Reader_February18_2016

(wo)MAN

compiled by Susan Drinkard

on the street

“Have you seen any good movies lately?”

“We saw ‘Earthflight,’ a documentary about migrating birds. They put cameras on the backs of migrating birds. It’s amazing.”

Teresa Sammartano Evening shift circ. supervisor Sandpoint

“‘The Mark of Zorro.’ It is the follow up to the ‘Legend of Zorro.’ I liked it because there’s a lot of action and sword fighting.”

Jamie Middleton Third-grader Sandpoint Junior Academy Sandpoint

“‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Revenant.’ ‘Star Wars’ is a heritage bond I had with my father growing up. ‘The Revenant’ has beautiful cinematography and is very intense.”

Alex Jones Clerk Sandpoint

“‘The Witch Hunter’ with Vin Diesel. I liked it because it had a lot of action, and you got to see Vin with hair. Also, the witches were like the old-time depiction of witches, and they weren’t sexualized.”

Michelle Hearn Caregiver Ponderay

“‘Goosebumps.’ I like it because of the abominable snowman.”

Brycen Kluesner 5 years old Sandpoint

READER DEAR READERS,

The results of our 2016 media survey are in! Special thanks to the 701 people who took the survey to let us know their media habits and preferences. We’ll be utilizing this information in the next year to make the Reader a better publication in every way. You can check out the results of the survey on page 9.

We were very pleased to see this year’s results. After only a year back in publication, the Reader placed among the top three most read publications in Sandpoint. Of the 637 people who responded online, 57 percent said they read the Reader. The street surveys of 66 people showed that 59 percent read the Reader. In comparison, only 25 percent of online respondents and 19 percent of street surveys said they read Sandpoint Living Local. What does that mean? If you’re spending money on advertising for your business, the best bang for your buck is in a publication that gets read by more people.

Another interesting fact? We found that more than half of people who took the survey never look at a phone book anymore. Not a big surprise there!

And finally, congratulations to Kelsey Cruse, the winner of a $50 Eichardt’s Pub gift certificate for taking the survey. Garlic fries!

-Ben Olson, Publisher

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“I saw ‘Deadpool’ with a friend on Valentine’s Day. ‘Deadpool’ is a comic character. It was funny. He makes a lot of jokes.”

Julia Evans Tenth-grader at Sandpoint High School Sandpoint

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

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About the Cover

This week’s cover photo is from Schweitzer Mountain Resort. The photo features Sean Mirus and Sean Briggs decked out in their finest neon gear, airing off the cornice on C-Chute in 2013.

COMMENTARY

By Louie de Palma Reader Road Warrior

Universal fact number 784:

People love repetition and a complete lack of differentiation. People enjoy eating the same foods every day, watching the same commercials over and over again and doing the same work over and over again until they die.

That’s what people say, anyway. Personally, I think they’re full of crap. Repetition is the villain of variety, and variety is the hero of humdrum days. Every job has its quirks. And the little things that happen to the person doing that job make them tick. Take your average Safeway cashier checker. They all appear to hate their job, and I get it. The other day standing in line, I was about to start screaming at people to watch the prompt screen after the cashier prodded them through checkout for the third time. “Member number? Don’t know it? How about a telephone number? Sure, try your aunt’s member number. Great. Now credit or debit? Great. Credit? Hit cancel then. Re-enter member number. Great. Cash back? Hit no. Thanks for coming in Mr…. Run-o’-the-mill-geriatric.”

Bartenders get asked if there’s booze in the drinks. Servers get asked 1,000 times a day about gluten-free BS and pretend to go ask the cooks, only to come back with a made-up answer. Don’t be offended—it’s just because most of them have BS allergies. Since you don’t really have a gluten allergy, you probably never noticed. Then there’s my

Repetition, repetition, repetition

line of work, where I get asked what I think about Uber or how many people have puked in my cab. So once and for all, let’s clear this up.

What do I think about Uber and the Google cars? I don’t. Uber doesn’t exist here. I use it when I’m in bigger towns and need to. I think it’s a great system. Personally, I think they need to hold Uber responsible to the strict regulations the real taxi companies have to adhere to, or they need to loosen their regulations on taxi companies. Even the playing field. But it has little to do with anything I do here in our small town at this point, and I hope to sell this business before the robots take over. Really, it’s pretty offensive that people ask in the first place. I don’t go into your work and ask you about how you’re going to be obsolete. I don’t ask yoga instructors what they think about DVDs. You

Reagan Vindicated...

Dear Editor,

It is amusing that Professor Gier begins his rant about lying Republicans with a whopper of his own discredited over 30 years ago. (“The Republican Reign of Error,” February 11, 2016.)

With “pants on fire,” the bumbling Reagan, says Gier, “ignorantly claimed” in a 1982 news conference that submarine-launched nuclear missiles ‘can be recalled.’” Mr. Gier either didn’t fact check himself or he simply chose to ignore the facts.

Walter Mondale first made

wouldn’t approach a suicide bomber to pick his brain on his opinions about rocket launchers, would you? That’s because these people are connoisseurs of their craft. They know their trade, and they make it unique. Our taxi is an artisanal craft taxi that caters to local needs and small town camaraderie. We’re also gluten-free.

Uber doesn’t know where you live by heart or carry you into your house. We will. Uber won’t bail you out of jail or pick up that grandma you

this accusation in a 1984 presidential debate, claiming Reagan said, about ballistic missiles launched from submarines: “You could fire them, and you could recall them…” In response, Reagan vigorously denied saying that, adding “How anyone could think that any sane person would believe you could call back a nuclear missile, I think is as ridiculous as the whole concept has been.”

An honest reading of that press conference vindicates Reagan. He said no such thing. He was discussing the relative destabilizing influence of land based ICBMs versus missiles launched from aircraft, ships

forgot, grocery shop for you, watch your baby while you go in the store, hide your affair or call adult protective services on you for not taking care of yourself. We do all these things with pride because we’re not Uber, or robots. On the other hand, if you ask me the same thing over and over, I probably will power off.

How many people have puked? Five. The answer is five. Whoever puked last time in the very back and didn’t even mention it—there’s a

or submarines. The latter, he said, lumping them together, can be recalled once sent on a mission. (The technology to communicate worldwide with a submarine, even one-way with a low data rate, is formidable, but was developed for just this purpose.) Nowhere does he even hint that missiles, once launched from any of the three, could be recalled, any more than an ICBM could be.

I found these transcripts in a matter of minutes, and assume the professor did, too. (Debate transcripts are at the website of The Commission on Presidential Debates, and Reagan’s press conferences are at The

special place in hell for you. I hope it’s as a cashier for a hellish Safeway, where your card swiper machine asks too many questions and none of customers can stay focused or follow the prompts.

Universal fact number 785:

The automated checkout robot has a higher tolerance for people’s BS. It has no problem repeating itself. And it has an almost human, pleasant voice, just like a human checker.

I guess the robots are already winning.

American Presidency Project.) I think, in fact, that it is the professor who is pantsless with a scorched bum, not the president.

Alan Barber Sandpoint

Response from Nick Gier: On rereading Reagan’s words I think that Mr. Barber is correct. I now challenge him to respond to all the errors in Green and MacColl’s book “Ronald Reagan’s Reign of Error.”

-Nick Gier.

A human face to the issue:

By Brenda Hammond Reader Contributor

The eighth annual Conference on Refugees, held at Boise State University on Feb. 8 and 9, was a gathering of approximately 425 people. I attended and planned to return with my head filled with facts. I didn’t know I would come back with my heart overflowing. I was inspired by talking with refugees, hearing their stories, learning how grateful they are to be in America and how eager they are to contribute.

In our world today there are 60 million refugees, forced from their homes by violence and war. Less than 1 percent will have the opportunity to come to the United States. Those who do will have gone through a rigorous vetting process that lasts from 18 months to three years. When they arrive they must learn English, find a job and learn about life here. They will be assisted by resettlement agencies, but given cash assistance for only eight months, with extended services that include referrals, training and coaching.

In 2016, an estimated 85,000 refugees will be resettled in the U.S.—up from 75,000 in 2015. An anticipated 1,000 will come to Idaho, which is considered one of the five most welcoming states in the U.S.

