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Oct 8, 2019
3 min

GROW!: Nurturing the Community

Little free gardens have made a name for themselves across the country—and right here in Bonners Ferry thanks to the wonderful community and their generosity and support. Gardeners for Regional Organic Wellbeing, also known as GROW!, is a local nonprofit organization whose missions is to help in supporting and expanding the local food system and encourage sustainable agricultural methods here in Boundary County. Unfortunately, GROW! has found itself struggling to maintain eno

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Sep 9, 2019
5 min

Coding From Your Couch

Sean Bonner is quick to call himself a nerd, and during his 15 years living in North Idaho, he has come to realize that he is not alone. Through the Coeur d’Alene branch of the Innovation Collective, he and other self-avowed nerds have a place to come together and work toward the organization’s mission, which is to create “a global entrepreneurship movement in smaller towns,” nodding to the uniqueness of each town and the skills of each member. Charles Buck is the associate v

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Aug 5, 2019
4 min

Carving Up Art

When the town of Libby, Montana, is brought up, words like cancer, asbestos and vermiculite are often associated. In 2000, the entire town was declared an EPA Superfund site as a result of environmental illnesses and fatalities born of the W. R. Grace vermiculite mine, the ore laced with amphibole asbestos. While the cleanup continues, longtime residents want people to know their town is much more than “the town that was poisoned” and is becoming a hub for year-round outdoor

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Jul 8, 2019
4 min

Out of the Birds' Shadow

As she pointed out inventions, airplanes and photos spanning more than a century of United States history, Rachel Riddle Schwam found herself apologizing for mixing up the dates on a few displays at the new location of the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center. The double-checking was understandable. There are a lot of dates for her to keep track of. Some items go back at least 150 years. “You’ve got old airplanes, new airplanes, antique inventions to modern day invention

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Jun 10, 2019
4 min

A Silent Memory

The egomaniacal ambition of one man, Adolph Hitler, summoned the Allied forces to war in World War II. If they did not stop him, he would not be stopped. Every soldier was an Atlas, bearing the fate of the world on his shoulders. Before the Battle of Normandy began on D-Day, June 6, 1944, soldiers of America, Britain and Canada said goodbyes that no amount of reassurances could keep from being final. Wives wept in the final embrace of parting. Mothers looked into the eyes of

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May 6, 2019
5 min

Trucks, Mud and Adrenaline

Mac Miltz really just needed to borrow a trailer, and he knew Ben Spinney had one. Simple enough. But once the two got to talking on their drive from Sandpoint to Spokane, ideas began to churn. “We started talking about this concept and idea, and between other jobs we kept working on it,” Miltz said. “Then Grey (Whittier) came on board, and within a year, a year and a half, we ended up finding the right piece of property, and that’s how it all jumped off.” And so born was Mou

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Apr 8, 2019
4 min

A Day to Make a Difference

Living in North Idaho, we are witness to not only many nonprofit organizations that are serving the needs of those in our communities but also to the countless number of people and businesses who step forward to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Whether it’s a food bank, homeless shelter, an organization that helps cancer patients or those who provide support for neglected or abandoned children, the need is great. These organizations rely heavily upon

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Dec 20, 2018
4 min

The key to powering future innovation

Looking forward, successful convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) will be a driving force behind business-growth initiatives. Through the integration of these two disciplines, companies can utilize real data to drive efficiencies and productivity that will accelerate product-to-market times and boost demand while reducing costs and risks. It also creates opportunities for economic growth that strengthen communities. While operational techn

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Nov 13, 2018
4 min

Economic Report Card

While residents observe the general economy of Boundary County, Dennis Weed, executive director of the Boundary County Economic Development Council, has his pulse on the state of our local economy each and every day. And from what he reports, there are reasons to be optimistic. Here is some of what he has to say: Q. How does the state of the economy in Boundary County differ from one year ago? A. Boundary County has about the same number of people employed as it did one year

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Oct 17, 2018
5 min

Meeting Aggression with Kindness

With the school routine back in full swing, have you been aware of your child’s mood and behavior? While for some students it can be an exciting time of reuniting with their friends, for others it can produce a great deal of anxiety. The reason? They have been victims of bullying in the past and returning to that environment can be scary and intimidating. For many in the older generation, we equate bullying with the mean kid on the playground who pushes others around. But for

