Reader_February13_2020

'-,

J FREE

2 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

PEOPLE compiled by

Susan Drinkard

watching

Do you have a special plan for Valentine’s Day? “I’m going shopping to buy chocolates and candies for my 7-year-old granddaughter‘s birthday on the 16th. She will have to share them with her brother.”

Julie Redding Caregiver Priest River

“I’m looking for a good place to take my wife out for dinner.”

Brian Crouch Cook Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

Greetings and welcome to another lovely installment of the Sandpoint Reader.

This issue is all about love and winter, as we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day and the first week of Sandpoint’s Winter Carnival! We have events pages outlining everything you need to know about the carnival, as well as highlights for you lovers to check out on Valentine’s Day. Next week, Thursday, Feb. 20, we’re inviting all of our advertisers and contributors to attend a party at Matchwood Brewery in observance of our fifth anniversary since we came back from the dead. If you have written, submitted artwork or otherwise contributed something to our editorial content in the past, you’re invited! Same goes for advertisers – if you’ve ever placed an ad in the Reader, come on down. We’re buying the food (provided by Matchwood’s stellar kitchen), but the drinks are up to you. This is a casual event to thank all of those who help make the Reader what it is – come as you are. Happy love day.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (Staff Writer) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Susan Drinkard, Lyndsie Kiebert, Zach Hagadone.

Contributing Writers: Lyndsie Kiebert, Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lorraine H. Marie, Timothy Braatz, Rep. Steve Berch, Brenden Bobby, Marcia Pilgeram.

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

“I am working and then I will go home and make a nice dinner for me and my cat.”

Ashley Thacker Teen lounge assistant at library Sagle

“Yes, I am going to spend it with my lovely and sweet wife.”

David Oliver Library staff Sandpoint

“We are having a party at our school. We will pass out valentines and have a special sweet treat and special drinks.

We have the same teacher and we are bringing her flowers.”

Ever and Trennon Scherr Kindergarten and 2nd grade in a neighborhood home school Sandpoint

Subscription Price: $115 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

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

About the Cover

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 3

NEWS

Primaries at a glance

County, Statehouse and congressional primary races already drawing challengers

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Idaho’s presidential primary election is less than a month away, and the local and state primary races are on the horizon. As the latter approaches, challengers from both sides of the aisle are stepping forward, announcing their intent to run for office in Bonner County and the Idaho Statehouse.

Sagle resident Butch Horton announced Feb. 7 his intent to run for the District 1 commissioner seat. Commissioner Steve Bradshaw is currently working on his first term in the position, and confirmed with the Reader Feb. 11 that he plans to run for reelection.

Horton, a Republican, will face Bradshaw in the local primary election May 19. He said that in the face of extreme growth, Bonner County needs “more cooperation and accountability and less conflict.”

“Mitigating conflict is a matter of gathering information and having civil conversation,” he said. “Avoiding conflict isn’t about avoiding topics, but rather it’s about having conversations that lead to better understanding — even if it doesn’t lead to agreement. Social media often is not the best platform to resolve conflict. I will listen to all parties and craft solutions that serve our citizens and [f]ocus on things that matter to Bonner County.”

The former U.S. Navy operations specialist and current business owner listed natural resource management and responsible land use planning — striking a balance between the county’s residential, commercial and agricultural needs — as some of his main policy targets.

Chief among the current issues facing Bonner County is the litigation against the city of Sandpoint regarding The Festi4 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

val at Sandpoint weapons ban.

Bradshaw spoke up about the issue at the Jan. 28 BOCC business meeting, saying that while District 3 Commissioner Dan McDonald receives the majority of the blowback from people upset about the lawsuit, Bradshaw “was the one that initiated that lawsuit.”

“I’m not willing to stand by and watch state law be ignored — willfully ignored — and put our police departments and sheriff’s department at risk of personal liability if they tried to enforce that gun ban,” he said, “and I’m not willing to stand by and let any rights of any citizen in Bonner County be stripped of their rights. You want to blame somebody, blame me.”

In regard to the county v. city litigation, Horton told the Reader that he is a “supporter” of the Second Amendment and that “litigation should be employed as a last resort and only utilized after all available alternatives have been thoroughly explored.”

In response to his prospective opponent taking credit for the lawsuit, Horton said, “I’m not sure an individual commissioner should be taking credit for the actions of the entire commission.

If a lawsuit was needed to settle the question of competing rights, my leadership would be differ-

ent. Carefully considering and exhausting all avenues available to mitigate the issue would be my approach.”

Horton said he intends to rely on neighborhood gatherings, meet-and-greets and doorto-door events to connect with constituents, while also making his phone number and email address available.

“I plan on meeting as many folks as will meet with me,” he said. “I want to hear all points of view, and by doing so, I will be able to perform the job of county commissioner to the best of my ability. This county is made up of almost 45,000 individuals and it is my belief that there is more that unites us than divides us.”

The District 2 commissioner seat — currently held by Commissioner Jeff Connolly — is also up for reelection in 2020.

Connolly, a Republican, told the Reader in January that he will be seeking reelection in order to continue the work that he said has only just begun.

“I think we’ve done some good things, and I’d like to see some of those things through,” he said of the current board.

So far, no opposing candidates for the District 2 seat have indicated interest in running against Connolly, nor have any potential contenders emerged for the offic-

es of county sheriff or prosecutor, which will be on the ballot this spring. McDonald is halfway through the four-year term he won during the 2018 election.

The Bonner County Elections Office is accepting declarations of candidacy from March 2-March 13. Until then, all announcements are informal and subject to change.

Yet, at the state level, current Lake Pend Oreille School District Board Trustee Gary Suppiger has signaled his intention to challenge Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, in the Republican primary race for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives.

Suppiger announced his run Feb. 1 in Sandpoint at a Reclaim Idaho tour stop in support of the group’s Invest in Idaho education ballot initiative. Suppiger, a vocal proponent of the initiative, told the Reader that his campaign will focus on education and property tax relief. He said Idaho’s current system to fund education — which relies heavily on property taxes — is “not only inadequate, but also inequitable.”

At the congressional level, the race for Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch’s seat has already attracted a number of prospective Democratic challengers, including former Idaho gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan, of

L to R: Butch Horton, Gary Suppiger, Nancy Harris, Paulette Jordan. File photos.

Plummer, who served two terms in the Idaho House representing District 5A; successful Boise area businesswoman and one-time Sandpoint resident Nancy Harris; U.S. Army veteran and Shelley farmer Travis Oler; and former U.S. House of Representatives candidate James Vandermaas, a retired police officer from Eagle.

Idahoans have two primary election dates to note. First, the presidential primary — for both Democratic and Republican candidates — will take place Tuesday, March 10. Two months later on Tuesday, May 19, Idahoans will have the chance to vote on state and county primaries.

Republican primaries in Idaho are closed to registered Republicans only, though unaffiliated voters are able to request a Republican ballot at the polls.

Those wishing to change their party affiliation ahead of the May primary have until Friday, March 13 to do so.

For more information regarding local election dates and registration, visit bonnercountyid.gov/departments/elections or call 208-255-3631. For more information about voting in state and national races, visit idahovotes.gov.

NEWS

Here we have Idaho: What’s happening at the Idaho Legislature this week

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Grocery taxes Introduced in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Feb. 12, House Bill 494 would increase the grocery tax credit and equalize it for two groups of Idahoans: from $120 to $135 for those aged 65 and older, and from $100 to $135 for all others.

According to bill sponsors, Idahoans pay an average of $124 per year in sales tax on groceries, while HB494 would “essentially offset the sales tax paid on groceries by all Idaho citizens.”

As for the fiscal impact, sponsors claim the credit will be funded from the state’s Tax Relief Fund, offset by a reduction of $1 million from the fund — bringing it from $49 million to $48 million.

New vaping rules The Health and Welfare Committee received a bill that would officially add electronic smoking devices to the definition of tobacco products, allowing the the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to regulate and permit retailers e-cigarette and vaping products the same way it does sellers of traditional tobacco products.

As introduced on Feb. 12, House Bill 498 would amend the Prevention of Minors Access to Tobacco Act, rolling electronic smoking devices together with tobacco and establishing a “minimal fee” on retailer permits to cover the cost of permit issuance, com-

pliance inspection and administration. According to bill sponsors, that fee would be delayed a year to establish the need and fee amount.

The bill would encompass e-cigs, e-cigars, e-pipes, vape pens, electronic hookahs “or any component, part or accessory of such a device, or any substance intended to be aerosolized or vaporized during use of the device.”

No-preference hiring A bill from Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, caused tensions to rise during a Feb. 12 hearing before the House State Affairs Committee, when she presented House Bill 440, which would prohibit the state from “discriminating against or granting special treatment to” any person when hiring or contracting for government jobs, including education.

The bill introduces a new section that specifically targets “preferential treatment” to individuals based on “race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin” when seeking public employment.

Scott framed her bill as a “civil rights” measure, rather than one intended to eliminate so-called “affirmative action.”

According to the Idaho Press, all but one of the six individuals who testified Feb. 12 spoke against the bill, with opponents stressing that Scott’s bill leave women and minorities legally vulnerable to discrimination in hiring.

The committee voted 12-3 along strict party lines to advance the bill to the full House.

Transgender athletes The House Education Committee voted Feb. 12 to print a bill that would prohibit transgender students in Idaho from competing in girls’ sports.

Co-sponsored by Coeur d’Alene Republican Rep. Mary Souza, the bill’s statement of purpose summarizes: “Boys and men will not be allowed to participate on girls or women’s teams, as defined by their inherent differences that are physiological, chromosomal and hormonal.” Disputes over a student athlete’s gender would be settled by a physician’s note following an examination of sex organs, testosterone levels and genetic makeup.

Called the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act by sponsors, Boise Democratic Rep. Steve Berch tried to block the bill from being introduced, saying the issue “is so far down the list” of priorities facing education that it should be held.

“I just don’t think this is where we should be spending our time at this time,” he said, according to Boise State Public Radio.

School standards committee Much ink has been spilled on the House Education Committee’s recent decision to chuck Idaho Common Core standards without a concrete plan in place to replace them. The Idaho Senate Education Committee took up

the matter on the morning of Feb. 12, voting to establish an interim committee to look at content standards — a measure brought by Committee Chairman Dean Mortimer “in the spirit of compromise to improve education,” according to the Idaho Press.

The committee was expected to address the current content standards in the afternoon of Feb. 12, following the House’s earlier vote to eliminate all school standards for math, English language arts and science. As the Idaho Press points out, that House decision will carry no weight unless the Senate also votes to drop the standards.

Council to address Pine St. sidewalks, invasive aquatic species and non-motorized boat launch

By Reader Staff The Sandpoint City Council intends to address a number of infrastructure and water-related matters Wednesday, Feb. 19 at its regular meeting.

Among the items on the agenda is a proposed resolution to move forward with a design and construction agreement to install sidewalks on Pine Street. The project is funded by a Transportation Alternatives Program grant of $429,977 with a 7.34% match amounting to $31,560.

New business includes a proposed agreement with Aquatic

Weed Solutions, Inc. for herbicide free treatment of invasive aquatic species. According to the agenda, the agreement — if approved — would run for three years aat an estimated cost of $30,000 per fiscal year.

The City Council will also take up a resolution related to establishing a non-motorized, small watercraft launch at War Memorial Field. The city has applied for a grant from the Idaho Parks and Recreation Recreational Trails Program to fund the creation of the launch, which would be operated separately from the site designated for motorized boats.

Also next week, Mayor Shelby Rognstad will not be hosting his monthly Mayor’s Roundtable event, as he will be out of town.

The next roundtable will occur at its regularly scheduled time and place on the third Thursday of the month.

The Sandpoint City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 in the Council Chambers at City Hall (1123 Lake St.). For more info, including agendas, minutes and a live stream of the proceedings, go to sandpointidaho. gov/your-government/city-council.

County commissioners reopen public comment

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff The Board of Bonner County Commissioners has reopened public comment at regular business meetings after a confrontation at its Jan. 28 meeting led to a battery charge and, ultimately, the restriction of verbal comments at Tuesday meetings.

