Reader_April16_2026

The week in random review

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

As the worm turns

I sense that the worm is turning, or at least shifting, in our socio-political world. Sure, things are bad all over, but they’ve taken on the complexion of so-bad-that-they-have-to-get-better. The vile dunces and drooling villains are duncing and drooling themselves toward electoral oblivion in real time. Trump has achieved his final form as a 250-pound, semi-sentient diaper containing the diseased effluent of 5 million Filet-o-Fish sandwiches and enough stress and rage hormones to give a secondhand stroke to the ghost of Strom Thurmond. A keen observer can sense that even Trump’s internal organs are trying to jump ship at this point, much like his hitherto loyal legions of dumbasses. Beyond the likes of Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and MTG, a recent poll showed that white, non-college-educated males have finally gotten it through their skulls that they’ve been rolled like no demographic in human history, and their support for the president has sunk to -4 points. As they say, “Welcome to the party, pal.” This sense of general unraveling on the Troglodyte Right seems to have penetrated to the local level. Displays of MAGA trash are so few and far between that it’s hard to remember when those stupid flags, hats, stickers and people were impossible to ignore. Of course, Bonners still has that asinine “Trump Country” billboard littering the east side of U.S 95, but many of the good people of Boundary County seem to also be fed up. District 1B Rep. Cornel Rasor, R-Sagle, got so spanked by constituents at a town hall there during this past legislative session that he was “busy” for all the other such events hosted by his fellow Republican delegation members, Sen. Jim Woodward and Rep. Mark Sauter. Then, there’s the hubbub surrounding the Bonner County Republican Central Committee’s voters’ guide, which has managed to piss off almost everybody who received it in their mailboxes. Produced by the BCRCC and distributed throughout Bonner and Boundary counties over the past week or so, it’s a newspaper-style publication containing procedural voting info, as well as candidate endorsements, dis-endorsements, profiles and no small amount of hand-wringing over Democrats registering as Republicans to “vote in your primary” (as if that’s a revelation or in any way not allowed). Aside from people being upset at getting so much junk mail, they’re also apparently tired of “The Committee” telling them who to vote for and why. The other, more interesting kerfuffle is in Boundary, where the local central committee is miffed at what it perceives as Bonner politicos stepping on their turf. As Boundary GOP boss Erik Olson wrote on Facebook to his Bonner counterparts: “Why did you guys send out a text claiming Boundary County Republicans support your picks for this upcoming primary? It implies our Central committee supports your picks. We don’t feel the need to dictate who should be in office. We think people are smart enough to make their own choices. ...” It gets spicier from there, and you can find much of back-and-forth re-posted on the Rosebud page on Facebook. Long story short, it speaks volumes about just how much might change — potentially for the saner — after these May 19 primaries.

READER DEAR READERS,

Have you ever seen a shape in the clouds? How about a state on the sidewalk?

That’s known as pareidolia, which is the tendency to perceive faces, shapes or patterns where there is none. That’s why we see the “man in the moon” among other examples.

Whoever dropped the litter that graces our cover this week probably didn’t have any idea that a passerby nudging it with their foot would create a near-perfect shape of Idaho out of the wet napkin (public service message: don’t litter, you goons).

Our trusty Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone saw the napkin while walking to work and snapped a photo of it, and here we are, sharing it with you fine people.

If you would like us to consider your photos or artwork for a future cover, submit them to ben@sandpointreader.com.

Have a great week, everyone.

– 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: Zach Hagadone (cover), Ben Olson, Twin Eagles, city of Sandpoint, Bill Borders

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Kyle Pfannenstiel, Lauren Necochea, Laura Guido, Mark Sauter, Daryl Wheeler, Jeannine Tidwell, Marcia Pilgeram

Submit Stories To: stories@sandpointreader.com

Printed Weekly At: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID

Subscription Price: $200 per year

The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson, Zach Hagadone and Soncirey Mitchell. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please.

Letter to the Editor Policy:

We welcome letters to the editor on all relevant topics. Please, no more than 200 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinons expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publisher. Send to: letters@sandpointreader.com

About the Cover:

This week’s cover photo by our “Editor-in-Beast” Zach Hagadone.

Construction ongoing at marina adjacent to Trestle Creek

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

Construction is ongoing at the Idaho Club’s 88-slip marina adjacent to the mouth of Trestle Creek, after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporarily halted activities Dec. 22, due to an alleged permit violation. Developers have since installed pilings and riprap, and diverted a culvert known as the Trestle Creek North Branch Outlet into the primary stream.

The Idaho Conservation League alleges that developers Valiant Idaho, LLC and Valiant Idaho II, LLC, violated their conditional use permit by diverting the North Branch while it was flowing. Jeremy Grimm, of Whiskey Rock Planning + Consulting, representing the developer, denies this claim, citing an assessment by the Corps. Litigation is ongoing between ICL, the developers, the Corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, claiming that the marina will harm the native bull trout population.

“Not only did the developer begin work on the marina before the North Branch was rerouted, they also likely engaged in the rerouting work while the stream was flowing,” ICL North Idaho Director Jennifer Ekstrom told the Reader. “I documented the stream flowing on Jan. 24. I later learned that the developer completed the reroute on

Jan. 28 and 29 ...”

The development has long come under fire from environmental protection groups like ICL and the Center for Biological Diversity for its potential negative impacts on the Trestle Creek bull trout population. The species is listed as threatened in all of its known habitats — including Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington — and is protected under the Endangered Species Act. More than half of the Pend Oreille Basin’s bull trout population spawns in Trestle Creek, making it “one of the Pacific Northwest’s most important spawning streams,” according to ICL.

“The biggest threats to bull trout will come from the ongoing operation of a busy marina, the predator habitat it creates, and the pollution that will be caused by both the marina and the housing development,” Ekstrom told the Reader

“The agencies in charge of protecting our imperilled fisheries are not doing their job. We will continue to do all we can to stand up for bull trout and their survival in the Pend Oreille Basin,” she added.

Developers have claimed that removing the North Branch, which diverts bull fry into warm, predator-rich waters that already host a dilapidated marina, will make the development a net benefit to the bull trout population.

Further plans to mitigate the impact on Trestle Creek’s wildlife include establishing a no-wake zone, leaving existing man-made islands, and installing erosion protection and landscaping to revitalize riparian zones.

The Corps and the USFWS gave developers a specific order of operations during construction to comply with the Clean Water, Endangered Species and National Environmental Policy acts. These conditions of approval required that workers wait until the North Branch ran dry — anytime between August and November — to reroute the branch, after which they could begin construction. According to the Corps and USFWS biological assessment, if the workers could not complete the diversion in that timeframe, “work may be performed during low flow month in the winter when fish activity is minimal.”

In late November, developers reported that the branch had begun to flow again due to unseasonably wet weather and requested permission to install a pipe to divert the flow. The Corps informed them that that would necessitate “permit modifications,” among other requirements.

Builders began construction in December before the North Branch was completely dry. The Corps subsequently issued

a letter of non-compliance and a stop-work order on Dec. 22; however, developers maintain that construction did not violate the permit because it occurred above the high-water mark.

According to the March 24 findings by First District Judge David Nye, Corps Environmental Resources Specialist Garrett Schock verified that the North Branch was dry on Jan. 28, and workers rerouted the culvert the same day.

ICL and CBD subsequently filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to halt construction, arguing that “the developer’s violation of the permit may have endangered bull trout in unanticipated ways.”

Nye ruled against the entities’ injunction March 24, stating, “Any harms caused by sedimentation are purely in the past.”

Grimm called ICL’s allegations “false,” adding that the March 24 findings showed that “all work was done in the dry prior to the successful completion of the North Branch restoration, and that no harm to bull trout has been

shown or proven.”

“It may also be worth noting that an independent third party engineering firm performs weekly inspections for compliance with permits, and has completed over 30 such reports without finding a single instance of non-compliance or corrective action required,” added Grimm.

Plans for the Idaho Club marina and adjacent housing have changed significantly since it was first proposed nearly 18 years ago. Developers recently reduced the scope of construction to the current seven single-family dwelling units with private docks, the public marina, a breakwater, a pedestrian bridge, a boat bilge pump-out station, a 46-space parking lot and boat storage.

“The property owner plans to continue to complete the scope of the project strictly within the conditions of the permits obtained, all of which are active and in full compliance,” stated Grimm.

County solid waste sites to allow card payments

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

After several years of planning, the Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 14 to purchase software and card readers for its 11 staffed solid waste collection sites, allowing users to pay fees with debit or credit cards. The sites will continue to accept cash and checks.

Though the issue of card readers has been raised in multiple public workshops over the past few years,

Fiscal Year 2026 is the first time Bonner County Solid Waste has had the budget to purchase card software. The county entered into a threeyear contract with Stellar ScaleTech for a one-time fee of $30,300, plus an annual subscription fee of $21,760. The system will process payments, generate reports, create customer receipts and invoices and “improve accuracy and commodity tracking,” according to Solid Waste Operations Manager Melissa Gault. Currently, site attendants manual-

ly write receipts.

The county has yet to negotiate with accepted credit card companies for the user fee, which will be between 3%-5%. When asked what the return on investment will be for the county, Commissioner Asia Williams stated that “it’s more of a service to the public” that users have been requesting for years.

“What we did was, we did evaluate the fact that we’re only able to take cash at the locations,” said Williams. “And so it wasn’t just a return

on investment, it was also a safety and security [measure], and then addressing the people’s concern about taking cash without having the cards to be able to slide.”

Multiple solid waste sites have been broken into after hours over the past few years, with thieves making off with the petty cash used for change or collected during operations. In these instances, the county has had to open the budget to replenish cash reserves and pay for any property damage incurred during the theft.

The Stellar ScaleTech system is an integral step in Solid Waste’s capital improvement efforts, helping the county better track site usage. In the next few years, the county plans to consider additional systems that would allow residents to pay different rates for dump usage.

“I think it’d be great if we can scale the cost to the volume of use so that people are paying for their actual use,” said BOCC Chair Brian Domke. “And again, we’re trying to reduce subsidizing the cost of others.”

Following repeated damage, officials warn against driving vehicles on city park grounds

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint City Hall is urging the public not to drive their vehicles on public fields, citing five incidents since December of drivers causing “extensive damage and costly repairs” at Hickory Park, Great Northern Field and three times at City Beach.

According to a news release, vehicles in each case “left deep ruts and damaged park infrastructure, creating unsafe and unusable conditions on public fields intended for recreation and community use.”

Repairing the damage caused in all five incidents has cost thousands of dollars, requiring replacement of irrigation lines and sprinkler heads, as well as removal and replacement of damaged turf.

