Reader_October19-2017

compiled by Susan Drinkard

(wo)MAN on the street

Will you get the flu shot? Why or why not?

“No, I don’t feel like it has helped me in the past.”

Alex Corey Stay-at-home mom Sandpoint

“No, I don’t like needles.”

Scott Milbrath Millworker Kootenai

“Yes, I did — at Safeway Pharmacy — because I have multiple health problems, and I don’t want to get sick. The years I haven’t gotten a flu shot, I got the flu.”

Krista Aman-Widgren Photographer Sagle

DEAR READERS,

I can’t believe I’m saying this already, but it’s election season again.

As part of our election coverage, we like to team up with SandpointOnline and publish a questionnaire sent to all candidates to outline their positions on the most issues that Sandpoint faces. This week’s issue contains four pages of responses from five out of the six Sandpoint City Council candidates. Please read their positions and mark two dates on your calendar: Monday, Oct. 30 is a Candidates’ Forum sponsored by SandpointOnline, KRFY 88.5 FM and the Sandpoint Reader at the Sandpoint Community Hall. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to submit questions to each candidate.

The second important date is Nov. 7 — Election Day. As always, we wish everyone would take the time to cast their ballots. If nothing else, you get to wear a fancy sticker that reads, “I Voted.” You also earn the right to bitch and moan to your friends. Double-plus good.

-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) John Reuter (emeritus)

Advertising: Jodi Taylor Jodi@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Artists:

William Greenway / HoverSight Photography (cover), Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Leslie Kiebert, Ellie Kiebert, Kody Van Dyk.

Contributing Writers:

Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Mayor Shelby Rognstad, Brenden Bobby, Drake the Dog.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $95 per year

Web Content: Keokee

“Yes, in Coeur d’Alene at a pharmacy. I haven’t had much sickness since I started having the shot every year.”

Bill Wolfe Retired Coeur d’ Alene

“No, I don’t want all those chemicals in my body.”

Emily Kuzmich Food bank 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 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

Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

This week’s awesome cover photo was taken via aerial drone by William Greenway/Hoversight Photography. Thanks for the great photo, William!

COMMENTARY

My journey as a Vietnam War protester

By Nick Gier Reader Columnist

As I watched Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s “Vietnam War,” a flood of memories came over me. The emotional impact was even greater than my visit to the war museum in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010. I left the premises midway through the tour, because I was so devastated by the large pictures depicting what my country did to the Vietnamese people. Although I flinched and occasionally cried during the film, I stuck with each episode from beginning to end.

In the summer of 1964, I was working for the U.S. Forest Service on the Olympic Peninsula. As my crew got off work on Aug. 5, we turned on the radio. An announcer reported that President Lyndon Johnson had ordered the bombing of North Vietnam. We all cheered and shouted, as close as I can remember, “Get those dirty Commies”!

Thanks to the publication of “The Pentagon Papers,” we now know that the pretext for the bombing was a lie. Johnson claimed that the destroyer USS Maddox had been attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats, when in fact the Maddox was in an offensive, not defensive position. It was gathering intelligence for South Vietnamese raids on North Vietnamese islands. The CIA had also been

Letters to the Editor

Coal Train Derailment...

Dear Editor,

I concur wholeheartedly with Mr. Golding and Shannon Williamson, Waterkeeper director, that more derailments are imminent and compounded if a second bridge is constructed. The question, concern and overall disdain regarding coal trains is why did the most recent 30-car derailment get swept under the rug and — most importantly — why was it categorized as non-hazardous? Nothing could be further from the truth.

Coal is hazardous to health, whether it be to humans, fish or water quality. Follow my “train of thought:” we drink lake water, citizens; be aware and beware. What goes into the water (be it trash in storm drains, to sewage to coal and oil and hazardous chemicals) stays in the water!

Sandy Lange Sandpoint

organizing secret bombings on mainland North Vietnam.

I returned to Oregon State University that fall, and by the spring of 1965, in a dramatic about-face, I was being called a “commie lover.” Along with my adviser in religious studies, we founded the Student-Faculty Committee to End the War in Vietnam. We organized on-campus protests, and we also went out to picket at regional military facilities.

During that time, a State Department representative visited campus to defend the Johnson administration’s prosecution of the war. After his talk I stood up and protested the carpet bombing by B-52 Stratofortresses. I was near tears when I also pointed out the immorality of using napalm, which causes huge fire storms when dropped.

The Burns/Novick series gave us more details about the 9-year-old girl Kim Phuc, who was badly burned by napalm while fleeing Trang Bang. South Vietnamese photographer Nick Ut won a Pulitzer Prize for an iconic image that symbolized the atrocities of the Vietnam War.

Phuc is now a Canadian citizen and peace activist, and Burns/Novick’s unnarrated image of her holding her infant with her horribly scarred back turned to us is just as heart-wrenching as Ut’s prize-winning photo.

In May 1966, I received a letter from

County Natural Resources Plan Should Be Read Thoroughly...

Dear Editor,

The county commissioners are currently pondering a 94-page policy statement, dubbed the Natural Resource Plan, that calls for state and federal land management agencies to “coordinate” with the county in nearly all management matters — from forestry and grazing to wildlife and enforcement.

Among the dozens and dozens of statements, objectives and policies scattered throughout the document, a few jumped out at me; that no more than 25 percent of trails in Bonner County should be non-motorized, that there is no need for the creation of wilderness or other “restricted use” lands in the county, that privately held lands in the county should increase, and that endangered or threatened species listings should not interfere with any land uses.

The document also endorses turning federally held lands over to state ownership.

Rotary International informing me that I had been awarded its Fellowship for International Understanding. I was invited to give an acceptance speech at the Medford, Ore., Rotary Club, and, in one of the most impolitic and ungrateful moments of my life, I talked mostly about bringing the troops home from Vietnam.

I learned that some Medford Rotarians had called Rotary headquarters in Evanston, Ill., urging that my fellowship be revoked. Their request was considered, but authorities in Evanston decided that they had made a firm commitment, and that I should prepare for year in Denmark.

During 1966-67, I gave 21 speeches

While water quality, wildlife and forests are stated as valued and important in the document, they clearly take a backseat to private property rights. The underlying theme throughout appears to undermine state and federal actions that seek to protect natural resources for all citizens.

This plan begs for a broader public discussion than it’s had thus far. I encourage you to read the document online at http:// bonnercounty.us/bonner-county-natural-resources-committee/. The county commissioners scheduled a workshop with the Bonner County Natural Resource Committee at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 25, at the county administration building. A public hearing may soon follow at a later date.

Susan

Drumheller

Sandpoint

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor at letters@sandpointreader.com. Under 400 words, and please elevate the discussion.

in Danish Rotary clubs (20 in Danish), and not once, did I mention the Vietnam War. I did this voluntarily and not by Rotary’s dictate.

While in Copenhagen I went to the Royal Library frequently. Instead of concentrating on my work on the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, I spent a great deal of time reading everything I could find on the Vietnam War.

In 1967 I returned to the U.S. and started my studies at Claremont Graduate University. I followed the war, but my main focus was on my classes. That changed with the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970. Once again, I took the lead (I was President of the Graduate Student Council), and about 50 students joined me in a sit-in at campus administration offices.

When I came to Moscow in 1972, I was occupied with a new job, a new wife, a mortgage and soon a baby daughter. My last anti-war effort came in campaigning for Sen. George McGovern, a veteran bomber pilot, and one of the most honorable men to ever to run for the presidency.

A President McGovern would not have been able to do much to mitigate the disaster for the Vietnamese that years of lies had made inevitable, but he would have served a full term and would have facilitated a national healing far better than a corrupt and disgraced President Nixon.

Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Read the full version at www.NickGier.com/VietnamJourney.pdf. He can be reached at ngier006@gmail.com.

The war waging on Lower Pack River Road

About a week ago I was sitting comfortably surfing the net enjoying the fast wifi at my bearded companion’s house when I heard a gunshot.

I was confused because it was the first day of elk season. This would mean that one of them had actually shot an elk with horns, in close proximity to the house on the first day of elk season. Or maybe the gun had accidentally gone off, and now all the elk would totally know that it was hunting season. You know, just in case the elk weren’t aware of all the trucks parked along side the Pack River and all of the humans slithering around in their hunting gear with weapons. Also, this idiot shot something on the first day of elk season, which would contradict the very first rule of elk club.

This rule dictates that the entire month of October has to be spent doing elk-related things, because you have to stake out your spots and then set up an elaborate camp and stalk your prey for days, and you can’t work or be expected to attend to trivial things like the birth of a

child or your daughter’s wedding. It’s like Lent for Catholics, but instead of giving up booze or french fries for a month, you just give up all responsibilities until you shoot a hooved animal. Also, what kind of a hunting story would that be? You just shot it, and then drug it back into the yard. There was no chase, no harrowing tale of outsmarting the beast, your life was never in danger, you had cell service? That is basically hunting blasphemy.

I sent out a text: “Did someone shoot something?” There was no answer. The dog was running around frantically searching for a window or door that he could escape from. Odin (the dog’s name) believes that it is squirrel season. I don’t believe he knows or cares about any other hunting season at this point. In his mind squirrels are the most horrific animals on the planet. There is nothing more satisfying to him then retrieving one after it has been shot down by his master. Yes, I understand that squirrel hunting isn’t really a thing, and maybe you don’t understand it. Only those of you who have a pine squirrel infestation would understand what

it is like to hear their incessant chirping at 4 a.m. every morning and then experience the joy of them infiltrating and nesting in one of your sheds or garage. Or leaving the scent of squirrel piss and death in your insulation that has to be replaced before winter, should you want something like, oh, hot water.

Odin enjoys a squirrel hunt. I am not a gun owner or user, but those squirrels piss me off. Before you go judging, do you like rodents infesting your home?

I do not feel bad when a pine squirrel is shot down. A gunshot is a lot quicker than poison or a trap. Just saying.

In all fairness, this rodent issue has escalated into an allout war. The squirrels joined in, but truth be told, the mice started it. One evening, I was spending the night at Fort Lower Pack, and heard some disturbing scratching noises coming from a dresser drawer. I wasn’t sure what it was, the bearded one told me that mice were probably in the attic walls, and there wasn’t much he could do about it. Cue his snoring and blissful sleep.

