Reader October12 2017

READER

Your weekly dde of arts, entertainment, bluster and some news

OCTOBER 12, 2017

| VOL. 14 ISSUE 41

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(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

You don’t have to go far to see misspellings on signs and on menus in our community.

Is correct spelling important?

“The misspelling of words is an epidemic. It’s embarrassing to see signs with misspellings. Shame on the corporations who don’t proofread. Imagine the stories tourists must take home after visiting here.”

DEAR READERS,

Man, what a beautiful few days we’ve had here in the Panhandle. I love the brisk mornings, the warm feeling of sun on a cool day and the skittering sound of leaves blowing in the wind. Some people get one or two seasons a year where they live — I feel blessed we get to experience all four.

Special thanks to Woods Wheatcroft for this week’s cover photo. I think it captures this week beautifully. Check out more of Woods’ great photography at www.woodswheatcroft.com.

Stay tuned next week when we’ll feature the answers to a questionnaire sent out to all of the candidates in the upcoming Sandpoint City Council election.

In the meantime... kiss your lover, commit a random act of kindness, let the person at the grocery store go ahead of you in line, call your mom, give your kid a break and pet your overweight cat on the tummy. Good times.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

Susan Gaab Mom Sagle and Alberta, Canada

111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Taylor Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Woods Wheatcroft (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, North Idaho Animal Hospital.

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Stan Myers, Levi B. Cavener, Randy Wilhelm, Brenden Bobby, Dianne Smith, Laurie Brown, Dr. Dawn Mehra, Marcia Pilgeram.

“Oh, absolutely! People have enough of a hard time navigating in life as it is. When signs are misspelled it creates further confusion.”

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

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Subscription Price: $95 per year

“I think it’s important for good communication.”

Where the only thing better than our sushi is the view

Maison Crossingham 9th SHS Sandpoint

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 pa paper using soy-based ink.

Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

“ I do. That was my best subject in school: writing. Maybe it’s because I’m good at it, but I think it’s important to master our own language.”

Patrick Kuehn Truck stop work Sandpoint

READER

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About the Cover

41 Lakeshore Drive (across the Long Bridge)

208.265.2001 ShogaSushi.com

Enjoy our Asian fusion cuisine while taking in the beautiful waterfront and spectacular sunset views

This week’s cover photo was taken by Woods Wheatcroft, one of our favorite artists in Sandpoint. Check out his work at www.woodswheatcroft.com. You can hire him, too!

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COMMENTARY

Wildlife habitat and forest management important to consider

By Stan Myers Reader Contributor It was greatly surprising that in his lengthy and thoughtful essay on wilderness and wildlife management in Idaho, Al Van Vooren made no reference to the significant January 2017 court decision by U.S. District Court Judge Winmill (appointed in 1995

by Bill Clinton) that forced the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to destroy elk and wolf data obtained after an extensive game management project in the Frank Church Wilderness, a project that utilized helicopters that were authorized by the U.S. Forest Service. This is even more surprising because Mr. Van Vooren described that he once served as IDFG regional supervisor for an area that included a large portion of that same wilderness.

The ruling has severely threatened the IDFG ability to effectively manage wildlife in the almost 5 million acres of existing wilderness in Idaho. Besides assurances from the local wilderness advocates, the USFS and posters from

Letters to the Editor Esoteric History of the Flag...

Dear Editor, The first two “official” flags of the United States had thirteen and fifteen stars (in a circle: a feminine symbol) on a dark blue field and thirteen and fifteen red/white stripes.

About 40 years ago I read a book called “The White Goddess” by Robert Graves. While reading it I started to make some connections with the U.S. flag, “The White Goddess” and Bernadette Soubirous who in 1858 had visions of “a Lady” in Lourdes, France. Soubirous described her as wearing a white veil and a blue girdle; she had a golden rose on each foot.

These visions occurred above a red five-petal wild rose bush. What Bernadette really saw was “The White Goddess,” not Mary.

In Graves’ book it is stated that the numbers 13 and 15, the five pointed star, the colors red, white and dark blue are all sacred to “The White Goddess.”

Our library has the book “The White Goddess” and the book and 4 /

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Sen. Jim Risch that helicopter use and IDFG management of wildlife in wilderness are permitted, the ruling directly contradicts the Wilderness Act’s assurance that states shall not be restricted from managing wildlife in wilderness and contradicts the constitutionally guaranteed right of Idaho to manage wildlife. The ruling was the result of lawsuits by three radical environmental groups, who objected to the use of helicopter landings in the wilderness and are opposed to wildlife management affecting wolves or in wilderness.

The statements by the judge and two of the groups after the ruling are telling: Judge Winmill stated “The IDFG has collected data in violation of federal law and intends to use that data to seek approvals in the future for more helicopter landings in the Wilderness Area. … The only remedy that will directly address the ongoing harm is an order requiring destruction of the data.”

Tim Preso, attorney for Earthjustice, stated after the ruling: “Today’s decision vindicates the basic principle that a wilderness is supposed to be a wild area where, as Congress said, ‘the earth and

its community of life are untrammeled by man,’ not a helicopter landing zone.”

Kevin Proeschodt, Wilderness Watch conservation director, stated: “This action by the Forest Service and IDFG violated everything that makes Wilderness unique,” and, “It was an unprecedented intrusion with helicopters for the sole purpose to make wildlife populations in Wilderness conform to the desires of managers rather than accept and learn from the ebb and flow of nature.”

Mr. Van Vooren goes on to describe how a hunter who searches the IDFG online Hunt Planner for a hunting area in the Idaho Panhandle and in Wilderness will come up empty. Wow, if a person can’t figure out where large roadless areas exist in northern Idaho by simple looking at a map or asking in North 40, I am not sure that such a person should be getting out of sight of a road. Or, if someone really needs a wilderness label to hunt and our extensive USFS-classified “primitive backcountry” and administratively-managed wilderness doesn’t do it for them, I would think the 5 million acres of designated

film “The Song of Bernadette.”

Because of the book “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” by M.P. Hall I learned that many of our founding fathers embraced the occult/arcane sciences.

From Hall’s book: “Robert Allen Campbell’s treatise, Our Flag, gives details of an obscure episode of American history – the designing of the Colonial flag of 1775. The account involves a mysterious man who was on familiar terms with both Washington and Franklin.

Little is known concerning this enigmatic man; and in the materials from which this account is compiled his name is not once mentioned, and he was only referred to as ‘the Professor.’

The committee appointed by the Colonial Congress to design a flag accepted an invitation to be guests of the family with whom the Professor was staying. Because both Washington and Franklin recognized the Professor, by unanimous approval he was invited to become an active

member of the committee. During the proceedings, the Professor was treated with profound respect with all of his suggestions immediately acted upon. He submitted a pattern which he considered symbolically appropriate for the new flag, and this was unhesitatingly accepted by the other six members of the committee, who voted that the arrangement suggested by the Professor be forthwith adopted. After this the Professor quietly vanished, and nothing further is known concerning him.”

A PDF of “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” by M.P. Hall can be downloaded for free via the internet.

Lee Santa Sandpoint

Joel Aispuro for city council...

Dear Editor, On Nov. 7, the voters of Sandpoint will elect three new council members. I am supporting Joel

Scotchman Peak by air. Photo by Ben Olson. wilderness that we already have in Idaho, including the largest wilderness in the lower 48 states, gives such a narrow-minded soul plenty of choices.

The flanks of the Scotchman, like much of our national forests, are in great need of forest management, due to the poor or lack of management by the U.S. Forest Service. Wildlife habitat and forest health go hand in hand. No one is proposing to build roads in the Scotchman area, but meaningful wildlife and forest management needs the use of helicopters and the clear and absolute authority of the state to manage wildlife.

There are many areas of key elk and mule deer habitat in the Scotchman area that are being used less and less by these species, due to the declining health of the forest, as they fill with dead and dying trees. It is certainly interesting how Scotchman wilderness advocates avoid addressing the Winmill ruling, the huge waste of taxpayer’s money as a result of that ruling and the efforts IDFG has been forced to go through as they try to reestablish their ability to manage wildlife in 5 million acres of the state.

Aispuro. I’ve known Joel and his family for over five years.

Joel’s family are small business owners in Sandpoint operating Joel’s Mexican Restaurant. Joel possesses the energy, integrity and desire to be a great member of the City Council representing all of the people of Sandpoint. I’m asking you to vote for Joel Aispuro.

us out.

There is only us.

Bill Litsinger Sandpoint

Amerika...

Dear Editor, I hear the jackboots of Fascism pounding on our pavements, — led by our tweeter-in-chief, spelling our country with a “K.” We need to call them out, we need to call him out.

There is no big-guy-in-the-sky to help us out.

There is no new-age-wave to bail

We need to use C-words: care, concern, courage.

We need to care for our Earth planet.

We need an economy that shows concern for all of us.

We need courage to call for change.

We need to put the “C” back into our country.

AMERICA! Philip A. Deutchman Sandpoint

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor at letters@sandpointreader.com. Under 400 words, and please elevate the discussion.

OPINION

Buckeye State Charter School fraud coming to Idaho charter school near you

By Levi B. Cavener Reader Contributor

Network, Rural Opportunities Consortium of Idaho, BLUUM, and One can’t blame the others are all entities Albertson Foundation funded and working in for wanting to avoid an effort with Albertson an appearance that it to achieve this goal. continues meddling I’m not being hyin public affairs. After perbolic. BLUUM’s spending years in an tax returns, for exameffort meant to underple, literally state that, mine public schools, “BLUUM assists the J.A. most Idahoans have and Kathryn Albertson little trust left in AlbFoundation where to make Levi Cavener. ertson’s intentions. education investments that will result in But Albertson’s intentions have not higher performing seats in Idaho.” changed. They continue to belittle public Albertson was reminded the hard way schools (recall an advertisement in which of the public’s lack of faith in the group a public school bus literally abandoned when their offer to fund a study revampstudents in the middle of the desert) in an ing Idaho’s education spending formula effort to promote charter schools. was rebuffed. The apparent conflict of However, Albertson has apparently interest was even too much for Idaho’s realized Idahoans growing negative atlegislature to ignore. They declined titude toward the group. To combat this, Albertson’s offer and have been working Albertson finances a troop of secondary without the interference of Albertson for organizations to implement their agenthe past two years. da without putting their own name in Or so it seemed. The reality is that the middle of it: Idaho Charter School dispatched one of its entities, BLUUM,

CYCLOCROSS DRAWS THE HARDY ONES

to work behind the scenes.

In fact, as reported by IdahoEdNews, BLUUM even offered simulation software to the committee during the same meeting this year in which the legislators listened to Marguerette Rosa of the “Edunomics Lab” pitch a charter-friendly enrollment based funding model that it just so happens BLUUM is lobbying Idaho to adopt.

