Reader April 16 2020

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PEOPLE compiled by

Lyndsie Kiebert

watching

SOCIAL DISTANCE EDITION: “Do you collect anything?”

“I collect interesting rocks, like if they look like hearts or mountains or have sparkles or that may have been tools.”

Avery Aumick Second-grader Clark Fork

“I have a book problem. My library/antilibrary contains some cool old volumes.”

Dustin Drennen Coffee roaster and musician Clark Fork

“Where do I start! I love collecting items from the past. My collection ranges from vintage clothes to strange taxidermy, it’s all about what speaks to me!”

Heather Upton Interim executive director Bonner County Historical Society and Museum Naples “Raidernation! I collect any kind of Raiders memorabilia I can get my hands on. Clothing, helmets, figurines, football cards ... Raaaiiders!”

Brian Arthun Athletic director, football coach, PE teacher at Clark Fork High School Sandpoint “My wife and I have been accumulating records. They have been really nice to have during this lockdown.”

Robb Talbott Ski patrol and music promoter Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

We’re nearing the one-month mark for our social distancing efforts, and when you look at the Idaho cases of coronavirus, it’s clear that this effort has been worth it. It helps that we’re a rural state, by and large, but when looking at outbreaks in Ada and Blaine counties, it doesn’t take much imagination to see how this situation could’ve ended up so much worse than it has.

This does not mean we need to drop our guard, folks. Gov. Brad Little extended the stay-at-home order until April 30 at a press conference April 15, and I applaud him for doing so. Despite several of the loud voices from many of our elected officials in North Idaho claiming this order somehow violates the Constitution (it doesn’t), we have stuck together as a community to ensure those who are most vulnerable are safe.

I know we all want to get back to situation normal, and we will, but for now we need to keep listening to health experts and practicing social distancing, which includes wearing a face mask while in public places like grocery stores. Keep it up, North Idaho. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (Staff Writer) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Susan Drumheller (cover), Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Cadie Archer, Emily Erickson.

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Emily Erickson, Mayor Shelby Rognstad, Brenden Bobby, Barry Rosenberg, Kendall Mitton, Jaxon Pettit, Cadie Archer, Susan Drumheller, Jen Heller Regan Plumb.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewsiton, ID Subscription Price: $115 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.

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink.

Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters (up to 300 words) to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

This week’s cover is from the Gordy’s spur of the Hayes Gulch Trail near Gold Hill. It was taken by Susan Drumheller and features her pooch Bella. Check out the trail!

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NEWS

Gov. extends stay-at-home order through April 30 Tension continues across Idaho as elected officials question COVID-19 response

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Idaho Governor Brad Little announced April 15 that the statewide stay-at-home order would remain in place for another two weeks, extending to Thursday, April 30, at which time the order will be lifted unless there is an “upward trend of severe” coronavirus cases.

Little urged Idahoans to continue following social distancing guidelines, adding that the state will “be better positioned for a strong economic comeback because we are making difficult changes in how we live and work in the short-term.”

Little announced that businesses formerly classified as non-essential could begin implementing delivery and curbside services, but that clubs, bars, indoor gyms, event centers, salons and dine-in options at restaurants should remain closed.

The governor has been on the record about his desire to see businesses thrive again while having to weigh the consequences of a premature reopening.

“Nobody wants to open the economy up more than I do,” Little said April 9 on the Idaho Public Television program Idaho Reports, “but what we don’t want to happen is to open it up and then have us go back to what we were worried about — have a surge, have overcapacity, have some people die.”

The powerful business lobby group Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry applauded the governor’s extension of the order and echoed his concerns about a “surge” in cases following a premature reopening of the state.

“If restrictions were to be removed too quickly, and the virus was to spread like wildfire through the population, then consumers would pull back drastically and for a longer period of time,” IACI stated in a news release April 15 following Little’s remarks. “We support the 4 /

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governor in not bending to political pressure, but putting people before politics and making decisions based on science.”

The amended order also mandates that non-residents self-quarantine for 14 days upon entering Idaho, excluding “those performing essential services or those who live in one state and work or gain essential services in another state.”

As the governor announced the stay-at-home extension via Facebook live stream, comments poured in nonstop. Some commended the governor’s decision, while many others expressed outrage at how the order would damage the economy, and whether such an order was constitutional in the first place.

Debate regarding the order’s constitutionality has been raging for weeks, sparked in large part by a letter sent April 2 by Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler to Little, in which he wrote that COVID-19 is “nothing like the Plague” and that “we were misled by some Public Health Officials, and now it is time to reinstate our Constitution.”

Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, is another local figure questioning the pandemic response — even whether the pandemic is real — describing the crisis in a newsletter as “The Virus That Tried to Kill the Constitution.”

Questions as to whether the stay-at-home order is constitutional continue to circulate throughout social media, despite confirmation from the Idaho attorney general’s office that Little has the authority to issue orders of isolation and quarantine.

Further muddying the constitutional waters, no less than President Donald Trump asserted at an April 13 press conference that his “authority is total” to force governors to lift stay-at-home orders to restart the economy. Those remarks drew widespread condemnation from governors, constitutional experts

and even members of the Republican Party, resulting in Trump walking back his claims April 14, when he said, “We don’t want to put pressure on anybody. I’m not going to put any pressure on any governor to open.”

Meanwhile, the Idaho panhandle has become a hotbed of pushback to the governor’s stay-at-home order, as highlighted April 7 in a New York Times piece titled “A ‘Liberty’ Rebellion in Idaho Threatens to Undermine Coronavirus Orders.”

The story, which made waves nationwide, detailed the tension between elected officials and health care workers in Bonner County. As one local doctor said in the story: “Don’t take legal advice from a doctor, and don’t take medical advice from a sheriff.”

Little addressed the sentiments coming out of the panhandle at the April 15 press conference, admitting that he, too, has some “liberitarian” tendencies in his “DNA,” but that the COVID-19 crisis requires putting drastic measures in place to protect Idahoans.

“I’m always interested in hearing their input,” Little said.

“Subsequent to [the letter from Wheeler], I got a letter from the entire [Idaho] Sheriff’s Association supporting what I’m doing. I have to do what I have to do for the good of the people.”

The governor’s office did not respond directly to the Sandpoint Reader’s request for comment on Wheeler’s letter or the New York

Times article before press time.

Pushback from a swath of other Idaho legislators has also recently come to light. Boise State Public Radio reported April 14 that House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, sent a letter to Little urging him to shift COVID-19 response authority to public health districts.

“Let’s continue informing our citizens about the health risks and then, to the greatest degree possible, let them govern themselves,” Bedke wrote, adding that how Little chooses to “exercise legislative powers now will affect how the Legislature views those powers when it next convenes.”

Rep. Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, shared similar sentiments in an email to Little and other legislators, according to Boise State Public Radio.

She also tweeted in response to a Boise journalist: “Ok enough.

This is not the plague. Stop treating it as if it is. Wash your hands and act like responsible humans.”

The culture of divided opinion in Idaho is becoming a trademark of the state’s COVID-19 response, as evidenced by comments made following the April 13 announcement of the Western States Pact — a collaborative effort between Washington, Oregon and California to reopen their economies once social distancing recommendations cease.

When asked whether Idaho was invited to join the pact, Washington Governor Jay Inslee noted the state’s lack of “unity.”

A screenshot of Gov. Brad Little’s live press conference April 15 in Boise.

“I understand [Little is] having some controversy with his plans in Idaho, so we have that issue that he’s got to work through,” Inslee said. “We can talk to him. I see no reason not to do that … when he gets Idaho in a little more consensus position, I’d be happy to talk to him.”

Little said April 15 that he is open to communicating with bordering states’ governments, but that Idaho is “vastly different” and is unlikely to take the same approach as the denser-populated coastal states.

Little laid out the reality of Idaho’s altered social and economic state while appearing April 2 on Idaho Reports when he stated, “Life will not go back to normal for a long time.”

“I did not do this lightly. This is not my natural state at all.

[Idaho is] the most unregulated state in the union — that’s my natural state — but the safety of the people of Idaho is paramount. I have the constitutional authority, I have it by code, but I am not using it all lightly. It’s a heavy responsibility to me,” he said. “[The stay-at-home order was] — from a scientific basis, and from a health care basis, and from a legal basis — the right thing to do, but it was a heavy decision for me to do it.”

Additional reporting by Zach Hagadone.

NEWS Labor Dept. gives update on COVID-19 job loss assistance programs

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The Idaho Department of Labor reported April 14 that it had received 77,430 claims for unemployment benefits over the course of three weeks — more than it handled in all of 2019. Amid the “tremendous backlog of work,” the agency paid out $17.95 million in benefits to Idahoans whose jobs have been affected by COVID-1 from March 23 to April 10.

“We’re making progress on a huge backlog of claims and sending payments out to the people of Idaho,” Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier stated in a news release. “We still have a lot to do to make sure the funds are administered correctly, but we are making progress.”

For those who still haven’t seen payment on their claims, they’ll just have to keep waiting.

However, those who are receiving unemployment insurance benefits could start seeing the additional $600 federal benefit authorized by Congress under the CARES Act by the end of April.

According to Labor, the agency will start processing the $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit payments in the next two weeks.

“Idahoans currently filing or receiving benefits under the state’s regular unemployment insurance program already qualify for the additional $600 and do not need to take further action,” the Labor Department stated in the release.

The federal benefit is retroactive to March 29 and ends the

week ending July 25.

Meanwhile, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which is geared toward self-employed, contract employees and other workers not otherwise eligible for unemployment benefits, will take more time to put in place.

The new program from the U.S. Department of Labor requires the Idaho Department of Labor to make significant system upgrades to process payments, which likely won’t go out to claimants until May. According to the agency, it also expects more guidance from the feds regarding administration of the benefit, which is retroactive to Feb. 2 and ends Dec. 26.

Finally, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation gives jobless workers 13 weeks of payments added to the end of their

regular unemployment benefits.

In other words, claimants may collect unemployment benefits for a longer time than under normal circumstances.

Also funded by the federal government, the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program is retroactive to March 29 and ends Dec. 26. As with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the Idaho Department of Labor needs to upgrade its system, but agency officials anticipate payments will start later this month.

For more information and answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and applying for unemployment insurance visit idahoatwork.com/2020/03/18/ faqs-about-unemployment-insurance-and-covid-19.

athletes and encourage participation — this should be the standard for all school sports.”

Idaho is the only state in the country to both institute a blanket ban on sports participation by transgender athletes and to enact a statewide law regulating transgender and intersex athletes.

“Alongside Idahoans throughout the state, we have been fighting this hateful, unconstitutional legislation since it was introduced,” ACLU of Idaho Legal Director Ritchie Eppink stated in the release. “Businesses, major

employers, schools, doctors, and counselors have all warned that this law is terrible for Idaho.”

Amid an already divisive 2020 legislative session, HB 500 garnered perhaps the most headlines nationwide. The Idaho attorney general’s office weighed in on the law in February, stating in a ninepage analysis that it had “concerns about the defensibility of the proposed legislation” — including with regards to the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title IX regulations.

Now, as the Idaho Statesman

pointed out, the AG’s office will be expected to defend the state in the case against the law.

Echoing her soon-to-be legal opponents’ own previous concerns, Kathleen Hartnett of Cooley, LLP stated in the news release, “By discriminating and invading privacy, HB 500 violates the U.S. Constitution and Title IX, and we look forward to presenting our arguments to the court.”

Read the full complaint at aclu. org/cases/hecox-v-little.

ACLU sues over Idaho transgender sports law

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

As promised, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho filed a lawsuit April 15 challenging House Bill 500 — a controversial law signed by Governor Brad Little during the most recent legislative session that bans transgender and intersex women and girls from participating in female sports at the public school or university levels.

ACLU-Idaho joined with its national parent organization as well as Seattle-based feminist advocacy group Legal Voice and law firm Cooley LLP in filing the suit on behalf of a transgender track athlete at Boise State University and another Boise State student, who is not transgender but worried they, too, might be forced to undergo the “sex verification” test imposed by the new law sould they participate in school sports.

“We’re suing because HB 500 illegally targets women and girls who are transgender and intersex and subjects all female athletes to the possibility of invasive genital and genetic screenings,” stated Gabriel Arkles, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT & HIV Project, in a news release announcing the suit.

“In Idaho and around the country, transgender people of all ages have been participating in sports consistent with their gender identity for years. Inclusive teams support all

Council approves amendment to Memorial Field design contract

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Meeting via remote connection on April 15, the Sandpoint City Council unanimously voted to approve an amendment to the professional services agreement with Bernardo Wills Architects, the firm hired to provide engineering services for sweeping changes to War Memorial Field.

Overall, the amendment allocates a further $170,065 toward a total “not-to-exceed amount” of $489,965 for engineering services in both Phases I and II of the project, which includes the installation of artificial turf at the field.

In detail, the amendment provides for additional services including engineering support during

bidding in both phases, as well as during Phase I construction; increases the construction limit from $2.95 million to $4.2 million, which includes both phases; clarifies the scope of Phase II; and modifies the schedule of services to include Phase II design.

The new construction cost is within the budget amounts presented to the council in February, with the city taking on construction management and inspection services.

Additional services to be provided by the Bernardo Wills include a playable field for fall sports in Phase I and directives in Phase II to provide parking lot rehabilitation, stormwater systems and treatment, lighting, sidewalks, curbs, boat launch improvements,

restroom, landscape, accessible path to future kayak launch, boat washing station and all features required to accommodate spring sports.

Basic services went from $275,000 to $380,000, accounting for an increase from $77,550 to $102,450 for the preliminary design phase, and increased to $261,050 — from $180,950 — for the final design.

Additional services total $109,965, including geotechnical investigation and analysis, a stormwater pollution prevention plan, bidding for Phases I and II, and Phase I construction.

“We’re anticipating Phase II design completion over the summer,” said City Engineer Dan Tadic.

RV regs to pause in April Idaho Parks and Rec. working with BCSO to temporarily suspend ticketing

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Recreational vehicle registrations will temporarily halt in April as the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation works to move registrations and invasive species sticker purchases to an online format.

Until Monday, April 20, registration and sticker purchases will be very limited. Vendors stopped sales in March as part of the transition, and many county motor vehicle offices closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From Tuesday, April 21 to Tuesday, April 28, IDPR said no registrations through any channel will be available.

The new online system is slated to open Wednesday, April 29. A new call system through which purchases can be made should also be available by that date.

Local law enforcement is working with IDPR to be sure boaters and others who have yet to register their vehicles are not ticketed during the system’s downtime, extending that grace period through the end of May. “The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the challenges faced by our community regarding the registration of their boats this season,” the sheriff’s office stated in a media release, adding that people are encouraged to obtain their registration as soon as possible once those services are up and running again.

BCSO said that while vehicles lacking registration and invasive species stickers will not be ticketed, “suspension of enforcement does not apply to other aspects of the Safe Boating Act or the Bonner County Revised Code that apply to required safety equipment, speed limits, wake zone violations, boating under the influence or other safety issues that serve to protect public safety.”

The Lakes Commission reports that watercraft inspection stations are set to open as planned this year, with the Clark Fork location opening Friday, April 17 and the Samuels and Albeni Falls locations opening on Friday, May 1. All watercraft are required to stop and inspection personnel will be closely following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations related to COVID-19.

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NEWS

Local company Percussionaire ramps up ventilator production to meet COVID-19 needs

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Since at least early March, the coronavirus pandemic has proved to be a stress test for every aspect of American life — no more so than for the nation’s health care infrastructure and, from the beginning, a paucity of oxygen ventilators has served as a symbol of its fragility.

Owing to the nature of COVID-19, which attacks healthy lung functioning and threatens patients’ ability to breathe, ventilators are seen by front line health providers as a crucial component in their ability to save lives. As The New York Times reported April 14, “For some critically ill patients, a ventilator may be the only real hope.”

Yet, the United States’ supply of ventilators is so woefully inadequate for the crisis that President Donald Trump announced a massive ventilator loan program April 14, enlisting top health care systems and manufacturers for a rapid deployment of the devices. Health care systems have been asked to lend unused ventilators to hospitals in under-supplied hot spots. Meanwhile private industry is set to produce 30,000 of the devices by the end of May, and as many as 150,000 by the end of the year.

Among the companies contributing to the manufacturing effort is Sandpoint-based Percussionaire Corporation, which even before Trump announced the loan program had already jumped to ramp up production of its TXP 5 emergency ventilator. According to an April 12 post on the company’s Facebook page, Percussionaire had surpassed the output of Ford, General Motors and Tesla, with employees working overtime — including on Easter — to build capacity for thousands of devices per month.

“We are getting reports that our high frequency percussive ventilators (HFPV) are helping both the sickest patients and also helping to keep less severe cases off invasive ventilation,” Percussionaire Sales Manager Giles Wilson told the Sandpoint Reader in an email.

Already, those ventilators are shipping to almost every state, with the TXP 5 emergency ventilator prized for its ease of use and ability to be stored for long periods with no batteries to fail or service needs.

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A pallet of ventilators recently manufactured by Percussionaire. Courtesy photo.

Percussionaire originated with famed late-inventor and longtime Sandpoint resident Forrest M. Bird, who pioneered respiratory care technology. Bird founded Percussionaire, which employs many of his innovations serving adult, pediatric and neonatal critical care, as well as military and transport applications.

“Percussionaire has a 30-year history of making devices that benefit patients from the most severe ARDS [acute respiratory distress syndrome] through those with chronic conditions that lead to hospitalizations,” Wilson wrote.

While the number of COVID-19 patients being treated with ventilators — or intubated — has slowed since March, it is still increasing by 21 people per day. According to The Times, the need for the devices remains urgent, but some nurses and doctors are now employing non-mechanical methods such as proning, which involves rolling a patient on their side or positioning them on their belly atop a mattress designed for use during pregnancy.

Those methods have proved successful so far, but it’s anyone’s guess whether the relative decline in intubations since March will hold as cases of COVID-19 surpassed 2 million worldwide on April 15, according to Johns Hopkins University.

“We will continue to build this TXP 5 emergency ventilator for as long as needed, as well as our core products,” Wilson wrote.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact, which COVID-19 (C-19) has illustrated so well. A recent sampling: According to Korea’s Centers for Disease Control, it appears C-19 is reactivating in dozens of people considered cured, which matches information from Japan and China, Bloomberg.com reports.

An order for 39 million health masks, placed by a service employees union, was derailed when the FBI learned the masks were fake. But the agency’s involvement is of greater concern, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to the paper, the FBI was already preparing to confiscate the order and send it to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. So far there has been no public reporting on the destination of other federal rerouting of C-19 health gear, or the reason for what some state officials are characterizing as theft by the federal government.

The Trump administration had planned to cut 700,000 people from food assistance April 1, but a federal court decision forbade the move, calling it “arbitrary and capricious” in light of the C-19 pandemic. According to CNN, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would appeal the court’s decision.

Food Research and Action pointed out that enacting cuts would force low-income people who are sick to show up at their jobs. Studies show food assistance can decrease health spending per person by $1,400 annually, while also lowering hospitalizations for Medicare and Medicaid users.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention corrects too-early info: C-19 was initially reported as a virus that afflicted older people the most. However, a study by the CDC of the first 2,500 confirmed cases in the U.S. showed that 38% of those hospitalized were between the ages of 20 to 54.

To avoid voter disenfranchisement due to C-19, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that includes nationwide vote-by-mail, early voting, an end to voter purges, no ID requirements, funding for transitioning to new election procedures and hazard pay for poll workers facing C-19 exposure.

Without vote-by-mail, having to choose between staying safe in November or voting could mean “our democracy will be lost,” Warren wrote in a New York Times

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

op-ed.

Vote-by-mail could be derailed.

Trump said he would not sign the stimulus bill if it included USPS funding, according to Business Insider. The postal service has suffered a decline in mail traffic due to C-19, and sought $50 billion from the recent bailout bill and $25 billion in loans.

USPS funding could run dry in June. A $10 billion loan was added to the stimulus bill to retain short-term postal function.

Trump has said the USPS can create its own fix: “raise the prices by, actually a lot.” The WEEK reports there are suspicions that the C-19 crisis is being used by Republican privatization fans to sabotage the USPS, rendering it ripe for private takeover. There are other options for keeping the USPS economically stable, such as passing a pending law to rid it of the 2006 pre-funding law requiring $110 billion in health pension funds (not required of other agencies) and a return of postal banking services.

So far some 19 USPS workers have died from C-19, 500 are infected, nearly as many are presumed exposed and 6,000 are in self-quarantine, according to Business Insider.

Aware of stats showing poor voter turnout increases Republicans’ chances of winning, the Wisconsin GOP went to court to stop the order to delay the recent election there due to C-19, which would have prevented further C-19 exposure. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, stopped the election delay. The four court dissenters said failure to delay the election would disenfranchise voters. But there was a big turnout and surprise wins for Democrats.

Blast from the past: in a Washington Post op-ed, Republican political consultant Stuart Stevens traced the U.S. government’s failed C-19 response to a history of beliefs held by right-leaning politicians.

Those include a general attitude of “government is bad,” experts are overrated (or just plain wrong), science is under suspicion and “going it alone” is to the nation’s benefit. According to Stevens, the C-19 crisis will best be solved by massive government intervention. He commended former Lousiana Republican Governor Bobby Jindal for saying Republicans “must stop being the stupid party.” Instead, Stevens wrote, the GOP has aligned with a science-denying president who says windmill noise causes cancer.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

The many Emilys of quarantine

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

I recognize that I have it made during this time of quarantine, especially in comparison to many who aren’t so fortunate. I don’t have children to both care for and educate; I work in an industry that isn’t shut down; I live on a beautiful slice of property with ready access to woods, trails, lakes and mountains; and have both a wonderful human and canine with whom I share my time.

Because of my circumstances, I’d love to say I’ve been handling my time in isolation with perfect ease — that I use all of my free time in productive and creative ways; that my cup of inspiration is always full; that I’ve found seamless ways to remain connected from afar. To be honest, and in case anyone else needs permission to navigate their time in isolation in whatever way they need, that ideal Emily is not my reality.

Instead, like a roster of Myers-Briggs personality types, numerous and distinct versions of myself have emerged in the past month. They’re the Five Emilys of Quarantine: Zen Emily Zen Emily thinks everything will work itself out in the end. She spends her time in deep contemplation about the positive effects of a world on pause, like Earth healing itself and our social systems being reset. She reflects on the wonders of social media and how much better than ever we are equipped to connect from a distance, and makes time to read and listen to

Emily Erickson. stories about the world coming together in beautiful ways.

Zen Emily is grateful for her current circumstances and can be found on her yoga mat, sipping tea, taking a hike, sitting in the sun, gazing into the horizon or attempting mindful meditation.

Fuggin’ Mess Emily Fuggin’ Mess Emily has been wearing the same oversized T-shirt for three days in a row — a shirt that now has a smorgasbord of unidentifiable stains and a hole in the armpit. She found a neglect-dreadlock, can’t remember the last time she showered, spilled a glass of wine on the floor and has officially run out of socks. She idly considers braving the laundromat and has absolutely no idea where all of her spare time went.

