Arts, entertainment, bluster and some news
Moy 9, 2019 I FREE I Vol. 16 Issue 1 S
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(wo)MAN compiled by
Susan Drinkard
on the street
How will you honor your mother on Mother’s Day? “I will give her flowers on Mother’s Day. My mother is nice, loving and caring.” Alex Bonner Seventh grade at Sandpoint Middle School Sagle
DEAR READERS,
It’s been a glorious week, with warmer temperatures heading our way this weekend. We should reach 80 by Saturday. To put things into perspective, it was 11 degrees just two and a half months ago. North Idaho, am I right? Locals, it’s about to get busy around here. Lost in the ‘50s weekend is looming just around the corner. This weekend has been recognized as the first bookend of our tourist season, which spans through August into September before quieting down again. So take a breath and prepare yourselves, folks, it’s about to get hectic. It’s going to be a busy weekend full of events here in Sandpoint, but don’t forget the most important day this week: Mother’s Day. The more craziness I see in this world, the more I realize that every mother is a saint for giving birth to us. Here’s to my mom, to Cameron’s mom, to Lyndsie’s mom and to Jodi’s mom, as well as the rest of you dear saintly mothers out there. We love you all and wish you the happiest Mother’s Day imaginable. Don’t forget to treat yourself, too!
-Ben Olson, Publisher
“I plan to send her a card to let her know I love her, and I will call her and maybe even order dinner online for her. She lives in Chicago. I will honor my wife as well, because she is due with her second child, a boy, on Mother’s Day.” Chris Micchelli Minister Sandpoint
Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com
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Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Scarlette Quille, Matt Nykiel, Brenden Bobby, Cody Lyman, Kevin Davis, Nick Gier, Chase Youngdahl, Nancy Foster Renk, Sarah Garcia.
Shelby Blomquist Age 4 Sandpoint
“My mom passed away several years ago, but I will pray for her and think about her on Mother’s Day.”
111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders, Richard Corey, Nancy Foster Renk.
“I will say, ‘It’s Mother’s Day!’ to her. I like that she’s my mom because she loves me and she feeds me food and we like to play Candyland. I would like to give a flower to her.”
“My mom lives in Washington, so I will call her. I am going camping with my son. It will give my wife time to spend with her mom.”
READER
The Psounbality with Per FRESH FOOD LIVE MUSIC THE BEST NW BREWS
212 Cedar Street Downtown Sandpoint
208.263.4005 A SandPint Tradition Since 1994
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
This week’s cover features probably the most common tattoo known to mankind. For good reason, too. Love you, mom. May 9, 2019 /
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NEWS
City approves honorary sign program By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
The city of Sandpoint is aiming to boost the number of ways it can honor the achievements of its renowned native sons and daughters. At last week’s City Council meeting, Sandpoint Historic Preservation Commission member Sue Graves detailed a new plan for honoring the “historically significant contributions to the community.” This could include anything from plaques and street signs to renaming parks or other public spaces in a person’s honor. Sandpoint City Council members approved the program with a unanimous vote last week. “As a result of recent requests, the first policy the Commission recommends is an honorary street sign program,” Graves said. “This policy provides a means to honor current and past Sandpoint residents, groups, organizations, events and sites that have made civic, charitable, educational, cultural or business contributions to this community by identifying a Sandpoint street or a portion of a street with the name of an honoree.” To avoid inconveniencing residents, the honorific street name system will supplement, not replace, existing street names. That will prevent any confusion from out-of-date maps and remove the hassle of forcing residents to update address information. As to who or what might be considered for the honor, Graves believes the commission struck a balance in their approach. “We had considerable discussion trying to make it not too broad, yet not too limiting,” she said. The first criteria for consideration is that the person or thing being honored contributed something of “known historic, geographic or cultural significance 4 /
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to the city.” Another qualifying factor might be an accomplishment of local, regional, national or international significance. A person with a distinguished career or notable humanitarian achievement while a resident of the city would be considered for the program. Likewise, a connection between the honoree and the street being renamed — the site of his or her former house, for instance — would add weight to the request. Finally, a clearly-defined record of local community or public service is another important factor in approval through the program. “In addition, we recommend that the honorary street signs would be allowed for a maximum of five years and can be renewed with a new application,” Graves said. In order to move their application forward, the nominating individual will have to prove that at least 50% of the property owners abutting the sign locations support the proposal. They will also be responsible for costs associated with their application, including any maintenance and the replacement of stolen or defaced signs. As for the signs themselves, they will be brown with white lettering, a style consistent with other local historic signage. The signs will be placed above or below the signs detailing the existing street name. “We also felt that putting the word ‘honorary’ on the sign was
important because it would help further differentiate from the existing street sign,” Graves said. It remains to be seen who or what will be honored through the street sign program. In the past, community members have
expressed support for honoring football hero Jerry Kramer, who grew up in Sandpoint and went on to a legendary 11-year career as a Green Bay Packers offensive lineman between 1958 and 1968. The two-time Super Bowl
Jerry Kramer, then and now. Courtesy photos. champion was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame last year, an honor many sports commentators called long overdue.
Kramer returns to Sandpoint for Panida event By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Sports legend Jerry Kramer is back in town later this month for a night of reflection on a dramatic career. Sponsored by Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc., and set for May 22, “Memories of a Legend with Jerry Kramer” will be a night sports fans won’t want to miss. Kramer will share the details of his 11-
year career with the Green Bay Packers that earned two Super Bowl championships and paved the way for his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame last year. General admission for the event costs $8 and includes a poster. However, a $55 VIP package will open access to a pre-event reception with Kramer himself. The package also includes appetizers, beer or wine, an autographed mini football, a collectible poster and
reserved seating. The pre-event meet and greet starts 5:30 p.m. at the Panida Little Theater, with doors opening at 5 p.m. The Panida main doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the speaker event begins 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Sandpoint Area Senior Center, online at www.panida.org or at the door if any remain. However, event organizers predict tickets will go fast and advise residents to pick them up early.
Agencies scramble to approve administrative rules By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Idaho state agencies are rushing against the clock to ensure their administrative rules remain in order before a Friday deadline. The Associated Press reports that the deadline was set by Gov. Brad Little in order to allow sufficient time for public
involvement and authorization. Once agencies submit their administrative rules, they will undergo vetting by the Division of Financial Management. On June 19, they will be published in the Idaho Administrative Bulletin, then undergo 21 days of public comment. The race to authorize rules stems from the Idaho Legislature’s failure to approve
an administrative rules bill, previously seen as routine end-of-the-session legislation. That tossed the ball into Little’s court, who said he would work with state departments to ensure that an updated set of administrative rules was approved.
NEWS
County Road and Bridge busy with winter-to-spring transition By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County Road and Bridge Director Steve Klatt remembers when he and the other schoolchildren of North Idaho had “mud vacation.” During the end of March and beginning of April, schools would need to close because roads across the county were largely impassable, Klatt said. “Mud vacation was simply a part of spring,” he said. “Kids looked forward to it. We planned on it.” Though mud vacations stopped around the time Klatt reached middle school, they serve as a reminder of how far the county’s road infrastructure has come in just a few decades. The Road and Bridge department is hard at work grading gravel roads and sweeping sand from paved roads within its system. Klatt said that while every winter produces a different set of problems for county roads, the cleanup afterward is always extensive. “There are roads that have blown up and continue to blow up,” he said, noting that some roads will need updated draining systems due to persistent water encroachment. “We’re going to continue to try to do those sorts of repairs.”
With the shifting of seasons also comes to annual onslaught of dust on unpaved county roads. Klatt said the “first order of business” as soon as post-winter maintenance is wrapped up will be to apply magnesium chloride to nearly 300 miles of county roadway during the month of May — more than 100 miles in District 1, about 75 miles in District 2 and almost 90 miles in District 3. Klatt remembers the first time Bonner County utilized mag chloride. The year was 1995, and the county had just relocated a solid waste refusal site. It rerouted high traffic counts to a stretch of road near several homes, prompting the use of the new dust abatement technique. Klatt said the use of mag chloride in Bonner County has only expanded since then, and the department will apply more than a half a million dollars worth of product to the roads this year. “It really is amazing,” he said. “Not only do you control the dust, but the surface stays intact so you don’t create the washboards and potholes.” Looking toward summer, Klatt said only two major projects are planned: the paving of East Spring Creek Road in Clark Fork, and the hard-surface treatment on Wooded Acres Drive in Sagle. Bonner County will pave 1.49 miles of East Spring Creek Road
with the help of a grant from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The county worked with the National Resource Conservation Service to secure the grant, and that organization will be helping to stabilize the banks of Lightning Creek — which runs alongside the road — throughout the project. The Wooded Acres project is part of the county’s recently amended Locally Funded Improvements program, which enables members of the public to put up a certain percentage of material costs and have their project prioritized. The residents on Wooded Acres Drive contributed $100,000 to cover about 63% of material costs to apply bituminous surface treatment to 2.4 miles of road. It all adds up to another busy season for Bonner County Road and Bridge, an entity that’s evolved substantially since Klatt’s mud vacations. “I remember seeing the first sand truck I’d ever seen in Bonner County. It was a guy standing in the back of a dump truck with a shovel,” he said. “That is the background of observing six decades of Bonner County roads, so we have come a long, long way.” Those with questions about upcoming county roadwork can reach the Road and Bridge office at 208-255-5681 ext. 1.
Thousands sign petition to drop charges against truckers hauling hemp in Idaho By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Thousands of people have signed a petition to drop charges against truck drivers caught with hemp in Idaho. The petition, created on change.org by Tracy Olson of Boise, had garnered more than 4,500 signatures as of Wednesday evening. Olson told the Idaho Statesman that she’s an “ordinary citizen in Idaho who is really concerned about what’s going to happen to these individuals.” “Hemp has been legalized at the federal level and is legal in nearly every other state,” Olson wrote in the petition, addressed
to Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. “We do not want our tax dollars spent prosecuting or incarcerating these individuals, and we do not feel their future employment prospects should be clouded with a criminal record on account of their work transporting hemp. It is cruel to upend these men’s lives in the current manner, and frankly, it is an embarrassment to the State of Idaho.” Andrew D’Addario, Erich Eisenhart and Denis Palamarchuk are the truckers being charged. While D’Addario and Eisenhart were found transporting hemp before it was federally legalized last year, Palamarchuk was arrested afterward.
Idaho Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, shared the petition via Twitter Sunday and urged people to sign it. “It’s entirely in the hands of the Ada County prosecutor,” Rubel told the Statesman. “There’s nobody else in the state who can fix what I view as a severe miscarriage of justice.” The Statesman reports that state laws makes no distinction between hemp and marijuana — all forms of cannabis are outlawed. Though efforts were made during the recent legislative session to legalize hemp in Idaho, no bills were passed, meaning transportation of the material through the state is still illegal.
The inevitable “wash me” sign on a dusty car. Courtesy photo.
County tax hearing Friday By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
Bonner County commissioners will hold a public hearing Friday to consider business property tax exemptions for four local businesses. The four businesses set to be discussed are construction company IDAGON, metal fabrication company Mountain Metals, medical service landlord Sandpoint Properties, LLC and developer Ponderay Industrial Park, LLC. Each company has submitted a tax exemption application to the county, prompting the hearing. According to county statute,
the hearing is required in order for stakeholders and other members of the public to weigh in on the exemptions. In an official meeting notice, the BOCC said that feedback will be used “to further understand the ‘significant economic benefits’ that will accrue to Bonner County as a result of the qualifying plant investments.” The hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 10, at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room, located on the third floor of the Bonner County Administration Building at 1500 Highway 2, Sandpoint. Those with questions can reach the BOCC office at 208-265-1438.
