Reader_December31_2025_V2

The week in random review

By Zach Hagadone, Reader Staff

Blessed be the em dash

So many things have been taken from us by bad actors in public life: red hats, red ties and blue suits, for example. Almost every time I go on social media, I’m slammed with lists of things I shouldn’t do anymore. To test this feeling, I just logged into Facebook and the first thing I saw was a warning that smoking weed can be harmful to your teeth, so don’t do it (I reckon sugar and getting socked in the mouth are worse, but whatever). Three posts down, I saw “facts about men with no friends,” the presumption being “don’t do those things” that add up to “facts.” Further down on the feed were things I shouldn’t eat, things I shouldn’t drink, things I shouldn’t wear, etc. Most recently, I’ve been getting told not to use em dashes — which is one of those things to the left of these words. The reason being that chatbots have an affinity for that form of punctuation, and using it makes your writing look like it was generated by AI. While I’m gratified that as a society we’re now “AI-shaming” certain styles and forms of text, preservation of the em dash is a hill I will gladly die on, and even lob artillery shells from atop. I’ve been a devotee of the em dash for the entirety of my writing life — all of which has been spent as an editor/reporter, including time as an Associated Press staffer. As such, the AP Stylebook has literally served as my Bible, and it defines the em dash as “used to signal abrupt change; as one option to set off a series within a phrase; before attribution to an author or composer in some formats; after datelines; and to start lists.” Further, AP style — by which I’ve lived since at least the end of the Clinton administration — stipulates that it is to be used with “a space on both sides ... in all uses except the start of sports agate summaries.” Fun fact: “An em dash is approximately the width of a capital letter M in the typeface being used.” So sayeth the AP. Merriam-Webster, which is like the NIV to the KJV of the AP, rules that the em dash serves the same purpose as a comma, colon or parenthesis, though has more versatility in that it can indicate “an abrupt change or break in the structure of a sentence” — like, if a speaker or writer is interrupted midthought. All this is to say: Screw ChatGPT or whatever stupid chatbot that people are using to do their thinking and writing for them; I’ll be keeping my em dashes, thank you very much. And rest assured, we only use homegrown, free-range, grass-fed and wholly human-created em dashes in the Reader Perfection is the enemy of the good

Ahead of the new year, the BBC published a helpful guide to resolutions — specifically, how to make them meaningful, rather than “pressure statements.” Mainly, it boils down to being as specific as possible. Don’t just say you’re going to “be a better you”; find identifiable, actionable goals that don’t spiral into existential oblivion and inevitable abandonment by the middle of January. Most useful, the psychological experts consulted by the BBC advised against including the words “always” and “never” in your resolutions. Rather, leave yourself some wiggle room because — of course — you’re only human and, as the article stated, “persistence matters more than perfection.” Good luck!

READER DEAR READERS,

As is our custom, the three yahoos who create the Reader each week have gazed into our crystal balls for this edition to make some predictions for the year ahead. We’re no soothsayers, but we do pay attention to this dumb world a little too closely, so our predictions come with a hope that not all of them will come true in 2026 — if they do, we’re all going to have a tough year.

But enough of that doom and gloom. It has been a pleasure serving you with 53 editions in 2025, and we look forward to releasing this dose of “local arts, entertainment, bluster and some news” each and every week in 2026. We wish you all (yep, even you) a prosperous year ahead.

Don’t forget to send your 208 Fiction submissions before the deadline at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 2. Also, don’t forget to be kind to one another. Everyone needs a little bit of kindness in their world. Happy new year!

–Ben Olson, publisher

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

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community.

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please.

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We welcome letters to the editor on all relevant topics. Please, no more than 200 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic.

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About the Cover:

This week’s cover photograph was taken by Ron Bedford during the latest cold snap. Thanks, Ron.

BOCC undoes Dec. 4 vote, requests legal clarification on Fair Board duties

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

The Bonner County board of commissioners held a special meeting Dec. 30 with members of the Bonner County Fair Board, aiming to clarify each party’s respective duties regarding the fairgrounds’ property, events and staff. After a marathon four-hour meeting, which drew ample public participation, the commissioners did not make any decisions regarding the division of authority, but did choose to undo a Dec. 4 vote regarding oversight of the fair manager.

The new motion, which passed 2-1, instructed the manager to report to the Fair Board, rewriting previous instruction to Bonner County Human Resources to revise job descriptions to clarify the manager reported to the BOCC only. Though Chair Brian Domke did not agree that the Dec. 4 vote had to be rescinded, as it was based on legal advice, he ultimately agreed to “revert the prior decision so that we can have a clean starting point — after we have a written legal opinion — to move forward from.” At the request of Commissioner Asia Williams, he further resolved to draft a request to the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office seeking a legal opinion on the division of powers between the BOCC and Fair Board.

The Dec. 30 meeting drew more than 40 attendees, speaking to a series of controversies that began in November. Fairgrounds Bookkeeper Jennifer Wyman and Fair Board Treasurer Staci McBrayer, who took over for former-Treasurer Samantha Schmidt that month, presented preliminary findings to the BOCC regarding “incorrect” information in the fair’s Fiscal Year 2024 financial reporting. Prior to their investigation, Schmidt had resigned and returned what was apparently her final $5,000 paycheck, which neither she nor the board

could verify she was owed, as she had been operating without a contract for months. Wyman later uncovered that books under Schmidt’s purview had contained errors such as “negatives on our accounts payable” and “large amounts on our accounts receivable,” and that “every check number is incorrect.

Following those findings, the BOCC held a public meeting with legal counsel Dec. 4 at the request of Bonner County Human Resources Director Jonathan Holmgren, who argued that the county was “at risk regarding employee relations and employment practices.”

“It is my professional opinion, as the human resources director, that the county Fair Board has been operating beyond the scope of its responsibility for some time and has veered into the lane of responsibility that belongs to the BOCC under Idaho Code Section 31-807,” Holmgren said Dec. 4.

“This has resulted in the Fair Board thinking that they employ the county fairgrounds personnel and can direct their work,” he added, arguing that because the county hires and pays those wages, they are county — not Fair Board — employees.

Both Domke and Nate Adams, of the Prosecutor’s Office, later clarified that the alleged overreach was the fault of the county, not the Fair Board, and that both entities had been operating within the bounds of state statute. Over the years, the BOCC has delegated additional powers to the Fair Board that are not explicitly stated in statute, as is its right, Adams said.

At the Dec. 4 meeting, Domke and Commissioner Ron Korn voted to clarify the Fair Board’s powers going forward and instruct staff to rewrite fairgrounds personnel’s job descriptions, especially the fair manager, to indicate that they reported to the BOCC and not the Fair Board. Williams, who was absent

for the Dec. 4 meeting, voiced her opposition to the proceedings at the Dec. 9 regular business meeting and alleged that the previous vote had violated Idaho Open Meeting Law due to the vague language of the meeting notice. Prosecutor Louis Marshall found that the notice was sufficient; and, while Williams disagreed, she did not pursue the matter further.

The topic came up again at the Dec. 23 regular business meeting, at which time Korn announced Fair Board Chairman Tim Mahan had resigned. Mahan handed in his resignation before a scheduled “vote of confidence” at the Dec. 22 Fair Board meeting.

In response to requests from Fair Board members, Williams called on the BOCC to vote Dec. 23 on whether to require that Holmgren issue a public retraction of his Dec. 4 statements.

“Some feel like the language used was not appropriate, and it was not correct,” said Williams. “Although Nate Adams, in the same meeting, corrected the statements that were made, what was published and stated in the meeting is being asked to be retracted.”

“For the record, I would like legal clarification on the definition of ‘retraction,’” said Holmgren. “This sounds like an elected official — or group of elected officials — are directing a county employee to lie or state an untruth or a falsehood, which is illegal and unethical.”

Korn and Domke voted 2-1 against the motion, arguing that Adams’ and Domke’s clarifying statements during and after the Dec. 4 meeting were satisfactory.

The Dec. 30 meeting opened with a similar debate, with Adams opposing Korn’s memorandums for the meeting and arguing that they implied the county and Fair Board had acted contrary to statute.

The memorandum for Item No. 2 states: “I believe that the County has abused the mem-

bers of the Fair Board in the past by overtasking them with responsibilities that should not have been theirs to bear.”

Korn clarified that it was not his intention to imply wrongdoing, but that he believed the BOCC had delegated too many powers to the Fair Board over the years.

“I don’t always have a very well talent of articulating what’s in my head to paper,” said Korn, later adding, “I’m not pointing the finger at the Fair Board — they’re doing exactly as they’ve been told to over the past decades.”

In the first — and only — agenda item discussed Dec. 30, Korn proposed limiting the scope of the Fair Board’s oversight to the fair, rodeo and 4-H horse show. Domke questioned whether the commissioners had the power to limit the Fair Board’s oversight, considering that while the BOCC can allocate powers to the board, it is a quasi-autonomous organization under state statute. He specifically cited Idaho Code 22-204 and 207, which gives the Fair Board “care and custody of all property belonging to the county and used for fair purposes,” and stipulates that money earned from the county fair is retained by the Fair Board, not allocated to the county expense fund.

“I’m reading this to say that the board of county commissioners actually doesn’t have oversight — doesn’t have the ability to delegate that — because it’s actually being given to the Fair Board by statute,” said Domke, later adding, “Foundationally, I don’t even know if I really understand how we should be reading that statute at this time, because as I keep reviewing it again and again, there’s a lack of clarity.”

Robert Able, of the Prosecutor’s Office, conceded that Idaho Code Title 22 is “not written very well,” but clarified that though statute gives the Fair Board control over money earned from the fair, it does not give it a right to

profits from other events on the property. That distinction is complicated by the fact that the county has tasked the Fair Board with year-round maintenance of the fairgrounds.

“What I’m hearing is that, because Bonner County chose to form a fair board, by statute, certain duties of authority were statutorily granted to the Fair Board when it comes to the management and oversight of certain county property and funds associated with the fair,” said Domke.

He then asked if the BOCC has the authority to give “clear, written expectations to the Fair Board about certain things that have to do with, say, facilities, financial processes, things of that nature.” According to Williams, previous legal opinions have indicated that the BOCC can make requests of the Fair Board, but not demands.

Domke then motioned to request that legal counsel give a written opinion “indicating a summary of the duties and responsibilities of both boards,” emphasizing where the duties diverge.

During the lengthy public comment section, members of the Fair Board — including McBrayer — requested that the commissioners place the board in charge of fairgrounds personnel. As the fair does not currently have the budget to pay staff, the county would still pay employee wages; they would simply report and receive instructions from the Fair Board.

Holmgren raised concerns with the proposal because it would potentially create an employee-employer relationship between the volunteer board and Bonner County employees. He requested that the Prosecutor’s Office provide a legal opinion “concerning the definition of the employment relationship, as defined under U.S. federal law, because that will provide the framework for fairgrounds personnel moving forward.”

Ballot questions on abortion in Missouri, Idaho likely to spur more legal fights

By Kelcie Mosely-Morris News From the States

While there will be far fewer ballot initiatives affecting abortion access in the 2026 midterm elections than there were in the previous national election, two in Republican-led states could be consequential.

About 51% of Missouri voters approved an amendment to the state constitution in November 2024 that added a right to reproductive health care, including abortion up to fetal viability, overturning the state’s near-total abortion ban. In the year since, access has largely remained unrestored, and Republican lawmakers sent another amendment to the 2026 ballot that would undo the new protections. If approved by voters, the measure would reinstate the abortion ban with few exceptions and also ban gender-affirming care for minors.

There are now several court cases about other laws on the books making access nearly impossible to restore. There

have also been legal battles over misleading and inaccurate language in the ballot question.

In early December, an appeals court reworded it, because the judges determined the original version did not sufficiently inform voters that a “yes” vote would mean repealing the right to an abortion.

“With bills filed already threatening prosecution against providers and patients, it is crucial that Missourians know they are being asked to end the protections for reproductive health care that we just passed in the last general election,” Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said in a statement.

The back-and-forth has created a fractured reproductive health care network in Missouri, where abortion care is inconsistently available, forcing most people to continue traveling out of state for care. Similar scenarios could transpire in Idaho if voters approve a citizen-drafted law restoring access to abortion and protecting reproductive

health care procedures like IVF. Idaho also has a Republican supermajority legislature, and an attorney general who has repeatedly expressed a commitment to keeping Idaho’s near-total abortion ban intact, even as doctors leave the state and care vanishes from rural areas.

Idahoans United for Women and Families has been leading the initiative and gathering signatures for months. The group said in late November that it had collected more than 50,000 signatures of the 71,000 needed by the end of April to make the ballot.

“There is no allowance in Idaho’s current law for the health of the mother, for the future fertility of the mother, for a fatal fetal diagnosis that is incompatible with life,” said lead organizer Melanie Folwell in a statement. “None of that is covered in Idaho’s extreme ban. And that’s why we need to fix it.”

