City of Orofino hot topics still undecided

The Building and Fire Committees met Nov. 19 to further discuss the city pros and cons of purchasing the former Health and Welfare building for relocating City Hall. The issue is still in session. Additional information is required before a decision could be made.

The Planning and Zoning Commission met following the Building and Fire committees to continue their work session on annexation. Chairman Dewey Stewart announced that the meeting would open with a brief period for public comment and that the commissioners would continue their work session afterwards to try and reach an agreement.

Emotions ran high as business owners and residents voiced their concerns of annexation, and how to afford additional taxes. There were comments and questions about the previous draft of annexation boundaries they had requested from the previous meeting.

Building Official Todd Perry informed the commissioners that city staff had recommended the addition of four pieces of property to be added into the present proposed boundaries for annexation in Konkolville.

The board was split on whether the four parcels should be included or not. All commissioners were present except for Commissioner Harvey.

A few more questions from the public were accepted but as tempers flared it was agreed that it would be better to wait until all commissioners were present. The item is still under scrutiny. Hopefully, some progress will be made at the next meeting, as it is presently a rather unpopular and uncomfortable topic for all.

2010 US Census Bureau Demographic profiles for Clearwater County

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 3,142 people in Clearwater County in 2010. All kinds of information can be drawn from the data collected. Demographics or the “statistical studies of human populations” are used in a myriad of ways, from education to healthcare, delegation of products and services at municipal, state and federal levels. One can be certain that demographics are used in sales and marketing, Here are just a few of the figures discovered in this area’s 2010 census. Some of the information and numbers may surprise you.

Age and gender

The total population for Clearwater County included 3,142 people, of which 58.3 percent are male, and 41.7 are female.

The median age of the total population is just shy of 44 years old, For men, the median age is 41, and 48 for females.

Race

The question of race is somewhat confusing as some individuals may claim two different races. Therefore the sum of the various categories may add to more than the total number. For the inquiry, “Race alone or in combination with one or more other races,” Clearwater County reports 2,954 of the county’s 3,142 residents are white; 28 are black, 136 are American Indian and Alaskan Native, 135 are Hispanic or Latino; 51 are Asian; and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders were reported to have 10 people in the area.

Relationships and households

“Family households” consist of a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Of the county’s total population (3,142) 2,536 live in 1,167 households in both privately owned and rented housing.

The average household size is 2.17; the average family size is 2.77. There are 698 family households in Clearwater County, with a total of 259 children living at home under the age of 18. There are 541 husband-wife only families; There are 49 male householders (with no wife present) and a total of 28 children among them. Of 108 female householders there are a total of 71 children.

Four hundred, six people live alone; 204 men and 202 women; Of men, 80 are 65 and older, while women number 124 in the same category. There are 426 households with individuals 65 and older.

Of the county’s residents, 19.3 – almost 20 percent or 606 people, are institutionalized. Of 606 people, 567 are men and 39 are women.

Idaho’s rich heritage inspires long-time resident’s poetry

Author and poet Tom Logan is the grandson of early Idaho settlers who came to northern and southern Idaho in the mid to late eighteen and early nineteen hundreds. Indian Valley near Weiser and the Clearwater River area are where his roots are in Idaho.

With a father who was an outfitter and guide in the wild lands of the state and a mother who was an entrepreneur and business women, he grew up with a great admiration for the natural resources of Idaho and a deep appreciation of the commerce and people of the state.

A 1966 graduate of OHS, Tom served in Vietnam with the Idaho National Guard, and worked as a disc jockey at KLER and other radio stations in Idaho and Washington.

As an author and poet, Tom draws on this rich heritage and admiration that many retain from the places of their youth and their formative years. His writing has a unique way of relating life's experiences with the language of food. The title poem, "A Batch of Pancakes," is an example of how he is able to create images using simple things with which we are familiar.

From the humor of the Clearwater Limericks to the more serious reflective and sensual "Shadow Rider;” from real life ghost stories like "The Brick House Stairs" to the spiritual "In My Garden," the reader is treated to a broad range of poetry styles and subject matter.

Read here an excerpt from the foreword written by Mr. T. L. Washington in Toms' soon to be published first book "A Batch of Pancakes:" "The poems are fantastic, but much more than that, they are beautifully layered with lessons that only a steward of spiritual competency can profess."

Tom also submits regular offerings of encouragement and observation called “From My Office Window” on his Facebook page, where new friends are always welcome.

The Dream Pool, by Tom Logan

Have you ever had some profound thought in the night, but by morning the only thing left is the memory of having had the thought not the thought itself?

