Reader_December12_2019

READER DEAR READERS, PEOPLE

watching compiled by Ben Olson

‘What’s the best gift you’ve ever given or received?’

“When I got a snowboard from my mom and dad. Or it might have been from Santa. I was in 6th grade and I wanted to snowboard so bad!”

Nellie Lutzwolf Artist and business owner Sandpoint

“Jewelry made by my father. He’s an artist who works with hammer and chisel. Totally cowboy style.”

Alicia McFadden Sandpoint

“My dog Smokey. He was a Christmas present one year –he was a schnauzer-blue heeler mix. I think it was 6th grade when I got him.”

Jake Hagadone Landscaper, master wood chopper Sandpoint

“The best gift I ever received was for my first wedding. It was my Hobart kitchen mixer, professional size, which was later bought by KitchenAid. It mixed every celebration in my life for 40 years.”

Marcia Pilgeram Columnist, travel planner, amazing cook Sandpoint

“I don’t give people things, they give things to me.”

Ricci Witte

Up to no good Sandpoint

Publisher’s note: She was joking – Ricci is not half as mean as she thinks she is.

Hooray for snow! With Wednesday’s dusting and Thursday’s dump, Schweitzer should be back on track for another great ski season. Be sure to drive carefully out there and give your fellow drivers a little extra patience before blowing your horn and getting angry. This is the season of giving, but that doesn’t mean you have to give everyone the finger.

This week’s issue is full to the brim with holiday events, so dive deep into these 28 pages and find something to spark joy.

To those interested in submitting writing or cover designs for publication in my absence, please make sure to send what you can as early as possible, as we’re busily putting together all the elements for those issues.

Best of luck with all of your holiday shopping! Don’t forget to try downtown first before going online or to the big box stores.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson

ben@sandpointreader.com

Editorial:

Zach Hagadone zach@sandpointreader.com

Lyndsie Kiebert

lyndsie@sandpointreader.com

Cameron Rasmusson (editor-at-large) John Reuter (emeritus)

Advertising: Jodi Berge

Jodi@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Artists:

Kate Foster (cover), Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Jodi Rawson.

Contributing Writers:

Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie Cate Huisman, Emily Erickson, Brenden Bobby, Raphael Barta, Jodi Rawson.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

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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.

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About the Cover

This week’s cover was taken by Kate Foster of Kate Ann Photography of local ballerina Katherine Mellander and violinist Jacinta Howard, who will both perform in This Christmas Night Saturday, Dec. 14. You can see more of Kate Foster’s work at kateannphotography. net or instagram.com/kateannstudio

PO County blanket rezone denied

PacWest

needs rezone in order to move forward with smelter

Council to decide Memorial Field turf option Dec. 18, rolls out online surveys

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The Board of County Commissioners in Pend Oreille County, Wash., denied a Comprehensive Plan amendment Dec. 9 that would have expanded uses on parcels zoned as public lands, ultimately spelling trouble for PacWest, the company behind the proposed silicon smelter in Newport.

The proposed change would loosen restrictions on public lands parcels to allow more development.

The amendment to the Comp Plan drew widespread opposition from community members concerned about one chunk of property currently zoned as public land: The property purchased by PacWest intended as the site of a future silicon smelter.

Yet, Pend Oreille County commissioners said their decision had nothing to do with the smelter.

“We feel that the public lands designation can be better addressed during our upcoming 2020 Comprehensive Plan update,” Commissioner Steve Kiss told the

Reader in an email Dec. 9. PacWest officials have been on record about the importance of the rezone for the future of the smelter. Though the company did not respond to comment for this story, it backed out of an appearance at a Lakes Commission meeting in March in order to focus exclusively on “internal discussions” after county officials postponed taking up the Comp Plan amendment.

“PacWest can not apply for a Conditional Use Permit for their property until something is done to reform the current county zoning laws,” company representative Mike Welch told the Reader in an email March 26.

It’s the latest development in

a saga that has even seen involvement from Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who sent a letter Oct. 30 to PacWest CEO Jayson Tymko asking for an update on the smelter project.

“I take seriously the community opposition to your proposed silicon smelter project in Pend Oreille County, especially concerns raised by the Kalispel Tribe,” Inslee wrote. “As that opposition grows, it appears PacWest

is communicating less with the community, tribal and local governments, and state regulators.”

Inslee Communications Director Tara Lee told the Reader on Dec. 10 that the governor has yet to receive a response from the company.

Idaho Democratic Caucus announces new leadership

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The Idaho House Democratic Caucus has undergone a makeover following the resignation Dec. 6 of House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise.

Taking his place will be Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, who steps up from her previous position as assistant House Democratic leader. With her position vacant, Rep. John McCrostie, D-Boise, is the new assistant leader.

Rubel ran for the position unopposed while McCrostie prevailed in the election over Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise. Rep. Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello, rounds out the new leadership as Idaho House Democratic Caucus chair.

In a joint statement, caucus

leaders stated: “Our diverse backgrounds from different careers, education and experience make all of us highly qualified to advocate for Idaho values in the Legislature. Although we have some difficult fights ahead of us, we are confident that our team is well equipped to protect the things that Idahoans hold dear: constitutional rights, education, jobs, public lands and integrity in government.

“The Idaho House Democratic leadership is looking forward to bringing a fresh perspective to the next session. Every session, House Democrats push forward progressive policies that will contribute to Idaho’s success, and we fight legislation that threatens our future prosperity. We expect the 2020 session to be no different.”

Erpelding had represented the deeply progressive North

End Boise neighborhood since 2012, including a stint as House assistant minority leader in 2015 and rising to minority leader in 2017. Following his resignation, Erpelding announced he would take a position as vice president of government and community relations for the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Despite the disproportionately Republican-leaning and often fraught partisan divide in the Legislature, House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, had kind words for his former colleague in a statement:

“While I am personally happy that he has been afforded this new opportunity, I am also sorry he is leaving the House of Representatives. In his position as Minority Leader, he has proven to be an insightful and collaborative leg-

islator. We will miss him, but we wish him every success in his new position.”

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The Wednesday, Dec. 18 City Council meeting will include a number of hot-button issues.

First, the council will make a decision on whether to adopt the Sandpoint Airport Comprehensive Plan component and future land use map amendment, as well as vote on an ordinance establishing an airport zoning overlay that includes a number of safety zones extending from the runway. Officials will also consider lifting the moratorium on accepting zone change applications within the airport overlay.

Council members will vote on whether to repeal and replace a portion of City Code regarding new sidewalk construction. The proposed ordinance would “place more responsibility for sidewalk construction and associated costs on the city rather than property owners,” according to the city, and include an “in lieu” fee payable by property owners rather than installing new sidewalk. The measure is intended to encourage sidewalk construction “on a block basis vs. by the parcel.”

Finally, the council plans to make a final determination on the type of turf that will replace the grass at War Memorial Field. According to previous statements from the city, only natural infill such as coconut or cork will be considered. The range of infill options will be on display at City Hall beginning Thursday, Dec. 12.

On Sunday, Dec. 15, the city will begin releasing a series of weekly surveys using its Open Town Hall outreach platform.

Intended to gather feedback on a range of master planning efforts, the surveys are available at sandpointidaho.gov/engage, the city’s Facebook page and on the Engage Sandpoint mobile app.

The first survey is on multimodal transportation, streets, sidewalks, paths and accessibility. The Dec. 29 survey covers jobs and economic development.

Open enrollment for 2020 health insurance ends Dec. 16

Your Health Idaho extends hours to support increased interest

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Idahoans seeking 2020 health insurance coverage must complete their application through the state insurance exchange, Your Health Idaho, by Monday, Dec. 16. In anticipation of increased interest and high demand, Your Health Idaho is extending customer support hours through December.

Your Health Idaho will be open Monday through Friday, Dec. 9-20, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phone lines will also be open Saturdays, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We want to make sure Idahoans are aware that the deadline for 2020 health insurance coverage is quickly approaching,” stated Your Health Idaho Executive Director, Pat Kelly in a news release. “This is a busy time of year and we would hate for anyone to miss out on getting covered, especially

when nine out of 10 Idahoans enrolled on the exchange save an average of 80% on their monthly premium with a tax credit.”

This enrollment season, Your Health Idaho has seen an increase in traffic to the website and customer support channels compared to the same time last year. Kelly said this is likely due to increased interest and some confusion in the marketplace around Medicaid expansion.

“What we are seeing this year is that Idahoans are a bit unsure about how the process works and what programs they could be eligible for,” said Kelly. “The good news is, they only have to complete one application to find out if they are eligible for a tax credit to enroll on the exchange, or if they are eligible for expanded Medicaid.”

About 103,000 Idahoans were enrolled through the marketplace before open enrollment started Nov. 1, though approximately

Plea in Ramey killing slated for Dec.16

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Judith Carpenter, the Coeur d’Alene woman accused of shooting and killing 79-year-old Shirley Ramey, of Hope, in April 2017, is scheduled to enter a plea Monday, Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. at the Bonner County Courthouse.

Carpenter was originally expected to enter a plea Oct. 21, at which time her lawyers requested an arraignment continuance in order for their client to undergo a psychological evaluation. Though the original extension request was for a month, court documents show another continuance request on Nov. 6, which District Court Judge Barbara A. Buchanan approved Nov. 12.

Carpenter was arrested Aug. 1 at her Coeur d’Alene home after Bonner County detectives and ATF authorities matched

bullet casings gathered from the scene to Carpenter’s 9-millimeter handgun, confiscated in a road rage incident in Libby, Mont., on April 5, 2017 — the same day Ramey was killed. Montana authorities also found a Savage Model 99 rifle in Carpenter’s vehicle during the road rage incident, a gun that Ramey’s husband Daryl noticed missing from their Hope residence after his wife’s death.

18,000 of those enrollees are due to be shifted to Medicaid when expansion of the program goes into effect after Jan. 1, 2020.

The Idaho Legislature in 2018 approved a measure extending Medicaid coverage to Idahoans making 100-138% of the federal poverty level. That means a family of four with annual household income of between $25,750 and $35,535 will be “newly Medicaid eligible.”

Currently, 258,209 Idahoans are enrolled in Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program, an increase of 8.42% since 2013, according to Medicaid.gov.

“People that are on Your Health Idaho are automatically renewed for the coming year, so the vast majority of our customers will have already been auto-renewed for 2020,” Kelly told the Reader in November, adding that while “we will lose some of our enrollment” with Medicaid expansion, “we’ve

been very conservative in how we’ve planned. With this Medicaid expansion initiative, we’re able to weather that decline in enrollments and really thrive financially.”

One way for consumers to find out if they could be eligible for the monthly tax credit or Medicaid expansion is to use the window-shopping tool on the Your Health Idaho website. By answering a few basic questions about their household and income, visitors to the site will get either an estimate of their tax credit and what they can expect to pay for their monthly premium, or a notification that they could be eligible for another program like Medicaid. To estimate savings and shop for 2020 plans, visit yourhealthidaho.org and select “Shop Now.”

Eligibility for both the monthly tax credit and Medicaid are determined by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

For additional support in navigating the enrollment process, Your Health Idaho encourages Idahoans to work with an agent or broker. The insurance experts are licensed by the state, certified by Your Health Idaho and their help is available for free.

“We are proud to offer Idahoans a wide range of medical and dental plans for 2020,” said Kelly. “And we know that choosing the right health insurance plan is a major decision and the process can be overwhelming. That’s why we recommend everyone take advantage of the free expert help that’s available.”

For a list of certified agents and brokers, visit yourhealthidaho.org/find-help. To enroll in health insurance for the 2020 plan year, visit yourhealthidaho.org. For questions or to speak with a Your Health Idaho representative, call 1-855-944-3246.

Asphalt plant judicial review to see hearing

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

A petition for judicial review of a decision paving the way for an asphalt plant in Sagle will go before a judge Friday, Dec. 13 at the Bonner County Courthouse.

Nonprofit group Citizens Against Linscott/Interstate Asphalt Plant is challenging a decision by the Board of Bonner County Commissioners to grant a conditional use permit to Interstate Concrete & Asphalt, which plans to operate an asphalt batch plant in a Sagle gravel pit.

The hearing comes after more than a year of decisions and appeals, spearheaded by a vocal group of neighbors who challenge the legality of an asphalt operation in the gravel pit, owned by Frank Linscott.

Legal counsel for Citizens Against Linscott/Interstate Asphalt Plant allege in the petition for judicial review that the BOCC based its decision on an

illegally adopted ordinance — which allows asphalt plants in farming and residential zones as long as the gravel pit is active — and that Linscott has not kept up with appropriate permitting for the property.

