Reader_August30_2018

READER DEAR READERS, (wo)MAN

compiled by Priya Sullivan

“Did

on the street

you have a favorite teacher growing up? Why?”

“Yes, Mrs. Kirksy. She helped to diagnose me with dyslexia. She was really sweet and caring.”

Tina McCoy

Admin Asst. for Nat’l Lab Benicia, Calif.

“Susan Montelius, my 10th-grade English teacher. She was cool. It was my first year at Gardenia High School and it was her first year teaching.”

Bill Litsinger

Retired police officer Sandpoint

“Ms. Hagadone-Smith, but she just goes by Smith now. She really supported my creativity and she was super passionate about science.”

Amber Brunner

Outdoor trip leader Sandpoint

“You know, I really didn’t have one.”

Okay, did you have a favorite subject?

“Anything science based. Chemistry, biology, physics.”

Nick Holman

Semi-retired engineer Benicia, Calif.

“Mrs. Hodges. She was so passionate. She taught me about the Holocaust. She was very fierce and determined.”

Brooke Moore Shopkeeper at Azalea’s Sandpoint

Well, that sure happened fast. One day we’re coughing and peering out into the smoky maw of death, and the next it’s an easy breezy fall day. Show of hands: How many of you woke up Monday morning and shouted, “Yes!” as you saw the mountains clearly for the first time in weeks? Me too. Have no fear, dear readers, the forecast calls for sunshine and mild temperatures the next week. In other words, it’s “locals’ weather.” Once Labor Day is over, we can all begin enjoying the shoulder season when town calms down, the lake goes quiet and we get our town back for a brief period before the snow flies.

I love, love, love this time of year. It’s always a bit sad to watch the hot days of summer go, but the fact that we get all four seasons here in North Idaho is a major bonus. Get out there and do something! Now is the time.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724

www.sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com

Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com

Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Artists: Eli Sevenich (cover), Ben Olson, Priya Sullivan, USFS, FSPW, BNSF, Bill Borders.

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, McCalee Cain, Emily Erickson, Katie Botkin, Brenden Bobby, Marcia Pilgeram, A.C. Woolnough.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $95 per year

Web Content: Keokee

The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics.

Requirements:

–No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com

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About the Cover

This week’s cover came to us from Sandpoint artist Eli Sevenich. It’s called “Kitty in the Garden.” Eli was nominated POAC’s Artist of the Year and designed this year’s ArtWalk poster. You can see her work at Pend d’Oreille Winery.

Botched software rollout cripples driver’s license services

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Idaho drivers who find themselves unable to renew their driver’s licenses need not fret—the state has announced that all expirations are extended to Oct. 31.

Offices across the state, including here in Bonner County, have recently been crippled by a botched rollout of new software. Now state officials are scrambling to address the issue even as drivers find themselves waiting to handle their vehicle business.

State officials said the rollout of new software was a badly-needed upgrade to the antiquated computer system it previously used. However, the introduction of the new software has caused its share of headaches as offices across the state were rendered unable

to administer services. The problems were severe enough that law enforcement officials have called it a possible public safety issue.

According to Kieran Donahue, president of the Idaho Sheriff’s Association, the service outages have been a continual source of frustration for sheriff employees across the state. In a letter to Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, he questioned whether sheriffs should even be responsible for licensing drivers.

“Unfortunately, the Sheriffs of the State of Idaho and their staff have taken the brunt of the customers’ dissatisfaction,” he wrote. “As you are also aware, the Sheriff is statutorily held to provide Driver’s License services to the populous even though it is a function of (Idaho Transportation Depart-

ment.) The vast majority of the Sheriffs in the State of Idaho feel that it is time for this state to consider removing Driver’s License as a function of the Sheriff and move it squarely to ITD where it belongs.”

Donahue also echoed the frustrations of drivers who found themselves unable to deal with their expired licenses.

“As Sheriff, and as taxpayer, I am furious the State of Idaho has poured millions of dollars into systems that are poorly designed and implemented without the benefit of beta testing sites to address the potential and real issues with these critically important systems,” he wrote.

According to DMV Administrator Alberto Gonzalez, there are three likely problems that exacerbated the situation. First, due to office closures during

the implementation of new technology, they likely experienced an above-average flow of customers when they reopened. Second, since a relatively small percentage of staff attended training for the new software, most were inexperienced when the new systems were introduced. The final issue involved problems related to the system itself.

In a letter responding to Donahue, Gonzalez recom-

mended forming a workgroup with the Idaho Sheriffs Association, ITD and possibly county commissioners to address the issue. He also didn’t shut down the idea of moving licensing responsibilities from sheriff’s offices.

“I believe we would need to develop a strategy and plan on how that could work,” he wrote.

Animal shelter to pursue dog park project

ects to propose for grant funding.

The longstanding effort to establish a local dog park just got $25,000 closer to reality.

Panhandle Animal Shelter Executive Director Mandy Evans announced this week the organization was awarded a $25,000 grant last week to establish a dog park near the shelter building. Evans said PAS staff are eying an empty lot next to the shelter as a prime location for the park. The full cost of the project will likely add up to between $75,000 and $100,000, Evans said.

“Now we have to sit down and figure out how to fundraise the rest,” she added.

The idea for a dog park first emerged when shelter staff were considering proj-

“That’s when we thought, ‘Everyone wants a dog park,’ and we believe in creating a community destination,” said Evans.

Fortunately, they had two potential organizations to approach for possible grant funding. While one turned them down, the other, a national organization, approved them for the $25,000 request.

“I think their belief system and our belief system are very much in line,” Evans said.

The next step is to begin planning how the rest of the project budget will be raised.

According to Evans, since the project doesn’t fit into the animal shelter’s overall mission, they cannot draw from the PAS budget. Instead, they will seek the communi-

ty’s help to make the park a reality.

“Everyone is excited, and

we’re hoping we can all come together to make it happen,” said

Rain helps control Cougar Fire

North Idaho fire season slows down, burning restrictions lifted this weekend

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The 7,608-acre Cougar Fire was 50 percent contained on Wednesday, according to fire officials. Thanks to 0.5-0.75 inches of rain on the fire the last couple of days, Idaho Panhandle National Forests officials report that fire growth has been minimal.

Located five miles east of Hope, the Cougar Fire is moving slowly through mostly creeping and smoldering, fire officials report. However, some tree torching and spotting is still possible. Fire managers are working on brushing out East Fork Road to create an additional fuel break, and earlier this week crews removed the protective wrapping on the SNOTEL site and Keeler Warming Hut northeast of the fire.

The Phoenix National Incident Management Team — which is currently in command of the Cougar Fire — is coordinating with Federal Highways to continue bridge abutment replacement work on Rattle Creek and Wellington Creek bridges, Wednesday’s fire report states. Expect increased truck traffic on Trestle and Lightning Creek Roads as bridge repair starts up again.

The estimated containment date for the Cougar Fire prior to last weekend’s rain was late November. Now, the estimated containment date posted to InciWeb is Sept. 12.

The Surprise Creek Fire, near Lakeview, was a reported 3,137 acres Wednesday. Though the fire will see mostly creeping and smoldering the next few days, larger pockets of fuel may produce more flames and smoke, fire officials report. The Surprise Creek Fire was 50-percent contained on Wednesday.

The 2,750-acre Rampike Fire spans the Idaho-Montana border southeast of the Surprise Creek Fire. Both IPNF and Kootenai National Forest are working to

establish fuel breaks around the Rampike Fire and utilizing bucket drops where necessary.

Area closures are in effect near all aforementioned fires. Find detailed maps on InciWeb.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Monday that the Stage 1 fire restrictions across the Coeur d’Alene dispatch area will be lifted Friday in time for the holiday weekend. However, “while the cooler temperatures and precipitation no longer warrant extreme fire danger, the public is urged to be careful with fire,” USFS announced.

Sandpoint’s air quality has

only improved since the worst day of the summer so far, Aug. 19, when the Air Quality Index read into the 300s — classified as “hazardous.” On Wednesday, Sandpoint was at 31 AQI — classified as “good.”

The Environmental Protection Agency forecasts clean air through the weekend.

“Smoke from wildfires can move into the area quickly and degrade air quality,” the EPA warns. “Be aware of changing conditions to protect your health.”

Visit airnow.gov for the most up-to-date air quality readings.

Northwest Academy closing after 24 years

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Northwest Academy, a therapeutic boarding school in Bonners Ferry for 16-18 year olds, is closing according to an announcement from the school last week.

Director of Admissions Julia Andrick wrote on strugglingteens. com that after 24 years, Northwest Academy will close on Sept. 26 due to low enrollment.

“While we believe strongly in our mission to serve the specific needs of older adolescents, we

Army Corps shares upcoming lake operations

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visited North Idaho Wednesday to share lake operation plans and their tentative predictions for what winter will hold.

are no longer able to attract a sufficient number of students in today’s treatment landscape who would benefit from this approach,” she said. “Our staff will work closely with Educational Consultants and parents to provide arrangements for our current students who will need further support in other programs, services or communities.”

Andrick, who is also the Admissions Liaison for Boulder Creek Academy in Bonners Ferry, said Boulder Creek — Northwest’s “sister school” — will remain open.

Upper Columbia Senior Water Manager Logan Osgood-Zimmerman said the Albeni Falls Dam will slowly begin drawing Lake Pend Oreille down after Sept. 18. She said their target is 2,061 feet by Sept. 29, and the winter minimum of 2,051 feet should be reached by mid-November. People should expect slightly declining inflows from the mountains in early September, Osgodd-Zimmerman said, because the snowpack has very little left to give the lake.