Idaho has been at the center of a debate over whether states with bans are required to perform an abortion un-

der the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act , or EMTALA, a federal law mandating stabilizing treatment for patients who come to the emergency room of most hospitals. At one point, while that subject was debated, Idaho’s largest hospital airlifted six patients to nearby states because the legality of terminating a pregnancy in an emergency was uncertain. A new lawsuit between that hospital system and the state attorney general’s office is still underway. Since Idaho does not allow citizens to amend the Constitution, Idaho legislators could easily repeal the law, though organizers have said they plan to continue the fight and run another referendum if that happens.

Nevada, Virginia questions would reaffirm existing rights Nevada voters will be asked to vote again on a right to abortion initiative that passed overwhelmingly in 2024, because state law requires a constitutional amendment to appear on the ballot twice

in even-numbered election years before it can take effect. Abortion is legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks, with exceptions after that point to preserve the pregnant person’s health or life. More than 64% of Nevada voters approved the ballot question in 2024.

In Virginia in 2025, the lawmakers referred a constitutional amendment question to voters establishing the right to reproductive freedom, but the newly elected delegation will need to reaffirm that intention in the upcoming legislative session for it to appear on the 2026 ballot. Since Democrats hold a majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, it is expected to move forward.

The midterm elections will take place Nov. 3 nationwide.

This story was originally produced by News From The States, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network that includes the Idaho Capital Sun, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Navy takes delivery of future USS Idaho submarine

By Reader Staff

The USS Idaho Commissioning Committee announced earlier in December that the Virginia Class, nuclear-powered fast attack submarine bearing the state’s name has been delivered to the U.S. Navy.

“This is the last major milestone prior to commissioning, which we anticipate will take place in the spring of 2026,” the commission stated.

The future USS Idaho and its crew are undergoing testing in Groton, Conn. Once training exercises have been completed and the ship is certified for all its potential missions, it will have an estimated service life of more than 30 years.

“Idaho represents the hard work and tenacity of ship-

builders, industry partners and Navy personnel to deliver the best undersea warfighting platform to the fleet,” stated Capt. Mike Hollenbach, Virginia Class submarine program manager. “With each delivery, the Navy reinforces our nation’s superiority in the maritime domain.”

Built by General Dynamics Electric Boat, the future USS Idaho will be the 26th Virginia Class submarine co-produced by GDEB and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding through a longstanding agreement.

When it joins the fleet, USS Idaho will be the fifth Navy ship to be named for the Gem State. The first was a wooden-hulled storeship commissioned in 1866. The last was battleship BB 42, which was commissioned in 1919 and received seven battle stars

for service in World War II.

According to a news release from the Navy, the future USS Idaho will feature en-

Idaho’s replica Liberty Bell to be restored for America250 celebration

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun

Idaho state officials voted Dec. 19 to pay to refurbish the replica Liberty Bell on display on the front steps of the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

The America250 in Idaho Advisory Council voted to authorize spending up to $28,500 to restore the replica Liberty Bell in conjunction with the America250 celebration 2026. Idaho’s bell is a replica of the original Liberty Bell that rang outside of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Idaho’s bell serves as a symbol of the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago, officials said.

Officials will also seek private fundraising for the project, and any leftover funds available after donations will be reverted back to the America250 in Idaho Advisory Council.

Idaho received the bell in the 1950s, Idaho State Historical Society Executive Director Janet Gallimore said.

Plans call for cleaning and repairing the bell, fabricating a new wooden housing and adding additional protective metal at the top and bottom, Gallimore said.

The America250 in Idaho Advisory Council is planning and promoting celebrations across the state for July 4, 2026 to honor the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Advisory council members said refurbishing Idaho’s replica Liberty Bell as part of the America250 in Idaho celebration is a way to protect the bell and celebrate America’s history.

The bell was previously restored in 2009 and 2018, Gallimore said.

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

Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

The New York Times recently interviewed senators who have left Congress, with their key reasons being other lawmakers’ retreat from responsibility, Congress being “broken,” threats from the president, “political nastiness” and violence.

President Donald Trump’s double-digit taxes on imports have disrupted almost every country, the Associated Press reported. The tariffs have raised $236 billion for the U.S. Treasury (through November), though that’s only a fraction of the federal government’s total revenue. It’s also not enough for tariffs revenues to replace federal income taxes, which Trump claimed would happen. U.S. tariffs on goods from China are at 47.5%, causing the value of their goods to fall 25%. However, the value of goods from Mexico, Taiwan and Vietnam grew.

Despite efforts by CBS’s new head to quash the release of 60 Minutes reporting on the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador — where the Trump administration sent immigrants without due process — it can still be viewed elsewhere online. The story’s reporter said it was screened five times and cleared by attorneys, and therefore felt pulling it was a political, not editorial, decision.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that CBS’ hiring of Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who killed the story, was a way to emphasize the network’s Trump ties and attain a favorable outcome for pending Paramount-Warner dealings.

Venezuelan migrants sent to El Salvador from the U.S. are seeking justice after a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must give them due process, the AP reported. In a U.S.-brokered prison exchange, the Venezuelans sent to CECOT were returned to their home countries. The men say they were physically and psychologically tortured at CECOT. Venezuela’s vice minister of foreign affairs said their government is preparing a major lawsuit against Trump and the U.S., so that “they truly acknowledge all the crimes they have committed” against the 252 deported men.

Trump administration Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently told Fox News that immigrants bring problems that span generations. But new research studying a century of millions of immigrants shows the opposite: descendants of immigrants are models of upward mobility — not unlike the offspring of Miller’s own immigrant ancestor, who came from Belarus in

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor

1903 with just $8. His descendants owned supermarket chains and discount stores. The new study came from Princeton, Stanford and UC Davis.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said former top CDC officials will lead a public health collaboration in his state, meant to counter the retreat from science by the Trump administration’s current CDC and strengthen public health offerings at the state, national and global levels.

According to Yahoo Finance, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accumulates about $321 million per day, or $8 million an hour. However, 25% of his warehouse workers rely on food benefits, Patriotic Millionaires reported. A RAND study showed close to $79 trillion slid from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1% since the late 1970s.

The deregulation price tag: Trump’s repeals of environmental and energy regulations are estimated to cost the public more than $150 billion a year, according to the Institute for Policy Integrity.

Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has found more than 1 million additional documents “potentially tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” which will delay the process of their full release.

The documents that have been released so far bear frequently heavy redactions, though according to The Guardian, some of them can be undone with hacks. Finally, ABC News reported that Bill Clinton has called on the Justice Department to release all the files, including those related to the former-president and his past association with Epstein. Observers describe the move by Clinton as calling Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s “bluff.”

The AP reported that a federal judge recently ruled the Trump administration must release disaster relief money that had been reallocated away from states that refused to comply with a range of immigration enforcement policies. The holdbacks were primarily targeted at states run by Democratic leaders.

Also according to the AP, the White House made public a list of 37 donors to Trump’s $300 million ballroom, including crypto billionaires, sports team owners, powerful financiers, tech and tobacco giants, media companies and Trump neighbors in Florida. Some donors, however, didn’t want to be publicly named.

Blast from the past: “Where law ends, tyranny begins.” — Carved into the Department of Justice’s limestone façade.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

Thirteen magical nights

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

It is said there is a stretch of time — 13 nights — beginning at the winter solstice, when the veil between worlds is the thinnest. It’s a time for mortal beings to reflect, to make amends for what has passed and to harness the nearness of the spiritual realm to call in a new year with intention. These nights go by many names, rooted in Germanic, Celtic, and Norse traditions: “Rauhnächte,” “The Thirteen Magical Nights” and “Twelfthtide” — each evoking the dark, cold (and often wild) nature of winter.

I learned about them on Instagram (I figured I’d come clean before you were impressed with my knowledge of folklore).

On said occasion, a woman’s face filled my screen above the handle @thatglassgowwitch. She sat before a crackling wood stove, green frames reflecting warm light. In a soft Scottish lilt, she invited viewers to walk The Thirteen Magical Nights with her through a ritual of wishes. The practice was simple: write 13 intentions as statements of fact for the year ahead.

“These represent the life you are calling in for next year as though it has already happened,” she explained. “For the first 12 nights, after the sun has set, you select one to burn — without reading it. They are offered unseen, with trust. You burn them gently, knowing that what carries you forward does not need an explanation. The intention is release.

“Then on the 13th night, the second of January, you read the final intention,” she said. “This one stays. This is

for you to tend. A touchstone for the year ahead — something to return to when you feel lost, tired or unsure which direction to take. It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about trust, and showing up to the dark with care.”

Now, I can acknowledge that this might sound dangerously close to “manifesting” — a slippery neighbor to drinking raw milk while yelling at your naturopath for suggesting you take the flu vaccine (the nerve!). Still, there is something undeniably useful about naming the kind of life you want and getting specific about how you might arrive there. Call it clarity. Call it purpose. Call it intention. Call it manifesting, if you must. At its core, it’s simply a practice of paying attention.

So I heeded @thatglassgowwitch and wrote down my 13 wishes as though they were already true. And even though we’re past the solstice, I thought I’d share them here — in case they offer a spark of inspiration or permission or a gentle nudge for anyone else stepping into the new year with intention:

I lead my life with a spirit of generosity — of time, resources and kindness. I do not keep score. I trust in my abil-

ity to make the world better through small, selfless acts.

I participate regularly in aspects of community that are meaningful and sustaining. I support people and organizations that create connection, gathering and kinship — and I seek opportunities to create my own.

I engage with social media cautiously and with intention. I honor my boundaries and discern when it deepens connection and when it erodes it. I take breaks when needed and return with clarity and self-control.

I keep a consistent writing practice and expand the ways I create and share my work. I take myself seriously as a writer and dedicate time, energy and resources to deepening my craft.

I embrace the excitement of a picked-up hobby (embroidery and mending) and the joy of being bad at something new. I extend the life of garments through playfulness, patience and repair.

I prioritize learning, using and engaging with the Spanish language. I seek meaningful opportunities to expand my fluency and confidence in speaking.

I am mentally strong, grounded and peaceful. I dedicate energy to building resilience through reading, learning and therapy. I experiment with strategies to support myself through stress, anxiety and unprocessed grief.

I am grateful for my body, and I treat it with kindness and respect every day. I prioritize strength, endurance and care over appearance, and refocus judgment on love.

I think of myself as an artist. I make time and space for creating, lean into familiar mediums and explore new

ones with curiosity rather than judgment.

I put myself out into the world in a visual way — sharing work, performing, being seen — even when it feels uncomfortable.

I deepen my connection to cooking, using food as a way to nourish myself and cultivate connection with others. I expand my skills through curiosity and repetition.

I seek experiences that exist solely for joy and play. I do this alone and with friends, without justification or productivity attached.

Finally: I let go of what no longer serves me — habits, expectations, versions of myself — to make room for what does.

I don’t know which wish will be mine to tend this year. But I offer it (and the rest) to you, as we move through the darkness together and walk, slowly and imperfectly, toward the ever-growing light.

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.

Bouquets:

• The Reader received numerous thoughtful cards and donations over the holiday season. The latest batch came from the following supporters: Kirsten Thompson and Thomas Collins, Brenda and Terry Cooper, Kate and Steven Walton, Nancy Foster Renk and Tom Renk, Donald Gay, Jack and Colleen Filipowski, Karen Seashore and Tom Tillisch, Camile McKitrick, Nancy Miller, Thomas Ruthenberg, Susan Olson and last, but certainly not least, Pam and Malcolm Kinney, who are always so generous with their support of the Reader We appreciate all of our supporters, advertisers and readers who help keep this newspaper vibrant. Thank you all.

• I also want to single out a few people who don’t often receive the recognition they deserve: our columnists and regular contributors. As many of you know, the Reader is a shoestring outfit that somehow continues to survive despite the fact that newspapers have shuttered at an alarming rate the past decade or two. One main reason we persist isn’t our good looks and personality, but our ability to operate on next to nothing. That, unfortunately, means that we don’t have the ability to pay writers and photographers for their contributions to our paper. I wish we could and someday, we might, but for now, the following people continue to offer their work free of charge for all of you to enjoy: Racheal Baker, Brenden Bobby, Bill Borders, Karley Coleman, Sandy Compton, Emily Erickson, Lorraine H. Marie, Marcia Pilgeram, Woods Wheatcroft, all the many contributors to our “Photos of the Week” page and anyone I may have forgotten. We love you all and are fortunate to have your words/ photos in our humble rag.

‘Humans have become a problem with their dogs’…

Dear editor, I love dogs. I’ve had many in my 60-plus years on this earth. Yet I have to agree with Zach in his article “Man Bites Back at Dogs” [Dec. 24, 2025] that humans have become a problem with their dogs.

