City council candidate
Ken Toline a patriot, servant |
October 23, 2017 |
Though his name is on the ballot for the
November 7 election in the only contested race
in the Bonners Ferry City Council election, Ken
Toline is not a politician. He professes no
political party affiliation. He is not, he
confesses, a “local.”
He is, he said, a patriot, a servant.
Five days after graduating high school in 1968,
he enlisted in the U.S. Navy; a chest full of
medals earned through a storied military career
as a Navy Corpsman gives credence to his claim
as a patriot.
Retiring after 26 years, with three Purple
Hearts, a Silver Star and a 90-percent
disability from wounds sustained while treating
and delivering “his” Marines to safety, and
looking for something a bit less heart-wrenching
than medicine, he was in his last semester at
the University of Nebraska and within touching
distance of a degree in education when his
government again called on him to serve.
He wasn't at the federal building tending his
duties as Officer in Charge of Alien Records at
Immigration and Naturalization for the New York
District on the morning of September 11, 2001,
but he and his wife felt the impact deeply.
He met Brenda while she was tending his mother
through the ravages of cancer as an oncology
nurse.
He and Brenda, married for 23 years now, both
wanted to be able to step away from careers that
carried so high an emotional price, and they
searched the United States for a place they
could call “home,” a place they could feel safe
and secure.
|
Brenda
Toline |
A place where they could give to their
community, where they could be part of something
bigger than themselves.
“My wife and I wanted to find a safe and secure
place to live,” he said. “We found Bonners
Ferry. We have been here for 14 years now, and
have been active in assimilating into this
community. I am the first to admit that I am not
inherently connected to Bonners Ferry. I am not
here for any other reason than a very conscious
choice to be here. I have frequently had locals
refer to me as an outsider.”
“After 26 years of serving this country, I
believe I have earned the right to live anywhere
within its borders and call it my home. I cannot
change the fact that I was not born and raised
here. All I can tell you is why I chose to come
here and call this my home. The impact of 9/11
caused me to question a lot of things in my life
and it solidified my belief that freedom isn’t
free.
“I thought a lot about the 26 years that I
served in the military to preserve and protect
the American way of life and I wanted to find a
place that allowed me to realize what it meant
to truly live that life. Again, I call Bonners
Ferry my home because it is a conscious choice
for me to live here.”
He and his wife made a home, and opened a
business they could work together. “All Gussied
Up,” a store on David Thompson Way near Three
Mile that offered up-cycled furniture and home
décor, became too successful, requiring a
greater commitment of time and energy than
either wanted to give, and taking away from
their ability to grow and give back to the
community they adopted.
“Doc” Toline had also joined American Legion
Post 55, and it wasn't long before he was chosen
by his fellow Legionnaires as Vice Commander,
then Commander, a post he now holds. He has been
a regular presence at some of the community's
most cherished events, especially Veteran's Day
and Memorial Day.
He was hired to assist in coaching the Bonners
Ferry Badgers football team, a position he was
uniquely qualified for by disposition,
experience and education. And like all who serve
because of an unexplainable compulsion, he
insists he received much more than he ever gave.
“I met many young men during that time who
demonstrated some of the greatest potential I
had not experienced since the military,” he
said. “There was a 'we gotta win at all costs'
mindset when I arrived. I didn't care what was
on the scoreboard, but did my best to instill in
the players that when they walked off the field,
they walked off feeling good about what they
gave and the person they are.”
A staunch advocate of his fellow veterans, he
appreciates being able to assist them in any way
he can. He serves them as the Chairman of the
newly reestablished Boundary County Veterans
Relations Board. This board focuses on the
relationship of the veterans and their civilian
counterparts, and places emphasis on the
problems and concerns shared by both. The
greatest concern at present is the staggering
number of our veterans who commit suicide daily.
“I believe in taking care of our own,” he said.
“We have to look out for one another. Sometimes,
even our government lets us down.”
These add credence to his assertion that he is a
servant.
“I have nothing but respect for my opponent,” he
said. “No matter which one of us wins, the
people of this community will be well served.”
That statement proves beyond a doubt that he is
not a politician.
When he needed to fill a vacancy on the city
council, Mayor David Sims recalled a
conversation they had.
“Two or three years ago, we were talking and he
mentioned an interest in serving,” he said.
“Nothing specific, just a general statement. And
he has a record of public service. The Navy,
coaching, his work on behalf of veterans.
Community service is part of what he is. I felt
his commitment would benefit the city, and he
has done an excellent job.”
When offered the nomination, Ken said, the first
question he asked himself was “why me?”
“Nobody here knows me,” he said. “So I asked
myself, 'Can I do the job? Can I serve?'”
Able to answer “yes” to both questions, he
accepted the nomination, and Ken Toline took his
seat on the Bonners Ferry City Council in
January, to serve the remainder of the term held
by Connie Wells. He is now running for a two
year term against challenger Valerie Thompson.
“Even if I lose, I will still serve; my veterans
especially,” he said. “What I bring to the table
is an outside perspective, a great amount of
life experience, leadership that has been proven
time and time again, commitment and dedication
to cause, devotion to duty, willingness to
sacrifice, honesty and integrity, and the desire
to continue to serve. I gave blood and bone to
this great country, and I will give what is
necessary to ensure the prosperity, the safety
and the continued growth of this community.”
Ken said he appreciates Mayor Sims' approach to
governance and that he has enjoyed being part of
the process.
“Dave focuses on the community and its people,”
he said. “No matter where you are, you need two
things to feel at home; security and safety. In
the City of Bonners Ferry, we have an excellent
police department. We have an excellent water
system and water department, we have the Moyie
Dam to generate our electricity and an excellent
electric department. We are committed to
providing these basics so our people can depend
on them and focus on themselves and their
families and pursue their goals. In pursuing
their goals and dreams, our citizens make our
community stronger.”
What he likes about those who serve with him in
conducting the business of the city is their
forward thinking.
“We look ahead to where we will be in five
years, in ten years and beyond,” he said. “What
do we need to do to make sure we preserve the
basic needs of our citizens, to promote their
well-being? We are thinking about these things
now.
“In the nine months since my appointment to the
city council, I recognize the fact that our city
has some significant issues that impact both our
present and future way of life. I can see where
some tough decisions will need to take
precedence and we need a commitment to solutions
that benefit the interest of the community as a
whole. One thing I can assure you of is this;
the military not only prepares you but it also
requires you to make decisions that are for the
highest good of the collective whole. You make
tough decisions, often times they are life and
death decisions, and they will impact your unit
and possibly thousands of people.
“There is absolutely no place for self-serving
decisions, nor do you make decisions that
benefit a select few at the expense of the
public’s higher good. I understand why people
call me an outsider, but truly the advantage to
the community is that it allows me to be
impartial. I can serve as a city councilman in
true service to the people and community as a
whole.”
He can't help but see the shuttered shops and
closed business when he walks around town, or
notice all the skill and talent he came to
appreciate so much while coaching the Badgers.
“It hurts seeing these talented kids having
little choice but to leave our community to earn
a living,” he said. “It's us older folks who are
going to have to decide if we're going to stay
as a bedroom community, a place to retire, or
will we prosper? What kind of legacy are we
going to leave for them?
“I chose to live in Bonners Ferry because I
value the life that exists in this community. It
is my desire to preserve and protect that way of
life. While being true to this I am also open to
ways that our lives can be enriched, and the
potential for improved prosperity for all who
live here. That is my purpose in running for
city council.” |
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