January 17, 2019

Harold’s IGA

Back to back shows this weekend

HOURS: 3pm to close Mon. through Sat.

FRIDAY, January 18 @ 8-10pm Piano lounge set feat. covers by The National SATURDAY, January 19 @ 8-10pm New originals, obscure covers, Latin songs

Main Street, Bonners Ferry

267-2622

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(208) 610-7359 111 Cedar St. (lower level)

(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

“Is there anyone in the service industry you would like to recognize for their hard work?”

“Bonnie at Goodwill. She is a super nice person and a hard worker.”

DEAR READERS,

READER

Just a short note this week. This cold, dry patch is supposed to break Thursday and Friday with some snowfall! Yippee. Or bummer, depending on if you are one of those who hate winter or love it. Personally, I don’t understand why anybody lives in North Idaho if they don’t embrace winter wholeheartedly.

Plus, it’s way too early in the season to complain. Save that for March.

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

-Ben Olson, Publisher

Marie Stebing Retired youth minister Sandpoint “Danielle at Safeway. She is the sweetest person. She always makes me feel like I am well taken care of when I’m in the store.”

Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders.

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Scarlette Quille, Linnis Jellinek, Brenden Bobby, Nick Gier, Cody Lyman, Marcia Pilgeram.

Thursday Night Solo Series w/

BRIAN JACOBS

6-8pm

DEVON WADE6:30-9:30pm Jan. Doubles Cornhole Tournament

First toss 1pm

SON OF BRAD 6:30-9:30pm

Kayley Zilinskas Office manager at Idaho Pain Clinic Sandpoint “The Brim coffee employees.

They are so friendly; they go out of their way to make you feel like a friend. They make good coffee and they buy locally sourced coffee beans.”

Johnetta Hess Support staff for a Sandpoint employer Edwall, Wash., and Sandpoint “Glen, who does the water wall in the Pend Oreille Walmart. ...

His wife recently had a serious surgery, and he was walking the aisles of the store with her so she would get exercise. He is a hard-working, great coworker and friend, and a good hubby.”

David Blakeney Cap 2 Walmart Sandpoint

Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

George Colliers Facility director Panhandle Animal Shelter Sandpoint

“Sandy Babin at the Catholic church. She works tirelessly doing 100 things at once — for others. She works with the little children and organizes vacation Bible school; she is always cooking for those who need it, and much more. She’ll be rewarded for all her hard work.”

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com

To all of our wonderful friends for their beautiful acts of kindness, an eternal thank you.

And, with gratitude to Matt Hoffman, Nancy Cheslock and Schweitzer for a very special day in our life.

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

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

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

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

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

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

About the Cover

This week’s cover features another world. Dig it, baby.

Love, Dann and Paula January 17, 2019 /

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NEWS

County officials sworn in, Bailey bids farewell

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The Bonner County swearing-in ceremony Monday brought new faces to county positions, and also marked the last official county business for Commissioner Glen Bailey.

Bailey lost the Republican primary to Steven Bradshaw, who went on to secure the District 1 commissioner seat in the November election.

“It’s been a pleasure serving Bonner County,” Bailey said. “Life goes on. There are changes, but that’s the power of the vote, and we all appreciate that. That is what America is all about.”

County Clerk Mike Rosedale thanked Bailey at the ceremony, recalling a time when morning routines came up in a conversation they had.

Rosedale remembered Bailey saying he started each morning with a prayer, 70 pushups, 30 pull-ups and then target practice at 1,200 yards.

“Now 80 pushups, and 60

pull-ups,” Bailey interjected, prompting laughter from the crowd. “You gotta be well rounded.”

McDonald took the oath to begin his second term as District 3 commissioner, thanking everyone who helped him with his campaign.

“Were it not for them, I don’t know if I could have won again,” he said.

Bradshaw, following his oath, mentioned that in his sermon at the Cocolalla Cowboy Church the day prior he told everyone he intended to keep a reminder of Psalms 19:14 in his county office, which asks that words of the mouth and meditations of the heart be pleasing to the Lord.

“I want to thank everybody in Bonner County that voted, regardless of who you voted for,” he said. “It’s going to be an honor to serve for you.”

The first order of business for the new BOCC was to elect a new chairman, as Bailey previously held the title. McDonald and Bradshaw nominated District 2 Commissioner Jeff

Connolly, who used the moment to thank Bailey for his guidance while they served on the board together.

“When I came into office I was pretty sure I had it all figured out, but obviously we learn as we go, and I’m still learning everyday,” he said. “Glen was a great mentor.”

Connolly went on to swear in other recently elected officials, including Assessor Donna Gow, who thanked her family and campaign officials.

“I feel I am truly blessed in that I have inherited a great staff in both the Assessor’s Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles,” she said.

Rosedale was sworn in for his second term as county clerk, and Robert Beers made

the oath of county coroner.

Both thanked the voters, though acknowledged that they ran unopposed. County Treasurer Cheryl Piehl was sick Monday, but was sworn in before the ceremony.

Connolly noted his excitement for what’s to come for Bonner County as he closed the ceremony.

“We feel like we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.

“Sometimes we get a little bit

Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale swears in Commissioner Steven Bradshaw Monday, with Commissioners McDonald and Connolly looking on. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. of flack for that, (and) I think some of the changes we’ve made have been fairly painful, but in the end they are the right decisions moving forward to keep this county whole and prosperous.”

City letter calls for a teamwork approach to EMS changes

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

The city of Sandpoint approved a letter to county officials calling for an open process involving all stakeholders when it comes to proposed changes in emergency response.

The letter comes in the wake of a controversial proposal to shift county EMS services onto a nonprofit called North Valley EMS. While advocates for the proposal say the switch could be an effective way to cut costs, critics say the existing system, which operates as Bonner County EMS, provides the most effective form of emergency service.

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For its part, the letter approved by Sandpoint council members Wednesday night says the city is open to considering systemic changes. But it also calls for an open development process that includes the public and all concerned parties, including the city itself.

“I’m confident we share the common goal of maximizing service delivery for our constituents while realizing any cost efficiencies and ensuring long term sustainability for EMS and public safety services for all jurisdictions,” reads the letter, which is signed by Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad.

Selkirk Fire, Rescue and EMS, which manages emer-

gency response stations in Sandpoint, Sagle and Westside communities, is one of those stakeholders, and its chief, Ron Stocking, said he was brought into the conversation about county EMS services at the end of last year. “(The resignation of the former Bonner County EMS director) presented an opportunity to look at how Bonner County emergency response is handled moving forward,” Stocking told council members.

Stocking said county commissioners asked him to meet with them at the end of November and requested a summary of his ideas for revised services.

Stocking said since he only had

two days to prepare a report, he could only provide sample models for a budget, joint powers agreement and organizational structure, and he hasn’t yet received a response to his suggestions. Those factors are reflected in the city-approved letter.

“There wasn’t sufficient time given for this concept to be fully vetted by the Chief, overall City administration, the Boards and Council involved in Selkirk Fire or the Joint Powers Authority Board. As such, the concept is not to be considered a formal proposal,” the letter reads.

The city recommends that the county set up a study session with Rognstad and other jurisdiction officials to more fully

evaluate the proposed changes.

Rognstad also suggests a citizen advisory committee and an independent specialist, according to the letter.

“I request that you take the time to fully explore and study how an integrated EMS and Fire model could enhance the level of services provided to our citizens, increase efficiencies, potentially reduce overall costs through combined facilities and provide a more sustainable model,” reads the letter. “We have realized all these benefits through our Joint Powers Agreement forming Selkirk Fire.”

NEWS

BOCC approves Sagle asphalt plant following citizen appeal

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit for an asphalt batch plant in Sagle Friday.

The decision followed a citizen appeal which claimed the county’s planning and zoning board unjustly approved the permit in November.

The five-hour hearing saw a packed house in the first floor conference room of the Bonner County Administration Building, with attendance pushing 100. The BOCC, which acts as a judicial body when appeals are filed against the P&Z board, first heard a summary of the batch plant proposal from the P&Z department, then from the permit applicant — Interstate Concrete and Asphalt — and finally from nearly 40 concerned citizens, almost all from the Sagle neighborhood where the proposed plant would be located just off Highway 95 in the Linscott gravel pit.

Representatives from Interstate said the plan is to move their current asphalt plant from Baldy Mountain Road to the Sagle gravel pit, where they already get their raw materials. The move is meant to mitigate the extra miles it takes to transport the raw materials into Sandpoint and then back out to paving projects, with an emphasis on how the move could improve safety for all involved. Interstate’s Engineer of Record, Steve Syrcle, noted that the company’s trucks are currently trucking raw materials 7.7 miles one way to reach the Baldy batch plant.

“That’s across the Long Bridge, through downtown, through school zones, across railroad tracks and back,” Syrcle said.

Syrcle displayed maps of the current batch plant location in comparison to the proposed location in Sagle, pointing out the difference in residential density.

He said there are 422 parcels within a half-mile radius of the existing batch plant, and 44 par-

cels within a half-mile radius of the proposed plant location.

Sagle residents showed up in full force to voice their concerns about the noise, smell and environmental and health impacts the batch plant might create. Many recalled temporary plants in the pit, including resident Corene Jones, who attributed her asthma to those temporary operations.

“Your decision today will seal my fate,” she said. “I can tell you from experience that it affected me … I get the very clear message from Interstate that I don’t matter in regards to my breathing and my home ownership there.”

Interstate and the county say they have no complaints on record from Jones or her concerned neighbors during those temporary operations, but Jones claims the evidence is inaccessible due to a computer system crash within the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

Other landowners shared concerns that living near an asphalt plant may exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, and they may be forced to move. Many said the proposal violated county code, citing a portion which states “the proposed use will not create a hazard nor be dangerous to persons on or adjacent to the property.”

A point of main concern was the aquifer running beneath

a portion of the Linscott pit.

Hydrogeologist Gene St. Godard went on record for Interstate to say it is “highly unlikely” any toxic material would reach groundwater given an accident on the property. Still, the BOCC said they hope the Southside Water and Sewer District does not hesitate to do more frequent water testing. The Southside Water and Sewer District did not have a representative at the hearing.

P&Z Land Use Planner Sam Ross noted that environmental concerns are deferred to other agencies like the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and that conditions were added to the permit to ensure any possible hazards are addressed by those agencies and documentation of compliance is then supplied to Bonner County P&Z. Residents expressed several times throughout the hearing that they felt only getting three minutes to speak when Interstate had no time limit resulted in unfair representation. Sagle resident James Pound said the BOCC should be representing the public’s wishes with their vote.

McDonald explained the board’s role not as representatives of the people during the hearing, but instead as a “quasi-judicial board” meant to determine whether Interstate’s application met lawful requirements.

“We’ve had people say, ‘Well, 40 people showed up against this and only five people spoke for it, I can’t believe you guys voted for this,’” McDonald said. “But we’re not voting for or against anyone. What we’re doing is following law.”

