2 / R / September 24, 2026
READER
DEAR READERS, The week in random review By Ben Olson Reader Staff
‘go-to-hell pants’
Fashion has always been a cyclical phenomenon. That’s why we’re seeing teens wearing giant, baggy pants again (and yes, they look just as silly today as they did when they were popular in the 1990s). One fashion trend that continues to baffle fashionistas are “go-to-hell pants.” The term stems all the way back to the 1910s when colorful, outlandish pants were seen as a rakish alternative to men’s fashion. The trend came back around in the 1950s and became a symbol of preppy boldness among affluent Northeastern families who desired to set themselves apart from their parents’ monochromatic, conservative suits. The very name, “go-to-hell pants,” almost serves as a dare from the wearer to those who witness them wearing such garish styles: “Yes, I’m wearing four-color pants covered with embroidered whales and if you don’t like them, you can go to hell.” Colors are always bright and often chaotic — lime, bright pink, robin’s egg blue — and sometimes all included on the same pair of britches. The louder the styles and colors, the higher the social status of the wearer. Fashion historian J.A. Shapira called them a “game of sartorial chicken,” whereby individuals in preppy circles tried to outdo one another with the most audacious designs. Author Tom Wolfe, famous for his bright white suits, wrote of the elite Bostonians he’d witnessed vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard in 1976, noting that their pants had a “go-to-hell air: checks and plaids of the loudest possible sort,” and that their “flagrant ugliness is a thrown-down gauntlet, signaling, ‘I have the status to get away with wearing this.’” Go-to-hell pants made another fashion comeback after the pandemic, because, well, everyone lost their minds and this is just another way that society is crumbling. Once mainly a menswear fashion, “go-to-hell pants” are now worn by women, too. For those curious about embracing this fashion, most agree that red or pink chinos make the perfect entry-level pair of “go-to-hell pants.” Wear them loud and proud, and if anyone gives you any guff, you know where they can go.
You can’t go home again
Every time I drive south of Sagle, I pass by the log house by the Westmond Cemetery that my parents built in the 1970s and where they raised us three kids. It changes often, but recently I noticed all the trees my parents planted except for a few had been cut down. There’s no easy way to describe how one feels when seeing their childhood home traveling further from their cherished memories. These are trees that held up our swingsets, that provided us with plums and cherries, that gave us places to climb and play. My initials were carved into one of their trunks and somewhere in the top branches the remains of a kite I lost lived on without me. They’re gone now, and that’s life. But it’s important to take a moment to remember them, which is what I’m doing right now. Perhaps the family that lives there now will plant new ones and start the chain of memories over again. Perhaps they won’t. Either way, I remember the trees.
I was planning to run a photo of the aerial shot of the Longest Table event at Sandpoint High School inside the paper this week, but I loved the picture so much I had to make it the cover. Really cool idea. Kudos to Dalton Hawkins, who is credited with taking the aerial photo. It reminds me of those old black-and-white pictures from the early 1900s showing a mass of people spelling out words or drawings as seen from the air. It also reminds me that we are, indeed, stronger together. There are always forces actively trying to divide us, but it’s important to remember that we are more alike than we are different. Here’s hoping you all have a great weekend. Thanks for reading.
– Ben Olson, publisher
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: Dalton Hawkins (cover), Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, HMH Engineering, Bill Borders Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Emily Erickson, Jim Jones, Heidi Dorman, Sandy Compton, Amy Flint 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 aerial cover photo was taken by Dalton Hawkins of the Sandpoint High School’s Longest Table event.
September 24, 2026 / R / 3
NEWS
BOCC to review Long Bridge marina expansion proposal By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff The Bonner County Board of Commissioners will meet Thursday, Oct. 1 to discuss a conditional use permit application to expand the existing Long Bridge Marina. The public hearing comes after the county Zoning Commission rejected the application in February, citing potential hazards at the intersection of U.S. 95 and Lakeshore Drive. Attend the 10 a.m. hearing in-person at the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 U.S. 2, in Sandpoint) or online via Zoom or YouTube by visiting bonnercountyid.gov/meetings. The approximately two-acre parcel located at 41 Lakeshore Drive is owned by the Long Bridge Land Holding Company, LLC, and zoned Recreation. The property includes a single-family residence — formerly the restaurant Forty-One South — two rental cabins, a “snack shack,” a large parking lot and 45-slip commercial marina, all served by Southside Water and Sewer District, Sagle Fire District and Avista Utilities. Developers, represented by HMH Engineering, are currently seeking approval to expand the marina by 47 slips for a total of 92; however, they 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 CUP would permit the “first phase” of the marina, and the applicants will need to apply for another CUP in the future should “demand for additional” dock space arise. The expanded marina would be open from April through October daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Developers have argued that the additional boat slips and corresponding parking spaces will help to “meet the county’s recreational needs” 4 / R / September 24, 2026
and fit the existing area land use, being bordered by Lake Pend Oreille, U.S. 95, a parcel zoned Recreation and a parcel owned by the developers housing a rural service center. The lot and surrounding land are also labeled an urban growth area by the county. As stated in the application narrative, developers have argued that by “bringing the parking area up to the general design standards of the Bonner County Code, the conditional use will reduce hazards associated with stormwater runoff, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, and will increase the outdoor aesthetic of the property by complying with the landscape standards of the Bonner County Code.” Zoning commissioners agreed that the stormwater management changes would be an improvement; however, they denied the request to reduce landscape buffers between the property and the highway from 25 feet to 10 feet and instructed the engineers to add sidewalks as a potential condition of approv-
al, necessitating a complete redesign of the parking lot. Opposition from both the commissioners and members of the public stemmed from the parcel’s access, which would increase traffic at the intersection of U.S. 95 and Lakeshore Drive. At the time of the hearing, the intersection had seen six accidents since 2020. The Idaho Transportation Department constructed a median U-turn — or J-turn — in
Top: An overhead view of the proposed 2023 to discourage left turns marina expansion south of the Long Bridge on off of Lakeshore onto the Lakeshore Drive. Image courtesy of HMH EngiLong Bridge but did not inineering. Above: The current marina as seen tially eliminate left turns. The from the Long Bridge. Photo by Ben Olson Zoning Commission therefore agreed that the expanded maflexible bollards to block trafrina and subsequent additional fic. The BOCC will consider traffic would “create a hazwhether this addition elimard” and would be “dangerous inates the perceived hazard to persons on or adjacent to that initially obstructed the the property.” CUP in February. Since the unanimous vote, To view the complete apITD has entirely restricted left plication, visit bonnercountyturns off of Lakeshore, adding id.gov/departments/Planning.
NEWS
Sandpoint City Council OKs ‘essential’ RV park renovation Revamped facility would be ready for summer ’27, but needs $270K from parks fund
The City Beach RV park as seen from the air. Courtesy photo By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The long-discussed City Beach RV park reconstruction project will move forward, after the Sandpoint City Council voted 4-2 on Sept. 16 to pursue the most basic option, which includes new utility infrastructure, improved traffic circulation and improvements to the site including landscaping. Referred to as the “essential” level in planning documents, the option preferred by the council majority does not include a shower and restroom facility — nor a suite of other amenities identified by the public after two years of feedback — but the former features would be added added at a later date, pending further funding. As it is, the city received an Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation grant of $950,000 in 2024 dedicated to improving the RV park, aug-
mented with a $50,000 local match. Based on engineering assessments, the top-tier design (referred to as the “destination RV resort”) would cost about $1.8 million, far exceeding the available funds. The “essential” RV park would still likely cost more than the budgeted amount, with an estimated cost of just more than $1.1 million. The motion to approve the “essential” option from Council President Deb Ruehle — and seconded by Councilor Pam Duquette — also authorized the transfer of about $269,000 from the Parks Capital Improvement Fund toward the project, excluding the restroom and shower facility to be paid for with additional grant dollars. In her motion, Ruehle stated that the city should “come back next year, working on some more grants to get the restrooms.” “I’d also like to point out
as I make that motion, I think a big part of the reworking of the RV park is also to manage our stormwater and to keep our lake clean,” she added. Councilors Joel Aispuro and Kyle Schreiber objected, emphasizing the centrality of the restroom and shower facilities to the project and its usefulness to the community. “I would definitely encourage the council, no matter which route we go, to definitely pursue permanent bathrooms of a sort,” Aispuro said. “It’d be very convenient for, especially, the little kids because in that area it’s shallow and that’s where a lot of moms love to take their kids.” Schreiber put an even finer point on the issue. “Something that bothers me is that we’re already — without even being out of the gate — over budget on this and we’re pulling money from a line item in our budget that’s for park master
plan-identified projects, which this project is not identified in our master plan,” he said. “It shows it as a parking lot in our master plan. So borrowing $300,000 from that line item when it doesn’t fit the description of that line item doesn’t sit right with me. “I think we could break ground on the bathrooms this year, stay under budget, see if we get the additional grants next year and I think produce a better experience for the people staying there and for the people — as Councilor Aispuro pointed out — who are just visiting the park without tapping into that other money,” he added. “We have to think about every other park in town that that money could do good in.” Sandpoint Planning and Community Development Director Jason Welker said that the city is well positioned to secure additional Parks and Recreation grant funding, and
potentially introduce the restroom and shower facilities as an early-phase improvement. “There are winners and losers of the current challenges at the federal government level, but one of the winners, ironically, is that local and county and state applicants for these sorts of grants are far more competitive,” he said, adding that while grants from the RV fund typically went to the U.S. Forest Service for campground improvements, “In the last two years, they’ve received zero Forest Service applications. And last year, every single applicant for an RV fund grant received their award. So, it’s looking pretty good for us to get another round of RV fund grant dollars.” Based on the Sept. 16 vote, the construction timeline for the City Beach RV park project would see dirt being turned beginning in the winter of 2026 and completion in time for the 2027 summer season. September 24, 2026 / R / 5
NEWS
Project 7B hosts workshop on how BoCo code impacts properties By Reader Staff Land use nonprofit Project 7B will host an educational workshop on how local code — such as the Bonner County comprehensive plan — affects the area’s landscape and future developments. The free workshop runs from 4:30-6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library (1407 Cedar St.). Attend in person or online via Zoom at bit.ly/47gNap2 using the password “123.” “Why won’t officials necessarily listen when people say the community doesn’t want a specific development? Because officials have to apply the law,” stated Project 7B Executive Director Katie Botkin. “If there’s no
code to prevent a hazardous development going in next to your land, it’s probably going to go through. That’s why underlying code is important.” The Thursday workshop will be led by planning consultant Rachel Granrath, of the Spokane-based Kimley-Horn, who will explain how a county’s comprehensive plan leads to development regulations, which in turn lead to site-specific developments. Her insights will cover how to make effective public comments on land use decisions, as well as current work on the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan and future changes to the county zoning code. For more information, or to watch a recording of the workshop after the fact, visit project7b.org/land-use-toolkit.
