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PEOPLE compiled by

Susan Drinkard

watching

“What meal from a Sandpoint restaurant do you most often crave?”

“Probably Serv-A-Burger. I like their chicken strips.”

Jocalyn Gors Student technician at White Cross Pharmacy Elmira area

DEAR READERS,

Snow is here! Looks like we’ll get some more snow off and on throughout the next week, so bust out that ice scraper and prepare for the long winter. I’m one of those people who love the fact that we have four seasons of weather here in North Idaho. Bring it on. At the very least, it might scare away those less-hardy souls who thought it was all sunshine and roses up here. There is a certain morbid pleasure that North Idahoans take in dealing with our seasonal weather. This is only the beginning!

Now that the election season is past us (congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden), maybe we can start putting our collective energy into being better to one another. I have empathy for those who voted for and support President Donald Trump.

It’s never easy to see your candidate lose an election. I am looking forward to the days ahead when we no longer divide ourselves between those who support one candidate or another and embrace the fact that we are all in this together. Let’s put our best foot forward and make it a collective goal to embrace kindness a little more.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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 (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Bruce Duykers (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders.

“I like the chicken enchiladas at Fiesta Bonita. And I like the Cuban sandwich at the Pie Hut, as well.“ Douglas Scobee Manager of The Express Lane Bonner County “A chili relleno burrito from Joel’s.”

Julia Knadler Bakery manager at Winter Ridge Sandpoint

“I like Mr. Sub. They have good people working there, and I like their food.”

Daniel Tomt 10th grade Sandpoint

“I like the key lime pie at Baxter’s.”

Doris Cohen Retired schoolteacher Dover

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Emily Erickson, Sheryl Rickard, Steve Klatt.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $115 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

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

About the Cover

This week’s cover is a painting by Bruce Duykers called “Rebirth.” Duykers painted it with oil on canvas. Check out a story about Duykers on Page 16 of this week’s edition.

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NEWS

‘That is shocking’ Idaho COVID-19 cases skyrocket

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Idaho’s “curve” of COVID-19 cases continues ever upward, with another 1,693 confirmed and probable cases logged Nov. 11 by state health care trackers, bringing the total to 77,121 since recording started in spring 2020. The total deaths in the state are 733.

According to state reports, the Gem State set new records for positive cases in the past week, prompting dire warnings from top physicians in the state, including retired St. Luke’s President and CEO Dr. David Pate, who took to Twitter on Nov. 7 with this message: “No matter how bad you thought we were or were not in the past, we are way worse today. We have levels of community transmission that most of us could not even have imagined a few months ago, when we thought it was bad.”

At that time, Pate wrote that Idaho experienced, on average, 55.5 new cases per 100,000 population.

“That is shocking,” he stated.

“Ideal would be less than 1; I would settle for <5. I am warning you. We are not far away from the point that we will have no choice but to take actions you don’t want our leaders to take.”

Gov. Brad Little moved Idaho back to Stage 3 of its reopening plan Oct. 26, citing concerns about health care capacity constraints. As hospitals around the state fill up with critical COVID-19 cases, they cannot handle the day-to-day influx of injury and illness that typically occupy beds. Thus, the need to stem the tide of the COVID-19 cases is a matter of triage — ensuring the capacity to deal with critical cases by lessening the creation of more cases, that would then further the number of available beds.

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health care provider in North Idaho — already announced in late October that it was “99% capacity” due to the “surge” in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.

“We are definitely in a surge, we are definitely exceeding where we were prior,” Don Duffy, Public Health Services administrator for the Panhandle Health District, told members of the Sandpoint City Council at its Oct. 21 meeting. “It certainly is taxing the resources that we have.”

The Panhandle Health District reported 142 new positive cases Nov. 11, bringing the total to 7,000 in the district. Deaths numbered 88, as of Nov. 11.

Meanwhile, more than 250,000 Americans nationwide have died from COVID-19-related causes.

A total of 54 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the district, which includes Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties. A total of 4,727 cases have been closed, meaning they no longer show symptoms of the virus, which attacks the respiratory system. That total includes those who refused further

A map of the United States showing which states are reporting higher positivity rates for COVID-19 tests. The darker blue states denote 20% or higher positivity rate.

Courtesy image.

monitoring or have since died as a result of the virus.

Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties are in the “red” category, as determined by state epidemiologists, meaning that community spread and the danger of contracting the virus is high. Bonner and Benewah

counties remain in “orange,” enabling schools to remain partially open though individuals throughout the district are strongly urged to wear masks while in public places and maintain social distancing protocols, which are defined as keeping six feet of distance between individ-

uals and refraining from prolonged contact with those who reside outside their own home.

Gov. Brad Little will hold a press conference updating Idahoans on the state’s COVID-19 response Friday, Nov. 13 at noon Pacific Time. Watch at idahoptv. org/idahoinsession/governor.

writer’s life. While they don’t have to be set in a designated wilderness, they should show the personal impact of a trip into a wild country. Applicants may take readers along quiet trails or bushwhacking into the backcountry where no motorized vehicles are to be found. Whether the story involves camping, hiking, fishing, hunting berry picking or horseback riding, or something else, it’s a wilderness-values experience if human influence on the land is minimal.

One winning student will be selected from Troy, Libby, Thompson Falls and Noxon, Mont. Four winning students will be selected from Bonner County schools. Check with

your high school guidance counselor for the application and deadline details.

Sophie McMahon of Clark Fork High School was one of last year’s scholarship-winning students. Courtesy photo.

FSPW opens 2020/21 scholarship program

By Reader Staff Around the country, graduating seniors are preparing for life beyond high school. For many budding scholars, that means applying for scholarships.

Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness is doing its part to get them started out right. Just like previous years, it will be awarding $250 scholarships to eight students throughout North Idaho and the northwest Montana Scotchman region.

Scholarships will be awarded based on essays students submit with their application. The essay should be centered on a most memorable wilderness experience that helped shape the

NEWS

Election postgame 2020

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The 2020 General Election is still ongoing, according to President Donald Trump’s lawyers, but the results are in for Idaho Legislative District 1 and awaiting canvassing, which elections officials say will occur Friday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. No results are final until then.

Barring that, the local totals remain the same as they were on Election Day, Nov. 3, as incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Risch captured 17,964 votes for 66.43% to Democratic challenger Paulette Jordan’s vote of 29.88%, or 8,079.

Likewise, incumbent Republican Rep. Russ Fulcher took 68.11% of the vote in District 1, with 18,213, to Democrat Rudy Soto’s turnout of 7,601 voters, or 28.42%.

Idaho District 1 Sen. Jim Woodward won a second term with 17,192 votes, amounting to 75.22%, versus Democratic challenger Vera Gadman’s 5,623, totaling 24.6% of the vote.

Blanchard Republican Rep. Heath-

er Scott earned yet another term in the Idaho House with 14,911 votes to Democratic challenger Gail Bolin’s 7,859, shaking out to 65.3% and 34.41% of the vote, respectively.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Sage Dixon held onto his District 1B seat with a handy 67.43% of the vote, pulling 15,421 votes, to Democrat Stephen Howlett’s 6,856 votes, amounting to 29.98%.

Republican Commissioner Steve Bradshaw bested Democrat Steve Johnson by a wide margin, 66% to 33.81%, with 17,566 and 8,999 votes, respectively. Republican Commissioner Jeff Connolley, unopposed, drew 20,673 votes for 97.07% of the vote.

Incumbent Sheriff Daryl Wheeler secured reelection with 17,925 votes to Democratic challenger Cindy Marx’s 8,806 — breaking down to 66.87% to 32.85%.

Finally, voters retained unchallenged Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall with 20,833 votes, or 97.56% of the vote. Magistrate Judge Tera A. Harden kept her seat with 18,718 votes, or 83.28%

and the constitutional amendment HJR4 passed in District 1 with 15,695 votes to 8,236; that is, 65.58% to 34.42%.

Trump won 66.91% of the local vote, with 18,369 votes, to President-elect Joe Biden’s 30.27%, garnering 8,310 votes.

That victory notwithstanding, the president has refused to recognize the result of the election, which delivered about 75 million votes to Biden and 70 million to Trump —

Idaho results to be canvassed Nov. 13, conservation candidates claim victory statewide

both record-breaking turnouts.

As the national drama plays out, with Trump and his lawyers challenging the legitimacy of the election — citing unconfirmed and so-far baseless claims of vote tampering — groups closer to home celebrated the “pro-conservation” bent of statewide election results.

Nonpartisan lobby group Conservation Voters for Idaho noted that “Idaho voters turned out to the polls to elect 20 pro-conserva-

Courtesy image.

tion candidates in local and state races across the state,” stating that “voters of all political persuasions, from the capital of Boise to remote rural regions, have overwhelmingly shown their support for these candidates who ran on the platform of protecting our clean air and water, our parks and trails, and farmland and open space.”

Bonner County continues to workshop mining code P&Z hearing rescheduled for 2021

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The Bonner County Planning and Zoning Board has chosen for the second time to postpone a hearing on proposed changes to county mining code.

The board took the opportunity Nov. 5 to further workshop the amendments, which many have criticized as an attempt by the county to expand certain mining operations into rural areas.

Bonner County Planner Halee Sabourin presented the proposed code amendments at the Nov. 5 meeting, which was originally scheduled as a hearing — where the board would take a vote — but later changed to a workshop due to a “clerical error,” according to Planning Director Milton Ollerton. He said a hearing will

now take place after the first of the year, but no date has been set.

At the center of the proposed changes is something called a “certificate of zoning compliance” — a new administrative permitting process that Sabourin said serves a two-fold purpose.

“One, we want to give an opportunity for those who apply to verify the legality of land uses and development of structures, just as we have a [zoning certificate] that verifies the legality of a lot or parcel,” she said. “Second, [the purpose] is to provide a review process for certain uses that have very specific and narrow standards, and ordinances to address those concerns that may not pop up in a public hearing process.”

Sabourin said concerns specific to mining operations

include emissions, noise, light, odors, dust, safety and more.

“The purpose of these amendments is to provide very clear standards for operation of these uses while ensuring that the uses will still be compliant with state and federal regulations,” she said, noting that language in the current county code regarding mining is “a little vague.”

