Sandpoint Teens Raise Money for Mission Work in Uganda

Sandpoint High School students Aubrie Perry and Bailey Scrimsher, both 15, have a plan. A very expensive plan.

Their families each sponsor a child from Uganda through International Children’s Network and both girls would like to travel to visit their sponsored child as well as participate in mission work.

The cost of the two- to three-week trip? Approximately $3,000 each. But that is not deterring these girls from doing all they can to achieve their goal.

“I did a bake sale when we had our yard sale,” said Scrimsher. “I made $80, but a lot of that was just donations.”

A couple of months ago the girls brainstormed and came up with the idea of putting on a week long day camp for girls.

“My parents then came up with the idea of making it an educational camp because parents like that,” said Perry.

So they went to work designing and printing their own colorful brochures for Camp Fun ‘n The Sun, which took place the week of July 5.

The result? After expenses, the girls each earned approximately $400 and will put that money toward their trip, which they hope to take next summer.

The girls worked hard planning various lessons and crafts for each day of camp and carefully shopped for supplies so they could maximize their profit.

“Our moms were a big help,” said Scrimsher.

With a different theme and an average of 10 campers each day, the girls had to carefully plan their activities for the five hours the kids were in their care.

“We did not want them running around in circles. We wanted them to be safe,” said Scrimsher.

The first day was eco-friendly day. The girls instructed and assisted the campers on how to make pine cone bird feeders and they each decorated an aluminum water bottle that they could use throughout the week.

“That way they didn’t have to use paper cups the whole week,” said Perry, emphasizing that the project was in line with the lesson on conservation.

When researching their lesson plans for the week, the girls relied heavily on the Internet and the video sharing website You Tube.

“It is so nice to actually see how it (the crafts) all is done,” said Scrimsher.

The second day was spa day where the campers learned how to make their own scrub using sugar and baby oil and Scrimsher massaged each of the girls’ feet while Perry painted their toenails and fingernails.

“They kept telling us they felt so spoiled,” said Perry.

On Wednesday, the teens introduced a unit on nutrition. Each of the girls received an apron which they decorated, and made homemade granola and pretzels.

“We showed them it is better to make your own food so you know what is going in it,” said Scrimsher.

“It also showed them that things that taste good are still good for you,” adds Perry.

On science day the girls led the campers in experiments crafting volcanoes out of clay and then using baking soda and vinegar to simulate a volcanic eruption.

The week culminated with water day on Friday where the kids decorated their own fish bowl and each was given a goldfish to take home.

Lunch was also provided by the girls who gave the kids a choice of peanut butter and jelly or a turkey sandwich in addition to a cheese stick, fruit and drink.

Scrimsher said the most challenging aspect of the experience was organizing and purchasing all the things needed for the various activities throughout the week.

“But then you see all our hard work pay off and it is worth it,” said Perry. “The pros definitely outweigh the cons,” adds Scrimsher.

One of the most rewarding aspects was to see how some of the more shy kids were able to make new friends.

The girls said they hope to travel to Uganda with their mothers next summer, but if that doesn’t work out, they will go not it will be sometime before they graduate in 2013.

While in Uganda, Scrimsher would like to help out at a medical clinic. Perry said she would like to interview some of the kids, take their picture and put together the information packets to share with families back home.

“I really want to help the kids get sponsors,” said Perry.

But whether they travel to Uganda next summer or later, they plan to host the camp again next summer.

“We’re hoping next year will be bigger and better,” said Scrimsher, who adds that she is hopeful this will also help land some babysitting jobs.

“It’s really hard work, but it all pays off in the end,” said Perry.

Economic Downturn Gives Sandpoint a Chance to Plan for Next Growth Spurt

It appears there is an upside to the downturn in the economy after all. According to Sandpoint’s city planner Jeremy Grimm the lull in growth has allowed the city and its citizens to work diligently on its comprehensive plan – a map that will help steer Sandpoint’s development and growth for the next 20 years.

“It (the economic slowdown) has been a perfect storm in a good way for us,” said Grimm, adding that the plan is in response to the rapid growth experienced earlier this decade. “It allows us to prepare ourselves for the next wave of growth.”

The last time Sandpoint’s government prepared a comprehensive plan was 1977. But since Grimm was hired in the spring of 2007, his primary focus has been on working with the community to develop a plan that will take the city through the next two decades.

Grimm and his committee sought input from a large cross section of the community through many different approaches – large public meetings, surveys, and being present at many community events such as the Bonner County Fair and the Festival at Sandpoint.

“It (the rapid growth) really woke people up,” said Grimm, adding that the result was additional funds being allocated for various plans including the Urban Area Transportation Plan, a Parks and Trails Plan and a Comprehensive Plan.

The comprehensive plan was presented to the Sandpoint City Council in the spring of 2009 and after a total of 23 meetings and workshops, the council unanimously adopted it in February 2009.

The 122-page document addresses several topics including property rights, school facilities and transportation, land use, population, economic development, natural resources, public services, facilities and utilities, recreation and housing.

“But the zoning is really where the rubber meets the road,” said Grimm.

According to Grimm, back in the 1920s the Supreme Court granted cities the power to protect its citizens’ health, safety and welfare.

“Welfare has been interpreted by the courts to also mean the character of a community,” said Grimm.

