With the return of sunshine and warm weather, my weekends have been busy with home projects. Over the past three weekends, we’ve built new garden beds, mixed soil, planted early starts and cut down some bushes out front to make room for a couple of fruit trees. Just last weekend, my friend Justin came over with his laser level to help lay the footers for a wood shed in the backyard, and — with his generous help — we framed in the posts. The same day, a handful of friends came over to drink some beers in the backyard and enjoy the sunshine. At one point, as my project was winding down, I looked over and saw a half dozen people with loppers and saws pruning our enormous lilac tree. They looked like a swarm of hungry zombies. Branches were literally flying everywhere. By the time the landscaping zombie horde had completed the job, the old lilac bush was looking better than ever. I stood leaning on my shovel, smiling and laughing at them all. There’s just nothing better than good friends. We finished the day with a spirited game of bocce around the yard and concluded the evening by watching an old black-and-white film. Leave it to good friends to turn a mundane day of yardwork into a fun memory.
speaking from the past
A few months ago, I found a rotary dial telephone at an antique store in Montana. It’s one of those especially old ones with the four-prong connector cord, probably from the late 1950s or early ’60s. It was only $15, so I bought it and immediately hooked it up as my desk phone at the Reader office. Every time I look down at it, searching for what to write (or perhaps considering my error in choosing this profession), I am filled with memories of my family’s wall-mounted rotary phone at the log house my parents built in Westmond. It was one of those with a cord that stretched out about 100 feet so you could walk around the entire house while talking on the phone (and likely trip someone in the process). I’m so old we even had a party line, which means sometimes we’d pick up the phone and hear the neighbors talking to someone. Now, every time I call someone, it takes about 30 seconds to dial the number as those old, familiar sounds I grew up hearing fill the room. I don’t know why, but it seems like the more advanced the world gets, the further I embrace old, analog technology. At the rate we’re going, I’ll be using a slide rule and living in a cave before too long. Bring it on.
quotable
DEAR READERS,
It’s been a chaotic week elsewhere in the world, but things in North Idaho are hunky-dory as usual. The sun is shining, the lake is rising slowly and, according to our cover this week, mountain bikers are flying.
Normally, I feel a bit sad taking down the ski racks from my truck and putting away my snowboarding gear for the season. This year, however, it was a struggle to get even 11 days on the hill — as opposed to the usual 25-30 days — so I’m ready for the change.
Ahead, we have brisk morning hikes, backyard barbecues, home projects galore, warm nights sailing under the stars, mushroom foraging, firewood harvesting, canoe trips down lazy rivers and a plethora of other activities that keep us busy during the warmer months here in North Idaho.
I hope you’re all having a great day out there, folks. See you next week.
–
Ben Olson, publisher
“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”
— Tennessee Williams, American playwright
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About the Cover:
This week’s cover photo features Panhandle Bike Ranch trail crew member Ash Vargas achieving liftoff. Photo courtesy of Panhandle Bike Ranch.
IRS recognizes Panhandle Bike Ranch as nonprofit
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
After months of waiting, the Panhandle Bike Ranch has achieved federal recognition from the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The designation is a milestone in founders Jennifer and Scott Kalbach’s yearslong journey to bring the park into regular operation — a goal that has been slowed by area opposition.
Developers applied for and received a conditional use permit in 2024 to construct the downhill mountain biking course — labeled a recreational facility — on 170 acres of steep terrain zoned Rural-10 off of Five Lakes Estates in Sagle. After repeated appeals by nearby residents, the First Judicial Court of Idaho vacated the CUP in 2025, stating that the Bonner County Board of Commissioners “failed to list facts supporting” its initial approval.
The park operated through-
out the summer of 2025 without a CUP by accepting donations rather than user fees or subscriptions, thereby skirting the commercial designation and eliminating the need for a CUP. PBR filed articles of incorporation with the state to become a 501(c) (3) organization in September of that year, eliminating the commercial aspects indefinitely. The nonprofit’s board later requested that the county change its listed land use designation from a “recreational facility” to a “park,” which is automatically permitted in rural zoning districts and therefore does not require a CUP. Bonner County Revised Code 12-816 defines a park as a “noncommercial facility designed to serve the recreational needs of the residents of the community.”
The Planning Department and then-Interim Planning Director Alex Feyen denied the reclassification request,
and subsequently denied PBR’s application for a building location permit to construct its welcome center and bathrooms, arguing that developers needed the CUP to qualify for the location permit. PBR attempted to appeal both decisions to the commissioners, who, in January 2026, voted 2-0 to deny the permit application and did not review the land use designation, which is an administrative decision under the Planning Department.
Jennifer Kalbach told the Reader that PBR “will not be resubmitting a building location permit at this time.”
“Panhandle Bike Ranch was already an Idaho nonprofit corporation when we applied for the building location permit,” stated Kalbach. “The county required us to install a public well and public septic system, and we complied with all of their requirements. Despite that, they denied our
permit on the basis that they believed the facility was for commercial use, ignoring our nonprofit status.”
PBR filed a petition for legal review of the land use designation decision in January, and litigation is ongoing. “What we are seeking is for Bonner County to recognize us as what we are under their own code: a park,” stated Kalbach.
City of Ponderay launches long-awaited Black Rock cleanup project at Bay Trail
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
The city of Ponderay kicked off a project years in the making April 7, when crews began construction to remediate contamination at the “Black Rock” site on the shoreline of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail.
According to Ponderay officials, the long-awaited cleanup is being funded by a multi-purpose grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and additional funding through the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, marking the first phase of the city’s Front Yard Project, which is intended to establish a safe and clean community green space that also provides lake access for Ponderay.
“We are super excited
about this,” Ponderay Planning Director KayLeigh Miller told members of the Sandpoint City Council at their April 2 regular meeting, during which councilors voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of agreement granting construction access to the site through Sandpoint-owned property at the water treatment plant.
Miller said the work is intended to be complete by mid-August, though the agreement allows for an October finish date.
While area residents have visited the Black Rock site for more than a century, cementing it as a beloved location for outdoor recreation and gatherings, its origin is as a slag heap from the former-Panhandle Smelting and Refining Company, which operated sporadically from 1907-’09. In
2012, a study revealed heavy metals — with a majority being lead — at concentrations in excess of EPA residential screen levels. The concentrated levels were found not only in Black Rock, but in the soils where the smelter structure resided until 1922.
Following the 2012 study, Ponderay and DEQ partnered to educate the public about the dangers of the contamination, while searching for funding to clean up the site. The remediation project is intended to collect and remove the contaminated soils and bury them under a permanent subterranean repository.
Miller told the Sandpoint City Council that the materials will be encapsulated in an impervious or water-resistant fabric surface surrounded with drains to keep water from flowing through the con-
tainment area and “wrapped ...within what I refer to as sort of a burrito of the fabric and the materials.”
The material will then be covered with about 12 feet of clean soil and a garden area planted on top to serve both as a feature and to discourage visitors from digging in the area.
A new breakwater trail will wrap around the front of the remediated Black Rock site to prevent erosion from the waves of Lake Pend Oreille and provide a connection to the existing Bay Trail as well as establish a new viewpoint.
As for the distinctive, namesake Black Rock landmark, the project includes covering it with a lookalike concrete cap with new safety railing.
“We decided to keep the slag pile since it is so iconic for the area, but wanted to
provide that protection, so the walkway provides separation,” Miller told Sandpoint councilors. “It also receives a concrete cap on [it] that’ll be dyed black and stamped like stone to try to keep the original look. And then we’re preserving all the remaining historical features that are on the site out there.”
Miller added in a news release: “The project will make [historical features] more visible for visitors and the new internal trail system will lead users along the historic sites where there will be informational signage.”
Trail users are cautioned to expect some closures and other changes during the project, however.
“The initial phase of construction will be a drastic visual change for those on the lake
< see BLACK ROCK, Page 5 >
A rider drops from a feature at the Panhandle Bike Ranch in Sagle. Courtesy photo
After Legislature adjourns, Idaho governor has another week to act on final bills
By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun
Because the Idaho Legislature officially wrapped up work for the year on April 2 — instead of taking a break to await possible vetoes — Idaho Gov. Brad Little has more time to decide what to do with the final bills of the 2026 legislative session.
When the Legislature is still meeting, the governor has five days, besides Sundays, to act on bills passed by the Legislature. But since the Legislature adjourned for the year, that deadline jumps up to 10 days, under the Idaho Constitution.
That means the governor has until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 to decide what to do on the bills on his desk, Little’s press secretary Joan Varsek told the Idaho Capital Sun.
The pile includes more than three dozen bills, including several high-profile pieces of legislation, such as:
as the vegetation is removed to expose the contaminated soils for remediation,” Miller stated.
“However, at the conclusion of the project the site will be replanted using native plants and will include reestablishing the purple lupine that bloom there each spring.”
Miller told members of the Sandpoint City Council that the only potential foliage to be removed along the trail itself will be branches that may get in the way of hauling, promising “minimal changes to the trail.”
Miller also said that about 450 loads of material will need to be hauled into the site, which will result in the Bay Trail being blocked to the public at certain times.
• House Bill 822, which would require teachers and doctors to out transgender minors to their parents, or face lawsuits;
• H.B. 913, which would adopt Medicaid expansion work requirements that were part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Idaho’s bill would require state health officials to verify work history for Medicaid enrollees over a period of three months — the longest “look back” time allowed under the federal law;
• H.B. 516, a bill overhauled in amendments to ban school districts from “using public payroll systems to collect union dues, increasing teacher salaries to cover union dues, or giving teachers paid time off for union activities,” Idaho Education News reported.
The governor has three options for bills: sign them
“We’re trying to condense those haul days so that we can limit the closures on the trail,” she said. “Then, once we complete our work, they’ll be fixing the trail on their way [out] and providing a new ¾-inch surface on it, so it’ll actually be upgraded in the end.”
In addition to that, the agreement stipulates that Ponderay is responsible for repairing any damage to the trail during construction.
Those trail closure announcements will be made by the city of Ponderay, but Sandpoint City Hall will host a link on its website at sandpointidaho.gov directing visitors to those updates.
“The intent is that they’ll be minimal and will be communicated ahead of time,” said Sandpoint Public Works and Utilities Director Holly Ellis, though added there is no estimate on the number of closures.
However, she said, the agreement establishes work hours for Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-5 p.m., intended to keep the weekends entirely free for trail use. In the
into law, veto them or allow them to become law without his signature.
This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet
case of closures, there will be signage and the contractor will be parking equipment at the trailhead.
“It will be very clear that it’s closed,” Ellis said, adding, “There will be kind of a physical barrier to those trailhead closures too, for safety.”
