“Did you go to summer camp when you were younger? What did you like about it?”
“I stayed in Girl Scouts through high school just so I could go to summer camp. It was a two-week Girl Scout camp in the Ozarks in Missouri. I loved being out in the woods with a lot of my friends.”
Bev Olsson Hess Retired - Coldwater Creek Sandpoint
“I went to a vacation Bible school actually. My favorite part was once a day we got to do outdoor activities like dodgeball. It was Camp Stidwell on Mirror Lake.”
Nate Rench Retail Banker
Sandpoint
“I was a summer camper at Camp O-ongo in the California mountains during WWII. A decade later I was a cabin counselor, then tennis coach, then director. I grew up attending summer camp and loved every second of it. Based on that, my 1957 bride and I sent our three kids to expensive camps in Wisconsin, Colorado and California. They all thought going to sumer camp sucked.”
Tim Henney
Retired Mr. Universe, Sandpoint
“Yes. I went to Camp Reed for one year. I got a scholarship. I was voted best student in sixth grade. I skipped mass and got stung by a bunch of bees and then got caught.”
Tim French Panhandle Health Sandpoint
“I went one time and it was terrible. I got sprayed in the eyes with lotion bug repellent and had to leave. Then I got the flu. What changed my opinion of summer camp was when I was a camp counselor at Camp Eureka. It was my favorite two-week job ever.”
Suzanne Waldrup
Cheese sniffer Sandpoint
“I loved summer camp. It was on the water down in San Diego, so there were all these watersport activities: surfing, water skiing, etc. It was the coolest camp, then this kid wound a rubber band in my hair, and it got stuck for days.”
Woods Wheatcroft
Photographer
DEAR READERS,
I love spring. Last weekend, during the explosion of sun and warmth, it seemed like everyone in town was spring cleaning, yard saling and adding to their free piles. We held our own yard sale on Saturday and did pretty well. I made $107 and got rid of a lot of stuff. Then my truck didn’t start on the way to the thrift store to drop off the stuff that didn’t sell. Turns out I needed a new battery, and while trying to take my side post screw out, I ended up ripping a hole in the entire battery wall. Long story short, I had to buy a bunch of new wires, side posts and screws, plus a new battery. It set me back $150. Such is life. I had a yard sale that cost me $43. Sigh. This issue, we’re celebrating summer camps. We’ve featured a directory highlighting some of the best summer camp options in North Idaho, both day camps and overnight. I never went to camp, but I always wanted to. Instead, I spent most of my childhood exploring the woods behind our house in Westmond; catching frogs, getting stung by bees and letting my imagination run wild. There are some really cool programs out there that are not only beneficial for the children, but great for parents who need a break from their awesome (loud) children.
-Ben Olson, Publisher
READER
111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
Contributing Artists: Nancy Cerra (cover), Ben Olson
Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Tim Corcoran, Phil Hough, Mike Nash, Brenden Bobby, Tim Henney, Drake the Dog.
Advertising: Dion Nizzi dion@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com
Web Content: Keokee
The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community
The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
SandpointReader letter policy:
The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics.
Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.
Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com
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About the Cover
This week’s cover is an original illustration by Nancy Cerra, who responded to our call for artists a couple weeks ago and wowed us with this cover commemorating Summer Camps for our theme. Great job, Nancy! We’re looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future.
COMMENTARY
‘Panama Papers’ force resignation of Iceland’s Prime Minister
By Nick Gier Reader Columnist
The “Panama Papers,” millions of documents released by a German newspaper, has uncovered major international financial misdealing. The papers were leaked from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm, which has set up dozens of offshore tax havens.
The first casualty of the scandal was the conservative prime minister of Iceland, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, who resigned on April 5. He and his wife had hidden their vast wealth in the British Virgin Islands. Their “shell” company Wintris, Inc. was set up by Mossack Fonseca.
Gunnlaugsson defended himself by saying that the transaction was legal, that his wife had paid Icelandic taxes on Wintris’ income, and that the company had lost $4.2 million during the financial crisis of 2008.
At the end of 2009, just before he took his parliamentary seat, Gunnlaugsson sold his share of Wintris to his wife for $1. Critics say that this did not satisfy the government’s rule requiring disclosure of all
Support Terry Ford...
Dear Fellow Bonner County Residents,
I am supporting Terry Ford for Sheriff of Bonner County. It is seldom I talk about personal issues but I think this is relevant.
A little over a year ago I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. I had to go to Spokane for surgery which left my loving husband alone with the terrifying thought of possibly losing a second wife to cancer.
Enter Terry and Debbie Ford. They provided moral support, breakfast and companionship for my husband and brought him to Spokane to the hospital to visit me, so he would not have to make the
financial dealings.
During the financial crisis, which nearly destroyed the Icelandic economy, Gunnlaugsson called foreign companies, who held Icelandic bonds and who demanded immediate repayment, “vultures.” The delicious irony is that Wintris was one of those bond holders. Gunnlaugsson obviously had a serious conflict of interest.
Gunnlaugsson is a member of the Progressive Party, which has represented Iceland’s conservative, mostly rural interests since 1916. Over the decades it has governed in coalition with other parties, even the Social Democrats, who are responsible for Iceland’s generous social safety-net.
Iceland, along with the other Nordic countries, has ranked at the top for providing the highest quality of life for its citizens. Iceland’s wealthy are proud of this reputation, and they are willing to pay high taxes to support universal health care, child care and elder care.
The Progressives’ natural coalition partner is the Independence Party, Iceland’s largest, which draws its support primarily from the nation’s businesses. From 1995 to 2007 Iceland’s
long drive by himself. They came and picked me up the day I was released and continued to check in with us through the radiation treatments and recovery. I call them friends!
They are loyal, authentic, honest people with great compassion and good hearts. They are actively involved in our community and care about their friends and neighbors and North Idaho.
Terry is a man of integrity and experience. Twenty-five years with the Idaho State Patrol brings a wealth of knowledge and training in working with people and in identifying major areas which need revamping. People don’t have to be great public speakers to
two conservative parties privatized two major banks, reduced taxes and decreased the regulation of the economy.
Iceland’s three largest banks became so over-leveraged that their debt exceeded the nation’s gross domestic product. As one Icelander quipped: “Iceland is not a country; it’s a hedge fund.” The value of Iceland’s stocks rose nine times and then crashed to only 10 percent of their original value.
A contributor to Wikipedia states that “relative to the size of its economy, Iceland’s banking collapse is the largest suffered by any country in economic history.” Iceland’s temporary financial madness will stand out in history right up there with Holland’s tulip mania of the mid-1600s.
The once frugal Icelanders indulged themselves in an economic boom fueled by easy credit. Their wealth, mainly in the form of inflated house prices, tripled. Finding the best interest rates from foreign banks (3 percent rather than 15 percent at home), many of them took out loans in currencies such as the Euro and the Swiss Franc. When the Icelandic Kronor lost its value (33 percent in 2009
get things done. They need to roll up their sleeves and get to work. What you do want is someone who is honest, forthcoming and will not use their office of authority to intimidate, abuse or exploit others. Check out fordforsheriff. com and read “What Does Terry Ford Stand For.” It will give you an in-depth look at what he will do as sheriff of Bonner County.
Sincerely,
Marlene Petersen Sandpoint
Undersheriff’s Actions...
Dear Editor, Regarding the article in the Daily Bee on April 14, 2016,
alone), many peo ple were forced to walk away from new luxury cars and homes.
During the winter of 2008-2009, Icelanders, led by a famous gay singer turned out for the largest protests in their history.
The conservative government was forced to resign, and a Social Democratic/Left-Green coalition was elected on April 25, 2009.
The first leftist government in Iceland’s history was faced with gigantic problems, and the people soon became impatient with austerity measures imposed by the International Monetary Fund. The government also made mistakes, the worst being a call for joining the European Union and replacing the Kronor with the Euro.
The fiercely nationalist Independence and Progressive Party leaders were able to woo back voters with promises of mortgage relief and rebuffing foreign creditors, whom the leftist government thought should be paid back. In the 2013 election
I would ask simply that our current Sheriff Daryl Wheeler address the issue of his undersheriff in a public manner.
First, all deputies are sworn to uphold the law and to protect the citizens of Bonner County. Since your undersheriff has chosen to ignore the second part of that pledge then isn’t it time to ask him to step down?
When an officer uses his office to defame and try to influence the election process, he has overstepped his bounds. If you are not part of the solution, Daryl, then you are a part of the problem. Pretty simple.
Marlene Petersen Sandpoint
Icelanders brought back a conservative majority with Gunnlaugsson as prime minister. Recall that one of those creditors was his own intris.
Now, with both the traditional right and left discredited, new political parties are making gains. One is called Bright Future and its leader, the island’s most popular comedian, is the new mayor of the capital Reykjavik. The anarchic Pirate Party, which mixes, incongruently, egalitarian and libertarian policies, is now polling as the largest political force in the country Parallels to Southern European politics are instructive, especially in Spain and Greece. Traditional left and right parties have been pushed aside by new parties with big promises and untested leaders. Already it is clear that the future is still not very bright under these new kids on the political block.
Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years.
Go Scarlette Quille...
Hello Scarlette,
It’s going to be difficult to top the “Gardetto’s” column. Your wit, sarcasm and humility were appreciated. Wonder if some shrink will steal your test and deny you fame.
Sure enjoy your style! Anxious to read more of your goods.
Yours, Eric Sandpoint
P.S. Ever been desperate and ate the last of the sesame logs?
