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PEOPLE compiled by

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

watching

“If you could eat only one fruit or vegetable for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?” “Huckleberries, because I wouldn’t need to leave the mountains.”

Tristin Bristol Hope

DEAR READERS,

A longtime Sandpoint fixture left us recently, with the passing of Gary Lirette on Feb. 16. As his obituary put it, “To say Gary was one of our town’s biggest fans is an understatement. He loved Sandpoint!” Locals of a certain vintage will certainly remember that Gary seemed to be at almost every event — his camera in hand — taking candid photos and generally being a pal to everyone. For us at the Reader, he was an especially important friend. When we were just getting started with this publication in 2004-2005, Gary was among our first and most enthusiastic advertisers. Despite the fact that we were just a bunch of 20-somethings, he bought the back page at least a few times a month and remained an avid supporter.

A gathering of friends and family will take place at MickDuff’s Beer Hall on Sunday, March 13 from 2-5 p.m. and, based on his legacy, it’ll be a packed house.

– Zach Hagadone, editor

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Zach Hagadone, Tim Bonine

“Potatoes, because they are versatile and delicious.”

Brocklynn Thornton Clark Fork

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Audrey Dutton, Shelby Rognstad, Steve Holt, Jen Jackson Quintano, Brenda Hammond, Ranel Hanson, John McDonnell, Guy Lothian, Amy Craven, Mike Wagoner, Marcia Pilgeram Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID

“Pomegranate. Crunchy, juicy, sweet and sour.

Multiple-day snack.”

Jensen Heisel Clark Fork

“Corn.”

Wow. No hesitation. Why? “When I picture eating corn, I picture eating it with a steak in the summer, when I can barbecue.”

Alex Carey Hope

“Ew, no thanks. I prefer meat, peanut butter and goose poop.”

Mac Hope

Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

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

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

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

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NEWS

Nonprofit group aims to help voters get informed North Idaho Voter Services: ‘getting beyond extremism’ in Idaho politics

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff An independent streak has long been a feature of politics in the Idaho panhandle. Whether that skewed to the right or left of the political spectrum has depended on the decade, but observers of the region have been right to notice a distinct trend toward ever-increasing ultra-conservatism.

What started off slow in the early 2000s ramped up in dramatic fashion following the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016, then positively exploded amid the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years. As recently as March 7, the Associated Press produced a report on Idaho — and North Idaho in particular — as it continues to experience a massive boom in politically-motivated in-migration. “Realtors to conservatives living in liberal areas: Try Idaho,” stated the headline on the AP story, which was published in major newspapers around the country.

The narrative in the piece is a familiar one to local residents: Fueled by out-of-area marketing from explicitly right-wing partisan groups, multitudes of people have pulled up stakes in larger (“blue”) cities to cluster among small-town charm, world-class recreation and housing that’s cheaper in relation to the urban areas from which they have fled. In many cases, packed in their moving vans is a lot of political baggage about “liberal politics” that has had an outsized influence on the types of candidates, issues and debates that have come to dominate local conversations.

As Idaho moves toward what is sure to be a fractious primary election on May 17 — with the deadline for candidate filings on Friday, March 11 — one local group is trying to pump the brakes on the extreme partisan influence over state and local policymaking.

North Idaho Voter Services, a 501(c)4 nonprofit, recently launched its new website, devoted to “electing qualified candidates with voter participation and trustworthy information.”

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Sandpoint-based NIVS — which can be accessed online at northidahovoterservices.org — is geared toward helping citizens parse through candidates and issues, as well as provide information to make voting more informed and convenient.

“We are nonpartisan in that our work is dedicated to getting beyond extremism, whether that’s from the left side or the right side, but in our area obviously the far-right is much more prevalent,” said Diana Dawson, NIVS founding director.

Dawson said the mission of NIVS grew out of a research project conducted in 2018 and 2019, which in part verified that the region’s politics were indeed taking a much more rightward bent due to inward migration.

The upshot was that experienced candidates began to lose races to newcomers who often had little grasp on the realities of everyday life in the region, yet drummed up support with hardright talking points that had more to do with national issues than local concerns.

Based on data drawn from polls, focus groups, interviews and demographic analysis, Dawson said the project identified that while most North Idaho voters identified themselves as “conservative leaning,” they “didn’t want ideologically driven folks that have fringe ideas.”

Yet those “ideologically driven folks” were routinely riding their “fringe ideas” to victories at the ballot box, “and the question was, ‘Why?’” Dawson said.

That answer, according to NIVS organizers, was a combination of things: voters being too busy to research the candidates and defaulting to party loyalty, or simply not voting because they’re turned off by ugly rhetoric; the closed Idaho GOP primary, which shuts out anyone who doesn’t want to formally affiliate as a Republican; and voters’ lack of access to reliable, easy-to-find information on which to base their decisions at the ballot.

Attempting to cut through the various partisan echo chambers,

NIVS features pages on the nutsand-bolts of voting, including sample forms, important dates and addresses, and declaring party affiliation; listings of Legislative District 1 candidates; information about the Legislature; curated news articles touching on candidates and issues; and a primer on political parties in the state. In addition, visitors to the NIVS website can sign up for news alerts.

“All we want to do is make it as simple as possible for people to vote,” Dawson said. “We know that we live in the world of nanoseconds and people get so much of their news off of Facebook, so how can we make it quick and easy to learn about the candidates?”

This election cycle may be particularly important, Dawson added, describing it as a “line in the sand” for competing factions within the Idaho Republican Party, which has controlled state politics for so long that its fiercest contests come from within.

“I don’t think people realize that the primary is where our election is determined — it’s not the general — and if you don’t get out and vote in the primary you have lost your opportunity to vote for the best candidate,” she said. “You leave the decision to a small group of folks with very extreme views.”

For Barbara Schriber, the past few years have also felt like a political line in the sand, which drew her to NIVS as one of its directors.

A registered Republican for the

20 years during which she’s lived in the Sandpoint area, Schriber said she’d become increasingly frustrated with what she saw as a lack of representation from state and local policymakers, who too often focused on issues that had little if anything to do with the real needs of their constituents.

“You look at everything that’s going on right now — just the growth of Sandpoint and the challenges that’s bringing with housing, employment, the cost of everything, and then you look at what’s being done at the state and local levels and nothing is being done about it,” she said, adding that that’s the real purpose of NIVS: “to promote candidates that are putting the wellbeing of Bonner County and Boundary County citizens first.”

But not everyone in state politics is convinced that making it easier to vote or run for office is advisable. More so than in previous years, a number of bills have been advanced during the current legislative session that, while ostensibly geared toward election security, function to make it more difficult to participate in elections.

For instance, Dawson and Schriber pointed to shortened deadlines for party affiliation, which is necessary to vote in the Idaho GOP’s closed primary, as well as candidate filings. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives voted 37-33 on March 7 to pass a bill that would ban absentee

Courtesy photo. ballot drop boxes in a number of locations around the state, including it’s largest population center in Ada County.

Proponents, including bill sponsor Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, a far-right legislator who is running for lieutenant governor, said it’s a means to “reassure voters of the election security in Idaho.”

Opponents, which included a number of fellow Republicans, pointed out that Idaho elections are among the best administered in the country and absentee ballot drop boxes are critical for rural and elderly residents to vote.

Rep. Randy Armstrong, R-Inkom, said plainly that ease of access to the ballot isn’t a high priority: “It doesn’t need to be convenient, it needs to be important.”

That runs counter to the goals of NIVS. “We need candidates who are looking for solutions to address real issues that our community is facing — who don’t have an agenda, and with so many local politicians that I’ve seen and the research I’ve been doing, there’s an agenda tied to it and what I’ve seen is the agenda is removed from the community,” Schriber said.

To accomplish that, Dawson added, “It just gets back to getting voters to vote. Democracy is not permanent. We can lose it overnight.”

NEWS

Idaho Gov. Brad Little will end public health emergency on April 15

By Audrey Dutton Idaho Capital Sun Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced March 8 that he will end his declaration of a public health emergency on Friday, April 15, more than two years after it began.

The emergency allowed Idaho to receive federal assistance, including Federal Emergency Management Agency payments to bring hundreds of health care workers to Idaho hospitals.

“We’re hopeful the recent decrease in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths means we are on a downward trend with the pandemic,” Little said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “For weeks, we have been closely examining the needs within Idaho’s health care system with an eye toward ending the

public health emergency declaration as soon as possible.”

Local, state and federal government entities alike have begun to relax COVID-19 restrictions and guidance, as the most recent and most pervasive surge of coronavirus gives way to a lull in disease activity. They also note the availability of not only vaccines but also treatments and preventive medications and respirators.

The Idaho House of Representatives on March 7 passed a resolution to end the emergency declaration; it still must be adopted by the Senate. Little maintains that only the governor can lawfully end an emergency declaration.

FEMA also has covered the costs of critical supplies such as ventilators and personal protective equipment, National Guard support and vaccine distribution.

“FEMA covered $257 million

in costs since March of 2020 that would otherwise have been covered by the Idaho state budget or local governments,” the announcement March 8 said. “That means without the emergency declaration, the state of Idaho would not be able to provide Idahoans with historic tax relief and unprecedented strategic investments to keep up with growth.”

Idaho still maintains a disaster fund it can use to respond to COVID-19, the announcement said.

The governor’s statement in full: “I kept Idaho open, banned vaccine mandates, never issued mandates for vaccines or masks, and successfully challenged Biden’s overreaching vaccine mandates in court.

“The emergency declaration

served as an administrative function to recoup FEMA dollars for a variety of needs throughout Idaho.

The emergency declaration never violated or restricted any rights of Idahoans, never put Idaho on lockdown and never allowed for mandates for masks or vaccines.

These are the facts.

“Without the emergency declaration we would not be able to provide historic tax relief, a step that’s even more important now as gas prices and inflation soar. Without the emergency declaration, Idaho would not be the state with the strongest economy in the nation.

“We’re hopeful the recent decrease in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths means we are on a downward trend with the pandemic. For weeks, we have been closely examining the needs within Idaho’s health care system with an eye toward ending the pub-

lic health emergency declaration as soon as possible. The April 15 time frame provides an important bridge for hospitals and other health care providers to plan for the transition.

