NAMI Far North Hosts Fundriaser and Information Event September 26th

In Sandpoint, neighbors and friends are like family. It is part of what makes this town a true community. Those involved with a relatively new Sandpoint organization, NAMI Far North, hope the people of this town will embrace community members who struggle with day-to-day challenges.

NAMI Far North is the Sandpoint chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. On Saturday, the group will hold an event called Take a Seat at the Table – an ice cream social that will bring people together to raise money and awareness of diseases that have long been misunderstood and whose victims suffer in silence due to the stigma frequently associated with mental illnesses.

“This event is both a public-awareness and fundraising event,” said Ruth McKnight, founding vice president of NAMI Far North. “We’d like to inform people about our monthly meetings and support services. We want to start using information and education to dispel the misconceptions about mental illness and enlighten the bad ideas that have contributed to so much stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness.”

Take a Seat at the Table is aimed at community involvement.

“The metaphor of the table stresses the idea that at the family dinner table, everyone has needs – needs for nourishment, conversation, connectedness, affirmation, belonging,” McKnight said. “We all have needs, but we all also have something to contribute.”

In keeping with the theme, chairs, benches and stools decorated by local artists will be auctioned off in addition to a table from a Bonner’s Ferry furniture maker and several other items including gift certificates for restaurants, a weekend getaway and quilts.

According to those involved with NAMI, mental health care receives less attention and financial support than that given to other illnesses; and that is partially due to misconceptions.

“As I listen to people talk about mental illness, I detect a pervasive underlying misunderstanding about the neurobiological nature of brain disorders. People do not think of mental illnesses as diseases like any other, such as diabetes or cancer. They think of them as character flaws or lack of will power or as someone’s fault,” McKnight said. “Few people comprehend that mental illnesses can be chemical in nature, or related to malformation of the brain itself, or can be caused by injury or be triggered by trauma.”

Since it was formed by a group of five people in 2007, NAMI Far North has grown to over 40 members. In addition to supporting and sharing with those who suffer from mental illness, the group also lends support to family and friends of those with a mental illness.

The group meets the third Wednesday of every month – with the exception of December – at Bonner General Hospital. McKnight said it provides an important service that people may not otherwise receive.

Part of NAMI Far North’s mission of educating the public on mental illness includes an 11-week class in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry called Family-to-Family. Taught by trained NAMI family members, the course provides information, insight, understanding and empowerment to family and friends of individuals with serious mental illness.

The proceeds raised at Saturday’s event will allow NAMI Far North to expand its mission in North Idaho, including the training of law enforcement.

“We are already spearheading the Crisis Intervention Team training in the five northernmost counties of Idaho, with 22 officers already certified as CIT experts equipped to handle psychiatric emergency and mental illness disturbance call-outs with better outcomes,” McKnight said. “We plan to train and certify another 24 officers in February in a second CIT Academy in Kootenai County in February 2010.”

If you go

Take a Seat at the Table
What: Ice cream social and silent and live auction. Live music, family friendly.

When: Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m.

Where: Panhandle State Bank atrium, 414 Church St., Sandpoint.

Cost: $10 per person or $25 for a four-person family. Tickets are available at Eve’s Leaves, Common Knowledge Bookstore and Tea Shop in Sandpoint, Bonners Books in Bonners Ferry and Outskirts Gallery in Hope.

On the Web: www.nami.org

Pawsitive Works Pairs At Risk Youth With Shelter Dogs

Seven years ago Karen Schumacher visited a prison in Washington and saw inmates interacting with dogs. She was intrigued.

“It was amazing to watch,” said Schumacher explaining that the human-animal connection builds trust and contributes to the mental and physical wellness of the prisoners.

The experience motivated her to begin Pawsitive Works, a six-week program that links youths in the juvenile probation program with shelter dogs. The goal of the program is to instruct the youths to recognize behavioral issues in the dogs and use behavior modification and positive reinforcement tools to modify not only the dog’s behavior but the child’s as well.