The court denied an attempt

by Bonner County to dismiss the petition in May.

The Dec. 13 hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the courthouse.

Festival season pass sales ‘on track’ for 2020

Annual meeting addresses challenging year, highlights education programs

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint hosted its annual membership meeting Dec. 10, drawing a modest crowd to MickDuff’s Beer Hall.

“I thought we’d have a record turnout for our annual meeting, but this seems about par for the course,” said interim Executive Director Ali Baranski, alluding to how tumultuous this year has been for the organization.

Looking back at 2019, The Festival experienced a challenge to its no-weapons policy that has since progressed into a headline-grabbing lawsuit between Bonner County and the city of Sandpoint; a ferocious thunderstorm resulted in the cancellation of its penultimate concert featuring Kool & The Gang; its longtime executive director was arrested for drunk driving following closing night and subsequently left the organization; and, finally, major changes to War Memorial Field are forcing organizers to rethink everything about how to put on the annual two-week summer concert series.

Summing up, Baranski told attendees at the annual meeting that, “The Festival series for 2019 was one of our best first weekends ever, followed by one of our toughest second weekends.”

A total of more than 35,000 people passed through The Festival’s gates in 2019 and, despite the many challenges facing the event in 2020, season pass sales for next year have been robust.

Baranski said 450 passes have already been sold, leaving 250 of the 700 made available — “which is really on track for having started a whole month late.” Passes went up to $299 on Dec. 1, and Festival Board Vice President Bob Witte reminded the crowd that the passes “make great stocking stuffers.”

In her financial report, Baranski said The Festival received $76,000 in grants over the year, supporting the organization’s core educational mission, which included hosting 129 area students at a free summer music camp, as well as other programs such as the youth orchestra and providing Northside Elementary students with free clarinets — that program alone costs $9,000. Baranski noted that applications for next year’s summer camp will be made available in the next few weeks.

Of The Festival’s $1.5 million fiscal year 2019 budget, 80% went to supporting the nonprofit’s mission, which includes educational programs, the concert series and other events throughout the year — the next one, a chamber concert at the Panida Theater, is planned for Thursday, Jan. 30. The remaining 20% of the budget went to

pay for everything else that keeps The Festival afloat year after year.

“The Festival [concert series] is part of the mission,” Baranski said, stressing that the central thrust of the organization is to provide access to music performance and education for children and the community at large.

Addressing the various controversies and uncertainties in the year ahead, Baranski said the cancellation of the Kool & The Gang show precipitated a troublesome situation for the budget.

When organizers called off the concert, attendees were promised vouchers to compensate for their tickets. As Baranski and interim Office Manager Amy Bistline told the Reader in an earlier interview, The Festival paid for the Kool & The Gang show entirely out of pocket and providing vouchers for weather-related cancellations has never been Festival policy, nor will it be in the future.

“The unilateral decision to provide vouchers put us in a financially complicated position,” Baranski said at the annual meeting, noting that while vouchers were given to patrons during the summer and fall, that one-time offer ended with The Festival’s fiscal year on Sept. 30. No vouchers past that date have or will be honored.

Regarding the lawsuit over the weapons ban — which the county contends violates state law by barring firearms from a publicly-owned space — Baranski reiterated what she told the Reader in early December: “We do not believe there will be a decision prior to or that will affect our 2020 season.”

“We do support the Second Amendment but believe we are within our rights to enforce our own rules during the concert series,” she added.

Aside from the financial hit from the Kool & The Gang cancellation and the uncertainty of the county suit, Baranski said “the artificial turf [at Memorial Field] is currently our biggest challenge.”

Though The Festival is working with the city to ensure the new design accommodates the needs of the concert series, the design and construction schedule — which promises to have the field ready by July 30, 2020 — doesn’t leave much to chance with the timing of set-up at the field.

“It’s hard for us to get answers to the questions we need to have answered,” Baranski said, referring to the project timeline and how it might affect The Festival’s ability to keep its production schedule.

Finally, Baranski said The Festival board is “actively looking” for permanent staff members, and hopes to have the organization fully helmed after New Year’s.

Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

Eliminate higher education: That’s an idea proposed by Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts on his radio program. Roberts said it would “save America” by eliminating a “liberal breeding ground.” According to the Associated Press, Roberts had been talking about a legislative hearing he attended regarding abortion, and appeared to be linking higher education with progressive views about abortion. He has since walked back those comments, referring to them as a hyperbolic “rant.”

Solar breakthrough: Heliogen, a clean energy company, says it has created a “solar oven” that can generate temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius — particularly useful for replacing fossil fuels used to make products like cement, glass and steel. The creation uses artificial intelligence and a field of mirrors, and is said to be less expensive than fossil fuels. Manufacture of cement causes a full 7% of CO2 emissions, according to the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.

Foods that can be toxic for your do include xylitol, chocolate, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, cooked bones and processed people foods that are sugary, salty or fatty. Also avoid foods in the onion family, caffeine, alcohol, bread dough and cooked beans, says online veterinarian and writer Dr. Karen S. Becker. Pet poisoning emergency numbers: call 1-888-426-4435 or 1-855-764-7661.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on Dec. 5 an unconditional extension of New START, which caps deployed offensive strategic nuclear weapons at no more than 1,550 for Russia and the United States. Derek Johnson, executive director of Global Zero, an international movement seeking to eliminate nuclear weapons, stated that U.S. President Donald Trump should accept the offer if he is “serious about addressing the catastrophic threat of nuclear weapons.”

With so many good causes, how does one decide who deserves your donation? A tip from AARP: check with charitynavigator.org and set an annual budget for donations so you know when it’s time to say “no.” Also, never donate over the phone or at the door

In other charity news, donations are more important than ever with the passage of the 2017 Tax Cut Act. The Act made itemized donations, especially to smaller nonprofits, less inviting. The decline in

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

tax-deductible charitable giving has paralleled enactment of the Tax Cut Act, according to the Giving Institution, which studies philanthropy.

Trump has been raising campaign funds for senators that will serve as jurors at his impeachment trial in the Senate, Newsweek reports. According to Richard Painter, ethics chief to former-President George W. Bush, “This is a bribe. Any other American who offered cash to the jury before a trial would go to prison for felony bribery. … Any senator who accepts cash from [Trump] before the impeachment trial is guilty of accepting a bribe and should go to the slammer.”

Five hundred law professors signed their names to an open letter regarding Trump’s impeachment, noting that impeachment is an “essential remedy for conduct that corrupts elections.” The law professors stated that whether the president’s actions are regarded as bribery, a high crime, misdemeanor “or both, it is clearly impeachable under our Constitution.”

In BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, two doctors recently wrote that one of the solutions to climate change is increased access to effective contraceptives Better birth control access, the authors wrote, would slow population growth and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% — if not more. There are 99 million unintended pregnancies annually, and world population is expected to jump from 7.7 billion today to 10.6 billion by 2100. The authors recommended more investment in family planning programs, research and development for new contraceptives, as well as pursuing a dialogue about overconsumption, overpopulation and “the true ecological limits of the Earth.”

In 2015, Title X funding helped prevent 822,000 unintended pregnancies, according to the Guttmacher Institute. In 2010 that amounted to an estimated savings of $7 billion for taxpayers due to Title X programs, which the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle.

Blast from the past: In the past 50 years, federal political scandals have resulted in numerous convictions connected to wrongdoing by U.S. presidents: Lyndon B.Johnson, 0; Richard Nixon, 55; Gerald Ford, 1; Jimmy Carter, 0; Ronald Reagan, 16; George H.W. Bush, 1; Bill Clinton, 1; George W. Bush, 6; and Barack Obama, 0. As of November, six Trump associates have been convicted of crimes — all related to the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Bumpy road

By Cate Huisman Special to the Reader

The saga of the proposed asphalt batch plant in Sagle continues. It’s a window into how governments make land use decisions and how citizens can affect the outcome. Here’s a summary of what’s been happening.

Before spring 2018, Bonner County zoning code allowed an asphalt batch plant to operate only in an Industrial zone. In the spring of 2018, the county made changes to allow asphalt plants in forest, agricultural, and rural zones, if a plant was granted a conditional use permit (CUP). A CUP allows the county to review the effects of the proposed use and provides for public input.

The proposed plant would be in a rural zone. So — with the code change — Interstate Concrete and Asphalt Company applied for a CUP to operate an asphalt batch plant with their Sagle gravel pit. As required, Bonner County held a public hearing to gather community input about the proposed use.

Neighbors attended the hearing to voice their opinions. They were concerned about the noise, smell and traffic the plant might generate. They were also worried about the effects it might have on water and air quality. Interstate countered that it would help them run their business more efficiently. Idaho Department of Lands had found that the air and water quality

concerns were unfounded.

The county granted Interstate its CUP. Opponents asked the county commission to reconsider this decision. When it did so, the commissioners confirmed the CUP.

Opponents still believed that an asphalt batch plant was inappropriate for the property. They formed an organization, Citizens Against Linscott/Interstate Asphalt, which moved to the next step: using the courts. They requested judicial review of the county’s decision.

As the issue moved from the county administration to the courts, arguments changed. The original argument was whether the asphalt plant was appropriate at the site. With judicial review, the arguments changed to focus on the county’s decision-making process. Had the county done all the law required before granting the CUP?

These arguments go back to the hearing where the original zoning change was made. Citizens Against says the county failed to provide adequate public notice for the hearing. The notice said only that land uses in industrial zones would be considered. In fact, changes to forest, agricultural and rural zones were also adopted.

The citizen group’s second argument is about the gravel pit where the asphalt plant is to be located. Under current zoning, this gravel pit is a “nonconforming use.” Gravel pits are not allowed in land zoned rural in Bonner

A

brief history of the proposed Sagle asphalt plant and what’s happening next

County. But the gravel pit was there before the zoning code was in place, so the pit is allowed to stay as a “grandfathered” use.

Citizens Against points out that the code limits how much such a grandfathered use may grow. They say the pit has grown more than the code allows, so it is now operating illegally. Adding the asphalt plant would mean more illegal growth. The county argues that the asphalt batch plant is a separate use of the land. Restrictions on the growth of the

Laughing Matter

gravel pit do not apply to the batch plant.

A hearing will be held at the courthouse in Sandpoint at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec.13, to decide the issue. County residents interested in industrial uses of land in their neighborhoods may wish to attend.

Cate Huisman has lived in Sandpoint for nearly 20 years. Her interest in land use issues has grown out of more than a decade serving on the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission.

By Bill Borders

Bouquets:

• It’s such a beautiful sight to behold Sandpoint’s downtown streets with the holiday lighting giving everything a twinkle and shine. Bouquets to the city of Sandpoint and all those who make this possible each winter, especially after the BID dissolved a few years back.

•I rode downtown last weekend to pick up some take-out and was blown away by how many people were shopping with our downtown retailers. Great job, folks — it’s so important to keep our downtown merchants healthy. Even if you only buy one present from our local retailers instead of online or at the big box stores, you’re giving something back to this community. Let’s keep it up.

Barbs:

• The impeachment of a president is never an easy process. I remember when President Bill Clinton was impeached. I asked my highschool government teachers why and generally received the answer that it was because “Clinton lied to Congress” (he was also charged with obstruction of justice). The Senate ultimately declined to remove him from office, but the takeaway is that he didn’t get impeached because of a sexual act performed with an intern — he was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice.

Fast forward to the impeachment against President Donald Trump. We’ve heard all sorts of defenses from Trump and his supporters — that the economy is in great shape, that the process is a “sham,” that it’s a “political hit,” that unemployment is at a 50-year low, along with misinformation and conspiracy theories galore — but one thing I continually don’t see is a clear defense for his attempt to withhold military aid from Ukraine in exchange for an investigation against a political opponent. Whatever your political loyalties, it’s important to remember that nobody is above the law — even the president. For those who profess love for the Constitution to ignore a flagrant violation of this magnitude from someone with whom they identify politically is what’s so wrong with America right now.

COMMUNITY

Girls Night Out

A downtown shopping event for the ladies

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

As fewer shopping days remain before Christmas, the Sandpoint Shopping District is busy promoting another event — and this one is all about the ladies.

Girls Night Out takes place Friday, Dec. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m., and is split into three distinct portions, beginning with a pre-party at Cedar St. Bistro and Wine Bar from 3-5 p.m. Featuring complimentary drinks, $5 house wines, live music from Jennifer Stoehner, $3 16-ounce lattes, $1.75 gelato and more, the pre-party includes tables set up with local businesses advertising products, as well as activities such as nail and make-up workshops.