“I want to thank Idahoans, especially our medical community, first responders, public health officials and National Guard volunteers for helping us reach this positive milestone.”

This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, a Boise-based independent, nonprofit online news organization delivering indepth coverage from veteran Idaho reporters on state government and policy. The Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by tax-free donations in 22 states.

Learn more and follow daily updates at idahocapitalsun.com and statesnewsroom.com.

Local library officials respond to Idaho House Bill 666 on ‘harmful’ material

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Library officials around the state are concerned about the potential effects of Idaho House Bill 666, which many fear could impose legal penalties on their institutions and staff members over minors’ access to certain materials.

The Idaho House of Representatives passed the bill 51-14 on March 7, which would strike an existing exemption provided to libraries, schools, museums, colleges and universities — including their staff — for “disseminating material that is harmful to minors.”

Sponsored by Eagle Republican Rep. Gayann DeMourdant, the bill retains the exemption offered to parents or guardians of minors and offers as a valid defense that the individual or entity disseminating the “harmful” material “had reasonable cause to believe that the minor involved was 18 years of age or older.”

However, on March 9, Idaho Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, told reporters with the Idaho Press Club that the bill — which now resides with the Senate State Affairs Committee — would probably die there.

“I do not see the chamber picking this one up. … I think it’s very appropriately numbered, 666,” he said, according to the Idaho Press.

“I think it’s mischief, and something that doesn’t need to happen,” he added.

Under current Idaho Code, “harmful” material runs the gamut from any “visual representation or image of a person or portion of the human body which depicts nudity, sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse” to “any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced, or sound recording” that does the same — including “explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse and

which, taken as a whole, is harmful to minors” and, finally, “any other material harmful to minors.”

The penalty is identified as a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine or both.

Given the breadth of the definition for “harmful” material, opponents of HB 666 argued that it opens the way to subjective arguments over what kinds of materials would actually pose a threat to minors — for example, numerous proponents of the bill specifically stated during testimony that they took issue with materials containing LGBTQ characters and storylines. At the same time, the bill would layer on potentially dire legal ramifications for public educational institutions and their employees.

In a letter to Senators shared with the Reader, interim-East Bonner County Library Director Vanessa Velez wrote that HB 666 is a “reprehensible bill” that “smacks of government overreach” and does not “specify who exactly would be

‘on the hook’ to be charged.”

She added: “Who would be determined to be responsible: The librarian who bought the book? The staff person who cataloged it in the computer software? The entry-level Library Page or volunteer who put it on the shelf? Who would be responsible if a minor puts a book on hold by themselves and no one actually ‘disseminated it’? Would the library as an organization be held criminally liable? …

“This bill has the potential to cause frivolous lawsuits, wasting taxpayer dollars and potentially bankrupting low-paid workers just trying to do their jobs,” she added, concluding that, “I fear living and working in a place where anyone anytime can claim criminal acts to government employees just trying to help people.”

While noting that her opinions are her own, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of the East Bonner County Library Board, Trustee Chair Amy Flint told the Reader in

a statement, “The biggest concern is the vague language and lack of definition for what constitutes ‘harmful’ or ‘obscene’ materials.”

She added: “Obviously, it’s important that we protect children from truly harmful materials — such as pornography — whenever possible. The library does not allow access to pornography for children or adults; beyond that, we do not censor materials available to patrons as that defies their constitutional rights.

“Essentially, this legislation encourages schools, public libraries, universities and even museums to censor questionable materials to avoid possible litigation.”

While Winder told reporters, “We don’t really tell our chairmen what to put in their drawer or not put in their drawer,” he reiterated that, “I don’t think you’ll see some of the craziness that the House seems to like to do get very far in the Senate.”

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NEWS

State, county candidates announce bids for office

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

The May primary is shaping up to be a busy one in North Idaho, as state and local candidates share campaign announcements ahead of the official election filing deadline on Friday, March 11.

Dover resident Mark Sauter announced his bid March 8 for Idaho House of Representatives Seat 1A — a position left open after redistricting rendered current Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, no longer a resident of the district.

Sauter, a Republican, has led a career in firefighting and city management. The outdoor enthusiast and volunteer said he has “the time and determination to contribute to Idaho’s quality of life.”

“We need leaders who are responsible, who listen to all their constituents and who will collaborate with their conservative colleagues to find solutions,” Sauter stated in a news release, also acknowledging the “divided” nature of current Republican politics. “I look forward to meeting and listening to as many Bonner and Boundary County citizens as possible over the next couple of months.”

As for county-level races, Selle Valley resident and Republican Grant Dorman announced his run for Bonner County Assessor on Feb. 7 on a platform centered on “respect for privacy, respect for property rights and respect for people.” He said in a media release that he was inspired to seek the position after experiencing “firsthand frustration with excessive backlog and wait times at the DMV and concerns over privacy and property rights matters.”

The career surveyor and U.S. Navy veteran said he plans to keep an “open-door policy” if he is elected, and will gladly assist homeowners who wish to appeal their appraisals to 6 /

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the Board of Equalization (BOE).”

In the race for two open Bonner County commissioner seats, the Republican primary will see a number of new names in both the District 2 and 3 contests. Announcing his run for the District 3 seat is Ron Korn, who identifies as “a Christian conservative standing for liberty, stronger local-over-federal government, property rights and overall accountability in governance.”

The 24-year Bonner County resident has assisted the sheriff’s office in search and rescue training, volunteered as a firefighter and founded both the 7 Bravo Militia and locally-based Freedom and Civil Liberties Union.

Also joining the District 3 race is Richard Harter, who shared in a media release his frustration with county business he believes encourages development and is being “conducted behind closed doors.”

Now serving as Clark Fork Fire Chief, Harter said he and his wife moved to Bonner County a decade ago to raise their daughter “in a rural community with strong traditional values.”

“As commissioner, I will ensure that Bonner County residents are my first priority,” he said, adding later: “From day one my door will not be open, it will be removed.”

Throwing her hat into the District 2 race is Blanchard resident Asia Williams, who has been a regular attendee and commenter at recent Bonner County commissioner meetings, opposing the adoption of Juneteenth as a recognized holiday and leading the fight against spending American Rescue Plan Act funds. She said she will use her background in “business, nursing and leadership” to make “decisions based on evidence” for Bonner County, according to a press release.

“I am not afraid to make a decision,” she continued. “I will never allow someone to drown out the sound of my voice, the voice of the people.”

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact.

A recent sampling: Residents in Ukrainian cities went about their lives in a normal fashion two weeks ago; but, now, civilian areas are being fired on by Russian forces, resulting in more than 1.7 million fleeing their homes out of a population of 44.13 million. Despite Russia’s military estimated at eight times larger than Ukraine’s, the former has not prevailed, illustrating that ultra-expensive weapons are no guarantee of battlefield success.

According to various reports by the BBC, Associated Press, Washington Post, Politico, New York Times and Business Insider, one reason for Russia’s faltering is that while the Kremlin attempted for 20 years to modernize the nation’s military, “much of that budget was stolen and spent on mega-yachts,” according to a former Russian foreign minister. “But … you cannot report that to the president [Putin]. So they reported lies to him instead.”

Also brought to light: How illicit Russian money has influenced politics in the U.K. and the U.S. A former Senate campaign staffer has been charged with channeling Russian money into the 2016 election.

Historian and columnist Heather Cox Richardson noted recently that sanctions against Russia are causing that country’s economy to take a nosedive. Richardson also wrote that while the Russian military looks impressive on paper, it appears ill-supplied for trucks, food and fuel, and Putin has turned to mercenaries to aid the war effort.

The New York Times reported that sanctions directly applied to Putin have been problematic because, according to his financial disclosure papers, he earns $140,000 a year and owns a small apartment. No mention of his $1 billion estate or his yacht, worth $100 million.

Columnist Robert Reich also pointed out that sanctions against Russian oligarchs with assets in the U.S. are problematic, as it requires lengthy and complex legal processes to gain control over them in the U.S. and Europe. Nonetheless, Reich wrote that sanctions are having an impact, with some Russian oligarchs now urging an end to aggression against Ukraine.

However, they lack the political clout familiar to U.S. oligarchs, who supply 40%

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

of U.S. campaign funding.

A selection of Ukraine headlines: “Before invasion, Ukrainian lithium wealth was drawing global attention”; “How many deaths on TV do you need to see to stop buying oil from ‘psycho’ Putin: Ukraine official”; “Putin says the West created ‘deep fake’ videos of Russian invasion”; “U.N. Security Council members rebuke Russia for nuclear plant attack”; “Russians leaving IEDs that look like toys in Mariupol”; “Biden to announce ban on all Russian oil”; “Ukraine exodus is fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War 2.”

With the threat of possible martial law, there is a constant flow at the borders as Russians are leaving, according to the BBC. One departing woman said, “People in Ukraine are our people — our family.

We shouldn’t be killing them.” She said she would not return to Russia “while our dreadful government is there.”

The woman also said that most Russians don’t favor the war on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, trains out of Russia are fully booked.

A different woman, age 30, said she knew if she didn’t leave now, despite fearing never seeing family and friends again, she might never be able to leave.

Another headline: “Ukraine decries ‘immoral’ stunt after Moscow says it will let [Ukraine] civilians flee — to Russia.”

Ret. Col. Douglas Macgregor, a senior adviser to the secretary of defense under former-President Donald Trump, rankled many when telling Fox News that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would now be over if the Ukrainian government would have acquiesced to Russia’s demands. He accused Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky of being a “puppet” and said the Russian attacks were too gentle, and there was no heroism in Zelensky’s leading the resistance, Business Insider reported.

Russia exports 7 million barrels daily of crude and oil products, making it the world’s top such exporter. The U.S. is another top exporter. According to the White House, the U.S. has 9,000 approved drilling permits that companies are not using, with 90% of them located on private land.

Blast from the past: “The first man to raise a fist is the one who’s run out of ideas.” — H.G. Wells, English author, sociologist and historian (1866-1946).

