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PEOPLE compiled by
Ben Olson
watching
“Why is it important to you to volunteer at the Food Bank?” “I do it because I enjoy helping people. I’m retired and it’s a good way to spend my time. Plus, I love dealing with the clientele. They’re such awesome people.”
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
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)
Bea Moreau Retired Sandpoint
Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com
“I benefit from the Food Bank too, and I like helping people. I’m retired, so it makes me feel good to help.”
Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Cameron Rasmusson, Claire Christy, Emily Erickson, Brenden Bobby, Kristina Kingsland
Carol Williams Retired Sagle
“I work for Head Start and I see a lot of issues with food scarcity in our community. With our backpack food program, I see how appreciative our families are. The kids are so great when they see our van pull up. It’s a unique experience and I’ve been doing it for 14 years.” Jim Brown Head Start case worker Sagle
“We’re feeding kids! It’s an investment in our kids and making sure they have an education. We’re delivering almost 400 bags of food to elementary schools today.” Michele Murphree Retired, but serves on board for Food For Our Children Selle “It helps people in need and keeps the community going.” Don Jones Semi-retired Sagle
Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Bonner Co. Historical Society.
Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover
We got our first big snow in the mountains this week, with more expected in the valleys in the coming weeks. Get ready, Sandpoint!
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NEWS
Council denies Litehouse rezone request By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Contributor The Sandpoint City Council voted Nov. 3 to reject a rezoning request by Litehouse Foods, which sought to sell a north Sandpoint property for housing development. Located on the southeast corner of Great Northern and Woodland Drive, Litehouse officials viewed the land as a potential solution to the housing and workforce crisis affecting local businesses. However, council members were hesitant to make an over-hasty decision that could impact local manufacturing businesses, many of which have plans for expansion. “There is undeniably a current need for more housing, but that current need must be balanced with the need for industry growth and expansion,” Councilman Joel Aispuro said. The decision was a rare rebuttal to the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission, which recommended approval of the application. However, council members feared taking drastic action in rezoning the land without the benefit of a land use study. Several council members acknowledged the vote was a difficult call. “I will openly apologize to our Planning Commission,” said Councilwoman Deb Ruehle. “I rarely vote against their recommendations, but I feel like we can slow this down and do a better job.” The council considered two separate proposals during the Nov. 3 meeting. To move forward with the housing plan, Litehouse required a rezone from Industrial General to Residential Multi-family. And to authorize that rezone, Sandpoint’s Comprehensive Plan map requires an amendment redesignating the 25-acre parcel from CA Industrial to CA-3, which allows for higher-density housing through smaller lot sizes, attached and detached multi-family units and more. Council members had to weigh two competing interests: the need for additional housing versus the need for industrial land. “There’s certainly a need for more housing of all types, 4 /
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but certainly more housing that reaches that lower end of the market — what we would consider workforce housing,” said Daren Fluke, interim city planner, in his presentation to the council. “There’s also a need for industrial land. You want to have a place for businesses to locate and grow. And industrial land is a relatively rare commodity, not only in the city of Sandpoint but in the broader regional context as well.” As for forthcoming housing, Fluke said there are now 1,006 total estimated housing units in the pipeline with a strong likelihood of being completed. In his presentation on behalf of Litehouse, Jeremy Grimm of Whiskey Rock Planning and Consulting said that while housing in the pipeline is all well and good, constructed housing is the only thing that ultimately matters. Many projects spend years in construction limbo. And with relatively few units available for middle-income workers, 47% of Sandpoint residents pay more than 35% of their income in rent. As for mortgages, 37% pay more than 35% of their income. “The net result is a housing crisis,” Grimm said. “This is crazy to think that this many people are struggling … with the cost of housing, and I would attribute it all to a lack of supply.” According to Kelly Prior, president and CEO of Litehouse, the land proposed for rezoning was purchased in 2005 with the intention of building a new manufacturing facility. In part because of workforce availability and affordability, the company determined the manufacturing plant was no longer feasible. So instead, they hope the land can instead relieve another pain point: workforce issues. The company has 26 open positions that have gone unfilled for over a year — 10% of its Sandpoint manufacturing workforce — with starting wages of $17 an hour. “Inflation is certainly real,” Prior said. “We’ve had to increase our prices to the consumer to pay for the increased labor. If you haven’t noticed, your salad dressing is more expensive on the shelf today than
it was six months ago. But from a competitive standpoint, we can’t raise prices as quickly as the labor rates and housing costs are increasing, or we will lose business.” Prior added that Litehouse is undergoing contingency planning to transfer production out of state if local issues are not resolved quickly enough. “[It’s] not because we want to, but because we’d have to in order to service the customer,” he said. “We’ve seen it happen to [Thorne Research] and we have seen it happen to Unicep already.” In council deliberations, several council members wanted assurances that the housing produced would be affordable to low- and middle-income workers. “So far I’m not seeing anything a server or someone who works retail can afford,” Councilwoman Kate McAlister said. “If we sold our house in south Sandpoint, we’d make a lot of money, but we’d never be able to live here. We’d have to move.” Grimm replied that while there were no guarantees, higher-income housing would likely be situated near the lake in Sandpoint
— not on the north end of town. And ultimately, higher inventory would lower housing prices for everyone. “The point here is let the market work,” he said. “Let the market work. Get out of the way, and the market will respond to demands. We may even get too much housing, which would really drive prices down.” Following a public comment period, the City Council ultimate-
A map of the proposed development near the Sandpoint Airport. Courtesy image. ly decided to reject the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment and subsequent rezoning request, citing a lack of data indicating how much commercial versus residential land is needed within city limits. Councilman Joel Aispuro said that such a study would be conducted within a year as a part of the Comprehensive Plan update.
Sheriff, commissioners clash over ice arena lease By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners approved a lease agreement for the construction of the Sandpoint Ice Arena on a piece of fairgrounds property on Oct. 26. More than two weeks later, on Nov. 4, Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler made his opposition to the lease known. In a press release titled “Misappropriation of Public Property” that was posted to the sheriff’s Facebook page, Wheeler alleged that the four acres included in the ice rink lease “had been set aside by a previous board of commissioners for future law enforcement and judicial expansion.” Wheeler also alleged that his office, as well
as other judicial and law enforcement factions of the county, were not consulted prior to the lease agreement. “This shameless ‘bread and circuses’ act was perpetrated so the people of Bonner County would have a place to go ice skating,” the press release concludes. “If you don’t appreciate this DEFUND THE POLICE action, then call, write or visit your Bonner County Commissioners and demand that they rescind this give away of public property!” In a follow-up interview on Nov. 9, Wheeler told the Reader that he remains committed to opposing the ice rink in its proposed location. “I stand by my post and I am convinced that crucial facts were
omitted by my non-inclusion in this process,” he said. “It is time to revisit this matter in an open meeting in order to lay all the facts on the table.” When the sheriff’s press release first hit local Facebook forums, Commissioner Dan McDonald was quick to dismiss Wheeler’s claims, in one comment saying that the county’s elected officials were “a bit concerned that the sheriff’s post could be a result of some sort of mental breakdown,” going on to call it “fraudulent information.” In a follow-up interview Nov. 8, McDonald told the Reader that “it may have been an inartful statement on my part.” “What I should have said was what person in their right mind,
< see ARENA, Page 5 >
NEWS
BoCo Treasurer announces retirement
Cheryl Piehl will step down in January after 32 years with the county, 19 of those holding office
By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Cheryl Piehl never imagined she’d be Bonner County Treasurer — let alone that she’d hold the office for almost two decades. However, having worked in the office since 1989 and faced with the resignation of the previous treasurer in 2002, Piehl — who was Chief Deputy Treasurer at the time — stepped up. “I never thought I’d run for treasurer, but I decided to because the office is pretty complicated — the different types of taxes that we handle, the taxpayers we work with,” she told the Reader. “I didn’t want to see someone from outside coming in that didn’t understand how the office functions and works.” Piehl took the helm in 2002 and has campaigned for repeat terms since. On Sept. 21, 2021, Piehl gave notice to the board of Bonner County Commissioners that she would be stepping down from the position to spend more time with her family — especially her grandchildren, who live throughout the region and whose
< ARENA, con’t from Page 4 > and in the sheriff’s capacity, [would] put out a press release making false claims that could be so easily proven wrong?” he said. While McDonald said Wheeler’s claim that his department was not consulted on the lease is true, the commissioners are not required to discuss county property matters with other, unaffected departments. “Additionally, in an email thread between our prosecutor, the sheriff, our judges and the commissioners a few days prior to the sheriff posting his press release, our prosecutor explained to all that this was within the commissioners’ authority and that we had no requirement to check in with other electeds,” McDonald said. McDonald called Wheeler’s claim that the land had been “set aside” for law enforcement and judicial uses “laughable,” seeing as prior boards are not able to take
activities she would love to be available to attend. “I want to be able to just hop in the car and support them and watch them grow up,” she said. If her time as treasurer has taught her anything, Piehl said, it’s that customer service comes first. “I want the people, when they come to the counter, to know they’re important and get up and take care of them right away,” she said. It’s a philosophy she hopes continues in the treasurer’s office. “Our office really does care about the taxpayers,” she said. “Each and every one of the people that I hire, it’s important that they understand and work with the taxpayer to help them as best they can. Nobody likes to pay taxes. We pay taxes, too.” Another huge part of the job is handling all of the county’s money, including more than a dozen bank accounts and more than $70 million in taxes. “We just have to account for every single penny,” she said. It is partly that stress, along with the “juggling act” the treasurer’s office had to perform in order such action. “After the sheriff’s press release hit the public, our clerk did a deep dive to see if, in fact, there had been a legal vote that would have set aside this land, and none could be found anywhere in the record,” McDonald said. “But again, even if there had been, it would not be binding under Idaho law.” McDonald called the sheriff’s claim that the lease was an attempt to “defund the police” a “dog whistle.” “There is no defunding of the sheriff,” McDonald told the Reader. “In fact, when we did the massive budget cuts back in 2017 and 2018, the sheriff’s office saw zero cuts and in fact, we saw their budget increase. Nothing has changed and we clearly have not defunded the police. Once again, the sheriff lowers himself to a place where he makes an inflammatory statement. However, he can’t actually support it.” The issue arose during public
to collect tax payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, that has prompted Piehl to retire. “The past year just made me realize that my family is the most important thing in my life, and I want to be with my family and not take things for granted anymore,” she said. Aside from her work as treasurer, Piehl has been known to share her opinions on other county matters. In 2019, when commissioners talked about shifting Bonner County EMS to a nonprofit model, Piehl spoke at a
public hearing to question whether the board had adequately followed open meeting laws. Earlier this year, when commissioners considered an anti-mandate resolution geared toward COVID-19 mitigation protocols, Piehl encouraged the board to drop the matter and instead concentrate their efforts on supporting health care workers. “It’s kind of nerve wracking for me, but I feel that’s why I took this job,” Piehl said in regard to speaking up in such moments. “I never would have thought of taking it, but when I believe in something strong enough, then I feel that I have to take some type of action. … I want to be a good example to my kids and my grandkids. My mom always said, ‘You can do anything you want to do, you can be anything you want to be.’ If your parent or grandparent talks that way but doesn’t step up to the plate when it’s their turn, then it doesn’t really mean anything, because actions speak louder than words.” Piehl said she hopes whoever fills her shoes as treasurer has a “good accounting background,”
and will prioritize the “continuity and consistency” necessary to run the office. “I think it’s important that people know this office can be trusted and we’re here to help them,” she said. Piehl said she owes “a lot of gratitude” to the employees and citizens of Bonner County — both past and present — who she’s been able to work with since her early days in the treasurer’s office. “We live in a precious area,” she said, “and I just want to enjoy it a little more.”
comment at the board’s Nov. 9 business meeting, despite the ice arena appearing nowhere on the meeting’s agenda. Some residents expressed safety concerns about having a family-friendly facility so close to the Bonner County Jail. McDonald replied by stating that near the sheriff’s complex is “probably the safest place in the county,” and pointed out that there are other family facilities — such as a playground, apartments and the fairgrounds — nearby. The other two commissioners also used the meeting as a chance to sound off about the sheriff’s press release, with Commissioner Jeff Connolly reminding everyone that due to open meeting laws, the commissioners don’t discuss resolutions ahead of meetings. “It seemed like a win-win until some people brought some other things up,” he said, adding later: “In my opinion, I’m open to having another discussion. By no means does this mean I am willing to give
up the ice arena. I’m a full supporter of that. But if there are some things we can do to make it better, I’m open to looking at that.” Commissioner Steve Bradshaw also expressed support for a future meeting where ice arena stakeholders can “put it all out there” for the public. “What was put on the [sheriff’s] Facebook post was shocking to me,” Bradshaw continued.