BLUUM’s CEO, Terry Ryan, hails from Ohio. During his tenure there, Ryan worked with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute to promote charter-friendly laws in the Buckeye State. It worked.

Perhaps too well.

The rampant corruption and ineptitude of Ohio’s charter schools have become the national template of “what not to do” in the school choice movement. The loose regulation and mismanagement of school choice in the Buckeye State is so blatantly obvious that Ohio Senator Sharrod Brown declared, “Ohio’s charter school system has become a disgrace on our state that is denying too many students a quality education and defrauding taxpayers.”

A large portion of this problem is the enrollment-based funding that is now

being peddled in Idaho’s statehouse. In Ohio, enrollment-based funding resulted in thousands of so called “ghost students” who are enrolled in charter schools, but never actually attended. Unlike the current model of average daily attendance, in an enrollment based model the school continues to collect money for every student on the roster regardless of attendance.

In Ohio, the result is millions of tax dollars spent on fraud. In fact, in June of this year the Ohio Board of Education voted to force a single online charter school, Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), to repay an astonishing $60 million for enrolling fake ghost students.

And that is precisely the type of funding model that our Legislature is being pitched to adopt. Behind the smoke in mirrors is reality: A group funded by Albertson continues to have an outsize influence at the Capitol Building, and that influence may very well result in Ohio’s current state of affairs coming soon to an Idaho charter school near you.

Levi B Cavener is a special education teacher in Caldwell, Idaho. He blogs at IdahosPromise.Org.

TOP: Cyclocross riders navigate the track at the U of I extension campus on Saturday.

BOTTOM: Placers in the junior women division: First - Elsa westenfelder from Missoula,middle, Second - Audrey Pollard from Moscow, right, and Third - Megan Heyns from Moscow, right.

Courtesy photos.

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COMMUNITY

Lake Pend Oreille High School firewood raffle

By Randy Wilhelm Reader Contributor

Bouquets: •A bouquet goes out to Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters.

Their latest promotion gave something special to our local teachers, who received a free cup of coffee during the month of September. What a great way to give thanks to these wonderful men and women responsible for giving our next generation solid footing for the future.

Barbs: •It seems three or four times a week the following happens to me: I’m on my bicycle pulling up to a four-way stop. The car to my right arrives first, stops, then waits for me. I wave for them to go — they have the right of way, after all. They continue to wait. I wave them forward again, then they wave for me to go. Finally, I get frustrated and just start pedaling, right about the time when the car gets frustrated and starts to go. Then the steps repeat. It’s like a polite-off. I’d like to declare once and for all that this is maddening. Drivers: bicycles are to be treated as just another vehicle in situations like these. If you arrive first at an intersection, go for it. We’re wasting way too much time trying to out-polite one another. This isn’t the front door of the post office. When someone waves for you to go, make everyone’s life a little easier and just go, man.

Want to support the

READER? Give what you can to our patreon page

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Brrrr ... it’s cold outside. If you’re like most people, this cold weather seems to have shown up a bit early, and maybe you’re unprepared with firewood. We have just the answer; the LPOHS Senior Class if raffling off chances to win a cord or two of firewood. Tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20.

You can purchase your tickets in the office of the school any time during the week or from Senior Class members. Proceeds go to Senior Class activities. This could be your lucky year!

The LPOHS senior class stands behind the firewood being raffled off this year. Buy a ticket! Better yet, if you win, donate it to a disabled veteran who needs it this winter. Courtesy photo.

Grant opportunity: The Cancer Connection of Idaho

NAMI Far North Monthly Meeting Brief

By Reader Staff

By Reader Staff

The Idaho Community Foundation is pleased to offer a new grant opportunity for health and human services organizations.

The Cancer Connection of Idaho (TCCI) Fund in ICF is offering grants up to $5,000 to nonprofits, public educational institutions, governmental entities and others that provide programs for those affected by cancer.

Grant applications should support TCCI’s mission to “empower people touched by cancer to find support, resources, education

and a sense of community.” Past grants have supported a writing contest for teens that had cancer or a loved one with cancer, wellness programs such as gentle yoga and movement classes, mind-body skills and more.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with deadlines four times per year: Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1.

For more information or to download an application, go to https://www.idcomfdn.org/ DA_Grants and scroll to Cancer Connection Idaho Fund.

Senior Center to host Open House

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

The Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. (SASi) will host an open house on Thursday, Oct. 26. The event will be held to thank all the donors who have supported the Center by donating money, items for the equipment loan program, auction items, food and anything else that helps the seniors in the community.

SASi is inviting two special guest organizations: 101 Women and the Community Assistance League, which gave funds to pay for much-needed repairs for the meals program.

Also invited is the Equinox Foundation and the Bingo Fund, which made it possible to repair

the kitchen heating and cooling system, upgrade the fire suppression system, replacing a worn countertop, paving the first bay in the garage and purchasing a backup generator.

If you have helped SASi at all over the years, come on down from 2-6 p.m. for refreshments and fun.

In other SASi news, letters of intent for upcoming board elections are due Wednesday, Oct. 11. There will be a forum to meet the candidates on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 12:15 p.m. Voting will take place after the forum and will conclude at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

New board members will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 26.

The NAMI Far North (National Alliance on Mental Illness) regular monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct.18, at 5:30 p.m. in the old Bonner General Health classroom (classroom next to cafeteria), 520 N Third Ave., Sandpoint.

NAMI Far North will host Jill Kahn, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed

Professional practicing in Sandpoint since 1988. Jill will be speaking on Food Issues and Family Dynamics: How Eating Disorders affect Health and Family.

Following the presentation there will be a support group session for those with mental illness and another support session for those who love them. All are welcome to this free meeting.

Call 208-597-2047 for further information.

Comments sought on Boulder Creek Restoration Project

By Reader Staff The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is seeking public comment on the Boulder Creek Restoration Project (BCRP) located on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District. The public comment period is open for 30 days and comments will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2017.

The complete environmental analysis (EA), along with project information and comment instructions are available on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests website.

The BCRP is a vegetation management project designed to address forest health and resilience, wildlife habitat, watershed health, hazardous fuels, recreation trails, and a number of other resource issues. Within the 41,613 acre project area, approximately 7,400 acres are proposed

for prescribed burning and about 3,400 acres for commercial vegetation management.

The project was developed in collaboration with the Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative (KVRI) to complement other landscape restoration work in the Lower Kootenai River Valley. The KVRI collaborative consists of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Boundary County, City of Bonners Ferry, private citizens, landowners, federal and state agencies, conservation/environmental advocacy groups, and representatives of business and industry.

Kevin Knauth, the Bonners Ferry District Ranger, would like to thank all of the stakeholders involved in the project planning efforts. Please contact Doug Nishek, Project Team Leader, at dnishek@fs.fed.us or 208-2675561 with any questions.

FEATURE

Monarch School closing leaves some with more questions than answers

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer It was a regular Tuesday morning when Jamie Jones, the former academic director at the Monarch School in Heron, Montana, found out she’d be losing her job of 12 years.

Patrick McKenna, the school’s founder and owner, informed Jones on Sept. 12 that the school would be closing.

“I was like ‘OK, at the end of the semester,’ and they said, ‘No, Friday,’” she said. “I was in shock.

They knew I couldn’t go back in and just lie, so they sent me home.”

The Monarch School, started in 2000, is a therapeutic boarding school and “college preparatory school designed to promote academic excellence, positive self image, strong character traits and sound reasoning,” according to the school’s Facebook page. The school’s website has since been taken down.

Jones said that students reacted to the news with both anger and sadness, some acting out and breaking rules with the attitude of, “What are you going to do about it?”

“It was a mess,” Jones said.

“We did the best we could, and we did that for the kids.”

In a meeting Wednesday morning, Sept. 13, McKenna broke the news to the rest of the staff. In a breaking news announcement on a website called Struggling Teens, McKenna and his wife, Michelle, cited low attendance numbers as the reason for the school’s closure.

“We can no longer sustain the number of students we need to continue our work,” the announcement reads. “It has been an honor being a part of the therapeutic world and we wish nothing but success to all of the other programs out there whose owners and staff work tirelessly to help students and their families.”

In the weeks to follow, Jones said former employees have been job searching, and in some cases where the families lived on campus, rental searching.

McKenna told employees he had been considering closing Monarch for a year. Jones said she can’t shake the feeling that the decision

A view of Monarch School’s campus from the porch of the main lodge, with a sculpture of its namesake in the foreground. Photo from Facebook. to close the school was abrupt.

“Was he really planning to close the school for a year?” Jones said, mentioning she’d hired a new math teacher just three weeks before the announcement. “If you’d known this was going to happen why would you have let me do that?”

And for many employees, a point of contention with the McKennas is a verbal agreement they have yet to see through: severance pay. More than 20 employees in the Sept. 13 meeting said that they were promised the paycheck for the current pay period, compensation for their vacation and sick time and “two weeks severance” if they worked their regular shifts through Friday, said Jones. Jones said she has received everything but the severance. She said some employees have reached out to her saying they were shorted on their paychecks.

Jones said some staff expressed desire to seek legal action for what they see as shortcomings on the McKenna’s part.

In response to these allegations, McKenna said: “All I can say is that there are a handful of disgruntled staff that are creating a smear campaign against us. The majority of our employees are grateful for the years of employment and opportunity they were provided. And like us, very sad we couldn’t keep

Monarch going.”

“This isn’t about revenge for me,” Jones said. “It’s about taking care of my people. As a director of the school, I still feel an obligation to them. (My husband) and I can live without the money, but we have a couple who’s currently homeless and staying with friends.

I would like to see Patrick and Michelle showing the same care about people.”

But not all Monarch employees share Jones’ sentiments.

Former assistant admissions director Dawn Bristol worked closely with the McKennas and said she harbors no ill feelings toward them.

“The closing of a business could happen to anyone. We’ve seen it over the years,” Bristol said.

“What we do after that moment is up to us. I hope it’s a healthy choice. You can sulk, desire some kind of revenge and think, ‘they owe me,’ or you can move forward.”

She said she was just as surprised by the school’s closure as everyone else. She said she isn’t concerned about the severance issue because she believes she interpreted the situation differently.

“The word ‘severance’ was never used in my conversations, the word severance is something staff started using. Patrick said if he could, he would compensate us by

the Oct. 5 payday,” Bristol said.

She said she understands people are hurt and struggling, and she hopes the best for them.

“The natural reaction to something like this is, ‘Why?’ We may never know exactly why it all happened so suddenly, but we need to move forward,” Bristol said.

