Reader may21 2015

READER

May 21, 2015 / free / Vol. 12 issue 18

the fiction issue

SCOTT BORTZ

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202 S. First Ave, Downtown Sandpoint

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(wo)MAN compiled by

Ben Olson

on the street

What is a favorite book of yours?

“‘Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress’ [by Dai Sijie]. It’s about different perceptions of culture and being re-educated during the Chinese Revolution. It has a little women’s lib in there, too. And ‘The Rosie Project’ [by Graeme Simsion]. It’s about a guy who uses the scientific method to find a wife. It’s very quirky.”

Marcia Vanderford Owner of Vanderford’s Books Sandpoint

“‘The Secret Life of Bees’ [by Sue Monk Kidd]. I like the relationships of people, the strong women char characters and the message of hope. It was a really compelling story.”

Ranel Hanson Owner of Zany Zebra Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

I’ve been out of the office all week, on tour with my band Harold’s IGA. I’ve left Cameron to man the ship, so be easy on him if there are a few mistakes that slip through the cracks.

Running this newspaper with just two of us is like laying down railroad tracks every week, with the train looming behind you, never letting you ease up on your pace. I thoroughly enjoy it, but I’m also very happy to go out on the road with my band and play some music. It’s the little things that make a full life.

This week we are featuring the results of our Flash Fiction contest. We had so many great submissions, it was hard to choose just one winner. Be that as it may, we’ve chosen Jessica Bowman’s story, “Finding Her Form” as our winner. Great job, Jessica. You’ll hopefully see more of her work in future issues of the Reader.

I’d like to thank you all for sending in your great stories. This will certainly be an annual event here at the Reader.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

FIDDLIN’ RED Music Store

Instruments Repairs Lessons

“‘Aztec’ by Gary Jennings. It’s a historical fiction. I found it fascinating. It’s about the 111 Church St., Spt, ID (208)946-6733 Aztec culture, the priest- WWW.FIDDLINREDSIMPSON.COM hood and bloody conquering of the Mayans, all the way to the conquering of them by the Spanish Conquistadors.”

Jim Orbaugh Owner, Corner Bookstore Sandpoint

“At the moment I’m reading ‘Christine’ by Stephen King. I was traveling into the states and asked someone what to read.

They said to grab a thriller. I’m very easy.”

Jim Armbruster Flooring Installer Sandpoint

Want your business to grow? Give us a shout and we’ll help you find the right advertising options.

As always, our rates include free ad design and photography.

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www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover), Aric Spence Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Levi B. Cavener, Jessica Bowman, Helen Newton, Matthew Weatherman, Jenna Bowers, Ted Bowers, Dan Eskelson Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

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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.

it’s nice to meet you, neighbor

Heleen Roelofs Psychiatric Nurse Holland “‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien. It’s a book about the Vietnam War and talks about the physical things the soldiers carry with them, but it’s also about the metaphysical things they carried, the stress and worries. Great book.”

Dear readers,

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

Requirements: –No more than 500 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

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

About the Cover This week’s cover features out office mascot, a 1905 Underwood typewriter. This is the first piece of furniture brought into our office when we set up shop in January. Sometimes, when the computer screen gets to be too much, it’s nice to touch the cool, metal keys of a beast like this and feel a connection to the past.

-Ben Olson

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COMMENTARY It was torture then, and it is torture now

By Nick Gier For SPR In 866, Pope Nicholas I decreed that “neither divine nor human law allows for torture, since a confession should not be compelled, and should not be elicited with violence.” Until church leaders perceived that that Christianity was under existential threat by heretical sects, this prohibition remained in place for 400 years.

In 1252, Pope Innocent IV issued a papal bull allowing the use of torture to force heretics “to confess their errors [but] without killing them or breaking their arms.”

In 1256, in an act roughly parallel to Obama’s promise not to pursue legal action against CIA interrogators, Pope Innocent offered absolution to those who used instruments of torture.

Medieval inquisitors were allowed to use “enhanced interrogation techniques” only after “half proof” of the charges had been presented. After 9/11, terror suspects were picked up on the

LETTERS Dear editor, I was recently honored and blessed beyond any and all expectations by a sellout audience at the beautiful Panida Theater, and the remarkable performances of a selection of my songs by so many talented friends.

All in attendance agreed that a spirit of love and community swelled and permeated through the 500-plus present, many who have known each other for 30 years or more. I was personally overwhelmed and thoroughly “buzzed” and look forward to opportunities to return love and service to our incredible little town.

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flimsiest of evidence. In Afghanistan, a bounty ($3,000-5,000) was offered for those with alleged ties with Al Qaeda, and hundreds of innocents were swept up, shackled, and hooded for transfer to “black sites” around the world. In the recent Senate report, the CIA admits that 26 people were “wrongly detained,” but there were easily 10 times that number.

German national Kaled el-Masri, mistaken for a person with the same name, was apprehended in Macedonia and tortured for four months in Afghanistan.

Laid Saidi was tortured for 16 months in same prison until, as the Senate report states, the CIA discovered he was the wrong person. The innocent Shawali Khan, who was working as a driver for the U. S.-backed Karzai government, was held at Guantanamo for 11 years and is just now being released without charge.

Pope Innocent obviously did not want heretics to die during their interrogation, but there are no estimates of how many may have

died of torture. In 2008, the ACLU issued a report on 160 detainee deaths, and it concluded that 70 of them were the result of “gross recklessness, abuse, or torture.”

One day in November of 2002 in a CIA “black site,” Gul Rahman was shackled and forced to sit naked on a cold concrete floor. The next morning he was found dead of hypothermia.

Pope Innocent also did not want any broken bones, but heretical joints were most certainly dislocated on the infamous rack.

Bush’s attorneys also allowed similar stress positions as long as they did not lead to permanent injury. On Nov. 4, 2003, at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, Manadel al-Jamadi was placed in a position called the “Palestinian hanging.” “Less than an hour later,” as reported in The Daily Kos, “he was dead, blood gushing from his mouth and his arms were almost coming out of their sockets.”

One more turn on the ratchet by an eager medieval torturer could have led a poor heretic to an early end

Thanks to Natalie, Jeff, Doug and all the crew at Eichardt’s, Bill Jones Distributors, the Panida Theater board of directors, Patricia Walker White, Bill Lewis and countless volunteers.

Thank you James “Buck” Harris, Debra Beckstrom, Mason Allison, Steve Garvan, “A,” Erin Brannigan, Sara, Dan & Susan Thompson, Gino, and Chuck Smith for filming. Also, thanks to the Sandpoint Reader for all the press, posters, programs and tickets; and David Gunter and the Bonner County Daily Bee for such wonderful articles. A special hug of gratitude for the love of my life, Karen Bowers.

My most profound thanks to Dennis and Carol Coats, Ted Bowers, Randy Cope, Dave Reisnaur, Lonny Haw-

kins, Woody Aunan, Tom D’Orazi, Bob Evans, Bonnie Thompson, Justin Lantrip, Del Goff, Ray Allen, Frank Moore, Beth Pederson, Tom Newbill, Neighbor John Kelly, Ben Olson and Cadie Archer, Truck Mills, Dave and Tami Gunter (Bridges Home), Paul Gunter, John Edwards, Chris Park, and Jared Johnson (Baregrass), Rob and Sheldon Packwood, Chad Ball, Jesse Harris … and mucho kudos to Jeff Poole and Kelly Mc “T” for such a great job with the sound.

I love all of you … and I love where we live!

Charley Packard Sandpoint

as well.

Perhaps only because no plastic tubing was available, medieval torturers did not resort to rectal hydration or feeding. The CIA’s excuse that it was for medical reasons would be laughable if the procedures were not so horrific.

The Senate report concludes that “excessive force” was used and one detainee “was later diagnosed with an anal fissure and rectal prolapse,” symptoms congruent with anal rape.

President George Washington refused to allow his soldiers to use the cruel methods that the British and Hessians had used against them. Continuing to preserve the moral high ground, President Roosevelt did not permit American officers to torture any Japanese, even though they had tortured thousands of allied soldiers to death.

