Reader_April10_2025

2 / R / April 10, 2025

DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

School of witchcraft and ghoulishness

College is one of the few times in life — after early childhood — where you’re allowed to be as weird as possible for no reason, and nobody questions you. Case in point: During my sophomore year, my friend and I decided to make a fake Tinder profile for a seagull. Her name was Egbert Snell, and she liked trash and crime. To illustrate this, we uploaded a fair amount of photos of seagulls either stealing food from tourists or getting their heads stuck in to-go containers they fished out of trash cans. Good times. One of the first profiles we saw was also clearly fake, yet to this day, I don’t know if it was a joke or the weirdest catfishing scheme of all time.

His name, allegedly, was Dan. He was a five-foot, three-inch-tall redheaded man built like a bodybuilder, and every photo was of him in the woods, shirtless, wearing a Santa’s elf costume — green pants, pointy shoes and a little green hat like a ’60s TV Christmas special. In the lead photo, he had his foot on a stump like Captain Morgan and had a large candy cane slung over his shoulder, his bare torso somewhat sweaty, as if he’d just cut down the tree with the candy cane.

To top it off, though his caption was sufficiently raunchy, he never explained or referenced the elf costume. It was just who he was, and he didn’t feel the need to justify it.

I never unraveled the mystery that was “Dan” since he swiped left on Snell’s profile, perhaps because there are no seagulls in the North Pole. We tried in vain to find his profile again, but he had disappeared.

About a month later, I encountered yet another magic being on campus in the form of a sheet of paper taped to a lightpost outside the library. It read, “*DO NOT REMOVE* / *THIS FLYER* / I have a warlock behind it and if you move it his dark magic will destroy us all!”

Because I’m a well-educated young woman who doesn’t purposefully anger the dark powers, I wished the warlock well and proceeded to mind my business.

It did strike me as odd to have these two magical experiences one after another, but it wasn’t until later that I questioned if the two were connected. Maybe “Dan” would have swiped right on Snell if he hadn’t been imprisoned in a sheet of printer paper with poor cell reception.

The next time I passed the sign, the Washington rain was washing its pulp down the drain, taking its prisoner with it. May you rest in peace in the Tacoma sewers, Dan the elf warlock.

Happy Thursday out there, folks.

This weekend marks the end of Schweitzer’s winter season, so get your last turns in while you can. Special thanks to all the Schweitzer staff who helped make it a fantastic season. I’m sure grateful to have my 30 days of glory on the mountain.

One of my favorite transition period activities is to spend the morning on the hill, then shed all the ski gear and head off to the lake. A couple weeks ago, we snowboarded in the morning and sailed in the evening. Last weekend we rode until noon, then floated the Pack River. There is only a small window when this kind of winning is possible in North Idaho.

Thanks for reading, folks. We know you have a choice when you read newspapers, and we’re grateful to be held in your embrace, if only until you start a fire, wrap a present or line a parakeet cage.

– Ben Olson, publisher

READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Soncirey Mitchell (Senior Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com Editors Emeriti: Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Cameron Rasmusson John Reuter Advertising: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Racheal Baker (cover), RAD, BCSO, Hal Gates, Bill Borders, Soncirey Mitchell, Clarice McKenney, Matthew Fox Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Clark Corbin, Kyle Pfannenstiel, Jim Woodward, Emily Erickson, Sandy Compton, Patty Shook Submit Stories To: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed Weekly At: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $185 per year Website Designed By: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, 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 bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please.

Letter to the Editor Policy: We welcome letters to the editor on all relavant topics. Please, no more than 300 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinons expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publisher. Send to: letters@sandpointreader.com About the Cover: This week’s cover photo was taken at the “Hands Off!” protest April 5 by Racheal Baker.

April 10, 2025 / R / 3

NEWS

Proposed downtown apartment development riles some residents over parking exemption

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff A proposed mixed-use development on Church Street would bring 48 one-bedroom and studio apartment units and 618 square feet of commercial space to downtown, but no required parking — which already has some neighbors and other observers concerned about potential congestion and increased competition for on-street parking spots.

Brought forward by OZ Sandpoint QOZB, LLC., based in Lindon, Utah, the 21,247-square-foot, 47-foottall four-story building at 413 Church St. would feature commercial fronting the street, with ground-floor apartments in the rear and above on the remaining floors.

Because the development — described in planning documents as “Farmin Flats” — is located in a zone that is exempt from parking requirements, residents will have to park their vehicles in available on-street or public parking stalls. The exemption dates back more than a decade, intended to remove a hurdle to downtown development and increase vitality.

“At the time [when the exemption came into effect], more than 35% of groundfloor spaces were vacant, and on-site parking requirements were a major obstacle for property owners seeking to change building uses or invest in downtown improvements,” Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm told the Reader, going on to highlight the Belwood Building at 301 Cedar St., 113 Main, Kochava, The Hive, McDuff’s and Joel’s as examples of “how eliminating the parking requirement supported downtown reinvestment and vibrancy.”

In its narrative statement submitted to City Hall in early March, OZ Sandpoint wrote 4 / R / April 10, 2025

that, “By eliminating on-site parking, this project embraces a transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly approach that promotes environmental responsibility, affordability and efficient land use.”

According to a trip generation and distribution letter referenced in the narrative, the developer estimated “well below 50 peak hour trips” with existing public and onstreet parking being sufficient to accommodate residents.

Citing the city’s parking study, OZ Sandpoint went on to state that there are 1,052 general use parking stalls and 45 specialty use stalls in downtown, with on-street parking occupancy reaching a peak of 57% at noon during the week and 50% by 11 a.m. on weekends.

“The overall on-street parking occupancy is below the effective capacity of the parking supply during all hours of the day,” the developer wrote.

Because its approximate 5,100-square-foot building footprint is well below the 15,000-square-foot threshold that would trigger a conditional use permit, Farmin Flats does not require a hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council, and therefore will not undergo a public process unless its administrative approval is appealed.

However, the city had received more than a dozen written comments as of press time, all of them expressing opposition to the project and with the lack of parking as a central theme.

“Adding a significant number of residential tenants in the downtown core will significantly impact parking in the surrounding blocks of this development,” wrote one resident. “It is also likely that the tenants will often park in spaces that are not designated for their use and negatively

impact the businesses surrounding this development.”

Wrote another resident, “I am in total agreement with affordable housing and would love to see more apartments, etc., in the city. We are in desperate need, for sure. My problem is that you are looking at 48 tiny units with zero parking taken into account. This, to me, is absurd and near-sighted.”

Yet another comment from a resident who owns property across the alley from the proposed development on Pine Street expressed their concern that, “if there is no parking provided for this building ... we will have to call the tow truck all the time to clear the Farmin Flats residents’ cars out of our parking lot daily, or be forced to put up a fence to deter them from parking there. ...

“The entire lower level of this project should be a parking garage,” the commenter added. “Eliminate the commercial office up front also because there is no space for those customers to park either.

The whole parking situation for this building is a fiasco.”

In an email to the Reader, Grimm noted that “it is reasonable to expect an increase in both on- and offstreet parking demand. While concerns about congestion are understandable, our most recent parking inventory shows that even on the busiest summer days, hundreds of public, on-street spaces remain available.”

What’s more, he added, not requiring Farmin Flats to provide on-site parking serves a broader purpose beyond the “year-round, all-day activity” spurred by additional downtown residents.

“Looking forward, the city

will need to invest in expanding public parking capacity downtown, most likely through a multi-level parking structure,” Grimm wrote.

“Such a facility will likely be funded by bonds, which in turn will require consistent revenue from paid parking to cover annual debt service. For that reason, some degree of parking ‘stress’ is actually necessary to encourage turnover and generate revenue.”

The city is currently crafting a new parking management plan — an updated draft of which will be presented before the Planning and Zoning Commission at its Tuesday, April 15 meeting — including paid parking at a number of city-owned parking facilities, as well as residential parking passes to be used throughout downtown.

“If, for example, 40 residents purchased monthly passes, the project could contribute approximately $1,600 per month to the city’s parking revenue fund,” Grimm wrote.

“Alternatively, developments that don’t include parking may see lower rents, as the lack of this amenity is typically reflected in market value — a common practice in other cities,” he later added. “And given the project’s proximity to employment, shopping and SPOT bus stops, it is possible that some future residents may

A rendering of the proposed Farmin Flats development on Church Street in downtown Sandpoint.

Courtesy of RAD Architectural Design. not own a car at all.”

However, City Hall is also working on a code amendment as part of the parking management plan that would consider requiring residential developments located in the parking exempt zone to provide off-street parking or pay an in-lieu fee, with funds channeled to public parking improvements and expansion.

Grimm told the Reader that the code amendment will also be discussed at the April 15 P&Z meeting, and he expects the proposal to go before the City Council in late May or early June.

Until then, he wrote, “the parking exempt zone was created to encourage redevelopment, housing and job creation downtown without forcing expansion of parking on valuable and limited commercial land. Residential development downtown supports businesses, activates public streets yearround and aligns with the city’s long-term goals for a vibrant, walkable urban core.”

Find the full application file and public comments on Farmin Flats at sandpointidaho.gov under “Current Projects” on the Planning and Community Development page.

NEWS

Plea amended to guilty of second-degree arson in July 4 Army Surplus fire

Jennifer Meyer faces June sentencing with up to 15 years in prison and $75K in fines, plus ‘hundreds of thousands of dollars’ in restitution

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The Sandpoint woman charged with setting a fire on July 4, 2024 that leveled the Army Surplus 1 store on Fifth Avenue and Oak Street has amended her plea in Bonner County court to guilty of arson in the second degree.

Jennifer S. Meyer appeared before Judge Susie Jensen on April 8 for a hearing to alter her plea, which was entered Feb. 20 as “not guilty.” The new plea carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, fines up to $75,000 or both.

By pleading guilty to a felony, Jensen said Meyer may also face “enhanced penalties,” including restitution.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said that Army Surplus owner Cornel Rasor — who also serves in the Idaho House representing Dist. 1B — is still assessing the value of items lost in the fire that aren’t covered by insurance, but the final amount the prosecution will request Meyer pay is “going to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Rasor did not respond to a request for comment from the Reader.

By pleading guilty to second-degree arson, Meyer’s jury trial previously scheduled for May has been vacated.

Instead, she will face sentencing on Monday, June 16 at 11 a.m. in Bonner County court.

Meanwhile, Jensen ordered a mental health evaluation for Meyer, who had been deemed incapable of participating in her own defense at a hearing in August.

Finding that her competency was “significantly impaired,” Meyer was initially transferred to the Idaho State Hospital North for further evaluation. That order was extended to November, but lifted in January when she was found to be fit to proceed in

The booking photo of Jennifer Meyer.

