Columns

I have a confession to make: I love whiteboards. Even as a child, I was completely transfixed by the infinite possibilities they presented. I even remember asking my parents if I could cover all the walls of my room with whiteboards when I was around 11. Not surprisingly the answer was “no,” but my fixation has carried on to this day. However, in all these years, I hadn’t asked the question of where whiteboards came from until recently. In the 1950s, while working in a dark room, the photographer Martin Heit discovered that he could write on film negatives with a marker and then wipe it away. In a flash of inspiration, he realized that he could use something like this t...

I think the difference between a politician and a statesman is that the people believe a statesman will do what he or she believes is the right thing regardless of the political consequences.When it gets down to it, a statesman would rather be right than reelected. It is generally accepted that Mike Mansf...

I like my phone. I rely on my phone. I truly appreciate my phone (and you, too, Siri!) but beyond that, well, my phone is just a phone. She does for me what I ask her to do, when I ask her to do it and as long as that consistency in our relationship exists, I’m good. We’re good.  But when...

Americans are divided over just about everything today. From politics to sports to entertainment, Americans do not agree on anything, except for their dislike of career D.C. politicians in Congress. Poll after poll indicates that over 80% of Americans support term limits for Congress, regardless of political...

Congress has an opportunity to pass legislation that benefits all local citizens, businesses and even protects our democracy. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, LJSA for short, should be included as part of any upcoming reconciliation bill that Congress is considering. The LJSA is a well-thought-out bi...

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) held their Bison Range Restoration Celebration May 20-22, 2022, which was a monumental day that represented the righting of a terrible time in our U.S. history by restoring and honoring a broken treaty and returning the land and bison back to the CSKT. This ...

If the fire alarm went off in your home or workplace and you had to evacuate quickly, what would you grab on your way out? Besides pets, spouses, chapstick and an extra change of underwear,  I’m guessing most of us could agree on one item: our phones. Our phones have become an extension of u...

The Library Music Series kicks off on First Friday, June 3 with Doug Trost on guitar at 3:30 p.m. Enjoy acoustical tunes in the library atrium. Watch for more music in the library every First Friday afternoon.  Also on June 3 is the beginning of the Friends of the Library Book Sale, which will take plac...

As one of the founders and a driving force of Mission Valley Animal Shelter for over 30 years, I am not hopeful about our future. The problem of stray dogs and dog packs in our area has worsened significantly and MVAS, as a small, privately-operated animal shelter, does not have the facility or funding to be...

I was flying home after facilitating my Difficult Conversations workshop at Idaho State University. It was the first leg of my return journey, a puddle-jump on a small turbo-prop from Pocatello to Seattle. It was a short flight, but long enough to teach me something. During the boarding process, I had swi...