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2 / R / October 10, 2019

(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

‘Are you registered to vote?’

“Part of the American culture is having the right to vote and I think it’s an important right we should take advantage of.“ Kim Bendickson Business manager Sagle

DEAR READERS,

Holy cold snap, Batman, it’s been a frigid week.

Our question to the people this week was “Are you registered to vote?”

Well how about it, dear readers? Are you? Consider this your friendly reminder. It’s simple to register – just head over to the Bonner County Elections Office at the administration building and tell them you’d like to register. Bring a current photo ID, of course, and you should be in and out of there in no time.

We’re right in the midst of harvest season here, though you wouldn’t think it to step outside right now. Make sure you check out all the fun autumn activities going on around North Idaho right now - it’s a glorious time to be alive and active.

Hope you all have a stellar week.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (editor-at-large) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Year Round Co., Bill Borders, Susan Drinkard.

“No. I don’t have any interest in politics.”

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Lyndsie Kiebert, Ben Olson, Jane Hoover, Brenden Bobby, Marcia Pilgeram, Scott Taylor.

Jordan Gallegly Handyman Sandpoint

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

Subscription Price: $115 per year

“I vote because I want to make a difference. I am interested in issues related to education.”

Ashley Lewis Med tech/caregiver Rural Priest River

“I don’t vote. It wouldn’t change anything anyway. I believe in Christ, but I do not believe Christianity and flag-waving should be used by political parties to support their agendas. I believe in the separation of church and state.”

Nicholas Douglas Owner of 7BHandyman.com Sandpoint

“Do you people realize how hard it was to found this country? For crying out loud, just vote already.”

John Adams Founding Father, second President of the United States, attorney, diplomat, writer Quincy, Mass.

OPEN 11:30 am

GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS

The Psounbality with Per FRESH FOOD LIVE MUSIC THE BEST NW BREWS

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Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

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

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

About the Cover

Head over to Pend d’Oreille Winery for their Sip and Spook Open Mic to hear some fun ghost stories. It happens Oct. 17.

A SandPint Tradition Since 1994 October 10, 2019 / R / 3

NEWS

Festival Board addresses season of challenges Lawyers, guns and money, plus staff changes and artificial turf confront iconic concert series

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff It’s safe to say 2019 has been the most challenging in the Festival at Sandpoint’s history.

A beloved local institution for 37 years, it has drawn iconic acts like Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, B.B. King, Johnny Cash and Ziggy Marley. According to a 2013 study by the University of Idaho, it contributes millions of dollars to the local economy each year. What’s more, the Festival has helped support generations of local students through music education and scholarship funding, as well as served as a home away from home for the Spokane Symphony orchestra.

Yet, this season, controversy over its weapons policy, legal trouble for its executive director and potential changes to War Memorial Field came together in a perfect storm putting the Festival’s continued existence in question.

In the first week of August, gun activists targeted — figuratively — the event’s no-weapons policy amid heightened security following a spate of mass shootings elsewhere in the country over the summer. The challenge to the Festival’s gun ban subsequently spun into a legal challenge from the Bonner County commissioners, who filed suit in September against the city of Sandpoint. The county alleges Sandpoint violated state law by allowing the Festival to prohibit firearms on the publicly-owned field, which the nonprofit leases from the city for two weeks in August each year.

As that controversy was developing, Sandpoint police arrested Festival Executive Director Dyno Wahl for driving under the influence on the concert series’ closing night.

Wahl was sentenced Oct. 2 in Bonner County court to 120 days jail time with 100 days suspended and one day credited, 10 days of discretionary time, 72 hours of community service, 24 months of probation and 90-days license suspension — but not before the Festival Board of Directors

4 / R / October 10, 2019

Artwork by Year Round Co. announced she would no longer serve the organization. Around the same time as Wahl’s sentencing, rumors started circulating that the paid staff of the Festival, which worked year-round out of an office in the Pine Street Annex, had resigned en masse.

Yet, throughout the late-summer and early-fall, the board kept mostly mum, not responding to requests for comment on the gun-policy lawsuit or what the loss of its executive director might mean. Then came a news release Oct. 3, in which the board addressed the lawsuit, stating, “The Festival at Sandpoint believes in the 2nd Amendment. However the artists we work with demand a venue free of guns and knives. We work hard with law enforcement to ensure the safety of the audience. If firearms are allowed, the Festival could not exist.”

The release added that the board has been “working closely” with the city to ensure it stays at Memorial Field, but should the Festival be forced to change venues, “there will not be a Festival.”

Asked for further comment, Festival Board Secretary Amy Bistline confirmed to the Sandpoint Reader in an email that the nonprofit’s staff had resigned “because they were worried about the financial position of the Festival and felt they were not receiving enough direction from the board of directors.” She added that “the board values the former staff and understands their worry and discomfort as the board is experiencing similar concerns.”

As it stands, the board is handling day-to-day operations and intends to put on a 2020 season.

Bistline wrote that the board anticipates hiring a new execu-

tive director who will then bring on staff. There is no timeline yet for when that position might be opened, and “the job description may look different than it did under the previous ED.” Beyond that, the venue itself is of great concern to the board.

If the county prevails in its suit against the city and the Festival is forced to allow firearms into its concerts, the event will have to move to a privately-owned location in order to satisfy artists’ weapons-free contract terms.

Another potential challenge to the Festival’s continued operations at Memorial Field is whether the city decides to resurface the site with artificial turf — one of the proposals included in the ongoing parks and recreation master planning effort, which local residents and city officials reviewed in a series of meetings and presentations between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2.

According to the results of a similar public outreach push in the summer, planning consultants GreenPlay reported that among all the potential changes to current city parks facilities and amenities, the least favorable among residents seems to be an outdoor synthetic turf field.

No decisions have been made on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan — and aren’t expected to be made until spring 2020 — but Bistline said the Festival Board is still worried not only about the potential for artificial turf but the timing of its installation should it be included in the final plan.

“Our production manager has estimated additional cost [for setting up] on artificial [turf] could be $40,000-$50,000,” she wrote.

“In addition, we would need more time to set up and we don’t yet

have a plan or know the exact challenges of the audience seating area on the turf.”

That uncertainty could throw a wrench in efforts to book acts for the 2020 season.

“The board is concerned about booking bands and selling tickets if the city cannot guarantee the field will be available in time to set up for the first time on a new surface,” Bistline added.

While the board stated in its Oct. 3 release that either of these scenarios — the change in weapons policy or the artificial turf — threatened the Festival’s future, Bistline wrote that “the board is interested in exploring options for the Festival on private land.”

Among the potential benefits of a private venue could be yearround use — “that would allow the Festival to book bands when they are in the area and not just in a two-week period,” she added.

The upshot of that could be cost savings for the organization as well as spreading out the positive economic impacts in the spring, summer and fall.

“However, purchasing the land and developing it for the purpose is bound to be extremely expensive and the Festival does not have the funds to consider such a financial undertaking right now,” Bistline wrote. “Once we become more clear about the 2020 season, the board would like to explore the idea of a capital campaign to develop a private site in the future.”

In the meantime, Festival Board members underscored that “we are working feverishly to remedy our financial position and put us on a firm footing going forward as we begin production of the 2020 Festival season, as well as continue to support music and arts education in the region.”

For more information on the Festival at Sandpoint, visit festivalatsandpoint.com. For more on the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Master Plan, go to opentownhall. com/7920.

Fulcher, Ybarra address N. Idaho constituents

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff U.S. House of Representatives member Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, is embarking on a series of town halls throughout the Idaho First Congressional District, answering questions and updating constituents on his first nine months in Congress.

The tour kicks off Thursday, Oct. 10 with an appearance at the Ponderay Events Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way, Ponderay, from 1:15-2:15 p.m.

The same day, Fulcher will travel to Rathdrum for a town hall 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the North Idaho Stem Charter Academy, 15633 N. Meyer Road, followed Friday, Oct. 11 with a gathering at the Lewiston city library.

Attendees are asked to RSVP by filling out the form at: tinyurl.com/ y6ed6ga4.

Also on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Ponderay Events Center, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra is scheduled to speak at a meeting of the North Idaho Federated Republic Women.

Ybarra’s talk, which takes place beginning at 5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. For more information visit nifrw.org.

Open house series on rec access in Ponderay

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The city of Ponderay is fronting a ballot measure Nov. 5 asking voters whether they approve of a five-year, 1% local option tax to help pay for two major, long-awaited projects: construction of a railroad underpass to provide access to the Lake Pend Oreille shoreline and Pend Oreille Bay Trail, and the 50-acre Field of Dreams sports and recreation center west of McGhee Road.

Offering more details on the projects, Friends of the Pend Oreille Bay Trail is hosting a series of open houses with Ponderay Mayor Steve Geiger, whose reelection is also on the Nov. 5 ballot, and Ponderay City Planner Erik Brubaker on hand to answer questions.

Co-sponsored by the city of Ponderay and local businesses, the open houses will take place Thursday, Oct. 10 from 5-7 p.m. at the Ponderay City Hall, 288 Fourth Ave.; Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 5-7 p.m. at Sweet Lou’s Restaurant and Bar on U.S. Highway 95; and Thursday, Oct. 24 from 5-7 p.m. at the Ponderay Event Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way. All events are open to the public.

For more information visit pobtrail.org or cityofponderay.org.

NEWS

Commissioners select EMS advisory council members Fire Chiefs Association president removed from initial selection list

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners appointed members to the reinstated emergency management services advisory council at their Oct. 8 business meeting, bringing the group back into working order after it went adhoc in 2016.

As turmoil surrounding the possible changes to Bonner County EMS arose in December 2018, several community members urged the commissioners to recreate the council. After a call for letters of interest and months of consideration, commissioners on Oct. 8 considered a resolution reestablishing the council

with EMS Director Jeff Lindsey as chair; Stephen Snedden, serving as the public-at-large representative; Jay Dudley and Mark Sauter representing local fire officials; Marian Martin and Vince Huntsberger from the medical community; Gil Tumey representing transport service providers; and Ronald Jenkins, BCEMS medical director.

After reading aloud the names of newly selected councilmembers, Commissioner Steve Bradshaw moved to amend the resolution to exclude Sauter from the list. Commissioner Dan McDonald seconded.

When asked why Sauter — who is the president of the Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association — was being removed,

McDonald said the resolution to reinstate the council called for only one fire representative and that they’d rather keep Dudley in that position. He added that Sauter had made “derogatory and untrue” comments at several area city council meetings that the board found “weren’t helpful.”

When asked by a community member where to find those comments, McDonald said, “you’d have to talk to the different cities because they were made in front of city councils,” including Clark Fork, Sandpoint, Kootenai and Ponderay. McDonald said he also had members of the fire chiefs association reach out to him with concerns.

McDonald and Bradshaw approved the amended resolution.

Jeff Connolly, who was excused from the Oct. 8 meeting, has been the commissioner working most closely with Sauter and other members of the chiefs association to learn more about their findings.

He could not be reached for comment before press time.

Sauter, who has been a vocal proponent of a fire-based EMS system and spent hundreds of hours working on a proposal for such a system, said he initially heard the news of his removal from friends who were able to attend the Oct. 8 meeting. He said he was disappointed in the decision.

“There is a difference between derogatory statements and statements that are in conflict with current policy or proce-

Downtown construction timeline lengthened City: Work will be ‘substantially complete before Lost in the ’50s’

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Though initial estimates had the current phase of downtown construction slated for completion Nov. 26, city officials announced Oct. 4 that the end of November will mark only an intermission for the project as work will continue into the early spring.

“Due to a variety of factors, it has been determined that the initially proposed acceleration schedule is no longer viable,” said Sandpoint Infrastructure and Development Services Manager Amanda Wilson in an Oct. 4 statement. “The contractor has encountered a variety of utility conflicts and resource challenges.”