BOCC appoints Solid Waste Advisory Committee By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners approved the appointment of six members to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee on April 23, and term limits for those members were solidified Tuesday. According to the resolution, the county received six letters of interest from community members looking to join the committee, all six of which were accepted. Serving two-year terms will be Carl K. Wright and Sandi Hampton, and serving three-year terms will be Patrick Reinbold and David
Gebhardt. Sherrel Ryhs and Dawn Schatz will serve four-year terms on the committee. Commissioner Dan McDonald said the purpose of the committee is to get community members involved in how the county manages solid waste issues, specifically “what we’re doing and what we could do better,” he said. “We’re taking a look at Solid Waste overall,” McDonald said. The county also recently hired Great West, a third-party waste management practices analyst company, to help draft a 10-year plan for Bonner County Solid Waste. That study is scheduled to conclude this month. May 9, 2019 /
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COMMUNITY
Chamber welcomes Jeremy Brown with Realm Partners By Reader Staff
Bouquets: • It was such a great opening day at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market last weekend. This Saturday and Wednesday Market is a seasonal institution here in Sandpoint, and I’m glad to see it back for the year! • May is National Bike Month, which means it’s time to give some love to your local bike shops. We are blessed with a great selection of bike shops here in Sandpoint: Syringa Cyclery, Bonner County Bicycles, Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair, Outdoor Experience and Sandpoint Sports in Ponderay. Pop in and say hello to bike mechanics and sales techs who keep us rolling year round. Also, I’d like to give a Bouquet to all of you out there who choose to bike to work and/ or school. Not only are you helping to eliminate another vehicle from the roads, you are enjoying fresh air and getting exercise to and from the daily grind. Barbs • If you’re one of those people who think it’s OK to take a huge stack of Readers for firestarter (or because you’re a jerk), we’re watching you. Recently, one of our diligent readers notified us of a man in a Chevy van who was seen taking a large stack of our newspapers from a local store. We have the license plate number and know who you are. If we hear of another report of papers being stolen, you will hear about it from us. For the rest of you, if anyone needs firestarter, please consider asking us first. Every week we end up with a few hundred issues that don’t get picked up, which we always place in our recycling can. If you’d like to grab them for your fireplace, you’re welcome to them. Just let us know first, and we’ll tell you where to get them. 6 /
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The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed Jeremy Brown with REALM Partners with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, April 23. Jeremy Brown is not new to town or to real estate. As a lifetime local, he was born and raised in the greater Sandpoint area and loves raising his two boys, Issac and Evan, here with his wife, Danielle. “North Idaho has so much to offer and is a great place to raise a family or enjoy your retirement,” said Brown. “Being a lifetime local, business owner and marketing director, I can provide my clients with a unique skill set and experience that few other Realtors can offer. I am very familiar with the Idaho Panhandle, including Sandpoint, Schweitzer Mountain, Lake Pend Oreille, Coeur d’ Alene and Bonners Ferry.” Since 2009, Brown has owned a local property management company that provides management and marketing for Vacation Rentals, Investment Properties (Long-Term Rentals) and Homeowners Associations. The experience and knowledge he has gained as a business owner, property manager and
By Reader Staff
marketing director benefits his clients in all aspects of buying or selling a home. Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in welcoming Jeremy Brown with REALM Partners. We wish him
Ladies, would you like to learn how to perform basic maintenance to your vehicle that all women should know but may not? Six Star Automotive is hosting a free, ladies only clinic with refreshments and gift bags.
From left to right: Phil Hough, Jeremy Brown, Patricia Walker, Ricci Witte, and Steve Sanchez. Courtesy photo.
continued success in our community. For more information call (208) 953-SOLD (7653) or visit www.NorthIdaho-RealEstate.com.
Open house at the Airport
By Reader Staff
The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program will host a free family event open house Saturday, May 11, from 11 a.m. -2 p.m. at the Sandpoint Airport Students’ Hangars. Attendees will meet student airplane builders, see stu-
Ladies ‘Night Car Care Clinic’ offered By Reader Staff
Sand Creek Paddler’s Challenge planned in June
dent-built airplanes including a restoration of a WWII trailer and fly their simulator. Free hot dogs at noon and a drone demonstration at 1 p.m. The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program is a 502(c)3 nonprofit and accepts donations to help students enter the aviation industry.
This is a fun and exciting event for families and serious racers alike. Join the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Dept. on Saturday, June 1, for the Annual Sand Creek Paddlers’ Challenge. Pre-registration at www.sandpointidaho.gov/parksrecreation Check in and on-site registration is from 9-9:30 a.m. at the City Beach Pavilion. Pre-race meetings starts at 9:30 a.m., and the race will begin at 10 a.m. The fee is $12/boat. The Paddlers Challenge is a four-mile paddle up and back on Sand Creek and has three separate divisions: two race divisions, solo & tandem, a recreation division for those who don’t want to leave a wake and a SUP (stand up paddleboard) division. There are trophies for first place in each division and random drawings for prizes. This event has grown each year, and is quickly becoming a don’t-miss event. For all activities: View registration details and pre-register for other great events online at www. sandpointidaho.gov/parksrecreation, or visit it us at Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, 1123 Lake St. in Sandpoint or call (208) 263-3613.
HAVE READER, WILL TRAVEL
The “Night Car Care Clinic” is open to all females ages 14 and up. It will take place Thursday, May 16 at 5 p.m. at the Six Star Automotive, 909 Highway 2 in Sandpoint. There will be limited space available, so please RSVP at (208) 255-2955 or email info@ sixstarautomotive.com
Renaissance Faire holding monthly meeting By Reader Staff The Sandpoint Renaissance Faire will be holding their monthly open meeting Tuesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at MickDuff’s Beer Hall. The meeting is open to
anyone who would like to learn more about the Renaissance Faire and be involved. The organizers of the Faire are also in search of volunteers for various areas of the Faire, so please show up if interested.
Sandpoint musician Patrice Webb brought the Reader with her to the New England Song Contest in Cape Cod, Mass. Hope you had a blast, Patrice.
HUMOR
‘50s folks
It’s that special time of year in Sandpoint: Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, the snow has melted and it’s been a month since the last time a snow plow took out my mailbox. If I was writing this column from my desk, anywhere else on Earth it would be safe to say that spring has arrived. However, this is North Idaho, and there is no way to safely assess your seasonal situation by something like the weather. My grandmother loved to say that it was officially spring when you saw the first robin in the yard. This was clearly a well-intentioned lie to raise the spirits of us grandkids. Soon, we would learn for ourselves that the devil bird, or robin singing in the yard, could easily be frozen solid to the windowsill the next morning with the onslaught of the right winter storm. The truth is there is only one way to mark the passing of winter in this area, and it starts with the scent of gasoline, the soundtrack to the movie “Grease” and the infiltration of classic vehicles on our city streets. Sandpoint’s Lost in the ‘50s is a week away. Hopefully you have had the foresight to clear your schedule and prepare your liver. If you are new to this area, you are about to experience a milestone in your citizenship. Relax. You have been passively preparing for this weekend for a number of weeks now. Have you noticed that local businesses have been streaming horrendously catchy ‘50s music and erecting nostalgic displays? This is actually part of yearly celebration, not due to a lack of modern aesthetic. You see, officially our community is “lost” for one weekend, but in reality the pageantry goes on for closer to a month. Coincidentally, a month is about how long the average hangover lasts after the weekend is over.
Plan accordingly. One of my favorite aspects of Lost in the ‘50s is that there really is no prerequisite to being able to partake. There is no organizational affiliation or belief system required. One must only have a passable interest in classic cars and a tolerance to 1950s music. The trickier part of the weekend involves an individual’s ability to withstand the very real possibility of having a conversation with a boss, an ex-lover and your child’s fifth-grade teacher all whilst standing in front of a bar, holding someone else’s baby. Personally, I find comfort in the fact that the probability of remembering any of these conversations is very low. I’m guessing this is the point in the column where some of you may interject your feelings about the appropriateness of such a celebration. I would argue that there are plenty of places in our country where one can drive their electric car, sip kale juice and isolate their children from the depravity of the masses; this festival is just not one of them. North Idaho is well-known for resident’s passionate relationship with gas guzzlers, beer and freedom. There is no other place I know, that is as perfectly suited to hold this type of celebration. That being said, there are two rather strict expectations associated with Lost in the ‘50s weekend, and it would be irresponsible for me not to mention them: The first is that it’s OK to drink, and it’s OK to drive, but you have to choose one or the other. Don’t be an asshole and try to have it all. If you want to parade your sweet ride around town, then don’t drink. I promise you, the excuse that you decided to drink and drive because you didn’t want to “leave your fancy rig” downtown doesn’t mean anything to law enforcement. I have yet to see a vehicle that is worth more than a life. The second rule is that you don’t touch any of the vehicles. I assure you
that touching the paint job on a man’s ’66 cherry red Mustang will be about as well received as you grabbing him by the balls. Following this rule requires a bit of common sense and the ability to keep one’s hands to themselves. If you struggle personally with either of these skills, it’s advisable that you do not go out in public, and definitely skip the car show. With that being said, I hope you all get lost! XOXOXO SQ
Laughing Matter
By Bill Borders
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Re-elect Burgstahler to Hospital District Board... Dear Editor, An important election for our community is underway. I’d like to encourage local residents to re-elect Dr. Scott Burgstahler to our Hospital District Board. He has been serving as a Trustee since 2012. Anyone in this community who has had an elderly family member stay at Lifecare in Sandpoint knows of Dr. Burgstahler’s kind, professional care. Trustees receive no salary for serving on the board. The Hospital District Board appropriates funds from property tax revenue to facilitate our community’s clinics for mental health and women’s health and Bonner General Hospital. The rate of tax is low at .000222638, which for my husband and I personally amounted to $15.28 a year. As a point of comparison, our tax was double this amount for our wonderful library. We consider both valuable for our community. The opponent, who has no medical expertise, is Spencer Hutchings, a local gun dealer with a business slogan “Concealed carry keeps the wolves at bay.” He received an endorsement on Redoubt News from Dan Rose, who has a well-documented adversarial relationship with the board and its chair, Dr. Tom Lawrence. It is highly suspect that Hutchings’ desire to be elected would be to boost Rose’s stated agenda “to confront socialism” (Spokesman-Review interview, Feb. 7, 2019). Hutchings has been very confrontational toward me on several occasions. Please vote BURGSTAHLER for trustee. It’s important we maintain sensible professionalism for our health services. Early voting is April 29 - May 17 in Federal Building, Hwy 2 + Division; 9 am - 5 pm M-F. Election day at precinct locations is Tuesday, May 21. Rebecca Holland Sandpoint
Hospital District Board... Dear Editor, I heard a familiar thing on the radio today, and it wasn’t good. I heard a news broadcast sponsored by a local business. The news broadcast reported on that same business. The report was somber and portrayed an enemy of the businesses as a bad person. The advertisement, however. was cheery and favorable. This is obvious propaganda to those 8 /
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who understand the tactic. To hear this being used in our small town is disheartening to me. I hope our tightknit community can see through the use of such propaganda attempting to influence the public. What makes this propaganda even worse — your money is being used to fund it. Bonner General Hospital is trying to influence public opinion to ensure the continued flow of millions of taxpayer dollars into its budget. The funds come in the form taxes from the Pend Oreille Hospital District formed decades ago to tax local land owners for the betterment of health care of everyone in our county. A noble cause for certain. Who doesn’t want healthy people? I certainly do. But the distribution of your tax dollars has been corrupted. The POHD board has been packed with 86% BGH board members. Who do you think they give your money to each year? Panhandle Health? Nope. The POHD board won’t even give a chance for any other facility to ask for a dime of your money. BGH board members have decided they get all of your money. This needs to stop. Your money should be spent where it will do the most good. Is that at BGH? How would we even know if they won’t let other local healthcare providers put forth proposals for the use of your money? Please help me bring fairness back to this process by voting to elect me to the Hospital District board on May 21. Thank You Spencer Hutchings Sagle
Journalism Comments... Dear Editor, Jackie Henrion’s column in your last edition was right on in almost all aspects. Particularly about the “propagandist strategies used to concentrate power and wealth in the name of improving economic conditions.” The process of identifying marginalized groups — including immigrants and those with alternative lifestyles — and vilifying them so that they become targets of violence by radicals fits exactly into the pattern Donald Trump and his associates are using to keep control of our country. I disagree with only one part of the precept presented by radio host David Barsamian (who spoke at the recent Journalism Matters seminar) that “all major media is now owned
by a handful of entities and, with only a few exceptions, no longer practice journalism.” I maintain that there are three very powerful newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and New York Times, that are not only “practicing journalism” but are our countries’ main defense against the fascist policies of Donald Trump’s administration. (There are also some good smaller papers such as the Spokesman-Review in Spokane.) And while some of these guardians of our democracy are owned by wealthy individuals, they are dedicated to employing the very best journalists worldwide to report the facts and not the “fake news.” And then we have our own Reader, too. Jim Ramsey Sandpoint
Help Stamp Out Hunger... Dear Editor, The National Association of Letter Carriers’ Annual Food Drive is on Saturday, May 11. The reality of hunger is disturbing in our community. One in seven Americans does not have enough to eat. Children, senior citizens, veterans and entire families need our helping hands. You can help with the fight against hunger. Just leave a bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox the morning of Saturday, May 11, and your letter carrier will pick it up. All food collected goes directly to food banks in our community. We are thankful to our local grocers’ support and contributions. Winter Ridge Natural Foods, Super One, Walmart, Safeway and Yoke’s are generously allowing donations at collection boxes at their stores. You may donate at any of these stores as well. Hunger in America is a real problem. Please be part of the solution on Saturday, May 11. Help us stamp out hunger. Thank you, Chris Carr Food Drive Coordinator Sandpoint (208) 946-0921
Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. Letters under 400 words are accepted. Please refrain from using obscenities and libelous statements. Please elevate the conversation.