There are four resettlement agencies in ID; three in Boise and one in Twin Falls. That is where the refugees will go, where there are people who speak their language and can help them learn English and where other support services are located. The refugee resettlement process in Boise has been identified by the White House as a model for other cities.

The worsening crisis in Syria has created over four million refugees—80 percent of whom are women and children. Not all of them are seeking resettlement but those who apply are identi-

fied with iris scans. Only those with biometric scans will be referred for processing, which is especially slow and deliberate.

These facts come to life when you have the opportunity to meet refugees and hear their stories of living in crowded refugee camps, where they may be without food and water for many days. Stories of living outside of the camps in cities where they are not allowed to work but have to maintain an address where they can be contacted by immigration officials for repeated interviews. Often applicants are asked the same detailed questions months apart—and disqualified for any discrepancies. After each interview they are told only, “We will contact you.” They have no idea of how long it will be before the next step—before a “yes” or a “no.”

One of the young women I met was Belma Sadikovic, who fled with her family from Bosnia and arrived in the U.S. in 2000 when she was 16. She found that education was the key to integration and success and told me proudly that she is completing her PhD thesis at Boise State on “How Education Impacts the Integration of Refugees.” She also works as an adjunct instructor and research assistant. Her large eyes filled with tears as she told me, “I just want to be able to give back.”

I also met Fidel Nshombo, who fled the Congo at age 12 along with four other boys when soldiers came to their village and started killing everyone. He had no idea of where his parents or siblings were, and began a 10-year journey on foot across four countries with only hand-drawn maps and directions from people in the villages they passed through. One of the boys died along the way and finally, after surviving kidnapping, torture and constant hardship, he arrived in a refugee camp in Zimbabwe where he was able to apply to come to America. When he was accepted he had no idea where

Idaho was— knowing only that a woman in the airport in New York told him that it was a very cold place in the worst part of America and that he would surely die there.

Brenda Hammond of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force attends a conference on refugee resettlement

Fidel has found, since arriving in Boise, that it is wonderful place. His family has been located and he has been reunited with his parents and some of his siblings. Once he realized that he was safe, the trauma that he experienced began to come back to him—and as a way of processing that he began to write. Now he has published two books of poetry, “The Route to Peace: Parts I and II,” with a third to be released this year.

and joy bursts forth from his broad smile, and many others.

Fidel works in Boise, is married, has three beautiful daughters, coaches soccer and has good friends that have helped him connect with his family. He has been appointed a delegate to the National Refugee Congress in Washington, DC, and was honored by the major of Boise for receiving his American citizenship and for his contributions to the community.

I feel so privileged to have met him, Belma and others like Rafah, the quiet Iraqi woman with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, loquacious Patrick from the Congo, whose enthusiasm

It’s been a long time since I have felt so proud to be an American. I realize that one of the great benefits of getting to know refugees is that they demonstrate what a great country this is, and teach us all not to take what we have for granted.

Top: Fidel Nshombo, a refugee from the Congo, has published two books of poetry. Middle: The refugee panel (left to right): Rafah Al Khafaji from Iraq has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering,

Idaho lawmakers Scott and Boyle visit Malheur during final day of occupation

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Many locals no doubt joined the rest of the nation in witnessing the final Malheur occupiers surrender over the tense live-stream. But some Idaho lawmakers had a front-row seat to the action.

Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, and Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, traveled to Burns, Ore., as the standoff between federal and local law enforcement and the final four occupiers began heating up. The two legislators said they hoped their presence would protect the lives of the occupiers, which included a couple from Riggins, Idaho. It was the second trip to Burns for the legislators, following a January excursion that also included Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay.

“We were there as shields,” Boyle told the Idaho Statesman. “We figured the FBI wouldn’t kill legislators as

“We were there as shields.”

much as regular citizens like they did two weeks ago [with occupier LaVoy Finicum].”

According to Scott, she and Boyle visited Burns as negotiating members of the Coalition of Western States. She described the experience as a very tense and heated situation.

“If you listened online to

the live feed, you were probably aware that things were very intense at times,” she said. “We were pleased with the results and happy there was no bloodshed.”

While some of Scott’s constituents were unhappy she missed a legislative day in Boise to attend out-of-state affairs,

she believes the trip was worth it. She said she missed one day in the Capitol, which was largely dominated by Lincoln Day presentations.

“Citizens’ lives seemed more important,” she said. “There were two citizens from Idaho still at the refuge.”

Others were curious whether Scott utilized state resources to fund her day in Oregon. According to Scott, she funded the trip on her own dime. For reference, she receives a $16,680 salary plus payments of $129 for every day of the legislative session to pay for food and lodging, according to Idaho House of Representatives Chief Fiscal Officer Terri Franks-Smith.

“Depending on where you stay and what you eat, [the daily allowance] may or may not cover your expenses,” Scott said.

Nuxoll introduces bill authorizing Bible use in public schools

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Could the Bible be used to enhance your child’s science education? It’s a possibility, if a bill introduced by District 7 Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, passes legislative consideration.

“I think it’s great that Hindu people can practice their religion but since we’re the Senate, we’re setting an example of what we, Idaho, believe.”

Idaho Education News reports that members of the Senate Education Committee voted to print Nuxoll’s bill, which authorizes the Bible as an educational tool. The vote clears the way for a full committee hearing.

While teachers can already teach from the Bible when it’s appropriate to the lesson

-Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll

at hand, Nuxoll said her bill would provide express permission for its use in “literature, comparative religion, English and foreign languages, United States and world history, comparative government, law, philosophy, ethics, astronomy, biology, geology, world geography, archaeology, music, sociology and other topics of study.”

“A lot of teachers are scared to use the Bible,” Nuxoll said.

When committee Democrat Janie Ward-Engelking questioned whether the bill would open the door for similar laws

covering other religious texts, Nuxoll said the Bible deserved special consideration because it is “embedded” in American history and culture.

This isn’t the first time Nuxoll has made headlines over religious issues. Last March, she stirred controversy when she called Hinduism a “false faith with false gods.”

“I think it’s great that Hindu people can practice their religion but since we’re the Senate, we’re setting an example of what we, Idaho, believe,” she said.

Remember the nasty, racist robocalls that invaded Sandpoint homes during the mayoral election? According to Sandpoint Police Chief Corey, the man or woman behind it won’t be caught any time soon.

While police launched investigations into the robocall as a case of potential election fraud, the leads have since led to dead ends. Coon said all resources and investigation methods on the state and local level failed to bear fruit, and the case is no longer under active investigation.

That doesn’t mean it is necessarily closed. If new information or leads come to light, Coon said they will be investigated. As situation currently stands, however, no officer is assigned to the investigation. [CR]

Date changed on commissioner meeting

If you’re interested in weighing in on proposed changes to the county’s land use appeals process, it’s time to change your calendar.

The comments came after Nuxoll protested a Hindu cleric

State Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll being allowed to open a legislative session with an invocation. Despite nationwide calls from for an apology, Nuxoll stuck by her words.

The Bonner County Board of Commissioners will now be meeting to discuss the appeals process 1:30 p.m. March 9 at the County Administration Building. If approved, the appeals procedural changes will eliminate the two-step process for considering appeals, allowing commissioners to consider appeals directly without input from the Bonner County Planning Commission. [CR]

Get ready for Dine Around Sandpoint

If you love Sandpoint restaurants, there’s no better time to eat out than Dine Around Sandpoint. Starting Feb. 19 and running until March 19, Dine Around Sandpoint gives local foodies a chance to win some terrific prizes every time they eat at one of 31 participating restaurants. It’s an annual event that has generated enthusiasm among restaurant owners and residents alike.

We’ll have more about Dine Around Sandpoint in next week’s issue, so keep an eye out for that. [CR]

FEATURE

Leaving the Fold: How some alternative news sites are leaving mainstream journalism behind

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Editor’s note: In the first installment of this new media series, we talked about the general impact the Internet has had on political discourse. In this second article, we’ve decided to focus on a few alternative media groups that have popped up in our own backyard.

Fifty years ago, the news was presented by one of three networks or a local newspaper. Relying on the reporting of trained journalists, media consumers had no choice but to trust those who reported the news.

