Eagles: Leave Ten Commandments alone

SANDPOINT - The Sandpoint Eagles Auxiliary decided Thursday that its preference is for the Ten Commandments monument to stay in Farmin Park.

The order required less than a half-hour's time to arrive at the unanimous decision following discussion over the monument's placement on public property. Members based their preference around the monument's inclusion of several different religious symbols - not all of them Christian - and its 40-year history in the park.

Putting the monument's placement in context, Eagles members said the most recent placement of a monument in Idaho likely occurred around the early 1990s at a cost of less than $4,000. For comparison, the Sandpoint monument probably cost the organization around $2,000 at the time of its 1972 placement, members said.

While the organization has determined its preference on the matter, it's still willing to comply with whatever final decision city officials might reach. To that end, they discussed possible alternative locations if a move is required. Members said they've received offers to host the monument near the Bonner County Sheriff's Office and also at an unnamed church in another town.

The Eagles' decision follows discussion among city officials over whether the monument should be kept on public land, given the potential for a lawsuit. Council members discussed the matter at a Wednesday council meeting but have made no decision. If officials decide to keep the monument where it is, and the city is sued, Texas-based law firm the Liberty Institute has offered to represent the city free of charge.