PERSPECTIVES

Celebrating Sandpoint’s exceptional staff

By Shelby Rognstad Reader Contributor It’s an honor to be working with such a team of professionals at the city of Sandpoint. The level of commitment to the job, to our collective vision and to the success of every member of the city’s team is inspiring.

These past couple years have been really hard on our community both near and far. I hope that we can all do our best to treat city staff with the grace and kindness they well deserve.

Recently there has been some public criticism of city staff.

There are many assumptions being made about turnover that has happened at the city. Turnover is rampant everywhere right now given the impacts of the pandemic. Across sectors employers are struggling to find the workers they need. Changing economic factors, cost of housing, risks of COVID, masking and vaccine protocols (or lack thereof) are a few contributing factors. The public sector is hit the hardest because wages are typically not as high as in the private sector.

There have also been pro-

found changes in the organization over the past six years. In 2016, the city hired its first city administrator. As mayor, I delegated many of the administrative duties to that position. These duties were formerly the role of mayor, department heads or were not really done at all. The administrator position was created to ensure a stable and professional level of public service and administrative integration that would last through changes in elected officials and retirements that were imminent among key leadership staff. Our administrator has proven exceptional in accomplishing these objectives and fulfilling the demands of her role. She has brought together a team of motivated, collaborative professionals that have taken city leadership to a new level of performance.

The city completed its first ever strategic plan in 2018. The City Council has been unified in its desire to create a common vision and drive our collective efforts toward that vision to improve our service delivery.

This was an ambitious effort that required not just the participation and involvement of the elected

Photo by Ben Olson.

officials, but the staff and public as well.

What followed was the most comprehensive master planning effort in the city’s history and an implementation program that was new, dynamic and all encompassing. It required the city to do things differently that it had always done to improve systems and processes and to work collaboratively in new ways.

These were big changes that we knew wouldn’t be an easy transition for everyone. When is change ever easy? The elected body, the leadership team and

the community all agreed, and agree to this day, that this was the best path forward for our city to be well prepared for the growth and opportunities ahead.

Implementing this strategic plan, city leadership has been committed to effective service integration, data driven decision making and performance based management. This demands a high level of teamwork, accountability and adaptability.

Not every employee was able to make it through this transition, but those who have are talented, committed staff that embody all

of these qualities. These high standards of performance and integration are now the norm at City Hall, from the top leadership positions down to our frontline staff.

I’m very proud of the city’s leadership team and all staff that have faced the challenges that come with change, leaned in and excelled. The city has never been in better hands.

Shelby Rognstad is mayor of the city of Sandpoint.

Waterkeeper and Idaho Conservation League joining forces

By Steve Holt Reader Contributor As you may know, the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, its staff, board of directors, along with a dedicated crew of citizen scientist volunteers have all worked diligently for more than a decade to protect one of Bonner County’s greatest natural assets: Lake Pend Oreille. LPOW has played a critical role in this regard by keeping tabs on the lake’s water quality through our sampling and testing programs as well as advocating for responsible policies, programs and land use decisions that keep Lake Pend Oreille’s water clean, swimmable, fishable and drinkable.

After 10 great years, it is bittersweet that LPOW will be handing off our water quality monitoring,

testing and advocacy programs to the Idaho Conservation League.

Since 1973, ICL has played a leading role throughout the state in protecting public lands, combating climate change, and strengthening rules and laws on air and water quality. ICL has grown from a single staff member to a current staff of 22 hard-working conservationists. With its current membership in excess of 11,000, they have been at the forefront of engaging the public and working with Idaho’s elected leaders to protect Idaho’s environment.

Until now, ICL has lacked the resources and staff to engage at the level needed to adequately monitor water quality in north Idaho. With this transition, including committed funding from LPOW and several of its funders, ICL

will be able to hire a full-time staff person in Sandpoint who will be dedicated to addressing issues that threaten not only Lake Pend Oreille, but also Lake Coeur d’Alene and Priest Lake.

This position will also ensure that our Water Quality Monitoring Program, with its 10 years of critically gathered data, will continue to move forward under ICL’s care and provide an increased opportunity for expansion. This model program is utilized by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in a number of ways, including providing valuable data to a new state Watershed Advisory Group in analyzing the situation in Boyer Slough.

As LPOW and ICL began working more closely together on the Trestle Creek residential marina project, each of us recognized not

only the assets in our respective organizations but aspects of our partnership that brought a more comprehensive strategic effort.

This was the seed planted that we truly believe will bear sweeter fruit.

Thank you for your continued support as we move forward with this transition. We are hopeful that you will see this move as a win for everyone as much as we do.

On a more personal note I will soon be stepping back from the day-to-day operations of LPOW. This journey for me began back in 2006. Over the past 15 years I have been honored to work with an incredibly dedicated collection of conservationists, board members, supporters and volunteers in our quest to protect our waters.

While daily gratification in this

field is many times elusive, we’ve made some significant contributions that I feel proud to have been a part of. I am absolutely thrilled that ICL will carry the torch and advocate for our local waterways moving forward. While I will be spending more time with family and friends, traveling and definitely fishing, my home is here. I will continue to work in a volunteer capacity, as I hope you do as well, to make sure our waters are swimmable, fishible and drinkable for future generations.

Steve Holt was a founding member of the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper and has worked with the organization since its inception 10 years ago, including as executive director.

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Cancellation?…

I have written about the Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration in Clark Fork, dubbing it my “favorite holiday.”

This is true, insofar as it is an actual, nationally-recognized holiday.

However, my favorite holiday truly takes place during the second weekend of March, always in conjunction with the “spring forward” of daylight saving time and during North Idaho’s hour-to-hour change of seasons, not quite spring but certainly starting to smell like it.

This holiday is the Clark Fork High School Alumni Tournament, featuring both volleyball and basketball brackets, along with raffles, auctions and the chance to catch up with decades of Wampus Cats and their non-alumni — but nonetheless loved — friends.

CFHS students earn the right to play in the tournament their senior year, so 2022 marks the eighth time I’ll participate. (We just missed the pandemic shutdown in 2020, but canceled due to COVID in 2021).

However, my love for Alumni Weekend far predates my senior year of high school. I have long sought any reason to be in the gymnasium, and felt an overwhelming sense of home and safety while surrounded by the volunteers, teachers, players and referees who ran the tournament — characters of my childhood. I now aim to be one of them, helping to organize the event in recent years.

I’ve competed in the free throw contest since my shots could reach the rim. I look forward to signing the player waiver like a kid looking forward to Christmas. I anticipate how the gym — smelling of wood, dampness and concession food — will sound in the middle of a tightly contested volleyball match.

It’s safe to say that this all sounds a little trivial unless you’ve been a part of it your whole life.

After all, there are sports tournaments held every weekend of the year all over the world.

However, there isn’t one like the CF Alumni Tournament. If you know, you know.

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Dear editor, In Thursday’s copy of the Reader [Feb. 17, 2022], Kristina Kingsland wrote a stirring story entitled “How the Magic Ended,” a story about Bonner County. It resonated deeply with many locals here in Sandpoint.

After reading this it was pointed out that the writer of this most wonderful story is an associate broker with Evergreen Realty. Doesn’t one cancel out the other?

Eveline Leucht

Sandpoint

Ben nailed it…

Dear editor, Big thanks and hugs for your “Short-term gains for long-term losses”! [“Perspectives,” Feb. 24, 2022,

by Reader Publisher Ben Olson]. You really nailed it, Ben! Sandpoint needs to hear about the anguish and damage that money and greed and selfish developers are doing to our beloved town.

Much love to all of you, Bev Newsham

Sandpoint

‘A warrior for Sandpoint’…

Dear editor, Hey Ben, just wanted to say thank you for the very strong piece you just put out [“Perspectives,” “Short-term gains for long-term losses,” Feb. 24, 2022, by Reader Publisher Ben Olson].

What’s happening in this town is an atrocity. We feel broken, angry and scared. Everyone is talking about your article. Very well spoken!

You nailed it! Thank you so much.

You are a warrior for Sandpoint and you have many people beside you!

Allison Thompson

Sandpoint

How do we keep Sandpoint?…

Dear editor, Thank you for the wonderful article you wrote about “Shortterm gains for long-term losses,” [“Perspectives,” Feb. 24, 2022, by Reader Publisher Ben Olson]. I feel a followup article is needed to show the people of this community how they can help keep Sandpoint…

Sandpoint. Your words could inspire others to take action.

Mark Twain supposedly once said: “Action speaks louder than

words but not nearly as often.”

I have seen this article re-posted with many lamented comments… such as… “how sad” and... “well said”... and their personal story on how it has affected them. Bu, really, we should be asking “what can we do?” “How can I help?” “What needs to happen to stop these changes?”

So I encourage you to write another amazing article about how the people of Sandpoint can help keep their town.

Emily Norton

Sandpoint

Kale and arugula…

Dear editor, Politicians and pundits are calling for the U.S. to halt the importation of oil from Russia, but this will do nothing to harm Russia unless all countries do likewise, which they won’t. Russia will simply sell their oil to someone else, like China or North Korea or even one of our erstwhile allies. There would be a short-lived disruption while Russia finds a new buyer, but the solution could be as simple as rerouting their tankers.

The price of oil is determined by the world’s supply and demand, and oil is for the most part fungible.

It doesn’t matter what part of the lake you fill a bucket from, the effect on the water level is the same. You won’t hurt the Russians by refusing to fill the bucket from the lake in front of their property.

The only thing that will reduce the price is if the supply exceeds the demand (think snow melt), and this would require oil-producing countries to increase production. Russia is heavily dependent on revenues from oil, so the way to hurt Russia is to increase the world’s supply, which would drive down the price.

But President Biden and his Green New Deal handlers will never allow it. Their stated goal is to reduce or eliminate fossil fuel, and the way to do that is to make it very expensive. To Green New Dealers: An increase in fossil fuel production needn’t be permanent. Once Putin is marginalized, we can return to pursuing clean energy. Putin is clearly a bigger threat to our well-being than fossil fuels. If you’re tending your garden and get attacked by a wild boar, you put down the hoe and pick up a gun. Once the boar is dealt with, you can go back to weeding your kale and arugula.