The result is an increased self-esteem for the child and a respect for the needs of others – and of course a dog that is more likely to be adopted due to his good behavior.

To begin, Schumacher and other professionals spent the last several years researching educational materials that are compatible to both the children and the dogs and established guidelines to keep both the kids and dogs safe.

The curriculum for Pawsitive Works was the result of a collaboration of many, including Rhonda Hamerslough who has her Ph.D. in education and Jackie Crawford who is a family and youth therapist.

The pilot program was finally put into action in Boundary County last February linking youths from Boundary County with animals from area shelters.

The program, which is funded through donations and is beginning to receive some grants, was deemed a huge success.

“The first couple of sessions we review (the dog’s) body language,” said Schumacher. The youths look at photos as well as observe dogs from the shelters and learn to identify when a dog may be weary, excited, over stimulated or stressed.

The animals and youths are matched up according to their personality traits.

“If we have a hyper young person who has a hard time focusing, it would be wonderful to match that youth with a dog who may also have a hard time staying focused,” said Schumacher, explaining that the young person will need to slow down and focus their own behavior to help the dog do the same.

The probation department refers the youth to the program, and applications are submitted to Pawsitive Works.

“As an organization we have the right to question whether a particular child would be a good fit for the program,” said Schumacher. “But the probation officers really are in the best position to assess who would be the best candidates.”

Schumacher said the program will be sold to various entities, and she and her staff will continue to provide support.

“We will always be available to help and consult,” said Schumacher.

Because animal shelters typically do not have much in the way of discretionary funds, the county purchases the program and the shelter contributes in a variety of ways.

Schumacher said the shelters in Bonner and Boundary counties have agreed to hold the animals in their facility for the duration of the program, even if they are adopted midway through the class. It provides stability for the animals during the training process.

“Shelters are overcrowded everywhere so that is asking a lot of them,” said Schumacher.

She and her colleagues will track the progress of both the animals and the youths to determine the long-term effects of the program. They will be in contact with the probation officers to see whether the youths have reoffended or violated the terms of their probation.

With the pilot program hailed a success in Boundary County, a six-week program began last week in Bonner County. Four youths on probation will partner with dogs from area shelters.

During the pilot program Schumacher says one of the participants, a young man, was initially uncommunicative giving only monosyllabic answers. But by the third session he was rolling around on the ground and playing with the dog and at the fourth session he was interacting and providing suggestions for behavior modification.

“It was a real breakthrough and very heartwarming,” Schumacher said.

Pawsitive Works is currently forming its board of directors and is always in need of volunteers. If interested in serving on the board or volunteering, contact Karen Schumacher at(208) 946-3883or log onto www. pawsitiveworks.com.

Bar Owner's Boycott of Philadelphia Eagles Receives Mixed Reviews

The day highly anticipated by football fans everywhere has finally arrived. Today marks the opening day of the 2009 NFL season.

From now until the Super Bowl, sports enthusiasts will gather around the TV to watch their favorite teams battle it out. Whether it is in one’s family room, neighbor’s house or the local sports bar, gathering to watch Sunday afternoon or Monday night football is a tradition in this country.

But what if your favorite team signs a player who has just been released from prison, and in protest of that player’s behavior the local sports bar refuses to air any game in which that team plays? That is the case at Slate’s Prime Time Grill and Sports Bar just north of Sandpoint in Ponderay. Slates, which has 20 HD television screens throughout the bar and restaurant, is a favorite of many sports enthusiasts in this area.

Steve Coffman, the owner of Slate’s, has made it known that he is disgusted that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback who was just released from federal prison, where he served 18 months in addition to six months of house arrest on charges of running a dogfighting operation.

The case brought national attention to the extreme cruelty bestowed upon man’s best friend. Evidence showed that if dogs did not perform according to expectations, Vick and others violently killed them by means such as hanging, drowning and electrocution.

