READER
August 17, 2017 | FREE | Vol. 14 Issue 33
25 years later
COAL TRAIN DERAILS NEAR NOXON AND CLARK FORK RIVER • STUDENT-BUILT AIRPLANE TAKES FIRST FLIGHT Rep. Heather Scott sparks new criticism with facebook comments re-defining “white nationalism” film paints poignant vision of the native experience • laughing dog celebrates 12th anniversary
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The Pioneer Square at 819 Hwy 2, Ste:102-B
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DEAR READERS,
on the street
What are your memories from the Ruby Ridge stand-off 25 years ago? “I recall very vividly the occurrences at Ruby Ridge. I was flabbergasted that the federal government fired on a woman with a baby in her arms. It was a very controversial case and both sides could’ve handled it differently.” Sally Anderson Retired draftsman Sandpoint “I lived here then and remember watching it on TV. I remember that a kid and the wife were shot.” Jeff Ludolph Retired crab fisherman Sandpoint “I was there at Ruby Ridge at the bottom of the ridge with my husband, Don, and my son, Dylan. We stayed in our car for nine days to protest against the military presence there. It lasted 11 days, but we spent the first two days watching the news and getting people prepared to come with us as sympathizers. They beat up one of their own who expressed disagreement with what they were doing there after the boy was killed.”
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For level-headed Americans, this has been a tough week. Our hearts are saddened by the tragic events that took place in Charlottesville recently. Just to be clear, there is no such thing as a good neo-Nazi. No such thing as a decent white supremacist. No such thing as an alright white nationalist. If you promote a racist ideology, you are wrong. It doesn’t matter that our president can’t seem to take a stand about this. It doesn’t matter that one of our representatives put up a post on Facebook attempting to re-define “white nationalism” (I’ll give you one guess who). These people are woefully ignorant. If you can’t condemn white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, the KKK and other racist hate groups, you have no business representing Americans. Period. Crawl back to your caves. We eradicated this nonsense before. We’ll eradicate it again. The stand-off at Ruby Ridge was 25 years ago next week. This week and next, we are featuring an expanded retrospective look back at the 11 days that shook the nation. Let’s hope we don’t ever return to those days. Idaho is too great to hate. Let’s bring back the love.
-Ben Olson, Publisher OPEN 11:30 am
GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS
Drenna Waters Retired bartender Sandpoint
“We went up there out of curiosity. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms officers were blocking the bridge to the entry. There was also a lot of media present. I remember lots of anti-government signs that law enforcement left up, and protesters.” Paul Oleson Coop Energy Samuels
“All the helicopters coming in and circling day and night. I live by the airport.” Karen Feist Semi-retired Sandpoint
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www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Taylor Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Susan Drinkard, Leslie Kiebert, Jeff Bohnhof, Marcy Timblin, Ken Larson, Mary Franzel, McCalee Cain. Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, McCalee Cain, Sandy Compton, Rachel Castor, Brenden Bobby, Jen Heller, Marcia Pilgeram, Cindy Derr. Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash. Subscription Price: $95 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover The cover photograph is an iconic aerial image taken during the government surveillance of the Weaver cabin outside of Naples, Idaho.
A SandPint Tradition Since 1994 August 17, 2017 /
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COMMENTARY
Surviving the mother of all overscheduled weekends . . . and watering trees By Sandy Compton Reader Contributor Sandpoint, the nominal capitol of the vague state of Montaho, was VERY busy last weekend. Hundreds of folks from as far away as Athol — heck, maybe even Spokane — strolled the streets with melting huckleberry ice cream running down their arms, because it was also hotter than a firecracker. I probably shouldn’t even say “firecracker.” We’ve been smelling smoke for so long it doesn’t smell like smoke any more. Fire danger is extreme. Nonetheless, it was the Mother of All Overscheduled Weekends in Montaho. A music festival, a county fair, arts and crafts fair, craft and yard fair, roughly 127 yard sales, 16th annual fly-in at Montaho International, farmer’s market times two, artists’ studio tour, bull-bucking
Letters to the Editor
rodeo, demolition derby, two downtown late night parties, downhill bike mayhem at Schweitzer, hucklehuckle berry festival in eastern Montaho, big music party at Bull Lake and (coinciden(coinciden tally) the Perseid Meteor Shower. Imagine the overachieving couple Let’s pretend one couple went to them all — not including yard sales — starting with the county fair on Thursday and ending with the music festival Grand Finale on Sunday. That’s 1,232 miles on the Prius, and $1,375 on tickets, gasoline, cappuccinos, chili cheese dogs, a little log table with imbedded rock top that weighs 110 pounds (perfect for the entry hall), two dream catchers for a niece and nephew, fried chicken dinner to go, 10 chances to win a Winchester 12-guage pump shotgun (they didn’t), 10 chances to win a
Keep the Lights on and Support the Reader... Editor, the Flowers Blooming... Dear It isn’t often we have the opportuDear Editor, I applaud the many business owners who wanted to keep the Sandpoint Improvement District which provided the funds for the beautification for downtown Sandpoint with flowering baskets in the Spring and Summer and the warmth and cheer of holiday lights during our long winter nights. What will it be without them? These were signature features that welcomed both visitors and citizens to downtown Sandpoint. What can be done to restore our much beloved flowers and lights? May I suggest all members of the business community come and work together once more, trying to understand what you have done in the past is deeply appreciated. I also encourage the Sandpoint community at large to please voice your thoughts, feeling and ideas. Let’s try to help keep downtown Sandpoint the welcoming and friendly place we’ve come to know and love.
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Sandra and Phil Deutchman Sandpoint / August 17, 2017
nity to rally together and really make a difference in our own community, but one of the simplest ways to do this is to support our locally-owned businesses. The Reader is one of those small businesses. They work hard at giving us a newspaper we can be proud of. They provide narrative featuring both sides of an issue, and this gives all of us a chance to enjoy a lively discussion. The Reader is free to everyone in the community. Wait, how do they do this? They sell space in the newspaper to advertisers of other small businesses we are supporting. But, the cost of doing business and providing a free service isn’t always completely free. There are publishing costs, employee wages, transportation fees, etc. which eat up the money produced by advertising pretty quickly. We, as a community, owe it to ourselves to contribute back some support to these folks who have given of their time so selflessly. We encourage everyone to help the Reader keep us informed by donating a few dollars a week toward expenses so we might all benefit as a community from this service. The
lovely hand-made quilt (they still didn’t) three huckleberry milk shakes, a number of inferior hamburgers, a jar of pickled garlic, some excellent curry, bad coffee, a very nice bottle of red wine, two sixpacks of local beer, four (and a few more) overpriced cocktails and a parking ticket. They slept eleven hours out of the 72 beginning at 7 a.m. on Friday. Monday morning, they both looked five years older. And, they didn’t see one meteor. What we did instead. That was not us. We didn’t see any meteors either. But, we camped out, rescued a guy with a flat tire from the High Drive, picked some huckleberries and worked in a booth at the festival of the same name. I also worked in a booth at the county fair. And, I watered trees on the bike bridge. There are 16 planters on the bike bridge. The man who has watered them for the past three decades can’t any more, and Reader gives us all a voice. Let’s rally behind these folks and help support a very important part of our diverse community. The Monarch Malcontent Refugees: Marlene Petersen Louie Baribeau Erik Daarstad Michael Spurgin Foster Hepperle Etc. Sandpoint
Scotchman Peaks... To the Editor, In this time of divisiveness and rancor, it is encouraging to find that collaboration is alive and well in the world of environmental conservation. Over the past dozen years, a group of over 7,000 people from a range of political views and from industries like mining and logging, have voiced their support for the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. This group has been working to have a portion of the West Cabinet Mountains of northern Idaho and western Montana designated as Wilderness. And in December 2016, Sen. James Risch introduced Senate
he worries that the trees and other plants will die of thirst, so he called me. I’m a sucker for trees — I have hugged any number of them — so he called the right guy. Help wanted. I’ve managed to water them twice so far. Not much on the scale of 30 years, but you gotta start somewhere, right? I enjoy it, really, but I won’t be able to water them this week because I am meandering in the wilderness with friends until Saturday. And there are upcoming weeks that I will miss as well, because I sometimes go farther away than Athol — or even Spokane — for days at a time. So, it would be very cool if someone else — even several someones — would take a turn over the next few months. It doesn’t take all day — only about 90 minutes — to ride a bike out there, throw a bucket with a 30-foot rope tied to it over the guardrail, pull it up and dump water caught into a plantBill S.3531 designating about 14,000 acres in Idaho as Wilderness. Across the border in Montana, another 50,000 acres of the proposed Scotchman Peaks wilderness awaits legislation by the Montana delegation. In its latest Forest Management Plan, the National Forest Service recommended the area for designation as wilderness and has managed the area as wilderness since the Rare II studies in the 1970s. It is home to big game animals, like elk, deer and mountain goats, to west slope cutthroat, rainbow and bull trout, to bears, big cats, and hundreds of species of birds. Designations of the Boulder-White Clouds and the Owyhees as federally protected Wilderness areas also stemmed from collaboration among unlikely partners and with the sponsorship of, respectively, Congressman Mike Simpson and Senator Mike Crapo. Now it is Senator Risch’s turn. We applaud him for introducing Senate Bill S.3531 in the last Congressional session. And we urge him to reintroduce the bill in this session. The Scotchman Peaks deserve Wilderness designation for the benefit of the wildlife that there, as a source of clean water and for enjoyment by people
er until the planter has received about 7 gallons. Sixteen times. Easy-peasy. It’s great exercise, and your friends will beep and give you a thumbs-up if they see you out there. In several planters, the tree looks dead, and in one, there is only a stump, but all of them have something green growing in them, so water them all. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Now that the Mother of All Overscheduled Weekends is over, many people should have time. If you arrive, bucket in hand, and find someone’s been there before you that day, you still get a ride on the bike bridge. Note: Skip Pucci took watered the planters on the Long Bridge for 32 year. Next spring, we might replace the dead trees with drought resistant species and set up a volunteer watering schedule. Write to Sandy at books@bluecreekpress.com.
today and generations to come. Elaine French Former chair, Idaho Conservation League Board Member, League of Conservation Voters Board Sandpoint
Keep the Flower Baskets... Dear Editor, Just a comment about the gorgeous flowers that adorn this special city of Sandpoint. I hope Gary [Circo] knows how much we all look forward to and admire the pots that he has worked so many countless hours to water. It will be a sad day if the council decides to dissolve the funds to keep these flowing baskets from decorating this town. Thanks to Gary! Pat Hegland Sandpoint
Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor at letters@sandpointreader.com. Under 400 words, and please elevate the discussion.
OPINION
To Heather Scott:
(who called me a radical and told me never to phone her again) By Rachel Castor Reader Contributor If calling my representative to ask her not to vote on an anti-immigration bill makes me a radical… If calling my representative to ask her for a statement to her constituents in North Idaho denouncing the white-supremacist terrorist acts that killed a young woman in Charlottesville makes me a radical… If attending public town halls and asking my representative to raise the minimum wage so that working families do not have to “become dependent” on the government to buy them food makes me a radical… If telling the stories of Idahoans who are dying from a lack of access to affordable health care makes me a radical… If going door to door to inform voters that there is an under-advertised education levee election coming up makes me a radical… If believing that voting is our most important and most powerful right, and the best way we can make a difference in our country makes me a radical… If holding a letter-writing night to thank Republican Senator John McCain and others who voted to stop the repeal of our health care makes me a radical… If volunteering to serve popcorn and register new voters at the Bonner County Democratic Party’s booth at the Bonner County Fair makes me a radical… If walking in the Women’s March with 900 other citizens in Sandpoint from the Panida Theater to City Beach for the idea that men and women are of equal worth makes me a radical… If leading a community group based on hope, love, and supporting the least among us makes me a radical… If working with Reclaim Idaho to reestablish our Idaho State Constitutional right to adequate and fully-funded education for all children makes me a radical… If working with 350.org and Idaho Conservation League to educate the public about how we can better care for our planet and our public lands, stopping needless pollution and degradation of the environment makes me a radical... If holding a candlelight vigil to honor the lives of Heather Heyer, who was killed by a domestic Nazi terrorist, and of
police officers H. Jay Cullen and Berke M. M. Bates who died trying to keep the peace at the Nazi demonstrations, makes me a radical… If publicly praying for families who have lost brothers and sons to violent hate groups makes me a radical… If not wanting Nazi organizers to turn our nation into a haven for hate and bigotry makes me a radical… If believing in the United States Bill of Rights makes me a radical… If donating to the ACLU to defend free speech for all makes me a radical… If donating to Planned Parenthood, which provides free- and reduced-cost medical care to all women in need and saves thousands of lives every year, makes me a radical… If believing that affordable health care is a human right makes me a radical... If wanting the President of the United States of America to be an honest and dignified human being who takes a stand for kindness makes me a radical… If never giving up hope that our country will one day again stand for liberty and justice for ALL people, regardless of the color of their skin, the name they call God, or whom they love, makes me a radical… If wanting to support our men and women in uniform by bringing them home makes me a radical… If wanting more of our country’s budget, and my tax dollars, to go towards education than towards war makes me a radical… If wanting the flag of the United States to be seen around the world as a symbol of goodwill and freedom, rather than a symbol of corporate greed and white nationalism makes me a radical… If refusing to close my eyes and sit silently by makes me a radical… If being a Christian who follows a revolutionary Jesus, who turned the tables and believed in justice through love, makes me a radical… If taking a bold, unapologetic stand for love makes me a radical… ...then God bless the radicals! And well more than half of our country’s citizens are radicals. I want to say that I won’t stop until love wins. But it already has. Love has already won. Because look at us — we are all here because of love. All we have to do, we radicals, is never doubt that love
wins, and never doubt that we can make a difference. Rachel Castor is the facilitator of Sandpoint Indivisible, a writer, a mother and works full time as an appraiser.