When it came time to vote, Commissioner Jeff Connolly lauded Interstate’s clean track record, noting the company has been a “good neighbor.” Bailey said concerns raised during the hearing were largely addressed in conditions P&Z added to the conditional use permit.

Sagle landowner Bob Staats holds up a jar of reclaimed asphalt at the Jan. 11 hearing. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert.

“I understand we can seem to be cold and heartless. I apologize for that,” Bailey said just prior to the unanimous vote in favor of granting the permit. “We do take seriously your concerns and your issues. We have to make our decisions based on the facts.”

No timeline is set for the construction of the asphalt plant.

Interstate still needs to obtain permits from other agencies before moving forward.

Application period open for 2019 scholarship program

By Reader Staff The Innovia Foundation announced the application period is now open for the 2019-2020 school year scholarship program.

Awards are typically between $500 and $2,000 and help students in Eastern Washington and North Idaho achieve their higher education goals by attending colleges, universities or vocational schools.

Most applications are due

by March 1 with the majority of awards announced by May. “Our donors understand that

with education comes opportunity,” said Innovia Foundation CEO Shelly O’Quinn. “We work with generous businesses and individuals throughout the region to provide scholarships for students who are college-bound or pursuing career training.”

In spring 2018, Innovia Foundation awarded over $230,000 in scholarships to 124 students.

For more information about scholarship program criteria and eligibility, and to access the online application, visit www. innovia.org/students.

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NEWS

Fire claims life of 2-year-old boy

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff A 2-year-old boy is dead following a house fire on East Mountain View Drive in North Sandpoint that occurred 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

According to the city of Sandpoint, house resident James Hyder, father to Andre Hyder, and another adult awoke to find the house already engulfed in flames. They were unable to reach the boy. By the time firefighters, who responded within minutes following a 911 call from a neighbor, were able to reach the boy’s bedroom, they found him already deceased.

A state fire marshal conducted an investigation into the fire and ruled it accidental, with investigations ongoing to the specific cause. Initial autopsy

results indicate that Andre died from smoke inhalation, with additional toxicology results pending.

A vigil was held 6 p.m.

Wednesday in Farmin Park to

honor Andre’s memory. Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad also acknowledged the tragedy at Wednesday’s City Council meeting and praised the valor of firefighters who fought through

the fire to recover his body.

A GoFundMe is set up at www.gofundme.com/funeralcosts-for-2-year-old-andre-hyder to assist with Andre’s funeral.

‘Masked’ man causes stir downtown

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff A man was arrested by law enforcement last week after alarming downtown workers with his behavior and appearance.

John Dinger was reported by witnesses as acting aggressive as he moved from location to location in downtown Sandpoint. The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office released a Nixle alert describing him as 6-feet,

3-inches tall, about 200 pounds and wearing a ponytail hairstyle, gray windbreaker and a “devil mask.”

Spuds employee Kait Reynolds witnessed Dinger come into the restaurant and described his face as covered with what appeared to be red paint. She said he was acting strange and disoriented as he purchased some small food items.

Dinger was later arrested for possession of meth and illegally hopping a train.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

John Dinger is caught on a security camera at Spuds. Photo courtesy Spuds

County Solid Waste to make 10-year improvement plan

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County Solid Waste is looking to improve over the next decade and recently entered a contract with a company that will provide the county with a feasible plan moving forward.

The analysis will come from Great West, a company Solid Waste Director Bob Howard said is familiar with working on waste management practices.

The resulting 10-year plan is slated to include solid waste projections, cost of service analysis and recommendations as well as improvement recommendations, Howard said. Great West’s services will cost about $49,000 — something Howard said was planned into the county’s FY19 budget.

“This is something during budget (meetings) that we discussed quite vigorously,” said Commissioner Jeff Connolly at the BOCC’s Tuesday business meeting, where Howard re6 /

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ceived unanimous commissioner approval to enter the contract with Great West. “This is going to give us a pathway forward for Solid Waste, hopefully for the next 10 years. It’s an investment that we probably should have made quite a while ago.”

Commissioner Dan McDonald said such plans were meant to happen every 10 years, but that the most recent Solid Waste improvement plan was drafted 20 years ago.

Bonner County closed the 11 Mile waste site, located north of Priest River, on Jan. 1, citing “safety issues” and the site’s location on U.S. Forest Service land — and therefore lack of commercial power — as reasons for the closure. Though Howard said in December that the closure would be temporary, he said Tuesday that Great West will determine the next steps for the 11 Mile site in their analysis.

McDonald said the Idaho Hill site is “fairly primitive,” noting it as an example of a place Great

West might consider providing suggestions. He also said the county’s growing population could constitute site improvements.

“We have a lot of changes being made in the county … and we

‘Super blood wolf moon’ eclipse to occur early Monday morning

want to make sure we are capturing that, especially when it comes to solid waste,” McDonald said.

Howard said Great West’s analysis is scheduled to be complete by May 1.

Bill Murray attends Shook Twin show

Sandpoint’s own Shook Twins (Katelyn and Laurie Shook) had a special guest attend their show in South Carolina earlier this week: the one and only Bill Murray, who came to watch Shook Twins playing with Gregory Alan Isakov. “Then he bought us all drinks after,” wrote Shook Twins on their Facebook page. “What a great F-in human being!”

The first full moon of 2019 is sure to start the year off with a bang.

Early Monday morning, Jan. 21, the last total lunar eclipse of the decade will be visible from across the nation.

A total lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the moon passes directly through the Earth’s shadow, causing the moon to turn rusty orange or dark red in color.

The eclipse is scheduled to begin at 12:36 a.m. on Jan. 21 and will reach maximum eclipse at 3:12 a.m.

Monday morning’s total lunar eclipse will appear similar to those in the past, but has been nicknamed the “super blood wolf moon.”

The term “blood moon” refers to the color the moon turns during the height of a total lunar eclipse. January’s full moon is often referred to as the “wolf moon” in Native American folklore, and the term “supermoon” refers to a full moon or new moon that nearly coincides with the closest distance that the Moon reaches to Earth in its elliptic orbit, resulting in a slighting larger-than-usual apparent size of the Moon as viewed from Earth.

HUMOR

TRENDY Living in North Idaho, and being safely out of my 20s, I would not consider myself to be a trendy person. In fact, most of the time I don’t even know something is a trend until that trend has reached the end of its lifespan.

Most trends aren’t meant for people over 35. At a certain age, photographing and posting pictures of yourself featuring activities like twerking, vaping and wearing shorts that have a waist band around your rib cage whilst also allowing your ass cheeks to hang out is just sad.

It’s not my place to judge another human being, and I understand that, in theory, one is only as old as one feels. However, let’s just take a moment to acknowledge that no one over the age of 30 had to deal with parents being able to embarrass us both in person and on social media. You know what I mean? Let the kids have their ‘80s bangs moment. As an adult, we have plenty of bizarre trends geared towards people our age, to post about.

In fact, let’s take a moment to discuss some of the top trendy things adults 30 years old and up are doing on social media.

1. Marie Kondo. Have you heard of this tiny Japanese powerhouse? She has started a multimedia empire which includes several books, an app and now a Netflix show. Marie teaches all of us how to go through our house and remove anything in it that doesn’t “spark joy.”

If you haven’t heard of Marie Kondo and her life changing process of “tidying” your home, let me catch you up: Tidying up Kondo-style consists of going through your clutter in a specific order, discarding everything you so carefully have hoarded through the years, after taking a moment to thank those discarded items for their

service. Yes, there is a bit more to it than that. The last-most trendy part of the process (as far as I can tell) is to post a picture of your perfectly organized dresser drawer featuring vertically folded clothing. I’m not going to lie, I have totally been watching the Netflix show and said thank you to at least three hefty sacks of clothes. I have not posted a picture of my dresser yet, because shamefully I have not finished. I know Marie Kondo would be so disappointed in me, silently judging me while wearing a cardigan sweater and perfect smile.

2. Paint and Sip. We’ve all seen the pictures: seven or eight purple-toothed women holding up nearly identical paintings. These paintings are the product of what’s known as a “paint and sip,” essentially an evening where you pay to drink wine while an art instructor teaches you how to copy a chosen painting.

The paintings are typically landscapes or some other non-offensive home décor-friendly image. This is a trend that I do not participate in. As an art teacher, I spend most of my waking hours trying to get students not to appropriate someone else’s artistic vision. I am always confused at how these teachers get all of their students to paint the same things. I never see a cleverly disguised penis or a random naked person in the finished work. I feel like the closer the person gets to an exact copy of the original, the more their skills are revered. The typical paint and sip seems to disregard the best part of art-expressing individuality.

Don’t get me wrong – getting drunk while painting is one of my favorite pasttimes. However, I would be more inclined to participate in this type of gathering if you could have your choice of drink and subject matter. On second thought, maybe I should capitalize on my strengths and throw an “open bar and paint whatever the hell you want

to” night. Wait, that’s pretty much every Friday night at my house.

3. Indirect communication. One of the biggest trends I see on social media is posting something that tells everyone on your friends list that you are going through a tough time, without actually saying, “I’m going through a tough time.” For instance, when a woman posts a picture of herself doing some sort of yoga pose on a mountain top accompanied by an empowering quote, we can all assume this person is going through a divorce/breakup.

Nothing says I’m single and bitter about it like posting yoga poses or over filtered selfies with motivational quotes.

4. Adults bullying adults. For some reason it’s super popular to post things meant to shame other people for their opinions or their life choices. Complaining about the kids in the community who dropped the F-bomb at the store, or how the local park has too much litter, or complaining that, “Everybody has time to play the silly Game of Thrones quiz but won’t stop to share this religious message or Gofundme page.”

It takes a special kind of self-hatred to stalk local forums in an attempt to gather people together for the purpose of spreading hate, or using social media to shame someone into sharing a cause. There are many people who use social media for fun not as a campaign to promote their values by devaluing other people. Sorry, I took part in the 10-years challenge and watched “Birdbox,” didn’t know that was so offensive to the guy who constantly posts sexist memes and laments about how tough kids in the ‘80s were.

Wait...

Suddenly a feed full of duckface and highwaisted pants doesn’t seem so bad after all.

XOXO Scarlette Quille

With extended seating in our loft, it’s the perfect place for meetings, book clubs, gatherings and more!

Come see what’s new on the menu!

Located on the Historic Cedar St. Bridge Sunday - Thursday 7am - 5pm Friday - Saturday 7am - 9pm 208-265-4396 • www.cedarstbistro.com January 17, 2019 /

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COMMUNITY

Restart EMS Planning Process...

Winter Carnival and Parade of Lights seeking participants

By Reader Staff Bouquets: • This week’s Bouquet goes out to Brenden Bobby, who writes our “Mad About Science” column each week. We don’t have any other columnists who produce work for every issue (except for our staff, of course), so the fact that Brenden repeatedly produces compelling, fun and downright interesting content on a regular basis for absolutely NO compensation is worth noting.

We appreciate you, Brenden!

