The Public and Firefighters At Risk

This is an exact copy of an e-mail I received from a very upset Chief Krill.

Timberlake’s Apparatus Near Miss - Wednesday, February 3, 2010

We can no longer compromise the safety of our responders with inadequate maintenance.

Since I started 19 months ago, emergency responder safety has been my number one concern. We have modified our practices, improved training, and have taken a very conservative approach to emergency operations. A large part of the safety concerns were, and still are, the maintenance of our emergency equipment. I don’t trust our equipment enough to put our folks in hazardous conditions – that’s one reason why we only fight fires from the exterior right now.

Wednesday, we had a transmission specialist (Dave) working on Engine 621 and found some disturbing maintenance issues. We couldn't’t tell how old the batteries were because the dates were not punched out. Commissioner Rudebaugh deciphered the code to determine they were manufactured in July 2003. The batteries were producing less than 12 volts, which directly affects the performance of the transmission. Batteries are supposed to be load tested at least annually and must be taken out of service if they fall below 12.6 volts, we didn’t have a load tester so Tim Fulp borrowed one from Victory Auto Parts and ordered one for us. Batteries on fire apparatus should be replaced at least every 3 years. The voltage drop between the batteries and the transmission ECU was about 1 volt due to corrosion inside the power cables. Commissioner Rudebaugh expedited the delivery of 5 new batteries @ $122 each, cheaper than what we could purchase anywhere else, thanks Rudy.

Dave also noticed a box mounted under the battery tray that was rusting away. Turns out this is the box that contains the master power relay for the entire truck’s electrical system, as we tried to open the box, it was so dilapidated that it fell apart. The components and relays appear to be fine, but the box needs to be replaced.

If that wasn’t enough, we noticed there were two alternators, because as David put it “this truck is a power hog.” Two alternators are not uncommon on older fire trucks, but the 2nd one looked like it was installed by some backyard mechanic with scrap metal and sloppy welds. It will be sent out to ensure the creative mounting will not fall apart.

Hopefully the transmission problem will be solved with the new batteries. If we still experience transmission problems, Trans Pro will loan us a new electronic shifter. If that is the problem, the cost to replace it is $2,000, which is on top of the $700 for their labor Wednesday and $610 for batteries.

Here’s the scary part… After we let it run for 20 minutes on the front pad as Dave instructed, I took it for a test drive with Josh. As we headed west on 54, I noticed something odd with the accelerator pedal – it was stuck and would not release. I tapped it to try to break it loose and it stuck in full throttle position. Luckily we had the brakes fixed a few weeks ago (remember the mechanic said there was so much corrosion on the brakes that we were lucky the truck even stopped). I was able to keep the speed down as I shouted a few choice words pulling into the lumber yard parking lot. Once the transmission down shifted into 1st gear, the brakes would not hold back the truck (still stuck in full throttle) so I quickly switched it into neutral and shut it down before it red-lined. Imagine if we pulled in the driveway of a working house fire with the stuck pedal and ran right into the house. Turning West out of the station, the first stop is usually for a passing train, what if I couldn’t stop? Who would be personally sued?

After we caught our breath and trouble-shooted the problem, we discovered that we could pull up the accelerator pedal by hand to manually release it. I slowly nursed it to Station 3 to take it out of service and move Engine 623 up to Station 1. Tim Fulp met us at Station 3 and found that a sheath on the throttle cable broke and the entire assembly needed to be replaced. Jeff Laird and Tim removed the cable and will try to get it replaced soon. It’s also worth mentioning that the driver’s seat belt needs to be replaced because it took me 5 minutes to get the catch to release so I could get enough belt unwrapped to buckle in. I guess it has been that way for some time; it’s not going to be like that anymore.

It’s important to note that these issues are not related to the work on the transmission Wednesday. I learned this morning that some of our responders have noticed accelerator pedal issues in the past with this truck; the pedal would return slowly. We have become so used to dealing with substandard equipment, that many have come to accept these little quirks with all of our equipment. The throttle cable sheath on Engine 621 had apparently been cracked for some time; it just finally gave way when I happen to be driving it. Please do not accept any little abnormal issues with our equipment; if it doesn’t work like it should then report it immediately to the on duty officer and submit a work order.

I drove Engine 623 to Station 1 with the driver seat in the lowest position because the valve to adjust the seat height has been broken for some time. Some of the dash lights are out, the transmission control panel backlights are out, and the dome light doesn’t work when you open the door. So you have to manually turn on the dome light to see the button to switch from neutral, drive, or reverse. As Jeff Piephoff and I drove to Station 1, you could hear the lose compartment doors rattling behind us because most of the door’s insulation needs to be replaced.

These safety and state of the district issues are not new and are not just my opinion. Since 2005, there have been 8 different fire chiefs (4 associated with Timberlake and 4 from other districts) who all expressed the same themed safety concerns with the state of our equipment. In looking through the meeting minutes, you can also see numerous fire district members also upset about maintenance. After my experience Wednesday, I have never been more convinced that we have a fleet of junk fire trucks that we have never maintained properly. It is chilling to think what we will find next and is almost enough to say “take everything out of service until we know, without a doubt, it is safe to operate;” but that’s not a realistic scenario.

Our fleet has always been neglected, the more we learn about the poor conditions of our assets (vehicles, equipment, and facilities) the more shocking stories we have to tell. Each member of this district is empowered, without hesitation, to take a vehicle or piece of equipment out of service if there is any safety or operational issues with it. Even if you are en route to a working fire - stop and call yourself out of service, don’t risk anything.

We have come a long way with maintenance issues - as far as our personnel, time, and funding limitations would take us, but it is not enough, we keep finding more problems. We have taken the 2 white engines out of service because of maintenance issues, returned the 1966 tender to the department of lands because it was too expensive to repair, and continue to discover more deficiencies in our assets. The frame on Tender 631 was cracked, it went unnoticed for so long and got so bad that it was in imminent failure of the vehicle falling in half. The pending work order list is so long, it’s overwhelming.

As most of you know, Jeff Laird has been doing an outstanding job coordinating our vehicle maintenance issues for the past 7 months. We are sending each vehicle one-by-one to certified mechanics at licensed service centers for evaluation. What they find is always shocking and commonly ask “why haven’t you been maintaining these trucks?” The cost to catch up on all of this neglected vehicle maintenance is trending towards bankrupting this fire district.

If school buses were not maintained properly, would you place your children on them? If you knew an airline had maintenance and safety issues, would you book a flight with them? Well, why should we accept the unsafe conditions of the fire district assets? How do we know that the fire trucks will even make it to the fire?

There are numerous remarks about maintenance issues in past documents and commissioner meeting minutes, complaints from staff on the poor condition of vehicles, and an outcry to properly maintain them. One of the most revealing conversations took place on September 7, 2005. “Brief discussion took place regarding Preventive Maintenance. Commissioner Mertens expressed his opinion that LOF’s on smaller equipment could be done in house, however larger equipment should be sent out. President Scheu indicated his desire to have all preventive maintenance done in house, on a prioritized rotation list.” As a result, nearly all maintenance was done in house by personnel who were not certified mechanics – your safety was compromised. The short sided decisions to go cheap, ignore standards, and disregard safety in the past have caught up to us. I have never and will never accept substandard maintenance. If we can’t do something safely, we won’t do it. If we need to fix something, we are going to do it right - to standard, with quality in mind, and consider the long term impacts.

The 2010 application period for the Assistance to Firefighter Grant is expected to open in April. Jake Capaul and I will be drafting a request for a new engine (rescue/pumper) for Station 1. Although vehicle grants seem to be the most difficult to get awarded, we have no choice but to try. We have no funds to replace our existing aging fleet.

In 2007, we asked two different fire districts to consolidate with us, they both declined because of several issues, primarily because our assets are in such poor condition and the district in general would be too much work getting back up to minimum standards.

In 2005, our former insurance carrier proposed a huge rate increase because of the tremendous risk to insure the district (explained in person by the agent to me and Penney in 2008). The district switched carriers and went out to bid the following year. They asked the former insurance carrier to bid; they declined “because of the district’s losses.” Last year, our current insurance carrier conducted a loss control survey, they supported my findings in the 2008 Needs Analysis and put us on notice to shape up and fix some serious safety concerns. Other chiefs with knowledge of Timberlake and have read the 2008 Needs Analysis also agree with its findings.

I’ve preached the need for additional funding and the potential permanent levy override to fix our safety problems and get us back on track since the 2008 Needs Analysis. Soon, a newsletter on the State of the District will be sent to every mailbox in the fire district and new information will be posted on the web site. In March, we will be hosting town hall meetings to educate the community about our shocking state and express the need for additional funding. We are at risk of losing our fire district insurance rating and closing more stations which will result in increased homeowner insurance premiums to our residents and property owners. In April, the commissioners may decide if the residents will to vote on a permanent levy override and if so, how much that will be. If we proceed, the election will be May 25.

As former Commissioner Scheu reminded those in attendance at the April 7, 2007 commissioners meeting “once they become part of the decision process, then you are allowing yourself to be sued, because once you are informed of a situation you are held accountable.”

We cannot allow a tragedy to occur, we know we are at risk, these safety issues demand immediate attention.

