BAYVIEW MERCANTILE IS BACK

The great news today is that after 10 months of closure, new owners are opening the convenience store that has been closed . The great recession killed the business that served Bayview so many successful years.

This coming weekend should find the store open. If not, certainly Monday will find them in fine shape. It will be a soft opening, as all of the stock is being imputed to the computer system that controls  inventory.

Beer and wine deliveries are on going with the weekend in mind. Marie Streater has in spite of back problems,  and a  former manager, agreed to launch the store. Her expertise in inventory control is irreplaceable.

If any of us resented the small up pricing in the old days, I'd wager  attitudes will change as the reality without a store in town has severely impacted not only life style of the locals, but took a huge bite out of tourism. 

This town is dead without the Merc.

 In other news, There will be a pancake breakfast July 4 with blueberries and strawberries, topped by whipped cream, with sausage on the side. Donations in my opinion are necessary to keep community programs like this going. My mouth is watering already.

Y'all come on down. http://theothersideofbayview.blogspot.com/ is a good place to find a larger diagram of the parade route. Don't forget the lighted boat parade July 5.

"Yup! There will be a boat parade in the Scenic Bay harbor just prior to the fireworks display. Boats will rendezvous on the north side of the bay just west of the slide behind the Lloyd’s green 21’ Custom Weld aluminum boat with the tan canvas top at dusk. The boats will parade along the shore toward the west passing the marinas close aboard on starboard. Please join us. And please decorate your boat and make it awesome."

BAYVIEW DAZE PARADE ROUTE

Parade entrants can start entering staging area at 9:00 am. The road guards will be providing directions as needed. Please note there is a detour through Bayview so no one gets 'stuck'. 

Anyone with questions can call Norma Jean at 208-683-1980 or email me at njyesca6@gmail.com.

Anyone is welcome to participate in the Parade.

The Lighted Boat Parade will start at The Bitter End Marina about 9:00 is or at Dusk.

BAYVIEW DAZE 2014

It's that time of year again. Summer is upon us and the July 4 week-end. That means Bayview Daze which this year will fall on Friday,, Saturday and Sunday. July 4,5,6. Fireworks will be Saturday night July 5, with a street fair all three days.

The Parade will be Saturday morning. line-up will enter at 3rd St, go to Spruce St, and then the participants will go to 4th St. There will be a detour route through town which will be clearly marked. The parade starts at 11:00 so be sure to toss you anchor out in town before that to avoid traffic problems.

As always there will be live music, and frivolity at the local restaurants and bars. I have been told several times that the fireworks program is every bit as good as Coeur d;Alene's. As always, MacDonald's Resort will put on the show. There will be donation cans all over town, as the event is sponsored by you, and coordinated by the Bayview Chamber of Commerce.

I will have a list of bands available in the coming days.

RAY STEVENS, MY GO TO GUY

 This will be a fairly short post. The reason? Because I found a Ray Stevens song that says it all. For you that haven't followed Ray's career, he started out in the fifties with politically incorrect songe like, "Ahab the Arab" followed by several other no touch subjects, I grew up listening to Ray and finally after many years, found myself in Branson, Missouri. It was early fall and I was heading back home after treking from Bayview to Indianapolis, on to South Carolina, thence back across Elvis country and evetually through the Ozarks to Branson.

I think at this point that Ray may be coloring his beard, since I'm 76 and I think he is older. But I digress. Here it is, unedited:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2scxJNXjMI

Enjoy

BULL MOOSE REVISITED

Wednesday, I wrote a half serious half spoof post to explore whether there was sentiment for a third party. What I didn't anticipate, was that everyone rushed to Google, trying hard to discredit Teddy Roosevelt, or me, take your pick.

Immediately, Teddy Roosevelt's platform was introduced along with some snarky comments as to whether I was or was not in favor of a particular policy in 1912. Folks, you can call it the Shuckin' Corn party if you want. Ya missed the point entirely. 

Essentially, what I did was ask what time it was and immediately, everyone started building a watch. I don't know whether these people are humor impaired, of just plain old nit pickers.