The decision came after two men who made public comments — one in support of the Bonner County v. City of Sandpoint gun ban litigation, the other question-

ing the cost of the lawsuit — met in the hallway outside the meeting room. During their interaction, one of the men — resident Don Holland, an opponent of the lawsuit — touched the arm of lawsuit supporter Steve Wasylko, who subsequently alleged he’d been battered by Holland.

The commissioners’ office posted on Facebook shortly after the incident, writing that “due to the physical altercation/battery resulting from public comment outside of our BOCC Business Meeting today, ALL public com-

ment at BOCC Business Meetings has been suspended until further notice.” The post continued to state that written comments could still be submitted prior to meetings.

Seth Grigg, executive director of the Idaho Association of Counties, told the Reader that Bonner County is only required to allow public comment during public hearings, so the board was completely within its rights to limit comments during regular business meetings.

As far as the decision to allow comments again at the Feb. 11

meeting, Commission Chairman Dan McDonald told the Reader: “I decided last week to bring it back. It was really only removed for last week and we had no meeting so basically there was no real impact.”

The board did not hold a meeting Feb. 4 because the commissioners were out of town for a conference.

Commissioner Jeff Connolly said he played no part in the original decision to eliminate verbal comments, and intended to “say his piece” in favor of reinstat-

ing them at the Feb. 11 meeting, before McDonald announced that comments would again be accepted.

“I know we don’t have [allow public comment at regular business meetings], but I think it’s an important part of what we do,” Connolly said. “As far as transparency, that’s part of the job.”

He did note, however, that comments should not be derogatory or call out specific people.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 5

NEWS

Bog Creek Road project approved

Idaho Conservation League likely to pursue legal action

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The U.S. Forest Service and Customs and Border Protection announced Jan. 31 that the agencies will move forward with the Bog Creek Road project, located in the Bonners Ferry and Priest Lake Ranger districts, about two miles south of the Canadian border.

The project will include road repair, maintenance and motorized closure in the Continental Mountain area of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

According to a press release from the USFS, the project is meant to provide Border Patrol agents east-west access to the U.S.-Canada border across the Selkirk Mountains, and will also enable the Forest Service to comply with the Land Management Plan for the IPNF for motorized access management within the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone.

Grizzly habitat has been a main point of concern in planning for the Bog Creek Road project, which was introduced in 2018.

“The project will also modify a number of administratively used roads, by putting them into long-term storage, to allow the Forest Service to meet standards for grizzly bear recovery,” USFS stated in the release. “Bog Creek Road will not be open for public motorized use, but available for administrative use only to allow CBP to meet their statutory mission.”

Idaho Conservation League North Idaho Director Brad Smith characterized the decision as “very disappointing,” and disputed whether the roads the USFS will close for “long-term storage” to ben6 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

To Bonners Ferry

A map of the Bog Creek Road Project.

Courtesy USFS. efit grizzly bears will actually make any difference.

“Opening the Bog Creek Road will result in the loss of grizzly bear habitat in the Bluegrass Bear Management Unit, which is the most important bear management unit in the Selkirk Recovery Zone,” Smith wrote in an email to the Reader. “The Forest Service and the Border Patrol chose to ‘close’ some other roads in an effort to mitigate the impact this project will have on grizzly bears. However, nearly all of the roads that were chosen for ‘closure’ are already undrivable or provide no habitat value to grizzly bears.”

On whether ICL will pursue legal action regarding the Bog Creek decision, Smith said: “ICL made a good faith effort to resolve our concerns during the administrative process, but the Forest Service and the Border Patrol made it clear that they were not willing to budge.

That leaves us with no other option than to put the issue in front of a judge.”

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact.

A recent sampling: John Deere reincarnation: Older farm machinery is fetching between $18,000 and $61,000, a bargain compared to a new model at $150,000. The bonus, farmers say, is no “irksome software,” meaning no waiting in a far-off field for a service truck to fix your tractor’s computer problem, The Week Magazine reported.

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe announced plans to build the largest solar farm in North Dakota, not far from where the fossil fuel-fed Dakota Access Pipeline is located. Upon completion, the 1,000-panel solar farm is expected to provide power for 12 reservation communities in both North and South Dakota. The $470,000 project has backing from several nonprofits.

Grappling with concrete: Estimates are that by 2050 the planet will have 75% more infrastructure, a good portion of it concrete. But, according to the World Wildlife Foundation, concrete processing accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse emissions. WWF is helping the industry find more climate-friendly actions, such as using new aggregates like shredded post-disaster debris; banning illegal sand mining, as sand is a major concrete component, and mining it from river beds causes waterway instability; and addressing over-building and over-design.

A portion of right-wing advocates, who once regarded Russia as a dire threat, now admire the nation, praising Russian President Vladimir Putin for promoting Orthodox Christianity and “traditional values.” However, writes Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic, just 15% of Russians say they are involved with religion, Russia has one of the world’s highest abortion rates, one province is officially ruled by sharia law and right-wing fans may not like that the nation has six times more Muslims than does the U.S. Joseph Stiglitz, 2001 recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics, recently outlined how to assess a nation’s economic health. He advises first looking at health and happiness, and noted that U.S. life expectancy has fallen since 2017, with midlife mortality reaching the highest rates since World War II. That is likely due to increased drug use (illicit and otherwise) to address despair and the number of uninsured Americans rising from 10.9% to 13.7% in just two years, reports vox.com. As well, Stiglitz said

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

that median full-time male wages are 3% lower than they were 40 years ago. The federal government’s economic health has declined during the same time, due to the 2017 Trump tax cuts that favored the rich while the government borrowed close to $500 billion a year to compensate for its depleted tax base.

Some 75% of poll respondents (and 69% of Republicans) wanted the Senate to allow witnesses in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, but Senate Republicans voted against doing so. Those senators voting to impeach President Trump represented 18 million more Americans than were represented by the Republicans who voted to acquit, Mother Jones pointed out.

In an assumed effort to avoid further exposure of political misadventures, U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who has also been implicated in the Ukraine controversy, ordered Feb. 6 that the FBI cannot investigate political candidates before the 2020 campaign unless first given his approval.

Because we could use a chuckle: At a political event, presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was asked who would be her Mike Pence — meaning who’s going to look at her with adoring eyes. “I already have a dog,” she responded.

Blast from the past: During the 1988 presidential election, Lee Atwater boosted Republicans’ chances with the so-called “Willie Horton ad.” It portrayed African Americans as a safety threat and implied that Republicans would keep people safe via the death penalty. Two years later, Atwater was diagnosed with brain cancer.

In a Life magazine interview, Atwater expressed regret for being an “ardent” practitioner of negative politics, saying, “My illness helped me to see what was missing in society was what was missing in me: a little heart, a lot of brotherhood … I have learned a lesson: politics and human relationships are separate. It took a deadly illness to put me eye to eye with that truth.” Atwater died two months later.

Another blast: Thomas Jefferson, describing George Washington: “Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed.” Washington served as president from 1789 to 1797. After the Revolutionary War, many proposed Washington become the new nation’s king, but he said he abhorred the ruler-for-life idea.

PERSPECTIVES

Human rights for all

OPEN 11:30 am

GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS

Honoring Black History Month

By Timothy Braatz Reader Contributor Black History Month was created to celebrate the achievements of people typically excluded from the telling of U.S. history. In that spirit, here are three remarkable historical figures: Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in New York around 1797. She was sold several times and suffered rape and other abuses. In 1826, she and her infant daughter fled a slave owner. The next year, New York abolished slavery, and Baumfree used the courts to rescue her young son from an Alabama slave owner—the first legal victory for a black woman against a white man.

Baumfree worked as a housekeeper until 1843, when she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and became a traveling preacher. “The Spirit calls me,” she told her friends, “and I must go.” Despite often hostile audiences, she spoke against slavery and for women’s rights.

“You need not be afraid to give us our rights for fear we will take too much,” she said.

After the Civil War, she worked for women’s suffrage and assisted former slaves. She was one of the first black riders to desegregate trolley cars in Washington, D.C. Araminta Ross was born into slavery in Maryland around 1822. A blow to the head, suffered when she was young, left her with chronic headaches and hypersomnia. In 1849, she ran away from slavery, took refuge in Philadelphia, and changed her named to Harriet Tubman — a tiny and frail, poor and illiterate, dark-skinned woman with a brain injury, but also a powerful faith in God. Troubled by thoughts of those left behind, Tubman returned numerous times to Maryland to guide relatives and friends north to freedom.

“I never ran my train off the track,” Tubman later said, “and I never lost a passenger.” Abolitionists called her “Moses.” Slaveowners offered rewards for her, dead or alive.

Believing the Civil War was part of God’s plan to end slavery, she served the Union

Army as an unpaid spy, cook, laundress and herbalist nurse. As a scout, she directed the Combahee River Raid, which freed more than 700 slaves.

After the war, with slavery outlawed, Tubman settled in New York, married and adopted a daughter. She turned her house into the first nursing home for aging blacks.

In 1898, she went on a speaking tour in support of women’s suffrage and was a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. That same year, she underwent brain surgery without anesthesia — and still lived 15 more years.

Ida Wells was born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862, three years before slavery was abolished. When she was 16, her parents died from yellow fever. To support her siblings, she became a teacher and moved to Memphis. In 1884, a conductor dragged Wells off a train after she refused to give up her seat — 70 years before Rosa Parks. She won a lawsuit against the train company, but the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned it.

“Oh, God,” Wells thought, “is there no justice for us in this land?”

Inspired, Wells began writing for black church newspapers. After she condemned school segregation and racist lynchings, in 1892, she was forced to flee to the North. As a journalist, she became the leading investigator of the racist murders of blacks.

“The way to right wrongs,” she insisted, “is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

In 1900, she led a successful campaign to prevent the segregation of Chicago schools. In 1909, she was a founding

member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She campaigned constantly for anti-lynching laws. Federal officials denounced her as a “race agitator.”

In Chicago, Wells married a widower with two sons, gave birth to four children, and hyphenated her last name. This was an unusual practice at the time, but Ida Wells-Barnett, like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman, was an independent thinker and an early feminist. In 1913, she founded the Alpha Suffrage Club to teach black women how to engage in civic matters. She refused to let white women keep her out of a national suffrage parade. In 1930, a year before her death, she became one of the first black women to run for public office.

There is much to learn from these three women. Born at the very bottom of society, living as refugees from racist violence, they weren’t content with personal liberation. Even as they raised children, they used their limited resources and remarkable talents, and risked their lives, to pursue justice for others. Unlike many white suffragists, they didn’t separate the rights of blacks from the rights of women. For them, it was a single struggle — human rights for all.

Tubman had a favorite metaphor: If you enjoy cherries, plant cherry trees for the next generation.

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

212 Cedar Street Downtown Sandpoint

208.263.4005 A SandPint Tradition Since 1994

Timothy Braatz is a professor of history and nonviolence at Saddleback College in California, and teaches online and lives in Bonners Ferry. See more of his work at saddleback.edu/tbraatz.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 7

Security detail?...

Bouquets: • Every year around this time, the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce hosts a two-week Winter Carnival in Sandpoint. It takes a bunch of work and requires the coordination of a lot of local business owners and volunteers. I just wanted to thank all of those who work so hard to keep this event alive year after year. It’s especially needed this time of year when it’s slow around town and businesses need a little extra help to get over the winter hump.

Barbs: • It’s just one thing after another in this town. Earlier this week, a local knitting group obtained permission from the city of Sandpoint to install a “yarn bomb” art exhibit on some trees in the park beside Cedar Street and Boyer Avenue. The club had apparently spent months knitting multi-colored bands, which they hung around a couple of trees Monday, Feb. 10. Before a day had passed, some jerk took it upon themselves to tear all the yarn down, destroying months of work.