At Fort Hunt Park, 4,000 high level Nazi prisoners were treated more than humanely and underwent non-coercive interrogations.

The Axis Powers were a far greater threat to world peace than any

terrorist group today, but America still preserved its values.

The US has always recognized waterboarding, a torture technique that goes back to the Inquisition, as a war crime. In 1901, Major Edwin Glenn got 10 years in prison for waterboarding a Philippine insurgent. The US prosecuted Japanese soldiers who brought thousands of prisoners to the point of drowning. Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks in error when he denies these facts of US military history.

On Nov. 15, 2004, Pope John Paul II apologized for the Inquisition, but when will the US government acknowledge that the Bush administration violated not only international law but basic human decency?

Nick Gierof Moscow taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Read previous columns on this topic at www.NickGier.com/Torture.pdf and /humanetreatment.pdf.

READER PHOTOS

Robert Moore of RAW Photography certainly kept himself busy this Lost in the ‘50s weekend. He got out to shoot the car show and other events, catching some great detail in all the memorable classic vehicles. The photos look even better in color.

Thanks for sharing, Robert! And all you other shutter bugs out there, feel free to keep sending your favorite shots or pet photos to ben@sandpointreader.com.

Illustration by Angela Euliarte

Over and over again, I am asked by individuals new to our area questions like: What is there to do here? Is there ever anyone downtown? Does anything special happen on (insert various holiday name)? I try to explain to them that North Idaho isn’t really like California or Colorado or whatever various awesome place they moved here from. Apparently every other state has multitudes of public celebrations, and our newest citizens have to deal with our Scroogesque lack of town revelry.

We have one legit celebration in this town. One time of year when it is OK to consume massive amounts of alcohol and dance in the streets. One time of

year when you may bring your child downtown to something cleverly called a “parade” and realize the grave mistake you have made when you have to explain why their fourth-grade teacher is making out with the guy who mixes paint at Home Depot. This celebration is called Lost in the ‘50s, and the name will not make sense to the average American. It only makes sense after you have lived through it.

About a month before this annual May celebration, every business in town starts playing ‘50s music—the worst music in the world. I do not understand anything that they are talking about: lollipops and rockin’ robins, purple people eaters and shoo-bop-she-bop … and for that matter what is the “hop” and why should we go there?

You may think that the playing of this music is to build excitement and set the tone. What it really is about is driving you crazy so that you spend more

money on liquor. Lost in the ‘50s is a vital part of local economy. That is fact.

However; after the seventy-sixth hour straight that you have the lyrics to “Jailhouse Rock” pulsating in your mind, you will start searching your phone for another ‘50s tune to replace it. Everyone who has survived Lost in the ‘50s knows that the only way to purge a ‘50s song from your mind is to listen to another one—better known as the “Bloody Mary Method” treating the symptoms with the cause.

At any rate, you’ll get somewhat used to managing the music, and then townsfolk will start dressing the part, and the next thing you know, you’re at the stoplight and look to your left and the lead singer for ZZ Top will be sitting in a car next to you revving his engine, causing flames to explode from his exhaust. You will feel strangely unsettled.

All of this is just foreplay to the main event, which is a “car show” on Friday night. It’s a pa-

rade that lasts at least 900 hours, and the city streets are flanked with people celebrating, drinking, sinning, etc. What are they celebrating? What is it about classic cars that creates such excitement, enough to fuel not just one day of pageantry, but a WHOLE weekend?

College students come home for the weekend, families have get-togethers, and it has nothing to do with a religious figure, a season, a rite of passage or the giving of presents or thanks or anything. It’s really just about drinking, optional dress-up days and appreciating sweet cars, while infuriating music consistently fills the background. It’s really a choose-your-own adventure holiday. There are options to bring children as there is a “kid friendly” street dance on Friday night. Do not be fooled.

While kids are allowed, the rating of this event is PG, as someone needs to be there to explain why all the adults are speaking in a strange accent and why every mom in town is showing cleavage and boasting an orange tan. It’s confusing for them.

The real reason it is called Lost in the ‘50s and not Drinking in the ‘50s or Show Off Your Car Week should be something

you figure out for yourself. The ‘50s portion of the week is to make it seem innocent and nostalgic. Plus, some people are incapable of having a good time without a theme. You will feel “lost” because you will typically make poor choices on Friday night leading to a bit of the whiskey flu on Saturday, which you will have to power through in order to be part of the never-ending festivities on Saturday night. Somewhere in that time warp you will lose yourself, your shoes, your wallet , maybe your lunch and possibly your dignity. I have seen it all, that weekend. Sunday is the day you will emerge, confused and craving fast food.

The only saving grace is that most everyone else in town will be equally “lost” and therefor thankfully amnesiac when it comes to recalling the poor choices of other people. Those who go to watch and judge are typically pregnant or people you don’t want to be friends with anyway. Don’t sweat it.

By my next column, I hope to have found myself.

Remember: What happens while you’re Lost in the ‘50s stays in the ‘50s.

SQ

However, that bargain also requires charters to provide equitable access and appropriate minority service instruction as required by civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Terry Ryan, President of the Idaho Charter School Network (the lobbying arm of Idaho’s charters), recently wrote an oped declaring that the solution to this inequity problem is...wait for it...to build more charters!

Said Ryan, “The best way to help charter schools serve more diverse populations is to help them grow.” Throw more money at the problem. Where have we heard this before?

Idaho Ed News reported that Idaho Charter Commission Chairman Alan Reed said of the report’s findings, “Before approving new charters, we ask petitioners, ‘What are your strategies for reaching special and underserved populations?’”

Chairman Reed’s question should be modified: Before approving any new charters we need to fix the imbalance that exists today. After all, shouldn’t minority students be entitled to the same freedom and legal opportunity “to choose” charters as any other kiddo?

It’s time for a moratorium on any new charters until we address this chronic imbalance.

It’s time we fully recognize that regular public schools are shouldering the heavy burden of educating special education, minority and low income student populations. And it’s past time that funding for Idaho charter schools be withheld until they can demonstrate they are following the law.

The role of minorities in Idaho’s Charter Schools

By Levi B. Cavener For SPR

Sixty years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. On May 17, 1954, the high court ruled unanimously that U.S. public schools must be desegregated, that separate school systems for blacks and whites are inherently unequal and a violation of the “equal protection clause” of the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment.

It’s now more than a half century later. Here, we have Idaho.

On April 29, 2015, the Idaho Public Charter School Commission released their first ever Annual Report. A damning self-indictment, it paints a painfully grim picture for minority student enrollment in Idaho’s public charter schools. The commission’s comprehensive report was unequivocal in its

findings: Idaho charter schools are consistently and disproportionately unreflective of their surrounding communities’ demographics.

A few takeaways from the report: 55 percent of Idaho charters under-enroll special education students; 77 percent of charters under enroll free and reduced lunch students; 87 percent under-enroll limited English proficiency students; and 90% under-enroll non-white students. What does this mean?

It means Idaho has reversed course and is heading back to 1955, back to the Civil Rights era, and back to schools that are both separate and unequal.

It means, apparently, “white flight”?

Beyond a moral and legal argument to ensure equity in public charter schools, here’s why every property owner in Idaho should care about the commission’s recent findings: When public charter schools fail to

share an equitable burden for providing expensive minority student services -- such as special education and English Language Learner instruction -- local public schools end up enrolling a disproportionate number of these students. Local public schools are then forced to levy property owners to pay for expensive minority instruction and support.

While some may point to the current imbalance as merely a byproduct of so called “school choice,” the commission’s findings should, at minimum, create pause to ensure that charter facilities are actually “a choice” for minority student populations. Remember, Jim Crow laws and segregated schools were also a product of active policy “choices” by lawmakers.

Remember, the bargain that charters made with Idaho is enhanced instructional freedom in order to experiment with new pedagogy and curriculum.

Levi B Cavener is a special education teacher in Caldwell, Idaho. He also manages the education blog IdahosPromise.

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NEWS Caribou wins city support, downtown mural

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR

Spare an ear for the woodland caribou—it, too, is one of God’s creatures.