The current work, which is happening from Second Avenue and Cedar Street to First Avenue and Church Street, is known as Phase II of the Downtown Revitalization Project, which began last summer with a complete

dure,” Sauter said.

The Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association will host a public meeting Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building to share findings from its months of research on how to improve the area EMS system. The commissioners are not hosting the event, but have been invited.

“We look forward to providing our EMS insights to our community on Oct. 24,” Sauter said. “The BCFCA believes our county and residents could have a better EMS system if we all worked together to provide it.”

Bonner County Deputy Clerk Jessi Webster said that the new EMS advisory council likely won’t meet until after the holidays.

Troublesome cougar on the prowl in Bonner County

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

makeover of Cedar Street from Second to Fifth avenues.

One of the factors delaying Phase II, according to Wilson, is that the “construction market has made it impractical to work two shifts, especially at this time of year,” but that “the contractor will continue to work 12 hours per day, Monday [through] Saturday.”

“The original contract

milestones have not changed and the contractor will continue progressing work in a manner that achieves a paved street open to vehicles by Oct. 30, shutting down for the winter on Nov. 26,” Wilson said.

In the meantime, business owners are welcome to hang signs and lights on the fencing along the sidewalks.

Wilson predicted that “the

The corner of First Ave. and Main St. in Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson. project will be substantially complete before Lost in the ’50s” in mid-May, 2020.

For more information and to follow the progress of downtown construction, visit sandpointstreets.com or facebook.com/ cityofsandpoint.

A large cougar has killed three alpacas, a miniature horse and a deer in the areas surrounding Colburn Culver, Rapid Lightning and the Lower Pack River roads, according to an Oct. 8 release from the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

The cougar has been spotted near Northside School and the Pack River Store. When killing the horse, the cat “entered the barn, killed and drug” it outside before being scared off by gunfire, according to BCSO. That event occurred at approximately 3 p.m. on Oct. 7.

“This animal is very active,” the BCSO release reads.

Anyone who sees a cougar in the area is advised to call BCSO dispatch at 208-265-5525. The agency will contact IDFG and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who are all working together to locate and trap the animal.

October 10, 2019 / R / 5

NEWS

Bits ’n’ Pieces Cold, wet weather prompts early start to slash burning in national forests

By Reader Staff

Districts across the Idaho Panhandle National Forests will be conducting pile burning in the coming weeks. Cool, wet conditions and impending winter weather in the mountains have prompted an early start for burning piles. Machine and handpiled slash will be burned for hazardous fuels reduction and to prepare for under burning in the spring.

Slash piles are associated with postfire salvage harvest, fuel break construction during wildfire and preparation for landscape-scale prescribed fire. In some cases, firefighting personnel will be

behind gates and on closed roads. This burning activity should have minimal, localized smoke impacts, and will not interfere with visitors traveling on open motorized National Forest System roads and trails.

Hunters are encouraged to plan ahead and be aware that if slash piles are located in the area, prescribed fire activity may occur at any time. Visitors are reminded to avoid walking through burned slash piles as heat may remain in the ground and could pose hazards.

Contact your local ranger station for more information or questions on proposed activities in your area.

VA outreach for Priest River

By Reader Staff The Bonner County Veterans Service will host a public outreach to answer questions about current veterans’ benefits, assist with ongoing claims and take new claims for benefits from eligible veterans and their dependants.

Bonner County Veteran Service Officer Bryan Hult will be at VFW Post No.

2909 at 113 Larch St. in Priest River from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hult will see veterans by appointment only to ensure all are given quality time.

Schedule an appointment by calling Lyndsie Halcro, 208-255-5291. If there are no appointments scheduled for this outreach, or winter weather conditions prohibit travel, the outreach will be canceled.

SUPPORTING DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES

Locals continue to send the Reader photos showing off their support for downtown businesses affected by the construction.

Left: Sue Smith, center, and her mother Lola Rainey, right, stand with employee Lynda Bloxsom at Sharon’s Hallmark during a recent shopping trip.

6 / R / October 10, 2019

Right: Steve Sanchez said “Any time is a great time to treat my three kiddos, Annalyse, Immanuel and Jaslynne, to a gelato at the Cedar St. Bridge.”

Want to support businesses affected by downtown construction and earn a reward while you’re at it? Snap a photo of yourself shopping and send it to the Reader.

From east, west and beyond

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

A recent sampling: Hackers took a crack at finding vulnerabilities in more than 100 voting machines during the most recent “Voting Machine Hacking Village” event, and the results were sobering. All the voting machines had problems, Mother Jones reports.

According to the magazine, many of the problems were first identified 10 years ago but remain unaddressed. Researchers involved in the project recommended election offices continue to use paper ballots, to be used for comparing election results to machine counts.

The inmate behind a documentary smuggled out from a Florida prison is in solitary confinement after Behind Tha Barb Wire made its way to the Miami Herald and YouTube. The Washington Post reported Oct. 7 that the film, containing footage going back to 2017 in one of Florida’s “notoriously dangerous prisons,” was shot using contraband cameras. One of the cameras was inside a hollowed out Bible, which used the “o” in “Holy” for the lens. The film focused on what happens when guards are not watching, such as brawls, prisoners passed out on synthetic drugs, mold covering kitchen walls and the widespread use of makeshift weapons.

Farmers and water managers may be able to use satellite data to help reduce unnecessary water consumption. The satellites are being developed by NASA, the Desert Research Institute, Google Earth Engine and Environmental Defense Fund. Information from the satellites will include measurements of evapotranspiration — water lost to the air through evaporation from the soil and from transpiration from leaves.

Most of the world’s variously located wheat growing areas will be at risk for “severe, prolonged and near-simultaneous drought” by the century’s end, according to a peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Advances. A fifth of the world’s calories come from wheat, and, researchers point out, food insecurity leads to political instability and migration.

More than 6,500 patients at the largest nonprofit hospital in Memphis, Tenn. saw their debt erased following an investigation into the health care provider’s collections process. One woman — whose case was among 8,300 collection lawsuits on file with the hospital — initially had a $12,000 bill, which grew to $33,000 due to the addition of

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

attorney fees and interest. Per court order, she would have had to pay $100 a month until age 90 for her two-day hospital stay, Mother Jones reported earlier this month.

Indonesia is planning to move its capital city from Jakarta (population 10 million) to the island of Borneo to avoid the consequences of sinking land and rising sea level — the latter which has been accelerated by ice melt. In Greenland, the melt has increased six-fold since the 1980s, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

After restricting births to one per family since 1979, in 2015 the Chinese government encouraged married college women to have a first or another child.

According to The New York Times, the government’s campaign discouraged ethnic minorities and unmarried pregnancies. In 2017, the birth rate fell 3.5%. A survey of 40,000 Chinese women showed 40% preferred avoiding pregnancy, while 63% had a child and did not want another.

Reasons: lack of time and energy, expense and career concerns.

For best post-surgery rehab results, get in good shape before surgery, according to the surgeon-in-chief for the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City.

Also, stay positive and go into surgery well rested.

An estimated 33% of household trash is from packaging, according to the organization Green America.

Blast from the past: When Christopher Columbus set foot in the “New World,” he named that land San Salvador.

But it already had a name: Guanahani.

Historians have described the natives as primitive because they did not wear fancy clothing and jewelry. But as author James Loewen points out, today’s European visitors to Guanahani are also practically naked — due to the heat. Loewen is the author of Lies My Teacher Told Me About Christopher Columbus.

And another blast: “... The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

Constitution of the United States, Article 2 Section 4. Rick Shenkman, founder of the History News Network, says turning to a foreign government to help influence a presidential election, requires an impeachment inquiry and “is exactly what the Constitution calls for.”

STATE / NATION

Staying the Course

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Party loyalty and loyalty to the person of the president are more important than ever to Republicans, as House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., continue to press forward with an impeachment inquiry stemming from President Donald Trump’s apparent attempt to solicit foreign help against his chief 2020 election opponent, former-Vice President Joe Biden and his family.

Amid a flood of revelations in recent weeks that Trump leveraged military and monetary support for Ukraine unless President Voldymyr Zelensky supported a probe into the Bidens’ business dealings in the eastern European country — followed closely by Trump’s on-camera appeal to China for a similar investigation — the question of whether congressional Republicans will cross the aisle to support impeachment has run like a red thread through the resulting impeachment drama.

Yet some GOPers have broken, or at least strained, ranks with the head of their party.

Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who rancorously squared off against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2016, directly condemned Trump’s calls to foreign governments for action against the Bidens, writing in a Tweet on Oct. 4 that, “By all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling.”

Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse stated to the Omaha World-Herald that “Americans don’t look to Chinese commies for the truth. If the Biden kid broke laws by selling his name to Beijing, that’s a matter for American courts, not communist tyrants running torture camps.”

On Oct. 5, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins told the Bangor Daily News, “I thought the president made a big mistake by asking China to get involved in investigating a political opponent. It’s completely inappropriate.”

Idaho’s all-Republican congressional delegation, however, has stood behind Trump.

“Having recently reviewed the whistleblower report and telephone call transcripts between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky, I believe the objective observer will not only find there is no impeachable offense, but that former Vice President Biden has much to answer for,” Rep. Russ Fulcher said in a statement emailed Oct. 4 to the Sandpoint Reader.

No evidence has ever surfaced that the Bidens’ activities in China or Ukraine were

illegal, though news media including The Intercept, Washington Post and The New York Times have carried reporting and opinion pieces pointing out that the family has certainly profited off its political connections.

According to a Sept. 26 statement from Sen. Jim Risch’s office, “The transcript of [the call] and whistleblower report related to President Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Zelensky were not compelling to me, after reviewing both. We heard all kinds of allegations of arm-twisting and bullying, and it’s just not there. I know evidence when I see it, and the Democrats are going to need more than this if they want to build an impeachment case. But, don’t take my word for it — every American should read the report, which is easily understood, and make up his or her own mind.”

A spokesperson for Risch told the Reader that the senator had nothing to add regarding Trump’s China appeal or Romney’s comment of Oct. 4.

Sen. Mike Crapo, who temporarily withdrew his support for the then-candidate following the so-called Access Hollywood tape in 2016, in which Trump could be heard bragging about sexual assault, took a more procedural view of the impeachment inquiry in a Sept. 24 tweet, writing, “I always prefer Congress remain a legislative body that advances legislation to benefit the American people. As to the question of impeachment, our entire legal system is dependent on our ability to find the truth. I will wait for further information regarding the facts of this matter and refrain from speculating on any outcomes of this discussion and process.”

Asked for further comment on Oct. 4, Crapo’s office also said the senator had nothing to add at the time.

A request for comment to Rep. Mike Simpson’s office went unanswered, though the longtime Idaho congressman had this to say in a statement reported Sept. 24 by Boise TV station KTVB: “Democrats have been threatening to impeach President Trump before he was sworn into office. To date, I have seen nothing that warrants impeachment, and there have certainly been ample opportunities to analyze their many accusations during their countless investigations. However, they have their constitutional right to proceed in their relentless endeavor. I, for one, believe the American people deserve more from their elected officials. Our country faces real issues including immigration reform, cyber-security, and funding the federal government for fiscal year 2020 which starts next week, and we should be focused on those things.”

Throughout his tumultuous first term, Trump has consistently received steadfast

Flood of Trump impeachment news doesn’t sway Idaho congressional delegation

support from Idaho conservatives. Though the state went for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2016 primary election, it delivered Trump a nearly 60% victory over Hillary Clinton in the general. According to the Idaho Politics Weekly blog, Idaho remains solid Trump country. While he enjoys fervid support from his base nationwide, Idahoans back the president more than most. Based on a recent Cook Political Report, Idaho is the fourth-most Republican state in the country, with a partisan voting index of R19+, or 19% more than the state-by-state average. Only Wyoming, Oklahoma and Utah lean more heavily toward the GOP. Likewise, as reported by political polling website morningconsult.com, Trump’s net approval rating as of September 2019 was 20% higher in the Gem State than the average among states — outranked only by Alabama and Mississippi.

But standing behind the president as the impeachment storm breaks all around him is getting harder and harder for some Republicans.

As The Washington Post reported Oct. 6, “A torrent of impeachment developments has triggered a reckoning in the Republican Party, paralyzing many of its officeholders as they weigh their political futures, legacies and, ultimately, their allegiance to a president who has held them captive.”

Quoting an unnamed former senior administration official, the Post wrote, “‘No-

Laughing Matter

body wants to be the zebra that strays from the pack and gets gobbled up by the lion.’”

And lion-like Trump has been in the past week, mounting a full-throated counterattack including a vow that his administration will not cooperate with the inquiry, blocking the U.S. ambassador to the European Union from testifying at a House impeachment deposition on Capitol Hill and calling for the outing of a whistleblower who revealed Trump’s July 25 call to Zelensky.

Now, national news media is reporting a second intelligence community whistleblower has come forward verifying and adding detail to the initial insider complaint, and China formally rejected Trump’s request for a Biden probe Oct. 8, when a Foreign Ministry spokesman told the South China Morning Post — perhaps not without some irony — “China has long pursued the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. We have no intention of intervening in the domestic affairs of the United States.”

For Fulcher, the issue remains rooted in electoral politics, rather than the “high crimes and misdemeanors” that would imperil the president’s position: “To understand the real motivation behind the current House action toward impeachment, look no further than this quote from two days ago, by the current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, ‘If we don’t impeach the President, he will get re-elected.’”

By Bill Borders

October 10, 2019 / R / 7

What would Rod Serling say?…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • To the badass forestry service woman who single-handedly cut hundreds of downed trees off the Mickinnick trail after the windstorm: Didn’t catch your name but THANK YOU from everyone who hikes the trail.

— Submitted by Sam Brown Barbs: • I received an email last week from a man named Rich who lamented the loss of online comments sections — specifically claiming that eliminating these sections amounts to a “war” on the right by the “leftists.” Rich wrote, “The Sandpoint Reader refuses to provide a comment section...” with a link to a story he must’ve wanted to comment on.

There’s a lot to this, so I’ll be brief. The Reader doesn’t “refuse” to provide a comments section on sandpointreader.com, we willfully eliminated it in 2016 because, for the most part, comments added nothing of value to the discussion.

Oftentimes, inappropriate and trolling comments were left on the site for days, sometimes weeks, when they should have been moderated immediately. It was an embarrassment for me and my staff and we quickly realized we didn’t have the manpower to adequately police people’s online behavior.

So, we closed commenting on our website and I have never looked back. If you’d like to comment on Reader stories, we post links to most of them on our Facebook page, on which readers are always welcome to comment. Of course, the other — best — option is to write a letter to the editor, but I suspect trolls who frequent online comments sections don’t like these because we require writers to list their first and last names, as well as the city in which they live.

If somehow the world (and human nature) changes and free-forall commentary from the general public actually adds to a story, I’d consider allowing them again. For now, we’ll leave the trolls to Facebook, where they belong.

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Dear editor, A distinctive looking man of slender build with dark hair dressed in a conservative dark suit holding a cigarette walks before the camera and speaks in a very recognizable voice.

“Submitted for no one’s approval, especially if you are a taxpayer of this fair town. A cast of unlikely motley characters, have pitted one government entity against another.

Our first player, a trumped up little man from the south of a great state. Dealing with feelings of inadequacy, he is the president of an organization that claims to represent the rights of a niche political issue.

Player two: A man whose tactics belay his actual desire, which is to exert control over others to the exclusion of all else. Even though his new motivation advocates for instruments of death directly conflicting with his original campaign, in which he claimed to be an instrument of life.

Finally, our third player: This little man, so to speak, is a soulmate of the first two. A self-appointed pocket emperor whose desire is, again, control and power over others.

Three abominable amigos who care for no one other than themselves and their rights. A terrible trio who will go to any length, even the use of public funds to ensure the triumph of their cause.

What they fail to realize is that they may actually be an instrument in the elimination of the wellspring of their campaign. A certain amendment that could be repealed in a backlash by the world of the reasonable if they are not careful.

In a reasonable world, with reasonable people, this could and likely would not happen, but this is not the world of the reasonable, this is...The Twilight Zone.”

Lawrence Fury Sandpoint

An open letter...

Dear Congressman Fulcher, Senator Risch and Senator Crapo, I just want to thank you and your colleagues in the House for their actions today (Sept. 24), voting to start impeachment inquiries into President Trump. It has been a long time coming.

It has been clear for years that President Trump and his top campaign officials cooperated with Russia to gain the presidency. Since

his inauguration he has continued to kowtow to Putin and alienate our longstanding allies.

He has blatantly violated the emoluments clause of our Constitution, personally profiting from payments made by foreign governments; He continues to appoint Cabinet heads who are criminal profiteers from the industries they once lobbied for; His administration continues to defy legal inquires and subpoenas from your associates in the House and Senate, repeatedly obstructing justice; He repeatedly and plainly lies to you, me and our country; His use of violent rhetoric threatens Americans both here and abroad; He has done these things, and so much more, that would not be tolerated if done by a Democratic administration.

President Trump and his senior campaign officials should be tried for treason. I believe that they would be convicted and should be punished to the maximum extent allowed by law.

But I don’t believe that this will happen. President Trump may try to fully usurp your powers in the House and Congress. Or he may do what President Nixon did: resign, receiving a full pardon from (then) President Pence, for any and all crimes committed by himself and his accomplices.

Sadly, I believe that Vice-President Pence is equally culpable for many of these same crimes against our country.

Again, thank you for your work.

Chris Mielke Sandpoint

Reflecting the Panida’s values...

Dear editor, Regarding: “Alt-Right Comedian Comes to the Panida” [Sandpoint Reader, Sept. 29, 2019], a quick search of the internet documents multiple examples of this comedian’s misogynistic, racist and anti-Semetic comments.

Patrica Walker states that she is “just the caretaker” of the Panida and “I’m trying to figure out how to keep the doors open. It’s a fine line on what I can turn away.” According to Panida.org “The values of the Panida Theater are historic preservation, inclusivity, collaboration,

diversity, education and economic stability.” I doubt that these values include keeping the Panida financially afloat by enabling racism, nor do I believe that is what the Sandpoint community intended when the Panida was brought back to life by the public in 1985.

Krista Eberle Sandpoint

Support the levy, even if you don’t have ‘skin in the game’...

Dear editor, Why should someone who doesn’t even have kids in LPOSD schools vote for continuously funding LPOSD schools? Well, I am one of those people. Let me explain why, despite not having a kid in the schools, I will vote yes on Nov. 5.

Under the current model, the district has an incentive to continuously ask for more money from taxpayers every two years. With the uncertainty over each levy’s passing, there is a tendency to play it safe and ask for just a little bit more each time (or in the case of the most recent levy, 50% more compared to 2017). The permanent levy is a flat amount, not a percentage of property value. With a booming housing market and a growing inventory of new homes in Bonner County, the actual percentage each homeowner will pay is likely to decrease from its current level of around 0.27% in years to come.

More importantly, LPOSD has already proved to Bonner County residents that it is one of the most efficient and effective stewards of our tax dollars. The existing levy, which will continue indefinitely if approved on Nov. 5, imposes a rate that is 53% lower than the average school tax rate across Idaho. Yet, despite imposing half the burden on taxpayers, LPOSD ranks among the top performing school districts in the state.

If we wish to continue to thrive and grow as a community, we must continue to support our youth. Half their young lives are spent in a school; just imagine what we could achieve if we freed teachers, administrators, parents and students from the uncertainty and anxiety the current funding model imposes and allowed them to refocus their attention on doing what they do best: working to provide our youth with a brighter future than that which they would otherwise have.

I may not have “skin in the game,” but I certainly want the

“home team” to win. I’m a proud Bonner County resident, and I want to see our community thrive. An educated workforce is the foundation of every community and the future of every economy.

Jason Welker Sandpoint

A matter of the amygdala...

Dear editor, As I understand it, two candidates for city government, Jacque Guinan and Ken Lawrence, are involved in the Redoubt movement.

What is strange to me is the Redoubt movement is all about having a place that can be defended against the coming zombie apocalypse, which is why they avoid cities and towns.

I have to wonder why these two are living in town. My suspicion is they have their primary residences in the county somewhere and simply rent in town so they can run for the city council and the mayor’s office.

So what could be a motivation for the Redoubters to take over our city? Could it be guns at the Festival?

The Redoubt movement is motivated by fear.

Diversity terrifies ’em, which is why Redoubters want their approved monoculture shoved down everyone’s throats.

Sandpoint’s diversity is viewed by the local Redoubt movement as a thorn in the side. Those of the Redoubt movement want everyone to be just like them.

According to an October National Geographic article, “Why You Like What You Like,” conservatives have a larger amygdala than liberals.

Here are three quotes from the article: 1. “Our behaviors and preferences are profoundly influenced by our genetic makeup, by factors in our environment that affect our genes, and by other genes forced into our systems by the innumerable microbes that dwell inside us.”

2. “In general, liberals tend to be more open-minded, creative, and novelty seeking; conservatives tend to be more orderly and conventional, and prefer stability.”

3. “… studies suggest that variations in our dopamine receptor gene DRD4 influence whether we vote red or blue. Variations in DRD4 have been tied to novelty seeking and risk taking, behaviors

< see LETTERS, page 9 >

PERSPECTIVES

Finding courage We need to take back our power

By Jane Hoover Reader Contributor Courage comes from the willingness to be vulnerable. I look at people who write editorials and think that they are brave people no matter if I agree with their opinions or not. They are willing to put themselves out there to be heard. One of my heroes, Dr. Brené Brown says that there is no courage without vulnerability. If you have not heard her speak, Google her TED talks. She is inspiring to say the least.

I don’t know about you, but I have not been brave enough to put my opinions into writing and I don’t feel I am alone.

We have all of the negative self talk that goes through our minds such as: I don’t write well enough and someone will make fun of my grammar, or what if my friends don’t like what I have to say and shun me, or what if my opinion affects my business or my job and on and on.

So here goes my attempt at courage: I am a health care provider in Sandpoint and, over the past three years, I have watched the disintegration of values in our country. I have seen an incredible increase in depression, anxiety, insomnia

< LETTERS, con’t from page 8 > more commonly associated with liberals. Also, certain areas in the brain are different for liberals and conservatives, and this may affect how they respond to stressful stimuli. E.g., conservatives tend to have a larger amygdala, the fear center of the brain, and have stronger physiological reactions to unpleasant photos or sounds.”

Conservatives with a larger amygdala helps to explain why they voted for Trump and embrace nonsense like the Redoubt movement.

Trump, as a fear monger, plays to conservatives’ larger amygdala keeping them in a constant state of fear. He has found fear to be a useful tool in keeping his followers in line.

Same can be said for the Redoubt movement.

Lee Santa Sandpoint

Permanent levy is ‘tax theft’...

Dear editor, The amount of this levy is problematic for a very simple reason. One may call it lack of transparency, dishonest, greedy, but I call it “tax theft.” LPOSD told us in January

and suicide. People are feeling a weight hanging over their heads and are losing their ability to cope effectively. They feel a world that is spinning out of control and feel they have no power to impact the decline. People also have the tendency to feel they are alone in their misery.

I think there is much we can do. We need to take back our power.

One wise counselor once told me that no one can take away your power unless you are willing to give it to them. So, I believe that this is our power and we are giving it away by the bucketfuls. I believe there are more of us than there are of them. I think there are more people who are looking for a community grounded in respect, empathy, inclusion and yes, love, not in fear and hatred.

We all want to feel safe. We don’t want to see another senseless war brought on by a reactive, immature president. We don’t want guns at the Festival at Sandpoint. We don’t want our police force armed with military equipment. We don’t want a smelter polluting our lake and our air. We don’t want low wages and high prices. We don’t want the insecurity of not being able to afford health care and

homes. We don’t want families arrested at the border, put in prisons and separated from their children.

But, I think we are the nice guys.

I think we worry about hurting other people’s feelings or worry about being alone in our beliefs, so we don’t speak out. Obviously, the people gaining power in our country do not have the same worries. They don’t seem to worry about playing nice. But, they are the vocal ones.

They are gaining strength by supporting and feeding off of each other. They are gaining strength by instilling fear into our society and it seems to be working well.

They are disintegrating the very core of what makes us feel safe enough to grow and prosper together as a nation.

I am lucky to have many friends. I also have the honor of listening to a lot of people who feel safe in my office and share their worries and fears. Everyone always thinks they are alone and that is a scary place to find yourself. We need to show each other that we are not alone. We need to find it in ourselves to have the courage to speak out.

I think too many of us are waiting for the next election and think we can make

it all better when we vote again. Well, I think we thought the same thing three years ago and look where that has gotten us. Or, we don’t think our vote will matter so don’t bother to get engaged or to vote.

My worry is that we are allowing a small group of people to become too powerful. I am concerned that they will cheat and lie and sway the opinions of others through fear. I am worried that our elections will continue to be manipulated if we don’t pull together now and realize that there are more of us than there are of them. We need to voice our opinions just as loudly and strongly as our adversaries.

We need to find power in numbers and support each other.

This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Many of my friends, who are Republicans, are appalled by the direction our country has taken. I, for one, want to continue to be proud of America. I cannot imagine letting my child stand up and lie like our president without consequences.

We need to find courage. We need to be brave. Come on, we can do this.

2019 that they were going to lose $1.7 million of state funding as a result of a new school funding formula being considered by the Idaho legislature. The projected funding formula change never passed through the legislature.

Fake news, it never passed, LPOSD never lost a dollar of state funding, in fact they got an increase!

However, that did not stop LPOSD from taking the $1.7 million dollars from local taxpayers under the current 2019/2020 levy disbursement. According to the previous LPOSD Chairman, Youngdahl, LPOSD has the ability to turn down the $1.7 million, but in July 2019 LPOSD filed with the County Clerk to “take” the money they never lost from the state funding, that’s when the misinformation became a “lie and theft.” Call me naïve to think that honesty is expected by taxpayers from fiduciary managers of taxing policy.

LPOSD “stole” $1.7 million in March/July 2019 and now they want unsuspecting taxpayers to make the “theft” a permanent contribution. Again taxpayers will never be able to reduce the unneeded $1.7 million or any portion of the 49% increase. A permanent of indefinite levy secures a minimum amount of funding, LPOSD can always ask for more, but

they will never get less!

What happens if the economy should nosedive, student populations fall and belt-tightening should become necessary? The taxpayer needs to have at their disposal a mechanism to adjust downward LPOSD tax funding. The inconvenience of making LPOSD justify tax levy amounts on a bi-annual basis keeps in check runaway taxing. Reminder LPOSD is one of the largest county employers, which means LPOSD has a significant voting block to get their way unless responsible taxpayers say otherwise.

VOTE AGAINST.

For the past 20 years, LPOSD has been among the top-performing districts in the state as reported on the Idaho Accountability Report Card, demonstrating the district’s ability to manage resources in ways that matter for student success. In fact, LPOSD has outperformed districts similar in size which levy significantly more money each year. For instance, the per-pupil local tax levy in Blaine County is over four times ($9,228) that of LPOSD ($2,303); yet, Wood River High scores lower on almost every state required measurement when compared to Sandpoint High (see www.idahoedtrends.org/schools/ compare/194,181 for more details).

We can and should expect our investments in education to work for our community. While the high school comparison above may be one of the more extreme examples, LPOSD’s yearly results are a testament to their focus on the right work. Yet, ask any LPOSD educator and they will tell you there is much work still to be done. Leveling up in this way is only possible with stable funding. Vote yes on November 5th for the permanent school levy.

Dan Rose Samuels

Stabilize school funding...

Dear editor, In our fast-moving world, policymakers often have innovation in mind as they ask for more. More money, more programs, and in the case of public schooling more does not often work. This November 5th’s permanent school levy policy change is different. It is about providing a stable environment for the right work— much of which is already taking place.

Jane Hoover is a Priest River citizen and nurse practitioner in Sandpoint

Liz Wargo Sandpoint October 10, 2019 / R / 9

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

Heavy organisms

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist We all know that blue whales are big, but are they the biggest? They’re the biggest marine mammals in the world, and possibly even the most massive animal to have ever lived on Earth, but how big are we talking?

The largest blue whale ever recorded came in at a whopping 190 tons, or around 400,000 pounds. If Eddie Hall, the world record holder for the heaviest deadlift at 1,150 pounds, tried to lift a blue whale, he’d need 348 friends that could tie his record to perform this feat. Just envision how much muscle is needed to push these magnificent creatures through the ocean, or how much air a blue whale needs to retain in its body to remain buoyant.

These are mind-boggling numbers that could make any mathematician’s head spin, but they’re pretty small when talking about the mass of organisms in general.

While the blue whale is the most massive vertebrate mammal, it’s not the most massive or even the largest or longest organism on Earth.

You don’t think about it until it comes crashing down on your brand new sedan, but trees are extremely heavy. The towering bull pines surrounding our lake range anywhere from 10 to 50 tons, but there are titans far heavier to the south. The giant sequoia trees of the Sierra mountain range in California earned their moniker of “big trees,” with the largest of them

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believed to weigh close to 2,300 tons — that’s 4.6 million pounds, or about 12 of the largest blue whales in the world.

At such weights, it becomes easier to compare these things to non-organic structures, like Christ the Redeemer, the 700ton statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It would take 3.25 of these statues to match the weight of General Sherman, the largest of the Sierran Redwoods. That’s pretty amazing when you consider that one of them is a concrete statue and the other is a tree made up of innumerable living cells.

General Sherman is a beast of a plant, but it’s still not the heaviest, or even the largest organism on the planet.

The crown and title of “World’s Heaviest Organism” is in hot contention, because of the difficulty in weighing something so incredibly huge.

“Yo mama” jokes aside, the two contendors for the title of world’s heaviest are Pando, the clonal colony of quaking aspen in Fishlake National Forest in Utah, and the fungal mats of Oregon.

In this corner, we have Pando, the trembling giant. At a glance, Pando just looks like a forest of quaking aspen trees, but it was discovered that these trees are clones of the same tree — linked by a massive singular underground root network that encompasses about 106 acres of land. Pando is not only in the running for heaviest organism on the planet, but is also one of the oldest, believed to be at least 80,000 years old.

Pando was believed to have thrived during and before the

last glacial period of the ice age, but has struggled for the past 10,000 years. Adapting to difficult living conditions and a lack of suitable mates, it creates clones of itself by shooting suckers out from subterranean roots that grow to form more trees. You can see this process happen in most deciduous trees, especially trees you buy from nurseries that have been grafted to the root stock of a different tree.

It’s like those horror movies in which someone gets an organ transplant from a serial killer, and then that organ tries to kill people, or whatever murderous spleens try to do.

Most important to the subject of this article, Pando is estimated to weigh around 6,600 tons, which is about as much as 3,500 sedans.

In the other corner, we have Armillaria ostoyae, the humongous fungus hailing from the Malheur National Forest in Oregon. A. ostoyae is a parasitic mushroom with a vast underground root system that is believed to span 2,240 acres and weigh as much as 35,000 tons; that’s about 2.5 times the weight of the Brooklyn Bridge.

This fungus can be crippling to coniferous forests and is notorious for being extremely resilient. The fungus can remain dormant in the stump of a fallen tree for as long as half a century, until favorable conditions arise. Some colonies are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

While it appears that we have a clear winner in the battle of the bulk, it’s almost impossible to definitively

The 80,000-year-old grove of quaking aspen trees nown as Pando. Courtesy photo. prove the weight of either of these titans. Given their sheer size and their constant cycles of growth and death, all we can do is postulate averages and make our best guess as to how much they might weigh.

Before I wrap this article up, I wanted to say thanks to

Reader staff writer Lyndsie Kiebert, who suggested I write an article on Pando that sent me down this massive rabbit hole. Lucky for me, we have very patient librarians willing to indulge in my endless salvo of strange research questions every week. Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner ins?

Don’t know much about pumpk We can help!

• Among the first printed instances of the word “pumpkin” was in the fairy tale “Cinderella,” adapted from a much older story

by French writer Charles Perrault in 1697. The Greeks called these “large melons” pepon, which led to the French word pompon and, by the mid-17th century, the English derivations pumpion and, finally, “pumpkin.”

• The original jack-o’-lanterns were made by the Irish using turnips and potatoes. In England, they used large beets and lit them with embers to ward off evil spirits. Irish immigrants brought the custom to America, but found that pumpkins were much easier to carve.

• Pumpkins are grown on every continent except Antarctica.

• More than1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin are produced each year in the United States. The top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

• Morton, Ill., is billed as the “Pumpkin Capital of the World.”

Not for nothing: The University of Illinois found 95% of the pumpkins grown in the U.S. come from Illinois. Morton, meanwhile, is allegedly responsible for 80% of the world’s canned pumpkin production.

• More than 800 million pumpkins — or about 80% of the U.S. pumpkin crop — are ripe for the picking in October.

• The world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed more than 2,600 pounds. It was grown in Germany and presented in October 2016.

• Pumpkins are 90% water, which makes them a low-calorie food. One cup of canned pumpkin has less than 100 calories.

Pumpkins also have more fiber than kale.

• Every single part of a pumpkin is edible. You can eat the skin, leaves, flowers, pulp, seeds and even the stem.

COMMUNITY

Parks and Rec round-up

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Rhythmic & Acrosport Gymnastics

Rhythmics is a beautiful activity that combines elements of ballet, tumbling, dance and manipulation of props such as balls, hoops, ribbon and rope into skills and routines set to music.

Acrosport uses partners and groups working together to perform acrobatic skills like tumbling, lifts, balances, tosses and partner catches in combination with dance. Gymnasts of all sizes are needed.

The next six-week session begins Wednesday, Oct. 23, with a registration deadline of Friday, Oct. 18.

Beginners classes are Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m., for ages mature 5 and up.

Intermediates classes are Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m., for ages 6 and up.

Advanced classes are Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m., for ages 7 and up.

Class fees are $43 per session, with a $5 city resident discount. Multiple

family member discounts apply. Scholarships are available by visiting the Sandpoint Parks and Rec. office, 1123 Lake St. Babysitter’s Training Course Sandpoint Parks and Recreation is hosting a Safe Sitter Babysitter’s Training Course for grades six and up. The class will be held Saturday, Nov. 2 at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1123 Lake St., from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required by Thursday, Oct. 17. The class fee is $48, with a $2 city resident discount. Participants are asked to pack a lunch.

CPR/First Aid will be introduced in this course, but not certified.

For information about these and other Sandpoint Parks and Recreation events, call 208-263-3613 or visit sandpointgov. parksrecreation.

Diabetes Day Fair planned for BGH

By Reader Staff

Bonner General Health is hosting Diabetes Day, a free and interactive event with basic health screenings such as blood glucose, blood pressure, urine protein screening, A1C and more. Diabetes educators will discuss how to treat and manage diabetes and how to avoid complications from the disease. Several vendors will provide information about medications and insulin pumps, and a BGH pharmacist will be available to answer questions regarding medications.

This event is offered at no cost and is open to those living with or without diabetes. Diabetes Day will be at Bonner General Health on Monday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at 423 N. Third Ave. in Sandpoint.

For more information go to bonnergenral.org/diabetes-day or call 208-2651116.

BGH Community Hospice hosting annual Rose Event

By Reader Staff

Roses are currently available to purchase for the annual Bonner General Health Community Hospice Rose Event by calling 208-265-1185 or going by the information desk in the main lobby of the hospital located at 520 N. Third Ave. For every $20 donation, participants will receive one dozen long-stem roses. All proceeds provide direct patient care to those in Bonner and Boundary counties who cannot afford hospice services.

Roses can be picked up in the lobby of the hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Bonner General Health Community Hospice was established in 1985 and is the only nonprofit hospice services provider in North Idaho. For more information please visit bonnergeneral.org or call 208-265-1179.

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Dollar Beers!

Edgar Cayce Study Group Utara After H 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 8pm @ Utara B 9-11am @ Gardenia Center Good until the keg’s dry Meditation, prayer, dream dis- This guitar-ban cussion and discussion of Ed- Bart Budwig’s The Way of Consciousness docu film gar Cayce, the father of holistic bilities always 7pm @ Little Panida Theater Free showing! Explore the life of spiritual health. Meets every Thursday teacher Gurdjieff. Discussion to follow film

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Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Jazz and beer = good times Live Music w/ Devon Wade 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Sandpoint’s indie country singer

Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA Sounds of 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall authentic Indie rock originals and covers 7pm @ Pa Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner Join Sand and Sadie Sicilia welcoming 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery dia’s fine Father-daughter duo back by $10/kids, $ popular demand Live Music w/ John Firshi Live Music w/ Neff & Co. Fall Fling Fest cornhol 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority 8-11pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 10am-6pm @ MickDuff’ Sandpoint Idaho Cornho Old favorites and transcendental loops Annual Pie Run tourney, all skill levels in Live Music w/ Cedar and Boyer 9am @ Memorial Commu- at 10:30am, doubles after 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge nity Center (Hope) VFW Oktoberfest Pints Justin and Jen Landis’ duo, specializing Cost is $5 and one pie 3-6pm @ MickDuff’s Bee in thoughtful folk and electric ambiance DJ Exodus Vets get their first beer Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 9pm-12am @ A&P’s them. Honor their sacrific 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Karaoke Sandpoint VFW Post with All your favorite songs 8-close @ Tervan Mayoral candidate Shannon Williamson meet and gre The 4 Saxes free concert 2-3:30pm @ Spt. Community Hall 2:30-4:30pm @ 1022 Park Ave. in Sandpoint A sax quartet covering jazz, polka, RSVP to attend: Bill Litsinger - 208-290-6948 Sandpoint Chess Club classical and dancin’ tunes. Free!

9am @ Evans Brothers Coff

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills Lifetree Cafe 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub An hour of conversation and stories. This week’s topic: “Surviving the Death of a Loved One” Night-Out Karaoke Trivia Night 9pm @ 219 Lounge 7pm @ MickDuff’s Join DJ Webrix for a Show off that big, beautiful brain, buck-o night of singing Tuesday Trivia and Happy Hour 5-6:30pm @ Davis Grocery Play as a team or an individual

Wind Down Wednesday 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge With live music by blues man Truck Mills and guest musician Mike Elliott

Magic Wednesday 6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s Enjoy close-up magic shows by Star Alexander right at your table

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry Open Mic Night w/ KC Carter 9pm-12am @ A&P’s Bar & Grill

Sandpoint Idaho Cornhole League 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Every Tuesday for 10 weeks. All skill leve

Rock Painting Class 9:30-11:30am @ Sandpoint Senior Cent Paint “kindness rocks” with class leader who has painted and hidden 2,300 rocks Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Locally grown produce, starts, crafts and more! Live music by the Monarch Mountain Band

Girls Pint Out 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No Dudes! Vicki will be tasting and talking about Fresh Hop beers

Wedne 6:30-9: Join Be jam, wi Packwo

Sip and Spook Open 5-8pm @ Pend d’Orei Settle in with a glass ten to or share local sp your own ghost story o

ful

Oct. 10-17

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

Reader recommended

a After Hours: The Hackles and the Bart Budwig Band @ Utara Brewing Co. guitar-banjo duo performs with gorgeous vocal harmonies.

Budwig’s soulful mix of old country charm and folk sensies always entertain the listeners. $10 cover; ages 21+

3G Tour and Hope Islands Tour 12pm & 3:30pm @ Lake Pend Oreille Cruises Hop aboard the Shawnodese for some excellent fall cruises on Lake Pend Oreille. The 3G Tour leaves at noon and the Hope Islands Tour at 3:30 p.m. Contact LPO Cruises for more info

Hickey Farms Pumpkin Patch Fall Fest at Kootenai Elementary Sounds of the East 3pm-dusk @ Hickey Farms 3:30-6pm @ Kootenai Elementary School authentic Indian concert U-pick pumpkins and more!

Carnival-style event including bounce 7pm @ Panida Theater houses, games, cake walk, face painting, Kids’ Trivia Night oin Sandpoint Curry in food and more. Funds raised go to the 5-6:30pm @ Davis Grocery (Hope) welcoming some of InKootenai Elementary PTA to support the Play as an individual, team, or family dia’s finest musicians. students. to win prizes.

This night is put on by DJ Skwish $10/kids, $18/adults kids for kids 9pm-12am @ A&P’s t cornhole Tourney ‘Helping Heroes’ fundraiser Oden Busy Bee annual Harvest Potluck MickDuff’s Beer Hall 11am-1pm @ Petco (Ponderay) 4pm @ Oden Bay Community Hall ho Cornhole club’s fall A fundraiser for Canine Compan- Bring a dish to share and meet your neighll levels invited. Singles ions for Independence, a service bors. Questions? Nancy 208-255-7932 ubles after (around 2:30) dog training organization Sandpoint Farmers’ Market fest Pints for Veterans Hickey Farms Pumpkin Patch and Harvest Fest 3pm-dusk @ Hickey Farms Duff’s Beer Hall 9am-2pm @ Farmin Park first beer purchased for U-pick pumpkins and more! Live The Market closes out the 2019 season with music by Harold’s IGA from 12-3pm eir sacrifice and support a band. Live music by Monarch Mountain Bourbon Whiskey Tasting Post with this fundraiser 6-8pm @ A&P’s Band. Bring food to donate to Food Bank Oktoberfest at Beet and Basil Piano Sunday w/ Bob Beadling t and greet 11am-5pm @ Beet and Basil 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Six Oktoberfest beers on tap, live music by local bands Red Blend and Harold’s IGA, Club oversized games, house made pretzels and mustards, kids’ area with face painting, rafthers Coffee fle prizes. 50% of all beverage sales support Sandpoint Community Resource Center

week’s One”

HOKA running shoe demo - Outdoor Experience Monday night group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience Test out the latest HOKAs while getting a workout.

Headlamps recommended

ague skill levels welcome

nior Center ass leader Lynn Walters, 300 rocks in the area

The Blanket Exercise 5-8pm @ First Lutheran Church, 526 S. Olive Ave. The Blanket Exercise is an interactive learning ex- Oct. 18 perience that teaches the Indigenous rights history Vanno Oh! and rarely taught in schools. This event is free, but reg- the Any’s @ 219 istrations is required: registration@fpcsandpoint.org Lounge

Wednesdays with Benny Sandpoint Rock Gym fundraiser Oct. 18 6:30-9:30pm @ Connie’s 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Comedy ShowJoin Benny Baker for this weekly music With Bale Breaker Brewing beer on jam, with special guest Baker/Thomas/ tap, live music by Marty and Doug. case @ Utara Packwood for the season ender Silent auction items and raffle prizes Brewing Co. Live Music w/ Reese Warren ok Open Mic 8-11pm @ Eichardt’s Pub More Than a Woman Trivia nd d’Oreille Winery One of Sandpoint’s most 6:30-9pm @ The Back Door h a glass of vino and lis- A night of laughter and fetalented guitar players and re local spooky tales. Tell male-focused trivia musicians ost story or listen to others

October 10, 2019 / R / 15

STAGE AND SCREEN

Sip & Spook:

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff It was a dark and not-so-stormy night about 10 years ago when Jon Arnhold awoke in the wee hours, sure that he was dying. He and his wife, Patty — then Washington residents — were in Sandpoint visiting friends to celebrate the Fourth of July at their 100-year-old farmhouse on Baldy. Arnhold had been suffering from a nasty cold and went to bed around 9:30 p.m. in an upstairs bedroom. At about 3:30 a.m. he jolted awake, choking on a combination of sinus drainage and chest phlegm.

After a few moments of frantic hacking and backslapping, he was able to breathe, took another sinus pill and somehow managed to get back to bed.

At 5:30 a.m., his wife went downstairs to make some coffee, leaving Arnhold alone in the room where, only hours before, “I literally thought I was going to die,” he said.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, with the dog on the floor next to him, Arnhold said he suddenly heard “what sounded like a large maple leaf that the wind is blowing across the pavement — a skittering.”

“I look down and the dog is on alert, tail up, ears up, and it’s looking at the closet,” he said. “Here out of that closet came this form; it was about three-foot tall, it’s body consisted of what I think of as volcanic ash … that roiling, uncoagulated volcanic ash. It had little white arms and little white feet and it was running from the closet to the bathroom.

It took about half a second to get clear past the doorway. I looked at that and my

16 / R / October 10, 2019

An evening of ghost stories at the Pend d’Oreille Winery

rational, reasonable mind did not believe what I was seeing.”

The image stuck with him, and Arnhold — then a college counselor in Auburn, Wash. — shared his experience with a few colleagues.

“That was basically when I transitioned from not being a believer in ghosts to being a believer in ghosts,” he said. “It was unlike anything I’d ever seen.”

Some disbelieved him outright, attributing the apparition to an illness-induced hallucination. Others, however, were eager to share their own paranormal encounters — so many others, in fact, that Arnhold and a like-minded co-worker put together a continuing education college class focused on stories of the supernatural. The powers-that-be were less than receptive.

“They said, ‘We don’t do that woowoo stuff here; that kind of pissed me off,” he said.

Arnhold retired and relocated to Sandpoint with his wife about three years ago, and occasionally returned to the idea of some kind of story-telling event themed around ghostly encounters. He found a willing partner in the Pend d’Oreille Winery, which is hosting the first-ever Sip & Spook on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 5-7:30 p.m.

Formatted like an open mic, those wishing to share their stories will sign up for a slot of no more than five minutes.

Others are invited simply to cozy up with a beverage and listen to the mysterious tales.

Arnhold is hoping for a robust turnout. On a recent Pend d’Oreille Winery lake cruise, he polled a group of about 15 people on whether they’d ever had a

“I thought I ordered the pinot ghoul-io! Boo!” Courtesy photo. paranormal or ghost experience. About seven raised their hand, suggesting that the potential number of participants is larger than might be expected.

“If we’ve had these experiences, how many others have had these experiences?”

Arnhold said.

“People who’ve had the experience want to be validated for the experience,” he added. “I just think that people who have stories like this want to be in communion with others who’ve had a similar experience.”

FEATURE

A haven for the kiddos

Kinderhaven has provided a safe place for local children for over two decades

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Kinderhaven, like many worthy nonprofits, began out of a need that one special person saw in the community.

Marcia Ogilvie was a business owner, Sandpoint City Council member and Sandpoint mayor whose passion for service eventually led to the founding of Kinderhaven, North Idaho’s only privately-funded group home and emergency shelter for abused and neglected children. In 1996, Ogilvie rented a small house in Sandpoint, worked with state agencies and raised money to ensure this nonprofit would have a lasting impact on area children in need.

Twenty years later, more than 1,500 local kids have found shelter and safety through the doors of Kinderhaven, a legacy that Ogilvie took pride in until she passed away in 2014.

Today, Kinderhaven continues Ogilvie’s legacy by providing emergency shelter for children who have been removed from their homes for protection — filling a need that Executive Director Jennifer Plummer sees every day.

“Before [Kinderhaven], kids were put into the Juvenile Detention Center when they had nowhere else to put them,” said Plummer.

The facility, with a staff of 10, can house up to 16 kids at a time with no limit on their length of stay. It provides the same support a household would offer, including rides to and from school, rides to sports activities and appointments, meals and even emotional support. The facility has been

at capacity for about two years, Plummer said.

As one could imagine, running the household for 16 children can be a Herculean task — one that Kinderhaven staffers take on happily each day.

“Every day is jam-packed,” Plummer said.

A whiteboard in one office is filled with kids’ activities and appointments that Kinderhaven staff take on as their responsibility. Between running kids to school, to various appointments with doctors and counselors, as well as sports events and everything between, it is indeed a busy household at Kinderhaven.

Each child at Kinderhaven has a court appointed special advocate assigned to them who helps ensure the best interests of each child are met. While there is no limit for each child’s time at Kinderhaven, Plummer said the average stay is six months to a year.

“When kids are here for several months, they see consistency,” Plummer said. “It takes a while to build up that trust, but they start to build it. We really start to see a change.”

“Kinderhaven is an understanding kind of place,” one 14-year-old current resident said. “I really enjoy the staff’s company. All of them are really nice and sweet plus funny. … I love this place and it isn’t that bad.”

According to one Kinderhaven 17-year-old, “This place has changed my life for the better. I’ve become such a bright young lady and I’ve come so far. I love all the family interaction we have gotten. This place has helped many lives.”

While Kinderhaven mostly focuses on the needs of the young people in its care,

Plummer said the staff has also worked with parents to help establish model parenting behavior. If parents test clean for illegal substances, Kinderhaven also facilitates family visits.

The nonprofit receives no federal funding and only 15% of its financial support comes from the state of Idaho — the other 85% comes directly from the community and donors.

The largest fundraiser for Kinderhaven is the annual Festival of Trees, a three-day series of events during which members of the community decorate trees and gather to support the organization.

Family Night is Thursday, Dec. 5 from 4-6 p.m. at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, where the public can attend free of charge to view the decorated trees while sipping hot cocoa, munching on cookies and meeting with Santa. The Hol-

iday Luncheon will take place Friday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m.1:30 p.m. and includes a silent auction. Tickets are $50 and table sponsorships are available for $650 (seats eight people).

The festival culminates with a gala at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, at which guests can peruse silent auction items while snacking on hors d’oeuvres before enjoying a dinner catered

by Ivano’s Ristorante. Dinner will be followed by a live auction of the decorated trees and packages. Tickets are $85 and table sponsorships are $1,400 for eight people. All proceeds directly benefit Kinderhaven.

Plummer said one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is visiting with young men and women who had stayed at Kinderhaven in the past and returned to visit.

“We have a young lady who graduated from high school and

A child staying at Kinderhaven works on a coloring book. Photo by Brittane Barker.

comes back to visit regularly,” Plummer said. “She’s thriving now. She loves to visits her ‘Kinderhaven moms.’”

Because Kinderhaven has been at capacity for about two years, Plummer said there may be a need to expand in the future.

“Our board is actively at work strategizing the expansion of our services so that we can serve even more of our local Sandpoint children,” Plummer said.

For more information about Kinderhaven, or to purchase tickets to the Festival of Trees, visit kinderhavensandpoint.org.

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COMMUNITY

Hope School hosts Harvest Flapjack 5K

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff When it comes to October weekend pastimes in North Idaho, it’s hard to beat a lakeside jaunt in the crisp autumn air followed by a hot pancake breakfast. Hope Elementary’s Partners in Education plan to facilitate such perfection with the Harvest

Flapjack 5K. The second annual event, set for Saturday, Oct. 19, starts with registration at the school at 255 Hope School Road from 8-8:30 a.m. Participants then enjoy a hayride to the 5K starting line at Sam Owen Campground on the Hope Peninsula for a 9 a.m. race start. Once everyone has run or walked the scenic

course, they can catch a hayride back to the school for a wellearned pancake breakfast and harvest games.

Kids age 3 and under can participate for free, kids ages 4-12 pay a fee of $5 and adults 13 and older pay $7 to take part. The price includes the race and breakfast.

Those with questions about the event can reach Hope Elementary at 208-255-7232.

Living and Dying well in North Idaho

Photo by Unsplash.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Bonner General Health Community Hospice is teaming up with North Idaho Palliative Care Coalition to host a series of events Monday, Oct. 14 through Saturday, Oct. 19 in Sandpoint on “Living and Dying Well.”

The group’s mission is to “create a community where dying is acceptable, normal and valued,” through a series of outreach activities.

The week kicks off with “Death Cafe” on Monday, Oct. 14 from 4-6 p.m. at 119 First Ave. BGH Community Hospice and North Idaho Palliative Care Coalition will lead this gathering for participants to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. The event is intended “to increase awareness of death with a view that helps people make the most of their finite lives.”

Next will be poetry reading, open mic and music on Tuesday, Oct.15 from 4-6 p.m. at Beet and Basil, 105 S. First Ave. The event will be hosted by Sam Cornett.

Join KRFY 88.5 FM’s Suzy Prez and Chris Bessler for a special “Living and Dying Well” podcast on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 8 a.m on 88.5 FM. Dr. Nicole Pelly, a palliative care physician; Heidi Hampe, of the Death Cafe/ Green Movement; Ginna Maus, a licensed clinical social worker; and Lissa DeFreitas, BGH Community Hospice volunteer/ bereavement coordinator, will also share their views on living 18 / R / October 10, 2019

and dying well.

Also happening Wednesday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. will be Children’s Story Telling, sponsored by Creations of Sandpoint. This event will be held in the Children’s Corner at 119 N. First Ave. Take a facilitated “Season of Life Stroll” on the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. with Peter Gilmore, Hospice volunteer and co-director of Hospice Kids Grief Camp. Meet at the trailhead at 4 p.m.

“Death Over Dinner” will be a chance to share a meal and the opportunity to connect over an uplifting and interactive conversation about Living and Dying Well with Ginna Maus. The dinner will take place Friday, Oct. 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 First Ave. The capstone event of Living and Dying Well series will be, “Weaving it All Together.” This event takes place Saturday, Oct. 19 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Panida Theater. A series of movie scenes will be moderated by a panel of palliative care experts and community members, and will include questions and conversation from the audience about Living and Dying Well in our town.

The downtown location at 119 First Ave. will be open to all from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14-Saturday, Oct. 19 with art displayed throughout the week. Call 208-265-1185 for more information.

COMMUNITY

A festive fall week

Here’s a snapshot of some fall events coming up in Sandpoint this week.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Fall is a festive time in North Idaho. Here are a few worthy events to put on your calendar as those pages turn ever-nearer winter.

Oktoberfest at Beet and Basil Grab your lederhosen and get ready to prost, the third annual Beet and Basil Oktoberfest is back. Each year, Beet and Basil throws this fall shindig to support a local nonprofit. This year, they are supporting Sandpoint Community Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that helps bridge the gap between those in need and local service providers.

Oktoberfest will be from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Beet and Basil at the Creek, 105 S. First Ave. in Sandpoint.

Admission is free for all ages.

Beet and Basil will offer six different Oktoberfest beers on tap, housemade pretzels and mustards and German street food. There will be live music with Red Blend from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Harold’s IGA from 2:30-4:30 p.m., oversized games, a kids’ area with face painting and games, and a bunch of cool prizes like Beet and Basil trucker hats, koozies, stickers and gift certificates to give away.

The best part is Beet and Basil will donate 50% of all beverage sales to Sandpoint Community Resource Center, so come out and show your support.

Harvest Fest at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market It’s been a productive season at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market. Help them close out

another season Saturday, Oct. 12 with live entertainment, food booths, activities and displays at Farmin Park in Sandpoint from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Monarch Mountain Band will perform live music from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and don’t forget about the food drive for Bonner Community Food Bank. Donate non-perishable food items for a chance to win a Farmers’ Market gift basket.

For more information, visit sandpointfarmersmarket.com or call 208-597-3355.

The Cornhole Fall Fest tournament It’s official: Sandpoint loves cornhole. This backyard game has morphed into a town-wide competition for bragging rights and cash prizes. All skill levels are invited to throw the bags at Sandpoint’s Cornhole Fall Fling Fest Tournament held at MickDuff’s Beer Hall, rain or shine, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12.

This tournament is an ACL Regional Points earning tournament with both singles and doubles formats and three skill divisions for each format: social, competitive and advanced.

Entry fees for competitive and advanced will be $20 per player or $15 for ACL members. The social division entry fee will be $15 per player or $10 for ACL members. Sign up for an ACL membership in person at the event — it’s only $25 and supports the Sandpoint Idaho Cornhole Club.

First toss for singles will be at 10:30 a.m. Doubles will throw right after singles concludes — most likely around 2 p.m.

Pre-register by calling 208209-6700.

VFW Oktoberfest Pints for Veterans It’s always a good time to show veterans respect and support. Now show them a little of your money, too, while also having a good time. The VFW Oktoberfest Pints for Veterans teams the Sandpoint Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2453 with MickDuff’s Beer Hall to give a little something back to the men and women who served our country.

The pint night goes from 3-6 p.m. at MickDuff’s Beer Hall, 220 Cedar St., in Sandpoint, and is intended to drive awareness for veterans of all ages in the community. The first pint for veterans will be purchased for them, and MickDuff’s will also donate a portion of the bar proceeds during the event hours.

There will also be a raffle to help raise funds for the VFW. VFW President Larry Peterson said fundraisers like this “free up our meager resources to support other projects.”

The VFW recently helped with a number of community projects, including donating more than $6,000 to Southside Elementary School to help feed children on the weekend, helping veterans’ widows winterize their homes, building wheelchair ramps and installing bathroom sinks and

faucets to veterans in need.

Peterson said the pint nights have been getting a lot of new members to come out and support the Sandpoint VFW post.

For those unable to attend the event, Peterson said there will be a woodcutting party to help provide veterans with winter October 2019

wood at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at 3046 Colburn Culver Road.

Those interested in helping should bring their own axes or splitting mauls. Those unable to help with woodcutting may also assist with refreshments.

NOTE: Location Change to VFW Hall at 1325 Pine (and Division)

NAMI—Far North Idaho General Meeting Meet Michelle Handy, Music Therapist Michelle Handy Fitzgerald has lived in Sandpoint since 2015 with her husband and dog, Hans. She studied Music Education at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Music Therapy at Slippery Rock University.

Michelle is the Early Childhood Music Director at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint. She teaches all of the -

After the general meeting we will be breaking out into our support groups.

Everyone is welcome. If you are living with mental illness, are a family member or are a friend of someone with mental illness, this meeting is for you! Learn about NAMI Far North Idaho and what we do.

When: Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: VFW Hall at 1325 Pine Street (and Division), Sandpoint

P. O. Box 2415, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 — NAMI Far North is a 501 (c)(3 www.NAMIFarNorth.org NAMIFarNorth2003@gmail.com (208) 597-2047 — Help Line (208) 946-5595 — Crisis Line

October 10, 2019 / R / 19

FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

A-Z charcuterie

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist Oh, fall, how I adore your beautiful and bountiful season. It’s a year of abundant harvest, and I must say, I have seen many cups and gardens that “runneth over.” I have longtime friends with a creative sign business, and I’ve been considering one of their “no solicitors-no preachers” signs for my front porch. And I think, for the season of fall, I may need to consider a polite addendum at the bottom: “No zucchini, but thanks. I’ll pass on the plums and pears. I appreciate your generosity, but no, really. No apples or tomatoes this year.”

My friends are nothing if not generous, and there was a time when I took in every orphaned onion in Sandpoint. But I’m learning to cut back on my gleaning, canning and freezing. After all, there’s only so much one woman and a three-legged cat can consume.

