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DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

quotable

“The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.”

— Don Marquis, American humorist, journalist and author

not from around here?

Walking by a couple seated outside a restaurant in Sandpoint, I overheard the No. 1 question that establishes someone is not from this area. A server was standing at their table and I heard the wife ask her, “What is a... hghuckleberry?” (pronouncing it like it was some strange Bulgarian word). I couldn’t resist. Under my breath, I recited the line from the movie Tombstone: “I’ll be your huckleberry.”

60

The number of daily high temperature records that were tied or broken as a heat wave enveloped much of the nation, as of July 21.

A joyless existence

Psychologists at the University of Barcelona stumbled upon an interesting fact about human beings while screening participants for a study by using responses to music to gauge emotion. They were surprised to find that music wasn’t important at all to about 5% of the people. They didn’t tap their feet or bob their head up and down to tunes they liked. They didn’t get teary at a sad song. It was like they just couldn’t feel the music at all. Amusia is a disorder in which people can’t hear musical tones, but the Barcelona team confirmed that the 5% who weren’t moved by music did not have the disorder. The 5% were otherwise normal. They received pleasure from other things like food or sex, and had no other evident psychological issues. They were just happy, healthy college students who didn’t give a hoot about music.

Sounds like a joyless existence to me.

elvis the agent?

Elvis Presley, also known as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, was a weird dude. He wore jumpsuits that weighed upwards of 75 pounds, owned a chimpanzee, ate peanut butter and bacon sandwiches like they were going out of style and was a black belt in karate. He also really wanted to be an undercover FBI agent. One morning he walked right up to the White House gates with a six-page handwritten letter requesting a meeting with President Richard M. Nixon. He was requesting Nixon make him a “federal agent at large” to help fight the spread of drugs and communism. This came after years of Elvis attaching a police siren to his car and pulling over speeding motorists (imagine getting pulled over by Elvis at the height of his popularity). After a lecture about the dangers of speeding, Elvis would give the motorists his autograph instead of a ticket.

Welcome to the opening week of the Festival at Sandpoint!

For two weeks every summer, Sandpoint transforms as music lovers descend upon War Memorial Field to attend one of the most unique concert series in the West.

If this is your first time attending a Festival show, welcome. If you’re an old salt, welcome back. Some of my fondest summer memories as a little kid are clinging to the chain link fence outside the concert, a grape popsicle melting down my arm, listening to greats like Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, John Prine and so many more. I love seeing the next generation of Sandpoint kids storing memories of their own during these hot summer nights under the big white tent.

Special thanks to the Festival stage crew and volunteers, who have endured some brutal heat while preparing for the show. Make sure you drink a lots of water and stay in the shade when you can — it’s going to be a hot weekend.

Rock on, Sandpoint.

– Ben Olson, publisher

Selkirk Conservation Alliance

Celebasin Celebration

Film Festival

Saturday,July 30th

Immerse yourself in the WILD Selkirks!

Tickets and more info at WWW.SCAWILD.ORG DON'T WAIT! SEATING IS LIMITED!

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Racheal Baker (cover), Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Kelcie Mosely-Morris, Muriel Margaret, Bill Border, Woods Wheatcroft, Rachel Torgerson Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Kelcie Mosely-Morris, Jennifer Ekstrom, Marcia Pilgeram, Melissa Wintrow Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink.

Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

Requirements: –No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

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

About the Cover

This week’s cover photo was taken

by Racheal Baker, who has provided photos of the Festival at Sandpoint for the Reader since 2018.

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NEWS

BoCo RV campground expansion spurs debate Sheriff spearheads pushback pitting fairgrounds development against public safety

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners tabled a decision July 26 to accept grant funding from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for an extension of the Bonner County Fairgrounds RV Campground, at the same time as Sheriff Daryl Wheeler and others have pushed against the expansion as an encroachment on county land better saved for a new justice facility.

The two acres up for debate are located between the fairgrounds and the sheriff’s complex, and are currently empty but frequently used for fairgrounds event parking.

In January, commissioners gave Fair Director Darcey Smith approval to apply for a grant from IDPR meant to fund an expansion of the fairgrounds RV campground into that two-acre area. IDPR informed Bonner County it would receive $473,315 for the first phase of the expansion, and Smith brought the motion to accept that money before the board at its regular weekly meeting on July 26.

Several members of the public, along with Wheeler, used the opportunity to express concerns about using the land for the RV park, with many seeing it as prioritizing tourism over law enforcement.

“The fair is vital to our agricultural way of life in Bonner County,” Wheeler said. “The land that we have at the justice complex is essential for public safety

in Bonner County.”

“These two acres will eventually be used as a parking lot for the justice complex when and if it is expanded to include a new courthouse, offices for the prosecutor and public defender, a new 911 dispatch center, expansion of the jail, records storage expansion, and general storage facilities for the sheriff’s vehicles and equipment,” he continued.

Commissioner Dan McDonald rebutted statements made by what he called “the sheriff and what appears to be his posse,” pointing out that the RV campground expansion would bring the fairgrounds closer to being financially “self-sufficient,” rather than relying so heavily on taxes.

He also noted that there are four other acres between the fairgrounds and sheriff’s complex that are currently vacant after a deal to lease the land to a nonprofit ice rink organization — which also prompted vocal pushback from the sheriff — fell through earlier this year.

“There’s also the area between the jail and the juvenile detention [center], which will nicely fit a justice facility if the voters decide they want to pass a $100 million to $150 million levy or bond to build that in the future,” he said. “I don’t see it happening soon.”

“When you start looking at the overall dynamics of this and looking at the long-range picture, this makes a heck of a lot more sense than leaving that ground fallow and having it not make any

revenue,” McDonald added.

Wheeler fired back with concerns about campground residents being too close to law enforcement operations, noting that there will be “RVs parking, people barbecuing on the other side of our evidence fence” where BCSO personnel will be “collecting evidence … that were part of homicides with very violent crimes.”

“And we’ve got people just on the other side of that fence barbecuing and having their kids play,” Wheeler said.

McDonald said the neighborhood is already home to a playground and several housing developments.

“Fortunately we keep everything locked up — at least I hope — including the prisoners,” he said.

Commissioner Steve Bradshaw took particular issue with Wheeler’s statement about the proximity

of evidence extraction to campers, stating: “I want to reassure everybody that my sheriff is not going to put evidence that’s used in a homicide in an open, vacant lot. I would assume and almost guarantee without reservation that that would be in an enclosed lot. It’s not like it’s sitting there where somebody can come tamper with it. That would be extremely irresponsible.”

Commissioner Jeff Connolly said he had reservations about voting to accept the grant money without first knowing whether the county could choose a different location or eventually move the RV park even after accepting the funds.

“That location is not set in stone,” Smith said. “The fair board [is] more than willing to work to see if we can wiggle it somewhere else. If we can make it viable somewhere else — yes, the

An aerial view of the Bonner County Fairgrounds and the Bonner County Sheriff’s complex. A portion of the county-owned land between the two facilities could become home to the fairgrounds RV park expansion. Image courtesy Google. engineering costs will come up — but we had that contingent in this amount when we applied.”

The commissioners ultimately tabled the decision to accept the grant money, pending more information from IDPR, and now have the motion slated for the Tuesday, Aug. 2 agenda.

“We are not trying to take things away from the sheriff,” Smith said. “We are good neighbors to them.”

The board of commissioners meets each Tuesday at the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint) in the third floor meeting room. Meetings are also live streamed on the Bonner County YouTube channel.

A slow start to fire season means time for preparedness and prevention

By Reader Staff Officials with the Idaho Panhandle National Forests shared in a media release July 19 that the above-average winter snowpack and spring precipitation have brought a welcomed delay to fire season in the area, giving some space to discuss wildfire preparedness and prevention.

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summers, wildfires have occurred.

In the last week, IPNF has responded to 12 wildfire starts. Most have been from lightning seen across the area earlier in the summer, but a few have been sparked by abandoned campfires.

On average, human-caused wildfires account for 87% of all wildfire occurrences annually.

Many of these wildfires occur in proximity to roadways, communities and recreational areas, posing a considerable threat to public safety.

Wet conditions are no excuse to forget campfire safety; never leave a campfire unattended. Remember to use the “drown, stir and feel” method: drown the fire with water, then stir around the fire area with your shovel to wet any remaining embers and ash. Be sure to turn wood and coals over and wet all sides. Move some dirt onto the fire site and mix thoroughly to fully smother it. And finally, feel the area with the back of your hand to ensure nothing is still smoldering.

Several wildfires have been caught early thanks to the keen eyes of recreationists out enjoying public lands. To report a wildfire, call 208-772-3283 or 911. If you would like information on current wildfires on the IPNF, call the Fire Info Line at 208-557-8813.

Wildfire preparedness is a culture and a mindset. If you have not done so already, now is a great time to sign up for emergency alerts through your county.

If you’re looking to develop an

evacuation plan, evaluate your landscaping, or even learn about fire ecology and management, those topics and more can be found on idahofirewise.org.

Reducing flammable material around homes and communities before a fire occurs can help keep the public, firefighters and property safe. Creating a buffer between homes and trees, shrubs or other wildland areas is essential to improving a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire.

NEWS

Camp Bay wastewater treatment facility approved with conditions

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Members of the Bonner County Zoning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit July 21 for a wastewater treatment facility at the Camp Bay development.

The facility, situated on about 40 of the property’s 427 acres and meant to serve 21 of the 37 proposed residential lots, would rely on individual septic systems for initial treatment, as well as a secondary treatment area and large soil absorption system — or drainfield — to process waste from the 24 planned homes on the lots.

The facility will consist of mostly subsurface components and a small building, and was designed by Coeur d’Alene company J-U-B Engineers for developers M3 ID Camp Bay, LLC. Brad Marshall of J-U-B Engineers, serving as the representative on the application, told the commission that knowing there are “large lots” out at Camp Bay is “a critical point of the project.”

“We have the ability to create individual on-site [wastewater

treatment] systems on each and every lot within that project,” he said. “We have the appropriate soils, the appropriate sized lot. …

But we’re choosing to develop, quite frankly, a state-of-the-art package treatment plant that produces a better discharge and is, quite frankly, better for the county, the environment and the lake.”

He said that “substandard systems” that served cabins at Camp Bay have been removed, and that the new community system will not cause visual or noise impacts.

“Mild odors” might be possible “within the immediate area of the site,” Marshall said.

“Given the characteristics of this project, a lot of the residents will be seasonal,” he said. “They will not be there, likely, in the winter. … With that said, we don’t expect to see a lot of flow.

We have to design for year-round flow, but in reality, our flows will likely be very minimal. We may have some peaks around the holidays, on July 4 for example, but realistically, we’re designing for a … worst case scenario, but our flows will likely be dramatically lower.”

While the development at

Camp Bay has been controversial — stemming first from land ownership conflicts between family members and more recently due to a question of public lake access at the end of Camp Bay Road — members of the public at the July 21 CUP hearing were urged to keep their comments related to the wastewater treatment facility.

Most of them did, with several expressing concerns about comments the county received from Panhandle Health District, which stated that despite M3 reporting “no lakes, streams, rivers or other bodies of water on the site,” PHD had observed “numerous water bodies (creeks, streams, drainages, swales, etc.) on the site” during field work in the spring.

While county planning staff presented a map from the U.S. Geological Survey showing only a small stream on the western side of the 40 affected acres, Idaho Conservation League Lakes Conservation Associate Jennifer Ekstrom urged the board to reconsider the facts.

“I would strongly suggest that this commission would give greater weight to our local agency with boots on the ground,” she said.

Kathryn Kolberg, a specialist in environmental health at PHD’s Sandpoint office, also testified to the presence of surface water at Camp Bay. “We find water all around the county that is not on certain USGS maps,” she said. “PHD has also not yet approved this plan.

We have reviewed it and we have passed it on to [the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality] to expedite their ability to review it from the engineering aspect, but Panhandle Health needs some additional information in order to assess the system components related to the surface water we observed.”

Marshall rebutted, stating that his client’s application referred only to the area on which the wastewater treatment facility would be built.

“In our application, we stated that there is no water on the treatment site, because there isn’t,” he said, adding later: “Holistically, across the project, 427 acres, like every other valley draw hillside in the county or North Idaho, there are some intermittent streams.

There are some wetlands.”

Bonner County Planning staff

recommended approval of M3’s CUP application with several conditions, including two that were added specifically in response to concerns about the fact that local and state agencies had yet to sign off on the design of the facility.

According to those conditions, M3 must obtain final approval from both PHD and DEQ, as well as implement a sewage management agreement, before being issued the CUP. “We agree with those conditions of approval,” Marshall said.

“They’re appropriate, and they’re logical.”

The Zoning Commission followed staff’s recommendation and approved the CUP with a unanimous vote.