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COMMUNITY
Seattle ‘Climate Kids’ presentation packs Gardenia Center By McCalee Cain Reader Intern
Bouquets: • Now that the wonderful Festival season has drawn to a close I wanted to give a shout out to an unsung hero, my friend Rod Crawford. For the last 20 years, Rod has been in charge of the all important position off head of security. As a volunteer he has kept our Festival clear from tragedies, mishaps and general disruptions taking much time off from his own business to do this and train others that work for the Festival. So now that he has trained another to take over he can happily retire, relax and be a spectator from now on. Kudos and thanks to a great fellow of our community whose hard work, passion and generosity has made our festival “ours.” -Submitted by Steve Berenson
On Saturday, Aug. 12, three nationally-renown environmental advocates shared their knowledge and experiences with the Sandpoint community, per the invitation of local climate group 350 Sandpoint. Aji Piper, 17, Gabe Mandell, 15, and Adonis Williams, 12, may be young, but their experience as activists goes beyond their years. The three are ambassadors of the nonprofit Plant for the Planet, a group committed to offsetting carbon emissions by planting trees. The organization has already planted 14 billion trees worldwide, and they continue to approach their ultimate goal of one trillion. “It’s not just us three planting all of those trees,” joked Mandell. The meeting began with an array of introductions from local figures: area activist and Bonner County Human Rights Task Force member Linda Navarre, Mayor Shelby Rognstad, and “resident teen” Daniel Radford each shared a few words. Williams kicked off the presen-
to what the audience can tation with an explanation do to contribute to the of the “simple science” of effort: “Make a ruckus, climate change. He guidlet the world know you’re ed the audience through a watching,” Piper said. presentation examining the “The judges need to know effects of climate change, that people in the U.S. as demonstrated by ice cap care, and that they’re melting, rising sea levels, watching.” reservoir draining, droughts The trial is slated for and wildfires. He then went Feb. 5 in Eugene, Ore. on to explain that people of The boys finished their color are disproportionately presentation with a parody affected by climate change, of Bruno Mars’ hit “Upand further identify its town Funk” called “Big implications on respective Oil Funk”, warning of the populations. A musical performance Aji Piper, left, and Adonis Williams sing a parody of “Uptown Funk” warning of danger that big oil compathe dangers of fossil fuel and big oil companies. Photo by McCalee Cain. nies pose to the earth. of the boys’ original song Representatives from Idaho “Danger” followed. Brothers Piper Conservation League and Wild taken to address the problem. and Williams sang of the dire Idaho Rising Tide offered closing Piper followed with a recap of consequences of oil fracking and words, and a call to action at the the case in which he is suing the other environmentally-unfriendly local level. federal government for aggregate practices, while Piper accompaThe event concluded with a climate action: Juliana et al. VS nied on the ukulele and Mandell tree planting ceremony in the Garthe U.S. Government et al. Piper jammed on the saxophone. denia Center’s garden. Next, Mandell was up to speak. is one of 21 plaintiffs under the In the event of a Plant for the age of 21 facing not only the He offered a more optimistic Planet chapter being formed in government, but also a plethora take on the climate change issue, Sandpoint, the tree will be the first of the nation’s biggest oil compacoined “a scientific prescription”, of many. nies. He offered some advice as that explained the action being
A high flying achievement: The student-built airplane takes its first flight Rod Crawford. Barbs: • My heart goes out to the woman who was killed by that disgusting neo-Nazi in Charlottesville, Va., along with the two Virginia State Troopers who were killed in a helicopter while responding to the rally. A barb goes out to President Trump, whose wishy-washy response to the catastrophe is yet another example of his refusal to call out white nationalists and alt-right supporters by name who were responsible for these deaths. Two days later, after considerable pressure from across the aisle, Trump finally decried white supremacists, only to hold a press conference the very next day claiming that blame lied on both sides. He even compared George Washington to a Confederate general. His remarks only give more backing to the white nationalists. Have we all forgotten what we stand for in America? 6 /
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By McCalee Cain Reader Intern After years of work, the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program’s (NIHSAP) aspirations literally took flight. Saturday marked the maiden voyage of the student-built vessel, a Zenith Zodiac CH601 XL Kit Airplane. “The flight was fantastic,” NIHSAP founder and manager Ken Larson said. “It went better than I was expecting, actually. I was very confident, though, the plane is very well-built.” The plane went out for an hour-long spin, followed by a chase plane to observe. “What we have to do in these test flights is establish data: how the engine and the plane are performing,” Larson said. The group acquired the plane in the fall of 2015, and had been working on it for approximately two years. After construction was completed, the group waited for
approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before flight. In the meantime, they conducted taxi, engine, and instrument tests. “Because some students graduated and new ones came in, it’s been a shifting group, but we have some students on the project that have been with us since the beginning,” Larson said. Watching years of work on the plane come to fruition was a special birthday treat for NIHSAP Student President Ron Korn. “It was really cool to see it fly after working on it since my freshman year,” Korn said. “There are no words to describe how it felt to see it 30 feet in front of me when we were going in to land. All in all, it was the best 18th birthday present I could ask for.” Though they’ve achieved their goal of getting the plane into the air, the group isn’t stopping there: next up for the club is the restoration of a 1945 Taylorcraft airplane.
Instructor Ken Larson flew the student-built plane for the first time last Saturday. Photo by Ken Larson. “It’s going to be built to be a backcountry bushplane,” Larson said. “It has a steel tube frame covered with fabric, so it’s really old-school.” The Taylorcraft itself was donated by a captain at Horizon airlines, and the engine by a generous Nebraskan man. Club members are currently cleaning and making some repairs to the metal
frame, and Larson anticipates that the plane should be completely restored by November. “Because we’re just restoring this plane as opposed to constructing it like the last one, it won’t take nearly as long,” Larson said.
NEWS
Train carrying coal derails near Noxon By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
An unknown amount of coal spilled into the Clark Fork River due to the derailment of a Montana Rail Link train Sunday. At about 11 a.m., approximately 30 cars derailed near Noxon, Mont., a town near the Idaho border and about 50 miles west of Thomson Falls, Mont. The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, and as of Tuesday afternoon, rail traffic is moving on the Montana Rail Link mainline. According to Montana Rail Link spokesperson Jim Lewis, the coal that spilled from the shipment is not considered a hazardous substance under federal regulation. Local water quality advocacy group Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper disagrees, saying that several studies have shown coal to have an adverse effect on water quality. Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper Director Shannon
By Ben Olson Reader Staff The Angels Over Sandpoint have extended the deadline to apply for free school supplies and backpacks. The new deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 23. To register, please call Community Action Partnership at (208) 255-2910 by 4 p.m. on August 23.
City of Sandpoint passes 2018 budget By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
A train carrying coal derailed near Noxon, Mont. on Sunday evening. The Clark Fork River is in the foreground. Photo by Mary Franzel.
Williamson said coal has been a major concern of the organization lately. The Waterkeepers’ attention was recently focused on a lawsuit against BNSF by environmental groups that was recently settled. Environmental organizations alleged that escaped coal and coal dust from
train cars has an adverse effect on water quality and public health. While BNSF denies any violation of the Clean Water Act, it will conduct a two-year study into the feasibility of car covers for coal trains. Williamson said Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper is also urg-
2018 county budget near completion By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer The Bonner County Commissioners, elected officials and department heads are near completing the county budget for the 2018 fiscal year, according to an announcement Friday. Though it is not finalized, current projections say Bonner County will be cutting almost $3.55 million from the budget. Commissioner Dan McDonald said one example of a simple but substantial cut would be that the Road and Bridge department was budgeting $550,000 for gas each year when their past fuel expenses never exceeded $160,000.
School supplies registration extended
“Things like that were lowhanging fruit,” said McDonald. “All in all, the cuts will not affect services in any sector and frankly, we believe there may be more savings to come.” McDonald emphasized that while Road and Bridge as well as Justice are the two largest county departments, there was “fat in the budget” across all departments able to be cut. “All departments stepped up and found savings once they realized the unsustainable path that has been created over the past eight or so years,” he said. In addition, the county is
seeking self-insured status in the coming months, which McDonald said could save up to $500,000 a year in premiums while allowing them control over litigation so “the county stops being an ATM machine for anyone that wants to bring a suit.” There will be meetings open to the public on Aug. 28 regarding the nearly finished budget. The first is at 10 a.m. and the second is at 6 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the large conference room on the first floor of the Bonner County Administration Building.
ing the drafting of an emergency response plan should a coal train derail within the region. The group will advocate for the adoption of such a plan when the Lakes Commission reviews plans for catastrophic spills — to date largely focused on oil spills — at its Aug. 25 meeting.
The Sandpoint City Council approved a budget of $40,136,717 for fiscal year 2018 on Wednesday night. Council members opted not to give elected officials a raise starting next term, moving that money instead toward the downtown revitalization project. The proposed raises would have increased the mayoral salary from $14,400 to $18,447 and council salaries from $4,800 to $8,004.
Library Expansion Update: The Thin Blue Line The interior landscape of The Library changes every day as materials, shelves and furniture are moved around to stay ahead of demolition. The blue line indicates the location of the temporary wall that will separate usable library space and the construction zone. Weekly updates posted at eBonnerLibrary. org. Get real-time updates via social media with #YourLibraryTransformation and #7BLibrary. Photo by Marcy Timblin. August 17, 2017 /
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NEWS
Coalition challenges Scott sparks renewed controversy with water pollution permit post re-defining white nationalism for Montanore Mine By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, is once again courting controversy after sharing an article on Facebook defending white nationalism. A response to the violent clashes in Charlottesville that left one counter-protester, Heather Heyer, dead at the hands of a Nazi sympathizer, the article claims that white people who are proud of their country will inevitably be branded as racists. Quoting from the article, Scott posted the following: “The way the media has set this up, the mention of white nationalist (sic), which is no more than a Caucasian who for (sic) the Constitution and making America great again, and confusing it with term (sic), ‘white supremacist’ which is extreme racism. Therefore, if one is ‘guilty’ of being white, one is clearly racist.” The article reinvents the commonly accepted definition of white nationalism. According to the FBI, white nationalism is a movement centered around the establishment of a white homeland. Adherents believe the white race is under attack from a Jewish-controlled government and finance, media and entertainment industries. Considering multiculturalism, diversity and immigration to be direct attacks on white identity, white nationalists call race-mixing “white genocide” and believe a race war to be inevitable. Those beliefs were reflected in the chants of the Charlottesville protesters, who shouted phrases like “Jews will not replace us,” “One people, one nation, end immigration” and the Nazi slogan, “Blood and soil.” This isn’t Scott’s first brush with controversy. In 2015, she raised ire by posing with a Confederate flag despite North Idaho’s rocky history with white supremacy movements. That same year, she voted in committee to kill a child support bill out of fears over Islamic Shariah law, which required the Legislature to meet in special session and revive the bill. And early this year, Scott had her 8 /
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Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, poses with a Confederate Battle Flag at the Timber Days weekend in Priest River in 2015. Photo courtesy Heather Scott’s Facebook page. committee assignments stripped from her by Idaho House leadership after insinuating that female legislators trade sexual favors for leadership positions. According to her legislative colleagues, she also cut a wire above her desk, thinking it might be a listening device. The instances of unusual behavior will likely be an election issue in 2018, when Scott faces Republican Central Committee member Mike Boeck in the GOP primary. Scott did not respond to a request for comment by press time Wednesday. Other Idaho politicians responded in their own ways to the violence. U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador is the latest to weigh in, saying he was reluctant to comment because he was likely the only major Idaho politician to experience racial discrimination. “I detest white supremacy as much as I detest black nationalism and other forms of identity politics,” he said. “As a public servant, as a man of faith and as an American I abhor and condemn the violence, racism and bigotry we saw in Charlottesville.” Senators Mike Crap and Jim Risch were quicker to respond. “I condemn and reject the racism and hate perpetuated by white supremacist groups,” Crapo said. “In the wake of this horrific tragedy, let us gather in solidarity with those who lost loved ones and draw closer to the families whose lives have been forever shattered by Saturday’s events. As others and I noted during a recent gathering at the Anne Frank memorial, Idaho and our nation are too great for
hate.” “The hateful acts of racism we witnessed in Charlottesville this weekend are reprehensible, and I condemn them in the strongest terms,” said Risch. “White supremacy — and every other form of prejudice — does not represent our American values. Vicki joins me in praying for the families of those who lost their lives and for those who were injured.” District 1 Idaho Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said simply: “I condemn in the strongest possible terms racism and white nationalism.” Finally, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter connected the events to Idaho’s own struggles with white supremacy. “Idaho joins Charlottesville and the world in condemning white-supremacist violence,” he said. “We’ve experienced those problems in Idaho, but we dealt with them in the right way, and we’re not going to tolerate it again. Hate groups just aren’t welcome here.” Indeed, Sandpoint hasn’t quite shaken the memory of white supremacist vitriol. Just last week, an unknown individual or individuals sent a mass email depicting Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad in a Nazi gas chamber. The image advertised The Daily Stormer, the white supremacist website instrumental in organizing the Charlottesville protests. The website went dark Tuesday after GoDaddy and Google ended its service. Likewise, more racist flyers with anti-black rhetoric showed up in some local mailboxes over the weekend.
