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DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

quotable

“America ... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable.”

— Hunter S. Thompson, from The Great Shark Hunt

Friday the 17th?

Instead of Friday the 13th, a day of superstition here in the United States, an Italian superstition warns against Friday the 17th because the Roman numeral “XVII” can be rearranged to create the word “VIXI” which means, “My life is over” in Latin.

Collective terminology

You probably know that a group of fish is referred to as a school, or wolves as a pack, but you may not have heard these group names of animals before: A shrewdness of apes, a congregation of alligators, an obstinacy of buffalo, a cauldron of bats, a cowardice of dogs, a convocation of eagles, a business of ferrets, a smack of jellyfish, a conspiracy of lemurs, a parliament of owls and a flamboyance of flamingos. You can even make up your own, like my girlfriend, who calls a pod of dolphins a “jubilee.”

Origins

One of my favorite games to play is taking a particular building in Sandpoint and tracing back all the businesses that have occupied it over my lifetime. I’ll start with the Farmin Building on Second Avenue and Cedar Street, where Baxter’s restaurant currently occupies the space on the ground floor below the Reader offices. Before Baxter’s it was a clothing boutique called Cabin Fever, which occupied both ground floor spaces. Before Cabin Fever, it was the location where Jalapeño’s began in 1993, and before that there was a diner called the Fabulous Fifties Fountain, which blasted doo-wop overhead and was styled after iconic ’50s diners.

Finally, before the Fabulous Fifties, there was a store called The Bootery, which occupied the building for most of the ’70s and ’80s. If you want to know what was in the building before that, you’ll have to chat with someone older than me!

FULL OF IT

Just in case you were wondering, the total production of excrement by the U.S. population is around 12,000 pounds per second. Worldwide, this amounts to 640 billion pounds of feces every year. A man living to the average age of 75 years old in the U.S. will produce about 24,320 pounds of feces over his lifetime. Since the average life expectancy for U.S. women is around 81, they would produce about 25,920 pounds in their lifetime, which weighs about as much as three adult male hippos. This proves we are all truly full of it.

The Fourth of July will be here before we know it, and the Sandpoint Lions Club is already gearing up for the big day. The club has begun selling tickets for their annual raffle, with prizes including a $5,000 shopping spree in Bonner County and a second prize of $1,000 cash. The Lions will be selling tickets at North 40, Super 1 Foods, Yokes, Walmart, Co-Op and the Hoot Owl. Drop by and pick up a few tickets to help support this philanthropic organization.

In addition to throwing a great Independence Day parade and fireworks show, the Lions also spearhead the Toys for Tots program around Christmastime. They also host the annual Easter Egg Hunt, a sight and hearing program providing eyeglasses and hearing aids for the community, an annual Halloween haunted house, and fund books for local day care centers to name just a few. Every ticket you purchase goes right back to our community through these wonderful outreach programs.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Dan Carpenter (cover), Ben Olson, Mary Franzel, Alissa Azar, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Susan Drumheller, Jen Jackson Quintano, Clark Corbin (Idaho Capital Sun) 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 features a painting by POAC’s Artist of the Year, Dan Carpenter.

Congratulations, Dan! June 16, 2022 /

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NEWS

LPOSD reviewing school security Superintendent Albertson: ‘We’re all in this together’

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Trustees of the Lake Pend Oreille School District heard a presentation June 14 from Superintendent Tom Albertson on school safety and security — a concern that has only grown more immediate amid the nation’s yearslong epidemic of mass shootings.

The topic has been especially in the spotlight in recent weeks, following the May 24 killing of 19 students and two teachers — and the wounding of 17 others — at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Perpetrated by an 18-year-old man armed with an AR-15-style rifle, the Uvalde massacre has prompted nationwide calls for greater school and gun safety, with numerous polls showing increased support for controlling gun violence, and even some indication of bipartisan agreement in the U.S. Senate regarding legislation on “red flag” laws, expanded background checks, and increased funding for mental health and school safety programs, among others.

“It’s time that we review this,” Albertson said of LPOSD’s security measures and safety protocols.

Local schools have long had in place a number of policies and practices designed to secure schools, including lockdown, safety hold and evacuation drills — “all things that students and teachers train for,” Albertson said.

Every classroom in every school has a placard posted with procedures for each situation, as well as information such as the room number and physical address, should that information need to be conveyed to law enforcement.

Albertson said lockdowns involve a situation in which all exterior and interior doors are locked, as in the case of an intruder. Schools undergo a minimum of two such drills every year.

Safety holds occur when there’s something in the neighborhood of a school that is of concern — anything from a moose near the playground to police activity in the vicinity. In those cases, all 4 /

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doors are locked and students do not pass to their next classroom until the hold is lifted.

Evacuations are essentially similar to fire drills, with students and staff practicing how and where to exit the building and get to safety.

Safety inspections by the state result in assessment summaries for each school, resulting in a report that identifies strengths and weaknesses.

Meanwhile, Albertson said the school resource officer program provides security, while Sandpoint High School has its own full-time security. Law enforcement also has easy access to classroom keys, and all schools are equipped with cameras, which can be accessed directly from the dispatch center.

Albertson also highlighted the district’s tip hotlines for reporting potential threats, located on the LPOSD website — one covering the district as a whole, and another dedicated to Sandpoint High School.

“We’re all in this together for school safety,” he said, later adding, “even if you think it might not be anything, it’s important that you notify.”

In the wake of the Uvalde massacre, much attention has been paid to how the shooter was able to gain access to the school in the first place. Schools use a single point of entry to limit where and how anyone can enter the building. However, those systems aren’t always perfect, and single-entry points are usually left unlocked.

One parent with two students attending a local school told the trustees that “no door should remain unlocked.”

“We do not want broken halos and folded wings,” she said. “Let’s secure the schools this summer.”

Albertson said locking single-entry points “is definitely something that is up for discussion and review,” and an engineer is already working with the district’s Maintenance Department to assess what can be done to increase security at those access points.

However, “some things we think would be easy aren’t.”

For instance, he said, many of the older schools in the district at some point had two sets of front entry doors, which could be reinstalled and equipped with a buzzer system and keypad. However, when they were built, they didn’t include enough room between the doors to meet ADA requirements.

“If we were to be building a new school now, I’m sure that the designs would be different than some of our schools [today],” Albertson said.

Some of the other safety measures the district is planning or in the process of implementing include assessments not only of front entry security but increased fencing on school properties. Incoming Superintendent Dr. Becky Meyer — who will take the reins upon Albertson’s retirement in July — will also be working with the director of the Idaho Office of School Safety and Security on assessments and plans to create a

School Safety and Security Community Task Force.

“These are some of the things that will be happening very soon,” Albertson said, adding that work will also begin in July on ways to identify individuals who may be exhibiting signs of potential dangerous behavior and prevent tragedies before they can occur.

“School safety is really centered around the community being aware of anything that might be

The welcome sign outside of Sandpoint High School. Photo by Ben Olson. amiss,” he said.

Addressing the costs for increasing security measures in district schools, Albertson said those will become clearer following various assessments, though Trustee Lonnie Williams added that, “there is no amount of money that’s too much to ensure the safety of our students.”

County offering assessment, property tax workshop

Information will also be shared on local radio next week

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff In Bonner County, property owners receive their assessment notices during the first week of June. In the wake of the latest notices — which took into account 2021 market trends — many are wondering how their increased assessments might affect their property taxes.

In an effort to answer those questions, Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale said at the June 14 county commissioner business meeting that he’d be offering a couple of outreach events to help residents better understand the relationship between assessments and property taxes.

“We’re basically going to talk about how, if your assessment goes up a thousand percent, it doesn’t mean that your taxes will necessarily go up at all,” Rosedale said.

“There’s a big difference between assessments and taxes. Assessments can go up by infinity. Taxes

can only go up by 3% per year.”

“Conveying that properly to people is sometimes a bit of work,” he added.

The first meeting was held June 14 at the Regeneration Calvary Chapel in Kootenai.

The next event is Thursday, June 16 at the Athol Baptist Church, located at 29145 Sylvan Road, at 6:30 p.m. Speakers featured at the workshop will be Rosedale, current assessor Donna Gow and Grant Dorman, who won the May primary for assessor. Online organizers of the event encourage attendees to bring current and previous assessment notices, prior property tax bills, and questions about how assessments and taxes work.

Rosedale will also be a guest on local radio show “Speak Up North Idaho” with Barbara Carpenter on Tuesday, June 21 at noon. Listen live at 97.1 FM or 1400/1450 AM, or catch a recording of the show on northidahoradio.com after the broadcast.

“I’ll be talking about how taxes work as people are panicked, not what metrics were used in coming up with the values, as I am not the assessor and am not in a position to comment on that,” Rosedale told the Reader in a follow-up email June 14.

“What people need to remember is that Bonner County (and all taxing districts for that matter) can only raise the total dollars collected by 3%,” Rosedale continued. “All the property assessments [do] is to figure out what share of that is yours. So on the average, taxpayers will only see a 3% increase.”

Rosedale said that the 3% average does not take into account the recently passed bond in Clark Fork, or if local school districts opt to increase their levies.

“The schools are not subject to the 3%-per-year ceiling,” he added.

To learn more about Bonner County’s assessment process, as well as the procedure for appealing, go to bonnercountyid.gov/assessor.

NEWS

Legislative leaders approve language for proposed amendment to Idaho Constitution If approved by voters, the Legislature could call itself back into session

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun Republican and Democratic legislative leaders argued over the language of a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution on June 14 before the GOP majority approved the language that will go before voters in November.

The debate played out during the Legislative Council meeting at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise and decided how Senate Joint Resolution 102, or SJR 102, will be presented on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. If a simple majority of Idaho voters approve the proposed constitutional amendment, the Idaho Legislature would be able to vote to call itself back into session at any time.

Currently, the Idaho Constitution says only the governor has the authority to call the Legislature in for a special session, which is officially referred to as an extraordinary session in legislative lingo.

The Idaho Legislature currently convenes an organizational session on the first Thursday of December following a general election, and then meets in a regular session beginning each January.

Since 2000, Idaho governors have called four special legislative sessions — in 2000, 2006, 2015 and, most recently, in 2020.

During the 2021 regular legislative session, Republicans in the Idaho Legislature passed SJR 102 after saying legislators need to have the power to call themselves back into session to deal with issues that may arise after they have already adjourned for the year. Adjournment typically happens in late March or early April. Democrats and a couple of moderate Republicans opposed the proposed amendment, saying the governor already has the ability to call a special session and the current system includes checks and balances.

If voters pass the amendment, the president pro tem of the Idaho Senate and the speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives would call the Legislature in for a special session “no later than 15 days following the receipt of a joint written petition of at least 60% of the membership of each house specifying subjects to be covered, and to provide that the Legislature shall have no power in such a special session to consider or pass any bills or resolutions on

any subjects other than those specified in the petition and those necessary to provide for the expenses of the session.”

If a majority of voters don’t vote in favor of SJR 102, the Idaho Constitution will not be amended and only the governor would be allowed to call a special session — just as the case is today.

What did legislators disagree about on the proposed amendment?

Predictably, the debate on June 14 got political. The bulk of debate dealt with the statements for and against the proposed constitutional amendment that will appear on the ballot.

Democrats on the Legislative Council favored adopting language against the proposed constitutional amendment that said passage of the amendment would “open a path for those who want a full-time, professional legislature in which legislators would live in Boise full-time, visit their districts only occasionally, receive most if not all of their pay from state government, and become cut off from the needs and wishes of those they are supposed to represent.”