Fuggin’ Mess Emily is too flustered to be aware of anything but her own messes and can be found staring at the mound of dirty dishes, rubbing at her hair grease or searching for chocolate chips under the couch.

Creative Whirlwind Emily Creative whirlwind Emily is in the middle of learning a new skill, planting a garden or creating a new recipe.

She has paint smudges on her cheek, dirt under her fingernails and banjo finger picks in her pockets. She is at once working on a pastel portrait, dreaming up a new business and listening to a book in Spanish. She is amazed at the incredible potential contained within a few extra hours of daylight.

Creative Whirlwind Emily ponders how to institute leisure time as a fundamental human right and can be found splitting logs, refinishing a chair, tuning in to storyteller podcasts and live music performances, and reading up on North Idaho permaculture.

from the bed to the couch.

Productive AF Emily As rare as a kakapo, Productive AF Emily woke up early and put on real pants.

She is at her computer with her fingers whizzing in a typing frenzy, has three new job leads and is checking off one to-do list item after another. She is never out of arm’s reach of a cup of coffee and is liable to yell, “Could you put on more hot water for the French press?”

Productive AF Emily is able to allocate attention to all of the things she should finish and can be found beating deadlines, power-eating lunch and hopping on Zoom conference calls.

Ultimately, whether you’re spending your days in a creative tornado, in a catatonic state or catching up on all the things you’ve been meaning to for ages, you’re doing great. Your quarantine self in all its forms is exactly who it needs to be and I commend you. Keep up the good work, Sandpoint.

Illustrations by Emily Erickson.

Retroactive

By BO

Catatonic Emily Catatonic Emily has no energy to do a thing. She just emerged from a vortex of news broadcasts and can’t remember when she started scrolling on Instagram.

She wonders if this crisis will ever end and contemplates the lasting effects it will have on the local and global economies.

She has been laying on the couch and staring at a spec of paint on the wall for the last hour. She has forgotten to eat both lunch and dinner.

Catatonic Emily gets lost in thought spirals and can be found pushing play on another episode of some show on Netflix, listening to melodramatic music in the dark, rereading Harry Potter and only getting up to transfer another pillow April 16, 2020 /

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Court Decision Wrong...

Bouquets: • The process navigating the Payroll Protection Program was an arduous one, but we were successfully able to apply for it thanks to some good financial advice from some key people, namely the Reader’s tax accountant Brad Williams at Williams, Schiller and Styer (who I forgot to thank last week). Brad provided a ton of useful info on how to navigate this process. We really couldn’t have done it without him.

If you’re having trouble making sense of this program, I highly suggest getting a pro like Brad to advise you, because not all of us have a head for numbers like CPAs do.

• Cheers to 350Sandpoint.org, which has started a great new community program called Get a Meal, Give a Meal. We’ll be writing about it in next week’s paper, but the gist of the program is that when you order take-out from participating restaurants, you can purchase a meal at a reduced rate to donate to someone in need. I donated a meal last week when ordering from Arlo’s Ristorante and it was super easy. I encourage anyone to give a meal next time they order take-out — food tastes better when you help those in need.

Barbs: • I’m confused. President Donald Trump said at a contentious press conference on April 13 that the “authority is total” for the president of the United States to override governors’ decisions about when and how to reopen the country from coronavirus restrictions. If anyone else holding this office had uttered those words, I know without a doubt that those who have continually lobbied for small government in the U.S. would have gone ballistic. The president of the U.S. does not have “total” power — there are checks and balances that the framers of the Constitution put in place long ago to ensure our nation doesn’t fall under the rule of a tyrant. For a president — any president — to claim “total” authority over a state governor is as false as it is dangerous. Where are your voices now, those of you who fear big government? Why does Trump continually get a pass for his words and actions that serve only to divide us? Please, if anyone can explain what I’m not getting, I’m all ears.

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Dear editor, On March 4, in the court room of Judge Barbara Buchanan, I witnessed what qualifies as a sham hearing.

At issue was the validity of LPOSD’s November 2019 permanent-levy vote, challenged by a citizen because of the school district not following the clearly worded Idaho law which mandated disclosure on the ballot of “the estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer of the proposed levy, in the form of ‘A tax of $ per one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions.’” The omitted dollar amount was $214 per $100,000.

LPOSD’s position, essentially, was that the law did not require strict compliance.

Within the first three minutes of the hearing the judge basically agreed, making the following statement: “At this time I would say that I’m inclined to agree with the school district’s position.”

That was before plaintiff’s and defendant’s attorneys had even begun presenting their arguments.

Sure enough, her ultimate ruling, two weeks later, corroborated the bias she expressed in the hearing; she ruled in favor of the school district.

She preferred to “adhere to one controlling principle: “Idaho courts are very reluctant to overturn the results of an election.”

In other words, she wasn’t going to rock the boat, even if it meant giving the school district a pass when it violates the law.

I’m surprised she even took the case as I see it as a conflict of interest when she has present and or past relatives working for the LPOSD. My message to Judge Buchanan: If you don’t enforce the law, we might as well not have it.

Sincerely, David Banning Clark Fork

Support science and health officials...

Dear editor, My friends at Schweitzer are seeing the lake homes lighting up at night. The snow birds and second-home owners are flocking here from who knows where.

The Blaine County/Sun Valley area is Idaho’s coronavirus (the invisible enemy) hotspot due to

this and tourism.

Let’s hope ALL do their part to keep our community healthy.

The churchgoers who wanted to gather 1,000 people for an Easter Sunday service should follow the example of the Pope. Seeing is believing. I would imagine many of you are pro-life.

Our elected officials need to support scientific and medical recommendations that protect all of us. Everyone should read The York Times article of April 7, 2020, regarding Bonner County.

Thanks to all who risk their lives to support others.

John and Leila Olson Sandpoint Editor’s note: For an in-depth look at the impact of COVID-19 on Idaho resort communities, set aside an hour or so to read BuzzFeed News Reporter Anne Helen Petersen’s report published April 11 at buzzfeednews.com: “The People In Idaho’s Coronavirus Epicenter Have A Message For The Rest Of Us.”

History tells us to sacrifice for greater good…

Dear editor, Two Idaho public servants state the COVID-19 stay-at-home order is unconstitutional, un-American and violates civil liberties. I guess District 1 Rep. Heather Scott and Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler skipped American history classes.

During WW I and II, women rolled bandages and farmers were told what to grow. The government fixed prices. Factories were retooled. Grandmothers made bullets because the country needed them.

People stayed indoors and covered windows during air raid exercises.

Needed by troops, gas and food were rationed. Rubber, leather and metal were recycled.

Victory gardens grew. Shoes were resoled. People performed selfless acts with civic pride.

Leaders encouraged citizens that these were the “United” States of America. No one whined about lost rights.

Wheeler says, “pandemic is nothing like the plague,” and supports this is a plot to take down Trump. Maybe these two believe the Holocaust never happened and dinosaurs are 6,000 years old. It’s ridiculous that a conspiracy to kill countless people around the world was hatched to foil Trump.

Trump was warned of this in

his inaugural day briefing, and over and over by the World Health Organization for three years, repeatedly starting last November and daily since January. Pandemics sweep the world every 75 to one 125 years — a terrible reminder to pay attention to history, prepare and not ignore science.

Self-sacrifice is noble, moral, decent and virtuous. The ultimate example of selflessness is expressed in the story of Jesus Christ.

It is not un-American to sacrifice for our country.

Dumb and Dumber need to be uniting people and offering empathy to the thousands of Americans who are suffering right now. Many of us will know someone who has died by the time this is over.

Betty Gardner Sandpoint

Dixon has walked the talk…

Dear editor, Imagine winning an election with an illegal ballot in an election that raised the taxes of property owners nearly two-fold. Then imagine fighting in court, against a property owner, to keep the illegal election in place, and demanding that said property owner pay the fees of your five attorneys. Then imagine violating a second law that mandates that school board members follow all Idaho laws.

You don’t have to imagine it.

Because it’s exactly what District 1 Rep. Sage Dixon’s primary opponent did.

On the contrary, Rep. Dixon served his constituents as a member of the House Education Committee, the Public School Funding Formula Interim Committee, and secured an innovative school grant for Clark Fork junior and senior high schools.

And he’s fought to keep increased taxation at bay.

As a member of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, Rep. Dixon worked to lower income, corporate and property taxes, and to remove sales tax from groceries.

While his opponent talks about lowering property taxes — even as he fought a property owner to keep them in place — Rep. Dixon has walked that talk, dedicating his efforts toward lowering taxation for district residents.

For these reasons, I urge you to cast your May 19 primary vote for Rep. Sage Dixon.

Karen Hanna Ponderay

Postcards from the heart…

Dear editor, A big shoutout to Jeanna Hofmeister and her article “Love letters for today” (Community, April 9, 2020). Jeanna draws attention to a forgotten art of communicating: letters.

Since writing a letter can be intimidating for many, I would like to suggest something between a letter and a text or tweet: a postcard. Postcards are a super and easy way to stay connected. My sister in Virginia and I have been sending each other postcards on a daily basis for years. Even though we frequently talk on the phone or FaceTime, we consider postcards something more tangible, more real. Ah, the surprise of finding a postcard hidden among the bills and junk mail! I also receive a daily postcard from a friend I have known since fourth grade, and I have eight other friends with whom I exchange postcards on a less frequent basis.

For me, the joy is in the sending. I send out way more postcards than I receive, but this is fine. I don’t send postcards to get postcards in return. I write postcards because they make me feel good — they let me think about the person to whom I am writing, imagine them and find pleasure in shared memories.

The point is this: Whether writing/receiving a letter or postcard, two people are connecting. One person has taken time out of his/ her day to think of the recipient, to imagine the person to whom the letter or postcard is written. The recipient in turn gets to imagine the writer when reading the letter or postcard.

Emily Dickinson wrote an incredible poem about this connection: “The Way I read a Letter’s — this.” Track it down. You won’t be disappointed.

Now — more than ever — in our hours and days of isolation and social distancing, we need to feel tethered to others. Discover the joy of sending and receiving postcards, and an upside to postcard writing is that the post office most definitely appreciates the business!

Jim Healey Sandpoint Send letters to the editor to letters@sandpointreader.com.

Please keep under 300 words.

OPINION

Mayor’s Roundtable: We are beating COVID-19

By Mayor Shelby Rognstad Reader Contributor

I thank all of you who have taken the guidance of the governor and CDC seriously by practicing social distancing, staying home and wearing a protective face covering when interacting in public. I’m also grateful to the health care workers and essential service providers who have risked their well-being so that all of us can get the care and resources we need to live our lives in safety.

I’m also grateful to the restaurants, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations and individuals who have contributed money, time and effort to feed hundreds of people in need.

As I write this article, Governor Brad Little is preparing to deliver a press release extending the Stay Home Order through April 30. Over the next two weeks, non-essential businesses will be encouraged to develop an operations plan that will allow workers and customers to practice social distancing at their workplaces. On May 1, the order will likely be relaxed for those businesses that can implement such a plan. This will give relief to retail, professional service and manufacturing related businesses.

Bars and restaurants, however, will remain closed for table service until further notice. Governor Little is also tightening Idaho’s borders, requiring

Mayor Shelby Rognstad.

self-quarantine for anyone who is traveling from outside of Idaho. This will reduce the spread of COVID-19 from other communities whose residents are attracted to areas with lower rates of infection.

Idaho as a whole, and Bonner County specifically, has the health care capacity to meet the current demand. This is a result of our actions to stay home and social distance.

Bonner County now has improved three- to four-hour tests. Monday, April 13 was the first day Bonner General had no tests pending.

Because tests are more abundant now, the threshold for testing is lower.

