Noteworthy Publications and Mentions

May 2026 (Bonner County Daily Bee)

Priest River Elementary teacher not done sharing passion for space

NACA participants stood in a line and shook hands with Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger following the rocket launch event.

by JACK FREEMAN
Staff Writer | May 2, 2026 1:00 AM

PRIEST RIVER — “3... 2... 1... blast off!” and the roars of cheering were all that could be heard from Priest River Elementary as model rockets graced the pristine blue sky during the school’s annual Aeronautics Day event.

For the 34th year, fifth-grade teacher Chris Naccarato put on the event, which invites the students to dream and become engrossed in space, as Naccarato once was. Despite the long-running event, Naccarato hasn’t lost a shred of enthusiasm, still bringing energy during his presentation and rocket launches.

“I still get that same excited feeling as the first time,” Naccarato said. “I guess you would call it, childlike enthusiasm, and it's still there, like watching the Apollo missions and astronauts and stuff. That's what drives me.”

As a part of the annual event, Naccarato has made it a tradition to bring in astronauts from NASA. Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, a former high school science teacher who flew to the International Space Station in 2010, made a returning appearance on Thursday to speak to the students.

Naccarato said Metcalf-Lindenburger's visit marks the 55th astronaut appearance in the history of Aeronautics Day. He added that astronauts from every NASA mission, except the most recent Artemis, have visited Priest River Elementary.

“When I first started, I remember very well that the astronaut offices that help facilitate the events. And she said to me, ‘A school is lucky if they get one astronaut visit,’” Naccarato said. “So, it's that rare to have even just one, and yesterday was number 55.”

During Metcalf-Lindenburger's presentation, she walked the students through her journey to becoming an astronaut and encouraged them to put their dreams into action, even at a young age. Metcalf-Lindenburger helped students launch a model of the Discovery space shuttle, the same one she flew to the ISS on her mission.

John Phillips, who flew into space three times between 2001 and 2009 and resides in Sandpoint, was also in attendance. While Phillips and Metcalf-Lindenburger pressed the launch button, Naccarato’s team of students, or NACA, was involved in every step of the way.

Whether it be setting up the launch pad or retrieving the rockets post-launch, the uniformed students put the skills they’d learned for the last year to good use. Thanks to the program’s longevity, Naccarato said students are bought in from day one after seeing the rocket launches since kindergarten.

“Watching them and what they do is so pride-filled for me, because we build a bond that's a lot stronger than just a normal teacher-student relationship,” Naccarato said. “Whenever I see former students, even some students I've run into from the very beginning, 34 years ago, the number one thing that kids say to me is ‘I still have all my stuff, my shirt, my hat.’

Naccarato said it’s exciting to hear that former students keep their NACA apparel because it made an impact on them. Students from this year’s event will surely be keeping their hats and badges after Metcalf-Lindenburger took time to sign at least one item for every student.

For all his efforts over the last three decades, Naccarato was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow award by District Governor of Rotary International's District 5080, David Keyes. Keyes said the fellowship is the most prestigious award a non-Rotarian can earn, with the last time anyone in the region earned the fellowship being Forrest Bird. Keyes said he gave Naccarato the award for the event and his work inspiring local students. Naccarato said he hopes Aeronautics Day ignites a dream in students across the school.

“I don't know if it will be one of my students that gets inspired to do something about this, or just somebody sitting in the audience,” Naccarato said. "That inspiration could happen in either sense, not just if you're on the team, but somebody in the grandstands watching it and saying, ‘I want to do that.’”

April 2026 (River Valley Beacon)

  March 2026 (Bonner County Daily Bee/River Valley Beacon)

Rotary supports Idaho Hill with reading intervention grant

Idaho Hill teachers pose for a photo after learning the school had received a $500 grant from the Priest River/Newport Rotary Club. Pictured, from left, are Sarah Fahey, Jody Croff, Savanna Bowman, Shannon Morris, Retta Knapp, Angela Raffety and Nancy Gregory.
Photo courtesy IDAHO HILL ELEMENTARY

March 11, 2026 1:00 AM

Idaho Hill Elementary recently received a $500 grant from the Priest River/Newport Rotary Club to support reading intervention efforts for students who need additional help developing foundational literacy skills.

The funding was used to purchase materials from the University of Florida Literacy Institute, a research-based reading intervention program designed to strengthen phonics, decoding, and foundational reading skills for struggling learners. The materials provide structured lessons and consistent instructional strategies that teachers can use to support students who need targeted reading support.

Since implementing the UFLI materials, Idaho Hill Elementary staff have already begun to see encouraging results.