The main event takes place between 5-8 p.m., with 30 downtown businesses staying open late to offer sales and holiday shopping options. Shoppers will receive a passport at participating businesses and will need to obtain a stamp from one location within each of four downtown quadrants to be eligible for a grand prize of $400 shopping spree downtown.

Finally, participants will bring their completed passports to an

after-party from 7-9 p.m. at the Pend d’Oreille Winery, where the $400 grand prize — as well as second- and third-place prizes — will be drawn. The winery will be pouring local vino, serving food and staying open late to sell holiday gift items from its gift shop. This year, participants do not have to be present to win the grand prize.

Participating businesses include: 219 Lounge, 7B Boardshop, Alpine Shop, AquaGem Jewelry, Art Works Gallery, Azalea, Bella Terra, Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium, Burlwood Dreams, Campfire Couture, Carousel Emporium, Cedar St. Bistro, Eve’s Leaves, Finan McDonald Clothing Co., Gethsemane Oil and Vinegar Shoppe, Grace and Joy, Greasy Fingers Bikes, I Saw Something Shiny, LaChic Boutique, Larson’s, Mary Ruth’s Gift Market, Nieman’s Floral Market, Northwest Handmade, Meadowbrook Home Furnishing, Outdoor Experience, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Sharon’s Hallmark, Vanderford’s Books and Office, Zero Point and Zwazo Nich.

Men will get their turn Friday, Dec. 20 with the Late Night Pint Night. Spend $25 at participating businesses and receive a ticket for a complimentary beer at the 219 Lounge.

FROM A GREAT LAKE TO THE GREAT LAKES

remind us what sunshine felt like. Thanks Ray!

A modest proposal...

Dear editor,

It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town when they see the streets crowded with vehicles and nowhere to park. Innocent tourists are forced to stroll up to a half a mile to park around War Memorial Field or City Beach, which is deplorable.

In order to meet the needs of parking for the two weeks of the year during peak tourism, I shall humbly propose cutting down all trees, demolishing houses and even historic buildings to make room for more parking lots. These additional spaces can take up precious space in our small town that will be utilized for a miniscule percentage of the year.

I think the advantages of the proposal that I have made are obvious.

First, pedestrians can directly interact with large vehicles in our walking town.

Second, the added cost of plowing and salting empty parking lots can make these accessible and enjoyable year-round.

Third, the parking would allow local taverns to be frequented by all fine ladies and gentlemen.

Fourth, people will come from thousands of miles around to the concrete blight of Sandpoint to bask in the beauty of open parking spaces and mountains.

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have no personal interest in promoting this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my city.

Kyle Hausam Sandpoint

Senior Center needs support…

Dear editor,

On behalf of the Sandpoint Area Senior Center, I would like you to publish this letter asking for community support of the Senior Center. We recently sent out a small mailing, having no money for a larger mailing, so we are only reaching a few people in the community. In our mailer, we said: We all love to support puppies and children, especially at this time of year. They may not be as cute and adorable as puppies and children, but… OUR SENIORS NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

The Senior Center provides home-delivered meals and in-house meals five days a week, serving over 25,000 meals in a year. It is a meeting place in the community, allowing seniors and newcomers to meet old and make new friends while participating in the variety of activities provided.

The DayBreak Center provides day care and support for families of

those with memory issues. Come to the Senior Center and DayBreak to see for yourselves. Come enjoy all the activities we offer.

We cannot continue to provide all these services without the help of the Sandpoint community. We are asking that you not forget the seniors. We need your help. Please mail your checks to Sandpoint Senior Center, 820 Main St., Sandpoint, ID 83864 or, if you wish to use a credit card, please call 208-263-6860.

Sincerely and with holiday wishes to all,

Loris Michael Board member

Sandpoint Area Senior Center Sandpoint

Government borrowing beggars belief…

Dear editor,

Article I, Section 8 of our Constitution spells out 18 specific duties for which the House of Representatives is responsible. I’ll be danged if I can see where they’re fulfilling their duty on any of them… except one: “To borrow Money on the credit of the United States.”

Welcome to the world of deficit spending and the out-of-control national debt. Thanks be to Congress for looking out for us proletarians instead of their own self interest.

God bless America, and God bless our military.

Steve Brixen Sandpoint

Let the truth be told!…

Dear editor,

After all, what has he really done? These are Facts not Political Lies.

1.President Trump spent his Thanksgiving, visiting troops in Afghanistan.

2.3.5% unemployment — lowest since 1969.

3.New jobs surged by 266,000 in November.

4.Average hourly earnings rose by 3.1% from a year ago.

5.Average work week: 34.4 hours.

6.Phase I deal with China: China will waive tariffs on some soybeans and pork shipments from the U.S.

7.His administration has issued 65% fewer costly regulations than the previous administration.

8.$33 billion in net regulatory savings since taking office.

America is surging forward. How much better would it be if the lies for impeachment weren’t flying around?

Maureen Paterson Priest River

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Human rights and responsibilities

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

As a sociology major in college, I got to take classes that zoomed out on the complex ways we organize and function as societies, learning and deconstructing theories based on large-scale patterns of human behavior.

Classes were named things like “Sociology of Education,” for which we spent a semester in roundtable discussions learning about global educational structures, and “The Intersections of Privilege,” during which we dissected how various social groups obtain and retain advantages over other, more marginalized groups.

These classes, and the richness of learning about the big ideas we are all active participants in constructing, imprinted sociological thinking in my brain, shaping the way I see the world and my role within it.

In this regard, one of the most transformative courses I completed was titled “Human Rights and Responsibilities,” an in-depth analysis of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and the responsibility we have as global citizens to uphold it.

We began by learning about the declaration itself, drafted in 1948 at the onset of the United Nations and in response to the Second World War. The document was born out of the cumulative efforts of world leaders to establish basic human rights, guaranteed to every person, everywhere.

After understanding the

context of its drafting, we began to dissect the document itself.

We learned that it was constructed from four pillars, or the principles, by which all rights are founded: liberty, equality, dignity and brotherhood.

My classmates and I discovered that the articles in the declaration were organized into four columns, with the first column dedicated to individual rights, like the right to life and the prohibition of forced servitude. The second column contained articles relating to individual political and civil rights, and the third column combined articles based on our rights to organize under the constructs of spirituality, religion and politics. Finally, the fourth column consisted of our inherent social, cultural and economic rights, like the freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

My professor explained that all of the articles in the document hold equal weight, with no individual right taking precedence over another. This means that the pursuit or application of one right cannot conflict with any of the other rights within the document. So, for example,

one person’s right to practice religion cannot impact someone else’s right to safety.

Although learning about the history and composition of the document was enthralling, the class became transformative once we began to apply our understanding of universal human rights to the things happening in real time in our communities and around the world.

The reality is, when we organize in groups, the diversity of our own beliefs and the ways in which we want to practice them, can and frequently do directly impact other peoples’ opportunities to do the same. We also often fail to look outside our individual experiences to ensure that exercising our own rights doesn’t prohibit our neighbors from honoring theirs.

When we use the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” as a road map to better navigating our ideas and beliefs, we can ensure our choices don’t infringe on anyone else’s inherent rights. We can overcome our individual biases, and keep ourselves and our practices in check.

Applying this to our communities, we can think about the different social and political movements in which we engage, and consider if those causes are meeting the standards set at the global level. We can ask the hard questions, like, “Is my right to freedom of opinion taking away from someone else’s right to security regardless of ‘race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or

other status’”?

Or, “Is my right to freely participate in an expression of culture infringing on someone else’s rights against ‘arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home ... honour and reputation’”?

Ultimately, it is a wonderful thing to be engaged in belief systems and to find community in shared ideas. But, in doing so, we also have a responsibility to protect our neighbors’ freedoms as much as our own,

contributing to a shared culture of liberty, equality, dignity and brotherhood.

If you’re interested in reading the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” or are simply seeking a refresher, visit un.org/en/udhrbook for an accessible, illustrated version. Together, we can challenge discrimination within our own beliefs and those of our neighbors, and create a community in which every person’s rights are honored and upheld.

Retroactive By BO

Science: Mad about

opioids

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

I love to give you some laughs every week, but I have to make a disclaimer: This is a topic I don’t feel comfortable making jokes about, so if you’re just here for the laughs, I’ll catch you next week.

Science has brought us some vital advances in our day-to-day lives, from satellite communication to the bidet. Unfortunately, some of these advances are a double-edged sword. Opioids are one of these advances.

Opioids come in many forms with many different brand names and strengths, such as Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin, prescribed by doctors to manage varying degrees of pain after debilitating accidents, surgeries or other sources of serious bodily harm. They’re derived from the opium poppy plant, the same infamous flora that led to opium and heroin epidemics around the world for thousands of years.

Opioids function by attaching to proteins throughout the body called opioid receptors. When taken orally, as with most medication, the medication binds through the gut before traveling to the spinal cord to block pain and deliver a dizzying, mellow high. When taken intravenously (injected directly into the bloodstream), the drug is given a straight shot to the brain, where it is converted into morphine to nuke pain receptors and cause a host of nasty side effects ranging from extreme drowsiness, dizziness and imparied mental

status to itching, tingling or heaviness of the limbs.

Taking more than the body can handle causes overdose, which can lead to death by heart or respiratory failure.

The most destructive part of opioids, whether ingested or injected is the extreme addiction factor. The danger of addiction is compounded by the ease with which they are obtained. Though legal medications are intended to be safeguarded by a doctor’s prescription and available only through licensed pharmacies, a staggering amount of opioids have entered American life through patient neglect, drug-seeking behavior of patients or other illegal means. Humans have abused the opium poppy as far back as 3400 BCE, whether by smoking it or injecting its residue, so refined opioids are not the only problem in America’s opioid epidemic.

Given the history behind the opium poppy, the addictive nature of opioids was no secret to drug manufacturers. While the doctors were — and are — aware of these drugs’ addictive nature, they use a benefit/risk system to analyze if patients need a form of opioid pain control. Though we don’t like to admit it, sometimes this form of pain control is necessary, but it’s intended to be a very temporary solution to a temporary problem.

Many people become addicted to prescribed pills to deal with chronic pain, such as a long-term back injury, amputation or muscle death, as was popularized by NBC’s hit television show, House M.D. Research has shown that not only are opioid narcotics

addictive by their own right, but can rewire the pain centers of the brain, tricking the brain into thinking the body is in pain and requires more medication to deal with it, which then fuels the cyclical nature of the addiction.

This unique effect is called opioid-induced hyperalgesia, and it’s a serious problem. Breaking a narcotic addiction is the most difficult thing some people will ever endure in their lives, and doing so while feeling incomprehensible pain magnifies that difficulty.

Breaking opioid addiction, though extremely difficult, is not impossible. Detoxing from opioids, or cutting oneself off from them long enough for the body to adjust itself to normalcy, brings on a laundry list of bad effects that can last for hours, days, weeks or even longer, depending on the severity of the addiction. These effects range from severe abdominal pain to chills, diarrhea, and vomiting, as well as intense cravings for the narcotic(s) in question.

The prevalence of opioid addiction in America isn’t just a news headline. One in three Americans surveyed reported they knew someone suffering from some stage of opiate addiction. That could be as many as 100 million people directly affected by these drugs, many of whom may be unaware that there is even a problem.

If you’re looking for some more information about opioids, or are just interested in dispelling some of the myths surrounding them, the Sandpoint library will be hosting a Science Cafe on the subject

on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the meeting rooms. Have some questions? Shoot Mike Bauer, Lifelong Learning Center coordinator for the library, a call at 208-265-2665.

If you’re dealing with an urgent addiction situation, or if opioids have affected your life or the life of a loved one, don’t be afraid to reach out

to the Sandpoint Community Resource Center. Their website — sandpointcommunityresource.com — has a great selfhelp section, otherwise call them at 208-920-1840. They’re always happy to help anyone out, no matter their situation.

Stay curious and stay healthy, 7B.

Random Corner

Don’t know much about snow? We can help!

•Snow falls in more forms than just snowflakes. It can also precipitate as graupel or sleet. Graupel, or snow pellets, occurs when ice crystals fall through freezing cloud droplets. The cloud droplets group together to form a soft, lumpy mass. Sleet, on the other hand, consists of drops of rain that freeze into small, translucent balls of ice as they fall from the sky.

•In 1992, Syracuse, New York tried to outlaw snow. The city’s Common Council passed a decree that any more snow before Christmas Eve would be deemed illegal. It snowed two days later.

•That whole thing about “no two snowflakes are alike”? It’s a myth. In 1988, a scientist found two identical snow crystals from a storm in Wisconsin. There goes my feelings of uniqueness.