The drivers in two of the incidents were caught and charged with misdemeanors.

“These are not harmless joy rides,” city officials stated. “The damage left behind has real consequences for taxpayers, for families and park visitors, and for the local teams and community members who rely on these fields.”

In particular, torn up turf at Great Northern will delay the availability of the field as it undergoes repairs, affecting sports teams and other users who were already waiting for post-winter conditions to improve.

“The city is asking anyone considering driving onto public fields to think twice. Turf fields are not built to withstand vehicle traffic, especially during wet seasonal conditions when soils are saturated and

irrigation systems are vulnerable,” officials stated. “Even a brief drive across a field can result in extensive damage beneath the surface.”

In its release, City Hall underscored that those caught driving their vehicles on public fields will bear the cost of repairs “and legal action is always pursued.”

“Our parks are public assets that belong to the whole community,” the city stated. “Damaging them for a few moments of entertainment is irresponsible, costly, and unfair to everyone else who uses and pays for these spaces.”

Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity or unauthorized vehicles in city parks is encouraged to report it immediately to local law enforcement.

Ballot initiative to end Idaho’s abortion ban close to 100,000 signatures

By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun

The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion ban says it is close to qualifying the initiative to be on ballots this November.

Idahoans United for Women and Families Executive Director Melanie Folwell said April 14 that organizers have gathered nearly 100,000 signatures so far.

The ballot initiative, a power outlined in the Idaho Constitution, allows voters to propose their own policies that carry the power of law — if approved by a majority vote. The initiative would end Idaho’s near-total abortion ban and add protections for reproductive rights. Idahoans United hopes voters can decide on it in the November 2026 election.

Despite calls for change in

the three years that Idaho’s ban has been in place, including by the state’s top medical association, Idaho lawmakers have largely refused to modify Idaho’s strict abortion laws.

To qualify for the ballot, the initiative needs at least 70,725 qualifying signatures from Idaho registered voters. That figure is 6% of Idaho’s nearly 1.2 million registered voters in the 2024 general election — spread across half of the state’s 35 legislative districts.

But ballot initiative organizers often gather more signatures than needed, expecting some to be rejected by election officials as invalid because, for instance, the person’s voter registration needs to be updated.

Folwell said her group believes they are close to qualifying, adding that county officials have already validated more than 61,000 signatures the group has turned in along the way.

“We are very confident that we are going to qualify,” she told the Idaho Capital Sun. “We are right in the final push here.”

Only about two weeks remain to gather signatures. Signature gathering for the ballot initiative was done by 1,100 volunteers, without paid signature gatherers, Folwell said.

Folwell said the group expects to know if the initiative qualifies for the ballot by the end of June, once election officials can certify signatures.

If the measure qualifies for the ballot, the group would shift its focus to campaigning to get Idahoans to vote for the initiative. From what Folwell’s already seen, many Idahoans have their own stories about how Idaho’s abortion ban is working.

“We’re getting close to the point where everyone has a story of something that happened to them, something

that happened to their sister, their daughter, their daughterin-law, someone they love, friends who have been impacted by this ban,” she said.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet

the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

Forest Service restructure will see Idaho managed under new state office

Changes have sparked concern from public lands advocates

By Laura Guido Idaho Capital Sun

Recently announced changes to the U.S. Forest Service are prompting concern and also some cautious optimism from Idahoans interested in protecting the Gem State’s vast forests.

Idaho is home to more than 21 million acres of forest land. Under the new proposal, Idaho lands would be managed by a single office in the state, rather than split between two out-ofstate regional offices, which some advocates see as an advantage. But other changes at the agency also include limits on public comment periods for proposed projects, which alarms environmentalists.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, announced at the end of March it would move the Forest Service’s headquarters to Salt Lake City, consolidate research offices, and close regional offices while adding new state facilities — including one in Boise.

The Forest Service is led by Idahoan Tom Schultz.

“This is about building a Forest Service that is nimble, efficient, effective and closer to the forests and communities it serves,” Schultz stated in a press release. “Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital.”

Idaho’s congressional delegation has responded with support for the move. Some conservationist groups and former Forest Service employees, however, are concerned about how the restructuring will affect the agency’s mission on public lands.

The USDA also recently announced the finalization of new rules around the National Environmental Policy Act. The new rules are meant to minimize regulations and streamline review, but they also allow for more limited or no public comment on projects.

“The Forest Service reorganization is designed to bring decision-makers closer to the ground and closer to the forest, closer to the communities and put more boots on the ground. And maybe it will do that,” said John Robison, public lands and wildlife director at the Idaho Conservation League. “...

[B]ut at the same time, the administration is eliminating the actual forums for the public to communicate to the Forest Service.”

Reorganization may bring agency closer to forests, but could be ‘disruptive’

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins stated in a press release announcing the reorganization that the move was intended to concentrate decision-makers in the West, where the vast majority of national forests are located.

“President Trump has made it a priority to return common sense to the way our government works. Moving the Forest Service closer to the forests we manage is an essential action that will improve our core mission of managing our forests while saving taxpayer dollars and boosting employee recruitment,” Rollins stated in the release.

However, some groups are concerned that moving around employees will take leaders away from key policy and budget decision-making and coordination efforts with other federal agencies in Washington, D.C.

Bill Avey, board chairman of the National Association of Forest Services Retirees, said his concerns are compounded by mass layoffs at the agency last year instigated by the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency.

“U.S. Forest Service leadership needs to acknowledge the losses that have occurred, that this organization is going to reduce productivity and set realistic expectations for the work that’s going to get done,” Avey said in a phone interview. “You’re not going to get more work done with less people. It just doesn’t work that way.”

Around 500 employees are expected to relocate under the new plan, according to the federal agency.

Robison and Avey both said they had been told the major reorganization wouldn’t occur until the current fire season ended.

When the Sun asked the Forest Service press office to confirm the timing, a USDA spokesperson didn’t directly address the question.

The spokesperson responded in an email, “The transition will occur in phases. Employees will receive clear information about relocation timelines, available options, and resources to support their decisions.

< see USFS, Page 7 >

Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

Pope Leo XIV canceled a visit to the U.S. following alleged threats from the Pentagon against the Holy See, various media reported. After the pope’s critical remarks about President Donald Trump’s war policy, a Vatican ambassador to the U.S. was reportedly told, “The U.S. has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.” The ambassador was then reminded of a 14th century attack on the Vatican, during which the pope was murdered, the Vatican was relocated and controlled by the French crown for 67 years.

A recent Trump post depicting him as a Christ-like figure engaged in handson healing was quickly condemned as “blasphemy” by observers across political and religious lines, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian calling it a “desecration of Jesus.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán admitted defeat after recent election results, ending 16 years in power, during which he morphed from a liberal to a far-right authoritarian Orbán had been allied with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While in power, the Associated Press reported that Orbán cracked down on minority rights, media freedoms and was accused of channeling large sums to business elites. He also blocked a loan to help Ukraine’s defense. Election winner Peter Magyar campaigned against corruption and in favor of health care and public transport. The 77% election turnout was the largest in Hungary’s post-communist history.

According to Americans for Tax Fairness, as of March 1 the 50 biggest-spending billionaires have contributed more than $433 million to the upcoming U.S. midterm political elections — 80% of that for Republican candidates and conservative issue groups.

Various media reported that the 10-point plan offered by Iran — and which Trump said was a “workable basis” for negotiations for ending the war — included Iran’s armed forces controlling the Strait of Hormuz, withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from regional bases, full compensation for damages to Iran, release of all frozen Iranian assets abroad and adoption of all provisions in a binding Security Council resolution. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans blocked Democrats’ bill to end Trump’s Iran war.

Vice President JD Vance recently attempted negotiations with Iran, reporting that Iran “had not chosen our

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor

terms.” The U.S. wanted a 20-year suspension of nuclear activities while Iran proposed up to five years. A revival of talks is intended to address nuclear-related issues.

Trump announced the U.S. will impose a naval blockade on Iran, though any blockade is likely illegal. Trump said if Iranians fire at U.S. or peaceful vessels they will be “BLOWN TO HELL!”

One U.S. peace talk goal was for Iran to give up its enriched uranium stockpile. A number of political commentators said the U.S. aggression against Iran will likely cause Iran to favor nuclear defense measures, despite Iran saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The AP looked at lessons learned from the 1970s, when oil prices surged after war in the Middle East. Countries increased their energy efficiency, stockpiled fuel against future threats, reduced dependency on Middle Eastern oil and sped up alternative energy development. As a result, while oil accounted for 46% of world energy supplies in 1973, it fell to 30% by 2023 The U.S. used to get 20% of electricity from oil, but today that’s near zero. Vehicle efficiency averaged 13.1 miles per gallon for 1975 vehicles; it’s now 27.1 mpg (based on 2023 models).

Those gains are offset by Trump ending tax credits for EVs, weakening fuel economy standards and repealing fines on automakers who do not meet vehicle efficiency standards.

According to The Guardian, former-CIA Director John Brennan has called for the 25th amendment to be used to oust Trump, citing the president’s talk about destroying Iranian civilization.

PBS reported that a federal judge has dismissed Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over reporting on his ties to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Registration is beginning for Mexico’s phased rollout of a universal health care system, following a decree from President Claudia Sheinbaum. According to Mexico News Daily, the system will offer free care for all Mexican citizens and eligible foreign residents through any public health institution starting in January 2027.

Blast from the (recent) past: “You’re not going to have a war with me and you’re not going to have a third world war with me.” — President Donald Trump in New York City, days before the 2024 election.

“The number of relocations beyond those already identified in the National Capital Region is unknown at this time.”

Multiple critics of the restructuring announcement pointed to a similar effort during President Donald Trump’s first term. In 2019, the first Trump administration announced the relocation of the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Grand Junction, Colo., citing similar reasons regarding placing land managers closer to the public lands they manage.

A 2020 Government Accountability Office report found that, of the 311 positions scheduled to move west, 90 accepted the reassignment. Many positions were vacant ahead of the reorganization, according to the report, and 81 people out of the 179 active staff members at the time declined reassignment or separated from their position. In 2021, the headquarters move was reversed.

“That was intended to result in a bunch of cost savings, but it really ended up leading to a drastic loss of institutional knowledge with staff leaving,” Robison said of the BLM move. “I think it’s fair to say we have a lot of the same concerns here.”

Idaho will get its own office under new plan, but details aren’t clear

Idaho’s national forests are overseen by leaders in two regional offices, both located out of state. The southern part of the state is covered by a Forest Service office in Ogden, Utah, and the northern panhandle is covered by an office in Missoula, Mont.

The plan calls for more state-based leadership with 15 new state directors to oversee operations.

