Proposition 1 explained
Smelter meeting draws crowds
Schweitzer announces upgrades
The Dude's guide to journalism ethics
Sexually transmitted diseases at an all-time high
Sandpoint is getting a bagel shop!
live comedy, live music, a strange mad about science, and more!
compiled by Susan Drinkard
Tell me something you learned in school today.
“We are reading a book called ‘The Egypt Game’ in Ms. Dickinson’s class. Reading is my favorite subject. We learned about how to look for suspense in the plot of books.”
Ruby Giles 6th grade at Washington School Sandpoint
“I learned from a fellow classmate in social studies — current events — that an NFL player, protesting that black people are not treated equal to white people, kneeled, but he was not being disrespectful to the flag. He was kneeling to get his point across.”
Arlen Newton 8th grade
Forrest Bird Charter School Sandpoint
“I began learning more about my ancestry through a genealogy project we started in U. S. History II — Mrs. Smith’s class.”
Rachawna Garner 11th grade
Sandpoint High School Sagle
“We learned about how numbers are squared. The value of two numbers that are the same would be equal to the square.”
Semonne Draper 6th grade Washington School Sandpoint
“Today we went to the University of Idaho grounds by MakerPoint Studios, and we played a camouflage game in nature. We learned about insects — bees, grasshoppers, and we saw a garden snake. I am in the experiential learning program at Farmin School — ELP — which has a long waiting list, and I really like it.”
Lincoln Schubert 5th grade Farmin School
In just a few days, it’ll be official: summer is over. OK, so summer has been over for two or three weeks now, but the calendar says fall starts this weekend, so that’s what we’ll abide by. Since it’s that weird transition between seasons, I find myself with nothing to say in this little box. So, here’s a photo of a pug wearing a wee jacket. Embrace the change.
-Ben Olson, Publisher
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)
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Contributing Artists: Aaron Burden (cover), Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Karen Seashore, Tom Tillisch, Foster Cline, Marilyn McIntire, Tom Prez.
Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Paul Graves, Nancy Gerth, Nick Gier, Laurie Brown, Brenden Bobby, Foster Clint, Tim Henney.
Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com
Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.
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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.
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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
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About the Cover
This week’s cover photograph was taken by Aaron Burden. I think this forlorn image of a sunflower saying goodbye to the sun captures this time of year perfectly.
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Schweitzer Mountain Resort announced Thursday that it will be replacing the Snow Ghost double chair — or Chair 6 as locals call it — with two new lifts during the summer of 2019.
One lift will start near Cedar Park and unload at the current Snow Ghost midway station with the second lift providing summit access from a location near Will’s Runout and Vagabond.
Schweitzer began initial clearing of these areas this summer, as well as securing power to the future lift sites.
Schweitzer spent over $1.5 million in capital investments this summer, including the purchase of a new grooming snow cat, updating electrical lines for
Sky House on the summit, carpet and flooring replacements, an extension of the Musical Carpet beginner conveyor lift from 250 feet to 380 feet in length, as well as lift maintenance on the Great Escape Quad and Musical Chairs lifts.
Also this summer, Schweitzer began a partnership with Intermax to provide improved bandwidth at the resort. This will improve the free access to WiFi and internet services for guests while in Schweitzer’s village. The project is slated to be completed in time for the 2018/19 winter season.
This summer, it was announced that the SPOT Bus will take over shuttle operations from the Red Barn parking lot to Schweitzer’s base area. The service will utilize a new fleet of buses
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Election Day is fast approaching. To ensure that your trip to your polling place is as speedy as possible, drop by the library this Tuesday for a primer on voter registration.
According to Library Coordinator of Lifelong Learning Mike Bauer, library staff are especially hopeful that young people take advantage of National Voter Registration Day. All participants need is an Idaho driver’s license number, Idaho state identification number or the last four digits of a Social Security number to get registered and ready for the Nov. 6 election.
“(We want) to get the word out to young voters,” Bauer said. “We are just down the street from the high school and are an after-school destination for many students. I encourage students
to stop by, find out more about their right to vote and to register. The Library would love to be a part of their participation in the democratic process.”
To participate, simply visit the Sandpoint library, 1407 Cedar St., or the Clark Fork library, 601 Main St., on Tuesday, Sept. 25, between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions, explain the voting process and help with registration.
“We will help voters fill out forms or complete online registration here at the Library, and make sure the process gets completed,” Bauer said.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort announces upcoming renovations, including the replacement of Chair 6, or “Snow Ghost”
specifically ordered for the Schweitzer route and will operate on the established winter schedule
as in previous seasons.
For more information or details, contact Dig Chrismer at dchrismer@schweitzer.com.
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
After weeks of upturned gravel and bare dirt, the downtown core is about to get greener.
Beginning next week, crews start work on planting new trees and landscaping along Cedar Street and First Avenue. The work follows up on this week’s efforts, which kept Cedar open to pedestrians and motorists between Second and Fifth avenues with occasional lane closures for concrete placement and the installation of street furniture.
At the request of business representatives throughout the downtown, the city will also be installing four-way stops at the intersections of Cedar Street and
Third Avenue and First Avenue and Main Street.
“Staff have reviewed this from a traffic and safety standpoint and concur with this recommendation,” Sandpoint Public Works Director Amanda Wilson wrote in a construction update.
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Idaho student debt may be below the national average, but it’s still costing students a pretty penny.
Idaho Education News reports that at $26,675, Idaho ranks 35th nationally in college expense, but it compares less favorably to its neighbors in the West. Overall, the national average settles in at $28,650, with highest debt concentrated in the Northeast.
The data comes from a new study released Wednesday by The Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif.
Improving affordability and access to higher education has been a longstanding goal in Boise, with Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter establishing the 36-member Higher Education Task Force in 2017.
By Susan Drumheller Reader Contributor
Hundreds of people turned out to raise heartfelt, serious questions about plans for a silicon smelter in Newport Wednesday evening, challenging Washington State regulators to justify permitting a project that could damage the health, the environment and the economy of the area.
The questions loomed large, and the large crowd expressed great skepticism that they would ever get satisfying answers.
Darren Holmes, a Kalispel Tribe council member, said he was quizzed by his 14-year-old daughter: “What’s it going to do to our air? … Are people going to get cancer down the road? Is the stuff going to end up in the water?”
“I can’t answer her questions,” Holmes said. “I don’t have a whole lot of confidence in this scoping. PacWest hasn’t provided a whole lot of details on this project.”
The Newport hearing was the second of four public scoping hearings on the smelter proposal. During the scoping phase of the project, state regulators take input on what they should study when conducting the environmental review of the project, and suggestions for what might be done to lessen the impacts.
Bleachers of the Newport High School were nearly filled with between 300 and 400 people, including many Bonner County residents. About 100 people signed up to comment, prompting the Department of Ecology to add a half hour to the hearing.
However, after two hours of testimony, only one person spoke in favor of the project, because it would provide much-needed jobs.
The proposed silicon smelter would produce up to 73,000 tons of silicon per year and employ an estimated 150 people. PacWest Silicon, a subsidiary of the Canadian company HiTest
Sands, plans to produce the metal by combining company-supplied quartz rock with wood chips and coal or charcoal at extremely high temperatures. Silicon is used in a myriad of electronic and household products, photovoltaic solar cells and steel.
While PacWest has pledged to ensure the smelter meets the strictest safety and environmental standards, critics are concerned that the smelter will be granted greater leeway on toxic air emissions because the baseline air quality is relatively pure.
A few speakers raised the issue of PM2.5 pollution – tiny particulates can lodge deeply into the lungs.
“None of that stuff can be trapped, not by bag houses, not by filters,” said Jim Chandler, vice chairman of the opposition group Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter (CANSS). “My wife has lung cancer, and … now we’re looking at stuff we can’t filter.
Now we’re looking at what steps Ecology is going to take to mitigate something that can’t be mitigated.”
Norm Semanko, attorney for CANSS, echoed complaints about the lack of adequate information available for citizens to evaluate the project and for DOE to evaluate it. The crowd hollered their appreciation when he promised legal action.
The proposed smelter would be located on 188 acres on the Idaho-Washington border just southeast of Newport, and opponents from Idaho are concerned that prevailing winds blow to the east, directing the bulk of the air pollutants into Idaho. Idaho, however, has no regulatory authority over the Washington-based project.
That’s a point Idaho District 1 Rep. Heather Scott raised at the hearing, requesting a review under the National Environmental Policy Act, which would give Idahoans more clout in the process. Under the state process, “You’re not accountable to
Idaho,” she said.
Recognizing potential downwind impacts, the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) is holding a scoping hearing today in Priest River. The hearing will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Priest River Event Center, 5299 U.S. Highway 2. A webinar-based scoping hearing is also planned for Sept. 27. The deadline for comments on the scoping phase of the project is Oct. 26.
Once the environmental review is complete, the state will issue a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is expected next summer. The Washington DOE will then hold additional hearings to share the draft, and give the public an opportunity to provide additional information and feedback. A final EIS is expected by the end of 2019.
Sandi Funk of Coolin, Idaho, gave an impassioned appeal to regulators to consider the people of the community – and not the desires and needs of PacWest; “Who in this room would truly benefit in any way by the existence of this polluting smelter?” she asked. “At what cost to you, to us, to planet Earth?”
By Reader Staff
The repair work on Boulder Creek Road #314 on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District has been completed, and the Idaho Panhandle National Forests has rescinded the closure order.
Boulder Creek Road was closed in 2016 because of severe flood damage following a heavy spring runoff.
For additional information, or to report new road damage, please contact the Bonners Ferry Ranger District at (208) 267-5561.
By Paul Graves Reader Contributor
I know many older adults who honestly feel they aren’t heard, aren’t listened to. That can feed a deeper sense of having nothing of value to offer anyone anymore. To which I respectfully say: PHOOEY! This dip into the powerless swamp doesn’t have to happen.
I could go many directions with that statement. But today I want to focus our attention on one of the basic rights in our American society: voting.
The sense that voting isn’t worth the effort shows up in a number of excuses I’ve heard in recent days. Excuses, not valid reasons: “My vote doesn’t make a difference”; “Idaho is a red state, and I vote blue, so
why vote?”; “I don’t even know who to vote for or what is on the ballot”; etc.
See what I mean? Excuses can be turned with some simple attitude-adjustments. Every person’s vote can make a significant difference (primaries around the country have shown narrow vote-counts many times in 2018).
Yes, Idaho is a red state, and will stay that way unless apathetic blue votes speak up. You blue voters might be surprised, as would be red voters. (This is not a partisan statement, simply a strategic observation by someone who votes for persons, not a party.)