A conceptual drawing of how the Sandpoint Ice Arena will look. Courtesy image.
Cheryl Piehl.
The Bonner County Republican Central Committee is currently seeking applicants to replace Piehl, a Republican, as Bonner County Treasurer. The deadline to apply is Dec. 3. Find the application at bonnercountygop. com. Nomination interviews will follow at a special meeting of the BCRCC. Minimum qualifications: United States citizen, at least 18 years old, 30 days of residency in Bonner County and a registered Bonner County voter.
“I don’t understand the agenda behind it, or the motive. But it was completely, intentionally misleading and false. By no stretch of the imagination can you make any of this sound like we’re defunding the police.” November 11, 2021 /
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NEWS
County adopts Juneteenth, with likely name change Commissioners respond to public pushback on ‘polarizing’ holiday
By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff A seemingly run-of-the-mill human resources item turned into a discussion on race during the Nov. 9 Bonner County commissioner meeting, during which the board took up the adoption of Juneteenth as a federal paid holiday for county employees. “We currently recognize all federal holidays,” said Human Resources Director Cindy Binkerd, who noted that it is county policy to do so. County resident Doug Paterson asked during public comment whether adopting the new federal holiday — meant to commemorate the day in 1865 that Texas learned about the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War — would cost taxpayers money. Commissioner Dan McDonald shared that “payroll is already figured in,” which wouldn’t add any cost, but that it would be one less work day. “We’re not excited about it, but it’s the policy,” McDonald said. “You can’t play fast and loose with policy.” Though recognized as a holiday or day of observance in 47 states prior to this year, June 19 gained federal designation in 2021. The Black Lives Matter movement has propelled the holiday into the mainstream in recent years, with the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020 leading to the widest observance of Juneteenth to date. Though it commemorates the last state in the country being informed that Black Americans were freed from slavery, Juneteenth has also evolved into a celebration of Black culture and ancestral appreciation. However, critics, such as U.S. Representative Matt Rosendale of Montana, see the holiday’s federal designation as tied to “identity politics.” “Do you have to officially say that that’s what you’re celebrating — this arbitrary, enslaved people’s free day?” asked Asia Williams, a self-identified person of color, at the commissioner’s Nov. 9 meeting. “We’ve done Martin Lu6 /
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ther King [Jr. Day], we’ve floated Washington’s birthday, we decided Columbus didn’t exist anymore. We’ve done a lot with holidays, but this one is particularly very polarizing in this country.” McDonald, after making the point that Bonner County does celebrate Columbus Day rather than the newly recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day, went on to share that a “robust” conversation “with a lot of pushback” took place when commissioners originally discussed Juneteenth in executive session. However, in order to stay in line with county policy, commissioners decided to adopt the holiday. “If the white guy said ‘We’re not going to honor Juneteenth’ — you see where that’s going to go,” Commissioner Steve Bradshaw said. Still, discussion continued about the political nature of the holiday, with county resident Kendra Martin calling it a “potential danger” that “takes away from our country.” “Otherwise we need to have Asian holidays, we need to have Moroccan holidays, we need to have European holidays. We’re on a slippery slope,” she said. “It takes strong people to stand up and say, ‘OK, we’ve got to adjust this a little bit. We’ll figure out how we’re going to comply, but we don’t need to polarize it.’” Though commissioners voted unanimously to recognize June 19 as a paid holiday moving forward, McDonald said: “We could observe the day and call it something else.” “We’ll figure out another way to skin this cat,” he added.
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: According to two disinformation watchdog organizations, the Alethea Group and the Alliance for Securing Democracy, some of the inaccurate information about COVID-19 is coming from Russian fake news sources. That evidence comes from grammatical errors frequently made by Russian speakers writing in English; it has targeted particular groups with the ability to undermine U.S. democracy. The vaccine requirement for larger private companies, meant to stem the transmission of COVID-19, is temporarily on hold after a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. The order will be assessed “in more depth,” MSN reported. Through OSHA, the Department of Labor instituted the ruling, which includes retaining jobs if unvaccinated employees are masked and have weekly testing. A U.S. House investigation looking at the meatpacking industry found at least 59,000 workers were infected with COVID-19; they were not encouraged to stay home when infected, according to The Washington Post. The House report concluded that profits were prioritized over worker safety. With the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant and a stall in vaccinations, Europe has returned to being the epicenter of the pandemic, Axios reported. Across Europe cases rose 55% over the last four weeks; a half million more COVID-19 deaths are predicted for Europe and Central Asia by February. In October, the U.S. economy showed the creation of 531,000 new jobs, and an unemployment rate of 4.6%, the latter a contrast to unemployment of 6.3% in January. That improved unemployment rate is one year sooner than Congressional Budget Office predictions. There was also a correction: the Bureau of Labor Statistics said there were 235,000 more jobs created in August and September than was previously reported. The uptick is tied to the COVID-19 virus, with new infections occurring at less than half the rate of two months ago (but there are still over 1,000 deaths daily from the virus), The Washington Post reported. Expected to also aid the economy is Pfizer’s newly-developed therapy that reduces hospitalization by 89% if the drug is taken at home when COVID-19 is detected early. The economy is expected to improve further with final passage in the U.S. House (including 13 Republicans) of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act. If the Build Back Better Act can also be passed this month, it would address women unable to re-enter the workforce due to lack of child care. Last week Republicans sought to adjourn Congress rather than address the bills, but that effort failed. Axios says the Infrastructure-Jobs bill, over the next 8 year, includes funding for
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
repairs of roads and bridges; improvements to the electrical grid; a national network of EV chargers; funds for railroads, high-speed internet, water infrastructure (including replacing lead pipes), public transportation and infrastructure more resilient to climate change. Congress is recessed for the week, but upon return will address Build Back Better, which has more funding for climate change, as well as for social infrastructure. That vote awaits a report from the Congressional Budget Office that will estimate the cost of measures like Medicare dental and hearing benefits, smaller prescription drug prices, and childcare. The bottleneck in supplies that fuel the economy: The Guardian reports there are specific policies at fault, including lax antitrust policies; deregulation in the railroad, shipping and trucking industries (often creating low wages that result in fewer low-pay people wanting to transport goods); disinvestment in national production; and trade policies that focus on finance over manufacturing. The U.N. has faulty data for creating a framework to work on the climate crisis, says The Washington Post. They compared greenhouse gas reports to actual emissions in the air. The Post said fluorinated gases, such as from air conditioning and refrigeration, were not reported. A study of almost 800,000 U.S. veterans, published in the journal Science, showed the three dominant COVID-19 vaccinations dropped in effectiveness over six months. By September’s end, when Delta became the dominant COVID-19 strain, Moderna had gone from 89% effective to 58%, Pfizer went from 89% to 45% and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine went from 86% to 13%. But, while effectiveness for contracting COVID-19 was lower, there was less risk of death for those vaccinated: the Moderna vaccinated were 76% less likely to die from Delta as compared to unvaccinated veterans, Pfizer recipients were 70% less likely to die and J&J vaccine recipients were 52% less likely to die. For vaccinated veterans under 65: protection against COVID-19 fatalities was 84% using Pfizer, 82% using Moderna and 73% using J&J. Blast from the past: “Remember, a number of years ago, there was a book, Mein Kampf, written by Hitler himself. The technique was all set out in Hitler’s book — and it was copied by the aggressors of Italy and Japan. According to that technique, you should never use a small falsehood; always a big one, for its very fantastic nature would make it more credible — only if you keep repeating it over and over and over again.” President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a 1944 speech. Estimates are that by the end of WWII, up to 85 million people had died, with more than twice as many being civilians as soldiers — all triggered by one man’s ego and aspirations. For the U.S., there were 416,800 military deaths.
NEWS
Sandpoint’s Mayor Rognstad officially announces run for Idaho governor By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad made his run for Idaho governor official on Nov. 8 with an announcement in his hometown of Lewiston. Though the Reader reported in October that Rognstad was “eyeing” a possible campaign, Monday’s announcement launched it. In an address outside the Lewis Clark Hotel, Rognstad shared that the first elected office he won was Lewiston High School student body president. In time since, he’s served on Sandpoint’s planning and zoning commission and city council, ultimately being elected mayor in 2015 and re-elected in 2019, making him just the second Sandpoint mayor to see two terms. Now, he is vying for Idaho’s top job, running as a Democrat. “I’m here because of you,” Rognstad said to the Lewiston crowd during his gubernatorial announcement, “because many of you asked me to do what I’m here to do today.”
Rognstad, a fourth-generation Idahoan who graduated from the University of Idaho, is running on a four-tiered platform: caring for communities with a science-based approach to the COVID-19 pandemic; strengthening Idaho’s families through education funding; protecting public lands; and defending citizens’ freedoms by upholding democracy. Rognstad criticized the “extreme” nature of Idaho’s red politics in recent years. “I grew up in a conservative family, but in a time when political views didn’t separate us from our friends and our neighbors,” Rognstad said. “We had a shared set of values that held strong in times of challenge.” That “shared set of values” is what Rognstad wants to bring back to the forefront of Idaho politics. “We can put a check on extremism. We can bring civility, democracy and decency back to the Capitol, back to our neighborhoods and back to our public spaces,” Rognstad said. “Together, we can push through the fear that separates us. We can push through the misinformation that di-
Shelby Rognstad. File Photo. vides us. Now is the time to come together.” Watch the entire announcement on Rognstad’s Facebook page at facebook. com/electshelby. View his campaign website at electshelby.com.
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Safe from the Start Act...
