First CMR Four letter female athlete

Senior athlete breaks new ground

Pyette becomes first girl to letter in four varsity sports at CMR

By POLLY KOLSTAD

For the Tribune

At 5-foot-1, Lexi Pyette has proven that being small doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish big things as a high school athlete.

Entering her senior year this fall, Pyette is the first C.M. Russell High School female to letter in four varsity sports, earning accolades in golf, soccer, basketball and tennis. This feat is not only a testament to her athleticism and tenacity but also her abili­ty to manage an incredibly busy schedule.

“Lexi is a phenomenal athlete that could do well at any sport,” CMR golf coach Brian Halverson said. “She’s athletically tal­ented, works hard and never complains. In August, she moves from my practice to two a days in soccer. She’s a positive example.”

Pyette is planning to major in medicine when she graduates next spring and has maintained a 3.85 GPA, despite missing as many as one to two days of school a week during her busiest sports seasons.

She can count on one hand the days she’s had off from practice in the past school year — the week between the end of soccer season and the beginning of basketball.

Pyette began playing soccer at age 7 and is a for­ward on the CMR squad, averaging almost a goal a game. She helped the team advance to state last sea­son.

She plays point guard for the CMR basketball team and said the intense workouts are the hardest practices of the year. Pyette, who averages close to six points a game, does­n’t seem to mind that she’s the shortest player in the program.

“I like to play against the taller girls,” she said. “It makes me work harder.”

Up until this spring, about the only activity missing in Pyette’s reper­toire was tennis. But a round of golf one day with CMR tennis coach Deb Erwin changed that.

“She encouraged me to go out and play,” Pyette said.

And that’s all it took. Erwin taught her the basics of the game and was impressed with how quick­ly Pyette picked it up.

“She was just an incredi­ble find,” Erwin said.

Pyette was already in shape from her basketball conditioning, but said the move to tennis wasn’t the easiest transition.

“All those quick change basketball drills really helped,” she said. “I hate to lose so I would keep chug­ging along until I won.”

She played No. 3 singles and won three matches at divisionals.

Summer is her time to relax and play golf with her dad, Willie, which she has done since she was 4.

Pyette’s sports strength and conditioning routine includes the Results class with Dan Groux and Jamey Galbraith at the Benefis Orthopedic Center.

Galbraith has worked with Pyette since she was 12 and said she’s a very “coachable kid.”

“She gives it her all and works hard no matter what,” he said.

Pyette keeps her energy level high and her weight stable by eating lots of pro­tein and avoiding most carbs. She drinks plenty of water and gets eight to nine hours of sleep a night. “It feels good when you are in shape and can push your body to the limit,” she said.

Apples are healthy

Apples- Fitness for September

    We have all heard “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  

     While it may take more than a daily apple to keep you healthy, it is a step in the right direction. 

     Apples are tasty, an easy snack to carry along, low in calories, a natural mouth freshener, and not expensive.

      Apples are for everyone. They’re nutritional treasure: an apple contains only 81 calories, with almost no fat.  Apples are a source of fiber: soluble and insoluble.   The soluble fiber, help prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the incident of arteriosclerosis and heart disease.  The insoluble fiber provides bulk in the intestinal tract, holding water to cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system.

     As a source of dietary fiber, apples help aid digestion and promote weight loss.  A medium apple contains about five grams of fiber, more than most cereals.  Also, apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol, so they are a delicious snack and dessert food that’s good for you.    

      It is a good idea to eat apples with their skin.  Almost half of the Vitamin C content is just underneath the skin.  Eating the skin also increases insoluble fiber content.  Most often apple’s fragrance cells are also concentrated in the skin and as they ripen the skin cells develop more aroma and flavor.

      Recently seen eating a juicy red Gala variety on their front porch, Quincey Borggard, age 12, and brother, Kellen, age 9, declare: “We love apples!”

      Kids who eat apples may be gaining in the classroom.  Eating apples could be the smart thing to do.

An apple a day now has new meaning for those who want to maintain mental dexterity.  It is especially important as we age.  New research from the   University of Massachusetts suggests that consuming apple juice may protect against cell damage that contributes to age-related memory loss, even in test animals that were not prone to developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  Although more research is needed, these brain health findings are encouraging for all individuals who are interested in staying  mentally sharp as they age.

      Apples also contain hefty amounts of boron, a mineral believed to boost alertness and help curb calcium losses that lead to osteoporosis.