That means more people are being tested and the likelihood of identifying infection is much higher.

This is very encouraging and is an important step in minimizing the potential for community spread.

As we look ahead and wonder how and when life can return to normal, there are no clear answers. What we do know is that we are successful in flattening the curve, slowing the spread and saving our health care system from becoming overwhelmed.

For that we should be proud.

Lives are being saved by our collective actions. However, we are not out of the woods. This threat will remain until a vaccine is developed or humans develop herd immunity.

Most experts agree the potential for a vaccine is at least a year out. There is no guarantee that one can be created or that persons who have developed the antibodies will maintain immunity over time.

Experts also disagree about the ability of humans to develop herd immunity to the novel coronovirus, which is when enough people have become immune to the virus that it doesn’t spread readily throughout the population.

Our defense against COVID-19 will continue to be practicing social distancing protocols and mask wearing to slow the spread of the disease and reduce pressure on our health care system. This will fundamentally change the way we interact, do business and socialize.

Ultimately, we will return to work and our lives but we will do so in a world with coronavirus. We will adapt to these changes and we will thrive.

Please join me to discuss this issue and more at the Mayor’s Roundtable this Thursday, April 16 from 4-5 p.m., on Mayor Shelby Rognstad’s Facebook live feed. Questions and comments are welcome. You can post questions ahead of time on my Facebook page: Mayor Shelby Rognstad.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

angiotensin-converting enzymes

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

It’s another week of being alone together, and I’ve managed to remain more productive than usual.

Today we will be looking at angiotensin-converting enzymes, often simplified to ACE. Anyone who has struggled with chronic high blood pressure or is a fan of medical dramas has probably heard of an ACE inhibitor, which we will discuss later.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the relationship of ACE with COVID-19, and how the SARS-COV 2 virus utilizes these enzymes to infect cells and replicate inside them.

The way a virus works is that it will attach to a healthy cell. Generally, a virus targets and attacks very specific cells.

SARS-COV 2 isn’t able to attack the cells responsible for making your toenails grow.

Instead, this virus has evolved to target and infect the cells in our lungs — in particular, the cells in our lungs that serve the purpose of using hair-like protrusions called cilia to clear away mucus and debris.

The virus will inject the cell with genetic code, which tells the cell to utilize the material inside to create more viruses rather than perform its normal function.

Think of it in another way: Let’s pretend that your car isn’t running well. You pop open the hood and take a peek at the engine. It looks a little corroded on the surface but otherwise seems fine. You dig a little deeper into it and find that your pistons have been changed into 10 /

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bicycle pedals. The further you look into the car, the more you find that bicycle pedals have replaced its interior components. It turns out that leaving your bike in your trunk all winter infected your car with bicycliosis.

Removing the bike simply won’t do, you now have to begin searching for and replacing the components inside your car that have been converted into bicycle parts. This is more or less what your immune system is tasked with every time you suffer from a viral infection.

This differs from virus to virus, and, as I always say, it’s far more complicated than that, but I have a word limit.

The people who appear to be most at risk for lethal complications from COVID-19 seem to be those who suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes (age also appears to be a major factor). It’s no coincidence that these conditions are all linked by a common factor: angiotensin-converting enzymes.

These enzymes are part of the renin-angiotensin system, which regulates the hormones in your body that control your blood pressure. Given the systemic nature of blood in the human body, ACE receptors are in most of our cells and they appear to be what the SARS-COV 2 virus exploits to infect healthy cells to begin replication — beginning with our lungs.

This problem is compounded when people are placed in a stressful situation, as the body will flood with hormones that often increase blood pressure, a survival response that can help us make more rapid (but

not always the most healthy) decisions in crunch time.

However, this becomes detrimental to those exposed to chronic stress, such as the health care workers of America right now. This is why you will hear me often quote one of my favorite digital content creators, Doctor Mike: “Be alert, not anxious.”

Studies have shown that stress, especially chronic stress, leads to severe damage to your immune system.

In fact, in an effort to get out of the stressful situations it is exposed to on a repeated basis, the body will even sometimes create symptoms to influence the mind to seek help.

To touch on what I mentioned earlier about ACE inhibitors, they are certainly not a cure all for COVID-19 infection — such a thing does not yet exist, no matter what Aunt Sally says about her essential oil collection on Facebook.

ACE inhibitors are medications designed to relax the enzymes, and thus help lower and properly regulate your blood pressure. However, given the delicate nature of everything our blood touches, ACE inhibitors can have detrimental effects to our bodies, ranging from coughing, fatigue, nausea or even kidney failure.

COVID-19 is still a new disease and our understanding of it is changing daily. By the time this article prints, a quarter of what’s in it could already be outdated. It’s important to be skeptical of what you read. If something makes you curious or gives you a sudden desire to spread it among your friends and family, take a moment to

stop and research more about it from a bare minimum of two other sources. It’s not like we don’t have time to do that now.

I’d also like to stop and say thank you to all of our medical professionals on the front lines right now. I know that a thankyou from some nerd in the middle of nowhere means less than nothing, but I’m extremely grateful for these people, their passion and the hard work they’re doing to save lives in the

face of this tremendous threat.

Finally, if you haven’t already, go check out Doctor Mike on Youtube. He recently interviewed 100 doctors dealing with COVID-19, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Danielle Jones — the latter another fantastic medical content director better known online as Mama Doctor Jones.

To borrow a phrase from Doctor Mike: Stay alert, not anxious, 7B.

Random Corner uakes?

Don’t know much about earthq

We can help!

• The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5 in Chile back in 1960.

• Mount Everest shrank one inch due to the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

• The 2011 earthquake near Japan increased the speed of Earth’s rotation, shortening the day by 1.8 microseconds.

• A Chinese inventor in 132 AD built a seismograph that, at the moment of an earthquake, expelled a copper ball out of the mouth of a dragon and into the mouth of a frog.

• There are about 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year, 100,000 of which can be felt and 100 causing damage.

• About 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, an area encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

• There have been an average of 18 major earthquakes and one great earthquake per year since 1900.

• Inca architecture was built to be earthquake resistant, being effective at withstanding even major tremors.

• An earthquake on Dec. 16, 1811 caused parts of the Mississippi River to flow backwards.

• Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes each year, though most are so small that they are never felt.

• The world’s deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1556 in China, killing an estimated 830,000 people.

• Hawaii’s largest-ever earthquake occurred in 1868 and the aftershocks are still being observed.

• According to studies, melting glaciers and rising sea levels disturb the balance of pressure on Earth’s tectonic plates, causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of earthquakes.

PERSPECTIVES

Euthanasia for the forest

The Buckskin Saddle Restoration Project is really a fed-enabled, corporate-geared timber sale

By Barry Rosenberg Reader Contributor Some individuals are able to ask their physician whether suicide is a reasonable option to end their pain and suffering.

Many of the trees on the 50,000acre Buckskin Saddle Integrated Restoration Project, a.k.a. timber sale, on the Sandpoint Ranger District have no such choice.

The trees that are proposed to be killed are not necessarily sick or diseased but are species that the sale’s draft Environmental Assessment considers “undesirable.”

If this seems eerily familiar, it should.

The timber sale is located on the east side of Lake Pend Oreille and to the south of the Clark Fork River, to the southeast of Sandpoint, bordering Clark Fork. The area includes the Green Monarch Mountains, Schafer Peak and Packsaddle Mountain. The proposed logging will occur mainly in the Granite, Johnson, and Twin Creek drainages — all impaired streams exceeding either sediment and/or temperature limits.

The U.S. Forest Service, assuming the role of physician, proposes to “restore” forest health by prescribing logging of 13,400 acres of “undesirable” trees and constructing 95 miles of roads. Included are 12,596 acres of clearcut type logging, which consists of seed trees, leaving about five trees per acre, and shelterwood, leaving 10-20 trees per acre. The “undesirables” are Douglas fir, western red cedar, hemlock, grand fir and lodgepole pine.

Large trees greater than 15 inches in diameter — no upper size limit given — will be cut on 10,490 of those acres. Logging of 332 acres of trees in the Schafer Peak Inventoried Roadless Area is also proposed.

The draft EA then calls for planting these “clearcuts” with 12,773 acres of nursery raised

seedlings of “desirable” trees, such as western larch, western white pine and ponderosa pine.

The draft EA makes the highly disputed claim that this species conversion and clearcut logging would “improve resistance and resilience to fire, insects and disease.” In reality it would reduce the forest’s genetic and species diversity, and change what is currently forest to a tree farm.

The Forest Service calls for many of these clearcuts/openings to exceed 40 contiguous acres. To legally do so it must get special permission from the regional forester. No problem.

Permission has already been granted to create 51 of these very large openings in the timber sale ranging in size from 41 acres (31 football fields) to 2,256 acres (1,706 football fields).

Many of these incredibly large openings are subject to increased wind and sun exposure, thereby getting drier and increasing fire risk.

These areas are prone to mid-winter rain-on-snow events that could result in flows exceeding stream capacity, and increasing the possibility of road failures — both of which could add large amounts of sediment to the affected streams. The draft EA states it cannot estimate the amount of sediment produced from these events. Spring snow melt in these large openings occurs earlier, often reducing critical late season steam flows.

To access the undesirable trees the timber sale will add 80% (95 miles) of sediment-producing road construction to the existing 120 miles of roads in the project area. Proposed are 30.4 miles of new road construction with 11 stream crossings, plus the reconstruction of 65 miles of densely vegetated, currently “stored” (or closed) roads with 14 stream crossings. These stored roads were beginning a decades-long healing process. Reopening them is like pulling a scab off a wound.

The EA claims that the risk of road failures and increased sediment delivery would last for 15 years. Sediment does not magically disappear, but accumulates in the streams and could further degrade the habitat for westslope cutthroat and the endangered bull trout.

Then there is the Forest Service’s cavalier attitude to its contribution to the Earth’s top health problem: climate change.

The EA’s Climate Report states that, “The Buckskin Saddle project would affect only a tiny percentage of the forest carbon stocks of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and an infinitesimal amount of the total forest carbon stocks of the United States.” What’s more, it “would not have a discernible impact on atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases or global warming.”

Most of the world is concerned about the logging in the Amazon and its effect on climate change, yet there is more logging in the United States than any other country in the world. The Forest Service needs to acknowl-

edge its cumulative contribution to the problem.

It defies logic that the Forest Service can make our forests “healthy” again by clearcutting 12,596 acres, creating thousands of acres of contiguous openings, building 95 miles of roads and focusing on cutting “undesirable” tree species.

Logging the forest to save it is the prevalent management scheme on the Idaho Panhandle and other regional National Forests.

All this forest destruction is done under the cover of the Forest Service endlessly promoting fear of wildfires, insects and diseases.

Repetition

A map of the Buckskin Saddle Area by the U.S. Forest Service. and fear work. It has much of the public and many politicians believing the myth that logging will reduce the perceived problem.

Corporate profits and job security is the real reason that the Forest Service abuses the public trust. Follow the money.

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FEATURE

‘Like a storm that will eventually pass’ How church services and funerals have changed in response to COVID-19

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

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Among the many dramatic changes stemming from the global coronavirus pandemic is that social events, including funerals and church services, have had to alter their operations to ensure these once communal gatherings are responsible and safe in the era of social distancing.

For Dale Coffelt, who has owned Coffelt Funeral Services in Sandpoint since 1970, the business of caring for the dead has remained unchanged in the era of coronavirus, but daily interactions with family members have altered slightly.

“We’re doing most [things] over the telephone,” Coffelt told the Reader.

Coffelt said he can obtain statistical information to file death certificates via telephone with family members of the deceased, which helps him prepare everything before one or two family members come in to sign and review the necessary documents.