Meanwhile, I feared for my life, my health and my sanity

for the next three hours until daylight. In the safety of daylight after some discussion, the dresser had to be checked. I opened the top drawer, and sure enough there were strange wrappers, mice shit and bits of tin foil and chocolate shredded in the drawer. I was like: “SEE! WHAT THE HELL. DID YOU HAVE PARTIALLY EATEN CHOCOLATE in this drawer?”

He looked alarmed. Finally, he would have to acknowledge the mice were actually in the bedroom, and it was all his fault for keeping his little chocolate stash and never even once sharing it with me. He was unnaturally pissed about the audacity of the mice, when… wait, shouldn’t I have been the one pissed? Denied my share of the chocolate and exhausted from the torment of the late-night mouse siege?

Finally he fessed up. Apparently the chocolate stash was some sort of hallucinogenic fungus covered in chocolate that he had been saving for months… for what? He didn’t have any answers. It was a gift, and seriously... what the hell? Now not only are we dealing with mice, but the mice are tripping

balls and probably drug addicts?

I took a few months off from staying there. When I closed my eyes at night I could only think of mice prowling around looking for their next fix.

After that, he’s been all mouse traps and shooting squirrels. Go figure.

Anywhoo, back to the gunshot and the elk.

I went outside. The pickup was gone, there were no fallen squirrels and the air was eerily silent. After the dog checked all the usual dead squirrel areas, we went back inside, wondering what the hell was going on. Ten minutes later the hunters came back into the driveway, elkless. The gunshot, was apparently a signal that it’s time to come in for the night. I should have known.

Seriously, this is what it is like to date a native.

And, as I closed my eyes to find sleep that night, I could hear the faint sound of Pink Floyd coming from a mousesized speaker.

Happy Hunting, Scarlette Quille

Bouquets:

• I decided to take a stroll down to Dog Beach on deadline morning with my beautiful girlfriend. On that chain link fence erected to separate the railroad tracks from the bike path (which I’ve always thought was ugly and needed some pizazz), someone apparently yarnbombed. Go down and check it out for yourselves — it’s pretty cool. Someone took the time to knit all these little scarves, then weaved them into the chain link to make the message: “Keep 7B Cozy!” I agree with those sentiments 100 percent.

Barbs:

• I used to always smile when I saw a good usage of the “add a word beneath a stop sign” joke. For example, you’d pull up to a stop sign and some wit had pasted a sticker underneath the word that said, “Hammertime,” or “Collaborate and Listen.” You get the idea. Lately, though, this joke has gotten tired. Someone put up dozens of them, and most aren’t that clever. First rule of comedy: don’t overuse a joke. Now it’s almost a cliché. Whoever keeps putting these stickers up, the joke gets less funny every time. Just stop, already (how’s that for wordplay?).

• We were contacted this week regarding a post someone put on Facebook warning people that “dihydrogen monoxide” had leaked into the county water supply and people were advised to boil water. They were curious whether it was a hoax or real. As you budding chemists may have already figured out, dihydrogen monoxide is... wait for it... water! It’s a fancy way of saying water. Just more internet trolls at work, I guess. For those of you who love to cry “fake news” at stories you don’t like, here’s an example of real fake news. After a bit of research, we found this dihydrogen monoxide hoax has made the rounds on the internet since the internet was a thing. I appreciate those who contact a news organization such as the Reader to verify these rumors before spreading them into the ether.

COMMUNITY MakerPoint Studios returns with a bang

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

When Matt Williams and Mike Peck announced they would be closing the popular MakerPoint Studios last month, the maker

community reacted with sadness. The do-it-yourself design studio had built a community of makers, tinkerers and crafters around it –many of which had a hard time accepting the shop’s fate.

So, they did what makers are known to do: Make stuff happen.

“This place has had such a huge impact on the community,” said Alexandra Iosub, who has been a member at MakerPoint for a couple years. “It’s just too loved to fail.”

Iosub’s story with MakerPoint illustrates how the studio has formed a community out of raw space. When she first moved to Sandpoint a couple years ago, she built a tiny house not far from the studio.

“MakerPoint was one of the first places I visited in Sandpoint that made me feel welcome,” she said. “The guys were so friendly.”

Iosub made her countertops at MakerPoint, then used the CNC router to cut out her front door. She learned woodworking from Mike and Matt and crafted her own storage boxes.

“Mike and Matt taught me a lot, and now they’re family,” she said.

Iosub and a group of makers recently held a meeting with one goal: to save MakerPoint.

“Somehow, out of the ether, a plan showed up,” said Iosub. “We asked Mike and Matt if they would sell the business to us, we settled on a number and it happened. We just signed the papers today.”

“This is a celebration of what Matt and Mike built over the last couple of years,” said Will Crook, who has been tapped to handle financial matters for MakerPoint.

“I’m super proud that it’s going to continue,” said Mike Peck, who recently began working for Sandpoint company Kochava. “This is the best way it could’ve

transitioned — with a group of members who want to keep it alive.”

The next iteration of MakerPoint will be organized as a not-for-profit, modeled around the idea of a co-op. A proactive group of supporters have stepped in to ensure it continues to serve the community. Iosub will handle education, outreach and marketing. Henry Edwards will be in charge of running the shop day to day. Crook will handle financial matters, while Jon Dodge will act as team leader. Tony Russo will deal with everything legal. Last but not least, Staci Schubert was a moving force to pull the group together to make a team.

MakerPoint will host an open house on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. for those who would like to check out the shop at 1424 North Boyer Ave. (near PSNI and The Cottage Thrift Store). There will be live music, food, a raffle for memberships and classes offered.

When going down the list of features MakerPoint offers, it might be easier listing what the studio can’t do.

At the center of the studio is the CNC router and plasma cutter, which is a computer controlled cutting machine that produces high-quality work. Simply set the parameters of your design and the CNC router will do all the hard work, producing factory-quality work without the factory.

The studio also features two laser cutter/engravers, a fully equipped digital computer room, 3D printers, a textile area including industrial sewing machines, embroidery machines and silkscreen room to produce T-shirts. There are also wood and metal

shops fully equipped with professional tools and an electronics desk. The use of all tools and hardware can be taught by the diligent MakerPoint staff.

The group plans to keep most aspects of the studio the same. Full access memberships go for $149 per month, while plans offering lesser access are available for closer to $80 per month. Veterans get an automatic 50 percent off the full access plan. There is also a punch card available, with each punch equaling one certification or day entry.

While MakerPoint is a great studio for hobbyists, it’s also a source of income for many.

When Staci Schubert started going to MakerPoint, she had no idea that she would eventually develop a product line to sell. Schubert recently opened a storefront in Sandpoint called SXS Leather, 301 Cedar St. #105, where she produces and sells her own line of leather jewelry, bags and accessories.

“It was at that point in my life that, personally, (MakerPoint) was my church,” said Schubert. “It was a place where I would go, an outlet for me in a positive way. It can be that for some people to go and forget about whatever else is going on in your life. It just so

happened that I created a product line out of it.”

Schubert made 100 percent of her product line at MakerPoint, but has now outgrown the shop and purchased her own laser.

“That’s what a makerspace is all about,” she said. “You develop your niche, experiment, learn, then you go off on your own.”

As far as outreach goes, MakerPoint plans to continue offering classes to anyone interested in learning the art of do-it-yourself. The studio has collaborations with Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, the Sandpoint Library and is working on a cooperation with North Idaho College. Iosub wants to begin a “tinkering school” for schoolchildren, which is like a kids’ camp where they play and build with hand tools. At the core of it all is the idea to promote the philosophy of the makerspace.

“I’m a maker and want to be a maker,” said Iosub. “I don’t want to just be a consumer. This shop brings people together who have skills and creativity to keep doing what they are doing. They have a chance to solve problems that plague us. Our culture encourages actions that are not sustainable anymore — consuming and consuming. Makers are the future, I think.”

An open invitation to the public Part 3

By Mayor Shelby Rognstad Reader Contributor

This article is the third of a four-part series describing my goals and priorities as mayor of Sandpoint. Those are: 1) Engage the public to address community concerns 2) Improve the local economy 3) Sustain quality of life for Sandpoint residents 4) Keep Sandpoint affordable.

Priority #3: Sustain Quality of life

Normally when I speak of quality of life, I discuss the importance of improving access to resources and affordability, preserving and protecting water and air quality, maintaining Sandpoint’s worldclass park system and supporting our abundance of recreational opportunities. Investing in these assets not only makes life better for those of us lucky enough to call Sandpoint home, but it attracts tourism, jobs and creates an exciting, prosperous future for Sandpoint from which we all benefit.

Currently, the city is undergoing a comprehensive plan revision along North Boyer Avenue. This sub-area review brings under consideration future use of the University of Idaho Boyer property and the areas surrounding it. This comprehensive plan review will culminate in a development request for proposal in the spring of 2018. This planning effort represents an extraordinary opportunity for us to address a number of my goals relating to quality of life: increase access to affordable housing, increase access to open space and waterways, conservation of natural flora and fauna, preservation of water quality, buildable commercial and industrial lands that support job growth and access to recreational opportunities.

All these goals can be achieved through collaboration, careful planning and creative use of the Boyer property. You are invited to share your thoughts at the Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing on November 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

The city is also developing a conceptual design for the Farmin’s Landing property along Sand Creek between the Panida and Bridge Street. Our aim is to

restore the eroding stream bank, capture and filter downtown storm water, provide safe multimodal access from the bike path to the pedestrian bridge and improve public space and access along the waterfront, beautify this “front porch” of our downtown and improve auto access to parking facilities while maintaining public parking. Completion of the plan, and this project in particular, will improve the look and feel of downtown, transportation safety, water quality, access to waterfront and recreation and it will make downtown even more attractive to business and tourism.

Another quality of life asset that may often be taken for granted is safety. Over the last six months, a mass flyer and email campaign has challenged the identity of this community as a tolerant, welcoming community. Fake flyers perpetrated by a few rogue haters have threatened people of color, Jews, local journalists and human rights leaders.

The fake flyers challenge the very identity of our community as a safe place to live, raise a family, visit and recreate. Numerous fake flyers, falsely claiming to be from me, were mailed to businesses and homes in Sandpoint.