In the past couple decades, I’ve noticed people have started bringing their dogs almost everywhere in public spaces: grocery stores, restaurants, bars, shops and outdoor public events. Some of these places, with uncrowded outdoor settings, are OK. But food stores and restaurants? No. I don’t want dogs around places where they could try to eat the food or possibly contaminate it. In shops with merchandise, a dog could relieve itself on the products. And the thing I really hate to see is a dog being dragged around crowded farmers’ markets and outdoor craft shows, especially on hot days. They never look like they want to be there and the owners aren’t paying much attention to them. And how many of us have witnessed a dog fight in a public place?

So please, dog lovers, do us and your dog a favor. Leave your dog at home or in a suitable environment away from crowds and public establishments. We’d all be better off.

Judy York Sandpoint

‘Keep the public in public lands’…

Dear editor,

U.S. Rep. Fulcher, R-Idaho, reveals disdain for public land in his Dec. 8 press release. Federal control of Idaho’s public lands, he avers, challenges the state’s autonomy. He proposes transferring all national land to the state. This tired idea threatens the integrity of the lands Idaho citizens have vigorously defended time after time.

Fulcher implies that the costs of managing public lands can be carried on Idaho’s broad fiscal shoulders. Yet Idaho projects an $40 million budget deficit. He suggests leases on timber, grazing and mining are profitable, but those activities require subsidies from U.S. taxpayers now.

Here’s what doesn’t require subsidies: In 2023, outdoor recreation activities represented 3.3% of Idaho’s GDP.

Fulcher knowingly supported the OBBB and DOGE’s actions. The resultant loss of thousands of positions in the Department of the

Interior severely impacts forest management, fire prevention, trail maintenance, wildlife oversight and, obviously, outdoor recreation.

Fulcher knows Idaho can’t afford to manage these public lands. Inevitably, our public lands would be recolonized by those with extravagant wealth. Fulcher’s marketplace treatment of public land is a very bad idea. A good idea: restore the Department of the Interior and fix what’s broken.

Lex de Fremery Sandpoint

A few thoughts… on ‘A Few Thoughts’…

Dear editor,

I would like to thank Sandy Compton for his well-written perspective on gratitude in the Dec. 24 Reader [“A few thoughts… On the blessings we enjoy”].

Knowing Sandy feels the tentacles of the dark side, his reflection on the many attributes we should all be thankful for is meaningful!

Steve Klatt Sagle

Save Medicaid expansion to save Idaho money…

Dear editor,

The Idaho DOGE task force (an illegitimate committee) recommended repealing Medicaid expansion because it will “bankrupt the state.”

Costs of Medicaid expansion in Idaho: $1.157 billion. Federal government pays: $872.0 million. Providers and other dedicated funds: $188.5 million. Idaho General Fund dollars: $84.4 million (7.3% of total). Hospitals: $12.5 million.

The Legislature reduced the state’s General Fund revenue by $453 million — over five times what Medicaid expansion costs Idaho taxpayers.

Uninsured people go to emergency rooms. The cost doesn’t go away. It shifts to rural hospitals, county budgets, small businesses and taxpayers. Medicaid expansion supports more than 9,000 Idaho jobs, and helps working people stay healthy enough to show up for work and take care of their families. It directly benefits about 90,000 Idahoans. If you multiply that number by four or five to include the people it indirectly benefits (about 400,000 people), that’s the spouses, children, friends, coworkers and neighbors who spend their time and money helping close the gap in medical coverage for the

people they care about. Vote in November for candidates who support Medicaid expansion to keep Idaho healthy, keep our hospital open and save money.

Nancy Gerth Sagle

2025 BY THE NUMBERS

Dear editor, Regarding what happened in 2025 and those you have lost, here’s just a mere mention of the passing of Larry Fury — the writer of many, many letters to the editor — and, of course, one of the born-and-raisedhere gang. He wrote many letters to you and the Daily Bee, most of them about Sandpoint and our nation, and other opinions he had. He stood up for what he believed.

I met Larry when he came to see his mother at what was called the Sandpoint Manor. He lost his father on the railroad tracks out by Baldy, I think, and then his brother in Montana. He also did some artwork, one of which I have and that is similar to Dark Shadows, as he was a fan.

I know I will miss his letters, whether I agreed with him or not.

Cis Gors Kootenai

‘Disingenuous Deerfield’… Remembering Larry Fury…

Dear editor, Commissioners gave the approval for the Deerfield subdivision on Baldy Mt. Road. The impact that this will have on the neighbors was not a consideration, although the area of impact was lifted by the city thus leaving future road and utilities unavailable.

The developers, Fred Darnel and Rick Howarth, have pushed through the 22, one-acre lot plan with subsurface septic systems on clay soils. These lots drain to Chuck Slough and to Lake Pend Oreille.

Howarth, who recently was voted off the Sandpoint City Council, was appointed to the council by Sandpoint Mayor Grimm in 2024. In his acceptance statement, he said the main environmental issue facing Sandpoint was treating the runoff running into Lake Pend Oreille. He also said he wanted to leave a lasting legacy for his daughters.

Greed again has raised its ugly head to impose development on another’s neighbors.

His legacy will be remembered for his disingenuous nature.

Richard Macdonald

Bonner County resident and Deerfield neighbor

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

36%

The approval rating of President Donald Trump in December 2025, a second-term low, according to Gallup. The only point Trump’s approval rating was lower was in 2021, after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol when it reached 34%. Breaking down the numbers according to partisan sources, Trump’s approval rating is marked at 84% for Republicans, 25% for Independents and 3% for Democrats.

405

The number of mass shootings in the U.S. during 2025, as of press time, according to the Gun Violence Archive. A mass shooting is defined as a single outburst of violence in which four or more people are shot. That number has decreased for the first time since the pandemic. Mass shootings per year in the U.S.: 504 (2024); 660 (2023); 644 (2022); 690 (2021); 610 (2020). Mass shootings in 2025 in countries other than the U.S.: France (9); Germany (3); Italy (4); U.K. (3); Australia (2); Japan (0); South Korea (0).

9.4%

The decline in international tourism arrivals to the U.S. in 2025, according to Tourism Economics. This number accounts for tourists, business travelers and immigrants. The group indicated the decline was due to several factors, and said rising prices for inbound non-immigrant tourist visas ($250) could deter more tourists from planning to visit in the future, along with negative reactions to U.S. politics. Canadians accounted for the largest decline in visitors in 2025, with visits by automo< see NUMBERS, Page 9 >

A more complete picture of GLP-1 medications In response to ‘Mad About Science’

By Jim McCabe Reader Contributor

I cringed at Brenden Bobby’s “Mad about Science” column on Ozempic in the Dec. 18 edition of the Reader. While it contained some factual information, it missed critical marks about what this new class of drugs really represents and read as alarmist rather than balanced health journalism.

The article raises legitimate concerns: Hollywood vanity culture, prohibitive costs and side effects that deserve serious consideration. These are valid points worth discussing.

But let’s address what it got wrong — and what it dangerously omitted.

The Gila monster myth and ‘vanity’ problem

The claim that semaglutide “mimics a compound from Gila monster venom” is doubly misleading. Having learned about these lizards, I find this framing absurd. Unlike rattlesnakes, Gila monsters don’t inject venom — they chew while venom flows along grooved teeth through capillary action, a primitive defensive mechanism.

More importantly, semaglutide isn’t “lizard venom.”

Researchers studied exendin-4 from that venom to understand GLP-1 function, but semaglutide is a synthetic analog of human GLP-1 hormone — our own biochemistry, created in a lab. The framing makes it sound like patients are injecting reptile derivatives. They’re not.

Meanwhile, dismissing weight loss as “vanity” reveals misunderstanding of obesity as a chronic disease affecting over 40% of American adults. This brings life-threatening complications: heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.

Obesity isn’t simple willpower. Genetics, hormones, metabolism, food environment and underlying conditions all play roles. Some people face genuine difficulty losing weight despite best efforts, often while battling serious health challenges obesity creates.

Responsible prescription should include exercise and lifestyle modifications. But here’s the inconvenient truth: exercise alone isn’t the silver bullet we’ve been told. The modern diet — heavily processed, calorie-dense, nutritionally poor — has created a food environment our bodies weren’t designed to handle.

< NUMBERS, con’t from Page 8 > bers, but a new plan proposed by Trump may further deter would-be tourists. Under Trump’s plan, visitors from 42 countries that benefit from visa-free travel would now have to provide five years of social media history; emails they have used for the past 10 years; phone numbers and addresses of immediate family members; and, in some cases, even DNA samples and biometrics like fingerprints, as well as face and iris scans.

bile dropping about 37% and commercial air travel from Canada dropping by about 26% in July, compared to the previous year. According to Statistics Canada, more Americans visited Canada than the other way around — the first time in 20 years that has occurred. AP News reported the lack of Canadian visitors could cost American hospitality companies upward of $2 billion. The U.S. is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico in 2026, which should boost tourism num-

You can’t exercise your way out of systemic metabolic dysfunction any more than a diabetic can jog away insulin resistance.

What the article didn’t tell you

The column completely ignores breakthrough findings extending far beyond weight loss, including:

• Cardiovascular benefits — Clinical trials show significant reductions in heart attack and stroke risk—benefits persisting even after accounting for weight loss;

• Anti-inflammatory effects — Research demonstrates reduced inflammatory markers through mechanisms independent of metabolic changes, explaining benefits in liver disease, kidney disease, and potentially Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s;

• Addiction research — Emerging studies show promise for alcohol and substance use disorders, with early trials showing 40% reductions in cravings and representing a potential breakthrough for conditions with limited treatment options.

The article also frames semaglutide as a “lifelong commitment” with absolute certainty, but reality is more nuanced. For some,

ment after Trump’s numerous pardons in 2025. Some of Trump’s most controversial pardons include:

• Almost 1,600 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021;

• Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance who helped boost the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company;

these medications serve as stepping stones to healthier weight where maintenance becomes achievable. Others need ongoing treatment, often at smaller maintenance doses costing significantly less. The $1,000-per-month figure doesn’t account for this.

The landscape is evolving rapidly. Legitimate compounded versions run $200$400/month — there’s a critical difference between accredited compounding pharmacies and “seedy circles on the internet.” Oral formulations are in development, and increased competition will drive costs down.

Then there’s the thyroid cancer scare. The warning about thyroid tumors comes from rodent studies lacking important context. Lab rats developed tumors at doses far exceeding human levels — and rodents have different thyroid biology. Current human data hasn’t shown this risk materializing. Should we monitor? Absolutely. Present as imminent danger? Irresponsible.

Finally, the article blames wealthy people for shortages without discussing manufacturing capacity, regulatory constraints or pandemic disruptions. Shortages happen for complex reasons. Framing it as rich people stealing from

more than $44,000 to his campaign over a period of months using credit cards belonging to contributors who were unaware;

diabetics oversimplifies reality and stigmatizes people seeking treatment for legitimate chronic disease. In our community, anyone who could significantly benefit from GLP-1s might be deterred from exploring the option.

A balanced view

GLP-1 agonists represent genuine breakthroughs in treating obesity and metabolic disease. Like any medication, they come with risks, costs and limitations. They’re not magic, not right for everyone and shouldn’t replace lifestyle changes where possible.

But for many struggling with obesity — people who’ve tried everything, whose health is deteriorating — these medications offer hope where little existed before. Dismissing that as vanity or using alarmist framing does real harm.

We can have honest conversations about access, cost and appropriate use without stigma or scare tactics. Anyone considering these medications should consult their doctor and make informed decisions based on individual health. That’s responsible medicine. Not hysteria.

Jim McCabe is a local technology professional and all-around curious guy.

$1.3 billion

The amount of lost restitution to the U.S. govern-

• George Santos, who was convicted of laundering campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, illegally claiming unemployment benefits while he was employed and charging

• Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who was convicted on drug-trafficking and firearms charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison for helping cocaine traffickers move more than 400 tons of narcotics into the U.S.;

• Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV stars who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion;

• Tina Peters, former

Mesa County, Colo. elections clerk serving a nineyear state prison sentence for orchestrating a data-breach scheme to advance fraud claims related to the 2020 election (though Trump’s pardon has not yet been recognized since Peters’ charges are state charges);

• Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace who was serving a life sentence for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering.

Science: Mad about

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

The internet is a little bit like the Wild West. There are a lot of rules out there, but a lot of folks don’t really follow them. Most people are just showing up to do their thing, checking their emails, watching a funny cat video, maybe setting up a shop and doing remote business. Then there are the lawless kind who go about causing havoc.

Instead of shooting up saloons and kidnapping people to throw onto train tracks, these criminals want your personal information and financials; and, sometimes, their tactics can be really sneaky and advanced — at least to most people using the internet.

