Reader_April20_2023

The week in random review

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

quotable

“Television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome.”

— T. S. Eliot

two kinds of people

We’ve all heard the cliche, “There are two kinds of people in this world...” followed by a pithy comparison, such as, “People you drink with and people who make you want to drink.” In recent years, people seem to be divided further and further apart on political and religious grounds. That’s not working out so well for us, so I propose we find more benign ways to divide ourselves:

— “Those who creep forward at yellow left-turn lights and those who sit waiting at the stop line until it’s clear.”

— “Those who hang toilet paper over-under and those who hang it under-over.”

— “Those who cut their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in half and those who cut them in diagonal slices.”

broken bones

While talking with some friends recently, a discussion came up where everyone compared which bones they’ve broken in their lives. I was astounded to hear that the majority of people at the table hadn’t broken a single bone. My broken bone list is quite extensive — almost embarrassing. I broke my collarbone at birth, my wrist while skateboarding at 6 years old, my nose, my thumb twice in Little League, one rib, two fingers, both heels and finally, my patella, both ankles and my left arm in a motorcycle accident with a water buffalo in Thailand. Do I get an award? Oh wait, it’s called arthritis when I get older. Hooray.

Scammers be scamming

I like to think I’m a fairly savvy internet user with a better-than-average grasp on technology. That is until I got scammed earlier this week when posting an item for sale on Craigslist. I had listed the item for sale and spelled out my phone number for anyone looking to reach me via text message. Just a few minutes after publishing the listing, a text came from someone interested in buying my keyboard. They asked if they could send me a code to verify I’m “legit” because they’ve been scammed before on Craigslist. I was in the middle of something else and wasn’t paying attention. When a six-digit verification code came from Google, I didn’t even think twice. I just typed the code out and sent it to the person. Then, as if a brick hit me, I winced and said, “What the hell have I done?” Cut to 90 minutes later, with absolutely no help from Google, I managed to get everything cleared up, but I had to change the passwords on all my devices, which is never fun. I know better than to fall for a scam, but I was distracted and made a dumb mistake. It can happen to any of us. Sure enough, over the next three hours, three other scammers tried the same move. The moral of this story is that you should never send a verification code to anyone, period.

READER DEAR READERS,

When I first contemplated bringing the Reader back from the dead in mid-2014, I spent several months figuring out what we could do for columns and recurring features. I still remember the day, sitting on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in the sun with a notebook full of stupid ideas — most of which never panned out.

One that almost did was a little box at the beginning of each week’s edition that I planned to call “The Horse’s Mouth,” where I’d spout off whatever nonsense was troubling me that week. This idea was even tually split in two, with this “Dear Readers” box remaining here and the more incendiary “Bouquets and Barbs” col umn pushed farther back in the edition, with Jay Shelledy suggesting the latter’s title.

I like to imagine an alternate universe of the Reader sometimes starting each week with “The Horse’s Mouth,” but as our editor just pointed out, it would’ve taken about a week until someone start ed calling me “The Horse’s Ass,” so I reckon we made the right decision. I get called enough names already.

–Ben Olson, publisher

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Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover), Dylan Langille, Bill Borders, Rose Olson

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About the Cover

This week’s cover honors Earth Day, which falls on Saturday, April 22.If you can, do something to help our environment that day!

Library Board of Trustees candidates speak at packed forum

Culture war ‘obscenity’ debate dominates discussion

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It was a packed house April 19 at the East Bonner County Library Sandpoint Branch, as about 140 community members turned out to hear candidates from the Library Board of Trustees speak on the issues that face the library. While many different topics came up for discussion, far and away the most consistent theme was what stance each candidate believed the library should take in dealing with “obscene materials.”

Library Director Viktor Sjöberg introduced the meeting and handed it over to moderator Ken Wood, who asked candidates to give brief opening statements.

Challenger Stacy Rodriguez said she grew up in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to San Diego, where she obtained a law degree and worked as deputy district attorney for San Diego for two decades. After retiring as a prosecutor, Rodriguez said she began teaching law enforcement personnel around the country.

“My husband, two daughters and I moved to Bonner County in 2016 after we decided we didn’t want to raise our children in Southern California anymore,” Rodriguez said. “Besides God and family, books are my lifeblood. … I need and I want our community library to be a safe and welcoming environment for all of Bonner County citizens.”

Incumbent Susan Shea said she’s running for reelection to the Library Board of Trustees because she strongly supports the First Amendment.

“This country was founded on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Shea said. “The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reinforces these principles guaranteeing every person in this country has the right to speak, publish, read or view what they wish without government interference or limitation. The library provides open access to ideas, and we’re legally and professionally obligated to provide all members of the community free

access to library resources and services that are inclusive, regardless of the approach or format.”

Shea said that as a trustee for the past six years, and living and working in Bonner County for 30 years as an accountant with a local CPA firm, she has used her experience on the board to better understand the financial aspects of the library.

“The board has refused to take the 3% levy increase the past three years,” Shea said. “We’ve seen a reduction in expenses and an increase in services and programs. If reelected, I’ll continue to serve the community and defend the library against any challenges to the First Amendment.”

Wood then opened up the forum to a series of questions, starting with asking why each candidate was running.

“A few years ago, I began noticing a few things at the library that made me take pause,” Rodriguez said. “Books displayed on the rack out front … increasingly more often reflected a one-sided political agenda, one that doesn’t match the values held by most of Bonner County’s voters.”

Rodriguez said that while she noticed many books at the library that supported “progressive themes, rarely did I see a display that showed a conservative author that talked about conservative viewpoints.”

When asked what experience and skills she’d bring to the board, Rodriguez said that her experience as a mother comes first and foremost: “I need to know mothers will be able to come into this library and not have to follow their children around the library to make sure they don’t pull a book from the shelf they don’t want them to see.”

When asked if she believes certain library materials should be restricted, Shea said, “Every person’s freedom to read what they wish is guaranteed by the First Amendment and reaffirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court again and again. I believe in peoples’ personal freedom to decide which books are appropriate for them-

selves based on their values.”

Rodriguez claimed she wasn’t an advocate for “book banning,” but rather, separating “obscene material” into an age-restricted area within the library. She also claimed the American Library Association to be run by a “Marxist lesbian.”

“For the past several years, our library has adopted the radical dictates of the ALA,” Rodriguez said. “They argue it’s free speech, but obscenity has never, under the law of the U.S., been protected by the First Amendment. … it’s being used as a cudgel and to sexualize children.”

As far as other concerns the board should address if elected, Shea said, “The board needs to protect the community’s ability to read,” as well as expanding long-term projects and community services “without increasing our local tax burden.”

Rodriguez wanted more tutoring services to be offered in the library as well as homeschool curriculum to be purchased for Bonner County parents who choose to school their kids at home, as she said she’s educated her own daughter.

When the topic of “obscene materials” came up again, Rodriguez claimed the library contained books that “would make a sex worker blush. A majority of voters don’t want to see little Johnny giving little Georgie a you-know-what. I can think of no interest in that.”

Another question asked whether each candidate would support a

drag story hour.

“No,” Rodriguez said. “What is a drag queen? It’s a grown man who wants to dress as a woman. It’s not transgender usually because they still have the package. And at these events, Mr. Drag Queen gyrates around with his male parts out for little kids to see. … As a prosecutor, I’ve probably spent more time with transgender people than transgender people [have]. They do not think this is cool.”

Shea countered that she couldn’t imagine the community would have any interest in an event such as drag story hour.

“The library is here to serve the community and their interests in what the library has to offer,” Shea said. “If there was enough of an interest in this kind of thing in this community, and if people wanted to attend that event, I think I would support that as a way to support what the community wants. But I’m not aware that there’s that kind of interest in this type of event in this community.”

In closing statements, Shea said, “It’s not acceptable to forfeit just a little bit of your First Amendment rights in an effort to protect our community. A parent already has the right to approve which books are appropriate for their children and I would not abdicate their rights to my opponent and the group of people she represents because this is censorship and a violation of the First Amendment.

“There might be materials offensive to some and maybe even

many in the library, but offensive is not pornographic,” she added. “… I am qualified, I am experienced and I am fiscally conservative. Stand with me and your family’s First Amendment rights.”

Rodriguez countered that, “no matter how many times people say that obscenity, not pornography, is protected by the First Amendment, that’s how many times they’ll be wrong. … My opponent said she would support drag story hours if there was enough community interest? What if the community wanted stripper poles? Are we going to have stripper poles installed because the community wants it? I don’t think so.

“This is the public library of Bonner County, not Sandpoint. … people don’t want their children seeing graphic, sexual images in the library,” she said. “… Let our community know what kind of library you want to have for your children.”

The election will take place Tuesday, May 16, 2023. To register to vote or request an absentee ballot, contact the Bonner County Election Office at 208-255-3631 or visit voteidaho.gov. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, May 5. Early, in-person voting begins Monday, May 1 at the Bonner County Elections Office, 1500 Hwy. 2, Suite No. 124 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Tuesday, May 9.

Stacy Rodriguez, left, and Susan Shea, right, speak to a packed room on April 19 at the East Bonner County Library Sandpoint Branch. Photo by Ben Olson.

Stapleton named among the top finalists for city administrator job in Tumwater, Wash.

committed to my work here … and

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton is among the five finalists for the same job in Tumwater, Wash., according to an April 17 report from The Olympian.

According to the news outlet, Stapleton and the four other finalists for the top job in the city of 26,300 residents south of Olympia, Wash., were in Tumwater for a reception April 18, where they met with the public. Also in attendance were the mayor and

city council.

John Doan is the current Tumwater city administrator, in which capacity he has served for 13 years. He announced his retirement in early February, and a position profile and solicitation document from GMP Consultants stated the first review of candidates for his replacement would take place March 12.

In a phone interview with the Reader on April 19, Stapleton said, “Tumwater asked me to meet with them — I did. I’m committed to my work here and to Sandpoint

and to the city, and I am not actively looking for other positions.

“But I have an obligation, I felt, to meet with another entity and consider opportunities,” she added.

According to a Feb. 10 report from The Olympian, Doan’s retirement will be effective this month.

A Tumwater city spokesperson told the Reader in an email that a preferred candidate has yet to be identified and “we do not have a timeline for a decision.”