“There’s a lot of emotion around this particular project, but we are here tonight to look at a specific thing as it pertains to this, and I, for one, am sticking very closely to staying inside that,” said Zoning Commissioner Kristina Kingsland.

To learn more about the project as well as other files currently before Bonner County, go to bonnercountyid.gov/departments/ planning/current-projects.

Effort to recall Boundary Co. Library Board underway Trustee meetings canceled for time being due to ‘purported threat of violence’

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Four out of five members of the Boundary County Library Board are facing a recall effort from a faction of the community concerned about a material selection policy the board adopted in June. The conflict ramped up when the board announced its July 21 meeting was canceled “in the interest of public safety,” due to “an increase in harassing behavior, derogative accusations and a purported threat of violence.”

“When it has been determined that in-person meetings can resume safely, notices will be posted,” Library Director Kimber Glidden

stated on the library’s website.

Trustees Ken Blockhan Jr., Wendy McClintock, Bob Blanford and Lee Colson voted in favor of the new material selection policy on June 16, making them the subject of the recall effort. Trustee Aaron Bohachek voted against it, and is therefore not being recalled.

Donna Capurso, who identifies herself as a “patriot journalist” in her contributions to the far-right blog Redoubt News, is part of the organizing team behind the recall effort. The group has a Facebook page called Boundary County Library Board Recall, with the stated mission to “protect children from explicit materials and grooming.”

While Capurso described the

new material selection policy as the board “voting on adding inappropriate sex oriented and deviant behavior books” to the stacks, 9B News reports that, rather than identifying specific materials, the policy states “the Boundary County Library Board of Trustees recognizes that given the increasing emphasis on frankness and realism of materials including those that explore social, sexual and ethical ssues, some members of the community may consider some materials to be controversial and/ or offensive,” and that “selection of materials will not be affected by any such potential disapproval.”

The recall is currently in the signature-gathering stage, with

organizers hoping to put the decision before voters once enough signatures from the four affected zones are obtained.

In a statement posted to the Boundary County Library website in the time since the meeting cancellation, library personnel thanked community members for a show of solidarity in the form of supportive chalk messages written on the library’s sidewalk, calling it a “grand act of kindness.”

“Though the library staff and trustees have been accused of outrageous allegations, there has never been, nor will there ever be, any pornography in the collection,” the statement continued. “There is not and will never

be sexually explicit materials in the Children’s department. Nor will the library participate in any unlawful act such as infringing upon an individual’s right of the freedom to read, freedom to view, or access to information.”

The statement goes on to declare that the library “will not unlawfully discriminate against one group in order to protect the views of another.”

“We will continue to uphold our mission to inform, educate and culturally enrich the entire community in a safe and welcoming environment,” the statement concludes. “We encourage lifelong learning, knowledge through self education and the joy of reading.”

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NEWS

Idaho’s abortion trigger ban clock starts now — ban will take effect Aug. 25

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris Idaho Capital Sun Although the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion overturning Roe v. Wade on June 24, the court did not complete its official judgment until July 26, meaning Idaho’s trigger law banning nearly all abortions will now go into effect on Thursday, Aug. 25.

According to the text of Senate Bill 1385, the trigger law takes effect 30 days after the U.S. Supreme Court issues its judgment returning the power to regulate abortion to the states.

Idaho passed its trigger law in 2020, making the act of abortion a felony. The law outlines affirmative defenses for rape, incest and to save the patient’s life, which allows a person prosecuted for performing an abortion procedure to use those reasons as a defense. A rape or incest victim would also have to provide a copy of a police report to the physician who would perform the procedure, a process which can sometimes take weeks or months.

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit challenging the law on June 27, saying it violates a fundamental right to privacy outlined in the Idaho Constitution. That lawsuit came a few months after a similar challenge from Planned Parenthood over Idaho’s Texas-style law that allows family members to file civil suits against medical professionals who perform abortions. Both cases were filed by Planned Parenthood Great Northwest and one of its abortion providers in Idaho, Dr. Caitlin Gustafson.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe, the Idaho Supreme Court vacated its original plans for a hearing on the Texas-style law and decided to use the same date to hear specific arguments related to how that lawsuit and the challenge to the trigger law should proceed.

The hearing will include arguments over whether the Idaho Supreme Court should pause enforcement of the trigger law pending the outcome of the case, whether a pause on the Texas-style law should remain in place pending the outcome, whether the two lawsuits should be consolidated into one and whether both cases should be transferred to district court for further review.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m.

(Mountain Time) on Wednesday, Aug. 3.

Those who want to attend the hearing in Boise in person are required to request tickets for seating by emailing supremecourtdocuments@idcourts.net with their name 6 /

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The Idaho state flag hanging from the Capitol rotunda in Boise. Photo by Kelcie Mosely-Morris. and contact information. The hearing will also be streamed live through Idaho in Session at idahoptv.org/shows/idahoinsession.

Planned Parenthood files third lawsuit with Idaho Supreme Court over six-week abortion ban Planned Parenthood Great Northwest and one of its Idaho abortion providers, Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, filed a third lawsuit July 26 with the Idaho Supreme Court attempting to block a six-week abortion ban that is scheduled to take effect on or around Friday, Aug. 19. The Idaho Legislature passed a bill in 2021 criminalizing abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, when fetal cardiac activity can typically be detected by ultrasound.

Like the trigger law, the language in that bill included a 30-day clock from a judgment issued by an appellate court ruling on a similar law. According to Planned Parenthood’s petition to the court, that may have occurred on July 20, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld Georgia’s six-week abortion ban.

Because of the time constraints, Planned Parenthood has asked the court to intervene and pause implementation of the law, and to add the third lawsuit to the hearing scheduled on Aug. 3. Katie Rodihan, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, said the organization would prefer to consolidate the three cases into one moving forward.

“It’s confusing to providers and to patients if all of those cases don’t get ruled the same way or all together,” Rodihan said.

“Our hope would be to simplify everything by ruling on them all at once.”

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news service Idaho Capital Sun, part of the nationwide States Newsroom reporting project. Learn more at idahocapitalsun.com.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: Nine Senate Republicans and six Democrats are tightening up the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act, a response to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol that sought to undo the voters’ choice via exploiting the existing electoral count laws. The goal of the legislation is to foster a peaceful presidential transition, The New York Times said. A vote on the new ECA is expected later this year.

The Jan. 6 House committee hearings are not over, as once predicted. More information about that day’s rioting is pouring in and more hearings are planned for September. Committee member Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican of Wyoming, told July 21 watchers, “Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued and the dam has begun to break.”

Highlights from that hearing (from various sources), which focused on the 187 minutes between then-President Donald Trump’s pre-riot speech and when he was finally convinced to tell the rioters to go home: Within 15 minutes of that pre-riot speech, when he urged an angry armed mob to march on the Capitol, Trump was informed that the Capitol was under attack. (Historian Heather Cox Richardson said she still wonders why Secret Service agents, who knew weapons were near the president, didn’t “lock the place down.”)

Rather than call the appropriate officials to quell the violence, from the White House Trump watched it unfold on Fox News.

During the 187 minutes, no official White House records were kept. The White House photographer was not allowed to take pictures. Witnesses said advisers, members of Congress, the media and family members begged Trump to call off the mob. Trump chose not to act on their pleas, rather, he urged senators to slow down counting of electoral votes and, at one point in the afternoon, tweeted that the vice president was a coward for not reversing the election results.

As a result, Vice President Pence was evacuated to a safer location. Members of Pence’s Secret Service detail were so alarmed about dying, they were calling their families to say goodbye.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

The committee previously subpoenaed the Secret Service for all text communications dated Jan. 5 and 6, but the agency claimed they’d been “wiped.”

They had only one to share. That has become a hearing side mess, with some Secret Service agents hiring their own attorneys.

At 2:38 p.m., per urgings from his advisers, Trump tweeted a plea to the rioters to support law enforcement.

Rioters noticed he did not say to respect lawmakers.

The House committee contrasted Trump’s behavior to that of Senate leaders (one Republican, one Democrat) who were determined to go forward with the electoral vote process after the violence had subsided.

Nine deaths have been linked to the Jan. 6 riot, including officers who later committed suicide. Close to 900 rioters have been charged; some of those charges include seditious conspiracy.

As for charges against Trump, that’s up to the Justice Department.

Will the Jan.6 House committee explore Big Money connections to the attempted coup? Since the riot, corporations have donated $21.5 million to Republican members who aligned with or outright sided with those attempting to overthrow the electoral vote, The Hill reports.

Blast from the past, a bit of deja vu: In 1933 wealthy businessmen, the Ku Klux Klan and the American Liberty League joined forces to launch a fascist coup against President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They aimed to get the highly regarded retired General Smedley Butler to lead 500,000 right-wing WWI veterans to the Capitol for a total takeover. Butler was offered what would be $6.8 billion today. Those backing that amount included J.P. Morgan; a member of the DuPont family; and CEOs at General Motors, Birdseye and General Foods. When recruited, the general was appalled, but played along so he could gather information, which was turned over to authorities. The plan — also called “The Wall Street Putsch” — was derailed. Extensive details are found in the intriguing book, The Plot to Seize the White House, the Shocking True Story of the Conspiracy to Overthrow FDR.

NEWS

‘This is a tourist tax’

City Hall still working on the language, but expect to see a 7% bed tax increase on the Nov. ballot

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Sandpoint residents are more likely than not to see a measure on their 2022 ballots asking to increase the current 7% tax on short-term lodging to 14%, though the specific language has yet to be finalized.

City Council members voted July 20 to table the ballot measure in order to get the wording just right, but the essence of the ask will remain the same: doubling the resort city local option tax on hotel, motel and bed-and-breakfast rooms, as well as condos, tourist/ vacation rentals and other businesses that rent or lease temporary occupancy of 30 days or less.

The city’s current 7% “bed tax” goes to support public safety services and public parks operations — including 50% or more of the City Beach lifeguard program — as well as the SPOT bus. Excess funds collected by that 7% go toward property tax relief for residents, which in fiscal year 2023 is expected to run to approximately $200,000.

If approved, the increase of 7% would be earmarked for streets and sidewalks, and fix the sunset date for the tax on Dec. 31, 2035. The current tax, approved by votes in 2014, will expire on Dec. 31, 2025.

Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said there’s been some confusion over how the bed tax increase would be allocated, with some written comments to City Hall expressing concern that the 14% tax would be siphoning money from public safety and parks.

“To be clear, the 7% — the amount that is currently collected — will continue to go to the uses that voters had approved, which is public safety services, parks and can also be used for infrastructure improvements,”

she said. “But the increase of 7% for consideration by council would be specifically dedicated to streets and sidewalks. It would not take away from public safety services or parks.”

In other words, half the tax would flow to the same beneficiaries that it always has, while the other half would go toward street pavement, sealing and associated stormwater infrastructure; the pedestrian priority network, which includes maintenance, reconstruction and extension of sidewalks and pathways, as well as curbs, ramps and other improvements to ensure ADA accessibility and safety; property tax relief; and the costs associated with collecting and enforcing the tax.

Over the past three years, the city has collected an average of $500,000 per year from the current bed tax, with year-over-year increases. Adding a further 7% to the tax is estimated to pull in an additional $6 million by 2035.

The need for that additional revenue — especially applied to street infrastructure — is great, according to City Hall.

Based on data collected during formulation of the Multimodal Transportation Plan, Sandpoint has a significant backlog of streets in “poor” or “very poor” condition — about 21%, which is double the national average. The plan called for increasing street spending to $1.3 million a year just to avoid increasing that backlog and prevent further failing conditions. Meanwhile, the annual funding for paving maintenance and reconstruction over the past few years has increased from $250,000 to $500,000 per year and sidewalk funding has gone from $25,000 to $50,000.

The bed tax is designed to fall on visitors, rather than residents, in order that the former pay for the wear-and-tear on infrastructure and demand for services that

result from their spending time in the community.

Based on the city’s data, bed tax revenue from hotels and motels has been decreasing while revenue from short-term rentals, such as vacation rentals, has come to make up slightly more than 50% of all bed tax revenue.

Underscoring that short-term rentals are as lucrative as they are perilous, Stapleton reported that when she, City Planner Amy Tweeten and Mayor Shelby Rognstad recently sat in on a call with 20 other resort cities in Idaho, they learned that as much as 60% of McCall’s total housing stock is made up of non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.

Sandpoint has an ordinance in place putting a number of restrictions on such rentals — provided they are non-owner-occupied — including requiring a permit and limiting them to 1% of the residential housing stock.

Owner-occupied short-term rentals, such as accessory dwelling units, are considered short-term rentals by right and may be leased out with a permit and by paying the requisite taxes. There is no limitation on the number of short-term rentals allowed in commercial zones.

“We are by far the most restrictive in terms of short-term rentals. I think that’s been great for Sandpoint,” Rognstad said. “it is universally recognized as aggressive.”