•The largest snowflakes ever observed fell during a snowstorm in January 1887 at Fort Keough, Mont. Witnesses said the flakes were “larger than milk pans.”

•Freshly fallen snow absorbs sound waves, giving everything a seemingly hushed, quieter ambience after a flurry. But if the snow then melts and refreezes, the ice can

reflect sound waves making sound travel farther and clearer.

•The definition of a “blizzard” means visibility must be below a quarter of a mile (1,320 feet), while the wind has to reach speeds of at least 35 miles per hour for at least three hours.

•Based on NASA’s scientific simulations, the northern regions of the planet Mars may experience brief though fierce snowstorms during the summer season. According to BBC Earth, “Scientists also detected a cloud of carbon dioxide snowflakes over the southern pole of the planet.”

•Japanese macaques are also known as “snow monkeys” because they have been observed making and playing with balls of snow. Young macaques seem to enjoy stealing each others’ snowballs, then battling to retrieve them.

•The great explorer Ernest Shackleton, whose expeditions into Antarctica were chronicled in many books, carried a medical kit that would have made a rock star jealous. Colic was treated with cannabis, diarrhoea with opium and snow blindness victims would apparently drip cocaine directly into the eye. Must’ve been a wild journey to the South Pole.

How real estate shapes a community

By Raphael Barta Reader Staff

‘A healthy housing market requires entry level homes where buyers can create equity’

In a prior existence, I lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I was a vice president for the ski resort development company Intrawest. At the time, Intrawest had just acquired Blackcomb Mountain and the Province of British Columbia was selling off about 60 acres of vacant land for an expansion of Whistler Village.

It was a blank slate to create a community: Where should all the various types of real estate go and what should it look like? How much residential and in what formats would be justified and how much support space (retail/hotels/warehousing etc.) would be required for the optimum mix?

This was the company’s first time undertaking something of this scale, and the lessons we learned there were perfected in subsequent village build-outs in Tremblant, Mammoth, Squaw and other ski resorts over the next 20 years. The planning process was carefully considered, and included professionals from many disciplines: architecture, engineering, landscaping and so on. Iconic works like Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language became our bible. No detail of the environment we were going to build was too small. The objective was to make the completed project look and feel like it had been growing organically there for years. In the case of building out Whistler, the real estate definitely shaped the community.

My resort development background is what brought me to Sandpoint when Harbor Properties first acquired Schweitzer Mountain from the bankruptcy in 1999. Sandpoint had been established as a support base for the railroads and, for most of its existence, it was a resource extractive small town.

As the Baby Boomers began to aggre-

gate significant net worth in the 1970s, the second-home/vacation home trend started to take off and former mining towns like Aspen and Vail became destination resort communities. Sandpoint today is considered a destination resort community, having successfully diversified away from mining, forestry and other heavy industry.

“Destination Resort” sounds glamorous, and it is in general a strong economic driver, but it also means that some of the housing stock is not lived in 12 months of the year. According to Bonner County Assessor Donna Gow, about 25% of Bonner County housing is second-home property.

Destination Resort also implies a beautiful natural setting, which makes the Sandpoint area a retirement destination. Current Bonner County demographics indicate a surge in the population segment 60 years-plus. Again, this is not a bad thing, but to the extent these folks are able to out-compete the younger locals in the housing market, this tends to drive the latter group to more affordable places.

A balanced community should have a wide range of age groups, and Bonner County is notably missing the younger segment of the population.

Unlike the Whistler example, Sandpoint was not a blank slate for a new-build community — it evolved over time, primarily with single-family housing. And this is where we are today, with geographic constraints limiting new formats to handle the growth coming our way.

There are very few vacant lots left in the city, and except for the former University of Idaho lands and a couple other tracts, there is not much in the way of vacant property for residential development. Outside the city boundaries, there is little support for increased densities in the rural areas.

None of the residents and governments in Dover, Kootenai or Ponderay seem

anxious to merge into one unified metro area. The city of Sandpoint has encouraged in-fill development and higher densities through programs like the accessory dwelling unit provision, and reducing the single-family lot size requirement. But there just isn’t enough housing in the lower price points to meet demand, and prices have risen by 8% to 10% for each of the past few years, to the point where the median listing price in the city is now $387,000. Meanwhile, the median household income level for Bonner County supports a price of about $265,000, so the majority of houses are being bought by in-migration.

A healthy housing market requires entry level homes where buyers can create equity. Most Americans have their net worth in the equity built up through their homes, but as renting becomes the only option, this will have a significant effect on their wealth, their spending in the overall economy and their retirement — it is one big ripple effect.

One possible solution to address affordability is vertical building, but Bonner County so far has not embraced high-rise projects. The proposed multi-family build-

ing at Cedar Street and Lincoln Avenue, originally proposed at three stories, has run into a storm of neighborhood criticism on a site that was zoned for multi-family and is likely an appropriate use for this property.

That project may yet proceed in a modified form — the City Council recently referred the project back to Planning and Zoning with the request that its conditional use permit be modified to stipulate no more than two stories on the site — but sooner or later there will be residential buildings over three stories here.

It has only been 10 years since the Great Recession, when housing played such an important role in those challenging times. It is a positive thing that home values have rebounded here, but the real estate market is now generating pressure of another sort as it shapes this community by determining our demographics.

Raphael Barta is the president of The Idaho Realtors. He maintains an active practice in residential and commercial properties. Contact him at raphaelb@ sandpoint.com.

COMMUNITY Accounting Solutions joins Sandpoint Chamber

By Reader Staff

Accounting Solutions invited the public to an open house Nov. 1 at its new location, with the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce on hand to support its new member with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Owner Shawn Lyn Nielsen opened her first accounting office, Emery Accounting, in Priest River in 2005. With the success of this location, she opened a second office in Sandpoint last year. “We quickly grew and realized we needed a bigger space in Sandpoint,” Nielsen said.

Accounting Solutions now has a new home on Cedar Street.

The full-service firm offers personalized accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll services to businesses and individuals throughout the United States and internationally. Its team is comprised of highly

qualified, experienced accountants and tax consultants with extensive knowledge and experience.

Accounting Solutions’ mission is to get to know its customers in order to provide them with the results and services they deserve.

“We listen, learning your personalized situation and with this knowledge we are able to use our expertise and innovation to save you money, time and provide a trusted place for all your accounting, tax and business management needs,” the firm wrote in a news release.

Stop by the location at 223 Cedar St. in downtown Sandpoint, call 208-597-7374 or visit accsolutionsinc.com for more info.

Chamber welcomes NW Self Storage under new ownership

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce welcomed Northwest Self Storage (formerly Sandpoint Storage) with a ribbon cutting on Nov. 18.

Northwest Self Storage manages more than 100 properties throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The business started out as a family owned and operated company, founded by Kevin Howard more than 30 years ago. In 2010, Kevin’s daughter, Dawn Tangvald, joined the company and together they have transformed it to lead the industry in the Pacific Northwest from both a customer service and technology standpoint.

support their efforts to volunteer at nonprofits in their communities, as well as give to causes that are important to them. Multiple times throughout the year, employees can apply for a $1,000 grant to the nonprofit of their choice. Each year, the program delivers $10,000 to employee-selected nonprofits in their communities.

NW Self Storage values the importance of giving back and supporting the communities in which it operates, and does so with the Northwest Self Storage Foundation’s Give Collective program.

The program’s mission is to encourage a philanthropic culture among employees and

Although NW Self Storage is under new ownership, it has retained location managers Dennis Swanson and Jerry Whitley, who run Sandpoint operations.

For more information visit nwselfstorage.com or call Dennis or Jerry at 208-2637276. They are located at 32607 Highway 200 in Sandpoint.

Hands off the horn

Ponder Point residents pursue a quiet train crossing — only the third in Idaho

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

For years, the Memorial Community Center in East Hope hosted the Hope Farmers’ Market on its lawn. The weekly event was one of lakeside summer serenity — that is, unless a train went by.

Located directly beside a railroad crossing, market attendees were wise to set down their goods and cover their ears when they heard the progressive rumble of an approaching train. The blast of a train horn is alarming at any range, but from mere feet away, it’s unsettling.

In recent years, that crossing has undergone visual and audible change. Running down the center of the road leading to either side of the crossing is a bright yellow median and, as the train goes by, there’s no horn — only the sound of metal wheels barreling down the track.

That’s because, in 2017, the train crossing at Centennial Boulevard in East Hope became an official railroad crossing Quiet Zone through the Federal Railway Administration.

According to the FRA, only two Quiet Zones exist in Idaho: the one in East Hope and another in Rathdrum.

Residents living in the Ponder Point area of Kootenai are currently working on the state’s third. Bonner County Road and Bridge Staff Engineer Matt Mulder sought approval Nov. 26 from the Board of Bonner County Commissioners for a Quiet Zone on Kootenai Bay Road. Under FRA rules, the entity that oversees maintenance in the area — in this case Bonner County — must sponsor the application for the Quiet Zone. Commissioners voted unanimously to sponsor the application.

Residents in the area are paying for the project as the Ponderay Kootenai Quiet Zone, LLC. The anticipated cost is about $15,000, Mulder said, and residents will transfer those funds into escrow before the county can solicit bids for a contractor to build the required safety features for the Quiet Zone. Mulder said he anticipates construction on the Kootenai Bay crossing to begin sometime in summer 2020.

Residents in East Hope also paid about $15,000 for their Quiet Zone, according to East Hope City Councilwoman Debo-

rah Field. The funds are largely to cover the cost of the median, which prevents people from going around the crossing gate when it’s down.

As with most communities that pursue Quiet Zones, Field said the noise factor inspired a group of citizens to look at applying for the designation several years ago. It wasn’t until 2015 that Field said funding the project through local donations was possible.

“Because of the increased train traffic through the area, the horn noise was intrusive and adversely affecting our small city,” Field said. “With the plan to grow over time, a Quiet Zone would play an important role in making East Hope a more appealing place to live.”

Securing funding through community donations didn’t take long, Field said, but the rest of the approval process proved complex.

“It takes time,” she said. “After all was [said] and done it took us more than two years to make it happen.”

That time is spent making sure the crossing features all safety measures required by the FRA, assessing risk for the crossing and obtaining support from all affected state and local agencies. Field said the FRA rules for Quiet Zones are

“difficult to weed through,” but the agency is helpful throughout the process.

Still, not everyone is so keen on quiet train crossings. FRA-certified Quiet Zones across the country have received widespread criticism for circumventing what many see as a vital train safety feature: the horn. A railroad official in Wisconsin, where there are almost 100 Quiet Zones, characterized the issue as a balance between being sure residents are safe while also being sure they have a quality of life.

Despite the perseverance it took to

make it a reality, Field stands by the East Hope Quiet Zone as the right choice for her community.

“Many people said it wasn’t possible,” she said, adding her advice to those seeking Quiet Zone approval: “Don’t give up.”

For a more detailed look at Quiet Zone requirements, visit fra.dot.gov.

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Good until the keg’s dry

PAFE Holiday Party

4pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Annual holiday party for Panhandle Alliance for Education

Live Music w/ BareGrass Trio

5:30-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

Sandpoint’s own progressive bluegrass trio, featuring John Edwards, Luke Levesque and Jared Johnson.

Edgar Cayce Study Group 9-11am @ Gardenia Center

Meditation, prayer, dream discussion and discussion

Live Music w/ Mike and Shanna Thompson

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Acoustic duo from Priest River

Live Music w/ Nefftones

7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Live Music w/ The Other White Meat

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Classic rock trio playing all your favorites

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Brad Keeler

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Naughty Pine 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge

Blend of soulful reggae and laid back grooves from this Richland, Wash. band

Live Music w/ Tom Burr

8-10pm @ The Back Door

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Live Music w/ Red Blend Trio 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

ICL Holiday 5:30-8pm

Come celebrate recap our you about Tasty appetizers, lovely company

Artistic blend of pop, soul and classics

Live Music w/ Brenden Kelty Trio

9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge

A soulful sound from this talented trio

Ukulele Jam at Fiddlin’ Red’s 6-8pm @ Fiddlin’ Red’s Music

Jack Frost Fest

Doors 5pm @ The Heartwood Ctr.