Bay Trail now open through Oct. 4 By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff After two seasons of closures due to remediation work at the former Panhandle Smelting and Refining Company — a.k.a. Black Rock — the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail is now open through Sunday, Oct. 4. Ponderay City Hall advised in a news release that the Bay Trail from Sandpoint to the gate is accessible, while the Black Rock project site will remain closed to the public beyond the gate and posted signage. Crews started cleanup at Black Rock on April 7, working to remove or otherwise contain remnants from the slag heap generated by the smelter, which operated on the shoreline from 1907 to 1909. A 2012 study found that a variety of heavy metals — a majority being lead — were present at the location in concentrations exceeding EPA residential screen levels. The concentrated levels were found at Black Rock as well as the soils where the then-defunct smelter structure remained until 1922. Area residents have used Black Rock as a recreation site for a century, accessing it from Ponderay across the railroad tracks and, increasingly since its dedication in 2014, the 1.5-mile Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. The remediation project at Black Rock is intended to collect and remove 6 / R / September 24, 2026
The Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. Courtesy photo the contaminated soils and bury them under a permanent subterranean repository. It also serves as the first phase of Ponderay’s Front Yard Project, which will create community green space and establish safe lakeshore access for Ponderay, in addition to making the Bay Trail a two-mile connecting route between Sandpoint and its immediate neighbor to the north. For more details on the Front Yard Project, go to cityofponderay.org/thefront-yard-project. Anticipated closures will be updated weekly to include known closures for the following week both at the city’s website and Facebook account. “We thank you in advance for your patience as we complete this project and create a safe and more usable asset for the community,” Ponderay officials stated.
Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond President Donald Trump recently claimed “permanent control over security” in Greenland. According to PolitiFact, the agreement actually appears to be a summation of past agreements. On Sept. 20, a 28-year-old DoorDash driver, who entered the country legally from Venezuela in 2024 and had a valid work permit, was shot in the back by an ICE agent in Austin, Texas. Photos showed two bullet holes in the car’s passenger side, NPR reported. DHS officials said he’s in federal custody “pending removal.” As of Sept. 22, he still had a bullet inside his body and had been denied contact with his wife. A state lawmaker demanded quick release of body cam footage and an independent investigation. Amid protests, the BBC reported on Sept. 23 that a U.S. judge had blocked his deportation. More American soldiers have died in Trump’s war on Iran than the Pentagon has admitted, with 22 dead, not 12, The Washington Post reported. The expense of the U.S. war on Iran is “about” $43.6 billion, not including damages to U.S. bases. The IRS unpaid taxes report is being held up by the Trump administration, according to The New York Times. After Trump accused media outlets MS NOW, CNN and Politico of writing “fake news,” he denied them White House access. He said others would follow. Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume said Trump is “dreaming” “if he thinks this will lead to more favorable coverage.” “If you have a good story to tell, you’d want as many reporters as possible covering what you’re doing,” said former-Obama Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu. The New York Times editorial team argued that Trump’s media ban is intended “[t]o distract from his failures.” The three dismissed news outlets sued over their rights being violated. Five major TV networks that pool coverage of Trump — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CNN — have collectively refused to cover Trump’s media events. In a joint statement, networks ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC wrote: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.” Soon after the ban, the White
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor
House launched an app through which people can get “live events streamed DIRECTLY to your phone... straight from the Trump administration.” Historian and commentator Heather Cox Richardson noted that “the comment feature on the channel is turned off.” Huffington Post said critics cautioned that shrinking the independent press pool and pushing a “government-branded news stream” is leaning perilously close to “state-run” media. “What a novel idea — if you don’t like the news, write it yourself,” legal analyst Joyce Vance said of the White House app. She pointed out that George Orwell wrote in an essay, “political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” The Washington Sun reported that while the AI industry “sounds an existential alarm,” the U.S. House has adjourned despite urgings to stay in session to pass AI safety guardrails. Reuters reported that Trump has called on all 125 member nations to “resign” from the International Criminal Court, which he called a “rogue institution.” Trump objects to the ICC’s investigations of U.S. military actions and servicemembers, as well as the arrest warrants issued by the body for top Israeli officials on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a Trump ally in the Middle East. PBS reported that thousands of people protested outside the Kennedy Center, based on fears that Trump might tear it down after a court ordered his name to be removed from the building. PBS also reported that Trump is now planning to militarize his proposed 250-foot-tall Washington, D.C. arch, turning it “into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch” that would house “large drones,” snipers and “large quantities of sniper ammunition.” Blast from the past: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. president (1801-1809). He was born in 1743 and died on July 4, 1826.
FEATURE
Anchoring a community
BoCo museum renews lease, plans for future expansions
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff After seven years of uncertainty, the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum renewed its lease in Lakeview Park on Sept. 2. The nonprofit continues to work with the city of Sandpoint on plans to renovate and expand the space to accommodate its growing collection of artifacts. The museum first entered into its 40-year lease with the city of Sandpoint in 1979 during construction of the current building, agreeing to pay $1 per year in rent and pay for all future maintenance of the building. That lease expired in 2019; however, the city did not immediately extend it despite requests from the museum due to objections to the lease’s automatic renewal clause, which gave the nonprofit “the option to renew this lease for a like period on each successive termination” with little to no input from the city. After going without an active lease for four years, the Sandpoint City Council granted a two-year extension in 2023, which was again allowed to lapse. During that time, staff and volunteers looked for alternative homes for the museum, should the city not renew its lease. “In the process of negotiating the lease and having all of these discussions over the last couple of years, we had actually researched probably 15-20 other properties around the area, just to kind of assess them for feasibility,” said BCHSM Executive Director Hannah Combs. “This location has always been our ideal.” These properties ranged in scale and price and included Sandpoint’s historic granary building (599 Church St.), which would have cost an estimated $11 million — not to mention the cost of moving. That’s money that the museum simply doesn’t have, despite a $1 million anonymous donation. “We have, we think, about 400,000 items in our collection and the prospect of having to move all of that would be a huge expense of time and money,” said Combs. Museum staff and volunteers remained dedicated to the Lakeview Park building despite the uncertainty, funding repairs and planning for future improvements. In 2024, the nonprofit
Top: The Bonner County Historical Society and Museum exterior with a newly repaired roof. Right: Interior photos of the museum showing some of the historical artifacts stored between exhibits. Photos by Soncirey Mitchell spent $20,000 fixing old water and sewer lines. Then, in July 2026, it repaired the building’s leaking roof with funding from Bonner County and the Bill Jacky Estate. Finally, following negotiations between legal counsel on both sides, the museum was able to officially renew its lease in September, keeping the original terms and cementing its place in Lakeview Park for the foreseeable future. “Personally, I’m very connected to this place in Lakeview Park and being able to be an anchor here and helping make this a real community space — or contributing to that,” said Combs. Though they have already held several workshops gathering input on possible expansions and renovations over the past year, Combs said the recent lease renewal was the “green flag” the museum needed to begin planning in earnest. “We are still finishing up the concept phase,” said Combs. “We want to make sure that our members and the community are in support of this conceptually before we go to the expense of doing any sort of construction drawings or any more detailed plans.” The BCHSM continues to work with the Sandpoint-based North Root Architecture to refine possible floor plans, which they will then present to the public. Proposed changes include creating additional storage space, classrooms and accessible archival areas, as well as renovating the
building’s HVAC system to improve environmental controls and better preserve artifacts. “We will have to have the city’s support for an expansion because we are in a city park,” said Combs. “They will have to give us their blessing to move forward with this project, but so far we’ve had a great experience working with the building department, and they’re giving us the guidance on how we need to move forward through this project.” All proposed additions will be to the northwest side of the building and will not affect existing trees or play areas, though the museum’s yellow caboose will need to change its position within the park. “We’re trying to find a place where it is still prominent, because we love
that people recognize us for the caboose,” said Combs. “As they drive by, the big, yellow caboose is what they see, so we’re making sure that that’s still the part of the museum that waves ‘Hello’ at people.” For more information on the nonprofit and the developing expansion, visit bonnercountyhistory.org.
September 24, 2026 / R / 7
‘Corrupt’...