In its news release, the city of Ponderay stated that, “After years of exploring alternatives, the project team determined that the only viable option to move equipment and clean materials into the site was down the Pend d’ Oreille Bay Trail.”
the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.
“Unfortunately, intermittent trail closures will be a necessary part of this project for the safety of the trail users. People and dump trucks don’t mix,” Miller stated in the release. “We’ve directed the contractor to condense the number of days that they import materials in an effort to minimize the trail closures as much as possible.”
Meanwhile, Councilor Kyle Schreiber asked how the project will affect the planned installation of paid parking infrastructure at the Bay Trail parking lot, which is part of a wider effort to institute paid parking in a variety of cityowned lots this summer.
“We’d probably hold off on installing a kiosk there just out of risk that it might get damaged by equipment,” said Sandpoint Planning and Community Development Director Jason Welker, “and there’s going to be such inconsistent access to that. To be honest, we’re not counting on any revenue forecast for this summer. ...
“In the case of that particular lot, there was proposed to be one kiosk there so that non-permit holders would have the opportunity to pay to park there,” he added. “My recommendation would probably be [to] wait until this work is all done before we even install that kiosk.”
The effort to clean up Black Rock received one of its first major boosts in 2020, when Ponderay was awarded an EPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant, after which time the city began working with Alta Science and Engineering, DEQ and the EPA to design a project that both protects health and safety and serves as a community asset that continues the public’s historical usage of the site.
An anticipated trail closure schedule will be posted weekly on Ponderay’s social media and website at cityofponderay.org under the “News and Events” category.
To learn more about the project, go to cityofponderay. org/the-front-yard-project. For further questions or information, contact Ponderay City Hall at 208-265-5468 or email ponderay@ponderay.org.
the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of
Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little gives his State of the State Address from the House chambers on Jan. 12, 2026, at the State Capitol Building in Boise. Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun.
< BLACK ROCK, con’t from Page 4 >
Immigration bills caused big stir this year, but none advanced in IDLEG
May 19 primary and White House pressure may shift the debate
By Laura Guido Idaho Capital Sun
On the last day of the 2026 Idaho legislative session April 2, a Fernwood Republican representative expressed exasperation that the GOP supermajority Legislature had not yet advanced any of the several immigration bills proposed this year.
That vote marked the third legislative attempt to require local law enforcement to enter certain agreements with federal immigration authorities, and one of more than two dozen other proposals related to immigration that stalled.
“We are a conservative state, and on this issue, we can’t seem to take a step forward,” Rep. Dale Hawkins said on the House floor. “And I got to be honest with you, folks, I don’t understand that.”
Idaho Republicans are divided on the issue. Some are pushing for more hardline state-level policies to uphold federal laws. Others say it’s a federal issue, cite law enforcement opposition or don’t want to disrupt Idaho industries that rely on undocumented workers.
The pressure, however, may be mounting.
“The White House is paying attention to Idaho,” Nampa Republican Sen. Brian Lenney told the Idaho Capital Sun, referencing a letter from a White House adviser supporting one of the stalled bills. “And they’re not happy with what they’re seeing and what they saw this legislative session.”
In total, there were 14 bills introduced this year — including those that were revised versions of previous legislation — that were related to illegal immigration in some way. The proposals included tracking aggregated data of immigration status of all public school students, verifying nationality and status of every arrested person, creating new crimes for helping undocumented people or a new state-level crime for hiring unauthorized workers.
None of them advanced to the governor’s desk for approval.
Idaho Republicans are on a spectrum in immigration enforcement debate
Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State Uni-
versity political science professor who researches state politics, said divisions are highlighted among Republicans who align more closely with the agriculture industry. The major presence of the agriculture and dairy industries in Idaho — whose leaders have said they rely on immigrant and undocumented labor — has shaped the conversation in Idaho differently, she said.
Lenney said he sees the division among different “buckets” of Republicans, including the “MAGA, America-first,” which he said he is in, and “mainstream” and “moderate” Republicans. Lenney, who is in his second, two-year term as a state senator, said he’s always been in the MAGA group, referring to Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again,” and wants to be a leader on the issue. He sees the other buckets being more reluctant to make state-level changes.
Coeur d’Alene Republican Jordan Redman said that, growing up in North Idaho, he wasn’t as exposed as much to industries like dairies. For him, immigration is a “law and order” issue, and he’s pushed for more widespread enforcement on employers who hire undocumented workers. However, he recognized that some of his Republican colleagues don’t have the same perspective.
“We all shape our views politically from life experience,” Redman said. “And it’s probably from the life experience of some of the different parts of the state, where they still utilize the undocumented labor force, see it as a big issue if you verify documentation. I think it’s probably a dividing application of people using different industries.”
The division isn’t unique to Idaho, as Republicans in other red states pushed back against work authorization verification requirements this year as well, Stateline reported.
Some of those in Idaho who opposed various proposals said it was more because of execution of the bills, rather than their intention.
Lenney told the Sun that he and others were “shocked” by the strong opposition from Idaho law enforcement to many of the proposals this year.
“I think a lot of people are shocked, honestly, that the people who < see IMMIGRATION, Page 7 >
Bits ’n’ Pieces
From east, west and beyond
President Donald Trump walked out after 90 minutes of a recent Supreme Court hearing on his bid to end the 14th Amendment right to birthright citizenship. According to CNN, Solicitor General John Sauer told justices that the drive to end birthright citizenship is a response to “birth tourism,” claiming, “We’re in a new world now, where 8 billion people are one plane ride away from having a child who’s a U.S. citizen.” Chief Justice John Roberts replied, “It’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution.” Trump later called his appointed SCOTUS justices “stupid people.”
Trump recently fired U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, reportedly due to her handling of the Epstein files and failure to prosecute Trump’s enemies. She will be replaced temporarily by Trump’s former personal attorney, Todd Blanche. Bondi is still required to testify under oath about the Epstein files.
Various media reported on Trump’s April Fool’s Day address, wherein the message seemed to be there was no foreseen end to the Iran war, and little shared in the way of war strategy. The Associated Press addressed Trump’s misinformation, including his claims of “no inflation,” claims that Iran killed 45,000 protesters (7,000 is the confirmed number) and the claim that President Barack Obama “gave” Iran $1.7 billion in cash — which was owed to Iran since the 1970s for military equipment that was never delivered.
Numerous media reported that Trump’s new budget proposal asks for a “record-shattering” $1.5 billion allocation to the Pentagon (up from $1 billion for 2026), and big cuts to non-war agencies, including to OSHA and closing down the Chemical Safety Board. If enacted, federal spending would reach $2.2 trillion in 2027, up from $1.8 trillion for 2026. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, called Trump’s budget “morally bankrupt.” For his part, Trump said, “We have to fight wars.”
Days later on Easter, Trump posted “Tuesday [8 p.m. EST] will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
Russia and China vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have opened the
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor
strait. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warned that hitting Iran’s nuclear plants would have long-term radiological health and environmental repercussions, beyond the immediate area. On April 7, all northbound roads in Iran were filled with vehicles driving away from power plants.
Talking later to ABC, Trump said a peace deal with Iran was near but if it didn’t happen soon, “very little” was off limits, and no deal means “we’re blowing up the whole country.” Many pointed out that Trump’s remarks threatened a war crime and genocide Trump said he was “not at all concerned” about that. Alt-right commentator Tucker Carlson, once a Trump ally, urged people close to Trump to refuse orders to use “a weapon of mass destruction.” A handful of Republican lawmakers are opposing Trump’s stance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backs Trump in “crushing” the Iran regime, and is already joining the U.S. in destroying Iran’s infrastructure. Despite blowback from his comments, Trump posted on social media April 7 that, “A whole civilization will die tonight.” Historian Heather C. Richardson and others speculated Trump was considering nuclear weapons, which he was talked out of using during his first administration.
Reaction to the statements was swift. Former-Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene called Trump a “fake” Christian and urged him to make peace. Conspiracy theorists Candace Owens and Alex Jones called for Trump’s removal. Using the 25th Amendment, the majority of Trump’s cabinet and the vice president would have to vote to strip Trump of his powers, making JD Vance president.
“The American president has lost his mind,” a former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence posted. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said, “These are the ravings of a dangerous and mentally unbalanced individual. Congress has got to act NOW. End this war.” Iran vowed to take action if Trump activated his threats, with “immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures.” Blast from the past: Nine years ago, at a Senate hearing, retired-General Robert Kehler reminded lawmakers and the military that they can refuse a president’s illegal orders, including regarding launching a nuclear attack not authorized by Congress.
should be enforcing the law are pushing back on this issue,” he said.
Bryan Lovell, president of the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police, said local law enforcement largely supports immigration enforcement by federal authorities and assists when possible. But law enforcement leaders were frustrated by lawmakers not working with them on bill language.
“From our point of view, a lot of those things were for, we want,” Lovell said. “It’s just, we’ve got to be able to make it workable.”
Upcoming election may determine how future immigration proposals fare
Asked about working on new immigration proposals, Redman and Lenney both cited the results of the upcoming May 19 primary election as factoring into how they move forward.
“This issue is not going away,” Lenney said. “It’s going to come back next year. Now, the way it comes back, who knows? Because it will depend on who’s in what committee and who wins or loses their election.”
Kettler also noted that just one or two races on divisive issues in the Legislature can change the outcome on policies.
“I talk to my students a lot about how there’s so many places in the legislative process for bills to fail, and so that means there’s a lot of different actors that can act as a veto on the legislation in a way,” Kettler said. “Even just a handful of people shifting in those seats could make it a whole different session for whether these types of bills are moving forward or not.”
Senate State Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, has drawn the ire of many supporters of these immigration proposals. Committee chairs in the Idaho Legislature have broad authority to control their agendas, meaning it’s up to their discretion whether a bill comes up for a hearing or not.
House Bills 700 and 704 would have made it a state-level misdemeanor to hire unauthorized workers, and required all employers in the state to use the federal E-Verify system to verify legal work authorization of their employees, respectively. The Idaho House passed both those bills, but they never came up for a hearing once referred to Guthrie’s committee.
Lenney suspects that even some members who vote for some of these proposals only do so because they know there are quieter ways to stall a bill than opposing it openly.
“A lot of the people, I don’t think they’re doing it because I think they
really believe in [it],” Lenney said. “They’re like, ‘Oh we got to do something, people are pissed, let’s give these bills a hearing. ... Sometimes there will be, ‘Hey let’s push this through the House, it’ll pass, get to the Senate and Guthrie’s going to put it in his drawer,’ so then it won’t matter because they know they’re going to die on the Senate side.”
Guthrie could not be reached after multiple calls and a text requesting an interview. The McCammon Republican is in his 14th year in the Senate.