The line of what is really bad behavior can be difficult to accurately define on the internet. Malware, short for “malicious software,” is used by cybercriminals to gain access to or harm a computer system in some way. Interestingly, quite a bit of what malware accomplishes has also been adopted by legitimate entities to perform virtually identical actions. One of the major differences between an international cybercriminal and a multinational conglomerate collecting your data and selling it to the highest bidder is that you likely consented to the conglomerate performing this action — likely without even knowing what you were consenting to.

Who reads the “terms of service,” anyway? I just want my clicky game!

There’s lots of different kinds of malware out there, and many ways it’s introduced to a computer system or network. In the early 2000s, the term “malware” hadn’t quite entered the public lexicon and most casual inter-

malware

net users simply referred to malware as computer viruses. Many people today will still use this colloquialism, but in actuality a virus is a type of malware. A computer virus is a piece of code that will inject replications of itself into other programs and files on a computer. Its primary purpose is to spread like a biological virus. Often, the only purpose of this is to be a nuisance and slow down a computer’s operating system by eating up all its resources, but it can be used in conjunction with other software to create something that is extremely difficult to remove from a system. It’s a bit like playing whack-a-mole with computer code.

One of the most common types of malware seen in my profession is scareware. Library patrons using the public computers will often encounter scareware when browsing websites. Scareware uses pop-up advertisements to frighten a user into clicking on something, making them believe they’ve done something wrong and need to click on the seemingly legitimate prompt to fix it. This prompt actually injects malware into the system and makes the problem much worse.

Pro tip: If you’re afraid of clicking on anything, press ALT+F4 to close the window. These are usually just fullscreen pop-ups prone to being closed by this hot key. Also don’t go back to that website — it has either been compromised or the owners are in on the scam.

A common result of this kind of software is a browser hijack. If you’ve noticed your search engine doesn’t default to something you recognize or your browser’s homepage is now some strange website you’ve never visited, this is a browser hijack. These are

usually very easily remedied if you’re able to navigate to a legitimate search engine and look up the instructions for removing it. It’s usually just an automated process that changes your browser settings either as part of a software bundle or malware.

This often serves the secondary purpose of navigating you toward more malware, particularly spyware that sits on your system and collects your information. This can be anything from your browsing history and habits to sensitive information like passwords or even financial information that is then taken by criminals and sold online.

Many legitimate companies do this regularly, though there are certain parameters they aren’t allowed to break. It’s often built into a program’s terms of service to allow a company to collect your browsing information and web habits, which are then bundled up into big bulk data collections these companies sell to advertisers. Targeted ads feel like a violation of privacy because they are. Often, we’ve unknowingly consented to this violation, because what are we going to do, not listen to free music?

Of course, these companies have your financial information, too. Selling this information would not be good for building consumer trust, however, so they often won’t sell it. But they store it, and that makes them susceptible to phishing scams. Phishing is when a cybercriminal will pose as a legitimate resource from or for a major company with the intention of scamming them out of information. This may come as a threatening phone call or an urgent email with a link or attachment that will compromise a user’s system.

You’ve likely seen a phish-

ing scam in some form, and you’ve maybe even been on the receiving end of one.

There may be times when you have tried to log onto your banking website, and the spiral of doom just keeps spinning forever. Eventually, it times out and you get frustrated because that parking ticket you got just doubled in the time it took to load your bank info. Major websites and services may be crashed by a dedicated denial of service, or DDOS attack. This is when a huge number of computers all try to

access a single point at once, effectively forming a massive and overwhelming queue that bogs down the computer. The catch is, these aren’t actual users racing to get concert tickets, they’re computers with malware that have been infected across the world acting in unison called a botnet, and your computer could be contributing to the DDOS.

Good internet safety starts with good digital hygiene. Don’t click on links you don’t trust and be wary of strangers.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner

•Greenland is the world’s largest island and more than 80% of it is covered by the ice cap and glaciers. It recognizes itself as a self-governing, autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland got its name from Erik the Red, an Icelandic Viking who was exiled to the island for murder in the late-10th century C.E. He called it “Greenland” in hopes that the name would attract settlers

•The main sources of income in Greenland come from sealing, whaling, fishing and hunting. It also has a growing income derived from tourism, as well as some mining.

•Temperatures in Greenland reach as low as -58° Fahrenheit and summer temperatures rarely exceed 60° F.

•Historians believe the first humans arrived in Greenland about 2500 B.C.E. The settlers apparently died out and were succeeded by several other groups of migrants from North America. The Inuit, or Kalaallit, migrated there from Asia in the 13th century and their genetic lineage survives to this day —

most Inuit Greenland ers are their direct descendants. Today, Inuits make up 88% of Greenland’s population.

•There are no roads or railway systems that connect settlements to one another in Greenland. There are roads within towns, but they end at the outskirts. Travel between towns is undertaken by plane, boat, helicopter, snowmobile or dogsled.

•It appears President Donald Trump hasn’t given up his desire to “take” Greenland for “national security” reasons. In December, Trump named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland, prompting swift protests from Copenhagen: “You cannot annex another country ... Not even with an argument about international security,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in a joint statement. “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland.”

Medicaid expansion cuts threaten access to care for everyone

By Hillarie Matlock Reader Contributor

People without health insurance are human and they still get sick. When they get very sick, they go to emergency rooms, like everyone else. Without Medicaid expansion, the cost of their care falls on the hospitals. Doctors make lots of money, so that’s fine, right? Wrong. Most hospitals are nonprofits, and rural hospitals are running on a shoestring budget. It’s no secret that Idaho is experiencing significant health care worker shortages. When funding for health care gets cut, Idaho loses medical professionals.

The issue

The Idaho Legislature may consider ending Medicaid Expansion in 2026, which covers roughly 90,000 people in Idaho. This is despite legislation that was passed as a compromise to ending the program — legislation that hasn’t even taken effect yet. When Medicaid expansion started, the Legislature did

away with the old way of funding indigent medical care through the county and state programs. If cut, there are no options for Idahoans who lose their coverage.

If Medicaid expansion ends, it would recreate a coverage gap, meaning Idahoans that make up to 100% of the federal poverty line ($15,650 for an individual) would not qualify for Medicaid or a tax credit on the state-based exchange that makes health insurance affordable for low-income families.

Who pays their medical bills when they get sick? The rural hospitals that cannot legally nor morally deny an ill

person care — until that rural hospital is so overwhelmed that it’s forced to close its doors, ultimately resulting in longer drives to get an emergency room in Idaho’s massive state, which covers 44 counties and stretches across more than 83,000 square miles. How far do you want to drive to get to an E.R. doctor?

The return on investment

Why else should we keep Medicaid expansion? The return on investment is indisputable. For every $1 of state investment, Idaho receives $9 in federal investment. By keeping Medicaid expansion in place, Idaho sees approximately $1 billion invested into the health care economy.

In Idaho’s Fiscal Year 2025, Medicaid expansion only accounted for 1.6% of General Fund expenditures. Medicaid is also the largest payer for behavioral health services in Idaho, with one in three on Medicaid expansion having a mental illness. Because of Medicaid expansion, we can receive a

90/10% match from the federal government to cover new moms who qualify for Medicaid during the 12 months postpartum, saving state dollars. Idaho currently covers approximately 30% of births through Medicaid.

The economic benefits

Let’s talk money. Medicaid expansion has created a massive benefit to our economy. For every federal dollar invested in Medicaid, Idaho sees an increase in $1.82 in gross economic activity. For FY ’25, that equates to approximately $1.587 billion dollars invested in our economy. Medicaid expansion produces an additional 9,362 jobs throughout the state, and more than $35 million in general fund revenue and $12 million in property taxes generated annually as a result of expansion.

It’s time we acknowledged the role that Medicaid plays in our health care infrastructure and economy. In no other industry would we consider taking away $1 billion out of our

infrastructure that provides this level of economic benefit. Repealing Medicaid expansion is a step backward that leaves Idahoans in a worse place than they were in 2018, when Idaho voters passed the initiative by a ballot measure with 61% of the vote.

At least then there were indigent funds available that, while imperfect, helped prevent shifting the cost burden to hospitals and taxpayers’ private insurance company premiums.

Medicaid expansion is simply something Idaho cannot afford to lose. We call on the Idaho Legislature and Gov. Brad Little to protect Medicaid expansion.

Hillarie Matlock is a policy director and has been working in health policy with Idaho Voices for Children for more than eight years. She leads the largest health advocacy network for children and families in Idaho, focused on policies that improve health outcomes. She graduated with honors from Boise State University.

Idaho built our schools to lift kids up, Trump is pulling the rug out

By Lauren Necochea Reader Contributor

Idaho is building community schools because they work. This evidence-based model is linked to better attendance, fewer disciplinary problems and stronger academic outcomes. But now the Trump regime has canceled the grant Idaho schools earned to expand community schools across our state.

When a family is facing eviction, when a job loss means there’s no money for school clothes or when the grocery budget doesn’t stretch to the end of the month, kids feel that stress every day. It shows up in the classroom and it shows up in learning. Community schools help schools respond early, not after a student falls behind. They con-

nect families to trusted local nonprofits, bring parents into their children’s education and expand learning opportunities.

The United Way of Treasure Valley runs the grant on the ground and helps districts staff the program. The funding supports about 60 full-time community school coordinators in 47 mostly rural schools. These coordinators connect families to food assistance, health care, mental health support and after-school programs.

So why end it?

Because the Trump regime is using the same wrecking-ball approach to education we have seen all year. It is hollowing out the U.S. Department of Education and ending programs communities rely on. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk delayed federal school funding until Democratic attorneys general sued and 10 Republican U.S. senators demanded the money be released. Neither of Idaho’s senators signed that letter.

In a pathetic attempt to justify cutting off community schools, the regime is waving around a few words in old grant paperwork about diversity, equity and inclusion — the far-right’s favorite boogeyman. Here is the impact: In American Falls, community

school coordinators expanded preschool access, after-school learning, mental health services and workforce partnerships. Superintendent Randy Jensen said the district relied on more than $1 million a year from this grant and is scrambling to salvage a fraction of what they built.

In the Moscow School District, two full-time community school coordinator positions will be eliminated. The district’s Family HUB, which has provided essentials like clothing, school supplies, books, toiletries and referrals to community help, is in serious jeopardy. Enrichment learning experiences are being cut, and health support hours are being reduced.

The United Way of Treasure Valley is appealing the decision. Superintendents and

trustees are speaking out for the kids they serve.

What’s missing is leadership from our elected officials. Gov. Brad Little and Idaho’s Republican legislative leaders have yet to publicly condemn the decision. Idaho’s congressional delegation could pressure the Department of Education to restore funding, back the appeal and fight for the districts they represent. Instead, they stay quiet.

Let’s elect leaders who believe supporting kids matters and who are not afraid to say so.

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

FOOD & DRINK

Classic canapes for an old-school New Year’s

Spoiler alert: stock up on white bread

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

When I’m in a pinch for entertaining, I reach for my trusty Old Mr. Boston De Luxe Official Bartender’s Guide, fifth edition, published in 1941. As the inside cover promises: “Wherein are solved the mysteries of mixed drinks.” That may be true, but there’s so much more “wherein” — including a delightfully dated full-color spread on hors d’oeuvres and canapes.

This year, as I prepare to put on a spread for New Year’s Eve, I’m inviting Old Mr. Boston to be my guide on festive old-school eats to say farewell to 2025 and welcome 2026. I’m also inviting Reader readers to consider the below selections (some more dubious than others) for their own tables.

Regardless of whether you plan to party with Old Mr. Boston, here’s to a happy new year.

Roquefort cheese canapes

Not for the lactose intolerant, this recipe calls for 1 3-ounce package of cream cheese mashed and combined with 1 ¼-ounce of Roquefort. I suppose other blue cheese varieties might also do the job, but Roquefort is known as the “the king of cheeses” or “cheese of kings,” so it’s probably best to pay proper obeisance.

Add 2 teaspoons of finely chopped onion, a dash of salt and “enough cream to moisten,” as the good book says. Mix it all together and pile the cheesy result on 12 toasted and buttered bread circles, then top with little circle-cut pimentos “in petal fashion.”

Rolled crab meat sandwiches

Slightly more complex than the Roquefort cheese canapes, this crabby sammy is one I’ll definitely try. First, mix together 1 cup of flaked (cooked, of course) crab meat with ¼ cup pickle relish, a dash each of salt and pepper, and ¼ cup mayonnaise.

Next, decrust 12 pieces of thinsliced bread (I’m guessing some kind of white bread, because this recipe comes straight from 1941) and spread each with butter and the crab-pickle-mayo combo.

Roll the bread and filling “as for jelly roll,” and tuck watercress sprigs under the outside edge. If you don’t

want to hunt for watercress, arugula is generally regarded as the best substitute.

Finally, fasten each roll with a toothpick, wrap them in waxed paper and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Smoked salmon canapes

It’s hard to go wrong with smoked salmon, and there’s something about it that always feels festive. For this recipe, Old Mr. Boston says to blend ¼ cup of softened butter with ½ tsp of fine-chopped chives and a further 2 tablespoons of fine-chopped celery.

