Reader_February25_2016

reader

compiled by Susan Drinkard

DEAR READERS, (wo)MAN on the

street

What is your favorite nonprofit in the area?

Though it’s still chilly out there, spring is on the way. With spring comes house cleaning, mud season, raging waterways, smiling faces, skirts, swimsuits and more and more people emerging into the great outdoors from the winter slumber.

READER

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

“I’m on the board of the Human Rights Task Force, an organization whose efforts are important—especially at this time.”

Sharon McCahon Retired therapist Sandpoint

“Waterkeepers, because they do such important environmental work in our area.”

Rebecca Holland Photographer Sandpoint

“Panhandle Animal Shelter’s thrift store because all the money made (through donations) goes to help the animals and they are provided with all the requirements they need until they are adopted.”

Megan Wallace Customer service Sandpoint

“There are 50-some nonprofits in our area that bring help and significance. Although I hope I never have to avail myself of its services, it is Hospice that provides the most poignant and powerful services to our community.”

Stephen Drinkard Urban forester, grant writer Sandpoint

“The Cove because it supports some of our community’s charities and helps people who need it.”

Lawana Beebout Volunteer Sandpoint

“I like the Panida Theater because they have good shows and the Banff Film Festival, which I love. And you see everyone you know there!”

Natasha Stevens Barista Sandpoint

We always love featuring original artwork from local artists on our covers. With the coming change of seasons, I’d like to extend an invitation for all of you budding artists out there to submit a cover idea for an upcoming issue.

The theme is simple: spring. It can be a landscape painting of your favorite field of wildflowers, a photograph of your buddy wiping out at the skate park, a drawing of a bouquet of wildflowers. Whatever imagery that makes you think of Spring.

Our covers are 10” wide by 12.5” tall, so use those dimensions when thinking of your piece. Also, be sure to leave about 2” along the top so we can put our Reader flag there. Most importantly; be colorful, unique and have fun with it.

Parents, want your kids to join the fun? I’d love to check out your children’s drawings for a possible cover, also. Send it all over to ben@sandpointreader. com with COVER in the subject line. Now get to work!

-Ben Olson, Publisher

www.sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com

Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com

Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

Contributing Artists: Ryan Johnson (cover), Daniel Cape, Ben Olson, Ryan McGuire.

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Zach Hagadone, Brenden Bobby, Drake

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $95 per year

Advertising: Dion Nizzi dion@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com

Web Content: Keokee

New wines

The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community

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

SandpointReader letter policy:

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

Requirements:

–No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com

Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com

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About the Cover

This week’s cover illustrated by Ryan Johnston to accompany Zach Hagadone’s piece, “Range War and Peace.” Johnson is an illustrator originally from Idaho but he is currently working in the Bay Area. Check out some of his work at www. OldFloyd.com.

COMMENTARY

Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn: Young people support their socialist positions

By Nick Gier Reader Columnist

“Sanders would be a GOP dream. America will never go socialist.”

—Bill O’Reilly

The last stop on my monthlong trip to Europe last September was London. The London papers headlined Jeremy Corbyn’s surprise election as the Labor Party’s new leader.

On Sept. 12, Corbyn won 59 percent of the vote among the 550,000 official party members. Over 60,000 joined Labor because of Corbyn, and it was returning union members and first-time young voters who made his victory possible. For years many union members have felt shut out by the moderates in the party.

Just like those who “Feel the Bern,” Corbyn’s supporters call him authentic and lacking pretense, and they admire him for saying what he truly believes. Also like Bernie Sanders, he believes that he can galvanize youth and other disaffected voters to create a political revolution.

Both of them, however, find themselves out of step with

Truth?

Dear Editor,

I would suggest that Susan Drinkard does some research before spouting off about what is the real truth regarding the movie “Truth.”

If she does her research, she will find out that this movie is more fiction than fact and is another attempt to re-write history in an attempt to appease the left wing crowd... again.

Thanks,

Cliff Kattner Sandpoint

Got something to say? Write to us at letters@sandpointreader.com. Under 400 words please, and no profanities or libelous statements.

their parties. Former moderate Prime Minister Tony Blair warns that Corbyn and his supporters are “walking eyes shut over the cliff’s edge.”

As a columnist in The Economist recently wrote: “Labor has always been two parties, one social democratic and the other anti-capitalist”(1/2/16).

The split is now clearer than ever. Moderates are so alarmed that they are seriously considering forming a separate caucus in Parliament.

European Social Democrats have made their peace with their capitalists, but Corbyn insists on the clear meaning of Clause 4 of the Labor Party’s Constitution, which commits its members to “the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange.” Realistically, this means that Corbyn would urge the government to help finance worker-owned cooperatives.

Corbyn wants to restore cuts to welfare benefits and to roll back the tuition university students now have to pay (far less their American counterparts).

He also proposes large public works projects, which would be financed by deficit spending and raising the top income rate

from 45 to 60 percent.

Sanders also wants colleges and universities to be tuition free, and he wants to scrap Obamacare and replace it with a single payer system. An analysis done by The Economist (2/13/16) concluded that all of Sanders’ programs would require that income taxes rise from a top rate of 39.6 to 67 percent. An Emory University study demonstrated that instead of saving $630 billion per year, Sanders’ single-payer plan would run instead an annual deficit of $1.1 trillion.

Sanders calls himself a “democratic socialist,” but commentators are wrong to compare him to other famous American socialists. Norman Thomas refused to run as a Democrat or a Progressive, because he embraced in the British Labor Party’s original belief in the common ownership of the means of production.

Surprisingly, young Americans (ages 18 to 29) support socialism, whatever they think it means, by a margin of 49 to 43 percent. No doubt showing the effects of the Cold War on older Americans, only 31 percent of all those polled had a positive view of socialism.

General polling from YouGov gives a more favorable result: socialism as an economic system wins over capitalism by 12 percentage points, and 59 percent of Democrats would vote for a socialist president. At 49 percent even independent voters are favorably inclined. Only 26 percent of Republican voters embrace a socialist president, but I’m surprised that the number is even that high.

Putting the Democrats and Independents from this poll together indicates that Bill O’Reilly may well be wrong: “Sanders would be a GOP dream. America will never go socialist.”

Averaging all the current presidential polls, Sanders actually does better than Clinton against every major GOP candidate: 50/38 against Bush, 48/34 against Carson, 50/39 against Cruz, 47/41 against Rubio, and 51/41 against Trump.

My heart and mind are with Bernie, but as president none of his legislation would ever get a hearing. (Even most

Democrats disagree with him.)

A more pragmatic President Clinton would also be fighting a Republican Congress every day. Furthermore, these early polls are notoriously inaccurate, and if Sanders is the nominee, I fear another McGovern-like disaster.

My position on Sanders parallels this Labor Party member’s opinion: “My heart might be with Corbyn ideologically –as with many members – but I think that the wider public isn’t ready for that level of progressiveness yet.” Another said that “If we go too far to the left, we will leave ourselves isolated from the core voters we need to win.”

If Sanders is the Democratic nominee, this is what I fear as well.

Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Read his columns on political economy at www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ ngier/ThirdWay.htm. Click PDF files if necessary.

Medieval Society to host demonstration at the Library

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Do you long for the days of swords, suits of armor and general medieval ballyhoo?

This Saturday, the Sandpoint Library will be hosting a demonstration featuring several medieval societies hailing from across the region.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sandpoint Library, knights and ladies of all stripes will descend in the name of everything medieval.

Representatives will put on demonstrations of armored combat, forging metals, arts and crafts and other displays

of Renaissance material. The Sandpoint chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism (called the Shire of Pendale) will be joined by Spokane’s Adrian Empire and the Spokane Renaissance Faire, as well as Nine Mile Falls’ group Northwest Renaissance Faire.

“The local group is called the Shire of Pendale,” said Weezil Samter, the Library liason (also known as His Lordship Weezil). “They were interested in putting together a smaller event. I had already done various activities with the children’s group at the Library, and we thought it would be cool to do a

demonstration and turn it into a medieval day.”

His Lordship Weezil hopes to have full armored combat and a tournament of staged fighting techniques.

There will also be a horseshoer’s forge on site, operated with a hand blower.

“The hand blower forge is actually post-medieval,” said His Lordship Weezil. “They used forges with bellows, but a lot of the principals are the same.”