He has brought legislation to provide limited driver’s licenses for undocumented residents in the state in a move he said was to improve safety. In 2023, he met with industry leaders and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican, to discuss reforms needed to provide a legal pathway for workers, the Idaho Press reported.
He said at the time that the issue is “politically toxic.”
“If you mention the border, if you mention immigration and, heaven forbid, you mention undocumented immigrants, you’ll get the door slammed in your face quicker than a vacuum cleaner salesman back in the ’70s,” Guthrie said. “But what we found is, an issue like this takes courage, and I’m not talking about my courage. I’m talking about the courage of the businesses, of the industry.”
Guthrie is being challenged in the Republican primary by hardline conservative David Worley, who lists as a top priority on his campaign website to “uphold immigration law,” including “strong consequences for illegal entry and repeat violations.”
Immigration enforcement debate isn’t new, but pressure may be increasing
Most of the bills proposed this year weren’t new ideas. Redman said he’s been trying to pass a bill to mandate the use of E-Verify for three years.
This year was the first time he got a hearing, he said. The House passed his bill, but it failed to advance after never coming up for a hearing in the Senate.
“That’s what becomes more frustrating than anything, that you don’t actually have the conversation,” Redman said.
Redman said more than 10 years ago he attended his first Idaho GOP convention with his dad, former Rep. Eric Redman. A resolution came up then to require employers to verify the legal status of their workers.
“I was young and naive, and so I’m at the conference, I’m thinking, ‘There’s no way this doesn’t pass,’” Redman said. “‘This will be unanimous.’ And it failed.”
The Idaho Republican Party has changed since that time. During the party’s winter meeting in January, members voted to adopt a resolution in support of enforcing “immigration laws that hold employers of illegal immigrants in the state of Idaho accountable.”
Redman said momentum coming from the Trump administration, which has focused heavily on increased immigration enforcement, has pushed some to be more willing to hear proposals.
A White House adviser wrote a letter to Idaho Senate committee members in support of Senate Bill 1441 — a revived effort to mandate what are called 287(g) memorandums of agree-
ment between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Early this session, a group of 14 lawmakers held a press conference to announce a slate of immigration proposals before they were introduced as bills. Many of the proposals were crafted with Theo Wold, former Idaho solicitor general and a fellow with The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that created Project 2025, a model policy program for a second Trump administration.
They made the public announcement in part to urge people to pressure lawmakers to hear and advance the legislation.
“We have some chairmen that are ready and willing; we have others that are resistant,” Hawkins told the Sun in an interview prior to the event.
“And we’re hoping that, when they see the movement of the folks who we’re supposed to be working for, we can get a little bit better movement than we’ve gotten in the past.”
Lenney said he was never contacted by anyone from the White House, but that he didn’t need to be because he already supported these proposals.
“I’m already there,” he said. “So I think the people they were leaning on were the moderates, the conservatives.”
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.
The Idaho State Capitol. Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun
Barbs:
• In case you live in a cave and missed President Donald Trump’s social media post on Easter morning, here it is, word for word: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Imagine, just for one moment, what kind of hysterics Republicans would be performing if former-Presidents Joe Biden or Barack Obama wrote “Praise be to Allah” on Easter Sunday. This from the guy whose supporters lose their minds every time anyone mocks their own religion. He followed up with a post the next day, claiming that if a “deal” wasn’t reached by 8 p.m. on April 7, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
For about a day, the world waited to see if our tyrant man-baby of a president would actually try to wipe out more than 90 million people (it’s worth noting, if anyone cares about the law anymore, that targeting civilian infrastructure such as bridges and power plants would constitute a war crime).
As is usually the case with Trump’s threats, he backed down an hour before the deadline, claiming it as a win. Iran’s 10-point plan, which Trump claims was a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” basically resets everything to where it was before we got involved. Iran will still control the Strait of Hormuz, except now they will assess a toll on ships. They will continue enriching uranium for nuclear power. They also asked for reparations from the U.S. for war-related damages. This is all after the U.S. spent nearly $31 billion on the five-week conflict, not to mention the loss of lives on both sides.
This is what we’re paying our taxes for? This is what we’re cutting vital services to pay for? It’s time for the leaders of this country to stand up and impeach Trump, this time convicting and removing him from office before he blows up the world.
A taxing experience...
Dear editor,
I’ve been paying Idaho property tax on time every year since 1980. Since 2016, I have been paying the same Dec. 20 property tax deadline in time from the Tucson area.
This year, as usual, I made my full-year tax payment from Tucson on Dec. 16. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump’s meddling with the current system has made a pretty good system a mess. My Dec. 16 property tax check dropped in a Tucson USPS drop box went to Phoenix, where it was postmarked Dec. 22.
Of course I got nailed with a healthy penalty and the usual bureaucratic excuses. A week’s worth of groceries for a senior in the pocket of “Idaho the money grabbing state.”
How many other diligent Idaho taxpayers got a surprise penalty? Seems to me there is a law somewhere that when you drop mail in a mailbox out of your control that is the date of the posting.
Jack Satkoski Sandpoint
‘Why I am voting for Jane Sauter’…
Dear editor, My husband and I pay taxes to a school district that we choose not to use, since we homeschool our children. Additional money goes to educate our children because we believe we can educate them better and can teach them the morals and values that are important to us.
Homeschooled students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. The same research suggests homeschooled students score higher on the SAT and ACT and have higher college acceptance and graduation rates. These results are typically consistent across various demographic backgrounds and parent education levels.
That is why we are voting for Jane Sauter on May 19 for state representative in District 1. Jane supports school choice, parental rights and medical freedom. Jane’s opponent has voted against these things during his four years in office. He voted against Senate Bill 1210, The Medical Freedom Act; S.B. 1198, prohibiting certain DEI practices in schools; House Bill 410, authorizing schools to provide a chaplain; and H.B. 93, the tax credit for parents choosing homeschooling
or private education.
Please Vote Jane Sauter in the primary on May 19.
Hillary Snyder Ponderay
Editor’s note: According to the non-profit Coalition for Responsible Home Education, claims that homeschooling itself produces higher standardized test scores than public schooling have been challenged by scholars who question the soundness of the data used to support them. Specifically, CRHE challenges studies that are based on self-selecting sample populations that heavily represent white, two-parent, highly educated and financially stable households. “To truly compare homeschooled students’ performance to their peers in [public] school, researchers would need to recruit participants from both groups that have similar backgrounds,” CRHE stated. “Otherwise, they cannot isolate homeschooling as the only factor influencing performance.” According to education historian and professor Milton Gaither’s review of a 2010 NHERI study of homeschool demographics, “Children from these families do well on these tests because children from families like this always do well on tests no matter where they go to school.” Additionally, CRHE points to research showing that SAT and ACT data for homeschooled students is skewed by the fact that only between 0.5% and 0.78% of students who take those tests are self-identified as homeschooled.
‘Mistaking destruction for a solution’…
Dear editor,
We often think of war as the ultimate way to settle disputes. When diplomacy fails, war is supposed to decide the outcome. But that world no longer exists — modern technology has made traditional war obsolete.
War today destroys more than ever, but it no longer resolves. It creates neither stable outcomes nor lasting political order. And yet, we continue to act as if it does.
Modern conflicts involve advanced weapons, drones, cyberattacks and long-range missiles. Entire regions — not just battlefields — become zones of war. Civilians are no longer separate from soldiers. Infrastructure, economies and daily life all become targets.
What remains is not resolution, but widespread destruction, instability and cycles of vengeance. Violence cannot create stability,
and lasting order cannot arise from devastation. Yet we keep relying on war as a solution.
If war can no longer settle disputes, we must rethink how we engage with the world and with each other. We need a different kind of power — not the power to destroy, but the power to unite: to cooperate, build institutions and sustain a shared world despite deep disagreements.
Until we accept that reality, we will continue mistaking destruction for a solution — and paying the price for it.
Kari Saccomanno Sandpoint
‘Woodward has integrity’…
Dear editor, It has been a privilege knowing Jim Woodward from his infancy to his current role as our state senator.
In the early years it became quite apparent that he is a gifted individual. His achievements manifested. His devotion to his accomplished family, his many friends and supporters, his vast community connections, his impressive career in the Navy, his successful business and lastly his dedication as our senator. The list goes on and on.
I can attest to his high integrity. You get five stars and more Jim Woodward!
Idaho deserves goodness, dignity and respect. Idaho needs Jim Woodward.
Your vote is crucial at the May 19 primary election. When you vote for Woodward, make sure all your friends, neighbors and family do the same. Thank you.
Liz Stephenson Sandpoint
Herndon and IFF ‘both so right, they’re wrong for Idaho’…
Dear editor,
I received my “Victory Fund” letter from Scott Herndon. It’s filled with disinformation, misinformation and so close to outright lies it’s hard to tell the difference. He refers to H.B. 173 and S.B. 1016, 1030 and 1054, stating Woodward voted for bills “numerous times for higher agriculture and business taxes.” Woodward actually voted against tax cuts that included veterans and the disabled, against private school vouchers and voted for some administrative fees that were requested by farmers, lawyers, seed commissions and the State Brand Board to reflect the cost of the service for those organizations. None of which
affected the General Fund. Herndon touts his efforts at securing the most draconian women’s reproductive health restrictions in the nation. He states “I will never stop,” fighting to, “End all property and grocery taxes in Idaho, cut regulations driving up the cost of food, housing and energy”; end Idaho’s dependence on $1.5 billion in federal debt spending (mostly Medicaid, on which the state turns a profit after considering all the services and jobs provided). He brags about his 97.6% score on the Idaho Freedom Index. Herndon and the IFF are both so far right, they’re wrong for Idaho!
Jay Omundson
Cocolalla
‘I voted against the Fox in the Henhouse’...
Dear editor,
The “Official Republican Voter Guide,” produced by the Bonner County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC), arrived in mailboxes across Bonner and Boundary counties this week. Note that Scott Herndon is the chairman of the BCRCC. He is also a self-endorsed candidate in this guide.
The BCRCC endorsement committee held a vote to endorse the candidates they selected: Herndon, Jane Sauter and Cornel Rasor. I voted “no” on all three.
The BCRCC endorsement committee claims a voter questionnaire was sent to both Woodward and Sauter. However, neither Sauter nor Woodward have any record of receipt. No interviews occurred.
The guide caused additional confusion via a text message naming the Boundary County Republican Central Committee as an endorsing party. Not true. Boundary County has its own separate central committee, which neither produced nor endorsed this guide.
Herndon is once again running a dirty campaign filled with untruths and half-truths against his opponent. Message, call or write to Sen. Woodward, Rep. Mark Sauter and Dist. 1B House candidate Chuck Lowman before believing anything in Herndon’s “voter guide.”