Let me state once again, and for the sake of clarity, that I have NOT sent any flyers to anyone. These fake flyers use inflammatory language intended to incite fear, anger and division in our community. Please report anyone you see distributing these fake flyers to the police immediately.

I am proud of our community. Sandpoint residents have responded to the fake flyers with resilience by coming together to denounce the hateful messaging. Together we reaffirm our values of inclusion and our commitment to public safety. Sustaining quality of life requires that everyone feel safe and included in their community and that we respect each other for our differences. I remain vigilant with you, my fellow citizens, to ensure that we settle for nothing less than quality of life for everyone.

This series is in preparation for a new “Lunch With The Mayor” informal meeting to be held on the last Thursday of the month beginning Oct. 26, from 12-1 p.m. at the Cedar Street Bistro in the Cedar Street Bridge.

Sandpoint hit with multiple burglaries Sunday night

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Three Sandpoint roommates experienced an unusual night on the town Sunday — one that resulted in arrests on multiple burglary charges.

Sandpoint police officers arrested David Anthony Dorland Jr., Christian Moes and Dylan Utt after receiving reports of burglaries at both Wrenco Arms and Subway. All three individuals are in their early- to mid-20s.

According to Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon, the arrest of Dorland in connection to the Wrenco Arms burglary produced information pointing toward Moes and Utt, who were allegedly out on a separate Subway robbery. “Unfortunately (in this case,) great mind think alike,” Coon said.

Coon said the Wrenco Arms burglary took place Sunday night, resulting in a single

handgun being stolen. To gain access, the burglar used some kind of hard object to break open the front door. Wrenco Arms owner Brandon Terry said the crime likely look place between 11 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. and resulted in between $1,500 to $2,000 in damages. Detectives retrieved security footage from the store, and Dorland was later arrested in connection to the robbery. Coon said police also recovered the stolen gun.

That same night, police responded to a security alarm at Subway and found evidence

of a burglary. It was only after police conducted interviews with Dorland, however, that Moes and Utt were identified as suspects.

According to Coon, there’s no clear reason yet why Dorland allegedly stole only a single gun. However, he said it’s not uncommon in law enforcement to see burglaries where financial gain isn’t the apparent motivation. For instance, police have investigated boat break-ins where the only thing stolen was beer.

“It’s not about the financial gain for them,” Coon said. “It’s about the thrill of doing it.”

Sheri ’s o ce cleared in corruption complaint

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office announced last week that the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office broke no laws in concealing murder investigation records from the public.

In a letter to Betsy Russell, president of the Idaho Press Club, Deputy Attorney General Paul Panther said that while Sheriff Daryl Wheeler ordered public records detailing the investigation to be removed from a website, he did not destroy

the original records, which would violate the law. The letter arrived in response to a public corruption complaint filed by the Idaho Press Club earlier this year.

The Bonner County Daily Bee broke the story of the removed records in April after finding the records intact in a cached version of the website. Wheeler has since demanded the removal of the reporter who broke the story and attacked him personally on the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Teacher acquitted in student abuse case

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

A jury acquitted former Lake Pend Oreille High School teacher Nichole Noel Thiel of sexual battery against a minor last week.

Prosecutors alleged that Thiel, 48, had sex with her 16-year-old student at her con-

‘Prospering Business’ conference to focus on workforce

By Reader Staff

In a time when many employers are facing a drought of qualified workers, how can local communities cultivate a well-educated — and welltrained — work force?

That’s one question the third annual “What’s Happening Up North Prospering Business Workshop” will examine during a day-long conference on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Sandpoint Technical Center, 130 McGhee Road. The conference runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes lunch. It is free but space is limited; registration is open now online at www.whatshappeningupnorth. org.

As in previous years, the workshop will feature a num-

ber of notable speakers drawn from business and government, plus panel discussions and open forums to engage attendees.

The annual economic summit is staged by the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with Headwaters Economics, Lake Ponderay School District, Panhandle Alliance for Education and Idaho Department of Labor.

This year’s conference is subtitled “Building a Smart Workforce.” Paul Kusche, BCEDC executive director, said the focus this year on workforce training grew out of a lively discussion about education at last year’s conference. As a result, he said, “we decided this year to focus on what’s happening around

our schools and in work force training needs.” Bringing their perspective on the subject will be featured speakers from two of the area’s star companies, Percussionaire CEO Mark Baillie and Diedrich Roasters President Michael Paquin.

Labor Economist Sam Wolkenhaurer from the Idaho Department of Labor is back again by popular demand to give a talk on the state of the economy in North Idaho. Kusche will also present the results of a recently completed survey of manufacturers in the county and their workforce training needs.

Keynote speaker at lunch will be state Sen. Shawn Keough, while the featured speaker to close the conference will be Tommy Ahlquist, MD;

he is CEO of the Gardner Company and candidate for Idaho governor.

Other speakers will include all three school superintendents from Bonner and Boundary counties, Shawn Woodward of the Lake Pend Oreille School District; Paul Anselmo of the West Bonner County School District; and Gary Plfueger of Boundary County School District.

Other presenters include Karl Dye of P-TECH; Alex Gray, Sandpoint CTE Coordinator; Rebecca Palmer, Independent Track Coordinator at Clark Fork High School; Ricia Lasso of Idaho Department of Labor; and Megan Lawson of Headwaters Economics.

To register, go to www. whatshappeningupnorth.org.

dominium in late 2015. Thiel’s defense, meanwhile, claimed the charges were fabricated by the former student to aid his mother in a lawsuit against Lake Pend Oreille School District.

While Thiel was found not guilty, her supporters say the charges have irreparably damaged her reputation and career.

County to host workshop for proposed Natural Resource Plan

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The Bonner County Commissioners and Natural Resource Committee have scheduled a workshop for the county’s proposed Natural Resource Plan. The workshop will take place 5:30 p.m., Oct. 25, in the Commissioners’ third-floor meeting room.

The plan addresses county resources from wildlife to water quality — anything pertaining to land use is encompassed in this currently 97-page document.

For easy access to the drafted Natural Resource Plan PDF online, visit sandpointreader. com/county-resource-plan.

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Council passes revisions to vacation rental policy Reclaim Idaho proposes Medicaid Expansion on 2018 ballot

The lengthy process of updating local vacation rental policies concluded Wednesday with the Sandpoint City Council passing a revised ordinance.

The new regulations bring Sandpoint into compliance with revised state law. They are also designed to allow for more efficient city enforcement, be more responsive to market demand and balance neighborhood integrity with

ownership rights and the Sandpoint Comprehensive Plan.

According to city statistics, there are 57 permitted vacation rentals in Sandpoint’s residential zones, half of which are located in Condo Del Sol, Westwood and Drift Wood Cottages. However, there are around 150 vacation rental listings with Sandpoint across all zones, many of which have not received a city permit.

City Council candidates set for KRFY interviews

By Reader Staff

All six Sandpoint City Council candidates will appear on the Morning Show at 88.5 KRFY.

The interviews will air on Wednesday, Oct. 18, with candidates Mose Dunkel, Robert Jediny and Shannon Williamson. Airing the following Wednesday, Oct. 25, will be interviews with candidates Joel Aispuro, John Bohnhof and John Darling. Airtime is 8 a.m. each Wednesday.

The interviews will also be available at www.krfy.org.

KRFY is also a sponsor for a candidates’ forum for the Sandpoint council, set for Monday, Oct. 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sandpoint Community Hall. The public is invited to attend and see, hear and pose questions to the candidates. The forum is co-sponsored by Sandpoint Online and Sandpoint Reader City elections are Tuesday, Nov. 7.

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Luke Mayville, co-founder of the grassroots political movement Reclaim Idaho, announced Tuesday that the group has officially filed a proposal to put Medicaid Expansion on Idaho’s November 2018 ballot.

“Winning will require a monumental effort by volunteers all across the state,” Mayville wrote in an email, noting that political initiatives in Idaho must gather signatures from six percent of all registered voters statewide and also from six percent of voters in 18 districts.

This comes after Reclaim Idaho’s Medicaid for Idaho Tour, when members of the group traveled the state this summer to encourage people to share their stories of healthcare troubles in hopes of bringing statewide awareness to the Medicaid gap.

Mayville compared Idaho’s Medic-

aid concerns to a “sleeping giant.”

“Its head is in the Panhandle. Its limbs stretch down to Salmon and Shelley, Blackfoot and Burley, McCall and Mountain Home. Its heart is everywhere. It has no political party, because it is bigger than the parties,” Mayville said. “A ballot initiative campaign would awaken it.”

Science: Mad about

forest products

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Editor’s note: In commemoration of Idaho Forest Products Week, Brenden Bobby has dedicated this week’s column to the many uses of forest products.

Our forests are pretty remarkable things. There isn’t a single planet elsewhere in our solar system that has lush, beautiful, green forests rolling like a prickly carpet over its mountains – trust me, we’ve looked!

Beauty isn’t the only export from Idaho’s forests. Idaho’s trees touch our lives, protect us from the elements, clean up after us, carry our goods and so much more.

Where to start?

Trees are inherently organic, built from the ground up by living cells that split and multiply. Wood is primarily cellulose and lignin, advanced structures of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that gives the tree structure, rigidity, and the ability to transport water throughout its structure. It’s also what keeps the tree from rapidly decaying, something invaluable for building a long-term structure.

Lumber is one of our most valuable and prolific resources. Lumber is cut straight from the tree, think a standard 2x4. There are also boards made of several bits and pieces called composite boards. There are several ways to make composite boards, but here are two cool ones:

We take sawdust, woodchips and other pieces from the mill we don’t use and mix them together with glue and plastic

bits, then squeeze it through a board-shaped opening like a giant candy bar.

The other method requires us to take similar pieces, mix them together, then smash them with extreme heat and pressure. Composite is great because it’s durable, and it uses all of the stuff that would just get thrown away or incinerated, anyway.

We can’t use all of the tree for building. The bark doesn’t serve a whole lot of purpose when building a house, because it’s brittle and not uniform. Rather than just throw it away, we’ll often break it into smaller pieces and use it for mulch in the garden or dump it en masse at playgrounds under places where kids are most likely to fall. (Swings, monkey bars, literally everywhere else in a playground). The chips are soft, aromatic and they’re organic, so they degrade naturally over time — no residual petroleum chemicals stinking up your park.

