Sandpoint Magazine Winter 2018

MAGAZINE

WINTER 2018

SSANDPOINT

EXTREME

WINTER

&

Bonner County’s Missing Millennials, Interview with Olympian Rebecca Dussault, Schweitzer Alpine Racing School is Aging Powerfully, Lives Shaped by Art, How the Locals Live, Looking Up into our Night Sky and more EXTREMELY interesting stories!

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www.ThunderMtnWildlifeEstate.com $4,495,000 #1564 Moyie Springs, Idaho 83845

www.LodgeAtHiddenSpring.com $1,895,000 #1147 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

www.PrivateLakesideLodge.com $1,725,000 #1113 Sagle, Idaho 83860

www.MurphyBayLifestyle.com $1,449,000 #1117 Sagle, Idaho 83860

www.IdahoClubHome.com $1,399,000 #1414 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

www.LakePendOreilleHome.com $1,325,000 #1487 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

www.HarmonyOnTheLake.com $1,149,500 #1084 Hope, Idaho 83836

www.BottleBayLuxuryWaterfront.com $1,050,000 #1195 Sagle, Idaho 83860

www.LakeViewAtHiddenSpring.com $997,000 #1196 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

www.BottleBayLakesideHome.com $849,900 #1515 Sagle, Idaho 83860

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www.MarinaTownCondo.com $649,000 #1265 Dover, Idaho 83825

www.WhiskeyJackLakefront.com $549,000 #1013 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

www.HistoricLogHome.com $449,900 #1543 Hope, Idaho 83836

www.MarinaCondoAtHolidayShores.com $439,000 #1186 Hope, Idaho 83836

B

Cindy Bond Associate Broker, Owner GRI, CRS

H

www.CindyBond.com

elping buyers and sellers see possibilities before they become obvious.

208.255.8360 | cindy.bond@sothebysrealty.com | 200 Main | Sandpoint

© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Marine View With a Sunset,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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39 Kienholz Drive, hope MlS #20171926 $5,400,000 Gated community, private beach with 500 frontage feet on Cape of Art loop

817 KAniKSu ShoreS, SAnDpoint MlS #2017331 $2,150,000 Gorgeous timberframe home in Kaniksu Shores with 100 shoreline feet

608 SAnDpoint Ave., SAnDpoint MlS #20170700 $1,650,000 Stunning Seasons townhome. 3 balconies, private lakeside yard and 2 boat slips

135 ChuteS lAne, SAnDpoint MlS #20171508 $ 729,000 Ski in/ski out residence with views of the valley and Schweitzer village

702 SAnDpoint Avenue #7307 MlS #20172548 $489,000 enjoy amazing sunrises from this immaculate 3rd floor residence at The Seasons

702 SAnDpoint Avenue #7204 MlS #20172819 $560,000 Move-in-ready, fully furnished 2nd floor residence overlooking the marina at The Seasons

702 SAnDpoint Avenue #7103 MlS #20172685 $520,000 Beautifully renovated 1st floor residence at The Seasons with new tile flooring & whole house sound system.

702 SAnDpoint Avenue #7109 MlS #20170681 $469,000 1st floor residence at The Seasons that includes the extensive list of amenities ownership provides

121 CApe of Art loop, hope MlS #20172350 $2,700,000 5 acre parcel in gated community on hope peninsula, 850 frontage feet and 270 degree water views with lighted dock

0 northShore Drive, SAnDpoint MlS #20170394 $559,000 end of cul-de-sac waterfront parcel in northshore neighborhood with great southern exposure and long Bridge views

401 lAKeShore Avenue, Dover MlS #20170447 $499,000 level Dover Bay waterfront lot.

Surveyed with well defined building envelope

541 o’Donnell Drive, Dover MlS #20172519 $489,000 100’ of private pend oreille river frontage in Dover Bay with extensive community amenities

549 o’Donnell Drive, Dover MlS #20173109 $479,000 partially wooded building site in Dover Bay on the shores of pend oreille river

118 n DiviSion Ave., SAnDpoint MlS #20172949 $330,000 fantastic development opportunity with 10 lots on flat parcel in mixed use area of town

nnA lAKe Street & hwy 2, SAnDpoint MlS #20163637 $225,000 rare South Sandpoint commercial property with highway 2 frontage visibility

0 AirpArK lAne, SAnDpoint MlS #20170067 $195,000 private access gated community lot at the airport just off Great northern

Dedicated to the extraordinary the exceptional and the unique.

Chris Chambers www.ExtraordinaryIdaho.com 208-290-2500 chris.chambers@sothebysrealty.com 200 Main, Sandpoint, Idaho

© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Marine View With a Sunset,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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Contents

WINTER 2018, Vol. 28, No. 1

FEATURES Cover Story

76 SELKIRK POWDER PHOTO

41 76 80

PHOTOGRAPHER JIM FULLING

PHOTOGRAPHER DOUG MARSHALL

82

PHOTOGRAPHER CARRIE SCOZZARO

om

SANDPOINT Magazine

43 49 55 60 63 65 67 69 72 80 82

Dropped into the Backcountry Selkirk Powder brings heli-skiing to the Selkirks Tackling the Challenge LOR Foundation provides resources to improve community

Why you aren’t reading Kootenai Magazine Uplifting Experience Aerospace program fuels kids’ dreams

Art Among Us Lives shaped by art

Look Up! There are exciting things to see in our night sky Moving with the Times NIC at Sandpoint responsive to local demand

Schweitzer Reaches for the Skies Summit lodge crowns mountain changes

Schweitzer Alpine Racing School is aging powerfully

Schweitzer Chapel A 40-year mission to serve

Missing Millennials

Statistics show important absence in Bonner County

Leaving Civilization Behind These hikers don’t know when to quit

Off the Beaten Path Sandpoint family caretakers of Boulder Hut

On the cover Ready, set... take off! Extreme powder hounds are in for a treat this winter as Selkirk Powder opens up the high Selkirks for heli-skiiers. Photographer Doug Marshall.

55 WINTER 2018

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A L M A N AC

DEPARTMENTS 14 Almanac 31 Calendar

53 Pictured in History 88 Photo Essay Epitome of Winter

Real Estate

88

96 The real local living 107 Idaho Club back in business

PHOTOGRAPHER DANIELLE OTIS

35 Interview with Rebecca Dussault

96

109 Sandpoint’s rental dilemma 114 Marketwatch Natives and Newcomers COURTESY OF THE TATE FAMILY

117

127 Lodging 128 Eats & Drinks 141 Dining Guide

PHOTOGRAPHER ADAM CAIRA

146 Sandpoint of View All the Things

146

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WINTER 2018

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TSS

www.TSSIR.com

FLY–IN PRIVATE RETREAT ON OVER 131 ACRES Custom Green–built Country Home – Chef ’s kitchen – Spacious master suite – Main floor guest suite with private entry – Deluxe Hangar has luxurious upstairs apartment – Mixed acreage with two streams and a pond – Unique private setting with paved access only 5 miles to town – $1,990,000 #20172665 Call Bill Schaudt 208.255.6172

HIDDEN VALLEY 362 ACRES WITH FALL CREEK End of the road privacy. Bordered by public land. Timber & Pasture. Year–round creek with waterfalls & pond.

Two homes, shop, green house & tree farm. Vintage barn.

Main home has valley & mountain views. $2,495,000.

Call Linda Tolley 208–561–1234

121 ACRES WITH HALF MILE OF CLARK FORK RIVER Boat to Lake Pend Oreille. Groomed Trails & Mature Woods. Abundant wildlife including Elk, Deer & Moose.

Pasture for your livestock. Home w/ outbuildings, power, well & septic. Zoned R–10. $2,350,000.

Call Linda Tolley 208–561–1234

LOVEY 3,300 SF LOG SIDED CONTEMPORARY HOME On level 23 acres. Furnished guest house – 42’x70’ shop for work & toys – Master suite – loft T&G ceilings, 2 wood stoves – Nicely treed, parked–out lawn – sprinkler system & security system – wrap–around deck for entertaining #20171892 $695,000 Call Susan Moon 208.290.5037

TWO .32 ACRE LEVEL BUILDING SITES AT PONDER POINT Community boat launch, picnic area, and dock for day use on Lake Pend Oreille. No HOAs but CCRs apply. Paved street, curbs in, Sandpoint Water and Kootenai Ponderay Sewer District hookups available. #20171727 $84,500 and #20171726 $79,900 Call Susan Moon 208.290.5037

BEAUTIFUL REDWOOD SIDED SINGLE STORY HOME Custom built by Dan Fogarty and sits on 2.6 wooded acres in the very desirable Sweetwater neighborhood. 2500 sq.ft. – 5 bedrooms – den/office – 2.50 baths – covered and open decks. 2 car carport – finished 36X60 heated shop with 100 amp service!

Only 5 minutes to downtown Sandpoint and sits on a private wooded lot. $425,000 Call Rich Curtis 208.290.2895

LAKE RV SALES AND SERVICE 10,000 Square foot building – 7 Bay RV heated workshop – Four 12x14 high doors in shop area – Public propane sales station – Dump station – Separate 4 car garage/shop building – 2.20 acres of all usable, level Commercial land – $1,500,000 #20161688 Call Mickie Caswell 208.290.5116

BOTTLE BAY WATERFRONT LOT An exceptional opportunity to acquire Lake Pend Oreille waterfront in desirable Bottle Bay, at Sourdough Point! A premium buildable lot, with 110 lakefront feet, rarely comes available at Sourdough. An easy build on .27 acres, with gentle slope to level beachfront. It is surveyed, with power at the road, water and sewer hook ups! #20172150 $549,000 Call Karen Battenschlag 208.610.4299

LUXURY LIVING IN DOVER BAY On the Gorgeous Pend Oreille River! Build your custom estate on this spectacular private waterfront, boasting south facing 189 level front feet on 1.94 acres with amazing views! A prestigious community with all the amenities, offering a marina, café, store, fitness center, swimming pool, tennis courts, 9 miles of paved trails. Like no other! Exceptional! $629,000 #20170455 Call Karen Battenschlag 208.610.4299

Bill Schaudt, REALTOR® Linda Tolley, REALTOR® Susan Moon, REALTOR® Rich Curtis, REALTOR® 208.255.6172 bill.schaudt@sothebysrealty.com

208.561.1234 linda.tolley@sothebysrealty.com

208.290.5037 susan.moon@sothebysrealty.com

208.290.2895 richard.curtis@sothebysrealty.com

Karen Battenschlag,

Mickie Caswell,

® REALTOR® 208.610.4299 REALTOR 208.290.5116 karen.battenschlag@sothebysrealty.com mickie.caswell@sothebysrealty.com

© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Marine View With a Sunset,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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A L M A N AC

Publisher’s note

In these divided times, I will now posit something I bet we virtually all agree on: Summer in Sandpoint is something wonderful.

Mention winter around here, though, and the reaction generally runs in one of two camps.

In the first falls the folks who find it simply a tough season to endure: too cold and too dark for too long, with too much shoveling of snow or sliding on slippery roads.

The cover stories in this issue of Sandpoint Magazine feature the other extreme, literally. For the second camp of those here, winter brings a season of new pleasures radically different from those splendid summers. The cold yields typically abundant snow for skiing and snowboarding and snowshoeing, ice to skate on (or fish through), awesome views of transformed landscapes, a remarkable, sound-dampened quiet outdoors.

I fall in that second camp. Winter is a smorgasbord of neat sensations and experiences, for those who push out the door to find them. Gear up for it with warm clothes and you’ll discover there are sublime pleasures to be had venturing outdoors in winter, whether on skis or board or snowshoes or skates. And while our stories on big winter adventures will (we hope) provide inspiration, you don’t have to go to those extremes to find some of winter’s wonder. A walk or snowshoe along the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail or skate off the Third Avenue Pier, or a cross-county ski at the UI’s North Boyer property can all unlock some of the season’s unique joys, right here in town.

Yeah, there’s snow shoveling and occasionally perilous driving. But if you go looking in the right places you’ll find winter can be pretty fine. Make yours a good one.

-Chris Bessler

Publisher Chris Bessler Editor Trish Gannon Assistant Editor Beth Hawkins Advertising Director Clint Nicholson Art Director Laura Wahl Layout and Ad Design Pamela Morrow Ad Design Robin Levy, Jackie Palmer Office Manager Susan Otis IT Manager Landon Otis

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CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Baker

grew up in Sandpoint, the oldest of Brent and Laura Baker’s four red-headed daughters. She spent her childhood skiing at Schweitzer and racing on the SARS team. She now lives and works in Jackson, Wyoming as a professional skier and mountain guide—someone who takes winter recreation to the extreme! She visited the remote Boulder Hut as part of a film on backcountry family values (p. 84). Learn more about Jessica at www.skidivas.com. Photographer David Stubbs

Lyndsie Kiebert

was born in Sandpoint, raised in Hope, and aside from three years in Moscow for college, has spent her life in Bonner County. As a staff writer for Sandpoint Reader, and a volleyball coach at Clark Fork High School, she says her coffee consumption is where she goes to extremes. In her first contributions to Sandpoint Magazine, she writes about the county’s missing millennials (p. 72) and says as one of the rare Sandpoint 20-somethings, she struggles with many of the same issues her sources do. In addition, she introduces us to Baxter’s new Back Door Bar (p. 138).

Desiree Aguirre moved to Sandpoint in the mid‘90s and is a writer, songwriter and poet known for her performances with Fiddlin’ Red Simpson, where she plays banjo, fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer and more. In fact, you could say she’s extreme about learning new musical instruments. She wrote about the Angels Over

Sandpoint’s impressive, 20-year contribution to our community (p. 20), the craftsmanship driving local ski/snowboard makers (p.

85) and the never-ending spirit of the Schweitzer Primetimers Club (p. 87). As a primetimer herself, now, she is hoping a knee replace-

ment will return her to Schweitzer, “to glide down a mountain of white with one stick attached to my feet.”

PhotographerJenny Lopresto

Contributors: Desiree Aguirre, Jessica Baker, Nancy Owens Barnes, Nicole Black, Nathan Blow, McCalee Cain, Adam Caira, Dig Chrismer, Erica Curless, Angela Dail, Kevin Davis, Susan Drinkard, Tom Falter/SSRA Photography, Jim Fulling, Fiona Hicks, Cate Huisman, Gene Hush, Lyndsie Kiebert, Sarah Klintworth, Linda Lantzy, Jennifer Lamont Leo, Jenny Lopresto, Marianne Love, Jerry Luther, Doug Marshall, Jim Mellen, Sandii Mellen, Ammi Midstokke, Kathy Osborne, Danielle Otis, Don Otis, Amber Phillips, Rick Price, Nancy Renk, Scott Rulander, Carrie Scozzaro, David Stubbs, Mary Terra-Berns, Corey Vogel and Ryan Zimmer.

Sandpoint Magazine is published twice yearly, in May and November, by Keokee Co. Publishing, Inc. 405 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864 Phone: 208-263-3573 Email: inbox@keokee.com ©2018 by Keokee Co. Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Subscriptions: $12 per year, payable in advance. Send address changes to the address above.

Visit our web magazine published at www.

SandpointMagazine.com. Printed in USA by Century Publishing, Post Falls, Idaho.

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A L M A N AC

Beauty and her Beak

Children’s book tells story of a bald eagle shot in Alaska

PHOTOGRAPHER GENE HUSH

Jane Veltkamp with Beauty, minus her prosthetic, at Birds of Prey Northwest.

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hen raptor biologist Jane Veltkamp met Beauty, a bald eagle, at a wildlife rescue in Alaska, the raptor was in bad shape. Just four years old, she was missing the upper portion of her beak. The bullet that damaged her might as well have killed her outright, for without a functioning beak a raptor cannot tear food to eat, nor preen

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their feathers. Beauty was barely able to scoop water to drink.

Returning with Beauty to Birds of Prey Northwest, where Veltkamp is president and executive director, she partnered with Nate Calvin to design and build a prosthetic beak for Beauty. An engineer and founder of Kinetic Engineering Group, Calvin

was moved to help after hearing Veltkamp speak about raptors, and about Beauty’s situation. Their work garnered worldwide attention, was featured on Nat Geo Wild TV, and is now lovingly told in a children’s book authored by Veltkamp and Deborah Lee Rose. The book, “Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle,” is beautifully illustrated with photos of eagles and of Beauty’s pioneering surgery. It can be purchased online at the Birds of Prey website, where a companion educational guide can be downloaded at no charge.

Beauty, now 16, lives at the St. Maries nonprofit raptor education and rehabilitation center on the southern shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene, as part of their ongoing program to educate people about birds of prey. With or without the prosthetic, Beauty will need constant support for the rest of her life from the center, which provides medical treatment to sick, orphaned or injured raptors with the goal of returning them to the wild.

The center is supported solely through private donations and grants, fees earned through educational programs, facility tours, book sales and an annual fundraiser held in December. Those interested can financially sponsor the annual care of a bird of prey.

Fifty years ago bald eagles were added to the endangered species list. Although recovering, they are still a protected species today. If you spot an injured bird of prey, call the center at 208-582-0797.

– Trish Gannon See: www.BirdsofPreyNorthwest.org

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A L M A N AC

S

Do You know ? SnowSchool is in session ^ 1

It really is quieter after it snows

The serene silence following a snowfall isn’t just your imagination: snow is a great sound absorber! Sound waves are absorbed in the thick, fluffy layers that cover the ground.

2

Like diamonds and gold, snow is a mineral

Because snow is a naturally occurring solid, has a definite chemical composition, and is inorganically formed, it is officially considered a mineral, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

SOLE PHOTO

Andrew, a student at SOLE SnowSchool, determines the density of the snowpack based on samples collected when completing a snowpit profile.

W

hen the snow falls over Bonner County, everyone is experiencing some real-live science firsthand.

With Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education’s SnowSchool, children all across the Lake Pend Oreille School District are getting an insider look at the science happening right in their backyard in the winter months. SOLE, along with partners from Panhandle Alliance for Education, provides every fifth-grader in Lake Pend Oreille School District a three-day SnowSchool Experience each winter: a day of prep in the classroom, a day on the snow, and a day of analyzing their data back in the classroom.

SOLE founder and executive director Dennison Webb said people can get involved with SnowSchool by spreading the word, attending the Backcountry Film Festival (one of the program’s biggest fundraisers), or directly sponsoring the SnowSchool Experience Program.

– McCalee Cain

3. It’s a myth that every snowflake is unique

In 1988, a scientist discovered two perfectly identical snow crystals from a Wisconsin storm.

4. Snow isn’t actually white

The blanket of white typical to Sandpoint’s winter wonderland is actually made of colorless crystals. Snow, like the ice particles it’s created from, is, in reality, translucent. Because light can’t pass through it easily, it is reflected on the snow’s faceted surface, resulting in what our eyes perceive as a white hue.

5.

Snowflakes are plentiful, to say the least Each winter in the United States, more than 1 septillion ice crystals fall from the sky. That’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000—24 zeros!

See: www.SoleExperiences.org

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It Takes a Village

Sandpoint reaches out to Ethiopian orphans Jennifer Crooks with some of her second family at Wolatya Village, the first of hopefully many Uryadi’s Village projects, in Soddo, Ethiopia.

PHOTOGRAPHER SARAH KLINTWORTH

F

or Sandpoint mom Jennifer Crooks, road trips with the kids are quite the affair: her husband Mike and 18-yearold son Hunter pilot the family’s two RVs, while she drives the passenger van. With 16 members, the Crooks travel as their own little fleet.

Jennifer is the mother of 14 children: two biological, two stepchildren, and the remaining ten, adopted.

“I have always wanted to have an

•

SANDPOINT

• SODDO, ETHIOPIA

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international family, ever since I was young,” Crooks said.

She and her husband fulfilled this dream in 2003, with the adoption of their daughter Sophie. When picking Sophie up from her birthplace in China, Jennifer was exposed to the tragic plight of international orphans living in dire conditions. Immediately, she knew she had to help.

“I thought, I can’t adopt all the children in the world, as much as I’d like to, so what can I do instead?”

This was the beginning of what is now Uryadi’s (your-odd-ees) Village, a nonprofit program that includes a self-sustaining orphanage named Wolatya Village in Soddo, Ethiopia, the fruition of Crooks’ expansive motherly love. A successful equestrian, Jennifer named the orphanage after her competition horse and companion, Uryadi.

The nonprofit now receives important financial support from

Crooks’ equestrienne connections, and material support from other enthusiastic area advocates, such as Nicole Grimm (medical advisor), Sarah Klintworth (administrative assistant), Scott Rulander (videographer), and Eric Keller (builder/on-site manager), among others.

Crooks eventually took a class in international development and permaculture. “We were able to combine the idea of an orphanage and permaculture”—the foundation of agricultural ecosystems designed to be sustainable and self-sufficient— “to create a self-sustaining model,” Crooks said.

Now, the village produces much of the food and energy needed by its inhabitants, and hopes to eventually produce enough food to share with the greater community.

This model is very successful.

In three years, Wolatya’s Village has expanded from 18 children to 68.

Crooks hopes the impact of this model will spread throughout the rest of eastern Africa, resulting in improvements to communities that will resonate throughout the world.

Uryadi’s Village has been working with the Ethiopian government, and recently received approval for expansion. “I’m grateful to have founded Uryadi’s Village and grateful to be in it, but it’s much bigger than me. The Sandpoint team is absolutely amazing,” Crooks said. “It takes a village, and we have one!”

– McCalee Cain See: www.UryadisVillage.org

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A L M A N AC

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Digging New Ground Great-grandma’s garden gives way to great-granddaughter’s medicine

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F

or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Katie Sweeney, a nurse practitioner, Alpine Family Medicine represents the fulfillment of a dream to own and operate her own clinic. The practice, which opened in August 2017 on Lake Street near Sandpoint’s City Hall, provides medical guidance and health care to men, women and children.

Alpine Family Medicine also reflects a chapter of Sweeney’s family history and even offers some local medical nostalgia in its decor. Her great-grandparents, Ernest and Bessie Bricker, grew garden crops for their 13 children on the property. Sweeney also purchased and refurbished exam tables for her clinic which were used by Dr. Tom Lawrence and the late Dr. Fred Marienau in their practices.

“I cherish history,” Sweeney said. “These beds hold a great deal of health care history delivered in our Sandpoint community.”

Sweeney’s passion for the medical profession began in grade school when she volunteered at Life Care Center of Sandpoint with her grandmother “to help feed the elderly, play bingo and push the laundry carts.” She also credits her mother, Anna, a nurse for 22 years at Bonner General Health, and Dr. Lawrence as strong influences in her career choice.

“At first I thought I wanted to go to med school, but then I watched my mother care for people directly as a nurse,” she recalled. “The career as nurse practitioner was a perfect balance for me.”

FYI

An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse is a nurse who has obtained at least a Master’s Degree in nursing.

Further specialization within the APRN category includes nurse practitioners, as well as certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists.

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A 2017 report from the Idaho Board of Nursing states there are over 1,000 APRNs in Idaho, but northern Idaho is experiencing a shortage.

In 2008, the most recent numbers available at the county level, there were 20 APRNs in Bonner County.

In Idaho, nurse practitioners like Sweeney can provide independent care without a resident doctor.

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A L M A N AC As a certified primary care provider with a decade’s worth of health care experience, including six years in Bonner and Boundary counties, Sweeney, now 32, also views herself as an entrepreneur.

“I have always wanted to operate my own medical practice. I believe in the type of medicine that focuses on the patient and allows a patient/provider relationship of trust to form,” she explained. “I found this hard to do under other employers, so it gave me the drive to open and practice the way I want and to work among employees who have the same values in medicine as I do.”

Sweeney, who prefers that patients call her “Katie,” accepts most major insurances as well as Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare.

Her staff offers the full scope of services that any family practice typically provides, along with expertise in women’s health.

“I perform most in-office surgical procedures as well as [some laboratory testing] for my patients,” she says. Services also include management of acute and chronic illnesses, mental health, wellness exams for the entire family, sports physicals and consultation on a wide array of common health issues.

Sweeney and her husband Tucker, who serves as activities coordinator at Echo Springs Transition Study Center near Bonners Ferry, have two daughters, Addison and Amelia. She hopes to eventually expand the clinic, hiring a second medical provider and a care coordinator.

“My everyday goal is to deliver individualized care to each of my patients,” she said.

“I became a nurse and a nurse practitioner to help people and families, and that is what I plan to do until the day I retire.”

– Marianne Love

301 N. 1st Ave . Sandpoint (208)263.3622

FETCHINGLY GOOD BEER!

See: Alpine Family Medicine PLLC @ Facebook.

IDAHO IS ONE of only 12 states in the U.S. that allow APRNs “full practice authority.” This means APRNs can practice without a supervising doctor and are recognized as primary care providers. They can independently prescribe medication, and order physical therapy. In addition, they are allowed to sign death certificates, handicapped parking stickers, and workers’ compensation forms.

ALL TRAILS LEAD TO THE DOG HOUSE Bring in your lift ticket for 1/2 off your 1st beer.

OPEN DAILY NOON TO 8PM

Laughing Dog Brewery & Taproom 805 Schweitzer Plaza Drive Ponderay, ID 83852

WWW.LAUGHINGDOGBREWING.COM WINTER 2018

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(208) 263-9222

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Angels Over Sandpoint

Live, Laugh and

Lighten the Load million to support area residents over 20 years

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Each fall, the Angels stuff more than 800 backpacks full of grade-appropriate supplies for area students.

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ate McAlister, a long-standing member and president of the Angels over Sandpoint, said she would dance naked in the street if it would help to feed the poor. Luckily, the Angels Over Sandpoint, a nonprofit charity serving all of Bonner County, has a mission to “honor the memory of the Angels who have gone before by helping those in need in our community,” so nobody has to dance naked. The Angels, a fun-loving group of around 70 members, have passed along $1.4 million in the past 20 years to those in need.

How do they do it? What drives these Angels and keeps them fired up and inspired? According to Paula Marcinko, vice president of the Angels, the group began in 1997 as the Rude Girls, who decided they Paula Marcinko, Marcia Pilgeram, Caroline Sorentino and Kate McAlister are just a few of the Angels Over (and next to) Sandpoint.

were going to make a difference to honor their friend, Kathy Pelland, after a drunk driver killed Kathy in a car accident. They hosted a dance, which led to another dance, which eventually led to the formation of the Angels Over Sandpoint. “I still can’t believe we raised so much money and have made such a huge difference in our community,” Marcinko said.

“Kathy would be so amazed.”

The money raised supports the community in a variety of ways, from cash grants to people fighting serious illness, to providing meals, to a program that provides backpacks full of supplies to area schoolchildren. They also give grants of $250 to $2,500 to area nonprofits focused on health, education and youth-oriented services, and

You have questions about health insurance.

. s r e w s n a e v a h e W

are partners on three area scholarships for local high school graduates, as well as funding a New Direction grant for those looking to change their lives.

If you are going to raise money to help people, the Angels believe you should have a good time doing so. The Angels want to “live, laugh and lighten the load.” And they do that extraordinarily well with a wealth of fundraisers, ranging from the risque and lighthearted Sandpoint Follies variety show to the Italian Golf Scramble to a Sandpoint-style fashion show to a high tea complete with colorful hats and English cookies. Of course, they still have dances as well.

Whatever they do, they do it with style and grace, love, and most importantly, they do it with plenty of laughter.

–Desiree Aguirre See: www.AngelsOverSandpoint.org

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Call or stop by for a free consultation and let us help you find a health plan that’s right for you and your family.

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(208) 263-2708 1009 W. Superior Street Sandpoint, ID S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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First in Fashion

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Blog Post Completes the Picture of a family’s homesteading roots

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o her former roller derby team, Jasmine Reed is Eve L. Apple, while to elementary kids in her two Coeur d’Alene school district art rooms, she’s Ms. Reed.

She’s also the great-great-granddaughter of Robert Blackwell Nelson and Agusta Wilhelmina Magnusson, who homesteaded 160 acres south of where Trout Creek joins the Pack River. And she is the greatgrandaughter of Bell Emeline Nelson, born in 1899.

Although Reed remembers her great-grandmother, it took years of sleuthing by several cousins and a 2016 blog post by a local historian to paint a more complete picture of Bell’s life. One of Reed’s Portland, Oregon cousins spotted Nancy Foster Renk’s “Tales from a Lonely Cabin” online, which speculated about the remains of an old cabin on what turned out to be the Nelson’s homestead.

This summer, several Nelson descendants, including Reed, reunited in North Idaho to revisit the family’s past. They journeyed to the old cabin Robert Nelson built upon emigrating from Nova Scotia. They visited the Hope gravesite where Agusta Nelson was buried in 1904, only weeks after giving birth to her sixth and final child.

Seeing the cabin and sharing stories with family only deepened Reed’s admiration for her great-grandmother.

“Her life was just work, work, work and hardship,” said Reed.