The true motives aren’t known at this time, but all signs point to the fact that someone might’ve thought the multi-colored display was some sort of LGBTQ rainbow flag. Trisha Miller, one of the knitting group members, posted in a local forum that the artwork was “meant to inspire smiles in passers,” and was not political in any way.

Shame on you, whoever took this artwork down. What is wrong with people sometimes? Even if the display was intended as some sort of LGBTQ artwork — which it wasn’t — so what? Are we that regressive in this community that we have people who will march and yell about supporting the Second Amendment all day long, but in the next breath they’ll rip down an art exhibit because they don’t agree with what they think it says? Isn’t the First Amendment also worth standing up for? Ridiculous.

To you closed-minded philistines who can’t handle someone having an opinion different than yours: Take your toxic bullshit and move on. We don’t want it here.

8 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

Dear editor, If Dan McDonald is truly worried about the “hate and violence” posed by a couple of nice oldsters, perhaps the Davillier Law Group could find a security detail to protect him. Would the county foot the bill for that as well?

Ted Wert Sagle

Conspiracies have no place in county gov’t…

Dear editor, I had to laugh when I saw Dan McDonald’s social media post quoted in the Reader (News, “Boiling point reached in gun case,” Jan. 30, 2020). In an era of ridiculous conspiracy theories perpetuated by politicians groping for acceptance, that one really stands out. Mr. McDonald, do you really expect anyone to believe that a radical leftist senior citizens platoon of the Anifa led by that notorious hombre muy malo Don Holland is mobilizing in Bonner County to do battle against all that you feel is good and right?

I challenge you to provide a single thread of evidence to support this ridiculous claim.

For those of you who don’t understand conspiracy speak let me translate: “We have seen violent attacks by the left and their storm troopers Antifa, this assault appeared to be from members of a senior citizens platoon of Antifa,” means, “Concerned, engaged citizens who pay my salary are trying to hold me accountable for how I spend their tax money. Rather than be open and accountable for my actions as a public official, I will fabricate a distraction to fan the flames of divisiveness and fear.”

This baseless claim represents a new low in the behavior of our local elected public officials. Mr. McDonald, people are watching you and how you conduct yourself while representing us and spending the taxpayers’ money. When election time comes, you will have to answer for all your actions and justify what to many is inexcusable behavior. I suggest you stop inventing threats in an attempt to discredit anyone who legitimately opposes or demands accountability while you work for us, the citizens of Bonner County. Your pathetic attempts to bully and intimidate aren’t fooling

or scaring anyone, they just make you look foolish. It appears that the only tool in your toolbox is a sledgehammer — very useful for destroying stuff, but pretty ineffective at building anything.

Tom Russell Sandpoint

Come one, come all?…

Dear editor, I was really touched by Emily’s Articulated article of Feb. 6. It made me feel proud to live in this community. However, I was distraught by the last sentence: “So ‘come one, come all,’ only if you think the same.” This sounds awfully close to the the cited hate groups’ message of, “Come one, come all! But only if you look and think just like me.”

Perhaps this could be rephrased as, “Come one, come all! but allow everyone to have their opinion without pushing your own.” Of course, that would require us to allow hate groups’ opinions and presence as well — just as those with opposite political or religious opinions. Could we still hang out leaning against bar tops, listen to local bands, attend weddings or even hike the mountains together?

I assume that Emily meant to emphasize our desire to not be harassed in our Sandpoint community.

I wholeheartedly agree with that.

Gabrielle Duebendorfer, ND Sandpoint

Capitol remodel a ‘frivolous expense’…

Dear editor, For some of us, it is with frustration, angst and sadness that our elected leaders in the Idaho Legislature feel a need to spend $10.5 million to rip up the first floor of the Capitol to build private offices for those who currently work in a cubicle. The governor has recently ordered cuts in higher education and other government agencies, making the remodel a frivolous expense.

And to get the space to expand, they have filed a lawsuit to take over the state treasurer’s office, which has been in the same location since the Capitol was built. How much more will that cost? Legislators are trying to justify this expense by saying they need privacy when dealing with constituents.

What are these legislators thinking? Certainly we have more

pressing needs than spending $10.5 million on private offices, used three months of the year by part-time legislators. When Pete was speaker of the House, they didn’t have underground wings and their work desks were on the floor of the House.

They were easily accessible to the constituents through the sergeant of arms and each representative had a desk and phone. Now, it is hard to find your legislators between committee meetings and their cubicles behind locked doors — legislators, who for almost 100 years, were able to effectively work from a desk on the floor to effectively serve their constituents.

Systematically creating laws to remove the treasurer from the Capitol, and creating private offices with additional staff, may be a step closer to what we all fear could happen: a full-time Legislature.

Contact your legislators and tell them to stop wasting our money on a lawsuit against the treasurer and to stop any efforts to build private offices. Call Legislative Services at 208-334-2475 to contact your legislators.

Freda Cenarrusa Boise

Editor’s note: Freda Cenarrusa was a partner with her husband, Pete T. Cenarussa, running a sheep business for 50 years. She was active in the Basque community along with her husband, traveling to several countries in support of the Basque diaspora. She traveled the state of Idaho supporting her husband during his time as state representative for 19 years with three terms as speaker of the House and then as secretary of state from 1967-2003. She has been active in community and church affairs, as well as political events throughout the state.

Romney stands alone…

Dear editor, During last week’s impeachment vote acquitting President Trump of abusing the power of his office, only one Republican in the Senate had the courage to stand up to the president. Sen Mitt Romney of Utah (his party’s nominee for president in 2012) cast the lone GOP vote for conviction for what he called “an appalling abuse of public trust,” while Idaho’s two senators — Risch and Crapo — blindly followed the Senate leadership. (Risch was reported as falling asleep during the hearings.)

Romney credited his (Mormon) faith and respect for his “oath of office” as leading to his vote. In his speech, Romney noted that, “My promise before God to imply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and biases aside.

Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, I would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke and the censure of my own conscience.”

Salt Lake City’s Deseret News quoted a reader as saying, “It looks like America has one honest, fair, decent patriotic Republican senator.”

What a pity that our two Idaho Republican senators could not summon the courage to vote like their Republican colleague in neighboring Utah.

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

Don’t be fooled by job growth…

Dear editor, President Trump claimed the economy is doing well in his State of the Union address, touting increases in jobs. I myself have more work and more income since he took office. But while jobs have increased and unemployment eased up, those who are working are worse off.

When I started on Medicare (2015), and was relieved of a $600 a month health insurance bill, I expected that the extra cash in my pocket would ease some of our financial strain. But it did not. What happened?

The 2015 inflation rate was 0.12%. The current inflation rate (2019-2020) is 2.09%. That’s 17 times what it was in 2015.

The median income in 2015 was $56,000 and in 2019 $60,000.

That’s an increase of just over 7%.

The share of income for the top segment increased during Trump’s administration, because of his tax bill and other policies.

Don’t be fooled. Having more jobs does not mean that things are improving for low- and middle-income Americans. Our leaders are not changing these trends.

We can change them by voting.

We’ve already changed health care in Idaho by passing Medicaid expansion. Let’s do more.

Nancy Gerth Sagle

OPINION

Politicizing education

By Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise Special to the Reader

The House Education Committee voted recently to reject and remove every word of Idaho’s education standards in math, English and science for all K-12 grades. If this decision stands, over 15,000 teachers charged with educating over 300,000 students will have no standards to guide what is taught in classrooms throughout Idaho.

But wait, there’s more.

The House Education Committee also voted to remove all requirements for teacher certification throughout Idaho. If this stands, children could be taught by people with no professional educator training.

It is beyond irresponsible to remove education standards and teaching certification requirements without replacing them with something better. The counter-argument was, “Oh, nothing will change — the State Department of Education (SDE) can simply reinstate the standards and certification criteria we’ve rejected.”

I asked why take this action if nothing will change. The reply: “We want to send a message to the SDE.” “Sending a message” wasn’t the motion the committee was voting on. There was no motion to craft a carefully thought-out message to the SDE. There was no proposal to change standards for the better. There wasn’t a bill to create a review committee.

Our choice was this: Accept the standards as they were last year; Accept them with some exceptions; Reject all of them.

The committee chose No. 3. Why would they choose to do something so reckless?

The truth is that the House Education Committee vote was not about standards. It wasn’t even about sending a message to the SDE. It was about saying they voted to “get rid of Common Core” before the upcoming election.

The words “Common Core” have become a political catchphrase to condemn anything that someone doesn’t like about public education.

Don’t like the test scores? Blame “Common Core.” Can’t help your child with their math homework? Blame “Common Core.”

Don’t like a book on a suggested reading list? Blame “Common Core.”

I respect those who feel this way. A frequent concern I heard from voters, especially a few years ago, was they couldn’t help with their child’s math homework.

“Common Core” was often blamed. And there certainly were problems, including a

poorly executed statewide rollout that did not adequately prepare teachers or inform parents of the changes. They were also introduced near the height of the recession while education funding was being cut.

But the problem was not the actual standards. Understanding the root cause of the problem requires reviewing a bit of history and knowing that standards are just one part of the total education experience.

Former Superintendent Tom Luna reminded the committee that it was told the new standards would raise classroom expectations one or two grade levels higher for each grade and test scores would initially go down before they’d go up.

One critic argued that since test scores have not risen much since the standards were adopted, we should get rid of the standards. That’s like saying that if you’re late for an appointment, you should get rid of your car. There are many reasons for being late to an appointment. Similarly, there are many reasons for disappointing test scores that have nothing to do with the standards, such as: inadequate teaching aids, an exodus of experienced teachers, insufficient funding and so on.

Simply blaming “Common Core” doesn’t help identify the origin of the problem. There are three main components to the teaching experience: standards, curriculum (which includes content and teaching

methodologies) and assessment.

If you don’t like books on a reading list, that’s curriculum/content, not standards.

If your child doesn’t understand how to do math, that’s curriculum/methodology, not standards.

If you don’t like the tests being administered, that’s an assessment issue, not standards.

Not one person who testified before the committee identified a single page, paragraph, sentence or word of the math and English standards they objected to. However, every teacher who testified implored the committee to approve the current standards.

Instead of trying to figure out the real source of the problem, the House Education Committee voted to simply remove all standards, such as: teaching multiplication, knowing the alphabet, understanding the solar system, along with everything else — and blamed “Common Core” repeatedly during the debate.

The politicizing of education furthers my resolve to be a voice for reason, critical thinking and common sense in the Legislature.

Rep. Steve Berch is a first-term representative for Boise’s District 15 Seat A and serves on the Business, Education and Local Government committees.

Laughing Matter

By Bill Borders

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 9

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

awesome african-american scientists

Part 2

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist When you think about famous scientists, a lot of names come to mind: Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein — but what about African-American scientists? The first two names that likely popped into your head were George Washington Carver and Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Tyson is the most charismatic astrophysicist you’ll ever meet, and has earned science superstar status by making awe-inspiring science accessible to non-experts — especially young people — around the world. He’s so good at inspiring others to contemplate the universe because he, too, was once a kid dazzled by the wonders of the stars.

Growing up in the Bronx, Tyson first encountered the wonders of astrophysics after a visit to the Hayden Planetarium in New York City — the very same planetarium he would one day serve as director.

Tyson has since popularized science in the public eye through a number of television projects and appearances, as well as podcasts, in a highly successful effort to attract interest in scientific fields and inspire the next generation of scientists — especially children of color.

Careers in science, technology, engineering and math (commonly called STEM) are already extremely difficult to enter, but these difficulties are compounded for people of color for myriad reasons, ranging from systemic poverty and domestic instability caused by disproportionate rates of incarceration for non-white communities, to structural racism and the effects it has on the opportunities available to young people.

The ways in which these factors throw up hurdles to education and career development go on 10 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

and on, and extend far back in American history to well before Reconstruction or the Civil War — even back to the Revolutionary and Colonial periods. If you’d like to know more, you should turn off cable news and talk with a librarian to get the facts. It’s a vastly complicated and difficult subject to tackle, but the takeaway for this article is that African-American scientists are rare and their accomplishments have not been celebrated as widely as they should have been, considering the importance of their studies to humanity.