Robison, of the Idaho Conservation League, noted that the BLM operates under a similar state-office model.

“I think that this is one where it could make some sense, and we already have a longstanding example of the BLM,” Robison said, “where this could be a logistical step that could benefit Idaho.”

An unanswered question remains as to how the reallocation of staff and services will be carried out, he said. Existing offices support ranger districts, coordinate activities between national forests and grasslands, and allocate budgets for forests in their area.

The state offices are expected to have fewer staff, and it hasn’t been announced how many of the services will be retained.

Avey said he believes Forest Ser-

vices leaders are trying to limit the effects of the changes, but he remains skeptical.

“I think they took a mandate that was given to them by the political appointees of the Trump administration, and have done what they were directed to do, but also tried to, as much as they could, minimize disruption to employees and minimize disruption to field level units,” Avey said. “With that being said, we still have a lot of questions and concerns about this reorganization.”

He said he believes the move is driven more by “political ideology” than solving a problem, because the people who work in the forests are already located near those forests.

It’s also unclear how state directors will be chosen. On the Forest Service website, the agency said it’s a “myth” that the positions will become political.

“State directors will be filled exclusively by career federal employees,” the website said. “These positions are being created to bring leadership closer to the work and ensure the right span of control over forests and programs. They include the same line authority needed to operate effectively, and those authorities are not being diminished.”

New limited public comment rules already in effect on Forest Service projects

Rollins, the USDA secretary, also recently announced the finalization of new regulatory rules, meant to streamline environmental reviews of projects on public forest lands. The new rules have been in place on an interim basis since July.

“Since last July, agencies at USDA have shown they can reduce environmental review timelines by up to 80%. These faster, more efficient reviews are saving the Department millions in taxpayer dollars,” Rollins stated in a press release.

The new rules have already affected Idaho. In December, a project that includes commercial timber harvesting covering around 2,500 acres of the Sawtooth National Forest was proposed. Under previous rules, the project would’ve had a 30-day scoping period and another 30-day comment period of a draft environmental review.

“These public comments provide community members with opportunities to shape the project to optimize treatment activities and minimize negative effects,” Robison wrote in an email. “[Idaho Conservation League] has seen substantive project improvements in numerous projects as a result.”

Under the new rule, the Forest Service has fewer requirements for notifying people of proposed projects, which could include timber harvesting, road or trail repairs, environmental restoration work, or mining and other permits.

There are also new rules for emergency authorizations, which can eliminate requirements for public comments completely.

The harvest proposal in the Sawtooth National Forest is proceeding under this emergency authorization, with no official public comment period. An informational open house for stakeholders is planned for Monday, May 11.

“We are concerned that projects like these are going to be developed and implemented without critical public feedback and support,” Robison said. “The fact that there has been so much USFS staff turnover recently highlights the need for community involvement.”

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

Bouquets:

• I love riding my bike to work, but when it’s cold, rainy or snowy outside, I usually leave the bike at home and hoof it. It’s during these slow, meditative walks to the office that I often find things about Sandpoint that make me smile. One I always look out for is the little spot on the sidewalk on the north side of Cedar Street, between Third and Fourth avenues. Amid the new sidewalk that was installed when the Bonner General Health Services Building was built is an old patch of sidewalk with the inscription of the man who laid it more than 100 years ago: “W.K. Benton, 1917.” Whoever decided to preserve this inscription deserves a pat on the back. It would’ve been so simple to rip it up and start fresh, but they showed respect for those who came before us. Other W.K. Benton inscriptions are preserved around town, so keep your eyes peeled and you might catch a glimpse of local history.

Barbs:

• There have been quite a few bonkers quotes to come out of the MAGA-sphere this week. A couple of my favorites: Vice President JD Vance spoke at a recent Turning Point USA event, saying that Pope Leo XIV should “be careful” when talking about theology.

“If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in truth,” Vance said. Umm, did he just mansplain theology to the pope? Yep, he did. Also, dude, someone in the Trump administration lecturing anyone about the truth is pretty rich. What’s Trump’s lie counter up to now, about 30,000?

Also, former Fox News host and current rabid idiot Megyn Kelly said, “I mean, honestly, Trump could drop a nuke and I’d still vote Republican over those people [Democrats].”

If you’re wondering what that sound is, it’s my palm hitting my face.

8 / R / April 16, 2026

‘Let them have their closed primary’… ‘We the People choose’...

Dear editor,

There’s an election strategy that’s being promoted for the 2026 primaries. Democrats and Independents should register as Republicans so they can vote in the GOP’s closed primary and affect the outcome. On first look it appears to be a good idea. It is not!

The GOP closed its primary in 2012 based on the fact that only the most dedicated voters show up at the polls for primaries. In Idaho, turnout ranged from 24.46%-32.6% of registered voters in any primary since 2012. Registered voters made up 65%-70% of the overall voting age population during that time, meaning 14.6%-23.1% of voting-eligible Idahoans have determined who moves on to the general election.

That means only those candidates most closely aligned with a party’s agenda get voted for by their dedicated base. As a result, Idaho’s elected representatives at every level have been moving further right for well over a decade.

Let them have their closed primary. Let them nominate candidates who are beholden to the Idaho Freedom Foundation, corporations and lobbyists. Candidates who ignore their constituents and harm Idahoans. Concentrate on encouraging new voter registration, becoming informed about candidates’ agendas and, above all, vote!

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

Dear editor, I would like to share a bit more clarity on the use of the downtown, City Beach and our parks’ blue recycle bins. Even though I truly applaud anyone’s desire to recycle, these bins are not for everyday private household recycling. Volunteers take care to sort and disperse the bins’ contents, and lately we have found items coming from personal home use adding to the time/labor of the operation.

The idea I had for the bins was to offer visitors and residents alike, while strolling through town and/or enjoying our parks, an appropriate way to help our environment. In these bins only aluminum cans, plastic/glass drink bottles, plastic and paper cups, and paper can be recycled after use instead of being thrown in the trash.

Please explore other options to recycle your private household items and for the love of our Earth, let’s reduce, reuse, recycle when we can. Much appreciated!

Pam Duquette, city councilor Sandpoint

Dear editor, I vigorously object to the directive by Scott Thompson in the Reader on how I should vote in the upcoming May primary election [Letters, “‘Republican-endorsed Candidates’...,” April 2, 2026].

As a full-time resident of Bonner County and a well-informed citizen, I don’t need any political party’s central committee telling me how I should vote. It is “We the People” who decide who represents us. Not any political party’s central committee! I want to hear from the candidates themselves, not party insiders, on how a candidate will represent me. I can be the judge of what is best for me, my family and my community.

The notion of a central committee harkens too closely to the Communist concept of governing, ruled by a select group of party insiders with restrictive ideologies. Let all the candidates speak about how they will represent us, not the Bonner County Republican Central Committee. I will not rubber stamp their “endorsed candidates” with my vote.

I encourage my fellow Republicans to cast informed votes, not mindlessly voting for the central committee’s “endorsed candidates.” We can think and judge for ourselves. After all, we are “We the People.”

Preston Andrews Sandpoint

Dear editor,

In this election year it’s more important than ever to vote for the right candidate. That’s especially true for us living in North Idaho.

That’s why Mark Sauter is the “right” Sauter for LD House 1A.

Mark believes in responsible representation and listens to his constituents, coming up with practical solutions — not pie-in-thesky promises of “no more property taxes,” for instance.

A good example of Mark’s practical approach was his success in steering H.B. 562 into becoming state law during the 2026 session of the Idaho Legislature.

H.B. 562 addressed a problem for property owners regarding non-renewal notices and cancellations of their home owner insurance policies. The law now requires a uniform 60-day notice, which guarantees policyholders more time to make a decision regarding their insurance — a practical solution to a nagging problem, especially for us living in rural areas.

Please vote to keep Mark Sauter representing us here in District 1. Thank you.

Robin Lundgren Bonners Ferry

Dear editor, Andy Kee calls the [Bonner County Republican Central Committee] voter guide “untruths and half-truths.” Kee is Jim Woodward’s uncle. He never identifies a single untruth, because there aren’t any. Every fact comes from voting records at legislature.idaho.gov.

Woodward voted against H.B. 40, representing $253 million in income tax relief. He voted against H.B. 93, a $50 million parental choice tax credit. He voted yes on four bills raising fees and taxes on Idaho farmers, ranchers and professionals. His IFF Freedom Score is 51.7% and Spending Score is 6.8%, both graded F. Mark Sauter voted no on H.B. 421 (biological sex definition), no on H.B. 376 (concealed carry on public property) and no on S.B. 1198 (banning DEI at public colleges). He voted yes on four bills raising fees and taxes. His Freedom Score is 46.2% and Spending Score is 10%, both graded F. I resigned as chairman to run for Senate. The endorsement votes were 26-6 and 25-7, decided by precinct committeemen. That’s grassroots, not one man’s operation.

Kee calls it “dirty.” I call it public record. Is his nephew’s voting record “dirty”? I’ll let voters decide. The whole ball of wax is May 19.

Scott Herndon, LD1 Idaho Senate candidate Sagle

Dear editor, Please don’t forget our history! The value of looking backward before going forward has been repeated to us often. Let’s talk about the Bonner County commissioner meetings. Does any one remember how public input was shut down by the former commissioners? Commissioner Asia Williams made countless motions to overcome this, but the other two commissioners never seconded her motion. Thus, her motion could not go forward. So frustrating! But she persevered and now, with new commissioners on board that have the same viewpoint, public input is promoted. Presently, public input is invited after each departmental presentation as well as at the end of the meeting. Thank you

Commissioner Asia Williams!

And please don’t forget the departmental chats that Commissioner Williams instituted. Constituents wanted to know more about each department. So she invited them to an 8 a.m.-9 a.m. chat with those interested (the building opens at 9 a.m. usually).

Oh yes, and what about the Saturday town halls for the departments? This is quite a bit above and beyond what a commissioner does. Yet, she is just that. She is outstanding. Thank you again Commissioner Williams. You have certainly secured my vote on Tuesday, May 19!

Kristine Logue Bonner County

Dear editor,

My first day in office I will: end the war between Russia and Ukraine, gas prices will be below $2/gallon, grocery prices will be reduced, and on and on. Liar! To even attempt to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump demanded Ukraine give up parts of its country that Russia still had no control over, that’s after he spoke with his good pal Putin. What is Putin holding over Trump’s head to the point that Trump hasn’t won a single argument?