Bouquets: • Here’s a happy birthday Bouquet to Reader Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone, one of the hardest working journalists I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Barbs: • Like many of our readers, I was disappointed to hear that the U.S. Forest Service prohibited day use access at the popular lake spot Green Bay. Access is now restricted to those who book campsites months in advance on recreation.gov. I’ve hung out at Green Bay since I was a kid, and have always held a special place in my heart for it. It’s a gathering spot, a place to take the family on the boat, a beach to take a quick dip after hiking Mineral Point trail, and a corner of our beautiful lakeshore that provides us with the solace of being outdoors with just our thoughts and our loved ones. When interviewing the USFS last year about its renovations to the campground and parking lots, I asked if day use would continue to be allowed and was told that it would. Deep in my heart, though, I knew something like this was going to happen. It seems to happen any time a big change is announced involving public access to the lake. It’s part of a larger trend we’re witnessing, whereby beloved public spaces are being slowly taken away from the people. I’ve certainly heard from many of our readers about this since our story in the Sept. 17 edition. My advice to you is to contact the USFS and share your concerns with them. Contact Forest Service Recreation Staff Officer Josh Jurgensen at joshua.jurgensen@usda.gov with your thoughts. Maybe if enough people offer feedback, we can convince the USFS that Green Bay is not just for people who book a campsite months in advance. 8 / R / September 24, 2026
Dear editor, Morally depraved — “Wicked. Influenced by or using bribery or fraudulent activity. Rotten” (Webster’s Dictionary). The foregoing definition defines the current president of the United States. Somebody give Trump a binky to suck on and pacify him. Trump, his family, Patel, Blanche, Vance, Rubio, Kennedy Jr., Hegseth, Stephen Miller all need to be removed from top positions in our so-called government. Congress, especially the “Republican” side: Do your jobs and oust these destroyers of our country. Trump is a liar and has destroyed years of development of U.S. allies. Let us not forget a few of our corrupt Supreme Court justices. Alito, just to name one, has been bought and paid for. What happened to America? Trump has not fulfilled his basic promises while running for election: end the war between Russia and Ukraine, lower gas prices, lower food costs, no more wars in the Middle East, and on and on. Trump is what we called in the old days “a snake oil salesman” — one who has the one medicine to “cure” all ailments. Dump the Trump and company. Save America! Michael Harmelin, Vietnam veteran Sandpoint
‘Jane will fight for all Idahoans’… Dear editor, If you want a transparent, caring and well-informed leader, Jane Sauter deserves your vote for District 1A representative. I met Jane before she became a candidate, and she was already studying the Idaho Constitution and how our Congress works. Sadly, it’s often riddled with cronyism — a “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” mentality. Jane isn’t running to gain wealth and notoriety. She stands on her principles, and in her soft-spoken, gentle way, she’ll stand firm against anything that threatens our safety and freedom in Idaho. She stands behind the Christian beliefs our nation was founded on and, with passion, will protect the unborn and all vulnerable residents. Having raised nine children, Jane
By BO
has strong communication skills and experience settling debates. She bases her decisions on solid, evidence-based information. Jane will work to ensure Idaho residents have the first option for good jobs and to slow the flow of young people leaving the state because they can’t afford the local cost of living. Jane will fight for all Idahoans, far beyond the boundaries of District 1A, because Jane cares and wants all Idahoans to enjoy safety, good health and the freedom Idaho is known for. Sincerely, Teresa Lunde Sandpoint
Send Republicans a message on Nov. 3… Dear editor, The chaos, misinformation, disinformation, lies, attacks, collusion, corruption, wars, gas prices, etc., etc. It’s exhausting! The Trump Regime and MAGA have destroyed the Republican Party and, if it is not stopped now, our democratic constitutional republic is next — and soon! We need all voters of all parties to not vote Republican. They must get the message that this is not working for anyone but Trump, his billionaire buddies, the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025. There are many examples of excellent candidates in these letters every week and on every ballot. I want to emphasize to every voter, regardless of party or preference, that this is unarguably the most critical election of any in the history of this country. Our very form of government is on the line. “Democracy is on the ballot” (Marc Elias). There is nothing more true at this time! The likelihood that the upcoming election will be free and fair is still in doubt, much less the next. This is not your fathers Republican Party, it hasn’t been for over 50 years. Vote for freedom, vote for reform, vote for Democracy. Don’t vote red! Jay Omundson Cocolalla
‘Jane Sauter will stand for secure borders and rule of law’… Dear editor, America has welcomed people
“If we buy 2 billion dollars worth of bananas from Brazil, we’re actually losing 2 billion dollars. So if we stop eating bananas, we actually save 2 billion dollars.”
who come here legally to build a better life, and legal immigration has strengthened our nation for generations. But a nation without secure borders cannot effectively protect its citizens or uphold the rule of law. That is why I support Jane Sauter for Idaho House District 1A. Jane believes America has both the right and responsibility to secure its borders and enforce immigration laws. Illegal immigration can place additional pressure on local resources, including law enforcement, schools, emergency services and other public services. It is also unfair to those who patiently follow the legal process. Millions around the world are waiting to enter the United States legally. Our laws should mean something, and the legal process should be respected. Strong borders also help protect communities from human trafficking, organized smuggling and cartel activity. We can be compassionate while enforcing our laws and welcoming legal immigrants. Jane Sauter will stand for secure borders, legal immigration and the rule of law. I encourage voters in House District 1A to support Jane Sauter. Annette Thompson Hope
Kathryn Larson will work for all North Idahoans… Dear editor, Kathryn Larson has my full support for Legislative Representative Seat 1B. If you haven’t had a chance to meet Kathryn or view her website, I highly suggest you do so. Kathryn believes in North Idaho and accountable stewardship in the Statehouse. Kathryn Larson has major priorities to help our citizens here in North Idaho: • An affordable North Idaho economy where all of us can work and live; • Fair, predictable taxes (i.e. eliminating grocery tax); • Local access to quality health care; • Keeping public lands public; • Strong schools and workforce skills. Kathryn Larson is approachable
“We won with common sense. ... I could’ve banned fishing. The power of this office is crazy. I could’ve banned fishing. ... I think I’m gonna do that.”
and knows how to listen, work with people and take action. Check out her website: larsonforidaho.com (very informative) or, better yet, meet her and talk with her. Inform yourself and vote for the quality of the candidate and their character. Cast your vote for Kathryn Larson for Representative Seat 1B on Nov. 3. She will work for you and all North Idahoans. Ann Giantvalley Sandpoint
What’s in a name?… Dear editor, In another attempt to keep his name in the news, the Grifterin-Chief decided to rename Lake Ontario. When will he turn his random attention to our local bodies of water? After all, Lake Pend Oreille and Coeur d’Alene Lake are French names, and that can’t exist in a solidly red state like Idaho. Ted Wert Sagle
Vote for Karen Matthee to bring back the doctors… Dear editor, I am writing in support of the candidacy of Karen Matthee for Idaho state representative District 1, Seat A. In the four years since Idaho has criminalized doctors who perform abortion procedures, the number of OB-GYNs practicing in the state has fallen sharply. A recent study found that 94 out of 268 physicians have left the state since the ban took effect. About half of Idaho’s 44 counties lack a practicing OB-GYN, resulting in less access and higher costs for preventative care for all Idahoans, not just pregnant women. Karen is passionate in her desire to bring back the doctors to protect the health of women as well as all Idahoans. As a journalist, Karen has the skills to research issues, study the facts and to provide the leadership to find solutions, Please join me and vote for Karen Matthee on Nov. 3. Ann Berntsen Sandpoint The word length for letters has been reduced to 150 words until after Election Day. — Both of these are real quotes from President Donald Trump from appearances at the Rose Garden and at a press conference.
PERSPECTIVES
Emily Articulated Efficiency, connection
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist What if efficiency sits at one end of a long spectrum — our ability to perform tasks or produce results with the least waste of time, resources or energy? We know this end well. It is the engine of productivity, the means by which we squeeze the most out of ourselves, our days and our work. We use it to assess whether we are good at something. Often, we use it to assess whether we are good at life. We answer, “Did you have a good day?” with, “Yeah, I got a lot done,” as though moving efficiently from one task to the next is what makes a day good. Perhaps our devotion to efficiency is a side effect of capitalism. Or perhaps the seed was planted much earlier, inherited from our ancestors. Those who worked hardest, saved the most, planned ahead and prepared for scarcity were often the ones who survived. Maybe that instinct helped create the system we now live within — a system that took our impulse toward efficiency and transformed it into a moral virtue. But what if that long spectrum has efficiency on one side and “connection” on the other? What do we lose as we push ourselves toward greater and greater efficiency? What do we trade when we optimize our lives around productivity? I took Adderall for a brief period in college. I consider myself to have a relatively mild case of ADHD. I can function well enough while still being plagued by many of its classic pitfalls — leaving my keys in strange places, interrupting people because I’m afraid I’ll lose my train of thought, responding to text messages in my head while forgetting to
Emily Erickson. respond in real life. The first day I took the medication, my brain locked into focus. It was as though an aperture had closed around my life, narrowing until only the task in front of me remained. Do other people’s brains really work this way? I studied for hours without distraction. I wasn’t derailed by a conversation happening across the room or by an open browser tab waiting to transport me into another dimension. I completed tedious tasks I had been postponing for months. I finally took the bag of clothes to Goodwill. I mailed the overdue bill that had been sitting in my car’s console for weeks. Then I went home and cleaned my room. My motivation seemed endless. I had never been so efficient. After taking the medication for a while, however, I began to recognize a cost — and not just that of fulfilling my prescription. I became less interested in the long, winding conversations I used to fall into, too eager to return to all that I was busy getting done. I no longer stopped to draw the leaf that looked like a threelegged dog. I didn’t take the long way home simply because I liked my playlist too much to stop before the final song. In my newfound efficiency, I was losing a sense of connec-
tion: to other people, to my surroundings and to myself. My experience is not universal. For many people, medication creates the clarity and capacity that make connection possible. But, for me, it provided a brief encounter with an intensified version of the value our culture already prizes most. Because connection is not efficient. It requires time and space, and the messy, slow details that help us see ourselves in one another. Or in our surroundings. We already seem to understand this instinctively. When we want to reconnect, we often remove ourselves from places where efficiency is expected of us. We take a vacation from work or spend a weekend in the woods. We cook slowly over camp stoves, read books and play cards for no reason other than enjoyment. We put ourselves somewhere that forces us to slow down until we finally have enough space to hear one another and relish our company and surroundings. A well-functioning society needs producers — people who naturally organize, build and get things done. But it also needs thinkers, wanderers, slow movers and connectors. Instead, we have treated productivity as the primary measure of a person’s value, even when their gifts lie elsewhere. We reward it, require it and rarely acknowledge its cost. Now, it is easier than ever to make ourselves more efficient. We have shortcuts, cheat codes, life hacks, automation and tools capable of producing in seconds what once took hours. Using them is understandable, especially when the tasks of life consume so much of our time that becoming more efficient can give some of it back.