“I don’t think that there is any question that this amendment does open that path,” said Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise. “Just witness what happened in the 2021 session, even without this amendment, where the Legislature didn’t adjourn until Nov. 17 of the year in question.”

Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, and other Republicans objected to including language suggesting some legislators want to be there full time.

“To presume that I voted not to [adjourn] sine die because I wanted a full-time, professional legislature is not accurate. I voted that way because I want to retain the people’s right to act on behalf of their elected representatives in a very uncertain and difficult and rapidly evolving situation.”

In the end, Republicans instead approved language “against” the amendment that emphasized the Idaho Legislature is a

part-time citizen legislature.

“The proposed amendment provides no limitations on how often special sessions may be called or how long they may last,” the approved language states. “Idaho should not move toward having a full-time legislature, and Idaho’s part-time citizen legislators with other careers should not be burdened with sudden, unpredictable special sessions.”

Meanwhile, Burgoyne opposed language “for” the proposed amendment that criticized Gov. Brad Little, saying the governor “delayed convening the Legislature” in 2020. Although, as Burgoyne pointed out, Little did call a special session to convene on Aug. 24, 2020. In the end, Republicans on June 14 decided to keep the language criticizing Little.

Idaho’s November ballot may also include an education funding initiative question The proposed constitutional amendment in SJR 102 isn’t the only question likely to appear on Idahoans’ Nov. 8 ballot. Leaders of the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization Reclaim Idaho announced they exceeded their signature collecting goal to get an education funding ballot initiative question on the November ballot.

If county and state election officials veri-

The House in session at the Idaho Capitol on April 6, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) fy that Reclaim Idaho obtained the proper number and distribution of signatures, voters would decide whether to approve a proposal to raise more than $300 million in funding for public schools by increasing the corporate income tax rate from 6% to 8% and creating a new tax bracket at 10.925% for individuals making more than $250,000 per year and families making more than $500,000 annually.

Reclaim Idaho leaders said they expect county clerks to wrap up their signature verification process around the end of June.

If Reclaim Idaho’s Quality Education Act qualifies for the November ballot, it would take a simple majority of voters to approve the education funding initiative.

This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, a Boise-based independent, nonprofit online news organization delivering in-depth coverage from veteran Idaho reporters on state government and policy.

The Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by tax-free donations in 22 states. Learn more and follow daily updates at idahocapitalsun.com and statesnewsroom.com.

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NEWS

Late spring storms bring high flows, potential debris on LPO Army Corps: Those ‘in flood-prone areas should take precautions and be prepared for flooding’

Photo by Mary Franzel.

By Reader Staff Recent heavy rainstorms combined with runoff into Lake Pend Oreille from above average snowpack has raised the flood risk downstream of Albeni Falls Dam, according to a June 15 news release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Pend Oreille River will likely stay above flood stage into next week, the Corps stated.

To mitigate flood risk, USACE officials are operating Albeni Falls Dam with all gates open in a free flow operation. Free flow is when the river flow control switches from Albeni Falls Dam to the natural constriction between Dover and the dam, balancing flood risk on the lake and downstream. Under this operation, the outflow from Albeni Falls Dam and the level of Lake Pend Oreille may rise or fall in the coming days.

Another storm is forecast for early next week, when outflows may approach the moderate downstream flood category and lake levels could approach elevation 2,063 feet. Albeni Falls Dam is currently reducing Pend Oreille River flows by 20,000 cubic feet per second. However, despite the reduction, areas downstream of Lake Pend Oreille — such as Cusick, Newport and Usk — could be affected by high flows.

The projections are based on the current forecast, which can change swiftly. For the latest modeling forecasts, visit the National Weather Service’s Northwest River Forecast Center website at nwrfc.noaa.gov/rfc.

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receding and the flood risk has passed. The USACE Seattle District, which manages dam operations and watches flood risk, is coordinating with local emergency management.

Current snowpack in the basin is about 165% of normal for this time of year. Given the above normal snowpack and another forecasted storm this weekend, people living in flood-prone areas should take precautions and be prepared for flooding.

Meanwhile, residents along the lake and river should be prepared for water levels to temporarily rise or fall.

“Corps modeling using National Weather Service River Forecast Center hydrologic forecasts suggest we could see peak Lake Pend Oreille elevations approaching 2,063 feet, and outflows approaching 110,000 cubic feet per second,” said Leon Basdekas, Upper Columbia water manager for USACE. “As of 8 a.m. [on June 15], the lake is currently at about 2,061.65 feet as measured at the Hope gage with outflows at 100,800 cubic feet per second,” he added.

Officials are also advising boaters to watch for additional debris in Lake Pend Oreille due to a breach at the Clark Fork Drift Facility. A 100-foot segment of log boom failed this week, which could allow logs and smaller debris to enter the upper lake. Lake managers are monitoring the situation until high flows lessen and emergency repairs can be made.

Until the breach is fully repaired, boaters are advised to use caution and be alert for logs and debris, which can float just beneath the water.

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: Probably best to start with a Blast from the Past: “18 U.S. Code § 2384 – Seditious Conspiracy. If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”

More than 860 people have been arrested and charged for crimes that occurred during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, Business Insider reported. Those protesters sought to thwart the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election. More than 300 have entered guilty pleas. The most serious charges so far have been “seditious conspiracy,” leveled against certain members of the Oath Keepers.

A recap, from a variety of media sources, on the recent televised House Jan. 6 Capitol riot hearings, based on testimony from senior Republican officials and former President Donald Trump’s inner circle: Trump was at the center of efforts to “undermine the will of the people.”

There was no appreciable amount of fraud that would have changed the results of the election. Trump’s attorney general, Bill Barr, testified that the former-president’s insistence that he actually won the 2020 election (even before all the votes had been counted) was “bullshit.” Trump was repeatedly told by others in his administration, including his own daughter, that he had lost. More than 60 lawsuits claiming he won failed in court. Still, Trump claimed he was cheated of a victory.

The attack on the Capitol was neither random, nor spontaneous. Rioters came at the president’s tweeted invite: “Be there, will be wild.” They believed him when he said it was “statistically impossible” he lost, but Trump’s own campaign manager testified there was no evidence Trump won.

Trump first advised the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers (on Sept. 29, 2020) to “stand back and stand by.” Then, following his invitational tweet of Dec. 19, the two groups began planning for Jan. 6.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

A documentary filmmaker testified that the riot was not spontaneous, with the rioters’ entry to the Capitol being deliberately fought and coordinated. During his speech prior to the Capitol break-in, Trump aroused fury at his own vice president, Mike Pence, for refusing to overturn the election. Rioters then chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” and Trump stated a bit later, “Pence deserves it.”

Trump-supporting lawmakers had claimed those rioting were “tourists,” while Trump had described “love in the air.” An officer’s testimony described “carnage” and “chaos,” with officers bleeding and vomiting from attacks with cudgels and bear spray. As she tried to catch people falling, she was slipping in blood. A total of nine people died, not all of them that day, and 140 officers were injured. During the riot Republican lawmakers begged Trump to call off the mob, clearly aware they were “his people,” but for hours Trump refused.

Why did Trump ignore so many in his inner circle who were telling him he lost?

Numerous media sources have pointed to Trump meeting the definition of “malignant narcissist” and “pathological narcissist.” The condition is marked by an inability to handle “no,” lying, rejecting facts, claiming victimhood and vindictiveness.

An estimated 20 million people tuned into the House committee on June 9 — more than watch the World Series. The hearings were compared to the 1954 Joe McCarthy hearings that ended that senator’s career when his lies were exposed.

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol noted there was “tons of counter-programming from the right … but no counter-evidence,” regarding Trump claiming the election was stolen. Comments from the left included that Trump violated his oath to uphold the Constitution and should be prosecuted. More Jan. 6 details will be aired at upcoming televised hearings.

So, who were all those guys wearing black at the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021? The Proud Boys announced beforehand they planned to go “incognito” and wear all black instead of their usual blackand-yellow, Business Insider reported.

Russia-Ukraine headlines: “Nicaragua authorizes entry of Russian troops, planes, ships”; “Britons sentenced to death after ‘show trial’ in Russian-occupied Ukraine”; and, “Team Putin in Panic Over Jan. 6 Hearings ‘Lynching Trump.’”

PERSPECTIVES

County land use plan and map deserve respect

By Susan Drumheller Reader Contributor One overarching theme that has emerged from land use decisions by the Bonner County Board of Commissioners is the assertion that the 2008 zoning designations for the county are flawed.

A recent notable example was the commissioners’ decision to double the density of more than 700 acres off Rapid Lightning Road, next to Northside School.

The property — comprising 12 separate parcels — was zoned for 20-acre minimum lot sizes during the countywide rezone in 2008.

The current owners, who asked to increase the density, purchased seven of the 12 parcels after 2008.

The county commissioners in 2008 zoned the area for large minimum parcel sizes to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, which designated that area — as well as most of the Selle Valley and Cabinet Mountain foothills — as most appropriate for agricultural and forestry uses.

On May 4, at a reconsideration hearing brought by neighbors opposed to increasing the density, Commissioner Dan McDonald argued that the landowners had been done a disservice when the county rezoned the area in 2008 from five- and 10-acre minimums to Agricultural/Forest 20-acre minimums.

“If you go back and talk to some of the people who were on that committee,” McDonald said, referring to either the Comprehensive Plan update or the land use code revisions that followed in 2008, “they were so tired at the end, they just threw colors on the map. There was no research.”

When the residents attending the hearing began to protest, McDonald shouted, “Quiet!” He then said a member of the current Planning Commission who had participated in the plan’s development had told him that version of events.

Having been involved in the drafting of the revised land use code, I found McDonald’s claim doubtful. Todd Crossett

was a commissioner at the time and facilitated our committee, which worked diligently to arrive at compromise solutions to sticky questions of how to match the zoning code to the updated land use plan.

As a newspaper reporter prior to that, I had covered the extensive public involvement process that led to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan update, which produced a widely supported goal to protect the rural character of the area and to support agriculture and forestry into the future.

Before the 2005 land use plan update, most of the rural lands were zoned for five-acre minimums.

“There’s a lot of reasons why that doesn’t work,” if you want to preserve rural character and agriculture, Crossett told me recently. Fractionalization of farmland results in the loss of productive land, higher property values, and conflicts with residential neighbors who might not like the sounds and odors associated with farming.

While our citizens committee worked on the new zoning codes (laws), the commissioners — with the help of GIS experts — worked on new zoning (land use designations) that aligned with the land use plan’s map and goals.

According to Crossett, that process “was anything but haphazard.” After about a year of open meetings, the final draft of the zoning map was taken on a roadshow around the county to collect public input.

The only member of the current Planning Commission who was involved in developing the current land use designations is Wayne Benner. Benner was a county commissioner in the ’80s and later chaired the Planning and Zoning Commission during the land use plan update.

When asked whether he made a comment about “throwing colors on a map,” Benner said he may have described the process they went through to determine the land use designations throughout the county.

“We colored them by hand,” he said of the maps.

Multiple public workshops were held

all over the county, he said, during which they sat down “for hours” at map-covered tables and colored different areas to represent the desired land use.

The process took a long time, he said, but, “I thought it was very valuable. The plan we put in place was a plan by the people.”

The county is currently undergoing another Comprehensive Land Use Plan update. One of the most important elements of that plan will be the map and the land use designations, with direction as to the appropriate density for certain uses.

The newly appointed Planning Commission is now comparing the current plan with the localized “subarea” plans that were developed by area volunteer groups over the past few years. The commissioners’ timeline for the update is tight — with adoption scheduled before the general election in the fall.

