Reader_February8_2024

2 / R / February 8, 2024

DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

quotable

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr., (King, Love and Forgiveness, May 20, 1964) “The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.”

— Thomas Szasz, Hungarian-born U.S. psychiatrist “The system isn’t stupid, but the people in it are.”

— T. Szasz

Apt Typos

Last week, when I was writing a story about the Bonner County board of commissioners’ trespassing drama, I accidentally wrote that it was “an ongoing infestation,” rather than an “ongoing investigation,” and, “disorderly behavior has interrupted the awful meetings of Bonner County,” rather than what BOCC Chair Luke Omodt actually said, which was “lawful.” It reminded me of the time I wrote about Sandpoint’s “sadministration” by accident. I caught all those flubs before they made it to the page, but sometimes there’s truth in error.

ye olde grub

The phrase “British cuisine” is often derided as a contradiction in terms. However, those who know me know me to be a more-than-average U.S.-born Anglophile, and thus I’m also a more-than-average enjoyer of “British cuisine.”

Because I’ve lately been bored and generally unhappy with my life (two central British traits), I’ve undertaken a project to cook something “British” every weekend, as a way to lift my spirits... which I suppose tells you how low they’ve been. Reader food columnist Marcia Pilgeram, of “The Sandpoint Eater,” inspired me on this quest with her piece on pasties in January. I used Marcia’s recipe for my pasties and I tell you, they turned out bloody amazing. Marcia knows what she’s about. My next challenge, on a recent Saturday, was to make Scotch eggs. These are boiled eggs in a coating of about a quarter pound of savory pork sausage, dusted with flour and breadcrumbs, then fried in oil, then baked. I didn’t think I could pull this off, but I did. I made four, ate two and didn’t eat for a further two days. If British food is bad then I don’t want to be good.

We’ve had quite the bizarre winter this year. I was stunned to see an email from a golf course I enjoy playing near Post Falls informing golfers that the course would be open for regular play starting Feb. 7, barring any weather events. The thought that we could be out playing golf right now just seems wrong in so many ways. I’ve never seen a golf season start this early in my four decades of living in North Idaho. I know there are those who despise winter, but there’s a lot of concern for locals during “winters” like these, and it’s not just because we all wasted a lot of money on a ski pass. With such low snowpack in the mountains, the chances substantially increase that we’ll experience a heightened fire season and, groan, more smoky skies choking us all summer long.

If you have any pull with Mother Nature, whisper some sweet nothings into her ear and see if she’ll give us a bit of snow. Until then, hang in there.

– Ben Olson, publisher

READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368

sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Soncirey Mitchell (Staff Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (emeritus) Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Kelsey Kizer kelsey@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Bruce Duykers (cover), Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Bill Borders, Woods Wheatcroft, Racheal Baker Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Rep. Lauren Necochea, Susan Drinkard, Nancy Gerth,Marcia Pilgeram, Sandy Compton Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $165 per year Web Content: Keokee 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.

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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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Letters will be edited to comply with the aboverequirements.Opinionsexpressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: sandpointreader.com About the Cover

This week’s cover painting is

by Bruce Duykers. See Page 16 for more info about Duykers.

February 8, 2024 / R / 3

NEWS

Bonner County resident trespassed again from commissioner meetings

Email records show internal county discussion — and confusion — over liability, legal authority

By Soncirey Mitchell and Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Following the controversial citizen’s arrest and trespassing of county residents Dave Bowman and Rick Cramer on Jan. 26 by Luke Omodt, chair of the Bonner County board of commissioners, the BOCC repeated the process to formally trespass Bowman at the Tuesday, Feb. 6 regular business meeting.

The decision accompanied Omodt’s proposal to host a series of meetings and workshops to update Chapter 2 of Bonner County Revised Code to, among other things, institute formal channels to trespass residents in the future.

Omodt opened the meeting with a motion to amend the agenda, making the first item a vote to immediately trespass Bowman, who was present during the meeting. Commissioner Asia Williams called the motion a “ridiculous misuse of power” and a “ridiculous misuse of county funds,” as she believes it opens the county to litigation.

“Bonner County does not have a trespass rule, and the board making a decision to trespass someone — it demands that you provide some type of very clear evidence, because what you’re doing is passing the risk of trespassing someone, unlawfully, onto Bonner County residents,” said Williams, who has a professional background in risk management.

Williams did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Omodt maintained that trespass is a criminal offense in Idaho and, by extension, the board had the right to trespass members of the public 4 / R / February 8, 2024

who threatened the safety of meeting attendees.

The incident stems from several emails sent by Bowman to Bonner County officials in January, in which he contended that attempts to remove him and Cramer from previous meetings were “unlawful” and motivated by personal displeasure with their speech, rather than actual threats.

Meanwhile, in a Jan. 15 email, Bowman used what Omodt considered to be threatening language, including that the former felt it to be “within my rights” to take what he called “offensive action to defend myself” if told

by Sergeant at Arms Cameron La Combe to leave the BOCC meeting room at the instruction of Omodt.

“Instead I retreated; if it happens again I will not retreat,” Bowman wrote in the Jan. 15 email, referring to a separate incident on Jan. 9 when Omodt directed La Combe to remove Bowman from a meeting for behavior he considered disruptive.

Furthermore, Bowman wrote that if he felt “threatened” by La Combe in the context of the latter’s duty to remove individuals at the direction of the chair, he would “defend myself,” and if “an altercation ensues, imagine the ramifications. Civil actions against the county, Omodt and Cameron, criminal charges against Cameron and Omodt, medical bills, potential injuries of bystanders, etc., etc. It could get very ugly.

No one needs or wants that, however if it happens it will be on the county and the individual actors, especially now that this has been brought to your attention on the record.”

In a subsequent email on Jan. 24, following Omodt’s order to remove Cramer from a

meeting, Bowman wrote that Cramer had been approached

by La Combe “in a way that could certainly be construed as threatening by any reasonable person,” and pointed out that Cramer “was open carrying [a firearm], which as anyone well-versed in weapons and self-defense knows, presents a very real risk in the event of a physical altercation, of escalating to a gunfight.

An armed person cannot risk being on the losing end of a fight and having his weapon taken from him, so the weapon itself may very well end up being used to prevent it being taken. ... I’ve already warned of the possible ramifications so I won’t repeat them but I will just remind you.”

Following that email exchange, Omodt conducted a citizen’s arrest on Bowman and Cramer at the Jan. 26 quarterly budget meeting of the BOCC, to which the Sandpoint Police Department responded. Omodt hosted a press conference Jan. 30 at the Bonner County Administration Building, during which he described the trespassing incidents as indicative of an ongoing pattern of “usurpation of civil society,” which “is not the hallmark of good government, but the actions of

a mob intended to disrupt our democratic process.”

In an email to the Reader on Feb. 2, Cramer wrote, “My comments were not disruptive. Chairman Omodt just doesn’t like what I have to say. Mr. Omodt should be humble enough to listen to the public’s viewpoints before making his decisions.

“On Jan. 26, I had not spoken a single word, and was respectfully seated when he trespassed me. I was shocked.

I was peaceful both before and after he asked me to leave,” he added. “When I watched his press conference on Jan. 30, I was appalled when Mr. Omodt implied that I made threats and posed a safety risk to staff. I never made a threat of any kind to him or to staff.

Mr. Bowman wrote an email to the commissioners, which Mr. Omodt misinterpreted as violent. I was never consulted

by Mr. Bowman before he sent that email. Mr. Omodt unfairly lumps me in with Mr. Bowman.

“It is ironic that Mr. Omodt excludes non-violent members of the public from commissioner meetings, when Commissioner Bradshaw has been adjudicated in a court of law of making threats of violence and the court issued

Bonner County Commissioners Luke Omodt, left; Asia Williams, center; and Steve Bradshaw, right.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

a civil protection order for one year against him,” Cramer continued, referring to a long-running controversy surrounding alleged threats of violence made by Bradshaw against Williams, which has resulted in a protection order that requires Bradshaw to remain unarmed on county property — and submit to searches to verify that he is not armed — and avoid Williams while not engaged in official BOCC business.

A Bonner County sheriff’s deputy has been present at BOCC meetings to provide security for Williams since the year-long order went into effect in August 2023. Presiding Judge Justin Julian clarified on Jan. 24 that the order does not require the presence of a deputy at meetings, though Sheriff Daryl Wheeler told the Reader in a Jan. 30 email that the deputy will continue to attend for the foreseeable future.

In his Feb. 2 email to the Reader, Cramer pointed out that Bradshaw has continued to attend BOCC meetings in person, when the option to participate via Zoom has been available. Under the terms

< see BOCC, Page 5 >

< BOCC,con’t from Page 4 > of the one-year trespassing order against Bowman and Cramer, both men are barred from in-person attendance at BOCC meetings, but are entitled to take part using Zoom or other remote means.

“Mr. Omodt doesn’t require Mr. Bradshaw to appear via Zoom. He ignores Mr. Bradshaw’s violent threats because Mr. Bradshaw agrees with him,” Cramer wrote. “The chair needs to hear public comment, even when he disagrees with their views. Commissioner Williams represents us too, and the chair needs to let her agenda items be discussed and voted on — even if he doesn’t agree with them.”

In a lengthy email chain that Omodt shared on Feb. 2 with top county officials and members of the press — including the Reader, Bonner County Daily Bee and Spokesman-Review — Williams came to Cramer’s defense, writing in part to Omodt, Bradshaw, Wheeler, Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall and Deputy Prosecutor Bill Wilson on the afternoon of Jan. 30, “Given that there is no correspondence from Cramer with reported threats, I am concerned that the trespass and press release place the county at increased risk. I am asking that the trespassing of one year against Mr. Cramer be removed as there is no correspondence of threats. The press release addresses two arrests... two trespasses...with only one person sending an email that requires review and investigation. Legal was not included on this release. We are exposed for litigation from both persons and even greater with Cramer as Bradshaw’s response is to look at Bowman’s emails.”

Marshall followed with an email that afternoon to BOCC members, Wilson and Wheeler, asking, “What crime was committed in Bowman’s email? Has the matter been submitted to the Sandpoint PD for investigation? They are very capable of handling a simple threat investigation.

If there was a crime committed we will need to have a law enforcement investigation before pursuing charges. When

we file criminal charges we have to have something called a probable cause affidavit done by the arresting officer.

Is there one here? Is there even one done in the trespass case because there wasn’t one done when I looked yesterday morning before I left.”

Exactly how Omodt’s citizen’s arrest of Bowman and Cramer and subsequent response from Sandpoint police played out remains unclear.

A records request filed with the city of Sandpoint by the Reader to obtain correspondence “between members of the Bonner County Board of Commissioners, Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon and/ or Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm” dated Jan. 31 was returned with near-total redaction, citing Idaho Code 74-105(1), which covers “Transparent and Ethical Government” under the Idaho Public Records Act, stipulating, “investigatory records of a law enforcement agency” are exempt from disclosure.

However, at the same time, the Reader received a copy of an email sent the morning of Jan. 31 by Bowman to Marshall and Coon seeking clarity on the trespass and his “status with respect to being placed under citizen’s arrest by Luke Omodt and taken into custody

by SPD, then released, on January 26, 2024,” suggesting that he had indeed been arrested by Sandpoint police but released.

In a statement to the Reader dated Jan. 31, Bowman wrote that he had been “advised not to make statements at this time,” including in response to a question about what happened following Omodt’s citizen’s arrest. Previously, Wheeler did not respond to a direct question from the Reader on Jan. 30 related to whether Bowman and Cramer had been arrested and booked, arrested and released, or even charged with any crime.