Even the needles, cones, stumps and other random bits can be useful. Using steam distillation, we can pull natural oil from the bits and pieces. Don’t think about changing your engine’s oil with this stuff. Pine oil is an aromatic lubricant, but it’s better suited for things like cleaning wood products or making your house smell nice.

Pine oil is a primary ingredient in Pine Sol, along with various forms of ethanol.

Much of the wood in our forests ends up being devoted to paper production. If you’ve ever wondered how a towering tree turns into a tiny piece of paper you can crumple up and

shoot baskets in the office with (Kobe!), you’re about to find out.

To make paper, we need the cellulose fibers, but we can’t have the lignin glue or it will gum everything up. To extract the cellulose, we turn the wood into a wet pulp. We can break this down mechanically (into wood chips and dust), or chemically, but the result is generally the same.

The pulp mixture is basically a ton of water with a little bit of cellulose. Papermakers will spray the pulp mixture into layered mesh sheets that will catch the cellulose fibers and filter out the water. They’ll collect enough to make giant sheets as wide as 30 feet, but can roll to be hundreds of feet long and weigh thousands of pounds. From there, papermakers can use more machines that will precisely cut and stack uniform sheets of paper, bundle them up and ship them off.

We also mix wood fibers with cotton fibers to make things like paper towels, towelettes and toilet paper. You know, for sensitive tasks.

Paper isn’t a single-use product. Paper can and should be recycled.

After you drop your paper into the green bin, it goes to a sorting facility where it’s sorted by types and grades so it can be used for cardboard, office paper, or newsprint. It’s washed to remove ink and debris, then deposited into a vat to create a slurry. After that, it’s just extruded back into giant sheets and the process starts all over again.

The Reader you’re holding in your hands right now has gone through that process at least once, maybe even more

times than that.

Recycling wood is a very different process, but very rewarding; and you can even do it at home!

In the age of social media, repurposing excess building supplies is as easy as twiddling your thumbs. There are several groups on Facebook and other websites that let you broadcast your spare supplies to people that could use it. One man’s junk, am I right?

Wood pallets are another big item that are easy to recycle. Some of our stores will cycle

them back into their distribution, but some need to just pay to have them hauled away. If you have a project that needs some wood in a hurry, it never hurts to call up some local stores and see if they’d be willing to part with their pallets for a few bucks. They get paid to not throw their junk away, and you get to make a sweet end table and feel good doing it!

Don’t forget to recycle this Reader when you’re done with it. You just might end up reading it again one day.

Random Corner

Don’t know much about trees?

We can help!

• A single 100-foot mature tree can absorb as much as 50 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year, which over its lifetime is approximately the same amount as would be produced by an average car being driven 25,787 miles.

• Earth has 60,065 known tree species.

• More than half of all tree species exist only in a single country. Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia have the highest number of single-country endemics (only existing in one country).

• Trees didn’t exist for the first 90 percent of Earth’s history. The Earth is 4.5 billion years old and vascular plants only developed 420 million years ago, but even for tens of millions of years after that, no plants grew more than about three feet off the ground.

• Before trees, Earth was home to fungi that grew 26 feet tall.

• Some trees emit chemicals that attract enemies of their enemies. Not only can they produce chemicals to combat leaf-eating insects, for instance, but some also send airborne chemical signals to each other, apparently warning nearby trees to prepare for an insect attack.

• Trees in a forest can “talk” and share nutrients through an underground internet built by soil fungi.

• A large oak tree can consume about 100 gallons of water per day, and a giant sequoia can drink up to 500 gallons daily.

• Adding one tree to an open pasture can increase its bird biodiversity from almost zero species to as high as 80.

• A large oak tree can drop 10,000 acorns in one year.

OUTDOORS

An ode to elk season

Nothing teaches you about patience and hard work like being raised an elk hunter

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer

There is a magnet on the fridge in my childhood home that reads: “We interrupt this marriage to bring you hunting season.”

Yes, it’s meant to be funny, but it also holds a lot of truth. Hunting season — specifically, elk season — in the Kiebert household means camouflage backpacks strewn across the living room, several men talking over breakfast in the living room at 5 a.m. and phone calls at all hours of the day from family and friends wondering, “Has anyone killed anything yet?”

This is not exactly the stuff of everyday life, but we all make the necessary adjustments. The magnet should really read, “We interrupt the lives of everyone present to bring you hunting season.” And from Oct. 10 to Oct. 24, life continues as such.

My sisters and I were all elbow-deep in freshly-ground elk burger from the time we could walk, and soon we were handed knives and taught the delicate process of cutting away tendons, gristle and anything else that shouldn’t be thrown in the grinder.

We’ve all gone through our various phases. After I earned my hunting license at nine years old, I tired of elk hunting pretty quickly. There was so much hiking, and it was so cold while sitting and waiting for my dad to push the elk my way. And it was scary. I sit here for two hours, and then suddenly a big elk comes crashing through the woods, and I’m supposed to shoot it right in the lungs? Talk about some high stakes.

My little sister, Leslie, was different. She seemed to live for the high stakes and killed elk consistently once she was

big enough to carry a rifle. The youngest of us, Ellie, just recently decided to invest in elk season, surprising us all by waking up before the sun to hunt on opening day. As of this season, we’ve all been out a few times, though none of us have had any luck in the tag-filling department.

Through all our phases, my dad never failed to make each day of elk season a teaching moment. Whether hunting, packing or butchering, he made sure we learned what it meant to carry on the tradition of hunting in Hope, Idaho, just like so many Kieberts have.

First, I learned to respect my weapon.

I carry my great-great-grandfather’s Remington 700 .308 rifle. It has my dad’s initials etched into the trigger guard — “T.K.” — and a leather cord holding the gunstrap in place. It’s an antique, really, but it shoots straight, and I never forget how lucky I am to pack it.

From the time we are toddlers, kids in my family learn that guns — even toys, or un-

loaded weapons — aren’t to be pointed at people. This lesson proved useful this season, when a family member’s gun misfired back at the truck while they were unloading it. Gun knowledge is invaluable, and being from a family of hunters made those lessons readily available to me.

Second, I learned to be patient.

“Just stop and watch” is one of my dad’s catch phrases during elk season. We take 10 steps up the logging road, then we stop and watch. You never know when a bedded cow elk will make their break, or an antler will materialize through the timber.

I am not a patient person. I am, sadly, a lover of instant gratification. Elk season is the one time a year when I take stock of my ability to be patient. But last weekend, after having hiked, stopped and watched for hours over the course of three days to see nothing but a few grouse, I can say my patience — at least as far as hunting goes — is well intact, and I

can’t wait to get back to it this weekend.

Third, I learned to appreciate hard work.

My legs, sides and arms will ache. I’ll be cold, tired and my butt will certainly be damp from sitting on the wet forest floor. Hunting is never easy, so long as you’re doing it my dad’s way: “On the elk’s terms.”

Up steep inclines, over blowdowns, through thick brush. Elk country.

The kill isn’t the end of that hard work, either. There’s the gutting, the pack-out and then the butchering. It isn’t until the meat is wrapped in paper, labeled and tucked into the chest freezer that the hard work is done — but nothing tastes better than an elk steak you’ve seen through from start to finish.

And finally, I learned the importance of story.

A hunting story coming from my dad’s mouth can last anywhere between three and 10 minutes. If the listener is paying attention, they won’t only learn who killed the elk, but also what game trails and old skid trails they took to get there, who helped move the elk that day, what the weather was like and how the land has changed since. They’ll hear about the rifle, the kill shot and who helped get the animal out of the woods that day. A single hunting story can be a history lesson about a mountain. As a journalist, my whole life is made of stories, and as an elk hunter, I can still say the same.

To all North Idaho elk hunters: Thank you for carrying on this important tradition. And no, I will not tell you where I harvested that bull.

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Girls Pint Out

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Alzheimer’s Support Group

1-2pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Good until the keg’s dry

Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No

Dudes! Join Vicki at the big table for an evening tasting and talking about Fresh Hop Beer!

Live Music w/ Mostly Harmless

6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar

A great atmosphere for wine and live music

Live Music w/ Duet Two It

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

James Labarbera and Drew Brown movin’ and groovin’ for a couple hours for musical madness

Live Music w/ Daniel Mills

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Rocktoberfest!

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Rock out with Owull and High Treason Ammunition at the Pub. Humans get in for free

Live Music w/ Truck Mills

5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Check out the Blues Man himself, Truck Mills

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs and Chris Lynch

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Fun guitar/piano duo with originals and covers

Andy Sydow in concert

7pm @ The Pearl Theater (Bonners Ferry) Americana artist from Denver, Colorado

Families, caregivers and friends those with Alzheimer’s, dementia and any related disorder are wel come. 208-290-1973

Live Music w/ Devon Wade

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Third Fridays with country singer Devon Wade

Live Music w/ Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja

9pm @ 219 Lounge

Missoula-based duo playing Americana, rock, and R&B in their own unique way, with songs about the human experience, social issues, and love lost. FREE, 21+

GRiZ in Concert

9pm @ The Hive

Sax man GRiZ is coming off a massive 2016 with no signs of slowing down. His latest release, “Good Will Prevail,” debuted at No. 1 on the electronic charts and just this year alone

Live Music w/ Donna Donna and Cattywomp

9pm @ 219 Lounge

A high-energy classic blues rock funk duo that will rock your world.

Live Music w/ The Cole Show

6pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

A high-energy classic blues rock funk duo that will rock your world.