While the Internet has opened up the possibility of worldwide discourse, it has also put the responsibility of media literacy upon the shoulders of the individual media consumers. In other words, the Internet is a land of caveat emptor, or buyer beware, when it comes to trusting that a journalist used factual information in their reportage of a given story.

Some sites have earned that trust over years of accurate reporting. But over the past five years, an increasing number of agenda-driven news sites have popped up throughout Idaho on both sides of the aisle.

For Bob Neugebauer, publisher of GemStatePatriot.com, the alleged bias of mainstream media was the impetus for starting his own news gathering service two and a half years ago.

“We decided we needed some kind of communiqué to bring the conservative news to people,” said Neugebauer.

The self-professed “Tea Party newsletter” based out of Meridian mostly covers issues dealing with the Constitution, politics and socially conservative ideas. It publishes every two weeks.

“There is very little conservative-oriented news in this state, even though we are a Republican state,” said Neugebauer. “Most of our legislators have gone to the moderate slant.”

The Internet, says Neugebauer, is primarily responsible for allowing ideas to spread outside of the mainstream.

“The Internet is the one medi-

um where we can get it out there,” he said. “People are slowly but surely understanding if we don’t have this alternative media, we are unable to understand fully the problems that we have in our state or our country.”

Neugebauer believes most mainstream media has slanted far to the left in recent years.

“I find most of their reporting is biased,” he said. “You get tired of reading the same old, same old. I don’t say I’m not biased. I don’t hide it. All I can do is do what I think is right. It’s more of a truth than what’s spoon-fed to you by the liberal media.”

Derek Farr believes the responsibility of accurate reporting should outweigh any inherent bias, no matter if it’s “hidden” or outwardly stated. Farr, the executive director of BetterIdaho.org, said his site is “a communications shop for progressive ideas.”

“There was a group of people in Idaho who felt there needed to be a better balance in our politics,” said Farr. “We needed an online presence, a non-traditional media presence that talks about issues in a progressive way.”

Farr, a former reporter, decided to launch his site last year in order to gain the latitude in not just reporting on issues, but being able to take a step further by discussing the impact of the issues.

“I wasn’t capable of reporting

What media professionals are saying:

Given the rapid changes in media and distribution, many journalists are adapting to the new circumstances while maintaining their commitment to factual reporting. We asked regional journalists what they thought of social media and the upswing in agenda-driven Internet news outlets. Our colleagues at the Boise Weekly, George Prentice and Harrison Berry, got back to us with their thoughts.

With many getting their news exclusively from their social media feed, do you worry that political discourse is being hurt by media outlets with an agenda?

GP: … I honestly don’t think that political discourse is helped or hurt by social media feeds. The content of those feeds is nothing more than a collection of comments from engaged citizens. ... Mainstream media can get rather sloppy when leaning heavily on social media commentary without confirming that it’s a very small slice of the population.

HB: This is a source of concern for some, but not for me. I came of age in a time when Fox News was the go-to anathema news outlet—responsible, allegedly, for giving voice or cover to defunct or propagandist political views. … At the same

time, however, Fox News had more on-the-ground journalists than any other cable television news channel, and it paid them better wages. … By and large, people value accurate, truthful reporting and can smell the difference between having their opinions validated and a truthful record of current events.

How would you distinguish your work from that of the agenda-driven outlets?

GP: It’s ultimately important to me that readers can’t determine what my personal politics, views or beliefs are by reviewing my work.

HB: Most news organizations and journalists distinguish themselves through their mission statements and their histories as news-gathering organizations, but fail to mention the day-by-day journalistic values like continuously putting out a product for public consumption and the rigors of the editing process. … It’s a busy, personally grueling occupation that doesn’t leave time or intellectual bandwidth to dwell on forwarding an agenda. For the reporter, the gooey center of a story is the story itself—the people involved, the scientific/political/ ideological/social implications—and not whether it gives succor to our preconceived notions.

What are your thoughts on the need for trained journalists given the democratization of media through the Internet?

GP : … My sense is that news consumers continue to turn to agenda-driven or partisan Internet media sources because they are provocative, engaging and even entertaining while traditional media is asleep at the wheel. The amount of duplication among Idaho media sources is stunning. Someone says something at the Statehouse. Someone else responds. And a 250word news story with not much more than those quotes shows up in nearly every newspaper in the state. That’s not reporting. It’s stenography.

HB: I have a graduate degree in journalism from the University of Iowa. As a working journalist, I have mixed feelings about the value of my degree. … Journalism didn’t spring out of colleges and universities, and the skills needed to do it can be learned in the newsroom through years of ego-bruising, soul-sucking trial and error. … That said, reporters are curious people eager for insight, and an education in journalism can provide exactly that in addition to skills handy in the newsroom.

Bouquets:

•Congratulations to Jon Hagadone and Vicki Reich for their business Idaho Pour Authority being honored as the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Month. Idaho Pour Authority is not only a great place to get a beer off the beaten path, but the support they give to non-profits in town is commendable. Great job Jon and Vicki!

Barbs:

•A big barb goes out to Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, and Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale for traveling out of state (again) to visit the Malheur refuge during the final days of occupation.

It’s unacceptable that these representatives take time out of a legislative session to support armed occupiers of a federal building. We elect them to do their job, not to go grandstanding for their consitiuents where they have no business being.

•The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will certainly throw this election year into the spin cycle. Just days after his death, conspiracy theorists are hard at work trying to find foul play in the death of the 79-year-old. Everyone from Donald Trump to Michael Savage are raising questions about whether the Justice was murdered or really died of natural causes. My thoughts? The man was almost 80 years old and had heart trouble. His family requested no autopsy. Yes, he was found with a pillow over his head, but not over his face as conspiracy theorists keep pressing. The real question lies in the Republicancontrolled Senate, which can either approve President Obama’s forthcoming nomination, or stall and filibuster for almost a year, leaving the Supreme Court stymied. Love the Constitution? Well, according to the Constitution, the president has every right to fill the vacancy during his term. You can’t pick and choose what to support.

8 / R / February 18, 2016

on the real impacts … because it violates what a reporter’s job is,” said Farr. “Doing this job, I’m the frustrated id of the reporter I used to be.”

When asked how his site differs from those on the opposite side of the political spectrum, Farr said, “When I look at the news, I don’t see conspiracies. It’s not the evil media machine. I see people. In the case of this Malheur thing, the alternative media … is just there to simply verify the alternate universe of fact. My audience does not get happy if there are slips of facts.”

The abandonment of facts has Farr concerned, especially when alternative news sites take no responsibility over errors in their reporting. He views it as a pushpull reaction.

“The push is Donald Trump, out there saying clear falsehoods … not even bothering to correct them,” said Farr. “The pull is that there are these audiences who want to consume information that simply verifies their core beliefs.”

While GemStatePatriot.com and BetterIdaho.org both list bylines and sources for the majority of their material, another site of recent notoriety seems to operate under more of a shadow.

RedoubtNews.com began appearing in news feeds over the past year. Mostly reporting stories with a Tea Party slant, the site only occasionally lists bylines of authors. When bylines are listed, it usually only includes the author’s first name. The only contact information available is an email submission form.

On the website, RedoubtNews.

Museum offers Ice Cream Social

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Do you have a sweet tooth?

How about a love for history? If one or, better yet, both of those qualities describe you, then you can’t miss the Bonner County History Museum’s 1930s-style ice cream social.

Set for 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, the evening will feature authentic ice cream sodas plus popular 1930s games, complete with prizes. The night ends with a listening of the famous 1938 Orson Welles “War of the Worlds” radio drama.

An installment of the monthly Late Nights at the Museum series, the ice cream social costs $10 for the general public, $5 for museum members and children 12 or younger. The event is free for “social butterfly” members.

com states: “Most of you know us, and know that we make every effort to be accurate and fair.” The citation goes on to say the site owners used to work with “another news organization” which had attempted to control what information was shared with the public “because it did not fit within their agenda.”

After some brief investigation, the domain for RedoubtNews. com was found to be registered to Bret Roush, who also owns Panhandle Appliance and Repair in Priest River. Among other items, Confederate flags were listed for sale on the store’s Facebook page. Despite repeated requests for an interview over a two-week period, Roush ultimately chose not to participate. (In the interest of full disclosure, one of the email replies Roush claimed to have sent was not received).