Others, like Mike Cochran and his wife, find themselves starting over completely after both losing their jobs at Monarch. They also lived on campus and said they were told they had two weeks to move out after the school closed. Cochran said they have yet to receive their $2,000 housing deposit back.

“Both of us lost our jobs in a two-minute announcement, and then it took poking and prodding to find out we wouldn’t get severance,” he said, referencing an email one of the therapist’s wives sent to McKenna asking about severance to which he responded they wouldn’t be paying it. “All the time the talk was about community and integrity, and then 17 years of that went out the window.”

But for Jesus Quintero, who taught theater at Monarch School, that sense of community is why he’s grateful to the McKennas in spite of the abrupt closure. When he and wife Carolina Sa, who also worked at the Monarch School, moved to the Northwest from Mi-

ami in search of a better environment for their kids, the school staff was there to bring them into the family. Since then, the family has become a key part of local theater productions and community life.

“I am grateful,” Quintero said.

“Thanks to them I am talking to you. Thanks to them I met this community.”

While the announcement that the school was closing came as a shock to many — Quintero included — he is looking to the future treasuring the experiences and relationships he built over years working at Monarch.

“I think the conversation at Monarch should be … the business failed, but the sense of community prevailed,” he said.

As of now, Jones said all of the former Monarch employees are working hard to be there for one another in what was a jolting life change.

“We are still very involved with helping each other,” life skills teacher Ross Davis said, noting he had a hard time asking people for help prior to meeting his co-workers at Monarch School. “I think that doesn’t have to die with the school.”

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NEWS

Newport residents protest proposed smelter

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Newport-area residents are mobilizing for a fight over a proposed silicon smelter, which they believe was sprung on them without any public engagement.

At packed meetings this week, Newport residents expressed exasperation that Pend Oreille Public Utility District had sold a 192-acre property to Canadian company HiTest Sand, which seeks to build a silicon smelting plant in the area. While the company touts the number of jobs the new facility will generate, residents believe most will go to out-of-towners and worry that the cost to the local environment, public health and property values may not be worth the trade-off.

“People are madder than hell about this,” said Newport resident John Posk.

According to Posk, residents turned out for two recent meetings, one a public meeting with few opportunities to ask questions and a second, more informal meeting that resulted in standing room only. Some of the concerns raised included the smelter’s impact on the environment, the use of chemicals in processing, the increased traffic

BGH seeking volunteers

Buddha, pictured here as a pumpkin, is one of three dogs rescued and adopted by Understory Coffee owners Johnelle Fifer and Evan Metz.

related to the factory and the possible hit to local property values. Posk said he doesn’t understand why the smelter isn’t being built in a desert area with no residential population and fewer ecological concerns.

“Who would even think of doing something like this? It’s incredibly stupid,” he said. “It’s going to affect the trees. It’s going to affect the animals.

An aerial photo of the Pend Oreille River flowing through Newport, Wash.

It’s going to affect the river — it’s going to affect everything and everybody.”

HiTest representatives, meanwhile, told Pend Oreille County officials they are confident the smelter will more than meet Washington State’s comparatively rigorous environmental standards.

Dover fire ratings improve

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Bonner General Health is in urgent need of volunteers to assist in several departments.

The BGH Volunteer Council, formerly called the Auxiliary, assists the hospital in several essential tasks. Volunteers bolster efforts in cardiac rehabilitation, community development, the BGH Foundation, the gift shop, home health, hospice, human resources, materials, the medical/surgical unit, outpatient/same-day surgery, the reception desks and rehabilitation.

To volunteer, contact Kim Courser at 208265-3329.

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Doggie Halloween contest sure to be a spooky hit

Dover residents could see friendlier insurance rates after the city received improved ratings from fire protection experts.

The city of Dover and Selkirk Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services announced this week that the bedroom community was bumped from a Class 5 rating to a Class 4 rating. The improved rating is the result of an analysis by the Idaho Surveying and Rating Bureau, which conducts inspections of communities and provides ratings that insurance companies use to determine risk and set insurance rates.

“The city of Dover and surrounding areas could see, upon renewal of their fire insurance policies, some reduction in their premiums,” said

Selkirk Fire Chief Ron Stocking.

According to Selkirk Fire, the rating improvement largely stems from a decision by Westside Fire Protection District last year to join a joint powers agreement with Selkirk Fire Rescue and EMS. The agreement improves the Dover area’s access to fire protection resources and personnel in the event of an emergency.

“We are very excited about the services that Selkirk Fire is providing to the community,” Stocking said.

“We hope that more communities in Bonner County will want to take advantage of the potential that can be provided by combining personnel and equipment.”

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer What happens when you have a passion for coffee, dogs and Halloween?

It’s likely a doggy costume contest at your coffee shop will happen.

Understory Coffee and Tea, on the corner of Cedar and Second Avenue, will host a dog costume contest on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. There is a $5 entry fee, and all proceeds will go to the Panhandle Animal Shelter.

Understory owners Johnelle Fifer and Evan Metz have adopted three dogs from rescue situations.

“We chose to support PAS because there are many more animals that do not get the opportunities our pups did,” Fifer said. “Also, PAS is a volunteer, nonprofit shelter which is not affiliated with the county or city and receives no tax support, which is why we feel it is important to support PAS.” Businesses throughout the community have donated prizes for the costumed participants. Dogs will be “judged on costume and behavior for creativity, humor, character, charisma and uniqueness.” Dogs must be older than four months, vaccinated, wearing I.D. tags and non-aggressive.

COMMUNITY

Tackling an itchy problem

New lice removal business to open in Ponderay this weekend

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer

For most people, the thought of a head lice infestation triggers anxiety, dread and an itching sensation. The thought of tiny insects laying eggs and sucking blood from your scalp is undoubtedly less than pleasant, and the thought of treating such an infestation sounds timely, unsanitary and overall, a huge pain.

For Sandpoint woman Ellen Schreiber, a head lice infestation means a chance to help other people.

Schreiber will open her new business, called the Panhandle Lice Clinic, on Sunday. After a camping trip with her grandchildren three years ago, on which several of them got lice with no clear cure, she said she did some research and found herself immersed in the training required to be a professional louse remover.

She said that Sandpoint isn’t any more lice-infested than any other community, so she chose the area because her children and grandchildren are here.

But what made Schreiber the perfect fit for such a creepy-crawly job?

“I have no fear of lice,” she said.

She said that over-the-counter treatments — often mild forms of pesticides — aren’t as effective as they used to be because lice have developed an immunity.

“Now they’re using stronger pesticides, so if you care anything about your child’s head, you’ll do natural remedies,” she said. “What we did years ago simply isn’t working today.”

Schreiber said she uses the “Shepard Method,” in which she uses only a comb, enzyme-based shampoo and mint spray.

She said it’s a “labor-intensive technique that utilizes a strand-by-strand nit and louse removal. It ensures that every hair has been examined and all lice evidence has been removed. This allows each individual to be treated one time and to be monitored after that.” She said each treatment is followed by two free head checks in which she makes sure she did a thorough job with the original combing.

On top of the combing treatment, Schreiber said the Panhandle Lice Clinic will sell products that can help the child’s parent take out the lice on their own.

“There’s a lot of anxiety with lice, so if you send (parents) home with product then that will ease their anxiety,” she said.

While lice are not welcome guests in anyone’s hair, Schreiber said it’s import-

Lunch with the Myor: a An open invitation to the public

By Shelby Rognstad Reader Contributor

This article is the second installment of a four-part series through October describing my goals and priorities as mayor of Sandpoint.

Those are: 1) Engage the public to address community concerns. 2) Improve the local economy. 3) Sustain quality of life for Sandpoint residents. 4) Keep Sandpoint affordable.

Priority #2: Improve the Local Economy

Ellen Schreiber treats a young patient at the clinic. Courtesy photo.

ant to realize that there are a lot of myths surrounding the pests that make lice infestations sound more impossible to terminate than they actually are. For instance, she said some people believe they must immediately wash all of the child’s clothes and bedding if they discover lice.

Rather, she said lice without a living host will die after 24 hours, so there’s no real need to worry about the ones that aren’t in the child’s hair.

“Instead of doing all that laundry, just leave the house,” she said.

While Schreiber said she’s excited to provide her removal services, another huge component to the Panhandle Lice Clinic is to help people get past the dread that comes with a lice infestation. She said she wants to give them the tools to tackle the situation in a swift and informed way.

“One of my main objectives with opening this (business) is education,” she said. “I want parents not to be frustrated about this, or have that anxiety.”

The Panhandle Lice Clinic, located behind The Brim coffee stand on Kootenai Cutoff Road in Ponderay, will have a grand opening on Sunday, Oct. 15, from 1-4 p.m. There will be a bouncy house, hot chocolate and coffee, as well as a local food vendor. Schreiber said she hopes to use the open house as a means to educate people about lice, lice removal and everything Panhandle Lice Clinic will provide.

“I’m not trying to make a full-time living out of this, but I am here to help people through it,” she said.

This week I will report on projects I’m involved with to spur economic vitality in our community. There is good news to report as commercial building vacancy rates have decreased significantly since the 2008 recession. Also, 2016 was nearly a record year in building permits issued.

The unemployment rate for Bonner County is at 3.6 percent, which is the lowest rate since prior the recession. These indicators point to a strengthening economy.

Not surprisingly, much of this growth is driven by tourism. The city’s continued investments in parks and quality of life amenities fuel this growth. The new Watershed Crest Trail and Memorial Field are great examples of this. Conservation of recreational elements and natural space at the University of Idaho Boyer property are important components to be preserved in future development efforts.

What makes Sandpoint truly resilient, however, is that we have a broadly diversified economy. Manufacturing, aerospace and biomedical are growing sectors of the regional technology economy. To sustain this growth, we have to support adequate housing, workforce development and infrastructure.

There are several strategies we have already initiated to support our current economic growth. In 2012 Sandpoint completed city-wide zoning amendments which allow for greater density, greater housing options and greater affordability.

The city cut its water and sewer hook-up fees by half to stimulate development and reduce new home cost. Currently we are facilitating a public engagement effort for the Comprehensive Plan Review. Our effort is to get you, our citizens, to consider a development proposal that could bring additional, higher density housing to undeveloped areas along Boyer Avenue.

Collectively, these actions will accommodate a larger workforce and provide the

Part 2

housing it needs at an affordable cost. I encourage all who are interested to participate in the next workshop on Oct. 17.

High-speed internet may be the most significant investment the city is making to stimulate the economy. Over the last two years the city has developed a fiber backbone to facilitate expedited, high-speed internet service throughout the city and the region.

The city, school district, county and other large firms are experiencing the benefits of this network today. Over the next couple years this network will be built out to homes and small businesses in Sandpoint and beyond so everyone can enjoy high speed connectivity.