Under the new ordinance, certificates of zoning compliance — issued administratively by the planning director and without a public hearing — will be used to permit existing and temporary mining stone quarries, gravel pits and stone mills, as well as open pits. New permanent mining stone quarries, gravel pits and stone mills will require a conditional use permit, and therefore a public hearing. Rock blasting, which used to be defined as its

own mining operation, would be allowed in any permanent quarry.

Causing major concern among Bonner County residents who caught wind of the proposed changes in August was an amendment that would have allowed asphalt batch plants to operate in forest, agricultural and rural zones with only a certificate of zoning compliance. The public outcry was exacerbated by an ongoing legal battle between Sagle residents, Interstate Concrete & Asphalt and Frank and Carol Linscott surrounding a proposed batch plant in the Linscott’s gravel pit.

In response to those concerns — which argued that public input is crucial when permitting such operations — the planning board decided to continue requiring a conditional use permit for batch plants outside of industrial

zones. Within industrial zones, however, a CUP is not required.

The Nov. 5 workshop saw comments from community members largely opposed to the changes, seeing them as opening the door to more mining operations in rural parts of the county. Ollerton ended the meeting by stating that the planning board was simply trying to find “the best solution” for improving the code.

“That’s why we continue to postpone this, have public hearings and allow for more public comment,” he said. “Some of the challenges are that folks often — they don’t do this everyday like we do, so understanding the codes and understanding the things that we are trying to adopt is sometimes difficult.”

“Mining is a part of daily life.

We need it,” Ollerton added. “It belongs somewhere.”

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NEWS

Gold Hill Trail parking could see expansion Bonner County seeking funds from USFS Resource Advisory Committee

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The parking lot at Gold Hill trailhead. Photo by Ben Olson.

Bonner County commissioners approved an application for funding through the U.S. Forest Service Resource Advisory Committee on Nov. 3, which would enable the Bonner County Parks and Waterways Department to expand parking at the Gold Hill trailhead on Bottle Bay Road in Sagle.

The popular 5.6-mile trail is well used by locals and visitors alike due to its accessibility and close proximity to Sandpoint. However, limited parking at the trailhead presents traffic issues each summer.

“Gold Hill is just one of those examples, where the parking lot was made to hold maybe eight vehicles on a good day, whereas you could easily see double that on a weekend during the summer,” Bonner County Parks Director Nate Demmons told the Sandpoint Reader. “With no overflow parking at this busy trailhead, people who come to recreate and can’t get a spot in the parking lot decide to park their vehicle in the ditch alongside Bottle Bay Road.”

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Demmons said this creates a safety hazard, disrupting traffic and increasing the likelihood of an accident in the area.

He said that safety is a high priority for both USFS and Bonner County officials, making an overflow parking area a feasible solution to mitigate traffic congestion.

“This, in turn, would help the community by creating a safer recreational experience and help decrease local resident/ visitor use conflicts,” he said.

According to grant submission documents, the county would utilize existing county right-of-way to create the new paved parking area. Demmons’ proposal would accomodate an additional eight vehicles near the Gold Hill trailhead, drawing on about $32,000 in RAC funds and a $4,000 in-kind match from Bonner County.

The deadline to apply for RAC grant money is Nov. 20 and decisions regarding accepted project proposals will be announced after. If accepted, construction on the Gold Hill overflow parking project would begin in fall 2021 and take about a week to complete.

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, with a focus on various reactions to Joe Biden’s election to the presidency: With 4.4 million more votes for Biden than for President Donald Trump, and with Biden having secured the Electoral College as well, Trump nonetheless refused to concede — albeit, there’s no legal requirement to do so — stating the election was stolen from him and “this is far from over.”

Fox News’ Brett Baier: “We have not seen hard evidence” of Trump’s claim of electoral fraud.

Robert Reich, former secretary of Labor, stated that Trump’s presidency was “the closest we have come to a dictator.” He predicts Trump will try to prevent states from meeting the legal Dec. 8 deadline for choosing electors, forcing a special election commission to decide the winner a mere two days before inauguration. Given Trump’s personality, Reich also suspects Trump will constantly work to inflame national tensions both before and after leaving office.

The international community of foreign leaders showed relief at news of Biden’s victory, according to The New York Times. The Washington Post said traditional U.S. allies were “celebrating.”

On Fox News, having witnessed the huge voter turnout, due in part to use of mail-in ballots because of COVID-19, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said U.S. election laws need to change or “there will never be another Republican president elected again.”

Families Belong Together, which works on immigration issues, including separation of children from parents at the border, said the results show “family separation and cruelty are against our values.” They aim to right the wrongs perpetrated by the Trump administration. With three months to go, FBT remains on alert since learning of an immigration “blitz” planned by Trump adviser Stephen Miller.

QAnon members, who number in the millions, were alarmed when their anonymous leader went silent as election results indicated Trump will not serve a second term, Slate.com reported. Followers of QAnon believe top Democrats are pedophiles and that Trump was secretly fighting them to save the world. A national poll showed 50% of Trump supporters believe the conspiracy theory. While there had been

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

predictions of QAnon violence, Forbes reported there was only one arrest of two people driving to Philadelphia to deliver an alleged truckload of ballots. One suspect was linked to QAnon, and both were arrested on weapons charges after a tip to law enforcement. An investigation is ongoing.

The Economic Policy Institute noted that the new administration pledged to prioritize the needs of working families. To the EPI that would include more bargaining power for workers, curbing income inequality, addressing infrastructure and education, protecting social insurance programs, and working on closing gender and racial wage gaps. Broad support for that, EPI stated, was indicated by Florida voting to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and Colorado approving a 12-week family and medical leave program. Arizona approved higher taxes on those making over $250,000, to be used for education.

“This is not a time for timidity or austerity,” EPI stated. “This is a time for courage and ambition.”

Whether Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell retains power depends on Georgia voters, where two U.S. Senate races saw the candidates each get less than 50% of the vote, forcing a Jan. 5, 2021 revote. If both Democrats win, McConnell will lose power, since there will no longer be a majority of Senate Republican lawmakers. As of Nov. 10, Biden appeared to be ahead in Georgia.

The environmental community was glad to see on Biden’s webpage that he’s pledged that climate change will be prioritized and the transition team will exclude fossil fuel profiteer-types.

Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon was permanently banned from Twitter after calling for the beheading of infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Bannon said the heads should be put on pikes at the White House as a warning against dissent there. Bannon faces charges of fraud for taking money from donations for a border wall; his attorney withdrew from his case.

Blast from the past: In the election cycle of 1800, votes were cast on dates set by each state, resulting in votes rolling in from April to October. It was a chaotic election cycle and gave rise to the 12th Amendment, which dodges deadlocks, and which also gave rise to today’s Electoral College system.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

#NotMyWinter

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

I know a guy who absolutely hates winter. His face turns sour at the first sign of fall — a crumpled expression like the brown and gold leaves soon to be blanketing the ground. He cringes at the sight of pumpkins perched on front porches, with their mean, carved faces staring as an omen of the dreaded season to come. He groans in disgust when stores start shifting their stock, their neat window displays swapping out tank tops and sandals for woolen socks and sweaters.

This guy recently dropped by my house, with its warm glow a contrast to the wintery scene around it, and I knew I was in for his contemptuous cloud of seasonal disdain. But, as he hopped out of his truck in shorts and a sun hat, he met me with an expression that wasn’t exactly sour. Instead, it was hard-lined and stubborn, with a decided set of features that made him look immovable.

“Hello?” I greeted him with a confused tone, cracking open the door while pulling on my big, heavy jacket.

“How are you?”

In a mixture between a grunt and grumble, he retorted, “Fine, fine. Everything’s fine.”

I pulled a knitted hat over my ears and trudged to the gate, leaving snowy boot prints in my wake. In an attempt to skirt around the questions like, “Why are you here?” and “What’s with the shorts?” I settled on, “How about this

Emily Erickson.

weather, huh? It’s like winter arrived overnight.”

At this, fire shot into his eyes and his nostrils sharpened into narrow points. “Summer’s not over,” he barked with finality.

Not getting the joke, I squirmed in discomfort, chuckling awkwardly through pointed gestures at the wintery scene around me.

“I’m serious,” he responded. “This isn’t winter. The snow isn’t even real. Big trucks drove around to everyone’s house in the middle of the night and dumped it here.

It’s fake. I heard on good authority they manufactured it up the mountain to keep us all from continuing to use our boats on the water. It’s fake.”

Shocked by the absurdity of his statement, I prodded him, grasping for any bit of clarity I could find. “What do you mean this isn’t winter? What about the ice coating all the roads?

It’s so slick out there!”

“That’s not real ice,” he replied with a conspiratorial air. “They mixed glass into the asphalt so it would look

like ice, but it’s not real ice.

They’re trying to keep us from driving our cars.”

My thoughts swam at the ridiculousness of that conclusion, with one contradicting thought after another nearly bursting from my mouth. I wondered, “What about the ice on the dirt roads?” and, “Logistically, how could that even be close to possible without someone — anyone — with authority finding out?”

Instead of being blunt, I asked, “And the temperature?

What about these freezing winds? It’s as blustery today as any winter day I’ve ever experienced.”

Through gritted teeth and a glare, he spat his reply: “That, I guess, depends on what weather station you’re watching. If you only listen to broadcasts run by winter-lovers, you’re only going to get one side of the story.

In fact, just this morning I watched a very professional YouTube video by a person with a weather education certificate explaining that winter isn’t even a real season. She described, with statistics, that it’s actually quite warm outside right now. And, I mean, who are you going to trust?”

Considering this conversation a lost cause, I shrugged my shoulders and flexed my fingers inside my warm, winter gloves. A frigid breeze swept across the property, and I knocked an icycle off the edge of my gate.

“Interesting thoughts,” I concluded, dismissively.

“Thanks for stopping by.”

He turned on his heel, with the edges of his hat flopping in the wind. As he picked a path through the snow in his shorts, he turned around for one last incredulous glare. He cranked open the door to his truck but, before hopping inside, he hoisted a large, yellow flag above the cab, boldly stating, “Always Summer.”

Turning over the key and revving the engine, he peeled

out of my driveway, his tires spitting snow and ice out from under him. As the yellow flag whipped in the frigid wind and the truck began to fade into the snowy distance, he leaned out the window, shouting “Not My Winter!”

Disclaimer: This story was not based on true events. Well, not all of it, anyhow.