Two weeks ago, an article without byline appeared on RedoubtNews.com with the following headline: “Syrian refugees quietly enter Idaho.” In the article, the unlisted author stated, “This information was confirmed to me by two different, and separate, sources.”

“The report is inaccurate and completely untrue,” stated Jon Hanian, press secretary for Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.

All four refugee resettlement organizations in Idaho also denied the rumor’s truth.

“That story is not true,” said Zeze Rwasama, director of CSI Refugee Center in Twin Falls. “My agency in Twin Falls has never resettled any Syrians.”

Rwasama said that since refugees need special documentation to travel, there is no way for them to enter the state without resettlement agencies knowing about it.

Christina Bruce-Bennion, the director of Agency for New Americans in Boise, has heard the rumor about Syrian refugees entering Idaho several times before.

“There seems to be this odd rumor that keeps popping up,” said Bruce-Bennion. “I’ve heard 200, I’ve heard 300. It is definitely not the case … the refugee program does not operate in secrecy.”

Bruce-Bennion attributes this rumor to fringe alternative media sites: “Some groups and websites are part of this larger network of groups that seem to have latched onto some key misinformation, and don’t seem to want to understand the accurate information.”

For people like Bruce-Bennion and Rwasama, the spread of misinformation is one of the troubling aspects of alternative media. Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, disagrees.

Rep. Scott has re-posted several posts from RedoubtNews. com among other alternative news sites. When asked why she found alternative media more appealing than mainstream, Rep. Scott said alternative media had “more details on events and actual truth.” She believes mainstream media carries an inherent bias, and that alternative news sources had, in several incidents, given more factual reporting than traditional news outlets.

Farr, on the other hand, believes sites such as RedoubtNews. com are dangerous precisely because some Idaho lawmakers treat them as bonafide news sources, even if the reporting contains misinformation. He was left scratching his head when Scott recently visited the Malheur Wildlife Refuge with fellow lawmakers Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, and Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay on a “fact finding mission.”

“Talk about an alternate reality,” said Farr. “I can’t verify anything Judy Boyle says in [an interview she gave]. She said there was a county commissioner screaming and yelling, saying their presence jeopardizes their reelection. I contacted the Harney County Commissioners and found none up for reelection, and none had even talked to Boyle.”

“It’s this Donald Trump phenomenon,” Farr continued. “People are comfortable in this alternative reality. You can present them these right-wing sites, and there is absolutely no scrutiny to it whatsoever, even if it flies directly in the face of fact. When you have an elected official pointing to it as fact, it verifies it. That’s wrong.”

Do you have an opinion on this or any of the other stories in this week’s Reader? Send a letter under to the editor at letters@sandpointreader.com. Please make sure the letter is under 400 words and refrain from using any obscenities or libelous statements.

Bonners Ferry volunteer firefighter to participate in cancer fundraiser

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Paradise Valley Fire District in Bonners Ferry is rallying to send one of their volunteers to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Scott Firefighter Stairclimb fundraiser in Seattle. Eliseo Hernandez will take part in one of the world’s most physically challenging competitions. The event attracts firefighters from all 50 states, Canada, Europe and the Pacific. Dressed in 50 pounds of “bunker gear” including helmet, fireproof coat and pants, breathing apparatus and air tanks used in fighting fires, these firefighters will climb the Columbia Tower’s 69 floors of

stairs—that’s 788 vertical feet, or 1,356 steps.

Since it’s inception 25 years ago, the Stairclimb has raised over $10 million to help develop new, more effective and less toxic treatments for patients with blood cancers. Over 1 million American are currently battling a blood cancer, and it’s the number three cause of cancer deaths. Leukemia alone causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20.

The Paradise Valley Volunteer Firefighters will have a fire truck parked at the Super 1 Foods parking lot in Bonners Ferry on Saturday, Feb. 27. The volunteers will be accepting

donations to send Hernandez to the Stairclimb, as well as raffling off donations from local businesses. Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of $300 as an individual to help further LLS’s mission. For more information about how you can help, visit www. lls.org.

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Magic Show

6pm @ Sandpoint Library

Free magic show!

Indulging Artists Painting Party

6:15pm @ Cedar Street Bridge

Fee of $35 pays for all supplies, a complimentary glass of vino, and step-by-step instruction

Live Music w/ Tom Catmull

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

American roots driven sound

Live Music w/ Bright Moments

7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Jazz done right

Live Music w/ Michael Wagner 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Live Music w/ Mike & Shanna

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Quick pickin’, guitar folk rock duo

Live Music w/ The Groove Black

7-9pm @ La Rosa Club

Featuring Brandon Watterson

Live Music @ Taps on Schweitzer 3-6pm - Dimestore Prophets

7-10pm - The Rub

Foosball Tournament

1pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall $5 per person, with cash and prizes

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Sandpoint Chess Club

“Mustang” film

7:30pm @ Panida Theater

This French film is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

2:19 @ the 219 Party

2:19-close @ 219 Lounge

An all-day party starting at 2:19 p.m. The’ll have free food from Trinity from 5-7 p.m. and live music by Chris Lynch from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. All draft beers and cocktails will be $2.19. They’ll be giving away a snowboard from Fish Tail Ales as well as a Jim Beam bar stool

Let It Glow Day and Fireworks at Schweitzer All day @ Schweitzer

Start out with Neon Ski-On! Break out all your old retro neon gear and tear up the slopes in style with your similarly attired fashionista buddies! At 6 p.m., join the Day Glow Night Show parade down Ridge Run. Battery powered LED “torches” for the kids will be provided. Special fireworks show at the end of the parade. The night finishes with Taps Neon Party!

‘Cold Feet’ play

7:30pm @ Heartwood Center $12, $10 seniors/students. Produced by Unknown Locals and written by Sandpoint’s own Chris Herron

Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills

7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Trivia Night

7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s

Impress your friends and loved ones with your uncanny knowledge of useless information

Bingo Night

Karaoke Night

Throwback 7-11pm

Featuring and friends, Join in night setting

6:30-9:30pm Boot-tappin’ ers from

6:30-9:30pm

Spokane-based

“Mustang” film 3:30pm @ Panida

Come down and take part in game night with Racheal

Learn to dance the Rumba – 7pm @ SWAC

Learn the Rumba from Diane Peters, with every Monday in Februrary. 610-1770 for info

10pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge

Well, if you’re not going to be a rock star in the real world, may as well have some beers and pretend you’re one at the Niner

6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Crafternoon: Quills & Folds

2pm @ Sandpoint Library

Make eloquent paper crafts. Free and open to the public

Sandpoint Poetry Open Mic

Sip & Shop Fundraiser

Art on the go with Jules 4-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Join Julie Ellis for a few fun hours creating art from recy cled materials.

4-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Ten percent of the proceeds raised throughout the Winery will benefit 24 Hours for Hank

3D Printing Workshop for Adults

6pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee

Welcome all poets, spoken word artists, flash fiction writers, travelers, babblers, scribblers and scrawlers. Free admission

“Room” film – 7:30pm @ Panida Theater

5pm @ Sandpoint Library

This free introductory class is open to the public, but pre-registration is required by calling 208-263-6930

Nominated for Best Picture, Actress, Director and Screenplay

Wrangling Personal 5-6pm 2 Join Charli writing tion. Free

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am. All are welcome Throwback 7-11pm

Featuring and friends, Join in

Dollar 8pm @

Throwback Thursdays at the 219 7-11pm @ 219 Lounge

Featuring live music with Brian Jacobs and friends, $2 domestics and $3 crafts.

Join in playing in this informal open mic night setting every Thursday night

Live Music w/ Devon Wade

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Boot-tappin’ originals and classic covers from a Sandpoint country artist

Snow Traxx Flicks

7pm @ Panida Theater

Two back to back High powered snow mobile movies that get your adrenaline pumping and doesn’t let down! $8

February 18-25, 2016

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

Learn to dance the Country Two Step

7pm @ SWAC

Learn the Country Two Step from Diane Peters, with classes every Thursday in Februrary. 610-1770 for info

Dine Around Sandpoint begins! For a whole month, dine at your favorite restaurants in Bonner County and win prizes

Metal Madness

7pm @ Roxy’s Bar Knight of Tears headlining a fourband collection of metal all stars. Free show. Are you ready to rock?