It’s important that the county make a genuine effort to collect and listen to the public’s input, involving residents as much as possible in the development of the plan, so this update can also be “a plan by the people.”

If they accomplish that, and a widely accepted plan is adopted, hopefully future county commissioners will honor that work, and the will of the people, by heeding the plan’s goals and respecting its legitimacy.

constructive public dialogue around land use planning in Bonner County. For more information, go to project7B.org and sign up for the newsletter. Or follow Project7B on Facebook to get information about public meetings.

Susan Drumheller is on the board of Project 7B, a local nonprofit whose mission is to educate citizens about, encourage involvement in and convene

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‘Littering pigs’…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • “There are several handwritten signboards on the roadway through the Seasons on the way to the Pend Oreille Trail. They seem to be replacing the speed bumps that were there. I’d like to give a bouquet to whoever is responsible for these signs. They express what kind of behavior is desired with positive words like “thank you” and “we appreciate,” and even “Have a Great Day.” I much prefer signs like these instead of NO and DON’T (with a heavy, threatening tone). Your signs brought a smile to my face.

Thank you!

— By Cynthia Mason, Hope GUEST SUBMISSION: • I wish I had more space here, but this “Bouquet” is to my dad, Jon Hagadone. Born and raised in Sandpoint, my dad is Sandpoint to me. (At least all the good parts.) He knows the history of almost every building in town. He knows who lived where and when and what they were like. He knows every inch of Lake Pend Oreille and is one of the finest fishermen you’ll meet. The products of his woodshop are beloved in my home. He is a lover of and expert on good food, good beer, good music and good documentaries, and I always trust his recommendations. Essentially, he is exceptionally good at everything he does and does everything with the utmost integrity. It’s also a fact that he’s in the top percentile of generous people anywhere. All the man does is give, and he stands up for what he believes in. He taught me how to love and respect this community, and making him proud of me as a contributor to it is a main reason for why I do what I do. It is impossible to properly thank him. In this space, though, I can say, Happy Father’s Day, Dad. — By Zach Hagadone Barbs: • None this week.

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Dear editor, To the littering pigs that keep throwing their trash (Burger King wrappers, cans, bottles) onto Gold Creek Road: Take your garbage and put it in your garbage can at home.

The rest of us weren’t put on this planet to clean up after you. Show some pride in where you live.

Michael Harmelin Sandpoint

‘Need to be nice’…

Dear editor, I have always loved reading the Reader, but was totally dismayed by Ben Olson’s “Barb” section in the June 9 edition. Mr. Olson used a fairly broad brush in denigrating Republicans because of a remark made by Louie Gohmert, a Texas congressman.

Admittedly, the remark by Mr. Gohmert was ignorant, but Mr. Olson accusing “most Republicans” of believing this way and calling the Republican Party “ridiculous” and saying that Republicans are “sinking further into a immoral quagmire,” is unfair and inflammatory.

There are many instances of someone in the Democrat Party saying stupid things, but I don’t think it is fair to say that “most Democrats” think this way. But wait — I guess we Republicans forget that we are a “basket of deplorables,” right?

Mr. Olson might want to follow more closely the continuing investigation by Special Prosecutor Durham of numerous Democrats for lying

and misrepresenting facts to federal agencies. Perhaps also, Mr. Olson should go back and read the previous page from this edition of the Reader titled, “We Need To Be Nice.”

Sincerely, Cynthia Walkowski Sandpoint

Then the song. “I’m holding you in light, to heal you, to hold you. I’m holding you in light, to hold you in love.” It’s hard to sing as you cry.

Tears flowed 2,000 miles from Uvalde. Will our tears be the start to a safer world for our children? Will it happen here? How many chil-

Thanks, Reader…

Summer Community Day at Schweitzer to benefit BoCo Human Rights Task Force

Dear editor, Thank you for the generous donation of recycled newsprint for our eighth-grade mask project at Sandpoint Middle School. We appreciate all you do for the community and thanks for making our eighth-grade project possible. Sincerely, Eighth-grade English Language Arts Sandpoint Middle School

‘They will grow for those who cannot’…

Dear editor, Sandpoint community members held a vigil for the 19 children and two teachers who lost their lives in the Uvalde mass shooting on May 24. A sunflower centerpiece reminds us of Ukraine.

Twenty-one photos of beautiful children and teachers arranged around the table as if to help the souls find their places. Candles lit and placed on each photo to light the way. But the places remained empty, a suggestion to read the names printed on the photos.

How long does it take to read 21 names? Feels like an eternity.

By Reader Staff Schweitzer is celebrating its first Sunday of the summer season June 19 with its Summer Community Day, offering $10 lift tickets with all proceeds going to the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force.

“For several years, we hosted our 7B Sunday event, introducing our guests to everything that’s special about Bonner County,” stated Schweitzer Marketing Manager Dig Chrismer. “We’ve decided we want to make this day even more impactful and ask those that visit us on June 19, not only learn about our community but help us give back by purchasing a lift ticket and supporting BCHRTF with their mission.”

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the task force “was formed to make a stand against the Aryan Nations, and for 30 years, we have been working to build a safe community where every individual is treated with respect,” according to BCHRTF Board

dren? Who’s child? Which teacher?

Who is in charge? Will they do anything this time?

Twenty-one sunflowers were planted in my garden today. They will grow for those who cannot.

Linda Larson Sandpoint

Member Brenda Hammond.

The task force plans to use funds raised from Community Day to host events that will engage youth and bring people together regardless of diverse ideas and beliefs. BCHRTF is also working to launch a series of “Leadership for an Inclusive Sandpoint” workshops.

“The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force holds tight to ‘the American principles and ideals of the inviolable dignity and worth of each human being.’ This resonates with us at Schweitzer,” Chrismer added. “We welcome everyone to enjoy the physical beauty of this special mountain while connecting with our community. Bonner County is a fabulous tapestry of differing opinions and beliefs, yet we are foremost good neighbors and friends. We want to highlight that on Summer Community Day.” For more information about Schweitzer’s summer schedule and details on Summer Community Day, visit schweitzer.com.

PERSPECTIVES

Sometimes, I am guilty of not being the best mom.

Sometimes, I am distracted. (A lot of the time, actually.)

Sometimes, I can be found sending emails to clients on a weekend when I could be playing Uno instead. Sometimes, I can be found hauling my daughter around to bid on jobs instead of going to the park. Sometimes, I can be found paying taxes and insurance premiums instead of paying attention to my girl.

Sometimes, she asks, “Why didn’t you make it to the cookie party at school? Why didn’t you make it to the assembly? Why didn’t you make it to the field trip?

Why? Why? Why?” Because these things happen during the workday, my dear. And I am a worker bee. I am a worker bee so that you might have a home and food and clothing and everything Harry Potter in a world where these things are increasingly expensive and elusive.

Yes, sometimes, I am guilty of prioritizing my agenda (which is often my work) over my daughter’s agenda (which is often play).

May she eventually understand.

And forgive.

Yet, when it comes to the big stuff — like her safety and sense of security in this world — I will drop everything to attend to that.

To ensure that. My agenda ain’t got nothin’ on my daughter’s basic wellbeing.

I’m sure all of you readers would say the same thing about your littlest loved ones.

So why, then — why, why, why, why, why — is this not true when you corral us in a pen like a political party or a school board meeting or a NRA convention? Why are we nastier beasts when in a herd?

Why do we continue to throw

Jen Jackson Quintano. our kids under the (school) bus when it comes to our political agendas?

For the love of God, why?

I’m not just talking about school shootings, but let’s start there.

At the NRA convention that immediately followed the Uvalde massacre (a coincidence that some attendees felt was a sign of a false flag operation <insert sound of faith in humanity shattering>), speakers denounced not the quickand-easy access to semi-automatic weapons in this country, but the “evil” in our world. Evil kills kids, not guns.

Last I checked, evil doesn’t get detained at the borders of other countries. Evil travels freely. So, why then is gun violence so much more prevalent here? Why are you more likely to die of a lightning strike in the United States than a gun in Japan? Why are you more likely to die from “contact with agricultural machinery” in the United States than a gun in England? Why are you more likely to die from “accidental hanging” in the United States than a gun in Norway? Why are strange mishaps more prevalent

than “evil” in other countries?

Why does evil reign supreme here? Did it succumb to an accidental hanging elsewhere?

Why does my daughter live in a country — not a world, but a country; let’s make that distinction — where schools are targets?

Where children are targets? Where little kids who still believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy have to practice active shooter drills? Where innocence is bludgeoned daily?

Why do we value not just the right to bear arms, but the right to bear assault weapons? Why do we find that right more compelling than the safety of our most vulnerable residents? Why do we still believe in superheroes, that a good guy with a gun is going to stop the bad guy with the gun? Uvalde should have laid that notion to rest once and for all.

In our country, we are currently dismantling the right to abortion.

In North Idaho, we just essentially elected a guy who believes that incest and rape are not persuasive cases for abortion; that the child shouldn’t “pay for the sins of the father.” (No mention, of course, of the pain of the mother. Nor the ensuing uphill battle of the child in such circumstances.)

But here’s my question: If life is so sacrosanct — if even a collection of rapidly dividing cells without name or breath is deserving of protection at all costs — then why are our living, breathing children not deserving of protection? Why is our fear of perceived boogeymen (boogeymen by the names of “Tyranny” or “Biden” or “Socialism” or what have you) greater than our dedication to our children’s wellbeing? Do we not see that the boogeyman is in the mirror — is our fragmented population’s collective reflection?

No firearm will save us from that, no matter how powerful.

In this regard, the boogeyman is also not critical race theory. It is not masking or not masking in schools.

It is not our librarians or our books.

It is not acknowledging sexual identity in the classroom. It is not social-emotional learning models.

It’s as if, in the midst of our current existential anxiety, we are playing a game of Pin the Fear on the School. And our children are suffering for it, with so many sharp worries piercing their reality.

A school district in Connecticut recently voted down a plan to bolster mental health services for kids. The parents were afraid that their children would be counseled on birth control and sexual identity. But, you know, maybe that’s where they need the counseling, seeing as their parents are so afraid of the issues.

In Idaho — a state where nearly one quarter of high school students have reported suicidal thoughts — the State Department of Education has stepped away from the social-emotional learning label, deeming it toxic after plenty of political blowback. One legislator likened SEL to the dystopian novel Brave New World. In reality, SEL is a model for molding responsible and empathic people (something we could use a few more of these days) through teaching the regulation of emotions and relationships. It offers a toolbox of resiliency in an increasingly trauma-filled world.

However, SEL is under fire as a liberal tool to brainwash our kids into embracing LGBTQ values, among other things. Thus, the learning model that would most help our kids in the face of myriad suicides and mass shootings is getting kicked to the curb, gener-

ating more suicides and shootings through a lack of mental and emotional support.

Ugh. If we’re going to hold fast to our assault weapons, can we at least give our kids the tools to deal with the ugly aftermath of their use? Please?

I recognize that, in living under the rule of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, none of this is going to change. All I can do is rant. And beg for minuscule and impossible changes.

Keep your guns. Keep your beliefs. Fine. But keep perspective.

(As a fellow parent recently remarked, “I like the Second Amendment, but there are some other good amendments, too.”) Don’t lose sight of your child’s happiness in pursuit of political agendas.

Don’t lose sight of your child’s needs in response to shadowy fears.

Yes, we are all guilty of prioritizing our agendas over those of our children. I do it all the time.