Be safe, drive slow, and watch out for each other. Please report all maintenance problems, safety issues, and near misses to workrequests@timberlakefire.com. Thanks for all of your continued support and dedication to the district. More information to follow including a message about “Quick Fixes and Fast Results” versus “Foundation Building and Long Term Planning” as it relates to Timberlake.

Jack

Spin Control

In a recent article published in the Bonner county Bee, news editor, Keith Kinnard interviewed Lt. Cary Kelly, marine patrol supervisor. Whether that means that Kelly is a cop, or that he is a fireman is up for grabs. I say that, because this article seems not to be able to differenciate between the two.

Kelly justifies buying a 30 foot parrol boat, in addition to the one stationed in Sandpoint and the other in Hope. Kelly went on to say, "It can take as long as two hours for a patrol vessel to reach the southern end when the weather is foul." He goes on to say, "Various political sand diplomatic efforts over the years to resolve the issue have not panned out, whitch prompted Bonner County to seek the watrways Improvement Fund grant from the state."

Here's where the story becomes interesting> "We've had several close rescues and we're getting more traffic down in the south part of the lake," said Kelly. This with no quotes: Last season, the marine patrol rescued two kayakers caught in a storm near Maiden Rock and two teenage personal watercraft riders who ran out of gas in bad weather and with darkness falling." This statement is blatantly false. I, myself was aware at the time of the rescue attempt at Maiden Rock. The problem is that it was Timberlake fire District's fire/rescue boat that made that rescue, not Bonner County.

In the last year, Timberlake fire has responded to many Bonner County rescues. At least three in the Lakeview and north or Lakeview areas, plus water and land rescues up to and including Maiden Rock, which is clearly in Bonner county and then some.Timberlake Fire District Chief Jack Krill told us that over 10 rescues, involving both land and waterways were performed by his department, all in Bonner County.

Having another boat on the lake near Maiden Rock, stationed at Garfield Bay would be great. Just don't misrepresent the alleged lack of cooperation from Kootenai County Sheriff or Timberlake, to get what you want. After speaking with Sgt. Matt Street, commander of the Kootenai County Sheriff Marine Patrol, we believe that there is great cooperation between Bonner and Kootenai County, which leads us to believe that the reporting was sloppy.

Street indicated that they would go anywhere, anytime, to assist in a rescue. Kootenai County, with several lakes to cover, do not man their Scenic Bay boat on a regular basis, but coverage by the Timberlake Fire/rescue boat makes up the difference. Fire districts have mutual aid agreements, where in the case of law enforcement, cross deputization is used. Sgt. Street informed us that that has been done in the past with the former Bonner Sheriff and is in the process of being renewed under the new sheriff.

Generational Dyfunctions

Over the week-end and prior to that on numerous occasions, I have heard the pejorative, "your generation," as a criticism in general of our alleged intolerance, or hatred for those different than ourselves, etc.

I would like to address some of these things, so as to get a proper perspective. First, this week-end's debate featured many opinions regarding CBS's refusal to accept an ad that promoted gay lifestyles. My response was that television networks are not in the business of social engineering, but entertainment for profit. That means they are not obligated to piss off the majority to cater to a minority.

During this discussion I was branded as an old has been that isn't in touch with today's reality.A suggestion was even made that the world would be much better off without my generation. Perhaps they are right. But on the other hand, the present twenty-somethings did not invent the world, it's morals or it's history. Our country, and for that matter, others as well, build society by tweaking the present but adhering to tradition as well.In the case of the gay discussion, I pointed out that gays have only been out of the closet for about twenty years. That was jumped on as a suggestion that they go back to that place. It would seem that in being defensive, stuff that has never been said, is added to the comments out of a soured memory.

My comments were meant to point out that providing we only go back three or four thousand years, during the Jewish-Christian era, homosexuality was considered less than civilized. Now, suddenly, it's MY generation that is at fault for those social mores that exist. Tradition goes back a long way and to some extent is good. It keeps change at a manageable level while allowing for adjustments from time to time.My advise to those with an alternate life style, is to keep your shirt on. You've made tremendous progress toward legitimizing your sexual orientation, but don't expect that you are so important to the world that a revolution is needed to make these changes right this minute. Overcoming more than 3000 years is not accomplished in a month or three.

Without my generation, first of all, none of you revolutionaries would be born. White people marched in Selma, Alabama in opposition to racial inequality. They were of my generation. Industry and innovation in the last 50 years has been amazing. My generation. The Japanese and Germans, Italians and such were defeated by my father's generation. We managed to feed the world without PETA. My generation. Organized labor came into it's own. My father's generation.

The bottom line, and I could give examples 'till Hell freezes over, is that until you twenty and thirty year olds actually produce or accomplish something in your years on this earth, just be glad that my generation built the bridge to yours. Learn something from history. Yes, history wasn't part of your generation either, was it. Learn better manners. You don't win arguments by running out of ideas, then insulting the other person. In essence, grow up prior to castigating those that came before you. If you're lucky, you to may grow old and become a curmudgeon like me. Earn the right, first.

Just a few reminders of what my generation has accomplished:

When I was born in 1938, most aircraft were bi-planes. They actually had propellers to power them. Then the Jet Plane, also a product of my generation.

Oh, and there were the rockets to the moon, mars expeditions, etc. Also my generation.

When I was born,U.S. military aircraft were held to under 100 mph. Now they fly at 3 times the speed of sound. When I was a student in grade school, and even high school, we had nuclear attack drills in which we had to hide under our desks, like that would have helped. Our generation won the cold war between the Soviet Union and the western world.
When your parents were struggling to get by, they somehow managed to help you get a college education so that you could then belittle their generation. Our generation allowed, because of freedom of speech, Hippies that in many cases were your parents, to shun our own country in favor of "let it all hang out,drop out, get high, and somwhere in that mix, that generation lost track of where and whence they came from.

It just might be of value to those of you that are really thinkers, to go back without your newborn prejudices and look at our evolution as a people, as a country, and as a civilization, without the ever present hindsight, and examine how things happened, when they happened and why they happened, and do so in the context of that generation.

For the rest of you that are too lazy, I call you pissants that make much noise but produce no value in your lives, nor contribute to those that will come later. We can only hope that as I, you will grow, mature and send the next generation into a place where they will ridicule you too.

A Fine Man Is Gone

Pat Dow, community activist, Water & Sewer Board member, Son's of the American Legion and an all around fine guy passed away a few days ago. He was an avid fisherman, most always heard during fishing derbies as the voice of the south end of Lake Pend Oreille. I last talked to him at the retirement party for Deedie Beard in Coeur d'Alene recently. I ask about his fight with prostate cancer, and he replied, "it has spread to the bones." I shook my head and said, That isn't good. He came back with, "No it isn't." He'll be missed. A quiet man, he was a giant of a person, though small in stature.A memorial service will be held at the Athol american Legion, Saturday, February 6 at 11:00 am.

It is starting to appear that regardless of how the lawsuit regarding the Captain's Wheel sorts out, it will not be able to open this spring. I am not at liberty to get into details, except that debt plays into it. Possible corporate bankruptcy is also an option at this point, though everything is still up in the air. I miss the watering hole I called home for the last 15 years and 12 owners.More on this as it unfolds.

The Captain's Wheel

I am still hesitant to explain all of the ramifications of the jury trial just concluded. While the jury overwhelmingly penalized Michael McFarland for paying less for his 50% interest than it was represented to be worth, the contest isn't over yet.

No judgement has been entered, and actually, may not be. Two issues that face the judge now, are whether the jury used evidence offered during the trial, or sympathy for the widow of Jerry Berry.If the judge believes the preponderance of evidence that the big bad lawyer didn't screw anyone out of anything, he can set aside the jury's verdict. He can also declare a mistrial.

Somehow, the jury was convinced that the value of the 'Wheel was over one million dollars. Maybe that was true in 2006 when the market bubble hadn't broke yet, but realistically, getting $600,000 for the place now would be a stretch. McFarland paid $100,000 for 50% of the equity in the business in 2003. Berry, just three years earlier, paid $50,000 for the same amount of stock.

There has been so much false information and erroneous rumor, I felt I had to straighten out at least some of the misinformation. As the old saying goes, "It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings." Once a final judgement is reached, and any appeals are finished, the problem of this debt ridden business being able to open regardless of which party wins, looms over the place. I personally don't think it will survive and the bones that are being fought over will prove to be less than valuable. I wish both parties well, and I grieve over this battle that didn't ever have to be fought, were it not the overriding greed of one of the litigants.

Authors Visit Bayview

Bayview ushered in the 2010 centennial year with a town meeting Friday, January 15, called by the Independent Centennial Committee. This group of historians and community activists were able to put together a community calendar that was as spectacular as was the speed it sold out. Some of us still don't have a copy, but there is a move on to create another for next year.

Private donations have created a monument that is still in the process of being set up near the entrance of town. Many people wonder why, since Bayview Isn't incorporated it can have a centennial. Back in 1910, an enterprising investor, purchased a large tract of land smack in the middle of what was to become Bayview. The Prairie Development Company, and a spin-off Bayview Townsite Company plated 27 lots that became the core of the town that isn't.

