Whenever someone is good-naturedly chatting about turtles, there’s always that one “Um, actually” person who jumps in about the differences between turtles and tortoises. In all those instances, though, I’ve never had someone explain the third (somewhat archaic) category: terrapins. First off, Mr. Actually, all tortoises and terrapins are types of turtles belonging to the reptile order Testudines, so poopoo to you. That being said, turtle-enthusiasts do like to separate these bony bowling balls into the three categories based on habitat and foot and shell shape. Tortoises live on land. Their heavy, rounded shells and flat, nubby feet are suited for slowly wandering the earth in semiarid lands, especially most of Africa. They are mostly herbivores or frugivores (fruit-eaters), while their counterparts are often omnivores or carnivores, eating fish, bugs and even frogs. Turtles are aquatic and naturally have slender, hydrodynamic shells and fins or webbed feet that make traveling through water a breeze. Finally, terrapins are the happy medium: semi-aquatic beasties sometimes called pond- or tidewater turtles. They inhabit fresh or brackish water — and the surrounding land — and possess webbed feet and claws that allow them to navigate both in and out of the water. The word “terrapin” is an altered and Anglicized form of “torope,” a word that appears in various forms in the Algonquian languages and referred to the diamondback terrapin.
DEAR READERS,
I’m no poet, but I once wrote a sonnet in high school called “It’s snowing in June,” about the way the cottonwoods spill their seed puffs into the air this time of year. Every time I see the fluffy “snow,” I think back on that poem, which, in turn, makes me think of my dear teachers in high school who helped shape me into the person I am today: Mr. Collins, Mr. McNulty, Mrs. Miller, Mr. Flaim, Mr. and Mrs. Iverson, Ms. Rendall (Sawby), Mr. Marker, Mr. Aunan, Mr. Lassen and so many more. I was so fortunate to have teachers who cared deeply about their students. Thanks to their efforts, I’ve never stopped learning.
So, as we say farewell to the 2025-’26 school season, don’t forget to give thanks to the teachers who guide us along the way. Sometimes all it takes is an encouraging word, an inspiring comment or a kind gesture to turn someone’s life around.
–Ben Olson, publisher
111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com
Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Emily Erickson, Dave Britton, Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm
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Idaho’s only native member of Testudines, the Western painted turtle, is classified as a terrapin. It has a smooth, dark brown shell with yellow stripes along its face that transition into a deep red along its neck and belly. Painted turtles are specially adapted to survive freezing temperatures by using what is essentially a biological antifreeze, flooding their cells with sugars, glycerol and certain amino acids that prevent the formation of ice crystals. That’s, in part, how the painted turtles we know and love today evolved during the last ice age — approximately 115,000 to 11,700 years ago. Their ancestors entered the fossil record even earlier, though, around 15 million years ago.
Even more turtles
“A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: ‘What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.’ The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, ‘What is the tortoise standing on?’ ‘You’re very clever, young man, very clever,’ said the old lady. ‘But it’s turtles all the way down!’”
Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.
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About the Cover:
This week’s cover photo was taken by Racheal Baker, who was out taking a stroll when that May 28 thunderstorm rolled through town.
Bonner GOP unseats Clark Fork committeeman citing residency challenge
Jensen
Heisel: ‘Clark Fork is my home, my community and the place where I have lived, voted and built my life’
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Jensen Heisel won the Bonner County Republican Central Committee precinct committee seat for Clark Fork in the May 19 primary by more than 54% against incumbent Committeeman Dimitry Borisov, but he won’t be serving the community where he’s lived for his entire life and in which he’s been registered to vote for as long he was old enough to do so.
The BCRCC met May 29 and voted to vacate the seat won by Heisel based on a discrepancy over his physical address and the address he used to register to vote.
“Idaho Code § 34-624 requires that a precinct committeeman be a registered elector of the voting precinct for a period of six months preceding his election,” incoming BCRCC Chair Roger Rudd wrote in a news release May 30.“Under Idaho Code § 34-105, a ‘registered elector’ is a ‘qualified elector,’ which Idaho Code § 34-104 defines as a person who is ‘registered as required by law.’ Idaho Code § 34-411 requires that a voter registration contain the elector’s true residence address, supplied under oath.”
The vote on Heisel’s credentials challenge was made after BCRCC committee members meeting at the Sandpoint VFW proceeded on a secret ballot to advance the issue to executive session.
According to Rudd, who won the GOP primary for Bonner County clerk and was elected to the chair’s position at the May 29 meeting, “Mr. Heisel was given the opportunity to respond to the challenge. He acknowledged that the residence address on his voter registration is not his actual residence. The committee determined that his
voter registration is therefore defective under Idaho Code § 34-411 and that he does not meet the statutory definition of a qualified elector.”
In a Facebook post on May 27, Heisel wrote that he had been “targeted by a residency challenge filed by Scott Herndon, who is trying to overturn the voice of Clark Fork voters. I strongly disagree with this challenge. Clark Fork is my home, my community and the place where I have lived, voted and built my life.
“This is bigger than one office. It is about whether the voters of Clark Fork will be respected or pushed aside by political games,” he continued.
Beach Precinct Committeeman Dave Britton spoke against vacating Heisel’s seat on the basis of the address challenge, telling fellow committee members on May 29, “I think it’s clear from the laws, especially [Idaho Code] 6-603, that trying to prevent an elected official from doing what they’re elected to do is illegal. If we do this, everyone who goes for it is committing an illegal act. I’m going to oppose this, of course. It is wrong. It is illegal, it’s a scam. ...
“There is no basis for it. You want to do it just because it’s political and it might get you another vote on the committee or something, but it’s illegal,” he added.
I.C. 6-602 relates to “usurpation of office or franchise,” which states in part, “An action may be brought in the name of the people of the state against any person who usurps, intrudes into, holds or exercises any office or franchise, real or pretended, within this state, without authority of law.”
In a follow up statement shared with the Reader, Britton wrote, “the decision about Jensen’s ‘qualification’ as a voting elector is not the power of the committee, but of the county
clerk, who permitted him to enter the race, which decision could have been challenged during the following 14 days, but was not, so it is now unchallengeable. Further, Jensen denies ever living anywhere outside of the Clark Fork precinct for at least the six months required before the election.”
In an email from outgoing County Clerk Michael Rosedale, and shared with the Reader, Rosedale cited arguments provided by Herndon — who won the May 19 GOP nomination to run for the District 1 Senate seat — related to “the multi-factor test” to prove residency. Among the allegations, according to Herndon, Heisel did not claim a homeowner’s exemption on the property he submitted with his declaration for candidacy to the BCRCC precinct election.
“If a person claims a homeowner’s exemption under § 63-602G on a property, that property is considered their residence for voting purposes,” Herndon wrote. “The exemption requires owner-occupancy — you can only claim it on the home you actually live in. So if you’re claiming the tax break, that’s where you vote.”
What’s more, Herndon claimed to have visited the address and spoke with a woman who had been renting the property for fewer than two weeks at the time.
“A renter is occupying the home with her own belongings,” Herndon wrote in a separate email to Rosedale, with Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall and Borisov as fellow recipients. “He does not eat or sleep there. He has no habitation at the address. The house is being operated as a rental property, which is consistent with the rental listing evidence submitted in my original challenge.”
In his complaint to the County Clerk’s Office, Hern-
don argued that Heisel’s actual address was in the Grouse Creek Precinct, not Clark Fork, based on business filings with the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.
For his part, Rosedale advised Heisel that if he was not eligible to serve as the Clark Fork precinct committeeman, “I suggest you withdraw immediately. If you are eligible, I suggest you immediately address the assertions made by Mr. Herndon.”
Heisel’s response was to “respectfully disagree with the challenge and believe I meet the residency requirements under Idaho law.”
While he confirmed owning the Clark Fork address he used to file his candidacy and that he has been operating it as a rental, he disclosed that he has also been living with his parents at a separate address in Clark Fork while he and his wife are in the process of purchasing another property and building a home — again, also in Clark Fork. Heisel also supplied the Reader with a screenshot of his address filing with the Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles, showing a residential address in Clark Fork — though not the same as the rental property that was formerly his home — and a Sandpoint mailing address, with a valid date through 2028.
In his response, Heisel wrote that he has a “private agreement for living there with my parents” at their address in Clark Fork, and, “The complaint also appears to mischaracterize certain family and mailing arrangements. The residence referenced in the filing is associated with my mother-in-law, not my wife,” which is located in the Grouse Creek precinct.
Review of property records and GIS maps confirmed the names and addresses of individuals and parties to whom Heisel referred.
However, in his complaint, Herndon argued that “the statute does not require mere residency in the precinct. It requires that the candidate have been “a registered elector of the voting precinct for a period of six months ... preceding his election.”
“Temporary use of family residences, receipt of mail at different addresses or use of P.O. boxes does not change my residency in Clark Fork. My business activities also remain centered in Clark Fork,” Heisel wrote. “I have acted in good faith regarding my voter registration and candidacy filing, and I respectfully request that the challenge be denied.”
He directed a further message to Herndon, specifically, warning him against entering property without permission and “will treat it as trespassing and notify the appropriate authorities” should it happen again.
“Please stop contacting me, my renters and my household by phone, text or email outside of proper channels,” Heisel wrote. “My family members are not to be contacted, approached or subjected to any further harassment in connection with this matter.”
Though Herndon brought the matter of Heisel’s residency to the County Clerk’s Office, Deputy Prosecutor Bill Wil-
< see HEISEL, Page 5 >
Jensen Heisel. Courtesy photo
‘Go out with some dignity and honor’ Final LPOHS Teen Living class delivers plant starts to food bank
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Lake Pend Oreille High School teacher Rand Rosecrans believes that learning to grow and preserve your own food isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
That’s been the focus of his Teen Living class at LPOHS, which is celebrating its final days by giving back to the community. Rosecrans’ class of 16 students donated flats of plant starts that they planted from seed to the Bonner Community Food Bank on June 2. The starts will be available to food bank clients to take home and plant in their own gardens.
The Teen Living class is one of the casualties after Lake Pend Oreille School District announced in February that the 117-year-old facility on North Boyer Avenue will close and — by the start of the 2027-’28 school year — LPOHS students will move to the portables behind Sandpoint Middle School. As part of the change, Teen Living will no longer be offered and LPOHS electives will be limited to options offered at Sandpoint High School.
Though he’s out of a job after the school year, Rosecrans said it’s important that his students finish the class with their heads held high.
“There’s been a lot of controversy about the closing of the school,” Rosecrans told the Reader. “The way that I’m going
< HEISEL, con’t from Page 4 >
son shared an opinion with Rosedale, Marshall, county counsel Robert Abel and Civil Deputy Prosecutor Nate Adams that, “Without delving into the substantive issues, I do not believe you [Rosedale] are the proper party to adjudicate the dispute. As the clerk, your obligation at this point is to canvass the election. That is strictly a ministerial function, and I do not see any authority that
out is I’m gonna go out with some dignity and honor and teach my kids what I’ve done.”
Rosecrans — affectionately called “Chef” by his students after decades of working in the food industry — is proud of the legacy left by the Teen Living class.
“This class has done a lot of things to serve back to the community,” he said. “The food bank is near and dear to me because I started out volunteering here 10 years ago and accidentally got a job at LPO ... so it has kind of special significance to me.”
Rosecrans has always taught his students to give to their community and it will give back.
“That’s one of the main things I try to teach my kids; don’t be afraid to go out and help your neighbors,” he said.
LPOHS has occupied the North Boyer facility for decades, serving “at-risk youth”
would allow you to invalidate a candidate who successfully ran for office after the fact. Instead, I believe the correct avenue for challenging the election results would be for a qualified elector in that precinct to sue and establish that Mr. Heisel was not eligible to hold office at the time of the election.”
Idaho Secretary of State’s Office spokesperson Joe Parris told the Reader: “Long story short, that is all handled locally
such as students who are pregnant, failing classes, battling addiction and living through “serious personal, emotional or medical problems,” as laid out in the Idaho Administrative Procedure Act.
“We don’t have a ball team, we don’t have squad,” Rosecrans said. “We don’t have that kind of stuff and do things in real life. Things for people that might need our help. ... My whole philosophy is to show up, be kind and work hard.”
The class grew watermelons, zucchinis, squash, amaranth, broccoli and kohlrabi from seed, which normally would have gone into the food bank garden; but, due to the organization’s impending move to a facility on Kootenai Cutoff Road this summer, the starts will be given out to clients of the food bank who want to add to their home gardens.
“All of these plants were grown by our students,” Rose-
at the central committee level.”
As local Republican leaders such as Herndon have repeatedly pointed out in the past, the BCRCC is a private entity with its own bylaws, giving the committee broad powers over how it regulates itself and its members.
Also in his complaint, Herndon cited I.C. 18-2604 to suggest that Heisel’s “voter registration may contain knowingly false information
crans said. “It’s important to teach kids self-sufficiency ... It’s not just growing the food, it’s storing it, too. ... I don’t think students should get out of school without understanding how to germinate a seed, how to grow their own food, how to harvest it and how to use it.”
The Teen Living class has been one of sophomore Juliet Mercer’s favorites at LPOHS.
“Oh my gosh, this has changed my life,” Mercer told the Reader. “I love this class. We get to garden. We get to help people. Chef’s class is so fun.”
Junior Ash Lally started at LPOHS after Thanksgiving break, having heard about it from her older sister.
“She went here and they helped her out a lot, so she recommended it for me,” Lally told the Reader. “I’ve never actually cared for school. I was always thankful to head home by the end of the day,
regarding his residence,” which is a felony.
However, if Heisel wished to challenge the vacating of his seat, he would have to do so in district court. Heisel has retained legal counsel and is weighing options, according to reports.
In his May 27 Facebook post, Heisel wrote: “I have been a resident of Clark Fork for my entire life, and I have been a registered voter here since I became eligible to
but since going to LPO, in the mornings I wake up and I’m like, ‘I want to go, I want to go,’ and when I have to leave, I’m like, ‘I don’t want to.’”
Lally said the Teen Living class opened a new pathway for her.
“I didn’t know anything about gardening,” she said. “I didn’t know how to plant a seed and keep it alive ... but this class has showed me and helped me understand how. Last year I was able to actually do my own garden at home.”
When asked about the changes coming to LPOHS, Lally said she is trying to keep an open mind.
“I love the school, but I don’t know how much I love the changes,” she said.
vote. I also own property in Clark Fork, and this has been my home and community for all 28 years of my life.”
Following the May 29 vote at the BCRCC meeting, Rudd declared Heisel’s seat vacant under the committee’s bylaws, and the body intends to appoint a replacement at a future meeting, date to be determined.
“The deliberations of the executive session will remain confidential,” Rudd added.
Top left: LPOHS Teen Living students present donated plant starts to Bonner Community Food Bank Executive Director Debbie Love. Top right: Teen Living teacher Rand Rosecrans talks with sophomore Juliet Mercer.
Photos by Ben Olson
Sandpoint’s new paid parking permits go on sale June 8
Program will go into full effect beginning July 1
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Long in the works, Sandpoint’s new paid parking program will go into effect Wednesday, July 1. However, in advance of the final rollout, permit sales will begin Monday, June 8.
Starting at 9 a.m., residents and visitors will be able to buy annual permits and seasonal boat launch permits at sandpoint.thepermitportal.com.
The annual permits cost $20 for city of Sandpoint residents and $35 for Bonner County residents. Resident permit holders will receive up to eight hours of free parking per day in participating city-owned lots, which include the Third Avenue and Church Street lot (a.k.a. “The City Lot”), Bridge Street lot, City Beach, Dock Street Marina lot and Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail lot.
Without a valid permit, users of those facilities will be required to pay an hourly fee beginning July 1.
Meanwhile, seasonal boat launch permits will also be required for unlimited use of the City Beach and War Memorial Field boat launches. Those permits cost $50 per year for vessels registered in Idaho and $100 per year for those registered out-of-state, also available at the new permit portal.
Users without boat launch permits may pay a $10 daily launch fee, which does not include the standard parking rate.
Street parking in the two-hour downtown zones will remain free up to the posted time limit, though parking longer than that will require payment of an hourly fee.
Likewise, parking will remain free up to the three- and four-hour limits in those respective zones. However, users who wish to secure 24-hour parking in downtown lots as well as the threeand four-hour street parking zones — plus up to eight hours in the waterfront lots — can pay $40 per month. That permit is “intended for downtown users who need regular long-duration or overnight parking access,” according to City Hall, and is available to anyone regardless of residency.
“This program helps ensure that the people who benefit from our parking lots, waterfront facilities, boat launches and beaches contribute to their upkeep while keeping access affordable for local residents,” stated Mayor Jeremy
Grimm in a news release.
Even with the new paid parking program, City Hall emphasized that of approximately 1,500 public parking spaces downtown and along the waterfront, more than 1,000 will continue to be available without permits or payment requirements.
More than a year has gone into developing the city’s parking management plan, which followed analysis showing parking shortages during peak periods — most significantly at City Beach and in portions of downtown where prime spaces were taken up for long periods of time, limiting access for downtown businesses, residents and visitors.
Paid parking is to encourage turnover in those locations, while generating revenue to support parking facilities, infrastructure, and improvements at City Beach and other waterfront areas.
Officials said they can’t estimate total permit revenue until the program has been in place, but upward of $250,000 could be generated at City Beach alone between Memorial and Labor days. Meanwhile, assuming the sale of 1,000 city and county permits each in the first year, $20,000 would come from city users and $35,000 would come from county users, given that City Hall is taking no profit on city-resident permits.
The contract for the kiosks and support infrastructure that motorists will use to enter their vehicle information in select locations totaled $210,000, though the city purchased that technology up front, meaning it’s anticipated that hardware costs will be earned back after the first year. The kiosks are expected to be installed the week of June 23.
“Idaho cities have been asked to do more with less,” Grimm stated. “State law limits annual property tax budget growth to 3% per year, while costs for health care, public safety, construction materials, equipment and infrastructure maintenance continue to rise well beyond that rate. ... This program creates a dedicated user-supported revenue source that helps preserve critical community infrastructure without placing the full burden on local taxpayers.”
Find more info — including permits options, rates, maps and frequently asked questions — at sandpointidaho. gov/parking.
Bits ’n’ Pieces
From east, west and beyond
The Congressional Budget Office reported that President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, which he said would cost $175 billion, would actually cost around $1.2 trillion.
In protest of Israel’s recent aggression in Lebanon, Iran is holding Israel and the U.S. responsible, saying a ceasefire was violated. Iran threatened to suspend peace talks, The Guardian reported. Points of contention include Tehran’s demand for the release of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues “frozen” in foreign banks, lifting the Strait of Hormuz blockade and ending Iran’s nuclear weapons abilities. Central bank leaders are warning of a long-term inflation impact from the Iran war.
The recent report on the gross domestic product showed wages and benefits grew 0.8% from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026, while corporate profits increased 2.7%. Former-U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich said workers’ share of the nation’s income is the lowest since records began in 1947. He faulted monopolization by a few corporations that have the power to raise prices and keep wages down, along with the decline of unionization. Only 6% of workers are unionized, compared to more than a third in the 1950s. Reich proposed breaking up giant corporations, increasing taxation for the economy’s highest-earners, regulating AI (and universal basic income for those losing jobs to AI) and universal health care.
Trump’s $800 million cut to Department of Justice crime intervention programs could increase violent crime, experts told The Guardian. Violent crime began decreasing under the Biden-era Safer Communities Act, and continued to do so under Trump. But Trump said crime is down due to his use of the National Guard. That does not explain a 40% crime drop in cities without National Guard presence.
The Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act, recently introduced to Congress, would set 18-year service terms for Supreme Court justices and limit nominations to two per presidential term.
The New Republic reported that Trump is spending $5 million to cover four horse statues in gold. According to Forbes, people punished over com-
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor
ments critical of Charlie Kirk after his death have won millions in lawsuits challenging actions by businesses and institutions ranging from job dismissals to serving jail time. An estimated 600 people were fired or arrested for criticizing Kirk after his death — the largest settlement so far is $835,000
Various media reported that the Trump administration plans to drop its $1.776 billion fund for “victims” of “prosecutorial misconduct” in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. Later, it was said the fund is on “pause.” Then, on June 2, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said it was being “scrapped.”
The settlement included broad immunity for Trump from IRS audits, estimated to save him up to $100 million. Consideration of dropping the fund came when one federal judge planned to halt the fund and another judge spoke of launching an inquiry to determine if the court itself had been a victim of fraud in approving the reparations. Several lawsuits had been filed against the fund, including by Jan. 6 officers who called the fund a “corrupt sham.” Other influences for dropping the fund came from the Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who said failure to do so would hold up passage of a reconciliation bill. In addition, Trump was urged to drop his $1 billion ballroom request so that the bill could pass.
NBC News reported that artists are backing out of America’s 250th birthday performances in D.C. after being listed in the lineup without agreeing to participate or being misled about the event. Meanwhile, memos show the Pentagon is recruiting troops to watch White House UFC fights, The Washington Post reported, and according to New York Magazine, military leaders have banned “fat troops” from the White House during the UFC event.
Blast from the past: “Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind ... institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the same coat which fitted him as a boy, as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.” — Excerpt from a letter from Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. president (1743-1826), and inscribed on the Jefferson Memorial.
Attorneys explain how Idaho’s trans bathroom ban could affect businesses
By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun
In about a month, Idaho’s new law banning transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity will take effect.
Advocates are calling it the most extreme bathroom ban in the country, because it applies in private businesses and could result in up to five years in prison for repeat offenses.
As businesses prepare for the new law to take effect Wednesday, July 1, attorneys with the law firm Idaho Employment Lawyers discussed how to plan for the bathroom ban at a panel event June 2 in Boise.
Here are a few questions they answered:
Is your business affected?
The law, created this year through House Bill 752, allows criminal charges for people who “knowingly and willfully” enter a bathroom or changing room designated for the opposite sex, with some exceptions. The bill would apply in government-owned buildings and places of public accommodations, like private businesses.
This law would apply for most businesses, said Pam Howland, the founder and owner of Idaho Employment Lawyers. The bill uses a definition for “public accommodation,” which already exists in Idaho law.
That existing law defines “a place of public accommodation” as including: “a business, accommodation, refreshment, entertainment, recreation or transportation facility of any kind, whether licensed or not, whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations are extended, offered, sold or otherwise made available to the public.”
That definition would even capture the law firm Howland
founded — because “we do offer services for sale,” she said.
“Even if you don’t have an open retail facility, a restaurant-type facility — even if you don’t think of yourself as a place where you might have the public coming in — you could still be pulled in by this,” Howland said. “... So, from where we’re standing, it’s very broad and most businesses would likely be pulled into this.’”
What are the exceptions?
A first offense carries a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison. A second offense within five years is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
The bill spells out several exceptions to the ban, including:
• For custodial services or maintenance, providing “medical assistance” or “law enforcement assistance,” and to “render aid during a natural disaster.”
• For parents who needs to help their kids, through the following exception: “To a minor child who is in need of assistance and, for the purpose of receiving that assistance, is accompanied by a family member, a legal guardian or the individual’s designee who is a member of the designated sex for the single-sex restroom or changing facility.”
• And an exception commonly called the “dire need” exception, which would apply when someone is “in dire need of urinating or defecating and such facility is the only facility reasonably available at the time of the person’s use.”
Howland said it isn’t yet clear what situations would fall under the “dire need” exception.
But St. Luke’s Health System’s Deputy General Counsel Cody Earl, who said he was not speaking on behalf of the health system, said that ex-
ception “eats away a lot of the statute.” He said he could see a case to be made that anytime someone uses the bathroom, they are in “dire need.”
“But, talk to your agencies and your peers and things like that. ‘How are you navigating it? What is law enforcement wanting to do? And how could you help law enforcement enforce the law while minimizing disruptions to your workplace?’” Earl said.
Earl said he assumes, but isn’t sure, that lactation rooms fall under the bill’s definition of changing rooms. The bill defines changing rooms as “a facility in which a person may be in a state of undress in the presence of others, including a locker room, changing room or shower room.”
How can businesses prepare ahead of time?
Earl suggested starting by seeing if your business meets the definition of a public accommodation, and seeing if parts of the facility are not included in that definition. Then, he suggested, figuring out how many bathrooms you have, and whether any modifications can be made, like changing signs or remodeling bathrooms.
“I will say I did not have on my bingo card in law
school, counting bathrooms at a health system. But I can tell you there are 106 restrooms just at our Boise campus,” Earl said of St. Luke’s.
Rep. Megan Egbert, D-Boise, who opposed the bill and works at Idaho Employment Lawyers, suggested asking local law enforcement agencies how they plan to enforce the law.
Can a business just make their bathrooms gender neutral?
It’s complicated.
Opening up multi-stall women’s and men’s bathrooms to everyone can run businesses into legal compliance issues, Howland said, like with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Doing that might also raise your risk of sexual harassment claims, she said.
But making some bathrooms gender neutral could work in some businesses with enough single-use restrooms, Egbert said.
“I think it could be a solution for some spaces if you have adequate amounts of bathrooms and you have the ability to do that,” Egbert said. “Certainly, if you have
single-use facilities, I think the easiest solution is just to create a unisex space in those single-space facilities.”
Are businesses liable?
The bill criminalizes an individual’s actions to be in a bathroom or changing room designated for the opposite sex. But Egbert said a business could possibly be held liable in certain circumstances.
“An entity can have some liability for aiding and abetting in a crime if they know that it’s occurring, so that’s a whole nother caveat,” Egbert said. “But so I don’t think it’s impossible under even this current bill that an entity could get in trouble.”
But she suspects a bill that failed this year, H.B. 607 — which would’ve allowed lawsuits against businesses that don’t take steps to keep their bathrooms sex-seperated — will likely return again in some form in the Legislature.
This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.
Photo by Ben Olson
Barbs:
• This is, without a doubt, the dumbest timeline in which to be alive. About a decade ago, Congress created a bipartisan organization called America250 to arrange and oversee events commemorating our country’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. As with just about everything President Donald Trump touches, he managed to bungle this important celebration, too.
Trump wrote an executive order last year establishing his own task force, dubbed Freedom 250, which took over management from the bipartisan organization. Trump’s Freedom 250 committee unveiled artists on May 27 for the 16-day series of events planned in D.C. between June 25-July 10. The list included performances by Martina McBride, Poison’s frontman Bret Michaels, Young MC, Vanilla Ice, one-half of Milli Vanilli’s public-facing duo and other has-beens. After artists caught wind that the event wouldn’t be a bipartisan celebration, but instead yet another allabout-Trump event, all but Vanilla Ice canceled. Some hadn’t even been confirmed before their appearances were announced.
In his usual narcissistic fashion, Trump wrote on his social media platform that since artists were pulling out, he is now ordering his staff to cancel the music and transition it into a political rally with just himself, whom he called the “Number One Attraction anywhere in the world!” Did anybody not see this coming?
This anniversary is not about him. People don’t want to hear his self-serving bullshit anymore. This could have been a great celebration for our country, but instead it’s just another chance for Trump to rant about his many grievances. I’ve seen that show before. No thanks.
Priest Lake dam flows harm the environment… A timely reminder to students on politics…
Dear editor,
Last week in two days the Priest River dropped three feet. It does this for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, then rises just as radically in October. These alarming drops and falls are the direct result of the gates closed and opened at the Priest Lake Outlet Dam.
Please take a look at Google folder bit.ly/PLDamFlows to see 15 years of flow history; a 50-second video filmed by a longtime riverfront resident, showing last week’s devastating water level drops; and a one-page report about why this is contributing to the decline of several species of spawning salmonids.
Along with negative impact on cold-water fish, the sudden changes cause banks to collapse exposing water mammals’ dens where they are raising litters, bird nests in the banks are destroyed and wetlands along the river dry up overnight, killing millions of benthic macroinvertebrates larva like damsel flies and dragon flies. The dam is not for electricity, flood mitigation or irrigation. It is so a relatively small amount of people can recreate.
Betty Gardner Priest River
Dear editor,
In two recent Reader issues, Zach Hagadone has really impressed me with his wisdom on politics.
In “Remembering Mr. Miller,” he confessed to liking politics even though it’s fashionable to hate everything about them, which really resonates with me because I also find politics and politicians infinitely fascinating (very fitting, since I teach government at SHS). And, in the most recent “Junk Drawer,” he reminded us that we still have agency when it comes to our elections.
It was a timely reminder as I closed out the year with my seniors in government class. Regardless of their political opinions, many of my students are totally disengaged, apathetic and/ or feel helpless with politics. I pride myself on my political neutrality as a teacher, but that doesn’t mean I cannot consistently urge students to use their right to collective action and to vote! I absolutely stole Zach’s idea that we do have the power to use our voices, and that it’s perfectly realistic for any of us to affect local politics. Hopefully some of them listened to my plagiarized advice on their last day of high school.
Conor Baranski Sandpoint
BY THE NUMBERS
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
19.7%
The share of households earning under $50,000 a year that reported not having enough food or having children miss meals in early 2026, up from 16% in late 2025 and more than triple the 6.7% rate recorded in mid-2020. Grocery prices are up 2.9% year-over-year and there is a broad increase in households skipping meals, using food banks, relying on SNAP benefits or dipping into savings to cover food costs.
80 billion
The amount of barrels of fuel purchased annually by the Defense Department. The agency reported that the price for fuel climbed from $154.14 per barrel in October 2025 to $195.72 in April 2026 — a nearly 27% increase in six months. The price jump could saddle the Pentagon with more than $1 billion in
unplanned costs this year to power jets, tanks and other military equipment.
$4.59
The average price of gasoline per gallon in Idaho, according to AAA, which makes the Gem State the ninth highest average gas prices in the nation.
$166 billion
The estimated amount of money the U.S. government was ordered to pay back, plus interest, to American businesses after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s global tariffs. The Trump administration is resisting the court order, raising the possibility that only some importers will be completely repaid. Tariffs have cost U.S. households an average of $1,200 each in 2025 and an estimated $700 per household in 2026.
PERSPECTIVES Emily Articulated
Feel good
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
A young man walked onto the stage, his body bouncing with anticipation and excitement wrapped in nerves. He smiled broadly and waved at the judges. “My name is Matty J,” he announced. He was 27 years old, originally from the Philippines, but had spent the past three years living in “Glasgooow,” he said through a laugh and playfully borrowed accent.
The judges chuckled and commented on his exuberance, asking what he hoped to get out of appearing on Britain’s Got Talent.
His answer was simple: He wanted to sing every day. To make music. To perform for large audiences. And, with a grin and a dramatic raise of his fist, “to conquer the world.”
As the lights dimmed and the music began, one of the hosts turned to the camera and whispered, “Oh, you know when you just hope someone is really good...”
The feeling was universal. I rarely watch talent shows from start to finish, but clips from Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice, and similar programs find their way to me with surprising regularity. And I often click on them. I’m drawn to the vulnerability of it all: people risking disappointment (or outright humiliation) because they believe they have something worth sharing. There’s something undeniably moving about watching someone bet on themselves in front of millions of audience members.
But more than pulling on my heartstrings, my brain is engaging with them with neurological specificity. Our brains are remarkably good at mirroring the experiences we
observe. We anticipate outcomes alongside contestants, experiencing dopamine-fueled suspense as they begin their performances. We feel connected to their stories, triggering oxytocin and empathy. When they succeed, our brains reward us, too, releasing the same feel-good chemicals that accompany our own moments of triumph. In a sense, we’re borrowing the experience.
Maybe that’s why these videos become an antidote during difficult seasons. When life feels heavy or the news cycle feels relentless, they’re one of the things I can count on to leave me feeling better than when I started.
Matty J stepped away from the microphone stand and began the opening verse of Prince’s “Purple Rain” with quiet confidence. His tone was clear and effortless, moving seamlessly between delicate phrasing and soaring runs. The camera panned to the judges. Their eyes were already beginning to mist over. By the time he reached the chorus, the audience and judges were on their feet, swept up in the beauty and confidence of the performance.
When the song ended, Matty’s reaction was as moving as the performance itself. His emotion sat plainly on his face — hope, relief, disbelief, pride.
One judge told him, “I could see your passion, how much you want this.”
It felt like watching someone’s dreams materialize in real time, as though every doubt and setback had suddenly become worth enduring. The audience began chanting, “Press the Gold!”
The “Golden Buzzer” (each judge’s one-time automatic pass to the final rounds) is reserved for exceptional moments. Simon Cowell, famous for his skepticism and blunt criticism, walked across the stage and pressed it. Gold confetti exploded overhead. Matty threw his head back in pure elation.
A few minutes later, I closed the browser tab, returning to my mundane work task with my chest lighter and heart more full — the cocktail of feel-good chemicals still humming in my brain — as though I reached through my computer and took some of the triumph for myself. The experience wasn’t mine, but some small part of it felt shared.
If you, like me, want to consume more with this kind of emotional lift as a reward, my recommendations extend beyond talent show compilations. Alongside “Golden Buzzer” moments and “Best Blind Auditions,” I’ve recently found the same feeling in Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast.
The premise is refreshingly simple: no “gotcha” journalism, no manufactured conflict, no attempts to create viral controversy or forced promotion. Instead, it’s a seemingly safe space where friends spend time together and enjoy one another’s company.
Guests range from longtime Saturday Night Live collaborators like Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph and Seth Meyers to Parks and Recreation castmates Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza
and Nick Offerman, as well as comedy-loving celebrities such as Billie Eilish and Hayley Williams.
A recurring segment asks guests a simple question: “What’s been making you laugh lately?” And the answers are delightfully mundane. Kate McKinnon enthusiastically recommends videos from “Drain Cleaning Australia.” Paul Rudd points listeners toward news blooper compilations. The conversation repeatedly returns to small joys, harmless obsessions and the strange things that make
life feel a little lighter. Perhaps that’s what all of these recommendations have in common. They aren’t profound. They won’t solve the world’s problems. They won’t make difficult circumstances disappear. But they offer a brief reminder that joy, delight and hope still exist. And sometimes, a little levity is only a YouTube clip away.
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
Emily Erickson.
Science: Mad about
unexplained mysteries
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
No one ever does anything for no reason, but what — exactly — is the driving reason behind doing something can be ambiguous; and, without a written intention left behind, the understanding of why can be lost to history. This week, we’re going to look at a number of examples of things people did or made that may seem weird to us, and which we still don’t completely understand.
Stone spheres of Costa Rica
In the 1930s, the United Fruit Company (Chiquita today, which is one of the most prevalent brands of bananas in any grocery store) was tearing down portions of the Costa Rican rainforest to make room for plantations. In doing so, they unearthed hundreds of nearly perfectly spherical stones. The company demolished several of them, presumably searching for some kind of treasure within. Alas for them, they were solid stone.
The spheres have become a Costa Rican marvel and tourist attraction. Their precise purpose is completely unknown, though speculation holds that they were some kind of waymarkers, status symbols or linked to religious worship, but nobody really knows for sure. They range in size from a few centimeters to more than two meters wide. Each was meticulously carved and polished across several hundred hours of work using stone tools. It’s unknown how this process was completed, especially on the largest spheres that weigh up to 15 tons — three times the weight of a fully grown African elephant.
It’s believed that the spheres were carved over a period of about 2,000 years, ending conspicuously around the invasion of the Spanish beginning in 1502. Costa Rica lacked the mineral resources valuable to conquistadors, leading to its relative abandonment by the Europeans, yet many attempts at colonization in the area were still attempted. It seems that between the 1500s and the 1800s, the knowledge of how to produce the spheres vanished into the annals of history.
Stone Age doodles I got in trouble a lot for doodling in school. Not to toot my own horn, but I was a smart kid, and I grasped the bulk of a lecture without the need for hours of repetitive drilling (at least in elementary and high school). This led to boredom and, rather than drifting off, I gravitated toward doodling to keep my brain and my body engaged, which for some reason was viewed as disrespectful and I quote: “Stupid behavior.”
In recent years, studies have shown that doodling during note-taking helps with information retention. Humans love patterns, and we love contributing to patterns, so associating a pattern with a memory helps us better grasp the important part of what we’re hearing, such as Craig talking about the break room having a 15% increase in donut consumption, which led to 8% more bathroom breaks on the clock and a 145% decrease in productivity.
Someone was listening to Caveman Craig 74,000 years ago in the Blombos Cave in South Africa, where archaeologists discovered what appeared to be an unassum-
ing rock with red banding. The markings were unusual enough that researchers spent another seven years researching the cave to discover that the banding had actually been made by a red ochre crayon. These marks seemed to have been made with no discernible purpose and may be one of the earliest doodles ever discovered. More excitingly, it shows that our brains have enjoyed this sense of pattern recognition for far longer than we’ve known how to write down information. It’s too bad I didn’t know about that when I was in school.
Zig-zag seashell
Our final example is another piece of prehistoric art. This is perhaps one of the oldest forms of artistic expression in general. This particular seashell was inscribed 485,000 years ago in Indonesia, which lines up with the existence of homo erectus, the first known primate to stand and walk upright like we do today. Homo erectus was known to use tools, but they had only been recorded using them in very low-effort scenarios, similar to how modern primates may pick up a sharp rock to smack a coconut for food. Their inability to technologically adapt was actually why they were driven to extinction as the climate changed faster than they could adjust.
One particular specimen of homo erectus apparently decided to use a tool in an unusual manner one day by carving intentional zig-zags into a seashell. This is believed to have been done using a shark tooth, but beyond that, scientists don’t fully understand why. It’s possible this was a territorial display
or some kind of experiment. In all likelihood, though, it just felt good in the moment and the individual decided to sit down and carve fun shapes
into something pretty they found. We’ve all done that from time to time, though likely not with shark teeth. Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner
•The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was first properly identified and named by Europeans in 1792 thanks to the German naturalist Johann Julius Walbaum. Like all trout, rainbows are part of the same family as salmon, called salmonidae
•The rainbow trout is native to a very small region of the world. This includes the West Coast of North America and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. They live almost exclusively in cold water tributaries that lead into the Pacific Ocean.
•Though they are only native to North America and Russia, rainbow trout are easily raised in fish farms and can be found in more than 45 countries across the world.
•There is a subspecies of rainbow trout called steelhead that prefers to live in the ocean. Their scales are more steel-like than rainbows, hence the name. Steelheads are born in freshwater, but live the majority of their lives in saltwater, returning to freshwater only to spawn their eggs.
•Rainbow trout always return to their birthplace to lay eggs. Female trout will find a fine bed of gravel in a calm, but shallow area and dig a small recess called a redd in the gravel bed. There she lays about 2,000 eggs and the male rainbow sprays a sperm-containing fluid called milt over the eggs to fertilize them.
•Rainbow trout are predators, eating land-based insects that fall into the water. They also eat water-based life ranging from smaller fish to eggs, crayfish and shrimp.
•Rainbow trout are so adaptable that they can live in almost any type of water. They cannot, however, live in polluted water. Some water purification facilities even use rainbows to test pollution levels in the water.
•The largest rainbow trout caught in Lake Pend Oreille measured 36.5 inches and was caught in 2019 by 8-year-old Sophie Egizi.
Top: The spheres of Costa Rica. Bottom left: Etchings found on a rock inside Blombos Cave in South Africa. Bottom right: Zig-zag markings dating to 485,000 years ago found on a seashell in Indonesia. Photos courtesy of Wikipedia
Minority report: Once again into the BCRCC
By Dave Britton Reader Contributor
Yikes! The Bonner County Republican Central Committee is still dominated by authoritarian meanness. Immediately after convening for its post-election reorganization meeting on May 29, Precinct Committeeman for Clark Fork Jensen Heisel — duly elected in the May 19 Republican primary election — was attacked by Scott Herndon with his usual technique of waving aside the core issue while shrieking about some extremely detailed fine print that purportedly supports his position.
Some larger context is called for: The dominant majority of the committee still acts in concert with Herndon, making it appear as if he was its leader, just as it has been for the past two years since I was first elected to the Beach Precinct committeeman position. (I ran at the suggestion of Jim Woodward, as part of a statewide effort to improve the Idaho Republican Party.) We moderate Republican P.C.s were able to recruit several more candidates from other precincts to run in this primary, including Heisel, and we did win a few more seats, but not enough to gain a majority.
This was the first meeting after the election, at which by statute the committee must be reorganized, voting in a new slate of officers and delegates to the statewide Republican Party convention, where the party platform is created for the next two years’ legislative sessions.
There will be more to say about that later, but let’s get back to Heisel.
Matt Macdonald, the Humbird P.C., was Herndon’s choice for protem chairman at the end of last year’s session, when Herndon resigned the chair to focus on his senatorial campaign, so Macdonald chaired this initial reorganization meeting May 29, which was supposed to begin with election of a new chairperson. Instead, Herndon took control, immediately moving to unseat Heisel by declaring him to be “unqualified” as an elector, and therefore ineligible to be a P.C.
(To be a P.C., you have to be a “qualified elector,” which means a registered voter, residing in the precinct you are representing for at least six months prior to the election, and continuing to maintain residency in the precinct during your term.)
Whoa! Macdonald chairs, and Herndon has the floor with his motion.
Herndon proclaims that he has evidence that Heisel was not continuously living in the precinct of Clark Fork, so he is not a “qualified elector” and
that the committee is therefore required by Idaho statute to vacate him from that position and not seat him on the committee.
He passes out a page detailing his arguments. Nothing substantiates his allegation that Heisel resided outside of Clark Fork. He speed-talks us through the complex jargon of Idaho statues, finishing with the instruction that we must now vote to instruct the chair to declare Heisel “unqualified” and therefore removed from his seat on the committee. Note: He has the majority of the votes. If this vote is taken, Heisel is out.
A noisy debate ensues. Several key points are raised, including that the committee would be committing a felony by interfering with an elected official’s ability to perform their function. Also, the decision about Heisel’s “qualification” as a voting elector is not the power of the committee, but of the county clerk, who permitted him to enter the race, which decision could have been challenged during the following 14 days, but was not, so it is now unchallengeable. Further, Heisel denies ever living anywhere outside of the Clark Fork precinct for at least the six months required before the election.
Someone moves to end debate — “call the question” — and take the vote.
It turns out that a vote to end debate requires a two-thirds majority, and lo and behold, our valiant and slightly expanded band of moderates now has enough votes to block that move, so at least we can debate and discuss the facts and get everything on the record.
But oops, they don’t want to be on the record defending this indefensible power-grabbing nonsense, so Herndon calls for going into executive session. That means kicking out the public observers and taking no minutes and keeping the contents of the session in confidence. That only requires a majority vote, so it passes.
I can’t write about what happened in the executive session, which took more than an hour. I don’t recall any actual blood being spilled. When it ended, the public was let in to see the committee vote to instruct the chairman to declare Heisel “unqualified,” and removed from the committee.
I’m hoping Heisel will be able to mount a lawsuit to have this reversed. After the executive session he told me that he never stopped residing in Clark Fork Precinct, he moved back and forth between two places he owns — both within the precinct — due to family and business circumstances.
What I can write about is that
I personally find it disgusting that Herndon would feel so confident about high-handedly throwing out a duly elected representative of an important Bonner County precinct. I like Heisel, and I think he will be a fine P.C. for Clark Fork. He’s no California import, he’s a genuine native son. He doesn’t deserve the disrespect and mean-spirited authoritarian attack he’s had to endure from Herndon. I hope the voters in Clark Fork remember this insult to one of their own when Herndon runs in the general election in November and wants their votes.
I hope all the moderate Republicans, RINOs, Independents, unaffiliated voters and currently-underage-but-soonto-be-able-to-vote youth will turn out in massive numbers to help us get out from under this scourge in the next election.
By the way, the BCRCC elected Roger Rudd, the GOP-nominated county clerk, to be its new chairman since Herndon can’t serve in that capacity if he is elected as District 1 senator in November. All eyes will be on Rudd as he takes on two new helms. Will he be a Herndon stalking horse for Christian nationalism, or an independent voice for common sense, good government and rational politics?
Sadly, Rudd has since issued what I consider to be a grossly distorted statement that rationalizes the BCRCC’s attack on Heisel while violating the executive session requirement of confidentiality, and arrogating power to the committee that correctly belongs to the Judiciary Branch of government, while falsely interpreting Heisel’s words.
It’s not a good start for government integrity — just Herndon creating more costs for the county if Rudd can’t get the committee to back off.
Dave Britton serves as Beach Precinct Republican committeeman.
Survey asks residents to help shape Sandpoint’s future infrastructure priorities
By Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm Reader Contributor
Recently, the publisher of this newspaper offered a “Bouquet” to the city of Sandpoint after driving the newly reconstructed Pine Street. He wrote that he “smiled at that smooth glide over fresh asphalt” and was pleased to see his tax dollars invested in infrastructure and road repairs. He closed with a simple statement: “Now do more streets!”
I couldn’t agree more.
The reality is that most residents notice infrastructure only when it fails — or when it is finally repaired. Roads, sidewalks, stormwater systems, parks, parking facilities and public buildings all require ongoing maintenance and periodic replacement. Unfortunately, the cost of construction has risen dramatically while the revenue available to cities has not kept pace.
In Sandpoint, Pine Street and the upcoming Cedar Street reconstruction project represent the only major street reconstruction projects completed or funded over the past two years. Yet our adopted transportation plan identifies more than $100 million in needed street and sidewalk improvements over the next 20 years. At current funding levels, we simply cannot address these needs at the pace residents would like to see.
This is not a challenge unique to Sandpoint. Communities throughout Idaho are grappling with the same reality: Infrastructure built by previous generations is aging faster than current revenues can replace it.
Fortunately, Idaho law provides one potential tool. Resort cities with populations under 10,000 have the ability to ask voters whether they wish to adopt a local option sales tax (LOT) for specific purposes. Unlike property taxes, an LOT captures revenue from visitors, seasonal residents and others who use Sandpoint’s roads, sidewalks, parks, beaches, parking facilities and other public amenities.
Importantly, no final proposal has been developed and no ballot language has been adopted. Over the coming months, the Sandpoint City Council will consider whether to place an LOT measure on the November ballot. If the council chooses to move forward, they will need to determine both the specific projects that would be funded and the duration of the measure. Before those decisions are made, we want to hear
directly from the people who live here.
That is why we have launched the Sandpoint 2026 Community Survey.
The survey is not simply asking whether residents support or oppose a local option sales tax. It asks residents to evaluate the condition of our streets and sidewalks; identify transportation
and community priorities; rank potential projects; and share their views regarding accountability, project selection, funding duration and other important issues.
Sandpoint 2026 Community Survey
Sandpoint voters considered a similar measure in 2024. While it received just over 50% support, it did not reach the 60% supermajority required by Idaho law. If a future proposal is to be considered, we believe it should be informed by broad community input regarding what projects matter most and how residents would like to see any measure structured.
to help the City Council understand community priorities before making decisions regarding potential ballot language, project selection, or duration.
menti.com/also4zq3ed1d
I encourage Sandpoint taxpayers to take a few minutes to complete the survey and share their thoughts. Good decisions begin with good information, and the more voices we hear from, the better equipped we will be to make informed choices about Sandpoint’s future.
You can access the survey at: menti. com/also4zq3ed1d
In short, we are asking a fundamental question:
“If Sandpoint has an opportunity to make long-term investments in its infrastructure and community assets, what should those investments be?”
Whether you support an LOT, oppose it or remain undecided, your opinion matters. The survey is designed
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important community conversation.
Jeremy Grimm has served as Sandpoint mayor since 2024, served as Sandpoint city planner from 2007-2015 and is owner/land use planner at Whiskey Rock Planning + Consulting.
Hope Barns selected as local Democrats’ scholarship winner
By Reader Staff
The Bonner County Democratic Central Committee recently announced Hope Barnes as the recipient of its annual Erik Robin Bruhjell Scholarship.
High School seniors graduating in 2026 who applied for the $500 scholarship were asked to write a personal essay of 500 words on why they feel it is important to serve their community in either service or by participating in civics.
Applicants were asked to demonstrate involvement in political matters, working with the Democratic Party or in community service. Other requirements included a transcript of their grades and a common scholarship application, including their college of choice and career plan.
In addition, senior applicants were required to submit a two-page essay about why they believe they deserve a scholarship and provide two letters of reference — one from a teacher and one from a non-teacher.
Twenty-four applications and essays were submitted by seniors in Sandpoint, Priest River and Clark Fork, as well as homeschooled high-schoolers.
Barnes will be the 2026 SHS valedictorian at graduation and intends to become a doctor. In addition, she completed nearly 100 hours of community service and held down after-school jobs.
In her personal essay, Barnes stressed that her interest in political activism was inspired and shaped by her mother. Accompanied by her mom, Barnes attended events such as the Sandpoint Women’s March and regular civic engagement opportunities such as City Council meetings. She also participated in two of the local “No Kings” protests.
“There is power in educating yourself first and then actively making a difference,” Barnes wrote. She also stated that her upbringing “has taught me that community is strongest when everyone participates in its well-being.” Her essay concluded with: “The measure of a community lies in how it protects every individual.”
The Bruhjell Scholarship is named for the SHS student who died unexpectedly in 2018 at the age 22 shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Gonzaga University. Bruhjell loved learning and
was committed to it and community service. As an SHS student, he founded the SHS Human Rights Club and was a member of the Interact Club — a student Rotary organization. Subsequently, he was a student board member on the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force working closely with the Sandpoint City Council.
To learn more about the Bonner County Democratic Central Committee, or to get involved, email bonnerdemocrats@gmail.com or visit bonnercountydemocrats.org.
Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm. File photo
Bonner County Democrats Scholarship Chair Sylvia Humes with recipient Hope Barnes. Courtesy photo
KRFY 88.5 celebrates 15 years on the air with party at Matchwood
By Reader Staff
Since 2011, Panhandle Community Radio has had the honor of bringing local voices to the airwaves. The only nonprofit, noncommercial radio station in North Idaho is celebrating this 15th anniversary and wants to invite as many of those community members as possible to join in raising a toast from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday, June 6 at Matchwood Brewing Co., 513 Oak St., in Sandpoint.
In keeping with a community project that started out as an idea hatched over beers at a local pub, the party will also feature a new “Community Can” from Matchwood Brewing called “15 Beers On Air.” This is the latest in a series of limited-run brews from Matchwood that are created in collaboration with local community organizations. Proceeds from the sale of “15 Beers On Air” go to benefit KRFY, which is a 501(c)(3).
The gathering is open to all ages. Live music will be provided by Sandpoint’s own RFB. Also known as Right Front Burner, the trio of Paul Gunter, Alva Street and Dave Pecha plays a medley
of classics and deep cuts in their own signature funk-soul-pop-rock style.
A 15th anniversary cake will also be provided by The Cakery on First Avenue. Much like the “15 Beers On Air” four-packs, this cake will only be available while supplies last.
In addition, the station will temporarily move its broadcast operation from
its First Avenue studio to a booth at the party for the duration of the event, while interested guests will be invited to join the broadcast.
For more information and stream live, go to krfy.org.
Design for the KRFY “15 Beers On Air” community beer can from Matchwood Brewing Co. Courtesy image
COMMUNITY
Inaugural 5K run/stadium climb honoring 9/11 planned for July 4
Organizers seeking registrants and local sponsors
By Reader Staff
As the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks nears, an inspiring new event in Sandpoint aims to bring together families, businesses, first responders, veterans and others for a morning of remembrance.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Tower Climb will take place on Saturday, July 4, with an opening ceremony at 7 a.m. at the south end of the Long Bridge. The 5K starts at 7:30 a.m. and will cross the bridge. The stadium climb will begin at 8:46 a.m. (commemorating the time the first airliner hit the World Trade Center on 9/11) and will take place at War Memorial Field. This portion of the event will consist of 17 revolutions of the main bleachers.
The function is part of a nationwide series of more than 80 events occurring that day inspired by the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk NYC, which retraces FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller’s final footsteps on 9/11. Siller’s story of sacrifice ultimately led to
the creation of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and the organization continues to support injured veterans and first responders with various programs.
“This year carries especially deep significance as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America,” wrote volunteer organizer Berit Ollestad.
“We believe there could not be a more meaningful year to launch this event in Sandpoint and unite our community in remembrance, patriotism, service and support for our nation’s heroes.”
Ollestad is seeking local businesses and organizations who are interested in sponsoring the inaugural event, with benefits including logo placement on shirts and signage, vendor table opportunities and more. Sponsorship packages are available from the $250 booster level to $10,000 presenting sponsorships. All donations are tax deductible. Write to Ollestad at sandpointclimb@t2t.org for more information or to donate.
CAL grant recipients will be honored this month
By Reader Staff
The Community Assistance League will present recipients on Monday, June 8 with checks totaling more than $150,000 to nearly 40 deserving local, nonprofit organizations — all recipients of this year’s grants.
Each organization provides a significant service to the citizens of Bonner County, whether in easing lives of families who struggle or lending support to those who are ailing, or opening doors to new skills for children, or enriching lives through the arts and nature or more.
CAL extended congratulations to the Arts Alliance/Creations, Bonner Community Food Bank, Bonner Homeless Transitions, Bonner Partners in Care, Bonner Soil and Water Conservation, Clark Fork-Hope Area Seniors, Community Cancer Services, Dover Historical Committee, Festival at Sandpoint, Food for Our Children, Friends of the Waterlife Discovery Center, Helping Hands Healing Hearts, Hope Elementary School, Memorial Community Center, Mighty Monarch Conservation Group, Music Bridges Borders, Music Conservatory, NAMI Far North Idaho, Panhandle Community Radio, Pan-
handle Special Needs, Panida Theater, POAC-Kaleidoscope and Ovations, Ponderay Police Department, Sagle Fire District, Sandpoint Area Seniors, Sandpoint High School, Sandpoint Nordic Club, Sandpoint Trailblazers Mountain Bike Team, Sandpoint Youth Center, Selkirk Conservation Alliance, Selkirk Outdoor Leadership, Southside Elementary School, UCAN and VFW Post No. 2453.
CAL has been dedicated to improving the lives of Bonner residents through philanthropy for more than 40 years. While personal monetary donations are always welcome, the bulk of the monies come from proceeds from Bizarre Bazaar. The organization’s upscale resale store at 114 S. Boyer Ave., in Sandpoint, is successful because of a unique three-way partnership: the CAL volunteers who run the store, the community that shops there, and friends and neighbors all over the area who donate their gently used goods.
“These grants are truly a gift from the Bonner community to the Bonner community,” CAL stated in a news release. “Donations and shoppers have made it possible. Together, we are all making a difference.”
For more info, visit.calsandpoint.org.
Festival at Sandpoint welcomes five new board members
By Reader Staff
The Festival at Sandpoint recently welcomed five new members to its board of directors: Mike Eisenstat, Barb Leedle, Heather Twidt, Justin VanCleave and Willie Wittezehler.
“I am excited to welcome Mike, Barb, Heather, Justin and Willie to the board and look forward to seeing how their diverse backgrounds and professional expertise help guide the Festival as we continue to expand our impact and grow the organization,” Festival at Sandpoint Board President Ben Higgs stated.
Eisenstat moved to Sandpoint in 2023 after retiring from a career in technology, drawn to the area by its natural beauty and strong sense of community. As a regular concertgoer and lifelong music enthusiast, he is excited to support the Festival and help steward the organization into the future.
Leedle, a former high school English teacher, earned degrees in communications
and teaching and taught across the country, retiring from Sandpoint High School in 2023. Since moving to Sandpoint in 2009, she has been a longtime supporter of the Festival and is excited to contribute to its future and educational programming. She is also active in the community through volunteer work with Better Together Animal Alliance and Friends of the Library.
Twidt is a born-North Idahoan and graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in accounting. She currently serves as head of accounting at Homera Health, overseeing financial operations for multiple telehealth and technology entities. She also serves as treasurer for several nonprofit organizations, including the Coeur d’Alene Library Foundation, Selkirk School and Gizmo-CDA.
Wittezehler was raised in Sandpoint, attending his first live concerts at the annual summer series, experienc-
Bonner County Fairgrounds gearing up for Sandpoint Arenacross
By Reader Staff
The eighth annual Sandpoint Arenacross returns to the Bonner County Fairgrounds, 4203 N. Boyer Ave. for Round 1 of the MtnMoto Triple Crown Series on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6.
Featuring high-flying motocross action from professional, amateur and youth racers, attendees will enjoy food vendors, a beer garden and covered grandstands while watching the racing action.
General admission gates open at 6 p.m. and races start at 7 p.m. both days. Tickets are available online or at the gate (cash-only on race days), with admission of $20 for adults, $15 for kids 6 and under, and $15 for military and first responders with ID.
Rider sign-up is available online or from noon-2 p.m. at the day-of sign-up booth if spots remain available. Pits
es that sparked his lifelong appreciation of music and the Festival. Wittezehler is creative director of Roadtrip Nation, an organization focused on career exploration and storytelling that he grew from a startup to a national nonprofit. He is looking forward to following his father Bob Witte’s example of lifelong commitment to service to the Festival and the community.
VanCleave also joins the Board of Directors, bringing his own dedication to community involvement and support for the arts as the Festival
open at noon.
After the Sandpoint event, the action will move to the first-ever arenacross at the Stateline Speedway on Wednesday, July 29 and in Kennewick, Wash. at the Benton County Fairgrounds, with a date to be determined.
For more info and to get tickets, go to mtnmotoco.com.
continues to grow its impact across the region.
Learn more about the Festival at Sandpoint’s Board of Directors at festivalatsandpoint.com/ board.
The Festival at Sandpoint welcomes five new members to its Board of Directors: (top from left) Mike Eisenstat, Justin VanCleave, Willie Wittezehler, (bottom from left) Barb Leedle and Heather Twidt. Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
COMMUNITY KNPS to host native plant sale
By Reader Staff
Native plants will be on display and for sale on Saturday, June 6 at the annual Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society’s popular Native Plant Sale. Sales will begin at 9 a.m. sharp, ending at noon or when the inventory has been depleted.
“Plants go fast at this eagerly anticipated event where early attenders get the best pick,” KNPS stated in a news release. “Experienced native plant gardeners will be on hand to help in choosing the best plants for specific garden conditions.”
A wide variety of native trees, shrubs and perennials grown by Cedar Mountain Perennials — a native plant nursery located in Athol — are the main feature of this fundraising event. There will also be a selection of fun and funky garden art and KNPS publications will be on sale. Baked goods and coffee will be available by donation.
The Mighty Monarchs will provide native milkweed seeds and planting
information to attract monarch butterflies to home gardens, and Master Naturalists will sell their handcrafted bird and native bee houses. The Bonner County History Museum’s First Saturday will also feature free admission on June 6 to all their engaging exhibits and special kids’ Hands on History activities.
The plants and yard art will be dis-
photo
played between the Museum parking lot and the Museum building at 611 S.Ella Ave. in Lakeview Park, Sandpoint. The activity is co-sponsored by the city of Sandpoint.
For more information on the plant sale and other KNPS activities, visit nativeplantsociety.org.
Courtesy
Schweitzer recognized for environmental stewardship award
By Reader Staff
Schweitzer was recently recognized as the Golden Eagle Award winner for Community and Partnerships at the annual National Ski Areas Association convention held in Carlsbad, Calif. The award was for a collaborative composting program that involved the University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center, Resource Synergy and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.
“We are so proud to be the recipient of this award, as it represents the power of our Sandpoint community working together to create local solutions that help protect our environment,” stated Dani Demmons, vice president of Family Programs at Schweitzer. “Earning the Golden Eagle Award is a big deal in our industry and we couldn’t have done it without our partners and a little bit of patience.”
The idea for the project began in 2021 with a resort-wide waste audit
performed by Resource Synergy, a Spokane-based environmental consultant that is contracted to facilitate sustainability initiatives at Schweitzer. The audit revealed that 32% of the weight of waste that the resort produces each year was food waste. In 2022, Schweitzer ran a compost pilot program which resulted in rough projections indicating a potential savings equivalent to 17.95 tons of carbon dioxide during the ski season alone. This confirmed that a compost program would have both positive environmental and financial impacts.
“While the data was compelling enough to suggest kickstarting a community composting program, the startup hurdles were difficult to overcome. We needed a large capital investment and a space big enough to hold the equipment,” stated Demmons. “After several failed attempts working with the county to help secure grant funding and space for the program, we had tabled the idea.”
When the Kootenai Tribe applied for
and received the EPA SWIFR grant and selected Resource Synergy as consultant, things finally came together. The tribe used the grant to purchase the equipment and supplies needed, including the commercial in-vessel composting unit, to help create a composting program. Sandpoint Organic Agricultural Center was eager to partner for operation at its campus located at the base of Schweitzer — making the equipment accessible to the resort and the broader community. The Kootenai Tribe will turn over ownership of all equipment purchased through the grant to SOAC at the end of the grant period in May 2027.
“Kootenai’s decision to gift the equipment reflects their commitment to supporting projects that create the greatest impact for their citizens and community,” stated Erik Makinson, founder and president of Resource Synergy. “With additional financial support from Alterra to place the equipment, we were able to get the project up and running for the winter season.”
For more information visit schweitzer.com.
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com
Artist reception: Heather Mehra-Pedersen
5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
See Pedersen’s vibrantly colored pieces
Live Music w/ Jenny & Rich
6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Buckley Storms duo
8-11pm @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ Nobody Famous
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Double Shot Band
5-7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Chase Champagne
5:30-8:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Music w/ Dominick Antonelli
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live Music w/ Spool Effect
9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ Dexter King
5:30-8:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments
6-8pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
Live Music w/ Nic Allen
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Piper’s Rush
8:30pm @ The Hive
Playing the rock music of Rush
Live Music w/ Jenny & Rich
6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar
Sandpoint Chess Club
9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee
Weekly BCA 8-ball tournament
Noon @ Roxy’s Lounge
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live trivia w/ Toshi
7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live piano w/ Jennifer Stoehner
5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Open mic/jam
5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Beginner Argentine tango class
7pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St.
No partner needed. $15
Benny on the Deck patio concert
5:30-8:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Film screening: Heightened Scrutiny
6pm @ United Methodist Church
Hosted by Bonner Co. Human Rights
Task Force. Free special screening
THURSDAY, june 4
Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live Music w/ Chris Paradis
6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
FriDAY, june 5
SIDEBOOB: ’90s Prom concert
8:30pm @ The Hive
All-femme band fronted by Shook Twins and Megan Letts playing 1990s gems. Sparkly attire recommended!
Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar
Live Music w/ Monarch Mountain Band
6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Music w/ DJ Sterling 9pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
SATURDAY, june 6
Hands on History
10am-2pm @ Bonner Co. History Museum
Historical crafts for kids. Free entry
Summer Kickoff: Color Fun Run
10am-noon @ Travers Park
A half-mile untimed family fun run
KRFY Summer Bash
2-6pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Celebrate KRFY’s 15th anniversary
Live Music w/ Sydney Dawn 6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ BTP 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Mobius Riff
6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
SunDAY, june 7
Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s
Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh 3-5pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
monDAY, june 8
Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome
tuesDAY, june 9
Big Rock Karaoke night 9pm-midnight @ Roxy’s Lounge
wednesDAY, june 10
Sandpoint Farmers Market
3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park
Live music, produce, artisan wares
ThursDAY, june 11
Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
June 4 - 11, 2026
Open Irish jam
5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Weekly BCA 8-ball tournament
6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Youth fly fishing clinic
8:30am-noon @ WaterLife Discover Center For Grades 7 through high school
Sandpoint Arenacross 7pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds
Dirt bike race series
Live Music w/ Jacob Robin 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Live Music w/ Blue Krawdads
6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Friends of the Library monthly book sale 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library
Featuring summer sports and fun summer reads. Also, books featured relating to July 4 and the U.S. Constitution
Sandpoint Arenacross 7pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds Dirt bike race series
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market
9am-1pm @ Farmin Park
Live music, produce, artisan wares
Old Time Fiddlers jam
2-4pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center
Bring an instrument and join in, or just come to listen. Free
Live Music w/ Dean Johnson
7pm @ Panida Theater
Seattle-based folk singer-songwriter. Tickets at panida.org
East Coast swing dance lessons 7pm @ Danceworks Studio Learn to dance w/ Muffy Nye. $15
Trivia w/ Davey 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
MCS presents: Frozen Jr. 4pm & 7pm @ Panida Theater
See Page 19 for more info
Live piano w/ Peter Lucht 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Family Night, live music w/ John Firshi
5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Open bluegrass jam
5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Weekly BCA 8-ball tournament
6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Music Conservatory presents Frozen Jr.
By Reader Staff
The weather might be warming up outside, but the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint is about to get chilly.
MCS presents Disney’s Frozen Jr., an enchanting modern classic based on the 2018 Broadway musical. Join Anna, Elsa and friends for a spectacular musical filled with unforgettable songs and a heartwarming story about sisterhood and acceptance.
When faced with danger, Princesses Anna and Elsa discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood.
Frozen Jr. is a production by MCS’
Young Performers and Musical Theater troupes. It is directed by Janice Wall and features music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, based on the book by Jennifer Lee.
MCS will host four performances of Frozen Jr. on Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10, with shows at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. both days at the Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., in Sandpoint.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $12.50 for students and free for children aged 6 and under. Purchase tickets at panida.org and learn more at sandpointconservatory.org.
Jacquelynn Pelton Henney, 1935-2026
My beloved “1957 bride” Jacquelynn Henney of Sandpoint, Idaho (“Mumsie” to her loving family), passed away Sunday afternoon, May 31, at home after a lengthy struggle with dementia. Born Jan. 25, 1935 in Los Angeles, Jackie worked her way through the University of California, attending the Santa Barbara and Riverside campuses before graduating from Cal-Berkeley. Asked if she had become a famous Berkeley physicist, Mumsie replied, “I went there to have fun and to find a man. I did both, and got an A in archery.”
Her family — husband, three children and four grandkids, plus horses and dogs — were the lights of her life. The planet never knew a more beloved partner, mother and grandmother. Her heart and smile were as large as the adventuresome and loving life she led.
and Presbyterian churches and of PEO. She was a constant reader and musically a Willie Nelson and John Prine devotee. She tended a green dining room jungle and championed society’s underdogs. She volunteered at CASA and later at a Sandpoint thrift store to assist handicapped children.
At Cal-Riverside, modest Jackie was elected the first homecoming queen of the new campus, a title that embarrassed her in later years when I would share her collegiate celebrity with friends. For several early-1950s summers, she worked at a juice stand in the original Lake Arrowhead Village in the San Bernardino Mountains and became an accomplished water skier on then-public and pristine Lake Arrowhead. In the summer of 1956, her senior college year, with an unconventional pixie haircut, wearing sandals and no makeup, Jackie Pelton of Whittier met yours truly of Long Beach on the Berkeley campus. She smiled that incredible smile and that was it! When I phoned after having been introduced that afternoon Jackie didn’t remember who I was, or seem to care. After I said I was the guy with the small British roadster and the huge German shepherd in the jump seat, she consented to accompany me, top down, to San Francisco the following Saturday night to hear the Kingston Trio.
Upon graduation, Mumsie returned to Lake Arrowhead to teach kindergarten. We wed a year later on Block Island, R.I., off the Connecticut coast. Our first home was a cozy walkup brownstone studio apartment in bohemian Greenwich Village, N.Y. Rent was $105 a month, which we considered expensive. Jackie commut-
ed to New Jersey to teach school via the celebrated “Take The A Train” of Duke Ellington big band fame; from underground Greenwich Village north to the George Washington Bridge, by bus over the Hudson River, then a hike to school. She later taught at a prep school in Indianapolis.
During many years living first in New York and then in leafy commuting suburbs of the city, we became enthusiastic fans of Broadway musicals. The 1950s were Broadway’s golden age and we saw many fabled performances with original casts. Between corporate and personal moves, Mumsie reared her three absolutely perfect kids in Indianapolis, Ind.; Pines Lake, Glen Rock and Ridgewood, N.J.; Lloyd Harbor, N.Y., Palos Verdes, Calif.; and twice in the farming community of Geneseo, Ill. Mumsie and I moved to Sandpoint, our 14th home, in 2005 from Logan, Utah.
A dedicated environmentalist, Jacquelynn in the early 1970s helped launch a recycling program in Illinois. A devoted gardener and naturalist, on none of the properties we owned did she apply herbicides, insecticides or pesticides. She had the greenest of thumbs and adored bees, birds and butterflies. With tissues she rescued house spiders and ladybugs, gently escorting them outside. A dressage rider for years before dementia claimed her, Jackie kept backyard horses and free-range chickens coast to coast.
She gave names to her hens and this caused family trauma when hawks and owls intervened, as they were disposed to do. Cats and dogs also were always much loved regular family members. Mumsie was a modern Luddite and something of a contrarian. She preferred an open window and ceiling fans to air conditioning and dismissed computers, cellphones and social media as retrograde gadgetry. AI, whatever that is, wouldn’t have had a chance with Mumsie. For years she played club tennis and sailed on the Mississippi River, Long Island Sound, on Western mountain lakes and with family in the West Indies. Racing against fellow sailors across the Mississippi in a stiff wind, the skipper (me) would shout, “Ready about!” as we headed briskly for a threatening rocky embankment. Mumsie, at the helm, was known to reject such urgent commands if she considered them premature. We were lucky to come out alive.
In the 1980s, having returned to Illinois after 1986 retirement from AT&T in New York, we owned a small farm near our in-town home. Mumsie operated a business there with friends called Corn Crib Crafts & Collectibles, in a corn crib. It failed to gain Fortune’s list of largest conglomerates. She also helped start an informal group of lady hikers that continues with local granddaughters to this day.
Jacquelynn was a sporadically active member of the Friends, Congregational
During winters spent in Moab, Utah, she volunteered as an animal shelter dog walker. She contributed to Sierra Club, Habitat For Humanity, Planned Parenthood, the Humane Society and a Native American school. She preferred PBS television and NPR radio to commercial networks. Living in Utah In 1996, Jacquelynn was among church members and Utah State U. faculty friends who started and operated the Stokes Nature Center in Logan Canyon, a thriving organization today.
Mumsie was preceded in death by her parents, John and Roberta Pelton of Whittier, Calif., and by two young brothers, Dean and Dale Pelton, who perished at sea aboard a sailboat in the Bermuda Triangle with their father in 1963 when they were 9 and 11.
She is survived by children Tim B. Henney (Mary Christa) of Waikoloa, Hawaii; Heidi Gatch (Peter) of Park City, Utah; and Justin Henney (Angela) of Sandpoint and by grandchildren Theodosia Henney of Oakland, Calif.; Scott Henney (Revan) of New York and Adeline and Violet Henney of Sandpoint. Also by brothers John Pelton (Carol) of Pomona, Calif., and Leimana Pelton (Jenette) of Hawaii.
“Mumsie wumsie, puddin’ and pie, kissed the horses and made them sigh. When the hens came out to play, she gave them names and they would lay.” Over the decades, Mumsie’s family constantly ribbed her with such clever poetry.
No service is planned. Memorials may be made to Better Together Animal Alliance, 870 Kootenai Cutoff Road, Ponderay, Idaho, 83852.
Goodbye, dearest Mumsie. Our deepest gratitude and love to you forever and ever and ever. Nighty night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.
— Submitted by Tim Henney and family
MUSIC
Eichardt’s to host touring musician Dominick Antonelli
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
For Dominick Antonelli, creating music has very much been a personal journey.
Playing instrumental and lyrical original songs, Antonelli’s style is inspiring, healing and contemplative. He’ll play a show at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 6 at Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., in Sandpoint.
The Pittsburg-born musician now lives in Fort Collins, Colo., where he studies music and recording arts at Front Range Community College.
Antonelli has been playing guitar for more than 20 years and has written originals for more than 15 of those.
He plays a finger-style acoustic guitar with unique alternate tunings that give his instrument a much wider sound.
“It feels like a more full sound,” Antonelli told the Reader. “People have often shared that it sounds like there’s more than one guitar being played.”
The various alternate tunings allow him to accomplish rhythm and melody parts simultaneously, “so I’m able to play by myself and have a full, rich sound, rather than having to rely on another person,” he said.
Antonelli said he began exploring these unique tunings of the guitar because it
became a process for understanding more about life within the music he was making.
“It allowed me to express and play and process things that had happened earlier in life that I didn’t know how to vocalize,” he said. “It gave me a way to etch out and explore and go on a treasure hunt, so to speak, in finding my sound.”
Antonelli’s instrumentals are intricate and expansive, often returning to familiar-sounding motifs that help build backdrops of sound. Songs with lyrics are often introspective, as if he’s working out the troubles of his soul in verse. Coupled with his use of Ableton, an audio workstation that can be used for live and studio recording, Antonelli said he’s found the sound he’s been looking for.
“When I first committed to playing music, it was just my therapy,” Antonelli said. “I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it. But, when I made the commitment to study music, all of these doors started opening, musically speaking.”
Antonelli said he no longer uses the guitar as his only form of therapy, finding a love for the instrument that he began playing as a child when he learned as a way to spend time with his father.
“But then, I quickly realized there’s something else happening here,” he said.
“When I was 12 or 13, gears started turning. Originally I played to hang out with my dad, but it quickly turned into my processing agent.”
Antonelli said he used music to help get through a period where he struggled with various substances years ago, and now it has invoked a joy and curiosity that has helped him share — and heal — at the same time.
Antonelli just released his latest album The Only Road Back Home, which listeners can check out for free at linktr.ee/ dantonellimusic.
He embarked on his first nationwide tour on May 28 and plans to live on the road until August, playing almost 50 shows and covering 13,000 miles. The Eichardt’s show will mark his first foray into Idaho.
Antonelli said he’ll play a mix of songs from his latest album at the show, as well as others from past efforts.
“They’re really chill and full, and melodic and meditative as well,” he said.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in
Sandpoint
Piper’s Rush, The Hive, June 6
Bands don’t come much bigger than Rush — the Toronto, Canada-based powerhouse has been the epitome of rock superstardom since its origins in 1968 and, though its members have changed over the decades, its blend of progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal has persisted. Paying homage to the originals is Piper’s Rush, the Pacific Northwest’s premier Rush tribute group helmed by Jody
Piper with Matt Smith and Jacques Croome bringing “the most authentic Rush sound to the stage every night.” The iconic hits come to The Hive on Saturday, June 6. Rush, don’t walk, to get tickets.
— Zach Hagadone
Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8:30 p.m.; $15 advance, $20 at the door; 21+. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-920-9039, livefromthehive. com. Listen at pipersrush.com.
Dean Johnson, Panida Theater, June 7
Seattle-based folk singer-songwriter Dean Johnson possesses an innate talent and commitment to a sound that harkens back to the height of soft ’70s songs by the likes of John Denver and James Taylor. It’s rare outside of pop to hear a soft, swaying voice like Johnson’s, which is higher and almost androgynous. His newest album, I Hope We Can Still Be Friends, takes full advantage of that, evoking a wistful
This week’s RLW by Soncirey Mitchell
READ
I have the best friends in the world, and they know me very well. Case in point, for my birthday, two such darlings gave me Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World’s Most Infamous Items by J.W. Ocker. It tells of the unlucky events surrounding history’s most accursed places and things, from Tutankhamun’s tomb to James Dean’s Porsche. It’s also peppered with “practical” knowledge about how to avoid and enact curses. Find it at the library.
LISTEN
nostalgia almost like a lullaby, but with more twang. Listen to his music on most streaming platforms, then head over to the Panida Theater for the real deal. The next stop on his tour will take him to Denmark, so catch him while you can.
— Soncirey Mitchell
7-9 p.m., $25. Panida Little Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208263-9191, panida.org. Listen on deanjohnsongs.com.
The early 2000s were the heyday of ethereal pop, but thankfully, Cigarettes After Sex is keeping the genre alive. The group’s ambient, shoegaze-style music is often described as “dream pop” for its slow, trance-like melodies that get stuck in your head easily. My favorite song is still “Apocalypse,” but the band just released a new entrancing single, “Twizzler,” that’s worth a listen. Find it, and Cigarettes’ three studio albums, on most streaming platforms.
WATCH
I recommended everyone watch Amazon Prime’s dark comedy series Deadloch when the first season came out in 2023, and, lucky for us, Season 2 recently premiered. The questionable, loveable and somewhat crude Australian detectives are back for a new murder mystery starring ridiculous, rural locals, small-town cops and many, many crocodiles. Partners Dulcie and Eddie set out to solve the murder of Eddie’s old partner and instead stumble into a culture and land war.
Dominick Antonelli. Courtesy photo
From Pend Oreille Review, June 2, 1911
POLICE LOOK FOR MURDERER
Sheriff Kearns was requested by the Spokane police at an early hour this morning to make search of a through freight train east-bound on the Northern Pacific for Herman R. Roestel, a former motorman who shot and killed his wife in Spokane at 11:45 o’clock last night. According to the description given by the Spokane police the man was hatless. Chief Traue and Deputy Powell made a search of the freight, Powell going with it as far as Kootenai but the trainmen claimed no one had boarded their train out from Spokane and a search of the cars did not reveal the murderer.
Roestel murdered his wife because she refused to live with him, after a two years’ separation. The murderer went to the home of his brother, who was married to a sister of Roestel’s wife, and the shooting occurred there. Roestel ran hatless from the scene of the murder but if was found afterwards that he stopped in a pool room and got a hat given to him. The Spokane police, up to an early hour this morning, had not secured trace of the murderer.
BACK OF THE BOOK
North Idaho nomenclature, redux
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Back in April, I wrote a Back of the Book essay titled “North Idaho nomenclature” that explored the wild and wooly sayings we often hear in our neck of the woods.
After pontificating at length about such terms as “half rack” and “whipping shitties,” I asked locals and old-timers to weigh in with some of their own witticisms. As is usually the case, our readers did not disappoint.
Rick Price wrote to include a bit he worked up years ago while teaching Idaho history to fourth-graders.
“Boise is the seat of Ada County not Boise County,” Price wrote. “The county seat of Boise County is Idaho City, which shouldn’t be confused with Idaho County, Idaho Falls, Idaho Springs (which is in Colorado) or Idaho.
“It’s also important to know that while the county seat of Lewis County is Nezperce, the county seat of Nez Perce (two words) County is Lewiston,” he continued. “Also, while Jerome, Payette, Twin Falls and Gooding all have the same name for both their county and county seat, Shoshone is the county seat of Lincoln County, not Shoshone, and Bonners Ferry is the County seat of Boundary County, not Bonner.
“And while Lemhi is in Lemhi County, and Franklin is in Franklin County, Kootenai is not in Kootenai County and Teton is not in Teton County, though Tetonia is,” Price wrote. “Lastly, besides being in Europe, you can find Paris in southeast Idaho and Moscow in north-central Idaho. Oh yeah, and there are no mountains near Mountain Home.”
Reader columnist Brenden Bob-
STR8TS Solution
by also shared some of his own local colloquialisms.
“My grandfather specifically used to take me to Harold’s to get JoJos,” Bobby wrote. “Every time I’ve traveled and had a hankerin’ for some JoJos, I have to clarify ‘potato wedges’ because nobody outside of here knows what a JoJo is.”
Bobby continued: “I use ‘hexadecimal transjiggamarig’ but I think that is a uniquely Brenden Bobby thing,” he wrote. “It’s really fun to say, and if you say it with full confidence in the right context, everyone will believe you. ‘What’s that hanging off the bottom of your car?’ ‘Oh, that’s the hexadecimal transjiggamarig.’ ‘Oh, OK.’”
Our very own Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey — formerly a reporter with the Reader and now serving as editor emeritus and our official bookkeeper — shared a few insights into how her family refers to neighboring villages.
Growing up in Hope, Kiebert-Carey wrote that her family classifies the phrase “I’m going to the store” to mean going to Clark Fork. When she uses “I’m going to town” it means she’s going to Sandpoint. “I’m going to the big city” means driving to Coeur d’Alene or Spokane.
“This is still the language used in my house/my parents’ house,” Kiebert-Carey wrote. “I would argue it’s the same for my Priest River in-laws, who would mean Mitchell’s in PR if they said ‘store,’ Sandpoint if they said ‘town.’”
Other east Bonner County entries from Kiebert-Carey include:
• “If I say I’m ‘going to the beach,’ I don’t mean City Beach. If I say ‘City Beach,’ I mean City Beach.”
• “‘Going for a drive’ on the weekend is a whole event, possibly the only thing we have planned, and there’s no
Sudoku Solution
saying if we mean up in the woods or to a restaurant up in Bonners.”
• “Related to ‘town’: If a rural kid who got their license in the last year tells you they’re going to town, they are (in no particular order) going through the Taco Bell drive-thru, walking around Walmart and driving a loop around City Beach to people-watch other teenagers.”
Growing up outside of Westmond, I can relate to many of these. Since I was born and raised in North Idaho during the 1980s-’90s and had very little parental supervision, when I announced to my mom that I was “going to the store” it meant I would either walk or ride my bike the mile down to Westmond Store along the highway to purchase Laffy Taffy and other junk food. If I said I was “going to town” it would elicit a quick, “OK, honey,” before she paused and poked her head out of the kitchen to tell me I couldn’t ride my bike all the way into Sandpoint. I suppose even feral 1980s kids had their limitations.
A man doesn’t automatically get my respect. He
has to get down in the dirt and beg for it.
Solution on page 22
Laughing Matters
By Bill Borders
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1.Toadfish
5.Pig out
10.Indian music
14.Sloth
15.Ancient Roman magistrate
16.Not odd
17.Five-sided
19.Advanced
20.Antiquity
21.Handouts
22.Rubber wheels
23.Motives
25.Swings around
27.Type of primate
28.Nanism
31.Explode
34.Railroad
35.Be in debt
36.Minerals
37.Butter maker
38.Chew on
Word Week of the
[noun] 1. a person who speaks rapidly but says little of substance
“The 2020s have been dominated by grifters and blatherskites eager to cash in on the short attention span of their average viewer.”
Corrections: We made a typo in a headline in the May 28 edition. “LPOSH” was written instead of the correct “LPOHS.” You’ll all receive our handwritten apologies in the mail soon, I promise.
