Monday, July 7, 2014

Independence Day in Sand Point

Originally Posted July 5, 2004 by Chad

I had a wonderful Fourth of July. We were in Sand Point, Idaho. The local Lions Club put on a fireworks show over Lake Pend Oreille the night before, because “Mormons aren’t allowed to be patriotic on Sundays” said our waitress at Griff and Wiley’s downtown. I guess there's a lot of Mormons in Sand Point. We wanted to get a hotel on Saturday night so we could clean ourselves up for church the next day. But there was a Babe Ruth Firecracker baseball tournament in town that filled up every hotel room, even the campgrounds were full. The owner of the Meandering Moose Motel let us set up our tent on his lawn. 

The next morning, the Fourth, we looked for showers but didn’t find any in time for church. Instead we went to Harold’s Super Foods, home of the Dainty Maid Bakery. The dainty maid working there that morning had the sleeves on his grubby flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows so we could see his naked lady tattoos. His handlebar mustache was in need of grooming and he had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. I bought some brownies from him that Mags didn’t dare eat. I had to eat them all myself. 

When I had finished my brownies we went back to the Meandering Moose, where there was a room ready for us. I finally got my shower and napped while watching the Mariners drop another close one.
Later in the afternoon we walked downtown and beyond to City Beach. Most of the shops were closed but we did find an Italian restaurant to rip us off. For a night cap I left Mags at the Meandering Moose and went to Memorial Field to take in some Firecracker baseball. Panhandle, the hometown team, scored 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Kalispell 3 to 2. 

We’ve been passing through a lot of little communities lately. Some seem to have it going for them, some don’t. Kettle Falls, WA was a community without a plan, while Winthrop, WA (aka Win-Throw-Up) was a community with the wrong plan. Sand Point; however, seems to have benefited from some thoughtful city planners. It’s just the right size, compact, and has a lively downtown right on the lake. It’s close enough to Spokane to keep you from feeling isolated. 

Unfortunately, all that is about to change. The Idaho Department of Transportation wants to reroute US 95. As it is now, the highway goes right through the downtown, feeding the area with travelers’ money. IDOT wants to bypass the downtown with a limited access freeway right along the waterfront. Some local businesses were protesting the project, saying that it will suck the life out of the city and ruin the beach and waterfront. But it may be too late, one hotel on the beach advertised “Only 62 more days to stay at beach before US 95 comes through.”

The whole thing reminds me of a situation in my home town. The land occupied by the out-of business Geneva Steel is certainly too contaminated with lead and other heavy metals to build subdivisions on, although some money-grubbing developers already are proposing just that. Like Sand Point, the mill is right on the lake. Perhaps urban planners in Utah Valley will have the foresight to build a waterfront park for the entire community to enjoy. Granted, Utah Lake will never be as beautiful as Lake Pend Oreille, but with the steel mill gone, and better control of fertilizers and other contaminants the lake can be cleaned up. It may be too late for Sand Point, but Utah Valley still has a chance to make the city beautiful again. 


Posted by Chad at 09:24 AM

Comments: Independence Day in Sand Point

I'm jealous. The land from Spokane to Darby, Montana is to die for (or to ride a tandem bike through, which must be a bit like dying). I haven't been on Going to the Sun highway since 1977. My memory of it suggests that you will need to allow plenty of time to do the deed. My mother grew up in Kalispell and the family still has a cabin on Flathead Lake. Beautiful country. I look forward to reading more of your escapades and enjoying your prose. The pictures are nice too.
Posted by Doc at July 6, 2004 04:43 PM
 

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