The program that was introduced was different than most community meetings. Gone was the verbosity that tends to extend content without necessarily adding to the value. With the introduction of the donors and the program for this, the centennial year, the guests of honor were introduced. This gathering had not one, but two local authors, selling and signing books. The first, was Jane Fritz, author of many articles in periodicals, that finally accepted the challenge of writing a book. A student of history and involved in much interaction between modern North Idaho, and the various Indian tribes that inhabited Kootenai and Bonner Counties, especially. Her book, entitled Legendary Lake Pend Oreille has just recently been published by Keokee publishing of Sandpoint, Idaho. About forty or so guests lined up for autographed copies of the book.

Following her was Dennis Woolford, park ranger and historian at Farragut State Park. Dennis along with a pal in Boise,Gayle Alvarez, who runs the state archives managed to put together a complete history of Farragut Naval Station through the war years. They gathered items that had been donated to the park as well as records from the navy and state archives. Stories of hidden weapons buried by the departing navy turned out to be false. Apparently a rumor had circulated for many years that when the base swimming pools were filled and covered up at the end of the war, brand new rifles still covered in cosmoline were buried in these pools.


Finally last year, a ground piercing sonar was brought out from the east coast and used above all of the various pools. These pools, one to each training camp were not primarily intended for recreation, since swimming was a part of the basic training program. War years proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that swimming skills in the pacific navy were needed. One more war story disproved. No guns were found, just junk that was buries in the handy spots.

Mum's The Word

Normally when community event play out I'm right on them, so that those that are not here can keep up with community events. Today I can't.

First, there is the trial to determine ownership and control of the Captain's Wheel restaurant.It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing case that is playing out in court this week.

The other, is some exciting news about our Centennial and the celebrations to come. I have submitted a story about the kickoff town meeting held last Friday at the Community Center. Those of you that were there already know some of what is happening. Since I submitted a story to the Spokesman-Review, I don't want to scoop myself. I can say this, though. The paper has authorized me to do a lengthy four part story about the history of Bayview. One that will in part use portions of other stories I've written and a lot of help from our local historians.More on both issues later.

As most can see, the Bay Cafe, formerly known as Terry's and before that, Don's and even before that, Sue Nordstrom's Burger Bar, is now open for business for breakfast and lunches. We wish them great success in their new endeavor. It has been cleaned up, made safe, fire code wise and also health department wise. The hours are from 7am to 2pm Thursday through Monday, with take out available as well.

Bob Holland was turned down in his quest to create more parking places at his center of town parking lot. We aren't sure of the details, but the Chamber of commerce DAC has the details. Credibility was named as a primary cause.

More later on these and other ongoing stories.

Jerry's Last Birthday

I am looking for anyone that has pictures of Jerry Berry's last birthday party that was held in mid-July of 2006.The party was held outside at the Captain's Wheel. If you have any pictures, especially of Jerry, or Jerry dancing with Carly, please contact me at:bayviewherb@gmail.com as soon as possible. Better yet, just e-mail the pics to me at this same address.

Marijuana Is Going To Be Legalized

vents have overtaken tradition as the pressure unrelentingly surges toward full legalization of this minor intoxicant. For years, the federal government has classed Marijuana with other more serious drugs like opium derivatives, such as Heroin, and others such as Methamphetamine and cocaine, from c0coa leaves. (We aren't talking Hershey here)

Most of the arguments are that Marijuana is an entry drug. One that leads to more serious stuff. That my friends is like saying that if you are a jaywalker, most likely you will turn to serious crime later in life. Many states, if not most, are considering the abolishing of either criminal penalties, or outright legalizing the drug.

While some would consider this a side issue, it might make the courts sit up and remember that the states, under the constitution are sovereign entities with only the ceded powers accruing to the Federal Government. In the last thirty years or so, most in congress and the lower courts have forgotten this constitutional principle.

1913 brought about a new federal law prohibiting the sale or consumption of Liquor. That law, totally unenforceable, was repealed in 1933, as the people rebelled over the practice of over controlling the lives of others. Now we have the same attitude, with about the same results. Someone once said, "a law that isn't supported by the citizens is not enforceable."Bingo. Sound familiar?

Currently, in several states, new legislation is being considered either abolishing the prohibition or at least decriminalizing the use.Washington State has a law that allows medicinal use of marijuana, without a means of controlling the growing or dispensing of it. Several petitions are circulating to go several steps further in redirecting law enforcement toward real issues like the control of Meth labs and the importation of Cocaine and Heroin.

Today showed polls, both in the Seattle P.I. and Huckleberries online, Spokesman-review that asked the following: Should pot be legalized? Secondly, snould it be decriminalized, and third, should the laws be left the same.

Interestingly both polls were about the same in results. With the first two categories combined, both showed 85% in favor of either decriminalization or legalizing the drug. Interestingly enough, even hemp, which in the same basic family as Marijuana, is not toxic or usable to get high, is prohibited. This then, suggests that the opponents of pot are so hysterical about the subject, they won't even allow the manufacture of rope made out of hemp. This, even though most other drugs, especially opium, are commonly used for medical purposes. A drug that used illegally is extremely dangerous, but the medicinal use of pot is still forbidden. It is time for common sense to break out. If it doesn't, the people will change the rules themselves, and in doing so, lose more respect for government than they already have. 85% could by most people be considered a mandate. One that outranks even prohibition.

You want control? Have the state liquor control boards supervise the growing and dispensing of this herb. This takes the criminal element out of the picture. No longer will National Forest Rangers need to patrol thousands of miles of public forests for illegal Mexican growers. Just make friends with the guys that grow BC bud and everything will work out just fine. Oh, and I forgot to mention it is a taxable product, helping our spendthrift legislators get their paws on more tax money.

Public safety? Easy. criminalize use or possession for people under 21. As far as driving while high, also easy. Any time a cop sees a driver hunched over the wheel like he/she's at Talledega, but only doing 25 mph on the freeway, bust em.

Communications Giant, Verizon, Quits

The nation's oldest independent phone company is about to throw the towel in on wired phone service. Founded in Wisconsin in 1918, Verizon went through many name changes and mergers throughout the subsequent years. Three accountants from the Wisconsin Public Utilities commission got together and formed a corporation. They promptly bought the Richland Center Telephone Company, serving 1466 customers in Southern Wisconsin. Eventually, they expanded acquiring 340 smaller companies serving over 437,000 customers.
The company reorganized after the Great Depression, renaming themselves General Telephone and Telegraph, or as we knew it, GTE. The year 2000 found GTE and Bell Atlantic merged and became Verizon.
Citing the arrival of both cell phones and Voice over Internet, land line use by individuals has become a flood, reported a mid-level manager, who asked not to be mentioned, as they didn't have authority to speak for the company. Business use, of course, at least in the near future will still be using wired lines. One large factor in addition to the above, is the free long distance that most all cell users enjoy, as well as the VOIP such as Magic Jack, Skype, Vonnage and others. Among those state affected, are portions of Washington and all of Idaho.
The surviving company in this sell off will be Frontier Communications, bases in Connecticut. They will control all wired equipment and continue to serve voice, broadband and video services. Below, is the original press release from Frontier:
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 13, 2009-- Frontier Communications Corporation (NYSE: FTR) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) under which Frontier will acquire approximately 4.8 million access lines from Verizon. The all stock transaction is valued at approximately $8.6 billion. The transaction will create the largest pure rural communications services provider and the nation’s fifth largest incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) with more than 7 million access lines, 8.6 million voice and broadband connections and 16,000 employees in 27 states. Frontier will offer broadband, new bundled services and expanded technologies to customers across its expanded geographic footprint.
Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon will establish a separate newly formed entity (“SpinCo”) for its local exchanges and related business assets in 14 states. SpinCo will be spun off to Verizon’s shareholders and simultaneously merged with and into Frontier. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of Frontier and Verizon, and is expected to be completed within approximately 12 months.
The transaction is extremely compelling for all stakeholders of Frontier. It will provide Frontier with enhanced scale and scope, improved positioning, a strong balance sheet, and greater cash flow generation capabilities. For the fiscal year ended 2008, the combined company would have had on a pro forma basis revenue in excess of $6.5 billion, EBITDA of approximately $3.1 billion, free cash flow of approximately $1.4 billion and would have had leverage of 2.6 times EBITDA at December 31, 2008.
Maggie Wilderotter, Frontier Communications Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “This is a truly transformational transaction for Frontier. With more than 7 million access lines in 27 states, we will be the largest pure rural communications provider of voice, broadband and video services in the U.S. Frontier is committed to providing our customers with state-of-the-art technology and innovative products. We are confident that we can dramatically accelerate the penetration of broadband in these new markets during the first 18 months. We know that broadband is a catalyst for a healthy local economy and job growth.”


Retained by Verizon In the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE were the following companies.The merger is on hold while each state's public untility commissions review approval of the sale.