Courtesy of BCSO the case, which at that time carried a charge of first-degree arson with a maximum 25 years in jail, fines up to $100,000 or both.

No motive for the fire has been made public.

Meyer was uncommunicative in previous appearances before the court, refusing to answer questions or interact with the judge. In her April 8 hearing, however, she did respond to questions and answered “yes” when Jensen asked whether she had in fact

damaged the Army Surplus store.

Asked by Jensen whether she believed her mental health diagnosis and medication would affect her ability to make decisions, Meyer responded “no” and “I don’t think so.” She also stated that she understood her guilty plea in a felony case could include additional penalties.

Public defense attorney Catherine Enright told the judge that her client was competent.

Asked to swear to God that she would tell the truth or face the penalty of perjury, Meyer responded, “I’m not religious — I can’t agree to that.” Jensen then asked if Meyer could affirm that she would tell the truth, to which she agreed.

Meyer was arrested July 16, 2024 following an inves-

tigation including review of video surveillance footage that showed her at the time and place of the fire, which occurred roughly as the annual Sandpoint Fourth of July fireworks display was ending at City Beach. As the blaze grew, a large crowd gathered in the vicinity while first responders fought the flames.

Inside the building, an estimated $500,000 of merchandise was destroyed — including a large amount of ammunition, which exploded in repeated bursts as firefighters doused the structure with water. In addition, many personal belongings of the Rasor family stored in the building were lost.

No injuries occurred and fire crews were able to contain the fire, with no damage to surrounding structures.

Police took Meyer into

custody after the review of the surveillance footage and following an interview in which she “was caught lying about her statements regarding her routes and clothing attire during the time in question,” according to the affidavit of probable cause, obtained by the Reader in a public records request.

A search of Meyer’s residence — located near the former-Army Surplus building — turned up a bag containing $1,000, a handgun and ammunition, $1,200 in silver, vehicle titles, passport, birth certificate and college transcript, among other personal documents.

Based on those items, the court determined there were “great concerns with regard to flight,” resulting in a $1 million bond.

Meyer remains in custody ahead of her June sentencing.

Sandpoint’s ‘signal fire’

Local ‘Hands Off!’ protest draws record-breaking crowd

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Demonstrators filled downtown Sandpoint on Saturday, April 5, carrying hundreds of colorful signs protesting the Trump administration’s recent mass federal layoffs and funding cuts to local, state and national programs. Under the guidance of Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, the federal government has gutted marquee institutions such as the National Parks Service, the Department of Education, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“My biggest takeaway from Saturday is that we are not alone in feeling scared and angry. America is fed up with Donald Trump, and they are willing to stand against him,” said protest organizer Rachel

Castor.

Castor is a member of the Sandpoint branch of the

National Indivisible Project, which coordinated the event in concert with 50501 Sand< see PROTEST, Page 6 >

Hundreds of protestors gathered for the “Hands Off!” protest protest April 5 in Sandpoint. Photo by Hal Gates.

April 10, 2025 / R / 5

NEWS Army Corps announces upcoming public meetings

By Reader Staff The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a public informational meeting Thursday, May 1 from 6-8 p.m. at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way). Representatives will share updates on the ongoing Lake Pend Oreille spring refill, snowpack and the Albeni Falls Dam spillway gate replacement project.

The Corps discovered structural defects in the dam’s Gate 3 in the fall of 2023, sparking a thorough investigation that determined all 10 gates needed to be replaced. Gate 3 will be treated with a fiber-reinforced polymer and reinstalled sometime in April, replacing the spare gate, while the first newly constructed gate is expected to arrive

in 2027, according to Corps Public Affairs Specialist Nicole Celestine.

To minimize strain on the gates, the dam will perform under restricted operations and, when possible, the Corps will keep gates fully open or fully closed.

The spring refill began April 1, and the Corps plans to raise the water to the normal summer elevation band of 2,062-2,062.5 feet. Officials anticipate achieving summer pool “once the major flood risk has subsided, while also considering the limitations of the spillway gates,” according to a news release. The exact date will depend on factors such as rain and snowpack.

To attend the May 1 meeting remotely, log onto bit.ly/3E3Y32O under the meeting ID 993 235 972 476 using the passcode RQ2HN2uV.

< PROTEST, con’t from Page 5 > point. The numeral stands for “50 protests in 50 states on 1 day,” and began as a Reddit thread, snowballing into three national protests on Feb. 17, March 4 and April 5.

Likewise, Indivisible is a grassroots organization made up of thousands of groups across the country that organize protests, disseminate information on activism and peaceful resistance, and support candidates “who will work towards an inclusive democracy,” according to the group’s mission statement.

CNN estimated that there were more than 1,400 protests nationwide on April 5. According to a count made by one of Sandpoint Indivisible’s peacekeepers, the local event drew a crowd of approximately 750 protesters, who lined both sides of First Avenue from Lake Street to East Superior Street. Other estimates rose to 800 and upward of 1,000 participants.

“It was exhilarating to be part of the largest gathering I’ve ever seen in Sandpoint. I was overwhelmed with joy and hope on Saturday,” said Castor.

“I am so proud of our small community and so grateful to the other organizers and volunteers who made this happen,” she added.

Protesters gathered for more than two hours, guided by peacekeepers who directed traffic and kept sidewalks and side streets clear. Signs ran the gamut of causes, calling for Trump and Musk to keep their “hands off” veterans’ benefits, women’s health, the press, NATO and LGBTQ+ rights, among others.

“For me, protests and rallies are like a signal fire. They give us hope when we are afraid or in despair. They show us we are not alone when we feel 6 / R / April 10, 2025

isolated. And they signal to our leaders and our neighbors the level of our discontent,” said Castor.

“I don’t think protests alone create change. But I think they are a beacon and a sign of what is to come,” she added.

Castor is also part of the Sandpoint Resistance Revival Chorus, whose members donned white and gathered in front of the Bonner County Courthouse to sing protest songs like, “Down by the Riverside” and “We Shall Overcome.” Volunteers passed out lyric sheets to the crowd.

“Thank you to the Sandpoint Police Department and our peacekeepers for keeping us safe on Saturday. And thank you to my fellow singers in the Sandpoint Resistance Revival Chorus for being brave and talented and being eight people singing to 800 people,” she said.

Passing motorists mostly expressed support for the peaceful protest, though, according to Castor, at least two drivers of pickup trucks made a point of swerving toward demonstrators. No injuries were reported, though one truck hit multiple signs, and another was pulled over by Sandpoint police for “dangerous driving maneuvers,” said Castor.

“I organize protests so people have an outlet for their discontent and a means to feel involved in a movement. I hope April 5 brought joy and hope and a feeling of connection to people across our region. I hope April 5 showed the world that Americans do not approve of Trump’s oligarchy,” said Castor.

For more information, visit sandpointindivisible.org. Email sandpointindivisible@gmail.com to join the choir.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

“Hands Off!” rallies occurred across the world April 5, with about 1,400 in the U.S. alone protesting the Trump administration’s actions on a range of issues. The theme, according to various media, was to call on the White House to keep its “Hands Off” democracy, the Constitution, Social Security, women, education, veterans, libraries, medical research and more.

President Donald Trump called April 2 “Liberation Day” when announcing new tariffs. Huffington Post reported that Trump used emergency powers to go around Congress to impose the tariffs, and that he falsely stated foreign countries, not American consumers, pay tariffs. On CBS, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the tariffs will create a job boom; economists disagreed, saying that defies “decades of evidence” and tariffs will drive up costs for most households.

Economist Paul Krugman doubted Trump’s tariff math: Trump said European Union tariffs were 39%; Krugman said they’ve averaged 3%.

The stock market lost as much as $6.6 trillion in valuation since the from April 3-4 following the tariff announcement.

On his Truth Social media site, Trump told investors to buy while markets plunge, because “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH, RICHER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”

A bipartisan bill was introduced in the Senate to require the president to notify Congress of tariffs, allowing 60 days to approve or deny them and empowering Congress to end any tariff at any time. It’s not expected to gain House approval, where Republicans dominate.

Trump said moving away from tariffs to income taxes caused the Great Depression. That is “nonsense,” The Washington Post stated in its fact check. Pre-Depression, it was apparent that shifting to an income tax was a more stable and fair source of tax revenue compared to tariffs.

Trump triggered perplexity on Truth Social by claiming he was, “Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug [fentanyl] in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy.” Drug smugglers don’t declare fentanyl at border crossings.

Various media headlines warn that Trump’s trade war threatens to trigger a global recession, Russia has been left “curiously” off the list of countries hit with U.S. tariffs, economists claim the White House “got it very wrong” with its justifications for the tariff plan, and

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor

Republicans and conservative think tanks are sounding alarms over the economic impact of the tariffs.

The White House recently fired National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, who also heads the U.S. Cyber Command. Democrats said they are “deeply disturbed” because that jeopardizes national security.

Trump partisan Laura Loomer, who met with Trump before the firings, said the dismissals were triggered by disloyalty to the president.

Other big stories include headlines that Elon Musk “is putting the entire government ‘into the wood chipper,’” the Social Security Administration is facing thousands more job cuts even as its services are in a “tailspin,” and Trump has asked the Supreme Court to block an order requiring the U.S. to bring back a man mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Meanwhile, a 60 Minutes investigation showed most of the 238 migrants sent by the U.S. to El Salvador’s mega prison had no criminal records.

Two infants have died of whooping cough — also known as pertussis — in Louisiana as cases have climbed nationally, while Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has been known to make statements against vaccines, visited Texas as a widening measles outbreak there claimed the life of a second child. Kennedy once advised vitamin A for measles recovery, and Texas hospitals are now reporting toxic levels of vitamin A in unvaccinated children admitted with measles. Kennedy now claims, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.”

Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, delivered the longest filibuster speech in the Senate’s history — more than 25 hours non-stop, on March 31 and April 1 — taking the Trump administration to task for a number of crises spurred by the White House’s policies. Booker’s livestreamed speech generated 400 million TikTok “likes.” Media outlets reported that Booker’s speech included reading letters from upset citizens from across the country. He objected to the Trump administration’s violations of the U.S. Constitution, and concluded by saying, “This is a moral moment. ... It’s not left or right, it’s right or wrong.”

Blast from the past: Five months ago, The Economist reported that the U.S. economy, overseen by President Joe Biden’s post-pandemic economic recovery efforts, was “the envy of the world.”

