No Lack Of Passion In Bonner County

You can accuse Bonner County and Sandpoint residents of a lot of things but one of them isn’t apathy.

At times, they’re ornery. Self-destructive. Combative. Clannish. Puzzling. They’re also fiercely involved in their community and love it deeply.

Their commitment to their small town is refreshing in this era of skepticism toward government and drop-outism. Sandpoint residents believe and act as though they’re part of the community. As though their opinions make a difference. They do.

While many of us sit on the sidelines and grouse, Sandpoint residents are quick to turn off their television sets and attend meetings when controversies arise. The rest of us can learn a lesson here.

In June, for example, 500 people filled Sandpoint Middle School to show solidarity in denouncing the county’s growing racist presence. The meeting revived the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force and sent a strong message to immigrating supremacists.

Earlier this fall, hundreds responded when the Festival at Sandpoint announced plans to move some concerts to Kootenai County. On the negative side, festival officials endured withering criticism, resulting in the resignation of executive Connie Berghan and her staff. On the positive side, Sandpoint made it clear that all festival events belonged in its hometown. Period.

Last month, about 300 attended a Sandpoint hearing to discuss Asarco’s plans to sink a huge silver and copper mine in the Cabinet Mountains, just across the Idaho-Montana border. The plan overwhelmingly was panned by blunt residents. Said one: “I don’t want to see Montana get the mine and Idaho get the shaft.”

Sandpoint residents aren’t shy about trying to recall elected officials who stray.

Tax activists targetted five Bonner County officeholders for recall three years ago after commissioners thrust a 48 percent hike in county taxes on them. More than 5,000 residents in a county of 26,662 signed petitions against the hike. Ultimately, no one was recalled, and the courts blocked an attempt to roll back taxes. But subsequent commissioners got the point.

In Sandpoint, you find constitutionalists, tax rebels, latter-day hippies, environmentalists, loggers, natives, and big-city refugees - fiercely independent people who have a good idea what they want their community to be.

Sometimes, the clash of ideas and personalities results in nasty infighting, as we saw during the bruising festival struggle. Overall, however, Sandpoint’s level of involvement is healthy and to be envied - as long as participants check their guns at the door.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board