October 29, 2026

2 / R / October 29, 2026

DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

picnic in the graveyard

According to findagrave.com, there are 20 cemeteries within Bonner County that are open to the public and contain more than 10 graves. (There are far more if you count family and private cemeteries, like the Bell Family Cemetery in Laclede, which has one lonely occupant.) Given how much (respectful) fun I had visiting the Lakeview, Pinecrest Memorial Park and Pack River cemeteries while writing my “Silent Residents” series, I’ve made it my goal to visit as many local resting places as I can — or at least the 20 most substantial ones. I’ve strolled through or by plenty of graveyards in my time; but, for this mission, I want to properly visit with residents, ponder their lives and deaths, and maybe pack a picnic to give them a little taste of life. In the past, I’ve been hesitant to be anything but solemn, silent and mournful in cemeteries out of respect for those buried and their living loved ones. But, while I would never skip around the stones when someone was there to mourn, I do think it’s better to be happy in a cemetery. If you believe that the ghosts are tied to their graves, I imagine it gets pretty lonely, especially for the older residents who no longer receive regular visitors. Plus, an eternity spent in the presence of the silent or crying living doesn’t sound pleasant or peaceful. That’s why I want to bring a bit of spirit — pun intended — joy and laughter to the older graves, so that if anyone is watching from beyond, they know that we still value and think of them and that we want to improve the bad parts of death with the good parts of life. My other goal for visiting these cemeteries is to fulfill requests on Find A Grave, which are made by people who want to visit a grave but can’t or can’t locate it while visiting and would like a photo, exact location or both. For most public cemeteries, the majority of the graves are photographed and labeled with a memorial ID or exact locations to make them more accessible. For example, the Clark Fork Cemetery is 81% photographed, but there are 10 missing photos that people have requested through the website. I want to track them down and upload the photos for whoever’s looking for them, so that both the living and the dead can rest easy. Call it a Halloween resolution.

Meditations

“The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter “To that high Capital, where kingly Death / Keeps his pale court in beauty and decay, / He came; and bought, with price of purest breath, / A grave among the eternal. — Come away! / Haste, while the vault of blue Italian day / Is yet his fitting charnel-roof! while still / He lies, as if in dewy sleep he lay; / Awake him not! surely he takes his fill / Of deep and liquid rest, forgetful of all ill.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley, Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats

It’s the last edition before Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, so let this serve as my final reminder for everyone to get out and vote. Polling places are open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. If you are unsure where your polling place is, visit voteidaho.gov, which is a great resource for all election-related matters. We get the government we show up for, so don’t stay home on Nov. 3. Regarding letters to the editor, we thank you all for adhering to our reduced word count for submissions prior to the election. Starting now, the word limit is now back to 200 words per letter. Aside from the election, it’s going to be a fun weekend in North Idaho with Halloween falling on a Saturday. Check Page 21 for a full rundown of events in Sandpoint and nearby communities. Remember there are hundreds of youngsters out there dressed in costumes on Halloween night, so drive carefully in those neighborhoods.

– Ben Olson, publisher

READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Soncirey Mitchell (Senior Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com Editors Emeriti: Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Cameron Rasmusson John Reuter Advertising: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Kathy Robinson (cover), Ben Olson, Sara Sanglier, Diana Gore, Karen Hempstead, Tom Russell, Lisa Cirac, Ron Bedford, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Bill Borders, Tel Thompson Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Betsy Z. Russell, Dr. Eliessa Bell, Timothy Braatz, Rep. Mark Sauter, Sandy Compton, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Marcia Pilgeram, Ryan Suppe Submit Stories To: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed Weekly At: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $200 per year The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson, Zach Hagadone and Soncirey Mitchell. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please. Letter to the Editor Policy: We welcome letters to the editor on all relevant topics. Please, no more than 200 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinons expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publisher. Send to: letters@sandpointreader.com About the Cover: This week’s cover was painted by Kathy Robinson, who used her iPad and Procreate with tools that replicate acrylics. Happy Halloween!

October 29, 2026 / R / 3

NEWS

Planning and Zoning recommends council OK zoning updates Amendments would establish new commercial zones and downtown preservation

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-1 at its regular Oct. 20 meeting to recommend City Council approve a zoning code overhaul that would establish distinct downtown zone districts, restructure the commercial corridor into nodes and introduce a Historic Preservation chapter. P&Z’s recommendation covered four items: a revised Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map; amending the code to add new responsibilities for the Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation Commission related to historic preservation; repealing and replacing zoning chapters to create new commercial zone districts, new development regulations and standards, and a new Historic Preservation Code; and rezoning property throughout Sandpoint to establish the new zones and create the downtown Historic Preservation Overlay District. Critical components of the zoning revision include capping building heights at 40 feet in the historic overlay district, 45 feet in the downtown inner core and 55 feet in the outer downtown core. Maximum heights throughout what is currently referred to as the Commercial A zone have been 65 feet since the code was changed in 2009. The historic overlay includes the west side of First Avenue from Pine to Cedar streets, the Panida Theater and The Bank buildings; Second Avenue from Main to Cedar streets; and Cedar to Third Avenue. Exterior alterations to buildings in the historic overlay would be subject to a number of design standards to retain their look and feel, while the new code would eliminate the requirement that ground-floor retail be included in most commercial zones — a move intended to permit more mixed-use and residential-only downtown uses. “We can open up market possibilities for additional development there,” said City Planner Bill Dean. “Some of the limitations we have in the current code is everything has 4 / R / October 29, 2026

got to be ground-floor retail. Well, we can’t support 300 acres of ground-floor retail. We have a number of projects that just can’t get off the ground because of the requirement to do ground-floor retail. ... There’s just no market for that.” Among the biggest changes in the proposed code revision is the establishment of new “Community Commercial” and “Neighborhood Commercial” zones. Community Commercial would be identified in two “principal nodes” along Highway 2 and the areas surrounding Super 1 Foods and along Fifth Avenue, while Neighborhood Commercial would be found in pockets throughout the city along major arterials including Highway 2, Division Street, Boyer Avenue and transition areas abutting the outer core and Community Commercial. Community Commercial is intended to enable the creation of districts supporting commercial, residential, institutional and mixed-use development with larger employment and more intensive use. Buildings in those zones would be capped at 45 feet along with an emphasis on active streetscapes. Neighborhood Commercial has been defined as “a truly mixed-use zone” that contains “small-scale services,” such as retail, restaurants and craft manufacturing interspersed with residential. Building heights would match surrounding housing — limited to 35 feet in single-family and 40 feet in multi-family residential zones — and include limited primary frontage surface parking. “It became apparent to me that if we really wanted to focus on downtown, we needed to create a downtown zone district. We needed to go through that process and identify a core downtown, and then use the tools at our disposal to work on the areas immediately adjacent to it so we can open up market possibilities for additional development there,” said Dean. The establishment of the Community and Neighborhood Commercial zones was described as a way to increase land use flexibility while avoid-

ing strip mall-style development — and provide neighborhoods with improved access to commercial services but also a transitional buffer between higherand lower-density uses. “I think we need to scrutinize and ask ourselves, ‘How can that best transition in the neighborhoods?’ And, whatever we do, let’s make sure we’re not doing something that’s going to hurt the downtown — take that activity away from the downtown,” Dean said. Bringing the commercial zoning revision to P&Z represented the first public hearing on the code changes following more than a year in process that included 10 commission workshops; three Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation sessions; public presentations including a town hall; and more than 100 individual meetings with city staff. “I think the real big take home here is that we are not trying to invite development that is inconsistent with the community character, as we

A portion of the draft Sandpoint zoning map with the downtown historic overlay identified by a black border. Courtesy have fussed over the last year,” Dean. “We’ve talked about building heights. For example, just 45 minutes away down in Coeur d’Alene, they’ve got towers that are 200 feet tall. That could have been the exercise here; but, through this process, we realize that that’s exactly not what we’re hoping to see.” While commissioners overwhelmingly approved of the proposed changes, height restrictions remained the subject of most debate. Commissioner William Mitchell said carving out a specific portion of the inner downtown core where buildings are capped at 40 feet while being surrounded by 45- and 55-foot maximum heights would mean “no one’s going to develop in there.” “You’re going to basically have a few blocks that are frozen in time, that are never going to be redeveloped or

remodeled in any meaningful way,” he said. “I’m in favor of 99% of this, except the building heights and the downtown historic district part, and that’s why I’m voting no,” Mitchell later added. “Otherwise, I really appreciate it. Appreciate this process, but I just can’t get over that stuff.” While Commissioner Ivan Remar said that as a builder he’s aware of the viability considerations facing developers who want to construct as many floors as possible, he also questioned what kind of overall effect that would have on the attractiveness of downtown. “I want to go to the bakery and I want to go over to Larson’s and buy a pair of jeans, and it’s 8 o’clock in the morning — am I going to be sitting in this gigantic shadow in the street with no sunlight at all? And is this the sense that we want going down the street?” he said, later adding, “I’m not going to live forever. I probably won’t live more than a couple years, but what the hell? You know, somebody else is going to have to live with it. I just think we’re losing some of the character in the town. That’s it.” Having received a do-pass recommendation from P&Z, the zone changes are scheduled to go before the City Council at its regular Wednesday, Dec. 2 meeting. If approved, they would go into effect Jan. 1, 2027. To view the entire draft zoning update, go to bit.ly/ CodeUpdate.

Korn’s warning on limiting public comments at BOCC meetings treads old ground By Ben Olson Reader Staff Bonner County Commission Chairman Ron Korn began the Oct. 27 BOCC business meeting with a warning about limiting public comments that include derogatory remarks. As with several other times in the past when commissioners

have attempted to limit public comment, Korn’s remarks were met with criticism and, in some cases, warnings by the public to avoid potential litigation. “After receiving many complaints the last few years and more so recently on public comment, I took a better look at our ordinances and our policies,” Korn said.

Reading from Bonner County Code, Chapter 2, Section 1-200, Korn said that going forward, the chair “will not entertain under any circumstance comments derogatory in nature toward any board member, staff member, elected official or member of the public.”

< see KORN, Page 5 >

NEWS

What are the ballot measures for the Nov. 3 election? By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Early in-person voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 and absentee ballots must be received by no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, both at the Elections Office in the County Administration building (1500 Hwy. 2, Ste. 124, in Sandpoint). Polls will then be open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Nov. 3. In addition to candidates for office, ballots in Idaho will include four statewide measures: Proposition 1, House Joint Resolution 4, HJR 6 and a non-binding advisory question. Sandpoint voters will also have a 1% local option sales tax to consider, Dover residents will vote on a 12% local option occupancy tax, the Westside and Spirit Lake fire districts are seeking levies, and the Coolin Sewer District is asking for authority to issue and sell bonds up to $8 million for work on its wastewater treatment system. Here’s a rundown of the various measures: Prop. 1 Prop. 1 is a citizens’ ballot initiative seeking to overturn Idaho’s strict laws banning abortion in almost all cases, and “creating [a] right to abortion before fetus viability, and post-viability to protect health; right to privacy; health care provider liability protections,” according to the ballot language. The measure would not create a “general right” to post-viability abortion except in

< KORN, con’t from Page 4 > Korn said, “Regular business meetings do not constitute public hearings wherein the public has a right to be heard on every agendized item,” further stating that “at the discretion of the chair, everyone may be afforded an opportunity to speak on a particular issue if recognized by the chair. Any unrecognized comments or disruptive behavior will be grounds for removal from the board meeting by their chair and may subject the person being removed to criminal prosecution according to law.” Korn’s announcement was ill-received by many in the

cases of “medical emergency,” which would be expanded from the ban’s current exception to protect the life of the mother to include instances when pregnant women “face complicating physical conditions that threaten their life or health, ‘including serious impairment to a bodily function’ or ‘serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.’” Prop. 1 also codifies the right not only to make reproductive health decisions — including contraception, fertility treatments, in vitro fertilization and more — but to do so in private. “The measure seeks to prevent the state from enforcing certain abortion laws protecting the life of the unborn child. It would also impose a requirement that any restrictions on reproductive decisions, including abortion prior to fetus viability, must be ‘narrowly tailored to improve or maintain the health of the person seeking reproductive health care,’” the ballot language states. Finally, Prop. 1 prevents the state from imposing penalties on patients, health care providers or “anyone who assists in exercising the proposed right.” Voting “yes” affirms support for establishing the right to abortion “before fetal viability defined as a fetus’ ability to survive without extraordinary medical measures — and after fetal viability in cases of medical emergency; providing protections against professional discipline and civil and criminal liability for health care providers; and codifying a statutory room, as well as by Commissioner Asia Williams, who pushed back on the substance of Korn’s statement. “Derogatory is interpretive,” Williams said. “... Are you saying that you’re not going to allow criticism from the public during public comment? We’ve had this come up many times in the past.” “It depends on how the criticism is presented,” Korn responded. This isn’t the first time Bonner County commissioners have attempted to curtail public comments at their weekly business meetings. Commissioners suspended public comments in

reproductive right to freedom and privacy.” Voting “no” retains the status quo, which the ballot language states “preserves the life of preborn children by prohibiting abortion, except when necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, and during the first trimester in documented cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement.” HJR 4 Though framed around the legalization of “marijuana, narcotics or other psychoactive substances,” HJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment that gives the Idaho Legislature “exclusive authority” to make those decisions — with the stated goal of taking that power away from voters in the citizens’ initiative process. The ballot language asks whether Section 26, Article III of the Idaho Constitution should be amended “to provide that only the Idaho Legislature shall have the power and authority to legalize the growing, producing, manufacturing, transporting, selling, delivering, dispensing, administering, prescribing, distributing, possessing or using of marijuana, narcotics or other psychoactive substances.” A “yes” vote affirms that and would also “remove the ability for citizens to initiate state statutes that would legalize these substances,” while a “no” vote retains the status quo. HJR 6 and advisory question Proposing an amendment to Article X of the Idaho Consti2020 after two members of the public engaged in a physical altercation in a hallway outside of the meeting room. Later, in 2023, then-Chairman Steve Bradshaw announced that public comment would no longer be accepted due to “a complete breakdown in regards to decorum,” as then-Commissioner Luke Omodt told the Reader. In both instances, commissioners voted to reopen comments shortly after. Williams called Korn’s announcement a “slippery slope that brings risk to the county,” because the chair would be the arbiter of what is “derogatory” versus mere criticism. She