      Apples can combat cancer, stroke, and heart disease and help lungs.  New Harvard research finds 20% less heart disease in apple eaters.  In test tubes, apple antioxidents slowed the growth of human cancer cells 50%.  The peel has the most antioxidants.

     No surprise that apples make the list of protecting lungs.  Chances are you never knew that eating an apple a day is particularly good for your lungs.  All the more so if you smoke.  In a study presented before the American Thoracic Society British researchers said that apples were more effective than other fruits and vegetables in reducing the risk of developing serious disease including lung cancer.  In another study, Dutch scientist found that smokers who ate an apple a day were half as likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

      In recent years, apple consumption has been linked with reduced cancer risk in several studies.  A 2001 Mayo Clinic study indicated that Quercetin, a flavonoid abundant in apples, helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells.  A Cornell University study indicated phytochemicals in the skin of an apple inhibited the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43 per cent.  The National Cancer Institute has reported that food containing flavonoids like those found in apples may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

    New research suggests that both apple pectin and apple juice extracts may enhance the body’s ability to protect from colon cancer. German researchers found that components of apples and apple juice react in the colon and help to slow the growth of precancerous and tumor cells.  This study is published in the scientific journal, Nutrition (April 2008).  Subsequent studies have demonstrated that the components in both apple pectin and apple juice actually enhance biological mechanisms that have anticarcinogenic effects in the colon.

Rugby in Iceland

‘First you beat on each other, then go to a party’

Great Falls natives experience the world by playing rugby internationally

Susan and Don Hamilton of Great Falls recently flew to Iceland to see their sons, Chuck and John, play one of the first rugby matches on that country’s soil.

The Hamiltons play with the Thun­derbird Rugby Old Boys, a team com­prised of graduates of the Thunder­bird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.

The Old Boys are made up of play­ers from around the world.

“Our inaugural international tour took us to Cuba in 2003, followed by Argentina in 2005,” said Chuck Hamilton, who coaches Illinois’ Northwestern University rugby team. John Hamilton lives and works in Hong Kong and regularly plays for the Pot Bellied Pigs, but travels to join the Thunderbird team.

Both brothers played football for C.M. Russell High, a sport that led them into college rugby.

Chuck’s rugby career began when he was a graduate student at the Thunderbird School of Global Man­agement. John played at Stanford University, where he captained the team. Together they have 45 years of rugby experience.

“In American football there is a lot of protection worn but there is also a higher probability of being hit from the side or from behind,” John Hamil­ton said. “With rugby, there is no pro­tection, but because of the rules — no blocking, no forward passing — you usually go into a tackle prepared for the hit.”

Reykjavik, a city of some 200,000, has a team of young guys, expats and locals who have played rugby in the United Kingdom and Europe. They practiced twice a week, and were excited to host an official 15-man match on their pitch.

The Americans were welcomed for a week of activities leading up to the game, at the Valdur Sports Club. They saw the “Smoky Bay” area of Reyk­javik, where plumes of steam rise from hot springs and provide geo­thermal energy to heat the local homes.

“Iceland was an amazing destina­tion with a haunting landscape,” Chuck Hamilton said. “A week’s visit does not do it justice. Reykjavik is easy to explore on foot with many nightlife options, and amazing food.”

The Icelanders won the match 45–27.
“The Raiders were well-drilled, and had some speed on the corner,” John Hamilton said. “What they lacked in experience, they made up with youth. “What we lacked in youth we made up for in weight.”

After a match, the Hamiltons and their teammates often go to the host’s rugby club — usually a bar — where they party with their opponents.

“In no other instance I can think of do you get muddy and sweaty with a group of people native to that nation, beat on each other, then go to a party,” Chuck Hamilton. “Often, they take you around town to places tourists don’t frequent.”
On his rugby journeys, Chuck has downed mojitos and smoked Cuban cigars on a hot steamy September night on the roof of the old U.S.

Embassy in Havana, had tea at an old Scottish manor on the shores of a loch, eaten tapas on the back streets of Barcelona and lunched at a moun­tain top microbrewery in Patagonia.

He has walked the shores of Con­nemara, Ireland, and sipped lattes overlooking the Mediterranean in France.

“This is why I can’t give up rugby,” Chuck Hamilton said. “I recognize it is the best way to see and experience the world.”

---

‘First you beat on each other, then go to a party’

Great Falls natives experience the world by playing rugby internationally

Susan and Don Hamilton of Great Falls recently flew to Iceland to see their sons, Chuck and John, play one of the first rugby matches on that country’s soil.