One of these accomplishments has saved innumerable lives in the operating room with the development of latex or the preservation of our food with a number of other polymers. Dr. Bettye Washington Greene was the first African-American woman to join the Dow Chemical Company in 1965, a century after the conclusion of the Civil War and in the wake of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. After earning her Ph.D. in chemistry, Greene went on to help research the development of latex and a number of other polymers for the next two and a half decades.

Even though plastic polymers — or, more accurately, their disposal — are a major threat to our planet now, their important role in propelling our civilization to its current level of technical advancement is undeniable.

Speaking of achievements, have you ever attributed not achieving more in life to a bad memory? Ernest Everett Just long ago dashed that excuse like it’s no big deal.

Born in South Carolina in 1883, Just attended a segregated school and worked as a miner to help support his family. Amid those struggles, he contracted typhoid, which erased his ability to read and write — both skills he

had to relearn. While that would lead most of us to throw in the towel, Just went on to graduate with honors from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

His struggles didn’t stop with typhoid. After decades of work and study at Howard University, the University of Chicago and elsewhere in the U.S., Just increasingly based his research in Europe — specifically at institutions in Naples, Italy; Berlin; and Paris. Studying microbiology in France in 1939, Just declined to flee ahead of the Nazi invasion and was imprisoned in a POW camp, where he stayed until 1940 when his wife and the U.S. government secured his release. He died a year later from pancreatic cancer.

The final scientist in our brief review was an important figure for some of the world’s biggest movers and shakers — most notably, billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos who have their eyes on the stars. Dr. Emmett Chappelle wasn’t just a prolific black scientist; he was the authority on the detection of extraterrestrial life and environmental management. Before you roll your eyes at the thought of little green men, his research was in microbiology: single-celled organisms like bacteria and algae.

One of the most incredible discoveries he ever made (and he made a lot of incredible discoveries) was discovering that individual plant cells were capable of photosynthesis — using light as an energy source by breaking apart carbon dioxide molecules into carbon and oxygen. While this seems like a real “duh” moment today, it’s thanks to his discovery that we now know how to utilize individual cells of algae to harvest and store energy for food, as well as a means for mechanical energy production.

Additionally, Chappelle’s studies illuminated how to foster (and

Clockwise from top left: Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Ernest Everett Just, Dr. Bettye Washington Greene, Dr. Emmett Chappelle. Courtesy photos. eliminate) bacteria and algae in isolated areas like a greenhouse — or more, perhaps, a Martian habitat.

There were so many other incredible scientists I wanted to include, but I’ll just have to wait until next time. If I’ve learned anything from researching all of these people it’s that if you have

a passion for something, pursue it. Anything is possible, even if it seems like the world is engineered to make you fail. Every bump in the road is there to make your legs stronger, more ready to climb the mountain at the end of the journey.

See you at the peak.

Random Corner ine’s Day?

Don’t know much about Valent • There are two theories that attempt to explain the origin of Valentine’s Day. One is that the day derives from Lupercalia, a raucous Roman festival on Feb. 15 in which men stripped naked and spanked young maidens in the hopes of upping their fertility.

The second is that while the Roman Emperor Claudius II was trying to bolster his army, he forbade young men to marry, because he thought single men made better soldiers. In the spirit of love, St. Valentine defied the ban and performed secret marriages. For his disobedience, Valentine was executed on Feb. 14.

• The oldest record of a valentine was a poem by Charles Duke of Orleans, written to his wife when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415.

• According to hallmark.com, 144 million greeting cards are exchanged every year for Valentine’s Day in the U.S. alone.

• Those cute candy hearts we give our sweeties on Valentine’s Day were originally medical lozenges.

We can help!

• The heart wasn’t always considered a romantic symbol. The heart was once widely believed to be humans’ center of memory, where feelings of love were recorded. But, when French and Italian artists of the 14th century began using the symbol in the context of love, it stuck.

• In Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. He’s often depicted with a bow and arrow to pierce hears and cast a love spell.

• A 2017 study by James Allen diamond retailers found that 43% of millennials choose Valentine’s Day as their No. 1 day of the year to propose or be proposed to.

• Americans spent almost $20 billion on Valentine’s Day 2018.

Yikes, love is expensive.

• The first box of Valentine’s Day chocolates was introduced by chocolatier Richard Cadbury in 1868. According to the National Confectioners Association, caramels are the most popular flavor, followed by chocolate-covered nuts.

COMMUNITY

Sandpoint Winter Carnival

By Ben Olson Reader Staff The annual Winter Carnival spans from Feb. 14-23, featuring a bevy of events, including everything from parades to parties.

Here’s an edited schedule of events for the first week. Check sandpointwintercarnival.com for a full lineup of events, and check back in the Feb. 20 issue of the Reader for week 2 happenings.

Friday, Feb. 14 Parade of Lights The official kickoff to the Sandpoint Winter Carnival is the Parade of Lights in downtown Sandpoint.

Participants will light up the winter night with zany floats, marching groups, dancers and more. The theme of this year’s parade is “Love and Light.” It begins at 5:30 p.m. at the City Parking Lot with an awards ceremony immediately following.

The parade route will start east on Church Street from the City Parking Lot, then north on Second Avenue, west on Main Street and Oak Street, south on Fourth Avenue and finally east again on Church Street to finish at the lot. This event is sponsored by Ting.

Judges will award floats “best in theme” and “grand champion” plaques after the parade.

There will be a parade after party in the Jeff Jones Town Square near the fountain. Pend d’Oreille Winery will provide fire pits and s’mores, while Hendricks Architecture will furnish a hot chocolate bar and DJ K.T. Rains will spin the music. It’s all free and open to all ages, so come on down.

Valentine’s Day sleigh ride, dinner and concert (Feb. 14-15) Join Western Pleasure Guest Ranch for their annual Valentine’s Day sleigh ride, dinner and concert evening at the ranch. Sleigh rides can be scheduled at 5 or 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Maria Larson will sing romantic

jazz classics during dinner.

The dinner selection will include apricot jalapeño salmon, blue cheese stuffed tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, roasted veggies and senegalese salad. Dessert will be crème brulee, raspberry tarte and cheesecake.

The cost for the evening is $75 for adults, $65 for children aged 6-12. A no-host bar will be available for you to purchase beer and wine. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 208263-9066.

Dessert Theater: Love Letters (Feb. 13-16) The Panida Playhouse players present dessert theater: Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, on the Panida Little Theater stage Feb. 13-15 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. See Page 19 in this week’s issue for more information.

Sweethearts wine pairing at The Fat Pig Join The Fat Pig restaurant for its Sweethearts wine tasting paired with decadent foods. Rose, red and dessert wines will be offered.

Explore the differences in dry and off-dry (sweeter) wines from 4-5 p.m. Reservations required: sandpointfatpig.com.

Starlight Race Series at Schweitzer Mountain Resort Races, parties, prizes, music, beer – what more could you ask for?

The theme for this year’s race series is “The Great GatSKI!” Roaring ’20s on skis and snowboards. Teams of five include male or female skier, snowboarder, telemarker or any combination of the three. The top three scores per team each week count, using the Starlight handicapping system.

Weekly team scores will count for

the final team score. There will be nightly parties in Taps featuring live music for the final party, as well as sweet prizes. Helmets are required to race. Race on Friday, Feb. 14 goes from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Register at schweitzer.com. Cost is $50/person or $250/team.

10 Barrel Brewing Co. beer cat tour (Feb. 14-16) Check out the beer cat parked in the Schweitzer village so you know what you’re looking for when they launch it on the mountain for Saturday’s ski-in, ski-out service. Find this sweet machine out on the hill for a cold draft beer. Sunday, plan on the beer cat being parked in the village for all festivities.

Winter Carnival Cornhole Classic Join the gang at MickDuff’s Beer Hall for the Winter Carnival Cornhole Crew Cup where every skill level can play. Registration is $10/person. Check out the Beer Hall Facebook page for more information.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Trinity at City Beach Bring your lovely to Trinity at City Beach for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. There will be limited menu including oysters on the half shell, surf ’n’ turf, stuffed chicken breast, chocolate covered strawberries and more. Reservations are highly recommended.

Live music by Bruce Bishop.

Saturday, Feb. 15 Live Music at Schweitzer Mountain Resort The mountain will be a musical destination today, with Miah Kohal playing at Taps from 3-6 p.m, followed by The Electric Cole Show at Chimney Rock from 6-9 p.m. and The Rub from 7-10 p.m. at Taps.

Family Fun Day and winter games at the Granary Join Evans Brothers Coffee and Matchwood Brewing for a Family Fun Day from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. This daylong event features

Week 1 events

music, a magical show, hot chocolate bar, beer and coffee tasting, drink specials, a snowman competition (weather permitting) and tons of other fun activities. Head to the Granary at 524 Church St. for the action.

Wine tasting event at The Longshot Join The Longshot in Sandpoint for a wine conversation and tasting event from 5-8 p.m.

Wine expert and distributor Ryan McReynolds will be hosting the event with Longshot owner Brandon Brock. The tasting will cost $10. The Longshot is located at 102 S. Boyer Ave. Sunday, Feb. 18 Coca-Cola ‘Let it Glow’ night parade and fireworks Schweitzer Mountain Resort and Coca-Cola are celebrating Winter Carnival with the Coca-Cola ‘Let it Glow!’ kids parade and fireworks show. Pre-registered kids will receive free LED battery powered “torches” before heading down Ridge Run as a group for a nighttime LED parade, followed by the Coca-Cola fireworks show.

The fun happens from 6-8 p.m.

Nice Turns free trial run Have you been skiing for years and feel stuck in a rut? Check out a free sample of the Nice Turns Clinic from 1-3 p.m. at the Nice Turns Trial Run tent in the village. These are free trial runs and have an opportunity to meet the coaches, determine your level, and potentially find your own Nice Turns group and coach.

Tuesday, Feb. 18 Dine out for a Cause From 3-9 p.m., dine at Trinity at City Beach where 10% of the proceeds from the evening will benefit the Bonner Community Food Bank. Bring two non-perishable food items and receive a free dessert. Marty Perron and Doug Bond will play live music from 5-8 p.m.

Pre-Duck Derby Party Join The Rotary Club of Ponderay and MickDuff’s Beer Hall for a Pre-Duck Derby Party starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Beer Hall. The 14th annual Duck Derby is Ponderay Rotary’s event held each year on Schweitzer on Spring Fling Day in April. The Pre-Duck Derby Party is your chance to support the fundraising efforts of the Rotary Club toward their 2020 scholarship fund that benefits local students. Raffle tickets will be sold for great pries and discounted Duck Derby hunting licenses will be available for purchase.

Wednesday, Feb. 19 Winter Carnival Sale The Sandpoint Shopping District businesses will be throwing a Winter Carnival Sale downtown.

Shops will be open until 7 p.m. and will have sales, games, treats and more.

Winterfest Whiskey Wednesday Join A&P’s Bar and Grill from 5-9 p.m. for Winterfest Whiskey Wednesday, with whiskey specials benefiting the Panida Theater.

KPND Ski and Board Party at the 219 Lounge KPND and Wallace Brewing are teaming up for a Ski and Board Party from 5-8 p.m. There will be chances to win concert tickets, passes to Triple Play Family Fun Park, an overnight stay at Hill’s Resort and lots of gift certificates for local restaurants and retail outlets.

Book signing at Laughing Dog Brewing Head on out to Laughing Dog’s Taproom for a brew, book signing event with Charles Vaught, wildland firefighter and author of State of Fire from 6-8 p.m.