Denizens of the arts and crafts of the Middle Ages will also be on hand offering examples of spinning yarn, weaving,

portable looms and Viking style weaving.

The festivies are free and open for all ages. Contact the Sandpoint Library at 263-6930 for more info.

Who says chivalry is dead?

PERSPECTIVES

‘Wild Kingdom’ gone wild

that isn’t really the point here.

By Scarlette Quille Reader Staff

When I was a kid, I watched Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom” and read National Geographic religiously. Each episode and article gave me a new insight into a world where I was left amazed and full of difficult questions. They verged on the innocently inappropriate to the strangely esoteric. Why would you put so many bracelets on your neck? Why are her boobs so low? Where are that kid’s pants? Does it hurt when the big lion piggy-backs with the little lions? Can you milk a boy? … Well, why do they have an udder then?

Kids these days are missing out. Planet Earth isn’t even close to being as hardcore as “Wild Kingdom.” “Wild Kingdom” was a good way to open the door to sex education. A smart kid could easily figure out the parallels between humans and other mammals. The “other” type of kid probably shouldn’t ever have sex, but

Jazz...

Dear Editor,

I have to congratulate Tim Henney for his hilarious and satirical article “Miles and Me” as he did a marvelous job pretending to be a name-dropping ego maniac run amuck (I wonder if I coulda pulled that off).

By the way, Tim, “Miles and Me” is also the title of a book by the poet Quincy Troupe. He and jazz great and long-time Miles bassist Ron Carter played at the Panida Theater May 3, 2003.

“Wild Kingdom” entertained and enlightened me but also depressed me. I remember feeling so pissed off that I didn’t have sweet claws or wings or mad tree-swinging skills. My mother would try to comfort me by telling me that humans had “brains” and opposable thumbs, and therefore we were the superior species. I knew this was bullshit.

What was I going to do if an Alaskan Grizzly bear jumped out of the bushes when I was walking to school? Pull my brain out and beat him with it?

If the earth was an “X-Men” movie, humans would be Professor X. Sure, he is smart and has special brain abilities and thumbs, but at the end of the day, all it takes is for the mutants to wear a certain hat and his powers are completely useless. Also, he has the burden of knowing everything people are thinking, so he knows a lot of depressing shit. Ultimately, Professor X is a prisoner of his “gift.” Meanwhile, Wolverine is free to be sexy and kick ass, and Mystique can continue to walk around naked stalking her prey.

Animals have been secretly mocking us for years. For

Here is another Miles Davis story:

In early January 1966, and while waiting to be shipped to Europe by the U.S. Army, I went to the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village, NYC to see Miles. The main floor area was packed and the only table available was on the mezzanine behind a pillar. Playing with Miles were Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. I consider this quintet to be Miles’ second greatest band. Miles’ greatest band is easily the one featuring John Coltrane and Cannonball Ad-

most of my life, I was told that animals did not have sex for fun. They “mated” merely for the sake of continuing their respective species. Then I started hearing rumors in my twenties that dolphins and turtles have sex for pleasure. As I was writing this column, I decided to do some research. And guess what? Humans have had the fur pulled over their eyes for years. Apparently all mammals have clitorises, and there are many “scientists” out there documenting what the orgasmic responses of various female animals look like. Yes, they are predominately concerned with the pleasure of the female, because it has been assumed for quite some time now that any animal that ejaculates experiences orgasmic response. On a side note, what kind of a person watches hours of animals mating? Seriously, creepy.

Well, these extremely voyeuristic scientists discovered that many animals are doing it, for … enjoyment. Who started that rumor about animals anyway? Moms? Churches?

I say it’s the animals themselves. They have been tricking us with their furry mock in-

derley of the late 1950s and that is primarily because of Coltrane. After playing for awhile, Miles’ second greatest band took a break. To get a better view of the bandstand I moved my chair into the aisle a bit so I wasn’t behind the pillar. On his way back to the bandstand Miles tripped on my chair, kept walking and grumbled all the way to the stage. I don’t know if tripping over my chair caused Miles to be in a bad mood, but he obviously was for the rest of the evening (this Miles Davis story is in my book “A Journey into Jazz” which can be found at

nocence for years. That dog is humping your leg because he enjoys it. Guess what? Short-nosed fruit bats have oral sex—all the time. Black bears have been documented as having homosexual relationships, and I am not even going to get into the kinky shit that primates engage in.

We are pretty much the only mammals that have sex for pleasure and then attach societal expectations to it in order to punish ourselves. The rest of the mammals are laughing their tails off at us because at the end of the day, they are stronger, healthier and get more ass than the average human.

Humans are just over-eager members of the official animal fan club. Scientists are just stalkers writing fan fiction and giggling with their colleagues about it.

Regardless of my recently acquired knowledge about animals, I still fall victim to their careless charm and charisma. Case in point: A few weeks ago, I pulled into my driveway. I noticed two moose casually strolling around my house. I parked and momentarily suffered what can only be described as brief paralysis, I wasn’t sure if I should exit

the East Bonner County Library).

So Tim, since you find bebop too intense for your musical palate, you best stay away from what I listen to as I’m sure it would cause your head to explode (like Ben’s did).

Lee Santa Sandpoint

Ooh, you wild hep cat, Lee. My head certainly has no choice to explode when pitted next to the absolute mastery you have over bebop. Nice book plug.

-Ben Olson

my car, try to get a picture of them or maybe even try to feed them. I was mesmerized. It took me at least three minutes to notice that my neighbor was out on his porch, fully nude and snapping pictures of them with his cell phone.

The moose didn’t really seem to mind, as I believe they are used to the paparazzi in Sandpoint. The sight of an unclothed male, pale and freezing in the cold February morning air was enough to break the beast’s spell. I honked my horn, and the both the moose and the man scurried out of sight.

In my next life, I hope I come back as a short-nosed fruit bat.

XOXO

Scarlette Quille

NIC Sandpoint offers expanded art program

The NIC Art Department has recently expanded its course offerings at the NIC Sandpoint Center. For the first time in the institution’s history, a semester-length studio art-making class is in progress outside of the CDA main campus. This is an exciting expansion, as it adds variety to degree-seeking students’ choice of electives.

Non-degree seeking community members also benefit, as NIC’s relatively low-cost courses are an opportunity to develop skills over the course of an entire semester.

A vital part of NIC’s mission is to reflect the values of the community. It is exciting to see Sandpoint’s love of the arts reflected in its community college.

This semester, Beginning Drawing students are already making huge improvements to their drawing and observational skills. The value of skills related to art making is hardly limited to a single profession or area of study. The creative and critical thinking activated by practices like drawing can be applied to a wide variety of pursuits. With continued community interest and support, we hope to continue the expansion of Art Department offerings in Sandpoint.

Temple resigns Planning Commission in protest

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

The battle of wills between county commissioners and planning officials is heating up again with the resignation of Bonner County Planning Commission Chairman Steve Temple.

Temple resigned Thursday over a disagreement with the Bonner County Board of Commissioners about an upcoming public hearing on land use appeals. Planning Commission members say the hearing is illegal until they’ve issued a recommendation to county commissioners. In response, Bonner County Deputy Attorney William Wilson sent a letter claiming it was the commission that was acting illegally

“We are officials appointed by you,” Temple told county commissioners in his letter of resignation. “If you’re unhappy with our behavior, revoke the appointment. But please don’t have your attorney send a letter you don’t have the courage to sign.”

The disagreement centers on proposed changes to land

use appeals procedure, which are designed to accelerate and simplify the process for county property owners. But planning commissioners worry it could also flood county commissioners with appeals requests, produce ill-conceived land use decisions and leave the county vulnerable to lawsuits.

On Jan. 21, Planning Commission members asked staff to address those concerns before they offered a recommendation to county commissioners. Weeks later, county commissioners scheduled their own hearing—now set for 1:30 p.m., March 9—on the proposed changes, which prompted the Planning Commission to send a letter objecting to the meeting. They cited a section of county code stating that commissioners can’t schedule a hearing until “recommendations have been received from the planning and zoning commission.”

“We recognize your right to disagree with the recommendations originating from our commission,” Temple wrote in the Feb. 4 letter. “We merely request respect for the structure of

the planning and zoning process as set forth in Idaho law and Bonner County ordinances.”