Preliminary winter predic-

tions are leaning toward El Nino conditions, the Army Corps reports, meaning a warmer and dryer winter in North Idaho. However, Osgood-Zimmerman emphasized that it’s still too early to have complete confidence in any prediction, and next month the winter forecast should be more solidified.

Army Corps spokesperson Scott Lawrence said repairs are ongoing at the Clark Fork River Delta boom system, and that repairs should be complete in late October. High flows from aggressive runoff caused the damage.

He said there’s a long-term plan in the works to do more regular upkeep on the Clark Fork boom system. Lawrence said the last boom system upgrades were implemented in the 1980s.

Business conference hits Sandpoint

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

There’s more than $2.5 billion in state and federal research and development grants waiting for small business owners who know how to pursue it.

Fortunately, an upcoming conference will teach local business

owners how to do just that. Set for 2-5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, in Community Room B of the Sandpoint library, the Small Business Innovation Research Road Tour will be packed with essential pointers to thrive in the complex modern business environment. The event is free to attend.

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

I have a story, perhaps my most vulnerable yet. It’s a story I’ve held close, nestled against my heart, shared only with a few friends and family members. But as the air threatens to crisp and the smoke clears off the lake, it’s signaling a change that I can’t help but imitate. It’s the story of my very first memory.

I was four years old and playing in the grass of my front yard, likely shirtless because it was the nineties, and because nobody would assume the knobby-kneed, Buddha-bellied, stringy-blondehaired child popping dandelion heads off their stems was a girl. The air was thick with Wisconsin humidity, and the sun was baking the mud under my fingernails into hard, crusted dirt.

The door to our house was cracked open, casually capturing the late afternoon breeze, and my mom flitted in and out of sight as she prepared dinner in the kitchen. She was still in her work clothes; a fitted pencil skirt, low heels and a bright, flowy blouse. She looked beautiful, as always.

As I thought about the impending meal, my stomach grumbled, it’s deep roar moving from the base of my gut, all the way up into the back of my throat. To my surprise, the sky rumbled in return. As I tipped back my head to investigate the sounds, I noticed heavy clouds pushing like bulldozers toward the sun. The humidity shifted to mist, and each drop glistened against the streaks of light that refused to be covered.

Suddenly, the sky opened, and rain began pelting my head. Drops of water saturated the pile of

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Chasing Rainbows

decrepit dandelion tops at my feet and beams of color shone in the surrounding air, with purples, yellows, greens and oranges emerging in even layers above me.

“A rainbow!” I exclaimed.

I pounded up the stairs to my door, turning over my legs as quickly as my little body would allow.

“Mom! We have to go! We have to chase the end of the rainbow!” I cheered.

She looked at me with a smile I’ll never forget, one with mischief hiding in the corners of her mouth. Turning the knob on the kitchen stove to “off,” she removed her shoes and grabbed my hand.

“Okay, let’s go!” She chuckled.

And with interlaced fingers, we ran down the sidewalk, rain soaking our clothes and mud squishing against our bare feet. We ran as fast as I could, chasing each color of the rainbow with unique vigor. We ran until my lungs screamed for respite, and I collapsed in a puddle of water, of exhaustion, and of pure elation.

Chasing the rainbow with my mom is not only my earliest memory, but the memory of which I am the most fond, even to this day.

In the spring of my senior year of high school, my mom was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer. She was given two months to live. That summer, as I watched the strong, silly, spontaneous, beautiful woman I knew and loved being stripped of her zest for life, I reflected on the greater message she instilled in me when she took my hand that day.

I deconstructed the intricacies of us running in the rain. She had recently gotten home from a long

day at work, likely clocking over 10 hours, as was her usual. She had been preparing dinner and hadn’t even gotten the chance to change into more comfortable clothes.

When I approached her in a blur of grass blades and excitement, she had every reason to tell me no; to explain she was tired, that dinner couldn’t wait or that there wasn’t an end to the rainbow, so it really wasn’t worth chasing, after all.

But my mom didn’t make excuses and she didn’t say no. Instead, she grabbed my hand, proving to me that the best things in life are worth making time for. When we took off running, she was silently explaining that imagination and a playful outlook on life is the recipe for joy, and that one of the surest ways to feel alive is to shed our inhibitions.

As the fall breeze blew through the hospital window in October of that year, my mom took her last breath. My family was strewn on couches and makeshift beds around her, and we all stirred upon her death.

We huddled together, wiping the tears from our eyes, and turned to the small window at the end of the room. Rain began pattering the sill, with the sun glinting against the glass’ pane. As the nurses wheeled my mom’s body out of the room, the drops of water broke into a kaleidoscope of colors, reminding

us that, although our lives would never be the same, we would be OK, because she had taught us all how to truly live.

In loving memory of my mom, Susan Erickson.

Laughing Matter

By Bill Borders

LETTERS

Antarctic Dinosaur...

Dear Editor,

Some time ago, I read an interesting article describing a dinosaur discovery – in Antarctica of all places – by a EWU prof. The bones of this dinosaur –obviously extinct – are thought to be 71 million years old, plus or minus.

Antarctica wasn’t always an ice cube? I had no idea. Talk about climate change! I confess I didn’t know we were spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that long ago. Those pesky Neanderthals and their coal-fired power plants! Learn something new every day.

God bless America, and God bless our military.

Steve Brixen

Sandpoint

Vote for Steve Johnson...

Dear Editor,

Steve Johnson is running for Bonner County commissioner, District 1, in the November election. A lifetime resident of Bonner County, he has proven to be a successful administrator, attentive listener, and experienced problem solver -- committed to a strong economy and quality of life.

A graduate of Sandpoint High School and the University of Idaho, he has been an elementary and high school teacher and principal, as well as a successful farmer, homebuilder, and small-scale logger. He served on the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and the East Bonner County Library board.

Steve’s experience is ideal for the job. It has included listening to concerns and finding solutions, supervising, evaluating and coordinating staff, overseeing a budget, and interacting with government, nonprofit sector groups and individuals.

A firm supporter of education, as a county commissioner he will work to retain and recruit businesses that will benefit Bonner County families, and ensure a strong local economy and quality of life.

His priorities include helping reinstate transparency (something that has been lacking in our current commissioners’ activities) and accountability in property taxes and the county budget, along with protection of private property rights for landowners, and prioritizing the upgrade and improvement of county roads.

For experience, honesty and accountability in office I urge you to vote for Steve Johnson for County Commissioner, District 1 on Nov. 6.

Pat Ramsey Sandpoint

Commissioners...

Dear Editor:

With Ben’s indulgence, a P.S. to my letter last week:

Since when did Dan McDonald become the Bonner County Commission? The article in last week’s edition by Lyndsie Kibert and the piece in the DailyBee seems to indicate the McDonald is the only member of the commission that matters. Lyndsie’s article mentions Commissioner Connolly’s name once, Klatt three times and McDonald’s a whopping nine times. It’s all about him and what he thinks and does.

You know conservatives say that Democrats are the tax-and-spend party, but they have nothing on the conservative Republicans. The only ones they cut taxes for are the well off and corpora-

tions. Not only did the county cut spending, but they’re raising your property taxes 3 percent and gave themselves a 7-percent raise. How much, if anything, have you gotten in the way of a raise recently, let alone 7 percent?

Not only will this put upward pressure on your housing costs, but McDonald’s plan to charge other entities for dispatch services will either lead to Ponderay and Priest River eliminating positions, or, as will more likely happen, they just raise their share of your property taxes. More upward pressure on your housing costs.

So during this fall’s campaign think about who and what you’re voting for: a party that wants a more level playing field or one that pays lip service to low taxes but in fact raises them on the average citizen either directly or indirectly.

Lawrence Fury Sandpoint

Ellen Weissman is the Person We Need...

Dear Editor:

Ellen Weissman is the person we need to be our representative for North Idaho.

She exemplifies all that is good and has worked hard to make our lives better. She is by nature a positive force in our community.

Under her directorship, the Sandpoint Senior Center has been revitalized. Ellen has been a school teacher, cares deeply for all children and will work hard to bring more state money to support schools in North Idaho.

She understands the delicate nature of our natural environment and what the state and all of us need to do to protect our clean air and water from harmful use and neglect.

If you wish to change the political atmosphere to a positive and constructive tone so we can move forward to improve our lives together, then get out and vote for Ellen Weissman on Nov. 6. Everyone will benefit.

Sandra Deutchman Sandpoint

A Clean Comedy Show...

Dear Editor,

For all those folks who were critical of The Follies, here’s their chance to see a clean comedy show and silent auction that benefits American Heritage Wildlife Foundation. Located out of Clark Fork AHWF is the only 501c3 facility in Idaho with permits to care for most of our injured or orphaned area wildlife.

Our show features Tyler Boeh with family comedy, plus a silent auction with an array of interesting items including a two-night stay at The Last Resort!

It is on Sept. 15 at the Memorial Community Center in Hope. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with the show starting at 5 p.m.. Tickets are $20 and are available online at Event Brite and also Evans Brothers Coffee, Fry Creek Vet Clinic and North Idaho Animal Hospital, in Clark Fork at Monarch Market and Shear Inspiration.

Come on folks, here’s your chance to support a show featuring good, clean family humor. We won’t make you blush!

Diane Newcomer

Clark Fork

Steve Johnson for County Commissioner...