Infrastructure also includes transportation, utilities and city facilities. Implementation of the 2012 Downtown Streets Plan has begun with traditional two-way traffic throughout the downtown core, calming traffic, improving access and increasing parking options. The sewer replacement work that is underway on First Avenue today replaces a failing sewer main and laterals within the right of way.

The capstone on the downtown streets project is the Farmin’s Landing property between Bridge Street and the Panida.

The goal with this project is to create a safe multi-modal connection between the pedestrian bridge and the bike path on Main Street while capturing and filtering storm water to prevent pollution in our lake. There will also be great opportunities to improve public accessibility to our waterfront and create a unique community gathering place which connects downtown to Sand Creek. These changes to the downtown core will dramatically improve its look, feel and function making it an even more attractive place to visit and do business.

I am motivated to continue promoting the interests of business in Sandpoint by investing in parks, quality of life and infrastructure as a proactive way to spur economic health and vitality. My city staff and I will continue to encourage public engagement in planning, strategizing and prioritizing our communities needs to ensure appropriate economic growth for everyone.

This series is in preparation for a new “Lunch With The Mayor” informal meeting to be held on the last Thursday of the month beginning Oct. 26, from 12-1 p.m. at the Cedar Street Bistro in the Cedar Street Bridge.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

the weirdness of science

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, science goes and throws some wild curveballs at you (that usually put you into a walk for first!).

Unlike 90 percent of what I dither on about from week to week, the following experiments can happen from the comfort of your own home.

Because, let’s face it, you have no way to experiment on a T-Rex, so a hot plate and a glass of water are going to have to suffice.

In the realm of weird, this is one you probably see on a daily basis without even realizing how freaking weird it is.

The Leidenfrost Effect.

What sounds like a bad thriller movie starring Kevin Bacon running from World War II ice zombies is actually a very common occurrence in the kitchen.

When a liquid hits a surface above its boiling point (but not so high that it vaporizes the liquid instantly), the bottom of the liquid will become a gas and cushion the rest of the liquid on top, making it levitate and skitter around.

Liquid Nitrogen does this when spilled on most surfaces.

Want to see it in action?

Next time you’re about to fry up something on your stovetop, get your pan nice and hot and dribble a little bit of water onto the surface. The droplets will be skittering around, levitating on cushions of steam!

Non-Newtonian fluids are another fun experiment. The umbrella of what is a non-New10 /

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tonian fluid is pretty broad, ranging from laundry soaps to your own blood, to the famous oobleck. A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid that doesn’t quite behave like a fluid should. It’s actually far more complicated than this, but I’m on a word crunch here. The internet is stuffed full of fun facts about NNFs, so if you’re curious about the whys, the answers are a short search away.

If you want to see an example in real life, mix some water and cornstarch together to create oobleck. Oobleck is really dense and sensitive to vibration and movement. If you put some plastic wrap over the entire face of a speaker, point it right up at the ceiling and blast some bass, your Oobleck will dance to the thumping sound waves. You can also put it in a bowl and shake it — that looks pretty cool, too.

This stuff is a mess, fair warning.

Ferrofluid is another weird liquid that shouldn’t be. Under normal circumstances, it just looks like tar or oil. Put a magnet near it, and it will suddenly spike up and move with the magnet. This stuff is supremely weird, but has lots of really cool applications. One of my favorites is as a sealant for computer hard drives.

Making this stuff at home can be a little tricky (and messy), but a practice once strictly performed in multi-million dollar laboratories can now be done with cooking oil, old cassettes and internet access!

The easiest, but most expensive way to make your own fer-

rofluid is to mix magnetic ink (anywhere from $30 to $100 online) with cooking oil, and voila! Magnetic oil!

Another way is to use magnets to strip the magnetic particles from old cassette tapes, and mix that with cooking oil.

Just make sure they aren’t part of your dad’s secret collection. No one wants to see Toto end up in a pile of magnetic goop.

You’ve probably seen Elephant’s Toothpaste on every kids’ science show (and “The Walking Dead”), but that doesn’t stop it from being surprising fun. Don’t do this unsupervised.

You’ll need a few things: a clean (and empty) soda bottle, half a cup of hydrogen peroxide, a tablespoon of dry yeast and another tablespoon of dishwashing soap. If you want it to be colorful, use a few drops of food dye. Be sure to wear goggles and gloves, and be ready to clean up a mess afterward.

Pour the hydrogen peroxide, food dye and dishwashing soap into the soda bottle and swirl it around. Combine the warm water and the yeast together in another container and mix them for a minute. Drop the water and yeast into the hydrogen peroxide and stand back.

I won’t spoil the rest for you, but I’ll tell you why it did what it did.

The yeast acts as a catalyst that causes the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to decay into oxygen (O) and water (H2O) very rapidly. The soapy water traps the oxygen that’s pushing its way out of the container,

Ferrofluid in action. Photo Wikipedia. thus resulting in the giant mess you’re now cleaning up.

Do you have any fun science experiments you’d like to share? Let me know at the library! Or let the Reader know; I’m sure Ben wouldn’t mind a

break from the heavier stuff.

Just be sure you’re safe about it. Always wear protective goggles and glovesThey’re like $5 together at the store, so you have no excuse not to!

Random Corner Don’t know much about real

mad scientists?

We can help!

• Along with James D. Watson, Francis Crick will forever be remembered as one of the discoverers of the very structure of DNA. At some point in the 1970s, Crick became an advocate of “directed panspermia” which states that life on Earth was deliberately seeded by extra-terrestrials.

• William Buckland is remembered for being the first man to pen a complete description of a fossilized dinosaur, the megalosaurus. In his spare time, however, he was also a man who insisted on dining on everything, including roast hedgehog, potted ostrich, panthers, porpoises, puppies and even bat urine. He was most notably reported to have dined on the shrunken heart of King Louis XIV. • José Delgado, a professor at Yale University, dealt primarily with the subject of mind control. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Delgado inserted electrode implants into the brains of primates and used a remote control that gave off radio frequencies to make the animals perform complicated movements. He was even said to have been hooked up to 25 different people, believing that armies of the future would rely on electronic manipulation of the human brain.

• Stubbins Ffirth was a University of Pennsylvania researcher fixated on one particular scientific scheme — the idea that yellow fever was non-contagious. Ffirth first sliced open his arms and smeared vomit from yellow fever patients into the wounds. When that made no difference, he poured the vomit in his eye, drank some of the vile liquid, fried the stuff and breathed in the fumes, and — in a final act of madness — covered himself with blood, urine and saliva from infected patients. Ultimately, his experiments were useless because he’d used samples from late-stage patients that were no longer contagious. Yuck.

• Paracelsus was a learned man of the Renaissance who was convinced that he could create a living homunculus — a tiny man — by keeping semen in a warm place and feeding it on human blood. He even left instructions for any others who might wish to try it, and fervently believed that this method was the genesis of wood nymphs and giants.

Needless to say, Paracelsus’ experiments fell short of proving anything.

COMMUNITY

KRFY’s Online Auction is here

By Reader Staff What exciting Sandpoint event begins on Oct. 14 and ends on Oct. 22?

It’s 88.5 KRFY, Panhandle Community Radio’s online fundraising auction!

Go to www.krfy.org and click on the AUCTION button the right column to preview the fabulous items that will be available for bidding. You can also preview the auction at: www.biddingforgood.com/krfy. More items will be added right up to the 14th, so keep checking the website. You can also go to www.biddingforgood.com/krfy to start bidding on Oct. 14.

Will you bid on a gorgeous oceanfront condo in the Turks and Caicos or a week-end ski vacation with lift tickets at Schweitzer Mountain Resort?

A history cruise on the lake with Pend Oreille Cruises? Seattle Seahawk tickets and a night’s stay at the W Hotel? The list goes on and includes great gift certificates from local restaurants and retail stores.

Oktobertfest at Beet & Basil

A fundraiser for the East Bonner County Library

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

All funds raised during the online auction will benefit North Idaho’s only community radio station. KRFY is a volunteer-driven, commercial-free media organization with the mission of providing an eclectic mix of music, news and views. So remember to check www.krfy.org or www.biddingforgood. com/krfy and place your bids between Oct. 14 and Oct. 22.

Beet & Basil Restaurant in Sandpoint will be hosting a special Oktoberfest fundraiser for the East Bonner County Library on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The family-friendly event includes German-style street food, live music, German beer specials, oversized Jenga, oversized Connect Four, a rope-jousting tournament, prizes, giant Checkers and dice. There will also be das boot races, housemade pretzels and mustards, a kids’ area that features pumpkin painting and tea light lantern decorating.

Beet & Basil, 105 S. First Ave., will donate a portion of the proceeds raised to the East Bonner County Library District, which includes libraries from Sandpoint and Clark Fork. This all-ages event is open to the public.

For more information about the Oktoberfest Fundraiser at Beet & Basil,

Giant Jenga is one of the many festivities offered at Beet & Basil Oktoberfest. call the restaurant at (208) 920-6144 or the Sandpoint Library at (208) 2636930.

Fall For Sandpoint: Just do it

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Let’s face it, the holidays are going to come up and bite you sooner than you are ready for them. Get a jump on your holiday shopping while also helping regional nonprofits with the annual Fall For Sandpoint shopping event this weekend.

Hosted by the Sandpoint Shopping District, Fall For Sandpoint pairs downtown retailers with area nonprofits for a day of sales, fun events, refreshments and good times.

Head downtown on Saturday, Oct. 14 for an all-day event at 16 different downtown retailers, including Larson’s, Great Stuff, Understory Coffee, Zany Zebra, Alpine Shop, Azalea’s Handpicked Style, Cedar St. Bistro, Eve’s Leaves, Finan McDonald, Meadowbrook, Northwest Handmade, Outdoor Experience, Santosha, Sharon’s Hallmark, Zero Point and La Chic Boutique.

Each participating retailer will donate a portion of their day’s sales to the following nonprofit organizations:

Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, Panhandle Animal Shelter, Bonner/ Boundary Co. CASA, Panhandle Alliance for Education, Bonner Partners in Care Clinic, Bonner Gospel Mission, Bonner Community Food Bank, Selle Valley Carden School, Special Olympics, Sandpoint Community Resource Center, Rock Creek Alliance, Life Choices Pregnancy Center, Panida Theater, Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education and NAMI Far North.

Representatives from each nonprofit will be on hand at their companion retail store to answer any questions about how they serve the community.

In addition to sales, there will also be a host of great activities for shoppers of all ages.

To take part in Fall For Sandpoint, pick up a passport at any of the participating retailer. Shoppers will receive stamps at each store they visit (no purchase required) and those who gather at least eight stamps will be entered into a drawing for three prizes totaling $400 in local gift certificates.