Russia bailed out Trump’s financial downfall in late ’70s early ’80s. Question is, at what price? Pathological liar, buffoon, coward and bully are just some of the words to describe our president. Did he really start a war with Iran with no entry or exit strategy to avoid the Epstein files? Make himself a billionaire at the cost of the American people? Where are our members of Congress? Stand up and impeach this convicted criminal and save America from falling even further into trouble with what used to be our allies. He attacks Iran and then wants our former allies to bail him out, after swearing at many of them and hitting them with tariffs. Idiot!

Michael Harmelin Vietnam veteran Sandpoint

Dear editor, I recently received a campaign mailer from Scott Herndon, candidate for the Idaho Senate, asking for both my vote and a financial contribution. I noticed the postmark on the envelope showed a ZIP code of 22801 — located in Harrisonburg, Va.

Legislative update 2026 session recap

By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint Reader Contributor

Greetings. As the session wound down, I found myself wondering about how the work of this Legislature resonated with our residents and what Idahoans in our state were expecting. Were our efforts reflective of the values of those who came before us? Did our actions compare to what previous Legislatures did?

From the opening “gavel” to start the legislative session, budget issues were the talk in the hallways and among the legislators. We had to address a shortfall situation for the 2026 budget, determine how to address the federal adoption of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) and to craft a balanced budget for 2027. We had a multitude of new bills to vote on as well (more on that in a future column). Developing a balanced budget is the No. 1 priority of the Legislature.

As we ended the session earlier this month, the Legislature addressed the issues

< LTE, con’t from Page 8 >

This raises a simple but important question: Why is a request related to an Idaho election being mailed from out of state? Voters deserve transparency about who is supporting and funding political campaigns, as well as how those campaigns are being conducted.

Dale Mason-Wargo Ponderay

Woodward’s ‘our guy’…

Dear editor,

I urge everyone to vote in the May 19 primary election.

I’m voting for Jim Woodward, his values align closely with mine. Jim’s honest and straightforward. His opponent, Scott Herndon, campaigns for smaller government but then tells others what to do regarding freedom, liberty, etc.

Looking at “some” of his hypocrisy: Herndon staged a promotion to be able to take guns into the Festival in the guise of “fighting” for rights. Unfortunately for him,

noted above with a variety of solutions. The 2026 budget should end with a small surplus and the 2027 budget year is balanced and has a conservative surplus to address unforeseen situations and costs that may arise.

I think it’s important to note that “the beat goes on” for tax cuts for our residents. We maintained conservative solutions for our voters, like property tax reductions implemented in 2023 and 2024. Income tax reductions from last year remain in effect as well. With the Idaho adoption of the BBB, our residents will also keep more of their hard-earned

the Idaho Supreme Court supported the Festival and the city — no guns at concerts! Proponents of Mr. Herndon tout that he paid for this lawsuit himself; the complete story is that defending the lawsuit cost local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs because of Herndon’s grandstanding.

Don’t forget Herndon’s years of offensive anti-abortion protests outside of our public schools with disgusting posters and his own children in tow. He continues to defend his anti-abortion legislation claiming no connection with health care shortages for women.

Herndon campaigns on personal freedoms, yet his actions show a different pattern fostering government overreach when it promotes his ideological platform. Vote smart. Vote Jim Woodward on May 19. He’s the best choice. He’s our guy!

Tari Pardini Sandpoint

money from tips, overtime and car-loan interest. Qualified seniors will also get deductions for their federal taxes.

The battle to right-size the state budget and staff numbers continues. Some have pointed out the growth of the overall budget over the past several years and the need to rein in spending. Others have called attention to our population growth and inflation as influential factors.

During this legislative session, many short-term fixes were implemented to address what appears to be a cash flow problem or what could be a downward trend in revenues. Because of the adoption of the BBB this session — and its “look back” aspect for 2025 for individual and business returns — the legislative body had to reduce state spending by $125 million.

The conservative Legislature wanted to be sure Idaho residents got their deductions for all four years of the BBB. We also had to reduce 2026 spending to match the forecasted 2026 revenues in real time, as

Beware of fliers bearing false claims…

Dear editor, Scott Herndon, as usual, is spreading false claims and untruths regarding his opponent Sen. Jim Woodward’s legislative voting record. It’s true that Woodward chose to vote “no” on last year’s tax cut, as he felt it wasn’t in our (his constituents’) best interest. That proved to be right, as that cut caused all kinds of problems this year. Woodward always has our best interests steering his decisions on voting for or against bills.

Meanwhile, Herndon wants to get rid of property tax. Now how ridiculous is that? No one likes to pay taxes, but unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil. He basically opposes school levies, another necessary way of getting needed dollars to properly run our education system, because the state does not fund education properly.

we are receiving them.

All the above noted actions resulted in a 2027 budget that is $2 million less than the original 2026 budget.

It’s important to note that the short-term fixes are not sustainable. We cannot expect our roads and infrastructure to hold up without investing in timely repairs and replacement. We can’t expect our bridges to last forever, either. We also cannot forgo deferred maintenance on our state facilities.

I serve as the House member on the Permanent Building Fund Committee. To balance the state budget this year, Gov. Brad Little made some serious cuts to building maintenance projects. That same action was taken for many years in previous decades, and our state subsequently experienced the increased costs for repair of bad roofs and water damage.

There is reason to believe Idaho will grow out of our current situation. By the end of this year, we should have a better understanding of our overall income tax and corporate tax revenues as the BBB

Beware of fliers filling our mailboxes telling us who to vote for. Many of these are again spreading false claims about why people should vote one way or the other. Please do your own research. But you must do it thoroughly. Don’t just go by what you hear. Check it out yourself.

Ernie and Helen Schoeffel Priest River

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters up to 200 words long as long as they are free of libelous statements and excessive profanity. Please elevate the conversation. No trolls. Send submissions to letters@ sandpointreader.com.

effects are passing through our system. Sales tax revenue has been climbing each year and should help in 2027.

It’s not an Idaho value to only hope for things to get better. The conservative thing to do is to plan for tough times when we are in good times, knowing good times don’t always last. The same can be said for tough times — we Idahoans get through them and hopefully learn from them.

I’m working hard and consistently to protect what our district, and the great state of Idaho, values with fiscally conservative values, including a transparent and balanced budget.

It’s an honor to represent this district in Boise and to be a voice for our area in local matters like Lake Pend Oreille. Questions or thoughts? Email me at msauter@house.idaho.gov.

Rep. Mark Sauter is a second-term Republican legislator representing District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Resources and Conservation committees.

Science: Mad about

lord of the rings architecture

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

The intricacies of architecture within the universe of The Lord of the Rings were not greatly explored in Tolkien’s texts. Much of the visuals we associate with the epic fantasy trilogy now are from the illustrations of Alan Lee. Alan Lee is an award-winning illustrator who designed many of the conceptual visuals for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also illustrated a number of other items from the trilogy, including the editions printed in 1988 and 1992, as well as The Hobbit from 1997.

He also stood in as one of the nine kings of men during the intro to The Fellowship of the Ring, which is a pretty sweet flex.

The architecture of the series is significant for many reasons. While being a fantasy story, many of the sets were actually constructed by hand and used by the actors. This meant that real architectural principles had to be applied in order to make the sets workable. Additionally, the architectural style of each race of Middle Earth speaks volumes of the psychology of those races, and the real-world peoples and values they represent.

The hobbits of the Shire have some of the most iconic architecture in the series, with homes dug into the hillsides guarded by massive round doors. It’s simple and unassuming from the outside, but they borrow from a lot of real-world design.

The earth makes a fantastic shelter when applied properly. People have used buried homes for millennia to remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Viking abodes

in Iceland were often buried structures. This served two major purposes: the first was to safeguard the home from heavy winds that could damage the structure; the second was to retain heat during brutal Icelandic winters.

The rounded doors of hobbit holes project a certain cozy safety — they are very comforting to look at, but it’s not immediately apparent why that is. There is a deep-rooted psychology behind the design of a hobbit’s door and why it makes you feel that way, and it likely traces back in our genetic lineage to before the time of the dinosaurs.

Humans, along with many mammals, like to have a wall or a tunnel of some kind to their back. This gives us an immediate sense of safety because we know nothing can sneak up on us. This is why small mammals tend to burrow, so they can emerge from the ground and retreat as needed. This guards their rear where they can’t see, and also gives them refuge from a predator that’s likely too large to follow them. Mammals’ last common ancestor, sometime around the end of the cretaceous period more than 65 million years ago, likely burrowed in trees or in dirt to keep itself safe from gargantuan reptilian predators. This is likely a subtle psychological behavior still present in humans, and one of the reasons we tend to push beds into room corners facing doorways and have a general aversion to long hallways.

The cottagecore aesthetic of hobbit holes is a direct representation of Tolkien’s ideals and rejection of industrialization. These are simple, human-focused homes that keep room for nature along-

side the craftsmanship and ingenuity of man.

The architecture of Mordor is a direct affront to this mindset. It is harsh, brutal, sharp and triangular. Sharp angles in architecture are threatening to humans. They project power, control and danger. A room shaped as a triangle acts in the same way that a cattle chute guides livestock to their ultimate fate, by removing our control to move freely and forcing us into a claustrophobic space. The key difference between a hobbit hole and a triangular fortification is that the hobbit hole gives you the freedom to advance or retreat, while a triangular fortification does not. Your choice is removed by force, power and the machine of uncompromising industry — exactly as Sauron intended.

The dark aesthetic of the architecture of Mordor also signals an industrial nature to us. Soot and ash cover every surface, like a factory without regard for life. Everything Mordor built was created for one purpose: effecting brutal oppression at any cost in the most efficient way possible — another reflection of Tolkien’s ideals and rejection of wanton industrialism.

The architecture of the elves and dwarves, respectively, represent an interesting duality of humankind. If we were unrestrained by time, what kind of beauty and harmony would we create to exist within the world around us?

The elvish architectural style is a dramatization of art nouveau. A rejection of structured, blocky and unnatural construction in favor of flow and organic shapes. It was a popular style at the end of the 1800s and the first decade of

the 1900s, but it proved too costly to craft and maintain, and fell out of favor. The tree arches and sweeping curved pillars of the elves project a certain sacred nature, invoking images of cathedral archways. The elves were unbound by time, and free to build as such.

The dwarven architecture is viewed as a representation of art deco, popularized in the early 1900s, particularly in New York City. The Empire State Building is the poster

building of art deco, with lavish use of gold and bronze and sharp angles. Slightly reminiscent of the brutal efficiency of Mordor, it manages to hold its own through artistic depictions of order and mastery of craftsmanship.

Dwarven architecture projected strength and an unwillingness to bend to unearned authority — at least until they became too greedy and dug too deep.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner

• The RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton on April 10, 1912 and struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 14, sinking to the bottom in the wee hours of April 15. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of between 1,490 and 1,635 people, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. There were approximately 710 survivors.

