Post office bustles behind the scenes

SANDPOINT — There was a time, not so very long ago, when the U.S. Postal Service looked like wobbly- kneed boxer on the ropes, waiting for a challenging heavyweight like UPS or FedEx to deliver a headshot and send it to the mat.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Laughing Dog builds on award-winning brews

PONDERAY — Who knew? Not Fred Colby, who got into home brewing as a hobby and had no visions of grandeur beyond crafting a good-tasting beer. When the suds had settled and all was said and done, he did that and a whole lot more.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Woodshop boom creates ripple effect on jobs

SANDPOINT — Tucked away from view, two local woodshops hum like a high-power line at peak capacity. Inside the buildings, the sound of nail guns pierces the morning chill as sheets of plywood are joined around pallets of merchandise and a small forklift tries to stay ahead of the game …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Cycling tour brings spending windfall to area

SANDPOINT — It took a changed city ordinance to make it happen, but now that Sandpoint City Beach has been opened to major events, the lakeside park could become the hub for a new kind of economic stimulus aimed at the downtown core.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Fearless first-timers mount local play

SANDPOINT — A playwright whose work has never been performed meets up with a director who has never directed to work with a cast of actors who, in the main, have never set foot on stage.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Group fights cancer with comfort

SANDPOINT — Breast cancer treatment can save your life, but it can also work you over and wear you out in the process. That’s why two Bonner County women — both of whom have undergone treatment — became bosom buddies and found a way to give comfort to those in …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

New stations to keep it local

(This is the second in a series of two articles about a pair of low-power FM stations that aim to serve Bonner County with live music, local programs and community events.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Alternative voices: Community radio opens airwaves

(This is the first in a series of two articles about low-power FM stations that have been licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to serve Bonner County.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Artists take stage to battle cancer

SANDPOINT — Singer/songwriter Charley Packard lost his wife, Colleen, to cancer in March. Only a month earlier, cancer took the life of artist Karen Silva, who was married to bluesman Neighbor John Kelly. Last October, legendary harmonica player and singer Norton Buffalo died after a battle with lung cancer and …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Fathers' boat story binds families

SANDPOINT — This is the story of two fathers and how their shared love of a 19th Century rowboat plied the tributaries of time until it was passed on to a new generation.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Sandpoint bikers race for autism research

SANDPOINT — About 200 bicycle riders took off in teams off from Oceanside, Calif., on Saturday, on their way to the finish line at Annapolis, Md., in one of the most grueling ultra-marathon race events ever devised for two wheels.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

SHS bands ready to rock Panida

SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint High School band program continued its rocket-like growth curve this school year and Panhandle State Bank has stepped in to boost that trajectory with a matching grant for new instruments.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Project America Run reaches Sandpoint

SANDPOINT — Army Sgt. Rachael L. Hugo died in the service of her country, thousands of miles away from her hometown of Madison, Wis.. She was 24 years old.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Student art adds color to learning

SANDPOINT — Anyone with questions about how highly Sandpoint Charter School values its art program has only to look at the walls to find an answer.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Community garden plants awareness

SANDPOINT — To a gardener, an unplanted bed is like an unwrapped gift.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Bergeson carves out a musical niche

SANDPOINT — Michelangelo could see statues trapped inside blocks of marble. His task, he said, was simply to chisel away the excess stone until they were released.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Bergeson carves out a musical niche

SANDPOINT — Michelangelo could see statues trapped inside blocks of marble. His task, he said, was simply to chisel away the excess stone until they were released.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Local chapters host state convention

SANDPOINT — “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple, with a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.”