Unawareness of who is running or what issues are on the ballot can easily be fixed if a person chooses to fix his/her
unawareness. The voting voice will remain silent if you choose not to train your voice to speak!
I recently read a letter to the editor about voting in another newspaper. The writer closed by saying, “Not voting is a way to show disgust but gives your power to those who do vote.” We stay powerless on public matters when we stay silent. Voting gives our voices more volume! Why am I speaking of voting in mid-September? Because the general election on Nov. 6 is only seven weeks away, and it’s time to tune up our voices. For some of us, that tune-up could take some time.
So next Tuesday, Sept. 25, the Geezer Forum gives folks a good chance to think about our voting privilege — but not only from the usual way we think of
voting. Instead of being a candidate forum, or an issues forum, we’re having a “voting motivation forum.”
Our topic is “WHY we vote matters.” Some people are very passionate about voting. Some people are very apathetic about voting. Our overall voting percentages in Bonner County aren’t that great, folks! WHY is voting such a privilege for some and a dreaded chore for others?
I certainly don’t have all the answers. And you won’t get all the answers on Sept. 25. But if you join us at the Community Room of Columbia Bank, 2:30-4 p.m., you join your voice with others to consider WHY you choose to participate or not participate in the voting process.
I will moderate the forum that also includes a panel of three
other citizens: Shawn Keough and Ken Meyers, both political activists in our county, plus Charlie Wurm, Bonner County Elections supervisor.
We will offer nuts-and-bolts information about voting. But our main emphasis is a group conversation about WHY we vote matters. It is an individual act that can have significant community-building implications. Please join us on Tuesday, Sept. 25!
Paul Graves, M.Div., is Lead Geezer-in-Training for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging. Contact Paul at 208610-4971 or elderadvocates@ nctv.com
By Nancy Gerth Reader Contributor
Last week thousands of people from all over the world met in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit.
The Fired Up event at the library was one of hundreds of 350 affiliate events.
States and regions, cities, businesses, investors and NGOs intent on pushing down global emissions by 2020 set the stage to reach net zero emissions by mid-century.
One report presented “10 Climate Action Strategies” to accelerate action — helping to reduce emissions to 21 percent below 2005 levels by 2025:
•Double down on renewable energy targets.
•Accelerate the retirement of coal power.
•Encourage residential and commercial building efficiency retrofits.
•Electrify building energy use.
•Speed electric vehicle adoption.
•Phase down super-polluting hydrofluorocarbons.
•Stop methane leaks at the wellhead.
•Reduce methane leaks in cities.
•Develop regional strategies for carbon sequestration on natural and working lands.
•Form state coalitions for carbon pricing.
Mayors of 27 cities worldwide signed an international agreement committing to reduce their carbon output and work to meet the Paris agreements on global average temperature rise.
Mexico City became the first Latin American city to sign the “Green Bond” pledge to increase funding for climate-friendly infrastructure.
California, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Asheville, San Francisco and King County in Washington are among governmental entities that have already
signed.
The Global Green Bond Partnership was launched to support cities, states, regions, corporations and financial institutions to accelerate the issuance of green bonds.
Twenty-one companies announced an alliance — the Step Up Declaration — to invest in emerging technologies to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all economic sectors and “ensure a climate turning point by 2020.”
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s pension fund would double its investment in climate solutions to $4 billion.
The World Green Building Council launched the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.
Three in four Americans believe the federal government, state officials, cities, companies and average citizens have a responsibility to address climate change, including a majority of
citizens of Bonner County. If we vote in the midterm election, we can increase government participation in our sustainable future.
Organizations like 350Sandpoint in our own county are working on these issues, especially how they play out locally. For example, the city of Sandpoint can begin to craft a zero-carbon plan. Bonner County can be proactive in addressing problems exacerbated by climate change, namely wildfire, flooding and erosion.
We are not alone. What we do here has a direct impact on people throughout our nation and throughout the world. We are connected to all who are working to sustain the inhabitability of the planet. Join us! Take on a project you believe in, whether it be campaigning for a favorite candidate, working to preserve our clean water or helping local agencies craft policy. And most certainly, vote!
Dear Editor,
I would like to join in on the discussion again, but I won’t make it a habit, as I have a lot of work to do.
Regarding Ben Olson’s suggestion that if I “have a problem with you (Ben) or the Reader that I should find another publication that better suits my needs.” I don’t have a problem with you, I don’t dislike you --- I disagree with you (big difference). My response to you is; what kind of student of life would I be if I only read or studied things that I agreed with or that I thought “suited me?”
Instead of addressing (or debating) the objective facts that I submitted to your paper, you try to shunt the discussion down a “subjective” rabbit hole of “logical fallacy” and “false equivalence.” Allow me to give you a fine example of your “emotional argument driving your world view.”
A) Man causes pollution (true). B) The earth’s climate is changing (true since the beginning of time). C) Therefore, man’s pollution causes climate change! (“Perfect example of the logical fallacy known as false equivalence”). Heh, heh, heh, you guys make it too easy, I just can’t resist.
I mostly wanted to comment on Tim Henney’s anti-Trump rant with the photo showing his dog “Tippy” looking down through the toilet seat of an outhouse. Tippy is looking down at his distressed master who happens to be deep inside his own “safe space.” Poor Tim is stewing in his own crap, composting with his fellow “Democraps,” while poor Tippy looks down into the dark stink below.
Allow me to help out by saying “Look UP Tim, LOOK UP!” --- that little bit of light that you can see between Tippy’s head and the toilet seat above you is the “real world.” Up here is where (most of) the rest of us live. Up here in the real world there are uncertainties, risks and the potential for failure or injury, but there are also great rewards, abundant liberty, unlimited opportunities for accomplishment and the kick-ass feeling of knowing that you gave it your best shot as a free man; win, lose, or draw.
It seems that the “safe space snowflakes” are melting down all around us (global warming don’t you know).
A sincere thank you,
David Haussler Bayview
David,
I agree that no “student of life” can attain anything by only reading material they agree with, but it seems you are only interested in trying to sling mud than actually debating issues.
Your clumsy “fine example” regarding climate change is nonsensical. Do you honestly think the thousands of scientists who have studied and weighed in their findings about global warming believe it exists because of their emotions? Does it maybe have anything to do with facts, empirical data or models that clearly show that global temperatures
are rising? Use common sense, please. Finally,toclaimthatDemocratsare the ones with their heads in the sand is utterlyridiculous.Haveyoubeenpaying attention?AreDemocratsdenyingthat almost3,000peoplediedinPuertoRicoas aresultofHurricaneMaria?Nope,that’s aRepublican.DidDemocratsstallaSupremeCourthearingforMerrickGarland in2016for10months,notevenmeeting with the nominee? Nope, Republicans again.IsaDemocratthesubjectofan investigationthathas(sofar)resultedin:
•a campaign chairman found guilty on eight criminal charges,
• a national security advisor pleading guilty to lying to the FBI,
•a former advisor found guilty for lying to the FBI,
•13 Russian nationals, 3 Russian companies and 12 Russian intelligence officers being charged with election meddling and conspiracy?
Nope. That’s President Trump, a Republican, who repeatedly calls the investigation a “witch hunt.”
Was it a Democrat who refused to denounce neo-Nazis in Charlottesville? Who cozied up to Putin in Helsinki? Republicans again, both times.
I wrote that you should read another publication because we believe in reality and facts, which don’t seem to agree with you.
Love your country before your party, David. Best of luck to you.
-Ben Olson, publisher
Dear Editor,
To all concerned voters looking for sane and sensible leadership for the Idaho House of Representatives: Ellen Weissman, Democratic candidate, is the right choice for District 1, seat A.
Education: Ellen, a former teacher, understands the needs of students. She will work hard for high standards and fair wages for teachers.
Environment: Ellen, an outdoor enthusiast, opposes the proposed smelter, and all mining which would threaten our pristine lake, protected species and quality of life.
Economy: Ellen supports the development of local businesses, and a living wage.
Equality: Ellen recognizes the contribution that an be made by all people, regardless of race, religion or country of origin.
Elders: As executive director of Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc., Ellen is reminded daily of the needs and contributions of our vulnerable and valuable citizens.
Expansion of Medicaid: Ellen is already working hard to insure full coverage for those Idaho citizens who currently do not qualify.
Engagement: Ellen is always available to discuss issues that are of concern in a friendly, open-minded manner and is eager to learn all points of view.
Please join us, and other concerned citizens who favor fairness and prosper-
ity, by voting Nov. 6, for Ellen Weissman, Democratic candidate, District 1, Seat A of the Idaho State House of Representatives.
Shakura Young and Lee Christensen Sandpoint
Dear Editor,
Ben, once again I can trust liberals to be just that. You harp all the time about the hate on the RIGHT and you print rubbish like the disturbed misinformed sniper on page 22. By the way, anyone so looney as this character needs his meds increased. Unless of course you agree with his drivel. For calmness, fairness and objectivity a faithful reader,
Michael J Kempf
Sandpoint
Michael,
You are referring to an advertisement, not an opinion or news piece. Look at the bottom right, where it says “Paid for by Tim Henney.” That means it’s an ad. The reason it’s an ad and not an editorial is because we declined to print it, as it didn’t meet our editorial guidelines.
Perhaps you should make sure you fully understand the difference between ads and editorial content before you denounce us.
-Ben Olson, publisher
Dear Editor, Thank you Tim Henney, and Tippy too. “Finally, A Confession” was brilliant. You managed to say so much with one picture and a few paragraphs. I’m sorry you had to pay to publish your piece, but I imagine it would have caused a firestorm otherwise. Trump and his supporters are so sensitive to criticism. They don’t like the truth because the truth hurts. I hope your piece goes viral and you get a book deal out of it. You are my new hero.
Bill Morgan Sagle
Dear Editor,
I would like to remind all voters in Bonner County they are able to vote on Nov. 6 for the County Commissioner Candidates in BOTH District 1 and District 3, regardless of where they live in Bonner County.
As one of the Candidates I pledge to represent All citizens of the County in a transparent and responsible manner.
I am a 60 year resident of Bonner County with a deep respect for our past and a passion about our future. I have the experience and skills that are
required for the Commissioner position. I have successful experience with large budgets, working with diverse groups, establishing policy, finding solutions to complex problems, listening respectively to different points of view and communicating in a positive and honest manner.
Like many residents of Bonner County I have a variety of work experiences, including farming, homebuilding, small-scale logging and education.
Forty years of teaching elementary school and high school have taught me the value of educating our young people to equip them for the challenges of the modern world and the importance of their contributions to our community.
Bonner County is our home. And we want to keep it prosperous and safe and beautiful.