Dear Editor,

We are fortunate to have Steve Johnson running for Bonner County Commissioner for District 1 in November. Steve is a lifelong resident of Bonner County, a graduate of Sandpoint schools from elementary through high school and from the University of Idaho. He is a firm supporter of education. He became an elementary and high school teacher and principal, successful farmer and small-scale logger. From his career as an educator and his 41 years of service, which includes the Chamber of Commerce and the East Bonner County Library Board of Directors, Steve proved to be a successful administrator, attentive listener, experienced problem solver.

Steve’s experience is perfect for a commissioner’s job. He has interacted with government, nonprofits and individuals, listened to concerns, found solutions to problems, supervised staff and overseen budgets.

He is committed to a strong economy and quality of life.

In his capacity of county commissioner, he will work to recruit and retain businesses that will pay a living wage and benefit Bonner County families. He will help grow and maintain a strong local economy and the quality of life that goes with both.

His priorities also include accountability transparency (something sorely missed) and accountability in property taxes and the county budget, protection of private property rights for landowners and upgrading and improving county roads.

To restore accountability, integrity and accountability, I urge you to vote for Steve Johnson for District 1 County commissioner on Nov. 6.

Ilene Bell

Sandpoint

Have something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We publish all letters that conform to our guidelines: under 400 words, libel-free and not containing excessive profanity. Please elevate the conversation.

BY THE NUMBERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

2,975

The official Hurrican Maria death toll released by the Puerto Rican government on Tuesday. The number is 46 times larger than the previous toll the government released in December 2017 when officials said 64 people had died as a result of the storm.

65

The amount of months John McCain spent in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp after his airplane was shot down by a missile over Hanoi during the Vietnam War.

2 out of 301

Priests named in Pennsylvania’s report on child sex abuse who have been charged with crimes. The rest are protected by the state’s statute of limitations..

18 years old

Minimum age New York state now requires to use indoor tanning booths.

10 minutes

Time it took an 11-year-old to hack into a replica of Florida’s election results website at a convention. During that brief period, he was able to manipulate names and votes.

1,400 per

year

Premature deaths that the EPA estimates will result from the Trump administration’s proposed changes to Obama’s Clean Power Plan. The latter set aggressive targets for limiting carbon emissions while the new rule would worsen air pollution.

51

The number of state-owned lakefront lots on Priest Lake that Idaho auctioned off last weekend, bringing in $25.6 million. Cumulatively, Idaho has auctioned off $177 million in lakefront lots at Priest Lake and Payette Lake.

Bouquets:

•This week’s bouquet goes out to Jennifer Wood, who organizes the annual Funky Junk Show at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Jennifer is a really passionate, fun person who puts so much work and energy into this annual trade show of antiques, upcycled artwork and other treasures you can only find at shows like this. I love events that establish themselves as a cut above the rest, and the Funky Junk Show always achieves this every year.

If you’ve never been, make sure you check it out. Thanks, Jennifer! Funky Junk for life!

Barbs GUEST SUBMISSION:

• This comes from volunteers at Sagle Elementary School and the Bonner County Gardeners Association, who have worked together to grow a garden that students came in during summertime to tend, in turn receiving a small harvest each week.

A couple weeks ago, teachers and students arrived and discovered that someone had harvested from the garden. They harvested all the garlic, the last of the snow pea crop, all the cherry tomatoes and ripe strawberries.

“You can imagine the looks on all of our faces, including the kids,” volunteer Julie Kallemeyn said. “Is this the lesson that we want to teach our school kids?”

The garden, which is located on school property, is behind a chain link fence with a latched (but not locked) gate.

“If by any chance the people who harvested the kids’ garden want to do the right thing, they can get in touch with me and we will get them lined up to do some volunteer work,” said Kallemeyn.

JAKallemeyn@cbburnet.com

COMMUNITY

Chamber welcomes Idaho Master Naturalists

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed the Idaho Master Naturalists, Pend Oreille Chapter, to the Chamber with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

The Waterlife Discovery Center in Sagle, formerly the Sandpoint Fish Hatchery, is run by the Idaho Master Naturalist Program, a nonprofit organization solely run by volunteers. They aim to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to actively work toward stewardship

of Idaho’s natural environment. It welcomes and encourages all visitors, school groups and families to discover Idaho’s fish, wildlife, wetlands and forests and the importance of conserving these natural resources. The WaterLife Discovery Center is staffed four days a week during the summer for the indoor exhibits, tours and questions.

The Sandpoint Fish Hatchery was built in 1909 by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game with partial funding from Bonner County sportsmen. The idea to develop the hatchery as an outdoor aquatic education

center began when discussions arose regarding selling the property back in the 1990s. Concerned citizens and community groups met with Fish and Game, and today a partnership between Fish and Game and Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation created the center. The hatchery is located along the Pend Oreille River on Lakeshore Drive. Spring water from a neighboring property is piped underground to supply water for the hatchery and fish raceways. Due to cool water temperatures, the hatchery is primarily used as a summer redistribution facility

for rainbow trout. In addition to the 3.5-acre property with interpretive exhibits and a 6.5-acre forested wetland, there is a public visitor boat dock providing access to the Center and a picnic area for day use.

Please join the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce in welcoming Idaho Master Naturalist’s. For more information visit them online at www.idahomasternaturalist.org or email to imn.sandpoint@ gmail.com.

2018 Scotchman Peaks photo contest open for entries

By Reader Staff

If you were in or around the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness sometime since Nov. 1 of last year, and took a really cool picture, remember to enter it into the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness annual photo contest. You can post it to instagram.com/friendsofscotchmanpeaks/ and tag it #2018fspwphotocontest, post it on the Scotchman Peaks Facebook page and tag it #2018FSPWPhotoContest, or do it the old-fashioned way and email it to sandy@scotchmanpeaks.org. Please include a description of where you took it, when you

took it, and maybe even why you took it. High-resolution (a two-megabyte size or higher in jpeg format) are preferred. Pictures should have been taken within the wilderness or of the wilderness from outside (pictures taken within the wilderness are preferred).

An individual can submit up to six photos, of which FSPW staff will choose what they consider the best from each submitter. We will then put those chosen up in a Facebook album after the contest closes on Halloween 2018.

The final pictures will be judged by the highly qualified panel of Facebook Friends of

Scotchman Peaks, who will vote with their “likes” on pictures posted in a special album. Ties will be decided by FSPW staff. First, second and third place photo takers will be awarded a swag package from FSPW including a hat, bandana and T-shirt. The grand prize winner’s picture will be professionally framed by Ward Tolbom of Hen’s Tooth Studios in Sandpoint. Ward is an expert framer, as well as a renowned water color artist and huckleberry picker.

Get your 15 minutes of photography fame. Post those pictures or send them in and invite your friends to vote for yours on the Scotchman

7B Women Host Boobs ‘n Beer 5K Fun Run, Oktoberfest

By Reader Staff

It’s an event you won’t want to miss. The Third Annual Boobs ‘n Beer 5K Fun Run and Oktoberfest is not only a great time but a fundraiser for two local organizations that assist those in our community fighting cancer—Celebrate Life and Community Cancer Services.

The event, hosted by 7B Women and co-sponsored again this year by MickDuff’s Brewing Co., combines a 5K on the Sand Creek Trail followed by a family-friendly Oktoberfest at MickDuff’s Beer Hall on Sunday, Sept. 30, rain or shine at 11 a.m.

The Oktoberfest celebration is complete with kids’ activities, including face painting and a bounce house, and 20 Grand, a 10-piece band from Whitefish, Mont.. And an Oktoberfest would not be complete without beer. For those 21 and older, race registration will include one free beer at MickDuff’s, and a portion of all other beer sold that day will go to the two beneficiary organizations.

“Last year we raised $17,500, and we were thrilled

to be able to help both Community Cancer Services and Celebrate Life in their mission to help those affected by cancer in the community,” said 7B Women board member and event chair Alice Sloane.

The fun run begins at the parking lot at City Beach at 11 a.m. Costumes are highly encouraged. “The creativity in the past when it comes to costumes has always been a highlight!” said Alice, who adds that people dress to celebrate breast cancer awareness month by sporting head-to-toe pink or embrace the Oktoberfest theme and break out the lederhosen.

In addition to music, beer and kids’ activities, there will be food available as well.

There are still sponsorship spots available, but to ensure a sponsor’s name and/or logo on the event shirt, sponsorships must be received by Sept. 1.

For more information and to sign up, please visit 7BWomen. com. Online registration closes Friday, Sept. 28, at 5 p.m. Those wishing to register after that time may register in person on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 3-6 p.m. at MickDuff’s Beer Hall

or on Sunday, Sept. 30, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Sandpoint City Beach. The cost is $40 for adults, $10 for 12 and younger. Kids in strollers are free. Please note that late registration is $50 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and younger. In order to be guaranteed a race T-shirt, one

must register online by Sept. 6.

Refund Policy: Once paid, race registrations are non-refundable. However, we realize that things come up, should you be unable to attend the race you may choose to transfer your registration to another racer up to seven days before the

event. Please note we are not able to guarantee shirt sizes for transferred registrations. If you do not wish to transfer your registration your fee will be donated to Community Cancer Services and Celebrate Life.

Science: Mad about

trilobites

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Last week, we looked to the future. This week, we look to the past.

Trilobites, what are they?