NEWS

Dominated by a series of tax cuts, Idaho Legislature adjourns 2025 legislative session

After 89 days and more than $400M in revenue reductions, Legislature calls its quits

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun As expected, the Idaho Legislature wrapped up its business April 4 and adjourned the 2025 legislative session after 89 days at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

The 2025 session was dominated by a series of tax cuts that also reduce the amount of state revenue that is available to pay for the state budget.

• House Bill 40 lowers both the individual and corporate income tax from 5.695% to 5.3% and reduces state revenue by $253 million.

• H.B. 304 shifts money to a state property tax reduction fund and a fund to pay for school facilities. To pay for the shifts, the new law reduces state revenue by $100 million.

• H.B. 231 increases the grocery tax credit that is designed to offset the sales tax Idahoans pay for food to $155 per year for everyone.

To pay for the increased grocery tax credit, H.B. 231 reduces state revenue by $50 million.

Another new law, H.B. 93, provides a refundable tax credit for education expenses for families, including tuition and private, religious schools. To pay for the tax credits, H.B. 93 reduces state revenue by $50 million.

House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, said the tax cuts were among the biggest, most enduring accomplishments of the year.

“We have over $400 million in tax relief this year,” Moyle said April 4.

“We touched income tax, we touched property tax, we touched sales tax and we did a good job of

adjusting all of those in a downward trend, which is good for the state of Idaho,” Moyle said.

Each of the laws reduces the taxes Idahoans pay, help pay down school bonds and levies that are paid for by property taxes or provides a tax credit. But to do so, those four laws reduce state revenue by a combined $453 million.

Democrats say walking away from funding hurts Idaho Democratic legislative leaders had a different perspective on the tax cuts, saying that they worry the Idaho Legislature cut too much revenue and could stretch the state thin in the event of an economic downturn.

House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, also said that to make room for tax cuts, Republican legislators walked away from grant programs and zeroed out a series of initiatives from Gov. Brad Little. Rubel said legislators walked away from $15 million from the affordable housing fund, $22 million for road and bridge repair, almost $25 million in home energy rebates that will now go to other states, cut a requested expansion of a rural physician loan repayment program, cut workforce training programs at Idaho colleges and more.

“These are debts that are going to be left for our children and grandchildren to pay with a shrunken pot of revenue to cover it,” Rubel said April 4. “This is the textbook opposite of fiscal conservatism, folks.”

In a statement issued April 4, Little congratulated legislators on what he called “a productive 2025 legislative session.”

“America wants what Idaho has — safe communities, bustling economic activity, increasing incomes, tax relief, fewer regulations, fiscal responsibility and common sense values,” Little wrote. “I thank my partners in the Idaho Legislature for working so hard for the people of Idaho. I am especially proud of the record tax relief, support for law enforcement, ongoing money for water infrastructure, additional support for rural school facilities and literacy, full funding for LAUNCH and the billions in additional capacity for roads. The list of successes is long, and there is still more we can and should do for Idahoans.”

Idaho legislators united beyond anti-SLAPP law and created new media shield law While there is no doubt the 2025 legislative session was contentious and divisive, legislators from both parties did come together at times.

On March 5, the Idaho House voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 1001, a new law designed to protect free speech and combat frivolous strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP, lawsuits. Little signed the anti-SLAPP bill into law March 10.

The Idaho House and Idaho Senate also voted unanimously to pass H.B. 158, a new media shield law that protects sources who provide confidential information or documents to journalists. Little signed the shield protections into law on March 27.

The Idaho Legislature also passed H.B. 445, the 2026 Idaho Department of Water Resources budget that includes $30 million in funding for water infra-

structure projects. Following a 2024 water curtailment order that sent shockwaves through Idaho’s agricultural community, some legislators called H.B. 445 the most important bill of the 2025 session.

Idaho governor works on final bill actions — including signing ‘medical freedom’ bill

Idaho legislative session ran two weeks past nonbinding adjournment target This year’s legislative session was marked by a sharp increase in the volume of legislation that was prepared. According to data compiled by the nonpartisan Idaho Legislative Services Office, as of April 4, staffers prepared 1,036 pieces of legislation this year — by far the most pieces of legislation in the past six years.

For comparison, over the same time period in 2023, staffers had prepared 861 pieces of legislation.

Idaho legislators missed the Republican leadership team’s original adjournment target date of March 21 because the 2026 budget was unfinished and because of ongoing disagreements between leaders of the Idaho House and Idaho Senate.

Legislators nearly wrapped up their business for the year on April 3, when they passed key unfinished elements of the 2026 budget. But Senate leaders said they were short-staffed and the procedures required to wrap up the session would have kept them too late last night.

The 2025 legislative session began Jan. 6.

Less than an hour after the Idaho Legislature passed its final bill of the year on April 4 — the so-called Medical Freedom Act — Gov. Brad Little already signed it into law.

The new broad medical mandate ban bill, Senate Bill 1210, will bar Idaho businesses, government entities, schools and colleges from restricting entry, employment or services based on requirements for medical interventions — like vaccines, medical diagnosis or treatment.

Little vetoed an earlier version of the bill, saying he worried the original bill “jeopardizes” schools’ ability to send home sick kids. The tweaked bill he later signed carves out an exception for that.

Idaho’s new medical requirement ban law takes effect July 1.

But as Idaho’s governor, Little still has to decide what to do with more than a dozen bills on his desk — at least as of April 7.

During the legislative session, Little only has five days to decide on bills. But once the Legislature adjourns for the year, Little has a 10-day deadline on bill actions.

As of press time, Little had not taken action on at least two health bills, including House Bill 109, which will require Idaho to seek federal approval to stop covering candy and soda in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. A bill that would make ivermectin available in Idaho over-the-counter, without a prescription or health care provider consultation, S.B. 1211, still awaits the governor’s action. The drug, normally used to treat parasites, gained fame during the pandemic after false claims that it was effective in treating COVID-19.

The governor has three options on bills: sign them into law, allow them to become law without his signature, or veto them.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project.

For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

April 10, 2025 / R / 7

‘In my opinion’...

Bouquets: • Multiple readers reached out to tell me they wanted to thank the organizers and all the hundreds of people who turned out to the “Hands Off!” protest on April 5. Also, despite rumors to the contrary, the Reader did indeed have a reporter in the crowd, as well as several photographers who shared their photos.

Barbs: • Before the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump wrote on social media: “If Kamala wins, you are 3 days away from the start of a 1929-style economic depression. If I win, you are 3 days away from the best jobs, the biggest paychecks, and the brightest economic future the world has even seen.”

Well, that post has aged like milk in a hot car after Trump’s disastrous tariffs have sent the global markets into freefall. On April 3-4 alone, U.S. stocks lost an astounding $6.6 trillion in value after Trump announced larger tariffs and several countries responded with reciprical tariffs. It’s quite a feeling to open your retirement account and notice thousands of dollars gone. Meanwhile, while the market was in freefall and stock forums were posting suicide prevention numbers at the top of the tickers, Trump left the White House early to go play golf at his own club, at taxpayer expense of course. Then, in his usual whiplash manner, the president announced reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries would be paused for 90 days, likely after his administration grew concerned at the market implosion, but not before writing to his supporters, “This is a great time to buy.” After his announcement, the S&P 500 skyrocketing back upward on April 9. The fact that our entire stock market is basically trading like a meme stock at the whim of an elderly narcissist should concern any investors. This is going to be a long four years.

8 / R / April 10, 2025

Dear editor, “I won’t touch the VA or Social Security.” Do you remember that quote from Trump during his campaign?

Liar, liar, pants on fire! Trump, Vance, Musk, Rubio, Kennedy Jr., Hegseth, etc., are a bunch of liars and are destroying the United States of America.

Forget about grabbing Greenland and Canada, Mr. Trump you have more pressing issues here at home.

All of you are complicit in trying to destroy the U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Congress is a bunch of cowards with their heads so far up this administration’s rear that they all have brown noses and will not do anything to save our country from its destruction from within, while Orangehead plays his fiddle… and our country burns.

Appointing a jerk as the head of CDC, he has no medical training, is not a doctor and just repeats whatever Trump wants him to say.

Four letter words Musk and DOGE, along with their alleged OPM are terminating/firing personnel wantonly, these people are 19- and early 20-year- olds who have no personnel management experience or knowledge — they’re IT personnel.

Any person terminated for cause/poor performance review by this group, and that isn’t the case based on their previous performance reviews, should immediately file lawsuits for illegal termination.

Stop the madness, Congress step up and do your jobs and stop this insanity that is destroying America.

Don’t forget about the $48 million plus the fiddler has cost us while he plays golf (how’s that bone spur doing?).

Michael Harmelin Vietnam veteran Sandpoint

Seek facts, not rumors, on upcoming WBCSD levy…

Dear editor, In May we have the privilege to vote on the new levy in the West Bonner County School District. So, No. 1 is to get out and vote. It’s critical. Passing the levy is critical.

I have said before to get out and check the facts before you decide which way you’re going to vote.

I can tell from what I’ve read about the subject from other opinions that so many people are still only going by what the rumor mill says. Please check with the district office or a board member so that you know exactly what is going on.

This is a very serious situation.

One school has already been partially shut down. Two others (Priest Lake and Idaho Hill) will be shut down without the levy. Please don’t let this happen. Our youngsters deserve a good education. If you’re from here, you’ve gone through our school system. You’ve enjoyed the fruits of a good education and all the benefits that are part of that.

Don’t take that away from our present day students. To be continued...

Ernie and Helen Schoeffel Priest River

Are we winning yet?

Dear editor, Oooo, I was so impressed by that guy driving down First Avenue during the “Hands Off” rally with his black jacked-up pickup, revving his diesel engine and spewing out clouds of noxious exhaust; made me head for the nearest gas station to fill up my ’99 Ranger with the new Trump-reduced price of $3.74.9. Yep, the Grifter-in-Chief definitely has inflation under control.

Ted Wert Sagle

Misdirection agenda…

Dear editor, “My daughter can’t afford her rent.” It’s Greenland you should be concerned about.

“My grandson and his young family can’t afford basic groceries.”

It’s the Panama Canal you should be concerned about.

“My neighbor can’t afford to go to the dentist.” It’s the radical leftists you should be concerned about.

“My grandparents can’t afford their medical prescriptions.” It’s the dangerous people of color you should be concerned about.

And, by the way, there might be some necessary pain as I make cuts to these socialist programs and increase the national debt with trillion dollar tax cuts for my billionaire bros.

Steve Johnson Sagle

A plea to the heavens…

Dear editor, The man in the Oval Office seems to care only about his next round of golf, who he can fire next and which department he can destroy. He intersperses this with actions that only a madman could conjure.

Consider his pronouncement that he is going to “annex” Canada.

Just how does his lordship plan to “annex” Canada?

