Sandpoint Reader - October 4, 2018

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(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

What comedian or comedienne has made you laugh more than any other one?

“Donald Glover. He did stand-up originally and then was in a show called ‘Community’ and in one of the ‘Star Wars’ movies.”

David Thibault Produce manager Sandpoint

“Kevin Hart. He’s a standup comedian on Comedy Central. He was in ‘Ride Along.’ He’s so funny.”

Dayna Rosal Student Sandpoint

READER

DEAR READERS, I promise we’ll move onto other matters soon, but I still have a lot of thanks to give for the incredible community in which we live. In case you’ve been under a rock for a couple weeks (lucky you!), I was made the subject of some nasty robocalls that went out across town that urged people to “burn out” the cancer that is me and this newspaper.

In response to such hatred, the community of Sandpoint and surrounding environs did what it excels at: fights back. Now that the dust has settled, it appears the intended goal of this cowardly robocaller fell flat. Ironically, these calls had exactly the opposite effect. There has been a steady stream of people of all political ideologies walking checks into our office to stand up for the First Amendment and the free press. Monday night, thanks to the efforts of Sandpoint Eater columnist Marcia Pilgeram and a handful of volunteers, over 250 flooded into the Idaho Pour Authority for a rally that ended up raising over $3,500 for the Reader. This entire situation has been humbling and, to be honest, a little overwhelming for us. We just want to continue to business as usual, but I can’t let another week go by without thanking each and every one of you who donated your hard-earned money to our little publication. There are so many other worthy nonprofits out there that depend on your donations, so we hate to take any of that money away. To ease my conscience, we’re donating back a small portion of the money to the Bonner County Community Food Center, the Angels Over Sandpoint and the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force. One feeds those who are in need, another provides vital services and supplies for our area schoolchildren, and the latter helps fight back against messages of hate that have become all too prevalent today.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. We appreciate each and every one of you who support the free press. We’ll continue to bring you this little slice of the First Amendment every week, robocalls or not. Stand up to hate. Always.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

“Stephen Colbert. He makes the news and politics bearable.”

Matisse Mandela Baker Priest River

“Kevin Hart because he’s short and funny and has a good personality.”

Tyssen Case 8th SMS Sagle

“I am always amused when I see the tom turkeys strutting through our territory.

They make themselves big, and it is just so obvious they are trying to impress the hens. It’s hilarious!”

Buck Forager Sandpoint

111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Kaniksu Land Trust (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders, Kiersten Patterson.

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Nick Gier, Emily Erickson, Louis Marshall, Bruce Newcomb, Brenden Bobby, Robin Campbell, Laurie Brown, Scott Taylor.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $95 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community.

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism.

Free to all, limit two copies per person. Any more and you’re stealing.

Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics.

Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

This week’s cover photograph was sent courtesy of Kaniksu Land Trust, and is an aerial view of the Pine Street Woods.

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NEWS

City seeks solution to City Beach goose menace

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

When it comes to geese — and more importantly, their poop — the city of Sandpoint has no simple solution.

They come in by the hundreds from month to month seeking the hospitable environment and bountiful grass at the beach. Problem is, they also leave hundreds of pounds of fecal matter in their wake, and it’s an unsightly element of City Beach that is turning off guests.

It’s been a consistent source of headaches for Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Director Kim Woodruff, but he said a possible partnership between Sandpoint and Idaho Wildlife Services may mean greener pastures — not to mention City Beach parklands — are around the corner.

“Now I really think we can make a difference,” Woodruff said.

Sandpoint administrators and City Council members discussed in a Wednesday workshop how to send the message that the beach’s feathery guests had worn out their welcome. Ac-

cording to Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad, he’s received several letters from visitors saying that the sheer volume of goose poop put a serious damper on their beach-going fun. Likewise, guests at local hotels have reported similar problems.

It’s no wonder that tourists find the goose droppings an eyesore. After all, it’s everywhere.

On average City Beach attracts 200 geese between February and May, 150 geese between June and July, 100 geese between August and September and 150 geese between October and January. The numbers typically go up in wintertime when winds expose the grass that geese rely on for their diet.

“You can’t blame the geese — they come in by the water and have that smorgasbord happening there,” Woodruff said.

Unfortunately, all that consumed grass turns into goose poop — a lot of it. Each goose can produce up to two pounds of fecal matter per day. While the city deploys grass and sand sweepers to clean the park, it’s a costly operation, and it can never catch everything. Like-

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Dummy coyotes are one of several solutions to unwanted geese utilized at City Beach. Courtesy photo. wise, preventative measures like harassment dogs and dummy coyotes have helped but aren’t a silver-bullet solution. Harassment dogs work well when they and their handlers are on duty but less so when they go home.

And while the dummy coyotes at City Beach serve their purpose, some geese are too clever to be fooled.

The good news, Woodruff said, is Sandpoint isn’t alone in battling the pernicious Canadian goose. Idaho Falls grappled with

exactly the same problem, and a partnership with Idaho Wildlife Services reduced its goose population to a fraction of what it once was.

Woodruff said he intends to meet with Wildlife Services officials in the near future, which will hopefully result in a capture-and-control program similar to the one utilized in Idaho Falls.

Once the details are in place, the Sandpoint City Council will evaluate and approve or deny the partnership.

County adopts employee social media policy

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County Commissioners unanimously approved a social media policy for all county employees and officials Tuesday. The new policy, headed by the county’s Human Resources department, will be added to the Bonner County Personnel Policy Manual.

HR Risk Management Director Cindy Binkerd said Tuesday that the policy has been in the works since summer 2017, due to suggestions from the county’s risk carrier and legal council. Binkerd said the policy has seen several drafts.

Commissioner Glen Bailey said the policy is in response to possible conflicts of interest with county employees being vocal about county information on their 4 /

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personal accounts.

“With the prevalence of social media — everyone is using it, so

Activist groups call for commissioner recusal

it was important for us to come up with a policy because people were Facebooking … and using their position as a Bonner County employee,” Bailey said. “We needed to clarify proper guidelines and use… so at least they know what the county’s position is legally.”

The policy is a three-page list of bullet points requiring employees to refrain from sharing explicit or discriminatory content online.

It also states county employees should not disseminate information gained solely through their employment without authorization from their department, and suggests they include a disclosure on personal profiles such as, “The views expressed on this (blog, website) are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Bonner County.”

Mike Brown with Blue Sky Broadcasting pointed out one portion of the policy, asking if it raised any “red flags” during the drafting process. The portion reads, “Employees are free to express themselves as private citizens on social media sites to the degree that their speech does not impair working relationships of the County and its Elected Officials ... or negatively affect the public perception of the County.” Brown said he wondered if any department heads had expressed concern about the last line in particular.

“Nobody has commented,” Bailey said.

Binkerd said the new policy will be posted to the county’s website as soon as possible.

Two leading organizations in opposition to the proposed Newport smelter are calling for the recusal of a Pend Oreille County commissioner on any decision related to public land use.

Attorneys representing Citizens Against Newport Silicon Smelter and Responsible Growth*NE Washington requested this week that Commissioner Stephen Kiss remove himself from public lands decisions due to alleged conflicts of interest stemming from Kiss’ property ownership.

“Given the benefit Commissioner Kiss would receive from approval of the County’s public land proposal, it is clear that it is both unethical and unlawful for him to take part in any decision-making,” attorneys Rick Eichstaedt, representing Responsible Growth, and Norman Semanko, representing Citizens Against Newport Silicon Smelter, wrote in a letter to Pend Oreille County Commissioners.

The accusations of bias and conflict of interest stem from 53 acres of land near the Mill Pond Flume that Kiss purchased from the Pend Oreille Public Utilities District for $33,000 on Nov. 17, 2016. Activist organizations allege that Kiss is unable to impartially participate in altering or eliminating public-lands policies in the county’s comprehensive plan because the property could potentially benefit directly. Attorneys claim the recusal is especially important given that last month, commissioners proposed “a county-wide redesignation and rezone that would delete the ‘public lands’ zone from the Comprehensive Plan.” In its place would be a proposed designation for public or institutional uses.

The call for recusal ties into activist groups’ argument that land purchased from PUD for the proposed smelter was illegal. They argue that because the land sale didn’t serve the function of generating energy as required by state law, it should be voided.

NEWS

‘Prospering Business’ Carousel of Smiles to host workshops workshop registration opens for Nov. conference

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

The Carousel of Smiles will host the first of a series of pony restoration workshops next weekend.

The workshop will take place Friday, Oct. 12 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint Library. Bette Largent, the curator of Spokane’s 1908 Looff Carousel, will be the guest speaker.

A wood restoration presentation will kick off the workshop from 5:15-6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a pony painting presentation from 7-8:30 p.m.

Each presentation will start with an overview of the Carousel of Smiles project and will include specific techniques and methodology of the wood restoration and painting.

The presentations will be followed by information on how to become involved in the project, as well as a question and answer session.

Largent will be the guest speaker for the painting workshop, and will be presenting examples of her work along with techniques and color schemes to be used on the 36 ponies that are the main attraction of the Carousel of Smiles. Largent is one of the

By Reader Staff

Bette Largent hard at work with the ponies. Courtesy photo. foremost carousel preservationists and carousel horse/animal painters in the country with over 30 years of experience. She is also a board member of the Carousel of Smiles project and will be overseeing the painting efforts on the carousel.

The Carousel was first assembled in its unrestored state for the first time in 65 last winter at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

Governor candidate to visit Sandpoint

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Sandpoint area voters have an opportunity Friday to learn more about Paulette Jordan, Democratic candidate for Idaho governor.

Jordan, who would be the first Native American governor in the U.S. and the first female governor of Idaho if elected, will be in Sandpoint Saturday meeting with voters in the run up to the Nov. 6 general election. The event will take place Friday, Oct. 5, at the Sandpoint public library, running from 2:30-5 p.m. with Jordan speaking around 3:30 p.m.

The event is coordinated by the

Paulette Jordan.

Bonner County Democrat Central Committee, the Bonner County Democratic Women and Sandpoint Indivisible.

Before the unveiling, the Carousel had sat for 66 years packed away in two trailers in a Kansas farmer’s field before Clay and Reno Huthison of Sandpoint began the Carousel of Smiles project to fully restore the historic structure.

For more information, visit the project website at www.TheCarouselofSmiles.org.

Evans Bros. medals in coffee comp

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Regional coffee roasters put in strong performances at the annual Golden Bean Awards in Portland, Ore. Altogether, Sandpoint coffee roaster Evans Brothers took home three bronze medals for its Kenya Gatuyaini in the pour-over category, its Finca El Guachepelin in the Single-Origin espresso category and its Headwall Espresso in the short-black espresso category.

Evans Brothers joined Spokane’s Roast House, which took home six medals, for a successful night representing Inland Northwest coffee.

The Golden Bean Awards is the largest coffee roaster competition and conference in the world, with events organized throughout the world. The event in Portland covered the Golden Bean’s North American competition.

How can North Idaho recruit and keep a prospering workforce if their employees simply can’t find affordable housing?

At a time when historically low unemployment means many area companies must vie for workers, what are some of the bigger labor issues employers must face?

Those are just a couple of the knotty business questions the fourth annual “What’s Happening Up North Prospering Business Workshop” will examine during a day-long conference coming Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sandpoint Technical Center, 130 McGhee Road. The conference runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes lunch.