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Quilter creates memories in fabric

SANDPOINT — She refuses to call herself an artist, though her home is virtually filled with the artwork she has created. She is humble, too, about the fact that she was selected to be the featured quilter for the upcoming Panhandle Piecemakers Quilt Guild Show, calling herself a “pinch-hitter” who …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Hope man honors fallen soldiers

HOPE — On May 1, Mike Ehredt will set out on a solo run across the United States. He will not be running alone.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Pend d'Oreille Bay Trail maps future

SANDPOINT — Bike trails from Dover to Sagle are beginning to intersect with new sections about to pioneer their ways into Ponderay and, potentially, Kootenai.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Dover Bridge hangs by steel thread

DOVER — The Dover Bridge is falling down and, according to the man who blew the whistle to get it replaced, drivers can be excused for holding their breath, crossing their fingers and saying a quick prayer as they ease across the 73-year old steel-truss structure.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Kinderhaven saves 'throw-away kids'

SANDPOINT — The stories of cruelty defy belief. Even more so because they are all true and all happened here in our own backyard.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Abandoned cat steals hermit's heart

SANDPOINT — This is the story of a man who decided to hang a “closed” sign on his heart and shut himself off from the world. He had given up on people and given up on God.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Food bank pushes limits as seniors, jobless swell ranks

SANDPOINT — He opens the door and stands aside to let her enter, sweeping his hand in a slow, grand arc that makes her smile. He smiles back, but as she passes, he casts a furtive look over his shoulder.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Concert, opening celebrate Wagers

SANDPOINT — She was there, helping to lead the charge, when the community rallied to save the Panida Theater in the mid-1980s. More than 20 years later, with the main theater paid off and countless improvements completed, she was in the forefront of bringing another project home when the Panida …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Wellness moves to front of lunch line

SANDPOINT — Bonner County’s largest restaurant chain will serve nearly 400,000 meals this year. That equates to several hundred cases of fresh fruit, even more boxes of lettuce and fresh vegetables and more than 3.2 million fluid ounces of milk, for a total of 122 tons of food prepared and …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Mystery surrounds unmarked graves

(This is the second in a series of two articles about recent archaeological finds at the original Sandpoint town site along Sand Creek.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Byway dig reveals a colorful past

(This is the first in a series of two articles about recent archaeological finds at the site of the original Sandpoint township along Sand Creek.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Ponderay plans for more growth

(This is the second article in a two-part series on how new transportation corridors such as the Sand Creek Byway and different approaches to growth could reshape and further connect local communities.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Ponderay readies for 'new phase of buzz'

(This is the first article in a two-part series on the how highway projects such as the Sand Creek Byway and further plans for U.S. Highway 95 improvements through Ponderay could reshape the business dynamic in Bonner County.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Vegetarian valentine: Potluck explores options

SANDPOINT — Next Sunday, more than 100 local diners will celebrate Valentine’s Day a week late and in unique fashion. That’s when the Sandpoint Vegetarians gather for their monthly potluck dinner at Community Hall with a theme of “compassion for animals.”

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Little church shows 'can do' spirit

SANDPOINT — For the past two years, a tiny group of volunteers has been showing up almost daily to turn a former Kingdom Hall into a new Episcopal church.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

PAFE preps for annual grant awards

SANDPOINT — As the Panhandle Alliance for Education goes into its eighth year, it would seem that the job of providing educational grants to schools in the Lake Pend Oreille School District should start to become simpler with practice.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Wildlife center teems with fun

SANDPOINT — Ever see an otter doing what it ought to, standing on its hind legs in a pond? How about a beaver, making kids believers, telling them to crawl into his lodge?

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Youth orchestra doubles in size

SANDPOINT — The cello — that orchestral instrument with a sound closest to the human voice — starts the musical dialogue.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Interest builds for 'Communiversity' concept

SANDPOINT — No one is using qualifying phrases like “instead of” or “apart from.” To the contrary, members of the local business, education and government communities are careful to note that they believe a proposed new plan for higher education will complement, not compete with, the Wild Rose Foundation’s pledge …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO

All-volunteer effort kicks event into high gear

SANDPOINT — Never mind the shoulder season of winter or a regional economy struggling to get traction. Sandpoint merchants, restaurateurs, artists and performers are picking themselves up by the bootstraps to drive business on their own.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO

Garden Company grows a nationwide audience

SANDPOINT — It’s not unusual to flip the calendar to a new page with a few lifestyle tweaks in mind. Starting off a new year with the goal of completely transforming one’s entire life, though, requires some help.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO

Shultz's art inspires new play

SANDPOINT — Some people scan a piece of art and catch the thread of a story. Sandpoint’s Teresa Pesce sees entire plays.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO

IMCB to keep $27M in federal funds

SANDPOINT — Last Monday, President Obama dressed down top executives from Bank of America, U.S. Bancorp and other lending institutions and told them to cut loose with the taxpayer money that hauled them back from the brink of financial ruin this year. After being rescued from a collapse that was …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Dancers discover fountain of youth

SANDPOINT — Conversations buzz around the room, as groups of ladies gather in threes and fours to catch their breath and catch up on one another. One woman — looking sharp in dark clothing and a pair of black cowgirl boots — busies herself at a table near the entrance.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

theater professors propose local festival

Terry Converse, center-left, and Will Shephard, center-right, discuss their Shakespeare in Sandpoint festival concept with, from right, POAC board member Marilyn Sabella, Mayor Gretchen Hellar, City Councilman John Reuter and University of Montana theater graduate Greta Weber. (Photo by DAVID GUNTER)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

People, places shine in 'Legendary' book

SANDPOINT — It started out as a guidebook, but like the lake that inspired the project, “Legendary Lake Pend Oreille: Idaho’s Wilderness of Water” soon proved to have a mythology too circuitous, a history too broad and subject matter far too deep to be confined by such a limited boundary.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Cedar Street Bridge offering 'condos'

SANDPOINT — There are two business rumors floating around the Cedar Street Bridge.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Kinderhaven event funds year-round operations

SANDPOINT – Kinderhaven holds only one fundraiser each year and everything rides on its success. This year, the Kinderhaven Festival of Trees will take place on Dec. 5 at the Sandpoint Business & Events Center, with nothing less than the organization’s annual operating budget on the line.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Family images adorn Angels card

SANDPOINT — With tens of thousands of images to choose from, the task of selecting one or two for a special project could be overwhelming. The passing of Sandpoint sweetheart Hazel Hall earlier this year, though, narrowed down the search for the perfect picture.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Holly Eve shines in hard times

SANDPOINT — Holly Eve began as a small fundraiser, when Marilyn Sabella spearheaded an effort that raised a couple thousand dollars for the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Concert lifts veil on creative process

SANDPOINT — Songwriting comes from a deep, secret place. Or it springs to life as part of an oft-used and systematic creative process. That is, when it’s not inspired by a coincidental turn of phrase or a serendipitous string of chord changes that fall under a guitarist’s hands by chance.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Boy Scout Troop 111 celebrates 75 years

SANDPOINT — Boy Scout Troop 111, which was first chartered in October of 1934, will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Nov. 12 at 7 p. m. in the Sandpoint Community Hall — scouting’s local home for more than seven decades.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Paranormal researchers: Panida is 'definitely haunted'

SANDPOINT — There is a nightly show at the Panida Theater, one that is acted out long after everyone else goes home and the place is locked up for the night.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Families share love for teaching

SANDPOINT — Teaching, it has been said, gets in your blood. Teaching in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, however, gets into the bloodline.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

School bands see explosive growth

SANDPOINT – Greg Schuh has a problem. Granted, it’s the kind of problem most band teachers would welcome, but it does present some difficulties.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Artisan roasters open 'coffee studio'

SANDPOINT - If it weren’t for the stacked canvas bags against the wall and the scent of freshly roasted coffee - well, that and the big red roasting machine that commands one entire corner of the room - the interior of Evans Brothers Coffee might be mistaken for a winery.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

FOL donations top $150,000

SANDPOINT — The Friends of the Library (FOL) celebrates its 20th year this month in rare form. Last week, the volunteer group held another record-breaking book sale after announcing that it had donated more than $150,000 to the East Bonner County Library since FOL was formed in 1989.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

SilverWing poses funding dilemma

SANDPOINT — Last year, plans for an affluent fly-in residential development on city owned property adjacent to the Sandpoint Airport prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to cut off all funding for the county operated facility, costing at least $150,000 a year in entitlement funds and potentially millions more in annual …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

SilverWing poses airport funds dilemma

SANDPOINT — Last year, plans for an affluent fly-in residential development on city owned property adjacent to the Sandpoint Airport prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to cut off all funding for the county operated facility, costing at least $150,000 a year in entitlement funds and potentially millions more in annual …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Guitar builders create dream collection

SANDPOINT — Beginning in the 1950s, a sickness swept across America until, by the end of the 20th Century, it had become a global epidemic. The malady continues to affect both men and women, but studies have shown that males are far more prone to come down with the illness.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Centenarians deliver wit, wisdom

SANDPOINT — Consider the changes that have taken place over the past century. Now imagine having lived through that defining period in the world’s history.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

CCS: An ally in fighting cancer

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Hospital Association estimates that nearly one in two Idaho residents will face cancer during their lifetime, according to historical information compiled by the Cancer Data Registry of Idaho.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

WaCanId Ride could attact hundreds

SANDPOINT — Eight small towns in North Idaho, eastern Washington and the southern reaches of British Columbia are linked together on a scenic necklace that goes by the name of the International Selkirk Loop.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Habitat seeks 'push' to finish home

KOOTENAI — A nail drops and bounces on the front porch as it is passed from Miranda Bowman to her husband, Chuck. The couple bends down to pick it up, nearly bumping heads in the process. When they come up with the nail clasped between their joined fingers, they laugh.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Creating beautiful music - together

SANDPOINT — When a 4-year-old points to a symphony orchestra and announces that one day he wants to be the concertmaster, it sounds precocious. In the case of Sandpoint native Jason Moody, who made the announcement to his parents John and Ginny during one of the early performances of The …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Hole-in-wall shop rolls out dream bikes

SANDPOINT — Larry Baggett’s journey into competitive biking started the day a fancy sports store in Colorado Springs wouldn’t bother to sell him a pair of cycling shoes. He was still a kid at the time — young, impressionable and looking for a shop that would take his passion for …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Hospital vigil binds couple together

SANDPOINT - In sickness and in health. For better or for worse.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

BCHA, Seven Sisters launch partnership

SANDPOINT — The hiccup in housing prices has forced developers to take a new look at a market sector they had all but forgotten — affordable homes for working families.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Local teen turns gardens into art

SANDPOINT — There is a character in the book “The Secret Garden” who can charm new growth out of even the poorest ground. Leaning on his rake, Ben Weatherstaff preaches about the meaning of life and happiness from a flowerbed pulpit. A local teen named Jay D. Baker seems to …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Pharmacist delivers hope in small doses

SANDPOINT — There is a tiny little corner of Bonner General Hospital (BGH) where, according to some people, Mary Snider is working magic. The compounding pharmacist has built that reputation by developing custom medications that generate waves of gratitude.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Tai chi offers mind, body connection

SANDPOINT — For years, the backcountry was a second home to trail runner Mark Duffner. He didn’t just jog the switchbacks and ridgelines; he attacked the terrain, running like an animal in flight.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Six Rivers movement growing

SANDPOINT — This might be the ultimate online networking experience. At Six Rivers Market — a Web-based food co-op that opened for business this spring — real people connect with real producers to order real food.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Unicyclist to tackle hill climb

SANDPOINT — By all accounts, the Schweitzer Hill Climb is a painful race. The bicyclists who take it on make a nine-mile push in a relentless ascent toward the finish line.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Unicyclist to tackle hill climb

Justin Henney wheels his unicycle around a corner on the road to Schweitzer as he tries out a section of the route he will ride during the Schweitzer Hill Climb race on June 6. (Photo by DAVID GUNTER)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Instruments tune in to tradition

SANDPOINT — “Here it is,” Steve Weill said as he pushed open the wooden door to his workshop. “The sawdust factory.”

