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PEOPLE compiled by

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

watching

“Where is your happy place?”

“My happy place is Lake Pend Oreille. I love the hidden beaches, the Monarchs and being on the boat with my family.”

Heather Bristol Hope

“I’d have to say this area. This is the 34th year I’ve been here. This area has always been a happy place for me.”

Mike Martin Hope

DEAR READERS,

Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous of ground squirrels, awoke Feb. 2 and reported that he didn’t see his shadow, which means, according to absolutely no science or reason, that we are in for another six weeks of winter. So goes another Groundhog Day. I say huzzah to more winter. I’ve always been a fan of all four seasons, but winter especially appeals to me for many reasons. I love when we get buried under with snow. Workplaces and schools shuts down, people break from their habits to don snowpants and parkas to play outside. The cold also makes your sweetie curl up tighter with you on the couch. In the mornings, when we emerge to shovel ourselves out, there’s a sense of camaraderie in the neighborhoods. It’s a shared predicament that we in North Idaho can handle. I love that.

So bring on the snow, you woodchuck. We can take it.

– Ben Olson, publisher

READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208) 946-4368

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Rachel Peck (cover), Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Gary Smith, Marsha Lutz, BCHS, Otto Kitsinger Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Kelcie Mosely-Morris, Emily Erickson, Susan Drumheller, Diane Newcomer, Sandy Compton Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID

“My happy place is making other people happy. I’m always smiling.”

Denise Flanigan Clark Fork

“On the lake — depending on if I’m catching fish or not.”

Ian Newbill Hope

“My happy place is anywhere with a ton of blankies.”

Huck Wrenco

Subscription Price: $155 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 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

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

About the Cover

This week’s cover features artwork titled “Fry Egg” by Rachel Peck, who submitted it to the 2021 student show. Courtesy Claire Christy.

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NEWS

The ice rink(s) cometh

As sheriff continues to oppose Sandpoint Ice Arena, another rink project surfaces in Ponderay

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

is available to view on the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

To some, an $8 million indoor ice arena in Sandpoint is a welcome concept, meant to increase recreational opportunities for both locals and visitors. For Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler, it is out of the question for a central reason: location, location, location.

“The jail desperately needs repair and upgrading. Instead, our current commissioners are giving away our public property for recreational purposes,” Wheeler said during a public presentation Jan. 29 at the Kootenai Community Church. “I have a problem with that, and I hope you do, too.”

The nonprofit Sandpoint Community Center Corporation, which is heading up the proposed Sandpoint Ice Arena, entered an agreement with Bonner County on Oct. 26 to utilize about four acres of fairgrounds property to construct and operate the facility. The land is located between the sheriff’s complex and fairgrounds buildings and, while mostly vacant, is currently used to store county-owned trailers and other equipment.

Wheeler referred to Oct. 26, 2021 — the day the agreement was signed — as a “disastrous day.”

He presented a timeline of the property’s history, and argued that his department’s ability to serve the people of the county “really depends on being able to utilize this property and continue to grow to meet what’s happening in 2022.”

“Currently the commissioners have developed a case of amnesia and don’t seem to recall that conversation we had,” Wheeler said, referring to a workshop during which the jail’s deficiencies were discussed, “and that’s all I’ll say about that.”

Wheeler’s presentation focused on those deficiencies and the inevitable future need to expand the Bonner County Jail — an expansion that Wheeler argues would naturally reach into the proposed ice rink footprint.

A full video of the presentation

‘We should have done better’ The Jan. 29 “informational meeting,” as it was advertised on the BCSO Facebook page, is the latest move in a series of challenges by Wheeler attempting to delegitimize the agreement for the ice rink property. On Dec. 6, the sheriff announced that he’d filed a complaint alleging that the commissioners violated Idaho open meeting laws when noticing items related to the ice arena project. On Feb. 1, Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall told the Reader that he’d not yet received a ruling from the Idaho attorney general on the matter.

Since Wheeler first came out against the Sandpoint Ice Arena, Commissioner Jeff Connolly has been candid about his concern that the board didn’t do all it could to ensure the selected parcel would be a fitting location for the facility.

Though he voted in favor of the agreement with SCCC, Connolly believes more discussion should take place before any project breaks ground.

“There’s a couple of things that we should have done,” he said, namely, pursuing a discussion with Wheeler, Marshall and other elected officials with a possible interest in expanding the property for the jail or justice services. “We should have done better.”

Connolly said he’s been working to foster collaboration on the issue. When he heard about North Idaho Ice, another local nonprofit with a goal to build an ice arena, he saw an opportunity to unite that group with SCCC. “I tried to get them to maybe get together with each other and see if there wasn’t a way to work it out that you get the best of both worlds, but apparently those two groups don’t see eye to eye,” Connolly said. “I can’t speak for them, but they have different ideas — let’s put it that way.”

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Two ice rinks, one goal A “notice” immediately appears when visiting the website for the North Idaho Ice nonprofit: “We frequently get a lot of questions about what is going on with the ice rink and the sheriff and we want to be clear, THIS IS NOT North Idaho Ice.” There are, in fact, two growing movements to bring an ice rink to Bonner County. However, while SCCC is working with the county, NIICE is working with the city of Ponderay to use private donations in conjunction with funds from the city’s 1% local option tax to include an ice rink at the Ponderay Field of Dreams project — a 50acre, phased parks and recreation complex slated for property off McNearney Road.

NIICE spokesman Tim Wilson told the Reader that while his group and SCCC have similar goals, timing is key for NIICE. “We really support the other group in theory. Trust me — we’d rather skate on an $8 million ice rink than a $1 million ice rink all day long, but we’re just not willing to put the time in for it,” Wilson said, noting that he has a 3-year-old son who he hopes will grow up with opportunities to skate at an ice arena in Bonner County.

“We don’t want to wait 10-plus

years to do so,” he added.

NIICE estimates that the first phase of the Field of Dreams rink — a naturally-chilled ice surface — will be ready by next winter.

Subsequent phases, including a cooler unit and eventually a steel structure to cover the rink, are outlined on the group’s website at niicearena.com.

While Wilson said NIICE would be happy to combine resources with SCCC should the Sandpoint group experience a massive uptick in funds and approach construction, he said the Ponderay project seems to be, as NIICE’s motto puts it, the “attainable, affordable, achievable” option for now.

“Honestly, our hope is that when we start to take off and there are skates on the ice, that they will consider reciprocating,” Wilson said.

Representatives from SCCC did not reply to requests for comment before press time.

Next steps Despite pushback, as of Feb. 1, the agreement between Bonner County and SCCC signed on Oct. 26 remains in place, according to Fairgrounds Director Darcey Smith.

For Connolly, the next step is going back to the map.

An aerial view of the county property slated for the Sandpoint Ice Arena. Image from a media release on the BCSO Facebook page.

“The next move is to get all the players, all the stakeholders, in a room and try to figure out if this is where we want it and if we want to go forward with it there, or should we be looking … more on the fairgrounds itself as a spot for it,” Connolly said, adding that when he says “fairgrounds,” he means “inside the road that cuts basically along the edge of the portion that they utilize now.”

The board’s weekly business meetings since November have featured repeated requests for a public workshop on the ice rink, conceivably in order for “all the players,” as Connolly put it, to hash out the issue and receive public feedback. Asked Feb. 1 whether a date was set for such a meeting, BOCC office manager and Deputy Clerk Jessi Webster said the board had no meeting of the sort on their schedule.

Still, Connolly is advocating that such a workshop be the best move forward in the case of the proposed Sandpoint Ice Arena.

“I think that we need to have an open conversation about, ‘Is this the best place for it?’” he said.

NEWS

Idaho Senate passes $600M income tax bill without grocery tax repeal amendment Bill heads to Gov. Brad Little for signature or veto

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho Senate passed the largest tax cut in state history on Tuesday by a vote of 27-7, along party lines. The $600 million package that reduces income and corporate tax rates and offers income tax rebates to most taxpayers now heads to the governor’s desk.

House Bill 436 was the first bill introduced this session, which began Jan. 10. The proposal was outlined in Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State address and draws from this year’s $1.9 billion surplus.

The package includes $350 million in one-time expenditure for the tax rebate, and $251 million on an annual basis beginning in 2023.

Before senators started to debate on the bill, Sen. Christy Zito, R-Hammett, motioned to send the bill to the amending order to add an amendment that would repeal the state’s grocery tax.

Zito said she hears regularly from constituents that they want the tax repealed. That motion, which was called a hostile amendment by

Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, was defeated by a vote of 8-26.

Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, voted against the amendment and said people don’t realize getting rid of the grocery tax would result in a tax increase.

“What you’re hearing from the public is, they want to keep the tax credit and get rid of the sales tax,” Winder said. “If you get rid of the credit, people are going to get an increase in taxes. They just don’t understand it. The proper move is to increase the credit.”

Rice said a public policy survey from Boise State University showed Idahoans expressed a desire for property tax and income tax relief by nearly the same amount — 37.7% favored property tax, and 37.4% preferred income tax, while 19.6% said they wanted sales tax relief.

“This gives them the income tax relief,” Rice said. “There are other bills that will provide property tax relief that have already started working their way through, and some that are yet to be introduced. This does match up with what Idaho citizens think is

Little reactivates National Guard for COVID response Moderna vaccine sees FDA approval

By Reader Staff Gov. Brad Little announced Jan. 31 that he would activate the Idaho National Guard for the fourth time during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic “to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 in Idaho.”

According to a media release, Little activated 75 Idaho National Guardsmen to assist Primary Health and the Idaho Department of Correction, which are experiencing staffing shortages because too many employees are absent from work due to COVID-19.

Little also secured 503 additional

personnel through a state contract to assist Idaho hospitals overwhelmed by the virus.

“I am proud of our men and women of the Idaho National Guard who have stepped up time and again to help our state and communities get through an unprecedented, challenging time,” Little said. “The strain on health care, schools, business and government from the spread of COVID-19 is a reminder that we are not out of the pandemic, and we need to be vigilant about keeping ourselves and our loved

< see COVID, Page 6 >

important.”

Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, said he had reservations about the tax cut and he would have rather seen the money spent on K-12 education in Idaho or infrastructure needs. He also wasn’t sure how much of Idaho’s surplus is related to federal stimulus dollars and that gave him concern, but he ultimately supported the bill.

“With great respect, I probably would not have spent that much money this way. That said, I recognize the state should not just sit on the money either,” Guthrie said.

Senate Democrats debated against the bill, saying the cut is so large that other forms of tax relief are unlikely to pass, such as property tax.

“Just ask yourself, if a $500 million property tax relief bill comes your way, can you vote for this bill and vote for that bill?”said Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, during debate. “And that’s about what it will take to cut property taxes 25%.”

The bill includes an emergency clause that will make it retroactive to Jan. 1 if it is signed into law

by Little, who has five days to sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature.

This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, a Boise-based independent, nonprofit online news organization delivering indepth coverage from veteran Ida-

The Idaho State Capitol building reflected in the Joe R. Williams building on March 23, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) ho reporters on state government and policy. The Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by tax-free donations in 22 states. Learn more and follow daily updates at idahocapitalsun.com and statesnewsroom.com.

New legislative map moves Rep. Heather Scott out of District 1

By Reader Staff Bonner County is among the eight counties split in the legislative map upheld Jan. 27 by the Idaho Supreme Court, along with Ada, Bannock, Bonneville, Canyon, Kootenai, Nez Perce and Twin Falls counties.

The new map carves out the southwestern-most portion of Bonner County, moving it from District 1 to District 2, which now includes about half of Kootenai and all of Benewah, Shoshone and Clearwater counties. That change includes shifting the boundary line north of Blanchard, meaning current District 1A Rep. Heather Scott now resides in District 2.

“On the next ballot, if I choose to run I will be in a different district,” she told constituents in a

video posted Dec. 17 on her website, repheatherscott.com.

That also means residents of District 1, which includes most of Bonner and all of Boundary County, will have a House seat to fill in the 2022 election, with primaries scheduled for Tuesday, May 17.

Hot on the heels of the Supreme Court ruling, one candidate has already announced a run for the District 1A seat: Travis Thompson, who threw his hat into the ring on Feb. 2. The official opening of the candidate declaration period is Monday, Feb. 28.

To view the legislative map and related material, go to legislature.idaho.gov/redistricting/2021 and click on the “Adopted Plans” tab. The map is listed at the bottom of the page under the heading “Adopted Legislative Plan.” To

Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard. File photo. search for an address and determine its legislative district, click “L03 Map Viewer.”