Donors sponsor flower baskets The annual baskets will adorn downtown May 15
By Reader Staff Once again, the Sandpoint Community proves to be supportive and generous. Thanks to over 60 donors near and far, downtown Sandpoint will again be vibrantly decorated with flower baskets this summer. Over 100 flower baskets will be hung by May 15, just in time for Lost in the ‘50s weekend. The Downtown Shopping District would like to thank all the flower basket sponsors for their generosity. Special thank you for Ranel Hanson and the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce for the time and energy they spent to make this effort successful. DONORS: Northwest Handmade Ann & Scott Torpie Washington Federal Mr. Sub Rose Marie Thompson Gail Harmelin Karen Seashore & Tom Tillisch Dan & Sherry Morgan Sandpoint Reader Lana Kay Realty Cedar St. Bistro Laura Sabet Miriam & Seth Warner Hendricks Architecture Pastor Keith and Cora Goullette Kochava Shirley M. Howard Scott & Wendy Dunn James & Dona Fuller
Idaho Pour Authority Shirley A. Holt Ranel & Ron Hanson Evergreen Realty Sunshine Goldmine La Quinta Ann M. Kritzeck Barbara and Scott McLongstreet Burl Wood Dreams Bonner County Gardeners Assoc Edsark, LLC Mistie Kinney, Realtor Buffy McClure Home Sweet Home Baxters Campfire Couture JW Healey Carousel Emporium Century 21 Riverstone DiLuna’s Larson’s Nieman’s Floral Finan McDonald Shirley A. Parker Litehouse Farhan Patel Horizon Credit Union Xhale Pilates Studio Eve’s Leaves Robin Campbell Tomlinson Sothebys Sharon’s Hallmark A&P Grill Eichardts Ken & Katie Wood Daugherty Management Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium Beet and Basil Bonner County Daily Bee Northern Lights Alpine Shop
Innovation Collective launches in Sandpoint By Reader Staff The Innovation Collective has now launched in Sandpoint. In March and April, Fireside Chats were held at Matchwood Brewing Company with entrepreneurs and community members to start the dialogue about creating our own jobs. The Innovation Collective vision is a series of cities and towns that serve as hubs of innovation with economic niches that reflect the history, strengths and passions of its people by helping individuals, governments and businesses through leadership courses, economic development, education reform, just plain good old-fashioned dialogue and creating our own jobs. A step in creating local jobs is
the launch of InspireID (Inspire Idaho) in Sandpoint, which provides the learning environment for Apple Swift, which is a powerful and intuitive language for macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS.software. The program requires an Apple MacBook, but for those in need, a MacBook device will be made available on loan. The InspireID Launch will be held on May 20 at the Sandpoint Library. The launch session will start at 6 p.m. There is limited space available, so please, only those interested in participating in the program attend. Pre-register at www. inspireidaho.com then “Signup for Training.” Also join us at Facebook Innovation Collective Sandpoint to let us know your interest.
OPINION
Overwhelming majority support an EIS for rail proposal By Matt Nykiel Reader Contributor
The results are in — more than 2,660 people submitted comments to the U.S. Coast Guard overwhelmingly in support of an Environmental Impact Statement to more closely analyze BNSF Railway’s second rail bridge over Lake Pend Oreille. After two 30-day public comment periods and two public hearings, nearly 2,700 people want to hear more about the proposal and how it could impact our public safety and drinking water, among many other precious local resources. Despite BNSF’s election-style media blitz, about 1,000 fewer people submitted comments supporting the railway’s second bridge as is. The fact is Lake Pend Oreille, the environment and the local
Matt Nykiel. economy the lake supports are simply too precious and vulnerable to risk from a proposal that involves the transportation of crude oil, coal and other hazardous substances over open water and through public spaces. And, it’s no wonder people care so deeply about our North Idaho gem — excitement is in the Sandpoint air as the days heat up and folks are beginning to clean off their boats and break
out their swimsuits. Waterfowl are returning from southern excursions and bald eagle and osprey are busy snapping up fish. Restaurants and other local businesses are restocking their inventories and sweeping up outdoor patios in anticipation of the families and visitors our community will host all summer long. For the past year, our community has overwhelmingly and consistently requested that BNSF provide an EIS to more completely disclose the anticipated impacts of its second bridge proposal. Considering BNSF’s resistance to this reasonable request, you might think the sky is falling and that adding a second bridge cannot wait a second longer. Remember, plans for BNSF’s second rail bridge first surfaced in 2014. Had BNSF begun the EIS process five years ago, it
may well have been able to alleviate the public’s concerns and begun construction by now. But, that’s not the track BNSF chose, and the community that stands to bear all the impacts of transporting hazardous materials by rail should not be blamed or ridiculed for respectfully requesting patience and more information. Lake Pend Oreille and clean water are the lifeblood of our community, and it would be a tragedy if a train were to derail and tarnish our water with crude oil or other toxics – a tragedy we might never fully recover from. Unfortunately, these aren’t scare tactics, as some would have us believe. North Idaho has seen its fair share of train derailments already (at least four trains significantly derailed in the spring of 2017 alone), and our sister communities, like Mosier, Ore., and Lac-Mégantic, Québec, have
sadly experienced the damaging and even deadly results of oil derailments. Sandpoint and its neighboring rail line communities can avoid being the next Mosier or Lac-Mégantic, and we deserve to be informed of the risks associated with another rail bridge. An EIS will help our community better understand how to keep our families and our water safe. The decision to move forward with an EIS now rests with the Coast Guard. We encourage the Coast Guard to listen to an overwhelming majority of those who commented because transparency in environmental decision-making is critical to those who stand to be affected. Matt Nykiel protects clean water in North Idaho on behalf of the Idaho Conservation League.
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Mad about Science:
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seeds, sprouts & beyond By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Our area has some passionate farmers and gardeners. Our area also has a pretty nasty reputation for having abysmal soil that no amount of potting soil can save. If you’re struggling with the latter and consider your thumb more brown than green, I’ve got one childish word for you: poop. Backyard chickens are all the craze, and this is the time of year that people are regretting buying those cute baby bunnies for Easter. If you want a beautiful garden or some awesome crops, consider adopting some of these unfortunate buys and reap the rewards of your own fertilizer factory. Three years ago, I couldn’t grow anything but noxious weeds on my property. This last harvest season, I harvested the biggest tomatoes I’ve ever seen. But this isn’t an article about poop. It’s an article about what eats the poop to grow big and delicious. The basis of a seed is pretty simple: It’s an egg for plants. Bees will pollinate adult plants during a growing season, transferring pollen which contains gametes (plant sperm) which will trigger the plant to produce fertilized seeds so it can carry on its genetic legacy and make more delicious salad-stuffers for next year. While the premise is pretty simple, seeds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some plants make hard armored shells to protect the seeds from harsh conditions: Think walnuts. Others coat them in delicate sugary flesh that bears, birds and humans find irresistible. They’re also programmed by untold millennia of evolution to trigger growth when “fertilized” by animal poop after 10 /
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digestion. This also helps berry plants spread their genetic code far and wide by using animals as a transport device and minimizing inbreeding. So you’re at the farm and feed store and you’re looking at giant rack displays of seeds. You’d think it’d be as simple as “I want this one,” but Kathy from accounting is all up judging everyone at the workplace for buying GMOs and spiraling our world toward global apocalypse. What do you do?! Well, to clarify, GMO stands for genetically-modified organism, and it’s not always a bad word. Labradoodles are GMOs. The bananas you buy at the grocery store are GMOs. The sweet corn that is at the center of the GMO controversy is also a GMO. The reason GMOs are such a scary prospect is because when it comes to our food, we don’t understand them, and that’s intentional. Very large companies with lots of money to gain or lose have patented seeds they’ve developed through CRISPR or through good ol’-fashioned breeding to benefit their bank accounts and create as much food as possible with minimal resources invested. This is extremely dubious behavior, because these companies have deep claws in ambiguous legislation and legal enforcement and can pull off ludicrous arguments like this one: “Pollen from our patented plants blew into your organic field and cross-pollinated, therefore our patented genetic code is in your crop. You must either destroy the crop or give it to us, as it is now our property.” Sounds a little “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” doesn’t it? That quagmire isn’t even just farmers’ problem. When we
genetically engineer corn to be hundreds of times sweeter than it naturally should be to refine things like high-fructose corn syrup, found in literally everything, what sort of implications does that have on our health? Sure, it tastes good for a minute, but after that you’ve got four cavities and diabetes. Many non-organic patented seeds are also designed to produce sterile plants, so farmers need to buy new stock every year and the home gardener or microfarmer won’t be able to sustain crops from year-to-year without buying more seeds. So what’s the solution? Heirloom seeds. These are bred by dedicated farmers and seed-savers around the world from old lines of genetic stock to retain certain qualities. They’re really good at some things and bad at others, depending on the plant. Luckily for 98% of us, we can just grow it and enjoy it. But heirlooms also come with a responsibility. If you’re growing heirloom vegetables, you should find your biggest, fattest tomato, or your tallest, strongest lettuce and harvest the seeds for next year. One plant can produce hundreds of seeds, enough for you to multiply your harvest one-hundred fold next year. If you plan on doing this, you should keep the heirloom plants you plan on growing isolated and pollinate them yourself, as they can cross-pollinate with other breeds of the same plant to create hybrids or new breeds altogether. Sometimes, hybrids are really good, but a lot of the times they end up being sterile. This shouldn’t dissuade you from cross-pollinating and developing new breeds. That’s
what farmers have done since we used oxen to plow fields. If you’re like me and waited entirely too long to plant your seedlings this year, don’t worry. There’s a craze going around this time of year called the plant swap. The Clark Fork Library had one on May 4. The Sandpoint Library will be hosting one plus workshops on seed saving and gardening this Saturday, May 11, and there will be a third one at Davis Grocery &
Mercantile in Hope on Saturday, May 18. These are completely free events where the basis is: Bring plants, take plants. Simple as that. It’s also a great time to meet your neighbors, share some tips and tricks and maybe find your new passion. Those were the only three I knew about, but if there are more going on, send Ben an email and let him know. I know everyone at the Reader wants to see a greener world.