They were some of the oldest and most successful lifeforms ever to walk- er, swim? Crawl? Scuttle across the Earth? Basically, they were some of the oldest oceanic arthropods (invertebrates that encompass most crabs and insects) we have on fossil record. Why are they so important, you ask? Their bodies were heavily calcified which made them perfect candidates for fossilization. Trilobites remain some of the best preserved fossils we have to this day for that very reason, which makes them really easy to study.

The comparisons we’re able to trace between trilobites and modern arthropods helps us better understand evolution. Getting to see something from so far back, we’re able to see the building blocks of what animals would evolve to in our day and age. Just like our old photos, we get to see all of the embarrassing traits that didn’t work out, and when comparing them against most recent fossils we begin to understand when and why certain traits may have gone away.

Their preservation is so remarkable, that even 520-plus million years later, we’re able to identify the function of their anatomy and draw comparisons to modern arthropods with stunning accuracy. After all, 520 million years is a really long time. That’s over 10 percent of the Earth’s age and about half the time that life has been on Earth.

Trilobites were varied in their behavior and function. Some

were ambush predators. Some were filter feeders. Some swam and some crawled. Whatever they did, they managed to have a global reach. We’ve found their fossils on every corner of the globe, which is especially important when we find them in places that aren’t ocean now, because it shows where oceans once existed on the surface of our planet. This helps us with all sorts of things, from understanding where life came from to where to dig for oil.

Just in case you didn’t know, oil comes from the fossils of ancient microscopic ocean-dwellers (mostly things related to algae and plankton). Over time, these innumerable fossils are pressed together with minerals into an inky emulsion, which we suck out of the ground, refine, then light aflame to generate energy Trilobites may have fed on some of the stuff that would go on to make oil, though the trilobites themselves wouldn’t go on to become oil.

It’s interesting to think about how fossil fuel works. Hundreds of millions of years ago, these microscopic creatures would capture energy from the sun with photosynthesis. They’d store that as carbon, oxygen and hydrogen when they died and decayed. These molecules also stored the sun’s energy, which stays with them to this day. When you ignite their fossils, you’re releasing 500,000,000-plus year old sunlight for your own means. Of course, you’re also aerosolizing the carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. The carbon and oxygen (CO2) begins to coalesce and retain heat, like the glass of a greenhouse, where the term “greenhouse gas” comes from. Normally, Earth has systems in

place to cycle that out and return it to the ground, but it’s being released faster than nature can use it to build trees.

One of the only ways we’ve observed for this trend to reverse is through massive volcanic eruptions that alter the climate globally for decades, or even millenia. While carbon normally retains heat, immense amounts of it to create haze and clouds (as we witnessed the past three summers from wildfires) will have the opposite effect and reflect sunlight, cooling the air, land and water below.

So why exactly did this turn into an inconvenient article?

Because that’s how we believed the trilobites went extinct. About 250 million years ago, something really big happened. The big three theories are a meteorite impact, massive global volcanism and/or global oil and coal fires. Whatever happened, the Earth got really hot, stuff burned like crazy, then it got really cold and 70 percent of all life on the planet died, including our buddy the trilobite. This is called the Permian-Triassic extinction event, and it’s the only extinction we’re aware of where insects began to die off almost entirely.

This did open the door for the dinosaurs, so I wouldn’t mourn the trilobite too much. Trilobites did, after all, have at least a 250 million year run. If we even get to half of that, I’d count it as a win.

Hominidae, which includes humans and great apes, have been traced back to about 20 million years, so only another 105 million to go!

If you want a modern ancestor of the trilobite, I hate to disappoint you, but there are none. Unlike some extinction events, it didn’t just end up evolving

into something else over time. It appears they were completely wiped out. The closest you’ll come now is the horseshoe crab, which isn’t actually related, but still looks and behaves similarly. Whether through some special trait of adaptability or unfettering gumption, trilobites left their creepy crawly mark on the world, and paleontologists thank them for it. The next time you’re at a museum and you

pass by that boring crab-looking thing, maybe stop and linger for a minute. Ponder at how miraculous it is that you get to witness a high-definition snapshot into the distant past, before mammals, before reptiles, to a time when the gas in your car was alive and living a life not unlike yours: eating, breathing, replicating. At least your day doesn’t end with being eaten by some freaky crab-looking thing.

Random Corner

Don’t know much about endangered species? We can help!

•A species is defined as endangered or threatened when it is suffers from these factors: damage to its habitat for recreational or entertainment purposes; disease or predation of the species; and hazards to the continued life of the species. A species is declared extinct after many years of not being spotted. Because it takes so long to define an entire species as extinct, it is probable that there are many species already gone that we are unaware of.

•Extinction is a natural phenomenon. It occurs at a natural “background” rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we’re now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the “background” rate, with dozens going extinct every day.

•About 99 percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and global warming.

•Freshwater ecosystems are home to more than 100,000 known species of plants and animals, and are now one of the most endangered habitats in the world as a result of human development, pollution and climate change.

•Pubic lice -- a tiny, blood-sucking species of lice that makes its home in human pubic hair -- are now endangered because of the growing popularity of the Brazilian bikini wax.

•The okapi, a cross between a giraffe and a zebra, was believed to be extinct for decades before being recently spotted in a national park.

•The word “amphibian” comes from the Greek root meaning “double life.” Although their adaptability makes them both land and water creatures that have survived the first five extinctions, they are now the world’s most endangered group of animals.

•In the last half-billion years, there have been only five waves of mass extinction. Many scientists believe we are now in a sixth, with dozens of species going extinct every day.

A bridge too far:

Math errors, profit motive afflict bridge permit, say activists

By Katie Botkin Reader Contributor

Activists have filed a notice of appeal against a state permit for a second railway bridge across Lake Pend Oreille. The Idaho Department of Lands granted Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway a five-year encroachment permit on June 21.BNSF plans to construct 2.2 miles of doubled tracks, two temporary work spans, and a series of three permanent bridges: one each over the lake, Sand Creek and Bridge Street. The new bridges would be adjacent to the existing rail route across Lake Pend Oreille and downtown Sandpoint.

The notice of appeal was originally filed pro se, meaning activists — from Wild Idaho Rising Tide — were representing themselves. The appeal contained procedural errors, but the judge granted an extension to file an amended notice of appeal and request for judicial review, which is due in early September. WIRT hired a lawyer to help draw up the amended appeal.

The activists are alleging that BNSF has been misleading in the process of gaining their permits, that they did not give citizens due process or input, and that they did not adequately consider “the state Lake Protection Act and Rules for the Regulation of Beds, Waters, and Airspace over Navigable Lakes.” WIRT activists questioned the legality of sidestepping these stricter state regulations, “in deference to an antiquated railroad land grant law.” The 1864 act, say

the activists, gives railroad companies “unusual power to retain exclusive possession and ‘complete dominion’ over their 400-foot-wide, privately owned route ‘adjacent to and crossing Lake Pend Oreille.’”

In addition, says WIRT activist Helen Yost, the BNSF application for permits contains errors. She was reading through it and spotted incorrect math. “One simple math error tells me there’s other mistakes in there,” said Yost.

The math error she’s talking about falls on page 94 of BNSF’s Joint Application for Permit. In order to construct the new lake railway bridge, a temporary bridge to support cranes and heavy equipment must first be constructed. BNSF notes that this temporary bridge will need – by their math – 632 piles driven by pile-drivers at a rate of three piles per day. They state that this is estimated to take 46 days. However, 632 divided by three equals out to 210 days

and change. Up to 700 piles may be needed, which would up the count to over 233 days.

You can hear pile-driving downtown, says Yost. Add the pile-driving required for the new lake railway bridge— 144 days of it, by BNSF’s count — and you have 354 days of pile-driving noise buffeting downtown Sandpoint, minimum. This is assuming that there is not more faulty math at play, and assuming no delays. Driving the piles “would generate surrounding, surface, and especially underwater noise extending over four miles northeast to Oden Bay and southwest to Dover, disturbing aquatic and terrestrial inhabitants, including osprey and the endangered species bull trout,” say activists.

In addition, pile driving would “release train-spewed, lake bed coal and other railroad deposits containing arsenic, mercury, lead and other health-risking compounds,” activists state. This could potentially be hazardous to the

residents living and playing around Lake Pend Oreille. It would almost certainly pollute lake, river and aquifer water — water already polluted by four railroads, Highway 95 and a remediation site.

The pollution is not speculation. A 2015-2016 Idaho Department of Environmental Quality report on the lake water drawn by the Sandpoint Public Works Department noted that these four sources currently contaminate Pend Oreille with volatile organic chemicals and inorganic chemicals. Activists fear that the railroad will bring in more pollution and are concerned that the topic has not been adequately studied. They asked in their initial appeal that the topic be addressed before permitting rolls ahead.

“IDL and other state agencies should require independent, core sample collection and analysis of lake bed sediments in proposed pile driving locations, before permitting BNSF encroachments,” the

activists conclude.

There may be other safety hazards as well. Activists point out that erecting a temporary construction span to hold 100ton to 250-ton cranes “would reduce horizontal clearances between piers from about 100 feet to 48 feet, restricting and confusing boat navigation, despite purported project alignment of most of the new and existing bridge piers.”

WIRT’s not buying the argument that BNSF is constructing a second bridge to help out the residents of Bonner County, says Yost. BNSF would not have paid its employees to show up at a May pre-hearing to support the project on the record if they were being fully above-board, Yost claims. Math is at play here again, she says. The project would cost an estimated $100 million. It would be financially foolhardy for BNSF not to create return on its investment by running as many trains as possible over the new bridge. Running more trains means more stopped traffic – not less.