Iceland Prime Minister Gunnlaugsson. Photo by CC.
PERSPECTIVES
Mates and Birds
Spring is here. This means many things.
The weather changes from a frozen gray hellscape into a green oasis, reminding you why you live in North Idaho. The bleak gray sky turns to a welcoming blue. The earth is full of life. Animals emerge from winter dormancy seeking a mate and ready to do all kinds of stupid shit to impress them.
The onset of spring is bittersweet for me. I love the weather but have to live in constant fear. You see, spring is also the season that Satan’s minions, also called “birds,” emerge from hell or whatever other warmer southern place they supposedly go. Birds are sadistic assailants in general, but in the spring, they become even more menacing.
Robins are particularly hostile and intimidating this time of year. I had one fly beak-first multiple times into my bedroom window, leaving tiny bloody beak tracks all over. After multiple calls to law enforcement and animal control-related entities, my serious situation was completely disregarded, and I became a prisoner in my own home. As my search for help continued, one of my cousins explained that the robin attack was related to mating season. The reflection in the windows appears to the aggressive, horny male robin like another hostile male laying claim to all the lady birds.
Beware of False Candidates...
Dear Editor,
I want to alert everyone who will be voting on the Democratic ballot in the upcoming primary election on May 17. There are two people who are running unopposed on the Democratic ticket that are not supported by the Democratic party.
In Legislative District 1 for state senator, Steve Tanner is on the ballot. Do NOT VOTE for Steve Tanner. Write in Democrat Brian Orr.
Naturally, the bird, in a state of misguided hatred and sexual frustration, instinctually attacks anything that looks vaguely like another male robin, even if it’s his own reflection. Apparently birds don’t understand the complexities of self-reflection. My cousin told me I was not in any danger as I do not look like a male or female robin. She also commented that I must have really clean windows.
Incidentally, this means her whole “mating season” explanation is complete bullshit. I have never washed the exterior windows at my house EVER. Those birds are attacking my windows, letting me know that they are out there having copious amounts of indiscriminate bird sex and mass-producing more of their kind. The window attack is a warning that soon, the whole robin family will amass sufficient numbers to coordinate an attack on my only shelter. Maybe they’re after my golden hair. It’s terrifying knowing that the robins and most other annoying songbirds are willing to take my life just so they can use my silky hair to line their nests.
The same terror applies to spring turkeys. As if it wasn’t scary enough to put a 90-year-old man’s head on the body of a giant bird, the turkey’s creator decided to add cluster tumors, mangy waddles and stringy beard things into the mix. These bird-beasts are scary any time of year. But in the spring, the male turkey’s head turns choke-victim blue while he simultaneously becomes psychotically aggressive. For several weeks, male turkeys run
In Legislative District 2 State Representative Position B, Bob Vickaryous is on the ballot. Do NOT VOTE for Bob Vickaryous. Write in Democrat Stephen F. Howlett.
Do not trust anyone or any political party that is willing to falsely represent themselves. They could turn against you when it is to their benefit. Only honesty will sustain our democracy.
Sandra E. Deutchman Sandpoint
around attacking anyone or anything they perceive as a road block to spreading their seed.
The only thing in the animal kingdom that truly rivals birds in terms of idiotic, mate-seeking springtime behavior is the mate-less North Idaho human. Males and females partake in a variety of rituals that truly defy any sort of logic, often with less success than their avian counterparts.
Let’s explore this.
When spring finally manages at least five consecutive days of 65-degree weather, the viable single female emerges from her hibernation chamber. This chamber typically features thousands of useless pillows, blankets, tears, empty wine glasses and the sound of Netflix. When she spends her first day in the sun, she will over-dress, not being at her ideal “summer” weight yet. She will be pale, hairy and slightly heavier than she was last year at this time. She will vow to work out, starve herself and then start a regimen that includes artificial sun or tanning elixirs. She will look frightened, orange and oftentimes bloated. This is a signal to the males of her species that she is vulnerable and easy to woo.
The single North Idaho male will emerge from his winter slumber on the first 55-degree day. This creature’s den will be rather sparse compared to the female of the species, consisting of little more than a sleeping bag and pizza boxes. He will select flip flops and shorts for
clothing. This is because the combination of sunlight, physical exertion and perceived mating opportunities causes a sudden rise in body temperature. This temperature change is so extreme that the male will feel compelled to rip the sleeves from his shirt to help bring his temperature down while simultaneously exposing his physique to attract mates and scare off other males.
Much like the robin’s failure to see its own reflection, the North Idaho male will descend into a horny rage spiral, ironically witnessed only by other single males. Most other animals, including the North American Female, will not emerge from their dens until it is actually warm, and then with much less bravado.
The North Idaho human species continues to thrive because the strange ritual works. When the female emerges, the combination of low self-esteem and sunshine create a temporary suspension of her decision-making skills. Instead of becoming disgusted by the aggressive, outrageous male displays, she will become flattered. She will often mate with a less-than-ideal male because she believes he is seeking a permanent mate, rather than a dumping ground for his pent-up sexual frustration.
Let the dance begin.
XOXO SQ
Grant approved for Solar Roadways project
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
It won’t be long before visitors to Jeff Jones Town Square will be taking a step into the future.
The city of Sandpoint announced Friday that the Idaho Department of Commerce approved a $48,734 grant to set up a Solar Roadways demonstration project within city limits. The Gem State grant, which is established by the state to promote economic development in rural communities, will fund the installation of Solar Roadways panels on the concrete area near the fountain. For Sandpoint city administrator Jennifer Stapleton, the project is an exciting opportunity to showcase a locally grown business that has attracted global attention through successful crowdfunding campaigns and viral videos.
“I think this is a project that really reflects the values of our community,” she said.
The Gem State grant requires a $10,000 match from the city, which council members have approved. The Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency also kicked in $10,000 to develop an educational factor to the demonstration, as well as cover unforeseen expenses.
Solar Roadways is pitched as a possible replacement for concrete and asphalt walking and driving surfaces. The design uses durable, strong glass panels to provide traction, while an internal array of electronics and solar cells generate electricity and paint signs, messages or road lines through LEDs. A project in development for years, its international profile exploded in 2014 with the viral “Solar Freakin’ Roadways” video—to date viewed more than 21 million times—and a $2.2 million crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.
According to Stapleton, the company’s popularity resulted in offers left and right from cities or organizations hoping to secure its first public demonstration. It was the Brusaws’ commitment to their hometown and a fortu-
nate confluence of events that established Sandpoint as the first Solar Roadways city.
“Everything just aligned between this grant program [funding period], the development of the [Solar Roadways] product and our ability to put in this application,” said Stapleton.
City officials selected Jeff Jones Town Square as the prime location for a demonstration, a decision based on many factors. The development site needed to be someplace public with a high degree of sunlight exposure. It needed convenient electrical conduits and adequate parking. And it needed to be centered somewhere relatively close to the Solar Roadways headquarters while still encouraging visitors to explore downtown businesses.
The economic benefit of the demonstration was a major motivator in pursuing the grant, Stapleton said. Considering the
popularity of Solar Roadways, she expects the the project to become a focal point for tourists. To maximize its benefit, Stapleton aims to include an educational and interactive component. For instance, kids might be able to change the configuration of the LED lighting into a hopscotch course or some other design, she said.
While the city expects an economic and public relations bump from the project, it will also serve as a proving ground for Solar Roadways technology. It will be a measurable test of its durability, cost effectiveness and energy generation. In addition, it will introduce the public to the latest version of the product, now in its third prototype phase.
“Other than the hexagonal design, [the latest prototype] doesn’t look anything like the images [media outlets] have been running,” Stapleton said.
With grant funding secure,
Phony website prompts inquiries
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Both the Bonner County prosecutor’s office and sheriff’s office are looking into potential wrongdoing after undersheriff
David Hale was linked to a phony Terry Ford campaign site.
According to Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall, his office is in contact with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office to determine whether an investigation of Hale is warranted. Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler also confirmed an internal review of Hale’s conduct is moving forward.
“While his actions were on his personal time, the importance of propriety and fairness cannot be over-stressed,” Wheeler said in a press release.
The announcements arrive after Hale admitted to creating a fake campaign website for Terry Ford, Wheeler’s challenger in the primary election for Bonner County sheriff. Hale told the Bonner County Daily Bee his intent was to make more information available about Ford be-
city officials can start piecing together project details. Stapleton is looking forward to working with the Brusaws, who she says have been instrumental in making Sandpoint the first Solar Roadways city.
fore the election. However, Ford supporters contend the website was meant to make him look inept with its sloppy design, unflattering text and the false claim that it was “paid for by Friends of Terry Ford for Sheriff.”
According to Wheeler’s press release, an investigation will determine whether Hale’s actions constituted legal or ethical violations.
“The asset that David Hale has represented in this office is, and has historically been, undeniably positive, and I will ensure there will be a fair assessment and proper response to his conduct,” he said.
Marshall, meanwhile, awaits an opinion from the attorney general to determine whether an investigation is warranted “based on the known facts and accusations.” It’s a unique situation in his experience as a prosecutor, he said.
“I haven’t seen anything similar to this in the past, although we have had a number of electioneering complaints in the past 10 years,” he added.
Wheeler did not respond to requests for additional comment.
“To Julie and Scott Brusaw’s credit, they’re really committed to this community and very proud of where they come from,” she said.
If you love the Baldfoot Disc Golf Course, this weekend’s tournament is the best upcoming opportunity to make it better.