Dave Mundell

Sandpoint

Praying for togetherness…

Dear editor, In the past five years Americans have faced some of the biggest challenges in our history and these events have reached a point where this country has become almost split apart. Now is the time for us to come together.

I always registered as an independent, but when a game show host was elected president, then voted out of office and still claims he should have won and tries to split America apart I am in shock.

Next we have the virus, which soon will have claimed 1 million American lives, and caused millions of jobs and many businesses to close permanently. We also have our poorly planned departure from Afghanistan to upset us.

Drug companies have 1,500 lobbyists and spend $300 million to keep costs up. One in four Americans can’t afford prescription drugs, which cost 10 times more in this country than in Canada or Europe.

Their CEOs get great bonuses.

Now we have the invasion of Ukraine and the thought of a crazed leader in Russia who may resort to chemical warfare or worse. The year 2022 has so far been the worst of my life.

We also have 50 Republican Senators who cannot come together to offer Americans free dental and eye care. We may be spending billions on bridge repair, but where was the money when my upper teeth went bad and I had to clean my savings of $8,000 cash to get upper dentals?

(The VA doesn’t cover dental work.)

I pray this nation can come together. I hope someday there will be peace on this planet.

(One month ago my wife had a “mild stroke.” All the doctors said, “She is very lucky. It could have been much worse.”)

I believe it will take more than “luck” to save this planet.

James Richard Johnson

Clark Fork

Art-felt thanks…

Dear editor, I would like to thank Joanne Cannon for her generous donation to City Hall. She donated six beautiful pieces that were all taken here in Dover. Please stop by City Hall and see our new art display!

Sincerely, George Eskridge

Dover mayor

PERSPECTIVES

Any time we engage in tree work in a community space — near sidewalks and roads, in parks, along trails — public safety is non-negotiable. In addition to bringing down trees, I am also in the business of keeping people safe. We employ safety cones and signage, caution tape and traffic control. Everyone nearby is aware of the dangerous work at hand and their need to exercise vigilance in the vicinity.

Each year, I have to assure my insurance company that I am adhering to these standards and keeping the public safe. My insurer wants an inventory of safety equipment and descriptions of how it is all used. They want to know about our training and qualifications. If we are working downtown and affecting the flow of cars and pedestrians, the city requires me to map out where we will place cones and signage. I need to prove that we are capable of keeping people clear of hazards.

Even in North Idaho — the fabled land of freedom, the heart of the American Redoubt, a place being sold to oppressed urbanites as the site to make one’s last stand against tyranny — rules apply.

Actually, especially now that North Idaho is being sold as a refuge to the masses and our population is growing dramatically, rules must be made and applied. With more people come more conflicts of expression, interest and use.

Isn’t it ironic that the freedom-seekers moving here are going to bring about the demise of certain freedoms to which locals have grown accustomed?

Where once I could get away with wandering the old trails way up Rapid Lightning, crossing abandoned properties to link roads and make loops, much of that land is now being actively developed and inhabited (read Emily Articulated in the Dec. 8 edition of the Reader for more on this; her plight could have

Jen Jackson Quintano. been mine on numerous occasions).

Where once hearty adventurers could have the shores of Priest Lake to themselves in the colder months, perhaps (hypothetically, of course) camping in an icy day-use area, now there is visitation year round. The rules didn’t matter quite as much when there were fewer of us, but now my rule-breaking might be detrimental to others. It’s not just my freedom and enjoyment I have to consider. In populated places, our actions don’t happen in a vacuum.

We are a community, like it or not.

Your safety needs to matter to me, and (hopefully) vice versa.

The reason the balance of freedom and responsibility is again on my mind (remember my COVID screed?) is this: My dog was recently caught in a leg-hold trap near McArthur Lake, an area frequented by hikers, birders, horseback riders and other recreationists. The trap was placed in the dead center of a mowed trail. For real.

Even 10 years ago, things were quiet out there, but no longer.

The area is on the map. However, someone is operating a trapline near the lake as if it were still the Wild West. The trap was not marked; I

had no notion to even look for such a thing. The god-sent woman who helped me release Charlie (thank you, Denise!) knew the drill, as her dog had previously been caught in the same trap. When she called Fish and Game to report the incident, she was told that the onus is on her to keep her dog on a leash. When I called, I received the same sorry-not-sorry response.

I believe that trappers today, considering our population and its affinity for recreational pursuits, should be required to alert the public of their presence. A simple sign at the trailhead is fine; coyotes can’t read, after all, and won’t be tipped off. It gives me the opportunity to judge the risks of hiking with my canine in a given area. Just as I make sure to keep folks from waltzing under falling limbs, can you help keep me and my dog, dear trapper, from waltzing into your trap? Such notices are currently offered as a “courtesy” by some trappers, according to Fish and Game. There is no requirement.

Ugh. Requirement. A bad word in North Idaho, along with rules, regulations, laws, policies, nanny state, TYRANNY! People are escaping such confines by coming here. I get it. But laws follow population. The Census Bureau used to define “frontier” territory as having less than two people per square mile.

We’re well beyond that here. Thus, more conflicts are coming, along with more rules to help mediate those conflicts.

I sympathize, though. If we operated our business in California, holy cow. The regulations, though well-inten-

tioned, might drown our small enterprise. If we were forced to update our fleet every few years to meet emissions standards… yikes.

There’s a reason that much of our equipment hails from California auctions. In Utah, we came up against building regulations, and that’s part of why we moved. We were not allowed to build our own house. We were not allowed to live in our camper trailer. Thus, being low-income, we were not allowed to live in Moab. Bonner County was much more accommodating of quirky housing choices, so we were able to move into a rotting log cabin and make a home here.

I understand how regulation can be stifling, but it can also be protective—both of our safety (traps, anyone?) and our freedoms (like, to hike without fear). There is a balance, to be sure, and North Idaho will have to find its equilibrium. But new residents are mistaken in believing this to be a free-for-all kind of place.

In a recent article regarding alarm over a new “Ruby-Ridgestyle compound” in Boundary County, former Bonners Ferry Mayor Darrell Kerby shared his concerns about the perception that North Idaho is a lawless land, drawing lawless people.

“It would be the wrong impression that Boundary County is open to extremist activity that would lend itself to the breaking of any law. …

If [people] think they can come to Boundary County and be out of sight of law enforcement, they’ve come to the completely wrong location.”

All of this is to say that there are laws here. And there will continue to be more laws with the influx of more people. One of those new regulations could relate to trapping (just an idea), but there will probably need to be more conflict of use — more dogs injured — before that happens.

In the meantime, I will be cautious on hikes with Charlie. I will be careful in my workplace to protect passersby. I will be grateful for the freedom to operate my business and live in my home without too much interference. And I will cross my fingers that North Idaho achieves a balance between freedom and responsibility amid a growing population and a changing demographic.

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

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

acrylic paints

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist By the time you are reading this, I will be somewhere warm and sunny, holding aloft last week’s issue of the Reader in front of a cactus. I’m several years overdue for a vacation and it’s time to hit the open road and see the Grand Canyon from ground level. Fear not, dear readers, for this article that you use to clean up spills continues on, as I am a prepared and deadline-conscious adult, writing to you from an undisclosed location in the recent past.

Have you ever wondered how paint works? Likely one of humankind’s very first inventions, paint seems like such a simple concept. You have colorful sticky liquid that you can smear across a surface using your hands, a brush, or even a can and voila. You have created art.

The science behind paints — and acrylic paints in particular — is a little bit more involved than that.

It all begins with pigment.

Pigments start in many different forms, whether they’re minerals, insect shells or something synthetic that humans created in a lab. Pigments absorb and reflect very specific wavelengths of light to produce color. When humans crush pigments into a fine powder, they become easier to apply to other things. However, unbound pigments will produce an uneven powdery coat on the surface to which they are applied without sticking there for a long time.

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acrylate polymer, which acts as a binding agent that locks the pigment in place. Acrylic polymers, often referred to as “acrylics,” are synthetic polymer chains that will appear as a hard transparent substance when present in large quantities. Those big see-through sheets dividing cashiers, bank tellers and librarians from their customers and patrons throughout the pandemic are sheets of acrylic. When painting, you need one more item present in order to make your pigment-tinged acrylic malleable and easy to spread.

Water acts as the vehicle for acrylic paints to be easily transferred to other surfaces. Water, carrying the acrylic polymer and the pigment, transfers to the bristles of your paintbrush, which is then partially transferred to whatever it is that you’re painting. Applying paint to a paper canvas works especially well, as the paper will soak up the water and hasten its evaporation.

Once the water evaporates, a chemical reaction occurs in which the acrylic has formed a protective barrier around the pigments and bonded to the surface on which they’ve been placed. Since this effect is too small to see in detail, our eyes just process pretty colors painted onto a surface.

Acrylic paints can be applied to a range of surfaces, not just paper. Due to the relatively simple chemical process of acrylic paints, you can perform some really unique things with them when you apply other mixtures to the paint.

Solvents like paint thinners and isopropyl alcohol should always be used with care.

Their fumes are toxic and they

are extremely flammable. So long as you are very careful with these substances, you can create really unique effects by thinning your paint and performing a direct pour. Alcohol evaporates very quickly, and with a lower density than water, likes to rush toward the surface rather than sink into a medium. As the alcohol races to the surface, it carries the paint with it to create wild fractal patterns and weird blending effects that you have to see to believe.

Due to the thinning nature of isopropyl alcohol as a solvent, it is often mixed in certain concentrations to thin acrylic paint for use in an airbrush. An airbrush is a simple, but highly effective tool to enhance your painting experience. It’s essentially a metal pen attached to an air compressor with a tiny pot of paint on top. Using a trigger, you open the core of the pen to pressurized air to blow through the airbrush, carrying a mist of paint, alcohol and air in a targeted direction. This is best used to create thin, smooth coats of paint with soft edges, and is the same process as using a rattle can, but considerably safer and easier to control.