Part of being an adult is being imperfect, being short-sighted, being distractible and anxious, and not always wanting to jump on the trampoline. But part of being an adult is also understanding that most boogeymen aren’t real. That our own minds and beliefs are sometimes the most dangerous foe of all. Part of being an adult is getting over ourselves and our Facebook feeds to glimpse what really matters. And it’s not our politics.

It’s that little being tugging on your sleeve as you try to read this. So, put the paper down and go play.

Jen Jackson Quintano writes and runs an arborist business with her husband in Sandpoint. Find their website at sandcreektreeservice.com. See more of Quintano’s writing at jenjacksonquintano.com.

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Mad about Science:

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

wild ocean facts

If you suffer from thalassophobia — a fear of large bodies of water and what could lurk below — now is a great time to turn the page. Otherwise, keep reading… if you dare.

Greater than 70% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, with 96% of that water being ocean.

Such a staggering amount of water does an incredible number of things when it comes to sustaining life on the planet. Water makes for an incredible heat battery, a principle that’s often explored in greenhouse design.

There are few things better than a cup of hot tea or coffee on a cool spring morning. It’s always too hot to drink right away, but it’ll warm your hands while you wait for it to cool down. Where do you think all of that heat is going? It doesn’t just disappear. The water in your beverage is extremely receptive to heat. It will accept heat quickly and then hold onto it, slowly releasing it over time into the surrounding environment — in this case, your mug, your hands and the air above. In a greenhouse, a gardener will load up large barrels full of water and let the sun heat them up. Once the sun goes down and the temperature begins to drop, the water will slowly release heat back into the surrounding air, raising the ambient temperature of the greenhouse and helping maintain the environment inside. The ocean does the same thing, but on a planetary scale. The ocean’s ability to act as a giant heat battery is one of the major forces that maintains stable temperatures for life on Earth.

Another obvious benefit of 10 /

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Brought to you by:

the ocean is the water cycle.

Water molecules at the ocean’s surface are heated by sunlight and some of them will evaporate and rise into the atmosphere.

Over time, these molecules of hydrogen and oxygen will cool down and begin to coalesce, forming clouds that drift over landmasses, increase in weight and fall back to Earth in the form of fresh water. This isn’t a trait unique to water. It rains sulfuric acid on Venus, and some brown dwarfs (essentially failed stars) are hot enough to make iron evaporate and rain back down in molten droplets. Luckily for life on Earth, the temperature and pressure is just right for water to do this instead, thanks in large part to the ocean.

You don’t read “Mad About Science” for run-of-the-mill facts. You’re here for the weirdest things I’ve dredged up from the internet or my own twisted millennial brain. You want to know the weirdest, wildest and most disturbing things our oceans have to offer, and I’m here to deliver.

Most people know water’s two most important temperatures — 32 degrees Fahrenheit when it becomes solid, and 212 degrees Fahrenheit when it becomes gaseous. What happens when water is subjected to a temperature of 700 degrees Fahrenheit?

Volcanic vents exist deep below the ocean’s surface, belching scorching temperatures up to 700 degrees into the surrounding water. This, of course, is well above the boiling point of water which should convert it into pressurized steam. So why don’t we see steam jets shooting out of the ocean at all times?

As we learned earlier, water makes for a great heat battery by absorbing and dissipating heat.

This isn’t the reason why 700 degree water doesn’t turn into steam. The immense pressure from the ocean above prevents the water from converting into steam, though it doesn’t stop other gasses from pushing their way through the water. The reason the vents themselves aren’t cooled down is because of the channels of lava being pushed up from the Earth’s mantle, creating a seemingly eternal cycle of heating and cooling at the ocean floor. This is hardly the most shocking fact about the oceanic vents. It’s speculated that these wildly inhospitable zones may be exactly where life first came to be on Earth. There is evidence of the earliest forms of life in volcanic rocks dating back 4 billion years, placing it squarely in scientists’ closest approximation for when life first began between 3.7 billion and 4 billion years ago. To this day, a number of marine creatures rely on the extreme heat of the vents to survive, including a number of tubeworms and crabs.

Interested in checking out one of these tubes for yourself?

If the heat doesn’t scare you, the pressure might. As you travel further down into the ocean, you’re experiencing the weight of all of the ocean above and around you pressing down on your body. The deeper you go, more and more water begins to press on you. It would be like if you were to take the stairs, and each step you take immediately affixes itself to your back.

The pressure increases by one atmosphere for every 30 feet you travel downward. This measurement equates to an increase of 14.6 pounds per square inch exerted on your body for every 30 feet you travel. Now consider that the deepest part of the ocean

Photo by Ben Olson.

lies 36,200 feet below the surface, and you will quite literally feel the weight of the world on your shoulders; however, you would have died from nitrogen poisoning in your blood after 250 feet, so you wouldn’t feel anything by the bottom.

These are just a few of the morbid facts I have in store for you, but you’ll have to wait until next week for the rest.

Did you know that the theme of Summer Reading at the

library is “oceans of possibilities”? This year, Summer Reading isn’t just for kids. Adults can get a book bingo sheet from our website or any of our library branches to receive prizes. Just by reading the Reader, you can fill out two squares: read something about the ocean, and read for 20 minutes.

Now you’re well on your way to earning yourself some sweet prizes.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner rianism?

Don’t know much about vegeta • Several studies show that a plant-based diet increases the body’s metabolism, causing the body to burn calories up to 16% faster than the body would on a meat-based diet for at least the first three hours after meals.

• A number of researchers argue that while the human body is capable of digesting meat, our bodies are actually designed to be herbivores. For example, the human molars are similar to those of an herbivore, flat and blunt, which make them good for grinding, not gnashing and tearing.

• In 2012, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution that all Mondays in the city of Angels will be meatless.

The measure is part of an international campaign to reduce the consumption of meat for health and environmental reasons.

• The average American eats approximately 222 pounds of meat per year. This does not include seafood.

We can help!

• Vegetarianism has roots in ancient India. In fact, currently 70% of the world’s vegetarians are Indians and there are more vegetarians in India than in any other country in the world.

• An ovo-vegetarian will eat eggs but not other dairy products.

A lacto-vegetarian will eat dairy products but not eggs. An ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. Jain vegetarians will eat dairy but not eggs, honey or root vegetables. Vegans avoid not only meat but also all animal products.

• Famous vegetarians include Leonardo da Vinci, Henry Ford, Brad Pitt, Albert Einstein and Ozzy Osborne.

• One of the first famous vegetarians was the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who lived at the end of the sixth century BCE. In fact, the term “Pythagorean diet” was commonly used for a plant-based diet until the term “vegetarian” was coined in the 19th century.

OPINION

‘We have met the enemy and he is us’ North Idaho needs to be honest about its terrorism problem

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Remember back in June 2020 when armed militia-types patrolled our downtown to protect us from “vans of Antifa” that were coming from out of the area to burn down Sandpoint? Remember that they were doing so because of cocked up fears of the same happening in Coeur d’Alene? Remember how sure they were that there were terrorists infiltrating our communities, and they were the ones to save us?

Well, even our “constitutional sheriff” said there was no threat of “outside agitators” from Antifa.

The real “outside agitators” were the ones who took over downtown and strutted around with their weapons — claiming to be a defensive force, but really just filling downtown with intimidation.

No one can tell me otherwise; I was there, getting harassed as I tried to turn the corner on First Avenue and Main Street. A couple in a truck saw me walking by, pulled over and started to yell at me that I was a lying journalist. When a 20-something from who-knows-where, armed with a bipod-equipped long gun, sidled up behind me while I was being berated, that changed the tenor of the interaction.

Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon said at a community forum a few days later that the armed occupiers’ “intentions are all great,” and that “there is no ill will or intention with those guys.” I beg to differ. There was more “ill will” on display than I ever care to encounter again.

Of course, I did just see it again, albeit in an even more sinister form, when 31 members of the so-called “Patriot Front” were arrested in Coeur d’Alene on June 11 before they could commit a riot against the Pride in the Park event.

Watching the coverage over the weekend with mounting horror, it was not lost on me that there was — literally — a truckload of “outside agitators” attempting to infiltrate one of our communities with the intent to do harm. This was the threat that the armed occupiers in summer 2020 were supposedly

there to protect us from. But where were they on June 11, 2022?

Well, they were there, many of them armed and gathered at the outskirts of Pride in the Park for what has become an annual event called “Gun-d’Alene” — a direct reference to and celebration of that time they took over downtown Coeur d’Alene two years ago to save it from nonexistent truckloads of “outside agitators.”

Meanwhile, as the Gund’Alene-ists were making their presence known at the periphery of Pride in the Park — with some members of the group making it clear their intention to “confront” and counter-protest the Pride event, according to KXLY — not far away there was an actual truckload of 31 right-wing extremists drawn from at least a dozen states being arrested before they could riot.

That’s not irony. That’s indicative of who are the real threats to security in our communities.

The Coeur d’Alene police foiled the plot based on a tip from a concerned citizen. The armed occupiers who consider themselves guardians against unrest had nothing to do with it. They were standing around trying to intimidate people who had gathered in good faith to observe Pride.

And if you’re at all confused about whether there are numerous elements among us who would have looked on with approval at whatever unrest Patriot Front was planning, allow your blood to run cold when you read what Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White told the Coeur d’Alene Press on June 13: “It’s disheartening to read that people think this was [A]ntifa in disguise or a false-flag FBI operation. That is absolutely false. These people belong to the Patriot Front.”

Among the most prominent individuals peddling the false Antifa claim was Matt Shea, the disgraced former Washington legislator who an investigation in 2019 found had taken part in domestic terrorism by participating in armed conflicts with government officials in Oregon and Idaho from 2014 to 2016.

Making Shea’s claims even more outrageous, the Spokesman-Review reported that one of the men pulled from the Patriot Front U-Haul and

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department arrested 31 members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front on June 11. Photo by Alissa Azar (@AlissaAzar). arrested June 11 actually attended Shea’s church.

Making things still worse, the Press reported on June 14 that Lee’s department — as well as the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office — has been “inundated” with messages following the June 11 arrests, yet about half of them have been against the police, including doxxing and even death threats.

Despite every piece of available evidence, there are still people trying to legitimize or at least explain away and deflect accountability for what can only be described as a thwarted attack on a small American city by right-wing extremists.

Barring that, they’re now threatening the police themselves.

This atmosphere of entitlement to intimidation has become a feature of our lives here in North Idaho over the past few years. And the main thing is that we need to start calling it what it is, and that is belligerence masquerading as the expression of civil liberties, but functioning as terrorism.

Of course, there is a legal definition for terrorism, and none of the individuals either in 2020 or last Saturday have been charged with that offense — and, in most cases, no offense at all. However, there is a dictionary definition of the term, which is “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes,” as well as “the state of fear so produced.”

Based purely on the usage of the English language, this is what armed occupiers and rioters — from Coeur d’Alene to Sandpoint to Washington, D.C. — have been and

clearly continue to be engaged in.

Regardless of their pious claims, it is not “legitimate political discourse.” It is the leveraging of violence and the potential of violence to achieve political ends — it is the infiltration and unrest that they claim to stand against.

There is a threat among us, and it is the puffed-up fake-patriots who pretend to be our protectors while simply hunting around for an opportunity to hurt someone and get away with it. To quote from McCarthy-era comic strip Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Speaking to the Idaho Capital Sun on June 13, Idaho 97 Project Executive Director Mike Satz put a finer point on it: “some of our leaders appear to be encouraging these groups through their statements, conduct and associations.

Our civil, political, business and religious leaders need to condemn the hatred we see spreading across our state.”