I had hoped to start a discussion about the likelihood of a third party. Maybe they would just rather scrap with each other. Never have I experienced such a dense audience. Sometime you might consider looking at the big picture instead of using a microscope to find fault.

BULL MOOSE PARTY

With the disintegration of the Idaho Republican Party, several things occurred to me. One, with the state of the party, I was very lucky in losing my election to precinct committeeman last month. To have been in the minority in this, a Wacko dominated state, suggests one of two things. Most of us would not become democrats. After all, we do have standards. But perhaps it also applies to continued participation in the Idaho Republican Party.

The debacle in Moscow has demonstrated that the uber-right wing in our area would rather have power than a winning ticket. This aberration of intent pretty much destroys the philosophical glue that has served the party well for many years.

This isn't to say we haven't had party splits in the past. But it's usually the far right that takes a walk come election day. Is it possible that reasonable republicans might do the same? With the left turning further to the left, and the right the other direction, we have, through voter apathy left a huge middle without a home.

How about we resurrect the Bull Moose Party. We certainly have many moose to serve as mascots, and a home for the vast majority of Idahoans would perhaps triumph in general elections, while the Wackos on the left and right continue to preach to the choir in their insulation.

Looking to the left, any disagreement with Obama is either partisan politics, or racist. None of the administration's missteps are owned. The right, sits in enclaves, telling each other that they are the new saviors and will bring back the good years. You know, those years that we toted gold coins around for currency, not realizing that with the price of gold today, you would be hard pressed to find a coin in your pocket. Then there is international trade. Or maybe the Wackos return us to the glory days of canning summer vegetables because none are available from other counties that do not deal in gold. Actually, no nation today still uses the gold standard.

Then there is that pesky 17th amendment to our constitution that if repealed would allow the state legislature to elect senators. That used to be the case until transportation and communications improved in our fledgling country and that idea became obsolete. The term Statesman evolved from the first 125 yearsof our country when the population did not have the right to elect through popular vote, our senators.

I have been a Republican, and voted on national issues Republican for the last 50 years, starting in 1964 when I voted for Barry Goldwater. Now I apparently am homeless.

So here we are, with all but 10% left wing Democrats and 10% right wing Trogolytes, leaving the other 80% with no philosophical home. Comes back the Bull Moose Party to rescue the majority. You think?  

FATAL CHEW

Tony Gwynn, baseball great died Monday. He was only 54 years of age. Cause of death was mouth cancer. Tony chewed tobacco for his entire career which lasted 20 years. He spent this entire career at San Diego. 3141 hits, 8 batting titles, 15 times an all-star.

Smoking tobacco was banned in the dugout many years ago, but lined up in the dugout are several players, many Seattle Mariners, with big lumps of chew in their cheeks. This poor example is even made worse due to baseball players being  much more visible than other sports.

You see teen ball players with a Skoal ring in their back pocket constantly. This imitating sports stars is endemic with young people. While smoking has become less common year after year, this killer is demonstrated by super stars in baseball.

It is past time for baseball to outlaw chewing tobacco on the field and in the dugout. Gwyyn's death is a common one. Little known cancer of the mouth is just as dangerous as smoking. If baseball were to outlaw the public chewing at games, Gwynn's death will not have been in vain.

BAYVIEW ARD

The following link is for a story about the sub base here in Bayview, Idaho. It's a good read. You can find it Here.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2658459/The-U-S-Submarine-forces-important-body-water-Secret-Navy-submarine-base-land-locked-Idaho.html

REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR

I received an e-mail from a site called Witnify.com asking permission to add my blog post," Remembering Pearl Harbor." I did so and you can read both my post and the web site on  http://witnify.com/pearl-harbor-remembered-2/.

Naturally I am pleased that it was honored in this way. To date, I have had 323,057 page views since I started this back about 7 years ago.

You will note that I have recently restricted comments to those that register with me. I have recently been plagued by a cyber-spammer that naturally remained anonymous. By requiring registration, people have to reveal who they are. It is not surprising how few will not give their identity. They simply don't have the guts to insult anyone and refuse to own it.

I hope all of you fathers are having a great day.