The Hamiltons play with the Thun­derbird Rugby Old Boys, a team com­prised of graduates of the Thunder­bird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.

The Old Boys are made up of play­ers from around the world.

“Our inaugural international tour took us to Cuba in 2003, followed by Argentina in 2005,” said Chuck Hamilton, who coaches Illinois’ Northwestern University rugby team. John Hamilton lives and works in Hong Kong and regularly plays for the Pot Bellied Pigs, but travels to join the Thunderbird team.

Both brothers played football for C.M. Russell High, a sport that led them into college rugby.

Chuck’s rugby career began when he was a graduate student at the Thunderbird School of Global Man­agement. John played at Stanford University, where he captained the team. Together they have 45 years of rugby experience.

“In American football there is a lot of protection worn but there is also a higher probability of being hit from the side or from behind,” John Hamil­ton said. “With rugby, there is no pro­tection, but because of the rules — no blocking, no forward passing — you usually go into a tackle prepared for the hit.”

Reykjavik, a city of some 200,000, has a team of young guys, expats and locals who have played rugby in the United Kingdom and Europe. They practiced twice a week, and were excited to host an official 15-man match on their pitch.

The Americans were welcomed for a week of activities leading up to the game, at the Valdur Sports Club. They saw the “Smoky Bay” area of Reyk­javik, where plumes of steam rise from hot springs and provide geo­thermal energy to heat the local homes.

“Iceland was an amazing destina­tion with a haunting landscape,” Chuck Hamilton said. “A week’s visit does not do it justice. Reykjavik is easy to explore on foot with many nightlife options, and amazing food.”

The Icelanders won the match 45–27.
“The Raiders were well-drilled, and had some speed on the corner,” John Hamilton said. “What they lacked in experience, they made up with youth. “What we lacked in youth we made up for in weight.”

After a match, the Hamiltons and their teammates often go to the host’s rugby club — usually a bar — where they party with their opponents.

“In no other instance I can think of do you get muddy and sweaty with a group of people native to that nation, beat on each other, then go to a party,” Chuck Hamilton. “Often, they take you around town to places tourists don’t frequent.”
On his rugby journeys, Chuck has downed mojitos and smoked Cuban cigars on a hot steamy September night on the roof of the old U.S.

Embassy in Havana, had tea at an old Scottish manor on the shores of a loch, eaten tapas on the back streets of Barcelona and lunched at a moun­tain top microbrewery in Patagonia.

He has walked the shores of Con­nemara, Ireland, and sipped lattes overlooking the Mediterranean in France.

“This is why I can’t give up rugby,” Chuck Hamilton said. “I recognize it is the best way to see and experience the world.”

---

Reply Sydne George to me show details Mar 2 (5 days ago)


To: sydnegeorge@hotmail.comSubject: Great Falls Tribune e-Edition ArticleFrom: noreply@newsmemory.comDate: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 20:09:34 +0000
sydnegeorge@hotmail.com sent you this article.