Steve Johnson Sagle
Dear Editor,
It was my honor to serve, for more than three years, as the director of technology for the county under the very capable chairmanship of Cary Kelly. I planned to serve the new board as well when Dan McDonald came on board in January 2017. However, after a few short weeks of working with Dan, I resigned because I observed an arrogant, condescending bully who intimidated the staff and citizens alike. His extremist political agenda coupled with his “my way or the highway” attitude was in stark contrast to the previous commissioners. Now the county staff, my unfortunate former colleagues, work under a blanket of fear fueled by Dan’s intolerance. And they can’t speak up because they will be intimidated or fired.
It is even more disconcerting for me is to observe how Dan co-opted the authority of the other two honorable commissioners. They were not able to express their opinions or represent their constituents appropriately because of Dan’s domineering and overwhelming desire to control. This is not democracy; it’s autocracy. Bonner County deserves so much better from their commissioners.
As a registered Republican and a fifth-generation Idahoan, I hope my fellow Republicans as well as all independent and Democrat colleagues join me in voting for Steve Lockwood. I know Steve has the administrative, financial, technological and human resource management skills coupled with years of untiring public service. His collaborative and cooperative personality will restore dignity, civility, reason and democracy to Bonner County Government. He is “right for Bonner County.”
Bill Harp Sandpoint
By Reader Staff
The 2018 general election voting is coming up Nov. 6 and to help voters sort out all the candidates and issues, KRFY Community Radio is devoting each Wednesday edition of its Morning Show beginning Sept. 26 up to the election to “Local Decision 2018,” a series covering each of the contested local races for two county commissioner seats, county assessor and state Legislature. The Morning Show airs 8-9 a.m. on 88.5 KRFY, and in each contested race the candidates are invited in for the live broadcast to tell of their qualifications and discuss the issues on the air. Here is the lineup of invited candidates:
September 26: District 1 House Seat B – Democrat, Steve Howlett, and Republican Sage Dixon.
October 3: District 1 House Seat A - Republican, Heather Scott, and Democrat, Ellen Weissman.
October 10: District 1 Senate - Republican, Jim Woodward, and Democrat, Vera Gadman.
October 17: Bonner County Assessor - Republican, Donna Gow, Democrat, Shirley Kolm, and Unaffiliated, Wendel Bergman.
October 24: Bonner County Commission District 3 - Democrat, Steve Lockwood and Republican, Dan McDonald.
October 31: Bonner County Commission District 1 - Democrat, Steve Johnson and Republican, Steven Bradshaw.
Most but not all candidates have confirmed attending the interview.
KRFY Morning Show hosts Chris Bessler and Suzy Prez will interview and moderate for each program. Voters are invited to submit questions they’d like to pose to candidates, in advance of the show, via the station’s website at www. KRFY.org.
For listeners who cannot catch the show live at 8 a.m., a recorded podcast of each show will be posted to the KRFY.org website by afternoon.
Prez, who is KRFY station manager, said the election coverage is part of the station’s ongoing mission to inform its listeners on important local issues and events.
“We want to have an objective, friendly and respectful dialog on the issues. It’s the candidates’ chance to articulate their positions and make the case with voters why they are best suited for office – and for voters to learn more about those who are running.”
Bouquets:
GUEST SUBMISSION:
• I just wanted to send in a bouquet for Beth at the Sandpoint Driver’s Licensing Office. With all the computer issues that the state has been having recently, she’s been amazing. On every single occasion that I’ve been there this past month for my teenager’s first permit, Beth has been nothing but wonderful. The lines are long and the system seems to have some fun little glitches that will get resolved, but until then, Beth has been handling walk-in questions, processing permits and answering the phones all with a fantastic sense of humor and appreciation for the delays. She’s doing a great job and though the experience was longer than my teenager wanted, it was positive the entire way through. Thanks, Beth! You are a great ambassador for the sheriff’s office!
-Dig Chrismer
Barbs
GUEST SUBMISSION from reader Steve Sanchez:
• “In the summer I often ride my bike on training rides around the back roads of the Selle Valley. Recently I was riding up to the end of the pavement on Upper Pack River Road when I started noticing beer cans lying in the ditch. There were literally hundreds of beer cans (I lost count) and the vast majority of them were Natural Ice and Keystone Light. For the person(s) who are depositing these beer cans, I have three thoughts for you: life is too short for drinking shitty beer, Idaho is too great to litter and littering on public or private property within the state of Idaho is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine up to $1000, with the possibility of eight to 40 hours of litter cleanup (Idaho Statute 18-7031).
If anyone catches this litter bug in the act, please get their license plate and report them to the sheriff!
Sandpoint Community Resource Center to host 3rd annual SoupTember event Thursday
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
Local restaurants will compete in the name of helping others on Thursday, Sept. 20, at the third annual SoupTember event, hosted by the Sandpoint Community Resource Center, from 5-7 p.m. at Farmin Park.
Participating soup chefs include defending champs and wielders of the golden ladle, Beet and Basil, as well as Cedar Street Bistro, City Beach Organics, Eichardt’s, Jalapenos, Loaf and Ladle, Dish at Dover Bay, Skeyes the Limit Catering, Spuds, Tango Cafe, Trinity at City Beach and Winter Ridge.
Participating restaurants vie not only for best soup, but also for best-decorated booth. Both
winners are decided by voting attendees.
Beyond soups and booths, SCRC board member Shanna Yarbrough said there will be a live auction, raffles and a wine and beer garden. Raffle prizes include gift certificates to all participating restaurants as well as more around town, and live auction items include an Idaho Club package, a season pass to the Festival at Sandpoint and much more. Jake Robin will perform live music at the event.
SCRC board member Bon-
By Reader Staff
The Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society and city of Sandpoint Parks and Recreation present “The Moist Montane and Climate Change: 40 Years of Phenological Observations in North Idaho,” at the Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave., from 9:45-11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22.
KNPS’s own Marilyn McIntyre will share her observations, through photos, sketches and words, of the changes in plant and animal cycles in the moist montane forest of the northern Rockies region. She will discuss the influences of climate variations on habitat. McIntyre is both an artist and a naturalist. Her records reflect her observations during nearly 40 years in the Cabinet mountains at 3200 feet.
After receiving her degree
in Art from California State University, East Bay, McIntyre worked for the Idaho Department of Lands as a resource technician focusing on forest improvement. She served on Incident Management Teams in North Idaho and Montana. Visitors to the Arboretum can view her recent mural: Our Wondrous Watershed.
The Mission of the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society is: to foster an understanding and appreciation of native flora and its habitats in the panhandle area of North Idaho, to advocate the conservation of this rich natural heritage for future generations, to encourage the responsible use of native plants in landscaping and restoration, to educate youth and the general public in the value of the native flora and their habitats.
For more information, visit: www.NativePlantSociety.org/
nie Pafundi said SoupTember kicks off fall in Sandpoint.
“It has the ambiance, the atmosphere, the music, the smells, the soup, the hay bales,” Pafundi said. “People congregate to meet all their friends there.”
Yarbrough echoed Pafundi’s sentiment, and added that she hopes SoupTember will help educate locals about what SCRC stands for.
“Our mission is bridging the gap between people in need and those who serve. No matter
what the need is, and regardless of the circumstances, we find the resources to help out,” she said. “When we create an event (like SoupTember), it’s not just to raise money, but also to bring the community together, raise awareness and have a great time.”
Pay $10 at the event to sample soups and vote for best booth and soup. All proceeds directly benefit SCRC.
‘All Things Senior’ dedicated to upcoming grads and parents
By Reader Staff
Do you have a senior in high school? Want to know the next steps to take in their educational career?
Sandpoint High School is hosting a forum on just that topic: “All Things Senior” is an evening dedicated to seniors and their parents to get a glimpse of the next steps to take during and after senior year. They will have a college fair and breakout
sessions with topics such as FAFSA, scholarships, applications, Apply Idaho and more.
This is a free evening open to the public, but is aimed for soon-to-be graduating seniors and their parents.
The forum takes place Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sandpoint High School. It is sponsored by North Idaho Education. Please call (208) 7693449 for more information.
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Quite often, we receive emails or calls from readers reacting to something they saw in the Reader. Whether it’s a positive or negative reaction, one commonality rings true: most people think they have a good understanding of the ethics of journalism. While that’s true for some readers, most are not aware of the internal processes that take place in newsrooms across the country to ensure the story gets told adequately.
That’s totally fine. I don’t barge into a doctor’s office and tell them how to correctly lance a boil. You won’t see me at an auto mechanic’s explaining to them how to change a timing belt. Journalism is no different. Sure, it’s an accessible field that draws people from all walks of life, but there are some rules that we live by that need to be shared with the reading public from time to time, if only to cut down on the angry letters over an issue that isn’t really an issue at all.
Here are some quick and dirty rules that we follow while putting together stories for the newspaper. This is by no means a definitive list, but it should give a bird’s eye view of the art and practice of journalism. For fun, I’ve labeled each point with a specific quote from “The Big Lebowski.” Why? Well, why the hell not?
“Yeah, well that’s just your opinion, man.” - Jeff Labowski
One common misconception is the difference between news and opinion. The American Press Institute reported last year that 32 percent of Americans find it difficult to distinguish news from opinion in the media. That’s one in three people.
This is not always your fault. More and more often, news outlets seem to blur the lines between opinion and news. It’s up to you, dear readers, to ascertain whether what you are reading is opinion or otherwise.
We try to make the distinction very clear with headers at the top of the page that identify stories as such. But looking deeper, what is the difference between the two?
Generally speaking, if you write a news story, its purpose is to cover what happens. If you write an opinion story, also known as an op-ed (for opinion-editorial), the purpose is to share what you think of something. Both are useful tools in media literacy, as opinion writers often have more latitude to share personal anecdotes and observations
that would normally not be included in a news article.
You’ll never see a news writer including themselves in the story, or referencing the reader in any way. That’s because, for all intents and purposes, the news writer only exists in that moment as a vessel to report what happened. Nothing more.
There is also a third category that has sprung up in recent years known as analysis, which focuses on what happens, but adds another dimension by attempting to explain (usually from an expert) what these happenings mean and drawn conclusions accordingly.
“That rug really tied the room together.” -Jeff Lebowski
Journalists are everyday people, but they often must remove themselves from or declare conflicts of interest that might taint the way they report the news. For this reason, even though my main duties at the Reader are as publisher, I occasionally write for the news page. Because of this, I generally try not to serve on any boards or get too involved with one entity in town. I maintain my separation as much as possible. The goal is not to act on behalf of a special interest group so that they get preferential coverage, or the opposite.