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NEWS Community members sought for review panel in LPOSD superintendent search

By Reader Staff The Lake Pend Oreille School District is asking for community members to get involved in the search for a superintendent to replace Tom Albertson, who is retiring in July.

Albertson’s tenure as superintendent has played out during a fraught time. Appointed in the summer of 2019, it was less than a year before the COVID-19 pandemic upended school operations. Serving through the pandemic has required “tough decisions … that not everyone can agree upon,” he told the Reader after announcing his retirement in December.

Facilities, personnel and financial management experience; familiarity with state and federal laws; a strong background in education; and no small amount of diplomatic skill are needed to do the job, and that’s why the LPOSD Board of Trustees invites applicants to sit on a committee to review preliminary candidates for the superintendent position.

The board aims to select 12 community members — whether they have students in the district or not — who will join 12 staff

members serving on the Superintendent Search Interview Observer Panel.

According to the district, the panel’s task will be to watch preliminary interviews of between six and eight superintendent candidates and provide individual feedback on each to the board.

The interviews will take place Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17 from 3 p.m. until as late as 9 p.m. District officials stressed the members of the panel must be able to attend the entire session each day.

To apply, go to lposd.org and click on the “Superintendent Search 2022” link, then select “Interview Observer Panel Application.”

Download, fill out and return the application to the LPOSD District Office at 901 Triangle Drive, in Ponderay, by 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 21.

In the meantime, the board of trustees will convene for their regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 5-6 p.m. at the Ponderay Events Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way, in Ponderay.

To access board agendas, minutes, meeting videos and other information, go to lposd.org/board-of-trustees.

< COVID, Con’t from Page 5 > ones healthy.”

Little’s office issued a reminder of all actions taken by the the state in directing resources to expand health care capacity during the pandemic, including mobilizing the National Guard, deploying a military medical response team to North Idaho last year, and contracting with the federal government to add hundreds of personnel to assist hospitals and affected entities.

Idaho has also allocated $1.8 million to expand the number of monoclonal antibody treatment facilities across the state, “cut red tape” when temporary licensing fees were waived for retired or inactive nurses so they could activate their licenses — adding more than 1,000 nurses and other health professionals to the state’s health care workforce.

In direct support of health care providers, $5.8 million has been allocated to hospitals to help relieve staffing shortages, another $5.5 million for primary care and urgent care entities, $8.5 million for increasing discharges from hospitals in order to preserve bed space and $30 million toward expanding COVID-19 testing in Idaho K-12 schools to minimize virus transmission.

Coverage of Idaho’s schools has gone hand-in-hand with statewide news about the virus. Idaho Education News identified Jan. 31 that the continued outbreak of the highly contagious omicron variant has “pushed Idaho’s coronavirus case numbers to anoth6 /

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er weekly record.”

“The state and its health districts counted another 19,667 new cases last week,” Idaho Ed News reported, “a 14% increase from the previous week’s record.”

The positive test rate also set a record for the third week in a row, rising from 35.2 to 38.8%, and backlogged positive cases — some 40,000 — have yet to be processed by the state’s health districts.

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jappesen told reporters at a Feb. 1 media briefing that “COVID-19 numbers across the state continue to go the wrong direction,” calling vaccination the way to “turn the tide.”

According to statistics from Idaho Ed News, the percentage of Idahoans vaccinated against COVID-19 grew last week from 52 to 53%.

On Jan. 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its full approval of the Moderna vaccine for use in people 18 and older, sharing in a press statement that the shot “meets the FDA’s rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality required for approval.”

Moderna is the second COVID-19 vaccine to gain such approval, with the Pfizer vaccine getting the official green light for use in people 16 and older in August. Both vaccines obtained emergency use authorization in late 2020.

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: Response to Russian aggression against Ukraine has included the threat of economic sanctions, CNBC reported.

Since then Russian stocks are down, and the ruble is at a 14-month low.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, announced he will step down this year. When campaigning for president, Joe Biden said if a justice position opened, he intended to nominate a highly qualified Black woman. Depending on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s response, Biden would be the first president who won the popular vote, in more than a decade, to appoint a justice.

A new omicron variant, BA.2, so far does not appear to evade vaccinations, but it could drag out the world’s omicron surge since it spreads more readily, The New York Times reported.

The need for organ transplants is expected to rise due to COVID, according to Kaiser Health News. The virus can damage or destroy the heart, lungs and kidneys, as well as other organs.

A federal stash of 400 million N95 masks will be distributed free at community health centers, pharmacies and grocery stores. According to NPR, up to three masks per person will be provided.

Both a political consultant and a Senate Democrat recently said Biden should move to the “center.” Columnist and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich examined the idea, noting that Richard Nixon did not find support for recognizing China in the center, nor did Ronald Reagan find support for smaller government in the center. Other presidents who took groundbreaking steps that lacked “center” support included Teddy Roosevelt when breaking up trusts and Franklin Roosevelt when he created safety nets for the poor.

“Visionary leaders of America have always understood that the ‘center’ is a fictitious place lying somewhere south of thoughtless adherence to the status quo,” Reich stated. It can also be a safe spot for cruising as a congressional lawmaker, while collecting annual salaries of $174,000 per year.

The Postal Service Reform Act in Congress would boost the USPS’s finances by eliminating the requirement to prefund retiree health benefits 75 years into the future. Critics regard the pre-funding (passed in 2006) as an effort to privatize the USPS. No other federal agency or pri-

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

vate corporation faces that kind of financial burden; ending it would open the way for the post office to show a profit.

Biden’s scheduled visit to Pittsburgh, Penn., to urge support for Build Back Better coincided with the collapse of a bridge, which injured 10. During his visit, CBS reported, Biden noted that since he took office 367,000 manufacturing jobs have been added, the highest increase in 30 years.

The House Jan. 6 Committee sent subpoenas to 14 people involved with the false Electoral College documents submitted Dec. 14, 2020 from six states.

Committee member Jamie Raskin told CNN, “We have filled in a lot more evidence that [Trump] wasn’t just inciting an insurrection, he was working to organize a coup against democracy.”

At a Texas rally, Donald Trump said that if he becomes president he could pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, 761 of whom have been arrested. The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that the comment was “a form of obstruction of justice in full public view.” Columnist Reich said Trump’s failure to take the spotlight off Jan. 6 is not likely to win over most Americans, who don’t believe the election was stolen and who are appalled by the Capitol attack. Richard Painter, White House ethics counsel under George W. Bush, said Trump’s pardon comment should, constitutionally, stop him from running again.

The Department of Homeland Security said domestic violent extremists have been plotting to disrupt the U.S. power grid since at least 2019, CBS News reported. Plans included the Northwest, where four white supremacists schemed to damage transformers in Idaho and surrounding states.

Blast from the past: Early in the Biden administration the House passed popular legislation such as strengthening voting rights, boosting labor unions and increasing child care opportunities. The legislation has been blocked in the Senate, where politicians represent a minority of voters. The Guardian pointed out that unequal representation is reflected by Senate Democrats representing 40 million more voters than Senate Republicans. It goes back to the Founders trying to draw less-populated states into the Union: No matter what a state’s size, each was promised two senators. Today a state with 70 times as many people as Wyoming — think California — has far less representation in the senate per person.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

The workweek

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

This past week I worked an inordinate (to me) amount of hours, with deadlines, technology mishaps, and expanding project scopes colliding into a perfect storm of crushing responsibility and too much screen time.

What was surprising — aside from the amount of coffee one person can consume during the course of a day — was how uncomfortable the long work hours felt to me. Growing up, especially in an area with a high concentration of agricultural and industrial jobs, being a “worker” was something to hang your hat on.

My life in work began with a babysitting certification at age 12, which “equipped” me to care for four children under the age of 6 for $5 an hour. An early worker’s permit afforded me the opportunity to swirl ice cream cones at age 14. Weekend and after-school “sandwich artistry” shifts later gave way to bartending and waitressing through college. And 40-hours-plus take-home responsibilities were inherent in my first “career job” in social services.

But since being self-employed, and since making a conscious shift away from conflating work output with my self-worth, the 40-plus-hour workweek — especially from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — feels if not entirely antiquated, then at least a bit nonsensical.

The examination of worklife is not a new concept, dating as far back as the notion of wage labor itself. As we transi-

Emily Erickson. tioned away from simply doing what was necessary to sustain our family units and into the Industrial Revolution, humans were reimagined into units of productivity — literal cogs in the machine of rising capitalism.

The 70-hour workweeks of the 1800s were gradually whittled down to 60- and 50-hour weeks at the onset of the labor movement, with people fighting to reclaim leisure via protests, strikes and unionization.

Eventually, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 40hour workweek was standardized, not because of sweeping research about the exact amount of hours a person is most productive in a day; but, rather, because three eight-hour shifts fit into a factory day and spreading out work over more people was one prong in the effort to combat the Depression-era unemployment crisis.

This punch-your-time-card, 40-hour standardization was left largely untouched, serving as the modern template for a productive, balanced workweek — scrutinized only by trendy global tech companies or wealthy, progressive gov-

ernments. That is, until the COVID-19 pandemic rocked our traditional work-life structure, accelerating conversations around what a workweek can and should look like in a wide array of industries.

Not only are people reconsidering how many hours a day to work (with some companies transitioning to six-hour workdays) or how many days a week to dedicate to getting those hours (like the rise of the fourday workweek), but also when, where and how those hours are actually worked.

The most recognizable deconstruction of how we “clock in” amid the pandemic is remote work, with working from home being an essential survival tool for many employees and businesses over the past two years.

With calls from workers to maintain this flexibility — and citing no obvious loss in productivity — many companies are adopting this new structure full-time or crafting hybrid models with optional office hours, co-working space subscriptions for employees, or split time between the home and office.

Another new take on work structure is the asynchronous week, with employers opening up the spectrum of acceptable times to be clocked in. In an asynchronous work schedule, hitting daily hour goals takes precedence over when those hours actually happen. Companies will encourage teams with overlapping responsibilities to sync their schedules when necessary, but rely mostly on intranet systems or stored virtual channels for communication and information sharing. This allows employees to work whenever is

best for them on any given day.

Finally, my favorite reimagination of the traditional workweek is the project- or deadline-based work schedule, in which employees have a quota of tasks to accomplish in a given amount of time, with no set hourly or daily structure for how to reach that quota. Aside from occasional meetings or coordination with team members, employees have full agency

with when and how much they work in a week to fulfill their responsibilities — as long as they meet their deadlines.

Now, obviously, not all industries can freely reimagine what it looks like to be at work, but as more of these concepts leave the realm of conversation and become commonplace, we’re collectively inching closer to outgrowing our standardized 40 hours.

Retroactive

By BO

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Congratulations…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • “I want to give kudos to the lovely lady who left a $20 Winter Ridge gift card at the cash register for the next customer, which was me. A little more kindness spread. Thanks so much for making my January in Sandpoint most memorable!”

— By Denise GUEST SUBMISSION: • “A big thank you to all of the businesses and individuals who clear the snow from their sidewalks. A special thank you to the city of Sandpoint for keeping the bike paths and Sand Creek Trail in such good shape this snowy winter. A big Barb, however, to Super One, which has made absolutely no effort to clear any of the three blocks of public sidewalks on Boyer and Larch. It’s a mess there!”

— An Avid Walker

• The Angels Over Sandpoint announced Feb. 1 that the 2022 Follies has been canceled due to a “myriad of reasons, all COVID related,” according to Kate McAlister.

McAlister said the Angels will help raise money by designing a “Follies Family” T-shirt, which will be sold on the Angels’ Facebook page.

“WE WILL BE BACK in 2023,” McAlister wrote, noting that she has already reserved the theater the first weekend in March, 2022.

Barbs: • The Idaho Supreme Court upheld its decision Jan. 27 to approve the new legislative boundaries approved last year, sealing the fate of Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, who will no longer represent us here in District 1. Throughout her time in office, I have been critical of Rep. Scott, for various reasons, namely that she only seemed to care to represent those bumper sticker fans of hers on the far right, thumbing her nose at everyone else. Now the chickens have come home to roost and she’ll need to appeal to a new set of constituents to remain in the Legislature. Perhaps our new representative will be more inclusive instead of promoting B.S. and calling it patriotism.

Good riddance. Bye, Heather.