Will he just raise his scepter

from the ninth hole and declare, “I dub thee the 51st state,” expecting Canada to say, “Whatever you desire, your Lordship”?

And when that doesn’t happen, what is next: bomb them into submission and oblivion?

Dear, God — save us from this man and his sycophants. We have nowhere else to turn. The majority of people in Congress are too busy kissing his ring, hoping to earn a position under his dictatorship — or, at least, protection.

Given the mess being made of the beautiful planet you gifted to us, I wouldn’t blame you if you have moved on to other galaxies.

Helen Newton Sandpoint

Kudos to Woodward, Sauter for their principled actions…

Dear editor, Recently, the efforts of Sen. Jim Woodward and Rep. Mark Sauter to introduce legislation to amend the restrictive Idaho laws affecting women’s health care by adding health exceptions to the state’s abortion ban impressed me for their actions taken on principle.

Our two elected legislators could not have made this decision lightly, because they will face intense opposition and scrutiny from their peers in Boise. They know this will also likely be fodder for campaign disinformation in their next election cycle, but the fact remains that health care options for expectant mothers are painfully lacking in our area, as a result of Idaho’s recently adopted medical restrictions.

Some reasonable amendments to Idaho laws to allow doctors to practice medicine and deliver women’s health care in our area is beneficial to this community.

In the current era of political hyperbole, discord and acrimony, the practice of applying principles above political maneuvers and peer pressure seems frequently to be lacking. So, I found it refreshing to see our two legislators put their principles into practice. Good job!

Steve Klatt Sagle

‘It’s time to lead for the people, not the party’…

Dear editor, An open letter to the governor and the Idaho Legislature: I’ve lived in Idaho for nearly 60 years (and I am not much older than that). I remember a time when our state was a shining example of what it meant

to be a community — where people helped each other regardless of political belief; where neighbors could disagree and still stand by each other; and where respect, kindness and cooperation were at the heart of how we lived.

Idaho has never been the hardline, far-right conservative state it is becoming now and that newcomers say it has always been. That is not the Idaho I grew up in, nor the one I raised my family in.

Back then, our leaders listened to the people. They worked across the aisle. They cared more about the well-being of Idahoans than ideological purity or political games.

Today, it feels like that Idaho is slipping away. We’ve become a state where only one way of thinking is tolerated, and where fear of “rocking the boat” overrides the courage to do what is right. There’s a growing narrative that Idaho has always been this extreme, but I’m here to tell you — it hasn’t. Idaho used to be about people.

It used to be about balance, respect and believing in each other.

I’m urging you to bring that Idaho back.

Our state should not be known as a place of division, exclusion or extremism. We should be leading with integrity, compassion and bold, people-first leadership. That’s what made Idaho great. That’s what still could.

Please consider the legacy you’re leaving. Let it be one that future generations can look back on with pride — not one that continues the trend of silencing dissent and dividing communities.

Kari Saccomanno Sandpoint

The ‘good guys’ don’t ban books…

The great American book ban is on.

Idaho allows anyone (read: any snowflake) to demand the removal of any book in any public library or school for any reason if someone (again: read snowflake) objects to them.

The National Archives is ordered to remove records that document actual historic facts. Federal websites are scrubbed of any reference to women and minorities ever having had any positive impact in American history as “DEI.” The Library of Congress being reviewed for “unacceptable” publications to be purged.

The Pentagon orders the removal of hundreds of books from academies, including poetry. University federal funding threatened if books aren’t culled from libraries and curriculum.

Try to name a time or place in all of human history where the good guys were ever the ones banning books and deleting history.

Pierre Bordenave Sandpoint

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated Growing up

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

One of the first things I did after moving to Sandpoint was enter a writing contest. I was pulled to the library by a flyer tacked to a posterboard that declared “All are Welcome.” I read a piece about moving across the country in a snowstorm, arriving in a small town nestled next to big mountains, with a long bridge leading to all the people and things that made a new place feel like it might just be a home.

Maybe compelled by the same instincts to reconnect to the feeling of hope for, and connection to, this community, I re-entered the same contest this year. I wrote about another home, another version of myself and another representation of how the places we go — and the places we stay — find a way to shape us.

“Growing Up” was written to be read aloud for the community writing contest held on March 22 by Sandpoint Writers on the Lake, in which it won first place in the adult category.

I grew up in a house where we had the “good” cereal, but only once in a while. Mom would put down her bag just so, her eyes glittering just a little more than usual. And we’d descend like the vultures we were, our biggest bowls already in hand. We’d fling aside boxes of plain Cheerios and Grape Nuts before ripping the Cinnamon Toast Crunch free, the plastic bag from its box in an instant. It’d be gone by morning.

Emily Erickson.

I grew up in a house with a layer of pet hair on every surface, in every blanket shaken out like snow falling on a carpet of white. Dogs and cats didn’t have their own beds because our beds were their beds; our bodies contorted around theirs like back pain didn’t exist, like sleep was secondary to the comfort of their warm bodies curled next to ours. Nose prints clouded every window and slobber trails wound from water bowls to the kitchen table and back again.

We’d wipe them up with a paper towel.

I grew up in a house where art projects were never thrown away, where construction paper turkeys spilled out of clear plastic bins and marker drawings were carefully labeled with names and ages. Paint trays stayed open all day long, the colors mottled together into various shades of crusty brown — until water was added and revealed the true hue beneath the mess.

People were purple and dogs were orange and the sun was green, but we knew our

pictures would hang on the fridge, nonetheless. We’d present them with magnets already in hand.

I grew up in a house that was always unfinished. Dad’s tools sat next to holes in walls like permanent fixtures and electrical cords swung from exposed rafters like snakes; our ceiling a jungle canopy — dangerous and wild. We shouted “Demo Day!” like others might cry “Christmas!” brandishing hammers behind too-big safety goggles and paper masks just big enough to leave behind drywall mustaches and dust-crusted foreheads. New projects began before old ones were finished. We never did see the last layer of paint dry.

I grew up in a house where fights were always loud, where voices had to carry to be heard, where tempers were hot things, never simmering too long before erupting. Jabs were added into conversations like Alka-Seltzer tabs, designed to create a reaction, to infiltrate the calm. But, I also grew up in a house with room to find quiet. Where trees could be climbed or bikes could be hopped on or forts could be made — “No Entry” signs hung like the flip-side of a surrender flag.

I’d write in red and tack it to my door before the marker even set. My peace was personal, but it held.

I left the house I grew up in young, too full of restlessness to stay — still a child, but without any childhood left. I was ready to leave a mark, a splash,

a stain on wherever I was going — everywhere and nowhere unfurling before me. But wherever I went (wherever I go), the house I grew up in remains with me — cinnamon and sugar clinging to my fingertips, pet hair woven into my sweater, paint still wet on my skin and scaffolding around my ribcage, bracing me for all I’ll build next.

The house I grew up in is gone. But I’m still here, somewhat grown up. Somehow, always, with more growing up left to do.

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat. studio.

Retroactive

By BO

April 10, 2025 / R / 9

Mad about Science: roads

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Roads in Bonner County come in a lot of varieties — from dirt and gravel to asphalt concrete, and something that looks like it just got bombed out during a military shockand-awe campaign. So what differentiates a trail from a road? What goes into making and maintaining a road?

Why can’t that pothole that reminds me of the Sarlacc Pit from Return of the Jedi get fixed after four years?

As far as I can tell, there isn’t a strict legal definition of what a “road” is in Idaho.

[Editor’s note: Idaho Code seems vague on this point, with I.C. 40109(H-5) defining “roads” along with “highways,” which are “laid out or established for the public or dedicated or abandoned to the public.” The same definition applies to “streets, alleys and bridges.”]

Generally, a road is a thoroughfare or path that has been improved in some way for travel — you may notice that doesn’t necessarily mean vehicular travel.

Based on my understanding, the difference between a road and a trail is that trails are primarily used in park settings, while roads can be used anywhere, including parks. Some asphalt junkies out there may be able to tell you a more precise difference between the two.

A lot goes into creating a road. I can attest to the incredible effort that goes into maintaining a dirt road on a mountainside — the Herculean effort put into my neighborhood pothole patrol is an ongoing process, as the downhill flow of water wreaks havoc on light sedimentary soils. Massive shout-out to my neighbors — you know who you are.

The challenges that come with maintaining gravel roads

10 / R / April 10, 2025

also affect paved roads in similar ways. Water is an incredible and destructive erosive force on Earth, capable of carving canyons from the soil given enough time and pressure. Paved surfaces tend to come in two types: concrete and asphalt concrete.

Concrete on its own is tough and sturdy, capable of supporting immense loads, such as truck traffic and high-volume automobile traffic. You see this most frequently in metropolitan areas on interstate highways and overpasses. Concrete can erode and be worn over time due to the friction from tires, which is worsened by the presence of settling or flowing water.

Virtually all paved roads aren’t totally flat as you might expect. They are slightly pitched with something called a crown in the center that helps water flow away from the roadway and toward the banks. Water settling in ruts in the roadway can cause serious damage to vehicles and the road itself.

You’ve likely hydroplaned briefly during a drive into town on a rainy day. The sound of the wheels on pavement changes as you glide across a pool of water — but why does this happen? Essentially, the wheels are moving fast enough to lose contact with the pavement as water goes between your tire and the road surface.

At this point you’re driving on water, which has no traction — meaning you’re water skiing in a half-ton vehicle.

Water settling in ruts can also freeze and contract, which causes cracks and breakages in the asphalt that are agitated by heavy vehicle tires breaking it apart.

This makes things difficult when you must consider that concrete isn’t known for being

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grippy. You want your tires to be able to grip a roadway, so you don’t skid all over the place. To achieve this, the concrete must be grooved before it cures using a machine that looks like a truck with a big rake on it. This creates channels for water to settle.

Asphalt concrete, sometimes referred to as blacktop, has some tradeoffs compared to concrete roadways. Asphalt is a mixture of aggregate stone and bitumen, a residual compound left by crude oil production. This stuff can be heated up to create a sticky tar-like substance and laid down in strips over subgrade materials like prepared soil.

It becomes stiffer and more brittle in cold temperatures and sticky and malleable in hot temperatures. Utilizing additives, we can keep asphalt from getting too squirrely on us during temperature extremes. Unlike concrete, asphalt is nearly 100% recyclable. It just needs to be heated up to the proper temperature, scraped up and put back down.

This is an oversimplification of the process of asphalt creation. Mixing bitumen with any type of rock will not provide a uniform result.

Certain minerals work better when mixed in this way, which can influence how the road surface will end up. You don’t want your road to look like the dunes of Arrakis, you want it to be mostly flat and predictable.