Coffman is an animal lover and has joined other restaurant and bar owners in the nationwide Sack Vick campaign – boycotting all Philadelphia Eagles games as well as the team’s corporate sponsors.

As part of the campaign, Web sites are marketing T-shirts stating things like “Hide your beagle, Vick’s an Eagle” and “Hey, Michael, how would you like to be hung, electrocuted or drowned for not performing well enough?”

But with scandals such as famed quarterback Brett Favre’s addiction to painkillers in the 1990s – and more recently Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who was involved in a DUI vehicular manslaughter incident which landed him a full year suspension – what is the surprise of another NFL player falling from grace? After all, if sports bars were to boycott every team whose players were in trouble with the law, they would in all likelihood not be showing many games.

Although phone calls to Coffman went unreturned, the Slate’s owner has said in television interviews that this is the final straw – “enough is enough,” he told one television reporter.

But what do Sandpoint residents feel about this move?

Martin Rodriguez of Sandpoint is a die-hard football fan, and while he says he thinks Vick should have served more time than he did, he also does not agree with boycotting a team because of a crime for which a player has served time.

“Obviously they (the Eagles) signed a player who had done something wrong, but he did serve his time,” said Rodriguez. “I don’t know what else people want him to do.”

But as Coffman told a television news reporter last month, “How can I cheer for a team or a player, knowing what he’s done? It seems like they get in trouble, get a slap on the hand by the commissioner, and they’re back playing sports, making millions of dollars.”

In a time when businesses are doing all they can to make a profit, the fact that Steve Coffman is boycotting the Philadelphia Eagles and its sponsors is refreshing. If more people stood up for what they believe in and made a statement even when it has the potential of costing them business, perhaps the NFL would not be signing convicted felons. Mr. Coffman, I, for one, applaud you.

Lake-A-Syst Program Offers Education for Landowners and Developers

One reason people move to this area is the setting. Nestled among the mountains, Sandpoint sits on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. But a growing concern for this community and others like it is the ability to maintain and preserve the quality of the water.

Molly McCahon is the coordinator for the Lakeshore Assessment System program, known as Lake-A-Syst, sponsored by Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District. She said the key is to educate property owners at the early stage of land development. She works with landowners on Priest Lake, Twin Lakes and Lake Pend Oreille, instructing them on ways to protect their water from chemicals and environmental pollutants.

“It is more effective to reach people before they make decisions on land development,” said McCahon, adding that it is more difficult to make changes once designs have been put in place. “It is important to let people know what would happen in the future if we don’t take care of our lake now.”

She cites erosion, algae blooms in swimming areas, and continual spending on the treatment of aquatic invasive weeds as examples.

This year Lake-A-Syst received three grants, including an $8,000 award from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. With educational materials already available to property owners on Lake Pend Oreille, this year’s grant money will be used to develop materials for the Priest Lake and Twin Lakes areas.

Linda O’Hare, district administrator for Bonner Soil and Water Conservation, describes the materials as a nine-chapter booklet that provides education and tools for assessing whether residents and businesses are doing their part to maintain good water quality.

“At the end of each chapter is a self-assessment test,” O’Hare said. “People can determine whether they are high risk or low risk when it comes to making good decisions on the water quality.”

Topics covered include lawn and garden management, household wastewater treatment, landscape and new construction, management of storm water runoff, and household hazardous waste and petroleum products management, as well as a brief discussion on Eurasian milfoil.

“The booklet is designed for shoreline landowners, but it is useful to everyone” said McCahon.

A key component of the education is to target landscapers and contractors upon whom landowners rely when making their landscaping decisions. McCahon attends garden shows, home improvement shows, and other related events and is currently developing a class to further educate these groups of professionals.

From what she observes along the shoreline, McCahon said there is much that can be done to improve the care of the shorelines.