Random Corner ing?
Don’t know much about lightn
We can help!
•Lightning forms when ice crystals collide with one another inside a thunder cloud, building up an electric charge. Eventually, the whole cloud fills with this electric charges. Lighter, positively-charged particles form at the top of the cloud while heavier, negatively charged particles sink to the bottom of the cloud. When the positive and negative charges grow large enough, a giant spark - lightning - occurs between the two charges within the cloud. While most lightning happens inside a cloud, it also can touch the ground when a positive charge builds up on the ground and attracts the negative charge in the bottom of the cloud. • About 24,000 people are killed by lightning strikes around the world each year. • In 1998, all 11 members of a soccer team in Africa were killed by lightning while leaving the other team unhurt. • Men are struck by lightning five times more often than women. • A bolt of lightning is five times hotter than the surface of the sun. • There will be a 50% increase in lightning strikes by 2100 if global warming continues, according to a scientific report. • There is a persistent storm at Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. Lightning storms occur for about 10 hours a night, 140 to 160 nights a year, for a total of about 1.2 million lightning discharges per year. • Some volcano eruptions are capable of creating powerful electrical charges that can lead to bolts of lightning as large as two miles long. • The Statue of Liberty is estimated to be hit by about 600 bolts of lightning every year.
ELECTION
Q&A with Hospital Board candidates
Candidates Spencer Hutchings and Dr. Scott Burgstahler share why they are running By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
The Pend Oreille Hospital District Board of Trustees election has typically not drawn much attention in the past. A taxing district that manages the distribution of public dollars to local health care facilities, the Pend Oreille Hospital District has usually been staffed by professionals within the local medical community. That changed in the most recent election, when POHD trustee Dan Rose was elected and later called foul on the board’s tax management procedures. That’s why voters of all stripes are calling the election between Dr. Scott Burgstahler, LifeCare Center’s on-site physician, and Spencer Hutchings, owner of gun and sporting goods store Sheepdog Supplies, one that matters. We spoke to both candidates for their perspectives on the position and the May 21 election. Sandpoint Reader: Tell us a little of why you’re running for the hospital district board.
Sandpoint Reader: Can you tell us a little about your history with the Pend Oreille Hospital District Board and why you’re running for re-election?
Spencer Hutchings: After seeing how the board was staffed mostly by people who are on the Bonner General board, it didn’t seem to me like if someone scrutinized it, it would look all that legitimate and fair in the way it distributed money. … If you’re part of the group that’s receiving the money and also part of the group that’s giving the money, that can look bad.
Dr. Scott Burgstahler: I’m going up for re-election because I’ve been involved for a long time. I roughly know what the issues are and what the hospital needs from years of experience. I think the community has entrusted our hospital with a certain amount of money, and that money puts us in the black instead of the red each year. I just want to make sure that money gets where it’s supposed to go.
SR: How do you envision a more equitable situation in terms of how the money is distributed?
SH: I just don’t think the people that are on the receiving end of the money should be the ones giving it out, so the people that are on the board for the hospital district that are in charge of distributing these taxpayer dollars should not also be associated with receiving that money. It could basically be anyone, as long as they’re not receiving the money. You know, “Hey, who should I give this money to? Maybe I should give it to myself!” That’s kind of how it looks, you know?
SR: You’re probably familiar with the accusations by board member Dan Rose that the hospital district was illegally distributing public dollars, and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office ultimately asked the board to make changes. What was your impression of that situation? SH: I’m not familiar with the exact language of the code, and honestly, I really don’t care what the code is around it simply because of the way it looks. It does not look correct to have people distributing money to themselves. Mur-
Spencer Hutchings. der is illegal too, but you shouldn’t have to have a law saying, “Murder is bad, it’s illegal, don’t do it.” You shouldn’t have to have a law saying, “You can’t collect taxpayer dollars and give it to yourself.” That just isn’t right. It’s improper. Somebody may have broken a law, and they may not have broken a law. I’m not a lawyer, but it just doesn’t look right. And the way I looked at it was if I was on a board giving money to myself, I would feel a little dirty about that. That’s just an obvious thing to me. And it seems to me that people who are on the Bonner General board, who are also on the hospital district board, they don’t seem to see a problem with that. … If the money’s being collected for the good of the county, then anyone who’s doing something to benefit the health and well-being of the taxpayers should at least be entertained and give a proposition as to what they might do with the money. You know, Panhandle Health or Kaniksu or whoever else. I < see HUTCHINGS, page 13 >
SR: What do see as the primary responsibilities of the district? SB: I think it’s to help our hospital stay vibrant and vital, because if it doesn’t we could be a mark for a group of outside influences to take over our hospital and become, at some future date, a band-aid station — send all your patients to the mothership for anything more than a band-aid. That would be horrible. We’d lose local control … and I think the issue is that we get the clinics supported that are underfed each year. I’ve been beat up in the press by people saying, “Why don’t we give money to Panhandle Health District or Kaniksu each year?” … The answer is those are being funded by state and/or federal dollars. I don’t see any reason not to support those, but we’re already doing that through another mechanism. The moneys channeled through this hospital district are supposed to go to our hospitals and its clinics. The issue is hospitals don’t make it on in-patients anymore. … Most people
Dr. Scott Burgstahler. don’t want to go to the hospital to stay there anymore, they want to get their treatment and get out. (So you open clinics) that are a part of the hospital umbrella. … Doctors are now going to hospitals saying, “Buy my clinic, buy my practice, because I can no longer afford to manage it.” That’s a good thing and a bad thing. It means the hospital is taking on more responsibility, but from a hospital standpoint we get a bigger umbrella and footprint. (But many of these clinics are) expensive endeavors, and the hospital district is really there to help that. We’re also helping to set up this ear, nose and throat clinic, although maybe someday that will be self-sufficient. SR: One of the biggest criticisms of the district board is a perceived conflict of interest due to involvement on the Bonner General Health board. How do you respond to that? < see BURGSTAHLER, page 13 > May 9, 2019 /
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< HUTCHINGS con’t from page 11 > don’t even know who would be asking for the money, but they’re not entertaining anyone else. It’s only going to Bonner General. And if that were a corporation that was owned by the government, that’d be fine. But Bonner General is privately owned.
SR: What about your background and skills do you feel qualifies you for the board? SH: I spent over a decade working for one of the largest medical providers in the nation. I was a manager at that place, and I dealt with budgets far larger than this entire hospital’s budget. So I’ve dealt with the medical field. I know how they spend their money. I know how they hide their money. I spent enough time doing it that I find selling guns is a more ethical profession than working at a hospital, at least in the management perspective, the money control — not the actual care providing. It’s how the money’s handled and how the money’s spent. The place I was working at was making so much money, they’d have a hard time being a not-for-profit. They’d have to make sure that at the end of the year they didn’t make a profit. SR: Do you think that would be a criticism you’d level at Bonner General?
SH: Who knows? No one has seen their books. Who knows what they spend their money on. I would think that if they’re so generous and so giving to the community, they would open their books up and let people look at them and see where they do spend their money. SR: Historically these positions have not attracted a high voter turnout. What would you tell voters to encourage them to vote?
SR: Because it’s your money. It’s all of our money. And they’re not spending it in what looks to me like an ethical manner. I’m not doing this so I can make anything off of it. I have absolutely nothing to do with any kind of medical care facility anymore. I have nothing to do with Bonner General. I don’t make a dime off the position … there’s nothing for me to benefit from this. I’m just doing this because it looked to me like something wrong was going on, and no one else was going to run for it. If I see something that’s wrong and don’t do anything about it, I’m just as guilty as everyone else.
