Crapo To Hold Forest Access Town Hall, Announce Health Care Advances In North Idaho

Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will hold a town hall meeting in Sandpoint on Saturday to hear public comment on forest and public lands access issues during a three day visit to Lewiston, Coeur dâ??Alene, Plummer, Genesee, Bonners Ferry, and Sandpoint. Crapo will meet with local leaders to talk about forest health, trade and job issues and also meet with recipients of his Spirit of Idaho Award in Lewiston and Coeur dâ??Alene. During a visit to Plummer, Crapo, leaders of the Coeur dâ??Alene Tribe, and others will announce new medical technology that will greatly enhance health care at the Plummer medical center. The JVN vision distance diagnostic system was installed at the center as a result of coordination between Crapo, tribal leaders, and federal officials. It will greatly enhance local efforts to diagnose and treat illnesses such as diabetes using the latest telehealth technology, which Crapo and tribal leaders will announce during a press conference Friday. Thursday, January 8th:Genesee2:00 p.m. Crapo speaks to the senior class at Genesee High School about government during a visit to Carol Colemanâ??s class. The class has had a standing invitation for Crapo to visit and talk about his interest in politics and government affairs. Heâ??ll speakl at Genesee High School.3:30 p.m. Crapo presents his Spirit of Idaho Award to Lewiston first-grade student Ben Gleason for leading the effort by fellow McSorley Elementary School students to create and send pictures to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. Crapoâ??s office contacted military officials to get the handmade holiday pictures to soldiers in time for Christmas. Gleasonâ??s family, school officials, and fellow students will join Ben for the ceremony at the school.Friday, January 9th:Coeur dâ??Alene9:00 a.m. Crapo presents his Spirit of Freedom Awards to DAV Volunteer of the Year Marilyn Hunt and DAV Veteran of the Year Rev. Earl Hunter for their outstanding service. The presentation is planned at the Kootenai County Courthouse, Conference Room 1-A off the south entrance.Noon Crapo is keynote speaker for the Coeur dâ??Alene Rotary Club Luncheon at the Coeur dâ??Alene Resort.Plummer2:45 p.m. Crapo joins Coeur dâ??Alene Tribal leaders, medical center officials, and representatives of the JVN Teleophthalmology Program to announce the telehealth initiative and technology available at the Benewah Medical Center. The announcement is a follow-up to Crapoâ??s recent Tribal Health Summit discussions at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise. A news conference an announcement is planned at the Benewah Medical Center in downtown Plummer. Saturday, January 10th:Bonners Ferry 11:00 a.m. Crapo tours the Boundary County Library, which was one of only four nationwide to win the National Academy Museum Sciences Honor. Crapo earlier submitted a statement for the Congressional Record in support of the Library and will be joined by Museum Director Sandy Ashworth for the tour.Sandpoint2:45-4:00 p.m. Crapo chairs a town hall meeting to gather public comment from area residents across North Idaho on maintaining year-round access to federal lands for recreational and other purposes. Some residents have voiced concerns over forest plans they feel could put public access at odds with the needs of wildlife such as caribou and lynx. The public meeting will be held at the Sandpoint Community Hall, on the west side of 1st Avenue at the south end of Sandpoint off U.S. 95, across from the Bonner County offices. # # #