Bell married Archibald “Archie” Reed and they had Albert, Jasmine Reed’s grandfather. Archie died in 1943, when Bell was 44, so she moved to the Silver Valley to work in the mines. When that job ended, she worked for the railroad, never remarrying. In 1992, at 93 years of age, Bell was laid to rest in Hope.

Although Reed doesn’t have kids—unless you count several hundred Winton Elementary and Atlas Elementary Above: Great-grandmother Bell students—she identifies with Bell’s resolve. Like her greatEmeline Nelson. Below, cousins grandmother, she even worked in the mines as a young adult.

Casey and Jasmine Reed.

After earning her degree in social work from Casper PHOTOS COURTESY NELSON/REED FAMILIES

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PHOTOGRAPHER NANCY RENK

Nelson descendants reunite at the family’s Idaho homestead in the summer of 2017.

College in Wyoming, Reed traveled the Northwest, eventually settling in North Idaho where her father, James, grew up and where she’d spent many summers.

Armed with a teaching degree, Reed persevered four years on the meager pay of a substitute teacher before landing one of the few available elementary art teaching jobs.

“My goal is to help create self esteem in kids,” said Reed, who loves that she is involved in her students’ lives throughout their six elementary years.

Reed supplements her teaching income with summer jobs, including teaching pottery for Emerge, a contemporary artspace in Coeur d’Alene.

And four years ago, Reed tried flat track roller derby, joining Coeur d’Alene’s Snakepit Derby Dames. Although Reed has taken a break from skating—she recently completed her master’s in psychology—she hopes to go back once things settle down. Right now, she said, she feels like she spends a lot of time working.

It’s something her grandmother could relate to, she thinks. “She’d like that I was so independent.”

- Carrie Scozzaro See Renk’s blog: www.NorthIdahoPastPresent.com

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When Opera’s in Your Heart A multitude of opportunities for locals to go classical

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arin Wedemeyer, executive director of the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, cannot help but ask, ”Do you have opera in your heart?” with a slight smile and a twinkle in her eye. She, like everyone at the conservatory, is in love with music.

Sandpoint has always had music as part of its heritage, from church choirs, school concerts and theatrical presentations to events such as square dances and impromptu jam sessions, not to mention the renowned Festival at Sandpoint. But for many, the experience can become far deeper and richer.

The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint is a wonderful place to start. A nonprofit, accredited school, it offers private instrumental lessons as well as group lessons in theater, jazz and more.

But if singing opera is truly in your

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heart, the Pend Oreille Chorale and Music Orchestra, founded by Mark and Caren Reiner, offers volunteers the chance to participate in classical music performances. For 30 years the Chorale has offered twice-yearly concerts, in the spring and again at Christmas. You don’t have to be a professional to join; in fact, “a third to a half of our performers can’t even read music,” Mark said.

They rehearse on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Fellowship Hall on Pine. Drop-ins are welcome.

And opera? “We’re not there yet,” said Mark, but he does have most of an opera written for when performers are ready.

– Kathy Osborne See: www.SandpointConservatory.org Call: Pend Oreille Chorale at 208-290-2644

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Making a Good First Impression Bonner General’s maternity ward makeover

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or a newborn baby, first impressions are everything. Staff at Bonner General Health say they are proud to offer caring and quality care for expecting mothers, and now, beautiful facilities to make the perfect first impression for prospective families, as well as the babies they deliver.

Thanks to the BGH Foundation’s 2017 Heart Ball, the maternity ward is getting a serious makeover.

“We thought [the ward] was a little outdated, and our facilities weren’t really reflecting the outstanding care that we’re giving here,” said chief nurse Misty Robertson.

After the renovation, the ward’s ‘80s-esque wallpaper will be a thing of the past. The plan features new flooring and paint with an updated, calming color scheme, including flourescent light covers that mimic the sky. Also new are the waiting room, nurse station, labor rooms, and

postpartum unit, where moms and babies recover after birth.

Robertson speculated the last time the obstetrics unit saw a renovation of its physical space was in the 1980s.

“I’m really proud to be able to say this is what we have to offer, and our facilities are as cozy as our care,” said OB nurse manager JoAnn Filce.

Dr. Kristin Algoe added, “As an obstetrics provider I am thrilled that the Foundation chose to provide funds to renovate our labor and delivery unit. I feel that our amazing group of skilled and compassionate doctors, nurses and support staff work diligently to provide our pregnant patients and their families with extremely high quality, natural and safe birthing experiences.

Now the aesthetics of our unit can better reflect this level of care and improve the overall experience for the families in our community.”

Registered nurse Jacci Humble and obstetrics nurse Deniya Bankson enjoy the new nursing station in Bonner General’s maternity ward.

Construction is expected to be completed by spring of 2018.

“I’m so grateful that the Foundation board saw the need,” Filce said. “It just tells me that the community cares about the hospital, and we would like to share that same caring with the community.”

– McCalee Cain See: www.BonnerGeneral.org

LOVE TO SMILE

phone 208.265.4558 fax 208.263.5721 2025 West Pine Street | Sandpoint, ID www.SandpointDentists.com

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BIZARRE BAZAAR UPSCALE RESALE SHOP

ares • art • furnitur • Jewelry • housew

e...

Operated by friendly volunteers from Community Assistance League, customers find high quality at great prices. All proceeds are returned to the community in grants and scholarships.

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all Quality clothing For

GoFundMe Effort to Save Native Voices

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Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Saturday

502 Church St. Sandpoint, ID 83864 • 208.263.3400 www.calsandpoint.org

Untitled-4 1

daho Mythweaver is an Idaho 501(c)(3) that, under the direction of Jane Fritz, spent 28 years preserving the oral histories of local Native American elders.

Existing recordings were made between 1989 and 2003, and include histories made by local Nez Perce tribal members. These include memories of the Nez Perce War of 1877—first-hand recollections that are now 140 years old.

The recordings were made on cassette tapes, now 18 years past their stated

“shelf” life, and are in danger of being forever lost.

Preservation efforts include the digitization and transcription of these files.

Those interested in supporting efforts to preserve these unique memories can donate to the project on its GoFundMe page, or directly to Idaho Mythweaver at P.O. Box 2418 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864.

– Trish Gannon See: http://bit.ly/2xNmEp4

1877 photo, above, shows the Nez Perce group known as “Chief Joseph’s Band,” in Lapwai, Idaho.

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Bonner County is All-In for Recycling After struggling to develop a true recycling program for years, Bonner County is piloting a single-stream recycling effort, currently only available at the Dufort Transfer Station, located off Highway 95 South in Sagle, off Dufort Road.

PLASTIC

Clean bottles, jars, jugs and tubs with no caps or lids.

Free Estimates ISA Certified Master Arborist 208.610.4858 \\ 208.267.5740 www.skywalkertreecare.com 26

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Clean bottles and jars, no caps or lids but labels are okay.

GLASS

METAL/FOIL

Rinsed and emptied aluminum, tin and steel food and beverage cans and empty, nonhazardous aerosol cans. Labels are okay.

Flattened cardboard, office paper, magazines, newspapers, paperback books, catalogs, mail and paper bags. No large cardboard boxes.

PAPER/CARDBOARD

Items do not need to be sorted. Recyclables are shipped to a sorting station in Spokane.

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Jerry Kramer, Hall of Famer... at Long Last?

H

e’s certainly among the most illustrious athletes to ever come out of Sandpoint High School.

Jerry Kramer, SHS Class of 1954, starred on the local gridiron under coach Cotton Barlow before playing at the University of Idaho and then as right guard for the Green Bay Packers with legendary coach Vince Lombardi.

With Kramer blocking on offense—and on many occasions as place kicker, racking up 177 career points—the Packers won five NFL titles in the pre-Super Bowl era, and the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and ‘68. Kramer was voted All-Pro five times, named to the 1960s All-Decade team, and was a member of the NFL’s 50th anniversary team in 1969.

Yet one honor has eluded him: election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s been nominated—and then passed over—10 times, most recently in 1997. He’s been passed over more times than any other player and is rated number one by the NFL Network among players not in the Hall of Fame.

That could finally change. Last August, Kramer was named a seniors’ finalist yet again, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018. The Hall’s selection committee will meet on Feb. 3, 2018 to decide which of this year’s 18 finalists will be inducted.

Kramer, who now lives in Boise, will celebrate his 82nd birthday on Jan. 23. Maybe this year he’ll get the gift that many think is belated by a decade... or few.

– Chris Bessler

Men’s & Women’s Clothing & Footwear for the Northwest lifestyle since 1986.

301 N. 1st Ave . Sandpoint (208)263.3622

FREE ADMISSION

Winter Hours Summer Hours

Jerry Kramer presents a golden football commemorating the NFL’s 50th Super Bowl in a 2015 ceremony at Memorial Field to athletic director Kris Knowles, with linebacker Paul Sundquist applauding.

325 Bird Ranch Road • Sagle, Idaho 83860 (208) 255-4321 • www.birdaviationmuseum.com WINTER 2018

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Call for availability Monday through Saturday, from 9 am to 4 pm

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Grand Old Lady is Full of Secrets

9 facts for the Panida Theater’s 90th birthday

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Sandpoint businesses were excited to have the luxurious new theater open downtown in November 1927. The City Bakery even marketed “Panida fruitcake” to its Christmas customers.

3

Floyd Gray was the theater manager in 1945. His alter ego was the folksy Farmer Gray, who hosted a periodic talent show known as the “Country Store,” where he gave away bags of groceries. He was later elected Sandpoint’s mayor.

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Built by Frank Clarence Weskil in 1927 at a cost of $70,000, the Panida was the first structure in town to be wholly built of reinforced concrete. It was designed by Edward A. Miller, a Portland architect, in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with art deco touches inside, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

4

The upstairs had two apartments where the theater offices are today. One apartment had a window into the theater so that occupants could watch the movies from the comfort of their bedroom.

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Falling apart and rarely used, the theater was purchased by a community nonprofit in 1985, organized by the “Panida Moms:” Laurel Wagers, Susan Bates Harbuck and Jane Evans.

Community members—including Idaho’s then-governor John V. Evans— purchased commemorative sidewalk bricks and interior tiles to help raise the $40,000 down payment. The money was raised in less than 90 days.

5

A plasterer hired to make repairs was surprised to learn he was also expected to repaint the wall once repairs were done. He tried, but gave up when he got to the peacock. The result, which theater managers liken to a “barfing chicken,” can be found on the left-hand interior wall, near the stage.

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The $200,000 mortgage obtained to purchase the theater was paid off in 1995—in just ten years, thanks to community fundraising—with a mortgage burning ceremony at Holly Eve. Holly Eve, an annual high-fashion extravaganza, was established and organized by Marilyn Sabella and her sister, Susan Dalby, and served as a major fundraiser for the theater.

Well-known actor Viggo Mortensen auditioned for and got a part in a production of “Death of a Salesman” at the Panida in 1987. He never performed there, however, as he gave up the role in order to perform in the Sean Penn film “The Indian Runner.”

He often returns to the Panida to show his support and to benefit a variety of local charities.

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Three decades and some change after becoming a community theater, the Panida now offers events 52 weeks a year, including films, local and national live theater productions, music performances, community presentations, dance recitals, classical touring groups, community fundraisers, business development training sessions, comedy shows and much, much more. For an old gal, the Panida stays mighty busy.

See: www.Panida. org

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Always Something New Always Something Different Over 20 years in Downtown Sandpoint 308 N. First Avenue

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Furniture – Gallery Over 100 Artisans of the Area Custom Available

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C A L E N DA R

C al e n da r NOVEMBER

4 Sandpoint Film Festival. Regional, national films screen at the Panida Theater during all-day event. www.SandpointFilm Festival.com.

See complete, up-to-the-minute calendars at www.SandpointOnline.com

HOT PICKS

4 A Night to Remember. Community Cancer Services fundraiser at the Bonner County Fairgrounds includes wine tasting, dinner, live and silent auctions, and more. www.CommunityCancerServices.com.

9 Andy Hackbarth. Award-winning classical/Spanish/fingerstyle guitar virtuoso performs in the Panida Theater. www.

Panida.org.

10 Annual Harvest Dinner. Hope’s Memorial Community Center hosts traditional turkey meal with trimmings. www.

MemorialCommunityCenter.com.

11 SARS Ski Swap. Shop for ski and boarding deals at annual event in the Bonner County Fairgrounds. https://sars. snowportal.com 17-18 Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau. See POAC calendar.

18 Empty Bowl Fundraiser. Bonner Community Food Bank benefit featuring soup, games, live entertainment and more in Columbia Bank. www.foodbank83864.com 18 Panida 90th Birthday Celebration. Party honors our historic Panida Theater. See details at www.Panida.org.

Popular fishing derby makes changes

The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club’s Annual K&K Fall Fishing Derby, held Nov. 18-22 and Nov. 24-26, remains a huge attraction for regional anglers, but there’s always room for improvement, right? This year, there are a few changes in the derby rules in hopes of protecting and enhancing the rainbow trout population in Lake Pend Oreille. Anglers are now allowed only one weigh-in during the derby, and the fish must measure 31 inches or larger in both adult and junior divisions. With more than $10,000 in cash and prizes, this is a derby worth catching! www.LPOIC.org

Score an A+ on ski demo day

Skiers, if you’re ready to test out new equipment, or just want to play in the snow on the latest and greatest gear, don’t miss the MEGA Demo Day happening March 3, 2018 at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. All day long, from 8 a.m. ‘til 4 p.m., choose from 400 pairs of new 2018/2019 gear from more than 13 manufacturers. This is the largest demo day in the region, and the best part is that all proceeds benefit Panhandle Alliance for Education as part of Public Education Week.

There will also be prize drawings, samples and more. Stay tuned for ticket info at www.

Schweitzer.com.

18-19 Christmas Fair. Bonner County Fairgrounds hosts two-day festive shopping event at the Bonner County Fairgrounds; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. www.

BonnerCountyFair.com.

18-22, 24-26 LPOIC Fall Derby. See Hot Picks.

19 Fall Serenade Concert. Music Conservatory of Sandpoint’s annual concert and dessert auction in the Heartwood Center. www.SandpointConservatory.org.

25 Shook Twins and Friends: Giving Thanks. Panida Theater hosts holiday concert featuring Sandpoint natives The Shook Twins. www.Panida.org.

30-Dec. 2 Festival of Trees. Three days of festivities at the Bonner County Fairgrounds benefit Kinderhaven–Family Night on Thursday, Holiday Luncheon Friday, and Grand Gala Saturday. www.

KindenhavenSandpoint.com.

DECEMBER 1 Backcountry Film Festival. 13th annual Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education celebration at the Panida features awardwinning films, auctions, raffles and fun. https://SoleExperiences.org

‘Death of a Small Town’ hits stage

Hold onto your seats: the Panida Theater is about to get a little weird! Ben Olson’s original play “Death of a Small Town in the West” hits the main stage for two weekend runs on Jan. 26-27 and Feb. 2-3, 2018. When Sandpoint is destroyed and rebuilt by greedy developers intent on making it into a theme park for the rich, a local group of troublemakers take action into their own hands.

Directed by Madeline Elliott and produced by the Unknown Locals, “Death” will make you laugh, cry, think, scream and shout all at the same time. Curtain call will be 7:30 p.m. all nights, with doors opening at 7 p.m. $10/ advance, $12/door. www.Panida.org.

3 Global Fat Bike Day +1. Greasy Fingers Bikes N Repair and Schweitzer Mountain Resort host demos, rides on short course,

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Retro classic is local fave

Hundreds of poodle skirts and leather jackets will be pulled from the back of the closet when the 33rd annual Lost in the ‘50s celebration rolls into town May 17-20, 2018.

It’s Sandpoint’s biggest party of the year, and promises non-stop fun all weekend long including a Thursday night rock ‘n’ roll concert, Friday night downtown car parade and street dance, two show and dance events featuring a who’s-who list of performers from the ‘50s era of rock ‘n’ roll, plus a downtown car display. Don’t miss this doo-whop of a good time! www.Sandpoint.org/Lostin50s or visit Lost50s@Facebook

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POAC Performance Series

more, at Schweitzer Roundabout across from fire station. www.GreasyFingersBikes.com 3 The Nutcracker. See POAC calendar.

9 Thrillusionist David DaVinci. World-class illusionist performs in the Panida Theater. www.Panida.org.

12 Hansel & Gretel. Join the Sandpoint Music Conservatory for a holiday show featuring children from the Music Matters! outreach program; 5 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 526 S. Olive. www.

SandpointConservatory.org.

16-17 Carousel of Smiles presents “The Unveiling” at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

Sat. 1-6 p.m. with curtain draw at 2 p.m.

Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both days browse exhibits and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies. www.theCarouselofSmiles.org 23-24 Santa Skis. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on the slopes visiting and delivering treats; they host a parade for all the kids Christmas Eve before hearing last-minute wishes in the Selkirk Lodge. www.Schweitzer.com.

31 New Year’s Eve Parties at Schweitzer.

Parties for all ages at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. www.Schweitzer.com.

31 Hive New Year’s Eve Ball. Dance the night away at The Hive with Orgone. A portion of proceeds benefit Angels Over Sandpoint. www.LiveFromTheHive.com.

World-class entertainment arrives in Sandpoint with the 34th season of the Pend Oreille Arts Council Performance Series. Tickets are available in the POAC office, 302 N. First Ave., or online at www.ArtinSandpoint.org. Other ticket outlets include Eve’s Leaves, Eichardt’s, and Winter Ridge Natural Foods. Performances are ADA accessible; doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance (doors open one hour prior for Nutcracker). 208-263-6139 Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau Montreal Guitare Trio - 7:30 p.m., Feb.

7 p.m., Nov. 17-18 in the Heartwood Center.

POAC partners with Unknown Locals Productions to present “Walden” by Michael Johnathon. Charmingly funny and sincerely serious, the performance features local actors, as well as student set and costume designers.

Eugene Ballet’s Nutcracker - 7 p.m., Dec.

31 Panida New Year’s Eve Celebration. Ring in the new year at the historic Panida. www.

Panida.org.

JANUARY 2018 5-26 Independence Racing Team Junior Starlight Series. Friday nights in January on NASTAR course, sponsored by the Independence Race League. www.

IndependenceRacing.com 13-15 MLK Weekend at Schweitzer. Special activities all weekend, including Northern Lights at Schweitzer featuring fireworks and torchlight parade, followed by a party with live music in Taps on Saturday, plus Sunday night skiing. www.Schweitzer.com.

18-20 Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Mountain films screen at the Panida Theater over three nights; benefits the Satipo Kids Project and NIMSEF. www.Panida.org.

26-27 Death of a Small Town in the West.

See Hot Picks.

26 Living Voices’ Klondike: The Last Adventure. See POAC calendar.

ballet.

3 in the Panida.

It’s a time-honored community tradition and a kick-off to the holiday season when local ballet students join Eugene Ballet Company’s professional dancers onstage in Tchaikovsky’s classic

Living Voices’ Klondike: The Last Adventure - 7 p.m., Jan. 26 in the

Heartwood Center. A live storytelling performance based on real events tells of Eliza’s perilous journey to the Yukon.

Her resilience and motivations are repeatedly tested in “the last great adventure” of 1897.

galore and family fun during this annual winter celebration. View a full schedule of activities at www.SandpointWinterCarnival. com.

27 4th Annual Fatty Flurry Fest.

Sandpoint’s own “Fat Bike” Festival at Round Lake State Park, sponsored by Greasy Fingers Bikes N Repair. www.GreasyFingersBikes.com

17-19 Presidents Weekend Celebration.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort hosts special activities on the mountain including Sunday night skiing, and a Let It Glow! night parade and fireworks show. www.Schweitzer.com.

FEBRUARY 2018

24 International String Trio. Unique concert at the Panida Theater. www.Panida.org.

2-23 Starlight Racing. Four weeks of evening racing at Schweitzer, followed by fabulous parties in Taps. www.Schweitzer.com.

2-3 Death of a Small Town in the West. See Hot Picks.

11 Montreal Guitare Trio. See POAC calendar.

MARCH 2018 2-3 The Follies. Annual wild ‘n’ crazy fundraiser at the Panida Theater benefits Angels Over Sandpoint. Tickets go on sale Groundhog Day. www.AngelsOverSandpoint.com

11, in the Panida. The virtuosic classical guitar trio of Marc Morin, Glenn Levésque, and Sébastien Dufour pay tribute to the great composers of Spanish music in their Danzas concert.

Celebration of Community: Wellspring - 7:30

p.m., March 23 in the Heartwood Center. A Pend Oreille Arts Council first, showcasing some of the best underexposed local musical talent.

POAC will toast the hardworking performing artists with a reception preceding the performance.

Missoula Children’s Theatre’s “Aladdin” - 2 p.m.

and 6 p.m., April 28 at the Panida.

More than 50 local students join two teaching artists for a creative retelling of Aladdin.

Songs, dance routines and spoken lines are all learned in a week. Fun for the entire family!

3 Mega Alpine and Snowboard Demo Day. See Hot Picks.

23 Celebration of Community: Wellspring.

See POAC calendar.

APRIL 2018 7-8 Schpring Finale and Rotary Duck Derby.

Celebrate closing weekend at Schweitzer Mountain Resort with fun events and great music! www.Schweitzer.com.

28 Missoula Children’s Theatre’s “Aladdin.”

See POAC calendar.

MAY 2018 17-20 Lost in the ‘50s. See Hot Picks.

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Schweitzer Office In the Lazier Building Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208) 263-0427 Fax (208) 265-5192 Toll Free (800) 205-8771

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10/25/17 8:39 AM

HECLA MINING COMPANY ISN’T THE ONLY NEW THREAT FACING OUR LAKE.

L

ike the current administration or not, the truth is it’s working with congress to dismantle many EPA programs. And that could have a devastating impact on Lake Pend Oreille by allowing more pollution and gutting long-standing regulations to protect water quality and human health.

But that’s not all. Simultaneously, the mining industry is trying to pass new legislation that would all but eliminate public input in the mine permitting process. Which would take away every community’s right to self-determination. Including Sandpoint’s.

Who the heck is Hecla?

This is the fourth company trying to build a monster mine underneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, just 25 miles upriver from Lake Pend Oreille.

Like all the others, Hecla claims it can be done without polluting the Clark Fork River or our lake. They said much the same thing about their Green Creeks Mine in Alaska.

Except now that mine is creating acid drainage, and mercury, arsenic, & lead are showing up in local marine animals near the mine.

Look, mining companies are driven by one goal: profits. Can’t blame them, it’s a business. But we can blame them for obscuring the truth in pursuit of those profits.

What to do?

If you agree our lake is essential to our town, recreation and economy, you can help.

It’s not too late!

Visit our website. You’ll find a link to a petition that needs your name added to it. You’ll also find how simple it is to join our alliance.

Members multiply our muscle.

Most important, email or call Leanne Marten, Regional Forester at lmarten@fs.fed.us or (406) 329-3315. Urge her to deny the final permit for this ill-conceived mine.

In the end, this is not a national political issue, it’s a local and very personal one.

rock creek alliance

rockcreekalliance.org | (208) 610-4896

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SANDPOINT’S NEWEST OLYMPIAN

Nordic ski racer Rebecca Dussault

Dussault at the 2006 Winter Olympics. PHOTOGRAPHER NATHAN BLOW

S

andpoint’s newest Olympian, Nordic ski racer Rebecca Dussault, is busy. She runs retreats at a dude ranch in Wyoming, trains local kids in the Sandpoint Nordic Club youth league summer and winter programs, runs two businesses, and is looking for a small farm to settle down on and call home. Additionally, she’s raising and home-schooling five kids.

Dussault is always on the move.

A member of the 2006 Olympic U.S. Nordic Ski Team in Torino, Italy, Dussault has compiled quite an athletic resumé. She holds 15 national cross-country skiing titles. She won North America’s largest cross-country ski marathon, the 52k American Birkebeiner, twice. She is also the first non-European to win the Winter Triathlon World Championship, a snow sport that combines running, biking and skiing. Besides winter sports, Dussault also competes in road racing and mountain biking, trail running and adventure racing. She is rightly called the “multi-sport momma.”

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by Rick Price

Dussault, a fourth-generation Coloradan, and her family— husband Sharbel, who runs Global Shelters, a portable structure business, and five children (four boys, one girl)—moved here from Gunnison, Colorado just in time for 2017’s heavy snow. They look forward to raising their family in Sandpoint.

Q. With all your training and traveling, how did you end up in Sandpoint?

A. My husband and I have been looking for a place for a long time with four season amenities. We wanted to be able to farm fertile land and yet ski. We have crisscrossed the country looking for such a place. My husband jokes that we have drawn a cross on the country. [As Catholics], that was symbolic to us. This town is similar to Gunnison in a lot of ways. It’s a few thousand more people.

It’s a safe town. It’s a biking town. It has a quaint, healthy downtown with full storefronts that hasn’t been taken over by box stores.

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We love what this place offers, especially as a family of athletes. We are looking for a farm where we can live as self-sustainably as possible. We’re still trying to find a property that speaks to us.

Q. What is your skiing background?

DUSSAULT FAMILY PHOTO

A. My father was a ski patroller, a daredevil, and a very skilled skier.

He wanted to give that gift to us from a young age. I started alpine skiing around age 4. My parents split when I was 9 and my mom was putting us in sports whenever she could, as she was working two jobs and putting herself through college to keep us afloat.

She had us in every sport. On a typical summer day I went to swim team, then softball, jumped on the trampoline and then it was off to competitive gymnastics, more trampoline, and back to swim. I always competed, which I loved, giving me balance, coordination and strength. It was such a great base. Also, there was mentorship through the coaches and good positive role models, which I really needed at that time in life. I just threw myself headlong into sports as an answer to issues at home with my parents divorcing.

My mom stumbled across a cross-country ski program. She sewed the suits, drove the van, did the coaching and waxed the skis the whole winter, all for $60. At that price, we definitely skied in that program!

The Dussault kids (left to right) Tabor, Simeon, Anselm, Emiliana and Remi.

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They jump out of trees, sail their bikes over ramps, and slide down staircases. They’re just being kids. But you’re the parent and when it comes to their health you want the best care possible.

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www.kaniksuhealthservices.org Working together for the next generation of healthy kids.

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INTERVIEW

Q. You represented our country in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Do you have any special memories?

A. There is nothing as special as the Olympics. At the opening ceremonies my mother, husband and son had tickets to sit somewhere as faces in the crowd in that great stadium boasting tens of thousands of seats. As the USA team came through the tunnel to enter the stadium amid loud roaring shouts and claps, my family peeked their heads over the edge into the tunnel about 15 feet just above me! Of all the seats they could have gotten they were right at the entrance. We shouted back and forth and let some joyful tears flow before I made my entrance onto the main stage with the whole USA Olympic Team.

It was an exhilarating moment and one I will never forget.

Q. You describe yourself as a fitness trainer, wellness coach and motivational speaker. How much of this do you do in the Sandpoint community?

PHOTOGRAPHER NATHAN BLOW

A. I offer private training and group training. What interests me is integrating the entire athlete. We’re not just a body, so I typically train athletes in faith and fitness, food, and family. I help people find the balance, how to be fit and how to care for not only the body, but the soul, too.

Social goals are part of this as well, not just caring about ourself, but realizing you are a part of something bigger than yourself as an athlete. I have plans to introduce a new masters training Rebecca and Sharbel Dussault.

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group for the athletes over 30 in the greater Sandpoint area.

I’ve been asked to go all over the U.S. to speak to teenagers, moms and businessmen. I talk to young athletes about how to be true to themselves, to keep the proper perspective as they aim for the top and to be healthy competitors. Dealing with all the dynamics we have as athletes is important because not every day is a top-of-the-

podium kind of day. My racing background has shown me that racing is a school of moral excellence. Sport teaches so much about how to be excellent in other areas of life. The lessons of singular focus, determination and rigor carry through.

Q. Tell us about the Sandpoint Nordic Club.

A. What is going on here is special. I come

from a place with more funding and a deeper winter, but not necessarily with people as excited about it and not necessarily the results to show for it. I’ve been working with the competition team, which is where I really like getting involved because I can use my coaching. We have some great athletes.

And then the kids’ rec program is fun too. A day on skis for me is not a day at work.

I love how accessible and good the University of Idaho property on Boyer is.

Alpine skiing can be cost prohibitive, but the Sandpoint Nordic Club has made this sport so affordable. It’s unbelievable, really. I mean, why wouldn’t you get your kid involved? And there is quality equipment available. This was exactly my start into the sport. It was economical, there was quality, and it was healthy.

We have that here. Maybe we also have the next Olympian right here.

Nordic has prepared me for just about any sport I want to do in life. It creates a strong upper body, and you become coordinated and fit as a fiddle. It’s so gentle on the body. It makes your alpine skiing better. It makes you do everything better.