A Musical Journey Featuring Pianist Peggy Reich

2pm @ The Heartwood Center

Peggy Reich is a concert pianist from New York. $15

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills

7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Night Out Karaoke

9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge

Join DJ Pat for a night of crooning your favorite tunes

3D Printing Workshop for Adults

5pm @ Sandpoint Library

Sandpoint Chess Club

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

KPND Monday Night Football

5:30pm @ 219 Lounge

It’s football season and time

This beginner class explores the potential of 3D printing and designing a 3D printable object. 208-263-6930

Live Music w/ Bob Evans and Rick Steines

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Listen to a couple of great musicians at the Pub

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Good until the keg’s dry

Bob Witte will have tons from area restaurants, concerts ball tickets, KPND new music gift certificates from area businesses

Paint & Pint with Infini Gallery

6pm @ Infini Gallery

A collaboration between Infini Gallery and MickDuff’s is Sugar Skull, painting in-step with the Day Cost is $35 and includes all the art supplies,

‘War of the Worlds’ Radio Stage Play

7:30pm @ Panida Theater

The Panida Playhouse Players take audiences back in time to the Orson Welles and Mercury Theater broadcast of H.G. Wells’ War Robert Moore. $10 adults, $8 seniors and students

ful

Group Senior Center and friends of Alzheimer’s, dementia disorder are wel-

Hall Devon Wade

Clark Fork Crafternoon

3pm @ Clark Fork Library

Enjoy free family fun with artistic crafts to take home. 208-266-1321

Free Movie: Monster House

7pm @ Panida Theater

October 19 - 26, 2017

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

BGH Community Hospice Adult Grief Support Group

6pm @ Bonner General Health Classroom

share stories and feelings, and support one another in an understanding and caring environment. 208-265-1185

Alzheimer’s Support Group

1-2pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center

Families, caregivers and friends of those with Alzheimer’s, dementia and any related disorder are welcome to attend this support group. Free respite care at the Day Break Center next door is available during the group session with advance reservations, 208-265-8127

Benefit for the children of Samantha Wolf

Americana, rock, way, with songs social issues, love

Kinderhaven proudly presents this Academy Award nominated family-friendly film with a costume parade across the stage prior to the lights going down. Free popcorn and goodie bags!

5pm @ Ponderay Events Center

Live music by the Baldy Mountain Boys, food by Ivano’s, hosted by Life Care Center and Valley Vista Care. $10 and Luna Roja

Ladies (Witches) Paint and Sip

1pm @ The Pottery Bug

massive 2016 latest reat No. 1 on alone Cattywomp

funk duo that

funk duo that

Featured painting is “Drink up Witches” so BYOB and a BF for a special price of $30 each for this fun event!

Cedar St. Bridge Public Market

10am-2pm @ Cedar St. Bridge

Come enjoy indoor shopping on the bridge spanning Sand Creek

Comedy with Friends

8pm @ The Panida Little Theater

Phillip Kopczynski blends storytelling, sketch comedy, and stand-up comedy. $12 admission

Club Brothers Coffee at 9am. All are welcome

Night Football Party

Delectable desserts, satisfying lunches and exceptional coffee.

Northside Elementary 65th Annual Harvest Dinner

4:30-6:30pm @ Northside Elementary School

Enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings and dessert, and listen to Country Plus while you visit with friends and neighbors. Cost is $8 adults, $5 kids 5 to 13, and free for under age 5. 208-290-2414

Fall Yoga Retreat sampler day retreat 10am-5pm @ Talus Rock Retreat

We have limited space available for this event, which includes a beautiful day at Talus Rock Retreat, two sessions of Yoga with instructor Sarah Rusnak, and a gourmet lunch, all for only $149 (overnight lodging not included). (208) 255.8458 to book your space

Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Lounge season and time to party! Hosted by have tons of prizes to give away restaurants, concerts tickets, WSU footKPND new music samplers, beer mugs, from area businesses and much more

MakerPoint Studios Open House

1pm @ MakerPoint Studios

Celebrate the grand reopening of MakerPoint Studios on 1424 North Boyer Ave. Live music, raffle prizes and good times. Come check out all the great things you can do at MakerPoint

Gallery and MickDuff’s Beer Hall. The theme with the Day of the Dead and Halloween. supplies, instruction and your first drink

time to the first true on-air thriller – the H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. Directed by

Nordic Hound Night

5-8pm @ The Hound in Town

The Sandpoint Nordic Club welcomes Grand Teton Brewery to support Cross Country skiing in our community. Raffle prizes include free pizza and Nordic Club membership. Proceeds help benefit adult and youth skiing programs.www.sandpointnordic.com.

Oct. 28

Boo Bash Costume Ball @ Sandpoint Community Hall Oct. 28

The 219 Anniversary Party @ 219 Lounge Oct. 30

Candidates’ Forum: Sandpoint City Council @ Sandpoint Community Hall

‘No child is an island’

Forrest Bird Charter School implements FACE program, connects families with resources

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer

When Forrest Bird Charter School foreign language teacher Eric Fulgenzi realized his students were struggling, he felt his teaching was doing them an injustice.

But after consulting with the charter administrator, Mary Jensen, they discovered that the high rates of poverty among students at FBCS were putting the students at a natural disadvantage. With some research, Fulgenzi found Family and Community Engagement — a nationwide initiative to connect students, teachers, parents and community resources.

“I attended and came back with lots of energy, but not a lot of time to start working on getting families involved in our school,” he said. “That’s when Lyndsay (Holland) stepped in and really took the program and began shaping it.”

Lyndsay Holland is a part-time math teacher at FBCS, and now the head of the FACE program.

“The focus this year is to create a welcoming environment in the school,” she said. “We’re trying to be cognizant that, for some people, school wasn’t a good experience.”

Holland said future steps in the FACE program include developing trust between parents and teachers, integrating community members into the school environment and creating easy access to community resources that parents may not have known were available before.

“You can’t raise your child in isolation,” Holland said. “If kids are seeing parents and teachers working together, it changes education.”

And it’s about more than just getting

parents to help out around the school, Holland said. She said it’s more about encompassing all of what a family needs.

“This is about more than volunteering. I want to create a relationship with parents that doesn’t have to just be them coming into the school to staple papers,” she said. “This is about creating one link at a time.”

Those links — between the families, teachers and community resources — are what Fulgenzi views as the building blocks of a successful FACE program.

“By getting families in our school, providing them with much-needed services and showing them that everyone at the school is an ally rather than an adversary, we can open doors and new thought patterns that may have never seemed possible,” Fulgenzi said. “After all, no child is an island.”

FBCS is hosting a Family Summit on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. While the event will include parent-teacher conferences for FBCS students, Holland said anyone interested can attend. There will be booths and presentations by community organizations tailored to family needs, including the East Bonner County Library District, North Idaho College, the Idaho Department of Labor, Sandpoint Youth Center, Lillybrooke Family Justice Center and more. Holland said there will be soup for all attendees.

“I want it to be a time of relationship building,” Holland said. “It’s about, ‘What organizations can help, and offer tips so families have ideas of what resources are available, or maybe spark something in the kids?’”

SANDPOINT CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES’ QUESTIONNAIRE

The City of Sandpoint will hold elections for three vacant council seats on Nov. 7, 2017. The seats of three council members — Shannon Williamson, Robert Camp and Stephen Snedden — will be filled by the three declared candidates who receive the most votes. The six declared candidates were sent a questionnaire with questions designed to outline their position on key issues for the town of Sandpoint. Here are their responses, listed in alphabetical order. This information was coordinated with SandpointOnline.com. Don’t forget, a Candidates’ Forum will take place Monday, Oct. 30 at Sandpoint Community Hall at 5:30 p.m.

Questions for the Candidates

To view candidates’ responses to the questions below, please refer to each candidate profile and match up the number of their answer to these questions.

1. Among the myriad issues facing the city at present, what do you consider the most important issues, and why?

2. The University of Idaho has announced that it intends to sell its undeveloped 77-acre property on North Boyer alongside Sand Creek. The city is currently conducting workshops and meetings to collect input on possible changes to the comprehensive plan to guide future development and use of the property. Do you have a position on the use of this property or the process the city has initiated?

3. The new grandstands at Memorial Field were completed this year, but with the dedicated five-year, 1-percent sales tax for their construction producing revenue for additional projects the city is now considering a replacement of the turf with either upgraded grass turf, artificial turf or a hybrid. What is your position on the turf question?

4. A follow-up on parks: If additional funds are available for park projects, do you have projects you would want to pursue? The city is exploring a new master plan for City Beach; do you have a position or ideas for potential changes, additions or development of City Beach?

5. Jobs and the local economy are always an election issue. How would describe the economy of Sandpoint today? What role do you see for the City Council/Mayor to play in creating a healthy local economy to foster growth of living-wage jobs in Sandpoint?

6. The city has moved toward construction of fiber optic or high-speed

internet in Sandpoint in order to attract and retain companies as well as benefit residential users. Do you feel this is an important project for the city to undertake; if so, do you feel the process to launch the service is satisfactory?

7. Related to the economy is the matter of affordable workforce housing. Do you feel affordable housing is an issue? If so, do you have plans to address it?

8. Sandpoint’s downtown has undergone a major realignment of traffic patterns to remove one-way streets and convert virtually all streets to two-way. A downtown redesign to widen sidewalks, add stormwater swales and other changes carries on next summer starting with Cedar Street. What is your position on these changes to downtown? Corollary question: As downtown parking is a perennial issue, how do you view changes instituted by the city in the past year concerning the management and enforcement of parking? Do you have other ideas concerning parking issues?

9. Increasing train traffic, specifically trains transporting coal and volatile oil, has become an issue locally and regionally with citizens who identify environmental and public safety threats. Do you feel this is an important issue for city officials; if so, what actions to you advocate?

10. Here’s a final three-part question:

a)How much time will you devote to your position?

b)How many City Council meetings have you attended in the past two years?

c)Why are you running for public office?

JOEL AISPURO

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

•Name: Joel Aispuro

•Age: 30

•Years of residence in Sandpoint and Bonner County: Over 20 years

•Marital status/family: Happily married with three beautiful daughters

•How can the public contact you?

Email: joel@joelforsandpoint.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoelForSandpoint

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

•Education: Sandpoint High School graduate.

•Recent or pertinent employment history: Joel’s Mexican Restaurant.

•Public offices held: None.

•Nonprofit groups, service or professional organizations to which you belong: This will be my eighth year coaching a nonprofit varsity basketball team. I also coach the Kick Start Soccer program for 2 to 4 year olds.

•Other experiences or skills that qualify you for office: I am friendly and available.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:

1. As a city, we should continue to focus on our roads, sewer system, water system and emergency services. We should be getting five stars in these areas.