Week 2 events will appear in the Feb. 13 issue of the Reader.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 11

event t h u r s d a y

13

f r i d a y

14

s a t u r d a y

15

s u n d a y

16

m o n d a y t u e s d a y

18

w e d n e s d a y t h u r s d a y

12 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

17

19 20

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry Edgar Cayce Study Group 9-11am @ Gardenia Center Meets every Thursday

Musical For Life Sip and Shop 4-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Support the nonprofit Musican For Life, which provides instruments and lessons to kids in need Open Mic Night w/ KC Carter 9pm-close @ A&P’s

f

Valentine Paint and Sip 6:30-8:30pm @ Cedar S Paint a romantic vintage p white with a pop of red c Cost is $35, includes all tion and a glass of sang needed. Sign up at Uncor

Live Music w/ Mike and Shanna Thompson Valentine’s Day jazzy jams 5:30-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Valentine’s music by this local duo Feat. Bright Moments and Maya Goldblum Live Music w/ The Rub Uke jam at Fiddlin’ Red’s Live Music w/ 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge 6-8pm @ Fiddlin’ Red’s, 111 Church St. Ken Mayginnes CDA power trio playing a Bring your uke and jam, or borrow one!

3-5:30pm @ Dahalf century of popular mu- Live Music w/ Chris Lynch & Meg Turner vis Cafe Hope sic in all genres and styles 7-9pm @ The Back Door

Granary D Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner and Winte 10am-1pm @ Evans Brothers Coffee and Utah John 10am-8pm Coffeehouse jazz with Bright Moments 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Tracy Schornick Mike and Utah John bring great folk, Matchwoo 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority and the Gr Americana and Rock to the Winery Schweitzer Winter Carnival activities are hosting Live Music w/ Devon Wade Various @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort adult gam 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Independent country artist from Spt. Live music at Taps and Chimney Rock, Let it kick the k Glow! night parade and fireworks! See Sand- olate, s’mo Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin pointwintercarnival.com for times and info bounce ho 8-10pm @ The Back Door Love Letters p Sandpoint Chess Club Sunday Brewery Brunch 3pm @ Panida 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee 10am-7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Special matine Meets every Sunday at 9am Harriet film With their famous DIY mimosa bar 3:30pm @ Pan Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub DJ Shanner Karaoke 9pm-cl @ A&P’s 8-close @ Tervan

Night-Out Karaoke Trivia Night 9pm @ 219 Lounge 7pm @ MickDuff’s Tap Takeover w/ No-Li Brewery 5:30-9pm @ The Back Door Enjoy No-Li beer on draft and live music by Lauren Kershner

Wind Down Wednesday 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge With live music by blues man Truck Mills and guest musician Mike Thompson

Lifetree Cafe 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant An hour of conversation and stories. This week’s topic: “Can This Union Be Saved?”

Djembe class 5:45-7:30pm @ Music Conservatory of Sandp Join Ali Thomas for this djembe (drum) class Pictionary at Utara 6pm @ Utara Brewing Co. Individuals and teams welcome. Winners get $10 gift cards. Happens every Tuesday night

Author Bill Percy reading 4-5pm @ Memorial Community Center Hope author Bill Percy will read from his recent novel “Standing Our Ground” and will give free books to the first donors of $20 or more to the Hope Memorial Community Center

Girls Pint Out 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No Dudes! Vicki will be pairing chocolate with different beer styles

Ou 6p A tio

Third Thursday Women’s Meetup 7:45pm @ Matchwood Make connections with other local women

Sandpoint Rotar 5-7pm @ Matchw For members and Piano w/ Dwayne 4-6pm @ Pend d’O Original tunes on

Spanish Wine D @ Forty-One So A Spanish Wine gion of Spain’s w hearty wine pair

ful

February 13-20, 2020

t and Sip @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar c vintage picture in black and op of red called “First Kiss.” cludes all materials, instrucs of sangria. No experience p at Uncorked paint.com

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

Reader recommended

Love Letters play (Feb. 13-16) 7pm @ Panida’s Little Theater A.R. Gurney’s original play, a funny and emotional portrait about the powerful connection of love between friends who’ve exchanged letters for 50 years. $15

Harriet film 7:30pm @ Panida Theater A screening of the film based on the inspirational life of Harriet Tubman, the iconic American freedom fighter

Love Letters play (Feb. 13-16) 7pm @ Panida’s Little Theater Valentine’s Wooden Spoon Carving Parade of Lights and after bonfire DJ Shanner 5:30pm @ Downtown Sandpoint ing 9pm-cl @ A&P’s 6-9pm @ Matchwood Brewing Goldblum The official kickoff to the Sandpoint Winter Carnival. Hosted by Honeysuckle & Miud (RSVP) Winter Carnival post parade party Music w/ Starts in the City Parking Lot and winds through down6pm @ A&P’s Bar and Grill This year’s theme is “Love and Light” Mayginnes town.

Brewery Live Jazz Music and Wooden Spoon Carving With DJ music by DJ Shanner at 9pm pm @ Da- 5:30-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. and a Bud Light Seltzer promo party e Hope Jazz by Bright Moments, spoon carving 6-9pm with strawberries and chocolates. Prizes Sandpoint Contra Dance Granary District Family Fun Karaoke DJ Kevin 7-10:30pm @ and Winter Games Day 8-close @ Tervan 9pm-cl @ A&P’s Sandpoint Community Hall 10am-8pm @ The Granary District Love Letters play (Feb. 13-16) Community dancing in the Matchwood Brewing, Evans Brothers 7pm @ Panida’s Little Theater New England tradition, feat. and the Granary District neighborhood Harriet film live music and lively calles. are hosting a fun day featuring kid and 5:30pm @ Panida Theater Beginners and singles weladult games, live music, fire dancing, Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes come. $5 donation suggested kick the keg, tours, tasting, hot choc- 2-4:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing olate, s’mores, face painting, magic, a bounce house, and more! Free to all!

Letters play (Feb. 13-16) Piano Sunday w/ Peter Lucht @ Panida’s Little Theater Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery ial matinee performance Sandpoint local performing on the grand pia2-4:30pm @ Kelly’s Cafe iet film no. Show your ski pass and get drink specials! pm @ Panida Theater

Outdoor Experience Monday Night Run rant 6pm @ Outdoor Experience This A chill, three-mile(ish) group run with opved?” tional beverages to follow

y of Sandpoint um) class

nners get ay night

Line dance 1:15pm @ Spt. Senior Center Every Monday

Annual 219 party on 2/19 and KNPD Ski & Board Party All day! @ 219 Lounge Lots of drink specials on this annual party day. KPND Ski and Board Party kicks off from 5-8pm, including chances to win lift tickets and overnight lodging and more!

int Rotary Happy Hour @ Matchwood Brewing Co. mbers and the community w/ Dwayne Parsons @ Pend d’Oreille Winery tunes on the grand

Live Music w/ Maya Goldblum (aka Queen Bonobo) 8-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Maya’s final winter Sandpoint gig! This will be a Winter Carnival Whiskey Weds. party special listening gig that is highlighted as part of the All day @ A&P’s Bar and Grill Charles Vaught ‘State of Fire’ Reading Sandpoint Winter Carnival.

6pm @ Laughing Dog Brewing Taproom Maya will be accompanied Join Charles Vaught, wildland firefighter by her father Arthur Goldand author of “State of Fire” for a book blum on trumpet and flute reading, plus Q&A session

sh Wine Dinner ty-One South nish Wine Dinner feat. wines from the Catalunya ref Spain’s wine-growing area. Five-course dinner and wine pairings for $75/each. RSVP: 208-265-2000

More Than a Woman Trivia 6:30-9@ The Back Door Female-focused trivia aiming to entertain with facts and connect women in the community. Supports local nonprofit Return Retreats

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 13

COMMUNITY

A very Sandpoint Valentine’s Day

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Whether live music, dancing, parades or spoon carving float your boat, Sandpoint has something for lovers and loners alike this Valentine’s Day. All events are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 14.

Couples yoga 5-6:30 p.m.

WE Yoga, 104 Pine St. Ste. A Bring a romantic partner or best friend for a night of yoga featuring soft music and candlelight. Instructors will teach posture, breathwork and meditation with an emphasis on connection and trust. $20 per person. Sign up at mindbody.io.

Parade of Lights 5:30 p.m.

Throughout downtown Sandpoint The parade is the official kickoff to the 2020 Sandpoint Winter Carnival.

Learn more about the parade and all the other Winter Carnival events, running

d i sc over

cross country skiing

AT PINE STR EET WO O D S

until Sunday, Feb. 23, on Page 11.

Live music with Mike and Shanna Thompson 5-7 p.m.

Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar St. What’s more fitting on Valentine’s Day then listening to the sweet harmonies of a husband and wife musical duo? The Thompsons play covers and originals in an acoustic style.

Live music with Lucas Brookbank 5-8 p.m.

Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St. Spokane singer-songwriter Lucas Brookbank brings the tunes to the winery’s post-parade Winter Carnival party.

Brookbank’s strong voice and knack for storytelling make him one of the few regional artists earning his living entirely through music.

Jazz and spoon carving 5:30-9 p.m.

Matchwood Brewing Co., 513 Oak St. Live music from Bright Moments Jazz and guest vocalist Maya Goldblum will create a romantic atmosphere for those looking to carve a fine piece of cutlery this Valentine’s Day. Local artisans Hy and Dani Boltz will be guiding a spoon carving class, complete with safety lessons and technique tips helpful for every level of carver. RSVP at 208-718-BREW (2739).

Ukulele jam 6-8 p.m.

Fiddlin’ Red’s, 111 Church St. Bring your uke — or borrow one at the event — and jam with fellow musicians. All experience levels are welcome. Those with questions can contact Mich at moontreemusic541@gmail.com or 541-890-0595.

Adult and youth ski & snowshoe rentals available at the Pine Street Woods Outdoor Recreation Center.

Go to sandpointnordic.com for rental hours.

See you on the trails!

14 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

Post-parade party and Bud Light Seltzer party 6 p.m.

A&Ps Bar and Grill, 222 N. First Ave. Head over to A&Ps after the Parade of Lights to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Bud Light

Seltzer promos, strawberries, chocolate, prizes and giveaways. Music from DJ Shanner starts at 9 p.m. No cover.

Contra dance 7-10:30 p.m.

Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave. Dancing and Valentine’s Day go together like chocolate and roses. Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, Lost Horse Press and caller Emily Faulkner team up on the second Friday of each month to bring North Idaho a contra dance — a community dance complete with a caller, live band and lessons for beginners. Suggested $5 donation at the door.

Live music with The Rub 9 p.m.-midnight The 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave. This Coeur d’Alene trio is known to bring the party, whether with energized covers from decades of popular music, or with originals sure to bring the house down. Shilla Korean BBQ food truck will be outside serving up good eats.

21+. No cover.

Looking for a good gift idea? Sayer’s Jewellers in the Bonner Mall and AquaGem in the Cedar St. Bridge are including a dozen roses with any purchase over $100. Offer good at either store.

VFW chocolate bar and candy gram fundraiser

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Every year the Sandpoint VFW raises money to help pay for gas, groceries, rent and firewood for are vets and their loved ones. In honor of the season of love, the VFW is selling candy bars and singing telegrams — complete with original Valentine’s Day greetings — to support those efforts.

“The money goes to very charitable causes,” said Rich Falletto, of Trust Vets.

The chocolate bars, both light and dark, come from former-downtown chocolatier Chocolate Bear, which has relocated to the Spokane Valley following the disastrous fire on First Avenue last year. They will be available for purchase through Friday, Feb. 14 at five locations: Trinity at City Beach, the UPS Store in downtown Sandpoint, First American Title, Mountain West Bank in Ponderay, Matchwood Brewing Co. and Alpine

Motors.

To sweeten the holiday, First American Title Escrow Officer Tanya Anderson will also deliver singing telegrams for $10 — dressed in World War II-era Andrews Sisters-esque garb, no less.

“I lost a good friend to PTSD, Tanya Anderson. so giving back to the VFW has been healing for me,” she said. “It’s good to give back to people who gave so much.”

To order a candy gram, call Anderson at 208-263-6833.

“She’s got a beautiful voice,” Faletto said.

FEATURE

Where the contented buffalo roams

Survivors Rescue provides a second chance for animals in need, including the well-loved buffalo Buffy

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Steve Sanchez and his children first noticed the buffalo at Pend Oreille Farms last spring, during their regular commute on Highway 200 from the east side of the county to Sandpoint.