A winter kickoff event back for its third year! Live music by great regional bands, including Runaway Symphony, Trego, Harold’s IGA and Kevin Dorin. Raffles and winter beer tasting. Family friendly and tons of fun. Tickets $20/adv, $25/ door, $10 youth and 5 and under free

Piano Sunday w/ Peter Lucht 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Enjoy Peter’s mastery on the keys

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

Night-Out Karaoke

9pm @ 219 Lounge

Join DJ Webrix 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 Tito Huizar

Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Trivia Night

7pm @ MickDuff’s Show off that big, beautiful brain of yours

Girls 3-9pm Grab for a music.

Bridge til 8pm d’Oreille

Santa at Cedar 11am-3pm @ Santa Claus

This Christmas 2pm & 6pm ness and Events

The Suzuki and Allegro throw a music, gala in the ballroom!

WinterSong Reading 2pm @ Music Conservatory

Featuring poet Christopher ory Spatz introducing

Karaoke 8-close @ Tervan Lifetree 2pm An week’s

7B Hopheads Homebrewers Club meeting 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Djembe class

5:45-7:30pm @ Music Conservatory of Sandpoint

Join Ali Thomas for this djembe (drum) class

Childbirth Education Classes

6-8pm @ Bonner General Hospital

Parents-to-be can learn what to expect

Magic Wednesday

6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s

Enjoy close-up magic shows by Star Alexander right at your table

KRFY Fundraiser and live music w/ Marty 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Support KRFY 88.5 FM Panhandle Community at this fundraiser, with live music by Marty Doug Bond, Payette Brewing beer on tap, raffle lent auction items and complimentary appetizers.

Luther Park Holiday Tree Silent Auction @ Luther Park

More than a Woman Trivia

6:30-9:30pm @ The Back Door

Laughter and female-focused trivia

Silent auction bids will open Dec. 14 for donated artificial Christmas trees. Auction closes at 7 p.m. Dec. 19. Proceeds benefit the Luther Park Courtyard Fund

Girls Pint 5-7pm @ Cool chicks! dudes! Annual nightwith beer

ful

ICL Holiday Celebration, Art Show

5:30-8pm @ The Longshot

Come celebrate the year with us. We’ll recap our accomplishments and tell you about current and future work.

Tasty appetizers, hearty drinks and lovely company

Girls Night Out and After Party

3-9pm @ Various locations

Grab your girlfriends and head out for a night of fun, shopping and music. Pre-party at the Cedar St. Bridge from 3-5pm, shopping until 8pm and an after party at Pend d’Oreille Winery from 7-9pm

Santa at Cedar St. Bridge

11am-3pm @ Cedar St. Bridge Santa Claus is comin’ to town!

This Christmas Night

2pm & 6pm @ Sandpoint Business and Events Center

The Suzuki String Academy Allegro Dance Studio will throw a music, dance and art gala in the ballroom!

Dec. 12-19, 2019

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

Holiday Paint and Sip

6:30pm @ Cedar St. Bistro

A “Dressed in Gold” paint and sip party, with Uncorked Paint in the Bridge

Better Breathers Club (free meeting)

1pm @ BGH Classroom

For those living with chronic lung disease

Schweitzer Community Day

All day @ Schweitzer Mtn. Resort

Lift tickets are $10 all day, with 100% of funds supporting Community Cancer Services and Bonner Partners in Care Clinic

Sandpoint Contra Dance

7-10:30pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall

All dances taught and called to live music

Breakfast with Santa fundraiser

8-11am @ Sandpoint Community Hall

Support the Sandpoint Teen Center. $10/adults, $5/kids with all money going to the center. Build gingerbread houses and other Santa’s workshop fun

Procrastinator’s Christmas Gift Faire

10am-2pm @ LPO High School

Shop arts, crafts, artisan foods, handmade gifts, soaps, jams and more!

WinterSong Reading and Book Signing (free)

Music Conservatory of Sandpoint

poet Christopher Howell and fiction writer Gregintroducing their new books. Q&A from audience

Lifetree Cafe

2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant

An hour of conversation and stories. This week’s topic: “Conquering Conflict”

meeting

of Sandpoint (drum) class

Tuesday Trivia and Happy Hour

5-6:30pm @ Davis Grocery (Hope)

Reader recommended

DJ Skwish

9pm-cl @ A&P’s Bar

A Musical Gift for Christmas

7pm @ St. Joseph’s Catholic Church

The Selkirk Brass will join the Pend Oreille Chorale and Orchestra for this traditional presentation of 20th century music

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

Selkirk Brass Christmas Music

5-6pm @ First Presbyterian Church Free admission to this holiday concert featuring the Selkirk Brass quintet

Jazzy Nutcracker

5:30pm @ Panida Theater

Studio 1 Dance Academy’s holiday performance. $15/$8/$5 tickets

Karaoke 8-close @ Tervan

DJ Kevin 9pm-cl @ A&P’s

Rock Music at the Eagles

7pm @ Sandpoint Eagles Club, 1511 John Hudon Ln.

Rock out with CobraJet, Jacob Vanknowe, High Treason Ammunition and Vance Bergeson

Play as a team or as an individual. Prizes, knowledge and fun. Yeehaw! Held every third Tuesday Paint and Sip @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Join artist Holly Walker to paint a beautiful snow globe scene. $35, inc. art supplies. 208-265-8545

music w/ Marty and Doug

Panhandle Community Radio

music by Marty Perron and on tap, raffle prizes, sicomplimentary appetizers. krfy.org

Girls Pint Out

Eugene Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ 7pm @ Panida Theater

Presented by POAC, the holiday classic including some parts performed by local dance students

Live Music w/ John Firshi

7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Cool chicks! Great beer! No

dudes! Annual holiday potluck

night - bring a food dish made with beer to share

Adult Grief Support Group

6pm @ Bonner General Hospital

For those experiencing a loss Trivia Night

6-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Come with friends or play solo! Prizes!

Dec. 20

Last Minute Shopping Event @ Downtown Spt.

Dec. 21

Dark Beer Winter Solstice Party @ 219 Lounge

Dec. 21

Toys for Tots

Fundraiser @ A&P’s Bar and Grill

Open Mic Night w/ KC 9pm-cl @ A&P’s Bar

Lost Horse Press hosts WinterSong reading and book signing

By Reader Staff

Winter is a time to embrace the great indoors. Lost Horse Press will host the WinterSong reading and book signing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 14 at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint’s Little Carnegie Room. The literary event features poet Christopher Howell and fiction writer Gregory Spatz, who will introduce their new books, read from old favorites, answer audience questions and sign books for those in attendance. The event is free and open to all.

Shopping for presents? Books will be offered for sale at the event and are the gift that keeps on giving.

Christopher Howell is author of a dozen poetry collections, including Love’s Last Number, Gaze, and Dreamless and Possible: Poems New and Selected. He has received numerous honors, including the Washington

State Book Award, fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Artist Trust and three Pushcart Prizes. A military journalist during the Vietnam War, he has been director and principal editor for Lynx House Press for many years. He lives in Spokane, where he teaches in Eastern Washington University’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program.

In Howell’s 12th collection of poems, his gifts for elegy, humor and lyricism are on full display. The Grief of a Happy Life explores the interplay between memory and imagination, celebrating the ways that happiness and grief inform one another and give our lives fullness and vitality. Arranged in four sections, Howell’s poems feature not only these concerns, but a large and varied cast of characters as well. Aeneas, Saint Theresa, Ovid, Kierkegaard, a German submarine and so much more are woven together with Howell’s

trademark precision and accessibility into exquisite tableaux, each providing a view of both what we must live with and what we must not live without.

Greg Spatz holds degrees from Haverford College, University of New Hampshire and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He now lives in Spokane, where he teaches in the MFA program at Eastern Washington University. He is the author of What Could Be Saved and of the novels Inukshuk, Fiddler’s Dream and No One But Us, as well as short story collections, Half as Happy and Wonderful Tricks. He has won numerous grants from the Washington State Artist Trust, as well as a Washington State Book Award, and in 2011 he was named Individual Artist of the Year by the Spokane Arts Commission. He is also the recipient of a 2012 National Endowment for the Arts literature fellowship.

“Spatz curates his language with the care of a skilled instrument maker,

shaping the lives of makers and performers and amateur players,” Martha Anne Toll of NPR Books wrote of Spatz’s What Could Be Saved. “He is strong on atmospherics, from the confines of the practice room to the city of Seattle itself. Playing against these settings are the people in this collection. For string aficionados, the insider references will have a delicious resonance. Readers in general are likely to appreciate not only an insight into this highly specialized world, but also Spatz’s understanding that no one works or lives in a vacuum. Paul struggles to find the right balance with his lover; he resists but wants a closer relationship with his father; he wonders at his mother’s secret life. Grandfather and brother, family friends come in and out as well. It is within the human relationships that What Could Be Saved delivers its harmonies.”

HOLIDAY

Santa’s busy Sandpoint schedule

By Reader Staff

Santa Claus makes a number of appearances around Sandpoint prior to Christmas Day, beginning Saturday, Dec. 14 with a breakfast at the Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave.

Proving that it’s not all cookies and milk, Santa invites area kids to join him for the most important meal of the day from 8 to 11 a.m. Presented by the Sandpoint Teen Center, chow down on pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham, orange juice, coffee and hot cocoa — and, of course, take the opportunity to fill Kris Kringle in on your Christmas wish list.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Admission includes a picture with Santa. Buy tickets in advance at EventBrite, the Sandpoint Teen Center and Washington Federal Bank, or purchase at the door on the morning of the event. All proceeds benefit the Sandpoint Teen Center. Call 208-946-5901 or email sandpointteencenter@yahoo.com for more info.

After breakfast, Santa makes another appearance from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cedar Street Bridge, where he’ll visit kids and again take requests for what they’d like to see under the tree. He’ll return to the bridge 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every day from Saturday, Dec. 21 through Tuesday, Dec. 24. Santa’s visits to Cedar Street Bridge are free and open to the public.

Meanwhile, Mr. And Mrs. Claus will take to the slopes from 1-4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 23 at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

On Christmas Eve, Santa visits kids in KinderKamp from noon-12:30 p.m., followed by a trip to Musical Chairs and the village from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will then travel to the top of the Basin Express at 1:45 p.m., where they’ll kick off the balloon parade after a group photo at the top of Midway at 2 p.m. The parade ends

A gift fair for procrastinators

By Reader Staff

It’s easy to get so overwhelmed by the Christmas hubbub that buying gifts gets pushed to the bottom of the agenda. Rather than have a Christmas Eve meltdown, hit up the Procrastinator’s Christmas Gift Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14 at Lake Pend Oreille High School,

1005 N. Boyer Ave.

Set up at the LPOHS gym — the large metal building on the northwest corner of the school’s campus — from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., find arts, crafts, artisan foods, handmade gifts, soaps, jams and jellies; pottery by Leata Judd; and refreshments. Call 208-610-5020 for more info.

at the Selkirk Lodge for more photos and last-minute Christmas wishes from 3 to 4 p.m., and Mrs. Claus will read The Night Before Christmas around the fire from 4 to 5 p.m. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served.

OUTDOORS Community Day at Schweitzer

Ski or ride for cheap while supporting good causes

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

The season of giving continues in December as Schweitzer Mountain Resort readies for its annual fundraiser and cheap skiing day known as Community Day.

The fundraiser offers lift tickets for a $10 donation on Friday, Dec. 13.

This annual event is a fundraiser for Community Cancer Services and Bonner Partners in Care Clinic. CCS is a nonprofit organization providing information and support to cancer patients and their families in Bonner and Boundary counties. BPIC provides health care to residents of Bonner County and adjacent communities who have no medical insurance and meet the clinic’s eligibility criteria.

The event began 12 years ago with “A Day for Heather” and has grown to become a major fundraising push for both organizations.

As it does every year on Community Day, Schweitzer donates 100% of ticket revenue to CCS and BPIC, amounting to more than $20,000 annually.

“These organizations do so much for our neighbors and friends who need assistance with basic medical care and support in their fight against cancer,” said Schweitzer Marketing Manager Dig Chrismer. “We are optimistic that the forecasted snow for Thursday will materialize and make it possible for us to expand operations for those participating in Community Day on Friday.”

For more information about Community Day, visit schweitzer.com.

KLT needs a special use permit to offer services, education programs at Pine St. Woods

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Representatives of the Kootenai Land Trust are due to appear Thursday, Dec. 12 before the Dover City Council with a request that, if denied, could have serious ramifications for the nonprofit’s amenities at Pine Street Woods and its various educational programs.

According to KLT Outreach and Development Coordinator Cami Murray, the 180acre Pine Street Woods property — which the organization acquired with $2.1 million raised from community members — is currently zoned agricultural, which limits the types of activities allowed there. Because of that, in order to offer any fee-for-service activities, KLT must acquire a special use permit from the city of Dover.