“All the families have been very understanding and respectful,” Coffelt said.

“We have a sanitary station out there [in the lobby], and everyone has been really careful. The concern goes both ways, because they’re very concerned for us, too, and what we deal with.”

Coffelt said in his 50 years of being in business in Sandpoint, one thing has remained the same: respect for the dead.

“It’s so important to me that we respect the dead,” Coffelt said. “That has not changed.”

While in-office visits are still possible in a limited capacity, Coffelt said funeral services at the Moon Chapel or inside churches have been postponed. Small, graveside burial services still allow family members to properly grieve for their loved ones.

“We were limited to 10 people, and then the state came down that we’re to have no actual funeral service in a funeral home, church or a place of public gathering,” Coffelt said. “But we can respect the dead with the graveside burial and address the other issues later.”

Coffelt said what he laments the most is the loss of personal connection with the bereaved in their time of grief.

“After 50 years, I know a lot of the families around here,” Coffelt said. “I came here in March 1967, so I know generations of families. With so much handled by the telephone now, we’re missing that interpersonal contact.”

At Lakeview Funeral Home, Funeral Director Jerad Addison said while they con/ April 16, 2020

tinue with burials and cremations, funerals have been postponed.

“I do see most families adjusting well to the new guidelines,” Addison said. “They have chosen to postpone services on their own until the virus is under control. People in this community are level-headed and logical.”

Addison said it’s not uncommon for a funeral home to delay funeral services due to harsh winters or muddy spring weather.

“We are handling this situation like a storm that will eventually pass,” Addison told the Reader. “Families are grieving the loss of one family member and at the same time they are wanting to protect other family members from getting the virus at a funeral service. They are balancing the continued physical health of family and friends with their emotional health and the importance that a funeral service has in the grieving process.”

He said that while social distancing guidelines have made it difficult to perform all the typical duties of a funeral director, Lakeview is still able to properly respect the dead and assist grieving families in their time of loss.

“It is a difficult adjustment to not shake hands or hug people,” Addison said. “I still sit down, face to face, with grieving family members to make funeral arrangements, but today, there are less chairs around the table.”

Along with funeral services, area churches have had to adjust their format to remotely serve their congregations.

Eric Rust, the lead pastor at Cedar Hills Church, said it was a stroke of luck that Cedar Hills began launching an “online campus” in 2019.

“The idea was to create a digital community where people from anywhere in the world could participate in a live CH gathering,” Rust told the Reader.

Cedar Hills began purchasing all the equipment and trained leaders in the fall of 2019, hosting its first online experiences in

Dale Coffelt at work at Coffelt’s Funeral Home. Photo by Ben Olson.

October.

“So when we made the decision last month to go 100% online, we were fortunate enough to have a lot of the leg work behind us,” Rust said.

Rust said running online church services has presented a number of challenges — including slow internet connections and reshaping the roles played by church staff — but he’s seen positive results.

“It’s hard to know how many people are engaging online every week, but it looks like we are actually able to reach more people via our online platform than we were meeting in a single physical location,” Rust said. “We’ve got people from across the U.S. and even on the other side of the world engaging with us online. It’s pretty cool.”

Rust said it’s important to remember that with calamity also comes opportunity.

“I think that, worldwide, the church has been forced to think about what we do in a different way,” he said. “I for one am really optimistic about what we are learning, and hope churches don’t squander this opportunity. Cedar Hills will never go back to just meeting in physical locations — our online presence is here to stay and will continue to grow in the years to come.”

As we all adapt to this strange new reality, there remains some solace in the fact that humans are adaptable and will make it through as long as they stick together and help one another in need.

“So many churches, businesses and neighbors are finding creative ways to serve and care for those around us,” Rust said.

“It’s true that crisis usually brings the best and the worst out of humanity. I’ve seen nothing but the best in North Idaho. Makes me proud to be part of this community.”

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FEATURE

Social distancing without social isolation

Local mental health professionals rely on telehealth to provide support amid COVID-19

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The COVID-19 crisis has touched every aspect of life. From income to routine, it seems everything is at the mercy of a virus that is hard to understand and even harder to predict.

These circumstances are creating stress for many — especially those who live with mental illness. According to local counselor Eric Ridgeway with The Human Connection Counseling Services, it all comes down to uncertainty.

“The world as we know it has been turned upside down,” he said. “We are not able to predict what is going to happen next. Human brains do not like uncertainty.”

Uncertainty paired with a culture of social distancing can prove toxic, and Ridgeway said it is important to remember that these conditions may cause feelings of distress and sadness in anyone — not just those already struggling with

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their mental health.

“Thankfully, we can do social distancing without social isolation,” he said.

Mental health professionals across the country are now utilizing telehealth — health services administered through internet or phone communications — to continue supporting people through the pandemic.

North Idaho Community Mental Health is utilizing telehealth practices to continue supporting clients, all while maintaining HIPAA compliance.

“This came into our world very quickly, and without a lot of preparation for us as therapists in an already overwhelmed mental health system in North Idaho,” said NICMH Clinical Director Jill Hicks.

“We have some constraints and considerations in doing telehealth with our clients effectively, and with safety in mind.”

NICMH is also offering short-term crisis appointments for people who are not clients. Call 208-265-6798 to learn more.

Ridgeway said The Human Connec-

tion has also transitioned to telehealth counseling, and is taking new clients. He said his team is working hard to make sure veterans, first responders and health care professionals in particular can obtain counseling appointments without delay.

He said that in times of stress such as during a pandemic, “those who have experienced trauma in their past can have their trauma be reactivated.”

Reach The Human Connection at 208265-5412 or sandpointhc@gmail.com.

NAMI Far North, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is currently in the process of moving its support groups into an online format. Though members of the organization are checking in with individuals regularly, NAMI Far North Board Member Catherine Perusse said she hopes the organization can reach more people by moving support groups to video applications like Zoom. Those interested in joining a support group are asked to email namifarnorth2003@gmail.com.

In addition, the after-hours North Idaho Crisis Line can be reached at 208-946-5595 and the Sandpoint Community Resource Center is available at 208-920-1840.

Aside from seeking counseling, there are other ways to combat anxiety and feelings of hopelessness while getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. Hicks suggests keeping a daily routine and posting a physical copy of it somewhere in the house.

“Maintain self care, bathe, get dressed in daytime clothing,” she said. “Balance your day with high energy and low energy activities.”

If there are kids in the mix, help them get involved in the routine by letting them choose activities and meals. Hicks said it

The Human Connection in Sandpoint. Courtesy Facebook.

is important to talk about the virus with children in a way they can understand.

For example, comparing this period of social distancing to something in nature that stays still for a while, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

For teens, Hicks said, seek ways that they may stay in contact with peers, teachers and other adults who care for them. Mental health professionals agree that finding time for connection outside of the home via video chat or phone calls is important for everyone.

While there is no doubt that a worldwide pandemic is liable to exacerbate mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, Ridgeway said a sure-fire antidote can be finding a way to help others.

“One psychological response that we can choose to hardship is to think, ‘How can I switch this to be viewed as an opportunity instead of a difficulty?’” he said.

Ridgeway said he has been inspired by stories of people fostering a sense of community by donating their time and skills to support their neighbors through these strange times. By taking the time to contact people who may feel more isolated, North Idaho will come out of this pandemic stronger and more compassionate, he said.

“When it feels that our basic survival is at stake, that is when we can rise up to be our best selves,” Ridgeway added.

“But we have to remember that those who are feeling extreme isolation can be at a greater risk, and that is where we can save lives: by spreading kindness and by reaching out to people.”

FEATURE

The year that never was

Part 1

Sandpoint High School seniors share what it’s like to have their graduation year sidelined by the coronavirus

Editor’s note: We reached out to a few graduating seniors at Sandpoint High School to ask how the coronavirus has affected their final year of secondary education. We asked each student how their lives have been altered by the closure of schools for the rest of their senior year, what they were most looking forward to this year, if there are any positives that have come out of this situation and how students were reacting to distance learning. Special thanks to SHS social studies teacher Conor Baranski for putting us in touch with some of his students. Next week, we’ll feature two more student perspectives.

Jaxon Pettit

Kendall Mitton

W

hile I highly anticipated running into catastrophic events during my lifetime, the coronavirus caught me off guard.

I have yet to determine whether that is because I was so close to a major transition in my life or because it is an inconspicuous war that requires a substantial amount of unity to end.

Our nation, along with the entire globe, has been asked to give up our everyday routines and be understanding of the circumstances.

Some individuals take these rules and guidelines more seriously than others, nonetheless, at the end of the day everyone is giving up something.

The stay-at-home order by Governor Brad Little may have come as a relief to many Idahoans, however, that’s not the case for most highschool seniors — including myself.

With “senioritis” kicking in, as expected, I knew distance learning would be a barrier I had to cross.

Even being a student who is highly involved in school and invested in my education, juggling classes, chores and free time in the comfort of your own home is challenging.

Despite our local district’s best efforts, the online education we are currently being provided with does have its downsides and imperfections. Regardless, my sincere respect and appreciation goes out to all the teachers and administration who have also been struggling with the social-distancing education.

Being a member of the Senior Class Student Council, I have shared some of the frustrating emotions teachers are facing with the stay-at-home order. Having everything perfectly planned and prepared for, only to be completely deteriorated by COVID-19 is discouraging to say the least.

Prom is an event that most seniors look forward to as a last hurrah before graduation. Having the tickets printed, a deejay in line, decorations coming together, as well as a location and date determined made me very

Kendall Mitton. excited for the night. As a result, when I was notified that our prom was being postponed until further notice, the news was disheartening.

I am remaining calm with the constant assurance of teachers and family. But, as a senior, my situation is not ideal.

For 12 years, my education has led up to the honor of walking the stage during graduation at Memorial Field. Previously, this year, the class of 2020 was informed that the stadium would not be available due to construction. This was very upsetting to my class, yet it is incomparable to the likelihood of not having a graduation at all. The close-knit local culture in Sandpoint makes events like this very meaningful, therefore even the thought of not walking the stage to receive my diploma is disappointing.

All things considered, missing out on these traditional events is inconvenient, but health and safety of our community is, and should be, everyone’s priority. The senior class of 2020 may have been dealt a hard hand this year; fortunately, our community is working their absolute hardest to make our year special.

Personally, losing time with my classmates is tragic. However, I am thankful for our community and health care workers who are on the forefront fighting for us.

Since school has been canceled, I have not been to Sandpoint, as I live out of town. I have been to Coeur d’ Alene a few times, for doctor appointments and grocery trips, though.

Obviously, as a high-school senior, I am used to driving into Sandpoint every day, and seeing all of my friends, fellow classmates and teachers multiple times a week. But at this point, due to the closing of schools and the stay-at-home orders, I haven’t seen any friends since the last day we were all at school.

I do not play a spring sport, so spring sports being canceled doesn’t affect me as much. I still enjoy going to the spring sporting events and watching, but now we won’t be able to do that. I can definitely sympathize with the dedicated athletes who play spring sports — especially seniors — who are having their (possibly final) season ripped away from them. That would be the absolute worst.

Football has always been my main sport, and I and my team had a great season this year. Just thinking about if this coronavirus situation had happened in the fall instead makes me sad, because I would have missed out on all of the great memories, and the culmination of my years of hard work that took place this year. That is the reality that the seniors whose main sport happens in the spring are facing right now.

The spring time is probably my favorite time of the school year, for a few reasons. The year is almost over, and everyone is getting excited for summer and everyone starts planning their summer activities The ice and snow are melting, as the sun comes out and encourages everyone to get outside. Shorts and T-shirts return, and we can eat lunch outside.