• Nicole French at Petal Talk announced recently she was going to be closing her floral shop in Sandpoint after almost two decades. My office is just across Cedar St. from Petal Talk, and I always enjoy having them as neighbors. For the past few years, Nicole has taken a stack of Readers home with her on Thursdays to deliver to the Pack River Store to help those residents out there have access to it. Her employee Kim does the same thing for Samuels Store.

They’ve never asked for anything in return, but were simply helping out where they saw they could. Nicole and Kim, thank you so much for all of the bundles of papers you’ve handled. I’m going to miss seeing your colorful shop out my window every day. Best of luck to you, Nicole!

Barbs • It takes a special kind of jerk to rob an elementary school. This week’s Barb goes to the jerk who robbed Naples Elementary School Monday evening and stole the students’ Schweitzer ski field trip and student council funds, among other items. Kudos to the outpouring of assistance from the community and Bonners Ferry Police Department, which led to the arrest of a lone male suspect, according to Boundary County Sheriff Dave Kramer.

No name has been released yet as charges are pending. Also, special thanks to Idaho Forest Group and Schweitzer Mountain Resort, who both chipped in to fund the students’ field trip so they wouldn’t miss their day on the mountain.

Maybe next time this guy will think twice about his thieving ways.

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The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and area businesses are excited to announce the 46th Annual Winter Carnival.

Running Feb. 15-24, Winter Carnival offers 10 days of family fun and activities throughout Sandpoint and Schweitzer Mountain. The festivities will kick off with the Parade of Lights on Friday, Feb. 15, at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Sandpoint.

The downtown Parade of Lights, sponsored by Ting, offers

businesses, organizations and individuals a chance to show off their local pride, creativity and playful side. The Chamber is seeking themed floats, groups, marching brigades, snowplows and tractors – if you can move it and decorate it with lights, they want it in the parade. There are three categories which will be awarded honors at the end of the parade: Best in Theme, Best Participation and Grand Champion.

The Parade concludes at Third Avenue and Oak Street, where winners will be announced and then

an After Party hosted by the Pend d’Oreille Winery and The Fat Pig. There will be music, a free hot chocolate bar (generously donated by Hendricks Architecture) and more!

For a full calendar of Winter Carnival events, and to download a Parade registration form, please visit sandpointwintercarnival.com, or call Kristin at (208) 263-2161 for more information. The deadline to submit an event for advertising and the website will be Friday, Jan. 18. Registration for the Parade is due by Friday, Feb. 7.

Teen Center launches Culinary Program

By Reader Staff

The Sandpoint Teen Center is launching another round of their popular Culinary Program, which teaches basic food preparation and cooking skills and culminates each class in a tasty meal enjoyed by all present. The Culinary Program teaches teens the skills to make simple and healthy meals for themselves, their family, friends and even put the skills to use in a restaurant job.

The Culinary Program will be

every Wednesday starting Jan. 16 - Feb 20 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. (to accommodate charter school students who get out later). Participants that attend all classes will have the opportunity to take their Food Handlers License. Teens may attend one or all six classes as their schedule allows. Come check out the Culinary Program where teens build the self confidence to prepare and cook food and learn future job skills.

The Sandpoint Teen Center

is located at Huckleberry Lanes Bowling Alley on Division St. and Pine St. Their regular hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30-5:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Every afternoon, the Teen Center offers teens a healthy snack, games, homework help and activities depending on the day - bowling, basketball, art, cooking and much more).

For more questions about the project, contact Joan Avery, (208) 946-1087.

Huckleberry Lanes joins Chamber

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed Huckleberry Lanes with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Under new ownership, the well-known bowling alley is undergoing some exciting changes in the new year.

New owners John and Courtney Brekke were born and raised in Colorado. With Courtney’s father being born and raised in St. Maries, and eventually retiring there, the Brekkes have spent many summers here in Idaho and have always loved it. With the substantial growth that Colorado has seen in the last decade they decided to move their young family to North Idaho.

Since owning the alley, they have resurfaced the lanes as well as the approaches, installed an updat-

ed scoring system, gained parts and started rebuilding two pinsetters, updated the bathrooms, brought in a new pool table, foosball table, arcade basketball game and brought in an extensive beer selection as well as some newer food options alongside old favorites.

Updates for the future include repairing the parking lot (come spring time), repainting, changes to the party room and new arcade games.

From left to right: Steve Sanchez, Logan Tucker, John Brekke, Courtney Brekke, Ricci Witte, Bob Witte, Kate McAlister, Alyse Ruggles, Vicky Jacobson In front: Alessa and Jack Brekke.

Join the fun Sun-Thur 11 a.m.10 p.m. and Fri-Sat 10 a.m.-11 p.m. at 120 S. Division St. For more info (208) 255-2695 or visit their website www.huckleberrylanes.com.

Dear Editor and Community Members: Re: Future Bonner County EMS System Changes We received an invitation by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) inviting us (fire service with law enforcement and medical officials) to a meeting on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 9am in the first-floor conference room regarding the future of EMS in Bonner County. The BOCC will not be making a presentation at the meeting, the purpose of the event is to receive constructive input regarding the future of BCEMS. Our local newspapers have posted articles about proposed changes for BCEMS by the BOCC. To date, the fire districts have not received an explanation for the changes, a copy of any proposed changes or a description of how the proposed changes would work. Apparently the BOCC plan to shift the burden of BCEMS to a private Boundary County non-profit ambulance company.

The Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association believes the design process for the future EMS delivery system should include the expertise and concerns of all who are served by the EMS system and by those who deliver EMS services. We, the fire chiefs, believe our fire districts’ emergency services, firefighters and equipment are a vital part of the present EMS delivery system and provide an important and dependable service.

We understand the BOCC have operational, liability, and financial concerns with their current system. Some of these problems are the result of ineffective operations, capital project decisions and duplicate infrastructure.

The fire districts of the County have a long history of delivering dependable emergency services and managing tax-payer funds with proper and transparent public board oversight. Our communities trust us to deliver emergency services.

Given the limited amount of public information by the BOCC, it is difficult to provide specific input for a proposed system that will impact all Bonner County residents and their fire districts. With appreciation for the magnitude of these decisions, we believe there should be a more thorough evaluation of the EMS service delivery options through a collaborative effort of interested and impacted community members and professionals.

We insist the BOCC future EMS system planning process be restarted so that the fire districts can be involved and provide their insight. Restructuring the delivery of EMS is important for everyone in our County. We believe the end result of our combined efforts will be worth the time spent on this project.

The members of the Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association will attend the meeting and participate.

We encourage our community members to attend the meeting and provide their thoughts and comments.

Respectfully, Mark Sauter President, Bonner Co. Fire Chiefs Association

Being a Patriot is More than Just Waving the Flag...

Dear Editor, Steve Brixon’s recent letter in the Reader stating that people go to Congress for power, money and reelection is hilarious. Sounds like a page out of the Republican handbook (not that Democrats are little angels either).

He also addresses Trump haters, telling us to step back and take a breath. Until Jan. 3, most of those 535 members of Congress where he says blame belongs were from his precious Republican party.

He also states that Trump was our duly elected president. Uh, he was installed against the will of nearly 3 million people who voted for his opponent by the antiquated electoral college.

He was the second Republican installed like this in the last five elections. On the other hand, the Democrats who were elected president won handily in both the electoral collage AND the popular vote: Bill Clinton and Obama, both times.

Mr. Brixon and others like him are the ones needing to grow up. They were Obama haters, so turnabout is fair play. It was also the current so-called president who was the instigator of the Birther movement. So Steve, when it comes to hating someone you didn’t vote for, go look in the mirror. Your line of nonsense belies your closing facilitation of blessing America and our troops at the end of all your letters. You talk the talk, but you don’t walk the walk. Being a patriot is more than waving the flag and worshiping the Second Amendment.

Lawrence Fury Sandpoint

Democrats Should Build the Wall...?

Dear Editor, Good story on the 1995-96 government shutdown.

I’m not a politician and I’m a lousy chess player. However, I think Democrats should change course and approve the wall. Heresy or counterintuitive genius?

1. We need to get the government back in operation ... that’s the real emergency!

2. Five billion doesn’t build a wall. That will pay for the design, engineering and planning. A lot of jobs will be created for American engineers (OK, I’m an engineer).

3. Trump and his stooges will come out looking like idiots, bunglers and liars.

4. Democrats will come out looking like adults in the room, good politicians and smart chess players.

Bill Stuble Dover

Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus...

Dear Editor, “Elect a clown, expect a circus”-- said a recent bumper sticker. And it certainly is true.

That’s what we got from our President, who while losing the popular election by 3

million votes, won the electoral college with narrow wins in Michigan and Wisconsin -aided by a Russian misinformation campaign that infiltrated our social media..

In addition to losing half of his cabinet to resignations and firings in his first two years, he has engineered a shutdown of one half of the federal government, insisting on building an expensive wall — that would not do anything to prevent drugs from coming into this country — and which is opposed by 60 percent of his countrymen.

He has insulted our allies, threatened our defense alignments and rewarded his friend Putin in Russia. It turns out he had been pursuing a Moscow real estate deal for decades up until the 2016 election.

Fortunately, due to his actions, the people spoke out clearly, with his party losing the House of Representatives. Perhaps the clown will soon be gone, along with his circus.

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

County Commissioners’ Meeting a Sham...!

Dear Editor, As a resident of the Tamarack Estates development in Sagle, just north of Brisboys, I attended the commissioner’s meeting on Jan. 11 to hear the discussion and supposed appeal of Planning & Zoning permitting Interstate Asphalt’s batch plant to be permanently located in Sagle. It would sit on the Linscott gravel pit site. The county and Interstate were given almost two hours to plead their case (while) 30-plus citizens were allowed only three minutes each to voice their concerns regarding air and noise pollution, water endangerment, retail values and a myriad of health problems.

These citizens were constantly interrupted almost to the point of being heckled by the commissioners, Glen Bailey in particular. It appeared that they weren’t even listening at times. The commissioners are elected officials. They should take into consideration the concerns of their constituents. This was clearly not happening. It was as if the decision to grant the permit had been predetermined.

My neighborhood would be affected by the noise and smell. My biggest concern is the fact that the plant would sit essentially over the Sagle aquifer. If we lose that purity of water, we will never get it back. Pollutants will travel downward across landowner’s properties, right into the Pend Oreille River.

These are all valid concerns voiced by real people. The batch plant would be out of compliance with Bonner County’s land use or comp plan and has no place at that location.

Thank you.

Margie Corcoran Sagle

Volunteerism A series written by Sandpoint Community Resource Center

By Linnis Jellinek Reader Contributor VIP is the name, and volunteering is our game. We connect people who want to volunteer with organizations in our community that need them! We thrive on our ability to take it one step further and connect people with their passion.

If you love animals, want to make a difference in the lives of our veterans or have a strong sentiment for our seniors, our goal is to connect you to the organizations or individuals that help you meet those needs.

