A big hooray for National Guard, LPOSD folks

How about a big hoo-yah to the National Guard troops who are here to help shovel out several of the schools in Sandpoint.

They arrived Saturday and quickly went to work taking tons of snow off Sandpoint High School. They started shoveling Saturday night and were still at it Monday morning. They were also spotted on the Sandpoint Middle School and Farmin-Stidwell Elementary on Monday.

Armed with snow shovels, snowblowers and front end loaders, these citizen soldiers probably saved our schools.

The Army National Guard has units in 28 Idaho towns and more than 3,500 soldiers. Most of the soldiers have served in Iraq. The Guard's history in Idaho dates back to the Nez Perce Indian Wars of 1877.

These are our neighbors and we are grateful they made the commitment to serve in the National Guard.

As taxpayers, we are also grateful we don't have to pay for collapsed schools. We would rather see our tax dollars support the National Guard year round than to rebuild a collapsed school.

Thank you, men and women of the Idaho Army National Guard, we appreciate your support.

And speaking of schools, more than a few soldiers and school employees grabbed me on Sunday to let me know how proud they were that our local superintendent of schools, Dick Cvitanich and Sid Rayfield, district facilities director, were right on the roofs next to the troops, shoveling and blowing snow.

The cream really rises to the top when disaster strikes.

We are extremely lucky that Cvitanich and Rayfield both believe that that working for this school district is not only a job … it's an adventure.

Thanks. gentlemen.

David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.