Bouquets: • I (mostly) enjoy hearing from our readers on a variety of topics. One letter, from one of our elderly readers, asked if there was a way we could publish the U.S. Constitution in parts in the near future so people who may not have read the document might come to understand it better. I think this is a great idea, and we’ll get to work on this soon. I always appreciate constructive suggestions for content that we can provide for our readers. • I’m pleased to announce that the Ting donation matching event has been answered with a resounding level of support from our readers. As it stands, we have achieved the goal earlier than the Dec. 1 cutoff for donations to be doubled by Ting. Thank you so much to all of those who have donated to the Reader. Your generosity is so uplifting. In the coming weeks, after we do all the math, we’ll let you all know how much money was raised (and matched) by Ting. Rest assured, we are in excellent shape going into the winter. We couldn’t do this without you, folks. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. • I dropped by the Bonner Community Food Bank on Nov. 10 to snap a photo to go along with the story on Page 11. The place was buzzing with great energy, with a dozen or more volunteers quickly packing Thanksgiving bags to give to local schoolchildren and families before the holiday. If you’ve never experienced the positive force the Food Bank is in our community, I encourage you to drop by and check it out for yourself. The staff and volunteers are all such wonderful people, whose mission is to make sure everyone has enough to eat in our community. Barbs: • No zingers this week. 8 /
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Dear editor, No matter how you feel about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, we can all agree that girls and women are more at risk and have fewer opportunities now that our troops are gone. One way that we can counter the effects of gender-based violence, including child marriage, in Afghanistan and other developing countries is to continue a 2013 Department of State/USAID initiative that provides training and education internationally: Senate Bill 765, the Safe from the Start Act. We need to do this for the mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and granddaughters in our lives. My 15 year-old granddaughter in Texas is fortunate to have the opportunity to get a good education and make her own choices as she transitions from teenager to young adult. Many girls and women in developing countries are not so fortunate. Two important features of the bill are that it more actively involves women and girls in the design and implementation of the program, and it increases congressional oversight by requiring budget and progress reports. The bill contains no new spending. In fact, it authorizes funding at fiscal year 2018 levels. I ask Idaho Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo to consider co-sponsoring the State from the Start Act, or at least get behind it. It won’t solve all the problems of gender-based violence, but it’s a significant step in the right direction. Please take a moment to communicate your support to the Senators. Rev. Stanley J. Norman World Vision volunteer advocate Sagle
Protect Kootenai River from mining company... Dear editor, Many people are not aware that a Canadian mining company is responsible for selenium pollution entering North Idaho waters. Teck Resources is a mining company in British Columbia, and waste rock from four of their mountain-top removal coal mines have been leaching selenium into the Kootenai River Watershed since the early 1980s. Selenium is toxic at high levels. Since 2017, the population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout in this watershed has decreased by 93% because of selenium pollution. Last year, the Montana Board of Environmental Review (MBER) set new limits on selenium in their water. This was great news because limits in Montana have a domino effect in protecting downstream water bodies in Idaho from selenium pollution. However, Teck recently filed an
appeal, arguing that Montana’s limits were more restrictive than the rest of the U.S. On Oct. 29, MBER agreed to review Teck’s appeal. This means that over the next months, the selenium limits will be reviewed followed by a public comment period. Teck was fined $60 million dollars in March because of selenium pollution. This was the highest fine ever given for violating the Canadian Fisheries Act. Despite this, Teck continues to try to derail protective efforts in the U.S. all while attempting to expand their mining operations. The Kootenai River is a special place, and it deserves special protections as a transboundary water. A Canadian mining company should not have a say in U.S. efforts to protect our wildlife and communities. If you are interested in learning more, please contact me at brodack@ idahoconservation.org, or visit the Idaho Conservation League’s website at idahoconservation.org. Becca Rodak Sandpoint
An ode to climate change summit... Dear editor, Why, I ask myself, am I not more positive about the possible outcomes from the Climate Change Summit? I saw a poll that a little over onehalf of Americans would pay at least $1 per month to help stop climate change, but only 28% would be willing to pay $10 a month. This is directly due to the fact that most working class citizens can barely make ends meet in this economy that can only be referred to as inflationary. I do not know what percentage has enough money left over to put in a savings account at the end of each month. The powers in office that control Russia and China stay in control by maintaining economic growth. Without enough food and shelter, the communist pawns may revolt. The third world nations that are lucky enough to be in a position to try to catch up to the far richer nations are not likely to give up the sources of energy they need to grow their economies. They also do not have the funds to create alternate sources of non-polluting sources of energy. A decade ago climate change deniers said the climate is not changing. Then they said it is changing, but mankind is not causing it. Now most educated humans know mankind is the guilty party at this table. The outcome of the summit will likely be dozens of studies and research papers trying to explain how we can limit the pollution produced around our Mother Earth and in her atmosphere. We will take all this knowledge
into consideration, and see what all of us around the world can do to help. And then, one can only hope there is enough money to be made and profit that alternate sources of energy can be created worldwide. James Johnson Clark Fork
Politics should not be like team sports… Dear editor, Election Day was a sad day for the schools here in Bonner County: We just elected trustees who do not support public schools, yet sit on boards for... public schools. As Democrats, we will always fight for children, not against them. Our teachers and schools are under attack in Idaho. As Democrats, we will always honor and support teachers and staff as they continue to do more with less — less pay, less funding, less support. We will continue to support, encourage and vote for candidates who support public education, regardless of their political affiliation because education is about the kids — not about politics. Politics should not be like team sports. It’s not “win for the sake of winning.” It’s about electing leaders who are qualified and who are in office to serve the community — not to feed egos, to grift, or to hold power over others. Power in itself is not bad, as long as that power is used for good. We look for candidates who choose to use the power of their leadership role for the good of our community. Thank you to all of the great
candidates who ran for office with service-minded intentions. We need more of YOU! To everyone who cared enough about our kids and our communities to support and vote for qualified, experienced candidates — we want to issue a huge THANK YOU. Your efforts are greatly appreciated! Linda Larson Sandpoint
Fulcher and Simpson voted against infrastructure bill… Dear editor, Idaho congressmen Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher last week voted against the infrastructure bill that will improve roads, bridges, water systems, railroad, broadband and energy systems. They chose politics over the needs of Idaho citizens. The bill will become law regardless when President Biden signs it. Will Simpson and Fulcher refuse the infrastructure money Idaho needs? Will Fulcher and Simpson try to take credit when that money improves the lives of Idaho citizens? Steve Johnson Sagle
Send letters to the editor to letters@sandpointreader.com. We accept letters under 300 words. Please elevate the conversation.
PERSPECTIVES
Emily Articulated
A column by and about Millennials
Entertainment By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
With winter nights wrapping their arms around our daylight hours, and midnight darkness inching its way toward 4 p.m., I’ve had to turn indoors for my recreation. Like many other northerners, my wintertime rhythms change, better capitalizing on hours of daylight and adopting new evening habits to bridge the gap between sunset and sleep. I transition from late afternoon trail runs to cardio machines at the YMCA, capping off hours of stair-stepping to nowhere with long stretching sessions and glorious minutes sweating out my aches, pains and remnants of the day’s anxiety in the sauna. When I’m spending time at a gym (especially one like the Y), it’s spending time surrounded by people taking care of themselves, pushing their limits, or working toward a goal. It’s seeing families enjoy each other’s company, generations sharing an investment in physical activity and community being fostered in every exercise machine assist, weightlifting spot and word or smile of encouragement. Gym time is also, however, exposure to something I actively try to avoid: Broadcasted American TV shows. Being locked into a cardio machine is also being locked into a bank of TV screens, with no version of contortion adequate for averting
Emily Erickson. my eyes. It’s being at the mercy of what is culturally defined as “entertainment,” with stretches of overly-dramatized nonsense smooshed between commercials aimed at convincing us of a dire necessity for things we don’t actually need. “Jeez, Emily, tell us how you really feel.” I know, I sound dramatic. But last week, the screen directly in front of my face was playing To Catch a Smuggler on the National Geographic Channel. The show followed a woman recently detained for attempting to smuggle small amounts of cocaine into the United States. The camera panned around a fluorescent-lit room with yellowing, chipped paint before zooming in on her somewhat blurred-out face. The woman was stooped, sobbing and pressing the phone against her tear-soaked cheek. The closed-caption flashed across the screen, translating her despair-addled dialogue. She was begging for her family’s forgiveness, desperately attempting to secure care for
her children and prepare for her impending imprisonment. In big, red, pop-art letters, the screen explained the drug for which she was busted and the standard length of a prison sentence for that crime (a minimum of six years). And this, a gamified portrayal of the worst moments in a person’s life, is supposed to be what? Fun? A demonstration of justice? Was I supposed to feel better about the scale of the mistakes I make or revel in my own self-righteousness — taking pleasure in being a fly on the wall when someone’s whole life unravels? What we choose to entertain ourselves with shapes our view of the world and the people around us. Watching shows that encourage us to find joy in people’s suffering, highlighting the worst parts of our society, can only lead to seeking out those same feelings in our own lives — fearing our neighbors, gossiping about perceived transgressions and assuming the worst in the people around us. Which is why, when I do watch TV, I stream The Great British Baking Show. Nothing encourages me to celebrate little victories like watching someone cry happy tears over their grandmother’s shortbread recipe winning them Star Baker. Drama comes in the form of literal spilled milk, and the only thing that’s gamified is the anticipation of bakers trying to move their creations onto a cake stand before a timer runs out. Participants, although competing against each other,
share in each other’s victories, reveling in the creativity, inspiration and skill of their opponents. When someone fails, the pain of it is felt by everyone on the show (and by proxy, the viewers as well). All this to say, time is precious and how we spend it matters. And whenever possible, I’ll be opting for entertain-
ment that celebrates empathy, camaraderie and the power of a perfectly baked biscuit to bring people together. Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www. bigbluehat.studio.