Retroactive

By BO

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Polka, anyone?...

Bouquets: • I’m often asked by our readers how we make it work every week by giving away a free paper. The reason is published all over each and every edition: our advertisers. We so appreciate all of the local businesses that have continued to advertise with the Reader over the years. If you appreciate the Reader being available for free, do us a favor and show some love to the businesses who help us keep the lights on around here. We couldn’t do it without them. Thanks.

• I contacted three former North Idaho lawmakers to ask their take on election integrity and what we can do to move forward toward unifying our voices instead of dividing them. The story is on Page 10-11, but the backstory is that I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Kermit Kiebert, Shawn Keough and George Eskridge about Idaho politics. We have some folks in office now that generally refuse speaking to the media, and I feel that is a shame. Let’s break down these walls of non-communication and start a new era of cooperation between politicians and the media.

Barbs • I saw you last week, driver in a Chevy truck. I saw you run a stop sign by the post office, nearly causing an accident in the process. I then saw you again, Chevy truck driver, blowing through another stop sign on Cedar St. just 10 minutes later. Are we really in such a hurry that we can’t be safe while driving through town?

I get it, it’s frustrating to do the “crawl” along First Avenue when most drivers maintain a 10-15 mile per hour clip instead of the 25 mile per hour speed limit. The new street configeration doesn’t exactly lend itself to a quick loop through town. That is by design, whether you like it or not, to reduce the speed of downtown traffic. Bottom line: drive like your kids are in the backseat.

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Dear editor, Historically, Democrats have raised their voices to “Happy Days Are Here Again” in celebration of a presidential victory: “Happy days are here again/ the skies above are clear again/ so let’s sing a song of cheer again/ happy days are here again.” That grand old hymn became the unofficial Democrat Party anthem overnight when it was first played (and sung, with gusto) at the 1932 convention that named Franklin Delano Roosevelt president. (In December 1933, with the repeal of prohibition, thirsty Americans sang “Happy days are beer again”).

The original lyrics richly deserve to be sung today, but in gratitude we should add an encore. “Strike up the music, the band has begun/ the Pennsylvania Polka. Pick out your partner and join in the fun/ the Pennsylvania Polka. It started in Scranton, it’s now number one/ it’s bound to entertain you. Everybody has a mania/ to do the polka from Pennsylvania!”

Thanks in large measure to Pennsylvania, happy days are here again.

Tim H. Henney Sandpoint

Have something to say? Write a letter to the editor. The Sandpoint Reader accepts letters to the editor that are under 300 words that do not contain libelous statements or excessive profanity. Please elevate the conversation. Also, letters that focus on local or regional issues will always take precedence to letters that troll, belittle or only focus on issues that don’t necessarily affect North Idaho.

COMMUNITY

Investing in the future of medicine

By Sheryl Rickard Special to the Reader

One of my favorite times of the year is when our Idaho WWAMI students arrive at Bonner General Health.

I’ve spent 34 years — my entire career — at Bonner, starting out as an accounting supervisor after I took my CPA exam, then moving into the CFO role, and then, 16 years ago, I became the hospital’s first female CEO. Bonner is a major employer in our area, with 430 employees.

Being at a small hospital in a rural area means you’re part of a community.

For many years, we’ve partnered with the regional medical educational program called WWAMI (standing for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) to give medical students a hands-on, immersive experience in rural Idaho.

One of the most valuable aspects of this program is the bridge it builds between regional and even national medical students and rural Idaho. These are students who may have never visited our area otherwise spending four to 12 weeks immersed in our hospital.

Idaho WWAMI is the only medical school in the state that offers this type of opportunity.

I recall one student who got involved in our Food For Our Children backpack program.

Outside of his program, he came to the hospital to help us pack food. Students become members of our community, and many express wanting to return to work with us as physicians one day.

Idaho WWAMI elevates our care, plain and simple. You feel the change when the students get here. Our physicians get to share their enthusiasm with bright new students, and hospital staff enjoy seeing their young, energetic

faces. As students shadow our family practice doctors in the midst of their rounds, they always come by and visit me, and it makes my day. We get to have this incredible connection with the young Idahoans who are the future of medicine.

For these students, being immersed in rural medicine gives them a taste of everything.

We have 62 physicians in our active medical staff, so for a community of our size, we can support many more people than a typical rural hospital. We deliver babies at Bonner, which also isn’t typical for a community our size. We do orthopedic surgery, with six surgeons on staff who stay busy serving a high Medicare population and the ski hill.

Ours is a robust medical community, with ENT, an ophthalmologist and four OBGYNs, and students get to learn from all that we do here. They get exposure to a community they may never otherwise have interacted with.

We also serve a large county, with patients coming from Montana, Washington and as far north as the Canadian border.

It’s a high Medicare population with a lot of chronic diseases. In our Community Health Needs Assessment, obesity always tops the list. We also have a high instance of teen suicide and mental health is a big challenge here. Some of our WWAMI students have gotten involved, supporting the work our psychologist, psychiatrist and nurse practitioner do in our behavioral health clinic. We could bring in two more providers for this clin-

Sheryl Rickard, the CEO of Bonner General Health. File photo.

ic and that wouldn’t even begin to fill the need.

We need more energetic, bright medical professionals who want to work in our communities. WWAMI benefits our hospital in so many ways, yet not everyone knows about the role it plays in rural Idaho. It connects these bright future doctors to our communities. WWAMI is a crucial part of our hospital as a learning and teaching component. After they graduate, many students continue to work in Idaho. Again, these are skilled medical students who could find a job anywhere, but they choose us.

What an amazing opportunity that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. I urge Idaho lawmakers to continue to Invest in the future of medicine, and in the health of our North Idaho communities.

Sheryl Rickard is the CEO of Bonner General Health. She lives in Sandpoint.

PERSPECTIVES

The healing nature of kindness Why random acts of kindness are just what we need right now

By Ben Olson Reader Staff I was traveling in my 20s when I witnessed my first real random act of kindness.

I was visiting a friend in San Francisco.

We were driving across the Bay Bridge and stopped at the toll booth. She paid her toll and told the employee, “And this is for the car behind me.”

“What did you do that for?” I asked her as we drove away.

“I dunno, random act of kindness,” she shrugged. “Maybe they’re having a bad morning.”

It turned out she often did the same thing in the drive thru at a coffee shop, paying for the order of the person behind her. She said when she was having a bad day, she often committed a random act of kindness as a sort of “pay it forward” experiment. The result is that she often lifted her own spirits after helping another person for no reason other than to be kind.

I tried it myself a few weeks later. I saw a homeless man outside of my place in L.A. on my walk home from the store.

He sat without socks on his cracked, dirty feet. I ran inside and grabbed a pair of my own socks, gave them to him and wound up sitting next to him on the sidewalk talking about life for about an hour. He was quite an articulate person, with a big heart and a really sad story. I never would’ve known it if I hadn’t given him a pair of my stupid socks that probably cost me a couple dollars and that I never noticed were gone.

In the aftermath of the presidential election, we have to come to terms with the fact that the United States is a divided nation in many ways. But it’s only that way because we have allowed ourselves to view one another as enemies when we are actually more alike than we think. When committing a random act of kindness, you suddenly realize that it doesn’t matter who someone voted for, what religion they follow, what kind of car they drive or where they’re from. If someone needs help, or an improvement on their mood, we should view them as human beings first and foremost, and leave all the politics aside.

On Election Night, I had to get away from the news for a bit and decided to walk to the store. As I was walking down Boyer Avenue, a couple of young kids were kicking a soccer ball around in their yard.

One of the kids accidentally kicked the ball over the fence and a passing car smashed it flat with a loud pop. I ran out to the street and tossed the sad, deflated ball to the kids

so they didn’t go out into the street, and saw the look of disappointment on their faces.

On my way to the store I detoured at Big 5 without understanding why. Soon, I was inside, perusing the soccer balls on display and decided I was going to buy these kids — who I didn’t even know — a new ball to replace the one that was popped. I think I was heartened to see two young kids playing outside instead of inside with their head down to a device or playing video games.

I bought the ball and walked back to their place, and suddenly felt conspicuous for some reason. In this post- post-modern era, where we often distrust people as a default, it caused me to think that maybe the kids’ parents would be suspicious of some stranger giving a soccer ball to their children for no apparent reason. I almost turned around and abandoned the plan, but then I gritted my teeth and said to myself, “Dammit, don’t let the dark parts of our world outshine the bright ones.”

I hollered over to the kids from the sidewalk and told them I bought them a new ball to replace the one that was popped. I laid it on their lawn and walked away, filled with good feelings that maybe I helped improve their day just a little bit. I did it for them, sure, but I really did it for myself, because that’s the world that I want to live in — where people see each other as fellow humans instead of opponents.

I encourage anyone reading this to look for an opportunity to commit a random act of kindness and do it. Pick up litter when walking downtown to your office, help someone get unstuck in the snow, assist an elderly neighbor rake their leaves or shovel their walk, complement your co-worker on their recent accomplishments, call your mom for no reason other than to say hello and tell her you love her. These seemingly small actions cost us next to nothing, but can go a long way to help heal the strains we have been under as a nation in recent years.

You’re not going to save the world by buying someone a soccer ball, but you might show them that not everyone is mean-spirited; not everyone is willing to abandon our human connection. By putting kindness into the world — especially in your own community — you are actively taking a part in making this world a better place, one kind act at a time. You just might see it come back to you someday when you need help.

The kindness that this community has shown me and my staff at the Reader over the years is astounding. I am forever indebted to the many people who have supported

the Reader with donations and with encouraging letters and emails after we were the recipients of hate or after the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic showed us that things were not going to return to normal for quite some time. I probably would’ve

hung up my spurs long ago in the newspaper business if not for the incredible acts of kindness you’ve shown us, Sandpoint, and for that I will always feel the need to pay it forward. I appreciate you all and am rooting for all of us.

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FEATURE

An integral process Three former North Idaho lawmakers weigh in on the integrity of the election process and how we can communicate better with one another

By Ben Olson Reader Staff As ballots were still being counted across the country in the tight presidential race that has widely been projected as a win for former-Vice President Joe Biden, Idaho had already made quick work of its ballot counting process, with most counties reporting results by the end of Election Day or early the next morning. Gov. Brad Little said at a press conference Nov. 4 that Idaho was “teaching America how to count votes, and to count votes on a timely basis.”