Andy Kee, BCRCC Sagle
Precinct committeeman
Sagle
Thankful to veterans and for ‘No Kings’ rally support...
At the “No Kings” rally in Newport, Wash., I met Bajun Ray Mavalwalla, a retired intelligence officer with three bronze stars and whose
PERSPECTIVES Emily Articulated
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
I was gifted my first Harry Potter book in third grade. It was wrapped alongside my siblings’ copies, with strict instructions to wait our turn and read them in order. As the youngest, and the obvious recipient of Book 3, I was assigned to wait (an everyday kind of injustice I’d come to expect).
I don’t remember how long it took or where I was when I finally opened Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but I remember the feeling: being catapulted, headfirst, into another world. My body might have been in bed or on the living room couch, but my mind was fully elsewhere — Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley. The wizarding world didn’t just feel real; it felt like an extension of me.
That sense of transport came to define my relationship with Harry Potter. The books (both read and listened to) became a kind of refuge. They steadied me before track meets, distracted me from my parents’ fights and softened moments of distress. After my mom passed, a friend took me to Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s one of the only clear memories I have from that otherwise hazy time.
Later, the world expanded to midnight movie premieres with friends and the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, which invited listeners to engage with the series as something reflective and communal. I even played Hogwarts Legacy
< LTE, con’t from Page 8 > son, Bajun Jr., is the subject of the March 27 PBS report, “Army veteran faces conspiracy charges after participating in anti-ICE protest.” Senior and junior served in Afghanistan. Bajun Jr. was at a nonviolent anti-ICE protest in Spokane in June 2025 then arrested in July by the FBI for conspiracy and faces six years in prison for protesting ICE for grabbing legal asylum applicants.
with my partner — an unexpected overlap between his love of gaming and my attachment to this world.
So when the new HBO Harry Potter series was announced, I wasn’t surprised by how quickly it found me — trailers sent through friends and my algorithm. There was excitement, nostalgia and, also, backlash. One post, in particular, stuck with me. It simply read, “There is no ethical way to consume the new Harry Potter series.”
The statement points to a larger, more complicated truth: J.K. Rowling’s views on gender identity have, over time, moved from controversial to harmful, especially in their impact on trans and nonbinary communities. What began as online commentary expanded into public positions and political advocacy. In response to criticism, Rowling has said she is a “supporter of trans people’s right to live free of persecution” and that accusations of transphobia “incorrectly implied” harm. And yet, the broader effect of her platform — and the policies and rhetoric
Bajan Sr. is worried about his son; also that he will be recalled from retirement to be court martialed.
POTUS says rallies aren’t important except to protesters and reporters. Eight million protesters were watched across the world by millions more. In Newport, hundreds of cars gave waves, smiles, thumbs up compared to a few one-finger salutes from old and young men. The
it intersects with — remains deeply controversial, regardless of her intention.
Even those involved in the new series have acknowledged the tension. John Lithgow, set to play Dumbledore, called Rowling’s views “ironic and inexplicable,” and admitted that the backlash to his involvement is upsetting, noting that people are “vehemently opposed” to his participation — even as he emphasized that the original story itself shows “no trace of transphobic sensitivity.”
This moral juggling demonstrated by Lithgow resonates. A series that raised a generation to care about injustice, to defend people without power, to believe that love could conquer evil and that bad actors could be vanquished, now has to be weighed against the moral pitfalls of its creator.
But this tension isn’t unique to Harry Potter. It’s embedded in nearly every aspect of modern life. You can support a local restaurant, and yet, they might source from Amazon or Walmart. You can choose the fair trade, organic coffee, only to learn the retailer is corrupt. You can stop listening to one artist, only to find out the platform you’re listening on (or not listening on) is also bad. I’ve even been critiqued for not making my own tofu — a food I choose from my “ethical” diet — because the packaging is wasteful. Even our most intentional choices are tangled in systems we don’t fully control.
And the hard truth is: It all matters. Our choices matter. Harm matters. Opting out of
young guys are those who will be drafted if Trump’s war escalates, so why don’t they enlist now with all five of Trump’s kids? Trump actually attempted campaign fundraising at the transfer of dead soldiers who came home recently. To the many veterans at the rally, Thank you.
Betty Gardner Priest River
Ethical
responsibility matters.
But so does capacity. Because the constant calculation — the endless weighing of every decision against its ethical cost — leads to a kind of moral exhaustion. When everything feels equally urgent, it becomes harder to show up where it counts: organizing, advocating, protecting.
Meanwhile, the scale of harm at the institutional level continues largely uninterrupted. They laugh at our cardboard straws while fueling environmental destruction, starting wars and profiting from political instability. Public systems are dismantled and social services sold off to the highest bidder. These forces operate at a magnitude that dwarfs individual consumption choic-
es, even as we’re encouraged to fixate on them — scrutinizing our every action while far larger powers move with far less resistance.
And so we’re left in the in-between, caring about so much that it becomes difficult to care about anything at all. Trying to disengage without becoming apathetic. Trying to participate in ways that have real impact, and avoid those that directly cause harm. But mostly, just searching for something, anything, that feels safe enough to hold onto, that might actually stand the test of time.
Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.
Emily Erickson. Retroactive
Science: Mad about
artemis ii
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
My grandparents told me stories about watching the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. My grandfather talked about experiencing it while we sat outside and watched the Hale-Bopp comet scream by in 1997. As a child, I had always hoped that I would one day get to experience a moon mission in the way that he had.
On April 1, 2026, I finally did.
I set up the TV in The Lab at the Sandpoint library to stream the entire event from 8 a.m. until about an hour after the launch around 4:30 p.m. Anyone interested was welcome to stop in and watch NASA’s livestream of the Artemis II launch, and several people did!
Finally, at 3:24 p.m., a small group of people gathered to watch history be made. It was the first moon mission in half a century. Some wanted to watch an explosion, the rest of us were taking in history.
The launch went perfectly. It took off at the beginning of its launch window even after an expected delay. Every system performed its job exactly as intended and, within 49 minutes, the Orion spacecraft had entered a high Earth orbit where it would stay for another day until making a series of burns that would propel it toward the moon.
By the time you’re reading this, the Orion spacecraft is either on its way back to Earth or has already landed and this article is old news.
The Orion spacecraft is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10.
The Artemis program began
in 2017 with the long-term goal of putting humans on the moon for the first time since 1972. The program is regarded as a stepping stone for humanity’s long-term space exploration and expansion, with the goal of colonizing Mars.
The moon is an attractive target for human operations for many reasons. Its uninhabitable nature is extremely conducive to human expansion, as colonizing the moon isn’t going to have a detrimental effect on preexisting flora or fauna, seeing as there is none on the moon. The moon has a weaker gravitational pull than the Earth as well, while still being within the Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence. This means that anything launching from the moon has to do a lot less work to get into orbit and move around the solar system. The lack of a noticeable atmosphere on the moon also factors into this, as a rocket leaving its surface isn’t trying to push air out of the way in order to ascend.
Artemis III will take place in 2027 to test docking the Orion spacecraft to the Starship HLS or the Blue Moon Lander, while the first crewed mission landing humans on the moon since 1972 will take place with Artemis IV in 2028. Subsequent missions will progressively establish a human presence on the lunar surface by setting up structures. These structures are designed to be somewhat modular, inflatable and radiation shielded — likely partially submerged to allow the lunar regolith (the dust and small rock debris covering the surface) to do the heavy lifting when it comes to radiation shielding.
The colonization portion of these missions will borrow
from virtually every trade on Earth — construction, plumbing, coding, 3-D printing and design. Agriculture will also take center stage for maintaining a self-sustaining colony and will mark the first time ever that plants will grow on the moon.
At launch, Artemis II was loaded with 733,000 gallons of fuel. To give some perspective, an Olympic swimming pool holds around 660,480 gallons of water. Unlike an Olympic swimming pool, however, the fuel loaded into Orion was pure hydrogen and oxygen cooled and pressurized until it reached a liquid state. H2O isn’t very flammable, but hydrogen and oxygen on their own are extremely flammable, especially under pressure.
The core stage burned through 537,000 gallons of fuel in about eight and a half minutes. If that were gasoline, it could have carried a Jeep Grand Cherokee around 14 million miles and cost at least $2.2 million. Liquid oxygen has a range of about $6-$9 per gallon, while liquid hydrogen has a cost of about $14 per gallon.
In case you ever wanted to see what $10 million of fire looks like, just watch a rocket launch!
It’s easy to attach arbitrary dollar amounts to launches like this. It’s more difficult to quantify the financial gain from missions like Artemis. It’s projected that the return of investment from the Apollo missions was as high as $15 to every $1 spent on the program. Apollo had a budget of $25.8 billion in 1973 dollars, which is somewhere between $175 billion-$280 billion today. Like the moon, that’s a whole lot of cheddar.
The science goals of the Artemis II mission are primarily to facilitate the future launches. This mission was to test the life support systems, the radiation shielding and the effects of long-term spaceflight over the course of a week and a half. The astronauts identified potential landing locations for future missions and relayed color variations on the far side
of the moon — the first time this has happened for half a century.
Even cooler, this is the first time humankind has been able to ride along with the crew, their entire journey captured by smartphones and an ultra-HD DSLR camera.
2028 can’t arrive fast enough.
Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner
• In prehistoric times, hiking was the way of transportation for nomadic people, who often traveled hundreds of miles on foot in search of prey. Only when humans began growing fruits and vegetables did the nomadic lifestyles of ancient people begin to wane. Today, hiking is a popular activity around the world, as it gives access to terrain not accessible by vehicle.
• The longest hiking trails in the world include The Great Trail (Canada, 14,912 miles); The Great Western Loop (U.S., 6,875 miles); The American Discovery Trail (U.S., 6,800 miles); the E1 — European Long-Distance Path (Europe, 4,300 miles); and the Grand Italian Trail (Italy, 3,832 miles).
• Other notable trails not quite as long include the Inca Trail (Peru, 26 miles); the Appalachian Trail (U.S., 2,194 miles); and Camino de Santiago (Spain, various lengths).
• In Japan, a slow-hiking style called Shinrin-yoku (which means “taking in the forest atmosphere”
or “forest bathing”) is a popular therapeutic exercise where people spend time in a forest or natural environment and focus on sensory engagement in order to connect with nature.
• Got high blood pressure? Hiking is recognized as a great exercise for lowering blood pressure. Also, studies show the more steps you take in a day, the lower the risk of diabetes.
• The U.S. mainly uses the term “hiking,” but the U.K. often uses “rambling” or “freewalking.” In some countries, it’s referred to as “bushwhacking.” New Zealand calls it “tramping.” In some Asian countries, the term “trekking” is more prominent.