Great Falls 03/02/2011, Page L02

Arizona growers: ‘Fresh olives give you fresh oil’
By POLLY KOLSTAD For the Tribune
A Detroit auto parts business­man looking for warmer weather and new adventures has found both in the Sonoran Desert.
In 1998, Perry Rea and his wife Brenda discussed buying a small farm, planting some olive trees and starting a business.
The result is a grove of 2,500 olive trees in Queen Creek, Ariz., southeast of Phoenix.
“I knew nothing about olives,” Rea admitted, but he was inspired by his parents who were born in Italy and loved cooking and growing.
The young couple bought 100 acres at the base of the San Tan Mountains, planted an olive grove, labored and waited.
Five years later, 800 trees matured and produced their first harvest in 2004. The Reas run the Queen Creek Olive Mill, the only olive oil-producing company in Arizona.
Rea is the master blender while Brenda makes olive oil body products in her kitchen . Her creams and lotions now are avail­able commercially.
One of the couple’s trees pro­duces between 50 and 200 pounds of olives. One ton of olives will yield 40 to 60 gallons of olive oil.
Their olives are pressed within 24 hours of harvest.
“Fresh olives give you fresh oil,” Rea explained.
In Arizona, olive trees blossom in mid-April. Pollinator trees planted throughout the orchard pollinate the olive blossoms, and by May, olives have formed and grow throughout the summer. Because of Arizona’s warm cli­mate, they are not bothered by the olive fly or olive tree molds and there is no need for pesti­cides.
The fruit is harvested in the fall by gently raking the olives from the trees. Then, stems, twigs, leaves and olives are removed with a defoliator. A hammer mill grinds the olives, crushing the pits, seeds and flesh into a coarse paste. The pit and the seed of the olive add distinctive characteris­tics to the oil.
The paste is blended slowly in a large mixer in a process called malaxation, which allows the small oil droplets to combine and form into bigger ones.
Next, a centrifugal decanter spins the olive paste at a high rate of speed, separating the heavier flesh, pits and most of the water from the oil.
At this point, signature oils are created through a blending process by the master blender. The oil is then transferred to an oxygen-free stainless steel stor­age decanter.
In the blending process, Rea, the master blender, puts together different flavors including grassy, peppery, fruity, bitter or buttery from his varietal trees to create his signature style of pure oils. Citrus, garlic, vanilla and choco­late flavors are added to his infused oils. Their newest infused oil is the chocolate, which can be drizzled over ice cream or added to make double chocolate cup­cakes.Besides extra virgin olive oil, Queen Creek Olive Mill processes and bottles many varieties of olives, including garlic/Vermouth; feta/cheese stuffed; parmesan/stuffed jalapeno; and ginger wasabi.
Their products are available online at www.queencreeko­livemill. com or by calling 480-888-9290.






.POLLY KOLSTEAD PHOTOS
ABOVE: The Queen Creek Olive Orchard in Ari­zona.
LEFT: Perry and Brenda Rea, owners of the olive orchard.


Powered by TECNAVIACopyright (c)2011 Great Falls Tribune 03/02/2011



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Food and Music: composer Richard Pearson Thomas

Great Falls native’s cantata a big hit in the Big Apple

By POLLY KOLSTAD For the Tribune
During a recent trip to New York City, my husband and I sank our teeth into the tasty musical talents of Great Falls native Richard Pearson Thomas.
We were invited to his ninth premiere, “Know Thy Farmer,” a cantata celebrating music and food.
As part of this visit, Thomas later escorted us to Blue Hill at Stone Barns Restaurant in Pocantico Hills to enjoy the food of Dan Barber, a two-time James Beard award recipient, with whom Thomas collaborat­ed for his cantata.
Seated next to us in the full audience of “Know Thy Farmer” at Merkin Concert Hall, Thomas’ mother, Marillyn, recalled her son’s youthful days when she and his sister, Marlie, would sing songs to his piano accompaniment. To him the results didn’t always turn out quite right.
“He had his own rendition; he was already composing in grade school and just kind of rolled his eyes,” Marillyn said.
As a teenager growing up in Great Falls, Thomas was the organist for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and played for the Virginia City Players in Virginia City.
He’s had works performed by the Boston Pops, Houston Grand Opera, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and River­side Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. His songs have been sung in Carnegie Hall, the Lin­coln Center, the Kennedy Cen­ter, Merkin Concert Hall and before the U.S. Congress.
He’s currently on the faculty of the Teachers College/Colum­bia University and is a compos­er- in-residence at the Gold Opera Project, Young Audi­ences in New York. In that capacity, he has composed nearly 90 operas with students in New York City public schools
See CANTATA, 4L