As President Donald Trump ramps up his legal efforts — based on little to no evidence to date — he has publicly cast doubt and sowed distrust in the election process, calling it a “fraud” and an “unfair process,” among other labels — again, without producing any substantial evidence.

The Reader thought it would be beneficial to speak with three former lawmakers who have represented North Idaho to ask their opinion on the integrity of the elections in the United States, and how we might be able to compromise more and divide less.

“We didn’t even think about the elections being crooked or corrupt, or whatever they’re trying to call it,” Kiebert told the Reader. “It never once crossed my mind.”

According to Kiebert (who, with full disclosure, is grandfather of Reader News Editor Lyndsie Kiebert) said that even during close elections — like when former Democratic House Rep. Jim Stoicheff and his Republican opponent Pete Wilson ended up at a dead tie during their race in the 1980s, and which Stoicheff won in a coin flip — the voters always accepted the results and moved forward in the state’s best interest.

“Of course, back then we weren’t nearly as partisan as they are now,” Kiebert said. “The parties are almost tribal now.”

Kiebert said there were some bright spots in the current Legislature, including current District 1 Sen. Jim Woodward, a Republican.

“Jim Woodward is a darn good legislator,” Kiebert said.

“He’s very tempered in his views, he doesn’t put party before the state and he votes the way he thinks it should be.

That’s what happened when I was there. You don a party hat to get elected, but you take it off

Kermit Kiebert, Democrat former District 1 Idaho Senator (1975-1987) Kermit Kiebert looks back on his 12 years serving as District 1 state senator as a time of action and fairness between political factions in the state. He also never gave the integrity of Idaho’s election process a second thought.

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Kermit Kiebert.

when you get to Boise and put on your parochial hat. It’s like Biden said last week, you’re not representing a particular party, but the people — particularly those people in your area that have special needs.”

Kiebert pointed to his long relationship with Idaho Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Risch.

“We were very close friends,” Kiebert said. “Still are. When Jim and I were there [in the Statehouse], we talked all the time; helped each other out when necessary. … That’s not the way it is now.”

Kiebert pointed to the socalled “Hastert Rule,” named for former, disgraced, U.S. Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert as one source of gridlock in Idaho politics. The unwritten “rule” states that the speaker of the House will only bring a bill to the floor “if the majority of the majority” supports it.

“When you have a state where all the chairmen are Republicans, it’s a very poor way to function because any idea that the minority had didn’t get to the floor,” Kiebert said. “When I was there, we were close enough that nobody had the big long stick to work the other guy over with. We were a little more down to earth than that, but now the Idaho Legislature, under such a dominating party that is showing splits now, too — there are the ones out in the dingweeds like Heather Scott and that bunch, that just makes it more difficult because they’re ideologues who aren’t really much interested in anything else except the Second Amendment and right to life.”

When asked what impact he thinks Trump’s repeated attacks on the integrity of the election

process, Kiebert said, “It’s not healthy, I’ll just say that. … To raise doubt, I don’t know what good purpose it would serve.

Many secretaries of state are Republicans, so he’s flaying his own party with these allegations.”

Ultimately, Kiebert said the election process is how Americans regulate and moderate the factions they feel are detrimental to progress.

“You heal up, bind your wounds and go ahead,” he said.

“The next presidential election, you give another whack at it. …

I think we couldn’t have a better person than Joe Biden right now.

I’ve met him before. He’s got more empathy and was always known as a bipartisan person, so I think very early on you’ll see him coming down the center to try for compromise.”

George Eskridge, Republican District 1 Idaho Representative, seat B (2000-2014)

George Eskridge.

After the District 1 Idaho House Seat B was held for a

long time by Democrat Jim Stoicheff, George Eskridge flipped the position to the Republican Party in 2000, where it has remained to this day, with Sage Dixon currently serving in the District 1 Seat B. Throughout his 14 years serving District 1 in the Idaho House, Eskridge said he’s always had confidence in Idaho’s ability to count the votes.

“I was confident it was handled good, especially in this county,” Eskridge told the Reader. “I even kidded to pollsters down in Dover about me coming in and voting twice and they pretty well convinced me not only would they hit me on the head, but there was no way I could do it twice.”

Eskridge said that while he remains confident that the election process in Idaho is “secure,” he does see mail-in voting as a potential area that needs to be addressed to avoid any possible cases of fraud in the future.

“I’m not that confident that mail-in balloting is really a good way to be doing this,” he said.

“I’m not convinced anymore that it can’t be abused. … I think we’ve got to be more accountable in how we get ballots out to people.”

Eskridge said Idaho requiring voters to send in a request to obtain a mail-in ballot should be followed nationwide to avoid any voting irregularities.

“In Bonner County, and the state as a whole, when you have to send in a request to get a ballot and it’s sent to your address, and you fill it out and sign it, put it in the mail, that’s been a pretty secure way up until now,”

< see INTEGRAL, page 11 >

FEATURE < INTEGRAL, con’t from page 10 > Eskridge said. “You’ve got some accountability. … The only concern I have is that anybody can fill out that ballot, not necessarily the person it was sent to.”

Point of fact: Mail-in ballots must match signatures to ones on file, the same as in-person ballots.

Eskridge acknowledged that Trump’s attacks on the election process leads to more uncertainty and more people questioning the integrity of a secure process.

“I don’t think those remarks instill confidence in the process,” he said. “We need to tighten this process up, yes, to instill more confidence in the voting public, that all mail-in ballots are secure and treated accordingly, but … I think our process in Idaho is pretty secure.”

Regarding the fractured nature of Idaho politics, Eskridge echoed Kiebert’s statements about finding common ground with the opposing party for the good of the state.

“When I was in the Legislature, we could work across the aisle,” he said.

“I had Democrat compatriots I could work with. We could agree not to agree, but we got things done. I don’t like the division we have in the Republican Party now. There’s one really extreme faction and the other more inclined to work problems out.”

Eskridge said the ability for the Legislature to work as a bipartisan body is important to get back on track.

“I think [Republican] Gov. [Phil] Batt was correct when he made the statement a long time ago that we need more Democrats in the Legislature,” Eskridge said.

“We’re getting to the point where maybe that’s becoming an issue. We’re getting pretty extreme on the right — even in our local Republican Central Committee there’s division. … We have to focus on what’s best for our state, our district and our people. When Shawn [Keough] and I were there, we got things done. We got the Byway done, the Dover bridge, guardrails by Trestle Creek, the Lakes Commission was formed. They were for the good of the district and the state. Now we have people who don’t want to do anything except create controversy.”

bolts” type legislator, Keough’s tenure in office was characterized by her ability to focus on passing legislation that was important for North Idahoans and communicating well with constituents across her district. She currently serves on the Idaho State Board of Education.

After Keough retired from the Legislature in 2018, voters sent Republican Sen. Jim Woodward the Statehouse in her place. Woodward was again elected on Nov. 3, and though Keough left some big shoes to fill, he has already earned a reputation as a thoughtful legislator who has followed Keough’s legacy to serve the entire district with respect and civility.

During her many election cycles, Keough told the Reader that she never doubted the integrity of the election process in Idaho.

“I always trusted that our county elections officials were doing everything by the book, so to speak, and that they had good staff that were trying their hardest,” Keough said. “I think for Idaho, and for me personally in Legislative District 1 in Bonner and Boundary Counties, you know the elections officers, probably know most of the staff, the volunteers working the polls, the poll watchers, the party folks that are volunteering to be there to watch the counting process. There’s a familiarity with the folks behind the scenes that lends to that comfort level.”

Keough, like Kiebert and Eskridge, expressed dismay that Trump’s public statements casting doubt on the integrity of our electoral process are not helpful for moving forward.

“I think that it undermines our form of government and the foundation of our country,” she said. “It’s my hope that if he

Shawn Keough, Republican District 1 Idaho Senator (1996-2018) In more than two decades of representing District 1 in the Idaho Senate, Shawn Keough knows what it’s like to represent a district with integrity and respect for all sides of an issue. Known as a “nuts-and-

Shawn Keough.

knows of cases of election interference, Gov. Little’s extension of the statewide he would present evidence to back up that stay-at-home order during the first months claim. If there’s something wrong, we of the COVID-19 pandemic. all need to know what it is and get to the “Their involvement and organizations bottom of it.” like them and the approach they use have Being a smaller state, Idaho is much made it difficult to: 1., find people that better suited to want to run work in a bifor office; “If we really truly believe that we are the partisan manand, 2., once United States of America, we’re going to have to you run for ner, Keough said, though figure out how to talk to one another, and say I office, to sometimes it get the work don’t agree with you on that issue, but I know done that doesn’t work out so well. we want our roads plowed, so let’s figure it out.” is required “Once to do, like – Shawn Keough you’re electpassing the ed, the issues budget,” tend to fall on different lines,” she said.

Keough said. “Even those who do not like “It’s the rural/urban divide, or those that government always manage to find somelike public schools and those who don’t. thing that state government is supposed to Those who want to invest in roads and do for them, and it takes legislative action those that don’t. It’s less about the party. to get those things done. If you can’t have Not to say there weren’t party differences, a civil dialogue without name-calling, that but those generally fell away on the nutsmakes it difficult.” and-bolts work at hand. You have to pass Ultimately, Keough said it’s incumbent a budget, fix the roads, fund schools. We upon all of us to “break down some of the can agree to disagree, because the person walls and open lines of communication. you might be arguing against right now, I think all of us should try to participate. you might argue with together on someIt might sound touchy-feely … but there thing else in a day or two — or even on are so many more things we agree on than the next bill. There was always a collegidisagree. We have to have the ability to ality of understanding of the need to try to talk to one another to sort through those figure out how to work together.” things. Also, find a way to resolve the Though Idaho politics has been differences we have in a way that allows strained in recent years due to more for respectful communication that’s twoextreme candidates pushing ideology over way. If you don’t, and we continue to fray functional policy, Keough said bipartisan- the relationships, it gets very stark to see ship is still alive in Idaho politics today. nationally just how divided we are.