• Hiking is now the most popular outdoor activity in the U.S., having overtaken running, fishing and biking.
• Switzerland has the highest density of hiking trails per square kilometer in the world.
The crew of Artemis II (L-R, back row): Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen. Commander Reid Wiseman is front and center. Photo courtesy of NASA
The phony conservatism of Scott Herndon
By Timothy Braatz Reader Contributor
Scott Herndon, who is running for the Idaho senate, poses as a “small-government conservative.” In reality, he yearns for an intrusive state government to impose his extremist ideology on Idaho. Herndon’s bullying violates an Idaho conservative principle: Don’t push me around!
Before District 1 voters removed Herndon from the Senate, he tried to eliminate merciful exceptions to the state abortion ban, including if a pregnant woman’s survival is at stake. He claims to believe in “individual liberty,” yet he wants the state to tell a woman in an abortion-ordeath situation that she must die. Such cruelty!
Herndon’s latest extreme idea, presented in his campaign announcements, is to “eliminate all property taxes.” Idaho is 44th among states for property tax, meaning —
believe it or not — relatively low rates. Herndon, though, with typical fearmongering, claims that “one day the government could take [your] property for failing to pay the rising taxes.”
Ending property tax, he promises, “will eliminate the arguments between neighbors” — which seems odd coming from a bully reviled in Bonner County for shooting his neighbor’s dog and harassing churchgoers. Without property tax revenue, Boundary and Bonner
County public services would be severely compromised. As Herndon once wrote, “If you want county, city, school board, sewer, fire, ambulance, etc. — these are the things being paid for by property tax.” To compensate for his irresponsible plan, Herndon now says the state government should “pivot to funding local governments.”
Does it make sense that the Idaho Legislature — dominated by southern districts, manipulated by out-of-state interests and handicapped by recent tax cuts — should decide local budgeting for North Idaho? Only to Herndon, who wants a dramatic increase in state government power over local governments.
Herndon’s recent declaration of “strong support” for House Bill 743 further exposes his lust for state power. This bill would have allowed the attorney general to accuse city or county of-
ficials of “failure to comply” and, as punishment (guilty until proven innocent), immediately block state revenue allotments.
That’s phony conservatism: make local governments totally dependent on state revenue, then give the attorney general unilateral power to withhold it.
This isn’t the first time Herndon has tried to increase state power over Idaho voters. In 2023, Herndon voted to make the state ballot initiative process more difficult. He was upset that over 60% of voters had approved Medicaid expansion. Herndon calls the voters’ decision an “over-extension of governmental authority,” yet he wants greater state authority to overrule the voters, eliminate the expansion and — more cruelty — strip health care coverage from 85,000 poorly paid workers.
In 2020, Herndon sued the city of Sandpoint because
he wasn’t allowed to carry a gun into the annual Festival, a private event. The courts rejected Herndon’s argument, but the lawsuit cost local taxpayers more than $300,000. In 2024, Herndon introduced a bill to override the courts. Because musical performers don’t want a gun-toting audience, that bill, had it become law, would have effectively killed the Festival and the $4 million boost it brings to the region every summer.
The Festival episode encapsulates Herndon’s phony conservatism. He tried to expand state power over private businesses and local decision-making. He put his extremist ideology over community well-being.
Timothy Braatz is a professor of history and nonviolence at Saddleback College in California. He spends part of the year in Bonners Ferry. See more of his work at proftimothybraatz.org.
Reckless legislation tramples Idaho’s law enforcement community
By Lauren Necochea Reader Contributor
The government closest to the people governs best, but Idaho Republicans only seem to believe that until local leaders disagree.
In recent years, the GOP supermajority has overridden local control again and again. They insert themselves into private medical decisions, dictate what libraries can do, police what cities can display at city hall and micromanage local schools. This session, they extended that same power grab to law enforcement.
You would think the officers, deputies and sheriffs protecting our communities would be respected and consulted before lawmakers created new crimes and piled on mandates. Instead, Republicans ignored them.
That was clear in the anti-immigrant bills introduced this year. Measures like House Bill 660 would force police officers and sheriff’s deputies to verify the immigration status and nationality of people they arrest, adding new burdens, legal risks and paperwork, with no serious funding to support those demands. Law enforcement raised concerns. Republicans pushed ahead anyway.
Worse, bill sponsor Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, admitted he had not even spoken to local law enforcement before bringing the measure. When sheriffs did speak up, they were brushed aside.
Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford, a Republican, warned lawmakers again that these proposals would strain resources and hurt public safety. Legislative Republicans did not listen, because this was never about good policy. It was about political posturing. The same pattern showed up in the extreme bathroom bill that Gov. Brad Little signed. Law enforcement made clear that the bill would put officers in an impossible and deeply inappropriate position. Idaho Fraternal Order of Police President Bryan Lovell warned that officers responding to complaints
could be forced to determine a person’s biological sex in ways that are invasive, unreasonable and damaging to public trust.
He was right. This law does not make anyone safer. It drags officers into deeply personal situations with no clear, practical or humane way to enforce what politicians wrote at the Capitol. Law enforcement even asked for a basic warning mechanism before criminal penalties kicked in. Republicans refused.
And while they pile new duties onto officers, Republicans still refuse to properly fund them. Idaho State Police has warned about pay and vacancies. Roughly a third of trooper positions sit empty. Sheriffs have warned that these self-inflicted shortages pose real public safety risks. Republicans responded with
temporary patches, not a longterm salary commitment.
Idaho Democrats believe public safety starts with respect, respect for local control, for professional judgment and for the people doing the work every day. This year, when sheriffs, police officers and public safety leaders asked lawmakers to listen, Democrats did. Republicans did not.
That is the story of this legislative session. For all their slogans, Idaho Republicans did not stand with law enforcement. They stood over them.
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.
Lauren Necochea. File photo
Timothy Braatz. Courtesy photo
Legislative update 2026 session recap
By Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle Reader Contributor
The 2026 legislative session adjourned for the year on April 2. As expected, developing the annual budget was the dominant topic this year. It was expected because the prior year brought the fifth income tax cut in eight years, lowering our income tax rate from 7.4% in 2017 to 5.3% in 2025.
The effect of those five cuts, which reduced the income tax rate by a total of 2.1%, is more than $1 billion staying in the hands of Idaho taxpayers. The effect is also more than $1 billion not available for services the state provides: public safety, education and transportation, to name a few.
I have always been supportive of tax cuts. We all want to minimize our tax burden.
In the time I’ve served you in the Idaho Senate, I have voted for two income tax cuts, three tax rebates, an increase to the homeowner’s property tax exemption and increased property tax relief. All these votes became law and we all saw the benefits.
In 2025, I voted against the income tax cut. I thought we were getting out over our ski-tips, which proved true. We spent this legislative session applying band-aids and temporary fixes to what was formerly a budget process admired nationwide.
What is an appropriate level of state spending? I believe it is an amount that matches economic activity in the state. Looking back 10 years, our economic activity has grown 95%, from an annual Gross State Product of $66 billion to $129 billion. Over that same
time, our state spending has gone from $2.9 billion to $5.2 billion, an increase of 76.5%.
With nearly a 20% mismatch between economic growth and state spending, the conclusion is either we are getting more efficient; producing more with less overhead; or we are not investing adequately in our roads, schools and public safety.
When I drive our highways, I don’t see as many troopers and I have time to think about that because I am waiting to get on an overly congested road. My conclusion is that we aren’t keeping up with Idaho’s growth. I am not advocating for increased government spending. I am advocating for basic services at traditional levels to make sure we are safe and to maintain our quality of life as we grow.
Senate Bill 1379 was my effort to raise trooper pay. It passed through the Senate easily on a 28-7 vote, but never received a committee bill hearing in the House. Late in the session, the Legislature did provide some additional funding for ISP, but part of the money was taken from our counties. This approach will reduce funding for our courts and local law enforcement. It simply shifted the problem.
The Idaho Freedom Foundation has created unwillingness on the part of many legislators to increase spending in any manner. It is time to move past their mantra of zero additional
dollars and instead budget based on economic activity, before we find ourselves a lawless society traveling on dirt roads.
Meanwhile, we did pass a number of new laws to better fit today’s Idaho. House Bill 629 allows for electronic vehicle registration documents to replace the piece of paper in your glovebox, and H.B. 533 removes the requirement for vehicle registration stickers on your license plate. You will still renew just the same, but you won’t get stickers. Finally, H.B. 577 removes the requirement to get new license plates every 10 years. If they are still in good condition, you can keep using them.
Hunting is now officially the state sport (H.B. 652). With that, eligibility for lifetime Idaho hunting and fishing licenses now requires five years of Idaho residency (H.B. 855).
H.B. 785 defines what constitutes inappropriate online behavior by a student toward a public school employee or other person, and provides disciplinary measures.
In Idaho, parents can teach their own children how to drive, although there were restrictions. H.B. 628 allows parents to teach their children how to drive without the previous restrictions. Independent testing is still required.
H.B. 573 allows an NRA-certified instructor, or equivalent, with eight years experience to provide firearms instruction for an enhanced concealed carry permit.
S.B. 1227 deals with artificial intelligence in our K-12 education system. The new law tasks the State Department of Education with developing a statewide framework for responsible use of AI in public schools. The law also requires school districts adopt a local AI policy.
I am happy to discuss the 2026 legislative session at any time. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the community.
Jim Woodward is the Dist. 1 Republican senator from Sagle. He serves on the Joint Finance-Appropriations (vice-chair) and Education committees. Reach him during the session at 208-332-1349 (Statehouse). Out of session, call 208-946-7963 (home) or email jwoodward@senate.idaho.gov.
Sen. Jim Woodward. File photo
COMMUNITY Checkmate
Lou Domanski Chess Festival registration ends April 9, tournament April 11
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
There’s still time to register for the annual Lou Domanski Chess Festival in Sandpoint.
Registration remains open until the end of the day Thursday, April 9 and the festival begins promptly at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 11 at Sandpoint Community Hall (204 S. First Ave.).
The event is named for Lou Domanski, the founder of the Sandpoint Chess Festival, which was renamed in his honor.
Born in Poland in 1918, Domanski enlisted with the 18th Infantry Division Cadet Officers School and advanced to the rank of corporal warrant officer by the time World War II broke out in Europe. He was captured and sent to prison camps three times during the war, was decorated with the Virtuti Militari Cross, Poland’s highest military honor; the Cross of Valor three times; the Polish Air Force
Medal; Gold Cross of Merit; the Home Army Medal; and the September 1939 Campaign Medal. He was also decorated five times with various medals by the British Royal Air Force.
Domanski moved to Sandpoint in 1988 and immediately started a chess program with elementary school students that continues to this day. By the time he passed away in 2011 at 92 years old, he’d taught thousands of local schoolchildren the game of chess.