Cantata: Food and music mix successfully
FROM 1L
and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clin­ton for this work.
Two years ago Tobe Malaw-i­sta, president and artistic direc­tor of Mirror Visions, presented Thomas with the opportunity to pair music with food. She sent him menus from Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant, challeng­ing him to write about sustain­able food.
“I looked at the menu and put stories in my mind, picturing all these things blooming,” said Thomas, a graduate of the East­man School of Music and Univer­sity of Southern California.
The concert a la carte played out with the help of three singers, violin, violoncello and piano.
“If you love food, if you love music, you’re in the right seat,” tenor Scott Murphree said.
Malawista called it an “extraor­dinary experience, to see a mere thought transformed into thrilling music.”
Thomas’ work only made us more hungry for the tasty ingre­dients that were his inspiration.
A fortnight later, we took the train from Grand Central Station to Tarrytown, a lovely half-hour ride along the Hudson River. Taxis then carried us through the rolling hills to Blue Hill at Stone Barns on land once owned by the Rockefeller family.
At Blue Hill, more than 200 varieties of crops are grown year­round, many of which are served in the restaurant’s elegant dining room. We strolled through the fields and barns of the farm before being treated to an amaz­ing evening of creatively pre­pared food. Chiogga beets, romano beans, purple cauliflower, honey, Berk­shire pork, eggs from their resi­dent hens, and handcrafted breads made from exotic wheat varieties are just a handful of the foods produced on this farm.
Back in the city, we had tickets to two Broadway plays and the opera, “Carmen,” at the Metro­politan Opera House.
But no performance was more emotionally rendering than Thomas’ presentation of his orig­inal composition, “Race for the Sky,” at the Philoctetes Center in Manhattan.
After 9/11, the local historical society commissioned Thomas to put to music memorials left by people in the streets near Ground Zero. He chose a poem by Hilary North, which expresses how her life would never be the same. Thomas was joined by violinist Stephanie Chase and vocalist Hope Hudson.
After the last note was played, Chase reflected on the evening.
“I’m unable to think about the words, because Richard’s music is so powerful,” she said.
“In a way, it is so healing for me,” Hudson said. “Long after I’m gone, I hope people sing the American song tradition. Richard has written 16 songs for me, some not premiered yet.”
Since 9/11, Thomas’ “Race for the Sky” has been sung in many places, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center.
His busy schedule keeps him hopping.
We had barely packed to leave New York when he was off to Boston for another performance of “Know thy Farmer.”

Christmas pudding: A plum delightful tradition

By POLLY KOLSTAD For the Tribune
Of the many Christmas tradi­tions, few are as endearing as getting together and preparing a family recipe.
For Chris Wulf and daughter, Nancy Pannell, the smells of nana’s plum pudding fill Pan­nell’s kitchen during the holiday season. The treat has been a Christmas staple for generations. “My mother helped Grandma, I helped Mother, now I help Nancy,” Wulf said.
“It’s the partnership,” she said. “We’ve done it for 40 years and never missed a year.”
With a dash of this and a pinch of that, the recipe came with Wulf’s maternal family when they moved from England and settled in Salt Lake City.
In England, plum pudding was an important part of the Christ­mas celebration. It contained dried fruit and spices, mostly dried plums, or prunes — which have been replaced by raisins — nuts, and raw beef or mutton fat (suet).
It was made five weeks before Christmas on “Stir up Sunday,” when each member of the family stirred the pudding and made a wish. Traditionally, small silver charms were baked in the plum pudding, signifying good luck, safe harbor, wealth, etc.
Today, these tiny charms may still be bought and baked in the steamed pudding. Covered with a wonderfully rich sauce, deco­rated with a sprig of holly, doused in brandy, and set aflame, the plum pudding is cer­emoniously brought to the table. Many Americans are familiar with the plum pudding traditions as told in many carols and Christmas stories.
From Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” Mrs. Cratchit brought the pudding to the table, “blazing in half of half a quartern of brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck on top.”
When it came to ordering pud­ding ingredients, Wulf said her grandmother was a “feisty little thing.” She would tell the grocer exactly what she wanted.
“That meant that the suet was not to come from anywhere but the beef kidneys,” Wulf said.
These days it’s difficult to acquire suet, so Wulf and Pan­nell have adapted the recipe to include butter, which is mixed in with the bread crumbs. They also add dates, pecans, candied cherries and a bit of brandy, all of which is meticulously hand stirred.
It’s carefully ladled into well­greased tin cans, covered with foil and securely tied with string
See PLUM PUDDING, 2L Plum pudding: A family tradition