“Sometimes issues involve getting “Each one of us individually has a folks across the aisle to work with you,” responsibility to reach out to someone we she said. “I believe you still see that in don’t see eye to eye with and open our Idaho today.” ears to listen to their perspective and hope While cooperation across the aisle is they listen to yours.” paramount for a productive session, KeRegarding the fact that ideological ough also acknowledges that communica- issues often take center stage and bedtion is often the key component missing rock issues are sometimes pushed aside, when lawmakers from opposing parties Keough said there’s a time and a place for find themselves at loggerheads with one everything. another on a certain issue.

“I can get into an ideological con“Where I have seen a deterioration frontation with the best of them, but at to the level of national discourse is the the end of the day the state Legislature campaigning on the Republican side,” she is about running the nuts and bolts of said. “My party has gotten more shrill and the state,” Keough said. “You can spend less civil; the rise of organizations like time on the ideological stuff, but that Idaho Freedom Foundation, which are doesn’t get things done. … If we realentitled to their opinions, but they are less ly truly believe that we are the United than civil in their approach.”

States of America, we’re going to have The IFF is a right-wing lobby whose to figure out how to talk to one another, Idaho Freedom Index ranks Idaho and say I don’t agree with you on that lawmakers on how closely their voting issue, but I know we want our roads records hew to its self-constructed conplowed, so let’s figure it out.” servative rubric. IFF also organized many of the “Disobey Idaho” protests to oppose November 12, 2020 /

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

how meteorologists predict the weather

By Ben Olson Reader Staff In this age of uncertainty, when the news often changes by the hour, how is it that meteorologists accurately predict the future with their weather forecasts?

Are they mode soothsayers, scrying into crystal balls to tell us within a fair degree of accuracy how many inches of snow will fall next week? In a word, yes, that’s exactly what they are, but they don’t use tea leaves or crystal balls. Modern-day meteorologists use science and historical data stretching back generations to tell us what to expect for our daily and extended forecasts.

Today’s meteorologists have more tools available to them to predict the weather than those of the past. The ancient seafaring phrase, “red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky by morning, sailors take warning,” is probably one of the oldest weather prediction tools humankind has used.

The phrase goes back at least to the Bible, where in Matthew XVI: 2-3 Jesus said, “When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering.”

There is some truth to that adage, as weather systems in the Northern Hemisphere generally move from west to east. That means a colorful sunrise indicates clouds to the west, which means rough weather could be on its way. If the clouds redden at night, it means they departed to the east giving a good indication that the weather will probably be calm tomorrow.

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weather instruments like thermometers and barometers in the 17th and 18th centuries, a new era of forecasting developed into a system of accurate record-keeping of the weather.

When the electric telegraph came into existence in the 19th century, it allowed people from far-flung areas to quickly spread weather information, leading to the development of weather charts. This new, larger view of weather systems allowed people to see conditions and large-scale patterns across entire continents.

As with any science, the baseline of meteorological predictions was enhanced by the ability to spot these basic patterns and predict what would happen next. For example, rising air pressure is usually associated with calmer weather, so if the barometer trended upward, calms were probably on the way.

Falling pressures, on the other hand, meant stormy weather ahead.

At the dawn of the 20th century, scientists began to rely on tools such as weather balloons to sample temperature, moisture and winds through the atmosphere. As specialists gathered and recorded more information, it became easier to predict how the weather worked, thus making forecasts more accurate further into the future.

When scientists and engineers developed radar in the World War II era, they employed the tool that the military used to locate enemy aircraft to see rain showers. In the 1950s, when computer weather models started to become a norm, radar became an indispensable tool for modern meteorologists to plot weather charts and accurately see not only rain clouds, but also, with

Doppler radar, to measure the winds within the rain systems — that then helped them to map a course for the system to warn residents in the path of the storm to bring their umbrella to work the next morning.

Today, there are more than 150 radar towers across the United States, each monitored closely by meteorologists to give comprehensive coverage of the continent. Modern Doppler radar can detect all types of precipitation, the rotation of thunderstorm clouds, airborne tornado debris, and wind strength and direction.

In addition to ground-based radar stations, meteorologists now use weather satellites to monitor Earth from space, collecting observational data for scientists to analyze. Polar orbiting satellites orbit the Earth close to the surface, taking six or seven detailed images a day.

Geostationary satellites stay over the same location on Earth high above the surface taking images of the entire Earth as frequently as twice a minute. Deep space satellites face the sun to monitor powerful solar storms and space weather, which affects us here on Earth.

Another lesser known data collection tool is the radiosonde, which is tied to weather balloons and launched in more than 90 locations across the U.S. every day. In their two-hour trip, radiosondes float to the upper stratosphere where they collect and transmit data every second about air pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction.

To manage this mountain of data coming in every second of every day, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-

tion’s National Weather Service uses supercomputers that are capable of processing quadrillions of calculations per second.

These beasts are about 6 million times more powerful than the iMac you use at home. As all the data is plugged into these supercomputers, they generate models, along with past and present weather data, to provide a forecast so meteorologists do less guessing and more predicting.

Next time you look online to the 10-day forecast to plan your outing, give a moment to thank all the scientists who came before us, providing everyone with the ability to look a little way into the future and know with a certain degree of accuracy what to expect from above.

Stay curious, 7B. Regular Mad About Science columnist Brenden Booby will be back next week.

Random Corner nts?

Don’t know much about elepha

We can help!

• Elephants can hear one another’s trumpeting calls up to five miles away.

• About 100 elephants are killed every day in Africa.

• The largest elephant on record weighed about 24,000 pounds with a height of 13 feet.

• African elephants can distinguish human languages, genders and ages associated with danger.

• African elephants have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. They can smell water from 12 miles away.

• Elephants are pregnant for two years.

• Three species of elephants are recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant.

• When the “Elephant Whisperer” Lawrence Anthony died, a herd of elephants arrived at his house to mourn him.

• Elephants are the only mammals, besides humans, to have chins.

• An adult elephant requires 200-500 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water per day.

• An elephant’s pair of tusks may exceed 441 pounds.

• On one episode of The Price is Right, an elephant was offered as a “bonus prize.” The contestant won, insisted on the prize and a live elephant from Kenya had to be delivered to him.

• Dogs and elephants are the only animals that seem to instinctively understand pointing.

• An adult Asian elephant is capable of holding 2.2 gallons of water in its trunk.

• Elephant polo is a popular sport in India, Nepal and Thailand.

• Elephants don’t like peanuts.

COMMUNITY

Road Reflections: Winter Maintenance

By Steve Klatt Reader Contributor Hello Bonner County drivers; it’s beginning to look like we may need to be ready for winter driving a bit earlier than usual this year, and I hope most of you have gotten your winter tires on your rigs.

Our observation in the Road Department is that there appears to be many new residents in the county and that also means there will be many people unfamiliar with Bonner County plowing protocols. Please remember that county roads are not maintained 24 hours a day, seven days a week and make sure you have good winter tires on your rig. Having just seen the local winter forecast for 12 feet of accumulated snowfall this coming winter, please be prepared for a steady routine of slippery roads.

Winter road maintenance is expensive, hazardous for operators and time consuming. Bonner County spent nearly $2,000,000 last winter providing safer roads. Snow plowing commences after several inches have accumulated on roadways. Bonner County Road & Bridge operates three districts to maintain 700 miles of road, but all adhere to these priorities for our winter maintenance:

First Priority — school bus routes, arterials and major collectors; Second Priority — all other county maintained roads after First Priority roadways; Third Priority — sanding generally begins after plowing a road is completed.

Sand is applied to steeper roadway grades, at intersections, on bridges, and other areas determined to be hazardous. It is not standard policy to sand straight stretches of roadway because of snow floor. Road salt is not used.

Mailboxes in county road rights-of-way suffer greatly from snow plowing activity and are the responsibility of the owner.

Most people underestimate the weight of snow being pushed from the road, so if you can wiggle your mailbox, there is a fair probability that plowed snow will take it down. County operators do not intentionally damage mailboxes, but maintain speed to throw snow from the road.

The growing number of garbage cans placed for pickup within the right-of-way must be kept out of the plowed travel surface because they will end up in the ditch and create an unsightly mess for which individuals are responsible.

Residents who remove snow from their driveways are reminded that Idaho Code 18-3906 prohibits placing snow or ice on any public road in a manner that impedes traffic or makes it unsafe. As well, 18-3907 prohibits the placing of snow in any manner that affects the water flow of a ditch line.

If your snow plowing affects the county’s plowing or anyone driving the road, you are breaking the law.

You can help • Vehicles must not be parked on roads during snow events. Vehicles will be buried in the snow berm and/or towed if interfering with the plow route. It is the resident’s responsibility to shovel out their vehicle.

• Landscape features such as rocks, fences or planters should be removed from the rights-of-way for the winter. They may be destroyed by snow plowing, but they also can do substantial damage to snow plows.

Owners are responsible for county equipment unnecessarily damaged.

• Do not push snow over ends of culverts or drainage structures. Rapid warming cycles in winter could result in overloaded ditches being unable to drain. Local flooding could occur.

• Replacement of damaged mailboxes is the responsibility of the property owner/ resident.

• Drivers of automobiles should follow at a safe distance when operators of snow removal equipment are working — especially in the dark. Make sure the driver can see you in their mirrors.

• Children love to watch the large equipment, noise, lights and activity of snow removal operations. Please keep children a safe distance away.

• Please encourage children not to build tunnels, forts or play in snow berms next to roadways.

Information on the Road and Bridge website, bonnercountyid.gov/departments/ roadbridge, may help residents be proactive in securing their mailboxes and safeguarding articles placed in the county right-ofway. We want everyone to have a safe and secure winter.

For further information, please call the Bonner County Road and Bridge Department at 208-255-5681, ext. 1; Monday-Friday, 7a.m.-4 p.m.

Steve Klatt is the director of the Bonner County Road and Bridge Department.

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FEATURE

The wonderful world of worm work The Sandpoint Worm Project strives to give local food waste a new life

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff When Paige and Nick Belfry moved to Sandpoint, they asked residents what the community was missing. One suggestion?

People in Sandpoint needed something better to do with their plant-based food waste.

“That sounded right up our alley, so we started pursuing it immediately,” Nick said. “We both have a love for plants and soil.”

The Belfrys got to work on their very own worm farm. Now they’re rolling out the Sandpoint Worm Project with the aim to offer residential curbside pickup of plant-based kitchen waste that will eventually be turned into nutrient-rich compost.