It’s also a species that’s seen better days, with populations dwindling in the lower 48 states to dangerous levels.

Since North Idaho is one of the last bastions for the caribou herds, it’s appropriate that the animal is soon to be something of a downtown Sandpoint icon with the installation of a Snow River building mural on Cedar Street.

Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity, cruised through town this week to make both a political and an artistic mark on the local landscape.

He attended a city council meeting Wednesday to acquire Sandpoint’s support for caribou, a resolution the council quickly passed.

Meanwhile, a trio of artists— Roger Peet, Joy Mallari and Mazatl of the Justseeds Artists Cooperative—busied themselves throughout the week painting Snow River

BRIEFS Molander, Lewis win school board trustee election

Voters are apparently happy with the work from their Lake Pend Oreille School District trustees. In Tuesday’s school board election, Zone 1 and 4 residents elected candidates who ran on a business-as-usual platform.

In Zone 1, incumbent Joel Molander will retain his school board seat, besting challenger Kathy Rose 424 votes to 180

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building. The mural is set to be complete Sunday, with an unveiling reception scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday.

According to Greenwald, it’s more important than ever for Sandpoint to publicly support caribou recovery.

The southern Selkirk herd of North Idaho is the last in the continental United States, and fewer than 50 caribou remain.

Greenwald believes herd augmentation is essential to achieve healthy populations once again. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated just such an augmentation in the 1990s, but Greenwald’s data suggests another is long overdue. The resolution passed by the City Council should be a valuable tool in showing local approval of rehabilitation efforts, he said.

“Local support from cities really does make a big difference,” he said.

The city also helped with the Sandpoint Arts Commission’s approval of the large mural on the Snow River building. Greenwald said the idea to combine conservation advocacy with artistic murals of the animals came to him votes. And in Zone 4, Geraldine Lewis will replace retiring trustee Mindy Cameron, winning her election against opponent Tom Cleveland by 448 votes to 139 votes.

In their campaigns, both Molander and Lewis emphasized the strong school performance charted in recent years and expressed a commitment to maintaining that track record. [CR]

Special session clears legislation Well, it’s finally over.

After weeks of hemming and hawing over the Idaho Legislature’s failure to pass a child support bill putting the

Roger Peet, Joy Mallari, Noah Greenwald and Mazatl show off the still-unfinished caribou mural. Check out its official unveiling Sunday 2 p.m. at Snow River. Photo by Cameron Rasmusson after finding an ally in former Sandpoint planning director Jeremy Grimm. He said the approach is great at both passing government resolutions and raising public awareness.

Sure enough, the mural artists have attracted significant attention, gawkers and questions from passer-bys as they painted the massive creature.

Greenwald is encouraged by the interest in the project and hopes people will turn out for the official unveiling of the mural, hosted by the Center for Biological Diversity and Selkirk Conservation Alliance, this Sunday. He looks forward to it as a moment of celebration in a conservation fight that is far from over.

state in line with international treaties, lawmakers scooted back down to Boise this week for a rare special session, promptly passing the legislation Monday. At stake was $46 million in federal funding plus the tools necessary to enforce Idaho’s child support system.

The crisis began at the end of the legislative session when the House Judiciary Rules and Administration Committee killed the bill bringing the state into compliance, calling it evidence of federal bullying and saying it made Idaho vulnerable to foreign courts—including some potentially ruled

by Shariah law.

The resulting wailing and gnashing of teeth made it all the way into national and in-

ternational press, including coverage by the New York Times. It was yet another moment of embarrassment for many Idahoans as the rest of the country tapped its foot, giving the state the side-eye and muttering, “Come on, guys, what’s taking so long?”

On the other hand, many lawmakers doubled down on their opposition. District 1 Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, was one of them. One of the original committee members to vote down the legislation, she ventured back into nay territory this week.

“We are throwing away our state sovereignty and due process for efficiency, and that’s absurd,” she said. [CR]

“Endangered mountain caribou need our help and care,” said Greenwald in a press release. “Sandpoint’s resolution and willingness to feature these beautiful animals on a mural clearly show that people care about these endangered creatures and don’t want them to be lost.”

Local economy in good shape The past year has dealt the local economy its share of blows, the closure of Coldwater Creek chief among them. But a new report by Headwaters Economics says Bonner County has weathered the transition well.

In particular, the report praises the variety in local employers and predicts the county economy should hold steady.

Researchers reached that conclusion by examing long-term trends in employment, income and demographics, with a special eye turned toward manufacturing, tourism, health care, entrepreneurship and more. [CR]

NEWS FEATURE Officer shooting mourned in Sandpoint region

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR It’s a feeling familiar to every law enforcement officer: There’s no telling what each traffic stop or citizen engagement will bring.

Most of the time—especially in smaller communities—it’s business as usual.

The officers ask their questions, issue their citations or exact any other procedure required by law. But lingering in their minds is the slim possibility that the individual they’re about to engage could be one of the few who choose to react violently.

“We make those contacts every day, and you just never know,” Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon said.

For Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore, this grim reality yielded deadly consequences that resonated throughout Idaho and the greater law enforcement community. On a routine patrol in the early morning hours of May 5, he approached a man walking down the street to check on him. The man allegedly then pulled a gun and shot Moore in the head, stealing his police vehicle in a bid to escape. Police later arrested Jonathan Daniel Renfro, 26, on suspicion of the shooting, but any satisfaction was short-lived. Moore succumbed to his wounds in the late afternoon.

The tragic death was a grim reminder to local law enforcement that no matter how small or close a community is, there’s always a chance that duty may demand the ultimate sacrifice.

“It brings the reality to the surface,” Sandpoint Police Capt. Rick Bailey said. “This happens, and it can happen to you.”

Earlier in his career,

Sandpoint Police officer Eric Ryan worked with Moore and counted him among his good friends at the time. He recalled him as a no-nonsense type-A personality committed to his job. Although their friendship grew more distant once Ryan moved to Sandpoint, it was still a shock for the local officer when he heard about the shooting.

“When you hear about officers being shot or going down in the line of duty, you never expect that it would happen to a guy like him,” Ryan said.

Idaho residents and outof-towners alike rallied around the Moore family, as did the Idaho Peace Officers’ Memorial. An organization with a mission to support families of fallen or disabled officers, IPOM representatives quickly reached out to the Moore family with $10,000 in support and a pledge to add Moore’s name to the Meridian memorial they maintain, according to board president Mike Johnson. The organization also offers full-ride college scholarship opportunities to Idaho universities or trade schools for officers’ children.

Thousands attended Moore’s funeral in Coeur d’Alene days after his death, many local law enforcement officers among them.

Moore was honored again last Thursday at Bonner County Sheriff’s Office in a ceremony acknowledging officer sacrifices. A regular ceremony for the department, it took on weighty significance with Moore’s passing fresh in memory. In an emotional eulogy, Bonner County Sheriff Deputy Phil Stella emphasized that it was Moore’s commitment to putting on a uniform and serving the community every day that defined his life—not

Photo?

Local law enforcement officials prepare to read names of fallen officers as the flag rests at half-mast at the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office. Photo by Cameron Rasmusson that fact that he was killed in the line of duty “What made Greg Moore a hero [that day]? Absolutely nothing,” Stella said. “The way these men died is not what makes them great.”

According to Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon, the death of a police officer is invariably a shock to the community and the surrounding regions. The incident even colored Lost in the ‘50s weekend—always a busy few days for law enforcement. Just about every officer was surprised by the response from community members as they managed security at the weekend’s parades and street dances.

“Even the patrol officers noticed the change in the community,” Coon said. “It’s been interesting to hear of-

ficers mentioning how often people wave to them as they drive by, or how often people thank them for their service.”

More sobering is the reminder of the inherent danger of law enforcement for officers’ families. Parents, spouses and children already put up with the unusual working hours and different public treatment they receive by having an officer in the family (running into someone you’ve arrested at the super market is an awkward but unavoidable reality in a small town, according to Bailey). It doesn’t help to have the troubling idea of untimely death brought to the front of one’s mind.