“We always look for her when we are driving into town,” he said.

The Sanchez kids aren’t the only ones keeping tabs on the the lone buffalo — Buffy has been turning heads since her arrival at the farm in late 2018, causing some to ask questions, chief among them: Why is she alone?

According to Pend Oreille Farms owner Dawn Dempsey, Buffy is completely at ease after much trial and error to get her comfortable in her new home.

The 15-year-old bison was a Valentine’s Day gift from renowned late-local inventor Dr. Forrest Bird to his wife. When both Bird and his wife passed away a few years ago, Buffy wasn’t receiving the care she needed. That’s where Dempsey, founder of Survivors Rescue, came in. She formed a bond with Buffy until the animal finally trusted her enough to embark on the long trailer ride to her new home, where it became clear that she wasn’t about to roam the fields alongside cows.

“She was scared of the cows,” Dempsey said. “She’d jump back into her pen.”

Now, Dempsey said Buffy — though old for a buffalo and slowly going blind — is happy right where she is. Though she still doesn’t care for cows, she enjoys the company of nearby horses and she’s gentle with the chickens who often eat from the food bowl right alongside her.

“It’s important [people] know that she likes where she’s at, and if she didn’t, that little fence ain’t gonna hold her,”

Dempsey said with a laugh.

“She’s happy and content there.

She feels safe.”

Buffy is just one of dozens of animals to find refuge through Survivors Rescue. Dempsey said she currently cares for about 45 horses, and the farm is home to a host of other critters, including Buffy. It was once even home to a zebra named Gilbert.

The vision for creating that home for neglected animals first took root when Dempsey moved to Pend Oreille Farms in the late ’80s. The farm next door was a feedlot at the time, where horses would be rounded up periodically and taken to slaughter.

“I would see hundreds of horses over there, and hear the hooves clanging into the trucks as they loaded them,” Dempsey said. “It was really tough. I thought to myself, ‘One day, I’m going to stop that.’”

After 20 years in business, Dempsey retired and then worked with the neighbors to end their feedlot operation. She then launched Survivors Rescue — also known locally as The Horse Rescuer — and the undertaking is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Animals come to Dempsey’s farm through a number of avenues. In some cases, she travels to regional slaughterhouses to rescue foals. Most of the time, though, she receives calls from locals who are aware of an animal in need.

In each case, Dempsey said, she feels as though she and the animals are destined to cross paths.

“I don’t find them. They find me,” she said. “The Lord brings me what I’m supposed to do, that’s just how it works. I don’t know how to explain it.”

There’s no doubt that rescuing and rehabilitating neglected animals for rehoming is a costly endeavor, making donations a vital part of what keeps the farm

operating.

“I don’t have the time for fundraising. I’m doing the doctoring, the caretaking, the mucking,” Dempsey said.

“So donations are huge.”

Dempsey said she often feels overwhelmed by the needs of the area, knowing full well she can’t save every animal on her own. By sharing Buffy’s story, and the stories of the countless other animals who have called Pend Oreille Farms home, Dempsey hopes she can make the crisis clearer to all who will listen, and that those who can take action, will.

“We have so many abused and neglected animals in these hidden mountains and hills that go unhelped and unnoticed,” she said. “There needs to be funding.

There needs to be animal control. I need help …

I’m one person. I can only do so much and my pocket is only so deep.”

Follow Buffy and the rest of the Survivors Rescue animals online at facebook.com/SurvivorsRescue. Donations can be made via Paypal to thehorserescuer@live. com, or sent via mail to Survivors Rescue, Inc. at 34101 Highway 200, Sandpoint, ID, 83864.

Contact Dawn Dempsey about volunteering, adopting an animal or visiting the farm by texting her at 208-290-6702.

Top: Dawn Dempsey and her first official rescue horse, Sir. Vivor. Bottom: Buffy, the beautiful buffalo. Courtesy photos.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 15

LITERATURE

New local lit hits the stands

Check out these recently released titles from Sandpoint area authors Wednesday, Feb. 19 at a fundraiser for the Hope Memorial Community Center (415 Wellington Place in Hope).

Scheduled for 4 p.m., the first 20 reading attendees who donate at least $20 to the community center will receive a free copy of the book.

Learn more about Percy and his work at billpercybooks.com.

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The novels of Hope writer Bill Percy center on the kinds of issues you’d find in the news: school shootings, tax evasion conspiracies, sex trafficking in rural America and political infighting. His “Monastery Valley Series,” which with the addition of Standing Our Ground now stands at four installments, is a dramatic, hard-bitten journey through the underbelly of a small town in southwestern Montana.

As its title suggests, the new novel focuses on the “stand your ground” defense as it relates to the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy. As with Percy’s other “Monastery Valley” books, the central characters are Sheriff’s Deputy Andi Pelton and Ed Northrup, the town psychologist, whose romantic relationship provides the lens through which to view the narrative arc.

With Standing Our Ground,

16 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

Left: Standing Our Ground by Bill Percy. Right: Fiddlesticks!

Tales From a Country Ghetto by J.J. West. Courtesy photos. however, Pelton is thrust into local politics, as she’s forced by circumstance to run for the office of sheriff while her investigation into the real motives behind the shooting collide with a concerted — and shady — smear campaign controlled by a mysterious outsider.

Percy, a retired psychologist, grapples with difficult questions about the emotional justification for murder and how to portray those inner struggles without succumbing to stereotypes.

Catch a reading of Standing Our Ground by the author

In a lighter vein, J.J. West — the nom de plume of two local writers — recently released Fiddlesticks! Tales From A Country Ghetto, a compilation of 36 short, humorous stories revolving around a retired farmer whose boarders are anything but boring.

As described by various press releases and reviews, Fiddlesticks! is a raucous, raunchy, rollicking ride

through the off-kilter lives of rural Idahoans who range from grifters and drifters, to stoners and strippers, wanna-be cowboys and country thugs, religious zealots and “chainsaw jihadists” — all revolving around “bumbling old George himself.”

Called “Patrick McManus and Mark Twain gone bad,” other summaries include “a modern-day Cannery Row of North Idaho” and a theoretical “Little Politically-Incorrect House on the Drunken Prairie,” according to the author(s).

Published by Sandpoint-based Bonner Media in November 2019, these tales of “life, liquor and lewd conduct” live up to the fledgling publishing company’s mission of encouraging “everyone to lighten up and laugh a little at the world around them.”

Find Fiddlesticks! at local booksellers and major online retailers, where paperbacks go for $15 and the ebook sells for $4. Get more info by emailing bonnermedia@outlook.com.

BUSINESS

In the thick of it Monarch Mountain Coffee reopens on First Ave.

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Tucked beside the busy Sandpoint Post Office parking lot and always wafting the scent of roasting coffee, Monarch Mountain Coffee has been known to sling tasty drinks and offer a comfortable space for people from all walks of life at 208 N. Fourth Ave. But since late December, the colorful cafe has been closed thanks to the building being in disrepair.

In Monarch Mountain Coffee owner Sherrie Wilson’s words, the building was “expiring.”

Luckily, Wilson had been on the lookout for a new home for her business for a few years, so when the square, brick storefront at 119 N. First Ave. opened up, she was quick to jump at the opportunity.

“We intend to stay here,” Wilson said.

“We love, love, love the location.”

The new digs, which officially opened as Monarch Mountain Coffee on Feb. 6, create plenty of reason to be excited. Wilson said the building is in great shape, so there’s no fear of needing to move again anytime soon. Also, being located right across from the entrance to City Beach makes Monarch Mountain Coffee a sure destination for locals and visitors alike. Finally, the new location is in the heart of downtown, where many events are held — events Wilson said she and her crew can’t wait to be a part of.

“Even though Monarch Mountain Coffee is a Sandpoint staple, we were way off the beaten path [at the old location] as far as the downtown traffic goes,” she said.

“We’re looking forward to being able to participate, and feel included.”

Though the old location had its signature homey, established feel, Wilson said she’s only begun to get settled into the First Avenue space. The colorful local art of Daris Judd currently adorns the walls and the morning sun — when it makes its occasional winter appearance — floods the storefront with warmth.

Top: A panoramic view of the interior at the new Monarch Mountain Coffee location on First Ave. Right: Owner Sherrie Wilson.

Photos by Lyndsie Kiebert.

Monarch Mountain Coffee is both a roasterie business as well as a coffeehouse, but Wilson said the coffee is now roasted off-site since the location change. Monarch Mountain beans are available for purchase at the shop and for sampling through a host of hot and cold drinks. The cafe also offers teas, smoothies, Italian sodas and an assortment of grab-and-go snacks. Wilson said she hopes to expand the snack selection in coming months, and is currently experimenting with formulating flavor syrups from scratch with natural ingredients.

As far as what sets Monarch Mountain Coffee apart, Wilson said she and her staff are constantly working to improve the coffee experience, from the roast to the final cup.

“We’re perfecting the art,” she said.

“There’s always more research coming out about coffee that we incorporate along the way.”

Now, with nearly a decade of owning the business behind her and plenty of work to get established at the new location ahead, it begs the question: Why not hang up the apron when it became clear that the old, iconic building was approaching its last days?

“I’m stubborn — I just don’t give up that easily,” Wilson said with a laugh. “I feel like this is the fresh start we’ve been looking for.”

Keep up to date on Monarch Mountain Coffee’s offerings at facebook.com/ monarchmountaincoffee.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 17

FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

Going bananas

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist I have my standard kitchen utensils and cookware, and I’m hard pressed to be lured into the superfluous gadgetry for sale in urban kitchen and gourmet shops. I did, however, just find something I couldn’t live without: reusable grilled cheese bags for the toaster. I kid you not.

As a kid, I sure could have used these handy helpers. I was a budding young chef in the midst of one of my earliest cooking creations — attempting to boil sugar and water to the hard-ball stage for divinity — when I scorched one of my mother’s copper-bottomed Revere pans so badly it never again looked the same (she continued to make me look at the bottom of that pan through adulthood). As punishment, Mom banned me from using the oven or stovetop unless she was present.

Well, I was not a 9-year-old content with a peanut butter sandwich, and my culinary creativeness reached a “eureka” moment when I came up with an idea of brilliance to top all: I would make a grilled cheese sandwich in the toaster. I put a lot of thought into the process and was smart enough to realize the cheese might ooze down, so I laid the toaster on its side and carefully placed my cheese filled Wonderbread into the toaster and pushed down the lever.

Things were looking good until the cheese began to melt and ooze horizontally. I hadn’t counted on that. Nor the internal fire from the buttered bread. I hadn’t counted on that, either. Fortunately for me, the house didn’t catch on fire — though my mother later shared that that was always her biggest fear — and I was smart enough to unplug the toaster before I began the laborious process of scraping charcoal-like cheese from the 18 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

heating elements. If only I’d had one of those bags…

I have had a few close calls since then, too. My son-in-law, Russ, still threatens to display the items I have scorched while cooking at his and my daughter’s house.

I have a few of my own, too, mostly towels and potholders from stovetop and oven mishaps but also a few singed table linens. I do love a good flambé presentation.

The term flambé is a French word meaning “flamed.” It makes a dramatic show and it also adds a distinctive flavor from the alcohol used for ignition. The higher the alcohol content, the better it burns (and better the chance to meet with disaster). Flambé lessons that I have learned include: less is more, and there’s a reason that 151-proof rum comes with a warning and a caged (safety) top.

Some of my favorite foods to ignite tableside include the classics: saganaki (opa!), steak Diane, cherries jubilee, bananas Foster, crêpes Suzette, baked Alaska and, of course, flaming plum pudding, which has been popular since the Victorian Era. I’m not sure who came up with the dazzling idea of adding alcohol and flames to food, but I think it adds an extra element to any dinner party.