Late Nights at the Museum: 1930s Ice Cream Social

5-8pm @ Bonner County History Museum

Join a sweet and engaging exploration of typical social events popular during the Depression during a 1930s Ice Cream Social. Sip on authentic ice cream sodas like Brown Cows, Black & Whites, and Strawberry Sodas, plus try your hand at a few games popular during the ‘30s!

Live Music w/ The Holy Broke

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Spokane-based singer/songwriter

Hunting Film Tour

7pm @ Panida Theater

View some of the coolest films and best cinematography the hunting industry has ever witnessed. $15 tickets

“Mustang” film @ Panida Theater

night with Racheal

7pm @ SWAC

Peters, with classes 610-1770 for info

Jules Pour Authority a few fun from recy-

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip

Reader recommended

Open Mic Night

6-8pm @ Monarch Mtn. Coffee

Hosted by Scott Reid. All are welcome to attend!

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

The New Mastersounds

9pm @ The Hive

Originating in Leeds London, The New Mastersounds will surprise you with masterfully delivered music spanning rock, funk and soul genres

‘Cold Feet’ play

7:30pm @ Heartwood Center

$12, $10 seniors/students

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 7pm @ La Rosa Club

5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Singer/songwriter from Sandpoint

“Forks Over Knives” documentary 5:30pm @ Sandpoint Teen Center

Examines the claim that most degenerative diseases tcan be controlled by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. Free!

Eichardt’s K9 Keg Pull and Evans Bros. Family Faire

10am @ Evans Bros. Parking Lot

One of Sandpoint Winter Carnival’s most endearing and popular events. Evans Brothers partners with Waldorf School in sponsoring a Family Faire with felt soap making, face painting, candle making and other crafts and activities. A free event open to all

Geezer Forum

2:30-4pm @ Tango Cafe

This week’s topic is financial scams, featuring guest speakers Ken Wood of Edward Jones and Ryan Sheppard of the Area Agency on Aging

Wrangling Words Writers’ Program:

Personal or Professional Writer

5-6pm 2 Sandpoint Library

Join Charli Mills for a monthly flash fiction writing activity followed by a brief presentation. Free and open to the public

Throwback Thursdays at the 219

7-11pm @ 219 Lounge

Featuring live music with Brian Jacobs and friends, $2 domestics and $3 crafts.

Join in playing in this informal open mic night setting every Thursday night

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Learn to dance the Country Two Step 7pm @ SWAC

Learn the Country Two Step from Diane Peters, with classes every Thursday in Februrary. 610-1770 for info

Live Music w/ Larry Myer

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live acoustics

Feb. 27 “Rumpelstiltskin” presented by the Missoula Children’s Theatre @ The Panida Theater

Feb. 27

Patrice Webb Trio @ Di Luna’s Cafe

Feb. 27

Ron Greene @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Feb. 28

‘An Enchanted Wedding’ Dinner Theater @ First Presby- terian Church

March 4-5

The Follies @ the Panida Theater. Hosted by Angels Over Sandpoint

Local, Radio

Winter Carnival 2016: Week 2

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It’s the last week of Winter Carnival, 2016! Here is a short list of some of the fun activities offered this week. Go out and enjoy yourself!

Friday, Feb. 19 @ 2:19 p.m.

Annual 2:19 Party @ 219 Lounge

As one of the oldest continually operated bars in Sandpoint, the 219 Lounge holds a special place in many of your hearts as a watering hole for the denizens of our community. What better way to celebrate your favorite five star dive bar than going to the 2:19 party!

Friday, Feb. 19 @ 4-7 p.m.

Moonlight Snowshoe Hikes @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Starting at 2:19 p.m., the Niner will kick off their annual party with free food from Trinity at City Beach from 5-7 p.m. and live music by Chris Lynch from 9 p.m. to midnight. All draft beers and cocktails will be $2.19. They’ll be giving away a snowboard from Fish Tail Ales as well as a Jim Beam bar stool, and the liquor reps will also be on hand to give away tons of other prizes. Is there anything better than strapping on your snowshoes and tramping through a majestic old growth forest with the moon to light your way?

Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s moonlight snowshoe hikes are a favorite event for outdoorsmen and women during Winter Carnival. The views of Sandpoint and the surrounding areas from the trails are to die for.

It’s only $30 per person, which in-

cludes snowshoe rental, trail fee, hosted hike, head lamp/flashlight rental, snacks and hot chocolate upon return.

The hike is a three mile round trip along some of the best trail systems in the Northwest. All levels of ability are welcome, though the hikes are geared toward beginner-intermediate ages 13 and up.

Advanced sign up is required at the Activity Center at least one week in advance. 255-3081.

Saturday, Feb. 20 @ 9 p.m. The New Mastersounds @ The Hive

Originating in Leeds London, The New Mastersounds will surprise you with masterfully delivered music spanning rock, funk and soul genres.

After 15 years of performing, ten years of U.S. working visas, and now a ninth studio album, the “New” prefix may be out of place. Rather than wallow, a self-prescribed dose of Therapy has the band getting back to their feet, and will get you on yours, too. The majority of the album keeps to the instru-

mental jam band format, equally showcasing playing chops, diverse tastes and an utmost respect for the pocket.

The New Mastersounds will be playing the Hive starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. Tickets are $15 and available at www.LiveFromTheHive.com.

Saturday, Feb. 20

Let It Glow and Fireworks Show @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Schweitzer Mountain Resort is celebrating the Winter Carnival by hosting the grand finale “Let It Glow!” day. Start the day out by getting your Neon Ski-On. Bust out all your old retro neon gear and tear up the slopes in style.

At 6 p.m., join the Day Glow Night Show by wrapping yourself in the most outrageous battery-powered lights you can find and then joining the electyric light parade down Ridge Run. This is an all-ages parade, and Schweitzer will provide battery-powered LED “torches” for the kids. To sign up and register for the Glow Parade, check out www. schweitzer.com.

The annual fireworks show will wrap up the Glow Parade around dusk. Then, for all you adult beverage indulgers, the Taps Neon Party will take you to the end of the night in your crazy flower power gear. The Rub will play at Taps starting at 7 p.m., so get your dance on folks!

Sunday, Feb. 21

Eichardt’s K9 Keg Pull and Evans Brothers Family Faire @ Granary

One of Sandpoint’s most endearing and popular events, the Eichardt’s annual K-9 Keg Pull is held at the Granary location to combine with Evans

Community grants offered

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Are you seeking funding for a worthy project? Look no further, dear reader, there are two new community grants currently accepting applications.

The first is the Community Assistance League (CAL) Grant. CAL is an organization that helps support over 40 local volunteer groups as well as offers scholarships for high school seniors.

Applications for the 2016 CAL Grant program are available March 1 at the following locations: The libraries in Sandpoint, Priest River and Clark Fork; the Sandpoint and Priest River Chambers of Commerce and Bizarre Bazaar at 502 Church St. in Sandpoint. You can

also obtain information and applications online at www.calsandpoint.com.

Applicants must be from non-profit organization and funds must apply to Bonner County only. Some of the criteria for evaluation include making a significant impact on the community, being an innovative idea and involving important issues.

CAL contributes profits from their shop, Bizarre Bazaar directly back to Bonner County via grants and scholarships. Grant applications must be returned to CAL no later than Friday, March 1, 2016. For more information, please email Diane Arrants at calsandpointgrants@gmail.com.

Bonner County Human Rights Task

Brothers Coffee’s Neighborhood Coffee Tasting and Family Faire, making for one big event not to be missed!

The Keg Pull starts at 10 a.m., with dogs of all sizes racing down a snowpacked course pulling anywhere from full-size kegs to beer cans amidst a pandemonium of cheering from the crowd. $5 entry fee goes to the Panhandle Animal Shelter. A free Neighborhood Coffee Tasting takes place at Evans Brothers Coffee from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hot chocolate for the kids and live music. Plus, Evans Brothers Coffee is partnering with Waldorf School in sponsoring a Family Faire with felt soap making, face painting, candle making and other crafts and activities. A great time for the entire family, dogs included!