The Spring Fundraiser Tournament is sure to be a fun time for fans of the sport. Even better, the funds raised will pave the way for additional improvements to the course. Set for Sunday, April 24, the event’s registration begins 8:30 a.m. Participants can select between professional and amateur levels of play, with special prizes and swag for each level.
There’s a limit of 90 players, so arrive on time if you intend to play. Food will be available for purchase on site.
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
The third of five 88.5 FM Morning Show interviews of candidates in contested primary election races will take place Wednesday, April 27, covering Bonner County Commissioner District 2 Republican candidates Jeff Connolly and Todd Sudick. Airtime is 8 a.m., with the podcast posting later in the day.
On that note, mark your calendars for the candidate forum hosted by SandpointOnline.com and Sandpoint Reader, which occurs 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at Sandpoint High School Auditorium. Most of the candidates have already confirmed they will be attending.
Scott and Julie Brusaw pose with glass panels. Photo courtesy of Solar Roadways.
FEATURE
Where to send your child this year for camp in North Idaho
orientation focused on horsemanship, how to be around horses, to brush and saddle them and general behavior of horses.
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
The weather is growing mild and the days are getting longer here in the Panhandle, reminding us that summer is on the way. It’s also the time of year for parents to start thinking about where to send their kids for summer camp.
In North Idaho, there are a wide variety of options for summer camps in North Idaho, both day and overnight format. Here is a breakdown of some of the best options for your children this summer. Have fun, campers!
Cocolalla Bible Camp
Ages 9-18 and family July-Aug
Swimming, canoeing, paddle boats, water sports, team sports, fishing, etc.
263-3912
www.clbcamp.org
Cocolalla Bible Camp has been a destination for area children for 44 years. It is an overnight weeklong camp experience with four different sessions divided by age groups.
Teen Camp: July 10-15.
Age 11-12: July 17-21.
Age 9-10: July 24-28.
Age 7-8: July 31-Aug. 4.
Situated a stone’s throw from Cocolalla Lake, the camp offers a bevy of outdoor activities, including canoeing, swimming, paddle boats, volleyball, horseback riding, Frisbee golf and team sports like baseball and basketball.
According to Dirk Darrow, executive director of Cocolalla Bible Camp, kids benefit a lot from attending summer camp.
“Summer camps in general give kids the experience to learn new skills,” said Darrow. “In our particular case, it’s a very safe environment where they’ll make some lifelong friends and be in an environment where their parents can be free of any type of worry for their children being cared for.”
Darrow said teaching the gospel is a strong tenet of their camp experience.
“We want to give kids a safe and enjoyable camp experience
where we are intentional about sharing the love of Christ with them,” said Darrow, who added that daily chapel sessions are a part of the overnight camp’s package.
For more information or to register, go to www.clbcamp.org or call 263-3912. There is a discount if parents register their children before 10 days of the camp, but they welcome walk-in registrations the first day of camp.
Schweitzer Summer Camp Ages 6-11, July-Aug
Hiking, crafts, swimming, village activities. 263-9555 ext. 2152 www.schweitzer.com
For parents interested in their kids experiencing all the great things the outdoors have to offer, Schweitzer Mountain Resort has an option that may be just what the doctor ordered.
Schweitzer offers a week-long day camp seven different times throughout the summer, beginning with the July 5 session and spanning all the way until the end of August with the final session. Word is they are starting to fill up, so if you’re interested in signing up, don’t delay!
Each session features a Monday-through-Friday day camp. Parents can drop their children off at the Red Barn and pick them up at the same spot at the end of the day, saving the drive up the hill.
Activities include riding the
chairlift, hiking, the mining sluice box, the monkey jumper, climbing wall, swimming and lots of games and fun stuff to do in the village.
“Summer camp gets kids active and keeps them outside,” said activities manager Dani Demmons. “They get to explore the region we live in and love so much.”
Huckleberry pickers need not worry, when the berries begin to ripe there will be picking activities scheduled.
“We pick like crazy when they’re ripe,” said Demmons.
To sweeten the deal, season pass holders get a discount on tuition.
For more information or to sign up, go to www.schweitzer. com.
Twin Eagles Summer Camps
Ages 6-18 and Family
June-Aug Day and residential. Nature awareness, animal tracking, wild edible and medicinal plants.
265-3685
www.twineagles.org
Every camp seems to have a theme, and the overarching theme to Twin Eagles Summer Camps is a connection to the natural world while developing genuine self-awareness.
Offering day and overnight camps for both kids and teens, Twin Eagles offers many outdoor activities such as learning to make fire by friction, identifying edible plants, archery, tracking wild
animals and building shelters in nature.
The day camps are primarily engineered for younger kids, with each day having a different theme. There are so many fun programs, you’ll have to check out their website to explore them all.
For those ages 10-18, Twin Eagles offers overnight camps that feature total immersion in nature.
Campers will learn many fun and useful skills while experiencing those traditional aspects of camp we all know and love; sleeping in tipis, singing songs and telling stories.
To learn more, give them a call at 265-3685 or check out their detailed website at www.twineagles.org.
Youth Horsemanship Camp
Western Pleasure Guest Ranch
Ages 10-16
June-Aug
Hands-on experiences with horses, including maintenance and riding instruction.
263-9066 www.westernpleasureranch.com.
For those of you interested in the world of horses, Western Pleasure Guest Ranch has a great option for you.
This day camp features a very hands-on experience with horses.
“We assign each child their own horse for the week,” said wrangler Danielle Otis.
When campers arrive Monday morning, there will be a detailed
“They’ll also learn horseback in the arena and on trails,” said Otis. “We’ll work up to Thursday night, when a finale horse show will take place where children get to show friends and family what they learned.”
The finale includes many popular events such as barrel racing and other timed challenges. There are surprise games, too.
All experience levels are welcome. Class sizes are small to focus on individual attention.
“The focus is on being outside the whole time, experiencing the outdoors and horses,” said Otis. “A lot of children don’t get to experience that right now.”
For more information, log onto www.westernpleasureranch.com/ childrens-programs/.
Eureka Institute and LPO Waterkeeper Ages 8-13
July 25-29
Hands-on activities centered around understanding the science of the lake.
265-4000 www.eureka-institute.org
The Watershed Discovery Camp is a week-long day camp centered around a variety of fun and educational water stewardship activities.
Partnering with the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeepers, the Eureka Institute offers many different activities for campers to know and understand what it means to keep our greatest asset—Lake Pend Oreille—clean and healthy.
Activities include water quality monitoring, shoreline cleanup, invasive species prevention and a wetland ecology field trip. Afternoons will be spent enjoying Lake Pend Oreille with trips to Sandpoint City Beach, kayaking, water-themed arts and crafts and fun at the Eureka Center’s challenge ropes course.
“The Watershed Discovery Camp is the only thing in our area where kids get some science based education on watershed safety and get to explore nature and have fun at the same time,” said executive director Steve Holt.
For more information, call 265-4000, or check out www. eureka-institute.org.
See CAMPS, page 8
Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education (SOLE)
Ages 4-10; teen and up
Experiential treks in the outdoors with emphasis on Leave No Trace and therapeutic value of the outdoors.
928.351.SOLE (7653) info@soleexperiences.org
There are summer camps and then there are expeditions. SOLE operates somewhere in between, offering a variety of different options; most centered around the idea of immersion in nature.
SOLE founder and administrator Dennison Webb is no stranger to summer camps. His own experiences in sailing and exploration camps have left a dramatic impression; one which he desires to pay forward to those who partake in SOLE’s expeditions.
Two options SOLE offers for teens are the Exploratory and Empowerment Treks, for males and females, respectively.
Both treks feature a total immersion in nature, with an expedition to the Cabinet Mountains and the Missouri River in
Montana. Participants will learn to develop outdoor leadership skills as well as technical skills like navigating with a compass.
“We’re real big on the Leave No Trace idea,” said Webb, who said participants will be taught everything from camping etiquette to leadership skills.
The male-specific Exploratory Treks take place June 20-26, July 25-31 and Aug. 25-31. The female-specific Empowerment Treks will take place Aug. 9-15 and 25-31. Both programs are recommended for ages 13-18 years.
There are scholarship programs available for those who may not be able to afford tuition.
Another option is SOLE’s Junior Naturalist Experience for the budding botanist in us all.
This is a perfect opportunity for kids 4-10 years old who love exploring and learning about the natural world.
The experience is a great opportunity for campers to balance outdoor free-play with educational activities that increase their knowledge of the natural world.
The Nature Detectives is engineered for kids 4-6 years old, and will take place June
20-22 and again July 11-13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Nature Explorers is for kids age 7-10 years old, and will take place June 20-24 and again July 11-15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Both are day camps with drop off and pickup schedules, and offer member discounts.
“Our mission is about educating people why it’s important to Leave No Trace,” said Webb, “while also teaching them leadership skills in the outdoors.”
Music Conservatory of Sandpoint Summer Music & Theater Camps Grades 4 and up
Music instruction, choir and theatrical based day camps.
265-4444
www.sandpointconservatory.org
Have a budding musician, singer or actor who wants some real, hands-on experience? We’ve got a great option for them— the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint has some great opportunities this summer. Summer Orchestra Camp will take place
July 25-29 and will feature visiting students from Mexico’s Redes 2025 Orchestra. Guest conductor Emiliano Lopez will help kids improve their technique.
The Summer Choir Camp will take place July 18-22, and again July 28-29 for rehearsal and a performance. This is the first year MCS has offered the Summer Choir Camp. They’ll explore a variety of vocal techniques, including proper posture, breathing techniques and performance preparation.