Classes start to wind down as we get ready for finals and AP tests.

All of these things make the fourth quarter of the school year super enjoyable to me. Not to mention the activities that are unique to seniors, like senior sunset, senior pranks, senior skip day, prom and graduation.

These are all things that I,

along with most seniors, have been looking forward to since we were freshmen.

I can remember countless times at lunch when everyone at the table would be talking about what we should do for a senior prank. All of the fun ideas now look like they have no chance of materializing.

Prom and graduation are two huge events that mark the end of your high-school years; a goodbye to all the friends we made along the way, and the close of a super-memorable four years of our youth. But now, these look unlikely to happen.

After the school year is completed online, most of us seniors will never see each other again. This is something that happens to every class when they graduate, obviously, but not like this. We all had our last day without knowing it.

So many of my friends who I thought I would get the chance to make more memories with are now a part of the past.

Everyone looks forward to their last day of high school, because they know it will be their last. They know it will likely be fun and a little bit sad. But we don’t get to look forward to what our last days will be like. Instead, we look backward to our last days, without any knowledge that a random Monday would be the last time we went to Sandpoint High School.

Personally, I do not like distance learning nearly as much as going to school. I am someone who loves social interaction, and really enjoys being around other people I can bounce ideas off of. That is why I much rather prefer going to class in person and just having a good time with everyone while we learn.

Taking away my favorite parts of school and leaving only my least favorite parts has been hard.

The biggest positive that has come from distance learning is that I am for the most part on my own schedule. This means I can get ahead of schedule by doing the work that would come later in the week, or if I

Jaxon Pettit. am busy doing something at home, I can usually do it the next day.

I can usually get all of my work done for each day in less time that I would usually be at school, so that is a plus.

I think most high-schoolers are treating distance learning similarly to how I am — just trying to get everything done on time.

In a time like this, when we are all doing our school work from home, it is super important to structure your own day and be efficient in getting things done.

At first it was hard to do that, but now I have a pretty good routine going, regarding getting my school work done.

I know that most students I’ve talked to don’t like distance learning nearly as much, for a lot of the same reasons I stated. Additionally, we are not able to go to class every day and interact with our teachers face-toface. We can email them if we need help, but for a lot of students like myself, it’s just not the same.

As for the stay-at-home order, most of my friends I have talked to recently have been following it pretty well. I haven’t heard of any big gatherings or hangouts going on, so that is good. I have seen some socially distanced gatherings on social media, though.

For example, people are sometimes driving up to parking lots and talking to their friends while they stay in their cars.

I think it’s cool to see people still finding ways to be around each other while still being safe.

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COMMUNITY

Mill Town Distillery offers locally made hand sanitizer

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

North Idaho’s own Mill Town Distillery, which is known for producing artisan spirits from grain grown on a small farm in Dover, is adding to its resume by stepping up to produce hand sanitizer during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In late March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it would relax regulations surrounding “significant supply disruptions for alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” and provided guidelines for companies to refer to throughout the public health emergency.

Mill Town Distillery co-owner and manager Jessie Vachon

said she witnessed the sanitizer shortage on a local level.

“There is just a huge need,” she said. “We have friends that work at the hospital ... friends that are first responders, and they just couldn’t find it anywhere.

We have the opportunity and the capability, so we decided that we might as well.”

Thanks to the relaxed FDA guidelines and that local inspiration, Mill Town launched First Response Hand Sanitizer — a mixture of 80% alcohol, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide and a denaturant. Vachon said the World Health Organization specified the formula.

“We’ve been busy at the distillery making the worst tasting alcohol that you can imagine,” Vachon posted to the Mill Town

Facebook page April 11, debuting the product, “but it’s all for a good cause.”

Vachon said the result is a liquid, sprayable sanitizer — not necessarily the gooey, aloe vera-infused hand sanitizer most people are used to buying at the store.

Other local businesses have also stepped up to assist Mill Town in its new endeavor. MickDuff’s Brewing Co. donated a large vat of beer that would have gone to waste, but is now going to be distilled into base alcohol.

Vachon said all of the sanitizer Mill Town produces from that distillation will be donated.

When Mill Town ran into an issue acquiring bottles for the sanitizer due to a plastics shortage, Vachon said Litehouse

Foods stepped up, offering some unused dressing bottles for a fair price in order to make First Response Hand Sanitizer a reality.

Vachon said she is still working on securing local vendors to sell the hand sanitizer, and that she will keep the Mill Town Distillery social media accounts up to date as those locations are finalized. Find Mill Town Distillery on Facebook at facebook. com/MillTownDistillery and on Instragram @mill_town_still.

Health care professionals and other essential workers looking to order sanitizer should contact Vachon directly at jessie@milltowndistillery.com.

Bottles, which hold 32 ounces of sanitizer, are $13 each. Essential workers receive a discount.

Home to Home Kickstarter launched

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Promoted on the Panhandle Animal Shelter’s Facebook page any given week are dogs, cats, birds, goats, guinea pigs and more.

However, a good portion of these animals are not physically located at the shelter — they’re available on the Home to Home website, an online nonprofit program that puts rehoming pets straight into the hands of pet owners and adopters, cutting out the middleman: the animal shelter.

North Idaho’s own Panhandle Animal Shelter launched the program in 2016 in response to an increasing number of pet owners surrendering their pets to the shel-

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ter. Rather than overcrowd shelter kennels with pets that aren’t in immediate need of rehoming, Home to Home gave pet owners a chance to create a profile for their pet and share it online with potential adopters — skipping the jarring experience a pet would have when taken to the shelter.

The program has proved to be an important tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, as shelters across the country close, yet people still need to rehome their pets.

To benefit shelters facing overcrowding issues and closure due to COVID-19, PAS has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $150,000 to completely update the Home to Home

website and equip it to support a growing number of shelters.

PAS Executive Director Mandy Evans said Home to Home allows shelters the opportunity to partner with their communities without being the primary point of contact in the process. Though PAS does promote Home to Home listings on its Facebook page, the shelter does not have a direct hand in any of the rehoming — that is left entirely to the owner and adopter — and rehoming fees are not allowed. “[We see] quality outcomes for pets because the new adopter has the opportunity to talk directly with the owner and learn all about the pet before accepting them into their home,” Evans said.

Home to Home also keeps animals that don’t need immediate shelter assistance out of kennels, preventing overcrowding.

PAS is a no-kill shelter, but many are not. Home to Home is beneficial to those shelters where capacity constraints often result in unadopted animals being euthanized.

“During this pandemic, shelters are being urged by national animal welfare organizations to use rehoming sites to help their community and keep animals out of shelters,” Evans said in a video announcing the campaign. “Our program, Home to Home, has been on the top of that referral list, but our current system needs an upgrade.”

To learn more about the

“We’re still making alcohol, still distilling booze — we’re just making terrible booze,” Vachon said with a laugh, “and adding a couple extra ingredients to make it nonconsumable.”

campaign and help PAS toward its goal of offering Home to Home to shelters around the country, visit kickstarter.com/profile/hometohome/created.

Kickstarter hosts the campaign for an allotted number of days, and gifts are offered to those who donate depending on the amount they pledge. If PAS does not reach its goal, the shelter will not receive any of the funding, making it imperative that the goal be met.

“Our project has now become more important than ever,” Evans said. “The good news is we’re ready.”

Find the Home to Home site at pas.home-home.org.

Drawing with the wrong side of your brain?

How to quiet one side of the mind and allow your inner artist to speak

By Cadie Archer Reader Contributor I can’t draw — never could.

It is a gift my mother bestowed upon my brother, which has always brought me a sense of great jealousy. Drawing is often thought to be a mysterious, magical ability that a lucky few possess. While many people are born with an innate ability to draw, people often fail to realize that drawing is simply a skill — a teachable, learnable skill.

Two years ago, I had an Atlantic crossing in my sights. Knowing I would need plenty of tasks to fill the idling hours throughout each day and, hoping to utilize this time as a platform to develop a new skill, I decided I was going to learn to draw.

I recalled a continuing education course that I once attended titled “Building the Brain.” The instructor designed the class to teach strategies that support the brain’s ability to rewire itself. One such strategy involved building and strengthening connections in the right hemisphere of the brain — specifically connections involved with visual perception — supporting the argument that reinforcing these connections by learning the skill of drawing could improve critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.

The speaker introduced a book, Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards. After a brief summary of its contents I was convinced that this was the book for me. I purchased it just prior to my sailing adventure with the romantic intention of learning to draw while thousands of miles from land.

I began the book while traveling through Portugal; however, I was unable to complete it during the ocean voyage as my focus, attention and ability to remain still were all swept away by the big sea. The book was closed. It was not to be re-opened until a recent pandemic swept the globe, steal-

ing my full-time working hours, eliminating all social engagements and leaving me with nothing but time. Time to draw.

A common misconception expressed among those who claim that they “cannot draw” is the belief that they lack creativity.

Edwards argues otherwise. She attributes one’s ability to draw to their ability to access the right side of their brain: a hemisphere of the brain that houses key neural pathways needed for accurate, visual perception.

In essence, learning to draw is more about training your brain how to see and perceive and less about the fine motor movements of putting a pencil to paper.

A bit of basic neuroanatomy The right and left sides of our brains (known as hemispheres) are responsible for computing and processing different types of complex information. The left hemisphere is our verbal, analytical brain. It processes facts, thinks in words and makes rational statements based on logic. The right side of our brain is our visual, perceptual brain. It is intuitive, sees how things exist in space and how parts make a whole, and processes visual information.

Common dichotomies that outline this left-right brain duality include thinking vs feeling, intellect vs intuition and objective analysis vs subjective insight.

Both hemispheres of the brain gather the same sensory information from the environment. This information is then allocated between the hemispheres — it may be shared, or one hemisphere may dominate and take over, thereby inhibiting the other.

About 98% of right-handed and 66% of left-handed individuals are left-hemisphere dominant.

As children, we are typically taught in left-brain learning environments using verbal discourse and written instruction, thereby strengthening our dominant left hemisphere, with far less encouragement for right brain growth.

Left Brain

Right Brain

An example of left brain versus right brain drawings. The drawing on the left was done right-side up, or using the left brain. The drawing on the right was done upside down using a right-brain drawing technique.

Archer said it’s important to choose simple drawings to start with, and feel free to choose subject matter that interests you.

Drawings by Cadie Archer.

When a task is presented that may be better suited for the right hemisphere, the left hemisphere can become impatient with the right hemisphere’s view of the complex whole; the competitive left hemisphere may then take over, despite not being well suited for a particular task.

Edwards attributes this phenomenon to the difficulties we often encounter when attempting to draw.

But have no fear, my fellow struggling artists — we can change this.

It is well known in the field of neurological research that our brains have the impressive ability to grow new neural connections throughout our lifetime, known as neural plasticity. The growth of new neural pathways promotes brain health. Learning new tasks helps facilitate focus, improves attention and strengthens our memory centers.

In service of this neural plasticity, I would like to introduce a task that is designed to access rightbrain neural pathways. It is a task outlined by Edwards that is meant to steer so far from the left brain’s comfort zone that it relinquishes its power and allows for total rightbrain activation. Are you ready to embark on this adventure into the realm of your right brain?

Making the shift into the right brain First, you will need to manipulate your environment to ensure conditions are in place that are conducive to making a mental shift into the right brain. Eliminate verbal distractions and allow for one to two hours of uninterrupted time for focus and attention. You may listen to instrumental music while drawing, but music with lyrics is discouraged. For this task, you will need a lined-drawing or photograph, a pencil, eraser and two blank sheets of paper.

You will begin by turning your selected photograph upside down.