However, that Bowman and Cramer had been released following their arrest appeared to be confirmed by an email sent by Marshall on the morning of Jan. 31 to BOCC members, Wilson and Wheeler, in which the prosecutor wrote:

“I made the decision to vestigation, further commenrelease the two individuals. tary will be limited to protect Prosecutors have the constithe rights of the individuals tutional and statutory right involved,” Grimm wrote. to charge crimes committed However, in his Jan. 31 within their jurisdiction. We email, Marshall questioned are able to release inmates whether any crime had been prior to the individuals being committed by Bowman in his seen by the court. At that time January emails, writing, “The when the person has been vast majority of threats don’t ordered before the court, the constitute crimes.” He also court then has sole jurisdiction questioned in his corresponover the person. Additionally, dence with Omodt why the persons arrested on a warrant chair had indicated he would are solely within the jurisdiccontact the Idaho State Police tion of the court. In this matand governor’s office relative ter the persons were arrested to the trespassing incidents, and removed. The person though added, “I presume my doing the citizen’s arrest and questions will go unanswered arresting officer do not have and at this point I am simply the authority to dictate what left to speculate. My questions my office does. In this case are not loaded — I have no we were not consulted and no political agenda. I am simply probable cause trying to do affidavit was my job. I am “There is no question a presented. The very concerned persons did not majority of the BOCC conrash decisions siders you to be trespassed made without have a warrant. and there is no reason to Additionally, legal counsel the police offiand sometimes not believe they would cers did NOT against legal cause your arrest if you arrest the peocounsel will physically come to the ple based on lead to litigation which we probable cause, administration building.” can’t afford.” they merely — An email from Louis In Bowfacilitated a Marshall to Dave Bowman, sent citizen’s arrest. prior to Bowman being removed man’s email to Marshall This was a war- from the Feb. 6 BOCC meeting. and Coon on rantless arrest Jan. 31, he wrote that he had without a probable cause researched the process for affidavit and review of that lawfully trespassing an indiaffidavit by a prosecutor. This vidual from a public space, type situation has the highest potential for liability. As such, but had “yet to find a clear explanation.” the liability if said arrest turns “I need to know whether out to be flawed falls upon the or not I am currently tresperson making the arrest and potentially the county if Com- passed from the county building, only from commissioner missioner Omodt was acting meetings or not trespassed at in his official capacity.” all,” he wrote, adding later that while he was not askIn a statement issued Jan. ing for Marshall or Coon to 26, Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy take a legal position, “I insist Grimm wrote that Sandpoint on getting a clear answer to police had acted within Idaho whether or not I am currently Code, which empowers them to arrest “anyone suspected of trespassed, and a clear answer violating the law, day or night, as to what the process is to trespass an individual from the within our municipal corpocounty building.” rate territory,” as well being Bowman’s Jan. 31 email “obliged and empowered to followed up on another email make arrests, including the dated Jan. 29 that sought the facilitation of Private Arrest.”

“The city of Sandpoint same clarification, which he has the greatest respect for claimed went unreturned. the Idaho Constitution, the Marshall responded on Jan. judicial process and the rights 31 that he could not provide of our citizens and elected ofBowman with legal advice, but, ficials. As this is an active in“There is no question a ma-

jority of the BOCC considers you to be trespassed and there is no reason to not believe they would cause your arrest if you physically come to the administration building.”

In his email to county officials and the press on Feb. 2, Omodt criticized a joint statement issued by Marshall and Wheeler on Jan. 30 — following Omodt’s press conference — that stated the chair had “once again disparaged” their offices, doubted whether any disruptive behavior had taken place to result in the trespassing and claimed that “blaming the sheriff and prosecutor for [the BOCC’s] own shortcomings seems political in nature.”

“I cannot begin to express my frustration and disappointment in the joint statement from Prosecutor Louis Marshall and Sheriff Daryl Wheeler where the safety of the public, employees, and elected officials attending BOCC meetings is equated as ‘blaming the sheriff and prosecutor for their own shortcomings as political in nature.’ Then, in what appears to be a direct contradiction to Idaho Code 20-612, release individuals who were lawfully arrested for trespass without being booked into the county jail before a police report is submitted.”

Among the other correspondence contained in that email chain, Omodt, on the evening of Jan. 30 cited Idaho Code 20-612 and 31-705, which cover the obligation of county sheriffs to handle the “reception and board of prisoners” and the powers of the chair of boards of county commissioners to “preside at all meetings of the board.”

In addition, he included a bulleted list stating that the Bonner County jail had no booking record for Bowman and Cramer, though both were “lawfully arrested by the Sandpoint Police Department.” Omodt also pointed out that Wheeler donated to Bowman’s 2022 campaign for the District 3 BOCC seat — currently held by Omodt, who is running for a second term

< see BOCC, Page 6 > February 8, 2024 / R / 5

< BOCC,con’t from Page 4 > in the 2024 election — and “vigorously endorsed him at a BCRCC [Bonner County Republican Central Committee] meeting,” as well as Bowman’s contribution to Williams’ BOCC campaign.

According to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office campaign finance reporting database, Bowman gave $100 to Williams during her 2022 election campaign, while Wheeler gave Bowman $840 for the 2022 Dist. 3 commissioner contest, in which he faced off with Omodt during the primary.

Meanwhile, at the Feb. 6 BOCC meeting, Williams defended Bowman.

“In the current meeting, per the statute, Dave Bowman has done nothing but sit down,” said Williams. “So you don’t have a behavior to point to to justify what you’re doing. Sitting peacefully is not a reason to trespass, and if you do it in this meeting, this video — with all of this stuff coming out of my mouth — is not going to help us. So I’m asking you not to do it. Address it with legal [counsel] appropriately, because we will be sued.”

According to Williams, Omodt is liable for his decision to trespass and perform a citizen’s arrest on Bowman and Cramer; however, she added, trespassing Bowman as a board during the Feb. 6 meeting would put the county at risk for litigation.

When questioned by Williams, Omodt did not cite the specific law used to trespass Bowman, nor did he indicate whether Deputy Prosecutor Wilson — present via Zoom — had given a legal opinion on the motion to trespass. Despite repeated requests from Williams, Wilson did not weigh in during the meeting.

The vote to approve the amended order of the agenda, and subsequently the vote to formally trespass Bowman, passed despite protests from Williams.

She did not vote on either motion.

Omodt then recessed the meeting to consult with members of the Sandpoint police who had been on-hand awaiting the board’s decision.

The Tuesday, Feb. 6 meeting was also the first instance of enforcement of the BOCC’s 12th standing rule, adopted on Jan. 23, which stipulates that “all members of the public wanting to give public comment in the regular business meeting must sign up prior to the meeting being called to order. Members of the public wishing to give public comment via Zoom must submit a completed form prior to the call to order.”

The online form requests that commenters state whether they reside in the county, their name, email address 6 / R / February 8, 2024

and the topic on which they wish to comment. According to Williams, Marshall “indicated that we can’t require people to give you [Omodt] the topic that they want to discuss and their email address on a form.”

This newly enforced rule received ample attention during the public comment section, as attendees believed that it gave Omodt the power to control public speech.

Omodt explained that the form complies with the Idaho Legislature’s rules for giving remote testimony.

Resident Brandon Cramer argued that the form is “a violation of antitrust laws because it requires us to have a Google account to sign up.”

The U.S. Department of Justice defines such laws as any that “prohibit anti-competitive conduct and mergers that deprive American consumers, taxpayers and workers of the benefits of competition.”

Cramer further demanded that the county release a privacy policy explaining how officials intend to use any personally identifiable information gathered via these forms — “which is a legal requirement,” he said.

According to a 2019 state profile on privacy, Denver, Colo.-based law firm Holland and Hart — one of the largest legal practices in the Rocky Mountain region, with an office in Boise — there are “no general Idaho law provisions governing privacy and security requirements regarding data storage.”

Omodt agendized the final five action items, though ultimately condensed them into one motion to “update Bonner County Revised Code Chapter 2,” which was broad enough to cover all five items. The motion encompassed BCRC 1-201 through 1-203, but did not propose any specific changes.

Williams asked that those action items be postponed as, according to her, Omodt’s memorandum submitted alongside the items did not adequately convey the intent of his motion.

“It’s to move to update, but I have no language,” said Omodt. “I’m not just adopting the new code. What this will do is it will initiate a process where we will work with legal, we will have workshops, but all it is to see whether or not the board is interested versus just myself being interested [in updating the code].”

The argument that followed made it difficult to hear the clerk calling for individual votes, though the motion to update BCRC Chapter 2 finally passed without a vote from Williams.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution regarding efforts to overturn the 2020 election results has been rejected by a federal appeals court, numerous media reported. Trump’s idea that prosecution could only occur if there’d been a prior Senate impeachment trial was similarly rejected. The three judges’ opinion stated: “We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter.” Polls indicate that more than half of the U.S. wants a verdict on Trump’s election antics before November.

During a recent Senate judiciary hearing on social media harm to youth, Meta (a.k.a. Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to families present whose children were harmed. Hearing topics included child sexual exploitation, bullying, abuse and more. Zuckerberg did not commit to a suggestion about setting up a victim’s compensation fund, The Washington Post reported.

Only 26 bills made it through Congress to become law in 2023. The 117th Congress (2021-’22) passed 365 laws, the 116th passed 344 and the 115th passed 443 laws, according to The New York Times.

Lawmakers released a national security supplemental bill after months of bipartisan work in the Senate, which contains the addition of strong border-strengthening measures favored by hardline right-wing House Republicans, thereby enabling aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.

As part of the national security package, all but two Democrats have signed a measure that endorses the creation of a Palestinian state, as well as providing military aid to Israel and Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Ukraine has recently suffered from a severe lack of ammunition, resulting in Russia retaking some Ukrainian sectors. Historian Heather C. Richardson wrote, “Americans recognize that Ukraine’s forces are not simply defending their sovereign territory, they are defending the rules-based international order that protects the United States. Russia’s president ... is trying to destroy that order, replacing it with the idea that bigger countries can conquer smaller countries at will.”

Various media cite two factors at work

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

swaying MAGA Republicans to reject the aforementioned border-defense bill: their Pro-Russia sentiments, demonstrated by the influential former FOX commentator Tucker Carlson who’s “rooting for Moscow,” (he’s there now) and Trump’s advice to lawmakers to stop border progress, enabling him to use border issues in his campaign. That is frustrating conservative voices who want border action, including the National Border Patrol Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Senate Republicans who worked on the bill.

A former ambassador to Russia said the House Speaker is “blocking the overwhelming majority of the House” and, in September, similar legislation regarding help for Ukraine passed the House 311-117.

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said that losing the Ukrainian war on purpose is “an inexcusable betrayal that will strengthen America’s enemies for years to come.” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said that when he gets letters questioning his support for Ukraine, “I answer, Google Sudetenland, 1938 ... we could have stopped a murderous dictator who was bent on geographic expansion ... at a relatively low cost. The result of not doing so was 55 million deaths.”

The U.S. economy gained 335,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Unemployment stayed at 3.7%.

While inflation declined, former-U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich pointed out that some prices have not come down, which he links to deliberate corporate decisions. Example: In 2021 PepsiCo said it had to raise prices due to higher costs, despite that year’s $11 billion profit. Four companies control most of the meat market — at the end of 2023 Americans paid 30% more for meat than in 2020. The Biden administration has responded to an overabundance of monopolies with what Reich calls the most aggressive use of antitrust laws in a half century.

Blast from the past: In 1848, married couple William and Ellen Craft — who had been enslaved in the South — used a travel pass issued for Christmas by their “owners.” They fled to the North, with Ellen dressed as an injured white man, and William acting the part of manservant. It was Dec. 25 when they arrived in Philadelphia, with Ellen saying, “Thank God, William, we’re safe!”

NEWS

Democrats Karen Mathee and Kathryn Larson announce campaigns for Dist. 1 House seats

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Idaho’s Legislative District 1 has two new challengers, with Democrats Karen Matthee and Kathryn Larson joining the race for Seats A and B, respectively.

Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, currently holds Seat 1A and has already announced that he will seek a second term. Meanwhile, Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, has served five terms in Seat 1B — including as assistant majority leader — though has not officially indicated whether he will run again in the May 21 GOP primary.