But every shortcut deserves a second question: What does this make possible, and what might it remove? Buying it online might mean missing bumping into a friend you haven’t seen in ages. Auto-generating the email could remove the idea sparked by considering the person who will receive it. Taking the shortcut might mean sacrificing the part of you that still wants to learn how to do it yourself. Not every task needs to be slow or meaningful. Efficiency is useful, and sometimes
necessary (the bill does, in fact, need to be mailed). But it shouldn’t be the standard by which we measure a life. Sometimes, we can take the meeting over coffee. Reject the auto-generated response. Take the long route with the cracks in the concrete that look like a tapestry. Not all the time. But definitely, sometimes. Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.
Retroactive
By BO
September 24, 2026 / R / 9
Mad about Science:
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Western conifer seed bugs By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
September in Bonner County means three things: the tourists have mostly packed up with the endless convoy of RVs rambling back to wherever they came from, school has started and we face an annual insect infestation of biblical proportions. Western conifer seed bugs, colloquially known as stink bugs, are everywhere this time of year. Structures are swarmed by the thousands, citizens are dive-bombed by buzzing stinkers and every spare moment of time at home is spent thwacking clumps of giant insects off door frames, only for five or six of them to still fall in as you walk through and drop onto your hair and shoulders. Despite their well-earned moniker of “stink bugs,” they aren’t actually true stink bugs. True stink bugs, of the family Pentatomidae, are actually those smelly little black insects that seem to invade in parallel to the seed bugs. Western conifer seed bugs are leaf-footed bugs of the family Coreidae. Despite this distinction, they do secrete a foul-smelling compound when damaged or startled. This compound is an alarm pheromone intended to alert other seed bugs to imminent danger as well as deter predators, of which the seed bug has many, including black-capped chickadees and orb weaver spiders. I’ve even seen large cat-faced spiders in our area catching scores of them in their webs, though I haven’t witnessed them feeding on the stinkers. Western conifer seed bugs have three life stages. The adult stage is the stage we are 10 / R / September 24, 2026
all unfortunately most accustomed to experiencing. During the adult stage they strike out to find places to overwinter and are drawn to cracks, crevices and above all: warmth. They often gather in swarms on and around windows and doors, particularly in sun-facing areas due to the mix of high heat and crevices into which they can tuck themselves for the winter. In the natural world, they find cracks in tree bark, rocks or the ground. Unfortunately for us, our houses are built for heat. We need heat in the winter to remain comfortable, so it creates a perfect attractant for these creatures by the thousands. The first stage of life — and one we seldom see — is the egg. Eggs are laid by females that survived winter in May or June. Eggs are often laid near food sources, which are developing cones on conifer trees. In the nymph stage, western conifer seed bugs lack the ability to fly and instead use their pointed proboscises to suck sap from cones. It’s likely that digesting the resinous compounds found within the cones is a contributing factor to the stink pheromone they produce when startled. Similarly, poison dart frogs are only poisonous when they eat their natural diet of ants in the Amazonian rainforests, due to the alkaline compounds found in the ants being secreted as a toxic waste that deters predators. Western conifer seed bugs reach adulthood in September, though it has been noted that this year’s hotter, drier early-spring conditions led to a headstart toward the beginning of August. Tropical climes hosting this insect as an invasive species have seen
as many as three generational adult cycles per year. Though they are native to the Northwest, they are an invasive species throughout Europe, particularly around the Mediterranean, and eastern Asia in Japan and Korea. This is exclusively through North American lumber trade, where seed bugs hitched a ride on Northwest lumber headed to other continents and took hold in foreign ecosystems. Italy sees as many as two adult cycles per year due to its warmer climate. Though not particularly destructive, they are an incredible nuisance, as 7B residents know. They have been known to cause damage to PEX pipes carrying water in homes, damaging them at a microscopic level by jabbing the pipes repeatedly with their proboscises. Managing the autumn infestation is nearly impossible. Repeated instances of stink bugs inside your home generally come from cracks and gaps in sealing around windows, foundations or external vents. The insects can squeeze through gaps as small as a quarter-inch wide and will obsessively pursue warm air drafts coming from any opening in a home. They also commonly cling to the edge of doorframes and drop in any time someone enters or exits a main door of the home. Due to their mobility, it’s often difficult to tell which of these may be the case if you are seeing them in your home. If you are repeatedly seeing them in one area that isn’t near a main entrance, it’s likely you have a sealing gap in a window or vent within about 10 feet of the area. Attics and crawlspaces often attract them as well due to built-in ventilation; though, if
A western conifer seed bug. Courtesy photo properly sealed, shouldn’t allow them into the living areas of your home. Killing these bugs can be a chore due to their large size, vast number and defensive stink pheromone. One of the most effective and relatively stinkless methods is to vacuum them up when you see them and deal with the vacuum contents later. Another method is to squirt them or places they congregate with water mixed with clove bud oil. The compounds in the
oil aggravate and disrupt their senses and make them very mobile, which often makes them easy to catch if they are hiding in cracks or along window tracks where you can’t reach them. The oil will work to repel them briefly, but it’s better suited for enclosed spaces like cars where the smell has less area to dissipate. It also makes your drive to work smell like pumpkin pie. Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner rfest?
Don’t know much about oktobe • Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration when Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on Oct. 12, 1810 and lasted until Oct. 17. Munich officials invited the public to celebrate on the fields outside the city walls and it was such a hit, the newlyweds decided it should become an annual party, which morphed into a beer festival. Somewhere along the line, the festival was moved to September because the days were longer and warmer. • Locals don’t call it “Oktoberfest,” but use Wiesn instead, which is an abbreviation of the area where the festival is held, called Theresienwiese, or “Therese’s field” in honor of the princess. • The rule since 1950 is that nobody can drink a beer until Munich’s mayor cracks open the first barrel of beer and says “O’zapft is!” which translates to “It’s tapped!” • Since local beers often push 6% alcohol content or more, people
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celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany often get super drunk, super fast. There’s even a name for the unfortunate souls who pass out from excessive consumption: Bierleichen, or “beer corpses.” • Paris Hilton was once banned from the Munich festival because she showed up in a dirndl (traditional German dress) promoting a canned wine brand. Locals were so offended (more at the canned wine than the dirndl), they demanded organizers issue the ban because Hilton “cheapened” the event. • More than 6 million people visit the Munich Oktoberfest each year, consuming about 1.8 million gallons of beer. • In 1896, Albert Einstein worked at Oktoberfest as an electrician, helping set up one of the beer tents. • Oktoberfest’s lost and found claims about 4,000 items are lost every year, including at least one set of teeth.
PERSPECTIVES
Where’s the beef, Sen. Risch? By Jim Jones Reader Contributor It must be election season again because I’m seeing many down-home TV ads of Jim Risch wearing his cowboy uniform and tossing hay to his cattle — as well as a bit of B.S. to the voters. As a guy who grew up on the
largest cattle operation in southern Idaho, it does not ring true. My father, Henry Jones, had two cattle feedyards just west of Eden in Jerome County and we rarely wore clean city-slicker cowboy clothes while working the critters. And it is not clear how often Risch gets out to Idaho to toss wads of hay around, since he never seems to hold an
On Green Bay day use closure: Public lands are for the public By Heidi Dorman Reader Contributor I read with disbelief in last week’s Reader about the closure of day use at Green Bay by the United States Forest Service. I live in the surrounding neighborhood and swim and kayak at Green Bay throughout the season. It is abhorrent and in direct opposition to the Public Land Trust to disallow public access to water and beaches (below the ordinary high-water mark). According to the new mandate, I will not be able to set foot on either of the two expansive beaches without a pre-purchased camping permit. They will be enforcing even boat traffic who pull up along the shoreline [News, “Green Bay campground closed to day use,” Sept. 17, 2026]. Green bay is an iconic treasure in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest that belongs to all citizens. As a taxpaying citizen, I have an inalienable right to access and swim in Lake Pend Oreille, which defines Bonner County. Our region is surrounded by water, yet there is very little public access. This action by the Forest Service will also negatively impact the county-owned park at Garfield Bay, which is already overcrowded with locals and tourists alike. Garfield Bay’s small beachfront will continue to degrade with increased use. According to the Forest Service, the reason for the day use closure is to give the campers of the 16 campsites a
better and less crowded beach experience. The article also stated that members of the public were walking through people’s campsites. A proactive and sensible approach would be to simply post a few signs to remind people to stay on the designated access trail to the beach, which most people adhere to. In addressing the issue of crowds, I wholeheartedly appreciate the revamping of campsites, the expanded parking lots and the provision of a full-time, volunteer host who helps keep the area clean and manageable. I recently spent a midweek afternoon at Green Bay during the height of summer tourist season (Monday, Aug. 17). All of the campsites on the larger beach were still unoccupied by the time I left at 3:30 p.m. There were about a dozen or so day users who were recreating at the beach. Do the busy days warrant the closure of day use throughout the season? Does the revenue from the 16 campsites available at $15 per night outweigh the loss of recreational opportunities and the subsequent loss of tourist dollars? I think not. The Forest Service needs to meet the needs of all the people, not just those who are able to camp. Public lands are for the public. It’s as simple as that. Celebrate National Public Lands Day (Saturday, Sept. 26) by voicing your opposition to this closure. Heidi Dorman is a Bonner County resident.
open town hall in the state. If Risch was really a cattle rancher, he would be raising hell about President Donald Trump’s plan to bring in 660 million pounds of mystery meat from Brazil and Argentina to knock down the price of ground beef. Our producers were finally making a little money on their cattle and we are now going to have substandard “meat” products on supermarket shelves? The one raising hell about this travesty is Risch’s opponent, Todd Achilles. Todd grew up on his family’s farm in Oregon and knows the ups and downs that face those in the farming business and how essential it is to provide safe, inspected food to the public. Todd has also talked of the necessity of our senators speaking out and using their constitutional powers to set trade, tariff and war policies. Risch has failed and refused to perform those essential duties and Idahoans have suffered. The importation of mystery meat just scratches the surface of acting as a presidential “yes”
man. Todd has warned that the unconstitutional war against Iran has skyrocketed diesel to over $6 a gallon and put the cost of fertilizer almost out of reach, if farmers can find it. Risch is clearly asleep at the switch instead of protecting Idahoans. Interest rates and inflation are both on the rise, which will hurt all but the wealthy — the constituency favored by Risch and the rest of our congressional delegation. The Big Beautiful Billionaire Bill they passed last year proved that. It will raise our national debt to more than $40 trillion and make it virtually impossible for average folks to get health coverage and affordable housing. Todd Achilles has repeatedly warned of these problems and called for urgent remedial action. To be fair, Risch once warned that a growing national debt would “saddle our children and grandchildren with an incredible debt.” But that was in April 2009, when the debt was about $11.12 trillion. In observing Risch over the
past four decades, I’ve concluded that he’s dedicated to serving himself and pleasing the powers that be, regardless how it plays out with those he is elected to represent. One day he is the staunchest supporter of NATO and Ukraine, but that can change at a moment’s notice if his position jeopardizes a presidential endorsement. The man is in it for himself. He’s highly partisan. His principles shift with the political wind. I have forgiven all of the Vietnam draft dodgers, except for those who came up with sketchy medical excuses — Risch’s “ulcer” and Trump’s bone spurs. I prefer those who volunteer to serve the country, like Todd Achilles. He would not masquerade as a cattle rancher just to pander for votes. 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.