Verizon California, Inc.
Verizon Florida, Inc.
Verizon Northwest, Inc.
Verizon South, Inc.
GTE Southwest, Inc. d/b/a Verizon Southwest
Verizon North, Inc.
Contel of the South, Inc. d/b/a Verizon Mid-States
Sold/transferred/shut down
GTE Arkansas, Inc., sold to CenturyTel in 2000
GTE Midwest, Inc. d/b/a Verizon Midwest, Inc., sold to CenturyTel
GTE Hawaiian Telephone Company, Inc., later Verizon Hawaii, Inc., sold to The Carlyle Group in 2005
GTE Alaska Inc., sold to Alaska Power and Phone Company in 2000
Contel of the West, Inc. d/b/a GTE West - discontinued in 1996
Contel of Minnesota, Inc., sold to Citizens Communications
GTE of Iowa - Spun off to Iowa Telecom
Verizon Dominicana (CODETEL), sold to América Móvil
Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico d/b/a Puerto Rico Telephone, assets sold to América Móvil
GTE Government Systems to General Dynamics (The Information Systems Division of GTE Government Systems was sold to DynCorp.[34]
GTE Wireless (assets in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas) sold to Alltel.[35]
compiled from Wikepedia

Ninety-one years of tradition, starting with crank phones, dial phones, push button dialing and now, the beginning of the end.What next? Perhaps they will hard wire a communications modem to our brains.Then we would be on-line 24/7.

Turn Out The Lights, The Party's Over

The long weekend started out in Bayview with the imminent closure of the Captain's Wheel hanging over our heads. Starting with a packed house for New Years Eve, and lasting all the way through to about 7:30 pm Sunday, a full 3 1/2 hours past the scheduled close. Then it was over. The key turned in the lock, perhaps for the last time, at least with present ownership.

NY Eve brought the band, "The Keep," out for the last hurrah. Friday night, again packed house. Then came Saturday, with volunteer bands playing. Wyzer and ever goofed up band, Muddy Frog Waters kept the crowd entertained as customers that hadn't been in the place since Summer, showed up for the wake that it turned out to be. With the Buttonhook closed,as well as the Captain's wheel, only Ralph's Cafe, open Tuesdays through Saturday, and The Patio open seven days, 11:00 to whenever. The Patio also serves cocktails. JD's, of course is still open for cocktails, and the old Terry's Cafe is slated to open pending redecorating and code compliance. The new entity will be called The Bay Cafe,starring Dean formerly of Jimmy C's in Athol.

New Traditions

Today marked the first annual polar plunge here in Bayview. Not to be out gunned by Sanders Beach in Coeur d'Alene, a few hardy souls put the word out that there would be a mid-winter swim at the public boat launch at 2:00 pm New Years day. Sensing that there shouldn't be a conflict with boat launching, they went ahead without the blessing of the Kootenai county Waterways people, not to mention Fish & Game.

Well, nary a boat approached to challenge the launching area, but over thirty hardy souls, or perhaps retarded souls showed up all prepared to bare their skins. Actually for the most part, skins were not overly bare with one exception. There is always one. A fat male individual showed up in a scanty thing approaching a thong. Once dressed down, he pranced about thrusting his pelvis forward in a sexual manner. I guess we could have survived that, if it weren't the dozen or so kids ranging from three years old to maybe 7, watching with some real odd expressions. Unfortunately, nobody stood up and suggested he was on the border of indecent exposure. At the very least, he was an obnoxious asshole. Needless to say, his picture will not appear here.

It became obvious that the shore side of the Patio was grounded, when after the place was packed, more, fresh from the chilly 37 degree water, crowded into the overloaded building.I'm here to report that the flotation under the Patio is doing just fine, as the building listed toward the lake but didn't attempt to sink. Above are some pictures that I managed to sneak out of the place of shivering bodies.

New Year ... Old Year

New Year's Eve. A time for reflection, a time for hope. Much has happened in our little community, some good, some not so good. The continuous leakage of residents unable to live here anymore is a stunning loss to local businesses, as well as to friendships and relationships.Several factors are at play here.

Certainly the demographics have changed, what with the new developers tearing some things down, building others. Perhaps the largest loss that might end up bankrupting the entire village, is the loss of tourist facilities. In pre-development days, only four years ago, we had four RV parks and two motels, one only being four rooms.We now have one motel of four rooms, two RV parks and where we had five eating facilities and three cocktail facilities, we now have one of the later and two of the former.I see some reasons here other than loss of population.

One, many residents don't bother to support the local businesses at all. To them they live in a bedroom community and don't eat out or stop at a local watering hole for a drink or two. I have spoken to many concerned locals and also business people. I'm going to tell you, no punches pulled, what the conclusions are that I have reached. No favorites, just the facts.

One, certainly those that do not drink alcoholic beverages shouldn't and won't be scolded for that. However, that being said, diner out once in a while wouldn't hurt any of you and will foreclose upon those arguments when the business go belly up from your neglect. It is cheaper to buy some of your needs at the Mercantile than driving into town. Use 'em or lose 'em, folks.

The third criticism I have, is to the folks that belong to and support the Bayview Chamber of Commerce. The word commerce is defined as follows: "The exchange of buying and selling commodities and services." As I currently understand the goals of the chamber, none of them include the support and promotion of local business. I have, as I wander through town, received several complaints from local merchants directed toward this neglect. If one wonders why none of the local business owners attend, that's the problem. No, actually, that's just one of the problems. The other, is this town is full of factionalism and the merchants don't want to get embroiled on one side or another of an issue that would alienate half of their customers.

The other side of the coin, is that business owners haven't always done the right things to attract and hold customers. Things like allowing smoke to travel through open doors to the dining areas, sending non-smokers to other places, rude treatment of customers, allowing loud and obnoxious drinkers to continue their loud and obnoxious ways, indifference to strangers who show up, who then,leave feeling unwelcome,never to return. Every time your business sees a new face it is a one time opportunity to make a new friend and to start a long term relationship with that potential customer, Once gone, so is that opportunity. Ignoring strangers is a disease of local watering holes. It's also a recipe for failure. Perhaps that one is the most egregious of all. My background is sales. Purchasers, or clients do business with you only because they want to, not because they have to.

Those dollars in the till are not automatic. Piss a customer off, and those dollars stop. After awhile, so many dollars stop that the business starts to lose money. Even when dissatisfied customers find out that the reasons fore their boycott is no longer present, the smoldering felling of being unwanted or not appreciated lingers on. These things have been repeated to me many times over the last week as the captain's wheel prepares to close.But the Wheel isn't alone.

Business people that take their customers for granted, and in this economy, will disappear. Some already have. We are a dysfunctional community on both sides of the ledger. Now that I have managed to offend without specific targets, everyone in town, let me wish you all a Happy New Year. ... But the only way to make it happy is to pay attention to our community, support and fund it. The businesses need to extract their collective heads from their nether regions and start thinking about how to make new friends and how to keep the old ones.

Aliens Attacked My Computer... Again

I have been out of touch since just before Christmas. Yes, another virus. I could have called Iyogi, my protection plan, but I also had installed Magic Jack which is phone over internet. That meant I couldn't e-mail nor could I call anyone. Boy, howdy, talk about a quiet Christmas.

Rather than trying to understand the tech support in India, which I couldn't talk to anyway, since all I had was a cell phone that I could use next to my keyboard. After a half dozen lost signal hang ups, I gave up. The day after Christmas, I headed for Wally World to buy one of those cheap laptops. Good luck. All of the under $500 sets were sold out, so I got this one, an HP notebook.

I learned something new about computers. Laptops do not operate the same as desk tops. It's a whole new ballgame. I got stuck on the very first step of set-up. What's up with setup. Shouldn't you just be able to plug it in, turn it on then download some programs? Huh uh. After reading, then re-reading the instructions, and after an hour, I located the on/off button. I knew immediately I needed technical support. I went to the Captain's Wheel, where many of the patrons there, actually understand this crap. Now, I'm up and running ... kinda. You see, my system of choice is Mozilla Firefox. I downloaded it and created some favorites. Then I took the computer home at which time Windows blocked me out of Firefox.My sanity, while in question for many years, is now teetering right on the edge. I am beginning to drool and make funny noises. The voices in my head are insisting I throw this computer away, too. I ignore them. My credit card company wouldn't understand if I told them I had to charge a new computer because the old one, (four days old)had outsmarted me.

So to all of you, Happy New Year. To my computer, the entire industry and especially those miserable jerks in India, I have only this to say to you. @%##??&%@$#*

Tis sThe Season

It is upon us. whether you are a Christian, celebrating the birth of Christ, A Jew, celebrating Hanukkah, a peaceful Muslim or an agnostic, or even an animist, worshiping the trees, the Christmas season seems to cheer up everyone. Especially department stores, but I digress. Christmas Eve, just two days away, will find me at the captain's Wheel for the pot luck dinner and no host bar.

Most other activities have already taken place, including the best Christmas lighted parade, yet. Ralph's cafe shot some great video and you can ask him for that footage by contacting him at Bayviewralph@yahoo.com.

Also I would like to clarify my sloppy coverage of the restaurant situation. With the closing of the Captain's Wheel, the Patio will be open for limited food service and cocktails seven days per week from 11 to 7 or whenever. Ralph, a good friend, went to my blog before his first cup of coffee and became righteously pissed that I downgraded him to a snack bar. That was the sloppy part. Somehow, with the always beautiful Daveana, he manages to come up with many tasty meals, within the limitations of no hood or fire suppression system. You go to Ralph's you don't go home hungry. so you can't get prime rib nor a sirloin steak, hey he's got most of the rest. My most humble apology for calling your place a snack stop.

The hit of the week though, was the Christmas lighting contest which has gained momentum in the last two or three years. The first prize winners were Jan & Walt Johnson. to see this fabulous display, drive west on 6Th street in Bayview to the end. You just can't miss it. I took six pictures of it and still didn't do it justice. I needed a wide angle lens I didn't have, but the best picture that I got is displayed above.