Mathee and Larson both announced their candidacies on Feb. 5 and will formally kick off their campaigns with an event Monday, Feb. 12 hosted

by Bonner County Democratic Women at Evans Brothers Coffee (524 Church St., in Sandpoint) from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Mathee is a former journalist, having worked for newspapers, magazines and public radio in California, Texas and Washington, and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

She relocated to Sandpoint from Enumclaw, Wash. with her partner Mike, whose two sons grew up in the community.

“I am proud to be running as a Democrat, to be a mem-

ber of a party that helps rural communities like ours with critical needs like infrastructure and expanded internet access; a party that cares about all people, including our most vulnerable citizens: pregnant women and children, the elderly and disabled, and the mentally ill — because they are the ones who most need our support,” Mathee wrote in her announcement.

On her website — kmattheeforidaho.com — Mathee states that she stands for “lowering the cost of living, access to affordable health care for all and fixing or replacing aging school facilities.”

Highlighting her past career in news reporting, Matthee’s campaign wrote that “she is well positioned to provide something that Idahoans badly need at the moment — the ability to listen to people on both sides of an issue.”

“If my career taught me anything at all, it taught me the importance of striving as much as humanly possible for objectivity and balance,” she stated. “It taught me that rarely are things black and white, right or wrong. More often than not, there’s a gray zone — and that’s where we can build bridges, that’s where we can fill the policy gaps.”

Mathee also supports raising the minimum wage, funding child care in order to address the labor shortage in

Idaho, and also “fixing a tax system that disproportionately burdens families with the lowest incomes and rejecting repeated attempts to dismantle Medicaid expansion,” her campaign stated.

Kathryn Larson comes from a background in education, technology and corporate training, including a position with McKinsey & Company.

She came to North Idaho due to her husband’s parents, who are in their 90s and raised their own family in Spokane. Larson and her husband brought their children to the area for vacations, bought property here in 2012 and retired to the community in 2015.

If elected, Larson promises to bring moderation to the District 1B seat.

“In state government, there is a disturbing trend

to shift the financial burden to the county and city taxpayers. We’re seeing more lawsuits that taxpayers fund.

And, instead of focusing on local issues, our representatives are dramatizing culture war issues,” she stated in her announcement. “As a citizen with experience in complex problem solving, I feel a duty to step up and offer to serve. I hope to change the conversation and reduce the drama.”

Larson’s campaign identified her top issues as “local focus, freedom and an economy that works for everyone.”

“We have real opportunities for economic prosperity.

We have bountiful resources to protect. And, we have difficult challenges in our rural District 1,” Larson stated.

“Yet, our representatives are busy layering inappropriate

Karen Matthee, left; and Kathryn Larson, right; filed to run for Idaho Representative District 1, Seats A and B, respectively. Courtesy photos. state government oversight and writing laws that bypass our local authority entirely. It doesn’t make sense. It’s time for a change.”

For more information, visit kathrynlarsonforidaho.com.

Local singer-songwriter Mike Wagoner will provide music at the Feb. 12 campaign kickoff event, which will include a brief speech from Mathee and Larson, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

The deadline for candidates to file for the 2024 primary is Friday, March 15 — which is also the final day for voters to change their political party affiliation or become “unaffiliated.”

City of Sandpoint announces work session on final Comp Plan draft

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The Sandpoint City Council will host a joint working session with the Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at Sandpoint City Hall (1123 Lake St.), with the public encouraged to attend what officials described as the “final review” of the Comprehensive

Plan.

Public comment will be accepted, but no action will be taken at the work session.

The Comp Plan has been described by officials as providing, “A vision for the future, defined goals and policies and desired future land use character.” The document is supposed to be updated every 10 years, but the current plan hasn’t been revised since

2009. An effort to put in place a new plan began in 2019, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022.

According to a notice from the city announcing the Feb. 13 joint work session, the plan “is the community’s longrange vision for the future and provides a strategic framework for reaching that vision for the next 15 years. Through the direction of specific goals

and objectives, the plan will be used to guide land use regulations such as zoning and subdivisions, as well as funding decisions on other policies and programs.”

The draft document is available at bit.ly/3OaBXxH. Open house workshops were held on April 27, Nov. 29 and Dec. 7, 2023. Further review and incorporation of comments from a joint City

Council and Planning and Zoning Commission workshop — as well as a P&Z Commission public hearing — have been included in the final draft.

City officials stated that, “It is anticipated that following this working session the City Council will hold a final public hearing to consider adoption and implementation of the document.”

February 8, 2024 / R / 7

What’s next with library legislation?…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • “I’d just like to offer a big shout out to the ITD crew so promptly working long hours to keep Highway 200 open last week. I thought we’d be down to one lane for some time, not the remarkably short time it took. And another big thank-you to all our county and state workers keeping our roads as safe as possible, and now repairing the damage after this unusual stretch of winter. I don’t think they’re appreciated enough.”

— By Rich Holub, Hope • Often, drivers have no idea they have a headlight out or perhaps one pointing in the wrong direction until others let us know. I sure didn’t before someone informed me my driver’s side light was canted upward, shining right into drivers’ eyes. Not long after, the bulb burned out and I replaced it at the auto parts store. It took five minutes. Now, I can’t help but notice how many vehicles are on the roads with headlights that are either too bright, or that point too far up and away from the road. If you’re getting dirty looks from other drivers, perhaps check your own lights to ensure they’re pointing the right direction.

Barbs: • OK, it’s about to get real around here. To dog owners who allow their pets to defecate in the snow and neglect to pick it up: I wish you could see what we all have to deal with when the snow melts.

It looks like a war zone but instead of bullet casings it’s turds. Just pick up your dog’s shit, for crying out loud! I don’t even own a dog and I have to scrape dog poop from under my shoes way too often.

8 / R / February 8, 2024

Dear editor: Regarding Sen. Crane’s insistence on reintroducing the “library book banning bill”: Personally I believe it is the parents’ responsibility to monitor what their children read. To put this responsibility on the librarians is unreasonable and unfair.

Surely, Sen. Crane and his backers can find a more worthy cause than targeting both public and school libraries. What happens next from Crane and his supporters? Harassment of library personnel — forcing them to leave or perhaps even the burning of books, those of which you deem unacceptable?

Jo Reitan Sandpoint

Tough times…

Dear editor, It is a tragedy and a blessing that the young are blind; unconscious at this stage of life, even though they are certain they are bright-eyed, fully aware.

Yet they confuse the reticence of the old as conservative betrayal, consensual sex as proof of love, that money can buy you happiness, a meaningful life.

If they could see what lay ahead: heartbreak, hardship, grief, they’d be paralyzed.

Perhaps, in this age of crisis and complexity, the politics of hatred, division, scapegoating, book banning, they do see the profound alienation of humanity — people unable to speak and live from the heart, disconnected from any real relationship to Earth, reference point for ethical values and that’s why so many are committing suicide with opiate drugs or the gun after first killing their peers in schools, worksites and other public spaces. They are blind to the way American culture and politics fosters the bully/bullied dialectic. Even as their addiction to social media has taken it to a sado-masochistic level.

Meanwhile, the rest of us apply a sheen of denial that things are so bad. Money (profit) is the only metric that matters. As if to say about bullying, “I went through it, why can’t you?”

Adrian Murillo Sandpoint

‘Incredibly suspicious’…

Dear editor, If you haven’t been to the West Bonner County School District meetings lately, you’re missing the truth about the forensic audit. Phase 1 results show our financials are a mess.

There are lots of undocumented and improperly documented expenditures. There are canceled checks completely missing from the district’s accounting records. How does this happen?

Check out Section VII A. of the Dec. 18 school board agenda and click on “West Bonner Phase 1 Update Presentation” to see a list of checks that the auditor pointed out as being of concern (meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/2136?meeting=612486).

More than 1,000 checks — 1,343, to be exact — were found in bank statements (canceled checks provided), but no vendor names were listed in the general ledger. These checks amount to $8,305,032.95.

Sixty-one checks were found in bank statements (canceled checks not provided), where

vendor names were not listed in the general ledger, for a total of $352,498.53.

One check was found in bank statements (canceled check provided), but the vendor name was listed differently in the general ledger, for a total of $19,640.

With an accounting background, I can tell you that this was almost definitely not done by accident. This is incredibly suspicious.

Thankfully, the school board voted to continue with Phase 2 of the audit, per the auditor’s strong recommendation to do so.

You wouldn’t know any of this if you relied on the newspaper to report it. This isn’t just a few typos. These are serious issues!

I know our district has several needs, but how can we support another levy to pay for them until we know with 100% certainty that our tax dollars are being used honestly and responsibly?

Kristen Dodd Priest River

‘The Boeing wonderland’...

Dear editor, Mom and dad were both working in Seattle for Boeing Aircraft in 1942 — dad as a fabricator and mom as a rivet bucker. They, like the vast majority of Americans living on the West Coast during World War II, were very concerned about enemy airplane bombers. Pearl Harbor was a very recent horror story.

The huge Boeing aircraft complex was over a million square feet and would be a prime target for enemy aircraft. The Boeing company, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, decided to “camouflage” the entire plant by creating “The Boeing Wonderland” on the factory rooftops. Over 30 rooftop acres of fake cardboard houses and chicken wire trees were built in such a convincing way that enemy airplanes would have a near impossible time locating the real factories.

Fortunately, enemy aircraft never made it to the West Coast.

That wonderland model inspires me: Our country all working together, government and private industry and citizens. We can accomplish so much when we are united.

Let’s keep that wonderland hope alive.

Steve Johnson Sagle

Vote in the GOP primary to ensure ‘reasonable alternative’ candidates…

Dear editor, In our part of Idaho, the only election that counts is the primary election. It’s pretty much a done deal that Republicans will occupy most public offices here, so what matters is: Which Republican?

A few elections ago, one would walk into the polling place and decide right then which party ballot to vote. Now, to vote Republican, you have to be registered as such prior to the primary. If you care about matters that affect our lives, it is wise to register as a Republican soon, as there is a deadline.

An extremist branch of the GOP has taken over our government bodies, and only by voting them out can this be reversed. The oddly named Freedom Foundation supports these people, and all they want to do is sabotage our precious rights and institutions.

They have sabotaged our health care system by driving doctors out of the state, and they would like to do more damage to the health of Idahoans by deleting much of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. They are trying to destroy our public libraries by intimidating librarians and trying to fine them for anything that offends one person. These politicians are interfering with schools, dictating what history can be taught, what books English teachers can suggest, and ignoring the separation of church and state by funding private schools with a very different curriculum from public schools. They are forcing us to live by the rules of a religious minority who have authoritarian views and want to control everyone else.

Please register soon and vote in the Republican primary. There are reasonable alternative GOP candidates, but we have to get out and elect them in the primary election in May. Don’t leave it to fate!

Ann Warwick Sandpoint

The dangers of ‘single-party rule’…

Dear editor, “Beware the one-party state.” — Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.

Idaho Republicans took control of both chambers of the Idaho Legislature in 1993, rode the wave of Gingrich’s Contract with America in 1994 and never looked back. Politically speaking, Idaho set itself as a bastion of neoliberalism, which led us to where we are today. Republicans dominate the Legislature by promoting freedom while reducing institutional legitimacy.

To be relevant, politicians need to campaign on protecting their idea of freedom. Continually grasping at freedom leads to less freedom, degraded public institutions and minority rule.

HB 415 is an example of this — on its face, the bill promotes school safety and the further entrenching of the Second Amendment. In actuality, the bill will increase the risk of death and injury to students and employees while eroding parent and student freedom to choose what is or is not safe.

HB 415 protects the identity of the employees who conceal carry from disclosure — Section 2 (5) (a,b) and (6). The right of a student and my right as a parent to know who is or is not carrying is denied. The bill also makes it clear that the employee who engages in conceal carry has no accountability while normalizing guns in public institutions — Section 2 (8) (9). Section 2 (11) adds insult to injury by stating, “No school employee shall be held civilly or criminally liable for deciding to engage or not to engage in an armed confrontation...”