Issues such as overfertilizing a lawn can become a problem because turf has a shallow root system; if the lawn extends all the way to the shoreline, the water can easily become contaminated. McCahon also said phosphorus contamination can develop into other issues.

“You do not want phosphorus in the water because it encourages the growth of aquatic weeds, such as Eurasian milfoil, and causes algae blooms. As we all know too well, Eurasian milfoil has become a huge problem in Lake Pend Oreille,” said McCahon.

With a degree in landscape architecture, McCahon helps landowners design vegetative buffers and implement their plan.

“The landowner supplies the plants, materials and labor,” said McCahon who provides fifteen hours of her time to a landowner at no charge.

She goes door to door distributing the materials and walks the property with the landowners, offering suggestions when needed.

“We are here because of our lake, and with the increase in development comes the increased risk of pollution,” said McCahon. “If we don’t take care of it, we may lose the quality of life we currently enjoy. I just want to see responsible development.”

For more information on the Lake-A-Syst program, go to www.plrcd.org/lakeasyst/ or call Molly McCahon at (208) 263-5310

Bonner County Jail Garden Thrives Under the Care of its Inmates

Hidden behind the buildings of the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office in Sandpoint is a sight one wouldn’t expect to see on jail grounds. A beautiful garden of three-quarters of an acre.

Tended to from spring until the fall freeze by inmates at Bonner County Jail, the garden provides food to area food banks and senior centers. But it does much more than feed the county’s less fortunate; it feeds the spirits of those who are responsible for its success.

Sgt. Bob Van Buren oversees the Inmate Labor Program. He said working in the garden has a positive effect on the men’s attitudes.

“Once they’re out here a bit they take ownership,” Van Buren said. “They take a lot of pride in it.”

The garden first began in the 1990s when Sheriff Chip Roos was in command. Back then it was a small garden used to supplement the jail kitchen.

The program waned, but was started up again under Sheriff Elaine Savage and has continued to grow over the past few years. Now Sheriff Daryl Wheeler has assured Van Buren that in spite of budget cuts, the garden will remain. And that’s a good thing.

“I’d go down fighting,” said Van Buren, obviously proud of the work his crew has accomplished.

The garden includes beets, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, potatoes, turnips, tomatoes and corn, all of which are distributed to food banks throughout the county.

Some of the men have never spent any time gardening and learn from one another.

“They learn a lot of responsibility,” said Van Buren, whose role is purely supervisory. “They make all the decisions and are very polite. The ones I have to police don’t last.”

Their work has earned the inmates three blue ribbons in the past two years at the Bonner County Fair.

As of late August, they had harvested more than 4,600 pounds of produce and expect to exceed last year’s total of 7,566 pounds.

“It’s great for the community, and it is good for us,” said inmate Robert Kraly who has worked in the garden for two months. “It gives us a feeling of accomplishment watching it grow.”

Josh Russell has worked in the garden since April. With no experience, he began by tilling the garden. Now the newcomers look to him for guidance.

“It makes me feel better that we are helping the community,” Russell said.

Perhaps the real reward comes when the inmates accompany Van Buren on the food deliveries.

“It’s good for those in the community to see us doing something good instead of getting into trouble,” said inmate Josh Freiburger. “I like seeing the smile on people’s faces when we deliver the food.”

But the Inmate Labor Program is not limited to work in the garden. Inmates have helped remodel the courthouse; performed construction projects at the former Federal Building; worked at the Priest River substation; and worked at the county shop. In the winter they also shovel snow for the county and area seniors.

For many it is a chance to also learn a new skill such as carpentry or vehicle repair.

“It shows them that they can work in society,” Undersheriff Bob Bussey said.

According to Bussey, the inmates are assigned work based on behavior, attitude and their classification as a prisoner. Over the past couple of years, the total savings to the county due to work performed by inmates, excluding the salary for the supervisor, totals $394,709. “And that is a conservative estimate,” Bussey said.

He said the program participants are not violent offenders and are well-supervised.