You will then use one of your blank sheets of paper to cover the entire picture, leaving only one-half to one inch of the top edge of your upside down image showing (note: you do not have to begin at the top, you may begin at the bottom or on either side of the page. Also, covering the image is optional, though I found it very helpful).

You will then begin to draw what you see, revealing the covered image one inch at a time, until your drawing is complete. Because the image is upside down, the left brain is unable to compute meaning; the verbal system rejects the task and allows the right brain to work free of interference from its verbal partner. You are left — so

to speak — with what your right brain perceives: intersecting lines that create various shapes and angles; open spaces and shadows of varying darkness; proportions and relationships between lines.

This is the information you will transfer onto your blank sheet of paper.

Resist the urge to peek by turning your drawn image right-side up, as this could unintentionally spiral you back into your domineering left brain.

Understand that this is not a lesson in drawing. It is a challenge — an encouragement to change the way you think and feel about drawing. Use this task to help you make the shift and unlock your right brain, if only for a moment, to help you experience the “magic” of pure visual perception.

Cadie Archer holds a Master’s degree in clinical speech language pathology. She has worked as a speech therapist at Bonner General Health for nearly 10 years, during which time she has developed a passion for working with adults who suffer from neurological impairments, acquired brain injuries, cognitive-linguistic and communication deficit, swallowing difficulties, and voice disorders.

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New trails group hires director

By Regan Plumb Reader Contributor

The newly formed North Idaho Trails Coalition is excited to announce the recent hire of Jeff Thompson in the role of trails director.

Thompson brings decades of experience in trail development, avalanche safety, mountain operations and collaborative planning to the position. A native of Delaware, he lived and worked in Colorado for many years before relocating to the Sandpoint area in 2016.

The North Idaho Trails Coalition (NITC) was born out of the unified desires of three Sandpoint-based nonprofit organizations to combine their resources in order to provide broader and deeper impacts within the communities they serve. The member groups, Kaniksu Land Trust, Pend Oreille Pedalers and Sandpoint Nordic Club, are focused on creating, maintaining and promoting a regional network of interconnected, non-motorized trails to benefit the rural communities of North Idaho. By working together to leverage each organization’s resources and expertise, NITC members will be better positioned to plan

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and advocate on behalf of recreational initiatives while also building opportunities and partnerships in a sustainable manner.

NITC’s vision is to respond to an expressed desire for increased recreational opportunities in order to support community health and resilience, Jeff Thompson. sustainable economic development and the preservation of natural resources. Despite an abundance of trails in our area, easy access to information regarding them is lacking. Furthermore, some of our current trails aren’t regularly maintained. NITC would like to improve trail information, increase trail maintenance and add new trails to improve access for all user groups. By forming a unified coalition and hiring a staff person to further its vision, NITC expects to accomplish more than ever before to support the development and stewardship of trail opportunities across the two northernmost counties of Idaho.

Thompson began his tenure in early March. He looks forward to collaborating with a diverse array of community partners to expand trail opportunities for all.

WEIRD NEWS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

BABY BORN IN TOILET PAPER AISLE AT MISSOURI WALMART

In the midst of hoarding stories running rampant regarding toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic, there is one story that may just warm your heart.

A customer gave birth inside a Missouri Walmart, right there in the toilet paper aisle.

Jessica Hinkle, a store manager at the Walmart in Springfield, Mo., said the woman’s water broke in the toilet paper aisle of the store and the expectant mother warned employees her last child had been born after only 30 minutes of labor.

Another customer – who works as a labor nurse – sprang into action and donned a pair of gloves she was carrying in her pocket to help Hinkle. They blocked off the aisle to give the woman some privacy.

Firefighters soon arrived to assist the nurse with the delivery, which went off without a hitch. The mother and child were taken to a local hospital after the birth.

Hinkle said customers clapped and cheered for the woman as she was wheeled out of the store on a gurney.

Reports are that the mother and child are doing well.

STAGE & SCREEN

War and praise

Next in Panida virtual screening series, Beanpole is a stellar human drama with war at its core

Vera Miroshnichenko as Beanpole. Courtesy photo. as well as “astonishing” and featuring “dizzyling complex” performances, Beanpole earned four enthusiastic stars As shelter-in-place orders came from rogerebert.com. down in earnest at the end of March, the Only the second film directed by Panida Theater embarked on a series of 28-year-old Kantemir Balagov, Beanvirtual film offerings, accessible on the pole follows Closeness, which took theater’s website at panida.org. Since the Fipresci Prize at the 2017 Cannes the first week of April, those offerings Film Festival, and has also garnered have included releases made available rave reviews from the likes of Variety, by indie, arthouse, world cinema and which called it “exceptionally craftcult film distributors Kino Lorber and ed” and “devastating”; The LA Times, Film Movement. “engrossing”; and Hollywood Reporter, For the week of Friday, April which singled out Balagov’s “blossom17-Thursday, April 23, viewers catch ing virtuosity.” another installment of the series from The critics’ consensus on Rotten the comfort of their own homes — this Tomatoes comes in at a whopping time Beanpole, a Russian-language film 91% while Metacritic classifies Beanset in Leningrad (a.k.a. St. Petersburg) pole as “must-see.” Wary of trotting amid the devastation of World War II. out the shopworn honorific “masterSet in 1945 after the breakup of the piece,” The Wall Street Journal did as siege of the city — one of the most much as call it such when its review brutal and destructive sieges in history simply stated, “‘great’ without qualifi— young women Iya and Masha work cation does the trick.” to reconstruct some semblance of ordiNext up, for the week of Friday, nary life and happiness while navigatApril 24-Thursday, April 30, is the 2020 ing their shattered world and wounded Polish/French-language film Corpus psyches.

Christi, which focuses on a small-town Yet Beanpole is much more complex priest who is not what he seems to be. than a straightforward, To access the Panida’s Beanpole heroic journey of overvirtual screenings, go to coming adversity — the panida.org and click the (Not Rated) film marshals all the “tickets/events” button Streaming Friday, April psychological nuance at the top of the page. and moral ambiguity of a 17-Thursday, April 23; viewing Streaming costs $12 and available anytime for 72 world-historical yet allfilms can be viewed anyhours after payment; $12. too-human tragedy. time for 72 hours after Access the film at panida.

Called one of first payment. All proceeds “essential” films of 2020, org/event/beanpole. benefit the Panida.

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

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OUTDOORS

State opens Hayes Gulch trail system near town

By Susan Drumheller Reader Contributor After decades of trespassing across private property to reach the west slopes of Gold Hill, dirt bikers, mountain bikers, hikers and hunters now have an authorized trailhead and trail system close to town overlooking the Long Bridge.

A collaborative effort involving the Idaho Department of Lands, Bonner County and Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation has opened up more than 10 miles of multi-use trails on the state lands off Bottle Bay Road.

Longtime neighbors and area residents built and have been using some of these trails for years.

Most bikers, hunters and hikers (other than immediate neighbors on the hillside) used to access the trails and the IDL forest road from the privately-owned gravel pit property off the county road.

A few years ago, a county-wide trail planning effort by the Trail Mix Committee (a collaborative group of user groups, nonprofits, federal, state and local government agencies, and other trail stakeholders) saw the need for legal access to the trail system and found that state land overlaps Bottle Bay Road.

An old mining road served as an alternative unofficial access point, with a couple of parking spaces across the road.

That 2016 planning effort prompted the IDL to work with the county and Idaho Parks and Rec. to designate this as an area to be managed for recreation – the first time the state land agency has done so in North Idaho, said Todd Wernex, Off-Highway Vehicle/Recreation Specialist for 20 /

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IDL – a relatively new position for the state agency.

“For years we’ve invited people to recreate on endowment lands, but we haven’t given them direction,” Wernex said. “Now we are making it available, provided they stay on trails.”

State endowment lands are constitutionally mandated to raise revenue for the state, so IDL as a rule logs its land or leases it for various purposes.

But logging the west slope of Gold Hill had to be done with aesthetics in mind, because it’s so visible from the Long Bridge.

Instead of heavy logging, the state will make a little cash by leasing the land to Bonner County for multi-use recreation. The county has agreed to lease the square mile of state land in the vicinity of Hayes Gulch, a drainage that runs down the northwest slope of Gold Hill.

In exchange, IDL agreed to build a trailhead parking area off Bottle Bay Road, which will soon include a pit toilet and an informational kiosk. With the help of Idaho Parks and Recreation, longtime residents, motorized groups and the Pend Oreille Pedalers bike club, the state also built a trail from the parking area to existing trails.

Pat Gunter, a Sagle-area native and avid dirt biker, helped organize motorized users to help build the new trails. He’s been riding the area for years, and now is among those maintaining and trying to improve the existing trail system.

“What’s so nice is after you get off work, you can ride all that in about two hours,” he said.

“We can do a long day to other areas, where they can do all-

day rides … but this is the only thing we really got right next to Sandpoint.”

The new entrance trail is a series of switchbacks, which are challenging for mountain bikes.

Mountain bikers more often ride up the Forest Service Trail No. 3 – which is designated non-motorized only - on the northeast side of Gold Hill and ride down the Hayes Gulch trails.

Local group Pend Oreille Pedalers is interested in creating an easier grade trail on the Hayes Gulch side, which would interest some dirt bikers, too, said Gunter and Buster Bandy, who’s helping Wernex design the new trail system. Now the trails are best suited to expert riders, but less steep trails would accommodate less experienced riders and won’t rut out as much, Bandy noted.

Bandy’s been driving, hiking and riding around the Gold Hill area for more than 50 years. His dad and uncle used to run about 150 head of cattle on the hill, as well as a few dozen horses. Now Bandy is usually found riding the trails with a chainsaw on the front of his motorcycle, looking to maintain the trails.

“It’s what I do in the evenings and on weekends,” Bandy said.

“I usually work until dark and ride out with a headlight. … I like to make sure the trail is open so people can use it. The state actually bought me a chainsaw.”

Wernex even named one of the trails after Bandy: “Buster’s Bullion.”

In deference to the historic use, IDL has retained the common names of many of the trails, such as Russ Keene (a.k.a.

“King”) Way and other trails named for those who built them.

Several trails are named for the hill’s mining legacy. Gold prospectors left a few large holes and piles of rocks around, though it appears no one ever struck it rich on Gold Hill.

While the majority of trails in the Hayes Gulch system were built by and for dirt bikers, Russ Keene Way is a notable exception. This route goes nearly straight up the west slope from the main Hayes Gulch Trail, ascending a series of rocky ledges, winding through pine trees, wildflowers and even scree fields where Russ Keene appeared to have arranged rocky stairs.

A photo of the lookout at Gold Hill by Susan Druheller.

Keene moved to the Sandpoint area in 1911, and worked as a smokejumper, a trapper and had served in the 10th Mountain Division in World War II, according to John Gaddess, a former IDL employee who initiated the Hayes Gulch trail project. Gaddess learned that Keene owned Castle Rock Tree Farm in Talache and used to walk from his Gold Hill home to his farm, using the trail he built up over the mountain.

Now the Hayes Gulch Trails are a convenient getaway for people in the Sandpoint area.

While many of the trails were pioneered by some of Sandpoint’s originals, the new trailhead and legal access means this area is destined to get a lot of use. So, stay on the trails, go easy on them (avoid riding on wet, muddy days, for instance) and help out for the occasional work party.

That will help keep this area open and seal its destiny as Gold Hill’s real treasure, enriching the lives of those who tread there.

MUSIC

Some artists are delaying album releases — why?

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Of the many things being canceled and postponed in the age of COVID-19, nothing has made me stop in my tracks quite like delayed album releases.

I’m someone who follows the music industry closely, looking forward to Fridays when big albums are set to drop. I can understand events, travel and schools being put on hold while the virus runs its course, but music? Music can be released online, shared in a second on platforms all over the world.