Much of the material in my writing comes at such a time. It probably has something to do with the open and relaxed state of consciousness or some other such phenomenon

Part of the writing experience for me has been to develop the discipline to arise and put pen to paper so as to not lose these once in a lifetime opportunities.

Thoughts from which came the following writing occurred at such a time. In the small hours of the day, before light and noise complicate matters, came “The Dream Pool:”

Precious are these hours between twilight and forever. The thoughtful mindful ramblings of care and concern and order are abandoned to the abyss of night and sleepfulness.

With consciousness marking time at half rest, the imagination and creative heart roam field and forest of the wonderfully improbable.

In this half minded place between slumber and awake, thoughts become fluid knowing neither rein nor constraint.

Into this fertile cauldron flow composites of life and circumstance. Color becomes insignificant, bowing away to sound, softness and fragrant memories.

Slippery things that flee before conscious thought, worthy of the pen but flittering and darting away beyond the grasp of some disciplined dialect.

Now then, the process of searching, sorting and sifting back through the recesses and shadowed paths of memory to rediscover what it is that gives birth to these sublime mindscapes of the invisible that seize only tailings of the wealth there present but moments before.

Is this really all it is or could there be some other more mystic and intriguing design that prompts one to come early to the hearth of rhyme and rhythm.

Ah but alas, more questions than answers to these ageless quandaries.

My soul is satisfied, my gifts beholden to those precious hours between twilight and forever as I linger at creations edge there alongside the Dream Pool.

Idaho high schools that are gone, but not forgotten, is topic of presentation

Dick Riggs of Lewiston will be the guest speaker on Monday, Nov. 18, at the meeting of the Lewis County Historical Society in Craigmont. Mr. Riggs is the past president of the Nez Perce County Historical Society and a long-time public school teacher, coach and district administrator. He has written extensively on many subjects of local history.

Riggs, a former superintendent at Highland High School, has been researching former high schools and will present a program entitled “High Schools That Are Gone but Not Forgotten in North Central Idaho.”

The program covers twenty different schools that were lost through consolidation, including Peck, Gifford, Southwick, Bovill, Elk River, Juliaetta, Pierce, Weippe, Craigmont, Reubens, Winchester, Cottonwood, Ferdinand, Greencreek, Kooskia, St. Gertrude’s, Stites, Whitebird, Ursuline, and Riggins. Dick will have a comment or anecdote about all of them.

The presentation will begin at 2 p.m. in the Craigmont community building located at the city park. Prior to the program, there will be a business meeting of the Lewis County Historical Society in the office of the Ilo-Vollmer Historical Society adjoining the community hall.

People who attended any of these former schools are invited to bring their memorabilia such as diplomas, annuals, letter sweaters, rings, belt buckles, pictures and other items to show. Everyone is welcome to attend the business meeting at 1 p.m., the presentation at 2 p.m., or both. You may come early to visit and to view the items on display.

For more information, please contact Liz Hess, president of the Lewis County Historical Society at (208) 937-2570, lele hess@q.com or Shelley Kuther, president of the Ilo-Vollmer Historical Society at (208) 790-7890, or skuther@camas net.com.

Suspected case of Hepatitis A prompts cancellation of some visiting at Pocatello prison

The Idaho Department of Correction has suspended visiting for 90 inmates assigned to Unit 2 at Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center (PWCC) after an inmate who was incarcerated there tested positive for active Hepatitis A.

The inmate arrived at PWCC on Oct. 31. Out of an abundance of caution, IDOC has also suspended all inmate moves into and out of PWCC for at least two weeks while health care providers watch for more possible cases.

While the risk of infection is low, Unit 2 inmates will be receiving Hepatitis A vaccine and immune globulin as a precaution.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A can affect anyone.

Hepatitis A virus is usually spread by eating or drinking food items that have been contaminated with hepatitis A from someone who has not properly washed their hands after using the bathroom.

Symptoms usually occur abruptly and may include:

• Fever

• Loss of appetite

• Abdominal discomfort

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

• Tiredness

• Nausea

• Dark urine

Good personal hygiene and proper sanitation can help prevent hepatitis A. Outbreaks of hepatitis A are relatively uncommon in the United States; however, when they occur, public health efforts are required to control the spread of the disease.

Let’s serve veterans as well as they have served us

By Daniel M. Dellinger

During the recent government shutdown many numbers were thrown around. But there is one number that stands out and it has nothing to do with the debate over the federal budget.

