21issue_Sept30-24Pages-FULL-v2

2 / R / September 30, 2021

PEOPLE compiled by

Susan Drinkard

watching

“What is your prognostication for the winter? Will we have a lot of snow or will it be like the last few winters?”

“The Old Farmers’ Almanac says it will be a cold and dry winter followed by a rainy and wet summer. We are in a change cycle. The West is getting hotter and the East is getting colder and wetter. We need to be more aware of what we as humans are putting into the air, the water—into the Earth.”

Caren Reiner Musician/piano teacher Grouse Creek

“I think it will be a hard winter. We’re behind in precipitation, but I believe the drought is over. I hope we get a lot of snow. I love using the plow on my quad to push the snow away.”

Ron Williams Retired Sagle

“It would make things complicated at work — trucks get delayed because of snow and ice — but I would personally like to see lots of snow for Altai skiing.”

Cara Holmquist Freight specialist Sandpoint

“I’m hoping for snow because I am a big skier. I live on top of Schweitzer, so I ski a lot.”

Crosby Schmidt 10th grade at SHS Sandpoint

“I’ve heard people are expecting a lot of snow this year. I want there to be a lot of snow because I like to play with my dog in the snow. And I like to go sledding in my backyard.”

Jessica Sierant Stocker Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

Old friends are worth their weight in gold. One of my oldest friends, Reader Editor Zach Hagadone, celebrated a birthday on Sept. 27 and, for the first time in many years, we didn’t spend it knocking back whiskeys together and ruminating on the old days. Instead, we were both so wiped out from a hard workday that we just hung out at home, listened to the rain fall and probably fell asleep well before the time we would have been hitting the town about 10 years ago.

Such is life. You get older and older, and then, one day, you discover you’re “old.”

Zach’s been “old” his whole life, though. I still remember meeting this odd character in seventh grade who spoke like a history professor and dressed like, well, a history professor. We’ve been good friends ever since. Zach brought me into this little venture called the Sandpoint Reader, which he started with his friends back in 2004. He helped make me a better writer and, as a result, a better person. We’ve had adventures and misadventures in equal number, but I’ll always be happy to call him a friend.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover), Otto Kitsinger, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Kelcie Mosely-Morris, Emily Erickson, Brenden Bobby, Shelby Rognstad, Jim Mitsui, Jody Pignolet, L.S. Jones, Jeanette Schandelmeier, Patrick Shea Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

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

About the Cover

This week’s cover photo was taken on a recent backpacking trip on the Selkirk Crest by Ben Olson. There’s still time to get into the mountains!

September 30, 2021 / R / 3

NEWS

Rosedale: ‘Our elections are secure’

In face of fraud allegations, Bonner County will take part in state audit of 2020 election results on Oct. 2

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale is speaking out about allegations of fraud against Idaho and its counties in the 2020 presidential election, publicly denouncing claims to that effect

by My Pillow CEO and now-famous conservative activist Mike Lindell and announcing Bonner County’s upcoming participation in a state-run audit of the election results.

In a Sept. 21 media release titled “Election Integrity in Bonner County,” Rosedale wrote that he “generally” agrees with Lindell’s belief that “there was massive election night fraud in at least six states” during the 2020 presidential election. To date, claims of widespread election fraud remain unsubstantiated, with a highly-anticipated, Republican-run audit of Arizona’s Maricopa County reaffirming Biden’s win on Sept. 24.

Despite his broader concerns about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, Rosedale isn’t mincing words about Lindell’s claims of election fraud in Idaho and, more specifically, Bonner County.

“This is disgusting,” Rosedale said, referring to suggestions of impropriety in Idaho elections. “Reputations take a long time to be built and can be destroyed in a moment by the likes of what we see here.”

Rosedale recently obtained a document from a “wonderfully vigilant individual who had attended a Mike Lindell training,” he said. That document offered supposed evidence of how, exactly, elections systems were tampered with to swing the election in Biden’s favor, 4 / R / September 30, 2021

with Bonner County seeing a supposed 2,244-vote swing toward Biden. According to official Bonner County election results, Trump won with 18,369 votes to Biden’s 8,310.

Rosedale shared in his media release that Lindell’s claims have no basis in fact. While Lindell offers IP addresses through which Idaho election equipment was hacked, Rosedale said the state’s systems are actually not connected to the internet in any way.

“There is no connection to the outside world at all with our scanners or tabulators. No Wi-Fi. No Bluetooth. No cable.

Nothing,” Rosedale stated. “In fact, to print any results I have to use a special key fob and a proprietary thumb drive to transfer the information from our scanners to our counter.”

What’s more, while Lindell shared IP addresses for all Idaho counties as proof of hacking, Rosedale said seven Gem State counties don’t use any kind of computerized equipment for voting — only paper tally books.

Dates on Lindell’s material showing when, exactly, vote tampering occurred also don’t check out, according to Rosedale, since Idaho elections officials had their data uploaded to the secretary of state well before listed dates like Nov. 5 or Nov. 6.

“What this means is that somebody just assigned a magic vote fraud number to all Idaho counties,” Rosedale wrote.

That “magic vote fraud number” appears to be a formula uncovered by Chief Deputy of the Secretary of State Chad Houck, which Rosedale said also worked when applied to fraud allegations in other counties in Alabama, New York and

Utah, demonstrating a pattern in Lindell’s claims.

“Lastly, what is really infuriating is that nobody from the Lindell group ever called Bonner County Elections to even find out what type of equipment we use, that we weren’t connected to the internet, our processes, how we communicated with the SOS. Nothing,” Rosedale shared. “No verification or validation of claims.

So for the sake of apparently trying to make a big splash, he tarnished the reputations of possibly thousands of counties across the USA. Smooth move, Mr. Lindell.”

Lindell did not respond to a request for comment before press time.

Rosedale is using the claims as an opportunity to assure his constituents that local elections are in good hands.

“My goal here is to let Bonner County citizens know that our elections are secure,” Rosedale told the Reader in an interview following the media release, adding later: “We

pain ourselves to get it exactly right.”

In an effort to live up to their word, Bonner County elections staff members will take part in an audit by the Idaho secretary of state’s office on Saturday, Oct. 2 at the Bonner County Administration Building. State elections officials will randomly select several precincts, then hand count paper ballots in an effort to compare results with Bonner County’s official canvas of the November 2020 election.

Rosedale said that five of his staff, five SOS staff, five Republicans and five Democrats will take part in the counting. While seating is limited and members of the public can’t get too close to the ballots as they’re being counted, the audit is meant to be a public display of Bonner County’s election integrity.

“This isn’t a red vs. blue issue. This is a stand for the truth,” Rosedale wrote in his media release regarding Lindell’s claims of fraud in

Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale, left, issued a letter after allegations of fraud from the so-called “My Pillow Guy,” Mike Lindell, right.

Courtesy photos.

Idaho. “In this office I make sure that each and every red and each and every blue vote counts. Period. All of you who have been so gracious to help elections from both sides of the aisle know this is true and know how hard my elections staff work to make sure of this.

Love it or hate it, what Bonner County elections results show are what happened for real.”

Those with questions can reach the Bonner County Elections Office at 208-265-1437 or email Rosedale at michael. rosedale@bonnercountyid.gov.

A link to a live stream of the Oct. 2 auditing will be posted to the Bonner County Elections home page at cloudgis.bonnercountyid.gov/portal/apps/ sites/#/electionshub.

NEWS

P&Z reschedules hearing on 25-acre rezone Change from industrial to multi-family residential could open the way for workforce housing

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Citing lack of a quorum, the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission pushed back its Sept.

28 public hearing on the proposed rezone and Comprehensive Plan change for about 25 acres of industrial land west of the airport, rescheduling for its Tuesday, Oct. 5 meeting.

The parcel, bounded on the west by Great Northern Road and in the north by Woodland Drive, is currently owned by Litehouse Inc. but has sat fallow, but for haying.

The company is seeking a rezone to multi-family residential — an effort to increase housing inventory in order to help bring down sky-high prices.

According to Jeremy Grimm, of Whiskey Rock Planning, which is representing Litehouse in its application, the property is under contract for purchase by another party, which envisions a number of housing units that could be detached duplexes, apartments or

some combination of the two.

“We need workforce housing inventory and that property as industrial is not being utilized for its highest and best use,” Grimm told the Reader.

Citing research from the Manhattan Institute, a free-market policy think tank based in New York, Grimm added that, “one of the reasons our housing costs are so high is because we have all of this industrial land locked up around our cities … and if you look at the kinds of jobs we have today they aren’t as focused on heavy industrial.”

As the institute stated in a January 2021 issue brief, this is because of land-use and zoning codes, “which often prohibit nonindustrial uses of large, centrally located areas that would otherwise be in high demand for residential and commercial redevelopment.

“These policies are supposedly a bulwark against gentrification and the depredations of housing developers, as well as a means of preserving high-paying industrial

jobs,” the report noted. “But these benefits are often illusory, and they are far outweighed by severe but harder-to-see consequences: tax revenue shortfalls, massive harms to urban economies and housing unaffordability.”

Describing the envisioned housing project as “definitely infill development,” Grimm also cited letters of support for the rezone and Comp Plan change from large area employers that centered on “the crushing demand for housing and inability to find housing for their workers and the impact on their businesses.”

“I’m a free-market kind of person and tend to believe that if you let the market respond to demand they’ll provide what’s needed,” he said. “In this situation, housing is needed and if you can supply housing it’ll bring down the costs.”

The P&Z Commission will open its public hearing on the application at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 5 at Sandpoint City Hall (1123 Lake St.).

To participate remotely, go to sandpointidaho.gov and click on the “Meetings” icon on the left side of the homepage. Meanwhile, find more information at

Map courtesy city of Sandpoint. sandpointidaho.gov/PZC21-0001.

Written comments may be sent to cityclerk@sandpointidaho.gov.

City to host workshops on projects to be funded by proposed 1% tax

By Reader Staff The city of Sandpoint will be holding a series of public workshops to meet and discuss the parks site concepts and proposed sidewalk projects to be constructed with a proposed seven-year 1% local option sales tax to be considered by Sandpoint voters on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The site plan concepts for City Beach, the Downtown Waterfront and Travers/Centennial/Great Northern Sports Complex were developed as part of the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which was adopted in 2020. The sidewalk projects are identified as critical connections to schools, parks, the library and senior center in the City’s Pedestrian Priority Network in the adopted 2021 Multimodal Transportation Plan.

Public workshops will be held: • Friday, Oct. 1 — Meet up with city staff at the City Beach Snack Shack at noon.

• Wednesday, Oct. 6 — City staff will be participating in the LPOSD Walk to School Day beginning at 7:25 a.m.

After the school bell rings they will discuss sidewalk projects that will provide important school connectivity.

The Washington Elementary Walking Group will be meeting at the Bonner County Administration Building and the Farmin-Stidwell Elementary Walking Group will meet at the East Bonner County Library Sandpoint branch.

• Thursday, Oct. 7 — City staff will gather at 8 a.m. at Farmin’s Landing/Gunning’s Alley to talk about the proposed Sand Creek Downtown Waterfront stormwater and redevelopment project.

• Friday, Oct. 8 — Meet with city staff at the Travers Skate Park in the Travers/Centennial/Great Northern Sports complex.

Members of the public are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear their walking shoes. More workshops will be announced every week during the month of October to inform the final design and phasing of projects.

It is estimated that the 1% sales tax will generate $12.9 million in revenue to support Sandpoint parks projects, purchase property for public open space, parks and recreation and fund sidewalk connectivity and improvements in the City’s

Image courtesy city of Sandpoint.

Pedestrian Priority Network. Of every dollar raised, 85 cents comes from a non-city resident.

For more information, visit the city’s website sandpointidaho.gov.

September 30, 2021 / R / 5

NEWS

Scattered Lands project moves forward

Sandpoint Ranger District issues final decision on plan to treat 7,000 acres of BoCo forest lands

Map Courtesy USDA Forest Service.

By Reader Staff

Idaho Panhandle National Forests announced Sept. 24 that the Sandpoint Ranger District issued a final decision to move forward with the Scattered Lands Project — an effort to reduce fire danger on about 7,000 acres of Forest Service lands in Bonner County west of Lake Pend Oreille.

IPNF officials called the project a “collaborative effort to reduce wildfire danger on thousands of acres of public and private forest lands across North Idaho,” which will be undertaken in coordination with fuels reduction work on neighboring State Endowment Lands and privately-owned forests.

“The Scattered Lands Project is a great example of what can be accomplished when we truly embrace a shared-stewardship model and work side-by-side with our partners and stakeholders,” said District Ranger Jessie Berner. “I’m excited to be part of a project that will have such a significant impact on the landscape, making it more fire-resilient to protect our communities.”

The Scattered Lands Project is a collaborative effort between the U.S. 6 / R / September 30, 2021

Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bonner County and private citizens, including the Panhandle Forest Collaborative Group. IPNF officials shared in a media release that, “the project takes an ‘all lands, all hands’ approach to reducing fire danger, following a vision laid out in the 2018 Shared Stewardship agreement that Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”

According to IPNF, the project will focus on hazardous fuels mitigation, including individual treatments like slash piling, mastication and prescribed burning, in addition to commercial tree removal and the replanting of native tree species that are more suited to the site and are less prone to damage from insects, disease and root rot.

“Cumulatively, these efforts will lead to a more fire-resilient landscape with wildfire-prepared communities,” IPNF stated.

For more information about the Scattered Lands project, find the project documents online at fs.usda.gov/ project/?project=58631 or contact the Sandpoint Ranger District at 208-2635111.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

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

A recent sampling: Masks ripped off: The far-right internet company Epik, which allows anonymous messages from those associated with hate groups, suffered a huge hack last week, The Washington Post reported. Those who research extremists regard the new info as the “Panama Papers” of hate groups. Epik founder Robert Monster (not a typo) said “it’s not going to work” for people who use the hacked info for “negative intent.”

U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce, a former Marine, told MSNBC, “The people who really made out [from the Afghan war] were the elites on both sides,” by which he meant defense contractors and politicians.

While campaigning, he said taxpayers paid $6.4 trillion for “sending soldiers like me to a doomed mission to build up someone else’s country. Then they say we can’t ‘afford’ to nation-build right here at home.”

According to the Economic Policy Institute, while recovery from the pandemic’s economic shock is moving faster than what occurred after the Great Recession, overall employment is still 5.3 million jobs below February 2020 levels. To keep recovery momentum going, the EPI recommends passing the Build Back Better Act, specifically supporting jobs for child and elder care, manufacturing, construction and climate-related industries, which would foster an estimated 4 million jobs annually. Seventeen Nobel laureates have signed a letter of support for the BBB Act. Of those, economist and policy analyst Joseph Stiglitz said the act would transform the U.S. economy, making it more “sustainable and prosperous for the long run.”

The Cyber Ninjas have released their report about 2020 voting in Maricopa County, Ariz. Compared to the original certified tally, it showed 99 more votes for Joe Biden and 261 fewer votes for Donald Trump. Forbes said the recount effort cost $6 million. Despite the report’s findings, at his next rally Trump claimed the Ninja’s work showed Biden had lost, Newsweek reported.

From the raising the roof file: The debt ceiling pays for federal spending that’s already happened, and does not authorize any new spending. That ceiling has recently been under consideration in Congress.

Failure to raise the ceiling, said former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, will cause a government shutdown during which the government can’t pay its bills. Reich said that most modern democracies don’t have

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

debt ceilings.

“Failure to raise it by the time the Treasury runs out of money,” Reich stated, “would mean a cataclysmic default by the United States, which has never happened before.”

How bad? From a variety of media sources: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said failure to raise the debt ceiling could cause a spike in interest rates, a major drop in stock prices and trigger a recession. Moody’s Analytics warns of up to 6 million jobs lost, unemployment reaching nearly 9% and a loss of $15 trillion in household wealth. Moody’s economists also said an inability to increase or suspend the debt ceiling would result in chaos for global financial markets that “will be difficult to bear,” especially since there is a “long way to go to recover” from the COVID recession. Every House Republican voted against a funding bill that would prevent a shutdown and default on U.S. debt. Politico reported that Democrats are working on a debt ceiling run-around to stop Republicans from crashing the economy.

Blast from the past: Congress has raised the debt ceiling more than 100 times, including 18 times under Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump (Republicans added close to $6.5 billion to the debt due to tax cuts and pandemic spending). To raise the current debt ceiling, 10 Republicans need to join Democrats to avoid a Republican-led filibuster. The 14th Amendment, fourth section, created in the 19th century, states, “The validity of the public debt … including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.” The amendment was created post-Civil War when Southern interests attempted to undermine the Union.

And another blast from the (recent) past: Before election results certified Joe Biden as president, John Eastman, a member of the Federalist Society, came up with a six-step plan for overturning the election and keeping Donald Trump in power. As outlined recently in The Washington Post, the plan hinged on Vice President Mike Pence breaking with procedure outlined in the Electoral Count Act. Two issues thwarted the plan: Pence did not agree to go along and, despite a claim that there were “alternate electors,” they did not exist.

The Eastman Memo is anticipated to help those investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection to determine Trump’s level of participation and motives.

NEWS

Former Idaho representative arrested on fugitive charge in Georgia

A warrant was issued for his arrest earlier in the month on a rape charge in Ada County

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris Idaho Capital Sun

Former Idaho Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger was arrested Friday in Clayton County, Ga., on a fugitive from justice charge, according to Clayton County court records.

Ada County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Patrick Orr told the Idaho Capital Sun via email that von Ehlinger was arrested and in custody at the Clayton County Jail, which is located about 20 miles south of Atlanta. Von Ehlinger was denied bail by a judge Sept. 27, according to Clayton County records.

As of Sept. 27, Orr said he did not know of immediate plans to extradite von Ehlinger back to Idaho or when that might take place.

The Lewiston Tribune first reported a warrant for von Ehlinger’s arrest was issued by the Ada County District Court on Sept. 10, following an investigation by the Boise Police Department.

Von Ehlinger, who represented Lewiston in the Idaho Legislature, resigned his seat at the end of April following an ethics hearing in the Idaho House of Representatives over his conduct as a legislator. A 19-year-old intern on the legislative staff said von Ehlinger raped her by forcing her to perform oral sex. Two other female legislative staffers said von Ehlinger made them uncomfortable with

unwanted advances.

Von Ehlinger has denied the accusation of rape, saying the sexual activity was consensual.

Editor’s note: The Idaho Capital Sun published a lengthy follow-up to this story on Sept. 29, reporting in part that, “The attorney for former Idaho House Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, Jon Cox, says his client was not trying to evade law enforcement when he was arrested in Georgia last week. Von Ehlinger was on a pre-planned vacation with family in Central America when the warrant was issued, and had been there since May, according to Cox. “‘He was out of the country far in

BoCo Commissioners meeting Thursday

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

The Board of Bonner County commissioners did not hold its regular Tuesday business meeting Sept. 28, as the commissioners were out of town at a conference.

Instead, Deputy Clerk Jessi Webster stated in a media release that the board will hold a special meeting Thursday, Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building, located at 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint.

Items on the agenda include discus-

sion and a decision on a Justice Services operating agreement, broadband contracts, an update to the county’s COVID paid leave policy, a possible water tank purchase for Road and Bridge and an amended Emergency Management grant award.

The board also has executive sessions scheduled with Human Resources and Technology following the public meeting.

Bonner County commissioners’ meetings are open to the public, as well as livestreamed on the Bonner County YouTube channel.

In this file photo, former Idaho Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, attends the legislative session at the Idaho Capitol on April 6, 2021 (by Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun). advance of the warrant being issued,’ Cox said.”

Find the full report at idahocapitalsun.com.

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

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

September 30, 2021 / R / 7

That old-time religion…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • “To the kind man who helped guide me, to turn my car around on Colburn-Culver Road, on Sept. 21, after a garbage truck hit a power pole and the live lines were all over the road. Thank you, I am very grateful.”

— By Gail Harmelin

Barbs: • I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Apparently Mike Lindell, the “My Pillow” guy, in his repeated incoherent ramblings, claimed there was election fraud in Bonner County without offering any verifiable evidence and now the Idaho secretary of state has decided to conduct an audit of Idaho’s votes — at the taxpayers’ expense.

Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale pushed back against these claims in a letter (see Page 4), but went further by stating that he did believe massive voter fraud occurred in 2020 — just not in Bonner County.

Great that you’re pushing back, Mike, but pretty lame that you still feel the need to throw red meat claims to support the idea of voter fraud.

What a steaming pile of excrement. What are we doing here, Idaho? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence to back them up. To date no evidence has pointed to massive voter fraud. In fact, the recent audit in Arizona, conducted by a MAGA-friendly organization called Cyber Ninjas, just concluded their “audit,” finding Biden actually had 99 more votes than previously counted.

Why are we wasting our taxpayers’ dollars on this garbage? What happened to the GOP, the so-called party of fiscal responsibility? We won’t adequately fund our children’s education in this state, but we’ll throw away money chasing down Harvey the Rabbit because a crackhead pillow salesman said so? If I told you an alien colony was inside Baldy Mountain, would you use taxpayer dollars to drill in and prove me wrong?

It’s time for a come to Jesus moment, Republicans. Is this the party you want? Is this the world you want?

Where anytime a candidate loses an election we go through this political theater for months and refuse to accept the results? We know our elections are secure. We’re chasing after ghosts here, and we’re wasting a lot of money doing it. Most important, we’re losing our precious hold on democracy in the process.

8 / R / September 30, 2021

Dear editor, Ben Olson’s article “Tyranny of the minority” (Sept. 9) hit the nail on the head.

Republicans love to claim that the GOP is God’s party. Considering the GOPs track record, that god has to be the one of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and not the forgiving and loving god of the New Testament.

Simply put, the god of the Old Testament is a misogynistic, bloodthirsty psychopath. Yes indeed, the GOP is the party of the Old Testament God. Bill Collier Sandpoint

A message to BoCo commissioners…

Dear editor, A statement to the Bonner County commissioners about the proposed anti-mask mandate: COVID infections are as high as they have ever been, the hospital is operating under “crisis standards of care” (effectively rationing medical care), Kootenai Health requires military augmentees to try and keep up and you are debating a resolution to formally oppose one or both of the two health measures most effective in combating the virus. And, “97% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 at Kootenai Health are unvaccinated … the overwhelming majority of people who are dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated.” And Idaho, North Idaho especially, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

As you debate an “anti-mask” resolution, I cannot imagine how health care workers, who have for a year and a half been busting their butts, watching people die, and risking their and their families’ lives with exposure to the virus feel about this.

It must be galling to know that their community does not value their sacrifice enough to take simple measures that could defeat the virus, just to make a political statement. And that is without mentioning the people who could be denied health care and possibly die because the hospital is overflowing with COVID patients.

Mask-wearing and vaccination have been proven highly effective against the coronavirus. People who refuse to wear a mask to protect the health of others are selfishly demonstrating their reckless disregard for other human lives. The fact that

you are even debating a resolution to prevent any mask mandate in Bonner County demonstrates a severe disconnect from reality. An anti-mask mandate is a formal declaration that we citizens of Bonner County do not care about other people’s lives and that our personal liberty is more precious than our neighbors’ right to life.

Donald Laumann Sandpoint

‘We the People’? More like ‘Shame on Us’…

Dear editor, Like a freight train. That’s what it felt like at 2 a.m. this morning.

Pounding headache, body ache, chills, no taste and wiped out.

Oh, I got Moderna vaccines in March and April. Even got the flu vaccine last week. The real question is did you? Did you care about the wellbeing of the people around you and your community, including innocent children, to get vaccinated or did you opt to leave the door open for the Delta variant to take root in Idaho.

The greatest act of kindness is to place the wellbeing of others above yourself. For those who choose not to, to quote Klaatu, “I’m impatient with stupidity.” I’m ashamed of you. Will I battle so I don’t take up a hospital bed that you or your loved one needs? Hell yes. Get on board. “We the People,” not political rhetoric, shall decide our fate; yours and mine. “We the People.” Shame on Us. Victor Kollock Sandpoint

Support Suppiger…

Dear editor, I am writing to encourage voters to re-elect Gary Suppiger to the Lake Pend Oreille School Board for District 2. Gary is a longtime Bonner County resident and business owner who cares deeply about every student’s success. He supports allday kindergarten to start children right and maintaining a variety of learning options to fit each student’s potential and need.

Whether a student attends one of the elementary schools, Sandpoint Middle School, Sandpoint High, the alternative high school or chooses to home school, Gary is committed to their education.

He supports after-school programs to develop all the student’s

abilities. He believes the schools are the heart of our community, and is responsive to parents and children both.

He will continue to work to provide the children of East Bonner County with the best education possible. Please vote for Gary Suppiger for school board.

Susan Bates-Harbuck Sandpoint

We need the trees…

Dear editor, So saddened and sickened by another pile of beautiful old trees cut down along Boyer across from another new subdivision going in on Mountain View. When will P&Z realize we need more trees, not fewer, for our own wellbeing and that of our planet. Climate change is real and one way to help is to plant more trees not destroy them.

River Burdick Sandpoint

Vote for our kids, vote for Suppiger…

Dear editor, My family has lived in Idaho for four generations, and as a mother I am proud to be raising a fifth generation of Idahoans. I love this state.

I am, however, concerned to see the politically divisive tendencies that have begun to run rampant here in the panhandle.

Take our schools, for example.

I believe in putting our children before petty political distractions.

Their future and wellbeing is far more important than getting caught up in misleading propaganda.

This is why Gary Suppiger, longtime North Idaho resident, successful business owner and current school board trustee has my full support. He has the experience that caring parents value, and is an active volunteer in several local children’s organizations. He stands for local control, listening to parents, patrons and students. He values accountability and transparency regarding levy dollars. This is only a brief breakdown of Trustee Suppiger’s qualifications.

Supporting him is a true example of putting our kids first.

If you are a voter in Zone 2, please vote before (as absentee) or on Tuesday, Nov. 2 for our kids — vote for Gary Suppiger, school board trustee.

Emma Stanford Sandpoint

Get back to basics and vote Suppiger…

Dear editor, Lake Pend Oreille schools have a lot to deal with this school year.

The health of our students and faculty, and the success of education this year, are at stake with the threat of COVID-19 and how response to this continues to be.

Schools are in danger of closing should a significant outbreak happen.

When did we lose sight of the education and development of our children? When did the focus change from them, to “fighting mask wearing”? Really?

Shouldn’t our children learn all they can in a year, so they will be better equipped to become functioning adults?

I am a retired educator, teacher, school counselor and diagnostician. I know what it is like in the schools, from working in several school districts. Everyone in those schools were interested in children first; would do whatever they could to help children develop their minds in academics and become well-rounded adults equipped to handle whatever life would have to offer.

From the staff of LPOSD, I see the same focus, but this year with a huge distraction from this goal.

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, for the return to the support of our children, the LPOSD Board of Trustees must have a re-election of Gary Suppiger. He is a parent of graduates of LPOSD and has volunteered in classrooms, tutored students in math and has taken students to statewide competitions.

Gary knows and cares about children and their successful education. Let’s get back to basics and focus on what is important — our children and their future.

Lynn Pietz Sandpoint

Got something to say? We accept letters to the editor at letters@sandpointreader.com. Word limit is 300 words. Please no libelous statements or excessive profanity. No toilet seat rants, conspiracy theories or trolling. Please elevate the conversation.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

5 Stars

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

This past weekend I made a quick pit-stop in a Washington town with a similar population to Sandpoint. With a long stretch of road behind me, and an even longer stretch of road ahead, I pulled out my phone and tapped in, “coffee shop near me.” I watched as the search results loaded, the little circle buffering on top of two results — a coffee stand inside of Wal-Mart and a drive-through espresso shack I passed about 10 miles back.

In disbelief, I drove slower, scouring the building façades while passing through the downtown. I found Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Time and McDonalds, but no coffee shops. I turned down side roads and looped back down the main street, feeling off-kilter in the void. Then it occurred to me — a town without a coffee shop feels like a town without community.

A town without a tackboard filled with pins carefully placed by local workers, sellers and makers; without a local newspaper stacked on racks outside the grocery store filled with stories relevant to the people picking them up; without an events calendar loaded with music, art, games and folly, really doesn’t feel like a town at all.

Upon returning home, with small businesses peppering every street front and familiar faces filling side-

Emily Erickson.

walks as they flitted between them, I was overcome with gratitude. 5-Stars-worthy gratitude. And at a time when giving 5 Stars can be a gift with an impact (seriously, go leave a review for all your favorite businesses), I’d like to share a few more.

Because this all started in pursuit of a coffee shop, 5 Stars go to Evans Brothers, a space where coffee is also an apparatus for acquaintances and ideas to converge into action; where artists hang their work, their livelihoods and that thing inside them that’s driven to create. It’s where healers share their tinctures, bakers share their goods and thinkers share their perspectives; where families gather before work weeks and where friends catch up after too much time has passed.

5 Stars go to Eichardt’s, where coziness is poured by the glass and community comes in the shape of dollar beers. It’s where bikes and blinking lights take to the streets as the sun sets before

each full moon; and where voices are run hoarse in cheering for the keg-pulling K-9 nearest to each spectator’s heart.

5 Stars go to the Panida Theater, where history bleeds into expanded horizons — a challenge for every visitor to think and feel more deeply, more broadly. It’s where cacophonous cheers follow film festivals, music tours and theatrical performances, and where fundraising can look a bit like lingerie.

Another 5 Stars are extended to the town’s breweries, where craftsmanship and passion are brewed in large batches; where community rooms host inspired events; where trivia is a lifeline on long winter nights; and where a familiar face can always be found, even during the peak of the tourist flood.

5 Stars go to Outdoor Experience, where education and inspiration are never out of stock and where lacedup running shoes become a weekly excuse for camaraderie. Five more stars go to the Oak Street food court trucks and the Farmer’s Market for lighting up our town center with the flavor of their labors of love.

5 Stars go to our public centers, the museum and all the nonprofits working to protect our land, to teach us more about ourselves and the people who preceded us, to create safe spaces for anyone who needs them and to build a future of which everyone can

be proud.

Finally, 5 Stars go to this town: the small business owners brave enough to build their legacy on uniqueness, on service and on quality; the workers who fill those businesses with life, giving more of themselves than could ever be fully compensated; those public service officials driven to both reflect and shape the community with integrity; and

all the people who paint our little cluster of houses, buildings, businesses and streets with so much vibrancy.

10/10 would recommend.

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains.

Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.

Retroactive

By BO

September 30, 2021 / R / 9

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

condiments

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Many of us don’t put very much thought or attention into condiments. I bet you even have a drawer full of fast food sauce packets that you swear you’re going to use one day.

Despite the tiny amount of space in our brains that condiments occupy, they’ve played a big role in human cuisine for a very long time, and a burger just wouldn’t be the same without a little squirt of ketchup.

What is a condiment, exactly?

That’s hard to define. Some claim that it’s any additional ingredient added after the completion of a dish — think an herb or a spice or ketchup — but that prompts the question: Is the dish really complete without the condiment, and at what point does it stop becoming a condiment and become part of the dish?

It’s one of those weird conundrums in which we inherently know what a condiment is, but can’t accurately pin down exactly what it is. Cheese is a great example. Do you add chunks of mozzarella or shaved parmesan cheeses to your pizza after it has been delivered? Despite your pizza already being covered in cheese, this addition is considered to be a condiment.

Worth noting: dipping your pizza in honey dijon is an incredible experience that you must attempt posthaste.

There are generally one to three traits that define condiments as we know them, and all of them have ancient roots. These traits are: saltiness, sourness and spiciness.

Most condiments are mixed with vinegar or salt to help preserve the sauce and give it a gloopy texture — it’s not quite a

10 / R / September 30, 2021

liquid, but it’s not a solid, either.

Just like oobleck, the funky mixture of cornstarch and water that creates wonderful flubber, most condiment sauces are non-Newtonian fluids. Non-Newtonian fluids are liquids that don’t behave like liquids should.

Vinegar is created by fermenting fruits and grains using yeast, the same process that creates alcohol. As we learned just a few weeks ago during the “grapes” article [Mad About Science, Sept.

9, 2021], alcohol makes for an effective antibacterial compound.

While you might not be getting sloppy and midnight-texting your ex on vinegar any time soon, there is enough alcohol present to allow vinegar to work as an effective preservation medium. That’s why pickles taste sour and never seem to go bad.

When not shredded by alcohol, bacteria need water to survive and that becomes difficult to do when salt is involved. Salt pulls water from surrounding structures. This is why jerky lasts so long, as the salt pulls the moisture out of the meat and creates a desert to parch bacteria into oblivion.

Spice has also acted as a microbial countermeasure throughout history, as the capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for the heat of spicy peppers, has been shown to slow and even halt microbial growth in food — a trait that was extremely important in hot, humid areas like India and Central America. It’s believed that peppers evolved to produce capsaicin as a countermeasure against mammals, which creates a stinging and burning sensation that deters would-be grazers.

Most omnivorous and herbivorous mammals have gnashing molars for grinding food into a semisolid paste to avoid choking on it during consumption — this destroys the seeds of the pepper and reduces its ability to produce

new plants. The capsaicin in the peppers affects mammals by attacking a specific protein only found in mammals, but not birds.

Birds swallow the seeds whole and poop them out far away from the source, helping propagate the pepper plants and increasing their genetic diversity.

Interestingly enough, the very trait the plant developed to deter humans is the exact reason we cultivate it now, and because of this have propagated it far more effectively than if it had just been left to the birds.

As it was with most things in the ancient world (and up until about the 1800s), most condiments were made with liquefied and fermented fish innards.

Garum was a pungent fish sauce created by the Romans that was drizzled over most things they ate — it probably tasted like a really funky malt vinegar mixed with old sardines and lukewarm Jagermeister.

Even ketchup originated from the intestines of fish. Ke-chiap was a brine sauce made from fermented fish guts used in China for millennia. Western explorers first experienced it in the 1700s and brought it back to Europe. By the 1800s, Europeans had mixed the concoction with their new favorite fruit, the tomato, and the legend was born.

Mayonnaise has drifted even further from its source material than ketchup. The first historical record of mayo comes from the 1800s, where it appeared as a sort of aspic — a meat-based jelly with whole pieces of meat suspended within. By 1820, recipes for eggs, vinegar and salt whipped into a spreadable substance began popping up throughout Europe and, by the 1950s, it had taken America by storm.

Of all the condiments you can find in your fridge, none of them can compare to the storied history

of the humble yellow squeeze bottle full of mustard. The use of mustard was first recorded 6,800 years ago in China, where its seeds were ground up and added as spice to fish sauce as well as mixed with other substances to be used as medicine. Mustard seeds have been used as an anti-inflammatory by a huge range of civilizations, from the ancient Chinese to the Babylonians, the Greeks and the Romans, who mixed the seeds

with grape juice and smeared it all over their injuries.

While mustard-flavored grape juice certainly won’t cure COVID, the glucosinolates found within mustard seeds break down into antioxidants that can help fight inflammation. It’s no replacement for Tylenol or Ibuprofen, but there are worse things to put in your mouth every day than mustard.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner r?

Don’t know much about octobe • Like September, the meaning behind October’s name is far from accurate these days. The ancient Roman calendar was based on the lunar cycles, as opposed to our current calendar, which is based on the solar cycles. This meant that there were originally 10 months in the calendar, and October was the eighth month. Its name literally translates into “the eighth month” in Latin. In 451 B.C.E. the two months of Ianuarius and Februarius were added to the beginning of the calendar, making October the 10th month.

• The Anglo-Saxons’ name for October was Winterfylleth, with its name containing the words for “winter” and “full moon,” respectively. It was named this because winter was said to begin from the first full moon of the month. The Saxons had a name for October, too. Theirs was Wyn Monath, which translated into “wine month” because it was the time of the year for making wine.

• The Twyford church in Hampshire, U.K., has a tradition of

We can help!

ringing its bells every year on Oct. 7. The origin of this tradition goes back to the 18th century, when a local resident named William David became lost in heavy fog while riding home at night. Much to his luck, he heard the church bells toll and, from this, he managed to find his way home. As a form of thanks, he left some money to the church when he died so that the church could continue to ring its bells on Oct. 7 every year, just in case there were any other lost travelers.

• The Draconid meteor shower can be seen between Wednesday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 10. It contains a single comet that is visible exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. An even more impressive meteor shower that is visible in both hemispheres is the Orionid meteor shower, which runs from Friday, Oct. 2 until early November.

• Monday, Oct. 4 is National Noodle Day; Saturday, Oct. 16 is National Fossil Day; Sweetest Day is on Sunday, Oct. 17;and Boss’ Day is celebrated on Tuesday, Oct. 19

OPINION

Mayor’s Roundtable:

Housing task force discusses immediate actions

By Mayor Shelby Rognstad Reader Contributor (This piece is the fourth in a series by Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad to address the issue of housing availability and affordability in the greater Sandpoint region.

Find the other parts on sandpointreader.com.)

I just came out of the second meeting of the Workforce Housing Task Force. The first meeting was mostly about introductions, identifying the problem using data from the city’s recent Workforce Housing Assessment Survey and determining how broad the focus of the task force should be.

Consensus among the group was to address access to housing across the income spectrum. There should be housing options for everyone who participates in the local workforce.

Based on the current median annual income in Bonner County, home ownership is accessible to less than 15% of the workforce (if one can find a home for sale). Rental housing is accessible to another 25%. By accessible, I mean that the cost of housing, including utilities, taxes and any other costs of residency, is no more than 30% of one’s income.

Sandpoint has a serious lack of housing availability. That is, there is very little housing on the market (low supply), which drives prices higher as we continue to see consistent increase in demand. These issues are separate but related. Sandpoint has well below a 1% availability for rentals. A healthy home rental market is 5-6%, where there is enough competition among rentals that the prices remain competitive. This very low inventory rate for rentals results in higher rents. The same premise is true with home ownership.

Today, I introduced the task force to the Housing Needs Assessment that the city of Sandpoint developed in 2019.

The Needs Assessment is filled with demographic analysis that gives us great insight into Sandpoint’s housing. It also concludes with pages of suggested

solutions for improving housing access which has had positive results in other communities. Given the housing crisis that our workforce is currently experiencing, I asked the task force to focus first on solutions that could be implemented immediately with little cost.

Fundamentally, we have a supply and demand issue. We need more supply to help bring down costs. The longer a project is under construction and the further financing is extended, the greater the project cost and the less housing that is built over a period of time. With less housing (supply), we still have high demand, which leads to continued pressure toward higher prices. Much of the task force’s discussions have focused on how we can implement policy and direct action that increases supply, more quickly, at a lower cost.

There are many tools that can be applied to help address our housing crisis immediately. Several ideas floated by the task force included code amendments and policy changes that could enable more infill density, expedite the development process, reduce risk and capital outlay, and ultimately reduce cost and time to product completion.

This means more housing (more supply) and a lower cost.

Another powerful tool that could be implemented is a deed restriction. It can be placed, by the owner, on the deed of a property. It works by requiring buyers to be qualified by meeting income standards not to exceed a proportion of the area median income, as well as local employment status with exemptions for seniors and disabled. For example, if a property owner/seller wants to restrict a property to anyone making 80-120% average median income (AMI), only persons earning $36,000-$54,000 would be eligible to buy or rent.

Qualification standards for a deed restriction can vary widely and are determined ultimately by the seller. Even

if property owners were to place the restriction at 200% AMI, or a $90,000 annual salary, it would still go a long way toward keeping local housing available to locals and sellers would get the same profit off a median priced sale in Sandpoint. Colorado has been using this tool with great success for 20 years, keeping young families and essential workers at home in towns like Breckenridge and Vail.

The task force, using suggestions outlined in the 2019 Housing Study, will focus on implementing immediate actions wherever possible. Next month, we will begin to vet and take action on longer term solutions as well.

Please join me for the Mayor’s Roundtable on Friday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m., at Council Chambers, 1123 Lake St., to discuss these issues and other topics important to the city of Sandpoint. You can also participate on Zoom here: bit. ​​ ly/3kPcFq6.

September 30, 2021 / R / 11

COMMUNITY

Chamber welcomes BarreX Fitness

By Reader Staff

12 / R / September 30, 2021

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed BarreX Fitness & Dance to its membership with a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.

With more than 30 years combined experience as a ballerina/ dancer, performer and elementary school teacher, Devyn Vaughan-Jolley decided to take these talents and open a Barre studio at 229 Pine St. in downtown Sandpoint.

As a wife and mother of six children, she was looking for a way to connect, help others and stay healthy — so she returned to her roots of dance and teaching.

Taking her fitness to the next level, she became a certified group fitness instructor through the Athletic and Fitness Association of America and has been teaching barre for the past three years. Trained and certified in more than seven barre methods, four dance fitness formats, Tabata and more, she continues her education regularly to stay current with the newest trends to be a

Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce ambassadors welcome Devyn Vaughan-Jolley’s new business BarreX Fitness to their membership. Courtesy photo. well-rounded fitness instructor.

Her passion for teaching over the years and witnessing participants achieve their health goals, as well as her own through barre, led her to open BarreX Fitness & Dance.

When asked about opening her business, Vaughan-Jolley said, “It has been a dream of mine to open my own studio, and it was my personal responsibility for the legacy I wanted to create. I envisioned BarreX to be a place to support, uplift and encourage others in their fitness journeys. I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunities I was given and this wouldn’t have been possible without my family’s support.

I’m excited to share BarreX Fitness and Dance as the first barre studio in Sandpoint.”

For more information on the services BarreX Fitness offers, visit the studio at 229 Pine St. or go to barrexfitness.com.

In the details

By Reader Staff

The Pend Oreille Arts Council will host a reception for its Community Threads art exhibit on Friday, Oct. 1 at the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center.

Fiber art quilts by Terrie Kremer and Jan Stolz are currently on display at the center. Visitors at the reception can enjoy an up-close look at the art, meet the artists and tour the facility while enjoying a glass of complimentary wine.

Nestled near the base of Schweitzer on North Boyer Road, SOAC — an extension of the University of Idaho — consists of a picturesque orchard and a top-notch facility. POAC President Carol Deaner saw an opportunity in the facility’s empty hallways for a visual arts exhibit. SOAC Superintendent and Orchard Operations Manager Kyle Nagy enthusiastically supported the idea.

“I think that having the Pend Oreille Arts Council display local art at the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center has been a win for everyone,” he said. “Giving local artists a venue to display their work allows them to share their passion with community members. Everyone that walks through our doors has commented on the beautiful quilts on display. I have been blown away by the quality of the work and am excited for further collaborations between POAC and SOAC.” Jan Stolz and Terrie Kremer (2019 POAC Artist of the Year) have more than 30 years of experience quilting.

Both are active members of Sandpoint’s quilting community.

“Ultimately, I want viewers to see my passion in every piece,” Kremer said. “I want them to come in close to see those tiny details, especially in my art quilts. I want them to recognize that quilts are not just for covering

Pend Oreille Arts Council to host Community Threads art opening at Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center

your bed — quilts are an art form, and this art form is ever-changing.”

Viewers will be impressed by the intricacies of design and the accuracy of execution. The substantial amount of time spent on each piece commands respect. Quilts are a perfect fit at the SOAC facility. Exposed cedar beams, stone masonry and vintage cooking and farming tools are on display. Art quilts enhance the existing homestead aesthetic.

All are welcome at the reception Friday, Oct. 1 from 5-7 p.m. at SOAC, 10881 North Boyer Road. For more information about Pend Oreille Arts Council’s events and how to get involved, go to artinsandpoint.org or call the office at 208-263-6139.

Photo courtesy POAC.

September 30, 2021 / R / 13

FEATURE

Where are all the workers? Part III A homegrown solution to affordable workforce housing

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey and Zach Hagadone Reader Staff This article is the third piece in an ongoing series during which the Reader will examine various aspects of the labor shortage affecting area employers.

By now the connection between affordable housing and the shortage of workers in cities throughout the country — and particularly the West — has been made clear. Policymakers, analysts and economists, realtors and developers, business owners, workers and everyone in between can point to all manner of statistics and anecdotes to illustrate the simple fact: workers can’t work if they can’t afford to live where they work.

There are other factors in the mix, of course, but a lack of so-called “workforce housing” has been underscored again and again as a particularly onerous obstacle for employers to overcome in finding and retaining people to fill vacant jobs in industries ranging from manufacturing to health care to education and the broad swathe of services that encompass leisure, food service and hospitality.

In an ongoing series of articles about the worker shortage, with installments published Sept. 16 and Sept. 23 and available at sandpointreader.com, the Reader has spoken with a range of stakeholders and experts and dug into regional data to explore some of the trends at work fueling the lack of workers that employers across the economic spectrum have felt in 14 / R / September 30, 2021

their day-to-day operations.

In the first part, Idaho Department of Labor figures showed that unemployment in the North Idaho region is 3.8%, which, while the highest in the state, is still significantly below the 5.2% national jobless rate.

Meanwhile, in Bonner County that number is 4.2%. Reasons for that are varied, but circle around affordability.

As the population has boomed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with many thousands of newcomers flocking to Bonner County in search of rural quality of life — and its lower cost of living relative to urban centers — they have imported salaries far higher than North Idaho’s historically low pay. Compound that influx of people and capital with the fact that many of them are working remotely for businesses located elsewhere, and it has caused a sudden, severe downward crunch on lower-wage workers.

Put simply, even a manufacturing worker making something in the vicinity of the area median income of $60,000 or so can’t compete with the buying power of a transplanted worker earning twice or more when purchasing a home. For a leisure and hospitality industry worker (the fourth largest employment sector in the county behind manufacturing, making an average wage of about $20,000), even rental housing, which frequently rises into the $2,000-per-month range, even for single-bedroom or studio units, is out of reach.

At the same time, the region has been flooded with retirees — either from out of the area or locally and opting for early retirement as the COVID-19 pandemic continues — who

also bring with them large amounts of capital with which to invest in housing at prices far above the means of local workers.

As a result of all these factors, Bonner County’s labor force actually shrank from July 2020 to July 2021, according to

< see WORKERS, Page 15 >

Rob Hart, the executive director of the Bonner Community Housing Agency, stands before a home in Sandpoint modeled after historic homes in South Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.

< WORKERS, con’t from Page 14 > the Labor Department — what one economic development expert described as “the perfect storm of COVID, housing prices and people moving out to seek lower cost of living and higher wages.”

In the second part, the Reader talked with others who are addressing the housing affordability crisis, sketching in broad strokes just how dire the situation is for local workers.

One solution has been for local business owners to take matters into their own hands and supply housing to the workers by buying properties and making them available as rentals. Another, expressed by county officials, is to ease the way for development to occur, thus expanding the inventory and lowering prices.

One housing expert proposes another path, which puts the onus for solving the affordability crisis on owners and sellers, rather than government or employers.

Where income meets outcomes Rob Hart has been busy.

The executive director of the Bonner Community Housing Agency has experienced no shortage of media attention in recent months, as the agency’s efforts to tackle North Idaho’s housing affordability crisis have garnered coverage in both local and regional publications.

According to Hart, collaborations with local landowners, developers and employers are starting to bear fruit — that fruit being housing for local wage earners, who have steadily been priced out of Sandpoint in recent years.

“We’re kind of catching our breath now,” Hart told the Reader.

Hart and BCHA grabbed the spotlight earlier this summer, when plans went public for a 49-unit development in Sandpoint built exclusively to house people making 80-120% of the

area’s median income. That development, named Culver’s Crossing and owned by Sandpoint native Nancy Hadley, would be the first to participate in BCHA’s Income-Based Local Housing Program. According to Hart, similar projects are also in the works, meant to put roofs over the heads of North Idaho’s near-average earners.

“We’re not talking about low-income housing here,” he said. “This is middle of the market.”

BCHA, which covers Bonner and Boundary counties, is a state- and federally-funded housing entity under the Idaho Housing and Finance Association. While the various agencies across the state are traditionally charged with building individual subsidized homes for low-income families, Hart said BCHA is “branching out” with its Income-Based Local Housing Program, attempting a broader approach to North Idaho’s housing woes. While BCHA has only enough funding to cover basic operating costs, the nonprofit is able to charge a fee when enrolling a landowner or developer in its programs.

Also in the works are partnerships with some of North Idaho’s “larger employers,” Hart said, who want to build employee housing. In a July workforce housing survey conducted by the city of Sandpoint, employers repeatedly shared a desire to take housing into their own hands. However, employers often have difficulty footing today’s hefty home prices.

“I tried to buy a house to use as a rental,” one employer shared in their survey responses. “The prices were outrageously high and I couldn’t make it work.”

“I looked into purchasing a multi-room house four years ago when I started noticing an issue for employees to find housing but wasn’t in a financial position to make a purchase at the time,” another wrote. “I have attempted to

rent apartments through my the disabled who do not have restaurant specifically to house an annual income greater than employees but as of yet have half of the home price. been unsuccessful.”

Step No. 3: Real estate That’s where BCHA comes agents and sellers, please try in. Hart said the agency is not to sell homes to investors currently and speculalooking for tors. Please land — an try to sell “There are hundreds of acre or to people right now in Sandpoint homes more — to local employbring these who are pre-qualified with ees, seniors employers’ the banks to buy homes. ... These and visions disabled who people are ready to buy. They do not have to life.

Landown- never get a chance. ... So that’s an annual ers who income greatwhat I’m asking for: Just con- er than half “would like to be a sider a local, please, just one of the home part of the price. [time] out of 10.” solution, and make “This is money donot discrim— Rob Hart ing it” are The Executive Director of Bonner ination. invited to super wealthy reach out.

Community Housing Agency are not a proHart tected class. said he’s I am not sugnot yet gesting that ready to name the employers people change their prices, just looking to take this approach, that they try occasionally — but that throughout the commu- just occasionally — not to sell nity, “there is great interest.” to investors and speculators,” “It is potentially big news,” Hart said, noting that “inveshe said. tors and speculators” include anyone purchasing housing for ‘Three easy steps’ profit, not as a residence.

While landowners, contrac“If even 10% of sales tors and other players in the in Sandpoint in the next 12 housing game are invited to months follow this plan, we participate in the Income-Based can go a long way toward Local Housing Program, Hart solving the housing crisis,” he said the solution to Sandpoint’s added. affordability crisis doesn’t deThere’s no shortage of local pend exclusively on enrolling people looking to buy homes. in the initiative. The solution, Whether they get the chance, he shared with the Reader, is though, is another story. actually “three easy steps,” as “There are hundreds of peofollows in Hart’s own words: ple right now in Sandpoint who are pre-qualified with banks Step No. 1: Landowners, to buy homes,” he said, notplease do not sell land to spec- ing that he knows of one bank ulators and investors. Please with more than 100 qualified try to sell land to developers applicants waiting to purchase and builders who agree to housing. follow step No. 2 or to local “These people are pre-qualemployees, seniors and the ified and ready to buy. They disabled. never get a chance,” he said.

Step No. 2: Developers and That’s because investors, builders, please try not to sell Hart said, are willing to pay the homes to investors and specuexorbitant prices in cash. The lators. Please try to sell homes solution, then, is for those with to local employees, seniors and the decision-making power

to make decisions that favor those who work and live in the panhandle.

“So that’s what I’m asking for: Just consider a local, please, just one [time] out of 10,” Hart said. “That’s it.

That’s the story.”

And choosing to sell to the local employee, senior or disabled buyer doesn’t have to mean giving up all hopes of a profit. BCHA provides consulting to local developers to find ways to make the best of both worlds. Housing projects already underway could possibly qualify for a BCHA program, seeing as pricing up to $555,000 per home is currently allowed.

“Local contractors can contact the agency, enroll a home or two in the program, and become a part of the solution while still making a profit,” Hart said.

The bottom line? The Bonner Community Housing Agency wants to solve the area’s affordability crisis through collaboration.

“We’re not looking for volunteers. We’re not looking for contributions. We’re not looking for gifts,” Hart said.

“We’re looking for people who want to make money and help the community.”

Hart brings a wealth of experience in architecture and development to his position at BCHA, as well as a passion for helping North Idaho keep its character.

“I just hope I’m not too late,” he said.

Pick up the Oct. 7 edition of the Reader for the fourth part in this series, which will look at how some other communities in the region have addressed the twin issues of lack of workforce and affordable housing. If you have a story of how the worker shortage and/or housing affordability has affected you or your business, share it with us at stories@sandpointreader. com.

September 30, 2021 / R / 15

COMMUNITY

October Parks and Rec. programming

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces will be offering the following programming in October, with registration currently open for: Ultimate Frisbee league (ages 16+).

It’s not too late to register. League play began June 24 and will continue through Thursday, Oct. 28. Play is 5:30-7 p.m. every Thursday and will be held at Great Northern Field 8. Fee: $20.

Coed youth volleyball (grades 3-6); play split into third/fourth grades and fifth/sixth grades. New for this year, all play will be Saturday mornings at Sandpoint Middle School (310 S. Division Ave.). Play will begin Saturday, Nov. 6 and run through Dec. 18. (No play during Thanksgiving week.) There will be a coach’s meeting before play begins. All coaches will be contacted. Registration deadline: Sunday, Oct 3. Fee: $34.50 ($5.25 non-resident fee).

Teams will not have individual

16 / R / September 30, 2021

practice at local schools. There will be a practice/clinic each Saturday prior to scrimmage/game play. Players will show up for two hours on Saturday to get their practice and scrimmage/games in. The focus however, remains on fun and fundamentals.

Scholarships are available for all youth league sports, inquire at 208-263-3613 prior to online registration. Adults interested in coaching the philosophies of fun, fundamentals and being a good sport will be needed. Sign up during registration. A red/ white nylon mesh reversible sports jersey will still be required for both youth flag and volleyball. They may be purchased online or at the Parks and Recreation Department. Red-and-white reversible jerseys from other organizations are also allowed.

Jerseys cost $14.50.

CPR class with optional First Aid. Class will be offered Monday, Oct. 4 at the Sandpoint City Hall Council Chambers, 1123 Lake St. This course is open to ages 12-15 concurrently registered with an adult or with an unregistered adult

chaperone. Registration deadline: Thursday, Sept. 30. CPR meets 4-6pm and class fee is $35. Optional First Aid meets 6-8 p.m. for an additional $25.

The city of Sandpoint outdoor shooting range, located at 113 Turtle Rock Road, is currently open for the season. Range hours of operation are available on the Parks and Rec. website on the most currently posted range calendar.

For Parks and Rec. program registration, shooting range hours of operation and other community programs, visit the Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces website at sandpointidaho.gov/ parksrecreation, visit the department’s office at 1123 Lake St., or call 208-2633613.

Panhandle Health District recommends following CDC guidance: stay home if sick, reduce physical closeness when possible, wear a mask if possible and clean hands often.

LITERATURE

This open Window

Vol. 6 No.7 poetry and prose by local writers edited by Jim mitsui

lets not fight Division serves no one except those who prefer us weakened.

We have problems, that is no secret, We are in desperate need of some new moves And there is more than one solution to (insert current crisis here).

Common wisdom says the best solutions come when both sides show up at the table Not when those in power close the door and try to have it all their way.

Hands down the best solutions come when the needs of all are considered And when all voices are considered equal.

The best solutions result from creativity which comes from a meeting of the minds, Not from tearing them down.

It also takes energy though closing the door would seem to require less.

I am guilty too I have sipped the Kool-Aid, Though today I am imagining a new drink.

Thirsting for one, in fact.

You have reason to be skeptical.

I do not deny your wounds Inflicted by another.

I acknowledge, as well, those you wish to defend.

But what if Peace IS possible?

my husband's garden

grows wild. Rhubarb gone to seed, tomatoes planted late and unstaked, tumble out of their raised box in varying stages of ripeness. Companion marigolds peek out from under their leaves, golden yellow and ruby red, fragrant as summer.

Don’t we owe it to ourselves to have a different conversation, To put down our weapons Our guns Our pointed fingers Our righteous opinions?

We have been told a lie about what’s possible

My garden is filled with flowers past their season. Brown daisies & grey lupine seed casings rise up among purple echinaceas and white flox.

Horsetail and dried yarrow crowd the blue delphiniums and rainbow-colored snapdragons in their belated blooming.

We’ve tended our plots with less enthusiasm this year than last year. It’s not just his bad back or my achy knees but something weighing heavy in the air; more than the heat, the noxious smoke of wildfire, or virulent droplets that fly. We’ve grown weary with the angry voices of a divided world, prickly and prevalent as thistles.

Cattails down by the creek wave in a gentle September wind as drops of rainfall on ruffled water create concentric circles that move out and against one another chaotically, like trying to link a chain of opinions that should mesh but only repel from one another like magnetic opposing forces.

— L.S. Jones, Sept. 15, 2021 L.S. Jones lives along Fry Creek in Sagle and is a lover of art, poetry and gardening. Usually enraptured by all four seasons, this past summer has left her feeling somewhat “meh.”

i hate vacuuming Comes from my childhood but I blame it on my cats’ fear of the noise. Yesterday I decide it’s definitely time so I drag the monster out — an old Kirby that does a great job, but don’t lug it upstairs. The bag needs changing, so I unzip the cloth outer, and out falls a lot of dirt. The paper bag came loose with maybe one dust bunny in it.

The zipper won’t go through the dirt, so I carefully move the vac to the back porch, more dirt falls out, so I put a trash bag under it and scoop out as much as I can, then finish the job outside.

By the time I get it back together, I’m covered in dust. I’ve added a new reason to hate vacuuming.

— Jeanette Schandelmeier, Aug. 28, 2021

About who the enemy is.

I’m not saying it is easy.

It may indeed be simpler to point the finger or the gun Than to reach across the divide To face the enemy armed with only an open heart.

I have things I want you to know You have things you want me to hear.

The answer would seem to be to simply grow louder.

It’s all hurting our ears And so much more.

They’re more guilty of it than we are Their crimes are worse That might be true But that only gets us more of the same.

The same thing we have had for millennia, The definition of insanity.

Fighting can seem like the only way.

It can feel like a relief To discharge the pent-up rage against (insert current enemy here) There are those who excel at it, who are artful warriors.

At some point, though, someone needs to say, “Stop!”

Lest we all die by the sword.

A noble death for certain But a different outcome is possible in any moment I know this to be true.

It only requires one brave choice Well, actually, maybe two.

— Jody Pignolet

a misunderstanding The green something stuck in the netting I use to keep deer out of the flowerbed turns out to be a newly-fledged hummingbird. I snip it loose and put it on a maple limb, but it can barely hold on. I rush to the willow, use the pulley to lower the feeder, remove the bowl, and set it on the ground. I touch the baby’s beak to the syrup, and it drinks — and drinks and drinks. At last it’s perking up, and when I set it on the maple, it can now stand. Parents are screeching at me! Even when the baby flies to them in the spruce, they continue, and I’m sad. But the next two mornings when I go out to do chores, the baby flies alongside me from the porch to the willow tree.

— Jeanette Schandelmeier, Aug. 10, 2020 Jeanette has the gift of taking everyday chores and events — and capturing them in a way that entertains us, while also showing us our sometimes flawed world. She’s a retired educator who lives on Talache Road.

Send poems to: jim3wells@aol.com September 30, 2021 / R / 17

events Walk to School Day COMMUNITY

September 30 - October 7, 2021

THURSDAY, September 30

Yappy Hour with Better Together Animal Alliance 4-7pm @ Ponderay PetSafe Dog Park (870 Kootenai Cutoff Rd.) Celebrate with your canine companion with local beer, live music, sunshine and community! Benefits the Better Together Animal Alliance

slated for Oct. 6

FriDAY, october 1

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Acoustic rock, pop and Americana

Live Music w/ Baker Packwood Duo 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Benny Baker and Sheldon Packwood will play you some of their favorite songs of today and yesterday

SATURDAY, october 2 Live Music w/ Ben Vogel 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Smart pop music surging with rock energy Hickey Farms Harvest Festival 10am-5:30pm @ Hickey Farms The annual event with u-pick pumpkins, live music, food and drink vendors, tons of kids’ activities and more. Live music by Harold’s IGA from 12-3 p.m.

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 8-10pm @ The Back Door Free First Saturday at the Museum 10am-2pm @ Farmin Park Enjoy free admission to the Bonner Co. History Museum. This month’s event sponsored

by Denise Zembryki and Ron Mamajek.

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Live music w/ Bright Moments Jazz Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Smart, modern blues Suzuki String Academy Open House 10am-1pm @ 1033 Baldy Mountain Rd. The community is invited to an open house to see their new space. Free music classes and snacks. Meet the SSA instructor team and learn more about the program. Free Music and Movement class Suzuki Foundations ages 0-7 from 10:30-11:15am. Two free Ukulele group classes ages 6 and up from 11:30am-12pm and 12:30-1pm

SunDAY, october 3

Winter Ridge Neighborhood Fair 11am-4pm @ Winter Ridge This inaugural event is the store’s chance to highlight and showcase the community of friends and vendors who make this little town tick. The day is full of activities (kid friendly), samples, prizes, food, live music

by Harold’s IGA and The Desperate 8’s and more! Stop by and say hello

Hickey Farms Harvest Festival 10am-5:30pm @ Hickey Farms The annual event with u-pick pumpkins, live music, food and drink vendors, tons of kids’ activities and more. Star the Magician will perform for the kids at 1 p.m.

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

monDAY, october 4

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

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

wednesDAY, october 6

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park

Hickey Farms Harvest Festival 2-5:30pm @ Hickey Farms

Walk to School Day @ LPOSD schools The LPOSD Safe Routes to School invites local families to join students for a Walk to School Day. This event raises awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and biking to schools, as well as emphasizing the importance of physical activity

ThursDAY, october 7 Live Music w/ Baxter Elkins • 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority This traveling folk/country duo will be a show you won’t want to miss 18 / R / September 30, 2021

Courtesy image.

By Reader Staff Lake Pend Oreille School District Safe Routes to School invites local families to join students for the international Walk to School Day Wednesday, Oct. 6. Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and biking and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment.

This event, which is held annually

during the first Wednesday in October, began in 1997. The movement helps build connections between families, schools and the broader community.

Today, thousands of schools across America, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico participate.

Parents are encouraged to join their children and photos can be tagged #walktoschoolday to share with the wider community.

For more information on this event, contact erin.billings@lposd.org. To learn more about Walk to School Day, visit walkbiketoschool.org.

STAGE & SCREEN

Opening up the game

Adventures in Golf is the best thing to happen to golf since Tiger Woods

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Everyone who’s been alive the past 20plus years knows the name Tiger Woods.

Though beset by more than a decade of personal scandal and injury, Woods’ golf legacy spanning from the 1990s-2000s was to knock some of the dust off the game and open it up to a wider audience beyond the country club crowd.

To be clear, golf has always been an exciting sport, but it has suffered from a stigma of elitism and feelings of dullness from those who haven’t played the game. Woods merely injected some excitement into it, which has inspired a whole new generation to pick up a set of clubs and go for it.

In this spirit, a new figurehead has emerged the past few years who has again breathed some fresh air into the sport: Erik Anders Lang. Lang’s show Adventures in Golf started in 2016 as a quirky look at the game’s most interesting characters and locales and has quickly emerged as one of the best shows about this complicated and beautiful pastime.

Think of Lang as the Anthony Bourdain of golf.

A typical episode of Adventures in Golf is, well, not very typical. The subjects for each episode vary widely from a nudist colony of golfers in Florida, urban golfing in Portland, Ore. to a special hybrid course run by a retired pro wrestler in upstate New York.

Filmed by a run-and-gun crew, Adventures in Golf is always entertaining, always enlightening and usually culminates in the viewer gaining just as much of an understanding of life as they do the game of golf itself.

Lang is a 6-handicapper, which means he can play well enough to keep up with the pros, but also makes the occasional chunk shot into the pond. The result is that we all feel a kinship with him, since errant shots are part of the game. It is fun to watch a pro like Tiger Woods launch a drive into the next area code, but it’s relatable to watch someone like Lang snap a shot out of bounds and laugh at themselves. We’ve all been there.

Personable and genuinely interested in each person to whom he speaks, Lang is a great interviewer, but also shows that he gets it. He’s not interested in promoting the newest housing development or private course for the elite to play, but instead showcasing the weird and wonderful people who have acted as stewards of what the game is really all about (which, in case you aren’t aware, is not real estate and money).

Take the episode “Hawaiian Island Golf,” from Season 3. Lang visits a small, unassuming oceanfront municipal golf course on

a small, unassuming Hawaiian island where the locals defied developers from buying the course — which served as their cultural center as well as social gathering place — and turning it into million-dollar homes.

In typical Adventures in Golf style, Lang interviews the community leaders who saved this course, then joins a crew of hackers and duffers as they laugh and chunk their way along their own Pebble Beach, showing the viewer how it’s possible for common people to stand against the moneyed powers that be when it comes to taking a beautiful thing like the game of golf and hide it behind gates and private courses only accessible by the rich.

In other episodes, Lang explores a group of everyday people in Mumbai, India who play “Slum Golf” with handmade clubs forged from bent rebar and holes that wind between the alleys of their tenements. Or he visits a teenage golf phenom from Nepal who lives on a golf course in a shack and has risen to become the top female golfer

from Nepal.

Each interaction serves to break down the gilded gates, showing that golf is a sport for all people. What Bourdain did for the world of foodies, Lang is doing for golf, showing that the game isn’t just about putting a little white ball in a hole, but a way of life. A spiritual connection. A social activity for the masses. Hell, even an allegory for life, for no matter how hard you try, the perfect game is unattainable. There are always errant shots, three-putts and chili dippers that run into the hazards. It’s how to deal with the reality of imperfection that truly defines what kind of golfer you are.

Lang gets that completely, which is why his is rapidly becoming the most popular golf show on the internet.

It’s only a matter of time before Adventures in Golf is picked up by Netflix or another streaming service, but for now you can watch all six seasons free on YouTube.

If you’re new to the game, have played all your life or might be thinking about

Lang tees off in another episode of Adventures in Golf. Courtesy photo. bringing it back into your life, Adventures in Golf is some of the best commentary on the physical, mental and spiritual sides of golf you’ll ever find.

September 30, 2021 / R / 19

OUTDOORS

Voices in the Wilderness

By Patrick Shea Reader Contributor Yellowstone was my first love.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley and Old Faithful Geyser Basin stole my heart, but the northwestern Rockies took my soul. I was molded by the subtlety of the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina, but Yellowstone dropped me into a new world of enchantment and awe.

I worked in Yellowstone National Park for a month during the summer of 2017, and returned for an entire season during the summer of 2018 after having fallen completely in love with “dirt work.”

However, it was during my second summer working for the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps that I started looking to the mountains. Longing for the mountains.

Wishing to exist within them.

I started looking to the mountains when I began a week-long project installing bear boxes at the Bridge Bay campground. Installing bear boxes is a 20-step process that involves everything from precise measurement to lifting a 500-pound hunk of metal and carefully placing four awkward legs over a bolt. In other words, installing bear boxes is a grueling process that is significantly different from working on trails.

Maybe the feeling was born from a jealousy that I had close friends working on trails juxtaposed with the frustration of bear box installation. Or maybe it had more to do with a newfound obsession with exploration. Regardless, at every chance, I would look up across the lake into the Absorkas.

But something changed that week in Bridge Bay. I would finish pouring cement into a post hole and I would look to the mountains.

I spent the next summer working for the Idaho Conservation Corps. I was put on a project in the Salmon National Forest cutting tread along the Continental Divide Trail. The work was hard, but I was in the mountains. I woke up early every morning to boil water before our five-minute walk to our worksite. As the weeks progressed, the more tread we cut, the longer my walk became 20 / R / September 30, 2021

in the morning. What started as a five-minute walk to work became an hour-long trek as we continued to cut tread along the CDT. I remember my “CDT mornings’’ as some of the most magical times I’ve spent in the mountains. But my obsession persisted. Through the pouring rain, the oppressive heat and indifferent snow, I would look across the Salmon Valley to an intersection formed by the Bighorn Crags and Fishfin Ridge.

“That’s where the real mountains are,” I’d think.

“That’s where I want to be.”

The raw exhaustion that carried my blistered feet across scree fields back to camp at the end of the day only amplified this jealousy. I’d hear the district’s wilderness rangers, Harry and Maizie, on the radio as they navigated the Frank Church, and I’d imagine roaming the wilderness alone.

Digging tread for five weeks is physically exhausting. The repetition of swiping a pulaski or a mattock is emotionally draining.

On days that the 6 a.m. walk from camp would drain my love for working in the dirt, I would look to the mountains.

Without question, my worst day out of my four summers of work in the Conservation Corps world was a Friday during the summer of 2019 spent in the Clark Fork Delta. The project was a run-of-the-mill invasive species project. We bagged oxeye daisies, pulled mullein and weeded bull thistle on islands marking the terminus of the Clark Fork River.

By 2 pm, I had had enough. I was exhausted from wading through waist-deep swampy water and yearning for a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. However, it wasn’t the promise of ice cream that carried me through the day, it was a series of snow-capped peaks to my northwest. Those mountains promised something detached from the sounds of the highway and above the heat of the valley. They were too great not to indulge. I looked to the mountains. I did not know they were the Scotchmans.

The relationship between wildfire smoke and the early August sun is nothing short of magical.

A red hue echoed throughout the

southeast corner of the Scotchmans as I lugged my tools and overnight gear up for a two-day patrol on Pillick Ridge. Back in June, I had helped the trail crew clear the first seven miles of Pillick Ridge on one of my first 10hour workdays.

The trail slowly weaves up to rock formations on the eastern side of the Scotchmans before abruptly climbing up to the ridge.

The first four hours of my patrol were fairly uneventful, hiking on the same section I had helped clear two months before. But, after the seventh mile, what had been a clear, consistent, well-defined trail became a mess of down trees and tread destroyed by game and uncertain hikers.

I cleaned down trees and

Looking to wilderness snow-covered peaks of early June, Billiard Table, Sawtooth Mountain and Star Peak were visible.

I set up camp near a water source almost dry from the summer’s heatwaves and sat down with my back against a tree looking down into the Clark Fork Valley. I was in the mountains, I was alone and I looked up at the stars.

I fell asleep in the mountains.

Patrick Shea in the wilderness.

Courtesy photo. reworked sections of trails destroyed by erosion for another four hours before continuing on to the intersection of Napoleon Gulch Trail and the Pillick Ridge Trail.

Although the Cabinet Mountains were hidden behind a layer of smoke, a stark contrast to the

Patrick Shea is a student at Gonzaga University who spent this past summer as a backcountry ranger in the Kootenai National Forest. He is originally from Asheville, N.C., where he grew up exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains with his pawpaw, who is a section maintainer on both the Appalachian Trail and the Mountains to Sea trails. After working for the Youth Conservation Corps in Yellowstone National Park during the summers of 2017 and 2018, Shea spent the past four summers working on trails in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

Hickey Farms’ Harvest Festival to span October READ Live music, u-pick pumpkin patches and family fun at this annual event

By Ben Olson Reader Staff If Linus’ “Great Pumpkin” from the Peanuts comic strip were to appear anywhere in North Idaho, I’ll wager it would be the Hickey Farms pumpkin patch.

This family farm, owned and operated by the Holt family since 1923, opens its doors every weekend in October for a month-long Harvest Festival, starting Saturday, Oct. 2 and running all the way until Saturday, Oct. 30.

Back for its 10th year, the Harvest Fest is where you want to be in October. There is a u-pick pumpkin patch; food and drink vendors; kids’ activities; live music; more than 70 varieties of pumpkins, gourds and squash; plus a local store selling candles, honey and other local goods.

Hours of operation for the Harvest Fest are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in October; but, this year, Hickey Farms is offering two extra days each week on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2-5:30 p.m.

“These weekdays are a little more low key,” co-owner Dean Holt told the Reader. “Some people don’t want to come out when there’s a thousand people here, so we thought we’d offer a couple more days for them.”

The weekdays will not have live music or full vendors like weekends, but all other services will be offered.

Live music is scheduled every

Saturday and Sunday from noon-3 p.m. — see the music schedule accompanying this article for a full list of performers. In addition to music, Sandpoint’s own Star the Magician will put on a couple of magic shows for the kids.

Speaking of kids, there are a plethora of activities to bring smiles to their faces.

“There’s a corn maze, a 16-foot slide in the corn maze, bouncy castles,” said Holt. “We have a wiggle worm ride that’s a pull-behind ride for little kids. There’s a hay pyramid, giant Connect 4 and Tic Tac Toe boards. We also have two birthday party areas for families, which includes passes to use the corn maze and bouncy castles.”

The Harvest Festival has largely stayed the same over the past decade, but Holt said each year they add something new to keep things fresh. This year the venue has relocated to a different 8,600-squarefoot location built on the north side of the farm, which allows for more food and drink vendors. They also added a nice patio to enjoy the sunny fall days ahead.

To reach Hickey Farms from Sandpoint, take Highway 200 east for 5.7 miles and take a left on Hickey Road, then follow the signs for parking. From Hope and Clark Fork, take Highway 200 west and turn right on Hickey Road a half mile after Colburn Culver Rd. and follow the signs.

Holt said the most difficult task in preparing for the annual festival is timing the pumpkin harvest just right.

“We really rely on Mother Na- A young seeker of pumpkins pulls a wagon with ture,” he said. “I always say, ‘You his day’s plunder. Photo courtesy Hickey Farms. go farming, you don’t go growFarms, but to take part in activiing.’ Just because you put it in the ties, there is a fee to participate. ground doesn’t mean it’ll happen. I Check the Hickey Farms’ Facethink the hardest thing we physical- book page for more details about ly do is harvesting the pumpkins.” the month-long festival.

Holt said the farm plants over Live Music at Hickey Farms 20,000 seeds each year, which Sat/Sun — 12-3 p.m. grow into scores of different varieties of pumpkins and gourds. The Sat. Oct. 2 — Harold’s IGA sizes range from small decorative Sun. Oct. 3 — Magic by Star the Magician with a free magic pumpkins that fit in your hand to show at 1 p.m. massive 35-pounders.

For Holt and his siblings who Sat. Oct. 9 — Music by Red Blend run the farm, connection to the Sun. Oct. 10 — Music by Chris Lynch and Lauren Kershner community is what Hickey Farms is all about.

