Learn about the candidates at upcoming forum

Bonner County men should salute Mike Kinney. He brought home some serious prize money last week at the World Championship of Poker. This followed his win in Reno several weeks ago where he cleared $604,000 in winnings.

Why kudos for Kinney? Now anyone who needs an excuse to go play poker on Friday nights has a new poster child.

"Aww, honey. All the guys are playing poker," one might say. "Look at that Mike Kinney he has won a million bucks (exaggerated to increase odds of getting out of the house). If I play more, I'll bet I could be like Mike."

Now, if we could just talk Kinney into golfing a bit more and mowing the lawn a little less he could really be a hero.

Remember to register to vote in the primaries. This Friday (April 30) is the deadline to register at the county clerk's office. Just remember to bring along a proof of address location, a Post Office box number won't do. A Bonner County Courthouse source hoped all of those people who voted in the Bee's online poll will register and vote in the primary election on May 25.

Mark May 19 on your calendar for the Daily Bee political forum. All candidates with primary challengers will be invited to the Sandpoint High School auditorium for a night of questions and answers. I will moderate the discussion.

Learn more about the candidates than can be gleaned from a yard sign by asking questions of those who want to represent you. Which sheriff's candidate is a straight shooter and who is just shoot blanks? Find out May 19 beginning at 5:30 at SHS.

Attention all Bloomies. Those who survive Sunday's race are invited for a hometown team photo at 5:30 p.m. at Farmin Park on Monday. Wear your shirts. If you don't participate, watch your neighbors on TV. Eric Ridgway will be wearing a Long Bridge Swim shirt. Wesley Pietsch will be nipping at the heels of the Kenyans and Tom Robideaux will attempt to run for the first time without reading a newspaper at the same time.

All it takes is a reporter sniffing around…The Sandpoint High School prom has had a tradition of passing out a keepsakes as a fond memory of that special night. This year the theme was "Rock My World" and the keepsake was a bottle opener.

Yes, a bottle opener.

When Bee reporter Lucy Dukes first heard about the questionable gift for the under 21 set from a parent or two, she went to the student council and principal to find out what was up.

She was told the bottle openers were for the students to open up root beer bottles that would be provided at the dance. The only thing was nobody ordered any root beer at that point.

But some of the organizers were worried about some potential bad press they made a quick call — late Friday — to order some root beer that actually needed a bottle opener.

The root beer flowed freely Saturday night and the bottle openers were all locked away in hope chests throughout the county only to be used when the recepients turn 21.

The Rock Creek Mine controversy made the national news last week. USA Today had a Page 3 story Monday highlighting Tiffany's opposition of the mine and Libby, Mont's, opposition to Tiffany's opposition.

Tiffany's ran a full-page ad in the Washington Post several weeks ago. The ad denounced the mine and stated "the huge mine would discharge millions of gallons of waste per day, conveying pollutants to the Clark Fork River and ultimately into Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho, a national treasure in its own right," Tiffany's CEO Michael Kowalski wrote.

The story said the battle over the mine is more that just a squabble between conservationists and big industry.

"It (the squabble) symbolizes the struggle over the West's future economy, and whether it should focus on tourism and recreation or on traditional industries such as mining and timber," wrote USA Today reporter Tom Kenworthy.

Mine supporters in and around Libby say the closing of the town's largest employer last year, a 14 percent jobless rate and hundreds of residents sickened or killed by vermiculate mining should put the area in line for a little economic boost.

"Tiffany's has made millions of dollars on minerals and we feel it's pretty hypocritical," said Lincoln County commissioner John Konzen. "The county is desperate for economic relief. The Rock Creek Mine would give 25 years of economic stability to this area."

The reporter also interviewed Mary Mitchell, director of the Rock Creek Alliance, and Dave Gunter, of Coldwater Creek.

Sandpoint's City Council, county commissioners and more than 300 businesses oppose the mine because many fear it will pollute the lake, "their golden goose, " Kenworth wrote.

"This is a non-partisan issue in Sandpoint," Mitchell said. "All they have to do is look at Lake Coeur d'Alene."

The article also mentions Sandpoint's listing in Sunset magazine as the nation's best small town and paints Libby in a less-than-favorable light.

Far be it for me to point out typos in other publications but when our office received Frank Reichert's "candidate media packit" I had to mention it. Good luck to all candidates.