Last time we talked about the personal benefits of volunteering. For this article I’d like to share some testimonials from local volunteers who love what they do.

I would like to start by highlighting SCRC’s own volunteer coordinator, JoAnna Quick. JoAnna has been volunteering in her local communities since the age of 10. She says that volunteering at a young age helped her to learn structure, responsibility and many more qualities that she may not have developed until much later. While talking with JoAnna, she joked that most of her resume skills have come from volunteer jobs rather than paid ones. Some of her favorite things about volunteering are the people that she has met and the relationships she has built, as a result.

She is obviously grateful for all of the training, experience and education, too!

We also spoke with Gwen LeTetour, who is a volunteer firefighter. Prior to moving to Sandpoint, Gwen lived in France, where he also volunteered his time as a firefighter. He met his beautiful wife while volunteering in another country and they relocated here, to her hometown. While his long-term goal is to make a full-time career of firefighting, he says this about volunteering, “People don’t do it because it’s a job, people do it because they want to, they love it. Whether or not they’re going to be paid, they’re going to do it.” And he’s absolutely right. We all have something that we feel so passionately about, that we’re willing to put in the work for free. Sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right connection to get us there.

Our friend, Connor Robinson, started volunteering with the fire department when he was fresh out of high school.

Seven years later he is still giving his time to the Selkirk Fire Rescue. Connor says that these past seven years have helped him in countless ways, including his personal growth and maturity.

If you are interested in volunteering, remember from the first article that there are short- and long-term opportunities available. One long-term opportunity is the Resource Specialist position at SCRC. We have a handful of volunteers who come in once a week, once every other week, or even seasonally, to manage the office and work one on one with our clients. And these volunteers have a variety of reasons for why they do this. One volunteer is looking to gain some work experience and computer skills, and another is retired and missed having a “job” to go to. Another volunteer is preparing for retirement and is transitioning into the life of volunteerism. Yet another just loves to give back to the community! No matter the reason, we are very grateful to these amazing individuals, as they keep our organization alive. Until June, the resource specialist office was run only by volunteers.

Now you may be wondering what steps to take in order to get involved.

You can head to www.sandpointcommunityresource.com/volunteer.html and click on the Volunteer Match button that says, “Sign Up”. You will create an account, then click, “Start Volunteering”. From there, you can browse opportunities and connect with organizations that stand out to you. You can attend a VolunteerMatch Live event and meet providers face to face. The next event is Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m to 12 p.m. at Uptown Bagel Co. If you have questions, Volunteer Coordinator JoAnna Quick is here to help. You can reach her at Joannaq@sandpointcommunityresource.com or 208-255-4025.

Are you ready to set your New Year’s resolution yet?

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

war bots

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist I’ve been on a bit of an “XCOM 2” kick lately, which has inspired me to go on and write about cool robots that keep the world safe!

“XCOM 2” is a video game about leading a resistance of humans against an extraterrestrial occupation of Earth. In it, you get a chance to develop autonomous robot soldiers called SPARK soldiers. They carry heavy weapons and provide mobile cover for your soldiers, as well as providing hilarious verbal quips like, “I am graceful like a gazelle!”

It got me thinking, militaries around the world utilize a lot of robots. While we aren’t waging full-scale “Terminator” wars, autonomous units are currently, and will continue to play a growing role in warfare. This is equal parts awesome and terrifying, as we begin to cross the threshold from Iron Man saving the world to Terminators wiping out human life as we know it or HAL-9000 manipulating us all for its own personal benefit. Freaky as it may be, it’s good to be informed!

One important item of note is that, because of our fear of Terminators, robots cannot make intentional kills independently.

While they may be perfectly capable of doing so (and probably have in certain engagements around the world), the act of utilizing a Lethal Autonomous Weapon, or LAW, carries serious penalties. The U.S. military has policies in place barring the use of a robot deciding whom to kill without a human making the kill command (though this line has blurred as technology advances), and countries utilizing LAWs 10 /

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faces serious consequences for doing so, from heavy sanctions to covert sabotage or full-scale invasion. It doesn’t matter how awesome your giant death robot is if an enemy nation’s airborne drops in and neutralizes your power stations or head of government. Then you just have an aimless, angry robot and no wall jacks to plug it into.

The MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as “The Predator Drone” and linked to the “Hellfire Missile”) is probably the most well-known autonomous military robot. Though controlled by humans remotely, it’s perfectly capable of taking off, flying and landing on its own. This is even truer in recent years with the prevalence of artificial intelligence. The public saw a lot of the Predator in the news during the war in Afghanistan. Nothing ups recruitment numbers like showcasing cutting edge tech scaring the crap out of everybody. It was initially developed for aerial recon, but like anything else, if you put an explosive on it, you find a thousand-and-one new ways to make an omelet.

Disclaimer: Don’t break eggs with explosives. Your omelet won’t taste good and you’ll have fewer digits to show for it. Brenden is not responsible for any culinary misbehavior utilizing heavy ordinance.

One of the most valuable uses for robots in war is IED disposal.

Everyone agrees that if you have to worry about disarming an IED, it’s better to send the rolling box of gears than Dave from accounting. At least you can put the gearbox back together if things go south. The PackBot, part of the iRobot project, has seen tremendous use in Afghanistan and Iraq recently. It’s small,

agile and dexterous, capable of disarming explosives remotely or fitting into tight spaces for rescue operations or emergency deliveries or retrievals.

The Foster-Miller TALON is another robot that has seen extensive use by military forces as well as HAZMAT and EMTs in the U.S. and abroad. It’s basically an RC car you got for Christmas, but on tank treads and capable of running for hours at a time. They’re incredibly sturdy and can blast through snow, sand and rocky terrain with relative ease. They were extensively used at Ground Zero after the Sept.

11, 2001, terrorist attacks. An armed variant was developed, called the SWORDS, or Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System, though it’s mostly believed to be a largely psychological tool.

Someone that sees an RC car of death protecting a building probably isn’t going to try any funny business. The SWORDS are being retired, while Foster-Miller is developing their successor, the Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System, which is going to be bigger and probably scarier.

Believe it or not, research for remotely controlled and autonomous war units started as early as 1930, when the soviets developed teletanks. While it sounds like something Professor X would wheel around in, it was basically just a tank that was being controlled by a radio operator in another tank a few hundred feet away. This doubled the effectiveness of tank squads while halving the amount of crews they needed to staff. The teletank would always be ahead of the command tank, which usually meant enemy forces would fire on the unmanned one first, then

be completely surprised when it just didn’t care and blew them up anyway. The command tank would also fire on the unmanned teletank if it were to be boarded or captured, a practice still employed by modern militaries with most expensive equipment.

You don’t want your enemy commandeering your freaking attack helicopter.

One more cool thing worth mentioning, the military has been experimenting with using virtual

reality controllers to operate robots for war and rescue operations. In case you didn’t know, the Library has a virtual reality system, and while you might not get to pilot an actual deathbot, you can at least see what all the VR fuss is about.

Now if only I could figure out how to get my own SPARK soldier to offer up a crisp high-five without exploding...

Random Corner ial intelligence?

Don’t know much about artific

We can help!

•Most A.I. is “female.” You may have noticed that Google Now, Siri and Cortana (all A.I. you may have interacted with) come with a default female voice. There are no specific reasons, but studies have shown that males and females generally prefer a female voice. Another reason is that mostly males work on A.I., so they probably find female voices more “attractive” and want their A.I. to follow suit.

• A.I. can repair itself. A paper was recently published about a robot that could rebuild itself after losing two of its six legs. The robot doesn’t know what’s broken, but notices its performance has dropped, so using an algorithm based on trial and error, the robot can figure out what’s wrong and how to repair itself.

• A.I. can learn, and as a result, will become smarter than humans.

One learning A.I. system is an android developed by the U.S. Army that learned how to cook from watching YouTube videos. Another was developed by Google that learned to play Atari 2600 games and ended up beating some of the world’s best players. Because A.I. can learn, many, including renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil, claim that by 2029 A.I. will be at about the level of intelligent adult humans. Kurzweil also believes that A.I. learning will eventually lead to something called “singularity,” which is where humans and machines will meld into one entity. Yikes.

•One A.I. supercomputer called Nautilis can, to a certain degree, predict the future. It was able to predict where Osama bin Laden was hiding within 125 miles, and was also able to predict the Arab Spring that started in Dec. 2010. Nautilis gathers information from over 100 million news articles from all over the world since 1945 and, after analyzing the articles for the mood and location of the story, the computer was able to piece information together and make a prediction as to future events. Sometimes with frightening accuracy.

OPINION

Martin Luther King was a democratic socialist

By Nick Gier Reader Columnist “Economic justice would require a land where men will not take necessities to give luxuries to the few.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr. Many conservatives today, in contrast to 60 years ago, are proud to call Martin Luther King one of their own. Some claim that he was a Republican, but there is no evidence for this. His father was registered as such and publicly endorsed Richard Nixon for president. However, his son courted any politician that would support his battle for civil rights.

It was, after all, Southern Democrat Lyndon Johnson who used his consummate political skills to pass the Civil and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Barry Goldwater was Johnson’s Republican opponent in the 1964 election, and he voted, believing that there were “essential differences between men,” against the Civil Rights Act. Whereas the Democratic Party has done sufficient penance for a century of thwarting black civil rights, the Republican Party has betrayed Lincoln’s legacy that lived on until the 1970s. Goldwater’s vote against black rights, Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” and ploys such as the senior Bush’s Willy Horton ads set the stage for a race-baiting party that has denied voting rights and elected a president who declared that the white nationalists and Nazis at Charlottesville were “good people.”

In a 2006 essay “Martin Luther King’s Conservative Legacy,” Carolyn Garris of the conservative Heritage Foundation writes that although King’s “core beliefs, such as the power and necessity of faith-based association and self-government based on absolute truth and moral law, are profoundly conservative.” Holding essentially the same views, left-wing evangelicals such as Jim Wallis belies this claim.

Garris is obviously wrong in

stating that “King’s primary aim was not to change laws, but to change people,” because he worked valiantly to repeal laws that violated any peoples’ rights, be they Hispanic, Native, or Black.

Joining many conservatives, Garris focuses on King’s emphasis on character and not color, but ignores the plain fact that King fought to overturn legislation that discriminated against people of color. Both liberals and conservatives admire people of good character, but many conservatives today do not think that the president should necessarily be among them.

Taking their lead from Jesus’ command that the rich should give everything away, the first Christians “held all things in common and sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need” (Acts 2:44-45). This was not a temporary arrangement, because at the end of the Second Century, Church Father Tertullian reported that “all things are common among us but our wives.”

In 1524, German peasants, after learning about this economic communism from Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament, rose up in revolt against the nobles. Luther led a brutal campaign against them, and Anabaptists all over Europe were persecuted by orthodox authorities. Today, Anabaptist Hutterites in Montana still follow the Bible’s injunction to hold all things in common.