I keep thinking back to June 2020 as I try to wrap my head around what’s been going on around here, and I remember a quote from one of the Sandpoint militia occupiers, who was speaking with me the day after the original “Gun-d’Alene.”

“Coeur d’Alene last night was beautiful,” he said, going on to repeat the same nonsense about “Antifa” infiltrators that justified his comrades in arms to menace a group of teenagers who were peacefully demonstrating in favor of racial equality and police accountability in the wake of the George Floyd killing in Minneapo-

lis that spring.

The kids involved in that demonstration were unequivocal in their statement that these armed people were not welcome — that they were the opposite of “protectors,” despite their laughable assertions to the contrary.

As local BLM organizers said at the time: “We reject the notion that armed militia members are here for protester protection. It serves only to intimidate the free and lawful expression of speech.”

Yet somehow, in some profoundly dark place in their minds, there are still ersatz “patriots” who think they are legitimate guardians of the republic. Tune into the Jan. 6 investigation committee hearings and you’ll see the depths to which this psychosis runs, and it is positively rampant here.

Some people will inevitably argue that such an indictment is “divisive” or “unfair.” Here’s the truth: They are the ones who are divisive and unfair. They have been grooming us to be willing sacrifices to their scofflaw vision of freedom-for-them, fear-for-allothers, which like all authoritarian impulses is brittle — they are offended by nothing so much as being reminded that they are the bad guys. And they are.

As Idaho Gov. Brad Little stated on June 13: “All Americans should be able to peacefully express their constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech without the threat of violence. It is what has always set America apart from other nations. I thank the many, many Idahoans from across the political spectrum committed to peacefully demonstrating. I commend our brave men and women in law enforcement for their swift action in Coeur d’Alene this weekend. Their diligence and quick response helped avoid a potentially terrible situation.”

I would respectfully disagree with the governor that we avoided “a potentially terrible situation.”

The fact that it happened at all is a “terrible situation.” What we’re left with — and should feel — is our ongoing terrifying situation.

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FEATURE

Happy birthday, Sgt. Pepper

Sandpoint cat turns 26 years old

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

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When Janice Simeone adopted a barn cat from a neighbor in 1996, she also became the owner of that cat’s four kittens. More incredible than the unexpected adoption of five cats was something Simeone would have never guessed: one of the kittens she kept, Sgt. Pepper, would live to see her 26th birthday.

“Someone asked me, ‘Well, how do you really know how old she is?’ and I said, ‘Because I was there,’” Simeone told the Reader, seated on the front steps of her west Sandpoint home while Sgt. Pepper, 26 years and two weeks old, rose from her cat bed and stood on the sidewalk before me, inspecting.

“That was May 25, 1996, right here in the house,” Simeone said with a gesture toward the front door, recalling the day the kittens were born.

Only three months and two weeks earlier, this reporter was also born in Sandpoint — less than two miles away in Bonner General Hospital. Face to face with Sgt. Pepper, I couldn’t keep the wonder off my face. / June 16, 2022

“I know,” Simeone offered with a laugh, partly at my facial expression and partly in mutual amazement.

Sgt. Pepper licked gravy from a food can, unphased by her incredible life. Bored with us, she abandoned her food, bed and mother to walk around the house and back inside.

“I guess after 26 years, she knows her way around,” Simeone said, watching as Sgt. Pepper disappeared around the corner.

In Simeone’s words, Sgt. Pepper can “take care of herself” — a phrase that remains mostly true even in her extreme old age. Aside from the soft-boiled egg yolks for dinner and the occasional “tending to” that older cats require, Sgt. Pepper remains fiercely independent — a “great huntress” in her prime, Simeone said, and audacious enough to move in with the neighbors for several years before returning home this past winter without announcing herself.

Simeone’s husband observed her homecoming from the kitchen window.

“He looked over at me and said, ‘Sgt. Pepper just walked by’ and I said, ‘No she did not. She did not walk by,’” Simeone recalled.

Sure enough, she was back.

Sgt. Pepper enjoys a break in the rain outside her home of 26 years in Sandpoint.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

Simeone said she is a lifelong pet lover, and now dedicates herself to “chipping in” with local dog rescue efforts, offering transportation and sometimes fostering pups in need of homes.

“I’ve always, ever since I was little, had dogs and cats and that sort of thing,” she said. “I just love them.”

Simeone said that Sgt. Pepper is the oldest cat she’s ever had — or even heard of, for that matter. Of Sgt. Pepper’s siblings, Simeone also kept Oscar, who lived to be 19 years and five months old. The other two kittens went to Simeone’s friend, Tina. One of them died very young, while the other — Twinkie — lived to be 22.

“I really don’t know what the secret is,” Simeone said. “I think it’s just good genes.

It must be.”

As for Sgt. Pepper, she has proven to be the maker of her own destiny in many ways.

“She’s a North Idaho cat, man,” Simeone said with a laugh. “She’s a strong girl.

She’s just a hardcore little cat.”

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OUTDOORS

Two wheels for a cause

The CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo bicycle ride kicks off this weekend

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Hailed as one of the finest charity rides in the country, the annual CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo bicycle ride organized by the Sandpoint Rotary Club is our community at its best. The ride features a number of different routes for all levels of experience — everything from the four-mile Family Fun Ride to the 150mile route taking riders into Montana and back along beautiful highways and county roads.

The ride day is Saturday, June 18, when participants will begin to gather outside Trinity at City Beach starting at 5 a.m. for race-day registration and last-minute safety briefings before clipping in and hitting the road.

Routes for the 150-, 100- and 80mile circuits have changed slightly from previous years, with riders being diverted off of Highway 200 at Clark Fork to ride along the Cabinet Gorge Road on the other side of the river. Riders will also leave the highway in Hope, taking the bypass from Denton Slough all the way to the Hope bridge.

The best part about this cool ride? It’s a fundraiser for education initiatives in our community.

Sandpoint Rotarian and member of the CHAFE 150 ride committee Mel Dick said that by the end of the 2022 race, CHAFE 150 will have raised and donated somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million for education and other youth activities.

“It takes a village,” Dick told the Reader. “There are over 150 people involved just to put the CHAFE on. There’s also a small, passionate group that works year round on the CHAFE. And the sponsors — I cannot say enough good about the sponsors. The community comes out and businesses support us. The ride would not be possible without our sponsors.”

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sor this year, with gold level sponsors including KPND, Remax, Timberline Helicopters, Like Media, Kochava, Gary and Julie French, and Ting.

Each year, funds from the CHAFE 150 help support educational services for the youth in our community.

“We change the recipient every three years,” Dick said.

“This year’s ride, as well as the next two years, the major recipient is the Book Trust Program.”

Lake Pend Oreille School District Director for After School Programs Lorainne Gee and LPOSD Director of Teaching and Learning Andra Murray gave a presentation to the Sandpoint Rotary in January outlining the many benefits accrued to local school children by past funds donated

by CHAFE rides. The Book Trust Program enables all first- and second-grade

students to purchase their own books on a monthly basis during the school year for reading in the classroom or at home.

“We know reading opens doors and literacy programs open doors to success for our students,” Murray said.

“If we grew up in a family that was a reading family, we take for granted that a lot of people didn’t,” Dick said.

Hope Elementary School Principal Sherri Hatley estimated that the Book Trust Program would benefit about 600 students at seven local elementary schools by giving each kid $17 per month to spend on books.

“At the end of the year, if each student gets two or three books per month, that means we’ll have an extra 10,000 to 11,000 books in our community,” Hatley said.

To help generate additional support, CHAFE 150 riders are encouraged to raise funds on their own for the cause through pledged donations, with those who raise the most receiving an assortment of prizes ranging from bicycles to free registrations for future rides.

Photo courtesy CHAFE 150 Ride Committee.

It’s not too late to register, said Dick: “You can register the day of the event.

With this cold weather this spring, a lot of people might be out of touch with their training, so you can always ride the 25- or 40-mile ride, or do the four-mile Family Fun Ride on Sand Creek.”

Added in 2019, the Family Fun Ride is organized by Sandpoint Rotary, Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, the city of Ponderay, Litehouse YMCA and Lake Pend Oreille School District. It begins and ends at the same spot as the other rides, but Family Fun Riders will take an immediate right off of Bridge Street and follow the Sand Creek bike path into Ponderay, turn around and head back to Sandpoint City Beach for the community wide after party. There will also be kids’ activities sponsored by Litehouse YMCA. “Just go down and register the day of the ride,” said Dick. “Bring your whole family down and have some fun.”

For more information about the CHAFE 150, please visit chafe150.org.

LITERATURE

Dick Sonnichsen’s newest book offers a blueprint for revitalizing American democracy

By Reader Staff Area publisher Blue Creek Press recently announced the release of Enlightening America: Forging a New America With Political Civility, Universal Equality and Genuine Patriotism, by local writer Dick Sonnichsen — a prolific commentator on modern and historical social issues.

In six books published over the past five years, he has covered topics including equality for women; economic, racial and gender equity in the United States; the failure of organized religion to meet its promises and responsibilities; the dangers of unfettered capitalism; and how to live a good life in a sometimes bewildering world.

In his writing, Sonnichsen takes on self-serving politicians, corporations and religious institutions; misogyny in the 21st century; our gridlocked political system; and the dangers and challenges of living in an increasingly virtual world.

In his latest book, Enlightening America, Sonnichsen confesses that he — along with many others — is worried about the future of the American Republic. He suggests that, at 246 years old, the United States is still suffering acute growing pains. It is his hope and belief that America can survive them, but also asserts it will take fundamental change in how the country proceeds. “‘We’re all in this together’ is a prosaic cliche,” he writes, “and also a profound description of the human condition. A national rejuvenation of true patriotism may solve many of the problems facing the American public. We need to restore national pride in

our country and the ideal of individual responsibility. Americans are not a homogeneous population but a community sharing the same geography. Our behavior should be reasonable, respectful and not disadvantageous to others. Individual freedom in a democracy has collective responsibilities and is not without restrictions, limitations and boundaries.”

With insights gathered from a career as an FBI special agent and an organizational consultant, Sonnichsen suggests ways to repair democracy and remodel capitalism to better benefit those who are left behind by the current models.

He presents the idea of mandatory service by young Americans in a Patriot Corps that works for the good of the nation while imparting skills and education to the participants applicable to their own future.

As a person who carried a gun to work for decades, he also advocates rethinking the role of firearms in American culture.

He emphasizes the importance of respecting and listening to science in regard to phenomena like COVID-19 and the imperative call to action of the climate crisis.

New book explores Holland by kayak

By Reader Staff Local writer Jim Payne has just published his fifth book of kayak adventures on waterways around the world. These explorations, which began with a voyage down the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. in 1996, have covered the Columbia, Mississippi, Ohio and Hudson rivers, as well as the Thames River in England and the Bio Bio River in Chile.

In this new book, In Dutch — Again!, Payne recounts his voyage on the Rhine River in Holland.

“On the map, the trip looks easy,” he said.

“But in the real world, there are always unexpected obstacles.”

These included massive river freighters and their wakes, a hidden turnoff that left him lost on the river and a dam that blocked

his escape to land.

Taking advantage of the Dutch people’s excellent command of English, Payne visited with locals in churches, galleries and homes.

The Dutch, he finds, have high standards of polite behavior.

Payne, the careless adventurer from North Idaho, found himself transgressing social norms many times — “in Dutch,” as people say — but he was corrected with humor and kindness.

Left: Author Dick Sonnichsen rests on a hike with Lake Pend Oreille in the background. Right: The front cover of Enlightening America: Forging a New America With Political Civility, Universal Equality and Genuine Patriotism. Courtesy photos.