tution, HJR 6 would add a new section designating English as the official state language and stipulate that all public proceedings, documents, instruction and acts by any public institution shall be in English unless otherwise required by federal law. English is already the official language of the state according to statute, but a “yes” vote would add it to the Constitution while a “no” vote would retain the status quo. The advisory question on the ballot also seeks to establish an official state designation, though for “the state gun of Idaho.” Voters are asked to weigh in on one of six options. Sandpoint and Dover local option taxes In an effort to secure a revenue stream for street and pathway infrastructure, the city of Sandpoint is seeking voter approval for a 1% non-property sales tax that would be in effect from Jan. 1, 2027-Dec. 31, 2036. The tax would be applicable to all sales — except those related to occupancy — with 75% of funds gathered going to the maintenance, repair, reconstruction and improvement of city streets, and 25% going to sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, bicycle facilities, pathways, trails and other improvements that connect with the city’s transportation network. Dover is asking voters for a tax of 12% on all lodging charges for hotel and motel rooms, as well as short-term rentals, tourist homes and other dwellings leased or rented for 30 or fewer consecsuggested that Korn obtain legal input before telling a member of the public they couldn’t speak, “because that is a restriction and that would be an action on the part of the county that could expose it for litigation.” During the public comment portion of the meeting, several people in attendance criticized Korn’s announcement. “It seems like a little bit of déjà vu with Korn’s announcement,” Dan Welle said. “I want to bring back to your memories that strict adherence to those policies cost this county $500,000 in civil payouts. ... when a person is up here on public comment,

utive days. If approved, the tax would run Jan. 1, 2027-Dec. 31, 2036, and be put toward capital projects, improvements, extensions and maintenance; public works and maintenance; parks, recreation and other amenities; and grant matching. A portion of revenues from both LOTs would go to administering the tax, with any excess dollars received being placed in a property tax relief fund. Fire levies Residents in the Westside Fire District will consider a two-year, temporary levy increase of $23 per $100,000 of taxable assessed property value, for a total of $67 per $100,000 of value each year. If approved, it would represent an increase of $380,000 to a total of $1,066,451 beginning in Fiscal Year 2028 and go toward hiring three firefighter/EMTs. The Spirit Lake Fire District is asking for a permanent levy increase of $32.70 per $100,000 of taxable property value amounting to an annual $780,000 to maintain and increase staffing, equipment and operations. If approved, the permanent override levy would go into effect Oct. 1, 2027. For all things election-related, including sample ballots and polling locations, go to voteidaho.gov or bonnercountyid.gov/Elections-Home. Information is also available by calling 208-255-3631, emailing elections@bonnercountyid.gov or visiting the Elections Office in the County Administration building (1500 Hwy. 2, Ste. 124, in Sandpoint). they are entitled to free speech. Nothing the county can do — no ordinance the county can make — is going to override the First Amendment.” Korn stated one of his duties as chair is to run meetings with “some kind of decorum to it, not just an Animal House meeting.” Williams pushed back at that statement, claiming she hadn’t “seen a meeting that has been bad in a very long time,” and that Korn is “creating a problem that doesn’t exist. ... You just created the lack of deco-

< see KORN, Page 6 > October 29, 2026 / R / 5

NEWS

Army Corps announces day-use Bits ’n’ Pieces fees for local recreation sites By Reader Staff The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Oct. 27 that day-use fees will be introduced at a number of recreation areas on Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River. Though fees had been waived, with the Corps citing the high cost of collection, an increase in the volume of visitors and digital payment tools that make collection more cost-effective will result in the return of paid access to the Albeni Cove, Priest River, Riley Creek, Springy Point and Trestle Creek recreation areas starting in May 2027. Day-use activity passes will cost $5 and will be required by visitors when those sites open for the season. Passes must be purchased using a QR code on-site or, if users plan multiple visits throughout the season, they can buy a USACE annual pass or choose from a variety of America the Beautiful passes — both of the latter available at recreation.gov. To purchase a day-use pass, users will need to use their smartphone to scan a QR code located on the parking lot signage at the site they’re visiting and follow the link to complete their purchase. Otherwise, users can buy a pass using the recreation.gov mobile app. The Corps emphasized in an announcement that all visitors — except registered campers — must possess a valid pass for day-use. “Visitors who buy their pass on-site do not require a paper ticket. Park rangers will use their license plate number to digitally verify compliance,” the Corps stated. “USACE strongly recommends those who buy their pass in advance to print a hard copy and display it on their vehicle dashboard.” Passes do not guarantee a parking space and parking outside designated areas is prohibited. Doing so may result in fines or towing. The $5 day-use pass is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens and valid for one vehicle until 11:59 p.m. on the specified date of their visit. An annual USACE

< KORN, con’t from Page 5 > rum that you claim you as chair need to institute.” “This is the language of tyrants unwilling to tolerate criticism from commoners when it is in fact their God-given constitutionally protected right,” Dave Bowman said of Korn’s announcement. “I was on the receiving end of this intolerance by a prior board to the point of unlawful arrest and an unnecessary 6 / R / October 29, 2026

pass costs $40 and is also eligible to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens, valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. America the Beautiful passes come with a range of options, and give passholders access to day-use entry at thousands of recreation areas managed by federal agencies across the country. The digital resident annual pass is $80, valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and open only to U.S. citizens and residents. Non-U.S. residents can buy an annual pass for $250, also valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Free lifetime passes are available for U.S. citizens and residents with permanent disabilities, as well as Gold Star veterans and their family members, and current U.S. military servicemembers and their families can get free passes valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. If those passholders wish to have a physical pass, they must pay $7.50 for shipping. Fourth-graders in the U.S. can also receive free passes, valid through August 2027, including homeschoolers and free choice learners 10 years of age. U.S. citizens and residents 62 and older can get a lifetime pass for $80 or an annual pass valid for 12 months from the date of purchase for $20 — plus $7.50 in shipping for a physical pass. Go to recreation.gov for more information and to buy passes Representatives with the Corps’ Seattle District and Bonneville Power Administration will host a joint open house from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Sandpoint Center (414 Church St.). Members of the public are invited to speak directly with subject matter experts, ask questions and learn more about operations and projects at Albeni Falls Dam, including water management, the spillway gate replacement project, fish passage, and invasive species and recreation management. To receive email notifications for Albeni Falls Dam outflow changes and near-term lake elevation projections, email uppercolumbiawm@usace.army.mil and request to be added. drawn-out completely avoidable legal battle in which I prevailed.” Bowman continued: “ ... Commissioner Korn, you even said during a campaign event, and I quote, ‘I support free speech as long as a bunch of Democrats don’t show up at a meeting.’ Free speech means listening to things you do not want to hear from people you don’t want to hear them from “ Korn did not reply to a request for comment.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor

From east, west and beyond

Although he has called early voting “stupid,” President Donald Trump cast his midterm ballot 10 days before the election, The New York Times reported. Neighbors recently rushed to defend a U.S. citizen against ICE agents in California and blocked them from detaining him, the Long Beach Post reported. The man was on a bike when an agent tackled and tased him. Another knelt on his back. The man yelled that they’d broken his arm. About 50 neighbors gathered, demanded to see a warrant and blocked the ICE vehicles. ICE responded with pepper spray. Long Beach police responded at the request of ICE, though uncuffed their target, examined his ID and he was transported to a hospital. The mayor expressed outrage and is demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security. Last week, Trump walked past the open door of his armored car and wandered toward an open field. Secret Service agents then retrieved and redirected him, numerous media reported. Russian energy giant Novatek, which has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, secretly funded a U.S. firm engaged with Alaska’s gas industry, The Times reported. The deal came to light via talks to end the war in Ukraine. Reporters called it “a striking effort by [Novatek] to seek ownership of American gas production.” Upon hearing that money came from Russia and not the UAE, Polar LNG’s CEO and other executives resigned. “The constitutional crisis is here” according to elections attorney Marc Elias, whose law firm defends the Constitution. According to his analysis, Trump’s gained control of the Department of Justice, which is staffed by election-deniers is one red flag, while others included raiding a Democratic candidate’s home, trying to block valid votes and filing a preemptive lawsuit to delay certification of Alaska’s Senate results — but only if a Democrat wins. Pre-midterms, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report told The Times that prospects for Democrats are as good as they could “ever wish,” and “as bad as Republicans could ever imagine.” Various media reported that Trump tried to convince Google to rename the Atlantic Ocean after America or himself. The company refused. According to the Associated Press, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has accused the attorney and accountant of now-deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein of covering up

abuse at his ranch in the Santa Fe area. In a lawsuit filed by Torrez, attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn would be barred from accepting payments from Epstein’s estate, which is estimated at more than $100 million. Both claim that they had no knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities. Democrats in the House are calling on the DOJ to appoint a special counsel to investigate Trump’s ties to Epstein, citing an Oct. 26 report that found “more than sufficient evidence to launch a criminal investigation,” NBC News reported. The Times reported that the New York Archdiocese of the Catholic Church has agreed to settle sexual abuse claims for more than $800 million to avoid bankruptcy in a settlement with 1,300 people who claimed they were abused by clergy and lay leaders. New York U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled Oct. 26 that the Trump administration illegally fired federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, who is the daughter of former-FBI Director James Comey. According to NPR, she was fired in 2025 by the Trump DOJ though the department had given her consistent accolades for her work, including on several high-profile cases including defendants such as Sean “Diddy” Combs, Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. According to the AP, the Trump administration is also attempting to prosecute James Comey — again — based on allegations of leaking information, which were investigated by the DOJ during Trump’s first but resulted in no charges being brought. The Washington Post reported that powerful executives and firms that cozied up to Trump in recent years are fearing “a reckoning” should big Democratic wins in the midterms result in “a potential barrage of investigations.” Now they are rushing to donate to Democrats to curry favor. Tech billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk said he was responsible for the Starlink satellite internet slowdown in Ukraine, which hampered Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia’s invasion, various media reported. He now threatens retribution against Democrats should they investigate him over it after the midterms, Forbes reported. Blast from the past: Prior to Trump’s last election, The Economist reported that the U.S. economy under President Joe Biden was “the envy of the world.” Trump said it was horrible and his tariffs would fix it.

NEWS

Idaho politicians are using AI to write for them By Ryan Suppe IdahoEdNews.org The next time you come across an op-ed by an Idaho politician, think twice about the source. It may not be human. Op-eds and other online posts from some of Idaho’s most powerful elected officials contain heavy doses of artificial intelligence, according to AI detectors, tools that distinguish between writing by humans and writing that comes from machines like ChatGPT. Idaho Education News started using these detectors last week after a series of stories from Spokane-based RANGE Media exposed a “startling” amount of “AI slop” in the opinion pages of Spokane newspapers and in written statements from candidates for political office. EdNews turned up similar results. AI detectors flagged dozens of op-eds and other statements published under the names of state constitutional officers and lawmakers, some of whom employ professional writers earning six-figure salaries. It’s common for high-ranking politicians to task staffers with communicating on their behalf. They write speeches, social media posts, op-eds and press statements. But if those staffers are outsourcing that work to artificial intelligence, it would raise questions around authenticity, transparency and accountability, particularly when machine-generated content isn’t disclosed. Gov. Brad Little’s office this year published three op-eds that included AI-generated content, according to Pangram and GPTZero, two different commercial AI detectors. Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office also published three, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield’s office had two. None disclosed that they used artificial intelligence.

The detectors flagged several other elected leaders, too. But many didn’t answer requests from EdNews to discuss their use of AI. Writing from Rep. Mike Simpson, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, state Rep. Josh Tanner and state Sen. Brian Lenney triggered the detectors. Those who did talk to EdNews cast doubt on the reliability of AI detectors. Critchfield’s spokeswoman denied using AI at all. Spokespeople for Little and Labrador conceded that they use AI tools but not to the extent that the detectors suggested. Spokespeople acknowledge some AI use Daniel Estes, communications director for Labrador, acknowledged that he and Damon Sidur, director of external affairs, use AI when they write op-eds for Labrador. ChatGPT and Claude help make their writing clearer and distill complex legalese stemming from the cases they often write about, Estes said in an interview at his Statehouse office. But he denied that AI does most of the work. Labrador edits the op-eds himself before they’re published, he said. “There’s nothing that we’ve cranked out that hasn’t been reviewed and edited and changed, often substantially,” Estes said. “I disagree, vehemently, that these are AI-written.” Pangram determined that Labrador’s op-ed celebrating Idaho’s settlement with Meta was entirely AI-generated. Two others included a majority of AI writing mixed with some human contributions, according to Pangram. The detector estimated that an oped about banking scams was 92% AI, while a letter reflecting on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was 81% AI. Most of the writing from Labrador’s office that EdNews tested was not primarily

AI-generated, according to the detectors. The same goes for Little’s office, although the detectors did flag three op-eds from the governor. Pangram determined that one on nuclear energy was 100% written by AI. Another op-ed applauding the state’s “fiscal discipline” was 88% AI, and a third on investments in teacher pay was 67% AI, according to Pangram. In response to EdNews’ request for an interview, Emily Callihan, the governor’s communications director, recited a prepared statement. EdNews did not accept written comments from the elected leaders and spokespeople mentioned in this story. “AI detectors are frequently wrong,” Callihan said by phone. “That said, AI did not write the three op-eds you noted, but AI has replaced the use of other writing resources, such as an online thesaurus and editing tools. So it is accurate to say the governor’s office uses AI to assist with some writing.” The ‘stylistic quirks’ of AI AI detectors aren’t foolproof. Estes pointed out that earlier versions of the detectors flagged the U.S. Constitution as being AI-generated. But that was three years ago, and the technology has improved. The detectors, which are AI-powered themselves, have been fed millions of texts written by humans and millions of texts written by AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok. Then they were trained to identify common writing patterns from each source. “AI models have many visible and invisible stylistic

quirks unique to them that determine how they write, and that is what Pangram picks up on,” Annamieka Aerts, a technical writer at the company, said by email. When Pangram released the fourth iteration of its AI detector this summer, the company touted a false positive rate — when human writing is incorrectly labeled as AI — of just 0.0041%, or roughly one for every 24,000 documents. An independent study of commercial AI detectors by researchers at the University of Chicago last year found that Pangram’s software achieved “near-zero” error rates when analyzing texts that were medium-length (news stories and blogs) to long (novel excerpts). Still, the detectors can be wrong, so EdNews didn’t rely on just one. EdNews tested writing that Pangram flagged as AI-generated with a second detector, GPTZero, which confirmed Pangram’s results. Both determined that humans wrote the U.S. Constitution. The detectors can distinguish between texts that were entirely AI-generated, a mix between AI and human writing or only edited by AI. They noticed, for instance, that a recent op-ed by Lauren Necochea, chairwoman of the Idaho Democratic Party, was “AI-assisted.” Ironically, the article argued that data centers shouldn’t get tax breaks, in part, because of their environmental impact. Necochea told EdNews that the Democrats’ communications director, Avery Roberts, uses an AI tool to “polish” op-eds. “I don’t seek out AI tools, in general, as a personal policy,” Necochea said by phone.

“I worry about my own [writing] skills degrading. I think we all need to be conscious of not becoming dependent on AI. That’s what these companies want.” ‘We write our stuff,’ says Critchfield spokeswoman Pangram also flagged two op-eds from Critchfield — one highlighting student success was entirely AI, according to the detector, while another op-ed about Critchfield’s recent funding formula listening sessions was primarily AI. Andrea Dearden, communications director for Critchfield, denied that her office uses any AI tools to write op-eds. She writes them with Maggie Reynolds, public information officer for the Idaho Department of Education, and Critchfield. “These articles, specifically, are very personal to her,” Dearden said of Critchfield. “She wants the community to understand her perspective.” Dearden shared drafts of the op-ed, passed back and forth between herself, Reynolds and Critchfield, to demonstrate that humans wrote it. And Pangram showed that an early draft was 100% human-written. But the detector also showed that a later draft, which included significant edits to the original, was 74% AI-written. Dearden appeared perplexed by the results, but she stood her ground in a follow-up interview. “We don’t use AI. We write our stuff,” she said by phone. “We go through multiple iterations, through multiple people and, if we used it, we would tell you.” Idaho Education News is a nonprofit online news outlet based in Boise and supported by grants from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, the Education Writers Association and the Solutions Journalism Network. Read more at idahoednews.org. October 29, 2026 / R / 7

Bouquets: • As we loom closer to Election Day, I can’t help but look back in gratitude that we had two very competent and capable Legislative Dist. 1 lawmakers represent us during this last cycle. Rep. Mark Sauter and Sen. Jim Woodward both get Bouquets for the hard work they put in for their constituents over the last two years. They both communicated well with everyone in their district, held town halls to explain what they were doing in Boise, wrote opinion articles for local newspapers and generally maintained a humble attitude the entire time they represented us. They made it clear that they weren’t in it to stoke their own egos, but rather, to strive to make our lives better, one day at a time. We could not have asked for two better legislators to represent our district. I’ll miss the frequent emails and drop-ins to our office to keep us abreast of what’s going on in the political world of Boise. Thank you both, Mark and Jim, for putting in the time and for serving our district with honor, integrity and authenticity. GUEST SUBMISSION: • “Here’s a bouquet for city staff. We attended one of the recent rezoning workshops, concerned with proposed changes to our neighborhood. On arrival, a solid number of caffeinated staffers were milling about, eager to answer questions and take suggestions and concerns. A week after our casual, conversational appeal, we received a follow-up email saying that our lot’s current zoning would be preserved. While the city is a favorite target for flack and general crankiness, I’ve found over the years that the staff truly try to work with folks who bother to show up. Kudos and thanks for all their efforts to keep this town livable.” — By Jen Heller Barbs: • So many Barbs; so little space in which to write them. 8 / R / October 29, 2026

‘Sauter supports parents, choice and better education’...

‘Republican candidates snub voters’...

Dear editor, Idaho children deserve an excellent education, and parents deserve a meaningful voice in determining their education. Jane believes in educational choice because children are different. School choice gives families options while encouraging innovation, competition and accountability. Most importantly, it recognizes that parents know their children better than government. This is especially important for children with special needs. They deserve educational options that meet their individual needs. Jane believes Idaho’s education funding formula needs modernization where taxpayer dollars are used effectively and focused where they matter most: in the classroom and on students. I encourage you to support Jane Sauter, a strong advocate for parents, students, educational choice and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Voters in House District 1A have a clear choice: more government control or greater parental choice and accountability. I support Jane Sauter: She will put Idaho families and students first.

Dear editor, As an elected city official, I believe every candidate for public office (city, county, state, federal) should attend their communities’ candidates’ forums. This is an opportunity to make a statement of one’s intentions if elected and answer questions from voters so we can better make our choices. The missing candidates, Scott Herndon, Cornel Rasor and Jane Sauter, were offered the opportunity to reschedule the forum date, but were unresponsive. Taxpayers’ money funds all the positions held by public officials. For my money, I would at least expect attendance at a public forum and appreciate candidates taking the time to verbally share their positions instead of relying on AI bots to speak (think?) for them on questionnaires. Don’t we deserve this? Individuals running for office should make every effort to gain the trust of the voting public. Please vote for responsible candidates: Fred Arn, Kathryn Larson, Karen Matthee and Steve Johnson.

Kathy Nash Blanchard

Matthee’s priorities are Idaho priorities… Dear editor, I was born in Bonner General Hospital, which couldn’t happen today. The “Idaho Freedom Foundation” (a term befitting Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth”) with its draconian abortion ban, has led to the hospital’s closure of labor and delivery services. By 2025, Idaho lost over a third of its OB-GYNs, who fled the state fearing prosecution if they provided lifesaving medical care. The direct result of Jane Sauter’s preferred legislation is to threaten the life and health of Idaho’s pregnant mothers. Her legislative cohort even voiced their determination to override results in the Legislature if voters say “yes” on Proposition 1. Karen Matthee presents an alternative to the madness holding Idahoans hostage. Karen will honor the results of Prop. 1 and expanded access to rural health care. Her priorities are Idaho priorities. Keep the government out of our bedrooms and doctor’s offices. Vote Karen Matthee District 1, Seat A. Jody Lee Sandpoint

Pam Duquette Sandpoint City Council member Sandpoint

Vote for candidates who show up… Dear editor, My election year letter was going to be “Just Vote,” but Oct. 20 changed that. The democratic process includes meeting, talking and listening to constituents. This fundamental process means a candidate may have to answer questions they don’t want to face, explain ideas and own up to past decisions. On Oct. 20, local media offered an opportunity for candidates to be present, talk and listen. Several candidates said, “No thanks.” Responding with “they’ll misrepresent me” doesn’t cut it. The media provided a forum where candidates could directly interact with the public. Being a no-show is a dereliction of duty even before the election. It doesn’t bode well for representing all constituents once elected. I will be voting for those who showed up. I hope you will too. Patricia Ericsson Sandpoint

Breaking party ties… Dear editor, Sorry to have to repeat words. Most importantly: vote. This is an

election in which we should seriously break party ties. Regardless of your party affiliation, we should look at other candidates. Republican, Democrat, Independent makes no difference. Years ago the party leaders used to confer, try to settle their differences and come up with a plan to benefit all voters. Not so much nowadays. Locally, Steve Johnson, an Independent, is the choice for state Senate. Karen Matthee, a Democrat, for House 1A. Kathryn Larson, an Independent, for House 1B. On Oct. 20, a candidate forum was held in Sandpoint. The candidates opposing the aforementioned candidates — Scott Herndon, Cornel Rasor and Jane Sauter — did not even attend the forum. The Daily Bee and the Reader have excellent articles on the forum. Both are in the Oct. 22 issues of those publications. Get a copy and read and learn. Ernie and Helen Schoeffel Priest River

Vote against misogyny in the GOP… Dear editor, Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, authorized $6 million for ads using the mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton, who said Amy “lied her entire life.” Acton’s stepfather raped Acton for years when she was a child. CPS removed Acton and brother, verifying allegations. Acton hasn’t spoken to her mother for 48 years. The mother and rapist fled. V.P. Vance defended Ramaswamy, saying, “Ramaswamy calls it out like it is, and calls Amy Acton a liar,” implying child sex abuse is a lie and it’s OK to violate a child again by revealing the horrific crimes on national TV. Vance said he’s proud of Ramaswamy. Disgraceful, obviously minimizing rape and child abuse. Ridicule of women’s rights is repeated throughout Trump’s Republican Party. We have misogyny in Idaho politics. Keep politicians out of my doctor’s office. Vote for women’s rights and vote against Scott Herndon. Betty Gardner Priest River

Recognize the ‘genuine leaders’… Dear editor, ’Tis the season when garbage signs pop up among the most stunning natural colors. My favorite name/face is responsible for the least trash. Steve Johnson has very little signs and funding,

but he makes up for that with heart, vision and wit. He adores our home and is humbly attempting to make it better. He’s Hobbit approved, but Sauron still rules, so... You who trash our home, use AI and are too cowardly to show up to debate are a joke. Even if you win, we all know the genuine leaders are the ones who actually care about Sandpoint. Jodi Rawson Sandpoint

Risch vs. Achilles… Dear editor, I’m an Independent who frequently writes our elected officials. Sen. Mike Crapo’s office is easiest to reach via phone and most responsive. His letters are respectful even in disagreement. You’re less likely to reach Sen. Jim Risch’s office. His letters are condescending, political doublespeak that reiterate his commitment to blindly rubber stamp Trump’s agenda. While Trump is not his constituent, Risch seems to view his actual constituents with contempt. This week I attended a forum with Independent Todd Achilles, Senate candidate. What a breath of fresh air. He was approachable, energetic, straightforward, knowledgeable, respectful of diverse viewpoints and, most important, hopeful for Idaho’s future. If you haven’t voted yet, I recommend giving Achilles a closer look. It’s time for Risch to retire. It’s time to elect a senator who puts country before party and genuinely listens to their constituents. Maranda Graybeal Sandpoint

Vote to stop the madness… Dear editor, It’s not over yet, but if tRUMP, his MAGA incendiaries and his Republican accomplices in Congress get their way for the next two years, the upcoming election may be the last election held in the USA. This is not a stretch of my imagination. Unlikely you’ll find emphatic agreement on Fox News, or on billionaire-owned legacy news media, but you will find such information on respected independent news outlets. Meidas Touch Network, Democracy Docket, The Thom Hartmann Program and the Sandpoint Reader as well. If our representative democracy falls to unitarian control, we will witness the fall of every form of democratic government on this planet in our lifetimes. Again, not an unfounded assertion. It is critical that

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< LTE, con’t from Page 8 >

democratic values sweep this election. We can stop this madness. We have the right (for now) to vote however we choose, but if you value democracy, don’t vote red. Not this time... Jay Omundson Cocolalla

‘Take the initiative’… Dear editor, Ballot Question HJR4, put on the ballot by the Legislature, would prohibit citizen-led ballot initiatives from legalizing drugs, including marijuana, narcotics, etc. The Legislature would retain exclusive rights to make those laws, taking away our constitutional initiative right to make them.* The Legislature has already made laws: Recreational use of marijuana is illegal. Possession, sale or cultivation of marijuana is prohibited and subject to criminal penalties. So why include marijuana in this amendment? Because it’s a partisan issue that packs a larger punch: Voting to put HJR4 into the Constitution is an attack on the initiative process itself. HJR4 is like cutting off your face to get rid of a runny nose. So, blow your nose and vote a big fat no on HJR4. *Idahoans have used initiatives to, for example, establish the Department of Fish and Game. Since 1936, 17 of 36 have become law. Power to the people! Nancy Gerth Sagle

Unanswered questions… Dear editor, Over a week ago, I faxed our Idaho congressmen, Jim Risch, Russ Fulcher, Mike Crapo and Mike Simpson with two questions: 1. What are you doing to ensure the decades of contributions made by hardworking Idahoans to their Social Security funds will be there when they retire, as the system intended? 2. Under federal regulations, working Idahoans must contribute deductions for Social Security, federal income tax and Medicare from their paychecks for all 52 weeks of a year. But once they reach retirement age and receive Social Security benefits, they only get 48 weeks of benefits a year instead of the 52 weeks they were required to contribute while working. Why are we being shorted four weeks of benefits every retirement year? To date, these congressmen have not responded with answers, and the same questions sent to the federal agencies like the Social Security Administration have gone unanswered as well.

tors urged voters to support Independent candidates. As a registered Republican, I think our party needs to be more proactive in acknowledging our gratitude to those who have, on many occasions, crossed party lines to vote for moderate Republicans thereby ensuring more balanced representation in Boise. Newcomers to Bonner County talk about “the Idaho way” and prattle on about “that’s not the way we do things here.” Yet they vote for culture warriors instead of candidates with deep roots in our communities. Bonner County is exemplified by legislators like Shawn Keough and Jim Woodward, not Scott Herndon and the BCRCC. I urge all moderate Republicans to cross party lines to vote for the Independent and Democratic candidates. By doing so we not only elect better candidates, we also repay a debt of gratitude to those who have helped the Republican Party in the past. Paul Vogel Sandpoint

‘R’ candidates are taking constituents for granted… Dear editor, On Tuesday, Oct. 20, there was a candidate forum hosted by local media companies in Sandpoint where candidates could explain and defend their positions and answer questions from the voters of Bonner and Boundary counties. Half of the candidates attended, including Steve Johnson, Karen Matthee and a representative of Kathryn Larson. The other half instead chose to attend a meeting where they could answer to their out-ofarea masters rather than the voters. They are taking the voters of Bonner and Boundary County for granted, and think that because they will have an “R” next to their name on the ballot that the voters will be too gullible to know when they are being played. Please prove them wrong. James Knobbs Sandpoint

Mark Rossmiller Sandpoint

Voting across party lines ensures balanced representation… Dear editor, A recent letter from former Republican legisla-

October 29, 2026 / R / 9

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

unexplained mysteries By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist We’ve spent October exploring all sorts of unexplained mysteries; and, as Halloween descends upon us, we look at our final batch — the oddest and most intriguing unexplained mysteries I’ve run across. Mary Celeste: ‘The Ghost Ship’ On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1872, the cargo brigantine Mary Celeste departed from Staten Island, N.Y., bound with a crew of 10 for a transatlantic voyage to Portugal. It would be the last time these people were ever seen. On Dec. 4, the ship was spotted by another merchant vessel that had left America at roughly the same time, the Dei Gratia. The Dei Gratia’s crew noticed the Mary Celeste moving erratically at sea with an unusual rigging configuration. They attempted to signal the ship, but to no avail. The decision was made to approach the vessel, and to the surprise of the Dei Gratia’s captain, David Morehouse, the ship was completely abandoned — though it had been rigged to continue sailing. The Mary Celeste had taken on about three and a half feet of water — which wasn’t unusual for a vessel of its size — and the crew had created a makeshift sounding rod to measure its depth. The ship’s cargo of alcohol was virtually untouched and there were no signs of violence. The single lifeboat was missing and presumably launched. Crew logs remained on the ship with no indication of what may have happened. It’s reasonable to assume that the crew abandoned ship, but it’s unclear why. Even if 10 / R / October 29, 2026

the Mary Celeste was taking on water, the crew would have known that roping their lifeboat to the ship would have given them much better chances of survival than abandoning it entirely. It’s possible that the crew thought the flammable cargo was compromised and sought to get as far away from it as they could, which might explain why it was still rigged to sail — even so, a sufficient length of rope would have been a literal lifeline that would have kept them much safer. Instead, the crew simply vanished. No lifeboat or remains were ever found. Nobody outside of that lifeboat knows what happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste. Several years later, the vessel’s new owner intentionally wrecked the ship on the coast of Haiti in an effort to commit insurance fraud. ‘The Shark Arm Murders’ In April 1935, a tiger shark was taken from Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia, and placed in a large display tank. After a few days, the shark fell ill and vomited. The shark vomited up another, smaller shark, and from that smaller shark came a well-preserved human arm with a distinctive tattoo. Upon retrieving the arm, it was discovered that it had been cleanly amputated by a knife and not by shark teeth, thus triggering an investigation. Recognizing the tattoo, family members identified the arm as having belonged to former-boxer and saloon owner, Jimmy Smith. Smith was also a police informant reporting against a local collective of thugs and gangsters. The investigation hit a number of frustrating road-

blocks, including the destruction of the shark by aquarium owners. Despite the first of these hurdles, investigators followed the money to a local business owner, Reginald William Lloyd Holmes, who had been employing Smith to defraud insurance companies. It came to light that Smith had been blackmailing Holmes, likely leading to his murder — though police still lacked adequate evidence to move. A mutual acquaintance of the men and another active criminal, Patrick Francis Brady, then drew police attention. Brady was a forger and would regularly fabricate the checks of people frequenting Holmes’ business, which Holmes and Smith would cash to rob their customers and associates. After deducing that Brady was likely the last person to see Smith alive, and after unearthing his connection to Holmes, police decided to arrest and interrogate Holmes. Rather than face the authorities, Holmes attempted suicide with a pistol but he botched it, fell unconscious, was revived, escaped via speedboat and eventually apprehended by Sydney authorities. Holmes decided to cooperate with police and pinned the murder on Brady, while also claiming that Brady had shown Holmes the severed arm and threatened to kill and dismember him, too, if he didn’t provide £500. After interrogation, Holmes returned home to his wife, collected some money and said he had to run an errand. The next morning, he was found dead in his car with three gunshot wounds to the chest. Brady was charged with the murder, but his lawyer

An 1861 painting of the Mary Celeste when it was still named the Amazon. Courtesy image argued that there was insufficient evidence — specifically, that there was nothing linking him to the murder of Holmes and that Smith could very well still be alive, just missing one arm. Brady was acquitted, and the murder remains unsolved. It was likely that this was part of a much larger organized crime ring, and that Smith had been exposed as a police informant, which Holmes likely had been aware of. Brady was almost certainly

the culprit behind both murders, though the orders to do so had probably come from another party involved in the racket. However, it was never officially solved, so there’s no real way to be sure since everyone involved is long dead. Concluding our final entry in October’s unexplained mysteries series, we will return to your regularly scheduled “Mad About Science” shenanigans next week. Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner on day?

Don’t know much about electi • In 1845, Congress passed a federal law that officially designated the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November as Election Day. Prior to that, states were allowed to hold elections any time they saw fit within the 34-day period before the first Wednesday in November. This system had flaws, including the potential for early voting results in one state to affect turnout and sway opinions in a state holding a later election. • The reason Election Day falls on a Tuesday in November is because more Americans worked as farmers in the 1800s. This means they often lived far away from their polling places, leading to many having to travel at least a day to vote. Weekends were impractical, since Sundays were dominated by church services and Wednesday was often market day for farmers, so Tuesday was chosen as the most convenient day of the week. November was chosen because it was after the harvest was complete but before the arrival of winter weather.

We can help!

• Election Day Cake became popular during the time of the American Revolution, but has since fallen out of favor. The cake is a yeast-raised fruitcake (which might also explain why it is no longer popular). • In February 1870, Black men gained the right to vote after Congress passed and the states ratified the 15th Amendment. • Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote in 1890, followed by Colorado in 1893, then Utah and Idaho in 1896. However, it wasn’t until 1920 when the 19th Amendment was adopted, granting women from every state the right to vote. • Residents of Washington, D.C. weren’t allowed to vote in presidential elections until 1961. • The 26th Amendment was passed in 1971, changing the voting age in the U.S. from 21 to 18 years of age.

To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader.com.

Top left: Lake Pend Oreille, Ponderay and Sandpoint seen from Schweitzer. Photo by Sara Sanglier. Top right: “Always good to have exceptional reading material while backpacking in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness in Montana,” wrote Diana Gore. Shown here: Michelle, Nancy, Regan, Janice, Maria and Diana. Middle left: “Steve and I took the boat to Green Bay yesterday,” wrote Karen Hempstead. “The public beach. The public’s Beach... What a gift to find, and how timely, this beautiful Heart Rock! A reminder to be kind to one another and keep our hearts open.” Middle center: A few friends ringing in the fall at Peewee Falls in September. “Seemed the perfect place to celebrate the equinox,” wrote Janenne Russell. Photo by Tom Russell. Middle right: “Mr. Squirrel smiles as he gorges on a jumbo sunflower head in West Oden Bay,” wrote photographer Lisa Cirac. Bottom: A moody view of Lake Pend Oreille, looking east from Sandpoint. Photo by Ron Bedford.

October 29, 2026 / R / 11

PERSPECTIVES

Prop. 1: Time for some facts By Betsy Z. Russell Reader Contributor

In my nearly four decades covering Idaho politics, I saw lots of political mischief, mayhem and skullduggery. But I find the current misinformation and disinformation campaign against Proposition 1 that’s being spread far and wide, including in frightening TV ads, to be a disappointing new low for our state. Here are the facts: Idaho’s current abortion ban contains no health exception for the mother. None. Nor does it contain an exception for non-viable pregnancies — those with no chance of survival at birth. Idaho’s medical community has been working and pleading with lawmakers to fix this for the past four years. The Legislature did pass a single bill during that time to exempt ectopic pregnancies from the ban. Ectopic pregnancies are a death sentence, first for the fetus, and then often for the mother as well. But the Legislature refused to address any kind of health exemption for the mother. That’s why there’s now a citizen initiative on the ballot. It has nothing to do with New York

Betsy Z. Russell. Courtesy photo or California. It puts our law back to where it’s been for the past 50 years, until the Dobbs decision overturning Roe vs. Wade was handed down in 2022. Idaho has many, many laws regarding abortion on its books. For decades, lawmakers passed farther- and farther-reaching abortion restrictions every election year. Often they were framed as litmus tests — vote “yes,” or you’re not really a Republican. And most or all did — in part because the laws had absolutely no effect. Roe vs. Wade was the law of the land. It didn’t matter what the Idaho Legislature passed. Until the 2022 Dobbs decision, they had only political value.

Those laws included several “trigger” laws that would take effect immediately if Roe vs. Wade were overturned. Trigger laws were being passed even decades ago, when no one envisioned the U.S. Supreme Court reversing its longstanding precedent. When it actually did so in 2022, the “trigger” was pulled, and that’s how we got what’s currently on the books as our state law. These laws are by definition extreme. Who would want to require Idaho women, by law, to carry to full-term even pregnancies that have gone horribly wrong? At the cost of their health, their future fertility and permanent damage to their major bodily functions? Who would want Idaho families to be forced, by law, to stretch out the pain of a tragic loss for a full nine months, and also risk never being able to have children again after suffering that heartbreak? The only exceptions to Idaho’s current abortion ban are for first-trimester cases of rape or incest that are documented by a police report — most aren’t — and to “prevent the death of the pregnant woman.” Just to prevent the death. Not to preserve her health, her fertility, her chance at a normal life. And also, since

2023, for a single fatal condition known as ectopic pregnancy. That’s why Idaho women are being airlifted to other states for emergency treatment for pregnancy complications and miscarriages. Idaho law doesn’t allow them to be treated here; it’s a crime. The law orders doctors to prioritize the fetus, even if doomed, over the health of the mother. The real question here is who should decide in such tragic cases — certain legislators who believe this is how it should be, that this is somehow God’s will? Or the mother, her doctor and her family? Under our current laws, it’s the legislators. Under Prop. 1, it would go back to the mother, her doctor and her family, as it should. Vote “yes” on Prop. 1. Betsy Z. Russell is a retired newspaper reporter who covered Idaho government, politics and elections for nearly four decades, working for the Idaho Press, The Spokesman-Review and the Idaho Statesman, and writing the “Eye on Boise” political blog from 2004 until her retirement. She retired on Jan. 1, 2023.

The LDS faith makes room for heartbreaking pregnancy cases, Idaho’s abortion law doesn’t By Dr. Eliessa Bell Reader Contributor When the LDS Church’s letter urging members to oppose Proposition 1 was read after a sermon in September, I felt deeply torn. I’m an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, born and raised in the faith. My calling as a family physician in Post Falls and Kellogg never seemed in conflict with church policy on abortion until the official letter, and the subsequent $1 million PAC donation to oppose Prop. 1, became public. I grew up understanding that our church’s abortion policy makes room for individual circumstances, including when a mother’s health is in serious danger or when a baby has defects so severe it cannot survive beyond birth. Idaho’s current law, triggered after Roe v. Wade fell in 2022, allows abortion only to prevent a woman’s death, or very early in pregnancy after she files a police report for rape or incest. It has no exception for her health, and none 12 / R / October 29, 2026

Dr. Eliessa Bell. Courtesy photo for a fatal fetal diagnosis. The opposition often diminishes complications, calling them “edge cases.” Unfortunately, most pregnancies are not straightforward, and there are thousands of things that can and do go wrong. I’ve seen through my sisters, friends and patients that we are all one bad day away

from needing the kind of reproductive health care Idaho currently bans. Despite my church’s letter, I will be voting for Prop. 1, and I believe it will move Idaho law closer to the LDS faith’s own stated teachings. Urging members to preserve a near-total abortion ban feels like moral grandstanding that ignores the harm current law actually does. We’ve heard countless stories of women forced to travel out of state for care when wanted pregnancies go wrong and their bodies cannot miscarry on their own, putting their health and future fertility at needless risk. One reason we need Prop. 1 is anencephaly, when a baby develops without most of its brain. It is always fatal, and physicians usually discover it around 18 to 20 weeks. In neighboring states, including our neighbor Utah, parents can safely end the pregnancy after consulting with trusted doctors in their own care network. In Idaho, they’re forced to carry the baby to term or flee the state at their own time and expense. Forcing expectant parents to contin-

ue a doomed pregnancy, one that can never result in a good outcome, is cruel, horrific and dangerous. Pretending this stance is pro-life is dishonest. Idaho’s law is driving doctors away from a state that already ranks last in the nation for primary care physicians per capita. Bonner General Health stopped delivering babies in 2023, so Sandpoint mothers now drive nearly an hour to Coeur d’Alene for care. My OB-GYN friends are stretched thin, lucky to get 10 minutes with a patient. No one can explain real pregnancy care in 10 minutes. I came to Kootenai County for residency five years ago and stayed. My husband grew up in Idaho City. We love it here. But I have four younger sisters, and I thank God none of them lives in Idaho. It’s a frightening place to be pregnant. My faith asks me to weigh each circumstance with care. Prop. 1 would simply let Idaho families do the same. Dr. Eliessa Bell is a family physician practicing in Post Falls and Kellogg.

PERSPECTIVES

Is the party over? By Timothy Braatz Reader Contributor

What’s up with all the Independent candidates in Idaho? What happened to party loyalty? Some history might help. The U.S. Constitution says nothing about parties. The slave-owning “founders” feared a majority party of small farmers could oust them. James Madison explained this in Federalist Paper No. 10. Still, political elites formed factions. Federalists (George Washington and Alexander Hamilton) favored stronger central government to promote banking and industry. Democratic-Republicans (Thomas Jefferson and Madison) preferred less federal activity. In 1812-’15, British forces attempted to reconquer the U.S. This ruined the Federalist Party, which had been pro-British. With no opposition, the Democratic-Republicans splintered into regional factions. In 1824, none of the four Democratic-Republican presidential candidates won an electoral college majority. After backdoor negotiations, the U.S. House chose John Quincy Adams rather than Andrew Jackson (who had the most popular vote). In response, a new party — the Democrats — formed around Jackson. Anti-Jacksonians created the Whig Party. With poor white men now allowed to

vote (Black men and all women still excluded), Jackson won the presidency in 1828. Thus ended the original Democratic-Republican Party. The debate over extending slavery westward caused more realignment. Some northern Whigs and Democrats, joined by Liberty Party abolitionists, formed the Free-Soil Party. As the Whig Party collapsed, the antislavery Republican Party was born. When Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln won the presidency, in 1860, southern legislatures voted to secede, leading to all-out warfare. Thus ended slavery. In the late 19th century, the Republican and Democratic parties were so powerful they were called “machines.” Party bosses handed out government jobs (“spoils”), arranged bribes, appointed candidates (who needn’t campaign) and rewarded voters (thus, high turnout). Imagine a local party organizer who helps you find an apartment, then escorts you to the polls on Election Day and watches you vote. In the 1890s, the People’s Party (Populists) organized against railroad and banking monopolies. Supported by farmers, Populists won elections in the South and West, then faded. A few years later, though, progressive Democrats and Republicans enacted Populist ideas: secret ballots, primary elections, direct election of U.S senators and civil service

protections. This weakened the party bosses, but violent repression of socialists protected the capitalist two-party monopoly. Call it the Democratic/Republican duopoly. By 1920, the women’s suffrage movement had succeeded nationwide, but white supremacist terrorism in the South prevented Blacks from voting. U.S. democracy remained a limited affair. When Republican policymakers had no answers for the 1930s Great Depression, Democrats became the dominant national party, with support from labor unions in the North and racist segregationists in the South. Franklin Roosevelt won four presidential elections. New Deal government programs, including the G.I. Bill, created an unprecedented white middle class. The next big shift began in the 1960s, after Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation to end segregation and protect Black voters. Southern whites quit the Democratic Party. A few joined the “Dixiecrat” Party until Republican leader Richard Nixon used racist fearmongering to attract former Democrats. Sound familiar? This “Southern Strategy” produced Republican majorities and administrations (Ronald Reagan, both George H.W. and George W. Bush, and Donald Trump) which cut taxes on the rich and eliminated New Deal programs.

Like Republican politicians, the New Democrats (Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden) shifted loyalty to the billionaire class. The Democrat/Republican duopoly in Congress eliminated banking regulations, campaign finance controls and worker protections, while approving trillion-dollar military budgets and skyrocketing federal debt. The result: economic bubbles burst (1987, 2000, 2007), secret campaign donations became legalized bribery, the wealth gap widened and the middle class shrunk toward poverty. Voters received slick campaign flyers, misleading television ads, cute stickers and little else. Green and Libertarian candidates couldn’t raise enough money to compete. Another result: The decline of voter registration, election turnout and party membership. Why bother if neither party serves your interests? Of the entire eligible electorate in 2024, 13% were unregistered, 37% were registered Independent, 24% registered as Democrats, 24% as Republicans. One way or another, half of the electorate now rejects the Democrat/Republican duopoly. When loyalties shift, political parties come and go. A major realignment may be underway. That’s what’s up. Timothy Braatz teaches U.S. history and nonviolence.

Why I support the Westside Fire levy By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint Reader Contributor The delivery of public safety services is important. Many Bonner County voters will be asked on their ballot whether the Westside Fire Protection District should be granted a two-year levy increase — specifically to add one firefighter to daily staffing. As a resident and property owner in the WFPD, I support the temporary levy increase. We need adequate emergency response. It is our responsibility to pay for it. There’s a business part of this ballot question, too. Our property insurance providers know the importance of emergency response with proper firefighter staffing and equipment. The recent increases in property insurance premiums and non-renewals of policies are related to national trends and losses, our wild-

land-urban interface fire problem and our fire districts’ capacity. When someone calls 911, residents believe competent, well-equipped emergency services will respond with adequate staffing. However, WFPD currently has one district-funded firefighter on Rep. Mark Sauter. File photo duty everyday. For emergency operations to take place, it takes at least one more firefighter. Today, that firefighter comes from Sandpoint or the Ponderay area. While sharing resources is ideal for

taxpayers, when it involves emergency services, it slows down emergency service delivery. Think: There’s a fire on my property, or a family member is involved in a traffic accident on the local highway — how long am I willing to wait? The standard is that emergency providers generally “handle” 90% of the calls for services with their own resources. In the case of WFPD, they don’t handle many calls for service without calling for aid from other emergency responders. This predicament is becoming more important every day. More building and development, more traffic, an aging population and a greater need for emergency services in the wildland-urban interface all call for more emergency services. Yet, the last increase in the levy for the WFPD was 10 years ago. The current permanent levy is $43 for each $100,000 of net property value, while the temporary increase on your

ballot amounts to an additional $23 per $100,000. Property owners should do their own calculations and factor in their homeowner’s exemption, if appropriate, but for two years, the levy would amount to $66 per $100,000 of value. This request for increased support of the WFPD may prove to make financial sense by helping address concerns of the insurance industry and the subsequent rising coverage rates for Bonner County. The revenue also stays here and provides jobs and, most importantly, better emergency response capacity. You may wonder why growth in population and physical buildings don’t address this issue. The problem is, Idaho statute limits the growth of fire district budgets (3%) and the influence of new property development (a maximum of 15%) if growth has occurred. As a result, the fire districts struggle

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< MARK SAUTER, con’t from Page 13 > to keep up with inflation and maintain their operations with nearly the same amount of revenue each year. One result of the revenue shortfalls is the fire districts responding to “paying” emergencies in other areas of the country. While these responses serve as good training and organizational learning, they are a symptom of agencies trying to adapt to revenue shortfalls any way they can. It is wise for fire districts to maintain reserve fire equipment, so sending out resources is possible when firefighters work extra hours to staff these operations. But there is a limit to this. When this levy was proposed, I was contacted and asked to help with the public information part of the process. A website has been created with expert help — idahofirstresponders.com — to elaborate the details of the request. I believe the website provides many of the answers to questions about the levy process and fire department operations. It includes an email address for those who still have questions. Contact me at msauter@house.idaho.gov. Rep. Mark Sauter is a second-term Republican legislator representing District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Resources and Conservation committees.

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PERSPECTIVES

On the alphabet and tragic fiction By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist About 3,800 years ago, just over 1% of the time that modern humans have been around, the Babylonian King Hammurabi ordered the creation of the first written laws to protect order in his realm — and to keep himself and his family in power. Symbols used to incise his laws into clay tablets were wedge-shaped impressions arranged in patterns to signify words. This writing system had been created by merchants and traders to keep track of business, and came to be called “cuneiform” by latter-day archaeologists, after the Latin word cuneus, “wedge.” Cuneiform was hard to learn. Not many knew how to write with it or translate it. Meanwhile, Egyptians of that era adopted a modified form of hieroglyphs to record things. Not many knew how to write or translate that, either. About the time Hammurabi published his code, though, a different writing system appeared in Sumer in the Middle

Sandy Compton. Courtesy photo East that became the basis of Hebrew and Arabic writing. It used a smallish number of symbols representing sounds that can be made with human lips, tongue, teeth, breath and vocal cords. It was easy to learn and, once learned, easy to write and read. Early in the first millennium B.C.E., the Greeks refined the system into what eventually became the alphabets, of which there are several. The Greeks settled on 24 symbols, many of which are still used in one form or another. Almost anyone could learn to translate combinations of those symbols into words. Almost anyone could learn to inscribe those symbols onto some sort of medium — papyrus, parchment, vellum, clay, stone — making words that could be read and understood by anyone who knew the system at any time. Literature was born, and the Greeks dove headlong into it, writing scores of stories about imagined warriors and explorers, often interwoven with tales of the pantheon, their assortment of gods and goddesses, who, in these complete fabrications, could not get along with each other or the mortals who paid homage to them. “Gruesome” is an understatement when it comes to many fictions the Greeks created, including the “classics” college students are encouraged to suffer in their studies. These casts of characters, divine and not, were forever killing, maiming, torturing and betraying each other, human and god/goddess alike. Within 500 years of developing the alphabet, Greek writers had perfected a genre of fiction that features incest, infidelity, betrayal, treachery, torture, cannibalism, patricide, matricide, filicide and every other variety of murder by every conceivable means, many of which were quite messy (even though firearms hadn’t been invented yet).

They established tragedy as a standard format, and that format has followed literature through the ensuing 25 centuries. I recently finished a “critically acclaimed” work of fiction — I’m not naming names — which was beautifully written, compelling and exciting, with great characterization and an awesome story line. Six pages from the end, the author killed the protagonist. Note that I am not saying that the protagonist got killed or died. The author killed him. The killing seemed to be for the sole purpose of shocking and disappointing the reader, all the while adding an “Oh, my God!” poignancy regarding the protagonist’s survivors, most of whom are never mentioned again. I lost respect for the writer. The book could have ended very nicely had the hero lived to enjoy the benefits of the travails he had suffered to get six pages from the end. It still would have been a beautiful, dynamite read. It still would have been highly entertaining. And a better book. The hero’s death seemed a somewhat sadistic device designed to twist the readers’ guts. It did not serve justice. There was no logical reason for it, except to add tragedy. I am not a big fan of tragedy. It seems to sell, but I have this odd idea that artists of all media are responsible for the imagery they introduce to the universe. We have way too much weirdness and violence in our world already. It seems counterproductive to add more. I often wonder how different our world might be if the Greeks had not imagined their deities as arrogant, untrustworthy and viciously cruel and made their heroes kinder and their fictions more about the lives of humans who were humane. In our modern world, a great majority of humans (88%) know how to read and write. We are still creating mythic worlds and stories, many with tragic endings, but others that are happier. It’s hard to separate fiction from reality and know who’s telling the truth in business and politics. But a growing majority are beginning to see though the fictions presented by Donnie Boy and his minions, which I think isn’t tragic at all. Go vote. Sandy Compton writes books with mostly happy endings and tries to leave chances for redemption for almost all of his characters. Find them at Sandpoint Books, the Sanders County Ledger, bluecreekpress.com and amazon.com.

PERSPECTIVES

Sticks and stones

Words of the Year provide a long view at the bubbling yeast of humanity

By Ben Olson Reader Staff In 2003, Merriam-Webster began declaring a Word of the Year because it was the most-searched definition on its website. Linguists might look at a particular year’s chosen word as a keyhole into what people were preoccupied with at that particular time. Here’s a breakdown of all the words chosen since 2003. 2003: democracy With the US invading Iraq and persistent news coverage of the post-9/11 ramp-up to war, “democracy” was apropos for 2003. 2004: blog By 2004, the internet had grown by leaps and bounds. More people were venturing into the new online world, staking a claim on the web through personally written and maintained weblogs or “blogs.” 2005: integrity Looking back at 2005, it’s understandable why people searched for this word more than any other. There were disgraced professional athletes, a notable CIA leak investigation and congressional scandal after scandal that left many wondering if Congress was, in fact, corrupt. (Note: Yes, it was, and still is.) 2006: truthiness This was the first of two years when the WotY was decided by a reader poll instead of search history. Stephen Colbert coined “truthiness,” as “the quality of seeming to be true but not necessarily or actually true according to known facts.” He later explained: “It used to be, everyone was entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. But that’s not the case anymore. Facts matter not at all.” Sounds eerily familiar. 2007: wOOt The last reader-chosen WotY, “wOOt,” was a playful departure into a gaming term that was just meant as an expression of joy. Ah, simpler times. 2008: bailout The Great Recession hit in 2008, leading to a marked decline in lending by banks. Congress passed a controversial bill, which created federal programs

to bail out failing financial institutions because they were “too big to fail.” 2009: admonish This word was the result of one political event that seems tame by today’s standards. During President Barack Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson interrupted by shouting, “You lie!” His behavior was subsequently admonished and people began looking up the word. 2010: austerity Meaning both “stern and plain,” as well as “extreme economy especially on a national scale,” the word “austerity” is the last holdover from our emergence from the 2008 financial crisis. 2011: pragmatic The word “pragmatic” spiked in searches because political parties were arguing viciously over the federal debt ceiling and a potential government shutdown. Americans were seeking to encourage pragmatism over frivolity. 2012: socialism and capitalism M-W chose both “socialism” and “capitalism” for 2012 because the two terms appeared closely related during search terms. This was a contentious election year and both terms were being used extensively, often by those who had no idea of their definitions. 2013: science Discussions involving climate change and educational policy made their way to the forefront, as well as debates over “phony” science that continued to capture the public’s imagination.

perhaps, the beginning of a surreal nightmare that nobody has awoken from yet. 2017: feminism After the #MeToo movement exposed predatory practices of many men in powerful positions, it’s no big surprise that “feminism” was the most searched term that year. 2018: justice After the two years of Trump’s first term, Americans were bombarded with stories about “justice,” in one way or another. Prominently, there was the Mueller investigation and the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, which helped the word gain search traction. 2019: they The gender-neutral pronoun “they” peaked in usage in 2019 as trans rights became a national issue. 2020: pandemic M-W chose this word for obvious reasons, but I liked the Oxford University Press choice that year, which was nothing. Oxford chose not to do a WotY because 2020 was not “a year that could neatly be accommodated in one single ‘word of the year.’” Amen. 2021: vaccine After the initial shock of the global pandemic, talk began to focus on the COVID-19 vaccine. Searches for the term spiked 600% in 2021.

2022: gaslighting Searches for “gaslighting,” which means “behavior that’s mind manipulating, grossly misleading or downright deceitful,” spiked 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. With deepfakes, the dark web and Trump still claiming election wins that never happened, the country was very much in the throes of gaslighting in 2022. 2023: authentic With AI and social media casting doubts on what’s real and what’s fake, the word “authentic” gained traction in 2023. 2024: polarization Meaning the “division into two sharply distinct opposites,” polarization certainly encapsulated 2024. And every year after. 2025: slop Defined as “digital content of low quality that is produced by means of artificial intelligence,” the word “slop” was at the forefront of many discussions in 2025. And the 2026 word of the year is: maxxing The absurdist, insufferable suffix is yet another Gen Z term that pervades our daily lives. Whether it’s “looksmaxxing” (obsessing over physical appearance) or “nonnamaxxing” (“to better one’s life by adopting the habits of an Italian grandmother”), this term is already on the way out because of extreme overuse. No, you’re not “salmonmaxxing,” you’re just eating fish.

2014: culture Terms such as “celebrity culture,” “company culture” or “rape culture” dominated the conversation in 2014. 2015: -ism The majority of searches in 2015 tended to end in “-ism,” so M-W decided to lump them all into one catchall term. 2016: surreal While many obscene words adequately describe 2016, “surreal” was probably the most accurate. It was, October 29, 2026 / R / 15

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FEATURE

Trophy hunting

Elk season and volleyball season coalesce

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Contributor

For an elk hunt to end with a harvest, a lot has to go right. Of course there are elements within the hunter’s control: preparedness, timeliness, knowledge of the land. But critical to a successful harvest are also uncontrollable elements: wind direction, trail conditions, the elk’s daily decision whether or not to adhere to patterns and norms. These reflections have all come to me since Oct. 10, when I set out on opening day of rifle season in hopes of a successful harvest. More than that, I hoped for a sense of peace I’ve dependably found during solitary walks in the woods since I was just a preteen being trusted to learn my family’s hunting grounds. My dad and I departed the truck and hit our respective routes just after daylight. I began along the switchbacks of what’s become my favorite hunting trek — a grueling ridge lovingly dubbed the Hog’s Back. Its open faces afford views of Lake Pend Oreille’s shores from the mouth of the Clark Fork all the way to Sandpoint. The train whistled and rattled while the duck hunters enjoyed their own opening day, their shots echoing up the canyon. The morning held a chill that I knew my movement would soon dispel. The night’s rain dampened the forest floor and promised to conceal my footsteps. This was a perfect setting for contemplation. I settled into my rhythm. Five or six steps, pause, listen, look, continue on. Shift rifle from hand to hand, readjust backpack straps, wipe forehead. I found myself thinking about my team. On Oct. 10, Clark Fork High School’s varsity volleyball team had recently wrapped up an undefeated regular season and was preparing for the district championship the following week. As the head coach, my preparation takes many forms: planning practice, scouting potential opponents, writing notes for conversations I want to have with players. Each of these things took up headspace as I continued my hunt, and I was thankful for the uninterrupted opportunity to ponder. Day-to-day life with my 3-year-old son, Liam, provides plenty of entertainment, but

considerably less time to ponder. I paused at the top of a tough stretch of trail, happy to have it behind me. Cloud coverage would buy me some time, but I wanted to reach the apex of my route before the sun crested the ridge and shifted the breeze against my favor. I had about 45 minutes to reach the point where I’d begin sidehilling into thicker timber. Familiar calculations told me I had time for a handful of pauses before then, and I wanted to save a long one for a spot coming up — where I’d been telling myself for years would be the perfect place to sneak up on a feeding herd. If I could keep quiet, the next vista would provide my first look into the timber to my right before anything at that distance could hear or smell me. So, with an optimist’s heart and a realist’s mind, I snuck across loose rocks and pushed myself into labored breathing, my mind somewhere between the volleyball court and the mountain, until I reached my predetermined spot to pause. It took a moment for the finer details of the timber to fully materialize. Foreground, trees. Background, forest floor. And there, just the slightest shade of red against the dull brown and gray, was a cow elk. She stood between two dead white fir, facing uphill. Something on the neighboring ridge had caught her attention. To her left, another cow was feeding, unbothered. There was gentle

Left: The author’s trusty rifle shot straight on opening rustling in the brush below, which day. Center: Good morning, Hope. Top right: Travis Kiebert and Liam Carey butcher Mama’s elk. Bottom right: Clark didn’t phase them. Fork hoists the 2026 North Star League Championship Hopefully, I thought, a bull. trophy. Photo by Tel Thompson. All others by the author I made sure I liked my footing. I disnot long after with his chainsaw, ATV engaged the safety on my rifle. For the first time ever, come to think of it, I felt and (thankfully) the enthusiasm and stamina to inspire our packout. ready for whatever might come next. For the past decade, the elk hunt When I recounted the story, I told has arrived amid a time of year I’ve my dad I watched the cows for about come to love more than any other: voltwo minutes before the action started. leyball season. In that time, my team It may have been 30 seconds. has never gone undefeated through the For whatever reason, the lead cow regular season — until this year. Maybe decided it was time to go and broke it’s their commitment or athleticism. uphill. Her companion followed and a But I also think a lot had to go right tan body entered my peripheral vision that was out of our control, just as with — a male. a hunt that ends in a harvest. I put my crosshairs between two The Clark Fork Wampus Cats trees on the game trail, saw antlers would go on to win the district chamcross my vision and fired. He reared (hit, but not in the lungs, which would pionship the following Thursday, and my family would butcher the spike have caused more of a buckling) and on Sunday. I write this story with elk disappeared from my sight. At this meat in my belly and a half-packed stage in a hunt, sound is no longer a duffel bag on my bedroom floor, reliable indicator of what’s happening. The rifle shot rendered me temporarily poised for the 1A Idaho State Volleyball Tournament, where my team of deaf, and without the spike in my line of sight, my only choice was to make a incredible, kind, smart, hardworking, hilarious girls will compete with an good guess at his resting place. undefeated record this weekend. About 10 minutes and plenty of A lot had to go right — but this colbushwhacking later, I found my harvest lying with the lake before him and umn has never been about outcomes. The joy of the hunt, for elk and for I grappled with the bittersweet gratitrophies, is always first and foremost. tude of the successful hunt. This would be celebrated as my first Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey is a fifth-generation solo kill, but “solo” only applies so far Bonner County hunter and editor emeritus of as my solitary walk and the shot itself. the Reader. She has contributed a column My dad dressed the animal with my about elk hunting every October since 2017. sheepish help and my husband arrived October 29, 2026 / R / 17

COMMUNITY Leadership Sandpoint now accepting applications for 2027 class project By Reader Staff Leadership Sandpoint, a program of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, is now accepting applications from local nonprofits for its 2027 spring class project. Applications must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 6.

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Each year, Leadership Sandpoint participants select, plan and implement a community project in partnership with a local nonprofit. Projects may include physical improvements — such as building structures or beautification efforts — or fundraising initiatives. All projects must be completed by May 15, 2027. “Keeping our community vibrant and healthy requires strong, insightful leaders who can work effectively with a variety of groups,” stated Chamber Executive Director Joan Urbaniak. “This project provides participants with hands-on leadership experience while making a lasting impact in Sandpoint.” Eligible local 501(c)(3) nonprofits must have a project in mind that can be scaled for completion or partially completed within the program’s timeframe. Up to five organizations will be invited to present their proposals in a 20-minute presentation on Dec. 16. For more information, contact Joan Urbaniak at joan@sandpointchamber. com.

COMMUNITY

2027 Festival at Sandpoint Fine Arts Poster unveiled By Reader Staff The Festival at Sandpoint recently revealed its 2027 Fine Arts Poster, titled “Dance, Man! Dance,” by local artist Heather Mehra-Pedersen. The piece, painted in oil, is meant to celebrate the act of participation and how people individually experience moments together. “We all participate differently,” Mehra-Pedersen stated. “Some dance with wild abandon, some watch and some stand quietly with their hands in their pockets, but we’re still part of the same experience.” Mehra-Pedersen worked a few personal details into the work, with the little girl in yellow serving as a self-portrait in her favorite childhood dress. Her daughter, Rio, is also represented as the girl in purple. An award-winning palette knife painter and contemporary artist known for bold, large-scale paintings, Mehra-Pedersen’s work blends abstract expression with impressionistic details in an unmistakably individual style. Her work features recognizable forms

paired with unexpected palettes, rich texture and dynamic movement, meant to portray scenes as they are remembered and feel more than how they are seen. She trained at Lehigh University, with an emphasis on marketing and fine arts, and undertook advanced study in Aix-en-Provence, France, and Mehra-Pedersen’s work has been displayed nationally by Hallmark Cards and represented by galleries in Sandpoint and Sun Valley; Scottsdale, Carefree and Sedona, Ariz.; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and Telluride, Colo. As in previous years, Mehra-Pedersen donated the original artwork for auction, with proceeds supporting the Festival’s year-round music education programs and nonprofit mission. The online silent auction for the original, custom-framed “Dance, Man! Dance!” piece is open now at poster2027.ggo.bid and will close at the end of the Grand Finale. “Ultimately, it’s about being fully present,” Mehra-Pedersen stated. “We don’t have to experience the night the same way, but for a little while, the music, the place, and the people align

‘Dance, Man! Dance,’ by Heather Mehra-Pederson was chosen as the Festival at Sandpoint’s 2027 Fine Arts Poster and can bring very different people into one shared moment.” The 2027 Summer Series is scheduled for July 29-Aug. 8 at War Memorial Field. For more information, go to festivalatsandpoint.com/2027.

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October 29, 2026 / R / 19

HOLIDAY

Happy Halloweekend

Spooky events around Bonner County

By Reader Staff The autumn leaves are falling in droves, blanketing Sandpoint in festive red and gold, which can only mean one thing: It’s time for Halloween. As always, Bonner County is ready to celebrate with live music, trunk-ortreating and plenty of other spooky activities to satisfy all the costumed creatures that go bump in the night. Oct. 30 R.I.P. RV Park Kicking off the festivities, the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce will host a Halloween-themed ribbon-cutting for its new member, R.I.P. RV Park (464399 U.S. 95, in Sagle). The celebration begins at 1 p.m. with the grand opening and open house, followed by a trunk-or-treat around the park from 3-5 p.m. The evening will include free appetizers and plenty of candy. Fright Night Afterward, head over to the Sandpoint Community Center (204 S. First Ave.) for the third annual Fright Night — a free community metal and hard rock concert and costume contest. Sandpoint’s own metalcore band Every Dying Breath will headline, with additional performances by BakLip, Congeal, Gravity Rock Band and A Void Dead. Don your best Halloween costume for a chance to win a $100 grand prize, and give back to the community by bringing a donation for the Sandpoint Lion’s Club Toys for Tots fundraiser. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and admission costs $15. Learn more at everydyingbreath.com. Hogwild Halloween If metal isn’t your style, the Hive (207 N. First Ave.) is having a “Hogwild Halloween” with local rockin’ country band Hogwire. The 21+ party will begin at 7 p.m. with line dancing lessons, after which you can show off your new moves during the live music (in costume, of course). The best dress will win a prize, so don’t show up in your regular cowboy boots. Tickets are $5 for the concert or $15 with the dance lessons at livefromthehive.com. Oct. 31 Pumpkin painting There’s no end to events on Hal20 / R / October 29, 2026

loween day (and night). Barrel 33 (100 N. First Ave.) leads the charge from 2-4 p.m. with a pumpkin painting party. Bring a pumpkin and the wine bar will supply the art supplies, free of charge. Afterward, stick around for a bite to eat until 6 p.m. when the Halloween party and costume contest begins. Learn more at barrel33sandpoint.com. Downtown Candy Walk At the same time, members of the Historic Sandpoint Shopping District will be awaiting trick-or-treaters of all ages for the annual Candy Walk from 3-5:30 p.m. Find a list of participating businesses at sandpointdowntownshopping.com/candy-walk. Lions Trunk-or-Treat As evening descends and costumed kiddos flood the streets, families can stop by the Sandpoint Lions Club’s Trunk-or-Treat (609 S. Ella Ave.) to pick up some extra candy. Festivities will begin at 4 p.m. Just an hour later, the Veterans of Foreign Wars will host their own trunk-or-treat at the Sandpoint VFW Hall (1325 Pine St.) for all ages. Across the city, Christ Our Redeemer Church is mixing things up with a Halloween “warming station” at 1900 Pine St. From 4-8 p.m., the church will be offering trick-or-treaters warm drinks, mac ’n’ cheese and seats around the fire pits to stave off the chilly night air. Treat or Treasure Gather free goodies from a variety of booths at both locations of The Rusty Trunk Vintage and Antique store, 875 Kootenai Cutoff Road in Ponderay or 6127 Main St. in Bonners

Ferry. Kids of all ages are welcome from 2-5 p.m., with the first 30 people receiving a free trick-or-treat bag. Halloween parties Partiers will have their pick of live music throughout Sandpoint as well. Connie’s Cafe and Lounge will start the evening off at 6:30 with a party and children’s costume contest, but the real fun begins at 8 p.m. with the adults-only celebration. The dance party will run nonstop until 11 p.m., but drop by at 10 p.m. to participate in the costume contest. Meanwhile, beginning at 8 p.m., Eichardt’s Pub (212 Cedar St.) is opening its doors for A Haunted Holler — a free night of spooky bluegrass with “foot-stomping ghouls and goblins.” Over at the Hive (207 N. First Ave.), doors open at 7 p.m. for a night of indie-rock and psychedelia with local favorite Snacks at Midnight and Lioneer, an indie-poppunk project by Toronto native Mike Liorti. Tickets to see both powerhouse bands are only $10 online at livefromthehive.com or $15 at the door. Halloween in Hope Finally, our neighbors to the east will enjoy a special night at the Hope Memorial Community Center (415 Wellington Place) with the first annual Halloween Extravaganza. Everyone can attend this free dance party from 5-7:30 p.m., which will include both adult and kids’ costume contests with individual prizes. Bring the whole family — dogs in costumes are encouraged — and enjoy food, drink and spooky music. Learn more at mccinhope.com.

COMMUNITY Panida hosts screening of award-winning French romance The Taste of Things By Reader Staff Critically acclaimed 2023 French film The Taste of Things will show in a matinee presentation Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). The French-language film — with English subtitles — stars Benoît Magimel and Juliette Binoche in a historical romance set in the late 1800s, centered on gourmet Dodin Bouffant (Magimel) and the cook who works for him, Eugénie (Binoche). Dodin and Eugénie have been in a longtime romance, though the latter has repeatedly refused the former’s proposals of marriage. Regardless, their affections are only matched by their mutual

respect as culinary artists. The dynamics of their relationship alter when one of the new assistants on the estate Pauline, played by Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire, displays preternatural skills in the kitchen. The primary action of the film stems from the preparation for a lavish feast to be served for a visiting prince and the interplay of Dodin, Eugénie and Pauline, who form a kind of family bound together by their shared talents for and pleasure in cooking. The Taste of Things is a quiet film that contemplates love as a language expressed through food, providing the connections that make up a shared life. With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reviews refer to it as a “sumptuous feast for the senses” and

a “romantic, old-fashioned cinephile delight.” Based on the 1920 novel The Passionate Epicure, by Marcel Rouff, rogerebert. com gave The Taste of Things 3.5 stars out of four, and the film won Trần Anh Hùng a Best Director award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The screening is part of the Panida’s effort to increase its cinematic offerings more regularly through the theater’s upcoming centennial year in 2027, and follows a recent survey that showed local movie buffs favor a mix of independent, foreign, documentary, golden age and family films.

Courtesy photo Doors open 30 minutes before the 2 p.m. showing, with adult general admission tickets for $10.50 and student and senior tickets (55+) for $7.50, available at the door or panida.org.