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Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in concert “An Inconven 8pm @ The Hive 7:30pm @ The High-energy psychedelic funk, infec- See the acclaim tious electro-funk grooves, and an undeniable live energy and contagious smiles.

Live Music Tickets $12/advance, $15 at the door 6-8pm @ C A great atm

POAC Presents: The Dustbowl Revival with Shakewell 7pm @ The Panida Theater Named “the best live band in L.A.” by the LA Weekly, The Dustbowl Revival features a joyous Americana soul vibe sound. Opener Shakewell from Missoula feartures a blend of funk and soul. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., tickets $20. This is the opening show for POAC’s 2017/18 Performance series. 208-263-9191.

Live Music w/ Mike Wagonne 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Come hang out with Mike, his stories and great songs!

Live Music w/ Beat Diggers 9pm @ 219 Lounge Local band playing rock and rol tunes with flair Harvest Fest Fresh Hop Harvest Festival 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park 3-7pm @ 219 Lounge Fresh hop beers from local and regional brew makers, Sandpoint Farmers Market c plus tons of swag and prizes. Burgers by Old Tin Can es out the season. Entertainm food booths, activities, display and live music by Truck Mills Indie Author Day Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 9am-5pm @ Little Panida Thea 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Enjoy author presentations, Acoustic folk, rock and soul the Riff Hangers pert panelists, open mic readi Live Music w/ John Firshi 6:30-9:30pm @ Mick- and more. Free and open to 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Duff’s Beer Hall public. a day of education, Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA An acoustic band playing working, mingling, writing, o 9pm @ 219 Lounge country, blues, and swing mics, panels and much more!

Indie folk rock trio

Oktoberfest at Beet and Basil • 11am-4pm @ Beet and Basil Family Friendly! German street food, live music, german beer specials, oversized Jeng ing tournament, prizes. Also das boot races, house-made pretzels and mustards, kids are lantern decorating. Come and join us for Oktoberfsst and help raise money for the East Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Night Out Karaoke 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Join DJ Pat for a night of crooning your favorite tunes

Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge

KPND Monday Night Football Party 5:30pm @ 219 Lounge It’s football season and time to party! Hosted by Bob Wi to give away from area restaurants, concerts tickets, WS new music samplers, beer mugs, gift certificates from area

Five Minutes of Fame Open Mic 6:30pm @ Cafe Bodega 5-8pm @ SKåL Taproom Writers, musicians, listeners - welcome all for this open mic night at Cafe Bodgea inside Foster’s Crossing Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

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Magic Wednesday 6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s Re Magician Star Alexande dinner table and in the teractive magical entert

Girls Pint Out 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No Dudes!

Join Vicki at the big table for an evening tasting and talking about Fresh Hop Beer!

Alzheimer’s Sup 1-2pm @ Sandpo Families, caregiv with Alzheimer’s ed disorder are w

ful

October 12 - 19, 2017

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

Reader recommended

Inconvenient Sequel” documentary film pm @ The Roxy Theater (Newport) he acclaimed follow-up film featuring Al Gore

Sandpoint Contra Dance 7pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall All dances taught and called to live music. Beginners and singles ive Music w/ Denis Zwang are welcome. $5 donation. Bring clean shoes and a water bottle Teen Writers Club 8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar 3:30pm @ Sandpoint Library great atmosphere for wine and live music Teens who write ... unite! Enjoy collaboraWagonner Live Music w/ Marty Perron and Doug Bond tion, peer reviews, brainstorming activities; lle Winery 5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority writing supplies and refreshments provided Mandolin/guitar duo of all stars!

Mike, his !

Live Music w/ Ron Greene Radical Reels Tour • 7pm @ Panida Theater 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Diggers The adrenaline-fueled film series as part of Celebrate second Fridays with Ron Greene Banff Mountain Film Festival. This is the last ck and roll Live Music w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bond year for Radical Reels! $15/advance, $19/door 5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Kaleidoscope Volunteer Training Workshop Park 8am-5pm @ Spt. High School Art Room Market closA hands on volunteer training class for the Kantertainment, leidoscope Art Program. Heather Guthrie SHS es, displays Art Teacher and Kaleidoscope Artistic Director, provides all the training and POAC provides all anida Theater the art materials needed to teach eight hands-on ntations, exlessons (one per month, October thru May). Call mic readings, 208-263-6139 for more information d open to the ducation, net- QueenB Drag Show and Costume Contest writing, open 9pm @ The Eagles Celebrate Halloween with fabulous drag perch more! formances from an amazing cast of kings and queens, followed by a costume contest. $6, 21+

Fall For Sandpoint 11am-3pm @ Downtown Sandpoint Downtown Sandpoint celebrates “Fall for Sandpoint” with sales, in-store games and prizes, kids’ activities and more. Participating merchants are teamed with local nonprofit organizations to bring you a day to support our vibrant community. A portion of the shopping proceeds from the day will be donated to participating non-profits. Enter to win one of three gift certificate packages worth a total of $400

“An Inconvenient Sequel” docu film 2:30pm @ The Roxy Theater (Newport) Featuring Al Gore

Oktoberfest at Beet and Basil ized Jenga, oversized Connect Four, rope joust- 10am-4pm @ Beet & Basil s, kids area with pumpkin painting and tea light A the family-friendly event r the East Bonner County Library with fun games, street food, live Sandpoint Chess Club music and more! Proceeds benner 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee efit the Sandpoint Library

y Bob Witte will have tons of prizes ckets, WSU football tickets, KPND from area businesses and much more

esday apeño’s Restaurant r Alexander amazes guests at the nd in the bar with up-close, inical entertainment for all ages!

mer’s Support Group @ Sandpoint Senior Center es, caregivers and friends of those zheimer’s, dementia and any relatrder are welcome. 208-290-1973

Computer Basics Class 8:15am @ Spt. Library 208-263-6930

Doggy Costume Fundraiser for PAS 2-5pm @ Understory Coffee (2nd & Cedar) Dress up your pup for a good cause. $5 entry fee goes to Panhandle Animal Shelter.

Food, drinks, music, tons of fun!

Oct. 20

Kiwanis Fundraiser 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Bale Breaker Brewing Co. beer on tap. Enjoy live music, raffle prizes and complimentary appetizers to support the Sandpoint Kiwanis Club Clark Fork Crafternoon 3pm @ Clark Fork Library Enjoy free family fun with artistic crafts to take home. 208-266-1321

Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja @ 219 Lounge

Oct. 21 Andy Sydow @ The Pearl Theater Oct. 21 GRiZ in Concert @ The Hive

Buy tickets in advance: •Burger Express •Alpine Shop •Eichardt’s Pub •Outdoor Experience October 12, 2017 /

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WELLNESS

Living Life:

Country trauma and healing

By Dianne Smith Reader Columnist

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Once again our country is in a state of acute stress.

We’ve experienced something so horrific that we struggle to make sense of it and cannot. This traumatic experience reconnects us with past traumatic experiences, and as a society we are very emotionally charged and on guard.

This is the time we need to reach out and support one another as we focus on moving forward. We need to move forward in a way that is healing and not polarizing, as we try to make sense of the why. The journey of healing is very individual but is impacted by others. It is not a linear path and there is no right or wrong, only what is helpful.

I believe we all want the same thing, which is a wonderful place to live and raise children. The disagreement is often around what is the best way to get there and what exactly that means. Have we become so stressed as a country that we can’t even discuss what that means without people deciding that their opinion is a fact and that if everyone doesn’t see it as they do then they are wrong. The anger which comes from fear does not promote healing for the community. If there has been any downside to social media it would be the extent it allows others to vent their negativity which begets anger and more negativity.

We as individuals have to decide that we want to be part of the positive change and focus on the healing. I heard two radio personalities talk about giving up social media and feeling they were happier for it. We should all be looking at what we can do to be happier for it and what can help ourselves and the community and country heal.

What are things we can do to be the change we would like to see so to speak?

How do we move forward in a way that promotes healing less anger? What can each of us do as an individual?

1. Start with yourself. Make sure you are nurturing your own personal attitude.

Hang around positive people and invest in positive time spent. Focus on what is right, not what is wrong. Change the paradigm by which you view life.

2. Take time each day to smile at

people you see and to say please and thank you. Under the stress of the attack we hear wonderful stories of people helping. This is something we could be doing every day in our community and for some reason we have lost some of that. Not all because I see wonderful people reach out every day to help others.

3. Assume that you are the leader that people around you are looking for.

Be aware of opportunities that come up during the day to influence the attitudes of those around you in a positive way.

Happiness is contagious.

4. Look each day at what you did to make your work, your home and the community a better place. Did you add to or did you take away from. Sometimes giving is simply offering to put someone’s cart away in the parking lot or smiling at someone who may seem lonely. We can all give to make things better.

5. I think the down side of social media is that rather than looking at faces and discussing, we have become about telling the other they are wrong and the other remains faceless without a relationship.

Within the social media world it seems we have given up many rules of relationships. Just something to think about when pushing that button to post and ask is this what I would say to them in person or is this adding to making things better.

6. Connect with extra support if that would be helpful. Bonner County has 75 wonderful non profits and many private mental health providers that offer incredible support including the Crisis Hotline and Kaniksu that provides a sliding fee scale.

As we enter into the holiday season it is a perfect time to focus on the positive and good that we see every day in the community. Let’s share the positive of the community that happens every day and focus on that. What could be more healing than to focus on the good and positive?

Will we be perfect? I know I won’t, and that is where I am hoping that the positivity of others will give me grace and bless me with my own positive attitude.

Dianne Smith, LMFT is a licensed counselor who works with both children and adults. She has offices in Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint and can be reached at dianne_smith_mft@yahoo.com.

OUTDOORS

Ultrarunning: not for the faint of heart

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Local couple Katie and Gwen Adams share their passion for running extremely long distances

You’ve heard of 5K and 10K races.

You’ve seen people run half-marathons and marathons. But there’s a more elite category of running that makes these shorter distances seem like just walks in the park.

I’m talking about ultrarunning, and one Sandpoint couple recently completed the coveted 100-mile ultramarathon and lived to tell the tale.

Katie and Gwen Adams aren’t your usual married couple. Katie grew up in Sandpoint and graduated in 2007. She met her future husband Gwen while traveling in Australia in 2012 when they were both volunteering for a nonprofit organization called Sea Shepherd Conservation Society that aimed to curtail illegal whaling practices.

“That’s how our relationship formed,” said Katie. “Three months at sea.”

“I always wanted to fight for what was right,” said Gwen. “I was in the French Army, but I realized what I was fighting for wasn’t what I believe in.”