September 24, 2026 / R / 11
PERSPECTIVES
On (American) football By Sandy Compton Reader Staff It’s football season! I have a number of favorite teams and players — first and foremost, the Seahawks and Sam Darnold, who hasn’t played since spraining his butt, but Drew Lock seems to be doing fine. I also like the 49ers and Brock Purdy and the Bills and Josh Allen. I like to watch Mahomes play, but I’m tired of closeups of him chewing his mouth guard and extra tired of watching what’sher-name (Kelce’s wife) cavorting in the private box at Arrowhead Stadium. OK. I know her name, and I think she’s pretty cool. But let her have some privacy. And let us enjoy the game without panning to her celebrations or inspecting a player’s or coach’s joy or dejection after each and every play. In the days before television timeouts and three-minute commercial breaks between possessions, I watched complete games. Currently, I don’t have a television hooked to anything but a DVD player, and I can’t convince myself to pay to stream games. Plus,
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it’s maddening to spend as much time watching cartoon bears extoll the virtues of toilet paper, the smirking jerk from Allstate, entitled folks driving really expensive cars or five replays from five different angles as I spend watching the game itself. So, my “secret” weapons in pursuit of keeping up with football are the NFL’s compressed highlights, which are available almost as soon as the game is over. It’s a handy way to see all the good stuff without all the stupid stuff. And already knowing who won doesn’t spoil my fun. It’s still pretty cool to see how they won, without being obliged to watch Taylor jump around in a glass box or Matthew McConaughey acting all prissy because he drives a Lincoln. Or, for God’s sake, the Allstate idiot causing and laughing at the misfortune of others. (Allstate, you will never, ever get my business unless you get rid of Mr. Disaster. Promise.) My loyalties in football (and baseball, for that matter) are rooted in geography and lineage. When there was one televised baseball game per week (on Saturday), my Grandpa Bill was a Tacoma
Giants fan because he lived in Tacoma. By extrapolation, we were both San Francisco Giants fans (Tacoma was part of the SF farm system). This association (and Joe Montana) led me to be a 49ers fan, which has faded and been resurrected several times over the years. Now, there’s Brock Purdy. Besides the plus of playing for the 49ers, he’s a truly nice guy who has risen above everybody’s expectations and still remains humble and grounded. (What a concept!) I suppose Grandpa would have been a Seahawks fan, had there been Seahawks when he lived in Tacoma. Geographically, I suppose I might be a Broncos fan (which I sort of am) if I lived on the east side of the Divide, or maybe even a Vikings or Packers fan (which likely cannot exist in the same body). But I live in the Pacific Northwest, so the Hawks are my faves. My un-faves were also gained through lineage. To be a Giants fan is to dislike the Dodgers, “dislike” being a euphemism. Ergo, to be a 49ers fan is to dislike the Rams. I didn’t even like the Rams when they moved to the Midwest. A Ram is a Ram, no matter where they play. Dallas gained my dislike back when I was a fan of the team formerly known as the Redskins, when their rivalry was among the fiercest. In spite of Jerry Jones, I did admire Roger Staubach, and even Tom Landry, who never lost his
cool — or his hat — on the sidelines like coaches seem to do with almost every close play these days. But I cheered against the Cowboys then, and I still do. Unless they are playing the Rams. Fandom isn’t always geographical or by inheritance. I have my reasons for liking Josh Allen. He’s a great passer who’s not afraid (or forbidden) to run the ball. But my main reason is that when he lines up behind center, he often has a big smile on his face. He loves what he does. He plays the game like a goofy kid who is having the time of his life. Mahomes does the same. Both SF and Seattle won this week in convincing fashion. If they play for the conference championship later this year, I’ll have to cheer for the Seahawks, I suppose, but if SF wins, I’ll have a great reason to keep watching. I’ll be watching on Nov. 3, as well, and cheering for a change in the power structure of our country. Right now, the score is looking pretty good. Trump’s approval rating is averaging about 35% and dropping with every rise in the price of fuel. Sandy Compton hasn’t had a television hooked to the larger world for a long time. He spends the time saved reading and writing books (and this column). His works are available at local bookstores, Amazon and bluecreekpress.com.
September 24, 2026 / R / 13
COMMUNITY
Students unite at Sandpoint High School’s Longest Table The Longest Table initiative has been uniting communities around the nation for years, and at the beginning of the 2026 school year, it brought together Sandpoint High School’s new and returning students to share a meal and create lifelong friendships. The school chose “stronger together” as its theme for the school year to embody the administration’s goal of helping students, teachers, families and the greater community work as a team to the benefit of all. “[W]e spent the entire day connecting students to their grade level peers as well as creating a whole school culture and atmosphere where we are stronger together, both in and out of the classroom,” stated SHS Assistant Principal Kari Granier. “The Innovia grant for the longest table, where 1,100 of us broke bread together, was the inspiration — and making sure our students and staff knows that everyone has a place at the table. This theme has already been pretty powerful and exciting.” — Soncirey Mitchell, photos courtesy of Lake Pend Oreille School District
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COMMUNITY
100,000 Poets for Change inspires positive growth around the world By Reader Staff After a brief hiatus, the annual 100,000 Poets for Change celebration returns to Sandpoint on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Evans Brothers Coffee (524 Church St.). Running from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the free open mic invites the community to share original or found work that promotes positive social, environmental, political or personal change. Attendees can sit and listen or sign up for five-minute slots to share their thoughts with the crowd. “Express the change you’d like to make in your life, in our community, in our world. Share your originals or found poems, songs or otherwise artistically express ideas related to
peace, unity or sustainability,” stated organizers. The celebration of poetry, art and music began in 2011 with founders Michael Rothenberg and Teri Carrion, who envisioned communities across the world all reading poetry at the same time with a shared goal of peace and unity. The first year saw 700 events in 550 cities across 95 countries, making it the largest poetry event in history. Though the founders have since passed on, the celebration continues in conjunction with other efforts like the “Read a Poem to a Child” literacy initiative. The event is made possible by the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, Friends of the Library and Evans Brothers. Learn more at bchrtf.org.
Smokesmith BBQ goes all in for Oktoberfest By Reader Staff Nothing’s better than beer and barbecue, which is why Smokesmith BBQ is the place to be Friday through Sunday, Sept. 25-27 for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. German-inspired fare will take over the restaurant during regular business hours, but the party really starts after 5 p.m., when live music kicks things up a notch. Hungry crowds can savor a new selection of regional German-style beers alongside festive food specials with Smokesmith’s signature pit-smoked
barbecue. For the full Bavarian experience, attendees can test their mettle in Friday and Saturday’s stein-holding competitions at 6:15 p.m. or don dirndls and lederhosen for a shot at winning the costume contest. Friday, Sept. 25 will feature musical guests The Drywall Finishing Team, an oompah polka brass quintet that promises to “get you plastered,” from 5-8 p.m. Saturday will double down on the traditional German folk music with another brass quintet, The Varsity Polka Band, from 5-8 p.m. Learn more at smokesmithidaho. com.
Classic fun with the Eagles By Reader Staff Sandpoint’s Fraternal Order of Eagles is sending off summer with a heaping helping of classic outdoor entertainment: a rib cook-off and cornhole tournament. The get-together begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the group’s Aerie (1511 John Hudon Lane, in Sandpoint). If you have a special seasoning recipe or always run the smoker at family gatherings, bring a rack of ribs and your choice of instruments to the Ae-
rie by 10 a.m. to enter the tournament. The winner earns ultimate bragging rights, but no matter where you place, competitors will be able to share their favorite ribs with a hungry, grateful crowd. The cornhole tournament begins at noon and will continue, rain or shine, until only one victor remains. Participation costs $20 for the cook-off, cornhole and dinner; $10 for cornhole and dinner; or $6 for dinner. Call the Eagles at 208-263-3514 for more information. September 24, 2026 / R / 15
COMMUNITY
Panida Board provides update on community rumors about the theater By Amy Flint Reader Contributor Because rumors are circulating throughout the community, the Panida Board would like to provide an update on the current theater status and upcoming plans. First and foremost is our financial situation. The board has reversed a previous decision that involved using funds from ticket sales to support daily operations. Instead, ticket income is now placed in a reserve account earmarked for artist performance-related payments. This is much more sustainable than the previous arrangement. The Panida has always struggled to raise and sustain sufficient funds to support operational expenses. We have substantial funds in reserve (which are used only for their intended purposes) for various projects and programs, but it’s difficult to generate donor and grantor enthusiasm to support operations. The theater has ongoing maintenance, repair and restoration needs, and it’s challenging and costly to preserve the historic value and character of a magnificent building that’s approaching its centennial. Another element of our operational funding is ticket sales for events. We are working to recover from multiple previously scheduled events that have not generated the income anticipated this summer. In fact, many have generated a loss due to conflict with Festival events, weekday date choices and contracting with expensive events that the Panida couldn’t legitimately afford. We honored the contracts already in place to protect our professional reputation and ensure future booking access, but we are exercising extreme caution in future event selection. The board has successfully reestablished a positive and collaborative relationship with staff, volunteers 16 / R / September 24, 2026
and the community, as well as reviving the former Films Committee (due to popular demand). Now we just need to get more community members to attend films. We are very excited about our newly established relationship with the Spokane Symphony and their matinee performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Nov. 22 and the return of The Grand Kiev Ballet for “Swan Lake: A Symphony of Lights,” on Oct. 30. On another note, the funds for the Panida scholarship program are held in a restricted account and remain there. This year, we were unable to award our scholarship because neither of the applicants met the Laurel Wagers scholarship criteria since they weren’t planning to pursue a career path in the arts. We look forward to granting it in 2027. The board is working diligently to correct the issues that created our current situation while moving forward with more sustainable programming choices. Rest assured the theater is not on the verge of closing down. If you hear a weird or concerning rumor, please reach out to any of our board members with questions. We welcome every chance to provide accurate information. Submit a question on the “Contact Us” page, or get contact info for staff and board members on the “About Us” page at panida.org. We are forever grateful to our valued patrons, staff and volunteers who stand by us (and with us) in our efforts to fulfill our continuing mission. We wouldn’t be here without you! Amy Flint is the chairperson of the Panida Board of Directors.