The event is free but space is limited and available on a first-come basis; registration is open now at www.whatshappeningupnorth.org. Though it’s free, BCEDC will be asking for a voluntary contribution of $10 per attendee to help cover the lunch cost.

As in previous years, the workshop will feature a host of notable speakers drawn from business and government, plus panel discussions and open forums to engage attendees.

The economic summit is staged by the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with the Boundary County EDC and cities of Sandpoint and Ponderay.

This year’s conference is subtitled, “Housing and Labor: Issues & Solutions.” Paul Kusche, BCEDC executive director, said the focus this year has grown out of feedback he is hearing almost universally from companies in Bonner and Boundary counties.

“Affordable housing for employees – especially for companies that are in start-up or expansion – is a major issue I hear about,” said Kusche. “And while the economy is strong, that in itself brings a set of issues for our

local companies to contend with.”

Bringing their perspective on the subject will be featured speakers from a pair of the area’s startup companies. Jason Giddings of Rhino Hide and Andrea Marcoccio and Kennden Culp of Matchwood Brewing companies will tell about their businesses and some of the challenges they’ve faced during their launches.

Among other speakers, Labor Economist Sam Wolkenhaurer from the Idaho Department of Labor is back again by popular demand to give a talk on the state of the economy in North Idaho.

University of Idaho Economist Paul Lewin will also talk about housing and labor impacts for rural economies such as ours.

Keynote speaker at lunch will be Idaho Department of Labor Director Melinda S. Smyser. Speaking on the topic “Labor Solutions” will be John Russ and Wendi Sechrists of the Idaho Workforce Development Council.

Other speakers and panel discussion participants will cover a spectrum of the business community, including Aaron Qualls, Sandpoint city planner; Chris Basset of the Bonner Community Housing Agency; Realtor Raphael Barta; Cory Phelps of Idaho Housing & Finance; and a spokesperson for TING Internet.

One major project for BCEDC in the past year has been restoration of a commercial kitchen in Bonner County, a project that Kusche will report on in his own remarks.

To register, go to www.whatshappeningupnorth.org.

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OPINION

Swedish politics: left, center-right, and racial right

By Nick Gier Reader Columnist In 1976, after 44 years of rule, Sweden’s Social Democrats lost to a coalition of moderates and conservatives. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Olaf Palme, a leading critic of the Vietnam War, the Social Democrats returned to power in 1982 and governed until the present, except for another center-right stint from 2006 to 2014.

Opposition leaders want to take credit for Sweden’s economic and social success, but most of the reduction of public spending— from 67 percent of Gross Domestic Product in 1993 to 49 percent in 2012—was accomplished by the Social Democrats.

In 1983 the Social Democrats cut the marginal tax rate from 84 percent to 57 percent (40 percent for the U.S.), and just before their opponents came to power in 2006, they eliminated the inheritance tax.

Even with much higher taxes and public spending compared to the U.S., the Swedish economy

still grew on average by 2.7 percent from 1993 to 2010. Currently, under the Social Democrats, it increased to 3.2 percent in the last quarter and for the year it is estimated to average 2.8 percent. The U.S. growth rate was 4.2 percent for the last quarter and an estimated 2.9 percent for the year.

Sweden is now running a surplus of 1.1 percent, but the U.S. budget deficit, primarily because of the GOP tax cuts, is now at 4.6 percent and rising. As a result, our national debt is now at 104 percent of GDP, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will reach 152 percent if no new revenue is found. (Greece stands at 170 percent.) The Swedish Social Democrats brought down their debt from 70 percent of GDP in 1993 to 37 percent today.

The conservative Heritage Foundation now ranks Denmark and Sweden higher than the U.S. on its Economic Freedom Index, and Sweden stands at seventh place in economic competitiveness behind Switzerland, the U.S., Singapore, the Netherlands, Germany, and Hong Kong.

The standard conservative response to Sweden’s success is that the country is less ethnically diverse. But Sweden’s population is now 19 percent foreign born, whereas the U.S. percentage is 13.

During the Iraq War, Sweden admitted about 80,000 Iraqi refugees, 6,000 Christians among them.

Since the turn of the century, the Swedes have welcomed an average of 26,000 refugees, maxing out at 163,000 in 2015, more per capita than Germany. In stark and embarrassing contrast, the Trump administration just announced that it was placing a limit of 30,000 on all new refugees.

Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions are of course wrong to their constant fear mongering about immigrant crime. In Germany, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., immigrants commit fewer crimes than native citizens. However, crime for this demographic is higher in Sweden, but no more so than those of the same socio-economic status.

Nevertheless, incidences such as Kurdish gangs setting cars aflame in four major cities in August, has stoked anti-immigrant sentiment.

The far-right, anti-immigrant Swedish Democrats have capitalized on this unrest, and they have risen in the polls — from 1.4 percent in 2002 to 17.5 percent in the election on Sept. 9. The Swedish Democrats do support the welfare state, but they don’t want immigrants to benefit from it. Party leaders have called them “parasites” and “shameless liars.”

The response from the governments in both Sweden and Denmark, through which most refugees reach Sweden, has been dramatic. The once open borders between Germany and Denmark, and the bridge between Denmark and Southern Sweden, now have restrictions.

The Danish government now requires asylum seekers to pay for their own subsistence, something the U.S. still does while they are being processed. The Trump administration, however, is now proposing that immigrants who take food stamps, Medicaid, and other forms of assistance may not obtain green cards.

The Sept. 9 election resulted in a hung parliament, with Social

Democrats, the Greens, and the Left Party winning 144 seats and the center-right coalition garnering 143, not enough for either to form a majority. The Swedish Democrats have 62 seats.

Denmark’s anti-immigrant People’s Party is a member of its center-right government, but Sweden’s major parties have always rejected a formal arrangement with the Swedish Democrats. Nonetheless, the center-right parties were glad to have their votes to remove Social Democrat Stefan Lofven as Prime Minister on Sept. 25.

Sweden can expect many more weeks of political turmoil, and the likely result is that the center right parties—Conservatives, Moderates, Liberals, and Christian Democrats—will form an unstable minority government.

Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Read more about the “Middle Way” between communism and capitalism at www. nickgier.com/MiddleWay.pdf. Email him at ngier006@gmail.com.

FREE PRESS RALLY GENERATES OVER $3,500 IN DONATIONS

Over 250 people turned out Monday night for a two-hour rally held at the Idaho Pour Authority in support of the free press and the Reader. Top left: Cameron Rasmusson, editor of the Sandpoint Reader, speaks to the crowd at IPA on Monday night. Top right: Marcia Pilgeram was instrumental in putting together this rally. Bottom right: Sandpoint locals gather at a center table to discuss the free press and beer. Bottom left: Kate McAlister bird-dogging another raffle ticket donation from an unsuspecting customer. Photos by Ben Olson.

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Why I’m Voting Yes on Prop 2...

Dear Editor, I am a pro-life dietitian which is why I’m voting YES on Proposition 2, Medicaid expansion.

Seventy-two thousand Idahoans don’t have access to a doctor. Approximately 400 hardworking Idahoans will die this year from completely treatable conditions because they lack access.

The people who make less money can get Medicaid, those that make more can get subsidies through the Affordable Care Act, ACA. These Idahoans in the gap work too hard and make too much to get Medicaid, but insurance is priced out of their reach. Anyone who believes that human life is sacred must act to stop these deaths.

As a fiscal conservative I am also voting YES on Proposition 2. We have already payed for this health care when we pay our federal taxes. For years we have been paying for the expansion of Medicaid, but our Governor and Legislature would rather people die than accept what we already have paid for. Instead the State pays for an indigent care fund whose cost has varied over the last three years from just over 30 million to 56 million. Brad Little’s estimate is that proposition’s 2 will cost 37 million a year is less than the average cost of the indigent fund, so we will save money. Medicaid expansion will cover all 72,000 Idahoans not just a few of them in emergency care.

Idahoans get the health care they have already paid for saving the State millions of dollars and 400 lives. Who can be against it?

Sincerely, Mary Haley Sandpoint

A Fishy Correction...

Dear Editor, As a lifelong learner, and classics minor, I had to write a correction to Lee Santa’s fallacies in this week’s “Letters to Editor” regarding the “Jesus Fish.”

As far as I am aware, the Jesus fish has nothing to do with astrological ages.

The Jesus fish is in fact one of our earliest known acronyms — representing the first letter of each word in the phrase, Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr; which in Greek means, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” In Greek these letters spell Ichthys – which literally means fish. Thus the “fish” represents Jesus and his most relevant titles. Note that this explanation of the symbol is first given by St. Augustine of Hippo, who wrote roughly 300 years after the death of Christ.

Cami Murray Sandpoint

Nothing New Under The Sun...

Dear Editor, Even an ostrich would realize that the climate is changing, and has even be-

fore the end of the last ice age which has brought us to today. The exact cause(s) of our current climate is the current unknown and additional reading would be of benefit to any “student of life.”

Several informative articles (there are many more) are worth mentioning: 1. CFACT, 7-13-18; a quote from a Stanford University medical professor: Papers based on models are not scientific fact as “…there is no way at the time of publication to compare the predictions against real-world observations.”

2. The Journal of Climate, 4-12-18;

by Judith Curry and Nicholas Lewis: The “… climate models are inconsistent with the observed warming during the historical period.”

3. CFACT,3-15-13; “Climategate.”

Several emails were discovered proving that the climate warming data provided by the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit (the principle provider of information to the U N) had been fudged upward by as much as 25 percent.

4. Investor’s Business Daily, 11-3017; by University of Alabama-Huntsville climate scientist Richard McNider: “… not only is the temperature rising more slowly than predicted, but the earth’s atmosphere appears to be less sensitive to changing CO2 levels than previously assumed.”

5. “The Climate Chronicles”, 2017; by climatologist Joe Bastardi: A. “In the entire geological history of the planet, there has been no known linkage between CO2 and temperatures.”

B. “… since 1997 … there has been no increase in global temperatures overall…”

C. “Total global sea ice, since the decadal shift in the Pacific in 2007, has more or less returned to normal.”

D. “… man’s input of CO2 into the entire planetary climate system … only has 1/100th of the greenhouse gas effect.”

E. “Climate alarmists are trying to rely on the fact that most people don’t know the meteorological history of the planet…”

Some people will lie for money, control, power, etc. Use your intellect.

Jeremy Conlin Sandpoint

Smelter Smear...

Dear Editor Governor Inslee, Senator Short, the EPA, the DOE, Grant Pfeifer, Jayson Tymko, John Carlson, Jim May, Pend Oreille County Commissioners Manus, Skoog, Kiss, Newport Mayor Sands, County Prosecutor Hunt, the Pend Oreille PUD commissioners, Colin Willenbrock, various employees of the PUD, Jamie Wyrobek and the EDC, various members of the Newport City Council, the press, the city and the county administration, Canada and others.

What do these folks have in common?

They have been accused of breaking laws, corruption, having their pockets lined, or … you name it. So I ask: When some

of the most respected, hardest-working, highest-contributing members of this community are accused of terrible things

by ONE man, what does that tell you? It isn’t arbitrary. Either all these folks are crooked, or ONE man decided his personal agenda is worth making criminal allegations, rumors, insinuations and character assassinations over.

Amazingly, before Pend Oreille County broke Google with the word “smelter”, all these folks were spotless. Amazingly, with the digging and investigation, not one person against the smelter has been called out. AMAZINGLY, there are people who accept all of these accusations as gospel truth. And most amazingly of all, there are many, too many, willing to stand by and let it all happen.