At the turn of the 20th Century, American theologian Walter Raushenbusch introduced the Social Gospel, and many of those who joined the movement were avowed socialists. King described his theology as the Black Social Gospel, and he, like Rauschenbusch and his colleagues, were embraced by left-leaning labor unions. Were it not for the unions, King believed that “capitalist power would trample” the rights of America’s workers.

Many in the more conservative union coalition AFL-CIO held their distance from King, because

Martin Luther King, Jr. they were convinced that he was a Communist. King, however, made it very clear that he was not a Communist. He condemned the Soviet Union and China for their violence, their rejection of democracy and their intolerance of religious belief.

We now know from recently released letters he wrote to his wife that King held socialist beliefs already in seminary. He admitted that he “was more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalist,” and he declared that American “capital-

ism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor.”

The young King followed Jesus in believing in a “radical redistribution of wealth.”

Like the Labor Party in Britain, but unlike the Social Democrats in Western Europe, King believed in the nationalization of industry, but I believe that he would have come to agree with the Labor Party’s concession that this was a mistake.

University of Washington professor Michael Honey concludes that King “hoped to created a ‘third way’ between capitalism and communism that combined economic justice with individual initiative and democratic rights.”

Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy and religion at the University of Idaho for 31 years.

Read his articles on the Third Way between Capitalism and Communism at webpages.uidaho.edu/ ngier/ThirdWay.htm. Email him at ngier006@gmail.com.

Community Cancer Services celebrates grand re-opening

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce celebrated Community Cancer Services grand re-opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, Jan. 7. With a move to a new location late last year, CCS is celebrating the change and excited to see what the new year will bring.

Founded in 2002 by a group of local citizens, Community Cancer Services, also known as “Heather’s House,” is a nonprofit, community-funded, cancer resource center providing current and reliable information and direct support services to cancer patients and their families residing in Bonner and Boundary counties of northern Idaho.

Some of the services offered include: Financial assistance for lodging during treatments, insurance co-payments, prescrip-

tions, medical bills, durable and nondurable goods, gas vouchers to help with the cost of fuel during cancer-related travel, individual and family counseling, and even wigs, hats, scarves and post-mastectomy products. All their services are free of charge and provided without regard to financial need.

They hold two main events during the year to raise funds for these services. Coming up for CCS is their annual Mad Hatter

Tea fundraiser on April 13. Later this year, “A Night to Remember” wine tasting, dinner and auction on November 2.

“Our most used and needed service is our gas voucher program that provides gas for people to get to treatment,” said executive director Cindy Marx.

Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in congratulating Community Cancer Services on their new location and grand re-opening. We

From left to right-Front: Lori Armbruster, Phil Hough, Kate McAlister, Kristina Meyer, Cindy Marx, Anita Baker Bruce, Lynn Jennings-Dawson, Vicky Jacobson, Ricci Witte Back: Bob Witte, Alyse Ruggles, Mary Chorzempa, Theresa Lunde.

wish them continued success in our community. For more information or to assist CCS please call (208) 255-2301, email office@communitycancerservices. com or on their website www. communitycancerservices.com.

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event -in e v Mo ady! re

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•Four Seasons coach competely remodeled with oak, tile and hardwood throughout.

•1.5 bath, very clean and comfortable.

•Kitchen, shower, tons of storage.

•Full size bed conditione propane and •Air conditioned, electric heat, two hot water heaters •Call or text for more info:

(208) 217-2600

Beautifully renovated ($150k) in 2005 with books and receipts on everything.

Completely rebuilt 8V 92 Diesel engine with only 52,000 miles!

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Thursday Night Solo Series w/ Brian Jacobs 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Climate Change Presentation Plus, food by Sandpoint Curry 5pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Trivia Takeover Live Dr. Gahn’s informal presentation 6-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery and answer questions from atFamily friendly interactive trivia tendees. Intended for those who accept climate change science

Open Mic Night 6-8pm @ Pend d’Oreill Sponsored by the Sandp lective. Listen to local p and talents while sipp breads and spreads plate

Live Music w/ Steve Neff 6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar

Live Music w/ Muffy and The Riff Hangers 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority A great Sandpoint bluegrass band Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 8-10pm @ The Back Door Bar Live Music w/ Devon Wade Harold’s IGA like you’ve never seen them be6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall fore, playing lounge piano covers by indie rock Sandpoint country artist band The National. Two night show

Live Music w/ Samantha Long 6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar Mugs and Music w/ Chad Patrick 6-8pm @ Laughing Dog Taproom Free live music, and Laughing Dog will have their newest release on tap: Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Lager Live Music w/ BareGrass 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Progressive bluegrass from the greats Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

FireBall Pajama Party 8-10pm @ A & P Bar and Grill Drink specials, and prizes for best pajamas. 21+ Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 8-10pm @ The Back Door Bar A second night at The Back Door featuring new originals, rare covers, sailing songs, Latin covers and B-sides. Free!

Live Music w/ Br 5-8pm @ Pend d’ Local favorites pl roots, Americana Live Music w/ B. 9pm-12am @ 219 Experimental ro formed in Spokan Karaoke 8-close @ Tervan

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 4-6:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Banff Mountain Film Festival 6pm @ Panida Theater

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Lifetree Cafe Karaoke 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant 8-close @ Tervan An hour of conversation and stories. This Best song selection in Sandpoint week’s topic: “Kids Without a Country” Night-Out Karaoke 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Liv 9pm Clas Liv 7-10 Ban 7pm

D 4Jo w Fa fo

Djembe class 5:45-7:30pm @ Music Conservatory of Sandpoint Join Ali Maverick Thomas for this djembe (drum) class

M 5 S a Volunteer Match Event Triva Night o 10am-12pm @ Uptown Bagel Co. 7pm @ MickDuff’s Match your passion with a local cause!

Show off that big, beautiful brain of yours g Craft Art & Beer w 5:30-8:30pm @ Mic Wind Down Wednesday Magic Wednesday Create your own jour 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge 6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s With live music by blues man Truck Enjoy close-up magic shows by sketchbook with rep Mills and guest musician Carl Rey Star Alexander right at your table is $35 and includes a adult beverage. (208) Dollar Beers!

Kootenai PTA fundraiser 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 4:30-8pm @ Skål Taproom Good until the keg’s dry Raise funds for Kootenai Elementary PTA with guest bartender Ken Wood

Thursday Night Solo Series w/ 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Plus, food by Sandpoint Curry

ful

January 17 - 24, 2019

ght d d’Oreille Winery the Sandpoint Literary Colto local poets, storytellers while sipping wine with a eads plate. Free to attend

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

Reader recommended

Experiential Learning Showcase Day 8:30 -11:30am @ Clark Fork Sr./Jr. High School The 3rd annual Experiential Learning Showcase Day. Come see what students are learning this year! Senior projects from 8:30-10:30 a.m., experiential learning showcase from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Yonder Mountain String Band in concert ers Live Music w/ The Liabilities 8pm @ The Hive 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge The beloved Colorado-based progressive blueClassic rock and funk band lead by the Packwood bros. grass band are back for their fourth appearance Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz in Sandpoint, with opener Handmade Moments.

7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub $25 in advance, and $30 at the door be- Banff Mountain Film Festival ock 7pm @ Panida Theater Girls Pint Out 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No Dudes! Join Vicki at the Big Table for an evening tasting and talking about beer basics

usic w/ Bridges Home Live Music w/ Son of Brad @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall vorites playing Celtic, Daniel Mills playing original tunes mericana and originals Banff Mountain Film Festival usic w/ B. Radicals 7pm @ Panida Theater am @ 219 Lounge SheJumps Winter Block Party mental rock quartet 3-9pm @ The Granary Parking Lot in Spokane This free block party kicks off with a ke Sip & Wax from 3-5 p.m. with Shot@ Tervan zski, followed by a ski yoga event and finally a dance from 6:30-9 p.m. at Matchwood Brewing featuring live music and a raffle

rant This ry”

Death Cafe 4-5pm @ Evans Brothers Coffee Join us for a directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes.

Facilitated by Heidi Hampe, an advocate for holistic health in living and dying

Jan. Doubles Cornhole Tournament 1pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 1pm first toss. (208) 209-6700 to register North Idaho Women’s March 12pm @ Sandpoint Middle School The community is invited to attend. A rally begins at noon for human rights and women’s rights, and is immediately followed by the march. Bring signs, drums or instruments, and a passion for diversity, tolerance and equality Live Music w/ Robert Crader 5:30pm @ Ice House Pizzeria (Hope) With special guest Bob Beadling

More than a store, a Super store!

MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM-8PM • SATURDAY 8AM-6PM • SUNDAY 10AM-6PM

The GO TO pharmacy after 46 years of serving the Bonner County community.

•Open 7 days a week •Friendly personable pharmacy staff •Free in-town delivery •Text-message prescription pick-up alerts •Easily accessible with plenty of free parking •We accept almost all third party insurance plans •Trained to fit braces and compression stockings •Largest selection of bandaging and bracing in town

Make an Intention Collage 2pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center An intention collage is made from magazine pictures and/or words.

Supplies will be made available

Maker Series Art Class with Staci Shubert 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery class Staci Shubert creates original and functional works with leather, paint, and mixed media. Spend an evening with her and create your own works of art to take home! Price includes instruction, art supplies, and a select f yours glass of wine. Cost is $40. 208-265-8545 Kaniksu Land Trust Fundraiser at IPA & Beer with She’s Crafty 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall r own journal, memory book or Support KLT with Twelve String Brewing beer on with repurposed books. Cost tap. Live music by Marty Perron and Doug Bond, includes all materials and one plus there will be silent auction items and raffle age. (208) 610-5477 to register prizes. Complimentary appetizers will be served Bike Movie Night Series w/ Benny Baker 6pm @ Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair Beer Hall Always free, and always fun. Held nt Curry Wednesdays in January. Bring a chair, snacks and beverages if you wish

Jan. 26 Winter Trails Day @ Schweitzer Jan. 26 Fatty Flurry Fest @ Round Lake State Park

Just a short drive across the Long Bridge...

Jan. 26 David Raitt and the Baja Boogie Band @ The Panida Theater

41 Lakeshore Drive (across the Long Bridge)

208.265.2001 ShogaSushi.com

Open for dinner Wednesday – Sunday 4:30-9pm Wed, Thu, Sun | 4:30-10pm Fri,Sat January 17, 2019 /

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FEATURE

The changing face of downtown retail

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Downtown Sandpoint is changing.

It’s a reality acknowledged by most businesses owners, developers and city officials who work within the shopping district. The difference lies in which conclusions they draw from the transition. Some see closing stores and take a discouraged perspective on the state of downtown business.

Others see the coming years as a fertile period for cultivating a thriving downtown of the future.

One thing is undeniably true: Several shops on Cedar Street and First Avenue are closing. Cloud Cafe, a retail outlet and vape-friendly hangout, closed in December and is moving to Coeur d’Alene.

