Sandpoint, Idaho Guide to North Idaho Information and Media

Innovation and Passion Shine Through

LAUGHING DOG BREWING TAKES HOME SILVER

Sandpoint has a colossal amount of educated craft beer drinkers, and what better way to expand on their knowledge than to have extraordinary breweries in the area to learn from. One, in particular, Laughing Dog Brewing, has proven their abilities to create beers that are both tasteful to their customers and also obtain the “wow” factor to win national awards.

This year, Laughing Dog took their talents once again to the North American Brewers Association International Beer Awards competition in Idaho Falls, the second largest in the nation. Although taking four beers to the competition in different categories, the new and innovative English Pale Ale was the one that gained the most traction at the event.

Judging of the beers submitted to the competition fall within four different categories: appearance, aroma, flavor and carbonation levels. “Just because a beer tastes good doesn’t mean it falls into stylistic categories,” as Evan Addario, brewer extraordinaire said, “so we needed to create something that would be appealing to judges and, of course, our customers at home.”

CODING FROM YOUR COUCH

U OF I PROGRAM HELPS BRING NEW SKILL TO SMALL TOWNS

Sean Bonner is quick to call himself a nerd, and during his 15 years living in North Idaho, he has come to realize that he is not alone.

Through the Coeur d’Alene branch of the Innovation Collective, he and other self-avowed nerds have a place to come together and work toward the organization’s mission, which is to create “a global entrepreneurship movement in smaller towns,” nodding to the uniqueness of each town and the skills of each member.

Charles Buck is the associate vice president and executive officer for University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene, and his charge is to increase educational access in the community to foster positive growth and development, not just in Coeur d’Alene but in towns across the state.

So perhaps it was only a matter of time that the efforts of Buck and people like Bonner in the Innovation Collective were able to come together. And come together they have, with a program that is off to a faster start than either of them expected.

NURTURING HEALTH AND COMMUNITY

WHY THE Y IS A WONDERFUL THING

When people work together to find ways of improving the quality of life in their community, that’s a good thing. When they bring about something that improves the quality of life and promotes better health opportunities year-round, that’s even better!

For residents of Sandpoint, the list of healthy outdoor activities is vast with a seemingly endless variety of options for nearly every age or skill level. During inclement weather, the list of things to do narrows substantially, and for lower income families, even more so.

So when the YMCA opened in the former Sandpoint West Athletic Club facility last December, the options for indoor activities increased dramatically and, most importantly, affordably.

For more than a decade, a dedicated and diverse group of citizens focused on creating a community recreation center with the goal that it be accessible by every person and family who wanted to join. In 2013, realizing they had no funding or expertise in areas such as fundraising or program planning, the group decided to partner with YMCA of Inland Northwest.