2. The property is a beautify property, and I hope that whoever purchases the property keeps it beautiful.

3. As a former Sandpoint Bulldog athlete, I prefer natural grass.

4. The City Beach is a beautiful beach and great for families. At the very least, we should keep it clean and family friendly.

5. Town was very busy this summer, and we should seek to keep town busy all year round. The city should focus on the basics: making sure that the city has clean water, working sewers, nice streets. We should continue to cultivate a businessfriendly city.

6. I would like to see fiber optics in Sandpoint. I would like to see a private company come in and undertake this project. I would also like to see this private company pay back the city for the process they have already started.

7. I believe it is an issue, and I would certainly like to look into the issue more.

8. In regard to the two-way streets, I will wait at least a whole year before I come to a final judgment. I would also like to see if the new layout presents any challenges in the winter.

9. I would certainly like to look into this more. As a city we should always be aware of what’s being hauled through our city, whether by train or truck. Also, we should always have a plan in place for worst case scenarios.

10. a) Whatever it takes.

b) Quite a few.

c) Because it is time for me to serve.

< see ELECTION, page 17 >

JEFF BOHNHOF

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

•Name: Jeff Bohnhof

•Age: 56

•Years of residence in Sandpoint and Bonner County: My family and I moved to Bonner County from Minnesota in 1974. I’ve lived in Sandpoint for the last ten years.

•Marital status/family: Single

•How can the public contact you? I can be contacted on my Facebook page.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

•Education: I graduated from Newport High School in 1979.

•Recent or pertinent employment history: My employment history has been in the manufacturing industry at various companies, ranging from electronics and plastics to sheet metal fabrication. I have worked for locally-owned Encoder Products Company for the past seven years.

•Public offices held: I have never held a public office.

•Nonprofit groups, service or professional organizations to which you belong: I and a group of friends resurrected the current PFLAG Sandpoint, and I have been a member since 2015. I am also a member of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force.

•Other experiences or skills that qualify you for office: As president of PFLAG Sandpoint, I learned an invaluable skill: listening. Being president of a nonprofit-affiliated group required me to listen to members to determine people’s needs and wants and figure out a way to make that happen. I feel this is excellent training and preparation for being a member of our City Council.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:

1. Affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is an issue that definitely needs to be ad-

dressed. Many people who want to reside in the community are having a hard time finding affordable housing. I have friends and co-workers who commute to Sandpoint or Sagle from Priest River, Coeur d’Alene, Rathdrum and even Post Falls.

One option may be offering discounts for mother-in-law cottages (auxiliary dwelling units) or relaxing the zoning rules and compliance rules to allow additional units — these units are currently popular due to the tiny house craze. You can position them as great for elderly who may need home maintenance assistance and general help. This keeps them living in their homes longer. These units are also an option for adult kids coming home with student debt as a way to live with mom and dad, yet be on their own.

2. I would like to see the property developed with a mix of single and multifamily units, and yet keep as much of it available for a multipurpose rec center type of facility like the Kroc Center in Coeur d’ Alene. One suggestion I heard from a citizen was to develop a “destination community” complete with shops and restaurants and green spaces. A bike path was also suggested to connected with the Dover Bay Trail, which ends near Larch Street, and extend it through the property.

3. This is one issue that I will have to do more research on before I make a definitive answer. I need to look at a cost analysis, see what other options are available for using that tax money, and consider all the options, while weighing what city residents want. Regarding turf specifically, I was a band kid in school back in the day, so I can’t say what it was like to play on artificial turf versus natural turf. There are pros and cons to the maintenance and upkeep to both natural and artificial turf which will have to be weighed carefully before a final decision could be made.

4. As a dog owner, one project I would like to see is the addition of a dog park somewhere in Sandpoint. One thing that has been brought up to me is the need for additional parking at City Beach, although to do that some green space may have to be given up. City Beach is definitely a significant icon of Sandpoint and any development or additions would have to be studied carefully. I think one great addition to City Beach would be the carrousel that is being restored.

5. For the single mom — or just a single person — it can be difficult making ends meet. Does that mean Sandpoint’s economy is struggling? No, however, bringing more good sustainable jobs that pay a

living wage is something that we as a City Council should constantly be working on. Improving the economic base of our community should always be in the forefront. Whether that means helping with tax breaks, or finding other incentives to bring companies into the area, full-time, living-wage employment opportunities always need to be pursued.

6. The technology and information age is booming and growing; improved internet access will benefit everyone, from store and business owners to the students in school and the public itself. I haven’t really been watching how the process to launch this project has been going, but it is something that I will be researching further.

7. Yes, affordable housing is an issue. Being single myself, finding an affordable place to live was a challenge when I first arrived in Sandpoint. Some people I have talked to in the past have stated that they have had to look in the surrounding communities because they could not find affordable housing here in Sandpoint. As stated in my answer in question one, it is definitely something that needs to be addressed.

8. Creating a downtown core that is both pedestrian and car friendly will only add to the charm that is Sandpoint. Yes, it will be an ongoing, lengthy project, but one I believe will benefit everyone. As with the U of I property, community involvement is essential.

Parking has always been an issue that many people have an opinion about, and is an ongoing issue when there is limited space. One idea that I have always thought about is building a multi-story parking structure at the current city lot next to the U.S. Bank building.

9. Yes, it is definitely an important issue that city officials need to be aware of and deal with. Especially with the train track running along and over the lake and local streams. Does the railroad reroute their tracks to suit our needs? No, of course that is not going to happen. However, we do need to have an action plan in place in case of any kind of derailment accident. We as a city need to work with the railroad on an emergency plan in regard to potential evacuation and clean up.

10. a) Holding a city council position is an important endeavor. I will do whatever research and spend as much time as needed to become familiar with current and future city issues. I feel that as a council member it is important to be connected to the citizens of Sandpoint. My Facebook page will stay active. The public will be

able to contact me through city hall. I welcome the involvement of everyone.

b) Two or three dozen, becoming more involved in the recent months.

c) Sandpoint is an amazing, eclectic, vibrant community. A wonderful place to raise a family. I feel that as a community, we need to continue to work on creating a strong stable economic base on which to build our future by working toward a stable and sustainable economy and using tax breaks and other incentives to bring in good, viable, living-wage jobs as well as affordable housing for everyone.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

•Name: John E. Darling, Jr.

•Age: 43

•Years of residence in Sandpoint and Bonner County: 37 years.

•Marital status/family: Married with 3 children.

•How can the public contact you?

jdarling@ponderaydesigncenter.com

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

•Education: Sandpoint High School, US Navy

•Recent or pertinent employment history: Sandpoint Furniture Carpet One Floor and Home

•Public offices held: Ponderay City Council — 2 terms

•Nonprofit groups, service or professional organizations to which you belong: Panhandle Building Contractors Association, Friends of Pend d’ Oreille bay Trail, Youth Sports

•Other experiences or skills that qualify you for office: Business-minded, military attention to detail, patient, caring father and husband <

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:

1. Improved streets and infrastructure, high speed internet, affordable water.

2. I believe this would be a great site for a community involvement center, youth sports training facility or future site for additional schools.

3. Growing up and playing in this stadium, I believe this should stay a natural grass field.

4. Being born and raised in Sandpoint, the City Beach was my social lifeline as a youth; I would love to see dedicated funds to improve the features and uses for this park.

5. Sandpoint’s economy appears to be on the steady climb. I believe that the mayor and council can focus on improving Sandpoint’s tourism attractions which supports our local economy.

6. I believe this is the number-one thing that the city can focus on to attract new companies and rural commuters that bring in high paid incomes to our economy.

7. I believe that affordable housing is important. I do support LOCAL affordable building developments and apartment projects.

8. I believe the realignment of the downtown traffic patterns was great. I have noticed increased available parking and better flow patterns through the down town corridor.

9. I am an advocate to hold the railroads accountable for their impacts on small communities.

10. a) As much time as needed.

b) One c) I am running for office to give our community a clear option for an unbiased, consistent, good-listening, and compassionate, progressive, honorable candidate.

MOSE DUNKEL

Mose Dunkel did not respond to questionnaire in time to make the print deadline. You may, however, view Mr. Dunkel’s answers online at SandpointOnline’s Election Central page when they have been sent.

ROB JEDINY

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

•Name: Rob Jediny

•Age: 48

•Years of residence in Sandpoint and Bonner County: two years

•Marital status/family: Single

•How can the public contact you? (208) 290-7639

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

•Education: BS Communication Arizona State University

•Recent or pertinent employment history: Federal employee 24 years

•Public offices held: None.

•Nonprofit groups, service or professional organizations to which you belong: Big Brother/ Big Sisters

•Other experiences or skills that quali-

fy you for office: Condominium Board

Member two years, lived in multi-cultural environment overseas, operated multi-million dollar projects within allotted budget, directed large groups to work as a team and accomplish difficult missions, entrusted with national security issues for past 24 years.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:

1. a) Employment opportunities: There seems to be a shortage of above-average jobs in the Sandpoint area. This is nothing new, but we need to address what we can do to improve wages and the number of better jobs for the citizens of Sandpoint.

b) Entry-level housing: There seems to be a shortage of affordable housing in the community.

c) Traffic congestion: There also has been recent increase of traffic congestion. Some of the congestion may be alleviated when the road construction is complete. We can have a better idea if the downtown road design has caused the surge in traffic or some other factors play a part.

2. The Boyer property would be great for entry-level housing. It would be nice to incorporate facilities that would benefit

the community.

3. There are benefits to both options. I would need to review the benefits analysis to see what is best for the community.

4. City Beach is a fantastic park, but I would need to review any of the potential options as well as a cost-benefit analysis.

5. Sandpoint’s economy shows signs of growth and help-wanted signs are starting to become more common. Steady growth of the economy is a key role of the city Council and mayor of Sandpoint.

6. Technology is important to stimulate growth. We need to integrate the input of local businesses, the public and city to access viability.

7. Affordable housing is a challenge in desirable areas. People need to be creative in finding ways to offset the cost by sharing living space with roommates or family members until they can afford more comfortable options.

8. As the city grows traffic and parking issues become more common. Riding a bike or walking just once a week can have an impact on getting around downtown. I personally don’t have a problem finding a parking space, and the traffic in Sandpoint is a whole lot better than Coeur d’Alene or Spokane.