Single-party rule in this instance will extinguish our freedom to choose what we deem is safe while degrading the legitimacy of the public school system.

The time has come for the rebalancing of the state Legislature, our freedoms and public institutions rely on it.

Bob Presta Sandpoint

OPINION

Let’s listen to local leaders and law enforcement on guns in school Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise Reader Contributor All Idahoans should agree: The safety of our children is paramount.

But how we decide to protect them may differ from community to community. When it comes to guns in schools, current Idaho law allows locally elected school boards to set the policies they deem appropriate. Some districts keep guns out of schools unless they are in the hands of law enforcement. Others have policies providing oversight.

Unfortunately, House Bill 415 is speeding through the Legislature and would undo local decision making, local training requirements and collaboration with local law enforcement by overriding school management of firearms in schools.

Today, school districts can require ongoing active shooter drills in which employees test their ability to quickly distinguish between kids and assailants, or mandate participation in meetings with local law enforcement to develop safety and incident response plans.

School leaders can also use criteria to revoke privileges for staff who are not well suited to the responsibility of carrying a firearm around children.

In contrast, HB 415 circumvents local control and gives blanket permission to employees and volunteers who

Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo. have taken a one-time concealed carry course and fired 98 rounds. Schools must allow them to carry firearms regardless of shooting skill, temperament, mental state, visual acuity, length of time since they took a course or other factors.

A major alarm bell should be that law enforcement does not support this approach. The Idaho Association of School Resource Officers and Idaho Sheriffs’ Association both oppose HB 415. It’s no wonder, since experts have maintained that it is harder for police to respond to active shooters when unknown, untrained people are also engaging.

Opening the door to an untrackable number of firearms means new liability for schools. The Idaho State University professor who shot himself

in the foot during class and the Utah teacher who accidentally shot herself in a school bathroom are two recent examples of the risks. At least one Idaho school district has already been notified that its insurance company will drop it if this bill is enacted. We can only imagine that costs will rise for insurance companies that continue to provide coverage.

Finally, this bill subverts the rights of teachers and parents who have come out in full force against this legislation. Parents won’t be able to ask whether their child’s teacher is armed, let alone demand more rigorous training requirements. One hundred Idahoans came out in opposition during the committee hearing. Only five individuals supported the bill, including the out-of-state lobbyist who brought the legislation.

Homegrown Idaho solutions and evidence-based safety measures are better than a one-size-fits-all approach from special interests. As this bill moves across the rotunda, I hope the Senate will see the wisdom in rejecting it.

Rep. Lauren Necochea is the House assistant Democratic leader, representing District 19 in Boise on the Environment, Energy and Technology; Resources and Conservation; Revenue and Taxation; and Ways and Means committees.

My Road Trip illustrates a spiritual life outside of organized religion

By Reader Staff When a mainstream denomination wanted to move Stanley Norman and his co-pastor Gerri Harvill to another state and abandon the programs they had established in Sandpoint, their response was, “No thanks. We like it here.” Then they left the church, but not their faith.

My Road Trip, by local author Norman, describes the reasoning behind that decision, and the fruits it has borne. Both are still involved in a ministry of their own making — and living a monastic life outside the church.

The basis of Norman’s journey has boiled down to following the Rule of Benedict, a famous treatise written by St. Benedict in the sixth century. Nor-

man’s simple examples lead the reader through the rule in personal terms, making the case that St. Benedict’s way is not to impair freedom, but to enhance it.

The book, published by Blue Creek Press, based in Heron, Mont., highlights a straightforward outline of personal behavior — a framework for living a good and structured life.

Norman’s spiritual focus is on the example of Jesus, freely expressed throughout the book. His interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict, however, is transcendent — applicable to almost any life.

My Road Trip: From Religious to Spiritual and Back Home is available at local bookstores and online at amazon.com.

February 8, 2024 / R / 9

Mad about Science:

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

steroids in baseball

I was an 8-year-old nerd in a class full of boys — who were primarily jocks — when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa fought an epic duel, leapfrogging one another for the most home runs in a single season. Sports weren’t really my forte, even though I lived in a household obsessed with teams moving balls around on manicured grass.

However, I’ll never forget the brutal classroom arguments that were certainly just parroted recitations of arguments happening among the adults in their lives.

“Steroids are cheating.”

“Steroids aren’t cheating, you’re just sour your guy lost!”

I’m not here to debate ethics. I’m here to discover what steroids are and find out why we aren’t all super jacked after using Flonase for a week straight.

It’s worth mentioning that the term “steroids” is a pretty broad term that covers a lot of different medications. Anti-inflammatory corticosteroids are vastly different from anabolic steroids used in sports doping.

Anabolic steroids are essentially a testosterone supplement. This sounds innocuous, but our bodies are fairly in tune with how much of a sex hormone we require regularly.

Flooding our bodies with extra hormones in the form of steroids triggers a lot of unfortunate side effects, ranging from changes in cholesterol and blood pressure to permanent liver damage and thickening of the ventricles of the heart.

When paired with high blood pressure and changes in cholesterol, these heart alterations can lead to cardiac arrest.

Anabolic steroid use has also been linked to testicular shrinkage as one of the more 10 / R / February 8, 2024

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common side effects.

The positive effects are enhanced injury recovery related to enhancing muscle growth.

Any time we workout to increase our muscle mass, we’re creating tiny tears to the muscle fibers that swell and heal. These steroids are designed to hasten the healing process, allowing for faster recovery and expedient building of bulk to give a competitive advantage over someone who isn’t doping. This is especially noticeable in the baseball season, where players are racing a ticking clock to perform better and better in a limited window of time.

Doping in the Majors wasn’t a problem isolated to the Steroid Era of 1994-2004.

The development of anabolic steroids can be traced back to at least the 1880s, when chemists would extract solutions from the testicles of live guinea pigs and dogs. This solution was called the Brown-Séquard Elixir, named after CharlesÉdouard Brown-Séquard, who initially developed it. The elixir made its way into professional baseball in 1889.

One of the largest doping problems in baseball comes from making cocktails of drugs mixed with steroids. This was a common problem in the wake of World War II. One of the lesser known facts about World War II was the prevalence of amphetamines — stimulants used to bolster a fighter’s ability for hours on end. Pervitin was an oral methamphetamine tablet used by German soldiers during the war to prolong their time without sleep to stay on watch and fight more aggressively. Amphetamines weren’t exclusive to the Germans, as Allied soldiers would use them for the same reasons. Methamphetamine would cause an intense crash and withdrawal when it would

wear off, often counteracting the perceived usefulness of the drug. Allied soldiers brought amphetamines back with them after the war, and they began to filter into baseball.

Amphetamines in baseball were more useful to players than soldiers on the battlefield, as the crash was less consequential for the players.

In an interesting historical interaction, methamphetamine was used to help returning soldiers study and play college sports, which they were more easily able to attend thanks to the G.I. Bill of 1944. From there, the drug spilled into professional sports relatively quickly, as players found amphetamines gave them an edge when they needed it and allowed them to crash when out of sight of the public.

Paired with steroid use, postwar ball players were a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, there is also the argument that the large amount of smoking and drinking undertaken by players during this era may have counteracted much of the athletic benefit these players could have received from doping, but this is very difficult to prove.

Drug use during the Steroid Era of 1994-2004 was also very difficult to prove.

Despite being regarded as an open secret of the Major Leagues, players were hesitant to admit doping for fear of damaging their reputations or being expelled from the league entirely. Interestingly, one could argue that the abundance of steroid use in the MLB during this period bolstered baseball with a shot in the arm, so to speak.

Due to the strike between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1994, the season concluded without

a world series. Game attendance plummeted 12% in the 1995 season as fans were vocally upset with both the league and the players.

That changed by 1998, when the battle of the giants between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa made headlines and brought the Majors back to the forefront of the American mind.

The momentum carried into the 2001 season, when Barry Bonds broke the record for most home runs in a single season with 73 — a number that has yet to be broken, but will forever share a podium with an asterisk denoting the role of performance-enhanc-

ing drugs in setting the record.

The ethical debate surrounding steroid use in sports continues to this day. Humans will always seek to push the limits of the human body by any means necessary, blurring the line between human accomplishment and chemical enhancement. The truth is that some players may leave a lasting legacy, while many others may simply vanish into obscurity. Regardless, most will suffer from some kinds of medical complications for the rest of their lives and, in the end, regrets of a bygone heyday echo the loudest in the quiet hall of fame.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner keys?

Don’t know much about mon

• Monkeys and apes may look alike, but they are different.

Monkeys generally have a tail while apes don’t.

• The 334 known monkey species are split between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys.

New World monkeys have a prehensile tail for grasping onto branches while Old World monkeys have shorter tails which are unsuitable for holding things.

• There aren’t any native monkeys in North America, but they did live on the continent 56 million years ago.

• Monkeys went to space long before humans did. Albert II became the first monkey to journey outside the planet Earth on June 4, 1949.

Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961. A total of 32 monkeys have flown in space, to date.

• A group of monkeys is called a troop, a tribe, a cartload or a carload.

We can help!

• Of all monkey species, baboons live the longest, ranging from 35-40 years.

• Monkeys do, in fact, love bananas, but also eat other fruits, nuts and seeds in the forest. Their diet also includes tiny insects, lizards and eggs.

• Anyone who has heard a howler monkey knows how loud their roar is. They are the loudest of the monkey species, but are only about the size of a small dog. The reason their roar is so loud is because they have large hyoid bones, making them heard from up to three miles away.

• Brazilian capuchin monkeys can make sharp stones that look like tools made by early humans.

These monkeys also use stone tools in mating rituals, to crush food and to dig the earth.

• When a monkey grins or blows a kiss at you, it’s not a sign of affection, but rather, means they are angry.

PERSPECTIVES

A trip to the surreal

By Susan Drinkard Reader Contributor A Trip to Bountiful is my all-time favorite movie, but a trip to Syme’s Hot Springs is my favorite trip to the surreal. Having visited the hot springs innumerable times over the past 40 years, I must say Ben Olson hit the proverbial nail on the head with his amusing column about the people hot springs attract [Feature, “Hot Springs People,” Jan. 18, 2024].

There is a certain egalitarian quality of Syme’s Hot Springs, in particular, that I like: Everyone is welcome (just about), even though some of the attendees are compromised when it comes to decision making.

Once, on a solo trip to soak away the not-so-blissful activity of grading endless stacks of middle school essays, I entered the largest pool at night. It appeared empty and I was just settling in when a hirsute man resembling John the Baptist in a red Speedo popped up out of the water, scaring the bejesus out of me. Someone started yelling at him and he scrambled off the premises. Apparently the guy was a regular sneak in.

On another trip, a woman had her baby in a diaper in the pool outside, so I opted to pay the $5 to soak in one of the ancient bathtubs at the hotel in a room full of tubs. I was happily soaking when a man got into the tub next to me. I believe there was a curtain or a very thin wall or divider separating us, but it freaked me out hearing him soap up, etc. Really? He had to pick the tub next to one that was occupied when others were available?

Another time I stopped for a soak on my way to visit a friend in Whitefish, Mont. I looked for an employee or a person to take my money, but no one ever appeared, and I looked everywhere. The only other visitor was a tall white terrier mix who was busy lifting his leg on a large plant in the lobby. Decades ago, I wandered around the hotel and opened a door to a large room or patio filled with empty, well-preserved chaise longues — so vintage it tore your heart out. Someone told me back then that Syme’s was formerly a sanitarium for people needing a long rest — probably lots of English teachers and the poorest of all professionals — small-town journalists.

I tried to read in one of those long-cushioned chairs but the energy was suspect, like the chairs were already occupied, and I quickly departed. If you have been there you know there is a hallway reminiscent of a certain movie starring Jack Nicholson.