You’ve probably sussed out by now that my preferred painting medium is miniatures.

Minis come in a variety of materials, from plastic like PLA or ABS, to metals like bronze and aluminum. I print my own from a photopolymer resin using my 3-D printer. Painting minis is an exciting and meditative experience all at once. Your brain is so focused on what you’re doing that it shuts out anything else that may be bothering you, yet

offers little rushes of dopamine with each pass of your brush.

Do you like to paint minis? I’ll be hosting a relaxed instructional gathering on Tuesday, March 29 from 3-5 p.m. at the Teen Lounge at the Sandpoint Library (think: Bob Ross-style, as we’ll talk and paint together). This will be geared primarily toward teens and young adults, but anyone interested in picking up the hobby is welcome to join.

We’re calling this a BYOM event, for “bring your own mini.” If you have a box of gray shame, or are picking up a brush for the first time, then this event is for you. We’ll have some hobby paints on hand, but definitely encourage you to bring your own supplies if you have them.

See you on the other side of the vacation, and stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner es Don’t know much about the id ​​• In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, the line “Beware the Ides of March” became immortalized, but Shakespeare didn’t come up with the concept. In the ancient Roman calendar, the first day of the month was referred to as the “Kalends” to denote the new moon cycle. The “Nones” happened on the half moon on the fifth or seventh day of the month. The “Ides” marked the 15th day in the months of March, May, July and October. In all other months, the Ides fell on the 13th day, when the full moon occurred. The ancient Romans did not number days of the month, but instead counted back from the Nones, Ides and Kalends.

• The murder of Julius Caesar by his own senators occurred on March 15, or the “Ides.” As the story goes, despite several bad omens prior to March 15, 44 B.C.E., Caesar decided to go to a meeting at the Senate anyway. There, a plan was executed by multiple senators to assassinate the emperor. Caesar was stabbed repeatedly until he died. The first wound was said to have hit Caesar in the groin.

of march?

We can help!

• The location where Caesar was stabbed is now a cat sanctuary.

Torre Argentina is a sunken area not far from the Pantheon. A group of dedicated Romans provide more than 150 cats with health care, love and food there every day.

• Despite having a living son (his mother being Cleopatra), Caesar instead adopted a great-nephew named Octavian to take over his legacy. Octavian was the first ruler of the Roman Empire after the Republic fell apart. Octavian became the emperor Augustus.

• Caesar’s last words, immortalized by Shakespeare’s play, were, “Et tu, Brute?” or, “You too, Brutus?” The truth is, there is no proof that Caesar said that exact phrase directed at the lead conspirator, Brutus. In one case, Roman historian Suetonius wrote that others claimed Caesar’s last words were a Greek phrase meaning, “You too, child?” Suetonius himself thought Caesar said nothing, as did the Greek historian Plutarch.

PERSPECTIVES

Sandpoint residents gather to support Ukraine

By Brenda Hammond Reader Contributor

Inspired and following the leadership of Grace Rookey, a Sandpoint High School sophomore, 70 people gathered March 6 for a peaceful event along the bike path between Michigan and Superior streets in Sandpoint. Attendees held sunflowers; signs that said, “Stand with Ukraine”; and many were dressed in blue and yellow. Sunshine added to the bright colors — making up for the heavy hearts. There were dozens of honks and thumbs-up from people driving by.

Rookey reached out to the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force for help organizing the event, stating that she was “seriously concerned about everything that is happening in Ukraine” and wanted to do something to help.

Linda Navarre, long-time BCHRTF board member and retired middle school teacher, took this to heart — and saw it as an opportunity for people who felt like Grace to gather and express their solidarity and support. The BCHRTF quickly moved into action and supported with sign making and outreach.

Those who came together on March 6 showed support for the people of Ukraine and to take a stand against the violence and oppression of their invasion by Russia. Some also spoke about the importance of acknowledging the injustice in many other countries like Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Ethiopia. There was an awareness that as we stand in solidarity, we must remember to care about the humanity and lives of all people regardless of their race, ethnic origin, nationality, education, or social class background.

The smiles and camaraderie shown by the people who gathered together indicated how good it feels to take a stand against conditions that are intolerable. And it’s an example of how much energy is generated when empathy is really shown for all people.

The news is filled with images of heroic Ukrainians standing strong, proving that the real power lies not in the number of soldiers you have, but in the strength of the citizens who come together.

When asked how Sandpoint could

be stronger together, BCHRTF Board member Carrie Clayton said, “What we are seeing happening in Ukraine is devastating. It is also an important reminder that we must be citizens, communities, neighbors, that know, care, love and respect each other, because strong, caring communities can overcome almost anything when they are protecting the places and people they love.”

While standing in solidarity helped those who attended this event to help overcome feelings of helplessness and despair, there are other things we can do as well.

This list came directly from a Ukrainian citizen who has now lived through 14 days of war: • “Spend time reading about the war in Ukraine, it is not stopping yet and I know it is hard to keep track, but please take some time to follow the independent media and get informed;

Grace Rookey looks on as her younger brother, Cairn, holds his sign in support of Ukraine.

Photo by Tim Bonine.

• “Use your voice and your platform to openly condemn the Russian war against Ukraine. Don’t blame Putin for all of this, saying that it’s Putin’s war. Unfortunately, the regime stands on the backs of many, many people — including the ones walking around my country right now killing people and the ones giving them orders to shoot at nuclear power plants. The international support so far has been amazing, but we need to keep stepping it up; • “Help Ukrainians refugees get a job, a shelter or help fund humanitarian supplies.”

Brenda Hammond serves as co-president of the BCHRTF, alongside Linda Navarre.

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OUTDOORS

KLT establishes Montana post

Kayla Mosher will represent conservation group in Sanders County

By Reader Staff Kaniksu Land Trust announced its first dedicated staff member to lead conservation and recreation activities in the Sanders County portion of its service area, with Montana-born Kayla Mosher serving as the organization’s new recreation and outreach coordinator.

Based in Thompson Falls, Mosher will coordinate with community partners to establish a downtown park development plan and lead the process of implementing activities that drive economic development through outdoor recreation in the county.

KLT participated in a community-wide planning process in Sanders County in 2020 called Recreation Economy for Rural Communities, which the EPA sponsored in order to set the stage for the creation of Mosher’s position.

“Kayla will be focused on helping everyone spend more time outdoors enjoying the many natural amenities that Sanders County has to offer,” stated KLT Executive Director Katie Cox. “She’s perfect for this role and has a deep passion for helping her community, she has already hit the ground running.”

Born and raised in Butte, Mont., Mosher grew up immersed in outdoor recreation,

cept an internship with Chalskiing, swimming and taking lenge Aspen in Colorado, nature walks. where she taught skiing to “I was raised in an people with disabilities. That outdoorsy family. My dad experience made her even especially set the example,” she said. more determined to focus on The daughter of a Special her goals of helping others Olympics coach, Mosher saw experience the benefits of spending time outdoors. how her dad showed people While in Thompson how to have fun outdoors, deFalls, she worked for a time spite physical challenges. She on a trail crew with the U.S. saw the powerful effect that Forest Service and worked the outdoors has on people’s other jobs to help support physical, mental, and emotiontheir family. Experiencing al wellness. first-hand the difficulty of “I wanted to do that, too — Kayla Mosher. finding gainful employment not just with sports, but with all in an economically challenged community, outdoor recreation,” Mosher said. she was keenly interested in finding a way to At the University of Montana, she auguse her education, experience and enthusiasm mented her double-major in parks tourism and for outdoor recreation for the benefit of her recreation management and resource concommunity’s economy. servation with a minor in wilderness studies, “I love the river and the trees. It feels supporting herself as a personal care attendant. like the wilderness is outside my backdoor,” She met her husband-to-be while in college, Mosher said. and after graduation, they moved to his homeKLT’s mission is to protect natural spactown, Thompson Falls. es for future generations through conserWith few opportunities to work within the vation agreements with private landowners scope of her education, Mosher decided to ac-

New Year, New You!

VENDOR REGISTRATION Are you a new healthcare or wellness provider in North Idaho or an established one looking for new clients? Maybe you sell health products or have a gym? Sign up now for a booth at the first annual Health & Wellness Fair at the Bonner County Fairgrounds!

Saturday, January 22, 2022 from 9am-5pm Bonner County Fairgrounds Vendor Dinner and Networking Event Friday, January 21 5:30pm check-in and mingling, 6pm dinner, 6:45 networking

April 2-3, 2022

Networking Dinner Friday April 1 Info and Registration at www.BaldyMountain.Media

Meet other local providers at the vendors-only wholesome dinner and networking event led by Mickey Quinn of Mickey Quinn Consulting and Level Up business networking group.

To learn more and register online visit

www.baldymountain.media Suggested donation for entry: 1 non-perishable food item or $1 per adult for the Bonner County Food Bank.

We reserve the right to refuse a booth to any person or business.

Saturday 10-5 | Sunday 10-4 Early Registration

by March 15 Questions? ContactDiscount Emily Neff at 208-360-7937 or emily@baldymountain.media

Presented by Baldy Mountain Media Sponsored by Baldy Mountain Media

Sponsored by:

Questions? Contact Emily Neff at 208-360-7937 or emily@baldymountain.media 12 /

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and, at times, through land ownership and partnerships.

“As a very significant portion of KLT’s conservation work unfolds along the wild rivers and in the shadow of the Cabinet Mountains of Sanders County,” stated KLT Conservation Director Regan Plumb. “We are delighted to now have a staff person based in Thompson Falls to support the mission and vision of our organization.”

Mosher most looks forward to helping people to access the special places in northwest Montana, with the goal of nurturing her community’s economic sustainability.

“Some people may wonder why a land trust is involved with economic development,” Cox said. “Making urban centers more livable helps KLT to protect and keep open working forest, farm and ranch land — and increasing awareness and access to the outdoors is central to our mission of caring for the lands and people of the Kaniksu Region today, tomorrow and forever.”

The KLT’s Office of Recreation and Outreach is located in the State Building in downtown Thompson Falls, where Mosher holds regular office hours. For more information call 406-285-1215 or email kayla@kaniksu.org.

