Patty Hutchens

It seems everywhere I turn, I hear of someone newly diagnosed with cancer. And it is not just the elderly. It is affecting the young, the middle aged and the physically fit. The prevalence of this horrific disease struck me recently as I sat in church thinking about two friends who had recently died from the disease. Both were men in their 50s.

When the Lake Pend Oreille School District was forced to cut $2.5 million from its budget due to state reductions, officials knew something had to be done to help offset the loss. “That’s about 14 percent of our budget,” said Superintendent Dick Cvitanich.

When Shery Meekings first walked into the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market in downtown Sandpoint, her mind began to race. As an artist, she viewed it as a place where creativity could come to life.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and people are scrambling in preparation for the Christmas season. Although it is a fun and festive time of year, it is unfortunate that many get caught up in the parties, the shopping, the baking and the planning and often lose sight of what is important. That is where a group of Sandpoint residents hope to make a difference this holiday season.

Imagine being taken from your home in the middle of the night. You are a young child and your parents have been abusive and neglectful to you and your siblings. Someone told on them. Someone who wanted to make sure you were safe. Now the police are going to make sure that they do not harm you anymore. But there is a shortage of foster homes and the authorities must make a decision on where to take you. You long to be with your brothers and sisters but you are told that is not an option.

It was a secret she kept for 13 terrifying years as she lived in constant fear. There was the fright of revealing her secret and then there was the terror that came each night when she went to bed knowing what was about to happen. For Cocolalla, Idaho, resident Jackie Charlebois, 31, the sexual abuse started when she was 3. And the person who violated her was the one man she should have been able to trust more than anyone – her father.

More than three decades ago as a group of families were gathered on the beach in Sandpoint for some fun and relaxation, the women began talking about the needs of the community and what could be done to provide more for their children, the schools, and the place that they call home. And it wasn’t long before they were taking matters into their own hands. Now, 31 years later, Sandpoint’s Community Assistance League is still alive and stronger than ever. The nonprofit organization raises funds, researches, plans and develops programs that benefit the entire community.