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Charchan uses surprise inheritance to fund PT scholarships

SANDPOINT — Fall down seven times, get up eight. So goes the Japanese proverb and it sounds very good in the abstract. But for those who have been stricken down by injury or illness, the getting up part can be a mountainous climb.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Program spreads after-school safety net

SANDPOINT — The smell of freshly made hamburgers wafted down the stairs, followed in short order by the unmistakable rumble of teen spirit.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Pneumex launches bid for FDA approval

SANDPOINT — Jeffrey Sanderson is difficult to understand. His speech impediment is a legacy from a nearly fatal automobile accident that left his head crushed and his words severely slurred.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Pit boss recalls The Strip's glory days

SANDPOINT — Before the Bellagio or any of the other mammoth hotel-casinos crowded in with their towers and fountains and disparate architectural themes, there was only The Strip.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

BCEDC sets sights on long-term goals

SANDPOINT — The game is still on for economic development groups, but the playbook has changed entirely in a rough economy. Here in North Idaho, the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC) has gone back to square one to review direction, rethink priorities and revise its long-term strategy.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Thrift stores thrive in downturn

Brenda Maki, right, hunts for buys with her mother, Donna, at the Friends of the Shelter Thrift Shop in Ponderay (Photo by DAVID GUNTER)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

On the road: Missoula Children's Theater

SANDPOINT — Pinocchio lied. It happened in a very small town on a very long road trip that included stops in Montana, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Pet Project

SANDPOINT — The morning was made-to-order for filmmaking. The sky, impeccably blue, wrapped around the outdoor scene and joined forces with crisp winter sunlight to guarantee the kind of footage that snaps on the screen.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Kaleidoscope marks 20 colorful years

SANDPOINT — It’s hard to fathom that, in a place where elementary school hallways are now commandeered as student art galleries, there was a time when the visual arts weren’t a part of going to school in Bonner County.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Life Skills program serving entire district

(Editor’s note: The names of children used below were changed for the purposes of this article. The situations and successes listed are real.)

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Families check out library in hard times

SANDPOINT - Tanya Munson held her toddler by one hand as she clasped a bagful of books in the other. She stood on one side of a room that was crawling with little ones, all happily bounding around with hand puppets and plush toys as their parents gathered jackets, gloves, …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Romance novel lands book deal for local author

SANDPOINT — Every writer has a different vision of how the fantasy would play out, but the ending is pretty much the same. It starts with a trip to fetch the mail. After pulling out the usual bundle of bills and junk correspondence, one envelope stands out from the rest.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Growth Task Force to address city's future

SANDPOINT — City C ouncil member Stephen Snedden attended a community forum last year to get a feel for what local residents think about growth in Sandpoint. What he got was an earful.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Family fighting rare disease

SANDPOINT - The clock is striking twelve in the Sturgis home, where 2-year-old Henry is about to have his midnight snack. His parents prepare the meal and deliver it to the toddler before heading back to bed. They will be up again in a few hours, making another visit to …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Search for stage leads to childcare business

SANDPOINT - She has a green mop of curly hair, and oversized bonnet and a pair of Mary Janes you could use for hauling water by the gallon. But until last month, Miss Sunshine the clown had no place to perform for kids.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS AGO

Luther Park puts new spin on assisted living

SANDPOINT – In 1959, the congregation of the First Lutheran Church invested $1 in a piece of property that, at the time, was considered to be on the westernmost outskirts of town. A patriarch of the Hedlund family paid the balance of the $11,000 asking price for the 6-acre hayfield …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS AGO

Investors gain from family losses

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS AGO

Bonner County's home loss rate doubles in 2008

SANDPOINT - More than a million U.S. homeowners are expected to hand over their house keys in 2009, as they lose property to foreclosure. According to Investment News, the number of foreclosures directly related to sub-prime loans will top 2 million by the end of this year.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS AGO