Tumwater’s mayor and GMP Consultants selected the finalists, which as well as Stapleton

for other positions’

includes three candidates from the Tacoma and Olympia areas, and one who currently works in the public sector in Virginia.

According to the position solicitation from GMP Consultants, provided by the city of Tumwater, the position pays between $161,592 and $196,920 per year, depending on background and experience.

Stapleton has served as Sandpoint city administrator since late-2015, her immediate prior position being director of grants management and financial assistance, as well as interim director

of community, housing and human services, for the city of Spokane.

She underscored: “I’m committed to the work that I’m doing here currently in Sandpoint.”

City Hall to host public meeting on Travers Park skatepark expansion

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The public is invited to meet the project team, see ideas and provide feedback on the Travers Park “Concrete Lake” skatepark expansion project Thursday, April 20, with a virtual and in-person event hosted at 5:30 p.m. at Sandpoint City Hall (1123 Lake St.).

This will be the third public meeting on the skatepark expansion — part of the overall $7.8 million James E. Russell Sports Center redevelopment project at the park — with the first dating back to December 2021. Combined, the skatepark and James E.Russell projects are referred to by city planners as Travers Park Phase 1 Renovations.

The second meeting took place in the fall of 2022, incorporating skatepark development firm Dreamland Skateparks, which at the time was contracted under Tualatin, Ore.-based Emerick Construction. Emerick won the $7.8 million design-build contract effective July 2022, which included a $7.5 million gift from the Russell family, a $300,000 budget allocation from the city for the skatepark, as well as a capital improvement project in 2021 for bowl repairs amounting to nearly $28,000.

Register online or participate in person April 20

City staff confirmed to the Reader that the contract with Emerick was terminated in January 2023, though the city has since entered into a direct contract with Dreamland, and will now manage the project — in addition to construction under separate contracts.

Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton told the Reader in a phone interview April 19 that following Emerick’s receipt of the intent to terminate in January, under the terms of the agreement the company refunded the expenses to the city that would have been paid for preliminary work on the contract.

“We retained the subcontractors on the project — the architect [Idaho-based ALC Architecture] as well as Dreamland, so they are contracted directly with us and we went through a process of finding another general contractor who will be heading up these projects.”

City Hall did not provide details for why Emerick’s contract was terminated, and the company did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

The meeting April 20 is intended to share the concept designs for the park and gather community feedback.

According to Sandpoint Parks Planning and Development Manager Maeve Nevins-Lavtar,

the first phase of construction at the skatepark will include an expansion of about 5,000 square feet and, while construction was originally scheduled for fall 2023, the timeline has been pushed back to completion in spring 2024.

Nevins-Lavtar said that the Bonner County Skatepark Association has raised approximately $55,000 toward the project and, given the ongoing fundraising effort, “it made sense to wait until the spring of 2024 and see how much money could be raised.

“This is a tremendous opportunity, because the team felt it allowed us to construct a much larger project,” she added. “It also saves the project funds by only

having the contractor mobilize to the site once.”

In other words, Nevins-Lavtar said, “If additional funds are realized, then Dreamland can construct more efficiently. …

“[T]he benefits to pushing construction to spring 2024 made sense for all the right reasons,” she added. “Plus, given our unpredictable weather conditions, there was a high chance that Dreamland would have to start in fall and return in spring to finish no matter what — it had nothing to do with the contract change [with Emerick]. And in fact, when the contract changed, it allowed more funds to be added to the budget so that’s a big win for this project.”

The presentation April 20 will include a summary of the history of the Concrete Lake Skatepark, its funding and current budget, introduction of the Dreamland design team and presentation of design concepts, and a report from the Bonner County Skatepark Association about its fundraising efforts.

According to Stapleton, the teams behind the project anticipate having the overall designs for Travers Park — including every< see SKATE, Page 7 >

‘I’m

I am not actively looking

Jennifer Stapleton. Courtesy photo.

The “Concrete Lake” skatepark at Travers Park during a busy summer day. Photo courtesy city of Sandpoint.

rules of the road

Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

A large-scale biochar production plant is being built in Kettle Falls, Wash. Advantages of Biochar, made from logging waste, include reduction of forest fire risk. When applied to land, biochar sequesters carbon and increases moisture retention capacity by up to 38%. It can increase crop yields and reduce the need for chemical fertilizer, according to The North Columbia Monthly.

With warmer weather comes biking season in Sandpoint, which means a refresher course in Idaho’s cycle laws. Here are some tips for both bicylclists and drivers to ensure everyone gets to their destination safely.

1.Ride on the right side of the street

•Ride with the flow of traffic and make full turns into travel lanes.

•Ride in the correct direction on one-way streets.

2. Full stop at red light

•Use extended arm signals when making left and right turns.

3.Rolling stop at stop signs

•Slow down to look and listen for oncoming traffic.

•Full stop when needed; proceed through when there is no traffic.

4.Share the road with drivers

•Sandpoint’s preferred cycle routes are marked with “sharrow” pavement lines. Try to stick to these routes whenever possible.

•Ride single file and keep a steady pace with the flow of traffic.

5.Sidewalks are for pedestrians

•Walk your bike when using downtown sidewalks.

• Yield to walkers and give special consideration to the elderly.

•Use common courtesy. It’s always appreciated.

6.Use safety gear

•Wear a helmet and light-colored clothing for maximum visibility.

•Bright headlight and red taillight are needed after dark.

•Lock your bike frame for theft protection.

The future of rechargeable sodium-based batteries is in the forefront in China, with an impact expected on electric vehicles. Sodium sells for less than lithium, is more abundant and chemically similar, The New York Times reported. And, when it’s below freezing, the batteries hold a charge well.

Solar electric power doesn’t have to mar the natural landscape. Panels can cover parking lots, be placed on fields made fallow by drought — meanwhile providing income for farmers — and can go on roofs. High Country News crunched the rooftop numbers: collectively, average “big box” store roofs, paneled over, could power about 3 million homes. A California irrigation district plans to cover two miles of canals with panels, while saving 32 million gallons of water typically lost to evaporation.

Assessing the aftermath of Hurricane Ian — which hit Punta Gorga, Fla. last September — the Union of Concerned Scientists found that homes rebuilt after another hurricane in 2004 using “hurricane ready” building codes suffered fewer damages. In particular, Babcock Ranch retained power because of its solar array. The “ranch” site was chosen for being beyond the reach of storm surges; streets and parks were designed to absorb floodwaters and underground power lines avoided wind damage.

On the Northern Great Plains, where 73% of remaining grasslands are privately owned, ranchers face pressure to convert grasslands to more profitable croplands. But, according to the World Wildlife Federation, those lands are not well-suited to long-term row crops, and plowing releases stored carbon. As well, row crops require more water and fertilizer, which can degrade ecosystems and leave farmers vulnerable to weather and market forces, as opposed to sticking with ranching.

Where ranchers have perhaps just four

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

inches of rain, they an still — with knowledgeable management — grow grasses and therefore protein. At one time that protein was bison, but cattle can mimic their impact on the land.

Scientists and labor organizations have been examining extreme heat and the kidneys. So far, they’ve found that high heat scars as well as cripples the kidneys’ microscopic tubes. Kidney disease is expected to soar for outdoor laborers, The Washington Post reported.

Will consumers see stable grocery prices? That depends on a variety of factors, including supply chain shortages, geopolitical events like war in Ukraine and unstable weather patterns, TIME reported.

Average temperatures in the Arctic region, which acts as “a kind of air conditioner for the planet,” have risen two to three times faster than elsewhere, according to World Wildlife Magazine.

The ocean is 30% more acidic than 150 years ago due to CO2 buildup, which affects food security, livelihoods and the world’s economy, according to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, author of Saving Us and climate ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance.

Morgan Stanley estimated that climate disasters cost $650 billion in the three years from 2015 to 2018. North America’s share was $415 billion.

In the vein of, “First, do no harm,” the American Medical Association backs fossil fuels divestment. A growing number of banks, faith organizations, educational institutions, and individuals are divesting. BlackRock, the world’s largest assets manager, has dropped coal investments.

Blast from the past: “DDT is good for me,” advertisements in the 1950s claimed. The nation was sprayed with 1.35 billion tons of the insecticide before scientists sounded the alarm about impacts on humans and wildlife. It was banned in 1972. New research, shared in Scientific American, shows daughters of DDT-exposed pregnant mothers have higher rates of breast cancer, hypertension and obesity. Their children have a higher body mass index and earlier menstruation. One of many endocrine disruptors, DDT is linked to growth, reproduction, hunger and body temperature. According to researchers, DDT can influence how genes turn on and off, and at least three generations can be affected by exposure.

BoCo Planning Commission recommends designating 875 acres near Priest River ‘Rural Residential’

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

The Bonner County Planning Commission on April 18 approved a Comprehensive Plan map amendment and zone change for nearly 900 acres of property recently de-annexed from the city of Priest River, designating the area Rural Residential and approving five- and 10-acre minimums on what is currently being used largely as farmland.

The land in question — identified as approximately 875 acres located off Highway 2 just east of Priest River city limits — was designated Resort Community and Transition on the county’s Comp Plan map, and had no listed zoning after being de-annexed from Priest River about two years ago. Bonner County initiated both the map amendment and zone change because, according to the zone change application, “zoning is necessary so property owners are afforded the same property rights as other landowners of Bonner County.”

“We don’t have the ability to deny applications or apply any zoning standards to unzoned properties,” said Planning Director Jake Gabell in the Planning Department’s presentation to commissioners April 18. “If an applicant came in with 5,000-square-foot lots, I couldn’t tell them ‘no.’”

Gabell said that through workshops with property owners, a Rural Residential land designation was determined best suited for the land, which is surrounded by Rural Residential and Ag-Forest lots.

“We were looking at more density, given the proximity to the city and the availability of urban services … then when we got the input from the community, R-5 seemed more appropriate,” Gabell said.

Public comment on both the map amendment and zone change files contributed by a handful of neighbors centered on concerns about future development of the property affecting water access, wildlife and “rural character.” Planning commissioners noted

that the files before the board April 18 were not about development — a point that Priest River Mayor and former Bonner County Commissioner Jeff Connolly and his brother, landowner John Connolly, drove home during their comments.

“We’re not developing anything — we’re just trying to make it where it makes sense,” John said. “We’re not promoting development.”