With the groomed trails in town Nordic skiing is a lunchtime sport, too. You can jump out to the U of I property on Boyer and rip out a 45-minute workout at lunch or after work. It’s Sandpoint’s answer to winter fitness during the week.

Q. What other kinds of races or events would you like to see around here?

A. Oh man, this valley has got to get racing!

Kids are so competitive naturally. Last year we had an uphill race at Schweitzer. The kids were hungry to compete and they did awesome. We should be able to host some races at Boyer. Some sprints and relays there would be fun.

We could have a summer adventure race here. Orienteering, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, rappelling. We need more racing. Sandpoint should have stuff like that. I would love to work with the local community to get more racing happening.

Q. One of your ambitions is “to live heroic virtue and become a saint.”

That’s big stuff. How are you doing?

Any miracles yet?

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A. I struggle with that every day, but my faith informs me that it’s possible through God working in me. We look to heroes. We look to people who give their life for another. I want to be a saint because that would be fulfilling my greatest calling. That would be true to the real competition we’re in. That would be a legacy worth leaving way beyond that of being an Olympian.

In my own life there have been miracles for sure. We lost a child shortly after birth two years ago. It was such a severe mercy. The miracle is that God is faithful and I felt walked with the whole way through and a certain “peace the world cannot give.” Sometimes I have lived in a bubble of sorts, trying to be that perfect, smart, fast, pretty person in this life. Stripping all that off, what do I have left (makes the noise of a bubble bursting), but a challenge to know God and make him known? He trusts me to guide and help other people and he has handed me a few lessons lately, asking me to feel this or that out and see if I can turn to help others gracefully.

seems like a pretty big milestone. How did it feel to you?

A. I started with a fast pace, and I didn’t see Tabor and I didn’t see Tabor. At about twoand-a-half kilometers I heard this familiar stride behind me, and sure enough he pulls around me to the right and just kind of smiles at me and takes off. I watched his back for the next seven-and-a-half kilometers and I could not answer. It was so

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joyous to realize he finally bested me. He was proud of himself, but for me it was a triumph.

Q. Anything else you’d like to say?

A. A day on skis is a great day!

See: www.RebeccaDussault.com www.FitCatholicMom.com www.SandpointNordic.com

Q. Your son, Tabor, beat you in our region’s biggest ski race, Mount Spokane’s Langlauf, last season. That

DUSSAULT FAMILY PHOTO

Simeon and Rebecca at the Junior National Qualifier last year at Winthrop, Washington.

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COM A LMMUANNI T AY C

Tackling the Challenge LOR Foundation provides resources to improve community

By

by Mary Terra-Berns

PHOTOGRAPHER SCOTT RULANDER

L

OR is an innovative philanthropic foundation that works with rural communities in the Intermountain West—including Sandpoint—to enhance livability and quality of life. Established by Amy Wyss and Ed Jaramillo in 2007, their vision continues to emphasize community-driven efforts that preserve and enhance local characteristics and shape public access in the surrounding landscape. They endeavor to be a regional resource that facilitates solutions to challenges in communities faced with growth, a changing economy and demographic shifts. LOR, headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, believes that success is built on collaboration.

LOR stands for Livability, Opportunity, and Responsibility.

LOR has been active in the area since 2012 and recently established an office in Sandpoint with the hiring of Jeremy Grimm. If his name is familiar, it’s probably because he was the Sandpoint planning and community development director for eight years (2007-’15) and, most recently, the director of public relations and communications at Kochava. Jeremy understands the pulse of Sandpoint, Ponderay and the surrounding area. “At LOR, we recognize that rural places play a critically important part in the health of America. Faced with unique challenges, we believe that small, rural communities ought to have the resources, tools and support they need to create thriving, beautiful places to live, and that a philanthropic force can be a catalyst for self-determined, Photo, top: Pine Street Woods. community-led solutions to problems Right, above: LOR participated that mutually support social, economic in Ponderay Day, which raised and environmental wellbeing.” awareness of local access to the LOR focuses on individual and comPend d’Oreille Bay Trail. Right: Jeremy Grimm checks out the munity health by encouraging people to Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. get outside and enjoy nature. By protect

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COMMUNITY

LOR founders Ed Jaramillo and Amy Wyss

Men’s & Women’s Clothing & Footwear for the Northwest lifestyle since 1986.

301 N. 1st Ave . Sandpoint (208)263.3622

Sandpoint Super Drug would like to say,

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We appreciate your business over the years and many years to come.

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ing traditional access to amenities, including clean water, and connecting neighbors, they help maintain the qualities that have historically enriched and made small town life in the West so great.

This year LOR has provided grants to Pend Oreille Pedalers for trail work, the city of Ponderay for trail easements and development of pathways, the city of Sandpoint for Farmin’s Landing stormwater and waterfront design efforts, and to Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail for support of Ponderay Neighbor Day as well as investigating ways to connect Ponderay to the bay trail under the railroad tracks.

LOR has provided grant support for a wide variety of past projects including $600,000 for the acquisition of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, funds for the 14,000acre Clagstone Meadows conservation easement, and a substantial $600,000 Lead Grant (which helped secure further grants and donor contributions) to Kaniksu Land Trust to jump-start a fundraising campaign to acquire 160 acres (Pine Street Woods) for a community forest—just to name a few.

LOR is considering a number of other community-identified needs and projects and is always interested in helping facilitate community-driven solutions.

Grimm has no doubt “that as a community, with the resources and commitment LOR has made to the area, we can tackle many of our most challenging issues to ensure that the livability and quality of life offered here does not become a relic of the past.”

See: www.LORFoundation.org

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AH L IMS A TN OR AY C

WHY YOU’RE NOT READING

KOOTENAI MAGAZINE

by Cate Huisman

Sandpoint, Ida.

I

n the mid-1970s, Sandpoint High School students interviewed a number of long-time Bonner County residents for a history project, and their work reveals a surprising fact: The small town of Kootenai (pop. 678 at the most recent census), just northeast of Sandpoint, was once the bustling burg of the northern lake. Amy Miller, who lived in Kootenai as a child and served for many years as its postmaster, told the students that “At one time it was larger, contained more businesses and was more populated than the town of Sandpoint.”

Photo top: Downtown Kootenai circa 1917.

At left, the intersection of First and Pine in downtown Sandpoint, circa 1900-1902 PHOTOS COURTESY BONNER COUNTY HISTORY MUSEUM

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Nor is Miller’s testimony the only source for such a claim. The town’s website states that “By December 1908 Kootenai was emerging as the largest community in the area,” and the town’s “Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan” notes that “Kootenai incorporated as a village (in 1908) and at that time was thought to be larger than Sandpoint.”

Matt Schmitt, another early resident, recalled in an interview now on file at the Bonner County History Museum that “Kootenai used to be quite a thriving place. A freight division on the Northern Pacific, and a fair size sawmill … and we had a good size pole yard here too.”

Not quite “The Little City With the Big Future” that neighboring Ponderay claims to be, but at least, perhaps, the little city with the big past. But why did Sandpoint grow into the bigger city instead, when everything looked so promising in Kootenai in 1908?

Like many towns in this area, Kootenai started out as a timber town. Four brothers from Minnesota named Ellersick built a mill in 1899 on what is now Ponder Point. In 1903, after the untimely death of Henry Ellersick, it was bought by the Humbird Lumber Company, which also owned the large mill just down the lake in Sandpoint.

Humbird expanded and improved the Kootenai mill with, among other things, electric lights.

influx of eager residents. Lots and homes in the “new Kootenai,” north of what is now Highway 200, were on the market by the fall.

The few commercial buildings now in Kootenai bear no resemblance to the far more magnificent edifices that had sprouted up by 1910: two hotels (the Painter had hot and cold running water), a school, a bank, a butcher shop, and a couple of restaurants and saloons, as well as furniture, drug, and hardware stores. Over on the point, the Northern Pacific had put in a switching yard, roundhouse, and car shops.

The 1910 census listed 675 people living in Kootenai, while for the city of Sandpoint it counted only 590.

So an argument could be made that Kootenai was the larger town. But “A

Both towns had mills and stockyards, and both had railroad workers. Mud seems to have been a distinctive feature in both ...

But what set Kootenai abuzz in 1908 was news that the Northern Pacific Railroad was going to build a division point there. Humbird sold the railroad 14 acres of land on Ponder Point for its facilities, and formed the Kootenai Townsite Company to support the anticipated 44

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lot of our history is hype,” as local historian Nancy Renk says. To say that Kootenai was bigger than Sandpoint is a bit inaccurate, because census documents show Sandpoint also included parts of Humbird precinct (the mill town of Humbird employee houses was not considered part of

Kootenai could never quite compete with Sandpoint on the entertainment front.

Sandpoint proper) as well as four additional wards, for a total, in that census, of 2,995 people.

Kootenai certainly had its attractions and charms. Both towns had mills and stockyards, and both had railroad workers. Mud seems to have been a distinctive feature in both towns much of the year, and Kootenai built five miles of boardwalks to address this issue; if Sandpoint had such amenities, they are emphasized less in the historic record.

But while Kootenai residents could keep their shoes out of the mud and buy the necessities for their homes and businesses, it appears that Kootenai could never quite compete with Sandpoint on the entertainment front. Renk notes that Sandpoint had several theaters as well as the Rink Opera House, a multifunction facility that hosted everything from opera to roller skating.

Schmitt recalled, “We usually went down [to] Sandpoint at least once

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HISTORY

a week…to see a movie”—he doesn’t mention movies in Kootenai. Charlie Stidwell, of Farmin-Stidwell School fame, was a teacher in Kootenai for four years but then moved to Sandpoint, where he remained the rest of his days. He noted that Sandpoint had a creamery, pop and candy factories, a picture show where they “showed movies and slides at which you sang along,” and pool halls.

“You’d keep pretty busy here,” he is recorded as saying—when he lived in Sandpoint.

One thing the historical record does not emphasize is an accurate count of saloons, despite their apparent importance to the loggers and millworkers of a century ago.

Schmitt remembered just two saloons in the Kootenai of his youth, while Stidwell glosses over their number in Sandpoint by saying there were “a bunch.” In any event, it appears that Sandpoint had far more than two.

With only modest offerings as a center of culture and entertainment, Kootenai apparently never managed to be the hopedfor hub of railroad activity either. The car shop closed in 1914, and although it reopened in the 1920s, it lasted only another six years before closing again. Investment at the Kootenai sawmill ended no sooner than the new town had grown big enough to brag; Humbird shelved plans to upgrade it in 1910, and the company invested in the Sandpoint mill instead. The bank closed in 1917, and after the Painter Hotel burned in 1920, it was never rebuilt.

Still, activity continued until the mill shut down in 1930, by which time Humbird had removed all the easy timber from the area, and was ready to pack up and move on.

Population and economic activity fell in most of the timber towns of the West over the next several decades. Sandpoint hung on with a commercial fishery, a resurgence of the timber industry in World War II, and a growing tourism business. Kootenai became a very small town outside of Sandpoint.

But think of the future: The count of 678 souls in the latest census is the most Kootenai has boasted since recording the 675 in 1910. Now it’s home to a company making fireplace logs, it has 150 students in its elementary school, and there’s no line at its post office at the holidays. It may not be the boomtown Humbird envisioned, but perhaps its future will be bigger than its past.

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E DAUL CMAATNI OAN C

Uplifting Experience Aerospace program fuels kids’ dreams with hands-on learning

NIHS AEROSPACE PHOTO

by Carrie Scozzaro

COURTESY AMBER PHILLIPS

T

here’s an idea taking flight for young folks like Ron Korn, a Sandpoint High School senior initially leaning toward a career in automotive or information technology. He heard about the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program, based out of SHS yet open to many Bonner and Boundary kids as a way of fueling their interest in the aerospace industry, from development and design to production and operation. Korn signed on and, like the students currently in NIHSAP, is considering a career in aerospace.

“We’re not setting too many requirements,” said Barney Ballard, a former Air Force pilot best known for his years in the region’s restaurant industry. “We’re happy to try to feed their interests.” Ballard is in charge of NIHSAP’s Community Outreach & Career Guidance and serves on NIHSAP’s Board with his wife, Carol Ballard.

Top: Ken Larson pilots the plane on its maiden flight. Left: Student Carly Orr and program mentor Amber Phillips.

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Facing page: Students Daniel Spencer, Lilly Falconer and Josh Fitch clean a Taylorcraft wing after removing the fabric. At left: mentor Don McIntosh and Alex Liddiard.

NIHS AEROSPACE PHOTO

NIHSAP founder Ken Larson brought Ballard onboard shortly after forming the organization in 2014. “There currently is a huge worldwide shortage for pilots, mechanics, engineers and other careers in the aviation field,” said Larson. “Giving our students a means to explore those opportunities is our mission and we are succeeding.”

The program was initially based at Sandpoint’s Forrest M. Bird Charter School and included a dozen students taking a Survey of Aerospace Careers course and an Introduction to Aircraft Maintenance class. Granite Aviation stepped in to help interested students pursue flight training. SHS offered their former wood shop to the growing program, which incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2015.

NIHSAP focuses on learning-by-doing in conjunction with industry mentors—Sandpoint Airport, Quest Aircraft, Tamarack Aerospace Group, Aerocet Floats, Empire Airlines—in authentic industry settings. Students gain valuable hands-on experience they can parlay into additional schooling, a new career or a lifetime love of all things aerospace.

A key student project, for example, has been to disassemble, modify and rebuild a donated Zenith Zodiac CH601XL light sport kit plane. NIHSAP’s extracurricular ACES Club spent three years on the Zodiac, guided by Federal Aviation Administration-certified mechan-

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ics and experts from the Sandpoint chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

ACES is open to students in grades 8 through 12, including public, private, homeschool and non-traditional students.

Through the Zodiac project, participants learned about blueprints, engine systems, airplane construction, proper use of tools and necessary safety and inspection protocols. They also learned about quality and

teamwork, said Ballard. “Students develop a lot of maturity very quickly.”

Larson piloted the as-yet-unnamed Zodiac on its maiden flight, August 11, 2017. The plane must complete 40 hours of flight time before a passenger is allowed onboard.

“The students have created a fantastic airplane,” said Larson; “Well built, cool looking and a very good performer. I am proud

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of every single student whose fingerprints are on that plane.”

That’s high praise from the highlyaccomplished Larson, who has more than 8,000 hours in the air. In addition to a law degree, Larson has nearly five decades flying experience, including in the Air Force as a jet craft instructor and in private industry.

Larson also teaches two aerospace classes at SHS: Career Pathways in Aviation and Pilot Ground School, which is the precursor to passing the FAA’s exam for sport or private pilots. NIHSAP offers reduced price flight instruction at Sandpoint Airport and they help facilitate student internships and employment with local aerospace companies to offset training costs.

Community support continues to grow and help has come from both inside and outside the aerospace community. Winter Ridge, for example, donated money, as did the late Paul Rechnitzer, a World War II veteran who retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel and was the co-founder of the International Comanche Society, for fans of the Comanche airplane.

The NIHSAP team continues to look ahead, including continued fundraising and their next team project: a Taylorcraft restoration plane named Lola in need of an engine and fabric skin. They hope to add a section on “design, construction and programming of Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones)” so students aged 13 and above can pursue their small drone commercial pilot license, said Larson.

Larson notes that the success of the program is evident in past students like Anna Filce, a Rocky Mountain College senior studying Aviation Management who earned her private pilot license via NIHSAP. Filce was recently hired by Bonner County Director of Airports to work on some feasibility studies.

“We encourage all students to check out what we are doing and consider joining us for the fun of it as well as to examine possible rewarding careers,” said Larson.

See: www.HighSchoolAerospace.org

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PICTURED IN HISTORY

Cold Play Winter, the way it was

PHOTO COURTESY BONNER COUNTY HISTORY MUSEUM

by Jennifer Lamont Leo

A

fter a dry, crackling, smoky summer, North Idahoans typically welcome an early snowfall, eager to catch the first flakes.

Powderhounds head to the slopes. Others curl up fireside, glance out the window, and make appreciative noises about snow globes and Christmas cards.

And then comes February.

When your romance with snow goes sour, it helps to remember how much Bonner County children have worshiped the white stuff over the years.

One young snow enthusiast was Shirley Foster Fishel, whose parents operated J. A. Foster & Co., an apparel store which stood at the present site of Larson’s on Sandpoint’s First Avenue until 1939. Fishel recalled, “It was fun to lie down on my back in the snow and brush my arms and legs out to my sides, so when I got up it looked like a huge butterfly.”

Her favorite winter activity was sledding.

“The snow plows would push the snow into high piles in the middle of the street and those became our ‘fortresses’ or ‘mountains’ or slides for our sleds. About two blocks from my house [on South Fourth Street] was a giant hill, called Dearborn Hill, where all the

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kids went sledding after school. We must have climbed up and slid down the hill 50 times before it was time to go home for dinner. The air was cold, my cheeks would be red, and my clothes soaking wet.”

Another Dearborn Hill habitué was Jane Pier Evans, daughter of a partner in Sandpoint’s Cady & Pier Ford dealership. In the 1930s, long before Schweitzer ski resort opened, Evans used boards for skis and bindings were a home-made deal, she recalls. “[At Dearborn Hill] we just had regular boards for skis, but there was no such thing as bindings. So I would get some old inner tubes from the garage and cut those and make straps that went over your toe and heel to hold the skis on. Then you would build ski jumps and jump off of those. And then they built a little ski hill up Pine Street and built a little rope tow there.”

Evans skated as well. “The ice [on Pend Oreille] used to be so good, we could skate from Kootenai down to Dover. It would last for maybe a month at a time.”

Dentist Dr. John Page, who moved to Sandpoint in 1903 as a young child, also had fond memories of skating. “We skated on the lake whenever there was clear ice.

Screwed [the blades] to the claw shoes. One WINTER 2018

winter we went out in the middle of the lake and we could see the bottom of the lake through the ice.”

Even tooling around town could be fun, if you did it in a sleigh. Born in Italy in 1907, Louise Keyser came to Priest River as a young child. “In winter we never went to Spokane or Sandpoint or to heck and gone,” she recalled. “We had house parties. We would go from house to house, take the horses and sleds and cover up with spare blankets or whatever we could. We’d warm up some bricks on top of the stove and use them to keep our feet warm in the sleds.”

Fishel liked sleigh rides, too. “All of us sat on a bed of hay in a loud wagon with skilike runners instead of wheels. They made a nice whooshing, grinding, crisp kind of noise as we slid along icy streets.The sleigh was pulled by a horse wearing bells. We would sing songs, tell jokes and ghost stories and we laughed a lot. We were all bundled up ... and were very warm in the hay, snuggled up next to each other.”

So if you find yourself singing the winter blues, take a cue from yesterday’s kids and do winter the way it was: bundle up, strap on some skis or skates, and let your flakeflag fly.

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art among us

by Carrie Scozzaro

Y James Cherry’s handcrafted bread rack at Winter Ridge Natural Foods.

PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS

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ou may not know them personally, yet you’ve seen their work. The bread rack at Winter Ridge Foods. Jam jars at Hill’s Resort. The stained glass logo at Future Physique Pilates. A wall hanging at Pend d’Oreille Winery. Throughout Sandpoint—in homes, public spaces and businesses—area artisans have left their mark.

Ranging in age, experience and approach to making a living, the common thread is that they have made a life through their art.

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ART

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PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS

James Cherry was more or less born into woodworking. As a teenager in Providence, Rhode Island, he worked alongside his father restoring historic homes, which resonated with him. His early days in construction also gave him a point of reference, teaching him the foundations of a trade that would carry him anywhere, including to Sandpoint.

By 2002 he’d narrowed his focus from designing and building houses to just woodworking. “This is something I’ve always known and always took to,” said Cherry, who saw woodworking as more sustainable in old age.

Cherry works out of a 3,000 square foot space on Gooby Road, owned by Eva Barush, the wife of the late Barry Barush, whom he worked for and with at Barush Woodworking.

A roll-up door leads to the indoor work area where wood is stored

vertically and in stacks, often according to type, like the black and yellow locust wood Cherry used to create Winter Ridge’s unique bread rack.

“We’re blessed and cursed with space here,” says Cherry, pointing out the remnants of past jobs: thick slabs of the Division Street tree left over from being fashioned into tables for the former Coldwater Creek; some of the cache from the remodel of the Belwood building, which Cherry used to fashion wall siding and the bar.

“We also have a wood stove,” he quips.

Cherry still collects pieces of wood for personal projects, such as the pile of anteaten wood rails he envisions as a screen.

Commissions, however, and running the business—maintenance, cleaning, paperwork, client meetings—drive his calendar.

“I don’t look at this as something separate from my life.”

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ART

PHOTOGRAPHER NICOLE BLACK

PHOTOGRAPHER CARRIE SCOZZARO

Black, who co-founded Whiskey Jack Pottery with retired Sandpoint High School teacher and potter Dan Shook in 2011. She recently relocated the business to Cedar Street, which also marked a shift in her style. Using the pottery wheel in the window of her shop, Black throws all-white ware and covers it with intricate patterns of lines inspired by her other craft: henna tattooing.

Black continues to experiment with media—she’s been combining clay pieces

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PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS

with textiles to create mixed media wall hangings—including paint, which is her go-to for maintaining balance, she said.

W

Sara McTavish remembers her earliest intrigues with glass, first as a child in Minnesota when she discovered a papier mâché lion with alluring, green glass eyes.

In high school, she was guided by instructors who nudged her to University of Wisconsin, where another experience crys-

“I remember seeing a big box of colored glass scrap and thinking, ‘I could play with that forever.’”

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tallized McTavish’s love of glass.

“I remember seeing a big box of colored glass scrap, and thinking, ‘I could play with that forever,’” recalled McTavish, who owns Skeleton Key Art Glass.

McTavish got her start locally from Patricia Barkley at Panhandle Art Glass, whom she says she pestered for an opportunity; her “in” was a snowflake. McTavish eventually purchased a retail stake in the art shop, yet when retail shifted online, McTavish focused on rebuilding her studio practice.

Now McTavish makes her living out of a second floor studio with a view of Schweitzer Mountain. She teaches stained glass, makes jewelry she sells through such places as Syringa Salon, and devotes most days to commissions, like a recent multi-panel piece for Joan and Wolfgang Keller featuring a skier and bears amidst the mountains.

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PHOTOGRAPHER CARRIE SCOZZARO

ART

“I think that when most people think of stained glass, they think of church windows, which can be amazing, but not really ‘artistic.’ My purpose is to keep the craft of traditional leaded glass alive, while adding my own, contemporary touch to it.”

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It’s no secret Julie Meyer loves art, especially working with repurposed materials, yet she’s still somewhat unknown as a weaver to most of Sandpoint. Her photographs, drawings, and textiles decorate her Sandpoint-area home, and some of her weaving has even made it into Pend d’Oreille Winery, which she co-owns with

“For me [art is] a place I go to explore and not to have to obey any rules.” her husband, Steve, but most of her projects are still in progress.

“I don’t care anymore about making my name or getting to a place where I can sell my work,” says Meyer, who studied textiles at California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California. She recently completed a complex color block weaving on her loom after hand-dyeing more than a dozen different batches of fiber.

She has several projects going inside her studio, which is full of things that inspire her: a book on Japanese kimonos, a bound sheaf of grass, kids’ artwork, a mannequin with a scrap of Meyer’s woven wool. She’s into process, she says, and materials, but not necessarily making products.

“For me [art is] a place I go to explore and not to have to obey any rules.”

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Bonner General Health is a Critical Access Hospital with a network of outpatient clinics and services serving Sandpoint and the surrounding region.

We provide essential urgent, acute, and critical care, as well as many other healthcare services to meet the needs of our community. We are here for you and your family through all stages of life.

Some of the services we provide: • 3-D Mammography • 24-Hour Emergency Department • Anticoagulation Clinic • Bonner General Orthopedics • Diagnostic Imaging • Diabetes Education • Family Centered Maternity Unit • Home Health & Hospice Services

• Infusions & Procedures Clinic • Immediate Care Clinic • Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy • Psychiatry Clinic • Sandpoint Women’s Health • Surgical Services • Wound Care Unit For a comprehensive list of our services please visit BonnerGeneral.org 520 N. Third Avenue, Sandpoint, ID 208-263-1441

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NIGHTSKY

LOOK UP!

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NIGHTSKY

MANY OF US take for granted, or never even notice, the awesome sight above us at night. See that smudgy, cloudy-looking line of brightness in the sky? That’s the Milky Way, and even a little bit of light pollution can block it from sight. Luckily, North Idaho offers many dark places where the view of the Milky Way is clear. In winter’s long nights, the sky can be wonderful and mysterious to behold.

Moon

BLUE MOON Skywatchers can enjoy a blue moon (the second full moon in a month) on Jan. 31 and Mar. 31.

Meteors

LEONID METEOR SHOWER: The best viewing is after midnight Nov. 17, 2017.

URSID METEOR SHOWER: Peaks the night of Dec. 23, 2017.

LYRID METEOR SHOWER: Peak activity on Apr. 22–23, 2018. Best seen after nightfall or before dawn.

ETA-AQUARID METEOR SHOWER: Peaks on May 6, 2018. The best viewing is just before dawn.

Solstice/Equinox WINTER SOLSTICE, the longest night of the year, takes place Dec. 21, 2017. The SPRING EQUINOX—the official end of winter—occurs on Mar. 20, 2018.

Eclipse

TOTAL LUNAR eclipse on Jan. 31, 2018. Look for complete totality— when the moon is completely covered by the earth’s shadow—at 5:29:51 a.m.

Constellations

PHOTO BY COREY VOGEL

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IN FEBRUARY, Orion, the Hunter, is predominate to the south and contains many bright stars, including Betelgeuse (his right shoulder, appearing orange) and Rigel (his left knee).

The straight line of bright stars that makes up his belt is easy to locate in the southern sky. Extend the belt to the left and spot Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. To Orion’s right are the Pleiades (the Seven Sisters). Most nights six stars are visible but on very clear nights you can see nine. With binoculars, you should spot 14 stars..

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C O M M U N I T YACLOMLALN EA GC E

MOVING

with the TIMES

NIC at Sandpoint responds to ever-changing educational needs

A

t least 45 miles and an hour’s drive separates Bonner County residents from North Idaho College’s main Coeur d’Alene campus and for some potential students, that distance is insurmountable. For others, it’s unnecessary, because they’re less interested in structured, for-credit programs than in enrichment classes, adult education, career prep, or exploring options before committing to a full-fledged degree.

Building on early efforts to bring classes to Sandlpoint, the first official outreach center was established in 2000, and relocated to the Sandpoint Events Center in 2012. NIC continues to work to meet the ever-changing needs of its community.

Dual-credit enrollments of high school students, for example, are up, said Kassie Silvas, Dean of

Outreach at centers in Bonners Ferry, Silver Valley and Sandpoint, as well as dean of career, technical and workforce education for both the Office of Advanced Opportunities and Career and Technical Education.

“We have worked very closely with all the regional high schools in Bonner County and Boundary County to increase our presence for high school students in our outreach centers,” said Silvas. Students, including those from the homeschool community, can take NIC’s classes at their school, from NIC at Sandpoint’s computer lab, or at home via computer.

Investments in technology have allowed for more virtual classrooms and blended learning for both synchronous and asynchronous (self-paced) classes. The Workforce Training Center, for example, includes WINTER 2018

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an online enrichment class called “The Art of Photographing Nature” as well as career-prep for the Certified Nursing Assistant program.

Two years ago, NIC invested in several interactive video conferencing systems to deliver instruction to and from all campuses. Some classes originate in Coeur d’Alene, while others originate in Sandpoint, increasing the range and reach of NIC’s overall programming, said Silvas. Students at NIC can sign in to either live or archived classes, maintaining a classroom experience while affording the flexibility that students with jobs or other responsibilities require.

The NIC at Sandpoint building itself includes what Silvas describes as wraparound services—mental health support, college advising, a library, the computer lab—creating the feel of a mini-campus.

There are limits to what they can offer, however, deriving mostly from the site itself. Although it’s

by Carrie Scozzaro

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COMMUNITY COLLEGE

2,000 square feet more than was available at its former location, the 6,000 square foot Ponderay Center, NIC at Sandpoint cannot accommodate trades and industry programs, said Silvas.

“We just can’t drop a diesel lab in that building.”

What they can do is focus on demand.

Last year, for example, three high school students completed the Aviation Assembler course developed through an innovative collaboration including NIC, Idaho’s Department of Labor, and industry partners

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Quest Aircraft, Aerocet Manufacturing, and Empire Airlines.

NIC at Sandpoint is also increasing opportunities in office careers, including entrepreneurship, and medical office work, said Silvas, noting that the construction of a wet science lab several years ago enables students to complete their associate of science degree in Sandpoint.

And they continue to offer services to students aged 16 and older via their Adult Education Center, which enables students to focus on core requirements—math, language

arts, science, social studies—in preparation for their General Education Diploma test or to improve their skills through the federally funded Adult Basic Education program.

