By Kim Westrick and Brandon Schroeder

Business Manager and Staff Writer

Senior Jess Phillips listens to instructions from one of the event’s volunteers.

Students from several schools powered backhoes, witnessed explosions, poured concrete and ate hotdogs as they experienced hands-on labor at the second annual Hardhats, Hammers and Hotdogs on April 8 at the Coeur d’ Alene Fair Grounds. Students also tried welding, putting up drywall, hammering, and tying fences.

“The main purpose of the Hardhats, Hammers and Hotdogs is giving students first-hand experience with the work force,” said Counselor Joey James. “It is also to give students exposure to the construction industry.”

Students learned to operate the machines and play games with them; they used the backhoe to pick up a cone and put it on top of another cone during the first hour. Next students spoke with construction workers and colleges about the construction career pathway. True to the event’s name, for lunch they devoured hotdogs, chips and Grandma’s cookies.

Machinery ranged from backhoes to bobcats. The construction workers were volunteers who demonstrated to students the dangers of power lines by placing objects like boots and kites too close to power lines. Showers of sparks rained from the high voltage wires.

Students from Timberlake High School and Jr. High, Lakeland High School and Jr. High, Mountain View, and Coeur d’ Alene Schools attended the two-day event.

Timberlake High students Jennifer Swann, junior; Sara DeHart, sophomore and Brennen Noury, sophomore each liked different parts of the day best.

Swann said, “I got to learn how to tie fence wiring; that was my favorite part ‘cause I never knew how to do it, and it looked really hard, and once I got to try it, it was really easy. Now I’d like to build fences as a side job.”

Although Swann enjoyed the event, she still plans to be a veterinarian or a nurse.

DeHart could not pick just one favorite event from the day. “I had two (favorites),” she said, “The first was riding on the machines and learning how to operate them. I rode on a backhoe and a bobcat.”

Although an instructor gave students directions, the students operated the machinery by themselves.

“Doing concrete was my other favorite,” DeHart said. “It was just really fun because I’d never done it before, and they said I was really good at it. It was just really fun to learn about it. So far I want to go into construction and lay concrete.”

Even though she wants a job in a traditionally male profession, she doesn’t have any concerns.

“One of the people there said their boss was a female. If she could do it, then I could probably do it, too,” said DeHart.

Noury’s favorite part included high-voltage flashes. “They had a demo that showed what would happen if you stepped out of your car if you crashed into a light pole or tried to fly your kite in the rain,” he said. “They have a kite where you could see the string of lightning 30 feet long. It was so cool. It taught you what not to do if you got in a car accident.”

Noury thinks he would enjoy being an electrician because he knows how to do it, adding “I maybe want to be an electrician because you get paid a lot.”

DeHart, Swann, and Noury all felt the event was beneficial.

DeHart said, “It teaches you what you can do with construction. It’s better than sitting in a classroom because you get to go out and experience it.”

Noury said he enjoyed learning what it’s like to work and seeing what he could do with his life. “I drove pretty much everything. If you can touch it or feel it, you can learn it quicker.”

Swann said, “For people who don’t know anything about a profession, you can go out and see what people do.”

However there were some things that Swann didn’t enjoy as much as the rest.

“I didn’t like driving the machinery because it’s hard for me to listen and do something at the same time. I have to be taught how to do it and then go and do it. Plus I knew it was a huge piece of machinery that I was scared of,” she said.

James felt student attendance helped make the day successful.

“A lot of students went to the Hardhats, Hammers and Hotdogs,” he said. “We had 100 students go from our district. I bet there were 1,000 students or more that went between the two days.”

“I think it was very successful. The students that went were more hands-on workers, so this was a good way for them to practice their skills.”

Current Estimates Exceed $100,000

By Kaycie Miller

Editor-in-Chief

As a result of the recent severe weather, the growing costs of removing snow from roofs, roads, sidewalks and other areas are likely to exceed $100,000, all of which is coming out of Lakeland School District’s budget. In addition, students of the district have now missed four days of school due to record snow falls for the second year in a row.