Sonnichsen also recommends term limits for elected officials. He speaks to the importance of returning civility and respect to the political process and the responsibility of the individual to participate in politics by being informed voters who are ready to take steps and make sacrifices to assure the common good.

“The history of American resilience and perseverance can guide us through the current crisis,” Sonnichsen writes, “But only with a cooperative responsibility, trust toward each other and a sense of collective engagement will we preserve a functioning democracy.”

Enlightening America is a book written so that both sides of the aisle might benefit from it. Published for Sonnichsen by Blue Creek Press, of Heron, Mont., it is available as a Kindle book or in paperback ($14.95) from Amazon. Or ask your local bookstore to contact books@bluecreekpress.com.

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COMMUNITY

SHS grad named CEO of Rose Bowl Open auditions held for The Reader. “The Rose Bowl is located in Pasadena, Calif., one of the smallest cities in America to have Jens Weiden, a class of a world-class stadium.

1999 graduate at Sandpoint Building relationships High School, was just named with stakeholders that are the general manager/CEO not only involved in your of the Rose Bowl in Pasadebusiness, but also part na, Calif. Weiden formerly of your community, has served as the Rose Bowl’s proven to be a great way CRO, a position he held for me to showcase the since 2013. values I learned growing Since arriving at the Rose up in North Idaho.”

Bowl, Weiden has led a team Prior to joining that has increased enterprise the Rose Bowl staff, event revenue by more than Jens Weiden. Courtesy photo.

Weiden worked for the 500%. Under his leadership, San Francisco Giants the Rose Bowl campus became one of the and was responsible for all non-basemost dynamic venues in the nation during ball events at Oracle Park. He has also the COVID-19 pandemic, putting on inheld positions at 24 Hour Fitness Corp., novative events that provided safe enterwhere he led marketing efforts, and was tainment during a difficult time. Weiden a general manager for the American Golf has also been instrumental in leading the Rose Bowl Stadium Premium Seating and Corporation.

Weiden holds a bachelor’s degree Sponsorship teams, and has been integral from St. Mary’s College in California. He in attracting world-class musical acts and was an honors student at SHS, an avid sporting events to America’s Stadium.

“Growing up in a small community like baseball player and participated in many extracurricular activities while growing Sandpoint has been an invaluable asset up in Sandpoint. throughout my career,” Weiden told the

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

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Importance of Being Earnest

By Reader Staff

Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater is hosting open auditions for the upcoming production of Oscar Wilde’s comedic play The Importance of Being Earnest. Auditions are planned for Monday, June 20 and Tuesday, June 21 from 5-8 p.m. both nights at The Envision Center, 130 McGhee Road in Kootenai. Callbacks will be held Wednesday, June 22 from 5-8 p.m.

Director and founder of LPO Repertory Theater Keely Gray said after such a successful run with the production of Young Frankenstein in February, she’s eager to get started on the second offering from the local nonprofit theater troupe and production company.

“We’re trying to get as many folks who are curious about theater to come out and audition,” Gray told the Reader.

“For auditions for Young Frankenstein, we really tapped into these unknown gems of talent. We really want to get the community involved.”

Gray said they are looking for nine to 10 characters, with ages ranging from the late

teens to the 60s and 70s. Those interested in auditioning should prepare a monologue of 30 seconds or a minute to perform at the audition.

“If you need help finding out what a monologue is, look at our social media,” Gray said. “We’ll be posting links to websites with free monologues. It’s usually something that someone says to themselves or a long piece of dialogue to another character.”

The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy written in 1895 by the iconic playwright Oscar Wilde.

“It’s a mistaken identity kind of tale where these two women are convinced they are in love with the same man because the two men are taking the same name for stature and status,” Gray said. “I think it’s going to be really relevant for today, especially with social media like Facebook and Instagram and all that.”

Show dates for The Importance of Being Earnest will be Sept. 23, 24, 30 and Oct. 1 at the Panida Theater’s main stage.

For more information, visit lporep.com.

Run, don’t walk, to check out the 45th ArtWalk Dan Carpenter named 2022 POAC Artist of the Year as ArtWalk kicks off Friday

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Like many artists, Dan Carpenter’s creative journey has been lifelong.

“I think I started drawing before I could write,” he told the Reader.

Carpenter, who is being honored as the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s 2022 Artist of the Year, has spent the past 72 years seeing where that talent might take him.

At first, it was an outlet during his more introverted childhood years, growing up in an oil camp in the mountains of northwest Colorado.

“I always drew pictures of a lot of things,” he said, “and living in the country, it was a lot of wildlife.”

Carpenter’s favorite subjects remain those of the wild variety, calling his specialty “Wildlife and Western Art.” He creates landscapes and other rural, sometimes historical scenes with acrylic paint.

Despite forays into architecture, photography and even forensic model creation, Carpenter’s art is now deeply rooted in the nature he enjoyed both as a little boy and now, as a resident of Bonner County.

Carpenter is one of the artists featured during this year’s ArtWalk, a summer-long event hosted by POAC, which kicks off Friday, June 17 with receptions at 28 downtown locations from 5-8 p.m.

This year marks the 45th ArtWalk in Sandpoint.

“This is going to be one of the best shows we’ve ever done,” said POAC Board President Carol Deaner. “The quality of workmanship and design is extraordinary. There is undoubtedly something for everyone’s taste in art. And you don’t have to worry about getting to each venue on Friday evening, because these artists’ work will be on display until Sept. 2.”

Participants are encouraged to pick up an ArtWalk “passport” at any location, have it stamped at 10 or more participating businesses, then submit it for a chance to win two season tickets to POAC’s 2022-’23 Performing Arts Series.

Carpenter said that ArtWalk does a great job of bringing community members together who may not typically visit the downtown core.

Businesses and artists participating in ArtWalk:

• Arlo’s Ristorante (124 S. Second Ave.), artists: Tessema C., Lindsey Falciani • Azalea (322 and 324 N. First Ave.), artists: Johnelle Metz, Barbara Schelling • Burlwood Dreams (201 N. First Ave.), artists: Larry Book, Ron Lawson, Corey Obenauer, Kimberly Obenauer • Columbia Bank Community Plaza (231 N. Third Ave.), artists: Art for Life, Jeanine Asche, Jenni Benoit, Carolyn Broadway, Susan Kirkpatrick, George Kiselica, Marni Quist, Michael Smith, Jean Spinosa Artwork by Dan Carpenter, who was named POAC’s 2022 Artist of the Year. Courtesy of Dan Carpenter.

“So many people get out for that,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

Carpenter’s work is displayed at the Art Works Gallery on First Ave. — one of the participating ArtWalk locations — year round. He said he paints every day, and is thankful for his medium allowing him to move at a fast creative pace.

“I’m detail oriented — probably too much,” he said. “[Acrylics dry] so fast that you can keep moving. You don’t have to put it aside for a week to let it dry before you start on the next layer. I can work all day long.”

Carpenter said his paintings are often inspired by nature scenes in real life, many of which he’s been able to photograph for reference. He estimates that his studio on the north shore of Lake Pend Oreille houses somewhere around 2,000 to 3,000 images, separated into specific files depending on subject matter.

“Once the idea is there, and I have an idea of my color scheme and the size and where my light is coming from, then I can use all my references,” he said.

Sometimes, those references stroll right through Carpenter’s yard. Just the other day, he said he observed a sow and her three cubs right outside his studio

window.

“I’m real lucky with all my subject matter that I have here,” he said.

Carpenter, who teaches a painting class for adults at POAC’s Joyce Dillon Studio, said that he sees art as an evolving process — one that can teach you new things even after seven decades.

“I’m trying to get looser than I’ve been for years,” he said. “I’m pretty detailed and tight on a lot of things, but I’m trying to loosen up.”

Carpenter, a seriously talented painter with an affinity for not-so-serious jokes, told the Reader that he still didn’t quite believe he’d been named POAC’s Artist of the Year, quipping that he was certain it was a “trap.”

“I think they’re goofing on me,” he said with a laugh, adding later with sincerity in his voice: “It’s pretty cool.”

See Dan Carpenter’s work at Art Works Gallery (214 N. First Ave in Sandpoint) or online at dancarpenterart. com. To learn more about ArtWalk, go to artinsandpoint.org or call the POAC office at 208-263-6139. See a complete list of Joyce Dillon Studio class offerings at artinsandpoint.org/jds-student.

•Cropper & Co. (210 Second Ave.), artists: George Kiselica, Nellie Lutzwolf, Savannah Pitts • Eichardt’s Pub (212 Cedar St.), artist: Gretchen Herb • Grace & Joy (212 N. First Ave.), artists: Betty Billups, Teascarlet • Matchwood Brewing Company (513 Oak St.), artist: Kathy Robinson • Neiman’s Floral Market (211 Cedar St.), artists: Jody Aslett, Kim Cash, Catherine Earle, Sohini, Fran Summerday • Outdoor Experience (314 N. First Ave.), artist: Ed Robinson • Pend d’Oreille Winery (301 Cedar St.), artists: Mary Gayle Young; June: Jeff Rosenkrans; July: Kathy Gale; August: Connie Scherr • The Tin Roof (120 S. Second Ave.),artist: Ben Joyce • Yafay Wellness Collective (202 N. Second Ave.), artist: Matt Lome.

For a complete list of venues and a map, visit artinsandpoint.org/artwalk June 16, 2022 /

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events June 16 - 23, 2021

THURSDAY, June 16

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch & Lauren Kershner Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5:30-7:30pm @ Drift (Hope) 6-8pm @ The Back Door Live from 525: Courtney & Company • 5pm @ Festival at Sandpoint office, 525 Pine Classic hit country and folk duo. An intimate setting for music. $19.99 entry Ecstatic Dance w/ DJ Yamuna • 7-8:30pm @ Embody, 823 Main St. For more information, visit embodysandpoint.love

FriDAY, June 17

ArtWalk Opening Receptions • 5-8pm @ Various downtown Sandpoint locations It’s the annual ArtWalk, showcasing local artists’ work for 45 years. Art will be on display until Sept. 2. See Page 17 for a story about the event, and more information about how to ArtWalk like a pro. This is a free and fun event Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin Schweitzer Summer opening day 7-9pm @ The Back Door Come up for hiking, biking and exploring Live Music w/ Sara Brown Band Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Versatile, energetic and vocally stunning Karaoke at the Tervan 8pm-closing @ The Tervan

SATURDAY, June 18

Live Music w/ Bruce Bishop & Friends Injectors Auto Club BBQ at SASi 5-7:30pm @ Hope Memorial Comm. Ctr. 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Free event with food, wine and beer avail- Come look at the classic cars and enjoy able for purchase. Raffles burgers, hot dogs, salads and desserts.

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch Cornhole tournament, adult day care, live music w/ Brian Jacobs. $5/plate 6-8pm @ I Saw Something Shiny Live Music w/ Chris Paradis CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo bicycle ride 7-9pm @ The Back Door Starts @ Sandpoint City Beach Sandpoint Farmers’ Market The annual charity ride benefiting edu9am-1pm @ Farmin Park cational programs at LPOSD. Race day Fresh produce, artisan goods, live music registration available and many different

by Kathy Colton and the Reluctants length routes for all levels of experience Live Music w/ Aaron Golay and Live Music w/ John Firshi the Original Sin 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Karaoke at the Tervan One of the most powerful soul-rock groups 8pm-closing @ The Tervan in the region. aarongolaymusic.com Symphony of Serenity w/ Kennedy Oneself • 6-8pm @ Embody, 823 Main St. Relaxing sound bath w/ multiple instruments. embodysandpoint.love

SunDAY, June 19

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am Karaoke at the Tervan 8pm-closing @ The Tervan

Schweitzer Summer Community Day @ Schweitzer Mountain Meet nonprofits, artisans and musicians while raising money for Bonner County Human Rights Task Force with $10 lift tix

monDAY, June 20

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

wednesDAY, June 22

Live Music w/ Samantha Carston 6-8pm @ The Back Door Open Mic 6-10pm @ The Tervan Live Music w/ John Firshi 6pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Live Piano w/ Bob Beadling 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

ThursDAY, June 23

Open Mic at Bluebird Bakery • 7pm @ Bluebird Bakery A new open mic night hosted by Maya Goldblum. Doors open at 6pm and music starts at 7pm. Open to all, with emphasis on music, but open to spoken word as well 18 /

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COMMUNITY

Chamber honors Schweitzer as June Business of the Month

By Reader Staff Since it opened in December of 1963, Schweitzer has continued to expand into one of the top family friendly ski destinations in the Northwest. With 2,900 acres of terrain, it is the largest ski area in Idaho and Washington.

In honor of that history — and Schweitzer CEO Tom Chasse, second from right, accepts the June Business of the Month award from Chamber staff to celebrate its present — the Greater at the Columbia Bank Community Plaza. Courtesy photo.

Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recently announced Schweitzer as the June Business of the Month. employee housing.

When the pandemic hit, the mountain And they are actively doing something was faced with some difficult choices on about it. how to safely operate. Managers and staff Schweitzer opened its first employee made those decisions in order to ensure that housing property on Hemlock Street in the public could still access the mountain Sandpoint last fall and is now working on while everyone remained safe. They had its next employee housing development in a record year for local season pass sales Ponderay, which will include more than 80 and, over the most recent season, counted a new units. record number of overall visits.

“Growing, expanding and adjusting to As with businesses locally and nationthe times, the Greater Sandpoint Chamber wide, Schweitzer has struggled with staffing of Commerce is proud to celebrate Schbut has gotten proactive in attracting talent weitzer as the June Business of the Month,” — with the No. 1 order of business being the chamber stated.

STAGE & SCREEN

A Western with range

Two women move cattle in Idaho’s backcountry in Bitterbrush, showing at the Panida June 17-19

gether in a remote corner of Idaho hill country. This scene is quiet — Patterson and the colt shuffle In one of the trailers for Emelie through the pin, birds offer the occasional chirp and a gentle breeze Mahdavian’s 2021 documentary picks up on the camera’s mic. The Bitterbrush, Hollyn Patterson weather-worn fencing of the pin works with a colt as her fellow and surrounding green grass give range rider, Colie Moline, watches, perched on sun-bleached wood way to brown mountains and gray clouds in the background. of the round pin.

“God has taught me more “I’ve always loved starting about myself working a horse than colts,” Patterson remarks.

I’ve ever taught a horse,” Moline “Yeah,” Moline offers, their shares from her perch. conversation carrying a cadence “That’s true,” Patterson replies. like a seasoned horse navigating a The quiet resumes and the familiar meadow. breeze plays at the women’s hair, “I’m just starting to love other loose beneath wide-brimmed things,” Patterson adds, continuWestern hats, and ing the walk slow at the horse’s mane half-circles around Bitterbrush (NR) — a white blonde, the skittish colt.

Friday, June 17, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Bitterbrush June 18, 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 19, inspiring her name, 2:30 p.m.; doors open 30 minutes Marilyn.

— showing at the before each showing; $10 in Bitterbrush Panida Theater advance, $12 at the door. turns any traditionfrom Friday, June Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., al understandings 17-Sunday, June 208-263-9191. Get tickets at of toughness or 19 — tells the panida.org or at the door. femininity on their story of the pair’s heads, as is shown in this short last summer herding cattle to-

scene with the colt. Vulnerable conversations are meant for this space, where the rawness of life is on full display.

Rural people already knew that the machismo of the Western genre was just for show — a fictional tale told over and over. She is Mother Nature, after all, and Patterson and Moline are humble stewards of her greatness, navigating the peaks and valleys of the range with their horses, trusty cattle dogs and a whole lot of hard-earned skill.

Filmmakers promise a story of “friendship” in Bitterbrush, all the while highlighting the “inclement weather and perilous work conditions” in which the women find themselves. Tenderness and brutality are not at odds in this landscape, but all at once necessary.

Critics have shared a general sense of shock at the depth Bitter-

brush is able to convey through the telling of a two-character story, with The Playlist calling it “a subtle portrayal of non-sensational humanity.” On Mahdavian’s chops as a storyteller, IndieWire praises her “keen eye for capturing the contradictions and complexities of outsider women’s lives.”

The cattle, horses and working dogs of Bitterbrush depend on these “outsider women” just as the pair depend on them. It’s the

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

7:30 p.m.

Released in 2019 and written and directed

by Celine Sciamma, the French-language film is set in the waning years of the 18th century on an island in Brittany, to which a female artist has traveled to paint the portrait of a young aristocrat before her marriage to a far-off nobleman.

The twist is that the aristocrat Heloise (Adele Haenel) has recently left a convent following a family tragedy, opposes her own betrothal and therefore refuses to be painted. Under orders from Heloise’s mother, the painter Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is to serve as a paid companion while painting Heloise in secret.

True intentions are revealed by stages as the two women grow closer, resulting in a love story that is told across past and present timeframes, as well as art forms.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire won a raft of awards around the

world, including first place for Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at Cannes — where it was also nominated for the Palm d’Or — as well as Best International Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards, the European University Film Award at the European Film Awards and Best Cinematography at the Golden Globes, among many others.

Earning a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 95% on metacritic, rogerebert.com in an interview with writer-director Sciamma

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

A screenshot from the film Bitterbrush playing at the Panida Theater this weekend. Courtesy photo. symbiotic relationship of a mother and child, a horse and rider, earth and rain. It’s a story older than film, and more prominent than the genre would have you believe.

Bitterbrush is womanhood captured in the most unexpected, but fitting, way. In the evolving story of the West, this documentary fills a vital role.

Panida to host four films in honor of Pride Month

In honor of Pride Month, the Panida Theater is screening four films featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

Made possible through a grant from the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, the free film series spans two weeks and includes Call Me By Your Name, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, A Fantastic Woman and Sublet.

Coming to the big screen first is Call Me By Your Name on Monday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Starring Timothee Chalamat and Armie Hammer, the 2017 film by director Luca Guadagnino is set in northern Italy in 1983.

Chalamat plays 17-year-old Elio Perlman, who is summering with his family when 24-year-old Oliver (Hammer) arrives to work as a doctoral student under Elio’s professor father.

Over the course of their time together, Elio and Oliver form a relationship that serves as an awakening for both in what rog-

erebert.com in its four-star review described as “a lush and vibrant masterpiece about first love.”

Adapted from the 2007 novel of the same name by Andre Aciman, Call Me By Your Name earned rave reviews all around, with a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 93% from Metacritic.

The film earned four Oscar nominations in 2018, including Best Picture. For his role, Chalamat received a nod for Best Actor.

Meanwhile, Call Me By Your Name screenwriter James Ivory won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as the Critics’ Choice Award, British Academy Film Awards and Writers Guild of America Awards in the same category.

A nuanced coming-of-age story, Call Me By Your Name is as much about desire as it is the process of knowing oneself — especially through the labyrinth of happiness and heartbreak that lies at the heart of love itself.

Next up is Portrait of a Lady on Fire on Tuesday, June 21 at

A screenshot from the film Call Me By Your Name playing at the Panida June 20. Courtesy photo. called Portrait of a Lady on Fire “incandescent filmmaking of the highest order.”

Other films in the Panida Pride series include A Fantastic Woman on Monday, June 27 and Sublet, which will screen on Tuesday, June 28. Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. Find more about those films in the Thursday, June 23 edition of the Reader. All films are free and doors open at 7 p.m.

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COMMUNITY

Elks award scholarships to local students

By Reader Staff The Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1736 held a dinner June 1 to award scholarships to a number of local students. Cheered on by their families, 13 seniors and three continuing students received scholarships from the club.

The Elks received numerous applications, which were reviewed by a team of Elk members and rated on academic score, extracurricular activities, honors and awards, employment, community service and a submitted essay. The highest scoring applications were recognized.

Pictured are the following recipients; Front row, left to right: Ben Jordan; Berklee Lane; Davalie Terry; Ava Mazzilli; Madison Duke; Sophie Dignan; Leslie Marshall, scholarship chair; and Ellen Clark. Back Row, left to right: Ethan Butler; Mason Mikolas; Dwight Sheffler, exalted ruler; Anna Auld; Sarah Casey; Sage Saccomanno; and Taylor Sadewic. Not in attendance Katelyn Mattson. Courtesy photo.

Birds, botany and wildflowers class offered in Libby

By Reader Staff Head into the wilds of western Montana on Saturday, June 18 for a day of birding, field botany and wildflower viewing.

Participants will meet at 9 a.m. (Mountain Time) in the Viking Room of the Venture Inn at 1015 West Ninth St. and U.S. Hwy. 2 in Libby, Mont. After introductions and an outline of the day, the group will be led by experienced instructors to several field sites on private land to observe and identify birdlife, trees, shrubs, plants, grass-

es, sedges and wildflowers.

Those who wish to take part should come prepared with full gas tanks, water, lunch, identification books, proper clothing and footwear for a field day. Also important are binoculars and a good sense of humor.

The trek wraps up at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Spaces are limited for the adult-only class, and all participants must register to attend. No dogs allowed.

To register, email b_baxter53@yahoo. com or call 406-291-2154.

State arts commission now seeking nominations for governor’s award

By Reader Staff

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On behalf of Gov. Brad Little and First Lady Teresa Little, the Idaho Commission on the Arts announced June 7 that it is seeking nominations for the 2022 Governor’s Awards in the Arts, with a due date of July 15.

The awards recognize and encourage excellence in the arts in Idaho. Nominees must be Idaho residents, businesses based in Idaho, or organizations or communities that have made a significant contribution to the cultural life of Idaho.

The public is encouraged to nominate potential awardees online at arts.idaho.gov/ discover/#awards.

Award categories include Excellence in

the Arts, Excellence in Folk and Traditional Arts, Support of the Arts, Support of Arts Education and Excellence in Arts Administration. Nominations must include a brief description of why the nominee merits the award; three to five letters of recommendation; and any supporting materials such as magazine and newspaper articles, resumes or artist statements.

Examples of artwork are strongly encouraged for the Excellence in the Arts and Traditional Arts categories.

Arts commissioners review the nominations and make recommendations to the governor, who then determines the recipients.

For more information email info@arts. idaho.gov.

MUSIC

Intentional listening

Bluebird Bakery hosting the second open mic night June 23

music going from 7-9 p.m.

Sign-ups are taken at the venue.

Goldblum said when There are loads of venues the opportunity came to regularly hosting live music in host open mic nights at Sandpoint, but one element of Bluebird Bakery, she ran the scene that always seems to be lacking is a “listening room” with it.

“I think the venue, the — where people come primarisetting, is important,” she ly to hear the music. said. “I’ve been to open That fact inspired singmic nights in loud bars er-songwriter Maya Goldblum that were kind of shitty, to host an open mic night at Bluebird Bakery once a month, so having it at a place like offering musicians the opportu- Bluebird means people are coming to listen and share. nity to play new material to an It’s more interactive and audience that listens. more of a conscious, inten“For the longest time, I tional listening crowd.” was hunting for that listening The inaugural open mic space where we could be more night on May 12 drew a full intentional and have people house, with several in attenshare that vulnerable material dance playing music, while and not have a loud bar in the some read poems and freebackground,” Goldblum told styled. the Reader. “The Longshot “There is was that for the definitely an Bluebird Bakery last while, but emphasis on they shut down.

Open Mic Night music, but I felt there was a Thursday, June 23; doors at I’m excited huge gap in Sand- 6 p.m., music 7-9 p.m.; FREE. about any point.”

Bluebird Bakery, 329 N. Goldblum will First Ave., 208-265-8730. raw authentic expression,” host the second Goldblum installment of the said.

“I’m very encouraging of new monthly open mic nights original stuff, even if it’s not on Thursday, June 23, with fleshed out. It’s a good setting doors opening at 6 p.m. and

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

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This week’s RLW is dedicated to my dad, who was born on June 16, 1966 and has spent every day of my life showing me how to appreciate the little things (which are actually the big things). One of those things: concise and powerful writing. My dad has always been a big reader and often shared his findings with me. Conservationists, sports columnists and modern Western novelists come to mind as some of his latest recommendations. I don’t remember which one of us first discovered Ivan Doig, but he remains a mutual favorite.

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to try out something you’re working on.”

Goldblum said she hosted a lot of open mic nights while living in Ireland and loved the community that developed around them.

“It’s a space and a stage for every level of musician or artist to share,” she said.

The plan is to continue to host open mics at Bluebird Bakery each month. The venue features a guitar and microphone available for performers to use, but if you have special musical needs, be prepared to bring your own equipment.

Katelyn Shook plays at Bluebird Bakery for the inaugural open mic night on May 12. Photo by Ben Olson.

Also, since it’s not a big money-making venture, donations are gladly accepted to help cover costs.

While open mic is a starting point, Goldblum said there’s a possibility of offering other forms of entertainment at Bluebird Bakery in the future.

“Gigs would also be fun to do there,” she said. “Music is new for Bluebird. It’s a slow process, kind of an experiment at this point.”

Some of my fondest memories with my dad include going on drives just to listen to music. I distinctly remember buying Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gold & Platinum two-disc greatest hits from a CD catalog because I knew he would love it. “Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name” and “Simple Man” were the soundtrack to sunny afternoons up and down the old highway in Hope. Also a Trav favorite: “A Little Bit of Everything,” by L.A.-based folk band Dawes. Lyrics are important; just ask my dad.

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When I think of movies that remind me of my dad, Hoosiers immediately comes to mind. I learned early on that good sports movies are not about sports at all — they’re about life. Hoosiers, in particular, is made great by its small-town setting and underdog story. Plus, Aaron Golay and The Original Sin, 219 Lounge, June 18 it teaches good, basic, team-based basketball skills, even if it features The distances within the Gem Golay and his backing band an almost entirely male cast. It has State can be hard to overcome have more than earned their repunever mattered to my dad — or at for some bands — not to mention tation as one of the most powerful least seemed to matter — that he escaping the gravitational pull of soul-rock groups in the region. It only had daughters. He taught us to the capital city of Boise. would be a sin to miss them while see ourselves and our potential in Lucky for us, Boise-based they’re here. everyone’s story.

Aaron Golay and The Original Sin — Zach Hagadone is swinging through this part of the world with a show at the Red 9 p.m.-midnight, FREE, 21+.

Room in Spokane on Friday, June 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 17 followed by an appearance Sat- 208-263-5673, 219.bar. Listen at urday, June 18 at the 219 Lounge aarongolaymusic.com. in Sandpoint before heading back down south.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Bruce Bishop and friends, Memorial Community Center in Hope, June 18 The hills are alive with the sound of music — the hills of Hope, that is.

Bruce Bishop, who is arguably North Idaho’s best-kept musical secret, will headline an evening of tunes and friendship at the Memorial Community Center on Saturday, June 18. The event is free, while food, beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Bishop — an accomplished recording artist and teacher hail-

ing from Southern California but calling Hope home for nearly two decades — will be joined by Drew Browne, Connie Burkhart, Mark Heisel, Larry Guldberg and Tim Gunn for this gig, showcasing a collaboration of local talent you’ll need to hear to believe.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey 5-7:30 p.m., FREE. Memorial Community Center, 415 Wellington Place, 208-264-5481, memorialcommunitycenter.com.

June 16, 2022 /

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BACK OF THE BOOK

Dads, motorcycles, golf and beer

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

From Northern Idaho News, June 15, 1906

NEW STATION OF CULVER ON THE NORTHERN PACIFIC The Northern Pacific has put in a new siding eight miles east of Sandpoint, which is to be known as Culver. The spur in a sense takes the place of old Oden, which was done away with when the new cut off was built by the Northern Pacific.

The Sandpoint Cedar company has opened a logging camp near the new station of Culver, Henry Lane being in charge, and he has a crew of men getting out cedar poles and saw logs.

Mr. Lane has constructed a new style of road there over a low place which he believes will be a decided success. Instead of coruroying the road in the old style way, he has laid down two long timbers on each side of the roadway lengthwise with the road and flattened them on the top side, so that the horse has a solid timber roadway to walk on as well as a solid roadway for the wheels of the trucks or wagons to follow.

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Father’s Day is Sunday, so I thought I’d cover a few topics that the dads out there might enjoy; motorcycles, golf and beer.

I rode my first motorcycle in sixth grade, after more than a year of my dad driving me around to mow lawns for neighbors and family friends. I saved every penny I could, and finally earned enough to buy a 1985 Honda XR250 — a stable, four-stroke dirt bike that filled my summer days and after-school times with joy as I scrambled around the hills and valleys near our log cabin in Westmond.

Those times were some of the first instances of freedom that I experienced in life.

I’d say farewell in the morning and fill my tank with gas from the garage, then disappear for hours at a time. A few friends also had dirt bikes, and we’d sometimes meet up on Loop Road to create healthy mischief.

Most of the time, though, it was just me on my dirt bike, exploring the world that I would soon join as an adult.

Years later, I bought my first real motorcycle — one that I still own. I was managing the Downtown Crossing bar on First Avenue (the building now gone due to fire) and managed to accrue $600 from tips over three days of Lost in the ’50s. A friend mentioned his uncle had an old 1980 Kawasaki 750 LTD that wasn’t used anymore and we drove out to have a look at it on that Sunday — my eyes still swollen from no sleep, the stack of small bills still reeking of whiskey and failed dreams.

Although it was probably worth double that, I was able to hand over my entire pile of tips from the weekend and purchased the Kawasaki. I derived some strange satisfaction that tips from a bunch of sweaty drunks were what I used to purchase the bike. I rode that thing everywhere, not only to save money on fuel, but because I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair.

One year, during a warm stretch in January, I packed everything that would fit

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on the bike and rode all the way down to Mexico, stopping along the way to camp and visit with friends. The trip was a success, except for the incident about 10 miles south of Portland when the drive chain snapped in half and sent me skidding across five lanes of freeway traffic, narrowly missing a couple of cars and screeching to a stop on the side of the road. It was terrifying, but I fixed the bike, picked myself up and kept riding.

Just recently, I brought the bike out of storage again after a few years off. I’m a terrible mechanic. There is no Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in my world — only cursing and clumsy attempts to fix simple problems while, ultimately, creating more problems along the way. Thankfully, I met a new friend named Ezra who helped me clean the carbs out and smooth over a few problems that needed work. The old bike is running as clean as it ever has, and I’m enjoying the hell out of my time with it this season.

I had a similar experience with golf, except it was my stepdad who first took me golfing. I despised the man, as many 14-year-olds whose parents had recently divorced would, but after he took me golfing for the first time, I fell in love with the sport.

Eventually, I took a job washing golf carts at Hidden Lakes Golf Resort — now the Idaho Club — and spent eight years of my life working out there.

Those years are some of the most formative in my life, working for Ken Parker, Mike Deprez and Jamie Packer — each of them teaching me something important about life that I haven’t forgotten.

I was never a scratch golfer, but I enjoyed it enough to pursue it as a career. I began teaching lessons and worked as a PGA professional for a number of years before my taste for golf ultimately waned, too.

After watching the course rearrange itself multiple times and, eventually, price the local members out, I wanted nothing to do with the sport or the business anymore.

Like everything else in life, it seemed, golf betrayed me, showing me that it was indeed

only about money, not the love of the game.

I hung up my clubs for close to 15 years, only playing a couple random games until last season, when something kicked loose and I realized I was yearning to swing a club again. I picked up the dusty old sticks and started hacking at the ball again. It was a painful road back, but I’m now feeling my swing return, like a stray dog who finally made his way home.

Finally: beer. The first beer I tasted in life was Milwaukee’s Best. My dad loved beer.

He would always drive home from work carrying a six-pack missing at least one can. He always said the same joke when we ran out to welcome him home: “Looks like the store gave me a five-pack again.” While watching TV, he would send me to the fridge on the back porch for another can. One day, after I delivered it, he cracked open the tab, handed it to me and said, “Want a sip?”

I took the sip. It tasted horrible, but also good? Years later, there is nothing more satisfying than drinking a cold beer on a hot day after working in the yard — the cheaper the better.

I can’t help but trace back all of these passions of mine to a father figure. Without them, I may have never ridden a motorcycle.

I may have never picked up a golf club. I may not have continued to drink crappy beer.

It’s the simple things in life, I guess.

Happy Father’s Day, dads.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution

The old pool shooter had won many a game in his life. But now it was time to hang up the cue. When he did, all the other cues came crashing to the floor.

“Sorry,” he said with a smile.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

By Bill Borders

ACROSS

1. Chum 6. Friends 10. Backside 14. Concur 15. Broadcast 16. Puncture 17. Andean animal 18. Box 19. Not under 20. Creative writing 22. Anagram of “Rent” 23. Narrow opening 24. Athletic competitions 26. Sandwich shop 30. Frozen water 31. Droop 32. Ancient Dead Sea kingdom 33. Competed 35. Peak 39. Took in 41. Lands and wealth /HOH-kuhm/ 43. Giver 44. Behold, in old Rome 46. Thug [noun] 47. Crimson 1. out-and-out nonsense; bunkum. of the 49. Not new 50. Strikes “Spurred on by hokum that the 2020 election was ‘stolen,’ several states have 51. Learn thoroughly passed voter restriction laws, which should make the 2024 election interesting.”

54. A magician 56. Arm bone Corrections: Nothing to note this week, contestants. Please tune 57. Tenderfoot in next week for another edition of, Will They Screw Up? —BO 63. Amount leant 64. Big bash 65. Leg bone

hokum

Word Week

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

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Solution on page 22 66. Fashionable 67. Baking appliance 68. Rewrites 69. Story 70. Succeeding 71. Adjust again

DOWN 1. Formal dance 2. Type of fruit 3. “Darn!”

4. Greek district 5. 10 in a decade 6. Insect killer 7. Someone who has lost a limb

8. Teller of untruths 9. Pressure 10. Picture 11. Wanderer 12. Ready for anything 13. Sea swallows 21. Not dead 25. Agreement 26. Not alive 27. Poi source 28. Diving bird 29. Emphasis 34. One who makes a declaration 36. Decorative case 37. Dispatched

38. Sounds of disapproval 40. Tall woody plant 42. Marsh plant 45. Difficult to understand 48. Fire-breathing beast 51. Swindle 52. Hawaiian greeting 53. Symbol of slowness 55. Reply to a knock 58. Asphalt 59. Ocean motion 60. Nile bird 61. Give as an example 62. Where the sun rises June 16, 2021 /

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