Clubhouse, carousel focus of Geezer Forum today

| November 12, 2024 1:00 AM

SANDPOINT — If you're a geezer — an older person with a youthful, hopeful attitude — who is looking for something fulfilling with which to fill your time, you might want to attend today's Geezer Forum.

The forum will be held today, Nov. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Umpqua Bank’s Community Room. The time has been expanded to two hours for this special Geezer Forum, so please come by 2 p.m.

Dawn Mehra of NAMI Far North will speak about Sand Creek Connections (Sand Creek Clubhouse). Additionally, Clay and Reno Hutchison will speak about Carousel of Smiles today 2-4 p.m. at the Community Room of Umpqua Bank.

Mehra will speak about the Sand Creek Connections, Sandpoint's new mental health day facility, which will be part of Clubhouse International’s effort to help individuals rebuild their lives through meaningful relationships (people), a supportive environment (place), and a structured work-ordered day that fosters confidence and skills (purpose).

The Hutchisons will introduce those gathered to The Carousel of Smiles, a circa 1920 36-horse, 40-foot diameter Allan Hershell traveling carousel that worked the Midwest carnival/fair circuit until 1952. It was later abandoned in a farmer's field in Kansas for more than 60 years before it was bought at auction by the Hutchisons.

So far, over 85% of the carousel has been restored. A large enthusiastic talented group of  volunteers from the community have contributed about 20,000 hours to the project.

Plans are in the works for the carousel’s permanent year-round pavilion called The Stable. After years of working with the city of Sandpoint, the Carousel team is now turning their attention to a private location at 502 Church St., a site that many remember as the old Co-Op in the Warehouse District.

This November, they will fully assemble the carousel at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, and host an invitational event — Bringing The Herd Back Together Again — on Friday evening, Nov. 22. Then on Saturday, Nov. 23, the carousel will be open to the public, free of charge; and also host the not-for-profit “fun fair,” a gathering of about 40 of North Idaho’s non-profit groups.