I have no plans to retire from the kitchen, though I am prepping myself to take on more of an advisory role to all the capable and competent young people in my life. Just this week, down in Moscow, my 12-year-old grandson, Alden, whipped out a couple of picture-perfect apple pies from his backyard harvest. In addition to his standout pies, Alden’s family hosts an annual Apple Day and, last Sunday, using the sturdy press from his mother’s youth, they pressed more than 20 gallons of cider to share with friends and neighbors, who also sampled warm apple cobbler.

Still young to me (at my age, it’s relative) is Heidi Dinning (née Gunter), an expat living north of us in Bonners Ferry, though she still treks home to Sandpoint at least once a week to deliver her loaves of fresh, homemade sourdough bread. When my daughter Ryanne (a best school pal with

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Heidi) was here in July, I bought two loaves that Heidi delivered right to my door.

She mentioned that she was nervous bringing bread to me and hoped I would like it. Honestly?

I certainly never turned out a loaf that delicious in my life. It was a perfect combination of tangy, chewy and crispy, with a textbook crumb. I wasn’t the least bit surprised. I remember teenage Heidi (part artist and part baker) in my kitchen, making finely detailed chocolate garnishes for my Christmas bûche de noël.

You can find her on Facebook at “Heidi’s Bread” to place your order. Buy an extra loaf for the freezer or you’ll live to regret it after your first bite. I like mine lightly toasted and topped with avocado, a little olive oil and a smidge of sea salt (traditionalist Ryanne prefers a spread of Irish butter).

Another favorite young woman I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with in a kitchen is my hardworking friend, Chef Judy Colegrove, of Tango Cafe, who turns out some of the best food in Sandpoint. Judy and I have shared kitchen space more than once and I’ve left feeling more like the student than the mentor.

I’m not the only one who thinks she’s pretty darn competent in the kitchen: Tango once again won the Golden Ladle for this year’s Souptember with their Seafood Whiskey Bisque (which had my vote). I love her creative, culinary boldness and the fact that she can even make tofu taste good.

Food collaboration is a great connector, and whether we take the role of student or teacher, we can all offer something to the experience of this rich, ancient tradition. Take the French, and their famous dish, cassoulet.

Legend says that amid the siege of Castelnaudary by the Black Prince of Wales in 1355, the townspeople gathered with all the bits of food from their homes and made a huge, stew-type dish in a massive cauldron, fortifying the residents for a victorious battle.

I recently hosted a more modern food collaboration at my home.

I called it “A-Z Charcuterie” and asked each guest to bring one item for the charcuterie board that began with the same letter as their last name. It was fun to see the creative culinary minds arrive, laden with meats, cheeses and myriad accoutrements, working together (aided with wine). My kitchen was filled with animated conversation and laughter as we constructed and then shared our tasty creation. It’s also a sure way to get those who “don’t cook” involved in a collaboration.

Who can turn down the offer of a fun evening for the cost of a hunk

Rustic Pear Tart

of cheese?

Even youngsters can host fun collaborations. Who doesn’t remember a version of “Stone Soup”? It’s an old European fable in which weary and famished travelers hope to find a meal, but no one will offer them even a speck of food. Finally, they place a fire under their own cauldron, filled with nothing but water and a rock. Little by little, the villagers begin to add bits and pieces of ingredients, eventually making a delicious pot of soup for all to eat.

Every country has its own version of the tale, but the lesson we take away is the notion to share all that is ours. Any favorite soup recipe will do (though I substitute small red potatoes for stones).

I hope you’ll be inspired to come up with a kitchen collaboration of your own. Pair it with this rustic pear tart. I’m glad I didn’t turn away this delicious harvest gift.

This simple dessert is lovely alone but pairs up nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I often divide it up and let the “littles” each make their own. You can make four small tarts with this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

• Your favorite pie crust recipe • 4 cups peeled, fresh pears sliced thin • 1⁄4 cup golden raisins • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ¼ cup + 1 tbs sugar, divided • 4 tsp cornstarch • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg • 1⁄4 cup chopped pecans • 1 egg white • 1 tbs water

On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out pastry into a 14-in. circle. Lift and transfer to a nearby baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pears with lemon juice and toss lightly. Add the golden raisins and vanilla. Combine ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg, sprinkle over pear mixture and using hands, toss lightly again to combine. Arrange over pastry to within 2 in. of edges; sprinkle with chopped pecans. Fold edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered.

Whisk egg white and water, then brush over folded pastry. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Using parchment paper, slide tart onto a wire rack to cool.

STAGE & SCREEN

Exploring ‘The Work’

Gurdjieff documentary explores mindfulness

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Gurdjieff Group. “The Gurdjieff work, unlike a religion, is not based on faith — there are Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims — it is based on knowledge.

The world can be a confusing, mysterious place. For those seeking answers It’s all about understanding more about yourself than just thoughts and ideas.” to some of life’s bigger questions, a Gurdjieff believed humans could documentary playing at the Little Panireach their full potential by embracing a da Theater might provide some respite discipline referred to as “The Work,” as for the mind. in, “to work on oneself.”

The Sandpoint Gurdjieff Group is “The idea is, we’re not complete,” offering a free showing of the one-hour Pence said. “It’s going to take an effort documentary film The Way of Confor us to become really human. I think sciousness at the Little Panida Theater you can see examples of how inhumane at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10. we are, just by looking at the front page The night will be a compilation of of The New York Times every day.” three separate films exploring the life Pence stressed the spiritual teachings and teachings of George Ivanovich of Gurdjieff are not based on organized Gurdjieff, an Armenian-born mystic, philosopher and spiritual teacher of the religion, but rather, a personal journey to awakening one’s con20th century whose life’s sciousness in a “Fourth work was to awaken The Way of Way.” a higher state of conConciousness “Gurdjieff said there sciousness in humans.

Thursday, Oct. 10; 7 p.m.; FREE. were different ways to “He was the first one Little Panida Theater, 300 approach understanding,” who brought some ideas N. First Ave., 208-263-9191, Pence said. “One way to the West that are now panida.org. For more info visit common, like the idea of gurdjiefffoundationofidaho.org. is through faith, which is called ‘The Way of mindfulness, presence, the Monk.’ Another is somatic work,” said Denthrough yoga, through the Yogi.” nis Pence, a member of the Sandpoint

Another method is referred to as the Fakir, which is an ascetic who has taken vows of poverty and worship, renouncing all relations and possessions.

Gurdjieff’s method for awakening one’s consciousness to achieve full human potential unites these methods, which is why it is referred to as the “Fourth Way.” “‘The Work’ is not for proselytizing,” Pence said.

“We’re not trying to say, ‘Believe in this

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, an Armenian-born mystic, philosopher and spiritual teacher of the 20th Century. Courtesy image. book and you’ll be like us.’ Rather, it’s for people who feel something missing in life, maybe at 2 a.m. you’ll look at the ceiling asking, ‘Is this all there is?’

It’s that person that ‘The Work’ is for.”

Pence said there will be a question-and-answer period after the free showing at the Little Panida Theater.

All are welcome to attend.

October 10, 2019 / R / 21

OUTDOORS

Bless this hunt

Friends of Scotchman Peaks offers Wilderness First Aid sessions

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

By Reader Staff

The many ways we prepare for a successful elk season

Last Sunday, I found myself at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church for the Blessing of the Hunters. I saw the event online, advertised as a chance to “receive your blessing for a safe and successful hunt this year.” Pastor Steve Heinsen would deliver the blessing as he preached from a tree stand. I figured it couldn’t hurt.

Heinsen shared several Bible passages — all regarding the bounty God provides — and prayed that the dozen or so attendees would shoot straight, kill mercifully and take only what we could use. It was a pleasant and brief gathering. I’m glad I went, and didn’t feel as out of place as I’d anticipated.

I wasn’t raised in a religious home. My parents urged me to find my own beliefs while rarely hinting at their own. I went to the occasional church service with friends and to youth group on Thursdays, but mostly for social reasons. My current religious philosophy begins and ends with a belief that things happen for a reason.

It’s a low-maintenance and comforting faith to hold.

Looking back, it seems the most spiritual time of the year in the Kiebert household has always been mid-October: elk season. We rise before the sun, make a big breakfast, gather around the dining room table and trade grace for chatter about who will head up which skid road that day, who will push the elk and who will sit along the game trails they tend to run. Our worship clothes are wool and fleece, camouflage and orange.

Our church is cold and damp with a soft pine needle floor, towering walls of cedar bark and a gray cloud ceiling. Our

22 / R / October 10, 2019

WRFA/CPR certification sessions scheduled for Oct. and Nov.

Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness has two Wilderness and Remote First Aid and CPR/AED certification courses scheduled this fall. Seekers of certification or recertification can sign up for classes Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 12-13 or Nov. 9-10. The training program normally costs almost $300, but FSPW is offering the courses for $60 in exchange for participants donating two days of volunteer time.

The two-day classes run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. both days and will be held in Sandpoint. The October course only has two spots left. Registration closes one week before each course. To learn more or to sign up, visit scotchmanpeaks.org/events.

devotional passages come in the form of piecemeal text messages: “Jumped some. Downhill. U hear?”

I stood with the autumn sun against my back as the pastor read excerpts of Genesis and John.

It occurred to me during that formal Hunter’s Blessing that we are constantly blessing hunting season without consciously noticing it.

We spend a September Sunday at a log landing sighting in our rifles. We take inventory of our packs — ammunition, knives, gloves, calls, toilet paper, trail mix and an extra beanie, all right where we left them last year. We thaw and unwrap the dwindling meat from last year, the result of hours — no, years — of hiking, dressing, butchering,

Sandpoint Rock Gym hosts fundraiser

By Reader Staff

Top: The author’s boyfriend looks for elk sign and clears trail in Hope. Bottom: Pastor Steve Heinsen addresses a crowd Oct. 6 at the Blessing of the Hunters at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Photos by Lyndsie Kiebert. grinding and packaging elk who came from the same North Idaho air and earth as we did.

We bless the hunt as we prepare so diligently to continue the cycle. We bless the hunt when we pass that cycle onto our children.

So whether you see it as God’s Country or Mother Nature — maybe both — enjoy

every minute of it. Bless hunting season with your prayers, your boot grease and your stories of great hunts past.

When it comes to blessing a meal, I can think of no better way than to see it through from woods to plate. The harvest, in itself, is the greatest blessing of all. Let us all remember that this hunting season.

Take your support for the Sandpoint Rock Gym to new heights Wednesday, Oct. 16 with a fundraiser 5-8 p.m. at Idaho Pour Authority. Brews from Bale Breaker Brewing Co. will be on tap, along with live music from Marty Perron and Doug Bond, free appetizers and prizes.

Board President Katie Luthy said this general fundraiser is all about getting the climbing community out together to hear more about the gym.

Luthy said funds raised at Idaho Pour Authority will support the gym, including an eventual project to replace the floor.

The Sandpoint Rock Gym is a nonprofit organization with open hours and a keycard membership system for those interested in climbing. To inquire about obtaining a membership, or to support the gym, connect with SRG on Facebook, sandpointrockgym. com or email sandpointrockgym@gmail.com.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone

Sounds of the East

READ

Sandpoint Curry brings world-class Indian music to the Panida

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

during one of his first trips to India in 2002. Hicks wanted to learn classical Indian music, and SaMost North Idahoans know lo- rothy — being a world-class sarod player — was the guy to meet. cal restaurateur Pete Hicks for his deliciously warm and filling meals Hicks said they formed a friendship that has persisted for nearly at Sandpoint Curry. Fewer know two decades and, as a result, Sathat Hicks’ ties to India go all the rothy and two other classical Indiway back to when he was born in an musicians — Abhijit Banerjee New Delhi. and Somnath Roy — will play the Though he ended up doing the bulk of his growing up in the Unit- Panida Theater on Friday, Oct. 11 for a Sounds of the East authentic ed States, Hicks always knew he Indian music concert. wanted to go back. The youngest All three artists are known of four children, he said he was the only sibling with no memories as leading musicians in India.

Sarothy has played venues like of his birthplace.

Carnegie Hall and Kremlin Hall, “I only had their stories to tell as well as Royal Albert and me about the county I was born Queen Elizabeth Halls in London. in,” Hicks said.

After high school, he headed to Banerjee is a highly sought after tabla — a type of hand drum — India and joined an Indian fusion player, and Roy band that toured is a world-touring the world.

Sounds of the East master of South “[The band] Friday, Oct. 11; doors at 6 p.m., Indian percussion. kept bringing me show at 7 p.m.; adults $20, Together, their enback to India,” youths 1-12 $10. Panida Thesemble represents Hicks said. “That ater, 300 N. First Ave. 208-263the best skill and was where I 9191, panida.org. Tickets online, learned to cook at Eichardt’s, Evan’s Brothers or experience Indian music has to offer. the food, as well Sandpoint Curry.

This will be as the love of the the second time culture and make Sarothy and company will take many friends over the years.” the Panida stage. In 2016, Hicks One of those friends was said the Sounds of the East crew Partho Sarothy, who Hicks met

played an incredible performance, which he was able to record. He said that recording has played on KRFY the week leading up to the Oct. 11 show.

“You can hear the crowd gasp as they play,” Hicks said of the recording. “I knew it was going to be good but it even blew my expectations out of the water.”

Hicks has always harbored a love for Indian culture — particularly the music. He said very few people reach the level of expertise that Sarothy, Banerjee and Roy have achieved, and that such skill is obtained through hours of daily work over decades. He said classical Indian music is unique in

Partho Sarothy, Abhijit Banerjee and Somnath Roy will play Sounds of the East Oct. 12. Courtesy photo. that many compositions are very stringent and made up of only a few notes. Once musicians master the rules of those compositions, he said they become the basis for extremely emotive works of art.

“The music they play is hundreds of years of tradition passed down from generation to generation,” Hicks said. “That gives the idea that it will be boring, but it is all a platform for on-the-spot improvisation, used to bring life to an old container.”

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Cedar and Boyer, Oct. 12, 219 Lounge If you haven’t heard Justin and Jen Landis perform, it’s time to crawl out from under that rock. This husband-andwife singer-songwriter duo has played in numerous bands around the Inland Northwest, including Mama Doll and the Marshall McLean Band.

As the Cedar and Boyer, the Landises play a pleasant mix of indie folk filled with haunting melodies, thoughtful lyrics and intricate chord arrangements. Justin’s vocal prowess and pedalboard work on electric guitar are top notch and Jen’s smooth bass lines and vocal harmonies round out the duo’s appeal.

If you miss this show, check them out at the farewell concert for The Bartlett in Spokane on Friday, Nov. 8.

—Ben Olson 8-11 p.m., FREE, 21+. 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208-263-5673, 219bar.com. Listen at cedarandboyer.com.

Monday Night Blues Jam w/Truck Mills, Oct. 14, Eichardt’s Pub When Eichardt’s Pub, Grill and Coffee House opened its doors in 1994, one of the first things owner Jeff Nizzoli did was ask local multi-instrumentalist Truck Mills to start hosting a Monday Night Blues Jam. Mills obliged, and 25 years later, the iconic weekly jam session persists.

By incorporating flavors of world music into his blues guitar style, Mills creates a sound all his own and shares it as he plays with several other local musicians around town.

Advertised consistently on the Eichardt’s Facebook page as “great live music, great food, great beverages, good friends, good times,” who wouldn’t want to jam with Truck Mills?

Interested musicians are always encouraged to join the jam.

—Lyndsie Kiebert 7:30 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com. Listen at truckmills.com.

Ta-Nehisi Coates may be our most important living writer. His essays on race in America have fundamentally altered a conversation we’ve been having — while also not having — since the Founding. His cultural criticism and political analysis is the most trenchant in a generation. Not only is Coates a public intellectual of the highest order, but now a celebrated author of historical fiction.

Set in the slavery-benighted 19th century, his debut novel The Water Dancer was released in September 2019 yet already tops every list worth topping — which should include your bedside reading.

LISTEN

The boozy, gravel-voiced bard of skid row, Charles Bukowski could be vicious, depraved and borderline nihilistic, yet nostalgic, melancholy and wise. Most of all, he was funny, albeit in the dyspeptic way of a senior barfly. Listen to the man himself read on Charles Bukowski Uncensored: Selections and Candid Conversations From the Run With the Hunted Session, a limited-edition vinyl album re-released this past spring. Recorded a year before his death in 1994, the session is intimate, sometimes raucous, always pleasantly squalid — true to form.

WATCH

Breaking Bad is widely considered one of the finest television shows ever created — not only scoring legions of fans but, unlike some big-budget spectacles with dragons and zombies, actually delivering a finale that lived up to the hype. Get ready to get hooked again, with El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which drops Thursday, Oct. 11 on Netflix. The standalone two-hour arc stars Idaho-born actor Aaron Paul as his BB character Jesse Pinkman in what some critics are calling an “epilogue” to the original series. Will it provide the fix fans want or a bad trip? Either way, it’s among the most anticipated Netflix offerings in October.

October 10, 2019 / R / 23

PERSPECTIVES The

Late Night Buddhist

From Northern Idaho News, Oct. 6, 1905

NEW $10,000 HOTEL TO BE BUILT HERE THIS FALL Sandpoint is to have another hotel. James Casey, formerly of Bonners Ferry, has purchased lots in this city for that purpose and proposes to let the contract as soon as plans can be drawn for the same for a 30 room hotel costing approximately $10,000.

Mr. Casey sold his hotel at Bonners Ferry some three weeks ago to Mr. McKnight of Kalispel for $12,000. Since that time Mr. Casey has been visiting all of the towns in the Coeur d’Alene country, the Palouse country and out on the main line of the Northern Pacific as far west as Pasco, and after having looked over fully 25 towns made up his mind that Sandpoint had the most promising future of any of them and consequently came here Wednesday morning with the determination of buying a lot and erecting a good building and openings a first-class hotel.

It did not take him long to make a deal with Ridgway, Partner & Co. for the Oscar Travis property at the corner of Cedar street and Fourth avenue, which the firm had recently purchased, Mr. Casey buying the same for $2,000, an increase of $700 over what the firm had paid Ms. Travis for the property some three weeks ago.

Mr. Casey stated that he intended to erect a large, up-todate hotel building with thirty rooms, all fitted up in first-class, modern style, and make a specialty of catering to the transient and best trade.

He said that if he could get a contractor who would agree to put up the building as quickly out of brick as it could be built of frame, he would have a solid brick building erected, otherwise he would putup a frame and have it veneered with brick later.

22 / R / October 10, 2019

Make America Grateful Again

By Scott Taylor Reader Columnist One of my idiosyncrasies (no, that doesn’t mean my idiotic episodes are well-timed; they usually come at the most inopportune moments) is a penchant for listening closely and dissecting the words we use when speaking. Rarely do we use the most precise, succinct, or even correct words when trying to communicate. In my opinion, most of us tend to use a lot more words than needed, but more on that in a different column.

This column is about how simply changing one word in a statement can make all the difference in keeping us on the path of happiness. Most of us probably know that feeling, and expressing gratitude is one of the best ways to feel content and happy, but even when we tell ourselves we’re grateful (or Grateful, depending on your musical preferences) for what we have, we still find that the demands and responsibilities of everyday life can neutralize the gratitude we feel. We have to go to work, have to pay our bills, have to visit our elderly parents, have to drive to Spokane (for unspecified reasons), have to go to basketball practice, etc.

(In reality, we don’t “have” to do any of those things; we choose to. As George Harrison said, “All I got to do is to love you/ all I got to be is, be happy...” Or, if you’re a country music fan, Alabama said “All I really gotta do is live and die.”)

But, if we simply replace the words “have to” with “get to” it makes a big difference. Now we can be grateful that

Costume drive and free children’s Halloween party

By Reader Staff

Kaniksu Health Services and Sandpoint Pediatrics are launching a Halloween costume drive. Staff will be collecting costumes for kids, ages newborn to 17, between now and Friday, Oct. 18. Costumes will be handed out to those in need on Thursday, Oct. 24 at a Halloween party.

If you, or someone you know, have costumes to donate, please bring them into any of the following clinics: 6615 Comanche Street, Bonners Ferry; 30410 Hwy. 200, Ponderay; 6509 Hwy 2, Priest River; 420 N. 2nd Ave., Sandpoint.

All kids and parents are welcome to join KHS and Sandpoint Pediatrics for a free Halloween party Thursday Oct., 24 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at 420 N. Second Ave., in Sandpoint.

Activities will include face painting, games and prizes, as well as a chance to meet the staff and learn about their work. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Don’t miss the chance to enter to win prizes, including a birthday party at Huckleberry Lanes, a Visa gift card, a $30 Panhandle Cone and Coffee gift card and a day for four at Hickey Farms Pumpkin Patch. Organizers will also be giving away free Halloween costumes to those in need (while supplies last).

Crossword Solution we “get to” go to work (we’re lucky to have a job), “get to” go to practice (a lot of people don’t have the ability or opportunity to play sports) or “get to” visit our elderly parents (do I have to explain that one?).

As soon as we see these “have to’s” as “get to’s” we gain a new perspective on being grateful for things we tend to take for granted.

The philosophy of Buddhism is pretty simple and directed at one main goal: reaching a state of being happy and content. It’s based on the realization (by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha) that in this human life we will experience events and feelings that lead to pain, sorrow and suffering. But the Four Noble Truths explain there is a solution to this condition and that is by following The Eightfold Path. One of the practices on this path is “correct (or wise) speech.” Simply replacing one word in our normal speech patterns can lead us on a new path: the path of happiness and contentment. Choose happy.

You know what would be the most terrifying thing that could ever happen to a flea? Getting caught inside a watch somehow.

You don’t even care, do you.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS

Woorf tdhe Week

ob·fus·ca·tion /äbfə-skāSH(ə)n/ [noun] 1. the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

“Today’s contentious hearing was an exercise in obfuscation.”

Corrections: None. All quiet on the Pesterin’ Front. -ZH

1. “The Final Frontier” 6. Cards with 1 symbol 10. Serene 14. Hearing-related 15. Draw near 16. Buckeye State 17. Mother’s new mate 19. Food from animals 20. Stoppage 21. Before, poetically 22. A temple (archaic) 23. Nigerian monetary unit 25. Relating to form 26. A rigid circular band 30. Basement 32. Sympathy 35. Order 39. Hit the sack 40. Lifted 41. Capture 43. Gaping sleepily 44. Tunic 46. Way in 47. Course around a star or planet 50. Cage 53. Loyal (archaic) 54. One time around 55. Annoy 60. Boring 61. “Get up and go” 63. To be, in old Rome 64. Spanish lady

Solution on page 26 65. Valleys 66. Close 67. Sleigh 68. Excrete

DOWN 1. Back talk 2. Short golf shot 3. Region 4. Hats 5. Spritelike 6. Behave 7. Stick together 8. Green gem 9. Arid 10. Consoling

11. Early 38. Border 12. Tropical vine 42. Type of alcohol 13. Motor hotel 43. Nevertheless 18. An Old 45. Wolf-like Testament king 47. Bygone 24. Frozen 48. Utilize again 25. Long-tailed parrot 49. Light wood 26. Not there 51. Consumer 27. Portent Price Index 28. Chooses 52. Throw with effort 29. Analgesic 54. Jar tops 31. Former Italian 56. Male deer currency 57. Scrabble piece 33. Characteristic 58. Nights before 34. German for “Mister” 59. A musical pause 36. Largest continent 62. Little bit 37. Canvas dwelling October 10, 2019 / R / 23

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

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1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION 12-2pm Alex Cope & Chad Patrick 3-6pm

Baregrass

6-9pm The Powers

Anniversary Beer Release and4pm Community Toast!

Brew to Table!

A Makers Long Acres pig raised on Matchwood spent grain smoked outside for 24 hours!