It also means more potential for spills into the lake. Coal dust drifts over the sides of rail cars, even if there are not derailments, and it’s flammable. A neglected coal train spill combusted beside the Clark Fork River in September 2017. In an era when forest fires are a grave concern, coal-bearing railroad expansion is all the more worthy of evaluation.

WIRT activists say they are accepting donations to help pay for attorney and court costs for their amended appeal.

The Lil Smokies in Concert

7pm @ Panida Theater

Yappy Hour

Trivia Takeover Live

6pm @ Pend d’Oreille

4-7pm @ Taylor and Sons Chevrolet

Join this amazing night of high-energy performances by this progressive bluegrass band. $15/adv, $18/door, $8/kids

Bring your dog and enjoy a Panhandle Animal Shelter benefit with live music, beverages, and fun

Live Music w/ Jeremiah & Sky

6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar

Live Music w/ Mostly Harmless

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

A stripped down version of the indie rock trio!

Live Music w/ Benny Baker

6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip

5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

A soulful singer-songwriter

Live Music w/ Pamela Jean and The Devon Wade Band 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge

Pamela Jean is currently touring the west and Devon Wade is a country favorite in Sandpoint

Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh 5-7pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery

30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6

This is trivia like you’ve

Live Music w/ Kevin 8-11pm @ 219 Lounge

A unique blend of soulful

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs and Chris Lynch

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

A fun duo with a great sound, and will have you dancing!

Live Music w/ Fat Lady 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge ‘60s rock-inspired originals and covers!

Live Music w/ Aaron Golay

7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Alexa Wildish in concert

7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe

Progressive folk singer with mesmerizing vocals, direct lyrics, and her raw musical exploration on mandolin, octave mandolin and both acoustic and electric guitar. $10/adv $12/day of show Friends of Library Book Sale

10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library

A BIG sale; all electronic media featured at especially low prices, including CDs, DVDs, books on CD, games including Nintendo, Play Station and Wii

Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin • 8-10pm @ The Back Door

Sandpoint Chess Club

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Walk for Hope • 5pm @ Dog Beach

The walk across the Long Bridge helps to promote suicide awareness, hope and healing for our community. WalkForHopeSandpoint.org

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Night-Out Karaoke 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Join DJ Pat for a night of singing, or just come to drink and listen

Wind Down Wednesday

5-8pm @ 219 Lounge

With live music by blues man Truck Mills and guest musician Mike Elliott

Dollar Beers!

Trivia Night

7-9pm @ MickDuff’s

Sandpoint Renaissance 10am-6pm @ There will be most numerous Funky Junk 10am-4pm @ Bursting with salvage to retro select vendors.

“Andy Irons: 7:30pm @ The The film follows struggle with La Chic Boutique;

Live Music

6-8pm @ Cedar Enjoy some spot with a

FallFest at Schweitzer 11am-5pm @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort

First Tuesday Music Night

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Bring your brains and try not to dull them with beer too much. It’s on!

A monthly music night hosted by Jake Robin and featuring guest Brian Grise

Hootenanny Open Mic Night

6:30-8:30pm @ City Beach Organics

If you have an instrument to play, a song to sing, a poem to read, or want to hear live music, join Fiddlin’ Red and Desiree for a Hootenanny. 265-9919

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Good until the keg’s dry

Comedy on the Patio

8pm @ 219 Lounge

Join local comic Austin Langley and a host of regional comics for a night of laughs as Austin prepares to ride his bicycle from Sandpoint to Los Angeles, raising funds and awareness for World Bicycle Relief

Adult Grief 6pm @ Bonner Open to Health Community 208-265-1185

ful

Takeover Live

Pend d’Oreille Winery

trivia like you’ve never played before!

Music w/ Kevin Dorin

219 Lounge blend of soulful folk and blues

Lynch you dancing!

August 30 - September 6, 2018

A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.

Live Music w/ Daniel Mills

6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

This CDA native (of Son of Brad) just put together a new album and is touring the Inland Northwest. Plus, food by Mandala Pizza!

David DaVinci - Evening of Magic

6pm @ Panida Theater

Reader recommended

Cello-bration pop up concert

2:30pm @ Farmin Park

Grammy Award winning cellist Zuill

Bailey, with Dr. Melissa Kraut, Cicely Parnas and Jared Blajian will be giving a free concert. If rainy, the concert will move to the Pend d’Oreille Winery

FallFest at Schweitzer

11am-8pm @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort

All proceeds benefit The Pet Organization. Tickets $25/adult, $15/senior-student-youth

The 26th annual culmination of the summer season at Schweitzer, with live music, food, drinks, festivities, village activities and more! Music kicks off at 4 p.m.

Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner and Sadie Sicilia

7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Sandpoint Renaissance Faire (Sept. 1-2)

10am-6pm @ 784 Shingle Mill Rd.

There will be a joust, performers, musicians, a beer garden, and most numerous amounts of merchants and food. $10/$5

Funky Junk Festival (Sept. 1-2)

10am-4pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds

Bursting with wonderful treasures and crafts, find everything from salvage to retro and anything in between with over 100 booths of select vendors. Not just a show, an immersive experience! $5 “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” docu film

7:30pm @ The Panida Little Theater

The film follows three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons’ struggle with bipolar disorder and opioid addiction. Sponsored by Chic Boutique; a portion of ticket sales benefit NAMI

Live Music w/ Benney Baker

6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar

Enjoy some fun tunes in a comfortable spot with a view of Sand Creek

Mountain Resort

Museum Fundraising Yard Sale

8am-3pm @ Bonner County History Museum

Support the Museum by picking up some donated items at this fundraising yard sale (no museum items for sale).

FallFest at Schweitzer 12-7pm @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market

9am-1pm @ Farmin Park

Featuring live music by Endangered Species

Museum’s Free First Saturday

10am-2pm @ Bonner Co. History Museum

This month’s Free First Saturday sponsored by Co-Op Country Store

FallFest at Schweitzer 12-7pm @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Bonner Mall Seniors Day 9am-12pm @ Bonner Mall

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant

An hour of conversation and stories. This week’s topic: “Living a Rich Life”

Sandpoint Farmers Market

3-5pm @ Farmin Park

Shop for locally grown produce, shop artisan wares, eat good food and enjoy live music by Jake Robin

Adult Grief Support Group

6pm @ Bonner General Health Classroom

Open to all. Hosted by Bonner General Health Community Hospice. Call Lissa at 208-265-1185 for more information

Clark Fork Stories and More

10:30am @ Clark Fork Library

A free event featuring stories, crafts, prizes and snacks for kids ages 3-8.

Sept. 8

Injectors Car Show @ Downtown Sandpoint

Sept. 8

Third Annual Cornhole Classic @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Sept. 9

Piano Sunday w/ Annie Welle @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Editor’s Note: Recent graduate McCalee Cain has interned for the Sandpoint Reader for two summers. We’ve really enjoyed having her voice and work in the paper. Recently, McCalee contributed a series of articles highlighting plans and dreams for recent high school graduates. We thought we would turn the tables on McCalee and feature her for our final profile of graduates.

We thank McCalee for the hard work she’s put into the Reader and wish her luck in the future. We’re fairly certain she’s going to do great things in the world. -Ben Olson

At nine years old, McCalee Cain wanted to start a school newspaper.

Though the first ever Hope Elementary School newspaper never came to fruition, the recent Sandpoint High grad never stopped striving to be a part of impressive firsts. Next month, Cain will start her freshman year at Seattle University as a Sullivan Scholar — one of nine students in the entire freshman class to boast the title, and the only student ever from Idaho to earn the status.

She said she plans to study communications with a specialization in journalism.

“But that’s totally subject to change,” she admits. “I’m flirting with other majors, but journalism will likely play into whatever I do.”

Cain said writing and storytelling always came naturally to her. She joined the Cedar

Sandpoint High School graduate McCalee Cain eyes career in journalism

Post in high school, and by her senior year — when she was editor in chief — it had grown into a full-blown love affair.

“I realized that not only could I tell the stories I created in my head, but I could also tell stories that were actually happening,” she said.

Cain has spent the last few years immersed in that storytelling, both at the Cedar Post and the Sandpoint Reader as a two-time summer intern. She was the first reporter to break the story when racist propaganda-filled CDs were left on SHS students’ cars back in December. That instance has been become part of a larger narrative of North Idaho racism reported about on the national level, and the first journalist on the case was a 17-yearold who had just wrapped up taking photos at a basketball game.

“I didn’t expect it to be a huge deal, which is pretty depressing considering the (topic),” she said. “(Breaking the story) was definitely a confidence boost.”

When asked who she is outside of her academic and career goals, Cain said it’s hard to separate herself from her ambitions.

“I spend so much time doing that that I don’t even have a separate personality,” she said with a laugh, adding later that journalism suits her other interests well. Those other interests include politics, music and food.

“I have a myriad of dream jobs — a wide collection of them I often peruse in my head,” she said. “I really love the idea of majoring in something broad that I can apply in a lot of ways in my life.”

During her time at Seattle U, Cain said she hopes to be active at the college radio

station and brush up on her French-speaking skills in order to study abroad in France and possibly Africa.

Despite her self-made achievements, Cain said she knows younger generations are often judged as privileged in today’s world. It’s an assumption she finds dated, she said.

“That’s a narrative that’s existed forever and will always exist, but I think it’s completely wrong,” she said. “I think my generation has a unique, unprecedented set of hurdles in front of us.”