My own small children loved the presentations and now my grandchildren love them even more (don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off). The littles especially love bananas Foster and, on a good night, right before their eyes, I can theatrically ladle the bananas and syrup, along with flames, into individual serving dishes. Bananas Foster is a favorite of mine, and it can be served over ice cream,

pound cake or lost bread — in France, it’s known as pain perdu, as stale bread is used for what is essentially French toast.

I always associate this dish with New Orleans, where it was created more than 60 years ago at Vieux Carre, one of the original Brennan family restaurants, on Bourbon Street. I’m not sure if it was created during Mardi Gras, but now, during Mardi Gras week in NOLA, you’ll find it served up and fused with doughnuts, coffee cake, cupcakes, ice cream and even cocktails. After the traditional king cake, it’s the most frequently served dessert during the festivities.

During Mardi Gras, there are lots of bananas Foster recipes to be shared and just as many warnings, cautions and caveats about proper flambé techniques, such as

Bananas Foster

keeping a fire extinguisher handy and keeping hands, arms and eyebrows away from the flames.

I must admit that I have singed a few body parts over the years, though I have become much more prudent in my technique and have remained relatively scorch-free for a number of years now.

My Moscow gang is coming up for our weekend of Winter Carnival activities and I was thinking of whipping up a batch dessert — right after our lunch of toaster bag, grilled cheese sandwiches. When I mentioned it to my daughter, Ryanne, she offered to bring her collection of “mother-scorched linens.” Ouch.

Anyhow, totally unnecessary, I still have plenty of my own.

*

Serves 4

*One of the best compliments I ever received was when someone said my bananas Foster were as good as the ones served at Brennan’s!

Don’t attempt to pour flaming sauce into individual serving dishes until you’ve had some practice. Slightly heating the rum makes a better flame. Sometimes, I add a little Galliano to the pan, with the butter and sugar. Be careful!

INGREDIENTS: 2 ounces unsalted butter ½ cup light brown sugar ¼ tsp cinnamon 1 ½ ounces dark rum 2 bananas (per recipe)

DIRECTIONS: Combine butter, sugar and cinnamon in a low-profile frying or sauté pan. On medium heat, stir to combine and lightly swirl the pan.

As the sauce starts to cook and bubble a bit, peel the bananas, cut lengthwise and add to the pan. Cook the bananas, continue to swirl, until they begin to soften and are nicely coated with the sauce. Tilt back the pan slightly to heat the far edge.

Once hot, carefully add the rum and tilt the pan toward a flame (burner or long lighter) to ignite the rum.

Once the flame dies out, pour sauce and bananas over ice cream or lost bread.

STAGE & SCREEN

Love Letters play perfect for date night

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

ting. Two seasoned actors will fill the lead roles of Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd II. The Panida Theater starts off its Amy Sherman, who plays 2020 theater season with a finalist Melissa, has been busy the past for the Pulitzer Prize for drama. few years with roles in the Panida Love Letters, by playwright A.R. Theater’s performance of DrinkGurney, takes the stage Thursday, ing Habits, Hearthside Stories Feb. 13-Saturday, 15 at 7 p.m. and One Acts, Thanksgiving Next Sunday, Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. at the and Thanks a Lot. She has spent Panida’s Little Theater. Tickets are a number of years working in $15 each, which includes dessert the film industry, modeling and served at intermission. recently directed a charity fashion Love Letters is a tragi-comic show. examination of “The author shared nostalgia, creates a world missed opportuwhere the charFeb. 13-15 at 7 p.m., doors nities and deep acters’ stories are at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at 3 closeness of two not tied up with a p.m., doors at 2:30 p.m. $15, lifelong, complipretty little bow; Panida’s Little Theater, 300 cated friends as but, rather, as ofN. First Ave., 208-263-9191. they read letters ten in life, are left Get tickets at panida.org, to each other without closure,” Eve’s Leaves, Evans Brothers spanning more Coffee or at the door. Due to Sherman said. than 50 years in a Robert Moore language, this play is inapprovery intimate setwill portray the priate for children.

Love Letters

male lead, Andrew.

“In this play I think the audience can connect to the characters from aspects within their own lives,” Moore said.

Moore has been in many productions in the Sandpoint area since the late ’90s, including Waiting for Godot, The Bad Seed, Christmas Carol, Drinking Habits and Thanksgiving Next.

“This play is unlike any other I’ve been in, in that it creates characters who grow before the audience’s eyes through just the written word,” Moore said.

Unlike most live performances, in which the actors develop a character by deliberate movement on stage with fellow actors, this performance makes use of the vocal talents of the performers.

Love Letters is directed by Panida Executive Director Patricia Walker and presented by the Panida Playhouse Players.

“Live theater is still an incredibly powerful medium and touches audiences in a unique way,” Walker said. “Although we rarely receive handwritten correspondence anymore, we can still cherish its impact.”

The Panida has partnered with

Robert Moore, left, and Amy Sherman, right, play the lead characters in Love Letters. Courtesy photo. local business Sharon’s Hallmark for a unique Valentine-writing touch.

Toward a more complex ‘Moses’ Panida screens Harriet biopic of abolitionist icon

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

characters — iconic or otherwise — at their center.

With Harriet, starring British Writing for CNN, acclaimed actor Cynthia Erivo in the titular University of Texas at Austin role, the challenge from the historian, and one of the leadget-go was to present a characing American thinkers on race, ter so often mythologized as the Peniel Joseph took up the topic of quasi-miraculous “Moses” of the the 2019 drama-biopic Harriet, Underground Railroad in a way which depicts a pivotal moment that captures her full complexity in the life of abolitionist icon as a human being while also hewHarriet Tubman. ing to the historical facts.

The gist of his piece, titled “The This was always going to be a Oscars’ ‘Harriet Tubman probdifficult proposition — the Harlem,’” is that Hollywood has a very riet Tubman mythos is so deeply hard time honoring depictions of ingrained in American cultural blackness and the black experience memory that, as the Smithsoin America that don’t conform to nian recently pointed out, many tropes steeped in racism — even Americans think she was a charwhen supposedly well intentioned. acter from folklore. No less than That is so, of Ta-Nehisi Coates, course, because one of the most the powers that be trenchant public Thursday, Feb. 13; 7:30 p.m.; Friin Hollywood are thinkers on race day, Feb. 14-Saturday, Feb. 15; very white. The relations writing 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16; 3:30 today, employed result is a philop.m.; $8.72 adults, $7.67 seniors, sophical, spiritual Tubman in his $6.62 students, $5.46 children. and historical flat- Panida Theater, 300 N. First 2019 novel The ness to so many Ave., 208-263-9191, get tickets Water Dancer films with black as a literally at the door and panida.org.

Harriet (PG-13)

supernatural figure capable of teleportation.

Against such high hurdles, how could Harriet succeed?

By many measures, it has succeeded. Despite the Oscars’ “problem,” as Joseph put it, Harriet and its star earned a pair of Oscar nominations. It pulled in $43.3 million at the box office and audiences on rottentomatoes.com gave it a 97% rating. Even critical reviewers applaud Erivo’s performance and oblige a nod toward its somber-yet-inspirational tone.

The character of Tubman is so often sanctified — something Harriet director Kasi Lemmons does lean on, depicting Tubman as someone seemingly receiving direct communications from God — that her depiction as a kindly, devout grandmother with nerves of steel has become something of the “problem” referred to by Joseph. However, this version of Tubman returns some of the fire to her legacy.

In Harriet, like its real-life namesake, Eviro’s Tubman packs a pistol and knows how to use it. She

leads Northern soldiers — albeit, segregated soldiers and only as a marginalized aside — in battle during the Civil War, liberating many hundreds of slaves in the process. She was a militant guerilla fighter who drew on her experiences with outdoor slave labor to navigate an astonishing 100 miles through hostile Slave Power territory, alone, to find her own freedom — then returned again and again to save members of her own family and many others besides.

Away from the saintly austerity of many other depictions, the real Tubman was vocal about her prayer that the man who claimed to own her would die, and it’s telling that her weapon of choice during combat action with the Union Army was a sharpshooter’s rifle.

What’s more, Tubman was an active, committed fighter for women’s suffrage from 1860 until her death in 1913. Her activism naturally flowed from anti-slavery to women’s rights to human rights as a whole.

Perhaps the greatest success of

Harriet, the first and so far only standalone film about her, is that it attempts to draw on the historical militancy of Tubman’s beliefs to provide a more complicated, philosophically charged version of the slave born Araminta Harriet Ross as she did her part to help kick down a system in which she — an enslaved black woman — was triply oppressed.

Is it a perfect historical document? Of course not. Is it part of the “problem” with Hollywood described by Joseph? He would say yes, in so far as that while it’s a more-nuanced-than-typical portrait, Harriet still falls too close to the traditional aspirational tale of a former slave overcoming long odds to find freedom, rather than centering “more daring and confrontational images of black humanity.”

Nonetheless, this Tubman is no children’s book character, and comes closer than any narrative about her to the truth. It would be a problem if audiences ignored it.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 19

COMMUNITY

Chamber welcomes Panhandle Health District

By Reader Staff The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed Panhandle Health District to its membership with a ribbon cutting on Jan. 30.

The Panhandle Health District provides more than 40 different public health programs to families, individuals and organizations in North Idaho, promoting healthy lifestyles and helping prevent disease while protecting the local environment.

The Sandpoint office, located at 2101 W. Pine St., specializes in clinical services; offers patients a variety of non-emergency medical services, whether they have insurance or not; WIC, a federal assistance program providing nutritional guidance for women, infants and children; and the Nurse-Family Partnership, a free, voluntary program partnering first-time moms with registered nurses to provide support, education, and guidance during pregnancy and until the child turns 2 years of age.

Additional services include environmental health, which ensures basic public safety associated with food establishments, child care facilities, drinking water and wastewater disposal; home health, providing patients with a variety of medical services delivered by registered nurses and trained therapists in the comfort of their homes; and a Parents as Teachers and Diabetes Prevention Program.

All of Panhandle Health Dis-

20 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

trict’s programs are designed to ensure our community is a safe and healthy place to live, work and thrive. For its efforts, PHD has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board, which works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance.

To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures established by the board.

For more information on the services offered in Sandpoint visit them at 2101 W. Pine St. or visit panhandlehealthdistrict.org.

Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce ambassadors join the Panhandle Health District team for a ribbon cutting on Jan. 30. Courtesy photo.

Parks and Rec round-up

By Reader Staff

USCGA Boating Safety and Seamanship

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a course covering navigation, charting, mechanics, rules, courtesies and customs, seamanship, ropes and knots, sailing basics, boat park identification, safety procedures, signage, boat selection, trailering and more. Certificates are presented upon completion of the course examination. Most insurance companies offer a discount on boat insurance to policy holders who have certification.

The course will run Monday and Wednesday, Feb. 24 and 26; and Mondays and Wednesdays, March 2, 4, 9, 11, 16 and 18 from 7-9 p.m. at the USFS Conference Room, 1602 Ontario St. For detailed class information, call Brian at 208-946-3994 or Tom at 208-265-2580. The cost is $35, which includes manual and test materials. Deadline for registration is Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Rhythmic and Acrosport Gymnastics These classes are taught in a recreational format. Wear athletic

clothing that is not baggy and tie up shoulder length hair.

Rhythmics is a beautiful activity that combines elements of ballet, tumbling, dance and manipulation of props such as ball, hoops, ribbon and rope into skills and routines to music.

Acrosport uses partners and groups working together to perform acrobatic skills of tumbling, lifts, balances, tosses and catches of partners in combination with dance.

Gymnasts of all sizes are needed.

The next 6-week session starts Feb. 19 - March 25. Beginners class is Wednesdays from 3:304:30 p.m. for ages mature 5 and up.

Intermediates class is Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for ages 6 and up. Advanced class is Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for ages 7 and up. Show Troupe, which does community performances, is only available with concurrent enrollment in advanced level class.

Class fee is $43/sesson, with a $5 discount for city residents.

Multiple family member discounts apply. Scholarships are available at the Sandpoint Parks and Rec office.

Deadline to register is Feb. 17.

For info about these events, call 208-263-3613 or sandpointgov.parksrecreation.