“It has been a huge blow to our efforts to eliminate an operating deficit. Last year’s extraordinary snow costs were, for the most part, reimbursed by the state. This year that reimbursement is not available,” said Tom Taggart, the director of business and support services for the district.

Adding to the potential costs is damage in five Timberlake High School rooms from leaks in the roof. According to Mr. Lambert, Timberlake custodian, the worst damage was in room 300. Mr. McDougall, vice principal, explained that the damage in room 300 was actually due to the melting of a huge ice build-up on the roof. Mr. Hoffman, principal, added that heat tape in the valleys of the roof was not working or was placed improperly and that added to the problem. There was also damage to the library computer lab, the ceiling sagged and soggy ceiling tiles lay on the floor like wet mush and pooling of water on the floor spread to the floor going into the library. Room 100 had damage to one of the walls, and the kiln room had damage to the ceiling.

Mrs. Boran, library assistant, said, “Students were not allowed to use computers and we had to turn them away.”

Both the library and the kiln room sustained damage in last year’s storms as well, but the damage was supposed to have been repaired over the summer. Hoffman said there was damage in areas that were fixed or worked on over the summer, but the roof is not bad like they once thought.

“Maybe we should do a better job preventing leaks… that is something we are talking about,” Hoffman said.

Record snows are also having an impact on the curriculum. One of the most affected is Mrs. Scozzaro’s pottery class. According to Scozzaro, her students have not been able to fire anything because of the damage to kiln room.

“The art room got hit pretty hard,” Lambert said.

Mrs. Scozzaro said, “In all my years of teaching I have never seen this many snow days, ever, (but) I really appreciate that the district has been concerned about safety.”

According to an email from the Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Ranells to district staff, “On Jan 2 and 3 all schools were still well within safety standards with the exception of Spirit Lake Elementary and the gym at Timberlake Junior High.” The snow was not removed over Christmas Break because the district measured and all schools had loads well under safety limits at that time and removing snow on over 550,000 square feet is expensive and requires a lot of labor. As the weather warmed and more snow fell, the safety limits were pushed and efforts to remove the snow began.

According to Tiger TV reporter, Jarrod Crump, there was between 32 and 40lbs of snow per square foot prior to the rain just after Christmas Break.

According to Taggart, “At no time were any students in buildings that exceeded recommended weights.”

The main concern has now become storms later this winter as many of the storms last year were in late January and early February. McDougall said he is very confident and is not at all concerned with the roof now. McDougall also said, “I jinxed it. Last year when it was over, I said, ‘We will never see a winter like this again.”

Editor-in-Chief

For the first time since the 1980s, the Lakeland School District and the Lakeland Education Association (LEA), the teachers’ union, have reached an impasse in negotiations for the teachers’ contracts.

     The main points being negotiated are salary and compensation, including the pay scale the teachers work under, medical insurance and leave.  Also in negotiation this year were the pay for extracurricular and advisory positions and the procedural agreement.

     District Director of Business and Support Services and lead negotiator Tom Taggart said, “Money is always the major issue.”

     Carrie Scozzaro, THS art teacher, LEA vice president and LEA lead negotiator said, “We have agreed on some points and made definite progress in many areas but are not in agreement on one to two key points.”

However, the even points that have been agreed upon are not set in stone.    

Taggart said, “Until there is an overall agreement there is no agreement on individual terms.”

    The negotiations began in April and continued into June, but the two sides were unable to meet an agreement on the terms of the contracts. From there the two sides met to decide how next to proceed in the process.  They met again before school started in hopes of coming to an agreement before the start of the school this year.  Since this did not happen, the negotiating teams representing the two factions are now set to meet for their first mediation session on Oct. 6.  The lead negotiators for both parties said they hope to reach an agreement during the mediation.

     However, if there is no agreement reached during mediation, the LEA and Lakeland School District could proceed to a process called “fact finding.”  This process would involve an outside party reviewing the facts of the situation, including the financial circumstances of the district and all proposals offered by both factions up to that point.  The outside party would then write a report on the findings and both LEA and the district would then review the findings at which point one or the other may be willing to settle depending on the report. 