“Without the permit we cannot allow the public to use the Rec Center (it can only be used for storage),” Murray told the Reader in an email. Following that, KLT would be unable to rent nordic gear for use on the Pine Street Woods trails.

Also, because the Rec Center was built using grant money from Blue Cross of Ida-

ho via the city of Sandpoint’s High 5 Grant, Murray said “we could be on the hook for those construction costs if the building can’t be used by the public.”

What’s more, she added, without the special use permit KLT can’t charge for educational programs including Camp Kaniksu, WildCrafting and Nature Connection.

“While we’d love to offer all of our programs for free, it’s simply not possible on a nonprofit budget,” Murray said, underscoring that those programs “are a major part of why we purchased Pine Street Woods.”

“Without the permit we will have to find an alternate location, which would seriously jeopardize the future of those programs.”

Murray said 130 kids participated in Camp Kaniksu in 2019, with 50 more on the waitlist. About 30% of Camp Kaniksu attendees did so with scholarship support, “so it’s a program which our community really loves and makes a big impact on kids.”

The meeting is open to the public, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Dover City Hall, 651 Lakeshore Ave. For more info on KLT visit kaniksulandtrust.org.

NORTH IDAHO

Tapping into the root

After the wood is in, it’s time for reflection on the annual fuel gathering ritual

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

As the cold nights swallow shorter and shorter days, chimneys begin to emit those comforting puffs of smoke from winter fires within. It’s wood-burning season — the time to relax and enjoy the fruits of our North Idaho firewood gathering efforts.

I was raised in a two-story log cabin near Westmond with a big wood stove to heat the whole house. One of my jobs was to keep the wood split and fed beside the hearth, and occasionally join my dad for forays into the woods to log our neighbors’ trees, which he was permitted to do in exchange for helping them build their sheds and otherwise lending a hand on their properties.

The creaking sound of the cast iron stove door, the crackling hiss of a well-seasoned log — it’s not just nostalgic, it’s the root of my childhood.

Later in life, when I’d returned to Sandpoint from some misadventure or other, I rented a small cabin on Bottle Bay Road with a wood stove. There was nothing more pleasant than chopping a stack of logs out back in my boxer shorts with a bottle of cheap whiskey on hand, then punching meaningless words into a typewriter by a roaring fire for hours on end. Without the fire nearby, I would’ve looked ridiculous.

Before I began my time as publisher of the Reader, I had again moved back to Sandpoint and was doing odd jobs; working with contractor Ted Bowers — one of the saintliest men that ever walked this earth — and making ends meet the best I could.

Another way I earned money was logging for dead and fallen trees in the forests, stockpiling cordwood to season and sell in the fall. I had my old blue Chevy pickup, some winch cables and snatch blocks I borrowed from a buddy; my pawn shop Husqvarna 455 Rancher; and a hard hat I once

wore as a Halloween costume.

Off to the woods we rambled, me and that old truck, listening to books on tape by men dead and gone. Men who walked the earth and tapped into the bedrock of what it means to survive, to keep going.

I liked being in the woods every day. I liked the way the stream sounded different when I came back to the same spot a few days later, the hushed pause between gusts of wind in the canopy of trees overhead. I walked with saw on shoulder, scanning for dead tamaracks or red fir — or anything solid I could drag back to Old Blue.

Occasionally there would be a fallen tree still under a load, pinched on another tree nearby. This is when you realize the danger of cutting alone in the forest.

I’ve had trees spring the opposite direction, “barber chairs” that split up the trunk as you’re sawing and whip back at you. And the yarding of big logs with a winch hooked up to my 1980 Chevy was hard on me and the rig. Often the best maneuver was to hook into a tangle of downed trees and pull until something popped loose.

Sometimes I’d find a beauty 200 or 300 yards from my truck and out of reach from my cable. I’d buck it up into four-foot lengths to carry on each shoulder. I could later trim it into thirds and make firewood rounds. This was soul-punching work. Hours

would pass as I trudged logs over hill and dale, down gullies and splashing through streams to my waiting truck. Over and over again until the logs stacked higher than the cab. Then, I’d finish a jug of still-cool water, sharpen the saw and put away my implements for the day, trucking back into town listening to Charles Bukowski rant about something or other.

We all have our honey holes and preferred firewood gathering rituals. Some buy from small-outfit loggers who endure the same back-breaking work to make a short profit come fire season.

When you figure the gas it takes to drive to and from a gathering spot,

fuel and oil for the saw, constant wear and tear on your equipment and body — not to mention all the tools you’ll have to beg, borrow or buy to harvest wood more efficiently — it’s a genuine example of a labor of love. Whatever the person is asking for their cord of wood, remember the effort it took to bring it together for you.

I have electric heat now but long for the warmth of my daily fires of yore. Now, I live vicariously through friends who have wood-burning stoves. I see the orange glow from their windows as I huddle closer to the wall heater pushing more effortless, sterile heat at me. Sometimes I

get to help chop and stack their wood — wood I will not burn. And that’s OK, because I can still see the smoke coming from their chimneys, dancing in the winter night, mixing with all the other fires keeping our collective families warm. That’s enough for me, I suppose. Anything that puts me next to the wood again.

When I’m in the forest with a saw, a sandwich and nothing else to do, I feel connected to those pioneers of early Sandpoint — rough-and-ready men and women who were the backbone of the boom that drew the railroad to Sandpoint and jump-started this place into what we now call home. It’s unrecognizable from those stumptown days, but it’s still there, underneath all this progress. It’s still there inside us when the wind blows a reminder of the cold weather ahead. Working in the woods, with the wood, you’re tapping into the root of North Idaho — the marrow of our community’s bones.

To those who perhaps may have used this 28-page bundle of paper to help get your home fire burning, we salute you. We’re glad to be a small part of the warmth of your homes. Burn on.

Wounded in Vietnam, fifty years ago

Sandpoint vet shares his Purple Heart tale

By Jodi Rawson Reader Contributor

John “Doc” Ivy served five tours in Vietnam from 1966-1971. He was introduced in the Reader on May 23, 2017, as my beloved veteran neighbor. Today, at age 72, Doc is just “hanging in there” (his body has been ravaged from the effects of Agent Orange) and he has adamantly expressed that he doesn’t want another surgery. In this interview (recorded over Veterans’ Day weekend 2019) I asked Doc to take us specifically to that day in Vietnam, 50 years ago, when he nearly died. Here’s his story, in his own words.

It was a hellhole — rats like you wouldn’t believe. There were rats the size of small cats. One night I felt something pricking on my finger and a rat hopped off my bunk. I went down to the medic and said, “I got gnawed on by a rat, what are the chances of rabies?” and they answered, “In 21 days we will know if you got it.” I figured, “What the hell?” — I mean, we were getting hit two or three times a night with harassing mortar fire and whatnot.

In late summer of 1969, on a run back from Da Nang, I was riding shotgun in the front of the deuce-and-a-half [truck] and we had six guys in the back. We were probably a couple of miles from our camp, Firebase Bastogne, and I look out the window to the right and I see this puff of smoke. By the time I went to say, “Holy shhh...” an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] hit right behind the cab of the truck. It threw shrapnel through the back of the cab and peppered my right leg.

The round, when it hit, it hit the top of the gas tank but, fortunately, we had diesel in it so it didn’t explode — the RPG just opened it up like a can opener across the top. When it exploded, not only did it throw shrapnel up into the cab where I was, it threw shrapnel into the bed of the truck but there was a spare tire in there and the bell of the tire was such that the shrapnel actually got thrown back down by the spare tire. No-

body in the back was hurt.

When we got hit I felt my leg jerk. I didn’t feel anything but my leg jerk and I thought it was just a concussion thing. And then, of course, the RPG had blew out the fuel pump — just took that right out — and I tell the driver, “You just keep this thing going as far as we can go and pull over to the side of the road.”

We were receiving automatic weapons fire from both sides. The curious thing was that we had the canvas on the deuce-and-a-half, and not a single bullet hit the truck. These were NVA [North Vietnamese Army] regulars, no question about it, so how they missed our truck at roughly 50 yards beats the hell out of me. From what I could tell, there was

about 10 to 20 of them, but they didn’t rush us. I was concerned about that because the people I was with were all new and had never been in combat before.

When the truck finally stopped going I yelled at them [Doc’s squad] to get out of the truck — there was ditches alongside of the road and I said, “Half each side of the road.”

When I went to get out I noticed that my right pant leg was soaked in blood. I took my belt off, put it above the wounds and made a tourniquet. I tightened it down and then I stood in the middle of the damn road, like an idiot, with my Thompson submachine gun in my right hand, cursing them out and yelling, “Come on get me, you sons of bitches!”

After about 45 minutes a small convoy came along, headed towards Bastogne, and I said, “Do you mind if we hitch a ride, we just got hit?”

When I got back to the camp I reported into my C.O. [commanding officer] and I said, “Sir, we got caught in an NVA ambush. Everyone is OK except for me. I took shrapnel.” I was a squad section leader, and my platoon sergeant freaked. I mean he absolutely lost it.

They called in a medivac chopper for me and they flew me into the 90-30 vac in Da Nang. The curious thing about the setup of the helipad in Da Nang is that it is set up right between 90-30 vac hospital and Grey’s Registration [where the bodies were sent], so you could go either way off the chopper. Anyway, I get off the chopper and they didn’t even radio in that they were bringing wounded in, so when I got to the helipad there wasn’t any gurney to take me in.

So here I am, and I still got this tourniquet on my leg with my belt, I am holding my pants up, and I am dragging my right leg and leaving a trail of blood from the helipad into the hospital. The nurse took me right into surgery, gave me some kind of cocktail and I don’t remember nothing for the next two days.

When I woke up in the hospital I found out my calf was really shredded and they had to wire it back together. Of course the surgeon came by and pinned a Purple Heart on my pillow.

They kept me there for two weeks and they were going to send me to Japan. I said, “No, you just send me back to my unit.” It was driving me crazy laying around the damn hospital!

I reported back to my unit and they said, “You really shouldn’t be here; you need to be recuperating.” I said, “My people are here. This is where I need to be.” I knew people at the Pentagon if I needed to get my orders changed. I did that a couple of times.

These were guys that trusted me to take care of them, and in the end that was what it was all about — like family. If nothing else I can say that while I was there I never lost a man. I never had a man wounded — except for me.

Paint, sip and gift

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Paint and sip classes around town

’Tis the season of giving, which often means simply go ing to a store and buying some thing that your family member or friend may, or may not, need.

and paint an enchanting winter scene — with the guidance of a teacher — are $35 and available online at uncorkedpaint.com/events.

gosomeof Tues

Alternatively, a handmade gift — one created with the help of a nice glass of wine, maybe? — could be exactly what everyone on your list needs this holiday season. Sandpoint offers a plethora of opportunities to craft handmade gifts, particularly of the painted variety.

Aspiring artists and oenophiles alike can also enjoy a paint and sip event hosted by artist Holly Walker at the Pend d’Oreille Winery on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Participants will paint a snow globe scene. Tickets are $35 and include art supplies, instruction and a glass of wine. Call 208-265-8545 to make a reservation or sign up at the tasting room at 301 Cedar St.

One such chance comes Thursday, Dec. 12 when Uncorked Paint hosts the “Dressed in Gold” Holiday Paint and Sip Party at 6:30 p.m. in the Cedar Street Bistro and Wine Bar. Tickets to attend

Other businesses around town that specialize in helping people bring out their inner artist are the Lisa V. Maus Art Studio at 109 Main St. — which is hosting paint and sip classes throughout December — and the Pottery Bug at 819 Highway 2, Suite 103.

Hope Christmas Giving program seeking donations, volunteers

By Reader Staff

The Memorial Community Center in Hope will host its annual Christmas Giving Day on Saturday, Dec. 21.

This program provides food boxes and gifts for families in need. This program is completely funded by donations. To be eligible, families must reside between Pack River at State Highway 200 and the Montana-Idaho border. Family applications were due earlier in December, so now the community center’s focus has shifted to gathering donations and volunteers for the event.

Food boxes include everything a family needs for a holiday meal, as well as food items that have been donated during the MCC and Hope Elementary food drives. Each child receives an outfit, hat and gloves, and a toy or a

$6,000 to fund this program each year and our donations have been less than anticipated this year,” said MCC Executive Director Carolyn Speelmon, “so we hope that you will consider donating or volunteering your time to this wonderful program.”

The MCC team needs non-perishable food donations, medium-sized boxes — an example being the boxes that reams of paper come in — gifts for kids and adults and monetary donations. It costs about $60 to fund a food box and $90 to provide gifts for a family, bringing the total to sponsor a family’s Christmas to about $150.