Likewise, longtime downtown staple Zany Zebra closed down. Weekends and Co. and Out of the Blue Eyewear are closing their brick-and-mortar locations to focus on internet sales. The owners of Scandinavian Affairs and Great Stuff are opting to retire and close their stores. And Petal Talk on Cedar Street will close its doors at the end of the month.

According to owner Nicole French, it’s not a lack of business that’s closing her down, but rather a need for an exit.

“My decisions were based only on a personal level — it’s a very successful business,” she said.

But that’s only half the story. Several downtown businesses have also expanded their offerings. Understory, a coffee and tea shop located near Petal Talk, opened a second location in Ponderay. Bella Terra moved from its small downtown space into a larger location previously occupied

by Pedro’s. That allowed

Azalea, a consignment and gift boutique, to expand into the space previously occupied by Bella Terra, its former neighbor. Brooke Moore, Azalea owner, attributes her success to a combination of her consignment business model and the irreplaceable experience of shopping for clothes in person.

“There are places online where you can sell clothes now, but nothing that can replace touching and feeling garments and trying them on,” she said.

It all adds up to a complicated situation, especially in light of the city’s revitalization plan that will introduce functional and aesthetic improvements to the downtown core over the next several years.

And according to Sandpoint officials, there’s a growing possibility that new developers will be investing in the town as it continues to experience a growth spurt in population.

“I think a lot of (the downtown’s situation) has to do with timing,” said Johnelle Fifer, co-owner of Understory Coffee. “I think we’re in a place where Sandpoint is growing so fast, and the downtown is at a crossroads.”

Jennifer Stapleton, Sandpoint’s city administrator, has a similar read on the situation.

“I think we’re in a state of transition in the downtown, and in some sense, we’re in a state of transition in business development within the community,” she said.

That’s due in part to the city’s population growth over recent years and the prospect of new business interests coming into town. According to Stapleton, the city has engaged in discussions with individuals who are investigating real estate purchases or business ventures and are waiting for the right time. Some, for

instance, may be holding out until the city completes its revitalization projects over the next couple years.

It’s also possible that the recent sale of the Cedar Street Bridge may be an overture to more real estate deals and development opportunities.

It’s confirmed, for instance, that the Edgewater Hotel will be completely redeveloped in 2020, Stapleton said.

Despite hopeful signs for the future, running a Sandpoint business isn’t a risk-free or easy venture. According to Fifer, she and her husband can expect to put in 70 hours of work a week, and they have to be quick to respond to the preferences of their customers.

“If you want to do well here, you have to be really adaptable, and you have to serve a product that everyone wants,” she said.

There’s also the realities of Sandpoint’s economic cycle to consider. Moore said she is always careful to save money away during the tourist-heavy summer, which helps Azalea

weather the leaner periods in the shoulder seasons. It’s not a life for which everyone is well-suited, she said.

“Owning your own business is living it and breathing it,” she added. “It’s hard and emotional.”

Since everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, Moore hopes that the future holds increased collaboration between downtown businesses, which was previously facilitated by the now-disbanded Business Improvement District. She believes that an increased emphasis on exciting events or the addition of high-draw attractions and businesses will help the entire downtown scene.

For others, like Out of the Blue Eyewear owner Steve Berensen, maintaining a brickand-mortar shop makes little sense when the bulk of their sales comes from the internet.

He aims to close his doors in March or April but hopes locals will check out the physical store before it’s gone.

“When people go out of

A recently-closed downtown retail location in Sandpoint.

Photo by Ben Olson. business, there are always people who want to come into business,” he said. “I don’t think businesses failing here are an indication that something is wrong, I think it’s normal attrition.”

It takes immense effort to run a downtown Sandpoint business: advertising, an active social media presence, a hands-on management style.

But Fifer is optimistic that more and more people cut out for the life will find their way to downtown Sandpoint.

“Running a business in Sandpoint is difficult,” she said. “I talk to business owners all the time. The winters are brutal, and the summers are long days. Most of your profit is saved for the winter months.

So cheers to the ones who have made it! May more entrepreneurs come to Sandpoint to help craft a more tightly-knit small business environment.”

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PERSPECTIVES

Knot too shabby A guide to my favorite knots

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Trucker’s Hitch

My shipmate on the Atlantic crossing (Gary Quinn) taught this one to me. It’s one of the most functional knots around, actually. The trucker’s hitch is great for securing loads, as you may have guessed from the name. When tying a trucker’s hitch, you form a crude block and tackle in order to add tension to a line. There are a few variations of this knot, but this method is widely accepted.

How to tie: 1. Make a loop and pass the rope through the bight.

2. Hold on either side and pull the loop to tighten. This will form a fixed loop.

3. Pass one end of your line through a carabiner (or whatever you are fastening the line to) and then pass through the loop on the line.

4. Pass the end through the standing rope twice and tighten it to finish the knot.* 5. You’ve tied yourself a trucker’s hitch. *You can finish the knot with the taut-line hitch (you’ll learn that one next) if you need to adjust the loop.

Taut Line Hitch

The taut line hitch, like the trucker’s hitch, is a functional knot for lines under tension. It’s often used to set up hammocks, securing guy lines to tents 16 /

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Part 3

and tying down objects which may need their line adjusted periodically.

Also known as a tent-line hitch, this knot slides freely but jams under load making adjustments simple.

How to tie: 1. Loop around the support or object you are tying to and wrap the bitter end around the standing line.

2. Wrap the end around once more and bring it out of the loop.

3. Wrap the end one more time around the standing end.

4. Hold near the support and pull the standing end and bitter end to tighten.

5. You can slide to adjust the tension.

6. You’ve tied yourself a taut line hitch.

Fisherman’s Bend

Many of you may have learned this useful knot when you were young and learning to fish. It’s a great knot for joining two lines, but you can also use it to connect the ends of a single length of rope to form a loop. The fisherman’s bend is great for tying small diameter twines and strings, especially fishing lines, but it can slip when tied in slippery lines such as nylon monofilament.

This knot jams when tightens, which is advantageous for fishing purposes).

How to tie: 1. Make a loop with one line and feed the end into the loop over-under

(see red rope in diagram).

2. Make another loop with the other line (blue in the diagram) and tuck its end into the loop over under.

3. Tighten the two individual knots by their bitter ends.

4. Pull the standing parts of the line to draw the knots close together.

Bonus knot: Monkey’s Fist

Also known as a monkey’s paw, the monkey’s fist is a knot tied at the end of a rope to serve as a weight. The name comes from the fact that when tied correctly it resembles a monkey’s fist. This knot is functional if you need to heave a line a long way. It can also be used as a weapon if you need to thump someone in self defense on the high seas. Fun fact: Because this knot was often used to toss a line from one ship to another to bring them together, the knot symbol has been used in the hobo community to denote solidarity. It’s a pretty sweetlooking knot.

How to tie: 1. Make three turns of the line

around your fingers and wrap the rope end around it horizontally.

2. Wrap around the turns two more times.

3. Pass the end through the loop.

4. Wrap the end around the horizontal section three times.

5. Insert a weighted ball (such as a marble or ball bearing) to give it a spherical shape (and to add weight).

6. Pull to tighten.

7. You’ve tired yourself a monkey fist.

HOROSCOPE

The Real Folk Horoscope

Common Sense Soothsayings for a Happy New Year

By Cody Lyman Reader Columnist

Aries

Just because we can’t live in the past is no reason not to keep it alive. But you don’t have to try to keep it alive in order to keep it alive. Life itself remembers.

Celebrate, then let go. In other words, don’t be a narcissist. Enjoy the Ride.

Taurus

Plenty of things in Life hang around after they’ve outlived their usefulness.

Some people are born with vestigial tails.

And most astrologers still talk about “retrogrades” like true phenomenon centuries after Copernicus and Kepler explained how planets only do loop-d-loops on charts, not in the heavens. But not this astrologer, he won’t.

Take this to heart, my dear Tauruses.

Gemini

As a kid, you wanted to be a firefighter. Now, summers you sling hotdogs at a waterpark, and sit in a cubicle making cold-calls all winter. Or you grew up to be that firefighter, but you live in California and too much of what you love is killing your passion. Maybe you’ve already planned your escape. Well, don’t stand there! Cliché of the year: carpe diem.

Just, you know — be realistic.

Cancer

It’s a common misconception that Atlas, in Greek mythology, held up the Earth.

He was condemned to hold up the sky, actually. In one version, Atlas manages to escape by tricking Heracles (the Greek Hercules) to take it. In another, Atlas is there still, at flat Earth’s edge, still holding up the skies. Point being, let the gods worry about what’s what for a while.

Leo

I was staring at a head of Romanesco broccoli when I heard the man say, “There’s no such thing as originality.” He walked away before I could ask him what it was like to live in a world without time.

When you get right down to it, Leo, every moment, every split instant, is brand new.

You couldn’t be unoriginal if you tried.

Don’t go getting a big head, though.

Everybody knows one of those will only throw off your balance.

Virgo

Consider Ringo Starr’s (notice the surname) “Getting Better” your 2019 anthem. The catch: You’ll have to sacrifice one or two, maybe three, personal values or ideals to maintain the uptick. So, if you value fiscal responsibility, maybe buy a lottery ticket or 10. Counterintuitive, sure, but you might be thanking yourself later.

You never know.

Libra

Sagittarius

Proverb for 2019: Don’t be an asshole.

Capricorn

Rough couple months? Holiday treats made you feel better, then you had too many? But you are strong, and have learned a great many lessons about your limitations.

Someday you’ll even learn to apply them.

Aquarius

Feet planted in nature, head stuck in the supernatural, again, you’re a spiritual Stretch Armstrong. Elasticity knows no ends. As long as you keep your thoughts from growing minds of their owns and your imagination growing legs and running away with itself, everything should be fine.

Laughing Matter

Pisces

Some tips: 1) An adult beverage or two in the bathtub is therapeutic.

2) Booze in the bedroom is a syndrome.

3) Turn mirrors around, best to self-reflect with your mind instead.

4) Get good rest. Sleep without a pillow until sometime around May. 5) Take all advice with a grain of salt.

Cody Lyman is....

By Bill Borders

We all know the trope. Nerd finally stands up to zit-covered bully. Instead of fists, nerd uses words and wit, along with information acquired through grapevine about bully’s personal life. Bully, in front of classmates, embarrassed, pisses pants to further shame himself, and the dark splotch of denim, no matter what pants bully wears, can’t be un-seen, serves as his scarlet letter. Nothing much changes for nerd except getting stuffed in lockers even more frequently. Which are you, bully or nerd?

Scorpio

Sugar-coating things would be ill-advised for the early part of this year. You could get metaphysical diabetes. Barring a debilitating tension headache, the only bittersweet pills you should be swallowing is yourself. Wash you down with water, not rosé.

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ARTS

Art For Human Rights:

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Countless interpretations of what it means to be human graced the walls of the Sandpoint High School library Wednesday evening, displaying for the community how local youth view an essential part of that human experience: their rights.