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Dear editor, Congratulations on your retirement Kim [Woodruff]! Five words that I knew I would say, but still was not sure that it would happen. Kim has helped shape the parks and recreational opportunities throughout our community during his tenure at the City of Sandpoint. He has always demonstrated a passion for what he does and a genuine care for the community and the experiences that he has been able to provide. Kim has positively influenced and impacted many lives, including my own over the years. This has come in many forms, from providing a kid their first job, setting up a class for someone to learn a new skill or working to bring new life to a park facility. You have made a lasting impression upon myself and this community. As someone who has always lived life to its fullest, I wish you all the best!

Jason Wiley Sandpoint

Motherland…

Dear editor, A few years back I wrote an article and letters speaking to the point that, “I want my America back.”

Today, the politics and real and alleged “fake news,” media and internet outlets have inundated the people of this nation, now becoming splintered factions causing dissent within.

I now request the more personal demand: “I want my Motherland back!”

How have our children and children’s children so forsaken all the beauty of the founding fathers’ aspirations and the creation of such a beautiful, idealistic civilization based on democracy and our unified beliefs?

Born as one who is called a “baby boomer,” now getting old (but not yet decrepit), I fear we are no longer displaying America’s virtues to the world. I wonder what has become of our goal to live as one nation, indivisible under the god of your choice?

Who would have thought that a band called The Beatles, who sang in the 1960s (whom our parents didn’t understand), would have somehow been so spot on: “Come together… come together… right now.”

The internet may have changed the way we communicate forever. But, to my Motherland, I say, “I love you just the way you were!”

(And, no, I do not include all the advances we have made and are making including the rights of Black Americans, women’s rights sexual rights, etc. I am referring more to the way people were so proud of this nation in the 1950s after the Greatest Generation helped save the world in World War II).

James Richard Johnson Clark Fork

Protect Idaho’s waters from Canadian mining pollution…

Dear editor, I grew up in North Idaho and returned to this area about 13 years ago after retirement. When I moved back here, I was captured by the beauty of this area, and I’ve found that the people in this community truly care about keeping our beautiful places pristine.

We are lucky here in North Idaho to have many natural places to appreciate. This also means that we have a responsibility to ensure that the places we all love are protected from degradation, pollution and other harm.

I learned recently that the Kootenai River, one of the spots in North Idaho that many of us have enjoyed spending time fishing in, playing and recreating at, is in danger because of selenium pollution. A Canadian coal mining company called Teck is leaching selenium into the Elk River Valley, which flows into Lake Koocanusa in Montana, and then flows downstream into our Kootenai River here in Idaho.

Montana recently set new limits on selenium pollution in its waters, which is comforting because it means that less downstream selenium pollution will be coming into our water in North Idaho. I was happy to see that Montana was taking steps to protect this river. However, Teck is now trying to overturn the Montana limits. I am disappointed that Montana is even considering listening to Teck’s arguments.

I don’t understand how a Canadian mining company has the right to try to appeal a U.S. standard that was put in place to make sure our waters and aquatic ecosystems stay safe.

Montana should keep these selenium limits in place to protect its waters — and Idaho’s.

Dave Pietz Sandpoint

McDonald should recuse from Skinner decision...

Dear editor, Once again, last week’s commissioners’ meeting on a rezone needs rescheduling due an error by the Planning Department. Are these happening deliberately to frustrate the concerned residents who show up? The good folks wanting to maintain their rural character in Hoodoo Valley think so!

Beyond lame office errors, a larger issue is brewing. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Otis-Skinner rezone request in Selle Valley is scheduled.

Commissioner Dan McDonald and his wife are longtime personal friends with Skinner.

Many of us believe McDonald should recuse himself from making the legal decision allowing Skinner’s 700 acres to be divided into 10 acres (instead of 20 acres specified by existing code). I posted about this problem on a local forum, to which McDonald

immediately fudged the truth. He admitted they “hung-out” when their now-adult kids were “Cub Scouts,” but had “stopped socializing …12 years ago.” Yet, there are posted photos of Dan, his wife Kathy, Don Skinner, his wife Julie, all together in May 2020 at a Skinner family party. It’s also public knowledge they attended a Skinner family wedding in Hawaii.

McDonald’s very measured response on the legalities, after “interviewing” with the county’s attorney, saw no problem. My return response: “Our general public’s view of a public official’s conflict of interest goes beyond family members and pecuniary rewards. When legal decisions are rewarded with nice favors (before and after), it’s seen as ‘thumb on the scales’ ... favoring friends over constituents.”

Further, from my research: “Conflict of interest is best described from a citizen’s perspective when a ‘reasonable and informed person would perceive that an official could be influenced by a private interest when carrying out their official function in relation to a matter.’ Honest officials and judges recuse themselves all the time based on personal connections.”

Rebecca Holland Selle Valley, Sandpoint

Idaho Community Foundation accepting grant applications in North Idaho

By Reader Staff The Idaho Community Foundation’s Forever Idaho North Grant Program, which provides grants of up to $25,000, is now accepting applications from community organizations that serve Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties.

The deadline to apply is Saturday, Feb. 15. First-time applicants will need to register for a free account with the ICF to complete

the application. Allow two business days after registration for the account to be active.

For more information or to apply, visit idahocf.org/nonprofits-students/grant-opportunities-and-workshops.

Forever Idaho distributes general operating grants with special consideration given to organizations working in one of ICF’s “areas of impact,” which include family homelessness and basic needs, mental and physical health, educational opportunities and/or access to services.

If awarded, funds may be used for any direct or indirect costs related to the organization’s activities, including payroll, rent, utilities, supplies and equipment, project costs, capital improvements and/or program needs.

The Forever Idaho grants are funded through the generosity of donors who recognize that needs within communities and among nonprofits are constantly changing, and they have entrusted ICF with the flexibility to forever meet those evolving needs.

Clark Fork-Hope Area Senior Center to host Sweetheart Bingo Feb. 11

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff The Clark Fork-Hope Area Senior Center will host its first fundraiser in nearly two years on Friday, Feb. 11, as the organization plans for Sweetheart Bingo just in time for Valentine’s Day. Doors to the event will open at 6 p.m., with games beginning at 6:30 p.m. Bingo cards will cost $5

each, or $20 for five cards. Players will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, including several gift cards to local businesses including $50 to Evergreen Homestead Supply and much more.

The Clark Fork-Hope Area Senior Center, located at 1001 Cedar St. in Clark Fork, serves as a gathering place for all ages, best known for bi-weekly lunches on Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:30

a.m. Those over 60 years old pay only $5 for a filling meal, while those under 60 pay $7.

The facility is run mostly by volunteers and is also available for event rentals.

Those interested in using the space, or volunteering, can reach the Clark Fork-Hope Area Senior Center at 208-266-1653.

PERSPECTIVES

Camp Bay beach giveaway disputed

By Susan Drumheller Reader Contributor Whether 50 feet of shoreline in Camp Bay stays open to the public is scheduled to be decided by the Bonner County commissioners on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

The commissioners were court-ordered to revisit a decision that gave away Camp Bay Road and 50 feet of waterfront to a developer. County officials dispute that the road provides public lake access.

Area residents are organizing a Camp Bay Beach BBQ event from noon to 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 5, to raise awareness about the issue.

“It seems the county was able to give away a public beach because most people didn’t even know about it,” said Doug Gunter, a Sagle-area native. “We don’t want that to happen again.”

The commissioners agreed in April 2021 to abandon 2,550 feet of Camp Bay Road to Green Enterprises, LLC, arguing it was in the public interest because the county would no longer have to maintain that portion of road.

The over century-old county road ends at the shore of Camp Bay, where fishermen once brought their catch to shore and the Northern Steamboat would stop for passengers, mail or deliveries when signaled by a flag.

John van Schravendyke’s family homesteaded Camp Bay and petitioned the county in 1908 to dedicate the public road.

His daughter Jeanne inherited the property, and leased cabin lots to vacationers.

In recent years, some area residents were unsure of the status of the beach, because the Greens would sometimes chase people off.

More recently, realtors are doing the chasing.

“I walk down to the beach all the time.

The last time I walked down there, I was run off by the realtor and told I was trespassing,” Krista Aman Widgren posted on Facebook.

“He threatened to call the police.”

Randy Green, Jeanne’s son, said the road used to connect people to the lake for commerce, public transportation and postal delivery.

“Somewhere I read my grandmother writing about butchering a cow and that they only had two gunny sacks so the cow would have to be sent to Sandpoint over a two-day period,” he said. “They hoped the captain would return the empty gunny sacks on his way back to Bayview, so they’d have them in order to send the next half into Sandpoint.”

Neighbors Fred and Jennifer Arn attended the April public hearing to protest the vacation.

“I can’t imagine any planet where denying access to the lake for the public is in the public’s best interest,” Fred Arn said during

a recent interview on The Voice podcast.

Despite evidence that the public rightof-way ended at the high-water mark, confirmed by the recent court decision, the county planning staff stated in their staff report that there was no public lake access.

Commissioner Dan McDonald repeated that claim on Facebook.

“The fact is there is ZERO public lake access where it was claimed to be,” McDonald wrote in a Nov. 21 exchange on the Bonner County Discussions Facebook page.

But the Green Enterprises application did not shy away from the fact, arguing that it was in the county’s interest to give up the shoreline because it would be too expensive for the county to develop the site for recreation and area residents could get to the lake in Garfield Bay. Not long after the county decided to vacate the public right-of-way, the county commissioners also agreed to spend $830,000 to pave Camp Bay Road to the proposed gated community.

Since then, the bulldozers have been building roads at Camp Bay. M3 ID Camp Bay LLC, an Arizona development company, purchased 407 acres in the bay, with 3,000 feet of waterfront, from Green Enterprises for $13.5 million, according to Randy Green. Phase 1 of the project will have 22 lots and five common areas.

The upland lots are selling for $790,000 to $1.09 million. The smallest waterfront lots (just over two acres) are almost $2 million each. The common lots include a community center and community dock, recently approved by the Idaho Department of Lands.

The next phase of the project is proposed to have 15 homesites (yet to be approved by the commissioners) and a common area bordering National Forest lands.

Like much of the public, Zelma Brisboy, who grew up in Camp Bay, was caught by surprise by news of the road vacation.

“We swam together, helped cook for the hayers,” she wrote to the Daily Bee in December. “Never a thought about the road being private. It wasn’t and should not be private. If they want to gate something, they can. Gate the development.”

Paying close attention were Randy and Gary Green, the younger brothers of James Green, majority owner of Green Enterprises.

The elder Green won a controlling interest of Green Enterprises after his parents died, and he won a lawsuit brought against him by his younger brothers and sister. His siblings claim he tricked his parents into giving him all their shares in the family enterprise and that their mother, Jeanne, wished the land to be conserved.

At the April hearing, Gary Green tried to discuss a conflict of interest issue — that Steve Klatt, then head of the Road and Bridge Department (since retired), was also a principal in Green Enterprises. He was silenced by Commissioner McDonald, who stated the comment was “not relevant.”

Klatt did not submit any comment for or against the road vacation. However, the planning staff interpreted his silence as tacit approval.

The findings of fact in the county’s decision stated the vacation was in the public interest because, “No public agency or neighbors have objected to the proposed vacation.”

County Planning Director Milton Ollerton said that it’s the department’s policy to assume consent if no comment is provided and that he was unaware that Klatt had a conflict of interest at the time.

While county officials have argued that Klatt had recused himself from the issue, in an email exchange between the Planning Department and Brad Marshall of JUB Engineering from Feb. 2, 2021, Marshall states, “Alex Brownlee of M3 and Jim Green have had several discussions with Steve Klatt of Road and Bridges, and Milton [Ollerton] about vacating the end of Camp Bay Road. Steve is favorable since the road is a dead end and it would be less road for the County to maintain.”

While agencies were largely silent, a number of neighbors objected in letters to the county. One neighboring property owner’s attorney, Toby McLaughlin, submitted a letter that points out that the original dedication of the county road — contained in a viewers report — extended the right-of-way to the shoreline.

“This right-of-way allows the public to access the lake at Camp Bay, which is not an insignificant resource to the public,” McLaughlin wrote, adding that any perceived public financial benefit may be negated by

Fred Arn looks out at Camp Bay on Lake Pend Oreille. Photo courtesy Susan Drumheller. the county taxpayers paving the Camp Bay Road to the proposed gate.

McDonald claims that the road easement stops at the Green’s northern property line, but McLaughlin disagrees, noting that the map with the road dedication clearly shows the termination of the easement at the waterline, which was prior to the construction of Albeni Falls Dam. The dam raised the ordinary high-water mark, meaning the existing public right-of-way would extend well down into the current lakebed.