That said, it is known that there are numerous unpermitted short-term rentals operating throughout the city — “I know of about three on my block,” said Councilor Jason Welker — and Stapleton said the city is currently working on its enforcement procedures.

“It’s kind of an ongoing battle for communities that have permitting requirements,” she added.

Raising the bed tax has been one strategy to disincentive the expansion of short-term rentals in other communities where they have eaten into the long-term housing market.

“It certainly could have an impact and we would hope that it would have some of that impact here, but absolutely it would increase the cost for short-term rentals with the potential to make them less desirable,” Stapleton said.

“In terms of strategies to try to limit the proliferation of shortterm rentals — investors investing in a community, not being part of a community and just doing short-term rentals — we’re seeing a variety of things with communities, including increasing these taxes, including increasing permit fees for those as well as adopting limitations to the number of those short-term rentals.”

Referring to a 2019 industry study of lodging taxes around the country, Stapleton said the aver-

The Sandpoint City Council in session at Sandpoint City Hall. Photo by Ben Olson. age bed tax is about 13.5%, with many resort cities charging a total tax rate of over 20%. Montana recently increased its short-term occupancy tax statewide.

Welker pointed out that the current 7% bed tax is in addition to the 6% Idaho sales tax and 2% state lodging tax, which means a further 7% increase really brings the effective rate of tax on shortterm lodging from 15% to 22%.

“That is significant,” he said.

Council President Kate McAlister said that while paying these taxes may be a burden on short-term lodging operators, “they also reap the benefit of tax deductions and having a rental.”

She also emphasized that “this is a tourism tax.”

Councilor Deb Ruehle suggested that there seems to be no problem filling any of the short-term rentals in the city, and “considering that this is a national average, it doesn’t seem like we’re going above and beyond.”

Rognstad added that “even coming at 14%, we’re still leaving quite a bit of money on the table.”

Council directed city staff to work on the ballot language and bring it back for further review.

The deadline for submitting the measure so that it appears before voters in November is Sept. 1.

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A better way for Republicans…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • “A big thank you to Community Assistance League for their generous grant to the Angels Over Sandpoint’s Back to School program, along with all the other community members and groups that have donated to this program.

It really takes a village to be able to provide the much-needed school supplies as well as a new backpack for that first day of school each September. We are most grateful. To make a donation go to angelsoversandpoint.org.”

— By Angels Over Sandpoint (Carolyn Sorentino, vice pres.)

“On behalf of all the hard working members who make this happen.”

Barbs: • Sandpoint City Councilors Kate McAlister, Andy Groat, Deb Ruehle and Justin Dick get Barbs this week for their “yes” votes finalizing the land swap amendment for the looming high-rise luxury condo development slated for Bridge Street and First Avenue. Councilors Jason Welker and Joel Aispuro were the only two on the council who voted to deny the amendment, which would have allowed Sandpoint a bit more time to figure out this issue. Kudos to both of them for understanding what’s really at stake. It’s more complicated than this space allows for but, in brief, the city of Sandpoint is still operating under a change made to height restrictions and the comp plan written during the Great Recession in order to drum up more development in a time of economic downturn. I think everyone will agree that we don’t need to make it easier for luxury developments to climb higher into the sky, changing our historic town from here forward. Update the code! What galls me is the fact that we appear to have elected leaders in our town who care about developers and rich people who don’t live in Sandpoint more than they do the people who actually live here and have lived here all their lives. Grow a spine and start representing locals’ interests, or get off the council and make room for those who will.

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Dear editor, I was somewhat amused by Ms. Walkowski’s comments in the June 16, 2022 edition of the Reader.

While the main theme of those comments was intended to promote the need for being nice to one another, the comments themselves were actually not very nice. Instead, her comments criticized both the Democratic Party, in general, and Mr. Olson, in particular, in a tit-fortat manner as a response to certain anti-Republican statements made previously in the Reader. Not exactly the best way to make the point of being nice to one another.

Understandably, we Republicans are upset by the negative way in which we are portrayed in the media but, rather than focusing on pointing out the foolishness of Democrats — they do a good enough job of demonstrating that themselves — we need to stop doing dumb things like insisting that the 2020 election was somehow fraudulent when anyone paying attention should have known that Trump’s approval ratings, pre-election, were in the toilet (40% or so), making it very unlikely he would remain president. (Much like the odds that Biden will face if he tries to be re-elected in 2024 based on his current approval numbers).

Then too, there is the horrible manner that we responded to the events of Jan. 6: a significant number of us believed that it was the work of “patriots”; while others of us labeled it as no big deal, more like a “minor dust-up”; and still more Republicans have adopted a “hear no evil, see no evil,” attitude with the hopes that it all will soon go away.

We need to start using our smarts and not rely nearly so much on our emotions and the words of false prophets who embarrassingly seem to prosper quite well within our ranks.

Robert Gosik Sagle

Abortion ban will claim lives and stifle the pro-life message…

Dear editor, In less than a month abortion will become illegal in Idaho through the abortion trigger law. Let us look at what will happen next.

For decades there have been no abortion services available in southeast, central or North Idaho.

There are only one or two clinics near Boise. Like before, healthy women wanting an abortion will go

to Washington and Oregon. Both of those states are gearing up to help Idaho refugees.

Women who want to have their baby, but who have health problems, are the ones facing the crisis. The law makes it a felony for a doctor to protect a woman’s health by aborting the fetus. Some of the health issues, but not all, are heart attack, stroke, cancer, extremely high blood pressure and bleeding. This is a very partial list. The doctor can save the woman’s life but only if they can prove she would die. How do you prove a negative? Women will be pushed to the brink of death and some of them will die.

Since we have made abortion a crime women will not be able to talk to pro-life people about other options or the mother could be branded a criminal. This secrecy will keep many from information about prolife options like adoption.

The result will be abortion will increase, women will die, and the pro-life message will be stifled.

Sincerely, Mary Haley Sandpoint

A few proposals…

Dear editor, Shortly after the fire that burned down the building at the corner of Bridge Street and First Avenue, the city (Jennifer Stapleton) put together an ad hoc committee of downtown business people, historic preservation folks, the at-the-time owner of the burned building and miscellaneous folks. The purpose was to take a look at code and make recommendations. We did. The concern was that the current code then and now allowed up to 65 feet with certain conditions, including parking and retail. The group was facilitated by city planning staff.

Those recommendations included decreasing building height and suggesting allowable materials. To the best of my knowledge that “report and recommendations” never made its way to planning or city council.

I propose that a building moratorium be imposed in the downtown core so that code can be modified to prevent the kind of thing proposed at First and Bridge Street. Of course that would not affect anything already permitted.

I support the lodging tax. Council will make a decision to put the tax up for a vote again; I support the tax but not for funding streets and sidewalks. The city needs to

create a mechanism to fund streets and sidewalks beyond the property tax. The lodging tax would hardly create enough dollars to address the need in town for improved streets and sidewalks (gaps all over town with failing sidewalks or no sidewalks). Using that tax for streets and sidewalks would short change fire, police and recreation.

I propose the city run a 1 cent sales tax for five years dedicated exclusively for streets and sidewalks.

Tourists would pay their share, as would Bonner County residents who use our streets. I support the city running the lodging tax again to address the impact of tourists on police, fire and parks.

Carrie Logan Sandpoint

Finding some hope…

Dear editor, Erik Daarstad’s “Perspectives” column [“Looking Back,” July 21, 2022] is right on in his examination of what’s happening in our country, our state and in our community.

Erik, a renowned filmmaker, has been and is a wonderful gift to our community.

My experiences resemble his in that we moved to Sandpoint looking for a small town in an area “of exceptional natural beauty” with a beautiful lake and a ski area.

Born in the Midwest, my wife and I had lived in nearly all parts of the country.

Like Erik, when we arrived in Sandpoint in 1996, the state and area was politically divided — we had a Democratic state representative from Sandpoint and a Democratic state senator from Bonners Ferry. Later, we had two very competent GOP state senators — Shawn Keough and, more recently, Jim Woodward.

But things have changed, as Daarstad pointed out, because “of a large influx of very conservative people from other states, especially California.” When we lived in California, some conservatives referred to the state as “Blue Idaho” and an escape from racial minorities.

While Ruby Ridge and the bankruptcy of the Aryan Nations are behind us, the Patriot Front gathering in Coeur d’ Alene recently is disturbing, as was the appearance of an AR-15-toting gunman at Sandpoint’s recent Fourth of July parade.

And we are now seeing on TV how the Jan. 6 attack on our nation’s Capitol was orchestrated by

former-President Trump amid lies about a stolen election.

Still there are many good people in our community, including those in our Human Rights Task Force, fighting for equality, and in our state — Reclaim Idaho — fighting to improve our educational system, who will continue to fight for the values in this community we cherish. And that gives us hope.

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

Trim those weeds…

Dear editor, It’s time for those responsible, be it the city, county or private property owners, to cut down their weeds — particularly at intersections. Thank you!

Jo Reitan Sandpoint

‘Freedom’ should be available everywhere, not just Idaho…

Dear editor, I’d like to say thank you to the city of Sandpoint and to the county for bringing in this consultancy group to give a deep-dive of the pressures we’re all feeling around here due to this “in-migration,” as they called it [News, “Off the charts,” July 14, 2022].

I’ve been able to have conversations with many of those “in-migrants,” as I am somebody who likes to chat with strangers and ask questions. What I’m hearing is that many are fleeing to freedom. Either political freedom or medical freedom, many just want the freedom of choice.

I feel happy that the beautiful state I call home can offer this, however I want the states these folks are fleeing from to offer it to their own citizens. We are supposed to be living in “the land of the free,” across all states, across the nation.

It doesn’t make sense that a few states bear the burden of massive migration due to loss of freedoms.

In freedom, Elizabeth Iha Sandpoint

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters under 300 words that are free of libelous statements and excessive profanity. No trolls. Please elevate the conversation.

OPINION

Show up for Bonner County’s future Let County Planners know you want our waterways and way of life protected

By Jennifer Ekstrom Reader Contributor It’s said that the world is run by those who show up. Well, this is it, folks. It’s time to show up if you care about the future of Bonner County.

If you’re concerned by recent county decisions to rezone Selle Valley, build a subdivision in the Coolin wetlands or by the efforts to restrict public access in favor of new homes at Camp Bay, this planning process is for you.

Our Bonner County Planning Commission is working to quickly finalize revisions to the “Goals, Objectives and Policies” of our Comprehensive Plan.

The Goals, Objectives and Policies are the teeth of the Comprehensive Plan and will guide upcoming potential changes to our County Codes. Our County Land Use Codes are the law of the land here in Bonner County, which is why it’s critically important that the Goals, Objectives and Policies reflect our local sentiments on issues like protecting our wonderful lakes, wetlands, waterways and the rural character of our county.

There is a critical flaw in the current planning process — all of the updates are being done without collecting current data about our community. Because of this, the Planning Commission intends to launch a full review and update of the Comprehensive Plan (including data collection) shortly after completing this revision of the Goals, Objectives and Policies. A full review and update will likely take 18 months to two years to complete, and, in the meantime, the partial update will provide the groundwork for codes to change and development decisions to be made based on old data and old sentiments.

The wise thing to do would be to put the brakes on the current process, rather than make rushed changes that could ultimately undermine our rural way of life and permanently damage our environment. Our Planning Commission could simply decide to update the Comprehensive Plan the right way — by taking more time to include robust public input and updated data.

Our Planning Commissioners are all volunteers and, while they deserve to be commended for their hard work and public service, their work needs to reflect the needs of their communities. Our Planning Commissioners were told by former

Planning Director Milton Ollerton to put a huge cart in front of the horse and send it straight to the race track. According to state law, Planning Commission members can set their own processes and timelines, but are pressed to get this done in short order and they agreed. But there’s still time to stop this.

The changes the Planning Commission have been working on have very recently been made public and can be found in PDF format on Bonner County’s website (bit. ly/3z10koJ). Our community deserves to be engaged in the process more thoroughly, with open houses and workshops designed to help us understand the implications of the changes, and with opportunities to give input after gaining sufficient understanding. Concerned community members should ask our Planning Commission to take its time and get this right.

Community input will be accepted at upcoming Planning Commission workshops onTuesday, Aug. 2; Tuesday, Aug. 16; and as late as Tuesday, Aug. 30.

It’s best to attend the earlier workshops so commissioners will have time to consider your input before submitting their recommendations to the Bonner County Board of Commissioners. They are currently scheduled to submit those recommendations on Aug. 30, though they could decide to extend the timeline.

Written comments can be sent to planning@bonnercountyid.gov, and should be sent by Saturday, Aug. 20 in order to be included in the staff report.

