Heyyy Bill, some of us druggies are still here... 'Course these days it's more likely asprin.
While I was the first to knock N. Idaho, it was obviously (I hope) in jest. Now with Lisa bad-mouthing my county, I gotta respond.
I would imagine that more than half of the junior and senior highschool kids are newcomers themselves, so I would think that if any particular individual has trouble fitting in, there may be another reason for it. One thing you quickly find here is that there are darn few natives.
I don't know when you left Lisa, but you are probably aware that the new 20 million highschool in Bonners Ferry is nearing completion. It's construction was hard won, and somewhat divides the community. Idaho is the only state that gives no help to individual school districts in construction funding, leaving it strictly to the local community to build new schools. In counties like Boundary and Bonner, where 80% of the land base is federally owned, it makes it very hard to pay for. Property taxes is how it's done, leaving those with larger land holdings paying a disproportionate amount to fund the new building.
Since it's a small community, I know many of the teachers first hand. I belive that I would have to look far and wide to find educators that care more for their students.
I don't know what the demographics are, but it seems to me that there are way more college educated people in this area than others I've been in.
My kids are always telling me that there's nothing to do here too. That is, when they are around. As I type, two are at the nearby lake, supposedly fishing (but I know they'll return at dark with no fish and soaking wet). One is camped out six miles up the road with friends in huckleberry camp, while another is sitting here reading this over my shoulder, saying, "you just don't get it"! I do get it actually. There isn't a lot of "town stuff" to do in Bonners Ferry. Sandpoint at least has a city beach. My kids haven't lacked much in the activity department in my book though and I can attest to it by showing you the milage on my vehicles. Even though all ours are homeschooled, they are active in sports, music, 4H, and too many other things to think about. Around here Friday night excitement is hanging out at the 24 hour Chevron station on the south end of town. By the same token, there ain't a whole lot for adults to do either unless you like the bar scene or bowling or the movie.
I don't get around all that much anymore, but it was the same for me growing up in Montana, and I imagine that it's the same in any non-metro area.
I also doubt the drug situation here is any different from anywhere else. Yup, it's available, but it was available and I partook of it 40 years ago in rural Montana too. In fact, I think drug use is probably less pervasive than it was when I was a kid. Part of the reason is that as parents, we are more aware of the problem than mine were. I know the signs of drug use first hand. It may go by different names these days, but it's the same dang stuff essentially that I used as a teen and young adult.
Lisa even picked on the climate! We affectionately call this area the banana belt because of our relatively mild weather. It has NEVER been 95 for two months at a time here. Most folks don't have air conditioning in either their homes or vehicles. There's usually a two week period every summer, when I think about maybe purchasing an air conditioner but the by then I'm too dang hot to be bothered with the installation and just jump in the lake instead. For example, the last couple weeks the temp has reached into the 90's but it cools down to the 50's and 60's at night and there is zero humidity. It does get dry most summers, which is really scarey since 99% of the area is forested. Temps in the winter seldom dip below zero degrees although there have been extremes.
Now that I've typed all this, I'm wondering in the back of my mind if Lisa really doesn't still live here and is just trying to keep it for herself!