What can we expect to see down the road at NIC’s Sandpoint center? That depends on the community’s needs, said Silvas, who notes they are guided by a simple principle: “What can the college do to serve your needs because our relationship is important.”

See: www.NIC.edu/sandpoint/

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SCHWEITZER NEWS

Schweitzer Reaches for the Sky SCHWEITZER PHOTO

New summit lodge crowns mountain changes

P

owder hounds can barely make it through the summer, waiting for the snow to fall.

And when it finally does, the last thing they want is a delay in getting on the mountain in order to get down it. Schweitzer Mountain Resort is heeding that call, satisfying skiers with several recent improvements that respond to that need for speed.

The resort is committed to continuous improvement, plowing profits back into changes that make life on the mountain more enjoyable. The most recent improvement is the Sky House, perched at the summit near the Great Escape Quad chairlift and the Snow Ghost lift.

This is a most welcome addition, enjoyed by most skiers and snowboarders. It includes a well-designed restroom on the first floor, accessible from both outdoors and indoors. This alone has changed ski patterns since it’s really convenient for skiers. The Sky House also includes a full bar and restaurant plus a nice cafe with the most terrific views in the region (weather permitting). This is a well-designed, 9,000-square-foot shelter. It’s the kind of welcoming place where you might meet friends for a quick bite and stay longer than intended.

The Sky House is also open during the summer for hikers, bikers and wedding parties. In the event of a thunderstorm during a mountain wedding, taking refuge here could save the day!

Other changes in recent years include the Basin Express and Lakeview Triple chairlifts.

These replaced the old Chair One, changing ski patterns in the South Bowl with their highspeed nature. Families and intermediate skiers especially enjoy this change since unloading at Midway is now infinitely easier than with the old Chair One. As a beginning snowboarder,

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Above: The Sky House includes a full bar, restaurant, cafe... and a convenient restroom.

by Jim Mellen

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SCHWEITZER NEWS

I ended up on my butt about half the time when unloading at Midway.

But some folks are resistant to change.

There are still some skiiers who only ski on Chair One, even though Chair One itself, replaced by the Basin Express, doesn’t exist anymore. But to them, it lives on. Once, a veteran skier said, “I hear there is a new chair. Is it Stella?” Stella has been around for two decades. The Stella chairlift replaced Chair Five, but old-timers still call it Chair Five. Stella is a people mover. This highspeed “six pack” eats up long lines, reducing wait times considerably.

Then there was the Wang shack. It really was a shack; or rather, two shacks cobbled together and only held together with paint.

Nestled near the top of the Great Escape Quad, it was central to late-season, sunny afternoon parties. Beer is the only thing I recall being on the menu. But it was loved by the hardcore ski and board crowd. When the Sky House was constructed, the Wang was doomed. “Save the Wang” campaigns emerged, but never quite succeeded. We’ll see if the Sky House is soon referred to as the Wang.

The T-bar was installed a few years ago to access over 500 acres of additional terrain in the north bowl from the summit of Little Blue and has definitely changed ski patterns. On powder days, skiers and boarders flock to the T-bar to catch the most awesome freshies in the Northwest. On days when the T-bar is not operating, hiking mode is employed to walk the 13 minutes to the summit of Little Blue.

Coming soon is the replacement of the Snow Ghost or Chair Six lift. The concept

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will be similar to the Basin Express and Lakeview Triple, with a high-speed quad running from Cedar Park to the vicinity of Colburn Lake and a Triple running from the lake to the summit. Detachable high-speed lifts that run all the way to the summit like the Great Escape Quad sometimes have problems in icy conditions, so the two-chair configuration is a better choice.

According to Arlene Cook, director of the ski patrol at Schweitzer, snowboarding is declining and skiing is on the rise.

For a few years, snowboarding technology was superior to that of skis, but lately, the skis have caught up and actually resemble snowboards. These huge skis literally float on the soft powder.

Another shift Schweitzer is seeing includes where people want to ski. In recent years, backcountry and sidecountry skiing and snowboarding have literally exploded.

This takes place outside of the ski resort and involves using ski and snowboarding equipment that enables touring through almost any terrain, using skins to propel the user upward and a conversion to downhill mode that can provide access to some wonderful terrain. Dangers exist with this sport and the ski patrol and rescue services are not readily available. Skiing outside the resort requires specialized equipment to assist rescuers in the event of an avalanche. Novices should avail themselves of training and would be wise to start out with some experienced backcountry skiers.

Every day is a new day at Schweitzer, so embrace change. Enjoy the refuge… get there quicker… and float some powder.

MOUNTAIN FACTS Acreage: 2,900, 92 designated runs, two open

bowls, 1,400+ acres of tree skiing, three terrain parks, and 32 kilometers of Nordic trails Terrain: 10 percent Beginner, 40 percent

Intermediate, 35 percent Advanced, 15 percent Expert Longest Run: Little Blue Ridge, 2.1 miles Vertical Drop: 2,400 feet Top Elevation: 6,400 feet Lowest Elevation: 4,000 feet Average Annual Snowfall: 300 inches Lifts: Nine total – Three high-speed chairs, the six-pack Stella, quads Great Escape and Basin Express; one triple, Lakeview; three double chairlifts; Idyle Our T-bar; and a beginner’s Musical Carpet Total Uphill Capacity: 12,500 per hour Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Twilight Skiing: Fridays, Saturdays and

holidays Season: Late November or early December

2017 to April 2018, subject to conditions Website: www.schweitzer.com Phone: 208-263-9555, 877-487-4643 Activity Center: 208-255-3081

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S KAI LSM EA N S OAN C

SARS athlete Inga Mitchell at the Emerald Empire Youth Ski League Finals, March 25, 2107.

Photographer SSRA Photography/Tom Falter

SARS program is aging powerfully

by Mary Terra-Berns

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orn on Schweitzer Mountain in 1963, the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School is entering middle age. However, SARS isn’t slowing down, said Jamie Landwehr, SARS program director and head coach. “Our participants are from families that want to be outside; the program is as big as it has ever been and the team is performing as a team better than ever.”

SARS offers programs that not only promote alpine skiing mastery and a life-long love for skiing and snowboarding, but also develop teamwork, discipline, health and wellness, and citizen-

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programs. In the middle are the Junior programs (age 12 and older) that focus on skill development and competition.

Juniors compete within regional and divisional competitions. Many of the athletes in this category aspire to collegiate levels (NCAA) and SARS adds color and fun to the mountain SCHWEITZER PHOTO national programs (U.S. Ski Team). ship. Wrapped in this competitive, yet fun What the SARS athletes learn on the team atmosphere is an alpine culture that slopes doesn’t stay on the slopes. Just fosters a sense of camaraderie to last for like all-mountain skis that perform in generations. all types of snow, SARS members are Currently there are 225 participating taught to achieve at the highest levels SARS athletes, from the Schweitzer Tiny of sportsmanship and citizenship in any Alpine Racers (aka STARS—5 and 6 year environment, by conducting themselves olds), to the Youth Ski League (7 to 11 years in a thoughtful and respectful manner on old), to adults (20 to 70 years old) who want and off the slopes. Additionally, with their to improve their skills, learn about the latest hectic schedules, many SARS student techniques, and compete in the Masters athletes learn early on how to balance

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athletics, travel, and education while maintaining high GPAs. These benefits have caused many SARS “graduates” to perpetuate the program. “SARS is a family affair,” said Olivia Merithew, SARS administrator. “The founder families now have grandchildren in the program.” SARS parents, Masters athletes, and the ski community from near and far volunteer time at various events such as the SARS ski swap held every November, and SARS-sponsored race events. This winter’s seven race events on Schweitzer Mountain take place on 18 different days over three months, bringing about $425,000 into the local economy.

No mid-life crisis here!

SARS, at 54, has gained wisdom with age and the programs are as strong and as comprehensive as ever. The traditional racing culture is still there, now with a little more soul.

See: https://SARS.SnowProPortal.com

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SERVICE

by Beth Hawkins

N FOUR DECADES OF MOUNTAINTOP WORSHIP

Schweitzer Chapel

SERVES ALL

s

SCHWEITZER PHOTO

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estled beneath the bustling main road at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Schweitzer Chapel has been hosting non-denominational services and Catholic Mass, as well as housing church group retreats, for 40 years now.

The chapel’s origin dates back to the generosity of the ski resort’s very first founders, Jack Fowler and his wife, Dorothy, whose vision was to build a large chapel for both services and youth retreats.

The Fowlers donated the property where the chapel was built in 1978, and drummed up a cadre of volunteers and donated materials to turn the idea into a reality.

More specifically, it was Dorothy Fowler’s vision to build a large chapel that would house services and host church youth groups at the resort.

Shirley Creighton, who bought a place at Schweitzer in 1976 with her husband George, recalls the grassroots nature of getting the chapel built. “It was really hands-on, and there were lots of people involved. I remember sitting on a really tall ladder and tacking on insulation.”

Creighton explains that between Dorothy and Jack, they had six children, a lot to load in a car for a trip to town. “She didn’t like that there was not a place to attend church up there,” Creighton said.

“She was a doer and a mover. We got everything gifted, the wood that was put on the walls, everything. We knocked on doors and asked folks to help.”

According to chapel records from 1977, Dorothy also helped outline the guidelines pertaining to the new chapel. Written under “Primary Uses” is this: “The priority use of the building shall be for religious activities of any faith or denomination.” That inclusive directive still remains in place today, nearly three years after her passing. “The chapel is open to all religions and all faiths,” said

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the family’s son, Rick, who died in an avalanche in 1982 while skiing at Schweitzer. The fund continues to benefit the chapel to this The chapel features many amenities for hosting youth groups. day. “It’s been a saving grace,” Ensminger said “Attendance is good in the winter,” about the family’s lasting monetary gift.

Ensminger said. “And it’s absolutely packed And, as they did in the past, counton Christmas Eve!” For those interested in less volunteers and generous supporters attending, the non-denominational service stepped in to add a 48-bed dormitory in is held at 3:30 p.m. “It’s a good, real-life 1999, which comfortably houses youth experience for them,” she added. Catholic and adult church groups. This full-service Mass follows at 4:30 p.m. “Consistently, retreat facility includes bunkrooms, shower Gonzaga Jesuits come up for that one,” she rooms and bathrooms. said. “They do love skiing!”

Chapel services are held on Saturday See: www.SchweitzerChapel.com afternoons during the ski season.

SCHWEITZER CHAPEL PHOTO

Carroll Ensminger, a member of the chapel volunteer board along with her husband Dick.

Both avid skiers, the couple lives full-time at Schweitzer and helps keep an eye on the place. “It’s handy if we need to check on a problem,” Ensminger said.

The sanctuary is a light-filled space that features volunteer-made benches and a beautiful bronze door artwork created by Dorothy Fowler, who was also a renowned sculptor. (She has bronze pieces in galleries and churches throughout the world, including a bronze door in an Israeli cathedral that is similar to the one at Schweitzer.)

Tall windows at the front of the sanctuary sometimes provide a reminder of where the chapel sits when the occasional young skier will dart across during services.

The basement beneath the sanctuary is a large, open dining and recreation room that was completed with funding from the Metcalf Foundation—named in honor of

208.661.0782 | 208.264.5813

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Lumber Marketing Services is grateful and humbled to be the primary supplier of all building materials for the Sky House at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

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OUR MISSING

MILLENNIALS LOSS OF YOUNG ADULTS SKEWS LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS

by Lyndsie Kiebert

The generational breakdown

Currently, six generations make up our society.

Here are the birth years for each generation: » Generation Alpha, born 2010 to current » Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials: Born 1998 to 2010 » Millennials or Gen Y: Born 1981 to 1997 » Generation X: Born 1965 to 1980 » Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964 » Silent Generation: Born prior to 1946

>>55

55-9 -9

Millennials are getting so much attention now because in the last two years they have become the largest generation in the workforce, as well as the fastest-growing generation in the consumer marketplace.

Source: www.genhq.com

10-14 10 - 14

1515-19 - 19

20-24 20 - 24

25-34 25 - 34

THE MILLENNIAL AGE GROUP, 18-34

O

ver the last decade, Bonner County’s population grew as expected—on the surface. Sam Wolkenhauer, an economist with the Idaho Department of Labor, has studied Bonner County’s unique situation, looking beneath the county’s predicted growth to understand what is really happening.

“The total numbers hid that underneath you had millennials moving out and baby boomers moving in,” Wolkenhauer said. “There was almost an equitable swap that hid what was happening to the demographics.”

Wolkenhauer quantifies that equitable swap simply: in 2015, there were almost 6,000 missing millennials who had been replaced by baby boomers who had moved in.

“What makes Bonner County so unique is that you have this aging trend in counties in Idaho, but most are much smaller,” Wolkenhauer said. “Of counties that are of an equivalent age, Bonner County is the largest.” In other words, Bonner County, population about 42,000, 72

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- W h ere

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MILLENNIALS

BONNER COUNTY POPULATION BY AGE, 2015 SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

6K

5K

4K

4545-54 - 54

60-64 60 - 64

55-59 55 - 59

6565-74 - 74

5k

4k

3K

3k

2K

2k

1K

3535-44 - 44

6k

1k

75+

75 +

THE BOOMERS AGE GROUP, 51-69 is the largest county in the state to have so many older residents.

While consequences of such a dramatic shift could vary from political to social to economic, Wolkenhauer said the impact on the economy is most prevalent.

“The big economic consequence is labor. When more and more of your population is retired it creates a real squeeze for employers.”

In a 2015 report by Headwaters Economics, studies revealed that non-labor income—including investment income, pensions, Social Security, disability and welfare—has grown to be “more than half of total personal income in Bonner County (rising from 31 percent of total personal income in 1970, to 43.8 percent of total in 1990, to 53.7 percent of total in 2013).” This reflects a community that is retired,

choosing not to work, and/or is unable to work for some reason.

Wolkenhauer said that in 2000 in Bonner County, about 56 percent of all adults were working. Now, only about 50 percent are, which is far below the national working rate. He said this is largely due to the increasing number of retirees in the county.

And according to Wolkenhauer, this demographic shift and its consequences on the labor market will only increase in the coming years, based on these trends.

“People know that the baby boomers are retiring, but what people don’t think about is that most of them haven’t yet because they are a backloaded generation,” he said. “It’s a big generation in general, but most of them are in their late 50s and early 60s.”

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MILLENNIALS

Where are our So where are our millennials? Where did they go, and why? And of those who stayed—how did they do it, and how do they manage to live in a county that becomes increasingly less conducive to working people in their 20s and 30s?

Millennials, born between 1981 and 1997, are either launching their careers right now or settling into their field, depending on their age. Tyson Bird, a 2014 graduate of Sandpoint High School, is on the younger spectrum of the millennial generation, and is currently finding his way away from Bonner County, despite his love of his hometown.

“People ask, ‘Why would you ever leave?’ and my response is always that it’s an awesome place to be from, but to actually make a living there is harder than you can imagine,” Bird said.

“The jobs that I wanted to do… it was hard to find those jobs in the community.”

Bird said he pursued his interest in media and graphic design while he still

Jenn Koopman (above) and Evan Metz (below) are two millennials who are making it work here.

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lived in Sandpoint pre-college, but found no media outlets exploring design in a largescale, multi-platform, collaborative way.

“Media in no city is perfect, but there are some places that are helping people like me move into that space more,” he said, adding “that space” would mean a career that allowed him to use design in a way not practiced in Sandpoint.

After attending college in Indiana, Bird took a job working for Gatehouse Media in Austin, Texas. In his everyday work as a digital designer, he creates digital media packages to accompany news stories from newspapers across the country.

Bird said he is proud to be from Sandpoint, but added that same pride can be a hindrance for the region.

“People can be resistant to change, and that’s okay because we have kept this status as a gem (of the Northwest),” Bird said.

“But to do the things I wanted to do, I had to leave.”

On the other side of the coin is Jennifer Koopman, a 2005 graduate of Clark Fork High School. On the older end of the millennial spectrum, Koopman left the area to play college volleyball, ultimately earning her degree in radiographic science from LewisClark State College after moving around the Northwest and getting married.

“I really wanted to come back here because I really love it here and I think moving away makes you appreciate what’s here.

So I researched this whole area and did whatever I could do to get a job,” she said.

“I’d say I got really lucky.”

Koopman is currently a CT scan technologist for Bonner General Hospital—the second-largest employer in the county next to the school district—and her husband works for the Forest Service.

“We always kind of joke that you have to find a job that lets you live here,” she said.

Koopman said that the biggest draw for her is the geography of the area.

“In Portland, people would say ‘Let’s go to the lake’ and we’d drive hours,” she said. “I (grew up) in the most beautiful place, and the people were so nice, and so for me it was like,

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I want to go home to where if you want to do nature, you don’t have to drive hours.”

While she and her husband were fortunate enough to enter fields that allowed them to have careers in Bonner County, Koopman said her brother, Aaron Gauthier, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, has found it hard to give up the money he makes in the Texas oil industry and come home.

“You get used to a lifestyle of money and you start to think, ‘Yeah this is what I should be making,’ especially after you put in eight years of college,” Koopman said. “He tried hard to come back, but there wasn’t anything that paid even remotely what he expected.”

While Koopman loves the area, finding somewhere to live wasn’t easy, she said.

When she and her husband decided to buy a home, they learned a lot about the area’s housing market quickly.

“It was eye-opening more than anything.

We went in with a budget and an expectation, but after looking around you realize really quickly that that’s not what you’re going to get. You’re going to pay a lot for a little,” she said. “You’re paying to live here, not for your house. You’re paying to live in this area.”

That’s a sentiment felt across the board, according to Wolkenhauer. Millennials, especially on the younger end, aren’t looking to buy, but rent in Sandpoint isn’t cheap.

“Sandpoint is a resort town—that’s understandable and justifiable,” he said.

“So building is always going to be lopsided, with houses rather than multi-family apartment complexes.”

With labor jobs so scarce and rent so high, how does a 20-something manage?

Evan Metz, a 2011 graduate of SHS, takes on Bonner County’s unique situation by owning a business.

Metz co-owns the downtown coffee stand Understory Coffee and Tea. Since graduating, he said he’s traveled to places similar in geography to Bonner County without finding a place quite the same.

“Most of those places are played out,” Metz said, mentioning McCall, Idaho, and

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Lake Tahoe. “Sandpoint is a relatively blank slate.”

Metz said his network of Sandpoint friends hold largely seasonal jobs, “migrating from gig to gig” as jobs begin and end.

“Everybody who has started something has gone somewhere else,” he said, add-

ally liberal places thinking he’d find more solace, only to crave more moderate viewpoints.

“Part of the magic in the water here is how mixed it is politically.”

Metz said he intends to stay in the area until he feels he’s reached his goals as a business owner, and while he’s not sure what that will look like, he knows Sandpoint is where he wants to be. area produces rad people, and This area produces rad people, that“This makes you proud,” he said. and that makes you proud,” What those rad people need, according to Metz, is a refreshed view of what Metz said. What those rad people need, according to Metz Sandpoint can offer to young people— specifically millennials. is a refreshed view of what Bird believes communication is Sandpoint can offer to young important. “First, people need to really talk about (the potential for) business people. and industry, and remember there ing he is trying to combat the idea that is also a really great school district,” Bird Sandpoint is just a town of “old retired said. “[Sandpoint] is more than a vacation people” by being here. “I’m excited to be destination.” where I’m at because I want people my He believes investing in the entrepreneurage to see what I’m doing and think, ‘Hey, ial endeavors of young people is also critical maybe we can carve it out there, too.’ I want to encouraging a millennial crowd to stay in to inspire other people to come and disrupt the Sandpoint area. the system.”

“What’s very appealing to a younger Still, Metz recognizes that his home crowd is this idea that they can invest and county’s demographic makeup is beneficial get something going,” he said. “You can still in a lot of ways, both socially and politically. have traditions, but you should also be open “I see it as a moderate place,” Metz said, to new ideas.” mentioning that he’s travelled to more traditionWhat does Bonner County have in

“

store assuming this trend of baby boomers replacing millennials continues? Sam Wolkenhauer said the consequences will certainly be felt on an economic level.

“I think the reason people should care (about the lack of millennials in Bonner County) is because if you don’t have a millennial workforce, you won’t have a workforce 15 to 20 years from now,” Wolkenhauer said. “You won’t have enough labor to provide the services people are used to, and I imagine that will cause people to move away.”

While consequences of such a trend on a social or political level are difficult to quantify, Metz said he sees value in living in a place full of both milPopulation Age 60 and Older lennials and baby boomers, 30%+ likening it to the 25% - 30% 20% - 25% “melting pot” 15% - 20% concept.

0 – 15% “What makes a rich community is a culture of young blood and old blood,” he said.

DO MILLENNIALS MATTER?

What kind of impact can a loss of millennials have on a community?

IN BROAD TERMS ...

1.

2.

3.

4.

M’s are the generation having children, so fewer M’s in a community inevitably means fewer children. This leads to declining school enrollments. In an area where funding is tied to enrollment, this translates to less funding for education.

M’s make up the majority of the workforce. Major businesses are not attracted to areas with an insufficient base of workers.

M’s prefer public transportation over personal cars. Boomers seem to LOVE their cars. A community with fewer M’s, therefore, is likely to give less importance to public transportation.

M’s rely on technology, so communities that attract M’s offer truly high-speed internet and lots of public wi-fi.

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get

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Backcountry

Selkirk Powder Co. brings heli-skiing to the Selkirks

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by Kevin Davis

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Jason Hershey gets deep into powder PHOTOGRAPHER RYAN ZIMMER

f you’re on the summit of a local peak during a North Idaho winter, chances are you’re there to ski. In North Idaho, the Cabinets, Purcells and Bitterroots challenge the pioneering spirit, but it is the most northerly range that pushes the bar higher: the Selkirks. A granitic mountain chain, the uplifted Kaniksu Batholith, when viewed from higher elevations the Selkirks remind one of a storm-tossed sea. First descents on both named and obscure peaks still exist, some in plain view, just calling out to be schralped by the first hardy soul with the desire and the guts to get there. It’s hard not to dwell long and hard about how to get there, to stand on top, then rip that line, down the long untouched snow field gleaming so far off in the distance.

Ken Barrett, cofounder of Selkirk Powder Company, has been gazing out at the Selkirks for a long time. He currently operates a snowcat ski business from the top of Schweitzer Mountain at 6,300 feet, but like all powder hounds, he’s drawn by the allure of the big untouched, that 7,500-foot paradise where no ski lifts operate.

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Ken Barrett gives a thumbs-up before takeoff. SELKIRK POWDER PHOTO

An early father of heli-skiing vacations in Sandpoint

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olfgang Keller immigrated to Canada from Traun, Austria in 1958, convinced by a friend, Hans Gmoser, that British Columbia was the place to be.

Gmoser, an accomplished alpine guide and ski instructor, was exploring the Canadian Rockies as well as working to attract clients for guided expeditions in these new and spectacular mountains. Keller accompanied Gmoser on many a backcountry trip to remote huts and fire lookouts to survey the possibilities. First they tried hiking in clients but that was much too hard, so they graduated to snowmobiles. That worked for a time but the high majestic peaks where the skiing was world-class were still out of reach. There were airplane trips to distant icefields but the zone where the plane could land was too far from the skiable slopes.

Keller lived in Calgary and on a visit to a local sport shop he held the door for a young Mike Wiegele. The two became lifelong friends. For a period, Wiegele and Keller did everything together and were often involved in Gmoser’s alpine exploits. On a winter day in in 1963 in Canmore, B.C., a pilot asked Gmoser if he had considered helicopters as a means to get to the high country. By that afternoon Gmoser and Keller were in the air heading for the top of Mt. Rundle, high above the town of Banff. That was quite possibly the first heli-ski trip ever to be executed.

Gmoser had an epiphany and the rest is history. He went on to establish the world’s first heli-ski guide business, Canadian Mountain Holidays. Mike Wiegele founded his own heli-ski operation, Mike Wiegele Heliskiing. Keller moved to Seattle with his wife Joan, where he lived for 40 years teaching ski racing at Crystal Mountain and running his casting/molding business.

The Kellers purchased a vacation home in Sandpoint six years ago and, while Washington residents, love skiing at Schweitzer. When I asked Keller his most favorite aspect of heli-skiing, he said, “You will never forget the person that you buddied up with on a heli-ski trip.” At 80, Keller is still skiing and has done his share of heliskiing. He smiles when he shows pictures of his friends in Canada and is very modest about his audacious past.

-Kevin Davis Photo, above: the author interviews Wolfgang Keller.

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Last year, Selkirk Powder Company introduced North Idaho to the first season of heli-skiing in the Selkirks. This is good news for those of us who can’t wait to ring that bell. If heli-skiing is on your bucket list, now is the time to fulfill that desire.

Alf Cromwell, Barrett’s lead for helicopter operations, explains: “The Selkirk Mountains are such an incredible range and we want to make it easy for people of all abilities to experience that beauty in a way that they will never forget. We are literally breaking new ground,” he said.

Barrett and his crew are now poised to offer a memorable experience in the sky and on the snow.

SPC has a permit from the Idaho Department of Lands to access state-owned lands in the Selkirks north of Schweitzer. This mountainous region is prime for skiing open bowls, spruce glades, gentle powder fields, and steep alpine runs.

Much of this portion of the Selkirks is locally known as the Sundance Burn. Back in 1967, the Sundance fire charred a severalmile-wide swath through the landscape and essentially turned the peaks into alpine terrain, above treeline. This is a unique characteristic for these lower elevation peaks and gives the skiing experience a very different quality. As a bonus, the southern Selkirks get dumped with the deepest snow in Idaho.

Barrett had long set his sights on reaching this coveted realm. The advent of heli-skiing for SPC all started to come together in 2014, when Morgan Lohman, president of Lohman Helicopters out of Lewiston, contacted Barrett and asked, matter of factly, “Why aren’t you heliskiing?” Barrett was busy running a cat ski business but had to admit he didn’t have a good reason why he wasn’t pursuing it.

Then, an important bit of fate occurred at about that same time: Alf Cromwell became an investor in SPC. Cromwell had retired from an extensive aviation background with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He had been powder skiing as a client of Barrett’s since 2010 and was enamored with the prospects of heli-skiing. Cromwell teamed up with Barrett and adeptly took the reins on permitting and working with Lohman to develop a plan of operations.

Barrett likes to share one other morsel of serendipity, like sunshine on a powder day. “I was working up at Schweitzer when this gentleman approached me and exclaimed in an Austrian accent,” as if relating a secret, “Your mountain, it is @#$%ing awesome!” Barrett, with a similar expletive, responded, “I @#$%ing know!” The Austrian guffawed with amusement and they quickly became friends. What Barrett

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Left: Guide-in-training Jason Keen listens intently during a safety briefing. This page: Fun shredding during a Selkirk Powder tour. Below: A skiier takes time to “relax.”. Photos courtesy Selkirk Powder.

After skiing big lines, it’s back to the helicopter for another run. SELKIRK POWDER PHOTO

didn’t know at the time was he had just bantered with Wolfgang Keller, one of the pioneers of heli-skiing. (See sidebar) Breaking into the inner sanctum of the 7B winter wilderness used to require multiple modes of transportation, unless you were embarking on skis on a multi-day trek to bag a peak. That began to change in the spring of 2017, the inaugural run for SPC heli-skiing.

On a wintery day in March, I was on top of Jeru Peak in a howling wind, digging pits for the avalanche advisory with Jeff Thompson, Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center director. We saw a red helicopter skillfully touching down on a neighboring peak. “That’s not fair,” I told Thompson. “I’ve been eyeing that line for years.”

“You need a helicopter,” was his ‘no duh’ response.

Lohman Helicopters is dedicating their Bell 407, a high-altitude bird with heavy lifting capabilities, seating for seven passengers, and lots of windows, to SPC’s heliskiing endeavors. The workhorse of the whole operation, it’s a sleek yet powerful looking craft; it’s not a stretch to call it an airborne Ferrari. And it has to be since SPC is hoping to provide eight runs minimum per day, weather permitting, in the 2018 winter season, and an average of 1,200 to 1,400 vertical feet of skiing per run.

SPC has two dedicated lead guides plus two in training for this project who will provide a consistent two-guides-to-four-clients ratio. The guides all meet Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board medical certification guidelines. “The logistics testing from last spring went well,” said Barrett. “We’re excited by all the new lines we discovered and the helicopter is the bomb.”

A heli-skiing adventure in Sandpoint begins at the Sandpoint airport. The participant meets the pilot, the guides, and gets a safety briefing before lifting off. Flying in a helicopter is like nothing you’ve ever experienced as the ground drops below you like you’re playing a video game. Don’t worry; you’re in good hands. Heli-skiing has a good safety record and SPC has operated for 15 years without a major incident.

Then, weather permitting, you can expect to get in four plus hours of some of the most exciting skiing in the Pacific Northwest.