Both camps will culminate with a combined performance that usually takes place at the Panida Theater. Those wishing to audition may even have a chance to play on the Festival at Sandpoint stage!
Also offered by MCS is the Summer Theater Camp from July 5-15. This camp is for those aged 8-16 years old. As with the other offerings, this camp will culminate with a special production for students to show off what they have learned.
For more information, contact MCS at 265-4444 or www.sandpointconservatory. org.
Earth Day: The perfect time to protect the Scotchman Peaks
By Phil Hugh Reader Contributor
Spring is a time of awakening, of rebirth and renewal. As buds burst and seeds stir to life, hope (along with pollen) hangs heavy in the air.
In 1970, 20 million people from all walks of life and with little else in common but a shared desire to improve the planet’s environment came together to celebrate the original Earth Day. Congress even adjourned for the day so that they could engage in activities and visit with constituents. The events and actions that followed were bipartisan and community-centered.
Soon after Earth Day, Congress and the President responded to the urgings of Americans from diverse backgrounds and passed many of our bedrock environmental and conservation laws. These laws assured that the public interest is served by (and the public is involved in) governmental decisions that impact our environment: Updates to the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and Forest Land Management Policy Act. Congress also created the Superfund Act, President Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency and the Forest Service conducted their Roadless Area Review and Evaluations (RARE 1 and RARE II). The 1970s were a busy time!
The Wilderness Act itself assures that there will be a similar public process,
delegating to Congress the sole authority to add areas to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Congress rarely acts without gauging public support, and on lands issues local support plays an important role in whether, and when, Congress acts. Building strong, diverse public support is an important step on the pathway to wilderness designation. Wilderness designation is one of the most democratic actions.
The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness set out 11 years ago to engage the community and the many different people with interests in wilderness. We have participated in formal collaborations including the Panhandle Forest Collaborative and the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders groups. We have also had one-on-one conversations with many individuals, addressed meetings of civic organizations, stakeholders and other groups. We’ve met with businesses, representatives of the timber and mining industries and various recreation groups. We’ve met with anyone who is interested in what wilderness for the Scotchman Peaks would mean, including people and groups who might not have seemed like the most natural wilderness allies. We have wanted to talk with everyone, answer questions, address concerns and interests. To learn from each what their perspective had to teach us.
Through this process of public engagement and collaboration, a broad consensus of our community has come
to agree that the Scotchman Peaks should be designated as Wilderness. Key endorsements from the last year or so include the governor of Montana, the Sanders County Ledger, the Missoulian, the Bonner County Daily Bee, The Spokesman-Review and the Sandpoint Reader editorial boards. The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, the Bonner County Board of Commissioners and Idaho Forest Group have all called upon our Senators and Congressman to introduce a bill to designate the Scotchman Peaks (in Idaho) as wilderness!
This support has been noticed by the Idaho Congressional delegation, and we are hopeful that 2016 will be the breakout year for the Idaho portion of the Scotchman Peaks. We can think of no
better way to celebrate Earth Day than for our Congressional representatives to honor our communities’ desire and introduce legislation to protect the Scotchman Peaks as Wilderness. We hope you will join us in urging them to do so!
If you want to celebrate Earth Day, take a moment to add your voice to this chorus. Go to:
http://www.scotchmanpeaks.org/ you-can-help/contactelecteds/ Consider joining us for our Earth Day trail project on Regal Creek (see below). Or, if you can’t make that, join us later this summer for one out many other stewardship projects.
Snowshoes tracks coming off Scotchman Peak. Photo by Don Otis.
Summer Camp
The very best of childhood
Op-Ed by Tim Corcoran Reader Contributor
We all want the very best for our children. As a father, I know firsthand how much love, energy, care and effort goes into the process of crafting a good life for my children. What impact will my choices and today’s events have on their lives in the future? How can I best meet their needs so that they are prepared to handle the challenges that await them? These are the kind of questions we wrestle with as parents.
Summer Camp is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. I know this not only as a father, but as a summer camp director for the past decade. I’ve seen thousands of kids come to our summer camps, and through the years I’ve come to see the patterns of benefits that kids receive from their time at summer camp.
Here is a list of some of the most important benefits that summer camp has to offer:
Self Confidence
Summer camps give kids a sense of belonging. Through cooperation and inclusivity, they develop a sense of life larger than one’s self. There are diverse opportunities to experience success. Kids get a chance to stretch their comfort zones, particularly through mentoring relationships, and come to experience themselves as more capable than they previously believed.
Make New Friends
Developing community and social skills is essential for a healthy life. At summer camps, kids form a close knit community. For many children, camp is a chance to reinvent themselves, away from the expectations of school and home life. Relaxation, adventure, and big fun become a context for deep relationships to blossom. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard kids say “I’ve found my people!”
Skill Development
A big part of the process of preparing for adulthood is building skills. Summer camp offers children a chance to try out new and diverse skills, as well as deepen in existing passions. As they do so, kids discover themselves and develop their talents.
Grow
more
Independent
Summer camps give children authentic and safe opportunities to practice making choices for themselves away from parents and teachers guiding every move. By experiencing that taste of freedom, kids develop the building blocks of authentic responsibility.
Nature Connection
The natural world is the original context for authentic self-discovery and community building. Summer is an amazing season to reconnect with the gifts of nature and in the process kids experience the awe and wonder that become inspiration for life itself.
Resiliency
As kids experience the fullness of everything I’ve mentioned above, they have many opportunities to endure setbacks, practice tenacity and develop determination. As they do so, they build the muscle of resiliency that will undoubtedly be used well into the future.
It might be easy to think that our kids get everything they need from school, home and perhaps a few extracurricular activities. My hope in sharing these words with you is that you connect with the unique value and tremendous benefit that summer camps have to offer, and give your kids that special gift that lasts a lifetime.
(inside the Cedar St. Bridge)
Happy Campers? You betcha.
Bouquets:
•A bouquet is in order for the volunteers and staff with Sandpoint Community Resource Center, who hosted a really great symposium of service providers last week. Way to keep everyone on the same page, guys. The work you’re doing to help those in need access the correct service providers is very important.
•Another bouquet goes out to the volunteers and organizations who helped clean up the town last Saturday. The BID, the Lakes Commission, Lake Assist and the city of Sandpoint all deserve a hearty thank you for the weed pull at City Beach and the “Shake the Sand Out.” We appreciate what you all do for our community.
Barbs:
•Submitted by Anonymous:
We all know that Mineral Point is where the under-agers go for their drunken parties on the shore. We’re all kind of used to putting up your loud yelling, music, late-night antics and so on. It’s the cost of free scenery. But last weekend took the cake.
A party of 10-plus locals, all young adults, set up camp on the far end of the Green Bay beach, yelling crass and crude comments until the wee hours of the morn ing, starting up chainsaws—in the campsite—at midnight, audi bly enjoying some carnal action in the wee hours of the morning, and then shooting off a gun—still in the campsite—around 8:30 the following morning.
Come on, guys. No one’s im pressed. Guns belong in desig nated shooting areas, away from families, dogs and tents. And when all of us complained to you, your belligerent argument that “this is f---ing North Ida ho” was not impressive either. Did you see our license plates? We’re all locals too. Grow up and find a rave spot that won’t harm the public or the reputation of our great state.
Look, but don’t touch!
By Mike Nash Reader Contributor
For a guaranteed grin above the chin, attend one of Sandpoint’s hot rod events. Americans have always had a love affair with the automobile, but the hot rod adds something extra, a little adrenalin excitement.
I use the term hot rod loosely. It can be a street rod, muscle car, sports car, classic, vintage, rat rod, lead sled, low rider, truck or a Subaru with flames and white walls. The color, shape, size, power, creativity and amount of chrome may differ, but the heart and devotion of the owner doesn’t. These cars are not just a hobby. They’re a feverish passion. Those with the hot rod fever come in all sizes, shapes, colors, ages and sexes. Watch out, because the fever is contagious, and there is no cure. And best of all, these cars, and carriers of the hot rod fever, are coming to Sandpoint again this spring and summer.
The year starts off in the third week of May, with Lost in the ‘50s, a yearly tradition.
The entire week is a backto-the-‘50s celebration with dances, shows and talent from
Sandpoint’s hot rod culture alive and well
Many dress in ‘50’s attire. And many more reminisce about the cars they had in the past or have anxiety attacks over the ones they sold. The parade consists of hundreds of automobiles from all over the Northwest area, including Canada.
The following morning, the downtown streets are packed with cars and spectators. Downtown literally transforms in to a walk-through car-arama. Look, and enjoy the love, the time, the imagination and money that goes in to these cars. But remember, don’t touch.
Many owners have photo albums showing the stages of their build. Just ask, and they will be glad to show you the pictures and explain the work and time involved (often many years). As a side note, while attending the car show, parking is not enforced on the local downtown streets. But parking is enforced at the red/yellow/ blue zones and the pay-forparking lots on Third Avenue by Oak and Church streets.
The entrants at these events are often members of car clubs from all around the area.
ities and promote education or mentoring of our youth.
Our local club is the Injectors Car Club. The club was originally started in the ‘60s and met at a gas station where Ivano’s is presently located. They held dances at the local Community Center to help financially.
The club fell by the wayside and was re-injected, if you will, in the late ‘90s by Tim Gates. For the last nine years, Gary Vanhorn has served as president. I’m told he was elected because of his proper French connoisseur pronunciation of wines (a club joke).