Chamber honors Sandpoint Furniture as October Business of the Month By Reader Staff The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Sandpoint Furniture — a chamber member

for more than 63 years — as its October Business of the Month. Established in 1945, the company has been family-owned and operated for 81 years with the goal of providing access to “finer home furnishings that offer style, performance and affordability,” according to the chamber. Since its foundation, Sandpoint Furniture has expanded to include Carpet One Floor and Home, Selkirk Glass and Cabinets, and the Sandpoint Furniture Clearance Center. The company now utilizes more than 40,000 square feet of showroom space across its Ponderay campus (401 Bonner Mall Way). “As a multi-generational family business with roots that run deep in the Sandpoint area, they remain committed to being good stewards in the community with sponsorships, volun-

teer work and support of many local nonprofits,” stated the chamber in a recent news release. Find them at sandpointfurniture. com.

Chamber Executive Director Joan Urbaniak with Sandpoint Furniture Manager Clint Gunter. Photo courtesy of the Chamber

October 29, 2026 / R / 21

events

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com October 29 - November 5, 2026 THURSDAY, october 29

Live Irish Jam w/ Seamus 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Weekly Pool Tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Rocky Horror Picture Show • 8pm @ Panida Theater The R-rated cult classic film with audience participation. Doors open at 7pm. Costume contest, seductive hosts, provided props and more

Live Music w/ Natalie Hughes 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Oak Street Connection 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Light on the Water 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Music w/ DJ General Slime 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar Live Music w/ John Daffron 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Whalien 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Live Music w/ Angel Urrea 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6-9pm @ Barrel 33 Live Music w/ Nic Allen 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery A Bluegrass Haunted Holler Halloween 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

FriDAY, october 30

A Hogwild Halloween w/ Hogwire 7pm doors @ The Hive Line dancing lessons at 7:30pm ($10), country band starts at 8:30pm ($5). Grand Kyiv Ballet: Swan Lake 7pm @ Panida Theater World-class Kyiv Ballet performing Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. Soaring music, illuminated costumes and dazzling modern light design. Panida.org Live Music w/ Angel Urrea 5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

SATURDAY, october 31

Live Music w/ Snacks at Midnight, Lioneer 7pm doors @ The Hive Spokane indie-rock band, costume contest and more. $15 at the door Enchanted Forest Guided Walk 3:20 or 4:10pm @ The Hedge School Music, story and scenes from folk tales. For young children. Free Sandpoint Lions Club trunk-or-treat 4pm @ Lions’ Den, 609 S. Ella St.

Live Music w/ Scott Stover VFW trunk-or-treat 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar 5pm @ VFW Hall, 1325 Pine St. Costume contest, DJ set, dancing Hope Halloween Extravaganza 6:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge 5-7:30pm @ Hope Memorial Com. Center Children’s costume contest at 6:30pm, Free costume and dance party DJ and dancing 8-11pm, adult costume contest at 10pm SunDAY, november 1 Ecstatic Dance Film: The Taste of Things 10am-12pm @ Embody Studio w/ DJ Yamuna 2pm @ Panida Theater Sliding scale: embodysandpoint.com French film about relationship beSandpoint Swing Dance tween a gourmet and his personal cook 6-9pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall Sandpoint Chess Club One-hour swing basics lesson at 6pm, 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee general dancing at 7pm. $10 at door

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live piano w/ Carson Rhodes 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Election Day • Polls open 8am-8pm Visit voteidaho.gov to find your polling place or for more info Beginner Argentine tango class 6pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St. No partner needed. $20 Sip and shop for Laiche Dance Team 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery A percentage of proceeds will be donated to Laiche Dance Team 22 / R / October 29, 2026

monDAY, november 2

Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome

tuesDAY, november 3

Lake Pend Oreille Toastmasters meeting 5:45-7pm @ Sandpoint Library

wednesDAY, november 4

Live piano w/ Dwayne Parsons 4-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

ThursDAY, november 5

Live bluegrass Jam w/ Dan 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Weekly Pool Tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

SASi Monthly Breakfast Fundraiser 8:30am @ Sandpoint Senior Center With breakfast from Wendy Franck of the Hoot Owl. RSVP: 208-263-6860 Naples Harvest Festival 4-8pm @ Foundations School Food, petting zoo, carnival games, trunk-or-treat and more. $5/each 3rd annual Fright Night 6pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall Giving youths a safe, thrilling way to celebrate Halloween. Five bands, costume contest and more. $15 Pumpkin painting 2-4pm @ Barrel 33

Thin Line Community Center Fundraiser 2-5pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live music w/ Brian Jacobs, trunk-ortreat and more

Candy Walk 3-5:30pm @ Downtown Sandpoint shops For a list of participating shops: sandpointdowntownshopping .com Cocolalla Harvest Festival 4-7pm @ Cocolalla Bible Church Carnival games and treats Halloween warming station 4-8pm @ Christ Our Redeemer Church Mac ’n’ cheese, drinks, fire pits True Crime & Wine 3-4:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Join retired detective/winemaker John Matthews as he shares how he caught a serial killer. Tickets: powine.com Cuban salsa and rueda dance series 6-7pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall Classes run on select Mondays. Register: sandpointcubansalsa@gmail.com Donkey Basketball fundraiser 6:30pm @ Sandpoint High School Players ride donkeys while playing basketball. Grade vs. grade elimination style tournament. $15/7th-adult | $7 K-6

Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

STAGE & SCREEN

Backrooms is a nightmare worth having more than once By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The raw materials of many nightmares consist of futility — like the maddening sensation of trying to run but being slowed by some force beyond your power and the setting of somewhere familiar that somehow isn’t. Likewise, those are the twin engines of Backrooms, another mind-warping horror offering from A24 Films that debuted in May 2026. On its surface, Backrooms is a “through-the-looking-glass” story, in which a person living in an ostensibly “normal” world mysteriously slips into another one that operates in a parallel realm with its own rules. And that’s about as far as it might have gone, if not for director and co-writer Kane Parsons. At the tender age of 21, he has mined his anxious generational milieu — which includes viral YouTube videos — to burst onto the big screen with one of the most highly regarded horror flicks of the year, combining nervy psychological twists with nail-biting chase sequences and a truly unsettling aesthetic sensibility. But understanding Backrooms and

its resonance requires delving into the chronically online existence well known to people born and raised amid the explosion of high-speed, low-cost video streaming. The titular “Backrooms” are nothing less than an urban legend built in real-time by members of Gen Z and, increasingly, Gen Alpha. The Backrooms started on the “image-based bulletin board” 4chan, where anonymous users post whatever comes into their heads. Originally, the “Backrooms” phenomenon consisted of images of desolate spaces bathed in sallow overhead light and seemingly extending into an infinity of contextless emptiness. The best way for “older folks” to imagine the aesthetic is to describe it as an expanse of interconnected, abandoned 1990s-era offices. The tableaux of scenes of purposeless enormity are occasionally punctuated by half-glimpsed creatures, wandering on spindly legs in half-shadow. It’s implied that such beings are (maybe) lurking around every blind corner and in any of the never-ending hallways and alcoves along the winding, interminable maze. It’s the definition of disorientation. Parsons brought online virality to the concept with his web series

Rocky Horror returns to the Panida across the country filled with their own particular rituals, callbacks, props, From its rocky start costumes and revelry in 1975, following a prerivaling the action on the miere in which audiences screen. were left scratching their The very much R-ratheads and critics deed plot centers on Frank’s clared it a bomb, Rocky efforts to construct his own Horror Picture Show has “perfect man,” designed grown into the definition for “absolute pleasure.” of a cult classic. Courtesy photo Into the extraterrestrial It now returns to scientist’s lair falls a couple of naive Sandpoint on Thursday, Oct. 29 for sweethearts — Brad (Barry Bostwick) an 8 p.m. screening at the Panida and Janet (Susan Sarandon) — who Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downthrough the denizens of Frank’s castle town Sandpoint). This year’s showing come to have their eyes opened to — which follows the 50th anniversary hedonistic ecstasy. celebration in 2025 — is the first since It’s campy, bawdy, filled with rock the death of Tim Curry, whose por’n’ roll and over-the-top in every way, trayal of the mad “sweet transvestite” with audience participation being a alien scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter is requirement. iconic in its own right and served as Presented by the Panida and the beloved late-actor’s breakout role. Sandpoint Smart Storage, the showing Originally a stage production by includes a costume contest with props Richard O’Brien in 1973, the film provided. Doors open one hour before adaptation has gone on to become showtime with admission for $28. Get the longest-running theatrical release tickets at the door or panida.org. in film history, with annual showings By Reader Staff

on YouTube under the handle Kane Pixels, giving the old 4chan images life through found-footage-style snippets that earned about 200 million views. Along the way, Parsons built a complex lore in which viewers were taken along on a journey encountering stranger and stranger spaces, more and more dread-inducing entities, and a sinister purpose pursued by the socalled Asynce Research Institute. He’s basically taken all that to the next level in the film, with the familiar visual elements in place (and then some), but centered Clark — a boozy, self-sabotaging sad-sack furniture salesman played by Chiwetel Ejiofor — who “clips” into the Backrooms through the basement of his shop and

Screenshot from Backrooms. Courtesy photo brings along his employee Kat (Lukita Maxwell) and her stoner/videographer boyfriend Bobby (Finn Bennett) to explore them. Along the way, he drags his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve) into the topsy-turvy labyrinth, at (or near) the center of which is his own tortured psychology (or maybe hers?). Overall it’s a stress-inducing, sometimes woozy, occasionally infuriating experience to watch — not unlike a nightmare from which you’re happy to wake up, but might not mind having sometime again. Stream it on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Apple TV and other platforms.

Grand Kyiv Ballet brings Swan Lake to Sandpoint artists,” the Grand Kyiv Ballet wrote, underscoring the dire times through which their Billed as the theatrical nation is persevering as Russia event of the season, the continues its yearslong invasion. Ukrainian dance company “We are showing Swan Lake Grand Kyiv Ballet will bring all over the world as a symbol its new production Swan Lake: that we will not give it to the Symphony of Lights to SandRussian aggressor who invaded Courtesy photo point with a special perforUkraine,” the ballet stated. mance Friday, Oct. 30 at the Panida Characterized by dazzling light Theater (300 N. First Ave.). design, radiant illuminated costumes Though its debut in 1877 at the and world-class dancers, “This is more Bolshoi Theatre, in Moscow, Russia, than ballet — it’s a breathtaking jourleft audiences and critics cold, its ney where love, destiny and enchantrevival in St. Petersburg in 1895 catament unfold through stunning chopulted composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s reography, brilliant light and soaring Swan Lake into the heights of ballet music,” promoters stated. with steady performances ever since. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 The Grand Kyiv Ballet’s version p.m. performance. Depending on presents the story of contrasting light seating, tickets range from $50-$30 and darkness in the characters of for general admission, and admission Odette and Odile through a uniquely for youth 18 and younger is $10 (not Ukrainian lens, drawing on the work including fees). of renowned choreographers Anatoly Get tickets at the box office or Shekera and Valery Kovtun. panida.org. Learn more about the “This is our interpretation of the Grand Kyiv Ballet at grandkyivballet. world-famous work, full of the spirit com.ua/en. of freedom and the skill of Ukrainian By Reader Staff

October 29, 2026 / R / 23

FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater She’s back! By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist There are people who become attached to their cars, their favorite old chairs or a well-worn pair of shoes. Me? I have a soft spot for an electrical appliance. My 1979 KitchenAid mixer is home again, and I can hardly tell you how happy that makes me. She has been out of commission for about five years. Five years. My children had all pitched in to buy me a new mixer when the old one finally wore out. It was a thoughtful and generous gift, and I tried very hard to love it. I really did. But it wasn’t the same. The new one never seemed quite as sturdy or capable. Although I kept most of my disappointment to myself, I missed my old friend dreadfully. That original mixer came into my life as a gift from my husband during our first Christmas as a married couple in Montana. I could never have imagined then how much of my life would be stirred, beaten, whipped and mixed with her help. Over the years, she has been there for wedding cakes for our daughters and the young women who became like daughters. She has helped prepare desserts for baptisms, trays of Christmas cookies, gallons of eggnog and countless other holiday treats. She has stood by through celebrations large and small, most happy and a few sad, quietly doing her part while the kitchen filled with the sweet aromas of butter, sugar and vanilla. I suppose that is how an appliance became more than 24 / R / October 29, 2026

an appliance. She became part of my story. When the old girl finally gave up the ghost, I thought perhaps our working days together were over. Then, not long ago, a friend mentioned that she had found someone who repaired KitchenAid mixers and was delighted with his work. She passed along his contact information, and I was thrilled when he came to pick mine up. Of course, nothing is ever quite as simple as we hope. My mixer’s problem turned out to be more complicated than expected. His first repair attempt didn’t solve it; and, eventually, he had to replace the motor. It wasn’t inexpensive, but by that point, I was

invested in this reunion. And now? She’s mostly all better. I cannot adequately describe the joy I feel when I walk into my kitchen and see her sitting there. I know it may sound ridiculous to be so attached to a machine, but I suspect some of you understand. We surround ourselves with things that carry memories, and sometimes those things become a sturdy little bridge to the people and places we love. My mixer takes me back to a young bride’s first Christmas, living and working on the family ranch, where I faced a few cooking (and life) failures while juggling the chaos of cows and young kids. I am reminded too of the many

occasions when feeding friends and family was the way I showed my love. Every scratch and familiar sound seems to belong to a chapter of our family history. At this stage of our lives, I find myself wondering which of us will last longer! I hope we both have plenty of miles left. There are still cookies to bake, cakes to frost and myriad reasons to gather around my table. So, welcome home, old friend. Your motor may be new, but your place in my kitchen has never changed. I’ve even bought some appliance touch-up paint and carefully covered her worn spots and rust patches, giving her a little cosmetic refresh to

go along with her new lease on life. A girl deserves a little pampering, after all. Now, we’re both anticipating next month’s 12-hour bake sale at Super 1 Foods, and visions of Christmas cookies are already dancing in my head. Meanwhile, our reunion calls for something seasonal and special. With autumn on my mind and a chill in the air, I whipped up a pumpkin cake with maple frosting. Here’s a helpful hint from one baker to another: If you whip up the frosting first, you don’t even need to wash the mixer bowl before you start on the cake batter. You’re welcome!

Brown butter pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting This tender, warmly spiced cake is just right for a crisp fall afternoon and will serve your guests well into winter. The maple frosting makes it company-worthy. Take the time to brown the butter — those golden-brown flecks add an extra dimension of flavor. Yields one 9x13-inch cake.

INGREDIENTS: For the cake: • ½ cup browned butter, softened • ¾ cup granulated sugar • ¾ cup packed brown sugar • 3 large eggs • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) • ⅓ cup milk • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour • 1 ½ tsp baking soda • 1 tsp cinnamon • ½ tsp ground ginger • ½ tsp nutmeg • ½ tsp salt For the frosting: • 8 oz cream cheese, softened • ¼ cup browned butter, softened • 3 tbs pure maple syrup • 2 cups powdered sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS: Melt butter (for cake and frosting) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown with little brown flecks and a nutty aroma. Watch carefully — it can burn quickly. Remove from heat immediately, and place in cold water bath. Stir until thickened. Set aside. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Using your mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the pumpkin and mix until combined. Whisk the flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer in two additions, alternating with the milk. Mix just until combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 30-38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Prepare frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar until

fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake. Garnish with chopped pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Soncirey Mitchell

READ

By Zach Hagadone and Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

Alongside its jollier cousin in December, Halloween is as much a feeling as a specific date on the calendar. Critical to that feeling, of course, is the musical accompaniment. For the second year in a row, we’ll present a handful of suggested entries for your Halloween playlist each week in October. Doom 2016 Soundtrack The 1993 video game Doom was a revelation in and of itself, allowing players to travel from the moons of Mars to Hell fighting demons and undead hordes. Part of its perpetual appeal was the techno metal soundtrack, and for the 2016 Doom sequel, composer Mick Gordon took that guitar-heavy setlist and added some Satanic steroids. Where the original had electric guitars, Gordon mixed the classic sound of a nine-string with recordings of chainsaws and lawn equipment — plus a lot of electronic alterations — to create a sound fitting for both the legions of the underworld and the indomitable space marine fighting them. Listen on YouTube.

Tele Novella The indie duo Tele Novella describes themselves as “macabre pop,” which is perhaps the only and best way to categorize their music. It has a kind of ’50s nuclear family and ’60s Scooby-Doo vibe, with happy overtones and hypnotic, retro guitar belying a sinister, haunted secret. Though songs like “Vampire Cowgirl,” “Dead Canary” and “Crystal Witch” combine perfect Halloween sounds with matching themed lyrics, almost every Tele Novella song deserves a spot on your October playlists. Perhaps in honor of the season, they also just released the song “All Wylde Things,” with an accompanying music video that combines the Smurfs with Baba Yaga and Eastern European folklore. Listen on telenovella.world. Vudu Sister You might have guessed from the band name that Vudu Sister celebrates the strange and unusual all year long. We would loosely classify them as gothic folk, stemming from their macabre sensibilities, full set of strings — violin, bass, cello and guitar — and American rootsstyle of singing, but they also have a smattering of grunge

and chamber music. Much of their music is inspired by Southern and European folklore, ghost stories and other morbid bits of modern culture. We recommend “The Girl Who Stood on a Grave,” “He Heard Footsteps Coming up the Cellar Stairs” and “Dead Man’s Pocket,” but every song off of Mortis Nervosa and Bastard Children is worth an October listen. Find them on vudusister.bandcamp.com. Apashe Born in Brussels, Belgium, and based in Montreal, Quebec, John De Buck — otherwise known as Apashe — is hard to classify. His sound could just as easily live comfortably under any of the electronica, trap and dubstep genre labels, but it’s his orchestral, quasi-Baroque sensibility that really sets him apart. His albums Renaissance and EP Requiem stride with bombastic confidence into symphonic territory that would be pretentious if it wasn’t so expertly scored. This is the music that the Phantom of the Opera would listen to in his off time; and, of particular note are his collaborations with Ukrainian rapper Alina Pash. Her howls of glorious, barely contained rage on joint-tracks like “Witch” and

“Kyiv” will send chills down your spine in all the right ways and for all the right reasons. Find it on YouTube and wherever else you find music. Vintage Halloween This might seem lazy, but The Hollywood Scrapbook channel on YouTube has delivered its own “Tunes of Terror” playlist, with just shy of two hours of scary season-themed tracks ranging from 1929 to 1969. “A Very Vintage Halloween!” features 18 numbers that range from the classically jazzy “The Tale of the Devil” to the ragtime-esque “Inside the Haunted House,” sultry “Jitters in the Dark,” showtuney “I Wanna Be Bad,” and quintessentially campy ’60s novelty songs like “Monster Romance” and “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” If you’re looking for a candy bucket full of nostalgic Halloween bops, this collection is all treats.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Whalien, 219 Lounge, Oct. 31

Nic Allen, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Oct. 31

Some bands seem purpose-made for a Halloween throwdown and Whalien is one of them. The Seattle-based four-piece comes with costumes, crazy hats, glitter and sparkle, passing out an assortment of sounds encompassing ska, disco, jazz fusion, hard rock and more — including “eclectic jam prog fusion.” The band will be holding down the stage at the 219 on Halloween night,

Anyone looking for a more low-key, adult Halloween should trick-or-treat for a flight or other favorite drink at the Pend d’Oreille Winery. While you’re there, enjoy the acoustic stylings of southern soul musician Nic Allen. Originally from Fayetteville, Ark., Allen is a skilled singer and guitarist whose pared-down renditions of classic country, rock and blues are just nice to listen to. Though he’s practiced and

where revelers are strongly encouraged to don their costumes and advised to “expect bright colors, funky grooves, psychedelic energy, wild musicianship and a Halloween night that absolutely refuses to be boring.” — Zach Hagadone 9 p.m., FREE, 21+. 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208263-5673, 219lounge.com. Listen at whalienmusic.com.

polished, he also knows how to add a bit of grit to create depth in his music. He also plans to throw in a few spooky tunes, which will make the evening festive without the usual hyper or frightening tones that come from Halloween’s candy-induced sugar highs. — Soncirey Mitchell 5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St, 208-2658545, powine.com. Listen at nic-allen-music.com.

No book has ever emotionally destroyed me the way The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has; and, when I say that, I mean that I cried for weeks. Like all good children’s literature, it’s just as — if not more — impactful for adult readers. The story of a young boy traveling to different planets, where he learns what it means to love and be responsible for others, is a must-read for all ages, and a great way to practice French. Find it at the library.

LISTEN

I can’t keep up with all the new subgenres in music, but I love them all. Apparently, Moon Walker’s indie-electronic rock style — which takes upbeat melodies and distorts them, creating a gritty, analog sound — is called “noise pop.” When paired with lyrics criticizing capitalism and American political culture, it creates a catchy, post-apocalyptic sound that’s both interesting to listen to and contemplate. Start with “Devil,” then move on to the newest album, Wasteland Country. Listen at listentomoonwalker.com.

WATCH

I don’t watch a lot of comedy — let alone stand-up — but there’s something about Lucas Zelnick’s understated, gentle style and crowd work that draws me in without giving me “the ick” (as the kids say) or any second-hand embarrassment. Admittedly, he is a nepo baby, but he manages to joke about race, sexuality, gender and every other touchy subject while still remaining respectful and enjoyable for pretty much everyone. Find him on YouTube.

October 29, 2026 / R / 25

BACK OF THE BOOK

Slop new world By Ben Olson Reader Staff

From Northern Idaho News, Oct. 29, 1929

CHILDREN TO OBSERVE HALLOWE’EN NIGHT The children of Sandpoint will be entertained again this year by the Kiwanis club as they have been in the past. They are expected to make as much noise as they possibly can and be on hand at the Farmin school at 7 o’clock ready to have a good time. There will be all kinds of noise makers for them and they will parade the streets of Sandpoint, winding up on the beach, where they will have a big bonfire with sports. Toys will be distributed at the bonfire and there will be something to eat and a good time. Then the children will again fall in a parade and go to the Gem theater, where they will have the pleasure of seeing a free show. Every year the Kiwanis club puts on this party for the children on Hallowe’en and it has already become a time honored custom for the children to celebrate that day in this way.

PICTURES OF LAKE PEND D’OREILLE TAKEN Wednesday afternoon, Ray Paulson of Spokane flying in a Buhl Junior airplane circled Lake Pend d’Oreille, taking aerial pictures of the scenic body of water for the state chamber of commerce to use in its publicity of the state of Idaho. The plane, which was piloted by Ralph Daniel of the Mamer Flying Service, did not fly over the city but around and about the lake while Paulson took the pictures. The ship flew low about 500 feet while the pictures were being taken. Previous to the filming of Lake Pend d’Oreille, lake pictures have been taken by Paulson of the University of Idaho campus, Potlatch and Lewiston lumber mills. 26 / R / October 29, 2026

For the first time in the Reader’s history, we ran the candidate questionnaire responses that we publish before every election through an AI-detection software called Pangram. We were surprised and alarmed by the results, which led us to establish an AI policy to handle situations like this in the future. Though five of the eight candidates submitted “100% human-written” responses to our questionnaire, Republican candidates Scott Herndon, Jane Sauter and Cornel Rasor all turned in responses that Pangram identified as “100% AI-written.” This, in a word, was astounding. It was so alarming that we felt the need to put a disclaimer at the end of each candidate’s answers that were published in the Oct. 22 edition. To clarify, when something is “100% AI-written,” it means that someone typed a prompt into an AI chatbot like Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini and then copy and pasted what the bot spit back verbatim. Pangram doesn’t just deliver review results of “100%” — it’ll show where and how a piece of writing was likely or certainly human-written, AI-written or AI-assisted, then break that down into various percentages and likelihoods. That didn’t happen here. These responses were 100% generated by AI. It’s the most blatant case of phoning in an election that I’ve ever seen, especially when you take into account that Herndon, Jane Sauter and Rasor all declined to participate in the Oct. 20 election forum hosted by local media. We can have discussions all day long about the ethics of using AI for writing, but I have to draw a firm line

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in the sand when we see evidence that politicians are using it to craft their own opinions on policies and issues that will end up affecting constituents if they get elected. In my view, it’s not just tacky or lazy, it’s a sign of contempt for voters. Here are a few hypotheticals: Would you be OK with your spouse generating wedding vows that are 100% AI-written? Would you accept a newspaper publishing 100% AI-written news stories that weren’t even reviewed by a reporter or editor? Why, then, is it acceptable that politicians use it to such a degree? In a state like Idaho, where lawmakers often lament the “out-of-state influence” on other legislators, nobody seems to be kicking up much of a fuss about three candidates who couldn’t even be bothered to formulate their own opinions. It’s this, perhaps more than anything, that points to a broken system that’s getting worse and worse. As a result, the Reader has developed a policy on AI submissions. Since the founding of this newspaper in 2004, we have always thought of our readers as smart, savvy people who are interested in authenticity, not rage bait or AI slop. Therefore, here is the Reader’s AI policy, which will also be posted on our website: 1. The Reader will not publish any AI writing on our opinion, perspectives and letters to the editor pages. If we suspect AI was used to generate a submission, we’ll run it through a detector and, if our suspicions are found correct, we’ll return the submission for the “author” to rewrite it in their own words and resubmit. Otherwise, we

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will deny the piece. 2. Articles authored by Reader staff members have always been and will always be 100% human-written. We do not use AI to write anything, nor will we ever unless the topic of the article is specifically about AI writing and we are using examples. If AI is ever used for this purpose, it will be disclaimed at the beginning of the text. 3. We will not consider AI generated art for our cover page. If AI is detected, we will reject the submission. 4. While the majority of our AI detection will be focused on opinion articles and letters to the editor, we will also check other submissions if they are suspect and may reject them as well. We believe in the power of the human mind. We believe that our readers deserve art, writing and thoughts generated by human beings, not bots. We believe in putting our heels down and holding the line. It’s that important. Sadly, this is not just a problem here in North Idaho. As AI is becoming more accessible, more and more “creators” are using it without disclaimers, passing off slop as their own work. We have no idea how many articles we’ve already published that were partially or wholly AI written and, honestly, we’re a little afraid to find out. But that all stops now. The saddest part of this whole ordeal isn’t that AI is being used by politicians and opinion writers to craft articles that thousands of people read and remember. No, the saddest part for me is that no one seems to care. Expect more out of those who represent you. When you stop caring, so do they, and it shows.

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By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matters

Solution on page 26

Solution on page 26

ACROSS 1. Foe 6. Magnificent 11. Care for 12. Blood line 15. Prey 16. Expansion 17. Play a role 18. Stronghold 20. Young boy 21. Ticket part you keep 23. Colored 24. Conforms to 25. Arid 26. Peel 27. Away from the wind 28. Biblical garden 29. Paintings /sis-uh-ROH-nee/ 30. Entertain [noun] 31. Illiminated by 1. a person who conducts sightseers; guide of the burning tallow sticks 34. Plant louse “Our knowledgeable cicerone led us through the old battlefield, 36. Chapter in history explaining how the terrain shaped the course of the fighting.” 37. Kiddies 41. Engendered 42. Russian emperor Corrections: Whatever it was, we didn’t do it — at least not last week. 43. River in Spain 44. Colors 45. A body of matter 46. Genuine When you go in for a job 47. Viper interview, I think a good 48. Phoners thing to ask if if they ever 51. 54 in Roman numerals press charges. 52. Blissful 54. First-aid item

Solution on page 26

cicerone

Word Week

56. Set up 57. Hesitate 58. Go inside 59. Uttered

DOWN 1. Decreed 2. Take care of 3. Unit of energy 4. Millisecond 5. Abominable Snowman 6. Skated 7. Angered 8. Nitpicky to a fault

9. Mesh 10. Many newspapers 13. A small chin beard 14. Terminates 15. Thigh armor 16. Fearlessly 19. Not 1st or 2nd 22. Long seats 24. Flitter 26. South African monetary unit 27. French for “friend” 30. Winglike 32. Assist

33. Eliminate 34. Mistreater 35. Make ready 38. A stone pillar 39. Rookie 40. Figure out 42. Not shorter 44. Laugh 45. Itchy canine ailment 48. Penny 49. Tears 50. A cleansing agent 53. Delivery truck 55. Twosome

October 29, 2026 / R / 27

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STEVE

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