Why worms? As it turns out, worms are the small-but-mighty masterminds behind an incredibly effective process to “making food waste a resource,” as the couple behind We Love Worms, LLC puts it in their Instagram bio.

The Sandpoint Worm Project will collect local food waste and

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precompost it, breaking it down and giving it “the ideal carbon-to-nitrogen ratio,” according to Paige. Next, the precompost goes to the worms, who “eat up to half of their body weight per day.”

What becomes of all those wormy meals? Castings.

“Some people call this worm poop, others call this ‘black gold’ because of its high nutrient content and microbial activity,” Paige said. “Worm castings are a superior plant food because nutrients are readily available to plants and are found in the ratios that plants require “Nature has a way of doing things right, and we are simply trying to facilitate that process to create a superior product,” she added.

That product could end up playing no small part in improving soil health in the area as it is reapplied on local farms and in the beloved backyard gardens of Sandpoint, limiting the need for chemical fertilizers. The project could also help keep plantbased materials out of landfills, reducing carbon emissions from

decomposition and transportation.

“We wanted to do something day-to-day that is good for the environment and the community,” Paige said.

Sandpoint food truck Heart Bowls, known for its fresh ingredients and delectable smoothie bowls, is on board with the Sandpoint Worm Project as a

part of its pilot program.

“Our mission at Heart Bowls is to increase the peace on the planet, and we believe that we can make huge progress toward a more peaceful planet with our food choices,” said Heart Bowls co-owner Katie Adams. “We feel that it is important to be educated about the entire life cycle of the food we eat, how it is grown, how it is prepared and how it is disposed of.”

Adams said Heart Bowls creates a “serious amount” of plantbased food waste — banana peels, fruit tops, stems and more — and while she’s composted some at her home, she’s excited to share the wealth with the Belfrys.

“We feel that it is important to support other local businesses who align with our vision and mission, and the Sandpoint Worm Project is an awesome fit,” she said.

More enthusiastic participants are currently needed for the Sandpoint Worm Project’s pilot program. Those

Left: Nick and Paige Belfry pick up local food waste from Heart Bowls food truck in Sandpoint. Right: A sampling of the experimental herd population. Courtesy photos.

who join will receive a waiver of the join fee and a discounted rate for weekly organic waste pickup, as well as a container for waste and educational material detailing what items can and cannot be accepted.

Interested Sandpoint city residents can email welovewormsllc@gmail.com to inquire about joining or to ask questions.

Ultimately, the Belfrys hope to provide an earth-friendly service to Sandpoint while also making an impact on a larger scale.

“Did you know that if farms switched to renewable agricultural practices, more than 100% of annual carbon emissions could be sequestered into our soils?” Nick said. “We’re trying to do our own, small part.”

Find the Sandpoint Worm Project on Instragram: @weloveworms.

LITERATURE

Short stories define ‘Country Drunk’ with humor Local author embellishes horrors and hijinks of local pastime

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint area writer J.J. West announces the recent release of Campfire Tales, the second in a series of humorous short stories about rural life in North Idaho. Arranged into 34 tales of backwoods benders and dirty deeds, the cringe-worthy antics ensue at a renowned family farm when its patriarch — a retired reform school teacher — takes in anyone with a pulse to help make ends meet.

“Everyone in Bonner County knows someone in this book,” West said. “And everyone around here knows of a place like this along their road. The neighborhood eyesore with all the junk cars and trailers rotting into the ground and furniture on the front porch. The people that usually live there aren’t too easy on the eyes, either.”

The author, a Sandpoint-area resident, was inspired to write the stories after a brief stint renting a room from a local farmer.

“Let’s just say it was pretty rough,” West said. “That’s where I learned the meaning of the term ‘country drunk.’ I don’t think they ever even knew my last name or what time it was.”

Campfire Tales and its predecessor, Fiddlesticks! Tales From A Country Ghetto, are published by Bonner Media. Sample excerpts from each chapter and a complete character list are offered on the publisher’s website at bonner.media.

Both books are available in paperback for $15 and ebook for $4 at local booksellers and major online retailers. Discounted orders and autographed copies can be obtained

by contacting the publisher. Visit the website for more information.

Bonner Media was founded in 2019 and is based in North Idaho. The business specializes in independent and irregular works of art and literature with a kick, and encourages everyone to lighten up and laugh a little at the world around them.

The front cover of J.J. West’s book of short stories, Campfire Tales.

Courtesy image.

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An abstract world Sandpoint artist Bruce Duykers showing at Pend d’Oreille Winery

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

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The Pend d’Oreille Winery will be showcasing Sandpoint artist Bruce Duykers’ artwork through the month of November as part of its regular rotating series of art receptions. Duykers will display 16 pieces of illustrative art and abstract oils, as well as a few watercolors.

Duykers trained at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he studied realism and watercolor among other mediums. He then went onto a career in advertising as an art director.

After more than a decade working on layout, lettering and creative ideas for national television commercials, he made a change to start doing voiceover work for television and radio.

Fifteen years and thousands of commercials later, Duykers moved to the West Coast and began his own art / November 12, 2020

“The Ancient Ones,” a painting by Bruce Duykers. journey. He dabbled in western related artwork for a time, focusing on cowboy scenes of yesteryear. After moving to the Sandpoint area in 2001, he then began gravitating toward styles like modern art and plein air painting, which have captured his attention ever since.

“Abstract is like jazz,” Duykers told the Reader in 2019. “You go away from the tune a little bit and do a little scatting and, hey, it’s kind of interesting.

But it isn’t a can of soup and it isn’t a bunch of guys riding horses and roping cattle.”

Pend d’Oreille Winery will display Duykers’ paintings through November, showing many of his different styles over the years. Check them out yourself and have a glass of wine at 301 Cedar St. in Sandpoint.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

The tech of shredding

How technology has improved snowboarding over the years

By Ben Olson Reader Staff I grew up on skis and always loved skiing, but it was when I was 13 years old and strapped on a snowboard for the first time that I found a love that has endured over the years.

In the early days of snowboarding, surfers and skateboarders sought ways to get their adrenaline kicks on the mountain by taking pieces of wood, strapping them to their feet and holding onto a cord attached to the nose for balance. The term “snowboarding” hadn’t yet been coined, with pioneers to the sport mostly calling it “snurfing” after the pioneer Snurfer board.

In the 1970s, the Winterstick emerged with a swallowtail design that allowed the board to better float through the snow. The board was also longer, borrowing from the surfing world, allowing the rider to feel more in control as they barreled downhill sideways. Gone was the awkward cord attached to the nose.

In the 1980s, “skiboarding” took flight, with many early designs made of plastic, fiber glass and laminated wood — some even with metal fins. They were attached to your feet with a heavy bungee cord under which you stuck your toes. Early pioneers, the late-Jake Burton and Tom Sims, began introducing designs that were more user-friendly, opening up a fresh new winter sport in the process.

As more and more skiers turned to snowboards, the momentum only increased into the 1990s. Boards became lighter, with tails turned up to allow riding switch foot. Board makers began experimenting with the concept of camber, adapted from

skateboarding’s concave decks to allow the boards to flex. The modern snowboard emerged with a fat nose and tail, skinny waist, parabolically curved edges and a profile that contacted the ground only under the bindings and rose everywhere else.

Just when the evolution of snowboarding seemed to hit its peak, board makers embarked on revolutionary new designs in the past two decades that proves there really is no limit to engineering the perfect board for a rider’s particular style.

Freestyle boards were light and twintipped, designed to spin and maneuver terrain parks and jibbing with ease. Freeride boards were designed for riders who wanted a board that could perform in the powder and the park. Finally, powder specific boards have emerged in recent years with a design that helps elevate the nose and drop the tail so your back leg isn’t burning at the end of a glorious powder day.

In 2002, Lib-Tech unveiled the Magne-Traction edge, which provided great edge hold and connected the board to the snow in a more controlled manner. “Rocker” boards emerged with a reverse camber that gave more float and forgiveness, but sacrificed precision. Some new boards have variable camber, employing traditional camber in the middle of the board, but reverse camber for the nose and tail. Directional boards are now flooding the market, as well as new split-board design and “asym,” or asymmetrical, designs that make riding on the heelside less tiring.

No matter what way you slice it, snowboarding has evolved to a fine point where a rider of any ability and type can fine tune their equipment to maximize the enjoyment

on whatever part of the hill they want to ride.

If you want to learn more about the new technology snowboards have employed in recent years, visit 7B Boardshop or The Alpine Shop in Sandpoint where knowl-

The evolution of the snowboard over the years. Courtesy image. edgeable staff can help you find your own private Idaho on the mountain.

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events

November 12-19, 2020

THURSDAY, November 12 Trivia Takeover Live 5:30-7:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Wine specials and prizes. Play solo or bring a team. Free to the public

Hillbilly Elegy film (Nov. 11-15) See showtimes @ Panida Theater Ron Howard’s film starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams. Check showtimes at panida.org

FriDAY, November 13

Live Music w/ the Sara Brown Band 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery A soulful and refreshing trio

Live Music w/ Luke Yates & Christy Lee 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

SATURDAY, November 14 Live Music w/ the Dallas Kay 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Favorite oldies, country, alternative

Live Music w/ Pamela Jean 7-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

SunDAY, November 15

Piano Sunday w/ Peter Lucht 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

monDAY, November 16

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Outdoor Experience Monday Night Group Run – All levels welcome 6pm @ Outdoor Experience

Lifetree Cafe 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Zzzz…Practical Help for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep,”

ThursDAY, November 19

Purse Party for CASA • 4-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Enjoy a glass of wine and shop for a new purse to support CASA. Contact CASA to make a reservation to go purse shopping!

Shook Twins Giving Thanks annual concert • 7pm @ Panida Theater The live taping of Shook Twins’ annual Giving Thanks concert at the Panida. Only 30 tickets sold for this exclusive event, which will be aired live on Facebook and YouTube Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit panida.org. Special guests John Craigie, Justin Landis, Josh Hedlund and Harold’s IGA.