Bussey said the program would not be as successful as it is without Van Buren. But there have been others who have contributed as well, including the Bonner County Extension Office and the Master Gardeners Program.

“It’s been a very good program,” Bussey said. “A community project.”

Ugandan Children Bring Message of Hope Through Song to Sandpoint Community

Nine months ago they lived in extreme poverty in Uganda. Their stories are of desperation, sadness, abuse and loneliness. Many of them are orphaned. Others have parents who are unable to care for them.

But today they have a voice; and those voices sing out a message of hope. The children are members of the Matsiko (which means hope in their native language) Children’s Choir, a choir of International Children’s Network. They were guests in Sandpoint for a week in early August and instantly made their way into the hearts of residents.

“It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to them,” said Tamara Scrimsher, whose family sponsors a child and served as host family to two children during the visit.

Sandpoint was just one of many stops for the choir, which arrived in the United States in June. They will travel throughout the Midwest and western United States until March, sharing their stories and their voices.

According to Don Windham, founder and president of International Children’s Network, as late as last November these children lived in remote villages of Uganda. The fact that they are here is nothing short of a miracle, he said. Getting a passport for a child who is orphaned and for whom they cannot find a record of birth is next to impossible.

“It is difficult to even get citizenship,” said Windham.

Windham and Sandpoint resident Heather Pedersen, who traveled to Uganda in March to assist Windham, participated in several discussions with authorities, trying to procure the proper paperwork to allow the children to leave the country.

The obstacles were many, but Pedersen said she didn’t mind. “I am very grateful for the (country’s) protectiveness of the children,” she said.

Pedersen said she first became familiar with the Matsiko Children’s Choir when last year’s choir came to Sandpoint. They were short on host housing, so she opened up her home. Instead of having children stay there, she housed Windham, staff and other adults.

“We had a week together and I was able to learn more (about the program),” said Pedersen. Her background is in strategic planning, marketing and technical support – talents which she thought could benefit International Children’s Network.

While in Sandpoint this year, the children performed at the Festival at Sandpoint, at an evening fundraiser for Uganda and for nonprofit agencies in Sandpoint, and at area churches. Their energy was contagious and the community instantly welcomed the group.


At the evening fundraiser, slide shows and video showed the land from which the children came. In a country the size of Oregon, children wander the streets barefoot and dirty, in torn clothes, and their faces show no signs of hope.

Sponsorship of $30 a month gives the children hope that in the future they will be able to provide for their own family and will break the vicious cycle of poverty. Something unique to International Children’s Network, said Pedersen, is that sponsorship provides a child education all the way through university.

“We need to remember that ending poverty is not just about feeding them, it is about education,” said Pedersen.

Anna, a 10-year-old girl, captured the audience’s attention at the Festival at Sandpoint and at the fundraiser when she bounced on stage and urged the audience to be quiet and listen. But the audience heard nothing. Anna said that was her for many years; silent and without a voice.

“Now, I have a voice and speak for all the orphaned and at-risk children in the whole entire world,” she said.

She told the audience there are 600 million children worldwide just like her – orphaned or at risk. If they all joined hands they would circle the globe 18 times.

After hearing the stories and listening to the children’s voices people lined up to become sponsors.

For Pedersen, the most moving sight while in Uganda was that of the children praying.

“They are angels’ voices talking to God,” she said of the 10 minutes each evening that the children spent thanking and praising God.

There are now 5,000 children sponsored through International Children’s Network and each one has a special story. And they also have hope. Both Pedersen and Windham say the children have been lied to all of their lives and until now they have had difficulty placing trust in anyone. But that has changed.

“The reason they have hope is because they’ve seen it work,” said Windham.

Sandpoint Economy Doing Well In Spite of Economic Downturn

A recession? You could have fooled those in downtown Sandpoint during this past month. With activities such as artist tours, an arts & crafts fair, a fun run and of course the Festival at Sandpoint, the streets were backed up, the parking lots were full and the majority of those driving through the downtown corridor had out of state license plates.