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Sep 3, 2018
4 min

Celebrate Our Local Bounty

Celebrate the bounty of Boundary County at the third annual Farm to Table Dinner, which will take place September 22, 6 to 9pm, at the Boundary County Fairgrounds Valley Event Center, 6567 Recreation Park Road in Bonners Ferry. Featuring organic food from the GROW (Gardeners for Regional Organic Wellbeing) Community Garden, the five-course dinner will also incorporate fresh and local foods from small farms in Boundary County. The first Farm to Table Dinner took place in the f

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Aug 17, 2018
5 min

Five Happy Hearts Traveling the World

Traveling the world. It's something many of us dream of doing but only few ever get the chance. And for one Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, mom and her four children, they have taken their world travels to a new level. Amy Hoffman-Ford, a woman’s health nurse practitioner and single mom of four, has helped to open her children’s eyes to the world. Not through books, photographs or films, but by immersing them into the cultures themselves. Over the years, Amy traveled alone to Africa to

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Jul 3, 2018
5 min

Celebrating Community

It’s a summer party that everyone looks forward to in our area—Kootenai River Days. Taking place this year from July 16 through July 21, it promises to be fun for the whole family! While there was a short period of time the event was not held, The Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce took over the event when it made its return in 2014, and each year since it has grown significantly as more and more events are added and an increasing number of people flock to the festivities. Acc

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Jun 5, 2018
5 min

Pursuit of a Passion

Since he was a young boy growing up in Sandpoint, music has been a big part of Devon Wade’s life. Now, at the age of 41, his passion for music is taking him to places he never imagined. Devon’s dad was a drummer in a band, so it was natural that was the first instrument Devon played. But he longed to play guitar, so he saved his money, and at the age of 14, purchased his first guitar. “My dad wasn’t too happy, but it was my money so there was not much he could say,” says Devo

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Apr 30, 2018
5 min

Trust Me. Wear Your Helmet.

Living in the Idaho Panhandle, we are blessed with the opportunity to seek out many different adventures in these mountains. One of these adventures is mountain biking. I personally have been mountain biking for over 30 years and started off as an off-road bike racer in the state of Wisconsin. I have raced and biked on some of the toughest trails in the United States and have had my share of crashes as well as spectacular journeys! However, when it comes to safety, I will att

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Jan 2, 2018
2 min

Easy Holiday Recipes

Bienvenidos desayuno estilo al Mexicano! Or … Welcome, breakfast Mexican style. This is an easy casserole that you can make Christmas Eve and just pop it in the oven Christmas morning! Ingredients: 1 dozen eggs, beaten 2 cups heavy cream (half and half or milk will work, too) 1 1/2 lbs. chorizo, cut small 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 8 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. hot sauce 2 tsp. ground coriander 2 tsp. ground cumin 1

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Nov 29, 2017
5 min

Got Cabin Fever?

Boundary County is such a beautiful place, there’s hardly ever a bad time to be outside. And while some people think of winter as the season to hibernate in the house with a good book, many others see it as a prime opportunity to get out and enjoy activities that are only available during these chilly months. Winter sports are all excellent methods of exercise which range from beginner to expert levels and have price tags depending on how involved one wants to be (think ya

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Nov 1, 2017
6 min

Enjoy the Outdoors in all Seasons

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not a seasonal activity. It’s something that we strive to do year round. Getting in shape and staying in shape should be easy to do no matter what time of year it is. Maintaining a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle can be challenging, but we all know the rewards are endless. Seasonal activities can be planned ahead of time or can be spontaneous adventures; the choice is yours. Wherever you might live, there are unlimited options for getting

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Oct 4, 2017
5 min

Bonners Ferry’s Hidden Treasure

If you’ve never been to The Pearl Theater for any given performance, you might not realize what an aptly-named gem of a place you’re missing out on! Housed inside a former church on Ash Street near Downtown Bonners Ferry, The Pearl Theater has been beautifully refurbished with amazing acoustics and incredible detail. But aside from being aesthetically pleasing, the real treasure is the continual string of fine performances that are offered. Pearl Theater Board President Rhe

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Sep 6, 2017
5 min

Service Learning: Changing the World

What social skills do you think today’s teenagers need to learn? Integrity? Empathy? Communication? In a world in which the consideration index seems to have plummeted, how can adults help to instill these crucial traits into our children? What if it were your job to do so? What would you do if you had 85 teenagers and six weeks to teach them social skills? How would you do it? Luckily, we had an idea. We wanted to rock our students’ worlds with kindness—for themselves and

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