FROM 1L
before being submerged into a long, hot steam bath. Wulf said that the pudding also may be made in a mold and put in a water bath in the oven.
Every year, mother and daugh­ter meet in Pannell’s kitchen as part of the holiday tradition to make pudding and to remember the family and friends who have come and gone through the years. “We’ve lost a lot of pudding eaters over the years,” Wulf said.
NANA’S PLUM PUDDING
1 cup dark molasses (if very thick, soften for a few seconds in the microwave)
½ tsp. baking soda Fruit mixture:
2 cups bread crumbs processed in Cuisinart with ¾ cup cold butter
2 cups golden raisins
1½ cups chopped dates
1½ cups candied fruit
8 ounces candied red cherries
8 ounces candied green cherries
1 cup broken pecans or walnuts
½ cup flour Dry ingredients:
1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder Moist ingredients:
¼ to ½ cup brandy, rum or whiskey
¾ cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix molasses and baking soda and set aside until fluffy and light colored.
Measure bread crumbs, can­died fruit, dates, nuts and ½ cup flour into a large bowl. Toss to combine. Measure and mix together 1½ cups flour, sugar, spices and baking powder. Add to bread crumb mixture and mix well by hand. Add brandy, rum or whiskey, along with molasses mixture to dry ingredients. Mix well. Set aside.
In small bowl, beat together whole milk, eggs and vanilla.
Add to ingredients in large bowl. Mix well, by hand. The dough should be the consistency of muffin dough. If necessary, add more flour.
Ladle mixture into well­greased aluminum cans. Fill cans two-thirds to three-quarters full. Leave room for pudding to puff up when steamed.
Top cans with heavy duty foil tied with double string so the cans are airtight. Trim foil evenly so as not to touch water bath.
Steam in oven in water bath or use an electric roaster. Water should be one-third to one-half of the way up on the can.
To steam: Set temperature at 350° and steam for three hours. Lower temperature to 250° and steam for 1½ hours. Add more water if necessary during steaming time to avoid scorching the bottoms of the puddings. Re-move. Cool. Store in refrigerator or freeze. It will keep for up to one year.
To serve: Steam pudding in a covered saucepan in about 1 inch of water for 45 minutes. Remove foil from can. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the can and carefully unmold pudding onto plate. Slice and top with sauce.
Makes about 10 soup cans of pudding
WHIPPED CREAM SAUCE
Whip 1 cup cream almost to butter; fold carefully, the follow­ing ingredients one at a time to keep cream as stiff as possible.
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp. melted butter
Powdered sugar to taste
½ tsp. vanilla.
Refrigerate until serving time.
BRANDY OR RUM SAUCE
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
½ tsp. lemon juice

Cataldo Mission story

Historic mission is worth a visit

High on a grassy knoll above Interstate 90, 24 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, the Cataldo Mis­sion church is situated elegantly above a leafy forest. For years, as I traveled to and from Seat­tle, I passed by the Cataldo Mis­sion with little more than a glance. But finally, “The House of the Great Spirit,” as the Coeur d’Alene Indians called it, lured me in.
After you take Exit 39 and wind through the woodsy land­scape, you can almost feel the pull of the past along the trails in Old Mission State Park. The visitors center offers an orienta­tion video.
Connecting Fort Benton on the Missouri River with Fort Walla Walla on the Columbia, the Mullan Road passed in front of the mission, which became an impor­tant stop for traders, settlers and miners. It was a port for boats head­ing up the Coeur d’Alene River.
What stands today dates back to the 1850s, when the tribe put a call out to St. Louis and the “blackrobes,” the Jesuits, to establish a mission in the rugged wilderness.
The beloved Father Antonio Ravalli, who built St. Mary’s Mission near Stevensville, answered the call to work with the Coeur d’Alenes.
Safe from flooding, the hill above the Coeur d’Alene River, long a holy place to the Coeur d’alene Indians, was chosen as the site for the church.
David Leeds, park interpreter and history buff, shared infor­mation about the Old Mission.
“Many generations of Indians came here to offer prayers for successful journeys,” he said.
Father Ravalli and the Native Americans worked for nearly six years to construct a magnifi­cent church 90 feet long and 40 feet wide. Built in the Roman Doric style, it mirrors architec­ture Ravalli studied in his native Italy. The facade remains a tes­tament to his skill.
Inside the church looms a carved ceiling colored with huckleberry juice, the stain being the closest they could get to the heavenly blue they were aiming for. The workers had only meager tools, using an ax but no saw. Even so, they were able to craft wood­en statues and fur­niture, and painted pictures. Ravalli carved with his pocket knife and plucked tail hairs from his cat which he used for his paint brushes.
Visitors can see into the building’s walls in side rooms and see the original wattle and daub, using river grass and clay. Timber beams are held by hand-carved pegs.
There is a credence table, hand-hewn urns and exquisite small chandeliers cut from used tin cans. When newspapers became available, they were glued to the walls and painted to resemble wallpaper.
Just over the doorway hangs a framed painting of the Sacred Heart done by Ravalli.
In 1877, the mission was left outside reservation boundaries and the Coeur d’Alene Indians were relocated. Another priest, Father Cataldo, took over the mission which eventually became Cataldo Mission.
In 1961, the mission was des­ignated a National Historic Landmark.



PHOTO COURTESY POLLY KOLSTAD
The Cataldo Mission in Idaho.


On the Road
— Polly Kolstad