Show your love for Bonner County and let our commissioners know you value our precious waterways and landscapes, and want to protect them now and for future generations. Ask that they suspend their process to update the Goals, Objectives and Policies, and thank them for their efforts. Ask that any current or future planning process utilizes current data, the best available science and robust community input. Ask that they ensure our lakes, rivers, streams, shorelines, wetlands and rural way of life are securely protected for our lifetimes and for future generations.

Jennifer Ekstrom is North Idaho Lakes Conservation associate at Idaho Conservation League. For more information, contact her at 208-318-5812 or jekstrom@idahoconservation.org.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

7b before people

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist I first learned about the Great Missoula Floods when I was in elementary school in the ’90s. I listened in wide-eyed wonder to my teacher describing the events of the floods: massive walls of water once held back by the Missoula ice dams unleashed to rip through the entire Pacific Northwest. What it must have been like to stand on the top of Schweitzer and watch mountain-sized tidal waves of ice and water come roaring through the basin and carve away the dirt and stone to create the fifth-deepest lake in the United States.

It’s easy to think that this place has always looked this way, with a big, beautiful lake and conifer-covered mountains as far as the eye can see, but Bonner County’s current configuration is relatively recent. Our wonderful lake is only around 18,000 years old, barely a fledgling puddle compared to Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, which is believed to be at least 25 million years old. What did home look like throughout time? Before the lake was here, before the first Indigenous peoples ever set foot here, before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth?

It’s important to know that talking about locations across such huge spans of time is difficult.

Continents by their very nature move. Huge oceans of molten rock in the Earth’s mantle are constantly in motion. Massive glaciers etch away dirt and stone, and deposit them elsewhere. Precisely tracking where this tiny area was throughout prehistory becomes difficult and problematic. Are we tracking a coordinate, a single stone or a precise amount of acreage?

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which are supported by fossil and geological evidence. Basically, if we found a fossil of a mollusk from 200 million years ago, that means this area was underwater at one point or another. Based on our own measurements of how the continents have moved, however slightly, we’re able to project how they shifted and moved across hundreds of millions of years.

Taking that into consideration, let’s take a trip back in time.

The location that would become Bonner County in 1907 has moved considerably throughout the geological history of Earth.

The vast majority of time was spent under the ocean, particularly when the Earth was hot. Even more curious, our area was quite close to the south pole for many hundreds of millions of years.

Throughout the Cambrian Period, around 500 million years ago, the continent that would eventually become North America was far to the south. Our area was part of the shallow ocean at this time, and likely stayed this way until around 240 million years ago, when we were a part of the western shore of the Pangaean supercontinent.

What would become Bonner County was remarkably close to both the equator and the ocean, as what would later become Washington state hadn’t quite formed yet. This was the beginning of the Triassic Period, which was the apocalyptic beginnings of dinosaurs on Earth.

The climate of the early Triassic was harsh. Earth was dry and hot, with limited rainfall and arid conditions across most of the planet. Just 20 million years before, Earth suffered its greatest extinction event ever — the so-called “Great Dying” of the Permian-Triassic cusp — which wiped out an estimated 90% of all ocean life and 70% of terrestrial life on the planet, including a number of plants that had helped

to regulate climate conditions by manipulating carbon and water.

As the world continued to warm, life evolved to adapt and Bonner County sank back beneath the ocean.

About 200 million years ago, at the end of the Triassic, another mass extinction occurred. This was the period when dinosaurs first began to dominate the Earth.

The planet cooled, oceans receded and this area may have had some actual beachfront property for a few million years.

Through the Jurassic Period, 199 million years ago to 145.5 million years ago, our area stayed above water. The planet was warm and wet, as vegetation flourished and dinosaurs grew to enormous sizes. Our area was likely a basin ringed by large mountain ranges, while everything from Montana eastward was beginning to resemble the North American continent we’re familiar with today.

Earth grew warmer for the following hundred million years as the Jurassic became the Creataceous. Dinosaurs would continue to dominate the North American continent until one fateful day about 65 million years ago, when an asteroid with a diameter equal to the size of Kootenai, Sandpoint and Dover combined, smashed into Earth at Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

This was a bummer for the dinosaurs, but it worked in our favor. Earth cooled due to the massive debris cloud and smoke from global forest fires, throwing the planet into a series of ice ages that would alternate between phases of cold and warm.

While the continent itself didn’t go through any giant changes like Pangaea, it’s undeniable that this area must have changed dramatically throughout the past 65 million years. The repeated heating and cooling of ice ages and the tremendous eroding force

of water altered the landscape an untold number of times until it finally appeared to us as it does today. Even now, if you look closely enough, you can see the scars of glaciers pushing through the mountains like a garden trowel through soil.

The first humans set foot in North America during one of the glacial periods 20,000 years ago.

This means the ancestors of the Indigenous peoples were present on the continent when Lake Pend

Oreille was first carved from the basin. I’d like to imagine that someone, somewhere, must have witnessed one of these great floods, perched safely upon a mountaintop bundled in furs to see the cataclysmic birth of Lake Pend Oreille.

Unfortunately, it was probably way too cold for anyone to be here for that, so that awesome splendor remains a secret kept between the stone and the sea.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner Don’t know much about sushi? We can help!

• While most believe sushi is a Japanese invention, it was actually created in Southeast Asia. A dish called narezushi consisting of rice with fish wrapped around it, originated somewhere near the Mekong River in Vietnam. It then became popular in China before it reached Japan.

• Wasabi is a popular condiment eaten with sushi, but most wasabi sold outside of Japan is actually horseradish, often sold in tubes with green food coloring added.

The reason most wasabi outside of Japan isn’t real is because the plant is very expensive and difficult to cultivate.

• Wasabi originally accompanied sushi not just for flavor, but also to ward off food poisoning due to its antibacterial qualities.

• Real wasabi is considered the most expensive vegetable in the world, mostly due to its difficulty in growing. The real deal will cost you around $250 for a little more than two pounds.

• In the beginning, the rice in sushi was wrapped around the fish in order to give it a unique flavor, as well as extend its life and protect from insects. Once it was time to eat the fish, the rice was usually discarded.

• The word “sushi” actually refers to the rice that is used to prepare dishes, not the fish. The rice is usually prepared with vinegar.

• Seaweed is the most popular ingredient used as a wrap for sushi, but other items have been used, such as egg, thinly sliced cucumber, semi-firm avocado and soy paper.

• Credit an earthquake with bringing sushi into popularity. Sushi was traditionally viewed as “street food” and many vendors couldn’t afford to open brick-and-mortar locations. After an earthquake in Japan in 1923, the prices of property dipped so low that it was suddenly attainable to purchase a restaurant and serve sushi there. Now, sushi is rarely sold by street vendors.

OUTDOORS

Trail volunteers ramp up for the summer season

By Reader Staff

The summer is ramping up, and so are the hikers eager to experience the seasonal splendor of our wild backyard.

Of course, that means that Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness volunteers are more needed than ever to ensure those trails remain accessible. When you hike a quality trail in the Scotchmans, you can thank a volunteer for clearing fallen trees and brush, maintaining the trail grade and keeping them walkable.

“We’ve got several upcoming trail projects lined up with only a handful of folks signed up. Come one and all! Our trails need all the help they can get,” said Sam Olson, FSPW summer program coordinator.

If you haven’t tried a trail project before, consider signing up. It’s an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors while doing some real good for the community. Trail volunteers get the satisfaction of keeping the trails in good shape for everyone. No experience is necessary — trail crew leaders will supply volunteers with everything they need to know.

Some upcoming dates to consider will cover Spar Peak on Saturday, July 30, Regal Creek on Tuesday, Aug. 2 and Little Spar Lake on Saturday, Aug. 6.

“We hope to see some new faces on the trail crews,” said Olson. “It’s a fun way to contribute to the community while getting a little sun, exercise and outdoor time for yourself. For real, no

FSPW volunteers take a break on a recent trip up Goat Mountain. Photo by Rachel Torgerson, FSPW backcountry ranger. experience necessary.”

To learn more about trail work and everything else the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness are doing this summer, visit scotchmanpeaks.org. To keep tabs on all upcoming trail dates, visit scotchmanpeaks.org/hikes-eventsschedule.

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PROFILE

Poster child

Woods Wheatcroft’s 2022 Festival at Sandpoint poster is the image of community

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff This year’s Festival at Sandpoint poster couldn’t have come at a better time — and from a better artist. Longtime local photographer Woods Wheatcroft has spent decades as a high-end image maker for national publications, but always remained true to his community roots in Sandpoint. His selection as the 2022 Festival poster artist, and the results of his labor, are an affirmation of his love of both people and place.

The poster is a collage of more than 150 faces of Sandpointers — all snapped on film and cut out using a razor blade, Weatcrofth’s favorite pair of purple scissors and pasted up using a regular old glue stick.

He estimates it took “north of 75 hours” to construct the pastiche — a direct and admitted homage to The Beatles’ iconic Sgt. Pepper’s album cover — all of which did good work on his soul.

“I wasn’t intending it to be a ‘who’s who’ of Sandpoint. I hope people realize that it’s impossible to get everybody who’s important on the poster. It’s about community,” he told the Reader in a Tuesday afternoon phone call from an undisclosed beach on the Green Monarchs.

“In its pure form it’s about community and I feel like music is a conduit — engaging not only with the music but with each other,” he said.

At a time when Sandpoint is in such a dramatic moment of flux — dare we say “identity crisis,” as it grows in often dislocating ways — Wheatcroft is clear that his intention with the poster is to serve as a composite reflection of who we are and have been.

“It’s a time capsule,” he said, noting the number of faces in the collage who are no longer with us: Charley Packard, Sprouts, Dann Hall and others, whose images are honored in remembrance.

“I started my career like a lot of photographers: I took pictures of trees and rocks and they don’t talk back, but running my lens back on humanity is one of the better directions I went with my photography,” he said. “I do consider myself a bit of a record keeper.”

That’s not to suggest that Wheatcroft’s collage is a memorial. Rather, he sees it as a work in progress.

“I don’t think it’s finished. I think it’s finished when it’s edge-to-edge full,” he said.

As we are, Wheatcroft captured us faceby-face.

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Artwork courtesy Woods Wheatcroft.

PERSPECTIVES

Extremism should not be the new normal recieving abortion care failed after citizens flooded comNot long ago, the idea of mittee rooms, forcing rape and incest survivors outraged. So, the to give birth to their rapist’s child next eight years, wasn’t a priority to the Republithey ate around can Party. There was some sort the edges of the of “red” line that GOP politicians protections of were hesitant to cross, even though Roe. they pushed right up to it.

Until 2020, After dedicating years to blurwhen GOP poliring it, the extreme right has taken ticians took a big over and blasted through the red Sen. Melissa Wintrow. Courtesy photo. bite and passed line of basic human rights and cona trigger law banning and criminalizing verted the issue of abortion care into some- abortion with very narrow exceptions for thing sinister: a big government police rape and insest and to save the life of the state, spying on doctors, patients and even mother. What was once beyond that red rape victims at the behest of militants who line became mainstream to Republicans. want to define in law their own beliefs at In 2021, they brought back the the sacrifice of the First Amendment and trans-vaginal ultrasound. Governseparation of church and state. ment-mandated rape had become mainPhysicians, who have taken an oath to stream. A year later, the GOP politicians protect patients’ lives, are scrambling to passed a bill deputizing all citizens as figure out if prosecutors will track them vigilantes against health care providers down and lock them up in cases of ectowho terminate a pregnancy. The extreme pic pregnancies, miscarriages and many had been normalized. common conditions that could threaten Last weekend [July 14-16], the GOP the life of a mother — an Orwellian convention voted against any exemptions world coming to fruition. to an abortion, including instances of rape, Ten years ago a GOP bill requiring an incest and danger to the life of a mother. invasive trans-vaginal ultrasound prior to In other words, women aren’t deservBy Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise Reader Contributor

ing of basic health care to save their lives.

I recently met a woman who whispered to me how scared she was about getting pregnant. She was a mother and almost died of complications from her first pregnancy. What if something went wrong again? Would the doctor be able to care for her? A legitimate concern.

The Idaho GOP has devolved into extremist bullies hell bent on a dystopian society where women are human chattel.

The party of limited government and taxation is fixated on sexual relations, personal privacy and total control of women’s bodies.

What of their claim to fiscal conservatism when legal challenges, costs in attorney fees, increased medical costs to care for women in the case of delayed abortions, or unsafe abortions will soar?

Imagine the costs associated with prosecuting these cases. With the fentanyl crisis and other issues, pursuing abortion providers would be a terrible use of scarce judicial resources, particularly when some counties and the Attorney General’s office are losing prosecutors because of who the

Republican nominee is.

What’s next?

Will the government monitor our menstrual cycles? Raid pharmacies searching for outlawed contraceptives like IUDs? Will pregnant women be harassed by vigilanties?