For a time they had a vintage clothing store in one of the small cabins by the hotel. No one was ever there, so you were on the honor system. A girlfriend and I stayed in one of the very old cabins overnight because it didn’t have the sulfur smell of the hotel, and I went home with some fabulous quirky clothes back when you could find vintage clothing bigger than a size 0.

I was leaving Hot Springs one early morning and saw a very old man coming out of his trailer; he was naked as a jaybird. It was summertime and his clothes were on his rail. He wasn’t in a great hurry. So what if someone saw him? I don’t believe the residents of Hot Springs are worried about their

A historic photo of Symes Hot Springs Hotel in Hot Springs, Mont. Courtesy photo. home’s curb appeal or their impressions on visitors.

There is a seemingly abandoned hot springs on the outskirts of Hot Springs.

An elderly Native American man ran it years ago as mud baths, says my friend Becky, who went once to soak in the mud. It was short-lived for her, however, when something slithered by her leg, so she got out and never went back. Now the cement containers are filled with mineral water and there is no can for your money, but the rocky

bottom hurts the feet.

One takes a chance when you visit a hot springs; you don’t know what you’ll find, but it’s never the same.

I hesitate to call attention to Syme’s or Hot Springs, Mont., but just like the sweatshirt a friend gave to me with the words “I’m Not for Everyone” emblazoned on the front, neither is Syme’s, or Hot Springs, Mont. for that matter. And there are some of us who go there for exactly that reason.

February 8, 2024 / R / 11

PERSPECTIVES

The will of the people

By Nancy Gerth Reader Contributor On Wednesday last I watched the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee hear testimony on Bill 419, a bill sponsored by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. To my surprise, I learned that part of the bill includes a clause that says that if all the requirements of the bill are not met by July 1 this year, the Medicare expansion law passed by more than 60% of voters in 2019 would be repealed by the Legislature. Can anyone imagine that the entire health care system, which has spent the last five years integrating and streamlining Medicaid expansion, can make this change in six

12 / R / February 8, 2024

months? It outlined 11 requirements that cannot be met by then, and will not get the required approval from the federal government required by Obamacare to obtain Federal funding — the majority of funding for Medicaid expansion in Idaho.

This is a setup to override the will of the voters.

I watched the three-hour-and15-minute hearing for two and a half hours. Of the first 27 testifiers, 26 were opposed. The final official count, including written testimony, was eight in favor and 407 opposed.

All the arguments in favor of the bill were about saving money by cutting people off the rolls and setting a cap on the total number of enrollees: 50,000 — fewer than half of current enrollees.

All of the arguments opposed were about the health of Idahoans and the stability of our health care system (which saves more money by helping people go back to work and pay taxes, among other things), not to mention keeps and attracts health care professionals to Idaho and keeps our hospitals open.

I lost count of how many times the words “adamant,” “overwhelming” and “resounding success” were used by people defending Medicare expansion in Idaho.

The only person I heard who testified in favor of the bill represented the Idaho Freedom Foundation, an organization funded by out-of-state people with way more than Idahoans have to spend, whose goals are to dismantle our institutions including

health care, public schools, libraries, hospitals and who knows what else.

This bill is a distraction and a waste of hundreds if not thousands of people’s time and money. A distraction from addressing the real business we elect our legislators to do.

Is it clear to the Legislature yet that the voters want Medicaid expansion? When will they give up trying to stymie initiatives passed by the voters?

In the end, the bill was held in committee. Whatever that means.

Will it come back to be heard again?

Will it be rewritten with other hidden clauses? Meanwhile thousands of Idahoans wait anxiously to find out whether their lives will be ruined by incapacity, disease or death.

When can I vote? Let me at ’em.

PERSPECTIVES

Sandpoint moments

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It doesn’t matter if you were born and raised in Sandpoint, or just moved here last year — we all have those “Sandpoint moments” that tend to stick with you forever.

Some years ago, after the city of Sandpoint tore up the roads from the Cedar Street Bridge all the way to Connie’s, the normally busy downtown corridor was blocked off and inaccessible to vehicles. With the pavement stripped away, Cedar was just a few blocks of dirt and gravel. As the sun bent lower toward Priest River, those spending time at Eichardt’s and Idaho Pour Authority across the street suddenly emerged from their watering holes to observe the new world of downtown Sandpoint. They carried beers in their hands, standing in groups of three or four, sometimes hollering at someone they knew across the street. Occasionally, a group of locals would appear on a surrounding rooftop, also with beer in hand, taking in the scene below.

Before long, an impromptu soccer game sprung up in the un-asphalted Cedar Street. For those short weekday hours, we locals owned the streets again, and I’ll never forget the bittersweet feeling when I woke the next day to see they had paved over our little dirt patch. That was a Sandpoint moment.

Prior to the pandemic, my partner Cadie had to move out of her rental because someone purchased the home. After staying in limbo for about six weeks while figuring out where to live — this was back when you could actually find a rental, much less an “affordable” one — she secured a new place and we amassed the troops to help her move the 10 blocks over to the new place. One of the loads was a tricky one, involving moving an upright piano in the back of our friend Jake’s big red truck.

With Jake also being Reader Editor Zach Hagadone’s younger brother, everyone lent a hand as we hoisted the beast into the bed and strapped it down, secure for the short ride over.

As Jake pulled away, we hopped in the back and began playing the piano as he rolled down the street. Oddly, it was Zach’s second time playing a piano in the back of a moving vehicle, having done the same while moving his own piano — in the same truck — some years before.

The look on the faces of passersby made it worth all the effort. That was a Sandpoint moment.

Last winter, during an especially cold stretch, the river froze adjacent to south Sandpoint, ushering in that rare period of time when the temperature was cold enough and the snow light enough to facilitate ice skating. Someone lugged a couch out onto the ice and it became a focal feature of the week or two of ice skating. People used it to lace up their skates, pose for funny pictures and generally just hang out on a couch suspended atop frozen water. Sandpoint photographer Woods Wheatcroft snapped a pretty iconic shot of that couch, as many of you may have done as well. That was a Sandpoint moment.

A few winters back, we had a

freak snowstorm in early May and Schweitzer received eight inches of snow overnight. The mountain had been closed for more than six weeks, but we hiked up the hill on a day filled with sun, snow, wind, calms and everything in between.

The run to the bottom only lasted five minutes, but it was one of my favorite runs ever. We surfed over an untouched field of powder down The Face, looking out over the town and lake below. A fellow hiker hooted from his perch atop Chair 1, watching us finish our run before starting his own. When we finished, we shared a beer on my tailgate and talked about the experience before driving down the hill and back to our lives. That was a Sandpoint moment.

Once, we were out at a local venue listening to music when a storm blew through town, knocking the power out across the city. Instead of stopping their set, the band just unplugged their instruments and played by candlelight, and the crowd couldn’t get enough. That was a Sandpoint moment.

Photo by Woods Wheatcroft.

Sandpoint moments are not always clean, sterile instances. They are often times in which stuff just goes haywire. These moments might not be memorable to anyone except a single person, but that person treats them as waypoints of Sandpoint life that serve to remind us why we live here, why we love our little home in the mountains, why we want to grab a hold of Old Sandpoint for as long as we can before it’s taken from us by those who have an insatiable thirst to transform this place into something they feel it’s destined to become.

Sandpoint moments are funny stories you tell at the bar with old friends. They’re embarrassing anecdotes that humble you. They’re life lessons and cautionary tales, sometimes with a humorous ending.

They’re the run in your stockings, the crack in your windshield, the stain on your favorite shirt.

What are your favorite Sandpoint moments? Don’t have any? Well, it’s high time you go out and start collecting them.

February 8, 2024 / R / 13

COMMUNITY

Festival seeking interns, volunteers, production crew

By Reader Staff Before the Festival at Sandpoint can gear up for its 2024 Summer Series of outdoor concerts it needs to staff up. That means putting out the call for the summer interns, volunteers and production crew members who make the signature Sandpoint event happen.

The Festival offers seasonal, paid internships offering hands-on experience in the music industry, a behind-the-scenes look at music festival operations and resume-building professional skills.

Ideal candidates will be looking to learn and experience day-to-day office operations, event operations, customer service and box office management.

“Our internship program stands as a gateway for aspiring individuals to

immerse themselves in the dynamic world of event management and the music industry,” FAS Education Manager Paul Gunter stated.

“Through hands-on experiences, mentorship and tailored roles aligned with interns’ passions, we cultivate a rewarding environment that not only fosters professional growth but also contributes to the vibrant energy of our Festival community.”

Interns may also be assigned an area of focus based on skills and interests, including but not limited to marketing, sales and merchandising; volunteer management; or hospitality.

This paid summer internship will run from June 12 through Aug. 9. Applications are due April 15, but interviews began the first week of February.

The Festival at Sandpoint is also seeking volunteers from July 19

through Aug. 7.

“We are incredibly grateful to have such a supportive community that volunteers their time and effort year after year,” stated FAS Executive Director Ali Baranski. “An annual event as large as the Festival at Sandpoint Summer Series would not be possible without the outstanding team of over 600 volunteers who donate more than 10,000 hours each year.”

Volunteer departments include admissions, box office, green team, merchandise, production and more.

Those looking for the skill-building of an internship with a shorter commitment are invited to apply for a position with the paid production crew from July 19 to Aug. 7.

Production crew members assist

Sandpoint Senior Center celebrates new wheels

By Reader Staff The Sandpoint Senior Center, which is run by Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc., is riding high after purchasing a new vehicle to replace their former one. SASi received a grant for $20,000 toward the purchase of a new vehicle used to deliver meals to seniors, as well as many other purposes.

“With the grant, we contacted Tom Robideaux of Alpine Motors and asked if he could help find us a suitable replacement,” SASi wrote in a release.

“He really came forward — taking in our trade, discounting the auto and 14 / R / February 8, 2024

Festival at Sandpoint volunteers.

Photo by Racheal Baker. in the physical setup of the venue at War Memorial Field, operating the venue for the duration of the series and restoring the field upon completion of the event.

Applications for summer interns, volunteers and production crew are now open. Visit festivalatsandpoint.com/getinvolved to learn more and apply.

Standing to the left of car (from left to right): Nikki Klein, Loris Michael, Adele Martin and Matt Thompson with SASi. Standing to the right of the car (from left to right): Tom Robideux, Chris Tomlinson and Noah Gruber with Alpine Motors. Courtesy photo. making up the difference and we are now the proud owners of a 2024 GMC Terrain.”

SASi currently delivers and serves about 2,250 meals to area seniors every month, which adds up to more than 27,000 meals last year. With their new vehicle, SASi will be able to spend more on meals and services and less on car repairs.

COMMUNITY

A tip of the cap to Bonner County history

Sandpoint Museum to parade world’s longest ski hat

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff In honor of the 50th annual Winter Carnival — scheduled for Friday, Feb. 16-Sunday, Feb. 25 — the Bonner County Historical Museum will unveil the world’s longest ski hat at the Parade of Lights on Feb. 16. The colorful cap, made by Gini Woodward and Scott Hadley in the 1970s, has been a jewel in the museum’s collection since 1983.

The hat first appeared in the parade in 1977, and the pair initially created it as a fundraiser for the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

“They advertised to the community that for $2 you could buy a foot-long section with a name or business knitted into it, or $5 for four one-foot repeats, with close to 550 advertising panels,” said museum Outreach Coordinator Olivia Fee. “Thanks to the knitting machine, Scott was able to design custom patterns for each panel of the hat that included text — even different fonts — that were simply programmed into the machine so it knew when to change

colors. When Gini began knitting it, it only took about a week for the machine to knit all of the panels.”

In 2017, volunteers measured the hat at 617 feet long. Now the museum is looking for more than 100 helpers to parade the hat once more down the streets of Sandpoint.

“We’re sure some of the community members helping us carry it in the parade will be using it as a good luck charm to coax another big snowstorm!” said Fee. The ski hat has only accumulated a few small spots — likely from being dropped in the snow — over nearly 50 years of parades and careful storage. Following a visit from museum assessors in 2023, workers decided that it’s time to look to the next 50 years of preservation.