The Mount Polley Tailings Dam Breach on August 4, 2015 sent toxic mine tailings into British Columbia’s Frasier Watershed. Courtesy photo. By Ben Olson Reader Staff A coalition of conservation groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday asking a state district judge to overturn a water pollution discharge permit for the Montanore Mine Project, which would bore beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness south of Libby, Mont. The plaintiffs include Montana Environmental Information Center, Earthworks and Save Our Cabinets, who are represented by the nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice. According to a statement released by the coalition, the legal action intends to “protect clean water and native trout on wild public lands in northwest Montana’s Cabinet Mountains from pollution threatened by development of a massive copper and silver mine.” “The water-pollution permit for the Montanore Mine violates fundamental requirements for safeguarding our clean water and the native fish that depend on it,” said Earthjustic attorney Katherine O’Brien. “DEQ should not allow out-of-state companies to use Montana’s prized streams as their industrial waste receptacle.” Hecla acquired the Montanore Project in September, 2016 with the acquisition of Mines Management, Inc. Hecla did not respond to attempts to reach them for comment.
“Instead of digging into Hecla’s mining proposal and ensuring rigorous protections for our clean water, DEQ dug up an expired 25-year-old pollution authorization for a different company’s long-abandoned project to green-light excessive pollution from the Montanore Mine,” said Mary Costello, executive director of Save Our Cabinets. “Montanans deserve better from the agency charged with protecting our public waters.” The coalition’s lawsuit is pending in Montana’s First Judicial District Court in Helena. Rock Creek Alliance is hosting a pair of special community presentations led by Dr. David Chambers, a geophysicist and noted expert on tailings dam engineering from the Center for Science in Public Participation. “Tailings Dam Failures: Historical Record and the Potential for Future Failures and Fixes,” will address the frequency, type and causes of tailings dam failures, as well as problems inherent in the proposed tailings dam for the Rock Creek Mine. The first presentation will take place Thursday, Aug. 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 First Ave. For those unable to attend Thursday, a second presentation is offered Friday, Aug. 25 from 9:40-10:25 a.m. at the invitation of the Lakes Commission.
NEWS
Refugee presentation draws capacity crowd of protesters By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff A training session for refugee work turned chaotic Wednesday after protesters packed Sandpoint Community Hall. Police and fire department personnel had to turn people away at the door after people maxed out the building’s 100-plus capacity. The informational session, sponsored by the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, soon descended into disorder as Boise-based presenters Nick and Laura Armstrong faced frequent heckling, jeers and angry outbursts despite pleas for civility. “We need to be reminded that there is no fear in love, and love drives out all hate,” Laura Armstrong said. But attendees responded that refugees, particularly Islamic refugees, are a threat to communities, families and public safety. “Our religion says we must have compassion, but their religion says to cast people out,” shouted one individual. The crowd frequently questioned why the Armstrongs came to Sandpoint in the first place. They explained that local community members requested the presentation. That didn’t satisfy many, who claimed that the meeting was part of a plot to bring refugees to Sandpoint. When the Armstrongs denied the accusation, audience members accused them of lying. The Armstrongs work through their Boise church to manage the organization Glocal Community Partners, which helps connect recently-arrived refugees with community friends. They attempted to share data with the packed crowd indicating that while refugees receive public assistance after arrival, they are usually productive members of society within 7 years and are not significant sources of crime. However, audience members replied that they didn’t want to
spend a single tax dollar on refugee assistance and again called the Armstrongs liars. Some speculated that billionaire George Soros was funding them. While the meeting included a question-and-answer session, organizers cut it short after outbursts continued unabated. Originally intended to be a small-scale event, the refugee meeting blew up on Facebook as anti-refugee individuals organized a protest. Well over 100 turned out, almost all of them fiercely opposed to refugee resettlement and some carrying protest signs. The refugee issue has consistently attracted large, angry crowds in North Idaho despite there being no plans to resettle them in the area. Bonner and Boundary counties both passed resolutions opposing refugee resettlement in late 2015. Sandpoint introduced a counter-resolution welcoming refugees into town but withdrew it in early 2016 after an intense backlash.
A man holds a protest sign outside Sandpoint Community Hall on Wednesday evening. Photo by Ben Olson.
Fire Restrictions increased to Stage 2 By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Despite the cooling temperatures and smoky skies this week, drought conditions and extreme fire danger levels continue to persist in North Idaho. These conditions prompted officials to raise fire restrictions to Stage 2 on Wednesday. The restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. The increased restrictions are being implemented for all state, federal and private forestland in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, Shoshone and Latah Counties, which includes the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Under Stage 2 restrictions, any open fire, including a campfire or stove fire, is prohibited on restricted private, state and federally managed lands, roads and trails. Persons using a fire of stove fire fueled solely by LPG fuels may be used in an area clear of flammable material. Smoking is prohibited except within an enclosed vehicle or
building or a designated recreation site. Persons may smoke while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren of all flammable materials. Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails is prohibited, which includes the use of ATVs, UTVs and pickups. Operating a chainsaw or any other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine associated with firewood gathering, blasting welding or other activities that generate flame or flammable material, or using an explosive is prohibited from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Possession or use of fireworks is always prohibited on federal lands. There are exceptions to all land within a city boundary. Please visit www.idahofireinfo.com/p/fire-restrictions.html for a detailed map and current information regarding fire restrictions, or call the Sandpoint Ranger District at (208) 263-5111.
IDAHO IS TOO GREAT FOR HATE
A candlelight vigil was held at Farmin Park on Sunday, Aug. 13 in honor of the tragic death of Heather Heyer after she was rammed by a Nazi sympathizer’s automobile during a white nationalist demonstration. Also recognized were H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates, two Virginia state troopers killed in a helicopter crash while monitoring the demonstration and protests from the air. Photo by Jeff Bohnhof. August 17, 2017 /
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Mad about Science: By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Everyone has a theory on pyramids. Some people think aliens did it. Me? I think when you don’t have a CAD program, building something wide at the bottom and skinny at the top is the most effective method if your entire labor force can’t read. It’s a pretty simple shape, though there have been a lot of iterations built around the world around the same time, while some of our more modern explorations have yielded some pretty… uh… Interesting results. Everyone knows the Pyramids of Giza. You say the word “Pyramid” and they’re the first thing you think of, no matter what age you are. They’re pretty special, being the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to still be standing, one around 455 feet in height. They were thought to have been built over several decades between 2600 and 2400 BC, and remained the world’s tallest human structures for at least 3,500 years. They also used to be smooth, but the exterior blocks were cannibalized for other buildings in Cairo. The Pyramids of Giza weren’t the first pyramids, though. That honor goes to the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia. The ziggurats were stairstepped pyramids made from sun-baked mud and clay. That means they didn’t preserve at all. We believe ziggurats may have been built as early as 6000 BC and were used exclusively as sites of worship. During this time, religion was cornered by priests that spent their lives dedicated to worship and rituals, so the common 10 /
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pyramids
folk weren’t allowed up there. Ziggurats weren’t perfectly pointed like the pyramids we think of. In fact many of the first ones are believed to be more like funky ovals. You know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We’re still building pyramids. Why? Pyramids have a very wide base that shrinks the higher you get up, so you can fit a lot of people into the base, which holds tremendous structural integrity, while it gets cheaper to build toward completion. Want an example of a modern pyramid? I’ve got several. The first, and smallest on the list, is the Louvre Pyramid. Anyone that’s had the pleasure of being at the Louvre will laugh at me when I confess I didn’t know that was an entrance until I looked it up. The Louvre Pyramid was constructed in 1989 and serves as an entrance to the museum. The original entrance wasn’t large enough to accommodate the growing volume of people coming to view the artwork, so they had to improvise. You enter through the pyramid, go below ground and then back up into the museum behind the original entrance. Ingenious! The Luxor Las Vegas is a great representation of what the Pyramids of Giza must have looked like in their prime. The Luxor is a little bigger than the Red Pyramid of Dashur, Egypt, standing at about 364 feet tall. The outer surface of the Luxor is reflective, and under certain angles can appear to blend into the sky. The Luxor
has a neat feature the Egyptian pyramid architects never dreamed of: A massive light beam shooting into the sky! They used specially designed mirrors to focus the light of xenon lamps (those annoying blue lights you hate) to create an awesome beam of light. This beam of light is so powerful, commercial airliners in Los Angeles can see it. Not all pyramids are perfectly equilateral. A few more modern examples swing towards representation of extreme right triangles. The Shard in London is an unusual modern pyramid. At 1,016 feet tall, it’s the tallest building in the United Kingdom. What it lacks in looks, it makes up for in ingenuity. Designed to be energy efficient, it’s equipped with its own power plant to convert natural gas into electricity and heat. Apparently the Shard also has a problem with trespassers sneaking up to the top and jumping off (with parachutes, hopefully). In the age of selfie sticks and GoPros, I have no doubt you can find some of their high-flying antics online, and see a bit of London you probably never wanted to see in the process. I don’t think this is what they were talking about in “Field of Dreams”. Our last example is of the largest pyramid in the world. Where is it, might you ask? What tech-centric architect’s utopia might harbor the prestigious title of “world’s largest?” The Ryugyong Hotel, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Wait, what?
It turns out The Ryugyong Hotel has a few accolades along with the world’s largest pyramid, including one of the longest construction times for a skyscraper. Actually, it’s still under construction. Any guess how long? The Empire State Building took 410 days to build. The Ryugyong Hotel is currently at 30 years, and counting. Every building faces problems during construction, but few have seen problems as large as Ryugyong’s. It all started with the col-
lapse of the Soviet Union, a major backer of North Korea at the time. Following the financial turmoil of Soviet money disappearing, attempts were made to appeal to other investors around the world. It turns out that being a highly aggressive rogue nation with nuclear capabilities and a penchant for harassing your neighbors and their friends doesn’t fit on a travel brochure, so as of the writing of this article, the world’s largest pyramid is still just a pointy landmark. In its defense, I still think it looks better than the Shard.