At the hearing, the Arns argued it was not in the public’s interest to vacate the road.

“People used to ride their bikes down there,” Fred Arn said. “People have gone down there as individuals or groups forever.

Locals used to catch the ferry and go to Sandpoint. It’s not replaceable.”

After the decision, the Arns filed a motion for reconsideration, to which the county did not respond, so they took the county to court, won, and were awarded attorney’s fees.

But the matter isn’t settled yet.

The District Court remanded the decision back to the commissioners, who now must find new justifications for why vacating the road is in the public’s interest.

For more details about the Arns’ fight to save the public shoreline, visit their website at 50feet.net. For information about the Camp Bay Beach BBQ, search under “Events’’ on Facebook.

Susan Drumheller is a former Spokesman-Review reporter and editor, and a board member of Project 7B, a local nonprofit with the mission to support land use planning based on locally shared values and aspirations. More information is available at project7b.org.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

fused deposition modeling

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist You may have seen the 3-D printers at the library. Ever wondered how they worked?

Last week, we learned about photopolymer resin and its applications in dentistry and 3-D printing, but the library’s 3-D printer doesn’t use resin. It uses a spool of thin plastic that is somehow transformed into an object designed on a computer through the magic of whirring gears and motors.

Printers that use spools of plastic filament are called “fused deposition modeling” printers, or FDM printers. Compared to the intense levels of chemistry involved with photopolymer resin, the method in which an FDM printer transforms spool into cool is really simple.

The filament is fed into a metal nozzle by a motorized gear. The nozzle is then heated to a temperature exceeding 200 degrees Celsius or 392 degrees Fahrenheit, which causes the plastic to melt. The motorized gear that’s pulling the filament into the machine is simultaneously pushing out the molten filament onto the print bed, while other motors direct the print head unit around the bed in whatever pattern was programmed in by the slicing software. Depending on the model, sometimes the print bed will also raise and lower so that the print head doesn’t have to.

The print head will trace an outline of the object with deposited filament and then fill in the interior with something called infill, often hexagonal or triangular patterns that give the item structural stability without expending 10 /

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a huge amount of filament. This keeps the printed item lightweight and inexpensive to produce.

The print head will deposit material over and over again while also blasting the deposition with cool air from a fan to rapidly cool it down and allow it to fuse to the plastic layers below. This is a lot like making a sandwich — the printer is adding layer upon layer, stacking it up until the job is done. Unlike a sandwich, you really don’t want to eat this stuff or it will make you incredibly sick.

FDM printers are very different from resin printers in a lot of respects, but each has its own strengths and weaknesses. FDM printers aren’t able to capture the level of detail that a resin printer can produce, but require considerably less maintenance and precaution than their ultraviolet counterparts.

As an example, with an FDM printer, you can simply pop your print off the build plate as soon as it’s done. A resin printer would require you to remove the build plate, clean the print and build plate in a bath of isopropyl alcohol, then cure the print with ultraviolet light before your print is ready to be used. Additionally, you would need to wait for the alcohol to evaporate from the build plate before you started another resin print — all while wearing gloves, a mask and goggles.

FDM printers aren’t invincible, however. They sport many more mechanical parts than a resin printer, which consists mostly of electrical components.

One large benefit to FDM printers is the huge variety of materials you can print with.

While they are all plastic products at heart, there are filaments available that sport wood grain

and contain real bits of wood, metallic filaments that will show a patina effect over time, as well as carbon fiber and even food safe plastics.

There are a number of other really interesting 3-D printers on the market, including material jetting, or MJ, printers that operate much like a traditional inkjet printer. The printhead has a section with many perforations aligned in rows and columns.

These perforations release droplets of photopolymer resin in very specific patterns based on the item programmed into the printer. A UV lamp is attached to the other side of the print head, allowing the printer to cure the model as it prints it.

This method of 3-D printing is extremely fast and detailed, but it is also very expensive, ranging anywhere from $6,000 to $750,000 per printer. You likely won’t see an MJ printer anywhere outside of a research and development lab for prototyping a company’s products.

One more method of 3-D printing is called selective laser sintering, or SLS. This utilizes a chamber filled with plastic powder that is heated to just below the powder’s melting point. A computer-guided laser then targets specific layers of the powder, pushing it just over the melting point and mechanically fusing the particles. It will do this layer by layer until a sturdy, precise item is seemingly pulled from thin air. This is great for prototyping or creating custom and durable items like chassis for power tools, ski-wear and more heavy-use items. The quality is on par with injection molded items you’d find at just about any store.

3-D printing is incredible

technology. Using just a few basic measurements, you can build a model on your computer and print it out over the course of a few hours to replace all manner of things from tool handles to device cases and covers. You can even bring completely new objects into existence that help personalize your living space or your organization. Why conform to what some company overseas thinks your office should look

like? Really make it your own!

If you fancy yourself a skilled designer and entrepreneur, you can even make some serious money by starting up your own manufacturing business. Companies will pay top dollar for great designs, and I’d be willing to bet they’d much rather pay to have it shipped six streets down than across the ocean.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner lie chaplin?

Don’t know much about char • Charlie Chaplin openly pleaded against fascism, war, capitalism and weapons of mass destruction in his movies. For his troubles he was slandered by the FBI and banned from the U.S. in 1952. When he was offered an honorary Academy Award in 1972, he hesitantly returned and received a 12-minute standing ovation — the longest in the Academy’s history.

• Chaplin made the Hitler-mocking film The Great Dictator in 1940 using his own money because none of the Hollywood studios were comfortable irking the Germans, as they had financial relations with them. The film is said to be one of Chaplin’s greatest performances.

It was banned in Germany and its aligned countries during WWII. • Chaplin was intricately tied in with Disney. Chaplin was one of the inspirations for Mickey Mouse. He would later go on to work with Disney as a distributor and help Disney in its negotiations for Snow White.

• Chaplin not only wrote, direct-

We can help!

ed, produced, edited and starred in his films, but also composed the musical scores for many of them.

He won the Oscar for Best Original Dramatic Score in 1973 for his film Limelight, more than 20 years after it was released.

• While Filming The Gold Rush, Chaplin did 63 separate takes of a scene in which his character eats a boot. In reality, it was a prop made of licorice and Chaplin ended up being taken to the hospital for insulin shock due to the high sugar intake.

• In the 1931 film, City Lights, Chaplin made an actress do 342 takes of a scene in which she said two words, “Flower sir?,” despite it being a silent film.

• Chaplin was originally excluded from the Hollywood Walk of Fame presumingly due to his left-leaning political views.

• Chaplin once went to a Charlie Chaplin-look-alike competition and came in third.

PERSPECTIVES

Voices in the Wilderness

Getting lost in familiar places

By Diane Newcomer Reader Contributor In September of 1960, my husband and I, with our two baby boys, moved to a ranch on Lightning Creek Road. My husband got us settled and returned to California to sell our business there. My new neighbors, Paul and Mary Jane Gabriel, took me under their wing to introduce a city girl to life in the country. Mrs. Gabriel taught me to milk the cow and tend the one chicken. When Thanksgiving came along, their daughter, Anna came home from boarding school and we became fast friends.

On a lovely fall afternoon, just a few weeks after I had arrived, Anna and I decided to hike up Scotchman Peak. We left from our homes at the base. Mrs. Gabriel said she’d take care of the boys.

I insisted on taking Wotan, my pet Doberman. I was clearly very green to country life.

Off we went. Anna pointed out the landmarks below, which totally captivated me. They still do. Wotan caught a scent and off he went up the mountain. As we continued uphill, we knew it was getting later and the days were getting shorter, something I’d never before had to consider. I called Wotan over and over but no dog came running. So, off we went to find him. Up and up we hiked: calling, wishing, worrying.

We sat down on a big rock to consider our options. Searching for Wotan had taken us off the trail. It was getting chilly and we were just wearing sweatshirts. It was then that we realized our rock was actually part of a cliff! Finally, Wotan sauntered up, looking at us expectantly. “Is it time for dinner?”

We sat on our rock and looked down at both of our houses. We watched the cars drive from one house to the other and back. No doubt, they were wondering: “Where are the girls?”

We knew exactly where we were, but how to get off the cliff in the failing light eluded us. We tried to snuggle with the dog. Anna’s long-haired collie would have been a much better choice than my Doberman.

We sat, muttering a bit. Time dragged on and it was getting colder and downright dark. “Look!

Was that a light?” We searched to see it again but there was nothing.

Still, we knew her dad would be out looking for us.

Staring into the dark we saw a twinkle again, this time we could hear him calling, but from a long way away. We called back and slowly, steadily, the light and his voice came closer. We could hardly see his outline with a kerosene lamp. Kerosene lamps are not bright. We must have been like excited puppies when he reached out to us and led us down the mountainside to warmth, homes, and two little boys snug in bed at the Gabriels’.

Sixty-two years later, I recall my introduction to “wilderness” as a time where I learned that you can be “lost” even when you know right where you are! That is the beauty of having a truly wild place like the Scotchman Peaks as your backyard. This experience, along with many more unexpectedly wild adventures, has made our ranch on Lightning Creek Road a wonderful place to call home.

her seven children on the ranch and has served the community in many ways since 1970.

Voices in the Wilderness is a storytelling project by Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. The series of wild stories are written by locals living in North Idaho and northwest Montana. If you

Left: Diane Newcomer. Courtesy photo.

Right: Looking out over Lake Pend Oreille at sunset. Photo by Gary Smith.

have an adventurous tale to tell based in the wild, write to info@ scotchmanpeaks.org for guidelines or just send it along.

Diane Newcomer dreamed of farming at 10 after spending a weekend on a small farm. At 22, she and her husband moved to Idaho to do just that. She raised

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COMMUNITY

Fill your daily cup of coffee with love

Dry January has drawn to a close.

I participated in the annual sobriety challenge this year, and detailed my reasons for doing so in a Jan. 6 article titled “New year, no brews.” In short, I was after a couple of things: saving money, correcting my gut and simply seeing if I could do it. For me, 2021 was a year of overindulgence, so it felt right to start 2022 on a different note.

It ended up being worth it.

For the first week, I’ll admit that it was odd not to head straight for a beer in the evenings while I made dinner.

Instead, I opted for a bubbly water (Aha brand is the best, but generic brands can be just as tasty depending on flavor). Pretty soon, I realized that my habit had nothing to do with hoppy IPAs but rather the simple act of having a cold can in my hand.

I ate out less, since the joy of eating out lies mostly in the beverage for me.

I slept better. My digestion seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. All in all, the satisfaction of having met my personal goal was worth any minor irritation that accompanied being “left out” — a feeling that I no longer had by Week 4.

Still, Dry January didn’t come without its downside. For me, that was my increased reliance on caffeine to fill the void in my tastebuds. I wasn’t drinking beer, so I began to reach for a cup of my second-favorite beverage in the afternoon: coffee. As it turns out, I have lost my invincibility when it comes to caffeine and, on those nights, I did not sleep well.

I also noticed myself hankering for sugar in the evenings. I had a come-toJesus moment over a dinnertime PopTart in the fourth week. If I did this again, at least I would know about this Kryptonite and adjust accordingly.

I would recommend that anyone reconsidering their relationship with alcohol take a “dry month” any time during the year. There is money to be saved, hangovers to avoid and fun in the challenge. If I learned anything in the past month, it’s that people won’t judge. You do you.

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Ponderay Rotary news

Evans Brothers is creating a special blend, called the Love Blend, that is due to be released in February. A portion of all online and cafe sales of Love Blend beans will go to the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force. According to Task Force Board Co-Chair Linda Navarre, “BCHRTF is thrilled to be partnering with the caring individuals at Evans Brothers, and using money raised to continue our tradition of creating a community where all feel welcome.”

Evans Brothers and the BCHRTF have had many successful partnerships. Board Co-Chair Brenda Hammond stated, “This enhances the collaborative relationship already existing between BCHRTF and Evans Brothers as they have in the past hosted the Art for Human Rights exhibit and the annual 100,000 Poets for Change events.”

This year’s Love Blend highlights two coffees from Ethiopia and Brazil, medium roast, with silky body and tasting notes of molasses, hazelnut and chocolate covered strawberries.

Those interested in drinking great coffee, while at the same time supporting the BCHRTF, can pick up the new Love Blend at the local Evans Brothers cafe: 524 Church St., Sandpoint, and online at evansbrotherscoffee.com.