The Injectors put on an additional car event each September on the first Saturday after Labor Day. This show, and their other activities, have raised more than $40,000 for local charities, some of which include the Sandpoint Senior Center, Bonner Community Food Bank, Bonner Community Hospice, Toys for Tots and Community Cancer Services. The auto club is quick to give credit to, and thank, the 100plus local businesses making these contributions possible.
cars from all over the area and venders passing out free gifts. If you get an unsatisfied hunger for hot rods between these two events, the local Burger Express on Highway 2 has hot rod evenings every Wednesday at 6 p.m.
On a personal note, car shows provide a wholesome family event and can be an inspiration to our youth. These cars exemplify the various trades involved in producing these fine automobiles. Just think of the professionals in electronics, upholstery, metal shaping and welding, engineering, mechanical repair, design, mathematics and other fields that shaped these vehicles.
It also shows what can be accomplished with patience, perseverance, dedication and most of all, an imagination or a dream.
Then there is the financial aspect. “Get your kids interested in hot rods, and they won’t be able to afford drugs.” Seriously, it does teach you to save and have financial priorities.
One more thing, please don’t ride your bikes or skateboards around the cars. And we
“Explore” classes by:
Meet a Search & Rescue Dog!
3:30pm @ Sandpoint Library
Throwback Thursdays at the 219 7-11pm @ 219 Lounge
Diana & Jim Carlson will introduce you to their search and rescue dog and demonstrate how their dog finds missing persons
Featuring live music and drink deals
Monarch Open Mic with Patrice Webb
6-8pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee
Held on the first and third Thursday of every month. Singer/songwriter theme
Live Music w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bond
5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Mandolin/guitar duo
Live Music w/ Britchy 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Acoustic Americana duo from Missoula
Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner & Utah John 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Vendor Fair
1-6pm @ VFW Hall (1325 Pine St.)
Free entrance and lots of fun door prizes at this vendor / arts and crafts fair. Call (503)765-6469 for more information, or to host a table
“Dancing in the Rain”
7pm @ Spt. Community Hall
Learn the Fox Trot by a professional instructor. Following the lesson at 8pm, there will be general dancing, refreshments, mixers and door prizes. Open for singles, couples and all levels of dancers. 699-0421
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
6-7:30pm @ The Sandpoint PFLAG holds ing every third
8pm @ Eichardt’s PFLAG Meeting
Live Music w/ the Other White Meat
Ladies 5-8pm @ Grab your fashion, side and drinks, Dollar Beers!
Classic rock band from North Idaho that’s been around since the early 1990s opening for such acts as G. Thorogood, Styx, REO Speedwagon, The Doobie Bros, Ted Nugent, Rail, and Cracker. Free and open to 21+
SASi Annual Fundraiser
3pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds
Bring the family for a fun evening of dinner, dancing and casino games to support the Sandpoint Senior Center. Doors open at 3pm, with dinner at 5:30pm. There will be marathon dancers to watch, a separate dance floor and casino. Fun for all ages!
SASi Fundraiser and Dance Marathon
3-10pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds
If you love to dance, now’s your chance to be part of Sandpoint’s first ever dance marathon! Enjoy dinner and dancing and a silent auction and casino! $20 includes din ner served at 5:30pm
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am. All are welcome
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s
Karaoke Night
10pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge
Panida Theater fundraiser
4-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Lost in the ‘50s Fundraising Breakfast
7am-1pm @ Second Ave. Pizza
All are welcome to attend this annual fundraiser hosted by the Selkirk Association of Realtors
Learn to dance the Swing – 7pm @ SWAC
Learn the Triple Time East Coast Swing from Diane Peters. 610-1770 for info
3D Printing for Adults
5pm @ Sandpoint Library
A beginner level class to become familiar with what 3D printers are used for and how to design your own 3D printable object. Preregister @ 263-6930
Live Music w/ John Firshi 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Bonner County
5:30pm @ Bonner Amateur radio function of the Civil Emergency ment emergency
Join your friends at IPA to celebrate spring and raise money for the historic community-owned Panida Theater. Enjoy great Goose Island brews, live music, raffle swag and a silent auction
Winter Ridge Speaker Series 6pm @ Winter Ridge Balancing your hormones naturally
Goat Hop Ale Redux and Winter Tracks Volunteer Celebration
6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
It’s Spring! To celebrate, come hoist a pint of the by-now-famous Goat Hop Ale. Toast the season and toast the volunteers who made our Winter Tracks Program so successful. Come one, come all. Bring a snack to share!
Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Crafternoon: 2pm @ All are free family
Throwback Thursdays
7-11pm @ 219 Lounge
Featuring live music and friends, $2 domestics
Join in playing in this night setting every Thursday
PFLAG Meeting
6-7:30pm @ Gardenia Center
The Sandpoint Chapter of PFLAG holds a monthly meetevery third Thursday
Dollar Beers!
8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
April 21 - 28, 2016
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.
Reader recommended
Live Music w/ Jordan Page
6 - 8pm @ Sandpoint Events Center
A free event hosted by My American Supply, who will be giving out a free sample of their product. Open to the public, friends and family welcome
Ladies Late Night at the Museum
5-8pm @ Bonner County History Museum
Grab your girlfriends and join us for an evening of fashion, food, cocktails and fun! Tap into your creative side and make your very own hat. $15 includes food, drinks, entertainment and the cost of hat materials
Live Music w/ Chris Lynch
6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
There will be floor and a
Winter Ridge Speaker Series
6pm @ Winter Ridge
How to grow supercharged sprouts in your own kitchen.
Branmans Bash
8pm @ Eagles Lodge
An evening of rock, punk and metal at the Eagles Lodge. Featuring Devoured Soul, the Coat Hangers and Goldtooth. Free show, 21+
Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 7pm @ La Rosa Club
Sandpoint Waldorf School Spring Auction
5:30pm @ Sandpoint Events Center
LPOIC Pin Auction
6pm @ Elks Lodge
Free fundraiser to help protect the lake
Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
The theme this year is Phantom of the Opera, so optional dress should be in the masquerade ball style. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at the Waldorf School, or by calling 265-2683 dancing and Senior Center.
be part of dinner and includes din-
Support the Sandpoint Waldorf School with their annual Spring Auction. There will be dinner and dancing, and a silent and live auction, with proceeds benefitting the Waldorf School.
Live Music w/ John Hastings
5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Live Music w/ Daniel Mills
6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Landscaping for Fire Prevention
9:45-11:30am @ Sandpoint Community Hall
Chris Schnepf will discuss how to protect your home from wildfires through landscaping. Free admission, public welcome
KNPS ‘Replant Your Refund Day’
11am-8pm @ Baxter’s on Cedar
Breakfast fundraiser Realtors
@ SWAC
Swing from
Open to the public, help support KNPS all day long
Silver Ring Thing
6-8pm @ Bonners Ferry HS Auditorium
Daniel Mills, of Son of Brad, is playing a set of original tunes at the Beer Hall. Free and open to all 21+
K&K Spring Fishing Derby
The fun kicks off April 23 and goes until May 1
Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge
The Silver Ring Thing is a free, powerful 2-hour event that speaks honestly to teens and their parents, about love, dating, life choices, and second chances. Pre-register online at https:// www.silverringthing.com/events/bonnersferryid.html
Bonner County ARES/RACES Meeting
5:30pm @ Bonner County Administration Building
Amateur radio groups: Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a function of the American Radio Relay League; and the Radio Amateur Emergency Service (RACES) is associated with the local governemergency management function. Free to attend.
Crafternoon: Change Purses
2pm @ Sandpoint Library
All are welcome to attend this free family workshop
Throwback Thursdays at the 219 219 Lounge
live music with Brian Jacobs friends, $2 domestics and $3 crafts. playing in this informal open mic setting every Thursday night
Wrangling Words Writers Program
5pm @ Sandpoint Library
Free workshop to meet other writers, explore the writing craft and learn how to develop your own path as a write. 263-6930 for more info
Children Performing for Children
6-7pm @ Panida Theater
April 29
The Wine Festival at Sandpoint @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds
April 29-30 “Healing Voices” film and discussion @ the Panida Theater
A very special evening performance by the Community Programs Orchestra & Choir, sponsored in part by the Idaho Community Foundation. This one hour concert is an exploration of music by Beethoven. Admission $5, children 12 & under free. Please call the MCS office for more information, 208.265.4444. All proceeds go to fund our Scholarship Programs
World Class Rock
COMMUNITY
Shop downtown and support nonprofits at the same time
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
If nonprofit organizations and charities are the lifeblood of our community, it goes without saying that the downtown merchants are the oxygen that fuels it. Aside from the vitality and fun our downtown retailers give to the community, they are some of the biggest supporters for charities across the county.
Downtown merchants get asked to donate products for raffles and giveaways that support local charities almost on a daily basis. While they rarely complain about helping these worthy causes, it can sometimes seem like a daunting task, which is why downtown merchants put their heads together recently to come up with an idea to pool their resources together.
“Spring for Sanpdoint” is the result of the brainstorming; a one-day event on Saturday, April 30, where two dozen downtown shops plan to host an extravaganza of sales and special
events. Each of the merchants has chosen a local nonprofit to support. A percentage of each merchant’s receipts will go to support their chosen charity.
“We all give as much as we possibly can,” said Ranel Hanson, owner of downtown clothing boutique Zany Zebra. “Now, we’re trying to pair up to do that more effectively.”