Retroactive
By BO
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Mad about Science: By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
siege weapons
Have you ever watched a movie about war in ancient times? Most of it is just armored guys running at each other and brutally hacking at their opponents with the occasional horse slamming into a cadre of other armored guys, but sometimes you’ll get a glimpse of a wooden siege weapon flinging boulders and flaming bombs at castle walls. Have you ever wondered how those siege weapons worked? Where did they get all of the processed lumber in the middle of a battle to build one of those things? Can you build one at home? To answer the last one: Yes! You can build your very own homemade siege weapon, but you may want to take your neighbors into consideration before erecting a 20-foot-tall trebuchet that towers menacingly over their trellised gazebo. First, it’s important to note a distinction between different types of siege weapons and how they work. In the age of gunpowder, all of these siege weapons have fallen into obsolescence as the energy released by gunpowder is far more efficient as a propellant than converting calories into kinetic energy. One of the most used siege weapons was the catapult, believed to be used first by the Romans around 350 CE. The basis of a catapult is pretty simple: a four-way frame attaches to wheels, allowing the dispersal of weight as well as a solid base to counteract the natural motion of the device. Eight men wind a large crank attached to a windlass that pulls the throwing arm down toward the ground, where it’s locked into place. This 10 /
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process transferred energy from the men turning the crank and stored it in the twisted ropes and cordage that bound the catapult. Once the soldiers released the locking mechanism, that energy was released by the throwing arm, which allowed it to fling upward. Upon impacting a padded support beam, the throwing arm would transfer all remaining energy to the object it was throwing, which would go on to transfer that energy into whatever it landed on. Another siege weapon utilized to great effect by the Romans was the ballista. The ballista was essentially a supersized crossbow that launched man-sized harpoons instead of bolts — just like any other crossbow, which is essentially a regular bow affixed to a stock and a trigger mechanism. The energy transfer from man to device would begin as the string was drawn back, usually by some form of crank. Once in position, the crank would be locked and the soldiers would load a projectile into the track of the device, in front of the cordage. The arms of the ballista were flexible, allowing much of the energy to be stored within them as they were pulled back by the cordage. Sometimes, these devices could be turned and aimed like a modern-day gun emplacement, and sometimes they just launched sharp objects in the general direction of wherever they were pointing. Once the lock was removed, the arms would snap back into place, dragging the string and the projectile with them as they transferred all remaining energy into the projectile, sending it on its merry, murderous way. Battering rams were another common sight in the ancient
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world. A ram was often a rough log with a metal cap at one end, sometimes sharpened into a wedge. The ram itself would be suspended by cordage on a wooden frame that was usually covered to protect the soldiers wielding it from arrow fire and burning oil. Suspending the device made it easier for the soldiers to transfer energy into the device, drawing it backward and swinging it forward. This worked exactly like swings on a playground, but were considerably heavier. Using a metal cap added durability, while forming it into a wedge or a point allowed it to work like an axe against a tree, focusing the energy transfer into a smaller surface area and dealing more damage to one spot. Curiously enough, battering rams were very easily countered by a simple architectural principle that didn’t appear until the early Medieval ages. Lords started putting their gates up a few stairs and building a wall eight to 10 feet across from the opening of their gate, which wouldn’t allow a ram to swing back and generate enough force to breach; similar to when you park on the street and two vehicles park directly in front of and behind you, giving you less than an inch on either side. One of the most terrifying and effective siege weapons was the trebuchet. At first glance, the trebuchet looks like a complicated device that had no business existing in an age when people thought bad smells caused the plague. In actuality, a trebuchet is a scaled-up catapult that utilizes a sling instead of a bucket. It’s built on a triangular frame that acts like a fulcrum for the throwing arm, which acts as a lever. A huge counterweight hangs from the front of the trebuchet, which
is drawn upward with a crank — once this counterweight drops, it flings the throwing arm upward and sends the payload in the sling hurtling across vast distances. These devices were the heavy artillery of their day, and the level of engineering involved with constructing them likely carried a lofty price tag. Many of these devices were broken down between uses and transported by draft animals to protect these investments, as they weren’t designed to move
very far on their own. Are you interested in achieving a deeper understanding of how the mechanics of these devices worked? You can build some very simple and basic versions of these using just popsicle sticks, rubber bands, a battery and some pencils. Curious to know more? Email me at the library: brenden@ebonnerlibrary.org or come on in and ask about how you can build your own catapult! Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner ms?
Don’t know much about museu • There is a full taxidermied whale in a Swedish museum that was open to the public until a couple was caught having sex inside it. • When Nazis invaded Greece, the staff of the Archaeological Museum in Athens buried all statues and artifacts in concrete fortified trenches stretching from the basement. The Nazis found an empty museum. No one gave away the secret. • In 1990, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was robbed of 13 paintings worth a total of $500 million. None of them have been found, and the museum is still offering a $10 million reward (the largest reward by a museum in history). • Newseum was an interactive museum and a neighbor to the Smithsonian. It closed down in 2019 due to a lack of funding. It stood for the freedom of journalism, and some of the items it displayed included artifacts of the German Third Reich, the cabin of Ted “the Unabomber” Kazynski
We can help!
and the antenna that was once atop of the World Trade Center. • New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (a.k.a., the Met) is the largest art museum in the U.S. and the fifth biggest in the world at 633,100 square feet. The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, is the largest in the world, measuring 1.1 million square feet. • There is a Disgusting Food Museum in Berlin that displays disgusting dishes from all around the world. They even have a tasting bar for visitors to try some of them. • The motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated is now the National Civil Rights Museum. • To prevent a rodent infestation, the Hermitage Museum in Russia owns around 70 cats. The cats spend their days mostly in the basement and are taken care of by the museum staff. The museum has a small kitchen and a pet clinic dedicated to the well-being of the cats.
COMMUNITY
Food Bank seeking Thanksgiving food donations By Ben Olson Reader Staff No matter what state the economy is in, it should always be a priority to keep the people fed. That’s the mission of the Bonner Community Food Bank, and with the upcoming holidays, donations are needed more than ever to make sure local families in need have enough for their dinner tables. Executive Director Debbie Love said Food Bank volunteers are currently packing pre-made Thanksgiving bags and any additional donations from the community are much appreciated. “We’re short on canned cranberries, canned yams or sweet potatoes and canned pumpkin,” Love told the Reader. “And frozen turkeys, of course.” Thanksgiving bags include stuffing, turkey gravy, canned vegetables like corn, green beans and mixed vegetables, canned fruit, cream of mushroom soup to make green bean casserole and fresh produce like potatoes and onions — along with turkeys. “This year we’re focused on the sides,” Love said. “It seems like we’re coming through on the turkeys thanks to our community. But we could always use more.” To sign up for a Thanksgiving bag, Love said for anyone within Bonner County to call ahead. “We’re doing it a bit different this year,” she said. “We’re pre-packing all the bags all through next week and the Monday-Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We have less help, and we’re looking for volunteer
drivers like last year. We have a lot of folks who can’t come out of their homes and need to have things delivered. That’s throughout the whole county, not just Sandpoint.” The Food Bank got a boost the past weekend with two local food drives, which delivered almost 3,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank. “The Volunteer Fire Department just did a food drive for us Friday [Nov. 5] and they brought in over 900 pounds of food,” Love said. “Also, Litehouse did a food drive Saturday and Sunday and brought over 2,000 pounds of food. It’s been really beneficial because we haven’t had food drives for over a year because of the safety protocols. It really means a lot to us.”
Love said food donations were down a bit through summer, but they are picking up again in time for the holidays. “We want to thank our community for the support they’ve shown the Food Bank,” Love said. “We really appreciate it.”
Volunteers pack Thanksgiving bags at the Food Bank Nov. 10. Photo by Ben Olson. To sign up for a Thanksgiving bag, or to volunteer as a meal delivery driver, call the Bonner Community Food Bank at 208-2633663.
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COMMUNITY
Angels Over Sandpoint awards community grants By Reader Staff
Several years ago, the Angels Over Sandpoint realized they could not do everything they wanted to do for the community. They also realized there were many struggling nonprofits doing just that kind of work with their special talents. With the Angels’ financial help, these organizations could combine their special abilities with Angel fundraising to make our little corner of the world a better place. Keeping this in mind, thanks to the generous donations from our community, the Angels Over Sandpoint was able to resume the Community Grant program to charitable and educational organizations in Bonner County. These grants are made twice a year, in the Fall and Spring. This year, for the fall grants cycle, the Angels Over Sandpoint was happy to be able to grant the following
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deserving nonprofits: Arts Alliance, Inc. dba Creations for their art supplies for the preschool art classes that are offered free of charge; Food For Our Children, to purchase food for the weekend backpacks they send home with students in need; the Hope Memorial Community Center, to purchase a special 120” screen to use with their projector for events; the Bonner County Historical Society, to purchase archival materials to help preserve the history of our county for future generations; and last, but not least, Bonner General Health’s Family Center Maternity Unit, to purchase newborn infant sleep sacks to help prevent SID (Sudden Infant Death). The Angels noted that it was a great pleasure to be able to provide these non-profits with much needed items to assist them in making our beautiful community a better place for everybody.
OPINION
Time to speak up for the Selle Valley By Kristina Kingsland Reader Contributor My family moved to Selle Valley in 1980. We lived on 80 acres that had previously been a working dairy. I rode my horse all over the gravel roads that crisscrossed the valley. We swam in the Pack River in summer and cross-country skied across pastures in winter. We purchased our milk from a local farmer by putting our dollar in the cash box and filling our gallon jar with a dipper from a huge vat of milk. I moved back to the valley in 2000 when my husband and I had finally finished the cabin we had been building on our 20 acres since 1995. We live in a small home we built with our own four hands out of the lumber we had cut from the trees on the property. We are off-grid with solar power, well water, cell phones and wireless internet. It is a good life. But now, I look around at this valley I have known and loved for so long, and I worry I won’t recognize it soon. I recently learned of an application submitted to the county to rezone 700 acres in the heart of the Selle Valley. The proposal would change the 20-acre minimum Agriculture/Forestry zone to make it a 10-acre minimum zone, doubling the density next door to Northside Elementary School. So that’s it? Just submit a simple application to a small group of people to change 700 acres? The county’s current comprehensive land use plan and zoning was created through great effort and commitment by our own citizens, is overwhelmingly popular with the area residents, and must be upheld. What good is a land use plan if all you have to do is file an application for rezoning and change a huge area all at once? The Bonner County Comprehensive Land Use Plan talks about encouraging the development of safe travel ways to edu-
cational facilities. To increase population density by that degree right at the busiest interior intersection in the valley is not consistent with the plan’s objective of providing safe travel to and from this community elementary school. The property maximum density as it is currently zoned is for 35 separate 20-acre parcels and each of these parcels can have a main home, an accessory dwelling unit, and up to two RV or tiny house sites. This could be up to 140 different households. Double that density and you have potential for 280 households. Not all of these parcels would have access off of Rapid Lightning Road, but the overwhelming majority definitely would. This would not increase safety at Northside School. I started working at Schweitzer in 1990 as a cocktail waitress then worked 22 seasons as a ski instructor full or part time. I got into real estate 16 years ago because I know the area, I was already a trained tour guide and had the experience of building my own home. I try to stay up on the planning and zoning regulations to help set my clients up for success, or at least point out the red flag issues that might haunt them in the long term. After a deal closes, I want to hear that they had a family reunion at their new home and all their relatives were so impressed and excited. I want to hear that the garden they planted was so productive they would like me to come see and take home a prized vine-ripe tomato. I do not want them to call me and say that the neighboring field they overlook is now being turned into 5-acre lots and ask me how that could happen in a 20-acre minimum zone. For many of my clients, this purchase is the largest and most consequential in their life so far. They move forward hoping this home will bring them peace, joy and security. They buy into the romance of the mountains, the lakes and rivers, the quaint
small-town rural lifestyle that we have enjoyed here. I love the life we have here, so I find it very understandable that other people want that, too. If Bonner County planning and zoning is not using consistent, understandable procedures that honor the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, how can home buyers feel safe investing their money here? As I look around my home now, I stop and ask myself: How much change is too much change? Will North Idaho stay rural? Will my beloved Selle Valley turn into sprawling suburbia? Will the hay fields and open spaces disappear? Will we need stop lights to manage the traffic? Will I look back and wish that I had been involved in the planning process? Will
I wish that I had spoken up to save the land and the life that I love? The only answer now is to get involved. That’s why I will be submitting comments opposed to the rezoning of 700-acres of farmland next to Northside School. The public hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 18, for the Skinner Rezone - File #ZC0028-21 on the Bonner County Planning Department’s web page under “Current Projects.” Written comments are due Nov. 11. If you, too, love this area and want to preserve its rural spaces, sign up to get updates from Project 7B, an organization of local folks who want to educate and inform our community and advocate for clear, consistent and well-thought-out guidelines for growth. Learn more and support that work at project7B.org.