To my fellow Christians, Merry Christmas. To the Jewish friends that I have, a happy Hanukkah. for all of the others, Stickman included may your faith, whatever it be, give you a happy holiday and a happy life to follow. Remember, this holiday isn't just about presents, though giving is one's most important acts, receiving isn't all that much of a deal. It boils down to It's all about love. Merry Christmas to all and to all, goodnight.

End of an Era

Since the death of the widely respected partner in ownership, Jerry Berry, along with previous partner,Jim Campbell,still living, the future of the Captain's Wheel Restaurant has been in question. Widowed Carletta Berry wanted to take over and silent partner, Michael McFarland, who purchased Campbell's interest,based on advice of his mentor, Jerry, chose to rise from silent partner to CEO. Those issues are to be decided in court sometime in January.

What can't be adjudicated in court, is the dismantling of the local infrastructure. As developers flocked to Bayview a few years ago, it became obvious that at least some of the investors wanted to transport this lazy backwater into a mecca for wealthy summer water sports enthusiasts. Unfortunately this included the task of getting rid of long time residents, some, third and even fourth generation. Situated 8 miles from the main highway, (hwy95) Bayview sits at the foot of Farragut State Park.

First, the town trailer park, often referred to as an eyesore, was purchased and razed. This purchase was engineered by Bob Holland , currently owner of the Vista Bay Marina, The previously know as Bayview Marina, and now called Harborview, and then Boileau's Marina, which included the patio and the Buttonhook.

The trailer park property was subsequently sold to James Darling, of WSU and NFL fame as a linebacker. Darling came into the community knowing that his predecessor, Holland, had stepped on many toes and wanted to avoid that. He worked assiduously to heal community breaches ,and is continuously trying to balance his interests with the community.Currently, he is building the first of three phases, involving about 32 condo units.

The former RV park at Boileaus' was turned into a parking lot to satisfy parking requirements for other Holland enterprises. The Bayview Motel was sold to a former NBA basketball player, about the same time. Not wanting to be subject to motel taxes and regulations, he turned that project into monthly rentals.That project has crashed since with the current economy, only about four units are rented. We now have less than half of the temporary RV and tent capacity for tourist than a few years ago.

This brings us to there present condition. The local economy has tubed. Many permanent residents have moved away, leaving a shell for the winter months. New condo projects probably will not help, as most will be purchased as second or vacation homes. The Buttonhook Restaurant has closed, with an opening date up in the air. Terry's Cafe, owned by Chan of Scenic Bay Marina, may reopen soon for breakfast and lunches. The patio, now leased from Chan by Scott & Jeanne Bjerge, has stayed open much later in the year, due to other closures, and will stay open throughout the Winter season. The hours of operation at the Patio will be 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.Cocktails are available at the Patio.There is still a possibility of the former Terry's Cafe opening soon, as lights are on again and remodeling is in progress.

Today, we morn one more stake in the heart of Bayview. Losing hundreds of dollars per month trying to stay open during the slow months, the Captain's Wheel is throwing in the towel for, at least the next two months. The last days of this drama will play out after January 3, when the lights will dim over the most stable full service restaurant & bar that has existed since 1996. The possibly last hurrah of the 'Wheel will be New Years Eve, with ever popular, "The Keep" playing for your listening pleasure.

Left open, will be the JD's, a bar and the patio, along with Ralph's internet cafe, which along with the patio brings Lite meals to the table, but puts Bayview into a category of not having a sit down restaurant in operation during this winter season.

Asked why this was necessary, Captain's wheel management just sighed and said, " There are either not enough people living here during the winter season, or due to the economy, choose not to eat out. Either way, we can't keep on losing money where the bottomless pit equals the total loss of equity and bankruptcy.

Folks, It's going to be a long winter. The hopes and prayers of local residents continue to come up negative, as the cards are turning up as a pair of deuces.

Christmas In Bayview/Athol

There are lots of thing going on this Christmas, much of which we won't hear about, but of those activities that have been brought to our attention, we'll mention. First off, Santa will be appearing at the Bayview Community Center Saturday, December 19, starting at 4:30 pm, with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony around 5:00. An ensemble will sing carols and kids will get the chance to tell Santa what they would like for Christmas. Refreshments will be served and prizes given for the best decoration display. Some areas to watch while driving around for the view, would be 4th & fir, Spruce between 1st & 3rd, and out on the cape there are several. One that has been outstanding is just off the corner of Cape Horn Road on Pend Oreille Pines.

Timberlake Fire District had it's annual Christmas Party last Saturday, December 12. An appreciation dinner was held at the Bayview community center, sponsored by the Fire District Commissioners.

Speaking of the Fire District, they have adopted a family for Christmas this year. The whole crew pitched in for gifts for a very deserving family. Heather Murphy, a single Mom with five kids will get a visit from Sparky the fire dog mascot, along with a fire engine which will deliver the gifts. Most likely, the firefighters will fight over who gets to go on the truck.

Oops, I almost forgot. The Christmas parade that started two years ago is on again. Tomorrow, Saturday, December 19 it will start at Phil's house on 1st and Fir, thence, after a few libations, and snacks onward through town in a squiggly way, to end at the Captain's wheel or there about.

The Captain's Wheel is holding a Christmas Eve pot luck dinner starting at 4:00 pm. Bring some goodies or just yourself.

If I've left anyone or any activity out, please e-mail me so that I can add to this list. Merry Christmas to all.

Herb

Weather, Or Not

It appears that the weather guessers are somewhat worried over two systems about to meet and clash right over us. A cold front swooping down from Canada is fixin' to bump heads with the warm front surging up from California. Expected to hit Monday evening and Tuesday, they have changed from predicting 3-6 inches, to warning that it could be much worse.

Why those cursed Californians continue to send us weather they don't want is beyond me. Why not ship it to Arizona and New Mexico where they can use it? (Oops, apologies to my friends wintering in Arizona)Anyway, when two weather systems converge, heavy precipitation can occur. Where they converge, appears to be right here.

Speaking of Arizona, I spoke with Jean Campbell yesterday. Jim & Jean are former owners of the Captain's Wheel. They alternate between Lake Siskiyou in the summer, as restaurant/gift shop operators and Welton, Arizona where they hunker down for the winter. Apparently they had a wind storm with wind velocities above 50 mph, with light rain, which produced a monster mud bath. So it turns out they, too have to shovel weather in the winter.

In other news, Santa may or may not be on time for Christmas. It turns out the Air Traffic Control system is overloaded, and Santa may be diverted to Moses Lake or some such isolated destination. Speaking of Christmas, for you eternal optimists, Accuweather has a snow storm hitting 12/24 through 12/25. A bit of a long range forecast, but hey, this is for the optimists.

I plan on joining others at the Captain's wheel for their Christmas Eve Pot Luck dinner. It starts at 4:00 pm. Bring your goodies or just yourselves, since many bring more than their share anyway. Break out those mittens, folks.

***NEW POST ON GLOBAL WARMING AT MY NEW BLOG. http://KOOTENAICOUNTRY.BLOGSPOT.COM

12/15/09: The weather guessers are now welshing on the Christmas snow storm They now say it will happen a day or so after Christmas.

I have never in the past done this, meaning copied and pasted stuff that in the history of this blog is frowned upon. Still, I feel strongly that the MSM including senior editors of the spokesman-review, who tend to be very liberal have blessed the use of this horrible term that is definitely pejorative in a sexual context to conservatives. I don't always follow the conservative party line when it gets to far right, but this is unacceptable. Period.

Teabagging is a slang term for the act of a man placing his scrotum in the mouth[1] or on or around the face (including the top of the head) of another person, often in a repeated in-and-out motion as in irrumatio. The practice resembles dipping a tea bag into a cup of tea.[2][3]
The practice

Teabagging is an activity used within the context of owning trents dome BDSM and male dominance, with a dominant man teabagging his submissive partner as one variation of facesitting and/or as a means of inflicting erotic humiliation. Teabagging is not always carried out with a solely “sexual” connotation.

Teabagging has been used during hazing or bullying incidents.[4] Incidents have included reports of groups holding down victims while the perpetrator “shoves his testicles in [their] face”[5] or puts their “crotch to his head.”[6]

Mimicking teabagging has become popular in online video games. It is portrayed by the winning player positioning his character over the fallen character's face (while repeatedly crouching and standing) to imply domination or humiliation.[6]
[edit] Use as a political term
Main article: Tea Party protests

In 2009, groups known as Tea Parties were formed to protest United States government tax and spending policies. Media outlets began to use the term 'Teabaggers' as a criticism of the entire Tea Party movement, making use of language and accoutrement employed by some of its members.[7][8] An article in Salon.com by Alex Koppelman traced the controversy to a photograph by David Weigel posted on The Washington Independent website on 27 February,[9] showing a protester holding a sign that read “Tea Bag the Liberal Dems Before They Tea Bag You!!”[10] Weigel's report was referenced by bloggers, including Wonkette, who used “teabagging” or “teabagger” in their headline.[9] Several critics of the protesters, including Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, and Anderson Cooper, used the slang in their broadcasts. Cooper later apologized, calling the term “silly” and stating that his use of it detracted from his serious reporting.[11][12][13][14][15]

It would appear that MSM liberal editors have blessed the use of this dirty term in obeisance to their liberal following. I do not believe that repeated use of a dirty word or term legitimatizes it. Certianly other words that are in common use on the streets are prohibited on spokesman-Review blogs. It is apparent to me that this one sided morality is wrong, wrong, wrong!