While planning staff found the map amendment and zone change both in line with county code, some commissioners worried that the heavily sloped northeastern portion of the property, consisting mostly of timberland, did not fall under the Rural Residential land designation or R-5/R-10 parcel minimum requirements.

“There’s a reason why we focus on steep slopes being lower density,” said Planning Commissioner Dave Frankenbach. “There are issues with wildfire hazard that comes with steep slopes, and access … There’s a pretty clear connection between looking at places with steep slopes and saying ‘we want those to be lower density.’”

Planner Daniel Britt pushed back on Frankenbach’s comments, noting that under the land’s current Resort Community and Transition designation, “we’re talking 4,000-square-foot lots [being allowed] up there.”

“That’s not a relevant comment,” Frankenbach rebutted. “What we should be doing is [considering] what’s the best fit based on what the Comp Plan reads today, and the way the zoning ordinance reads today.”

A motion to recommend the map amendment to the board of county commissioners for final approval failed after several planning commissioners echoed Frankenbach’s concerns. A second motion, which amended the findings of fact to acknowledge “mapped slopes that appear to be up to and even greater than 30%,” passed on a 5-2 vote, officially designating the 875 acres Rural Residential.

Despite discussion about amending the proposed zoning

change to make the sloped area Ag-Forest with 10- and 20-acre minimums, the commission voted 6-1 to approve planning staff’s recommendation to designate the bulk of the property Rural-5, with those sloped portions in the northeastern corner identified as Rural-10.

“The Rural-5 designation is

<SKATE,con’tfromPage5>

thing from the James E. Russell Sports Center, skatepark to the play fields, bike tracks and other elements — available for a public meeting that the city will be announcing on Wednesday, May 17, as well as at the council meeting that day.

Meanwhile, she added, “There is a plan that when construction begins this spring on the sports center, the playground will be temporarily relocated to another location at the front end of the park — there will be a playground for the community during construction and there will be a reconstruction in 2024. It is not true that there will be no playground for four years.”

Despite such assurances, residents testified at the April 19 meeting of the City Council that they opposed many of the plans for Travers Park — including lifelong locals for whose father, Frank Travers, the park is named.

“He worked so hard to be a voice in the lives of young chil-

made for rural character and the ability [for] agricultural pursuits,” said Planning Commissioner Matt Linscott before the vote. “So, when someone says that you cannot have rural character on a five, our own zoning code says that’s what it’s for: rural character, as well as agricultural pursuits.”

dren,” said Theresa Stevens, referring to her father, “so I’m hoping the park that was named after him would be reserved for young people. If there’s a big tennis building there, it’s going to take away from the space for children.”

Likewise, John Travers noted that his father was known for being a baseball coach and taking care of the parks. He said he’d rather see it remain a ballpark, “not a big building that has taken up the space for kids to play.”

“We need more parks — maybe move it someplace close, but keep the park the way it is,” he said.

Finally, Monica Gunter — who also identified herself as Monica Travers-Gunter — said that while the Russell family are “very good friends of ours” and the gift to the city for the James E. Russell Sports Center was “generous,” “We want this gift to take footing someplace else other than over the playground at Travers Park.”

Describing the multi-court sports facility concept as a “wonderful, generous, but awful large building,” she suggested at least

The de-annexed property just east of Priest River, which the Bonner County Planning Commission recommended designating “Rural Residential” April 18. The property in question is in purple above. Map courtesy Bonner County Planning Department.

moving the center to the back of the park.

“Travers park is a blessing to this community and we just want it to stay the way it is, or at least the aesthetics of what it is,” Gunter added. “Travers Park needs to stay as Travers Park is now.”

The timeline for the project will be discussed in more detail April 20, though Nevins-Lavtar said, “The schedule isn’t 100% final and things could change if Dreamland thinks it would make sense.”

“Everyone, including myself, can’t wait to see this project completed,” she added.

More information on the Travers Park redevelopment plans are available on the city’s website at sandpointidaho.gov/your-government/departments/parks-recreation, as well as bit.ly/3MZzgPu Register to participate virtually in the April 20 meeting at bit. ly/41q4Bzc or visit sandpointidaho.gov/your-government/meetings

Bouquets:

•Most small business owners in Sandpoint understand the constant struggle to stay afloat. With online shopping and big box stores taking a larger portion of our consumer dollars than ever before, it’s an important time to remind everyone to support your local retailers. What many may not realize is that our small business owners are often asked to donate prizes to raffles for nonprofit fundraisers, or perhaps they’re asked to open their business to support a school event, or a fundraiser to help a worthy organization. It’s no different here at the Reader — even though we rarely turn a profit, we’re continually asked to donate free ads or sponsor local events, and we continue to do so even if it means another month of scraping by. You can help return the favor by patronizing our local retailers’ businesses, or buying an ad in the Reader or convincing someone else to forgo their online shopping order and buy local. After all, Amazon and Walmart don’t give a hoot about our community. Small business owners do. Let’s not forget that.

Barbs:

• I was driving north of town last weekend and saw a veritable minefield of debris that had fallen out of vehicles. There was a gas can, a couple of trash cans, one lawn chair, and countless plastic bags and random junk either littering the shoulder or, more often, sticking out into the lane of traffic. Then I witnessed a pickup losing a trash can from its bed, which fell and bounced on the highway at 65 miles per hour right in front of a semi truck, which swerved and barely missed it. I never saw the pickup slow down, probably because the driver hadn’t noticed they lost their can. It’s springtime, which means everyone is cleaning up their homes, their yards and taking loads to the dump. Please secure your load! It’s not just unsightly to see large debris littering our highways, but it can be very dangerous. Even if you’re just driving a mile down the road, make sure to strap down your load and ensure any loose debris will make it to the dump.

Victim or vigilante?…

Dear editor, Regarding the recent fatal shooting incident in Coeur d’Alene, in my opinion, the shooter — Mr. James Dean — being armed tells me he was carrying a weapon demonstrating “a just in case mentality.” Yes, the man he shot and killed — as the story goes — was doing something suspicious. So why didn’t Mr. Dean call the police before the situation escalated? His reaction endangered anyone who might have been in the vicinity. The story also shows Mr. Dean as the victim, which many who read about it would probably agree. It seems this was nothing more than an act of vigilantism. Scary!

Thank you!

Jo Reitan Sandpoint

Dear editor, The best Reader ever. Maybe because I spent the week in Seattle/ Tacoma. But really! So fresh and sassy! Love my town.

Orin Miller Sandpoint

Dear editor, We all have an opinion on how to fix our country. Most of us fight for our freedom, family and friends, but at the end of the day what, are we really fighting for? It’s not necessarily a physical battle but a spiritual one. A fight between good and evil. Are we as a country willing to stand up for the right thing, even when it’s hard? “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

Remember, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight.” Even when it was hard for them, they gave their lives for us! We can stand up for America! Remember who the real enemy is: Satan.

Lauryn Bowlin, age 15 Spirit Lake

Trucks back in downtown?...

Dear editor, Some people are happy about the proposed move of the Church stop light to Fifth and Pine. Do we even know the configuration of the movements at that corner? I don’t.

What I do know is that secreted in Appendix A of the Multimodal Transportation Master Plan (MTMP) is a map that shows Pine to the Byway and back will once again be a through truck route. And there

will be new stoplights at First and Pine and Superior and First. Why? The city tells us that those lights are going to reduce cut-through traffic in south Sandpoint on Lake, Superior and South Boyer. Really? Lights don’t make traffic flow like a roundabout does — they only guarantee you passage through an intersection. To avoid lights is why people cut through town.

What does through truck traffic on Pine to and from the Byway (which was built in part to make a way for trucks to get through town) do for us? More waiting at lights. Belching diesel fumes at intersections. In the case of Fifth and Pine, probably a lot of trees will be going down to make the light visible.

For good measure, the city has thrown in a curve/couplet, closing off parts of Oak, Church and Boyer, and First Avenue at Bridge and Church! So Sandpoint City Council — take a fresh look at your MTMP. Get the trucks off Pine to the Byway and back and don’t put a whole bunch of stop lights in that aren’t warranted by the data. And tell staff to stop negotiating with ITD for a project (curve/couplet) that isn’t warranted, according to ITD, until maybe 2040! Write and call council and show up at the May 3 council meeting to say no!

Carrie Logan Sandpoint

Dear editor, I want to take a minute and recognize Rep. Sage Dixon and Jacqueline Simpkins, of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, for their timely assistance recently with an issue I was having with the local Ponderay office. Thank you both for your time and understanding of this issue, it was greatly appreciated.

Bill Litsinger Sandpoint

Retain Susan Shea’s leadership on library board…

Dear editor,

Let me take a moment to talk about our library, and specifically how much I hope to see Susan Shea reelected to its board.

Like all Sandpoint residents, I love our library. I love the enormous, well-curated collection, especially the digital collection that’s kept me company on long business trips. I love the programs and community services, which I used recently to get my ham radio license. I’m an engineer, so I love the makerspace and the opportuni-

ties the library is providing to kids wanting to enter STEAM fields.

Most of all, as a citizen of Sandpoint, I love how the library is able to provide all these fantastic amenities inside a tight, thorough and well-controlled budget. Let’s not forget: the library hasn’t needed to increase its budget, and has still been able to expand its offerings.

Susan Shea deserves a huge amount of credit for the steady, intelligent and thoughtful leadership she’s provided in her tenure to date as a member of the library board. I, for one, would love to see that leadership continue, so that we can continue to have the library we all love and the responsible governance of it that we all deserve.

Hal Gates Sandpoint

W. BoCo School District needs to refocus on education, not levies…

Dear editor, WBCSD No. 83 “trustees” seem to forget their job is to give property owners in their district the best educational bang for their taxes, raised by many levy voters who don’t even own property.

When programs make people feel warm and fuzzy, but don’t improve students’ lot in life, they are a waste of money. This board needs to redirect spending and put students on a healthier track to bettering their futures, since they are spending more money per student than any other school in North Idaho.

People can spin the levy’s impact on the area, but they never mention that about 40% of this district is populated by trees and wildlife. In the end, it is all about how much they spend on each student in their charge and how well it’s spent toward education.