     Both the district and LEA appointed a four-person team to represent their interests in negotiations. Scozzaro, Tammie Henderson,  Cherokee Harvey, and Kathy Peterson, teachers at other Lakeland schools, comprise the LEA team.

     Scozzaro said, “LEA is also in touch with its regional and statewide bargaining teams, and involves some of its executive leadership in the negotiations process.  And, of course, LEA is in fairly constant communications with its members.”

     The team chosen to represent the district is Taggart; Brad Murray, assistant superintendent; Jeane Plastino-Wood, board of trustees member; and Kyle Olmstead, board of trustees member.  When negotiations started Don Soltman, a former board member, was on the team, but after leaving the board in July, Soltman was replaced on the negotiations team by Olmstead.  District Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Ranells is also available for the district team to consult with during meetings but is not directly involved in the negotiations.

     Ranells said, “In the past, I have negotiated as a teacher and as an administrator.  What I love about the process is when the adults work together to improve our schools for students.”

     Scozzaro added that this process shows that people can disagree and discuss issues in a healthy and constructive manner.

     Both lead negotiators did agree that the impact of this situation on the students was very minimal. 

     Scozzaro said, “The important thing that we (the teachers) stress is that there is no impact on the quality of education we provide.”

     THS Sophomore Jesse Maddox said, “I had no clue that (teachers) were in negotiation with the district.”

     Ranells said, “I expect nothing but the best” from the negotiations.

     THS U.S. History and Photography Teacher Phil Zimmerman said, “My expectation is that there isn’t going to be an easy outcome.  There is still a lot of negotiating to do.”

     Members of the district team agree.

     Taggart said, “At some point the matter will be settled.  At what point that happens is the question.  We hope it happens soon, but the process may need to run its course.”

     Editor’s Note:  As of press time, the district and LEA have reached a tentative agreement.  Issues are yet to be settled, but the LEA hopes to present a vote to ratify the agreement on Oct. 8.

Matthew Parent

Editor-in-Chief

    Charles Kinsey, Lakeland School District Superintendent, is soon to retire. The holder of many jobs is looking forward to spending some time with his grandkids.

     Mr. Kinsey started his school-oriented career by teaching and coaching. He was head football coach for nine years and head track coach for three. Kinsey said that the greatest impact on his choosing an education career was his high school football coach. He also said that his parents were great role models because of their work ethic although neither had a college education.

     Other school positions Kinsey has held include athletic director for three years, assistant principal for one year, and principal for 13 years. He then moved up to the district office and was assistant superintendent for four years, and has been superintendent for the last seven years.

     Kinsey was originally a principal at a high school in Indiana, but he wanted to move out west, so he applied for the principal position at Lakeland High School and was accepted.

     Kinsey has accomplished many achievements during the span of his career.  Among them, he believes his most important have been “leading a focus on academic achievement that has resulted in Lakeland School District being recognized as one of the top districts in the state. In addition to completing buildings, I have watched Timberlake grow from opening to now being one of the top schools in the region and state in both activities and academics,” he said.

    Being superintendent is no different than any other job when it comes to having setbacks and hardships. “One of the most difficult times of my career was dealing with the death of Timberlake’s first principal and my friend, Van Tuinstra. Moving on with educational issues was difficult. Both faith and perseverance were necessary,” said Kinsey.

     Kinsey’s view on Lakelands’ education is this: “Most of the changes in the district have been as a result of growth or federal mandates. I would hope that many of the federal mandates become more reasonable,” said Kinsey.

     Mr. Hoffman, THS Principal, has been working with Kinsey for the last nine years. He said that Kinsey has been excellent at creating strategic plans for helping with the drive toward high academic achievement. He also said that as a superintendent, Kinsey has gone above and beyond when it comes to spending a lot of time at schools–not only during the workday but also in the evenings by attending after-school activities. Hoffman hopes that the next superintendent will follow many of Kinsey’s traditions, emphasizing education and academic achievement so students can reach their full potential, he said.

     “I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with such a fine educator,” said Hoffman.

      Kinsey said some of the most enjoyable aspects of the job are seeing students and staff excel.