The previous zoning laws did little to ensure consistency with the comprehensive plan, said Grimm. But parking lots, landscaping, residential space and building height were all part of what he and others deemed important to ensure that the Sandpoint area became a desirable place to live and visit.

“My charge was to bring to the planning commission the skeletal framework (of the plan),” said Grimm.

From there the commission used its own personal knowledge of the community, its history and desires for the future to fine tune the plan. Grimm provided the research on various codes throughout the country which had resulted in the type of community Sandpoint strives for.

“We had at least 10 public meetings on the development of the commercial code,” said Grimm.

In a meeting last month, the city council passed the first part of the zoning revisions that were addressed in the comprehensive plan – the commercial zoning laws.

The language of the new law was an effort to strike a balance between bringing incentives to downtown developers as well as ensuring the city did not over regulate growth.

In an effort to bring more residential properties to the downtown corridor, the new zoning law allows for buildings up to 65 feet high so long as at least 50 percent of the structure above 35 feet is devoted to residential use.

Also, all buildings must be capable of accommodating a second floor. Therefore, if a new structure is built as a single story, its walls and infrastructure must be such that it can accommodate an additional story in the future.

Grimm said it was the goal of the comprehensive plan to make Sandpoint unique among other western mountain towns and to make Sandpoint a place where people can walk to work, church or to do their shopping.

He said several areas, such as Hayden, have several strip malls and big box stores. Sandpoint residents want something different.

“We are trying to make our commercial areas attractive and a place where people want to be,” said Grimm.

Under the new zoning law, parking may not be built in front of new structures; instead it must be built either behind or on the side of a new building thereby allowing passers-by to enjoy a window shopping view. Buildings must be up against the lot line with the exception of public art or a civic area – a place where people can congregate and relax on a bench or enjoy a cup of coffee – between the building and the sidewalk or street.

Grimm said that if they prove to be highly successful with their plan, the result will be a desirable place to live, work and play.

“The challenge then becomes affordability,” said Grimm. “We have to be vigilant to be sure it does not become a playground for only the wealthy.”

But even after three years, Grimm said there is still much work to be done. “We have another year worth of code reform and regulatory development.”

Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center Honors WWII era Women Pilots

Ask anyone what role women played during World War II and the answer is likely to be that their jobs were diverse – working in factories, providing support for the soldiers, and some serving as nurses on the front lines. But chances are no one will tell you that civilian women served as pilots flying military aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces.

More than 1,000 women were trained as aviation cadets, which enabled the male pilots to serve where they were needed most – in combat. The women were civilians who received approximately 27 weeks of training. And their role, which included flying over 60 million miles in fighter, bomber, transport and training aircraft, was equally important.

Known as the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), it is said that the group helped pave the way for women to serve as military pilots today. But the women were never recognized for their contributions to World War II.

In fact, it was not until 1977 that the women were granted veteran status. And when 38 of the 1,074 women pilots lost their lives while defending their country, their bodies were flown home in poorly made pine caskets and the funerals were paid for by their friends and families, not the government. None of the families received an American flag.

After the WASPs were disbanded in December 1944, the women’s military records were sealed and labeled secret – keeping them out of the reach of historians. But in the 1980s the records were declassified and people began to learn more about these heroes in American history.

On Saturday these women will be honored in a special tribute hosted by the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center in Sagle, just south of Sandpoint. The event, Women of Courage 2010, is open to the public. More than 20 of the nearly 300 still-living women pilots from World War II will be on hand to share their stories of overcoming gender bias to serve their county.

Pamela Bird, of the Bird museum, said she first learned of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots when a former FAA helicopter pilot visited the museum last fall.

“He asked me, had I ever thought about having an event for the WASPs?” Bird recalled. “I responded that I had not as I didn’t know much about them.”

Coincidentally, Bird met two of the women who had served with WASPs. One, Alyce Rohrer, got her pilot’s license in the early 1940s before receiving her driver’s license.

“She wanted to serve her country in a special way and do something she was great at, and that was flying,” said Bird. “She wanted to be a fly girl and ferry and transport every type of plane the military flew all over the world to the fighter pilots so their time would be freed up to do their job. When the recruiter came along, she signed up and was on her way to serve her country.”

One woman, Betty Jo Streff Reed, writes in her biography that she was barely out of high school when she began to take flying lessons. Of the $18 weekly paycheck she received from working at the Marshall Field department store in Chicago, Reed devoted one half to her flying lessons. After joining the WASPs, Reed writes, she helped pay for the bodies of her 38 fallen comrades to be sent home since the government would not.

“We marched everywhere, we did calisthenics, aerobatics, and all the things the boys did – except for combat training,” writes Reed. “I would have gone into combat though. We were so proud of our country, and we were going to do what was right.”

Mary Ann Martin Wyall writes in her biography that people are now more aware than ever of the important role she and her colleagues played in America’s history.

“Our senior years have enhanced our reputation as true pioneers of women in military aviation,” said Wyall. “The generation of women now in the military realize what the WASP program accomplished in order for them to become part of military aviation in all branches of military service.”

The more Bird learned about these women, the more she wanted to do something to honor them.

“There are less than 300 alive in history. Two have passed away within the last 10 days,” said Bird. “It is time to do something to educate those of today so history won’t be lost, as well as to honor, to thank in a proper way these incredible ladies who have changed history forever.”