This can become a serious challenge in areas with naturally occurring minerals that don’t mix well with asphalt.

You’ll see this in action in places like Wisconsin, which use a quartzite mixed with the asphalt that doesn’t create a blacktop, but a redtop instead.

The red hue comes from iron found naturally occurring

Dufort Road. Photo by Ben Olson

within the quartzite.

Because asphalt is relatively stretchy compared to concrete, it works better in areas where the ground may shift or settle since it won’t crack and split as often. Once it does, it can be repaired relatively easily — often in springtime around here, which you’ll notice as the state flower begins to bloom. I know you’ve seen it: it’s large, orange and has black letters on it that reads “ROAD WORK AHEAD.” Another form of asphalt repair is chip sealing. This is done by laying down a thin layer of tar or asphalt and then rolling gravel over it

to encourage it to sink into cracks and crevices and seal up damage. This will often leave the road rough and bumpy and works as a BandAid until it can be repaved.

There’s a lot that goes into building roads. Are you interested in learning more?

Check out Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructive Environment

by Grady Hillhouse from your local library branch.

Both copies were out at the time of this writing, but that’s why you can place holds at the desk.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner s?

Don’t know much about tariff • Tariffs are a tax charged by a country on imported goods and are collected by Customs and Border Protection agents at 328 ports of entry across the U.S. • While President Donald Trump insists that tariffs are paid by foreign countries, it is in fact importers — American companies — that pay the tariffs and the money goes to the U.S. Treasury. Companies that pay tariffs typically pass their higher costs on to customers in the form of higher prices, which is why economists agree (by a wide margin) that consumers usually end up footing the bill for tariffs.

• Tariffs can also hurt foreign countries by making their products pricier and harder to sell abroad, leading them to potentially cut their prices to offset the tariffs and maintain market share in the U.S. Trump’s stated goal in raising the price of imports is to protect homegrown manufacturers, as well as punish foreign countries for trade practices he considers “unfair” to the U.S.

We can help!

• Before the federal income tax was established in 1913, tariffs were a major revenue source for the government, accounting for 90% of federal receipts from 1790 to 1860. Tariffs fell out of favor as global trade grew after World War II. Today, the U.S. government collects about $80 billion in tariffs and fees, which pales in comparison to the $2.5 trillion collected from individual income taxes and $1.7 trillion from Social Security and Medicare taxes.

• Retaliatory tariffs imposed by nations such as China on U.S. goods will have “negative employment impacts,” especially for farmers, according to a study conducted by MIT, Harvard, the University of Zurich and the World Bank. What’s more, the study found that despite Trump’s 2018 tariffs on imported steel intended to “increase American jobs,” employment at U.S. steel plants did not increase, staying at 140,000.

FEATURE

From cover to cover

Corner Bookstore to close after 28 years in Sandpoint, business listed for sale

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly judge a good bookstore by its owner. Since 1997, Sandpoint has been fortunate to have Jim Orbaugh’s friendly face standing behind the Corner Bookstore counter most days, ready to help fellow bibliophiles track down whatever special tome they might be seeking.

After 28 years of selling books in Sandpoint, Orbaugh has decided to shelve the business and embrace retirement. At 84 years young, he has certainly earned it.

Before moving to North Idaho in the 1990s, Orbaugh sold furniture in Southern California and, in his spare time, collected horror books.

“I was into Stephen King, Dean Koontz, you name it. I even became friends with Dean,” he said, pointing to a photo of himself behind the counter standing with the famed author. “I started buying more and more books and mailed a catalog that went out worldwide, offering horror books for sale. My apartment at the time was loaded with books everywhere on the shelves.”

When Orbaugh’s girlfriend told him about a special place in North Idaho, he decided to join her and found himself crossing the Long Bridge in 1997.

“My girlfriend at the time — who later became my wife and later died — wanted to bring me up here,” Orbaugh told the Reader. “She’d fallen in love with it, so she wanted to finish up here, which she did. On my first trip up, we were looking for houses the day after arriving.”

The couple settled in Hope and, not long after, Orbaugh opened The Corner Bookstore on the corner of Main Street and First Avenue in Sandpoint. It was named for the funky space it occupied in the corner alongside Finan McDonald, which flanked the store on the north and west sides.

“I feel like I was always into books,” Orbaugh said when asked why he chose to open a bookstore. “I was reading since before kindergarten.”

Later settling in Sagle, Orbaugh said he worked seven days a week

in the store the first two years it was open. He started getting regulars, who would often trade in books of their own for credit to use in the store.

Other books came via donations.

“You wouldn’t believe how many books people have donated to me,” he said. “My customers have been the greatest. I have no family up here, and because of my work, I suppose, I only have a few friends ... so my customers, many of them are like family to me. ... I’ve had three people work for me over the years and I just prefer this as my life. I love it.”

In 2017, the building at Main and First sold and Orbaugh moved the shop to 405 N. Fourth Ave. where it has been located ever since.

Orbaugh recently decided it was time to close the chapter on his time selling books; a bittersweet decision, he said. He will list the business for sale on Thursday, April 10 and hold a storewide sale of 25% off every item until the stock is depleted or the business is sold. Not only are all the books for sale, but Orbaugh is selling empty bookcases, the computer, cash register, a mini fridge, an oven and stove.

All trade credit will expire after the business is closed.

“I can’t remember shit anymore,” he said when asked why he was retir-

Jim Orbaugh stands behind the counter where he has greeted customers the past eight years, and another 20 at his former location. Photo by Ben Olson. ing. “I have loved the association with customers, helping them find special books and everything, but I have knees that need to be rebuilt.

My short-term memory is shot to hell. I can remember lyrics of songs I listened to as a young teenager, but I even forgot the name of my daughter the other day. It’s time.”

Orbaugh said anyone interested in buying the business should make an appointment with him after business hours. In the meantime, he invites all book lovers to take advantage of 25% off storewide and help reduce his inventory of used, new and collectable books.

“Most of us live a life that’s kind of narrow,” he said. “It’s our dayto-day thing that we don’t have many experiences with personally; what else the world is or has been about. Books have always been there to help with that. Some people just get hooked on them. I know I have.”

Call The Corner Bookstore at 208265-2886 or stop by 405 N. Fourth Ave. to make an appointment if interested in buying the business. The store is open while stock remains from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday.

April 10, 2025 / R / 11

PERSPECTIVES

The 2025 legislative session in summary

By Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle Reader Contributor The first regular session of the 68th Idaho Legislature adjourned April 5.

The session spanned 89 days — typical in length, although 15 days beyond the target completion date.

There were significant policy changes in education and taxes, as well as changes in general government regarding everything from business licenses to specialty license plates.

Tax laws were changed for income tax, grocery sales tax, property taxes and small sellers of goods. The income tax rate for Idaho in 2025 is 5.3%, down from 5.695% last year. More substantially, the income tax rate is down from 7.4% since 2017.

The difference between 2017 and 2025 is about $700 million annually of taxes not being collected from all of us, but also not available for roads, schools and other infrastructure.

I have been involved in three income tax rate reductions over the five years I’ve served in the Legislature. I

12 / R / April 10, 2025

Sen. Jim Woodward. File photo voted for two of them. I did not vote for House Bill 40, the income tax reduction this year.

When I’m waiting to pull into the steady stream of traffic on Highway 95, I am reminded why.

Idaho continues to add about 50,000 people per year to the population. We can invest in infrastructure, or we can watch our quality of life degrade. I have never asked for a tax rate increase. I simply think we should leave the percentage where it is.

Increased economic activity brings in more revenue to match the demand on the system.

H.B. 40 also created a shortage of money in other areas of the budget.

We trimmed back the transportation budget by $35 million. We did not put money in the general rainy-day savings account. We did not put money in the Public Education Stabilization Fund.

We did not put money in the wildfire account. In fact, we drew down the wildfire account balance because we paid only two-thirds of the invoice from last fire season with cash on hand.

Finally, H.B. 40 also included a capital gains tax exemption that primarily benefits just one political donor.

I think that is dirty politics and is bad for Idaho.

Moving on, the grocery sales tax credit will now be $155 per person annually. At this rate, a family of four can purchase $10,333 of groceries in a year without tax. Groceries do not include many items we purchase at the grocery store, such as cleaning supplies, greeting cards or shampoo.

A commitment to ongoing property tax relief was made this year with H.B. 304. The bill provides $50 million annually to the School Facilities Fund and $50 million to the Homeowner Property Tax Relief account. Both programs provide property tax relief, but the money comes from sales tax and income tax. In my mind, it is more of a redistribution than actual relief for any Idahoan who is working in Idaho, buying products in Idaho and owns a home in Idaho.

Part tax and education policy, H.B. 93 made a significant change to education funding. The bill allows a

$5,000 tax credit per child for private school tuition expenses. The program has a $50 million cap on the total cost, which means just under 10,000 Idaho students can benefit from the program. However, this is the only tax credit I am aware of that has a limit on the funds available. For any other tax credit, if you are eligible, you receive the credit when you file your tax return. For this reason, I expect the cost to grow beyond the $50 million cap, either through a law change or a lawsuit.

The Empowering Parents Program, a $1,000 per child educational expense grant program that originated during the pandemic, will be phased out over the next three years. I expect there will be a push to move the $30 million from Empowering Parents into the H.B. 93 tax credit program.

Below is a list of new laws from the legislative session that you may find interesting. All these recently passed bills can be viewed at legislature.idaho. gov/sessioninfo: • H.B. 134 — Requires insurers provide supplemental breast cancer screening coverage for persons of heightened risk; • Senate Bill 1208 — Provides for an additional judge in the First Judicial District; • S.B. 1164 — Building permits shall be acknowledged as complete applications within 10 business days of submission.

Idaho is still the best place to live that I can imagine. With the legislative session complete, I will be back to work in both Bonner and Boundary counties. We will continue to push the timeline on repairs at Albeni Falls Dam. I will also be co-chairing a legislative interim committee on housing affordability in Idaho. I hope to hold one meeting in Sandpoint.

Later this summer, we will hold a community brainstorming session on how to reinvent public education, hosted by the Idaho Senate Education Committee chair.

Jim Woodward is the Dist. 1 Republican senator from Sagle. He serves on the Joint Finance-Appropriations (vice-chair) and Education committees. Reach him during the 2025 legislative session at 208-3321349 (Statehouse), 208-946-7963 (home) or jwoodward@senate.idaho.gov.

To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader.com.

Photos from the “Hands Off!” protest held on April 5 in Sandpoint. It was one of the largest protest gatherings seen in Sandpoint, with estimates of 750 to upward of 1,000 people attending.

Photo credits: Top: Hal Gates.