OUTDOORS

Dirt-y Secrets April is the month for planning

By Ranel Hanson Reader Columnist “Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.” — Lewis Grizzard Spring is coming. We can almost smell it.

It is a time for looking forward and for planning lovely gardens — and, at this stage, all gardens are lovely. Our imaginations tolerate no weeds, no deer munching, and no slugs or aphids. All is possible!

You may have seed and garden catalogs piling up and, like me, you may have been tempted by beautiful, glossy pictures of unusual flowers and vegetables. May I suggest that you plan using those catalogs but, when it comes to buying your supplies, buy locally. Our home town nurseries know what to plant in our area and are full of good advice that will help you to create your own private Idaho.

If you have grow lights and warmth, now is the time to plant seeds. A heated greenhouse or shelf in your living room will do to get a head start on seedlings if you have enough light and heat. But caution is wise. If your greenhouse is not heated or you don’t have grow lights, wait a bit longer. If you plant too early, with too little light and heat, you will end up with spindly, pathetic little threads that either die or languish. Patience and timing are definitely a must for gardeners.

If you have a south-facing, protected bed where you planted bulbs, you may see them peeking up their heads. You don’t need to do anything because nature will take care of those hardy beauties. But if you planted bulbs in pots on your porch, you should give each pot a good amount of water. That will start their foliage and roots growing so that by April or May you’ll have blooming flowers. In May — depending on weather, as always — you can tuck annual seeds or starts between the bulbs for blooms after the bulbs are finished.

If you have areas where the snow is gone, now is the time to scatter egg shells and salt.

I hope you saved egg shells all winter. Treat yourself to a new bag of epsom salts, mix with the egg shells and spread around plants vulnerable to those nasty slugs. Primroses and hostas are very susceptible.

Meanwhile, gophers are just waiting to munch your garden plants. They can take out an amazing amount of your seedlings, either from the foliage or the roots. If the ground has thawed at your house, now is the time to place

your traps. Don’t be tempted by poison (it poisons dogs and cats, too) but, if you have a gopher colony, you need to be proactive.

Traps are the way to go and, for those, get thee to the Co-Op as soon as possible. My daughter — an expert trapper — says they sell out early. If you see evidence of one gopher, know that all of their kin are nearby. And, yes, when you trap a gopher you have to deal with the carcass.

If you have fruit trees, roses or shrubs that need pruning, do it as soon as possible. It is best to do it before new growth begins and the sap starts to run. Trim all suckers and shape upper branches. It is worth talking to an expert if you aren’t sure what to cut. What you cut, and how you do it, will affect the health and beauty of your tree for a long time.

Roses should be trimmed, but not drastically. Just decide on the shape you want to create, and make cuts above the leaf nodes. Wait to shape hedges and shrubs until the worst cold passes. If you don’t, the cold will turn some leaves brown and ruin your artwork.

March is also the time to take care of your tools. Oil your clippers and shovels, service your lawn mower and rototiller, repair fences and raised beds, and look for tools that you are missing. Like a Boy Scout, be prepared.

Finally, if you’ve read this column before, you know that I love hummingbirds. Believe it or not, it is time to put out feeders for the early scouts that will be arriving soon. The water will freeze, but that won’t hurt anything unless it stays frozen long enough so that hummers can’t sip. If that happens, refill as often as needed. By the way, no need to add red food coloring. They like it just as well. Clear and red dye is dangerous for them.

Until April, gardeners!

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ARTS & CULTURE

History finds a home downtown with grand opening of Museum Guild

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The term “historic partnership” gets used a lot, but is rarely so apt as in the case of the Museum Guild, which will celebrate its grand opening Friday, March 11 in the north storefront of the Panida Theater at 300 N. First Ave. Beyond expanding the presence of the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum to downtown Sandpoint, the Museum Guild gift shop couldn’t have found a more fitting home than under the wing of the community’s most iconic historic building.

“This is our opportunity to support the Panida and also be a historical voice downtown,” said Bonner County Museum Executive Director Heather Upton. “We both knew in our hearts that this had to happen.”

With a ribbon cutting scheduled for March 11 at 4 p.m., followed by tours of both the space and the theater next door until 6 p.m., the Museum Guild will be open Wednesdays-Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Calling it a “gift shop” doesn’t quite do the Museum Guild justice. The space is better described as a home for “bespoke museum merchandise,” typified by unique items

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including everything from boutique-quality vintage clothes to the Humbird Blend coffee blend (created in partnership between the museum and Evans Brothers) to history- and culture-related books by local authors.

Displayed throughout the space are offerings like furniture crafted from salvaged and reclaimed wood by Josie and Dennis Buckmiller, botanical art pieces by Margot Mazur, antiques sourced from local yard and estate sales, and a host of other items expertly curated by Upton and Brooke Moore, who locals will know as the founder and former owner of Azalea Handpicked Style.

“We’re always looking for really high quality goods … [and] we find treasurers everywhere,” said Upton, adding that donations are welcome, but must somehow tell the history of Bonner County and donors are to contact the museum first for consideration. Proceeds from sales go back to the operating budget.

Moore, the Buckmillers and Mazur have all been vital partners in bringing the Museum Guild to life, contributing their expertise in antiques, merchandising, art and local history “to make this magic happen,” Upton said. “We truly believe the universe brought us all together.”

Every item in the shop has a story, and

the larger story is about community, which Upton said is a critical role of the museum that will be strengthened with its new location in the heart of Sandpoint’s historic downtown.

“At the museum’s current location [611 S. Ella Ave., in Lakeview Park], we’re a little off the beaten path — it’s a challenge,” she said.

“Now we’re going to be able to be that friendly face downtown.”

Some of the other opportunities provided by the space will be a storefront in which to share information about the community and museum, another place where memberships and financial contributions can be received, pop-ups in conjunction with Panida events, and a nexus of support for other local arts and culture institutions.

Eventually, Upton said the Museum Guild also plans to offer a catalog of select photographs drawn from the museum’s collection

Left to right: Margot Mazur, Heather Upton, Josie Buckmiller and Brooke Moore. Photo by Zach Hagadone.

of 70,000 historic images, from which visitors can order prints.

“It’s going to be huge for new people in the community, but people who have lived here their whole lives will be ecstatic,” she said, underscoring the value not only of preserving local history, but making sure it remains as visible as possible — especially important amid so much growth and change in the area.

“This is how the museum is going to the next level,” Upton added.

LITERATURE

This open Window

Vol.7 No.1 poetry and prose by local writers edited by Jim mitsui

vixen’s The december dream what will her mate bring her to eat a fat chicken, its bones full of marrow, her teeth in feathers she sleeps on as does a grizzly in his narrow den the fox, lightly now while the bear slumps in the hulking heaviness of deferred slumber a deer unfolds its legs and stands unseen except by the swooping Great Gray Owl, in from night’s preying the dawn also emerges it reaches into a steely sky touched with the water-colorist’s blanched yellow that promises snow covenants of nature and worldly bonds alter between Idea and Realization We hunt We sleep We wait — Amy Craven, 2021 Amy is a transplanted Baltimore girl who has lived in Sandpoint since 1999. She is getting ready to move to a house in the Syringa Heights area with Rob and is anticipating the experience of unpacking her own stuff after being in limbo for the past six months. She is thankful for the kindness of friends.

winter winter stills earth with snows so deep even moose slow their secluded slog among spruce, willow, larch, birch shadowing their solitary frosted breath; snows that moss, lichen, fern in silent burial collapse, frozen, numbed to dormancy by January’s near-death sleep. And when moose against birch lean to rest, moose dream of June’s willow leaf or November twig?

—John McDonnell John currently spends a good deal of time in Ely, Nev., involved in restoration projects at Nevada Northern Railway, and otherwise during winter months in St. Petersburg, Fla. He was educated in northeast Pennsylvania and New York state.

weight forward confrontation of the fall line on the two o’ clock run.

addicted to the turns

Clouds envelop us and carry us up the bowl.

Now miles from the base, the sun dissolves in the storm, casting dark rumors across the ridge.

In this air, thin and rare we, like ancient fish dredged from the deep, eyes bulging in wonder and distress, struggle to

acclimate to a new and vertical world.

With pounding heads, rebellious stomachs, and numb to fatigue, we ski between aspens on soft pillows.

Scrambling over snow in amongst the trees, an ermine, white on white leads us deep into the forest.

— Guy Lothian Guy is an expert skier and can be found frequently on the slopes of Schweitzer Mountain. This poem captures the essence of winter in North Idaho, its beauty and wonder.

Send poems to: jim3wells@aol.com Ponderay Rotary scholarships available

By Reader Staff The Rotary Club of Ponderay Centennial is accepting scholarship applications for the 2022-2023 academic year. Deadline for applications is Monday, April 11. The club is hoping to give about $20,000 this year.

The club offers two types of scholarships: one assists promising and deserving graduating high school seniors, and the second helps former Bonner County graduates realize their continuing or delayed post-secondary education and training goals.

“As I get further into my college career, the difficulty in finding scholarships for ongoing students increases. This scholarship allows me to be less stressed financially and spend more time focusing on school,” said 2022 scholarship recipient Sage Saccomanno, who attends Bard College in New York.

“At Bard, I am majoring in chemistry, hoping to focus on atmospheric chemistry, including carbon emissions,” she added. “Rotary not only supports me financially; the club supports me like family. It means much to come back home to a warm welcome and constant support of my education from those back home,” Rotary strives to maximize impact in the community by recognizing through the scholarship program those citizens who practice Rotary values of service, high ethical standards and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace. All applicants must demonstrate Rotary values of “Service Above Self,” with an emphasis on community service and volunteerism, and/or employment. Recommendations are critical also.

“We, the Ponderay Rotary club members, work hard

to support both high school graduates as well as students of all ages wishing to continue their education,” said Scholarship Chair Nanci Jenkins. “It has been a pleasure watching our scholarship recipients go on to success after graduating from college and trade schools.”