< BURGSTAHLER con’t from page 11 > SB: There isn’t a requirement that you be on both boards, but it helps because we know some of the needs of the hospital. The hospital board is designed more to decide (what doctors) we should bring to the community and identify where we’re having trouble with staffing and things like that. But what we do at the hospital district is say, “OK, we’ve got these clinics that are underfunded, but they’re important to our community, so let’s help them.” … You want to know as a taxpayer that the money is going to the hospital, not somebody’s pocket. Now I’ve been accused, because my wife works one day a week at the hospital and works at some other clinics, of putting money in her pocket. But I don’t determine her salary — she gets paid to scale. She doesn’t send business to me, I don’t send business to her, and if there were anything like that, I would have to recuse myself. So these boards are really separate, and there’s no reason you have to be on both. It’s just no one’s wanted this job before. SR: Could you talk a little about the letter from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office that said some of the district’s funding procedures violated Idaho law? SB: Our meetings used to be two minutes long — the county has a check for us, and we pass it on to the hospital. That’s not good enough anymore, according to the Idaho Attorney General. And I understand that. Having more oversight … that makes a lot of sense. … Now, here’s the problem: A lot of the money this year has gone to lawyers, just because we had to re-package this thing to make the Attorney General happy. …. But going forward, it’ll make it easier, and it won’t be as much of a question mark. SR: Is there anything you want to say in closing, especially to voters who may not have voted in this election before? SB: Even though we handle a small amount of money, it’s real money, and our hospital is on a very narrow budget. Some years it’s the difference between our hospital making it or not. … Some years Medicare will say they’re not paying us anything, and it has to do with insurance reimbursements and things like that. May 9, 2019 /
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Live Music w/ Dodgy Mountain Men 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Home-brewed Montana stompgrass from this fun, fun electro-acoustic group Live Music w/ Scott Taylor 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Everything from Neil Young to Grateful Dead and Beck. Free show
Live Music w/ Red Blend 6-9pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Join Brian, Meg and Chris! Live Music w/ Benny Baker 8-10pm @ Connie’s Lounge Featuring guest Kyle Swaffard Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 8-10pm @ The Back Door
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Dollar Beers! Grateful Dead Jam Night 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Join Scott Taylor for a couple hours jam- Good until the keg’s dry moig to the Dead and Phish
Mugs and Music w/ Brian Jacobs Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 6-8pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Zach Cooper Band in concert Multi-instrumental indie rock covers & OGs Live Music w/ Brad Keeler 8pm @ The Hive Get down with one of the re- 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Reese Warren gion’s favorite local bands 8-10pm @ The Back Door Live Music w/ DASH Duo 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Funk, soul, rock and pop
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Thursda w/ Jake R 6-8pm @ Jake’s mu as “up mu Food by S
Live Music w 5-7pm @ Ida Acoustic blu Live Music w 9pm @ Utara Check out o venues Utara orado plays i
Live Music w/ & Artist’s Rec 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Live Music acc art reception fo ing Female Arti DJ Exodus Sk 9pm @ A&P’s
Live Music w/ Brittany Jean CycloFemme de Sa 2-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Join us as we celebr Americana singer-songwriter at this worldwide ev covering country, folk, etc. Welpath to the marina an come Mothers! Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Rock n Roll Bingo Lifetree Cafe 6-8pm @ Tervan 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant Come enjoy awesome music An hour of conversation and stories. This week’s Free to play. Win prizes topic: “Low Coast, No Cost Adventures”
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 4-6:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing
Night-Out Karaoke 9pm @ 219 Lounge Join DJ Pat for a night of singing, or just come to drink and listen
Triva Night 7pm @ MickDuff’s Show off that big, beautiful brain of your
Djembe class 5:45-7:30pm @ Music Conservatory of Sp Join Ali Thomas for this djembe class
Wind Down Wednesday Magic Wednesday Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge Coun With live music by blues Enjoy close-up mag- The Farmers’ Market is back for 7:30 man Truck Mills and ic shows by Star Al- the year! Come get your produce, Join guest musician Denis exander right at your starts, crafts and more! Live mustep table sic by Bob Missed the Bus Zwang Dollar Beers! Aging America presentation Thursda 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 10am-1:30pm @ Bonner General Health Ste. 101 w/ Brian Girls Pint Out A presentation about coping with loss, dying and 6-8pm @ 5-7pm @ Id. Pour Authority death in later life with expert panelists and speakers. Great tun Topic: Spring Seasonal Continuing education credits available. Call Lissa Food by S Beer DeFreitas at (208) 265-1185 for more information
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Thursday Night Solo Series w/ Jake Robin 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Jake’s music has been described as “up music for down people.” Food by Sandpoint Curry
Weekly Ping Pong Tournament 2:30-4pm @ Sandpoint Teen Center For teens to have fun playing ping pong and enjoy friendly competition. Located at Huckleberry Bowling Lanes on Division
e Music w/ Muffy and the Riff Hangers pm @ Idaho Pour Authority oustic bluegrass from a fun, fun group e Music w/ Whiskey Kate m @ Utara Brewing Co. eck out one of Sandpoint’s newest live music ues Utara, 214 Pine St. Whiskey Kate from Coldo plays independent Country Rock Blues
Music w/ Jake Robin tist’s Reception m@ d’Oreille Winery Music accompanies an ception for nine Aspiremale Artists of Spt. xodus Skwish @ A&P’s
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
Conversations about Cancer 4pm @ Community Cancer Services Open to everyone - newly diagnosed, those currently in treatment, those worried about cancer in future
Live Stand-Up Comedy 8pm @ 219 Lounge Live stand-up is back at the niner, with headliner Alex Elkin, a rising star on the national scene. Also featuring Josh Firestine and host Morgan Preston. $20/advance, $25/door. Doors open 7pm 21+ DJ Shanner 9pm @ A&P’s
Spring Cornhole Slam - 2 tourneys 11:30am & 2:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Two different tournaments: Singles starting at 11:30am and Switchholio at 2:30pm. Cash prizes, tons of fun. (208) 209-6700 5k in May Fun Run 9am @ Dover Bay Parking Lot The annual Fun Run hosted by Pend d’Oreille Winery. Benefits Wash. Elem. School. Prizes, coffee and snacks
mme de Sandpoint • 2pm @ Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair we celebrate and encourage women of all ages to ride their bikes rldwide event. This will be a casual group ride out the Dover bike marina and back (around 8 miles round trip). Men also welcome. Karaoke 8-close @ Tervan Best song selection in Sandpoint
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park The Farmers’ Market is back for the year! Come get your produce, starts, crafts and more! Live music by Oak St. Connection Bingo and Taco Night 5:30-8:30pm @ The Center (Clark Fork) Support CFHS senior class grad night with tacos, silent auction, raffle prizes, bingo and more! Tickets $7, includes dinner and dessert. $25 family rate (for families of four). The Center is located at 1001 N. Cedar in Clark Fork. Karaoke 8-close @ Tervan
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Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness fundraiser 5-8pm @ Farmin Park With 10 Barrel Brewing Co. beer on tap, live music by Marty Perron and Doug Bond, silent auction items and raffle prizes. Complimentary appetizers will be served
Country Swing Dance lessons 7:30-9:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Join Drew and Mer for country swing and twostep lessons from 6-8pm. Free and open to all
Sip and Shop For Angels Over Spt 4-8pm @ PO Winery 10% of purchases from 4-8pm will be donated to Thursday Night Solo Series the Angels Over Sandpoint w/ Brian Jacobs Ladies Car Care Clinic (free) 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 5pm @ Six Star Automotive Great tunes and great brews. For ladies 14 and up, learn how to perform baFood by Sandpoint Curry sic maintenance all women should know
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May 16-19 Lost in the ‘50s Weekend @ Sandpoint May 17-18 Collectivity in concert @ The Hive May 22 Memories of a Legend w/ Jerry Kramer @ The Panida Theater
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COMMUNITY
Morning ladies golf league begins
By Reader Staff The Wednesday morning ladies golf league is starting up at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, at the Elks Golf Course. Play will begin at 9 a.m. Women of all ages and skill levels are invited to join the league. A luncheon provided by the league will follow play. The league runs from May 15 to Sept.
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11. Those interested in playing can register on opening day as either a member or as a substitute. For further information, contact Loris Michael at (208) 610-5914.
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OUTDOORS
Whatever you do, don’t call it ‘folf’
By Kevin Davis Reader Contributor
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It was a cold and cloudy January afternoon when I pulled into the parking lot. The guys had already assembled at the picnic bench, where they bantered and waited to divide teams. We separated into groups and I met my teammates. Most of them I met for the first time, and we bonded right away, all of us spiting the weather on a gray day and excited for the next two hours of sport and camaraderie. I always considered disc golf a summer sport. These guys were regulars, at it most every week rain or shine, and I have to admit I was a little nervous when I let my first shot fly. It flew out of sight, over a ridge into the trees but they reassured me I would be OK. And that is how it has been with the Baldfoot Disc Golf course from the beginning – tremendous support from a core group of dedicated disc golfers and broad support from the community. In the beginning, the property was thick brush and trees with a shady stream running through it. Volunteers began clearing the brush to access the land easier. They spent hours chainsawing brush and overgrown saplings, limbing up trees and clearing the land. Work began in earnest in 2014. Steve Mix and Brandon Kaastad — both lethal with a chainsaw — were instrumental in getting the project started with hours of hard work. After five years and about 12,000 volunteer hours, the course is well-manicured with trails, bridges, benches, tee boxes, hole markers with yardage, Innova baskets and an informational kiosk. One of the founders of Baldfoot, Rick Leader, has had a vision for a disc golf course in Sandpoint for a long time. The city allowed him to develop the course on a 32-acre parcel of land at the foot of Baldy Mountain Road, just across the tracks. He has tried other locations in Sandpoint but he admits that this location is the best. “Baldfoot is considered a true shooter’s course in the region,” Leader said. Leader has designed eight disc golf courses, and four of them are still in active play. He didn’t just lay out the property for disc golf. There’s potential for a waking path, a dog park and space for bike tent camping. “The property is 32 acres of multiple-use,” said John Gaddess, treasurer of the Sandpoint Disc Golf Association. “We get regular visits from Washington and Montana. Old folks, school groups, teenagers people walking dogs all use Baldfoot.” He would know. John plays almost every week, all year round. “In 2016 we had 5,808 players, and that / May 9, 2019
is from counting the dollars in the registration box,” Gaddess said. “Not everyone pays the dollar fee. It’s more like one out of 10 actually pays, so I think we are getting a lot more use than we think.” The dollars raised by the course fee go back into improving the course, and half goes to the Eureka Institute. Steve Holt is the founder of the Eureka Institute who obtained the insurance license to operate the disc golf course. “It fits well with the overall mission of the Eureka Institute to promote learning and encourage outdoor recreation,” Holt said. Holt and the Sandpoint Disc Golf Association have been keeping a close eye on recent dealings with the property since the city has made some changes in their master plan which includes the waste water treatment plant. The 32-acre parcel was bought by the city with the sewer fund with the intention to develop a new waste water treatment site there. Instead, the city decided to upgrade the existing facility behind Memorial Field. This meant the sewer fund didn’t need the 32 acres, and if there was no need for it or no money to purchase it, it would have to be disposed; and that means to the highest bidder. The sewer fund is limited to spending money only on waste water treatment and must strive to keep its rate payers whole. Kaniksu Land Trust has expressed interest in partnering with SDGA to secure the property. Regan Plumb, conservation director with KLT, says the disc golf course aligns well with their mission also of promoting conservation, education and connection with the outdoors for a broad range of community members. Plumb says that KLT is awaiting the outcome of the new city parks masterplan to help inform the next steps.
Rick Leader and a group of Frisbee golfers play at Baldfoot in the snow. Courtesy photo. The old city masterplan from 2010 and the section addressing parks, recreation and trails is being rewritten. A recent meeting in April 2019 extended the operational lease with The Eureka Institute and SDGA for another year. “The course is a good boost for the local economy since people come in from out of town, go out to eat, spend the night and they’ll tell their friends,” Leader said. Since Baldfoot was developed, Big 5, Outdoor Experience, Greasy Fingers and Chain Smokin’ Disc Golf at the tattoo shop now all offer discs and disc golf gear, Gaddis said. The benefits are obvious: green space for Sandpoint residents, outdoor activities for youth and friends, attracting visitors for the economic boost and creating a community gathering place. “Ultimately, the masterplan has to consider the needs of the city first,” said City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton. If you are an avid disc golfer, you’ll want to get your comments in. The extension gives people a chance to see what is out there and comment to their commissioners. Coming up, for instance, is the “Lost in the Fir Trees” tournament fundraiser, May 18, to help raise money to pay the interest on the property loan. Check out the Facebook site. If you don’t have an opinion one way or another, show up at the Baldfoot course almost any day at 2 p.m. You’re likely to find some eager people gathering to play a round. I have a strong suspicion that after 18 holes you’ll be amazed at the craftsmanship of the course, the beauty of the landscape, and you’ll have a smile on your face even after bouncing your disc off numerous trees. But whatever you do, don’t call it “folf.” That’s sure to get you a bunch of frowns.