Wednesday marked the opening of the 12th annual Art for Human Rights showcase, an art show put together by the Pend Oreille Arts Council, the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force and SHS art teachers. The room was at capacity as soon as the reception was set to begin. Students, some with their parents in tow, displayed and discussed their artwork, all inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Declaration, adopted by the United Nations in 1948 and drafted by a committee headed by Eleanor Roosevelt, is made up of 30 Articles outlining human rights. SHS art teacher Heather Guthrie, who has been helping facilitate the Art for Human Rights show all 12 years, said introducing students to the Declaration is not only a valuable history lesson, but also an exercise in self-exploration.

“I love to prompt my students to consider that there are many points of view surround-

ing just about any topic that affects humanity,” she said. “Considering the Articles is such a great lesson in learning to consider one’s values and create an emerging understanding of global ethics.”

Guthrie said combining the deep thinking prompted by the Articles with art creates a platform where students shine.

“I am always in awe of the thoughtfulness and care my students bring to their work,” she said.

BCHRTF board member Linda Navarre said the Declaration gets local students considering international issues — not just those right in front of them.

“It extends their world view outside of the city limits, or county limits,” Navarre said.

SHS art student Angelina Peebles chose Article 19, which addresses the human right to freedom of opinion and expression. She used acrylic paint, pastel paper and watercolor in her piece, titled “Modern Day Witch Hunt.”

The woman depicted in Peebles’ work has purple hair, tattoos, piercings and a Pentagram on her shirt — a representative of today’s alternative, agnostic culture. Her hands are bound and the background is blue, meant to represent water. Surrounding the woman are headlines from historic, witch trial-era news stories, tying past to present.

Local students create unique interpretations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Above: Those attending the Art for Human Rights showcase take in the artwork Wednesday evening.

Right: “Modern Day Witch Hunt”

by Angelina Peebles. Photos by Lyndsie Kiebert.

“It represent(s) how everyone has the right to believe what they want, say what they want and listen to what they want,” Peebles said.

Guthrie said the Art for Human Rights showcase is but a microcosm of a larger movement, one where current events “create contemplation in the hearts and minds of the young artists” as their understanding of human rights grows.

“This exhibit is a magnificent platform to measure global growth and tolerance,” Guth-

rie said. “It’s all really good stuff.”

View the Art for Human Rights showcase in the SHS library during regular school hours until Jan. 30. Check in at the main office to receive a guest pass.

Students from Bonners Ferry and Priest River Lamanna High Schools will showcase their art, also based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, at the Columbia Bank Community Plaza in Sandpoint starting Jan. 25 with a reception at 5:30 p.m.

OPEN 11:30 am

GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS

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

212 Cedar Street Downtown Sandpoint

208.263.4005 A SandPint Tradition Since 1994 18 /

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TECHNOLOGY

‘I promise, it’s not real!’

The Reader tries out the Sandpoint Library’s new virtual reality room. It was awesome.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

your headset and handheld controller movements. When the tech staffer switches on the system and places the headset As a regular part of her job, on the player, the virtual reality Vanessa Thiele encourages experience begins. The player people to walk the plank, cast sees through the headset, while spells, put out fires and creeveryone else in the room can ate black holes. All in a day’s watch the game progress on the work, I suppose. large flatscreen.

Thiele works at the SandHaving never experienced point Library in emerging tech- virtual reality before, I was nology, and is one of the tech ready to be amazed. I wasn’t staff in charge of the virtual disappointed. realty room, or as Thiele calls Of the 26 game titles the it, “the room of happiness.” library currently features (with The VR room is one of the 10-15 more coming soon after many new additions to the they’ve been vetted by staff), Sandpoint Library, and it has Thiele said a handful are the made a splash with patrons most popular. young and old since it was “‘Richie’s Plank Experiadded last year. Once only ence’ is one of the most popaccessible by first come, first ular,” said Thiele. “It triggers served walk-ins, the increased that fight or flight feeling inside popularity of the VR room has of us. I promise, it’s not real!” led library staff to include a In this game, you board an reservations day on Saturdays elevator and head 80 floors up, for those who may not want to where a tiny plank of wood wait in line. is extended off the side of the The room features an HTC building. Peering over the Vive headset and controllers, edge, even though I knew I was a large flatscreen television safe in a warm room in North and a powerful Idaho, my gaming comheart skipped puter to run the a beat and “Don’t feel bad.

Permore than two my knees bedozen game gan shaking. sonally, I crawled on titles available No matter the floor my first time.” what I did, to play.

“This is a I couldn’t -Vanessa Thiele very immersive force myself system,” Thiele to walk to the said. “Some edge. people have VR apps on their “Don’t feel bad,” said phones, but this blows those Thiele’s disembodied voice. completely away.”

“Personally, I crawled on the Thiele said the response to floor my first time.” the VR room has been overThen, an umbrella appeared whelming. on the end of the plank. Using The room has two base stathe controller functions, I tions in the room which track “grabbed” the umbrella and

Vanessa Thiele explores the virtual realty world at the Sandpoint Library. Courtesy photo.

Thiele encouraged me to step off the plank into thin air.

“No way!” I shouted, but ended up falling off the plank and down the 80 floors to the street below. Game over.

Sweating, I decided to try another title. Similar to “Guitar Hero,” “Beat Saber” is a musical action game where you slash at beats heading your way with a light saber in each hand.

Another game, “Nature Trek VR” features stunning graphics and immersive worlds where you can give birth to black holes, explore different landscapes and get back to nature, VR style. In “Waltz of the Wizard,” you are transported to a wizard’s room where you can cast spells, interact with objects and generally explore.

Each game was different, but each new title lets you explore what virtual reality is all

about, which is full immersion into a world you may not be able to access in the real world.

With a VR system like this totalling thousands of dollars, it’s really advantageous that patrons get to experience it free of charge.

While the lion’s share of patrons who use the VR room are tweens, Thiele said she sees people of all ages try it out.

“It’s great for tweens because it gives them something to do that’s fun and positive,” she said. “But, we have older patrons who are so amazed by this technology and love to give it a shot.”

Library staff vets each title featured in the VR room, only allowing content that is rated teen or everyone.

“We also have educational games, like where you can climb Mount Everest,” Thiele

said. “Or we have a Mars game, an ocean game. The plan is to add more educational games.”

Theile said the library is hoping to expand the VR room’s hours in the near future.

“Hopefully we’ll get more hours because we’ve had a huge response,” she said.

The VR room is open for walk-ins every Tuesday from 3-6 p.m. and reservations on Saturdays from 2-4 p.m. Game playing times are booked in 30 minute slots, and you can easily reserve a slot on the library’s website, www.ebonnerlibrary. org. Patrons must be 13 or older to make the reservations, but the VR room is open for all ages to play. It’s always free to utilize the VR room, whether making reservations or simply walking in on Tuesdays.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

Ethnic eats

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist The last bits and pieces of Christmas have been carefully packed away for another year, and so far my much-needed two-day old diet has yet to be compromised. This year I partook in three separate Christmas celebrations, each filled with lots of family, loads of fun and a little too much food and drink (which was worth every pound)!

I always hold my breath when I pack my “food” suitcases, complete with elaborate repacking instructions for TSA, and I was pleased to arrive in Chicago with my holiday baking intact. After my red-eye arrival, I hauled my bags to the top of daughter Casey’s three-floor walk-up, and I was ready to complete my holiday shopping at my favorite Chicago market, Jerry’s Fruit and Garden. It’s an incredible and inexpensive market and produce mecca, serving a broad ethnic clientele, and is filled with exotic (and many unfamiliar) fruits and vegetables.

I first learned of Jerry’s from Mirfat, Casey’s Egyptian mother-in-law. Although we don’t have a lot of common interests, we continue to bond over finding a good bargain at Jerry’s. I’m familiar with most of the ingredients in the Asian and Hispanic aisles, but I always welcome Mirfat’s knowledge about everything Middle-Eastern.

Besides fixing our Christmas meal, I prepared, along with Mirfat, the foods for our

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grandson Sammy’s, christening.

Her Middle-Eastern offerings included deftly wrapped Dolmas, crispy falafels, and perfect hummus, served with warm pita bread.

We were also celebrating the Feast of St. Barbara, a Middle Eastern Christian holiday, so Mirfat prepared traditional Burbara, a dessert of boiled wheat grains, pomegranate seeds, raisins, coconut, anise and sugar.

St. Barbara, it was believed, ran through freshly planted wheat fields, which grew instantly to cover her path, and miraculously saved her from persecution while she was fleeing from Romans (this miracle is celebrated symbolically by planting wheat seeds in cotton wool on St. Barbara’s feast day of Dec. 4.

The seeds germinate and grow up to around six inches in time for Christmas, when the shoots are used to decorate the nativity

scene usually placed below the Christmas tree). I’m embarrassed to say I knew nothing of this holiday or tradition, but the story left me curious and yearning to learn more.

I have a great fascination and appreciation for the ethnic foods of other cultures, so wherever I travel I try to fit a cooking class or two into my itinerary. The ones I’ve enjoy the most and feel the most genuine are usually in the traditional home kitchens of local women, though due to logistics it’s not always possible to organize and experience that authenticity. Recently, I learned about a brilliant new enterprise, League of Kitchens. Currently they operate in Los Angeles and New York City, and honestly, I’m thinking of a trip, just for this unique experience.

The League of Kitchens instructors are immigrants who

are exceptional home cooks and inspiring teachers who welcome groups of six people into their homes for a four-anda-half-hour immersive cultural experience that focuses on hands-on culinary instruction for four or five dishes. The workshops include lunch, three hours of hands-on cooking time, a full dinner (no doubt, seasoned with stories of their homeland), a recipe packet and shopping guide.

Now I’m obsessed with experiencing this cross-cultural connection that provides good pay for the immigrant-instructors who hail from all over the world as well as a unique learning experience for the participants. I imagine it won’t be long before this enterprise will spread to other metropolitan areas, but for now, you can learn to cook Korean, Afghan, Lebanese, Greek, Trinidadian,

Shakshouka (Eggs in Hell)

Bangladeshi, Indian or Argentine food in either Los Angeles or New York City. If you want additional information, here’s their website: https://www. leagueofkitchens.com/ I’ve already learned a bit about Egyptian culture and have sampled many of the foods my grandson Sammy will eat at the table of his paternal clan.

Whenever I visit Chicago, one of my favorite new traditions is joining them for a delicious Sunday meal at their favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. Last visit, I found one of my favorite egg dishes, Shakshouka (Arabic slang for mixture), on the menu.

I grew up calling this delicious cure-all for a hangover, “Eggs in Hell,” and though I often whip up a batch on New Year’s Day, this batch came with a new and deep appreciation of their origin.