Force offers up the second grant for organizations whose activities reflect commitment to the ideal that everyone is equal under state and federal laws and the Constitution, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

The Task Force will consider grants for up to $8,000, although in extreme or emergency circumstances, the limit may be waived by the board of directors. Grant requests will only be considered from Bonner County.

For more information or to apply, go to www.idcomfdn.org and look under Deadlines. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2016.

Changing Your Mind Paddling upstream?

By Suzen Fiskin Reader Columnist

Many moons ago, my friend Donna and I had been working our booties off, and decided to get out of Dodge for the weekend. We scored an invitation to her friend Susan’s home on the Russian River in Northern California, just an hour’s drive away. Wahoo!

It was mid-July and the tourist season was in full swing. We made our way through the evening traffic, and crashed after schmoozing with our host over wine. The next morning, we took Susan’s suggestion to rent a canoe across the street.

As the dude behind the counter took my deposit and driver’s license, he said, “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. You have to take the boat upstream because we don’t have any way to get it back here. That okay?”

I was so impatient to get on the water and have some fun that I didn’t let his words sink in.

Huffing and puffing paddling upstream, it didn’t take long before we were peeling off our life vests, bathed in sweat. The thermometer was inching towards 90 degrees, and the water got shallower with each stroke. Before long, we had to get out of the boat and drag it through the mud. We were slapping mosquitoes, getting filthy and cursing like sailors.

We stopped for a swig of water when the lilting melodies of laughter came wafting our way. I turned in the direction of the sound and saw that the folks in the boats across the river were barely lifting a paddle as the current carried them happily along. They were eating, drinking and having a grand ol’ time. Honestly?

It was one of those life changing “Aha!” moments.

”My whole life, people have been telling me to go upstream. Screw it, I’m not doing it any more. I’m drawing a line in the mud. We’re joining the Downstream People!”

For the first time since we hit the water, Donna smiled, and her sky blue eyes lit up. We made our way to the opposite side of the river to literally go with the flow.

We had a glorious day. Within minutes of tweaking my world view, we became true Downstream People. We started yakking with a flamboyantly funny couple in another boat who

shared a bottle of wine with us. We got invited to a lovely home on the river for a spectacular lunch, and had a rousing good time playing volleyball on a private beach.

Well into the afternoon, it was time to face the music. We landed where a lot of other people were dropping off their boats. A few guys were stacking the canoes in a trailer in the back of a van. I walked up to one of the them, “Is this where we catch the shuttle?”

He looked at the name on our canoe. ”Nope, there is no shuttle for your boat.“ He winked at me. “Not to worry, I’ll take you back. It happens all the time.” He tossed our canoe in with the others, and we hopped into the van with my new life lesson firmly in place. His words, “It happens all the time,” echoed in my head, and a self-satisfied smile reached my face as I enjoyed how good it feels to go against the grain and have it be the right choice.

Have you ever noticed that people are always telling you to swim upstream because “that’s the way things have always been done?” Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here’s what I know: sometimes you have break the rules to do what your heart knows is right.

So, let me ask you. Is there some area of your life where you’re going upstream and fighting the current? How’s that working for you?

If you’ve had enough of what was, maybe it’s time to ask yourself what other choices you might have. How can you turn your boat around and become one of the Downstream People?

If you’d like to see me share this tale with an audience, I have a two-minute clip on YouTube: bit.ly/1VhwpwU

Suzen Fiskin began her photography career as a personal photographer for Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. She currently focuses on clients doing boudoir, portraits, event and real estate photography. She’s a graphic artist, web designer, and professional speaker. Suzen is also the author of “Playboy Mansion Memoirs.” SuzenFiskin@ gmail.com (208)572-0009

about

Science: Mad

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

We’re back again, in another article of Mad About Science!

Last time, we decided to look at how awesome explosions are, as well as the biggest types of explosions we’ve seen. Explosions are great and all, but who doesn’t like talking about dinosaurs? They’re big, they’re loud, they eat everything and most importantly: They’re pretty cool-looking!

Today, I want to introduce you to some sweet relatives of terrifying monsters that decided dying to a giant asteroid was too mainstream, and instead stuck around to modern day.

Crocodiles! Alliga tors! Caimans!

Yeah, they’re cool and all, but their ancestral cousins are way, way cooler.

Let’s start with modern day crocodiles. TV Hosts have wrestled and flirted with these bad boys for years. At first glance, they don’t seem to have changed too much since the days nightmare-inducing superreptiles stormed around the Earth. They are also one of the most feared predators on the planet, and are prime contenders for one of the most powerful and devastating bites in the world. A crocodile’s bite has been measured to exert up to 3,700 PSI, or pounds per square inch, of force; to contrast, whenever you take a bite of a delicious bacon and swiss burger, you will exert roughly 150 PSI. Yeah, that’s great, crocodile. I didn’t want my bones in that painless configuration, anyway.

with the tip of his tail in the endzone, his nose would be touching the ten yard line, and there would probably be a bunch of football players running in fear.

Despite the fact that the few fossils we’ve found of this big guy have been fairly fragmented, members of the scientific community have been able to piece together enough information to postulate rough size estimates on him, by comparing his bones to those from current alligators.

There are full skeletal reconstructions in museums, which have allowed biologists to understand how it lived and fed. This guy may have

That was pretty great, or whatever, but I think you can do better, nature! I think you can show me something so giant and terrible that I wake up with night terrors 10 years from now!

Let’s just step into the time travel device we have handy here, fly back a little over 100 million years and wow! Our next subject! Deinosuchus, with his strange and difficult-to-pronounce name, at first glance, looks like an alligator. We traveled that far back just to see an alligator? Yeah, we did, because that alligator is between 26 and 33 feet long! If you laid him out on a football field

Enter: Sarcosuchus Imperator. Besides having an indisputably awesome name, this beast could reach lengths of 38 feet. If you put him next to a school bus, he could slap his nose against the door and traumatize all of the children inside. As another example of his size, an average six-foot-tall man could lay down inside of his mouth. Not that anyone would willingly want to, or anything. Sarcosuchus also had an estimated weight of about 8.8 tons, which is around 17,600 pounds. That’s roughly how much six Mini Coopers weigh. Its bite, meanwhile, is projected to be close to 18,000 PSI. Concrete, you know, the hard stuff that everything is built on, can crack at 4000 PSI. How is does your paltry burger taste now, tiny little human?

The Sandpoint roots to an international nonprofit

By Sarah Klintworth Reader Contributor

One of the most wonderful aspects of human nature is our ability to respond when we see another human being in need. Anyone who watched TV through the ‘90s probably remembers the advertisements featuring the tear-streaked faces of potbellied children, images designed to tug on heart strings and open wallets.

I remember experiencing a confusing mix of reactions to those ads: pity, the desire to help, but also a sense of helplessness and skepticism. The reality is that despite our best intentions, foreign aid projects sometimes fail to effectively help those who need it, and frequently, the progress made requires ongoing financial aid. Foreign aid needs to move in the direction of helping communities develop long term, sustainable strategies that the people themselves who are in need can eventually be responsible for.

We happen to have a great example of that right here in Sandpoint. Mike and Jennifer Crooks moved their family and their equestrian business here from the Seattle area in 2008. Their family includes 13 children, eight of whom were adopted from China and Ethiopia. The adoption process left Jennifer with a deep-seated desire to make a difference.

Besides being rich in human history and culture, Ethiopia is severely challenged in supporting its population, and it has the highest percentage of orphans of any sub Saharan country, with a total of about 5 million. The annual average income per capita is a stunning $250, and more than half of Ethiopians do not have no source of safe drinking water. An even larger percentage, 81 percent, don’t have access to sanitary facilities. When it comes to childhood mortality, one out of six children die before their fifth birthday. And if those aren’t enough disturbing statistics for you, out of the children that do grow up, only 13% enroll in secondary school, the equivalent of a high school education. With these kinds of challenges, it’s no surprise that Ethiopia is a country with enormous potential for growth and development. After her own personal experiences in rural Ethiopia, Jennifer decided that this was exactly where she wanted to focus her time and energy.