Random Corner Don’t know much about Egypt? We can help! • Ancient Egyptians worshiped over 1,400 different gods and goddesses. • Toilets were found in many ancient Egyptian tombs. • The world’s oldest dress was found in Egypt and it is 5,000 years old. • In the border between Egypt and Sudan, there are 795 sq miles of land unclaimed by either county. • The Statue of Liberty was actually intended for Egypt. • The pyramids were built by paid laborers. Not slaves. That’s a myth by Herodotus, the Greek historian. And Bill O’Reilly. • Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the death of their cats. • There are still unexplored passageways in the Great Pyramid of Giza. • Gypsy is short for “Egyptian.” • During a visit to Egypt in 2012, Hillary Clinton was pelted with tomatoes and shoes while the protesters chanted “Monica, Monica.” • Anwar Sadat made Egypt the first Arab nation to achieve peace with Israel in 1979. For this, Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize, Egypt was suspended from the Arab League and Sadat was assassinated. • The current library at Alexandria has a copy of all the web pages on every website on the internet since it started in 1996. •Inscribed pottery from the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt list three human genders. The reason is uncertain.
FILM
How to watch the eclipse safely Film paints poignant vision of the Native experience
A still frame from “Neither Wolf Nor Dog,” playing at the Panida Theater this weekend. Courtesy photo. By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff If the emotional climax of “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” feels authentic, that’s because it is. When it came time to shoot the climactic scenes at Wounded Knee, director Steven Lewis Simpson and co-writer Kent Nerburn allowed their star, Dave Bald Eagle, to search his own emotions for the scene. The result was a moment of truth and power, the perfect capstone to a film about the Native experience. “By him just going there to this very, very emotional place, he created something more powerful than (we) could ever have written,” Simpson said. It’s that beating Native heart, embodied in the form of Bald Eagle, that drives “Neither Wolf Nor Dog.” It plays tonight — Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m.—at the Panida Theater, as well as 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20. “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” tells the story of Lakota elder Dan, his protective friend, Grover, and writer Kent as they embark on a road trip through the heart of Lakota territory. It’s a tightly focused, intimate story, one perfectly suited to the flexibility of a crowdfunded movie. According to Simpson, casting the character of Dan was among the most pressing concerns when adapting the novel by Nerburn. Ultimately, it was Bald Eagle that proved perfect for the role, but it also introduced a new challenge. Simpson and his team needed to complete shooting the movie while
Eagle was capable of participating. “When I first met him, he was 93, so it was a race against the clock,” Simpson said The cast and crew embarked on a whirlwind, 18-day shoot, filming on average seven hours a day. They were at times limited by the Eagle’s ability to film, as well as the functionality of the 1973 Buick that the three main characters drive throughout the movie. There were plenty of natural advantages to the shoot, too. Since the movie was shot in Lakota territory, it was a relatively simple matter of capturing its inherent beauty. “In this case, one of the things that made it easier was we were shooting in the Great Plains,” Simpson said. “The locations were there; there was no cost factor at all to it.” “It was just us in the real places,” he added. “That allows a real deep and profound relationship to develop between the characters.” Since its completion and premiere, “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” has enjoyed significant success in local theaters. It ran in Spokane for seven weeks, fueled by positive word of mouth and critical acclaim. Its performance in Minnesota theaters was also extraordinary. According to Simpson, the success is fueled by the authenticity of the movie’s story and performances. He hopes that strong showing will repeat itself this weekend in Sandpoint. “At the closest theater to (Sandpoint, in Spokane,) it’s been a fantastic success,” he said. “It’s all at the end of the day how well our word of mouth has gotten around.”
By Jen Heller Reader Contributor Like your skin, your eyes are pretty vulnerable to the sun’s rays. Most people know that wearing sunglasses helps prevent damage to your eyes. Long-term exposure to UV rays has been proven to accelerate sight-inhibiting conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration So, can you use normal sunglasses to watch the eclipse? Think of it this way: Do you normally stare at the sun while wearing your sunglasses or glasses? Hopefully, the answer is a big NO! All types of normal sunwear block exponentially less rays than required to look at the sun safely.... those silly-looking eclipse glasses don’t just block all harmful UV light, they also block all harmful infrared light and 99.99 percent of intense visible light (which is why driving in your eclipse glasses is a very bad idea). The two eye conditions that eclipse-watchers often fall prey to are photokeratitis and solar retinopathy. You’ve actually heard of the first one – ever had snow blindness after a day on the slopes? It leaves a burning, watering sensation in your eye a few hours after being in intense sunlight, but the good news is that it often goes away on its own, with limited long-term effects. Solar retinopathy, not so much. A sunburn on your retina isn’t thermal so much as chemical – the sun’s rays cause oxidation and the creation of free radicals in the super-important cells in the back of your eye. When that happens, your vision goes haywire, and to-date there is nothing any eye doctor can do to fix it. Key signs are a headache, altered color perception, and blurry vision and/ or blind spots within hours of exposure. Recovery is slow, over three-to-six
months, and your vision may never return to how it was before. Kids are especially at risk for this sort of injury, due to their eye tissues being really young and clear (in other words, they transmit a lot of light to the backs of their eyes). There’s one key fact to remember about all retinal conditions. The nerves in the backs of your eyes are set up to react to outside stimuli in only one way: vision. That’s why a lot of diseases and injuries on your actual retina don’t hurt — they just make you see really weird, trippy stuff. If you stare at the sun for a while because you’re not feeling any pain, you’re not tougher than anyone else. You’re just setting yourself up for big regrets. The only time experts say it’s safe to look at the sun with bare eyes or sunglasses during a solar eclipse is during the one or two minutes that the eclipse is in totality — that is, when the sun is completely covered by the moon. In Bonner and Boundary counties, we will max out at 90-percent totality. That means it will never, at any point during the eclipse, be safe to look directly at the sun anywhere in North Idaho without certified eclipse glasses on. So, don’t try stacking a few pairs of your friends’ sunglasses together to stare at the sun. Buy certified eclipse glasses online. Or, if all else fails, Google how to build a quick and easy homemade projector. By projecting the image of the sun onto cardboard or a similar surface, you can watch that cool “nibble” in the side of the sun grow and shrink without frying your eyeballs. Jen Heller thoroughly enjoys her work at Pend Oreille Vision Care and its satellite clinic, Bonners Ferry Eye Care. August 17, 2017 /
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event Exceptional coffee, food and wine. No matter the weather!
Located on the Historic Cedar St. Bridge Sunday - Monday 7am - 5pm Tuesday - Saturday 7am - 9pm 208-265-4396 • www.cedarstbistro.com
Can we avert a catastrophic failure at Rock Creek? “Tailings Dam Failures: Historical Record and the Potential for Future Failures and Fixes”
Thursday, August 24 @ 5:30 p.m. Sandpoint Community Hall
Dr. David Chambers with the Science in Public Participation will be making a public presentation titled “Tailings Dam Failures-Historical Record and the Potential for Future Failures and Fixes.” Dr. Chambers will discuss technical issues and stability problems associated with the proposed tailings impoundment for the Rock Creek mine as well as the increasing rate of tailings dam failures worldwide and their causes. The presentation and Q&A session will last approximately one to one and a half hours. This free presentation is sponsored by the Alliance. Light Refreshments will be served. We strongly encourage you to attend this presentation to learn about the risks associated with the proposed tailing impoundment that would be constructed along the Clark Fork River. *For those who cannot attend on Aug. 24, a daytime presentation will be held Friday, Aug. 25 at the Columbia Bank Building from 9:40 - 10:25 a.m. For more information contact Mary at 208-610-4896, or Sandy at 208-610-9987 12 /
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Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz (with Maya Goldblum) 4-7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Jazz ensemble
Live Music w/ Chris Lynch & Meg Turner 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority With Chris on the keys and Meg’s golden voice, you can’t go wrong Live Music w/ Jake Robin 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Original acoustic rock sound
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Di Luna’s Customer Appreciation Night 7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe A free night of music with guest performe ish a progressive folk musician from Col open at 6 p.m. with food and drink speci open to the public; reservations recomme DJ at the Niner ing 208-263-0846 9pm @ 219 Loun
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz Customer Appreciation Day 5-7pm @ Lakeshore Realty North (116 N. First Ave.) 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Snacks and live music show by Brother Music Great jazz music on the front lawn The Two Tracks and Moonshine Mountain in Concert 6:30pm @ The Panida Theater Live Music w/ The Cole Show The Two Tracks have a sound that borrows from country, 10am-4pm @ Infini Gallery rock, and bluegrass traditions. Moonshine Mountain is a The Cole Show will play Infini G high-energy trio from Montana. $15 for a night of music lery as part of the Artists Studio T
DJ Josh at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge
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PFLAG Sandpoint monthly meeting 6pm @ The Gardenia Center This month Chris Herron, will be our guest, facilitating a discussion about his up coming play, “Secret Shame,” being presented at the Heartwood Center, Aug 18, 19 and Aug 25, 26. Join us for an evening of discussion, support and community
Live Music w/ David Walsh 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5-8pm @ Pend d’ Oreille Winery Folk, rock and soul
Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante Computer Class: Computer Ba 8:15am @ Sandpoint Library A beginner’s class on computer ba Pre-register free at 263-6930
Montana Shakespeare at the Park presents: “Macbeth” Sandpoint Chess Clu 6pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds 9am @ Evans Brother A free annual tradition. Bring a chair and a blanket and get your Meets every Sunday a Shakespeare on tragically. Sponsored locally by Lost Horse Press Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
SOLAR ECL
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Solar Eclipse Cruise Night Out Karaoke 9am - 12pm @ Hope 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an almost complete solar eclipse while out on the lake! $41 per ticket, seats going fast. 208-255-5253
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Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3pm-5:30pm @ Farmin Park The afternoon market on Wednesdays for all your produce needs!
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Open Mic 5-8pm @ SKåL Taproom (Ponderay) Musicians and comedians welcome! Open mic is held every Wednesday
Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Wyatt Wood 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Thursday night solo series with Spokane Valley native
Schweit 8:30am u Watch th quired. L safety gl
Magic Wednesd 6-8pm @ Jalapeñ Magician Star Ale dinner table and teractive magical
Rock Creek Mine - Geophysicist Presentation 5:30pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall Dr. David Chambers, geophysicist and recognized e impoundment engineering, will give a presentation dis nical issues and stability problems associated with the p impoundment for the Rock Creek Mine. Free and ope
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August 17 - 24, 2017
, faciliay, “Sertwood us for munity
“Neither Wolf Nor Dog” film 7:30pm @ Panida Theater A new Native American feature film — “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” — based on the best selling novel by Kent Nerburn
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com. Reader recommended
Live Music w/ The Teccas 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall A father-daughter duo with a country and rock sound from Montana
Girls Pint Night Out 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No Dudes! Join Vicki at the big table for an evening talking about and tasting hard cider.
Spokane-to-Sandpoint Relay Race “Jingle” - Dessert & Theater The 10th annual “Scenic Relay Race” 7pm @ Panida Little Theater performer Alexa Wild- A lighthearted comedy-drama written by from Mt. Spokane to Sandpoint. 541from Colorado. Doors Becky Revak. $19 includes show and dessert 633-7174 for more information Summer Paint and Sip rink specials. Free and “Secret Shame” play 6pm @ The Pottery Bug recommended by call- 7:30pm @ The Heartwood Center he Niner Chris Herron’s sixth original play, produced BYOB; no painted talent needed! 208219 Lounge by the Unknown Locals. Always a good time 263-0232. to reserve a spot Movie in the Park: “The Princess Bride” Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 6:30pm @ Lakeview Park (by Museum) First Ave.) 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Admission is free; gates open at 6:30 p.m. to place blanMusic Fresh produce, garden starts as kets and chairs, and the movie begins at sundown well as live music by Bright MoLive Music w/ Brian Jacobs ments Jazz and fun for all! ole Show 6-8pm @ The Wine Bar at Cedar St. Bistro Cedar St. Bridge Public Market llery Come to Cedar St. Bridge for live music and wine ay Infini Gal- 10am-2pm @ Cedar St. Bridge s Studio Tour Come enjoy indoor shopping on King of the Kongcrete Skate Competition the bridge spanning Sand Creek Lynch 12pm @ Concrete Lake Skate Park (Travers) nte “Secret Shame” play Helmets required for all competitors; knee, mputer Basics 7:30pm @ The Heartwood Center elbow, and wrist pads recommended. On-site brary registration from 10:30-11:45 a.m. For more “Jingle” Dessert & Theater mputer basics. info, call Sandpoint Parks and Rec: 263-3613 7pm @ Panida Little Theater 6930
ion Night
Chess Club ns Brothers Coffee Sunday at 9am
Live Music w/ Sonic Boom 3pm @ Farmin Park A free “pre-eclipse” concert by a new Spt band
Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge
More than a store, a Super store!
ECLIPSE - ~10:30 a.m.