FRIDAY HONEY MOON FR fDAY 13

I glanced out my window tonight just in time to see a magnificent display of a full moon. High in the sky it dared us to come visit again. Here are a series of photos I took in Bayview, Idaho.  Actually, the full moon officially was Friday June 13 and is known as a Honey Moon. And that is the rest of the story.

FOR SAIL

It is time for me to retire from sailing. At 76, crawling around on the deck handling lines, hoisting sail is just not in the cards anymore. This is a 21 foot Venture. Included is the trailer it sits on. The boat has three sails. A main that needs replacing and two jibs. This is a perfect boat for beginners, or just someone that's wanting an inexpensive way to get out on the water.

You may contact me at either bayviewherb@gmail.com, or by phone, 208-683-9107. A main sail would cost between $400 and $700 depending on whether you buy used or new. The cockpit has a raised hatch so that there is standing room below deck. The price is at a no bargaining amount of $1200. I have been advised that it is under priced, but need to move it as my storage space is going away.  I'm available most days and would be happy to show it at your convenience.

WILL LAKE PEND OREILLE FLOOD?

Watching the lake come up rapidly, and with reports that downstream of Albeni Falls Dam, there is flooding, I decided to ask the experts at the dam.

First, they informed me that the high country snow pack is still 125% of normal, with rivers running full. Secondly, the prediction is still with Mother Nature. If temperatures suddenly get hot, yes we will have a lake flood. On the other hand if temps stay lower, and with current night temps below freezing in the high mountain regions, probably not.we'll know in about two weeks.

We are at about 2061.0 now with full pool at 2062.5 I was here when the national guard was called out in 1997. Now that, was a flood. Float houses drifted off with the water topping the pilings. Docks went visiting other docks. 

 I ran across a post that I featured in 2011 when we last flooded.

Here is the link: http://bayviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/will-pend-oreille-flood.html

CNN LYNCH MOB

Before even medical and psychiatric exams have been completed, CNN is beating the drums for desertion. Countless interviews with those he served with and others in the command structure all point at guilty before proven innocent.

While there doesn't seem to be any disagreement with some of the basic facts, yes he did walk away from his encampment after his shift on guard duty ended. The why is the dominant question. Or should be. If he flipped out and became mentally unstable, he certainly wouldn't be a deserter, nor would he be the first in that theater to go bonkers. Suicides have been rampant, as well as other manifestations of out of balance behavior.

Until these issues are explored and become known, inciting to riot is not news, nor is it even faintly fair. His return home has been thoroughly poisoned without having heard his side of the story. To me, and I am a veteran, his story is of a mentally ill person who tanked mentally under the constant pressure of insurgent combat. To have to face the enemy without military uniforms or any other way of identifying them until they pull out a weapon has been catastrophic to many others in the war against essentially everyone. 

We ought to hold CNN to a higher standard than this display of mob rule and conviction in the media.

ps: The heckler that has been wasting a good deal of time on me has been blocked as spam.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Most of the education conversation is about K-12 these days, but with a college education out of reach financially for most in our area, I have a suggestion.

This thought was triggered when I read of a program in Coeur d'Alene in which a student can take college credit courses while in high school up to within one credit  of an associate degree.

I would like to see an optional 13th year added to our high schools with a fully funded degree program. With this head start, some of our brighter students can then attend Lewis and Clark for the final two years necessary for a degree, or even turn NIC into the top two grades, instead of the first two.

As baby boomers kids have for the most part grown up, there looms an underutilization of space in many of our school districts. This program would encourage teachers to advance their own qualifications for teaching college level  courses. Along with that we would have a stay at home opportunity for advancement past high school.

Then turn NIC into a Junior-Senior school, accepting high school graduates of the enhanced program with the need for a third and fourth year facility.

Revolutionary? Of course, but while K-12 is getting all of the attention, we are experiencing a brain drain of epic proportions. Most of our highly educated people are imported from other countries that have placed a higher degree of emphasis on higher education.

Not since the great depression has education taken any giant steps forward. We once made one room K-8 schools obsolete. Why not another large jump.