Road Trip From Hell

Today I trekked to the big city. No, not Rathdrum or even Coeur d'Alene. I went for the whole hog and drove to the land of red light busters, choked freeways and crime waves, and that's just Spokane city officials, according to Clark. Actually, it wasn't too bad. The route I took avoided the infamous pot holes, which is good because I experience many of those where I live here in Bayview. Really, the only bad part of the trip was getting out of the car. That it was cold is an understatement. Bone-chilling, paralyzing cold.

I took the trip anyway. You see, I have three beautiful young granddaughters that were in a Christmas Pageant at Northwest Christian School in the North End. It was great entertainment. all three were in different grade levels and had parts based on their class. On top of the fact that I have these three beauties as grandchildren, my son is a teacher there, (4Th grade) and my daughter-in-law is a substitute teacher at the school. So son was herding the fourth grade class while his wife, Jennifer was trying to keep order in the third grade class, which she subbed for today. She needed a whip and chair. The kids didn't get outside recess due to the cold, so they saved all of their pent up energy for the evening events. Still, when it was their turn to head for the stage, they settled right down, like great troupers that they were.

I didn't see Cindy Hval there, but I strongly suspect she was out stalking her 15 year old son's Health teacher. (If you don't follow Huckleberries on line this doesn't make sense, but then much that I write doesn't anyway. Inside joke.)

Had to stop for gas. It couldn't happen when it was warm, no. I had to get out of the car, stick the hose in the tank and hope my hand wouldn't freeze to it. Made it home OK. did I mention that I stopped for groceries on the way to Spokane? It's the first time I have ever had to unload the car to assure that I wouldn't ruin some of the food I'd bought. Usually that is a Summer thing. I could see the rolls of biscuits freezing and popping open, causing me to bake all night long, but no, everything worked out fine. In a year or two, I may venture to the big city again, but only under duress, or that of my grand kids. I don't plan on poking my head out until at least March.

Whaterever It Takes...!

That is what Bayview residents received on their doorsteps Friday Night, as four men riding in a pickup threw leaflets on most everyone's lawn stuffed in a plastic baggie and weighted down with ballast rock allegedly stolen from the Burlington Northern tracks in Athol.

The content is as follows:

"Know That Whatever It Takes, White America will survive!
It is signed, not with a name, but the Aryan Nations, National Headquarters, P.O. Box 91, Athol, Idaho, 83801"

"Join The Ranks." Etc.Etc.

Captain Ben Wolfinger told me today that they invite a criminal complaint on this matter, and will definitely follow through. If you have received one of these pieces of filth and desire the perpetrators to be brought to justice for littering, call the Kootenai Sheriff department 208-446-1300 and file your complaint. Each such call is treated as a separate count of littering. Let's make it expensive for these Jerks to do what they do. Never has the city of Athol's claim to fame name wise, ever been more appropriate than with these residents. Some of us view this series of acts as the equivalent of burning a cross in a neighbor's yard, sans the fire hazard.

My humble apology to Ben Wolfinger. I referred to him as always, as Captain. It turns out her was promoted to Major. A big congrats to Ben Wolfinger, a truly conscientious peace officer.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

For many years the mission of the Corps of Engineers was to regulate navigable waterways. The original intent was primarily the Mississippi,Missouri and Ohio rivers, for both flood control and navigation. toward that goal, locks were emplaced at necessary points to aid the up river and down river commerce. These rivers were and are navigable because they can be used all the way to the ocean for marine traffic.

Then somehow, the corps got too big for their collective britches and decided that THEY would determine what was navigable and what was not. The most obvious transgressions are out west, where rivers that may support a canoe for brief journeys, dammed rivers that cannot be navigated, even by fish and other egregious mis-applications of the terminology.

To state that the Corps transgresses upon the states rights that they regulate, as well as rule the power grid thfough the measured feeding of water from dam to dam, as needed for power generation, is teating the subject lightly. They have gone so far beyond the original intent of their perview as to be ridiculous. The situation is obvious. We, residents of the various western states need to wrest control from these power hungry federal abusers. One method would be to sue in federal court, asking the court to find that the Corps has overstepped their mandate. Another, would be to get congress to redefine what constitutes a navagable waterway.

Here on 50 mile long Lake Pend Oreille, the corps is attempting once again, to manipulate the levels through their ownership of the Albeni Falls Dam without regard to the fact that this lake is not a man made reservoir, but a natural body of water. Our lake has been trashed by the lack of regard to our fisheries and lakefront properties. They seem to feel that we exist for the sole purpose of supplying water to Grand Coulee Dam and other such structures down stream.

There are adequate dams down stream from Lake Pend Oreille to hold summer water through the winter power use cycles without misusing our lake. During the few years where a moratorium was in force and the corps was only allowed to lower the lake to 2051 feet above sea level every three years, and to maintain a Summer level of 2062, with 2055 being the odd years winter level. The mighty Corps of Engineers has unilaterally decided they essentially will in the future do what they damn well please. This is wrong and the State of Idaho needs to pull them up short, if the various interested bureaucrats can manage to extract their collective heads from their ... rears.

Seniors Thrown Under The Bus

I feel that I've jumped through the looking glass and am now in Wonderland with Alice. Everything seems to be upside down. The democrats in congress, reputed by their own statements, are for the poor and the downtrodden. They have voted, party line to reduce payments for Medicare treatment. Sure, they say out of one side of their mouths, "no reduction in benefits will occur, just payments."

I have no accurate figures on this, but I do know that most doctors in my area, which includes North Idaho, are refusing medicare patients and those that don't will not accept new patients. These doctors claim that the payments do not come anywhere close to prevailing rates that are charged in the area, and that they lose money treating them. Not only that, but the ones that do accept medicare patients are so bogged down with bureaucratic paperwork that they often have to hire an office assistant just for medicare related reports and forms required.

On top of this political anomaly, AARP, supposedly the bastion of protection for seniors, has endorsed this abortion of logic. (note to self, cancel membership immediately) The obvious outcome of this travesty is a program the federal government can brag about that the medical profession won't use or accept. This reverse Robin Hood approach to legislation clearly is robbing from the poor to give to the middle class. Before I attempt to jump back through the looking glass, I'm going to sit here and wonder about the nasty Republican Party that only thinks of big business, being on the side of helpless seniors. I'm going to then examine where the hell the Democrats get off turning their backs on the elderly. Well, I guess that's no surprise, after all, they turned their collective backs on Labor, who through smoke and mirrors, still support the party.

Politics & How They Can Lie

Now that the last election cycle is over, (we hope) a number of thoughts have occurred to me. First of all, where has my political philosophy gone to. Back when I was a Young Republican in Orange County California, I was what I thought,a solid core conservative. Many of us were, at the time. We were in essence, the torch bearers for Ronald Reagan, as he approached the decision to run for Governor for the State of California. We all knew he would run, it was the usual pre-positioning that candidates used to get supporters to urge them to run. They did, he did. The rest is history. I was privileged to be personally acquainted with Ronnie, as we called him back then I, at one time had his unlisted phone number when he lived in Pacific Palisades, prior to being elected to the governorship. I still cherish the personally autographed first copy, first edition of his autobiography,"where Is The Rest Of Me."

But there is more to the story than that. You see, we had three layers of political philosophy dividing the Republican party. First, the eastern establishment supported Rockefeller for President. The vast majority of conservatives in Southern California, favored Reagan. The third level was the John Birch Society. Bless them, they were Zealots of the first order. Unfortunately, they were so far out of the main stream as to be inconsequential.

Well, Reagan was elected Governor of California, then re-elected to a second term. It turned out that rather than he being a weak "movie star," he had perhaps much more substance to him. All except the JBS. He just wasn't conservative enough for them. Actually, Genghis Khan was too liberal for some of them, but I digress.

Ronald Reagan was a consensus builder, not a fanatic.He started out by uniting the Republican Party, which was no mean trick. His mantra was, "this party has a large tent, and went on to say,"Speak no evil of those in our party. The other side will do that for us."

Reagan was elected Governor of California at a time that the previous administration and legislature had brought down the financial structure of the state to the degree that Reagan had to raise taxes big time just to keep up with the previous expenditures. This was not popular, especially to those that were used to the free handouts that were being curtailed.

In entering the Governorship, he realized fairly soon that the legislature was ruled by Jesse Unruh, a Democrat. In order to run the state, these two had to find a place they could agree.They did, and the rest is history.

After being elected to the presidency of the United State, he ran into the same sort of problem with Congress. The Speaker of the House was Tip O'Meil, a fellow Irishman. It is rumored that after fighting tooth and nail over legislation, they would as Irishmen tend to do, retire to the living quarters in the white House, where they would sip a bit of the old sod.

There is much more to the story of Ronald Reagan, and how I found myself intertwined in his rise to super stardom, but that can wait for another time. What I want to say today, is that the persons or group or four or five that call themselves Reagan Republicans are not even close. They are riding on coattails that would never have been available had Ronnie been alive. He would literally roll over in his grave to find that people are using his name in vain, and running back to the extreme he so much hated.