Schweitzer Eclipse Event 8:30am until the Eclipse @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort Watch the eclipse of the sun from the summit of Schweitzer! Lift ticket required. Lifts open at 8:30 a.m. The first 150 people on-site will get free viewing safety glasses. www.Schweitzer.com for more info (and to buy tickets early)
Wednesday @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant an Star Alexander amazes guests at the able and in the bar with up-close, ine magical entertainment for all ages!
tion
ognized expert on tailings ntation discussing the techwith the proposed tailings e and open to the public
School Supplies Registration 4pm @ 208-255-2910 The Angels Over Sandpoint have extended the deadline to register for school supplies. Call CAP at the number above to register
KNPS Presents: Two of Idaho’s Rarest Plants 9:45-11:30am @ Sandpoint Community Hall Featured speaker is Juanita Lichthardt, who is part of the Idaho Natural Heritage Program. Free admission, public welcome. Juanita will discuss Water howellia and Idaho phlox. 208-597-5469 for info
Aug. 25-27 International Fjord Horse Show @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds Aug. 25 Movie in the Park: “Trolls” @ Lakeview Park Aug. 25 Chris Webster and Nina Gerber @ Di Luna’s Cafe
orn et Kil ler H d n a p s a W n o Sa le $1 .9 9 p e r c a n
E E R F 1 t e g 2 y u B All pleated air lters Shop smart. shop local. MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM-8PM / SATURDAY 8AM-6PM / SUNDAY 10AM-6PM
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EATS & DRINKS
Laughing Dog celebrates 12th anniversary By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff It was a leap of faith when Fred Colby left his career to start Laughing Dog Brewing. Twelve years later, it’s clear that he landed on remarkably solid ground. Laughing Dog Brewing is a smash hit, its award-winning beers finding taps and grocery store space all over the country. It’s an achievement worth celebrating as Laughing Dog’s staff plan the business’ 12th anniversary party on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 12-8 p.m.. “Looking back, I am very glad that we made the change (to open a brewery),” Colby said. “I have made some great friendships in the industry and some great friendships in this town. The brewery has changed over the years, and we now have some great partners and are looking forward to another 12 years.” Prior to founding Laughing Dog, Colby worked a secure job at Coldwater Creek. It seemed at the time to be a major risk leaving the company to start a new business, but time would prove the decision a wise one. Had Colby
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stayed with Coldwater Creek, it’s likely that he would have had to leave Sandpoint in search of new employment after the company closed its doors. “(It) was a bit of a leap, but I was really burned out and needed a change,” Colby said. “It took some thought and about a year of planning to make the jump, but we did it and have never looked back (OK, well, maybe sometimes we have). “I won’t say it wasn’t scary because it was,” he added. “The craft beer industry suffered a huge setback a few years before, but we felt that the timing was right, and we made it work.” Laughing Dog has a series of special events planned for the party, set for Aug. 26 from 12-8 p.m. The day will feature music by Harold’s IGA, food by The Old Tin Can food truck and a
special 12th-anniversary beer. At about 5:45 p.m., a drawing for a custom-made Greasy Fingers bike will take place, with the proceeds going to Panhandle Animal Shelter. Ticket-holders must be present to win.
“It’s a bit bittersweet this year as Benny (the Laughing Dog dog) won’t be around to help celebrate the anniversary, but I am really looking forward to this year’s party,” Colby said. “It’s kind of like: wow, 12 years already.”
STAGE & SCREEN
Panida Playhouse Theatre presents ‘Jingle’ By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Panida Playhouse Theater will take the stage in Sandpoint again with the premier of “Jingle” written and directed by Becky Revak. The play will take place at the Panida Little Theater on Aug. 18-19, 24-26. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the shows start at 7 p.m. “Jingle” features two local experienced child actors Tru Tomco and Ryan Durbin and explores the themes of family and community when two kids get to know each other as they search for a missing grandmother before the local police step in. The play also stars Miriam Robinson and Robert Moore
Tickets are $19 each and include access to a chocolate and caramel fountain with fruit and other dippers, making this a true Dessert and Theater night. No-host beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Baxter’s, Eve’s Leaves and Santosha Imports, as well as online at www. panida.org. Proceeds from this performance will help support more local theater at the Panida. “Jingle” was made possible by the Panida Theater, Com Tech, Inc. and Blue Sky Broadcasting.
Top: Ryan Durbin. Bottom: Tru Tomco.
aug 17 @ 7:30pm | Aug. 18 @ 5:30pm | Aug. 20 @ 3:30pm
“neither wolf nor dog”
Aug. 18-19, 24-26 @ 7pm little r Dessert & theatRE: “jingle” theate saturday Aug. 19 @ 6:30pm
THE TWO TRACKS WITH GUESTS MOUNTAIN MOONSHINE great music, captivating storytelling, seamless harmonies, and dancing all night
aug. 24 @ 7:30pm | aug. 25 @ 5:30 & 8:30pm aug. 27 @ 3:30pm
“The Hero” starring Sam elliot saturday aug. 26 @ 7pm
alaska’s mt. huntington tuesday, sept. 12 @ 7pm
“MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS” a film by judd apatow giving extraordinary access to hit group The Avett Brothers
friday, sept. 15 @ 8pm
the led zeppelin experience August 17, 2017 /
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FEATURE
STAND-off at ruby ridge:
R E T A L S R A E Y 5 Part 1 2
In this surveillance photo from the federal government, Kevin Harris, left, Sammy Weaver, center and dog Striker walk toward the woodpile on the Weaver property near Naples. Public Domain photo. By Ben Olson Reader Staff Editor’s Note: In the early morning of Aug. 21, 1992, six U.S. Deputy Marshals moved onto a steep, mountainous piece of property off of Ruby Creek Road near Naples, Idaho on what was later termed a “reconnaissance mission” to convince Randy Weaver — who had been indicted on illegal weapons charges — to surrender to authorities. A few hours later, Marshal Dave Hunt made a 911 call to the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office stating that federal agents were trapped on a ridge in Naples taking heavy fire. The call, like much of the early story of Ruby Ridge, was less than true. It triggered one of the largest law enforcement operations ever to occur in Idaho. Ten days later, three people and the family dog had been killed. Two adults were wounded. North Idaho had been plunged into the national spotlight for what would come to be known as “The StandOff at Ruby Ridge,” leaving many in the country wondering whether its federal government could be trusted. Ruby Ridge, along with the siege at Waco, Texas, was regarded as a main cause for the rise of the modern militia movement. The story of the governmental action that led to the events that 16 /
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took place at the Weaver property has been the subject of countless books, films and television specials over 25 years. For those who grew up here, it is a familiar story; albeit a story far too complex to tell within the bounds of this newspaper. For those unfamiliar, what follows is a brief synopsis of the lead-up to the stand-off, the actions that occurred during those tense eleven days in August and the subsequent trial that ultimately saw Randy Weaver acquitted of the murder charge against him. Special care has been taken to present the information as recorded by known facts; however, due to multiple conflicting accounts of the incident, some details are still contested. Trial testimony, newspaper articles and first-hand accounts helped lay down the groundwork for this multiple part series, as well as several books and television news specials. It is not the Reader’s desire to pass judgment on one side or the other, but simply to present an overview of this incident that has left a lasting impression not only on the surviving members of the Weaver family and neighbors, but the nation as a whole. Attempts were made to interview a member of the Weaver family but were ultimately denied. A Foundation of Belief
Randy Weaver met Vicki Jordison in the mid-1960s while they both lived in Iowa. After enlisting and completing Green Beret
training, Randy and Vicki became engaged and married in 1971. While the counterculture revolution swarmed around them, Randy and Vicki - both having been raised in Christian families - began searching for a new religious purpose. They studied prophecies from the New Testament, in particular, the Book of Revelation and agreed that these words could serve as a guide to future events in the world. Vicki gave birth to their first daughter, Sara, in 1976, followed by a son, Samuel, two years later. It was during this time that Vicki claimed she was having visions from God which ultimately led the Weaver family west to a wooded hillside in North Idaho. “Here were two admired/ respected Christians living and working in Waterloo, Iowa who abandoned a great job with the John Deere Corporation, family and friends to move to northern Idaho,” Ron Howen, federal prosecutor during the Randy Weaver trial, wrote to the Reader. “Vicki Weaver’s ‘vision from God’ was that the second coming of Christ would occur during a shootout with ZOG (Zionist Occupation Government) on a mountain top in northern Idaho.” According to Howen, Vicki began using apocalyptic language that fit within what has become known as the Identity movement.
“One of the tenets of this ‘movement’,” wrote Howen, “is that the white race are the true descendants of the true 12 lost tribes of Israel.” Though this same philosophy is shared with groups such as the Aryan Nations led by Richard Butler in Hayden during the 1980s and ‘90s, the Weavers always claimed to not harbor any racial animosity. In August 1983, after Vicki had given birth to a third child named Rachel, the Weavers sold their home in Waterloo, Iowa, and headed west. A Cabin in the Woods
After driving across the country on a two-week search for property, the Weavers ended up in the panhandle of Idaho. They located a piece of property outside of Naples, just south of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The property, which overlooked Ruby Creek and the Kootenai River valley, would afterward come to be known as Ruby Ridge, though the actual Ruby Ridge lies on the hillside opposite the Weaver cabin. The young family constructed a simple cabin with plywood walls. The children were taught at home, with an emphasis on Identity beliefs. Seventeen-year-old Kevin Harris began living on the property with the Weavers. During the mid-1980s, other
Identity Christians were moving to North Idaho, some preaching “white separatism.” While white supremacists believe the Aryan race is naturally superior to others, white separatists believe that the Aryan race should be separated from other “inferior” races by economic, social and cultural means. “It was constantly disheartening to me that people like Randy and Vicki Weaver would fall for such garbage and head to northern Idaho to assemble with like-minded people,” wrote Howen. “They weren’t the first and they won’t be the last.” Not all of the Weaver’s neighbors were “like-minded” people. At one point in 1984, a neighbor had a dispute with Randy over a land deal that ended in Weaver’s favor. As a result, the neighbor wrote letters to the FBI, Secret Service and Boundary County Sheriff alleging Weaver had threatened to kill the president, the pope and the governor of Idaho. In January 1985, the Secret Service investigated the allegations. The Secret Service had been told Weaver was a member of the Aryan Nations and that he had a large cache of weapons at his cabin. After an interview with Randy and Vicki by a handful of federal agents and local law enforcement, no charges were filed. It was this incident with
< see WEAVER, page 17 >
< WEAVER, con’t from page 16 >
federal agents that initially led the Weavers to believe that the government was “after them.” In late Feb. 1985, Randy and Vicki filed an affidavit with the county courthouse claiming that certain neighbors were plotting to provoke the FBI into attacking and killing the Weaver family. There was never any proof found that what these neighbors said was true. A Brush With Hate
In the decade leading up to the stand-off at Ruby Ridge, white supremacist groups had been making the news in North Idaho. The Aryan Nations, led by Richard Butler, lived on a 40-acre encampment in Hayden Lake, where they began holding a “summer camp” called the Aryan Nations World Congress. The camp offered everything from weapons practice to courses on guerrilla warfare. Anti-Semitic, anti-black and anti-homosexual propaganda was handed out to participants. The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations was founded in 1981 after a restaurant owned by a Jewish family was defaced with swastikas in nearby Coeur d’Alene. Another task force leader’s house was bombed. “Frankly, the federal government was asleep at the wheel in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1980s regarding the white supremacy groups that were forming such as Aryan Nations/Church of Jesus Christ in Hayden Lake,” wrote Howen. “The FBI, BATF and the U.S. (Attorney’s Office) did not recognize or fully understand the danger that such groups or individuals posed to the public and minorities in particular until the group The Order burst on the scene in 1984.” The self-proclaimed “revolutionary” group called The Order became involved in a series of violent crimes such as bombings, bank robberies and escalating to the brutal murder of Alan Berg, a liberal, Jewish talk show host in Denver. Many members of The Order were prosecuted by Howen and sent to prison, but a second Order emerged with closer ties to Butler in Hayden Lake. In 1986, another series of bombs were set off in the Coeur d’Alene area. The FBI became involved, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), the Secret Service and local law enforcement. On at least three occasions, the Weavers attended the World Congress at the Aryan Nations compound. While the Weavers reportedly felt sympathetic to the Aryan Nations cause, they made a point of not joining the church. One of Randy’s neighbors, Gene Hopkins, said that Randy told him, “That place was full of crooks and convicts.” In 1989, Randy met a biker named Gus Magisono at the World Congress. The two were friendly to one another and kept in touch after the congress was over. Randy was pressed for money, cutting and selling
firewood and doing odd jobs, and Magisono said Randy could make some money selling guns. Magisono said he was in touch with people within the Order who needed sawed-off shotguns. Magisono later testified that Randy said he’d never sold a sawed-off shotgun before in his life and was reluctant to break the law. However, strapped for cash, Randy eventually agreed to do it, said Magisono. According to testimony at the trial, Randy pulled his pickup next to Magisono’s car and pulled out a Remington pump-action shotgun from a case. The biker touched the barrel at about the 13-inch point, saying, “About here.” Magisono said Randy delivered two sawed-off shotguns a week later for which he was paid $300, according to trial testimony. Gus Magisono was actually Kenneth Fadeley. Fadeley had been arrested for gunrunning by the BATF, who offered him clemency if he could recruit more people to do undercover work within the white supremacist groups such as the Aryan Nations and The Order. The Warrant
Eight months later, Randy Weaver was approached by two BATF agents near Deep Creek, Idaho, who claimed to have incriminating tape recordings of his dealings with Fadeley/Magisono. The agents said Randy could avoid arrest if he agreed to spy on the Aryan Nations, an offer he rejected. In December 1990, Randy was indicted on federal firearms charges. Randy and Vicki were driving down the road leading from their property a few weeks later and saw a pickup parked and blocking the bridge with its hood up. A man and a woman were standing looking at the engine. The Weavers stopped to help and were soon surrounded by BATF agents who had sprung out of the truck’s camper shell. Randy was arrested and taken to the Boundary County jail, where he posted a $10,000 bond with his property as collateral and returned home to the cabin. At that time, Randy was erroneously told by the judge that if he didn’t show up to court to answer the charges, he would not only forfeit his bail, but would lose his property. Randy’s court date was originally set for Feb. 21, but later moved up to Feb. 20. However, the official notice sent out by probation officer Karl Richins to the Weavers listed the court date as March 20. Richins later testified that Weaver had been sent the wrong date for his trial. When Richins notified his superiors, he was taken off the case and told not to correct the mistake. When asked about the date discrepancy, Howen wrote, “I can’t recall the dates you refer to accurately 25 years later. In the Randy Weaver case, I decided to obtain a secret indictment and then wait to see whether Mr. Weaver appeared at the later date. If he had appeared on March 20th and explained his
< see WEAVER, page 22 >
A sequence of events The Weavers sell their home in Waterloo, Iowa and relocate to North Idaho where they complete a cabin on Ruby Creek outside of Naples
The BATF contacts Weaver and attempts to use the sawed-off shotgun charge to get him to be an informant for the investigation into the Aryan Nations. Weaver refuses. A federal grand jury indicts Weaver on making and possessing illegal weapons in Dec. 1990
The U.S. Marshals become involved. A threat assesment is prepared on Weaver. Surveillance begins on the Weaver property. The Marshals attempt methods for Weaver’s peaceful surrender to no avail.