READER IN SOUTH AFRICA

Gloria Stuble, of Dover, poses with the Reader on the iPad in South Africa’s iSimangalisa Wetland Park with expert guide Sakhile Dube. Not pictured is Gloria’s husband Bill, who snapped the photo.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone

The gift of music

READ

Musical for Life aims to enrich kids’ lives one note at a time

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

financial assistance is based on financial need, as well as effort expended to practice and consistently attending lessons.

Playing a musical instrument “One hundred percent of dois a lifelong activity that enriches nations go towards the students life, one note at a time. Musical for Life, a Sandpoint-based non- and their instruments and/or lessons,” Bennett said. “Children profit organization, aims to give kids a jumpstart on their musical in need of assistance are often referred to us through the local journeys by providing lessons music teachers.” and instruments to kids in need.

Instructors, who teach in both Brecon Bennett, who started group and individual settings, the nonprofit in 2017 when she include Beth Weber teaching the was just 14 years old, said she wanted to help welcome children violin; Fiddlin’ Red handling the fiddle, guitar, ukulele and man“with open arms into the exquidolin; and Mika Hood specialsite world of music.”

A Sip and Shop event at Pend izing in cello. Musical for Life d’Oreille Winery held Thursday, also partners with Bella Noté Music Studios, which specializes Feb. 13 from 4-8 p.m. will help in music instruction for children. raise funds for the organization.

“There are so many students The winery will donate a perwho work for their whole life realcentage of every purchase during ly to become a musician,” Weber the event to told the Reader. the Musical for “Sometimes Life foundation, their parents will which provides have an event or financial assisThursday, Feb. 13; 4-8 p.m.; issue that makes tance for stuFREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, dents to attend 301 Cedar St., 208-265-8545. it impossible to pay for lessons. its programs.

Learn more about Musical for … With this Life at musicalforlife.com.

Eligibility for

Musical for Life sip and shop

program, it helps us both — the student gets to continue and the teacher gets to help them become a better student.”

Weber said teaching young people music can benefit them in many ways throughout their lives.

“In order to learn how to play music, you need to learn how to solve problems,” Weber said.

“You have an instrument and you’re making a terrible sound.

How do you fix that? … Also, because I sometimes teach in group settings, it helps students

Courtesy photo. learn how to be in sync with other people, and that’s a really important thing in our society when we’re all by ourselves facing these devices these days. And those reasons don’t even mention the joy of playing music.”

Those interested in assistance can contact Musical for Life at 208-265-8545 to apply. If eligible for financial assistance, the organization will contact music teachers to establish the scholarship.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Bright Moments Jazz & Maya Goldblum, Feb. 14, Matchwood Brewing

Nothing says Valentine’s Day quite like listening to jazz while spooning with the one you love.

By jazz, we mean the well-loved musical offerings of local trio Bright Moments Jazz and guest vocalist Maya Goldblum. By spooning, we mean carving wooden spoons.

Whittlers will have the chance to partake in a guided spoon carving class at Matchwood Brewing this Valentine’s Day as veteran musicians Arthur Goldblum, Peter Lucht and Mike Johnson play romantic jazz tunes old and new. Maya Goldblum, a Sandpoint-born singer-songwriter who is relocating to Europe and will perform her farewell show Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Eichardt’s Pub, will lend her voice to the trio.

Learn more about the spoon carving portion of the event on page 14.

— Lyndsie Kiebert 5:30-8 p.m., FREE. Matchwood Brewing Company, 513 Oak St., 208718-2739, matchwoodbrewing.com.

Tracy Schornick, Feb. 15, Idaho Pour Authority A veteran performer at wineries, adult drinkeries and events throughout the Inland Northwest, fingerstyle guitar soloist Tracy Schornick is making his Sandpoint debut Saturday, Feb. 15 at Idaho Pour Authority.

From 5-7 p.m., Schornick will sing and reel out acoustic guitar arrangements from iconic artists ranging from James Taylor, Eric Clapton and Kenny Loggins to Jim Croce, Bob Seger and Paul Simon. That’s just a fraction of Schornick’s repertoire — his songbook encompases more than 50 of the greatest American musical performers, all brought to audiences without backing tracks or rhythm machines.

“For me it’s about authenticity in performing,” he writes on his Facebook page, facebook.com/tschornick. “It’s just me and my guitar.”

Add yourself that equation — and, of course, a brew or two from Sandpoint’s premier craft beer selection — and you’ve got yourself an evening of unplugged, authentic entertainment.

— Zach Hagadone

5-7 p.m., FREE, 21+. Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar St., 208-5977096, idahopourauthority.com.

Writing about writers is fraught — unless the writer is exceptionally interesting and the writer writing about the writer is exceptionally good. All these things are the case with The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World

by Harvard historian Maya Jasanoff. The 2017 book is part biography, part social history of cglobalization, part exploration of what it means to create art: A great piece of writing about a great writer by a great writer.

LISTEN

Astrophysics is interesting but can be kind of a slog to read. Luckily, Italian scientist Carlo Rovelli is as deep a thinker as he is accessible to scientific lay people. Even luckier, his 2018 book The Order of Time is available at the Sandpoint library as an audiobook and — bonus on bonus — it’s read by A-list actor Benedict Cumberbatch. It’ll both blow your mind and soothe your ears.

WATCH

Rank brand new HBO series The Outsider as among the better adaptations of the approximate 3 million novels by horror master Stephen King. Currently on the sixth episode of its first season — episodes air every Sunday — it’s a cop-centered murder mystery a la True Detective but with a creeping supernatural twist.

Moody, complex but engrossing, and compellingly acted (Ben Mendelsohn is stellar), The Outsider gets inside your head.

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 21

HUMOR

Love is a Dog From Hell From Northern Idaho News, Feb. 18, 1930

KNIFE FIGHT BRINGS REPRIMAND

BY JUDGE Joe Wiechal could not stand to hear a near relative panned so uses knife on talker Joe Weichal heard Frank Whittum make an uncomplimentary remark about a relative of his and he would not stand for such a statement, so he used a small pen knife to inflict a minor wound on the thigh of Whittum.

Whittum resented the use of the knife and had Weichal arrested on the charge of assault with a deadly weapon. Both the men live near Edgemere.

When Weichal was brought before Justice of the Peace A.K. Bowden Friday afternooon and after the testimony had been given in the case, Judge Bowden severely reprimanded Weichal but decreed there were extenuating circumstances and dismissed Weichal.

Weichal was sitting down whittling when Whittum made the remark about the relative of Weichal’s and it was this knife he used to inflict the wound.

22 /

R

/ February 13, 2020

By Ben Olson Reader Staff The headline of this article comes from a book by poet and author Charles Bukowski, who lived a bitter, drunken existence periodically punctuated by moments of brilliance. Love is a Dog From Hell is a collection of Bukowski’s poems published in 1977. Some contained insights into love, but most of the poems featured the usual failure, stink and desperation that became Bukowski’s stock in trade.

As far as romantic books to read to your beloved on Valentine’s Day, it probably won’t win you any favors — unless you’re shacked up with a misanthrope who hates people as much as you do.

Which brings me to my point: How do misanthropes find love? How do they love one another when they despise damn near everyone else, including — maybe especially — themselves? I feel the same about hideous dogs and other homely species in the animal kingdom. How do these mongrels find love when it appears they swan dove off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down? Is love truly blind?

I spent most of my 20s finding ways to get away from people at all costs. I hitchhiked around the West; I holed up in back bedrooms and locked the door; I hiked along desolate mountain ridges; I wandered lonely alleys at night and watched the forlorn blue glow coming from windows lit by television sets flashing lonely scenes on the trees in the yard.

It’s not that I hated people. I try not to hate anything. But I took umbrage with how much ugliness we foist upon one another on a daily basis. How can a species be capable of such beauty and such horrible ugliness at the same time?

Why would I want to waste my time with someone when I know the darkness could lurk in their hearts as well?

But, as the cosmos would have it, I found love. I found it in the most unlikely of places: Roxy’s bar on a Friday night.

I had returned to Sandpoint to see old friends and help nurse a broken heart after my former relationship had dropped like a jetliner onto the runway and burned beyond all recognition. I wanted nothing to do with love and made that clear to

anyone who cared to ask. All I wanted to do was tip back some whiskey and catch up with my old group of friends after living out of the area for a couple years.

While out with my group, I noticed a couple of new girls had joined the gang.

One of them caught my eye. She had a smile that would launch a thousand ships, as the saying goes.

After talking with her, I realized we were kindred spirits in many ways. She’d moved to Sandpoint for work while I was away, and it turned out we had a lot in common.

We spent the next 72 hours together. We sat on the front porch beatboxing and singing together until sunrise; we walked through muddy clay at Sunnyside and skipped rocks in the quiet lake; we hitchhiked out to Hope to drink beer from Murphy’s Bar, where there used to be a parrot that served beer from a tap. The parrot was later eaten by the dog and the bar closed shortly thereafter, but we had already begun building the loose framework of our relationship.

Cadie was in pretty much the same place I was at, as far as love goes. She made it very clear that she was only interested in being friends and taking things slowly, which was just fine with me.

However, when I left town on a midnight train to Portland after spending the whole weekend with her, I had already decided that I would move back to Sandpoint after tying up loose ends in the big city. I just had to see what was going to blossom between us.

I’m so glad that I did because I moved back to town, got an apartment and began wooing this woman that I now call the love of my life. I can’t imagine life without her by my side.

So yes, love is a dog from hell, but it’s also a life ring in stormy seas. Even when you think there’s no one out there who might be interested in a romantic life with you, chances are you’re wrong. If a mongrel like myself can find the love of a good woman, there’s probably hope for the rest of you, dear readers. Don’t ever stop looking for it.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Crossword Solution

If you think a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you this, but that’s another weakness.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS

Woorf tdhe Week

mizzle

/MIZ-uhl /

[verb] (used with or without object) 1. to rain in fine drops; drizzle; mist.

“The mizzle continued into the following week, adding wetness to the days.”

Corrections: We had a few small typos in the Feb. 6 issue, mostly due to the fact that Editor Zach Hagadone broke his elbow and has been unable to type with both hands for the past few weeks. Be patient with us, gentle readers, as he nurses his elbow back to health. -BO

1. Creep 6. Behold, in old Rome 10. Temporary living quarters 14. Creepy 15. Nonclerical 16. Not under 17. Stoop 18. At one time (archaic) 19. Adriatic resort 20. Stretchability 22. Reclined 23. Savvy about 24. Frolic 26. Blackthorn 30. Zero 31. Consume 32. French for “We” 33. Always 35. Handrail post 39. Make less visible 41. Improvement 43. Test versions 44. Japanese wrestling 46. Anagram of “Sage” 47. Morning moisture 49. It is (poetic) 50. Gave temporarily 51. Scant 54. 1 1 1 1 56. Dry riverbed 57. Phantom 63. Wicked 64. Conceited

Solution on page 22 8. A box or chest 9. A copy from an original 10. Concomitant 11. Birdlike 12. Army doctor 13. Lying facedown 21. Not outer DOWN 25. Telephoned 26. Prig 1. Formally surrender 27. Part of the 2. Bobbin outer ear 3. Diva’s solo 28. Dethrone 4. Hairpieces 29. Squadron 5. Slowly, in music 34. Cud-chewing 6. Optional school hoofed mammals courses 7. Open one-horse carriage 36. Hourly pay 65. Twilled fabric 66. Rind 67. French for “State” 68. Supporting column 69. Not false 70. Flows 71. Affirmatives

37. Biblical garden 38. “___ we forget” 40. Applications 42. Show-off 45. Perfect 48. Cloth maker 51. Used a broom 52. One who lays asphalt 53. French farewell 55. Pantywaist 58. A Maori club 59. French for “Head” 60. Colored part of an eye 61. Leer at 62. Catches

February 13, 2020 /

R

/ 23

•'

.'

.

t-��--- ' .. �'-�, ' •t.\

�.t • .r�

I -<JiHh--�'-' ., !!,;

..:-

... �