Each of the 24 participating retailers will feature a special event to go along with the sales, be it instructional classes, heavily discounted items or family oriented festivities.
Great Stuff will be featuring a chocolate and garlic tasting event, combined with a book signing for local author Jane Fritz. There will be an interactive artist demonstration at Artworks Gallery. Weekends & Company plans to host kitchen gadget demos while Larson’s will have some fun games and prizes available. Zany Zebra will be carrying handmade poodle skirts in anticipation of the upcoming Lost in the ‘50s
weekend, in addition to their 70 percent off all winter items sale.
For the kids, Creations inside the Cedar St. Bridge will host a bevy of fun children’s activities, including face painting, portraits by local artist Mary Maio, tissue paper flower arrangements and flowerpot painting.
No matter which of the 24 locations you visit, there will be something fun going on, so make sure you visit them all.
Shoppers will be provided with a “Spring for Sandpoint” passport at any store they visit. When the passports have been stamped by at least eight participating stores, the customer will be entered into a drawing for a one of three downtown shopping sprees.
According to Hanson, when you spend money with downtown retailers, you keep your community vital.
“When you spend $10 downtown it goes right back into the community,” she said. “A lot of people say shopping online is easy, and that you don’t have to worry about parking and all that,
Participating Retailers:
(And their chosen charities)
Azalea Handpicked Style
Bonner Community Hospice
Eve’s Leaves
Bonner Community Food Bank
Zany Zebra
Food For Our Children
Carousel
Panhandle Animal Shelter
Art Works Gallery
Emerging Artist Scholarship Fund
Larson’s
Sandpoint Teen Center
Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair
Pend Oreille Pedalers
Northwest Handmade
Creations Pirate Ship
Meadow Brook
Special Olympics
Weekends & Company
Bulldog Bench
Pedro’s
North Idaho Aerospace Program
but by shopping locally you can talk to real people, meet friends, build relationships.”
One of the best ways to keep your community vital and strong is to support the small businesses downtown. These aren’t chain stores owned by corporate suits and ties; these are mom-and-pop shops owned and operated by the same smiling faces you’ve seen around town for years. These are business owned by families who rely on your patronage to pay for their kid’s college tuitions and soccer uniforms. These are the real people that keep our community funky and moving forward.
Please do your best to support them, even if you only make one purchase downtown instead of at a box store or online. You can make a difference, shoppers. Shop downtown on Saturday, April 30. You’ll be thankful that you did.
Check the sidebar to the right to see the 24 participating downtown merchants and their chosen charities.
Great Stuff
Habitat for Humanity
Petal Talk
POAC Outreach Program
Santosha
Community Cancer Services
Bella Terra
Multiple Sclerosis “Fill the Boot”
Cedar Street Bistro
Kinderhaven
Finan McDonald
North Idaho CASA
Sharon’s Hallmark
Healing Gardens at BGH
Zero Point
Angels Over Sandpoint
Creations
Community Resource Center
Storm Sports
Independence Ski Team
Alpine Shop
Panhandle Alliance for Education
Panida Theater
Panida Playhouse
Cedar Day Spa
Transitions in Progress
A family meanders down the First Avenue shopping district in Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.
Science: Mad about
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
When I mention fungus, you probably have a wonderful mental image of athlete’s foot or ringworm, or everyone’s favorite ex-football announcer advertising antifungal creams back in the ‘90s. Boom!
We’re not going to talk much about those, today. Chances are, if you’ve ever had them, you’d like to forget about them. Instead, we’ll discuss some more exotic, as well as some more nightmare inducing, fungi from around the globe.
Brought to you by:
Fungus
turns its victims into mindless, desiccated zombies. Why haven’t we burned that into oblivion, yet?!
Some colonies are not so lucky; Entomologists have found massive hives turned into necropolises filled to the brim with long dead ants.
That’s horrifying, let’s talk about something else. Something more positive. Something bright!
Bioluminescent fungi are pretty awesome. What is it? What does bioluminescent even mean?
It means a biological, organic thing that produces light. Remember the glow-in-the-dark stars most of us used to have all over our ceilings? They’re a lot like that. They emit dim glows, just enough to see them and sometimes a small area around them.
without bringing up what may be the most beneficial fungus in the history of the human race. No, not Portabello. You’ve probably encountered it multiple times in your life without ever realizing it. That’s okay, most of humanity did for thousands of years before we realized its potential.
Ever let an orange sit around too long? Notice it start to get all droopy and sad? It had some nasty white fuzz growing all over it. What was that?
It’s Penicillium, and you guessed it, it’s the source of Penicillin, the miracle antibiotic that, up until recently, was able to wipe harmful bacteria off the face of the map.
Cordyceps. Just when you thought a nasty itch was the worst you could have it, along comes a nasty little spore that
Mostly because it doesn’t affect humans at all. The Cordyceps fungus infects insects, primarily ants in South America. The spores will infect an unlucky ant, overtake its nervous system and begin to eat it from the inside out. It drives its sluggish host back towards its colony, with the intent of infecting many thousands more. Some colonies will actually send a suicide squad of drones to apprehend the offender and carry her off into the jungle, where they will all be inevitably infected and die.
Why is that fungus glowing? Evolution, primarily. We think it has something to do with attracting insects to spread spores or discourage predators from eating something they may think is poisonous. Sometimes, the best camouflage is to hide in plain sight and glow brightly!
Ideas have been proposed to replace streetlights with vats of bioluminescent algae that “recharge” during the daytime with help from the sun, no electricity required!
We can’t make a post about fungus
Pencillium’s awesomeness doesn’t stop at keeping us healthy and extending our lives, though. It’s the reason for blue cheese’s distinct tanginess. That’s right, your favorite salad topper is enhanced by that gross white fuzz. Does that gross you out? It shouldn’t. Penicillium is an alpha predator in the fungal arms race. It spreads and infuses your food with an unmistakable flavor and keeps harmful fungi and bacteria out.
It’s kind of the Superman of fungi, when you think about it.
Laddies of the Day, revisited
By Tim Henney Reader Contributor
“Be careful what you wish for” thought Ben Franklin as he flew his kite into a hot overhead electric line.Thought Julius Caesar over the Cobb salad he certainly hadn’t ordered. Thought Donald Trump to a stiff-armed salute from admirers who dig him because he speaks his mind but which reminded older, higher minds of an evil orator from another era. Thought this scribe, who in a past Reader set out to personally research Sandpoint’s sporting Ladies Of The Evening, if any.
After my 1957 bride objected, the theme shifted to the city’s ebullient Ladies Of The Day. Two columns, and ladies enoyed them. But laddies, charging the Reader with gender bias, rose in fierce objection. They burned tires, shouted obscene anti-Reader sound bites and tossed smoke bombs at this cowed journalist, hiding in the library lobby. They demanded parity. Equal Reader ink.
Early next morning I wrote about several leading laddies, then repaired, exhausted, to the lip-smackin’ new Flourish cafe for a squash sandwich. I considered Laddies a done deal. But when they didn’t find their names in the piece, thousands of scowling, vindictive laddies thundered down First Avenue, shouting “Hell no, we won’t go!” (Curious, but the only pithy chant they could recall from the 1960s and ‘70s).
Rounding the corner onto Cedar, they brutally attacked the Reader door with a battering ram. A battering ram featuring our own intrepid explorer, David Thompson. Heroically, he had taped himself to the battering end of the battering ram. Ever since Thompson was queried in a recent Reader for his opinions on the Academy Awards he has sought celebrity. This was his carpe diem. Duct-taping and duck-taping himself to the battering ram was not really all
that heroic, however. I mean, David Thompson is a cement sculpture. And the Reader’s door was not even locked. Roaring mobs of seething laddies never think of such things though. Where is the machismo, the bravado, if one strolls through an unlocked door when determined to trash a place. Better to ram it first with a cement David Thompson.
Sensitive to such uncivil behavior, Ben and Cameron, trembling, hung a white flag from their upstairs window and promised a laddies encore. Just like the ladies got. As it happens, this terrorized author was also hunkered beneath a massive upstairs desk. But not before recognizing the rioting ringleaders.
Jessie, the burley, jovial Arlo’s waiter—and world traveler whenever he saves up sufficient funds—was there. Son of Arlo’s owners, Jessie was reared in gentle Greenwich Village, New York City. Historic, cobble-stoned home to poets, musicians, actors, thinkers. My 1957 bride and I began legally co-habitating in a walkup brownstone there after a year of frisky, pre-nuptial mid-50s sports car romance from one end of California’s Pacific Coast Highway to the other. Including, as Simon & Garfunkle sang, “...down from Berkeley to Carmel...”.
At Jessie’s side was husky Ryan Navarro, in a Georgia Bulldogs sweatshirt. Ryan is 19 and one of the heavy lifters out at Carter Country. Ryan has never been to Georgia but has cheered for the University of Georgia football teams as long as he can remember. Purchasing fencing from Ryan one morning, and learning of his love for Dixieland, I lustily sang “Glory, Glory To Old Georgia...g.e.o.r.g.i.a.” He seemed unimpressed. That may be why he joined the riotous mob.
Next to Ryan marched musician Paul Gunter, a really big dude. One wouldn’t think school music teachers would involve themselves in violent uprisings. Yet Paul hoisted a
bullhorn and bellowed at the Reader windows, “You guys suck!” Brave Cameron replied in kind: “We’re rubber, you’re glue. Everything you say bounces off us and sticks onto you!” Infuriated, Gunter fired back, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” It was ugly.