Luckily there are youths like Cain ready to address those hurdles as a leader of the new age.

“My approach to leadership isn’t one of perfection, but rather of innovation, driven by the utter audacity to be vulnerable in standing up for what I believe or creating new things, even if I don’t know if I’ll succeed,” reads her Sullivan Scholar application. “I strive to impart the merit of unabashed effort sans regard of failure with my actions, not merely with my words.”

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist

The Sandpoint Eater

Real men make Dutch babies

only child, Yvette, was barely two years old.

I’ve just returned from an unexpected long weekend to Missoula, where I found little respite from the lingering, residual smoke of myriad fires. Sadly, we’ve had another season of fierce fires that are unforgiving to all living creatures: the wildlife (many with young offspring) and their food chain, shop owners and employees who depend on the perfect bliss -blue skies of tourism, and all the rest of us who choose to live our lives in the paradise of the west. Many have seen their dreams perish in great walls of flames, reducing their dwellings to nothing more than ash and twisted metal.

By now, many of you have probably seen the selfie-video of father and son tourists trying to escape the recent fire at Glacier National Park, but their route from Kelly’s Camp was cut off from a downed log (they were eventually rescued and escaped by boat via Lake McDonald). My friend Doug Miller was behind them and somehow made his way through the fiery passage, most likely because he knew the road so well.

By the time he made it to West Glacier, his hundred-yearold family cabin, along with the other original vacations cabins, had been reduced to ash and smoke. The fire came so quickly that he barely had time to grab much of anything, leaving behind most of his treasured possessions, including the few belongings of his late wife, Yvonne, who spent her last summer there before succumbing to leukemia in her 30s when their

Yvette likes to say she came to one of Ryanne’s birthday parties and never went home. It’s kind of true — the girls were perfect childhood companions, a pair of ranch kids who preferred bottle feeding calves to chasing boys. They had a baking repertoire that included a fancy cake for any farmyard creatures they could capture. In the summer Doug would load up the girls (or sometimes all three of my kids) in his battered green Mustang, and they’d head up to the idyllic western shore of Lake McDonald to hike Howe Ridge, paddle an old canoe in Lake McDonald and catch frogs from the shores of fast-running

streams. Ryanne still recalls waking on chilly mornings in their attic sleeping quarters to the aroma of Doug preparing breakfast: Dutch Babies sizzling in the oven in a sturdy old cast iron skillet. She thought those oversized, puffy pancakes were the most wonderful and exotic treat she’s ever tasted.

Thirty years later, Yvette and Ryanne, busy with their own families, still manage to make summer-time for one another. Barely two weeks ago, she joined us at our mountain retreat for a visit and took her turn in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of spicy guacamole for our final supper in the woods. Afterwards, we hung out in the oversized-screened porch, nuzzling

her sweet golden retriever, Lilly, and making Christmas gift plans for Lilly’s yet-to-be conceived littler of pups. In the morning, it was time to help load her rig, hug and kiss, and wave goodbye.

And just a couple days later, on the 35th anniversary of his wife Yvonne’s death, Doug died of a heart attack in Yvette’s home. Ryanne was there within hours to comfort her and her young children and to begin organizing the compulsory duties that come with death. Next it was my turn to go and provide love and nourishment (which was to include pancakes of every shape and size for Ben, and Ryanne’s namesake, Annie).

Yvette and I sorted through lots of piles of old photos and

family memorabilia connected to either her mom or dad. And we spent lots of time recalling many memorable moments we shared in my various kitchens, where, it seemed, she always had a hand in stirring whatever was heading for the oven or simmering on the stovetop. Looking back, we agreed that, mostly, she loved the notion of helping a mother in the kitchen.

As Ryanne wrote Doug’s obituary, she was reminded that this young widower, the quintessentially tall, handsome and rugged Montana cattleman, also spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen. I hope I can craft light and fluffy Dutch Babies for his grandkids that are worthy of his memory. I’m sure going to try!

Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe (by Doug Miller)

A Dutch Baby is baked in a cast iron frying pan and will fall soon after being removed from the oven.

Add all the ingredients to a blender, mix it up, let it rest for half an hour, then pour it into a hot skillet sizzling with butter, and pop it into the oven.

INGREDIENTS:DIRECTIONS:

•3 eggs

•1/2 cup flour

•2/3 cup milk

•1 tablespoon sugar

•Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

•4 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (adjust racks if needed, make sure there is room for it to puff).

Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender, and blend until smooth. Let rest for half an hour.

Place butter in heavy 10-inch skillet cast iron skillet and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch so it does not burn), swirl to coat pan, add the batter to the pan, swirl to coat pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 18 minutes (or so), until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and

one 10 inch pancake bake five minutes longer. Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with squeeze of lemon,

syrup, preserves, confectioners’ sugar. Add a side of bacon for good measure!

11 years of Funky Junk

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

If it exists, you can probably find it in one form or fashion at the Funky Junk Festival.

For over a decade, the grassroots antique and craft show will fill the Bonner County Fairgrounds building with over 100 vendors, each selling a variety of antiques, crafts, jewelery, upcycled treasures and artistic creations. Attendees will find anything from salvage to retro and everything between.

The 11th annual show will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1-2 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. Admission is $5, and kids 12 and under attend free.

Jennifer Wood, the founder and organizer of Funky Junk, chooses a theme for the show every year that honors a local tradition or industry. This year, Wood chose the theme “Wagons Ho, Funky Junk or Bust!” to honor the wagon trains that drew many homesteaders across the country during westward expansion.

“My dad had suggested it last year, and I said it would be fun to do a wagon train theme,” Wood said. “He said he had this painting hanging that my great grandmother did.”

The painting by Selma Calhoun-Barker, a noted artist who moved to North Idaho in the 1930s from southern Idaho, was used by Wood as the poster for this year’s show.

“She was a historic artist. She taught classes at Oden Hall,” Wood said “We try to come up with something in history, so we thought of the Oregon Trail. That’s the whole point of the show, to honor history. When you buy something as an antique, you preserve it and give it a new life.”

Wood said the Funky Junk Festival has grown each year, attracting over 5,000 people each year from all over the region, drawn by the promise of unique treasures.

“We have a lot of new vendors this year, too,” Wood said. “Lots of 20-something hipsters who are creating things from salvage and repurpose. Lots of rustic stuff from Montana. That’s a big draw.”

Aside from the scores of vendors selling their wares, Funky Junk also features food, entertainment, and for the first time, a western saloon provided by Bonners Ferry business Under the Sun. There will also be live music by Bridges Home on Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Deep Roots from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Hoodoo Valley Hoedowners will return as food vendors.

“This year they’re hand-mixing huckleberry milkshakes with an old 1950s milkshake machine,” Wood said.

Wood said it’s always fun to watch the different trends develop with antiques and crafts.

“The hot trend right now in craft is fiber arts,” Wood said. “People want things made by hand. We have one vendor selling spun wool, and we’ve seen some really primitive rustic furniture. My friend Carol and I call it ‘smoky dirty Europe.’ The Bohemian style seems to be coming around again, too.”

Wood, a fifth-generation Bonner County resident, first started Funky Junk in 2007 and has watched it grow to a Sandpoint institution in recent years.

The grassroots antique and craft show will be at the Fairgrounds this weekend

“Everybody wants to be different,” Wood said. “People want something that’s not mass produced. For those who have never been, it’s more than just a sale or an event,” Wood said. “We want people to feel they are stepping into a whole ‘nother realm when they come to Funky Junk.”

A connection to the origin and historical nature of an object is often what draws attendees to purchase items found at Funky Junk, Wood said.

“The vendors will tell you the story of how they picked the item up,” Wood said. “Maybe it was a stool

they found on the side of the road in Selle, or it was picked up at an estate auction for the woman who was the voice for Woody the Woodpecker. It’s that little touch, leaving there with an experience and a piece of someone else’s story. Whether it’s been handmade or found, you’re carrying on a legacy.”

For more information on the Funky Junk Festival, point your web browser to FunkyJunkAntiqueShow.com.

SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL

A column about the trials and tribulations of Parkinson’s Disease

Pass to Pass to Pass...

By A.C. Woolnough Reader Columnist

The only thing you must remember when hiking and backpacking in the Cascade mountains of north central Washington is to put one foot in front of the other —about 98,000 times if you’re starting at Harts Pass and going to Rainy Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Despite my vehement and absolute conviction that I would never participate in Pass to Pass for Parkinson’s a second time, there I was. I really don’t like sleeping in a mummy bag. I really don’t like sleeping on the ground. I really don’t like putting a tent up and then, 12 hours later, putting it back in the aptly named stuff sack. I especially don’t like freeze-dried food. I don’t like using a trowel to dig a hole for personal waste. I don’t like blisters, cramps or hornet stings. There’s a lot I don’t like about hiking 58 miles (2017) or even 32 miles (2018).

Why do it? In 1924, British mountaineer and Everest pioneer, George Mallory, suggested, “Because it’s there.” That sounds great, but it’s not enough for me. Two of my grandsons have now graduated from high school. Thinking back, I couldn’t remember a single thing I got as a gift for graduation (way back in 1968). But, some of my fondest memories growing up had to do with travel and experiences. Last year, grandson Jeremy and I spent four days in Yellowstone — memories that will far outlast a thing or some money. Younger grandson Brandon was the recipient of all my camping gear from last year’s Pass to Pass trek partly because I know he likes to hike and camp but mostly to not have it around and tempt me to go again this summer. When asked what sort of adventure he might like, Brandon asked if there was going to be “Another hike for that PD thing?” Drat. I was hoping he’d say Alaska or skydiving. Nope, backpacking with Grandpa — raising awareness and funds for PD research — was his choice. Once that was settled, I started a more realistic training program than I had last year. In case you’re wondering, the Mickinnick Trail and Schweitzer’s Nature Trail are both steeper than 90 percent of the

PCT where we hiked. A few times up and back and you’re ready for anything the PCT has in store.