Wilson fired back in a Feb. 12 letter, saying that by remanding the measure to staff, Planning Commission members were shirking their responsibility to issue a recommendation. He also said the county code concerning Planning Commission recommendations goes beyond the scope of the Local Land Use Planning Act, which requires a commission recommendation only for comprehensive plan or zoning district amendments.

“As you know, I attended the [Jan. 21 hearing],” Wilson wrote. “I heard the comments made and saw the non-verbal communication between the Commission and members of the public. Based on that experience, I would be naïve in the extreme to think the Commission will ever issue a recommendation on this issue.”

Wilson then hinted that county commissioners may place a time limit on Planning Commission recommendations in the coming weeks, a measure Ada

Secretary of State to change misleading billboard

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

A dispute over Idaho election billboards has resulted in a win for Idaho Democrats.

The party announced Wednesday that Idaho Secretary of State Lawrence Denney agreed to change 22 billboards. Branded under the state’s “Idaho Votes” campaign, the billboards announced that the presidential primary took place March 8—the date of the GOP primary.

Idaho Democrats objected to the billboards highlighting only the GOP primary while ignoring the Democratic caucus on March 22. The party sent a letter to the Secretary of State’s Office threatening legal action if the situation wasn’t addressed.

“We thank the Secretary of State’s Office for recognizing that their billboard advertising campaign was misleading and for agreeing to fix the billboards,” said party executive director Sally Boynton Brown. “We are also pleased that we solved this issue without having to take it court.”

The signs will be revised to remove the date of the GOP presidential primary. This is intended to prevent any confusion, leading Democrats to show up on the wrong day.

The episode is the latest heat the Idaho Republican Party has received from Democrats over

County has already enacted.

“Should that be the case, [county commissioners] will not seek review by the Commission prior to adoption,” Wilson wrote.

In his letter of resignation, Temple bristled at the accusations of illegality, saying Wilson based them on assumptions of the commission’s future actions.

“I’ve worked with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of attorneys in my career, but this is the first I’ve encountered who claimed to be clairvoyant,” Temple wrote.

to working under small government and limited regulations.

Temple is far from the first Bonner County Planning Department casualty. In recent months, county commissioners upended the department’s leadership, firing both county planner Dan Carlson and planning director Clare Marley. The county is now seeking a new planning director accustomed

“…The havoc you’ve wreaked in the planning department and code changes you intend to make lead me to conclude the P&Z Commission is unnecessary,” Temple wrote in his resignation letter. “I no longer wish to volunteer my time and energy to an organization that doesn’t want them and I no longer respect.”

Rognstad recovering from skiing injury

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

All’s well that ends well for Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad, who is back home after undergoing surgery for a relatively minor spinal injury.

Rognstad sustained the injury while skiing Sunday afternoon at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. During a run down G3, a black diamond, his ski tips caught in some heavier powder, resulting in a fall at an awkward angle. When he hit the ground, Rognstad’s head hyper-extended backward, followed by an audible crack and fiery pain. Initially, the damage seemed much worse than it truly was, he said.

“Considering the kind of injury, it was the most minor I could have had,” he added.

the primary election. Democratic legislators also took issue with the party using $2 million in taxpayer dollars to finance a separate presidential primary election.

Fortunately, fellow skiers and the Schweitzer Ski Patrol crew were quick to come to his aid. Rognstad was transported by Bonner County EMS to Bonner

General Health. Doctors then determined he had fractured his C-7 vertebrae and sent him to Kootenai Health, where he had emergency surgery. He was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. According to Rognstad, he still suffers some numbness but has no pain and is taking no medication. He and his doctors anticipate a speedy recovery.

Rognstad said he was surprised by the turn of events, especially since he is a life-long skier and wasn’t attempting anything beyond his skill level. He is grateful for the quick, professional care from Schweitzer, Bonner County and the hospital staff, and given the success of his surgery, he expects to be back at work by next week. A couple weeks wearing a neck brace should be the only lingering reminder of the accident.

“Really, the whole thing is kind of unbelievable to me,” Rognstad said.

FEATURE

RANGE WAR and PEACE

Away from the sound and fury of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation,

Ithas been nearly six months since lightning sparked a fire in the sagebrush steppe along the Idaho-Oregon border northwest of Silver City. The so-called Soda Fire was intense, exploding to more than 270,000 acres in the space of nine days.

Video footage of the fire showed rolling waves of flame consuming a landscape 400 square miles in size. The black scar was so large it could be seen from space. Referred to as a “huge flaming deluge” by the Bureau of Land Management, the blaze burned more than 50,000 acres of sensitive sage grouse habitat, killed 27 wild horses and tore through 41 grazing allotments, making grazing there impossible for at least the next two seasons. Land managers are still assessing the damage and working out a plan to rehabilitate the area. While the sprawling expanses of sagebrush in the West may look placid, they are volatile, delicate places where the smallest spark can grow into a disaster. About 100 miles west of the Soda Fire site, a different kind of range fire was touched off in January

of this year, when armed anti-government militants overran the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, Ore.

By Zach Hagadone

“It’s a tragedy for the West. What I think is occuring in the West is a lack of trust, and a lack of trust is created when we divide people and start to put people on opposite sides of the fence and we don’t look at the larger issues.”

The self-styled militia members were there ostensibly to protest against the sentencing of a pair of Oregon ranchers who lit fires on BLM land that later grew out of control. Led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy— whose father, Cliven Bundy, faced off against federal officials over grazing fees in a 2014 armed standoff at his Nevada ranch—the Malheur occupation quickly escalated into a general protest against all federal management of public land and a call for rebellion across the country.

-Merrill Beyeler

The final occupiers, including a couple from Riggins, were taken into custody Feb. 11 after 41 days. In the course of the takeover, 54-year-old militant Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, a former rancher from Arizona, was shot and killed by authorities.

The ringleaders of the occupation, including the Bundy brothers, were arrested following Finicum’s death. On Feb. 3, a federal grand jury indicted 16

of the occupiers on charges of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States. Days later, the elder Bundy, who had flown to Oregon to protest on behalf of his sons, was also arrested. Meanwhile, the Bundys and two other militants were indicted Feb. 17 on 16 charges related to the 2014 standoff. Cliven Bundy, 69, has since been denied bail. If convicted, he may spend the rest of his life behind bars.

In its announcement of the Feb. 3 indictments, the FBI characterized the Malheur occupation as a “long and traumatic episode for the citizens of Harney County and the members of the Burns Paiute tribe.”

For Merrill Beyeler, an Idaho rancher and lawmaker, the trauma extends far beyond the sagebrush plains outside Burns, Ore.

“It’s a tragedy for the West,” he said.

“What I think is occurring in the West is a lack of trust, and a lack of trust is created when we divide people and start to put people on opposite sides of the fence, and we don’t look at the larger issues.”

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Merrill Beyeler is one of the rarest animals in the Idaho Statehouse. A rancher, Mormon and Republican from Leadore, Beyeler was elected to the Idaho House in 2014 on a conservation platform—unseating Lenore Hardy Barrett, who had served in the rural district since 1992 and was a Tea Partier before the party started.

Beyeler drops references to climate change where many of his colleagues would deny it even exists, much less is affected by human activity. A former teacher, Beyeler is soft-spoken, chooses his words carefully and rarely breaks eye contact. His office in the warren of cubicles in the Garden Level of the East Wing is filled with large-format photos of his 12 grandchildren, mountaintop vistas and close ups of wildflowers.

When asked his

opinion of the then-ongoing armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Beyeler thought for a moment while he absently doodled on a notepad.

“One of the things I think about, is there are a couple of paths that we can choose when we think about some of the frustration that does exist on the Western landscape, and this is one of those paths,” he said. “Eventually those folks are going to go home. When they do go home, what disruption have they created in that part of the world? Will anything have changed? It’s a tragedy.”

For Beyeler, one of the chief casualties in the Malheur occupation was a true understanding of the conditions that exist on the range. For all its fiery rhetoric, the standoff muddied the public discussion of land management issues in the West, which Beyeler said are “not really that complicated.”

“If I was to put an umbrella over it, it would be: What do we want these landscapes to look like? What do we want them to be?” he said.