“This is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.” -Walter Sobchak
There’s a rule they teach you in college journalism classes that states that you should do no harm. That sounds simple, but there’s a lot going on there.
Journalists have an immense amount of responsibility because their work has the potential to reach a lot of people. If a story focuses on a particular person, especially if
it’s a negative story, the potential to cause distress or harm increases.
For that reason, journalists are most always careful about overstepping their bounds. Cameron, Lyndsie and I have frequent discussions about stories we’re working on. One question we often ask: “Is this newsworthy?” Which means, is there a real news peg to hang this story on, or are we just trying to make it fit? Thought and discussion goes into every story you read, including this one.
“This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous.” -Jeff Lebowski
There are always two sides to a story. Any journalist who doesn’t reach out to the opposing side when working on a story is not attempting to give all sides a say. There’s no rule that says journalists need to use a set number of sources to tell their story, but stories should strive for balance. Impartial reporting – while difficult at times, especially with certain subject matters – is the mark of a true professional.
“Uh, I’m just gonna go find a cash machine.” -Jeff Lebowski
This one came up a couple of times recently: Let’s say a political candidate buys an advertisement, but the newspaper informs them that they declining to publish the ad because the newspaper does not endorse the candidate. Is that ethical?
No, it’s not. Advertising and editorial departments are deliberately kept separate, because no publication worth its salt should ever accept money for a story (there’s a publication in Sandpoint that does, however, and we condemn that practice). If people were able to buy stories in a newspaper,
that means you’d always read about how awesome Coca-Cola is, or how amazing Walmart treats its employees, or how Amazon has changed the world of shopping for the better.
The same holds true for advertising content. As long as it doesn’t incite violence or break any laws, newspaper editors and publishers will never tell an advertiser what they can or can’t print in the space they purchase. That’s your space. You bought it.
Some media outlets run what’s known as “advertorials” which are paid ads that intentionally blur the line for the media consumer into thinking the ad they are reading is actually sponsored content. It’s not. That’s why newspapers usually label advertorials as such, or they’ll have a line that reads, “Paid for by so-and-so.”
When you see an advertisement in the Reader, it means that’s what the client decided to put in that space for their money. In no way does the ad’s placement in the paper mean the Reader supports or opposes the message, nor should it.
“Am I wrong? -Walter Sobchak
Journalists strive for truth and accuracy, but from time to time, we get things wrong. We’re human. One way journalists hold themselves accountable is to print a retraction or correction if an error has been brought to their attention. This can be as simple as a typo or wrong word choice or as messy as a misquote or a quote taken completely out of context. You can find our corrections box every week by the crossword puzzle. With any luck, it’ll be empty more than it’ll be filled, but either way, you’ll always find it there.
If a journalist commits an error, it’s up to them to express their regret sincerely. Nobody likes being Monday-morning quarterbacked, but it’s part of our job to listen to the complaints of the reading public and make right by them if we are found to be in the wrong.
“The Dude abides.” -Jeff Lebowski
In conclusion, there will always be a difference of opinion on how the news is covered. No matter if you believe in our reporting or think we’re full of it, it’s important for you all to know that we care about what we print in this newspaper.
I’m always available for rants, raves, condemnations and the inevitable “I found a typo” calls. It’s my job. -BO
What opponents and supporters are saying about this November’s ballot proposal
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
While Proposition 1, headed for state ballots this November, has many Idahoans scratching their heads, it’s also inspired vigorous debate among proponents and opponents alike.
The ballot measure is pitched by supporters as an essential move to bolster Idaho’s struggling horse racing industry while creating jobs and providing tax dollars for education. Opponents, meanwhile, worry the measure could be broadly interpreted to allow an unmitigated expansion of gambling terminals across the state.
The debate centers on the use of historical horse race, or HHR, terminals. These terminals display short clips of past horse races, allowing individuals to bet on the outcomes and providing a more stable form of income for horse racing outfits in the state.
According to the Idaho Secretary of State’s ballot documentation, the Idaho Legislature voted in 2013 to allow HHR terminals at horse racing tracks, and in the subsequent two years, the revenue yields from the machines allowed for an increase from $2,000 to $5,000 in live horse purse prizes per race.
In 2015, the Legislature reversed its decision, which Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter attempted to veto. Disputes over the veto’s timing cast the legality of HHR terminals in doubt, and since then, ballot documentation indicates that the Idaho racing industry lost over 535 jobs.
Those in support of Prop 1 argue restoring HHR machines would bring back the jobs lost after the ban plus hundreds more, adding up to a claimed $50 million in economic activity. A portion of that revenue would also fund public education. In addition, 90 percent of wagers are returned to
bettors, distinguishing HHR terminals from gambling methods like slot machines, which are specifically prohibited in the proposal.
The chief supporters of Prop 1 are advocates for the Idaho racing industry, who led the charge to collect signatures for a ballot measure after they failed to get their concerns addressed legislatively. But they also include libertarian-leaning conservatives like the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Wayne Hoffman, who argues that the state lottery and government overreach, along with special-interest influence, have gutted a once-flourishing Idaho horse racing tradition.
“Voters (for Prop 1) will throw a necessary lifeline to an industry that deserves better treatment than Idaho’s lawmakers have given it over the past
several decades,” Hoffman wrote in an editorial.
Opponents of Prop 1, meanwhile, see more worrying implications for the legalization of horse racing terminals. They believe the allowance of machines wherever racing occurs, regardless of whether or not a race is taking place, as a massive expansion of gambling throughout Idaho, with one location housing 200 HHR terminals before the 2015 ban. They also are skeptical of the public benefits from terminals. A breakdown on the website for Idaho United Against Prop 1, the leading activist group against the initiative, reveals that promoters take a guaranteed 9-percent profit, while .50 percent goes to public schools, .25 percent to the regulatory commission fund, .10 percent to the racing track
distribution fund, .10 percent to the breed fund and .05 percent to the Idaho Horse Council.
Tribal organizations throughout the state, meanwhile, see the measure as a threat to its members’ economic well-being.
“It’s absolutely critical that this initiative is defeated. It could have a devastating impact for Idaho’s Tribes and will dramatically cut ongoing investments in Idaho’s public schools,” said Leonard Forsman, president of Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and chairman of the Suquamish Tribe of Washington, in a press release.
Check next week’s Reader for the same analysis of Proposition 2, the Medicaid Expansion Initiative.
By Nick Gier Reader Columnist
The Centers for Disease Control has just released preliminary data on sexually transmitted diseases, and they show a dramatic increase in infections over four years. In 2017, there were 2.3 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, more than 200,000 from the previous year.
Since 2013, there has been a 67-percent increase in cases of gonorrhea, 15 percent among women but doubling in men. The principal concern here is that gonorrhea has become resistant to most antibiotics. The current treatment is an injection of ceftriaxone with an oral dose of azithromycin to prevent the bacterium from becoming resistant to ceftriaxone.
New studies from the CDC indicate that gonorrhea may well defeat this strategy.
Gail Bolan, director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, warns: “We expect gonorrhea will eventually wear down our last highly-effective antibiotic, and additional treatment options are urgently needed.”
Cases of primary and secondary syphilis went up 76 percent over four years. Even though there is mandatory syphilis testing for those women under prenatal care, far too few women with little or no medical attention get screened. The result, according to David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, is that “thousands of babies a year are diagnosed with congenital syphilis.”
The most prevalent STD is chlamydia, and there were 1.7 million cases reported in 2017. The most troubling fact is that 45 percent of chlamydia infections were among young women 15-24-years-old.
In many cases chlamydia does not show any symptoms, and it is estimated that 25 percent of teen girls are living with an undetected STD. If chlamydia and gonorrhea remain untreated, women can, in some cases, become infertile.
The statistics in Idaho are equally troubling. In 2017, there were 6,577 reported cases of STDs, including HIV, up from 6,266 from the previous year. The number of cases vary from region to region. In Southeast Idaho gonorrhea infections were down 14 percent, but chlamydia was up slightly. In the South-Central Health District, however, instances of gonorrhea rose 203 percent.
Kimberly Matulonis-Edgar, STD Coordinator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, speculates about the reasons for the increase: “It could be that people
aren’t as consistently using condoms or not having conversations with their sexual partners. There are definitely more hook-up sites today than there were in the past, and people are having more anonymous sex than they have had in the past.”
These reasons may also explain the rise of STD infections in Europe, where, ten years ago, they were far fewer than the U.S. The increase is puzzling because these countries generally have much lower teen abortions, teen births, better sex education and higher condom use.
In 2011, STD rates started to increase in the Netherlands after a conservative government cut funding for STD education and prevention. Nevertheless, the Dutch are far down the list of European countries with increased STD rates.
Sociologist Amy Schalet has done research comparing American and Dutch approaches to teen sexuality. She found that “most American teenagers hide their virginity loss from their parents, furtively popping the cherry in risky situations, often without protection against pregnancy or sexually-transmitted infections. In contrast, most Dutch teenagers lose their virginity in their own bedrooms with their parent’s approval and condoms.”
Sweden has been named the “sexually-transmitted infection capital of Europe.”
In rank order, following the Swedes were Germans, Britons, French, Poles, Spaniards, Italians and Danes, who acknowledged that they sought treatment for STDs.
Sweden requires those who want treatment to both identify and inform all their sexual partners, so that authorities can more effectively counter this epidemic.
In 2016 Danish health authorities reported 34,132 cases of chlamydia, 3,478 gonorrhea infections (an increase of 27 percent), and 742 instances of syphilis. As a percentage of population, the total is just slightly less than the U.S.
Returning to Idaho, Heather Schaper, medical director at Health West in Pocatello, recommends that the state should be “offering more sex education that focuses not only on what STDs are but also safe practices at preventing them. Currently, Idaho public schools utilize an abstinence-only approach to sex education.”
“personal Vietnam.” Let’s hope that he will see this as a national security issue.
Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Email him at ngier006@gmail.com.
Federal funding to prevent and treat STDs has decreased by 40 percent over the past 15 years, and STD prevention leader David Harvey has estimated that at least $70 million is needed immediately to address the STD epidemic in the nation.
Donald Trump once said that he was a “brave soldier” avoiding STDs. Vaginas were “potential landmines,” and it was his
By Bill Borders
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
When you want weird, Brenden delivers weird.
The geoduck (gooey-duck) isn’t even a duck, it’s a clam called a duck. That’s not even the weirdest part of its name. Its name is derived from a Lushootseed (language of the Salish Native American tribes) word for genitals, probably because of its X-rated appearance.