For what? What’s there to show for the assassination of the character of tens of people? Who’s been charged?

Or arrested? Or convicted in a court of law? Or served jail time? Or paid fines for their egregious violations?

A person with an opposing viewpoint is a critical asset, not a criminal. They provide insight into how and why you stand for what you do. And they challenge assumptions you take for granted.

What we have right now isn’t that.

The accusations, the slander, the defamation? It’s irresponsible. It’s self-serving.

It doesn’t advance the situation. It’s time for responsible conversations.

Alana Wallace No city provided

Thank You Commissioner Dan McDonald...

Dear Editor, We were trying to get a permit to build an extension onto our shop to store our boat in the winter. The shop was built years ago (two owners before us) during a time when strict building code was not in place or adhered to.

We were told that because the shop was too close to the property line on the north, we might have an issue with adding an extension on the south side, even though it more than meets all the setback requirements. We had checked with our neighbor to the north and he had no problem with the setbacks on the north side.

We contacted Commissioner Dan McDonald concerning this issue. He LISTENED as we explained the issue we were facing in getting a building permit.

Dan directed us to Milton Ollerton, Department Head of Planning and Zoning, who quickly found a code interpretation that satisfied our needs. Thank you for competence in all departments!

We had previously met Dan at a neighborhood watch program, spoke with him and liked his conservative and direct approach to issues. He is a man of principle and integrity and LISTENS to people!

We will be voting again for Dan McDonald this November!

Heidi Rogers Priest Lake

A Show of Support...

Elect Weissman for Change...

Dear Ben and Cameron, I just got a chance to sit down and read through the latest Reader. I had seen the news stories about the robo-bullies and had picked up the new Reader earlier when it came out, but hadn’t had a chance to read it until now.

Ben, your editorial stance was perfect. I was happy to see you standing up to the robo-bullies of the world. We need that now more than ever.

I also liked Zach Hagadone’s article and stance.

I will continue to support the Reader and its advertisers any way I can. Again, thank you for your coverage of Sandpoint area, even when you are being threatened.

Dear Editor, If you would like to see a change In our state legislature by electing someone with clear and transparent views and experience dealing with all age groups in our district, you should vote on Nov. 6 for Ellen Weissman for District 1 State Representative, Seat A. A strong supporter of education, as a former teacher she feels that “we have a responsibility to educate all students, of all ages, for success and to cope with future challenges.”

In her work with senior citizens –she is currently executive director of the Sandpoint Senior and Daybreak Centers – she finds that “when thinking of what’s good for seniors, it’s often something that’s good for everyone.”

In her job, she says, “I’m advocating for everyone and there are no divisions between Democrats and Republicans.”

Weissman supports a natural resources policy that provides recreational and economic opportunities while protecting our legacy for future generations. She opposes the Newport smelter as a threat to the quality of environment – “which is why many of us chose to move here -- to have clean air and water.”

She is a good listener – a skill developed in dealing with both young and older citizens. She will hear our views and represent all of us in Bonner and Boundary counties.

So be sure and cast your vote on Nov. 6 for Ellen Weissman. If you are not already registered, you can register to vote online or by mail until Oct. 12.

You can register on election day with proof of residency.

Bill Morgan Sagle

We Support the Reader...

To the Editor and advertisers of the Sandpoint Reader, In light of recent events, we wanted to voice our support for the Reader.

It has been a very helpful and useful weekly source of local news, events and community. This applies to both of its incarnations. Additionally, we will pay more attention to the advertisers in the Reader. When we have a choice, we will frequent those establishments that do and have helped support the Reader, whether we are in search of a place to grab a beer, a coffee, selecting a local craftsperson or even just checking out the calendar for fun activities!

The Reader is the best.

Dave and Cynthia Wood Sandpoint

We Thank the Idaho Club...

Dear Editor, Recently, the Idaho Club, under the direction of golf manager Gordon Holmes, allowed the Bonner Partners Free Health Care Clinic the use of the course for a fundraiser. The clinic provides free health care for those in our community that cannot other wise afford to see a doctor.

The Idaho Club not only made the course available to us free of charge but also donated refreshments to all the volunteers and participants.

The entire board of directors and all our volunteer health care providers want to thank Gordon and the Idaho Club for their generosity. Without their help the clinic could not provide vital health care to those in need in our community.

For further information on the clinic go to: www.bpicc.org.

Thank you, the Idaho Club.

Bill Litsinger Board president, Bonner Partners in Care Clinic Sandpoint

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

Democratic Platform...

Dear Editor, The last weekend of May, both the Idaho Republican and Democratic parties held their state conventions.

These conventions usually center upon modifications to the party’s platforms.

The Republicans choose not to change their platform but to discuss instead how to prevent Medicaid Expansion from becoming law even if the majority of voters vote for its passage in November. I was privileged to be appointed to the Democratic platform committee.

We dramatically changed our platform to more clearly define who we are, and as importantly, what we are not.

This platform includes respect for all Idahoans, fully funded public schools, and Medicaid Expansion. Over the next few weeks, I will explore the thoughts behind this new progressive manner of postulating upon Idaho’s future.

Harvey Brannigan Bayview

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COMMUNITY

National Walk to School Day is all about kids

By Reader Staff Bouquets: • This Bouquet goes out to a special woman who we admire a lot at the Reader. Marcia Pilgeram writes an amazing food column every other week for the Reader and shares all of her own recipes from a career in culinary arts. She also responded to the robocall situation last week by organizing an impromptu rally for the Reader at Idaho Pour Authority. There were easily 250 people that showed and over $3,500 generated for the Reader.

We’re so happy to have you writing for us, Marcia.

• To the Round Table discussion group: you men and women are some of the finest this town has to offer. We at the Reader have always appreciated your good-natured ribbing, your intelligent views of the world and your unflagging determination to allow all viewpoints to be discussed without anger. Bravo!

Barbs • It almost gave me a pang of nostalgia last week when, in the midst of dealing with all this robocall nonsense, I had a good old-fashioned belligerent encounter with a woman on Church Street. I waited at the light on Fifth and Church, saw that there was no traffic, and crossed on my bicycle. When I had made it across, she rolled down her window and bellowed, “You just ran a red light you idiot! You can’t just ride through the light, moron!”

Actually, gentle woman, you can. I encourage drivers as well as bicyclists to look up the “Idaho Stop” about bike rules in Idaho. For bicyclists, stop signs are to be considered yield signs (roll through as long as the way is clear) and red lights are to be treated as stop signs (come to a complete stop and proceed as long as the way is clear). More important: is it really necessary to bellow out of your window at someone (who is following the law) and call them an “idiot?”

There are better ways.

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Lake Pend Oreille School District Schools will join schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 10.

Students will be walking and rolling to school Wednesday, along with parents, teachers, and community leaders. LPOSD Safe Routes to School applauds walkers who travel safely. Travel in groups with an adult or responsible older sibling and dress in brightly-colored clothes. Avoid distractions, walk on sidewalks where available, make eye contact with drivers before crossing, and cross only at intersections.

Motorists, please be advised to be aware and extra cautious of smaller pedestrians.

Walk to School Day participants will begin their journey to school at approximately 7-7:30

a.m. from designated school neighborhood locations. School buses will make special Walk to School Day drop-off stops en route to allow student bus riders the opportunity to participate.

Student walkers should arrive at school no later than 7:50 a.m.

When walking to school is not an option, students are encouraged to walk at school before the morning bell and during recess breaks. Families should obtain specific school detailed event information from their school office, including adult volunteer opportunities, drop off locations, permission slip requirements, and designated walking routes.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, and concern for the environment. The

Adopt an Artifact at the Museum

By Reader Staff The Bonner County History Museum is excited to announce its newest fundraiser, Adopt an Artifact.

Each item in our collection has its own curious story – whether it’s a Native American headdress, or a wartime air raid siren – these artifacts were created, traveled through different owners and places, witnessed important events in history, and eventually ended up at the Bonner County History Museum where they started a new life.

We’d like to offer you the unique chance to help us continue to preserve history by choosing to adopt one of our fascinating artifacts and become part of that story yourself.

Our adoptable list of items is live and located on our website at bonnercountyhistory.org; under the ‘Support’ tab. Adoption costs just $20 a year, and is the perfect way to help preserve our

local heritage for future generations. Adoption would also make a unique gift for a loved one. All proceeds go to the Bonner County History Museum to help us preserve not only your adopted item, but all of our rich collection of over 1,000,000 artifacts through conservation and storage. Conservation work ranges from simple repairs to cleaning, treatment and the provision of protective boxes for vulnerable items. To show our appreciation, you will receive: a special adoption e-certificate with an image and history of your object, free visits to the museum all year and your name credited on our website and on the object label when the object is on display.

If you don’t see an object that appeals to you, contact the museum at (208) 263-2344 and we will help you with a custom adoption. Or send an email to bchs@frontier.com.

event builds connections between families, schools, and the broader community.

Courtesy photo.

To find additional local information, please contact your child’s school or erin.billings@lposd.org.

Please Vote Dan McDonald...

Medicaid Expansion...

Dear Editor, There has been a lot of talk and news in the past few weeks on who can we believe, both nationally and locally.

I’d like to share what I know to be true about my friend, Dan McDonald.

Our friendship began many years ago due to perceived differences. However, after many lengthy candid conversations, we found our differences were ill conceived. We listened to each other, and we have kept on listening to each other for years. Dan listens. In fact, don’t tell him, but sometimes I hear Dan say something using my words! He listens to the citizens of Bonner County, especially the ones who take the time to contact him, whether for the sake of problem resolution, or to compliment the job he is doing. He also makes himself available on social media and has given his private cell phone number out publicly numerous times.

I ask you, have you called Dan? Though he may be controlled by law, mandate and ordinances he is a problem solver and he will always try to help you.

Dan is a big man. He has a great heart, a huge sense of loyalty and integrity. He has a mighty commitment to his wife and family. He has a large pledge to the citizens of Bonner County.

Dan, a bully? I would describe Dan as confident and fearless. Dan McDonald is the friend everyone wishes they had.

Please, vote to re-elect Dan McDonald on Nov. 6.

Debby Trinen Nordman, Idaho

Dear Editor, Idaho has an opportunity to expand Medicaid to 62,000 Idahoans with federal dollars that we are already paying. According to research, Prop 2 will improve the ability of Idahoans to provide for themselves and their families and therefore will be less likely to need government assistance.

Ohio’s Republican governor, John Kasich, expanded Medicaid in his state and he found that instead of creating dependence it is creating independence.

“A new report out today shows that an estimated 290,000 Ohioans utilized Medicaid expansion, and then transitioned off because they got a job or a raise. Expansion has worked in Ohio.”

- John Kasich August 21, 2018 One individual who unenrolled this year said, “Medicaid allowed me to get the surgery I needed so that I could go back to work full time.” In addition, Medicaid made it easier for 83 percent of participants to continue working.

Some people believe that Medicaid expansion will create dependence, but that is not what is happening in states that have expanded their programs. It turns out that people who have their basic health care needs met, find that their ability to become self-reliant increases.

Expanding Medicaid will bring healthcare to 62,000 Idahoans. It will bring nearly $400 million a year of Idaho taxpayers’ money back to Idaho.

It will create 14,000 new jobs and the tax revenue from those jobs. Vote YES on Prop 2 on Nov. 6.