Meanwhile, cut 12 pieces of buttered and/or toasted bread into star shapes — this is wholly unnecessary, but we’re having a party so go for it —

and cover each with the buttery chiveand-celery spread.

Next, cut or arrange your salmon into the same shape as the bread and put it on top of each piece. Finally, sprinkle fine-cut parsley along the edges and that’s a canape.

Anchovy canapes

OK, now we’re getting into “dubious” culinary territory. Anchovies are among the most divisive fish, but they’re packed with omega-3s that benefit heart and brain health, while also reducing cancer risk (provided they’re not also packed with mercury or salted to oblivion, so pick your anchovies carefully). If you simply can’t abide anchovies, it’s perfectly permissible to go with sardines. If you hate

sardines, too, well, then maybe don’t make this canape.

Anyway, begin by mashing up 3 oz of cream cheese, then stir in 1 tsp of lemon juice, ½ tsp of chopped parsley and (as with the Roquefort canape) “enough cream to moisten.”

Get out your 12 pieces of buttered and/or toasted bread and cut off the crusts. People in the ’40s really didn’t seem to like crust.

Cover the resulting crustless rectangles with the aforementioned spread and arrange the fish in rows alternating with pimento strips.

Broiled bacon appetizers

While many of the above recipes might look a little foreign to contemporary snack platters, I’ve seen this one — or variations of it — at many get-togethers in my lifetime.

Begin by wrapping strips of bacon around whatever you want to serve. Old Mr. Boston suggests whole cooked shrimp, halved apricots, stuffed olives, cocktail sausages, pickled onions and even cooked pitted prunes (no thanks, Doc).

Stick a toothpick through each little bacon bite to secure them, then pop them in the oven to broil until crispy.

Chicken and carrot canapes

At last, I hesitate to loose this recipe on the world, as it has been safely forgotten in the pages of Old Mr. Boston for more than 80 years. Yet, out of pure, morbid curiosity I’ll present it here.

Start with ½ cup of finely ground, cooked chicken and add a dash of salt, followed by dashes of lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.

Combine that with 1 Tbsp of chopped sweet pickle and 4 Tbsp of mayo, then mix it all together.

Yet again, get 12 pieces of buttered and/or toasted bread and cut them into diamond shapes (also, again, totally unnecessary), then cover with the spread.

You’ll then line the edges of each piece of bread with shredded and salted carrots, then drop a ¼ tsp dollop of mayo in the centers as “garnish.”

Could this be good? I don’t know, and I’m not sure I want to find out. However, after enough bubbly, you never know what might happen.

Top right: Aaron Olson and photographer Jenn Witte show off their copy of the Sandpoint Reader while taking the Amtrak back to California after visiting for the holiday season. “Look closely and maybe you can see who won every round of Hot Dice,” Witte wrote. We’re betting it was Witte herself who won Hot Dice, which is also known as 10,000 or Farkle.

Middle left: “Dark and threatening skies over the town,” wrote photographer Scott McLongstreet after taking a photo of a crane in downtown Sandpoint on Dec. 21.

Bottom left: Pack River near the Highway 200 bridge on a rainy December day. Photo by Ron Bedford.

Bottom right: “When the Dufort Mall decorated their free table for Christmas, I joked that Santa needed to make an appearance there,” wrote photographer Rick Price. “After all, it is the most sincere mall around. I kept my eyes open looking for him on future trips but never saw him. But what to my wondering eyes should appear [Dec. 26] the Grinch was there in all his hairy green glory. he was not stuffing Christmas up the chimney, but spreading cheer. He assured me that his heart has already grown three sizes. Merry Christmas to all!”

FEATURE

2026 year in preview

What could be in the coming year

By Reader Staff

While it may be a fool’s errand to predict the future, we’ve been doing it at the Reader every year since 2020 — getting some things right, or at least half right, and just as many wrong (or half wrong). Well, here we are again as the calendar turns on yet another year; and, by way of introduction, we will say that our first prediction for 2025 fell closer to the “right” side of things than “half right” and that was: “we’ll be happier if we don’t expect to be too happy over the next 12 months.”

We reckon that one will hold up for 2026, too. And with that dour prognostication, we present our best guesses about the shape of the coming year on a range of select topics.

Ben’s predictions

Chaos will continue

The American philosopher Abraham Kaplan once said, “Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.” My personal twist to that statement: “If you’re standing in a toilet, everything smells like shit.”

Well, we have been forced to stand in the proverbial toilet for years now, waiting for someone to flush it and bring some relief. It ain’t coming soon, folks, so I suppose we might as well just learn to love the smell of Big Brother’s McOfferings.

The whipsaw first year of President Donald Trump’s second term has continued with the usual chaotic nature of his governance, but this time turned up to 11. My prediction is that this chaos agenda will continue, and Trump will further erode longheld norms and rely on his preferred form of fascist oligarchism to run the country. The tariffs, the bullying, the systematic deplatforming of his perceived “enemies” and executive orders will continue unfettered.

Trump will continue to strike targets in the Caribbean. He’ll wage illegal wars against Venezuela. He’ll continue to pursue “taking” Greenland and the Panama Canal, even if those are just red herrings to cover up more nefarious actions taking place in secret. He’ll continue sending ICE and

the National Guard into American cities, blatantly defying court orders and laws while doing so, dragging people off the street and disappearing them and no one will attempt to stop him. And he’ll continue to personally profit off the presidency. That isn’t a prediction — it’s a certainty.

As more CEOs, corporations and billionaires become dependent on Trump’s favor, they’ll continue to acquiesce to his wants. I wouldn’t even doubt if they finally gave him a Nobel Peace Prize after he’s whined about it for longer than many readers of this paper have even been alive.

God help us all.

A Supreme Court Justice will retire Clarence Thomas will be 78 next year and Samuel Alito will be 76. If our republic is still able to hold free and fair elections in 2028 (more on that later), the chances of a Democrat elected president grow with every disastrous decision coming from the wanna-be king. With midterms possibly ushering in a House majority for Democrats and Trump’s unchecked power finally given a leash, 2026 will be a year when Republicans cling to their grasp on power however they can, laws and decency be damned. Democrats will continue to fill their breeches with fear dumps and send strongly-worded letters of admonition, further proving their total ineffectiveness.

Economic showdown

To almost everyone’s surprise, the American economy is proving more resilient than many expected it to be. That’s mostly because there are still some stalwarts defying the continuous pressure from above to bend to the orange toad’s bidding. However, when Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is replaced in May — most certainly by a Trump lackey — that’s going to be the real test. The politicization of the Fed could trigger a market showdown, and if there’s anything the market doesn’t like it’s uncertainty. With the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of government, the Fed and more of the media controlled with a ham fist by Trump, the dykes defending against such surges of unilateral power will

begin to break and we could be in for a world of economic hurt.

Epstein who?

In the waning months of 2025, as millions of court-mandated released documents prove that a sick group of oligarchs participated in sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s disgusting proclivities, it seemed like there might finally be some sort of accountability in the offing. Think again, bud. The year ahead will prove that these ultra-wealthy perverts will get away with it all, because nothing will come of it. The prevailing opinion will become, “Epstein who?” and we’ll all just go on with our lives, knowing that those who hold the reins of power are some of the worst human beings to walk this earth.

Midterms will be very important

The 2026 midterms will likely be a disaster for Trump, so expect him to find any possible way to cancel them. My guess is that he’ll either get us embroiled in a war or claim that widespread protests represent some kind of uprising, so he’ll attempt to declare martial law and suspend elections until 2028. Whether or not this works is murky, but it’s clear that we all need to get out and vote in 2026 in this all-too-important election.

Final thoughts

This is now Trump’s world. We’re all just living in it. Though history will paint his administration as the worst to plague our country for all of history, there are still too many cowards elevating his words and actions as divinity to claw back any form of decency in government for many years. It will get worse before it gets better. Buckle up, folks. It’s going to be a bumpy ride, and some of us will not make it.

Zach’s predictions Statehouse crock

In the infamous — though sort of perceptive — words of late-Defense Secretary and full-time Skeletor Donald Rumsfeld: “there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.” That’s as good a theme as any

for approaching what might transpire at the Idaho Legislature when its 2026 session begins on Monday, Jan. 12.

What we know we know is that Idaho’s tottering budget will be the overarching concern of lawmakers on both sides of the lopsided aisle. One major “known unknown” is just how big the unprecedented deficit will be.

As of mid-December, analysts put the projected shortfall for the end of FY’26 at $40.3 million (down from $58 million or so), but the bigger FY’27 budget crisis of at least $550 million remains.

Of course, all this goes against Idaho’s constitutional requirement that the state end the fiscal year with a balanced budget. So who’s to blame? People like Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke fingered legislators for passing spending bills without a firm revenue projection. Others — who are more accustomed to reality — pointed to more than $400 million in tax cuts approved by the Republican supermajority in 2025.

Another thing we know we don’t know is how the Statehouse will address this mess. In response, Gov. Brad Little already announced a range of budget cuts and holdbacks that we predict will not only continue but grow deeper (because God forbid we consider reversing any of those enormous handouts to big business and special interest causes like “vouchers” for private, religious “education”).

On top of additional budget reductions, it’s all but certain that Little will press for dipping into the state’s $1 billion “rainy day” fund, because all

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that is the quintessence of “conservative budgeting.”

We’re not going to be surprised at all if Democrats — and maybe even a few Republicans — will propose either getting rid of the $50 million voucher program or putting it on hold. That effort won’t go anywhere, though, because shuffling tax dollars to private, right-wing policy experiments is a sacred cow that our culture war-addled legislators will never slaughter for fear of retribution from the base during the midterms.

Long-term plans for short-term changes

Much of what takes place at the federal level will affect Sandpoint city politics, but this year — maybe more than any other in recent memory — moves in Boise will have an outsized local impact. No matter what legislators get up to in either the nation’s or the state’s capital, Sandpoint can expect to be staring down an empty well when it comes to funding for any number of initiatives. That will include the wastewater treatment plant reconstruction project, which we anticipate will go relatively quiet as staff scrambles to scrape up whatever dollars they can to offset the $130 million that voters authorized City Hall to bond for in the 2025 election.

Beyond that, lawmakers are also considering at least a few bills that will directly affect Sandpoint — among them, lobbying by the short-term rental industry to strip cities throughout the state of the ability to regulate vacation homes.

It’s already apparent that among the first orders of business for the City Council in 2026 will be addressing how (or whether) to amend Sandpoint’s STR ordinance to bring it into accordance with state law ahead of whatever legislation may be approved in Boise.

Our best guess is that there will be a lot of talk about whether the “cap” on 35 STRs in Sandpoint’s residential zones is actually a “prohibition” under state law, but councilors will ultimately vote to approve the amended ordinance as presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission earlier in December.

City Hall and votes

Otherwise, we predict some big changes at City Hall with the swearing-in of two brand-new councilors, Joe Tate and Joshua Torrez. We’re guessing a new majority will form more or less consisting of Councilors Pam Duquette, Kyle Schreiber, Tate

and Torrez.

Judging by past comments and conversations, we’re reasonably confident that this will have major implications for a number of hot-button issues. Mayor Jeremy Grimm has cast about six tie-breaking votes in the past year — that’s an estimate, but even two or three is unusual. Those votes have often fallen along the lines of the mayor, Councilors Joel Aispuro, Justin Dick and Rick Howarth on one side, and Duquette, Schreiber and Council President Deb Ruehle on the other.

With Dick and Howarth replaced by Tate and Torrez, we reckon Grimm will see his role as deciding vote greatly diminished, which means we have an inkling that we’ll see the reintroduction of Sandpoint’s non-discrimination ordinance, which was “amended” into near non-existence on one such tie-breaking vote and much to the chagrin of many (but celebration of others).

We also suspect that there will be a much more critical eye cast on such ideas as what to do with the City Beach RV park — specifically that the council will be more inclined to push back on Averill Hospitality’s various attempts to see the site redeveloped in a form more amenable to its adjacent resort hotel development.

Our prediction is that city staff will present a proposal to council recommending the rejection of a $1 million-ish state grant to improve the RV park and instead focus on some kind of multi-use facility that, while remaining entirely public, will more fit Averill’s vision for its future surroundings. (After all, as many officials have pointed out, the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan didn’t envision an RV park at City Beach in perpetuity.)

Since we’re poking around in the woods, we’ll go out on a limb and guess that the incoming council will reject that suggestion and stick with the state grant and redeveloped RV park — especially since declining any state money in this budgetary climate would seem like a waste.

Another big conversation that we foresee in the new year is whether to bring back the city administrator position in some form. Ruehle has already broached the subject, and we have it on good authority that it will return sooner than later. Again, given the new council — and clear tensions that have developed between the mayor and some sitting councilors whose terms will continue into 2026 — it’s reasonable to assume that the conversation will gain much more traction. Finally, we predict Phase III of downtown revitalization will rise to the front ranks of community conversation

and, like two bodies dragged into orbit by gravitational pull, will collide with the ongoing debate/discussion/sometimes outrage surrounding parking policies in the city.

