Lions thank community

The Sandpoint Lions Club says a "big bang thank you" to the many who made the Independence Day celebration of our nation and community a success. The celebration was only possible because of many helping hands. We are going to mention a few special helpers, but we want everyone who participated to know that the Lions appreciated your help.

First, we thank all the merchants and individuals who bought and sold raffle tickets. This paid for the prizes and helped with other celebration expenses including the fireworks. All of the winners were from the Sandpoint area, and one winner bought her ticket from a participating merchant.

Those great "best ever" fireworks were possible because Coldwater Creek matched the Lions $7,500 budget and gave us tremendous $15,000 shoot to cap our celebration. Valentine Trucking donated and hauled sand and Ken's Tractor Service worked to ready the site for the fireworks. Bonner County Sheriff's Marine Deputies kept the boat spectators safe and the Sandpoint Police Department did a great job in making all the festivities run smoothly.

0002000004220000045A41C,The Grand Parade judges Ginny Jensen, Eric Daarstad, and Joan Wanamaker again performed the task of picking winners from the many fine entries, Bill Brown, the Parade Announcer, again called passing units for the crowd. Kids Parade judges Dick and Mary Neuder, Belinda Hart, and Todd Kenworthy had their hands full picking winners in that event.

The Bonner County Amateur Radio Club deserves specials thanks for providing communications necessary in organizing and controlling the parade. The instant communications net was invaluable in making it all work.

The Lions Club appreciates all the parade participants and would like to thank everyone for their time and effort in making this parade a great success. One footnote: A reminder to refrain from throwing or distributing candy. Beyond the fact that our liability insurance prohibits this practice, it creates a situation in which children could be hurt. We appreciate the parade participants who shared this concern and ask that all future participants adhere to this safety practice.

0002000004210000087641B,Thanks must also go to the Veterans Organizations that provided the Color Guard and were a reminder that our Armed Forces are still in harms way defending our nation.

The musical units in the Variety Show at City Beach deserve our thanks and better weather than they experienced in the late afternoon. Emerald Distributors made ice cream available for kids visiting the face painter.

The Lions owe a debt of thanks to the media for coverage of the Independence Celebration events. That list includes The Bonner County Daily, The Idaho Spokesman Review, The River Journal, and Blue Sky Broadcasting.

Our "thank you list" will never be complete, and the Lions apologize to the many we have left out. But we must conclude by thanking our Lions members and their families who worked very hard on this effort. Bj Solomon was our Independence Day Chairman, and she deserves our special thanks. The Sandpoint Lions hope to do it again on the 4th of July 2005!

Tim Coffelt

President

Sandpoint Lions

Hold judgment until all facts are known

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I am a 20-year visitor and five-year property owner in Clark Fork. I feel at this time when our World War II vets are almost all dead and our troops are in Iraq fighting for the very principals we in the heartland believe in, we must be ever vigilant lest we forget that justice should he available to all.

Constitution of The United States of America, "We the people of the United States …"

Bill of Rights: Article (VI), " in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a … public trial, by an impartial jury … "

When and where was the trial that convicted the defendants in the Clark Fork case which has so polarized this community? Does the phrase "lynch mob" come to mind? There is a distinct possibility these suspects may be found not guilty of the charges against them.

Have we forgotten the lesson taught in grade school wherein the teacher tells a "secret" that is passed on, one by one, to the rest of the children? Remember how distorted the truth became after being told so many times? Might this be what is happening here in Clark Fork? Let's not be named the soap opera town, "As the Rumor Churns."

When cooler heads prevail and the knee-jerks abate, the whole truth may be revealed and justice properly served.

LINDA WIKE

Clark Fork

New citizen proud to be an American

Dear America,

Yesterday, I was a Canadian. Today, I am an American.

Thank you, America, for making me a citizen of this wonderful country. I have always felt wanted, comfortable and, hopefully, contributed whenever needed in all the places I have lived.

I will always love Canada and the great life I had growing up there, but today, I am an American and proud of it.

God bless America.

JACKIE SLOPAK

Sandpoint