Linda Larson Sandpoint

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Friggin’ Fruit Salad

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

You know what I love? Friggin’ fruit salad.

Fruit salad is quite possibly one of the healthiest, most flavorful and inherently versatile things we can bring to our summer picnics, community potlucks, PTA meetings, church gatherings, and human-centric events in general.

Fruit salad provides a variety of textures and tastes, has diverse vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients for both our bodies and our minds, and inspires creativity for the makers and the consumers alike. And for most of us here in North Idaho, we should consider ourselves damn lucky for the fruit we have to add to our mixing bowls and pile into our Tupperwares in preparation for our food-forward gatherings.

First, we are filled to the brim with some of the best apples in the world, with the hardiness of their trees and their resilience to cold weather making apples the most dominant fruit in the region. They thrive in the mountainous climate and terrain, and grow readily due to access to slightly acidic soil and a bounty of crisp water for irrigating.

North Idaho apples come in all shapes, sizes and varieties, with certain strains like honeycrisp and braeburn thriving easily and producing in large amounts.

But you know what? For as wonderful and tasty as they are, fruit salad with just apples is

Emily Erickson. really plucking boring.

Another regional treat that adds tons of flavor and dimension to fruit salads are the native huckleberries. Far preceding the arrival of apples, huckleberries have unique symbiosis with the natural landscape and cannot be commercially cultivated.

Packed with irreplicable tartness and precious phytochemicals and antioxidant properties, huckleberries have been harvested along mountain slopes in alpine and subalpine climates by both humans and wildlife for centuries and centuries.

Then, another favorite addition contributing to the diversity of a great fruit salad are bananas. What’s better than a truckton of bananas?

A lot of the bananas we consume here in North Idaho travel from southern and tropical regions, with their long, arduous journeys adding intrinsic value to their culinary allure. Bananas are some of the most versatile in their preparation and boast impressive health benefits, including digestive aid due to their high fiber content, and cardiovascular support from their potassium density. And,

they even have nature-made packaging. How resourceful is that?

Next, what’s a good fruit salad without a bunch of blackberries? Bursting with flavor, and packed with enough vitamin-C to easily aid in scurvy prevention and fighting off the common cold, blackberries are one of the healthiest and most delicious things we can add to our fruit salads. Their roots and bounty are resilient and plentiful, with blackberry bushes growing back perennially, despite even the direst of climate and conditions.

Finally, when thinking about the ultimate fruit salad, it never hurts to throw in a pit-load of peaches. Their juiciness and

versatility are unparalleled, originating on deciduous trees native to Northwest China, and since impressively assimilating to regions in North America like Georgia, Calif., and even Washington state. They are both delicious and dynamic in their preparation, and have properties known to fight off diabetes and promote a healthy cardiovascular system.

Ultimately, the greater the variety of fruits we can add to our fruit salads, the better they taste and the healthier they are.

When we have a multitude of flavors, textures, varieties and consistencies, they all contribute to a more well-rounded, more interesting dish. But, sadly, this flavor is dependent on the qual-

ity of ingredients we add when putting everything together.

When quality ingredients are combined, they can contribute to a truly remarkable dish and have the potential to elevate each other in impressive ways.

But when we allow different ingredients to become infested with worms, bugs and other parasites, it can leave a bad taste in our mouths, ruining the flavor of the salad as a whole.

So, instead of letting a few bad apples spoil our perfect picnic side dishes, let’s simply leave them in our napkins or huck them across our lawns, proving that, when it comes to rotten fruits attempting to taint the entirety of our fruit salad, we truly don’t give a spit.

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ELECTION

Local candidates forum set for Oct. 23

By Reader Staff

Candidates for local offices in the Idaho general election will take the spotlight at a candidates’ forum set for Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the East Bonner County Library’s new community room.

The forum will run 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to come meet, hear and pose questions to the candidates.

All candidates for local races have been invited. Not all races that will be on the ballot are contested, so after brief opening statements by all candidates who will be on the ballot, questions will be posed only for candidates in the contested races.

The contested races include Idaho Legislative District 1 House and Senate; Bonner County Commissioner Districts 1 and 3; Bonner County Assessor; and the Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District Board. Advocates

for and against Proposition 2, to expand Medicaid coverage for Idaho residents who fall in the so-called gap, will also be invited to present their arguments.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

The forum is hosted by KRFY, SandpointOnline.com and the Sandpoint Reader, with sponsorship support from the Selkirk Association of Realtors.

It will also be aired live by KRFY Community Radio at 88.5 FM. Sandpoint Online will stream a live videocast for anyone with an Internet connection to watch; the live stream will include a chat function for those watching online to interact and also post questions for the candidates. To watch online, click to www.sandpointonline. com to link into the live stream.

Over 300 people attended the primary candidate forum in May 2018. Photo by Ben Olson.

OPEN 11:30 am

GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS

The Psounbality with Per FRESH FOOD LIVE MUSIC THE BEST NW BREWS

212 Cedar Street Downtown Sandpoint

208.263.4005 A SandPint Tradition Since 1994 10 /

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POINT / COUNTERPOINT

Proposition 1:

Should Idaho allow gambling on historic horse racing?

Understanding the deception behind Proposition 1

Let’s bring horse racing back to Idaho

By Louis Marshall Reader Contributor

One of my fondest memories as a kid growing up in Idaho was the time spent at the local horse racing tracks. At county fair races or meets in Burley or Jerome, it was a thrill to stand along the rail and watch the horses and jockeys thunder down the home stretch.

I loved the smell of the track, the site of dust kicked up by the horses and the camaraderie with my friends as we stood in awe of the local jockeys and trainers who would go on to compete nationally.

But time and changes in the industry have taken a toll on live racing in our state.

Les Bois Park, Idaho’s marquee track, has been closed for three years now. Racing at county fairs and the smaller track circuit has diminished, forcing many of our quarter horse and thoroughbred breeders to haul their top horses, staff and pocketbooks to other states.

The decline in the live racing industry has cost hundreds of jobs statewide and resulted in the loss of tens of millions of dollars annually to our local and state economies.

Thankfully, voters can revitalize our state’s rich horse racing industry and traditions on Nov. 6. Despite what opponents claim, the goal of Proposition 1 is simple and clear: putting horses back on race tracks across Idaho.

The mechanism for making this happen is Idahoans legalizing the limited, restricted and transparent use of Historical Horse Racing, a form of gaming authorized by the Idaho Legislature in 2013 then repealed two years later.

Not only did this vote create hardship for those who invested money and resources into the HHR technology and capital improvements in race tracks, but it cut short a resurgence of our live racing industry. This repeal also sent a troubling message to private business across the state about the ability of government to step in and squelch investment, job creation and revitalizing an industry that helps rural communities.

Idaho’s horse racing industry is no different than those in more than 20 other

Prop 1, if approved by voters this fall, would make it legal for any facility that hosts eight days of live horse racing a year to install Historical Horse Racing terminals. These terminals will enable users to place bets on horse races that have happened in the past on a conveniently disguised device with a look and feel more akin to a casino-style slot machine than a horse on the track.

Supporters say eight days of live horse racing would somehow be a godsend for the industry and that voting against Prop 1 would effectively be a death sentence for horse racing in the state.

Neither of these things are true. Unfortunately, that seems to be something of a theme for the proponents of Prop 1.

After all, this isn’t the first time they’ve tried this campaign.

A few years back, the same folks backing Prop 1 waged a lengthy campaign to convince policymakers to pass legislation that legalized historical horse racing terminals. Promoters claimed bettors would be able to wager on previously run races the same way they’d bet on traditional races. They claimed they’d be able to look at the horses before they bet and watch the entire race.

The reality was much different.

After the law was passed and machines were installed, it was clear supporters had misled the legislature.

The gambling machines installed in early 2014 looked more like slot machines than horse tracks and bettors were only viewing the last seconds of a race on a small screen in the corner of the display.

These gambling machines encouraged rapid-fire betting and were almost indistinguishable — in both form and

function — from the slot machines found down in Jackpot, Nev. When lawmakers saw historical horse racing in action, they were understandably upset and successfully repealed the law in 2015.

It’s no surprise that the supporters of Prop 1 have burned through their credibility with Idaho legislators – that’s why this time they are coming after voters using the same dishonest and misleading tactics from their past.

Instead of highlighting the many benefits of Indian gaming, promoters of Prop 1 have attempted to discredited it and make it a part of today’s debate. But Indian gaming and Prop 1 are not to be confused. While Prop 1 would create a legal loophole for gambling machines prohibited by Idaho’s constitution, Indian gaming is a right bestowed onto the Tribes decades ago to help preserve their own self-reliance. We should remember our commitment to the Tribal community and be reminded of their extensive contributions to our state.

Horse racing in its truest form is already legal in Idaho, and a great many Idahoans enjoy it. Horse racing is, in other words, a worthy cause. But Prop 1 doesn’t advance that cause. Rather, it makes gambling in Idaho a more pervasive and less closely monitored affair. It makes any facility that can string together eight days of racing a potential location for casino gambling all year long — and makes gambling an issue that every part of the state will need to address, for good or ill. For those reasons, I am voting “no” on Prop 1 this November and encourage you to do the same.

Louis Marshall is the Bonner County Prosecutor.

By Bruce Newcomb Reader Contributor

states that allow some form of alternative revenue source, including gaming, to support and sustain live racing. For a short period in 2014-15, this model was working here in Idaho.

Revenue from Historical Horse Racing was helping to boost purses at the track, which in turn was raising the level of competition and the racing experience for fans. In 2015, the racing industry injected $50 million into the economy, employed more than 500 people and provided money for public schools, breeders and youth programs.

When I was approached about being the chairman of the Save Idaho Horse Racing campaign, I immediately embraced the opportunity. I’ve known the owners of Treasure Valley Racing for many years and have seen firsthand their commitment to horse racing and preserving a tradition that has been so important to rural Idaho and its status as a horse state.

I was especially proud to witness that commitment last month when the owners announced the creation of the Treasure Valley Racing Foundation for Rural Idaho.

These five owners seeded the nonprofit with $100,000 and pledged to deposit 100 percent of the net profits from all racing operations at Les Bois Park — including revenue from HHR — to the meet the foundation’s goals of providing scholarships, health services and other programming to support rural communities.

More than anything, this should make it clear to voters around the state that the sole motivation behind Proposition 1 is to put race horses back on the track and to support the folks who can benefit from a healthy and sustainable live racing industry.

So, I ask that you join me in voting “Yes” on Proposition 1 on Nov. 6 and getting our iconic horse racing tradition back on track.

Elected to the Idaho Legislature in 1986, BruceNewcomb served 20 years in the Idaho House and remains Idaho’s longest serving Speaker of the House. He retired in 2017 after serving a decade as director of government relations for Boise State University and in January agreed to serve as voluntary chairman of the Save Idaho Horse Racing campaign. He and his wife now live in Boise.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

cool nebulae

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Hey 7B, feeling gassy?

Some weeks, we don’t want paragraphs of information and juvenile wit thrown in our faces.

Sometimes, we just want to observe the beauty of the natural world and wonder how in the heck that got there.

Nebulae (singular: nebula) are what got me interested in astrophysics around 15 years old. I was a pretty dumb kid and an even dumber young teenager, but I’ve always had a mind that enjoyed visual art and a penchant for asking lots of stupid and annoying questions. (No question is stupid, never stop asking why, kids.)

