Reader_July23_2015

JUSTREDUCED

compiled by Susan Drinkard

DEAR READERS, (wo)MAN on the street

An oil train that derailed July 17 in Montana spilled 35,000 gallons of crude oil. The train was headed this way and would have passed through Sandpoint. How do you feel about the coal/oil trains coming through Sandpoint? Do you feel the railroads are safe to transport such volatile material, or do you believe our lake and town are in danger?

“I am opposed. You can’t prevent accidents. Just look at the oil spills in our oceans. What can we do? I don’t have much hope about changing this around.”

Anne Harvey Semi-retired Social Services Sandpoint

“First of all, we need to improve railroad safety protocols, cover coal cars and have government do a worst-case scenario disaster cleanup estimate and require that amount as a down payment for doing business in that state.”

Brandon Huff Vegetable Farmer Muskrat Hill Farms Sagle

“In the past year there have been too many train accidents. I believe our lake and town are in danger. There are too many variables that are not controllable.”

Judy Helton Retired Educator Sandpoint

“When mass transit is moving, the economy is moving. Having grown up in a train family all my life, there is a special place in my heart for trains. When I hear a train whistle, I am reminded of my grandfather and my two uncles. The irony in Sandpoint is that everyone supported the restoration of the old train depot, but they hate the trains.”

Clint Nicholson Director of Sales

Keokee Publishing East of Sandpoint next to the tracks

“I don’t know how often the train really goes off the track. What causes derailments? Is it lack of safety? Is there a plan if that happens? We have children. In order for me to feel safer I would hope every crossing has guards and people are given adequate warning of a train en route.”

This issue, we’re focusing on one of those magical qualities that makes Sandpoint so wonderful; the great outdoors that surround it.

To live in North Idaho in the summer means to embrace everything involving hiking, swimming, boating, biking, camping and beyond.

You’ll find a few features this week to wet your palette; a complete activities guide to Schweitzer Mountain Resort in the summer, a compendium of activities for outdoors enthusiasts around North Idaho, also Priest River’s big event Timber Days, which features the skill and fun of a great close-knit timber community.

I encourage you all to get out there. Hike up that mountain summit, sail across Contest Point, paddle your canoe down the Clark Fork into the lake, watch for birds at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge. Embrace that unique quality that is North Idaho.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

READER

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

www.sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com

Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com

Zach Hagadone (emeritus)

Contributing Artists: Karen Robinson (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard,

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Ferris McDaniel, Don Otis, Scout Anatricia, Marcia Pilgeram

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

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Advertising: Jen Landis jen@sandpointreader.com

Greg Larson greg@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com

Web Content: Keokee

“It is a mixed bag because a lot of people are worried about coal spilling into the lake. So environmentally it is a concern. On the other hand, economically, it is required for energy consumption. We have to have oil for trucks to transport food. There is no perfect answer presently, but it is evolving.”

Jared Bruns

Plant nursery employee Sandpoint

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 500 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.

Laura Elvira Clemons Clinical Herbalist Sandpoint Huckleberry Mimosas! Mon-Fri 3-6pm 2 for 1

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com

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About the Cover

This week’s cover painted by Karen Robinson. Karen is a local Sandpoint artist whose work will be displayed at this weekend’s Garden of Artistry Fine Art Show at the Ponderay Garden Center. You can also view her work at www.karenrobinsonart.com.

COMMENTARY

Breathing in Sandpoint: A New Orleanian’s view of the city

By Ferris McDaniel Reader Contributor

I lie on my towel at City Beach, listening to Buffalo Springfield. Neil and the boys sound better suited here than anywhere else I’ve listened to them. Some feet from gulls lazing on a log, a youngish woman with dreaded hair snorkels in the water as her two sons play safely on land. Shore grit clings to my legs, fresh out of Lake Pend Oreille’s brisk water.

I sit up and look at the layers of mountains ahead and behind me. The clouds, bulbous and picturesque, traverse the peaks like thoughts past a meditating buddha. I breathe the air deep into my lungs and hold it there. Again. An insatiable desire for the atmosphere’s aroma. Pine: a scent locals probably acclimate to and take for granted. An olfactory illusion of perpetual Christmas. It’s the smell Hallmark stores use to ease their shoppers.

And it works. I’m utterly relaxed. I feel I could be a fixture here, in Sandpoint, ID, some 2,000 miles from my home in New Orleans, LA.

Idaho is one of those states I never hear about. Maybe people in the Pacific Northwest talk about it, but it’s a forgotten place in the South. Mention it and you’re countered with: “Potatoes?”

But it’s there, and it’s beautiful.

Up in the mountains, near Garfield Bay, where I’m holed up for the week at a friend’s home, the cellphone reception is awful, and I couldn’t be more grateful. There are yellow jackets like there are mosquitos back home, but all they do is tickle my feet and sniff me. I’m sure they sting, but I wouldn’t know it.

How can I be bothered by such minor matters when I’m surrounded by all this grandeur? Lake Pend Oreille seems more majestic than the Lake Ponchartrain of home’s swamps—maybe because the bordering mountains give the water elegant form. Not to hate on the edge-

of-the-world vastness of Pontchartrain, which is lovely in its own rite, but this is something new, something that seems special. They say it’s God’s country up here, and I know a few atheists who liked my Facebook status describing it as such.

Is it God’s country because of the undeniably awe-inspiring landscape, or is it because there’s enough space between people for breathing room? Maybe it’s both. The visual evidence of creation by a greater force, whatever it may be. The expanse in which to sit, to breath, to think, to explore one’s own inner godliness. Whatever it is, it makes me smile.

If Idaho is forgotten in the South, then Sandpoint doesn’t even exist, but it very much does. For some homeowners here, it might only happen for the summer. For others, it’s a year-, life-long affair. I’ve seen and met all sorts here. Hippies, outdoors(wo)men, intellectuals, ex-Mormons, amateur thespians, hillbillies (and I say that with the utmost adoration), white-collars of various age, young skateboarders, the nondescript walker, restauranteurs, farmers, craft beer brewers, musicians, cowboys, artists, socialites and tourists, like myself.

Whatever they are, I find they say hello more often than they don’t. I had a lunch at Bricks and Barley, just after my visit to City Beach, where the employee who sat me treated me like a person and not just a potential tip. He asked me how my day was, what I was up to, where I was coming from, why was I visiting, would I like a beer. My waitress wasn’t any less personable, always smiling in a way that told me she want-

ed to smile. I know it’s these people’s jobs to be nice, but I come from the Land of Service Industry and Southern Hospitality, and the workers of New Orleans could take note.

The day prior, I stopped into Serv-A-Burger because I’m a glutton for simple, low-priced burgers and shakes in joints where the most modern fixtures are the lightbulbs. I paid for my Double Jr. cheeseburger, onion rings and huckleberry shake (which was delicious, no wonder y’all are obsessed with this berry) with a credit card. I didn’t have cash, but I didn’t see a space for a tip on my receipt.

I asked, “Can I tip on here?”

“Nah,” the cashier said, breezily.

“Dangit.”

She laughed. “It’s the thought that counts, right?”

It was a trigger for instant good mood. No stink-eye. No automated response. No nod to the cash tip jar. Just good vibes.

Perhaps the down-tempo speed of life allows for an easier exchange of humanity between people. Perhaps it’s the near-

ly perfect weather that keeps people smiling. Perhaps it’s the cleanliness of the streets, the quality of the beer or, in my mind, the state-ofthe-art public library. It’s almost definitely the multitude of opportunities for hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, biking, strolling, and losing oneself in the woods in an organized manner. All under a brilliant sun, hugged by gentle breezes. Whatever it is, it’s contagious, and I started waving and nodding and smiling—like it was second nature—at every person I passed.