“Although it has been unaffected by any real damage, we plan to make another advancement in our preservation technique to ensure this local treasure stays maintained and protected for years to come. It will involve gently rolling the hat onto a long acid-free

Courtesy photo. tube with layers of muslin fabric, which will all be wrapped up in archival Tyvek to protect it from humidity,” said Fee. Officials will demonstrate this preservation process at the Sandpoint Branch of the East Bonner County

Library on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To help hoist this local treasure in the parade, email info@bonnercountyhistory.org.

Woodworking for kids and teens offered in KLT’s Wildcrafting Program

By Reader Staff Kids and teens ages 9-17 can now enroll in a six-week woodworking course through Kaniksu Land Trust’s WildCrafting after-school nature education program.

The winter session of WildCrafting will guide students through a beginner-level series of classes on crafting a canoe paddle. The course includes instruction on proper hand tool use and care as students learn basic woodworking skills. Students can choose one of two identical sessions: Mondays, Feb. 19-March 25 from 3-5 p.m., or Wednesdays, Feb. 21-March 27 from 2-4 p.m.

The cost to attend is $100 and includes six weeks of instruction with all equipment and supplies included, as well as snacks and water at each class.

Each session is limited to 12 students.

WildCrafting is held at the Big Red Shed, located at the Pine Street Sled Hill property, 11735 W. Pine St.

Courtesy photo.

Details and registration are available at kaniksu.org/wildcrafting.

February 8, 2024 / R / 15

Artist Bruce Duykers to present abstract art at Winery

By Ben Olson Reader Staff In the world of art, abstract painters seem to have the most fun. Sandpoint artist Bruce Duykers will showcase a dozen of his abstract creations — many of them quite large — at an opening artist reception at the Pend d’Oreille Winery from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8.

Duykers wasn’t always an abstract artist. He actually got his start at the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he studied realism, watercolors and other forms.

“I painted a lot of realism art, especially when I was living in Montana,” Duykers told the Reader. “I did a lot of Western stuff, but after a while I got tired of doing horses and cattle.”

Duykers contends that any artist who continues to do the same thing over and over again, “probably gets a little tired of it, so I switched to

something new. Abstract has been an interesting tributary in the last eight years.”

Duykers primarily works with oils, mainly because of how it interacts on the canvas for him.

“It moves on the canvas good for me,” he said. “It’s malleable enough to do what I want it to do. Acrylics are great, but they dry quickly. They can be kind of flat unless you coat them with something. Oils have always been the choice for me.”

Duykers said some of the abstract masters that have inspired him include famed artists in New York City and others points in the east, as well as some in the Santa Fe, N.M. region. “[Willem] de Kooning, he was really out there,” Duykers said. “Also,

Franz Kline and [Mark] Rothko, he did some fabulous simple work, with bars of colors. Now his stuff is going for millions. So is de Kooning’s work.

They were groundbreakers in New York for abstract.”

When asked what inspired his current abstract work in Sandpoint, Duykers said he has a love for architecture of mid-century modern homes.

“It’s a simple way to live and it actually goes with abstract,” he said.

Left: Bruce Duykers touches up one of his paintings. Above: An abstract in red and gold by Bruce Duykers. Courtesy photos.

“It’s architecture that is simple, direct and very easy to live with. Abstracts are kind of like that.”

Duykers said he is also inspired by abstract artist Joan Mitchell, who painted abstract flowers and gardens.

“She did huge paintings, big canvases like 12-feet by 20-feet,” Duykers said. “Another woman, [Helen] Frankenthaler, she painted with dyes and her stuff is in museums from Cape Code to Santa Fe.” Duykers said he always enjoys showcasing his work at the Pend d’Oreille Winery.

“It’s one of the nicer venues for people who want to show their work,” he said. “Now that I’ve started painting large pieces, there are very few rooms around here that can handle them.”

Check out Duykers’ work at his opening Thursday, Feb. 8 from 5-7 p.m. View some of Duykers’ work online at Bruce Duykers Fine Art on Facebook.

16 / R / February 8, 2024

COMMUNITY

Priest River Dental welcomes new dentist

CAL scholarships now available

By Reader Staff

By Reader Staff The Community Assistance League is offering scholarships to Bonner County students in several categories, including graduating high school seniors in public, private or home schools); recipients of 2023 scholarships who are continuing their education; and individuals who have delayed their education and are enrolling now.

Granted monies are distributed in the student’s name directly to the school in which they are enrolled, whether that be a community college, a four-year or advanced-level college, or a trade school.

Applications are available to be downloaded from the Sandpoint High School website by going to the “Counseling Center,” then clicking the “Senior Scholarships” and “Local Scholarships” links. The deadline for submitting applications is 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 10.

POAC Valentine’s concert postponed

By Reader Staff POAC’s Valentine’s concert at the Panida Theater, featuring pianist Tien Hsieh, has been postponed due to a death in her family. POAC will announce the new date for the performance as soon as it is confirmed.

“Refunds are available to those who have purchased tickets for this show.

We do look forward to bringing Tien to Sandpoint later this spring,” stated POAC Executive Director Tone Stolz.

POAC will still host the planned pre-concert event “Harmony of Hearts: A Valentine’s Art Affair” as part of its Valentine’s Day celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 14, starting at 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“We invite you to visit the POAC Gallery at 313 N. Second Ave., Suite B, for a reception featuring complimentary champagne (for those over 21), chocolates and an opportunity to bid on original artworks inspired by love,” said Stolz. “Come support what you love — POAC and the arts in Sandpoint.”

Applicants may mail applications to CAL Scholarships, P.O. Box 1361, Sandpoint, ID 83864; drop them off at the school’s counseling center; or bring them into CAL’s Bizarre Bazaar store by 3 p.m. on Friday, April 9.

All applications must be complete, including the correct CAL cover form for the category.

CAL is a nearly 50-year-old organization dedicated to improving the lives of Bonner County residents through philanthropy. Although personal monetary donations are always welcome, the bulk of the monies we are able to give back to the community come from proceeds of our shop, Bizarre Bazaar. CAL has gifted more than $2 million in grants and scholarships to date.

For more information, email calscholar@outlook.com or call 208-920-0850.

With the addition of dentist Richard McKinney, Priest River Dental has expanded to Priest River Dental, Implant and General Dentistry.

McKinney is an associate fellow in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, specializing in placing and restoring implants, full-mouth smile makeovers, natural cosmetic veneers, tissue grafting, molar root canals, wisdom teeth extraction and more.

The practice features the most advanced cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) on the market — similar to a CT scan, but allowing patients to stand up while the procedure is completed in seconds. The 3-D technology allows implants to be surgically guided as opposed to “free hand” placement. Other benefits of the machine include its ability to assess TMJ for dysfunction and airway for patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Patients are welcome to book a complimentary infrared deep tissue

Dr. Richard McKinney. Courtesy photo. laser session that helps to promote circulation and expedite cellular healing.

Visit priestriverdental.com for more info or call 208-448-2694.

Follies tickets on sale now

By Reader Staff Tickets went on sale Feb. 2 for the Angels Over Sandpoint’s signature fundraiser, The Follies, which features talented locals in a madcap, comedic variety show with a “slightly naughty” edge that’s “not for the easily offended.”

This year’s Follies is set for Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint), following months of rehearsals and the making of costumes and sets, with performers “ready to explode in fireworks of laughter and craziness,” according to organizers.

“Be prepared to experience fun like never before (well, at least since last year),” the Angels stated on the event website. “If you find that you aren’t laughing, you’re probably in the wrong place!”

Funds raised at The Follies support the nonprofit organization’s mission to help community members in need through a variety of ways, including back-to-school supplies; grants to local adults looking to better their lives; and direct assistance in the form of support for rent, utilities, emergency shelter, life transitions and continuing

education.

The Angels have been a service organization since 1997, raising more than $1.5 million in that time.

Meanwhile, The Follies have been an annual springtime tradition since 2003, though with a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, making the 2024 presentation the 20th anniversary.

“Another important part of the Angels Over Sandpoint mission is to provide events that bring people together to celebrate life — and what is more full of life than the fabulous Follies?!” according to the Angels.

“It’s time to come out of hibernation, help others and party! Remember, this is a slightly ‘naughty’ comedy show with continuous laughs, so you don’t want to miss it.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Must be 21 or older to attend — the event is “a politically incorrect variety show, rated ‘R’ for Risque, Racy and Ridiculous.”

VIP tickets are $50, including early entry and reserved seating at 6:30 p.m.

Only 76 VIP tickets will be sold for each night. General admission is $30, with tickets available at eventbrite.com or in person at Eichardt’s Pub (212 Cedar St., in Sandpoint).

February 8, 2024 / R / 17

events

Februrary 8-15, 2024

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com THURSDAY, februARY 8

Live Music & Happy Family Hour 4:30-5:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. With live music by Buster Brown

Live Music w/ Ron Keiper Trio 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Smooth jazz by this Sandpoint trio Live Music w/ Benny Baker & Miah Kohal 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge Two Sandpoint legends fuse as one Live Music w/ Copper Mountain Band 7:30-late @ The Hive High energy, nonstop country, with line dancing lessons from 7:30-8:30 and the show at 8:45pm. $10/$15 Live Music w/ Mike and Shanna 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Harmonized folk, early rock and indie Live Music w/ Lauren and Chris 5-8pm @ Barrel 33 Live Music w/ Bill Corwin 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Justyn Priest Band 9pm-miodnight @ 219 Lounge

Live Music w/ Doug & Marty 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

FriDAY, februARY 9

Songs on Skis songwriters event 7pm @ St. Bernard (Schweitzer) Join local songwriters Thom Shepherd, Coley McCabe Shepherd, Sam Lyde, Sam McCue, Devon Wade and Ben Vogel to herar the songs and the stories behind them by the writers Live Music w/ Truck Mills 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Sheldon Packwood 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ

Contra Dance 7-10pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall Intro lessons at 7pm, general dancing after. Suggested donation $5 or $20 for families. Dance to live music and a lively caller. Meet your neighbors Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 7-9pm @ The Back Door Birthday jam!

Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

SATURDAY, februARY 10

Natural Connections 10am-4pm @ Sandpoint Library Learn or participate in activities including hair trimming, pasta making, storytelling and puppetry

GriefShare Support Group 10am-12pm @ Cedar Hills Church An international nondenom. Christbased video-support group ministry helping with the loss of a loved one. For more info: 760-855-6111. Group sessions Bingo at the Eagles 2pm @ Eagles Lodge, 1511 Johnny Long Rd. held every Saturday until May 11 Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes Chocolate Walk 5-8pm @ 1908 Saloon Sandpoint Shopping District vendors Come downtown and stop by parLive Music w/ Steven Wayne ticipating retail stores to sample 7-9pm @ The Back Door chocolately goodness Live Music w/ Ian Newbill 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

SunDAY, februARY 11

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s Up close magic shows at the table

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Outdoor Experience Group Run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “God’s Great Cleanup: historical context of Jesus discussion”

Artist Reception w/ Bruce Duykers 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Check out Feb. artist of the month Duykers’ abstract oil paintings.

Cribbage League 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

monDAY, februARY 12

Pool League 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Big Screen Superbowl Party 3-9pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Reservations recommended

Trivia Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Hosted by a revolving cast of characters

tuesDAY, februARY 13 Tipsy Trivia Tuesday 5:30-7pm @ The Back Door

wednesDAY, februARY 14

Harmony of Hearts: A Valentine Art Affair (art show) 4:30pm @ POAC Gallery, 313 N. Second Ave. Complimentary champagne, chocolates and the opportunity to bid on artwork created by local artists with a theme inspired by love. Everyone welcome Live Music & Happy Family Hour 4:30-5:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. With live music by Buster Brown 18 / R / February 8, 2024

Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments 5-8pm @ Baxter’s Restaurant Live Trivia 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge $5/person, play as single or team

ThursDAY, februARY 15

Cribbage League 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Sushi Rolling & Saketini Pairing 6-8pm @ The Hive Immersive 2-hour sushi and sakelover’s experience. $100/person

FEATURE

Cursing Chaucer’s name

The 14th-century origins of Valentine’s Day celebrations

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

Modern, commodified celebrations of Valentine’s Day are equally loathed and adored by couples, bachelors and bachelorettes alike. Anyone who finds themselves resisting the desire to decapitate the giant teddy bears in Walmart every February should blame one man above all others: 14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Valentine’s Day poem Parlement of Foules.