SASi celebrates opening of its Inspiration Garden By Reader Staff To honor late-Board President Loris Michael, Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. is opening a new Inspiration Garden outside its headquarters (820 Main St., in Sandpoint). With the help of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, the nonprofit will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m., following its monthly fundraising breakfast. After Michael’s unexpected passing, SASi members began brainstorming ways to memorialize her and decided to transform the facility’s unkempt garden into a place for outdoor connection and relaxation. With the expertise of landscape architect Karen Oleson, the nonprofit has filled the space with life and color, and continues to improve the area with the help of volunteer Scott Rockholm. The garden includes a memorial bench, as well as inscribed bricks available for purchase, whose words honor lost loved ones or share favorite quotes. “A study reported in Frontiers in Psychology in 2019 concluded that spending 20 minutes in nature each day helps to reduce stress and may bring significant health benefits,” stated organizers in a recent news release. “Ten thousand steps might be out of reach for many seniors, but 250 steps into an inviting shady grove and inspirational garden is achievable.” Arrive before 9:30 a.m. for the opening ceremony, or by 8:30 a.m. for the $10 breakfast. Reservations must be made by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 by calling 208-263-6860. For more information, visit sandpointareaseniors.org.
FEATURE
A vision for the future
Community Resource EnVision Center explores a bold new option for bringing the community together
By Ben Olson Reader Staff Katie Begalke has a vision and it’s one that aligns perfectly with her work as the executive director of the Community Resource EnVision Center. Since it became a nonprofit organization in 2011, CREC has operated under the mission to establish one central place where people in need can go to receive help. This includes identifying technology and developing capabilities to store and retrieve accurate service information when needs are presented; maintaining a knowledgeable and trained volunteer staff to answer calls for help; and to achieve sustainable funding to support the organization’s overall vision. Housed inside the former Coldwater Creek campus in Kootenai, Begalke aims to take CREC to the next level by matching the organization’s mission statement with a physical plan to establish a network of service providers and outreach organizations under one roof — literally. Called “The Hub,” the plan calls for a shared community infrastructure inside the sprawling 220,000-squarefoot building and 16,000-square-foot warehouse, which already includes offices, gathering spaces, flex space, parking, infrastructure and plenty of room to grow. “The whole idea for the EnVision Center is to have people come under one roof,” Begalke told the Reader during a tour of the facility. “What would that look like? It’s someone getting job service and signing up for Social Security, having somebody watch your kids while getting mental
health care. We spend all this time driving around, getting resources and services, but what would it look like if everything was under one roof?” CREC has already begun a hybrid model of the plan, occupying and operating a 14,300-square-foot space, which it leases from property owners and, in turn, rents to local businesses, nonprofits and solo entrepreneurs for as little as $150 per month. Or even less for nonprofits. “We have 37 partners on the floor with us and we’re really working toward proving this model,” Begalke said. Not only do renters pay 83 cents a square foot, but they also save operating costs by sharing services and utilities like internet, printing, copying, kitchen space and more. “We are all on one internet bill here,” she said. “I pay $300 a month and 37 different organizations share it.” Begalke pointed to several scenarios that make a case for establishing a large umbrella campus for service providers. “The library wanted to do an expansion to be able to include a maker studio,” Begalke. “The YMCA has talked about having more of a daycare and we are in desperate need of daycares and child care centers. What would it look like if the library opened a maker space here? What if we brought child care programs out here?” Touring the facility, Begalke’s passion for the idea is evident. Across the enormous campus are conference rooms, board rooms, light industrial spaces, lecture halls, a podcast studio and more. Once the vibrant epicenter of Coldwater Creek, the spaces are now empty and preserved, awaiting
CREC Executive Director Katie Begalke gives a tour of the their next purpose. sprawling former Coldwater Creek campus, which she hopes Further underscoring the potento someday expand into The Hub. Photo by Ben Olson tial, Begalke pointed out the former Coldwater Creek cafeteria with an attached kitchen that could provide Bonner County besides a bar?” she the complex with an eatery and imagsaid. “What would it be like if there ines the sounds of people gathering for was a community center here and you lunch, work meetings, quick confabs could play games and be making and over cups of coffee in shared spaces creating?” and more. The facility is also located Begalke said that if a large enough on the SPOT Bus route, with a waitgroup of organizations, entrepreneurs ing shelter to be installed in October; and community leaders got together to a benefit for the VA clinic currently form a plan to purchase the building, located in the building. it would pay back not only those who The entire complex is currently on occupy it, but also the community at the market for more than $9 million, large for generations. Since Bonner but with so much space going unused, County has three times the national Begalke hopes to convince the broader average of nonprofits per capita, there community that her plan has the powill always be a need for affordable tential to not only save the facility from rent and shared spaces and utilities. being purchased by a single entity but “I sit in all these economic developserve as a sort of cooperative incubator ment meetings and chamber meetings and campus for local organizations to all the time and I’m always like, ‘We continue doing their important work. have the answer,’” Begalke said. “We’re Not only does Begalke see the just not coming together to do it.” potential for The Hub as a business campus, but also as a place for people To learn more about The Hub or to into meet after hours. quire how to help make the vision a reality, “Where can you go after 9 p.m. in visit crecidaho.com/the-hub-explained.
PvP holds first performance of Good Faith Medical Judgment tour By Reader Staff The nonprofit Pro-Voice Project is launching its traveling stage production, Good Faith Medical Judgment: Idaho Physicians Speak, in Sandpoint on Friday, Sept. 25, after which the show will tour across Idaho. The performance will take place at 7 p.m. in the First Presbyterian Church (417 N. Fourth Ave., in Sandpoint). “Right now, Idaho’s obstetricians are practicing under extraordinary pressure. This production invites us to bear witness and understand what that
pressure feels like,” said PVP Founder Jen Jackson Quintano. The documentary-style production is based on interviews with Idaho reproductive health care providers about their choices between practicing in Idaho under the state’s near-total abortion ban or leaving the state. Performers recount actual physicians’ words and experiences to demonstrate how Idaho legislation and the threat of legal action have affected access to health care for individuals and families. “Statistics can tell us that our health care system is changing, but stories
elucidate what those changes mean in the exam room, in a physician’s life, and for the communities and families depending on them,” stated Quintano. “That understanding is essential to better policy and better care.” The script also draws from research published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open in 2025, which found that between August 2022 and December 2024, Idaho experienced a 35% net decline in OBGYN physicians practicing obstetrics. Researchers concluded that just 23 obstetric-practicing OB-GYNs served
569,000 Idahoans outside the state’s seven most populous counties. PVP will host a panel discussion following each show, which will include patient experiences and expert legal and medical knowledge. The six-part community tour will stop in Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, Moscow, Salmon, Twin Falls and Hailey. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at bit. ly/4gwPpu1. For more information, to get involved, or to donate, contact jen@ theprovoiceproject.com or visit theprovoiceproject.com.
September 24, 2026 / R / 17
events
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com September 24 - October 1, 2026 THURSDAY, September 24
End of the Line: A Tribute to the Allman Brothers • 7pm @ Panida Theater A top-tier tribute to the Allman Brothers, with a sound that matches the iconic power of the original band. Panida.org for tickets Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends Live jazz w/ Bright Moments 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 6pm @ The District supper club Live Music w/ Sydney Dawn 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Drywall Finishing Band 5-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
FriDAY, September 25
Live Music w/ Marcus Stevens 6-9pm @ Barrel 33 Live Music w/ Devon Wade 8pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
SASi monthly breakfast fundraiser 8:30am @ Sandpoint Senior Center With food by Wendy Franck of the Hoot Owl. $10. RSVP required
Live Music w/ Fern Spores 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ Jenny and Rich 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar
Live Music w/ Matt Lome 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
MCS SongFest: Night 2 7pm @ Little Carnegie Hall, MCS Live concert with regional songwriters. Reese Warren and Sadie Sicilia will perform for night 2 100,000 Poets for Change open mic 5:30-7:30pm @ Evans Brothers Coffee Read, sing, dance or just come to listen. Sign up for five-minute slots Drop-in country swing dance 6-9pm @ Barrel 33 Music w/ DJ Sterling 9pm @ Roxy’s Lounge Live Music w/ Ian Newbill 12:30-3:30pm @ 1908 Saloon
Live Music w/ Monarch Mountain Band 6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Live Music w/ The Bakerwood Brothers 8-11pm @ 219 Lounge Live Music w/ The Varsity Polka Band 5-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Live Music w/ Smucker Punch 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge Live Music w/ The Cole Show 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ John Daffron 6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Brittany Jean 6-8pm @ Create Art Center, Newport, Wash.