• The Titanic measured 882 feet, six inches long, with a width of 92 feet, six inches. It cost more than $7.5 million to build, which equates to more than $250 million in 2026 dollars.

• A first class ticket on the Titanic would cost $4,700 in today’s dollars.

• Four days into the voyage, six iceberg warnings were received and ignored by the Titanic’s command crew. While traveling near top speed, the ship turned to avoid an oncoming iceberg, but scientists later concluded that if the ship had turned much later on, the damage would have been less significant.

• The ship carried 20 lifeboats, capable of accommodating 1,178 people. The ship was equipped to carry three times as many lifeboats; however, many of the lifeboats left the ship half full.

• Of the hundreds who died during the sinking of the Titanic, only one survivor was pulled from the freezing Atlantic water: a man named Charles Joughin.

• Millvina Dean was nine weeks old when she was placed aboard a lifeboat. She was the last living survivor, dying in 2009.

• A host of famous people died in the sinking of the Titanic, including: Isidor Straus (co-owner of Macy’s department store); Jacques Futrelle (a journalist and mystery writer); John Jacob Astor (one of the wealthiest men in the world at the time); Benjamin Guggenheim (businessman and son of a mining entrepreneur); Thomas Andrews, Jr. (the shipbuilder responsible for designing the Titanic); Archibald Butt (a military captain and aide to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft); and others.

GOP education cuts shortchange our kids and our economic future

By Lauren Necochea Reader Contributor

Investing in our kids is how we ensure the next generation can earn good wages, build a strong economy and achieve an educated citizenry.

And Idaho voters of all political stripes want strong schools, colleges and universities. But Idaho’s Republican majority is abandoning this commitment. While deep health care cuts may have dominated the headlines this past legislative session, the GOP also left growing holes in education funding.

child across the state. It’s crucial for rural students whose schools don’t offer specialized classes or dual credit courses that give kids a jumpstart on college and postsecondary career training.

to economic opportunities. Meanwhile, Idaho’s colleges and universities are absorbing a 5% cut, on top of years of disinvestment and rising costs. Increased tuition is making it harder for students to enroll. Layoffs, hiring freezes and fewer offerings are leading to graduation delays.

dumb of the week

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

You know the old saying, “In the land of the absurd, the dumb-eyed man is king.” OK, that’s not really how it goes, but when you’re elbow-deep in absurdity and cupidity, words kind of lose their meaning.

looks disturbingly like Jeffrey Epstein, by the way) with his hand on his forehead as if curing him, a ball of light coming from the other hand.

There are flags, birds and fighter jets in the sky, and also some kind of Optimus Prime-looking figure. It’s truly an odd post, even for Trump.

When costs explode, flat state funding means cuts. School districts across Idaho are grappling with the impact. The Bonneville School District may eliminate dozens of staff and terminate a reading program. If Middleton’s levy fails again, they will lose seven teachers, eliminate 15 additional staff and forgo school security. Twin Falls already voted to cut about 20 staff. Other districts face similar consequences.

The Idaho Digital Learning Alliance offers remote learning opportunities for every

Republican legislators gutted it, slashing funds in half. That means higher out-of-pocket costs and fewer opportunities for our kids. Some damage happened before the legislative session even began. Idaho has a $100 million funding gap for special education. Superintendent Debbie Critchfield proposed to close it by $50 million. It’s sad the state’s top education leader only wanted to solve the problem halfway. But she refused to do even this and withdrew the plan entirely. In the end, she backed a BandAid solution of $5 million in one-time dollars. Our kids with special needs will be back at square one next year.

High school seniors were slapped with a $10 million reduction to LAUNCH scholarships, which provide a pathway to in-demand careers. This closes the door

These cuts shortchange our kids and our shared economic future. And they are a result of Republicans’ insistence on cutting taxes for the wealthy and profitable corporations. All the while, the GOP refused to tap the state’s $1.3 billion in reserves and continued to spend $50 million on private school subsidies, even though the state can’t afford it.

It’s no wonder House Republicans were a no-show for their press conference after the Legislature adjourned for the year. Who would want to answer for these actions? What we can do now is elect leaders who support education in November.

Lauren Necochea is chair of the Idaho Democratic Party and a former District 19 legislator. Necochea spent a decade leading nonprofit programs dedicated to research and advocacy in tax policy, health care and children’s issues.

Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club gearing up for annual spring fishing derby

By Reader Staff

With both the temperature and waters rising comes the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club’s annual spring fishing derby, offering more than $20,000 in cash and prizes for those who land the biggest mackinaw and rainbow trout.

Beginning Thursday, April 23 and running through Sunday, May 3, the derby features adult divisions for mackinaw and rainbow, as well as a Junior Division (13-17 years of age) and two youth divisions (0-8 and 9-12).

First place in the mackinaw Adult Division nets $1,200, with subsequent prizes running from $800 for second to $250 for

10th — plus a “mackinaw of the day award” of $150 given each day. Adult Division anglers for rainbow trout 32-inches or larger win $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second, $1,500 for third and $750 for fourth. Catch-and-release bonus is $500 and there’s a members bonus of $250.

Junior Division entrants can fish for mackinaw or rainbow (the latter with a 28-inch minimum) with a $500 first-place prize, $400 for second place, $300 for third and $200 for fourth. Catch and release for an additional $100 and get a membership bonus of $50.

Finally, kids in Youth Division A (9-12) and Division B (08) fish for free — with pre-regis-

tration — and are invited to fish for mackinaw or rainbow with no minimum length and a $50 catch-and-release bonus.

There are also a number of additional prizes, including for best photo, with more information at lpoic.org/home and the LPOIC Facebook page. The club emphasized that all bull trout and cutthroat trout must be released immediately.

Registration is $60 for adults and $10 for juniors, with tickets available at the club’s website, as well as a number of area retailers, including Holiday Shores Marina, The Captn’s Table, Odie’s Bayside Grocery, North 40 in Ponderay, Bayview Mercantile, Priest River Hardware and more.

The general Dumbness has micturated onto all of us this past week, with some of President Donald Trump’s actions and statements leading to more of his loyal followers (i.e. sycophants) abandoning the sinking Trump ship.

While flying from Florida to Washington, D.C. on April 11, Trump let loose a barrage of insane social media posts into the wee hours of the morning that continued to get weirder and weirder.

First, Trump attacked Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, claiming the pontiff wasn’t “doing a very good job,” and suggesting he should “stop catering to the radical left.”

Rrright, because the Catholic Church has always been super liberal.

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote, his post filled with the usual grammatical errors and improperly capitalized words that are his hallmarks.

The tirade came after Pope Leo’s remarks a couple of days before, when he wrote, “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Though the pontiff didn’t mention the U.S. or Trump by name, our troll-in-chief surmised the remarks were directed against him and let loose with a cannonade of Dumb.

He then followed with a bonkers series of posts that have been widely criticized. He followed his pope-bashing with a post on Orthodox Easter that showed an AI-generated image of himself depicted as the messiah. The image shows Trump dressed in white-and-red robes standing over a sick man (who

Both the pope-bashing and fake Jesus posts inspired a round of criticism from many of Trump’s one-time supporters. Many notable conservatives rebuked him, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megan Basham, Riley Gaines and even Alex Jones.

Conservative pundit Carmine Sabia wrote, “I support Trump on most things, but ... What Trump did is reprehensible. I cannot imagine the narcissism it takes to post that.”

The next day, after claims of “blasphemy” increased, Trump deleted the post altogether. When asked about it on April 13, he shrugged and said, “I did post it, and I thought it was me as the doctor and it had to do with Red Cross ... Only the fake news could come up with that one. ... It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better.”

Welp, we all know that Trump has never told a lie, so I guess that settles that.

In war news, Trump has issued so many conflicting statements about the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran controls, it’s hard to tell what’s real anymore.

Here’s a quick rundown of what Trump wrote about the strait. These are five different statements from Trump on five consecutive days:

• April 8: “We reopened the Strait of Hormuz.”

• April 9: “Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.”

• April 10: “The Strait of Hormuz will reopen fairly soon.”

• April 11: “We’re minesweeping the Strait of Hormuz.”

• April 12: “We’re blockading the Strait of Hormuz.”

Is our president insane? Does the pope wear a funny hat?

PERSPECTIVES

Behind the scenes of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee

By Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler Reader Contributor

I made my first run for the office of sheriff in 2008 against four other Republican candidates. The Bonner County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) hosted a series of forums around the county, which allowed the people to hear from all the candidates. It was the people who decided who would win the Republican primary in May that year. After the primary, the candidates selected by the voters were supported by the BCRCC in the November general election.

Behind the scenes in 2008, members of the BCRCC were overwhelmingly supportive of the incumbent sheriff but did not block my ability to run my own campaign. Nor did they send out a massive mailer with their favorites. They held to the tradition of letting the Republican voters choose their own candidates.

My campaign resonated with the people, and I won that May primary in a five-way race with 42% of the Republican vote.

In 2023 that all changed. Despite the fact that the opening date for filling for the next primary election was five months away, the chairman of the BCRCC, Scott Herndon, moved with lightning speed to sew up all the primary endorsements. He, along with a private group called Political Active Christians (PAC), which holds a majority of precinct committee positions on the BCRCC, worked behind the scenes to come up with a candidate

slate. After a “public meeting,” they circulated their list of favorites under the banner of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee.

I publicly challenged this process at a BCRCC meeting during my regularly agendized sheriff’s update and was shouted down by the BCRCC PAC members and not allowed to continue. After not being allowed to speak, I haven’t returned to their meetings.

Though I did not request or consent to be listed on their published voter guide, they put my name on it to legitimize their other candidates.

It worked!

A few days ago, I received a “newspaper” funded by the BCRCC that was essentially a slime rag. It deceptively put their handpicked candidates in a good light while distorting the Republican candidates they oppose. With one exception, I will not be rewarding those endorsed by the BCRCC with my vote this year.

Daryl Wheeler was elected Bonner County sheriff in 2008 and is serving his fifth term in office.

‘Mud, glorious mud’

By Jeannine Tidwell Reader Contributor

It emerges from the ground with a soft, wet, earthy smell in the spring and summer. When the sun hits it, it shines. You can squish your toes in it and feel delight from its cool, smooth dampness. You can slide in it and be surprised at where you’ll land. You can build with it, make art with it, soak or take a bath in it, wrestle in it, stomp in it and get downright dirty in it. And one of the best parts is, it’s free!

Mud, glorious mud.

In today’s sanitized world, mud might not be in your reach. However, when I consider the rich textures that make up life, mud is marvelous. It’s an essential ingredient and an important element in our connection with nature.