It was back to REI for a new pack and bags and bags of freeze-dried slop. A tent and sleeping pad were borrowed and things were looking good. Brandon and I used three different checklists to ensure we were prepared. We headed out (trip leader Brian driving because my vehicle was in the shop after being rear-ended the day before) and made it to Winthrop for a barbecue lunch courtesy of Pirate Brian and Esther who joined us at Harts Pass to make the trek.

I’m not sure if I’m lucky or if I learned something from last year’s mistakes, but there were no stings, cramps or blisters. There was, surprise, smoke. The first two days we could sense there were magnificent views; we just couldn’t see them. As I was jiggling ideas in my head for things to write and a title for this column, my thoughts drifted to “I came for the view and only got the T-shirt.” On days three to five, things cleared up and we were nearly overwhelmed by the majesty of the mountains, glaciers, cliffs, rockfalls, avalanche chutes and vegetation. And then there were passes. Between the trailhead (factoid: Harts Pass is the highest elevation you can drive to in the state of Washington) and the end at Rainy Pass, we climbed up and over Grasshopper Pass, Glacier Pass, Methow Pass, Granite Pass and Cutthroat Pass. While there was a net descent of 1,300 feet, over the course of 32 miles, we climbed and descended over 9,000 feet. Most important, I got to share

this adventure with my grandson. It was an experience we shared that can never be taken away and will not be forgotten.

As usual, the trek took cooperation and teamwork — and llamas! Did I mention my favorite four-legged animals each carried 60 pounds of gear that allowed us to carry less? Helping keep our cell phones (cameras) charged and tech questions answered was George — an early onset person with Parkinson’s. Proving one person can make a difference, mention must be made of “Spokane Bill,” the father of Pass to Pass.

Between our blaze orange T-shirts and some nice publicity, we tried to be noticed. After all, the purpose of Pass to Pass is to increase awareness, to raise funds for PD research and to demonstrate the benefits of exercise. As a registered non-profit charity, http://passtopass.org, is more than happy to receive your donation.

Grandson Brandon, by the way, is joining the Marine Corps later this year and is hoping to make it into special forces. Of course, he carried the heaviest pack — 40plus pounds. There’s no question that this kid I watched grow up is now a man. Grandma, exercising her maternal rights, still calls him by her favorite term of endearment over the past 18 years, “Cuddle Bug.”

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, A.C. is calling on his 37 years in K-12 education to became a “Parkinon’s Warrior”educating the public, advocating for a cure and participating in research.

Surfing documentary highlights mental health

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Mental illness is a struggle that millions face every day. That makes those who overcome their illness to achieve great things all the more inspirational.

Andy Irons was one such individual. Despite a lifelong battle with bipolar disorder, Irons achieved world-class status as a professional surfer, cementing himself as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Although he met a tragic and premature end in 2010, dying at age 32 of a heart attack stemming from his drug use, Irons remains a testament to what mentally ill individuals can accomplish — and what their struggles can cost them.

This weekend, Irons’ life is commemorated in the critically-acclaimed documentary film “Andy Irons: Kissed By God.” Set to screen 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, at the Panida Theater, “Kissed By God” is a special event in support of mental health advocacy organization NAMI Far North. A portion of the proceeds from the screening will support NAMI Far North’s programs supporting individuals and family members affected by mental illness.

“The movie is a great unexpected story about the surfer Andy Irons and how his successes parallel with his struggle with bipolar,” said Justine Murray, the NAMI Far North member who worked to bring in the movie. “I knew nothing about the world of surfing prior to watching this documentary but was still able to relate

to Andy Irons’ story and appreciate his impact on the surfing world. I wanted to bring this to the Panida because this documentary helps break the stigma of mental illness, it touches on the opioid crisis and is relevant to many issues facing people in our own community.”

Murray opened a conversation with Teton Gravity Research, a well-known organization that produced the film, to bring the movie to Sandpoint. Given that it has already shown films in town, the organization saw “Kissed by God” as a natural fit for the community. From there, the staff of the Panida Theater sorted out the rest of the arrangements.

“I had talked to (executive director Patricia Walker) at the Panida Theater about it and she worked out all the details to bring film here,” Murray said.

Panida seeks movie sponsors

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

It’s rare for a town Sandpoint’s size to have a historic arthouse theater like the Panida. And that’s one reason why so many in the community are eager to support it.

Now businesses have a great way to get the word out about their goods or services while helping keep the theater doors open. According to Panida Director Patricia Walker, the Big Screen Sponsorship program is invaluable in helping the Panida continue to offer its robust selection of films.

“Movies are such a vital part of our

history, and we want to be able to continue to do them,” said Walker.

In return for sponsorship, businesses are given a thank-you message that screens before movies begin. The messages are designed in an old-fashioned style that befits the Panida’s historic nature.

“You get the largest screen thank you for your help,” said Walker.

Since the Panida takes in less than half the cost of a ticket sale for any given movie—the rest goes to the distributor—the Big Screen Sponsorship program goes a long way to help the theater recover costs and take in revenue. To learn more, email Walker at patricia@panida.org and check out panida.org/big-screen.

After the screening, there will be a discussion with Human Connection counselors who work on programs like the North Idaho Crisis Hotline, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist individuals who need immediate mental health assistance. Programs like

that and others are invaluable in preventing suicide or other tragic outcomes.

Get tickets for “Kissed By God” at La Chic Boutique, the business sponsor for the event, or at the box office before the show. They cost $12 for adults or $10 for students and seniors.

saturday, aug. 31 @ 6pm Sept. 1 @ 7:30pm | Sept. 2 @ 3:30pm friday, September 21 @ 7:30pm wednesday, september 26 @ 7:30pm sept. @ 7:30pm | Sept. 28 @ 5:30pm Sept. 29 (little theater) @ 1:30pm | Sept. 30 @ 3:30pm saturday, september 29 @ 7pm

proof that advertising

Fallen Ruck March to support vets

By Reader Staff

Active Heroes, a 501c3 charity, presents the Carry The Fallen Ruck March event in Bonners Ferry to help reduce veteran suicide with teams of military families and citizen supporters.

On Saturday, Sept. 15, a team of hikers from throughout the region will hike six miles. Hikers will honor the military service members who have died from suicide by carrying weight on their backs. The idea is to bring military families together to build camaraderie in order to save future lives.

The ruck march event will step off from Log Inn Cabins and RV, 43 Tobe Way, at 11 a.m. Participants will march down the old north hill. They will circle through the fairgrounds and back up the old north hill returning to Log Inn to music, food and the community event. The march will last about three hours. After the march, the closing ceremony will start around 2:30 p.m. and include a community BBQ, live music, beer garden, kids activities (bouncy house, face painting, water gun target range, and more) with a stationary table for everyone to send letters of thanks to soldiers.

Why we Ruck March

A 2016 VA study shows that 20 veterans take their own lives each and every day. This number is down from 22 a day because of organizations such as Active Heroes that provide national healing activities including the Carry The Fallen Ruck March. While veterans represent less than 8 percent of the

national population, they account for almost 25 percent of the national suicide rate. Active Heroes has already saved over 900 veterans from committing suicide, and the work continues because one veteran suicide is one too many.

About Active Heroes

Active Heroes is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in Louisville, Ky., with a mission to reduce veteran suicide in every state. Active Heroes provides national activities, national peer mentors, serves thousands of veterans at the Active Heroes Community Center, and has a retreat center to help heal post traumatic stress. Learn more at ActiveHeroes.org.

For additional information, please contact Bonners Ferry Team Leader John Riddle at 208-267-2935 or rid-dlefire@ hotmail.com or Active Heroes at info@ activeheroes.org, or 502-277-9280, or visit www.activeheroes.org.

Yard Sale Fundraiser for Museum

By Reader Staff

The Bonner County History Museum is excited to announce its upcoming Fundraising Yard Sale.

The sale will be held on Saturday, September 1 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. in front of the museum (611 S. Ella in Lakeview Park).

Looking for a special treasure? Come down and see what’s for sale. This yard sale is made possible by all the generous patrons of Bonner County who have donated items to be sold at the sale. The yard sale slogan, “Not from the Museum, for the Museum,” assures customers that the Museum will absolutely not be including any items from the collection in the sale.

Anything being sold has been generously donated for the purpose of fundraising.

Have something you would like to donate? De-clutter and help the museum at the same time by donating your stuff to our first Yard Sale Fundraiser. All proceeds benefit the museum, all donations are tax deductible, and no item is too big or too small. We will be accepting donations up until 4 p.m. on Aug. 31. Unsold items after the sale will be donated to various second hand stores around Bonner County

Thank you to the city of Sandpoint Parks and Rec department for the use of Lakeview Park

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Prepare thyself for merriment:

The Sandpoint Renaissance Faire brings Medieval culture to Sandpoint

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Chivalry isn’t dead. It’s alive and well at the Sandpoint Renaissance Faire.