I believe this board hasn’t considered any cuts, thinking they can run the levy once more this year for the previous levy’s $3.4 million and it will pass should their $4.7 million levy fail. They might even have a hard time getting a $3.4 million levy to pass with the tight budgets many of this district’s voters are experiencing.

Why not cut non-producing programs, center on education and lower the tax burden? So far, all I see is a majority of this board moving ahead with blinkered visions for the future, while two of the members use logic and common sense in their votes.

Like most voters, I too have questions. With an average of 12.5

students per teacher in WBCSD No. 83, what are class sizes with the lower numbers from student enrollment losses? It must be said that other North Idaho districts have a higher student-to-teacher average than WBCSD No. 83, yet our ISAT scores have not improved.

Bill O’Neil Priest River

‘Either council votes no, or council must go’...

Dear editor,

On May 3, the Sandpoint City Council will consider a significant redesign to Boyer Avenue and Highway 2 that will not have been adequately vetted by the community. This traffic proposal, known obscurely as “Figure 23 Amendment,” has changes you want to understand and weigh in on, because they will absolutely impact your daily commute, be that by car, truck, bike or foot.

It not only includes big changes to Boyer Avenue, it includes “the Curve” from years past, now called “the Couplet.” And whether good or bad (we just don’t know), these decisions are yours as citizens to consider.

Hence the reason I write. You’ll be hard pressed to find the proposed Figure 23 Amendment and the changes to Boyer that the council will vote on May 3 — let alone understand them. Hint: They are not in the Multimodal Master Plan or its appendices. As community members who contribute to the economy, use the roads and pathways, and make up the fabric of this town, it is your right to be included when major traffic revisions are being voted on. And more importantly, be included in the creation of those designs well before they go to vote.

The public came out in big numbers against this and asked for more information, but when hit with a brutal late-evening meeting that didn’t include public input, and now a disingenuous open house, diluted by the Comp Plan, the public is further upset and wary.

Until substantial and inclusive public outreach takes place, it would be careless for council to vote on this and it should go back on the shelf where it came from.

Please write council today and ask them to either vote “no” on the Figure 23 Amendment May 3, or don’t bring it to a vote at all.

Molly McCahon Sandpoint

‘The best’…

A ‘spiritual’ battle…

‘Thanking those who serve’...

Democrats delivered for Idahoans in the 2023 session

Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise Reader Contributor

Idahoans are often surprised to learn how unbalanced our Legislature is, with Republicans holding 83% of the seats. Even in this unhealthy environment, Idaho Democrats punch above our weight. And with a fractured Republican Party, Democrats deliver clutch votes on everything from routine budgets to crucial investments in our future economy.

The 2023 legislation session was no exception.

A top issue I hear about from industry leaders is their difficulty in hiring talent in Idaho. This hammered home the importance of “Launch,” an initiative to provide grants to graduating seniors to train for in-demand careers. It

is a generational game-changer, helping Idahoans achieve better salaries to support their families while helping employers hire the workers they need. And it was only possible because of Democrats. In both the House and Senate, a majority of Republicans voted against this commonsense

investment.

As other states fell to the false promise of school voucher schemes, we held the line. In the House Education Committee, Democratic votes prevented vouchers from advancing. Our numbers also made it possible to uphold the veto of the bill creating bounties on libraries.

When Republicans doubled down on criminalizing health care, Idaho Democrats focused on protecting access. We succeeded in providing overdue rate increases for in-home and community-based care providers for Idahoans with disabilities. We fought back against GOP attempts to eliminate Medicaid expansion. And we brought the deciding votes to enact incentives for nurses serving rural Idaho.

Idaho Democrats also played

a pivotal role in protecting ballot initiative and voting rights. We halted a Republican-led attempt to make ballot initiatives practically impossible. And we cast the deciding votes to stop a bill to arbitrarily limit who can vote by mail. It would have preserved this right for people who own second homes, but not Idahoans who need to travel for a funeral or family reunion.

We stopped some of the assaults on our freedoms, but couldn’t thwart all of them. The criminalization of gender-affirming care, the nation’s first law to restrict interstate travel for an abortion and burdensome voter ID laws for students are a few that passed. The good news is that strong legal challenges are in the works to undo them.

Idaho is at a crossroads and this session underscored the two

Save Travers Park playground

By Rebecca Holland Reader Contributor

Twelve years ago, our community built a large playground at Travers Park with public funds and two special-needs foundation grants for $50,000. A large chunk came from “Superman” himself, by way of the Christopher Reeves Foundation. It is extra special because it offers ADA-access to children with disabilities by way of a concrete ramp leading into its upper level.

All in all, the equipment is in good shape. On the ground surface, it would be nice to improve the ADA-access by retrofitting with a rubberized product or mats. Nearby, a sturdy picnic shelter with ADA-access connects with the playset, allowing adults to enjoy watching young ones at play. Many children from the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as several local school groups, use this playset and picnic shelter regularly.

diverging paths we face. We can focus on building a bright future for the next generation. The alternative is a far-right agenda to take us backward by ignoring the will of the people, controlling our most intimate decisions, and driving away medical providers and other professionals out of state.

Only Idaho Democrats offer a roadmap to protect our families, our freedoms and our future. The power to determine the path we take belongs to us.

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

Public input needed for location of tennis-pickleball facility

Now as a part of the City’s Travers Park Renovation Plan, city planners want to take down both to build a 34,000-squarefoot indoor sport facility for tennis and pickleball in their place this summer.

In March 2022, the city was generously gifted $7.5 million to honor James Russell, who grew up here in the 1930s and ’40s. Originally, their plan was to construct a 45-foot-tall building over the existing outdoor courts next to the playground. However, months later, staff said there were soil problems around the courts, so a location change was needed.

Without seeking any public input, staff changed to the playground site and ran more soil tests there. In a public record request, I received the geotechnical reports for both sites. The professional evaluation stated the same for both locations: “The site is suitable for the planned developments.”

I suspect the real underlying

reason to change location was “the tennis community doesn’t want to lose their outdoor courts,” as City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton has told the City Council.

In hopes of rebuilding the playground in a year or two, the city staff applied for a $500,000 state grant. As with all state grants, the Sandpoint residents would need to match it (if and when it comes). According to drawings, the city would rebuild a different style playground over an artificial turf product with an “Into the Woods” theme closer to the parking lot. All in all, it is a wasteful approach to take down a perfectly good playset. To reuse the playset features, 24 large metal supports will need to be replaced.

The only good news being offered is the addition of the long-awaited splash pad for water play. However, the city could fulfill this promise to families by building a splash pad next to

the existing playground for a lot less money than their delayed $1 million plan. How about adding a kids’ splash pad this summer?

City staff like to point to online surveys to back claims of public involvement. So it should be noted, their 2019 survey asked residents, “What other activities do you enjoy?” after covering questions on organized sports at Travers Park. Respondents answered: 58% go to the playground vs. 26% go to play tennis.

It’s understandable the tennis community doesn’t want to lose their four outdoor courts, where the SHS tennis team also practices, but the city’s decision to leave a large number of families without an ADA-accessible playset is just not right.

At the March 15 council meeting, I asked councilors to schedule a workshop and online survey for the community to weigh in on choosing the location for the new ten-

nis-pickleball facility. There are numerous options on the 18 acres of Travers Park and 18 acres at Centennial Park directly to the north. An architect has been hired to produce drawings and specs, but it’s not too late to choose a better site for the James Russell Sports Facility.

I tend to believe that James Russell, who is portrayed as the spirited young character Retch Sweeney in the Patrick McManus books many of us have read, would want his memory honored in a way that is pleasing for both our local neighborhood children and the tennis community here.

Please email or talk to your favorite councilor ASAP, before the Travers Park playground gets completely fenced off.

Rebecca Holland is a 48-year Sandpoint resident, longtime owner of a school-sports photography business and former member of the Sandpoint Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo.

Science: Mad about

aerogel and oobleck

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Human beings are generally unsettled when things don’t act quite like they’re supposed to. This, of course, is a prehistoric trait rooted in defense — our brains naturally seek out patterns on which to base our understanding of the world around us, and when those patterns fail to repeat in a way that makes sense, we start to wonder if there might be a threat afoot.

As Smithsonian Magazine put it in a 2015 article, “[W]hen you’re creeped out, your brain and your body are telling you that something is not quite right and you’d better pay attention because it might hurt you.”

Following that, there’s something slightly unsettling about substances like aerogel and oobleck — the former a porous, low-density gel with the properties of a strong, heat-resistant solid; the latter, a putty-like material that acts like a liquid until you put it under pressure and it becomes a solid. Relieve the stress applied to oobleck, and it will return to its aqueous state.

Neither material really makes sense on first inspection, but once you learn more about them, any lingering creeps turn to fascination.

Aerogel looks and feels like nothing so much as condensed steam or smoke. Or, as it was described in a 2019 video featuring celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Adam Savage, of popular TV series MythBusters, “it looks like a ghost.”

In a more scientific vein,

NASA uses aerogel for a variety of applications — including insulation — and has pioneered processes for making the material even stronger and more flexible. According to a NASA web page devoted entirely to the substance, aerogel is created primarily using silica mixed with a solvent to produce a gel.

Liquid carbon dioxide is then diffused into the gel, where it moves past its “super critical point,” wavering between a liquid and a gas. Then it undergoes several rounds of venting until all traces of liquids are gone from the gel, leaving “nano pores” that are so small they’re invisible to the human eye. Despite that, silica aerogel is about 95% porous.

“The pores are so small, and gas phase heat conduction is very poor,” according to Mary Ann Meador, a chemical engineer who leads the aerogel team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. “Molecules of air cannot travel through the aerogel, so there is poor heat transfer through the material.”

The insulating properties of aerogel have earned it applications such as on the Mars Rover and, when created using polymers, can be made super-strong, more flexible and yet still between 85-95% porous, retaining the insulating qualities of silica-based aerogel without the brittleness. That polymer base also makes the material “ideally suited for use in a vacuum, like in space, as well as in different gravity scenarios, such as the moon or other planets,” according to NASA.

Oobleck, on the other hand, is what’s described as a

“non-Newtonian fluid,” meaning it doesn’t abide by Sir Isaac Newton’s “law of viscosity,” which basically says that when pressure or stress is applied to a fluid, that pressure or stress is applied equally throughout the layers of the fluid. For example, water will shoot out of a hose at a rate proportional to the amount of pressure put on it at the spigot, meanwhile maintaining its viscosity. With non-Newtonian fluids, the viscosity changes with stress. Some become more liquidy, while others — like oobleck — take on solid characteristics.