I ran a program with a bunch of kids one summer, guiding them in deep connections with nature. They experienced all the rich qualities

The healing power of getting dirty

of childhood: jumping into the cold waters of ponds and streams, sensing the palpable hot sun on their bodies, stalking through beds of damp leaf litter and dry pine needles, smelling green, tasting the curious flavors of bitter dandelion and savory chickweed, and getting completely covered in mud — a practice we incorporate into our summer nature camps across the Inland Northwest.

At the peak of that week, my students were guided to creep and prowl through the mud, transforming like chameleons as their bodies changed color. After an hour of slithering together through a mudslide, one student approached me and said, “Well, now I’m cleaner.”

And he was right. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen students emerge from the muck feeling purged — cleansed not of dirt, but of schedules, screens and the constant transition from A to B. It was clear he didn’t need soap to feel fresh; all he needed was mud.

Nature connection is crucial for it gives all of us, young and old, the opportunities to touch and feel the very real textures that make up life. But nature-connection alone is not enough. We need mentors who serve as catalysts and coaches, to visibly and invisibly guide us into uncomfortable, growth-expanding moments and routines of nature-connection like creeping through mud or through thickets.

It is in those thicket moments when we’re faced with the very real substance of ourselves. We are given the opportunity to see who we are in tough times and where we’re going with ourselves when things get itchy and uncomfortable.

While the norm is that children — and people in general — don’t get dirty, substrates like mud offer us the potential to go slow and absorb, get dirty and wet, hot or muddy. With the process of mentoring, we’re trying to break down and recycle these boxes that say we can’t get dirty or we can’t do this or that.

This summer, prioritize these unpolished, earthy experiences — for your children and for yourself. Step off the path, leave the pristine clothes behind, and give yourself permission to get unapologetically muddy. Embracing the dirt is as vital for adults as it is for that crucial 6-13 age range.

It helps us shed our rigid, day-to-day armor; relieves the pressure of perfection; and models a fearless connection to nature for the next generation. Give your whole family the space to step out of the human-made world and dive deep into the magic of the wild.

When we navigate the mud and come out the other side, we aren’t just dirty; we’re resilient. We’ve touched the earth, and in

Join a team that values the human behind the skillset. Explore opportunities at

doing so, we’ve touched the very real substance of who we are.

Jeannine Tidwell is the co-founder and co-director of Sandpoint-based Twin Eagles Wilderness School, which for more than 20 years has offered survival skills, animal tracking, outdoor adventures, forging, storytelling and songs to cultivate empathy, awareness, aliveness and resiliency in local youth of all ages. Twin Eagles will host its signature Wilderness and Outdoor Survival Camps in Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene and Spokane this summer, open to kids ages 6-13. Learn more at twineagles.org/outdoor-adventure-camp.html.

COMMUNITY

Deadline nears for 2026 Women of Wisdom nominations

By Reader Staff

Nominations for the Bonner County Women of Wisdom Lifetime Achievement Awards will close on Monday, April 20, marking the final opportunity to honor the mothers, educators, mentors, leaders, volunteers and visionaries whose lives have made a lasting difference in Bonner County.

Nominees should represent the qualities of vision and collaboration; love of learning; community commitment; leadership; inspiration; and grace, courage

By Reader Staff

The Sandpoint Waldorf School is gearing up to host its annual auction, this year scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at the Sandpoint Events Center (102 S. Euclid Ave.).

Based on the theme “Once Upon a Time: A Storybook Ball,” attendees will have the opportunity to bid on a wide variety of prizes from 5-9 p.m., with a range of tickets available granting access to the auction, as well as dinner and refreshments.

Live auction items include a 2026-’27 unlimited adult season pass to Schweitzer; and integrity.

Nominations may be submitted by email to womenhonoringwomen@gmail. com or mailed to:

Women Honoring Women, 419 Upper Humbird St., Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Since its founding, the award has recognized 140 local women.

“Nominations are simple, but their impact is profound,” organizers stated. “Take a few moments to reflect. Who has shaped your life? Who has made Bonner County better just by being part of it?”

Annual Waldorf School auction offers big-ticket prizes

a seven-day, six-night stay for up to eight guests at Palapas Ventana, Mexico; two season passes to the 2026 Festival at Sandpoint Summer Series; a one-minute shopping spree at Winter Ridge Natural Food Market; a five-night stay at a Costa Rican resort; custom local art; and more.

Tickets are $150 for general admission — with supplies limited. There are still “golden tickets” available for $50, with one lucky winner taking home the auction item of their choice. In-person attendance is not required for the golden ticket raffle. All tickets, as well as more info and access to an online auction, are available at bit. ly/WaldorfStorybookAuction.

Travers Park Project honored with state award

By Reader Staff

The overhaul of Travers Park in Sandpoint has earned statewide recognition, with the Idaho Recreation and Parks Association naming the project its 2026 Outstanding Park or Facility.

Announced in an April 9 news release by the city of Sandpoint, the accolade highlights the yearslong — and sometimes contentious — redevelopment that turned Travers Park into a year-round recreation site with the 37,000-square-foot James E. Russell Sports Center at its core.

With work completed between 2023 and 2025, the overall project included a 15,000-square-foot inclusive playground and splash pad, an expanded and lighted skatepark — which recently received a shade covering — and the Tiny Woods Bike Skills Park.

While JER was funded with a $7 million gift from the Russell family, the project as a whole represented more than $10 million in public and private funding, alongside volunteer labor and support from local businesses.

“Together, these improvements have expanded year-round recreation opportunities, improved accessibility and strengthened Travers Park’s role as one of Sandpoint’s most important public

gathering places,” City Hall stated in a news release.

Pend Oreille Pedalers led the creation of the bike skills park, fully funding the feature through grants, donations and volunteer labor to create a dedicated space for young riders. The Bonner County Skatepark Association supported expansion of the skatepark, while the East Bonner County Library District and United Way of North Idaho partnered on an interactive story trail that incorporates literacy into outdoor play near the new playground.

Materials, funding and expertise came from local businesses and service groups, including Sandpoint Rotary Club, HMH Engineering, the Selkirk Association of Realtors and Skyright Roofing, which helped make construction of a new picnic shelter possible. Other partners assisted with upgrades to baseball fields, batting cages, landscaping and site features. Additional backing came from organizations and companies including the Kalispel Tribe, Idaho Forest Group, Peak Construction and Backcountry Electric.

“The project was not simply a municipal capital project. It was a citywide effort made possible by residents, donors, nonprofits, local businesses, volunteers, user groups and public partners who came

together around a shared vision for the future of the park,” City Hall stated. “The nomination materials specifically recognize broad community collaboration as a defining feature of the project’s success.”

City officials also applauded the leadership of former-Parks Development Manager Maeve Nevins-Lavtar, who oversaw the project from early planning through completion.

“The award nomination reflects the extraordinary complexity of the effort and the disciplined management required to bring multiple interconnected projects to completion while preserving and enhancing the park’s long-standing role in community life,” city officials stated.

Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm underscored that the state-level recognition reflects the collective efforts that made the project possible.

“This award is a tremendous honor for Sandpoint,” Grimm wrote in a statement. “Travers Park is a powerful example of what can happen when a community rallies around a shared vision.”

The award will be presented at the IRPA annual conference, scheduled for Monday, April 20-Thursday, April 23 in Twin Falls.

COMMUNITY KNPS hosts tribal presentation on traditional foods and medicines

By Reader Staff

Members of the schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’Alene) tribe LoVina Louie, Debbie Louie-McGee and Wade McGee (Cherokee) will speak on tribal plants and medicines at the Saturday, April 18 meeting of the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society.

Free and open to the public, the program will kick off with refreshments at 9:30 a.m. followed by presentations at 10 a.m. at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library (1407 Cedar St.).

According to organizers, “Native peoples have strong roots tying them to this land and the lake. Louie summarizes it as, ‘Our approach is respect for all living things, acknowledging our ancestors and the sacrifices they made in order for us to be here, and being open to learning and sharing.’”

The presentation will include traditional foods and medicines as a way to communicate the history, stories and ways that Indigenous peoples lived — especially exploring traditional teachings.

In addition to belonging to the

schitsu’umsh, Louie is nselxcin (Okanogan/Colville) and Nimipu (Nez Perce). Her maternal family lived along the St. Joe River and eventually settled near the DeSmet and Worley areas. She is a descendant of Chief Morris Antelope of the schitsu’umsh and Chief Manuel Louie of the Inkaneep Band in Oliver, B.C., in Canada. Louie graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in organizational sciences emphasizing community and tribal wellness.

As a board member for the Native Wellness Institute, Louie acted as national trainer and facilitator in youth leadership development, strategic planning, family constellations, and community healing and wellness planning. She created the exercise series “Powwow Sweat” and co-directed the American Indian and Red Nation Film Festivals’ award-winning music video We Shall Remain.

The program is co-sponsored by Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, with support from the East Bonner County Library District. For more info, visit nativeplantsociety.org and nativewellness.com.

COMMUNITY

Heartwood Center transforms into Cinderella’s ball

By Reader Staff

A fairy godmother’s magic will transform the Heartwood Center into the masquerade ball of Cinderella’s dream on Saturday, April 18, with a two-part ballet dance. Family activities run from 2-3:30 p.m. in the main hall (615 Oak St., in Sandpoint), after which the venue will transition into an adults-only masquerade gala from 6-9:30 p.m.

The afternoon begins with Cinderella’s Ballet Ball, sponsored by the Cocolalla Conservatory School of Classical Ballet. Children donning prince, princess, knight and fairy costumes can craft their own wands and masquerade masks while enjoying light snacks. Afterward, Cinderella — the star of the Conservatory’s May perfor-

mance — will teach everyone a simple ballet lesson. The afternoon ends with a performance by the cast of Sergei Prokofiev’s Cinderella.

Tickets for the family event are $18.50, which covers both child and chaperone.

With the kids tucked into bed, the adults-only Glass Slipper Masquerade Gala begins, featuring live music by 7B Strings. Guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails by Barrel 33, another sneak-peek performance of Cinderella, ballroom and waltz dance lessons, and a late-night karaoke session. Don gowns, suits and masks for the glamorous evening. Tickets are $28.50 at cocolallaconservatory.com.