HOROSCOPE
The Real Folk Horoscope A General Guide For Handling Any Given Happenstance, Supernatural or Otherwise
By Cody Lyman Reader Columnist
Aries
OK, so unless you were one of the two people who forgot it was your birthday until you picked up a Reader on said day and were reminded, last month’s horoscope was complete bunk. But, listen, it was those two who needed the attention. We all desire validation, see, and most of you have been getting plenty already, lately. Metaphysical forecast: Expect the charm that’s been flavoring your head-headed determination to come and go through the end of the month, much like the rain.
Taurus
While dining out at MickDuff’s, you’ll see something you’ve never seen before: the puck in a hockey game, which will be playing on all six TVs simultaneously. Enjoy this moment. Next time you look, all you’ll see is a bunch of padded, helmeted men with goofy wooden mallets deforming perfectly good ice as they whirl around something invisible. Speaking of. . .
Gemini
Astronomers captured the first ever picture of a black hole a couple weeks ago. Well, actually, they captured it a couple years ago, but it’s taken this long to make the data look like something we would recognize. That originally amorphous data was collected by a team of telescopes synchronized in several places around the globe. This is pertinent. You currently have satellites surrounding you, metaphorically speaking, that will, if synchronized properly, allow you to see something you’ve never seen before or see something old as though you were seeing it for the first time. And with some creative extrapolation, you may even make something appear just how you envisioned it.
Cancer
Somewhere in the first half of the month, someone older than you will give you advice or tell you something that will give you a new perspective in life. In the latter half of the month, you will find yourself with things more in order, enough to relax some and take in what we call the Holy Tetrinity: beauty, mystery, absurdity and memory.
Leo
You would also do well to observe the four above mentioned Forces To Be Reckoned With, but you’ll be hosting a Holy Pentad, if you will, because struggle’s going to be tagging along, as well. If your manifesting feels like it’s manifestering, just remember what Alan Watt’s said––“Let go!” Easier said than done, Alan, you’re thinking. Some go through life like the monkey bars, only letting go of the last rung once they grab ahold of another. Others let go as though life were a rope swing. Some are born that way. Some aren’t. So try both. See which you prefer. Experiment. Predetermined zodiosyncrasies can’t infringe upon your agency to navigate such things.
showed . . . proving that more information isn’t always beneficial.
Sagittarius
Instead of reading horoscopes religiously, have you ever considered just talking to someone about it?
Capricorn
Like mirrors, stars can teach self-consciousness. If you stay aware, you can notice things — for instance, when Uranus is moving into retentiveness — and you can preemptively act accordingly.
Aquarius
With Jupiter being nearer to the Earth
than any other time of the year, it’ll be all big and bright and shiny. You may find yourself inspired to look up at it and the other shiny things in the night sky. Let it happen.
Pisces
When life serves you up an extra order of worry this month, wash it down with another round of action. Act accordingly. You don’t have to go with the flow. Try being slippery, and move against it. Cody Lyman was chemically engineered in a lab with orange walls to bring frustration and/or good fortune within your reach. Which will it be today? It’s anybody’s guess.
Virgo
Stop worrying about money already! Be currency’s path of least resistance.
Libra
You may find it beneficial to take the path of least resistance, also. But in order to take the path of least resistance, you’ll find you have to construct it first, and that construction will find you encountering much resistance at first.
Scorpio
A study that showed that germaphobes are five times more likely to get sick than non-germaphobes has increased rates of hypochondria nationwide, another study May 9, 2019 /
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MOTHER’S DAY
A brief history of Mother’s Day
It goes further back than you think
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
person was baptized — for a service. They called this going “a-mothering” which eventually became The modern “Mothering Sunday.” Mother’s Day beIn 1870, female activgan in the United ist, writer and poet Julia States thanks to Ward (who wrote “Battle Ann Reeves Jarvis, Hymn of the Republic”) who began a suggested an idea for a campaign in 1905 day of peace to honor to make Mother’s and support mothers who Day a nationally The maternal goddess Rhea. lost sons in the Civil recognized holiday War. Ward was able to convince the city of in the U.S. But we’ve been honoring mothBoston to recognize mothers on the second ers much longer than that. Sunday in June. In Greek mythology, spring festivals Mother’s Day didn’t officially become were held in honor of the maternal goddess recognized in the U.S. until Jarvis, who Rhea, who was the wife of Cronus and was never had any children, began her tireless said to be the mother of many deities. She campaign 1905. She was finally rewarded was also the daughter of the earth goddess in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson Gaia and the sky god Uranus. signed a joint resolution designating the Ancient Romans also used to celebrate second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. a three-day spring festival also, this one called Hilaria. This festival was dedicated Fun facts about Mother’s Day: to the mother goddess Cybele and was celebrated on the Ides of March, on or about the • Over one-quarter of all flowers purvernal equinox. Cybele’s followers would chased throughout the year falls on Mothmake offerings at the temple, hold parades, er’s Day. play games and have masquerades. As you may imagine, these were often wild affairs. • Traditionally, pink and red carnations During the 16th and 17th centuries in are given to mothers that are still alive, England, Mothering Sunday would take while white ones are for those who have place on the fourth Sunday of Lent. It began passed away. with a prayer service in honor of the Virgin • More phone calls are placed on Mary, and afterwards children would presMother’s Day than any other day (over 122 ent their moms with flowers. The term origmillion phone calls are placed each year). inated as people returned to their “mother church” — usually the one in which a • Approximately 65% of greeting card sales occur in the last five days before Mother’s Day. • Mother’s Day was intended to be a day to honor mothers individually and not collectively, thus the reason for the apostrophe before the “s.” • Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year in the restaurant industry with nearly 62% of all Americans dining out that day.
Sh*t my mom says By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Moms all have their sayings. Some are silly, others are used to keep you in check. Some sayings become more useful the older you get. Here are a select few Lyndsie’s Mom Originals. Me: “Hey Mom, you know what?” Mom: “No, but I know his brother, Who.” This went in one ear and out the other until I was about 12 years old. In the same way that there are “dad jokes,” this was my mom’s joke. It must have brought her some kind of sick motherly joy to watch me zip my lips for just a second and wonder why she didn’t just say, “What?” and listen intently to each and every whim that came to my little mind. The first time I actually heard what she was saying, I immediately pictured two brothers, What and Who. Now I can’t unsee them. Thanks, Mom. “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” I was — and occasionally still am — a brat to my mother. As this saying denotes, it’s rarely with my words, but mostly with my wide eyes and rushed cadence. I could be saying, “That’s fine,” when clearly, whatever we’re discussing is not fine. Sure, at 16 I probably thought I could get away with the snotty tone as long as I said the right thing, but Mom always saw through it. Now, I hear her voice every time I craft a response in a heated conversation. Luckily, I think my boyfriend’s only called me out on “how” I said things once or twice over the last two years. That’s improvement, Mom! “Everything happens for a reason.” This may not necessarily be an “original” saying, but it’s never made so much sense to me as when my mom says it. My parents always told my sisters and I that practicing a religion would be our personal choice, so this has less to do with God for me as it does with acceptance and forward progress. She’d use it when things didn’t go exactly as planned, providing a comfort that enabled me to look at the future with fresh perspective. Sure, maybe the situation wasn’t what I envisioned, but it’s a path to somewhere. The only way to find out is to be at peace with the circumstances. I repeat this mantra to myself often, and I think of my mom every time. So happy Mother’s Day to my mom, who says many things that make a whole lot more sense as I get older. And yes, Mom. I was listening. Mostly.
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Lyndsie Kiebert and her dear mom.
STAGE & SCREEN
Two local music students to play Mother’s Day concert By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Two Music Conservatory of Sandpoint students will play a Mother’s Day Tea Time piano concert on Sunday, May 11, at 1 p.m. at the Heartwood Center. Levi Hill, 13, and Cody Moore, 14, will each play a selection of classical piano songs. Mothers are encouraged to attend with their children. Hill has been playing piano for over four years. He first began thanks to a chance encounter in a Costco store. “When I was 5 years old, we were at a Costco and my dad was playing the piano there,” Hill said. “I wanted to try it out because I’d never seen one before. So my dad taught me a simple piece, and I asked if we could get it. He reluctantly agreed.” Hill said he prefers classical pieces, especially those composed by Chopin or Franz Listz. He will be performing solo pieces by Bach and Chopin, as well as two separate duet pieces
with Moore. Moore plans to play pieces by Felix Mendelssohn and Mozart, as well as duets with Hill. The concert is not just an effort to honor their mothers, who both credit as major influences and driving factors in their music career. It’s also a fundraiser to cover costs of a renowned camp Hill and Moore will attend this summer. “We both got accepted to Interlochen, a prestigious art camp in Michigan,” Moore said. The school’s tuition is $6,000 per student. Moore and Hill have embarked on a fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the camp, which has hosted famous artists such as Josh Grobin and Norah Jones to name a few. To date, they have chipped about $9,000 away at the $12,000 goal, thanks to a combination of reduced tuition and fundraising events held at local businesses in Sandpoint. Karin Wedemeyer from the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint also helped raise $1,000 for the tuition. Several other local businesses helped Moore and Hill raise
funds for the camp, including Arlo’s Ristorante, Ivano’s Ristorante, Foster’s Crossing, Cedar St. Bridge, Kokanee Coffee, Sandpoint Christian School and Evans Brothers Coffee. Since this is a concert honoring mothers, each student also gave appreciation to their own moms for the help they have given them on this musical journey. “My mom has definitely helped me a lot,” said Moore. “I have five siblings. Most of them play piano, and two of them got really good, then they quit. She said to me, ‘You know what? You are not quitting!’ I’m glad too. I’m sure she knew I would grow up a bit and see how much it would benefit me and how much I would love it.” Hill said his mother has also been integral to his musical development: “My mom has been really supportive of everything,” he said. “It takes a lot of time, taxiing me around all over places. It’s just really good to have that type of support.” To see Cody Moore and Levi Hill perform, head over to the Heartwood Center Sunday, May 11, at 1 p.m. To donate to Moore and Hill’s fundraising efforts for attending Interlochen this summer, please send donations to Music Conservatory of Sandpoint and specify they are for Hill and Moore’s tuition.
Levi Hill, left, and Cody Moore, right, play a duet on the public piano in front of the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.
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OPINION
A short history of religious violence in Sri Lanka By Nick Gier Reader Columnist “The sword is pulled from the scabbard, it is Not put back unless smeared with blood.” —from a Sri Lankan Buddhist battle song. Over the past 36 years I’ve traveled to 11 Asian countries to study their religions and philosophies. I wanted to add Sri Lanka to that list, but I always decided that there had been too much violence in the country. Just when I thought I could book a flight to Colombo, Muslim militants bombed three Christian churches and three hotels on Easter Sunday — killing 250 with over 500 injured. This was the first attack of this sort by Muslims in Sri Lankan history. Muslims and Christians had always had peaceful relations. In research for my book “The Origins of Religious Violence: An Asian Perspective,” I found that Hindus, Muslims and Christians lived in relative peace until European missionaries arrived to preach the idea of one true religion. The result was that Europeans taught the natives that they could be just as fundamentalist as some Christians are. Religiously motivated violence was the result.
