It’s becoming impossible to go a single day on the internet without reading about the latest “maxxing” trend to afflict the smooth-brained rubes who are taken by such movements. For those who aren’t sure what I’m referring to, congratulations on keeping your screen time down to a reasonable level. Whether “looksmaxxing” or “fibermaxxing” or “sleepmaxxing,” there is no shortage of these trends making the rounds on social media. We’re apparently at that part of our capitalist society where there is seemingly an answer for every issue — and that answer is to do something to the fullest level imaginable, often way more than necessary, and potentially destroy yourself in the process. Got dry skin? You don’t need lotion, you need to subscribe to my 7-week “skinmaxxing” routine. Feeling weak? Follow my “protein-maxxing” course and consume an excessive amount of protein to improve muscle mass, metabolism and the ability to instantly bore anyone you talk to after 10 seconds.
As is usually the case on the internet, the trend has gotten completely out of control. For example, those who want to slow down and enjoy life are now categorized as “nonna-maxxing,” which refers to embracing a slower, healthier lifestyle of an Italian grandmother to boost longevity. Diving into old, comfy favorite films or albums of your childhood? You’re not just passing the time, you’re “nostalgia-maxxing.”
The trend has promoted dangerous body modifications and body dysmorphic disorders, where people spend an unhealthy amount of time worrying about the “flaws” in their appearance.
Even in today’s insatiable online world, there is, perhaps, a limit on the credulity of trends like these. Enter “ballmaxxing.” Yes, this insane new trend has seen men injecting fluids like saline or lubricating jelly into their testicles to increase their size. Proponents claim ballmaxxing will help inflate their family jewels to the size of grapefruits because, famously, you’re not a man unless you have to carry your nuts around in a wheelbarrow.
It goes without saying that this is not only insane, but dangerous. The scrotum was not built for this, and neither was our society. Many young, naive ballmaxxers buy kits online and do it themselves, not even using sterile fluid. This has led to cases of sepsis, which is potentially fatal.
There’s an entire subculture alive and unwell on the internet where ballmaxxers share pictures of their grotesquely enlarged cojones with each other and critique their process. You heard that right: Men are actively showing pictures of each other’s enlarged nuts online to prove how virile they are.
Maybe I’m just getting old, but intentional scrotal inflation doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. Perhaps it’s time we relax on the maxxing trends and just be satisfied with the coin purse we were born with.
DEAR READERS,
I’ve become accustomed to receiving calls and visits from our readers after every election. They generally want to talk about what went right, what went wrong and get my take on the results.
More and more, I get the sense that they’re yearning for someone to help them understand how our elections turn out the way they do almost every cycle.
This time around, I don’t have any nuanced discussion points. I don’t have any intelligent breakdowns or savvy commentary on what influenced the outcome. I don’t have any after-action reports or hopeful words for the future.
This time around, I’m just tired.
I’m tired of people being rewarded for their incivility. I’m tired of my mailbox overflowing with lies dressed up as facts. I’m tired of the tribal nature of our elections, of the bloodsport they have become, and of the continued downward spiral I see in this beautiful place.
I’m just tired of politics, folks. We’re all just a bunch of chickens lobbying for KFC at this point.
– Ben Olson, publisher
111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com
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About the Cover:
This week’s cover photo is by Emily Erickson featuring Katie Adams and Rebekah Davis running along Beetop-Roundtop Trail No. 120.
2026 primary election results
Republican Central Committee candidates sweep major offices
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
More than 45% of Bonner County residents showed up for Idaho’s May 19 primary, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s unofficial results, with the election’s outcome reflecting the broader power struggle between the increasingly disparate wings of the Republican party. While ultra-conservative candidates did suffer losses throughout Idaho, in Legislative District 1 and local races, such candidates earned wins in the area’s most powerful positions.
In Bonner County, the party has largely split into two factions: a more right-leaning side, exemplified by former-Sen. Scott Herndon, the Bonner County Republican Central Committee and its endorsed candidates, and a side often characterized as more “moderate,” with officials such as Sen. Jim Woodward and Rep. Mark Sauter. BCRCC candidates came out ahead in the primary; however, most will still face challengers from other parties in the Nov. 3 general election.
All tallies are unofficial until the state canvass deadline on Tuesday, June 9, at which point they will have been certified by election officials.
Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale told the Reader that the election’s voter turnout was “roughly where we thought” it would be, with vote totals similar to those of primaries past. Still, tallying and verifying each vote kept volunteers and elected officials up well into the early hours of May 20.
“This is the most complicated election out of every two-year cycle, and the reason it’s complicated is because it’s the primary,” said Rosedale. “This year, we had three parties, and nonpartisans. So you have those four ballot faces at every precinct, always.”
In addition to the different partisan ballots, some precincts saw fire district and school levies. For parts of the county, such as the Airport Precinct, polling places stocked as many as 16 different ballot types.
In the highest offices, incumbent Gov. Brad Little will go on to represent the Republican party in the gubernatorial election against Democratic challenger Terri Pickens. At the federal level, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch won the Republican nomination as the incumbent and will face off against Democrat David Roth and Libertarian Matt Loesby. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher also earned the Republican Con-
gressional Dist. 1 nomination and will face Democrat Kaylee Peterson in November.
Legislative Dist. 1 BCRCC-endorsed candidates swept Republican races at the state level, marking a noticeable win for the area’s ultra-conservative faction.
The race for the Republican nomination for Dist. 1 state senator was hotly contested, with Herndon looking to reclaim the seat from incumbent Woodward, who previously bested him in the 2018 and 2024 elections. Herndon won the nomination by a margin of only 1,040 votes and will go on to face Independent Steve Johnson in the general election.
“I’m honored by the trust District 1 voters placed in me and in the full slate of conservative candidates who won last night,” Herndon told the Reader. “District 1 again had the highest voter turnout of any legislative district in Idaho — our voters are engaged and they made their voices heard. My next steps are simple: prepare for the November general election and continue the work voters sent me to do — property tax relief, parental rights and accountable government.”
In addition to his time as senator, Herndon has served
as the BCRCC chair and Westmond precinct committeeman. While in Boise, Herndon largely allied himself with a group of Idaho’s most conservative lawmakers, known as the Gang of Eight, made up of Glenneda Zuiderveld, Josh Kohl, Lucas Cayler, Faye Thompson, David Leavitt, Elaine Price, Clint Hostetler and Kent Marmon. All but Price, Hostetler and Marmon lost their nominations in the 2026 primary.
The Republican nomination for Dist. 1 state representative went to BCRCC-endorsed challenger Jane Sauter, who will take over from current Rep. Mark Sauter (no relation). She, too, won by just 1,040 votes and will face Democrat Karen Matthee in November.
“Above all, I give thanks to God for His guidance, strength and grace throughout this election season,” wrote Jane Sauter on her campaign’s Facebook page. “Campaigns can test your faith, and I am amazed at the wisdom, peace, and perseverance He provided every step of the way.”
“This victory belongs to all of us who believe Idaho is worth protecting and that government works best when it remains accountable to the people it serves,” she later added.
Incumbent Rep. Cornel
Rasor retained the Republican nomination for Dist. 1, claiming victory against challenger Chuck Lowman by a wide margin of nearly 4,000 votes, and earning the chance to face Democratic candidate Birgid Niedenzu.
“To the voters who placed their trust in me: Your faith in this campaign and in a better future for our communities means more than I can express,” wrote Rasor on his personal Facebook page. “You showed up, you spoke out, and you have chosen. I am deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve you.”
Bonner County
Bonner County Dist. 2 Commissioner Asia Williams lost her seat to Jeff Roberts by nearly 3,500 votes, marking another win for the BCRCC’s majority. Roberts, a member of the anti-communist political group the John Birch Society and the anti-government militia group the Three Percenters, will go into the general election uncontested.
“It’s difficult to fully express my gratitude for the trust and responsibility the citizens of Bonner County have placed in me,” wrote Roberts on his campaign Facebook page.
< see ELECTION, Page 5 >
L-R: Scott Herndon, Jane Sauter, Cornel Rasor, Jeff Roberts and Roger Rudd. File photos
Vandalism and tampering of control devices on pedestrian Long Bridge could mean full closure
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
As inspectors with the Idaho Transportation Department are addressing deteriorating concrete beams beneath the deck of the pedestrian portion of the Long Bridge, some users are making that work more difficult by vandalizing the access barriers and, in some cases, removing them.
“ITD understands how important continued end-toend access across the bridge is to the local community, and the department is making every effort to maintain that access in the least restrictive way possible,” ITD spokesperson Heather McDaniel told the Reader. “However, when safety devices are repeatedly vandalized or removed, it becomes significantly more difficult to safely maintain partial access for the public and forces us to consider more of an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach to ongoing access until the full evaluation of the bridge is complete and repairs are made, which could ultimately be months.”
Since setting up barrels, cones and caution tape to keep members of the public away from the affected ar-
“Thank you. Throughout this campaign, I have leaned on faith, trusting in God’s divine providence and His plan for our nation and our home here in Idaho. I am truly grateful for the blessing of living in this great state.”
Uncontested Republican nominee Steve Smith will join him on the November ballot, running for Dist. 1 commissioner against Independent candidate Fred Arn.
The Republican nomination for Bonner County Clerk was one of only two local races divided between three candidates; at least initially, because
eas of the bridge on May 7, crews have dealt with repeated instances of vandalism or removal — including on May 13, when the control areas had to be completely reestablished three times.
“In one instance, a member of the public openly told an ITD crew member that groups would continue removing the barriers if ITD kept putting them back up, which you can imagine was both alarming and frustrating,” McDaniel said.
Repair work on the pedestrian bridge poses unique challenges. Built in 1956 and converted to pedestrian and bicycle use in 1981, the structure cannot bear the heavy weight of vehicles normally used for bridge repair — nor more tamper-resistant access control measures like concrete barriers or sturdier fencing. That leaves ITD reliant on lighter traffic devices like barrels, cones and caution tape — and public cooperation.
“These restricted areas were not put in place arbitrarily. They exist to keep people away from locations on the bridge where access creates a legitimate safety concern, both for the public and for the integrity of the structure, while further
though candidate JoAnne Guzzi appeared on the ballot, she dropped out well before the election. Despite that, she received more than 1,000 votes.
Of the remaining two candidates, Roger Rudd beat Spencer Hutchings for the nomination and will enter the general election uncontested. Barring an unprecedented write-in campaign, Rudd will take the position over from Rosedale, who will retire after more than a decade with the county.
“To the people of Bonner County, I take this honor with much appreciation and humility,” wrote Rudd on his campaign Facebook page. “I prom-
evaluations and repair planning continue,” McDaniel said.
“[T]hese restrictions are inconvenient, which is exactly why we’ve worked so hard to avoid a full closure. It’s disappointing that the actions of a small number of individuals could ultimately jeopardize access for everyone else who uses the bridge responsibly,” she added.
Meanwhile, ITD is now working with local and state
ise to serve EVERY one of you with integrity, dedication, and a heart for this community.”
Due to the increasing prevalence of hard-line conservative ideals within the local Republican central committee, candidates and voters put special emphasis on precinct committee member elections this year. A coordinated wave of Republicans sought to challenge the existing hierarchy by running against BCRCC and Herndon-aligned candidates. Of the 15 candidates involved in the attempt to upset the existing committee power structure, nine won and/or maintained seats on the BCRCC.
law enforcement for additional patrols on the bridge to discourage vandalism or other tampering with control devices.
Despite the access restrictions, the full span of the pedestrian bridge remains open, including to permitted special events. ITD is continuing to accept and evaluate permit applications and will work with organizers to balance safety, protection of the bridge structure and compliance with
The board is made up of one representative from each of the county’s 30 precincts.
Ballot Measures
Of four proposed ballot measures throughout the area, only one passed: the Northside Fire Protection District Levy. The measure received 55.40% of the vote, giving the district temporary authority to increase its annual budget by $689,112 beginning in 2027 and expiring no later than 2029. The additional funds stem from a property tax levy, which will cost area homeowners an additional $21 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value per year.
restricted areas.
“As with everything ITD does, safety is always our top priority,” McDaniel said. “If these safety controls cannot remain in place, ITD may be forced to consider additional restrictions — including the possibility of a full closure — until repairs can be completed.”
All money will go toward staff retention and operational costs.
Both the Westside Fire Protection District Levy and the Selkirk Recreation District Levy lost, despite winning more than 50% of the vote, given that they needed 66.67% to pass. Finally, more than 77% of Bonner County voters and 57% of Kootenai County voters sided against the Lakeland Joint School District Plant Facilities Levy, which would have added $3 million per year to the district’s budget for five years.
See a full breakdown of the state’s election results at voteidaho.gov.
Barricades along portions of the Long Bridge. Photo by Ben Olson
Mark Fuhrman dies at 74
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Former Los Angeles Police Detective and longtime resident of Sandpoint and Spokane, Mark Fuhrman, died May 12 in Kootenai County. He was 74 years old.
In 1996, Fuhrman was convicted of perjury during his testimony at the O.J. Simpson murder trial. He was one of the first police detectives sent to investigate the 1994 killings of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles. Fuhrman’s claim that he’d found a bloody glove at Simpson’s home came under fire during the trial as the defense raised the prospect of Fuhrman’s racial bias. Under oath, Fuhrman testified that he’d never used anti-Black racial slurs, but recordings showed he had used one particular epithet repeatedly.
After the Simpson trial, Fuhrman retired from the Los Angeles Police Department and moved to North Idaho, living in Sandpoint for some time before settling in Kootenai County. Fuhrman’s relocation to North Idaho helped establish a trend of Southern California police officers also moving to North Idaho. Today, reports claim that over 500 retired police officers have moved to “blue heaven,” as they sometimes refer to North Idaho.
Prior to his work with the LAPD, Fuhrman had enlisted in the Marines.
After the murder trial and subsequent perjury conviction, Fuhrman became a frequent Fox News commentator and also participated in radio shows. He wrote the book Murder in Brentwood about the slayings, followed by other true-crime books.
Fuhrman told reporters after his conviction that he was not a racist, should not have used racist language, and also that he believed he’d been made a “scapegoat” in the case.
Alan Dershowitz, a lawyer and strategist on Simpson’s defense “Dream Team,” said Fuhrman was a “much better detective than he was a witness.”
Bits ’n’ Pieces
From east, west and beyond
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has incurred 11,600 legal challenges for the detention of thousands of immigrants; of those, judges ruled against ICE more than 10,000 times, a Politico analysis found.
Three separate calculations (Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and NPR’s Planet Money) found President Donald Trump’s family has made $4 billion off his presidency since his second term began.
Last weekend, in response to most southern states redrawing voter maps to reduce or eliminate Black and Democratic votes — after an OK from the Supreme Court’s right-wing majority — a consortium of more than 228 groups opposing the vote dilution marched in Alabama, various media reported. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, who’s been trying to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, stated: “If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t be working so hard to take it away.”
Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” tent camp, known for its harsh conditions, will close in June, the Guardian reported. It was costing Florida $1.2 million a day, and the state has given up on receiving a promised $608 million rebate from the Trump administration.
On a recent visit to China, Trump tried to bring the nations closer. Big differences remained regarding Iran and Taiwan. According to the AP, Trump said he raised the idea of a “three way” China-Russia-US nuclear deal for capping nuclear warheads. The U.S. and Russia each have over 5,000; China has about 600. Trump thought he had a “very positive response” from President Xi Jinping. The Pentagon says China could have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. Various media reported on the “Thucydides Trap” warning Xi gave Trump: when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling power, armed conflict is likely. Trump dished out compliments in response, which were not returned The Wall Street Journal said Trump’s visit “didn’t achieve much, but also didn’t appear to give anything notable to the wily dictator.” While Trump “boasted” about Chinese purchases of soybeans and aircraft, “China didn’t confirm the sales.”
Various media reported that ICE can no longer make arrests without exceptional circumstances in and around three Manhattan buildings where immigration proceedings occur. The judge said targeting immigrants trying to comply with legal proceedings amount-
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor
ed to “manifest injustice.”
In a settlement, Trump withdrew his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, various media reported. He’d claimed the IRS leaked his tax returns, which most politicians voluntarily release. The settlement sets aside a $1.776 billion fund to compensate supporters that Trump said were mistreated by the previous administration, which could include Jan. 6 participants. Other settlement details include the U.S. being “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons or the Trump organization regarding its current tax issues. Democrats called the deal “heinously corrupt” and vowed to fight it. The top Treasury lawyer quit after news of the “settlement” broke.
Blast from the past: After passing the 15th Amendment, solidifying all men’s right to vote after the Civil War, former Confederate states sought a run-around by requiring Black voters to pay a poll tax, pass a literacy or general knowledge test, guess the number of beans in a jar, pass a “good moral character” test, and/or show property ownership. Registering to vote came with risks, such as eviction or job loss.
And another blast: In 1965, half the county where Selma, Ala., is located was African American, but fewer than 2% were registered to vote, typically because they had been denied the ability to do so. To change that, 600 peaceful marchers crossed over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in early March. They met with the “Bloody Sunday” police brutality, and the shocking national TV coverage awakened the nation to Black people’s plight. President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke in support of the marchers. A march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., began on March 21, 1965, and expanded to 8,000 attendees. A federal judge ordered the marchers’ previous attackers to now protect them. By year’s end, the Voting Rights Act became law. Survivors of that march are again marching after the Supreme Court decided to gut the Voting Rights Act in their recent Louisiana v. Callais decision — urged by Trump — which has most southern states scrambling to dilute the Black vote with gerrymandered. The marchers’ new theme is “no Jim Crow 2.” Attendees included 18 members of Congress, journalists, lawyers, civil rights leaders and marchers from 1965; a new generation joined them for what is being billed as the “Summer of Action.”
Mark Fuhrman. Courtesy photo
District to maintain ownership of LPOSH facilities
Students scheduled to move campuses for 2027-’28 school year
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
During the regular Lake Pend Oreille School Board meeting May 12, members discussed the recent appraisal of the current Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School facility at 1005 N. Boyer Ave., in Sandpoint, and the future of the school in general. Board members denied allegations that they plan to sell the property, though they still intend to relocate the alternative high school to the portables behind Sandpoint Middle School for the 2027-’28 school year.
LPOSD announced in February its intention to close the 117-year-old facility, which requires extensive maintenance and renovations that the school district says it cannot afford at this time. As few as 50 students are enrolled at LPOHS for the 2026-’27 school year — low numbers that further reduce state funding eligibility. The Idaho legislature has already made cuts to education funding across the state.
“The facts are that we have a shrinking population of students at LPOHS — and this is not a statistic that we should be worried about. This is a success story,” said board Chair Lonnie Williams.
Due to the costs of fulltime employees, LPOHS will not offer electives this coming school year; rather, students will take buses to Sandpoint High School or attend noncore classes online.
Construction will be ongoing at SMS during the coming school year, necessitating the middle school’s use of the portables. LPOHS students will move in once workers finish improvements on the main SMS building.
As part of the process of closing the school building, LPOSD solicited an appraisal from Valbridge Property Advisors, which found that, though
the land has value, the structures on the Boyer property are “at the end of their usable” lives. Appraisers valued the lot at approximately $1.34 million; still, the school board has no intention of selling the property.
“I want everybody to know — and the public to know — and this is to be very, very clear: The reason for the appraisal is because it’s law. We have to get an appraisal,” said Williams. “The reason for the appraisal is not because we’re selling the property. We’re not selling the property; it is not going to happen.”
Williams added that there may come a time when LPOSD needs the Boyer property, and therefore, the school board cannot “hamstring” the district or future boards by making any permanent decisions, such as selling it.
“We still have people in the community that said that they are hearing from people and seeing on social media that the board is planning on closing LPOHS. That is absolutely a lie,” said LPOSD Superintendent Becky Meyer.
Meyer clarified that, though the building is closing, the school is not and will not “as long as I’m the super-
intendent and this board is here.” Still, she argued that moving campuses will ultimately benefit the students.
“We have to be able to provide students with equal opportunities,” said Meyer. “We cannot do that if they have to ride a bus to and from electives every period. It’s not possible and it’s not fair.”
Members of the community voiced their opposition to the move and asked the board to consider alternative locations, including former
LPOSD employee Tari Pardini, who worried that LPOHS students taking SHS electives would be “looked at and bullied as they’re coming to and from the portables.”
“Now, I don’t want to cast any aspersions on what your plans are and what you guys have done and where you plan on putting the school, but I’m going to look you in the eyes and tell you, I think it’s a mistake,” said culinary arts teacher Rand Rosecrans. “And that’s what I believe.”
“I think we need to continue to search. [There was] a little ray of hope in my heart when I heard we’re not closing there, because things can change,” he later added.
LPOSD meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at the Ponderay headquarters (365 Triangle Drive). Find agendas and meeting recordings at posd.org/boardof-trustees.
Ponderay City Council approves new Avista substation
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
The Ponderay City Council held its regular meeting May 18, during which the board heard Avista Utilities’ application for a special use permit to build a public utility complex near the intersection of East Bronx Road and U.S. Highway 95. The council unanimously approved the application, paving the way for the development of a substation and office building over the next decade.
The 22-acre parcel is zoned commercial and is
surrounded by a variety of commercial, residential and agricultural land uses. Avista purchased the property in 2018 near Northern Lights’ existing substation to account for population growth — and the increasing need for power — in the area. From 2020 to 2023, the surrounding population increased by 15.8%.
Avista will develop the facility over the next decade, beginning with the construction of a six-acre substation to convert high-voltage electricity to lower voltage and distribute it throughout the area. The facility will increase
electrical reliability in the area and limit the geographical spread of power outages when they occur.
To mitigate the impact on adjacent properties, Avista will also consistently spray water and magnesium chloride to help with dust abatement on the gravel road until the company can lay asphalt along East Bronx Road from the highway to the intersection with Craig Court.
Within the next 10 years, developers also plan to build a large service center on the site with offices for billing, account management and other
customer support services. Approximately 73% of the property will remain undeveloped, retaining its current use as pasture for nearby cattle. A mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees, along with a nine-foot noise-absorptive wall, will obscure the facility’s infrastructure from neighboring properties’ views. Avista also plans to landscape parts of the parcel, adding decorative boulders and a large detention pond, which will catch and drain stormwater runoff. For more information, or to read the complete application, visit bit.ly/BronxAvista.
The Lake Pend Oreille High School building. Photo by Soncirey Mitchell
Bouquets:
• There are a lot of nonprofit organizations tasked with improving the lives of people here in Sandpoint. One of the best is Bonner Homeless Transitions, which held its Little Black Dress fundraiser on April 30. I was pleased to see that BHT raised more than $81,000 by the end of the evening, with more than 125 community members gathering to support women and children rebuilding their lives. At the fundraiser, Executive Director Rebekah Little announced an amazing gift from the Kinderhaven Foundation Board of Directors — Kinderhaven’s former building and property. The evening also included the official announcement of the organization’s new name: Bridge Have. I’m proud of our community for stepping up, and that nonprofit organizations like this exist here.
Barbs:
• There’s a story on our news pages this week about members of the public who are vandalizing and even removing barricades that ITD set up on the pedestrian section of the Long Bridge. It seems like every day I see examples of how civilization is breaking down because people don’t know how to act in public anymore, or they believe themselves to be the main characters in their own movie, and everyone else doesn’t matter. The barrels and cones on the Long Bridge were put there to keep people away from areas of the bridge that need repair. In one instance, a member of the public openly told an ITD crew member that groups would “continue removing the barriers if ITD kept putting them back up.” It must be miserable being this much of a jerk. ITD is now threatening to close the pedestrian bridge entirely if people keep messing with the barriers, so let’s all act like adults here and stop messing with equipment that isn’t ours.
COMMUNITY
Northwest Auto Body earns May business of the month title
By Reader Staff
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recognized Northwest Auto Body as its May Business of the Month, honoring the company’s commitment to service, leadership and community impact.
Northwest Auto Body has been part of the Sandpoint community for half a century, providing major auto body collision repair services, with Gold Class certification from I-CAR, an international organization that recognizes the industry’s highest level of
technical skill.
“Our job is about more than repairing vehicles. It’s about helping people get back to normal. That has been our mission for 50 years,” said NAB manager David Keyes.
As part of efforts to give back to the community, workers have raised more than $30,000 for the food bank through the annual “Deervember” event, and supported the Sandpoint Rotary Club, Friends of the Pend Oreille Bay Trail, and North Idaho College through volunteerism and donations. The company
also participates in the Sandpoint High School auto body program, supporting local youth sports and other organizations because “they believe that investing in Sandpoint’s young people means investing
in the future of this town,” according to chamber representatives.
Chamber recognizes Ruth Garcia as volunteer of the month
By Reader Staff
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recognized Ruth Garcia as its May Volunteer of the Month for her dedication, leadership and service to animals and the community through her work with Better Together Animal Alliance.
Ruth has contributed more than 350 hours of service to BTAA over the years as a part of the Hounds on the Town and Play Groups programs, not to mention her time as a foster parent for BTAA’s dogs. As a core member of the organization’s dog walking team, Ruth provides daily en-
richment, exercise and support to pets awaiting adoption. She also plays an active role in community outreach efforts, assisting with vaccine and microchip clinics and helping transport dogs to adoption events throughout the region.
“Through her compassion, initiative, and unwavering commitment, Ruth has become an invaluable part of the organization,” organizers stated in a recent news release. “Her efforts strengthen connections between people and pets and help create more successful matches and adoptions.”
From L-R: Eric Donenfeld, David Keyes, Cory Donenfeld, Mel Donenfeld and Chamber Executive Director Joan Urbaniak. Courtesy photo
From L-R: Sarah Berry, Trisha Decker, Ruth Garcia, and Paige McGowan from Better Together Animal Alliance, with Joan Urbaniak from the Chamber of Commerce. Courtesy photo.
Emily Articulated
Whodunit
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
I’m an avid fan of the “whodunit,” the often formulaic mystery centered around a single question: Who committed the crime? The audience, whether reader or viewer, joins the investigator in sifting through clues and narrowing down the perpetrator from a cast of suspicious characters, all culminating in the “big reveal,” where the disparate pieces finally click into place and form a cohesive conclusion.
These stories trace their roots back to the 1800s with Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” before peaking during the “golden age” of detective fiction with Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and Agatha Christie in the 1920s and 1930s, when the genre became codified into a recognizable set of conventions.
Largely defined by its restraint, whodunits feature implied violence and gore rather than showing it. They place the emphasis on the puzzle itself instead of spectacle, making it an enduring favorite for readers seeking an engaging but comfortable experience.
The formula is familiar: There is “the crime,” almost always a murder. The suspect pool is closed, limited to a specific or isolated group of people (guests trapped on an island, passengers on a train, heirs gathered for a will reading), and each suspect possesses the classic triad of motive, means and opportunity. The story also follows “fair play” rules, meaning the audience has access to the same clues as the detective.
Writers introduce red herrings throughout — misleading clues, suspicious behavior and deceptive alibis — all designed to throw both the detective and the audience off the scent of the true culprit. And, finally, there is “the big reveal,” the ritualistic gathering of suspects in a single room where the detective explains the story’s logic and unveils the killer.
I like the confines of that formula, the way the pieces fit together in the end — mayhem transformed into order, justice delivered by confronting the guilty in front of the people they wronged. If the stories are cozy, British and populated by unlikely or amateur sleuths, I like them even more. The charm, eccentric relationships and humorous dysfunction layered on top of the mystery only make the puzzle more satisfying.
I’m far from alone in this. The resurgence of cozy crime stories and whodunits across film, television and publishing is reflected not only in their prevalence, but also in the star power attached to them — a sign that studios and publishers recognize the genre’s reliable appeal. Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin. The Knives Out films feature Daniel Craig, Edward
Norton and sprawling ensemble casts designed to keep audiences guessing.
Off-screen and on the page, Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series has sold millions of copies worldwide, with The Bullet That Missed becoming one of the fastest-selling adult fiction hardcovers in recent years. Its success helped usher in a wave of similarly playful mysteries, including Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson.
The genre’s explosive popularity reflects a growing desire to find order in chaos. In an era defined by ambiguous real-world problems, the closed-circle mystery offers a kind of comforting “magician’s contract”: Every clue will eventually be revealed, the culprit exposed, and justice ultimately served. Perhaps that is why so many of us are drawn to these stories.
They allow us to experience the fantasy of things looking hopeless — the wrong suspect accused, the clues exhausted, the investigation led astray — only for the narrative to pivot at the last moment and restore moral clarity. In fiction, unlike in real life, wrongdoing is rarely allowed to remain unresolved. The audience is rewarded not just with a clever puzzle but with the reassurance that dysfunction can still be shaped into something understandable.
That fantasy feels particularly appealing because reality increasingly offers the opposite. We live in a world where powerful people seem able to evade consequences entirely, where the guilty move through public life with metaphorical “bloody handprints,” so confident in their untouchability
that they practically wave and wink at the audience.
We are left shouting, “It’s him! He’s the culprit!” with no uncertainty about whodunit at all. The wolf beneath the sheep’s clothing. The man beneath the Scooby-Doo mask. Yet he walks away anyway, tracks only half-covered while someone else takes the fall.
So we (or at least I) return to fiction, especially on a post-election morning like this one, ending our days with puzzles that can still be solved
within a few hundred pages, provided we pay close enough attention. Today, especially, I’ll be reaching for another mystery — another ending where the truth is uncovered, the guilty are confronted, and the story, somehow, still makes sense.
Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.
Retroactive
By BO
Emily Erickson.
Science: Mad about
weird biology
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
Time to warm up those thumbs, denizens of Bonner County! Today’s article will be a glance into Earth’s weird evolutionary past — and to get the full picture, you’re going to want to search Google Images for some of these wacky critters. Earth has had a pretty wild evolutionary track record. The flora and fauna we see today took roughly a billion years to become what they are now. Diving deep into Earth’s evolutionary history provides a peek into some really weird adaptations that were likely well optimized for their time. Now they’re just bizarre to say the least.
Tullimonstrum
Leading the pack is a creature that has befuddled biologists and paleontologists for nearly a century. Tullimonstrum is a beast straight out of the 2008 video game Spore. It had an elongated, fish-like body, stalked eyes like a snail and a jawed mouth at the end of a proboscis. It existed roughly 319 million years ago in the shallow seas over what is now the state of Illinois.
During the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago, much of what would become the eastern United States was underwater. Though not connected to Tullimonstrum in any way, it’s interesting to note that the Appalachian Mountains at that time were of comparable size to today’s Himalayas. Much of what would become the United States was a very tropical region at that time, with dense vegetation and peat swamps that created ideal
conditions for coal to form from decaying plant matter over millions of years.
Aside from vaguely knowing what Tullimonstrum probably looked like, we know virtually nothing else about it. We don’t know what it ate or how it ate, breathed or reproduced. All we really know is that it looked extremely weird and that it had no bones. Given that it didn’t have any calcium carbonate present in its body, it’s very impressive that we’ve managed to find fossils of Tullimonstrum at all.
Escumasia
One of my favorite jokes from the greatest mockumentary of all time, Parks and Recreation, is: “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” In the case of Escumasia, it was a sea anemone designed by a committee, all simultaneously playing pin the tail on the donkey.
This creature likely resembled modern sea anemones in some ways, such as being a relatively stationary form of sea life with prehensile appendages. Escumasia was shaped like a Y, with two arms, or so paleontologists think.
The strangest thing about Escumasia isn’t the fact that it looked weird and had arms but no bones, but the fact that it had a full digestive tract, including an anus, and was bilateral, which means it very likely wasn’t actually related to sea anemones at all.
Scientists don’t really know what Escumasia ate, as its arms lack adaptations for catching prey. Its developed digestive system means that it must have been a fairly advanced creature that ate something, but we have absolutely no idea what that may have been.
It likely lived within the same window as Tullimonstrum, but may have missed its neighbor in the Mazon Creek formation by up to 8 million years.
Proarticulata
This section isn’t about a single animal, but about an entire phylum of critters that essentially defined the Cambrian and early Devonian periods. Earth was in a really weird “getting to know myself” phase during the Cambrian period. Life was bizarre and nonsensical, and creatures from Proarticulata exemplified this perfectly.
Creatures of Proarticulata looked like trilobites, but also kind of like a fleshy bathroom rug that wafted around the ocean floor. They appeared to have segmented bodies, but interestingly enough, they weren’t actually symmetrical like most life is today. They had strange rib-like segments on their bodies called isomers that weren’t symmetrical, but may have wrapped themselves around a single point. This allowed them to glide through the water similarly to modern rays, though they aren’t related at all.
Proarticulata seems to have absolutely no descendants living today. They were an evolutionary dead end, evolved precisely to fill a niche at a very specific time in Earth’s prehistory.
As far as the fossil record shows, they lacked the ability to hunt larger prey, perhaps feeding on whatever happened to waft their way. It’s likely they fed off algae and hoovered around the ocean floor like a Cambrian Roomba.
Life on Earth has always had periods of incredible strangeness. Something that
has always stuck with me is the law of the conservation of mass: Matter cannot be created or destroyed, it simply changes shape. That means it’s likely that at some point, some of the atoms that make up who you are now were also atoms
that were a part of something wacky like Escumasia.
Just imagine the weird creatures you may have been a part of that we don’t even know about because they didn’t fossilize.
Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner
• The fastest recorded marathon run time was just broken on April 26, 2026, when Sabastian Sawe set the record at 1:59:30 at the London Marathon. Sawe became the first person in history to record a sub-two-hour marathon in race conditions.
• The oldest marathon finisher was Fauja Singh, nicknamed the “Turban Tornado,” who completed a marathon in Toronto at the age of 100 in 2011.
• The human body produces over half a gallon of sweat per hour while running.
• The average person will run approximately 26,000 miles during their lifetime, which is just over the entire circumference of the Earth.
• Ultramarathons are running events with courses longer than traditional marathons. Common lengths are 31 miles, but they often go up to 100 miles or more. One of the toughest ultramarathons is the Barkley Marathons in Tennessee,
which has a completion rate of less than 2%.
• Dean Karnazes, an ultramarathon runner, once ran 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in all 50 states of the U.S.
• In early Victorian-era Britain, treadmills were used as a method of exerting hard labor, a form of punishment prescribed in the prisoner’s sentence.
• Humans can outrun almost every animal in the world over long distances. The ones that beat us are cats, rabbits and kangaroos.
• The Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run while dribbling a basketball is 3 hours, 8 minutes and 16 seconds.
• Denmark holds “The Naked Run” every year as part of its Roskilde Festival, in which participants are encouraged to race while completely naked. The race always has more spectators than runners.
He’s like Bruce Wayne, at least that’s how he fancies himself. But rather than using his immense wealth to help the people in his community, he scapegoats the destitute, whom he regards as leeches on the system. Ignoring the Bat-Signal and scoffing with indignation, he laments: “Those indolent freeloaders need to stop making bad decisions. The best thing I can do for them is nothing, so they can become self-reliant. They need to learn, like me, to start businesses from the ground up. Nobody is going to hand it to them!” (Omitting the fact that he inherited Wayne Enterprises.)
With the profit from his family firm, he bribes politicians to gut the worker-protection laws and other regulations that inhibit his wealth accumulation. Publicly, he proclaims, “America first.” Privately, he offshores the manufacturing of the Batmobile. All the while, he waves a flag, praises God and smiles for the cameras.
He looks like a patriot and quacks like a patriot, but this quack is all flag, all cross and no conscience. He hides in his billionaire Batcave while the people suffer. Indeed, he’s just another performative patriot.
Of course, it would be a mistake to think that this reimagined version of Batman is exclusively about the fat man, Donald Trump, or Elon Musk. Certainly, as we can all see, phony patriots abound. Sure, Trump and Elon are like the Batman and Robin of government corruption; however, this is clearly not an isolated caricature, but one example of a pervasive political charlatanry that deals in empty slogans and platitudes, fake populism, duplicitous pandering, all while demonstrating a complete dereliction of patriotic duty.
If you ask me, a true patriot is someone like Hugh Thompson Jr., who, upon witnessing the war crimes of the My Lai Massacre, had the courage to intervene and confront his own side in order to protect unarmed civilians who were being slaughtered indiscriminately. Finding himself in a similar situation, the performative patriot would first ask himself what
course of action would most likely elevate his career or earn him the approval of his tribe.
Like a skilled method actor, he cloaks himself in symbols of loyalty while quietly measuring every moral choice against its personal cost or benefit. Though he derides “virtue signaling,” he takes great care to be seen praying in public and proudly singing along to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” Doing the right thing, however, especially when it means deviating from the group consensus or sacrificing profit, is anathema to him. Rather than being guided by the magnetic pull of his purported ethical beliefs, his moral compass always points in the same direction: self-interest.
With such a wretched disposition, one cannot expect to win any popularity contests. Hence the need for his well-rehearsed, grand performance. Ordinarily, homophobes like him are averse to the flamboyance of the theater, yet his talent for political acting is indubitably fit for the stage. If politics doesn’t work out for him, he and Robin can get in their leotards, emerge from the Batcloset and pursue careers on Broadway.
From that stage, much like the political theater, they can continue convincing audiences — just as they convinced voters — that they truly care about the working class and homeowners struggling with their mortgage payments. There, they can slash education budgets under the guise of “fixing” education, perform elaborate numbers about tax relief while quietly engineering tax cuts for the wealthy and sprint across the stage draped in the flag, basking in patriotic applause while their insatiable greed lurks just behind the curtain.
Scratch beneath the thin surface of red, white and blue, and you will discover that we have our share of performative patriots here in North Idaho.
We also, fortunately, have our share of genuine patriots, all across the political spectrum. People who fly the flag with pride, but who also recognize that collectivism and individualism do
not have to be mutually exclusive, and that caring for the less fortunate and respecting those with different beliefs and lifestyles is not un-American, nor part of any cultural Marxist plot, but an essential component of patriotism.
Like Hugh Thompson Jr.’s actions during the My Lai Massacre, real patriots do not blindly obey authority. They understand that power must always be questioned and challenged, because when those in power act with impunity, without anyone to hold their feet to the fire, corruption becomes inevitable. Condemning corruption only when the opposition engages in it while turning a blind eye when one’s own party does the same is the epitome of political hackery and the industry standard for the performative patriot, who places partisan and moneyed interests above the interests of the country.
If the word “patriotism” is going to mean anything at all, then this sort of performative charade must be confronted wherever it appears, regardless of party, ideology or personal allegiance.
The United States will continue to regress so long as loyalty to tribe and the unquenchable thirst for more wealth supersedes loyalty to countrymen, community and the common good.
Tim Bearly is a writer and musician from Sandpoint who draws inspiration from George Orwell’s words, “I write because there is some lie that I want to expose.”
Helping Hands Healing Hearts awarded $250,000 grant
By Reader Staff
Helping Hands Healing Hearts, a joint ministry of area churches, recently received a $250,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to support general construction costs for its new center in Ponderay. The award marks a new chapter for the nonprofit, which has spent the past eight years serving vulnerable individuals and families from a rented facility that could not meet the county’s growing needs.
“We believe every person deserves to be seen, heard and treated with dignity, regardless of their circumstances,” stated representatives in a recent release. “This new center will allow us to serve our community in a way that reflects the compassion, care and hope every individual deserves.”
Rising housing and grocery costs have strained both residents
and free resources in the area. The new facility will not only provide space for area families to receive free food, clothing, emergency financial aid, private life coaching and more during their most difficult moments, but will also give the community a space to learn and connect. It is the first phase of a long-term plan to create a large campus with transitional housing, classrooms, mentoring programs and expanded services geared toward helping people achieve lifelong stability.
The nonprofit has already raised $1 million for the complex and will begin construction this summer. Donors who contribute $500 or more by Wednesday, July 1, will have their names added to the permanent donor recognition wall inside the new facility. Learn more at helping7b.org
Top left: “Working hard at lunch with Oliver Pratt of Osprey Tree Service,” wrote photographer Marty Andrews.
Top right: David DaVinci, also known as “The Thrillusionist,” eats a Joel’s taco in freefall while skydiving from a helicopter on May 5.
Middle left: The Lost in the ’50s vintage car parade with Connie’s Cafe in the foreground. Photo by Taylor Long.
Middle right: The Lost in the ’50s vintage car parade as seen from First Avenue in Sandpoint. Photo by Zach Hagadone.
Bottom left and second from left: One of the many beautiful vintage cars on display during the Lost in the ’50s car show in Sandpoint May 14-16. The photo on bottom left shows a a miniature “hot rod” next to the original vehicle pictured to the right. Photos by Rich Milliron.
Bottom right: The Lost in the ’50s street dance on May 15 in downtown Sandpoint. Photo by Terry Owens.
By Reader Staff
Art Party to benefit POAC Buckle Up, Idaho: Click It or Ticket runs through May 31
The Pend Oreille Arts Council will host its annual Art Party — a fundraiser with food and live entertainment — on Friday, May 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint Organic Agricultural Center (10881 N. Boyer Road). The theme for this year’s 10th annual Art Party will be “The Rhythm of Art.”
The evening begins with a complimentary glass of champagne and appetizers while local musician Matt Lome performs his original compositions, which are reminiscent of Bob Dylan with a funk slant. Randy Wilhelm and Bill Mather, both talented local painters and illustrators, will also give live art demonstrations.
Following the reception, attendees will sit down to an Italian dinner by Ivano’s Catering, followed by a live auction and paddle raise featuring items like Gonzaga basketball tickets, outings with Beeracuda Boat Rental, golf packages and a trip to Nashville. As the organization’s primary fundraising event, guests will have the opportunity to support POAC’s myriad community and educational programs, including Kaleidoscope and Ovations. Kaleido-
scope offers visual art instruction in local elementary schools, and Ovations gives area students access to professional performing arts. POAC also offers affordable art classes at the Joyce Dillon Studio (313 N. 2nd Avenue, Suite B, in Sandpoint) for adults and through the Art for Life and Expressions programs for area seniors and teens, respectively.
Funds will also support POAC’s community events, such as the ArtWalk, Sandpoint Arts and Crafts Fair, the Artist Studio Tour and partnered events like Shakespeare in the Park and the Sandpoint Summer Series in Farmin Park.
“The success of this event is essential to POAC’s ability to provide Sandpoint with all the popular programs that our community has come to love and value for nearly five decades,” said POAC Executive Director Tone Stolz. “We invite you to come support the importance of the arts in all of our lives, and especially to support arts education for local kids.”
Tickets are priced at $100 per person, or $1,000 for a reserved table for 8, at ArtinSandpoint.org. Attendees can also order by phone at 208-263-6139 or in person at the POAC Gallery (313 N. Second Ave., in Sandpoint).
By Reader Staff
The Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety has partnered with law enforcement agencies statewide for the 2026 Click It or Ticket campaign, running until Sunday, May 31. Officers will increase patrols to educate Idahoans on the importance of seat belt use, with a particular focus on rural areas where fatalities are most common.
In 2024, 160 individuals over the age of seven died in passenger vehicle accidents — only 62 were wearing seat belts. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat
belts cut the risk of death and serious injury in half.
“More Idahoans are buckling up, but we need to do better to prevent fatal and serious injury crashes,” said ITD Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton. “Taking two seconds to buckle up makes you 50% more likely to survive a crash.”
Individuals not wearing seatbelts continue to make up a disproportionate share of Idaho’s traffic deaths. ITD urges drivers and passengers to buckle up on every trip and ensure children are properly secured in car seats or boosters.
For more information, visit shift-idaho.org.
Smoking at Sandpoint Eagles’ Aerie coming to an end
By Reader Staff
The Sandpoint chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles recently voted to end smoking at its clubhouse — the Aerie — at 1511 John Hudon Lane, in Sandpoint. Members hope the major policy change will improve the Aerie’s environment and increase membership.
The Eagles’ Aerie is the area’s last location serving alcohol that allows smoking indoors. The change will take effect on Monday, June 1.
“Many members have told me that they will not come to the Aerie because of the second-hand smoke exposure,” said Eagles President Tim Tarr. “This change is designed to bring
them back and make the Aerie a more inviting place for potential new members to visit and join.”
Volunteers will clean and paint the Aerie’s interior to remove the smoke odor from the building. In the future, the organization plans to construct a room on the existing deck, which will be open in the warmer months but closed off and heated during the colder months.
The Eagles is a community service organization that hosts fundraisers and provides assistance to area service groups and individuals in need. Visit facebook.com/SandpointEagleRiders589 to learn more.
Priest Lake Spring Fun Run takes off May 24
By Reader Staff
Priest Lake Race, a multi-sport organization that facilitates competitions throughout Bonner County, will host its 48th annual Spring Fun Run on Sunday, May 24 at Coolin Community Park (700 Missouri St., in Coolin). The run includes 5k and 10k courses as well as a 1k kids’ sprint, beginning at 8:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m. and around 9 a.m., respectively.
These family-friendly races are open to all skill levels, allowing participants to test their endurance, set a personal record or enjoy a walk with friends and family. Tickets are $55 for the 5k and $65 for the 10k at priest-
lakerace.com/fun-run. Online registration closes Friday, May 22, after which runners can register in person at the Coolin course beginning at 7 a.m., while pre-registered attendees are picking up their race packets.
The 5k and 10k races take runners over gentle hills and along gravel and paved county roads, with timing chips to track speed. The free Priest Lake Kids’ Dash, open to anyone 10 years of age or younger, is just for fun and will not include timing or awards. Participants in the official races will receive a shirt, bib and timing chip, and the top three finishers in each age group will receive a special award.
There are 2.5 million reasons to like this store
By Chuck Malloy Reader Contributor
As any store manager can attest, retail is a tough business, and good help is hard to find.
Not so much with Bizarre Bazaar, Sandpoint’s “upscale resale store,” which is celebrating 20 years of operation. Bizarre Bazaar, the flagship fundraiser for the Community Assistance League, is staffed by volunteers and the store items are donated goods. Unused items are offered to other thrift stores.
“The store is like walking into a boutique,” said Sherry Fulton, who has been involved with the store since it opened. “We sell gently used linens, household items, men’s and women’s clothing. We also have crafts ... there are no other craft stores, and extensive used books. There are some incredible donated items.”
“And a pair of jeans costs $5,” she added.
Money from the sales go back into the community in the form of educational scholarships and grants to local nonprofit organizations. CAL has been around for 46 years, according to Joyce Price, the board president, and the list of beneficiaries is long.
“This year, CAL expects to distribute more than $225,000 to local students and community programs,” Price said. “Over the past 20 years, Bizarre Bazaar has helped generate more than $2.5 million in funding for the community. Bizarre Bazaar plans to continue serving the community for many years to come. Ten years ago, CAL established an endowment fund through the Idaho Community Foundation, ensuring that its support for students and nonprofits will continue for generations.”
The kind of generosity and spirit I see from those associated with CAL is part of what makes North Idaho such a special place.
Lindsey Hughes, board president for Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc., said that CAL has given her nonprofit organization more than $60,000 over five years.
“CAL supports not only our nutrition program through grants for fresh food and produce, but it has been instrumental in allowing SASi to provide an inviting center where seniors gather — including installation of a cooling and heating system. At Christmastime, CAL brings generous gift bags for
seniors who are homebound. The community impact is immeasurable.”
Tone Stolz, executive director of Pend Oreille Arts Council, said her nonprofit has been a partner with CAL since 1992, and CAL has been instrumental in the success of the Kaleidoscope Visual Arts Program.
“Without this program, there would be no art classes in any of the elementary schools in Bonner County. Their support means the world to us,” she said.
Debbie Love, executive director of the Bonner Community Food Bank, expressed similar sentiments. Support from CAL helped with the purchase of a walk-in cooler and a scale for weighing donated items.
“They’ve truly strengthened our ability to serve our neighbors with dignity and care,” Love said. “They are the kind of organization you can call upon in times of need and trust that they will be there. I’ve experienced that firsthand.”
Mariah Decker, head coach and executive director of Unique Center for Athletes of Needs, said CAL over the years has provided “thousands of dollars in funding that directly impacts our daily operations. Their support allows us to invest in essential equipment and compensate instructors who create meaningful, consistent programming to our athletes.”
As Decker pointed out, CAL’s impact goes well beyond her nonprofit organization.
“I’m reminded of a quote that reflects who they are,” Decker said.
“‘Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that we ever had’ [Margaret Mead]. That is exactly what CAL represents, a group of dedicated, caring individuals working to make Sandpoint and the surrounding communities stronger.”
Chuck Malloy, an Idaho native and longtime journalist and columnist, is a volunteer writer with the Idaho Community Foundation’s Nonprofit Center. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com.
Above: The author Chuck Malloy. Right: Joyce Price at Bizarre Bazaar. Courtesy photos
The joy of trail running
By Ed Ohlweiler Reader Contributor
One thing about living in North Idaho, we sure are blessed with a smorgasbord of outdoor activities. These days, I find myself returning to the one with the least amount of requisite gear: just grabbing running shoes and heading out the door. No checklist, no pack, no PFD.
Maybe all of the beauty trail running has brought into my life has something to do with it. I remember once locking eyes with a mink for several seconds before we both went on our merry ways. Another time, I flushed a family of grouse for what must have been their first-ever flight. The chicks were flapping like crazy but barely flying all around me. I felt like I was in a snow globe full of little puffballs and I had to dodge them all like Neo in The Matrix.
In the desert, I saw a group of three desert bighorns — a rarity in itself — and watched the eldest show the youngest how to open up a cactus using only horns and one hoof. Once I witnessed a great horned owl attempt to fly off only to discover it was tethered to the tree by rabbit entrails.
This spring seemed especially dazzling with wildflowers, but maybe that’s every spring. One
particular trail was so decorated with alpine wildflowers on both sides of me that I felt like a bride in a wedding.
When I’m learning a new trail system, I often find myself lying in bed at night excitedly planning the next day’s run: “It has to be special and carry the distinct possibility of seeing something I’ve never seen before,” I find myself thinking, until I realize that’s every trail run.
I know trail running may seem overwhelming, so let’s dispel a few misconceptions right off the bat, because trail running should be a love affair; and, like all love affairs, it doesn’t have to end. You could grow old together.
What follows is entirely based on personal observation and contains very little of what could be termed “science” or “research.”
Myth No. 1: Trail running is for elite athletes. In truth, trail running is for patient athletes and often favors older runners. I remember one year being inspired by two separate 67-year-olds. It still amazes me what the younger, more fit version of myself found daunting, but perhaps I was just unwilling to slow down my pace for the sake of unlimited fun and beauty, something I now find amusing.
Myth No. 2: Trail running does not include walking. All trail running includes walking at some point. In a perfect world, I would only walk for scenic beauty (a must), while eating (I am trying to be more mindful) or while navigating, and not because my heart and lungs tell me to. Will this ever happen? Most definitely not. Every run is a tapestry of both.
Myth No. 3: Trail running is bad for your body. Sometimes people express this sentiment to me and I can’t help thinking they are projecting their own road running injuries onto me or the sport. In truth, since I gave up the evil pavement 25 years ago, I’ve suffered very few overuse injuries, which I attribute to soft landings and development of more little “stabilizing” muscles required for ducking and dodging that may help reinforce joints and prevent injury. (Again, no science here, just person-
al observation.) Most of my injuries now are self-inflicted, like run-ins with cactus in the desert and with roots or rocks in North Idaho.
Myth No. 4: Hills and headwinds are bad. Hills are merely hills, and your ticket to unlimited beauty when you consider all of the scenic vistas that ridgetops offer: alpine wildflowers, picas and marmots, storm watching and more. Unlike cycling, a headwind is usually preferable in running because the difference in evaporative cooling more than offsets the wind resistance (except in extreme cases). The worst is a fivemile-per-hour tailwind when that is roughly your running speed. The same air stays with you offering little in the way of cooling; but, when you turn around, it becomes in effect a 10 mph wind, which is so
much more refreshing.
OK, that’s what trail running is not — what is it, exactly? This is highly personal depending on each person’s individual journey. Even though there’s a Zen aspect to it, we as Westerners still arrive with our own goals. If you want to take it to the next level, there are a gazillion fact-based podcasts featuring coaches and athletes galore, technology, fancy watches and heart rate monitors to help you improve your distances and times. For the rest of us, there are other considerations. Since human beings will not persist very long in an endeavor they don’t enjoy, I’m choosing to focus on happiness as it applies to running. Or vice versa. Here are some ideas I have found helpful:
< see RUNNING, Page 17 >
Top left: Ed Ohlweiler running along the Pacific Crest Trail. Courtesy photo
I’m from the Marie Kondo school of trails — they have to spark joy. While many goals have jockeyed for third position over time, my top two have always been experiencing scenic beauty and encountering wildlife. With that in mind, I can stack the deck through my choice of locations.
There is also exploring new country, discovering loops, practicing mindfulness or breathwork, and connecting with your inner child or friends. Many enjoyment-based goals, including feeling healthier and enjoying elevated mental states, are easily attainable. Bonus: Increased blood flow to the brain makes you smarter.
Know when to walk
Knowing when to walk can also make trail running more enjoyable. I prefer the freedom of running to lumbering with a pack on my back (or else I’d be hiking), but I still allow myself ample “goof-off time” (usually about 10% of a long run) and I try to spend it wisely. That doesn’t even include trail terrain that is simply “un-runnable.” Usually this is based on steepness (uphills where your running pace equals your walking pace and uses twice the energy), but obstacles like talus also contribute.
If you’re hoping to encounter wildlife, walking just before the crest of a ridge or water source will increase your chances. There’s something to be said for walking in
the shade on a sunny day or in the sun on a cold day. I’ve found that how often I walk is not as important as how soon I return to running. But I also try not to be too hard on myself — this is my sacred time in the woods, a luxury to be treasured.
Go with friends
After years of solo running, I’ve finally found a tribe with which to share these amazing experiences. I worried that the ensuing chattiness might cut down on the wildlife sightings, but it didn’t stop a group of us from seeing a snowy owl glide across the meadow at Pine Street Woods.
Make performance-based goals a game
Since witnessing improvement in your level of fitness can also spark joy, I try to have fun with this. Can you run up and down 1,000 vertical feet in an hour? What gradient do you prefer going up? What gradient do you prefer going down? What feels better the next day? Once the answer to the first question is “yes,” what is the maximum number of vertical feet you can go up and down in an hour?
I get a little obsessed with “vert” only because of the magnetic allure of ridgetops, but if that’s not your thing, there are so many beautiful trails around lakes and rivers, as well. Have fun with it.
Stacking challenges
I have no idea why larger hills intimidated me when I was younger and more fit. Specifically, our own “Sherwood Forest,” from the
ancient blue midden to the clanking of Greta’s Bell. It took me quite a while to embrace the thought of running it nonstop. Fast-forward several years to where it’s now one of my favorite trails, and a top reason for frequenting the Syringa/Pine Street Woods/ VTT trails. What’s more, it once occurred to me that there isn’t a mountain that couldn’t be broken down into several “Sherwood Forests” — an epiphany that has opened many doors.
The 60/90 portal
This is something I’ve observed and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. At some point, after you’ve spent a lot of time chasing coyotes, whitetail deer, glacier lilies or general well-being, you will notice a change. You will transcend from 60 minutes of running being relatively hard to 90 minutes of running being relatively easy. Things will really open up from there.
I don’t know why this is, except for once I heard a podcast featuring a wellness guru who, unlike me, has done extensive research — specifically about the wonders of mitochondria. Not to get too technical, but these are the teensy-tiny Oompa-Loompas of the body’s cells that do all the heavy lifting, vacuuming and taking out the garbage. Apparently, you can only increase your mitochondria count through exercise (no one gets to duck under the velvet rope) and that amount of exercise was described as, “at least
BY THE NUMBERS
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
448.1%
60 minutes, but preferably 90 minutes.”
Circling back to joy, I don’t think I could sum it up any better than the ultrarunner “Barefoot Ted”: “I am not interested in the limits of pain, I’m interested in the limits of pleasure.”
May we all find the many joys that trails provide on our ways to becoming amazingly fertile little mitochondria farms.
Ed is a misguided not-quiteyouth and a lover of mountains who collects ticks like more accomplished runners collect medals. Don’t let him pet your dog.
The percent population increase in Kootenai County since 1969 — the fastest growing county in the state. Bonner County’s population increased by 251.8% over the same period, but from 2019 to 2025, Bonner outgrew Kootenai percentage-wise, with 19% growth for the former and 15.8% for the latter.
$1.776 billion
The amount allocated to an “anti-weaponization fund” announced by the Dept. of Justice as part of a settlement with President Donald Trump. Trump originally sued the IRS for $10 billion for allegedly leaking his tax returns years earlier, but later dismissed the case (which legal experts had called “weak”). The nearly $1.8 billion fund — which comes from taxpayer money — would allow the DOJ to settle and pay cases, which could include paying rioters who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Part of the deal includes a stipulation that Trump and his entire family will never be audited by the IRS.