The Evans Bros. team is pictured at left, from left to right: Rick Evans, Leola Johnson, Casey Robertson, Alani Strang, Randy Evans and Carrie Clayton (BCHRTF Board Member).

Left: Ponderay Rotary welcomes Alicia Walker into the club. Alicia grew up in Sandpoint and currently works as a registered nurse at Bonner General Health. She has already been an amazing addition to the club and is excited to contribute more. Kari Saccomanno, president, left, and Alicia Walker, new member, right.

Right: Ponderay Rotary Club is honored to name Jim Kane from Avista as the November Member of the Month. Jim is an integral part of the club. He keeps the club on track, contributes substantial time to the Scholarship Committee, and whole-heartedly supports club initiatives in all ways. Photos courtesy Ponderay Rotary.

Creations welcomes new art instructor Creations at Sandpoint is excited to welcome Sharon Rings to teach the Great Artist Workshop Series at Creations.

Rings is a retired elementary school teacher with a passion for the arts. She has experience teaching a variety of art skills to children of all ages and she loves to see students creatively express themselves through art. Creations is very excited to have Sharon teaching the Great Artist Workshop series for six weeks starting Feb. 4. The class will run every Friday 3:30 to 5 p.m. and is open to youth age 7-13 years old. This art class will teach a variety of art mediums and art techniques, while also teaching art history and features the Great Artist Program curriculum. The class costs $10/class or $8 when you

purchase a five-class punch card. The classes are drop-in, so arrive a little before 3:30 p.m. to register and get ready to participate in the class! You may also reserve a spot by emailing creationsforsandpoint@gmail.com.

“We are grateful to Marsha Lutz for donating her professional photography service and capturing art students at work at Creations,” the organization wrote in a release.

Left: Sharon Rings offers Creations at Sandpoint students art instruction at a recent class. Photo by Marsha Lutz.

OUTDOORS

Happy trails

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Cavanaugh’s at Priest Lake has long been home to some of North Idaho’s most be-loved winter activities, hosting a variety of organized trail rides and snowmobile drag races over the years. One event, the Priest Lake Rock ’n’ Ride, is set for Saturday, Feb. 5, featuring a snowmobile poker run and plenty of other snowy, beachside activities.

“We’re right off the trail system up here and our snowmobile community is super important to our business in the winter,” said resort manager Drew Cyr, “so we were excited to give it our best shot to put this together.”

The first year of the latest Rock ’n’ Ride Poker Run, in 2021, brought in about $5,500 to benefit the Priest Lake Groomers Association, which manages almost 400 miles of trails around Priest Lake.

“This year, we’re hoping to eclipse that,” Cyr said.

Poker runs are typically conducted by motorcycle or classic car clubs, during which participants embark on a ride with

Cavanaugh’s Resort to host annual Priest Lake Rock ’n’ Ride Poker Run and beachside party

stops along the way.

“For us, due to the nature of the winter sports activity, we thought it would be fun to do a trail ride up the mountain,” Cyr said.

The four stops on the 2022 Priest Lake Rock ’n’ Ride Poker Run ride include Lee Lake, Soldier Creek, the Warming Hut and Camel’s Prairie Cutoff, with all riders finishing back at Cav’s.

According to Cyr: “Essentially each stop represents a card in the poker hand, and the ranking of your poker hand will dictate who wins prizes at the end of the run.”

Riders pay $30 to participate in the poker run, must sign a waiver and also must have an up-to-date trail sticker on their snowmobile.

“We’re trying to raise awareness of the importance that you get your annual upgraded stickers,” Cyr said, “because that’s a huge part of [the Priest Lake Groomers Association] money as well.”

Cav’s hosted a similar event over the summer with a UTV/ATV poker run and raised about $3,500 for the local fire district and trails club, Cyr said.

Aside from the snowmobile poker run,

the Rock ’n’ Ride event will feature more events and activities to keep the fun going back at the resort. Things officially kick off Friday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. with a vendor, sponsor and volunteer party in Belle’s Room, which will be open to the public and feature games and a bonfire. Local country-rock artist Devon Wade will provide live music from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Feb. 5 the event gets rolling with burritos and bloody marys at 9 a.m., along with poker run registration. The ride then takes off at 11 a.m. and is set to conclude by 4:30 p.m. back at Cav’s.

While the Poker Run is going on, the Rock ’n’ Ride Winter Mall will be in full swing on the beach at the resort, featuring vendors, a beer garden and beer tasting, Cav’s BBQ food, games and a chance to take photos with the Priest Lake trail grooming machine.

The poker run after party starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, including a silent auction, live music from Royale, an awards ceremony, games and swag drops.

At its core, Cavanaugh’s Priest Lake Winter Rock ’n’ Ride is meant to be a cele-

bration of the area’s unique terrain and the people who care for it.

“In addition to just being on the trail system and being one of those places on the east side of the lake where people frequently stop in for lunch or to warm up, for us it’s just about community-wide tourism,” Cyr said. “We’re pretty unique in the fact that we have just under 400 miles of trail system that we work with up here. That’s a lot of trail for a small organization, a small community to take care of.”

By the end of the weekend, the hope is that the event once again makes a difference for the Priest Lake Groomers Association.

“It is important to try to prop them up and help them out,” Cyr said.

The Resort at Cavanaugh’s is located at 40 Vacation Court in Coolin. Learn more about the Rock ’n’ Ride and buy tickets at cavsresort.com/rock-n-ride. To learn more about the Priest Lake Groomers Association visit bonnercountyid.gov/priest-lake-groomers-advisory-board.

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FEATURE

Conservation: From the Timber Wars to collaboration The deep roots of 20th century timber politics

By Zach Hagadone Special to the Reader This story winds through the earliest days of economic development in North Idaho taking in the booms and busts of the first half of the 20th century. It illustrates the deep roots of what would come to be called the “Timber Wars,” which shook the nation in the 1980s and ’90s, and brings us into the 21st century with a changed spirit of how to leverage conservation for both ecological and economic benefit.

The central themes of conflict and collaboration — especially as they relate to timberlands and how to manage them — require a longer view. The conversations surrounding them, unearthed in the records of regional newspapers, sound eerily familiar even as far back as the turn of the 20th century.

To understand how the conflict of the Timber Wars has evolved into collaboration, then we must start at the beginning — with the development of the timber industry and how its interplay with notions of conservation changed during the first five decades of the 20th century. Using the experience of the Inland Northwest, and North Idaho in particular, as a case study offers a unique perspective on the far larger trends that continue to resonate today.

So it is there that this story starts, amid the forests, mountains, lakes and river valleys of Bonner County and its surrounds.

‘Cut-and-run’ It didn’t take long for Euro-American settlement in the Inland Northwest to run headlong into the forests of the region. In the larger states and territories of the West in the late-19th century, timber harvesting had been a booming industry for decades.

But as the 19th turned into the 20th century, what had been considered backcountry or pass-through land on the way to the Pacific Coast was starting to fill up with homesteaders, hacking out farms and fields from the vast stands of old growth.

One large wave of settlement followed the Homestead Act of 1862, which offered 160 acres to citizens or those who planned to become citizens. Rooted in the ideal of an agrarian America, this land clearance would provide a massive economic boon while acting to expand and tie together the 14 /

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United States after the Civil War. However, this was accomplished at the expense of Indigenous tribes across the country, which were displaced by land seizures, faulty treaties and violence that culminated in the strategic and systematic removal of native people from territories that federal policies insisted were best exploited by white settlement and industry.

Yet, as settler colonists moved farther west, into the thick forests and rugged terrain of places like western Montana, northern Idaho and the then-Washington Territory, those 160 acres started to feel inadequate for establishing a profitable agricultural operation. And so, from the 1870s to the 1890s, Congress passed a raft of laws that allowed settlers more options for increasing their homestead allotment — if they installed irrigation, for instance, they

would be entitled to more acreage. One of those laws, the Timber Land Act of 1878, expanded the ability of settlers to buy large sections of forested territory. In 1892, it was extended from the states of California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington Territory to all public land states, including Idaho.

While the Homestead Act had been intended to support agrarian settlement and the removal of Indigenous peoples, supplementary laws in the Northwest had morphed it into an invitation to commercialize timber cutting. Why bust your hump clearing a mountain valley full of rocks and trees unless you could make something off the labor itself? Indeed, why even bother with the trouble of digging and blasting stumps to plant crops when the stone and timber itself could be more profitable than the produce of your fields?

Bonner County lumberjacks pose in the woods with their tree cutting equipment in the early 1920s.

Photo courtesy Conner Co. Historical Society.

Adam Sowards, an environmental historian who serves as director of the Pacific Northwest Studies Program at the University of Idaho, described this as part of a “cut-andrun mentality” that was common at the time.

“On the one hand a really strong, prevailing ideology in that era was that land should be farmed and trees were sort of in the way of that, so the first step in improving the land was to cut down the trees,” he said.

However, following the flurry of legislation surrounding the Homestead Act, it became clear that “almost all of these laws were horribly corrupt and ineffective in doing what they were set up to do.”

“Land agents would look the other way

< see TIMBER, Page 15 >

< TIMBER, con’t from Page 14 > when there was fraud,” Sowards said, “it was really easy for a timber company for example or a mining company to hire people to acquire the land and then sign it right over to the company.”

The newspapers published in the communities of northern Idaho in the late-1800s and early-1900s are filled with evidence of the boom in timberland purchases empowered by federal legislation — sometimes whole pages of broadsheet covered in notices of claims made in the Coeur d’Alene land office that settlers would “offer proof to show that the land sought is more valuable for its timber or stone than for agricultural purposes.”

From the beginning of these policies, there came concerns from observers in more densely populated regions — and, critically, among those in the East — that unrestrained exploitation of timberlands would result in a “timber famine.”

“With that ideal of improvement and that ideal of laissez faire economies you have a recipe for cutting and running, not a lot of investment from timber owners in communities and a real concern as you got toward the end of the 19th century that we’re going to run out of trees — we’re going to run out of wood,” Sowards said.

The solution in 1891 was to actively conserve some of those forested sections, putting them aside in a system of reserves to be administered by the federal government.

“In fact the law that timber reserves were created out of in 1891 was mostly about reforming and revising some of these other laws,” according to Sowards.

The reserve policy, well-intentioned as it was, proved to be among the first flash points of conflict between resource exploitation and conservation in the West — and the newspapers of early-20th century northern Idaho reflected clearly just how vigorous the opposition to that policy was, touching on a range of arguments and issues that would continue to simmer into the present day.

‘It is men we want, not trees’ In the first few years of the 20th century, forest reserves encompassing hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland were established along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, in the Priest River area, in the region of the Clearwater River and in the Cabinet Mountains on the Idaho-Montana border. All of them elicited thunderous responses from state and local political leaders.

A report in the Northern Idaho News of May 19, 1905 illustrated how tangled forest policies had become with politics. Giving much ink to anti-forest reserve partisans like former-Gov. William J. McConnell, who according to a republished quote from the Lewiston Tribune had referred to the “forest reserve movement” in Idaho as “just plain moonshine.”

“The creation of those Clearwater reserves will not and cannot serve the purpose that is

claimed by the department. As I understand it an object of the reserve is to conserve nature’s water storage. Nature, however, makes its own forest reserves,” he said.

What’s more, McConnell added, “It is true that agents are doing some good in preventing the theft of timber from the government, but the forest reserve menace has gone beyond such purposes.”

Idaho Democratic Sen. Weldon Heyburn — an attorney representing mining interests in Wallace — rose to the front ranks among the critics of then-President Theodore Roosevelt’s forest reserve policy. As the lead front-page article of the Feb. 1, 1906 edition of the Pend Oreille Review put it, Heyburn was locked in combat with the conservation-minded Republican president so as to “preserve Northern Idaho from becoming a huge forest reserve.”

According to the paper, Heyburn spoke from the Senate floor, blasting the forest reserve system, which he claimed had already gobbled up 23,000 square miles of the state.

“It is men we want, not trees,” he said.

Back home in northern Idaho, citizens in Sandpoint and Clark Fork gathered at mass meetings to oppose the reserve system, in one instance forming a committee to present an appeal to Roosevelt that he “stay the impending injury to our homes, our schools, our churches, our industries and the various complicated interests of our growing communities.”

Unrest over the “conservation theory,” as it was derisively referred to in the regional papers, drew no less than Roosevelt’s chief forester, Gifford Pinchot, to visit Coeur d’Alene in July 1907 to hear the complaints in person.