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STAGE & SCREEN

Hillbilly Elegy

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

showing a film by director Ron Howard that offers a modern exploration of the American Dream through three generations of an Our fellow countrymen Appalachian family. Hillbilly have always had a tumultuous Elegy, starring Amy Adams and relationship with the American Glenn Close, is based on the Dream. Serving as a national acclaimed memoir by J.D. Vance ethos of the United States, the about the Appalachian values of American Dream is a set of his Kentucky family. ideals that guides us to prosper In the book, Vance paints and succeed, achieving upward the picture of what it was like mobility for our own families to grow up with a family mired and offsprings. While some in poverty, working low-paying believe this path to prosperity is menial jobs — achieved only with hard work Hillbilly Elegy ( R ) many of which have disappeared. and grit, others Panida Theater, 300 N. First The memoir comunderstand that Ave., Sandpoint; Nov. 11-12 pares this life with where you were at 5:30 p.m.; Nov. 13-14 at his perspective born can both after leaving the hinder and help 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m.; $9 adults, $6 18 and area. the efforts to under.

Panida.org for tickets.

Raised in a rise above the family filled with American rut. struggles — including a mothThe Panida Theater is

New Ron Howard film playing at the Panida Theater explores a modern take on the American Dream

er’s history of drug addiction and failed relationships and eventually going to live with his grandparents — Vance paints the picture of American life not often examined in the era of Instagram influencers and those born with privilege.

While telling his personal history in the memoir, Vance also raises important questions such as the responsibility of his family for their own misfortune. Many of us play the victim when life hands us a bowl of rotten fruit, but it takes the best of us to realize our own impact on the economic cycle that props some up and tosses some under the tires.

One particularly moving scene in the book is when Vance — working as a grocery store checkout cashier — watches welfare recipients talking on mobile phones while Vance, who

works, couldn’t afford one.

The book sat atop the New York Times Best Seller list for two months, mostly popularized by a bipartisan appreciation of Vance’s story. Conservative and liberal critics alike praised the book for drawing conclusions that may be hard for some to take while shedding light on the importance of family — especially in struggling economic

Glenn Close, left, and Amy Adams, right, star in Hillbilly Elegy playing at the Panida Theater. Courtesy photo. areas like Appalachia.

Hillbilly Elegy the film follows Vance’s story through three generations of struggle, and while it hasn’t earned any reviews yet, if it’s like other Howard films, expect an emotionally invested film that puts humanity out front.

‘A different way for the water to be for a little while’ The Good Place series finale leaves you satisfied, but still curious

By Ben Olson Reader Staff If there ever was a show that succeeded in tackling the great intangible of the afterlife with equal parts comedy and pathos, The Good Place is it.

The underlying theme in this quirky series is that people can get better and they can also make each other better. But it takes a lot of broken eggs to finally make that omelet taste like something palatable.

The show, which recently aired its series finale, followed the story of four people who were not, let us say, good people in life. Kristin Bell’s character Eleanor Shellstrop was a selfish, spiteful scuzzbucket in life, not caring one iota for those she trampled in the name of bottomless shrimp cocktails and margaritas. William Jackson Harper’s Chidi was a kind but tortured moral philosopher whose anxiety and indecision frustrated everyone in his life. Jameela Jamil’s character Tahani was a Pakistani-En-

glish woman born into high society whose goal to be good is often overshadowed by constant name-dropping of celebrities and a rivalry over a more successful sibling who always left her playing second fiddle. Finally, Manny Jacinto played Jason, a dumb, misguided Floridian who relied on his amateur DJ skills instead of getting an actual job, which led to robbery, theft and scams to make quick money. He’s exactly the type of guy described in countless news stories that begin with, “A Florida man...”

In Season 1, these four hapless souls found themselves introduced to “The Good Place,” a sort of heaven where people are rewarded for accruing points in life for good deeds, and demerits for not-sogood deeds. Ted Danson brilliantly plays an angel named Michael who is known as the architect of “the construct,” but turns out to be so much more as the series goes on.

I won’t spoil the series for anyone who hasn’t watched it, but over the course of four seasons,

we watch as each of the four characters sent to “The Good Place” fight for their souls by learning ethics, learning to be good to one another and, most importantly, teaching the powers that be that humans are not as black-and-white as we seem on paper.

Upon finishing the final season of The Good Place, I was grateful that this short series wrapped things up before it got monotonous. The sheer genius in writing the scenes and scenarios is astounding, as it fearlessly blended complicated moral philosophy with religious answers as to what the afterlife could be — all blanketed in comedy that could quite often be surprising. Just when it seemed the series was bogging down, a new episode would throw everything upside down and the following season was almost like watching a new show with the same characters.

The cast turned out to be one of the brighter points to this series, with a surprise discovery of D’Arcy Carden, who plays Janet,

a good-humored entity that could answer any question, produce any object and who had evolved past omni-consciousness while also falling in love with the Red Bull swilling Florida man Jason. Also, appearances by Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, Jason Mantzoukas and more make this series a winner in anyone’s book.

More importantly, The Good Place allowed viewers to speculate about their own version of what the afterlife could be, in a non-judgmental way that amazingly avoids offending any one religion. One of my favorite lines from Chidi is when he described

The cast of The Good Place makes this show a pleasure to watch. Courtesy photo. to Eleanor what ancient Buddhists believed the afterlife to be: “Picture a wave in the ocean. You can see it, measure it, its height, the way the sunlight refracts when it passes through, and it’s there, and you can see it, you know what it is. It’s a wave. And then it crashes on the shore, and it’s gone. But the water is still there. The wave was just a different way for the water to be for a little while.”

The Good Place is available to stream on Netflix.

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WEIRD NEWS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

BEWARE THE BLOBS! If you had “Hideous blobs invading” on your 2020 Bingo card, drink up, friends.

The Padre Island National Seashore on the southern shore of Texas announced that Moon jellyfish have been “washing up by the thousands,” in the area.

From a distance, the sand-colored jellyfish blend in with the surrounded beach, making them hard to see. Because of that, officials reminded residents to watch their step when walking on the beach to avoid stepping on the curious creatures.

Officials aren’t clear on what caused the thousands of blobs to wash up along the shore.

“The reason could be simple, such as the prevailing wind and current driving them to the island,” the Padre Island National Seashore wrote on social media. “It could also be more complex, like a broadcast spawning event that happened months ago forming a large school of jellies.”

The jellyfish are mostly harmless, but if coming into contact with one, their stings could cause minor skin irritation.

One thing is for sure: this story belongs squarely in the 2020 Bingo card that we’ve all been living under the past 10 months.

Beware the blob, indeed.

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FOOD & DRINK

Pickled perfection

My favorite sweet beets and spicy carrot pickling recipes

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

A curious thing happened in my mid-30s: I grew infatuated with pickling vegetables. Not only is pickling a great way to preserve vegetables grown in our home gardens, they are delicious and nutritious. What follows are two recipes that have served me well, for sweet pickled beets and spicy jalapeño carrots.

Sweet pickled beets • 10 pounds fresh beets,

stems removed • 2 cups white sugar • 1 tbsp pickling salt • 1 quart white vinegar • whole cloves (4 per jar) Place beets in a large stockpot with water to cover them, bring to a boil and cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes).

If you have larger beets, be sure to cut them in half or quarters. The goal is to have all beets roughly the same size.

Drain and reserve 2-3 cups of the beet water. Cool and peel, slice into pieces.

Sterilize canning jars and lids by immersing them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

While jars are being sterilized, start the brine. Combine sugar, 2 cups of beet water, vinegar and pickling salt. Bring to a rapid boil.

When jars are ready, remove one at a time from boiling water, place 4-5 whole cloves in the bottom of the jars, then fill each jar with beets. Take care to leave 1/2 inch of space from the top of the jar.

Pour hot brine into the jars.

If you are short on brine, top off with remaining beet water.

Seal the lids and sterilize finished jars by placing them on

a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot. Boil for 10 minutes and carefully remove jars.

Later, if any of the seals are sticking up (that is, they didn’t seal properly), separate those jars from the rest and eat them within a couple weeks (just keep them in the fridge).

Spicy jalapeño pickled carrots • 4 pounds large carrots • 5 large jalapeños • 10 cloves of garlic, smashed • 3 cups white vinegar • 3 cups water • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 10 bay leaves • 4 tsp dried Mexican oregano • 2 tsp salt • Black peppercorns Peel and slice carrots. Slice jalapeños into thin diagonals.

Some like round carrot slices, I prefer sticks (just make sure they aren’t too long for the jar).

In a large stockpot, add garlic, vinegar, water, oil, bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano and salt.

Bring to a boil and add carrots and jalapeños. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes uncovered.

Allow carrots and brine to

Sweet pickled beets and spicy jalapeño carrots. Courtesy photos. cool completely. When carrots are almost cool, sterilize jars and lids, then fill with carrots and top with brine (leave 1/2 inch from the seal). Put sealed jars into another boiling water bath for 10 minutes and make sure the lids seal. Enjoy!

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert

Press play for paws

READ

Tailor a collection of music to your pet’s personality with Spotify’s Pet Playlist algorithm

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Turning the radio on when leaving a brand new puppy at home is an age-old trick to prevent barking, boredom and anxiety in young dogs. But what if you could turn on a playlist made especially for your pet with its personality and your tastes in mind?

Spotify made that a reality in 2020 by launching its Pet Playlist option, which allows users to answer a series of simple questions about their pet and receive a tailored collection of songs to leave on while their pet is home alone, or to enjoy in the company of their furry best friend.

As an obsessed pet owner and avid Spotify user, I jumped on the opportunity when Pet Playlists launched at the beginning of the year, creating a playlist for my cattle dog Mac.

Since I made Mac’s playlist all the way back in February and couldn’t really remember the process, I created another pet playlist while researching for this story — this time for my 18-pound black cat Pistol.

Spotify began by having me select my pet from a limited list: dog, cat, hamster, bird or iguana. After selecting the cat, the algorithm asked me a series of questions about Pistol’s personality with the opportunity to answer on a sliding scale between two options. Is your cat relaxed or energetic? Shy or friendly? Apathetic or curious?

After answering, I was prompted to upload a photo of Pistol and enter his name. Next, the algorithm placed Pistol’s photo next to my own avatar and told me it was “syncing our tastes.” Then it was complete: Pistol’s Pet Playlist popped up in my Spotify app on

my desktop and smartphone.

Apparently, Pistol’s relaxed, friendly and semi-curious personality synced with my music habits to create a feminine dreampop odyssey with the most random smattering of country hits about halfway through — not to mention a cameo from The Notorious B.I.G. Pistol’s Pet Playlist does end with Slowdive’s “Sugar for the Pill,” however, and that feels exactly right for my largely lazy but also slightly wacky feline.