How many health care workers, pharmacists and pregnant people will languish in prisons for providing or receiving health care that is legal in many of our neighboring states?

I know there are reasonable Republicans out there who agree their party has abandoned them along with common sense. I ask you to put the person before the party. Vote for candidates who will get back to basics like protecting public lands, funding education, providing property tax relief and managing growth in a responsible way.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, previously served three terms in the Idaho House (2014-2020) and currently sits on the Senate Health and Welfare, Judiciary and Rules, and Transportation committees.

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COMMUNITY Sandpoint Parks and Recreation programming for August

By Reader Staff The Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department will be offering the following programming in August: • How to survive family camping.

This fun program will introduce you to the basics of camping with your family, including tips on equipment, how to set up your campsite and tent, campground camping vs. primitive camping and more.

The program is particularly useful for the new or rusty camper. The class takes place Tuesday, Aug. 2 at Lakeview Park (901 Ontario St.) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Fee: $12/ person or $20/family ($3 non-resident fee).

Register by Friday, July 29.

• CPR/AED with optional First Aid. For ages 16 to adult or ages 12-15 with an adult guardian. American Health and Safety Institute’s CPR/AED with optional First Aid is a general community course for individuals with little or no medical training, who need CPR/AED and or First Aid card for work, OSHA requirements, school or personal knowledge. The

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course meets American Heart Association guidelines. Classes are offered on Monday, Aug. 8. Register by Thursday, Aug. 4. Located at the Sandpoint City Hall Council Chambers, class meets 4-6 p.m. for CPR/AED and 6-8 p.m. for First Aid. Fee: $35 CPR/AED, with additional $25 First Aid option.

• Preparation to avoid calling Search and Rescue. A practical approach to returning on our own from outdoor excursions. There will be a focus on route/ trail selection, preparation, equipment, trail etiquette and safety. Whether you are a beginner or just want a review, this class will fill in the gaps. Class meets Monday, August 8; Wednesday, Aug. 10; and Friday, Aug. 12 from 9-10 a.m. at the Travers Park picnic shelter (2102 Pine St.).

The class will do a trail hike on the final day. Fee: $25/person ($3 non-resident fee) Register by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4. For more information or to register, contact Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces.

• Advanced sailing for ages 10 and up. Join Sandpoint Parks and Recreation and the Sandpoint Sailing Association for advanced sailing lessons. Personal flotation devices are required, but students should be comfortable in deep water.

The class fee is all-inclusive. Classes are scheduled for Monday-Thursday, with Friday reserved in case a weather make-up day is needed. Participants are to meet at the Windbag Marina on Fred’s Deck. Session No. 2 runs Monday, Aug. 15-Thursday, Aug. 18, from 1-3 p.m.

Register by Sunday, Aug. 7. Fee $45 ($4 non-resident fee).

• Beginner pickleball. For ages 18 and up, pickleball is a recreational social sport played with a paddle and a plastic ball over a 34-inch net on a badminton-sized court. Equipment will be provided, but participants will need court shoes. Water, sunglasses and a hat are suggested. Space remains in Session No. 4, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 20 from noon-3 p.m.

Class is held at Lakeview Park Pickleball Courts. Register by Thursday, Aug. 18.

Fee: $22 ($3 non-resident fee).

• Rails to Resort Hill Climb. Sandpoint Parks and Rec. presents the Rails to Resort Hill Climb, a.k.a. Schweitzer Hill Climb. Although a competitive event, it is open to riders of all skill levels who like a challenge. Meet at the Red Barn Parking Lot on Schweitzer Road on race day, Saturday, Sept. 10. Late registration/ check-in is 8-8:45 a.m., with a pre-ride meeting at 8:45 a.m. Race starts at 9 a.m.

Register by Thursday, Aug. 18 to receive a T-shirt. Contact Sandpoint Parks and Rec. for more information.

The Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department also acts as a clearinghouse to connect the public with other recreational opportunities in the community. Visit the department’s online activity catalog to view listings in this category. Outside organizations and individuals wishing to list their activities are encouraged to contact Parks and Rec. with their program information at recreation@sandpointidaho.gov.

Register for any Parks and Rec. program at secure.rec1.com/ID/city-of-sandpoint/catalog, visit the office at City Hall 1123 Lake St. or call 208-263-3613.

COMMUNITY

Registration deadline approaching for PORPA Sprints

By Reader Staff The registration deadline for the Pend Oreille Rowing and Paddling Association’s upcoming human-powered watercraft races will be Monday, Aug. 1. PORPA is a club for rowing, paddling and other non-motorized water sports. The Springs is a celebration of non-motorized watercraft (paddling events for kayaks, canoes, SUPs and rowing). Entry is open to all ages and skill levels. Free registration for youth 17 and under.

Human-powered watercraft races will take place at the Priest River Recreation Area (a.k.a., “The Mudhole”) starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13. Races will go until 1 p.m. and will be followed by lunch, a Kalispel Tribe presentation and a rowing shell demonstration from 1-4 p.m. The best part of the day will feature competition between teams using three different kinds of non-motorized watercraft in a relay race. As a special guest, the Kalispel Tribe will bring traditional canoes and offer participants and spectators stories about the Priest River and other local waterways.

Courtesy photo.

This locally sponsored event is a great way to get to know fellow rowers and paddlers while learning about local opportunities for non-motorized water recreation.

For more information For more info visit porpoa.org. For direct questions contact secretary@porpa.org.

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OUTDOORS

The evolution of camping

The pros and cons of sleeping on the ground, in a hammock, tent or glamper

By Ben Olson Reader Staff There is nothing quite so refreshing as sleeping outside.

I’ve always been a camper, but as the years go on, my camping has evolved to incorporate many choices of beds while experiencing the great outdoors. Here are some comparisons between sleeping on the ground, in a hammock, a tent and, finally, a glamper.

Ground

In my 20s, it seemed like I slept on the ground more than in a bed. I was a glutton for experience back then, soaking up misery and joy with the same sponge. I was camping every weekend, taking long excursions into the wilderness, hitchhiking hundreds of miles for nonsense reasons — all in the name of adventure.

Though I owned a tent, more often than not I’d just spread a blanket on the ground after sweeping away the rocks and pine cones, lay my sleeping bag down and snooze under the stars all night. I always loved falling asleep after watching the satellites and meteors do their thing. Sometimes, when waking in the wee hours of the morning, I might catch a thumbnail moon rising over the mountains or a young buck deer drinking quietly from a stream.

Sleeping out on the ground is the purest form of camping. You are out in the elements, vulnerable to the bugs, wildlife and precipitation. Once, while sleeping at Rock Lake in Montana, I awoke in the morning to a mountain goat licking my face. Another time, I woke my sleeping partner in the middle of the night screaming, “Ants!

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I realized it was just a few ants crawling around on our skin and I was having a bad dream.

Then there’s the rain. Unless you’re under a tree or some other natural cover, you will get soaked sleeping on the ground if rain is in the forecast. I awoke one time completely exposed when it began raining. I did the only thing I could think of — I rolled myself like a burrito inside the tarp I was sleeping on top of and kept dry.

Hammock I came late to the hammock party. I’ve owned them before, but, until recently, never considered sleeping in them. They make some excellent camping hammocks that have bug netting along the top that you zip up when going to sleep. The netting is suspended from lines, which you tie further up the same trees the hammock uses, keeping it out of your face and creating a little vestibule.

Hammocks are a step above sleeping on the hard ground. The netting protects you from the flying bugs, and being suspended keeps the crawling critters at bay, too (Ants!). Plus, the sway of a hammock is a natural sleep aid.

Step up your game and include an inflatable ground pad in the bottom of the hammock to give it more structure so your back doesn’t sag so much, and also an underquilt which helps curb the cool air hitting the underside.

Also, consider investing in some adjustable hammock tree straps for more versatility and strength.

The drawbacks are that you must have trees in your campsite, which isn’t a huge problem, but if you only bring hammocks and end up camping somewhere without trees in which to hang them, you’ll be reverting to sleeping on the ground.

When rain isn’t in the forecast, just sleep under the stars; but, if you’re worried about precipitation, string a line above the hammock from the same trees and use a tarp to make an A-frame rain shelter.

Tent

The most versatile and useful tool for camping outdoors is undoubtedly the noble tent. We have a couple of different sizes — one small, two-person backpacking tent and a large, mansion-like structure that could sleep an entire baseball team.

My best advice for buying a tent is to avoid the cheap ones.

If you buy a cheap Walmart tent, chances are it’ll be trashed in a year or two. The materials are subpar and the stitching always fails at some point, creating access points for moisture and bugs.

I had a crappy $20 tent once while camping in Zion National Park and woke up in the morning to about three inches of standing water on the tent floor. The rain fly seams were so poorly sewed, they allowed water to freely flow within.

Do your research and get a tent with a good rain fly. You’ll thank yourself later. Also, make sure you get one that has good gear storage.

Ours has a little mesh ceiling area in which to put your books, headlamps, toiletries, etc.

The cons of a tent are the space and weight. Unless you have a light backpacking tent, they can

be heavy to strap onto your pack when voyaging in the woods — even the light tents are still heftier than a camping hammock. Also, you need the available square footage on which to place the tent, as well as ground that can accept stakes to help secure the tent.

In some alpine excursions or in rocky areas, this might be tough to find.

Glamper

The final evolution of a camper is when they go to the dark side and begin glamping. This hybrid form of camping is like traditional camping in the sense that you’re outside, but there is very little “roughing it” when it comes to glamping.

No judgment here, friends. To each their own. Glamping is when you take many of the luxuries of home and bring them to your campsite. Not everyone wants to come home filthy, smelling of smoke and scratching at a zillion bug bites.

We first bought our little 1965 Aloha camper to use as a band equipment trailer when going on tour, but it has evolved to become

Hammocks are great to camp with when trees are abundant and the summer weather offers little chance of rain.

Photo by Ben Olson. our glamper. It’s a simple affair, with a gutted interior only containing a settee area, which folds into a bed and a drawer built into the wall. We often pull the glamper by the river if we’re feeling a bit too lazy to rough it. Weight and space is never an issue, so we toss everything inside: Dutch ovens, firewood, musical instruments and anything else we might not normally have the chance to bring on a more traditional camping trip.

The glamper is excellent when it’s rainy or cold, too, because you can hang outside as long as you like, but close the doors and be cozy and warm inside no matter what the weather is like outside.

There are limitations for where you can tow the camper, and you give up a bit of the traditional nature of camping, but you gain a lot of comfort in the process. Plus, you don’t have to worry about setting up or taking down the tent — just pull up to the camp spot, crack a beer and you’re there, buddy.

No matter how you sleep outside, be it in a tent, swinging in a hammock, nestled in your camper or splayed out face first on the hard ground, the point is to be outside in nature, enjoying experiences your family will remember fondly.

STAGE & SCREEN

Panida offering a Little Theater lease opportunity

By Reader Staff The Panida Little Theater is available for lease, and the Panida management is inviting proposals from potential businesses or groups that will partner in the space.

“We have some well qualified applicants for the space already,” said Panida Managing Director Veronica Knowlton.

“But in the interest of giving the broader community notice of this opportunity, and simply to do our own due diligence, we’re going to accept applications for at least a few more weeks.”

The Panida is looking for a special sort of business for the space, because operations in the Little Theater must be collaborative with the Panida’s primary performing arts mission.

The Little Theater is adjacent to the main theater at 302 First Ave. The entire building comprises 3,000 square feet,

but the portion that is available for lease is only the front two-thirds, amounting to about 1,750 square feet.

The back area of the theater houses a public meeting and performance space where the Panida and community organizations stage special events, movies, live music, theater and other gatherings.

Use of that space could potentially be shared with the lessee.

Ideally, said Knowlton, the business or activities in the Little Theater can leverage the foot traffic and attendance at events both in the main and Little theaters. That could be a big benefit for a food vendor, a wine bar, a coffee shop, retail or other creative businesses.

To meet the Panida’s fiduciary obligations, Knowlton added it’s important that the portion for lease be at market rates, currently about $2.25 per square foot.

“Make no mistake: We want our lessee to succeed,” she said, “and with the right business there, our events will

bring people right to your door, and into your door in fact.”

For more details, to start a dialogue and arrange for a tour of the theater, provide a brief description of your proposed business to info@panida.org.

The Panida Little Theater on First Avenue in Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.

Not all applicants may be invited to submit proposals, but all queries will be answered.

The Pro-Voice Project seeks submissions for upcoming abortion stories production

By Reader Staff In an effort to bring the subject of abortion out of the realm of shadow and shame, two local women are spearheading a project to tell area residents’ personal stories of choice.

The enterprise, known as “The ProVoice Project,” seeks essays illuminating the myriad ways in which abortion touches the lives of both men and women, individuals and families, in real time and in retrospect, across the range of ages, income and backgrounds. These essays might be positive, negative or a mixture of the two. The right kind of story for this project is the one that is both personal and true.