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com

THURSDAY, april 16

Carla the Rescuer: A Holocaust Survivor • 7pm @ Panida Theater

Screening of the documentary film about Carla Peperzak, a childhood peer of Anne Frank who risked all to save lives during the Nazi occupation. Q&A follows film screening. $5 tickets at panida.org. Hosted by BCHRTF

BCA 8 ball tournament ($10/entry) 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

FriDAY, april 17

Live Music w/ Ian Newbill

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Mobius Riff

5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ BTP

5-7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ One Street Over 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Brenden McCoy

5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

Music w/ DJ Rimm

8-11pm @ 219 Lounge

Live Music w/ BTP

8-11pm @ 219 Lounge

Live Music w/ Picked Up Pieces

5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Holly & Michael

6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Tucker James

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner

6-8pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone

6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar

Live Music w/ Sydney Dawn

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s

Live music w/ Devon Wade Band

8pm @ The Hive ($5 entry)

Sandpoint country artist, with line dancing lessons ($5) starting at 7:30pm

The Zaniac (comedy show)

7pm @ Panida Theater

Anything can happen with high-energy comedian Alex Zerbe, whose family-friendly performance features juggling, flaming torches, flying cards and more. $25. Panida.org

SATURDAY, april 18

Live Music w/ Moontricks

8pm @ The Hive Canadian electronic folk duo

Sandpoint Waldorf School annual auction 5-9pm @ Sandpoint Events Center “Once Upon a Time: A Storybook Ball”

Glass Slipper Masquerade Gala

6-9:30pm @ The Heartwood Center

Live music by 7B Strings, apps, cocktails. Wear your finest and masks. $28.50

Film: One Battle After Another 7pm @ Panida Theater ($9.50/$6.50)

SunDAY, april 19

BCA 8-ball pool tournament 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

SHS Choir Jazz Concert 7pm @ SHS Auditorium

Argentine tango class • 6pm @ Barrel 33

Absolute beginner class. 20% off drop-in, 10% off entire menu.

Hosted by Muffy Nye

Live Music w/ Kitchen Dwellers

7pm @ The Hive

Jam out with Bozeman-based band playing prog rock, bluegrass, folk, psychedelic grit. $26 @ livefromthehive.com

Trivia w/ Toshi ($5/entry)

7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

April 16-23, 2026

Paint and sip hosted by Nicole Black 5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33

Open Irish jam night 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Hosted by Seamus Divine

Hummingbird Haven Living Education performance event

5:30pm @ The Heartwood Center

Middle school, high school and adult classes will perform and share poetry, live instrumentals, dance and piano. $25

Live Music w/ Oak Street Connection

8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin

6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Cinderella’s Ballet Ball

2pm @ The Heartwood Center

Magical performance by the Cocolalla Conservatory School of Classic Ballet. $18.50: cocolallaconservatory.com

Square dancing lessons

3-6pm @ Sandpoint Community Center

Join the Hoodoo Valley Hoedowners and Sandpoint Parks and Rec. for this beginner-friendly dance. Drop by!

Drop in swing dance class 6-8pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Fiddlin’ Red 1-4pm @ Barrel 33

monDAY, april 20

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

Trivia w/ Alaina 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

tuesDAY, april 21

Open mic night

5-7pm-ish @ Idaho Pour Authority

wednesDAY, april 22

Bonner Co. Farm Burea candidate forum

6pm @ Blanchard Community Center

With Bonner Co. races, including commissioner, clerk, assessor, coroner

Live Piano w/ Jennifer Stoehner 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

ThursDAY, april 23

BCA 8-ball pool tournament 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

Celtic Folk Jam

3-6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Bunco (208-263-6860 to RSVP) 12:30pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center

Cribbage tournament ($5/person) 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Karaoke with Big Rock Karaoke 9pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

Bridge (208-263-6860 to RSVP) 12:30pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center

Family Night, live music w/ John Firshi 5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

Good food, drinks and live music

Pinochle (208-263-6860 to RSVP) 9:30pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center

Open Bluegrass jam night

5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Hosted by Jim Rosauer

Tricks, jokes and shenanigans galore

By Reader Staff

Hailing from Seattle — where he was voted best prop comic — magician, comedian and all-around entertainer

The Zaniac is a man of many strange and unique talents, which he will bring to the Panida Stage on Friday, April 17. The Pend Oreille Arts Council sponsors the 7 p.m. performance, which will take place on the theater’s main stage at 300 N. First Ave.

The Zaniac — a.k.a. Alex Zerbe — combines jokes, stunts and zany props for his high-energy family shows. Often described as a “human cartoon” and an “untamed rubber band,” Zerbe jumps between juggling bowling balls, beatboxing, physical comedy and tricks like splitting a vegetable with a thrown playing card. His quirky, lighthearted antics have landed him appearances on America’s Got Talent and Last Comic Standing and earned him two Guinness World Records (for hacky sack-ing).

“We invite the young, and the young at heart, to enjoy this fun-tastic

Prop comic The Zaniac performs at the Panida

show,” said Pend Oreille Arts Council Executive Director Tone Stolz. “We promise you will leave sore from laughing and with a huge smile on your face.”

The Zaniac’s visit to Sandpoint will also include educational outreach as part of POAC’s Ovations program.

Partnering with the Lake Pend Oreille School District, Ovations provides educational, artistic experiences for students in the community who would not otherwise have access to the arts.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for youth, available at the POAC Gallery at 313 N. Second Ave., in Sandpoint, and at the Panida’s box office. Secure them in advance at ArtinSandpoint.org and catch a glimpse of Zerbe’s shows at alexzerbe.com.

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

Spring has arrived (I think). It’s time to roll down the car windows, grab a map or two (yes, paper maps, please) and follow the twolane highways stitching together the small towns from Idaho to Montana. Nowadays my road trips usually include a grandkid or two (or more). I’m always ready for a road trip, and it takes me no time at all to pack up some homemade goodies to savor as the days, miles and stories unfold.

But before we hit the summer highways, we’re counting the days until we embark on a rail journey. Daughters Ryanne and Casey, and the three youngest grandchildren, will join me on a 14hour train trip to Williston, N.D. From there we’ll head straight to Savage, Mont. for granddaughter Miley’s (along with her nine classmates’), high school graduation.

I never arrive in Savage without split pea soup for my oldest grandson, Zane, and before the kids even had a chance to nibble off the ears of their chocolate bunnies, the remnants of our Easter ham were already put to good use. The soup is ready, in the freezer, in Ziploc bags, awaiting our eastward journey. I’ll layer cooler snacks and sandwiches atop the frozen soup, which will cleverly pull double duty as ice packs.

There’s a particular kind of jollity that comes with planning trips, and mine always start in the kitchen — and not just rail and

The Sandpoint Eater Snackpack

road trips, either! A couple of years ago, to prepare for a long flight, I packed an entire carry-on with snack boxes for 10 of us on a long-haul flight to Maui.

The grandkids were a little mortified as I walked the aisle, calling out names and handing out their personalized meals.

Mortified — or maybe just impressed. Either way, the boxes were a hit. I’m fairly certain I could have sold a few to the hungry passengers nearby.

Travel food has its own rules. It should be sturdy and appealing, a little indulgent but not messy, something

that can sit in a bag and still feel like a special treat hours later. I love loaf cakes for that reason. No need for refrigeration, they slice cleanly and carry a sense of home nostalgia with them.

Banana bread and lemon loaf are classics and family favorites, but when you want something more dessert-like, a rich chocolate loaf becomes the obvious choice. I’ll make one for the trip and hopefully a couple more will make it all the way to Montana.

I rely on a recipe of my mom’s. It’s an old-school recipe that used to appear on the back of the metal can of

Hershey’s dark cocoa. Mostly Mom used cocoa powder for the loaf cake and brownies, but occasionally she used the little bars of unsweetened chocolate that she melted in a double boiler. It was bitter, and was not meant to be eaten as candy (ask me how I know — a just reward for a candy pincher).

Hershey’s also made cocoa butter bars. They were solid, faintly chocolate-scented and somehow at home both in the kitchen and the bathroom drawer. Officially for baking, unofficially for everything else: dry skin, stretch marks and, in those optimistic days of

Chocolate loaf cake

This cake is a winner. Feel free to add a few more chips or nuts or whatever! Yields one standard loaf pan, but recipe easily doubles.

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• ¾ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt

• ½ cup melted and cooled butter

• ⅓ cup milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup chocolate chips (or mini chips)

• ¾ cup toasted pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard loaf pan with parchment. Chop and toast the pecans by spreading them on baking sheet. Toast at 350° for about 6 minutes, until fragrant. Don’t burn! Let cool.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk sugars, eggs, Greek yogurt, butter, milk and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Stir dry ingredients into wet just until combined, don’t overmix. Hand mixing works best.

Gently fold in chocolate chips and toasted pecans (save a handful for the top).

Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle extra chips/pecans on top. Bake 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool in pan 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Wrap it tightly and it’ll hold beautifully for a couple of days. Or freeze for a road trip!

youth, even as a tanning aid (which worked right up until it melted in the sun). They were part ingredient, part ritual, part memory.

The chocolate traveling cake is all that to me, too. It’s perfect for a long journey, like a 14-hour train ride, when you need something that holds up. Something that slices neatly, doesn’t crumble into your lap and tastes just as good at the tail end of the trip as it did in the beginning.

It’s more than a recipe, and has earned a permanent spot in my travel bag. I hope it will earn a spot in yours, too!

MUSIC

Festival announces Community Night lineup

By Reader Staff

The lineup for the 2026 Festival at Sandpoint’s Community Night will feature Portland, Ore.-based folk band Joseph, alongside Sydney Dale, of Coeur d’Alene, and Sandpoint local Hannah Meehan.

Set for Sunday, Aug. 2 at War Memorial Field, Community Night tickets are on sale now for $20 at festivalatsandpoint.com, priced for maximum accessibility to concert goers in celebration of regional artists.

Made up of sisters Natalie and Meegan Closner, Joseph is well known for powerful harmonies, emotionally honest songwriting, and a genre-blurring blend of indie pop, folk and rock. Since the release of its breakout debut I’m Alone, No You’re Not in 2016 — which featured the hit single “White Flag” and landed the band appearances on The Tonight Show, Today and the Billboard charts — Joseph has built a

following through live performances, national tours and performances at major festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury and Bonnaroo.

Following the success of I’m Alone, No You’re Not have been a string of acclaimed albums, including Good Luck, Kid (2019) and The Sun (2023). Joseph’s 2026 record Closer to Happy marks the band’s boldest and most personal work to date, exploring themes of grief, self-trust and radical self-acceptance.

Sydney Dale is a singer-songwriter known for her expressive voice and emotionally detailed writing. She began writing songs at 9 and released her first single at 14, building a sound shaped by pop, jazz, R&B and folk.

Deeply passionate about every part of the creative process — from songwriting to performing and recording — Dale brings intention and emotion into each stage of her

work, which centers on love, growth and connection with a sense of honesty and depth.