Of course, Sandpoint has its pitfalls like every other place.

If you’re looking for nightlife comparable to that of New Orleans, Manhattan, Austin, etc., then you’re probably not interested in a full-time situation in Sandpoint. There are fun spots like MickDuff’s and Idaho Pour Authority, and I saw an excellent performance at the Panida Theatre, but beyond this, nightlife seems scarce. This is a town where you set with the sun because tomorrow is another day—emphasis on day—of activity. If you’re over the party scene, then Sandpoint could be the spot for you. I imagine it’s a wonderful place to come of age and to watch your children do the same.

Coming from New Orleans, a port city of mixed nationalities, Idaho was noticeably uniform. There’s a lack of diversity that some might argue isn’t a downside at all. I would, however, disagree. Diversity is the flavor of life, to quote the cliche. There’s a genetic reason incest doesn’t work (taboos aside) and thoroughbred animals eventually breed defective progenitors. Different walks of

life and cultural backgrounds help a community grow by providing everyone with another slice of the pie called Life.

I know historically, people of color just haven’t existed in the area, but it’s the 21st century. Traditions are being broken. People are traveling away from their heritage and history. Equality is slowly winning (or so we’d like to hope), giving people of color the opportunity for wealth, mobility and more options in general. So the lack of diversity in Sandpoint makes me wonder: why? Maybe it’s just not where they want to settle. Maybe the cost of living is too high even for up-and-coming equality. Coming from a city that’s undergoing some heavy gentrification, I have to ask these questions. I think the people of Sandpoint owe it to society and to their already great city to ask them too.

Overall, Sandpoint was the perfect escape from New Orleans’ oppressively humid summer and the routine of my life there. By the end of my trip, I didn’t dread returning home and going back to work. I missed my home. Sandpoint and its membrane of nature had given me fresh eyes. I know Sandpoint locals know everything about their home I’ve only recently discovered, whether they’re conscious of it or not. The regularity of a place can turn it mundane. But I promise you, there’s nothing mundane about Sandpoint.

Breathe in that clean northern Idaho air. Rub your eyes and reopen them to the land’s beauty. Remember where you are, and smile.

Ferris Wayne McDaniel is a graduate student in the University of New Orleans’ Creative Writing Workshop and works in hospitality at Bacchanal Wine and Spirits in New Orleans.

Finding your adventure

By Don Otis Reader Adventure Columnist

Mike served as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. The residual effects of PTSD were evident. Quiet. Reserved. Expressionless. We talked every time we saw each other at the gym—and that was almost daily. He asked me a question one day. “What are your goals?” When I told him, he followed up with, “What are you doing to accomplish them? What’s your plan?”

In my office is a small plaque with the words, “Make It Happen.” And that’s exactly what we must do in life, in relationships, in fitness, in adventure. Make a plan. Make it happen. And a life without a plan for adventure is a life stuck in neutral, mired in the mundane stuck in the predictability of daily life. In the movie, “Braveheart,” William Wallace says, “Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” And that’s the rub, isn’t it? How do we squeeze the most out of life and learn to really live? What’s that look like for you?

As a kid I always had goals. I don’t know why. Maybe it was having an older brother who chased me down the block or up a tree. Ironically, I am still running and climbing, so maybe it wasn’t all that bad. I don’t know why some of us are motivated and others are content to sit in front a television. Perhaps it is the thrill of an adrenaline rush without the actual physi-

cal effort. But what motivates you—especially in the midst of a long North Idaho winter? What does it take for you to make it happen, establish goals, and get healthy? One thing I have found is that being healthy is integrally linked to our goals and a sense for adventure.

As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, it took work and planning to find adventure. By the time I was 16, a friend and I made our way to the Mt. Whitney trail. It was comical. We were two foolish boys that didn’t know just how cold it gets at 12,000 feet. We learned quickly. In the morning we watched the alpenglow cast a golden hue on the summit. We were hooked. I went back the next year and made the summit—all 14,505 feet. It was my first 14er and would eventually lead to a much larger goal. But that’s another story.

Most of us find the very best and most satisfying experiences in life often come saddled with effort, pain or difficulty. We derive our sense of well-being or self-worth from pushing ourselves into new, challenging or uncomfortable situations. It’s a paradox but it seems to play out that way. In my last book about boys and men, I identified four characteristics that help define an adventure.

1. It must be exciting—it must include an element of exhilaration, or the experience is

less meaningful.

2. It must be a challenge it must push the limit of what you think possible or comfortable.

3. It must include unpredictability—you can minimize risks, but you cannot control all possible outcomes.

4. It must tax you mentally, emotionally or physically preferably all of these at once.

By the way, our goals and adventures in life always involve the possibility of failure. I left that part for the end but it applies to nearly every area of our lives. Take a risk. Write down some goals. Look for your ad-

Celebration of Laura Bry’s life scheduled for Sunday

By Reader Staff

When community activist Laura Bry passed away the weekend of the Fourth of July, she left behind a lot of stunned, saddened people.

In the two decades she lived in Bonner County, Bry established herself as an active and enthusiastic volunteer for a number of organizations, including the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, Community Assistance League, Boy Scouts of America and many more.

Sunday, July 26 at 4 p.m., there will be a potluck celebration of Bry’s life at 5265 Lakeshore Drive in Sagle.

The family of Bry would appreciate an RSVP, which you can send to ijanekb@icloud.com.

Attendees are encouraged to say a few words about Laura if they wish.

Donations and flowers can be sent to Irene Kazokas Bry at 313 Pine St. Sandpoint, Idaho 83864. Or call 208-2559927 for info.

venture. Make it happen.

Don S. Otis is president of Veritas Communications, a publicity agency based in Sandpoint. He is the author of five books and dozens of articles. In his spare time he has been a hiker, triathelete, mountaineer, runner, and personal trainer. He and his son, Landon started www. HikeNorthIdaho.com as a way to encourage people to enjoy North Idaho outdoors.

Oil train derails in Montana Quest expands its facilities

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Yet another oil train derailment— this one in northeastern Montana—has Sandpoint officials on edge even as they continue working on a local oil derailment emergency response plan.

The Associated Press reports that the BNSF Railway train spilled 35,000 gallons of crude oil in the Thursday accident, prompting authorities to evacuate some homes in the largely rural area. Only two cars stayed upright of the 21 that derailed, but no fires or explosions were reported on the scene.

Although it occurred far away from the Idaho-Montana border, every oil train derailment causes concern among local officials, who worry a similar fate could befall Sandpoint. According to Mayor Carrie Logan, this derailment is doubly worrisome, since it was intended to pass through Sandpoint later in its route.

Local firefighter and emergency personnel have been preparing for a variety of derailment scenarios, from spills or fires in the sparsely populated rural stretches of the county to the residential areas in town to the surface of Lake Pend Oreille itself. According to Sandpoint Fire Chief Ron Stocking, BNSF has funded several training scenarios to better prepare local firefighters.

Stocking and other officials, as well as Eric de Place of Seattle-based sustainability nonprofit the Sightline Institute, detailed the dangers of oil or coal derailment in a June forum. According

First half of 2015 hottest on record

The average temperature around the globe was 1.58 degrees higher than the 20th century average during the first six months of 2015, according to Time Magazine. This officially makes this the hottest start to a year in recorded history.