“When it hits this close to home, that’s when your parents or your wife realize this can happen anywhere,” said

Ryan.

No matter how uncomfortable the reminder is, it can’t affect the way officers do their job, Bailey said.

As Stella pointed out in his eulogy, that became abundantly clear when just days after Moore’s death, local law enforcement raced to Farmin Stidwell Elementary on reports of an armed intruder at the school. While the threat proved later to be toothless, responders didn’t know what kind of situation they were walking into. It’s that mentality to selflessly protect that ultimately makes an officer a hero, according to Stella.

“Warriors came from every corner of the county to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves,” he said.

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WINNER Flash Fiction Contest

Finding Her Form

By Jessica Bowman

The bell above the pawn shop door jingled as she stepped over the threshold. She had seen the typewriter in the window and had felt drawn to it. Old, worn out, beautiful. This was the tool she needed.

The typewriter sat on her lap as she rode the bus home. The bus doors opened, and the typewriter weighed heavy in her arms. Its heaviness on her walk from the bus stop to her door dissipated as the girl thought about her story. Walking into her apartment, she cleared her laptop from her desk and placed the anachronistic machine in its stead.

She sat at the typewriter. She sat before it. She touched its keys.

No words came. She had felt sure that the story would come out if only she switched mediums. That she would be able to see the words form; blosso ming into sentences on the crisp, white paper. But the words came no quicke r on this aged, beat-up typewriter than they had on her laptop.

This story had come to her, chosen her, to be its medium. Yet, here she sat, the story formless in her head. She began to wonder if the story had chosen the wrong person, trapped inside her. F-U-C-K I-T. She felt the satisfaction as each key struck the paper. She stood and went to her bookshelf, removing a half-used notebook. She sat back at the desk, grabb ed a pencil and began to write. The words flowed from the tip like liquid . Her hand moved across the paper furiously.

The story was free.

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event t h u r s d a y f r i d a y s a t u r d a y

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Learn the Cha Cha! 7pm @ SWAC (but you don’t have to be a member) Call Diane at 610-1770 to sign up or for more information

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KRFY Morning Show 8am - 9am @ 88.5 FM Hear the latest and greatest with hosts Suzy Prez and Chris Bessler. Or listen online at www.krfy.org

Priest Lake Spring Festival 9am - 3pm @ downtown Coolin The 53rd annual Priest Lake Spring Festival

Alzhei 1pm @ Held o Free r sion w Griffitt

Live Music w/ Devon Wade 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery An independent country music artist out of Sandpoint with a strong love for what country music has always been, songs about real life

American Heroes Weekend Silverwood Theme Park All military personnel, veterans, police officers and firefighters get free admission

m o n d a y

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Open Mic Night with Scott Reid 6pm - 9pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee All are welcome to attend. Held every first and third Thursday of each month

Sandpoint Farmers Market 9am - 1pm @ Farmin Park Treat yourself and family to locally grown fresh produce, baked goods and handcrafted arts and crafts. Live music by Bright Moments Jazz

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Teen anime club 3pm - 4:30pm @ Sandpoint library Preteens and teens are welcome to check out the world of Japanese animation. Takes place every other Friday

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Live Music w/ Bright Moments 5:30 @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Featuring Maya Goldblum—an upbeat classic jazz band with trumpet and keyboard. Maya will be sharing her original music and sound backed up by Bright Moments.

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Priest Lake Spring Festival 9am - 3pm @ downtown Coolin The 53rd annual Priest Lake Spring Festival will feature a theme “Priest Lake Memories” and visitors will find an arts and craft fair, parade, fun runs, quilt display, sausage booth, bake sales, kids’ carnival and more! Free to attend

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American Heroes Weekend Silverwood Theme Park Free entry for military, veterans, police and firefighters

Live music w/ Jake Robin 9pm - 12am @ 219 Catch some soulful tunes t celebrate your Sunday

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Weekly infusion of blues and rock from the Man

Clark Fork Delta Cruis 1pm - 4 pm @ Kramer Marina in Hope Experience the delta like never before

Karaoke N 9pm - Midn

Trivia Nig 7pm - 9pm Just becaus mean you k

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CHaFE 150 Happy Hour 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Come meet fellow bike riders and learn more about the CHAFE 150 that takes place in Sandpoint (held June 20)

Bingo Night 6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Test your luck and try some brews while you’re at it.

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Yappy Hour 4pm - 7pm @ Taylor and Sons Chevrolet A tail-waggin’ good time! Bring your dog and enjoy a Panhandle Animal Shelter benefit with live music, beverages and fun

State of the Scotchmans 6pm @ Forrest M. Bird Charter High Sch Preeminent wilderness historian and advoc Scott will be the featured speaker at the ann ing of FSPW. FSPW will also announce t Old Goat of the year, top volunteer, and gi date of the exciting political developments

ful

May 21 - 28, 2015

Alzheimer’s Support Group 1pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Held on first and Third Thursdays of the month.

Free respite care available during group session with advance reservations; contact Jan Griffitts for more information at 208-290-1973

ist out of at country real life

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Spring “Priest will find un runs, ke sales, o attend

lta Cruise Kramer e delta like

Reader recommended

SHS Spring Concert Extravaganza 7pm @ Panida Theater Check out the what local student musicians have been working on all these months. Concert, symphonic and jazz bands are just a few of the treats in store. $5 admission

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority It’s Friday! Kick back with a few good tunes and a beer—you shouldn’t have a problem finding something with IPA’s selection

Live Music w/ Gill & The Spills 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Bluegrassy, folkish ... fun and upbeat talented musicians playing their original tunes Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip 7pm - 9pm @ La Rosa Club A local songwriter who puts on one hell of a show. A great venue for his work

ake Robin 19 ul tunes to unday

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

Roaring ‘20s dance 1pm - 4pm @ Senior Center Get out your dancing shoes and your ‘20s clothes! This dance with music by Country Plus will have you doing the Charleston in no time. Admission by donation.

Live music w/Flying Mammals 9pm - 12am @ 219 End your night at the 219, where the drinks are plentiful and the Spokane-based Flying Mammals bring their energetic rock.

Idaho Pour Authority’s 2nd Anniversary Party 2pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Come celebrate the 2 year anniversary of IPA in style.

First comes Truck Mills at 2pm, then Holly McGarry will join Harold’s IGA with her band, Honeysuckle, at 5pm.

Two years of bringing the best selection of beer to you.

Update on the Proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness 9:45am - 11:30am @ Sandpoint Community Hall Phil Hough, a founding board member and executive director of the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, will discuss the current state of the campaign for wilderness protection for the 88,000-acre Scotchman Peaks Roadless Area. Free admission, public welcome. Sponsored by the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society and Sandpoint Parks and Recreation. Call 208-627-3292 for more information

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6pm - 9pm @ Trinity The father-and-daughter performances wrap up the week Saturday at Trinity

Live music w/Aaron Wilder Band 9pm - 12am @ 219 Have a little country-rock courtesy Aaron Wilder to cap off your Saturday.

Cool Clothing? ories? s s e c c A e m o s e Aw Sassy Cards?

Crazy Gifts?

!

We've got it all

! d n e k e e w s i h t rts Summer Fun sta ear up here!

G 317 North 1st Avenue • Open 7 days • 208-263-2178

The sun is out!

Isn’t it time for more sunglasses and sun readers?

Karaoke Night pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge

rivia Night pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s ust because you’re a know-it-all doesn’t mean you know it all Live music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 7pm - 9pm @ Eichardt’s The jazz is back, and so is special guest Maya Goldblum

High School and advocate Doug at the annual meetnnounce the FSPW eer, and give an upelopments in Idaho

Sandpoint Farmers Market 3pm - 5:30pm @ Farmin Park Treat yourself and family to locally grown fresh produce, baked goods and handcrafted arts and crafts. Live music by Rob and Amy Kincaid

Hope Islands Cruise 4:30pm - 6 pm @ Kramer Marina in Hope Enjoy a scenic tour around the four islands of Hope aboard the Shawnodese and learn the colorful history of the Hope Peninsula and islands. Plus, the tour includes a cruise by Pearl Island, a bald eagle sanctuary.