Flanking the front line of marchers, like a pair of lanky NFL wide receivers, were Don, extra-genial host at the Pend d’ Orielle Winery, and longtime library key manager Gordon. Both are nine feet tall. Don is the sort of restauranteur who makes customers want to linger. He was dragging a cart full of Bistro Rouge, his excellent house specialty, down the street. Always the host with the most, Don anticipated his rabble-rousing colleagues would be thirsty when their rebellion ended. More importantly, he had a son at Cal-Berkeley, where my bride and I met in 1956. Naturally, we three share a powerful collegial bond. “Oh sturdy Golden Bear...”
Gordon is retiring soon, after 17 years of exemplary library service. Man, will he be missed! Gordon was strumming his guitar as he trudged along Cedar and singing the Civil Rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome” which he apparently considered fitting for the laddies’ quest. Gordon and wife Joan met at a James Taylor/Carli Simon concert back in the day. When singing on stage during summer Saturdays at the Farmers Market they sound a lot like James and Carli. Maybe better.
As the bellowing agitators repeatedly rammed Cement David into the Reader door, shaking the building, Baxters customers next door found their plates crashing to the floor. Headman Tommy and affable waiter Nakia dashed into the street, incensed. Mike Roos, no pipsqueak and new owner of Nu-Way Wash O Mat, tackled them. (Nu-Way is one of Sandpoint’s many marvelous, friendly, family-owned businesses. The kind of 42-year-old local enterprise we should promote and patron-
ize. Ten happy employees who smile when you enter. One of them, Paul, is the third generation member of his family to work at the laundromat). As Mike took his foot off their necks, laddies Tommy and Nakia recognized a good cause when they stumbled into one. Hippies at heart, they cheerfully joined the protest. This writer was shocked. I knew them both. They’d never acted like anarchists. Well, Nakia hadn’t.
Among the ruffian marchers were at least two gentlemen. Paint Bucket owner Harold and Limey Solutions proprietor Colin. Born in the north of England, Colin and his bride, Mandi, partner in A Spa At The Lake, have traveled the world. Before finding Sandpoint in 2009 they tramped through India, Australia, Central America, Asia and several other continents and countries. When Colin comes to our house to fix our ailing, ancient computer, he attempts to impress us with tales of world travel. We quickly oneup him by recounting dining adventures in Bonners Ferry. Harold is another fellow with everything going for him—a great wife, Liz, a droll wit, a thriving business, an upscale Audi. A few years ago friends Nan Cooper and Maria Larson painted the front of his Pine Street building with color-
ful amphibians of every stripe. Frogs, toads, water lillies. Then Harold, in a strong argument for education, ruined it. Trying to discourage non-customer parking, he wrote in large letters across the front of the building, “Unbelonging cars TOAD.”
Top: Gordon Anderson at the Sandpoint Library. Bottom: Harold Stephenson from the Paint Bucket. Photos by Ben Olson.
Children performing for Children
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
For kids, no one can open up new worlds of art quite like their peers. Music is no exception.
That’s the idea behind the Children Performing For Children concert, hosted by the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint. The performance lets conservatory students demonstrate their growing musical ability to an audience their own age, some of whom may encounter classical music for the first time.
“This concert is geared toward being something kids can enjoy,” said Amelia Hess, the mother of one of the orchestra members. “It’s an hour long concert, and it’s geared toward Beethoven’s life’s work.”
The concert selections and format are designed to keep kids engaged. An outreach of the Community Orchestra and
Choir, which aims to make a musical education affordable to everyone, the concert features performances from all four branches of the program: choir, ensemble choir, orchestra and chamber orchestra.
Proceeds from the event will support the Community Orchestra and Choir. The lowcost and tuition-free program provides after-school education for 89 students, well as opening doors to low-cost summer orchestra and youth camps for another 43 youngsters. The program is expected to grow by 20 percent next year.
For adults, the Children Performing For Children concert will offer a look at a unique opportunity for local musical education. Kids, meanwhile, will enjoy a tour through Beethoven’s works—and maybe even inspire their own passion for music.
The Children Performing for
Children concert takes place 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at the Panida Theater. Check out www.sandpointconservatory.org for more information about the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint’s many services and events.
Feel like dancing? Get SASi with it
By Reader Staff
Do you love music? Do you love to dance? The Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. (SASi) have got you covered, with their Annual Fundraiser.
Tickets are being sold right now for SASi’s Dance Marathon, to be held on Saturday, April 23 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds from 3-10 p.m. The event will be SASi’s first (and quite possibly Sandpoint’s first) dance marathon. A pasta and salad dinner provided by local restaurants will be available from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and there will also be silent auction items, casino games, a raffle for a vacation at a beautiful condo in Hawaii. There are also golf packages from local golf courses, gift certificates and artwork.
For those over 21 years of age, a casino area will be established, with winnings applicable to auction items and the Hawaii condo raffle tickets. The drawing for the condo, donated by Encoder, Inc., will
be held at 8 p.m.
Marathon dancers will be shaking their tail feathers to tunes from the ‘20s to the present spun by deejay and local musician Jake Robin. Competitors will have pledges, with all proceeds supporting SASi’s valuable programs.
Tickets are $20, with proceeds benefiting SASi. $10 tickets are also available for the
afternoon or evening (excluding dinner). Come to dance, come to watch or participate in the many other activities.
SASi provides about 25,000 meals a year to the Sandpoint Senior Center and through home-delivered meals. Alzheimer’s and memory care is provided at the DayBreak Center giving caregivers much needed respite.
Random Corner
Lighting strikes... seven times?
A U.S. park ranger named Roy C. Sullivan held the record for being struck by lightning the most times, having been struck — and surviving — seven times between 1942 and 1977. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1983.
The odds of being struck by lightning seven times? Oh, it’s a mere 4.15 in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,0 00,000,000,000.
How hot is a lightning bolt? Only about 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit — roughly five times hotter than the surface of the sun!
Lightning kills about 2,000 people a year.
Thanks to popular culture, the method of measuring how far away a lightning strike has been confused by several different methods. Here’s the true method: Count the number of seconds that pass between a flash of lightning and the crack of thunder that follows it, then divide that number by five. The resulting number will tell you how many miles away you are from where lightning just struck (i.e. five seconds = one mile away).
Fundraising Committee members (left to right); Adele Martin, Loris Michael, Gayle Williams, and Leslie Marshall. They are holding an original painting donated by SASi Meals Manager, Mary McGinnis. Photo by SASi.
Max Reed plays at the Panida Theater. Photo by Atom & Mars
STAGE & SCREEN
POAC presents DakhaBrakha:
The coolest, weirdest show you’ll see in Sandpoint this year
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Every once in awhile, I’ll hear someone say, “I wish we had some different types of cultural music come through Sandpoint.”
For Pend Oreille Arts Council’s last show of the Performing Arts Series, they couldn’t have picked a cooler, more original performance than DakhaBrakha.
The quartet hailing from Kiev, Ukraine, grabs your attention even before they utter a single note. The three women of the band wear tall wool hats that would make Marge Simpson blue with envy, and the accordion-playing male is sometimes pictured in suits with Chewbaccian roots.
It makes me want to check out the Ukraine, if style like this is cool.
Then they start playing, and it seems it’s all you can do to keep your jaw from dropping.
Equal parts traditional Ukranian folk and harmonic gypsy rock ballads, DakhaBrakha will ultimately make your heart swim with joy after hearing the first song.
Having experimented with Ukrainian folk music, the band has added rhythms of the surrounding world into their music, creating a bright, unique and unforgettable impression.
Accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, Russian and Australian traditional instrumentation, the quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a trans-national sound rooted in
Ukrainian culture.
The songs feature a mixture of accordion, drums, reeds and shakers, and are propelled by a harmonic blending of vocals that sounds both modern and ancient at the same time.
Last year, NPR featured DakhaBrakha on their “Tiny Desk Concert” series.
“People always ask me, ‘What’s your favorite Tiny Desk Concert?’” said producer Bob Boilen. “Well, right now it’s the one recently performed by DakhaBrakha. The creative quartet from Kiev, Ukraine, make music that sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard, with strands of everything I’ve ever heard.”
I couldn’t have said it better. Go to this show, Sandpoint. It’s probably the only time we’ll ever see something this weird and awesome, unless Gogol Bordello happens to come through our area.
DakhaBrakha will be playing the Panida Theater as the final POAC “Performing Arts Series” show on Wednesday, April 27. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for adults are $16. POAC members pay $13 and students get in for $11.
that sounds like nothing you've ever heard thursday, April 21 @ 7pm friday, April 22 @ 7:30pm Saturday, April 23 @ 3:30pm April 23 @ 7:30pm, April 24 @ 3:30pm wednesday, April 27 @ 7:30pm Thursday, April 28 @ 6pm Friday, April 29 @ 7:00pm
The Straight Poop:
The quest for
By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist
dog-friendly businesses in North Idaho
the counter inside and talk to customers.
Where am I taking my humans today?
It’s raining, it’s pouring and the Missus needs some sun and flowers. I am missing BFF time with my gal pal Joey, a 5-year-old Red Heeler Australian Shepherd mix. She is known as the flower pup, AKA the official shop dog of Fresh Sunshine Flowers. Joey’s dog mom, Jen Pratt, runs the fresh flower market out of a converted delivery truck named Mabel at The Granary, 524 Church Street. The flower truck is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11-2 and available the rest of the week for local deliveries (check out www.freshsunshineflowers.com for summer extended hours and more info).