Middle left: Soncirey Mitchell.

Middle Center and right: Racheal Baker.

Bottom left: Clarice McKenney.

Bottom right: Racheal Baker.

April 10, 2025 / R / 13

14 / R / April 10, 2025

COMMUNITY

Chamber of Commerce introduces new monthly Coffee Chat

By Reader Staff The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce is kicking off a new networking event that will take place each month at the chamber office and visitor center (1202 Fifth Ave., in Sandpoint).

The chamber and Sandpoint Rotary are combining efforts Friday, April 11, for the inaugural Chamber Coffee Chat. Described by organizers as a “low-key, impromptu meeting,” the event will take place 8:30-9:30 a.m. and include free coffee and pastries.

Any chamber members are encouraged to display brochures or other items that showcase their business “People often wonder how to plug into our community,” the chamber stated in an announcement. “Many small business owners or entrepreneurs wonder about what the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce can do for them. In addition, there are so many people in the Sandpoint area who want to volunteer, to make a difference in our schools, community

and possibly the world, but don’t know how. Sandpoint Rotary has those connections and is always looking for more volunteers.”

Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet Rotarians and learn what the 110-member club does to raise more than $1 million for local education, provide more than $40,000 each year for scholarships, host exchange students and build trails at Pine Street Woods “Rotary is a dynamic leadership training organization that prides itself on tackling big issues — like eradicating polio worldwide — while addressing local issues such as education and hunger,” the chamber stated. “Many studies have shown a sense of belonging to a social network and making a difference beyond yourself, is a cure for loneliness.”

The non-partisan, secular organization works to promote world peace with its 1.4 million members around the world.

To learn more about the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, call 208-263-2161.

April 10, 2025 / R / 15

COMMUNITY

New owners, same local vibes

Misty Mountain Furniture to host art exhibition

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Anyone who has called Sandpoint home for more than a minute has heard of Misty Mountain Furniture.

The boutique furniture shop has handcrafted fine art interiors in town since 1991, including countertops, cabinets, furniture, art, gifts, home goods, kitchen items and a whole lot more. If it’s made of wood, Misty Mountain either has it or can make it for you.

The shop also collaborates with local artists to create furniture pieces that could just as easily be described as works of art themselves, and will host an art opening from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, April 18 inside the gallery showroom at 502 Cedar St., where local artists Steve Scarcello and Jacquie Masterson will showcase their works.

Scarcello’s photography captures a crisp and clear view of natural scenes and wildlife while Masterson creates colorful collage mosaics of animals.

Both artists will be in attendance to discuss their work.

“That’s how it’s been for Misty Mountain, going on 34 years now,” co-owner Dave Gilchrist said. “It’s always been part of the community.”

Gilchrist and Will DeLong took over ownership of Misty Mountain more than a year ago and have kept the tradition alive with a continued emphasis on high-quality pieces that cater to the rustic fine art style for which the shop has become known.

When Gilchrist moved to North Idaho in the mid-1990s, he took a job as a sander at Misty Mountain before breaking out on his own.

“Chris Clark, John Edwards and Steve Holt were the owners then,” Gilchrist told the Reader. “That was when the shop was out at Michigan Street, in a small little hovel with no windows. We would get barrels and barrels of pickets ... and sand all day.

For me it was a dream job ... great music and great vibes. I thought, ‘I finally found my people.’”

Gilchrist said his early days working at Misty Mountain were filled with fond memories.

“Whenever it snowed six inches, all of us were up on the hill,” he said.

“We went backpacking whenever we could, getting out into the woods. It wasn’t about just being a woodworker, it was about the quality of life we were seeking here.”

DeLong discovered his interest in woodworking during high-school shop

16 / R / April 10, 2025

Misty Mountain Furniture owners Dave Gilchrist, left and Will DeLong, right. Photo by Matthew Fox class and by working on remodels with After chatting on the phone about his uncle during the summer. After music, woodworking and life, DeLong serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he and Gilchrist found common interests. continued remodeling work with his Gilchrist didn’t have any work available cousin leading up to the 2008 housing for DeLong at the time, and neither recession. did then-Misty Mountain owner John “All of our remodeling projects dried Edwards — other than an entry-level up,” he said. “We had a crew of five job — so DeLong went to work leadguys, all friends and faming a crew for Ironwood ily, and had to let them Builders.

Misty Mountain all go.”

“After that first week art exhibition That’s when DeLong I said, ‘I can’t do this, Friday, April 18; 4-8 p.m.; featuring turned to cabinetry and, I’m too old,’” DeLong the work of local artists Steve about three years ago, set Scarcello and Jacquie Mastersaid. his sights on a fresh start When Gilchrist and son. Misty Mountain Furniture, 502 Cedar St., 208-265-4190, DeLong got word that in North Idaho. mistymountainfurniture.com.

“I met Dave doing Edwards planned to recold calls while I was tire and sell the business, still living in Napa, looking for work they jumped at the opportunity. up here,” DeLong said.

“It was just what we wanted,” De-

Long said. “I was coming from out of town and left my clientele and reputation in Napa, so I had no reputation up here. I had to start over. Coming here seemed like a perfect fit.”

A half dozen woodworkers create Misty Mountain’s conversation-starting products in a shop located behind the showroom, emphasizing unique textures and forms. The company offers a lifetime guarantee on workmanship and materials (excluding finish) to the original owner, pledging to repair or replace any of their products that become unsound by normal wear and tear.

“The evolution of Misty Mountain started as rustic log furniture and then it evolved into doing a lot of the reclaimed barnwood furniture and cabinetry,” Gilchrist said. “Now we do anything from contemporary to Euro-style modern, bringing in elements from Will’s background and mine.”

Another defining characteristic of the shop is its custom work, offering clients the opportunity to have unique items handcrafted to specific needs.

“We work with designers and architects and work off their specs,” DeLong said. “We give inspiration, help with their ideas and find what works well for their space. ... The whole art showroom we have here, all this local art, it’s so cool.”

Caretaking the art showroom is one of the many jobs undertaken by sales team Natalia Ocasio and Lauren Hilbert, who also serve to connect the builders with the clients during the custom production process.

“We change the artwork in our gallery quite a bit,” Ocasio said.

“We want people to come in here and have fun,” Gilchrist said. “Maybe see something different every other week so they keep on coming back to check it out.”

And speaking of something different to check out, locals will remember the “big red chair” outside of Misty Mountain where thousands have posed for photos. Sadly, the chair had to be removed in recent years after its creator, Tom Brunner, expressed concerns that it was rotting and had become a safety issue.

“We have plans to build another one,” Gilchrist confirmed with a smile. “Stay tuned.”

Visit mistymountainfurniture.com or Misty Mountain’s Facebook or Instagram pages for more information. Their gallery showroom at 502 Cedar St. is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

COMMUNITY Nominations open for Orchids and Onions Awards

By Reader Staff Preservation Idaho is seeking nominations for its 48th annual Orchids and Onions Awards, which celebrate individuals, projects or organizations that contribute to protecting the state’s historic legacy and also bring awareness to instances when that legacy has been treated with insensitivity.

Nominations for the former (Orchids) and latter (Onions) are now being accepted at preservationidaho.org/orchids-and-onions-2025, with a due date of Monday, June 16.

A number of Sandpoint entries have been honored with Orchids over the years, including the Panida Theater in 1986; Nancy Renk as a Distinguished Preservationist in 1991; the Old Power House in 1998; the Archaeology and Preservation Committee in 2002; the Sandpoint Events Center in 2014; the Northern Pacific Railway Depot, Nesbit-Tanner House and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in 2015; Sandpoint Federal Building (a.k.a. MickDuff’s Brewing) in 2021; and the Belwood 301 building (at 301 Cedar St.) in 2024.

The Orchids and Onions Awards ceremony will be held Saturday, July 26 in Boise. The venue will be announced soon.

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April 10, 2025 / R / 17

events

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com THURSDAY, april 10

Free Estimates ISA Board Certified Master Arborist

208.610.4858

www.skywalkertreecare.com

Artist Reception: Alex Galford 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Meet the artist and view their works Live Music w/ Liam McCoy 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Plant & Sip 6-8pm @ Barrel 33 Paint a new plant pot for $55 Cribbage double elimination tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Connie’s Cafe Grad Night fundraiser 4-8pm @ Connie’s Lounge Help raise funds for a sober and safe Grad Night Party

Live Music w/ Hillfolk Noir 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority String-band blues mixed with electrified rockin’ soulful folksy witchcraft Live Jazz w/ Luke Stuivenga 7pm @ The Hive End of the ski season party!

Live Music w/ The Rub: Springaling 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Blues, Americana

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 6-9pm @ 1908 Saloon Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments 5-8pm @ Connie’s Lounge Live Music w/ Jay Alm 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Acoustic alt-folk songwriter Live Music w/ BTP 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Classic rock favorites

Andy Gross: Live comedy and magic 7:30pm @ Panida *POSTPONED*

Live Music w/ Mobius Riff 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Idaho Battle of the Books competition 10:30am-1:45pm @ Sandpoint Library IBOB is a reading program open to all students in grades 4-12 meant to encourage the love of literature SHS Softball Takeover fundraiser 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Proceeds support SHS Softball The Cottage Market 10am-3pm @ River of Life Church Feat. local vendors and merchants Spring bingo fundraiser 4pm @ Sandpoint Church of God $10 entry includes 10 games

Live Jazz w/ Tucker James 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Mike and Sadie Wagoner 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33 Father-daughter duo Live Music w/ Matt Mitchell 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Isaac Smith 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Indie folk and pop tunes Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Palm Sunday concert 4:30pm @ First Presbyterian Church Featuring Songs of Mourning and Songs of Joy w/ local performers

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Trivia Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

FriDAY, april 11

SATURDAY, april 12

SunDAY, april 13

Live Music w/ Boot Juice 7pm @ 219 Lounge Cosmic rock, funk and jazz (see Page 21) $10/adv, $13/day of

Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s

monDAY, april 14

Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome Pool tournament ($10 entry) 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Ponderay Paradox 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Chamber Coffee Chat 8:30-9:30pm @ Chamber office, 1202 5th A low-key, impromptu meeting

Dover Park and beach clean up day 10:30am-1pm @ Meet at Dover City Hall Kick off this cleaning day with fresh coffee at 10:30am, then plant, clean and beautify Dover’s community spaces. Bring gardening tools!