Beginning to approach those broad questions means literally starting from the ground up with the preservation and survival of the sagebrush steppe, which, as the Soda Fire illustrated, is in a precarious position. According to Beyeler, who runs 800 head of

Bouquets:

•A bouquet for the crew at Greasy Fingers for celebrating four years of the Full Moon Bike Ride. Last week’s party at Idaho Pour Authority was a blast, and we wish you many years of birthdays to come.

• In this age of plastic pollution (think the North Atlantic, Indian, and Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patches and other “poster children” of plastic pollution) I would like to give a bouquet to Yokes and Winter Ridge Foods. Both of these stores in Sandpoint pay you to bring your own bags for your purchases.Thank you for supporting the planet and sustainable practices. Now it’s up to us to remember to bring our bags.

-Submitted by Cynthia Mason.

Barbs:

•In relation to the above submitted bouquet, I’d like to bring attention to our recycling policies here in Sandpoint. While Sandpoint residents enjoy an easy, single-stream recycling system (which has many fans and supporters for its ease of use), the downtown businesses in Sandpoint still don’t have the ability to recycle. This needs to be changed, business owners. If businesses would like to recycle, they need to haul their own recyclables to places like Pacific Steel and Recycling. It’s 2016, folks. I think recycling should be made just a little bit easier. Just think of all the businesses in town that don’t take the time to take their recylables to the plant. All those bottles, cans, paper scraps and plastic are tossed in with the regular trash, ultimately destined to end up in a landfill. I urge you, downtown business owners, to call or email your city government to ask about starting up a commercial recycling program.

Got a bouquet or barb? Send it to ben@sandpointreader.com.

8 / R / February 25,

Science: Mad

The Sun and Mercury

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

We’re back, again! In this article, I was planning on covering a subject near and dear to my heart: The planets of our solar system.

I could gush about our solar system for pages, but I don’t want to spend your whole day on a massive dissertation the size of one of these aforementioned planets, so I’ve decided to break this article up into pieces!

We’ll start at the center: The sun. Though technically not a planet, and most definitely not rocky, it would be improper to discuss anything about the solar system without having mentioned the importance of the sun. The sun is a star, and what is a star? It’s essentially a giant factory of hydrogen slamming together for billions of years to create energy and light and gravity. Gravity quite literally makes the world go ‘round, and without it, we’d just be freely floating in a

terrible and cold void akin to the inside of a refrigerator with the door closed. You know, just colder. And darker. And way less fun to think about.

Interesting facts about the sun are: All light and energy came, and is coming from the sun. I’m sure you’ve heard that it takes eight minutes for light to get from the surface of the sun to the Earth, but did you know that it takes that same light anywhere from 17,000 to 150,000 years to go from the Sun’s core to its surface? Eight minutes ago, the light bathing the Earth right now left the sun, but it started its long journey well before humans ever knew what a wheel was.

Did you know the end of the sun has been theorized, based on observations of other stars? It’s a pretty depressing prospect, but one that most stars must endure. Roughly 5 billion years from now, once the Sun will have used up most of its hydrogen, it will begin a series of events that will ultimately

Little League registration deadline approaches

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It may seem crazy to think about baseball when there’s still snow on the ground, but spring is closer than you think.

for AAA and Majors leagues. Tryouts are Saturday, Feb. 27 at Sandpoint High School Gym at 10 a.m. Registration starts at 9 a.m., and players are asked to bring their glove and tennis shoes.

lead to some very interesting landmarks. It will grow to over two hundred times its current size, becoming what is called a Red Giant. To give you perspective on how large that is, if the planets don’t move, it will completely engulf Earth, and reach out to double what Earth’s orbit is today. The sun is a little guy, and doesn’t have the mass required to go supernova and start the whole process over again, so he’ll essentially throw most of his mass out into space and shrink up into what we call a White Dwarf, a small, bright star that will burn for trillions (That’s not a typo. Trillions.) of years before essentially turning into a giant diamond.

Moving on!

The first actual planet in our solar system is Mercury, a barren world close to the sun. Because of this, it has all sorts of problems. Due to its proximity, it has an unusual orbit, speeding up

as it draws closer to the sun and slowing down as it moves away. Because of this, a year on Mercury is much, much shorter than a year on Earth. Also because of its unhealthy clingyness to our parent star, it appears that most of its atmosphere has been stripped away, leaving its rocky surface to bake like a stony casserole that got left in the oven for too long.

You’d think that, being so very close to a burning orb of searing hot plasma, the entire planet of Mercury would be cooked through and through, right?

Actually, it’s not. It’s only ever hot on the side facing the sun. The side facing away, into the cold void of space, can hover around a chilly 280 degrees Fahrenheit. This happens because there is no atmosphere of any kind to insulate the planet. Poor, clingy Mercury is left to fend for itself at the mercy of the universe.

SASi wins grant from Alzheimer’s Foundation

Do you have a child who wants to play little league baseball this year? The Sandpoint Parks and Recreation has announced an upcoming deadline for all divisions in boys’ little league.

The divisions available include T-ball (5-6 years), A (6-7 years), AA (8-9 years), AAA (9-11 years) and Majors (11-12 years).

Mail in registrations for T-ball, A and AA must be postmarked by Feb. 27, or you may register on-site at Sandpoint High School Gym from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Late registrations have an added $20 charge and will be put on a waiting list. League tryouts are mandatory

Cost is $50 for T-ball, A and AA leagues, $80 for AAA league and $100 for Majors league. Checks must be made payable to Sandpoint Little League.

Girl’s Fastpitch is also available with the same registration deadlines. The divisions include T-ball (4-5 years), Rookies (6-8 years), Minors (8-10 years), Majors (10-12 years) and Juniors (13-14 years).

League tryouts are mandatory for Majors and Juniors league, and will take place Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Sandpoint High School Gym at 2 p.m. Girls are asked to bring their glove and tennis shoes.

For more information, check the website: www.sandpointlittleleague.com.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Sandpoint Area Seniors, inc.

(SASi) was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America for Respite Care Scolarships.

The grant targeted SASi’s DayBreak Center, which provides respite care for those suffering the effects of Alzeimer’s and dimensia. The center is meant as both a benefit for the person with memory issues, as well as the caregivers.

The $5,000 grant will provide 500 hours of care time for folks who might not afford the charges and qualify for other

forms of assistance.

To learn more about the DayBreak Center’s programs, there will an informational talk at the Sandpoint Library on Thursday, March 3 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can also help support the DayBreak program by volunteering at the center or attending a Sip and Shop evening at the Pend d’Oreille Winery on Tuesday, March 8 from 4 p.m to 7 p.m. The Winery will donate a percentage of wine sales from the evening to the DayBreak program.

If you’d like to learn more about DayBreak call 208-2658127, or the Sandpoint Senior Center at 208-263-6860

Sandpoint Poetry Open Mic

6pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee

3D Printing Workshop for Adults 5pm @ Sandpoint Library

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

“Room” film – 7:30pm @ Panida Theater

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

Live Music w/ The Powers

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Indie folk/country out of CDA

Live Music w/ The Groove Black

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Featuring Brandon Watterson on guitar and lead vocals. The Groove Black plays an eclectic mix of jazz, funk, blues, reggae and alt rock

Live Music w/ The Wagoner Band

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Father daughter duo of acoustic covers

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip

7-9pm @ La Rosa Club

Sandpoint native singer/songwriter

POAC presents “Rumpelstiltskin”

2pm & 7pm @ Panida Theater

Missoula Children’s Theatre presents “Rumpelstiltskin,” an original adaptation of the classic children’s story. This heartwarming tale is filled with mischief and friendship.

Adults $10, youth $5

Sandpoint Chess Club

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

25 26 27 28 29 1 2 3

Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge

7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Trivia Night

7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s Know everything? Prove it.

Karaoke Night

10pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge

Bingo Night

6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Throwback

Starlight Racing and Party

6:30pm @ Taps at Schweitzer

7-11pm @ Featuring and friends, Join in playing night setting

Schweitzer hosts the final Starlight Racing event season, followed by a Starlight Party and final in Taps. Enjoy live music with Strange Brew p.m. until 10:30 p.m., plus this is a Steampunk-themed costume party so dress up and have a great time!