     “When one of our teams wins state a state championship or places in state competition, I am extremely proud. It is also memorable when a bond or levy passes to allow construction for new facilities and then those buildings are completed,” said Kinsey.

     An example of this is the recent passage of the two year, $1.95 million emergency bond.

     Mr. Kinsey leaves some parting words of advice for students. “The district has great teachers and they will provide the opportunity to be successful, whether (students) choose to go to Harvard or go to work. It is up to the students to take advantage of these opportunities,’” he said.

     Kinsey said he is going to miss the relations and interactions with the people he has worked with. His  reasons for retirement are to have “the opportunity to have freedom and flexibility to enjoy recreational activities and to spend more time with my grandsons,” he said.

     Kinsey’s last official day of work is June 30.  He looks forward to more fishing, more traveling, and more grandfathering. He said he might even try to improve his golf game.

Jarrod Crump

Assistant Editor-in-Chief

   Ready, set, scratch! These words rang through the Greyhound Park on February 28^th.

   Three representatives from different area schools assembled in Greyhound Park to participate in a money-making project called Scratch for Schools, put on by the Idaho Lottery. The representatives from Timberlake were Mrs. Wenstrom, Mr. Hoffman, and Mr. McDougall. Schools present included Timberlake Junior High, Spirit Lake Elementary, and Coeur D ‘Alene High School.

   Each school receives 300 tickets, they then have five minutes to scratch as many tickets as they can. The top five schools that scratch the most tickets move on the next round and then receive 300 more tickets. Again, the remaining schools scratch as many tickets as they can in five minutes. The top 2 schools from that round are the 1^st and 2^nd place winners. First place wins 300 more tickets, and the second place winner gets 180 additional tickets. Any money won from the tickets, the school gets to keep.

   Unfortunately, Timberlake lost in the first round. According to Mr. McDougall, this was due to Mr. Hoffman’s inability to scratch. “Mr. Hoffman is a pathetic scratcher, and will not be scratching next year if I have anything to do with it,” said Mr. McDougall. Mrs. Wenstrom silently agreed with Mr. McDougall.

   Whatever the outcome, Timberlake was still able to muster $156 for our school. The 1^st and 2^nd place winners won around six to seven hundred dollars. Idaho Lottery has been doing Scratch for Schools in this area for about seven years. It has also done Scratch for Schools all throughout Idaho as well. They give out millions of dollars to schools each year.

   It definitely pays to be a scratcher.    

   Jacob Paul Bales, sophomore at Timberlake High School, was born August 17, 1991 and died Thursday, April 3, 2008 of Wegener’s Granulomatosis, which he had been battling for seven years.

   Jacob touched everyone he knew with his courage and bravery.  He was a very caring and loving individual.  Jacob is survived by his mother, Jewell Bales, his father, Robert Connelly, and his brothers, Ashten and Ely Connelly. They all loved him very much. 

   Jacob attended Athol Elementary, Timberlake Junior High School, and most recently Timberlake Senior High School.  He liked dragons, the New England Patriots football team, and the game Mech Warriors.  Jacob also really enjoyed attending youth group and spending time with his friends, who will all miss his fun-loving attitude and spirit very much.  Even though Jacob was sick, he kept a smile on his face and didn’t feel sorry for himself.  He felt there were other people who had things worse than he did. 

    Services for Jacob were held Thursday, April 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Bayview Community Center.  He will be missed by many.  For more information on Jacob’s disease or to make a donation in his memory, log on to the Wegener’s Granulomatosis Association website at www.wgassociation.org.

Stesah Laase

Staff Writer

     With the presidential election updates congesting news headlines, Timberlake students are taking a strong interest in the candidates, political terms, and the election process.

     While only students who will be 18 before November will be able to vote in the final election, that hasn’t stopped many from developing an idea of what direction they think the government should take with a new president.

     In a poll recently taken by Tiger Tales, 60% of students agree that, if they were eligible, they would vote in the upcoming presidential election, while 24% said they wouldn’t, and 14% are unsure at this time. While they may be currently underage for voting, a majority of students still want their political opinions heard.

     Miss Suenkel, English teacher, feels that the student body has taken a deeper interest in politics this year as opposed to previous years.