The announcement, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is the latest news showing record temperatures across the planet in recent years. The 2015 record easily surpassed a record for high temperatures in the first six months last year. The record highs occurred on both land and in oceans, with the only areas on the globe not showing above average warm records in the Atlantic Ocean between Greeland and the United Kingdom.

to de Place, the full consequences of a worst-case-scenario oil train derailment is best exemplified by the 2013 Lac-Mégantic disaster in Quebec, which killed 47 people, destroyed 30 downtown buildings and made another 36 uninhabitable. It’s a picture of the extensive costs to human life, the environment and economies that such accidents pose— damages that can’t be adequately covered through liability insurance alone.

“There is not currently enough available coverage in the commercial insurance market anywhere in the world to cover the worst-case scenario,” James Beardsley, global rail practice leader for Marsh & McLennan Cos.’ Marsh Inc. insurance brokerage unit, told the Wall Street Journal.

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Apparently life under new international ownership is treating Quest Aircraft well. Less than six months since its purchase by Japanese company Setouchi Holdings, the company is nearly doubling its production facilities with around 75,000 square feet of additional space.

The construction, which is slated to begin in August, will be completed by the end of the year, meaning the major local employer will soon be able to turn out its signature Kodiak aircraft at a faster rate.

“We are very pleased that the increased worldwide demand for the Kodiak necessitates the need to increase

Hitching Post in CDA challenges same sex marriage ruling

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Same-sex marriage may be the law of the land now, but don’t expect that to be last we hear of it in the legal system. The owners of the Coeur d’Alene-based wedding chapel the Hitching Post are moving forward with a lawsuit against the city they feel will protect businesses’ ability to refuse services for same-sex weddings.

The Spokesman-Review reports that chapel owners Donald and Evelyn Knapp are pushing their lawsuit forward even as the city seeks to have it dismissed. Coeur d’Alene attorneys argue the city has not fined or penalized the Hitching Post, so no injury can be shown. Furthermore, they say the business, as a religious organization, is exempt from the city’s inclusion of

The news is no surprise to climate scientists, who had previously declared 2014 to be the hottest year on record, measuring .7 degrees higher than average.

“If you are younger than 29 years old, you haven’t lived in a month that was cooler than the 20th century average,” University of Georgia meteorologist Marshall Shepherd told Time. February 1985 was the last time where average global temperatures for the month were colder than they were for the 20th century on average.

According to the Western Regional Climate Center, 11 of the past 12 months of maximum temperature measured in Sandpoint were significantly higher than average. The average temperature was 3.3°F higher than the average in the last 12 months. The averages range from data collected from 1910 to present. [BO]

sexual orientation and gender identity in its non-discrimination ordinance.

On the other hand, the Knapps and Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit organization representing them, see the lawsuit as a chance to clarify the rights of business owners opposed to gay marriage.

“We’ve got to know the full bounds of the protections that are going to be afforded religious individuals and religious businesses now that same-sex marriage is legal,” said ADF attorney J. Matthew Sharp, according to The Spokesman-Review. “So this is an important test case to really see, are ministers and the businesses they operate going to be protected going forward?”

Huckleberries

have arrived early

Purple-handed warriors, we’ve got some good news; the hucks are here!

Many of the region’s hot spots for huckleberry picking are reporting the berries are ripe and ready to pick.

Due to an unusually mild winter and dry spring, the little orbs of heaven are ripening a bit ahead of schedule.

Author Asta Bowen, who wrote “The Huckleberry Book,” says the thin snowpack this year should give the berries a more intense flavor since they received less water.

Be on the lookout for bears, and protect yourself from the hot summer sun when out picking. Now go forth. Eat, drink and pick berries. [BO]

our production capacity,” said Sam Hill, Quest CEO, in a press release. “We have been ramping up production of the Kodiak, and to efficiently meet continued demand for the aircraft, we need to grow our Sandpoint facility.”

According to Quest Aircraft spokesperson Julie Stone, once production ramps up on the Kodiak, that will likely translate to an expansion in workforce as well, which already sits at more than 200 people.

The expansion, a need that the Quest administration has long held in their longterm plans, was no doubt accelerated when Setouchi Holdings purchased the company in February. Setouchi Holdings, itself a subsidiary of parent company Tsuneishi Group, not only offers expanded financial resources but also a greater foothold in international markets.

“The relationship has progressed very well [over the past six months],” Stone said. “Setouchi Holdings is very supportive of us … things are pretty much status quo but just a little bit better.”

Those partnerships are bound to make the Kodiak, an aircraft built to handle rugged terrain, harsh environmental conditions and undeveloped airfields, an even more common international presence. The aircraft already operates in more than 20 countries, where owners use them for business and corporate needs, commuter and on-demand operations, government and humanitarian uses and personal needs. To meet those varied needs, the Kodiak has received 19 certifications covering 29 countries, with many more on the way.

Festival art unveiled

Are you getting excited about the Festival at Sandpoint? We sure are, and it’s hard to believe it’s only a couple weeks away. Now, with the official unveiling of this year’s Festival poster artwork, it feels even closer than ever.

This year, Festival officials selected artist Lucy West to paint the artwork, and she delivered a colorful and music-filled piece featuring the stage and the fantastic star-filled skies that have made Festival nights a local institution.

As always, you can bid on the original artwork any time at the Festival at Sandpoint office or at the Festival merchandise booth starting Aug. 6. The bid currently stands at $3,000. with the winner to be announced at the Aug. 16 Grand Finale concert. [CR]

Mighty Mermaids tackle Lake Pend Oreille

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Right from the beginning, Lake Pend Oreille was trouble.

Standing near the lake shore at 5 a.m., endurance swimmers Nancy Steadman Martin, Christie Ciraulo, Jenny Cook, Tracy Grilli, Karen Einsidler and Roni Hibben were prepared for their latest feat: a swim across the length of the Pend Oreille. With decades of swimming experience between them, they were the Mighty Mermaids, a group of female athletes over 50 years of age. And they were more than prepared for this latest test—that is, if their equipment held up. Leave it to technology to fail you at a crucial moment. Just minutes away from leaving their starting point at Buttonhook Bay Wednesday morning, the propeller on a support boat failed. With no other options, the support team had to rush to Coeur d’Alene to pick up repair parts. The Mighty Mermaids’ swim would have to wait. But just as theater demands that the show must go on, so too would the swim take place, delays be damned.

At 34 miles long, Lake Pend Oreille is an intimidating body of water for any distance swimmer. Last year, Elaine Howley swam into the history books when she became the first person to complete a length-wise solo swim of the lake, charting a time of 20 hours, 25 minutes and 55 seconds. The achievement was greeted by the Sandpoint community with great fanfare and left a lasting impression on the Boston-based swimmer.

Indeed, it was Howley who recommended the Mermaids take on the swim for themselves. With the team looking for its next challenge, the allure of a North Idaho “working vacation” soon won the day.

The Mermaids brought with them a wealth of experience. They won their division in the Trans Tahoe Relay twice as well as the Lake Travis Relay in Texas. They also set age group speed records swimming around Manhattan in New York City; the Catalina Channel; the length of Lake Tahoe and across Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

They had the athletic chops for the undertaking, no doubt. But they still needed a support crew, and Howley was happy to recommend one. Among the team: Eric Ridgway, an experienced endurance swimmer himself and the founder of the annual Long Bridge Swim; Sunny Blende, a sports nutritionist and Randy Hixon, who manned the team’s support kayak.

“Getting the support team together is always one of the toughest things, so

that coming together so early was great,” said Einsidler.

The support team proved its worth right from the first setback at 5 a.m. When the boat lost its propeller, Ridgway dove into the chilly morning waters to retrieve it, while others arranged for a replacement. Meanwhile, the Mermaids settled into an eight-hour wait while the new parts were delivered and installed.

“Despite an eight-hour delay, I didn’t hear one negative word from them the entire time,” Ridgway said.