Live Music w/ Patrice

7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe

Patrice’s songs tell of the lives of those whose stories make up the vibrant tapestry known as “Americana.” Dinner starts at 5:30pm. Advanced tickets $10, $12 day of show

Live Music w/ Strange Brew 3-6pm @ Taps on Schweitzer

Live Music w/ Mike and Sadie Wagoner 5-8pm @ Taps on Schweitzer

Live Music w/ 6pm - 9pm @

Music w/ 9pm @ 219 Lounge Country artist,

This father-daughter duo sing and play not only acoustic versions of many classic tunes, but also churn out some interesting originals

‘An Enchanted Wedding’ Dinner Theater

5pm @ First Presbyterian Church (417 Alder St.)

Live Music

6:30pm @ MickDuff’s

“Ron Greene sive set of simple ... a nomenal range Jeff Echert

Raises funds for Habitat for Humanity. Tickets are $25, and dinner. Seating is limited. For more information, call 208-263-4047.

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills

Seniors Day

Learn to dance the Swing – 7pm @ SWAC

Learn the Triple Time East Coast Swing from Diane Peters. 610-1770 for info

9am-12pm @ Bonner Mall

Walk the mall, listen to speakers, learn health tips, enter drawings, play bingo and enjoy free refreshments. 208-263-4272

Defy convention. Drink some beer and play a game that was once generally thought to be for senior citizens. Next thing you know it, you’ll be retiring early!

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Good until the keg’s dry

Open Mic Night

6-9pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee

Hosted by Scott Reid. Held the first Thursday of every month. Open to all!

First Tuesday at 7pm @ Eichardt’s

A monthly music

Jake Robin, with cial guest: Tipsy

Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper Fundrasier 4-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority With Laurelwood Brewing Company. Raffle prizes and complimentary appetizers. Live music with Marty Perron and Doug Bond

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

Adult Grief

6-7:30pm

Held first month in eral Health, information vice, call

ful

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

February 25 - March 3, 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

Live Music w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bond

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

Racing event of the Party and final results Strange Brew from 6:30

Steampunk-themed a great time!

Dynamic mandolin and guitar duo

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch

6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

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

Music w/ Chris Lynch

- 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Music w/ Devon Wade @ 219 Lounge Country artist, no cover!

Live Music w/ John Firshi

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Ron Greene

6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

“Ron Greene has an impressive set of pipes, plain and simple ... a voice with a phenomenal range and register.”

Jeff Echert - The Inlander

$25, and includes call 208-263-4047.

@ SWAC

Swing from

Reader recommended

3D Printing Workshop for Adults

5pm @ Sandpoint Library

Free intro to 3D printing class at the Sandpoint Library. Preregistration required, 263-6930

DJ night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Featuring DJ Josh Adams

Community Trance Dance

7-9pm @ Embody Center for Healing Arts

Stop by at 823 Main St. (formerly Common Knowledge)

Computer Class - Basic Computers

8:15am @ Sandpoint Library

Intro to using a mouse, keyboard and basic functions. Preregistration required 263-6930

February Fun Fling Ballroom Dance

7pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall

Salsa dance lessons begin at 7 p.m., followed by general dancing. 208-699-0421

Native Plants: Keeping Our Water Clean 9:45-11:30am @ Sandpoint Community Hall

Molly McCahon will speak on the many ways native plants benefit water quality and what resources are available to private landowners for the benefit of water quality on or near their property. Free admission, public welcome

Used Book Sale

10am-2pm @ Bonner Mall

Held on the last Saturday of every month inside the Bonner Mall in Ponderay. The public is welcome to bring books and sell them; there’s no cost and tables are provided. Shoppers, this is a great chance to find books at a huge discount!

Tuesday at Eichardt’s Pub

Eichardt’s Pub monthly music event hosted by Robin, with this month’s speguest: Tipsy and the Hangovers

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

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

Adult Grief Support Group

6-7:30pm @ BGH Classroom

Held first and third Thursday of each month in the classroom at Bonner General Health, 520 N. Third Ave. For more information on this free community service, call 208-265-1179

Learn to dance the Fox Trot 7pm @ SWAC

Learn the Fox Trot from Diane Peters, with classes every Thursday in Februrary. 6101770 for info

Empire Medieval Society’s Medieval Demonstration

10am-4pm @ Spt. Library

Witness medieval warriors do battle, see demonstrations of forging metals, wear chainmail, look at displays of medieval arts and crafts! Free!

March 4

Devon Wade @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

March 4-5

Angels Over Sand- point presents The Follies @ the Panida Theater

March 10

Umphrey’s McGee @ The Hive

March 11

Contra Dance @ Sandpoint Commu- nity Hall

March 16

Five Minutes of Fame @ Cafe Bodega

March 17

Monarch Open Mic

Night w/ Scott Reid @ Monarch Mountain Coffee

To submit your own pet photos, please send a photograph and a little bit of information about your special friend to ben@sandpointreader.com. Please put “PET PHOTOS” in the subject line.

-girlfriend & Lincoln-

The dog is Girlfriend and the cat is Lincoln. This is the sequence leading up to the sweet little hello kiss. Gentle, lovely pets!

Thank you.

Peace and happiness, Janice Simeone Sandpoint

cattle on the ranch his father purchased in 1959, the watershed must first be addressed.

“There’s nothing more important in the West than water,” he said, adding the best protection of the watershed is ensuring the right kinds of trees and plants are growing on it—specifically, aspens.

According to ecologists at Utah State University, quaking aspen stands contribute nearly 100 percent soil cover, both protecting the soil from erosion and increasing snowpack and runoff. The trouble is, aspens have been retreating from most Western landscapes for decades. Referred to by forest managers as “aspen decline,” the phenomenon has resulted in the loss of 60 percent of the aspen stands in eastern Idaho over the past 100 years. Aspen declines have also been reported in central and northern Idaho.

As the aspens have disappeared, they have been replaced by coniferous trees, which not only don’t offer the same benefits but grow riotously and close together, increasing fuel levels on the forest floor. When the fires inevitably roar through, they are more intense and scorch the undergrowth, stripping it of vital plant species and opening the way for invaders like cheatgrass to proliferate.

While declining aspen groves and invasive cheatgrass aren’t as headline-grabbing as armed militants, and a new “Sagebrush Rebellion” makes for easier newspaper copy, Beyeler said they are some of ranchers’ chief concerns. Furthering distrust among land users and managers only make things worse.

“I think these are the things we need to focus on in our Western landscape, and I worry that the focus is taken away from the very things we need to focus on,” Beyeler said. “If we take care of [encouraging aspen and limiting conifer growth], you’re going to have a healthier watershed and more water. Can’t we agree on that, and can’t we take those steps to do that? If we focus on that, we’re going to actually make progress.”

Courtroom Drama

John Peavey echoes much of Beyeler’s assessment of the challenges facing ranchers in Idaho and the West. He, too, saw the Malheur occupation as unwelcome and unfortunate for everyone affected.

“I think the community of Burns pretty well represents what I felt,” said Peavey, who runs 38,000 ewes, 2,000 lambs and about 2,000 head of cattle, including yearlings, on a sweeping ranch outside of Carey, Idaho, that was established by his grandfather. “I thought it was a distractive issue.”

Like Beyeler, Peavey points to the unbalanced ecological situation on the range as a threat not only to the health of the sagebrush steppe but the economics of ranching. He said large acreages of public land historically grazed by sheep along

the Snake River in the fall and winter have been closed during those seasons, requiring ranchers to purchase hay at prices hovering around $200 per ton. As a result, many of the remaining sheep ranchers have begun moving their herds to pastures in Arizona and California where they lamb much earlier—a heavy expense in itself.

“So these ranges are going unused, and it’s a problem,” Peavey said. “The fall grazing does something that a lot of people don’t appreciate.The plants grow up in the spring and summer and run out of moisture, and the perennial plants make a seed. But as different fires sweep the countryside, the perennials die out. With the fall use, there’s a replanting of a young perennial plant, and the perennials are the ones we want to promote—the ones the sage grouse need. … On today’s range, all you’ve got is these old plants, and the fire takes a long time to burn up all that fuel above ground, and it’ll kill the roots. But those young plants that are the result of managed fall grazing survive, and they lend a resilience to the rangeland, instead of getting overrun with cheatgrass.”