Washington, D.C. is notified of a situation at Ruby Ridge. Gov. Cecil Andrus declares a state of emergency. The Idaho National Guard is deployed, along with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. Special rules of engagement are drafted dra in Washington that would be heavily scrutinized later in the subsequent trial.
The stand-off lasts eleven days total. With the assistance of civilian negotiator Bo Gritz, Weaver ultimately surrenders to authorities on Aug. 31
After attending at least 3 World Aryan Congresses in Hayden Lake, Weaver invited a BATF informant to his home and was later said to have sold two sawed-off shotguns to the informant for $300
A pair of BATF agents posing as broken down motorists arrest Weaver near his property. Trial date is set for Feb. 19, then changed to Feb. 20. Weaver is told trial date is March 20. After his failure to appear, a bench warrant is issued. A federal grand jury indicts him on March 14 for failure to appear
The incident at the “Y” takes place. A six-man team of U.S. Marshals move into surveillance position on the Weaver property. Marshal Art Roderick shoots and kills the dog Striker. Fourteen-year-old Sammy Weaver is shot and killed by Marshal Terry Cooper. Kevin Harris shoots and kills Marshal William Degan, claiming self-defense. Harris was later acquitted.
Day Two of the stand-off brings the media and more law enforcement personnel. FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi fires at Randy Weaver by the birthing shed, wounding him in the back. While Weaver runs back to the cabin, Horiuchi fires a second shot, killing Vicki Weaver while she held baby Elisheba, also wounding Kevin Harris with the same shot.
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Remembering Ruby Ridge
We reached out to a number of key players involved with the Ruby Ridge incident and asked them for some remembrances from 25 years ago. The following excerpts were submitted by the individual listed, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sandpoint Reader editorial staff. Next week, we will publish additional remembrances.
Lt. Col. “Bo” Gritz
GERRY SPENCE
Jess walter
Mike Weland. Mike Weland is author of “An Interview with the Randy Weaver Family,” published in the Bonners Ferry Herald May 2, 1992. Weland is currently editor of News Bonners Ferry (www.newsbf.com)
Gerry Spence.
“Bo” Gritz. Lt. Col. Bo Gritz (ret.), 22-year army veteran with the U.S. Special Forces and author of three books (most recently, “My Brother’s Keeper”). Uninvited, he traveled to Naples and negotiated the surrender of Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris, ending the siege. He now lives in Nevada with his wife, Judy. (www.bogritz.com): Dick Rogers, the FBI Hostage Response Team Commander said to me: “If you don’t have them out by noon, we’re going to take them out! If you’re with them, you’ll go with them!” I couldn’t tell the Weavers, it would cause them to be more determined to die in place like Sammy and Vicki. Randy Weaver told me: “Thank You, Bo, but they will have to kill us like they did our mom, and little brother.” I prayed hard and suddenly the door opened, and Randy told his daughters: “Get your things together, we’re going to follow Colonel Bo down the hill.” I had Randy’s right hand tightly in my left as we started down the rickety stairway. The girls, huddled together, closely followed. I had called Gerry Spence, Esq. the day before, and by God’s Grace, he agreed to defend Randy for free. Ruby Ridge was space in time when federal law enforcement blanked out the U.S. Constitution and went as crazy as a demented PTSD combat vet. In this madness four lives were violently taken (U.S. Marshal William Degan, Sammy and Vicki Weaver, along with their loyal dog, Striker. Sorry to say this wasn’t the end. I’ve been involved in more than a dozen other deadly sieges where Americans were in harm’s way thinking they were right when the government thought them to be wrong. 18 /
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One of the nation’s most well-known attorneys, Spence has never lost a criminal case, and has not lost a civil case since 1969. He successfully defended Randy Weaver on murder, assault, conspiracy and gun charges in the famous Idaho federal standoff case at no charge. Spence is the founder and director of the nonprofit Trial Lawyers College (triallawyerscollege.org) where lawyers, young and old, learn the Spence method of trying cases on behalf of the people. Now retired, the law firm he established is still active and can be found at spencelawyers.com: My most vivid memory of that time is the terrifying power the United States, including its military, launched against an innocent family trying to survive in the wilderness. It brought great shame on our government and its agencies and was a precursor to a totalitarian nation. Twenty-five year later we have likely learned little. The human memory is both short-lived and flawed, and the forces that brought on the standoff at Ruby Ridge are still at play, mostly unfettered.
Randy Weaver, left, talks with his counsel Gerry Spence, right, during his trial. Public Domain photo.
Mike Weland
Jess Walter. Jess Walter, author of six novels including “And Every Knee Shall Bow: the Truth and Tragedy of Ruby Ridge and the Randy Weaver Family,” a reporter for the Spokesman-Review at the time of the siege: The entire thing is vivid in some ways, and watching the PBS miniseries really brought the whole thing back. A few things pop out: the anger and fear at the roadblock — hundreds of state and federal agents and angry protesters, including some skinheads and others who seemed to want to spark more violence. There were times when it felt like something awful was going to happen. And the day the standoff ended, when a few of us reporters were taken up to the cabin. There were federal agents wandering around, and maybe I’m reading too much into their faces, but I wondered later if they were thinking what I was thinking, that this plywood cabin wasn’t the “compound” that officials had talked about, that this had all gotten so horribly out of hand, that it was too much for, as Sara Weaver would say, “one family.” I don’t know that it’s something I learned, but something I’ve observed over the years is how our political disunity is more than just disagreeing over whether abortion should be legal or how much money teachers should make. We are at a place now where the right and left in this country don’t even see the same reality, can’t even find a common set of facts. Ruby Ridge showed what can happen when the middle ground loses its purchase, when sides dehumanize one another, when paranoia and blunt force take the place of basic humanity.
I have many vivid memories of the siege. As a reserve Bonners Ferry police officer sworn in three days before, I was among the first to help block Ruby Creek Road shortly after the marshals reported the firefight. As the only reporter to sit down with the family prior to the siege, I remember sitting with the surviving family dog, who was tied to a tree at the base of their road and so grateful for the attention. I remember watching the sniper teams walk by as they changed shifts, how fast “Federal Way” transformed from an empty meadow to the second biggest city in Boundary County and laughing when someone posted the cardboard sign to a fence on the road in. Young agents stuck for hours at a time, ear glued to a telephone on the end of an open line to Washington, D.C., with no one, not even the agents in charge, able to make but the simplest decision, and even then, nearly every federal decision made being wrong. I remember the anguish of many of those agents, worried about their families on the east coast facing a major hurricane while they were on a hill in Idaho. Helping carry the body bag holding Samuel Weaver, the 11-year-old boy who so impressed me once the family adjusted to my presence, to the helicopter for the flight off the hill, thinking how small and light he was, of the feeling that went through the crowd gathered at the roadblock when news broke that Vicki Weaver was dead. Looking back, what strikes me most is how quickly mistrust on both sides so quickly and tragically escalated, how such trivial actions blew so insanely out of proportion: Randy Weaver, a cold-blooded Green Beret killer with the hate and the know-how to pose a lethal threat to the might of the federal government. A small wooden shack transformed into a fortress, an idyllic meadow into an armed federal compound overnight. How easily the scenario was repeated just months later in Waco, and how easily it could, to this day, be repeated again.
White supremacy vs. white nationalsm
An Op-Ed by Ben Olson Reader Staff
In the wake of the tragedy at the Unite the Right demonstration in Charlottesville, there has been an attempt by some to redefine the term “white nationalism” into something innocuous and separate from white supremacism. Here’s what the terms mean. Their definitions haven’t changed.
Remembering Ruby Ridge A rare exclusive interview with E. Michael Kahoe, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for obstruction of justice after Ruby Ridge E. Michael Kahoe
White Supremacy
A racist ideology that believes the white race is superior and should ultimately control all other races. Proponents of white supremacy often attempt to back up their beliefs with pseudoscience that reaffirms the idea that different races are genetically disposed to particular traits or behavior. White supremacists also believe that white people should be the primary beneficiaries of political, economic and social policies.
White Nationalism
A version of white separatism that believes in a country “built by and for white people,” as Mark Potok with the Southern Poverty Law Center told CNN. According to the SPLC website: “White nationalist groups espouse white supremacist or white separatist ideologies, often focusing on the alleged inferiority of nonwhites. Groups listed in a variety of other categories - Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist skinhead, and Christian Identity - could also be fairly described as white nationalist. White nationalist groups espouse white supremacist or white separatist ideologies.” The argument that these two terms are somehow different is not only wrong, but despicable. Idaho is too great for hate. Call it out by its right name when you see it.