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COMMUNITY
Ponderay Rotary announces fall raffle winners By Reader Staff The Rotary Club of Ponderay Centennial is excited to announce the big winners of its annual Fall Raffle. Proceeds from this raffle will be used for its 2022 Educational Scholarship and community health and well-being programs. The grand prize of a flight in a Daher Kodiak plane, manufactured right here in Sandpoint, is Carol Curtis. Carol will be able to fly with three friends or family members on a scenic ride of a lifetime. This priceless flight was graciously donated by Daher. Carrie LaGrace won the 2021-22 season pass donated by Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Finally, Brian McCrum was picked the winner of the three-month pass for two bestowed by the Litehouse YMCA. Ponderay Rotary is very honored to have such long-time donors such as Daher, Schweitzer and the Litehouse YMCA consistently supporting the club. New members or visitors are welcome into the Ponderay Rotary Club any time.
Left to Right: Jacey Lawson, Ryan Robinson, Yogi Vasquez, Carol Curtis (winner of the Kodiak flight for four), Tiffany Goodvin and Judy Baird. Courtesy photo.
Becoming a member enables you to meet extraordinary people and to make an impact here and around the world. The club’s schedule varies, so check its website at ponderayrotaryclub.com for updates and ways to help our initiatives. You can also email the club at PonderayRotaryClub@gmail.com for more information.
Get (Pine Street Woods) Plowed
Kaniksu Land Trust to host fundraiser at Utara Brewing Nov. 12
By Reader Staff Kaniksu Land Trust invites the community to help them get plowed — well, get the Pine Street Woods plowed and sanded all winter long, that is. Join the nonprofit at Utara Brewing Company (214 Pine Street in Sandpoint) on Friday, Nov. 12 from 5-8 p.m. to help raise funds to keep safe public access to the Pine Street Woods once the white stuff flies. People can contribute to KLT’s plowing fund by dumping their change jars into the Pocket Change for Plowing sand bag (organizers encourage you to “put your swear jar money toward a good cause”); guessing this year’s total snowfall for a chance at a cash prize at the end of the season; buying raffle tickets by the arm-length for gift baskets created by KLT, Pend Oreille Pedalers and Sandpoint Nordic Club; or buying a commemorative “Get (Pine Street Woods) Plowed” pint glass. This event will be held outdoors on 14 /
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Photo courtesy Kaniksu Land Trust. Utara’s patio. Learn more about the Get PSW Plowed event at kaniksu.org. Those with questions can reach KLT at 208-263-9471 or info@kaniksu.org.
VETERANS DAY
Local veteran spotlight: Luke Omodt By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Veterans Day is a reminder to honor those who have served and are currently serving. It’s also a time to recognize those members of our community who have stepped forward to serve in our various branches of the military. Many know Sandpoint local Luke Omodt as a government teacher in Bonners Ferry or for his recent unsuccessful run for Sandpoint City Council, but before that he was a soldier. Here is a bit of his story. Luke Omodt first enlisted with the U.S. Army Infantry in 1997, not long after graduating from Sandpoint High School in 1995. Omodt was stationed in Germany and deployed to Bosnia, then Albania and Croatia. The Yugoslav Wars, a series of separate but related ethnic conflicts, civil wars and insurgencies, dominated the Balkans for most of the 1990s. Omodt served from 1997-2000, taking away many strong memories from his time. “I will never forget being in a massive storm in Albania at a refugee camp and being able to see the abject poverty of the poorest nation in Europe that was being served by the richest nation on the planet,” Omodt told the Reader. “I truly understood how big the world was. “They were still dealing with the end of the Cold War, and you essentially had ethnic genocides,” Omodt continued. “One group of people wanted the land of another group of people, so you had ethnic genocide with the Serbs taking out the Bosnians and back and forth. It was centuries of illwill with modern armaments.” Omodt got out of the U.S. Army after 2000 and went back to college, then rejoined with the Washington National Guard
to help pay for it. “I got stop-lossed and sent to Iraq after 9/11, in 2004-2005,” Omodt said. “Stop-lossed is when they don’t have enough soldiers — I was signed up for one year — so they stop-lossed me, which basically means you’re not allowed to leave the military service and you’re going to Iraq.” Though he originally signed up for a year, Omodt took the redirection in stride. “Sometimes the world doesn’t work out the way you want it and you better just deal with it,” he said. “No one forced me to raise my hand.” Omodt was sent back to the Infantry the first time he was sent to Iraq, and noticed some distinct changes to his service after the world-changing events on 9/11. “The biggest change was between the end of the Cold War mentality under Clinton versus the George W. Bush era dealing with insurgency and embarking on nation building,” Omodt said. “We were trying to impart American values on exceedingly different cultures. When I was in Iraq, I was having the same conversations with different groups of humans in the same abject conditions [as in the Balkans in the late 1990s], and I understood that race and religion don’t matter, but good government does. “I have such an appreciation for Sandpoint, because when you look at high school kids, there’s such an intense dichotomy between growing up here and going to City Beach or Pack River or Schweitzer versus kids outside picking through garbage looking for their next meal. We are so blessed.” After serving in Bagdad from 2004-2005, Omodt got out again and married his wife Kami. “I found out marriage was expensive and rejoined the Idaho National Guard and went
back to Iraq in 2010,” he said. “That was with the unit out of Bonners Ferry. That’s one of the reasons I have such a strong connection to that community. There was a detachment from Bonners Ferry for about 50 years, which is now gone and turned over to the state, but there were 25 soldiers from Bonners Ferry who went to Iraq. I’m really proud of that.” Omodt said the difference between serving with the National Guard versus the U.S. Army involves a different perspective on the job at hand. “The biggest difference to being in the National Guard is that we’re older and slower, but we’re much wiser and more mature,” he said. “We have more lived experiences. We’re plumbers, teachers, truck drivers, electricians first, but soldiers always.” Omodt’s current rank is Sergeant First Class, SFC, and he serves as the Transportation Platton Sergeant for A Co. 145th BSB, whose job is logistics.
In his civilian life, Omodt teaches government at Bonners Ferry High School, which gives him a special connection to many of his students who ultimately end up serving in the military themselves. “One thing I’d like to mention is that I’m one of the few Guardsmen who have two soldiers who were also in his classroom,” Omodt said. “I take great pride in that. As a teacher, the important thing I’m thinking about is constantly renewing that relationship with military service and also those who are currently serving. I probably have 70 students who are in uniform or have been in uniform from Bonners Ferry. That community has a very strong number of students who join.” Omodt said one thing that he appreciates when Veterans Day comes around is the renewed attention it brings to those who have chosen to serve their nation, in times of peace or war. “I’m a proud advocate for service as a way to figure out
In this photo taken in 2011, SGT. Luke Omodt is getting ready for a patrol at Camp Cropper, Baghdad, Iraq while serving with A Company 145th BSB of the Idaho Army National Guard. Courtesy photo.
skills and to learn about yourself in a structured manner to develop skills and relationships that last a lifetime, especially when you consider the international impact it has,” he said. “I have soldiers right now working on COVID orders, soldiers who participated in the support following Jan. 6 of last year. We’ve had soldiers who have also been on fire duty. That’s what I find so keen about the National Guard; we’re able to support the domestic needs of our country, as well as that of the nation. God bless the USA.” After serving the better part of the past two decades, Omodt said he’s planning on retiring from the Idaho National Guard in the next six months to focus more on local issues. All of us at the Reader thank him — and all veterans — for their service. November 11, 2021 /
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HISTORY
The time Sandpoint celebrated Armistice Day twice ‘The first was more peppy and spicy and the second the more formal and correct’
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The headlines in the Pend d’Oreille Review of Friday, Nov. 8, 1918 sound eerily familiar: “Republicans Win County Election”; “With No New Cases of ‘Flu’ Schools Resume in Week”; “State a Clean Sweep for Republican Ticket”; “Influenza Calls Three Victims in Twelve Hours”; “Teachers Receive Salaries: Shutdown of Schools Because of Influenza Will Not Stop Their Pay.” However, amid the six-column broadsheet spread — and above the fold — is one news item that could only have happened in its time, and remains a curiously forgotten episode not only in local but national history. “Peace Flash Was a United Press Hoax,” the Review reported. “Sandpoint Celebrated the Close of the War Prematurely Yesterday … Other Towns Also ‘Stung’ … With Word That Germany Would Lay Down Her Arms and Had Signed Armistice Bedlam Broke Loose.” That’s right: Sandpoint, as well as an unknown number of other communities both big and small, thought World War I had ended on Thursday, Nov. 7 and cut appropriately loose, only to find out that what would come to be called “Armistice Day” — and later “Veterans Day” — wouldn’t become a historical reality until Monday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. in France. The news flash on Nov. 7 was a mistake. The first time Sandpoint celebrated Armistice Day, it did it twice. The Review’s account of the false peace celebration is by turns deadpan — almost embarrassed — and amused. 16 /
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“Staid old business men hopped upon the motortrucks and blew whistles, threw confetti and yelled themselves into state[s] of hoarseness which it will take days to mend,” the paper reported. “[T]he only regret is that when peace really does come such a spontaneous and uproarious rejoicing can hardly be duplicated.” And uproarious it was. According to the paper, the merrymaking was “some little hummer” that “lasted all day.” The first report came to Sandpoint via telephone at the Humbird office, from Mrs. T.J. Humbird in Spokane, who said folks in the Lilac City were also toasting the end of the war. At the same time, the Review learned, a flash had gone out over the Great Northern wire: “[T]he authenticity of the news was not doubted for an instant.” According to the paper, Humbird mill whistles sounded in Sandpoint and Kootenai, at the same time the fire and school bells pealed. “People came running from their houses, business houses were immediately closed; automobiles, their horns honking and flags waving, were soon forming a parade,” the Review reported. “The city fire apparatus, drays and autotrucks joined the automobiles and within a half hour a parade two blocks in length was making the round from the head of Cedar Street to the foot of First Avenue. Bedlam broke loose for a fare-you-well.” There were even a few injuries reported: “Cyril Wilcox ran in front of W.H. Finney’s car as it rounded the Cedar and First street corner [and he] was knocked down and received a scalp wound and several bruises.” Not to worry — the car was “running at a low speed and Mr. Finney brought it to a stop before the wheels passed over Wilcox.”