In one instance, the Sea Shepherd ship attempted to prevent an illegal refueling of a tanker and factory whaling ship – weighing in at 5,000 and 8,000 tons respectively – while their ship was a modest 500 tons.

This occurred in the frigid waters of the South Atlantic not far from Antarctica.

“They got really upset and tried to go through with it,” said Gwen. “They rammed our ship. Inside, you saw paint cracking.

This ship ten times our size was pushing us over.”

“Our captain had to call in a mayday,” said Katie. “It was really scary. But we ended up saving 935 whales.”

It was during the long, droll days at sea for three months, with the portholes shut because of rough weather, that Katie and Gwen read a book that would change their lives.

“We read a book called ‘Born to Run’,” said Katie. “It will inspire anyone to run for the first time.”

The book, penned by Christopher McDougall, features a story about the reclusive Tarahumara Native Mexican tribe in the Mexican Copper Canyons who were known for their ability to run distances of over 100 miles at incredible speeds without getting the routine injuries that plague most American runners.

“I didn’t know people ran more than a marathon,” said Katie. “While we were in Antarctica, we just decided, let’s run an ultramarathon – the most extreme opposite

Top: Katie and Gwen Adams celebrate after finishing the Mountain Lakes 100 race in Oregon last month. Bottom left: Katie runs on a steep section of snow-covered trail. Bottom right: A support crew member keeps an eye on Katie and Gwen in the warming tent after the race. Courtesy photos. than being stuck in a boat for three months.”

Katie and Gwen began running as a way to get off the ship and explore further away from port.

“Then it just occurred to us,” said Katie.

“What we really love is the mountains. We wanted to find a place to live that was a trail runners’ paradise.”

That “paradise” happened to be Katie’s hometown of Sandpoint. The couple moved back to help her father remodel her childhood home. The plan is to eventually market the place as a trailrunning bed and breakfast.

Soon, the two set their sights on the granddaddy of running feats: the 100-miler.

Gwen ran his first 100-miler in July, but Katie’s first attempt took place in Oregon just three weeks ago at the Mountain Lakes 100.

The 100-mile trail is actually a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail and features

12,000 feet of combined elevation gain over the 100 miles.

A month before the 100-miler, Katie attempted a 50-mile run and had to drop out by mile 26.

“I thought, ‘If I can’t even run a 50-miler, how am I supposed to run 100 miles?’” said Katie.

That’s where Gwen stepped in with some wisdom: “The most important part of running is the mental part. No matter how well trained you are, you’re going to hurt so bad. You’re going to question whether you’ll be able to finish. It’s part of the process. Focus on if you can move right now, not the fact that you have 18 miles to go.”

When the race kicked off, Katie said she was optimistic about finishing in under 24 hours, which is a benchmark with 100-mile races. Then at mile-19, she started having

stomach issues and had to slow to a walk.

“I thought I was going to pass out, throw up, faint,” she said. “I didn’t understand what was happening and had to walk for awhile.”

Luckily, the section she had trouble was an incline with deep snow, so most of the field had slowed to a walk. In fact, the first 30 miles of the trail was under 6-8 inches of snow. Finally, the nausea passed and Katie hit her stride again.

“I made a promise to myself after the stomach pain,” said Katie. “I said I wasn’t going to complain about any normal pains.

As long as it’s not debilitating, I wasn’t going to complain.”

In the final seven miles, Katie and Gwen realized their pace would put them over the

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OUTDOORS

Gardening with Laurie:

Putting the garden to bed

HarvestFest Saturday, Oct. 14th 9am - 3pm

Celebrate harvest with our annual HarvestFest, featuring extended hours and live music all day long. Our vendors pull out all the stops for winter storage crops, holiday holid crafts, and more!

Maple trees provide great fall colors..

By Laurie Brown Reader Columnist

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It’s official: October is here, the leaves are turning, the geese are honking in the sky and plants are dying back. Time to put the garden to bed for the winter.

In the vegetable garden, pick all tomatoes (yes, even the green ones), peppers, green beans, squash and eggplants.

Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower can stay out a little longer (but get them in before a *hard* freeze). Leave carrots, parsnips, and chard until hard freeze is predicted.

Alternatively, heavily mulch carrots and parsnips with straw to keep the ground from freezing. When you want carrots in winter, you can move the straw aside and pull them up. Pull up and compost all the old vegetable plants.

Pull all annual flowers and compost them. Lift tender perennials — dahlias, gladiolas, callas, cannas and others — and store in a frost-free area. Put planters and pots — especially terra cotta ones — under shelter so they don’t fill with water and freeze, or turn them upside down.

Put all healthy leaves in the compost pile, but any plant parts that have fungus or other disease should be sent to the landfill or burned. Remove dead leaves from perennials, but leave any seed heads standing to feed the birds over winter. If the perennials are still green come the end of October, cut them down anyway. Keep weeding: The weeds are still making root growth and trying to set seeds and disperse them. The more of them you get stopped now, the fewer weeds you’ll have / October 12, 2017

come spring. Do not mulch perennials until after the ground freezes. You want the ground to stay frozen, rather than freezing and thawing, which can push plants, especially recently planted ones, right out of the ground. This also ensures the plants stay dormant until the proper time. Plant spring blooming bulbs.

Drain and pick up hoses. Insulate hose bibs if they are not drain back/frost free types. Pick up, clean and oil garden tools. Pour gas out of lawn mowers, weed whackers and rototillers and store out of the weather.

If the weather continues to be as dry as it’s been, give trees (and shrubs) a good, long drink. They need to go into winter well hydrated, and what nature is giving this fall so far isn’t enough for them to be healthy. Evergreens are the most important, but even trees that have lost their leaves can still take water up (and lose it in dry winter winds).

It’s a lot to do. If you don’t have enough time, the most important tasks are probably keeping things watered, getting the tender perennials stored and taking care of your planters, hoses and tools, both power and hand. The dead stuff can be picked up in spring, as long as you get it before or just as new growth starts. If you miss a few tomatoes, it’s not that much of a loss, and you’re probably hoping the squash plants will get frosted soon, anyway. Mulching is the last thing that happens in the garden, and if we have another La Nina winter, we won’t need much of it. We can hope, right?

PET CARE

"vino" practicing crane pose at north idaho animal hospital

Cold Laser Therapy for Pets. What?

(208) 265-5700 www.IdahoVet.com

A plucky young patient undergoes cold laser therapy for a hock injury. Photo courtesy North Idaho Animal Hospital.

By Dr. Dawn Mehra Reader Contributor Cold laser is a noninvasive procedure that uses light to increase blood circulation. At a specific wavelength laser light stimulates cells to “do” things quicker than normal, like decrease pain and inflammation and speed up healing. Cold laser therapy treats the surface of the skin without burning it, while hot` laser treatments go deeper (and often burn or cut tissue).

Often called Class IV laser therapy, it’s been around for over 40 years, tested successfully on humans, and now about 20 percent of the nation’s companion animals are benefiting from the treatment.

Therapy covers a wide variety of conditions: acute and chronic injuries, sprains, and strains, arthritis, ear, skin and back problems. Really, patients who suffer from any combination of pain, inflammation or slow healing wounds benefit from laser therapy. Interestingly through the release of endorphins, cold laser treatments also decrease stress.

Laser therapy appointments often provide a relaxing affect, perhaps the patients actually enjoy the treatment — laser emissions reduces stress by producing endorphins. At North Idaho Animal Hospital, we use a room large enough for

the family to gather and often a mat/ blanket is provided for the patient to lie/stand on. A typical session lasts between three to 20 seconds. The appointments usually take between 15 to 20 minutes and are affordable. Freshly closed incisions often require a mere single treatment. Other laser applications for chronic conditions treat diseases like ear infections, skin bruising, back pain, arthritis and neurological problems. Some require multiple treatments, depending on the severity and chronicity (how long the disease has been around). We often base the number and interval of therapy sessions on how our patient responds.

Of course the symptomatic relief and healing response is primary, but laser therapy’s secondary effects are numerous and include medication reduction.

Besides the stress relief, the treatments themselves are pain free. It’s not really alternative therapy, instead we consider it a type of integrative approach.

Cold laser therapy can “beam up” our patients to a higher quality of life, as well as the life of their surrounding family!

Dr. Dawn Mehra is a veterinarian at North Idaho Animal Hospital. Contact her at Drdawn@idahovet.com.

A Full Service Spa offering Facials, Massages, Waxing, Tinting & Infra Red Sauna Packages and Gift Certificates available

Wildflower Day Spa is now offering NAIL SERVICES. Our new line “Zoya” is a Big 10 Free Formula polish.

Come relax in our new Gulfstream Massaging Pedicure Throne! (we do not offer acrylics) 208.263.1103

HOURS: 3pm to close Mon. through Sat.

(208) 229-8377 109 Cedar St. October 12, 2017 /

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STAGE & SCREEN

QueenB returns for fifth Halloween extravaganza

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff If you’ve never seen the QueenB. Drag Show, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Raucous, rowdy and full of attitude, the performances show a side of local community members you’ve never seen before.

And there’s no better time to catch the show than the Halloween season, when there are more than a few extra tricks and treats in store for the audience. It all goes down Saturday, 8-12 p.m. at the Sandpoint Eagles Club, 1511 John Hudon Ln. The cover

charge is $6, and the show starts at 9 p.m.

The show is restricted to age 21 and up, and drinks are available for purchase from the Eagles.

“This is our fifth year hosting shows in Sandpoint, and as you know, anything in Sandpoint that can last for that long is doing something,” said Corbin Thicke and Misty Boxx, performers and organizers of the QueenB. shows.

Given it is the fifth annual Halloween show, you won’t get the full experience unless you turn out in costume. It also opens

up the chance to win cash prizes for best costume. Of course, whether or not you come in costume, and no matter what your age, gender or sexuality may be, you can expect a welcoming environment.

“Drag shows provide a very inclusive environment whether you are a part of the (LGBTQ) community or not — all are welcome,” said Thicke and Boxx. “This no-holds-barred inclusive environment is palpable, and I think that environment is what keeps people coming back.”

The organizers of QueenB. shows

regularly donate time to organizations like Angels Over Sandpoint, the Area on Aging of North Idaho and PFLAG, so drag shows are a real community effort. Beyond that, however, it’s a chance for local LGBTQ community members to have fun and express themselves.