Sandpoint-based singer-songwriter Hannah Meehan uses her music to weave together stories of joy and melancholy. Inspired by summers spent in the Pacific Northwest, Meehan reflects on the beauty and awe of the outdoors. Her folksy sound has been influenced by the conversational styles of Paul Simon and John Craigie — the latter a Portland-based singer-songwriter who has frequently made Sandpoint a home away from

home — as well as the bold, elegant vocals of Sammy Rae.

Meehan was most recently featured on KSPS PBS’s Inland Sessions and can be found gigging throughout North Idaho and surrounds.

Community Night will be a seated show, meaning that the area in front of the stage is a general admission blanketand-short-chair seating area.

Canadian electro-folk duo Moontricks to play The Hive

By Reader Staff

Hailing from the rustic Kootenay Mountains of the Canadian West, electro-folk duo Moontricks could be the perfect blend of music inspired by the natural world infused with electronic elements. The term “technicolor campfire” has been used to describe their

music, with tracks steeped in tradition and polished with a futuristic sheen.

The duo Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman mix organic folk, roots rock and old-time blues with modern electronic production, breathing a cool new vibe into all those genres. Their breakout hit “Home” has topped more than 10

million streams online and other tracks have made it to soundtracks for shows on Netflix and Fox Sports.

Moontricks will play The Hive at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. Schweitzer passholders can enter for $20 the day of the show. Buy tickets online at livefromthehive.com.

SHS Choir Jazz Concert, SHS Auditorium, April 20 Kitchen Dwellers, The Hive, April 22

As a 1999 Sandpoint High School graduate — and proud four-year Jazz Band member — it pleases me to break into the first-person pronoun to promote the SHS concert and chamber choir performance of a jazz program on Monday, April 20 in the school auditorium (where I once famously flubbed “The Pink Panther Theme” sax solo before a horrified audience). The students will then take their tunes to

the venerable Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, which this year runs from Wednesday, April 22-Saturday, April 25 and brings together the best and brightest young musicians in the state (but, of course, ours are really the best and brightest).

— Zach Hagadone

7 p.m., $5. SHS Auditorium, 410 S. Division Ave.

If you couldn’t tell by the name, the Kitchen Dwellers are an eccentric bunch, bringing an eclectic mix of inspirations to their progressive roots music. The quartet consists of Shawn Swain on the mandolin, Torrin Daniels on the banjo, Joe Funk on the bass and Max Davies on the guitar, meaning there’s no shortage of strings to complement their storytelling, inspired by mythology and

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

the American West. Joining the band is DUG, a Dublin, Ireland-based duo made up of Conor Lorkin O’Reilly and Jonny Pickett, who blend traditional Irish folk with Americana for a transatlantic sound you don’t want to miss.

— Soncirey Mitchell

7 p.m., $30, 21+. The Hive, 208-920-9039, 207 N. First Ave., livefromthehive.com. Listen at kitchendwellers.com and dugworld.com.

READ LISTEN

Many people might know Charles Portis from his classic Western novel True Grit, one of my favorites in the genre. His debut novel Norwood is often overlooked because of True Grit, but it’s a beautifully put together book that excels in creating unique, intriguing Southern dialogues between characters. You can find it at the library, or support your local bookstore and pick up a copy here in Sandpoint.

If you take a dash of folk and poetry, mix with the ethereal nature of dream pop and bring the whole sound down to earth with a rhythm section that takes inspiration from R&B and hip hop, you’ll be listening to Cape Town, South Africa band Yellow House. Their sound is unique and warm, like your favorite old funky sweater. Their album Psalms of Yellow House is my favorite, especially the song “Blowing Away.” Listen wherever you stream music.

WATCH

I’ve always been fascinated by the existence of cults and mystified by the legions of followers who flock to their leaders. In the wake of the polygamous FLDS sect involving child sex predator Warren Jeffs in Utah, a cult expert and her videographer husband embedded themselves into the FLDS community. They quickly found that in Jeffs’ absence, another false prophet had emerged. Trust Me: The False Prophet is a four-episode series on Netflix that shows a glimpse at this super-secretive community from an insider’s perspective. It’s a fascinating watch.

From Pend Oreille Review, April 15, 1921

PLACED HIS HEAD ON THE TRACK

John Klinger, a stranger apparently about 65 years of age, committed suicide at Bonners Ferry Saturday afternoon when he lay down on one of the passing tracks of the Great Northern, with his neck resting on the rail, and permitted an outgoing freight train to decapitate him.

He had about $40 in currency and silver and a pass book on a Vancouver, Wash. bank in the name of John Langworth. A search of the man’s effects at the Riverside hotel, where he registered about 10 days before, afforded no clue to the man’s identity.

FOREST SERVICE TO PLANT 325,000 PINE SEEDLINGS

The local forest service offices this week sent a half dozen men south from Heron, Mont. to the west fork of Elk creek, east of Lake Pend d’Oreille to pitch camp for a crew of about 50 which will be sent in next week on a tree-planting project incidental to reforestation work in this section.

The statement made by the local officials in regard to the work is that 325,000 yellow pine seedlings, 2 years old, will be planted over about 500 acres, the planting to be done at 8-foot intervals.

The area to be planted is a part of the territory burned over in the disastrous fires of 1910, the worst in the history of the Pend d’Oreille forest, and the ground has since been entirely barren. There are probably 10,000 acres in this section which should be replanted new but lack of funds in congressional appropriations prevents the forest service from developing a reforestation policy on the scale which the demands of the preserves would warrant.

BACK OF THE BOOK Puzzle piece of my heart

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

My first puzzle was a large, 10-piece dinosaur print big enough for my firstgrade self to sleep on. I took it apart and remade it over and over in my secret fort, loving how the picture could break and come together again and again. I remained enamored with the act of assembling neat, interlocking pieces — probably one of the first indicators of my OCD — until my cat broke into my fort and pooped on it. Such is life.

My love of puzzles dwindled after that, which wasn’t too surprising. I was too busy being an outdoor kid — climbing trees, building forts and catching snakes — to sit at the dining table and obsess over tiny cardboard pieces. I didn’t find my love of puzzles again until high school, when I was struggling to find love or joy in anything I did. I was at my most depressed, barely sleeping due to the workload (which my undiagnosed OCD made significantly worse) and unable to dedicate time to anything fun and meaningless. Everything I did served my academic goals, and that work wouldn’t pay off for four years, leaving me with nothing to show for it in the meantime but the bags under my eyes.

Enter: puzzles.

Puzzles are unnecessary. There’s no time limit, and nothing happens if you don’t complete them. I could spend a few minutes placing tiles and go back to my homework. Most importantly, though, puzzles were something I could control that served as a tangible, visual representation of my work: the perfect combination of instant and delayed gratification, with each piece building toward the finished product.

STR8TS Solution

As my depression grew, my puzzle collection grew to counter it. My college years were a great time to love puzzles because, after four miserable years working to get into a great school on a scholarship, my university shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I, like most people during the shutdown, began questioning everything: “Why had I worked so hard to get into a good school, only to attend on Zoom?”; “Would I ever make the lifelong college friends I was promised?”; “If I go to the grocery store and buy milk someone coughed on, will I inadvertently kill my parents?”

It was another few miserable years of homework and Clorox wipes, but through it all, there were puzzles.

Jigsaw puzzles in particular saw a massive surge in popularity during the pandemic, just as they had during the Great Depression and the U.S. economic downturn shortly before World War I. Easy to manufacture, long-lasting, cheap and perfect for days spent inside, puzzles have supported humanity nearly since their inception. Cartographer John Spilsbury is credited with the invention of the first jigsaw puzzle — which he called a “dissection” — around 1760, when he cut out the nations on a world map to create a geographical learning aid. They took on the name “jigsaw” once they became popular leisure activities, though they were also made with fretsaws and scroll saws.

All this is to say that whenever the world suffers plague, economic crises, world wars or regular bad days, puzzles are there to help people decompress and distract. I still return to them when the news gets to be too much. It’s comforting to devote myself to a singular purpose when the outcome is

Sudoku Solution

assured — as so few things in life are. We can dedicate ourselves to our goals, forgo sleep for academic achievement, work grueling jobs for financial security, save every penny for a down payment on a home and still, most of us will never achieve our goals. That isn’t our failure — we live in a world where everyday, hard workers are set up to struggle for necessities while billionaires buy their fifth yacht. It’s society’s failure, but we still have to live with it. That isn’t an encouraging thought, and it doesn’t mean that when we’re worrying about the workweek and battling a cold, the recognition of our collective inability to reach our perceived potential will be a comfort. But, with a diagnosis comes treatment: an inconsequential task with clear expectations and a guaranteed, beautiful outcome — in other words, a puzzle — might just break the negative spiral. It certainly does for me.

Crossword Solution

I wish there was a disease where you’re afraid of clouds, because I think I could cure it. First, you sit the patient down and have a long personal talk. After that, I’m not sure, but maybe you could throw some water in his face or something.

Solution on page 22

Laughing Matters

CROSSWORD

By Bill Borders

[adjective]

1. self-possessed, calm, or composed

“Despite the emergency, the captain remained phlegmatic and directed the crew to safety.”

ACROSS

1. Fastener

6. Perpendicular to the keel

11. Relinquish

12. Most courageous

15. Affectionate

16. How a coward acts

17. Crimson

18. Set free

20. Faucet

21. Ear-related

23. Stops

24. Bicycle

25. In place of

26. Restrain

27. Balm ingredient

28. Not more

29. Arrange (abbrev.)

30. They can be fraternal or identical

31. Sullies

34. Fruit of the oak tree

36. Cry of disgust

37. Drunkards

41. What we’re called

42. A ridge of sand

43. River in Spain

44. Picnic insects

45. Indian music

46. Marine mammal

47. Regret

48. Specifics

51. 54 in Roman numerals

52. Merry-go-round

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

54. First-aid item

56. Thin

57. Hesitate

58. Pauses

59. Uttered

DOWN

1. Term of endearment

2. Confections

3. Purge

4. At any point

5. We are (contraction) 6. Wear away 7. Copper and zinc alloy

8. Roof overhang

9. Avenue (abbrev.)

10. Bring up

13. Quenches

14. Sort

15. Fairy tale character

16. Outward-moving

19. Gain knowledge

22. Traditions

24. Ecstasies

26. Farm building

27. Amazement

30. You (archaic)

32. Metric unit of area

33. Red Sea peninsula

34. Yearly

35. Food provider

38. A stone pillar

39. Rookie

40. Figure out

42. Anagram of “Stared”

44. Circle fragments

45. Adjust again

48. Garb

49. What we kiss with

50. A cleansing agent

53. Half of two

55. Twosome