Soncirey’s ‘predictions’

Public lands in private hands

After years of lobbying, Congressman Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, will finally succeed in his bid to “take back” Idaho public lands from the federal government. Once in state possession for all of five minutes, Idaho will sell off its public lands to the highest bidder, who happens to be Fulcher in a fake mustache. After the papers are signed, the congressman will rip off his mustache with dramatic flair and reveal it was him all along, to the surprise of no one. What will come as a shock, however, is when he repeats the motion, ripping off a flesh mask and revealing that he was, in fact, a lizard man the entire time. He will then explain his plan in a rambling interview on Fox News, stating that he intends to raze the land, plunder its natural resources and leave behind a stinking wasteland of primordial ooze like the miasma from which he first emerged millions of years ago.

“Brethren, I have taken back our lands,” he will proclaim to a delighted Brian Kilmeade, who, along with legions of other far-right conservatives, will also remove their human disguises.

The newly revealed lizard people — or “reptoids” — will flock to their ancestral homeland in Idaho’s wilderness and begin unethical fracking operations, which will both produce oil and, eventually, open up an enormous sinkhole in the Earth’s crust. This will reveal the subterranean reptilian civilization that had once ruled the planet until the meteor that killed the dinosaurs drove them underground. Brandishing Gadsden flag merch and assault rifles, the reptoids will take advantage of their Second Amendment rights by hunting and then eating the remaining Idahoans. When asked to intercede, President Donald Trump will say, “Where even is Idaho? Never heard of it. Plus, we don’t have the money — we’re rich, but we’re poor, because of Biden,” then proceed to launch a $200 million intercontinental ballistic missile at a Venezuelan orphanage.

Fairgrounds 51

The Bonner County board of commissioners and the Fair Board hired a new bookkeeper and treasurer in 2025 to address improperly maintained financial records, including miscalculated profits. After a thorough audit, the

boards will determine that the Bonner County fairgrounds never actually existed, but were rather a mass-hallucination created using a combination of mirrors, robotic animals and aerosolized LSD. The grounds will be exposed as a government black site and storage facility housing, among other things, the Arc of the Covenant and Bigfoot’s seasonal decor. The FBI will issue a public apology for drugging residents, wiping thousands of memories and misusing QuickBooks while reporting the site’s fake financials, stating, “Our bad. We were distracted by all the cool alien stuff.” The apology will be harshly whispered over the phone to anyone who thought they’d visited the fairgrounds in the past 20 years, and when asked, the FBI will refuse to elaborate on the “cool alien stuff.” Several days later, residents will find the Fairgrounds property devoid of all buildings, with only loose change and the county’s missing pets left behind on the lawn. The county commissioners will then build a fairgrounds building identical to the old, fake one, but this time with new and improved financial issues.

Welcome to Averill, Idaho

In another bid to delay work on its proposed resort at City Beach, Averill Hospitality will warn the Sandpoint City Council that its nonexistent multi-million dollar project will be “unviable” unless Sandpoint agrees to find an alternative use for the majority of the city’s residential areas. Developers will list every home in the city — except those in South Sandpoint — as an obstacle to the project, as their elite clientele are “put off” by anyone who makes less than six figures.

“The character, density and proximity of poor people is incompatible with the level of guest experience, design quality and market positioning of the proposed four-star waterfront resort,” a representative will argue.

After vocally opposing the demand to displace all its constituents, the council will vote to hold a series of public meetings to consider it, during which the developers will offer to buy the homes and convert them into paid parking “as a courtesy.” Hours of placating later, the council will agree to Averill’s demands, setting up temporary housing for Sandpoint locals inside the wastewater treatment plant’s disused sewage pond.

Soncirey’s “predictions” are works of satire and are not meant to be taken literally.

Submissions open until Jan. 2 for 208 Fiction writing contest

By Reader Staff

For the fifth year in a row, the Reader will publish winning submissions to the 208 Fiction writing contest. Submissions will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 so get those stories finished soon.

The rules to the contest are fairly simple: to be eligible, submissions must be exactly 208 words long, not including the author’s name and story title. Also, this must be an original work of fiction. That means no memoirs, no journalistic-style prose, no poetry or recollections and absolutely no AI.

Fiction can be (and often is) based on real-life events, but we are able to tell the difference when a writer uses real events to tell a fictional tale versus when a writer just recounts a story from their lives. Please remember this contest is a celebration of fiction

Other than those important requirements, the author is free to write about whatever subject matter they desire.

If writers need help determining the word count for their submissions, just highlight the entire body of work

— not including the author name and story title — and use your word processing software to ascertain the word count.

For those who might have trouble with computers or don’t know how to determine word count, there’s a free website called wordcounter.net that will count the exact number of words in your submission. Just copy and paste the body of your work and enter it into the website’s prompt, and it will kick back an accurate word count.

To reiterate: We will not accept submissions that don’t meet the 208word requirement and aren’t original works of fiction.

This contest is open to any and all writers of all ages living in Bonner and Boundary counties, with the first-place winner receiving a $150 cash prize, plus dining certificates.

Second- and third-place winners will also take home dining certificate prizes.

Blind judging will be performed by Reader Publisher Ben Olson, Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Senior Writer Soncirey Mitchell.

All winners, and honorable men-

Museum selected as Leadership Sandpoint 2026 fundraising project

By Reader Staff

The current class of Leadership Sandpoint announced that the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum has been selected from among 11 applicants to represent the organization’s 2026 fundraising project.

Specifically, Leadership Sandpoint stated in a news release that the museum has about 14,000 items in its “Object” collection that need to be carefully preserved to ensure longevity and prevent damage to the artifacts. Funds raised by the group will enable the proper storage and identification of

tions if they apply, will have their stories published in the Jan. 8 edition of the Sandpoint Reader.

The cost to enter is $5 per story, and authors are welcome to submit as many stories as they like (don’t forget to pay for each entry when submitting multiple stories). Please send entries to stories@sandpointreader.com and include the subject line “208 FICTION.”

When submitting stories, please make sure to clearly identify yourself and the title of the submission. Also, when making payment, please include your full name and story title so we can match it with your submission.

208-946-4368 during business hours so we can run the card for the correct amount.

items to ensure that the lifespan of the artifacts will extend far into the future.

“The ability to learn about and appreciate the history of Bonner County by exploring exhibits featuring actual tools, apparel, toys, kitchen implements and countless other historical objects ensures that we, our children, and future generations will see how our industries and lifestyles have developed and changed over time,” stated Melanie Almeida, a member of the Leadership Sandpoint 2026 class.

Payment can be sent to paypal.me/ sandpointreader, or authors can send a check or cash to: Sandpoint Reader, 111 Cedar St. Suite 9, Sandpoint, ID 83864. If authors need to pay via credit card, please call the Reader office at

Email ben@sandpointreader.com with any questions. Otherwise, best of luck with the final days of the submission period. We look forward to reading your stories.

Alaska Airlines announces nonstop Spokane-Anchorage flights in summer 2026

By Reader Staff

Travelers from the Inland Northwest will be able to reach “The Last Frontier” a lot easier, with the addition of twice-weekly nonstop service from Spokane International Airport to Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska Airlines announced the service Dec. 18, though it won’t be available between Spokane and Stephens Anchorage International Airport until June 10, 2026.

“We continually assess the travel needs and preferences of our community, and know Anchorage — particularly during the summer travel period — is a sought-after destination by Inland Northwest passengers,” stated Spokane Airport CEO Dave Haring. “In fact, on average, more than 100 passengers per-day each-way travel between our region and Anchorage,

which is why this new route is such a meaningful addition to our community’s nonstop offerings.”

The new Spokane to Anchorage service will be offered Wednesdays and Saturdays and run June 10 through Aug. 15.

Flights will depart from Spokane at 2:50 p.m. and arrive in Anchorage at 5:45 p.m., and depart Anchorage at 6:30 p.m. for an 11:13 p.m. arrival in Spokane.

“Alaska Airlines has been a tremendous partner in leveraging customer feedback to connect our community to key markets across the country, and we are grateful for their continued investment in Spokane with this new route,” Haring stated.

To purchase tickets and view flights, visit alaskaair.com. For more information on nonstop flights from Spokane International Airport, visit spokaneairports.net.

Chambers recognizes The Hive as Business of the Month for December Chamber honors Stephanie Hawkins as December Volunteer of the Month

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Stephanie Hawkins as its December Volunteer of the Month, honoring her “outstanding commitment to service, leadership and community impact throughout Bonner County,” according to the organization.

From October 2020 through January 2025, Hawkins volunteered with North Idaho CASA, supporting Bonner County children and families involved in the court system and helping ensure that vulnerable youth had a consistent, informed voice during critical moments in their lives.

Hawkins is also an active member of Cedar Hills Church, where she has served as a vocalist during worship services since March 2021, contributing her time and talents to support community connection and spiritual engagement.

In addition to her service roles, Hawkins currently serves as a board member and vice chair for Forrest Bird Charter School and the Kinderhaven Foundation. In those roles, she helps guide organizational strategy, governance and mission-driven initiatives focused on education, family support and long-term community wellbeing.

Beyond governance and advocacy, Hawkins is also involved in hands-on fundraising efforts. She volunteers with Beta Sigma Phi Alpha, helping make and sell elephant ears at the local fair, with proceeds directly benefiting college scholarships for local high school students.

She contributes to the cultural life

of the community as a vocalist with the local Sandpoint band Picked Up Pieces, performing at community events and local venues and helping foster connection through music.

Professionally, Hawkins brings her nonprofit expertise to her role as grant compliance coordinator and grant writer at Bonner Homeless Transitions, where she supports housing stability initiatives through grant management, compliance and funding development.

“Volunteerism is about service, accountability and showing up for others,” Hawkins stated. “I’m honored to be recognized by the Chamber and grateful to work alongside so many dedicated people who care deeply about our community.”

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recently named downtown music venue

The Hive as its December Business of the Month, celebrating The Hive’s “outstanding contributions to the local community and its role as a vibrant hub for arts, entertainment and cultural experiences in Sandpoint,” the organization stated.

“The Chamber applauds The Hive for its innovation, leadership and positive impact on the local economy,” the Chamber added. “By attracting diverse talent and audiences, The Hive not only entertains but also strengthens Sandpoint’s reputation as a destination for culture and creativity.”

Located in the heart of downtown Sandpoint, The Hive has become a cornerstone for live music and events, offering a unique venue that brings people together and enriches the cultural fabric of the region. Since its inception, The Hive has demonstrated a commitment to supporting local

artists, fostering creativity, and creating memorable experiences for residents and visitors alike.

“The Hive exemplifies what makes Sandpoint special,” stated Chamber Executive Director Joan Urbaniak.

“Their dedication to community engagement and their passion for the arts make them a true asset to our area.”

LPO Rep puts on ‘A Night at the Improv’

By Reader Staff

Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater’s improv troupe, Mediocre at Best, will take the stage at The Hive (207 N. First Ave.) on Friday, Jan. 2, for its first official show.

“Come watch us act silly at The Hive and have a laugh with us (or at us),” said actor Cory Repass in a recent news release.

Dubbed “A Night at the Improv,” the 7:30 p.m. performance will focus on new and classic short-form games, as made popular by Whose Line Is It Anyway.

“We promise you that it’ll be the best improv you’ll have seen all year,” added Repass.

Tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door for this 21+ show. Visit livefromthehive.com for more information.

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com

Wednesday tango night

6pm @ Barrel 33

Beginner Argentine tango lesson 6pm, prácitca 7pm. No partner needed. $15

East Coast New Year’s Party

5-10pm @ Barrel 33

Live music, photo booth, prizes, more

Live Music w/ Snacks at Midnight 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Indie rockers from Spokane

Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments

6-9pm @ Baxters on Cedar

Happy New Year!

Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar

Live Music w/ Brendon McCoy

5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

Classic rock and blues

Live Jazz w/ Ron Kieper Trio

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Double Shot Band 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Ian Newbill

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Thom Shepherd

6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ

Nashville veteran country singer-songwriter who has written five #1 singles

Live Music w/ Truck Mills

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Jazz w/ Chris Paradis

6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

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

Wednesday tango night • 6pm @ Barrel 33

Beginner Argentine tango lesson 6pm, prácitca 7pm. No partner needed. $15. 10% off food/drinks. Instructor: Muffy Nye (406) 599-5696

Cribbage tournament

6pm @ Connie’s Lounge $5/person

December 31, 2025 - January 8, 2026

wednesDAY, december 31

Live Music w/ Bakerwood Brothers 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Lively rock and country

New Year’s Eve party 9pm-1am @ Roxy’s Lounge

DJ Sterling spinning tunes. Complimentary champagne toast at midnight

Five Days of Family Fun (free movie) 4pm @ Sandpoint Cinemas

New York New Year’s Eve 4-10pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

Featuring DJ Michael Aerni from 6:30-9:30pm with an annual livestream of New York’s NYE ball drop and free pour and toast at 9pm

Taps New Year’s Eve and family friendly tubing party Tickets and info at schweitzer.com

Free showing of Zootopia hosted by Numerica. Seating first-come, first-served

THURSDAY, january 1

Polar Bear Plunge

11am @ Sandpoint City Beach boat launch Free, donations accepted for food bank

FriDAY, january 2

A Night at the Improv 7:30pm @ The Hive

Hosted by LPO Repertory Theater’s improv troupe. Get ready to laugh! 21+. Tickets at livefromthehive.com

Live Jazz w/ Yotes 5:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Rockabilly, country, Americana

Live Music w/ Swingin’ Jays 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge

SATURDAY, january 3

Open Mic Night

5:30-7:30pm @ Evans Brothers Coffee

All are welcome to share originals and favorites. Five-minute time slots. Hosted by the library and Evans Bros.

Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ The Buckley Storms 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge

SunDAY, january 4

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

Irish Jam w/ Seamus Divine 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge Bingo night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Five Days of Family Fun (7B Lanes) 8am-noon @ 7B Lanes

Bowling and bounce house fun. Firstcome, first-served, capacity 112/hour.

Live Music w/ Holly & Michael 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuffs’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Picked up Pieces 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Friends of the Library book sale 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library

Oversized books half price (excluding specialty books). FOL thanks everyone who supported their sales this year

Live Music w/ Jacob Robin 6-9pm @ MickDuffs’s Beer Hall

FCS National Championship 4:30-7:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ The 2026 NCAA Football Championship

Subdivision game featuring Montana State and Illinois State

monDAY, january 5 tuesDAY, january 6

wednesDAY, january 7

Live piano w/ Dwayne Parsons 4-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Original songs on the grand piano

ThursDAY, january 8

Collage Night w/ Woods Wheatcroft 4-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Irish Jam by Seamus Divine 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge Open jam. All are welcome

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

Live trivia w/ Toshi 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge $5/person

Top 10 movies of 2025

By Willie Wittezehler Reader Contributor

Editor’s note: Willie was press-ganged into providing this “top 10” list of 2025 films during a chance meeting in the alley next to the Reader office. Despite being an all-around heckuva guy, he’s also a real-life filmmaker and a fine writer, and we appreciate his contribution this year.

— Zach Hagadone

10. The Naked Gun

I haven’t laughed this hard in a movie theater in years. The jokes hit with manic precision, and Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson are utterly charming. It also serves as a sobering cautionary tale: Think twice before summoning a sentient snowman on your next romantic getaway.

9. Nouvelle Vague

Do yourself a favor and cue up this double feature: start with Breathless, the French New Wave classic that plays with all the style and kineticism of a jazz musician getting lost in the ecstasy of a solo, then wash it down with Richard Linklater’s lovingly crafted imagining of its making. Watching them together was an intoxicating reminder of why creative rebellion matters, and why cinema can — and should — be constantly reinvented.

8. Boys Go To Jupiter

Absurd, surreal and entirely on its own wavelength, this animated fever dream takes place in the liminal space between Christmas and New Year’s, making it a whimsically bizarre holiday watch. Its humor and tone won’t be for everyone, but if you tune into it like I did, you’ll discover a one-of-a-kind, oddly charming brilliance.

7. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Astonishingly, Rian Johnson has pulled it off again. This might be his smartest script in the series yet — not

just because it’s clever and twisty, but because it’s layered with themes of faith, power and redemption, and anchored by real heart. You’ll have to watch more than once to catch the answers hiding in plain sight and to appreciate the layered performances of this awesome cast.

6. It Was Just An Accident Director Jafar Panahi was recently sentenced to one year in prison for making this film, deemed “propaganda against the system” by the Iranian government. I expected a tense, angry, radically defiant political thriller — which it is — but what surprised me was how it maintains tenderness, humanity and unexpected humor, even though it was created in secret under such oppressive conditions.

5. Marty Supreme

You know that feeling during the final points of a heated ping-pong match — heart racing, no margin for error? Somehow, this movie sustains that exact energy for two and a half hours. It’s an electric, funny, frantic, wildly unpredictable ride from one chaotic mess to the next. When the title character says, “Everything in my life is falling apart, but I’m going to figure it out,” you may not believe he can — but you won’t be able to look away as this self-deluding narcissist barrels forward anyway.

4. Weapons

The story hooks you in with a horrifying mystery then unravels like a puzzle, keeping you unsettled and off balance in the best way. Beneath the dread, it quietly grapples with grief, trauma and the ways communities respond when something unthinkable shatters their sense of safety — yet somehow still manages to be genuinely fun (my theater erupted in applause and laughter at the gruesome climax).

3. One Battle After Another

Big, messy, exhilarating and deeply alive, this movie feels like cinema operating at full capacity. It’s thrilling to see brilliant artists engage so deftly and directly with the political fractures of our present moment and still deliver something so thoroughly entertaining. Nobody does it like Paul Thomas Anderson — this is what movies are all about. Viva la revolución!

2. Sinners

The blues — not just the music, but the culture from which it was born — pumps like a beating heart at the center of this film, grounding a vampire story in something that feels more like modern American folklore. There’s a mid-film musical sequence that becomes something transcendent, collapsing time and history into a surreal rush that I’m still thinking about. It’s inspiring to see a big box office film this ambitious and audacious, reminding us just

Bringing community, connection and cinema to North Idaho

Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest accepting submissions Jan. 1

By Reader Staff

how expansive mainstream cinema can be when it dares to mean something.

1. Train Dreams

OK, I’ll admit this may not be objectively the best film of the year, but for us North Idahoans, it feels like a small miracle: a story set in our own backyard, rendered with such care that the people who once populated this area feel alive again on screen. It’s based on a book I absolutely cherish, so yes, I have to be that “the-book-was-better” person. But watching this adaptation, I was deeply moved — filled with quiet awe for the pivotal time it evokes, and a profound gratitude that a film like this exists at all.

Honorable Mentions: Sentimental Value, which just barely missed my top 10, and Hamnet, which I haven’t seen yet but sounds like we’ll be hearing a lot about this awards season. Other films I had a lot of fun with include Caught Stealing, 28 Years Later, Black Bag, Relay, Sisu: Road to Revenge and Friendship; also the documentary SNL: 50 Years of Music. Speaking of music, shout out to the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack for Tron: Ares — bad movie, awesome soundtrack.

Willie Wittezehler is a filmmaker, author and executive producer of the PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation.

The Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest is preparing for its inaugural debut at the Panida Theater by throwing open its doors to submissions beginning Thursday, Jan. 1. The festival expects to showcase local, national and international independent films across multiple genres over two days, Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24.

“This community-rooted festival invites audiences and filmmakers alike to engage with bold storytelling across a wide range of genres and styles,” wrote organizers on the festival’s FilmFreeway page.

All submissions will fall under 11 categories and compete for 18 awards, including best documentary feature and best youth entry. In order to qualify, filmmakers must have completed their projects any time between Jan. 1, 2000, and Jan. 1, 2024. Submit films to filmfreeway. com/sandpointidahofilmfest, following the instructions listed on the website. Entry fees range from $18-$60, depending on how close they’re submitted to the Friday, July 31 final deadline and whether the creator is a student.

“Now entering its next phase, the Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest continues to grow as a regional hub for creativity, connection, and cinematic excellence — bringing independent film to the heart of North Idaho,” wrote organizers in a recent news release.

For more information, visit SandpointIdahoFilmFest.org.

Top TV of 2025

Or at least the shows I especially liked

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Putting together these end-of-year summary articles is always a somewhat fraught exercise. When it comes to something like “TV shows of the year,” I’m a little shocked — and no small amount embarrassed — by the number of hours I spent engaged in passive entertainment before a small screen over the past 365 days. Regardless, it was a good year for what passes as “TV” these days — and by that I mean “streaming series” on any number of “services” (we used to call them “shows” on “channels,” but I digress). Below is a select sampling, in rough chronological order, of what most caught my eye in 2025.

American Primeval

I’m a sucker for demythologizing U.S. history, and the Netflix series American Primeval went right for the jugular with this six-part series focused on the brutality that animated the Utah Territory from 1856-’57. Far from the rosy “pioneers and petticoats” B.S. so often peddled by latter-day Western triumphalists, this show stared full-face into the lawless, murderous, treacherous and morally bereft “Utah Wars.” Granted, it’s still a work of historical fiction (with all the excesses that implies), but it’s still “historical.”

The Righteous Gemstones

This gloriously gaudy HBO sendup of big-money evangelism concluded its fourth and final season with a blowout that brought together all the deadly sins of the Gemstone family, as well as practically every side character in the show’s fantastically kooky cast. Series creator Danny McBride was indelible as the eldest Gemstone kid, alongside siblings played to perfection by Edi Patterson and Adam DeVine. And don’t forget John Goodman as the patriarch and Walton Goggins as the inimitable Uncle Baby Billy. It was pure comedic gold that subverted the prosperity gospel so thoroughly that it ended with something that felt an awful lot like honest faith.

The White Lotus

The third season of HBO’s “eat-

the-rich” series took its signature gaggle of wealth-monsters to Thailand, where they imploded amid the strictures of a luxury “wellness” retreat that revealed how unwell they really were on every conceivable level. Top marks go to the ensemble casting anchored by an unhinged Jason Isaacs, loopy-yet-sinister Parker Posey and bro-tesque Patrick Schwarzenegger, all spiced with a simmering Walton Goggins, faux hippy Aimee Lou Wood and delightfully manic Sam Rockwell. Every season is essentially the same: horrible people do horrible things to each other and themselves, but this one was a chef’s kiss.

Andor

There’s not enough praise I could heap on the Disney+ limited series Andor, which concluded after two seasons in which every episode was, frankly, perfect. Set in the Star Wars universe, it was the tale of Cassian Andor — a nobody living on a nowhere planet somewhere in the backwaters of the Galactic Empire. Unlike most other Star Wars “heroes,” he had no special powers of any kind, other than quick wits and determination that turned him into a reluctant rebel against authoritarianism. Andor is parsecs beyond every other entry in the canon and 100% worth watching, even if you’re not otherwise a Star Wars fan.

Love, Death & Robots

Netflix’s quirky Love, Death & Robots returned for a fourth season, and was among the best in the series, which is an anthology of short animated (or

CGI, most often) tales focused on sci-fi and techno-dystopian themes — or both. This time around, the episodes hit a little smarter and a little less “styleover-substance,” the latter from which previous seasons have more than occasionally suffered. My favorite episodes: “Close Encounters of the Mini Kind,” “The Other Large Thing,” “Golgotha” and “For He Can Creep.” Definitely Skip “Can’t Stop,” though.

Pee-wee as Himself

Like every other child of the ’80s and early-’90s in the U.S., I grew up with Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and only knew the real-life performer Paul Reubens from the kids’ show and eponymous Pee-wee movies. Then, of course, as I got older I knew him for his various scandals and controversies, which drove him from public view for the better part of a decade. Now, after watching the two-part HBO miniseries Pee-wee as Himself (a documentary project finished just as its subject was to die of cancer), I know not just of the depth, complexity and pain of Reubens’ life and career, but the true profundity of his artistic genius. It should be impossible to scoff at Peewee ever again.

Alien: Earth

Despite its bona fide icon status, the Alien franchise launched by director Ridley Scott in 1979 has had more misses than hits. (I did and do still enjoy Prometheus and Covenant, but Romulus left me mostly cold.) However, I definitely put the new FX series Alien: Earth in the “hit” category. At least so far, after the conclusion of its first season, it’s a pretty consistently thrilling prequel that immerses the audience not in the frigid vacuum of space, but a future Earth controlled by corporations that operate like a combination of the Godfather and God. As you can imagine, an “alien” breaks loose and all hell does, too, but there’s a ton more layering and character complexity than some other entries.

Peacemaker

As antiheroes go, John Cena’s portrayal of the titular character in Peacemaker is hard to beat. Back for its second season on HBO, the show is a

riff on the 2021 James Gunn-directed film The Suicide Squad, in which Cena’s Peacemaker was clearly a standout. In the series, we get to know the inner life of the man who loves peace so much he’ll kill for it. That includes his uber-racist and abusive “super”hero dad (Robert Patrick), and the ragtag bunch of quasi-government operatives who become his substitute family. This season was far funnier and actually much more thoughtful and touching than Season 1, but still raunchy, rollicking and just a plain old good time..