Jen Jackson Quintano (who Reader readers will recognize as “The Lumber-

jill” columnist) and local theater figure and writer Dorothy Prophet conceived of “The Pro-Voice Project” in response to the recent rollback of women’s reproductive rights nationally and in anticipation of Idaho further curtailing — and even criminalizing — a pregnant woman’s right to choose.

“I believe in the power of stories,” said Quintano. “In an era of polarization and vitriol, stories have the power to connect us, to generate compassion, to honor the complexities of the human experience rather than distilling everything to black and white.”

“So many of us carry these stories, but we don’t give voice to them” she adds. “It’s time we all came to understand the true breadth and depth of personal abortion experiences.”

The Pro-Voice Project seeks es-

says up to 800 words in length from residents of North Idaho and the surrounding region. Stories may be submitted anonymously, and “The ProVoice Project” promises to protect the identity of anyone not choosing to be named. Email submissions to theprovoiceproject@ gmail.com or mail them to 195 Bear Trail Road, Sandpoint, ID 83864. The deadline is Sept. 15.

Ultimately, “The Pro-Voice Project” plans to organize a stage production of

Courtesy photo. these stories to promote greater dialog and understanding of the lived experience of abortion in our community. For more information, call 208-920-3564 or email theprovoiceproject@gmail.com.

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events

July 28 - August 4, 2022

THURSDAY, July 28

Festival at Sandpoint: The Revivalists 7:30pm @ War Memorial Field Chart-topping rock band The Revivalists will open this year’s Festival at Sandpoint concert series! Tickets $54.95 at festivalatsandpoint.com. Gates open 6pm

The Slocan Ramblers in Concert 8:30pm @ The Heartwood Center A free show as part of the Sandpoint Summer Music Series, this Canadian bluegrass band has won multiple awards for their string music. Good times!

Festival at Sandpoint: Chris Janson with LOCASH 7:30pm @ War Memorial Field Breakout country star Chris Janson is a platinum-selling recording artist. LOCASH creates signature sound fusing modern country and classic heartland rock. $69.95, gates open at 6pm. festivalatsandpoint.com Karaoke 8-close @ The Tervan

FriDAY, July 29

Invasive Species Training Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner 9am-12pm @ Camas Center for 7-9pm @ The Back Door 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Community Wellness (Usk) Free training where you learn to SATURDAY, July 30 identify priority invasive species and how to report surveys. Regis- Festival at Sandpoint: Mt. Joy with The Moss Live Music w/ Chris Paradis ter: tinyurl.com/invasivestraining 7:30pm @ War Memorial Field 7-9pm @ The Back Door Mt. Joy channels bright, bold energy in their indie Sandpoint Farmers’ Market rock music. Gates at 6pm.

9am-1pm @ Farmin Park

SunDAY, July 31

Festival at Sandpoint: Pink Martini feat. China Forbes 7pm @ War Memorial Field Returning to Sandpoint once again is Pink Martini, the ultra cool lounge group drawing inspiration from music from all over the world, playing classical, jazz and old fasioned pop. Gates open at 6pm. $44.95. Festivalatsandpoint.com Magic Night at Jalapeño’s Live Music w/ The Hooten Hallers 5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant 7-10pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Starring veteran magician Star Alexander Sandpoint Chess Club Karaoke 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee 8-close @ The Tervan

monDAY, august 1

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

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

tuesDAY, August 2

Trails and Tails • 11am-12pm @ Pine Street Woods Weekly gentle hikes through Aug. 19. Sponsored by the Geezer Forum, partnered with Kaniksi Land Trust. Volunteers needed: 425-577-1197

wednesDAY, August 3 Festival at Sandpoint: Kaleo 7:30pm @ War Memorial Field Enjoy this bonus extra day at the Festival! Kaleo is a chart-topping group combining melodies and gritty soul. They’ve earned billions of streams online, see them in person! $54.95. Gates open at 6 Live Flute Music w/ Brother Music 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Woodwind song on the Native American flute Benny on the Deck • 6-8pm @ Connie’s Featuring Ponderay Paradox Live Music w/ Jake Robin 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Live music w/ Chris Paradis NAMI Far North support group 5:30pm @ VFW, 1325 Pine St. (Spt.) Guest speaker Justin Hughes, LPC Sandpoint’s Got Talent open mic 6-10pm @ The Tervan A Lakeside Women’s Circle 6-8:30pm @ Oden Bay Led by Courtney Windju and Dani Boltz, will include somatic healing and inner child work. Sug. donation $35. Register at soletosoulwellness.com/events

ThursDAY, August 4

Festival at Sandpoint: The Beach Boys 7pm @ War Memorial Field The Boys are back in town with some good vibrations all around. Part of their “Sixty Years of the Sounds of Summer” tour through Sandpoint. Tickets are sold out, so if you don’t have any yet, post up outside the fence to listen. Gates open at 6, music at 7 18 /

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Priest River Ministries Advocates for Women 20th anniversary fundraiser 5-8:30pm @ Priest River Event Center This Bonner Co. nonprofit serves women and children victimized by domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, craft mocktails, silent auction and testimonials with a goal to raise $20k. Proceeds go to support women and children in Bonner County

Fresh produce, artisan goods, live Crazy Days • All day @ Downtown Sandpoint Downtown merchants offer big deals in this annu- music by Mobious Riff al sidewalk sale extravaganza Celebasin Celebration Film Festival 2-6pm @ Coolin Civic Center Panida Play it Again Record Sale Local environmental films. scawild.org 8am-3pm @ Panida Little Theater Check out over 50 boxes of records and other media Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs Karaoke 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 8-close @ The Tervan Live Music w/ Jason Perry Trio 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge

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FEATURE

Library introduces new virtual reality flight simulator

By Ben Olson Reader Staff After flying more than 90 combat missions in Vietnam, Barney Ballard gave up flying in 1974.

Thanks to a new piece of technology at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library, he can jump back into the cockpit anytime.

X-Plane 11 is a virtual reality-based flight simulator now offered as part of the library’s VR experience.

“We’ve mostly had younger kids and tweens coming in for VR,” said Brenden Bobby, who spearheads many of the tech amenities at the library. “We have had some adults — one who said they flew planes in the Navy. He took one step in the headset and said, ‘Nope, I don’t like it,’ so I thought, ‘What if we had a flight simulator?’”

Enter the X-Plane 11 flight simulator, which comes prepackaged with several different commercial and military aircraft, as well as a multitude of global scenery options covering most of the Earth.

X-Plane 11 is a step above many other flight simulators because it implements the blade element theory, which helps the simulated aircraft fly similar to its real-life counterpart.

When Bobby invited the Reader to test out the new flight sim, we thought we’d run the program through its paces by inviting Ballard, a real Air Force pilot who flew combat missions during the Vietnam War. Bobby (who readers may recognize as our weekly “Mad About Science” columnist) began our flight training with a brief explanation of the controls. If you’ve never experienced virtual reality before, it’s a unique feeling. Once the headset goes over your eyes, the room disappears and you find yourself in an airplane hangar, choosing which plane you’d like to fly.

“You’ll see some floating paddles coming your way,” Bobby told us. “These are your controls.”

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connection to the virtual world, emitting a laser sight to help choose the airplane we wanted to fly, the weather we’d like, the time of day and where in the world we chose to fly.

Bobby took the first flight to show us the general controls. We decided to fly the F-4 Phantom, a fighter jet used extensively during the Vietnam War. I asked Ballard if he flew the F-4.

“I didn’t want to,” he said.

“It was a two-seater. I wanted to fly by myself. I flew an A-1, a leftover from World War II and the Korean War. It was used to fly rescue missions in support of helicopters going out and saving people. I could rationalize my involvement in the war more easily that way.”

Bobby chose his flight location as Sandpoint and took off right from Sandpoint’s airport, banking over the town and heading across Lake Pend Oreille. The cockpit wrapped around the bottom of the frame as we watched him fly smoothly over the water with those familiar Green Monarch Mountains in the distance.

“There’s Trestle Creek and the Pack River delta,” said Bobby, pointing at the floor to the left, but in the virtual world he was pointing outside his cockpit. After a

short flight, Bobby showed off his prowess by landing right on the Long Bridge without crashing.

When it was my turn, I chose to fly the Grand Canyon at sunset.

I was struck by the immediate feeling of being inside a fighter plane cockpit, reaching out and “touching” the controls with my VR paddles. It isn’t like a video game, in which you press a button and take off into the air. One must follow rough guidelines to achieve flight, such as throttling up, putting the flaps in the correct position, releasing the brake and engaging the afterburner while taking off.

I crashed shortly after taking off, but was able to get into the air on my second flight and zoomed in and out of the canyons, watching the screen gray out from time to time as the G-forces kicked in during sharp turns. The controls were very responsive, not arcade-like, but quite realistic. I was curious how Ballard, a former combat pilot, would compare it to the real thing.

Ballard’s turn came and he was unable to fly his first location choice, which was an air base in Vietnam, but succeeded in his second choice of Luke Air Force Base, where he flew F-111’s.

Though he’d never experienced VR before, Ballard quickly

got the knack of the controls.

“There’s my altimeter, vertical indicator, horizontal display and engine instrumentation temperatures,” he said to himself while exploring the virtual cockpit. “When I flew, I was so big, I couldn’t turn in the cockpit, so I had to memorize all of these switches and hit them without turning around.”

Ballard punched it and soon the F-4 was airborne.

“This is pretty neat,” Ballard said as he leveled off. “I think as soon as you learn to relax, it gets easier. That’s the whole secret of flying, actually. You have your hand on the throttle here, but you just try to keep it between your fingertip and thumb.”

During his flight, Ballard told stories about some of his real flights in the past. He spoke about what it feels like to put on a speed brake: “It feels like putting a sled down,” or the feeling like he was on the “edge of darkness” when flying 40,000 feet into the air and looking at the curvature of Earth.

“You know, it was 50 years ago on Easter when I fought the North Vietnamese who were invading Vietnam,” Ballard remembered.

“They were 60 miles from Saigon.”

After our VR flight experience was over, I was struck by how

Brenden Bobby, standing, instructs former combat pilot Barney Ballard on the controls for the newly acquired X-Plane 11 flight simulator at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library District. Photo by Ben Olson. even the most newbie pilot (me) could enjoy the experience just as much as someone like Ballard, who spent countless hours in the cockpit during his time in the Air Force. It’s fun entertainment, but it can also be a chance for former combat pilots to experience time in the air without leaving the comfort of a desk chair.

Those interested in checking out the virtual reality room, including the X-Plane 11 flight simulator, can contact the library at 208-263-6930 to make an appointment or email Brenden Bobby at brenden@ebonnerlibrary. org. Bobby said the VR room is usually open from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays by appointment, but the second week of August he plans to run it Saturdays as well. Time slots are in 15 minute blocks, but those wishing to run the flight simulator might want to indicate that so they can request more time.

Visit ebonnerlibrary.org for more information.

POAC summer adult art classes now in session

By Reader Staff When the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s board of directors decided to start offering adult art classes at its Joyce Dillon Studio, there was some skepticism that the program would be successful. Now, those doubters are overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the positive responses from both the participating students and artist-teachers.

Since opening in January, student participation has increased rapidly. In a recent conversation with current students Lee Bonn, Susan Silberman, Karen Hanson and Eli Sevenich, they all talked about how much they have enjoyed having the opportunity to learn together.

“I really appreciate how my teacher inspired me to stretch in unexpected ways,” Silberman said. Bonn pointed out that there is a “closeness in every class that really makes you want to know other artists and become part of the creative community.”

Hanson added, “Whichever class you are taking will give you a way to ease into a new

skill that you may find becomes a part of your life.”

All three agreed that now is the time to sign up for a class if it’s something you’ve been considering.

POAC is offering a wide scope of classes and workshops this summer. There will be classes in drawing, painting, printmaking, fiber arts, design, color theory, photography, jewelry making, collage, sculpture, kite making, card making and much more. Classes are designed to reach all levels and class sizes are small so that all participants can get individualized attention. Beginning artists and practicing artists are all encouraged to join the fun.

“The summer focus is on a variety of short workshops that people can fit into their busy summer schedule,” said POAC board member and Joyce Dillon Studio coordinator Jan Rust.

The entire summer schedule can be found at artinsandpoint. org.

Renowned Western artist and POAC Artist of the Year Dan Carpenter is teaching two, three-day classes in acrylic painting. Alison Bar-

rows-Young is teaching three classes this summer in kite design, Relativity of Color and Color Symbolism. There are two photography classes taught by Candace Holtberg-Bennett, and Vicki Cahill will teach card making in two separate sessions.

Lee Bonn is bringing Christmas in July to the studio and will follow up in August with Elves and Sprites and Driftwood Mixed Media.