Meanwhile, Norris Brundage on his motorcycle accidentally hit James Turpin, bruising the latter sufficiently that he was to be confined in his home “for a few days.” In a show of camaraderie and chivalry, the men of Clark Fork rustled up $80 between them and hit the road for Heron, Mont., for a party of unspecified character. However, once they got there they realized they’d left out their lady friends, and so raised another $18 to buy them candy. The excitement died down after 8:30 that night, when news spread of a Spokane Chronicle dispatch to that city’s mayor notifying him that the original report from Paris had been in error, yet had gone out “all over the United States before it was overtaken with denials,” according to the Review. “Even in Washington [D.C.] the news spread like wildfire and resulted in the noisiest demonstration that Washington ever experienced.” Somewhat abashed, the headline in the Northern Idaho News of Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1918, stated simply, “City Celebrates Coming of Peace.” However, there was still a bit of vim and vigor left in Sandpointians: “First Announcement on Thursday Proves to be a Misfire, But Impromptu Celebration Was Full of Pep — Second Time is Sure and People Are Filled With Joy.” The News coverage of the actual Nov. 11 armistice struck a distinctly more somber tone, leading with the direct statement: “The Great War — the greatest in all the warlike pages of history — is ended. The peace which hundreds of millions of people all over the earth have prayed for these weary months, has at last settled upon the earth again, and no longer, fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters and other near ones will peruse the daily casualty list with
Left: “Doughboys” and Red Cross volunteers march down First Avenue in Sandpoint prior to deployment to France in World War I. Photo courtesy of Bonner County Historical Society, donated to the collection by Wilma Allen. Right: Speakers stand on the back of a truck during the Armistice parade in Sandpoint, date unconfirmed but thought to be 1918. Photo courtesy of Bonner County Historical Society, donated to the collection by Elwin Harford. bodeful hearts, nor follow with trepidation the fortunes of the battle line.” Far from succumbing to patriotic sentiment, the News soberly noted that the United States had participated little in the war, compared to its allies in Europe. However, while “not deeply touched by its seriousness for months,” the steady increase of Red Cross, YMCA and Liberty Bond work, as well as an increase in local draftees, had helped “impress upon the people the deep responsibility of the business of war — work, suppression, sacrifice, service, privation, suffering, loss, duty.” As reporters, poets, scholars, politicians and faith leaders around the country also framed the conflict, the writers and editors behind the News applauded the defeat of the “doctrine of brute force on all mankind,” and expressed their relief that “war and all its attendant duties was at an end … that no more of our brave boys need be sacrificed on foreign soil.” In its Nov. 12, 1918 piece on the armistice, the News pivoted from the headline of the day to strike a somewhat defiant tone surrounding the premature hullabaloo that previous Thursday.
< see ARMISTICE, Page 17 >
< ARMISTICE, con’t from Page 16 > “Is it any wonder that Sandpoint suddenly becomes light-hearted and joyous and care-free?” the paper wrote. “Is it any wonder that any of the hundreds of cities when they read the news immediately dropped their business and took a holiday and cut capers and frisked and gamboled like schoolboys? With the war come to a stop all other matters seemed trivial, for the moment at least.” According to the News, merchants had barely opened their doors on Nov. 7 when the whistles started blowing and bells started ringing, catching Sandpoint “unprepared for a celebration of any kind.” Yet, “the flags at once blossomed out, the stores closed — no one wanted to do business, the multitudes began to gather and the parading up and down the streets began. “Noise was at a premium. Anything that would make noise was a treasure trove — the louder and the more rancorous the better. … Automobiles, gay with bunting or flags, and bearing shouting crowds, formed processions and honked their way up and down the streets as the parade broke up and reformed only to break up and reform again as they wound around the paved streets of the downtown section. There was no method, no system: everything was spontaneous, impromptu.” Like the Pend d’Oreille Review, the Northern Idaho News made note of the widespread nature of the “hoax” peace and its resulting celebrations — including in Washington, D.C. — where on Nov. 7 “the government, once the carnival of noise and clamor got under way, had to dismiss the clerks in all the departments,” the News reported. With a few days of reflection, the News was able to describe in better detail how the preemptive armistice report spread through the wire services: Apparently, a United Press correspondent at a Belgian port heard that an admiral had received a telegram that it later became clear hadn’t been confirmed. The Review, in its initial reporting, chalked up the “peace hoax” to a combination of “Wall Street purposes” stemming from a “brokers’ wire and in a United Press dispatch from Paris.” Call it wishful thinking, call it the fog of war or call it “fake news,” the job of reporting the news hasn’t gotten any easier regardless of the technology involved. Still, “these facts after celebration was over did not have much to do with celebration as such, and everybody said the morning after that he was glad he had had the opportunity to whoop ’er up a bit just for the grand old flag and for things in general,” the News wrote. The actual first Armistice Day celebration in Sandpoint, on Monday, Nov. 11, 1918, included area residents streaming into town “from surrounding villages and camps,” contributing to a downtown parade with decorated cars and trucks, as well as a bonfire at First and Second avenues, and Cedar Street roped off for an orchestral performance. A number of speakers held forth from the bed of a truck at Main Street and Second Avenue, and the “younger folk” kept at it into the evening, with dancing and other “merrymaking.” As the News summarized it: “And so it come to pass that Sandpoint has twice celebrated the defeat of the Huns, and most everyone was willing to admit that it was worth two celebrations. The first was more peppy and spicy and the second the more formal and correct.”
COMMUNITY
Through the eyes of an artist
POAC’s Landscapes Real & Imagined art exhibit to see reception Nov. 12 By Claire Christy Reader Contributor
The cameras in our phones allow us to document what inspires us at any given moment. An unbelievable sunset can be captured and shared on social media in under a minute. Alternatively, it can live as a digital file in the cloud forever, never to be appreciated again. There are those among us, though, who opt to record what inspires them with artmaking. An artist who stumbles upon a grand view sees potential others would not. To turn a moment into art, one must be fully present, notice the details, and spend more than a minute observing the view. A work of art created with skill and intention can transport viewers to a moment in time. Seeing an image on our phone screen cannot compare. The Landscapes Real & Imagined exhibit, which will see a Pend Oreille Arts Council reception at Sandpoint’s Old Power House on Friday, Nov. 12, shows viewers the world through the eyes of an artist. The display ranges with scenes from Schweitzer Mountain to Mykonos, Greece. Plein air painting is the practice of painting from life in the outdoors. Douglas Jones, who is featured in the collection, shares memorable travel moments with his four plein air watercolors. “It is a challenging practice that involved many years of perfecting
the process,” he said. “The time spent is like a time-lapse, meditative experience with the added urgency of efficient speed to capture the changing light, weather elements and essence of a chosen viewpoint. Then, one must balance the artist’s intention against the real-life, practical concerns of location choice, safety and comfort during a typical painting period. Observing and anticipating disruptions of a potential viewpoint is just as important as an inspiring scene choice. Some of the challenging aspects one considers are as simple as a vehicle carelessly parking between you and your view, or more urgent like ever-changing tides or even rockfalls.” Candace D. Hultberg-Bennett submitted a landscape photo that stops viewers in their tracks. “Ddhäl Ch’él Cha Nän is the traditional name from the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation for Tombstone Territorial Park,” she shared. “This ‘rugged mountain land’ is located near the arctic circle and the last high elevation mountain range before turning into the tundra. The remoteness and vastness of this place are mesmerizing, especially during the solitude of the changing seasons.” Tessema C was inspired by the ocean waves when she created “Sea Light.” “Light has been with us since the beginning of time. It brings our hearts and eyes to the subject,” she said. “This painting told me how to paint
it. I could not ignore where the light wanted to go, and also it told me what colors it wanted me to use. I only followed the force this painting was directing. All I could do was to follow its instructions as I went along.” Corene Jones’ fond memories at local Trestle Creek are expressed through her painting. “I like to paint what has meaning to me, that is special to me, or that has touched my heart,” she shared. “We used to water ski, have picnics and enjoy friends around a campfire. I think the view there is so beautiful. It changes with the seasons and the light. While painting this painting, I wanted to capture the light reflections on the water. It is always amazing to me how reflective water is with all kinds of influence.” Landscapes Real & Imagined is on display at the Old Power House (120 Lake Street in Sandpoint) now through Dec. 30. POAC is hosting a reception on Friday, Nov. 12 from 5-7 p.m. Visitors will have a chance to meet the artists and view the work while sipping complimentary wine. All ages are welcome. Stop by to take a world tour through the eyes of an artist. Claire Christy is the arts coordinator for the Pend Oreille Arts Council. Learn more about the nonprofit at artinsandpoint.org.
Veterans appreciation event slated for Nov. 20 By Reader Staff Wild Horse Trail Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution are hosting a Veterans Appreciation Event on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Sandpoint Events Center, (102 S. Euclid St.) in the beautifully restored auditorium. This free event is for all Bonner and Boundary County veterans and their families. The Veterans Appreciation Event is an opportunity to acknowledge, honor and thank those who have served
our nation, from every branch of service, and those who served overseas or domestically, in peace time and in war. The Sandpoint Events Center is wheelchair accessible and has an elevator to access the third floor auditorium for the event. There will be three guest speakers. After the program, complimentary coffee and cookies will be served. “God, Home, Country” is the motto of the Wild Horse Trail Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. “Our chapter honors and supports
those who serve our nation,” the chapter wrote in a press release. “We are engaged in community service, preserving history and promoting patriotic education of America’s children. We are excited to have an opportunity to do something special for the Veterans in our community.” A special thank you is extended to the event sponsors for their generosity: Brad and Linda Scott for donating the use of the Sandpoint Events Center for this event, Kokanee Coffee, Yoke’s Fresh Market and Humana. November 11, 2021 /
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events
November 11-18, 2021
THURSDAY, November 11
Bingo (every Thursday) 6-8pm @ Sagle Senior Center Ten games for just $10. 208-610-9898 Veterans Day special w/ Chris Paradis 6-8pm @ The Back Door Live music to honor our veterans
The Farewell (film) at the Panida 7:30pm @ Panida Theater See additional screen times and dates on the Panida’s ad on Page 11
FriDAY, November 12 Live Music w/ Truck Mills & Global Gumbo 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Mills’ music can be described as “Afro-Latin influenced barrelhouse blues” Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 7-9pm @ The Back Door
Get Plowed fundraiser 5-8pm @ Utara Brewing Co. A fundraiser party to help fund snow plowing and sanding the road to Pine St. Woods this winter. Bring a jar of change to donate! Commemorative pint glasses
SATURDAY, November 13 Live Music w/ Dammit Lauren! 9pm @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ Mike and Shanna 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Pamela Benton 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Electric guitar and violin playing with Pamela “Strings on Fire” Benton
Hope Marketplace Co-Op @ Hope Marketplace An exciting new local shopping venue open Sat-Sun through Christmas where you can shop for art, jewelry, fiber, pottery, wood and more for the holiday season
Live Music w/ BTP 6:30-9:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
SunDAY, November 14
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am
Ponderay Market 10am-3pm @ Ponderay Event Center Held the second Sunday of every month, featuring live music, food vendors and more
Fall Serenade House Concert 3pm @ MCS (110 Main Street) Hear works by the great masters at this unique house concert hosted by the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint. Limited seating. $25/adults, $15/students. Buy tickets online or at MCS. Proceeds go to Arts Access
monDAY, November 15
Outdoor Experience Monday Night Group Run – All levels welcome 6pm @ Outdoor Experience Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Secrets of Finding Contentment: Live a Satisfying Life”
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
tuesDAY, November 16 wednesDAY, November 17
Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Tap Takeover w/ Sierra Nevada 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority A community fundraiser for Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Live music with Tim G. from 6-8pm