The geoduck is, in fact, a clam. A big freakin’ clam, getting up to almost 8 inches, but it has an extendable siphon that can reach up to 3.3 feet. Despite their immense size, they start the first few years of their lives about the size of a dime or a quarter. This odd alien ocean dweller is a favorite on cooking competitions, where most competitors have no idea what on Earth it is or why they have to cook with it.
Not only do they have weird names and appearances, they’re also one of the longest-lived organisms in the world (once you disqualify things like trees or super-cloning Aspen and fungi.). People have found geoducks that have lived for almost 170 years. I’m not sure what sort of war crimes you perpetrate in a former life to be reincarnated as a giant alien slug-beast cursed to live for almost two centuries, but I’m glad my former self didn’t partake in such shenanigans!
Another weird trait geoducks possess that should’ve been included in an article a couple of weeks ago is something called broadcast spawning. Geoducks don’t mate.
Instead, the female expels tens of thousands of eggs into the ocean currents and just hopes that males are downstream getting all worked up and fertilizing them in their path. The number of eggs a single geoduck female can release in her lifetime numbers in the billions. The number of those eggs that may mature into another geoduck is a fraction of a fraction of that. They may live for a long time, but between commercial fishing, the introduction of parasites and the natural ebb and flow of the natural world, these poor dudes have an extremely high mortality rate.
You might think this alien clam has nothing to do with you. In most cases, you’d probably be right, but did you know the geoduck is kind of your neighbor? They’re native to the Pacific Northwest’s coastline, and they’re actually commercially farmed in Puget Sound. That’s right: between timber, apples and potatoes, the Northwest has another specialty crop that’s taking the world by storm: giant freaky clams!
Geoducks spend their lives burrowed beneath the mud, sand or silt. They spend their entire life (all 1.5 centuries of it) in one spot, using that creepy siphon neck to draw in seawater, plankton and minerals. What’s super gross is they expel their waste the same way they draw in their food. If humans did that… Ah, let’s just not even go there.
Not only does the water surrounding the geoduck’s siphon effect the quality of its meat, but so too does the
quality of the sand or dirt alter the taste and texture. Geoducks that have grown in fine substrate and sand tends to be more tender, while geoducks that spent their lives in mud are tougher and more earthy. You know what they say: location, location, location!
Despite what you might think at first glance, there’s a tremendous amount of stuff you can do to geoduck in the kitchen. Dice it, saute it, serve it raw. The flesh is crunchy and savory, so desserts aren’t your go-to with this mollusk, but don’t let me stop you from being adventurous. You went as far as overnighting one of these goofy things, who am I to hold you back from your culinary dreams?
Geoducks are extremely popular in Asian cuisine. Korea probably has the most varied uses for these clams, serving them raw, putting them in soups, sauteing them, frying them, you name it. For sashimi aficionados, Geoduck sashimi is called “mirugai”. Though I can’t vouch for this information personally, mirugai has been described as “sweet, salty, somewhat like oyster, tangy like sea cucumber and chewy.”
The next time you see this oddball show up on a cooking show, now you can smile to yourself: You probably know more about this weird thing than the people that have to cook with it do.
Stay weird, 7B.
• Ocean depths are divided based on how far down sunlight can reach. The first layer is the sunlit zone, which extends to 200 meters below the surface. This is where we find the most familiar fish and sea mammals. Below the sunlit zone is a region of the sea that is so dimly lit, scientists call it the twilight zone. Reaching as deep as 1,000 meters below the surface, this zone receives some light from the sun, but not enough for plants to grow. Many of the creatures that live in and below the twilight zone can create their own light from a chemical reaction in their bodies called bioluminescence. About 1,000 meters below the surface, there is no sunlight. Nearly all the creatures here in the midnight zone have strangely shaped, glowing bodies. Amazingly, giant sperm whales sometimes dive here searching for food.
• There is a fish called the Atlantic wolffish that lives in near-freezing water which produces its own antifreeze to keep the blood flowing.
• When anglerfish mate, the male latches onto the female’s body and fuses to her, losing all his internal organs until they share a bloodstream. It also loses its eyes and all internal organs except the testes. The female anglerfish often have six or more males latched onto them like this.
• There is a deep sea cephalopod called the “vampire squid” which can literally turn itself inside out when under attack.
• Upon reaching adulthood, the male flabby whalefish fuses its mouth shut and stops feeding. It loses its stomach and esophagus and uses the energy from previous meals to grow a massive liver which supports the fish for life.
• Because of their extremely narrow posterior, the anus of slender snipe eels is actually located on its throat.
• There is a species of worm known as “pigbutt worm” or “flying buttocks,” and it resembles a disembodied pig’s butt.
Editor’s note: In the summer 2018 issue of Sandpoint Magazine, local Karen Seashore provided photographs of some of the cooler artistic bike racks located around Sandpoint. Because our town knows how to make these useful tools funky, there were too many racks to include in the piece. So, in the interest of showcasing our great talent, here are a few racks that didn’t make the cut. Thanks for sending, Karen!
Dollar Beers!
8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Girls Pint Out Night
5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Listening Session
5-6:30pm @ Monarch Rd. Senior Ctr. (Sagle)
Area residents are invited to attend a listening session to voice your issues and concerns
Live Music w/ Maya Goldblum
6-9pm @ 219 Lounge
See story on page 21
Live Music w/ Bright Moments 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge
Jazz, ska, blues-inspired tunes
Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA
6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Live Music w/ Bright Moments
7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Featuring Maya Goldblum
6pm @ Pend
Cool chicks, great beer, no dudes! Join Vicki at the big table for an evening talking and tasting lager and pilsner beer
Live Music w/ BareGrass
5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Progressive Americana from a Sandpoint crew of pickers
Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Americana and rock
7:30pm @ Panida Theater
Enjoy a musical clues answers lead ucational
Live Music w/ John 7-10pm @ Eichardt’s
Live Music w/ Chris & Brian Jacobs
8-10pm @ The Back Piano/guitar duo
Randy McAllister - Brews & Blues
East Texas roadhouse soul by one of our true blues/roots masters
Live Trivia Night
6:30pm @ Tervan
Live Music w/ Adam Straubinger
5-7pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery
Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 10pm-12am @ 219 Lounge
Indie rock trio starts after comedy show
Blues Night at the Beer Hall
6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Featuring Kevin Dorin and Steve Rush and Chris Paradise. Twisted Kilt Black
Iron Grill Food Truck will be serving
Sandpoint Chess Club
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am
7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Night-Out Karaoke
9pm @ 219 Lounge
Join DJ Pat for a night of singing, or just come to drink and listen
Wind Down Wednesday
5-8pm @ 219 Lounge
With live music by blues
man Truck Mills and guest musician Carl Rey
Dollar Beers!
8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Good until the keg’s dry
Axe Throwing League
6-10pm @ Tervan
Yeah, you read that right
Inland NW Preparedness Expo (Sept. 9am-5pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds
Two days of preparedness workshops, tations and exhibits. $3, free for 12 and
Live Comedy Night at the Niner 8pm @ 219 Lounge
Live stand up comedy with Kirk Fox, who current ly has his own Showtime special, Greg Kettner host Morgan Preston. Tickets $20/adv, $25/door International Scholarship Sip & Shop 4-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
A portion of sales go to the International Scholarship.
Edison in Concert
7pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe
An indie rock trio from Colorado
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills
Trivia Night
7-9pm @ MickDuff’s
Bring your brains and try not to dull them with beer too much. It’s on!
Magic Wednesday
6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s
Enjoy close-up magic shows by Star Alexander right at your table
Listening Session
2:30-4:30pm @ Blanchard
Area residents are invited session to voice your issues Trivia TakeoverLive
Mended Hearts Support Group for heart 3:30-4:30pm @ Bonner General Health Classrooms Education, emotional and practical support
All Things Senior
5:30-7:30pm @ Sandpoint High School
Dedicated to seniors and their parents, gives a glimpse of the next steps to take after senior year. (208) 627-2528
Axe Throwing League
6-10pm @ Tervan
Yeah, you read that right
Auditions for “The Nutcracker” 6pm @ DanceWorks Studio
Bring your blossoming dancers to DanceWorks Studio, 409 N. Fourth Ave.
Check artinsandpoint.org for times
Live Music 7-10pm @ Eichardt’s From Pack Sandpoint’s
Asexual Plant Propagation
6pm @ Ponderay Events
Learn methods of propagating without using seeds. la Eiring of Florascape
Trivia Takeover Live
6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Enjoy a fun-filled game where musical clues and point-wagering answers lead to an interactive, educational trivia experience. Free!
Music w/ John Firshi
Eichardt’s Pub
Music w/ Chris Lynch
Jacobs
The Back Door
duo
blues/roots masters
Expo (Sept. 22-23)
Fairgrounds workshops, presenfor 12 and under
Fox, who currentGreg Kettner and $20/adv, $25/door Shop International Scholarship.
Session
September 20-27, 2018
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.
SoupTember
5pm @ Farmin Park
Sandpoint Community Resource Center hosts SoupTember. There will be 13 restaurants participating, plus live music, games, and lots of fun!
Bingo at the Bonner Mall (two days) 6-8pm @ Bonner Mall
A family event with a raffle and gift certificate prizes. Food available. Fundraiser for North Idaho Federated Republican Women’s Club
Paint and Sip
6:30pm @ The Pottery Bug, “If Van Gogh Were From Idaho!” $30
Sandpoint Farmers Market
9am-1pm @ Farmin Park
Shop for locally grown produce, artisan wares, and more, plus, chef demonstrations and lots of samples provided by market vendors. Enjoy live music with Ben and Cadie
SoulMotion®: One Eye In 7-9pm @ Embody Studios, 823 Main St.
A conscious dance practice with Brietta Leader. Sliding Scale: $12-20
Listening Session
10am-5pm @ Sandpoint & Clark Fork Library
Area residents are invited to attend a listening session to voice your issues and concerns
Blanchard Community Ctr
are invited to attend a listening your issues and concerns
Axe Throwing League
6-10pm @ Tervan
Yeah, you read that right
Group for heart patients
General Health Classrooms practical support for heart patients and caregivers
High School their parents, this event steps to take during and 627-2528
Reader recommended
Adult Grief Support Group
6pm @ BGH Classrooms
Call Lissa at (208) 265-1185
Just Beyond: A Plein Air Journey
5:30-7pm @ Columbia Bank Plaza
Please join the Pend Oreille Arts Council to look through the eyes and brushes of five artists exploring the area just beyond Sandpoint
Listening Session
10am-5pm @ Sandpoint & Clark Fork Library
Area residents are invited to attend a listening session to voice your issues and concerns
Celebrate National Ballroom Dance Week!