Learn more at www.lakependoreillecruises.com

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We’ve gotten a great response to our call for your pet photographs.

Instead of putting them in just one issue, we’ve decided to feature one or two every issue as long as we have the space. To submit your own pet photos, please send a photograph and a little bit of information about your special friend to ben@sandpointreader.com.

Broadcasting in Sandpoint on 106.7 FM and in Digital HD

-Max-

Interested in advertising your business in the Reader?

Talk to our advertising director Jen Landis today for rate information 208.627.9661 jen@sandpointreader.com

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When moving back to Sandpoint after a few months away (dumb idea) my car was packed to the limit with barely enough room for my dog.

He is clearly concerned! And maybe a little bit terrified of my driving!

Max and I are both overjoyed to be back and living in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho.

We vow to never leave... well, maybe for vacations now and again! Sometimes it takes leaving to realize how great your life is here!

Cathy Schuller Sandpoint

“The Time Machine”

“Popcorn, Anyone?”

By Matthew Weatherman

The machine appears as if by magic.

When she left the stage, walking the narrow corridors to the dank, echoey cast bathroom, it wasn’t there. Upon her return, it stands center-stage, illuminated by the eerie glow of the ghost-light. As far as she knows, no-one, not even the techies are here in the theater with her.

She has the only key.

Is this a prototype of the time machine made up by the prop department?

Shaking her head dismissively at the thought, she remembers how they were already in dress rehearsals for Peter-Pan before the new prop master finally got her a workable hook. Besides, their upcoming production of H.G. Well’s The Time Machine calls for a device that the protagonist can sit inside, not merely hold.

She approaches it timidly, glancing suspiciously over her shoulder as she she gets closer to it. Standing on a brass tripod, as if for a telescope, the machine looks foreign at first; a large disc with vaguely Cyrillic symbols encircling a domed orb. The way the parts interconnect remind her of a sextant, that ancient device used by mariners to chart their course using the stars.

As she studies it more carefully, she can see that the center orb is a gallimaufry of metal odds and ends: the valves of a trumpet, keys and typebars from a typewriter, a graduated dial as if from a compass, all soldered together into an intricately complex and befuddling design. She can see that there is a keyhole in the center of it that she had not noticed until now.

She reaches into her pocket and fishes out her theater keys. On a whim, she tries the key for the front door of the the-

By Helen Newton

ater, but it is far too small and modern to She was sitting at her typewriter fit. It jangles about in the opening, rever- when they came in. berating with a sound that is louder than It was where you could find her most she would have expected. One by one, of the time –5 days a week – sometimes she tries the costume key, the props key, 6 days. 8 to 5. And she was fast. 125 the sound booth key, but each is far too words a minute on the ancient manual. small to reach the edges of the slot that Imagine what she could do on a computstands in the center of the pieced togeth- er keyboard. er brass contraption.

But her boss wasn’t about Finally, she takes a to buy a computer. skeleton key, orig“No way. inally a prop Never.” from their production of We had so many great submissions for the contest, and C . S . regret that we couldn’t run them all. These honorable L e w mentions deserved to be included as well. Thanks to is’s The all who submitted. We’ll have another contest at some Lion, the point in the future, so keep those pencils sharpened.

Witch and the Wardrobe, Those given to her as a were his exparting gift by the old act words every prop manager, and tries it in the slot. It time she brought it up. “Don’t fits. Cautiously, she tries to turn the key need one.” clockwise. The key won’t budge, so she He thought nothing of throwing away nudges it counter-clockwise. The key his money buying drinks and trying to catches and begins to turn on its own. impress cronies at the club every night.

Once, twice, three times around, it turns. Why? Eventually every one of them When it stops, the orb trembles and be- would come to him to do business. No gins to unfurl to reveal intricate clock getting around it. She guessed he would gears, connecting in layers of carefully never figure out how he was being used. interlaced inner-working.

Heck, she basically ran the business.

As she looks at it, the machine stills, She met the clients, kept the books, sent but the stage begins to spin, twisting bills, deposited the payments, put in the oraround her in an escalating whirlwind ders, answered the phones – did everything of movement. She keeps her eyes on the but the one thing only he could do. But she machine, trying to steady her body as didn’t own it. She just worked there. And her world violently gyrates around her. she knew he would let her go in a New York When the spinning finally stops, she minute if he thought he could hire anyone is no longer in the theater. younger and prettier and half as efficient for the same amount he paid her.

She should have looked for a different

HONORABLE MENTIONS

job years ago but somehow she just kept doing the same thing, day after day, until she could handle the job in her sleep.

And soon years had passed by and she was still here with nothing much to put on a resume even if she wanted to look for a different job. Now she couldn’t even boast that she had any computer skills. Jeez. In most other offices in town the secretaries had never even seen a typewriter let alone used one.

So when they walked in she was startled but managed to keep her composure. Then they demanded to see the boss. She followed her usual routine, assuring them that she could handle things.

Nope. Had to see the boss.

Well, didn’t they know it was men’s golf day? Surely they didn’t expect her to call him off the golf course to take care of THEM. She could do it perfectly well.

They did make quite an impression though. She had to give them that.

And then they had shown her the wad of cash—their only method of payment.

Heaven knew the business could use some cash flow.

So she picked up the phone, dialed the familiar number and told the girl the boss needed to call his office as soon as possible.

Soon a very irritated voice asked what in the Sam Hill she was doing, interrupting his golf game. Couldn’t it wait?

With them standing there listening to her every word, she explained that his presence had been requested.

“Well, what do they LOOK like?” he demanded.

She turned away from them and whispered into the phone, “Ever see ‘Deliverance?’”

Sometimes the temptation is just too much.

“Dust”

The typewriter was dusty. It was the only thing of his that Alice could bear to keep around, but that didn’t mean she wanted to touch it. It squatted in a corner of the room, a sinister reminder.

A note, two words, I’m Sorry, clutched in its mouth. Ambiguous enough that his death was deemed an accident, not a suicide. But Alice knew Trevor, knew that he was feeling particularly sorry for himself that night, when he binge drank more whiskey than usual, washing down the cocktail of pills. If it was an accident, then it was still directed at her. Selfish asshole. Still, the typewriter reminded her of the man he had wanted to be, an artist, not the man that he was, a jealous, sad drunk.

Alice’s sullen reverie was broken when her roommate, Jeremy, flung the

By Jenna Bowers door open dramatically.

“That’s it. Enough moping. You’re coming out dancing with me tonight. It’s time for you to meet someone.”

“Jer, the last thing I want is to be surrounded by sweaty, groping strangers.

I’m in mourning.”

“Oh please, it’s been months!”

“It’s been three weeks.”

“The best three weeks we’ve had in awhile; with that gray rain cloud lifted from this apartment it feels like spring around here.”

“Jeremy! Don’t say that. It’s not very classy to speak ill of the dead.”

“I’m being honest. You know you can feel it too.”

Alice wished she could, but the heavy presence of Trevor still felt real to her.

She woke breathless in the night; sure she could feel his weight next to her in bed. She didn’t know how to feel, relieved or devastated, and so her default setting was empty.

“I’m done with romance Jer, too much energy.”

“Come on babe, we can go to a lesbian club. I’d do that for you. The best music, no drunk bros hitting on you, just dancing.

“So generous of you.”

“That’s what friends are for. Besides, savvy queers know that lesbian clubs are the hot new place to meet guys.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Trust me. I know where the guys are. Hell, even straight guys are figuring it out. Maybe we’ll even find you a nice

little slice.”

“I told you, I’m not interested in that.”

“Fine. Just humor me ok? I need a girl to get into the club without getting stink eye from the dykes at the door. Be my wing woman. It’ll be good for you.”

“Alright. If I say yes will you shut the hell up?”

“That’s my girl!” Jeremy planted a kiss on Alice’s cheek and went to get ready. Alice sighed and heaved herself off the couch to do the same.