ThursDAY, November 18 Live Music w/ Aaron Golay 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Boise-based singer-songwriter bringing powerful and soulful roots and rock 18 /
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CASA Annual Purse Party 4-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Support CASA by shopping for slightly loved handbags and purses! powine.com
STAGE & SCREEN
Panida re-lights marquee, elects new board members By Ben Olson Reader Staff About 50 Panida Theater volunteers, members and staff gathered in their jackets and stocking caps outside the historic theater on Tuesday night to count down the official re-lighting of the marquee after the aging neon tubes were replaced with LED lights. Once lit, the group applauded and then filtered into the theater to begin the annual membership meeting. Interim Board Chair Jim Healey — who took over for Keely Gray last month — started the meeting by thanking everyone who helped with the marquee renovation. “We thank Yesco from Post Falls and Foster Cline for spearheading the finances behind this fundraising campaign,” Healey said. “Also Doug Jones for working out the details of Yesco and Bill Lewis for cleaning up the reader panels.” The audience then heard from current board members running for new terms, including Foster Cline, who also serves as secretary; Tari Pardini, who also serves as treasurer; and Jim Healey, the interim chair. Then Robert Chipman and Jimmy Matlosz, both new faces to the board, introduced themselves. Chipman introduced himself as a screenwriter who has lived in the area the last 10 years. Matlosz said he’s been a resident of Sandpoint since 2010 and is a filmmaker by trade, working as a cinematographer and establishing the Idaho Film Company recently to explore making films in North Idaho. The audience then cast ballots and approved all new and returning board members, bringing the board number to seven, including Healey, Pardini, Cline, Abby Ullman, Ron Ragone, Matlosz and Chipman. Volunteer coordinator Nancy Yacavone spoke briefly to thank all the volunteers who help the Panida run smoothly. “We can’t make this work without you,” she said, encouraging anyone who isn’t currently a volunteer to consider helping out if they have the time. The audience then heard from newly-hired managing director Veronica Knowlton for the first time. “The passion surrounding the Panida is simply contagious,” Knowlton told the membership. “This 94-year-old theater has given more than enough to generations of people in this town, so now it’s our turn to give back to the theater.” Knowlton expressed optimism looking ahead to the centennial year of the Panida, which will occur in 2027, also outlining ideas for a century capital campaign, as well as increasing visibility of the theater
and expanding the membership program. Finances were also discussed in detail. “Throughout 2021, the board has secured $146,000 in grants,” Knowlton said. “Foster Cline continues to be a powerhouse in securing operational funding for the Panida. The Panida’s immediate future would look very different without his efforts.” Knowlton pointed out that revenue is 11% lower than the last fiscal year, impacted by increased event cancellations due to COVID-19, but said a new tenant moving into the storefront in front of the Little Panida Theater at the beginning of 2022 will help matters. “We will still see a deficit of nearly $27,000,” Knowlton said. “With this deficit, we rely on our membership donations.” The current COVID-19 policy of the theater states that Panida staff and board members must either show proof of vaccination or submit a weekly negative COVID-19 test, and all staff and board members are required to wear a mask indoors while visitors are present. Furthermore, clients hosting events requiring guests to prove vaccination status or results of a recent COVID-19 test will be able to utilize the full capacity of the theater, but those without vaccine requirements and testing will be limited to 200 guests per event — about 50% of capacity. Knowlton then introduced Josh Meagher, who was recently hired as the technical and maintenance coordinator. She also thanked former Panida director Karen Bowers, who received a sustained round of applause for her 27 years at the helm of the theater, and newly-retired technical director Bill Lewis, who has been the “backbone of the Panida” since 1985, Knowlton said. She presented Lewis with an engraved Panida hammer and announced one of the membership tiers will be named after Bowers. In the open forum portion of the meeting, Carol Deaner spoke representing the Pend Oreille Arts Council, saying that POAC will continue to support the Panida through its annual performing arts concerts and other events throughout the year. One member in the audience expressed concern with the COVID-19 policy, claiming that since people could still transmit and
catch the infection when vaccinated, it would “alienate part of the community requiring different things from our attendees when they don’t seem any different from each other.” Katelyn Shook, who plays in the band Shook Twins, spoke to that point next, saying her band is very appreciative of the theater’s COVID-19 policy. “We’ll only play venues who ask for vaccination and testing,” she said. “Every band I know of is asking for this and every legitimate venue of a decent size is, too. It’s proven to be working. It would be heavy on our hearts if we were playing for a big crowd where there’s a tiny possibility we’d be destroying someone’s life.” Ricci Witte asked about the status of the Little Panida Theater next door. “There was talk earlier this year of a potential sale of the Little Theater so we could do the things necessary for this theater,” board member Ragone said. “There seems to be a very strong contingent of you very much in favor of keeping the Little Theater.” Ragone said they have already entered Phase 1 of the roof restoration, with a company coming from Spokane the very next day to hopefully complete roof work on the Little Theater by Nov. 11. Ellen Weissman spoke about keeping the membership parameters unchanged, which would mean anyone who attends an event at the Panida throughout the year would continue to be referred to as a “member” and retain voting rights at membership meetings. Knowlton said she encourages anyone who would like to meet the new staff members to come by and introduce themselves. The office hours of the theater will be Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Volunteers and members gather on First Avenue outside the Panida Theater to officially relight the marquee after it was restored. Photo by Ben Olson.
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STAGE & SCREEN
The true lie By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff
Panida to show acclaimed film The Farewell Nov. 11-14
ing it a secret so as not to scare the woman. The family gathers in China for Billi’s cousin’s wedding — however, the event is meant more for everyone to ‘Tis the season for uplifting see Nai Nai for the final time. As films — especially those which Billi grapples with her family’s remind viewers to be thankful decision to conceal her grandfor all they have. It is in this mother’s fate, The Farewell exspirit that the Panida Theater plores cultural clashes and moral presents The Farewell, a 2019 dilemmas, ultimately landing on film about family connection an uplifting note. and bittersweet goodbyes, from Thrillist interviewed writer Thursday, Nov. 11 to Sunday, and director Lulu Nov. 14. followThe FareThe Farewell (PG) Wang ing the film’s well centers on Showtimes: Thursday, Nov. 11 Sundance Film Billi (played by at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 12 at Festival premiere comedian Awk7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 13 at in 2019, during 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 14 at wafina in her first 2:30 p.m.; Doors open 20 minutes which the creator dramatic role), a before the show; $8 for adults, Chinese-Ameri$7 for seniors and youth; Panida talked about the real-life lie and can woman who Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208263-9191. Get tickets at the series of events learns that her grandmother, Nai door or panida.org. A note from that inspired The the Panida: Theater capacity is Farewell. She Nai, is dying of currently limited to 200 guests said that when cancer. However, per show. Advance tickets are recommended, but not required. she traveled to Billi’s family The Panida Theater strongly see her family’s has opted not encourages all guests to wear a to inform Nai mask, regardless of vaccine sta- dying matriarch, Nai about her tus, while enjoying performances. just as fictional Billi does in the diagnosis, keep-
film, she had to “remove” herself “from being in the experience in order to not just fall apart in front of my grandmother.” “I was in Berlin at the time working on my first feature film, and I went and got a digital video camera and thought, ‘You know, I’ll just make this into work and that way I can stay removed from it,’” Wang said. “I was always behind this camera when I got to China. My grandma was like, ‘Why are you always filming? Come over and talk to me.’” Wang’s family’s true story of deception and love now lives on as The Farewell. While many critics rave about the movie’s raw sadness and hopeful tone (the Thrillest’s Esther Zuckerman calling it one of her favorite films of 2019), not everyone is a big fan of the film’s premise. Film critic Cate Young, writing about The Farewell in her Thirty, Flirty + Film newsletter, said she “really wanted to love” the flick, but that the story “did not do a good enough job
of convincing [her] that this lie” — withholding Nai Nai’s cancer diagnosis from her — “was necessary or ethical.” Ultimately, bodily autonomy should have won out in Young’s mind. However, whether it be cultural differences or plain old familial choices, the basis of Wang’s The Farewell did happen — to her. It’s a story that welcomes the viewer to consider their own relationship with their family, and their relationship with grief. Despite where we all
and everyone will benefit — the venues, the artists, the average citizen walking into a venue to listen to music.” Last year more than 35 songs were submitted to the inaugural competition, and Dorin expects as many as 50 submissions this year. The parameters are simple: If you live in or have any connection to Sandpoint, you’re eligible. According to Dorin, the quality of recording is not a problem. “One of the winners last year recorded an acapella song on her iPhone while she was hiking in the woods,” Dorin said. “It doesn’t matter the quality of the recording. What matters is the quality of the songwriting.” Songs can be pre-recorded or brand new, and can be submitted by visiting the website sandpointsongwritingcompetition. com. This same website is a
great resource for local music lovers’ to check out the various submissions from their community of songwriters. Winners will be selected not long after the submission deadline, with first prize taking home a double-O body JKS Joel Shoemaker acoustic guitar, made locally. Other prizes also include gift certificates from Baxter’s and MickDuff’s, as well as gigs in town and recording packages. The competition is sponsored mainly by Baxter’s and MickDuff’s, as well as Wilburn Custom Shop, Mattox Farm Productions and the Sandpoint Reader. Joel Shoemaker also earns a pat on the back for providing his custom-made acoustic guitar for a prize. Dorin said this competition is a great way to connect songwriters with their community, especially in providing an outlet
for their music. “I just want people to have an outlet for creativity,” he said. “The No. 1 thing is I want this to be a platform not just for creators of Sandpoint, but people who want to support and love original music so they can discover some of the talent that’s been in Sandpoint and they didn’t know.” Dorin plans to build the
Courtesy photo. land when it comes to the ethical premise of the film, it’s hard to argue with a movie full of fictional characters wrapped up in a true lie, and a true story. Those who see The Farewell at the Panida Theater this weekend can decide for themselves whether Nai Nai should have known what the future had in store for her, or if her family had her best interests in mind all along.
Sandpoint Songwriting Competition accepting entries through Nov. 12
By Ben Olson Reader Staff Back for its second year, the Sandpoint Songwriting Competition is accepting entries from local songwriters through Friday, Nov. 12. Spearheaded by local musician Kevin Dorin, the Songwriting Competition is a way to give back to the musical community, according to Dorin. “The reason I chose to put my own money into this is because since I moved to Sandpoint, I’ve recognized coming from Canada, which has a granting system, there is very little opportunity for people to have support and funding for original music creation,” Dorin told the Reader. “I think if you feed the local community, what we’re going to get back from it is amazing. The quality of music will improve 20 /
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Courtesy photo. competition every year, supporting it with special gigs from past winners and an open mic night the first Wednesday of the month at MickDuff’s Beer Hall. Visit sandpointsongwritingcompetition.com to submit — and listen to previously submitted — songs.
MUSIC
Dancing into winter
Live music event Jack Frost Fest makes its Granary District debut Nov. 13
By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff
As Sandpoint prepares to celebrate at Jack Frost Fest, the mission is simple: join the community in raising a glass to live music, local eats and white-capped mountains. Above all, cheers to Ullr, the Norse god and de facto patron saint of winter, in hopes that he brings North Idaho a snowy season to remember. Mattox Farm Productions is slated to host its fourth Jack Frost Fest on Saturday, Nov. 13 starting at 12 p.m. in Sandpoint’s Granary District (between Evans Brothers Coffee and Matchwood Brewing on Church and Oak Streets). This is the first time the event has been held at this location — something Mattox Farm Productions founder Robb Talbott is looking forward to. “I am really excited to be working with Matchwood and Evans Brothers to make this event even more of a community event than it has been in the past,” Talbott told the Reader. That’s thanks partially to the central, outdoor location, but also to the support of numerous sponsors who have chipped in to ensure that the 2021 Jack Frost Fest is free to attend.