Wildfire mitigation class 12-3pm @ Priest River Community Church 7B Cares and Bonner Co. Emergency Mgmt. will host this class to cover steps to minimize risk and reduce damages to your property from wildfire

10,000 Easter EggStravaganza 11am @ Lutheran Church, 1900 Pine St. Candy-filled eggs for toddlers to age 12. Free of charge, rain or shine Live Music w/ Celtic Folk Jam 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Give 7B fundraiser (April 14-18) Learn more at 7bgives.org Nonprofit fundraising events scattered throughout Sandpoint

tuesDAY, april 15

Pub Game Night 6pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Octathalon, Pub game room Olympmics hosted by Sandi. $5

Live Acoustic Guitar w/ Johnathan Nicholson 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Evening of ambience and improv tunes

Family Hour at Matchwood 5-7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live music w/ John Firshi, good food, good beer and good times

Live Piano w/ Bob Beadling 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Macrame plant hanger workshop 5:30-8pm @ Barrel 33 Make your own macrame hangers 18 / R / April 10, 2025

April 10-17, 2025

wednesDAY, april 16

Live Trivia ($5/person) 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

ThursDAY, april 17 Cribbage double elimination tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Liam McCoy 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

COMMUNITY

Court victory for imperiled Selkirk grizzly bear population in Idaho

By Reader Staff Idaho Federal Court Judge Raymond Patricco issued a decision March 31 protecting habitat for the rare, imperiled Selkirk grizzly population in North Idaho. The decision follows almost six years of litigation by grassroots conservation group Alliance for the Wild Rockies, which focuses on protecting grizzly bear populations located on public lands in the Northern Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Montana.

There are only about 50 Selkirk grizzly bears in the population, and the minimum needed for recovery is 100. The bears suffer from human-caused mortality at a rate of about 2.7 bears killed by humans per year, and those rates violate the limits set by the government for recovery.

The mortality rate is so high that there are only three years on record with higher mortality since record keeping began more than 30 years ago.

According to a news release from the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, “There is no hope of recovery for the imperiled

population unless the government starts complying with road density limits to protect grizzly bear habitat.”

The court order found the challenged government action — described as the Hanna Flats Good Neighbor Authority Project — violated federal law. The action involved forest vegetation management, timber harvest, temporary road construction, road maintenance, prescribed burning, tree planting, pre-commercial thinning and ski trail maintenance.

The government’s own management plan for the area limits road construction to protect grizzly bears, because roads in the animals’ habitat are the primary threat facing the species. The court found that the government had violated the road construction limit for years, and continued to do so with this new action.

Additionally, the court found that the government’s attempt to change the management plan to allow more roads without the required public process for an official “amendment” to the management plan was also illegal.

According to the court order, the Alliance argued that “changing — and weakening — the most important substantive Forest Plan provision for ESA-listed grizzly bears in the Priest BORZ — the road limits — is a modification of a plan component, which requires a Forest Plan amendment.”

BORZ is an acronym for “bears outside the recovery zone.”

The court agreed that until such an amendment occurs, the original road limits would remain in effect. The court then enjoined the action for violations of federal law.

“This is a big win for grizzly bears, but in addition to protecting the grizzly bears, this decision also protects the rights of the homeowners in this area who oppose massive clearcutting operations that would destroy the forest around their homes and trails, and lead to harmful sedimentation in waterways,” the Alliance stated.

Newport Ren Faire seeking noble sponsors for a thrilling live knight show

By Reader Staff The Newport Renaissance Faire is returning for its fourth year, inviting all lords and ladies to “prepare for a spectacle of steel and honor.”

This year, organizers plan to present a live-action knight show featuring jousts, sword fights and feats of chivalry, with family activities throughout the event.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Newport Rodeo Grounds (1101 W. First St.), sponsors are still needed to bring the production to life.

Sponsorships can be purchased at numerous levels, including: • The Free Folk: $10 or any amount; The Gentry: $100 for social media recognition and a certificate recognizing your contribution; • The Nobility: $500 for social media recognition, a certificate and a ringing out of thanks by the official faire herald; • The Royalty: $1,000 for social media recognition, a certificate, ringing out by

the herald and a banner at the entrance to the arena with your company’s crest; • The Knightly Ventures: $4,500, an exclusive sponsorship open to one contributor, earning them a key to the kingdom, presented by the knights, regular heralding during the day of the event, a large banner at the arena, multiple social media shoutouts and recognition from the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce.

Co-organizers include the Pend Oreille County Library District, Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, Pend Oreille County Rodeo Club and Newport Creative District. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Celene Thomas at cthomas@pocld.org or visit bit.ly/4i7x3xd.

“This immersive medieval experience will transport audiences to an age of gallantry, where knights clash in the arena, banners fly high and the roar of the crowd fuels the glory of battle,” organizers stated.

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OUTDOORS

Three Sandpoint women vie for spots on Freeride World Tour Local athletes Lindsey Anderson, Emma Hall and Lydia Nelsen compete in Colorado

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Sandpoint has churned out an uncanny number of talented snowsports athletes over the years, and it’s always thrilling to watch skiers and snowboarders raised on the slopes of Schweitzer go on to participate in some of the nation’s most prestigious competitive events.

Two local skiers and one snowboarder are currently vying for the Challenger Series, a multi-location competition where 18 of the country’s top skiers battle for two spots on the Freeride World Tour. Lindsey Anderson, 33; Emma Hall, 20; and Lydia Nelsen, 21, are hoping to earn enough points in their qualifying runs to participate in the national series.

Freeriding is a winter sport in which skiers and boarders explore the most challenging terrain on a ski resort, navigating through steeps and cliffs, powder and other difficult conditions with the goal of skiing a line down and link features while also pulling off tricks.

It’s a judged event, with points scored for your line, technique, fluidity, style and energy.

“A lot of people call it racing, but it’s not racing at all,” Anderson told the Reader. “If you’re going to ski a line down a really challenging run linking up different features and ski it fast and fluidly all while making it look easy, that’s going to score higher by the judges.”

Anderson told the Reader she began freeriding because of the challenge.

“I’ve been coaching freeride for five years with Caleb Mullen, and he competed in freeride for over 20 years,” she said.

Anderson said she was impressed how many top-notch skiers come out of Schweitzer, thanks to coaches like Mullen leading the way.

“This area has a lot of really good athletes who have inspired younger generations,” Anderson said. “It’s not like 20 / R / April 10, 2025

Schweitzer has the most challenging terrain compared to other places, but I think it’s the people here and the way they’ve supported each other to push the sport. This is a great place to develop your skills and get comfortable and bring those skills to more steep or rocky terrain.”

The Challenger Series is one step below the Freeride World Tour, an annual series of events that has been around since it was founded in 1996 as the Xtreme Verbier. The competition was snowboard only until 2004, when it opened to skiers.

To qualify for the FWT, participants must amass points won from entering competitions leading up to the series.

“I decided I was going to do just one competition and started winning them, so now I’m here [in Kirkwood, Calif.] and it’s really intense,” Anderson said.

Anderson, Hall and Nelsen are currently battling along with more than a dozen other female skiers to earn their

spots on the FWT. “They only select two out of each Challenger Series,” Anderson said. “That means two from our region, which is all of North America.”

Currently, Hall has earned four first-place finishes this year in qualifiers. Hall was on the tour last year and got a wild card for the Challenger Series, meaning she didn’t need to go through the

arduous qualifier process, but started directly in the Challenger Series.

Because the event in Nelson, B.C. was canceled due to inclement weather, Anderson said she’s hoping for two competitions at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado on Wednesday, April 16. If any of the athletes place well at A-Basin, they have a chance to earn one of the FWT spots.

Lindsey Anderson, left; Emma Hall, center; and Lydia Nelsen, right. Courtesy photo “Lydia and I lost skis in this last event, but we still have a chance if they do two runs at A-Basin,” Anderson said. “If we’d stayed on our feet, we’d be in the top five, but we’re still in it.”

Stay tuned to future editions of the Reader to see results for Anderson, Hall and Nelsen’s runs at Arapahoe Basin.

How to help Bonner Homeless Transitions transform lives

By Patty Shook Reader Contributor Finding yourself homeless in Sandpoint can feel desperate.

Not long ago, Kate and Steve arrived from Utah, hoping to leave their drug problems behind. When staying with Kate’s parents didn’t work out, they bounced from motel to motel while searching for a program that would accept them and their three young children.

They soon discovered that their only local option was Bonner Homeless Transitions.

Other programs in the area — Freedom House and Bonner Gospel Mission — only take men, while Sweet Magnolia is for women only and none accept children.

BHT offered Kate and Steve more than just a safe place to live. The family participated

in programs designed to help residents become self-sufficient, such as budgeting and group therapy. They also enjoyed therapeutic family sailing trips offered by Dogsmile Adventures, a local nonprofit dedicated to changing lives.

Since they were required to find employment, Kate took a job at Burger King and completed her GED. She is now preparing to attend cosmetology school. Steve secured a job with a medical equipment manufacturer and, together, they are now looking for an apartment and saving money.

At BHT, clients agree to random drug testing and inspections — steps that help ensure their commitment to the program and their success.

BHT is dedicated to providing stability, support and hope for families like Kate’s and

Steve’s, not just offering shelter, but also a 24-month program that provides housing and a pathway to a brighter future.

With families still on the waitlist, the organization needs the community’s help to ensure no one is left without the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

There are a number of ways to assist BHT in its mission, including: • Contributing donations to directly fund housing, food and essential services; • Attending BHT’s Little Black Dress Cocktails and Conversation Party at the Idaho Club on Thursday, May 1, which serves as a critical fundraiser; • Spreading awareness by sharing BHT’s story with friends and family to help reach those in need or willing

to support the cause.

Kate and Steve can now visualize a road to success, but many others are still waiting for their chance. BHT operates three sites and employs five dedicated staff members, but relies on community support to keep its doors open.

By supporting Bonner Homeless Transitions, you become part of a movement that brings hope and stability to those who need it most. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, creates a ripple effect of positive change.

To learn more about the Little Black Dress Cocktails and Conversation Party or donate, visit BonnerHomelessTransitions.org or call 208265-2952.

Patty Shook is president of the Bonner Homeless Transitions Board of Directors.

MUSIC

The Rub: Springaling, The Hive, April 11 The ski season ends Sunday, April 13 at Schweitzer, and what better way to transition from boots to, um... lighter boots, is to head down to a Friday night show at The Hive for The Rub: Springaling.

Known in North Idaho for bringing the rock from across the decades, this power trio from Coeur d’Alene plays an eclectic collection of favorites varying from classic rock bangers to post-grunge rock anthems and timeless hits played with an emphasis on detail.

With Cristopher Lucas on bass, Michael Koep on drums and Cary Beare on guitar, The Rub continues to bring

the good times with every live show. Each member contributes vocals to the mix, and their synergy on stage is always something special to behold.