SATURDAY, September 26
SunDAY, September 27
Open bluegrass jam night 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Weekly BCA pool tournament 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Keys for Homes: Piano benefit concert 7pm @ Panida Theater A concert by international award-winning pianist Jim-Isaac Chua playing Chopin, Liszt and Brahms. Proceeds will benefit Idaho Panhandle Habitat for Humanity. See Page 20 MCS SongFest: Night 1 7pm @ Little Carnegie Hall, MCS Live concert with regional songwriters. Shiloh Rising, Mike Wagoner and Tim G. will perform for Night 1 Lakeview Cemetery Luminaria Tour 7-8:30pm @ Lakeview Cemetery Three local historians will tell tales about those interred underneath. $20
SOLD OUT
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Local produce, live music and more
Rib cook-off/cornhole tournament 10am @ Eagles Club, 1511 John Hudon Ln. Ribs start at 10am ($20), cornhole begins at noon ($10). 208-263-3514 Ski/snowboard film screening 7pm @ Panida Theater Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar
Sandpoint Chess Club Meet independent candidates • 2-4pm @ Garfield Bay pavilion 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Weekly BCA pool tournament Come meet independent candidates Fred Arn, Kathryn LarNoon @ Roxy’s Lounge Celtic folk jam son and Steve Johnson. Bring a lawn chair/snacks if you like 3-6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live trivia w/ Toshi 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
tuesDAY, September 29
Live piano w/ Chris Lynch 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Open mic / jam 5-?pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
monDAY, September 28
Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome
Trivia night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
wednesDAY, September 30
18 / R / September 24, 2026
Free Sandpoint historic walking tour 10am @ MickDuff’s, 429 N. Second Ave. Free, no advance registration needed. Learn about Sandpoint’s history Documentary film screening: Speak 7pm @ Panida Theater Presented by the BoCo Human Rights Task Force, this documentary film follows five high school students competing in the national public speaking championships
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Local produce, live music and more
Beginner Argentine tango class 7pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St. Money empowerment workshop: No partner needed. $15 Masculine Side of Money 5:30-7:30pm @ Embody Yoga studio Live piano w/ David Speight A donation-based workshop explor5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Benny on the Deck patio concert ing how money works, cash flow and strategy. Open to all 5:30-8:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Free Sandpoint historic walking tour 10am @ MickDuff’s, 429 N. Second Ave. Free, no advance registration needed. Learn about Sandpoint’s history
ThursDAY, october 1
Open Irish jam night 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Tapped in (quiz game for teams, individuals) 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
STAGE & SCREEN
Actually, It Is Rocket Science ski and snowboard film to play at Panida By Reader Staff Teton Gravity Research will present its 31st annual ski and snowboard film Actually, It Is Rocket Science at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Featuring elite athletes, breathtaking cinematography
and the year’s biggest mountain adventures, Actually, It Is Rocket Science follows some of the world’s best skiers as they put speed, gravity and instinct to the test across epic locations including Alaska, Japan, British Columbia, Jackson Hole and others. The film turns a mountain into a laboratory and the
renowned winter athletes into scientists as they test the limits of speed, precision, creativity and commitment across some of the most consequential terrain on the planet. Tickets are $25 for adults and $17.50 for under 18. To learn more about the film, visit tetongravity.com.
Screening at the Panida, Speak shows that hope can’t be silenced By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff In a cultural time and place where everyone is fighting to be heard, a group of high-schoolers show how courage, conviction and hope refuse to be silenced. That’s the premise of Speak, a documentary following five students as they train and practice for the 2024 national championships in public speaking. Premiering at Sundance in 2025, the film shows how the kids navigate a backdrop of social and political turmoil — all of which inform their debate topics and
how they approach the world. Addressing difficult issues ranging from rising anti-LGBTQ policies to international conflict, the students tackle their research and competition head-on. In the process, Speak provides “the perfect antidote for these fraught times in America — intense, funny, and most of all, hopeful.” As IndieWire put it, “It’s vital that storytellers like those found here continue striving for a platform and give voice to the marginalized whose own stories are so often drowned out in an endless sea of media chatter.”
Presented by the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, Speak will screen for free on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Doors open at 6 p.m. and the film shows at 7 p.m. Learn more at speakdocumentary.com.
September 24, 2026 / R / 19
MUSIC
Habitat for Humanity presents Jim-Isaac Chua in concert
End of the Line plays tribute to Allman Brothers
By Reader Staff
By Reader Staff
International award-winning pianist Jim-Isaac Chua will perform a special evening of live music benefiting Idaho Panhandle Habitat for Humanity at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Since his solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 2009, the Filipino-American pianist has performed in concert halls, palaces and cultural institutions across more than a dozen countries. Chua will showcase the influences composers carried across time, tracing how musical ideas passed from one generation to the next. The program will feature masterpieces by Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Debussy and more, including the virtuosic “Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” and beloved favorites like “Clair de Lune,” paired with Chua’s own personal introductions to each piece. All proceeds from the evening will
Fifty-five years ago, the Allman Brothers released At Fillmore East, one of the most influential live albums in the history of recorded music. The entire double album will be performed in full — along with other Allman Brothers Band classics and deep cuts — at a special concert by End of the Line at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Hailing from the southeastern U.S., End of the Line has established its reputation as a premier Allman Brothers tribute band. With a sound as classic and heavy and a lead singer embodying the authentic, raspy vocal style of the originals, End of the Line
20 / R / September 24, 2026
Jim-Isaac Chua. Courtesy photo directly benefit Panhandle Habitat for Humanity’s work in the community. Since 1991, the organization has operated under the mission that everyone deserves a decent, affordable place to call home. Serving families throughout Bonner County, Habitat builds and repairs homes in partnership with local families who put hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” alongside community volunteers, working on their own home and others nearby. Ticket prices start at $12.50 and are available at panida.org.
End of the Line. Courtesy photo has carved a name for itself in the Southeast and is now taking its show on the national circuit. The six-piece has been endorsed by the official Allman Brothers Museum, The Big House, and carries on the legacy of the Allman Brothers with poise and power, pulling off iconic songs like “Statesboro Blues,” “Hot ‘Lanta” and “Whipping Post,” among many others. The show is presented by the Panida and tickets, starting at $38.75, are available at panida.org. Listen at endofthelineband.com.
MUSIC
Femme-folk-rock band Fern Spores to play 219 By Reader Staff Olympia, Wash.-based femme-folk-rock band Fern Spores is returning to Sandpoint for a free show from 9 p.m.-midnight on Friday, Sept. 25 at the 219 Lounge (219 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Drawing inspiration from Janis Joplin, Alabama Shakes, Susan Tedeschi and The Runaways, Fern Spores infuses their music with a modern edge while paying homage to
the raw energy of their predecessors. Blending vintage psychedelic folk, garage rock, clever covers and soulful Americana ballads, the band seeks to create a truly original sound. “Angsty but uplifting, whimsical yet fierce and as rock as it is roll,” the group states on their website. The all-woman project is fronted by singer-songwriter Alyssa Nunke and Jade Kovats. The full band includes Abbey Ryle on violin and
Katie Welch on drums. Fern Spores prioritizes working with women-owned venues, other female artists and members of the LGBTQ+
Courtesy photo community. Empowerment, sisterhood and resilience are at the core of their band ethos. Listen at fernspores.com.
Conservatory presents fourth annual SongFest By Reader Staff The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint will host its fourth annual SongFest, featuring regional songwriters on Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Little Carnegie concert hall inside MCS (110 Main St., in downtown Sandpoint). Performances begin at 7 p.m. both evenings. “Songwriting is the ultimate fusion of advanced musical theory, technical mastery and creative entrepreneurship,” stated MCS Development Director Kathi Samuels. “While conservatory students often focus heavily on performance, it is our goal to show them how songwriting can expand their career longevity and artistic voice.” The Sept. 25 showcase features Shiloh Rising, Mike
READ
With fewer than six weeks until the Nov. 3 election, here’s your semi-yearly reminder to read It Can’t Happen Here. Written by Sinclair Lewis and published in 1935, the novel imagines a homegrown fascist takeover of the U.S. Spoiler: If it hasn’t “already happened here” in real life, we’re getting real close. (I mean, the corrupt demagogue in Lewis’ novel promises voters $5,000 if he’s elected. How much closer do we have to get?) Find it where you find books, and let’s work on keeping it a dystopian satire, rather than a prophecy.
LISTEN
Wagoner and Tim G., while Sept. 26 will see performances by Reese Warren and Sadie Sicilia. Shiloh Rising is a husbandand-wife acoustic duo formed by Diana and Scott Stover. The couple has been playing together since they met 30 years ago. They now live in Moyie Springs and their songwriting is influenced by folk, rock, bluegrass, country and more. Wagoner is an independent singer, songwriter and author based in Priest Lake. He performs country, rock
and Americana, and is known for his performances at local venues such as the Pend d’Oreille Winery. Tim G. has been performing for audiences for 25 years. A self-taught musician, Tim originally learned guitar so he could turn one of his poems into a song. He has recorded five albums, earned national airplay on public radio and averaged more than 100 shows a year for the past two decades. Warren plays guitar for local band Nights of Neon and works as a chef at Eichardt’s
(L-R): Shiloh Rising, Mike Wagoner, Tim G., Reese Warren and Sadie Sicilia. Courtesy photos Pub. His style is influenced by the blues, rockabilly and alternative music. Finally, Sicilia is based in Spokane but grew up in Sandpoint in a musical family. She began performing as a child alongside her father — Mike Wagoner — and has built a career spanning blues, folk, funk, rock, jazz and soul. Tickets are $25 for either night and are available at sandpointconservatory.com.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Smucker Punch, Connie’s Lounge, Sept. 26 Devon Wade, Roxy’s Lounge, Sept. 25 Fresh on the local music scene, Smucker Punch has enjoyed a busy inaugural summer with gigs from downtown Sandpoint to Schweitzer, Priest Lake and more. Vocalist Kristi Smucker, who hails from Kalispell, Mont., and Sandpoint’s own longtime piano man Chris Lynch are bringing the duo’s multigenre set of beloved covers
This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone
to Connie’s Lounge for their first show of the fall. Between Smucker’s “stratospheric range and deep-down and gritty vocal style” and Lynch’s well known mastery of the keys, it’s a one-two knockout. — Zach Hagadone 6 p.m., FREE. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208-2552227, conniescafe.com.