Lindsey Falciani will teach three different classes based around printmaking and mat cutting while Barry Burgess will teach drawing.

Visit artinsandpoint.org/ jds-studio if you are interested in taking a class or becoming a teacher at the Joyce Dillon Studio. There you will find additional information about the studio, complete class descriptions and dates, student registration and teacher applications.

The POAC gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information on how to become a POAC member artist, call the office at 208-263-6139.

Peter and Lorel Boas show off their artwork at the Joyce Dillon Studio while Lindsey Falciani looks on. Courtesy photo.

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MUSIC FEATURE

Living ‘all in’

An interview with Chris Janson

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Those in North Idaho who love country music benefit from one of the genre’s most beloved subcategories: songs about being on the water.

Whether it’s the legendary Craig Morgan hit “Redneck Yacht Club” or more contemporary contributions by the likes of Old Dominion or Little Big Town, living on Lake Pend Oreille makes these songs all the more meaningful.

One such track is “Buy Me a Boat,” which propelled Chris Janson to country stardom in recent years. Janson will play that song and many more when he takes the Festival at Sandpoint stage on Friday, July 29.

The Reader caught up with Janson ahead of his Sandpoint show to talk about writing hit songs and going “all in” with his latest contribution to country music.

Sandpoint Reader: Like a lot of country music fans, I first heard your music when “Buy Me a Boat” became the most popular song on the radio in summer 2015. After spending so many years trying to make it work in Nashville, did you ever think that would be the song to take you to the next level?

Chris Janson: My wife and I pretty much immediately knew we had something extra special with “Buy Me A Boat” — but I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted the crazy ride it took us on. That song literally changed our lives. We are very grateful for that. It became my first No. 1 song.

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Chris Janson will play the Festival at Sandpoitn Friday, July 29 at War Memorial Field.

Courtesy photo.

SPR: Beyond your work as a recording artist, you’ve also made a name for yourself in the songwriting world.

How does it feel to have someone like Tim McGraw bring your ideas to life?

CJ: I’ve always been a fan of Tim’s music, and he has done a fantastic job with songs that I’ve helped write for him over the years. I’m very grateful to Tim and others for believing in my songs. It’s very humbling to have somebody record one.

SPR: Tell me about All In. How does it compare to your previous releases? What makes you excited to share this new music with audiences?

CJ: All In was a very fitting title. I feel like I put it all into this album, and I believe it’s one of my best bodies of work to date. Out of all my albums, it’s by far my favorite. Some standouts, to me, are “Keys To The Country”; “Flag On The Wall”; “Reel Bass Pro”; “You, Me & The River”; “Thing You Can’t Live Without”; and

“Cold Beer Truth.” Those are just some of my favorites.

SPR: More so than a lot of the country artists I read about, people like to talk about your live performances. Seems like there’s something special happening there. What makes a Chris Janson show memorable?

CJ: I love to play live music. It’s all I’ve ever really known. We bring the hits to the show! The more excited and engaged the audience, the bet-

ter I play. Whether you’re a fan of “Buy Me A Boat,” “Fix A Drink,” “Good Vibes,” “Drunk Girl” or “Done,” there’s something for everybody. We aim to please and have a good time.

Catch Chris Janson, as well as openers LOCASH, at the Festival at Sandpoint on Friday, July 29. The box office opens at 5 p.m., general admission and season pass holders enter the gates at 6 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m.

MUSIC FEATURE

Music for the highs and lows An interview with Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Mt. Joy’s speedy trajectory from its 2016 formation to current-day indie rock notoriety is indicative of how quickly the band’s music has resonated with audiences across genres.

With poignant lyrics and folk-meets-jazzy-jam-band instrumentation, the five-piece L.A.-based outfit has amassed hundreds of millions of online streams on tracks like “Silver Lining” and “Strangers.”

The Reader interviewed frontman Matt Quinn about the band’s fast rise, the highs and lows of being a traveling artist, and Mt. Joy’s refreshingly creative Orange Blood era.

Sandpoint Reader: You guys are playing the Festival at Sandpoint as part of this summer’s Orange Blood Tour. What is it like getting to share this new work after two pretty unpredictable years?

Matt Quinn: It’s truly been the best shows we’ve ever played. The new album just allows a depth and diversity of setlist-making and has really transformed our live show.

We’re jamming more, connecting songs more. It’s really just opened up a new lane of creativity for us.

SPR: In trying to define what genre Mt. Joy belongs to, it’s easy to just say “indie” and let people listen and decide for themselves what, exactly, that means. As the creators of your unique sound, what would you say is the secret recipe that makes Mt. Joy more than a run-ofthe-mill indie band?

MQ: I just think the depth in every aspect of what we do is what makes us different. We just have a special group of players that have spent time playing and growing together, and our songs are honest and have more depth and meaning than they advertise. We sort of loathe the comparisons to folk bands that we don’t really think sound anything like us, but such is life. Come see us, especially on this tour, and go from there.

SPR: Each of your albums feels like a new era for Mt. Joy. How would you describe the Orange Blood era?

MQ: This is the band really coming into its own and having fun with experimenting and pushing ourselves to make something unique.

SPR: Since I started

listening to you guys in 2018, I remain struck by your ability to create music based so firmly around moments.

From “Cardinal” to “Bathroom Light,” so many of your songs seem to be about seizing the moment. Is this a fair interpretation? Is this a theme you’ve found yourself leaning into over the years?

MQ: Yeah, I think that’s fair. So much of our story outside of the songs has been about seizing opportunity. We got thrown into the fire early on and haven’t looked back. There have been incredible highs and some scary lows but I really wouldn’t trade it for anything.

SPR: What’s the best part about being a touring musician? What’s the hardest part?

MQ: I think the best part is

getting to see so much of this beautiful country. I mean what a great example this is: a Philly boy up in northern Idaho playing music with his best friends — that’s the dream. The hardest part is not being able to share so much of that dream with your loved ones. There’s a darkness to the travel and the time spent alone. It’s a balance for sure, and you find ways to make it work.

SPR: Mt. Joy has been on the fast track to becoming the act you are today, building momentum at what feels like warp speed over the past five years. Did you ever imagine you’d live the life you do today? With that momentum in mind, what’s next?

MQ: I guess it was always a dream, you know? Close your eyes while you’re playing guitar as a kid and envision a crowd singing along. I just kept writ-

Mt. Joy’s Matt Quinn, second from right, spoke with the Reader before their July 30 concert at the Festival at Sandpoint.

Photo by Muriel Margaret. ing and somehow it all came true. But the truth is, as a band, we’ve worked our butts off to get to this point. And on the way up you could tell if we put the work in we would get where we wanted to go; so, for us, it’s really just continuing to push ourselves beyond the place we are at musically. We believe we can be one of the greatest bands to ever do it. So, we just keep pushing this live show and each other, and see where it takes us.

Catch Mt. Joy, as well as openers The Moss, at the Festival at Sandpoint on Saturday, July 30. The box office opens at 5 p.m., general admission and season pass holders enter the gates at 6 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater Mangia on my mind

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist Lately, for a lot of reasons, I’ve had Italy on my mind. I recently helped a close friend plan a trip through Italy to follow her daughter’s long-planned dream wedding in a Tuscan villa.

The month before, I was in Boston for a wedding and, due to my travel companions’ flight delays, I had the better part of a day all to myself. It didn’t take long to drop my bags at the hotel and head straight to the capital of Italian food shopping: Eataly.

About 20 years ago, the idea for Eataly came to an Italian named Oscar Farinetti. His idea was to celebrate Italy by creating a space to gather, eat, shop and learn. Now you can find these stores all over the world and, when I am near one, I prioritize a day of eating and shopping there.

It was within easy walking distance to my hotel at Copley Square, though my purchases required an Uber to return to the Marriott. If only I’d had refrigeration. But, given current flight delays and lost luggage situations, I couldn’t risk a bag filled with perishable Parmesan, pasta and prosciutto. Regardless, the temptation was palatable.

My whirlwind of all things Italian continued. Last week, after three false starts, I saw my favorite Italian singer and onetime idol, Frankie Valli, performing at the Smith Center in Las Vegas, where he was accompanied by his newer (and much younger) Four Season’s backup singers. His age (88!) is obviously catching up, and he’s slowing down, but it was a great evening of entertainment, and I’m still humming “Sherry Baby.”

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As a kid, I swooned over Frankie’s falsetto voice and his handsome pictures in my sister’s copies of Photoplay Magazine. Years later, through travel industry connections, I saw the preview of Jersey Boys before it opened on Broadway (and have since seen it on Broadway at least a half dozen times).

When Jersey Boys reached a pinnacle in performances, Valli announced he was developing a line of spaghetti sauce. I waited patiently; but, beyond the announcement, it didn’t even become a flash in the saucepan. Most Italians love to cook, and Frankie was no exception, so it wasn’t uncommon to see

pictures of him stirring up more than trouble in the kitchen.

Other Italian crooners also embraced their family recipes and cooking. Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett often shared their heritage dishes, and Bennett even created a playlist to accompany Italian meal cooking.

I love the largeness of food-centric Italian traditions, the old movies and photos that show huge gatherings in tiny kitchens where colossal platters of pasta and decanted red wine filled the table, and laughter and chatter filled the room.

Stanley Tucci now fills the room on our widescreen televisions, sharing his journeys to Italy,

visiting little known locations and some of the best-kept secrets in Italian cuisine. It seems we are all having a love affair with Italy.

In fact, one of the most frequent requests I get in the travel business is to secure cooking classes in Tuscany, where you can learn to cook with a five-star chef or in an Italian mama’s primitive kitchen.

I’ve never cooked in Tuscany, but I have shopped for ingredients in Parma and learned to make saltimbocca, a veal dish wrapped with prosciutto and sage, marinated and sautéed. The instructor also shared some sage advice and technique for perfect ravioli pasta, “When your pasta dough is ready,” she explained,

Italian pasta salad

“it should feel just like a newborn baby’s butt.” And it does (I have expertly patted more than my share, so I speak confidently).

I’m anxious to gather — OK, purchase — the best of fall’s harvest for some serious Italian cooking. I love prepping all the garlic, tomatoes, peppers and onions for making pasta sauce; and, to be sure, I’ll download Tony Bennett’s playlist.

For now, though, with this heat, I am settling for a cold Italian pasta salad. I’m heading to our annual summer retreat in Montana, so I’ll triple the recipe — because half of those newborn baby butts have grown into ravenous teenagers with minds full of mangia.

A colorful and tasty salad for buffets and picnics. For vegetarians, the meat can be served on the side or add to a separate bowl of salad. Serves about 12.

INGREDIENTS: Pasta • 1 pound fusilli pasta • 6-8 ounces mixed and pitted Mediterranean olives • 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, large chop • 1 red bell pepper, medium chop • 1 green bell pepper, medium chop • 1 red onion, finely chopped •1 bunch green onions, chopped • 10 oz. assorted red, yellow, orange small cherry tomatoes • 1 cup tiny mozzarella balls or small chunk of feta (save some for garnish) • ½ pound Asiago cheese, diced Dressing • ¾ cup olive oil • ½ cup pesto • 2 tablespoons dried oregano • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese • Salt and Pepper • 1 cup fresh loose basil leave (some chopped, some whole) • ½ cup toasted pine nuts (garnish) Keep separate • ½ pound Genoa salami, chopped

DIRECTIONS: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, add all chopped ingredients (except meat). Stir in the pasta and toss well.

Whisk together the olive oil, pesto, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss. Do not overmix. Chill several hours. Top with freshchopped basil, reserved cheese balls or chunks, and toasted pine nuts and basil leaves.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

‘One heck of a party’

Mattox Farm Productions to kick off Heartwood management with The Slocan Ramblers, Anna Tivel, local acts

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Mattox Farm Productions is now officially managing Sandpoint’s Heartwood Center, and is launching into this new era the best way founder Robb Talbott knows how: with a high-energy bluegrass show on Thursday, July 28.

“I really identify with bluegrass and love bluegrass a lot,” said Talbott, who hails from Appalachia, “and part of it was being able to bring in Headwaters as the opener.

That was important to me because they’re such an important piece of the music scene here in town.”

Headwaters is made up of stand-up bassist John Edwards and guitarist Jared Johnston (formerly of local favorite three-piece BareGrass) as well as drummer Mick Taylor and guitarist John Firshi.

Talbott said the combination of the four musicians brings a new dimension to the bluegrass for which BareGrass was known.

“I would say [Firshi]’s a little more Grateful Dead mixed with blues, and I think he brings a little bit of that into the mix,” he said.

“The drums make it a little more rocking, and they were already really high energy and a lot of fun.”

Headwaters will warn up the Heartwood stage for Canadian outfit The Slocan Ramblers — a band known for dynamic live shows capable of converting any listener into a bluegrass fan.