In 2014, Jennifer founded the non-profit Uryadi’s Village, an international non-profit organization named after Jennifer’s Grand Prix level show jumper SF Uryadi, (a name which was later discovered to be associated with the Uryadi Festival in India which celebrates the coming together of the community to accomplish common goals, centered on the importance of the children). The mission of Uryadi’s Village is to uplift communities in crisis with self-sustainability. The talent for quick, decisive action that made Jennifer a formidable competitor in the international equestrian world made her goals a reality, and she lost no time in

making things happen on the ground in Ethiopia. Although the development of the permanent facilities for Uryadi’s Village is still in progress, she quickly took responsibility for the care of over 20 orphans in the rural village of Soddo who were in critical situations. Some of these children were abandoned, most were malnourished if not starving, and all had fallen through the cracks of the system. The majority are 2 years old or younger. Right now, they and their nannies live in a rented facility. Although invaluable as a safe, stable location, this situation is a far cry from what Jennifer and the team at Uryadi’s Village envision for the orphans of Soddo.

With the help of Warren Brush, a permaculture teacher and modern-day wise man, Uryadi’s Village has developed a plan for a beautiful, productive and ecologically sound family-style village. Think traditional, round huts, built out of renewable local materials, grouped around a communal use area for eating, cooking, and just hanging out. Up to eight children of various ages, with a house mother, will call each hut home. They will grow up surrounded by verdant food forests growing foods like banana, mango and avocado. This community has been mindfully designed around the natural environment, as well as Ethiopian culture. Our goal at Uryadi’s Village is to rebuild what years of unsustainable

lifestyle practices and hardship have stripped away—the ability of the amazing Ethiopian people to support themselves and their children.

Although Uryadi’s Village is an international entity, part of its roots are here in Sandpoint, in this amazing community of kind, creative and visionary people. Jennifer and her family call this town and its people home, and it’s because of communities like Sandpoint that dreams like Uryadi’s Village are even possible.

In an effort to develop our presence in Sandpoint, Uryadi’s Village will be

partnering with Evan’s Brother’s Coffee to bring the people of our town an authentic Ethiopian coffee ceremony experience, complete with beans directly from Ethiopia, as well as some information about our current project, Wolayta Village. Come join us on March 12th at 6 pm at Evan’s Brother’s Coffee, and enjoy an evening of relaxation, coffee, and inspiring pictures and stories. We’d love to share our passion for changing the world with you.

FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

Cooped up

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist

Though I’ve been feeling a bit cooped up, I think I can see spring from my backdoor, which means we’re only a month or so away from my favorite holiday, Easter, filled with glorious trappings of peeps and peeps. The peeps of chicks will be arriving at the CO-OP Country Store on March 24th. Once they arrive, I’ll plan daily errands that include an excuse to stop there. Surely I am not the only one who’s a peep stalker, though sometimes I do feel like I’m being judged as I lean into the galvanized steel tubs snapping photos or shooting video to record those adorable little “cheep-cheep” sounds. Seriously, who can resist all those little fuzzy creatures?

When I was a kid, local grocery stores would give away little pastel-dyed chicks at Easter time. Why anyone thought that was a good idea is beyond me, because parental approval was not required. Only one time did I come home with the adorable little colored balls of fuzz, and my father was not pleased. He scowled at them for the entire Easter weekend, and a couple days later we drove in silence to a friend’s place in the country where I relinquished my little flock. I know he felt a little guilty as I was rewarded with an A&W root beer float on the way home.

I love buying fresh eggs from backyard farmers. A couple years ago, my egg supplier was culling their clutch and since Ryanne had been

hankering for hens, we took a drive out to meet the source of my supply. It didn’t take long to suck her in, and while she was not yet coop-ready in Moscow, Ryanne and each of her boys chose a favorite, making plans to return for them after they prepared a suitable home. Before the Easter weekend was up and we’d polished off the last deviled egg, elaborate plans were drawn for the henhouse, which my skilled son-in-law would work on over the next few weeks.

I’ve never claimed patience as a virtue, and apparently neither did my oldest offspring because in less than a week’s time they had pounded, painted and hammered a home that any hen would envy. Though their schedule didn’t allow time

for a trip to Sandpoint, they were chicken-ready, and the young grandsons were pleading for their flock. I’m just a girl who can’t say no, and by the following weekend, the white leather backseat of my Kia was filled with three hen-filled cat carriers. I headed south with my live cargo, the first few miles filled with wing-flapping, nervous clucking travelers. Normally my backseat is filled with grandchildren, and the antidote for their restlessness is song. It worked for the hens too, and soon they were clucking and cooing along with the most chicken appropriate songs I could think of, “Farmer in the Dell” and “Old McDonald.” I only felt ridiculous when I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror.

Ryanne thinks I’m a terrible

driver, and bemoans what she refers to as my inconsistent two-speed driving technique. “Mom,” she admonishes, “you either drive too fast or too slow.” The hens however, thought I was a fine chauffeur, and two of them rewarded my singing-driving performance by laying eggs en route. The girls settled right into their new home, and two years and a clutch of little chicks later, they still rule the roost and keep the egg cartons filled.

Whether you build your own simple coop or purchase a fifteen hundred dollar model from William-Sonoma, it’s evident that urban chicken farming continues to gain in popularity. In the past five years, even large cities have revamped regulations to address backyard hen houses. Our local

Scotch Eggs

Serves 4

These savory sausage-wrapped eggs are popular British and Irish pub food. Add a salad and rye bread, and mustard or chutney for a perfect brunch, lunch or picnic option

INGREDIENTS:

•1 ¼ pounds bulk country-style or herbed-seasoned sausage

•4 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled

•½ cup all-purpose flour

•1 raw large egg, beaten lightly

•1 cup fresh bread crumbs

•Vegetable oil for deep-frying the eggs

DIRECTIONS:

•Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, and flatten each portion into a thin round.

•Enclose each hard-boiled egg completely in one of the sausage rounds, patting the sausage into place.

•Dredge the sausage-coated eggs in the flour, shaking off the excess, dip them in the raw eggs, letting the excess drip off, and roll them gently in the bread crumbs, coating well.

•In a deep fryer (or heavy sauce pan), heat 2 1/2 inches of the oil to 350°F. and fry the eggs for 10 minutes, 2 at a time, turning them and transferring them to paper towels to drain with a slotted spoon as they are done.

ordinances vary; in Sandpoint you can have hens and even roosters. The caveat of owning roosters? If they crow and your neighbors complain, you can be cited for disturbing the peace. Roosters are not allowed in Ponderay, and though you can have chickens, they cannot roam free. If you live in Kootenai, you can have up to ten chickens but you need a minimum of at least an acre. Whether you choose to raise your own chickens and eggs for health, economic or humanitarian reasons, there’s something pretty wonderful about gathering fresh eggs each morning. If this is a new endeavor that sounds good, you’ve got a month to get the compound ready. You’ll find chicks in many adorable (and natural) colors.

Random Corner

Fun Facts About Idaho!

•Idaho has 3,100 miles of rivers—more than any other state.

• Idaho’s state bird is the Mountain Bluebird.

• The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the largest in the lower 48 states-2.3 million acres of backcountry.

• Idaho’s state flower is the Syringa. Our state tree is the Western White Pine. State Horse? Appaloosa.

• Idaho’s top three Industries: 1. Manufacturing 2. Agriculture 3. Tourism.

• The statehouse in Boise is geothermally heated from underground hot springs.

• The Great Seal of Idaho was designed in 1890 by Mrs. Emma Edwards Green. It is the only Great Seal in the 50 states to be designed by a woman.

• The deepest river gorge in North America is Idaho’s Hells Canyon (7,900 ft deep).

• Idaho’s state fruit is the Huckleberry, our state vegatable is broccoli... just kidding! It’s the potato, of course!

Miles and Me:

By Tim Henney Reader Contributor

Charlie “Yardbird” Parker and Dizzy Gillespie blew America’s musical roof off with bebop jazz in the late 1940’s. Softer, conventional jazz—my kind—languished. Their feverish screeching eventually wore out their fans. Fortunately, Miles Davis came along. He tamped things down. With his quiet horn and taciturn stage persona Miles became the king of cool. Simultaneously, some of the finest popular music ever composed and performed also characterized the era. Much of it romantic and sentimental.