To apply as a graduating senior, one must be from Sandpoint, Lake Pend Oreille or Forrest Bird Charter High Schools, or a Sandpoint area graduating home-schooler. If continuing or restarting an education plan, the applicant must have graduated from a Bonner County high school.

Applications can be found on the Sandpoint High School scholarship webpage or can be downloaded from PonderayRotaryClub.com. Questions about applying for scholarships should be directed to PonderayRotaryClub@gmail.com.

101 Women’s spring grant cycle now open

By Reader Staff Local nonprofit group 101 Women is accepting grant applications for its spring 2022 funding cycle, which will remain open until Friday, April 15 at 5 p.m.

Bonner County nonprofit projects in the category of social services and addressing the basic needs of the community will be the focus for this round of giving, with the winner receiving up to $10,000 in support.

Email 101womensandpoint@gmail.com for more information. To apply, visit 101womensandpoint.com/ grant-application.

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OUTDOORS

Bird watching in western Montana

By Reader Staff

In celebration of the first weekend of spring, a group of trekkers will venture Saturday, March 19 into the outdoors surrounding Libby, Mont., to scan, scope, listen and identify birds of prey, waterfowl, woodpeckers, shorebirds and songbirds.

Sponsored by Libby Base Camp Hostel, the event begins at 9 a.m.

(Mountain Time), in the Viking Room of the Venture Inn (1015 U.S. Highway 2 in Libby). There, participants will review birding tips before heading into the field for a series of small group road tours led by experienced instructors on short hikes through private lands.

Attendees should come prepared for the day with full gas tanks, water,

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Courtesy photo.

lunch, binoculars, bird identification books, spotting scopes, and proper outdoor clothing and footwear. No dogs allowed.

The class wraps up at approximately 3 p.m.

Registration is required, as spaces are limited. For more information, and to register, email b_baxter53@yahoo. com or call 406-291-2154.

STAGE & SCREEN

He said, he said Panida to show Lebanese courtroom drama The Insult

Courtesy photo.

living in a turbulent present.

Featuring dialogue entirely in Arabic, The Insult won LebNo matter your geographic anon’s first Oscar nomination location or the language you in 2018 for Best Foreign Lanspeak, every world citizen is guage Film. Kamel El Basha, familiar with the emotional who plays Salameh, earned and social toll that political Best Actor at the Venice Interpolarization can take on a national Film Festival, where community — and a country. the film premiered in 2017.

This is the theme of foreign The Insult has been praised language drama The Insult, as a powerful exploration of screening Friday, March modern Middle Eastern poli11-Sunday, March 13 at the tics, providing its own unique Panida Theater. commentary from the familThe film, presented by iar confines of a courtroom Global Cinema Cafe, tells drama. While hard-hitting and the story of two men: Tony rated R for some violent imagGeorge Hanna, a Lebanese es and language, the film does Christian and mechanic, and find some comfort at its conYasser Salameh, a Palestinclusion. As the Boston Globe ian refugee and construction put it: The Insult “is optimistic foreman. When these two enough to leave the door open characters find themselves in to hope. But it’s an argument that also realistic takes a violent The Insult (R) enough to only turn, a court Friday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.; Sat- leave it ajar.” urday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.; Suncase ensues.

Theater caday, March 13 2:30 p.m.; doors Though that open 30 minutes before the pacity is limited trial, on its surshow; $8 for adults, $7 for seniors to 225 guests and youth. Panida Theater, 300 face, is meant N. First Ave., 208-263-9191. Get per show, with only to address tickets at the door or panida.org. advance tickets the alleged asrecommendsault, it becomes ed, though not a lightning rod for the broader required. The Panida strongly political and religious strife encourages all guests to wear felt throughout Lebanon. The a mask, regardless of vaccine characters must address their status, while attending the pasts to face a future that will show. require empathy, all the while

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

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events March 10-17, 2021

By Mike Wagoner Reader Contributor

THURSDAY, march 10

Artist Reception for Jeremi Ossman 6-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery vibrant paintings, balancing natural elements, feminine energy, graffiti and storytelling.

Financial presentation for seniors 12:30pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Alyse Ehrmantrout from Edward Jones will give a presentation on how seniors can avoid getting scammed

FriDAY, march 11 Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Energetic jazz covering a wide era

Global Cinema Cafe: The Insult March 11-13 @ Panida Theater Show times vary

Karaoke 8pm @ Tervan

Live Music w/ Pam and Dan 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Colorado based traveling folk duo on their Ski & Play tour

Live Music w/ Ron Keiper Jazz 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Acoustic guitar

SATURDAY, march 12

Live Music w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Scott Reid 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Bluegrass and folk

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Energetic jazz covering a wide era Karaoke 8pm @ Tervan

SunDAY, march 13

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Karaoke 8pm @ Tervan

monDAY, march 14 Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Baja 1000: La Paz or Bust 7pm @ Panida Theater FREE movie event Lifetree Cafe 2pm @Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Listening to God”

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after Blind Beer Tasting w/ Scotch Ales 6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority A fun monthly event to learn about beer styles, taste delicious brews, and challenge your taste buds

tuesDAY, march 15

Paint & Sip w/ Lori Salisbury 5:30-7:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Winter bird scene. $45 + tax. Includes s upplies, instructions, wine.

Call 208-265-8545.

Longleaf Wilderness Safety Series 6-7:30pm @ Outdoor Experience Wilderness Safety Basics. Register at longleafmedical.com/oe. $25 for one class, or $45 for all three. Textbooks included

wednesDAY, march 16 NAMI Far North General Meeting 5:30pm @ VFW, 1325 Pine Street Guest speaker Dennis Thibault Live Music w/ Scott Taylor 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

NAMI Far North Support Groups 6-8pm @ VFW, 1325 Pine Street Support for those with mental illness and their families

Open Mic 6pm @ Tervan

ThursDAY, march 17 Live Music w/ Maya Goldblum and Alex Cope 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Bluegrass, folk, and Celtic-inspired music 18 /

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Back in Time I went to the grocery store the other day to stock up, and while I was doin’ a double take at some of the prices I began to wonder… am I staring at the very tip of an iceberg here or just a small blinking temporary signal put in place as a result of the COVID thing?

As I walked down the aisles putting food in my cart I was reminded of something.

A few years back I moved to Nashville for a while to explore the music jungle… play at open mics… search for a brass ring… when it soon became apparent that I’d better get something else goin’ besides singin’ for free around town.

I scored a teaching gig at a high school.

One day in my environmental science class I had a thought… the result of a long bike ride I had taken the previous weekend that took me well beyond the city limits and into a beautiful area littered with abandoned farm houses and rickety old barns. I found myself wondering about the long-forgotten stories these structures could tell… a kind of

a mystic virgin setting where the tide of the impending urban sprawl hadn’t reached yet.

Back in class I asked for a show of hands. “Does anyone here live on a farm?”

One lonely hand slowly went up in the back. “Does anyone have a mom or dad that grew up on a farm?” About a half dozen more arms went up. “Anyone have a grandma or grandpa that grew up on a farm?”

That did it… most every hand rose.

So… I’m pushin’ my cart through the crowded produce section, smiling and nodding to folks, when it dawned on me. I’ll bet we’re all in the same boat here… people who have no connection to or control over their food supply.

Pullin’ into my little-over-an-acre lot in Sagle I began to visualize a garden… maybe a few chickens. I can remember watchin’ my grandpa as a kid canning all kinds of stuff he grew and tuckin’ all those jars away in that spooky root cellar. Yeah… I’m gettin a feeling it may be time to go a little back in time.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater Feeding Ukraine

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

It turns out COVID is no longer my biggest fear or my worst enemy, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

The coverage of the assault in Ukraine leaves me reeling.

Even a quick look at a brief clip lingers in my unsettled mind, a constant and painful reminder that right now, not much is right in our world.

I instinctively thought of my Aunt Rose (who passed two years ago) when the attacks began. Married to my mom’s only brother, she was Ukrainian and damn proud of it. Along with a contingent of her Ukrainian relatives, my mom and I often spent Christmas holidays with them in Billings, Mont. While there, we observed the strict customs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I don’t remember all the details, but I remember a lot of daily fasting, broken with boiled wheat, and simple, meatless meals.

We broke the big fast at midnight on Christmas, but sometimes I had an early and hasty opportunity for a DIY fast-breaking. With a new driver’s license burning a hole in my hip pocket, I was quick to offer my services as an errand girl, including a brief (albeit guilt-driven) trip through the Frost Top for a cheap burger.

On her bountiful buffet, my favorite food served at midnight on Christmas was holubtsi. The scent of those savory, rice-filled cabbage rolls made the wait for midnight even harder. They were the first 20 /

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thing I put on my holiday plate.

Over the years, I’ve made and tested many variations, but these rolls (hich are also referred to as holopchi) , made of four simple ingredients, have always remained my favorite.

I’m drawn to my kitchen when I feel the need to ease my angst. This past weekend was no exception. I reached for my dusty Longaberger Basket card file, filled with family recipes, and thumbed through it, looking for Aunt Rose’s handwritten instructions for holubtsi. I rubbed the faded, grease-stained instructions between my thumb and forefinger, thinking of Rose and her people still in Ukraine. It’s hard to comprehend Putin’s madness, watching in horror

while Aunt Rose’s people are slaughtered. In a last-ditch, run-for-their-lives effort, even the children lay dead.

Making the holubtsi soothed my soul, but I needed to do more and be more for this displaced population.

I know I am not alone. My fearless food hero, Chef José Andrés, has already mobilized his World Central Kitchen teams, feeding thousands of people trapped in Ukraine and thousands more who’ve managed to flee to Poland. I am in awe of the WCK volunteers and can’t begin to imagine the logistics that feed thousands of people among the bombs and bullets and bloodshed.

If you want to help, donate.

Go to: World Central Kitchen

(wck.org). There are many other ways to help but, first and foremost, we must feed the hungry people. Can you imagine facing fear and desperation on top of hunger?

People are getting creative on social media as they find ways to put money into the pockets of Ukrainians. Through Airbnb or VRBO, you can rent a bedroom or two in a house in Ukraine, and the money will go directly to the homeowner (fees have been waived). You can rent an entire house, but use caution to ensure it’s going to a person and not a corporation.