Seeing beautiful images of nebulae patchworked together by the engineers behind the Hubble space telescope really put things into perspective for me and really got me wondering: What are those things, and how did they get there?

In short, nebulae are gas clouds made of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen and probably a whole lot of other stuff, kind of like how our clouds on earth are mostly hydrogen and oxygen, but can carry nitrogen, carbon and ammonia to make stuff like acid raid. Difference is, nebulae are, in the words of a certain tweeter: YUGE. We’re talking hundreds of light years across huge. If we were in the middle of one, we’d have no idea that we were because it’s spanning such an unfathomably vast distance, kind of like the caldera of Olympus Mons on Mars.

These gases coalesce in lots of really awesome shapes, so enough blathering, have some pictures.

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while the blue is high-energy gases influenced by the pulsar.

It’s about 150 light years across, and as you can see, looks like a cool spectral hand.

Pillars of Creation

Pillars of Creation

Trippy, man. Kind of retro, a little lava lamp. They’re actually just a part of the Eagle Nebula, but they were named the Pillars of Creation because they’re in the process of creating new stars, while also being destroyed in the process.

Crab Nebula pretty darn close. Chinese astronomers around 1050 AD may have observed the star going nova, but they never had the kind of detail that Hubble could deliver.

Orion Nebula

Crab Nebula In case you wondered what a supernova looked like, this is

NGC 6210 Death is always a sad thing, but in the case of a star, it means a new beginning. This nebula is essentially the last gasp of a dying star, flinging its gases away as it cools down. In the case of really big stars, these gases will

coalesce over time and create new stars. For smaller stars, we believe they may eventually cool to a point where they essentially turn into giant diamonds.

I hope you found these images intriguing or inspiring. If you want to find more, you don’t need to be an astrophysicist. Just type something like “List of cool nebulae” into the Inter-Googles and watch your whole afternoon disappear to science.

Random Corner rt Cloud?

Don’t know much about the Oo

M2-9

M2-9 This nebula is pretty cool. In the very center are two binary stars orbiting one another. One of them was a lot like the sun, but it’s reaching the end of its life and has ejected most of its gaseous atmosphere outward while growing into a red giant.

The other star is smaller, and physicists think that the larger star is stripping away the smaller one’s atmosphere and flinging it into space to create the wings of the nebula.

NGC 6210

Orion Nebula Think of the Orion Nebula as a star factory, and I’m not talking about Instagram. The way it appears to be illuminated from within gives astounding depth and perception. These are giant three-dimensional objects of mind-bending sizes. It puts our daily problems into a grand perspective.

Hand of God

We can help!

• The Oort Cloud is a theorized extended shell of icy objects that exist in the outermost reaches of the solar system.

• It is named after astronomer Jan Oort, who first theorized its existence.

• The Oort Cloud is roughly spherical, and is thought to be the origin of most of the long-period comets that have been observed.

• This cloud of particles is theorized to be the remains of the disc of material that formed the sun and planets. Astronomers now refer to those primeval objects as a protoplanetary disk. The most likely theory is that the material now in the Oort Cloud probably formed closer to the young sun in the earliest epochs of solar system formation. As the planets grew, and in particular as Jupiter coalesced and migrated to its present position, its gravitational influence is thought to have scattered many icy objects out to their present position in the Oort cloud.

• No one knows for sure how many objects exist in the Oort Cloud, but most estimates put it at around 2 trillion.

Hand of God These are actually two different nebulae reacting to the influence of the pulsar, PSR B1509-58 (because we’re all going to remember that). The orange is a low-energy nebula

• Some astronomers theorize that the sun may have captured Oort Cloud cometary material from the outer disks of other stars that were forming in the same nebula as our star.

• Objects in the Oort Cloud are also referred to as Trans-Neptunian objects. This name also applies to objects in the Kuiper Belt, an area of the outer solar system that is estimated to stretch across 20 astronomical units (AU) of space. It contains small solar system bodies made mostly of ices.

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Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

ICL’s 3rd Annual Scott Reed Conservation Lecture and Dinner 6pm @ Hayden Lake Country Club Conservation lecture and dinner in honor of the late Scott Reed, one of ICL’s founders. 208-265-9565

Live Music w/ Ben and Cadie 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Ben and Cadie are a duo from Harold’s IGA playing originals and covers Live Music w/ Son of Brad 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Daniel is spectacular with his guitar and songwriting. Indie rock

Live 6-8pm Maya origi

Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin, Ruby Force and the Hottman Sisters 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Kevin Dorin kicks it off with his unique blend of blues/Americana, followed by Ruby Force with progressive country with an indie flair. The Hottman Sisters are a indie pop/rock three-piece touring from Nebraska that shouldn’t be missed

Li 6W Fi 6: Ho L 7:

Live Music w/ Maya and Arthur Goldblum Live Music w/ Josh Field 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Maya and her father Arthur will be perform- Woodsy rock and rasping Americana ing Maya’s original songs and more Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip Squatch Fest 5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority 4-7pm @ The Granary (near Evans Bros) Sandpoint singer-songwriter with soul Join Kaniksu Land Trust to help make the Live Music w/ Innasci Pine Street Woods a reality. Live music by 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Missoula-based rock and groove band touring Harold’s IGA from 4-5:30 p.m., and Barethrough Sandpoint bringing the people to the Grass from 5:30-7 p.m. raffles of great prizes, plus lots of fun for kids and adults, dance floor with their brand of tasty grooves all provided for free. Food trucks on site, as Live Music w/ Larry Mooney well as tents with heaters 6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bridge Wine Bar Classical/Brazilian guitar, pop and standards Piano Sunday featuring Peter Lucht Hunters B Sandpoint Chess Club 4-6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 11:30pm @ 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Maya and her father Arthur will be performa special 1 Meets every Sunday at 9am ing Maya’s original songs and more they take Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Night-Out Karaoke 9pm @ 219 Lounge Join DJ Pat for a night of singing, or just come to drink and listen Wind Down Wednesday 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge With live music by blues man Truck Mills and guest musician Denis Zwang

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalepeño’s M An hour of conversation and stories. T

Trivia Night 7-9pm @ MickDuff’s Bring your brain and show it off (please, not literally) Magic Wednesday 6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s Enjoy close-up magic shows by Star Alexander right at your table

Meet and Greet for Steve Lockwood 3:30-5pm @ Tango Cafe This is your chance to talk to Steve Lockwood, candidate for county commission, ask questions and voice concerns.

Open Mic All levels

Orchard Fruits 6pm @ Ponderay Events Center With Kyle Nagy of Sandpoint Orchard, w will provide info on every step of orch maintenance, from planting to pest contr

Girls’ Night Out 7pm @ Panida Theater Legendary touring male review troupe. Panida.org for more info

Walk to School Da Lake Pend Oreille S dents for Walk to Sc walking and biking tivity among childre

e

ful

October 4 - 11, 2018 A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.

Reader recommended

Live House Concert w/ Maya and Arthur Goldblum 6-8pm @ Talus Rock Retreat Maya and her father Arthur will be performing Maya’s original songs and more

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blend Force r. The -piece missed

Live Music w/ Bob Beadling 6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bridge Wine Bar Where classical piano meets contemporary First Fridays w/ Devon Wade 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Hometown country artist Live Music w/ Ron Keiper Jazz 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

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s Bros) make the music by nd Bareof great d adults, n site, as

Live Music w/ the Pine Hearts 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

‘Madeline Lamar’ Murder Mystery Dinner Theater 7:30pm @ Panida Theater (Oct. 5 and 6) When a group of friends get together to celebrate a book release of the famous Detective Dan murder mysteries, an uninvited guest crashes the party – a ghost of the Panida Theater. Event includes a three-course dinner on the main stage. Vintage dress is encouraged, but not required

Southside Harvest Festival 9am-4pm @ Southside Community Church Sandpoint Farmers Market Free kids activities including a bounce castle, 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park pumpkin patch, mini golf, face painting and crafts, Shop for locally grown produce, artisan wares, plus over 30 vendors and community organizations and more, plus, chef demonstrations and lots Friends of the Library book sale of samples provided by market vendors. Enjoy 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library live music with Musha Marimba All non-fiction is on special sale at four for $1.

There are beautiful sets of books also specialFree First Saturday at the Museum ly priced. We are featuring children’s books, art 10am-2pm @ Bonner Co. History Museum books and books about horses Everyone is invited to enjoy the museum free. Live Music w/ Patrice Webb Sponsored by Tim and Margaret Petersen 5-7pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Local singer-songwriter with a lotta heart

Hunters Blessing 11:30pm @ Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church a special 15-minute service to bless all the hunters before they take to the field. All are welcome, come as you are

alepeño’s Mexican Restaurant d stories. This week’s topic: “Doctor Danger”

Open Mic Night w/ Kevin Dorin • 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall All levels of performers are welcome

r Orchard, who p of orchard pest control

Fundraiser for the Sandpoint Kiwanis Club 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Held in conjunction with the Panhandle Animal Shelter. Bale Breaker Brewing Fresh Hop beer on tap. Live music with Marty and Doug. Raffle Prizes, silent Auction items and free appetizers

chool Day d Oreille School District Safe Routes to School invites local families to join stuWalk to School Day to help raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for nd biking and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical acng children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, and concern for the environment

Oct. 12 Roosevelt Dime w/ BareGrass @ Panida Theater Oct. 13 Fall For Sandpoint @ Downtown Sandpoint Oct. 13 Fall For Sandpoint @ Downtown Sandpoint

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D O W N T O W N

S A N D P O I N T

FARMIN PARK @ 3RD & OAK

∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Saturdays, 9am-1pm Wednesdays, 3pm-5:30pm May through Mid October

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∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Harvest Day is October 13th!

Stop on by to celebrate the Last Market Day of 2018 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Thanks for Supporting Your Local Farmers Market! ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Music at the Market Live Every Wednesday & Saturday October 6: Musha Marimba October 10: Oak St. Connection October 13: Browne Salmon sandpointfarmersmarket.com

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COMMUNITY

Local merchants and nonprofits team up for Fall for Sandpoint

By Reader Staff Who doesn’t love a good sale? Especially when it’s guiltfree. That’s what “Fall for Sandpoint” is all about. This year, 21 downtown Sandpoint retailers have each teamed with a local nonprofit for a day to shop, save, and share. It all happens on Saturday, Oct. 13. During the event, each store will donate part of the day’s sales to their non-profit partner. It’s a win-win. Something for you and something for all of us.

Most activities will take place from 11a.m. to 3p.m., with others lasting throughout the day. The non-profit participants will be on hand to answer your questions and show you how they serve our area. Participating retailers will donate part of the day’s shopping proceeds to their sponsored non-profit. For example, at Great Stuff, proceeds from chocolate sales for the day will be donated to Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper. Hippie Chic is donating 10 percent of all sales to Life Choices Pregnancy Center.

Stop by Creations for a kid-friendly craft activity and to get the skinny on a downtown scavenger hunt. Sharon’s Hallmark will be buzzing with product demos, product samples and games for prizes. Dress up the family pooch and head to I Saw Something Shiny for their doggie fashion contest, and Azalea is offering face painting in exchange for your donation.

Each store will present their own unique combination of specials, activities and fun.

Pick up a passport at any participating retailer. Visit stores and get your passport stamped, no purchase necessary. Five stamps is all it takes to enter a prize drawing, or get 10 stamps and you’ll be entered in the grand-prize drawing as well.

Prizes range from gift certificates, to dinner for two, to movie tickets and much more.