The helicopter is yours for the day, and skiers can pick and choose from a number of peaks where they can break new ground.

“Basically,” explained Cromwell, “the helicopter becomes a very mobile ski lift.”

SPC expects to be flying from February 16 to March 24 of 2018

to take advantage of the best snow conditions and good weather.

Late winter in the North Idaho high country is when alpine lines are fat with powder and windows of stable snow conditions are easier to read. Cromwell is eager to expand local skiers’ horizons. “Our target market locally is the Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane area but we’re betting we can attract skiers from Portland and Seattle.”

Prices run from $1,975 per person or the entire bird (up to four skiiers) for $7,900.

Heli-skiing in the U.S. actually has its roots in Idaho. The first heli-ski operation began in 1966 in Sun Valley. It’s natural that heliskiing came to Sandpoint, with its copious snowfall and rugged peaks, connecting the dots between the first heli-ski operation in Idaho to the south, and the newest heli-ski operation here. All it took was that Idaho pioneering spirit and a little bit of serendipity.

See: www.selkirkpowder.com.

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“Relaxing” after a big run. SELKIRK POWDER PHOTO

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LEAVING

CIVILIZATION BEHIND These hikers don’t know when to quit

by Susan Drinkard

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here are only a handful of people who know the Cabinet and Selkirk Mountain ranges that cradle the Panhandle as intimately as some of the extreme hikers who inhabit this area, such as Betsy Fulling, Jan Griffits, and Jim and Sandii Mellen. They hike endless hours, sometimes in white-out blizzard conditions, and sometimes with headlamps, trying to descend the darkest of trails.

“We don’t do extreme hikes just to punish ourselves,” said Jim Mellen. “There are some special places that are very difficult to reach, but well worth the price of admission.”

Some winter days are so moody in North Idaho, it’s as though they are crying out not to be bothered. They are as uninviting as a dinner party hosted by Sylvia Plath and Edgar Allan Poe, who dress only in shades of gray and who serve cold gruel. Nevertheless, if you look far into the woods, and it’s a Monday, you will see a small woman on snowshoes disappearing into the extreme solitude.

She is petite, but as she says, “I am a strong woman.” She must be. Betsy Fulling, 77, has hiked some 5,500 miles in our wilderness, most of those miles with husband Jim, who passed away in 2015.

In 2003, breast cancer treatments robbed her of a year. “I could barely climb the steps at the library. My husband thought I needed to get outside, so he asked me to try to hike with him for the first 15 minutes to Harrison Lake. I ended up doing the whole thing.”

Betsy and Jim hiked in a blizzard at Star Peak in Montana, and observed Rocky Mountain goats on Scotchman Peak, which she and her husband hiked at least seven times, mostly on snowshoes. Scotchman is a venerable peak that rises 4,000 feet in four vertical miles. “Neither of us would ever say ‘uncle.’

“We were lost a few times. He (Jim) knew everything. I called those times ‘a bushwhack to nowhere.’”

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WINTER TREME She has seen grizzly on the Buckhorn Ridge, where you can also see Idaho, British Columbia, Washington and Montana, and was stalked by a grizzly on a hike to Fault Lake. “We just kept talking and walking.”

On her 60th birthday she hiked to the top of Scotchman Peak.

“That was the hardest hike I’ve ever done. It was all ice. Seven of my friends bailed out. People were falling in tree wells and we’d have to pull them out.”

Jim and Sandii Mellen, aged 68 and 63, respectively, also explore From left, Betsy Fulling, Jan Griffits, Jim and Sandii Mellen. Below: Winter hiking the high backcountry all year long. Some years they’ve spent more Scotchman Peak, for some, is “worth the price of admission.” nights in a tent than in their bed at home in Sandpoint. They enjoy the Selkirks, the mountains to our north, for many reasons, but one is that “most of the rock in the Selkirks is granite, which has the most wondrous smooth slabs in places. Walking on this surface is easy and enjoyable. The rock in the Cabinets is mostly crumbly metamorphic rock which is more difficult to negotiate,” Jim reports, adding that the Cabinets in the Kootenai National Forest in the Idaho Panhandle and Montana “are a bit wilder and more diverse.

But we like (both ranges) equally.”

And Jim, who has authored several updates to popular Keokee Books hiking guides, should know.

On several occasions when hiking high in the Cabinets the pair found themselves serendipitously running into the late mountain man Dennis Nicholls, author of “Trails of the Wild Selkirks” and “Trails of the Wild Cabinets.” After Nicholls’ untimely death in 2009, Jim has been keeping the books current with news of trailhead changes and new trails. Keokee published the third edition of the Cabinets book in May of 2017 and in 2016 came out with the second edition of the Selkirks book, all masterminded by Jim, said Chris Bessler, publisher.

The Mellens have never run out of food, but once ran out of water on a hike to Bald Eagle Peak on the way to Isabella Lake. “Our late start, combined with extreme bushwhacking, meant we did not reach our destination that day. Our dogs looked at me with thirst Fulling has learned to listen for the clacking of the jaws of in their eyes so I gave them my remaining water, thinking I would black bears, warning people away, and she has encountered elk get water soon the next day. But it was hours before we reached a and goats, but it’s the moose that are dangerous. “They are big, water source so I was pretty dehydrated,” Jim said. unpredictable, and very aggressive,” she said.

Inclement weather, aging, and dark rugged terrain are mere Fulling broke her kneecap on Schweitzer Mountain after triphindrances to these extreme hikers. Their reasons for hiking are at ping on a root and her husband hyper-extended his foot and once both simple and elevated; they all like new challenges, achievlimped down from Fault Lake. ing goals, the tranquility of the woods. As Jim Mellen said, “When Fulling started to hike alone in 2013-2014 when her huswe get out in the woods, we leave the trappings of civilization band’s legs started to have issues. He died May 1, 2015, after behind. It is so refreshing to be out there, and difficult to return.” having both legs amputated.

WANT TO TRY SOME WINTER HIKING? “I have to plan to wake up happy on Mondays,” she said, the • For a beginner, try Myrtle Creek Falls. Located in the day of the week she hikes. “It’s harder now, by myself, but I’ve Kootenai Wildlife Refuge just south of Bonners Ferry, a porbeen seriously hiking for 15 years and can’t imagine not climbing tion of the trail is paved. ‘my’ mountains. Also, Jim told me he would be very disappointed • Intermediate hikers might want to check out the Ross if I did not continue, even though he added that he would probCreek Cedars off Highway 56 in Montana. These ancient ably not do it if I died.” cedars are almost 200 feet tall, and up to 35 feet around.

Jan Griffitts, 72, could also be found in the mountains • If you want to push the boundaries, try Star Peak (the on Mondays. She started hiking with a local hiking group, historic Big Eddy Trail 999), which gains almost 4,000 feet the Monday Hikers, in 1991, “and nothing interfered with my in just 2.2 miles. Breathtaking views of both the Clark Fork Mondays,” she said. She hiked 25 to 40 miles each week and is River and the Big Eddy are your reward. tireless, as exemplified by her dogged determination and twoSee trail information:: www.SandpointMagazine.com year effort to make the popular but challenging Mickinnick Trail a reality.

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Sandpoint family caretaking a legend

by Trish Gannon

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n southeast British Columbia, on the edge of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, lies a steep and scenic valley where snow-covered peaks and rocky ridgelines jut high overhead. Located at its edge is the historic Boulder Hut. Nestled in old growth forest, Sandpointers Mark, Sarah, Grace and Alden Yancey welcome the adventurous into a backcountry paradise each winter.

Established in 1984 by famed photographer and cinematographer Art Twomey and his partner, Margie Jamieson, Boulder Hut is one of the original, privately held backcountry huts in North America. Twomey and Jamieson are legends in conservation circles and were instrumental in the establishment of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. It protects over 500,000 acres of pristine and critical mountain landscape that border Boulder Hut’s 15,000-acre ski tenure.

Thirteen years ago, Mark and Sarah learned the historic backcountry ski lodge was for sale. “I built my career in the backcountry,” said Sarah, who had worked for the Forest Service in Idaho, Washington and Alaska. Mark, who was avalanche forecasting for the ski patrol at Schweitzer Resort was equally at home in areas off the beaten path. “It’s not something we had necessarily dreamed of doing,” Sarah said, “but it was a natural evolution of what we loved to do. We couldn’t pass it up.” For a baker’s dozen years now, they have welcomed visitors into the Canadian wilderness.

“We stepped into a 30-year history,” said Sarah, and while they have expanded operations in that time, the Boulder Hut experience “is (still) for the purist at heart,” they write. “We offer a down-to-earth, no frills, backcountry skiing experience.”

Those interested in deep powder, and with a strong, intermediate skiing ability, can book a guided and catered experience, or a self-guided lodge rental of either a full week or half week at Boulder Hut. While the huts offer electric lights and running water, there is only one indoor toilet, wood heat, and no cellular or internet service. With access to the backcountry lodge only by ski or via helicopter flight from Kimberley, B.C., you’re there for the duration. That said, guests rarely want to leave on account of the legendary Boulder Hut hospitality and epic nature of their trips, truly a respite from the rigors of busy, modern life.

The quality of life the Yanceys are so passionate about providing on their trips embraces an “unplugged” experience while at Boulder Hut. During the off season, the Yanceys return to Sandpoint. Though Mark still works as a carpenter, he is increasingly focused in the off-season on lodge renovations and building their Canadian company. Sarah does some landscaping when she’s not being a mostly full-time mom to her kids. Many know their faces from the days when they spent their winter season on the ski patrol at Schweitzer: snow has always played an important role in their choice of lifestyle.

The pair say their two homes of Kimberley and Sandpoint have a lot in common.

“Each community is comprised of individuals who are frequently more invested in adventuring outdoors than in serious material acquisition,” Sarah explained, “…people who are willing to risk stepping off the beaten path to experience a slower pace of life.”

The quality of life the Yanceys are so passionate about providing on their trips embraces an “unplugged” experience while at the hut. Though the skiing draws people there, the conversation around the table and the friendships that grow out of the adventure provide an unforgettable foundation to the experience.

In an essay last year for the magazine Go Kimberley, Sarah described their work as an “opportunity to make a living on our skis in a beautiful place, and to live a life on our terms.”

It’s a lifestyle many in Sandpoint will find familiar.

PHOTOGRAPHER DOUG MARSHALL

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A visit to Boulder Hut

by Jessica Baker

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he Yancey kids are helping move our bags and skis off the heli-port and asking a million questions a minute. They exclaim they know my sister Emily and that I look just like her… or am I she? They laugh infectiously. These kids are clearly at home here in the pristine wilderness of the Purcell Mountain Range.

We tromp our way along a well-compacted snow path through the woods to the cluster of buildings that make up the Boulder Hut compound. The historic, original Boulder Hut cabin is front and center.

It is rustic and inviting. Just uphill from the main lodge are the cold cellar, employee lodging, sauna/shower buildings, outhouse, and hydroelectric system.

We are very remote; the infrastructure has been built by hand, a labor of love and creativity. I am already enamored. The operation is modest yet impressive, located, as it is, deep in the heart of the wilderness.

We sit around the dining table for a group orientation with Sarah and Mark while drinking good coffee and snacking on homemade muffins. Sarah covers handy information for our week-long stay and Mark discusses skiing conditions and logistics.

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We are shown to our sleeping quarters in another cabin just ten feet beyond the main lodge, connected by a breezeway where the firewood is kept dry for all the woodstoves that keep us warm. Reggae, folk, jazz and modern alternative tunes waft from the kitchen as our extraordinary chef works her magic for dinner. We quickly sprawl out to get packed for an afternoon of skiing.

I step out to the front porch and strap my skins on to my skis. We are surrounded by incredible ski terrain. I am drawn instantly to a pair of strikingly aesthetic couloirs—a narrow, mountain gully—to the north that look to be a 3-hour jaunt away. To our west there are pillow lines clustered amongst the tall tamarack trees; the snow looks soft and lovely. Behind the compound is endless tree skiing with nicely spaced lanes to keep your groove going all the way down. I can see the summits and ridgelines of jagged peaks 3,000 feet above us. It’s majestic, a little intimidating, and a complete skier’s dream because there is something for everyone.

We head off the back side to get some tree skiing as the light is degrading rapidly, and Mother Nature’s refresh is about to turn on. After an hour of skinning we find a steep

pitch full of features and nicely spaced tamarack. We lap the zone until nearly sunset, and then schuss back to the lodge just before dusk.

There are fragrant smells wafting from the kitchen and laughter in the air. Rachel and I crack a cold one and enjoy the last vestiges of daylight while the Yancey kids hit a small kicker just below the lodge. The good life. Disconnected from the internet, phones, media; just a group of passionate skiers converging in a cozy little valley with a mountainous playground as far as the eye can see. It feels like my community through and through.

It will be hard to say goodbye to this place, but to the Yanceys I can say, “See you in Sandpoint,” and we know that our community thread will continue to run strong no matter how far we are flung.

Top and above: Jessica Baker and Rachel Burks explore pristine wilderness. PHOTOGRAPHER DOUG MARSHALL

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BUILT IN IDAHO Local woodworkers craft a path through winter snow

by Desiree Aguirre

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inter waves a flag of white, but in Sandpoint, the white flag doesn’t have anything to do with surrender. In fact, in Sandpoint, ski, skate and board enthusiasts sing a chorus of hallelujahs when gray skies cover the hills and mountains in layers of snow. And what better way to embrace a blizzard than heading up to the top of Schweitzer Mountain on equipment built in Sandpoint?

It’s no surprise that Sandpoint, a winter haven for snow-loving enthusiasts, is also the home of snow-loving craftsmen, like Mark Edmundson and Mark Miller, who have turned their tools to designing and manufacturing custom snowskates and snowboards in the Sandpoint vicinity.

Snowskates, kind of a cross between a ski, a snowboard and a skateboard, double deck wonders, don’t have any bindings, and according to Edmundson, that gives the rider more freedom. One of the advantages of snowskates is that they are easy to take backcountry. Rather than taking off your board and hiking, or putting skins on your skis, you can drag your snowskate behind you with a leash, and walk in the boots you use on the skate. In addition, you never have to worry about sitting on your butt to bind in; you simply step on to the snowskate and ride.

According to Edmundson, builder of Chiller Decks, life is good.

“There have been days when I can build a new snowskate in the morning and test it in the afternoon,” Edmundson said. Chiller Decks, located on Samuels Road, north of Sandpoint, is a low-key operation. “Me, Eric Nelson and Cole Thompson make the decks we ride,” Edmundson said, “and sell a couple every year.”

Edmundson said the snow inspires this innovative trio, and they constantly improve their decks so they can tackle any type of snowy terrain. “Right now, we use different snowskates for different

conditions. What’s great is we can bring a couple of boards and switch out the decks.

One for deep powder, and one for groomed or crusty snow.”

Edmundson, a professional cabinetmaker, already had the tools and woodworking knowledge, and he utilizes that information to feed his passion, riding deep powder. Edmundson said he loves flying down deep powder on a double deck board, leaning just right to take a turn. “It’s a niche,”

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Top: Cole Thompson puts a Chiller Deck to the test.

Above: Mark Edmundson builds boards inspired by the snow. COURTESY PHOTOS

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Edmundson said. “A small group, but we love what we do.”

Mark Miller, owner of Thirst Snowboards, located in Bayview, fell in love with the sport in 1979, when snowboarding was still in its infancy. A surfer and former skier, Miller said he likes snowboarding because it’s hands free. It quickly became his passion, and he began to build and design boards in 1980. “I built my first snowboard for myself,” Miller said, “and Thirst Snowboards is the culmination of all my effort, thought, and personal commitment to the sport I love.”

Miller said that his best memories as a child include running in the woods, building tree forts, or hanging out with his grandfathers, who were hands-on kinds of guys. “They taught me how to run a drill press, how to make a tool, and how to use my hands.” Miller is following in their footprints. In fact, he has designed and built the equipment he uses to build his boards. “I’ve always considered myself a maker,” Miller said. “If I can’t afford to buy it, I make it myself.”

According to Miller, Thirst Boards provides a refinement not available anywhere else. Tuned to each individual rider’s weight and ride style, Miller makes one custom board at a time, designed to meet the customer’s wants and needs. “Thirst Boards are engineered with 35-plus components, and are built for strength and proper flex.”

Miller thrives on continuing to perfect his craft, building snowboards for people who want to carve snow. “My boards are truly different. I like pushing things, making boards stronger and better than anything out there. My boards are not made from a computer design.

Computers don’t ride boards. Humans do. I make them to fit the rider.”

See: www.ChillerDecks.com and www.ThirstSnowboards.com

Mark Miller makes one custom board at a time.

PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS.

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WINTER TREME

On Top of the Hill Not Over It

by Desiree Aguirre

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he Schweitzer Prime Timers, a snow-loving bunch of seniors (55 years or older), prove that they can go downhill really fast every time. Experienced, diverse, healthy, and most importantly, adventuresome, these veterans of life refuse to just sit back and relax, especially on a powder day. Indeed, rather than stay home and watch television, they prefer to put on their ski gear, take the bus to Schweitzer, get on a lift to the top of the mountain and make fresh tracks in pristine snow.

The Prime Timers officially started in 1991 with 24 members. The original group began as the Seniors Club, and quickly became the Schweitzer Prime Timers. Currently, there are approximately 400 members in the club. According to the incoming Prime Timers presidential team of Dave and Vernice Cohen, members range between the ages of 55 and 94, and often get between 40 and 60 ski days in every year.

“There are a lot of really good people, and good skiers, in the group,” Vernice said. “We are healthy, active, and believe in having fun.”

The Schweitzer Prime Timers embrace life, focusing on what they can do rather than on what they cannot do. Instead of talking about aches and pains, they discuss which chairlift to get on, which run they plan on attacking first, weather conditions, and of course, the quality of the snow. In between ski

runs, they meet for lunch, have wine and cheese parties, travel together to other ski resorts, host monthly birthday celebrations at various restaurants in town, have games with prizes, and get together for picnics in the summer and the fall to talk about the upcoming winter and the glorious flying of the snow.

If you want to spend some quality time with like-minded seniors intent on being on top of the hill rather than over the hill, you can join the Schweitzer Prime Timers for a yearly fee of $35. “We are a social group of exceptional seniors who eat, drink, ski, and be merry,” Vernice said.

“The yearly fee, $35, helps support our activities and pays for snacks. We meet every Thursday at the Lakeview Lodge between 1 and 3 o’clock.”

See: www.SchweitzerPrimeTimers.org

Top: Ed Bittner and Sharon Oldfield make fresh tracks at Schweitzer. Above right: Larry West, and a happy day skiing. PHOTOGRAPHER DIG CHRISMER

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Angela Dail : : In your face

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Linda Lantzy : : Chasing the winter sun

Adam Caira : : Fat tire fun

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WINTER Don Otis: : Snow shadows

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R E A L E S TAT E

local

living

THE

Real

No matter what life you want to live, Sandpoint has it all. Here, five families share with us the ups and downs of living in the woods, on the farm, at the lake, on the slopes or right in the heart of town. Live like a local, in whatever style you desire!

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OF MEARNS FAMILY

FIFTEEN MINUTES to MILK

The Mearns’ mountaintop escape. PHOTO COURTESY

R R EE A A LL EE SS T TA AT T EE

by Trish Gannon

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ear the top of Mearns Mountain (app. 2,306 ft., unnamed on maps), Craig and Audra Mearns built their dream mountain escape back in 2002 with one major attribute in mind: privacy that would allow them to live in peace and quiet. But there were other criteria in their choice as well. Craig, a local builder, and Audra, a teacher at Forrest M. Bird Charter School, had first moved to Sandpoint in the early ‘90s and used what they knew of the area to refine their choice. “I researched every property available I could find that was no more than a short drive to town, with no railroad tracks to cross,” Audra said. They found the perfect parcel north of Sandpoint off Meadowlark Lane, five acres with a little over one mile of private “driveway.”

They built a 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom home and raised their three children there, “just 15 minutes from milk and bread,” said Audra.

Their home fulfilled their dreams. “We can go camping in our own yard,” Audra said, “and we didn’t have to worry about disturbing neighbors if the kids got loud. It’s an introvert’s dream,” she added. “After being around people all day, it’s a place to get away from it all.”

The biggest drawback to mountain living in North Idaho, Audra said, is fire. “That’s the scary thing.” So in Mearns’ fashion, they prepared. Their home has concrete siding, they have cleared the property around the house, and there are two man-made ponds making water available for firefighting.

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In North Idaho forests, wildlife is a thing.

“We once had a coyote chase our cat all the way to the front door,” said Audra. But a family dog generally keeps most wildlife away. And a 10-foot fence keeps the ungulates out of the garden.

Craig, Audra and their three children.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEARNS FAMILY

The Scorecard

WoodsLiving

Their home fulfilled their dreams. “We can go camping in our own yard,” Audra said, “and we didn’t have to worry about disturbing neighbors if the kids got loud. It’s an introvert’s dream,” she added. “After being around people all day, it’s a place to get away from it all.”

PROS: Peace and quiet; views; privacy.

CONS: Fire danger; required maintenance (plowing, cutting firewood) can be difficult when you get older; getting people to come visit: “The length of the road scares them,” said Audra.

WILDLIFE: Bear, moose, elk, deer, coyotes, hawks, raccoons and more.

TECHNOLOGY: Great cell service, and internet available via satellite.

ADVICE TO OTHERS: Be smart; make sure you have the tools you need.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Mearns’ property is for sale. Children raised, they plan to live on another mountaintop in a much smaller home.

born of the earth Our dwellings take their shape from the sheltering forests of this region, created by the hearts and hands of our community-minded craftsmen.

www.collinbeggs.com Sandpoint, idaho 208.290.8120

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‘LESS IS MORE’

by Beth Hawkins

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The 2,800-square-foot, Cape Cod-style home continues to attract the grandkids. “It’s like heaven for them; they’re over a lot.”

The Scorecard

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AT THE LAKE

hen you think of waterfront homes on Lake Pend Oreille, oftentimes what comes to mind are the megamansions dominating more and more of the shoreline. But when Ben and Rhonda Tate built their lakefront home in Kootenai 15 years ago, they shied away from the idea of building a large home that would need to be heated, cooled and cleaned. “We didn’t want a trophy house,” Ben said.

“We just needed it big enough for our eight grandkids, and it is. It’s not a big, fancy house.”

In fact, the 2,800-square-foot, Cape Cod-style home (a modest size as far as waterfront goes) continues to attract the grandkids. “It’s like heaven for them; they’re over a lot.”

Besides being able to play on the lake with his family, Ben enjoys the home’s relatively close proximity to Sandpoint. He rides his bike most days to work (the couple owns downtown’s Finan McDonald retail store), utilizing the new bike trails between Kootenai and Sandpoint.

“The commute is pretty easy,” Ben said. “I’m careful out there, but the trails make it a lot less hairy.”

Considering that he’s not a fan of the “unsightly, energy-sucking monster homes” on the lake, it’s no surprise the Tates are considering adding solar energy options to their south-facing home. In that same vein of environmental stewardship, Ben praises county planners for keeping impervious surfaces to a minimum along the lake’s shoreline.

“It was a hassle while building, but it’s sensible,” he said. And his advice to others building on the lake, not surprisingly, is this: “Less is more.”

The home’s southern exposure plays a factor in keeping winter snow at lower levels than most other areas in the county, said Ben, but added windstorms on the lake can be a bear. “The southwest winds hammer us pretty badly,” he said.

But in the end, Ben realizes his good fortune in living in such a remarkable place. “I have no complaints. I feel pretty lucky.”

PROS: The serenity and the light; “Winter’s the best time to see sunrises and sunsets;” can’t hear the trains.

CONS: Windstorms; privacy in the summer, although Ben said he’s not bothered by the boats.

WILDLIFE: Moose, deer and coyotes.

TECHNOLOGY: “We don’t have fiber yet, but it’s coming. We’re on the list.”

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WORK, PLAY, SLEEP - AT SCHWEITZER by Beth Hawkins

F Mari Bolton in front of her apartment at Schweitzer. Below: It’s all about the slopes.

The Scorecard

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or the past four years, Mari Bolton (“Mari-Safari” to friends and co-workers) has lived where she works: Schweitzer Mountain Resort. While most of her co-workers head back down the hill at the end of their shift, Bolton—supervisor of the Events crew at Schweitzer—makes a quick dash home right on the mountain.

Bolton, 24, currently lives in a rental apartment at Schweitzer, and previously rented a home and also a condo at Schweitzer. “I briefly lived in Sandpoint at one point, but came back up.” She loves living close to the outdoor action, no matter the season. “The summer trail access is amazing; the bike trails are fantastic,” she said. “It’s the ultimate outdoor recreation spot.”

And in the winters she appreciates being able to snowboard and ski right outside her door when she isn’t busy working. “We have some weird hours in the Events department, so it’s nice to go home and sleep before heading back out,” she said.

“It makes a big difference, especially battling the elements. Plus, I don’t always have to buy food.”

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Bolton said living at the resort is “a totally different world” from where she grew up living on the outskirts of a major metropolitan city. “In Baltimore, it was all about how much money you made and the social scene,” Bolton said.

“Here you can be who you are, and it’s cool to be part of the outdoorsy crowd.”

If she were to offer up some nuggets of advice for someone considering a move to Schweitzer, Bolton would tell them to learn about the community and get to know their neighbors before making a commitment on where to settle down. Oh, and one more thing: “Get a ski pass or work part-time to get a pass. So that even if it’s a rainy day you can make one run—it’s worth it!”

PROS: Access to outdoor recreation; close to work; more time to read books and go outside.

CONS: Limited access to groceries; can’t get food at certain times, although the resort is good about keeping a restaurant open during the shoulder seasons.

WILDLIFE: Moose and bear, mostly in the summer. In winter, coyotes, and, “I’ve heard of mountain lion sightings.”

TECHNOLOGY: “Currently I don’t have internet service so I go to Schweitzer Village or use a hotspot on my phone. Wi-Fi is everywhere these days!”

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CONNECTION

TO THINGS GOING ON IN TOWN

by Beth Hawkins

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hen Duke and Kim Diercks moved to Sandpoint about 17 years ago, they had three young sons in tow. The couple knew they wanted to live in town, and Kim’s co-worker at the time owned a home in South Sandpoint. “The previous owner thought we belonged in that big ol’ house,” Duke Diercks said. “So we just sort of stumbled into it.”

The family has lived there ever since, and the close-in proximity to work and school fits nicely into their busy lifestyle. “The location is awesome,” Duke said. “That’s really the deal. All the events are within walking distance, and you feel a connection to things going on.” The couple walks or rides their bike to their offices: Duke works at Kochava, and Kim works at Columbia Bank.

The “big ol’ house” is a 2,300-square-foot Queen Anne style home built in 1906, and it has housed a variety of occupants over its 100-plus years. Relics of its past include an “Apartments” sign that has since been moved to the backyard (after too many folks stopped to inquire at the front door), and Duke also has heard stories from passersby about the home being a boarding house and possibly a nursing home.

The charm of their historical home ends at their pocketbook, however: “It’s a money pit,” he said. “We heat the neighborhood.” Their immoderate electric bill even catches the power com-

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“The location is awesome,” Duke said. “That’s really the deal. All the events are within walking distance, and you feel a connection to things going on.”

The Scorecard

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pany’s attention. “We get regular notices asking if we might have a leak. We just throw them away.”

On a positive note, winter maintenance in town is likely easier in comparison to rural residences. “The snowplowing is done … when the city decides to do it,” Duke said. “Snowblowing our sidewalks is the biggest issue, keeping them clear.” The issue of sidewalks in general is a sore subject with Duke, having spent thousands of dollars on sidewalk improvements as the city and homeowners have struggled with the issue over the years. “My comment for the city would be to make the sidewalk policy equitable.” He chronicles some of the sidewalk drama in his book “Small Town Ho”—a humorous and “salty” view of moving his family from the big city of Houston to Sandpoint.

Now that their sons are nearly grown, Duke and Kim envision a more carefree future dwelling for themselves. “We are terrible homeowners, so our dream is a small furnished apartment with a landlord who can take care of everything … something with no lawns and no sidewalks.”

PROS: In-town location for an easy commute to work and events; “You’ve got to love having the streets plowed for you every morning!”

CONS: In-laws built a house across the street; the house might be haunted.

WILDLIFE: Just moose and the occasional skunk.

TECHNOLOGY: Great cell and internet service, fiber optic coming soon.

ADVICE TO OTHERS: “Take advantage of the convenience by getting out of the car and walking or biking where you want to go.”