The flag of Sri Lanka contains two stripes, green embracing the Muslims, and orange integrating the Hindus. Buddhist militants have removed these from their flag, a sure sign that, for them, religious minorities are no longer considered rightful citizens. Hindus comprise 13 percent of the population, while Muslims and Christians claim 10 and 7 percent respectively. For 26 years the Sri Lankan government waged a campaign against the Tamil Tigers, a ruthless terrorist organization whose fighters invented suicide bombing. The Tamils are majority Hindu, but their grievances are primarily linguistic and socio-economic. Buddhist militants, however, made it into a religious war, and their monks led government troops into battle. In the end over 50,000 soldiers were dead and more than 100,000 civilians lost their lives. Since the end of hostilities in 2009, Buddhist mobs, led by extremist monks, have killed Muslims and Christians and burned mosques, churches, homes and businesses. Between 2004 and 2014 there were 320 cases of arson against churches and Christian homes, the burning of Bibles and physical assaults on Christians. In 2011, Buddhist monks destroyed a 300-year-old Muslim
shrine, and in June 2014, Muslims homes and businesses were burned by Buddhist extremists. Four people were killed and 80 were wounded over a two-day period of rioting. Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force), ironically claiming to be non-violent, took responsibility, but the government did not respond with sanctions of any sort. This group has also been behind anti-Christian attacks as well. In early 2018, Buddhist militants were at it again, attacking mosques and burnings homes and businesses. Two Muslims were killed and 15 injured, and police officers were accused of aiding the militants. In addition, supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political party were found among the rioters. It was only a matter of time for some Muslims to respond. Hashim Zaharan, the leader of the nine bombers, was well known to authorities, and he had been arrested (but then released) for defacing Buddhist statues. He threatened a group of liberal Muslims with a sword for not being true believers. He preached hate on the internet and openly supported ISIS. Zaharan had been ejected from a Muslim school where strict Islam was being taught. He then established his own mosque, which did
A letter from the Bonner County Weeds Manager, Chase Youngdahl I would like to take an opportunity to share some information and important deadlines with Bonner County residents. My department is a resource to assist with weeds identification and control options — mechanical, cultural, chemical and biological. Each control method has its place, and everyone’s management plan is going to differ based on a number of variables. I can provide guidance in these areas. Remember, weeds that are classified as “noxious” are designated as such by law. Essentially, noxious weeds are illegal plants. A list of Idaho’s noxious weeds can be found on the ISDA (Idaho State Department of 22 /
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Civilians being displaced as a result of the Sri Lanka Army’s military offensive. Courtesy photo. not have any certification from Islamic authorities. Local Muslims and other citizens alerted police about his activities, and they expressed concern about further violence that he might incite. Two of the jihadists did not fit the typical profile of Muslim suicide bombers. They were well educated sons of a prosperous spice trader, rather than vulnerable young people or seasoned criminals such as the Belgian and French bombers. The more worldly elder son (age 35) was being groomed to take over the business, but the younger son (age 31) was much more devout and more likely be radicalized by Buddhist attacks on his fellow Muslims. When police came to the younger son’s home after the bombings, his wife blew herself
up along their three children. The father, who claimed to know nothing of his sons’ views, was arrested, and his close associates fear that he will be tortured and give a false confession. Zaharan had contacts in neighboring Tamil Nadu, and Indian security officials warned the Sri Lankan government that its churches had been targeted. Even Sri Lankan intelligence officials had a list of these jihadists. Tragically, no preemptive measures were taken, and political conflicts within the government may have been the reason why warnings did not get to the right people.
Agriculture) website, as well as the Bonner County Noxious Weeds website. The state statute may be referenced in Title 22 – Chapter 24 of the Idaho Legislature website. There is a landowner herbicide reimbursement program, the Neighborhood Weeds Cooperative, and the application is due May 31. If chemical control is something that suits you, this is a great financial incentive to clean up the weeds on your property and/or in your neighborhood. Also, we have access to biological control (insects) for Spotted Knapweed, Dalmatian Toadflax and St. Johnswort. If you wish to utilize this control method for one of these species, contact my office to request a batch. As far as county operations, the west half of Bonner County’s road system is slated to be treated with herbicides for noxious weeds and invasive
roadside vegetation in 2019. If you wish to handle the noxious weeds in the county right-of-way adjacent to your property using alternative methods, you need to come in to our office to sign a weed control agreement and receive official signs to post at each end of the property. It is suggested to do this by May 31, as we begin treating roadsides in June, although the hard deadline is June 30 (it will actually be June 28 this year due to the 30th being on a Sunday). The signs and associated agreement are valid only for the season in which they are issued. Our office is housed in Suite 101 in the Bonner County Administration building. We can be reached at 208-255-5681 ext.6 for details on any topic discussed in this letter.
Nick Gier of Moscow taught religion and philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Email him at ngier006@gmail. com.
-Chase Youngdahl
COMMUNITY
Gussy up Sandpoint’s gateway
Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium plans Long Bridge cleanup for May 26
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
If you’ve driven the Long Bridge recently, you may have noticed that Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium has adopted the iconic stretch of road through Idaho’s Adopt A Highway program. Those blue and white signs represent an effort on the part of Bleeding Hearts — specifically owner Jon Bates and artist Erika Cox — to give back to the area by making sure that well-traveled road and walking path stay clean. Bates said that while he’d love his family to be more deeply involved with community matters, meetings are often held during work hours. “It’s hard to support your family and also do those things,” Bates said, adding that the semi-annual cleanup is a great way to give back to the community on more time-friendly terms. “It’s flexible.” Bleeding Hearts is inviting any and all who want to be involved in the next Long Bridge cleanup to participate on Sunday, May 26. Participants can park at either gas station at the north end of the bridge or at the Long Bridge Bar and Grill on the south end. Work will start at the north end at 9 a.m., and safety vests, snacks and drinks will be provided. The first cleanup day was in October 2018 and took about seven hours with over 20 helpers, Cox said. With one cleanup under their belts, the Bleeding Hearts crew now knows what kind of equipment will be most helpful in clearing trash and gravel. While they are renting some equipment, Cox said they could still use electric blowers, large brooms, flat shovels and ATVs to haul supplies
and buckets of gravel on and off the bridge. Anyone who wants to volunteer such equipment should contact the Bleeding Hearts shop at (208) 597-7607. At the October cleanup, Bates’ three kids walked more than 10 miles, and Cox said the crew collected around 12 bags of trash. She said it was an amazing experience, and a main inspiration for joining the Adopt a Highway program. “We want to set a good example for the kids,” Cox said. “We’re setting a standard.” Learn more and RSVP by finding “2nd Semi Annual Long Bridge Clean-up” on Facebook.
Top: Volunteers help out at the first Bleeding Hearts Long Bridge cleanup in October 2018. Photo by Richard Carey. Bottom: Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium owner Jon Bates works at the first Long Bridge cleanup in October 2018. Photo by Richard Carey.
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HISTORY
A history of Billy Abbott’s Saloon By Nancy Foster Renk Reader Contributor
Two buildings went up in smoke on that cold winter night. Working under difficult conditions, firefighters managed to keep the flames from reaching a neighboring building, but they were unable to save the two structures. By morning, the ruins still smoldered at the corner of First Avenue and Bridge Street. While eerily similar, this was not the recent fire on Feb. 11 that destroyed five businesses on that same corner. Instead, the fire broke out early in the morning of March 18, 1912. It spread quickly in the wooden buildings and consumed the California poolroom and lodging house as well as the Sandpoint Hotel, cafe and poolroom. An earlier fire on Jan. 22 had destroyed four buildings in the same block of First Avenue, including C.F. Moody’s feed store, the Idaho rooming house, Silver Club Cafe, Denver Barber Shop, Eagle rooming house, Eagle soft drink parlor, Doyle’s clothing store and George M. Walker’s clothing store. Although the Sandpoint Hotel building was owned by Ignatz Weil, it had long been the home of William Abbott’s saloon. Abbott, better known as Billy, was a well-known businessman in Sandpoint. He was in his early 30s when he came to town around 1903. Within a short time, Billy joined forces with Mr. Branson to open a restaurant and saloon in the recently completed Sandpoint Hotel. Although the firm of Abbott & Branson failed by early 1905, Abbott continued the business on his own. He occasionally got creative with his advertising. For instance, in late 1905 he installed an outdoor sign depicting a camel carrying a jug of whiskey, standing in front of pyramids. “A camel can go eight days without drinking,” the sign read, “but who wants to be a camel?” Billy clearly was a popular man about Sandpoint. When he returned from a trip in September 1907 with his bride, Helena, friends gave them an enthusiastic reception and the local band serenaded them at the Sandpoint Hotel well into the night. It didn’t hurt Billy’s popularity when he dusted the cobwebs off several old bottles of liquor that had been stored in his cellar and generously shared them with the well-wishers. Despite his success and popularity, it wasn’t a smooth road for Billy Abbott. During the early 1900s, moral crusaders 24 /
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throughout the nation, including Sandpoint, targeted saloons and their associated vices of gambling and prostitution. Abbott was one of several local saloon operators accused of running gambling establishments, first in 1903 and again in 1908; they were acquitted both times. It was harder to counter the forces pushing for prohibition. In a hotly-debated special election in May 1910, Bonner County voters approved a local option to end the sale of alcoholic beverages. Although Sandpoint voted 729 to 654 to remain “wet,” the final tally was 2,168 “dry” to 1,832 “wet.” (At that time, Bonner County included all of what is now Boundary County.) Before the new law went into effect on Aug. 23, 1910, Billy Abbott held a sale on the remainder of his booze. This law, of course, did not end the sale and consumption of illicit alcohol. Just two years later residents revoked the local option, voting 2,092 “wet” to 1,511 “dry” to end Bonner County’s first experiment with prohibition. The timing was perfect for Billy
Abbott’s plans. The two fires during the winter of 1912 had left a large gap on the east side of First Avenue between Church and Bridge Streets. Abbott began making plans to buy several of the lots so he could build a large brick building. There was one catch, however: he needed to be assured of a liquor license. With a limit of just six licenses in Sandpoint, down from twenty-one just two years earlier, competition was stiff. The city council granted five in late June, with the sixth to be given either to Abbott or Chris Peterson. At first it looked like Peterson would win but then Abbott’s supporters argued that he had purchased the lots on First Avenue with the assurance that he would be granted a liquor license. By late July 1912, the city council approved Abbott’s license. As soon as he got the good news, Billy Abbott announced plans to build a large brick building on the corner of First and Bridge. Local architect S. Willis Foster designed the building with a full basement and three storefronts on the First Avenue level. The corner space was to be Abbott’s new saloon, with the other two spaces a restaurant and a movie theater. Work continued into 1913. The new saloon held its grand opening on Feb. 1, showing off the barrels of wines and liquors along the north wall, opposite the 40-foot oak bar that was salvaged and refurbished from the fire. There was a well-stocked wine cellar in the basement. Shortly after Abbott opened his saloon, a restaurant opened in the center portion of the new building. It was followed by the Gem Theater’s grand opening in March when throngs of patrons lined up to see the two-reel thriller, “The Vengeance of Durand,” along with a shorter comedy.