A cloud of dust erupted in the corner as the typewriter stirred to life. Alice went white as a ghost, trembling, and slowly walked towards the machine as it whirred and thumped. Below the first note were six new words: Don’t go Alice. Stay with me.

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Best (and worst) book-to-film adaptations

By Ben Olson For SPR We’ve all heard people say it. Invariably, if there is a film that has been adapted from a book, they say, “You should’ve read the book, it was much better.”

Most of the time, they’re right. How can you take tens of thousands of words and truncate it down into 90 minutes of action without missing important back story and character development?

Sometimes, however, there are these rare gems of adapted films that shine with a new light. It’s hard to say they are better than the original, as we’re discussing two different mediums, but they could hold their own in a bar fight.

Also, for fun, I’ve included a couple of the worst adaptations I’ve ever seen.

BEST “Adaptation” 2002 adapted from “The Orchid Thief”

When you watch a Charlie Kaufman film, you should be ready for anything.

He is one of the strangest and most brilliant screenwriters working today, and certainly hit his stride with “Adaptation.”

“The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean was already a great book, full of rich and unbelievable characters like John Laroche. But when Kaufman added his neurotic, hilarious touch and made it into a film about a guy struggling to write a film about a book... well, you get the idea.

Starring Nicholas Cage, who plays Kaufman (and actually does a good job, much to my surprise), Meryl Streep and Chris Carter (my favorite, as the toothless John Laroche), this is a must-see if you haven’t caught it yet.

“Forrest Gump” 1994 adapted from “Forrest Gump” by Winston Groom

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this film is one of those that makes you feel good about life and people in general.

It has adventure, action, drama, a kickass soundtrack and a romantic southern style. Tom Hanks certainly deserved the Oscar he won for her performance.

The book “Forrest Gump” by Winston Groom was interesting, but there was just something magical about the film that seemed to tell the story better.

In the book, Forrest embarked on sever-

al more adventures, such as his NASA mission to outer space with a chimp named Sue and then crash landing and being held captive by cannibals for four years. Probably a good move to exclude that one.

I did enjoy, however, how Groom wrote the novel using grammatical errors and misspellings to indicate Forrest’s cognitive disabilities. At first, your mind rebels against the poor grammar, but by the end you’re thinking like Forrest, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

“Die Hard” 1988 adapted from “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Roderick Thorp

Not many had heard of Thorp’s pulp detective thriller until Bruce Willis played John McClane (called Joe Leland in the book) being chased by terrorists through Nakatomi Plaza.

The book is a little darker than the film, but overall, “Die Hard” brought more to the plate, as Thorp’s writing style is a little generic. Some of the best scenes, however, were stolen directly from the novel, including McClane jumping off the roof with a fire hose tied around his waist, and dropping the C-4 bomb down the elevator shaft.

“True Grit” 2010 adapted from “True Grit” Charles Portis

John Wayne fans, please don’t hate me, but the Coen Brothers absolutely nailed it with their film based on the 1968 classic novel by Portis. Jeff Bridges is so fun to watch terrorize children and hoot and holler, and Hailee Steinfeld does such a great job playing the 14-year-old Mattie Ross, you can’t wait to see who she’ll berate next.

Portis’ novel is told from Mattie

Ross’ point of view, which the Coen Brothers do a great job recreating. Overall, you don’t need the film to enjoy the story, but I suggest reading the novel if you haven’t already. There are lines in there that still make me smile, like “I’d give three dollars right now for a pickled buffalo tongue.”

“Stand By Me” 1986 adapted from “The Body” by Stephen King

Stephen King is known for having terrible movies made of his work, but “Stand By Me” is a pleasant break from the norm. It lives right up there with “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Shining” and possibly “The Green Mile” as the best films made of his books.

The novella is set in Maine, instead of Oregon in the film, but most of the elements are preserved. One thing about the novella I’m glad was taken out of the film were long stories written by Gordie that took forever to get through and detracted from the flow of the story.

WORST “I Am Legend” 2007 adapted from “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson

When you watch the Will Smith film after reading the novel by Matheson, you invariably end up scratching your head.

The elements are all mostly in place; a lone survivor of some post-apocalyptic tragedy, a horde of vampire-like creatures run amok... but there the similarities end.

Will Smith’s portrayal of Robert Neville is completely wrong. Matheson wrote him as a dark, cigarette-smoking man who is lonely and depraved in many ways. Smith plays him as a healthy,

pragmatic, able scientist. Other variances bother me, too, like the woman character in the book was actually infected, whereas the female in the film was not, and led the cure to a “free-zone.” The vampires themselves were communicative and had personalities in the novel, but in the film are just computer generated monsters. No thanks, Fresh Prince, I’ll take the novel.

“Water For Elephants” 2011 adapted from “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen

When I read Greun’s book, I was captivated by it’s sense of wonderment and sentimentality. It was a genuinely good story that I was sorry to put down.

Then I watched the film, starring Reese Witherspoon and that knucklehead Robert Pattinson, who have as much chemistry together as a brother and sister forced to kiss at a family reunion.

Overall, the film grew more and more tedious, until I simply had to shut it off, lest it ruin the good feelings I had for the novel. Anyone who acted in a “Twilight” movie shouldn’t be allowed to act again, period. That includes weirdo Kristen Stewart, who has the best “I smell poop” face I’ve ever seen on an actress.

The (ill-defined) role of women in feature films

By Jenna Bowers For SPR Think about your favorite movie.

Now, try to remember all of the women in the cast. Is there one? Maybe two?

Is there “less than one,” meaning that there’s an idea of a woman, but not an actual fleshed-out human? Does she have a narrative arc of her own, or does she exist simply to advance the leading man’s purpose?

According to a recent study by San Diego State, “It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World,” in 2014’s top 100 grossing films, only 12 percent of protagonists were women, while only 30 percent of speaking characters were female (out of approximately 2300 characters). To make matters worse, women were generally younger than their male counterparts and placed in the role of wife, girlfriend or mother.

Even when women are in movies, they are generally supporting characters or objects of desire. How often do we get to see a woman following the heroic path of her destiny ala Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter?

Now that I am aware of the perpetual

imbalance in film casts, I can’t stop noticing the gender inequality, or less often, equality, in every movie I watch. It usually contributes to my overall enjoyment, for better or for worse.

Once I perceive the portrayal of womankind in a movie to be misogynistic, I settle into the expectation that whatever follows is going to insult my intelligence and values as a human, and unfortunately it is almost always the case. Rarely can a story prove to be decent, entertaining, and worthwhile if it doesn’t acknowledge gender equality.

Occasionally savvy filmmakers will employ a certain amount of symbolism to their characters. For example, a man will demonstrate the iconic human experience of search-

ing for something greater, or the desire Meanto provide security for his family. Mean while, a woman will embody a skillful creative talent, or the mystery of the universe. None of these attributes are fedistinctly male or fe male, though one certaincould certain ly argue for the masculine and feminine aspects of each. There is a yin and yang creto our world, cre destrucation and destruc endeavtion, which endeav ors towards balance.

Often the media is heavily slanted toward the masculine, the destructive forces.

Not only does this offer a skewed version of reality, atbut it can glorify certain at tributes while vilifying and damdiminishing others. The dam age of having an unbalanced cast of a removie, then, is multi-dynamic. It re creduces the value of qualities such as cre ativity, trust, emotional intelligence and

kindness, while amplifying the importance of combat, destruction, physical prowess and violence. It demonstrates the worth of men and the relative triviality of women. It robs girls and women of strong and interesting role models, and teaches boys and men that women are one-dimensional beings. The potential and actual societal implications of this are devastating.

This is only a symptom of a much larger problem, and it’s nothing new. As long as we as a society continue to view women and other minorities as less interesting and important than heterosexual white men, we won’t see an accurate representation of these people on the screen. The truth is, real people are multi dimensional, with intriguing personalities, interests, and flaws.

Watch movies with a critical eye. Notice how many women and other minorities make up the cast, and how well they are represented. When you come across a multi-dimensional and fascinating female character, reward the filmmakers by recommending the movie to others.

