Last call for historic photos

If you missed Brad Puryear's account of his chance meeting with a young mother returning from the Iraq War in Tuesday's Bee, please go back and read it.

The soldiers don't make policy, then enforce the will of the president. Puryear put a face — a young mother returning home to see her two-year-old son after a year in Iraq — on a war that sometimes seems so far away.

Thanks, Brad for taking the time to share your story.

This is the last call for photos for the Bonner County photographic history book the Bee has been compiling for several months.

We have been inundated with great images and for that we are eternally grateful. Many people have brought in scrapbooks, taken pictures off walls and dug deep into closets to provide us with a treasure chest full of Bonner County memories.

Publishing a hardbound book is something new for us but we have some pros making it happen for us.

Friday will be the last day to submit photographs. It will take us about a month to edit the book and lay it out. It's our plan to have the book released for sale in the fall.

We will soon be offering Bonner County residents a discounted pre-publication price soon so watch the paper for all the details.

We also hope to have a huge announcement soon about a special collection of photos for this book.

Please send in your photos by Friday for what will be a spectacular book.

Speaking of tremendous publications, the Cedar Post has struck again! It was the Idaho Press Women Club's turn to recognize the Sandpoint High newspaper. Erin Daniels and her crew took the "Best of 2004" award because SHS bested all schools in the number of awards.

Some of the winners included: Margo Lane, second for layout; Colleen Flanigan, first for sports writing and sports photography; Casey Pilgeram, first for news writing and editorial writing; Yarrow Frank: second for opinion, feature photography and sports photography. Kristen Mico earned first for layout while Megan Brewington was third for column writing and Rael Ammon was second in news writing and first in sports writing.

The Press Women awards also provided cash with each award.

"That was the best part they thought," Daniels said.

These future journalists have done a great job covering the events in and around SHS this year. The Bee has had the pleasure of printing the Cedar Post this year so we definitely share in the pride of these awards with our high school cohorts.

The Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry area was well represented Sunday at the 28th annual Bloomsday peoplefest.

There were 39,557 of us walking, running and in my case — gasping — along the hilly course that was bathed in sunshine. It was the best weather for Bloomsday in the 17 years in a row I have participated and the worst experience I have ever had at the race.

I'll bet the Sandpoint area has the highest percentage of runners outside of the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area. The Bee had a great turnout of Bloomies for our annual photograph.

On a personal note, after cracking the one hour barrier two out of the last three years, I had high hopes of finishing under an hour this year. I trained hard, kept a log, read Runners World once or twice and dropped a few pounds.

About four days before the race I began to lose my voice. I assumed it was pollen and not some ancient running curse. I croaked my way through a political debate in Boundary County Thursday night and had to cancel two speaking appointments on Friday.

On Sunday my throat was raw, I could hardly swallow and I felt hot. All the ingredients for a good run? I thought about walking with my wife Marlisa Keyes and Caroline Lobsinger but I convinced myself to tough it out. I ran the first three miles right at 20 minutes mainly because I ran into Dave Jennings, a marathoner and old friend of mine who used to be principal at Evergreen Elementary, near Moyie.

Soon after I was fighting to catch my breath and witnessed people performing CPR on a runner alongside the course. It hit me at that point I should probably slow down and enjoy the spectacle that is Bloomsday. So I

did and had a great time — other than the fact I couldn't talk for most of the race.

I bumped into a lot of friends on Sunday and it turned out to be a great day after all.

And it was on a Sunday 17 years ago I took a woman on what would count as an almost first date. She would later forgive me for forgetting where I parked the car that day, would marry me several years later and give birth to two awesome children a few years after that. This would be a great opportunity to write Happy Mothers Day Marlisa. (Take that, Hallmark!)

Each of the kids have been in Bloomsday and we plan to do it as long as possible.

Bloomsday is about family and friends and a bit of fitness.

On Sunday as I crossed the finish line I took a moment to pause and give thanks that I am physically able to be a part of this event. I remembered a friend, Wendy, who passed away this year. She and her husband, Steve, walked with us at Bloomsday in the late '80s.

And the one good thing about taking it easy Sunday, I was able to walk normally on Monday for the first time in a few years. This morning I will be back on the Dover Bike Path not taking life for granted and waving at the Miller brothers.

I want to publicly recognize Cynthia Nielsen and the Carden Home Education Cooperative for the tremendous things they are doing for our youngsters.

My son, Austin, has been attending Cynthia's school this year and has blossomed under her kind, professional and caring manner with him and the other students in her small class.

The curriculum is a throwback to a time when the basics were taught, respect was expected and achievements were celebrated. Her classroom is an environment where students rise when adults enter the room, where there is a moral lesson of the day and other students are treated with respect and learning is encouraged … and celebrated.

I have had several teacher friends of mine say they wished they had the small class size, the focus on the classics and the parental involvement at the Carden School.

If you are interested in the Carden School for next fall for your third through sixth grader or tutoring, call Cynthia at 263-0416.

David Keyes is publisher of the Bee. His column runs Tuesdays except this week. He tries to run every day.