There were obviously no cheap candy hearts or drugstore roses in Medieval Europe, but some may be surprised to learn that Valentine’s Day, at least as it’s celebrated now, didn’t start to take hold until Chaucer’s time.

Celebrations of the Saint(s) Valentine — and there are more than 30 saints who bear some variation of that name — stretch back to the fourth century, but were entirely devoid of romance.

Eighth-century monk and author The Venerable Bede recorded the legend of the death of Bishop Valentinus of Terni, one of the most famous “Valentines.” He claims that the bishop performed healing miracles and converted fellow Romans to Christianity until he was tortured and beheaded — a common motif in accounts of martyrdoms, according to the University of Oxford — under the order of Furiosus Placidus (alternatively translated as “a furious Placidus”), the prefect of Terni.

Later hagiographies, all of which were written hundreds of years after these supposed events, elaborate on the story, straying further from whatever historical truth may have existed.

The story was additionally conflated with the martyrdom of Valentine the Presbyter of Rome, who met the same fate just 60 miles from Valentinus within days of each other. Romantics and zealots in the 1700s and 1800s continued to embellish these stories, later adding that Valentine the Presbyter was executed for performing illegal marriages; however, these additions are so fanciful that in 1969 the Roman Catholic Church had to remove Saint Valentine’s feast day from its calendar.

More contemporary scholarship, inspired largely by these anachronis-

tic details, has argued that modern celebrations of Valentine’s Day were an attempt to Christianize the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia. Though holidays such as Christmas and Easter do originate in Pagan traditions, there seems to be no historical connection between the two celebrations until the 15th century — around 1,000 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and shortly after the Muslim caliphates reintroduced older Greek and Latin writings to Europe.

According to Professor Jack Oruch, author of “St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February,” published in the July 1981 edition of the University of Chicago’s medieval studies journal Speculum, celebration of the Lupercalia had largely vanished by the fifth century under a predominantly Christian Rome.

It’s likely that Chaucer simply associated Valentine, whose feast day fell on Feb. 14, with fertility and therefore lovers because the date coincided with farming practices in preparation for the onset of warm weather. His poem Parlement of Foules depicts a grand meeting of birds, presided over by the personification of Nature: “Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make [When every fowl comes here to choose his mate].”

Chaucer used the allegory of the

birds, as was popular at the time, to represent the importance of free will in the choice of a romantic partner.

Historical records and experience testify that many common species of English birds do mate in February, and that calendars at the time calculated the beginning of spring anywhere from Feb. 7 to March 21, so Oruch and modern scholars argue Chaucer’s choice to associate this romantic time with Saint Valentine was largely coincidental.

Other poems written around the same time by Chaucer’s friends John Gower, Sir John Clanvowe and Oton de Grandson utilize the same association between lovers and Valentine’s Day; however, given that Parlement of Foules dedicated the most lines toward explaining that association, it’s likely that Chaucer’s piece came first and the rest followed suit.

Chaucer was, and remains, highly influential. Shortly after his death in 1400, the French Dukes Louis de Bourbon and Philippe de Bourgogne formed La Cour Amoureuse [The Court of Love] on Valentine’s Day under the patronage of King Charles VI of France — once again piggybacking on Chaucer’s ideas about the holiday.

The court celebrated women, love and sensuality by writing and performing poetry, songs and speeches

A painting by an unknown artist depicting Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, Parlement of Foules, which means “Parliament of Birds.” Courtesy image. on the subjects.

As time went on, more and more poets drew inspiration from this new facet of the holiday, but it wasn’t until monk John Lydgate’s 15th-century poem “Valentine to Her that Excelleth All” that the genre of poetry became known as “valentine.” He further revolutionized the holiday in his work “Kalendare,” which was the first time loved ones — in this case God and the saints — were referred to as “valentines.”

Thereafter, “valentine” came to mean “sweetheart,” and writing Valentine’s Day poems or songs briefly fell out of fashion until a resurgence in the 17th century, according to Oruch.

It was a brief respite before modern pink-and-red hearts flooded the world.

Next time you find yourself alone for Valentine’s Day, or last-minute shopping for wilting flowers, remember to direct your ire toward the medieval and renaissance poets who doomed us all. Don’t forget to curse the name of Geoffry Chaucer, who used his power as the “Father of English Literature” for candy-coated evil.

February 8, 2024 / R / 19

FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

A piece of cake

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist It’s a wrap, folks. The 16th annual Heart Ball proved as successful as its predecessors.

The following night, I watched the Grammys and thought that the Bonner General Health Foundation’s fundraising event was as glamorous — ladies dressed in their finery, accessorized by dazzling diamonds, opera gloves and bejeweled stilettos.

I attended as a volunteer (and cultural observer), so my dress is always real-world black, though I try to add a splash of color to my practical look. My primary task was helping set up the over-the-top cakes and assisting with the foundation’s sales during the fast-paced auction. Once again, we had the support of some of the best youth in Bonner County: the HOSA-Future Health Professionals.

Carrying the magnificent culinary creations from the “front of the house” to the service area can be daunting.

Cakes are sometimes top-heavy and/or just plain heavy. And perishable. Though the students are often nervous about the cake procession, I’ve never seen a cake mishap at the Heart Ball. I have, however, seen my fair share of cake disasters, and many involved me for one reason or another.

Thirty-plus years ago (in 1993), I was commissioned to make a birthday cake for the cover of the alumni magazine, Montanan, to commemorate the 100th anniversary celebration of the University of Montana.

The triple-tiered, stacked cake was actually frosted Styrofoam.

The top layer, created with cardboard and royal icing, was 20 / R / February 8, 2024

a to-scale miniature replica of Main Hall — also known as University Hall and the oldest building on the University of Montana campus.

For a more authentic look, I went to the local hobby shop and purchased model railroad trees to stand sentry on either side of Main Hall.

The middle layer was adorned with 100 candles along the edge, and the bottom layer’s decorations included hand-stenciled UM logos created from thin royal icing.

The cake was tall and cumbersome; but, fortunately, it wasn’t too heavy. We loaded it into the catering van and hauled it to a local photographer’s studio for setup. I’d mentally worked on this cake for months and knew I needed plenty of helpers so we could quickly light all 100 candles and back away swiftly for the

cover shot. Once the photo was taken, we had damp cotton towels to lay over the flames and extinguish them to prevent any smoke damage to the cake (in case we needed to redo the photos).

Again, this was a well-rehearsed project — at least in my mind. I had not counted on those tiny, life-like trees bursting into flames and melting into little pools of metal right before our eyes.

Fortunately, the photographer got his shot, we extinguished the fire, and the damages were limited to several burned trees and one bruised ego.

At that time, the restaurant I operated was the former banquet kitchen and ballroom in the Florence Hotel, in Missoula, which had been converted to office space. My space had been shuttered for more than 20 years, and locals — es-

pecially older ones — were thrilled when I restored it to its former glory. We were booked every weekend for significant events, especially weddings.

I made some wedding cakes and had a fabulous baker, named Diane. Between us, we churned out a lot of beautiful and tasty celebration cakes.

Sadly, more than one bride volunteered a best friend who would make their cake, as a wedding gift. And more than one cake met its demise on the cake table. Top-heavy cakes toppled. Other cakes, coated in thick buttercream, became like mountains, with the sweet butter mix avalanching down the pedestal and onto the table. Cakes that made it through the cutting process were often filled with skewers and other reinforcement pieces that occasionally made their way into a

Banana and pecan cake

guest’s mouth. I finally started charging a hefty cake-cutting fee, which cut down on the number of homemade cakes.

We also had a sign next to the cake, thanking the baker by name (we didn’t want credit)!

I made cakes that my crew carried across swinging bridges, rafted to river islands and on ski lifts to a mountaintop. I always came equipped with extra garnish (camouflage), pastry bags filled with fix-it frosting and prayers. I never had a casualty I couldn’t fix, but I came close more than once.

I learned to limit the cake and filling choices that left my premises, and baked many a hike-proof and robust layer, like carrot or banana cakes.

My banana cake became a big hit. I’d like to think the recipe will be a hit with you, too.

8-12 servings

Moist and dense, this cake is delicious, and travels well. For a tropical taste, substitute pecans with macadamia nuts, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Yield: 2 layer cake or 9” x 13” loaf cake.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake • 2-3 ripe, mashed bananas (about 1 cup) • 2 tsp cider vinegar • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp baking soda • ½ tsp salt • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 cup light brown sugar • 3 large eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • ½ cup Greek yogurt • 1 cup milk • ½ cup toasted and chopped pecans Frosting • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened • 1 ½ packages of softened cream cheese (12 oz total) • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 1 tsp pure almond extract • 4 cups powdered sugar • 2 tbs heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit.

Grease and line with parchment paper, a 9 x 13-inch pan — or for a layer cake, 2 separate 8-inch round cake pans; set aside.

In a small bowl, mash bananas and stir in vinegar; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl of standup mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Scrape bottom, and beat in eggs one at a time, add vanilla extract and yogurt and mix again. Add the bananas, and mix in.

Add the flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing until smooth, but don’t over mix.

By hand, fold in pecans for loaf cake. If layer cake, save to sprinkle pecans on top of cakes.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (cooking time will vary by ovens).

For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Scrape mixing bowl. Beat in vanilla, add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until com-

bined, then on high until frosting is smooth.

Add cream and beat until well mixed.

Spread on top of cooled cake and sprinkle with additional pecans if desired. If layer cake, place so that pecans are on the

top of the bottom cake, coat with icing, and place other cake upside down, so pecans are in center of layers in the buttercream. Frost sides and top and sprinkle with additional pecans if needed.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Soncirey Mitchell

Songs on Skis songwriting night READ debuts at the St. Bernard on Schweitzer

By Ben Olson Reader Staff High atop Schweitzer Mountain there lies a bar that is perhaps the most local establishment within miles; The St. Bernard. The weekend skiers from Washington and came back from the trip he beyond rarely walk through said, ‘We have a bar, you the St. Bernard’s front door, should play there sometime.’” as this locals’ favorite skirts Shepherd and McCabe delightfully under the tourbegan playing at the St. Berist radar. What better place nard during the pandemic and to host the debut of Songs found they enjoyed the quiet on Skis, a weekend of local spot on Schweitzer, so it was a songwriters showcasing their no-brainer to host the inaugural creativity on Friday and SatSongs on Skis at the Bernard. urday, Feb. 9-10.

McCabe and Shepherd The two-night performance will host Friday and Satis an effort led by hit country urday night, sharing some songwriters Thom Shepherd of their hit songs that have and Coley McCabe, who made it onto several country spend their time between music charts over their time Nashville and Sandpoint. in Nashville. Friday, they’ll Shepherd and McCabe have invite two guests to play sets, hosted other songwriting including Sam McCue and events in the Ben Vogel startpast, but this ing at 7 p.m.

Songs on Skis one is special Based in Post Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. because it com- 10; $49 for both nights, or $30 Falls, McCue bines two activi- for Friday or Saturday; 7 p.m. start. and hailing ties they cherish: St. Bernard, Northwest Passage from Montana, Road (next to Black Bear consongwriting and McCue has dos) at Schweitzer, 208-920skiing. been performing 5521. Visit songsonskis.com for “I met the Western music tickets and more info. owners of the in the Inland St. Bernard, Northwest for Scott Lea, because we rented more than 15 years. an RV to them,” Shepherd “I told Sam he writes like told the Reader. “When he he’s been to Nashville,” Shep-

herd said. “He didn’t have any interest in going there though. He told me, ‘I like living up here and making my music up here.’”