The American Revolution

My top prize for single best bit of “TV” — and in fact best thing I saw on a screen of any size this year — must go to legendary documentarian Ken Burns’ PBS series The American Revolution. In six episodes and 12 total hours, Burns presented the most compelling portrait of the origins of the U.S. ever put on film — filled to the brim with top historical experts, stellar cinematography and art direction, and a cast of voice actors that read like an Oscars honor roll. Though the timing of its release in 2025 had nothing to do with the current state of political and cultural affairs, it couldn’t have come at a better time and should be considered essential viewing for every American.

Honorable mentions: Fallout is streaming its second season each Tuesday on Amazon Prime, returning viewers to the radioactive wasteland full of black-humored gore and yet another star turn by Walton Goggins (this guy is everywhere).. Meanwhile, the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things is wrapping up its nigh-on decadelong run with a mega series finale airing Wednesday, Dec. 31. You’ll hear more about both in 2026.

MUSIC

Champagne and dancing

A rundown of all Sandpoint’s New Year’s Eve parties

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

By Reader Staff

Barrel 33, 100 N. First Ave., 5-10 p.m.

The local wine bar will expand its usual offerings with a one-night-only hot chocolate bar, photo booth, raffles, games and more to ring in the new year. Sandpoint band Picked Up Pieces will serenade partygoers throughout the evening, performing covers of lesser-known radio hits from the ’70s through to the present day. Then, at 9 p.m., everyone will gather to watch the Times Square Ball Drop. Visit barrel33.com for more information.

Matchwood Brewing, 513 Oak St., 4-10 p.m.

Matchwood will roll out food and drink specials in honor of the holiday, accompanied by DJ Michael Aerni of Sandpoint DJ, who will bring the dance beats from 6:30 p.m. onward. Enjoy the tunes until 9 p.m., when the brewery will pass out free four-ounce pours for a toast while streaming the Ball Drop. Visit matchwoodbrewing.com for more information.

Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 5-8 p.m.

The winery will host the Bakerwood Brothers — a.k.a. local favorites Benny Baker

and Sheldon Packwood — for its early New Year’s celebration. The duo will perform the lively rock and country covers for which they’re known and most Sandpointians have heard at the weekly “Benny on the Deck” performances at Connie’s Lounge in the summertime. Visit powine.com for more information.

Baxter’s on Cedar, 109 Cedar St., 6-9 p.m.

Anyone familiar with the local music scene will recognize Bright Moments Jazz, which is a staple at restaurants and outdoor venues around town. The group will perform their usual upbeat jazz stylings — blending in a bit of reggae and Latin influences when the mood strikes them — for diners at Baxter’s all evening long. Visit baxtersoncedar.com for more information.

219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 9 p.m. Indie-pop-rock band Snacks at Midnight is perhaps the biggest name headlining at any of Sandpoint’s New Year’s parties, and, as usual, they will have the crowd on their feet the entire night. The high-energy, alt originals are a hit here and abroad, and so this will be the band’s final performance in the States before they embark on another

tour of Japan. Listen at snacksatmidnight.com to learn your favorite songs before hearing them live at this 21+ party.

Roxy’s Lounge, 215 Pine St., 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

When everything else shuts down, Roxy’s Lounge will still be jumping with tunes from DJ Sterling until the wee hours. Enjoy a complimentary bubbly toast at midnight to celebrate the new year on West Coast time.

Taps, 10000 Schweitzer Mountain Road, 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Schweitzer will go all out, as usual, for the annual New Year’s party at Taps Bar. The theme is “black tie at the dive bar,” meaning pop on a nice jacket and a beat-up T-shirt to enjoy original electronic mixes with DJ Lady Oda. Tickets are $35 at the door and include a toast at midnight.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Yotes, Smokesmith BBQ, Jan. 2 Open Mic Night, Evans Brothers, Jan. 3

True baritones are an underrepresented bunch in modern music, as more and more singers push their ranges higher and add falsetto. Bucking the trend is what makes Yotes special, and what gives his music an antique quality. His original music and cover song choices are inspired by ’50s country and rockabilly, giving him a Johnny Cash-esque sound — which makes sense, since he previously toured in a

Cash tribute band. In between songs off his album 100% Steel Cut Yotes, the vocalist and guitarist also performs original songs by friends and up-andcoming artists he’s met on the road over the years and rock hits from bands like Murder by Death and The Blasters. — Soncirey Mitchell

5:30 p.m., FREE. Smokesmith BBQ, 102 S. Boyer Ave., 208920-0517, smokesmithidaho.com. Listen on Spotify.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a review about the film adaptation of Train Dreams, directed by Clint Bentley (who wrote me a very nice email after reading the review!). While the film is phenomenal, if you haven’t read the novella on which it’s based, by Denis Johnson, what are you waiting for? In fact, if you haven’t read any of Johnson’s work, do so because he’s one of the most compelling American authors of the past 50 years. Check out Jesus’ Son, Tree of Smoke and Angels — all incredible works, available where you find books.

LISTEN

Canadian animator and musician Chad VanGaalen has a style all his own. With his trembling falsetto voice and grunge/indie/folk/pop vibes powering through intricate, funny songs, he’s definitely a “musician’s musician.” His album Infiniheart is my favorite. If you want to listen to his work, though, he pulled everything off Spotify and you can now only access it through bandcamp.com.

WATCH

Musicians, poets, storytellers, stand-up comics, performance artists and anyone else who revels in live creative expression are invited to Open Mic Night at Evans Brothers Coffee. Hosted in partnership with the East Bonner County Library, all are welcome to share original works or give their own renditions of pieces by their favorite artists or writers. Performance slots are five minutes each, with sign-up

the night of — or simply show up as an audience member. If you have a New Year’s resolution to try something new artistically, here’s a perfect opportunity.

— Zach Hagadone

5:30-7:30 p.m., FREE. Evans Brothers Coffee, 524 Church St., 208-265-5553, evansbrotherscoffee.com. For the library’s other offerings, go to ebonnerlibrary. org/events.

I’ve been delving into black-andwhite classic films lately, especially film noir and mystery genres. One 1945 film I picked at random was And Then There Were None, adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name. With a plot that serves as a precursor to films like The Glass Onion, eight strangers are invited to a small island where an absent host has accused them of murder. When they begin dying one by one, the game is on to escape alive. The film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for good reason. Watch it on Netflix.

From Pend Oreille Review, January 3, 1919

FLU CONDITION MUCH IMPROVED

While the local flu conditions are not such that any respite can be allowed in fighting the malady, conditions were reported today to be improving. Health Officer Wendle reported but two cases reported to him New Year’s Day and yesterday. Several bad cases are at the flu hospital, but the number of new cases brought there is now showing a decrease.

Dr. Wendle cautions against all public gathering and especially dances. “Hope had a dance New Year’s eve and many went from here. Those who insist on giving dances at this time are not friends of the public and offenders in the regard would be locked up if there was any law to reach them.”

Dr. McKinnon ascribes several epidemics local to different sections resulting from Christmas gathering. At Algoma three days after a Christmas tree gathering, nearly all who participated were down with the flu. At Dover there were a half dozen cases after the Christmas celebration.

Some of the schools have been epidemic places as evidenced at Oden and in the district west of Cocolalla. In the Oden district every child in school except four followed the teacher’s example when she came down with the disease and in the Cocolalla district every child had the disease when the teacher had it.

Directly after Christmas the teacher and all of the pupils of the Sagle school were stricken with the flu, since which time the members of the families of which the pupils belong have come down with the disease.

“Conditions in the country are much better,” said Dr. McKinnon this morning.

BOOK

New year, same drink

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

New Year’s Eve parties and Champagne toasts go hand-in-hand in the modern imagination, but though the beloved sparkling wine is now an institution, it had a long, forgotten history of successes and failures stretching back to the 1500s.

Vineyards in the Champagne region of France began with the Romans, who were the first to establish fields that far north. These vineyards produced light red wine, which failed to compete with the hotter regions farther south, leaving vintners looking for an alternative product. Champagne’s winemakers weren’t the first to create sparkling wine, however. That honor goes to the Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire near Carcassonne, France, who made the first documented batch in 1531 by bottling a wine before it had finished fermenting. Sparkling wine was subsequently discovered by accident in Champagne, where it was initially considered a fault in the wine — not because it didn’t taste good, but because vintners couldn’t keep their bottles from exploding. The relative instability of glass and corks at the time meant bottles would often explode in storage due to the pressure from the carbonation, leading producers to dub the drink le vin du diable or “the devil’s wine.” Exploding bottles would often trigger one another, setting off a chain reaction that sent most of the wine down the drain and endangered cellar workers, who took to wearing iron masks to protect themselves. Eventually, producers stopped trying to remove the carbonation and began investing in

sturdier hardware.

The French government instituted formal protections on the name “Champagne” in 1891, but it only later began establishing the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée label in around 1908 — which, among other things, determines what sellers can and cannot label as Champagne. At that time, they began mapping the geographical boundaries that would separate Champagne from regular sparkling wine by mere miles. These rules were controversial and came about during a diffi cult time for winemakers, whose vines were rapidly dying due to infestations of phylloxera louse, accidentally imported from the U.S.

Tensions reached a fever pitch during the Champagne Riots of 1910 and 1911. Regional growers, angry that some Champagne houses were using grapes grown elsewhere, began intercepting trucks and pushing them into the Marne River. They then descended on the warehouses — and random homes — looting and throwing wine by the barrel downstream. The angry farmers eventually burned down the village of Aÿ, at which point the French government sent more than 40,000 troops to stanch the rebels.

ies — generally a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier or chardonnay grapes, all grown in the Champagne region — and be bottled within 100 miles of the area. They also place restrictions on everything from proper vine pruning to the amount of time the wine should sit with its lees, or the dregs of dead yeast that collect at the bottom during

To achieve the designation of Champagne, winemakers must ferment the wine in barrels, then transfer it to bottles, top each up with sugar and yeast, and ferment it a second time. It then ages for 15 months, at which time vintners position the bottles so the lees settle in the neck — a process called “riddling” — for easy extraction. They then freeze the neck and extract the unwanted sediment, adding more sugar or wine to the bottles to make up the difference.

Europe reaffirmed protections on the use of the name “Champagne” in the Treaty of Versailles — you know, the one that ended World War I.

To this day, the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne mercilessly regulates what qualifies as Champagne. It must be made from approved variet-

Once ready to serve, Champagne is poured into either a flute or a coupe glass, which, though once synonymous with Champagne, largely fell out of style in the 1960s. Champagne flutes are better suited to the drink, as they feature a narrow bowl that helps maintain carbonation. Imperceptible etchings at the glass’s bottom create nucleation sites, where clusters of molecules form spontaneously, resulting in the famous lines of bubbles that extend from bottom to rim. Still, whether served in a flute or a shoe, one thing’s for certain: Champagne is the drink of the new year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Laughing Matters

Solution on page 22

By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

scry

Word Week of the

/skrahy/ [verb]

1. to use divination to discover hidden knowledge or future events, especially by means of a crystal ball.

“You may not be Snow White’s evil stepmother demanding to know who is more beautiful, but you are engaging in a sort of fortunetelling and imaginative scrying.”

Corrections:

How long can our New Year’s resolution to maintain an empty corrections box last?

I’m sure we’ll find out next week.

I think a good novel would be where a bunch of men on a ship are looking for a whale. They look and look, but you know what? They never find him. And you know why they never find him? It doesn’t say. The book leaves it up to you, the reader, to decide.

Then, at the very end, there’s a page that you can lick and it tastes like Kool-Aid.

ACROSS

1. Show embarrassment

6. Wall upright

10. Assemblage

14. A long narrow passage

15. Cut back

16. Largest continent

17. Besmirch

18. Brews

19. Detail

20. Mouth organs

22. Not highs

23. Hotel

24. Long stories

26. Be against

30. Scatter

32. Faith in God

33. Territories

37. Depression

38. Golden king (mythology)

39. Obscene term for feces

40. Teen party 42. Go rapidly

43. Wanderer 44. Table clearer 45. Hindu social division

47. A strong drink 48. African sheep 49. Relating to coin collecting

56. Clothes 57. A math subject 58. Shad

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

10. Branches of knowledge

Answer 62. Depend upon

Blend 64. Affirmatives

Outstanding 54. Small island 55. Small islands 59. Nitpicky to a fault 60. Type of fruit

DOWN

Big party

Capital of Peru

Utiliser

Criticize severely

Courage

Iberian country

After-bath powder

Fertilizer component 9. Cakes and pies

11. Medieval sword

12. Scenes

13. Type of sweet potatoes

21. North northeast

25. Each

26. Probabilities

27. Rind

28. Durable wood

29. Seemingly 30. Allied 31. Russian emperor 33. Opera star 34. Baby’s bed 35. Tropical root 36. Agile

38. Impetus 41. Cooking container 42. Abridgement 44. Public transit vehicle 45. A tall mechanical lifting device 46. Ear-related

Unbending

48. Food thickener

50. Desire 51. Grinder 52. Away from the wind