides ached.
To my other two friends, I gave one a paper fan and wrote on it, “I’m your biggest fan.” To the other, I gave a calculator that cost one dollar and I painted a message on  the back, “You can always count on me.” They gave me a rusty horseshoe for luck and a bundle of sticks tied with a red ribbon because “friends stick together.”
I don’t remember all the other gifts that I got from people last Christmas, but I remember every one of the “cheap” gifts.
My brother thinks I am sweet. My mother knows she is the most important person in my life. Joanie thinks I’m funny and I made her laugh, which is important because her dad moved away last year and she misses him and is sad sometimes.
I was worried I wouldn’t have enough money for Christmas gift, but I gave to five people and still had twenty cents left over. We all still talk about our “cheap” gifts and how much fun it was to come up with a gift that cost pennies but told someone how we really felt about them.

On my bookshelf, I still have a bag of sugar, a feather, a horseshoe, and a bundle of sticks. . . and they are priceless.

I just got a Facebook invitation from Carol Ward – to attend the Bingo game at the Senior Center on December 3.

It’s been a long time since I got to go play Bingo (except on a lottery scratch card) so I’m going to do my darndest to be there.

Remember when the VFW held Bingo games every Friday night at VFW hall? There was a group of us who attended every week – and I’m not going to say just how many years ago that was!

The game benefits the Priest River Chamber of Commerce, and it’s health benefits the town, so put this on your calendar!

The Date: Thursday, December 3

The time: 6 to 9 p.m.

The place: Priest River’s Frank Chapin Senior Center

If our forefathers had a crop of turkeys like the ones in our neighborhood they wouldn’t have gone hungry.  Although the only person I know who said they tried to eat one said it wasn’t very good!

Wild turkeys in the pasture

This flock has expanded to a little over 3 dozen now, and they pass through my pasture morning and night – heads bobbing down to eat something. Not sure what they’re finding in the now-dry grass, but they look busy.

When they get a little too close to the house the dogs remove them promptly. It’s interesting to see just how high and how far they can fly! I wouldn’t mind them stopping by, except for the “presents” they leave behind.

The turkeys don't usually come this close...

I hear there’s another group of them not far from here, and someone counted 60+.  That’s fun, too. Kind of like trying to count fish swimming in the lake… they never stay still.

It does surprise me that there are so many, because I hear the coyotes often, and they’re close in.  Maybe they stay because they roost in the trees at night.

That’s an interesting sight, as well…when they’re roosting in a Cottonwood it looks like a tree filled with basketballs.

A message to all members of NetworkIN CDA: IN the Know! North Idaho & Eastern Washington

If you or anyone you know is a homeschooling family please see this site for yourselves or pass it on to someone who would benefit. http://www.hubb-bub.com.

Also looking for businesses to sponsor the site and get some advertising space.

Happy Tuesday!
Jamie

Visit NetworkIN CDA: IN the Know! North Idaho & Eastern Washington at: http://www.networkincda.com

Just in case you aren’t checking the news under events… This just in:

Bonner County Homeschool Group is having a family Bonfire Night, Friday Oct 23rd at 6 pm.  We’d really like to meet more homeschooling families in our area!

Come join us.

See our website at www.bchg.webs.com or call Michelle at 208-255-2798 for more info.

…………………

If you homeschool, go and meet like-minded parents and kids. I sure wish something like this had been available way back  when I was homeschooling my kids! I think I was the only “oddball” in town at that time.

This evening I decided to check out Sandpoint Realtor Rick Evan’s blog on Active Rain. I’m glad I did, because his latest post included a link to aerial photos of the Sandpoint bypass project.

http://calljerry.biz/BywayProgress8-09/

In spite of seeing the maps over the years, I didn’t really have a feel for how that road would lay. Seeing it under construction and looking at where it is with relation to other things makes it a lot clearer.

These are from almost 2 months ago… maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll post new ones before long.

Meanwhile, I’m told that a trip from Priest River to Sandpoint can be a time-consuming proposition right now. Lots of that wonderful waiting at times – so the best advice is to go by Dufort Road or take along a book.