As an ancient romantic who loves lyrics and is a noted authority on jazz, popular and classical music, I want to salute three musical giants who made me who I am today. I mean, I can’t even read music. How can I be a musical legend? Well, Sinatra couldn’t read music either. And he did okay. I am a jazz, pop and classical music legend because of my good friends Miles and Frank. And Donald Voorhees.

An older stepbrother, fellow Californian Gary Lewis, played jazz piano and trumpet. He was booted out of Stanford in the late ‘40s for smoking/selling pot on campus. In those days marijuana, weed, grass, pot, mary jane, was commonly called “tea” by jazz and swing musicians. That’s mainly who smoked it. Famed big band drummer Gene Krupa got nailed by the feds who found tea in his hotel room in early 1943. A budding pre-teen big band fan, I remember it well. Headlines almost as large as when the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor 13 months earlier.

In the summer of 1951 I was in NYC learning military newspaper skills. Stepbrother Gary was in the city writing a corporate magazine. He took me to hear Miles Davis at Café Bohemia, off Sheridan Square, deep in the heart of Greenwich Village. We sat at a small table and ordered drinks. Miles motioned to Gary to sit in, to lead the combo, while he, Miles, took a breather. Miles was not a global legend yet, but on the way. He joined me at the table and someone brought him a beer.

And Frank and Donald (not Trump)

I think Miles stayed maybe two minutes. He probably asked me about music. If so, I might have raved about Patty Andrews singing “I Can Dream Can’t I?” Or praised The Ted Weems orchestra revival of “Heartaches” featuring Elmo Tanner, whistling the chorus. I was also a devotee of singers Billy Eckstine and Billie Holiday. Both black, like Miles. And of the original King Cole Trio. Also black. But I was young, white, and it was 1951. If I balked at talking to Miles Davis about Billie Holiday it might be that I felt unqualified. Miles might have suspected me of angling for inclusion among the cool. Had I mentioned Nat Cole or Billy Eckstine to Miles he might have stuck around another minute or so.

But commending Patty Andrews would have sent the jazz genius scurrying for cover. Since that musical conversation I have considered myself a jazz gourmet. I mean, I seriously doubt if Tami or Dave Gunter, Ben Olson, Charlie Packard or the Shook Twins have ever talked music with Miles Davis.

My musical resume was further enhanced by my good friend Frank Sinatra. In 1950 I pledged a fraternity at USC in Los Angeles. Eddie Pucci was a pledge brother. Several years later Eddie started popping up in Life magazine, Look and other publications, standing next to Sinatra, glowering at photographers. He had become Frank’s body guard. And I had known him! But that’s not all. In the mid-1960s my 1957 bride and I left NYC’s gray corporate world for a job with Litton Industries at its sunny Beverly Hills headquarters. Litton’s president, Roy Ash, lived in Sinatra’s former Holmby Hills home. The house where daughter Nancy (“These Boots Were Made For Walkin’”) grew up. On weekends I wrote speeches for Ash and delivered them, usually on Sunday nights, to Sinatra’s house. How’s that for intimacy with Ol’ Blue Eyes!

But there’s more. Having slunk back to New York after a year among the movie stars and starlets, I would fly to L.A. on AT & T television business. Chasen’s famed celebrity restaurant was the place to dine and drink. Providing the

company was paying. On some trips my traveling companion was Maestro Donald Voorhees, distinguished conductor of The Bell Telephone Orchestra. AT & T, then the world’s biggest company, sponsored The Bell Telephone Orchestra for decades on NBC radio and television. Donald and Dave Chasen were about the same age and old buddies. When one accompanied Don to Dave Chasen’s restaurant, one got a great seat.

On this particular night Sinatra and the rat pack were raising hell in an adjacent private room. On their way to pee, Frank and fellow rat packer Peter Lawford brushed by our booth. A giggling Frank was slurring the lyrics to the pop hit, “Fly Me To The Moon.” His customized version went, “fly me to your room…”. Naturally, Lawford was breaking up at his leader’s wit. After they had passed by, Donald Voorhees, many years their senior and not really into rat packs, mumbled, “Bums!” So much for musical collegiality and bonding.

To make Don feel better we ordered two more Beefeater martinis. Straight up. His with an olive, mine with a twist. Upon returning to our Beverly Hills Hotel bungalows we undoubtedly paused at the illustrious Polo Lounge for Beefeater nightcaps. If Liz and Richard Burton could hang out there, so could

This week’s RLW by Susan Drinkard

READ

From top to bottom: Miles

Davis, Frank Sinatra and Maestro Donald Voorhees.

we. And we did. It was 1969. It’s what celebrities like us did in those halcyon days. And nights. And that’s how I became a connoisseur of jazz, popular song and classical music. Through professional association with Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra. And Beefeater martinis with Donald Voorhees.

With the publisher’s permission, in a future Reader I’ll cite some songs and singers that shaped me into the noted musical authority I have become.

Muckraking journalists, nature and dogs—a winning combination. “Following Atticus” is the true story of a small-town New Hampshire journalist who pays tribute to a friend who died of cancer by attempting to climb all 48 peaks in the northeastern White Mountains twice in one winter—many at night—with his beloved 20-pound miniature schnauzer named Atticus Finch. They work out together, and author Tom Ryan works out relationship issues in the process.

LISTEN

To the quick of the heart. That’s how I find Charley Packard’s “Pals,” a CD with some of the most heartfelt songs I’ve ever heard. It includes the sad “Bottle in Yer Hand,” the openarmed “Friends Like You,” and the song that should have made him rich and famous, “Gimme an Ol’ Gal.” Charley Packard is a local legend whose original songs on this album should be part of every CD collection. (Available through Keokeebooks. com).

WATCH

Here’s to more muckraking: “Truth” is a captivating newsroom drama that tells the true story of President George W. Bush’s sketchy military service and his early abuses of political power.

The “60 Minutes” reporter, Mary Mapes, ends up fired, and the journalist’s journalist, Dan Rather, is forced to resign. Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford get the story and the acting just right.

Then & Now

compiled by Ben Olson

Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same.

Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.

First Avenue, looking north at the intersection of Main Street. Merwin’s Hardware used to be located on this corner, and down at the end of First Ave. you can see J.C. Penney’s.

The same view today. Finan McDonald and the Corner Bookstore now occupy the corner building.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Lists of dishes available

6. Blown away 10. “Smallest” particle 14. African virus

15. French Sudan

Numbskull

17. A nine-piece musical group

Kitty-cat 19. 1 1 1 1

20. Unsurpassed

22. Former Italian currency

23. Furrow maker

24. Betel palm

26. Decreases

30. Restricts

32. Intestine

33. Belligerence

37. Take it easy

38. Fertile area in a desert 39. Beige 40. Casts

42. Contemptuous look 43. Trades

44. Beginning

45. Type of connective tissue

47. Arrive (abbrev.)

48. Carpenter’s groove 49. Paint thinner

At the peak of

God of love

Assistants

Have the nerve

Citrus fruit

1. To make false and malicious statements about; slander.

“The multitude will applaud you to-day, calumniate you to-morrow and thwack you athwart the mazzard the day after.” -Ambrose Bierce

Our story on candidates for public office mischaracterized some of Glenn Rohrer’s professional background. According to his bio, he has worked as “an aircraft mechanic and as a fighter pilot for the Air National Guard. He has worked in five different business sectors ... as an industrial engineer and as an engineering, manufacturing and production manager.”

61. Encounters

62. Beers

63. Blabs

64. Delete

List of options

Black, in poetry

Not a single one

Gorse

Small bag

Enough

Wail

If not

Condescensions

Callow

Quinine water

12. A drama set to music

13. Plateau

21. Dawn goddess

25. Ribonucleic acid

26. Competent

27. Godsend

28. Cobblers’ tools

29. Tools for star gazing

30. Tricks

31. Auspices

33. Gloomy atmosphere

34. Frosts

35. Tall woody plant

36. Mongol hut

38. Pumpkin-shaped

Solution on page 17

41. Japanese apricot

42. Family name

44. Mineral rock

45. Deadly

46. Love intensely

47. Church recesses

48. 20th-century art movement

50. Murres

51. Cavort

52. Layer

53. Bright thought

54. Catches

55. Being

A lot of times when you first start out on a project you think, This is never going to be finished. But then it is, and you think, Wow, it wasn’t even worth it.