The one-day tournament uses the Swiss system and is coordinated by James Stripes. Players are encouraged to bring lunch and be ready to play all day.
There are three divisions: Elementary (entering grades 1-6) $7 entry fee; Middle/High School (entering grades 7-12) $10 entry fee; and Open (this division will combine youth and adults on tournament day) $12 entry fee.
For more information, or to register for the tournament, visit bit. ly/47ApUmK.
KLT celebrates Aster Garden Center grand
By Reader Staff
Kaniksu Land Trust will celebrate the grand opening of the Aster Garden Center on Saturday, April 11, with a full day of shopping, crafts, raffles and gardening workshops from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The center, located at 924 W. Superior St., will support KLT’s local conservation efforts by providing native, perennial and pollinator-friendly plant varieties. The building will also serve as KLT’s new headquarters, incorporating offices, learning and community spaces, in addition to the front garden store.
The opening celebration — with food provided by OPA! Food Truck — will welcome everyone with a love of
nature and community.
“Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, just getting started or simply looking for a place to spend time surrounded by something meaningful, Aster is for you,” stated organizers in a recent news release.
Workshops include “How to Grow Ranunculus” at 10 a.m., “Deer Resistance Landscaping” at 11 a.m., “Making a Birchbark Tool Sheath” at noon, “Functional Plants in the Landscape” at 1 p.m., “Rebuilding Soil” at 2 p.m. and “Pruning with Purpose” at 3 p.m.
All workshops are free and open to the public.
For more info, visit astergarden.org.
Geezer Forum goes local with real food, real people
By Reader Staff
Join the Geezer Forum, hosted by Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc., on Tuesday, April 14, to hear from Kristina Bauer, president of the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market, who will share her insights into the work and experiences of growers who bring their summer bounty to Farmin Park from May through October each year.
Local beekeeper Randy Wilhelm will also speak on the importance of bees and the efforts to preserve the crucial bee link in our food chain.
For an added bonus, attendees will get a sneak peak into some of the anticipated highlights of the 2026 market season.
The Geezer Forum will be held at 2:30 p.m. on April 14 at the Marigold Bistro (414 Church St., in Sandpoint).
OUTDOOR
Emily Strizich receives statewide award for trail work and stewardship
By Reader Staff
The Idaho Recreation and Parks Association has named Emily Strizich as the recipient of the 2026 Professional Award for Parks, Trails or Conservation, recognizing her work building and maintaining trails, developing partnerships and growing a culture of stewardship in North Idaho.
The award will be presented at IRPA’s annual conference in Twin Falls in April.
Serving as executive director of Pend Oreille Pedalers and board chair of the Northern Rockies Trail Project, Strizich has for the past 18 months helped propel POP into a professional trail program — building nearly 20 miles of sustainable trail, organizing thousands of volunteer hours, and partnering with the city of Sandpoint and local land managers to complete numerous projects. She created an inhouse trail crew from local talent that was able to deliver more trail while making the most of available fund-
ing — and sometimes coming from unlikely sources.
When a group of local teenagers were found building unsanctioned trail features, Strizich chose to bring them into the fold rather than push them out. Within a season, those same riders were part of a professional crew — learning how to build sustainable trails and working within land management guidelines.
“They were already doing the work, just in the wrong place. It made more sense to bring them in and teach them how to do it right then to shut them down,” Strizich stated. “If people feel ownership, they take care of things. These public lands belong to us all and shared value is what we’re trying to build.”
Strizich’s work with the city of Sandpoint has also helped shape how trail systems are managed. Together, they developed a trail risk management policy that is now being used beyond Idaho as a model for community-built trails.
Strizich is beginning to shift her focus toward the Northern Rockies Trail
Project, a new nonprofit aimed at expanding trail stewardship and public land access.
“We’ve learned a ton here and I’m really proud of what we’ve built at POP,” she stated, “but keeping public land open and cared for takes a bigger table than just one user group. The Trail Project is about taking what’s worked: getting folks organized, collaborating with agencies and putting in the effort, but at a much larger scale.”
POP will continue its work locally, with a focus on youth programming, events, bike advocacy and community trail projects.
“There are a lot of people behind this award — staff, volunteers, partners — who put in the time and effort,” Strizich stated. “I’m proud of what we’ve built together.”
Emily Strizich hard at work building trails in Bonner County. Courtesy photo
Winners named in annual community writing contest
By Reader Staff
Sandpoint Writers on the Lake announced the winners of its annual writing contest, held March 14 and drawing scribes of all ages to the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library.
Winners in the Adult I category were Sara Bell, first place, for “Two,” and second place went to Maire Lochard (“Billy-Jo Rescues Alistir”). Winners in the Adult II category were Ken Pilch, first place, for “The Gun Trick-Backfired,” and second place was Steve Johnson (“The Kerosene Jug”).
Winners in the Teen category were McKenzie Maus, 19, in first place for “Fae and Fire,” and Emily Otis, 16, earned second place for “Vengeance.” Ryan Bell, 12, won first place in the Youth category for “The Assassin,” and Poppy Raphael, 8, took second place for “Poppy and the Moose Family.”
First-place winners took home $50 and $25 was awarded for second place finishers, selected by audience members.
BGH Healing Garden seeking volunteers for annual cleanup day
By Reader Staff
Beginner and expert gardeners alike are invited to bring their tools and support Bonner General Health’s Community Healing Garden at the annual Clean Up the Garden Day on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Healing Garden is a place of solace for those seeking peace or as a tranquil retreat in difficult times. It also serves to honor and remember loved ones who are no longer with us.
With a common goal, employees, residents and volunteers worked to create a place of healing, reflecting North Idaho’s natural beauty. However, the volunteer pool has dwindled over the years and the call is going out to the community to keep the gardens going and ready for visitors to enjoy.
The Healing Garden is 100% funded and maintained by donations and volunteers, though organizers stated, “Our volunteers are getting older and would love to have others shadow them for a summer to experience the protocol of the garden. We need those who are ready and willing to keep the garden going for our community. Without more volunteers, the garden is getting harder to maintain.”
The garden is divided into easyto-work sections and volunteers can choose a section and work it from
spring through fall. The section leader is responsible for getting volunteers to help in their selected garden plot. Volunteers need to bring their own gardening implements and BGH will supply the rest. Organizers also stated that they are looking for someone to maintain the rose bushes throughout the season, as well as someone to water the garden on a regular basis.
Individuals or groups interested in volunteering are asked to call BGH Volunteer Services Coordinator Kate McAlister at 208-265-1159 or email kate.mcalister@bonnergeneral.org. Donations to the garden can be made at bonnergeneral.org/the-healing-garden.
SWOL contest winners (front row, from left): Ryan Bell, Poppy Raphael; (back row, from left): Steve Johnson, Ken Pilch, Sara Bell, Maire Lochard, McKenzie Maus and Emily Otis. Far right is Bonnie McDade, president of Sandpoint Writers on the Lake. Photo by Tom Valentine
NIBCA Home and Garden Show ignites home improvement fever
By Reader Staff
Area homeowners or anyone else who has a patch of ground to tend are encouraged to flock to the North Idaho Building Contractors Association Home and Garden Show at the Bonner County Fairgrounds (4203 N. Boyer Road). The event will run Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, bringing together more than 50 home and garden vendors.
Each booth features experts in everything related to home improvement, including carpentry, landscaping
and interior design, as well as local artisans crafting jewelry, decor and delicious treats. Providers will also be on hand to answer questions about their respective fields — whether they specialize in renovation, insurance or landscape design — and to showcase their inspiring, hands-on displays.
Various local businesses will also host demonstrations and seminars throughout the show dates, highlighting innovative technologies, DIY techniques and more.
For more information, visit nibca. com/home-and-garden-show.
SHS Grad-Night Committee raising funds with restaurant takeovers, lasagna sales
By Reader Staff
With the approaching end of the 2025-’26 school year in June, the
Sandpoint High School Grad-Night Parent Committee is raising funds to support the annual send-off for graduating seniors.
With a goal of $70,000 for the festivities — which since 1974 has served as a safe, drugand alcohol-free celebration — the committee is hosting a series of events beginning Monday, April 13, when a portion of all sales at Connie’s Cafe and Lounge will go toward the event.
From 4-8 p.m., diners at Connie’s (323 Cedar St., in Sandpoint) will also have the opportunity to buy tickets for the SHS Grad-Night prize drawing.
The next restaurant takeover will be Tuesday, April 28 from 4-8 p.m. at Powder House Pizza (201 E. Superior St., in Sandpoint).
Meanwhile, the Lasagna Take and Bake Grad-Night fundraising campaign is ongoing, with orders of meat or veggie options — priced at $55 and $50, respectively, and sufficient to feed between six and 10 people — from Truck’N Delicious food truck due by Saturday, April 18 for pickup on Tuesday, April 21. To order, email shsgradnightparentcommittee@gmail. com with the subject “Lasagna.”
To donate directly to SHS GradNight, go to bit.ly/SHSGrad-Night.
Ponderay Rotary supports the city of Ponderay with AED equipment
By Reader Staff
Ponderay Rotary recently announced that it has purchased and donated an automated external defibrillator for Ponderay’s skating rink, The Pond, and held a training session for the staff and club members on how to operate the life-saving device.
Now in its 20th year as a local club supporting the community, Ponderay Rotary leveraged a Rotary District grant to purchase the AED, the use of which was demonstrated by EMS Deputy Chief Alan Brinkmeyer. According to the organization, the goal is to put AED units in the community with easy access so anyone can utilize them during a health emergency until EMS personnel can arrive.
An AED is a portable device that can help save
someone’s life during sudden cardiac arrest. If necessary, it delivers an electric shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm — crucial in emergencies when someone’s heart stops beating.
Ponderay Rotary is also currently selling flower baskets
Circle Moon Theatre to host
HighSchoolMusical,Jr.
By Reader Staff
The Mountain Harmony Show Choir and Northwoods Performing Arts are gearing up to present their annual youth show, this time with a production of High School Musical Jr.
Under the direction of Nina Pletsch, High School Musical Jr. is a nostalgic romp featuring two popular teens auditioning for East High’s spring musical while navigating the ins and outs of high school drama.
Performances are scheduled for Thursday, April 16-Saturday, April 18 and Thursday, April 23-Saturday, April 25 at the Circle Moon Theater (36424112, WA-211, in Newport, Wash.). Dinner-and-show tickets are $35 and $14 for show only. Senior and children’s tickets are $12. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dining service — with menus provided by local restaurants and caterers — begins at 6:30 p.m. and the curtain opens at 7:30 p.m. The final performance on April 25 is a matinee with doors opening at 2 p.m., and no meal will be served.