Named after the bizarre, gooey substance of the same name in the 1949 book Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss, oobleck is one of the most entertaining and accessible ways to explore non-Newtonian fluids.

All you need to make oobleck is one or two cups of cornstarch, a cup of water and a mixing bowl (food coloring optional, for greater effect). Pour a cup of cornstarch into the bowl, then slowly mix in the water — stirring until the substance starts to harden when tapped. Add cornstarch and/or water, depending on whether it’s getting too liquified or too thick.

Oobleck works similarly to quicksand: the super-fine cornstarch particles mixed with water move together when put under pressure, but dip your hand slowly into the mixture, and your fingers will move through the substance easily.

It’s a cheap and easy science experiment perfect for the kitchen counter, non-toxic and

perfectly safe for kids. They’ll have to save up for the aerogel, however. Even a small piece of the hyper-lightweight material can cost upwards of $50.

Some sources put the price of a pound at about $23,000 — slightly more than a comparable quantity of gold.

Stay curious 7B!

•Gaylord Nelson, a former governor and Democratic U.S. senator from Wisconsin, founded Earth Day after witnessing a massive oil spill that leaked millions of gallons of oil off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. in 1969.

•The first Earth Day celebration occurred on April 22, 1970, chosen because that date fell between most students’ spring break and final exams. Then-Sen. Nelson wanted to encourage young people specifically to participate.

•The first Earth Day sparked an environmental movement that led to the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency later that year.

•Earth Day was also influential in helping pass environmental legislation such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Education Act and more.

•More than 2,000 colleges and

universities, 10,000 public schools and 20 million citizens participated in the first Earth Day.

•While Earth Day originated in the United States, it had become recognized worldwide by 1990. In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day.

•More than 1 billion people are estimated to participate in Earth Day every year, making it the largest secular observance in the world.

•More than 95% of primary and secondary schools in the U.S. and millions of schools globally observe Earth Day each year.

•On Earth Day 2012, more than 100,000 people rode bikes in China to reduce CO2 emissions and save fuel.

•More than 20 million people worldwide tuned into the 12-hour Earth Day Live event in 2020, hosted remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

From ice to mud to frozen mud and back again Springtime ruminations in honor of Earth Day

By Rose Olson Reader Staff

The official start of spring may be the end of March, but I feel like Earth Day is when the springtime vibes are finally on full blast. The chances of slipping back into winter are slightly less once you get through the first half of April. It will probably snow at least one more time, but it’s not sticking around.

I’m a person who generally enjoys routine (hands up if you’re an earth sign, too). For years now, my morning routine has gone like this: wake up sometime around sunrise, drink a full pint of water, hike up a steep old road cut near my house with my dog before coming back to the house for another pint of water, and then — finally — my little stovetop espresso percolator gets me caffeinated before I roll into the day.

I’m doggedly determined about my commitment to this daily practice, especially the trudge up the hill. I do this yearround in the rain, in the snow and in the predawn darkness of winter. Yes, I walk every day to keep my dog happy, but it’s 100% for me, too. Quietly walking the same steps day after day has given me a deeper connection to this chunk of wild land around me.

Spring is the most exciting season to notice the shifts in this big circle of life. I love the day I get to ditch my winter boots and snowshoes for trail runners. I notice the texture of the ground shift from ice to mud to frozen mud to hard pack and back again. I hear robins and nuthatches join the chickadees and crows that stick around all winter. I see turkey tracks start to mix it up with the bunnies and deer.

I notice if the larch and ocean spray are blooming earlier or later than they did last spring

(this year is for sure later than last year). I can smell dirt and hear water and see bugs. I let the sun blast my face on high beam, sprout a freckle or two, and savor the warmth.

Tapping into this transition of the seasons always makes me think of the cyclical nature of all things in life — seasons, jobs, relationships, projects, homes… This may feel a little woo-woo to you (because it is), but in honor of Earth Day, I’d love to invite you to take a moment and reflect on the seasons in your own life.

Where do you like to hang out? Are you in eternal spring mode — always starting projects? Or maybe you thrive on the constant high throttle of summer energy and you sustain all sorts of jobs and relationships for a long time? Perhaps you love the

Can you name this local peak in the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness area? Send answers to ben@ sandpointreader.com.

release of autumn or the slow quietude of winter.

I tend to hold onto things (like I said: earth sign) and am grateful for the gentle nudge of each season to move and shift so I can make room for new things to come in, just like the spring.

Rose is the communications and engagement manager for Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Join her on a hike up Scotchman Peak or at a trail work party this summer to share her passion of connecting to wild places.

I have no regrets about how I celebrated my 21st birthday. Finishing up my last semester at the University of Idaho, I found myself in a college town with my pick of bars and alcohol-related traditions from which to choose. I took a fairly mild approach: wine and dinner with friends, who then toted me along the downtown drag to collect free birthday shots and more than one stiff margarita (my drink of choice at the time).

It was no doubt the amateurish mixing of alcohols that led to my handful of trips to the toilet bowl that night and in the morning, but with a huge iced coffee in hand, I managed to make it to my British literature lecture the next day at 1:30 p.m. The hangover was equal parts awful and celebratory, which helped me manage.

My husband Alex didn’t have a “21 run” on his actual birthday. Instead, as his then-girlfriend and brand new roommate, I accompanied him for his first legal brew at MickDuff’s — a Tipsy Toe Head Blonde, drank at the bar on a quiet Thursday evening. We headed to Eichardt’s for dinner and his much-preferred domestics, tried a dollar beer between us (a coffee porter that went to the dish pit only half-finished) and went home at a decent time. I much prefer that memory to any ill-informed night of bar-hopping in which I’ve taken part.

My baby sister, Ellie, turns 21 this week. She is also in Moscow, working on her

degree, and plans to go out on the town. When she asked me what drink I recommended for her first legal foray into alcohol-induced shenanigans, I said she should get a margarita at the Mexican restaurant I frequented during my time there. Between that suggestion and more from our other two sisters, she should be able to manage a tolerable, celebratory hangover — or possibly none at all. She’s a little more mature and pragmatic than I was at that age, so I have faith.

It is hard to believe Ellie is 21 when, just yesterday, I was bringing her to show-and-tell in elementary school. I can still see her, strapped snug in her carseat, chubby and pink and perfect. She is now a burgeoning teacher, a hilarious confidante and a passionate keeper of many, many plants. I learn from her constantly, and feel an overwhelming sense of pride when she still comes to me for guidance or advice.

I am endlessly thankful she exists. Happy birthday, Elle Belle. Cheers.

Ellie Kiebert, in a photo the author cherishes as one that shows her sister’s true character. Courtesy photo.

Photo by Rose Olson.

BY THE NUMBERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

$787.5 million

The amount Fox News will pay Dominion Voting Systems after a settlement offered April 17, the day the trial was slated to begin. As part of the settlement, Fox News admitted that its coverage of the 2020 election was false. The payment is the largest publicly known defamation settlement in U.S. history involving a media company.

“This is really the first time that anyone has paid a price for telling the lies of the 2020 election and we’re very proud of that,” said Justin Nelson, Dominion’s co-lead counsel. “It’s a lot of what we teach our kids, which is that the truth does indeed matter, and if you are lying, eventually there’s going to be consequences to that.”

“Fox and Dominion have reached a historic settlement,” Dominion CEO John Poulos wrote in a statement. “Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees and our customers. Nothing can ever make up for that.”

Per the terms of agreement, Fox anchors aren’t required to acknowledge the settlement on air.

Dominion also has pending lawsuits against right-wing networks Newsmax and OAN, as well as against Trump allies Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Mike “The My Pillow Guy” Lindell.

25 to 30

The estimated number of people who attended an “exclusive event” on April 16 called “Trigger Time with Kyle Rittenhouse,” held by the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee in southern Idaho. The committee advertised that attendees would have a chance to take photos and obtain autographs from Rittenhouse, who gained notoriety in August 2020 when he traveled from his home in Illinois to attend a protest in Kenosha, Wisc., and ended up shooting three people, killing two. Later, a court would find Rittenhouse not guilty of all murder charges against him. Since then, Rittenhouse has become a cause célèbre of the far right, with former-President Donald Trump and Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson both meeting with him.

Dirt-y Secrets Spring has (mostly) arrived

By Ranel Hanson Reader Columnist

“It is one of those April days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.”

— Charles Dickens

It looks like spring has arrived! Bulbs are sprouting (some even blooming) and the air smells fresh and warm — sometimes. We here in North Idaho can experience snow flurries to sunshine in an hour. Which is why gardeners need to pay attention to the weather forecasters. Frost is possible virtually anytime, but mid-May is usually when frost visits less often.

If you have tulips, you probably don’t have deer. Or you have put them behind a fence. Deer really consider your tulips to be candy, and daffodils are more like Brussels sprouts. Not that they won’t eat them, but they will only eat them after exhausting supplies of more attractive plants. The same goes for hyacinth and crocus, but I have never had a deer munch on alliums — too oniony! So, plant your not-so-tasty bulbs in open areas and your tulips in protected spaces.

Swallows and hummingbirds are back and eager to start families. Robins, chickadees, woodpeckers, starlings, sparrows and eagles are all mating and staking out their own territories. Nests are being built, eggs are being laid and soon we will hear those baby birds cheeping. Then, in just a few weeks, they will fledge. Soon after,

their parents will begin again.

Some birds raise several clutches. If you have bird houses, be sure to place them near a hedge or a leafy tree so that birds can seek cover from predators. And, if you have cats, try putting a bell on their collar. In the United States alone, 1.4 billion to 3.7 billion birds are killed by domestic cats each year.

Right now, bees are eager to get to work and pollinate up a storm. But, unless the days are above 50 degrees, they are staying in their cozy hive, crevasse or nest tube. They will wait until conditions are right and blossoms are out to get to work.

I am experimenting with my mason bees this year. Instead of storing the cocoons in the crisper section of my fridge, I left them in place in the bee houses. And I did not buy cocoons this year. Instead, I am hoping wild bees will move into the houses. This was as much a result of laziness as early snow this year.