Joey likes to fetch and fetch and fetch some more. However, it’s raining cats and dogs, and I am not in the mood for puddle jumping or fetching her soggy wet tennis ball today. So we opt for Plan B to help Jen stay warm, dry, have yummy treats and play dogopoly inside Mabel. Jen opens the ‘customer walk up window’ while Joey is teaching me how to sit at
FSF is such a dog-friendly business. Joey knows all the dogs and customers by name, and the kids love to play with her. She’s such a good mentor! If I master the art of exceptional customer service, she said I’d be able to go on deliveries with her, Mabel and Jen. Many restaurants, doctor’s offices, insurance agencies and folks around town subscribe weekly to Fresh Sunshine Flowers’ arrangements.
Joey continued to give me the back-story. Jen’s inspiration came from her Mom, who was a florist. She always wanted to get into the industry, but she did not want a typical flower shop. She wanted something different, super accessible and affordable to customers. Her market research and life experiences indicated that small things can make a big impact, and that even a single flower stem can brighten someone’s day. Hence, most of the arrangements are simple and presented in cute little mini vases or mason jars. Customers can recycle the jars for a discount, which keeps the cost down. The customer is paying for flowers, and the vessel comes with it. The flowers are the heroes! Paws up!
Jen worked at Coldwater Creek in
Chicago and Oklahoma and moved to Sandpoint to take a corporate position with the company. When CWC closed, she wanted to stay in Sandpoint and follow her dream of owning a mobile flower shop. Years ago, she saw a similar operation in California, and decided to go for it when she saw Mabel on Craigslist. Mabel was in need of a paint job, a cooler, a sink, floral display items and all of the necessary accessories to become a mobile flower truck. Jen and Joey got to work, and the new Mabel was all decked out ready to go with just fresh cut flowers (no balloons or stuffed animals). As a bonus, Jen is able to support local flower farms, as the majority of her flowers are sourced locally during the summer months.
So, an inquiring fur baby wants to know, where did Jen get the inspiration for the name Fresh Sunshine Flowers? Simple—she loves to add sunshine to everyone’s day with fresh, accessible, inexpensive flowers. Did I take the Missus to FSF today to scope out her Mother’s Day
gift? She loves flowers and I will make her happy on her special day. Joey, shh.
Fresh Sunshine Flowers Rules:
1. Wear your puddle jumpers if it’s raining.
2. When you are training behind the counter with Joey, smile at the customers.
3. Some flowers are edible, but stems taste yucky!
4. Don’t bother retrieving Joey’s wet tennis ball. She knows where it is all the time!
5. Bring your good manners, and use leashes please.
6. Do not lift your leg on Mabel.
7. Stop, smell the roses and play with Joey.
Dog-friendly businesses proudly display the Reader Paw Print sticker when their business is featured in the Sandpoint Reader
Boat Idaho Courses offered
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
One of the best parts of living in North Idaho is having access to the many lakes and waterways that bless this region.
The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a Boat Idaho Course for the public that want to learn basic boating laws and safety.
The classes will be held on Saturday, May 14, and Saturday, June 25, and are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. both days. The six-hour class is free and open to the public residents of any state. It will
take place at the Marine Division Boat House located at 4001 North Boyer Road in Sandpoint.
The course will teach the public about boating safety and the legal requirements necessary to operate a boat, including mandatory equipment. Basic boating laws and the rules of hte road with regard to navigation and boater courtesy will also be taught.
To sign up or obtain further information, call (208) 263-8417, ext. 3125.
Don’t be an ass: Boat safely. A public service announcement from your friends at the Reader.
MUSIC
‘Little Wolf’ to play Reader’s ‘Live @ the Office’
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Every now and then, even old favorites can use a new name.
Josh Hedlund and Justin Landis don’t need any introduction to local music fans. Both have built a reputation in the regional community through their previous projects. Then again, the freedom to explore new creative territory is often best achieved with a new identity, and the duo has struck upon theirs: Little Wolf.
For Hedlund and Landis, Little Wolf means the flexibility to expand and enhance their musical output. While their live show sets primarily consist of Hedlund’s existing original songwriting, the ability to perform under a group name eases the process of mixing in new collaborators. According to Landis, Little Wolf can be as sprawling or as focused as the musicians’ creative vision.
“We decided to choose a band name to encompass us and any other folks we decide to collaborate with in the future,” he said. “We wanted give this project space to grow larger than us as individuals.”
Those who already follow Hedlund and Landis will find plenty to love in Little Wolf. The two musicians launched from the solid foundation established by Hedlund’s vast library of original songwriting. Introspective and poetic, Hedlund’s ability to set a tone, conjure up emotion and turn a memorable phrase are woven into his music.
Landis, meanwhile, brings new depth and flair to Hedlund’s songs by expanding the instrumentation. His
work on the bass and electric guitar round out the traditionally acoustic songs in Hedlund’s back catalog. An accomplished songwriter himself, Landis has penned many original songs under the name Cedar & Boyer, a collaboration with wife and fellow musician Jen Landis. The Little Wolf duo has worked a few of Landis’ songs into the mix and plans to include more as the project develops.
If you’re already familiar with Landis and Hedlund’s work, don’t rest too easily on past experience. Landis said to expect a few surprises as new creativity gets injected into old songs.
“As far as direction, there’s no plan to deviate intentionally from [our original music], but we are adding collaborators and excited to see how that shapes our sound,” he said.
That will likely manifest most prominently in a new EP Hedlund and Landis aim to record in the near future. For the time being, however, the duo is experimenting with the new format in a series of live performances. In addition to regular gigs around town, they plan to support Seattle artist Kris Orlowski on April 30 at Studio 524, Portland musician Anna Tivel on May 14 at the Bartlett in Spokane and traveling troubadour John Craigie on May 15 at Di Luna’s.
“We just want to get the music out to as many people as possible,” Landis said.
Then again, why wait for those shows when you can catch Little Wolf here at the Sandpoint Reader office, 111 Cedar St., Ste. 9? Landis and Hedlund will be playing a set starting 6 p.m. this Friday, April 22. The show is free, but please bring a donation to show your appreciation for our local artists.
This week’s RLW by Cameron
READ
I’ve been on a Roman history kick lately, most recently with “Dynasty” by Tom Holland. No book I’ve read better illustrates the capricious cruelty of dynastic succession than Holland’s account of Caesar’s legacy.
Chronicling the bloody soap opera of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from the death of Julius Caesar to the careers of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero, “Dynasty” reveals how imperial whims still echo in Western civilization today.
LISTEN WATCH
I’ve long appreciated Minnesota-based Cloud Cult’s unflagging optimism. For 20 years, the band’s positivity has withstood the most cynical and joyless moods of the independent music scene. Late last year, the band’s fans returned the love by crowd-funding tenth studio album “The Seeker.” The good will shines through each cut. Give it a spin the next time a rainy day or a dour mood strikes.
Conversely, dour moods won’t likely be improved by “Once Upon A Time In America,” the final film by legendary Italian Western director Sergio Leone. Deliberately paced and melancholy, the movie explores criminal career of Jewish gangster David “Noodles” Aaronson from his delinquent childhood in the 1910s until his lonely old age in the 1960s, cutting non-chronologically between time periods. Many of Leone’s films, including his famous Clint Eastwood western trilogy, carry a hint of nostalgia for America’s past, but only his final work finds hollowness at the core of those fairytale visions.
Rasmusson
Justin Landis (left) and Josh Hedlund (right) make up Little Wolf. Courtesy photo.
Then & Now
compiled by Ben Olson
Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same.
Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.
A group of people standing in front of the Sandpoint Hotel, located at First Ave. and Bridge St. in Sandpoint.
The same view today. As you can see, the corner has changed quite a bit. Pita Pit now occupies the space where the hotel was, along with Remax and Starbucks (out of frame to the right). Special thanks to J.U.B. Engineers for giving us access to take the photo.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Of or relating to money: pecuniary difficulties.
“Of all my pecuniary responsbilities in life, the most rewarding is when I give to charity. And when I buy whiskey.”
Formally surrender
A box or chest
Indian prince
Creative
Dip lightly
Eastern Standard Time
A Freudian stage
Reflected sound
Moses’ brother
Shellfish
Campaign
G
General activity of selling
Satisfy
Colored part of an eye
Go up and down
Dispatched
Whim
Disgorge
Adjoin
Shield
Corrections: We spelled write-in candidate Stephen Howlett’s first name wrong in the last issue. Our apologies, Stephen. 1. Frolics
in Roman numerals
66. Cocoyam
If not
Poplar tree
Observed
Throw
In shape
7. Commemoration 8. Powdery dirt 9. Ancient ascetic
The climax of a drama
Bumbling
Metal 13. Anxious
Naked models 25. Brother of Jacob
Dikes 27. Dwarf buffalo
Gangly
Charge
Devilfishes
Solution on page 17
Unusual 37. Norse god
Where a bird lives
End ___
Refute
Boil
Shoelace hole
Valleys 52. Put up with 53. Direct the course
Panache 58. Storage cylinder
Vagabond 60. Biblical garden 61. Leer at
Require
Normally I’m not one to believe in little green men from Mars. But one night, as I was driving home from a party, I caught something in my headlights I still can’t explain. It had weird, catlike eyes and only stood about a foot tall. It was covered with grayish fur, and walked on all fours, like a cat. It had a tail, which if I had to describe in terms of something here on Earth was, in a way, like a cat’s. Also, it was carrying a ray gun in its mouth. It was either a ray gun or a mouse.