Get tickets and reservations by calling 208-448-1294, visiting northwoodsperformingarts.com or at Seeber’s Pharmacy (336 S. Washington, Ave., in Newport).
to raise funds for its annual scholarship program, which awards funds to graduates as well as students continuing their education for aviation training, culinary arts and trade school programs.
The baskets are $45 each and are large, vibrant and are
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
$1,408,500,000
grown locally. To order one, or learn more about how to become a member of Ponderay Rotary, visit ponderayrotaryclub.com or email ponderayrotaryclub@gmail.com.
The amount that President Donald Trump has personally profited from using the office of the presidency during his first year back in the White House, according to The New York Times, which reported that this was an “underestimate because some of his profits remain hidden from public view. And they continue to grow.” This staggering figure includes numerous real estate deals with Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and other countries (Trump agreed to lower threatened tariffs on Vietnam shortly after the Trump Organization broke ground on a $1.5 billion golf complex near Hanoi). Trump has also received payoffs from tech moguls like Jeff Bezos, who paid his wife Melania $28 million for the rights to her eponymous documentary film, as well as a $1 million donation from Bezos himself. Trump received a gift of a $400 million jet from Qatar just after he struck a deal to build a luxury golf resort in the country and, shortly after that, Qatar received approval to build a facility at an air base near Mountain Home, Idaho. Trump has also profited an estimated $867 million from cryptocurrencies bearing his name. In total, the Trump Organization has launched 24 branded real estate projects to be developed in foreign countries.
$4.14
The average price per gallon of gasoline across the nation, as of April 8. Prices average near $6/gallon in California, and higher in some stations. The price per gallon has increased almost $1/gallon from last year’s average of $3.23/gallon due to the escalating conflict in Iran.
43%
The amount of increase that Trump is requesting for the Department of Defense budget, an increase of $445 billion from its current funding. This would raise the DOD budget to $1.5 trillion, while also cutting approximately $65 billion from more than a dozen agencies that oversee education, health, labor, housing, transportation, commerce, agriculture, the environment and small businesses.
Left: Ponderay Rotary members gather by the donated AED machine at The Pond. Above: EMS Deputy Chief Alan Brinkmeyer during a training class. Courtesy photos.
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com
Idaho Commerce Connection
8:30am-noon @ Community Resource Envision Center
An event hosted by the Pend Oreille Economic Partnership for the Idaho Dept. of Commerce’s “Bridging Resources” community connection. Registration limited to 48 people. Learn more and register at bit.ly/4cdseT7
Pool tournament ($10/entry)
6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Nic Allen
5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Angel Urrea
5-7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Snacks at Midnight 8pm @ The Hive
Indie rockers from Spokane. $10
Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 9pm @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Chris Paradis featuring Psycho Jungle Cat
5-7pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Music w/ John Firshi
5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Tucker James
6-8pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Hannah & Ezra
6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee
Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s
THURSDAY, april 9
Lou Domanski Chess Festival registration deadline Register at bit.ly/47ApUmK
The chess festival takes place April 11 from 9am-5pm at the Sandpoint Community Hall. Elementary, Middle/High School or Open divisions
FriDAY, april 10
Live Music w/ Carl Rey & Truck Mills
6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Music w/ Frytz and the Generals 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Monarch Mountain Band
5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Sheldon Packwood
6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuffs Beer Hall
Live Music w/ Chris Paradis
6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
SATURDAY, april 11
Aster Garden Center Grand Opening
9am-5pm @ 924 W. Superior St.
Hourly workshops, plant shopping, family crafts. See Page 13 for more info
Live Music w/ Crooked Kilt Band 6pm @ Create Arts Center, Newport, Wash.
Traditional and eclectic Celtic music
NIBCA Home & Garden Show
10am-5pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds Vendors and tradesmen on home decor
Come check out the Pend Oreille Chapter’s monthly meeting, with guest speaker Mary Hopperton (chair yoga). Register by April 10: bit.ly/41QSxZl
Karaoke night 9pm @ Roxy’s Lounge
wednesDAY, april 15
Pinochle (208-263-6860 to RSVP) 9:30pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center
Open mic night 5-7pm-ish @ Idaho Pour Authority
Family night w/ John Firshi
5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
Live piano w/ Bob Beadling 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Trivia w/ Toshi ($5/person) 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live music, good food, beer!
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
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
Three-part stand-up comedy series kicks off at Heartwood Center with open mic
By Reader Staff
Who wants a good laugh? Mattox Farm Productions has you covered with a three-part stand-up comedy and open mic series held on the second Saturdays in April, May and June at the Heartwood Center (615 Oak St., in Sandpoint).
The first night is slated for Saturday, April 11, which will be an open mic night hosted by Kaleb Keaton, who will be joined by other local and regional comedians in addition to those who might want to try stand-up comedy.
“We are hoping that the open mic will help find local comedians to open for future touring performers,” wrote Robb Talbott, whose Mattox Farm Productions is presenting the series.
Those interested in performing three-, five- and 10-minute comedy sets are encouraged to contact Talbott
at mattoxfarmproductions@gmail.com for more information.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7 p.m., with Eichardt’s Pub selling drinks.
The second part of the series will take place Saturday, May 9 featuring Liz Miele, while the final event on Saturday, June 13 will feature Jonathan van Halem — both New Yorkbased comics.
Tickets are $5 if bought in advance at mattoxfarm.com or the-heartwood. com. For those holding tickets to the May 9 or June 13 performances, present them at the door of the April 11 open mic night and receive free admission.
All shows are general admission and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visit mattoxfarm.com for more information.
Holocaust documentary Carla the Rescuer to screen at the Panida
By Reader Staff
The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force invites the community to a special screening of Carla the Rescuer, a documentary on Holocaust survivor and Dutch Resistance member Carla Peperzak, Thursday, April 16 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in Sandpoint).
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the film begins at 7 p.m., with a live Q&A following the screening. Tickets are $5, available at the door or panida.org.
Born in 1923, Peperzak grew up in Amsterdam alongside Anne and Margot Frank before joining the Dutch Resistance as a teenager during the Nazi occupation. Risking her life, she helped save others by forging identification papers, serving as a courier and assisting people in going into hiding. As a firsthand Holocaust witness,
Peperzak shares her story — passed down through four generations — to inspire courage, compassion and the importance of speaking out against injustice. She currently resides in Spokane, Wash., and has family ties in Sandpoint.
“This event offers a rare opportunity to engage with history through a deeply personal lens and to reflect on the enduring relevance of standing up against hatred and intolerance,” organizers stated.
Founded in 1992, the BCHRTF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting human dignity and fostering a more inclusive community, and whose 750 members work throughout North Idaho to educate, advocate, and support youth and adults in building a culture of respect and tolerance.
For more information on Carla the Rescuer, go to carlatherescuer.org. For more on the BCHRTF, visit bchrtf.org.
Event features Q&A with firsthand Holocaust witness Carla Peperzak
Carla Peperzak. Courtesy photo
FOOD & DRINK Spring cocktails to indulge your sweet tooth
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
With Easter come and gone and the kids back at school, it’s time for adults to enjoy a sweet treat of their own. These springtime, dessert-inspired cocktails are perfect for an after-dinner treat and will satisfy your sweet tooth when the Cadbury Creme Eggs and chocolate bunnies run dry.
1 ½ oz Baileys Strawberries & Cream
½ oz strawberry syrup
½ oz vodka
Splash of heavy cream (optional) Strawberry slice
To begin, chill the Baileys, then make the strawberry syrup.
Combine ½ cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. This recipe makes plenty of extra syrup that can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the strawberries have softened and released their color.
Strain the syrup into a jar through a fine sieve and let cool.
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then combine the syrup, Baileys, vodka and cream (if desired). Shake vigorously, then serve straight up in a
martini or coupe glass with a strawberry slice garnish.
Gin Lemon-Blueberry Tart
1 ½ ounces gin
1 oz limoncello
1 oz lemon juice
½ oz blueberry syrup
Lemon slice
Just like before, make the blueberry syrup by combining ½ cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the blueberries burst.
Halfway through, finish the syrup with the zest of one lemon. Strain through a fine sieve and let cool.
Fill a shaker halfway with ice, add the syrup, gin, limoncello, lemon juice and blueberry syrup, then shake. Serve on the rocks in a lowball or goblet glass with a slice of lemon as a garnish.
1 oz vodka
1 oz raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord)
½ oz Baileys Irish Cream
½ oz chocolate liqueur
1 oz heavy cream
Chocolate syrup
Drizzle chocolate syrup in a chilled martini or coupe glass. In a shaker, combine ice, vodka, raspberry liqueur, Baileys and chocolate liqueur and shake well. Serve straight up for a decadent dessert.
Boozy Strawberries and Cream
Raspberry Mudslide
MUSIC
George Thorogood and the Destroyers to play the Festival
Show on Aug. 5 also to feature The Robert Cray Band as openers
By Reader Staff
The Festival at Sandpoint is offering member presale tickets for George Thorogood and The Destroyers and openers The Robert Cray Band until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 9 and to the public beginning at 7 a.m. on Friday, April 10, anticipating “The Baddest Show on Earth” on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at War Memorial Field.
Over five decades, more than 8,000 live shows and in excess of 15 million albums sold, George Thorogood and The Destroyers are widely regarded as “the all-American rock ’n’ roll party band.” Now in its 53rd year “playing rock ’n’ roll hot enough to melt the polar icecaps and flood the world’s major population centers” (in the words of Rolling Stone), the band’s Baddest Show On Earth Tour is a “stage-shaking, roof-raising, guitar-snarling blast,” according to promoters.
“Could be the state of the world,” Thorogood said. “Maybe it’s the healing power of rock ’n’ roll. But when we hit the stage on any given night, I can guarantee that we’ll make you feel like a teenager again.”
The band debuted in 1976 as the most explosive indie breakthrough act of the decade. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Thorogood epito-
mized guitar-slinger cool with chart-topping hits like “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”; “Move It On Over”; “Who Do You Love?”; “I Drink Alone”; and the rock anthem “Bad To The Bone.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you this gig won’t keep you energized. I defy bands half our age to put on a show like we do night after night,” stated Thorogood, who has received The B.B. King Award from The Montreal International Jazz Festival, while The Destroyers were made honorary members of The Bo Diddley Centennial Committee and invited to perform at The Grand Ole Opry.
“It’s crazy to think that we’ve spent the last half century performing music we love for audiences who love what
we do,” Thorogood stated. “But when you’ve got the best job in the world, you can’t ever rest on your laurels. We not only work hard to bring our best, but to keep getting better. That’s the only mission. That’s rock ’n’ roll.”