McCue’s music can be accessed at mccuetunes.com.

Joining McCue is Spokane’s Ben Vogel, a troubadour whose music is a finely curated blend of rock, blues, jazz and soul, with a dash of pop.

“Ben Vogel is great,” Shepherd said. “He reminds me a lot of Ben Folds. I’m a country guy, but I love Ben Folds.”

Vogel splits his time playing solo, as well as with his rock band Zoramena. Listen to his music at benvogelmusic.com.

Saturday night, Shepherd and McCabe will invite two other local musicians to join them on stage — Sam Leyde and Devon Wade, who will start their set at 7 p.m.

“Sam Leyde is super talented,” Shepherd said. “He’s sticking around here, but I think if he branched out to Nashville or wherever, he’d really make a splash.”

Whether playing solo or

Songs on Skis performers, from left to right: Coley McCabe, Thom Shepherd, Devon Wade, Sam McCue, Ben Vogel and Sam Leyde. Courtesy photos. with his Sam Leyde Band, Leyde is a powerhouse whose original songs have a familiar, comfortable sound rooted in rock, rhythm and blues, gospel and country.

Finally, Devon Wade is a Sandpoint-based country artist who has gained a following for his high energy performances at local venues.

“Most people know him as a cover band guy, but I’ve heard his originals and they’re good,” Shepherd said.

Each night will feature the respective songwriters sharing their songs and explaining to those in attendance what inspired them.

“I love the intimate songwriter thing,” Shepherd said.

“It’s great playing to a big hall of people, but I love where you make a connection, look someone in the eye and feel what they’re feeling. That’s the best”

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Benny Baker and Miah Kohal, Connie’s, Feb. 9 Between the two of them, Benny Baker and Miah Kohal play in about 40% of the total number of bands in Sandpoint.

Baker is known for his spot-on renditions of classic rock favorites, as well as his incendiary guitar skills with any of his musical projects.

Kohal has honed in on the outlaw rock/country vibe the past decade in

Sandpoint, drawing together people for dancing and good times whenever he plays live.

Together, who knows what these two Sandpoint legends will get up to?

Chances are, it’ll be worth checking out.

— Ben Olson 5 p.m., FREE. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208255-2227, conniescafe.com.

Copper Mountain Band, The Hive, Feb. 9 It’s been a little more than a year since Montana-based country-rock power outfit Copper Mountain Band swung through Sandpoint with a high-energy getdown at The Hive, so it’s about time for them to make a return to the “small town big stage.”

Save the date for CMB’s rollicking return to The Hive on Friday, Feb. 9, reminding audiences why this is one of the region’s favorite groups, able to get the party going at any venue, from honkytonks to county

fairs and beyond — including as far afield as France.

Led with unstoppable passion by vocalist Jacque Jolene, CMB can cover just about any song request from country to classic rock ’n’ roll, while belting out the band’s ample catalog of originals.

— Zach Hagadone Doors at 7 p.m., show at 9 p.m.; $10 advance, $15 at the door; 21+.

The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208457-2392, livefromthehive.com.

Listen at coppermountainband.com.

Imagine, if you will, that Bo Breaker of “Bo Breaker: Face Facts” by Jeffrey Keenan (the winner of this year’s Reader 208 Fiction competition) found himself wandering through a magical medieval England sans memory.

That’s the setup of The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson — a delightful combination of science fiction, fantasy and cheesy mobster movies. This quick, easy read immerses readers in a mysterious yet familiar world and delivers plenty of thrills and smiles along the way.

Follow the adventures of an amnesiac “wizard” as he attempts to regain his memories while battling vikings and gangsters.

LISTEN

Duo Daisy the Great released a two-song album titled Persephone / Scarborough Fair, with haunting duets that intermingle feelings of horror, pain and anger with beautiful, light melodies.

Listeners may recognize the second song as a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 “Scarborough Fair / Canticle,” which combined the traditional English ballad with Simon’s anti-war song.

This cover manages the impossible — it’s better than the original — mostly because the duo brings the lyrics of “Canticle” to the forefront. Their original song, “Persephone,” is equally as poignant as it laments society’s condemnation of powerful women.

WATCH Because I cannot and will never escape the chokehold that British crime dramas have on my life, I’m rewatching Grantchester on PBS Masterpiece. Set in the 1950s in an idyllic village in Cambridgeshire, the series follows local vicar Sidney Chambers as he solves crimes and grapples with his PTSD from serving in WWII. Sidney forms meaningful, if unorthodox, relationships with his parishioners, fellow jazz aficionados and his partner-in-crime-solving, Inspector Geordie Keating, while simultaneously fighting against bigotry and small-town societal pressures. Stream it on Amazon Prime.

February 8, 2024 / R / 21

BACK OF THE BOOK

On Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and world domination From Northern Idaho News, February 7, 1911

GRAND OPENING OF NEW CITY HALL On motion of Alderman Ames, the city council last night decided up on the evening of February 20 as the occasion of the grand opening of the new city hall, at which time the entire building will be thrown open to the general public for inspection.

The Commercial club, the Sandpoint Woman’s club and Messrs. L.D. and E.D. Farmin and wives, who donated the lots upon which the city hall stands, will be given special invitations to attend this opening. As an afterthought, City attorney H.H. Taylor, Chief of Police Traue and Street Commissioner Kitchen were appointed to act as a reception and entertainment committee. Protests on the part of the appointees was vigorous but of no avail.

IN NEW QUARTERS For the first time in many moons the members of the council were on hand before time set for meeting. There were also a number of curious ones who came to witness the proceedings of the body in their new quarters, last night’s meeting being the first session held in the new city hall. The forepart of the evening was spent in the inspection of the various departments of the hall.

22 / R / February 8, 2024

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist Questions: Why does halftime at the Super Bowl last 100 years and feature stuff football fans have no interest in?

Is it just me, or do others have no idea who Usher is? Does the NFL book halftime entertainment to fool people not remotely interested in football into watching? Do these people Tevo halftime and fast forward through the ads?

Is halftime a plot by Budweiser to give fans time to run out for more beer?

And just who the heck is Taylor Swift?

If she’s so damned cool, why isn’t she the halftime show?

I confess: Until I saw Ms. Swift snag a pinot gris from a drooling bartender in some bank card ad (or maybe a phone ad) I was unaware that she was such a thing. I’ve seen that ad multiple times while waiting for play to resume. I’m a sports fan — baseball, football, golf. OK, golf isn’t really a sport as much as it is an endeavor. But I’m also somewhat culturally disconnected, and I kinda like it that way. It gives me time and space to mind my own business and not get too excited about anyone else’s — except for Trumpolympics (my new word of the week), which can be pretty exciting, in a sort of disgusting way. (This concludes my Trump bashing for this time — maybe.)

So, here’s the All-American Girl and the All-Pro Tight End. They are having what could be the most public romance in history. Maybe Charles and Diana were subjects of such a frenzy of attention, but that didn’t have a happy ending. In the case

of Taylor and Travis, I wish them a much better conclusion somewhere way out in the future, when they are happy subjects of a “where-are-theynow” story.

In the meantime, even culturally ignorant me knows about them. In fact, I know that Ms. Swift will be significantly jet lagged as she cheers for Mr. Kelce in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11. If you don’t know about that, ask Google where Ms. Swift will be on Saturday. Pretty interesting, but also really none of my business. As Frank Zappa warned it would, all this info just kind of oozes in from every direction that media come from: left, right and middle — if there is such a thing.

But, get this: conspiracy theorists know a lot more than I do. Evidently, Ms. Swift is a Russian operative whose main purpose — besides endorsing Joe Biden at halftime — is to distract world attention while the United Nations (Russia is a member of the U.N., after all) continues to build secret bases all around the world — not just in Idaho — where there will soon be half a billion AI-designed cyborgs — all with blue helmets, of course — ready to attack all governments of the world — “All means all,” you know — and achieve domination of the planet for Mr. Z. (you know damned well who I’m talking about) and his evil partner Mr. M., so they can set up a semi-socialist, not-quite-Marxist, sort-of-fascist regime headed by a computer so large that it has become sentient. (Look it up, conspiratologists!

The word, I mean.)

Membership in certain social media groups — whose names I won’t mention for fear of being sued to smither-

eens — will be mandatory. Those who resist will be forced to listen to hours of Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage, from where all conspiratorial knowledge flowed, lo these many years ago.

Ms. Swift herself will be appointed Goddess of Entertainment in the New World Order.

Oh, that’s right. She already is.

I’m being ridiculous, right? But I figure if the rest of the world can be ridiculous, so can I. In fact, it’s pretty easy, although maybe I should be careful. I once wrote in an April Fools’ Day column about how someone was going to drain Priest Lake and build a golf course, and a few people got outraged about that.

The real question for some folks, though, is this: Does Travis have Taylor’s music running in his helmet as he’s running his route in anticipation of catching a perfectly thrown pass from what’s-his-name-No. 15?

And, then how will what’s-his-name Number 15 and the rest of whoever do against the other whoevers with the gold on their uniforms and what’s-hisname-No. 13 throwing or handing the ball to that other what’s-his-name-No. 25. I mean, who really cares, right?

What’s really important is that Ms. Swift will be there, cheering for her guy — just as many other women do every day in regular life.

You go, Ms. Swift. I don’t know a lot about you, but I like you, glow-inthe-dark lipstick and all.

Super Bowl LVIII should be epic.

I’ve cheered both teams all season, so go what’s-his-name and whoever! And, I’m skipping halftime.

STR8TS Solution

Sudoku Solution

Crossword Solution

By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

ACROSS

risible /RIZ-uh-buhl/

Woorf tdhe Week

[adjective] 1. causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous.

“The absurd plot of the movie made it thoroughly risible, leaving the viewers in stitches.”

Corrections: Nothing worth noting this week. Stay tuned, there’s always next edition.

Whenever you see a bunch of Italian guys talking Italian, just go up to them and start talking fake Italian. They may not understand you exactly, but at least everyone will get a nice warm “Italian” feeling.

1. Ascent 6. Documents 10. Nil 14. Cowboy sport 15. River in Spain 16. Any thing 17. Sporting venue 18. Large number 19. Seize suddenly 20. Cosmetician 22. Mound 23. Hitches 24. Condition 25. Affirmatives 29. Smiled scornfully 31. Cheese dish 33. Corrupt 37. Canine tooth 38. Fragments 39. Orator 41. Skirmishes 42. What’s left 44. Arid 45. Old Jewish scholars 48. Noodles 50. Thin strip 51. Possessing a spine 56. Indian dress 57. Put ____ words 58. Reveals 59. Therefore 60. Require

Solution on page 22

61. Sea 62. Observed 63. Countercurrent 64. Josh

DOWN 1. Complain 2. Old stories 3. Notion 4. List of choices 5. Ships 6. Comment at length 7. Require

8. Wrinkled 9. Scattered seed 10. Nightgown 11. Skylit lobbies 12. Administered 13. Stroll 21. Interiors 24. Brown shade 25. Circle fragments 26. Wail 27. Celtic language 28. Breakup 30. Brimming 32. Bicycles 34. Dull pain 35. Swerve

36. Being 40. Matured 41. Detention 43. Moved quickly 45. Donkeys 46. Din 47. Flatboat 49. Monastery head 51. What a grape grows on 52. Speed competition 53. District 54. Earl Grey and orange pekoe 55. Slave

February 8, 2024 / R / 23

0

ower

AVEDA Spa and Salon at Seasons

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A SPA DA )

424 Sandpoint Ave. I Sandpoint, ID

BOOK ONLINE thewildflowerdayspa.com

Offers must be booked and redeemed by February 29, 2024. If booked online, discount will be applied at time of service. Sorry, not valid with any other offers or discounts. Therapists can opt in or out of honoring specials!