9. I have not seen any impact studies that would allow me to make an informed decision on this issue.

10. a) I’ll spend enough time to understand the issues and make informed decisions on what is asked of me.

b) I’ve attended three meetings due to working in the evenings.

c) I love Sandpoint, which is my new home, and want to give back to the community.

SHANNON WILLIAMSON

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

•Name: Shannon Williamson

•Age: 42

•Years of residence in Sandpoint and Bonner County: I have lived in Sandpoint for 6 years.

•Marital status/family: I am single but in a long-term relationship. I have two wonderful children. My son is 10 years old, and my daughter will turn 8 years old in November.

•How can the public contact you? I can be reached at info@shannonforsandpoint. com. I can also be reached through my webpage ShannonForSandpoint.com and Facebook page.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

•Education: Ph.D. – Marine Science (Biological Oceanography/Microbiology), University of South Florida, 2003 B.S. – marine biology, University of North Carolina, 1996

•Recent or pertinent employment history: Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper – executive director, 2011-present

J. Craig Venter Institute – director of environmental virology, 2005-2011

University of California, San Diego –adjunct professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2009-2011

•Public offices held: Sandpoint City Council – City Council president, 2016-present

Sandpoint City Council – City Council member, 2014-present

•Nonprofit groups, service or professional organizations to which you belong: Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance, I support a variety of non-profit organizations in Sandpoint and Bonner County through their fundraising initiatives.

•Other experiences or skills that qualify you for office: I currently lead a local nonprofit organization that is dedicated to protecting the water quality of Lake Pend Oreille and its associated waters. My responsibilities as executive director are diverse and include organizational management, program development and implementation, budget establishment and reconciliation, fundraising and award management, as well as education, outreach and advocacy efforts. As the executive director of a non-profit, I have a deep appreciation and clear understanding of how to balance project development and growth with fiscal responsibility.

I developed and led a dynamic environmental virology program at the J. Craig Venter Institute with research primarily focusing on virus-host interactions in the marine environment. In this role, I directly supervised and managed laboratory staff, students and interns,

2. I believe that the city is doing a good <

led regular meetings to monitor project progress and address program goals, performed annual performance evaluations, fostered open communication with team members and solicited feedback, prepared and submitted grant proposals, managed multi-million dollar budgets and presented the results of peer-reviewed research to global audiences.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:

1. I consider protection of natural resources, economic development and affordable housing among the most important issues currently facing the city.

Sandpoint is blessed with an abundance of natural resources that provide for a diversity of recreational opportunities as well as clean water for swimming, drinking and fishing. It’s important to manage our natural resources in ways that preserve their integrity so that they continue to support their beneficial uses long into the future. For example, Sandpoint recently received a new, more stringent permit to discharge treated wastewater to the Pend Oreille River, which will require a series of upgrades to our wastewater treatment facility. We must be forward thinking and strategic in our decision making about these improvements to achieve the goals of protecting water quality, preserving waterfront property value and stabilizing taxpayer rates collectively.

Economic development is intrinsically linked to the resiliency of our natural resources. Most of us know someone who’s moved to Sandpoint after experiencing “the Long Bridge effect,” and they’ve figured out how to make a living here. This phenomenon, in part, is responsible for diversifying our current economy. Growth is inevitable, but smart growth is not. We need to encourage economic development that contributes to the vitality of our city while preserving its unique character. Increasing local educational opportunities, including post-secondary and technical training is also key to creating a talented workforce that can make a great living right here at home.

Economic development without access to affordable housing doesn’t work. Affordable housing means different things to different people. It can mean subsidized housing, or affordable rentals for those that don’t qualify, or affordable inventory for the first-time home buyer. It’s a supply-and-demand issue, and as we stand right now, we have high demand and low supply across most of these categories. My suggestions for addressing this issue are outlined as part of a subsequent question.

job at making the process of evaluating potential changes to the comprehensive plan, which directly impacts land use at the university property, as open and inviting as possible. It’s been fantastic to see a high level of involvement by the public and I hope it continues as we move forward.

Based on the outcome of the workshops so far, there is strong support for preserving the recreational uses of the property. I agree with this objective. At this early stage in the evaluation process, it’s not yet clear which types of recreational uses resonate with most participants. I’m optimistic that this picture will resolve itself as we dive deeper into the details of the comprehensive plan review. Deeper discussion will also help bring about a better understanding of how it’s possible for this property and the surrounding area can support multiple uses that complement one another.

3. The workshops the city has held to date on this issue have demonstrated that there are strong opinions about natural versus artificial turf, and I’ve heard the pros and cons of both. Natural turf is a desirable option for activities like the Festival at Sandpoint since it remains cooler for participants and anchoring tents is a much easier task. However, natural turf requires a lot of ongoing maintenance that can be costly. On the other side of the coin, artificial turf comes with a higher upfront price tag, but maintenance costs are lower, and it will extend the athletic seasons for numerous sports that are typically shortened due to wet spring weather. There has been discussion of combining the two options, which could provide a happy medium. However, without fully understanding all the details that are associated with each option, I have not yet decided which would be the most beneficial.

4. As a council, we decided during our strategic planning session to focus our time, energy and resources on existing projects, or those we have already committed to, to deliver the best possible outcome(s) for the residents and visitors of Sandpoint. I’m excited that we’ve committed to looking at the possibilities for City Beach through the lens of a master plan. We haven’t yet begun this process as a council, but I look forward to objectively considering at all the ideas that come forward. I personally like the idea of an ice skating rink and carousel, but these would have to fit in with the overall collective vision and budget for City Beach.

5. I would describe Sandpoint’s economy as diverse. We have transitioned from a historical economy dominated by the timber and railroad industries to one that supports numerous types including tourism, biomedical, aerospace, software development, analytics, food production, timber, light industrial and

more. The council has a responsibility to review existing policy and procedures, and/ or create new ones, that encourage smart economic development that supports a living wage. The city currently works with a variety of local and state partner agencies to facilitate job growth and retention. We need to ensure that our relationship with these agencies are productive while also seeking new opportunities to leverage.

6. High-speed internet is critical to the success and satisfaction of our businesses, students, residents and visitors. The process for bringing high-speed internet to Sandpoint has been well thought out and deliberate. The city has worked together with the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency and Bonner County to create a high-speed fiber optic network throughout downtown Sandpoint to connect public facilities and services. This has, and will continue to be, an ambitious project with the goal of bringing Sandpoint’s services up to par with larger communities. With several internet service providers setting the groundwork for “tapping into” the fiber backbone, high-speed internet will soon be a viable option for the residents of Sandpoint.

7. As mentioned in an earlier response, I feel that affordable housing is an issue in Sandpoint. I personally had a difficult time finding an affordable rental home before I could buy. I have heard the same story from many others here in town, whether they are looking to rent or buy their first home.

Before finding viable solutions to address affordable housing, we need to first define the scope of the problem. Are we talking about affordable rental housing or affordable homes for sale? Or both. Each scenario could elicit different pathways to solving the problem. For example, we can explore concepts such as density bonuses, permit fees and other associated costs to help us get closer to making affordable housing a long-term reality for Sandpoint.

8. I know it’s been a tough adjustment for many of our residents and visitors to Sandpoint as we’ve reconfigured the traffic patterns of our streets. There are still kinks to work out, as would be expected with such a large project, and I’m confident that the result will be beneficial to our downtown businesses and their patrons. I’m looking forward to the pending improvements to our streets as they will enhance the directional changes and improve the downtown experience.

As for parking enforcement, I never heard a positive comment about Diamond Parking while they oversaw enforcement. I’m glad that we’ve returned this job to the city’s hands, and I’m optimistic that we will have much smoother sailing in this department. As Sandpoint grows, we will have to continually evaluate how we regulate parking and make adjustments that are mindful of our downtown businesses. I know that a parking struc-

ture is very desirable and would help address what many perceive as a parking problem. A project of this scale must be carefully planned and accounted for financially.

9. I do feel that fossil fuel by rail transport is an important issue for the city to consider. The council has already adopted resolutions on this topic, expressing concern for substantially increased rail traffic through Sandpoint and potential impacts to human health and safety and the safety of our environment.

Each new proposal for a coal or oil export terminal, refinery or mine has consequences for Sandpoint since our city is the “funnel” for all rail traffic traveling to our east and west. These proposals, if permitted, all bring a heavy price tag to Sandpoint in terms of increased rail traffic and associated consequences. In addition, the proposed second rail bridge over Lake Pend Oreille will bring similar consequences. The city should weigh in on any proposal that will impact the health, safety and overall well-being of its residents and visitors.

10. a) As much time as it takes. It’s not enough to just show up at council meetings. Council members must take the time to research, talk to staff, listen and educate themselves on topics they may not be familiar with (which is inevitable) before making decisions.

b) To the best of my recollection, I have attended all council meetings since I joined the council in 2014, unless I was sick or attending a conference.

c) I’m running for re-election because I love Sandpoint. It’s been a true honor to serve as a council member and as City Council president. I can’t think of a better place to raise my two kids. I’m running because I’m committed to keeping Sandpoint a great place for families.

IMPORTANT ELECTION INFORMATION TO CONSIDER:

-Election day is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th (8 a.m. t0 8 p.m.)

-Register to vote in person at the Bonner County Administration building or Google “Idaho Form ERM-1” to obtain the mail-in registration form.

-A Candidates’ Forum will be held Monday, Oct. 30 at Sandpoint Community Hall at 5:30 p.m.

Our wild neighbors

American Heritage Wildlife Foundation educates community about the region’s wildlife with new program

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer

When Diane Newcomer begins a new “Meet the Neighbors” presentation, she begins by introducing Benny.

Benny is a rubber brown bat meant to replicate the size of an actual brown bat. Benny is her “little friend,” Newcomer says, and she proceeds to pass him around so that program participants can have a closer look. She then proceeds to pass around a plastic bottle cap, weighing about three grams.

“And this is what Benny would weigh if he were real,” she tells them.

One program participant on Friday, Oct. 13, at Panhandle Special Needs Inc. held the rubber bat in one hand and the bottle cap in the other, processing Newcomer’s information about the bat’s real weight. Her eyes widened with the epiphany and a “whoa” escaped her

mouth. She told Newcomer she couldn’t wait to tell her mom about Benny.