If there is a tension between ranchers and land managers, Peavey said it lies with opening more public lands to grazing. However, he added, agencies like the BLM are “paralyzed” by the fear of being sued by some conservation groups should they open more land or alter practices—even though many management officials are receptive to those ideas. That fear extends to virtually any management-related change on the range, Peavey added.

“I think there’s a frustration in the grazing community that [BLM] should be getting on with some range improvements that promote the regeneration and the resilience of perennial plants,” he said. “The majority of the people I deal with understand that restoration is a positive thing.”

Speaking from the BLM office in Twin Falls, public affairs specialist Heather Tiel-Nelson agreed legal action presents a high hurdle for the agency.

“Litigation definitely presents those challenges. Absolutely,” she said. “We also have our environmental regulations that we have to comply with. That can slow down the process where we can’t be as nimble sometimes. Being able to, say, get in there early and graze off some of the coming cheatgrass that could maybe impact some of the later seasons management, it requires an environmental assessment.”

Meanwhile, Scott Sayler, a BLM rangeland management specialist based in Burley, said the agency is doing what it can to work around some of the constraints it may face related to lawsuits.

“We definitely need to follow our permits and be in line with that, and that does limit flexibility in some cases,” he said. “Because of litigation, we’re trying to write those environmental assessments

now on new permit renewals to provide that flexibility we need to effectively manage rangelands. But it does take some time to get through that.”

Specifically, Sayler added, that means enabling ranchers to react to local conditions more or less as they’re happening.

“If it’s a really wet spring and it comes early and there’s a lot of forage, maybe we can go out two weeks early instead of waiting until the date on the permit,” he said. “In every situation that’s the way we’re going. It’s a long process, the bar is high as far as NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] standards, but we’re getting through it. We’re working down that path.”

Idaho Cattle Association Executive Vice President Wyatt Prescott put a finer point on the issue, blaming the lack of speed in resolving some of the frustrations borne by ranchers related to active rangeland management on a vicious cycle of bureaucracy and litigation fueled by big courtroom payouts.

“Ultimately, our concern is the management is being set through a court process and through layers of administrative bureaucracy instead of based on what the actual resources is providing,” Prescott said, adding his industry would like to see a return to “on-the-ground management” and “some commonsense amendments” to NEPA and the Endangered Species Act to make them less restrictive.

“[We need] to give the agencies—the government—the flexibility to be able to manage based on the ground, instead of being bogged down in layers of administrative process that in turn have created an environment that is very susceptible to litigation,” he said. “If [plaintiffs] are victorious, they get paid substantially. And that creates a cycle in which they come back repeatedly with more lawsuits.”

Still, Prescott said any suggestion that ranchers and the livestock industry are at odds with land managers like BLM is the product of misunderstanding at best—a perception made vividly clear during the Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation.

“What happened in Malheur is they’re trying to oversimplify it and point the finger at the federal government and saying ‘they’re out to get us.’ That’s not the case at all. It’s a process of litigation and layers of policy and radical obstructionist groups that have ultimately forced the government into that position where they’re just trying to get through this process,” Prescott said. “From the livestock industry and ranching industry’s perspective, we don’t feel that way. We know we have to work with those agencies.”

All Together Now

Like many others, Prescott watched events unfold at the Malheur occupation with a sense of dismay—not only for the community of Burns, but his industry.

see RANGE, page 14

The Idaho faces of the Malheur occupation:

Ammon Bundy

The ringleader of the Malheur Refuge occupation, currently in jail. Bundy is reported to be from Emmet, Idaho and is currently registered as a Republican in Gem County.

Brandon Curtiss

President of the Idaho III% and founder of the Pacific Patriots Network, this Meridian, ID resident showed up at Malheur on Jan. 9 to set up a “security perimeter” to ensure no one got hurt.

Sandra Anderson Anderson was one of the last armed occupiers at Malheur. She has been released from jail, but is not allowed any contact with her husband. She is from Riggins, ID

Sean Anderson

Also from Riggins, ID, Anderson has an extensive list of criminal convictions, including resisting an officer, disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. He is currently still in custody.

Rep. Sage Dixon

The Idaho State Representative from Ponderay, ID visited Malheur on a “fact-finding mission” on Jan. 8. He said, “It’s pretty obvious we all three agree with liberties, limited government, smaller government.”

Rep. Heather Scott

The Idaho State Representative from Blanchard, ID visited Malheur once on Jan. 8 and again on the final day of occupation (this last visit occured during legislative session, which she skipped to be on hand at Malheur).

Rep. Judy Boyle

The Idaho State Representative from Midvale, ID visted Malheur twice. “We were there as shields,” Boyle said. Boyle maintains her precense at Malheur was an exercise of First Amendment Rights.

“It set us back,” Prescott said. “It’s been a concern of ours in the cattle industry that what happened out there somehow depicted our industry in the same light. We want to be very clear in stating that in no way do those people represent ranchers, nor do they have a full grasp on the true issues we’re faced with on the management of public lands. What happened out there is completely unproductive in addressing these issues.”

Rather, Prescott, Beyeler, Peavey and BLM officials unanimously agreed that collaboration is key—no matter the obstacle.

“In the beginning, there were some attitudes that livestock grazing was rape and ruin. That’s dissipated. … [But] I think all ranchers that are hands-on have got some frustrations. Most of us feel that communication is where we need to be working,” said Peavey, who served more than two decades in the Idaho Legislature as both a Republican and Democrat, and whose grandfather was appointed from Idaho to the United States Senate twice—first following the death of Sen. Frank Gooding, and second following the death of Sen. William Borah.

“There needs to be more communication and sitting down with the responsible environmental groups. You know, go out and look at stuff. That’s where you solve problems,” he added. “There’s some problems, no doubt about that. But I don’t think that group out in Oregon reflected those problems.”

To further collaboration, Beyeler is working on a project with the University of Idaho, Nature Conservancy, Wood River Land Trust and Idaho Cattle Association to establish a rangeland school and research center on 20,000 acres of public and pri-

vate land between Fairfield and Carey, north of the Wood River.

Comprising an entire watershed, Beyeler said the land includes all the things that make up the Western landscape, and is envisioned as a place to educate the next generation of both ranchers and land managers, as well as create a platform for research and the opportunity for public outreach.

“When was the last time you saw the Cattle Association, the Wood River Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy, all their logos on the top of the letterhead, all asking for the same thing? Now that’s progress,” he said. “This could be a game-changer.”

For Prescott, the rangeland school provides a new way to collect scientific data to drive management decisions, rather than “in the courtroom or fear of the courtroom.” Specifically, he said ranchers are the ultimate experts about what works and doesn’t work on the range, but that knowledge is often the result of years of trial and error. There is little, if any, quantifiable data to support many of their methods.

“But this isn’t a matter of finding a place where we can gather the science up to validate our theories,” Prescott said. “It’s an area where we can truly look at practices and whether they can be scientifically supported or not. … We’ve got to find these production- and conservation-compatible practices and this is going to be a site where we can actually do experimental research to truly investigate what those practices are.”

Sayler, with the BLM, agreed that permitees often know best, which is why his office makes it a priority to work alongside ranchers in the field as much as possible, as well as participate in rangeland train-

Scholarships offered

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Community Assistance League and Angels Over Sandpoint are helping better local students and organizations with grant and scholarship opportunities.

CAL is offering scholarships to high school or home schooled seniors or adults who have been out of high school for at least a year. Applications

ing activities with ranchers and even work with the local Future Farmers of America chapter.

“The key to me is being out there on the ground with them and seeing the same things and working through those deals to come up with some management approach that works for both us and the permitees,” Sayler said. “This job is about working with people. It always has been.”

While he recognizes the process is often slow and cumbersome, Prescott said if past is prelude, he is confident new techniques and policies will eventually open up greater opportunities for effective, healthy range management—agitation by radical groups notwithstanding.

“We talk about invasives and wildfire being the No. 1 and 2 threats to sage grouse. Well, literally one of the only tools to defend ourselves against those threats is the cow, is livestock,” he said.

“We’ve seen the same thing

are available for download from the CAL website at www. calsandpoint.org or at North Idaho College, Bizarre Bazaar or Sandpoint and Clark Fork libraries. The deadline for application is April 11. Applications may be sent to Community Assistance League, Attn: Scholarship Committee, PO Box 1361 Sandpoint, ID 83864 or delivered to Bizarre Bazaar at 502 Church Street or to the student’s high school counsel-

ing center. Call 290-6004 for more information.