Billy Abbott had just a short run in his new saloon. Idaho voters decided to institute statewide prohibition starting the first day of 1916. Facing the inevitable, Abbott posted a sign in the window of his bar reading, “Don’t ask us what we’re going to do after January 1; what in —— are you going to do?” Less than two months later, Abbott sold his local holdings and moved to Astoria, Ore., to run another movie theater. Nationwide prohibition was in effect from 1920-1933. Billy Abbott’s building has seen many different businesses over the last century, but the ones that matter the most right now are those that were destroyed in the recent Feb. 11 blaze. The flames on that cold winter night burned Headlines Salon and The Hound Pizza, both in the former Abbott saloon; Sandpoint Chocolate Bear, in the former Grill Restaurant; China Kitchen, in the former Gem Theater and Sandpoint Tattoo and Body Piercing, downstairs in the Abbott building. While the Abbott building is now gone, we’re all waiting to see what takes its place, continuing the rich history on that busy corner of Sandpoint. Local historian Nancy Foster Renk’s book “Driving Past: Tours of Historical Sites in Bonner County, Idaho” is a great resource if you’re interested in local history. You can buy it at the Bonner Co. History Museum.
Top: The Abbott Building as seen before the downtown fire claimed it in Feb. 2019. Left: An ad from a 1906 copy of the Pend Oreille Review listing prices at the Abbott’s. Images courtesy Nancy Foster Renk and Bonner Co. Historical Society.
ENTERTAINMENT
The daily grind: bringing laughter to the people
This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert
READ
I haven’t had a chance to read Stephanie Land’s debut memoir yet, but I’ve been dabbling in her smaller works and loving every minute. What got me hooked was her Vox piece from 2015: “I spent 2 years cleaning houses. What I saw makes me never want to be rich.” Land’s voice is strong but relatable. Her work covers motherhood, homelessness, house cleaning and everything else that brought her to now, as a successful author out of Missoula.
LISTEN
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Alex Elkin doesn’t view his comedy in glamorous terms. The Oregon-based comic sees what he does as a daily grind just like most other jobs. But that’s partly what he sees as the source of his appeal. He’s not out to court favor with Hollywood bigwigs or the special-interest Twitter brigade — he’s just putting together his act one show at a time. Local residents can join the party when he hits the 219 Lounge Friday, May 10. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m., and tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. “I hope (my approach to comedy) endears me to the men and women of Sandpoint that are doing the same thing — they’re out there working the grind every day,” Elkin said. As Elkin indicates in the title of his Amazon Prime comedy special, audience members under 30 years old need not apply for his brand of comedy — or at least not those who aren’t willing to take a joke. Elkin believes that everything and everyone is fair game for comedy, no matter what certain people may consider to be po-
litically, socially or culturally untouchable. “I feel like if we can’t laugh at everything, we can’t laugh at anything,” he said. That includes himself, and he’s more than happy to make fun of his own looks and physical characteristics. He only asks that audience members look at themselves with that same good humor. “The moment I step on somebody’s personal space, they feel like that joke was written about them specifically,” he said of some past experiences at live shows. At the same time, he’s not out to impress the Hollywood bigshots who gate-keep the comedy scene in the biggest markets. Instead, Elkin believes in getting out around the country to venues like the Niner in Sandpoint. “I don’t know how anyone could develop a comedy act in LA,” Elkin said. “Moving to Oregon was
the best decision I ever made in comedy.” When he travels, he makes sure every show is different. Each performance is tailored to the individual audience, and Elkin relies extensively on improvisation to keep his act fresh. His material ranges from riffs on current events to reflections on his own life as a father and a husband to his wife of 16 years. It’s an approach to comedy that seems to be resonating with audiences. His latest album, “Screaming at Shapes,” debuted on iTunes at number six, outperforming some of Elkin’s comedy heroes like Weird Al Yankovich for a time. His embrace of the work of come-
The always-entertaining Alex Elkin. Courtesy photo. dy — getting out, performing shows and writing new material — has also won him allies in comics like Morgan Preston, one of the brains behind the resurgence of stand-up comedy in Sandpoint. “He does quality productions, I do quality comedy,” Elkin said. “We’re a perfect match.” Check out for yourself why stand-up comedy is a hit in Sandpoint when Elkin performs at the Niner Friday, May 10. And check out Elkin’s new album, “Screaming at Shapes,” on Spotify, iTunes and Pandora.
Elena Tonra of British indie folk outfit Daughter recently released a self-titled solo album under the moniker Ex:Re. Tonra blends femininity, sadness and storytelling to bring us another gorgeous collection of songs. Her voice is comforting, the music she composes has a unique brand of melancholy I haven’t found anywhere else, and no matter how many times I listen, the songs on “Ex:Re” unveil more and more layers each time. My choice tracks are “Romance” and “The Dazzler.”
WATCH
It took me — the person who loves nothing more than a dramatic biopic about historically kickass women — until now to see “Hidden Figures,” the 2016 film about the lesser-known female African-American mathematicians behind John Glenn’s 1962 orbit. Taraji P. Henson shines in particular as the main character, Katherine, as she navigates a white man’s world with her impressive calculating skills and roles as both professional and mother. The 60s-era design in this one also sealed it as a new favorite for me, and also the film’s title — how perfect.
Morgan Preston preforms at the 219 Lounge in Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson. May 9, 2019 /
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ENVIRONMENT
Conservation Corner
A monthly column by the Bonner Co. Soil and Water Conservation District
A day in the woods
From Sandpoint News-Bulletin, April 1, 1954
WORK IS STARTED ON NEW DEPOT FOR GREAT NORTHERN Great Northern Railway announced this week that moving and extensive remodeling of its depot at Sandpoint will begin about April 1. The new location will be at Main street, about 2,500 feet west of the present depot size. Size of the modernized structure will be 26 by 70 feet. The attractive building is to have wide cedar siding, painted white and a roof of green asphalt shingles. Glass block panels will be part of the outer walls. Doors and window trim are to be green. At both ends, on the outside, porcelain enameled station signs will be placed. Planting areas for shrubs and flowers are planned at the front or track side and at both ends. Station platforms will be of concrete and asphaltic concrete. The interior will have a waiting room, office, rest rooms, warm room for perishable shipments, a freight room and a boiler room. Walls of the waiting room and office are to be finished in knotty cedar and ceilings in acoustic tile. Asphalt tile is to cover the floor. Rest rooms and the boiler room are to have plaster finish. New furniture and a new counter are to be added inside the structure, as well as new electrical and plumbing fixtures. An oil-fired hot water heating system with radiators is to be installed. 26 /
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By Sarah Garcia Reader Columnist On the second Thursday every May the quiet secluded Delay Farms in Careywood roars to life with the sounds of over a thousand students, volunteers, and natural resource professionals coming together for a day of hands on education. Ray and Fairy Delay were long-time champions of natural resource conservation in Bonner County, and beginning in 1982 they graciously opened their farm to the youth of Idaho for the chance to connect students with Idaho’s natural resource, timber and farming industries. There, they are connected with professional who pass on the skills necessary for managing our natural resources. The Delay’s sons, Ray Jr. and Gene, continue their parent’s legacy by once again hosting the 37th Annual Idaho State Forestry Contest. Now the big question, what is the Idaho State Forestry Contest? Students from second to twelfth grade are invited to attend this annual event. There are three competitive categories: rookie, junior and senior, as well as a non-competitive novice category. Participants in the competitive categories can compete as either individuals or as teams of four. Students rotate through six stations covering soil and water quality, tree and plant ID, silviculture and tree health, compass and pacing, cruising and weed ID and map reading. Each participant receives individual scores in each category and team scores are the total of four students combined scores. Teachers and coaches are provided with a learning handbook months in advance. The novice class also known as “a walk in the woods” is a tour with industry professionals through six stations where these students receive a hands-on introduction to the same topics as our competing participants. This event is more than just a day in the woods for Idaho’s youth. Top individual competitors in the junior and senior divisions walk away with cash prizes and can move on to compete at a national level. As students interact with natural resource professionals they are given the opportunity to see that conservation is as much about the responsible use and management of our resources as it is the protection of our resources for future generations. In recent years a career fair was added to the event to provide junior and senior students with an opportunity to get an overview of career op-
portunities with both private industry leaders as well as state and federal natural resource programs. Last year’s career fair was a popular stop on the course. The Idaho State Forestry Contest is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands; Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District; USDA’S Natural Resource Conservation Service and USDA Forest Service. These sponsors are responsible for the planning, registration, and infrastructure of this massive event with approximately 50% of the Forestry Contests instructors and volunteers representing one of these sponsors. Additional instructors and volunteers are made up of private timber and resource management industry professionals, teachers, coaches and parent chaperones. We thank our private and industry donors whose continued financial support allow us to provide this full day event without cost to the students. This one-day event is a monumental undertaking that would not be possible without the generosity of the Delay Family for hosting this event and the tireless efforts of Karen Robinson of Idaho Department of Lands who has been the Idaho State Forestry Contest event coordinator for several years. The Forestry Contest Steering committee would like to extend our deep gratitude to all the volunteers, sponsors, teachers, and participants! If you would like to learn more about the Idaho State Forestry Contest please visit: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/forestry/contest/index.html; https://www.bonnerswcd. org/forestry-contest Would you like a birds eye view of this great event? You can see an overview of the contest here: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=onrzDz3omgo. If you would like more information about how to participate, volunteer or make a donation to continue the Idaho State Forestry Contest please contact Sarah Garcia, sarah.garcia@ id.nacdnet.net or 208.263.5310
Participants in the 2018 Forestry Contest. Courtesy photo.
Crossword Solution
Can’t the Marx Brothers be arrested and maybe even tortured for all the confusion and problems they’ve caused?
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
CROSSWORD ACROSS
Woorf tdhe Week
velutinous
/vuh-LOOT-n-uhs/
[adjective] 1. having a soft, velvety surface, as certain plants.
“Plant some lamb’s ear and other velutinous plants for added texture.” Corrections: Nothing to report this week, captain. Ben out.
1. Dimwit 6. Sail supports 11. Whinny 12. Aroused 15. Yearn 16. In an empty or futile manner 17. Pelt 18. Supercilium 20. American Dental Association 21. Chocolate cookie 23. Slender 24. Toboggan 25. A musical pause 26. Ear-related 27. Equips 52. Hung around 28. At one time (archaic) 54. Victor 29. Damp 56. Cardigan 30. The ability to see 57. S-shaped moldings 31. Engorged 58. Out of practice 34. Mommies 59. Not tall 36. Caviar 37. Frosts 41. French for “State” DOWN 42. Ranch 43. Male undergrad social club 1. Underwriter 2. Make downhearted 44. Secluded valley 3. 3 in Roman numerals 45. A mooring post 4. Monster 46. Bygone era 5. Not we 47. Whole 6. System of weights 48. Under and measures 51. In song, the loneliest 7. Adage number
Solution on page 26 8. Flat-bottomed boat 9. “___ the season to be jolly” 10. Avoiding detection 13. Not the youngest 14. Twosome 15. Previously 16. Wiped out 19. A chemical compound 22. Footstool 24. Denote 26. Is endebted to 27. Cry of disgust 30. Flower stalk 32. Big wine holder 33. Heart artery
34. Easygoing 35. Artist’s workroom 38. Balladeer 39. Sincere 40. Drive 42. Showy attire 44. Not guys 45. Type of cap 48. Wagers 49. 2 2 2 2 50. Not low 53. Letter after sigma 55. Prefix meaning “Modern”
May 9, 2019 /
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