Slipping away

This weekend as you can see by the previous
pictures of Saturday... Bonner County lost
another building of memories.

Must seem like to the old time Sandpointers,
that they are losing pieces of their past, piece
by piece. Just in 5 months they have lost 3
buildings and a wide road is going thru
a part of what once was part of a quiet town near by.

First this year, was the Lakeside Inn.
And then, Harold's IGA closed it's doors and
then the auction, and soon the wrecking ball will fly.
And now the old Cowgirl (it has had many names
of late) has been burnt down(controlled fire)
in the name of progress.
And while this is going on, the wide road thru
Dover is being built, heading to the river.
...............These times are a changing.

While none of the buildings were of beauty
and all have their memories and rumors that
flew fast and furious.
Harold's IGA, having the tragic of the owner
being shot dead in his store. Yet for many
years my mother-in-law held court in the
corner booth of the cafe, sharing so many
laughs with Mollie, Ralph and the girls.
I am sure many others have done the same
there. I know John Campbell has told many
fishing stories there as well.
The Cowgirl over the years has many visits
by the sheriff dept. as well as rumors of
even mafia connections. But there were
many who fell in love there, fought there,
went to see the Chippendale Men there, and
console themselves with lost loves there.
And the Lakeside Inn having her own rumors
that flew as well.

But still there are a lot of people of Sandpoint
who have seen the growth of these buildings.
The hopes and dreams as they were built.
And now being destroyed for the sake of progress.
A bypass, a bank and rumors of a strip mall
type stores for Ponderay.
And the wide berth of a road that is cutting
thru Dover, to end up at the river.
The peaceful town of Dover going to the
wayside. Stories of 500 homes (some are
condo's) will bring all kinds of traffic.

It has to hit a sad note for those who I refer
to as, Old Timer Sandpoint, those who were
born here before 1950.
It is even sad to me, and I am a fairly newcomer
being I have been here in Bonner County a little over 20 years