You can buy digital art direct from Ukraine — think beautiful sunflowers! Etsy is also waiving its fee.

Baking initiatives are

sprouting up everywhere.

Home bakers, commercial bakeries, even bars and restaurants are creating specialty items, with proceeds going to our innocent brothers and sisters in Ukraine. So let your kiddos bake some blue-and-yellow frosted sugar cookies. Have a neighborhood bake sale and donate your proceeds.

Skip a meal and donate the money you would have spent on food. There are myriad ways for all of us to help feed Ukraine. Choose one. Or two.

Be generous and be grateful for your hot food and your warm house.

I dedicate this simple recipe to the fighting spirit of all Ukrainians. You are not alone in your fight.

Aunt Rose’s holubtsi (a.k.a. holopchi) Ukrainian cabbage rolls that can be served as a side or main dish for vegetarians.

Makes approximately 18 small rolls or 10 large rolls.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 medium sized cabbage • 1 1/2 cups raw rice • 1/2 cup vegetable oil • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp salt • 2 yellow onions, finely diced

DIRECTIONS: Place rice in 3 cups of water, add salt, pepper and oil, stir, bring to a boil and cover. Cook for about 25 minutes until rice is tender. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While rice is cooling, place enough water in a large pot to cover the bottom. De-core the cabbage and place in the pan of water. Cover and steam leaves, and remove the leaves as they loosen. Cool leaves and remove the center rib from each one (don’t cut through). Use whole leaf for larger rolls, half leaves for smaller rolls.

Place about 1/4 cup of cooked rice in your hand and mold into a small log, place on cabbage leaf and roll.

Place seam side down in baking dish.

Pour 1/4 cup of water in pan, cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Finely dice the onions and sauté in butter until golden brown.

Before serving, sprinkle baked holubtsi with browned onions. Pass extra onions to guests.

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

A celebration of public art in Sandpoint Story and photos by Ben Olson Reader Staff The idea of public art is a large umbrella, encapsulating any creative, cultural or aesthetic endeavor placed in a public place for everyone to see.

As with any creative work, public art is subjective. All art cannot possibly appeal to all people, nor should it be expected to do so. The goal of public art is to attract attention, and some of that attention occasionally comes in the form of controversy or critique. The fact that we talk about public art is proof that the concept works.

Identified as an artists’ town, Sandpoint has no shortage of public works of art located along its streets and sidewalks. Some are large works, others quietly add to the visual appeal of a particular street corner or sidewalk.

But each tells their own story to every set of eyes that view it.

On a blustery but beautiful day in February, I strolled around Sandpoint and snapped a few photos of some public art works that help give this community flavor. Don’t take my word for it, though — head out and discover your own favorite work of public art.

READ

… the comments. Just kidding.

Don’t read the comments. We at the Reader have limited our Facebook presence over the past two years, mostly just posting the link to the most current paper and calling it a day. Why? It took far too much time and (emotional) energy to police the comments. Misinformation, profanity and just plain awfulness is to blame. Social media emboldens people to spout off when, quite frankly, no one asked them. My advice? Skip the comments, and read something else.

LISTEN

Florence + The Machine has now released two singles ahead of a forthcoming full-length album.

The new songs, titled “King” and “Heaven Is Here,” showcase the band’s lead artist, Florence Welch, at her edgiest so far — and if you’re a fan of F+TM, you know that “edgy” is what she does. I’ve been a loyal fan since the release of Lungs in 2009, so I know that a new Florence album is sure to bring on a new, exciting era for the band.

WATCH

Heaven forbid we ever forget the absolutely outrageous and undeniably wonderful Shrek movies.

I caught the end of the second film recently (now available on Netflix) and was instantly transported to the first time I saw it — at the since demolished Sandpoint Cinema 4 West, probably with my sisters, all of us grade-school aged and obsessed with the Fairy Godmother’s rendition of “I Need a Hero.”

Also, human Shrek may have been my first crush? I know I’m not the only one.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

I stand with librarians

House Bill 666 is fear-mongering at its finest, and must be stopped

From Northern Idaho News, March 18, 1912

FIRE DESTROYS TWO BUILDINGS The California poolroom and lodging house, the Sandpoint cafe and hotel and the Sandpoint poolroom were destroyed last Sunday night by fire which originated in the California lodging house. The fire was discovered a few minutes after 3 o’clock by Night Patrolman John Mulcahy who gave the alarm. The fire department was on the scene immediately and although they had four leads of hose playing on the blaze, the fact that the fire had secured such a start before the alarm was given made it impossible to save either of the burned buildings. For a time it was believed that the Sandpoint hotel building would be saved, but the impossibility of reaching the rear end of the building, which is located on the banks of Sand Creek, prevented the saving of that building.

The origin of the fire is a mystery. Mr. and Mrs. Tooley, the proprietors of the lodging house, were not in the building at the time, Mr. Tooley being in Montana and Mrs. Tooley in Ponderay. The blaze started in about the middle of the building and had gained a good headway before being discovered. Only one person was in the house at the time and it was with difficulty that he was rescued.

The entire loss is estimated at $19,000. Geo. Walker of the California poolroom building stated to a News reporter yesterday that it was possible that he would construct a brick block on the site where his store that was burned last month formerly stood.

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By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff A few weeks ago, in preparing for my turn to formulate an article for the Reader’s “Back of the Book” section, I thought of our community’s librarians.

I grew up going to the Clark Fork branch of the East Bonner County Library District. The library’s Summer Reading Program was regularly the highlight of my summer vacation.

I’ve watched library employees assist with computer literacy, helping senior citizens access their email accounts; I’ve listened to them answer questions about materials, always knowledgeable, patient and kind in those interactions; and I’ve seen this small collection of men and women provide a warm, welcoming space for young children who need somewhere to hang out after school.

I have a feeling that at least some of these instances fell outside of their job descriptions, but nevertheless, they were willing to go above and beyond.

The role that librarians play in the lives of Idahoans — particularly minors — is now the subject of a bill in the Idaho Legislature: the perfectly named House Bill 666, which would roll back a legal exemption protecting librarians, school personnel and similar figures from prosecution in the case that they disseminate “material harmful to minors.” It passed the Idaho House of Representatives on a 51-14 vote March 7, and will next head to

STR8TS Solution

the Idaho Senate.

I say the bill is perfectly named because it is, in a word, evil. HB 666 is vague in the cruelest of ways. While testimony on the bill revealed that many lawmakers fear “pornographic” material being spread to Idaho’s youth, it is also clear that HB 666 is aimed at material related to LGBTQ or transgender people — material that is considered “obscene” in some circles.

Speaking on behalf of the bill was a “curriculum and literary analyst for Family Watch International,” according an article in the Idaho Statesman, which also reported that Family Watch International is categorized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and known for teaching “the idea that homosexuality is a mental illness and has supported severe criminal penalties for homosexuality both in the U.S. and abroad.”

HB 666 is a thinly veiled — actually, not-even-veiled — attempt to silence very specific types of voices. It is hateful, and more importantly, it is unfair for our state’s librarians and educators to bear the burden of assessing what an onlooker might subjectively interpret as “harmful” to children and, what’s more, potentially face legal consequences for their troubles.

For me, HB 666 hits close to home, and not just because of the esteem I hold for employees of our local public libraries. My mom is a school librarian, responsible for curating and updating her collection to secure books that kids

want to read. She taught me the value of thinking for myself, and did not once steer me toward “harmful” concepts — whatever that means.

The idea that my mother would ever purposely spread harm to kids is absolutely wild, and yet, repealing her legal protection is being deemed a worthy use of legislative time and funds. As is often the case under a fear-mongering government, best intentions and good hearts are apparently not enough. The threat of criminalization is being wielded to silence our society’s most well-meaning, intellectually-supportive population.

I hope Idahoans can see HB 666 for the horrifying overreach of government power that it is. I stand against this heinous waste of time, and I stand with librarians.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution When this girl at the museum asked me whom I liked better, Money or Manet, I said, “I like mayonnaise.” She just stared at me, so I said it again, louder. Then she left. I guess she went to try to find some mayonnaise for me.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

telluric

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/te-LOOR-ik/ [adjective] 1. of or proceeding from the earth or soil.

“The telluric forces deep in the earth shook and grumbled another two hours with several aftershocks before all went quiet once again.”

Corrections: In last week’s issue, our story on the Oscar Shorts films showing at the Panida [“Small but mighty”] said that the shows were sure to “pack and punch.” The “and,” of course, was meant to be “a.”

—LKC

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Herring-like fishes 6. Teller of untruths 10. Dagger handle 14. Prison-related 15. Ancient Peruvian 16. Leer at 17. Bouquet 18. Swerve 19. Regrets 20. In a crosswise direction 22. A musical pause 23. A piece of woodland 24. Sarcous 26. Talon 30. 3 in Roman numerals 31. Hankering 32. Angel’s headwear 33. Unhearing 35. Suit 39. Engage 41. Lowborn 43. Banquet 44. Melody 46. Gorse 47. Hasten 49. Indian bread 50. Chair 51. Buff 54. Blockage 56. A type of liquid food 57. Sunflower 63. Ride the waves 64. Frosts

Solution on page 22 7. Resistance to change 8. Air force heroes 9. Weaken 10. Terrible 11. Chills and fever 12. Animal tissue 13. Cantankerous 21. Annuls 25. Low-fat DOWN 26. Cook 1. Petty quarrel 27. Alley 2. German for “Mister” 28. Aquatic plant 3. Dwarf buffalo 29. Reverent 4. “Darn!”

34. Contestants 5. Gash 36. Competent 6. Most animated 37. Entreaty 65. Turf 66. Beige 67. Gossip 68. Becomes limp 69. Blue-green 70. Male offspring 71. Flies alone

38. Words 40. Ear-related 42. Columbus’s birthplace 45. Impure 48. Morals 51. Something of value 52. Pleasant 53. Indian millet 55. Chews 58. Reflected sound 59. Threesome 60. Satan’s territory 61. “Do ___ others...”

62. Back talk

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