Retirement

L-R Retiring Deedie Beard and County Clerk, Dan English

A grand lady, dedicated to accuracy retired today. After 33 years in county government, and most of that as the elections director, Deedie Beard called it a career. The stories of late night counts and recounts haunt the hallways of the election department. Most of which occurred before the computerization of the whole process. Machine voting has taken over most of the counting process, along with modern paper ballot processing from the hinterlands of the county.

Within those 33 years of county service, Deedie once bragged, "not one person in this county knows how I think politically, or how I vote, and I intend to keep it that way." Two years ago I interviewed Deedee for a story I wrote in the Handle Extra about her stellar service. Deedie was honored today, by the county she served and by the state from within she served. Room one hundred in the county administration building was packed as co-workers, friends, of which she has many, and an extended family that pretty near collapsed the walls of the room. Cheers and tears ruled the day as Deedee's replacement quickly rose to the occasion, furnishing her with a fresh pack of Kleenex.

Deedie received awards from the county, Women's league of voters, and the Secretary of State, Ben Ysursa, naming her as the bar to which other county election departments could take lessons from. But plaques and certificates cannot take the place of the love and affection folks in Kootenai county hold for this wonderful person and administrator.

Unfortunately, the shadow of sore losers threatened to dampen the celebration as a lawsuit was filed late Monday afternoon, challenging the election itself, apparently without a request for a recount. In my opinion, with a five vote margin, the loser to Kennedy could have and probably should have called for a recount. Apparently the loser chose to insult the system itself, and by reference, the grand lady retiring.
What they hope to accomplish is unknown and the outcome deplorable. Attacking the very system that allows one to abuse it is interesting at best.

My take on this is that while conservatives certainly outnumber liberals in the panhandle, Extremism can and probably will move voters toward the more moderate middle. We saw that when Sali lost to Democrat Minnick last election cycle, and with the continued extremism we actually might see more Republicans voting to retain Minnick who isn't by any standard, liberal.

Please join me in congratulating Deedee Beard on one of the most astounding careers in public service ever seen in this neck of the woods.

Heros and Heroines

Sometimes things just happen when you least expect it. I ran into Elizabeth Anderson and her mother, visiting from the wilds of upper Minnesota Saturday. Elizabeth had brought her Mom up to see infamous Bayview. From a county planners standpoint it must be perceived as that. It must be pointed out that she works for Kootenai County Planning & Zoning. Among all of the vast projected large plats that have been requested from Harrison to the northern county line, her department has been extremely busy. Perhaps the word extremely isn't out of order either, as turn it loose growth advocates have clashed with Whoa, stop the train, no more building.

Stuck right in the middle is the Kootenai County Commissioners along with the planning and zoning people. Our region is at least up until the recession occurred, bursting with an unprecedented growth. A growth that as usual in these situations, hadn't been planned for. The last two or three years has found the county furiously trying to update their master plan where no plan really existed before.

But that isn't the real story here. You see, Elizabeth Anderson was stricken with breast cancer a while back. She cheerfully shifted gears and settled into a combat mode. Never fearing that she would loose her battle with cancer, she stuck her chest out, (figuratively speaking) and charged forth to meet the challenge. Losing both breasts, she underwent a year of chemotherapy which still has two treatments to go.

Meeting her and her Mom in Bayview over lunch was on my part a distinct pleasure of the highest kind. You see, It's not very often you get to sit next to a real hero that has done real heroic things.

Football Conferences

Many years ago, in 1959 the old Pacific Coast Conference broke up and reformed as the PAC-8. The purpose of the split was to get rid of dead wood. Idaho was dumped along with the University of Montana. Clearly, over may years, Idaho and Montana just couldn't keep up with the major markets. Shortly thereafter, the PAC-8 added Arizona and Arizona State, making up what is now the PAC-10. That is the abbreviated history of the major schools along the Pacific corridor.

It is now time to consider once more, a realignment of schools and conferences. For many years, Washington State has proven with only one or two exceptions that they can't compete regularly in the PAC-ten. Then we have number 6 ranked Boise State, 12 and zip, once more. clearly, they are overmatching the WAC conference and need to move to a higher plain. I propose that WSU and Boise State switch conferences, with WSU going to the WAC where they should be able to compete year after year. Boise State, on the other hand, can't get respect because of the inferior competition they face. Simple solution? Have Boise State join the PAC-ten where there would have every chance to excel, if they can.

Obviously, with this suggestion, I have not made myself very popular with WSU fans, but hey, that's the way I see it.

Thanksgiving

Most of us, when the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, think of roast turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce and many other goodies that sometimes only appear on that holiday. Others think back to the beginnings of our country when a religious minority sailed to our shores to escape tyranny. They gave thanks when they arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and again when they survived the wilderness winter that followed.

Today, we find almost every family with someone in financial distress, or with health related problems. It is so easy to sink into despair.I've done it myself more than once. Summer is over, the winds of early winter blow and rain splatters against the windows. We hunker down, hoping for an early spring, even before winter has truly arrived. We have mosquito born viruses that arrive every year a bit further north. HIV is still a killer, and now we have H1V1, or Swine Flu. These are some of the bad things going on.

Thanksgiving, though, is about positive things in our lives. The friend or relative that beat cancer. The new baby arriving. Our health still intact. (for the most part) The love we share with those very special people in our lives. Somewhere a person we know is dying, but babies are regularly born to take our places. For every person in personal distress, there is someone else that is extending a helping hand. Please remember, that though the Sun is not shining from the sky, it is still present from within. Whether a person is happy or sad, is from within. It is a slef induced condition. Have a truly happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving Alternatives

No need to seat over a hot stove all day Thursday, just pop by the Captain's Wheel for a monster potluck dinner. Bring a side dish if possible, or just show up hungry. There will be Turkey and dressing and whatever. No-host bar will be open as well. The Wheel will open at Noon, and will stay open for an indefinate time, reopening for regular business Friday and the week-end.

We understand that a smaller potluck buffet will also be held at JD's. Y'all come on down.

The Lynching Of Sarah Palin

I guess I'm confused about the reactions to Sarah Palin. It would seem that she is getting an unseemly amount of praise from one side, and the same in hate from the other side. Some like her politics. some like her beauty. Others resent her politics and resent her beauty, too. I call it all foul Play.

For sure, she isn't the arch-typical politician. Still, she had enough on the ball to raise above pettiness and become the governor of Alaska. Alaskans are a bit different from the lower 48. No, actually, they are a lot different. While we down here, over the years gained a certain amount of class and what some would call civilized society, Alaska is still in many ways, a frontier. Frontiers, like ours down here 100 years ago, tend to be a little rough and ready, and without many of the frills that the establishment calls normal.

Alaskans don't have the same standard of living that we do, accepting in one or two larger cities, of which there are few. Hunting, not so much a sport for trophies, but for subsistence has long been tradition there. They of course, don't have the benefit of high rise San Franciscans to keep them on the liberal path to enlightenment. They don't want or need them. Without the guidance of the Sierra club, the average Alaskan is more of a conservationist that those organized groups.

If there has been unfairness, and there has been, I would call some of it sexist, excepting many "liberated women" appear somehow threatened by her and her family's lifestyle. I'm not going to go into the children and their behavior, simply due to the fact that few families that I know of, can claim there are no skeletons in their respective closets. There is something in the bible about casting the first stone, and many should take heed of that. Keeping healthy young people sexually apart can be a daunting chore, one that most often fails So we have free clinics and tolerance for these activities,a but when a conservative family, or at least their children fall into the passion trap, suddenly we have a huge double standard. I, for one, would like to see her critics look into their own hearts and check it out for the two-faced principle.

Those of you that do not believe the same things or have the same political viewpoints as she ... fine. That doesn't forgive demonizing her or her family.

Political Correctness

Political correctness, long fostered by the main stream media, has reached a point of no return, apparently. The list of rearranged social and political standards is a long one, but today I just want to talk about one area.

As we all know, a tragedy struck a few days ago, when an army major,a Moslem, shot and killed thirteen people and injured thirty-one more. H did this while screaming Allahu Akbar. A a term much used by Islamic Terrorists. Yet, the media, with the exception of Cal Thomas, is afraid to tell it like it is. Everyone from Army Generals, down to beat reporters, sail gently around the subject of this, a terrorist act, as if it would condemn all of the Moslems in service as well. The above term in Arabic means, "God Is Great." Talk about misusing terminology.

We are now hearing reports of and from colleges in the medical world that this thug regularly spouted anti-American and pro Islamic slogans. None of his superiors were brave enough to risk the thought police by either disciplining him, or even throwing him out of the Army.

To quote an old saying, "it is time to call a spade a shovel." It is also time to bring sense into law enforcement. Profiling is now against the rules. Now I'm not talking about the arresting of a black person on the charge of "driving while black, or yellow, or pink or any other extreme use of that tool. What I am saying, is we better start watching those members of a religion that proposes the violent overthrow oof the United states. While certainly, not all people that worship as Islamic are not terrorists, it is reasonable to suspect that most will come from that group.