More than one a day; that is how many members of our active-duty military, National Guard and Reserve forces have committed suicide over the last year. Simply put, we are losing more service members by their own hands than we are by the enemy in Afghanistan.

Only those who experienced firsthand the horrors of combat can understand why most of these young men and women feel compelled to take such drastic and permanent measures.

As Veterans Day ceremonies and parades occur throughout the country, it is important that we commit ourselves to do everything possible to prevent these needless and tragic deaths. We are their friends, their family, their co-workers and their neighbors. It is up to us to ensure that every veteran feels that his or her service to this country is appreciated by their fellow Americans. There are many tangible ways that we can acknowledge their sacrifice, but the easiest is to simply say, “Thank you for what you have done for our country.”

If he is showing signs of unhappiness or depression, encourage him to seek help through the VA immediately. If she has had difficulty obtaining the benefits that she is entitled to, let her know that The American Legion has thousands of trained service officers nationwide that will help her navigate the bureaucracy free of charge.

And if that veteran has made the Supreme Sacrifice, remember the price that has been paid for our freedom and offer your support to the loved ones left behind.

Veterans Day is a time to honor not just those who have fought for us in battle, but, in fact, all of the outstanding men and women who served in our nation’s Armed Forces since our founding more than 237 years ago.

Not all veterans have seen war, but a common bond that they share is an oath in which they expressed their willingness to die defending this nation.

Perhaps most significant in preserving our way of life are the battles that America does not have to fight because those who wish us harm slink away in fear of the Navy aircraft carrier, the Coast Guard cutter, the Air Force fighter squadron or the Army soldier on patrol. Or they have heard the words that recently retired General James Mattis shared with his Marines: “Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”

While we should all be grateful for the remarkable advancements made in military medicine and prosthetics, the fighting spirit and inspirational stories of our veterans are not due to technology. These traits come from the heart.

Many of these veterans are women, such as Army Chief Warrant Officer Lori Hill. While piloting her helicopter over Iraq in 2006, she maneuvered her chopper to draw enemy gunfire away from another helicopter and provide suppressive fire for troops on the ground. Despite flying a damaged aircraft and suffering injuries, she landed the helicopter safely, saving her crew. For her actions, she became the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Women are major contributors to our military presence in Afghanistan and many have given their lives in the War on Terrorism. The American Legion recently issued a report calling upon VA to improve its response to the unique needs of women veterans. The VA and military health systems need to adequately treat breast and cervical cancer as well as trauma that resulted from domestic violence, sexual harassment and assault. America is home to more than 1.2 million women veterans and they deserve our support.

In the poem “Tommy,” the great writer Rudyard Kipling lamented over the rude treatment a British soldier received at a pub. Writing in classical old English, Kipling compared the abuse with the more favorable treatment that “Tommy” receives by the public during war.

“For it’s Tommy this, an ‘ Tommy that, an’ ‘Chuck him out, the brute!’

But it’s ‘Savior of ‘is country’ when the guns begin to shoot;

An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;

An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool – you bet that Tommy sees!”

Let us always treat our 23 million veterans as the saviors of our country that they are; even when the guns are no longer shooting.

Daniel M. Dellinger is national commander of the 2.4 million-member American Legion. A high resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr. Dellinger is available at www.legion.org. Contact: John Raughter or Joe March at (317) 630-1253, (317) 441-8847.

Eighteen percent in Clearwater County without enough to eat

Clearwater County’s food insecurity rate is at 18% (or 1,570 people), according to the Map the Meal Gap study, conducted annually by Feeding America, the national network of food banks. Among children it is 22.9%, or 350 kids.

The study measures food insecurity, which is the inability to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life. In other words, it counts people who are not sure where their next meals will come from.

You can see the entire study, which includes an interactive map, at www.idahofoodbank.org/?page =map-the-meal-gap-2013.

In Nez Perce County, the food insecurity rate is 14.6% or 5,710 people. Among children, who are included in the larger total, the rate is 19% or 1,620 kids.

In Lewis County, the rate is 15.2% or 580 people. Among children it is 23.7%, or 200 kids.

The rate in Latah County is 18.4%, or 6,800 people. Among children it is 19.2%, or 1,310 kids.

The rate in Idaho County is 17.6% or 2,830 people. Among children it is 24.6%, or 830 kids.

In total, there are 17,490 people in the five North Central counties who are not sure of their food supply and often don’t get enough to live healthy lives. Among that total are 4,310 Idaho children.

The state average is 17.3% or 274,230 people. For children the average is 23% or 96,090 kids without enough to eat.