The delay came with its share of tertiary setbacks. Most importantly, it meant that by the time they finished, the team would have been awake for a full 24 hours. Also worrying was that rather than finishing at City Beach at a comfortable 7 or 8 p.m., they’d land upon its shores between 3 to 5 a.m., enduring the colder night waters along the way.

“Night swimming is always a little slower,” Martin said.

The delay left the team with dwindling food and water supplies toward the early evening. Fortunately, supporters Doug and Lorraine Evans sped out in their boat with sandwiches and water—and two dogged Sandpoint Reader reporters—to meet up with the team.

The Mermaids handled the swim one by one in a relay, each taking an hour. When one reached the end of their time, her relief took her place in the same spot. The relieved swimmer would then take her place at the support boat.

If the delay brought its share of disadvantages, Mother Nature proved kinder. The air was warm but not uncomfort-

able, while the water temperature hovered between the high 60s and low 70s. The Mermaids calculated their swim date to achieve a happy temperature balance, and the planning paid off.

Perhaps motivated by the pleasant conditions, the Mermaids charted impressive swim speeds, averaging two and a half miles per hour. Ridgway learned their athletic caliber when he hopped in the water to take in a little swimming for himself.

“They just left me behind,” he said. “These women are very fast swimmers.”

Lake Pend Oreille is probably not the Mighty Mermaids’ ultimate achievement, considering their impressive history as a team. It’s far from their last as well. The team is building its annual challenges toward a 2018 swim of the English Channel. By that time, all members will be over the age of 60, and what’s more, it will complete their Open Water Swimming Triple Crown: 21 miles across the English Channel between England and France, 21 miles across the Catalina Channel in Southern California and 28.5 miles around the Manhattan Island in New York.

While the team members no doubt have many amazing sights and waters ahead of them, there’s also no doubt that Sandpoint will occupy a special place in their hearts. More than any other place they’ve visited, they’ve enjoyed a level of support and warmth from residents that has impressed them deeply.

“We simply haven’t had community support like this ever before,” said Grilli.

Bouquets:

•Dan Shook at Bonner County Bicycles is deserving of a bouquet. Not only is he always on hand to fix my rickety old bike, but he’s one of those characters in Sandpoint that make life a little more fun when you come into contact with them.

•I drove my old truck for almost a year with half of the muffler hanging off. I went to a muffler repair shop out of town while shopping in Spokane and was quoted $300 to replace all the pipes. Needless to say, I didn’t want to spend that kind of money, so my truck remained loud and ugly. Just last week, I stopped into Melody Muffler and asked them to do the cheapest job they could do. I received a call 15 minutes later saying the truck was done. They welded the pipes together and charged me $20. They could’ve gouged me and replaced all the pipes, but they did just what I asked. I appreciate a shop that is not just out for money. Thanks guys.

Barbs:

•Presidential candidate Donald Trump (I never thought I’d write that) is one of the biggest buffoons I’ve seen in awhile. It’s time for him to fade away.

Not only did he incite anger over equating Mexican immigrants to rapists and criminals, but he crossed the line when he disparaged Sen. John McCain’s military service because he was a prisoner of war.

“I like people that weren’t captured, OK?” Trump said, followed by boos and gasps.

The GOP has apparently had enough of Trump, declaring that “there is no place in our party or our country for comments that disparage those who have served honorably.” Amen. Trump, you’re fired!

Got a bouquet or barb you’d like to offer? Write me at ben@ sandpointreader.com with “BB” in the subject line.

Timber Days highlights Priest River’s community spirit

By Scout Anatricia Reader Intern

In honor of the town’s history, Priest River is holding the annual Timber Days celebration, downtown on High Street, on July 24 and 25. And there’s even more reason to turn out this year, considering it’s the 25th anniversary of the event.

The celebration kicks off on Friday at 7 p.m. with a Hot Neon Nights car cruise downtown. The festivities are continued and multiplied the next day with activities for all ages.

Skip breakfast at home and attend the huckleberry pancake breakfast from 7-11 a.m. Along with the pancake breakfast is the Run for Berries, in which participants can choose either a one- or five- mile run. The breakfast and run are sponsored by Priest River Rotary as well as the Priest River Spartan Booster Club.

Following the huckleberry-themed morning is the opening of the booths at 8 a.m. and a parade through downtown at 11 a.m.

The locally renowned logging competition starts with preliminaries at 9 a.m. and continues from 1-4 p.m. Competitors of both sexes across a 60-year age span jockey for a victory. The logging competition consists of many events such as the Jack-n-Jill, open hot saw, women’s underhand, women’s single buck, axe throw, standing block, single buck, modified hot saw, springboard and underhand.

This competition draws the most spectators and even had press from the east coast covering it in 2009. And the journalists weren’t the only travelers— competitors from as far away as California and Wisconsin tried their hand at the North Idaho logging competition.

Directly after the judging of the logging contest is the lawnmower race on Main Street, which should also be a big hit. The Big Back-in Custom Lawnmower Races are back for the 13th year and all proceeds go to the parks and recreation department of the hosting city. Following the Priest River race is the Ponderay race on Aug. 15 at 11 a.m. and the Old Town race on Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. To participate, the contestant must sign up at least three hours prior.

Wrapping up the night is a street dance that will be fun for the whole family. The event is sponsored by the Asphalt Angels in front of Action Auto at 7 p.m.

Along with all of the festivities, there is a Bull of the Woods award plaque each year for someone who has dedicated time in the timber industry and also stands out as a role model in the community. This year’s plaque will be awarded to Mike Reynolds. Great job, Mike!

Priest River Timber Days is a free event and it takes place on High Street one block down from Highway 2. Everyone is encouraged to attend!

Priest River Chamber of

Commerce is hosting the logging competition and lawnmower race, so, if you are interested in participating in any of the events, be sure to signup by calling the Priest River Chamber of Commerce at 208-448-2721.

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Take a load off, drink a beer. It’s only a buck

Live Music w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bond 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

David Cohen Art Opening 3pm - 6pm @ Common Knowledge Jewelry, dreamcatchers and eye catchers

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip

5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Sandpoint Farmers Market

9am - 1pm @ Farmin Park

Live music by Ben & Cadie

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip 5:30pm - 7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz

6pm - 9pm @ Trinity at City Beach

Live Music w/ Nate Vernon and 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Vernon is a singer/songwriter based original songs. Fetzer is a musician sings with Wartime Blues and

Garden of Artistry Invitational Fine Art Show

1pm - 5pm @ Ponderay Garden Center

Free Art show featuring local artists

Northwest Yoga Feast @ Eureka Center (Garfield Bay)

Timber Days

All day @ Priest River

Crazy Days in Sandpoint

All day @ downtown Sandpoint

Great jazz on the deck at Trinity, with the setting sun and excellent food? Who could ask for more?

Garden of Artistry Invitational Fine Art Show

10am - 5pm @ Ponderay Garden Center

This free art show features regional and guest professional artists

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Sandpoint Chess Club

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am. All are welcome

Joni Harms Concert at the Ranch

7:30pm @ Western Pleasure Guest Ranch Wagon rides, dinner and music. 263-9066

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

Trivia Night

7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s

Finally, a place to showcase how much useless stuff you know. Finally, a purpose!

Live Music w/ David Walsh

5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live music on the patio with latin-inspired musician David Walsh

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Good until the keg’s dry

Yappy Hour

4pm - 7pm @ Trinity at City Beach

Bring your pooch and have some brews!

Benefits Pan. Animal Shelter

Sandpoint’s downtown streets are truly crazy, with extreme deals and savings offered by downtown merchants on seasonal gear and many unique, hard-to-find items. Local shops offer their best prices of the year during the open-air sidewalk sales event, showcasing Sandpoint’s hot retailers and restaurants.