I do have to tip my hat to Spotify for combining two of my

Mac is becoming a bit too famous for this small town. Courtesy photo. favorite things — pets and music — despite the streaming mogul’s seemingly random results. The people behind the process may actually be on to something. I just hit play on Mac’s Pet Playlist, the alternative rock band COIN began pumping from my computer, and she curled up — now fast asleep — next to the speaker.

Create a playlist for your pet at spotify.com/pets.

Albums released in 2020 that don’t suck

By Ben Olson Reader Staff In the best of times, music provides a soundtrack of triumph and success. In times of sorrow, music can dredge those raw emotions from their depths and provide a cathartic release, perhaps explaining the unexplainable with the perfect song or lyric.

This turbulent year has certainly strained and left its stain on everyone, which is why music is so important right now. But if you’ve recycled through all your playlists to the point of exhaustion and are interested in finding something new, there have been some quality new albums to come of this year of surreality. Here are some of my favorites: Homegrown — Neil Young Neil Young intended to release Homegrown 45 years ago, but he shelved it because he felt the album’s tracks were “too personal.” Finally, Young is ready to let us hear it. Of the album’s dozen tracks, seven have never

Neil Young’s Homegrown, containing songs written over 45 years ago.

Courtesy image. been released, making this a rare moment for the iconic rocker.

Written during his split with his wife, Young channeled his pain into songs of vulnerability and self-doubt. Picture a more ragged version of the classic Harvest album, with a few tears on the side.

As Long As You Are — Future Islands This Baltimore-based band hit the national scene in a big way after its fourth album, Singles, dug

deep into the synth-pop genre and uncovered a new sonic treasure house full of emotion and passion. Frontman Samuel T. Herring has one of those voices filled with character, vulnerability and honesty. The catchiness of Future Islands’ sound is evident in its 2020 release As Long As You Are, but instead of the spontaneous dancing-in-the-kitchen scenes prompted by that previous albums, As Long As You Are is a bit more contemplative, albeit similarly themed as their previous releases.

Dark Matter — Moses Boyd There is something beneath Moses Boyd’s debut solo album, Dark Matter, that is just about perfect for the new pandemic-induced dystopian existence we have lived in the past 10 months. This album has it all: electronic beats and jazz, trip-hop, grimy breakdowns and a pace to it that fills your soul with conflicting emotions. Boyd, a British jazz drummer and composer, hit it out of the park with this debut solo album when it was released right before coronavirus

hit. The result is a well-crafted prescient album to capture these weird days of 2020.

The Unraveling and The New OK — Drive-By Truckers When Georgia country-rock band the Drive-By Truckers released The Unraveling in early 2020, it turned out to be a beautiful piece of political commentary by these poets of American disorder. Songs like “Babies in Cages” portrayed the nightmare happening at the U.S. southern border as a betrayal of American ideals, and others, like “Thoughts and Prayers,” aim a critical view at the gun lobbies in the country.

The Unraveling marked the band’s emergence into the political music scene. When it released a surprise album The New OK after all the band’s tour dates were canceled due to COVID-19, songwriter and lead singer Patterson Hood said, “It’s all we can do.” I admire their prolific nature during these strange times. Both albums showcase this gritty band’s style beautifully.

As a journalist and youth sports coach, it feels only natural to combine the two passions in my fun reading. Eagle Blue, by narrative nonfiction writer Mike D’Orso, follows a single season with the Fort Yukon Eagles boys’ basketball team in the early 2000s. D’Orso tells an honest and sometimes hardto-read true story of teenage boys navigating a cruel world in their remote Alaskan village where one thing unites them all: the blue of their basketball jerseys.

LISTEN

I believe it was my sister Leslie who first sent me a song by folk band Wild Rivers, and I am eternally grateful. I notice myself returning to this Paper Kites-esque four piece each fall, as its easy harmonies and calming acoustic sound seem to pair perfectly with the cooler weather. My favorite Wild Rivers songs include “Speak Too Soon,” “Thinking ‘Bout Love” and brand new release “Pink Shades.”

WATCH

I don’t think I’m alone in my wariness toward live-action remakes of well-loved animated films. I held onto my apprehension until about five minutes into the new Aladdin movie, and then it was gone. This remake is funny, energetic and just unique enough to feel like something all its own. Naomi Scott shines as the headstrong, smart and totally gorgeous Jasmine — I can see why Aladdin would use his wishes to win her.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

Scroll no more

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

From Northern Idaho News, Oct. 27, 1914

TWO SAFES CRACKED ON SUNDAY NIGHT ROBBERS HAVE SCANT REWARD – POLICE BELIEVE IT WORK OF AMATUERS Two safes were cracked in Sandpoint Sunday night, one that of John Bode in the Mint saloon and the other that of the Norther Navigation Co. in their office at the City dock. In neither case did the robbers secure much booty.

At the dock the safe was unlocked and has not been locked in three years, yet the yeggman went to the labor of drilling three holes through the door and blowing out the combination. They secured 75 cents for their trouble.They took besides from the office a rifle and a safety razor.

At Bode’s but one hole was drilled in the safe door “soup” (nitro glycerine) being poured in and the combination blown out the same as at the dock. Some small change and a few dollars in old coins, together with a private diary of Mr. Bode’s was all they secured. Mr. Bode objects most keenly to the loss of his diary. An envelope, which the robbers overlooked, contained $150 in bills. The police believe the work to be that of amateurs and believe they have a good clue to the perpetrators.

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While having a conversation with a friend about social media usage, she told me she planned to take some time away from Facebook because she felt it would improve her constant fatigue.

It didn’t quite make sense to me. She wasn’t an avid poster, or commenter for that matter. From what I could see, her Facebook presence remained largely limited to “liking” posts. How could that be exhausting?

She explained to me that every social media interaction — even scrolling, reading and watching videos — is an “exchange of energy,” and in the time since our conversation, I’ve found her words to be true.

Social media is an incredible and entertaining tool, but as the past decade has proved, it also tends to bring out the most reactionary and vitriolic side of the human race. By making my social media work for me, I think I’ve achieved a fairly healthy relationship with the ever-beckoning screen in my hand. Here are some strategies I used to make social media manageable: 1. Delete apps. This is not the same as deleting accounts — you can keep your Facebook profile, but would your phone be a little bit less districting if “Your mom commented on your aunt’s post” didn’t randomly pop up on your home screen every 10 minutes? We all know that a single notification, while seemingly innocent, is just the gateway to a solid half hour of scrolling for no reason. Turning off notifications in the “Settings” section of your smartphone is another option, but I find myself opening the app regardless, so it’s best to just delete heavily used apps

STR8TS Solution

Elevate your social media habits from damaging to manageable

and instead access those platforms on my laptop two or three times a day. You probably aren’t missing anything, even if you feel like you are for the first week without apps. That feeling fades.

2. Join groups.

One way to break up the doom and gloom of political posts, dumb memes and endless photos of friends’ kids is to join specialized groups related to your special interests. I recently joined a group for people who want to learn more about tending fruit trees and a group for cattle dog owners. There are also fan groups for TV series, podcasts and video games.

Many of my friends are part of cooking groups, where people share recipes. This method also works for Twitter and Instagram: follow people who are interested in the same things you are by searching for hashtags (i.e. #HomeGardening, #CattleDog) and the fun parts of life will make more appearances on your feeds.

my job. Part of being a journalist is being plugged into the community, and as more and more government agencies take to social media to share news releases, mindless scrolling is often a necessary evil. However, Facebook’s “Favorites” tool changed my life.

Simply go to the page or profile you need to keep tabs on, click on the ellipsis button, select “Follow Settings” and then “Favorites.”

Any posts from that page will now appear first in your newsfeed.

Farewell scrolling, hello social media that serves my needs and my mental health.

Crossword Solution

3. Unfollow people. Let’s be honest — we keep people in our lives because they are our friends outside of the screen, but on social media, they are a bit much.

Whether it’s politics, constant negativity or just overly frequent posting, it’s OK to use Facebook’s discreet “Unfollow” tool to take a break. Your friend won’t be notified and your sanity will be better for it.

4. “Favorite” important pages. Like many people, I have to use Facebook for

Sudoku Solution Too bad you can’t buy a voodoo globe so that you could make the earth spin real fast and freak everybody out.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

tarriance

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/TAR-ee-uhns/ [noun] 1. delay

“After a long tarriance, the winner was finally announced.”

Corrections: No corrections to note this week, dear readers. Try again later. – BO

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Prickles 6. Boyfriend 10. Doing nothing 14. Negatively charged particle 15. Not odd 16. Require 17. A forehead dot 18. Former Italian currency 19. Group of two 20. Companion 22. Yucky 23. Faerie 24. Donkeys 26. Type of oil well 30. A pinnacle of ice 32. ___ alia 33. Teutonic dragon 37. Mangle 38. Shield 39. Female sheep (plural) 40. Barkeepers 42. Aquatic mammals 43. Very troublesome children 44. A copy from an original 45. Not quite a teenager 47. Arrive (abbrev.)

48. Farm building 49. From that time on 56. Footnote note 57. German for “Mister” 58. Subarctic coniferous forests 59. Learning method

Solution on page 22 seaweed 36. To be, in old Rome 38. Sea holly 41.

Anger 42. Abrasion 44. Before, poetically 45. Forbidden 46. Produce a literary work 47. Tapestry 48. Fowl 50. Protagonist 51. At one time (archaic) 52. Anagram of “Fear” 53. Layer 54. Quaint outburst 55. Adult male sheep November 12, 2020 / R / 23

8. Relating to aircraft 9. Unexpectedly 10. Injudicious 11. Two 12. Discharges 13. Countercurrent 21.

Hearing organ 25. Unhappy 26. Hobbling gait 27. Two-toed sloth DOWN 28. Counterfoil 1. Pamper 29. Large salamander 2. Pearly-shelled mussel 30. Indications 3. A building for skating 31. Goddess of discord 4. Was a passenger 33. Accomplishment 5. Nose (slang) 34. On the road 6. Tummy 35. Large brown 7. Anagram of “Live” 60. Celestial bear 61. Whipped or sour 62. One who accomplishes 63. Drunkards 64. Groups of animals