7-10pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall
The fun begins at 7 with a Fox Trot lesson taught by professional Instructors from Spokane. Following the lesson will be general dancing, refreshments, door prizes, mixers, and a drawing for one month of free dance lessons. Singles, Couples, and all levels of dancers are welcome! $9/adults, $5/teens
Bingo at the Bonner Mall (two days) 12-4pm @ Bonner Mall
A family event with a raffle and gift certificate prizes. Food available. Fundraiser for Bonner Co. Republican Women’s Club
Karaoke night 8pm @ Tervan
Sing your favorites!
Piano Sunday w/ Annie Welle
4-6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live piano at the Winery
Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant
This week’s topic: “Panic Attacks and Anxiety”
SFN Movie Night screens “Baby Driver” 7pm @ Panida Little Theater
Suggested $5 donation.
Live Music w/ Vance Bergeson
7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
From Pack River to you, Vance is one of Sandpoint’s most original singer-songwriters
Plant Propagation
Ponderay Events Center methods of propagating plants using seeds. Led by ManuelFlorascape Nursery
Sandpoint Farmers Market
3-5pm @ Farmin Park Shop for locally grown produce, shop artisan wares, eat good food and enjoy live music by Oak St. Connection
Team Autism 24/7 Fundraiser
5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority with Ballast Point Brewing beer on tap from 5-8pm. Live music with Marty Perron and Doug Bond. Raffle Prizes and complimentary appetizers
Sept. 28
Oktoberfest Bash with RFB @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Sept. 28
Joseph Hein Band @ 219 Lounge
Sept. 2
Head of Pend Oreille Regatta @ Mudhole (Priest River)
rain or
we are here
By Reader Staff
Explore wetland ecology on a guided tour with Brian Baxter Saturday, Oct. 6, in Libby, Mont.
Baxter will lead the class through a meandering trek through riparian areas in search of autumn birds, wetland plants, animal tracks and sign, amphibians, reptiles, raptors and mammals.
The day will begin with coffee and tea at the Venture Inn in Libby at 8:45 a.m. MST (7:45 a.m. PST) and will continue to examine ponds, interspersed wetland ecosystems, lake shores and rivers. Birds are active and migrating, and the wetlands are alive and
moving.
Baxter urges participants to arrive with full gas tanks, water, lunch and hunter safety orange vests for safe viewing. Spotting scopes, binoculars and cameras are encouraged as autumn views in the area can be stunning. Short hikes are less than one mile round trip on average and of mild to medium slope.
This is a free class sponsored by the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness and Silver Cloud Associates. To register, email b_ baxter53@yahoo.com or call (406) 291-2154. Wraps up around 3 p.m. - no dogs please.
By Laurie Brown Reader Columnist
While most gardeners are probably ready to be done with working outside, we still want it to look nice. There are lots of beautiful foliage plants that shine in autumn, but fewer bloomers. There are some plants, though, that shine in late summer/autumn: Asters (their name means “star!”), chrysanthemums and autumn crocus.
Asters are mostly dead easy. They are in the huge “daisy” family. They are great plants for pollinators, providing nectar in the late season. They come in white, pink and purple; the flowers of the hardy types being mostly rather small, held in clusters. They are available in a range of heights, from 6 inches to almost 6 feet. The taller varieties may tend to floppiness, especially if not grown in full sun; this can be somewhat controlled by cutting the plants back by half in early summer. This will also delay flowering, pushing it more into the later season when it’s most appreciated; this may also create more blooms. Asters make great cut flowers and are not often bothered by deer. Divide every three years, as they can get huge but the centers die out. Good drainage is required. While most are your standard green leaves and colored flowers, my favorite is “Lady in Black” which has black stems and foliage and tiny white blooms! We have
a native aster, with purple flowers, which is blooming right now.
Another autumn star is the fall crocus (Colchicum speciosum). This is NOT saffron crocus (Crocus sativum) so do NOT use it for food! In spring the rather huge bulbs produce clumps of bright green leaves, which die off over summer. Then in late summer, large pink-purple blooms come right out of the ground and last for weeks. I’ve lost none to deer and only one clump to gophers, and I think that was an accident. Like most bulbs, they need good drainage.
Chrysanthemums are traditional fall flowers but are problematical in our area; they need VERY good drainage and a warm spot. Don’t even try the spiders or other exotic flower types; stick to the basic daisy style. Also, the supermarket ones with the fancy foil wrappers on the pots aren’t hardy here; treat them as annuals or table décor only. Even hardy mums are not long lived. Cut the growth back by half around the summer solstice to control height and get them to bloom in autumn instead of summer. Do not cut to the ground in fall; leave the stems up and give them a loose mulch (pine boughs) after the ground has frozen. Mums provide us with a large range of colors: white, shades of yellow and gold, pinks, rusts and purples, and are the ultimate fall flower. In the future I hope to see hardy ones that have the full flowers and great forms that the tender ones do!
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Angelina Henry and Marcy Timblin, co-owners of Sandpoint’s forthcoming Uptown Bagel Co., just want their customers to be happy. The rest will all sort itself out.
“We want that ‘Cheers’ experience where everybody knows your name,” said Henry, who co-founded the new Sandpoint business with Timblin. “We want to be friends with our community, and we want them to leave with a smile on their face.”
Armed with tasty New York bagels, a cheery customer service mantra and a basket full of ‘80s music, Henry and Timblin aim to open their bagel shop in Sandpoint the first half of October.
“Marcy came to me with the idea in January, and we’ve been working on it ever since,” said Henry.
Henry said the idea came to Timblin after she visited her daughter in Moscow.
“They have Moscow Bagel Co. down there, and every time they went to visit, they’d always stop by the bagel shop and have a bagel,” she said. “Then we thought, ‘There’s no bagel shop in Sandpoint.’ And I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a bagel sandwich.”
Henry and Timblin – both Sandpoint locals – chose the location at 301 Cedar, which is located inside the Old Belwood Building (the shop is accessed from Third Ave. to the south of Fat Pig Restaurant).
Uptown will feature a new item to Sandpoint: New York bagels shipped special to Sandpoint. Why are New York bagels so popular?
“A true New Yorker will tell you that their bagels are so good because of the
water,” said Henry. “A true New York bagel is boiled in granite water from New York … which gives it a chewy texture on the inside, but the outside a little tougher. The granite water gives it a true flavor and helps the bagels bake more evenly, too.”
Uptown plans to operate Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a wide variety of bagels, as well as specialty breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches. Both breakfast and lunch bagels will be served all day.
One signature sandwich is the “Hammy Hagar,” which comes with ham, cheddar, tomatoes, sprouts and cream cheese. Another is the “Mr. T” with roasted turkey, pickled red onion, lettuce, cranberry sauce and cream cheese on a whole grain bagel. There’s the “Stallone,” which features salami,
ham, roast beer, provolone, red onion, lettuce, banana peppers and roasted red pepper cream cheese on a garlic bagel.
In all, there will be over a dozen signature sandwiches on the menu and a plethora of bagel varieties to choose from. Henry and Timblin even plan to make their own cream cheese in-house.
“It’s not going to be cream cheese like Philadelphia,” said Henry. “It’s called frischkase, which is German for ‘cream cheese.’ It’s softer than your standard cream cheese, more spreadable, and you can mix other ingredients in it.”
Along with delicious sandwiches and bagel varieties, Henry said an equally important tenet of their business is to create happiness.
“It’s going to be a classier place with a funky ‘80s vibe,” said Henry. “We
really want to have fun, and we want our customers to feel like they’ve made a new friend.”
While the goal to spread happiness is built into their business model, the pair also intend to put their money where their mouths are and donate a percentage from each sandwich to a variety of local charities.
“We’re really passionate about mental health,” said Henry. “That’s why we wanted to give back like this. Our mission statement pretty much sums it up: ‘To serve deliciously addictive food and happiness to every customer by 2 p.m. every day.’”
Follow Uptown Bagel Co. on Facebook to find out their exact opening date, which is scheduled for the first half of October.
Rowers make their way through calm water at a past event. Courtesy photo
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Rowers from all over Idaho, Washington and Canada will converge in Priest River next weekend as the Head of the Pend Oreille Regatta celebrates its ninth annual race on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Priest River.
The annual race, which takes place at the “Mudhole” in Priest River, on the Pend Oreille River, tests the endurance and skill of rowers.
Friday, Sept. 28, is arrival day, with rowing practice from 2-6 p.m. with safety boats in the water.
The main event takes place Saturday with the 1,700 meter Head race from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. After a break for lunch (more about that in a minute), racing continues with the 1,000 meter Stake, or relay, race starting at 3 p.m. and running until 5 p.m.
There will be a Regatta BBQ between the two racing events at 1 p.m. at the Mudhole.
The Klondyke’s smoked ribs and chicken — better known as “Bruno’s
BBQ” — is the featured menu item, which will be accompanied by corn on the cob, rolls and coleslaw. By popular demand, the Regatta signature cookies will also be back.
Tickets to the BBQ will be $15 for adults and $7.50 for 12 and under. They must be purchased in advance. The last day to buy tickets will be Sunday, Sept. 23. Tickets can be purchased at the Klondyke in Laclede, Mac’s Conoco on Highway 57, Bonner Saw in Priest River and Seeber’s Drug and Country Lane in Newport. Tickets are also available online through PayPal at porpa.org under the “Regatta” tab.
On Sunday, crews are invited to “Experience the Pend Oreille River” and row with the Pend Oreille Row and Paddle Association. Join PORPA at the Mudhole at 7 a.m.
Email headrace@netw.com for more information about the race or the BBQ.
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
When executive director of the Panida, Patricia Walker, invites people to upcoming dinner theater show “The Mysterious Murder of Madeline LaMar,” she tells people it’s going to be a “killer dinner party.” The pun works on several levels, and chairman of the Panida board Robert Moore hopes the positive connotation of “killer” shines through on Oct. 5 and 6.
“I want it to be fun,” Moore said. “(This is) live theater outside of, ‘We just sit in the dark and eat popcorn and watch our friends.’”
This means attendees on stage at tables will enjoy appetizers, drinks and dinner while
actors perform among them. The audience will also participate by guessing the murderer for a prize, but a few will also get a chance to act.
“You don’t have to be classically trained,” Moore joked about the participating audience members. “It’s supposed to be fun, not ridged and stuffy.”
“The Mysterious Murder of Madeline LaMar” is the Panida’s fall fundraiser, Walker said, and she is excited to host a fundraiser within the theater for a change. The play is an original written by local woman Teresa Pesce, and inspired by actual Panida ghosts, Walker said.
“This was a cool way to combine history, theater and little fun,” she said.