Many big-name artists scheduled highly anticipated albums for this spring: Lady Gaga, The 1975, HAIM — just to name a few. I couldn’t fully understand why these artists would take something from fans, especially right now as they shelter in place, some even facing job loss and housing insecurity. Lady Gaga’s announcement that she’d be delaying her upcoming album Chromatica did little to clear things up for me.

“While I believe art is one of the strongest things we have to provide joy and healing to each other during times like this, it just doesn’t feel right to me to

release this album with all that is going on during this global pandemic,” she wrote, continuing that she wants the “focus” right now to be on supporting medical professionals.

She’s right: Music often serves as much-needed solace and distraction. As for why this isn’t the right time, let’s be honest — it’s about spectacle, and it’s about money.

I get it. Artists need to make money, too. When an A-list performer like Gaga drops an album, there’s a radio and TV circuit to complete. Then there’s the tour, which should closely follow the release. According to Rolling Stone, this period of promotion and live shows is vital for most genres, especially pop and rock.

However, there will be consequences. As Friday release loads lighten during COVID-19, the post-pandemic release calendar is likely to become saturated.

Which albums will fight to the top during the fall months? I’m interested to see how it all pans out.

Yet, some smaller artists are taking advantage of these strange, quiet times. Up-andcoming female R&B artist Jessie Reyez released her debut

READ

...through that shelf on your bookshelf. You know the one I’m talking about. The one full of books that you’ll read later? Guess what: Right now, it’s later! After a deep dive into mine, I’m happily immersed in a copy of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians. (I think it was loaned to me two years ago? Hopefully my friend, Lauren, doesn’t charge me a late fee when I finally return it to her.)

LP, When Love Came To Kill Us, March 27. The album is a searing collection of hard-hitting tracks, showcasing an artist with a fresh sound and undeniable swagger. Young pop icon Dua Lipa even moved her sophomore album up a week from April 3 to March 27.

“I hope it brings you some happiness, and I hope it makes you smile, and I hope it makes you dance,” she said. “I hope I make you proud.”

More happy music news: singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens released album Aporia ahead of schedule, and promised a portion of the proceeds to food-focused charities to assist families during the pandemic. Folk artist Laura Marling accelerated the release

Lady Gaga’s forthcoming album Chromatica is one of the many releases delayed because of COVID-19. Courtesy image.

of album Song For Our Daughter specifically in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“I saw no reason to hold back on something that, at the very least, might entertain, and at its best, provide some sense of union,” she wrote in a lengthy statement ahead of the album’s release, concluding with, “I want you to have it.”

I might harbor salty feelings toward the larger artists, but the system is the way it is. I am, however, incredibly thankful to those still releasing music. Now is the perfect time to find a new album to love — and a new artist to support.

Reader live stream concerts move to Thursday Shook Twins and Josh Hedlund play April 16 live stream concert

from 7-7:45 p.m. Shook Twins, a nationally touring band, is currently on hiatus from their live The Sandpoint Reader’s performances. weekly live stream concerts are Following Shook Twins will landing on a new night of the be Sandpoint singer-songwriter week starting tonight.

Josh Hedlund from 7:45-8:30 Friday Night Live has morp.m. Hedlund’s prolific songphed into Thursday Night Live, writing career has earned him and tonight’s praise by evshow is one for Thursday Night Live eryone who has the books. heard his work.

Featuring Shook Twins Access the Katelyn and and Josh Hedlund Laurie Shook, of stream by enterSandpoint’s own ing the link in the Streaming Thursday, April 16 at: Shook Twins, will little yellow box, perform Thursbit.ly/ReaderLive or search for the day, April 16 Sandpoint Reader

This week’s RLW by Jen Heller

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Podcast Series channel on YouTube.com. These live streams are sponsored by the Reader and Happy Tech Services.

To find out what local musicians are streaming live this

Katelyn and Laurie Shook from Shook Twins, left, and Josh Hedlund, right.

LISTEN

With all the extra house time, I’m in constant need of something funny to listen to while I charge through my lists of git-er-done projects. Dry Bar Comedy’s YouTube channel has got me covered, with some of the best original, clean comedy I’ve stumbled across in years. Current faves are the specials by Kellen Erskine (“Bike locks should be illegal”), Steve Soelberg (“Massages are bad gifts”) and Brad Bonar (“Funniest thing you can do with a squeaky toy”).

WATCH

Same concept as “That Shelf” on the bookshelf — which stupidly long documentary have you always wanted to watch, but never had the time for? (Sorry, I’m not talking about The Tiger King here.) For me, that would be Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War. I encounter a lot of Vietnam vets at work, and I’ve always wanted to better understand what happened there. While the show is challenging to watch, it’s been eye opening and will probably improve my interactions in “normal” life... whenever that happens to return.

weekend, visit livemusicsandpoint.com to find links to all shows, courtesy of Shawn Aller and Sandy Gale.

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HUMOR

What kind of commenter are you?

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

From Pend Oreille News, May 28, 1892

TO A LONG SUFFERING PUBLIC The editor of this paper left town about a week ago to attend some little doings that the folks up in the British possessions were going to have over the birth of their queen.

The event celebrated took place some 73 years ago, and it would seem that the edge would have become a little worn off by this time, but still they keep up commemorating every time the 24th of May turns up, which is usually once a year, and so an invitation was sent to the News to come up and help commom and to bring some of the boys along, and they went. It will be the News’ turn now to invite teh Guelph family and their friends down to Sand Point about the 4th of July, when Miss Columbia has her birthday party.

So far it was all right, but the trouble now is that the editor has not returned, the supposition being that he has encompassed too much foreign joy, being used only to the Kentucky brand, and so the citizens have been obliged to appoint a committee to get out this issue of the paper. As far as the good-natured subscriber about Sand Point are concerned they would no doubt over-look the skipping of one issue, but the New York and Chicago exchanges would suffer too severely by such an ommission.

The committee found the forms of type had not been washed since last issue, and also that there was no benzine left in the can, and none to be had in town, but as Kootenai county bourbon is an excellent substitude, a gallon was procured and credit given on an advertising account one half pint was used to remove the ink from type and the surplus to bath the brow of committee in charge of the work, as the severe mental strain threatened nervous prostration.

The committee had intended to take this opportunity to correct some erroneous ideas which have found lodgment in this locality. First in regard to the circulation of this paper, instead of being 5,000 it comes much nearer being 500. And then in regard to the editor having a wife and 6 children in the Black Hills, that report is utterly false and malicious.

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More time at home should mean more time spent with family; but, unfortunately, it probably means an uptick in the amount of time people spend on social media.

Over the past five years of publishing the Reader, I’ve seen every manner of comments posted on our Facebook wall. They run the gamut: from silly and inane to ignorant and downright threatening — the latter being the reason we regularly wade through the muck and mire to moderate inappropriate comments. Here’s a quick breakdown of the types of commenters I’ve noticed we have a lot of here in North Idaho. Which category do you fall under?

Thankful/positive commenter This is becoming rarer on social media.

The thankful/positive commenter mainly adds affirmations to posts, thanking or recognizing people or organizations for some good they’ve done. Keep it up, you brave souls. I admire your dedication.

Negative Nancy You know this one. We have dozens of them on our page. No matter what the subject matter of the post, they’ll find something negative to say about it. You could post that you’re giving away $100 to the first person who comments and, if they won, they’d complain that the bill was wrinkled. Sometimes I just want to give these wet blankets a hug, because they obviously need a little brightness in their lives.

Don’t Feed the Trolls A growing majority of Facebook commenters seem to operate best only while trolling people. In case you just time-traveled from 1920 to the present day, trolls don’t live under bridges anymore, they slurp tall cans of some nasty energy drink and

STR8TS Solution

write even nastier, provocative comments on social media with one intent: to bother/ irritate/annoy or trigger a certain group of people. Or they’re bots programmed to destroy us.

Seriously, trolls just want to watch the world burn. You can have a productive comment stream going for days until one troll gets in the mix and ruins it all.

The best practice with trolls is to ignore them as much as possible. Like bullies, they are more or less cowards who desire attention — of the negative, in particular.

Crop duster The crop duster is a unique subgenre of troll who visits a post, drops a snarky or inappropriate comment that sends people reeling, deletes the comment and then stands back to laugh as people tear each other apart. Crop dusters are especially frustrating because after they delete their comments, it just looks like a bunch of normal people are yelling about nothing, which seems to be their goal. Jerks.

Conspiracy theorist The conspiracy theorist feels as if no one listens to them. They’ve been ostracized from many public gatherings because of their references to vaccinations causing autism or chemtrails in the sky or the deep state hard at work. Social media is the last medium in which they can traffic nonsensical conspiracy theories — most of which have been disproven since before the internet was even a thing. They probably wear tinfoil hats and call InfoWars the “news.”

Pay no attention to them. Seriously, they just don’t matter.

Part 1

how many times you “God bless America” or cite your faulty sources, your views are still waaay beyond what could be classified as “normal.” Chill out and read a book.

Which category are you? Which do you want to be? Are you helping or hurting?

You’re in charge of those fingers, bub.

Check back next week for Part 2 of this column.

Crossword Solution

Angry extremist Whether coming from the far right or far left, the angry extremist commenters will respond to others in a tone of fury because their extremist views are often panned by the more moderate population. It doesn’t matter

Sudoku Solution Some people are like Slinkies. They don’t really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

By Bill Borders

Solution on page 22

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

Solution on page 22

ACROSS 1. Anagram of “Space” 6. Cloaked 11. 50s singer Buddy _____ 12. Tallest mountain 15. Sitting room 16. Restates 17. Arrive (abbrev.)

18. Gaping sleepily 20. Request 21. Gush 23. Not his 24. Partiality 25. Engineering school 26. Eatery 27. Low, flat land 28. Against 29. Alien Life Form 30. Line of a poem 31. Trio 34. Group of eight 36. Consumer Price Index /URST-hwahyl/ 37. Humid 41. Serene [adjective] of the 42. At the peak of 1. former; of times past 43. Egg-shaped “When his erstwhile friend called, he jumped out of the meeting early to take it. ” 44. Be furious 45. Decorative case Corrections: I inadvertently ran the same “Read, Listen, Watch” two weeks 46. Filly’s mother in a row. Sorry about that. Also, in the “Fake letter” news story last week, 47. Beer the letter was not received at the actual Life Care Center, as claimed in 48. Completely the article, but was sent to a manager at a maintenance firm and forward51. Thorax protector ed to Panhandle Health. Bonner County Sheriff’s Captain Tim Hemphill 52. Revelry believes the letter was either an April Fool’s prank that went awry or an attempt by an employee to obtain paid sick leave from his employer. — BO 54. Of mountainous areas 56. Vehicular activity

Word Week

erstwhile

Solution on page 22 57. Two 58. Smelled badly 59. Glowing remnant

DOWN 1. Hone 2. Right 3. Completely 4. Gambit 5. Tropical American wildcat 6. Hit the sack 7. Roasters 8. Large mass of ice 9. Historic period

10. Particulars 13. Benni 14. Sounds of disapproval 15. Noodles 16. Futile 19. Cetacean mammal 22. Pare 24. Tedium 26. Credit or playing 27. Skirt’s edge 30. Voice Over Internet Protocol 32. An unskilled actor 33. Go bad 34. Relating to the eye 35. Photo devices

38. Greed 39. Sailor 40. Academy freshman 42. Assault 44. Proven information 45. A red fluorescent dye 48. A soft porous rock 49. Stow, as cargo 50. Anagram of “Lyme” 53. Frequently, in poetry 55. Tavern

April 16, 2020 /

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