According to a report from the Pend Oreille Review, preserved in the digital archives of the Bonner County Historical Museum, Pinchot had been “besieged for hours by rich lumbermen, small claimholders and protesting citizens,” all clamoring over the forest reserve policy and making for “a strenuous afternoon and evening” for the federal official, who by then had been at the head of the U.S. Forest Service since its establishment in 1905 by Roosevelt.

Pinchot explained that the argument that forest reserves locked out settlement was “a mistaken idea.” He pointed out that at the recommendation of his department, Congress had authorized settlement within the reserves, though under certain conditions.

“If a man wants to go upon a piece of land and make a home the department wants to help him,” Pinchot said. “If he wants to sell out, to get the timber and dispose of it to some lumber company, we want to hinder him and we will if possible. President Roosevelt has no use for the man who skins the land and moves on.”

Pinchot went on to underscore the Forest Service’s goal of conserving timberlands for future use.

“Forests are disappearing so rapidly that

it is estimated that none will remain in 30 or 40 years unless action is taken by the government to protect them,” he told the audience in Coeur d’Alene. “We are not able to tell just how long our timber will last but we know that it is being cut three or four times as fast as it is being reproduced and that we are rushing with railroad speed toward a timber famine worse than any coal famine that we have ever experience or are in danger of soon.”

‘North Idaho is full of leeches’ As the furor over the forest reserve policy continued through the first decade of the 20th century, widespread timber cutting had vaulted Inland Northwest communities into an economic and population boom.

Articles appeared routinely, trumpeting the wealth and possibilities of northern Idaho. Sandpoint’s population had grown from 300 to 3,000 between 1900 and 1906. This growth was spurred in part by employment at the 20 or so mills that had sprung up in the county, as well as the mining operations and rail connections that gave the Sandpoint community “advantages as a commercial center second to none.”

At that time, the Humbird Lumber Company alone employed 550 workers across its mills, yards, stores, bank and general offices — illustrating how deep the company had penetrated in the life of the county. In nearly every newspaper of the period could be found large advertisements for the wares being sold at Humbird company stores — from ladies’ shoes to Spanish olives — the financing deals for land purchases at its bank, even marketing for its foray into providing electricity to the area.

Of the 17 top employers listed in one 1906 article in the Northern Idaho News, 10 were timber-related and at the top was

Inside the Humbird Lumber Mill c. 1920. Photo courtesy Bonner Co. Historical Society.

Humbird.

Sandpoint, according to the writer, was “where labor finds its reward.”

By 1908, the Sandpoint population had grown to 5,000, making it “the metropolis of the upper Panhandle.” It boasted a supply of “the choicest white pine to be found in the rich white pine section of Idaho … [and shipping] more cedar poles than any other city in the United States.”

At the same time, the area had developed to the point where tourism entered the marketing pitch, described as “a most accessible summering place.”

“The location of Sandpoint on Lake Pend d’Oreille makes it an excellent summer resort,” the article stated. “The beach is good and the wild picturesque scenery so quickly accessible to the launch makes it the headquarters for picnic and camping parties. Good hunting and fishing make glad the heart of the sportsman.”

Not everyone was so pleased with the marketing of northern Idaho — nor of the infusion of timber wealth that had created an outsized class of “professional men, real estate boosters, clerks, grafters and knockers, which altogether make up three thousand of the possible six thousand of our lake city and environments, and we want no more of that fraternity.”

That was according to Louis Arnold, who penned an op-ed titled “Ranchers the Need of the Country” in the Nov. 19, 1909 edition of the Pend Oreille Review.

Arnold looked at the tracts of cut-over lands, “where nothing but great expanses of

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< TIMBER, con’t from Page 15 > stumps and brush and second-growth timber are to be seen,” and bemoaned the fact that relatively few rural homesteaders seemed willing to put in the work to remove the stump fields and replace them with productive farms.

Instead, he wrote, “In Bonner County there are 50 attorneys at law — one to every good rancher — enough to get the common people into and out of trouble 313 days in the year. We have 21 saloons in Sandpoint, when there should be but five. We have dozens of commercial houses …

“In all advertising matter sent east it should be made plain that North Idaho is full of leeches and that further importation is undesirable. The frugal, thrifty, labor-loving ruralists are the citizens we need for the solid welfare of this county, and the call should be made for this class.”

The conflict over who should benefit from the wealth of the woods — even how or whether they should benefit — landed on Pinchot himself, as the local papers transformed him into a symbol for all that they despised about the “outside” influence on land management.

When then-President William Taft dismissed Pinchot from his post in January 1910, the Pend Oreille Review printed a decidedly unobjective item on the news. “[S]tates which have been ‘blessed’ with

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forest reserves greet Pinchot’s dismissal with every evidence of satisfaction,” the unsigned article stated, going on to refer to Roosevelt’s former right-hand man on land use matters as a hobbyist who came to “consider himself and his bureau as something sacred.”

“He rode his hobby horse to a fall,” the article continued.

At the root of the dislike for Pinchot and his forest policies was a strain of sectionalism. According to the Review, “The contention of the West that the same form of government should exist here as existed in the development of the eastern states has been growing steadily and there are a great many more opposed to the forest reserve idea now than there were four and five years ago when Roosevelt put so much western land into forest reserves and thus took from settlement vast areas capable of sustaining great populations.”

“Certain eastern people, who selfishly believe the West is the property of the East and who are opposed to state control of its boundaries, will hail Pinchot as a martyr,” the article concluded. “The West, which wants to develop its own territory, will hail Pinchot’s retirement, however it was accomplished, as a signal victory over the bureaucratic form of government he had prescribed for the West.”

According to Sowards, at the U of I, the sectional nature of the conflict over how best to manage timberlands was more than a little disingenuous, with many partisans claiming “these are our woods,” while themselves being newcomers — “they quickly become ‘natives’ in a very short amount of time.”

Meanwhile, the first school of forestry in the U.S. was at Yale, “and I think the anti-elitist perspective that we see so common today in 2022 was certainly the case 120 years ago as well,” Sowards said. “So there was this idea that you couldn’t understand the woods properly if you were educated at a college ‘Back East,’ which is how they would have put it.”

‘Is timber worth protecting?’

Despite the anti-conservation rhetoric in the newspapers, larger economic conditions would soon shift public opinion creating opportunity for collaboration rather than conflict in the woods. Even Sen. William Borah — the “lion of Idaho” — in a mid-November 1909 visit to Sandpoint spoke of reaching a “middle ground” when it came to forest reserves.

Regardless, the political climate remained such that he felt obliged to employ a bit of grandstanding. He joked that the reserve lands in Bonner County had been made by the brother of Sen. John McLaurin, of South Carolina, who “stood on the steps of the Murray Hotel and looked about him and designated the timber, agricultural and mining selections between drinks.”

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Likewise, the papers sniped at the “young men” who came from the East to mark out the reserve boundaries, suggesting that they “looked over the country with a spy glass and smoked cigarettes that they didn’t even roll,” spending “half their time fishing and the other time hunting.”

Still, according to the Pend Oreille Review, Borah said he “believed in conservation of such lands as were timber lands” — though not that a sole federal agency should be wholly in charge of making those designations.

The climate changed — literally and figuratively, in August 1910, when about 3 million acres of forest land went up in flames in northern Idaho and western Montana.

What has come to be called “The Big Burn” or “The Great Fire of 1910” fundamentally altered how not only Northwesterners but the nation viewed land management.

For more than a decade, lumber companies had already partnered with local governments and forest reserve administrators, coordinating to suppress fire and deal with pest and disease outbreaks. But the 1910 fire provided a stark lesson in how valuable a collaborative approach to protecting timberland could be.

“Some people have argued that those fires were what really solidified political support for the Forest Service, to show the need for a national Forest Service but frankly it’s a national Fire Service, as well,” Sowards said.

Another factor in play was the ascendancy of the big mills. By the 1910s most of the easily accessible and marketable timber had been cut and its underlying acreage claimed. The big timber “syndicates” were in control of what was left.

The newspapers of the era show a steady decline in individual “timber and stone” claims, replaced by large-scale land auctions hosted by regional mills, as they began dipping into their reserves. And those reserves were ample. According to one 1908 article in the Northern Idaho News, the Northern Pacific, Menasha Woodenware and Inland Lumber companies alone hadn’t even touched their holdings, amounting to 135,000 acres in total in Bonner County.

With the mills in control of the majority of timber cutting and the vivid threat of devastating wildfire fresh in the region’s memory, the Forest Service, its rangers and reserves came to be seen more as partners than adversaries.

“Idahoans and other Westerners, too, within a pretty short amount of time realized the restrictions [in the reserves] weren’t too terrible,” said Sowards, adding that fire suppression, tree nurseries and burgeoning research partnerships all ended up being a boon to timberland communities.

“That initial opposition was tamped down pretty quickly,” he said.

Far from the “cut-and-run” mentality and anti-forest reserve sentiment of the earlier part of the 20th century, the public

conversation shifted in the 1920s toward how protection of timberlands would secure future prosperity.

For instance, the Northern Idaho News carried a lengthy article on the blister rust “menace” affecting forests throughout the West in 1925. Ominously, the paper reported, blister rust had moved “within a few miles of the northern boundary of Idaho.”

This prompted collaboration between the state of Idaho, U.S. Department of Agriculture and private timber owners to fight the blister rust.

Further detailing various efforts to fight the disease in Oregon and California, the paper posed a compelling question: “Is Timber Worth Protecting?”

The paper wrote, “In order to make local control effective and in many cases possible it is necessary that the owner balance the future value of these reproductive stands against the cost of local control.”

Such an opinion would have been a distinct minority in the previous decades.

Beyond the pure economics of the timberlands, the paper went further to point out that the health of the forests not only affected timber sales, but the overall environment.

One example cited by the Northern Idaho News was an attempt being made by the University of Idaho School of Forestry in 1926 to investigate the environmental, rather than commercial value, high-elevation five-needle pines.

“Should the blister rust sweep through these timber-line pines and destroy them little protection would be afforded the watersheds they once shaded, and streamflow water supply and irrigation would perhaps reflect the irreparable damage that was done,” the paper reported.

According to Sowards, “Anything that allows conservation to be practical I think makes it saleable to local residents.”

“When you first create forest reserves and say, ‘We’re marking this out, and this can’t be owned by a timber country or an individual anymore,’ that sounds really restrictive,” he said. “But when it ends up being some place where you can still cut trees with permits and can get help with firefighting and blister rust campaign support, it becomes a much more popular, practical thing to do.”

This article is the first in a multi-part series supported by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council and sponsored by Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.

The second part will be published in the Thursday, Feb. 10 edition of the Reader.

For more information on this series, visit fspw.org.

COMMUNITY

Community connection opens way for land gift

Idaho Club, KLT and Kalispel partner to return parcel of Pack River Delta to tribal stewardship

By Reader Staff When William Haberman, managing member of Valiant Idaho, LLC, which owns The Idaho Club, approached Kaniksu Land Trust about placing a parcel of the company’s land in a conservation agreement in the fall of 2021, the goal was to protect the property as open space and natural habitat from encroaching development.

The Moose Mountain parcel is about 75 acres and located on the west shore of the Pack River Delta. Located within a wildlife travel corridor and adjacent to an interconnected system of state and federal lands bordering the Pack River, it is valuable from a conservation perspective.

Considering that the land would never be commercially developed by The Idaho Club, Haberman suggested donating the land outright to KLT, reasoning that KLT would be in a better position to manage the land for conservation.

KLT staff had another idea.

Through many conversations with Ray Entz, the Kalispel Tribe’s director of Wildlife and Terrestrial Resources, KLT recognized that the tribe had been working to revive its canoe culture but was limited by a lack of suitable access points. Realizing that the parcel is part of the Kalispel Tribe’s homeland and includes undeveloped access to Pack River, KLT proposed that Haberman give the parcel to the tribe instead.

On Dec. 27, the Kalispel reclaimed a portion of their traditional homeland fronting the Pack River Delta by means of the gift from The Idaho Club.

KLT’s conservation work involves protecting culturally significant lands within the Kaniksu Region, which encom-

passes the historical range of the Kalispel, extending from Plains, Mont., westward along the Clark Fork River to Lake Pend Oreille, and continuing along the Pend Oreille River to the Washington border.

This region was given the name “Kaniksu” by the Kalispel, who lived on and cared for it. The region encompasses parts of present-day Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho, and Sanders County in Montana.