As Talbott put it: “They are about as tight as you can get bluegrass without it sounding artificial.”

“If we get a good crowd in here that’s ready to dance, have a good time and be right there off the stage in front of them, it’s just going to be one heck of a party,” he added.

The Mattox Farm-Heartwood kick-off won’t stop with the Thursday night bluegrass party. The church-turned-venue will see Oregon-based singer-songwriter Anna Tivel on Sunday, July 31, as well as local music man Josh Hedlund.

“As far as singer-songwriters go, she is epic,” Talbott said of Tivel. “Her music is very intentional and beautiful.”

This show will be less about dancing and more about listening, Talbott said. The audience can anticipate profound artistry from both musicians, with Talbott noting that Hedlund’s music in particular will feature “thoughtful lyrics” and a “very beautiful voice.”

“The voice almost feels like an instrument in the mix,” he said.

Both the bluegrass and singer-songwriter shows will be held later than the typical Mattox Farm show to accommodate those who might be seeking more live music after the Festival at Sandpoint.

Doors will open at 8 p.m. and music starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets to both shows can be purchased in

advance at mattoxfarm.com for $12, and for $15 at the door the night of each show.

Talbott said Mattox Farm will take some time off in August to continue revamping the Heartwood in preparation for a busy fall and winter set to feature a variety of concerts — from “country to punk rock” he said — as well as plays, comedy, a Celtic performance and much more.

“All this stuff is going to be coming up soon, so people should keep an eye on our website and keep up with us on Facebook so they can learn what’s going on,” he said, noting that variety is Mattox Farm’s philosophy moving forward.

“We’re going to be doing a bunch of different things,” he said.

The Heartwood Center is located at 615 Oak St. Visit mattoxfarm.com and heartwoodsandpoint.com to learn more. Find

Top: The Slocan Ramblers will play the Heartwood Center July 28. Right: Anna Tivel will play with Josh Hedlund on July 31. Courtesy photos.

Mattox Farm Productions or the Heartwood Center on Facebook and Instagram. Those interested in renting the Heartwood Center for a performance, business conference, wedding or other community-oriented event can contact Robb Talbott at mattoxfarmproductions@gmail.com.

Jason Perry Trio, 219 Lounge, July 30

The Hooten Hallers, Matchwood Brewing, July 31

If you’re looking for a quintessential summer sound, the Jason Perry Trio has what you need. Frequently shorthanded as “a funk-rock powerhouse,” the band specializes in super-tight instrumentation capable of turning on a dime between driving, dancey jams and mellow, sometimes trippy reggae-soul that’s the very essence of a blissed out summer evening.

Based in Spokane, the

Some bands have a hard time capturing their sound in words; but, that’s not the case with Missouri-based The Hooten Hallers, which on its website whips up a stellar string of descriptors: “The Hooten Hallers have always been musical colliders, smashing together everything from pre-war jazz to Chicago blues with jaunts around New Orleans and garage rock explorations with hints of anti-racist punk

9 p.m.-midnight, FREE, 21+.

219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208-, 219.bar. Listen at jasonperrytrio.bandcamp.com.

I grabbed a copy of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God while honeymooning in Montana. One of the best stops on the trip was Second Edition Books in Butte. My husband and I left with half a dozen paperbacks each, including my gorgeous 75th anniversary edition of Hurston’s iconic Harlem Renaissance-era novel. The protagonist, Janie, is a captivating character.

I’m halfway through the book and can’t wait to see where her heart takes her.

LISTEN

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Jason Perry Trio will bring its feel-good funk-rock to the 219 Lounge for what will surely be the kind of Saturday to remember when we’re all missing these high temperatures.

— Zach Hagadone

READ

and Oi!. It’s Morphine meets ZZ Top along St. Louis’ Mississippi waterfront.”

That kind of wordsmithing should be impetus enough to catch The Hooten Hallers at Matchwood Brewing.

— Zach Hagadone

Before Maggie Rogers caught the world’s attention with indie-pop bangers like “Alaska” and “Light On,” she was a music student with a catalog of work that hadn’t seen the light of day. In 2020, she released Notes from the Archive: Recording 2011-2016, and, in the process, showed us what she’s really made of. The woman can do rock, folk, power ballads and everything in between. If you’ve never given Rogers a chance, this is the album to sample.

WATCH

My journey through Netflix’s nostalgia extravaganza continues, this time with a viewing of the 1989 film Steel Magnolias. It tells the story of several female friends in a small southern town navigating relationships, motherhood and health issues. Featuring the flawless Juila Roberts and incredibly powerful acting from Sally Fields, this movie made me laugh, cringe and sob. For better or worse, I can see why it persists as a classic of the era.

7-10 p.m., FREE. Matchwood Brewing, 513 Oak St., 208-7182739, matchwoodbrewing.com.

Listen at thehootenhallers.com.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

An ‘ungracious’ prayer

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

From Pend Oreille Review, July 30, 1915

CONCRETE GOING IN Paving began in earnest yesterday morning when the work of laying the concrete gutters was commenced.

The storm sewers will be completed tomorrow night and the laying of the gutters will be carried along over the whole paving district before the middle of the street is started. This gutter work will occupy but a few days and it is expected that during the coming week the lower First avenue section will be concreted from curb to curb.

The big cement mixer was set up at the corner of Lake street and First avenue Wednesday and was given a preliminary tryout, everything being put in readiness for the start yesterday. Forms for the gutters were laid along the southern part of First avenue Wednesday and the form-makers are carrying their part of the work up First avenue at a rate that indicates that it will be a matter of days only until the whole district is ready for gutters and curbs. The sidewalks are being widened along the paving route to accord with the new ordinance and this will add materially to the appearance of the street.

The earth being removed from First avenue is being disposed of as far as possible to benefit the property owners whose premises need filling in. First avenue south of hte court house has been filled and Superior street east of First avenue and the Second avenue slough at Superior street have been graded to a point where traffic conditions are greatly improved. An alley has been built south from the alley north of Smithey Bros. pool room which runs parallell to First avenue and which will give access to the rear of the stores on the east side of First avenue between Main and Bridge streets.

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Any halfway diligent reader of the Reader since December 2004 is familiar with my coverage of city decisions, trends and politics.

They may also have noticed that I don’t often report what’s said in the “public forum” portion of those meetings, in large part because it’s essentially a venting of the collective spleen; which, as a patriotic American, I know is right, proper and necessary.

My favorite forum speaker over the past year or two is the lady who uses her three minutes of democratically sanctioned air time to pray over the council.

As the descendent of more than one preacher, I am sensitive to the expression of faith in the public’s house. Not a fan. Church is church, and City Hall is City Hall, and I tend to pay respects more to the latter than the former, and generally feel that never, ever, should they meet.

However, this lady is well intentioned (I think?), praying that council members find wisdom in their decisions and approach the issues of our day with an open mind and heart. She also recently prayed that if they had inflammation, that it would abate. OK. I can get behind that. We all want wisdom, openness of heart and mind, and no one likes inflammation.

That’s great, but what really burned me up at the July 20 meeting was a bunch of pinched-faced bigots who wagged their fingers at the council (and therefore all of us) over the recent Pride event.

Despite the bevy of important things before the City Council on July 20 (it was a huge agenda), there were gathered a handful of individuals who descended from their City on a Hill onto City Hall with a grab-bag of bizarre complaints about Pride.

The Daily Bee spun those comments into a full story over the past weekend (sidestepping the Bridge Street and First Avenue land swap and proposed ballot initiative to double the bed tax) and gave an outsized platform to complaints that non-hetereo people exist and dare to

STR8TS Solution

show themselves in public. I chose not to report that, but here I am, writing about it anyway.

One man — I won’t name him or any of the others because I don’t want to embarrass them — made what he called a “public observation” that “morality is something that’s created and debated outside these doors.” True enough; so why was he debating “morality” inside those doors? Never mind. He also called Pride “toxic” and a “magnet” for unrest, such as the “political violence” — either in threat or deed — that occured in Coeur d’Alene when a bunch of fascists rolled into that town with the intent to riot and inflict injury on citizens lawfully congregated to celebrate Pride.

His comments sounded a bit like a threat and he had clearly been magnetized (enough so to tell us all as much), but, again, never mind. He’s a pious man, and we all know that Pious Men have never done anything harmful to anyone anywhere ever.

Another guy, thinking he was supremely clever, suggested a counterfactual scenario in which he would pay to have exotic dancers trucked in from Stateline and have them perform for local children, giving the kids dollar bills with which to tip their erotic entertainment. Does anyone want that? No. Was that what happened at Pride? No. Super clever. I wonder how long he spent thinking up that idea. I think a penny for his thoughts might not be enough.

He called Pride “a degeneracy event,” presumably as pushback to the drag show that occurred late in the evening, which included no nudity, per both the mayor and Sandpoint police, and others have pointed out that parents were under no obligation to attend with their children. (Not to mention the event was on private property.)

Then he had the temerity to drag the U.S. Constitution into it.

“This is not freedom of speech, this is acts being performed on children,” he said, grimly warning, “This cannot happen in our city ever again,” then jumping over the high hurdle of cognitive dissonance he suggested, “No one hates them [LGBTQIA+ individuals],” yet they

had been “sexualizing children at an early age.”

He also suggested that anyone who disagrees with his tortured logic would be “ungracious.”

Call me “ungracious.”

Another dude-of-a-certain-age, citing his residence in Sagle, took it upon himself to serve as Every Man: “It does not represent the bulk of the citizens of this town, and you’re going to feel a groundswell,” he cautioned.

His credentials to “represent the citizens of this town” — a town in which he does not reside — were unclear as of press time.

“Nobody that I have spoken to in this community liked any part of it,” he added, fronting his friend group and associates as being the real majority.

Further, he trotted out a Q Anon cultist catchphrase in service of a baseless conspiracy theory: “They’re grooming the children in this community.”

The only people “grooming” anyone around here are nutters “grooming” the feeble minded to join them in their ludicrous belief structure.

One woman said she “went down there to pray” at Pride. I have a number of friends who are ordained pastors, priests and ministers, and one of the main things we all agree upon is the power and simple beauty of prayer on behalf of others.

That is, when prayer is performed in good faith. There is no good faith in going out of your way to use prayer as a weapon against people whose very existence is a baseline for your disgust with existence at large. Prayer is an offering of love; when performed in the old “hate the sin, love the sinner” cop out, it is spiritual assault.

This woman, after mouthing a bunch of pious-sounding nonsense, reduced herself to sputtering: “It’s just wrong. It’s just wrong. It’s just wrong on all levels. … It’s just wrong.”

Aquinas she ain’t. Definitely not Erasmus.

I do not begrudge these people their three minutes of public speech. I consider it sacred, and not in the phony, cavalier way that so many others throw their “rights” around. They are, however, profoundly stupid. Bless them, for they know not what they do.

Sudoku Solution

Crossword Solution

By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

ACROSS

galvanize

Woorf tdhe Week

/GAL-vuh-nahyz/

[verb - used without object] 1. to startle into sudden activity; stimulate.

“The overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court may galvanize Democrats and moderate Republicans into voting for more middle-of-the-road candidates.”

Here’s a good joke to do during an earthquake: straddle a big crack in the ground, and if it opens wider, go “Whoa! Whoa!” and flail your arms around, like you’re going to fall in.

Corrections: Nothing to note this week, folks.

1. African sheep 5. Swine 9. Honor 14. Threadbare 15. Asian nurse 16. Sorrow 17. Stubborn 19. Devoid 20. Gain knowledge 21. Scoreless 23. Unsure 25. Not followers 28. Color 29. US spy agency 32. Esteem 33. Not him 34. Throw 35. Lowly laborer 36. Come up 38. Corrode 39. Self-satisfied 40. Right after nine 41. Alliance 43. Hearing organ 44. Public transit vehicle 45. Instructor 46. Printer ink container 48. Abstruse 50. Record company 54. Dash 55. Talus 57. Will 58. Small island 59. Boys

Solution on page 22 10. Adult females 60. Not better 11. European 61. Require mountains 62. Formerly (archaic) 12. Decays 13. Arid 18. Not outer DOWN 22. Crowned 1. Absent Without 24. Animal Leave 25. Oversight 2. After-bath wear 26. Swelling 3. Celestial bear 27. Illicit sexual 4. Barging in relationship 5. Greek god of flocks 29. Noisy expulsion 6. Pictures of air 7. Swamp creature 30. Put out 8. Sword holders 31. Daisylike bloom 9. Medium-sized 33. Hebrew liquid penguins measure

34. Trackable 37. Encumber 42. American symbol 44. Fight 45. Make Elmo giggle 46. Chills 47. Washer cycle 48. Reflected sound 49. Fly high 51. Wild hog 52. Terminates 53. For fear that 54. South southwest 56. Light Emitting Diode

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