Timber Days

All day @ Priest River

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs

9pm - 12am @ 219 Lounge

Patio music on a Sunday night

Garden of Artistry Invitational Fine Art 10am - 3pm @ Ponderay Garden Center

This free art show features regional and professional artists

Northwest Yoga Feast @ Eureka Center (Garfield Bay)

Food + yoga = awesome! Call the Eureka Center at 263-2217 for more information

Karaoke Night 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge

Sandpoint Farmers Market

3pm - 5:30pm @ Farmin Park

KPND Pint Night

Live music by Britt Arnesen Charley 7:30pm Come only,

5pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Beer, pups, good music, and local radio

Live Music w/ Mac Lloyd 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Deep voiced songster on the patio

July 23 - 30, 2015

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

Reader recommended

Vernon and Carly Fetzer of Wartime Blues d’Oreille Winery singer/songwriter based in Missoula, and has penned over 50 is a musician and artist from Salt Lake City. She Blues and is known to play the banjo on occasion

Fine Art Show Center artists

Live Music w/ Tennis

Sandpoint streets are deals and mermany Local of the sidewalk Sandrestaurants.

Cards Against Humanity

7pm - 9pm @ Neighborhood Pub

The infamous game is back! Come on down for some wings, beer and burgers, and make your neighbors blush. Not for the faint of heart

7pm - 10pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

The return of Sandpoint’s favorite dance band! If you haven’t caught Tennis live, do yourself a favor... go down and see them. $5 cover. Worth every penny

Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA

9pm - 12am @ 219 Lounge

Come on down to the patio to drink and be merry with Harold’s IGA

Sam Owen Fire Department Pancake Feed

8am - 11am @ Sam Owen Fire Department (Hope)

Join the firefighters for a tasty pancake breakfast, including pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, juice, coffee and tea. Cost for the pancake feed is $5 adults, $2.50 kids under 12

Live Music w/ Brandon Waterson

12pm - 3pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Concert on the lawn at MickDuff’s

Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA

6:30pm - 9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Indie rock originals and fun covers on the lawn

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch

6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Fine Art Show Center regional and guest

Summer Sounds (special Crazy Days edition)

10am @ Park Place Stage (1st & Cedar)

Backstreet Dixie at 10am, Carl Rey and the Blues Gators at noon, and Hoodoo Two at 4pm

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 7pm - 10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch

6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes

7pm @ La Rosa Club

Nell Shipman Film Event

5:30pm @ Beardmore Block (Pr. River)

Wine reception and screening of documentary “The Girl From God’s Country”

DJ Music at the Niner 9pm - 12am @ 219 Lounge

Shake your groove thing on the patio

Northwest Yoga Feast @ Eureka Center (Garfield Bay)

Food + yoga = awesome! Call the Eureka Center at 263-2217 for more information

Used Book Sale

10am - 2pm @ Bonner Mall

Held every last Saturday of the month. Find good books at cheap prices, and public invited to sell books also

Live Music w/ Electric Cole Show

5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Guitar melodies and solos blended with a new age touch. A nice mix of genres

UPCOMING EVENTS

Eureka information

Lounge

Aug. 1 - Long Bridge Swim

Aug. 2 - Huckleberry Festival at Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Aug. 6 - Festival at Sandpoint opening act - Arlo Guthrie

Bingo Night

6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Charley Packard & Friends

7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Come on down and see the one, the only, Charley Packard. He’s back, baby!

Poetry Open Mic Night

6pm - 8pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee

Come share, come be inspired. No cover charge, no sign-up sheets, no judgment, no censorship!

Reggae Wednesdays on the Patio 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Reggae music by Josh Adams on the 219 patio. Come on down and feel good!

Cards Against Humanity

7pm - 9pm @ Neighborhood Pub

The infamous game is back! Come on down for some wings, beer and burgers, and make your neighbors blush. Not for the faint of heart

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.

This is Calvin on his aunt and uncle’s farm with their baby cows. Milk: It does the body good!

Calvin Smith Sandpoint

Outdoor fun in North Idaho

Story and Photos by Ben Olson Reader Staff

From the mountains to the lake, there is a little something for every outdoor enthusiast in Sandpoint. Whether you’ve lived here all your life, or you’re just visiting, here are a handful of fun activities to check out during our awesome summer months.

Hiking

There are a bunch of great hikes around North Idaho. Too many to list in this paper. Keokee has published a book called “Trails of the Wild Selkirks” by Dennis Nicholls with Jim Mellen that serves as a great compendium of hiking trails in North Idaho.

Lately, I’ve been impressed with the amount of hikes that Boundary County has to offer. Pyramid / Ball Lake trail is a long drive up a not-so-great road, but it’s all worth it when you arrive with your hands stained with huckleberries and dip a toe in that cool mountain lake water.

Roman Nose Lakes are also a heavily traveled destination deserving of the high traffic they receive. Again, the road is long, but the hikes are easy and full of character and wildlife. For ridge line trails, it’s hard to beat Lunch Peak Trail in the Selkirks. The views of the Cabinets and the many mountain lakes, not to mention Pend Oreille, are astounding. You often feel as if you’re floating on top of the world while walking along these high ridge line runs.

Huckleberry picking

I would most likely get choked with several sets of purple hands if I gave out any secret huckleberry picking spots, so I’ll keep it general. Huckleberries usually grow in elevations above 4,000 feet, and many people have reported bushes have begun to show ripe berries. If you go wandering around on hiking trails at and

around these elevations, chances are you’ll stumble upon the berries. They are not only a tasty treat but a summer right of passage in North Idaho.

Because of the low snowfall this year, the berries are said to have retained less water, making them extra flavorful this year. Go out and find your spot!

Sailing

Sandpoint has a robust sailing community, thanks to a large lake and good winds. Have you ever wanted to go for a sail, but you’re not sure how to begin?

Bruce Robertson of the Sandpoint Sailing Association said there are a couple ways of getting out there.

“The simplest way is to show up on a Thursday night,” said Robertson. “We have beer can racing ... if someone wants to go sailing, they show up at the dock at 5:30 when we have a skipper’s meeting ... and we always ask if anyone is looking for crewmembers, or if anyone wants a ride, and we match people up.”

Another choice is to ride on a pontoon boat that serves as race committee to watch the sailboats in action, in case you’re nervous about the boats heeling over in the wind.

“If you join the Sandpoint Sailing Association,” said Robertson. “We have open sailing three times a week with our 14foot Holder sailboats.”

For an individual membership price of $35, SSA members can take out the Holder sailboats as much as they like on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for free.

Water sports

The options for water sports on Lake Pend Oreille are virtually endless. The Holland Brothers, Pat and Nate, own and operate Action Water Sports in Sandpoint. Both Pat and Nate are members of the U.S. Snowboarding Team. Nate is a seven-time X-Games gold medalist and three-time Olympian while Pat has a World Cup podium.

Located on the boardwalk behind Spuds, Action Water Sports provides just about any service you’d need on the lake. They offer wake surf, wake board and water ski lessons for those looking to get their feet wet. The Hollands also offer tubing and paddle board rentals, as well as lake tours and training classes that teach you how to pull a skier or boarder and dock with ease.

Day drives

There are so many great day drives you can take around North Idaho.

One option is to check out the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, located five miles from Bonners Ferry. Although the purpose of the refuge is to provide migration habitat for thousands of waterfowl, more than 300 vertebrates, including

nesting bald eagles, use the refuge for migration and breeding. It’s a bird watcher’s paradise, and also a pretty drive out in the country, with views of the Selkirk Mountains and the Kootenai River.

Swim holes

There are any number of great places to cool off in North Idaho. The obvious ones—City Beach at Sandpoint, and Third Avenue Pier—offer quick access to the goods. The Pack River “Jumping Bridge” on Colburn Culver Road is a great spot to catch some air when the river is high enough. Floating the Pack is a classic summertime tradition that usually involves an inner tube, a cooler full of beer and a sunburn at the end of the day. Also, Grouse Creek Falls have some great pools with mountain cool water next to the falls.

Canoeing and kayaking

The best part about paddling your own craft is you can go damn near anywhere you want

with it. I like putting in at Johnson Creek boat launch in Clark Fork and taking the river down to the delta, and then checking out the Monarch Mountain shoreline on the east end of the lake. Sand Creek is a quick, easy canoe trip, and you can usually foray pretty far up the creek before it gets too shallow.

Have fun out there, folks!

Schweitzer: a summer fun bonanza

Story & photos by Ben Olson Reader Staff

What is there to do on a ski hill in summer? Well, in a word: everything.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s summer activities are in full swing, and it’s always a great day on top of the mountain. From hiking to huckleberry picking, mountain biking to horseback riding, Schweitzer has got you covered for summer adventure.

Parents interested in a family friendly day on the mountain will find a host of activities in the village to keep their young ones engaged.

A zip line stretches from the top of Musical Chairs and launches you and a buddy 700 feet down the hill, aimed right at Lake Pend Oreille. The Monkey Motion Air Jumper lets you jump 25 feet in the air like your favorite superheroes. A sluice box allows your little ones to purchase a small bag of mining materials and pan for gems. A climbing wall is located smack dab in the middle of the village to test your prowess at rock climbing.

You can pay per activity, or, better yet, the Unlimited Fun Pass for $35 includes unlimited chairlift rides, unlimited air jump sessions, unlimited climbs, unlimited zip line rides and one sack of jewels for the sluice box.

On a budget? There are a host of activities that Schweitzer offers for free, including hiking on the cross country trail system, geocaching and disc golfing.

“We want to defeat this im-

age that it’s an expensive day on the mountain,” said Dig Chrismer, marketing manager for Schweitzer. “In terms of disc golf and geocaching, you’re welcome to come up to the mountain and do what you like and explore without breaking the bank.”

For many, the summer activities begin with a ride up the Great Escape Quad, which takes you 1,700 feet to the summit, where you can enjoy views of the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains, wildlife, and an amazing perspective of Lake Pend Oreille. The lift ticket will run $12, or is included in the Unlimited Fun Pass.

Once at the summit, the activities range from easy hikes along the cross country trail system through patches of huckleberries, to the most exciting aspect of Schweitzer’s summer program: mountain biking.

“If you show up without a bike, head on down to the rental shop,” said Chrismer. “They’ll find a bike that will fit their needs, whether a downhill specific bike or one for the cross country trails.”

With over 20 miles of cross country trails and six different downhill trails ranging from moderate to super-technical, Schweitzer is a mountain biker’s heaven. Though Chrismer recommends downhill trail users have some experience, as the trails can be technical in nature, it shouldn’t preclude anyone from trying it out.

“Head to the rental shop and touch base,” said Chrismer. “Our crew has been trying to update the trail status regular-

ly, to show what condition the trails are in.”

There is also a trail system that stretches from Schweitzer Village down to the Red Barn, where a shuttle is available to take bikers back up to the top for $5.

“The work on the lower trail system by Selkirk Recreation District has generated a lot of interest,” said Chrismer.

Not an adrenaline junkie? That’s OK, you can head out on a bevy of hiking trails, stopping to fill your huckleberry buckets along the way.

“Huckleberries came early this year,” said Chrismer. “There are a few certain spots that are ready to pick, but we’re expecting the next couple of weeks to be excellent.”

There is also a nine-hole disc golf course on the summit, which is free if you have your own discs. Rentals are available for $5 at the village.

Horseback riding is available through Mountain Horse Adventures, which you can book through the activity center. It is available for everyone ages eight and up.

“They have some established trails,” said Chrismer. “One of the most popular rides is out to Picnic Point.”

The events at Schweitzer are a good draw for summer crowds. The next big event will be the Huckleberry Festival on

August 2.

“We’ll have a huckleberry pancake breakfast, huckleberry vendors, and live music,” said Chrismer. “It’s very family oriented.”

Chrismer said another part of the Huckleberry Festival that will prove to be wild is the 2.5k and 5k Fun Run for all ages.

“We’ll throw purple-colored powder at you when you run through the trails,” she said. “It’s so much fun for the kids.”

On Labor Day Weekend, the 23rd Annual Fall Fest will see over 60 microbrews, live music and a lot of fun.

It’s not difficult to find an activity for any occasion at Schweitzer in summer. If you haven’t gone up and checked it out, pack the kids in the car and head on up. You won’t be disappointed.

“It’s really neat to see Schweitzer in summer,” said Chrismer. “It’s a totally different experience, to look at the runs and see where you ski. It’s beautiful ... a whole different side of the mountain.”

For more information about Schweitzer’s summer activities, visit www.schweitzer.com.

Local artists shine at Ponderay Garden of Artistry show

By Scout Anatricia Reader Intern

It’s not uncommon to hear Sandpoint described as an art town. Regional artist Gabe Gabel wants to reinforce that reputation through her work, and the Garden of Artistry Invitational Fine Art Show is a part of those efforts.

Gabel has been the director of the art show for the past four years. She not only directs and organizes with her daughter, T. Kurtz, as manager, but also contributes by holding a booth for her bronze sculptures.

The Pend Oreille Garden Center is hosting the show again this year. It serves as a wonderful venue with its beautiful setting and abundance of parking. Opening reception is on Friday, July 24, and the show continues through to July 26.

The fine art show is by invitation only. In order to have a booth at the Pend Oreille Garden Center, an artist must go through a screening committee. Gabel encourages new artists to enter—after all, it’s a great opportunity to showcase and sell pieces.

In past years, there have been up to 36 artists attending the show, and there are hopes to get those numbers up to the 40-to-50 range. As well as new and

upcoming artists, there are also national and even a few international artists who will be attending. Around 80 percent of the craftspersons are professional, according to Gabel, and she describes it as a “tremendous pool of artists.” Some have been with the show since the beginning, such as Bob Walton, Nancy Russell, Terry Lee and many more, while others will be new to the show this year. These include Steve Patton, Lora Metz, Sandra Hiller and many others. It is estimated that there will be 30 to 40 booths this year, so be sure to stop by and either check out one of your old favorites or find a new one!

Not only is there a wide variation of artists but also an incredible spectrum of art mediums and styles. From booths full of anime to impressionistic paintings to sculptures, the show offers customers a plethora of options and only three days to make a purchase. Attending and purchasing art from the art show not only benefits your home décor and the artist, but it also raises local and regional support for the arts. All along, that has been Gabel’s main goal.

As well as purchasing art, visitors can sign up for classes and workshops that many of the artists offer. The idea is to not only sell but also promote the cre-

ation of art and spread it throughout the community. Gabel said that “anything that helps bring the reputation of art back into this town is helpful and beneficial.”

This opportunity given to us by the Garden Center is a positive asset not only to the artists but to the area communities as well.

Pend Oreille Arts Council is hosting this year’s opening reception, and the public is encouraged to attend, no tickets necessary.

If you are interested in putting a new piece of art in your home and supporting area artists then be sure to stop by The Garden of Artistry Invitational Fine Art

Crazy Days are here again

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Ever since Merilyn Sabella can remember, the last Saturday of July has always been a little crazy.