Interactive dinner theater show, “The Mysterious Murder of Madeline
LaMar,”
takes the Panida stage Oct. 5 and 6
Walker noted that “vintage” dress is encouraged, as the play is set in the 1940s. She said she is most excited for attendees to sit on stage, offering a change of perspective and a full experience.
“That’s the highlight of what the Panida offers: an experience,” she said.
Appetizers from Trinity at City Beach will be provided, beer and wine will be available for purchase, and dinner — catered by Alex Jacobson of Pack River Store — will consist of red wine and rosemary braised beef, creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes and salad.
Moore admitted that getting people out on the town — instead of at home watching Netflix, for example — is a struggle historical theaters like
the Panida face, and that doing something creative like “The Mysterious Murder” is an attempt at reminding people how special the Panida is.
“We want people to come in, have a glass of wine, enjoy the food and the ambiance and guess the murderer,” he said. “When people leave I want them to think, ‘I’m so glad I spent the money.’ I want (this
event) to build the buzz about the Panida.”
“The Mysterious Murder of Madeline LaMar” will grace the Panida stage Oct. 5 and 6. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets, which cover the three-course meal and the show, are $45 and can be found online at panida. org. Seating is limited, so early ticket purchasing is advised.
Stand-up comedians Kirk Fox and Greg Kettner will take the 219 stage Saturday with host Morgan Preston
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
His own hour-long Showtime special. A recurring role on long-running sitcom “Parks and Rec” as Sewage Joe. Several appearances on “Late Night with Jay Leno.” Movie roles.
Kirk Fox has made a name for himself in comedy, and he’s bringing his act to the 219 Lounge on Saturday, Sept. 22. Show host and producer Morgan Preston said he’s excited to share Fox’s talent with Sandpoint.
“That sounds like a pretty good resume, right?” Preston said. “He’s a big deal.”
The night will also feature Greg Kettner, a young comic from Walla Walla, Wash. Preston said Kettner and Fox are two of the hottest names in the world of stand-up comedy right now.
“Everything I’ve been bringing in is high end. These are the top people in our industry,” he said. “Everyone (I bring to Sandpoint) has some relevance at the time they perform. I’m bringing that same quality (on Sept. 22).”
Preston said he enjoys bringing
comics to smaller towns like Sandpoint because the audiences at the 219 and other smaller venues don’t get stand-up shows in their area very often.
“If the audience is good, the shows are good,” he said, adding that he’s heard several of the comics he brings in talk about how great Sandpoint was after performing there. “(The shows) become magical, and comics talk about those places.”
That “magic” comes not just from the laughs, but also from the atmosphere and overall production, Preston said. He said he prides himself on producing quality shows that make people want to come back.
“There’s more to comedy than going up and telling dick jokes,” he said. “You have to work with people and work on the details: good lights, good sound and a good staff. This is art, dude. We’re here for art. We’re here to listen to storytelling.”
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8. Buy tickets in advance at the 219 for $20, or get them at the door the night of the show for $25. Attendees must be 21 or older.
The Panida Theater can always use your help
By Foster Cline Reader Contributor
You may recognize Susan Bates-Harbuck because of her activism in Sandpoint. Susan has served twice on the Panida board and has volunteered hundreds of times at the Panida. Fact is, she helped to save the Panida back in 1985.
Speaking for myself, as a new board member for the Panida, I wanted to interview Susan in order to better understand my role on the board and learn more of Panida’s history.
Today she recounts with concern: “Everybody takes the Panida for granted. It’s the centerpiece of downtown and everyone just assumes that it will always be there. But we almost lost it. We came really close. There were a number of plans about what could be done with the land once the building was torn down. Some wanted a parking garage and there was talk of turning the theater into a mini-mall. Previous attempts to save the Panida had failed. The Black Diamond Cattle Company in Calgary owned it, and they wanted $300,000 for the Panida. We negotiated them down to $200,000, with a down payment of $40,000.
“Sandpoint raised that amount in only 80 days,” she continued. “And another $35,000 in 40 more days. We sold bricks and tiles, took up donations, had yard sales…. “ She explained further: “You see, in those days, just like now, Sandpoint had much divisiveness.
There was concern about the byway and, of course as always, politics. But saving the Panida pulled this town together. It was a real community effort. Everyone was energized and motivated. Maybe that could happen again for the Panida.”
Susan clarified that, “Sandpoint people are generous. They have given a great deal to the structure of the Panida. People like to donate to something tangible. We now have air conditioning, a wonderful sound system and the seats have been upgraded. The ceiling doesn’t leak. The problem is, it takes money to operate the Panida day to day. To boot, it’s tough financial slogging for a community theater to make it in these days of streaming downloads and high definition big screens in many homes. The Panida competes with all the wonderful venues in town that have live music many nights each week.” Susan’s dream? “What the Panida really needs is an endowment fund for operating costs to end the hand to mouth emergencies.”
Funding the Panida is important. Where else do you go where all are immersed the same story, enjoying the same
touching moments, perhaps snuffling and looking for Kleenex together? You just don’t get that anywhere else but theater.
“I’ve been there so many times when at the end of the movie, everybody clapped. I hope we never lose that,” she said.
As a board member, I realize with increased clarity that the Panida is our best last chance to have a home for live theater and foreign and independent movies in Bonner County. As our town grows, there will be more and more creative people that will bless our lives with their talent.
It is truly time for our community to come together again for the Panida. It is time for action. I hope everyone reading this will support the Panida by becoming a member and going to www.Panida.org/support to make a donation and to subscribe to the e-newsletter that updates unique upcoming events.
If you are interested in helping the Panida start an endowment fund, please call or email Patricia at (208) 2639191or patricia@panida.org”
By Reader Staff
Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness’ 2018 online art auction went “live” on September 13, featuring the paintings and photography of eight “Friends,” with the possibility of more to come. The images currently include oils, acrylics and watercolors from Aaron Johnson, Carol Maddux, Diana Moses, Ed Robinson, Marilyn McIntire and Susan Conway Kean; plus photography from Joe Foster and Marjolein Groot Nibbelink.
“I think we will be adding an artist or two as the show progresses,” FSPW program coordinator Sandy Compton said. “Right now, we have 13 pieces in the auction, all beautiful, and all from around the Scotchman Peaks.
All of the photographs and many of the paintings are the result of the artists’ participation in the annual FSPW Ex-
By Reader Staff
Join Sandpoint Parks and Recreation for another exciting season of youth volleyball! This fun league is for all youth grades three through six. Play will be split into third/fourth grade and fifth/sixth grade teams.
Practices will be held once per week at various elementary schools with games played on Saturday mornings at Sandpoint Middle School starting Nov. 3 and going through Dec. 15 (there will be no games Nov. 10 and no practice or games Thanksgiving week Nov. 19-25).
The fee breakdown are as follows: For one player - $38 (county) $33 (city). For two players - $66 (county) $56 (city) and for three players - $89 (county) $79 (city).
Red and white jerseys are required and can be purchased for $14. Partial scholarships are available.
Volunteer coaches are needed! A coaches meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 11 and Friday, Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers. Pre-register by Oct. 1 online at www.sandpointidaho.gov/parksrecreation or call (208) 263-3613 for more information.
treme Plein Air Expeditions, which takes visual artists into the back country of the Scotchman Peaks to make art on site as well as capture imagery to take back to the studio to be rendered later.
“Some of the artists also paint the Scotchmans from the ‘outside,’ Compton said. “In fact, most have done both. The results from all angles show what a special landscape the Scotchman Peaks contain.”
The auction will be culminate on Nov. 8, when FSPW and Sandpoint’s new Matchwood Brewery team up for a Wild Night For Wilderness; a celebration of local wild country as well as a FSPW volunteer appreciation party.
To visit the auction and bid on the pieces there, visit bit.ly/2018WildArtAuction.
For more information, write to info@
scotchmanpeaks.org or call Sandy Compton at 208-290-1281.
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
When you hear the words “Cannonball Run,” most of you probably remember that cheeky film about a cross country race in the early 1980s starring Burt Reynolds, Dom Deloise and Dean Martin.
This is not an article about that film (but rest in peace, Burt).
The real Cannonball Run is much cooler than that, and this year, the route has it passing right through Sandpoint.
Billed as “the most difficult antique motorcycle race in the world,” the Cannonball Run began in 2009 when founder Lonnie Isam, Jr., daydreamed about cruising America’s back roads with his antique riding friends.
Isam’s main objective was to motivate antique motorcycle owners to break their beautiful relics out of the garage and get them where they were intended to go: on the road.
During the first race in 2010, 45 antique riders gathered on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and left Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for a transcontinental journey to the Pacific. Two years later, the participants doubled when they left New York for the almost 4,000 mile ride to San Francisco. By 2014, the ride had gathered
over 100 participants, all eager to begin the 16-day trek across the continent.
Around the time of the 2016 race, Lonnie Isam was fighting for his life against cancer. As plans for this year’s race were being laid out in August 2017, Isam passed away quietly.
But the race continues on in his memory, and this year the route takes it directly through Sandpoint. The 100 plus riders will wind their antique bikes through Sandpoint on Saturday, Sept. 22, as they make their way to the final stretches of the cross country race to the Pacific Ocean.
They will be coming from western Montana, so they’ll most likely enter North Idaho from Highway 2, travel through Bonners Ferry and continue east from there.
If you see them passing through, give them a wave!
By Tim Henney Reader Contributor
My 1957 bride, Jacquelynn, and I recently moved from Selle Valley into our 14th and final home. It is in South Sandpoint. In the Selle Valley our home included acres of white pine, blue spruce and other gorgeous evergreens. A seasonal creek ran through the back property, suitable – sometimes – for kayaking. There was a tipi, scene of happy family festivities around a firepit. One needn’t ever buy winter fuel for the woodstove because come fall, dead tree trunks and branches were abundant in the forest amongst the lush, live foliage. There was plenty of grass for granddaughter soccer practice and a jumbo barn for storing boats, cars, garden tractors, tools, ladders and the like. Or horses. There were sheds, hay barns, a riding arena and corrals. In South Sandpoint we have fewer bedrooms, fewer bathrooms, and a small shed instead of a big barn. It’s so jammed with stuff we can’t even get inside to look for a hammer. Our property is microscopic. And, like Tennyson’s “Charge Of The Light Brigade,” with “cannons to left of them, cannons to right of them, cannons in front of them,” we have neighbors left, right, front and back. But they appear pleasant enough. Especially our children and grandkids next door.