“Being free and outside at the Granary District are big changes that we are really excited about,” Talbott said. “Both will help this event continue to grow into what the Sandpoint community wants it to be.” This year’s Jack Frost Fest will feature live music from several genres, as Mattox Farm Productions welcomes five different acts to two different stages in the Granary District. “I’m really excited about the variety of music this year,” Talbott said. “There will be a little bit of everything, from rock, funk, bluegrass, blues, country, as well as native influences from around the world.” The current line-up includes Systir, a Sandpoint folk band made up of two pairs of sisters, playing 12-1:30 p.m.; local
vocal talent Samantha Carston 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Last Chance Band, a Coeur d’Alene-based country outfit, playing 2:30-4 p.m.; Sandpoint rockers Crooked Tooth from 4-5 p.m.; and to round off the evening, Missoula funk masters Shakewell, hitting the stage 5-6:30 p.m. “We are looking forward to getting Shakewell back to town. I can’t think of a better band to get the snow dances going,” Talbott said. “Last Chance Band will make their full band debut in Sandpoint — I am sure Sandpoint will enjoy their music.” Aside from the focus on free, live music, Jack Frost Fest is also all about good eats, tasty drinks and activities for all ages. The ultimate goal is to “get stoked about the coming winter,” according to Talbott.
Left: Shakewell plays at the Kettlehouse Amphitheater in Montana. Photo courtesy LogJam Presents. Right: Last Chance Band plays at FarmJam 2019. Courtesy photo.
“Jack Frost Fest is unique due to the community feel and family-friendly nature of the event,” he said, “as well as the quality of live music that lasts a good part of the day — especially this time of year.” Learn more about Jack Frost Fest and other Mattox Farm Productions events at mattoxfarm.com. Talbott would like to thank the 2021 Jack Frost Fest sponsors for making this event free to attend: Evans Brothers, Matchwood Brewing, Washington Trust Bank, Selle Design Group, Mycelium Collective, Sandpoint Reader, ShotzSki, K102 and KPND.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Music Conservatory of Sandpoint Fall Serenade, house concert, Nov. 14 Music Conservatory of Sandpoint teachers are slated to present Fall Serenade: Works by the Great Masters at the organization’s popular annual house concert event — located at 110 Main Street in Sandpoint — on Sunday, Nov. 14. Organizers promise “a raffle of Sandpoint local business delights,” along with a bake sale, light reception and no-host wine bar, all meant to fund scholarships for local youth interested in learning music. This event is highly anticipated
and seating is limited, so ticket purchasing is encouraged early. Adult tickets are $25, while students cost $15. Find tickets at sandpointconservatory.ticketspice.com/fall-serenade. Those with questions about the MCS Fall Serenade can call 208265-4444. — Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey 3 p.m.; $25 for adults, $15 for students; house concert @ 110 Main St. in Sandpoint, sandpointconservatory.org.
Truck Mills, Global Gumbo, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Nov. 12 There aren’t many Sandpoint musicians who wield a guitar as well as Truck Mills. Known for his smooth, polished blues guitar and dynamic song choices, Mills can brighten any room with his music, which has been described as “Afro-Latin influenced barrelhouse blues being played by Irish immigrants in a Turkish restaurant on Bourbon Street.” Mills will play at the Pend
d’Oreille Winery Friday, Nov. 12 from 5-8 p.m. with special guests Global Gumbo. Mills always puts on a memorable show, so head down to the Winery for a glass of vino and some dinner for this show. — Ben Olson
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
READ
Upton Sinclair is perhaps best known for his novel The Jungle, which led to reforms such as the Meat Inspection Act. Another powerful book by Sinclair is Oil, which was the inspiration for the dark Daniel Day Lewis film There Will Be Blood. Enraged by oil scandals of the Harding administration in the 1920s, Sinclair’s Oil tells a gripping tale of avarice, corruption and class warfare featuring a cavalcade of characters from senators to Hollywood film starlets.
LISTEN
... to books on tape from the library. The Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library has several shelves filled with books on tape, which I’ve been listening to in my truck when running errands or driving to a hike in the mountains. Right now I’m listening to Edward Abbey’s cult classic The Monkey Wrench Gang and am loving every minute of it. While I read Abbey’s opus years ago, the audiobook is read by a narrator who gives each character their own voices, making the book feel like a play. Check out some of your own at the library!
WATCH
I don’t watch a whole lot of TV, so I’m often behind on good shows that have come and gone. I seem to have just discovered celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who I always thought was just some blowhard who yells at all his chefs. In fact, Ramsay is a fascinating character whose gruff outside demeanor is mostly due to his lack of patience with chefs who are lazy and don’t treat food with the respect it deserves. Ramsay has had a ton of shows over the years, but one of my favorites is Kitchen Nightmares, where he comes in to discover why a particular restaurant is failing and helps them pull their heads out of the oven to bring it back.
5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., powine. November 11, 2021 /
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BACK OF THE BOOK
‘Where everybody knows your name’ By Ben Olson Reader Staff
From Daily Bulletin, Nov. 11, 1931
CELEBRATE ENDING OF WAR TOMORROW Weather permitting, Armistice day exercises will open in Sandpoint Wednesday morning with a parade which will begin at the Ponderay hotel and end at the Legion hall on First avenue and Lake street. The Legion has arranged a complete program for the day this year, which is the 13th anniversary of the ending of the World War. Following the parade exercises will take place at the hall with O.C. Wilson, past state commander, Bonners Ferry, as the chief speaker. At two o’clock in the afternoon a football game is being planned between two high school teams. At 6:30 at the Methodist community hall the War Mothers will serve their annual Armistice day dinner to all ex-service men and the dance at the Granada in the evening will conclude the day’s activities. All of the business houses of the city that usually close on holidays will be closed tomorrow. As has been its custom in the past the Daily Bulletin will not be published on Armistice Day. 22 /
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Without fail, if I hear the Cheers theme song, I’m instantly transported back to a cozy past era. “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” composed by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo, might just be the most successful song written for a sitcom in history, because it immediately swaddles your brain in sepia tones, causing you to think of a time when people just dropped by instead of texting when they’re outside the house. It was a simpler time, when memes were jokes shared in person, when we were more connected with our neighbors than we were with some random Instagrammer from across the globe. If Sandpoint had a theme song, I hope it would be the Cheers theme, instead of the REM song, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine).” Living in a small town means running into the same people often. I mean often. Have you ever seen someone at the grocery store and caught up, then seen them again at the post office, or the gas station? “Are you stalking me?” one will ask and the other will laugh and we’ll move on about our day. This interconnection is precisely what some people move here for. It’s also a prime reason why some move away. It can be exhausting having so many acquaintances to keep track of, and if you forget one of their names, nothing will save you from running into them again and again until you’re both in your seventies. Face coverings have actually been a blessing for this, because when you don’t recognize someone, just blame the mask! It’s also a pain when you just want to run to the store to grab toilet paper and you end up running into your elementary school teacher, or your ex and have that aisle-con-
STR8TS Solution
versation where both are moving away from one another but still talking. Bonus points if you’re wearing some form of pajamas. Once, after waking in a strange house west of town where there was apparently a wild party the night before, I snuck out the door and started walking the five miles back to Sandpoint. My hair was disheveled, pants reeking of spilled whiskey and eyes bloodshot from little sleep. I’m not certain, but I also think my breath may have killed a bird flying by. It was that bad. A mile later, I had run out of energy and put my thumb out for a ride. Of all people to stop and pick me up, it had to be the parents of a good friend from high school. Their family was always straight-arrow and pleasant — the kind of people a misanthrope like me has always kept at arm’s length because I didn’t belong on their wavelength. They were a bit confused to find out it was me they were stopping for, probably figuring it was a homeless person. The conversation, as you can imagine, was awkward as hell. “Oh, Ben, it’s you,” one said, grimacing as my booze breath hit them at 9 a.m. “What are you doing here?” I’m hitchhiking half drunk home from a heathen party, of course, what does it look like? Other times, when you’re in a rush, you’d better believe the person you cut off on Fifth Ave. is someone who knows your car, knows your face and will bring it up next time they see you. “Was that you I almost ran into the other day by Safeway?” they’ll say, and you’ll just have to shrug and fess up to being a jerk. Also, when you live in a small town, everyone knows when you screw up. There’s no hiding from it. It teaches us all to be more accountable for our actions. These incidents will happen in a small
town, but more importantly, the good interactions happen, too. I’m talking about the times you see an old friend and share a laugh at an inside joke that’s lasted 20 years. Or the days when you’re feeling worthless and lonely and a fellow Sandpointian pays you a random compliment that makes your day. Or when the bartender sends over a drink from a familiar face across the bar. Or when you’re hiking in the woods far from town and you run into someone you always enjoy seeing, or share a chairlift with someone you once traveled the world with. Big cities are wild, boisterous places filled with culture and activity, but they can’t compare to the intimacy of having a few thousand close neighbors for a lifetime. I am, indeed, a misanthrope at heart. I’ve always loathed people, but I love persons. For what it’s worth, Sandpoint is filled with some of the best persons there are. Just don’t expect me to talk to you at the grocery store.
Crossword Solution
Sudoku Solution Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and I think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, it is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
By Bill Borders
CROSSWORD
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Laughing Matter
ACROSS
ven-det-uh
Woorf tdhe Week
/ven-DET-uh/
[noun] 1. any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like.
“The workers’ vendetta against the owner has lasted through the summer.”
Corrections: Nothing to note this week. Rest in peace, Stephen.
1. Civet-like mammal 6. Feudal worker 10. Powdery dirt 14. Annoyed 15. Cease 16. Within 17. Sightless 18. Cab 19. Immediately 20. Organized 22. Heap 23. Relative magnitudes 24. Streamlets 25. Fashionable 29. Laic 31. Remedy 33. They love to inflict pain 37. Ring around the nipple 38. Creation 39. A communication 41. To foreshadow 42. Anagram of “Clients” 44. Accomplishment 45. Pueblo brick 48. Relating to audible sound 50. Unit of pressure 51. Unoccupied 56. Olympic sled 57. Lipids 58. European blackbird
Solution on page 22 59. Wings 60. Mining finds 61. Nonpoetic writing 62. Found on most beaches 63. Arid 64. Seed spreader
DOWN 1. Little lies 2. Paris airport 3. Slaloms 4. Dispatched 5. Viper 6. Demesnes 7. Interference
8. Harmful 9. Sweeping story 10. Demoralized 11. Up to 12. Procrastinate 13. Carries 21. Back rub 24. Radiolocation 25. Study hard 26. Not there 27. Midmonth date 28. Hybridize 30. Ointment ingredient 32. Gladden 34. Certain 35. Not false
36. Transmit 40. Trap 41. Diplomacy 43. Fastening pin 45. Collection of maps 46. Birthing coach 47. Keyboard instrument 49. Temporary lodgings 51. Flying saucers 52. Roman emperor 53. Anagram of “Wort” 54. If not 55. Anagram of “Reed”
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