Opener Robert Cray is a blues icon and soul rock-androller born in Georgia and raised in Washington, who first picked up a guitar after seeing The Beatles on TV. Then, having witnessed Jimi Hendrix perform in Seattle, determined that his destiny would also follow a similar path. Across the past half-century, Cray has developed into one of American music’s most singular artists.
Cray has shared stage and/ or studio with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Chuck
Berry, Albert Collins, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Memphis Horns and Hi Rhythm Section. His stinging guitar playing and soulful voice — as well as skills as a band leader and performer — mark him as keeper of the flame for American roots music.
Along the way, Cray has created a richly inclusive American music style, revitalising both blues and soul, and releasing 19 studio albums — each featuring his distinctive sound and winning five Grammy Awards, while continuing to make music that sounds like no one but Robert Cray.
Tickets to the Wednesday, Aug. 5 show are $81, available at festivalatsandpoint.com.
This will be a standard show, meaning that the area in front of the stage is a general admission dancing and standing area.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint
Nic Allen, Matchwood Brewing, April 10
Originally from Fayetteville, Ark., country-western, rock and blues musician Nic Allen has been bringing joy to local audiences throughout the Northwest for more than a decade. No matter where his travels take him, Allen brings a playful, gritty edge to his performances that speaks to his skill as a singer and guitarist. His upper vocal range and penchant for embellishing on the strings makes his rendi-
tions of classics by Johnny Cash and Lynyrd Skynyrd unique and fresh — and more than that, it sounds like he’s having fun, which is a pleasure to listen to. Catch him hootin’ and hollerin’ at Matchwood this Friday.
— Soncirey Mitchell
5-7:30 p.m., FREE. Matchwood Brewing, 513 Oak St., 208-7182739, matchwoodbrewing.com. Listen at nic-allen-music.com.
Snacks at Midnight, The Hive, April 10
Spokane-based indie rockers Snacks at Midnight are returning to Sandpoint for another helping of their poprock-punk-funk recipe with a Friday night show at The Hive. Billed as “more than just a band but an experience,” attendees of the 2025 Festival at Sandpoint will remember the five-piece band — fronted by Rory Babin — from its stellar opener for Third Eye Blind, and aficionados of
This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone
READ
As seems to be a routine for me, I recently returned from vacation with more books than I packed when I left. One of them has captured my attention more than the others: The Pope and Mussolini, by Professor David I. Kertzer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2015. It centers on Pope Pius XI and the titular Il Duce in an unholy alliance of mutual animosity but also convenience. I find it relevant as a case study in what happens when venerable institutions sell themselves out (and everyone else), resulting in disaster. Find it where you find books.
LISTEN
regional music will be familiar with Snacks at Midnight’s 2024 album What You Think You Want, which showcases a multi-genre sound with a “music-for-everyone” feel.
— Zach Hagadone
Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $10 adv., $15 at the door, 21+. The Hive, 208-920-9039, 207 N. First Ave., livefromthehive.com. Listen at snacksatmidnight.com.
Born in Texas and based in L.A., singer-songwriter Kevin Morby recently made his way into my various music streaming menus and I couldn’t be happier about it. Just turned 38 on April 2, the indie rocker has a clear pedigree stemming from the likes of Lou Reed, with his mellow but insistent cadences and slinky-sinister but calming tone. “Harlem River” is a case in point, as is “All of My Life.” Listen on all streamers and learn more at kevinmorby.com.
WATCH
My wife and I recently ditched Netflix for AppleTV and it was like wandering into Aladdin’s cave. So many fantastic series and movies have been lurking behind that particular pay wall that our bingeing has transcended itself to gorging. Notable among the offerings is Invasion, which in its first season focuses on a collection of individuals and groups around the world as they navigate the mysterious effects of an extraterrestrial incursion. It’s quietly unsettling and tense, rather than bombastic, which makes it unique.
Left: George Thorogood. Photo by David Dobson. Above: Robert Cray. Photo by Melanie Lemahieu.
From Northern Idaho News, April 7, 1905
PACK RIVER BRIDGE FIRE
One of the most serious interruptions to traffic, that has occurred for a long time on the Northern Pacific railway, was occasioned by the partial destruction by fire, Wednesday evening, of the long bridge across Pack river, fourteen miles east of Sandpoint. When discovered by the bridge watchman, late in the afternoon, the fire had gained such headway that an alarm was given along the road in each direction from Pack river and all possible aid was hurried to the scene of the fire and strenuous efforts made to extinguish the flames, which efforts were not successful until between eighty and ninety feet of the bridge spans, including the upper portions of the piling, were destroyed.
A wrecking and repair train was equipped and sent on from Sandpoint and all the section gangs on the division were ordered to go to the fire. The extensive bridge construction and repair outfit at Missoula was hurried to the scene as was also a pile driver from Pasco, Wash.
Eastbound morning trains arrived at Sandpoint about 11 o’clock Thursday forenoon and the North Coast Limited came in on time and during the afternoon the yards had an animated appearance with the three fine trains standing in a string on the side track. At hope the sidetracks contained the three westbound trains.
Soon after 10 o’clock Thursday night the repairs were completed and the westbound passenger trains were sent over the bridge and through Sandpoint in rapid succession and the eastbound trains pulled out towards the Atlantic with a speed that will enable them to make up some of the lost time which, in the case of No. 4 was nearly twenty four hours.
BACK OF THE BOOK Declaration of Independence…
From giving a rip about Trumpers
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
People don’t get too many epiphanies in life, so I count myself lucky to have had a few. The first one I can remember was when a teacher drew a line of chalk on the blackboard and asked a group of us elementary school students to “describe everything about it.”
I looked at it and, unbidden, my doors of perception swung wide to reveal that to “describe everything” about that chalk line was to describe “everything” about “everything” — from the muscles and sinews in the teacher’s hand that held the chalk to the chemical composition of the chalk itself to the sweep of history and science encompassing symbolism, geometry and their interpretations. And “everything else,” of course.
I had another profound realization when I was 18, standing in the mouth of the cave where Socrates was said to have been imprisoned in Athens, awaiting his execution for “corrupting the youth” of his city by making them think critically.
In that moment, I had another impromptu “whoa” moment when I realized that nothing separated me and Socrates in that space but time, which when dilated to the geological scale based on the formation and placement of the rocks surrounding me was a distinction lacking difference. That one has stuck with me in a number of other places and times.
There have been a few other instances of profound “ah-hah” over the years, but I just had another one the other day while vacationing on the Oregon coast with my family for spring break.
By way of context, I have severe high blood pressure — so severe that when I took readings on my at-home wrist cuff a week or so ago, the numbers I saw should have prompted a 911 call and trip to the E.R. (or graveyard). I’ve since gotten that (mostly) under control with medication, and standing on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in unseasonably fine western Oregon weather last week, the confluence of my sideyed brush with mortality and the expanse of the sea led to another occurrence when the mental walls came crumbling down.
That is to say, looking at the waves, birds, rocks and sand, I realized that I don’t care about supporters of Donald Trump or any of his policies or actions (public or private). That also goes for any of his lickspittles and adjacent chancers in all stations of society. Their opinions are moot. Their feelings are void. Their accommodations in my emotional and intellectual life are canceled. My respect for them is revoked on all matters beyond those that maintain the basic norms of human civilization (which they don’t really care about).
I consider this my Declaration of Independence. Or, to borrow a phrase, “Liberation Day.”
I will tolerate them as a person tolerates dog turds on a springtime sidewalk, by stepping around them with mild annoyance, but that’s about it. That means I’m done trying to understand them and their defective minds and motives. I will no longer “meet them where they are.”
I’ve expended thousands of hours over more than a decade — and read and written a sum of millions of words
by
— trying to diagnose and adapt to their all-consuming nihilistic mental wreckage. After that much consideration, I can report with confidence that there’s nothing of substance to it, other than a noxious melange of fecklessness, laziness, stupidity, cruelty and greed. I feel like a lot of us are going insane trying to make room for these human paraquats, and we should stop. They don’t deserve the courtesy.
I will not listen to their complaints about gas prices, airport disruptions, tariff-resultant rises in the cost of living, loss of the dollar’s standing around the world or anything related to the Iran war. They can piss right off on every aspect of their culture war sorties related to sex, gender and reproduction, because theirs is the party of perverts. They can stuff their talk about “small government” and “fiscal responsibility,” because they are the disciples of bald authoritarianism and even balder corruption.
There are so many other examples of their mendacity and rancid hypocrisy that I can feel my blood pressure rising as I contemplate them all. Better to be done with it — and them — and if we normal people are going to get out of this alive, I invite a similar epiphany for all of good faith.
Photo illustration
Ben Olson
Laughing Matters
Solution on page 22
By Bill Borders
Word Week of the Corrections:
[noun] 1. a small lie or fib
“The president’s 30,000+ lies are not mere taradiddles; they repeatedly tear down American institutions and attack marginalized communities.”
Nothing to report in this skinny box of whoopsies.
Oh well, there’s always next week.
If aliens from outer space ever come and we show them our civilization and they make fun of it, we should just say we were just kidding, that this isn’t really our civilization, but a gag we hoped they would like. Then we tell them to come back in twenty years to see our real civilization. After that, we start a crash program of coming up with an impressive new civilization. Either that, or just shoot down the aliens as they’re waving goodbye.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Chasm
6. Small mouthfuls
10. French for “State”
14. Throng
15. Fat cut of tuna (Japanese)
16. Egyptian river
17. Keen
18. Any minute
19. Acquire
20. Data
22. Angers
23. Surgical dressing
24. Fatuous
25. Resorts
29. Chair a meeting
31. Tiny aperture
33. Smiled scornfully
37. Complete
38. Parking structure
39. Scorn
41. A poison
42. A communication
44. Frisbee
45. Floral leaf
48. Pungent edible leaves
50. A leguminous plant
51. Violent storms
56. Once, long ago
57. Abbey area
58. Come up
59. Anagram of “Tine”
60. Observes
61. Talking bird of poetry
Solution on page 22
62. Elk or caribou 63. Female chickens
64. Select by voting
DOWN
1. Long, long time 2. Spoiled child
3. Eastern discipline
Tallow source
Bit of parsley
Height
Convert into ions
Procedure
Male offspring
Solution on page 22 10. Designed
Coronet 12. Extraterrestrial
13. On edge
21. Dry, as a tree
24. Notions
25. Didn’t dillydally
26. Durable wood
27. Picnic insects
28. Commander of a ship
30. Entrance
32. Bay window 34. Hindu princess 35. Auspices
36. Ship’s floor 40. Fugitive 41. Undying 43. Come to light 45. Expend 46. Spooky 47. Adhesive 49. Fixed gaze 51. Chop finely 52. By mouth 53. Split 54. Millisecond