Mother’s Day is coming up soon (on Sunday, May 14) and, if your mom appreciates flowers — and who doesn’t — I’d like to suggest a pot or a basket planted by you. You can include her favorite flowers. If her favorites are the summer standbys like zinnias, petunias, marigolds, begonias, etc., be careful to keep them from freezing. However, you can plant pansies, creeping Jenny, primroses and violas without fear. Or,

if that sounds like too much, you can get a ready-made basket at one of our fine local nurseries. Or, a gift certificate to a nursery is a worthy gift.

I almost hate to say it, but now is the time to pay attention to weeds. Get them before they take over. I use my trusty squirt bottle of vinegar and dish soap if the weeds aren’t close to the plant I am nurturing because, of course, vinegar kills everything. And, you must really soak them. And, not on a rainy day. If you can’t squirt, use your trowel to get them out. Always try to get the root. There is also a handy tool that pries them out neatly. The Co-Op in Ponderay has them.

If you are reading this before mid-May and thinking of planting summer flowers in the garden or on your front porch, hold your horses! In our area, frost can surprise you. Watch the weather forecast and if frost is predicted and your plants are exposed, cover them. I use frost cloth, but you can use an old sheet or table cloth. Newspapers will do in a pinch, but they tend to blow away.

Finally, I am again urging everyone to use organic garden condiments: no Weed & Feed, no Turf Builder, etc. That is because those products, and many others, contain toxic chemicals that can end up in our lake and in you Absolutely no Roundup, in spite of all of the attractive ads. Good old steer manure (composted, to avoid weeds) and any of the many organic fertilizers that are readily available work beautifully.

Until April showers bring May flowers!

Above photo: These weeding tools can be picked up at the Co-Op in Ponderay. Courtesy photo.

An opinion writer with the Idaho Statesman labeled the entire event hosted by the Bonneville GOP as “obscene.”

City’s Multimodal Transportation Plan has ‘solutions without goals’

By Molly O’Reilly Reader Contributor

Sandpoint’s Multimodal Transportation Master Plan (MTMP) will be on display at the Library April 27, 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. It is a workman-like document. Twenty years ago, it would have inspired admiration. Today, its omissions and flaws are too obvious.

Solutions without goals: Projects that expand or reshuffle vehicle lanes are “solutions” for the near, medium and long term. What are the goals? How about slowing the growth of local vehicle traffic to avoid Highway 2 being expanded to five lanes? How about making walking and bicycling so safe and attractive for all ages that many more of us shift to these healthier modes? How about expanding trails to neighboring communities? How about

supporting the SPOT bus?

Nope, you won’t find these.

Had the MTMP included connecting Ponderay to Sandpoint near and in the Highway 95 corridor, the developers of the extension property on Boyer would have been required to include a link. That’s a permanently missed opportunity.

March 13, 2013, then-Sandpoint Mayor Marcia Ogilvie sent the Idaho Transportation Department a letter with 40 conditions the city required for “the Curve,” all slowing vehicle traffic and favoring pedestrian and bicycle safety and convenience.

The conditions included more and safer pedestrian crossings, limiting vehicle lanes at intersections, requiring sidewalks, lighting for safer pedestrian crossings, narrower roadways and lanes, designing new roadways for speed limits of 20-25 miles per hour, etc.

Today, the city appears to have gen-

erally forgotten these conditions.

Back to the MTMP. One “solution” in Appendix A is closing the Michigan/ Highway 2 intersection to pedestrian crossing and moving students to a new Ella crossing. Michigan is a very high priority for safe walking to school. Since 2008, Sandpoint has applied for and received grants for sidewalks along Michigan and the flashing beacon at the Michigan crossing.

In establishing Michigan as an important safe route to school, Washington Elementary and the Middle School were deeply involved in mapping where students walked and wanted to walk.

Today, you can walk on sidewalk from the Middle School to Fourth Avenue, where Michigan ends. Ella has almost no sidewalk. How do city officials know that Ella is a direct, convenient route to school? If they do not, how will they work with schools to determine

that? If it is a convenient, direct route for kids, will sidewalk where kids will be walking be part of the project?

Mobility is key to livability. We need to get to work, shopping, schools, parks, services and out for fun with friends. If we spend money almost exclusively on vehicle lanes, that’s the limited mobility we receive.

Walking and cycling is freedom for our young people. Today 10% of us commute to work by bike or on foot. Let’s invest to double that number! Let’s invest to get more kids safely to schools and parks under their own power.

Molly O’Reilly is a member of the Project 7B Steering Committee, board member of the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance, past board member of America Walks and a former member of the city of Sandpoint Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Celebrate Earth Day by helping clean up City Beach

Hosted

By Reader Staff

by the Idaho Conservation League in partnership with the city of Sandpoint

ronment, and this lake that we all love.”

In celebration of Earth Day 2023, the Idaho Conservation League is partnering with the city of Sandpoint to host a cleanup event at City Beach and Lower Sand Creek.

From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 22, community members are invited to join together to clear local shorelines of garbage and debris. This family-friendly event is a great way for area residents, local businesses and community organizations to care for their waterways before the busy summer season begins.

“We are so excited to be partnering with the city once again for this event,” said Karissa Huntsman, ICL community engagement assistant. “We had a wonderful turnout last year, and hope to make this an annual opportunity for people to come together and take care of the envi-

The event is free to attend and open to all ages. Volunteers can check in at the City Beach Pavilion (58 Bridge St., in Sandpoint) to receive gloves, garbage bags and instructions for areas to clean up. The city will also have opportunities for volunteers to rake sand, spruce up picnic tables and other activities to get the park ready for summer. There will also be warm refreshments, courtesy of Evans Brothers Coffee, as well as snacks provided by ICL.

The area may be muddy, so waterproof boots or shoes are highly recommended.

ICL’s mission is to create a conservation community and pragmatic, enduring solutions that protect and restore the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the land and wildlife you love. To learn more, visit idahoconservation.org.

SHS Earth Club: The next stewards for the environment

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Earth Day might come just once a year, but for the Sandpoint High School Earth Club, it’s every day. With only four members, the club aims to bring awareness to environmental concerns and educate people on how they can be better stewards of our planet.

“I think of us as seed planters,” said club member Grace Rookey. “It’s not really something that many high schoolers are aware of currently, which is sad. I hope it continues to grow and continues after we leave next year when I’m a senior.”

The club just started back up with a first meeting in November 2022. Currently, members meet weekly on Tuesdays after school to talk about spreading awareness, as well as implementing environmental projects at SHS.

“So far we’ve got aluminum recycling in almost 10 classrooms,” Rookey told the Reader. “We collect cans every Tuesday. We also did a protest on the Willow Project [oil drilling operation in Alaska]. Mostly, our club talks about current things that are going on in the world that involve the environment and politics.”

Earth Day activities in Newport

By Reader Staff

The Newport Creative District and Evergreen Arts Association have teamed up to plan the first annual Newport Earth Day ArtWalk from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. The theme is art made of natural elements, recycled materials or otherwise inspired by nature. All businesses in the Newport, Wash. area have been invited to participate; and, so far, 10 businesses have agreed to be venues for exhibits. Organizers said artists have responded enthusiastically, as well.

TJ Kelly Park will be the scene all day for a number of Earth Day art and recycling activities for kids and adults. The POC Democrats will host a voter registration and global warming informational booth. Fire prevention and other forest land information will be available at the DNR booth.

Rookey said the club’s next big project is starting a composting system at SHS.

“This is a big one for me,” she said. “There’s so much food waste at the school. This is the biggest challenge we’d like to accomplish.”

Rookey said the club needs more members to make some of these projects a reality. While it’s difficult to convince her fellow students to care about these issues, Rookey said the Earth Club remains dedicated.

“I’m so young and seeing so many changes in the environment and the world,” said Rookey. “I really want my children and grandchildren and myself to have access to clean water and healthy soil, nutritious food and clean air going into the future. This is the only planet we’ve got.”

In addition to the ArtWalk, there are more Earth Day and other events in Newport, including on Friday, April 21, POC Indivisible is organizing an Earth Day sign waving down by the Big Wheel. Time to be determined.

Friday night will also mark the grand opening of Vessel Gallery and Clay Studio (331 S. Washington Ave.), from 5-8 p.m. Celebrate the opening and support local artist/owner Angela Drew. There will be a free art activity using recycled materials and light refreshments will be provided.

On Saturday, there will be an Earth Day cleanup project in Newport organized by 8-year-old Zeke Stutzman. Participants should meet at the east parking lot of Stratton Elementary (1380 W. Fifth St.) at 9 a.m.

The Newport Roxy Theatre, partnering with Responsible Growth * NE Washington, Washington Department of Natural Resources and others will host a matinee showing of the film Elemental: Reimagine Wildfires, with question-and-answer session following on Saturday, April 22. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the movie starts at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online or at the door (120 S. Washington Ave.).

The Friends of the Library will have a book table and sale outside of the library on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Pend Oreille County Historical Society Museum gift shop will be open, as well as the Visitor Center next door.

Create Arts Center at 900 W. Fourth St. has two offerings on Saturday: The day begins at 10 a.m. with a drawing and writing workshop. In the evening, enjoy the music of the Family Circle Band.

See createarts.org for details and ticket purchases. For more information, email newportcreativedistrict@gmail.com.

Volunteers collect litter, debris and micro-trash from Sandpoint City Beach and Sand Creek as part of the annual clean-up event. Courtesy photos.

From left to right: Kennedy Denny, Devin McDaniel, Payton Betz and Grace Rookey. Photo by Ben Olson.

Pend Oreille Economic Partnership announces 2023 summit speakers

By Reader Staff

After a three-and-half-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Pend Oreille Economic Partnership recently announced the continuation of its annual series, “What’s Up North” Bonner County Economic Summit. The allday event will take place Thursday, May 11 at the U of I Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center (10881 N. Boyer Ave.).

PEP organizers unveiled three featured keynote speakers for the event, which will also include question-and-answer and discussion sessions, breakout panel and implementation groups, networking opportunities, displays, meals, a raffle and it’s all capped off with a hosted Happy Hour.

For sponsorship opportunities or information about tickets, contact Executive Director Brent Baker, at brent@pepidaho. org or 208-290-7752.

