Mill Ready For ‘Something Neat’

Among the piles of weathered cedar 2-by-4s and rusted junk metal just north of Rathdrum, Idaho, Dennis Bennett found his Walden Pond.

And it has a six-hole privy.

The old Starkey cedar mill captured Dennis’ imagination last spring. He had retired from intelligence operations in the U.S. Army and from the aerospace industry. He was 55 and tired of freeways and left-brain work that kept him from woodworking, neon art, blacksmithing.

He wanted worn jeans and work boots, romping barn cats, potatoes he pulled from the earth and herbs he could nurture like children.

“I wanted to do something I want to do,” he says.

He packed his antique blacksmithing tools, the African basket from his archaeological expedition and his Asian wall hangings and left the Washington, D.C., suburbs for a double-wide mobile home in North Idaho’s woods.

“It’s the moral equivalent of a log cabin,” he says, chuckling as he tugs a ball cap over his white curls.

The old mill offered Dennis history as well as a future. He grilled neighbors and learned about the steam operation and owner Lance Starkey’s biennial exhibits of steam tractors and equipment which drew hundreds of people.

“That’s why he built a six-hole privy,” Dennis says, proud to know some inside information. He swings open one of the doors to show a pink seat, low-voltage light and braided floor rug. Restoring the privy was one of his top priorities.

He figures he’ll need it. The mill is his retreat, but he wants to share. He has lined the mill pond for winter skating and summer swimming. He envisions an amphitheater in a natural depression in the land. He has erected archery and ax targets, dug horseshoe pits.

He has repaired the shop building and installed a wood stove, his forges, tools, a refrigerator and a turntable. Partyers danced to live music there in August. He sees it as a haven for artists and musicians who want to create, teach, philosophize, escape.

“What we’re trying to do is create a lifestyle that’s productive and really pleasant,” Dennis says, warming his roughened hands by the wood stove. “Do some work, listen to some music. … If we generate some products, good. I just want to do something neat.”

Wrestle-mania

Lake City High School librarian Bill Kinder started selling raffle tickets to raise money for library materials last August. He figured people would love trying to pick which part of the football field a cow would relieve itself on at a chosen time. But ticket sales were slow; then rain pushed the contest indoors.

No, the cow wasn’t invited. Instead, Bill decided to draw the winner’s name during a wrestling tournament. First, he advised the audience that the winning ticket was worth $1,000 - and that’s when sales skyrocketed. Wrestling fans bought $400 worth and pushed the library’s profit to nearly $1,800.

Considering that 13 reference books cost Bill $789, another raffle probably is on the horizon.

Express yourself

If you had $1.2 million to spend on the arts, what would you do? The Idaho Commission on the Arts wants to know. Of course, that money is for the whole state for next year. But the more noise we make up here in the North, the more attention we might get.

The commission wants to hear your art dreams at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Coeur d’Alene’s City Hall and at Sandpoint’s Panida Theater at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Who’s who?

If you could write a book on North Idaho characters, whom would you include? Profile your top choices for Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene 83814; send a fax to 765-7149; call 765-7128; or send e-mail to cynthiat@spokesman.com.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo