This lake house is artistic and unique - a custom built cordwood home filled with light and views of Lake Pend Oreille. The beach is not more than 100 steps down the path and there are two docks. Call for an appointment and boat tour today.
Carol D. Curtis
Over 100 artists! 2 /
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(208) 290-5947 www.sandpoint.com ccurtis@sandpoint.com
(wo)MAN compiled by
Susan Drinkard
on the street
Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July? Do you know why Americans have fireworks every year on this holiday? “I don’t know. We have sparklers. I love it. They shoot (fireworks) from boats.” Eli Billings Age 4 Sandpoint
“Because it’s Independence Day. I like seeing the fireworks blow up at my house.” Zander Mayhugh Age 7 Sagle
DEAR READERS,
Happy birthday, America. What better way to celebrate the birth of our country than lighting off explosives, eating meat-like, tubular-shaped junk food and drinking beer you can see through? Ah yes, I am an unabashed fan of these low traditions just like any other red-white-and-blue blooded American. Remember to be safe out there. If you go out to drink, don’t drive home. Cabs are so much more cost effective than DUIs, and you also avoid the whole risking-your-life thing. Also, fireworks are fun, but please remember to pick up after yourself afterward. It’s frustrating to ride my bicycle around town on the fifth of July and see spent fireworks canisters littering every street corner. It takes five minutes to sweep all the debris into a pile and toss it in the street garbage can. Also, to you campers out there, please use common sense when considering taking along those mortars or other illegal fireworks that shoot sparks all over the place. We’re lucky this year so far — no wildfires to note, even with the heat lightning storm on Monday night. On another note, after hearing back from several of our dear readers, we’ve decided to revert back to our original crossword puzzle. Local cruciverbalist Charity Luthy did a great thing by offering to generate crossword puzzles for no charge the last couple months, and we thank her for the work. I wish we could afford to pay her for the work, but we’re always two steps away from the poor house at the Reader. Thanks, Charity, for the effort. I hope you all have a great time out there this holiday weekend. Eat, drink and be merry! -Ben Olson, Publisher
“I like to eat pizza and macaroni.”
OPEN 11:30 am
GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS
Garrett Janisse Age 4 Sandpoint
“It is Independence Day celebrating our independence from England. We have our own freedom and our choice to choose what we want to do when we grow up.” Tristan Bontrager 5th Grade - Washington Elem. Sandpoint
“For me the Fourth of July means trembling and hiding in the bedroom closet until the racket stops.” Mercy Middle-aged sweetie Sandpoint
LIVE MUSIC Thursday Solo Series w/
BENNY BAKER SCOTIA ROAD
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7-10pm
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READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Taylor Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Hannah Combs (cover), Ben Olson, Bonnie Jakubos, Phil Longden, Jen Heller. Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Brenda Hammond, Brenden Bobby, Bill Harp, Jen Heller, Ed Ohweiler, Dianne Smith, Drake the Dog, McCalee Cain. Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash. Subscription Price: $95 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover
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This week’s cover features an original piece of artwork by Hannah Combs. You may look at more of Hannah’s work at her ArtWalk show in the Reader office building at 111 Cedar St.
June 29, 2017 /
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COMMENTARY
Sex abuse worse for evangelicals than for Catholics By Nick Gier Reader Columnist “Protestants are going to have to accept the fact that we have many similarities with our Catholic brothers and sisters when it comes to how we have failed to protect God’s children.” —Boz Tchividjian, law professor at evangelical Liberty University Some parents have long thought that the safest place for their children would be churches and affiliated schools. Sadly, this has not been the case. In 2007 insurance companies that provide liability insurance for Protestant churches reported they had received on average 260 reports of child sex abuse per year. The Catholic Church’s own figures are 228 “credible accusations” per year. Given the facts that one in four girls are molested nation-wide and less than half states require pastors to report these crimes, the actual numbers in both camps are much higher. Pastors and priests have typically claimed a “clergy-penitent” exemption, but
Letters to the Editor GOP Wins... With the special election wins by the GOP in Georgia, Montana, Kansas, and South Carolina, isn’t it obvious why the Dems lost? It was Russian and Macedonian meddling. Had to be, no? God bless America, and God bless our military. Steve Brixen Sandpoint
GOP Insurance, Whoa! Dear Ben, Last week, in your “Dear Readers” column, you complained about losing health 4 /
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this traditional principle is now being questioned. Most of Protestant abuse is found among the evangelicals/fundamentalists, whose decentralized 280,000 churches and schools are much more difficult to monitor for these infractions. The tendency to cover-up the abuse is just as widespread as in Catholic parishes, and these crimes have continued for decades. After years of denial and blaming the victims, the administrators at ultra- fundamentalist Bob Jones University finally admitted they had serious problems. They had been forced to so by student activists and alumni. In her in-depth article “By Grace Alone,” Kathryn Joyce tells the story of Bob Jones student Katie Landry, who had been raped by a co-worker just before she came to campus. She found herself confused, conflicted and acting out. Katie’s campus counselor told her that “under every sin is another sin; that there is a sin in your life that caused your rape.” This is a typical conservative evangelical diagnosis,
which blames the victim for giving into her seducer and/or being flirtatious and wearing provocative clothing. Ironically, conservative evangelicals give their women full agency only when it comes to their role as temptresses, and less agency to their men when faced with their manipulations. Vice-President Mike Pence’s refusal to have lunch with any woman except his wife is a good example of this sad syndrome. Another evangelical group, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, has also been forced to confess its sins. The focus of the investigation was Dr. Donn Ketcham, a charismatic medical missionary in Bangladesh. His 40-yearlong history of sexual misdeeds finally came to light in the case of Kim James. James and her family arrived at the Bangladesh mission in 1982. When James was 13, Ketcham cultivated an intimate relationship with her that led, he later admitted, to “a minimum of 10 to 15 sexual encounters.” James recalled saying to herself: “This is the most godly man here. He would not do anything
that’s not right.” Back home in Indiana, James confessed to her local pastor that she had had sex with Ketcham. Without her parent’s knowledge or permission, two church elders interrogated her. They concluded that James suffered from “lust in its most base form, uncontrolled in the body of a spiritually immature woman.” Ketcham was forced to leave the mission because of “immorality,” which was taken to mean adultery, not child sex abuse. Women at the mission had complained about his advances since 1967, but it was usually they who were punished, not Ketcham. Back in Michigan and still practicing medicine, Ketcham was accused of abusing a 6-year-old patient, and he now serving a life sentence for first-degree sexual assault. Natalie Greenfield tells a frighteningly similar story about her abuse by Jamin Wight. Wight was a student at Greyfriars, the seminary for Moscow’s Christ Church led by my former student Douglas Wilson. Wight was a boarder in
Greenfield’s home, and when she was 13, he “groomed” her, as she described it, for a twoyear sexual relationship. In 2005 Greenfield finally went to the police and filed charges. Many people in Christ Church wrote character witness letters for Wight, and he served only four months of a two-year sentence. Wilson and Christ Church elders turn on Greenfield’s father saying that he had failed in protecting his daughter. Wilson harassed her with three successive emails warning her that she had to meet with church elders for some sort of reconciliation. After she refused to meet with them, she was disfellowshipped. Greenfield is now happily married and has four children. She speaks out regularly about child sexual abuse. She also sings her heart out as a blues soloist in various venues, including some of my Unitarian choir performances.
insurance. I don’t blame you for feeling bummed out. Right now, the Senate GOP Health Care Bill (“Better Care Resolution Act of 2017”) is coming up for a vote sometime after the July 4 recess. It was written in secrecy without a public debate. A short list: besides cutting tens of millions of Americans off of insurance, it decimates Medicaid, cuts aid to Americans with disabilities; raises premiums on older Americans to five times that of younger Americans; allows States to reduce coverage on those with pre-existing medical conditions; allows insurance companies to sell skimpier plans
with higher out-of-pocket costs. And, as another insult, it repeals taxes on corporations and the wealthy. It does repeal the mandate, but that sets up the whole scheme for eventual collapse. It is such a mean and nasty piece of work that AARP has vowed to hold all 100 Senators accountable if the Senate passes this bill. I urge you, dear readers, to call our Idaho senators (Mike Crapo, 202-224-6142, and James Risch, 202-224-2752, at their Washington phone numbers) to VOTE NO on this bill. I’ve already done so. What we really need is Medicare for all. I wished that the GOP would carry out the Constitution’s pre-
amble statement to “… promote the general Welfare …” rather than working to destroy it.
exit to the bridge with a left on Pine Street. Whoever designed this plan should be fired. More backed-up traffic now. The Reader needs to do a thorough story on this with a traffic map to get through this maze and who is responsible.
Philip A. Deutchman Sandpoint
Stop the Madness... Dear Editor, The new two-way streets are a mess! I almost hit someone heading down Pine Street. For us leaving the town going south, we have to either turn right on Pine Street and over to Lake Street and go through neighborhoods or left on Cedar and through downtown with all the traffic. Ridiculous! It used to be an easy
Nick Gier taught religion and philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Read the full version at www. sandpointreader.com.
David Marshall Sagle David, thanks for writing. We have and will continue to cover this transition in the Reader. We have also printed the traffic map several times in the past. We’d like to publish it more often, but every time we print the map, it takes almost a full page away from potential advertising that keeps us alive. We appreciate your input, Ben Olson, publisher
HUMOR
Celebrate the Fourth with the Lions Club Celebrate INDEPENDENCE
It’s Fourth of July time, and Sandpoint is going to be swarming with people longing for that little piece of Americana. Our beautiful little idyllic town complete with a massive lake surrounded by mountains provides the perfect setting for a parade, fireworks, camping and a visitation from a bald eagle. It doesn’t get more American than that. In fact, spending even one Fourth of July in Sandpoint can leave such an impression on a visitor that they feel compelled to do it annually. Things like traffic, heat, packed business, road construction and capacity lodging options do not deter the hordes of people flocking here. Locals may show signs of annoyance, but deep down we know that every American should experience the Fourth of July properly in their lifetime. I am not sure I am in shape for the Fourth this year. Have I trained my liver properly for a four-day weekend of sipping cocktails on the lake? The lack of sunshine in June has severely cut into my tanning time, and I will be forced to spend hours in some sort of suitable swimwear. I don’t even know what “suitable” means these days. For the majority of my life, I have operated under the belief that if your swimming attire covered your genitals and ass properly you were fit to be in public. The choice to cover your mid-drift is optional, and a tan can hide a multitude of figure flaws. I can tell you with certainty that these finite swimwear laws do not apply in 2017. Have you been to a local watering hole lately? You will observe typical beach life: moms and kids, sunbathers of various ages, swimmers, overdressed people looking for attention, and of course the celebrities of the beach, local teenagers. Adolescent females in skimpy bikinis are one of the major safety hazards at any swimming facility, as teenage girls
in bathing suits trigger uncontrollable horse play and violent peacocking in adolescent males vying for the attention of their female peers. Adding to the issue of male teenaged overstimulation is the adult males on the beach scrutinizing the group of 15-year-old girls, thinking they are more like 25-year-olds, and then shamefully cowering when they realize the “woman” they were ogling is really their buddy’s daughter. Awkward. However, let’s be fair to the ogling middle-aged male for once, shall we? When I took my first foray to a public beach this year I saw a couple of young ladies wearing swimwear that wasn’t quite a “thong” but definitely wedged up their butt cheeks. As a straight adult female a bit past my 20s, I had to look at their asses an unnaturally long time to figure out what was going on. Were they self-administering wedgies as some sort of social statement or joke? Were they taking the poor college student thing a little too far and saving money by shopping in the children’s department? As I walked closer to the group I recognized the faces of these girls. They were definitely not in college. I asked my own daughter what was up with the atomic wedgie posse. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she was like, “Mom, everyone wears them, they are called cheekies.” Excuse me, child. Are you saying that females are running around the beach with fabric deliberately wedged up their ass? Her reply was, “Mom, you have Instagram. You should know about this.” So I consulted my Instagram, and sure enough swimming suits wedged up your ass and giant inflatable food floaties are the must haves for summer 2017. The only thing that makes you cooler than actually owning a wedgie suit is taking a picture of it wedged up your ass and posting it to Instagram. I clearly needed to have a conversa-
tion with my daughters about this trend. Have you ever told a teenage girl she can’t wear something? It’s about as fun and easy as chemical warfare. This has gotten worse through the years. When I was a teenager my mom could say, “That doesn’t flatter your figure, or that makes you look like a slut.” And my mom was praised for being a good mom because she prevented me from buying an unflattering swimming suit, and/or looking older and more sexually advanced than my actual years. Nowadays if you mention “unflattering or slutty” to your daughter, you will likely be turned into CPS and accused of fat-shaming or slut-shaming. So you have to meticulously choose your words. I basically went with, “Neither you nor your sisters will be walking around in public with spandex shoved up your butt, do you hear me?” She began her protest, which was something about celebrating bodies and the accusation of society being uncomfortable with female bodies. I secretly applauded her for the feminist shout out. “Well, my job as a mother is to keep you safe. I see this swimsuit as a chafing hazard, and in the real world there is no ‘Valencia’ filter,” I said. “I have seen more teenage ass acne today than I care to in a lifetime.” I’m sure her and her sisters are likely wandering a beach somewhere right now with their suits firmly wedged up their assess holding a giant inflatable donut, as a bald eagle solemnly flies by in the sky. Why? Because it’s America, that’s why! And they better hope I don’t catch them because the first thing I’m going to do is wedge my swimwear up my ancient butt crack and walk up right beside them and start snapping selfies. Celebrate your right to make bad decisions! Happy Fourth of July. Love, SQ
By Ben Olson Reader Staff If you enjoy fireworks and parades on the Fourth of July, thank the Sandpoint Lions Club. The all-volunteer organization has been active in Sandpoint since 1953, sponsoring events like the Independence Day Parade and fireworks show, as well as Toys For Tots and other community programs. The theme to the Sandpoint Lion’s Club Fourth of July Parade this year is “Those Who Serve.” “It’s about anybody who serves the community,” said Judy Dabrowski, Sandpoint Lions Club president. Mike Reeb was chosen as grand marshal for this year’s parade. “Mike has been an active Lions Club member for 46 years,” said Dabrowski. “He’s a great guy, so active.” “I certainly was surprised, but the Lions Club decided to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Lions International,” said Reeb. “I just happened to be the longest standing member, so they thought that that would be an appropriate grand marshal.” The Fourth of July Parade kicks off with the Kids’ Parade at 9 a.m., followed by the Grand Parade at 10 a.m. Fireworks are scheduled to kick off at dusk at City Beach. The source of funding for the fireworks show every year comes from the annual raffle tickets sold by the Lions Club. This year’s prize is a Polaris Ranger side-by-side. Tickets are $5 for one or if you want a book of five for $20, you can also take a spin on the wheel for more free stuff. Tickets will be for sale on June 29 at Super 1, June 30 at Yoke’s, July 1 at Walmart, July 3 at Yoke’s and during the daytime on July 4 at the Sandpoint City Beach. In addition to providing the annual Independence Day activities, the Lions Club also helps administer annual eyesight and hearing tests to thousands of local students. “We don’t’ get paid for any of this,” said Dabrowski. “It’s all done free to the community.” To support the Lions Club, donations are tax-deductible. Another method of support is to pay $45 for the Lions to erect flags on the eight national holidays. The price includes the flag, pole and someone to set it up and take it down eight times a year. Anyone interested in joining the Lions can find more information at www.sandpointlions. com or reach out on Facebook. “It’s a big job and we’re critically short of members,” said Dabrowski. “Having more bodies to help us out there would be amazing.” June 29, 2017 /
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COMMUNITY
New program corrals volunteers in N. Idaho By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Bouquets: •We have so many great contributors who send us content every week for no compensation. One such contributor is Cort Gifford, who is the man responsible for keeping us and our readers updated on the Memorial Field bleachers project. Cort has been following the progress to this community project since day one and has amassed an impressive collection of photos that show the weekly progress. Thanks for all your help, Cort! Barbs: •I read a news story last week that made me feel rotten. A Nebraska Democratic Party official was allegedly caught on tape saying he was “glad” House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in last week’s GOP baseball field shooting. In the recording, Phil Montag was allegedly recorded saying, “[Scalise’s] whole job is to get people, convince Republicans to [expletive] kick people off [expletive] health care. I’m glad he was shot. ... I wish he was [expletive] dead.” Montag was fired immediately after the recording was made public. Montag claimed his words were being taken out of context. This is evidence that it doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you sit on, if you condone violence in any way, you are wrong. Flat out wrong. We need to return to a bipartisan government. It’s easy to blame all these ill feelings on the current administration, but it goes deeper than that. The problem lies in the fact that we attribute our “loyalty” to policital parties almost as if they are sports teams. If someone in your political party does or says something wrong, it’s up to all of us to hold them accountable. It should be country before party, always. 6 /
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Have you ever wanted to volunteer for a worthy organization in the community but you’re not sure where to start? Thanks to a new program called Volunteer Idaho Panhandle (VIP), help is on the way. According to volunteer coordinator Elise Boyce, the idea was inspired at Sandpoint Community Resource Center’s (SCRC) annual symposium, by the community’s needs and further supported from United Way, SCRC and the AmeriCorps VISTA program. “Sandpoint Community Resource Center bridges the gap between people in need and those who serve,” said Boyce. “One way to fill this gap even further is if we have more volunteers supporting those who are serving the needs in our community. Two out of three volunteers donate and donations from volunteers are 2.4 times greater than non-volunteers. VIP works to bridge the gap between volunteers and those opportunities most needed to empower the heart of our community.” SCRC works with over 300 service providers in the community, so that those who need help in a variety of areas will be turned in the right direction. For example, if a resident needs help figuring our where to find mental health services or needs to sign up for food stamps, SCRC will point
them to the correct resources. One major part of VIP is a new, free volunteer resource matching web tool called VolunteerUnited, which is another way to easily connect willing volunteers to opportunities in our community. “Some people are new to town, or they just don’t know where to go to volunteer,” said Boyce. “Maybe they are into animals, maybe they like working with children. VIP is about having one central place where volunteers can go to get connected with all the volunteer opportunities in Bonner and Boundary County. This can be done face-to-face at SCRC or through our free web tool VolunteerUnited.org.” For those interested in volunteering, but short on spare time, Boyce said there are opportunities to fit anyone’s schedule: “You can narrow your search to a set time,” she said. “Say you only feel like volunteering two or three hours at a time. VIP clears up some expectations so that people know what they’re getting involved in. They receive all the info in advance.” Within www.VolunteerUnited. org, potential volunteers can also “fan” a certain site and wait for them to post a volunteer position that is right for them. As program director for Community Cancer Services in Sandpoint, Cindy Marx sees the potential of VIP. Marx was able to
find a potential board member and volunteer through the program. “It would make life a whole lot easier,” said Marx. “I’m a one-woman office four days a week. I have tons of people who want to do stuff for me, but to coordinate that need and to make all the phone calls back and forth setting it all up, it’s not practical. This is such a great tool for those who have interest in volunteering.” Boyce plans to serve as the volunteer coordinator for a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. She hopes to have an impact on some of the core needs in our community and inspire volunteerism as a healthy lifestyle available to all. At the end of her tenure, Boyce plans to pass the baton over to another person that can continue and grow volunteerism in our community. “I worked in mental health for 11 years and transitioned into this,” she said. “I still wanted to feel like I was doing some good work for our community and felt pretty linked in because I worked with people with mental health issues and was plugged into the poverty and low-income resource
A volunteer works at Creations in Sandpoint.
providers. One of the things I appreciate about this job is that I get to learn a lot and I get to work with some of the most passionate, kindest people who care about our community. ” For nonprofits interested in learning more, a free VolunteerUnited.org webinar is planned for Friday, June 30 from 9-10 a.m. at SCRC, 231 N. 3rd Ave. You can also access the webinar on your own.
AG bans aerial fireworks in Idaho By Ben Olson Reader Staff The Idaho Attorney General office issued an opinion Tuesday prohibiting the sale of aerial fireworks unless the buyer holds a permit to put on a fireworks show. The rule is the latest in an ongoing argument that pits individual rights versus damage caused by fires. For Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon, the solution is simple: “My whole thing is ‘safe-andsane’,” he said. “If you buy (fireworks) locally, you’re probably OK. Be safe, be sane, have fun.” For those of you lighting off
fireworks at home displays, “safeand-sane” includes non-aerial fireworks such as sparklers, smokers, spinners and other ground-based fireworks that don’t travel outside a 15-foot diameter. Always use fireworks outdoors and beforehand, store them in a cool, dry place. Wear eye protection and point fireworks away from homes, bushes or flammable substances. Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies, and use it to soak spent fireworks in before throwing them in the garbage. For those embracing the great outdoors, remember, all fireworks are prohibited in National Forests.
Sherry Ennis, CAL Vice President (right) presents a check to Stephanie Allen, President of the CCS Board (left). Courtesy photo. By Ben Olson Reader Staff The Community Assistance League (CAL) presented a check to Community Cancer Services for $3,850 after a successful Paws for a Cause fundraiser. CAL was able to raise more than $4,000 in its fifth annual dog walk event. “The success of this year’s dog walk would not have been possible without the support of the many local businesses who
sponsored the event and the generosity of the participants,” a press statement from CAL read. “We hope to see more of you out in Dover for next year’s event, held the first Saturday in June.” CAL awards scholarships to budding college students and grants to worthy local businesses each year, relying on volunteers who staff their thrift store Bizarre Bazaar at 502 Church St. in Sandpoint. To help support this charitable organization, simply shop at Bizaare Bazaar anytime.
OPINION
Beliefs and practices of the Christian Identity Movement By Brenda Hammond Reader Contributor Back in the day — when Richard Butler of the Aryan Nations, Vincent Bertollini, the “11th Hour Remnant Messenger,” and others, were trying to spread their ideas in our community — it was important to understand the basis of their beliefs. Members of the Human Rights Task Force, in order to take an informed stance, found ourselves studying the ideology they had in common, known as “Christian Identity.” Now that, in recent months, the same kind of thinking has surfaced in the form of flyers spread around town, it seems like a good time for a refresher course. If you’re looking for anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia, anti-government conspiracies and glorification of violence — all in a religious wrapping — you’ll find it in the Christian Identity movement. This might sound like a derogatory statement. However, I had the experience of giving a talk at a human rights meeting about Christian Identity beliefs with Richard Butler and a number of his followers sitting in the front row. My presentation covered all of the points I will be making in this article — and more. Butler and friends just sat there and nodded their heads! Christian Identity theology creates a worldview based on interpreting Biblical scripture in a way that supports the idea of white supremacy. This worldview arranges humanity so that so-called white, or Aryan, races are the only divinely recognized human race, directly in opposition to the “Jews” who are the “seed of Satan,” and far above the other, inferior races who are referred to as “mud-people.” A well-known example of using the Bible to support white supremacy was during the fight over school segregation in 1957 when Governor Faubus of Arkansas shouted out that in
the book of Genesis, it says that God divided the light from the dark, and, by God, it was going to stay that way in Arkansas! Richard Butler preached from his “Church of Jesus Christ Christian,” where a bust of Adolf Hitler was saluted as part of the service. Not all Christian Identify groups are the same. However, all hold to the concept that in the Kingdom of God on earth, all non-whites will be exterminated or enslaved to serve the white race. Some groups believe it is their responsibility to bring this condition about through the use of violence, and that they will be rewarded by God for such actions. Other groups have a “softer” view, but interpret world events as moving inevitably toward the supremacy of the white race. Even among the less militant groups, there is the belief that attaining the Kingdom of God will involve a “battle” or “warfare” and that its adherents must prepare for the journey and war for the Kingdom. This means both spiritual preparation and physical preparation — amassing survival supplies, weapons, ammunition and training. There is also the belief that you must know who your enemies are. Christian patriots are urged to collect information and keep files on those who are actively working against the “true Israel and Christ’s Kingdom.” It is acknowledged that there will be those among the believers who will arise and distinguish themselves as warriors, taking an active role in bringing the Kingdom closer by committing Jewish, racist or homophobic murder. Some of the individuals who have done this have identified themselves as members of the “Phineas Priesthood.” This comes from the book of Numbers and the story of Phineas, the son of Aaron, who took a javelin and ran it through an Israelite and a “Midian-itish woman” he had brought into camp. The
Richard Butler speaks to followers of Christian Identity with a Nazi flag in the background. Photo courtesy of Southern Poverty Law center. admonitions in the Bible against marrying the people of the lands in which the Israelites sojourned are interpreted as a call for racial purity. The act of Phineas is seen then as a righteous action against “race-mixing.” Other Christian Identity themes drawn from the Bible assert that the two creations in Genesis refer to the creation of Adam as the progenitor of the true (white) race — and that the previous creation was that of the “mud-people.” The serpent’s seduction of Eve, in Christin Identity theology, means that Satan seduced Eve who then introduced sex to Adam. The result was the birth of Cain and Abel. The offspring of Cain, who married a “pre-Adamic” woman, through various adulterous matings, became the Jews. The “good seed” is traced through Abraham and Isaac, and then to the tribes of Israel, the name given to Jacob after wrestling with an angel. Ten tribes wind up in Northern Europe and become the “Aryan Nations.” They are the true “chosen people,” or Israelites. Only the “Adamic” race is capable of receiving salvation and belonging to the Kingdom. Therefore it is a belief in biological determinism that our worth is determined — not by our deeds, but by our race.
Another source for Christian Identity beliefs is “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” supposedly a record of the secret meetings of Jewish leaders that outlines their plan for world domination. It is the most widely distributed anti-Semitic document of modern times but has been proven to be a hoax. It can be traced back to the writings of a French Jesuit in the early 1800s and a satirical pamphlet that was spun into a tale of Jewish conspiracy by a German anti-Semite around 1868. It was translated into Russian after that and became further codified into “The Protocols.” This “document” was used, after the Russian Revolution, to justify the killing of Jews, and then found its way to Europe. There, despite its exposure as a fraud, it was promoted by Henry Ford in the U.S. and formed an important part of the Nazi justification of the genocide of Jews in the Holocaust. This concocted document supposedly outlines the steps that will precede establishing Communist-Jewish rule in America. Some of these steps are: (7) infiltrate the legal profession and advocate civil rights for minorities; (8 and 17) institute public schools and brainwash children with the watchwords “liberty, equality and fraternity;” (10)
gain control of the major media and create simulated opposition newspapers to give the citizenry the impression of free speech; (11) distract the population with elaborate sports festivals, amusements and recreations, most importantly pornography and free love; and (20) implement progressive income taxes, expanding easy credit and then strategically withdraw it, creating economic crises. Current events that resemble the steps outlined in the Protocols tend to confirm the collusion of the U.S. government with the supposed conspiracy, and lead Christian Identity adherents to believe the coming race war and ultimate victory for the white race are fast approaching. In the late ‘90s, three men convicted of crimes including bank robbery and bombing an abortion clinic and newspaper office in Spokane left signs indicating that they saw themselves as members of the “Phineas Priesthood.” Buford Furrow, who opened fire on children at a Jewish Community Center in 1999, attended a Christian Identity church. Many others associated with these beliefs have been convicted of crimes inspired by that ideology. Timothy McVeigh grew up in the Christian Identity movement and was inspired by a book called “The Turner Diaries,” widely distributed among neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. The increase nationally of anti-Semitic, racist and anti-immigrant acts, crimes against LGBT individuals, conspiracy theories, the prominence of white nationalism and attacks against journalists all warrant taking another look at the beliefs that spawn such behaviors. We thought we’d heard the end of it when the Aryan Nations compound disappeared, Richard Butler died and Vincent Bertollini left town. We were wrong. Unfortunately, these ideas are still around.
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NEWS
U of I considering annex sale By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
The University of Idaho is investigating the possibility of selling its annex property located on Boyer Avenue. Sandpoint city officials confirmed that the university is in talks with the city to find a mutually beneficial outcome should a property sale go through. A meeting between university and city officials will likely take place in the near future to identify possible outcomes that will benefit both the community and school. For decades, the property served as
an agriculture research station for the university before it was closed down in 2010. Since then, it has become a setting for several different events and businesses. The Sandpoint disc golf scene got its start there before moving to its location off Baldy Mountain Road, where it is now known as the Baldfoot Disc Golf Course. Likewise, cyclocross enthusiasts have taken advantage of the diverse terrain for the annual Crosstoberfest race, where bicyclists traverse treacherous obstacles in competition for the best times. The University of Idaho Annex is also the home for businesses like a golf driving range.
Climate group denied place in parade By Cameron Rasmusson and Ben Olson Reader Staff
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Local environmental group 350Sandpoint will not be allowed to march in this year’s Fourth of July parade, the second organization to be denied a permit. In an effort to avoid controversy this year, Sandpoint Lions Club President Judy Dabrowski said the group is denying permits to applicants it perceives as political protest organizations. Sandpoint Indivisible, a group with a mission statement to resist “the Trump agenda in Sandpoint,” was also denied a place in the parade two weeks ago. The decision is an effort to keep the parade positive and was in part prompted by past concerns about radical anti-abortion groups marching. “I don’t care which side they’re protesting for,” Dabrowski said. “If we find out they are protest groups, we won’t let them in.” A group dedicated to calling for climate change action, 350Sandpoint members learned last week they would not be allowed to march. 350Sandpoint officials disagree with their characterization as a protest group, saying the word does not appear in their mission statement. They have asked the Lions to reconsider the decision. “Being denied a place in the march makes us feel disappointed at missing a chance to share our message with our community,” the group said in a prepared
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statement. “We’re a peaceful group that supports bipartisan solutions to climate issues.” Likewise, Rachel Castor of Sandpoint Indivisible is disappointed that the group won’t be allowed to participate in the parade. “We wanted to show that being political doesn’t mean we’re not patriotic,” she said. “We wanted to carry flags and celebrate Independence Day.” While both 350Sandpoint and Sandpoint Indivisible members are disappointed with the Lions’ decision, they also said there are no hard feelings. They said they understand the group is trying to keep the parade a positive experience for everyone, and they praised their local volunteer work. “We appreciate all the Lions contribute to our community,” 350Sandpoint said in a prepared statement. “350Sandpoint wants also to contribute.” While the Lions-organized Fourth of July parade has long been seen as a positive community event, it hasn’t been without its controversial marchers. Two years ago, a group promoting 9-11 conspiracy theories marched in the parade, an event they recorded and uploaded to YouTube. According to Dabrowski, their marching was an oversight on the Lions’ part. “If they registered under Sandpoint 9/11 Truth, we didn’t catch it,” she said. “We didn’t intend to have them march. We make mistakes, we’re people, we’re volunteers.”
Lake Pend Oreille reaches summer pool
A sunset from Beyond Hope Resort in Hope. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer Lake Pend Oreille reached summer pool on June 24. Measured at the Hope gauge, the lake’s summer height will hover between 2,062 and 2,062.5 feet through about mid-September. Summer weather has been teasing the region, but with weather good enough for boating during much of June, some locals were wondering why it took so long for the lake to rise to its prime recreational level — namely, those with fixed docks on their properties. Beyond Hope Resort manager Kiera Bortz said that the marina portion of the resort is made up almost entirely of fixed docks, and for the first few weeks after Memorial Day, most visitors coming by boat had to use the marina’s few floating docks due to water height. “That’s the downfall of fixed docks,” Bortz said, noting that while fixed docks are best for secure mooring, they aren’t great before the lake reaches summer pool. “I definitely feel like (the lake) came up later this year.” Bortz is right — for the last two years, the lake has hit summer pool earlier in June, but according to Upper Columbia Senior Water Manager Joel Fenolio with the Army Corps of Engineers, that was only because the previous two winters were nothing like what the area just experienced. “This winter was a whole other animal in terms of hydrology,” he said. Fenolio said that while 2015 was a record dry winter and 2016’s snow pack was almost entirely lost by the following April, this winter brought record-breaking precipitation and record-low temperatures. To accommodate all of the extra
inflows of water from the snow melt-off and precipitation this spring, Fenolio said Albeni Falls dam remained on free flow — all 10 gates completely open — from April 18 to June 12. While Fenolio and his team contemplated closing the gates earlier that weekend due to the rapidly diminishing snowpack, an incoming storm anticipated to drop high volumes of rainwater over the whole region made them postpone the closing of the gates. The storm was not the major precipitation event it was predicted to be. As a result, inflows were not what they were projected to be, the gates were closed a couple days later than they probably could have been and the lake dropped slightly while it attempted to catch up on the water it lost, Fenolio said. “What we’re dealing with here is Mother Nature,” Fenolio said. “Projections are never really perfect.” June is prime flooding season in the region, so Fenolio said the Army Corps of Engineers keeps the lake down as long as flooding is a threat. However, the corps acknowledges the public’s desire to have a long season of recreating on the lake, and they’ve made compromises in the past in the interests of serving the lake’s recreational purposes. Despite competing interests, Fenolio said the corps tries to strike a balance. “In dry years, we’ll be aggressive in getting the lake up,” he said. “But preventing floods is our number-one priority.” The Army Corps of Engineers released a statement June 21 advising the public summer pool would be reached in the coming days (and it did, just three days later), and also advising boaters to be conscious of driftwood on the lake due to a breach in the shear boom system discovered in May.
NEWS
Budget proposal takes on PNW power
The Trump Administration’s proposal to privatize NW transmission assets may affect local residents
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer One of the many moneymaking ideas in President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget could end up directly affecting the utility bills of people in Bonner County and across the entire Pacific Northwest. The budget, officially released May 23, proposes selling several Power Marketing Administrations’ assets to increase funds for the U.S. Treasury. One of those PMAs is the Bonneville Power Administration, which is estimated in the budget to raise just under $5 billion by privatizing assets from 2018 to 2027. BPA operates three quarters of the Northwest’s high-voltage transmission system and provides transmission service to regional utility companies like Avista and Northern Lights, Inc. Thus, the
ripple effect of the proposed sale could be felt on a local level. According to an article by the Oregonian, Robert McCullough, Portland energy economist, said the $4.9 billion price tag is drastically smaller than BPA’s assets’ actual value, which is somewhere around $9 billion. The $4.9 billion is even smaller, McCullough said, than the $6.1 billion depreciated value on the agency’s balance sheet. According to McCullough’s research, such a low sale price would raise rates for customers by 26 to 44 percent. BPA sells services at cost, but a private company would need to make a profit and pay income taxes that BPA hasn’t had to pay due to their status as a government entity, McCullough said. In a statement Tuesday, Northern Lights, Inc. said the company opposes the Trump Administra-
Rognstad named Association of Idaho Cities region director By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
As the newly appointed District One director for the Association of Idaho Cities, Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad will have a hand in planning policies that influence city life across the state. Elected to the position earlier this month, Rognstad will represent a large chunk of the Idaho Panhandle for the non-partisan, non-profit organization. Along with directors from the other six districts, he’ll lobby the Legislature for policies that benefit Idaho cities, help plan training events for Idaho elected officials and city staff and contribute to the organization’s management. “I’d like to do my part to help the organization move in the right direction in fiscal responsibility and improve upon their already very effective (programs),” Rognstad said. Rognstad was elected and
Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad.
took the oath of office on June 22 during the 70th AIC Annual Conference in Boise, an event attended by more than 400 delegates representing cities from around the state. It’s a conference that reaches back to the infancy of the AIC, which was founded in 1947 to provide Idaho cities the resources, services and training they might not be able to afford alone. “I’m looking forward to just continuing to have a positive impact on state policies,” Rognstad said. “I think that in short time I’ve been involved in past few years I’ve seen great improvements.”
tion’s proposed sale of federal PMA assets. “Over the last 40 years, Republican and Democratic administrations alike have utilized the federal budget process to target the PMAs in the name of deficit reduction. The Pacific Northwest has successfully fought off all of these attempts,” NLI said. The company noted their main concerns with such a sale would be loss of regional control and value, risk of increased costs to consumers, potential for remote areas of the system to be neglected therefore harming rural communities and impacts to reliability of what is currently a complex and integrated system.
The Columbia River flows through the Bonneville Dam in Oregon. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. While Avista said there is no detailed information at this time regarding their stance on the proposed sale, “any issues or opportunities associated with a proposal to sell BPA transmission assets will need
to be evaluated by Avista in light of their impacts upon our customers.” While the proposed budget is far from approved, senators on both sides of the aisle oppose the possibility of PMA asset sales.
GOP senators mum on call data for health care repeal By Ben Olson Reader Staff Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently delayed the vote on the Republican leadership’s attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act until after the July 4 recess. While members of Congress are under no obligation to release call data, some Democratic senators have reported data showing the actual numbers of constituents that have phoned or written for or against the repeal plan. Politico reported New Hampshire’s Sen. Jeanne Shaheen received 5,569 contacts about the bill – 5,461 of them had been opposed. Democratic senators from Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada and West Virginia have also tweeted statistics about their responses from constituents. Republican senators, on the other hand, have not been so forthcoming. When emailed for comment, both the office of Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and the office of Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) declined to offer any specific data showing the number of contacts they’d received in relation to the health care repeal bill. Both offices also declined commenting on what proportion of contacts they’d received had been in favor of or opposed to the bill. “We do not release data on con-
stituent contact to the office,” wrote Lindsay Nothern, communications director for Sen. Crapo. “Some Idahoans want to return to a free market healthcare system and some Idahoans want to have a government-managed single-payer system. Senator Crapo has carefully reviewed the provisions of the bill, and he is supportive of repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a free market healthcare system.” In a follow up call, Nothern stated that one major reason for not releasing the calls is privacy. “We don’t release the data of these calls to protect our constituents’ privacy,” Nothern said. “There is no good way to generalize where people are coming from on these issues, since they are all over the map.” “Each day, our office received phone calls from Idahoans and Americans across the country on a wide range of issues, including health care,” wrote Kaylin Minton, communications director for Sen. Risch. “We do not release details of correspondence. However, Senator Risch considers every comment received by Idahoans and is very grateful to those who have taken time to share their opinion with our office.” In a follow up email, Minton wrote, “[Sen. Risch] often received large volumes of correspondence from individuals with concerns on specific issues such as
health care, but he also receives a significant number of form letters, mass mailings, emails, faxes and calls from all over the country. ... [Sen. Risch] seeks to understand Idahoans’ wishes but relying solely on raw numbers, when it comes to the bottom line, would be somewhat deceitful and inaccurate.” Risch’s office also included a statement about the health care process: “Obamacare has proven to be completely unsustainable. Since the beginning, Senator Risch has said this law must be replaced with a health care system that meets the needs, desires and wants of the American people – not the needs, desires, and wants of the government.” To date, only one GOP senator has released actual data on call numbers. Chris Gallegos, the communications director for Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MISS), wrote, “Since last Thursday, the Cochran offices have received approximately 224 constituent calls against and two in favor of discussion draft of the healthcare bill.” Whether or not calling or writing the Senator’s office remains a viable means of sharing opinions, around 150 people voiced their concerns the old-fashioned way Wednesday. “We had 150 protesters outside the office in Boise today,” said Sen. Crapo’s communications director Nothern. June 29, 2017 /
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Mad about Science: By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Try saying that one ten times fast: “Leeds-ICK-thiss” A weird name for a truly weird fish. Leedsichthys was a colossal filter-feeding fish that swam the seas from the midto-late Jurassic to Cretaceous period, a time spanning roughly 100,000,000 years. So much weird to cover in such a short span of time. Let’s start with that name. Like many archaeological firsts, the beast was named after its discoverer: Alfred Nicholson Leeds. This is pretty cool, because Leeds was an amateur paleontologist. How many people can claim they discovered a new species and had it named after them? Now how many of them just did that as a hobby? So that’s where Leeds comes from. Ichthys is Greek for fish, and is actually the source for the Jesus Fish symbol. The next time you see one on someone’s bumper, you can proudly exclaim “ICHTHYS!” and pretend you’re Aristotle for a second. So, for our etymology lesson for today, this giant fish is literally called “Leeds’ Fish.” Pretty sure paleontologists are just trying to be cool and edgy when it comes to scientific names. Kind of like teenagers speaking pig Latin. In the realm of weird, Leeds’ Fish doesn’t stop with its name. This thing was huge. Initial estimates put it at around 100 feet, about the length of a blue whale. While possible, in the century since its discovery, scientists think it was more likely around 50 to 60 feet long, but it’s still very hard to tell. Why? The ocean isn’t incredibly kind when it comes to fossilizing things. For one thing, most 10 /
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leedsichthys
creatures that evolve to live in the ocean have large amounts of cartilage; I imagine this helps keep their weight down and aids in buoyancy. For another, the ocean is water, and water is filled with bacteria that like to eat everything that doesn’t fight back. Preserving marine fossils is tricky, and finding them is often even trickier. Luckily, when it comes to Leedsichthys, we’ve found enough fossils to approximately know what it looked like, and who it was related to. Weird thing #3 (Note: not a hashtag...Unless you want it to be.): Despite my former comment about cartilage, Leedsichthys was actually a bony fish. It had large bony plates on its skull, and most of the head fossils that we’ve found are pretty bony. We believe it’s actually related to modern Gars, though the two look nothing alike. Leeds’ Fish was believed to have a large, rounded head while Gars are… Well, alligator fish. Looking at a comparison of the two, you can see some similar anatomy (divided by an evolutionary gulf of 165 million years), yet it’s completely confounding how different they are. I mean, one is freakin’ huge! Weird thing quatro: It was a giant animal that, like whales, was a filter feeder. It would take in huge amounts of microscopic plankton as it swam through the oceans. We aren’t sure if it spit the water back out or if it had some other mechanism, but given the filter we know it didn’t swim around eating other fish or aquatic dinosaurs. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it, how microscopic organisms can feed some
of the biggest creatures the world has ever seen for millions of years, and continues to do so to this day. How much of that do you figure one of these things would have to eat per day in order to grow? Humpback whales eat anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of plankton and small fish per day. That’s just one whale! I feel stuffed after a royale with cheese. Leedsichthys probably had very few predators. Humans wouldn’t be around for a looooooong time, and based on the fossil record, we’ve only seen evidence of one creature committing an act of predation upon Leeds’ Fish, and that was the Liopleurodon (which means smooth-sided teeth). These things looked like giant terrifying alligators with fins and got up to around 20 feet long. That thing was bigger than my SUV. Despite being an oceanic predator and having fins, the Liopleurodon was a reptile, unlike the Leedsichthys, which was a fish. There’s your summer action movie: “Giant Aquatic Reptile Vs. Giant Aquatic Fish, Boats Beware.” There is evidence on the fossil record of an attack by another species, a form of strictly aquatic crocodilian, but the damage to the bone never healed at all, which led paleontologists to believe that it was made in an act of scavenging, rather than attack. Crazy that people can infer that from bones older than our species. We’re going to end the article with the end of Leeds’ Fish. It went somewhere, and it
The Leedsichthys, with a human scuba diver to show scale.
certainly wasn’t to our current oceans. We’d definitely notice, harvest and eat a fish that big. Leedsichthys was ultimately undone by a changing climate. The largest members of their kind likely started dying off when they couldn’t sustain their massive size as water temperatures changed. They must have, over countless generations bred themselves to be smaller and smaller, split and diverged in their huge family tree until
eventually their descendants would end up at the end of our fishing rods, floating around our aquariums and wowing us on TV. They would change form to become completely unrecognizable, far adrift from the ocean-ruling titans that dominated the seas for over 100 million years. Now I don’t know about you, but this article has really given me a hankerin’ for a fish taco. ‘Til next week!
Random Corner ur de france?
Don’t know much about The to
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• The peloton (French for “platoon”) is the main pack of riders that moves like a single organism. The wind resistance in the middle of the peloton can be reduced by as much as 40 percent, making it difficult to break away. Teams still jockey for optimal position, preferring to be near the front which is safer in a crash and better for staging a breakaway. •In 1947 Albert Bourlon performed the longest solo breakaway: 253km. •Eleven Tours have been canceled due to world wars. •The closest finish was Greg LeMond’s 1989 victory over Laurent Fignon—by 8 seconds. (He had 35 shotgun pellets in his body at the time from a hunting accident.) •Four racers have died during the tour: In 1910, Adolphe Heliére drowned on a rest day; in 1934, Francisco Cepeda crashed into a ravine on a descent; in 1967, Tom Simpson succumbed to a heart attack taking amphetamines; and in 1995, Fabio Casartelli was killed after crashing and hitting his head. Far more spectators have died in the history of the race. •Jerseys explained: The green jersey is worn by the leader of the points classification. This class is usually dominated by sprinters, who can rack up points in shorter stages. The polka-dot jersey goes to the “King of the Mountains”, the one with the most points for mountain climbs. The white jersey represents the best young rider class, going to the lowest combined time by an athlete under 26 years old. And the coveted yellow jersey is donned by the leader of the general classification (GC) with the lowest combined time. While there is a points winner, the GC winner is generally said to be the winner of the Tour. It is possible to win the Tour without ever once wearing the yellow jersey. •And yes, there is a technique for urinating while riding. (A skilled cameraman will artfully pan toward the horizon, but those pesky drones have no conscience...)
TECH
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Regional technology news and commentary
‘The Water Knife’ by Paolo Bacigalupi: A Science Fiction Book Review
By Bill Harp Reader Columnist
As a fan of near-future, dystopian, cyber-tech science fiction, I occasionally find a frightening book that warns how the future could unfold. “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi, is such an adult tale. As I was reading it on a plane, a man next to me asked me about the author’s name, a strange question from a random stranger. I said I thought it must be an Italian family name. The elderly gentlemen politely smiled and said that it is a rather obscure colloquial expression. While difficult to translate, the meaning was something like “a trickster.” Later, I would regretfully and belatedly realize that the gentlemen was an oracle. “The Water Knife” pioneers the genre called “climate science fiction.” Its thesis is that, after years of drought and environmental degradation, the politics of the west is dominated by the control and administration of water. Our North Idaho is actually a geographic hydrological anomaly, as it has abundant water within the vast area east of the Cascades and the Sierras called the Great Basin. Most of the west is high desert plateau, and if it wasn’t for the various mountains that collect and concentrate water, the inland west would be a mostly dry, marginal area for humans. In much of the west, water is the precious metered resource that enables life. In “The Water Knife,” water cartels become powerful entities that control the politics and wealth of the region. Water is the currency of wealth, and entire cultures shrivel up and die. Phoenix bites the dust. Texas succumbs, too, as a failed state of
would-be refugees. The federal govern government decays into ineffective chaos as cor corporate power perverts government at all levels. Water is more expensive than fuel, and the elite reside in luxurious, highly secured, self-contained biotic communities called “arcologies.” The water cartels engage in vicious conflicts as they deploy their own high-tech, well-funded militias. They fight over the ability for hydrological control and ownership of the precious historical senior water rights. All this is enabled by the endless flow of cyber intelligence and intrigue. The water knife evolves as the clandestine senior fixer whose many shadowy skills become the point of spear for the water cartels’ battles and political machinations. Enter Angel Velasquez, the water knife for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). He is the loyal agent to the “Queen of the Colorado,” Catherine Case—the refined, hyper-intelligent, elegant but at times vicious executive magnate of the southwest water empire. Angel arises from the streets and gang warfare to become the elite water knife agent of the SNWA. But he has a change of heart when he is serendipitously thrown into relationships with two wonderfully developed characters: Lucy, an east coast environmental journalist, and Maria, a drought refugee courageously struggling to survive at the degrading and thread-bare margins of society. The social contrasts could not be more third world: a world of immense concentrated wealth (read 1 percent) with remaining masses in critical poverty. Angel, as his transformation evolves, makes the quick transposition from the world of the omnipotent hunter to that of the hunted in a wild-ride scenario. Along the way, there are many references to current tech and politics, such as Angel’s customized Tesla, the book “Cadillac Desert” or the casual stop-andfrisks by security agents. Some references you may not wish to imagine, such as the Clearsacs that you squeeze to filter your you-know-what into drinkable water that all disenfranchised folks must use. In Angel’s transformation and relationships, Bacigalupi deals with the eternal questions of humanity. He forgoes overt philosophical pontification for focused dialog and context. His fast and nerve-racking pace provides a stage to address each
character’s humanity at the micro level of loyalty, trust and social responsibility within personal and professional relationships. At the macro level, each character struggles with the heavy weight of the fallout of human-induced or anthropomorphic environmental degradation, including the degraded role of local, state and federal governments when they abysmally fail. Corporate powers then surge into the resulting political vacuum with their own set of values, rules, power plays and agendas, and it don’t look nothing like democracy. Current climate change affects the entire globe, and Bacigalupi provides a dismal view of how the scarcity of water resources leads to an increasingly accelerating divide between the haves and have-nots in the West. That leads to an eventual erosion and subsequent destruction of democracy, representative government and the American dream. All this is illuminated through the sharp, well-written and thought-provoking dialog
of the story’s characters. Each must deal with their survival and personal demons. But each cannot help but contemplate how they arrived, where they desperately need to go and who can help them make the journey. Elusive trust must be tested and re-invented every moment. Older folks in the story remember our present time as the golden-age utopia of milk and honey where water ran freely, an era of wealth and stability. The frightening aspect of “The Water Knife” is the pessimistic but entirely believable extrapolation of technology, politics, corporate greed, economics, authoritarianism and environmental tragedy all rolled into a well-researched, scientifically plausible cultural rendering of a desperately dry geographic landscape in the Inland West. Be sure to keep a glass of ice water nearby if you choose to read this extraordinary tale; guaranteed, you will never take it for granted again.
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event t h u r s d a y f r i d a y
The Pioneer Square at 819 Hwy 2, Ste:102-B
s a t u r d a y s u n d a y
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STEM in the Park 12:30pm @ Travers Park A Build a Better World Summer Reading program for kids age 5 and up
Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
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Live Music w/ Tom Catmull 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery A man and his guitar Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Some of the best jazz in Sandpoint
Summer Sampler 5-8pm @ Farmin Park Sandpoint’s kickoff to Summer. Sample tastes from the best food and drink Sandpoint has to offer! Admission is free, tickets are $1 each. Food and drink items range from $3-$7
Live Music w/ Truck Mills Band 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Blues, Jazz and rock with great vocals and consummate pros!
L 6 P 6 C o p w Fr Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 10 7-10pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall En Indie folk rock trio on the front lawn! m Bayview Daze Sa 11am-10pm @ Bayview The Bayview Daze fun begins at 11 a.m. 9a with a street parade, which is followed by He a lighted boat parade at 9 p.m. and fire- ga works at 10 p.m. C 10 Live Music w/ John Hastings Co 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority sp Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6-9pm @ Trinity at City Beach Some of the best jazz in Sandpoint
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am. All are welcome Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Li 6p
Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge
HAPPY FOU
Sandpoint Fourth of July Celebration 10am @ Downtown Sandpoint The parade starts at 10 a.m. and fireworks begin at the City Beach at dusk. Sponsored by the Sandpoint Lions Club
Crow and The Canyon Concert 8pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe A refreshingly contemplative take on high-spirited Americana songwriting. $10 in advance, dinner starts at 5:30pm Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry
Yappy Hour 4-7pm @ Grea Bring your do joy a Panhand Shelter benefit music, food and es. A barkin’ go
Live Music w/ Scotia Road 7-10pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall A four-piece family band made up of guitar, mandolin and upright bass Live Music w/ Right Front Burner 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge The funkiest trio you’ll ever see in Sandpoint! Great mix of funk, rock, disco and groove
The Lark And The Loon in concert 7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe A husband/wife duo consisting of Rocky Steen-Rolfzen and Jeff Rolfzen. The two songwriters perform their own works alongside a studied repertoire of traditional and timeless songs. Notably varied, their sets are often infused with sea shanties, Irish jigs, blues, rags, and old-time tunes and ballads. $10 in advance, dinner starts at 5:30pm
Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 8:30pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Join Harold’s IGA to celebrate Independence Day at the Niner! Music starts after the fireworks - get ready to dance!
f
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3pm @ Farmin Park The afternoon market on Wednesdays for all your produce needs!
Live Music w/ Spencer 9pm @ 219 Lounge Join Spencer, one of Sandpoint’s budding solo musicians
Fou 9:30 The foot yard Firew
Hiawatha 6:30-8pm @ A journey t to bring yo (208) 304-9
Live Music w/ Tennis 4-8pm @ Bottle Bay Resort Sandpoint’s favorite dance ban kicks off their Summer Blitzkri Tour at Bottle Bay Resort and Mari
ful
June 29 - July 6, 2017
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com. Reader recommended
Summer Kick-Off Music Festival Live Music w/ Benny Baker 8-11pm @ 219 Lounge Thursday night solo series Festival on the outdoor patio featuring Bart Budwig, 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Planes on Paper and Christopher Paul Stelling. Orig- Baker rocks and rolls, and can inal folk and Americana songs. $10 cover. Pizza out be seen in many of your favorback by Mandala Pizza ite bands around Sandpoint. Fit and Fall Proof Class 11am-12pm @ Cedar Hills Church Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes A free fitness class for seniors sponsored by the Pan6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bridge Wine Bar handle Health District. Designed for older adults to guitar, Paint and Sip Party improve flexibility, mobility, balance and strength 6:30pm @ The Pottery Bug STEM in the Park (Thursdays June 29 - July 27) Come paint the Red, White and Blue in honor 12:30-1:30pm @ Travers Park Pavilion of Independence Day! BYOB and open to the Geared towards youth in grades 1st through 5th dpoint! public; no talent needed! Special price of $30 grade, but all are welcome. 263-6930 e when you sign up with a friend! 263-0232 Free First Saturday at the Museum Annual Tailgate Sale 10am-2pm @ Bonner Co. History Museum 8am-1pm @ Memorial Community Center (Hope) Enjoy the museum free of charge! Sponsored this The Whispering Pines 4-H group is hosting this n! month by Hays Chevron in Clark Fork event and will have some yummy bake sale items and BBQ items to purchase. 264-5481 Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am @ Farmin Park a.m. Basic Computer Class ed by Head down to Farmin Park for fresh produce, 8:15am @ Sandpoint Library fire- garden starts as well as live music and fun for all! Subjects rotate each week: Computer Basics, InCedar St. Bridge Public Market ternet, Digital Library, Microsoft Word and Mic10am-2pm @ Cedar St. Bridge rosoft Publisher. Pre-register at 263-6930 Come enjoy indoor shopping on the bridge Sandpoint Friends of the Library Book Sale spanning Sand Creek 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library zz This month, all sci-fi and romance books are 10 Live Music w/ Chris Lynch cents each. Find great titles of all genres for cheap 6pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
y Hour m @ Greasy Fingers g your dog and enPanhandle Animal er benefit with live c, food and beveragbarkin’ good time
FOURTH OF JULY!
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Fourth of July in Clark Fork 9:30am @ Downtown Clark Fork The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. followed by foot races, food and raffles in the C.F.H.S. yard. Airplane drop at 1 p.m. at ball field. Fireworks starts after dark!
Haden’s Heart Fun Run 7am @ Main St. in Clark Fork A 5K race generating funds for Clark Fork H.S. scholarships for graduating seniors who want to further their education
Hiawatha Drum Circle! Unite the Tribes! Open Mic Night :30-8pm @ Memorial Community Center (Hope) 5-8pm @ SKåL Taproom A journey through the spirit world. Not a class! Try o bring your own drum. For more info contact Jack 208) 304-9300 or memorialcommunitycenter.com
ort ance band Blitzkrieg and Marina
BGH Community Hospice Adult Grief Support Group 6pm @ Bonner General Health classroom Share stories and feelings, and support one another in an understanding and caring environment. Contact Lissa at 208-2651185 for an application. Free to attend
Authentic wood-fired pizza Mandala will be at the following locations:
JUNE 29 & JUNE 30 @ 219 Lounge
7 p.m. ’til late night / 8:30 p.m. ‘til late night
Saturday, JULY 1 @ The Granary 11 a.m. to 3 p.m Saturday, JULY 1 @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, JULY 4 @ 219 Lounge 8:30 p.m. ‘til late night Friday, JULY 7 @ 219 Lounge 8:30 p.m. ’til late night
Mention you saw this ad in the Reader and get $1.00 off your next pizza!
July 6 Sense the Wind @ The Panida Theater July 7 Mama Doll @ 219 Lounge July 7-9 SummerFest @ Eureka Center July 8-9 Antique Wooden Boat Show
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Over 70 and on top of the world THE TURTLES ARE SAFE... AGAIN
A group of hikers over the age of 70 made it to the Star Peak lookout, completing a 4,000 foot climb. The hike was sponsored by the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness and led by team leader Ken Thacker. Irv McGeachy, Beverly Newsham, Margaret Peterson, Tim Peterson, Shawna Parry, Laird Parry, Preston Andrews and Nick Pleass (the oldest), completed the round trip hike in eight hours. After the hike, it was decided that this 70+ hike would become an annual tradition. Photo by Bonnie Jakubos.
Idaho Transportation Department crew members install a “Turtle Crossing” sign on Highway 200 after the previous signs were stolen earlier this year. The signs were installed thanks to the efforts of Cynthia Mason, who brought to the attention of ITD the fact that dozens of turtles were killed by passing motorists each year along a certain stretch of highway. Photo by Phil Longden.
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Jacey’s Race:
Why we help those in need
By Jen Heller Reader Contributor “You feel so alone when your child is sick.” Nanci Jenkins works full-time with Panhandle Health District, but it’s obvious that her unpaid job -- supporting the families of local, devastatingly-ill children through Jacey’s Race -- isn’t just a hobby. After all, she was there herself, 16 years ago, as Jacey’s mom. It all began in 2001. An aggressive form of cancer took over much of 4-year-old Jacey’s body, stampeding through her kidneys and lungs in shockingly quick succession. Jacey was a trooper through chemo, radiation, and all the various tortures of survival. But, what was everyone else to do? Nanci noticed her friends and family growing antsy and nearly ill with the stress of it. And so, they pulled together a 5K race and celebration, calling it “Jacey’s Race.” Four hundred people showed up. “Friends just swarmed [Jacey],” Nanci says, reliving the joy of that first event. “Everyone loved it. They all said, ‘Let’s do that again!’” So, they did, a couple of times... but, this was all in Colorado, and in the winter of 2004-2005, the Jenkins relocated to Sandpoint. “We moved, and I thought, ‘OK, that’s behind us now,’” Nanci recalls. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Nanci was repeatedly stunned by how few resources there were in the community for parents of young cancer patients. “Our introduction to Sandpoint was, ‘We really don’t have childhood cancer here,’” she remembers. It turns out, of course, that there was, and is, and continues to be. Someone just needed to get the word out. In 2007, after a few years of getting to know local resources and networks, the Jenkins family relaunched Jacey’s Race as a fundraiser for local children with severe, chronic, and/or life-shortening illnesses. Proceeds go towards local organizations that support families through long-term care, and towards the unexpected or uninsurable costs
of illness. What’s different about Jacey’s Race compared to other fundraisers? For starters, it’s a true race: The 5K is organized by Sandpoint High’s cross-country coaches, timed using chip technology, and draws in some of Sandpoint’s more passionate runners. (Bonus: There’s cash prizes for the top overall finishers.) There’s also the flip side: Jacey’s Race is all about celebrating, so anyone under the age of 12 gets in for free. There’s a 1K for those who want to take life a little easier. There’s a carnival, complete with a jumping castle, face painting, balloons, and more. There’s vendors, a silent auction, and cool t-shirts. As Nanci puts it, “If you don’t run, you can still come. We want this to be about the [beneficiaries] and their families. If you don’t have money, come anyways. If you do have money, leave some behind in the donation boxes!” Jacey kicked cancer aside and will be celebrating her 21st birthday this summer, in the same week as Jacey’s Race celebrates its 10th year here in Sandpoint. Register online at www. jaceys-race.com, or join the fun July 9th at Sandpoint High School. So, who benefits? Jacey’s Race helps scores of people, providing everything from internships for high-schoolers to a collaborative network for physicians. This year’s direct beneficiaries are: •Jared Kluesner (15), Sandpoint, living with ALL. •Oliver Bond (3), Sandpoint, living with HLH. •Catalina Guthrie (13), Garfield Bay, living with MPGN type II. •Clara Falconer (11), Sandpoint, living with AVM. We don’t have enough room to feature everyone, but here’s Clara’s story, in brief: Clara was “just a normal 10-yearold” until last October, when she was struck by a terrible headache while helping with yardwork. “She said it was like an ice pick had hit her in the head,” her mom Sheila recalls. Fortunately, Clara’s older siblings
Clara Falconer, 11, is all smiles despite her arduous recovery due to complications associated with AVM. Photo by Jen Heller.
had just finished a CPR class. Knowing the signs and symptoms of a brain aneurysm, they called for help. Soon after arriving at the hospital, Clara was comatose and on life support. After emergency surgery in Seattle, Clara began her recovery paralyzed on her left side. Today, she has made miraculously quick progress. However, the faulty blood vessels that ruptured in her brain are still there. Clara faces another three procedures in the next 18 months, which will reduce her risk of future strokes, but re-expose her to a list of possible side effects, including permanent paralysis. Clara’s family is optimistic about her future — they know how fortunate she is to be here. “One out of every two-to-five thousand people have congenital AVM and don’t know it, which means there are probably a few others in our community at risk. We hope people hear Clara’s story, learn the signs and know when to seek immediate medical attention.”
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‘Sense the Wind’: A documentary about the world of blind sailing sailors were really happy with the video description. That was wonderful to hear. It was vetted, in a way. Everything I’ve done to graphics to websites to menus on the DVD I had an IT person look at from a blind perspective to check for accessibility.
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Sometimes a documentary film comes along and reminds us how resilient and powerful human beings really are. The upcoming documentary “Sense the Wind” playing Friday, July 7 at 7 p.m. at the Panida Theater is certainly one of those films. Six years in the making, “Sense the Wind” follows the journey of four blind sailors as they train and compete in national and international regattas. New York-based producer and director Christine Knowlton has seen her film praised as it makes its way to various film festivals around the world, even winning a Humanitarian Award at the Socially Relevant Film Festival NY. We talked with Knowlton on the phone about the six years of her life it took to put this film together, the amazing athletes she met along the way and the romance of bringing a story to life on film. SPR: Thanks for talking with us, Christine. Tell me how you got started on this subject matter. Christine Knowlton: It goes straight back to Betsy Allison. I’d heard her present at a collegiate women’s nationals at Newport. She presented a slideshow of adaptive sailing and mentioned blind sailing. Betsy, at the time, was the U.S. women’s coach in the Olympics. Then she started doing paraolympics. She’s internationally known. She’s won medals in women’s laser competition. She’s tirelessly a proponent of inclusive sailing and adaptive. It doesn’t have to be racing and get people out and let them try it. That’s her mission. SPR: I’m not familiar with the blind sailing community. CK: Blind sailing is a niche sport. Around it is the adaptive sailing world. That’s for physically disabled sailors, not just blind. I didn’t know this before. Paralympic sailing is physically disabled. You don’t have a blind person as a skipper. In blind sailing, you have to have a blind skipper. … In fleet racing in a team of four, the skipper is blind and a sighted tactician is alongside, but they cannot touch anything. They commu-
SPR: What did it mean to you to receive the Humanitarian Award at the Socially Relevant Film Festival in New York?
Christine Knowlton and crew interview a blind sailor while filming “Sense the Wind.” Courtesy photo. nicate with each other and develop a system by themselves. A blind crew handles the mainsail, the jib. What’s important is that actual blind sailors are controlling the boat. SPR: How do they navigate? CK: They have big inflatable marks like any other regatta, and they make noise. It’s all verbal communication and feeling the wind, as well as using their skills and sense. Echolocation is a part of it. One sailor said he can tell the tide is changing because of the sound of the water on the hull. Most sailors use their butt to feel what’s going on. A French sailor used a feather in his cap. They use tape in the sheet to mark places where they might grab. Blind sailors often sit aft [backwards] when they are going upwind. It sure scares the hell out of sighted sailors who think they don’t know where they’re going. Really it’s just about sensing the wind and talking to each other. SPR: You focused on four blind sailors – Nancy, Inky, Philip and Matt – in “Sense the Wind.” How did you end up meeting them? CK: I met the cream of the crop in the blindness community and sailing community. Some of these guys are top notch sailors. Smart, adventurous people with the biggest hearts. It really changed
me spending time with them. … Betsy said ‘You’ll have to meet Matt, he’s been in it the longest.’ Matt is a passionate sailor and beats sighted skippers in Newport with his top notch crew. He’s that kind of person — born blind, grew up with high expectations. I knew that Matt was someone I needed to cover. The others I met along the way. I was covering some others, just filming everybody and met another man in Florida, another in France. Nancy invited me to come to one of her doctor’s appointments and stay at her apartment. Now we’re friends. I’ve been a part of her life ever since the film started. SPR: What was the initial reaction when you started showing the film to the blind community? CK: When I first showed at Blind Word at Chicago Yacht Club, I showed the described version. Most of the teams were in the room as were their sighted guides. It was so wonderful. The Yacht Club people came up to me and were so moved. The head of the whole event said, “Now I get it.” SPR: Was there a learning curve in making the film describable for the blind community? CK: I didn’t know what film description was before this. I didn’t know about subtitles and captions. But the blind
CK: To be presented that award was so wonderful. At the award party, I met a Japanese journalist who wanted to do an article on the film. He interviewed me and gave all sorts of pictures. I mentioned that we would like to bring the film to Japan. Within a couple months, I got a detailed proposal and they bought the film to a yacht club in Tokyo and the Japanese blind sailors were there. They even surprised me and flew out two of the people in the film. SPR: What were some of the biggest surprises for you in this process? CK: The blind community is really amazing and most of them have a great sense of humor. I remember hearing conversations about, would they rather be blind, lose legs, or an arm, or be in a wheelchair. It was a very funny conversation. One lost a leg in a car accident, another was hit by a car on a bicycle and was in a chair. These are hardcore sailors and smart people, but they’re fun, too. I heard the blind jokes they were telling after the race was over when they were drinking beers. I said to myself, “Why am I feeling like tiptoeing around questions?” They’re over it. They’ve come out of their dark places and gone through severe depression — they talk about it. They are empowered to push forward and not accept limitations. That’s a message that any age or culture can take away. Catch “Sense the Wind” at the Panida Theater at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 7. For more information, check out www. sensethewind.com and www.panida.org.
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OUTDOORS
The colorful history of the Tour de France By Ed Ohlweiler Reader Staff
Perhaps you developed an appreciation of the Tour de France, as I did, while watching Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong dominate what was historically a European sport. Or maybe, while flipping through the channels you saw last year’s winner, Chris Froome, toss his broken bike off the road and start running up a mountain. Today, it is the biggest sporting event in the world with 15 million spectators flocking to the scene and 3.5 billion people watching on television, according to the organizers. But the Tour has been around since 1903 and has more than its share of interesting storylines, memorable characters and, yes, controversy. The only thing that has been constant from the beginning is the tenacity it takes to win — or just to finish. It began as a successful publicity campaign to save French newspaper L’Auto by Henri Desgrange, the director-editor and a former champion cyclist himself. For many early cyclists, this was an attractive alternative to coal mining. The roads were all gravel, the tires were hard, and the rims were wooden. They wore goggles because rocks would fly off the tires—one cyclist even lost an eye to the Tour. The first Tour had only six stages but they were longer by far than anything seen today, averaging 250 miles each. Contestants rode through the night, crossing the finish line like zombies. The first Tour only featured 60 riders, but after the fourth stage, only 24 remained. There were more than 64 hours separating the winner, Maurice “The Little Chimney Sweep” Garin, from the last place finisher. Cheating has always been endemic. In fact, the following year Garin was disqualified for supposedly hopping a train. He wasn’t the only one—night riding made cars and trains an easy temptation. (It was subsequently omitted.) In one instance, fans of a hometown favorite formed a blockade and started beating the leaders until an 18 /
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official showed up and fired pistol shots. Later they used tacks and glass to slow down the leaders. Many performance-enhancing substances were tried, some with more success than others. Alcohol and ether were used to dull the pain. One favored contender had to drop out from stomach cramps he developed drinking wine. In 1924, Henri Pélissier and his brother, Charles, told a journalist they used strychnine, cocaine, chloroform, aspirin, “horse ointment” and other drugs. To put the cheating in perspective, you’d have to see the sadistic side of event founder Desgrange, who decreed “the ultimate race would be one where only one man crosses the finish line.” It seems that the Tour was at times something to be merely survived. Like gladiators, they endured more than your average athlete. Circumstances were stacked against them. They had to carry everything, providing for their own food as well. They had to make all their own repairs and could not replace a broken bike. They wore spare tires and tubes around their bodies. One rider was disqualified for tossing a torn tube by the side of the road instead of carting it around with him. Advances in technology, like metal rims and multiple gears, were withheld from racers. Drafting was not allowed. If a stage was deemed too easy, it was lengthened. One winner was reported to say as he rode by the organizers’ table “all of you are murderers.” Slowly things started to change in favor of the racers. In 1925, drafting was allowed. Later, with the advent of teams and support vehicles, riders could take advantage of new strategies and enjoy aid if they needed it. The teams went back and forth between sponsored teams and national teams, but for a while walk-ons, called touriste-routiers, were welcome. These were some of the more colorful characters — one, after winning his stage was seen on the streets performing acrobatics for money in order to afford a room for the night. There have been a number of animal encounters. A flock of
Riders share cigarettes on the Tour de France in 1920. WikiCommons photo. sheep halted the entire peloton, a German rider flipped his bike on a golden retriever, llamas were constantly being drawn to the residual heat of the road and one year, bear attacks in the mountains were a real threat. The Tour created an elite group of “supermen” (unfortunately, no “superwomen” yet) like Eddy Merckx, called “the Cannibal” for his insatiable appetite for victory and hated for not being French. He holds the record for most stages won, at 34, and still remains the only one to win all three classifications in one race. Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain remain the only ones to win five Tours. Gino Bartali won two Tours 10 years apart. This year will be the first tour without legend Bernard Hinault either racing or directing since the late ‘70s. Epitomizing the spirit of the race, he once stated, “As long as I breathe, I attack.” But it will feature former points champions Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish as well as former overall champions Chris Froome and Alberto Contador. Tune in with the rest of the world July 1.
Animation Show of Shows launches crowdfunding campaign By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Supporting the arts in Sandpoint for 30 years
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Mark Perigen Product Specialist
Mike Armbruster Product Specialist
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If you’ve enjoyed watching the “Animation Show of Shows” at the Panida, now’s the time to help make its 19th year possible. Show producer and curator Ron Diamond is preparing to assemble another series of the year’s best in animated shorts. To keep the show on the road, he’s looking for support from animation fans around the world. Like last year, he’s working through Kickstarter to crowdfund the production costs for the latest effort. Check out the campaign by visiting Kickstarter and searching for the project “The 19th Annual Animation Show of Shows.” Diamond and his team on the Animation Show of Shows have developed a warm relationship with the Panida Theater over the past couple years. An annual showcase of the best in the world
of animation, each “Animation Show of Shows” features a series of animated shorts that would otherwise struggle to find an audience. The award-winning work featured in the series is demonstrates the creativity and artistry of the human mind when unconstrained by the real world.
June 29 @ 7:30pm | June 30 @ 5:30pm july 1 @ 7:30pm | july 2 @ 3:30pm
“a quiet passion”
July 1 @ 3:30pm | June 2 @ 6:30pm
“The Goonies”
Come see this great family comedy classic
Friday, July 7 @ 7pm
“Sense the wind” documentary an uplifting documentary film about the sport of blind sailing saturday, July 8 @ 8pm
Scott Lies Service Advisor
John Roche Service Advisor
WWW.TSCHEVY.COM
LOCAL: 208.263.2138 TOLL FREE: 800.866.2138
an evening with the cowboy junkies thursday, July 13 @ 7:30pm
New York Film Critic Series: “BLIND” With Q &A by Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore after show friday, July 14 @ 9pm
Paul thorn band
saturday, July 15 @ 7:30pm
“losing julia finch”
A mirthful meditation on the life of a writer from North Idaho
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Living Life: Volunteerism
By Dianne Smith Reader Columnist “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.” —Winston Churchill
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As the volunteer education and youth liaison for Sandpoint Community Resource Center I have the pleasure of connecting with many of the wonderful 150 nonprofits in Sandpoint. We have so many awesome opportunities to give back to our community and summer is a great time to give back. Choose a one time opportunity or volunteer on a weekly basis, as there are many opportunities for both. With very busy lives, it can often be hard to find time to volunteer. There are so many benefits though for you and the community. The right match can help reduce stress, find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills and even advance your career. Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health and researchers have found that human beings are hard-wired to give to others. Giving makes us feel good both mentally and physically and the more we give, the happier we feel. Who wouldn’t like to feel happier? Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Volunteering can provide a sense of purpose and meaning. Older adults, especially those who have retired or lost a spouse, can find new purpose and meaning in their lives by helping others. For teens and young adults, volunteering can help them grow as people and learn about others; as well it looks good on resumes and college applications. For families, volunteering together provides bonding time and a sense of connection as well as building great childhood memories. Whatever your age or life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your own worries, keep you mentally stimulated, and add more zest and meaning to your life. If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience and is a way to meet people in the field. Places often like to hire their volunteers when jobs open because they already know the
program and are familiar with the job. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management and organization. There are numerous volunteer opportunities available and North Idaho has so many wonderful organizations. The key to a successful volunteer experience is to find a position you would enjoy and where you will feel good. One way to find local organizations who might be seeking volunteers is to go to the Sandpoint Community Resource Center’s webpage which serves both Bonner and Boundary County. Using the self-help directory which is awesome if you are looking for help, search under the area
where you have some interest. You will find services and programs that provide all types of opportunities. Want to work with teens? There is the Sandpoint Teen Center, or you can mentor a student at the local alternative high school. If you enjoy working with the elderly, there are senior centers and assisted living facilities. If you want to work with budding young artists, offer to provide an art class for Creations at the end of the Cedar Bridge. What a wonderful way to role model for your children how to give back to the community. Volunteers and helping others are an essential part of any thriving community. In North Idaho there are so many wonderful opportunities where I see people reach out to help and give to others in such a caring and supportive way. Volunteering can only make our communities a better place to live and raise children. Look around and see where you can give back even if it is only a onetime thing. The benefits to you and others are great. Dianne Smith, LMFT is a licensed counselor who works with both children and adults. She has offices in Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint and can be reached at 951-440-0982.
Family Consultants and Center Assistant Mountain States Early Head Start currently has 4 job openings. In our Sandpoint Center, we have 1 Center Assistant and 1 PT Family Consultant. In our Kootenai and Shoshone Centers, we have 1 FT and 1 PT Family Consultant. If you are interested in applying, please visit our website at www.msehs.org. for detailed Job descriptions and application instructions.
FOOD
From food truck to First Ave. Beet and Basil has a local commitment with a global touch
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer Basil tea colored pink with dried beets. Small succulents on every table. A bar adorned with repurposed metal and bookcases. To put it simply, Beet and Basil is all about the details. The restaurant — once a food truck — is owned by Jessica Vouk and Jeremy Holzapfel and recently acquired the space on First Avenue previously known as The Inn At Sand Creek, but is now known as The Creek. With the truck in retirement and the restaurant now occupying a Sandpoint storefront, Beet and Basil joins a myriad of riverfront restaurants. Still, a single detail stands out to front-ofhouse manager Ricci Witte when asked how Beet and Basil will stand out from the rest. “We don’t have french fries,” she said with a laugh — but she said she’d suggest the naan with curry sauce as a delicious alternative. “There are plenty of french fries in Sandpoint,” Holzapfel said. “There’s plenty of American cuisine in Sandpoint — it’s taken care of and covered. The thing that distinguishes this place is the same thing with our food truck — we were really going for what we thought Sandpoint was missing, what we would drive to other places for.” Vouk, not only the owner but also the head chef, spent time in Seattle learning about food from around the world. In bringing that knowledge back to Sandpoint, Witte said Vouk wanted to bring a little bit of the global taste to Sandpoint while still staying true to the area with local ingredients. “We’re calling it global street food, so it is from all around the world, but grown in Sandpoint,” she said. Holzapfel said that while people will see unique items on the menu, they shouldn’t be afraid to try new dishes, and once people are familiar with dishes like the vermicelli noodle salad and oth-
This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert
READ
No collection of short stories I’ve ever read creates a stunning storytelling mosaic quite like “The Tsar of Love and Techno” by Anthony Marra. The book follows the lives of several Russian citizens over decades, and with each story the characters become intertwined, slowly but surely. I knew books like this existed, but not until I read one did I feel the satisfaction and anguish that comes with seeing everything come together while it’s actually all falling apart. Read this book and keep an eye out for future releases from this young, talented storyteller.
LISTEN
It would be easy to write her off as another millennial pop singer, but Lorde’s new album “Melodrama” is enough to convince even the greatest cynic that this woman is a songwriter/artist/general badass. She acknowledges the album’s surface theme in its title, but beneath the settings of clubs and cars and drunken nights, Lorde’s vulnerability is palpable. She is heartbroken, she is young, she is on fire. Highlight tracks include “Sober,” “Homemade Dynamite,” and “Liability.”
Top: Jeremy Holzapfel and Jessica Vouk pose at the Beet and Basil bar. Right: Two of our favorite dishes; the masa cakes, left, and the vermicilli noodle salad, right. Photos by Ben Olson.
ers that will regularly appear on the menu, they’ll be more open to newer and more unfamiliar things. “This is our entry menu, basically making it very easy to be a customer right now. Even though it seems scary, it’s not. It’s very approachable,” he said. Fresh veggies are a huge part of Beet and Basil’s regular menu, but fear not — there’s plenty of meat to choose from. Holzapfel said a big part of Vouk’s approach to cooking has to do with spices — tracing them to their roots and then learning how to mix and match to create new fusions. “She can make delicious, dynamic dishes that make you want to come back,” Holzapfel said. In remodeling the space at the The Creek where Beet and Basil now exists, Holzapfel said they were going for a “modern speakeasy feel.” Dark wood accented with metal and small pops of color make up the bar and dining space, while plans for developing the area to the right of the main
WATCH
entrance into an event area are underway. Witte said her favorite place in the new restaurant is what they’re calling the “sunroom.” “It’s perfect if you want a view of the (water), but not be outside in the elements,” she said. While Holzapfel said he and Vouk hadn’t planned to open the restaurant in a permanent space until next year, they couldn’t pass up this location. The result is a steep learning curve, he said. “We’re learning really fast. Every single day, every minute, we are constantly evaluating, taking notes, adjusting, changing,” Holzapfel said, adding the menu
will change regularly and those changes will be posted on Beet and Basil’s Facebook page. And because Beet and Basil is all about the details, no addition to the new location’s atmosphere is anything less than well thought out. On the wall across from the kitchen hangs several picture frames filled corner to corner with tiny green succulents — something Holzapfel calls the “living walls.” “It’s really about growing — and the living walls represent that in this space,” he said. “We are going to be constantly changing, evolving here. It’s going to always be interesting.”
There’s a lot of seriousness in the news business, and I find most of that stress is best relieved by either A) videos of babies laughing or B) the best low budget commercial I’ve ever seen. This commercial, created for Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters in Atlanta, Georgia, features one funny man and many, many cats. Something about the combination of his interactions with the animals and the shamelessly low budget of the commercial made the video go viral. Google “Official Furkids Kitty Kommercial” and see for yourself.
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The Straight Poop:
The quest for dog-friendly businesses in North Idaho
By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist
City Beach Organics
Where am I taking my humans today? The Mister and the Missus have been way too engaged in that four letter word—work! So, to get them away from the day-to-day grind, and to appeal to their love of the beach and gastronomical adventures, we’re going to sniff out a new business that many of my Sandpoint pack have dreamed about for years! Betcha can’t guess this one. •The owners have seven children ranging in age from 2 to 18 •Everyone in the family shares the passion for the business •Some of the decorations are edible •This place is the ONLY one of its kind in Sandpoint •Polk salad is not available (sorry Elvis) •TAILWAGGIN’ experiences are offered here •Special seating for fur families Stumped? OK, here’s another one: We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons. Figured it out yet? Wait, wait, I sniff a tweet coming in. FruitJuiceFreddy got it! We’re going to the new CITY BEACH ORGANIC EATERY, located at 117 N. First. And keep calm: It’s organic! Owners Mandy and Bob Edmondson agree that this place is a foodie’s delight! The ambiance drools with fresh, high quality, homemade real food, with no preservatives, or additives. I asked Mandy why so many folks are seeking organic foods. She told me that they want to eat healthy and avoid synthetic toxins. The Straight Poop to eating healthy is to avoid foods that have a TV commercial! Twelve years ago, the Edmondson family lived in northern California. Organic produce was delivered to their door. They learned how to use “weird” things in the kitchen, such as kumquats and fennel. Hence, their taste buds awakened and they all acquired a passion for cooking. Family time was filled creating various farm-to-table cuisine. Eventually they ended up buying a produce business, 22 /
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which morphed into a juice smoothie bar. After a few years, they sold the business to two employees and moved to North Idaho. Mandy and Bob had the dream of City Beach Organics as soon they saw the vacant storefront on First Avenue. Fifteen months later, City Beach Organics opened its doors. Sandpoint is the perfect place to offer vegan and vegetarian options. Even a carnivore like me will find organic and humanely-raised meat selections. There are menu options to cater to everyone’s appetite and allergies: vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and organic. Their daughter, Brylie (18), is the inspiration for the droolin’ good recipes. She has a gift of figuring everything out and then kicks it up a notch. Vegan friends and customers have given her ideas, and she also sniffs out foodie resources and tools online. Ah, feed our soul! The Mister and Missus dined outside on breakfast wraps and lattes, while I sipped on cool water and munched on treats. Customers told me that the most popular items are the Aloha Smoothie, Swell Not Juice, cheesecake and housemade tea blends. Mandy’s favorite is the Mint Revival juice. Eat in and take out are both good, and did I say dog friendly? Mandy and Bob’s furry family includes Nessie, a Lab German Shepherd mix, and a Black Lab named Mollie. Wait for it. Wait for it. Go fetch huckleberry cheesecake and extended summer hours. Slurp it up, friends, the cuisine at City Beach Organics will appeal to all of your 10,000 taste buds. To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.
Some of the City Beach Organics team (left to right): Rylie Edmondson, Will Edmondson, Jonathan Bostrom and Brianna Smith pose with Drake.
We are a weekly pop–up take–out restaurant offering authentic Indian cuisine every Monday in Sandpoint, Idaho. •Open from 3-7 every Monday •Walk–in lunch special: 2 curries + rice, $8 order online at:
www.SandpointCurry.com 723B Pine Street • (Pine Street Alley) •Sandpoint, Idaho
Want to help the Reader succeed? Give $1 a month to our Patreon page!
www.patreon.com/sandpointreader Sometimes I wish Marta was more loyal to me. Like the other day. The car parked next to ours had a real dirty windshield, so I wrote THIS CAR LOOKS LIKE A FART in the dirt. Later I asked Marta if she thought it was a childish thing to do. She said, “Well, maybe.” Man, whose side is she on, anyway?
Crossword Solution
Corner Bookstore in new location
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
CROSSWORD ACROSS Jim Orbaugh stands outside of his new location for the Corner Bookstore at 405 N. 4th Ave. 1. Entry permits Photo by McCalee Cain. 6. Rapscallions 10. Nobleman By McCalee Cain something.” Reader Intern A recent cancer surgery didn’t make 14. Without company 15. Boyfriend the transition any easier for Orbaugh. For years, bibliophiles have turned “A year ago, I had a stage four can- 16. 17 in Roman numerals to Jim Orbaugh of the Corner Bookstore cer operation, and I was going through 17. A board with wheels for good reads and good conversations getting over that, plus packing 425 cas- 19. Afflicts alike. Today, one in search of either es of books by myself, and taking down 20. Inuit would no longer go to the corner of First the book cases,” Orbaugh said. “The 21. Petrol Avenue and Main Street, but rather, to move was extremely difficult.” 22. Phone the store’s new location on Fourth Street. With the help of some supporters, 23. Secret agents Orbaugh recently made the move the job was finally done. He expressed 25. Feel to 405 N Fourth Ave. after 19 years on his great appreciation for multiple 26. Something that bulges out the corner that was the namesake of his community members’ assistance, locally-beloved bookstore. The original including Patrick Feyen, Ben Tate and 30. Braggart 32. Set apart storefront is now home to Finan McDon- Patti and Carl Pietron. 35. A fast Brazilian dance 66. Depend ald’s clothing store expansion. The Corner Bookstore will cele39. Erase “I love the new location,” Orbaugh brate the move with a grand opening 67. Anagram of “Sees” said. “I hope it’s not too difficult for sale scheduled for July 5-15. Every40. A rational motive 68. Waste conduit tourists to find, but hopefully the two-way thing in the store will be on sale from 41. Demesnes street situation will help in that regard.” 20-50 percent off. 43. Tooth doctor DOWN While Orbaugh is pleased with the Whether you’re a die-hard science 44. Comparison new storefront, the transition was far fiction fan or a romance novel con46. Alleviate 1. Flower holder from a breeze. noisseur, you can stop by The Corner 47. A pinnacle of ice 2. Varieties “I would never do it again,” he said Bookstore to satisfy all of your liter50. Cunningly 3. Saturate of the challenging move. “If I ever have ary cravings 10-5, Tuesdays through 53. Beasts of burden 4. Against to sell the place, I’ll probably lock the Saturdays. 54. Estimated time of arrival door and run off and move to China or 5. Appears 55. Boat 6. Nigerian tribesman 60. Fluff /ES-tuh-vuh l/ 7. Scanty 61. A young unmarried 8. Sunshade [adjective] woman (archaic) 9. Lather 1. pertaining or appropriate to summer. of the 63. Winglike 10. Make worse 64. Alumnus 11. Birdlike “The Festival at Sandpoint is our estival tradition.” 65. Delete 12. Streamlets
Word Week
estival
Corrections: No corrections to note this week. -BO
Solution on page 22
13. Fine thread 18. Hit on the head 24. Frozen water 25. Seminal fluid 26. Conceal 27. Applications 28. Exuviate 29. An amusing remark 31. Merchandise 33. Loft 34. Swarm 36. Largest continent 37. Sleep in a convenient place 38. Initial wager 42. Female siblings 43. Former North African ruler
45. Andean animals 47. Pertaining to the Sun 48. Banish 49. Kidney-related 51. 56 in Roman numerals 52. Affirmatives 54. Border 56. Arid 57. Shredded cabbage 58. If not 59. Lascivious look 62. Lyric poem
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