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THERE’S A REAL

COMMUNITY HERE

on a Hobby Farm

by Trish Gannon

I

t was serendipity, pure and simple, that led Bill and Marianne Love to purchase their dream home, a hobby farm located in the heart of the Selle Valley, back in 2006. Their entire married life— almost 30 years—had been spent on a similar farm on Great Northern Road just outside of Sandpoint, but continued industrial growth had put a pinch on that lifestyle. Ongoing expansion of Quest Aircraft, which bordered their property, combined with the chance discovery of an acquaintance’s sale of Selle Valley property, allowed the retirees to pull up their substantial

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Sandpoint roots for a transplant north of town.

The 20-acre parcel, only an eighth of a mile from paved roads, with its three-bedroom farmhouse and four outbuildings, seemed made-toorder. There was 10 acres of forest for Bill, a former forester with Idaho Department of Lands, and 10 acres of pasture to accommodate former teacher Marianne’s lifelong connection to horses—her family owns Tibbs Arabians. “We only spent about 30 minutes looking at the house,” laughed Bill. “Most of our time was spent looking at the land.”

Their first purchase was a fourwheeler, needed for hauling hay and firewood, followed quickly by a tractor. Electric fences were replaced with wood, and Marianne’s horses now graze the former goat pastures.

Bill spends most days clearing and managing his own forest after a lifetime spent advising others how to do so. A magnificent lodgepole pine, which Marianne named “the God tree,” became a focal point for visitors who are inducted into the “lodgepole society,” and Marianne faithfully documents the everyday life of her new community in her daily

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Facing page: Marianne’s view while atop Lily. Above left: Marianne and Bill outside their home. Above right: Bill plays with the border collies. LOVE FAMILY PHOTOS

The Scorecard

blog, Slight Detour (www.slightdetour.blogspot.com).

“This is how we were raised,” explained Marianne.

“The neighbors don’t socialize much, but they’re all right there when someone needs something. People keep track of what’s going on in the neighborhood.”

There are drawbacks to the small farm lifestyle; the biggest, said Marianne, is being tied to the farm.

Animals and gardens require daily attention, so leaving for more than a day requires planning—and someone to come in and do the chores. Bill added there is no “economy of scale” in a small farm. “It’s a way to spend a lot of money,” he said. “You do it because you love the lifestyle, not to make money at it.”

Other drawbacks are those who think living on a small farm means it’s okay to let their dogs freely roam the neighborhood. But that pales in relationship to the benefits. “It’s so amazing to see the stars,” said Bill, who added that light pollution, even in Sandpoint, dims the true magnificence of our night sky. And there are all kinds of wildlife, from deer and moose to wild turkeys and pine squirrels.

“On any given day there’s some kind of adventure going on here,” said Marianne. “It’s never boring.”

FARMLiving

PROS: Community feeling, room for animals, the night sky.

CONS: Demanding of time: “You never get caught up on work,” said Marianne; living on a farm can be expensive.

WILDLIFE: Deer, moose, bear (not often), wild turkeys, squirrels and lots of birds.

TECHNOLOGY: Can be spotty, but available; must keep satellite dish (for internet) free of snow in winter.

ADVICE TO OTHERS: “Don’t buy the last house on a road—they have to do the most plowing,” said Bill. Also, “Don’t buy a piece of property until you’ve seen it during spring break-up.”

Hope you’re sitting in the new Lodge and enjoying the view with a brew, while reading this!

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THE BULL MOOSE A GOLDEN BEAR

Idaho Club takes flight under new ownership

by Mary TerraBerns

few years ago a bull moose met with a golden bear on the banks of the Pack River at the old Hidden Lakes golf course and the two mixed it up. When the dust settled, the old golf course was no more and a new Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the only one in Idaho, was born and named The Idaho Club. Of course, the Golden Bear (aka Jack Nicklaus) moved on to other territories and habitats, but the bull moose put down roots and went on to symbolize The Idaho Club.

Through the years, both the course and the development have undergone a series of changes, most significantly in 2006 when new owner Chuck Reeves brought in golfing legend Nicklaus to redesign the course. Unfortunately, the moose got tangled up in some wicked economic fencing shortly after opening as The Idaho Club. Problems plagued the development: a fire destroyed the

clubhouse in 2008; the major lienholder, R.E. Loans, filed bankruptcy in 2009; and in 2014 the development went to auction for unpaid taxes.

Recognizing the uniqueness of the property, Valiant Idaho, LLC entered the picture, and began to untangle the mess.

Valiant Idaho’s owners Ken Clark, Brian Kramer and managing partner Bill Haberman appreciated that club members kept the course in good condition, which helped in the process of reenergizing The Idaho Club and preserving Chuck Reeves’ vision—a unique, top-quality golf course with a family atmosphere, that is surrounded by an incredibly beautiful, natural setting.

The course itself is one of the top five toughest courses in the country, according to general manager Randi Fischer. “There are 11 holes on the river side and seven on the Moose Mountain side and they are all tough.

With water or vegetation, or both, on

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either side, you want to keep your ball going as straight as you can.”

However, the course invites everyone, not only experts.

Many of the on-site homeowners are out on the course honing their skills regularly, but you can also find the general public there. Last May the club hosted the Sandpoint High School Invitational, and the Rotary Club of Sandpoint held their scramble on a bluebird day last July. And in May 2018 there will again be a flock of young people from around the state out on the greens participating in the 4A state golf tournament.

Construction is slated to begin on the new clubhouse, which will be built on the foundation of the beautiful original clubhouse, in the summer of 2018. The “modern mountain” design will include several amenities for members in addition to the opento-all pro shop and restaurant.

Ten minutes east of the golf course is the Lake Club, situated S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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Sales restart at area’s signature golf course Quiet, mountain-style living combined with access to one of the most unique, semi-private golf courses in Idaho has made The Idaho Club a desired property in the region. Now, with new ownership firmly at the helm, lots at the site are again being offered for sale.

In an agreement with listing agents Richard Curtis and Carrie LaGrace at Tomlinson-Sotheby’s International Realty, over 80 pre-platted, bare lots are ready to purchase from Valiant Idaho, LLC. Bordered by forest land and a wildlife refuge, these homesites offer a wild, pristine lifestyle uniquely paired with the amenities of the world-class, Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.

A wide variety of lot sizes and types are available, including view locations on Moose Mountain, waterfront property along the Pack River, and lots near the clubhouse, scheduled for (re)construction

in the spring of 2018. Sizes range up to five acres. And through the end of 2017, there are no additional fees added for water and sewer hookups.

Lots near the clubhouse, Curtis said, “are the only lots that can be used as a daily or weekly vacation rental. It’s a great way for a builder to offset their costs.”

In addition, four new luxury homes under construction by Idagon will be available, along with reservations for 10 waterfront lots at the Club’s Trestle Creek property. A $10,000 deposit is required to reserve a waterfront lot on Lake Pend Oreille. “We are taking reservations now for release next summer,” LaGrace said. “The lot choices are on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

“The course is in great shape,” said Curtis, “and right now is a great time to buy.” And not just bare land. As of the fall of 2017, membership dues are at an all- time low of $3,500, plus $600 per month. Membership, as they say, has its privileges, and the pair point out that the fitness center and spa, along with the Lake Club at Trestle Creek, are members-only amenities.

See: www.TheIdahoClub.com

next to Trestle Creek. Instead of fairways and putting greens, the focus here is time on the water and maybe catching one of Lake Pend Oreille’s resident rainbow trout. If you bogie on the trout there will be other catches at the members-only lakeside grill and bar.

With The Idaho Club out of the rough, maybe the next Golden Bear will be a bull moose from North Idaho.

Renderings of the Lake Club at Trestle Creek, and the new Idaho Club clubhouse to be built in 2018.

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R R EE A A LL EE SS T TA AT T EE

MOUNTAIN TOWN

Can the average person afford to live here?

I

by Cate Huisman

t’s easy to talk about Bonner County in superlatives. We all hear about that Long Bridge moment, when people were heading home from a weekend in Sandpoint and decided instead to turn around and try to make a life here. Something about the mountains or the lake, the skiing or the fishing, the arts scene or farmer’s market made them take a U-turn in Sagle. It seemed like a

great place to raise a family.

And it’s getting easier to get a job than it has been for a while.

Unemployment, which spiked in 2010 at close to 13 percent in Bonner County, had dropped to 5.2 percent in 2016 and stood at just 4.1 percent in August of 2017.

But finding a home here?

That picture is not so encouraging. To say that Bonner County incomes haven’t kept up with

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Bonner County home prices is an extreme understatement. Twenty years ago, the average cost of a new home in Sandpoint was around $100,000. Now it’s around $289,000. The median income, meanwhile, has not kept pace.

Twenty years ago the median income in Bonner County was $30,311. In 2016, the latest year for which figures are available, it was $42,784.

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R E A L E S TAT E Wages have gone up by 41 percent. Housing prices have gone up by 189 percent.

These trends are eating away at the middle class nationwide, but they are magnified here. The quintessential example continues to be in the timber industry: Since 2006, more than 650 logging and milling jobs have been lost in the county. We have a more diversified economy than many other resource-extraction communities that have little left other than their lovely settings. But even so, many of the jobs that have been created here since the resources were extracted have been primarily in services to the county’s growing population and to tourists.

Retail clerks have a median wage of $11.50 an hour, and restaurant cooks $11.25. Sawmill workers, meanwhile, have a median wage of $15.70, and millwrights come in at $21.26.

Idaho’s home prices are a bargain relative to prices in

Bonner County

Idaho

2016 Median Household Income

$42,784

$48,275

2016 Median Home Price

$228,681

$176,300

other areas of the West, but Bonner County’s are significantly higher than the average in Idaho, while the county’s median income is less.

Obviously, it’s not local wages that are driving up the cost of homes; other forces are at work.

The big one is our beautiful setting. Many who come are retirees: the county’s population of people over 65 has grown by 97 percent in the past 15 years; that is, it’s almost doubled. These people often have built equity and then sold homes in more expensive markets, so they are able to offer more for houses than locals can, driving up the cost. In addition, hundreds of people have bought second homes here, removing housing from the inventory of homes available to people who live and work here year-round. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated nearly a quarter of the homes owned in Bonner County were second homes. From 2011 to this past summer, the number of homes for sale in Bonner County fell from just over 900 to barely 500.

According to Chris Bassett, executive director of Bonner Community Housing Agency, housing costs ideally should be no more than 30 percent of household income—otherwise, household members will have a hard time affording food, clothing, healthcare, transportation, and other things they need. Thirty percent of that $42,784 median income means there’s $1,070 for

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aT t eEE R A SSsT R EER AeLLa lEEE TtA A T housing, and that’s not enough to buy that $235,000 median-priced house.

Enter the renter. When people who study these things talk about livable communities and functioning economies, they commonly refer to “teachers and firefighters”—the hardworking, middle-income servants of a community—as those for whom housing costs must be reasonable if a local economy is to work. Our middle-income workers also include many working for the major employers outside the service industry that we’ve been able to attract or retain, such as those at Litehouse Foods and Unicep Packaging and at aerospace-related employers such as Tamarack and Quest. Our hospital, school districts, and city and county governments also provide living-wage jobs for workers in a reasonable housing environment.

But our housing environment is not reasonable. These workers not only can’t buy a house, they can’t even rent one—that cost is $1,200 to $1,500 per month. Teachers and firefighters and others who earn around the median wage are able to pay market-rate rent here for a two-bedroom apartment, which is $750-$850. The problem is, almost all such units in town are already taken: the vacancy rate for rentals currently in Sandpoint is just 2 to 3 percent.

One apartment manager describes the units as being “all full at all times.”

“I hear from major employers in town that housing is a huge concern,” said Aaron Qualls, planning and economic director for the city of Sandpoint.

Another problem arises when the definition of median is considered—it’s half way from the bottom to the top of the salary scale. That means half of all workers in Bonner County earn less than the median. United Way of America calculates that a barebones survival budget for a family in Bonner County would need to include $689 a month for housing, but “You can’t get much for that in Bonner County,” said Ned Brandenberger, who owns Sandpoint Property Management. That retail clerk making $11.50 an hour has even less for housing—30 percent of this annual wage comes out to just $575 for monthly housing costs.

We are well on our way to being a community that working people cannot afford to live in, and in which even people with “good jobs” can’t afford to own a home.

Already a large portion of our workforce has disappeared as younger people have left. “There are 6,013 missing millennials that moved away,” said Sam Wolkenhauer of the Idaho Department of Labor. “There is no county in Idaho that is this large and this old.

You have a consumer base for services, but you don’t have the labor force to support it.” (See “Missing Millennials on page 72.)

What to do? Some efforts are already in place.

Federal programs provide housing support to those earning less

IF NOT NOW...WHEN IF NOT HERE...WHERE

For more information on the Idaho Club lots and Home Land Packages or for a private tour please give our team a call. 888-852-2099 Rich Curtis 208.290.2895 Richard.Curtis@sothebysrealty.com

Carrie LaGrace 208.290.1965 carrie.lagrace@sothebysrealty.com

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» Sandpoint has reduced lot sizes to allow for greater density.

From an anonymous apartment manager: “There aren’t enough apartments. It’s horrifying. I have people come in on a daily basis in tears because they have to live in their cars.”

than 80 percent of the median. Haydenbased developer Whitewater Creek has built the Milltown Apartments in Sandpoint to take advantage of this market. Whitewater is already working on two more apartment complexes with 72 more units, but most of these units are already spoken for, even though they’re not built yet. And “For every applicant I get within [our] parameters, I’ve got a person that’s come in that makes too much,” said Sue Runyon, property manager.

BCHA has helped 11 families purchase

homes in Bonner and Boundary counties by providing help with the down payment and closing costs. As of this winter, it is expanding its scope: “We are in the process of starting to purchase homes and convert them to rental homes at market-based rents,” said Bassett. They hope to complete the conversion of four rental homes in 2018. They are just starting to address a very large problem.

The city of Sandpoint prepared a housing assessment a decade ago that made it evident that the price of housing then available was rapidly becoming unaffordable for its working citizens. But after the Great Recession began a year later, housing prices fell, and the matter became less urgent. City planners considered the recession a welcome breather rather than a permanent change, and they took advantage of the lull to make changes to zoning codes that allow for smaller lots, more multifamily housing, and “auxiliary dwelling units” that allow for a second, smaller dwelling on a single residential lot—the mother-in-law apartment over the garage.

As a result, some smaller, denser housing has been developed in the past decade,

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From left, properties on Spruce and Main; the Milltown apartments; and duplexes on Chestnut in downtown Sandpoint.

and it is available now at lower costs.

But as the renter crunch demonstrates, all these efforts together have not kept up with demand. Brandenberger encourages people to invest in rental housing. “It’s a solid investment,” he points out. The market is there, and with zoning encouraging more housing on smaller plots of land, costs to build each unit go down.

Raphael Barta, a broker at Century 21 Riverstone in Sandpoint, is actively looking for land on which to develop housing for the

workers he knows are out there who just need a place to move into.

Maybe these initiatives will be sufficient, and over time, we’ll have enough housing for our teachers and firefighters and aerospace workers. But other communities in the West have addressed rising housing costs more aggressively, with combinations of zoning policies, government incentives, public-private partnerships, and community land trusts. The city’s 2007 assessment contained several ideas of this sort, includ-

(208) 265-5406

ing workforce housing targets and employer initiatives, but action on them has been sluggish. So far, an unofficial, informal group of collaborators in the county has formed a subcommittee to revisit the 2007 assessment and update it.

Let’s hope that helps, because the stakes are higher now.

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R E A L E S TAT E

Second Home Buyers, Low Inventory Push Prices Higher

by Beth Hawkins

S

ellers, buyers, Realtors: it appears that everyone is happy with the Sandpoint-area real estate market these days. The number of sold listings in 2017, for the period April 20 through September 20, was a whopping 92 percent increase over the same period last year—representing 307 sold listings. This activity also nudged prices higher, to an average sales price of $338,669, a 9 percent increase over the previous year.

Terry Stevens, president of the Multiple Listing Service, has an explanation for the robust numbers: “I think there are several factors working here. The economy is more confident with jobs, interest rates, and bank financing, plus Sandpoint’s past exposure with different real estate publications made it a desirable place to locate or have a second home.”

In fact, it’s the second-home buyers who appear to be the likely drivers in our local real estate boom. “My experience is that people from other areas are forecasting their purchases upon their retirements, which may be out one to

four years,” Stevens said. “They’re taking advantage of the current sales prices, which have not kept up with the rest of the nation.”

“We are in a fantastic market,” said Cindy Hunter, president of the Selkirk Association of Realtors. “It’s a win-win. For the seller, inventory is low so they’re getting showings immediately and sometimes multiple offers. For the buyer, interest rates are low.”

Several specific categories were surprisingly low in comparison to 2016’s numbers— lakefront and vacant land. “The decrease in lakefront is probably a lack of inventory,” Stevens said. Lakefront sales dropped 38 percent compared to 2016. “I’m sure that the auction sales at Priest Lake focused buyers in either that direction, or they have a waitand-see attitude toward the pricing on sales around Lake Pend Oreille.”

As for vacant land in Bonner County, down 17 percent from the previous year, Hunter said there are two problems going on: “We have contractors who are a year out. And typically in a construction loan, the banks want the house

done in 12 months,” she said. “The other problem is the cost of building supplies. With Florida and Texas, and all the rebuilding from natural disasters, people are a little bit leery. Building costs have gone up substantially. We’re still seeing sales, but for someone wanting to buy land that’s wrapped into a construction loan, it’s a little bit discouraging.”

Stevens and Hunter both predict the hot real estate market to continue through winter, although local impacts appear to be a mixed bag: “It is hard to determine yet, but the addition of a couple of large employers and also the move of a couple of other employers is an unknown at this point. The current tax legislation proposals could also have an effect on future sales.” Nationally, concern turns to what the Federal Reserve will do with interest rates; and global events can also have either a positive or negative impact, depending on their outcomes.

Multiple natural disasters across the U.S.may send more buyers to North Idaho.

Although fire is always a concern here, this area is seen as relatively safe.

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aT tTeEE R R EERA AeLLa lEEESSsT TtA A

Selkirk Multiple Listing Service Real Estate Market Trends Vacant Land—Bonner County

residential sales—All Areas 2016

2017

Sold Listings

640

505

Volume - Sold Listings

$145,302,790

$155,050,311

Median Price

$239,000

$260,000

Average Sales Price

$288,872

$307,030

Average Days on Market

136

121

% Inc/Decr

2016

2017

% Inc/Decr

Sold Listings

216

180

-17

7

Volume - Sold Listings

$17,713,940

$16,206,360

-9

9

Median Price

$60,000

$63,000

5

6

Average Sales Price

$82,008

$90,035

10

Average Days on Market

240

232

-3

-21

-11

Residential Sales—Schweitzer

Sandpoint City 2016

2017

% Inc/Decr

2016

2017

% Inc/Decr

Sold Listings

78

102

31

Sold Listings

11

20

82

Volume - Sold Listings

$19,732,601

$29,510,716

50

Volume - Sold Listings

$2,835,000

$6,764,700

139

Median Price

$220,895

$255,000

15

Median Price

$260,000

$300,000

15

Average Sales Price

$252,982

$289,320

14

Average Sales Price

$257,727

$338,235

31

-13

Average Days on Market

183

164

-10

Average Days on Market

120

104

Residential Sales—All Lakefront

Sandpoint Area 2016 Sold Listings Volume - Sold Listings

2017

160

307

$49,895,112

$103,951,571

92 108

Median Price

$275,000

$280,000

2

Average Sales Price

$311,844

$338,669

9

Average Days on Market

136

119

2016

2017

Sold Listings

76

47

-38

Volume - Sold Listings

$38,729,578

$26,278,765

.32

Median Price

$445,000

$506,604

14

% Inc/Decr

-13

% Inc/Decr

Average Sales Price

$509,599

$559,122

10

Average Days on Market

127

104

-18

Residential sales by area based on information from the Selkirk MLS© for the period of April 20, 2016, to September 20, 2016, versus April 20, 2017, to September 20, 2017.

Real estate stats for Bonner and Boundary counties. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

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& Natives and Newcomers Natives

I

f you live in Sandpoint, it’s likely one of the reasons you live here is the landscape, and the recreation it provides. That’s certainly true of both our natives and our newcomers this issue.

Here are two natives who, while separated by almost five decades in age, learned to love Sandpoint as children and kept that love throughout the years. One left and came back, while the other has always been here.

Our two newcomers had plenty of opportunity to get to know Sandpoint and its recreational opportunities before they moved here permanantly; enough, in fact, that they couldn’t stay away!

Natives

Story and photos by

Marianne Love job shadow him for a day. Fast forward: Jim encouraged me to go to dental school and move home. So, I’m now trying to inspire my patients to see who will be next to carry on the dental school tradition and practice in Sandpoint.

Did you ever dream of leaving the area?

I always knew I would come back home.

I was lucky to get to live in Boise, New York (in Manhattan) and Portland, but I love being home.

Amanda Caswell-Burt, DDS

A

manda Caswell-Burt, DDS spent several years away from Sandpoint, pursuing higher education at Boise State, New York University and Oregon Health and Science University.

In 2017, her dream to return as a dentist became a reality when she opened Sandpoint Kids Dentistry.

With generations of locals on her side of the family as well as her husband’s, Caswell-Burt can list an endless stream of connections with residents and area history. Her great-great grandparents homesteaded in Heron, while her greatgrandma Grace owned the Pines, (now Hoot Owl) and started the Green Owl Tavern near Priest River.

The 34-year-old Sandpoint High grad and mother of a 2-year-old daughter is married to Idaho Tile owner Josh Burt, whose local family roots trace to his great-grandparents.

Caswell-Burt says she’s happy to be home where she loves all things Sandpoint, especially outdoor activities like biking, boating, skiing, camping and hiking into mountain lakes.

“My family is the most important thing in my life (immediate and extended),” she said. “I love spending quality time with them. I have no plans to ever leave my hometown.”

Tell about a local you have admired.

Dr. Jim Miller, an SHS grad, returned to Sandpoint and purchased the practice of his childhood dentist, Dr. Gerald Madsen. As my childhood dentist, Dr. Miller always encouraged my brother and me to go into dentistry. When I applied to dental schools, Jim let me WINTER 2018

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Newcomers

What social events did you enjoy in your youth?

I always loved the [Bonner County] fair where we did 4-H. We always made sure we came home from college for Lost in the ‘50s. I also enjoyed attending the Festival [at Sandpoint] every year and loved the football games at Memorial Field (Go Bulldogs!).

Briefly describe Sandpoint to someone with no knowledge of the area.

A place where the locals usually don’t brag about it to out-of-towners in hopes of keeping it off the beaten path. It’s just that awesome.

What has been most difficult about living here?

I love it here. I don’t mind it being a small town. With Internet you can order just about anything you can’t get here. It’s a place that can be hard to move back. A lot of my classmates moved away after high school and can’t find a job in Sandpoint that would allow them to return home.

Talk about a memorable event you experienced here.

The crazy winter of 1996! We got so much snow that we could walk off the roof of our two-story house. We had so much fun with all the snow days being off from school, getting to ride snowmobiles downtown for transportation.

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&

Natives

Newcomers

Jean A. Martin

F

or 81-year-old Priest River resident Jean A. Martin, growing up in Sandpoint meant enjoying the outdoors with her parents, Harold and Martha Miller. The Millers fished commercially, sold whitefish, picked huckleberries, raised fish bait and competed in target shooting. Her dad, a mechanic, also owned a garage close to their home at 604 Jefferson, which meant “our family [four daughters] ate three meals a day together.”

Martin, a mother of three, views herself as a “free-range” kid who has “carried that over into my adult decisions—some right, some questionable.” She began downhill skiing the day Schweitzer opened in 1963 and eventually worked as a ski instructor.

When not working on construction projects, gardening or enjoying the solitude and serenity of her wooded acreage near Fox Creek, Martin still bags her buck every year and often shows up first in line to ski the slopes of Schweitzer.

Tell about a local you have admired.

My main passion was horses. Guy Hesselgesser, an old-time horse breaker, let me ride with him. He bought and sold enough horses that he kept a spare or two. Guy always let me drive his pick-up in the hay field, and trusted me to take care of his horses while he went to California for a couple of months each winter.

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Natives

Newcomers

Since Hesselgesser liked riding out to visit the Racicots on North Boyer, Fats and Ardis became friends too. There was nothing Ardis didn’t know about horses. I spent a lot of time with them, including hours going through their glossy magazines. We only had Ladies Home Journal at home.

Did you ever dream of leaving the area?

I left for Yellowstone the day after graduating from high school and met my first husband Bud there. We spent four to five years in New Mexico. He wanted to reenlist in the Air Force, but I told him I had to get back to Idaho, so we did.

What social events did you enjoy in your youth?

I loved the country dances at Oden and Sagle on Saturday nights. My second husband Jim and I went dancing every Saturday night for years.

Tell about a memorable event you experienced here.

After I took four group lessons [at Schweitzer] with Austrian ski instructor Werner Beck, he suggested I might like teaching. Lucille McPherson and I taught free housewives’ lessons on “Ladies Day,” men on another day, and the kids’ classes on weekends.

What has been most difficult about living here?

Waiting all those years for the bypass because narrow-minded business owners just knew Sandpoint would wither up and die if all that traffic didn’t pass right by their door.

Describe Sandpoint to someone with no knowledge of the area.

The lake situated with close mountains is a special treat. We have the best opportunities for recreation. I thought Schweitzer was the icing on the cake. When my first in-laws [from New Mexico] crossed the Long Bridge for the first time, Mrs. Ayers said, “Now, I know why Buddy didn’t come home.”

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Natives

Newcomers

Newcomers:

Jake Courtright

W

ashington Trust banker Jake Courtright, a native of Moses Lake, has enjoyed an almost lifelong connection to Sandpoint through skiing at Schweitzer. Courtright, 24, who enjoys skiing, mountain biking and water, now gets to live, work and play here.

He and his wife Annalise, whom he’s known since grade school, were married on top of Schweitzer last summer. They now live in Ponderay.

Jake graduated from Washington State University where he received a bachelor’s in finance. He serves as a universal banker at the Sandpoint branch, while Annalise works with the Schweitzer activities staff. The two recently acquired a golden retriever pup named Ron. A typical day for Courtright: getting up early, and “going for it the whole day, usually trying to do several sports/activities and then ending each day coming home to my little family.”

What do you do for recreation here?

Who was first local you met and what impact has this person had on you?

I met Nate Rench when we went through Washington Trust Bank’s new-hire orientation together. We quickly bonded over our love of the outdoors and the area and became pretty good friends. He introduced me to fly fishing and has shown me around the area enough that I’m not a total kook anymore.

Tell about your decision to settle here.

I grew up skiing here every winter and got tired of driving three hours each weekend in the winter, so I moved to the bottom of the mountain. I’d never been here in the summer and was blown away... I had no idea it was so beautiful! Spoiler alert! There’s more in Sandpoint than just Schweitzer.

Skiing at Schweitzer in the winter, and mountain biking and paddle boarding during the summer. It doesn’t matter where you go here; the area is so dang beautiful. Also, Chocolate Bear [on First Avenue] has the best huckleberry ice cream in the world, so I try to go there as often as I can!

What obstacles have you encountered since moving here?

Trains.

Tell folks back home about where you’ve moved.

Sandpoint is gorgeous and unique, but you can’t see as far as Moses Lake. It’s kind of claustrophobic not seeing 80 miles of sagebrush.

Michelle Dorman

A

fter visiting Sandpoint on several family trips, California natives Michelle Dorman, 43, and her husband Grant, owner of a land-surveying company, fell in love with the slower pace of the area. In 2016, the couple and their four children moved from San Luis Obispo to a farm in the Selle area.

When not working on farm projects, they’re often on the road, taking kids to youth group, 4-H, Boy Scouts, and winter and summer activities at Schweitzer or the lake.

“It has been an adventurous first year with ups and downs,” Dorman said. “We look forward to being part of the Sandpoint community for years to come.”

Tell about the first local you met and what impact that meeting had on you.

Jerry Schilling was and is a very helpful person, always willing to lend us a hand 120

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&

Natives

or answer our numerous questions about the area.

Tell about your decision to settle here.

While camping at Farragut State Park we decided to drive north to see what was up near Canada. We fell in love with Sandpoint because of its warm hospitality and beautiful lake, surrounded by the Selkirks, Cabinet and Monarch mountains.

Driving across the Long Bridge is such a wonderful marker to coming home.

Newcomers

Music under the stars, on the lake,

in Sandpoint, Idaho!

It’s the world class concert series in your own back yard.

FESTIVAL ATSANDPOINT THE

AUGUST 2 - 12, 2018

What do you do for recreation here?

We have enjoyed the four seasons this past year and discovering how each season offers its own type of recreational activities. We enjoyed skiing/snowboarding this past winter. Summertime has been full of discovering new places along Lake Pend Oreille, as well as hiking and doing a lot of work on our property.

What obstacles have you encountered since moving here?