Sat. Oct. 16 — Music by The “That’s our whole mission,” Other White Meat Holt said. “We want to become a Sun. Oct. 17 — Magic by Star the place where the community can Magician with a free magic show at 1 p.m. enjoy themselves. We really want to involve the community because it wouldn’t be here without them. Sat. Oct. 23 — Music by Brian Jacobs We’re fortunate, my brothers and Sun. Oct. 24 — Music by Drew & sister are fourth generation and we Sammy want to be very active in this community and give people something Sat. Oct. 30 — Crosstoberfest Bike Race with Pend Oreille to be proud of.”

Pedalers It’s always free to enter Hickey

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Ben Vogel, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Oct. 2 Coeur d’Alene-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ben Vogel’s sound is described as “hooky yet sophisticated guitar pop,” and, “smart pop that surges with rock ’n’ roll energy.”

He’ll bring his up-tempo brand of pop-rock to the Pend d’Oreille Winery on Saturday, Oct. 2 for a show that’s sure to set audience

members’ heads nodding and feet tapping along to the beat.

Get there early for a glass of merlot — a perfect pairing of vino and Vogel.

— Zach Hagadone 5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-265-8545, powine. com. Listen at benvogelmusic. bandcamp.com and learn more at benvogelmusic.com.

The Desperate 8’s & Harold’s IGA, Winter Ridge Natural Foods, Oct. 3 Samples, sensational tunes and celebrating neighbors — it’s all happening at Winter Ridge Natural Foods Market on Sunday, Oct. 3 as the store hosts a Neighborhood Fair.

The event will feature live music from local indie-folk-rock trio Harold’s IGA, as well as from female-fronted Spokane rock band The Desperate 8’s. Both bands are known for their ability to make their audiences feel like they’re a part of something special — the perfect vibe for a Sunday neighborhood celebration.

Aside from the music, Winter Ridge will also be featuring 20+ local vendors, free food and drink samples, raffles, discounts, pumpkin and face painting, and the opportunity to connect with other locals as the shoulder season wraps Sandpoint in its chilly (and lovely) embrace.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., FREE. Winter Ridge Natural Foods Market, 703 W. Lake St., winterridgefoods.com.

I’m a sucker for a book about expeditions of the past. The Worst Journey in the World is a nonfiction account written by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, who accompanied Robert Falcon Scott to the Antarctic on the explorer’s doomed quest for the South Pole. Cherry-Garrard recounts the unforgettable journey across this forbidding terrain, and he was also a member of the search party that found Scott’s frozen body and notebook entries. It’s a big book, but Antarctica is a big place. Read it!

LISTEN

It’s like Christmas morning when a band you love releases a random track. I felt that way when scrolling through YouTube last week and saw a new track from Radiohead’s recording sessions in 2000 that yielded the albums Kid A and Amnesiac. The song “If You Say the Word,” is like discovering a forgotten novel by J.D. Salinger.

It’s frustrating, as a musician, that a song that didn’t make the cut for their albums is better than anything I’ll ever dream of producing. “If You Say the Word” will appear on Radiohead’s forthcoming reissue, Kid A Mnesia, set to release Nov. 5.

WATCH

... the real news, not just partisan commentary.

We have a truth problem here in the U.S., and it usually can be attributed to a series of fringe “news” sites that fill people’s heads with erroneous stories that usually can be fact-checked with a simple Google search. Who is the “real news” you might ask?

According to several media bias charts, a few outlets are commonly listed as reliably in the center, focusing on facts, not the spinning of facts: the Associated Press, Axios, BBC, Reuters and The Hill. If your immediate reaction is to say, “Those are all liberal sources,” the problem might lie within you.

September 30, 2021 / R / 21

BACK OF THE BOOK

Question time From Pend d’Oreille Review, Sept. 30, 1921

HOPKINS & KINCAID GROCERY IS HELD UP Two masked bandits on Tuesday entered the grocery store of Hopkins & Kincaid at Main and Boyer, robbed the cash drawer, the two proprietors and John Flewellyn, who was in the building at the time, and made a getaway without leaving a trace of their direction.

“The men were masked in blue handkerchiefs,” said Mr. Hopkins when interviewed by a Pend d’Oreille Review reporter Wednesday morning. “One of them held a gun on us while the other went through us. They got $60 out of the cash drawer, $2 in change out of my pocket, about $2.50 from John Flewellyn, who was in here talking to us, and they got $3 in cash and a $20 check from Mr. Kincaid.

“While they were in the store we kept up a running conversation with them, thinking we might be able to detect something in their voices by which to identify them. So far as I can tell they were strangers but Mr. Kincaid says there was something familiar in the voice of one of them. When they left they told us not to move or we ‘would be dead.’ However, as soon as they stepped out the door I called the Sheriff’s office and reported the robbery. I don’t know what way they went after leaving here, but shortly before they came in a car was parked a short ways north on Boyer, the lights were turned out and the car was left there. After the robbery it was gone and I wouldn’t be surprised if the robbers had used this machine. The car was noticed by several others in this vicinity.”

Officers patrolled much of the town and kept a lookout at the railways yards during the remainder of the night, but the bandits made a clean getaway.

22 / R / September 30, 2021

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff We have a routine in my house each morning — as my kids brush their teeth and I brush and comb their hair, they ask me a question.

One day it was my 9-year-old son: “Why do we only have two days off every week?” That resulted in a lecture on agrarianism versus industrialization and the labor movement that lasted from the brush-comb phase to the backpack-grab to the car ride and drop-off at school.

Another day it was my 6-year-old daughter: “Why do people wear clothes?”

That one encompassed everything from the difference between hair and fur to animal and insect mating rituals to color theory and the sumptuary laws of the Middle Ages and Renaissance to Victorianism and modern pop culture expression.

We’ve also talked about the origins of various musical instruments, how volcanoes work and, recently, whether people did the same things we do today to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during “the Black Plague.”

That last one was a little tricky to answer. First I had to explain that the plague wasn’t a single event, and the disease had actually been active for hundreds of years before it exploded across Europe in a major pandemic during the 14th century. When we talk about it in the West, we’re typically referring to that time period, but plague outbreaks occurred in Europe throughout the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The kids were terrified to contemplate that that may be the way with COVID-19, too, with it never being truly defeated but relatively dormant between flare ups for centuries.

That’s probably true.

Plague outbreaks continue even today —

and as close to home as southern Idaho, where wildlife officials find it killing off populations of squirrels and other rodents in the high desert scrublands east and south of Boise.

I had to explain that the Germ Theory of disease was centuries away from being rediscovered in 1300s Europe — the ancient Greeks, Persians, Romans, Chinese and Arabic kingdoms had theorized about germs, but Christianization in the West suppressed that knowledge, among so much more.

Still, even in the 14th century plague-afflicted communities understood to cover their faces and keep their distance from others. I told the kids horror stories of enforced quarantines, during which specially empowered citizens went house to house nailing shut people’s doors and windows if they were known or even suspected of being infected. After a certain period the nails would be prised out and if the folks inside were still alive (though probably malnourished and dehydrated), good for them.

More often than not they weren’t, and their diseased corpses, clothing and possessions burned or otherwise destroyed. Depending on the extent of the contagion, the houses themselves could be burned to the ground.

The most famous symbol of plague precaution, of course, is the so-called “plague doctor” mask, which is a popular Halloween costume. We all know what it looks like: a full-head covering with a sinister-looking bird beak extending beneath a pair of round glass eyepieces. The plague doctor is iconic, with its long cloak and gloves adding to the inscrutable, otherworldly ensemble.

My kids love this creepy symbol — and it’s a testament to how traumatic the plague has been that it’s still a potent and identifiable image of inexorable death centuries years later, even to elementary-school kids.

(Indeed, our image of the grim reaper, with its skeletal body and scythe comes directly

STR8TS Solution

Sudoku Solution

Talking big ideas with little kids from experience with the plague.)

However, despite its frequent association with medieval (thus barbaric) medicine, the plague doctor mask dates to the 17th century. That means those images we may have from Hollywood of bird-beaked quasi-physicians gliding through the misty, cobbled streets of dying Dark Age-cities is actually contemporaneous with the first stirrings of the Age of Reason. People being “treated” by plague doctors in the 1600s were as far from the 14th century as we were from them in the 20th century.

These are all interesting factoids, and I deeply enjoy question time with my kids in the mornings. I’m always amazed at their curiosity, but also their intuitive way of making sense of these ideas and stories.

Absorbing the fact that even 800 years ago people knew to cover their faces, keep distance and isolate during times of plague, both kids asked, “So why is all that such a big deal now?” The subtext of that question being, of course, “Are people dumber today than they were 800 years ago?” To that I had to shrug: “Maybe?”

Crossword Solution

People think it would be fun to be a bird because you could fly. But they forget the negative side, which is the preening.

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD

By Bill Borders

perfidy /PUR-fi-dee/

Woorf tdhe Week

[noun] 1. deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery.

“The practice of perfidy in Congress today is turning off a lot of voters.”

Corrections: In the Photos of the Week spread in the Sept. 23 Reader, we erroneously referred to Beet and Basil as winning the “Epic Fail” category for the second year in a row. Actually, Eichardt’s won “Epic Fail” in 2020 and Beet and Basil won “most creative” and placed second. Looks like I win “epic fail” this week. Sorry Beet and Basil! We miss your delicious food. — BO

ACROSS 1. Bucks 6. Anagram of “Debit” 11. Unit of gold purity 12. Polish remover 15. The concluding part 16. High priests 17. Type 18. Gracious 20. Buff 21. Applaud 23. Midway between white and black 24. Not there 25. German for “Mister” 26. Skedaddled 27. Parsley or sage 28. Cocoyam 29. Many millennia 54. Bird of prey also 30. Fastidious called a kite 31. Constrains 56. Restoration 34. Sea 57. Assistants 36. Furrow maker 58. Foolish 37. Bright thought 59. A lott 41. Risqué 42. Arid DOWN 43. Not legs 1. Experienced 44. Role 2. Large drinking vessel 45. Head honcho 3. Genus of macaws 46. Short sleeps 4. Big party 47. Frozen water 5. Flower stalk 48. A member of the 6. Capable of wounding Cosa Nostra 7. In a cold manner 51. Fury 8. A territorial unit 52. Chemicals of Greece

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Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22 9. Estimated time 33. Body of arrival 34. Seer 10. Walks unsteadily 35. Lurches 13. Close 38. Emptied 14. Feudal worker 39. A female monarch 15. Small sheet 40. Something of value of microfilm 42. Lightly 16. Sometimes called 44. Jetty “round brackets” 45. Hackneyed 19. Snow house 48. Whimper 22. Shield from danger 49. Secure against 24. A man’s high leakage tasseled boot 50. Hodgepodge 26. Nonflowering plant 53. Japanese apricot 27. Color 55. American Dental 30. Run away Association 32. Fodder September 30, 2021 / R / 23