If you ask most country fans what they want out of a musician, they’ll probably talk about a deep, rich voice; a friendly, rural vibe; a bit of humor; and originality that still draws from the long and beloved tradition of country music. In other words, they’ll describe Devon Wade. His music has the right amount of twang, rock and classic Americana storytelling, making it easy to clap your hands and
tap your cowboy boots along to the beat. Fast-paced, light songs like “Redneck Barbie” and “Carhart Cowboy” solidify Wade as a go-to act for a night out with friends, but his voice can lend itself to all moods. — Soncirey Mitchell
Looking for a soundtrack for these soul-ragged times? Try out Father John Misty, who somehow combines the sweet, sly, whipsmart lyrical sensibilities of John Prine with the reverent warble of Rufus Wainwright. Shot through with a vein of wistful indie folk that sometimes slides toward honkeytonk, Father John’s debut album Fear Fun (2012) doesn’t contain a single sour note. Find it where you find music.
WATCH
The sixth season of British spy thriller/dark comedy Slow Horses is back with new episodes; and, after just two installments (airing on AppleTV every Wednesday), it’s obvious why the show won so big at the most recent Emmys. Featuring Gary Oldman as the scrofulous spymaster with a blackened heart of gold and his stable of misfit MI5 agents, it’s another masterfully written ensemble performance that keeps viewers rooting for the underdogs.
8 p.m., FREE. Roxy’s Lounge, 208-920-9039, 215 Pine St., bit. ly/3V6z9aS. Listen at devonwademusic.com. September 24, 2026 / R / 21
BACK OF THE BOOK
Why the Idaho Statesman job cuts hurt us all By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
From Northern Idaho News, September 26, 1922
LACLEDE WILL BE MOVED UP THE RIVER Moving time for the village of Laclede, or what is left of it, since the burning of the A.C. White mill and yards, will start as soon as Capt. E.H. Elliott of the Northern Navigation company can get his 150-ton barge into action and the houses can be pulled to the river bank. They will all be moved upstream ten miles to the village of Dover. Only two or three residences were burned at the time of the fire and when Mr. White decided to purchase the Dover mill he had 41 houses on his hands that were occupied by his employees at Laclede. A contract has just been made with the Northern Navigation company to move the entire 41 houses to the new location. A special platform will be built on the barge and the houses will be put on wheels and run onto it. Capt. Elliott states that it will be less difficult to handle the houses on the barge and tow them up-river than it will be to haul them to the river bank.
LIZZIE JUST HAD TO GET IN WITH SHIMMY SHAKERS When a Ford, with no one at the helm, shimmied its way through the door and onto the floor of Jack Blake’s country dance hall, across the river from Sandpoint, where a barn dance was in progress Saturday night, it created not a little commotion among the dancers with whom the floor was filled. A young man who gave his name as Willian Cohen of Talache was bumped so hard that he was taken to the City hospital, but no bones were broken and he was able to walk. Other persons suffered minor contusions. No one was found who would admit ownership of the car. It is supposed that some one headed the car for the entrance on the inclined approach and then released the brakes. The lizzie escaped without a scratch. 22 / R / September 24, 2026
With the exception of bagging groceries at the Sandpoint Safeway, running the fryers at Serv-a-Burger, bartending at the long-lost Downtown Crossing and selling books at a shop in downtown Boise, I’ve never done anything to make money other than work in newsrooms. Journalists are my tribe. They’re my people, and even though we might compete for readers, scoops and ad revenue, my allegiance lies with them more than any workers in any industry. So it was with immense sorrow and dread that I read about the recent mass layoffs by the McClatchy Media Company at the Idaho Statesman. If the state has a newspaper of record, it’s the Statesman. Based in Boise, the venerable news institution lost 10 reporters and three editors in a wave of cuts across its other newsrooms around the country on Sept. 10. That was even after previous reductions left only about 22 staffers to helm Idaho’s flagship print paper, serving as the daily for nearly half the state population, including the capitol city of Boise and seat of the Legislature. “These severe cuts will hobble these news organizations and leave the public throughout the Northwest less informed about the events and decisions that affect them and with fewer people holding the powerful to account,” stated the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild. When I was a kid of 23 or so, I went to the Statesman to look for a job. I remember being awed by the operation, which looked like the scenes in any number of movie depictions: rows of desks and cubicles in a mostly windowless room under unforgiving fluorescent ceiling lights, people
running around with sheafs of paper, gabbling over each other on the phone with sources, laughter and shouting, the reek of burnt coffee in the air. They didn’t hire me, and I suppose I’m glad for that — not least because I wasn’t just laid off, but also because it shunted me into the arms of independent media, ultimately starting this very rag and having the honor of serving as editor-in-chief of the Boise Weekly, which was like the Statesman’s bratty little third cousin until it, too, was ruined by corporate ownership. This trend of accumulating wounds to the Fourth Estate has been ongoing for decades, with the litany of causes mostly too rote to recount — shorthand: the internet and venture capital. The one that most sticks in my craw, though, is the very people who journalism evolved to serve seem to increasingly prefer propaganda to honest accounting of events that ruffle their comfortable preconceptions or, God forbid, make them think about something real for more than the span of a viral hot take or the time it takes to take in a meme. As with so many of our current civilizational woes, President Donald Trump is a centrifugal force of the damage. If he’s not calling us the “enemy of the people” or “the lying press” (the latter a bald-faced reference to the literal translation of the Nazi-era slur lügenpresse), he’s imperiously banning legitimate outlets from access to the White House, insulting reporters to their faces, filing patently frivolous lawsuits based on personal grievances, calling for unconstitutional limits on the First Amendment (up to and including jail time for uncomfortable truth-tellers) and generally encouraging a climate of hostility toward the one profession that pays people for exerting sustained
attention to What’s Going On. I have to emphasize a central fact of the job: We are not your enemies. We feel our butts go numb sitting through civic meetings that any schmo could and should attend, but do so with the intention of relaying what happened so you don’t have to bother. You’re welcome. We ask hard questions of people who we’d rather drown ourselves in the nearest toilet than stand next to in an elevator so you don’t have to. You’re welcome again. We don’t get rich doing it. We put our names on what we write, give you our phone numbers and email addresses, even invite you to come to where we work to tell us how you feel — all free of charge. Then we do our damndest to translate whatever it was you told us into a format that can be shared with other people so that you’re empowered in the community in which you live and work. And for all that, we get downsized, ridiculed, distrusted and denigrated — to the point that even the “powerful” who want so much to tell you how to live and work won’t participate in the basic functions of communication. Politicians — notably all on the right-wing, Trumpian side of the spectrum — won’t even sit for election forums, much less interviews, because they can’t control the narrative to their total benefit. They’ve already opted out of speaking to constituents through a press-mediated forum ahead of the Nov. 3 election. I won’t pretend that my lifelong business is perfect (far from it), but its practioners’ hearts are in the right place. Mine is breaking for my colleagues at the Statesman, and for all of us who are worse off for the loss of their labor, which seeks to serve us all and whose absence harms us all.
STR8TS Solution
Sudoku Solution
Crossword Solution
By Bill Borders
CROSSWORD
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Laughing Matters
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
ACROSS 1. Cigarette remains 6. Manage 10. Swear 14. Eliminate 15. Dry 16. Any minute 17. Review 18. Sounded a bell 19. Egyptian river 20. Female-led family 22. Peace bird 23. Bless with oil 24. Eatery 25. Pinnacle 29. Decontaminated 31. Advisory group 33. Periods of 10 years /dahy-uh-JET-ik/ 37. Natural physical world [adjective] 38. Grow older 1. happening within a story 39. Primary chemical of the 41. Let go “In the play, the hero’s diegetic monologue revealed what had happened.” 42. Lands and wealth 44. Sleigh 45. Gush Corrections: Our readers sure had a lot to say to us this week, but nobody informed us of any corrections, so we’ll just leave it at that. 48. Fat 50. Infinitesimal amount 51. In a deceptive manner When you’re going up the 56. Smooth-talking stairs and you take a step, 57. Toy figurine kick the other leg up high 58. Small and light boat 59. Corridor behind you to keep people 60. Is endebted to from following too close. 61. Fund
Solution on page 22
diegetic
Word Week
62. Tall woody plant 63. Stringed instrument 64. Writing tables
9. Jittery 10. Nominees 11. Labor organization 12. Figure out 13. Contemptuous DOWN look 21. Antiquated 1. Road shoulder 2. Fertilizer component 24. Transfer 25. Skin disease 3. Diplomacy 26. Anthracite 4. Russian emperor 27. Silence 5. Brown shade 28. Countable 6. Library cubicle 30. Unbeatable foe 7. Soothsayer 32. High point 8. Dolt
34. Twofold 35. Celtic language 36. Sow 40. Greasy 41. Drive back 43. Rudder control 45. Spectacle 46. Frigid 47. Useful 49. Cut into cubes 51. False god 52. Windmill blade 53. Stops 54. Glance 55. Evergreens
September 24, 2026 / R / 23
LIBRARY
EVENTS OCTOBER 2026
9
ESTATE PLANNING: WILLS, GUARDIANSHIP & POWER OF ATTORNEY 10 - 11am, Sandpoint Library, Please Register
10
INNOVATE YOUR PATH 10 - 2pm, North Idaho College at Sandpoint
15
WHAT NOW? A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS CLASS 6 - 8pm, Clark Fork Library, Please Register
24
THRIVE TOGETHER 10 - 2pm, Marigold Bistro & Atrium at 414 Church St
29
DON’T TAKE THE BAIT: PROTECT YOURSELF FROM DIGITAL SCAMS 12:30 - 1:30pm, Sandpoint Senior Center
For events & info: ebonnerlibrary.org/events