Connecting with people where there are four true seasons can be difficult. It seems that spring and summer are such busy times of the year. The weather is beautiful so everyone, including us, is working hard to recover from winter and prepare for the winter to come. We do enjoy our lake days and being outside, but we are all busy and it has been hard to connect with people.

EARLY BIRD SEASON PASSES NOW ON SALE! Order online or call:

www.festivalatsandpoint.com or call: (208) 265-4554

Tell folks back home about where you’ve moved.

Hidden gem located on Lake Pend Oreille with surrounding mountains and a warm community of people.

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Natives

Newcomers

Clark Fork

Map © Terrapen Geographics

Map © TerraPen Geographics.|

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WINTER GUIDE

Winter Guide 2018 OUTDOORS

SKIING AND RIDING. Schweitzer Mountain Resort has 2,900 acres and features 92 trails and open bowl skiing just 11 miles from downtown Sandpoint. The mountain boasts 2,400 vertical feet. Nine lifts serve two open bowls, treed glades and three terrain parks. www.Schweitzer. com (208-263-9555). See story, page 65.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING. For maintained trails and consistent snow, visit 32 kilometers of groomed trails at Schweitzer (208-263-9555); 3 miles at Round Lake State Park (208-263-3489); or more than 12 kilometers at Farragut State Park (208-683-2425). Downtown, ski or snowshoe the 1.5 miles of flat lake shoreline alongside the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail just north of City Beach, or find 4 kilometers of groomed trails when conditions are favorable at the University of Idaho property on North Boyer Avenue.

Two ranches in the Selle Valley now offer groomed trails: Tauber Angus Farms (208255-8883) and Western Pleasure Guest Ranch (208-263-9066).

BACKCOUNTRY. Nearly unlimited

Accessing the frozen lake at Oden Bay. PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS

options exist on public lands surrounding Sandpoint up National Forest roads such as Roman Nose and Trestle Creek. Call the Sandpoint Ranger District (208-2635111) or the Bonners Ferry Ranger District (208-267-5561) for maps and current conditions, including avalanche advisories.

Call the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center toll-free at 866-489-8664. For a guided backcountry experience, take an excursion from Schweitzer via snowcat with Selkirk Powder or check out their new heli-skiing

Shopping

Downtown retailers are going all out in the Sandpoint Shopping District, where shoppers will discover a fine array of eclectic shops and galleries with clothing, art and gifts galore. www.DowntownSandpoint.com. Highlights include the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market with retailers such as Carousel Emporium and Huckleberry Depot, art, and food such as Cedar Street Bistro, all in a beautiful log structure spanning Sand Creek. www.

CedarStreetBridge.com (208-255-8360). Just down the street are First Avenue retailers such as Finan McDonald Clothing Company, Pedro’s, Zero Point Crystals and Northwest Handmade. Antiques abound at Foster’s Crossing, a mini mall with lots of collectibles, on Fifth between Cedar and Oak streets (208-263-5911); and MarketPlace Antiques & Gifts, open daily, at Fifth and Church (208-263-4444). Just out of town, Bonner Mall in Ponderay has many stores large and small and often hosts events; it’s on U.S. Highway 95 two miles north of Sandpoint (208-263-4272).

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opportunity (208-263-6959). See story, page 76. www.SandpointOnline.com/rec or www.fs.usda.gov/ipnf.

SLEIGH RIDES. Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, 16 miles northeast of Sandpoint on Upper Gold Creek Road, offers sleigh rides in a rural setting for groups and couples. www.WesternPleasureRanch.com (208-263-9066).

SNOWMOBILING. Snowcat trails around Sandpoint and Priest Lake in the Selkirk Mountains are renowned; for more information, contact Sandpoint Winter Riders, www.IdahoSnow.org (208-2630677) or Priest Lake Trails & Snowmobile Club (509-466-3331) or www.priestlake. org. For guided rides at Schweitzer, contact Selkirk Powder. www.SelkirkPowder. com (208-263-6959).

STATE PARKS. Three state parks are within close range to Sandpoint Farragut (208-683-2425), Round Lake (208-2633489) and Priest Lake (208-443-2200) with activities such as camping, crosscountry skiing trails and snowmobiling. www.parksandrecreation.idaho.gov.

WALKING. For cleared paths, try the Pedestrian Long Bridge alongside Highway 95 over Lake Pend Oreille; the paths along the Sand Creek Byway; Travers Park on West Pine Street; City Beach downtown; Sandpoint-Dover Community Trail along Highway 2 West; Lakeview Park, through and around the Kinnikinnick Native Plant S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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L

Strategically designed.

Results-driven.

L

Th e R E S T of the story

k e +o k e e M E D I A

Media + marketing.

M A R K E T I N G

the late afternoon PHOTO FIONA HICKS

We publish Sandpoint Magazine, the town portal SandpointOnline.com, and books as Keokee Books. Here’s the rest of the story. We also provide print + web design and development services for more than 300 regional companies and groups. Need marketing help? Call us!

>>

Get the whole story at www.keokee.com 208.263.3573 | keokee.com

or Personal

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“Providing Services to Adults with Disabilities since 1975”

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Perk up with informative articles on Sandpoint and the surrounding area.

For home delivery call (208) 263-9534 PanhandleSpecialNeeds.org www.bonnercountydailybee.com S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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Broomball in the late afternoon.

PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS

Society Arboretum; and overlooking Sand Creek at the Healing Garden next to Bonner General Health.

WILDLIFE REFUGE. Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, 30 miles north of Sandpoint near Bonners Ferry, has more than 2,700 acres and abundant wildlife and birds. Hiking trails to a waterfall and around a pond, auto tour routes. www.fws.gov/kootenai (208267-3888).

WATERLIFE DISCOVERY CENTER.

Open i ng

o

F ors

en t em ev hi

D

Morning Coffee…

124

There’s nothing like a game of Broomball in

208 263-7022

On Lakeshore Drive, the center offers interpretive trails and self-guided tours of fish habitat and an interpretive area on the Pend Oreille River. www.FishandGame.idaho.gov (208-769-1414).

FISHING. There’s great ice fishing on Lake Pend Oreille at the north end of the Long Bridge in front of Condo del Sol. Main prey is perch, though bass and trout are also caught. Ice fishing is also popular on smaller lakes: Cocolalla, Mirror, Gamlin, Shepherd, Round, Antelope and Priest. Lake Pend Oreille’s deep waters rarely freeze, and even in midwinter charter fishing boats pursue its trophy rainbow trout.

ICE SKATING AND SLEDDING. It takes several days of sustained, belowfreezing temperatures without too much snow, but when conditions are right, ice skaters flock to Third Avenue Pier, Sandpoint City Beach or Sand Creek below the Cedar Street Bridge. Round Lake State Park maintains both regular and speedskating rinks (208-263-3489). For sledding, Schweitzer offers Hermits Hollow Tubing Center (208-255-3081).

1424 N. Boyer Ave. WINTER 2018

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WINTER GUIDE

Sandpoint • Ponderay • Sagle • Priest River • Newport • Clark Fork • Hope

Indoors ART GALLERIES. Truly an arts town, Sandpoint has numerous galleries and artists’ studios. Downtown take a walking tour; on First Avenue check out ArtWorks, Cedar Glen Gallery/Ferrara Wildlife Photography, Hallans Gallery, and Hen’s Tooth Studio. Art lovers may also visit Pend Oreille Arts Council, 302 N. First Ave., and satellite gallery locations that host revolving art exhibits year-round: Banner Bank 605 N. 5th Ave; the Columbia Bank Community Plaza, 414 Church St; Dover City Hall, 651 Lakeshore Ave.; Edward Jones, 477100 Hwy. 95 in Ponderay; Farm Bureau, 302 Main St.; Monarch Mountain Coffee, 208 N. 4th; Mountain West Bank, 1323 Hwy. 2 in Sandpoint and 476655 in Ponderay; and Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union, 476864 Hwy. 95 N. Ste. D in Ponderay. www.

ArtinSandpoint.org (208-263-6139). At Schweitzer, the Artists’ Studio in the White Pine Lodge features local artists.

MUSEUMS. Enjoy many fine displays depicting old-time Bonner County at the Bonner County History Museum. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission on the first Saturday of the month year-round, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Located in Lakeview Park, 611 S. Ella. www.BonnerCountyHistory.org (208263-2344). Open other Saturdays only in summer.

The Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center was founded by Dr. Forrest Bird and wife Pam in 2007. See their impressive collection paying homage to their love of aviation and innovation. Located in Sagle about 17 miles southeast of Sandpoint off

www.SandpointReader.com

t n i o p d San

CHESTNUT

ELLA

SPRUCE

LARCH

MAIN

Providing Transportation between the Cities of Dover, Sandpoint, Ponderay and Kootenai.

Library

For schedules and contact information www. SeeSpotRoll.com

PINE

DIVISION

For live tracking of our buses, visit www.spotbus.org/Track-Bus

S P S elkirks -

BUS ROUTES ONTARIO Memorial Field

Y2 WINTER 2018

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City Beach

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After 5 crew telling work tales at MickDuff’s Beer Hall. PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA HICKS

Sagle Road on Bird Ranch Road. Open yearround, by appointment only in the winter, Monday through Friday, and from mid-May to Oct. 1 on Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free (donations welcomed). www.BirdAviationMuseum.com (208-255-4321).

MOVIES. The Bonner Mall Cinema is a six-plex theater inside the Bonner Mall on Highway 95, featuring new releases weekly (208-263-7147). The historic Panida Theater downtown at 300 N. First shows foreign and independent films, plus film festivals (208-263-9191).

ATHLETIC CLUBS. Greater Sandpoint has a plethora of opportunities, but the most comprehensive is Sandpoint West Athletic Club, 1905 W. Pine St., with a 25-meter indoor pool, courts, a weight room, group classes, and a sauna and spa. Open daily. www.SandpointWest.com (208-263-6633). See more on the Super Directory at www.SandpointOnline.com.

SPAS. Get pampered at Wildflower Day Spa, www.thewildflowerdayspa. com (208-263-1103); Solstice Wellness Spa at Schweitzer Mountain. www.

SolsticeWellBeing.com (208-263-2862); or

Highlands North Day Spa highlandsnorthdayspa.com (208-263-3211).

BREWERIES AND PUBS.

Downtown, see brewing in action at MickDuff’s Beer Hall, the production and tasting room, open daily at 220 Cedar St., (208-209-6700) or visit their family restaurant at 312 N. First. www.mickduffs. com (208-255-4351). For pubs that serve a lot of craft beers, try Eichardt’s Pub & Grill at 212 Cedar St. (208-263-4005) or Idaho Pour Authority at 203 Cedar St. (208-597-7096). Taste handcrafted ales at Laughing Dog Brewing in Ponderay; taproom is open at 805 Schweitzer Plaza Dr. 7 days a week from noon to 8 p.m. www.LaughingDogBrewing.com (208-263-9222).

WINERIES AND WINE BARS. The Pend d’Oreille Winery, Idaho’s Winery of the Year in 2003, features tours, wine tasting and a gift shop. Sun-Thur. 12 to 6 p.m. and 12 to 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 301 Cedar St. www.POWine.com (208-265-8545). Small House Winery is open Saturdays and by appointment at 1636 Baldy Park Dr. www.

SmallHouseWinery.com (208-290-2016).

Appliances, furniture, tools and more at discount prices!

YOUR DONATIONS HELP US BUILD AFFORDABLE HOMES! For more information call (208)265-5313

sandpointrestore.org

1519 Baldy Park Rd. Sandpoint, ID 83864

TO SCHEDULE A DONATION PICK-UP: CALL (208) 610-7737 126

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Lodging

WINTER GUIDE

Schweitzer’s Selkirk Lodge

Bar or Lounge

x

x

x

x

300

x

x

x

x

21

x

x

19

x

x

60

x

83

x

x

68

x

x

25

x

250

x

x

50

x

x

62

x

x

75

x

x

70

x

x

x

Downtown Sandpoint on the lake. Indoor pool, sauna, fitness room, hot tub. All rooms with lake view. Dine at Trinity at City Beach. Also 22-site RV park. www.BestWesternEdgewater.com

x

x

Providing an experience that makes each guest feel at home. Enjoy deluxe amenities and beautiful views. See ad page 62. www.cdacasino.com

x

x

Sandpoint’s luxury vacation home rentals, with properties on the lake and in the mountains. See ad, page 7. www.DM-Vacations.com

208-263-3194 or 800-635-2534

Coeur d’Alene Casino 800-523-2464

Daugherty Management 509-981-1469

Dover Bay Bungalows

x

x

Waterfront bungalows at Dover Bay in Marina Village. Fully furnished, lake and mountain views. Fitness center, marina, hiking/biking trails. See ad, page 96. www.DoverBayBungalows.com

x

208-263-5493

FairBridge Inn & Suites

Free breakfast with waffles, 24-hour hot tub, free wireless internet. Family suites. Schweitzer ski packages. At the base of Schweitzer Mountain, two miles from Lake Pend Oreille.

208-263-2210

Holiday Inn Express

x

The newest hotel in Greater Sandpoint. 100 percent smoke free. The Ponderay location is at the base of Schweitzer Mountain next to Sweet Lou’s. See ad, page 20. www.HIExpress.com

x

Downtown location, high-speed internet. Free breakfast, themed spa suites. Silverwood, ski and golf packages. Kids stay free. See ad, page 18. www.LQ.com

x

Accommodations for weddings, retreats and banquets. Lakeside with swimming and docks. Views of lake and mountains for an unforgettable Idaho vacation. See ad, page 29. www.LodgeAtSandpoint.com

x

x

Northern Quest Resort and Casino is the Inland Nortwest’s only AAA-Rated 4-Diamond Casino Resort.

Complimentary Wifi, Valet and overnight parking. See ad page 147. www.NorthernQuest.com

x

x

Fully furnished condos and on-site athletic club on Lake Pend Oreille.

Stay and play packages. See ad, page 124. www.POSResort.com

x

Indoor pool and hot tub. Close to downtown Sandpoint. 5th Avenue Restaurant and Mitzy’s Lounge on property. www.SandpointHotels.com

x

x

75 luxury homes and condos in Sandpoint and on the lake. First-class properties at affordable rates. Plan your perfect vacation. www.SandpointVacationRentals.com

x

x

Mountain accommodations, stay-and-play packages. Spectacular mountain and lake views.

Outdoor heated pool and hot tubs. See ad, page 148. www.Schweitzer.com

208-255-4500 / Fax 208-255-4502

La Quinta Inn

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

208-263-9581 or 800-282-0660

Lodge at Sandpoint 208-263-2211

Northern Quest Casino 877.871.6772

Pend Oreille Shores Resort 208-264-5828

Sandpoint Quality Inn

x

x

208-263-2111 or 866-519-7683

Sandpoint Vacation Rentals 208-263-7570 or 866-263-7570

Selkirk Lodge

x

x

208-265-0257 or 877-487-4643

Sleep’s Cabins

5

On beautiful Lakeshore Drive. Sleep’s Cabins consists of five log bungalows decorated with original furnishings and collectibles. See ad, page 26. www.SleepsCabins.com

x

208-255-2122 or 866-302-2122

Talus Rock Retreat

6

x

Twin Cedars Camping and Vacation Rentals 208-290-1910

8

x

White Pine Lodge

26

x

x

x

x

208-255-8458

208-265-0257 or 877-487-4643

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Twin Cedars Camping and Vacation Rentals

Meeting Rooms

Restaurant

Best Western Edgewater Resort

Kitchen

Pool on site

54

No. of Units

Spa or Sauna

Western Pleasure Guest Ranch

Owner-Managed vacation rental homes and camping cabin; RV sites on Lake Pend Oreille and Selle Valley; Yurt on beach (open year round). Horse/dog friendly. On Facebook and www.airbnb.com

x

x

x

x

x

Experience an extraordinary Idaho bed and breakfast escape. One mile from Sandpoint. See ad, page 77. www.TalusRockRetreat.com

x

New accommodations, stay-and-play packages. Spectacular mountain & lake views. Outdoor hot tubs, access to heated pool. www.Schweitzer.com

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Rick and Randy Evans expand business

“

by Beth Hawkins

I

n their daily quest to brew the perfect cup of coffee, Rick and Randy Evans—founders of Evans Brothers Coffee—have concocted something equally as heartwarming: a sense of community. That’s because as Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters continues to grow, the brothers both say it’s the people they encounter who continue to fuel their passion to build on their success.

PHOTO BY DOUG MARSHALL

“The opportunity for creating meaningful connections with The opportunity for creating meaningour customers, employees, ful connections with ourour customers, our the people we meet on our oriemployees, the people we meet on our gin trips, are really the best origin trips, are really the best part,” part,” said Rick Evans, 45, who said Rick Evans, 45, who heads up the heads up the company’s sales company’s sales and marketing efforts. and mar And Randy Evans, 43, who oversees the coffee production side of the business, agrees that it’s a special blend of people and place that meld into one unique success story. “We have a cohesive team, and we also try to improve and get better at what we do.”

Now, eight years after starting the business, and well esconsed with both roasting and cafe in their Granary District location at 524 Church Street, the Evans brothers are taking their brand of “coffee and community” southward. The brothers just opened a new coffee café in downtown Coeur d’Alene on bustling Sherman Avenue. They hired local Sandpoint building contractor Idagon to lend the space an urban industrial vibe, and the café features a bigger coffee bar than their Sandpoint location.

“Here in Sandpoint, we grew organically,” Rick said, whereas the new space in Coeur d’Alene provided a blank slate for creating a new feel. “We still want that sense of community, similar to what we’ve done here in Sandpoint, as well as brewing really amazing coffee.” They’ve hired “strong coffee people” for the new Coeur d’Alene café, where they will stick to preparing coffee while keeping the coffee roasting side of the business in Sandpoint.

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The brothers’ emphasis on people and community is not surprising, given the fact that Rick and Randy grew up in a military family and were constantly relocating from one place to the next. As adults, they lived in bigger cities while they fine-tuned their respective careers. Randy honed his coffee craft while living in Seattle and Hawaii, working in the coffee roasting business.

Meanwhile, Rick was specializing in sales and marketing at golf resorts and even the Four Seasons. Eventually, they were both ready to put down roots and moved to Sandpoint in 2008. “For both of us, moving around all the time as we grew up, Sandpoint is a place like no other place we’ve lived,” said Randy.

While the two cafés continue to draw in more customers, the company’s coffee roasting business is thriving. Wholesale coffee sales service around 75 accounts to date, including big names such as Schweitzer and Kootenai Medical Center.

Taking origin trips to Brazil, Colombia and other locales helps feed the coffee passion for Randy, who always wanted to “geek out” in the coffee world but is now forced to wear other hats for different aspects of running a business. He takes it all in stride. “It’s a sustainable growth, so it’s nice and steady.”

With all the changes that are happening in the here and now, where do the two envision themselves in ten years?

“I’d like to be a coffee company that’s nationally respected and makes a positive impact in our world,” said Rick. “And potentially adding another café … or so!”

Randy also shares the hope of being a nationally recognized company, but keeps his focus local.

“When you think of Sandpoint, you’ll check out Evans Brothers.” Or Coeur d’Alene, we might add!

For the record, what do the Evans brothers sip while at work? Randy prefers straight black coffee; Rick is smitten for a pour-over of a bright Kenya.

And now you know!

See: www.EvansBrothersCoffee.com S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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Eats& D r i n k s | w i t h B e t h H a w k i n s

LAKE VIEWS & GREAT BREWS at the Second Sweet Lou’s ... in CDA

A

nother local business, Sweet Lou’s in Ponderay, also expanded south to Coeur d’Alene. The one-year anniversary of their opening in downtown Coeur d’Alene is in late November, and according to Meggie and Chad Foust, who own the two restaurants, they have no regrets about their decision.

“When we were introduced to the space, the decision was made,” said Meggie, who grew up in Coeur d’Alene, and says their second restaurant allows her the perfect excuse to get down there more often to say hello to friends and family. “It is also the perfect distance from Sandpoint—not too close where we will compete with ourselves, but not too far to commute.”

When the Fousts first toured the building, they knew it was a great spot: across from McEuen Park, plenty of parking, a big deck and close to the Sherman strip. “As a

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1326 Baldy Mtn. Rd., Sandpoint, ID 83864 . www.MillersCountryStoreSandpoint.com 208-263-9446 130

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Eats &

DRINKS we love where it is, we love how it looks and how it feels. It is very much our style.”

While the Ponderay location features a full bar with liquor, the Coeur d’Alene restaurant serves just beer and wine. But it does feature twice the beer offerings with 32 varieties on tap; 16 of those taps are reserved for locally made brews. Business has been steadily building, and they noticed a big spike this past summer. “Coeur d’Alene has a much more drastic swing in the summer, with July, August and early September keeping us on our toes.”

So is it more difficult running two restaurants, or is it just a matter of doubling everything? “I would be lying if I said no,” Meggie said. “It can be frustrating not to be able to be two places at once.” They credit their management teams for keeping both locations running smoothly this past year during the transition. “Every business experiences growing pains. The good news is we get to work through them and keep pushing out great meals.”

See: www.SweetLousIdaho.com

family establishment, the location is ideal.

After we completely took it down to its bare bones we saw the view of Lake Coeur d’Alene and couldn’t be happier.”

Because the space was essentially a blank canvas, the Fousts were able to personalize the location. “This was the first time that we were very involved in the design of the restaurant—from the wall color to the kitchen layout. We provided input throughout the build. So not only do

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Beer Hall & Brewery

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TAKEOUT GOES FRESH AT JALAPENO’S RESTAURANT.

I

t’s 5 o’ clock somewhere, which means busy parents, noncooks and the like are thinking the same thought: What’s for dinner? In Sandpoint, the options for takeout are more abundant than one might believe—if you know where to look.

At Jalapeno’s, 314 N. Second Ave., takeout is an increasingly popular option for the Mexican restaurant, according to owner Dave Vermeer. “We do a lot of takeout, and the specialty burritos like the carne asada travel especially well.” Speedy service is a key factor in keeping customers happy. “We put a priority on sending things out hot and ready to go,” Vermeer said, explaining that while a call ahead is appreciated, especially on larger-sized orders, the restaurant welcomes impromptu stop-bys as well. Jalapeno’s also has a

take-away party menu featuring hot dishes in heavy duty aluminum foil pans, including enchiladas, homemade tamales, fajitas and even a taco bar that comes with all the fixin’s for tacos. For starters, try the new Juan-Tons—Jalapeno’s take on poppers with roasted serranos and cream cheese tucked into a wonton that’s deep fried and served with huckleberry sauce. Delicioso!

And don’t forget the chips and salsa—no doubt most Sandpoint folks have seen (and tasted) them at a party or two ‘round town.

The combo special comes with one pound of chips and eight ounces of salsa. The salsa is a coveted longtime restaurant recipe, and Jalapeno’s goes through about 50 gallons of it on a weekly basis. It would be safe to assume that Sandpoint loves salsa!

Rice crusts & soy cheese now available

“Out of this W orld” • Delivery • Sandwiches • Calzones • Specialty Salads • Homemade Dough • Beer/Wine • Take & Bakes

Soups ~ Sandwiches ~ Pies

502 Church Street • Sandpoint • 208-265-2208 132

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The Carolyn

215 S. 2nd Ave.

263-9321

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Eats Eats& DRINKS

DRINKS

Tasty food, great coffee & exceptional wines Full Service Coffee & Espresso Bar • Gourmet Grilled Sandwiches Fresh Salads • Stone Baked Pizzas • Grilled Wraps • Savory & Dessert Crepes • Handcrafted Gelato • Gluten-Free Options Wine Bar with Tapas Menu

Open 5-9pm Thursday - Saturday Live Music Friday & Saturday

Open 7am - 6pm | 208.265.4396 | www.cedarstbistro.com

Downtown Sandpoint on the Historic Cedar Street Bridge

PHOTOS FROM TOP: SUSHI FROM SHOGA, MEXICAN PIZZA FROM SECOND AVENUE PIZZA, KARI GORS HOLDING TAKEOUT AT JALAPENO’S.

Make the sushi fans in your family happy with takeout from Shoga Sushi Bar, 41 Lakeshore Dr. in Sagle. Choose from traditional rolls, signature rolls (try the Monarchs Roll, made with fresh salmon, avocado, cucumber, and green onion), a deep-fried roll, or an appetizer. And if someone in your group is not in the mood for sushi, try a takeout entrée such as the Beef and Broccoli, featuring tender pieces

sushi & Japanese cuisine open wed-sun

shogasushi.com//208 //208 265 2001 //

41 Lakeshore Drive, Sagle, Idaho 83860

Local * Natural * Delicious

Deli * Salad Bar * Bulk * Bakery Fresh Meat * Seafood * Dairy Grocery * Organic Produce Espresso * Supplements * Wine Kombucha * Health and Beauty 703 W Lake Street at Boyer St. www.WinterRidgeFoods.com 208-265-8135 WINTER 2018

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Eats &

Eats& D r i n k s | with Beth Hawkins

DRINKS

of beef stir-fried with broccoli, ginger, garlic and onions, and served over white rice.

There’s also a kid’s menu that offers kiddie rolls with choice of cucumber, avocado or crab with cream cheese (baby steps, right?).

Picky kids can eat, too, with two other kid’s menu choices of macaroni and cheese or chicken fingers with fries.

Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., is a Sandpoint icon with their self-proclaimed “Famous Addictive Caesar Salads.” Get the Wild Sockeye & Caesar to go, and enjoy the salmon either grilled, pub-smoked or blackened, on a bed of fresh greens.

Another excellent choice to bring home is the Turkey Ciabatta sandwich that’s topped with avocado, Swiss cheese, Wood’s bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions and sweet chili aioli on locally baked ciabatta bread. And since you’ll be eating this delicious meal in the confines of, perhaps, your own home— there’s no excuse not to place a to-go order of their legendary garlic and herb fries (available in a half-pint amount, or go full gusto with the regular size!).

Takeout in Sandpoint also includes the homemade goodness of take-and-bake casseroles from Miller’s Country Store, 1326

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Baldy Mountain Road. According to baker Kiyana Ruff, who makes all of the meals sold in the store, customers can choose from a ready-to-go, cook’s-choice casserole in the refrigerated section, or a wider selection in the freezer case that require a little bit of foresight as they’ll need to be thawed out.

“One of our most popular take-andbakes is the chicken noodle casserole,” said Ruff. “It’s really thick and creamy, made with marble cheese and a Ritz cracker buttery topping that has the crunch it needs.” She said another popular casserole is beef stroganoff. “We sauté onions, mushrooms and butter—good stuff!—and it’s made with sour cream and long strips of roast beef.”

Casseroles are sold in two sizes: the large feeds four to six people, and the small feeds two to three. And since you’re already at Miller’s picking up dinner, don’t forget breakfast the next morning! They sell their delicious sticky buns as a to-go item (they’re also sold fresh most mornings at the counter). For the take-home option, just leave the pan of buns on the counter overnight to raise, and pop ‘em in the oven in the morning.

Prefer to pick and choose? The hot deli bar at Winter Ridge Natural Foods, 703 Lake St., makes the takeout process supersimple: just walk in, grab a container, and select from a variety of ready-to-eat nutritious options including meat and meatless meals and a daily curry served with rice.

“Other big sellers are the chili relleno bake and Thai meatballs with peanut sauce,” said deli manager Brittney Bergman. “We make everything from scratch.” In addition to the food at the hot bar, there are four soups made daily and sold in 12-, 16-, and 32-ounce containers.

In the refrigerated grab-and-go case, freshly prepared meals can be purchased and taken home to bake in your own oven.

Favorites among Winter Ridge customers are the chicken and vegetable enchiladas, a creamy tortellini bake, veggie lasagna that’s gluten free, pizzas, and pot pies. “A big seller in fall weather is the harvest pot pie,” said Bergman. “It has sweet potatoes and yams, kale, apples, garlic, mushrooms, red onions, carrots, bell pepper, herbs and spices.

Perfect when it’s cold outside.” Take one home and be the star chef in your family!

And what’s a run-through of local take-

WIIN NTTE ER R 22001188 W

10/25/17 10:29 AM

“

Eats &

DRINKS out without mentioning the granddaddy of all takeout food—pizza! Point your vehicle directly towards Second Avenue Pizza, 215 S. Second Ave., for hand-thrown pizzas that are piled high with toppings. Fans of The Mexican love its south-of-the-border twist on Italian fare with a pizza pie that’s topped with yummy ingredients including bean sauce, onions, olives, beef, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, pepperoncinis and cheddar cheese. And here’s an insider’s tip for ordering from this very popular Sandpoint pizzeria: order well ahead of time to avoid a wait, or choose the ultimate easy route and have them deliver!

“

In Sandpoint, the options for takeout are more abundant than one might believe—if you know where to look.

PHOTO: AT TOP, LASAGNA FROM MILLER’S COUNTRY STORE. BELOW FROM LEFT: SUSHI FROM SHOGA, TAKE HOME PIZZA AND DELI SALAD TO GO FROM WINTER RIDGE.