“KLT is honored to have served as a facilitator in support of this very meaningful gift. We recognize the value in returning this wild mountainside to its original caretakers,” said KLT Conservation Director Regan Plumb.

For KLT and the Kalispel Tribe, the gift is less about a conservation movement and more about the value of meaningful connections.

“There is strength in partnership. We probably wouldn’t have even been aware of the potential of this project if not for our relationship with KLT,” said Entz.

The Kalispel Tribe’s interest in the property goes beyond cultural and conservation value — the gift will help support development of canoe access and an interpretive site on the Pack River. The general public will benefit from use of the site as well, which will provide a safer

access than the current pull-off at the Highway 200 bridge over the Pack River.

“When we look at a potential land acquisition, we look at it for its different values, like habitat and access. We don’t currently have this kind of access,” Entz said. “Most access points are shared with a public boat launch, which isn’t ideal for putting in a canoe.”

For The Idaho Club and Haberman, the gift yields satisfying returns, knowing that the land will be valued and cared for in perpetuity.

“We are pleased to have been presented the opportunity to donate a significant portion of The Idaho Club land holdings to the Kalispel Tribe with the professional guidance and encouragement of Kaniksu Land Trust,” Haberman said. “What started as a collaboration with Kaniksu Land Trust, resulted in what we

believe will be a ‘best-case’ scenario for the property and critical habitat in and around the Pack River Delta.

“We believe that this parcel is particularly significant from a conservation perspective due to its direct frontage on the Pack River Delta, natural vistas from the Pack River and Lake Pend Oreille, and prominent location within the natural habitat of the

A photo of Kalispel Tribal members in a canoe on Lake Pend Oreille. The photo is credited to E. Curtis, c. 1908. delta,” Haberman added. “Given our desire to make an impactful donation that permanently benefits the area, we believe we could not have found a more qualified and motivated permanent steward for this critical habitat than the Kalispel Tribe.”

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events February 3-10, 2021

THURSDAY, FEbruary 3

Valentine’s Art Class 2-4pm @ Hope Memorial Community Ctr. Fold a few Valentines and chase the winter blues away. $5 fee. Supplies provided, or bring your favorite origami papers. Taught by Kally Thurman. 208-265-9488 to register Opening Reception art show with Tom Kramer and Robens Napolitan 4-6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Light refreshments served. Artwork will be shown until Feb. 26

FriDAY, FEbruary 4

Live Music w/ Earl Berkley Duo 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Singer-songwriter performing folk, Americana and familiar songs played with intention and connection to the audience Live Music w/ Okay Honey 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6-8pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Te Ata: free film presented by BCHRTF 7pm @ Panida Theater With live tribal introduction on stage

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 7-9pm @ The Back Door

Priest Lake Rock ‘n’ Ride 9am @ The Resort at Cavanaugh’s A fundraiser for the Priest Lake Groomer’s Association. Starts with a snowmobile poker run, kids rides, winter retail mall, live music, BBQ, outdoor games, bonfires, burgers and more. cavsresort.com

SATURDAY, FEbruary 5

F.E.A.R. movie at the Panida 7pm @ The Panida Theater When a virus ravages a mountain community, the survivors must flee from the monsters it created into the barren wilderness.

Filmed by local cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz, who will host a Q&A after the film with writer/director/actor Jason Tobias

Blind Draw Cornhole 2pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Pre-register at 1:30 p.m.

Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Luke Yates & Chrissy Lee 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

SunDAY, FEbruary 6

Sandpoint Chess Club • 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

monDAY, FEbruary 7

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Finding God in Suffering”

tuesDAY, FEbruary 8 Paint and Sip with Nicole Black • 5:30-7:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Join artist Nicole Black to paint a colorful succulent scene, layered in soft details. $45 includes supplies, instruction and a glass of house red or white. 208-265-8545

wednesDAY, FEbruary 9 Tap Takeover - Rock Creek Alliance fundraiser w/ live music by Doug and Marty 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority This event will kick off a series of activities to commemorate Rock Creek Alliance’s 25th anniversary. Tip back a beer or two and help support the Alliance’s work in protecting Lake Pend Oreille from the proposed Rock Creek mine. Raffle tickets available for a special selection of craft beers. Tap Takeover with Modern Times Brewing all day long. Live music w/ Doug and Marty from 6-8pm Live piano w/ Dwayne Parsons 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 18 /

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STAGE & SCREEN

Screening of feature film F.E.A.R. to benefit Panida Movie filmed by local cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It takes a lot of work to make a feature film. All the pre-production, planning, shooting, rewriting, editing and a thousand other tasks are instantly worth it the moment the film is projected onto the big screen for all to see.

For local cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz, that time is now. The Panida Theater will present a special screening of F.E.A.R. at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5. Matlosz and the Idaho Film Company donated the screening to the Panida, with funds benefiting the theater.

Set in a dystopian world, the action thriller F.E.A.R. follows a young family as they struggle to survive the harsh environment of a Pacific Northwest winter during a deadly pandemic, as well as the threat of zombies and bandits

who threaten their lives and steal their supplies. With time running out they form an unlikely alliance with the marauders to survive the apocalypse.

F.E.A.R., or “Forget Everything And Run,” was written

by Jason Tobias, who also stars in the film that he and Geoff Reisner co-directed. Tobias has confirmed he will be flying in for the screening, and will join Matlosz for a Q&A directly after the film. There will also be a meetand-greet to discuss the future vision of the Idaho Film Company. Tickets are available for $10 online at panida.org or at the door the night of the screening.

The film was produced by Action Figure Entertainment and filmed by Matlosz, who is based in Sandpoint. Matlosz was tapped to shoot F.E.A.R. in 2019 and, shortly thereafter, was recruited for the Net-

flix original Yes Day starring Jennifer Garner. Additionally, he filmed the first-ever IMAX student film, The Princess and the Pea; award-winning stop motion work for My Name is Earl; and has contributed to numerous music videos and documentary films.

Matlosz founded the Idaho Film Company with the goal to highlight North Idaho as a potential location for upcoming feature films. He has also personally written several screenplays slated for production in North Idaho beginning in the fall of 2022. The Idaho Film Company is currently seeking investors and partners to develop filmmaking in the region, which Matlosz says will bring job opportunities and revenue to Idaho.

“We made the film on a shoestring budget, in some harsh conditions and pulled it

off without a hitch,” Matlosz said. “There are lots of good stories from the production that I love to share. As a newly-elected Panida board member, I’m thrilled to be able to bring this premier screening to Sandpoint to benefit the historic theater. This will be the first

Left: The poster for F.E.A.R. Right: Cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz. Courtesy photos.

theatrical screening of the film in the U.S.” To learn more about the Idaho Film Company, visit theidahofilmcompany.com.

From her nation to the world

Bonner County Human Rights Task Force presents free film, Te Ata, at the Panida on Feb. 4

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

royal family and beyond.

Despite her death at 99 years old in 1995, Fisher’s impact on Mary Frances Thompson Fish- American culture is still felt today er grew up during a tumultuous as the Chickasaw Nation contintime in Native American history, ues to share her story in works coming of age at the turn of the like Te Ata, the 2016 feature film 20th century in pre-statehood about her journey to becoming Oklahoma as a member of the a world-renowned performer, Chickasaw Nation. Under pressure showing at the Panida Theater on to assimilate into white culture, Friday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.

Fisher pushed back and pursued Traditional storyteller, dancer an education in theater, finding her and musician Dan Namankin will voice as a performer telling the provide an opening performance stories of her tribe in one-woman before the free screening, which is shows that ultimately went global. presented by the Bonner CounOver the course of decades ty Human Rights Task Force. and under her stage name, Te Ata, Namankin hails from the Chief given to her in Joseph Band Of childhood, Fisher Wallowa, Nez Te Ata (PG) traveled the world Perce and Colville Friday, Feb. 4; 7 p.m.; doors Confederated and built connections with leaders, open 30 minutes before the Tribes of Washshow; FREE. Panida Theater, ington State. performing at the 300 N. First Ave., 208-263White House, in Te Ata’s $2 9191, panida.org.

England for the million budget was

financed entirely by the Chickasaw Nation, which has prioritized funding films that tell similar stories.

Despite the indie nature of the film, Deadline compared Te Ata’s production quality to that of a “$50 million Hollywood feature.” The movie, which was shot entirely in Oklahoma, serves as a chance for members of the Chickasaw Nation to control their culture’s storytelling from start to finish.

“Hollywood will take its licenses with characters and storylines, but it’s so much more encouraging and inspiring to hear the stories told from a tribe that originated the stories from the beginning,” Comanche actor Gil Birmingham, who played Te Ata’s father in the film, told NPR in 2017.

Vicky Gold, a Chickasaw woman featured in the same NPR story about the film, emphasized the importance of not just a Native, but a Native woman, being accurately

represented in popular media.

“Just being a woman and Chickasaw Native American, to me, that meant a lot because the Chickasaw Nation got to tell the story their way,” she told NPR. “It wasn’t the old cowboy-and-Indian way. It was our story.

“We, the Chickasaws, Native

A screenshot from Te Ata, which will play at the Panida Theater Feb. 4.

Courtesy photo.

Americans, we are Broadway performers,” she added. “We are actors. We are doctors. We are lawyers. We’re not just an Indian in a movie like you see with the head dress. We’re just like you.”

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The genius of youth POAC to host 19th annual Student Art Show

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff The Pend Oreille Arts Council has long believed that to truly foster an artistic and culturally rich community in North Idaho, resources must extend beyond established artists and into schools, where local children might be given access to artistic expression for the first time.

Some results of that expression will be on display in POAC’s 19th annual Student Art Show, which will kick off with an opening night reception on Friday, Feb. 4 at the Columbia Bank Community Plaza, 231 N. Third Ave. in Sandpoint, from 5-7 p.m.

Students from all five participating schools — Forrest Bird Charter School and Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, Clark Fork and Lake Pend Oreille high schools —

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will be present at the reception to discuss their artwork.

“As a collective, the Student Art Show is always visually intriguing,” said Claire Christy, POAC arts coordinator. “Separately, each piece speaks to the life of its creator. Attitudes, experiences and interests of the student are apparent.”

Christy had the unique experience of having participated in POAC’s student art show as a high school student before arriving at her current role in the organization. She remembers that first chance to showcase her work on such an elevated level felt like “a pretty big deal.”

Christy’s sisters have also had the chance to participate, with some of the feedback they received from POAC organizers leaving a major impact on them as artists.

Several mediums are repre-

sented at the annual student show, making each year different.

“Last year, we had everything from skateboard art to origami sculpture,” Christy said.

POAC hopes that the community will show up to support local student artists, and maybe even buy some of their artwork.

“I bought a painting of a fried egg last year,” Christy said, “and I smile every time I see it in the kitchen.”

While the reception is happening Friday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m., the collection will be hanging in the Columbia Bank Community Plaza until Monday, Feb. 28. Those with questions about the event can reach the POAC office at 208-263-6139.

“If you want to clue in on the current state of today’s youth,” Christy said, “this show will provide you with a peek into their experience.”

Saedey Christy views the work of her peers in the 2021 Student Art Show. Courtesy photo.

MUSIC

Pop punk and profits

When We Were Young Fest is capitalizing on the collective trauma of aging millennials (and doing a hell of a good job)

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Like most people who can vaguely be categorized as millennials, I did a double-take when I saw the poster advertising When We Were Young Festival — a music event slated for Las Vegas in October.

The power-packed lineup could immediately be labeled as Too Good To Be True. My Chemical Romance. Paramore. Bring Me The Horizon. Bright Eyes. A Day To Remember. Taking Back Sunday. The Used. A pop-punk decoupage plucked straight from an emo kid’s fever dream.

A quick survey of the checkerboard, graffitied poster — reminiscent of every stickered-up skateboard circa 2006 — brought on vivid memories. Atreyu, an obscure hardcore band, playing from the speakers of my friend’s cell phone (an LG Chocolate) on the bus ride to sixth grade; singing all the words to Boys Like Girls’ melodramtic breakup anthem “Thunder” on the floor of my bedroom; middle school dances where I can’t believe they let us listen to 3OH!3; and finally, my first concert at only 9 years old. My mom, who is decidedly the coolest mom ever, took my sister and me to see Avril Lavigne — another ghost of pop-punk past with her name proudly displayed on the When

We Were Young Fest playbill.

Initially, only one day of WWWY Fest was announced for Oct. 22. Tickets sold out within hours, prompting two more days — Oct. 23 and 29 — to be added.