Keynote speaker Dr. John W. Mitchell, M & H Economic Consultants

John Mitchell received his B.A. degree from Williams College and his M.S. and

Ph.D. degrees from the University of Oregon. He is a fellow of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Mitchell was a professor of economics at Boise State University for 13 years, before joining U.S. Bancorp in 1983, where he served as chief economist July 1998, then as economist for the Western Region for US Bank until July 2007. He was Sterling Bank’s economist from 2007 to 2012.

Mitchell has been making economic presentations on the nation and region for more than 52 years, and continues to be in demand. He has been a board member and officer of many of the premier financial and economic organizations throughout the West and is currently a board member of Northwest Bank and serves on the Council of Economic Advisers for the Association of Washington Business.

Keynote speaker Samuel Wolkenhauer

Samuel Wolkenhauer is the Northern Region economist for the Idaho Department of Labor. Renowned for his lively presenta-

tions, he is considered a master at using statistics and data visualization to help tie the national trends and data to our local situation and challenges — and with the rare ability to make that fun, interesting and pertinent.

Keynote speaker Dr. Andrew R. Fields

Andrew R. Fields, CEO of University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene, has more than 25 years of higher education leadership experience in academics, administrative services and student services. Fields is focused on strategic planning and innovative program development to support the mission of the university statewide while meeting the needs of a rapidly growing and changing community in North Idaho.

A true lifelong learner, Fields holds several degrees, including a doctorate in educational administration and leadership, an MBA with a focus on executive leadership, a master’s of science degree in adventure-based management and outdoor leadership, a B.S. in environmental recreation, an associate of arts degree in liberal studies, a certificate and an Associate of science degree

in welding, and an associate of science in industrial technology.

In addition, Fields has completed more than 15 professional certifications.

Fields has created, enhanced and managed innovative programs for several colleges and universities, including Stanford University, Shasta College, Central Washington University, California State University East Bay, University of California Davis and University of the Pacific, Stockton. Meanwhile, he has held several positions, including dean, director and faculty. He is passionate about bringing higher education opportunities to all communities.

The Pend Oreille Economic Partnership (PEP) is the operating entity of the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, a private 501(c)6 nonprofit economic development corporation founded in 2000 and committed to working broadly across the community to develop a vibrant economy of diverse businesses and industries that offer quality job opportunities and help build prosperity for all in Bonner County. Learn more at pepidaho.org.

Parks. and Rec. programming for late-April and May

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces will be offering the following programming in late April and May 2023.

• Travers Park Skatepark expansion project meeting. The Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department will host a public meeting, April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., to share the latest Travers Park “Concrete Lake” skatepark expansion design by the consultants from Dreamland Skateparks, LLC. Meet the project team, see ideas and provide feedback. The public is welcome to attend in-person at the Sandpoint City Hall Council Chambers (1123 Lake St.) or by virtual meeting link: sandpointidaho.gov/ your-government/meetings.

• Sandpoint waterfront clean-up. In celebration of Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, the public is invited to join city of Sandpoint staff and the Idaho Conservation League at a waterfront clean-up and park improvement event from 9 a.m. to noon. ICL will be spearheading waterfront clean up at City Beach and Lower Sand Creek. Park staff will provide the lead for park improvement projects, such as trash pick-up, weeding, raking, painting tables and other light duty jobs. Volunteers are asked to RSVP at: surveymonkey.com/r/SLJH8BY and meet at the City Beach Pavilion. All ages are welcome. Tools, bags and gloves will be provided, as well as snacks and warm refreshments from Evans Brothers

Coffee. For more information contact Sandpoint Recreation Superintendent Jason Wiley at 208-263-3613.

May Programs

•Community track meet. Sandpoint Parks and Rec. and the SHS cross country and SHS track team, invites the community to participate in a free community track meet on Friday, May 5. The meet will take place at the SHS track from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and is open to all children ages K-eighth grade. Sandpoint coaching staff, track and cross-country athletes will teach the events and conduct the competitions. Each division will have limited participation based on the availability of coaches and volunteers.

Early registration ends Wednesday, May 3.Day of registration will be available.

•Unplug and Be Outside Program. Sandpoint Parks and Rec. and partners will host the annual Unplug and Be Outside Program Tuesday, May 9-Thursday, May 11.Unplug is a three-day series of free events to inspire and empower families to get physically active. A variety of physical activities are offered around town at various times, courtesy of local organizations. Each child that attends three or more events during the week, and has their passport signed, can be entered to win sports-related items in a prize drawing. Watch for an informational flier and passport to be distributed at local schools and around town the first week of May.

• Bike rodeo. Parks and Rec., LPOSD Safe Routes to School and the Pend Oreille Pedalers team up to offer a bike rodeo at Travers Park, Friday, May 12 from 3-5:30 p.m. Kids are encouraged to bring their bike or scooter and helmet. All ages are welcome. Activities will include a bike safety check with minor repairs, bike safety/practice course and participants can also enter a drawing to win a bike. A limited number of free helmets will also be available, while supplies last.

•Contra dance. Parks and Rec. has once again partnered with Emily Faulkner to present the 2023 Contra Dance Series, with dances held at Sandpoint Community Hall (204 S First Ave, Sandpoint) from 7-10 p.m., the second Friday of each month in 2023, except in August. Previous dancing experience is not necessary, all ages are welcome and attendees don’t have to bring a partner. Beginners are encouraged to arrive on time for introductory dancing at 7 p.m. Wear comfortable, breathable clothing and bring non-marking shoes to change into for dancing. Please no outdoor shoes on the dance floor. A $5 donation is suggested for each dance (musicians need to eat, too).

•How to Survive Family Camping. This informative program offered Tuesday, May 16, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Lakeview Park is designed to introduce participants to the basics of camping, with your family in tow. The event will feature tips on equipment, how to set up your campsite, tent,

campground camping vs. primitive camping, etc. Fee is $12/person ($3 non-resident fee) $20/family. Participants must be 16 or older. Register by Thursday, May 11.

•Parks and Rec. doubles tennis league. For ages 16 and up. Register by Friday, May 12 for the league, which runs Tuesdays and Wednesdays from May 16-Sept. 20. Warm up begins at 5 p.m. and play begins at 5:30 p.m. Play will take place on Lakeview, City Beach and Travers tennis courts. Fee is $70, while Sandpoint Tennis Association members receive a $45 discount and there is a non-resident fee of $2 if you live outside the Sandpoint city limits. The STA membership fee must be paid before registering for the league to receive the discount promo code. Go to sandpointidaho.gov to reach the Parks and Rec. “Forms” page and download a 2023 STA membership application prior to registering for the class.

Work for Parks and Rec. Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is hiring the following positions: City Beach lifeguards; $14.50-$15.50/hr.; lifeguarding season is June 10-Sept. 4; City Beach concession workers; $11-$12/hr.; concession season is roughly June-September; seasonal parks maintenance workers; $16.63-$17.33/ hr.; positions started as early as mid-March with eight-month, seven-month and threemonth employment terms.

Visit the Parks and Rec. office (1123 Lake St.) or call 208-263-3613.

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

Last month, in Dublin, I stayed at The Merrion Hotel, a beautifully restored Georgian townhouse, where I had my first night’s rest in ages. I swear it was the most comfortable bed upon which I have ever laid my weary head (sorry Davenport Hotel, you’ve fallen to second place). It was tall and firm, yet super cozy and, by departure time, I was ready to lend my testimony to the Irish mattress company. Right then, I determined my first order of business when I returned home was a new mattress.

A lot has happened in the world of mattresses since my last purchase nearly 30 years ago. You can buy beds with adjustable settings, memory foam and pillow tops. There are hybrids to help side sleepers and those seeking pain relief. The number of options was surprising — and, I learned, so were the price tags. So, reluctantly, I would put off the large mattress purchase for now.

I left the mattress store determined to do more research and find some alternate remedies for my poor sleeping habits. I’ve always been an early riser, rising at about four every morning. It was a great schedule back in my professional baking days, and the plan still suits me well, as I work with travel suppliers in Europe before their day ends. Except now, I have developed a terrible habit of waking in the middle of the night.

It started two years ago, and I blame COVID for this disorder. I’ve tried every remedy I can think of to lull me back to sleep, including the Calm app, breathing exercises, meditating and counting proverbial flocks of Irish sheep.

The Sandpoint Eater Sweet dreams

Sometimes, I give up and get up to read, write or even start a cooking project.

I scoured the internet for remedies, including mattress hacks. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to flip my mattress, which seemed like a great place to start. I could give another testimonial (or warning): Mattress flipping requires two people.

My flipping mimicked an episode of I Love Lucy. At one point I was wedged with the mattress, between success and failure (the wall and the windows). The top king mattress balanced in precarious limbo for what seemed like forever — giving me time to ponder the cost of a new bed vs. a new window — before I managed to slide it into place.

I purchased new bedding, overpriced pillows and a Woozoo fan for white noise to cele-

brate my success. However, as a whole night’s sleep eludes me, I’ve been researching what to eat and avoid. Foods with sleep-inducing tryptophan include nuts, seeds, tofu, cheese, red meat, turkey, fish, eggs and oats. Many of these foods, especially nuts, are also rich in melatonin, another known sleep enhancer. Though there are plenty of things I enjoy on the abovementioned list, many of my favorite items are unfortunately riding high on the forbidden list: guilty pleasures such as spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. The list of things to avoid for a good night’s rest also include natural diuretics like watermelon and celery, which invariably will make for a midnight call to the bathroom. Maybe this business of interrupted sleep comes with reaching a new level of maturity.

I hear friends commiserating about sleepless nights, too. Occasionally, when I finally resort to picking up my iPhone (shameful, I know) for a game of Wordle or NYT Spelling Bee, I see plenty of familiar names who also have their eyes wide open.

Well-meaning friends suggest my travel schedule compromises my sleep schedule, but it doesn’t make much difference, here or there (wherever it happens). Speaking of “there,” I’m packing my bags for a travel show in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ll be meeting with travel suppliers from all over South America, learning about cruises in Antarctica and on the Amazon, jungle tours in Peru, carnival life in Rio de Janeiro and my niche, culinary focused tours, all throughout South America.