2 in 10
The number of Americans who think artificial intelligence will have a positive effect on the country over the next decade, according to a national survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania. Nearly two-thirds of those who responded believe the government has done “too little” to regulate the technology.
Top Left: The “Dirt Church” congregation, a Sunday morning (agnostic) trail running group Top right: Emily Erickson runs atop Schweitzer Mountain. Photos courtesy of Emily Erickson.
Ed Ohlweiler. Courtesy photo
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com
Live Music w/ Liam McCoy & Friends
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live Music w/ Matt Lome
6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Live Music w/ Sydney Dawn
6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Emmett Adams
6-8pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Live Music w/ Steve Neff and Carl Rey
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live Music w/ Picked up Pieces 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Plastic Owls
5pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip
6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar Sandpoint singer-songwriter
Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments
6-8pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante (outside)
Live Music w/ Marcus Stevens
6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee
Magic with Star Alexander
5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Cribbage tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Rich and Jenny 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Beginner Argentine tango class
7pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St. No partner needed. $15
Family night, live music w/ John Firshi 5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
SHS Choir Spring Fling concert
6pm @ Sandpoint High School auditorium
THURSDAY, may 21
Paint & Sip w/ Nicole Black 5:30-8pm @ Barrel 33
May 21 - 28, 2026
Weekly BCA 8-ball tournament 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
FriDAY, may 22
Live Music w/ Devon Wade 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Cody Bartels Band 5-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Produce, live music, art and more
Live Music w/ Scott Taylor 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar
SATURDAY, may 23
Live Music w/ BTP 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Ian Newbill 5-7pm @ Roam Cafe Patio (Hope)
Live Music w/ Mobius Riff 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Live Music w/ Cascadel 9pm @ 219 Lounge
SunDAY, may 24
Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner 4-7pm @ Barrel 33
Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience
Trivia w/ Soncirey Mitchell 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
monDAY, may 25 tuesDAY, may 26
Karaoke w/ Big Rock Karaoke 9pm-midnight @ Roxy’s Lounge
wednesDAY, may 27
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park
Live Music w/ Daid Speight 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
ThursDAY, may 28
Open Bluegrass jam
5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Weekly BCA 8-ball tournament
6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Frytz Mor 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Open Irish jam 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
1980s murder mystery night 5:30-7pm @ Barrel 33
More info at barrel33sandpoint.com
Prokofiev’s Cinderella (ballet)
7pm @ Panida Theater
Cocolalla Conservatory School of Classical Ballet’s production of this masterpiece. Tickets at panida.org
6pm @ Create Arts Center (Newport) Originals, classic rock, country, blues
Live Music w/ Carli Osika 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ The Doghouse Boyz 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Weekly BCA 8-ball tournament 12pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Tucker James 1-4pm @ Barrel 33
East coast swing lessons
7pm @ Danceworks Studio With instructor Muffy Nye. $15/each
Open mic / open jam 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Benny on the Deck concert series
5:30-8:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Join Benny Baker and a special musical guest every week on the patio
Teen Zone: Dungeons and Dragons
3-5pm @ Sandpoint Library
Join local teenagers for a staff-led D&D campaign called the Lost Mines of Phandelver. Supplies provided
Cocolalla Conservatory puts on Prokofiev’s Cinderella
By Reader Staff
Students of all ages at the Cocolalla Conservatory School of Classical Ballet will show off their skills at the institution’s first spring performance, bringing to life Sergei Prokofiev’s Cinderella on Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23. The performances begin at 7 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in Sandpoint).
The two-hour shows will showcase meticulously designed backgrounds, costumes and choreography, all fashioned to highlight the skill of the local ballerinas and ballerinos.
Doors open one hour before the performance for reserved seating.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $21 for children and seniors at panida.org.
For more information on the conservatory, visit cocolallaconservatory. com.
Former student McKhayla Pettingill. Courtesy photo
Sandpoint’s ‘grand dame,’ Mary Faux
Beloved 97-year-old named first female grand marshal of ’50s parade
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
If Sandpoint were to have an official grand dame, Mary Faux would certainly be at the top of the list. The 97-year-old has been known as “The Hat Lady” in Sandpoint for generations, thanks to her proclivity to show up at Sandpoint functions wearing one of the hundreds of fabulous hats in her collection.
Faux was just honored as the first female grand marshal of the Lost in the ’50s parade, so you might have seen her leading the procession in downtown Sandpoint on May 15. The ’50s organizers dubbed Faux the “spirit of Sandpoint” — and for good reason — she’s a good-natured soul who, at 97, has more life spirit than many half her age.
Born in Declo, Idaho — a tiny suburb of Twin Falls — Faux first moved up to Sandpoint in 1963 when her
husband Howard received a promotion at First National Bank.
“My most vivid memory is looking out my living room window and seeing one logging truck after another on the highway, all of them completely full of logs,” Faux told the Reader. “It was kind of exciting.”
“Faux” wasn’t always the spelling of her last name. She said it was originally “Fawkes,” but after the Guy Fawkes assassination plot against the English king, her ancestors changed the spelling to avoid any association. It’s still pronounced “Fox.”
With a legion of fans throughout Sandpoint, Faux is one of those people you’re lucky to know. An outspoken lifelong Democrat and Catholic, she said she’s also known around the area for teaching and playing bridge; teaching Weight Watchers for 35 years, well before the health kick was popular; and attending functions throughout the seasons with one of her famous hats on her head.
“I taught people how to eat in a healthy way,” she said. “I also taught bridge for 25 years, teaching them how to have fun.”
When asked what it was like being a prominent Democrat in North Idaho all these years, Faux said it “wasn’t always like this” in the panhandle, as far as politics were concerned.
“When I came here, I remember having a party with Cecil Andrus and Jerry Brady,” she said. “Brady would’ve been the best governor we ever had.”
Before the parade, Faux was asked if she would ride in a car driven by Dover Mayor George Eskridge, a local Republican.
“I don’t have any problem with George, I just didn’t vote for him,” Faux said, in her usual style.
Born just eight years after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, Faux said she was honored to lead the parade as the first female grand marshal.
“Makes me feel that women are finally winning something,” she quipped.
Faux has six children with her husband — all of whom attended Sandpoint High School — and she said she’s proud to have 55 grandchildren, including great- and great-greats, with
two more on the way.
With a mind as sharp as a tack, Faux often credits her vitality to her health routine. She still gets up every morning and walks, rides a stationary bike and does yoga and tai chi. She has a memory like a steel trap, even remembering the time my own mother “saved her life” by pulling a dog off of her during one of her daily walks.
She’s dismayed by the direction the world has taken, but never loses hope that we’ll get better someday.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in my life,” Faux said. “I remember seeing cattle trucks loaded with Japanese men and women going past my house in southern Idaho to a concentration camp. I was a little kid standing by the road and they were looking out through the bars in the cattle truck. I was thinking, ‘What did they do? What’s going on? Why are they in there?’”
Faux’s father served in the army, her husband in the navy and her brother in the air force.
“I’ve always had people in my family in the military,” she said. “I’ve always been very patriotic. I haven’t lost hope. My greatest hope, in fact, is that I will live to see Trump out of office.”
One cannot write about Mary Faux without mentioning her impressive collection of hats, which number more than 200. Each hat is preserved in the original boxes stacked in a room in her home dubbed “Hat Heaven.” It’s hal-
lowed ground for Faux fans throughout Sandpoint.
“This room takes up a lot of my time,” she said, looking up at the stack of hatboxes lining the wall.
“Which one is your favorite?” I asked.
“Whichever one I’m wearing,” she replied quickly.
Faux said she has always been a fashionista. Her mother worked as a milliner, and Faux said her love of hats developed over time as she accumulated more and more of them. Her most cherished hats were purchased from Nordstrom and made in Italy.
Once, after wearing a soft plum-colored selection, she was startled to see on television that NBA star Dennis Rodman was wearing the same exact hat.
“I guess we both have good style,” she smiled.
As far as her words of advice for those hoping to achieve her longevity and health: Keep going.
“Just stay healthy, stay outside, keep walking,” she said. “People have compared me to Betty White. Wasn’t she about 100 when she finally retired and went to heaven? I guess I’ll just keep Betty White-ing along.”
Mary Faux wearing the plum hat she saw NBA star Dennis Rodman wearing on television. Photo by Ben Olson
MUSIC
Sideboob’s ‘90s prom concert expected to sell out
Nostalgia-inspiring side group includes Sandpoint’s own Shook Twins
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
The 1990s are so hot right now. What better way to celebrate the music — and questionable fashion decisions — of that decade than to attend a ’90s prom as an adult?
Enter Sideboob, the nostalgic supergroup playing the hits we’ve all loved since the 1990s.
Sideboob will host their popular ’90s prom concert at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5 at The Hive (207 N. First Ave.) with tickets going for $25 plus taxes and fees. Table reservations, which include four tickets, are available for $220 plus fees.
Led by Sandpoint’s own Katelyn and Laurie Shook of Shook Twins, along with Megan Letts, Sideboob is a force to be reckoned with. The all-femme band extraordinaire has sold out multiple shows in the past, and is coming off three sold-out shows in Portland and Seattle with popular ’90s prom vibes.
“The whole prom concept was Laurie’s idea,” Katelyn told the Reader. “She wanted to create a night where us elder millennials can relive or redo our prom experiences with a safe space to be our true selves.”
Sideboob decks concert halls with era-specific prom decorations and will have a photo booth on-site for audience members to capture their memories.
“We even pick and crown a prom king and queen,” she said. “That honor goes to a couple that’s most decked out in prom attire, singing the loudest, dancing the hardest and giving the best vibes of the night.”
Sideboob’s song selections are varied, but always tug at those nostalgic heartstrings for those who were alive and young during the 1990s. They play hits from The Cranber-
ries, Britney Spears, Sheryl Crow, Christina Aguilera, TLC and many more.
As usual, this year they’ll invite guests to join them onstage for various songs.
“Guest singers/players for this show are our returning favorite Sandpoint boobs Cadie Archer, Meg Turner and Alex Cope singing some hit songs and Kristy Osmunson and Noelle Argue on strings.”
Along with Letts and the Shooks, the band will feature eight core members from Portland and Seattle, as well as members of the Seattle band Kuinka.
Sideboob’s performances
are a rollicking affair, with sparkly attire on stage and in the crowd, and the group’s dedication to performing fan-favorites in an authentic way and providing a safe space for fun and music to live comfortably.
“We’re gonna bring down the house with our woman power and these ’90s hits,” Katelyn said. “Come join the ‘boobment.’”
For more information, visit livefromthehive.com.
Emmett Adams, Matchwood Brewing Co., May 22 Cascadel, 219 Lounge, May 23
Local singer-songwriter
Emmett Adams might still be young — he’s currently working on his music degree at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle — but he’s already making a name for himself. Even before he began his academic career, Adams won runner-up for the Festival at Sandpoint’s Charley Packard Memorial Songwriting Scholarship in 2024, netting $750 for his performance of the
original song “The Silence” on guitar. He’s also become a familiar face at gigs around town, and in addition to the guitar, Adams has explored the banjo, mandolin, oud and drums with a sound inspired by folk, country, jazz, blues, rock and Celtic.
You may not recognize the name “Cascadel,” but the faces in this band are well known by Inland Northwest music lovers. Formerly known as The Dead and Down, the Missoula, Mont.-based folkrock band may have changed its name, but the players’ electric energy and soulful, multi-part harmonies remain beautifully unchanged. Bassist Lenka Swenson, drummer David Bethke, keyboard player Matt Angelo and frontman
This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone
READ
A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr., is divided into three parts set in post-apocalyptic epochs separated by centuries, though it transcends dystopian nuclear wasteland tropes to become something more quietly and profoundly contemplative about the cycles of civilization, time, and the tensions between science and faith. If you like Fallout (the iconic video game or wildly popular Amazon series), know that Miller’s book is a core inspiration. Find it where you find books.
LISTEN
and guitarist Taylor Burlage know how to craft insightful, introspective lyrics, then back them up with indie-Americana compositions that encourage both in-depth listening and carefree jamming, depending on your mood. Take advantage of this free concert before they start charging.
— Soncirey Mitchell
9 p.m., FREE, 21+. The 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208263-5673, 219lounge.com. Listen at cascadelband.com.
Eliezer Yudkowsky is controversial in all the ways that tech thinkers tend to be: He’s a “yeah, but” and “well, actually” kind of guy loaded with smirky, dweeby arrogance that adds up to punchability. But the former-AI booster has turned doomsayer and is speaking a simple, imperative truth: Artificial intelligence will kill us all, one way or the other, and we have to figure out a way to shut it down because the people forcing it on us have no idea what they’re doing. Listen to any of his many interviews on YouTube.
WATCH
According to vulture.com, “All the Hot Girls Will Be Reading John Steinbeck This Summer.” That’s a sentence I never thought I’d read, but would add that the “hot girls” (that is, my wife) have always been reading Steinbeck. As for the rest of the hotties, now is as good a time as any, with Netflix gearing up to stream its new East of Eden series this fall, based on the 1952 magnum opus of the same name. All I had to hear is that Florence Pugh will play the inscrutable Cathy Ames and I’m contemplating reactivating my account.
One of Sideboob’s sold out ’90s prom shows. Photo by Julie Varga
From Northern Idaho News, May 23, 1916
PONDERAY CHILD SEIZED BY TRAMP
The ten-year-old daughter of a prominent resident of Ponderay was seized by a tramp Sunday afternoon while on her way home from Sunday school in Sandpoint and after being carried a short distance was dropped by her assailant upon the appearance of two section men who happened along at an opportune moment.
The child, in company with her younger sister, was passing through the Northern Pacific yards near the “jungles” when the tramp appeared and seized her. The small child immediately ran in the direction of home, the tramp starting toward the lake shore with the other child. Two men who were walking along the track caused the tramp to drop his intended victim and take to the brush. The two children were taken to their homes and search for the assailant was instituted by the sheriff’s office. Traces of several men have been followed down but the right tramp has so far escaped. The child is positive that she could identify her assailant if he could be taken before her.
Grant Godfrey has taken the position as night clerk at the Idaho hotel formerly held by Hans Klockman.
Miss Mary Lambert and Miss Irene Dougherty have returned from Spokane where they recently completed their studies at the Blair business college.
P.A. Nelson of the City Market has purchased a Ford car from the City garage. It is understood that Gus is now contemplating the safety of his launch.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Johnson have returned after spending the winter at Lewiston.
BACK OF THE BOOK
The Brat PAC
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Our civilization has persisted with the majority of adults operating at the emotional-intellectual level of bratty 13-year-olds for a long time — and even managed to not only survive them but enjoy advances despite them.
That’s getting harder to do, and the dishonor roll is too long for this space. Suffice it to say, its ranks are choked with self-aggrandizing religious zealots and deluded thugs whose shared operating principles are unashamed hypocrisy, gaslighting and viciousness in the service of grifting to power.
It’s happening all over, including — and increasingly so — in little old Bonner County, as the recently endured Republican primary election made plain.
This is the second such election cycle to involve huge fundraising and spending levels for Legislative District 1. In 2024, Scott Herndon and Jim Woodward hauled in more than $117,000 and $174,000, and this time around (their fourth primary matchup) the campaigns were fueled by war chests totaling about $104,000 and $120,000, respectively.
It speaks to the amount of ads, including in this publication; mailers; push texts; and robocalls that went out to district residents. That’s to be expected, but the amounts are historically, hugely disproportionate to the office, reflective of the intensity of the interparty politics at play and would have been unprecedented numbers for a legislative race in previous years.
We’re talking about a “citizen legislature” that meets for about three and a half months each year in a building
STR8TS Solution
whose columns are fake marble in a city that thinks it’s Little Austin while being the most remote metropolitan area in the Lower 48 states.
But, obviously, there are much larger forces and interests behind it all. Basically, one side is the local manifestation of a nationwide theo-authoritarian con job that is trying its damndest to frog march us into what historian Timothy Synder is calling “superpower suicide.” The other side is a style of Republicanism that in any other, saner, time would be the default Idaho position — indeed, those candidates attracted endorsements from everyone from the sitting governor to the state police and fire associations to every other traditional institutional political power in the state.
The outcome of the election is covered elsewhere, but of interest here is the maniacal opposition to the latter “normal” Republicans rooted in the stupidity-industrial complex, which we might as well call the merger of social media and artificial intelligence.
Venture if you must into the slimy, AI-sloppy slums of local Facebook groups and you’ll see the mask fall from what considers itself the area’s political community. It’s more like the Brat PAC, which somehow manages to be both half-baked and overheated. It would be funny, in a sad way, if it wasn’t at least a little true. If District 1 has a political id it’s on Facebook, and it needs to talk to a professional. (For example, I read one post from a self-identified Christian conservative guy who recently moved here, and he was so confused about where to direct
Sudoku Solution
“Now
his vitriol that he had to ask one of the local forums. I couldn’t tell if it helped, since his plea attracted hundreds of responses that spiraled into their own down-thread battles.)
Overall, the amount of innuendo, lies, bad-faith argumentation, doxxing, false piety and general rat-bastardism that spumed from that toxic, frequently anonymous assemblage of trolls would have been enough to make John Adams beg Thomas Jefferson to drown him in a Parisian cesspit. Perhaps, more charitably, a German word can encapsulate the appropriate reaction to so much try-hard, pick-me political dogfighting: fremdschämen — that is, the feeling of deep embarrassment on another’s behalf when they’re being a total lackwit.
And it is embarrassing how such a solid percentage of “political refugees” to North Idaho peacock online while turning our local elections into a cross between Mean Girls, Election and CPAC, with all the maturity that implies. It’s a suffering that so many people who came here ostensibly to live unruffled lives can’t resist their self-indulgent impulse to afflict us with the loud and irresponsible style of politics that gets their amygdalas humming at the expense of everyone else. Now that the primary is over, hopefully the little brats will take a long nap and leave us in peace.
that the primary is over, hopefully the little brats will take a long nap and leave us in peace.” Courtesy photo
Solution on page 22 Solution on page 22
Laughing Matters
CROSSWORD
By Bill Borders
edible; eatable
“The best part about my new flower garden is that it’s entirely comestible; come lunchtime, each plate is adorned with a colorful array to eat.”
sir,
If you ever go temporarily insane, don’t shoot somebody, like a lot of people do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you’d really be surprised.
ACROSS
1. Clips 6. Flock members 10. Automobiles 14. Record company 15. Windmill blade 16. False god
Farewell
18. Anagram of “Neat” 19. Bumpkin 20. Burdensome boss 22. Blockhead
23. Former 24. Cigarette remains
Vitality
29. Cone-shaped 31. A Marvel superhero
Able to be healed 37. Joined 38. Sell out
Lands and wealth
Illness
42. Gut-related 44. Adjusts
Satan 48. A long narrow passage 50. Precipitation
Clinic
Excited
Freshwater mussel
Cowboy sport
Tumbled
Lairs
Command
on page 22
Used to carry meals
Border
Fine thread
DOWN
Malicious
Intestinal
Fortune teller
Passes on
Grown up
Android
Sleighs
Colonnades 24. Reveals 25. Citrus fruit 26. Angers 27. Military stronghold 28. Winsomely 30. Office