Where all the Hidden Treasures Hang!

#1 on tripadvisor

DiLun a’s

Baxters on Cedar home of the Maine Lobster Roll

G R EAT

wine SELECTION

cold beer great people! | OPEN 7 DAYS WEDS-THURS 10am FRI-TUES @NOON POOL TABLE, DARTS, GAMES

SERVING LUNCH & DINNER phone208.229.8377 webBaxtersOnCedar.com 109 Cedar St. Sandpoint, ID 83864

208.946.0022 | 202 N. 1st Ave WIIN NTTE ER R 22001188 W

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ON TAP 8BEERS

>> downstairs

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Eats &

Eats D rKi n D R& IN Sk s | with Beth Hawkins

The Local

N

ew additions on the fall and winter menu at Trinity at City Beach, 58 Bridge St., cover every meal of the day. For breakfast, the Pumpkin Spice Cakes put a festive spin on a traditional breakfast favorite. These sweet cream pancakes are touched with pumpkin spice, and topped with a house pure maple syrup apple butter. For lunch, channel your appetite for all things southern with Chicken and Waffles.

Trinity puts their house-breaded fried chicken breast on Belgian waffles, and tops it with bacon jam, pure maple tart cherry syrup, and cabbage tomato avocado slaw.

In the lounge, pizzas and calzones return to the menu. And for dinner, try the paella—a classic Spanish-inspired dish—featuring shrimp, chicken, chorizo, andouille, mussels and salmon slowly simmered with rice in a savory saffron seafood broth. There are several other new items on the menu as well, so check them all out at this beautiful in-town waterfront restaurant.

The 219 Lounge, located at (where else?)

219 N. First Ave., wrapped up renovations this past summer on the 1930s-era downtown building. Projects included restoring

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a 40-foot mural that was originally painted in 1935, as well as two other murals dating back to 1967. In addition, a custom designed and built back bar was installed which, according to owner Mel Dick, “looks fantastic.” He said the renovation work puts a whole new spin on the long-running establishment. “As a result, we have dropped our tag line of ‘Sandpoint’s Five-Star Dive Bar’ and now refer to it as ‘Sandpoint’s Historic Bar.’” The 219 hosts lots of fun get-togethers, including the KPND football parties on Monday nights, live music featuring local and regional bands every weekend, and special events such as live comedy with nationally known comedians as well as events like the Fresh Hop Beer Festival. Check out the classic cocktail and Moscow mule menu, plus more, at this historic (and non-smoking!) venue.

If you’re looking for a cozy fireplace this winter paired with an expansive lake view, look no further than Forty-One South at the south end of the Long Bridge. It’s your choice of international cuisine for the entrée.

From Hungarian cabbage rolls (stuffed with quinoa, rice, Portobello mushrooms and

walnuts) to chicken marsala (with capers, garlic, lemon, butter, Marsala wine, and caramelized onions… mmm!) to grilled American kobe beef, there’s something for every taste!

And because winter sports use up a lot of calories, why not top it off with the Industrial Strength Brownie—you won’t regret it! A dark chocolate brownie with white chocolate chips, it’s served warm with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream, and it pairs wonderfully with an after dinner brandy or hot coffee.

Finally, why not celebrate the cold weather and treat your inner kid with an ice

SINCE 1994

WINTER 2018

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Eats &

DRINKS

From left: The 219, Trinity at City Beach and a sole filet

cream cone? Panhandle Cone and Coffee, 216 N. First Ave., is open at noon 7 days a week, and news about the handcrafted goodness of their ice cream creations even made it to Buzzfeed!

For a true flavor treat, check out “Just Plain Chocolate,” made from Akinosie chocolate and direct trade, single origin cocoa.

If you feel too grown up for a cone, try one of their specialty drinks. The Affogato (your choice of ice cream with two shots of espresso on top) will leave you ready to take on any weather this winter might bring!

Serving dinner 7 nights a week Reservations Recommended

208.265.2000

Espresso • Beer/Wine • WiFi

41 Lakeshore Drive, Sagle www.41SouthSandpoint.com

Open Daily at 6 A.M. 208 N. 4th Avenue • Sandpoint, ID

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BACK DOOR BAR

by Lyndsie Kiebert

B

etween the downstairs location, the couch and the drinks, the Back Door Bar below Baxters on Cedar could be an easy place to spend a lot of time in.

“We’re not big, wide and open,” said owner Rich Curtis. “We have that intimate feel.”

The brand new Back Door will feature an expansive wine list and a revolving set of taps, Curtis said. The bar will also offer a menu of appetizers unlike anything offered upstairs at Baxters, and Curtis said the Back Door will serve food later than most in the downtown area.

“In this town, there’s not many options after 9 p.m.” Curtis said. “We want to be the place people go after shows at the Panida, for example.”

The Back Door will feature live music

Simple.

Honest.

Good.

M-F 11-9 Locally Sourced Ingredients Sa-Su 9-9

208-217-0884 www.loaf-ladle.com 124 S. Second Ave. Sandpoint

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on some afternoons and nights, with an emphasis on creating a unique atmosphere for people looking for a laid-back, late-night hangout.

“It’s ambience, it’s music, it’s the full package,” said bar manager Brandon Emch, who managed a wine bar for 10 years before taking on the Back Door. “I think we have the tools here to be really successful.”

The Back Door is open Monday through Wednesday, 3-11 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday, 3-12. Curtis said there is a grand opening event, complete with live music, tentatively planned for the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.

“There are so many personalities in this town, so you can’t cater to everybody,” Curtis said. “You have to find your niche.”

Sa n d p o i n t ’ s

Freshest

Seafood

Open wednesday&friday 620 N 5th Avenue 208.263.3474 flyingfishco.com

WINTER 2018

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Eats &

Serving Sandpoint CHEF Q&A WITH JORDAN HANSEN & KAREN FORSYTHE

DRINKS

SKY HOUSE Jordan Hansen, 26, has big shoes to fill this year as head chef at Sky House, Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s new summit lodge. He replaces Peter Tobin, his mentor and former instructor at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy. “I’ve always looked up to him,” Hansen said of Tobin. He embraces a management style of working as a team and welcoming others’ opinions. “Peter is a phenomenal example of this.”

DI LUNA’S It wasn’t Karen Forsythe’s intention to run a restaurant when she moved to Sandpoint—in fact, she had her sights set on being a farmer.

But one career jaunt led to another, and she opened Di Luna’s Café on Cedar Street in 1998.

The 62-year-old mixes her passion for gardening with her knack for creating fresh, creative cuisine. “I like growing plants, and I like cooking all kinds of foods.”

Jordan hansen

Karen Forsythe

What influenced your love of cooking?

I was the youngest of five kids in a home where both parents worked, so I taught myself to cook. My mom wasn’t a culinary master, but she wasn’t bad. My buddies and I would experiment every Sunday with new dishes and 15 people would show up. Sometimes it was a dud, and some things I still cook.

After high school, I went to school in Europe and was exposed to lots of different cuisine. I went on a field trip to the Middle East, and lived in Greece. I always liked languages, and had a French teacher who taught French cooking.

What’s your favorite ingredient?

That’s tough because it always changes. I do love Mediterranean influences. Cooked vegetables that are handled well. It doesn’t need to be crazy to be good and honest.

I like working with different spices; I blend my own curry. Also using the freshest ingredients, such as heirloom tomatoes that can make everything taste good.

What’s your favorite dish that you serve?

In winter, the noodle bowl. I put a lot of heart into it: fresh broth, sautéed vegetables, yakisoba noodles. And the baked spaghetti. Peter came up with it.

For me, I would say the soup. Our customers’ favorite for lunch is the Reuben, and our hashes for breakfast—we serve four varieties.

What food trends do you follow?

Small plates is something I really love, and also continuing the conversation among chefs about buying local and encouraging that idea. Also waste as little as possible.

Using fresh ingredients. When people order, they ask what’s local. Over the years, we’ve done Farm to Table dinners. I would like to do a dinner with local foods along with wines from different areas.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I used to snowboard at Schweitzer, and that drew me back. We ski and snowboard every day now. In the summer, disc golf and swimming.

My hobby is farming. I’m a master berry grower and dug up my hayfield to put 800 haskap berry plants in. I make jam and mimosas here from the berries. I eventually want to turn it into a U-pick farm.

Any alternate career dreams if you weren’t a chef?

I’m sure there is, but I’ve always put that aside. I’ve always been interested in sports medicine. In my job I feel a sense of accomplishment, and the spirit of service was always part of it. I’ve never been much of an artist, but making each plate look different, that’s my art.

Farming. I originally started as a photographer, started cooking at Foster’s Crossing, worked at the Farmers Market, and also ran the greenhouses for Panhandle Special Needs. I like growing plants, but the restaurant takes most of my time.

What advice would you give future chefs?

Really? Put your head down and shut your mouth. The best answer is “Yes, chef!” Don’t burn yourself out, don’t stop asking questions, and keep learning—you learn it by doing it.

You need to be dedicated to putting in a lot of hours. And always be open to learning from other chefs and cooks.

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To Hope Clark Fork

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S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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Pine St. S. Fourth Ave.

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Map not to scale!

Fifth Ave.

1 Cedar St. Bistro & Coffee Shop 2 Evans Brothers Coffee 3 Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer 4 Monarch Mountain Coffee 5 Panhandle Cone & Coffee 6 Pine Street Bakery 7 Flying Fish Company 8 Miller’s Country Store & Deli 9 Winter Ridge 0 Baxters on Cedar - Chimney Rock at Schweitzer = Di Luna’s Café q Forty-One South w Loaf & Ladle e Pie Hut r Sweet Lou’s t Trinity at City Beach y Eichardt’s Pub & Grill u MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Brewpub i Jalapeño’s Restaurant o Second Avenue Pizza p Shoga @ Forty-One South [ Sky House ] 219 Lounge \ Laughing Dog Brewing a Cedar Street Bistro Wine Bar s MickDuff’s Brewing Co.

Dining Map

p

Marina

AMENITIES KEY Waterfront Dining Outdoor Dining Full Bar Serves Breakfast Open Late Night

q[ To Sagle

Coeur d’Alene

Wi-Fi Available WINTER 2018

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Dining

Eats &

DRINKS

Guide

Restaurant index by type of cuisine Locate by number on dining map

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM & CAFÉS 1 Cedar St. Bistro & Coffee Shop 334 N. First Ave. on the historic Cedar Street Bridge. Experience tasty food and great coffee in a truly unique setting. Exceptional coffee drinks and delectable pastries, handcrafted Gelato (Italian ice cream), grilled gourmet sandwiches and wraps, stone-baked pizzas, desserts and savory crepes, fresh salads and homemade soups. Open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. 208-265-4396.

PHOTO: AT TOP, JALAPEÑO’S TACOS

6Pine Street Bakery

2 Evans Brothers Coffee

710 Pine St. European pastries, breads, homemade sandwiches, and cakes made using quality ingredients. Coffees, espresso drinks and teas plus indoor seating. Open Monday to Friday at 7 a.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. 208-263-9012.

524 Church St. Located in downtown Sandpoint’s historic Granary Arts District.

Enjoy exceptional coffees and espresso, including the popular Headwall Espresso Blend. Locally baked pastries, breakfast burritos and more. A second location is now open in Coeur d’Alene. 208-265-5553.

DELICATESSENS & MARKETS 3Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer

7Flying Fish Company

4 Monarch Mountain Coffee

8Miller’s Country Store & Deli

5Panhandle Cone and Coffee

9Winter Ridge Natural Foods

10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Enjoy a fresh Evans Brothers espresso and treat your sweet tooth to a warm scone.

Fresh-baked pastries, breakfast burritos and lunch specials. Fine selection of beer and wine. 208-255-3037.

208 N. Fourth Ave. Open at 6 a.m. daily and roasting top-grade beans. Treat yourself to a classic or custom delight from the Espresso Bar, a cup of premium brewed coffee or tea, craft beer or wine. Baked goods, breakfast burritos, homemade soups and appetizer plates.

208-265-9382.

216 N. First Ave. Opens at noon seven days a week. Purveyor of handcrafted ice creams, espressos, and baked goods in downtown Sandpoint. Plenty of seating indoors, or hop on the Panhandle bike parked outside. 208-265-8996.

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620 N. Fifth Ave. Featuring the finest selection of fresh seafood in North Idaho, including salmon, Idaho ruby trout, halibut and sushi lines. Also try the house-smoked salmon, cheese, and almonds. Open 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday. 208-263-FISH.

1326 Baldy Mountain Rd. Wholesome goodness with a selection of fine deli meats and cheeses, bulk food items, pie fillings, and delicious fresh-baked pies, breads and pastries—plus soup and sandwiches to go or eat in, and take-home dinners. Inside seating. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 208263-9446.

703 Lake St. A natural foods grocery store with in-house deli, bakery, meat department, organic produce department and hot food bar with indoor seating.

Open daily, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 208-265-8135.

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Eats&D r i n k s | Local Dining Guide ECLECTIC / FINE DINING 0Baxters on Cedar

rSky House at Schweitzer

109 Cedar St. Open Monday through Saturday, serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., happy hour 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Daily specials, fresh local products. From steaks and chops to half-pound burgers, great salads, and Baxters’ signature Key Lime pie. 208229-8377.

10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Ride the chairlift or hike your way up to the Sky House for a lunch experience unlike any other.

Featuring a chef-inspired menu from locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients. Open during lift hours, with food service from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; the bar is open until 2:45 p.m. 208263-9555. www.schweitzer.com

-Chimney Rock at Schweitzer

tSweet Lou’s

10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Fireplaces, comfortable seating in the bar, and diverse cuisine. Enjoy an extensive menu including high-quality steaks, hearty pasta, scrumptious salads and exquisite seafood. Open daily inside the Selkirk Lodge at Schweitzer. 208255-3071.

477272 U.S. Highway 95 in Ponderay. Open every day, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Terrific traditional and regional fare. Serving hand-cut steaks, freshly ground burgers, wild salmon and smoked ribs. Family-friendly environment. Full bar. A second location is open in Coeur d’Alene. 208-263-1381.

uTrinity at City Beach

=Di Luna’s Café

58 Bridge St. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Waterfront dining with an outstanding view and menu featuring seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers; great selection of wine, beer and cocktails.

Open Sunday—Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

208-255-7558.

207 Cedar St. American bistro café offering regional, sustainable foods including handcut steaks, homemade soups and vegetarian cuisine. Check out our dinner concerts, posted online at www.DiLunas.com. Open Wednesday through Monday for breakfast and lunch. 208-263-0846.

PUB-STYLE

qForty-One South

uEichardt’s Pub & Grill

41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. South end of the Long Bridge. Waterfront dining in an elegant lodge setting; exquisite service paired with innovative cuisine make for one of North Idaho’s premier dining experiences. Open 7 nights a week for dinner.

208-265-2000.

212 Cedar St. Relaxing pub and grill mixes casual dining with seriously good food.

Completely family friendly. More than a dozen beers on tap, good wines and live music. Upstairs game room with fireplace.

Locally supported and nationally recognized since 1994. Open daily at 11:30 a.m.

208-263-4005.

iMickDuff’s Brewing Co. Brewpub

wLoaf & Ladle

312 N. First Ave. Handcrafted ales in a familyfriendly downtown atmosphere, brewing natural ales and root beer. Menu includes traditional and updated pub fare – gourmet hamburgers, sandwiches and handcrafted soups. 208-255-4351.

124 S. Second Ave. Offering made-fromscratch dishes that are fresh and whole.

Taste the real ingredients with food that’s chef-crafted. And don’t skip the delicious home-baked sourdough bread! Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner; Saturday and Sunday a la carte brunch. 208-217-0884.

REGIONAL / ETHNIC ePie Hut

502 Church St. A gourmet café where the locals like to eat. Daily lunch specials include homemade soups, panini, pot pies, beef pasties, quiches and salads, plus fruit and cream pies. Open Tuesday through Saturday. 208-265-2208.

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oJalapeño’s Restaurant

314 N. Second Ave. A Sandpoint favorite for over 20 years offering both traditional and Americanized Mexican dishes in a fun, familyfriendly atmosphere. Full bar, patio seating, banquet facilities, gluten-free menu, quick to-go menu, indoor waterfall and fish tank offer something for everyone. 208-263-2995.

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Eats &

DRINKS

pSecond Avenue Pizza

215 S. Second Ave. Savor the piled-high specialty pizzas, loaded with fresh ingredients on homemade dough, or calzones, specialty salads and sandwiches. Glutenfree choices. Beer and wine, take-and-bake pizzas available. Free delivery; open daily.

208-263-9321.

aCedar St Bistro Wine Bar

334 N. First Ave. Unwind on the Cedar Street Bridge with wine by the glass or the bottle.

Rotating menu of 10 wines by the glass, plus an extensive selection of bottled wines that can be enjoyed at the wine bar, or take home. Small plates menu available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Open Monday through Saturday,.

208-265-4396. www.cedarstbistro.com

[Shoga @ Forty-One South

41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. Premier sushi restaurant adjacent to Forty-One South. Sushi bar and magnificent sunset views overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. Plenty of non-sushi entrees as well. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. 208-2652001.

WINE BARS, TAPROOMS AND TAVERNS ]

s MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Beer Hall & Brewery

220 Cedar St. Brewery tasting room boasts 10 taps, local bar art, free popcorn and weekly entertainment. Beer Hall is BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)-friendly and has a beer for every taste. Ages 21 and older.

208-209-6700.

d Ol Red’s Pub

219 Lounge

219 N. First Ave. ‘It’s always finer at the Niner!’ All week long, there’s fun to be had at the 219 Lounge!

Relax and sip on one of our new Classic Cocktails while soaking up some amazing live music, or shoot some pool while enjoying one of the many rotating craft beers on tap. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. www.219.bar

202 N. First Ave. Relaxed atmosphere with six cold brews on tap, plus bottled and canned beer, along with wine. Vintage Sandpoint signs on the walls make Ol Red’s Pub a place “where the hidden treasures hang.” Open daily at noon, and 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday only. 208-946-0022

What’s Cooking Around Town?

Find Out» f Pend d’Oreille Winery

\Laughing Dog Brewing

805 Schweitzer Plaza Dr., Ponderay. The new dog-friendly taproom is open and offers a variety of beers. Winter highlights include the award-winning Pecan Porter, available in time for Thanksgiving, and the New Spruce Tip, available in December. www.

LaughingDogBrewing.com. 208-263-9222.

301 Cedar St. Locally made wines, tasting room and gift shop in the renovated and historic Belwood 301 Building. Open Sunday through Thursday noon to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 8 p.m. 208265-8545.

www.SandpointDining.com

What’s Cooking Around Town?

Find Out» www.SandpointDining.com

Use the Sandpoint and northern Idaho restaurant, dining and nightclub directory to find just the right place to dine out, or step out!

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ADVERTISER INDEX

Advertiser Index 219 Lounge 138 7B Property Management 112 7B T.V - Hesstronics 40 A Glass Act 116 Albertson & Barlow Insurance Services 71 All About Chimneys/ Sagle Stove Shop 119 All Seasons Garden & Floral 54 Alpine Shop 64 Ameriprise Financial 71 ArtWorks Gallery 54 Barry Fisher Custom Homes 118 135 Baxters on Cedar 66 Big Lake Recreation Bird Aviation 27 Boden Architecture 105 Bonner County Daily Bee 124 Bonner County Fair 23 59 Bonner General Health Burlington Northern Santa Fe 48 Cedar Street Bistro 133 Century 21/ RiverStone Company 33 Co-Op Energy 17 Coeur d’Alene Casino 62 Community Assistance League/ Bizarre Bazaar 26 54 Connie Scherr, Artist Dana Construction 106 135 Di Luna’s DM Vacation Rentals 7 96 Dover Bay DSS Custom Homes 108 Eichardt’s 136

Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters 131 22 Eve’s Leaves Evergreen Realty 8 -Charesse Moore 46, 47 Farm Bureau Insurance - Bea Speakman 24 Festival at Sandpoint 121 Finan McDonald 19, 27, 42, 45 Flying Fish 138 Fogarty Construction 116 Forty-One South 137 Grace Sandpoint Bible College 71, 120 101 Greasy Fingers 51 Guaranteed Rate Hallans Gallery 54 Highlands North Day Spa 50 20 Holiday Inn Express Jalapenos 4 Janusz Studio by the Lake 54 113 John Cloud Construction KRFY Radio 71 36 Kaniksu Health Services Keokee Books 144 Keokee :: media + marketing 124 18 LaQuinta Inn Laughing Dog Brewing 19 Lewis and Hawn 25 - Sleep Solutions 37 138 Loaf & Ladle Lodge at Sandpoint 29 Lumber Marketing Services 70 Mickduff’s Brewing Company 131 Miller’s Country Store 71, 130

Monarch Marble & Granite 102 Monarch Mountain Coffee 137 Mountain West Bank 38 MQS Barns 114 North 40 Outfitters 5 Northern Quest Resort Casino 147 52 Northwest Autobody Northwest Handmade 30 Ol Red’s Pub 135 Panhandle Cone & Coffee 131 Panhandle Special Needs 124 Pend Oreille Shores Resort 121 Pend d’Oreille Winery 18 Pie Hut, The 132 Pine Street Bakery 132 Realm Realty 92, 93 57 Realty Plus Remax in Action 13 ReStore Habitat For Humanity 126 Rock Creek Alliance 34 Sandpoint Building Supply 115 Sandpoint Business & Events Center 39 Sandpoint Furniture 103 71 , 110 Sandpoint Movers Sandpoint Online - dining 143 Sandpoint Online 145 Sandpoint Optometry 71, 101 119 Sandpoint Storage Sandpoint Super Drug 42 Sandpoint Waldorf School 112 Sandpoint West Athletic Club 126 Santosha 58 Schweitzer Mountain Resort 148

Second Avenue Pizza 132 Selkirk Craftsman Furniture 116 Selkirk Powder Company 68 Selle Valley Construction 6 Shoga 133 Skeleton Key Art 54 26 Skywalker Tree Care Sleep’s Cabins 22 Specialty Log Homes 116 Spot Bus 125 Super1 Foods 28 Sweet Lou’s 134 21 Taylor Insurance 126 The Local Pages The Reader 125 Timberframes

by Collin Beggs 97, 116 Tomlinson Sothebys Sandpoint 11 - Carrie LeGrace/Casey Krivor 99 - Carrie LeGrace/ Richard Curtis 111 - Chris Chambers 3 - Cindy Bond 2 4 Trinity at City Beach Wildflower Day Spa 56 Willamette Valley Bank - Becky Farmin 45 Winter Ridge Natural Foods 133

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Get current rate sheet at www.SandpointMagazine.com Sales Director Clint Nicholson 208-263-3573 ext. 123 or email: clint@keokee.com

Go Exploring with Keokee Guide Books www.KeokeeBooks.com NEW EDITION

$26

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M A R K E T P L AC E

Marketpl ace Your Buick, GMC truck dealer. New and used sales and leasing. Full service, parts and body shop.

Highway 95 N., Ponderay, 208-263-2118, 1-800-430-5050. www.AlpineMotors.net

Dreams in Beauty Day Spa. Massage, bodywork, facials, scrubs, wraps and make-up for weddings, film and photography. Located 4.5 miles from the center of Sandpoint on Shadow Mtn. Belle Ranch nestled under old growth trees, overlooking a natural spring pond. Electric lift table with skylights, view, A/C. Peggy Richards. 208-263-7270. www.

DreamsinBeauty.com

A marketing communications firm providing web design and hosting, search engine optimization and marketing, graphic design, public relations, editorial and media consultation. 405 Church St., 208-263-3573. www.Keokee.com

For going on 30 years, Northern States Pest and Weed Control has provided outstanding professional pest control and landscape services for Sandpoint and the region. Offering all types of residential and commercial pest control, plus lawn care, weed control, shrub and tree care, snow removal and more. 877-904-2847 or www.NorthernStatesPestControl.com

Over 26 years of rental management experience.

We offer tenant screening, rent collection, accounting, maintenance and marketing. Residential, commercial and mini storage. Friendly, prompt service. 204 E. Superior #2, 208-263-4033. www.RLPropertyManagement.com

Scandinavian countries represented in this specialty shop. Kitchen items, table tops, candles, electric candle holders, books, cards, rugs, pewter Vikings, mugs, Danish iron candle holders and year-round Christmas.

319 N. First Ave., 208-263-7722.

Special gifts for special people. Vera Bradley bags, Big Sky Carvers, Baggallini, Tyler and BeanPod candles, souvenirs, balloon bouquets, Hallmark cards, books, gift wrap, stationery. 306 N. First Ave., 208-263-2811.

Offering the latest books and novels, office supplies, machine supplies and free delivery in Sandpoint. Order online. 201 Cedar St., 208-263-2417. www.Vanderfords.com

Sandpoint FREE classified ads

Got something to sell? Looking for good deals, a place to rent, a job, a ride share ... or even looking for love? Post for free, or browse hundreds of ads in Sandpoint’s own version of Craigslist. Go to www.SandpointClassifieds.com.

Shop Sandpoint Go to www.ShopSand-

point.com, for local web links to trusted services, merchants, artists, craftspeople, farmers and green building. Write your own reviews in the new SandpointBlog. Fun reading, recycling, and more!

Get in the Marketplace!

To advertise here, call 208-263-3573 ext. 123 or e-mail adsales@keokee.com

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SVR is a full-service property management company with 12 years of experience. Offering vacation rental properties and long-term rentals in Sandpoint and surrounding areas, including waterfront homes, lakefront condos, Schweitzer Mountain vacation rentals, homes at the Idaho Club, and many other rental properties.

208-263-7570 or 866-263-7570 www.SandpointVacationRentals.com

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L AS T P AG E

All the Things

We Damn Well Please

by Ammi Midstokke

on being a woman in an outdoor town

I

did not always do “all the things.” But a decade or so ago, I took up running. It was an accident. Perhaps a colleague signed me up for a 5K. This, as most of us now know, is just a gateway sport to other sports, but nobody warns us at the time. We just think we’re getting a free T-shirt.

Sometime later, my dad invited me to complete a mountain bike triathlon and since I hadn’t died in the 5K, it didn’t seem impossible. Suddenly, I had three new sports and the accompanying gear collection.

People started making assumptions about who I was, using words like ‘extreme’ and ‘athlete.’ Clearly, they had not witnessed my coddiwomple across a finish line. I was just a girl who liked to try new things. I was comfortable with humility and mediocrity.

And I wasn’t alone.

There was a time when women in sports were less common, when simply being a female made it exceptional. The women

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Midstokke and Jennings Waterhouse hosted an Eat, Bike, Yoga retreat at Whitefish Bike Retreat in Montana for Sandpoint women. PHOTOGRAPHER ADAM CAIRA

who paved the way were pioneers: truly phenomenal, determined athletes willing to go farther and harder. For a long time, our only benchmarks were the men we were trying to keep up with.

Those women gave rise to an entirely new culture of track-shorts-wearing mothers and Lycra-clad grandmothers. I know because I CrossFit with them on Monday mornings.

They gave us the inspiration and encouragement to challenge ourselves at our own level.

They taught us that we didn’t have to be professional athletes to try something new.

They opened the doors to the infinite possibilities of doing all the things we damn well please.

In a town like Sandpoint (or Bend, Oregon, or anywhere in Colorado), the wave of women-on-the-move is evident. We are not intimidated by the fact that we are not experts. We are embracing our ability to continually learn. We are open to trying. And we laugh at our follies.

I was spared the burden of identifying myself with a single sport. I recall a conversation with my brother, who told me I would

never be really good at any one thing if I kept ‘dissipating’ my energy. “You have to focus to be good,” he said.

Not being accustomed to listening to my big brother, I tried all the things. Mountain biking, trail running, climbing, mountaineering, paddle boarding. I got snowshoes and skate skis. I even tried telemarking (not my finest moment). Then I decided he was right.

I should focus on one thing: living fully.

And I see it in all the women who surround me with their fine example.

They are not wasting their energy on wondering if they can or cannot ride a fat bike, if they can or cannot hold a yoga pose.

They are doing yoga on their fat bikes, falling in tears at their own hilarity, celebrating it with camaraderie and cheers. They are focusing on living their fullest lives on their own terms.

An outdoor town has more to offer than scenery and sweet trails. It is a place to explore your unknown potentials, make friends in the lift line, and pave the way for girl generations (and the boys we pass) to come.

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HERE’S TO LONG WINTER NIGHTS. Come in from the cold and treat yourself to an unforgettable night of Vegas-style gaming, complete with over a dozen restaurants and lounges, exciting nightlife, and top-shelf entertainment from across the country. Then rest up in the comfort of your own luxury room, because tomorrow night might be a little longer.

NORTHERNQUEST.COM | 877.871.6772 | SPOKANE, WA

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