What goes around comes around. Nowhere is that truer than in a close-knit community like Sandpoint. Local nonprofit organizations and local merchants are central to the cycle of

Participating retailers and nonprofits service and support that makes this an outstanding area to live in. Non-profits in Sandpoint and the surrounding communities provide important human services, promote the arts, entertainment and recreation, and safeguard the quality of our beautiful environment. All of the donations raised during “Fall for Sandpoint” stay here in North Idaho.

Purchases made at local retail stores also support our community, providing jobs and tax revenue, and creating a vibrant, attractive downtown.

Construction on Cedar and First is wrapping up and the summer rush is over, so join your friends and neighbors at “Fall for Sandpoint” on Saturday, Oct. 13, and fall in love with our hometown all over again.

Burl Wood Dreams Carousel Cedar St. Bistro Eve’s Leaves Finan McDonald Clothing Co. Firefly Boutique Grace & Joy Great Stuff Hippie Chic I Saw Something Shiny LaChic Boutique Larson’s Meadowbrook Northwest Handmade For additional information Outdoor Experience Idaho check posters around town and Pend d’Oreille Winery look on retailers’ Facebook pages or the Sandpoint Shopping Sharon’s Hallmark District Facebook page.

BGH to host Sip & Screen mammogram party

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Bonner General Health is hosting a Sip & Screen mammogram party on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the waiting room of the Imaging Center, located in Suite 210 at 423 N. Third Avenue in Sandpoint. The event will include beverages, appetizers, sweets and prizes given away each hour.

“Bonner General Health has 3-D mammography, the leading technology in breast cancer screening because early detection saves lives,” said BGH Director of Diagnostic Imaging Daniel Holland. “Anyone coming to Bonner General Health for a mammogram should have con18 /

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fidence in the results because our technology detects 40 percent more invasive cancers than 2-D mammography, allowing for the earliest detection possible.”

Holland said all BGH mammography technologists are registered with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

“If someone is nervous about having a mammogram they need to share that with their technologist. They should share any other health conditions they have so their technologist can make their experience as comfortable as possible.”

To schedule your mammogram appointment for Saturday, Oct. 20 during the Sip & Screen event call (208) 265-3349, or visit BonnerGeneral.org/mam-

A&P Grill Alpine Shop Art Works Gallery Azalea Handpicked Style

mo-party and request an appointment online.

Panida Theater Panhandle Alliance for Education Share the Love Scholarship Kaleidoscope and Community Art Programs Local Veterans Programs Creations Bonner Gospel Mission Bonner Community Food Bank Sandpoint Senior Center Kinderhaven Life Choices Pregnancy Center Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper Life Choices Pregnancy Center Panhandle Animal Shelter NAMI Far North Underground Kindness Special Olympics Bonner Community Hospice Walk Bike Alliance Food for our Children Women Honoring Women Scholarship Program

THE READER IN SHANGHAI

Tom and Tracy Gibson enjoying The Reader in Shanghai, China.

Did you bring the Reader with you on an exciting trip? Send a photo to ben@sandpointreader.com, and we’ll give you some ink!

LITERATURE

Meet Bernice Ende, the ‘Lady Long Rider’

By Robin Campbell Reader Contributor Since her first long ride at age 51 in 2005, Bernice Ende, of Trego, Mont., has logged more than 29,000 miles in the saddle, crisscrossing the United States, Canada and parts of Mexico on horseback — alone. Traveling from 2014 to 2016, she became the first person to ride coast to coast and back again in one trek.

On Thursday, Oct. 17, Ende will share her adventure at the East Bonner County Library from 6-7:30 p.m. Her new book, “Lady Long Rider: Alone Across North America on Horseback,” chronicles her travels, the friendly people she meets along the way, and her ongoing encounters with rough weather, wildlife, hard work, mosquitoes, tricky routefinding, and the occasional worn out horseshoe.

During her presentation, through stories and pictures, Bernice reveals her inner struggles and triumphs — testing the limits of physical and mental stamina, coping with inescapable solitude, and the rewards of living life her own way, as she says, “in her own skin.”

Along the way, she discovers a sense of community and love of place that unite people wherever they live.

The Long Riders’ Guild has recognized Bernice as an outstanding ambassador for long-distance exploration on horseback — no other living woman has done as many journeys or ridden as

Right: A dog and pony show with the author, Bernice Ende.

Top: Ende will share stories and pictures from her book “Lady Long Rider” at the Sandpoint Library Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. Courtesy photos.

many miles as she has.

The Bonner County Library presentation is free and open to the public.

Books will be available for purchase, signed by the author. Refreshments will be served.

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OUTDOORS

Gardening with Laurie:

Dwarf Iris

By Laurie Brown Reader Columnist Iris, named for the rainbow goddess of the Greeks, has more species and varieties than I could count, and there has been a lot of cross breeding. The various miniatures and dwarfs are the earliest iris to bloom, and are quite hardy in Spokane and North Idaho.

The assorted small irises include I. reticulata, I. danfordiae, I. pumila, I. chamaeiris, I. cristata, the Dwarf Bearded (up to a foot tall), and the Miniature Dwarf Bearded (6 inches and shorter).

The latter two have I. germanica DNA in them. By planting an assortment of these short irises, you can have iris bloom much earlier in the season than if you

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wait for the most commonly used iris, I. germanica, the Tall Bearded Iris. They come in an assortment of colors; white, purple, yellow, and bicolors are most common.

I have one that is a greenish color and another that is almost black. They vary in flower size; some are perfectly proportioned while others have huge flowers for the size of their leaves and their height. They are all beautiful.

All of these iris varieties require good drainage, especially in our area with our wet springs. They work well in rock gardens and at the front edges of beds. I like to put them in an area with primroses and Lathyrus vernus; their bloom times overlap, and the softer foliage of the Primulas and Lathyrus contrasts nicely with the sharp, sword shaped foliage of the iris. They do best in full sun, but most will tolerate a little bit of shade. They will tolerate and survive summer drought but will not bloom as well next spring if they are not given regular water. Fertilize in spring before bloom and then again after bloom with bulb fertilizer, bone meal or any fertilizer with a low first number (nitrogen) and the second two numbers (phosphorus and potassium) high. After bloom, cut the flower stalks down low and trim the leaves, leaving them at about one-third of their height. The leaves will regrow and not look as tired and spotty. In autumn, cut the leaves down close to the rhizome or to the ground; come spring, remove any remainders. The only real enemy irises have in this area seems to be fungi; removing the old leaves gives the fungus fewer places to live. Rot is also a problem; do not plant iris where plowing, shoveling or roof eaves pile and pack snow.

All of these irises will form nice colonies in a short time and will need

Photo courtesy of American Meadows.

dividing every three to five years. While iris can be successfully divided at almost any time of year, I’ve found them to do best if divided about six weeks after they bloom. Dig the entire colony, cut the leaves short, and discard any bulbs or rhizomes that have rot in them. If you think there is fungus disease present, dip the bulbs or rhizomes in a 50/50 solution of bleach and water before replanting.

Put some bone meal or bulb fertilizer in the bottom of the hole, and replant however many bulbs or rhizomes you want; with the rhizome types, remember that they grow only in one direction and plant them accordingly so they don’t grow right into each other or into another plant. Rhizomes should be left with the top half of the tuber above the ground; they need sun on the rhizome to grow well. Many iris will not bloom the year after dividing.

Miniature iris are harder to find than the tall bearded ones but well worth the search. I got most of mine at the Farmer’s Market. Some were potted up and blooming so I could see the colors; most were bare rooted. But even if you can’t see the color, it’s worth taking a chance.

There is no such thing as an ugly iris.

STAGE & SCREEN

Banff Mountain Film Fest offers special night

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Sandpoint audiences love Banff Mountain Film Festival so much, they’ve earned a special extra night of films this year.

Set for Oct. 13 at the Panida Theater, the showcase of the year’s most impressive mountain sports short films consistently draws a packed house. For this year’s single-day event, eight films cover dramas ranging from a world-record attempt to a mountain biker and painter who intertwines her sport and her art. No matter the film, each unfolds amid some of the world’s most beautiful locations.

It’s hard to say which element of the films are more inspiring: the gorgeous photography or the stories of human achievement. In “2.5 Million,” audiences follow American skier Aaron Rice as he attempts to set a new world record by skiing 2.5 million vertical feet.

“Intersection: Micayla Gatto” examines how Micayla Gatto inspires her painting and mountain biking alike by pursuing her twin passions. “Tour of Ara” details the grueling endurance test that is the

cycle race of Ara in South Africa, which unfolds across 800 kilometers over six days. “Winter on the Blade” chronicles climber Mark Savage’s efforts to summit Tasmania’s Federation Peak, which fewer people conquer in a year than Mt. Everest. “Johanna” shows how free diving has been a calming and healing experience for athlete Johanna Nordblad.

Scientists conduct experiments trying to recreate the Ice Age in “Mammoth.”

After falling in love with a woman and a way of life in the north, the subject of “My Irnik” learns native cultural and ancestral traditions even as he passes them on to his son. And in “Ice Call,” freerider Sam Favret gives an unforgettable look at the Mer de Glace, a glacier located in the French Alps.

Even better than the films themselves is the fact that each ticket sold supports great causes both locally and abroad.

Film festival attendees will lend a helping hand to the Satipo Kids Project, which connects children in Satipo, Peru, with school and college opportunities, and the North Idaho Mountain Sports Education Fund, which helps local youth afford access to winter activities at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

Laughing Matter

Banff Mountain Film Festival takes place 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Panida Theater. Tickets are available online at www.panida.org, at Eichardt’s, Burger Express in Sandpoint and Bon-

Photo by Tyler Wilkinson Ray ners Ferry, Alpine Shop and Outdoor Experience or at the door on the night of the show if tickets remain.

By Bill Borders

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COMMUNITY

PERSPECTIVES The

Late Night Buddhist Nude beaches and nighttime Buddhas

By Scott Taylor Reader Columnist

A couple winters ago I was in a small town on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico called Zipolite, in the state of Oaxaca. It’s known for attracting hippies, backpackers, gypsies and other colorful characters. The beach is clothing optional (I took clothes for an eight-day trip and ended up wearing one pair of shorts and a sarong, sometimes). One hotel on the beach actually has a huge Buddha statue sitting out front, contemplating the ocean.

Among all the weird folks there (I say that lovingly and in kinship), I met a fairly normal-looking couple from Ashland, Ore. He was a 60-ish attorney, wearing a photographer’s vest and a safari hat covering his shaved head. She was a large frizzy redhead who wore a mumu and talked incessantly without really saying anything.

I eventually realized she was “out there.”

During one conversation he said that they had been living in a Buddhist community near Ashland but became disillusioned with it for various reasons. One of them was that some of their fellow residents were what he called “early-morning Buddhists”; they were disciplined, they rose early to do their yoga and meditation, they followed all the Buddhist “rules.”

They also criticized those who didn’t. He explained that they had dubbed them-

selves “late-night Buddhists;” they liked to socialize and have a drink, they stayed up late and slept in. I told him I really liked that term (can’t imagine why) and thought it would make a great title for a book or a good band name. He told me I was free to use it, so I adopted it for this column.