By Ben Olson, Reader Staff E. Michael Kahoe is the former head of the FBI’s violent crimes section and a 27year veteran of the Bureau. In 1997, Kahoe was sentenced to 18 years in prison for obstruction of justice. It was found that Kahoe destroyed an after-action memo on Ruby Ridge and then lied about it. He spoke to the Reader via telephone last week. His responses have been lightly edited for space. It was a total screw up on the part of the federal government going back a long way. I have a lot of sympathy for (Weaver). ... They trumped that whole thing up with the sawed-off shotgun. It’s horrible what they did, I think. ... I think it started to go wrong when we created BATF. They started looking around for things to do. They came up with this, the sawed-off shotgun stuff. They wanted to get into domestic terrorism. That’s what they needed to get into. They didn’t have any jurisdiction in domestic terrorism. They thought Weaver would be an informant and get them into the Aryan Nations. It didn’t happen and they bailed on it. The poor Marshals got stuck with it and lost a guy. (When I first heard of this) I was in D.C. at our HQ. It was getting close to quitting time. (The “red line” phone rang). It was a fellow named Larry Potts, the assistant director of the FBI at that time. He said, “Do you know anything about a U.S. marshal and a couple other people being killed on top of a mountain in northern Idaho?” I said this is the first I’d heard about it. He said, “Start finding out about it. ... Looks like it’s going to be a big deal.” I got on the phone started calling around. Sure enough, it was a big deal. There were a bunch of things that could’ve been done differently. We never even had to go up that mountain. We could’ve just waited. Randy would’ve come down that mountain
one of these days. ... The plan was, after the BATF thing went away, there was a plan to dismiss the indictment against Randy Weaver - to publicly dismiss it. Get a lot of the information out there on the press. ... I thought hell, this is a pretty good plan. They dismiss indictment, Randy comes down off mountain, they re-indict him, then they arrest him. No big deal. But for some reason, the U.S. attorney said “That would be deceitful, we can’t do that.” That didn’t make a lot of sense to me. It just seemed like a tragic loss of life for something that could’ve been handled a bunch of different ways. Soon after Ruby Ridge, there were a couple of internal inquiries. They all ended with, “Nobody did anything wrong.” Of course that’s how they ended. I think Congress jumped into it and said, you can’t do this, you have to take another look. Once again, they said, “Nobody did anything wrong.” Finally, they did something, and this was the first time that I was ever asked about this memo, the after-action memo. And what happened with this was there were two people above me: Larry Potts and Danny Coulson. Both of these guys deferred on anything that had to do with the Rules of Engagement (ROE), which was the big deal. They were the ones who were making the decision about ROE. It came time for the after-action conference, and there was only one thing to be discussed at that and that was. It came time for the after-action conference. And everybody is there, the guys in the field are there waiting for this conference. And I’m there, and the guys who I worked with are there. Now Coulson calls in sick that day. And Potts walks into the meeting and says he’s got another meeting he has to go to and can’t go to this one. I don’t know what other meeting in the FBI is more important that day than Ruby Ridge. Now there’s nothing to discuss. The only people that can talk about the ROE are the two people that are not there. The guy in charge of Ruby Ridge – Gene Glenn, who I think is now passed away. Soon after the thing started, he brought up the ROE. He said, “Are we going to talk about ROE?” I said, “I don’t know anything about ROE. It wasn’t my deal. I wasn’t operational.” We wrote up a memo, which was nonsense. It had to be nonsense because there wasn’t anything to be talked about. The guy that wrote the memo, I sent it back to him and said “There’s nothing in here.” He said, “Of course, it was all nonsense. The two guys that had anything to contribute didn’t show up.” That was the first time that it hit me. I let the memo sit and eventually I threw it in the trash.
That was pretty unorthodox. Particularly on something like this. Something that the people above me were always asking about: “Where’s this memo?” The guy above me was Danny Coulson, which was the guy that bailed on the after-action. The guy above him was Larry Potts – the guy who bailed. What are they going to say? If I put in there what happened – we can’t write this memo because the guys who know about it didn’t show up for the conference. ... I think they were concerned with this ROE stuff, and they didn’t want that to come up. It was well after Ruby Ridge, when they had these internal inquiries to see what the hell happened. At one of these, they asked, “Where’s the memo for the after-action conference?” And once again it was the first time it hit me, I said, “I don’t remember” then I remembered that I threw it away, in the trash. And of course, that was pretty much it. I think they are the people that have to find somebody to blame for this thing. They’re looking for somebody. This memo really gave them that opportunity. Even though it was a big nothing. It didn’t contribute anything to the operation at all. It was just a big nothing. I pled to one count of obstruction of justice and initially thought, “Jesus, it can’t be too much here. If anybody reads this memo they’ll see it’s just nonsense.” But it turned out to be more than I thought. I was sentenced to 18 months in jail. I ended up serving a year and twenty days. ... I don’t want to be painted as a victim or a martyr. I was there. I did it. I’m not a victim, I’m not a martyr. I’m not going to say I am. I never lied. I never deceived anybody in anything. It is what it is. Somebody had to take the fall, that’s why they kept doing these inquiries over and over again. They said, “We gotta find something here. Then all of a sudden, they came up with this memo that I threw away. There are individuals who should’ve been charged, but I’m not going to tell you who. It shouldn’t have stopped at one – that’s all opinion and speculation. I have no real facts to support any of that. (Asked what he would do differently). I think I would’ve taken sick leave that day, too. I would’ve called in with the flu on the day of the after-action conference, too. This whole thing is politicians. Politicians came up with this ATF organization. It was a failure to begin with. I think now they switched it over to the DOJ, it used to be DO treasury. It was a disaster. I think I would’ve called in sick that day.
E. Michael Kahoe is currently working on a book about his experiences with Ruby Ridge. August 17, 2017 /
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FOOD
The Sandpoint Eater
Long lost friend
By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist I’ve just returned from my much-anticipated annual summer sojourn to Montana, where our clan of family and like-family gather from near (Helena) and far (including one who was returning from a business trip to Bogota, Colombia) to eat, drink, laugh, sleep and repeat. One of my favorite pastimes when we gather is to prepare traditional and family favored recipes, requested by my kids (and theirs), as well as throwing a new recipe or two into the mix. With more than a dozen people and nearly two dozen meals to prepare, there’s always something cooking in the rustic kitchen at our beloved mountain retreat. This year it was serendipitous that one of the featured dishes I planned to prepare was indigenous to Bogota. Thanks to an article I chanced upon only a couple of months ago, I was finally able to prepare a simple potato recipe that I’ve tried recreating many times since my own first visit to Bogota. The article caught my eye as it was a story about the salt potatoes that are popular around Syracuse, New York. The original salt mine laborers were Irish immigrants (it’s no wonder that a story related to some Irishmen caught my eye) who’d bring along a pail of small potatoes, boil them in intensely salty brine and eat them for lunch. A picture that accompanied the article stirred a deeply rooted food memory. As I continued 20 /
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to read, I realized I’d found my old friend, papa salado. I first tasted these salty little gems at a rest stop on a six-hour mountainous bus ride between Medellin and Pereira. It was not my transportation of choice, but after waiting several days for the fog to lift for a return flight to Bogota, my money was running as low as my options. Against my better judgment, I joined a group who’d arranged for a rickety bus ride to Pereira, where we’d catch a flight to Bogota. The bus ride was every bit as terrifying as I had imagined it would be, so I handed my camera to a new, sympathetic friend who promised pictures, and spent most of the trip huddled against my seat, eyes closed to ward off the butterflies in my stomach and the
final glimpse of my life, for surely at any given moment the bus would careen off the narrow dirt road and plunge down the steep mountainside. Finally, about half way through our perilous journey, we came to a wide spot in the road and pulled over for respite (like it was yesterday, I still recall how happy I was to step off that dusty and fuel scented bus to breath some fresh mountain air and shake the forebodings of the looming, deadly bus crash from my mind). Though it looked like nothing more than a pullout out on the road, this was a scheduled station stop and commerce hub for those traversing the road by car, bus or animal. A large, sagging umbrella covered a small food stand operated by two women and twice as many chil-
dren. The offerings were sparse, and other than the (warm) Coca Cola, completely unfamiliar to me. A fish aquarium was used as a makeshift chafer and loaded to the brim with small potatoes, coated in fine white powder, and burlap bags rolled halfway down were filled with golden hued, lemon-sized fruit. In my best Spanish, I exchanged a few pesos for a small bag of potatoes and a couple pieces of the fruit before retreating to the death trap to partake in my last meal. Even in perilous times, my interest in food never wanes, and as it turned out, those salty little potatoes were one of the tastiest morsels I had ever eaten. Combined with the granadilla (a hard-skinned fruit encasing a membrane filled with black, seedy pulp), it was
a perfect combination of sweet and savory. And best of all, I lived to tell about it. For years, I tried making those salt-dusted potatoes, with decidedly disappointing results. I finally gave up, though, stored in my food memory bank, I thought of them every now and then. After reading about the Syracuse potatoes, I began to do some research and learned that there are many halite-rock salt mines in Colombia, too (including the famous salt cathedral of Zipaquira), hence the potatoes’ popularity in that region. Whether serving them Syracuse-style at a week-end barbecue, or cooking them over a wood fired stove served with roasted goat or chicken (and a side of spicy aji), as the Colombians do, give these salty little spuds a try.
Colombian Salt Potatoes (Papa Saluda) These potatoes are for salt lovers. They’re good hot or cold (and delicious on Salade Niçoise). Use a good quality salt, such as sea salt or flaked salt for best results. The residual salt crusts onto the potatoes, so chose something tasty! For larger batches of potatoes, increase salt.
DIRECTIONS:
INGREDIENTS: •2 pounds small new or red potatoes, rinsed •1⁄2 cup kosher salt
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add salt and stir to dissolve. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has completely evaporated and potatoes are covered with coating of salt, approx. 40 minutes. Swirl potatoes in pan to pick up residual salt. Remove from heat and let potatoes rest for 5 minutes in pan. Toss again, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with roasted meat and spicy aji.
Aji Recipe INGREDIENTS: •4 green onions, coarsely chopped •1 ripe tomato, quartered •1 habanero pepper, stem removed •1 cup cilantro, stems removed •2 tbs water •2 tbs white vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Refrigerate. Spoon over meat and potatoes, or for finger food, dip small potatoes in aji.
ENTERTAINMENT
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
Shakespeare, as he intended: Lost Horse Press hosts Sandpoint’s 3rd annual Shakespeare in the Parks event
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer Montana Shakespeare in the Parks came to Heron, Mont., every summer for almost 30 years. Just a few years ago, when the woman in Heron who hosted the plays each summer retired, citizens in the surrounding area were left without a local MSIP performance. “So no one took over in Heron, and those of us who love Shakespeare and love that whole concept of watching the play outdoors — like it was done in Shakespeare’s time — were waiting for someone in the area to take it over,” Holbert said. So when she decided to take on hosting MSIP through her independent nonprofit publishing house, Lost Horse Press, Holbert called the theater troupe and asked if they’d be
willing to come to Sandpoint. “They said, ‘We’ve been waiting for years,’” she said. MSIP will put on a free performance of “Macbeth” at the Bonner County Fairgrounds Sunday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. Gates to the fairgrounds will open at 3 p.m. so attendees can come lay out their blankets and enjoy performances from several local groups before the play. Holbert said Devotion Tribal Belly Dance of North Idaho will perform, as well as the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint’s Youth Theater Program. The MCS students will perform vignettes from “Hansel and Gretel” and Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband” as the opening act for “Macbeth.” Those same theater students will also receive a master class from the MSIP actors. Holbert said it’s tradition for play attendees to come early,
picnic and chat with friends before the MSIP performance, and that by having opening acts, the afternoon will be even more memorable. “It’s just something to spice up the afternoon, and a way to showcase our local talent,” she said. Holbert said that because Lost Horse Press is a nonprofit she wants to show the community her appreciation for their support. “I felt it was my responsibility to somehow give back to the community, so our mission is not just to publish poetry books, but also to make literature available in other forms
This weekend, Sandpoint will get a taste of one of today’s burgeoning music genres: Americana. This fresh genre is distinguished by a blend of folk music encapsulating the musical ethos of the United States, especially influenced by country, blues, and rock and roll flavors. Serving it up will be The Two Tracks, a four-piece group hailing from Wyoming. The fast-growing group is rising in the Americana scene, with a unique sound featuring influences from traditional bluegrass, rock and country. The Two Tracks consists of Julie Szewc on vocals and acous-
tic guitar, David Huebner on cello and electric guitar, Fred Serna on drums and percussion, and Aaron Ashear on bass. The quartet are venturing up to Northern Idaho for the first time to share an authentic sampling of the Americana genre for anyone hungry for a hot take on folk music. They’ve performed at an array of festivals including Red Ants Pants Music Festival, Beartrap Summer Festival, NewWestFest, the Big Horn Mountain Festival, Evanston Bluegrass Festival, and the Sioux River Folk Festival. They will be playing some tunes from their latest album, “Postcard Town”, which is available on iTunes. Opening for The Two Tracks will be the Montana
three-piece band Moonshine Mountain, also making their Sandpoint debut. Moonshine Mountain is recognized for their upbeat and danceable music that consistently gets audiences up and on their feet. The high-energy Americana outfit has opened for a variety of bands, such as the Lil Smokies, Fruition, Trampled by Turtles, and Yarn (just to name a few). The show shall be hosted by the Panida, and is slated to begin at 6:30, and doors open an hour prior. Tickets are available at the door, as well as at Eichardt’s, Evan’s Brothers, and 7B Grooves.