“I believe the consistency and clear instructional strategies within the UFLI program have contributed to improvements in student reading performance and confidence. Early data from reading assessments shows promising growth among students receiving intervention support,” Idaho Hill Principal Loretta Glazier said.

The Priest River/Newport Rotary Club has long been a strong supporter of education and community initiatives throughout the area. Their continued investment in local schools helps ensure that students have access to resources that strengthen learning and open doors for future success.

School leaders emphasize that partnerships like this play an important role in helping schools meet the needs of all learners.

“I am using UFLI in my classroom and have recognized a change in my students' abilities with the consistent use; I am thankful for the Rotary's Club partnership with our schools; I received a grant from them this year as well to purchase cubicles where my students place their personal items," said second grade teacher Nancy Gregory.

The staff and students at Idaho Hill Elementary extend their sincere appreciation to the Priest River/Newport Rotary Club for their generosity and ongoing support of public education. Their commitment to the community continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of local students.

February 2026

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October 2024 (view the digital article)

In the face of a tight budget, North Idaho officials, educators, and residents have collaborated to bring suicide prevention resources to West Bonner County School District.

by ERIC WELCH
Staff Writer | October 26, 2024 1:00 AM
PRIEST RIVER — On Oct. 4, 105 West Bonner County School District employees became “gatekeepers” by training to recognize mental health crises and prevent suicide. According to Priest River community member Elizabeth Glazier, the training was only phase one — the first of several stages in a grassroots movement aiming to bring a dark issue to light.

“This is far from over,” Glazier said of the initiative. “This is just a little step in the right direction.”

Glazier played a key role in organizing the Oct. 4 training, where WBCSD faculty and staff became certified for QPR: a technique designed to empower someone to question, persuade and refer to prevent suicide in their community.

“The person doesn't have to be a licensed clinician. They don't have to be a first responder,” said Valerie Leal, suicide prevention and youth education specialist at Panhandle Health District. “It's for any person to learn to recognize and how to respond to warning signs of a suicide crisis.”

Suicide has been a longtime problem for Idaho; Idaho’s 2022 rate of 22.64 suicides per 100,000 residents significantly outpaced the national rate of 14.91 per 100,000. Idaho’s Public Health District 1 — which comprises Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties — mirrored the state rate at 22.30 per 100,000.

Hayden-based Panhandle Health District has offered free mental health and suicide prevention resources for years. Several months ago, Bonner County commissioner Asia Williams made an effort to raise awareness about suicide in North Idaho and proposed connecting Panhandle Health with WBCSD.

West Bonner’s director of special services Kristina Kenny and Glazier, who heads Kaniksu Sunrise Rotary Club, then teamed up with Leal to organize a training event and recruit local QPR trainers Jay Watson and Marie Gray.

To maximize the opportunity, the Rotary club sponsored the training by providing a stipend to non-classified WBCSD employees — who usually have Fridays off — attending the event.

“We wanted not only their teachers, but their bus drivers, their lunch ladies, their janitors, their coaches, their school nurse and everybody around them to feel like they had a basic knowledge and awareness of signs to look for,” Grazier said. “This is a way to flood Priest River with the awareness and knowledge of how to treat people in crisis.”

With staff members equipped with knowledge, the next step of the project will educate community members to help provide support to students at home and in the workplace.

Panhandle Health has announced six free public QPR training sessions Nov. 13, 16 and 23 at the Priest River Library. The events are open to adults, and registration is available through the Kaniksu Sunrise Rotary Club Facebook page.

The third step, educating students themselves, is the final piece of the project.

“Our goal is to provide some sort of training to our students before they leave for Christmas break, because we see an increase in depression and mental health issues over long breaks,” Kenny said.

QPR is designed for ages 16 and up, and only suits high school juniors and seniors. Other programs exist for younger populations, and the district is interested in educating a variety of students across grade levels.

“We want to specifically target those middle school and high school grades,” said Kenny.

In all, Glazier viewed the three-step approach as a pilot program for what she hopes will become an integral part of district curriculum.

“We see this as kind of like a seed for a big tree someday,” Glazier said. “I think this will just become the new norm, and kids won't ever remember a time when we didn't have mental health education."

The initiative for mental health support and suicide prevention has emerged during a turbulent time in WBCSD. In spite of persistent budget shortages, the district has found a way to not only maintain its support for students’ mental health, but also expand it.

“If you've been following our district at all in the past one or two years, you understand the financial struggle that we are in just to provide the bare essentials to our students,” Kenny said.

“It's really great to see the community come together for a common cause and a common mission.”

To register for one of the upcoming free QPR training events in Priest River, visit bit.ly/3NTSNQA.

September 2024

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