10 movies with strong female characters 1. Thelma and Louise 2. Amelie 3. Frida 4. Whale Rider 5. Being John Malkovich 6. In a World 7. I Heart Huckabees 8. Malificent 9. Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2 10. Me and You and Everyone We Know

5 gender offenders 1. Knocked Up 2. Seven Psychopaths 3. Pirate Radio 4. Anything by Martin Scorcese 5. Nine

Mako Mori Test: 1. Does the film have at least one female character?

2. Does this female character get her own narrative arc?

3. Is this narrative not about supporting a man’s story?

Bechdel Test: 1. Does the film have at least two female characters who have names?

2. Do these two female characters talk to each other?

3. Do these two female characters talk to each other about something other than a man?

Sexy Lamp Test: Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.

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Fijian adventures of a builder: Part 2

By Ted Bowers For SPR

them as they performed all the rock work and masonry on the Editor’s note: This is the cabins and paved footpaths that second part of a two-part series ran all over the resort grounds. about columnist Ted Bowers’ They were accomplished masons who not only laid the walls experiences in Fiji.

Gini and I were the team and paths with volcanic rock that did the finish work on the from the mountains but also guest cabins at Nukuyaweni laboriously hauled load after Resort. I performed the major load of rock from increasingly part of the mill-work and cabi- distant sources in the foothills netry design and assembly. She of the central mountain chain. performed the invaluable tasks They were almost to the man of maintaining the wood racks, cheerful and friendly all of the and matching color and grain in time and always willing to drop the tropical hardwoods we were what they were doing to lend a privileged to use. She organized hand when needed. They sang as the work site, brought tools to they worked, joked and laughed me, and spent endless hours with one another and treated us sanding cabinet and furniture as equals. They gave Gini the parts. She even performed sur- respect she deserved as a felgery on me when I sliced my low worker and showed none of right thumb with a very sharp the chauvinism one might exchisel, sewing five stitches in pect from some cultures (if you my copiously bleeding hand catch my meaning).

About half way into our tour while I dabbed the blood with gauze so she could see what she of duty, a young man came to was doing. She did such a good us and asked to apprentice with job that I was able to return to me. Manoa was an accomplished builder in the village work the next day.

The cabins were situated of SomoSomo nearby and was within yards of the ocean, and eager to learn my method of the view was always spectacu- carpentry and cabinetmaking. lar. Though we didn’t work di- He turned out to be an excellent rectly with the Fijian villagers, worker who learned quickly we worked side-by-side with and was very helpful. Another young man, Tobe (pronounced

tome’bay) was an excellent wood carver and carved beautiful designs in relief on the cabinet doors I was building for the bathroom vanities. He was adept at carving palm trees, hibiscus flowers and landscapes and his work adorned the doors and benches we built. Manassa and Noa were masons who worked side by side with us on the cabins, building rock walls for the patios and stone soaking pools.

Buli had the only motor boat in the village, and it was his job to ferry the work crew back and forth from SomoSomo to the resort every day. He also made runs to other villages nearby, and the airport at the south end of our island. We bought fuel in 50-gallon drums from the main island of Viti Levu 50 miles across open water and it was delivered by the inter-island ferry boat, a rusty old tub that would run to outer islands once every two weeks or so with supplies.

We always eagerly anticipated its arrival with fresh food, beer and building supplies.

We had a standing invitation to visit SomoSomo on Sundays for church services. These former cannibals were converted in the late 1700s and early 1800s to Christianity. They were very de-

vout and modest folk who were serious about worship and wanted to share their services with us as their guests. After the service, we were always invited to feast at their tables and were served all manner of local foods--dalo (the local term for taro) dalo leaves, several species of fish, bread fruit and wild yams—of which the fish and wild yams were the only thing that appealed to our uncultured taste.

Afterwards we invariably were invited to the kava ceremony with the village elders.

They would crush the kava root in a large wooden mortar and pestle, put the powder in a cloth bag to filter out the kava tea and pour it into a large wooden bowl in the center of the hut. We would sit in a circle around the bowl and be served the drink in a coconut bowl by one man.

He would clap his hands, hand us the drink and we would also clap hands, drinking down the muddy, bitter brew. We’d then hand back the bowl and clapa-

gain. After about 5 or 6 cups of the stuff, our lips and tongues would become numb and we’d start to get a little light-headed. The Fijians seemed to be more strongly affected by it and would become more talkative and laugh loudly. Since alcohol was forbidden on the island, kava was their way to loosen up as well as celebrate.

We were honored to be invited and participate in this deeply cultural ceremony. And although we didn’t attend Sundays in the village often, it was always a heartwarming and singular experience.

We had much to learn from these folk: joy of life, generosity of spirit, deep respect, love for their God and each other and the understanding that strong community is critical to survival. Of all my experiences on the island, my relationships with the villagers of SomoSomo stand out as the most lasting and precious.

Soil issues in new landscaping

The amount of organic matter present in the soil is also important, as well as its relative acidity (pH).

Understanding your soil allows the correct For SPR choice of amendments and fertilizers – for example, a very sandy soil requires lots of The very first consideration organic matter, rich in nutrients. in new landscaping should be A soil heavy with clay will also the condition of the native soil; benefit from organic matter, but the most beautiful design, effi- perhaps not as much and not as cient planning and proper in- rich in nutrients. Sandy soils stallation will go to waste if the will require more irrigation – landscape is installed in a poor clay soils require very careful irrigation so they are neither soil environment.

Soil is a living, breathing waterlogged or too dry.

The proposed plant material ecosystem; a handful of avermay also have a bearing on soil age garden soil contains more living microorganisms than requirements; if you have some there are people on earth! You very shady areas, the types of should be able to classify your plants grown are often classisoil as sandy, clay based, or fied as woodland plants, and ideally, somewhere in between. need a moist, but well-drained

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soil. And many of these, like the azalea, prefer an acid soil (pH less than 7). So your “ideal” soil may vary from point to point at your site. For this reason, it’s wise to group plants according to their soil, moisture and other cultural needs.

Either take the time to understand and test your own soil, or hire a landscape professional to prepare a report for you.

Local county extension agents can arrange for an economical soil test. Consulting with local gardeners and landscapers often yields important information on regional soil issues.

Consider how well your soil drains. Are wet areas the result of natural low spots or poor subsoil drainage – or both?

You may need to create swales to channel excess water away from your home and away from plant roots. For very wet areas,

consider raised beds, either with borders or built as gentle berms – the increased height and improved soil will help to keep plant roots out of standing water.

Drainage may be so poor in some areas that you will need to install tiles or other prefabricated drainage systems. The best way to determine drainage characteristics is to observe your site during a very wet storm – second best would be to flood the area with lots of water from your hose.

When adding soil amendments to your native soil, mix thoroughly into the top several inches with an appropriate tool. Organic fertilizers can be incorporated into the soil at the same time as the bulk amendments. Blood meal, bone meal, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal (for evergreens and acid-loving

plants), kelp and other natural materials will release slowly to provide nutrition for your plants for several years.

Your exact choice of fertilizers will depend on the results of your soil test and on the specific plants grown. Bone meal, with its abundant phosphorus, is an excellent addition to the topsoil under new sod.

You will see numerous advertisements for local “topsoil”; check it carefully for quality.

In general, it’s more cost effective, and often produces better results, to improve your native soil with amendments.

Your investment in soil preparation will more than pay for itself in excellent plant health and vigor, lower water requirements and increased plant resistance to disease, insect and other environmental stresses.

MUSIC Folk lineup boosts community radio

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR An evening of music blooms at the Panida Spring has sprung in the Idaho Panhandle, and with it comes a concert featuring two young bands in full bloom of musical discovery. The concert, a fundraiser for 88.5 KRFY Panhandle Community Radio will present the eclectic talents of two bands Patchy Sanders and Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys who are quickly making names for themselves beyond their respective hometowns of Ashland, Ore., and Nashville, Tenn.

They hit the Panida Theater Friday, May 29.