     “This group of students seems to be more politically aware,” she said. “(They’re) more involved and sooner. Most weren’t involved until later, closer to the actual election in November.

     Chris Costigan-Galdes, senior, has taken this a step further. He is serving as a delegate for democratic candidate Barack Obama in the Washington primary. He believes Obama would make a strong candidate for president.

     “He has good views, and he’s not corrupted by past politics,” he said.

     While Jamie Brennan, senior, does not actively participate in the campaign and election process, she keeps watch on current events and has formulated her political opinions based on what she has observed. She also supports Obama.

     “When I listen to him talk, it’s interesting to see how he connects with young voters,” she said. “I’m hoping that he can change America for the better. He’s different.”

     Many observers of the political election feel that the process is becoming marred by less than decorous comments from each side of the campaign.

     “Obama is trying to get rid of the race and gender cards,” Costigan-Galdes said. “Clinton is playing that to her advantage. That’s OK, but it should be because of what she believes and what her morals are.”

     Clinton supporters believe that she is doing an amazing job to develop her campaign fairly and appropriately. They believe she is making great headway as the first major female presidential candidate.

Sarah Bricky

Staff Writer

     “Where’s that wascally wabbit?!” exclaimed Elmer Fudd, more commonly known at Timberlake as Vice Principal Mr. McDougall. The answer to his question hopped through the halls as a rabbit-eared, cotton-tailed Mr. Hoffman.

     The principal and vice principal were rewarding the students for raising over $200 in the penny drive which took place March 17-21. Another reward was Mr. Crump dying his hair and beard green.  The money raised went to help Amber Newton, a girl recently hospitalized due to third degree burns. She had been staying at the Harborview Medical Center.

     “Dressing up turned out to be a great incentive for the kids. We plan to continue this tradition for a long time to come,” said Hoffman.

Brittini Shaffer

Staff Writer

    Timberlake Students sat anxiously in the commons in the early morning of Saturday, March 22.  They waited, trying to suppress their nerves until the moment they got to showcase their abilities.

     It was speech districts that had the students in a flurry.  The yearly event chose Timberlake High School to play host to kids from all over the area.  Everyone looked very professional in shirts, ties, dresses and jackets as they stood before the judges, allowing themselves to break from their shells.  Two of Timberlake’s students, senior Sarah White and junior Jarrod Crump, advanced to state.

     Jarrod Crump said when he entered the first room, they handed him a packet of information and was expected to morph it into a news story.  Luckily, the judge gave him a thirty minute prep time.  He also competed in the improv category.

     Sarah White presented her persuasive personality as she recited a bright, comical speech about toothpaste.  She beamed her pearly whites when speaking of Crest’s flavored toothpaste, such as Vanilla and Strawberry Swirl.

     Jarrod’s radio broadcast and Sarah’s sales pitch were worth the hard work.  They made the cuts and now will be able to battle in the next level of state.

Beverly Shirts

Business Manager

     A controversial subject has been voiced by some students at Timberlake High School. Should evolution be taught in schools? If it is should creationism be taught also?

    Some students in Mr. Anderson’s biology class voiced their opinions on the subject. Jenni Schneider, sophomore, said that evolution should definitely be taught in schools. She also said that if creationism is taught in schools, it should not be a required class.

     Amanda Kirby, sophomore, said she wasn’t really sure if evolution should be taught in schools. She said, “I guess so that teachers can still introduce the concept.” However, she does think that creationism should be a non-required class, but it should be offered.

     John Hughes, freshman, thinks that evolution should be taught in schools. He said, “It’s good to know all views of science.” He doesn’t think creationism should be taught because it has to do with religion.

     So why isn’t creationism taught in schools? Creationism is defined on Wikipedia as “a religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created in their original form by a deity (often the Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) or deities, whose existence is presupposed.” 

     What comes into consideration when deciding whether to include creationism in school curriculum? The First  Amendment to the United States Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …” Adding creationism to the curriculum might violate this amendment to the Constitution. It could be considered putting religion into schools. Others argue that evolution can be considered a religion, so it shouldn’t be taught in schools either.