Volunteers are also needed the day of the program to help set up, wrap gifts, fill food boxes and clean up.

“It costs approximately $5,000-

$25 gift card depending on their age. Children also get to pick out gifts for

People can drop off food or gift donations at MCC — located at 415 Wellington Place in Hope — Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Checks can also be mailed to MCC, P.O. Box 405, Hope, ID 83836. To

donate with a credit card, offer to volunteer, or to receive more information about the program, call MCC at 208264-5481.

The gift of song

holiday performances from local artists performing Friday, Dec. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 15.

P.O. Chorale and Orchestra and Selkirk Brass present

a weekend of holiday music

one in the community.

free classical music concerts twice a year for 25 years, led by conductors Mark and Caren Reiner.

about 15 years, with this particular lineup playing together for the past two years.

“We all humbly thank our community for their continued support, and also St. Joseph’s, the Seventh Day Adventist Academy, as well as the Gardenia Center for their generous giving of rehearsal and concert space,” the group wrote in a statement.

Oreille Chorale and Or chestra will present “A for Christmas and Orchestra and Selkirk

at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 601 S. Lincoln Ave. in Sandpoint. As always, the concerts are free and open to every-

Brass; Friday, Dec. 13; 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 15; 2 p.m.; FREE. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church 610 S. Lincoln Ave., 208-2633720, st-joseph-church.net. Call 208-263-0199 for more info.

The group will begin the evening with a welcome by the Selkirk Brass, playing traditional Christmas music. The chorale follows with five selections covering several centuries, including international carols and 20th century classical pieces. The second half of the program proceeds with a Mozart piano quintet, followed by the orchestral portion of the evening, featuring piecThe Nutcracker Suite. The concert will close with a Christmas composition for chorale and orchestra by conductor Mark Reiner.

This group of local singers and musicians have been presenting

Between chorale and orchestra shows, on Saturday, Dec. 14 catch Selkirk Brass in a free standalone performance at the First Presbyterian Church, 417 N. Fourth Ave.

The quintet of Mark Coburn on trombone, Bob Curran on tuba, Larry Hanna on french horn, Aryan Reiner on trumpet and Sandi Wilcox on baritone horn will play a slate of holiday favorites from 5-6 p.m.

Coburn said the group has been around in various iterations for

“We play all sorts of music; we play sacred music for churches or we can play classical marches, rags and jazz and show tunes — we’ve got a lot of different types of music available that we’ve got in our book,” Coburn said, though agreed that things definitely pick up for Selkirk Brass during the holiday season.

“We do have quite a bit going on,” he said.

Selkirk Brass Christmas

Saturday, Dec. 14; 5-6 p.m.; FREE. First Presbyterian Church, 417 N. Fourth Ave., 208-2632047, fpcsandpoint.org.

The group is scheduled to perform another selection of festive tunes Saturday, Dec. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m at the Cedar Street Bridge — coinciding with several visits from Santa, who will greet kids at the bridge 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every day from Dec. 21 until Christmas Eve.

‘Go home dancing’

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Entering the ornate ballroom of the Sandpoint Business and Events Center, it’s easy to feel like you weren’t just standing on the corner of Pine Street and Euclid Avenue — especially when the ballroom is dressed to the nines in holiday trappings. The people are also dressed to the nines: formal gowns and suits, children in their best party clothes. Mingling with the crowd are orchestra chamber members and dancers, soon to be center stage, working together to tell stories sure to delight people of all ages.

This was the vision of two local arts instructors, and it will come to life Saturday, Dec. 14 as This Christmas Night

has its inaugural showing.

“We want to create an experience — that’s the word we keep coming back to,” said Ruth Klinginsmith, director of Suzuki String Academy and co-organizer of the event. “You walk in and you’re just engulfed in this otherworld experience.”

This Christmas Night combines the dancing talent of students from Allegro Dance Studio with the musical prowess of students at the Suzuki String Academy.

This Christmas Night

Saturday, Dec. 14; matinee showing at 2 p.m., pre-gala and evening show at 6 p.m.; matinee $20, evening showing $35. Sandpoint Business and Events Center, 102 S. Euclid Ave., 208263-7770. Get tickets at the door and online at thischristmasnight.ticketleap.com. Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online.

“It’s a gift from us to the community showing them how talented their kids truly are,” said Allegro Director Paige MacDonald. The production was only an idea in the spring, but has since turned into a performance unlike anything Sandpoint has seen: local students of

Allegro Dance Studio and Suzuki String Academy team up to create This Christmas Night

both music and dance working together to encompass the “essence of Christmas,” as MacDonald described it. Old and new compositions combine to capture that essence, including elements of classic Christmas tales, like the sugar plum fairies of The Nutcracker. However, This Christmas Night is not The Nutcracker — it’s a production all its own.

“It is a great way to showcase our local students, to have them work toward something and polish something and have it at this level to share with others,” she said. “I just love the idea of having the live music and dance together. That excites me.”

The organizers named classically trained violinist and dancer Lindsey Stirling as a main point of inspiration for This Christmas Night. The way Stirling so innovatively combines music and dance influenced what MacDonald described as a “whimsical and interactive” production.

“The first rehearsal … was breathtaking,” MacDonald said.

The Jazzy Nutcracker:

Showcasing local students for two decades

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Where jazz hands and holiday cheer collide, you can find the Jazzy Nutcracker: A 20-year Sandpoint tradition brought to the community by Studio 1 Dance Academy. This year the performance is slated for Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Panida Theater.

Studio 1 Director Laurie Buck said her favorite part about the event is “seeing all of [her] students perform on stage, and their excitement as they advance and move into different roles in the performance each year.”

Children from 2 years old into their teens who take classes at Studio 1 take part in the Jazzy Nutcracker each year, making it a staple in many local performers’ childhoods. It’s also become a staple among seasonal perfor-

The Jazzy Nutcracker

mances in Sandpoint.

“It has become a holiday tradition where family can come to the theater and watch children from our community perform a fun version of a holiday classic,” Buck said.

“To feel the music — not out of a stereo, but to feel the music, and to now have [dancers and musicians] play off each other, it’s even new for me and Ruth. We haven’t gotten that too often in our own environments.”

This Christmas Night will have two showings, the first being a matinee at 2 p.m. While the matinee will feature only the production, the evening installment begins with a pre-gala at 6 p.m., featuring wine from The Longshot and desserts from Trinity. For the kiddos, there will be a hot cocoa bar, an ornament decorating station and the chance to have their photo taken with characters from the performance. The event is formal — something Sandpoint doesn’t see too often, and some-

thing the organizers are excited to facilitate.

A hand-painted violin will be auctioned off, with all proceeds supporting scholarships for Allegro and Suzuki students.

MacDonald and Klinginsmith emphasized that there won’t be a bad seat in the house at This Christmas Night, especially for the children in attendance.

“That’s how I’m looking at it — from a little girl’s perspective, who is dreaming of ballerinas,” MacDonald said. “She gets to dress up, she gets to meet the sugar plum fairies, have a fancy hot cocoa, gets to make a craft, and then gets to see these dancers and musicians [perform]. [She’s] going to go home dancing for weeks.”

POAC presents Eugene Ballet’s Nutcracker

Sold out Panida show features young local dancers

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The Eugene Ballet returns Wednesday, Dec. 18 to the Panida Theater for a sold-out performance of The Nutcracker featuring local student dancers.

Part of Pend Oreille Art Council’s 2019-2020 Performing Arts Series, Executive Director Hannah Combs said she’s heard from many families that the arts organization’s Nutcracker is a beloved annual family tradition.

Saturday, Dec. 14; 5:30 p.m.; $15 adult, $8 students, $5 kids. The Panida Theater, 300 N.First Ave., 208-263-9191, panida.org. Get tickets at panida.org, at the door or at Studio 1 Dance Academy, 521 Cedar St.

Studio will play the parts of baby mice, bon bons, angels and party children as the classic story of Clara in the Land of Sweets plays out onstage. Combs said seeing young performers enchanted by the event is what inspires POAC to bring the Nutcracker back each year.

“That’s why we try to keep it the most affordable Nutcracker performance around,” she said, “because we believe that every child should be able to experience the magic — onstage or from the audience.”

Local ballerinas of all ages who take classes at Allegro Dance

Eugene Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Wednesday, Dec. 18; 7 p.m.; SOLD OUT. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208-2639191, panida.org.

“Earlier in the afternoon, during the rehearsals, the professional dancers are still in legwarmers and everyone’s focused on getting their choreography perfected,” Combs said, “but everything changes when the show starts. The baby mice climb the back steps to the Panida stage, and that person who was just a grown-up dancer before is now a twinkling Sugar Plum Fairy. Their eyes get big with wonder, and the magic comes alive in that moment.” an see every perfect

Lastweek, I received a notification that my “Your Top Songs 2019” playlist was available on Spotify, which is my choice among music streaming services.

First, it’s important to note that I live and breathe Spotify. Almost every moment of my day is spent with the app, either listening to music while writing or streaming podcasts while I walk the dog. If any map of my year is most encompassing, it’s my Spotify year in review.

One of the coolest features of the personalized review package is the slideshow the app runs of your top artists for the year, how many hours you listened to them, which songs peaked during which months, etc.

To my surprise, the 2019 review also featured “Your Decade Wrapped.” I first signed up for Spotify as a sophomore in high school in 2012. My decade, wrapped, made me smile, cringe and ponder how much I’ve changed in the decade that I ultimately became an adult.

I noticed that despite my best efforts to believe I’m an ultra-alternative indie chick, I do my fair share of making sure pop music remains popular. I watched album covers flash across the screen, memories of dorm rooms and apartments of years past floating to the surface. I read about thousands of hours tallied — time I spent with musicians who I will never meet, but who have somehow become key figures in my personal growth.

When I look past the embarrassing frivolity of finding so much sentimentality in a smartphone app, I have to be grateful for Spotify’s review feature. As days, weeks and years go by with little intentional documentation, I know an integral part of me — the music that serves as the soundtrack to which I build my life — is logged indefinitely. That’s pretty cool.

Great guitar

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Every summit needs ambassadors and, look as you might, you’re not likely to find better artists to represent the beauty, complexity and possibilities of the guitar than Leon Atkinson; The Tonedevil Brothers, a.k.a. Anthony and David Powell; and Mike Johnson.

These four masters of the instrument will come together for a series of concerts billed as Friends of the Guitar Hour Presents: Christmas Guitar Summit.

The kick-off takes place Thursday, Dec. 19 at the Heartwood Center, 615 Oak St., at 7:30 p.m., followed by appearances at the Jacklin Arts Center in Post Falls on Friday, Dec. 10; Holy Names Music in Spokane on Saturday, Dec. 21; and the Pearl Theater in Bonners Ferry on Sunday, Dec. 22. All shows at $25 and kids are welcome.

The invitation for children to attend is especially apt, as headliner Leon Atkinson can trace the origins of his long and prestigious career to an experience he had as a 3-yearold, when his father brought him along to a performance by folkblues guitarist Josh White at the Apollo Theater in New York.

There, according to Guitar

Summit organizers, “a light went on in Leon and still shines bright today. Leon’s love for the guitar has guided his path through life.”

That’s no exaggeration — Atkinson went on to become one of the preeminent classical guitarists in the country. From his studies in guitar at the age of 8 at the Henry Street Settlement, he fell under the tutelage of Cuban classical guitarist Albert Valdes Blain. He also attended the High School of Performing Arts — inspiration behind the TV show Fame — and rose to performing for figures such as poet Langston Hughes and legendary guitarist Andres Segovia, who said upon hearing Atinkson perform, “It is easy to see that you love what you do, muy bonita.”

After his time in Spain with Segovia, Atkinson served as chair of the Guitar Department at Jersey City State College and taught classical guitar in the extension division of Manhattan School of Music. Atkinson had his debut at Town Hall, New York City in 1974 and, a year later, played Carnegie Hall.

His work since then has included Broadway shows and ballet; he started the Classical Guitar Guild after moving West and has performed with the Spokane Symphony; started the Guitar Departments at Whit-

It’s commonplace to see the names of local musicians Brian Jacobs, Chris Lynch and Meg Turner listed in the Reader calendar performing solo gigs or with a number of other projects. But when the three get together to play as the Red Blend Trio, it seems the best is brought out in each performer.

Jacobs is a seasoned guitarist while Lynch has long been known around town as magic on a keyboard. Turner has one of the most iconic voices around, moving seamlessly from genre to genre, giving each song its own personality. Red Blend plays a mix of soul, pop, blues and classics.