Sales, prices kept dropping in 2008

SANDPOINT - The headlines kept up a glum drumbeat of financial news, delivering the latest stats on housing starts. For November, the number of new homes being built in the U.S. dropped nearly 20 percent, marking the worst performance in 25 years.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS AGO

Paper writes new chapter in student journalism

SANDPOINT - There are two distinct groups of people behind every issue of Sandpoint High School's student newspaper, the Cedar Post. One is made up of current student journalists who report, write and lay out the news. The other is comprised of former staffers and advisors who are rooting from …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS AGO

Snowfall marks start of sledding season

PONDERAY - For world-class athletes, these two are entirely approachable. Gregarious, even.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

CIT gives officers new tools for crisis response

SANDPOINT - Local sheriff's deputies and police officers will be the first to tell you that theirs is the last face a person in mental crisis wants to see at the doorstep.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Free meals help families make ends meet

SANDPOINT - The red Christmas sweater was an attention-getter, decked out with appliqué snowmen and bordered at its sleeves and collar with broad stitches of white.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

New space sparks renaissance for local artist

SANDPOINT - Her studio is a light-bathed sanctuary, furnished with all the necessary ingredients for a free spirit like Gail Lyster to fly.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Climate change talk draws expert panel

SANDPOINT - When it comes to issues such as global climate change, Dr. Clay Nichols is not easily stampeded.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Science Cafe comes to Sandpoint

SANDPOINT - It's not often that a person gets the chance to learn about the latest innovations in science and talk with their mouth full at the same time, but that's just what's going on as part of a hot, new trend in the United States.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Holly Eve carries tradition to new facility

SANDPOINT - As the federal deficit tags $1 trillion and government officials announce that even $700 billion won't be quite enough to cover a bank bailout, a mere $1 million may not sound like a lot of cash anymore.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

PAFE rolls out 'Ready!' program

SANDPOINT - Tracy Gibson opens a booklet and spreads out a graph on the table in front of her. The lines move like waves across the chart. The topmost lines take the most dramatic jump; the ones at the bottom move at a more oblique angle.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Public defender an outspoken advocate for 'sacred rights'

SANDPOINT — In the lobby of the Bonner County Public Defender's office hangs a poem by Helen Keller. It reads:

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Hudson car meet celebrates 'rolling art'

SANDPOINT - In the long-standing love affair between Americans and their automobiles, one name stands out in terms of its hold on our collective imaginations. Leave your Fords, Chevrolets and Oldsmobiles in park, because the car that drove the most cultural interest was produced under the brand name "Hudson."

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Songwriter slips into solo career

SANDPOINT - Depending on his mood at the moment, he hangs one arm over the shoulder of his guitar like an old pal, or pulls it close to him at the waist like a treasured lover. And like a couple who have been close for many years, he and the …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Community bank CEOs reflect on industry crisis

SANDPOINT — For small bank customers, the dark clouds that loom over Wall Street and Washington are starting to look like the shadows of colossal dominoes that, after teetering for most of the year, have begun to tumble their way.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Kindred spirits combine for art show

SANDPOINT - After more than three decades of teaching art, Charlotte W. Bond is doing something she's had to put off for a long time - making art of her own.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Rider passes 7,500-mile mark on bike trek

SANDPOINT - When you've pedaled over mountain passes in the Cascades and the Rockies, when you've crossed the breadth of the Great Plains and rolled to a stop at the edge of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in turn, you become part of an exclusive group of people who move …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Sandpoint duo visits Emerald Isle

IRELAND - Jim leaned away from his button accordion and took a long sip from his pint of Guinness. His moustache disappeared under his lower lip as he wiped away the foam before lifting the glass for another draught of the stout beer.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

POAC lowers ticket prices for all shows

SANDPOINT — With the cost of living climbing ever upward, the Pend Oreille Arts Council (POAC) has decided that local audiences shouldn’t have to choose between gas, groceries and good entertainment.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Day Break Center opens to nearly full house