All 65 bands are set to play on all three dates across three stages at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, with general admission tickets going for $245 and other, sweetened packages (featuring access to air-conditioned bathrooms and charging stations) going for $400$500 and higher. There are also VIP cabanas going for $12,500.

All three dates and all levels of entry — including the cabanas — are currently sold out.

Following the collective societal realization that WWWY Fest was, in fact, real, the memes rolled in. Many pointed out that the festival is basically Warped Tour — a rock tour featuring many of the same bands that toured North America from 1995 until 2019 — on crack. The difference? Aging millennials remember paying $40 for those tickets.

This cuts to the core of most people’s beef with this Warped reincarnation: It’s an unabashed attempt to profit off the nostalgia of the latest generation made to feel like their best days are behind them. It’s no secret that nostalgia — that is, a craving for things that remind us of the simplicity and security of days past — is accen-

tuated when experiencing trauma. Well, seeing as we’re all going through one of the century’s most traumatic events in the form of the novel coronavirus pandemic, it makes sense that the powers that be would see an opportunity to reach into the pockets of people who are excited to take part in something “normal” and feel like youths again, carefree and convinced that Paramore’s Riot is a work of art. (It is).

My hat is off to the organizers for making Too Good To Be True a reality and, despite how badly WWWY Fest reeks of a money grab, I still have enough faith in the beloved bands of my early years to believe they wouldn’t put their names on something that didn’t have (mostly) good intentions.

As for me? I plan to save my money, blast Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American while I do the dishes and enjoy the soundtrack

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

READ

I have surely previously recommended Mark Spragg, author of Where Rivers Change Direction — a 1999 memoir about his upbringing on a family ranch near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. I’ve recently picked up one of Spragg’s three works of fiction, this one released in 2002 and titled The Fruit of Stone. The characters are rough around the edges, prone to drunken self-destruction and forays into adultery. Still, main character McEban — a simple cowboy with complex feelings — keeps me turning the pages.

LISTEN

The Spotify algorithm recently brought me Wormy — the solo music venture of Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Noah Rauchwerk, The poster to the When We Were Young Festi- who tours as the drummer for indie val is a piece of emo art. Courtesy photo. rock outfit Samia. Wormy only has three tracks currently available on to my messy adolescence from the streaming platforms, but if “Big Mountain” is any indication of comfort of my home. what’s to come, Wormy is worth Still, I wish nothing but the watching. The song is what hapbest for those brave souls who give WWWY Fest a chance. If the pens when folk songwriting meets dream-pop instrumentation. I sent organizers can avoid disaster, fait to my sisters, dubbing it a “soul cilitate safe accommodations and give the aughts’ favorite musicians song,” and they concurred. a place to do what they do best, I dare say that the world’s runWho forgot to tell me that down, burnt-out and increasingly the Terminator franchise dealt gray emos might experience some with time travel? I can forgive a momentary joy. Rock on. lot of gore, explosions and metal-on-metal action sounds for a good time-traveling, destiny-driven plotline. For those unfamiliar, the original 1984 Terminator is Courtney and Company, Eichardt’s Pub, Feb. 5 about a cyborg assassin disguised as a human sent back in time from As the old saying goes, — Riddle’s sonorous, low-reg2029 to kill a woman whose un“two’s company, three’s a ister voice is an effortless born child will lead the human crowd.” While Courtney and blend with the deep sub-basses resistance against the hostile maCompany proves the former, of the harp guitar. chine takeover. I plan to work my its sound is as deep and robust Join the crowd and catch way through all of the films, with as the latter.

Riddle and Powell at Eichthe naive hope that they don’t get Fronted by vocalist Courtardt’s — you’ll be in good worse over time. ney Riddle with David Powell company. on harp guitar and vocals, — Zach Hagadone the duo puts its own thoughtful spin on traditional folk, 7 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s country classics and modern Pub and Coffeehouse, 212 acoustic genres. Performing a Cedar St., 208-263-4005, mix of covers and originals — eichardtspub.com. Listen at Powell serving as songwriter courtneyandcompany.net.

WATCH

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Frank Sinclair and Berkli Music, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Feb. 4 Coeur d’Alene guitarist and singer-songwriter Frank Sinclair will team up with percussionist Anthony Berkley (also known as Berkli Music) for a duo gig at Pend d’Oreille Winery on Saturday, Feb. 4. The pair represents one-fourth of The Red Books, a band formed in 2021 and known for groovy, Americana-inspired tunes and a Friday night residency at Chalice Brewing.

Sinclair and Berkley, as well as the rest of The Red Books, are part of a larger Coeur d’Alene-based collec-

tive called Berx Records, an endeavor launched by Anthony and James Berkley meant to help local artists and businesses with recording, licensing and live music.

Listen to The Red Books, learn more about the band’s individual artists and explore the group’s mission at berx.life.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey 5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., powine.com.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

On winter and our fellow travelers From Pend Oreille Review, February 10, 1922

‘MURDER’ CASE BLOWS UP; LIQUOR CHARGE ALSO FAILS Sheriff Kirkpatrick and Deputy Kuchenbecker were called to Priest River Saturday on a telephone call that an attempt to murder had been committed, but after investigating the circumstances found teh case turned into a liquor charge against Phil Naccarato, afterward dismissed.

It seems that two youths of Priest River, named Linton and Pingle, on Saturday afternoon stole a bottle of wood alcohol or some such fluid from Naccarato’s woodshed, that young Linton took a hearty drink of the stuff and was shortly thereafter taken violently ill. It is said that only immediate medicaly attention saved his life and that only after long hours of arduous work.

The boy’d father, Henry Linton, at first attempted to place the entire blame upon Naccarato, the officers claim, but found he had no grounds for such a proceeding and as a result swore to a liquor complaint against Naccarato, charging him with having sold whiskey to James McDade during the summer of 1921.

Naccarato was arrested, taken before Justice of the Peace J.C. Finstead on Saturday evening, waived preliminary examination and was bound over to the district court under bonds of $500 which he put up. On Monday, however, Linton asked that the charge be withdrawn, and Naccarato was released from the charge.

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By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist A bobcat is traveling around the homestead these days, teaching snowshoe hares and ruffed grouse to pay attention, a good and proper thing for a bobcat to do. I see its tracks rambling through my woods. I also had the good luck of a sighting a few weeks ago.

I’ve seen three bobcats in my years in this neck of the woods, and sightings were years apart. One popped out of the woods on a summer day during my teens, scaring the bejeezus out of my first and only horse. Thunder went straight up and sideways, which scared the bejeezus out of me, as well, but I managed to hold on through his mini-rodeo.

The second was on another summer day 40 years later. Lynx rufus came tiptoeing through my yard, as if it was ready to go straight up and sideways, too, given the right stimulus.

The most recent cat came out of a snowy ditch one night and blitzed across the road in front of me just down the highway from home. I’m sure this is the same I have been following around in the woods west of my house. Watch as I might, I’ve not seen it again. But, I bet it has seen me.

I count such encounters as blessings, as I do most encounters with the wild.

The bobcat came padding past my shop last night, leaving a string of tracks in a skiff of new snow. Sometime after, a small snowshoe hare crossed the bobcat’s trail.

It’s funny to imagine the hare thinking, “Neener, neener!” but it hasn’t the capacity for that. It is a wild thing with instincts developed to keep it alive as long as possible.

It is a hard time for some this week in late January. Current conditions are good for predators, and not so good for some of their prey. Hares, grouse and rodents are not at a distinct disadvantage, but deer and elk drop

STR8TS Solution

through the crust, making it hard and painful going. Moose don’t have such a struggle, as they are built for such conditions, but it still slows them down. The same snowpack is strong enough to hold up big-footed predators, including the bobcat and its catamount cousin. Coyotes and wolves can stay on top, as well. I don’t have much trouble, for that matter, even bereft of snowshoes.

Three nights ago, coyotes celebrated to the north, perhaps howling their gratitude for a deer they took. The family dogs found what little remains of it on a walk with me yesterday.

A few nights after I saw the bobcat, I stopped on that same highway to dispatch a crippled white tail doe. A car came streaking past at 70 miles an hour. My flashers were on and my headlights illuminated me and the poor, floundering critter. Unless they were blind, the driver saw very clearly what was going on there. If you are that driver, you failed your country highway duty. If it’s too much trouble to pause a moment to see what might be needed in that situation, what can you expect when real trouble begins for you? When you hit your deer — “when,” not “if” — I hope someone will stop and see if you need help, which you likely will if you hit them at 70. It’s often a long walk to cell service or the next house where we live.

It is good to live in a time and place where the drama of living wild can be read so easily. The dance is one we can appreciate but never truly understand. We have many layers of brain atop our medulla oblongata filled with memory, dreams, thoughts, opinions and plans that mask survival instincts that might compare to our wild neighbors.

We are made well enough off by our intellectual powers that we don’t need to see every critter that sees us — if we use them.

But, it would also be good if we were to see more of them, particularly those who sometimes use our roads to get around in this sort

of weather. For us, dodging — or hitting — a deer is most often an inconvenience. For them, a plowed road is a break from the struggle.

I’ve had my share of deer encounters of the comprehensive insurance kind, and though I don’t think any one of them was my fault, each one was my responsibility.

So it is, I believe, with anyone who mortally wounds an animal with their car. I’m the one driving the 2,500-pound blinding monster at a speed sufficient to kill or maim anything it hits. It is maddening and saddening to come upon a deer floundering on the road with a broken back and abandoned by whoever hit it. I have dealt with my share, and a number of other people’s as well.

Winter nights are a good time to slow down.

Sandy Compton’s books can be found at Sandpoint bookstores, the Ledger office in Thompson Falls and online at bluecreekpress.com/books or (if you are in a big hurry) amazon.com.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution Too bad you can’t just grab a tree by the very tiptop and bend it clear over the ground and then let her fly, because I bet you’d be amazed at all the stuff that comes flying out.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

wistful

Wortdhe of

Week

By Bill Borders

/WIST-fuhl/ [adjective] 1. pensive, especially in a melancholy way.

“She held her tongue and sat in the corner booth with a wistful gaze as the developers chuckled over how much money they made selling her town.”

Corrections: In the Jan. 27 Reader’s Random Corner column, we mentioned that Michael Keaton turned down the role in Batman Forever because he asked for too much money. That was incorrect. The real reason, which was pointed out by a sharp reader, was that after director Tim Burton was asked to leave over creative differences with Warner Bros. executives, Keaton also parted from the project citing “displeasure with the direction the character was heading,” under the leadership of the new director, the late Joel Schumacher. Sorry for the error.

Also, in the Winter Trails story about Schweitzer, somehow “32K” of trails turned into 32,000 kilometers in the story. The entire circumference of the Earth is about 40,000 kilometers, so, yeah... we should’ve caught this. *sigh*— BO

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Formerly the Gold Coast 6. Knife 10. Wise one 14. Unsuccessful person 15. Killer whale 16. Gorse 17. Of a pelvic bone 18. Lass 19. South American weapon 20. Embraced tightly and heartily 22. Leveling wedge 23. Ironic 24. A nymph of lakes 26. A racketeer 30. Pasture 32. Aisle 33. Winter and summer _________ 37. Weight to be borne 38. Periods of discounted prices 39. Wings 40. A female mediator 42. Jagged 43. Oddity 44. The O in H2O 45. Investment 47. Astern 48. A heavy open wagon 49. Punctuation mark 56. Decorative case 57. Children 58. Deck

Solution on page 22 59. A style of design 60. Type of sword 61. Split 62. Biblical garden 63. A musical pause 64. Typewrote

DOWN 1. Smooth-tongued 2. Puncture 3. Largest continent 4. Close 5. Entryway 6. Damp 7. Trigonometry (abbrev.)

8. Unit of land

36. Observed 38. Exhibitionist 41. Arctic bird 42. Draw out 44. Frequently, in poetry 45. Filled to excess 46. Armistice 47. Something of value 48. Formally surrender 50. A hollow cylindrical shape 51. Poems 52. Paris airport 53. Brace 54. Possess 55. Gave the once-over Februrary 3, 2021 / R / 23

9. Alopecia 10. A secondary company 11. Hello or goodbye 12. Very cold 13. Test 21. A large vase 25. Altitude (abbrev.)

26. Emollient 27. Maguey 28. Happy 29. Drugs 30. Page 31. Holly 33. Indian dress 34. Blockage 35. Lack of difficulty