And of course in the forest there was privacy. One could pee in the expansive, fenced-in front yard
anytime of the day without fear of arrest. That’s what I miss most of all. My 1957 bride and I have owned several such places along life’s merry way — in the woods at Lloyd Harbor, Long Island, and a farm in Geneseo, Ill., to name two. Places where one could pee wherever and whenever one felt the urge. I have a hunch if I peed in the front yard at 10 a.m. in South Sandpoint the police, the sheriff and maybe a National Guard unit or two would pounce faster than lightning. However, just like horses, sailboats and Beefeater martinis — all major players for decades in our younger lives — peeing in the yard, night or day, is no more.
Done. Fini. A canceled signature of an irresponsible past.
So why, you might ask, would anyone move from such grandeur to crowded South Sandpoint — besides saving a bundle on gas? (Or having mysteriously grown too old to get a thrill from clearing snow or tumbling off ladders). Well, for one thing, here we have old-fashioned unpaved alleys behind our houses. They remind me of simpler, more neighborly times growing up in Long Beach, California in the ‘30s and ‘40s when that was still a great place to live. Believe it or not, there were unpaved alleys and lots of vacant lots in SoCal then. A lot of fruit trees, too.
Someday, regrettably, Sandpoint will lose its alleys and vacant lots. The price of progress. Meanwhile, be thankful for winter’s snows or today we’d be a Los Angeles mini-me. South Sandpoint still has mail hand-delivered and picked up by cheerful mailmen. Hoo boy, that takes me back! And an ice cream truck that comes tootling and tinkling down our summer streets. Another ghost from yesteryear. (Except when the ice cream truck rolled along Bixby Road in Long Beach in 1938 a chocolate-covered “milk nickel” cost five cents. Today its equivalent is about three bucks). So we bite the bullet and buy one.
Keep walking, mailmen. Keep tinkling by, ice cream truck. You’re worth it.
For another thing, there are people walking dogs and riding bikes all over South Sandpoint. It is a bonafide community, with all the warmth and camaraderie that brings. My 1957 bride and I love dogs and bike riding, even in our post-dotage. When we ride bikes in South Sandpoint’s alleys and streets we see gardens so gorgeous they belong on calendars, homes with architecture so creative they could grace Architectural Digest magazine. From a car one barely glimpses such scenes. From our 14th and final home we can hike to the football, baseball and soccer field, and to the park tennis courts, in two minutes. On foot it’s three minutes to the boat launch – however, if hauling a boat a vehicle is advised. In South Sandpoint my 1957 bride and I can jump in the car at 4 p.m. and drive a circle with pit stops at the bank, Super Drug, Charles Mortensen’s bike store, the Paint Bucket, the library, Miller’s Country Store and Winter Ridge and be home for cocktails and the BBC telecast at 5. You can’t do that from the Selle Valley, no matter how green, lovely and quiet it is. My 1957 bride and I began life together, at least legally, as preppy young urbanites in quaint, picturesque Greenwich Village, in NYC. We are finishing the trip as happy fossils in quaint, picturesque South Sandpoint, North Idaho. Lucky us. Yea!
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
It’s a long way to Northern Ireland from the Panhandle, but Maya Goldblum hasn’t forgotten her roots.
The Sandpoint-born singer songwriter is playing a series of local shows next week to promote her new album, “Light Shadow Boom Boom,” which will release in November, 2018.
Goldblum will play the 219 Lounge Friday, Sept. 21, from 6-9 p.m., Eichardt’s Pub Sept. 22 from 7-10 p.m. and Idaho Pour Authority Friday, Sept. 28, from 5-7 p.m. All shows are free to attend.
Goldblum, a regular collaborator with her trumpeter father Arthur Goldblum of Sandpoint jazz band Bright Moments, released a single from the forthcoming album called “Honey” in mid-August.
Blending genres of jazz, folk, soul and Americana, Goldblum herself defines the newly released single as “alternative/neo soul.”
“Honey is an analogy for music,” she said. “That’s why I want to visually represent that by being drenched, swimming, consumed by it.”
Indeed, upon watching the official music video Goldblum posted to YouTube of her being absolutely covered in honey, it’s easy to see the reference.
The single is one of 10 original songs Goldblum will feature on “Light Shadow Boom Boom,” all of them intensely personal tracks that explore the different angles of depression and intertwine perspectives of what it takes to accept all sides of oneself.
“Music is a therapy that helps teach me to accept the hardness of being human and
in turn allows me to share my sound with the world,” Goldblum said.
The title refers to the heavens above (light), the earth below (dark), and the human heartbeat in between.
“When I was thinking of names for the album this phrase immediately came to me, since my surge into music started at the tail end of my first depression and has turned out to be my biggest therapy and teacher,” she said.
While she counts Sandpoint as her roots, 22-year-old Goldblum has been living and playing music in Derry, Northern Ireland the past two years, after taking a year away from University of Asheville North Carolina to study abroad. She just completed her music degree course at Ulster Magee University in Derry/ Londonderry.
“I came here to sing and develop my music and experience another culture,” she said. “The people and experiences I’ve had here have hugely impacted and influenced personal vision that runs through the songs.”
While in Derry, Goldblum hooked up with ten of Northern Ireland’s most talented up-andcoming musicians to create her debut album, including bassist Jack Kelly and drummer Darryl Martin, who co-produced the album.
Watch Goldblum’s video for “Honey” on YouTube and catch her at one of three upcoming shows in Sandpoint. Goldblum also will play a
couple of house concerts and encouraged those interested in attending to contact her at cmayag95@gmail.com, especially if they would like to host a show.
Top: Maya Goldblum plays live in Ireland. Courtesy photo.
Bottom: A still frame from Goldblum’s new single, “Honey.” Courtesy YouTube.
Often called the “Father of Science Fiction” Jules Verne left many beautifully written and researched novels that still hold true today.
My favorite has always been “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” which was written in 1870. In it, Verne’s descriptions of underwater travel on the Nautilus are years ahead of their time, and his character profile on Captain Nemo makes this not only an adventure story, but a fine work of literature, too.
Cadie and I are always on the lookout for “Sunday afternoon records” - you know, those albums you can listen to while working on art projects, writing a play, sewing a dress, cleaning out the junk drawer or any of the other random Sunday activity.
One from the early 2000s that caught my eye is “It’s a Wonderful Life” by Sparklehorse. This little-known indie rock bank was led by the tragic frontman Mark Linkous, whose brushes with death and substance problems eventually led to his suicide in 2010, ending their great discography. This
Wes Anderson’s last two films were a little precious for my taste. The acclaimed director redeemed himself with his latest effort, “Isle of Dogs.”
A stop motion animated film, “Isle of Dogs” is both visually stunning and worthy of the title “Wes Anderson film.” The iconic style of the film reminds me of a cutscene from a Nintendo game released only in Japan.
It also features a veritable who’s who of voice actors, including Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Scarlette Johansson, Edward Norton and many more.
It’s out on DVD, so go check it out!
From Northern Idaho News, March 20, 1936
BLISTER RUST FORCES WILL HAVE LARGE CREWS DURING SEASON, REPORTS GOVERNOR ROSS
President Roosevelt gave him assurances, Governor Ross said Friday upon his return from Washington, D.C. that $2,000,000 made available last year for white pine blister rust control in Idaho will not be withdrawn, says the Boise Statesman.
“This means,” the governor said, “that we will be in a position during the next three summers to provide work for approximately 6,000 men in our timber and preserve it from destruction and at the same time, protect our watershed.”
Idaho will lost some of its 48 civilian conservation corps camps, he said “because the president insists that the enrollment nationally in the CCC must be reduced from 500,000 to 300,000.
“I was unable to get him to see that Idaho has a larger percentage of public domain and national forest land than any other state except Nevada,” said the governor.
Thomas and Benjamin Prez took the Reader to St. Jean Pied De Port, France, at the beginning of the Camino De Santiago also known as Camino Frances. You may recognize Tom Prez as the awesome individual who plans to stand in for Ben Olson on his bicycle delivery route this November and December while he’s away traveling. Photo sent by Tom Prez.
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Come by the Sandpoint Filmmaker Network Movie Night this Tuesday for a screening of “Baby Driver.”
Directed with panache by acclaimed filmmaker Edgar Wright, “Baby Driver” is a feast for both the eyes and ears. Young music lover Baby is an expert driver forced to drive getaways for a mob boss, but when he falls for a restaurant server, his priorities begin to shift.
“Baby Driver” garnered buzz last year for its choreographed action sequences, which
are synchronized to a diverse array of songs on its soundtrack. It’s an example of an action movie where the editing is as impressive as the stuntwork and cinematography, and it all unfolds to the sounds of Beck, T. Rex, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and more. SFN Movie Night takes place 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Little Panida Theater. It is free to attend, but a suggested $5 donation helps cover the cost of the theater rental. Beer and wine is offered for sale by the Panida Theater. Although a private event, it’s simple and free to join SFN: Simply go to http://www.sandpointfilmmakers.net/join or sign up at the screening.
I’d like to see a nude opera, because when they hit those high notes I bet you can really see it in the genitals.
1. Cloaked
6. Applaud
10. Modify
14. Japanese cartoon art
15. Sharpen
16. Whip
17. A rm open-weave fabric
18. Computer symbol
19. Anagram of “Sees”
20. Being relevant to
22. Buddy
23. A state of SW India
24. Loosen, as laces
26. Liniment
30. Aviator
32. Unpaid
33. Words from other languages
37. Lady’s escort
38. Anagram of “Stabs”
39. Cozy corner
40. Set up
42. Flora and fauna
43. Nigerian monetary unit
44. A short coat
45. Heroic tales
47. Lad
48. Indian dress
1. having eyelike spots or markings.
2. (of a spot or marking) eyelike.
49. Resembling snoring
56. Curtail
57. Ancient marketplaces
58. Medical professional 59. Rectal
60. Relating to urine
61. Master of ceremonies
62. Headquarters
63. Fail to win
64. Russian emperors
1. Coarse le 2. A single time 3. Ethiopian monetary unit 4. Send forth 5. Rabble-rouser 6. Fine dinnerware 7. Hubs 8. Again
9. Antarctic birds
10. Powered by
Solution on page 22 electricity
11. Fish broth
12. Put out
13. Not us
21. Charged particle
25. Not used
26. Balcony section
27. Is endebted to 28. Hue
29. Nonphysical
30. Civet-like mammal
31. Strip of wood
33. Den
34. A chess piece
35. Shower with love
36. Three-handed card game
38. Happy
41. Bleat
42. Ri e knife
44. Scribble
45. Steam bath
46. Tapestry
47. Support
48. Anagram of “Cabs”
50. Lawn mower brand
51. Anagram of “Sire”
52. Certain card games or liquors
“The butterfly had ocellated markings on its wings for protection.” September 20,
53. Killer whale
54. End ___
55. Views