She remembers walking the downtown as a child 60 years ago, marveling at the crowds hunting for hot deals from shopkeepers dressed up in colorful costumes. Back in the day, it seemed like the entire town got out for the occasion—so much so that even when stores opened up at 6 a.m., they were greeted by lines already trailing down the street.

“In the early days, it really was crazy—crazy with a capital ‘C’,” Sabella, the owner of local shop Eve’s Leaves, said.

These days, Crazy Days has calmed to some degree, but never underestimate the tenacity of a committed bargain hunter. Sure enough, there are bargains aplenty to be found during the Crazy Days blowout, but it’s also a distinctly local event. A far cry from the cynical corporate cashgrabs of something like Black Friday, Crazy Days is a retail sale that’s as much about bringing the community together as it is about dollars and cents.

“It’s always a fun time—we get to be outside all day,” said Deanna Harris, owner of Sharon’s Hallmark Shop. “We spend the day catching up with people we haven’t seen for a while.”

It doesn’t hurt that Crazy Days has been occurring for just about as long as anyone can remember. Sabella has many fond memories of walking the streets with her sister, admiring the colorful costumes and encountering the most unexpected of spectacles—for instance, someone roaming the streets at 6 a.m. on horseback. She’d come prepared with allowance in hand, ready to take home some kind of prize for her troubles.

“This has been going on for so long, people have come to just expect it by now,” said Harris.

From the beginning, Crazy Days was the brainchild of the local retailers, according to Sandpoint Business Improvement District Manager Kim Queen, who helps coordinate the event. It was a chance for all shop owners to pull out all the stops and coordinate something big. Just about everyone in the downtown scene got in on the action. The Panida Theater, for instance, uses the day to sell records, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio

books and equipment as a fundraiser.

“I’m excited for it,” said Queen. “It’s a great opportunity for people to get out there and maybe even get some back-toschool shopping done.”

Whatever calming Crazy Days has experienced today is perhaps a sign of the times. According to Sabella, downtown Sandpoint isn’t quite the retail hub it used to be. Shops and storefronts have given way along many blocks to restaurants, office space and the occasional empty building. Even so, the enthusiasm people have for the event is still alive and well.

“We see a lot of the same wonderful customers every year,” Sabella said. “People call in every year just to make sure it’s still going to happen.

For other Crazy Days fans, the event is almost reflexive. Longtime Sandpoint residents don’t need a reminder the last Saturday of July is all about the downtown shopping experience—the decades have ingrained it into their biological calendars. Considering that legacy, expect Sandpoint to get a little crazier every July for years to come.

“Personally, I hope it goes on for another 60 years,” Sabella said.

Show on Friday from 1-5 p.m., and then attend opening reception from 6-8 p.m. The following day, the show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For additional information, contact the show director, Gabe Gabel, at (208) 265-9613 or the show manager, T. Kurtz, at (208) 255- 8813.

The Sandpoint Eater A musical feast: the food of the Festival at Sandpoint

culinary showstopper of your own.

What makes our Festival so special?

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist

I can’t wait for the opening performance of the Festival with Arlo Guthrie, and hopefully we’ll hear his famous anthem, “You can get anything you want from Alice’s Restaurant.” Most likely, you can get anything you want from one of the restaurants or food vendors set up on Festival Street.

I’ve heard great things about Wilco, and who doesn’t love Ziggy Marley? Great things are being said too, about Lake Street Dive. Rolling Stone called them “unexpected showstoppers.” Pair that performance with a cumin lime steak from Chameleon Cuisine and a glass of Woodward Canyon Cabernet for a tasty

From the first performance and the Brewfest (selections from thirty northwest microbrews) to last sparkle of fireworks with the Grand Finale featuring the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, it’s special. This is where we come to fill ourselves with music and food and summer love.

Just as the music appeals to different crowds, so too does the food. Shep Snow, director of the Independence Race Team, says while his menu of nachos, burgers, and Polish and hot dogs appeals to all audience spectrums, they do especially well on country western and dance nights (a burger, beer and Vince Gill sounds like a pretty good match to me). Shep’s been doing this a long time (though they were rotated out a couple of years ago). Once he gets his crew lined up for the season, Shep reports the rest is oodles of fun.

There seems to be a lot of genuine camaraderie between the vendors, and while it’s a hectic hustle for them, they say they look forward to seeing their fellow festival vendors and customers from past years. Festival Street opens an hour before the first act, and closes when the headliners begin. Then the vendors earn a bit of down time, cleaning up, closing shop, and sharing one another’s food while listening to some great music.

To learn more about this year’s Festival, I contacted the dynamic Dyno Wahl, Executive Director of the Festival at Sandpoint, and was delighted she carved some time out of her insane schedule to meet me and offer some insight about all things festival. Besides boundless energy and enthusiasm, I’m certain she has strands of festival entwined in her DNA. She’s been doing this a long time, and it’s apparent. Not only do I learn of the impressive musical line-up, Wahl rattles off vendor menus, statistics, and long lists of generous patrons and loyal volunteers. When I sing her praises about this well-oiled machine, Wahl is quick to pay the accolades forward to her devoted staff and tireless board of directors.

“It’s more than the music,” she explains. “It’s an incredible event that nourishes the stomach as well as the soul.” It’s true: Festival Street offers cuisine that’s as eclectic and diverse as the music, and you’ll find the perfect nourishment for noshing.

You’ll see lots of your favorite food vendors and some new ones as well. The Festival has worked hard to develop an equitable system with the food vendors, which is a mix between non-profit and for-profit. Vendors are chosen through a careful selection process, and you may not see your favorite this year because they are rotated every so often to give others a chance to participate. Those selected must meet strict health codes, cook in an approved kitchen and possess a food handler’s certificate. All service ware is recycled and must be compostable, a project overseen by Terra Cressey (the compost comes full circle and lands right back near the Festival’s office, in the community garden). There’s no room to expand, so the number of vendors on Festival Street is capped at thirteen and they pay a flat for-profit or non-profit rate for their space. Newcomers are guided through the hoops by veritable veterans Gary Peitz of Dish and Festival board member Dave Vermeer who also operates North Idaho Fish n’ Chips.

Lisa Hooper, owner of Chameleon Cuisine, loves the electricity and excitement of the event as well as getting to please the patrons and their palettes. Last year she pleased more than the patrons—performers Nickel Creek asked for her food after their concert. “It was an honor,” shared Lisa.

Besides food, many great wines await you, especially during the Taste of the Stars wine tasting at the Grand Finale. At the bar, the wines carefully selected for purchase come from local Pend d’Oreille Winery, as well as varieties from Elk Cove, Woodward Canyon and Punto Final Wineries. And there’s a great beer line-up as well: Blue Moon, Alaskan Amber, Deschutes Mirror Pond and Miller Lite.

The Family Concert is all about packing up the kids and leaving the coolers behind. It’s an alcohol-free event where kids rule—and drool over the kid-friendly, fun fare, like the Kid’s Bar, where their contemporaries will be serving up popcorn, Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers. In addition, with the little adorables in mind, most of the food vendors will change up their menus, so be on the lookout for some kid-pleasing nibbles.

Since the Festival entrance rules changed last year, with a no-runningto-save-a-spot-in-the-grass policy, the pace to simultaneously fling your body and spread your quilt is no longer ac-

complished at a dead run. After getting spun in the crowd and the wind nearly knocked out of me in a prior rush of Pink Martini madness, I’m all for the slower pace. No longer will my neighbors wonder what that lady on the corner is up to now, and I won’t miss our family rehearsals on our lawn. Because no matter the technique, speed always wins over style. If you don’t have your tickets, hurry up and get them, and don’t forget to download the Festival’s brand new mobile app. Now, walk, don’t run to the Festival and set your sights on a seat and a great eat. I’ll see you there.