SANDPOINT — It’s hard to let go when you’re dropping them off for that first morning away from your direct care and supervision. You walk in, not knowing exactly what to expect, wondering how they’ll react when they realize you’re leaving for a while.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Local track 'most difficult portion' on LP line

Report: Road easy 'until it approached Lake Pend Oreille'

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Trestle bridge spans 125-year history

Structure was key link to driving Golden Spike

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Reuse, recycle, ReStore: Habitat discount retail store to open Aug. 2

SANDPOINT - Idaho Panhandle Habitat for Humanity has taken the next step in the evolution of the organization, a move that will allow the non-profit group to double the number of homes it builds each year for lower-income families.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

NeighborWoods provides free street trees

City sees green in storm water runoff, air quality savings

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Poet finds solace in words and music

SANDPOINT - Fingers slip in silence along the keyboard, trying out the shape of a melody in the same, tentative way a walker might test uncertain ground before taking a step. As her right hand grows more confident in those movements, the left glides like a whisper across rows of …

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Energy prices spark return to wood

Price of oil revives stove, fuel sales nationwide

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Scholarship rewards teens' determination

SANDPOINT - There's a certain kind of kid who flies just below the radar when scholarships are handed out. They've graduated from high school and have their sights set on college. They were good students, but not academically outstanding.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Creative Elders

Evergreen class ‘makes you think'

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

GOP leadership, ideology to be challenged at state convention

Conservatives promise ‘battle for heart and soul’ of party

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Sandpoint named one of two U.S. 'Transition Towns'

Group forms to promote local food, fuel independence

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

China, not landfills, destination for recyclables

SANDPOINT — You can stop wondering what happens to the items you place in the green tub and leave curbside on garbage day. None of them are being dumped into the landfill.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Rider takes off to rediscover America

SANDPOINT — The Irish, who have numerous poetic descriptions for rainy weather, might have called it a “fine, soft day.”

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

BGH Foundation steps in to aid rural health care

SANDPOINT — When families consider moving to a new community, there are two questions they invariably ask: How are the schools and what is the quality of medical care like?

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Lacking treatment options, mentally ill go to jail

SANDPOINT - In Idaho, as in Bonner County, the fastest way to land in jail without committing a crime is to suffer from mental illness.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Rediscovering the Muse

Schuppel’s paintings bring smiles, sunlight

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Passion for the Prairie

Visions of Great Plains inspire concert

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Kids discover wonders of ice cream truck

SANDPOINT - For countless millions of American children, the fine art of negotiation was perfected in those precious seconds between when the ice cream truck first turned onto their block and the moment when it disappeared at the far end of the street.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Rulander chronicles extreme trek for film

Group tackled wild river, remote peaks, glacier crossing on trip

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Mother, daughters build business to keep family close

BONNERS FERRY - Soon after her family moved across the border from Montana, Shelly Yount peeped through the windows of Lindsay-Helmer Hardware and got hooked on the downtown building.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Local pair plan ultimate 'working vacation'

Duo joins Habitat Intl. team to build homes in Mozambique

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Image Maker celebrates 30 years downtown

Van Dellens hand reins over to Hammersbergs

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

84-year-old still cruising strong

Love of motorcycles becomes a family affair

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

KPND switches signal to Hoodoo Mountain

SANDPOINT - When KPND-FM went on the air in 1980, it was a low-wattage station that played a highly eclectic mix of music. Back then, the tower was located directly behind the Marion Avenue studios and the broadcasting range was limited to a tight radius.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Local teacher to run in Morocco

SANDPOINT - For third-grade teacher Peggy Gaudet, going for a little run means competing in a marathon. Given the option, she'd rather run a course that doubles or nearly quadruples that 26.2-mile distance.

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Dolce's sweet sounds roam musical landscape

Four-piece ensemble packs along a rich grab bag of styles

BONNER COUNTY DAILY BEE | UPDATED 16 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO