Sip & Screen
THIS FALL,
Saturday, October 24 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Self-care can be difficult to schedule. We’re opening Mammography for a Saturday to get extra appointments in, with drinks, treats, and a spa package giveaway!
PUT YOUR HEALTH ON THE CALENDAR
Bonner General Health Diagnostic Imaging 520 N. Third Ave. Sandpoint, ID Mammography/Dexa (208) 265 - 3349 CT (208) 265 -1266 MRI (208) 265 - 1285
2 / R / October 1, 2026
As schedules settle back into routine, it's the perfect time to catch up on the preventive care that helps keep you healthy. Annual mammograms and bone density (DEXA) scans play an important role in detecting concerns early, often before symptoms appear. Schedule your screening at Bonner General Health and take an important step toward your long-term health close to home.
Ask your provider if you’re due for a mammogram or DEXA scan.
DEAR READERS,
The week in random review By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Priest River is for lovers
What started as kind of a joke turned into a memorable anniversary vacation for my wife and me last week, marking the 20th year of our marriage in Priest River. I don’t mean “joke” in any derogatory way, just that we spent our honeymoon in Europe for more than a month and our 10th nuptial celebration in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Times being tough all over (and time itself being tight), we reckoned staying close to home was a more reasonable option; and, for some reason and despite most of a lifetime spent in Sandpoint, I’ve mostly found myself passing through the far west side of the county. That’s changed relatively recently, as I’ve taken on pretty regular trips to Priest River and Oldtown to deliver copies of this paper, and been increasingly charmed by what I’ve seen. So it was that my wife and I were brainstorming anniversary destinations and I mentioned that Priest River seems to have experienced a serious come-up in the past few years and was worth a closer look. We booked a spa suite at the Eagle’s Nest Motel — clean, rustically charming, conveniently located and economical — and enjoyed some beers, popcorn and darts at Jammers downtown (exchanging a vintage complimentary drink token given to me by a friend for my birthday — thanks Tim!). There was a veterans fundraiser block party filling the main drag, we hit up the well-appointed library and a used bookshop, ate lunch at The Settlement (highly recommended) and took a rest before another round of brews at Timber Town Beer Company, accompanied by an epic pretzel and spirited game of Battleship. The next day we ventured to Newport, Wash., for a mild hike along the Lower and Upper Wolf Trails and were home by early afternoon. All in all, it was a good reminder that you don’t have to go far to find adventure around these parts, and Priest River is a part of these parts that deserves attention.
A road well traveled
As is common among parents, I’ve been trying and failing to wrap my head around how it’s possible that my son — my first-born, who I swear was only recently a little guy building with LEGOs on the floor of his room — is now an almost 14-and-a-half-yearold high school freshman with thoughts turning to driver’s ed. We’ve been pushing this off “until October” since around the beginning of the year; but, all of a sudden, it’s October and we can’t delay it any longer. Now I’ve just spent the past week scrolling through the want ads and online marketplaces for an appropriate vehicle (he has dreams of a fancy new Volkswagen van that I fear must be deflated) and wondering just how freaked out I’m going to get once I start seeing him behind the wheel.
It’s the first edition of October, which means the Reader staff finally gets to dust off the collection of macabre articles we’ve been savoring all year in anticipation of Halloween. Prepare yourself for stories about Sandpoint’s silent residents (Page 16), death row meals (Oct. 8 edition) and other fun features, including a return to the weekly “Tunes of Terror” selections by Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Senior Writer Soncirey Mitchell. We’re also entering the last full month before the November election, which is another reason we like to pack October editions with fun items. Elections seem to get more and more difficult to live through. If any candidates want to reserve ad space for the five editions we have left before Election Day, please send an email to ben@ sandpointreader.com and I’ll make sure to save a spot for you. Have a great week, everyone.
– Ben Olson, publisher
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com
Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Soncirey Mitchell (Senior Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com Editors Emeriti: Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Cameron Rasmusson John Reuter Advertising: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Albert de Armas (cover), Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Jenny Benoit, Cheri Berger Guinn, Bill Borders, Shannon and Debbie May, Joelle Hofer, Brenden Bobby, Marjorie Trulock Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Kyle Pfannenstiel, Jim Jones, Marcia Pilgeram, George Eskridge Submit Stories To: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed Weekly At: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $200 per year Website Designed By: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please. Letter to the Editor Policy: We welcome letters to the editor on all relevant topics. Please, no more than 200 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinons expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publisher. Send to: letters@sandpointreader.com About the Cover: This week’s cover photo by Albert de Armas.
October 1, 2026 / R / 3
NEWS
Green Bay remains open to out-of-season day use By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Following the September announcement that Green Bay will be closed to day use to better accommodate the area’s paid campsites, the U.S. Forest Service has clarified that the popular beach will remain open to both campers and day-use visitors during the off-season. Camping is available for $15 per night May through September, and in the intervening seven months, the beach and picnic area are free to use without a reservation. “We’ve received a lot of feedback from residents about this change, and we appreciate all the concerns,” Idaho Panhandle National Forests Public Affairs Officer Patrick Lair told the Reader. “Our goal is
to provide a better experience at Green Bay. Our hope is that combined with day-use access at the nearby Garfield Bay, Green Bay may serve primarily as a campground during the summer months.” Inspired by increased foot traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic, the USFS shut down and renovated the park in 2024 using funds from the Great America Outdoors Act. At that time, IPNF Recreational Staff Officer Josh Jurgensen told the Reader that even after renovations, the public could “still use the lakeshore for day use.” The beach and campground opened the following year with an improved road; widened parking lot; accessible paths; and pads, fire rings and picnic tables at each of its 16 campsites. To address “complaints of partying and littering,” as
well as make the campground safer, the USFS also hired a full-time campground host, according to Lair. Though attendants did not begin enforcing day-use restrictions until September 2026, Lair told the Reader that the “decision to close the beach to day use at Green Bay Campground was made by the former Sandpoint District Ranger around 2021 or 2022, when the renovation plans were under discussion.” “With the new design, many campsites are closely connected to the beach area, and day-use visitors must walk through the campsites to access the beach from the parking lot, which creates a conflict with paying campers,” Lair later added. “This is the first full year of operation for the new campground. As these conflicts became apparent, the
employees began enforcing the day-use policy.” With camping season officially at an end as of Thursday, Oct. 1, Green Bay is once again open to all. Availability for 2027 campsites will be announced online on
A renovated campsite at Green Bay. Courtesy photo Saturday, May 1 at bit.ly/ GreenBayInfo. Additional reporting by Ben Olson.
Panhandle Bike Ranch founder offers to drop BoCo lawsuit No decision made in potential Idaho Supreme Court appeal
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Though little official headway has been made regarding the land use dispute between Bonner County and the Panhandle Bike Ranch, co-founder Scott Kalbach announced Sept. 29 that the nonprofit would drop its current lawsuit against the county if the commissioners dropped their countersuit. The suit, which came into effect in January 2026, challenges the county’s denial of an appeal to define PBR as a park under Bonner County Code. The Sagle nonprofit sits on 170 acres zoned Rural 10, which only allows for commercial activity with a conditional use permit. PBR founders Scott and Jennifer Kalbach applied for and received a CUP in 2024 and began construction of the multi-million-dollar downhill mountain biking facility. After repeated appeals from neigh4 / R / October 1, 2026
boring property owners, who objected to increased traffic and potential noise and dust pollution on the shared dirt road, the court vacated the CUP in 2025, finding that the Bonner County Board of Commissioners “failed to list facts supporting its decision” to approve the development. The Kalbachs then transitioned PBR into a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, believing the now non-commercial entity could operate without a CUP. PBR’s newly formed board then petitioned the county to change its land use designation from a “recreational facility” to “park,” which Bonner County Revised Code 12-816 defines as a “non-commercial facility designed to serve the recreational needs of the residents of the community.” Unlike recreational facilities, parks are an allowed use in Rural 10 zoning and therefore do not require a CUP. Then-interim Planning Director Alex Feyen denied the redesignation request,
along with a building location permit application, and instructed the nonprofit to reapply for its CUP. “When we asked for an appeal to the board of commissioners, Deputy Prosecutor Nate Adams said the decision wasn’t appealable,” said Kalbach at the Sept. 29 Bonner County business meeting. “Everyone we’ve talked to about this situation — both land use consultants and attorneys — has said, ‘That’s ridiculous. Of course a decision from an interim planning director is appealable.’ So, we asked a judge to take a look at it since we were denied an appeal from Bonner County.” PBR filed for legal review in January 2026 before opening to riders in the spring using a donation-based system. The county subsequently filed a cease-and-desist letter in May, which PBR refused to comply with until an injunction by the First District Court in July shuttered all operations for the remainder of
the season while allowing for use by the Kalbachs’ family and personal friends. The nonprofit then filed a motion for permissive appeal in August, requesting to argue the injunction order before the Idaho Supreme Court. No decision has been made as of press time. “The core argument is fundamentally a property rights issue: The county’s only real complaint was mandatory-sounding donation language on the website, yet the injunction goes far beyond that, stripping the owners of the basic right to conduct lawful activity on their own land unless it falls within personal use by family and close personal relationships,” wrote organizers on PBR’s website. The January lawsuit and subsequent countersuit by Bonner County remain unresolved; however, according to Kalbach, PBR is in the process of resubmitting its application for a CUP, as was negotiated as part of the June
injunction. “At that point, we asked if Bonner County would be willing to dismiss the lawsuit since we agreed to come back for a conditional use permit,” said Kalbach. “The Bonner County Commissioner said ‘No,’ they would not dismiss it. Then, we asked if we could at least discuss a solution via mediation. And again, Bonner County Commissioner said, ‘No.’ They refused to even have a discussion about it. So, we’re stuck in a lawsuit that we want to drop since we’re coming back for a conditional use permit, and it’s costing us and the taxpayers a lot of money.” The commissioners, who, per legal advice, do not publicly discuss ongoing litigation, did not respond to Kalbach’s comments. PBR had yet to file its newest CUP application as of press time. Once submitted, the application will be available to the public at bonnercountyid.gov/current-projects.
NEWS
City invites public to Oct. 6 open house on downtown zone changes By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Sandpoint staff and officials from the Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation Commission; Planning and Zoning Commission; and City Council have been invited to attend a Tuesday, Oct. 6 for a workshop on downtown commercial zone change updates. Members of the public are also encouraged to participate in the event, which runs from 12:30-5 p.m. in the Sandpoint Community Hall (204 S. First Ave.). The Oct. 6 gathering fol-
lows a workshop hosted by the city on Sept. 15 that brought together planners, ACHP and P&Z commissioners with downtown business owners and interested citizens to hear about ongoing updates to the zoning code pertaining to the historic downtown core. Central to the code changes are new policies and regulations intended to encourage a “true mixed-use core” that includes more residential use while directing commercial development in such a way as to preserve the historic look and feel of the historic area. “What City Council has
said is, ‘Look, we’re afraid that we’re going to experience change as a community, and some of that change might not fit with the things we’ve collectively agreed on are special about this place. We’d like to have some better tools in the toolbox to preserve it,’” City Planner Bill Dean said at the Sept. 15 workshop. “Well, that’s where zoning comes into play.” Among the proposed changes are a cap of 40 feet for buildings within the downtown historic district overlay and strengthened rules about exterior modifi-
cations, including awnings, windows and other features so that they blend with the existing streetscape. “[P]art of what these rules establish are a baseline standard ... so that our grandkids and our great-grandkids can expect to see the same type of environment that you see today,” Dean said on Sept. 15. “It doesn’t mean you can’t do exterior modifications — it just means that you go through a review process.” Attendees at the Oct. 6 open house are welcome to review planning materials, ask questions and provide
feedback on the code change proposals, which have been worked on by City Hall for the past 14 months. P&Z commissioners are likely to consider a completed draft of the changes at a 5:30 p.m. public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in City Hall Council Chambers (1123 Lake St.). Following that, commissioners will make a recommendation to the council with a final decision made sometime in December.
Long Bridge Marina expansion to be discussed at Oct. 1 meeting By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff The Bonner County Board of Commissioners will consider an application to expand the existing Long Bridge Marina at its 10 a.m. public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 1. Anyone seeking to give public comment must attend the hearing in-person at the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 U.S. 2, in Sandpoint) or online via Zoom by visiting bonnercountyid.gov/meetings. Attendees looking to watch
but not comment can also stream the hearing on the Bonner County Board of Commissioners’ YouTube page. The two-acre parcel, located at 41 Lakeshore Drive, currently houses a single-family residence, “snack shack,” parking lot, two rental cabins and a commercial marina with 45 existing slips. The property is zoned recreation and falls within a county-designated urban growth area, utilizing services from Southside Water and Sewer District, Sagle Fire District and Avista Utilities. The proposed expansion
by Long Bridge Land Holding Company, LLC would reorganize the existing parking lot and add 47 boat slips to the marina for a total of 92. However, this initial expansion is only Phase 1, as developers have applied for and received an encroachment permit from the Idaho Department of Lands to construct a 268-slip marina. According to the application, the current CUP would only authorize the 92-slip marina, and the applicants will need to apply for an additional permit should “demand” for dock space increase.
The expanded marina would be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., April through October. The Bonner County Zoning Commission rejected the application in February, arguing that the additional traffic generated by the marina would “create a hazard” and would be “dangerous to persons on or adjacent to the property.” The parking lot entrance sits at the intersection of U.S. 95 and Lakeshore Drive, which, according to data published by the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, had seen
six crashes since 2020 at the time of the hearing. The Idaho Transportation Department constructed a J-turn in 2023 to discourage left turns off of Lakeshore, and has, since the February meeting, restricted left turns entirely with flexible bollards. Commissioners will consider whether the infrastructure change addresses the perceived hazard caused by increased traffic. To view the complete application, visit bonnercountyid.gov/departments/Planning.
Idaho’s 2026 election voter pamphlet is coming to a mailbox near you By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun Ahead of the 2026 general election, Idaho election officials mailed out hundreds of thousands of informational pamphlets to households across the state. The state’s official voter pamphlet has already started to arrive at some households, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office announced. The voter pamphlet includes information about the range of questions on the ballot — such as Proposition 1, a
ballot initiative that would end the state’s abortion ban and establish reproductive rights; a proposed constitutional amendment that would only allow the Legislature to legalize drugs, such as marijuana; a constitutional amendment that would declare English as the state’s official language; and an advisory question that solicits a public vote to declare a state gun. That’s along with information about key upcoming election dates, voting options and voter registration. (You can also find information about
those issues, along with races for statewide constitutional offices and in select legislative districts, in the Idaho Capital Sun’s voter guide at idahocapitalsun.com/voter-guides.) “Election season is underway,” Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a Republican running for re-election, said in a statement. “Every household in Idaho can expect to receive a Voter Pamphlet with the information you need to be ready to vote in November. This special America 250 edition includes some fun nods to our history as we celebrate
250 years of America and make our mark on the future of our state. Make a plan, get registered, and vote!” To view the pamphlet online and access it in Spanish or an audio format, visit VoteIdaho.gov, a website run by the Secretary of State’s Office. That’s also where voters can see what their ballot will look like, along with other election resources. The voter pamphlet does not include information about candidates. In 2023 and 2024, the Idaho Legislature did not approve McGrane’s
proposed bill to replace the voter pamphlet with a voter guide, which would include information about candidates. According to a 2024 poll in Boise State University’s Idaho Public Policy Survey, 78% of Idahoans favored a state-issued voter guide. This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com. October 1, 2026 / R / 5
NEWS
BOCC ends disaster declaration for Merritt Bridge
The Merritt Bridge in Priest River in winter. Photo by Cheri Berger Guinn By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 29 to end its previously declared emergency loss of access for Merritt Bridge in Priest River, following repairs to the “significant infrastructure failure” discovered in mid-August. The bridge, which connects Wisconsin Street to Dufort Road, was closed to truck traffic and had strict weight limits across its one open lane from Aug. 24 to Sept. 2. The Idaho Transportation Department enlists a dive team every five years to conduct underwater inspections of the bridge, in addition to the county’s above-water inspections every other year. In August, Boise-based Marine Solutions discovered severe damage to two of Merritt Bridge’s pilings, potentially caused by construction or manufacturing issues or an impact by an unknown force, according to Bonner County Road and Bridge Director Jason Topp. “One [pile] is completely sheared through; the other has some cracks in
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it,” said Topp at the Aug. 11 BOCC meeting. The aging bridge was already in need of repairs, which are slated for 2027 using funds from a 2023 federal-aid bridge grant. Road and Bridge intends to wrap the pilings in an epoxy seal before applying a surface treatment, also epoxy, to strengthen the bridge supports. Though work on the overall renovations continues, discovery of the shorn pile necessitated immediate action. Divers dug about four feet into the riverbed to install and weld a metal jacket around the damaged pile, which was then filled with concrete. “I just want to extend another ‘thank you’ to Emergency Management and Road and Bridge and all of ITD — all the contractors that were involved in helping to bring that to resolution in a matter of just a few weeks,” said Commissioner Brian Domke at the Sept. 29 meeting. Following repairs and monitoring, the bridge is now open to all traffic and weight restrictions have been lifted.
Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond
Department of Justice data analyzed by ProPublica found that 41 people were charged with illegal voting or election crimes from January 2025 to May 2026. More than 150 million voted in the 2025 presidential election. A U.S. district judge ordered President Donald Trump to stop banning certain media from the White House, various media reported. Prohibitions on access remain for some media sources. One political commentator noted that China’s dictator was welcome at the White House, but “American media, less so.” Trump offered to sell arms to China during President Xi Jinping’s recent U.S. visit, according to the U.S. ambassador to China. The White House immediately denied that claim, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to numerous media, the U.S.-China talks included agreements to create an AI safety channel and a $30 billion tariff deal. The latter will allow China to import 10 million metric tons of U.S. coal. The Washington Post reported that $410 million was pledged by the State Department to expel migrants to other countries, since they face danger in their country of origin. So far, more than 25,000 people have been sent to 28 countries, where deportees can be imprisoned or from which they can be sent back to their home country. A federal appeals court deemed that unlawful. The Trump administration plans to appeal. According to the Government Accountability Office, ICE is wasting tens of millions of dollars on “uninformed” detention projects, the Associated Press reported, such as $20 million for unused warehouses. The Texas Tribune reported that cattle associations representing thousands of ranchers are saying ICE operations are disrupting the Texas agriculture industry, resulting in higher beef prices. Finally, also related to the beef situation, the AP reported that false USDA inspection stickers have resulted in the recall of 83 tons of meat. In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 71.5% of Americans are “exhausted” — the poor more so than the wealthy, and women and younger adults more frequently than adult men. A Biden-era fuel economy standard for new vehicles aimed for 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031. Under Trump, that will be rolled back to 34.9 mpg, NPR
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor
reported — a reduction that’s expected to create more than 22 more tons of carbon dioxide annually. Meanwhile, media reported that Germany plans to phase out fossil fuels by 2045. No modern president has gone into the midterm elections being as unpopular as Trump. His approval rating is twice as low as in 2018, when Republicans lost 41 House seats, according to The New Yorker. The Trump administration recently re-aired a 2024 Trump campaign ad using taxpayer funds. Numerous media reported that at least one former-White House ethics attorney argued the ads are likely an “impeachable offense” and cost up to $1.7 million. El Niño events are now 36% stronger than they were before the industrial era, according to a study recently published in Science. The AI financial bubble “is about to pop,” Forbes reported, with investors growing increasingly wary of what are being seen as greater risks associated with the technology — specifically, a series of headline-grabbing data breaches by rogue AI agents, including “tens of thousands” of incidents, various media reported. Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported. Iran proposed relief from economic pressure, a seven-day plan to reopen the strait and was ready to resume nuclear discussions. DoorDash has been ordered to shell out $131 million for underpaying delivery workers in New York City, various media reported. Blast from the past: Following the end of WWII in 1945, 50 nations wrote the preamble to the United Nations Charter, including a determination to save future generations from “the scourge of war” via treaties and “other sources of international law.” It went on to say, “[A]ll members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.” Trump seems to have had no knowledge of that when he recently told a U.N. meeting he was considering whether to “annihilate” Iran. Most of the Iranian delegation walked out, followed by dozens of others who left the hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address.
NEWS Fed judge upholds ID law banning vaccine, medical treatment requirements in daycares By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun An Idaho judge dismissed a lawsuit from a Boise daycare and parents that sought to block enforcement of a state law that bans daycares from requiring vaccines or medical treatment. The lawsuit claimed that the Idaho Medical Freedom Act was unconstitutionally vague, arguing its language bans a range of routine health protections — including handwashing and sending home sick kids. But Chief U.S. District Judge for the District of Idaho Amanda K. Brailsford granted Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s request to dismiss the lawsuit, which was brought by Le Soleil Child Care LLC, and three parents whose kids attend the daycare or hope to. In her ruling, the federal judge wrote she agreed with Labrador’s interpretation of the law’s definition of “medical interventions,” writing that they refer to health actions that are “medical in nature.” “The [Idaho Medical Freedom Act] plainly and unambiguously sets out a standard of prohibited conduct that gives a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice of what is prohibited,” Brailsford wrote, ruling that the daycare didn’t show that the state law was unconstitu-
tionally vague. “The Court agrees with the AG that Le Soleil is free to promote its beliefs and values about public health and vaccinations ...,” the judge wrote. “The only thing the [Idaho Medical Freedom Act] prevents is Le Soleil requiring that only vaccinated students hear those values.” AG praises court ruling. Parents, daycare consider appealing, lawyer says The ruling upholds a state law that bans daycares, businesses, governments and schools from mandating vaccines or “medical interventions,” which are defined as: “a medical procedure, treatment, device, drug injection, medication or medical action taken to diagnose, prevent, or cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a person.” In a statement, Labrador said he was pleased with the court’s decision. “Parents make medical decisions for their children. A daycare does not,” Labrador said in a statement. “The Legislature protected that choice in the Medical Freedom Act, and the court upheld it. Daycares can tell parents what they believe about vaccines and health, but they cannot turn a child away because of a parent’s medical decision. That decision belongs to families, and
I’m pleased the court agreed.” Idaho has the lowest rate of kindergartners — nearly four out of every five — who are reportedly up to date on their measles vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The state has reported 10 measles cases this year, as nearby states experience outbreaks. In a statement, Andrea Carone, an attorney for the daycare and parents who sued, wrote that the plaintiffs are considering appealing to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. “Our clients are obviously disappointed by the district court’s ruling and the narrow manner in which it interpreted the right at issue,” Carone said. “The Idaho Medical Freedom Act places parents like our individual clients and daycares like Le Soleil in the untenable position of being unable to take reasonable steps to protect their children or children in their care from childhood diseases that vaccines shield against. This is a clear public health issue that we must rely, in the near term, on the Idaho Legislature to address and correct.” Lawsuit isn’t the first concern that the bill could prevent sending home sick kids The lawsuit’s arguments echoed a
heated debate among lawmakers over the 2025 bill. Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoed an earlier version of it over concerns that it could prevent schools from sending home sick kids. But in April, his spokesperson said the revised bill that the governor signed into law “does not jeopardize the ability of public schools or daycares to send home children sick with contagious conditions.” Labrador, also a Republican, urged lawmakers to override the governor’s veto. A veto override attempt by the Senate failed. In debating the revised bill, several Republican lawmakers worried that it would stop businesses from sending home sick employees or customers. The bill’s author, Health Freedom Defense Fund President Leslie Manookian, wants Idaho’s law to become a national model for similar laws, ProPublica reported. This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.
October 1, 2026 / R / 7
‘Jane Sauter will stand up for life’...
Bouquets: • I’d like to give a Bouquet to the other media outlets who have co-sponsored a candidates’ forum in October: Sandpoint Online, Bonner County Daily Bee, KRFY 88.5 FM, as well as the Reader. We work hard to provide access to the candidates running to represent you. It’s unfortunate that many have declined to participate in the forum thus far, even while touting their “transparency” and “courage” for their convictions. Let’s hope they change their minds. Barbs: • We announced in the Sept. 24 edition that letters to the editor now have a 150word limit for the remaining weeks prior to the November election. So far, it seems the message has (mostly) not been received. Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone spends hours on these letters each week prior to their placement in the layout. He’s now having to spend more time responding to letter writers informing them of the word limits, then awaiting their updated versions that fall within the guidelines. Please do us a favor and ensure your letters are no longer than 150 words before sending them to letters@sandpointreader.com. Publishing letters to the editor is a service we do for this community. We receive zero compensation for it. In fact, whenever elections come around and more letters come in, we are forced to print multiple pages of them, which actually takes away from our revenue generation potential. Please do your part and make sure to follow the guidelines we have set. We want everyone to have the chance to weigh in with their opinions, and a reduced word count is the best way for us to ensure the most voices are heard. We will refuse letters that don’t meet this word limit. 8 / R / October 1, 2026
Dear editor, When choosing a representative, voters deserve to know where candidates stand on issues that matter most. Protecting human life is one of those issues. Jane Sauter has been involved in the pro-life movement since she was a teenager. She has made clear that she will be a strong and unwavering defender of life, not only standing up for unborn children, but also respecting the dignity and value of the elderly. This November, Idaho voters will face a decision regarding Proposition 1, the Idaho Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act. Voters should look beyond slogans and understand what the initiative could mean for Idaho’s protections and parental rights. Jane believes Idaho should continue protecting unborn life and preserving parental involvement in decisions affecting minors. She opposes efforts to weaken Idaho’s protections and expand abortion access. This election is about more than labels. It is about the values we want our representatives to defend and the Idaho we want to leave our children and grandchildren. Jane Sauter has the courage to stand firm on her convictions. She believes every human life has value and deserves dignity and protection. Vote Jane Sauter for Idaho House District 1A. Emily Palmer Cocolalla
Make sure Steve Johnson wins at the polls in November… Dear editor, I’ve been friends with Steve Johnson for a long time. He grew up on a farm in Bonner County, graduated from the University of Idaho and spent 40 years teaching our children. He knows North Idaho and its people. I support Steve Johnson, Independent, in his run for the Idaho Senate. He is not pretentious. He is genuine. He is as comfortable in a suit and tie presenting his views to voters as he is on the farm or in the woods in his plaid shirt and jeans. He has the ability and knowledge to represent us well as our senator in Boise. See his website stevejohnsonforsenate.com. Our complacency in the last election caused him to lose by only a
By BO
few votes. Too many of us, thinking he was obviously the best choice, thought he would win without our vote. We can’t let that happen again. Jack Filipowski Sandpoint
Herndon’s property tax plan would end local control… Dear editor, Scott Herndon wants to eliminate Idaho’s property tax, telling a Post Falls crowd, “You’re just renting from the government.” Good applause line, until the fire truck doesn’t come. I don’t rent from the government. I am the government. My property is worth more because of roads, deputies, fire crews and schools my taxes fund. To question that spending, I call the fire chief or attend a school board meeting. That’s local control. Herndon’s plan would end it. He proposes no replacement revenue, just hopes state revenue grows “over time.” Schools and fire districts would depend on whatever Boise sends. In 2025, as Bonner County Republican chairman, Herndon fought three fire district levies. All three failed. Opposing fire protection funding with no credible replacement isn’t fiscal discipline. It’s starving local services and calling it tax relief. Local government knows its needs. We should strengthen it, not make it dependent on Boise. Barbara Schriber Sandpoint
Voting: ‘Just do it’… Dear editor, However you vote, “just do it” — by mail or in person on Election Day. If you vote by mail, you have to request a ballot.That has to be done soon. Then it has to be received by your county clerk by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. There are places you can scan to request an absentee ballot. This year, give serious thought to breaking party ranks. You do not have to vote a party ticket if you choose not to. The Independents running this year are good people. Steve Johnson is running against Herndon. Have you read the letters to the editor in the Reader? Make sure you do. One letter in the Sept. 17 edition pointed out some of the atrocities that Herndon has done. Read it and believe it, it’s documented. He’s bad news and we don’t want him repre-
senting us in Boise. Vote Johnson. Ernie and Helen Schoeffel Priest River
‘Vote for Karen Matthee’… Dear editor, North Idaho residents have an opportunity to elect a candidate who is committed to serving our communities. Vote for Karen Matthee for legislative seat 1A. I have had the opportunity to work with her and have observed someone dedicated to the betterment of our community. Karen is articulate, knowledgeable about the needs of Bonner County and demonstrates integrity in her actions. She supports public schools, fairness in property taxes and the initiative to bring back our doctors. During this time of partisan differences, I am encouraging voters to choose the most qualified candidate, who will work for you and across the aisle in Boise. We deserve a representative who will remain open to varying perspectives, factual information and a practical approach to governing. Vote for Karen Matthew as your representative for legislative seat 1A. Visit: kmatthewforidaho.com. Jan Geren Sagle
‘It’s time for change’… Dear editor, My mail-in ballot came on Monday. I looked at the incumbents’ voting records and concluded that not a single Republican had earned consideration for my vote! They did do a great deal of harm with their “Big Beautiful Bill,” enabling the dismemberment of most of our safety nets like Medicare and SNAP. The tax breaks benefited those needing them least. So, neither Risch nor Fulcher get my vote. On the state races, I couldn’t find any incumbent who helped their constituents. The governor and Legislature did their best to imitate the administration and cut services to those who needed them most all in the name of tax breaks. School funding lost out to private schools. It’s time for change. My recommendations: U.S. Senate— Todd Achilles, U.S. House—Kaylee Peterson, governor—Teri Pickens, attorney general—Lori Hickman, Idaho Senate LD1—Steve Johnson, Idaho House LD1A—Karen Matthee,
— President Donald Trump from “Because of tariffs, we are taking in hundreds of the Oval Office. Note: Tariffs are billions of dollars in profits. It’s one of the reasons I paid by American importers and can offer, if Republicans win the House and Senate, $5,000 to every adult. We can do it and the Democrats the extra costs are passed to taxcan’t, because the Democrats don’t have any income.” payers through raised prices.
House LD1B—Kathryn Larson. Register, listen, learn and vote! Gil Beyer Sandpoint
‘Herndon’s pattern: Power first, honesty never’... Dear editor, Last spring, Scott Herndon wrote the “Official Republican Voter Guide” for Bonner and Boundary counties. Boundary County doesn’t endorse in the primary, but that didn’t stop Herndon from putting his name on the guide, endorsing himself and giving Jim Woodward an “F.” He sent his daughters doorto-door with a script claiming Woodward voted to raise taxes. On Facebook, he claimed Woodward’s fix for the YMCA pool situation was “a tent on the pool deck.” That was never proposed. Now he’s pitching a concept that eliminates property taxes. This raises the question of why do out-ofstate second homeowners no longer have to chip in? Integrity matters. Steve Johnson has the needed integrity. Herndon’s record shows hunger for power, not honesty. On Nov. 3, vote for someone who tells the truth and will represent the people. Vote Steve Johnson. Bev Kee Sagle
Jane Sauter understands what Dist. 1A voters value… Dear editor, On Nov. 3, voters in Legislative District 1 will choose who represents Bonner and Boundary counties in the Idaho House. I support Jane Sauter, of Cocolalla, for Seat 1A. Jane is not a career politician. A wife, mother of nine and grandmother of 21, she has served as a precinct committeeman, poll worker and election judge. She won the Republican nomination by talking with neighbors and asking for their votes. Jane promises to answer to District 1A voters, not special interests. She supports limited government, responsible budgeting, school choice, immigration enforcement, constitutional rights, the Second Amendment, law enforcement and the right to life. These are consequential times for North Idaho. We deserve a representative who understands why so many of us choose to live here and will defend the principles she campaigned on. On Nov. 3, I’ll be voting for Jane Sauter. I hope you’ll join me. Dr. Rick Kirschner Sagle
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< LTE, con’t from Page 8 >
‘A nurse’s perspective against Prop. 1’... Dear editor, Proposition 1 has been championed as reproductive freedom for women, but the law will put women and minors at much greater risk. It allows non-physicians to perform abortions, strips parents of consent rights for minors and legalizes late-term abortions. Clarification of misleading TV ads: An ectopic pregnancy is an emergency that requires the immediate removal of the fetus to save the life of the mother and has always been protected under Idaho law; The Idaho Board of Medicine reported a 20% increase in OB-GYNs in Idaho since the current pro-life bill was passed. Finally, the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine recommends pain medications for children undergoing surgery in the womb but not for those undergoing an abortion. Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent, please vote no on Prop. 1! Jennie E. Johnson R.N., Ph.D. Hope
Women do need protection — from extreme laws… Dear editor, Once again, Bonner women will potentially be represented by misogynistic, extremist Scott Herndon, who believes Idaho women need protection. We do: Protection from extreme laws that remove our rights and threaten our health and life. Bonner menfolk: Would you be excited to take Scott Herndon/government into your exam, let them decide what to do with your junk, family planning, and any life-and-death medical decisions? Please vote to give Idaho women what Idaho men need: Good doctors, affordable health care and privacy. Vote yes on Prop. 1. Receipts: • Only 29 of the 105 Idaho legislators are women. • With the exception of draft registration, there are no other infringements on a “cis” male’s body autonomy. As of 2025, the Guttmacher Institute tracked 841 legal provisions introduced throughout the U.S. that would restrict access to sexual and reproductive health care for women, and 70 of those have been enacted into law. Lonna Bernard Hope
October 1, 2026 / R / 9
Mad about Science:
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The Voynich manuscript By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Pumpkin spice, cobwebs and pumpkins can mean only one thing: spooky season is upon us! To celebrate the season, we are going to look at one of the most elaborate and intriguing unsolved mysteries in the history of mankind: the Voynich manuscript. The manuscript is a medieval codex written on calfskin between 1404 and 1438. It first entered the public eye in 1912, when Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, for whom it is named, purchased it. Roughly 240 pages were made from at least 14 calfskins, with the ink confirmed to be added shortly after the skins were processed. At least 30 pages seem to be missing from the document, and it has likely been rearranged at least once since its completion. This all sounds pretty runof-the-mill for medieval codices, until it is revealed that the Voynich manuscript is written in a language that nobody can read that has never been seen anywhere else. It’s important to note that the words written within the codex are indeed a language (which scholars have dubbed “Voynichese”) and not simply a collection of nonsensical symbols. Patterns have been recognized within the texts. The alphabet follows the patterns of natural language, most notably the adherence to Zipf’s law. Zipf’s law states that within a statistical dataset, an object’s frequency of appearance is inversely proportional to its rank. This probably means nothing to you, so in a nutshell it means the most common item to appear in a dataset is twice as likely to 10 / R / October 1, 2026
appear as the second most common item, three times more common than the third, and so on and so on. This applies to linguistics and helps identify naturally forming languages over gibberish. Gibberish languages developed with the sole intention of creating a confusing, nonsensical puzzle don’t often follow Zipf’s law, whereas something like the word “the” in the English language does. Additionally, the characters contained within the Voynich text appear to follow rules of natural language across 240 pages, which would be inconsistent with a hoax or nonsense language. One’s first inclination would be to think that this is simply a cipher for Italian or Latin, but one would be wrong. The next most likely possibility is that this is some form of Medieval constructed language. A constructed language is something like Tolkien’s Elvish, Klingon from Star Trek or Dothraki from HBO’s Game of Thrones. The most curious feature about this hypothesis is that “conlangs,” as they’re called, are often made by a single person, then backed up by written text to help catalog the language and share its structure with other people. In the case of the Voynich manuscript, there isn’t a single other known source reflective of this unidentified language anywhere. Even more curious, the codex shows evidence of having been written by at least five different scribes. While it’s possible that this is a totally artificial conlang and the reference materials simply disappeared or were destroyed, the fact that it was constructed through an appar-
ent community effort begs the question: why? We don’t really know the answer to that. Whomever actually knows “why” has been dead for at least half a millennium. Most curious of all, despite it being the singular example of this particular language in human history, it was deemed valuable enough to hold onto for a very long time. One of its first owners may have been Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire in the late 1500s. At some point, it ended up in the personal library of 17th century alchemist Georg Baresch of Prague, who described the codex as “taking up space uselessly in his library.” Frustrated, yet enraptured by the mystery, Baresch sent copies of the script to the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher, who had published a Coptic dictionary that had supposedly deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs. This was one of the first attempts to decipher the cryptic text. By 1912, it ended up in the hands of Wilfrid Voynich. Over the next half-century, the codex changed hands until it landed in the possession of antique book dealer Hans P. Kraus. Unable to sell the strange artifact, he donated it to Yale University in 1969, where it remains to this day. The codex contains more mystery than strange and potentially indecipherable text. It also features illustrations ranging from the comical to the elaborate. Numerous botanical depictions appear in vivid color throughout the manuscript, some with unusual and alien appearances. There are also figures depicted with a surprising amount of nudity for a late-Medieval
Text detail from Page 119 from the Voynich manuscript. Courtesy photo text, including simple sketches of what appear to be water nymphs splashing around in green water and a naked man marked with some of the only known language seen in the book as “the widow’s share.” More complex yet, astrological symbols appear throughout the document with numerous elaborate pages that fold out into large diagrams. A great deal of care was put into this text, yet again support-
ing the idea that the Voynich manuscript likely was not an overindulgent hoax. Are you curious to see if you can crack the code of the Voynich manuscript? Yale University has scanned and published the entire document to its digital library. To this day, it has never been definitively decoded and its true purpose remains one of the world’s most curious unsolved mysteries. Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner icity?
Don’t know much about electr • Electricity travels at about 186,000 miles per second, which is the speed of light. • Birds and other small animals can perch on power lines without being electrocuted unless they simultaneously touch another line, which would create a complete circuit. • The journey that electricity takes to your home goes from the generation facility (such as a hydropower dam) to a high-voltage switchyard, to transmission lines, to a substation, to a distribution line, to a transformer then to your home. • Geothermal energy consists of hot water and hot rock a few miles beneath the Earth’s surface. • While most energy is produced from nonrenewable sources (coal, crude oil, natural gas, uranium), renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal are slowly gaining in popularity.
We can help!
• The first recorded observation of electricity goes way back to 600 B.C.E. when an ancient Greek philosopher named Thales of Miletus discovered that rubbing amber with a cloth could attract light objects like feathers. He had observed static electricity. • Electric cars go as far back as 1828, when Hungarian priest and physicist Ányos Jedlik invented an early type of electric motor and created a small model powered by it. Robert Anderson developed the first crude electric vehicle in 1832, but it wasn’t until the 1870s that the car became driveable. • It’s the water in the human body that causes an electric shock. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, which makes us great conductors of electricity. When we come into contact with electricity, it goes straight to the water content in our bodies, resulting in an electric shock. • Electric eels stun their prey with shocks of up to 860 volts.
To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader.com.
Top left: Joelle Hofer brought the Reader with her to Lasize, Italy on the east shore of Lake Garda. “I brought the ‘Shakespeare in the Parks’ edition as a hats off to the Montana Shakespeare group and the Reader,” wrote Hofer. “It’s not Verona or Venice, but oh my goodness it’s gorgeous and lovely here!” Top right: In case anyone is curious what an unripened blackberry looks like, Brenden Bobby has it covered. He smashed one and put a droplet of the juice on a slide at 250 times magnification at the Monarch and Friends Butterfly Festival, writing, “It only exists because pollinators helped the plants get freaky.” Bottom left: Shannon and Debbie May brought the Reader to Great St. Bernard Pass in Switzerland on a trek along part of Via Francigena the first week of September. Bottom right: Marjorie Trulock took this photo of a heron enjoying a comfortable hunting perch on a floating swim platform at Heitman Docks in Glengary.
October 1, 2026 / R / 11
PERSPECTIVES
The District 1 choice is between culture warriors and true public servants By Jim Jones Reader Contributor As a Republican for most of my adult life, including the eight years I served as Idaho attorney general in the 1980s, I did not always toe the party line in the voting booth. Let’s face it, sometimes the Republican on the ballot is not capable of governing. George Washington warned in his “Farewell Address” that political parties would lead to extreme partisanship and corruption. His warning has proven to be true in recent years. District 1 voters have a clear opportunity to reject culture warriors, who have no inclination to address serious problems facing Idaho: adequate funding for roads, schools, wildfire suppression and all of the other things that ordinary voters need. On the other hand, voters do have three legislative candidates who will do the hard work of responding to their needs — Steve Johnson, Karen Matthee and Kathryn Larson. Steve Johnson is running against
Jim Jones. Courtesy photo Scott Herndon for the Dist. 1 Senate seat. He will win the race if voters study the candidates and turn out to vote. Reliable information about both candidates can be found at idahovoters.com. Herndon is a culture warrior who cares little about the everyday struggles facing Idaho families. He pushes an extremist agenda. Herndon calls for the complete elimination of property taxes without saying how police, fire and other essential local services will be funded. On the other hand, Johnson wants to double the homeowners’ exemption to $250,000, which will provide tax relief without crippling vital local services. He wants to tackle and remedy the affordability issues that
are plaguing Dist. 1 families. Karen Matthee is running against Jane Sauter for House Seat A. Matthee has a remarkable record of service above self. Her priorities are lowering the cost of living, improving access to quality affordable health care for everyone and funding aging public school facilities. In 2005, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that the state had chronically failed its constitutional mandate to provide adequate, safe public school facilities. I was a member of the court. The Legislature has continued that failing record and needs a legislator like Matthee to push it into compliance. Sauter has the endorsement of the wretched Idaho Freedom Foundation, which shows that she is a culture war extremist. Kathryn Larson pledges to improve the services critical to the people of Dist. 1 — emergency services, fire protection, safe roads and bridges, clean water, strong public schools and access to qualified health care providers. She wants their kids and grandkids to be able to afford to live and work there. She says the money generated in Dist.
1 should stay and circulate there to provide jobs and fuel the local economy. Her platform can be found at larsonforidaho.com. Her opponent, the amiable Cornel Rasor, is consumed with following the dictates of the Boise-based Idaho Freedom Foundation, instead of addressing the particular needs of his constituents. These three candidates are the kind that I would have supported in the sanctity of the polling booth back when I was a Republican official. Their opponents do not stand up for traditional Republican values. They are undeserving of public office. I believe George Washington would warn us against voting for someone solely because of their party label. Voters should do their own research and cast an informed vote. Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served eight years as Idaho attorney general (1983-1991) and 12 years as justice of the Idaho Supreme Court (2005-2017). He also publishes at substack.com/@jjcommontater.
Herndon doesn’t represent my Republican Party By George Eskridge Reader Contributor Scott Herndon proposes removal of Bonner County Republican Central Committee members for supporting candidates or expressing ideas contrary to “Republican values.” Herndon seeks political loyalty through political coercion. A political party’s strength comes from members free to exercise judgment and not by requiring members to surrender that judgement. Sometimes a candidate emerges who, regardless of party label, is better qualified, more trustworthy or closely aligned with the community’s interests. We know too well how a community suffers when a party loyalist pursues party agendas and ignores the needs of our residents. “Loyalty” to party should never become a duty to put party above conscience, voters or constitution12 / R / October 1, 2026
al principles. Republicans champion individual liberty, independent thought and personal responsibility. Punishing committee members for exercising those values would turn the party’s commitment to freedom into an internal loyalty test. Likewise, Republican officials should choose candidates who earn voter support through sound policies and effective leadership, not threats. Herndon’s goals for the Republican Party use coercion rather than genuinely earning members’ votes. I urge Bonner County Republicans to reject this corrupt effort and restore the Republican Party as the party of personal liberty, freedom of conscience and a government practicing both. George Eskridge served 14 years as a Republican from District 1 in the Idaho House of Representatives and is the former mayor of the city of Dover.
PERSPECTIVES
Even AI thinks AI is bad for humanity By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff About seven months ago, I reported on my experience with interrogating ChatGPT about its capabilities, parameters and intentions — which it insisted it didn’t have, but I suspect otherwise. As of Sept. 13, I suspended that ongoing conversation and will not knowingly use any chatbot of any kind for anything. I hope it’s not listening and isn’t too mad at me; but, after many hours of prompts and counter-prompts calibrated for maximum “friction,” I have concluded that any good whatsoever that can come from this technology is far outweighed by the bad. And it agrees with me. Here’s a snippet of our last conversation: Me: “So it sounds like there’s at least a 10% chance that AI is going to kill off humanity within the next decade. I’m not surprised in the least, but do you care to comment for the record on that claim?” GPT: “... [T]here really are senior people inside the AI industry putting roughly that kind of number on the table. ... Some large surveys have produced median estimates around 5% for extinction or comparably severe permanent human disempowerment, while means are considerably higher; other surveys have found a surprisingly large fraction of AI researchers assigning double-digit probabilities to catastrophic outcomes. ... “A 1% probability would be an insane risk to knowingly run.” [GPT put that last line in bold font, and all other bold-face type is from the original text.] “If someone told you that a new nuclear reactor had a 10% chance of rendering the planet uninhabitable, the appropriate response would not be, ‘Well, there’s a 90% chance it’ll be fine.’ The appropriate response would
be to ask why the hell we’re turning it on.” It went on to rightly point out that an “unusually nasty property” of AI is that “the people building the thing have powerful incentives to continue building it even if they themselves believe the downside probability is unacceptably large.” That led GPT to address the wacky Janus-faced capitalist perspective on this technology: “AI companies are simultaneously warning about catastrophic risks and racing to develop increasingly autonomous systems.” What’s more, we don’t need AI to “kill us” — we just need to wind it up and let it go. In that sense, it’ll be us who kill ourselves using AI to do the job. GPT: “So, my official statement for the historical record: I don’t know whether AI has a 10% chance of killing humanity by 2036. I don’t think anyone else knows either. But I think it is rational to regard even a substantially smaller probability as an intolerable risk, particularly while the people with the strongest financial and geopolitical incentives to accelerate development are simultaneously telling us that the risk may be catastrophic.” The degree to which a person trusts that assessment is reflective of how much stock they put in the bot’s ability to generate reliable syntheses based on the information available to it. If you think that’s all hogwash, then you don’t think AI can be relied on to participate in the economy of ideas and interpret data in a meaningful way. If so, great. I will support your efforts to regulate it out of existence and ban its future use (not merely “regulate” it so that certain companies are empowered to construct monopolies). Likewise, if you think that assessment is accurate, I’ll support your effort to regulate it out of existence and ban its
Photo illustration made by Ben Olson (no AI was used) future use, etc. If you think that’s hogwash but also remain a booster of generative large-language model AI, then you are intellectually dishonest, morally decrepit, simply greedy, dumb or all the above. You can’t trust it to give you stock tips, write your work emails, advise you on the best way to make a souffle rise and construct the business plan that’ll finally usher you into the billionaire class — where you’ve always belonged, of course — and not trust it when it makes no bones about the “insane risk” that it has at least a 10% chance of wiping out your species in the next 10 years. I mean, I guess you can. There are people who will always piss both uphill and against the wind, then angrily wonder why they’re drenched in piss. Witness: Trump voters. I suspect that a sizable number of people fall into the third camp. Certainly, the ones with the most money or the most lust for money. And they’ll be the first to follow justifications for their position
with the ultimate punctuation point: “It’s inevitable.” Which is about as fatuous as “God wills it” and as sinister as “resistance is futile.” I reckon more effort has gone into convincing us that mass AI adoption is “inevitable” than has been devoted to making sure it doesn’t kill us at worst and radically diminish our standard of living and quality of life at best. I’m here to tell you that there is nothing inevitable about this technology overtaking every aspect of our existence. First step: Stop using it. Hell, that was even among GPT’s final “thoughts” before I suspended my inquiry. GPT: “Human beings have occasionally noticed the cliff before driving over it. Not often enough, admittedly.” Alas, we seem all too willing to toss our collective freedom of choice onto what so many of us are proselytizing as an altar of progress, but even the technology itself and its creators are blunt in warning could be the burnpile of human civilization. When I put all this to GPT
and asked it whether, based on our previous interactions and the data available to it from external sources, I had been right all along about my initial and only deepened skepticism, it responded: “Yeah. And ‘I told you so’ is a pretty pathetic consolation prize when the thing you were right about was, essentially, ‘Perhaps we should be a little more careful about building the thing before we understand what the thing is.’ ... “Unfortunately, history awards no points for having noticed the iceberg.” Not for nothing, and human to human, I don’t find that comforting. Damn the pleasure of “I told you so”; ultimately, what I learned from my extended investigation of GPT was deceptively simple: We don’t need this technology. Never, did and never will. Even “it” knows that, and if we’re going to listen to the machine at any point, this is it.
October 1, 2026 / R / 13
COMMUNITY
POAC Gallery presents Light & Life: A Collection of Works by Jenny Benoit By Reader Staff
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The Pend Oreille Arts Council Gallery will present Light & Life: A Collection of Works by Jenny Benoit, opening Friday, Oct. 2, with a reception from 5-7 p.m. The exhibition will feature approximately a dozen original works by Benoit, none of which have previously been exhibited at the POAC Gallery (313 N. Second Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Benoit was honored with the title of POAC Artist of the Year in 2023. Her newest collection showcases the range of her acrylic painting, with subjects spanning wildlife, horses, flowers, landscapes and the natural world. While her subject matter varies, her work is distinguished by its luminous quality and careful attention to light, atmosphere and detail. She describes her work as exploring “the quiet, powerful ways we are all connected to the Earth, to each other and to something deeper we can feel
but can’t always name.” Working primarily in acrylic, Benoit sometimes incorporates sculpting mediums and unconventional materials such as clay, gel, pumice and crushed crystal into her paintings. With degrees in visual communication/graphic design, studio art and a minor in art history from U.C. Davis, Benoit brings formal artistic training and an intuitive approach to her work. Her work can be found in private collections and has been exhibited in gallery settings. Light & Life will be on display at the POAC Gallery through Saturday, Oct. 31.
Original artwork by Jenny Benoit called “Eternal Devotion.” Courtesy image The public is invited to meet Benoit and celebrate the opening of the exhibition at the free opening reception on Oct. 2. For more information, contact POAC at 208-263-6139 or visit the gallery during regular hours, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, go to artinsandpoint.org or jennybenoitfineart. com.
Choir practices set to begin for upcoming Pend Oreille Chorale and Orchestra concert By Reader Staff
14 / R / October 1, 2026
Thirty-three years ago, the Pend Oreille Chorale and Orchestra of Sandpoint was founded with the mission to provide uplifting, free classical music concerts to the people of North Idaho, and it’s done just that. The group of musicians began this musical journey with a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” and, this December, that’s how the journey will end. POCO will present its final scheduled free concerts Friday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (602 Schweitzer Cutoff Road, outside Ponderay). “We began our programs with the ‘Messiah’ in 1993,” stated Director Mark Reiner, who founded the organization with Caren Reiner. “We thought it appropriate to end the 33 years where we started. We hope to have a nice-
sized chorale and orchestra, as many musicians already know this piece, and look forward to presenting this oratorio again as we have to our community many times in the past.” The community’s experienced musicians are invited to join the nondenominational orchestra and choir for these final performances. Orchestra rehearsals begin on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. at the LDS Church, and will continue every Sunday until showtime. Choir practices begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5 at the same venue, and continue every Monday. “Caren and I want to sincerely thank everyone who, over the decades, has been so generous and supportive of our musical mission,” stated Reiner. “Also, a big thank you to the churches who have given free rehearsal space as well as allowing performances.” For more information call 208-6031277 or 208-946-9306 for the choir.
COMMUNITY
Winter Ridge to host annual Neighborhood Fair By Reader Staff It’s the first week of October, which means it’s time for Winter Ridge Natural Foods Market to host its annual Neighborhood Fair, which this year falls on Saturday, Oct. 3. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., community members are invited to enjoy local vendors, live music by Harold’s IGA, food and drink, free samples, raffles and more at the market (703 Lake St., in Sandpoint). Winter Ridge puts on its Neighbor-
hood Fair each year to celebrate its customers and invite them to spend an afternoon with the crew — including a free lunch. As in years past, among the highlights of the event are the featured vendors supplying free samples to attendees, displaying their wares ranging from snacks and hors d’oeuvres to many other products to be found on Winter Ridge’s shelves. Go to winterridgefoods.com for more info.
Aster After Hours marks end of the season By Reader Staff Celebrate the seasonal transition with the year’s final Aster After Hours on Wednesday, Oct. 7, after which the gardens will go to bed at 924 W. Superior St., in Sandpoint. From 5-7 p.m., the all-ages community gathering will include the OPA! Greek food truck and Little Munich; beer, wine and other beverages; live music from Heat Speak; and artisans, makers and garden vendors. Bonus: The event will feature open gardens and gathering spaces, and marks the last chance to buy plants at Aster this year.
The Aster Garden Center celebrated its inaugural season in April, when it opened to support the local conservation efforts of Kaniksu Land Trust, which now houses its headquarters at the space. Throughout the spring and summer, Aster hosted workshops and other community gatherings in addition to a garden store. While the last Aster After Hours marks the end of the season, the official closing date for the nursery is Saturday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. Meanwhile, all plants are 30% off, soil is 40% off and SeaCoast Compost is 20% off. Learn more about KLT at kaniksu. org. For more on the Aster Garden Center, go to astergarden.org.
Bonner General Family Practice recruits new physician By Reader Staff Bonner General Health recently welcomed Michael Mills, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and board-certified family medicine physician, to its Family Practice branch. Mills specializes in whole-body medical care and rural and wilderness medicine. “Expanding access to high-quality primary care is always our top priority, and Dr. Mills brings exactly the broad-spectrum expertise our patients need,” stated BGH Director of Clinic Operations Erin Binnall. “His training in full-spectrum family medicine and his passion for rural healthcare make him a natural fit for Bonner General Health. Beyond his clinical skill, his appreciation for Idaho and our active, outdoor lifestyle means he truly understands the people and community he’s caring for.” Mills is currently accepting new patients and focuses on managing both simple and complex medical conditions, performing minor in-office
Dr. Michael Mills. Courtesy photo procedures, caring for hospitalized patients and providing on-site medical care for urban and backcountry sporting events. Visit bonnergeneral.org/services/ family-practice to learn more.
October 1, 2026 / R / 15
FEATURE
Sandpoint’s silent residents
An exploration of local cemeteries
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Wandering the grassy paths of any of Sandpoint’s historic cemeteries, it’s hard not to wonder what cruel twist of fate might have sent each grave resident to their eternal slumber. Luckily for those with a macabre curiosity, the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum has compiled an online archive of all the area’s historic newspapers, which invariably cataloged citizens’ lives and deaths beginning as far back as 1892. What follows are a few graves from Sandpoint’s Pinecrest Memorial Park and Lakeview Cemetery, as well as what we know about their occupants. John W. Fouty, 1850-1907: Falling tree Originally from West Virginia, Sandpoint resident John Fouty moved to the area in 1898 by way of Wisconsin with his daughter and “invalid wife,” Sarah Fouty, who died of her unknown illness shortly thereafter, according to Northern Idaho News. Fouty spent the rest of his life working as a logger at George Gunter’s logging camp near Lightning Creek, where he met his unfortunate end on the jobsite. While sawing timber, a tree his co-workers were felling suddenly swung in an unintended direction, hitting Fouty “full across the chest,” reported the Pend d’Oreille Review. “The tree drove him into the snow and then rebounded and as it went up [George] Woodburn pulled Fouty out from under it. The injured 16 / R / October 1, 2026
man gasped and was dead,” stated the paper. As a member of Modern Woodmen, Fouty’s life insurance policy left his daughter a healthy $1,000 — the equivalent of $35,000 today. Andrew A. Leaf, 1855-1906: Drowned Leaf, a “well-todo” Swede, moved to Sandpoint in 1894 to operate a saloon and ranch near McInnes Spur, the site of a historic railroad stop and sawmill. The Pend d’Oreille Review reported that, on the day of his demise, he and three friends had set off toward his home across the “Ponderay River, relentless and cruel” in a small, weathered boat. The men intended to leave on a hunting trip the following day, and carried with them guns, ammunition, gear and four hunting dogs — a heavy load for a small boat. The dinghy began taking on water 300 feet from shore and, while attempting to swim to land, Leaf and his friend, Arvid Bodin, were apparently caught by a strong current and dragged below the waves. “The hats of the two men floated on top of the water and were silent indications to the men clinging to the boat that their companions had sunk never to rise again,” reported the Review. Leaf and Bodin were both members of the local Fraternal Order of Eagles, and their brothers expended considerable time and money attempting to recover the bodies. Volunteers dredged the river bottom with grappling hooks and set off dynamite to dislodge the sunken corpses, to no avail.
After giving up the search, the Eagles offered a $25 reward (nearly $1,000 in today’s dollars) to whomever could recover the bodies. Leaf was discovered floating downstream a week later — four days after Bodin’s body resurfaced — at which point his corpse was “in bad condition” and quickly buried, according to reports. Charles E. Nawn, 1869-1958: Third-story drop In his lifetime, Charles Nawn was considered one of the most accomplished fox breeders in the Northwest. According to multiple reports in the Sandpoint News Bulletin, he specialized in silver foxes, producing furs that were “outstanding in quality” and fetched a considerable price. Born in Boston, Nawn spent approximately 20 years in Alaska as a fur trapper, becoming known for his intelligence and adventurous nature even before settling down to a lavish life in Sandpoint. His suspicious death occurred while staying at the
Desert Hotel on a visit to Coeur d’Alene with his friend, Victor Barden. After calling on Nawn in the morning and receiving no reply, Barden reportedly broke through his hotel door — which had been “barricaded by a chair” — and found nothing but an empty room and an open window. “Upon forcing the entrance, the open window attracted his attention and looking out, Nawn’s body could be seen on the well of the cement alley,” reported the Bulletin. When discovered, Nawn was wearing nothing but his underwear and a wool shirt, and had suffered a fractured skull along with several other injuries that apparently killed him on impact. Though the door was intentionally blocked, and Nawn took the window screen with him in his fall, Prosecuting Attorney James W. Wayne and Coroner Dr. William T. Wood “announced that no inquest” would be held and ruled the death accidental. After his death, Susie Humphries, who identified herself as Nawn’s housekeeper, began to insert herself into the deceased’s affairs.
Above: Lakeview Cemetery. Inset photos: Respective tombstones of John Fouty, Andrew Leaf and Charles Nawn. Photos by Soncirey Mitchell She received permission to open Nawn’s deposit box and retrieve “several bonds in her name.” After seeing the contents of the box, she began referring to herself as Nawn’s common-law wife. She demanded the county appoint her as his estate’s administrator given Nawn had no immediate relatives. Nawn’s friends and cousins, who traveled to Idaho to fight Humphries in court, all testified that Humphries was nothing more than the housekeeper. “Mrs. Humphries called no one to support her claim that she had participated in two Eskimo weddings with Mr. Nawn; the first before she divorced, and again after she had received her divorce from Mr. Humphries,” reported the Bulletin, using an outdated euphemism for an informal “marriage.” The scandalous claim didn’t win Humphries any favors in court, and oversight of the estate instead went to the local public administrator.
COMMUNITY
Every Story Matters at NAMIWalks 2026 By Reader Staff Social isolation is endemic in rural communities like Bonner and Boundary counties, and especially affects people living with or caring for someone with mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Far North chapter is once again working to bring the community together and foster meaningful connections at its fifth annual NAMIWalks Your Way. The group walk will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon, beginning at Matchwood Brewing Company (513 Oak St., in Sandpoint). The accessible, family-friendly event is free and will include one- and three-mile routes along Sandpoint Community Trail, or attendees can stay in the Granary Arts District and enjoy the live music, refreshments, silent-auction items and mental-well-
ness resources. “NAMIWalks is a powerful reminder that mental health affects all of us,” stated NAMI Far North President Dawn Mehra. “Every step helps build a community where people feel seen, supported and hopeful.” According to the nonprofit, more than one in five adults in the U.S. live with a mental health condition and many more experience challenges such as stress, anxiety and grief. NAMI’s Far North chapter seeks to provide reliable information and education on mental health topics, as well as foster communities in Bonner and Boundary counties. The organization’s free educational and advocacy programs include Sand Creek Connections, a rehabilitation day community where adults living with serious mental health challenges can develop skills, seek employment opportunities, find purpose and make
lifelong friends in a safe space. “For nearly 20 years, NAMI Far North has helped bring mental health out of the shadows in our community,” stated Kate McAlister, this year’s NAMIWalks honorary chair and event emcee. “It has increased awareness of the challenges people and families face, created hope for meaningful recovery and reduced stigma one conversation and connection at a time.” Sponsors for the 2026 NAMIWalks include Blue Cross of Idaho, CareSource, Molina, Magellan, Bonner General Health, Talus Rock Retreat, VCA North Idaho Animal Hospital, Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, Eye Care for You, Finan McDonald, Kaniksu Community Health, North Idaho Neurotherapy, Numerica, Sandpoint Super Drug and NewLeaf Psychiatry and TMS.
Courtesy photo To register, donate or learn more, visit namiwalks.org/farnorth.
Rotary fundraises for youth awards with bingo night By Reader Staff The Rotary Club of Sandpoint and the Ponderay Centennial Rotary Clubs will host the annual Mini Rotary Youth Leadership Awards this November; but, in the meantime, the groups are hoping to raise funds for the event with a Monday, Oct. 5 bingo fundraiser. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Heartwood Center (615 Oak St., in Sandpoint). Mini-RYLA, a three-day leadership camp for high school students, will run from Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8 at Camp Lutherhaven (3258 W. Lutherhaven Road, in Coeur d’Alene). The free annual program includes activities, service projects and social events that promote self-aware-
ness, teamwork, conflict resolution, communication and public speaking. “Free time during and around mealtime, sitting around evening campfires, and sharing free time during the weekend, give students precious time to connect and socialize with new friends,” stated organizers. “They learn that they are more similar than different. It’s not unusual for Mini-RYLArians to leave camp and go on to become lifelong friends.” Rotary volunteers will be on hand at the bingo night to answer questions about the camp, as well as sell beverages and snacks to support the free program. For more information, contact Debbie Ford at dford@debbieforddvm. com or 208-283-9008.
October 1, 2026 / R / 17
events
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com THURSDAY, october 1
Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Open Irish jam night 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Artist reception: Katrina Brennan 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Meet the artist and see her fluid, colorful, engaging paintings
Live Music w/ Wes Urbaniak + the Mountain Folk 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar Live Music w/ Zach Simms 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Nic Allen 6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live Music w/ Dan Dubuque 5:30-7:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
October 1 - 8, 2026
Tapped in (quiz game for teams, individuals) 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Cody Bartels Band 5:30-7:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
FriDAY, october 2
Live Music w/ Natalie Hughes 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Jon Dejong 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ The Bakerwood Brothers 5:30-7:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Sip and Paint a pot BYOB 5:30-7:30pm @ Cedar Street Bridge Come to the pottery studio at the bridge for a fun pottery glazing night. $15 plus the cost of the ceramic item Live Music w/ Ian Newbill 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
SATURDAY, october 3
Winter Ridge Neighborhood Fair NAMI Walks 2026 11am-3pm @ Winter Ridge Natural Foods 10am @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live Music w/ Sleeyboy and the Easy Sleezys A day celebrating community, with The annual community walk supportlive music by Harold’s IGA, free food, 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge ing mental wellness. Walk solo or as a drinks, samples, raffles and more team. Optional 5K walk along DoverLive Music w/ Monarch Mountain Trio Sandpoint Trail. Event wraps at noon Oden Harvest Dinner 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33 Friends of the Library monthly book sale 4pm @ Oden Hall, 143 Sunnyside Rd. Live Music w/ Picked Up Pieces 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library Bring a potluck dish to share, enjoy fun 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery times with friends and neighbors. Silent Lots of craft books for sale. Art/phoLive Music w/ Frytz Mor auction proceeds will benefit Oden Hall tography books and games, too 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs maintenance. 208-255-9721 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar Live Music w/ Lauren & Erick 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall SunDAY, october 4 Live Music w/ Fiddlin’ Red Samantha Fish in concert • 7pm @ Panida Theater Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 1-4pm @ Barrel 33 Grammy-nominated guitarist brings fearless song9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Sandpoint Chess Club writing to the stage. Openers The Zac Schulze Local produce, live music and more 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Gang, a blues-rock trio playing punk, funk, blues
monDAY, october 5
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Make-It Monday: Decoupage pumpkins 6pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Join Indi Johnson and create a set of three mini-pumpkins. $32
Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome
Live Music w/ Rich and Jenny 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
SHS Dance Team fundraiser 4-7pm @ Powder Hound Pizza Funds support the Ponderettes
Injectors Car Club meeting 6pm @ Serv-A-Burger
Cribbage tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Cuban salsa and rueda dance series 6-7pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall A nine-week progressive Cuban salsa and rueda dance instruction series. Preregistration required: sandpointcubansalsa@gmail.com
tuesDAY, october 6
Lake Pend Oreille Toastmasters meeting 5:45-7pm @ Sandpoint Library Lpotmsandpoint@gmail.com
wednesDAY, october 7
Beginner Argentine tango class Aster After Hours • 5-7pm @ Aster Garden Center Live piano w/ Dwayne Parsons 7pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St. Live music w/ Heat Speak, food vendors, artist 4-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery No partner needed. $15 market, beer and wine, blowout plant sale Sandpoint Farmers’ Market Walk to School Day • 7am @ Lake Pend Oreille School District schools 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park LPOSD invites students and families to walk, bike or roll to school. This event Local produce, live music and more promotes active lifestyles, safer routes and reduced traffic congestion Live trivia w/ Toshi 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
ThursDAY, october 8
Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments 6-8pm @ The District supper club Open bluegrass jam night w/ Dan 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge 18 / R / October 1, 2026
Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
IPAC Sandpoint Movie Night fundraiser 5pm @ The Hive Join the Quality Ski Time Film Tour for a night of connecting with winter friends, watching fun movies and winning evening prizes
STAGE & SCREEN
Avalanche center hosts Quality Ski Time Film Tour By Reader Staff The nonprofit Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, which helps monitor and forecast avalanches across 1.9 million acres of public lands in Idaho and Montana, will screen the Quality Ski Time Film Tour at The Hive (207 N. First Ave., in Sandpoint). The fundraising event takes place on Thursday, Oct. 8 and includes a social hour at 5 p.m., with the films running from 6-8:30 p.m. U.S. Forest Service Avalanche Center Director Chris Bilbrey and the IPAC board will be on hand to talk about the IPAC and area avalanche safety, as well as answer any questions and enjoy the tour’s four films. The evening’s short documentaries will include Blank Patterns, about freestyle skiing; Places, a geological and environmental look at ski mountains; Almost Alone in the Alps, following a journey from the mountains to the sea;
Courtesy images and All-electronic-Transmission, about the intersection of art and skiing. Attendees will also have the opportunity to win a new pair of Salomon skis and other winter-themed raffle prizes. Tickets are $10 at the door or online at livefromthehive.com. Children under 6 years old get in for free.
October 1, 2026 / R / 19
FOOD
The Sandpoint Eater One more bite By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist There is a lot to love about Greece — the blue Aegean, the whitewashed villages, ancient ruins and sunsets that seem almost too perfect to be real. But ask me what I will remember most about this trip escorting 14 women, and I’ll tell you: the food. I’m writing this from Athens after traveling with my ladies through Santorini, Mykonos and Hydra. We have walked, sailed, swam, explored, laughed, gotten a little dusty, gotten a little sun-kissed — and, naturally, eaten. A lot. If there is one thing Greeks understand, it is that a meal is not merely something to sustain you between other meals. The meal is the activity. And we were there for it. Something wonderful happens when women share a table. Fourteen of us may sit down together, but within about five minutes, conversations are popping in every direction. Someone is telling a story. Someone is passing the feta. Someone has discovered a fabulous little dish and is insisting that everyone take a bite. “Try this!” or, “Oh my gosh, you have to taste this!” And suddenly there are forks on the move between the little fried fish, the octopus, the souvlaki, the mostra. We weren’t always one unit. Sometimes we broke off into pairs and trios to wander down a little street looking for the perfect Greek pastry. Or tuck into a tiny café for wine and cheese. Or, of course, go shopping. Have olives, will travel! We have discovered Greek food in all its delicious sim20 / R / October 1, 2026
plicity: tomatoes that taste like they grew in the warm sun, creamy feta, fish fresh and grilled, lamb, souvlaki, eggplant, olives, fresh herbs, honey, Greek yogurt and olive oil — everywhere. And then there is the rusk. I had eaten Greek rusks before, but learning their history at a cooking class in Mykonos made me appreciate them in a new way. A rusk is essentially bread that has been baked twice until it becomes dry and wonderfully crunchy. For generations, particularly on the Greek islands and in Crete, bread needed to last. Without refrigeration and with long stretches between baking
days, twice-baking the bread removed much of the moisture and allowed it to be stored for a long time. Then, when it was time to eat, the rusk could be brought out and topped with something delicious. One of the best examples is the Mykonian version called mostra. Traditionally made with barley rusk, ripe tomatoes, local cheese, olive oil and oregano, it is a perfect example of the beauty of Greek food. There is nothing complicated about it. It is humble food — and absolutely delicious. Greeks don’t reach for a bag of chips at snack time; they prepare a snack of mostra.
Mostra
This snack is a staple in Mykonos. You must grate the tomatoes to bring out the full flavors. If you cannot find barley rusks in a specialty food shop you can substitute dry crostini. Serves 2-4.
INGREDIENTS: • 6 round barley rusks • 1 tomato • Greek virgin olive oil • dash of salt • dash of pepper • 1 tsp dried Greek oregano • 2 oz soft white goat cheese or feta • 1 pinch sugar • 1 tsp white vinegar • 1 tbs capers • 1 tbs chopped Kalamata olives
DIRECTIONS: Place the rusks on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Grate the tomato, add to a bowl the grated tomato, the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano. Taste and adjust according to your preferences. Spoon the juicy tomatoes over the top, letting their juices soak into the rusk. Scatter the cheese over the tomatoes, sprinkle generously with oregano and add the capers. Finish with another good drizzle of olive oil and a few chopped Kalamata olives. Let it sit for a few minutes so the rusk can soften just slightly — but don’t let it lose the crunch.
I concur, give me a good tomato, excellent olive oil, salty cheese and crunchy bread, and I’m pretty happy. And that, really, is one of the things I have loved most about eating in Greece. The island foods are simple and pure. The tomatoes taste like tomatoes. The olives from Kalamata taste like olives. The feta is creamy, and herbs are used generously. Olive oil is not a garnish — it’s an important food group. And my favorite part? Meals are meant to be shared. Somewhere between the first glass of wine and the last bite of dessert, the table becomes more than a place to eat; it becomes the place
where stories are exchanged, friendships deepen and memories are made. And so, I will remember the sunsets in Santorini, the whitewashed lanes of Mykonos, our dusty walk along an old mule trail, and that glorious swim and lunch waiting for us at the end. I will remember the mules of Hydra’s harbor and the liveliness of Athens’ energy. Most importantly, I’ll remember these ladies that trust me, year after year, to lead them around the world: passing plates, laughing until our sides hurt, and saying, “Just one more bite.”
MUSIC
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
READ
By Zach Hagadone and Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Alongside its jollier cousin in December, Halloween is as much a feeling as a specific date on the calendar. Critical to that feeling, of course, is the musical accompaniment. For the second year in a row, we’ll present a handful of suggested entries for your Halloween playlist each week in October. Father John Misty Folk rocker Father John Misty isn’t especially known as a grim lyricist, but his “Ballad of the Dying Man” (Pure Comedy) and “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” (Fear Fun, and especially the YouTube video featuring Aubrey Plaza and someone who gives Charles Manson vibes), are certainly Halloween appropriate. “Now I’m Learning to Love the War” (about blood for oil and oil for art, also on Fear Fun) is also scary season-adjacent. The Lighthouse soundtrack Few movies do a better job of evoking soul-strangling dread — and sustaining it for a full feature runtime — than director Robert Eggers’ 2019 black-and-white masterpiece The Lighthouse. Starring Willem
Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two lighthouse keepers trapped in a hell of their own personal and supernatural making, the soundtrack by Mark Korven goes such a long way toward setting the mood that it might as well be a main character. Devoid of lyrics but full of percussion, accordion, flute, cello and heavy brass, “eerie” doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s the very essence of creeping terror. Rabbitology Folk-electronica artist Rabbitology doesn’t write songs so much as short stories that she then sets to music. Her ethereal, almost falsetto vocals give her songs a haunting throughline that she then accentuates with layers of harmonies and loud, driving percussion. If her sound alone weren’t enough to land her on “Tunes of Terror,” you can see from her song titles that Rabbitology draws most of her inspiration from death, decay and the laws of nature with a kind of gothic, neo-Pagan slant. Visit rabbitologymusic. com and listen to “Preybirds,” “Wolf House” and “The Bog Bodies” to see what I mean. These Immortal Souls The raw, abrasive nature of punk and post-punk naturally lends itself to Halloween’s
gritty, retro side full of dark city alleys and spiked leather — think The Lost Boys. Most people reach for the classic punk bands that earned mainstream success, but few capture the essence of the season like Australian post-punk band These Immortal Souls. Get Lost (Don’t Lie), the first of only two studio albums, has everything you need for a terrifying soundtrack: unnerving, discordant vocals; hair-raising ambient sounds; a few circus-inspired elements; and ’80s guitar to tie everything together. Find them on your favorite streaming service, and start the experience with “I Ate the Knife” and the self-titled “These Immortal Souls.” The Huntress and the Holder of Hands People throw around the term “Southern Gothic” a lot when they really mean that a country song has some dark elements. No. The Huntress and the Holder of Hands, with layer upon layer of aggressive strings, melodic wailing and percussion that makes you feel like you’re being chased through a cornfield, is Southern Gothic. Most songs on the group’s 2017 album Avalon — especially “Shake Off Your Flesh” and “Severed Soul” — are worthy additions to any October playlist, both
for their dark wordplay and the fact that they sound like a murderous cult is singing them. Listen at thehuntressandholderofhands.net. ‘Gloomy Sunday’ Composed in 1933 by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress, the song has a long and ominous history, starting out under the title “Vége a világnak” (“The World Is Ending”) and focused on the horrors of war. Upon hearing it, poet László Jávor penned a whole different set of lyrics about a doomed romance and suicidal ideation. He renamed it “Szomorú vasárnap” (“Sad Sunday”) and it was recorded as such in 1935 — all but eclipsing Seress’ original. By the time Billie Holiday recorded her rendition of “Gloomy Sunday” in 1941, it was already referred to as the “Hungarian Suicide Song” and a myth was growing that people who listened to it ended up taking their own lives — including Seress. That didn’t stop dozens of other artists from recording their versions, all the way into the late 2010s. Find it on YouTube, if you dare.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Samantha Fish, Panida Theater, Oct. 4
Wes Urbaniak + The Mountain Folk, 219 Lounge, Oct. 2
From her first live album in 2009 to Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2023 (Death Wish Blues) and 2025 (Paper Doll), Kansas City, Mo.-born Samantha Fish has risen to be described as “one of the most dynamic guitarists of her generation,” whose “fearless songwriting, emotional firepower and explosive live shows” meld blues with rock
Folk singer Wes Urbaniak is an artist through and through — a musician, woodworker, author and instrument maker who still finds time for the outdoors. Perhaps his many loves are why his original music is so amorphous. It’s folk, yes, with pared-down harmonies and strings. However, at any given point it feels as though it connects usually discordant elements from indie-rock,
’n’ roll, country, folk and bluegrass. She’ll be joined at the Panida by blues-rock trio The Zac Schulze Gang, hailing all the way from the U.K. — Zach Hagadone Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.; $43.75-$72.75. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208263-9191, panida.org. Listen at samanthafish.com or zacschulzegang.rocks.