For the second year, the Faire takes place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1-2 at 784 Shingle Mill Rd. at the Rockin’ O Ranch from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children aged 5 to 17. Children under 4 attend free. Bring a bag of canned goods to donate to the Bonner County Food Bank and get a $2 discount off the ticket price.

Organizer and member of the Sandpoint Renaissance Fair Association Tonya Anderson said this year’s Faire comes on the heels of a successful inaugural event last year.

“Last year was our first year, and we had a really good turnout,” Anderson said. “It was so fun – a lot bigger than we expected. We had one family out here from Vermont, another from Alaska just to come to the Faire.”

The Renaissance Faire will feature a wide variety of Elizabethan-style events and entertainment, including loads of live music, artistry, food and crafts vendors, two jousting performances each day at 11 a.m and 5 p.m., belly dancing, boffering demonstrations open to the crowd, turkey drumsticks, an ale house operated by local Vietnam veterans pouring Kootenai River Brewing Co. beer complete with “wenches” to serve your ale or wine and much more. There will even be a man with a pet hawk.

Anderson said the Faire was founded after getting inspiration from attending the Sandemonium fandom convention a couple years ago.

“Our president went to last year’s Sandemonium and was just impressed with the turnout and the fantasy stuff,” Anderson said. “A couple of us that are history buffs love the Tudor era, so

she called me on the way home from Sandemonium and said, ‘Why doesn’t Sandpoint have a renaissance faire?’ That’s how we started.”

The two-day event is fun for all ages, with an arts and crafts area where kids can make crowns and shields to decorate, and a fairy realm children’s area to explore.

“We have a lot of things to keep the kids entertained,” said Anderson. “Parents can shop and see the local merchants and enjoy the food. Our whole thing is the sights, smells and sounds. We want to encompass all that into one great festivity for merriment.”

Anderson said she’s always been drawn to this culture, and that the faire is a great place to immerse yourself in fantasy with the acceptance of those in attendance.

“For me, playing Elizabeth –I am her and she is me,” Anderson said. “It’s something that’s unexplainable. I just love the poetry and romanticism of the time. The royalty, the castles, the whole ambiance of it all. There

is a lust for that fantasy and life out there, and it’s nice to have a celebration to get together and enjoy that.”

A big part of the Faire is the assortment of live music throughout the weekend. Rebel Times, a Medieval style band, will captivate the crowd with their unique brand of Celtic, period music. The Back Porch Fiddlers will also play, as well as Fiddlin’ Red and Desiree Aguirre and Margie Cook from the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint. Anderson said any businesses that wish to sponsor or donate to the association will enjoy tax deductible status because they are a nonprofit organization. Also, the Faire will be collecting

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert

READ

I can’t say I’m a huge young adult fiction buff nowadays, but I recently revisited “The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau — a book I first read in third or fourth grade. It’s the story of a city which lives by the light of only light bulbs, full of citizens who think they are alone and have no concept of an outside world. But the light bulbs are diminishing, along with the food, and teenagers Lina and Doon think there’s a way to save the city — possibly on the other side of the darkness. It’s a unique concept written simply but engagingly. I highly recommend this novel for an easy read.

canned goods to donate to the Food Bank.

“Last year we raised over 300 pounds for the Food Bank and we’re hoping to beat that goal this year,” Anderson said.

While many show up dressed in costume, the Faire is open for anyone and everyone, costume or not.

“We have a fair amount of people that show up dressed in costume,” she said. “Any attire, whether royal or celtic or otherwise is fine. Even if you’re one of Mary Queen of Scot’s fans, you’re still welcome to the Faire.”

Check the Sandpoint Renaissance Faire Facebook page for more information.

LISTEN WATCH

Shout out to my sister, Leslie, for bumping this jam on the way up Trestle Creek last weekend. “Tomorrow” by Shakey Graves was featured on Dualtone Music Group’s 2016 anniversary release featuring all Dualtone artists, and that’s the only album where this song exists. It’s such a good find, full of heartache and happiness all at once. Shakey Graves is a solid suggestion altogether, so go find him wherever you access your tunes.

Alright, I finally saw “The Post.” Thanks, Ben, for shaming me for my tardiness on this one. Keeping in mind my bias for journalism movies, this one rocked my socks. Tom Hanks plays the cutthroat newsman role convincingly, and Meryl Streep laying the smackdown when the chips were down is gold. “The Post” is tense, quippy and an incredible example of what happens when history, research and the human condition all collide.

From Northern Idaho News, June 5, 1923

ROB HOTEL; SHOOT SHERIFF; ESCAPE

Shot in the back by a fugitive bandit, shortly before midnight Thursday, Sheriff William Kirkpatrick is at the City Hospital, recovering from his wound. The shooting took place near the Humbird mill a few minutes after the bandit and his partner had held up the Ponderay hotel and secured $24 in cash and a traveler’s check signed by Olga Sandstrom. It is also believed that the bandits were the same men who held up the road camp near Hope Wednesday evening and got away with $50, collected from 12 employees.

The bullet, which struck the sheriff was from a .38 calibre revolver. It entered his back near the right hip and came out but a few inches from the joint. The shock of the bullet dazed him, but he did not fall, he said the day after the shooting. The bandits, laughing, moved off into the darkness and disappeared while a Kootenai-bound car, passing at about that time, picked up the sheriff and took him to the hospital, where he was able to walk from the car to his bed.

Dr. O.F. Page, assisted by Dr. N.R. Wallentine, put the sheriff on the operating table at 3 o’clock Friday morning to probe the wound and ascertain the extent of the injury. They had previously discovered the bullet in the folds of Kirkpatrick’s clothing and found that the bullet, in its course through the human body, had not punctured any of the vital organs.

Angels, Washington Trust give to schools

By

It was a good week for students in the Lake Pend Oreille School District. Two different Sandpoint organizations each showed support for students in the school district by organizing donations to students.

On Tuesday, representatives from Washington Trust Bank distributed four full pallets of school supplies to LPOSD earmarked to be given to local students.

“In addition to the school supplies, we also donated 163 pounds of shelf stable food items and $2,056 payable to the Bonner Community Food Bank to support the school district’s weekend meal program,” said Natalie Keller, learning and development consultant at Washington Trust.

The donation is an annual tradition for Washington Trust’s C.A.R.E. Committee (Community Action Relationship Experts), which coordinates a school supply drive to a community school in the region each year. This year, Washington Trust chose LPOSD as the recipient.

“WTB believes that supporting our communities involves doing whatever it takes,” Keller said. “The school district (the teachers and students) are our community.”

Keller wanted to recognize the work of Sandpoint’s branch manager Raina Delema and all the employees from multiple departments that continue to make this drive a success.

Across town, around the same time, another distribution of school supplies took place. The annual Back to School program sponsored by the Angels Over Sandpoint delivered nine pallets of school supplies and a truckload of backpacks to the Farmin Stidwell Elementary School gymnasium Tuesday. Each family that registered

received a variety of supplies to help them during the school year.

Over 30 volunteers from the Angels (and some from the community) spent two days unloading the pallets and organizing the distribution, which this year included special bags for Priest River and Clark Fork students that may not have been able to make it into Sandpoint for the distribution.

“We want every kid to have the same opportunities, starting on the first day of school,” Robin Hansen, co-chair for the Back to School program said. “We want them to walk in with the same supplies and be as prepared as their classmates, giving them the same chances. We want them to be excited. We’d rather have them be excited when they start school on the first day.”

Hansen estimated over 800 students receive school supplies free of charge every year from the Back to School program, which covers Sandpoint, Priest River and Clark Fork schools too.

“We’re the Angels Over Sandpoint, but really, we’re the Angels Over Bonner County,” said Hansen. “We serve the entire county.”

The donation, which totals over $28,000, comes from a variety of sources, Hansen said.

“We get donations from other foundations, organizations, local businesses and individuals,” Hansen said. “We worked closely with Staples to get the best prices we can, which helps greatly.”

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1.Groups of animals

6.Coy

10.Anthracite

14.Disney mermaid

15.Place

16.Style of hairdo

17.Rigid

19.Blend

20.Without volition

21.What we sleep on

22.Fastened

23.Novices

25.Concentrate

26.Palm starch

30.A song of loyalty

32.Advanced screening

35.Palatable

39.Nod

40.Relating to the lips

41.Pull back

43.Roars

44.Orb

46.Feudal worker

47.Not loose

50.Judges

53.Dwarf buffalo

54.Hale

55.Pointed

60.A feudal vassal

61.Fast terrestrial bird

63.Therefore

Solution on page 22

67.End ___ 68.Scrimp

DOWN

1.Found on most heads

2.Sea eagle

3.Jazz phrase

4.A small wooded hollow

5.Mixture of rain and snow

6.Anagram of “Ail”

7.Award

8.A type of keyboard instrument

11.Sight-related

12.French farewell

13.Nobles

18.21 in Roman numerals

24.Uncooked

25.Relating to a fetus

26.Box

27.Backside

28.A feat

29.Eclipse

31.Fit

33.Awkward

34.Carve in stone

36.Life stories

42.Boring

43.Implore

45.Spin

47.Stories

48.Unreactive

49.Edge tool

51.Hearing organ

52.Films of impurities

54.German for “Madam”

56.Module

57.Against

58.Adolescent

59.At one time (archaic)

Corrections: Nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing to see here. -BO

64.Car

65.Specks

66.Goulash

9.Tinted

10.Taxable

37.A field of grass

38.If not

62.To make a fool of (archaic)