Christmas Guitar Summit features artists Leon Atkinson, Tonedevil Bros. and Mike Johnson

worth, Spokane Falls and North Idaho colleges; and heads the Guitar Department at Gonzaga University. Listeners to KPBX 91.1 Spokane Public Radio will be familiar with “Guitar Hour,” which Atkinson has long hosted on Thursdays from 11 a.m.-noon alongside Verne Windham.

Atop all that, Atkinson travels the world performing concerts and offering master classes to share his ever-brightly burning love for guitar.

As The Tonedevil Brothers, Sandpoint locals Anthony and David Powell have made their name as the best U.S. harp guitar manufacturer in more than a century. Their performances — conducted on their utterly unique instruments — combine original songs and arrangements drawn from the western swing, bluegrass, blues, singer-songwriter and Americana genres.

With Anthony on mandolin and vocals and David on the harp guitar, their “brotherly harmonies” mingle with a striking vintage sound that they have regularly brought to the International Harp Guitar Gathering and audiences throughout the

—

Lyndsie

Kiebert

5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-2658545, powine.com.

western U.S.

Friends of the Guitar Hour Presents: Christmas Guitar Summit

Thursday, Dec. 19; 7:30 p.m.; $25. Heartwood Center, 615 Oak St., 208-2638699, heartwoodsandpoint.com.

Mike Johnson started his professional musical journey at the age of 16, when he began his studies in classical composition and theory at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Later transitioning to jazz composition and theory at San Francisco State University, in 2007 he founded the 8 Legged Monster — a 10-piece jazz ensemble that routinely sold out shows in San Fran’s hottest jazz clubs. Drawing on his grounding in musical theory, Johnson accepted a commission from SF Jazz in 2010 to arrange and perform the work of iconic jazz composer Sun Ra, which he did to acclaim at the Amnesia Club. Johnson went on to form more ensembles, including the 14-piece RayBand in tribute to Ray Charles and the 16-piece big band San Francisco Jazz Orchestra. He has called Idaho home since 2016, lending his talents to the regional music scene. For more information on the Christmas Guitar Summit, visit xmasguitar. bpt.me.

Other White Meat, Dec. 13, MickDuff’s Beer Hall

There’s a type of magic that happens after a group has played music together for a certain amount of time. That magic is evident in Other White Meat, a classic rock band featuring Kyle Swaffard on vocals, bass and kazoo; Benny Baker on vocals and guitar; and Dana Peite on drums and percussion. This trio has been rocking North Idaho since the ’90s when they were opening for such acts as George Thorogood, Styx, REO Speedwagon, The Doobie Brothers, Ted Nugent, Rail and Cracker. Their authentic, rip-roaring sound fills your soul with all those old favorites you’ve known and loved for years. Lots of talent and heart in these three players. — Ben Olson

6:30-9:30 p.m., FREE, 21+. MickDuff’s Beer Hall, 220 Cedar St., 208-209-6700, mickduffs.com. Listen at facebook.com/otherwhitemeatmusic.

Blue suede tunes

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It’s clear from watching and listening to Ben Klein and the Rocketeers that this band truly enjoys what it does on stage. The sextuplet, comprised of players from Spokane and points throughout the Northwest, will take the main stage at the Panida Theater for one night only Monday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

You could say frontman Ben Klein has Elvis in his blood. Klein’s father, Randy, performed as an Elvis tribute artist before his son was even born.

“I was born in 1981 and my parents were always big fans of Elvis,” Klein said. “Until about 2002 I wasn’t a fan, mainly because I didn’t know the music.”

Then, one day, when he and his mom saw a picture of Elvis in the supermarket, she turned to him and said, “You know, you kind of look like him.”

That same year Klein bought his father an Elvis CD and ended up appropriating it for himself, subsequently falling in

love with the music.

“Elvis was so impacting on the music industry in general,” Klein said. “If you talk to a lot of artists — Aerosmith, Prince, Michael Jackson, the Beatles — I mean, Lennon and McCartney both said they wanted to play music because they saw him on The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Klein perfected his act and, in 2007, became a member of the elite E.P.E. Top Ten Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists in the World, placing in the top four in the Ultimate Contest. He has toured the country exhaustively with a tribute league called Legends in Concert, playing 84 shows in 117 days at one point, and also did two separate stints in the Norweigian Epic Cruise Ship.

While Klein does resemble the famed performer, his voice is his own, combining crooner sweetness with rockabilly growl.

Ben Klein and the Rocketeers

Monday, Dec. 30; 6:30 door, 7 p.m. show; $22 advance, $25 at the door. Panida Theater, 201 N.First Ave, 208-263-9191. Get tickets at panida.org., Eichardt’s Pub or at the door. Listen at benkleinrocks.com.

But the concert won’t just focus on Elvis, even though the first quarter of the show will be a tribute to some of The King’s greatest hits.

“We kind of do a musical journey through quite a

CobraJet, Dec. 14, Sandpoint Eagles 589

CobraJet doesn’t necessarily play metal, but the local band plays something beyond traditional hard rock. In the words of band member Terry Owens, CobraJet plays “super-hard rock,” inspired by the many evolutions the genre of has seen over the years.

Driving drums and face-melting guitar shreds characterize CobraJet’s original songs, making the band a high-energy staple of the Sandpoint music scene.

This no-cover night will also feature Heron, Mont.-based rockers High Treason Ammunition, Spokane’s Jacob Vanknowe and local guitarist Vance Bergeson.

— Lyndsie Kiebert

7 p.m., FREE, 21+. The Sandpoint Eagles, 1511 John Hudon Lane, 208-263-3514. Listen at facebook.com/cobrajetsandpoint.

few different styles,” Klein said. “We don’t necessarily play one style of music. We’ll play rockabilly, rock ’n’ roll, old hits, crooner tunes. Elvis was truly the guy who bridged the gap between black and white music of that day — the epitome of style at that time.”

Ben Klein and the Rocketeers bring rockabilly magic to the Panida

“The first set is a lot of what we call white rock ’n’ roll songs of that day” said lead guitar player Garrin Hertel. “Then the second set is stuff like Louis Jordan, who was the biggest name in black music in the 1950s, even bigger than Louis Armstrong. It was pre-rock ‘n’ roll with an R&B flavor to it. It’ll all come together at the end of the show.”

Most of the members of the Rocketeers have a jazz background, making it especially fun to work with them, Klein said. Joining Hertel is Dayan Kai on piano and lead guitar.

“We’ve been playing together for 15 years,” Hertel siad. “Dayan Kai, blind since birth, plays just about every instrument known to man at a level you can perform

with. He’s absurdly good — kind of a savant. Olivia Brownlee is a singer-songwriter playing upright bass. … Andy Bennett is on drums and he’s been playing in area jazz and rock bands the last 20 years. Robet Folie is on tenor sax, he grew up in Seattle playing at Jazz Alley and upstate New York in various big bands.”

Expect a little bit of all your old favorites on Dec. 30 with this 1950s-style rock band, including Elvis, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash, with occasional crooner tunes from Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the end of the holidays in style.

KRFY Fundraiser, Marty Perron and Doug Bond, Dec. 18, Idaho Pour Authority

What better way to raise funds for KRFY 88.5 FM Panhandle Community Radio than listening to live music by one of Sandpoint’s favorite local duos?

Marty Perron and Doug Bond have played music together for a long time in Sandpoint. The acoustic pair — with Perron on guitar and Bond on mandolin — perform a thoughtful mix of originals and covers from some of your favorite Americana, folk and rock artists. They cover everything from classics to contemporary, so there’s a little bit for everyone.

This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone

READ

No one has summarized the broader implications of The Festival at Sandpoint gun band lawsuit better than BuzzFeed Senior Culture Writer Anne Helen Petersen. Her 7,000+word piece, “The Fight to Bear Arms,” published Nov. 22 at buzzfeednews.com, is simultaneously an all-encompassing overview and compelling deep dive with implications far beyond our little town with big issues.

LISTEN

Payette Brewing will have beer on tap from 5-8 p.m., plus there will be silent auction items, raffle prizes and complimentary appetizers, so listen up while helping KRFY raise some funds.

— Ben Olson

5-8 p.m., FREE, 21+. Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar St., 208597-7096, idahopourauthority.com. More info at krfy.org.

Tom Waits — he of the gravel-throated carnival bark, the puckish experimenter of gypsyfied rock, blues, poetry and prose — turned 70 on Dec. 7. It’s the perfect time to pay homage to his inimitable oeuvre, as an all-female lineup has done on the brand-new album Come On Up to The House: Women Sing Waits. Patty Griffin, Aimee Mann, Rosanne Cash and more highlight the melody and lyrical brilliance of this national treasure.

WATCH

It’s risky business for any artist when a particular work is declared their “masterpiece.” So it’s been with Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, which recently premiered on Netflix. Bringing together Joe Pesci, Robert Deniro and Al Pacino, it’s a gangster flick unlike any other — upending themes of memory, loyalty and the nature of evil in a sprawling quasi-historical portrait of the mid-20th century. Masterpiece? Not quite, but a hell of a thing to watch.

From Northern Idaho News, Dec. 12, 1907

COUNTY BUYS HUNT’S PLACE FOR POOR FARM

A deal was consummated by the county commissioners yesterday which will meet with the approbation of all our citizens. The four-acre tract of land, on which stands the fine new two story brick structure, and all the other buildings and improvements, have been purchased for a county poor farm from Mr. Hunt, near the Great Northern station. An additional tract of land of twenty acres has been purchased which adjoins this, making a fine home for the county’s poor. This land has a fine lake, and other water sufficient in volume to irrigate the tract. Electric lighting wires are already on the place, and the purchase price of this was secured at a very low figure, only $4,200.00 - about what the improvements would cost, getting the land practically free.

Our new county has been sadly in need of such a home, and of course its addition to the wealth of Sandpoint suits us all right, who are interested in the county seat town.

Another thing done by the commissioners this week is worthy of note and praise. A petition signed by a large number of the residents of Priest River and community was presented to the board yesterday, in which they ask for a county free ferry to be operated across Priest river at that place. The town agrees to cooperate with the county in roads and other improvements leading up to the ferry on either side of the river. The construction and placing of the ferry was ordered by the commissioners.

I’d like to see a guy tap-dancing so fast his legs actually broke, because it would finally establish a “tap barrier,” and we could move on from there. Crossword

cat’s paw /KATS-paw/

CROSSWORD

Week of the

[noun]

1. A person used to serve the purposes of another; tool.

“These people are just using you as a cat’s paw, man!”

Corrections: In the Dec. 5 issue, the article about the planning decision at Sandpoint City Council cited the date of the council meeting as Dec. 3 when it was actually Dec. 4.Apologies for the mistake. -ZH Also, Lyndsie Kiebert wrote the Jack Frost Fest story, not Ben Olson. There he goes, taking credit for his staffers’ work again. Jerk. -BO ... One more: The editor’s note for a letter the previous week was accidentally inserted below David Phillips’ letter. This was an error. Apologies. -ZH

1.Concatenation

6.Twin sister of Ares

10.Hairdo

14.France’s longest river

15.Hindu princess

16.Baby’s bed

17.Unmerited

19.An abandoned calf

20.Excrements

21.Fury

22.Trailer trucks

23.Scrimp

25.Donnybrook

26.Away from the wind

30.Hidden

32.Gibbet

35.Accounts inspector

39.Ancient ascetic

40.Creation

41.Peculiar

43.The combining power of atoms

44.Chief ingredient in ketchup

46.In ict

47.A tart fruit

50.Anagram of “Exams”

53.Smell

54.Diminish

55.Sheepskin

60.Bristle

61.Criminal

63.Send forth

64.Midmonth date

Solution on page 26

65.Closes

66.Not in danger

67.Be worthy of

68.Raise

1.Hint

2.___ Kong

3.Adjutant

4.Angers

5.Homes for birds

6.Mistake

7.Gorge

8.Resistance to change

9.On the left or right

10.Recognized

11.Physically weak

12.Chain of hills

13.Overweight

18.“Dig in!”

24.Old World vine

25.Award

26.Mimics

27.Speech disorder

28.If not

29.Voters

31.Roman moon

goddess

33.Scallion

34.500 sheets

36.Melody

37.Killer whale

38.Bobbin

42.A fast Brazilian dance

43.___ populi

45.Pill

47.Fails to win

48.Swelling under the skin

49.Recurring theme

51.F

52.Gash

54.Arab chieftain

56.Re ected sound

57.Decorative case

58.Camp beds

59.At one time (archaic)

62.East southeast