It was a welcomed sight for what many feared would be a slow tourist season in this resort community.

Gloria Waterhouse, owner of the Inn at Sand Creek, said this year has been an exceptional year for her business. She credits that in part to the fact that couples, especially non-residents, are choosing Sandpoint as a beautiful setting for their weddings.

“A lot of people chose Sandpoint this summer for their destination weddings,” said Waterhouse who adds that the Inn’s suites have been at maximum capacity nearly every weekend. “Extended families and friends will book the entire property for the weekend.”

Waterhouse also owns the Sand Creek Grill which closed last year, but has been the sight of many wedding receptions and ceremonies this summer. As far as future plans for the Grill, Waterhouse said “Stay tuned.”

It is not just the hospitality industry that has been successful this summer in Sandpoint. Retail sales, although slower, are still better than expected.
Pend d’Oreille Winery in downtown Sandpoint is a favorite stop for many tourists. Owner Steve Meyer said that while this year’s sale of merchandise has slowed, wine sales stayed steady or had a modest increase.

While Meyer says that the beauty of Sandpoint as well as the arts community and outstanding restaurants will always attract tourists to this area, he credits the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce with continuing to market Sandpoint as a tourist destination.

“The Tourism Committee of the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce has done a great job of pulling together the major players in the tourism business which has really helped to maintain the Sandpoint brand as a sure bet for limited tourism dollars,” said Meyer.

Ray Smith, owner of Athlete’s Choice in downtown Sandpoint, said that while his business has slowed down from last summer’s pace, the tourists and locals have continued to visit his downtown store.

"The majority (of the tourists) are from Canada,” said Smith. “We have a great customer base from there who visit us every year.”

Smith said the opening of a Big 5 in Sandpoint does not seem to have affected business at his sporting goods store.

“We have not had to lay off any employees for this summer,” said Smith. “Our profits started dipping due to the economy before Big 5 moved in, and we carry a lot of different things than Big 5 so we are not really in direct competition with them.”

Grant Merwin, owner of Merwin’s Hardware, knows what it is like to have a big box store threaten one’s livelihood. A few years ago Home Depot opened in nearby Ponderay, but Merwin said Sandpoint residents have remained loyal to the locally owned store. So when the economy started taking a downturn, Merwin said he was surprised to hear rumors circulating that his store was closing its doors.

“That is totally false,” said Merwin. “We are alive and well and moving in a positive direction.”

While Merwin did have to lay off one of his employees, he said what has been about a 20 percent decrease in sales this year, in part due to the lack of construction in the area and the economic status of the entire country, has proven to be a lesson in business and a reinforcement of the faith he has in his customers.

“We cut our inventory down so instead of carrying 12 of a certain item, we now may carry 6 of that item,” said Merwin. “We are running a lot more efficient now.”

Merwin added that his loyal customers have been the reason for the store’s years of success, and they have continued to support him even during challenging economic times.

“What drives our business is the local residents,” said Merwin who adds that he is grateful for their continued patronage. “People are very patient when we tell them we have to order an item that we normally would have carried. They are very willing to wait a couple of days.”

Merwin adds that what could also fuel the belief that the economy is weak is the tendency for businesses to keep raising the bar.

“If we had the numbers we have today ten years ago, we would have been jumping for joy,” said Merwin. “But as the numbers increase so do our expectations. Maybe we are setting the bar too high.”

Merwin said that his store has definitely seen a trend in the positive direction over the last several months and it is one he believes will continue.

So for now, local business owners are pleased that the economic climate has not affected this community as badly as it has other areas in the country; and if tourism continues and people continue to discover Sandpoint, the entire local economy will continue to do well.
“Sandpoint is still one of the most beautiful places around,” said Waterhouse. “A lot of people are still making this their vacation destination.”