“Drag shows were born from the idea that Sandpoint needed a gathering place for the LGBTQ community of Sandpoint,” said Boxx and Thicke. “That, and we just wanted to have fun, spreading our message of love and acceptance.”

friday, oct. 13 @ 7pm

poac hosts the dustbowl revival and shakewell americana soul vibes and funky soul - a must see night of live music! saturday, oct. 14 @ 7pm

Radical reels

the best high adrenaline films from the banff mountain film festival

little r theate

saturday, oct. 14 @ 9am - 5pm

indie author day

Saturday, oct. 21 @ 8pm

comedy with friends

a unique blend of storytelling, sketch comedy, and stand up comedy

oct. 26 & 28 @ 7:30pm | Oct. 29 @ 3:30pm

‘war of the worlds’ radio stage play

relive those exciting moments of the live on-air 1938 broadcast of H.G. Wells' phenomenon War of the Worlds

tuesday oct. 31 - halloween! - @ 7pm

‘night of the living dead’ and ‘halloween’ in a double feature! thursday, nov. 2 @ 6:30pm

the kitchen dwellers and horseshoes and hand gernades a double headliner music show with a unique jam grass style

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www.eBonnerLibrary.org

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

Local Band Spotlight: Browne Salmon Truck The acclaimed Sandpoint trio talks about music, the blues and how they came up with that strange name

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

For the Sandpoint band Browne Salmon Truck, spontaneity is key.

For Drew Browne, Samantha Carston and Truck Mills – get the name now? - everything from how they met to how they named their band comes down to going with the flow.

“When I first moved back from Hawaii, I read in the paper that there was an open blues jam at Eichardt’s,” said Carston. “I walked down there and tugged on their shirts and asked if I could sing ‘Love Me Like a Man’ by Bonnie Raitt in the Key of E, one-four-five. I didn’t have a clue what one-four-five meant, I just heard my dad say it once.”

What started as a pickup jam session eventually evolved into something more. Carston, who used to work at Schweitzer, said she was occasionally asked to sing on the mountain for various events: “Whenever I got approached, I went to Truck because I knew him – he’s my go-to guy. Easy to get along with and super talented.”

Another frequent jammer on Monday Night Blues Jam was Drew Browne on bass. Originally from Folsom, Calif. (“The town, not the prison,” he clarified), Browne moved to Sandpoint about 10 years ago and met Mills through a mutual acquaintance.

“I was living in Bonners Ferry at the time working as a barber,” said Browne. “I came down and met Truck, he ended up hiring

me for a gig, then I met Sam at Monday Night. Truck’s really the catalyst. The Monday Night Blues thing is a huge network of players.”

“It’s a watering hole,” said Mills. “I’ve been doing it 23 years, and it goes through phases that are determined by who shows up. It’s always a mix, always loose.”

Gradually, the trio found themselves playing together more and more. When they booked a gig at Schweitzer and were told they had to think up a name for the poster, Browne blurted out their moniker, which incorporates a piece of each of their names.

Each member of the trio brings a different style to the final product.

Carston grew up in a musical family; her father has sung and played in bands all his life. She said her first love was for the blues, especially vibrant singers like Bonnie Raitt.

“Then, when I moved to Hawaii, I met a guy who did jazz,” she said. “It’s really cool to throw other types of music in there.”

“Samantha interacts with us as instrumentalists would,” said Mills. “Really great singers aren’t always hip to improv as much as we are, but Samantha, even though she’s not playing an instrument, nine times out of ten she’s directing traffic.”

“She knows when to come back to the one and follow the changes,” said Drew. “She understands music.”

Browne, who works at Quest,

brings 43 years of experience to the table. While he started with trumpet in marching and jazz bands, he eventually found himself drawn to the bass.

“I like to express myself musically,” said Browne, who often breaks into intricate, driving bass solos during live performances.

Truck Mills is a household name for live music in Sandpoint.

For the better part of 23 years, Mills has played just about every venue in town, and is acclaimed for his blues guitar prowess.

“I started playing in Sandpoint pretty much the day I arrived,” he said. “I went down to Charley Packard’s open mic night at Bugatti’s in 1993. I came here without a job and looked for any kind of work.”

While Mills is best known for his blues guitar, he originally began with a more folky style. It wasn’t until he was exposed to country blues that his head began “spinning around in circles.”

“If it was music from the ‘80s, I’d be lucky if I’d heard of them,” said Mills. “I spent the ‘80s listening to records from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. That was my strong blues foundation.”

For Mills, playing with Browne Salmon Truck is a nice break from playing front man in his other projects, which include a solo act and a blues trio.

“Fifteen years ago, when I met Carl Rey, he called me up and said, ‘Why don’t you come play with us?’” said Mills. “That was my first real side man job. It was a tight arrangement, but it was

Left: Drew Browne, Samantha Carston and Truck Mills are Browne Salmon Truck. Right: Browne Salmon Truck plays Beyond Hope Resort at Ivano’s Del Lago earlier this summer. Photos by Ben Olson. pretty loose, too. That was the part I really liked about it – being the side man. After gigging a few months, I realized my joy of this band is to be the side man.”

While the band mostly focuses on an eclectic mix of blues, jazz and old standards, they are delving into the world of songwriting in their characteristic spontaneous manner. Browne and Carston recently joined forces to write their first original as a band.

“I gave Samantha an idea and some contrast,” said Browne.

“She wrote some brilliant words with a really cool way to go from the bridge to the chorus. The music just came out one day while I was playing my upright (bass).

The riff came and I said, ‘Oh, this is a song.’”

Browne Salmon Truck will be debuting in Spokane during the Fall Folk Festival on Sunday, Nov. 12 and are slated to play the 219 Lounge on Thursday, Dec. 30, but keep an eye on the events calendar for gigs popping up before that.

Until then, Browne suggests everyone close their eyes: “Picture a truck,” he said. “A brown truck, with a giant salmon draped in the bed of the truck.

It’s a Browne Salmon Truck.

That’s us.”

READ

My first major in college was history, mainly because I’ve always been fascinated by it. I’ve also been intrigued by our inability to learn from it.

Hence this week’s recommended book: “The Lessons of History”

by Will and Ariel Durant.

This tome was extremely well done and helps shed light on some of the strongest ideas that have affected future generations. But, more than anything, this book helps show that while human behavior may change over time, human nature stays just the same.

LISTEN

In this, the age of crazy conspiracy theories taking over the world, it’s nice to hear a rational attempt to explain them and why they get so much attention from the hoopleheads.

One YouTube channel that goes by the title Potholer54 is run by a man named Peter Hadfield. In “Conspiracy Theories Conspiracy,” Hadfield explains, in his dry, British manner, the folly of believing everything you read in online blogs. My favorite bit was when a woman filmed a rainbow made by her sprinkler and had dozens of questions about what terrible substance the government is putting into the water to make it colorful like that. Classic.

WATCH

An old favorite film of mine is “Awakenings” by director Penny Marshall and featuring landmark performances by Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams.

Set in the late ‘60s, “Awakenings” tells the true story of a doctor in a chronic mental hospital who noticed an interesting effect a certain Parkinson’s drug had on catatonic patients, who came alive as if they’d never missed a beat.

It’s a story that’s heartwarming and sad at the same time. Read the book then watch the film.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater True star chefs

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist Sometimes I miss the old days, decked out in my chef coat, herringbone patterned pants and white toque. Last week was one of those times, when my invitation to attend Starchefs arrived in the mail. Starchefs, the International Chef Congress is an annual event, held in the fall, in Brooklyn, New York. It’s an opportunity for well-seasoned culinary professionals and food hobbyists to meet some of the world’s greatest chefs and industry icons who have gathered to share their knowledge that influences an entire industry.

This year at Starchefs, you’ll learn, among other things, about a new culinary amusement park in Barcelona, Spain. After closing El Bulli, often called the most famous restaurant in the world (they received more than a million reservation requests per year, with only 8,000 a year being confirmed), Spanish chef Ferran Adrià is developing new venue spaces so he can teach the science and special techniques of molecular gastronomy. Other masters will offer seminars dedicated to the specialties of their world class (and Michelin starred) restaurants. You’ll learn about the cultural appropriation of food, study culinary technology, or have an opportunity to learn about 2,653 miles of Chilean food and wine. If these all sound a little too esoteric, you can settle in and watch the “Wing Battle,” where notable chefs from around the country will vie for the distinguished title of Wing Leader.

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demonstrations, where I was introduced to foods and cooking methods completely foreign to my palate (and often my skill level). Most of the chefs are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America or other notable cooking schools. For all the formal training, I found great solace when I learned that many of these renowned chefs, including famous Spanish chefs Jose Andres (who’s also a humanitarian, currently feeding thousands of people in Puerto Rico) and Aitor Lozano, credit their own grandmothers for their culinary aspirations.

Andres says he’d also love to cook with other grandmothers, from all around the world, to learn not only about the foods but the culinary traditions that include community and kitchen

history. Aitor says there is no ingredient that can match the love added to foods that our grandmothers prepare and share at the family table.

Two of my favorite chefs, whose work and life stories continue to inspire me, are James Beard and Jacques Pepin.

Both icons learned to prepare food within arm’s reach of their mothers, who both owned family restaurants. Beard’s mother, who was passionate about food, ran a boarding house in Portland, Oregon. Her son, often credited with the birth of American cookery, spent years steering the post-war housewife away from the Jello aisle, and he gave his mother credit for his own love of cooking. Pepin worked alongside his mother in her restaurant, Le Pélican, in his native France

before coming to America in 1959 to work at Le Pavillon, a noted French restaurant in New York City. Soon thereafter he met Julia Child who became a lifelong friend and collaborator.

Pepin, now in his 80s and still a prolific chef and cookbook author, is passing his lessons on to his only grandchild, Shorey. You can enjoy these recipes too, with their new cookbook, “A Grandfather’s Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey.”

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time walking the long halls at fancy food and wine events, attending culinary conferences and dining in restaurants where it took months to score a reservation. I must admit, there were times in the company of celebrity chefs that I was more than a little bit star struck. Don’t get me

wrong, I still love these culinary adventures, but gosh, it warms my heart to know that so many of these award-winning chefs, with their own lines of cookware and restaurant chains, give credit not to universities where they studied, or restaurants where they spent years as apprentices, but to their own mothers and grandmothers.

We may not be raising future celebrity chefs, but the time we spend in our kitchens, sharing recipes and family stories with future generations, is such an important legacy for us to pass on to our progeny.

While this recipe for savory autumn muffins has never garnered any awards, it’s still a winner in my repertoire and a favorite to share at my family table. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

Cheddar, Herb & Leek Muffins These muffins are perfect to pair up with a kettle of soup or a winter salad. Try adding different herbs, cheeses or cooked, crumbled bacon to suit your taste. You can bake them in a mini-muffin pan (reduce cooking time) for a great little appetizer.