When I saw a book titled “Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them,” I was instantly confused and intrigued. The true story of author Donovan Hohn is entertain- ing, horrifying and fascinating all at the same time. If you’ve ever wondered what happens to all that plastic we throw away, this book will blow your mind.
LISTEN
“Macbeth” will be performed on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. Courtesy photo.
and activities, like hosting Montana Shakespeare in the Parks,” she said.
Americana bands to rock the Panida By McCalee Cain Reader Intern
READ
Fans of Canadian band Arcade Fire will be pleased to know the indie rockers released a new album, “Everything Now” earlier this year. It’s everything you’d expect from Arcade Fire — up-tempo disco beats, choral background singing, multi-instrumental work with piano and strings — and though it pales in comparison to their first three albums, it’s worth a listen. I like to pair albums with the situations in which you would listen to them. I think this album would go well played before you hit the town for a night of dancing and drinking with your frivolous friends.
WATCH
Fans of The Head and the Heart’s performance at the Festival at Sandpoint last week will enjoy a couple of bootleg videos I shot while managing the old Downtown Crossing on First Ave. When I booked The Head and the Heart and their opening band The Lumineers (!) at the Downtown Crossing, nobody knew who they were outside of Seattle music circles. Weeks after they played this small show, both bands were signed and began their rise to stardom. Go on YouTube and search “The Head and the Heart Downtown Crossing” to see them play to a small crowd of bar freaks Top: The Two Tracks. Bottom: Moonshine Mountain in Sandpoint. Band. Courtesy photos. August 17, 2017 /
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< WEAVER, con’t from page 17 >
[failure to appear] as a mistake ... I would have dismissed the indictment and the arrest warrant. ... Based on the information I had received including several written letters from Vicki Weaver, I was very confident that Randy Weaver had no intention of appearing before Judge Ryan in February or March. How else could the agents of ZOG be lured up the mountain for this apocalyptic shootout where the second coming of Christ would occur?” Randy Weaver testified he believed the date discrepancy was done on purpose; regardless, he no longer trusted the governmental system in the least, and had already determined he would not appear in court. For the next 16 months, the Weavers stayed on their property. In October 1991, the fourth Weaver child was born. Elisheba Weaver was born in a small outbuilding called the “birthing shed,” where Vicki and Sara would stay during their menstrual periods according to their understanding of Old Testament laws about cleanliness. Surveillance
In the quarter century since the incident, many have questioned the motives of the BATF and their decision to pursue an arrest for the firearms charge - which was a misdemeanor, not a felony. The U.S. Marshals Service, the enforcement arm of the federal court system, became involved, creating a “threat assessment” on Randy Weaver that included such items as unverified rumors that Randy Weaver was growing marijuana on his property and had been involved with bank robberies. These rumors were never proven true. The report also mentioned heavy-caliber guns mounted on tripods around the “compound,” a name that stuck in the media when referring to the Weaver property. The report also claimed Randy was a member of the Aryan Nations, that he had threatened the life of the president, and that he was likely to shoot officers on sight. These rumors also were later proved to be untrue. “The reason the federal government and specifically BATF went after Randy Weaver, well, some of it’s speculation, but the reason was that they wanted an informant,” said E. Michael Kahoe, a former FBI agent who was ultimately sentenced to 18 months in prison for obstruction of justice after destroying an internal critique and then lying about it to two sets of investigators. “The whole thing is tragic,” said Kahoe in an exclusive interview with the Reader. “When they couldn’t flip him … they turned it over to the U.S. Marshals Service. It’s a case of the BATF looking for a mission. … they trumped that whole thing up with the sawedoff shotgun. It’s horrible what they did, I think. Of course, I’m on the other side of it.” Despite the fact that many items in this report were proven false, it had the effect of painting Randy as a desperate, well-armed man who would be difficult to bring to justice. The marshals had the Weavers under 22 /
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The Newsweek cover from August 1995. surveillance. A family living nearby the Weaver cabin was convinced to help the Marshals monitor the actions of the Weavers. During spring 1992, in an effort to beef up surveillance to include electronic monitoring with cameras and other devices, Ron Evans, the chief deputy marshal of Idaho, petitioned Washington, D.C., for authorization to declare the case “major” and bring in high-tech surveillance equipment. In April, a six-man team of marshals and electronic surveillance specialists began setting up surveillance sites with video cameras on two sides of the Weaver cabin. A helicopter and Cessna airplane were later commissioned to make flyovers to obtain aerial photographs. From a makeshift HQ, the marshals would frequently scout the Weaver property, always armed and in full military camouflage, taking caution to avoid detection. The marshals began devising contingency plans to take Randy into custody with a minimal use of force. On Aug. 20, 1992, six U.S. marshals set out armed and in camo dress, and entered the Weaver property on what is still called only a “reconnaissance mission.” The Stand-Off
The marshals split into two teams. Marshals William Degan, Larry Cooper and Art Roderick comprised the forward team while Dave Hunt, Larry Thomas and an EMT named Frank Norris formed the other. The forward team took up position behind a big rock that marks the edge of the clearing where the Weaver’s cabin was built. According to trial testimony by Roderick, the marshals began throwing pebbles to “see if they could get the dog’s attention.” Marshal Cooper said in an interview in 2013 that the dog heard a car somewhere in the distance, and that’s what got its attention. However it happened, 14-year-old Sammy’s dog Striker began barking and
sniffing in the vicinity of the boulder where the marshals set up position. Randy, Kevin and Sammy ran toward the rock with their weapons: a 12-gauge shotgun, a .30-06 bolt action rifle and a .223 mini-14 respectively. Randy later wrote, “I didn’t have any idea what we were chasing, but I hoped it was a deer.” While Kevin and Sammy followed the dog down the logging road, Randy cut around the trail past the garden that met the road — a common hunting practice is to surround game and have one set of hunters drive the deer out of the woods while the other waited to make the shot. The marshals ran into the woods to an old logging road that encircled the property. Striker began chasing the group, which eventually fled to a place dubbed “the Y” where they took cover. Different versions of what occurred next came out in various court testimonies. “When I reached the first fork in the logging road, a very-well camouflaged person yelled ‘Freeze, Randy!’,” Randy wrote later. “I immediately said ‘Fuck you,’ and retreated 80 to 100 feet toward home. I realized immediately that we had run smack into a ZOG/New World Order ambush.” Striker came running to the Y area, followed by Sammy and Kevin. At this point, according to the findings of a Senate investigation committee, Marshal Roderick fired at the dog, although Marshals Cooper and Roderick both testified that Kevin Harris had fired first after they had identified themselves as U.S. Marshals. When Sammy saw Striker had been shot by Marshal Roderick, he yelled, “You shot Striker, you sonofabitch!” and fired his gun in the direction of the stand of trees where the shots originated. According to Kevin Harris’ testimony, Sammy was running up the trail away from the Marshals when another shot came from the woods, hitting him in the arm. Harris claims Sammy fell and got to his feet to continue running. Another burst of fire came from the trees. Sammy Weaver, shot in the back while running home, died. The Senate investigation committee concluded that the “evidence suggests, but does not establish, that the shot that killed Sammy Weaver was fired by DUSM Cooper.” Marshall Cooper also acknowledged that he shot Sammy in a later interview. Seeing Sammy fall, Harris fired into the bushes and believed that he had shot the person who had killed Sammy. Harris testified that the agents never identified
themselves as U.S. Marshals, nor did they have a warrant in their possession. Marshal Cooper claimed he did shout “Back off, U.S. Marshals,” in a later interview. William Degan, one of the most highly decorated officers in the U.S. Marshals Service, was found dead in the stand of trees where the forward group had hidden. It was concluded later that the shot by Harris was the one that killed Degan, though a jury later found that Harris acted in self-defense and acquitted him of the charges. “The competing versions of what happened at the Y were presented and argued during the trial,” wrote Howen. “I believe the surviving marshals, Larry Cooper and Art Roderick. There is one thing both versions agree on. When the shootout at the Y happened, Randy Weaver was bookin’ it for the cabin looking out for number 1, leaving a 14-year-old boy and a young man with the mentality of a 13-year-old to shoot it out with the hated ZOG agents.” Randy later testified in court that he wasn’t aware how close Sammy and Kevin were, and that he was shouting for them to get home. Only Kevin made it back. This is the end of Part One of the Stand-Off at Ruby Ridge: 25 Years Later. With a 14-year-old boy, the family dog and a respected U.S. Marshal dead, what had begun as a simple failure to appear in court had now evolved into an incident that would captivate the nation for the next ten days. Next week, learn about the next tragedy of the stand-off involving the death of Vicki Weaver, the efforts that were taken to bring Randy off the mountain, and the trial that ultimately led to the acquittal of murder charges for both Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris.
Crossword Solution
You know what would be the most terrifying thing that could ever happen to a flea? Getting caught inside a watch somehow. You don’t even care, do you.
Fundraiser for Clark Fork volleyballer By Cindy Derr Reader Contributor
Visit our new showroom at 315 S. Ella Ave.
Woorf tdhe Week
divagate
/DAHY-vuh-geyt/
[verb] 1. to wander; stray. 2. to digress in speech. “Don’t stand there and divagate. Tell it to me straight!”
Corrections: Nothing to report this week. Hopefully, with all the various versions of events that took place at Ruby Ridge 25 years ago, I won’t have to make any corrections next week. We’ll see... -BO
CROSSWORD
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Clark Fork High School will put on a car wash and bake sale at the Chevron on Clark Fork Saturday, Aug. 19 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Funds raised are to help one of our volleyball family members from Clark Fork High School and Clark Fork Juniors Volleyball Club. While visiting a friend in Spain, Ali Sutton (No. 19 on our varsity volleyball team) became very ill with an infection and was admitted to a hospital over Tessa Sutton, left, smiles for the camera with sister Ali, right, at a volleyball there. Ali was bombardtournament last year. Photo by Leslie Kiebert. ed with every test: an MRI, brain scan, planning her trip back to Clark Fork. multiple ultrasounds, chest X-rays, a spinal Ali will be a junior this fall in school tap, multiple blood draws and medicines. and has been a member of our CFHS Her white blood count skyrocketed and her varsity volleyball team for the past two fever spiked between 108 and 110 degrees. years. She also is a member of the Lady She was diagnosed with Fever Syndrome Cats varsity basketball team and the varwithout Focus. sity track team. Finally, after several days her fever Thank you to all of the CFHS and came down and thankfully, she is now set Noxon volleyball team members (and to be released. Her U.S. medical insurance parents) who are helping with the car wash does not apply to the Spain hospital and/or and bake sale fundraiser on Saturday. doctors. Thank you to her host family from Spain, who stayed with her 24/7 while she You can also donate to Ali’s GoFundwas in the hospital and having all her tests Me account at www.gofundme.com/ to figure out where the infection was coming pjawnq-alis-medical-fund. from. She is now on a strong antibiotic and is
ACROSS 1. Ho-hum 5. After-bath powder 9. Mongrel 13. Sexual assault 14. Lengthways 16. District 17. Dwarf buffalo 18. Sesame seed 19. Hazard 20. “Beau ___” 22. Cause extensive destruction 24. Defrost 26. Fish broth 27. Venture to say 30. Insect wounds 33. Miscarriage 68. Stigma 35. Daughter of a sibling 69. Anagram of “Sees” 37. Dip lightly 70. To endure (archaic) 38. Weave diagonal lines into 71. Feudal worker 41. Crimson DOWN 42. Fall color 1. Boast 45. Browning bread 2. Alley 48. Custodian 3. Punctuation mark 51. Measure in a lab 4. Common Old World 52. Last heath 54. Jacket 55. Something that is inferred 5. Bar bill 6. Cut down 59. Filaments 7. Delineated 62. All excited 8. Tent fabric 63. Follow as a result 9. Cocktail 65. Heap 10. Murres 66. Fail to win 11. Exam 67. Stinks
Solution on page 22
12. Give and ____ 15. Not the most 21. Where the sun rises 23. Tibia 25. Pause 27. Carpenter’s groove 28. By surprise 29. Ouch! 31. Medical science of the elderly 32. Smell 34. Louse-to-be 36. Border 39. A parcel of land 40. Nonclerical 43. Asylum seeker
44. Sweeping story 46. Put away 47. Gallivant 49. Go in 50. Showered 53. Unsuccessful person 55. Broad valley 56. Prima donna problems 57. Sleep in a convenient place 58. Microwave (slang) 60. Distinctive flair 61. Arid 64. East southeast
August 17, 2017 /
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105 S. 3RD AVE. SANDPOINT