My intent for this column is not to preach any religion, nor come from a “holier-than-thou-you-should-listen-to-me” position. It’s simply to bring a little humor and personal experience to the human condition of trying to get along in this world and be happy, because in today’s world of divisiveness, discontent and anger, we can surely use more happy, well-adjusted people. Though I write it from a perspective based in Buddhist philosophy (Buddhism is often not classified as a religion; more on that in another column), I try to include simple acts or thoughts that anyone, regardless of spiritual position, can use to be happier. I don’t claim to have an exclusive grasp on happiness (talk to me after six weeks of gray skies) or self-control (it’s a good thing cell phone video didn’t exist when that block of frozen peas fell out of the freezer onto my bare toes; I hope it learned its lesson). Nor do I claim to be a “good” Buddhist (or even a Buddhist), but I’ve been on the wrong end of the happiness scale (it ain’t fun) and it has been Buddhist teaching that sets me on the right path and keeps me away from that. So if sharing that with others can do some good, then great. And if it doesn’t, well at least writing this keeps me out of the bars... during the day...er, morning. Be happy!

Scott is an ex-teacher and current artist/writer/musician with an affinity for beauty, peacefulness, and late-night Nutella on apples.

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Classes offered for woodworking, Epilog laser cutter, MIG welding

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Sandpoint Parks and Recreation is offering several upcoming classes that cater to your creative whims, while also satisfying a practical need.

Love gorgeous, high-end hand-made kitchen accessories? Want to experience the joy of a pro-grade woodshop? If your answer is yes, then an introduction to woodworking class is a perfect choice.

In a fun one-session class you’ll design and build your own hardwood cutting board set. Learn how we use the jointer, planer and table saw to surface and prep raw lumber. Design your own boards with as much simplicity or complexity as you like! Lastly, enjoy the art of finishing your boards hands-on with planers, sanders and other tools. This class gives you a truly prograde experience, and you leave with your own cutting board set.

One day monthly sessions are offered.

The class fee is $71 ($2 city discount) per session, and includes a selection of hardwood for an approximately 18-inch by 12-inch cutting board. Each session will be held at MakerPoint Studios (C106-14 1424 N. Boyer Ave.) on Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m.

Register for the upcoming Oct. 16 session by Oct. 14.

The Epilog laser cutter is the most

popular tool at MakerPoint Studios. Some of their members have even built small businesses with this tool. To learn the magic of laser cutting and engraving, MakerPoint has offered a class once per month of oneday sessions to work side by side with the instructor to learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator and make the laser hum while cutting and engraving holiday projects.

The class fees are $71 ($2 in-city discount) per session. The class requires a minimum of two participants and a maximum of four participants. Classes will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. at Makerpoint Studios (C106-14 1424 N. Boyer Ave.). Register for the upcoming Oct. 17 session by Oct. 14.

Finally, if you’ve ever wanted to learn the proper use of a MIG welder, the following class will provide a full introduction and provide all the basics to get started on your first project.

The next available class is scheduled for Oct. 18 from 6-9 p.m. at MakerPoint Studio, C106-14 1424 N. Boyer Ave. Space is limited to four per class. The session is $71, with a $2 discount for city residents. Pre-register by Oct. 14.

View monthly registration details and pre-register online at www.sandpointidaho. gov/parksrecreation or visit them at Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, 1123 Lake St. in Sandpoint or call (208) 263-3613.

Bidding open for KRFY Auction

By Reader Staff What exciting Sandpoint event begins on Oct. 6 and ends on Oct. 14? It’s 88.5 KRFY, Panhandle Community Radio’s online fundraising auction. Go to: www. krfy.org and click on the AUCTION button the right column or www.biddingforgood.com/krfy now to preview and start bidding on Oct. 6.

Will you bid on a gorgeous ocean front condo in Turks and Caicos or a week-end ski vacation with lift tickets at Schweitzer Mountain Resort? A history cruise on the lake with Pend Oreille Cruises, or Seattle Seahawk 2019 pre-season tickets with a night’s stay at the 5 star W Hotel in Seattle? There are over 40 fabulous and useful and fun items to bid on from local restaurants to haircuts and spa treatments, massage certificates and bike repair along

with ridiculously tasty homemade apple pies. There are specialty wines along with sushi and catered dinners. The list goes on and on. You decide what you want to bid on to support 88.5 KRFY. All funds raised during the online auction will benefit north Idaho’s only community radio station. KRFY is a volunteer-driven, commercial free, media organization with the mission of providing an eclectic mix of music, news, and views. So, remember to check www.krfy. org or www.biddingforgood.com/krfy and place your bids between Oct. 6 and Oct. 14.

ART

Worldwide Photowalk comes to Sandpoint

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Where one person might see a construction worker doing his job in a rainy parking lot, local photographer Rebecca Hagemann sees the reflection of a hard-working man in a puddle, possibly with a black and white filter once she captures the moment in her camera.

It’s just one example of Hagemann’s eye for the perfect shot.

Now, she’s using her passion and experience to lead a Worldwide Photowalk in Sandpoint on Oct. 6 in Sandpoint, after taking part in a handful of such walks across the country since 2009. Participants register online and then join a walking tour, taking photos along the way. Similar events will happen in thousands of cities across the world at the same time.

Hagemann said she’s excited to see the other participants’ eyes for photography in action.

“When you’re in a group of people, they get stuff and you don’t even see it,” she said.

The event is formally known as the 11th annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk, named for photographer, author and Adobe Photoshop guru Scott Kelby, who started what is now “the world’s largest global and social photography event.”

The Sandpoint walk will begin at 8:45 a.m. at Evans Brothers Coffee and end around 11 a.m. at MickDuff’s Beer Hall. While Hagemann has a route planned that includes some of her favorite spots to photograph downtown, she said the walk is flexible.

“By all means, feel free to go into your own little zone, just don’t step out into traffic,” she said.

Beyond taking photos, participants will have a chance to share their day’s captures with one another at the end. Photographers send their favorite shot of the day

to Hagemann, and then she chooses a winner. Participants have a chance to win prizes like a DSLR, gift cards, apps and camera bags, and Kelby will select a grand prize winner and 10 finalists himself.

The event is free, but pre-registration is required. In lieu of a fee, participants are encouraged to donate to Springs of Hope Orphanage in Kenya.

Hagemann said she’s looking forward to capturing Sandpoint with other like-minded photographers, and hopes people take advantage of the social aspect of the event.

“With photographers, there’s all different kinds of personalities.

You’ve got total introverts, and total extroverts,” Hagemann said.

“Charge the batteries, have fun.

It’s supposed to be about meeting other people.”

Learn more about the planned route and find more details at worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/ downtown-sandpoint-idaho.

Rebecca Hagemann. Photo

by Paula Turner.

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SPORTS & OUTDOORS

‘Squatch Fest’ Saturday promises fun and surprises

By Reader Staff There’s a surprise brewing for the first-ever Squatch Fest benefit celebration for the Pine Street Woods this Saturday, Oct. 6 – and, no, it’s not something big and hairy.

The big hairy thing is Sasquatch, and there should be no surprise that he’ll make an appearance at the fest, which will run 4-7 p.m. at Evans Brothers Coffee in the Granary District.

Rather, the surprise is coming from members of the Kaniksu Land Trust committee that have been working the past year-plus to acquire 160 acres off Pine Street for a community forest.

“We have something pretty big to tell the community about,” said committee co-chair Jim Zuberbuhler. “And, just for fun, we decided to make a party and a fundraiser out of it.”

The party will include live music from local bands Harold’s IGA and BareGrass, a beer and wine garden courtesy Eichardt’s Pub, a host of kids’ activities, tasty food from Mandala Pizza and Jupiter Jane plus delectable desserts from Winter Ridge. And there will be a chance to win some cool Pine Street Woods schwag and even a week in a condo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The event is free for everyone to attend, but it’s also a fundraiser as the campaign races to make the Pine Street Woods a reality. Everyone is invited to contribute to the effort to secure the community forest as an undeveloped natural area for all of the public to use.

The group has dubbed the party Squatch Fest in appreciation of all the help Sas-

quatch has lent to the effort to raise $2.1 million for the land acquisition and initial development costs. Sasquatch has been a recurring character in the Pine Street Woods story, and the star of videos that have been used to promote the campaign.

Check the first and second installments of “Sasquatch” at www.bit.ly/Squatch1 and www. bit.ly/Squatch2.

And then, be sure to come Saturday for your chance to party with the big fella – and just possibly help secure his home in the woods.

For more the Kaniksu Land Trust and the Pine Street Woods project, go to www.pinestreetwoods.com.

Top: Is it? Could it be? The famous Squatch?

Bottom: A guided walk in the Pine Street Woods.

Courtesy photos.

Scotchman Peaks photo contest ends on Halloween

By Reader Staff If you were in or around the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness sometime since November 1, 2017, and took a picture you think is really cool, submit it to the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness 2018 Photo Contest. This can be done by posting it on the FSPW Instagram page with the hashtag #2018fspwphotocontest or via the “old-fashioned” method of attaching it to an e-mail and sending it to sandy@scotchmanpeaks.org.

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Please include where and when it was taken and maybe even why you took it.

High-resolution (2 MB or higher in jpeg format) are best. Pictures should have been taken within the proposed wilderness or of the wilderness from outside (pictures taken within the wilderness are preferred.)

FSPW takes submissions all year long, but time is growing short. An individual can submit up to six photos, of which FSPW staff will choose what they consider the best of the bunch. The chosen will

then be put into a Facebook album after the contest closes on Halloween 2018.

The final pictures will be judged by the highly qualified panel of Facebook Friends of Scotchman Peaks, who will vote with their “likes” on pictures posted in a special album. Ties will be decided

by FSPW staff.

Prizes: Top three photo takers will be awarded a swag package from FSPW including a hat, bandana and t-shirt.

The grand prize: Your picture professionally framed by Ward Tolbom of Hen’s

Tooth Studios in Sandpoint. Ward is an expert framer, as well as a renowned water color artists and huckleberry picker.

The way to win: Send those pictures in and invite your friends to vote for your photo(s) on the Scotchman Peaks Facebook page beginning Nov. 9 (Right after the FSPW Wild Night for Wilderness at Matchwood Brewing)!

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

Fiddlin’ Red marks 50 years teaching music

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Fiddlin’ Red is many things.

It’s a stage name. It’s a registered trademark. It’s a business in downtown Sandpoint.

But above all, Fiddlin’ Red — or Greg “Fiddlin’ Red” Simpson, if you want to be really proper — is a man who woke up one recent day and realized he’s been teaching music for 50 years “and still loving it.”

“All students are unique individuals. They all learn differently,” he said. “I love the kids, but I teach adults, too. It always raises people’s self-esteem when they learn an instrument. They become proud, they feel accomplished. Plus, music is good for the soul.”

Fiddlin’ Red’s Music, located at 111 Church St., is a onestop shop for renting or buying acoustic and band instruments, as well as the place to get instruments repaired. Red also offers lessons in old-time fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and occasionally ukulele.

After working in music shops his whole life — and even building guitars at Dobro and Rickenbacker — Red’s boss of 25 years at House of Music in Colville, Wash., prompted his last move by telling him Sandpoint needed an instrument repairman. He’d heard Sandpointians were traveling to Coeur d’Alene and Spokane to have instruments fixed.

After two years at Sandpoint Music, Red became his own boss when he opened Fiddlin’ Red’s nearly six years ago. He said the shop keeps him busy as the owner and only employee.

“I love being my own boss.

I get to set the ambiance that I choose,” he said, pointing out the western theme of his shop.

“I credit the store’s survival to being able to cover so many bases.”