Vendors you’ll find on Festival Street:

Bulldog Band Booster – pizza and salads

Chameleon Cuisine by Liaison Catering— Chile lime edamame, cumin lime steak, herb salmon

DISH @ Dover Bay – poached prawns, strawberry Champagne salad, buff meatloaf

Eichardt’s – pulled pork sandwiches, pork or veggie tostada, peanut butter cups

Independence Ski Team – nachos, burgers, veggie burgers, Polish dog, hot dog

Ivano’s – chicken or prawn Caesar salad, grilled shrimp cocktails

Joe’s Philly Cheesesteak – Philly cheesesteak, chicken sandwich, salad

Little Olive – gyros, chicken/veggie kabobs, hummus appetizer, Greek salad, Spanakopita

May’s Catering – red curry chicken and rice, tofu, cashew chicken, pad Thai, chow mein, basil beef

North Idaho Fish n’ Chips – fish, prawns, chicken and chips, corn dog and chips, fries

Schweitzer – smoked pork or blackened fish tacos with chips and salsa

Evans Brothers – coffee

Panida Theater – ice cream

MUSIC

The glorious return of Tennis

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Picture this: A dance floor is packed to the gills with young and old, clutching drinks, shouting out the words to their favorite songs. A drummer bangs on his skins like his life depends on it. A bass player dances and thumbs his notes along with the keyboardist screaming and playing spread eagle chords all up and down the keys.

This, my friends, is Tennis.

Years and years ago, while I was still just a lowly Reader contributor and managed the Downtown Crossing Bar (when it was still upstairs), Tennis was our “house band” that played a couple times a month and drew an amazing crowd every show.

Led by Brian Hibbard— whose family started the Downtown Crossing—Craig Baldwin and Jeremy Kleinsmith, the trio’s heyday lasted for the better part of a half decade.

Then front man Hibbard moved to Boston five years ago for his job, as well as to seek out the best health care for his 7-year-old son who has cystic fibrosis. When Hibbard left Sandpoint, the group didn’t exactly disband, but they were only able to take the occasional wedding gig.

It’s been a year since the trio has played together, but Hibbard is returning to Sandpoint this weekend to revive the mag-

ic, thanks to a wedding and a show at MickDuff’s Beer Hall.

“We had an extra day after the wedding party gig,” said Hibbard. “So Craig set up the show at MickDuff’s.”

Hibbard ruminated on the glory days of Tennis, when Sandpoint couldn’t get enough of the band and the Downtown Crossing was still around.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “Nice to be noticed and attended. It was three or four years of work to build the crowd up, build up the venue, finally get a band that was awesome, that was proficient, could do and play anything. It took a lot of work at that point and we enjoyed it for a few years.”

Testament to the band’s prowess is the fact that they haven’t played together for almost a year and Hibbard doesn’t seem to be too concerned.

“We don’t have a lot of time to practice,” he said. “We’ll just hope we know each other’s moves so well.”

Tennis has been known to do a little bit of everything. Whether covering the songs that nobody covers or playing originals with a fun twist, the trio strives to put 110 percent into every show, which is why their fans still remember the band after so long with no shows.

“We don’t play super heavy

metal,” suggested Hibbard, when asked if there was anything they don’t play. “We do lots of rock songs and indie songs. Sixties, seventies, eighties, but we’re not a greatest hits station.”

For this time around, Tennis will focus on playing a few more of their originals, which Hibbard has written over the past decade.

While Hibbard mostly holds down the trio with a keyboard, he’s been known to strap on a keytar and dance around the stage like a madman. Baldwin’s bass sensibilities and harmo-

Wilco releases surprise album

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Looking forward to seeing Wilco at the Festival at Sandpoint? Then you may want to listen up on some of their latest material. It just so happens that, to the surprise of everyone, there’s a whole album’s worth of it.

Last week, the popular indie rock band dropped a surprise album without any advance notice. It’s called “Star Wars,” it has a cat on the cover and you can grab it online for free. Just go to www.wilcoworld.net and enter a val-

id email address, then follow the link to download the album.

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

Woody Guthrie’s “Bound For Glory” is a novel/memoir that gives tremendous insight into both the man’s music and the world in which he came to fame.

It reads like a travel diary through the American landscape, but also gives great background information and scenes from his early wandering days.

For me, “Bound For Glory” is every bit as engaging as “On the Road.” Check out the film, too, starring David Carradine.

LISTEN

nies are usually spot on, as is Kleinsmith’s energetic full kit. Together, the trio tackles everything from the Who to Stevie Wonder, Franz Ferdinad to obscure, difficult arrangements that leave audiences in wonder and awe.

For their reunion show, Tennis will be appearing Friday, July 24 at the courtyard at MickDuff’s Beer Hall from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be a $5 cover charge, but don’t worry about that—the show is well worth the money.

Long live Tennis!

Tennis is returning to Sandpoint! If you’ve never seen Tennis play live, consider your life unlived. This local band was the hottest dance / party band in Sandpoint several years ago, drawing huge crowds at the Downtown Crossing for every show.

They are known for their fun riffs, their picture perfect versions of danceable covers, and their endless energy.

Tennis will be playing at MickDuff’s Beer Hall on Friday, July 24 from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Don’t miss the show! I’ll be there.

WATCH

When I was a kid, my sisters and I used to watch “Overboard” starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn all the time.

After watching it again recently, I felt the pangs of nostalgia of the world in the 80s, before everything got so damn complicated.

Set in a po-dunk town in Oregon, “Overboard” is a classic ‘80s premise: rich woman gets amnesia after slighting a poor carpenter, he finds her in a mental institution and makes her believe he’s her husband to earn back the money she owes him, rich woman gets her memo-ry back, shuns poor man, then they fall in love. did I give away the ending? Watch it when you’re feeling the ‘80s pull of nostalgia.

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.

The Tanner House on the corner of North Fourth Avenue and Poplar Street. It was later owned by the Nesbitt family.

The same view today. The Tanner-Nesbitt house has been restored and was recognized this spring with an “Orchid” award for historical preservation by the “Orchids and Onions” awards.

Corrections: In last week’s Reader, we attributed the byline on the “Red Hot Patriot” review to our intern Scout, when it was in fact Kate McAlister who wrote the story. I regret the mistake, especially since it gives Kate the ammunition to retaliate. What she lacks in height, she makes up for in sheer tenacity. Look out!

CROSSWORD

1. Lariat

Russian emperor

Anagram of “Tine”

Adage

Emanation

Biblical garden

Lack of ease 19. A magician’s tool

What’s left behind

It is (poetic)

Sneaker or pump

Light-haired

Anagram of “Star”

Rampaging

One more than fifteen

Make inconspicuous

Senility

Ail

Goddess of divine retribution

Acid neutralizer

A musical pause

Loose-fitting

Two-footed

Anagram of “Dome”

A type of large sandwich

Not on target

53 in Roman numerals

Nutritious

1/100th of a dollar

Stow, as cargo

Sieve

Leaves out

Letter after sigma

Creative persons

An open letter

Potato state

Mortise and _____ joint

Chief Executive Officer

Bosomy

District

Jazz phrase

Wealthy man (British slang)

A cylinder in a cave

Go on horseback

In a cold manner

Between the head and shoulders

Leisure

Auspices

Where a bird lives

Arranged in table form

Bite

on page

Sexual desire

Burp

French farewell

Coming and _____

An uncle

Means

Found on most beaches

Cease

Rational

Sea eagle

Not the original color

Chart

When I think of all the arguments Marta and I have had, I realize how silly most of them were. And it makes me wonder why she wanted to argue over such stupid things. I think I’ll go ask her.