Newcomer’s “Meet the Neighbors” program is part of the American Heritage Wildlife Foundation’s efforts to educate people in North Idaho about the animals they share the region with. On Friday, she visited PSNI to share her program

with Priest River High School’s special needs students.

Activities for the program include studying replicas of animal tracks, animal identification bingo, crafts to demonstrate the food chain, rubbing animal tracks onto paper with crayons, a bird pinwheel craft and much, much more, Newcomer said.

“I thought generally people would be more interested in the crafty things, but what I’m finding is people really just want to talk about animals, which is fine, too,” Newcomer said.

“Meet the Neighbors” is made possible by a grant from the Community Assistance League of Sandpoint. Newcomer said she has always been an animal person, and she wrote the grant with a program in mind that would work for all ages. She ran the program at Alpine Vista, an assisted living community in Sandpoint, and soon, she said, she’ll be trying out the program on a group of preschoolers.

“Wild animals are every bit as interesting as the domestic ones,” Newcomer said. “And because they mean so much to me, I like to share that with people.”

In the end, Newcomer said she hopes she leaves people with a sense of wonderment surrounding the wildlife that exist right outside their backdoors.

“The kids from PSNI will go home and talk about animals, and the seniors were talking about the animals when I left,” she said. “I hope people

think a little more about the wildlife we share the area with here in Idaho.”

If you have a group in mind that you’d like Newcomer to share her program with, call her at 208-266-1336, or contact AHWF founder and president Kathleen St. Clair-McGee at 208-266-1488. Newcomer said the ideal size for a group is under 20 participants, but she’s open to hearing everyone’s requests, regardless of group size.

MUSIC

The Hive reanimates for Halloween

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Much like the zombies in our favorite horror films, the Hive is resurrecting itself from a late summer slumber for a series of amazing shows. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect:

Saturday, Oct. 21

GRiZ

Coming off a huge 2016, GRiZ (or Grant Kwiecinski, to his mom) is showing no signs of slowing down. His latest release, “Good Will Prevail” debuted at #1 on the electronic charts. Just this year alone, the saxophone-toting GRiZ released six singles that claimed the coveted number-one spot on Hype Machine’s most popular charts. Billboard calls GRiZ “brilliant,” while DJ Mag said, “More than all good – it’s great!”

Known for blending an improvised saxophone, guitar vocals and more over booming, dynamic bass lines, hard drops and some of the most creative transitions in the game, GRiZ is rapidly becoming a champion of the live electronic landscape.

He’s played at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Electric Forest and Outside Lands – now you can catch him right in our backyard at the Hive.

Tickets are $33 in advance, or $38 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. with special guests Opiuo and Muzzy Bear.

Friday, Oct. 27 Third Annual Monster Mash featuring Mr. B

For the third year in a row, the Hive will provide a safe, rockin’ place for those under 21 to celebrate Halloween in style. Get in your best costumes and get up to get down.

Music will be provided by one of the hottest DJs: Mr. B!

Cash prizes will be awarded

for scariest costume, funniest costume and best couple/group costumes. No alcohol will be available at this under-21 event, but water and soda will be available for purchase.

Tickets available for $10. Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28

The 4th Annual Hive Halloween Bash and Costume Contest featuring Sir Mix-a-Lot with Mr. B

Sir Mix is back in the house for the Hive’s fourth annual Halloween Bash and Costume Contest. This is going to be the biggest and scariest Halloween

party in the Inland Northwest. Known forever more for his double-platinum Grammy-award-winning song “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-a-Lot’s last appearance at the Hive sold out, so make sure you get your tickets today. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

Come dressed up to participate in the Costume Contest. Prizes awarded for scariest costume, funniest costume and best couples costume. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m.

All shows at the Hive (with the exception of the underage Monster Mash) have V.I.P. seating available. Check www. LiveFromTheHive.com for more information.

Andy Sydow Band to play at Pearl Theater

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

There will be a special show at the Pearl Theater in Bonners Ferry this weekend. Colorado-based singer/songwriter Andy Sydow will rock the Pearl on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.

At only 25 years old, Sydow has become widely respected in the local Colorado music scene for his richly-detailed songwriting, blistering slide guitar playing and surprising boogie-woogie piano chops. Sydow has opened for luminaries Tab Benoit, Delbert

McClinton, Dick Dale and more. He has also been nominated several times for Colorado Blues Society Members Choice Awards for his songwriting and piano playing.

Sydow’s four-piece band puts on a blistering live show that covers a mix of Americana, rock and blues — think of Ben Folds Five after a long road trip and a lot of caffeine.

“Sydow has a charismatic stage presence, and is an excellent songwriter, showing character beyond his years in both his lyrics and playing ability,” reads a review by Colorado Music Buzz. “With

This week’s RLW by Ed Ohlweiler

READ

Natalie Goldberg is a consummate writer and Zen practitioner who once practiced her artistry by writing poems for people at street fairs for a few bucks, much like buskers or caricature artists. Aspiring writers may recognize her name from the highly-successful “Writing down the Bones,” but her novel “Banana Rose,” shows what’s possible when you combine a love of writing with a Zen-like awareness of the world around you.

influences ranging from deep-south slide guitar, to jazz and funk, his songs take on an accessible, Americana feel, and he breathes life into traditional styles of music that allows for a new generation of fans, while still appealing to older generations that grew up with blues, rock n’ roll and folk music.”

Sydow will be supported by opener Paul Bonnell & Friends. Tickets are available for $12 in advance at Mountain Mike’s,

Bonners Books or online at www.thepearltheater.org. Tickets will be $15 at the door or student tickets are only $5.

LISTEN

This Columbus Day found me, by pure coincidence, listening to Robbie Robertson’s “Contact from the Underworld of Redboy.” Upon consideration, this seemed fitting for a holiday I like to think of as Native American Day: Robertson pays respect to his Native American roots, blending chant-like messages with newer music and technologies to great affect. Aside from being pleasurable, it also provides much to think about in regards to the 20 million Americans or so who didn’t know they were about to be “discovered”.

WATCH

If you like Monty Python, then you’re probably already familiar with Terry Gilliam, who co-directed “The Holy Grail” (on a budget of $460,000 BTW) and provided the animation for the “Flying Circus.”

While his Python-era collaborations are timeless and his recent films are all noteworthy, there is a trilogy of films where Gilliam really honed his craft that makes him my favorite director: “Brazil,” “The Fisher King,” and “12 Monkeys.”

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?

Mother Nature is doing a number on us this week. Goodbye fall, hello winter! Time for this North Idaho dog to change up some wardrobe essentials and GO OUT AND PLAY. Can you guess where I’m going?

Only ONE clue: “Won’t you wear my leash around your neck?”

C’mon, join the pack with the Sandpoint distribution center and warehouse staff of EzyDog, located on Larkspur in Ponderay.

John Hatcher, Ezy big DOG, (aka CEO), and Brady McClintik, VP of Operations welcome us to their EzyDog house. John started the company in 2003 with his watersport partner. They both liked dogs and their mission was “to create products that help us all live active and outdoor lives. Whether it is running, trekking or a day out at the beach, life is always better with furry friends by our sides.” I’m in!

The human staff and their four-footed helpers oversee the distribution of products for North America, Canada and Mexico. John’s partner in Australia distributes to the rest of the world. The warehouse does not sell product. You can purchase EzyDog items at North 40, Carter Country and Pend Oreille Pet Lodge — all dog friendly!

The Missus calls me her EzyDog. However, I am really an active four-seasons North Idaho dog who loves to roll in the grass, swim in the lake, cool off in the snow and gad about town.

Now for the fun part! The warehouse team Bryant, Chase and Alex are showing me all of the fall and winter well-designed fashion essentials for the active dog in our neck of the woods. I love all of the colors. However, red is my favorite. My must-have items for the season are the Element Jacket, Zero Shock Leash, No-Pull Harness, Adventure Light (which can be seen three miles away), Adjustable Car Restraint (who knew that the new state law requires dogs to be properly restrained

while riding in a vehicle?), and of course the fold up Travel Bowl that I can whip out at my favorite watering hole for a bit of hydration or snacks. All of the products are reflective, which will be great as the days get shorter. They are functional and easy to use. No fluff here (sorry kitty sister!)

Wanna chat online? Check out the website www.EzyDog.com. There is an ultra-cool chat feature that is a great way to get your simple questions answered. Can you guess what the most asked question is? Bazinga—you got it!

“What size do I need?”

Let’s bark up a storm for EzyDog! They have won so many awards with the pet business industry and the products are approved by the Animal Wellness Magazine just to name a few. I’m going to have fun with fashionable and functional gear for every season.

EZY4Life!

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

READER SIGHTING IN UGANDA

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

Sudden burst

Snare

Applaud

1. an apartment or office on a high floor in a high-rise building, or a nest of a bird of prey. “In the aerie of the Reader HQ, big decisions are made every day.”

Corrections: Nothing to report this week. I stubbed my toe coming to work on Wednesday though, if anybody cares. Serves me right. -BO

Not under

Again

Enticements

Rodents

Crone

Loosen, as laces

Environment

Step

Beautify

A small motor vehicle

Aspersion

Strength

Forearm bone

Divides

Normal

Metalwares

Greek god of darkness

Forays

French for “Friend”

Protagonist

Self-centered

Not odd

Roman moon goddess

Threesome

Surged

or dinner

Solution on page 21

Lyric poem

DOWN

Exhausts

Farm equipment

Church alcove

You (archaic)

Made of baked clay

G-string

Rend

A rm

In uence

Yellowish green

12. Mountain crest 13. Church benches

21. French for “Water” 25. Zero

26. Catholic church service

27. Doing nothing

28. French for “Wolf”

29. Illogical

30. Open skin infections

31. Infants

33. Shower with love

34. Whine with snu ing

35. Two-toed sloth

38. High-pitched male voice

41. 16 1/2 feet

42. Pee-pee

44. An uncle

45. Variety show 46. Drome

47. He plays a role

48. Steering mechanism for a vessel

50. Prepare for action

51. Hodgepodge

52. Journey

53. Start over 54. Anagram of “Dice”

55. An abandoned calf 63. Smell

Hawaiian veranda

36. Not guys