INGREDIENTS: •1 ½ cup unbleached self-rising flour •½ cup whole wheat flour •2 tsp salt •2 tsp baking powder •2 large eggs, lightly beaten •1¼ cups buttermilk •½ cup butter, melted •2 tbs butter melted (to grease pan, and brush on top of muffins just before baking) •2 tablespoons honey •½ cup thinly sliced young leeks, white and light green parts only, divided •1 tbs minced parsley •1 tbs finely chopped rosemary •1 tbs fresh thyme leaves •1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Brush a muffin tin with melted butter or line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking liners, Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and honey.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and incorporate the wet ingredients.

Stir until just blended. Stir in the cheese, leeks and herbs. Don’t overmix!

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, filling each about three quarters full. Top each muffin with a dab of the melted butter and few of the remaining leek rings and thyme leaves.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until tops just begin to brown. Serve warm with more butter.

Makes 12 muffins

OUTDOORS

FOOD & DRINK

New bar with a ‘Cheers’ feel The Back Door beneath Baxter’s Restaurant offers a swanky atmosphere below street level

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer The Sandpoint bar scene offers a handful of options. From rowdy to more subdued, most can find a watering hole that fits their nightlife desires.

But something Sandpoint didn’t have until now is a bar similar in feel to the one from beloved sitcom “Cheers.”

Downstairs from street level, the Back Door was recently opened by Baxter’s owner Rich Curtis.

“We’re trying to get a nice, cozy feel down here,” Curtis said. “It’s got kind of a ‘Cheers’ feel.”

Candles decorate the tabletops and the shiny bar has rows of wine glasses hanging above it. Between the downstairs location and the rotating wine list, the Back Door could be an easy place to spend a lot of time in.

“We’re not big, wide and open,” Curtis said. “We have that intimate feel.”

Curtis added that having the extra space downstairs at the Back Door will help with Baxter’s overflow during the busy months. Baxter’s currently only sits about 50 guests.

“We’ll have a good vibe down here.

There will definitely be more of a bar feel, as compared to Baxter’s,” Curtis said.

As far as filling a void in the Sandpoint bar scene, Curtis said the Back Door is focused on providing a uniquely cozy environment unlike any other nightlife location in town. In addition to

Bar manager Brandon Emch pours a glass of wine in the Back Door. Photo

by Lyndsie Kiebert. beer and wine, they will also serve food until as late as 11 p.m.

“In this town, there’s not many options after 9 p.m.” Curtis said. “We want to be the place people go after shows at the Panida, for example.”

The Back Door will also focus on providing live music, private parties and some “really good” happy hours, Curtis said.

“It’s ambience, it’s music, it’s the full package,” said bar manager Brandon Emch, who managed a wine bar for 10 years before taking on the Back Door. “I think we have the tools here to be really successful.”

The Back Door is open Monday-Wednesday 3-11 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday 3-12. It is located right next to Baxter’s on the corner of Cedar and Second Avenue, down the stairs.

Curtis said there is a grand opening event, complete with live music, tentatively planned for the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.

“There are so many personalities in this town, so you can’t cater to everybody,” Curtis said. “You have to find your niche.”

Check out the Back Door at 109 Cedar St. in Sandpoint on the corner of Cedar St. and Second Ave. Follow the sign and walk down the stairs... “Where everybody knows your name.”

< RUN con’t from page 15 > 24-hour mark for finishing, so they picked up the pace.

“The last three miles, we were running at the speed we’d run if a lion were chasing us,” said Gwen.

“That last hour was the most demanding thing I’ve ever done,” said Katie. “It was so relieving to reach the finish line.”

The pair finished 100 miles in just under 24 hours – 23 hours, 56 minutes to be exact.

Katie ended up placing second of all the women who raced, a feat her and Gwen were especially proud of.

While the first finishers were young, the front of the field was filled with runners in their 40s and 50s.

“That’s the really cool thing about ultrarunning,” said Katie. “You don’t reach your peak until your 40s.”

The race took a toll on Katie’s body, however. After the race, she sat in the warming tent and realized she couldn’t get up. When she stood to accept her award, she found it was difficult to walk. The next day, she woke and saw her knee was the size of a grapefruit.

“It took five days for the swelling to go down,” she said. “I wasn’t trained to run that far – if you do the right training, that doesn’t happen.”

Now that the 100-miler is in the bag, the couple have set their sights on a new goal: running the entire Pacific NW Trail from Glacier National Park to Seattle. The

1,200 mile trail hugs the border of Canada, passing just north of Bonners Ferry.

“We want to be the first people to run it,” said Katie. “Through hikers do it in 5060 days, but we’ll try for 30 miles a day and finish in under 40 days. That’s a big thing in the ultrarunning world: fastest known times.”

While Katie and Gwen’s goals help balance their lives, they both say an additional goal is to inspire others, too.

“Doing these unknown things is a microcosm of life,” said Katie. “We want to see what we’re capable of and push our own limits, but our aim is to inspire other people.”

“That’s how you really learn about yourself,” added Gwen.

The couple have begun documenting their experiences in film, hoping to gain the attention of a professional documentary filmmaker. They are also passionate about eating a plant-based diet, offering tips for a healthy lifestyle on their website.

“Our passion isn’t about running, but being outside, pushing ourselves,” said Gwen.

“When you’re in comfortable situations, it’s easy to pretend you are someone else, but when everything becomes uncomfortable, you are the real you.”

To follow Katie and Gwen Adams, check out their website at www.plantpositiverunning.com. They also have videos on their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ plantpositiverunning.

The vision of panelized, realized.

www.mehomes.net (208)264-6700

Dan McMahon, Gen. Contractor dan@mebldg.com October 12, 2017 /

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LITERATURE

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff In the world of independent publishing, there’s no limit to creativity. It’s a fact worth celebrating when East Bonner County Library District teams up with the Idaho Writers League and regional authors for Indie Author Day. Set for Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Panida Little Theater from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. there is no better event in the year for supporting independent authors and learning about their work. The day will feature readings and discussions with regional independent authors, as well as presentations offering tips on breaking into the art.

“I’m excited that local writers, publishers, editors and librarians will be collaborating and sharing experiences and advice on writing, editing and the successful marketing of books,” said event participant and Lost Horse Press Publisher Christine Holbert.

According to Marcy Timblin, library public relations director, organizers have put together a great lineup of authors for Independent Author Day. Exhibitors include Holbert; Tim Martin, author of “On Death and Flying;” Dawn Brinker, author of “Edgar and Me;” Tom Reppert, author of “The Far Journey” and “The Captured Girl;” Ken Fischman, author of “Sleeping with Wolves” and representing for “The Great Potato Murder” by Mary Haley; Jerry Ferrara, author of “Wild North Idaho;” Bill Percy, author of “Nobody’s Safe Here;” Deborah Elster, author of “Only From Heaven;” and Jennifer Lamont Leo, author of “You’re the Cream in My Coffee.”

Indie Author Day kicks off with a talk by the keynote speaker: Kitty Fleischman, publisher and editor of IDAHO Magazine.

Fleischman will break down the ins and

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outs of writing for magazines before a brief break, after which, several independent authors will read excerpts from their books. Next comes the Indie Author Day video stream, which covers educational topics like marketing your books, writing fantasy novels, using pressbooks, budgeting the costs of self-publishing and producing a professional book.

The day continues after a lunch break with a panel of writers moderated by Kathleen Clayton, president of the Idaho Writers League in Sandpoint. Panelists, including Holbert, Martin, Fleischman, Communiqueink editor Bonnie McDade and Keokee Publishing president and founder Chris Bessler, will break down the challenges and opportunities in the world of independent publishing.

Another round of author readings follows later in the afternoon. Finally, Clayton will emcee more writing presentations, this time offering tips on writing memoirs or family histories and getting wired for storytelling.

All in all, Holbert believes it’s shaping up to be a valuable day for writers regardless of whether they’re seeking a publisher or going the self-published route.

“You may or may not know this truth — agents, magazines, journals, editors, publishers are all looking for a reason to say NO. Myself included,” said Holbert.

“I want to find brilliant writing, don’t get me wrong. The terrible poems/stories/ novels are an easy NO, and the exceptional ones are an easy YES, but quite often, you read a lot of ‘good’ writing, just waiting for it to head in one of two directions — screw up, and turn south, so it can be rejected right away, or, ‘keep going, tension increasing, lyrical voice, out of breath, spent, what a poem/story/ novel!’”

Crossword Solution

As the snow started to fall, he tugged his coat tighter around himself. Too tight, as it turned out.

“This is the fourth coat crushing this year,” said the police sergeant as he outlined the body with a special pencil that writes on snow.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. British title 5. Small freshwater fishes 10. Probabilities 14. On the road 15. Muse of love poetry 16. Head covering 17. Artificial moons 19. Behold, in old Rome 20. Best seller 21. Optical maser 22. Made a mistake 23. Go over again Auto Heavy Duty Towing Rollbed • 4x4 25. Poverty-stricken Semis • RVs Wheel Lift Equipment 27. An uncle 28. Rode horseback 31. Breathing problem 34. Arroyo (208) 263-0323 35. Pair 36. Foliage 37. Girlfriends of gangsters 38. Red vegetable 39. Dawn goddess 40. Foliate 41. Close-knit group 42. Confides Mike Gemmrig - providing fast, professional service 44. Carpet 45. Smidgens 46. Blimp /SOH-ber-sahydz/ 50. Polka or samba [noun] 52. Notches 1. Slang. a humorless or habitually serious person. e h 54. American Dental of t Association “Ease up, sobersides! The sun will come out tomorrow.”

55. Stink Corrections: We listed a movie in Newport the wrong date last week. Sorry 56. Instigator about the mix-up. “An Inconvenient Sequel” will play Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. 58. Backside and Oct. 14 at 2:30 p.m. at Newport’s Roxy Theater. -BO 59. Unwarranted

sobersides

Word Week

Solution on page 21 60. Not nays 61. The bulk 62. S S S S 63. Anagram of “Sees”

DOWN 1. Fish broth 2. Expect 3. Not glossy 4. Center of a storm 5. Accuse (archaic) 6. Mount 7. Provisions 8. Forever 9. Mayday 10. Exaggerate

40. Pear-shaped instrument 41. Expletive 43. Missile 44. Shoulder firearms 46. Bicker 47. God of the underworld 48. Anagram of “Aside” 49. Analyze syntactically 50. Apothecary’s weight 51. Relating to aircraft 53. Terminates 56. Regret 57. Yes to a sailor October 12, 2017 / R /

11. Decoded 12. Cut into cubes 13. Toboggan 18. Andean animal 22. Evasive 24. Coral barrier 26. L L L L 28. Chasms 29. Pitcher 30. Shower with love 31. Away from the wind 32. Hireling 33. Spitefulness 34. Hides of a goat 37. Plateau 38. Nabs

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