In addition, Angels Over Sandpoint is seeking applicants for several programs. The Community Service Scholarship, the Lippi Family Scholarship and Arts Scholarship all have a deadline of 9 a.m. April 10. Meanwhile, charitable organizations must apply for the Community Grants Program by March 15. For applications and more information, visit angelsoversandpoint.com.

come full circle in how livestock can benefit riparian areas. Time will tell, and it takes patience and it takes collaboration, sitting at a table together and being able to have tough conversations without exhibiting the type of behavior that was exhibited in

Oregon.” Prescott added. “That’s the only way we’re going to get it done, is by working with one another.”

Zach Hagadone is the editor of the Boise Weekly, where this story was originally published.

Random Corner

-Disputed facts that are actually true-

1. Russia has a larger surface area than Pluto. *Russia has a surface area of 17,075,200 square km, while Pluto is 16,647,940 square km.

2. There is more processing power in a TI83 calculator than in the computer that landed Apollo 11 on the moon.

* Yes, believe it or not, the guidance computer from the Apollo 11 mission ran at 1.024 MHz, about one sixth the processing power of a TI-83 calculator.

3. April 4, June 6, October 10 and December 12 will all fall on the same day of the week in any year.

* These days are called doomsdays, and they are meant to help calculate the day of the week of any given date. In 2014 the doomsdays were all on Fridays. 2015 doomsdays fell on Saturday, while 2016 doomsdays will fall on a Monday. Check it out!

4. The first fax was sent while people were still traveling the Oregon Trail.

* Scottish clockmaker Alexander Bain applied for the patent on the fax machine in 1843, during the time when the first wagon trains headed out along the Oregon Trail. By 1846, Bain was able to reproduce graphic signs in laboratory experiments.

STAGE & SCREEN

‘When Marnie Was There’ among great upcoming films at Panida

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

It’s hard to imagine a more bittersweet swan song for Studio Ghibli than “When Marnie Was There.”

Founded in 1985, the Japanese animation studio has arguably produced more masterpieces than any other production company (Walt Disney Animation Studios offers stiff competition, but it’s also 60 years older). After the retirement of studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, widely regarded as the world’s greatest living animator, Ghibli officials announced they were halting production.

Barring a future reopening, “When Marnie Was There” is Ghibli’s final bow. And while it doesn’t quite reach the heights of “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Spirited Away,” “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” and around a dozen other masterworks, it’s still a fitting and affecting capstone to the Ghibli canon.

Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, “When Marnie Was There” centers on Anna Sasaki, a 12-year-old foster child suffering from severe asthma and even worse social anxiety. The Japanese countryside proves as uncomfortable as the city after her medical ailments force her to visit relatives for the summer. But while investigating a dilapidated mansion on the coastline, Anna meets Marnie, a mysterious blonde-haired girl who has haunted her dreams. The two quickly form a friendship built on deeper ties than either of them anticipated.

“When Marnie Was There” is a relatively simple story, and it unfolds slowly over several slice-of-life scenes. But what initially feels like meander-

The Panida leads into its impressive slate of spring films with ‘Room’

Critically acclaimed and boasting a stellar cast, “Room” follows Joy (Brie Larson) and her 5-year-old son Jack (Jacob Temblay). Held captive in a 10-by10-foot space they call “Room,” the pair strive to escape into an even more intimidating space: the outside world. Catch “Room” at the Panida Theater 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, or Sunday, Feb. 28. The film is rated R.

ing pacing lays the groundwork for a wallop of a third act. While the film is a far cry from Studio Ghibli’s most emotionally mature work—that’s probably “Grave of the Fireflies’” heart-rending examination of war’s true cost—it’s still a challenging movie that deals with depression, rejection, loneliness and, ultimately, reconciliation. It’s also something of a puzzle. As Anna uncovers more clues about Marnie, a picture begins to take shape of her past and identity.

If you know anything about Studio Ghibli, you don’t need me to tell you that the animation is fantastic. True, there’s nothing quite as spectacular as the gods and demons of “Princess Mononoke” or the spirits of “Spirited Away.” But “When Marnie Was There” demonstrates its visual quality in subtler ways: the children’s expressions, the shimmer of sunlight on water and the vibrant colors of the seaside village. The fluidity of the hand-drawn animation and the elegance of the compositions demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

“When Marnie Was There” is appropriate for all ages, but younger children may be impatient with its slower pace and realistic setting. Every other age group should find something to admire, whether it be its colorful art, the simple beauty of its childhood friendships or

its emotional heft.

Check out “When Marnie Was There” at the Panida Theater 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 4 or 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5.

The Straight Poop: The quest for dog-friendly businesses in North Idaho

By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist

Where am I taking my humans today?

On this beautiful sunny day, I’m strolling downtown, doing my beat box thing and Mister and Missus are humming “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”

Just as I finish leaving my calling card at my favorite spot, we mosey into the Chamber’s business of the month, the Idaho Pour Authority, (IPA) located at 203 Cedar. There are over 350 unique bottles of craft beer artfully displayed on the specially designed wall shelves, with 12 rotating craft beer taps, local wine, cider and non-alcoholic beer available to customers.

Owners Jon Hagadone and Vicki Reich, beer lovers and home brewers for years, wanted to own a store in town where folks could gather to drink good beer, take some home, converse and bring their dogs.

Jon and Vicki are very much dog people. They miss having a dog in their home, so having the opportunity to share the IPA with other dogs is a tail-waggin’ experience. This is a place where everyone knows your name.

Jon’s parents bought the building in 1946 and opened the original Sandpoint Furniture Company on this block. Jon and his sisters worked at the store while they were growing up, specializing in window washing, dusting and other furniture related grunt jobs. Since the kids wanted to go to college, his parents sold the business. However, Jon and his sisters still owned the building. Jon always wanted to return to work in the place where he grew up in. When 203 Cedar became available, he knew this was the perfect place for the IPA.

The renovation began and when the carpet was ripped up, the demolition team exposed the original pre-World War II

wood floor. They reclaimed the wood floor, designed and built the custom shelves and interior.

Another piece of barkin’ history is that the original Reader office was located in the back of the building where Jon’s son published the paper.

Three months later the dogfriendly establishment opened

thority Pack are Blue, Flint, Husky, Shadow, Frida Max, Reggie (the newest member— only 12 weeks old), and me, just to name a few.

Recently, the Idaho Pour Authority was voted “The Coldest Beer in Town” “Second Best Bartender in Town” and “The Best Bar in Town” by the Bonner County Daily Bee Best of the Best (funny, it’s not a bar—just a store with craft beer, tables, live music, munchies and no kitchen).

with a menu of dog-gone good beers; Red Hydrant Ale, Garde Dog, Dogtoberfest, K-9 Winter Ale, Hair of the Dog, Cold Nose Winter Ale and many others. I’m still searching for the namesake Drake beer. Stay tuned! For every season there is a beer!

Members of the Pour Au-

Whether you are looking for a mixed six-pack for the weekend, a place to fill your growler or a comfortable place to relax and try some new beers, the Idaho Pour Authority has everything a craft beer lover could want.

Oh, one more thing: Paws up to Jon, Vicki and the IPA

staff. They have hosted thirty plus benefits for nonprofits in the last two years. Recipients have included Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, The Idaho Conservation League, the Panida and the Bonner County Food Bank, just to name a few.

IPA Rules:

1. Leashes please.

2. Do your outside biz before entering.

3. Drool over the non-beer dog cookies.

4. Groove to the music—it soothes the savage beast.

5. No age limit for K-9 customers.

New dance classes offered Hunger Banquet raises money for international trip

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Local dance instructor

Diane Peters has announced

a new March lineup for her weekly classes.

In anticipation of Lost in the ‘50s, Peters will be offering the Triple Time East Coast Swing every Monday evening at 7 p.m. starting Feb. 29. Swing is a versatile dance that can be utilized for many types of music. Also, it is a great preparation for the West Coast Swing, which will be taught in April.

On Thursday evenings at 7

p.m., Peters will also teach the Fox Trot, a very easy dance to learn that is full of interesting patterns.

