Local graduates-to-be applauded

After a quick trip across Montana over the weekend, I am of the mind the state animal of the Treasure State should be — roadkill. All shapes, all sizes.

I'm still trying to get over seeing the carnage I witnessed Monday driving 800 miles across Montana. The Keyes family is home safe and sound after delivering a Siamese cat to Forsyth and taking care of family matters.

Stay tuned for an announcement this week in the Bee on the return of Sandpoint Slam in August.

Congratulations soon-to-be graduates!

After last week's comment on a certain Realtor's honor student status, I'm honored to list the many outstanding Sandpoint High School seniors who will be graduating with honors this Saturday at 5:30.

Even though the Bee will have all the area graduation dates this week, here's a reminder that Lake Pend Oreille High will hold commencement Thursday at 7 p.m. at the City Forum . Clark Fork High School seniors will graduate on Friday at 7 p.m.

This year's honor cord recipients for SHS include: Aurora Adamson, Rael Ammon, Conor Baranski, Megan Brewington, Alex Calkins, Sarah Clark, Trevor Cole, Amy Dyck, Lauren Fiedler, Luke Feist, Nikki Fitchett, Natalie Fuller, Andrea Gausmann, Ingrid George, Kyile Groenhout, Janna Gulman, Jaimie Hedrick, Allison Hein, Zach Jones, Logan Jones-Olson, Zibby Keaton, Jazmine Knaggs, Ben Lockwood, Leslie Lovell, Lindsay Magdanz, Kristen Mico, Carrie Moore, Heather Mulliner, Devon Natoni, Liam Orton, Hayley Pearson, Kali Pennick, Pam Phillips, Jeff Reoch, Jessie Schrifrin, Whitney Smith-Hickman, Jodi Tangen, Jesse Walson and Callie Weiden.

Bee Circulation Manager Chris Watkins has done a great job in growing circulation at the Bee. The Bee is one of the fastest growing dailies (percentage wise) in the country, if you didn't know.

Chris and I had a conversation last week about the newspaper industry and the unique niche morning newspapers and the Bee fill.

Each day — except Monday — the Daily Bee is delivered to homes throughout Bonner and Boundary counties by what Watkins calls a swarm of Bees.

Most customers pay an average of 40 cents per copy for delivery and a little more than a dollar for Sunday. In most cases, the papers are delivered before 6 a.m. by otherwise sane adults who are determined to provide excellent customer service.

Most of the 16 carriers start their routes by about 2 a.m. These routes stretch from Newport to north of Bonners Ferry to Montana, Watkins said. While most of us our snug in our beds, many of these carriers are the first to drive on snow covered roads and many have reported accidents or illegal activities while doing their routes.

The carriers have my admiration. I started my newspaper career delivering the Billings Gazette when I was in junior high. I braved many a cold, winter morning delivering papers when I would have much more enjoyed staying in bed.

I'm sure many readers have delivered newspapers, too.

This paper you are reading right now wouldn't be here if it weren't for the professionalism of our delivery bees. Chris is devising ways to help our independent contractors make more money in light of higher gas prices, etc.

Chris also did a little math.

The Ponderay Wal Mart sees an estimated 20,000 customers a week, served by 100 employees.

The Daily Bee, in the first week of May, sold more than 31,000 copies to customers. Of those 31,000, 21,000 were delivered to our subscribers' homes, their Daily Bee tubes, mail slots, porch or flower pot.

That's right, the Daily Bee had more customer contacts than Wal Mart. Now that's impressive.

The carriers are a special breed and many have lives beyond the Bee. One of our long-time carriers had to be out of town recently for anti terrorism training and had a fill in carrier.

Some customers were missed but everyone tried hard to get the papers delivered as soon as an error was pointed out.

As we get more used to a world where we as customers have to leave our home for services, home delivery of a newspaper is a throw back to another, more liesurely time.

Thank you carriers and thank you subscribers for making all the hard work worthwhile.

There were a few surprises in last Tuesday's primary election. For the most part, though, the best men and best woman moved on to November's general election.

The young versus old in the commissioners' races will be very interesting.

The paltry 29 percent voter turnout is embarrasing, though. How can anyone think democracy is alive and well when only 29 percent of the county's registered voters turn out?

The straight ticket primary is one deterrent, but I am more convinced that the electorate assumes the best candidate will somehow end up in office.

How soon we forget. We aren't that far removed from a dysfunctional county commission and an out-of-touch school board.

Kudos to the candidates who went out and shook hands and knocked on doors. Brickbats to the politicos who spent most of their budget on yard signs and hoped they would win based on name recognition.

Thanks goes out to the Public Forum on Sustainability for organizing the Mass Media & Grass Media: The Community Voice forum last Tuesday night.

Cedar Post editor Kristen Mico stole the show from the grizzled media veterans on the panel.

Mico bragged about some of the great stories her award-winning newspaper produced this year and challenged some of us to go more in-depth with some of our reporting.

I'm one of Kristen's biggest fans and am proud of the Cedar Post's accomplishments this year. Watch out world, Kristen's coming!

The audience of 25 asked tough questions of the panel and I thought went away with a better understanding of the challenges facing those in the media.

Quote of the week: "Common sense is not so common," — Voltaire, 1694-1778.

David Keyes is publisher of the Bee. His column runs Tuesdays.