Red said he tried a number

READ If you’d like to open the hood on your soul and check the fluid, one essential book is Immanual Kant’s “Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.”

The lofty aim of this famous book is to develop a clearer understanding of moral principles so that people may live fuller lives without distractions.

Published in 1785, Kant’s surmises still ring true today, if you can wade through the concepts that first appear dry. For extra credit, check out “The Critique of Practical Reason” which he published in 1788 as a follow up.

LISTEN

Fiddlin’ Red outside his shop on Church Street. Photo by Kiersten Patterson. of instruments as a child, from trumpet to piano, but nothing felt quite right. At 13 he heard someone finger picking a guitar for the first time and thought, “That’s for me.” From there, without a formal teacher, he learned everything by ear. To this day, Red does not use classically written music, but instead teaches a system of finger and number cues used mostly for old-time music.

“I’d go to pawn shops and buy old records and listen to them over and over and over until I figured it out by ear,” he said, noting he grew up in Fullerton, Calif. “So while all my friends (were) out surfing, I’m a red head, burned up at the beach, so I stayed home and played the guitar.”

His newfound hobby stuck, and Red said he took it “very seriously.” In 1968, 16-year-old Red began teaching banjo, mandolin and fiddle at a music shop in Buena Park, Calif. By 17 he’d scored a gig at a pub on Newport Beach. At 20, he and his band

— Fiddlin’ Red Simpson and the Old Scratch Band — put out a record that’s currently being bootlegged on Amazon.

“It’s sort of an offhanded compliment,” Red said with a laugh.

It’s been a life of music for Fiddlin’ Red, with a special emphasis on sharing his passion through teaching. When it comes to teaching music, Red said the greatest key is patience.

“I’m very patient, so a lot of parents like me because they see how patient I am with their kids,” Red said. “Some kids are easily intimidated and they need an instructor that’s friendly and kindly.”

Brecon Bennett, a 14-yearold Sandpoint fiddler, can vouch for that patience. She said she started lessons with Red about seven years ago and continued for two years.

“He is very sweet. It’s hard to find someone as patient as Red,” she said. “He takes the time to help you learn. He was an amazing teacher.”

Thanks to the love for music that Red helped foster, Bennett is now making a difference in the community through her non-profit Musical For Life. She said she saw students quit music lessons due to financial struggles and felt compelled to help them.

“It wasn’t because they didn’t want to (continue lessons), it was because they were having financial difficulties,” she said. “It led me to think, ‘Why are these students, who have a desire to learn music, (quitting) because of something they can’t really help?’”

Musical For Life, which began just a year ago, finds funding for these students through grants and donations. Bennett said the beginning stages have been slow but successful.

When Red talks about Bennett’s non-profit and recalls teaching her fiddle, a hint of pride can be heard in his voice.

It’s the voice of a teacher.

“She started with me, and this is where she’s gone with it,” he said.

In the early mornings, when the office is quiet, I like to turn up the music on my computer and layout pages for the weeks ahead.

One band that has helped me slip into the velvet hood has been Teen Daze, particularly the album “Themes for a Dying Earth.”

Teen Daze is the stage name for Canadian artist Jamison Isaak, who performs ambient electronic music with just the right amount of dynamic shifts to keep you chugging through the slow parts of your day.

WATCH

I don’t watch many TV shows, so I try to make the ones I do watch worth it. After the drummer in my band recommended “Bojack Horseman,” I gave it a shot and quietly slipped into the world of Bojack.

The Netflix original follows Bojack, a washed-up star from a “Full House”-esque sitcom as he navigates through the post-fame world of Los Angeles.

Filled with excellent cameos, this show has created an alternate reality, of sorts (yes, animals talk, date and do many other human things) that gets better and better as the storyline progresses.

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LITERATURE

Local author honored as ‘Writer of the Year’ Capt. Bill Collier has sold more than 6,000 copies of his books on flying in Viet Nam and Laos From Northern Idaho News, June 10, 1930

FOUR NARROWLY ESCAPE DEATH County Commissioner Franklin S. Bonner, County Prosecutor R.E. McFarland, Carl Tifft and James Campbell of Morton had a narrow escape from death Friday evening when the car they were riding in turned over a couple of times down a grade and landed in two feet of water. Campbell sustained severe cuts and bruises and the others escaped unscratched.

County Commissioner Bonner was driving the car to Sandpoint after having been out near the Owens place appraising land to be condemned for a road and as the car rounded a corner of the road the big grader was seen in the center of the road just ahead.

It was in trying to pass the grader that the accident happened.

According to Bonner, the accident was unavoidable. He said: “I was driving reasonably slow around the curves in the road about 30 miles an hour, when, on rounding the curve, I saw the grader right in the center of the road. I put on the brakes and seeing I was not going to stop, I decided to run the car to one side of the grader and lock my front wheel in the wheel of the grader.

“The grader was only about 30 feet from the car when I first saw it, and as there was a man riding on the grader who was sure to be killed if I ran into the machine, I decided on the other course.

“When the wheel locked in the grader wheel it threw my car off the bank. The car rolled over twice and landed in the river. I opened the door on my side and got out quickly and opened the other door so the men in the buck seat could get out. All were wet from the plunge into the water but none sustained any injuries, except Campbell who was cut somewhat.”

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By Ben Olson Reader Staff To know Captain Bill Collier is to read his words. The author of two nonfiction books highlighting his experiences as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam and later flying helicopters in Laos for Air America, Collier gives readers complete access to many of his adventures (and misadventures) in the air.

A retired USMC Captain, Collier’s military service in Vietnam was highlighted in his first novel, “The Adventures of a Helicopter Pilot: Flying the H-34 Helicopter in Vietnam for the United States Marine Corps.”

He followed this first military memoir with his next book a year later, “CIA Super Pilot Spills the Beans: Flying Helicopters in Laos for Air America.”

Because of his prolific work and ability to market himself like a guru, Collier was recently named “Writer of the Year” by the Idaho Writer’s League at their annual conference in Moscow.

The Idaho Writer’s League is a critique group of writers with six chapters throughout the state, and a seventh forming in Twin Falls. The main purpose of the league is to help writers improve their craft.

“We talk about writing and support each other with positive critiques,” Collier said.

“There are no negative, angry comments, just constructive criticism aimed at making us better.”

The Sandpoint chapter of the Idaho Writer’s League has over 30 members and has been around for 77 years. The group meets twice a month on the first and third Saturdays at 9 a.m. at the Sandpoint Library. Their next meeting is Saturday, Oct. 6 at 9 a.m.

“We always have room for more,” Collier said. “We get everyone from little old ladies reading poetry to me, doing my military memoirs.”

Each year, the League holds a conference, with each chapter taking turns hosting.

“We’ll have general meetings, breakout sessions for experienced and successful authors to speak about everything involving writing – how to get published, how to develop character, how to market yourself.”

There are also annual contests awarding cash prizes in 39 different genres. Two years ago, Collier was awarded first place in the book/nonfiction category for his second book. He also got first place last year for a short humor piece and several lesser awards.

“I was nominated for Writer of the Year, and darned if I wasn’t awarded it,” Collier said.

In an age when writers seldom receive the recognition for their work, Collier said the honor was “pretty darn exciting. I’m honored and excited and proud. And happy. What can I say?” he said.

While Collier has a knack for sharing military experiences that relate to everyone from the staunchest veteran to those just seeking a good story, he also excels at marketing his work.

“I’ve made more than $43,000 in four years of sales, and it’s only cost me about $50,000 to do it,” Collier joked. “I’ve sold more than 6,100 copies of both books.”

Collier said he is currently halfway done with the rough draft of his third book, which is about the rest of his career as a helicopter pilot after Vietnam and Laos.

“I flew four summers in Alaska, which includes underground atomic testing in the Alleutians. I spent two years in the South Pacific in the Kwajalein Atoll, a few months in Saudi Arabia, all over California.”

Collier will speak with budding authors at a Writer’s Workshop event at the Sandpoint Library tonight: Thursday, Oct. 4, from 5:30-7 p.m.

Asked to share a few tips for authors to market their work, Collier said, “I always wear my Vietnam vets hat. It’s common for people to say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ nowadays, and I have bookmarks made for my books. When they talk with me, I’ll say, ‘By the way, I wrote a book about my experiences,’ and hand them a bookmark. I know I get sales from that. Also, I never pass a bulletin board without putting bookmarks out.”

Collier said in these days of do-it-yourself publishing, authors are expected to market themselves, since no one else is going to do it for you.

“You can’t just put a book down on the table and expect it to sell itself,” Collier said. “They don’t do that.”

Collier’s advice for anyone wanting to tell their story but not sure how to begin?

“Everything you write is manure,” he said. “But manure is good fertilizer. Just spew it out, let it age, and go back to it.

Change it. But first get it down on paper.

Don’t worry about punctuation, spelling, grammar. Just get it out and add to it later.”

Captain Bill’s book are available at the Corner Book Store, Vanderfords and other locations around town.

Capt. Bill Collier with his two military memoirs. Photo by Ben Olson.

Crossword Solution

As we were driving, we saw a sign that said “Watch For Rocks.”

Marta said it should read “Watch For Pretty Rocks.” I told her she should write in her suggestion to the highway department, but she started saying it was a joke - just to get out of writing a simple letter! And I thought I was lazy!

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS

tussie mussie

/TUHS-ee-MUHS-ee/

[noun] 1. a small bunch of flowers or herbs.

2. a cone-shaped holder for a bouquet.

“Here’s a tussie mussie of daisies for my lady.”

Woorf tdhe Week

Corrections: We had a typo in the (wo)man on the street column last week.

“Mt” was supposed to read “My.” Also, in Zach Hagadone’s op-ed he said I was the salutatorian of my class, which is wrong. I was actually third in my class. I was also the associated student body vice president at SHS, not the senior class president. -BO

1. Being 5. Cap 9. Not up 13. Dour 14. Cantillate 16. Away from the wind 17. Dress 18. After ninth 19. Not nays 20. An elongated leather strip 22. Vanguard 24. Makes a mistake 26. Relative magnitudes 27. Arranging 30. Chinese temple 33. Encomiums 35. Aroma 68. Eye layer 37. 21 in Roman numerals 69. Acquire deservedly 38. Nipples 70. Feudal worker 41. Loving murmur 71. Check 42. Affirmatives 45. Yellowish DOWN 48. Grinned 1. Hens make them 51. In the direction of 2. Thin strip 52. Risked 54. South American weapon 3. A 20th century art movement 55. Devilfishes 4. Trade barrier 59. Locations 5. Behave 62. Be agitated 6. Cook 63. Northern freshwater 7. Country estate fishes 8. Catch 65. Bicycle 9. A hospital common 66. Chocolate cookie room 67. Tall woody plants

Solution on page 26 10. Margarine 11. Withdraw gradually 12. Where a bird lives 15. 8th Greek letter 21. Snob 23. Fleshy sweet fruits 25. Hissy fit 27. Alluring 28. Tuxedos 29. G 31. Ornamental 32. Clearly 34. A single-reed woodwind 36. Not a win 39. Make lace 40. Prig

43. An apparition 44. Smack 46. 2 2 2 2 47. The largest flatfish 49. Blow up 50. Covet 53. Fakes opponents 55. Double-reed woodwind 56. Daughter of Zeus and Demeter 57. Layer 58. Observed 60. Anagram of “Seek” 61. Chair 64. South southeast

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