When it comes to Americana, Patchy Sanders owns the adage, “Something new and something old something borrowed something blue.” This is a band whose music is steeped in tradition, borrowing age-old sounds of early bluegrass, folk and Celtic music while experimenting with the sounds of beat box vocals and modern pop.

A collection of sisters, boyfriends, and close friends, Patchy Sanders shares a tight and intimate musical bond. Jacqui Aubert plays banjo and Danielle Aubert handles vocals while boyfriends Ian Van Ornum and Daniel Sherrill provide their version of musical bling with mandolin and guitar. Van Ornum also plays a variety of other stringed instruments such as guitar, bouzouki and violin. Rounding out the band’s sound are Eric Jones on bass and Sara Wilbur on violin.

Although the band finds its musical vision among the deep roots and branches of traditional American music, Patchy Sanders is also well-versed in classical and jazz stylings. Sherrill, the guitarist, developed his musical chops at the University of Pittsburgh, while Wilbur blends the classical violin with the earthy fiddle. Jones’ signature bowing, meanwhile, adds distinctive bass to many of the band’s songs.

For the album “Wild Peach Forest,” the band enlisted the services of producer Sylvia Massy and Loud Palace Studios in Weed, Calif. Massy is best known for her career in Southern California, working with the likes of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The result is a collection of fresh and innovative songs, garnering enough positive press to land prestigious venues like Kate Wolf Festival, the California World Festival and San Francisco’s iconic mu-

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

I had the good fortune to meet Howard Zinn once before he died. I was driving a taxi during the Sundance Film Festival, and he was walking into a hotel where he was to give a speech. I shook his hand and he said he was surprised, not many young people recognized him anymore.

I took it as a compliment that I did, and that I had read his “People’s History of the United States” early in life. The book, a history as told from the loser’s perspective, should be taught in high schools across the country.

LISTEN

sic hall, the Freight and Salvage.

For those who love sultry soulful vocals and top-notch instrumentation, Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys will fit the bill nicely. The band is made up of versatile musicians Josh Rilko, Mark Lavengood, PJ George, and Lindsay Rilko. However, it’s Rilko’s vocals that really set the band apart, packing a set of pipes at once bluesy and pure, soulful and sweet.

This band, fresh off of a tour through Europe, takes the traditional bluegrass string band in an eclectic new direction.

Defying the limits of labeling, the members forge their own unique sound, a twisty, post-modern journey from bluegrass to modern folk to Beatlesque pop, with bits of Motown peeking through layers of mandolin, guitar, dobro and other stringed instruments. This stylistically rich approach especially comes through on their 2015 release “Ionia.”

While Rilko and company’s music invites comparisons to bands like Joy Kills Sorrow and Devil Makes Three, Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys forges their own identity with a blend of original songwriting and varied musical arrangements. The fact that all members are multi-instrumentalists adds an extra dimension to live performances, which invariably are colorful, multi-faceted and often spontaneous.

It’s appropriate that these diverse and multi-talented performers are lending

Occasionally, I’ll get to the office early and put on some 90s punk rock really loud.

The other morning I played NOFX’s “Punk in Drublic” and it transported me back to the days The members of Patchy Sanders. Courtesy photo. when I was 15 years old, washing dishes at The Garden Restaurant support to KRFY, an equally prolific com(anyone remember that place?). munity outlet with a mission to serve the It remains North Idaho region. As a nonprofit commuone of those nity radio station, KRFY depends on local albums I can businesses and residents for support through listen to front membership, underwriting and fundraising. to back withWith that goal in mind, the benefit concert out skipping will have something to offer everyone who any songs... loves music and entertainment. and I don’t even particularly like punk rock.

Catch Patchy Sanders and Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys 7 p.m. Friday, May 29 at the Panida Theater. Tickets are $10 in I always wanted to be a hobo. advance or $12 at the door and can be purThe closest I ever came was catchchased at Eichardt’s, Eve’s Leaves, Pend ing a train when I was in high Oreille Arts Council and at KRFY by callschool and riding it a few dozen ing 265-2992. miles. Now, the only thing hobo about me is my unruly beard.

“Riding The Rails” is a documentary film that highlights the hordes of teenaged hobos that took to the rails during the Great Depression in search of something better in their lives.

Filled with great images of the Depression and backed by an authentic soundtrack, this film is the closest most of us will get to this bygone era. It’s available to rent at the library, too!

WATCH

Crossword Solution

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w o N & Then compiled by

Ben Olson

Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same. Special thanks to Aric Spence for this week’s feature.

Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers (special thanks to Olivia Morlean, Will Valentine, and Allen Robertson). If you have any scrapbooks or old photographs taken in Bonner County that you would like to see Then & Now’ed, please submit them to the Museum so they can digitize and return the photographs to you. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.

c.1940s

Today, the poorhouse is partially demolished, with little evidence to show of the farm families once worked to pay for their lodging and food. Photo by Aric Spence.

2015

Corrections: Looks like we have nothing to report this week, either. We’re going to enjoy this all-too-fleeting moment while we can.

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CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

The old Bonner County poorhouse, located on Gooby Road off of Great Northern, helped many a family struggling through the Great Depression in the 1930s.

ACROSS 1. Astrological transition point 5. Normal 10. Q-Tip 14. Killer whale 15. Jumpy 16. Relating to aircraft 17. Welt 18. Reverence 20. Worker 22. Go backwards 23. Japanese apricot 24. Venomous snake 25. Disenchant 32. Hard wood 33. Excellence 34. Directed 37. Adriatic resort 38. Dismay 39. Jump up and down 40. S 41. Perspiration 42. Classical Greek 43. Ceaselessness 45. Summary 49. A late time of life 50. Analyze 53. Spire 57. Administrative official 59. Regrets 60. Biblical garden 61. Grill 62. Anagram of “Seek” 63. “___ we forget” 64. Soft leather 65. Apollo astronaut Slayton

DOWN 1. Hood 2. Component of urine 3. Anagram of “Cabs” 4. Light tan horse 5. Reveal 6. Clairvoyant 7. A large vase 8. Affirm 9. Stringed instrument 10. Filled to excess 11. Strange 12. Got up 13. Silly mistake 19. ___-garde 21. Depend

25. Expunge 26. Nile bird 27. Mats of grass 28. Refereed 29. Flower part 30. Angry 31. Petroleum 34. Solitary 35. Auspices 36. Physicians 38. Barley bristle 39. Thought deeply 41. Old photo color 42. Small island 44. Homestead

Solution on page 17 45. Renegade 46. Give off 47. Concerns 48. Catkin 51. Central points 52. Beige 53. Told 54. Throw up 55. Scallion 56. Being 58. Caviar

I guess if I was starving to death I would eat a dog. But not a collie, because I don’t like the taste of collie.

f o t u O e ’r y e h T This World!

215 S. Second Ave. Sandpoint, ID 83864 208.263-9321

We Deliver!

5:30pm - 10pm

Mon - Thur 11am - 9:30pm Fri 11am - 10pm Sat 3pm - 10pm Sun 3pm - 9:30pm

Celebrate Sandpoint’s beloved charity

Angels Over Sandpoint

Operation “Wing Power”

Concert at the Heartwood Center

May 23, 2015 Featuring the Liabilities,

the Northwest greatest Blues/Rock trio with astounding guitarist Rob Packwood and equally great Rhythm section, Sheldon Packwood on Bass and Scott Howard on drums

And 7B

4 Tributaries

with great country rock guitarist, Bob Evans, session pianist, Bob Beadling and percussionist, Larry Guldberg

Tickets $20

at Eichardts, Eve’s leaves and at the door.

Doors open at 6:30 Sponsored by Emerge’n See UCC

ads@sandpointreader.com

BONNER

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festivities in Sandpoint

Inc.

... the safe& reliable ride New Owners, Autry & Joel ph. 208.263.7626 txt 208.597-FINE www.bonnertaxiinc.com

GET A PUNCH CARD: Fifth Ride is FREE (within 10 miles)

Enjoy

We now have 2 cars to serve you

but call us fo r a safe ride home

208.597-FINE

Spokane Airport rides Call ahead for a reservation

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