“The Fox Trot teaches so much about lead and follow, frame and traveling around the dance floor,” said Peters.

Both dances are offered every Monday and Thursday evening in March at Sandpoint West Athletic Club. Members of SWAC get a discount in tuition, but non-members are welcome to attend. Join the whole month or a single class. Contact Diane at 610-1770 for info.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

The International Service Club is trying to raise money for their upcoming trip to Tanzania, Africa.

Attend the Hunger Banquet at 6-8 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at Sandpoint Community Hall. Tickets are $12 each and are available for pickup at Eve’s Leaves and from club members. All proceeds go toward the trip. Children five and under eat free!

The event will be both fun and educational, as each attendee is designated a country that may be one of three different economic categories, and will be fed accordingly as an insightful simulation to worldwide poverty. To learn more about the International Service Club or the Hunger Banquet, please call (509) 951-3364.

Dine Around Sandpoint returns for another year of great cuisine

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Diners, start your engines. Dine Around Sandpoint is back for its eighth year, and this year it’s bigger than ever.

The premise is simple: dine at one of 31 participating local restaurants any time between Feb. 19 and March 19, receive a ticket, win, repeat. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Event coordinator and restaurateur

Justin Dick said the origin for Dine Around Sandpoint happened when his parents, Mel and Claudia Dick, visited San Diego nearly a decade ago during restaurant week.

“That was the genesis of the idea,” said Dick. “When we started that first year, we had six or seven restaurants. You only received a ticket if you bought a special meal.”

Now, eight years later, Dine Around Sandpoint has come into its own as a staple in Sandpoint. The program has streamlined quite a bit since the early days. Now, any entrée earns a ticket. Also, there are a few businesses that have entered the contest from outside the box, including Kokanee Coffee, Monarch Mountain Coffee and new local distillery MillTown.

“MillTown has been a great addition this year,” said Dick. “It’s nice to have one more local group of people doing it right. They’re doing everything on a local property located on a dormant farm. It’s really cool.”

For Dick, timing was the most important detail of Dine Around Sandpoint.

“The original idea was to bring in business during the specifically poor time of year,” he said. “Right after Winter Carnival was always a tough time.”

Now, the event even draws diners from Bonners Ferry, Hayden Lake, Newport and beyond. Also, according to Dick, the event has fostered a new relationship among business leaders in Sandpoint.

“The great relationship between retailers and restaurants has been an unintended positive consequence,” he said. “The retailers are welcoming any types of donations to be given out to be part of it. Usually it’s always a divide and conquer between myself, Mel and Dave Vermeer. I’m coordinating myself this year and it’s been one of the easiest years. It really seems to have gotten a foothold.”

Throughout the monthlong program, there will be daily drawings for over 70 prizes donated by local businesses.

“We usually draw from two restaurants per day,” said Dick. “All the daily prize winners go back into the collective for the big prizes.”

The grand prize is a free dinner for two at twelve participating restaurants, once per month. Other big prizes include a pair of Festival at Sandpoint season passes, tickets to the Festival’s country night concert, a pair of tickets to see David Crosby at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane on March 18 and a $500 gift basket from MillTown Distillery.

Check to the right for a list of the 31 participating restaurants. Now get out there and check out what our local restaurants have to offer!

Participating Restaurants:

•A&P’s Bar and Grill

•Arlo’s Ristorante

•Bangkok Cuisine Thai Restaurant

•Baxters on Cedar

•Cedar St.Bistro

•Chimney Rock Grill

•Connie’s Café

•Di Luna’s Café

•Evan’s Bros Coffee

•Forty One South

•Hydra Steakhouse

•Ivano’s Restorante

•Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant

•Joe’s Philly Cheesesteak

•Joel’s

•La Rosa Club

•Kokanee Coffee

•Kyoko Sushi & Noodle Bar

•MickDuff’s Brewing Company

•Miller’s Country Store

•Monarch Mountain Coffee

•Panhandle Cone and Coffee

•The Hound Downtown

•Second Ave. Pizza

•Shoga Sushi Bar

•Spuds Waterfront Grill

•Sweet Lou’s

•Tango Café

•Thai Nigiri

•Trinity at City Beach

•Winter Ridge Natural Foods

Crossword Solution

READ

Before it was a critically acclaimed feature film, “The Martian” was a simple space geek’s novel by first-time author Andy Weir. It was actually self-published and available for free until it was scooped up by Crown Publishing in 2014.

The novel is written in a science geek style, with lots of arithmatic and calculations, but also lots of dry humor from astronaut Mark Whatney. At first it seemed daunting. Then I realized I couldn’t put it down. What is it about peo ple being stranded and battling for survival that draws us in?

Continuing with the space theme, did you know there’s an actual genre of music called spacemusic? According to Stephen Hill, co-founder of a radio show called Hearts of Space, the term is used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness.

The sonic texture of the music can be simple or complex, it can be instrumental or electronic, it may lack conventional melodic, harmonic or rhythmic features and may be less concerned with the formal compositional schemes associated with other styles of mu sic. Think elevator music, if you’re on an elevator to Mars. Weird stuff.

LISTEN WATCH

There are so many space films to recommend, but one that I saw particularly attracted my attention.

“Moon” is a British science fiction film co-written and directed by Duncan Jones and starring Sam Rockwell

The film had a modest budget, but performed well on the Sundance Film Festival circuit.

There is a morbid pace to the movie that really sets a dark tone.

Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a slightly cantankerous but good-natured astronaut who lives and works on the moon by himself, gathering rocks to mine a fuel source for earth. Without giving away the kicker, it’s a film with some strange avenues and conclusions that hit hard. Watch it!

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.

Foster’s Garage and Tin Shop at 405 Cedar Street in Sandpoint. This photo was most likely taken between 1916 and 1918.

The same view today. The old garage building is long gone, and the eastern portion of La Quinta Inn is currently at this location (the swimming pool is front right).

CROSSWORD

1. Winglike

5. Ceased

10. Writing implements 14. Memo 15. Unsophisticated

16. Balm ingredient

17. Anagram of “Loot”

18. Likeness

20. Jeopardize

22. Not excessive 23. Henpeck

24. Verse

25. Spontaneous

32. Well-known

33. ‘50s singer Buddy _____ 34. Faster than light

37. Prompted

38. Hill

39. Small salmon

40. Venomous snake

41. Consumer of food 42. Hot chocolate

43. Cremation chamber 45. Stupefy

49. Dawn goddess 50. Unmindful 53. Hotel attendant

Flood 59. Overhang

60. Pear-shaped instrument 61. Anagram of “Coast” 62. You (archaic) 63. Perished

64. Hinder

Went under

Against

Weaving machine

At the peak of

Yielded

A naval rank

Found on a finger

Not brilliant

Wicked

Sandwich shop

Terrace

Wash out with a

12. Connecting points

13. Squalid

19. Suggest 21. Police action

25. Ancient Peruvian

26. French for “We”

27. Stair

28. Water park slide

29. Clan emblem

30. Extreme 31. Beer

34. Central points

35. You (archaic)

36. Rich soil

38. Tavern

39. Body armor

Solution on page 17

41. Toward the outside

42. Not hot

44. Very small

45. Construct

46. Boredom

47. Fry briefly

48. Possessed

51. Rodents

52. French for “State”

53. Thunder

54. Laugh

55. Baking appliance

56. Glance

58. Frozen

1. Swiftness, speed.

“The pastries were attacked with celerity, leaving only crumbs for those who showed up late for work.”

Corrections: In the Feb. 11 “Mad About Science” there was an error stating that a megaton was 1,000 tons, when it’s actually 1,000,000 tons. Subsequently, all the math was off by a factor of 1,000. Thanks to Bernard Sheldon for pointing that out. Also, in the photo caption of “Leaving the Fold” it was the Spokane River the boxes were found in, not the Coeur d’Alene River. Apologies. Also, the CAL and BCHRTF grants are due March 31, 2016, not March 1 as reported last week.

The king threw back his head and laughed. He enjoyed a good laugh, and so did his wife, the queen. When she saw this king laughing she let out a big laugh too. In fact, she laughed so hard she broke her throne. This made them both laugh harder.

Then they got serious when they remembered they had the plague. “The Plague,” said the king, but the way he said it made them both burst out laughing again.