The Hive will open its doors Friday, April 11 at 7 p.m. and the band begins at 8:45 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 if purchased in advance, or $15 on the day of the show. VIP booths are available by emailing vip@ livefromthehive.com.

Lean into spring and listen to this ensemble group conjure up another dance-filled night punctuated with your favorite songs.

— Ben Olson

Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8:45 p.m.; $10 advance, $15 at the door. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-920-9039, livefromthehive. com. Listen at rubtherub.com.

The Rub playing live.

Courtesy photo

playing funk and jazz.

While those genres infuse its sound, Boot Juice soars above labels and boxes, taking audiences to a place where it feels good to dance and lose yourself to the beat.

The band has played a smattering of notable festivals over the years, including a fresh stint at the Treefort Music Fest in Boise.

A limited number of tickets are available for this special Sunday, April 13 show at the Niner — coinciding with closing day at Schweitzer — with doors open at 7 p.m. and the music starting at 8 p.m.

Prepare for a night of dancing, wild energy and the

kind of music that makes you forget the ski season has come to an end.

— Ben Olson Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8

Courtesy photo p.m.; $10 advance, $13 at the door. 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208-263-5673, 219lounge. com. Listen at bootjuicejams.com.

Hillfolk Noir, Idaho Pour Authority, April 11

Matt Mitchell Music Co., Eichardt’s Pub, April 12

It’s no hyperbole to declare Boise-based Hillfolk Noir as among the front rank of Idaho musical acts. With nearly 20 years of performing around the Gem State, Hillfolk Noir’s signature “junkerdash” sound remains as fresh as ever — defined as “bluegrass’ trouble-making cousin,” powered by “electrified rockin’ soulful folksy witchcraft mayhem.”

The band has made a few

Matt Mitchell is an intellectual storyteller, delivering his social critiques the way all good folk philosophers do — accompanied by the twang of a banjo and acoustic guitar.

His music is fluid, at some points sounding like Noah Kahan and others leaning into the classic folk-rock of Neil Young, yet always emphasizing confessional and emotionally evocative lyrics.

With three full-length

Doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m.; $10. Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar St., 208-597-7096, idahopourauthority.com. Listen at hillfolknoir.com or spotify.com.

I encountered the work of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky — a.k.a. the “Strugatsky Brothers” — with the uber-gloomy, hypnotically grotesque film adaptation of their 1964 sci-fi novel Hard to Be a God. Lately, I’ve been into The Doomed City, set in a dystopia where people are assigned jobs seemingly at random and all manner of absurdities and indignities are foisted on them in the service of an inscrutable “experiment.” By turns bitterly funny, tragic and bewildering, seek this out where you seek out books.

Cory Booker, the 55-year-old senator from New Jersey, made history when he began a speech on the Senate floor at 7 p.m. on March 31 and ended it 25 hours and five minutes later in the evening of April 1. His record-breaking filibuster was a withering denunciation of President Donald Trump’s administration but also a call to action: “We are in this moral moment now. This is not right or left ... it is right or wrong,” he said. Listen to the whole thing on Booker’s YouTube channel.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

visits to Sandpoint over the years, but is swinging into Idaho Pour Authority for a throwdown Friday, April 11 that isn’t to be missed. Presale tickets are available now at IPA. — Zach Hagadone

READ

LISTEN

Boot Juice, 219 Lounge, April 13 In the world of Americana, Boot Juice would occupy the outer layer of the atmosphere, hovering somewhere between terra firma and the dark side of the moon.

This seven-piece band from Davis, Calif., has kicked around the West since 2017, bringing their unique blend of cosmic rock and vibrant Americana to the people.

Featuring an array of instrumentation, including guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, bass, alto and tenor saxophone, trumpet and other bits and bobs, Boot Juice has made a name for itself by defying the assumption that a big band with horns sticks to

This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone

albums — Obvious Euphoria, Ramona and Captive of the Mind — plus his 2025 single, Sounds American to Me, Mitchell has hours of original music to inspire spirited conversation on a quiet night.

— Soncirey Mitchell 7 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com. Listen at mattmitchellmusicco.com or on Spotify.

WATCH

Among the best shows I’ve seen in the past five years, The Last of Us on Max vies with a few others for the top spot. Based on the video game of the same name and starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, it far transcends those origins with gorgeous art direction, stellar writing and performances that elevate the plot from zombie-apocalypse action to heartfelt drama-thriller. The second season of the series is set to begin streaming Friday, April 11 on Max with the first of a seven-episode arc.

Rotten Tomatoes already gives it a 93%, and I’m not surprised.

April 10, 2025 / R / 21

BACK OF THE BOOK

On the power of consent From The Daily Bulletin, December 19, 1935

CHILDREN THINNER AMONG RANKS OF ‘DEPRESSION POOR’ Children of the newly poor, whose standards of eating, housing and clothing went downward with the depression, lost weight between 1928 and 1933 until the average child between six and ten years weighed 2% below normal, the United States public health service reports.

Charts made by the health service show that the loss in weight among the children of the “depression poor’ was more than 2% below normal, since they weighed well above normal before 1928.

In an attempt to discover the effect of the depression on children, health officials weight a group of 5,400 youngsters going to school in Birmingham, Cleveland, Greenville S.C., Pittsburgh and Syracuse. They picked those between 6 and 11 years of age and kept track of those ages between 1928 and 1933.

They studied children in three types of families. First, those whose living remained comfortable through the depression years.

Second, those families which always had been relatively poor and, last, those whose income dropped during the test period.

They found 17 in every 100 were in the group which felt the depression closing in about them, changing the food they ate, the clothing they wore and the quarters in which they lived. It was those changes in the manner of living which undoubtedly brought the decline in the children’s relative weight, says the bureau of labor statistics in its labor bulletin.

22 / R / April 10, 2025

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist I turned 74 last week, and I’m thinking of turning away from political commentary. I have tried for 25-plus years to get people to think for themselves about who will be the best leader for the future of their kids and grandkids, but the bottom line always seems to be the economy and who can throw the best insults and tell the most outrageous lies during campaign season.

I’m not changing my mind about Trump, who I feel is acting despicably as president — but he’s acted despicably for decades. If you’re one of his supporters, it doesn’t seem like I will change your mind.

I can’t comprehend why anyone would consent to put Trump in power, and I am not being judgmental. I am stating a fact. Some of you have an opposing point of view. You love Trump and can’t understand why I don’t. We are both at a loss. We seem to be living in a 50/50 world. We are halved.

A way to pull the country back together — if the United States is to stay united — might be to look away from that big difference of opinion and see what we have in common on our respective sides of the political and rhetorical divide between us.

We didn’t create this divide: power, wealth and organized religion did, with the intention of keeping us apart.

These forces can be envisioned as an equilateral triangle, which, if brought into the physical world, would fall

STR8TS Solution

over if left to itself. The form needs a fourth leg in order to produce a stable, four-sided shape capable of standing on its own. That fourth leg is consent.

For the structure to remain upright, people have to agree on the role of the other legs. The more people who feel a certain way, the quicker changes happen or the longer things stay the way they are.

Consent is an act of will. Giving someone permission to influence our lives is done of our own volition, though there are always extenuating circumstances. Over time, I have been about as extenuated as someone living in the U.S. can get.

Every human faces extenuations, though some have fewer than others.

We are blessed in this country. Imagine being a 12-year-old Palestinian or Ukrainian kid waiting for a rocket to drop through the roof. They have not given their consent to that.

Consider the following headlines:

Is Fired” (by Trump); • “Trump Signs Order Aimed at Dismantling Education Department”; • “Trump Administration Abruptly Cuts Billions from State Health Services”; • “Mass Layoffs Announced at Health and Human Services Dept.”

(10,000 jobs); • “Trump is trying to gain more power over elections” (extra scary).

• “Trump Calls Zelensky a Dictator in Post Rife with Falsehoods”; • “These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration” (they all have to do with social equity); • “Trump Issues Order to Expand His Power Over Agencies Congress Made Independent”; • “Trump Promised Americans Booming Wealth. Now He’s Changing His Tune”; • “Kennedy Links Measles Outbreak to Poor Diet and Health, Citing Fringe Theories”; • “Trump Is Elected Chair of Kennedy Center as Its Longtime President

Crossword Solution

This, and considerable damage to the good that America has done over the past 100-plus years, is what the majority of U.S. voters consented to.

Ironically, if statistics prove true, half of the citizens adversely affected by this dismantling voted for Trump.

I didn’t consent to this. If you did, I hope you and Republicans in Congress change your minds before midterm elections. If not, we could all lose our right to express a lack of consent.

Sudoku Solution

Love is not something that you can put chains on and throw into a lake.

That’s called Houdini. Love is liking someone a lot.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

ACROSS

apricate /æprɪˌkeɪt/

Woorf tdhe Week

[verb] (intransitive, rare) 1. to sunbathe or bask in the sun

“Spud, the family cat, apricated throughout the afternoon until the living room was in shadow. Then he went to sleep upstairs.”

Corrections: The crossword in the April 3 edition was a repeat from the March 27 edition. Sorry about that. Bad Ben.

1. Consumes food 5. Mimicked 9. Molasses liquors 13. Suckling spot 14. Column style 16. A Great Lake 17. Prying 18. Partially melted snow 19. Scene 20. Foot joint 22. Lens makers 24. Gentle 26. Anklebone 27. Traditional 30. Lustful desire 33. Delirium 35. Stairs 37. Play a role 38. Fate 41. Compete 42. Step 45. Crowning achievement 48. Area around a nipple 51. Expunges 52. Chambers 54. Indian dress 55. Coconut cookies 59. Brunette 62. Way out 63. Business outfits 65. Dwarf buffalo 66. Countertenor 67. Empower

Solution on page 22 68. Tent-pitching place 69. Lascivious look 70. Canvas dwelling 71. River to the North Sea

DOWN 1. Europe’s highest volcano 2. Long, long time 3. Burdensome boss 4. Hairdresser 5. Commercials 6. Game on horseback 7. Blow up 8. Proximal’s opposite

9. Go back to 10. Murres 11. Bearing 12. Stitches 15. Ground beef with peppery powder 21. Apart from this 23. Baby bears 25. Highlands dagger 27. Talk 28. Elastic fabric 29. US spy agency 31. Religious service 32. Express a thought 34. Circle fragment 36. Notices

39. Angry 40. Gorillas 43. Faucet attachment 44. A swinging barrier 46. Thick slice 47. Apartment balcony 49. Not tight 50. Sum 53. Malicious 55. Lunch or dinner 56. Spindle 57. Give as an example 58. Render senseless 60. Uterus 61. Back of the neck 64. Band performance

April 10, 2025 / R / 23