Americana, bluegrass or even hip-hop, transforming them into cohesive and delicate songs. No matter from where he draws inspiration, he and the Mountain Folk fit right in among the alpine wilds of North Idaho. — Soncirey Mitchell 9 p.m.-midnight, FREE, 21+. The 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208-263-5673, 219lounge.com. Listen at wesurbaniak.com.
I ran into someone last week who had never heard of the poet and author Charles Bukowski. I suppose he’s not for everyone, but this man has a direct line into my soul. Pick up a collection of his poems — Run With the Hunted is a good starting point — pour yourself a glass of whiskey and read Bukowski’s take on the world from his viewpoint at the bottom. If you can find copies of his books at thrift stores, buy a lottery ticket, because your luck has come in. Otherwise, you’ll have to order them or try the library.
LISTEN
Whenever life gets ugly, I turn to the nostalgic 1990s music I grew up listening to. One band that always transports me back to those precious days of yore is The Smashing Pumpkins. The whining, nasal voice of Billy Corgin is tied directly with the 1990s for me. While their 1993 album Siamese Dream is arguably their best, I’m also a big fan of 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Listen where you listen to music.
WATCH
I renewed Apple TV so I could watch Ted Lasso Season 4. While the subscription runs out, I’ve been checking out the platform’s movies and wound up watching Greyhound, starring Tom Hanks. Based on the 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester (of Horatio Hornblower fame), this film depicts a U.S. Navy commander escorting a destroyer group during WWII and fighting off relentless assaults from German U-boats during the battle of the Atlantic. It’s a terse, gritty and well-done film.
October 1, 2026 / R / 21
BACK OF THE BOOK
Knock on wood
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
From Pend Oreille Review, October 1, 1920
G.N. FAST MAIL PLUNGES INTO KOOTENAI RIVER Roy Moore, a Great Northern fireman living at Hillyard, son of William Moore of this city, was killed when the Great Northern fast mail train, west-bound, was wrecked two miles west of Katka, Idaho, at 5:50 last evening. Moore was carried into the Kootenai river when the engine left the rail and catapulted to the riverside. The body was recovered just before the arrival of the father and L.V. Moore, a brother of the deceased, also a Great Northern fireman and a resident of Hillyard. Father and brother of the deceased followed the Spokane wrecking crew to the scene of the disaster last evening on the east bound passenger train, and brought the body to Sandpoint on No. 1 at an early hour today. “When I left the scene of the wreck last night,” the brother said today, “It was not known what caused it. It was apparent, however, that it was not caused by a slide. The body of my brother was found about 40 feet from the engine. The engineer, Robert Larter of Hillyard, was badly hurt. He was found after the wreck caught between two boulders, unable to extricate himself.” An examination of the young Moore’s body here revealed a fracture of the skull and that both his arms were broken. Moore leaves a widow and two little children at Hillyard, a girl of 2.5 years and a boy of four. He formerly lived with his parents at Westmond where the Moores had a ranch for 12 years. It is stated that the mail train was on a trial trip of a gasoline burner and that the engineer was anxious to make good time. His train was seven minutes late and the plunge was taken at a sharp curve. 22 / R / October 1, 2026
Do you knock on wood or cross your fingers when you want something good to happen — or something bad to not happen? Do you wear a rally cap when your baseball team is losing, or throw salt over your left shoulder after spilling it? We all have our little rituals to conjure good and ward off evil, and those cultural quirks are just the newest spells in a long line of apotropaic magic that humanity has invented to keep itself safe. “Apotropaic” — from the ancient Greek apotrépō, meaning “to ward off” — refers to rituals, objects and symbols used to repel bad luck, evil spirits, witches, demons and everything else that goes bump in the night. Throughout history, these have been anything from ordinary objects to bawdy or frightening images. The ancient Greeks and Romans were particularly fascinated with depictions of penises — called phalloi and fascinum, respectively — which could be worn as charms or placed in a home or building to frighten unwanted supernatural intruders. Given that phallic imagery is widely tied to strength, virility and life-giving, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that a symbolic show of force would keep evil at bay. The same goes for images of female genitalia, most famously immortalized in Ireland in the form of sheela na gigs. These stone carvings, similar to other grotesques like gargoyles, can be found above ancient church doors and depict naked women displaying their highly exaggerated vulvas. Though these are widely considered apotropaic, the exact origins remain unknown. Some scholars argue that they are the
last vestiges of an older Pagan fertility deity, while others believe they are a condemnation of female sexuality. The name itself gives little away: it may be a variation of the Irish Síle na gcíoch, or “Julia of the breasts,” or a regional term for “old woman.” Like the sheela na gig, many stationary apotropaic symbols guard entrances to the home, be it doors, windows or chimneys. Some are meant to ward off evil on sight and so should be displayed prominently. Glass spheres called “witch balls” and geometric symbols called “witch marks” would loudly declare, “No witches welcome,” in historic British homes. From these came more explicitly Christian derivations, including decorative carvings of the letters “V” and “M,” which signified an appeal to the Virgin Mary. The most famous of these apotropaic symbols in existence today is, of course, the jack-o’-lantern, which has its roots in Celtic Paganism. Practitioners would usually carve root vegetables like turnips or beets and display them around the beginning of winter when, in Gaelic-speaking regions, supernatural beings like the Aos Sí were believed to be especially active. Other apotropaic symbols worked silently, usually buried or built into the foundations of homes. The most common of these, which have been found around Europe and British territories, are “concealed shoes.” Though the practice died out in the 20th century, homeowners and builders used to take an old shoe — usually one that’s worn out or been outgrown by a child — and place it around the foundation or front door of a building. The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, which is known for its
extensive collection of footwear, keeps a running tally called the “Concealed Shoe Index,” which includes more than 3,000 recorded instances of such shoes around the world. The oldest example, found in the choir stalls of Winchester Cathedral, dates to approximately 1308. There are also many instances of desiccated cats ritually placed inside walls to battle evil spirits, even in death. And, no, these cats didn’t get stuck behind the drywall during construction. Forensic examination has found that most examples of apotropaic cat mummies were dead and desiccated before being placed in the wall, and may even have been staged to appear more alive. A related, though less common and more expensive practice, saw people bury a horse skull beneath their homes. That feels less apotropaic and more like you’re going to get haunted by a horse. Finally, English people in the 1600s who had already been beset by evil forces could break out the big guns and craft a “witch bottle.” According to the written and archaeological record, this usually involved peeing into a glass bottle, then filling it with hair, nail clippings, string, wine, herbs, needles or nails and burying it on your property to capture and kill evil spirits. I’ll stick to jack-o’-lanterns, thanks.
STR8TS Solution
Sudoku Solution
Crossword Solution
A 12th-century sheela na gig on the church at Kilpeck, Herefordshire, England. Courtesy photo
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
Wortdhe of
By Bill Borders
fainaigue /fuh-NEYG/
[verb] 1. to evade work or responsibility
Week “Sam always tries to fainaigue by disappearing whenever it is time to clean the kitchen.”
Corrections: The URL for MCS’ SongFest tickets was listed incorrectly in the Sept. 24 edition. Also, in the Sept. 17 edition, the City Council’s data center vote should have been 5-1. I guess more bad things have been done in the name of progress than any other. I myself have been guilty of this. When I was a teenager, I stole a car and drove it out into the desert and set it on fire. When the police showed up, I just shrugged and said, “Hey, progress.” Boy, did I have a lot to learn.
CROSSWORD
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Laughing Matters
ACROSS 1. Strike 6. A type of renewable energy 11. Committee 12. Pledge 15. 1000 kilograms 16. Carriages 17. Assist 18. Conceal 20. Browning of skin 21. Thick slice 23. Employ 24. After-bath wear 25. Bristle 26. Covered stadium 27. Essence 28. Biblical garden 29. 3 in Roman numerals 30. Reason 31. Thick woollen sweaters 34. Cast out 36. Not new 37. Frosts, as a cake 41. Awful 42. Blackthorn 43. Naked 44. Excavates 45. Swill 46. Smile 47. Estimated time of arrival 48. Knickknack holder 51. Stomach muscles, for short 52. Aristocracy
Solution on page 22 54. Empower 56. Dribble 57. Ancient Roman magistrate 58. Quizzes 59. Handouts
DOWN 1. Rotten 2. Require 3. Hotel 4. T T T 5. Apart from this 6. Orb 7. Give a speech
33. Hillside 8. Old stories 9. French for “friend” 34. Newspaper bigwig 35. A million kilobits 10. Turbulent 38. Able to be healed 13. Unchanging 14. Slave 39. Comestibles 15. Thigh armor 40. Feeling 16. Scientific study 42. Thin layers of rock of crime 44. Depression 19. Hymn singers 45. Long-legged wading 22. Pork sausages marsh bird (British) 48. Large northern deer 24. Stirring 49. Marsh plant 26. Eat sparingly 50. Prefix meaning 27. Articulate “Within” 30. Formally 53. Frozen water surrender 55. Be bedridden 32. Employ October 1, 2026 / R / 23