Feeds 2-3 people

Cut this recipe in half (or thirds) for a single serving, just be sure your pan is deep enough to cook the eggs. Makes a great brunch dish, or dress it up with some feta or goat cheese and add a crisp salad on the side for supper. Serve with pita bread

INGREDIENTS: 2 tbs olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 fresh hot green chili, seeded and finely chopped 1 medium red or green pepper, chopped 4 tomatoes 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp ground allspice 6 eggs, at room temperature 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley Salt and freshly ground black Pepper

DIRECTIONS: In a deep frying pan or enamel ware, heat the oil over a medium heat.

Sauté the onion, garlic, chili and pepper together for about 5 minutes until softened, but not browned.

Chop the tomatoes, then add them to the frying pan and reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until the tomatoes soften, adding a little water, as needed to make a thick sauce. Add the cumin, paprika and allspice and stir.

Crack the eggs evenly over the tomato and pepper and continue cooking for about 6 to 8 minutes until the whites are set.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and serve hot.

MUSIC

It’s a busy weekend in the ‘Point

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

There’s a lot going on this weekend in Sandpoint. Here’s a quick and dirty list in case you’re looking for help planning your weekend.

Friday, Jan. 18

• The Hive - Yonder Mountain String Band will return for their fourth show in Sandpoint.

Progressive bluegrass at its finest. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

• 219 Lounge - The Liabilities, featuring Rob and Sheldon Packwood, will play old-school R&B, funk and classic rock from 9 a.m. to midnight. Free.

• MickDuff’s Beer Hall Get your dancing boots ready, Devon Wade will be playing his independent country music at the Beer Hall from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Free show.

• The Back Door - Sandpoint indie rock trio Harold’s IGA will play a special set covering The National (see below)

from 8-10 p.m. Free • Idaho Pour Authority - Get down with some Sandpoint bluegrass! Muffy and the Riffhangers will be playing IPA from 5-7 p.m. Free.

• Pend d’Oreille Winery Solo guitarist Brian Jacobs will share his wide variety of acoustic rock from 5-8 p.m. at the Winery. Free.

• Eichardt’s Pub - Kick back with some great grub and cold beer with Bright Moments Jazz from 7-10 p.m. Free.

• Panida Theater - Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates their 23rd annual showing of outdoor adventure films.

This often sells out. Three night event (Jan. 18-20).

• Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar - Steve Neff will be playing at the Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar from 6-8 p.m. Free.

Saturday, Jan. 19

• MickDuff’s Beer Hall The January Doubles Cornhole Tournament kicks off the first toss at 1 p.m., with registration starting at 11:30 a.m. $20 per

team. Call (208) 209-6700 to register. Stick around later for Daniel Mills of Son of Brad from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Free.

• Pend d’Oreille Winery Local favorites Bridges Home will be playing their Celtic, roots and Americana originals and covers at the Winery from 5-8 p.m. Free.

• 219 Lounge - The B. Radicals will be making their debut at the Niner. This experimental rock quartet will play from 9 p.m. to midnight. Free.

• Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar - Samantha Long will play the Bridge from 6-8 p.m. Free.

• Laughing Dog Taproom - Join Chad Patrick for some live music at the Laughing Dog Brewery Taproom. They’ll have their newest release, the Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Lager on tap. Free.

• Idaho Pour Authority Kick up your heels to some good ol’ Sandpoint progressive bluegrass. BareGrass will play 5-7 p.m. for free.

• A&P’s Bar and Grill - Don your pajamas and head down to

A&P’s for their Fireball Pajama Party. Drink specials and prizes for the best jammies. Free.

• The Back Door - For their second night at the Back Door, Harold’s IGA will play originals never played live before, as well as obscure covers, B-sides and Latin songs led by the lovely Cadie Archer. Free. 8-10 p.m.

• The Granary Parking Lot - The Granary parking lot will transform for a Winter Block Party hosted by SheJumps, a nonprofit committed to increasing the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities.

The party goes from 3-9 p.m., with a Sip & Wax event from 3-5 p.m. with Shotzski where you can learn to wax your own skis. The Sip & Stretch apres ski and yoga event from 5:306:30 p.m. will be held at Evans Brothers Coffee. Finally, a Sip & Dance from 6:30-9 p.m. will take place at Matchwood Brewing Co. featuring live music and a raffle.

Harold’s IGA to play special weekend show at Back Door

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

When you play in a band in a small town, it’s important to change things up every once in awhile or you (and the crowd) will grow bored with the same old dog and pony show.

As an attempt to shake things up, my band Harold’s IGA is playing a special twonight show this weekend at the Back Door bar.

The first night will be Friday, Jan. 18 and features a whole two hours of music Harold’s IGA has never played in public before. There’s a band called The National which is well-known for their brooding, methodical songs and intricate arrangments. The songs are

cryptic and nostalgic, oftentimes enegmatic.

Harold’s IGA will play a special piano lounge set this first night, playing all covers written by The National. While songs by The National are normally are played by a fivepiece band of amazing musicians, this will be a three-piece stripped down lounge set. With Cadie’s additions on multiple instruments and Josh Vitalie’s driving, dynamic percurssion, this set will be one to sit back, sip your drinks and listen to these amazing songs.

The second evening will take place Saturday, Jan. 19, also at the Back Door. This night will be a smattering of oddities, including originals that have never seen the light of day,

obscure covers on an electric guitar, Latin songs, sailing songs written while crossing the Atlantic Ocean and more.

Both nights are free, so head down to the Back Door for a weekend of a different side of Harold’s IGA.

Harold’s IGA plays the Festival at Sandpoint, opening for Sublime with Rome in summer 2018. Photo

by Will Harrison.

Editor’s note: Ben Olson is the publisher of the Reader and this is a shameless plug for his fledgling band.

This week’s RLW by Jen Heller

READ

The book I can’t stop recommending right now is “Being Mortal,” by Atul Gawande.

A year ago, my grandfather passed through the silver lining to the next level — a personal relief, after his doctors’ incessant efforts to extend his life seemed to only prolong his suffering. Dr. Gwawande’s excellent research results in all the right questions — should we try to heal everyone? Who should take care of the aging? What is the purpose of hospice? In one word, I’d describe his book as “useful.”

LISTEN

Shakey Graves is a haunted, stomping, distinct bluesmaster who thrives on filling empty houses on cold winter days when everyone else is up the mountain making turns.

I first grew to love him watching his solo shows recorded and posted on YouTube. Now, any time “Dearly Departed” or “Pansy Waltz” comes on the radio, I can’t help but stomp along.

WATCH

A few weeks ago, BBC News posted a new hour-long documentary on Congo-Kinshasa titled “La Lucha: Bye Bye Mr. President.”

Two years in the making, the film has a mind-boggling range of footage, particularly in light of Congo’s history of arresting citizens for taking photographs in public. “La Lucha” features a small grassroots group that has pushed for political change in the Congo, which just hosted elections two weeks ago. While we wait for results to be released, watch along as a country strives for democracy — and enjoy a cameo appearance by Dr. Mukwege, joint 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

January 17, 2019 /

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From Northern Idaho News, April 20, 1933

COUNTY TO STAMP OUT GRASSHOPPERS Knowing that considerable damage was done by grasshoppers in several areas in Bonner county during the past three years, a committee headed by Walter Thomas, county agent, and County Commissioners Murphy and Albert Hagman, will launch a campaign soon to eradicate these insects.

The greatest damage done in Bonner county was to farms in the Morton and Priest River areas.

Complete information on steps necessary for farmers in Bonner county to take advantage of the federal cooperative grasshopper control project has been received by Walter F. Thomas, county agricultural agent, from Dr. Claud Wakeland, state control leader. Dr. Wakeland is an entemologist with the University of Idaho agricultural experiment station and extension division, and was named to direct the government grasshopper control program in Idaho.

Under this project the government has allotted $2,354,809 for financing grasshopper control in eight states and localities which cannot finance the task independently.

The counties of Idaho which shall need assistance from the federal government in grasshopper control must organize to obtain this assistance.

County Agent Thomas has been assisted by Dr. Wakeland.

22 /

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/ January 17, 2019

Crossword Solution

Little Theater Little Theater

tuesday, Jan. 15 @ 7PM

caribou rainforest:

From Heartbreak to Hope with David Moskowitz

FriDAY, Jan. 18 @ 6:30 & 7:30PM

Line and Swing Lessons & Dance Jan. 18, 19 @ 7PM | Jan. 20 @ 6pm

banff mountain film festival world tour Jan. 24 @ 7:30PM | jan. 25 @ 5:30pm jan. 26 @ 11:30am | jan. 27 @ 3:30pm

“green book” Jan. 26 @ 7pm

David Raitt and the baja boogie band

W

featuring special guest peter rivera

Jan. 31 @ 7:30pm | Feb. 1 @ 5:30pm Feb. 3 @ 3:30pm

Reader reels hosts “The favourite” feb. 2 @ 7pm

cirque zuma zuma

Whenever you read a good book, it’s like the author is right htere, in the room, talking to you, which is why I don’t like to read good books.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS

Woorf tdhe Week

labyrinthine

/lab-uh-RIN-thin /

[adjective] 1. complicated; tortuous: the labyrinthine byways of modern literature.

“He wrote a labyrinthine book that nobody could get through.”

Corrections: OK, it was me that screwed up and printed “Yonder Mountain Strong Band” on the cover. It was supposed to read “String.” Also, there was a printer error on the other cover teaser under the shutdown story (not my fault!). -BO Also, we accidentally put the wrong headline on Loris Michael’s letter last week. Sorry! -CR

1. French for “Love” 6. Not this 10. Respiratory organ of aquatic animals 14. French for “Queen” 15. Relating to aircraft 16. Notion 17. Unable to read 19. Pesky insects 20. Accumulate on the surface 21. Cover 22. Urarthritis 23. Death notices 25. Temporary workers 26. Unwanted email 30. A kind of beetle 32. Oval 66. Declare untrue 35. Incessantly 67. Perished 39. A rational motive 68. Homes for birds 40. Swiss city 41. A farcical comedian DOWN 43. Demesnes 44. Preserve a dead body 1. Operatic solo 46. Confined 2. Blend 47. Spherical toys 3. Anagram of “Silo” 50. Hurdle 4. Pearly-shelled mussel 53. Rectal 5. Backward-looking 54. Female sibling 6. Black gunk 55. Revile 7. Wellness 60. Fizzy drink 8. Craftsperson 61. Friendly 9. Pigeon-___ 63. Biblical garden 10. Crisp round cookie 64. Hodgepodge 11. Manner of speaking 65. Birdlike

Solution on page 22 12. Abatement 13. Persists 18. Diminish 24. Frozen water 25. Basic belief 26. Slave 27. Urgent request 28. Winglike 29. Assortment 31. Mists 33. Lines of verse 34. Give the cold shoulder 36. French for “Head” 37. Baking appliance 38. Long ago 42. A pasta dish

43. Large Australian flightless bird 45. Famous dog 47. Established 48. Positive pole 49. Burdened 51. 56 in Roman numerals 52. Moon of Saturn 54. Not barefoot 56. Wash 57. Nile bird 58. Level 59. Cravings 62. Detachable container January 17, 2019 /

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/ 23

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