I start to worry, when general officers are so afraid of offending a minority, that they will excuse clues to what eventually transpired at Fort Hood, and will certainly happen again and again unless an effort is made to sort through the ranks and get rid of people that can't even pass a routine security Clearance. Now the Army, still embarrassed, rather than calling this a terrorist act, is going to prosecute the perpetrator as a simple murder. What a gutsy call.

Nice Round Figures

No. ... Not those kind! Sometime tonight, or perhaps tomorrow, I will have exceeded 100,000 page views for this blog.It all started with my first post at the beginning of 2006. Currently, as I sit at my computer, 6:00 pm this date, I have 99,973 page views with an average of 70 to 80 per day. Thank you all for visiting.

I hope to get even bigger in 2010. I am currently accepting area ads for businesses in Kootenai county. These will be the size of the side bar pictures and are real reasonable. E-mail me for details if interested.

Lots of interesting stuff going on in the local area, some of which I can't talk about quite yet, but stay tuned.

8:45 pm pdst: We are within 13 page views of attaining the magic number. Through Site Meter, I can kind of identify the one that puts us over, but privacy laws prevent me from identiying it for sure. I will attempt to identify the winner by URL and a time line. If that person wishes to identify themselves they may do so by comment or by private e-mail. privacy will be respected.

More Flack from Concerned Citizens

Much feces has been stirred against the Timberlake Fire District, and their chief, Jack Krill. First, I support the efforts of Chief Krill to modernize the department, so as to negate huge fire insurance rate increases. Some misunderstood this campaign to suggest that Chief Krill had personal motivations, or that he had used high pressure rhetoric to push a proposed future levy. I personally support the chief along with the volunteers that populate the fire commission. They have a thankless job in which along the way, certain restaurants and marinas were found out of compliance with current fire codes. The commissioners instructed the chief to remedy these conditions and bring these public facilities into compliance. This he has tried to do, with some compassion toward the hardship that such compliance that hadn't been required in the recent past, now surface.

During the election of two new commissioners, there has been a supposition that these candidates are anti Fire District who's purpose was to dismantle the current structure. This is simply not true. Both winning commissioners are dedicated toward continued community service. I fully support the fire district and the chief and voted for both commissioner-elects.The body of this post features an e-mail regarding a concern by a citizen and the reply by chief Krill. It is long, but informative:

"Mr. Brown:

I am very pleased you sent me an email; I truly value open and honest
communication and transparency in government business. I don't
believe we have met and I would very much like to meet with you.

We seem to be fighting a lot of battles to get the truth out and
properly educate the community. This sometimes takes time away from
more pressing fire district business. We do appreciate the support in
the community, but please understand that it is appreciated more when
it does not offend others. Respectfully, I do not believe you
portrayed Commissioner-elect Rudebaugh properly in that email
regarding the use of the copier and I do not believe he would
intentionally do anything to harm the fire district or his reputation.
Maybe I should have clarified the information we sent you in response
to your public records request. We realized there is contradiction
and confusion in that part of the fee schedule and I will have it
clarified in my chiefs report at the next commissioner meeting to
prevent future misunderstandings.

We welcome public participation at the fire commissioners meeting to
provide us with feedback and input. I would strongly encourage you to
attend our meetings held on the 3rd Wednesday monthly, 6:00 PM. The
next one is November 18 at the Bayview Community Center.

Although I regularly vote in elections, I am sorry to say that I did
not vote in this election. I was out of town for this election day
and didn't have the time before I left to vote absentee. Regardless,
there was no fire district or firefighter backed candidate(s) and I
was not and would not provide any personal opinion on any candidate,
my closest friends and coworkers can vouch for that. I respect all of
the candidates for their desire to serve the community.

All of us at Timberlake are excited to work with our two new
commissioners. I've met both of them and have the strong impression
that they will do what is best for the community and serve you well in
their positions. I've had the opportunity to speak several times with
Commissioner-elect Rudebaugh before the election (as I did with other
candidates) and know that he is taking the time, energy, and personal
cost to learn all he can about being a good fire commissioner. In
fact, he is attending the Idaho State Fire Commissioner Association
annual conference in Boise and paying for it own of his own pocket. I
don't know what the total cost will be, but believe it will be well
over $400. These two gentlemen will provide a fresh perspective on
the difficult challenges that we are faced with and help make some
very tough decisions that will impact the future of this fire
district.

Thanks and I look forward to meeting with you,

Jack Krill"

Floating Patio

Scott & Jeannie Bjerge, operators of the floating patio at the boat launch in Bayview, have extended their winter hours. With the Buttonhook and the former Terry's Cafe closed for the winter, and the Captain's wheel closing Tuesday and Wednesdays, the town was left with just Ralph's Internet Cafe for snacks and soft drinks. Until further notice, the patio will be open week-ends from 11:00 am and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00 pm for diners as well as cocktails.

photo by Kathy Plonka, Spokesman-Review

It was a crisp winter night in Athol. The Saddle Up Grill had closed for the night. Owner Howard White was in a hurry to get home to Post Falls. It was his and wife Suz’s 13th wedding anniversary. Normally, with the couple working 16-hour days, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, they stayed in a motor home behind the restaurant. Due to sewage disposal problems, they had to quit doing that for a while. Howard would sleep in the Saddle Up Grill, so that he would have an early start at prepping for breakfast.

Howard closed, locked the doors and headed home for a date with his bride. It was Dec. 17, 2008, just a little short of two years in operation. About 4 a.m., a fire broke out in the dining room, probably caused by a space heater too close to upholstery. Timberlake Fire District, just a few blocks down the street, answered the call quickly and limited damage to the dining areas, saving the kitchen, except for severe smoke damage.

At the opening in March 2007, a lifelong dream was realized as Howie and Suz cranked out the first of many succulent smoked prime rib sandwiches, slathered with Suz’s secret barbecue sauce, along with what Howie called the world’s biggest and best burger. Twelve ounces of choice ground beef surrounded by all the fixings. Out back is a 500-gallon smoker, where they turn out their food from scratch along with their made-from-scratch barbecue ranch-style beans.

There is little doubt that had Howard White stayed that night in the restaurant, as he normally did, he would have been overcome by smoke and killed. The date with his wife probably saved his life.

Armed with an insurance policy, the couple figured a few months to rebuild, then back at it. This is when things started to come unwound. They bought this historic building, first used to house recruits headed for Farragut Naval training base. When a train with recruits came in late in the evening, they were put up in the bunkhouse. Many years later, it became the Saddle Up Inn. It was an owner contract, with title still residing with the previous owner. When the insurance company paid off, it paid the loan off. That left the Whites with a small amount of cash and a paid-in-full deed to a commercial lot and a half-burned building.

Today the Whites are without an income, or a restaurant without a loan to rebuild. Howard White’s one thought was, “Why, with the billions of dollars the federal government has thrown at the banks to stimulate the economy, don’t the banks then use the money for that purpose, instead of socking it away to protect themselves from bad loans?”

The Whites are hard-working people who enjoyed working 16-hour days to make what was once a dream come true. Now, it has turned into a nightmare. They are looking for help.

Help either in the form of donations, which can be sent to P.O. Box 16, Athol, Idaho 83801. Or the best solution, White hopes, is for a lender to step up with an SBA loan putting him and his wife back to serving smoked prime rib dinners.

Reprinted from my story in Sunday's spokesman-Review.

New Blog In Town

I just started a second blog. It is called "Kootenai country. You can reach it at: kootenaicountry.blogspot.com. I did this because I wanted to geographically spread my wings a bit. I will also be offering cheap ad space on it as well. While Bayviews is primarily about the community and people that surround me, Kootenai country will encompass all of North Idaho. You'll find the occasional commentary, some humor, straight news of interest and of course, I will be poking fun at people doing dumb stuff. I hope you will slide over to the blog to catch whatever I'm expounding on currently.

Halloween At The Wheel

Halloween is over and the costumes and decorations have been put away. There were some real good imaginative outfits displayed, but Jen & Dan Williams, pictured above walked off with first prize. The place was packed and folks danced to the Riverside Band tunes as well.

Proving that a 30 something woman can still be hot, restaurant manager, Marie Streeter showed up with a costume that looked like a cross between a lady leprechaun and an English bar wench.

The Captain's Wheel will go to Winter hours, closing Tuesday and Wednesday starting today, but Ralph's Internet Cafe will be open until 5:00 pm both days.

ELECTION MISPREPRESENTATIONS

Many of you that live in the Timberlake Fire district recently received a letter from Larry Spencer deriding the fire district, the fire chief and the need for more equipment. Spencer is a gadfly that hates all government and slams all projects that are proposed. He is currently suing North Idaho Community College over the education corridor, has opposed the Kroc center and just about every city and county official.

I posted a more balanced look at the fire district requests and status on this blog October 14. I suggest that those of you that received this letter check the blog for a little balance, in like telling both sides of the story. You can also go to www.timberlakefire.com and read it there. Spencer has a habit of dissing issues and candidates just before an election and in most cases, too late for a rebuttal. I detest these kinds of tactics.

This criticism does not necessarily apply to the Fire Commissioner race. While I'm not acquainted with three of the candidates, I fully support Rudy Rudebaugh. He is a local businessman, owning Victory Auto Parts and Solid Rock Solutions. You shouldn't hold Spencer's endorsement against him or other candidates.