One of the things I do to

plan for long flights (10 hours from Atlanta to Buenos Aires) is packing some of my snacks, like dried fruits, dark chocolate and nuts. My favorite go-to is roasted almonds, and one of my favorite ways to prepare them is with freshly minced rosemary, coarse sea salt and good olive oil.

One hosted evening in Buenos Aires includes a dinner and tango show at a restaurant renowned for beef asado and provoleta (grilled cheese). Lucky for me, red meat and cheese are both on the go-to-for-sleep list, and I can’t wait to feast on these local foods and culture.

From there, I’ll head back to my hotel. Hopefully, by eating a good measure of melatonin and tryptophan-rich almonds with my nightcap, I’ll create a good (and restful) balance. Sweet dreams.

Rosemary roasted almonds

These almonds are delicious served warmed, the perfect accoutrement for charcuterie or standalone to enjoy with cocktails. Pack up a few for a picnic, or a pocketful for a hike. Warning: Super addictive! Makes 3 cups.

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

•3 cups of whole raw almonds (I like Costco’s)

•1 ½ tbs extra virgin olive oil (fresh new bottle)

•1 tsp Maldon sea salt flakes

•1 tsp fresh, finely minced rosemary (a medium sprig, strip leaves from sprig)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (make sure one oven rack is placed near top, and one near bottom).

Mince rosemary as fine as possible, place in a large bowl, add almonds and olive oil. Toss with hands to make sure the almonds are all well coated.

Spread out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Place on top shelf of oven for 10 minutes, and remove, give pan a shake or two to release any almonds stuck to the pan, then place on bottom shelf for an additional 10 minutes (keep an eye on the almonds and don’t let them get too brown, as cooking time can vary depending on your oven).

Remove from oven. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

THURSDAY, april 20

STAGE & SCREEN

April 20-27, 2023

Panida to screen 2016 Best Picture winner Moonlight

By Reader Staff

7pm @ Connie’s Lounge Trivia Night

Cribbage Night

Game Night

6:30pm @ Tervan Tavern

POAC Presents:

The Black Market Trust

7:30pm @ Panida Theater

5-member gypsy jazz band based in LA and inspired by Django Reinhardt and the Great American Songbook. Tickets $28/adults, $10/youth available at panida.org

Live Music w/ John Shipe

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ John Daffron

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Courtney & Co.

7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

MCS Voice Recital

7pm @ Little Carnegie Hall MCS

Presented by Alanna Dixon, who will graduate the Music Conservatory this summer. Her repertoire includes lieder, arias and duets from noted composers

Live Music w/ Family Circle Band

5-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse

FriDAY, april 21

Naughty Pine in concert

8:45pm @ The Hive

The Schweitzer Season Bender at the Hive, with reggae all-stars Naughty Pine. Doors at 7pm, tickets $10/advance, $15/door. Headliner starts at 8:45pm

Live Music w/ Monarch Mountain Band

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Bluegrass, new grass, folk

SATURDAY, april 22

Kaniksu Folk School Spring Faire

12-4pm @ Pine Street Woods

A free family fun event with demos, live music, mini-classes and more.

Celebrate spring and Earth Day

Let’s Go Girls! afterparty

6pm @ Panida Theater

Grand prize drawing for 2 Shania Twain tickets, must be present to win. Drinks, snacks, entertainment

6:30pm @ Create Arts & Community Center (Newport)

SunDAY, april 23

Museum extended hours

10am-7pm @ BoCo History Museum

The Museum will be open for extended hours on Thursdays so everyone has a chance to visit

James and the Giant Peach

7:30pm @ Circle Moon Theater

Mountain Harmony Show Choir presents a story full of dancing, music, laughter and fun

Fifty Sandwiches book reading 2pm @ Sandpoint Library

The Ethan Murray Fund will host Fifty Sandwiches author Justin Doering to discuss his book, about America’s homeless

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes

5-8pm @ Drift

Let’s Go Girls!

12-6pm @ Downtown Sandpoint

Enjoy sips, snacks, music and amazing deals at participating downtown retailers. Obtain a shopping passport from a participating business for your entry to win the big raffle. downtownsandpoint.com

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes

5-8pm @ The Hereford

Live Music w/ Jacob Robin

6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Critics went nuts when Moonlight hit theaters in 2016 — a level of enthusiasm that carried through to the 2017 Oscars, where the film won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also earned nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Original Score.

What’s more, Mahershala Ali won Outstanding Supporting Actor from the 2017 Screen Actors Guild and Naomie Harris earned a SAG nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Heck, Ali, Harris and the rest of their colleagues were all nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture by SAG.

If that seems like a lot of wins and nods for “supporting” performances, it’s because there really was no singular “star” of the show, owing to Moonlight’s narrative structure: exploring the life from adolescence to adulthood of a Black man named Chiron in Miami, portrayed by three different actors.

Alex R. Hibbert opens the film in the role of Chiron, called “Little” by his tormentors. As a youth, Little falls under the wing of drug dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali), who supplies Little’s mother Paula (Naomie Har-

ris). Ashton Sanders portrays Chiron in his teenage years, as he struggles to find comfort, companionship and stability in life that has so far offered little of those qualities. In the third act, Trevante Rhodes is Chiron as a young adult, giving audiences an emotional capstone to a truly affecting and uniquely framed coming-of-age story.

Centered on notions of community, self-identity, sexuality and masculinity, rogerebert.com gave Moonlight an enthusiastic four stars, praising it as, “a movie in which deep, complex themes are reflected through character first and foremost. … Every performance, every shot choice, every piece of music, every lived-in setting — it’s one of those rare movies that just doesn’t take a wrong step.”

Find out what made critics rave in 2016 — and continue to describe Moonlight as one of the best films of the 2010s — when it comes to the Panida Theater for two screenings in its Global Cinema Cafe series Sunday, April 23, with a matinee at 2:30 p.m. and evening show at 6:30 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the show and tickets are $8 advance, $10 at the door for adults, and $7 advance and $9 at the door for youth and seniors. Get tickets at panida. org/event/moonlight or at the box office, 300 N. First Ave.

Sandpoint Chess Club

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Meets every Sunday at 9am

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

monDAY, april 24

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Pool League

6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Lost in the ’50s Breakfast fundraiser

7:30am-12:30pm @ 2nd Ave. Pizza

Help keep one of our premier community events going strong

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience

6pm @ Outdoor Experience

3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “The Myth of Redemptive Violence”

tuesDAY, april 25

Children Performing for Children: Music Matters spring concert • 6pm @ Panida Theater

The annual spring concert will showcase handbell, choir, ensemble choir and orchestra groups in Meet Mozart. Suggested donation of $5 at the door

wednesDAY, april 26

Live Piano w/ Athena Crossingham

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Aaron Golay album release party

7:30pm @ Heartwood Center

Featuring Aaron Golay and the Original Sin w/ Sam Parker

ThursDAY, april 27

Cribbage Night

Trivia Night

5-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse Game Night 6:30pm @ Tervan Tavern

7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

STAGE & SCREEN Panida, 219 Lounge host after parties for Let’s Go Girls! downtown shopping event

By Reader Staff

It’ll be a night of partying in support of local businesses at the Let’s Go Girls! downtown shopping event Saturday, April 22, featuring after parties at the Panida Theater and 219 Lounge, live music, refreshments and more than $500 worth of raffle prizes — in addition to a grand prize drawing for two Shania Twain tickets and a $500 downtown Sandpoint shopping spree.

The shopping extravaganza features passports to be taken around town and stamped at the nearly 40 participating local businesses. Passports — which are available at any of the businesses taking part in the event — are the ticket to the Panida after party, which runs from 6-7 p.m. with prize drawings, food and drink, and entertainment, featuring a recorded Shania Twain concert and dancing on stage. Event organizers will announce raffle winners every 10 minutes starting at 6 p.m.

their stamps on the passport stamped. The after-after party kicks off at 7 p.m. at the 219 Lounge, with more good times and live music.

Hosted by the Downtown Sandpoint Shopping District and sponsored by Ting, participating businesses include:

Let’s Go Girls! after parties

Saturday, April 22; 6-7 p.m.; FREE. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208-263-9191, panida.org. 7 p.m., FREE, 21+. 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave., 208263-5673, 219.bar. More info at: downtownsandpoint.com.

Participants at the free event must be present to win and, in order to enter the raffle, attendees will need to come to the Panida with all of

7B IV; 219 Lounge; Artworks; Azalea; Barrel 33; Beauty Botanicals, Bath and Body Shop; Bella Terra Boutique; Burlwood Dreams; Carousel Emporium; Creations Toys; The District; Eve’s Leaves; Finan McDonald; Gethsemane Oil and Vinegar; Grace and Joy; Heart Bowls; Jalapenos; Lachic Boutique; Larson’s; Meadowbrook Home Furnishings; Monarch Mountain Coffee; Northern Grind Coffee; Northwest Handmade; Out West Trading Co.; the Panida Theater; Papillon Beauty Boutique; Pend d’Oreille Winery; The Peppered Mercantile; The Pickled Kitchen; Sharon’s Hallmark; Style Bar; Sugar Tooth; Trinity at City Beach; Uniquely Sandpoint; Whiskey Jack Boutique; Yafay Beauty and Wellness; Zwazonich.

For more information on the Downtown Sandpoint Shopping District, visit: downtownsandpoint.com.

Panida concerts feature Conservatory students performing

By Reader Staff

Some of Sandpoint’s finest young musicians will take the Panida Theater stage Tuesday, April 25 at the Meet Mozart: Children Performing for Children concert, which features orchestras, choirs and classical ensembles of local kids performing two shows — the first for their peers at 10 a.m. and the second, at 6 p.m., before an audience of their families, friends and the general public.

Presented by the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint under its Music Matters! program, the morning concert is by invitation only, while the evening performance is open to anyone, with a suggested donation of $5 at the door (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Children 12 and under get in for free. Both concerts are an hourand-a-half long.

for their peers

“Many times, at these concerts, students share that this is their first visit to the Panida Theater, or the first time they have heard an orchestra perform live — let alone an orchestra of their peers,” organizers with MCS stated in an event announcement. “In this way, Music Matters! is introducing the ‘culture of culture’ in a rural area, where access to the arts is generally limited.”

Doors open one hour before the performances.

Meet Mozart: Children

Performing for Children

Tuesday, April 25; 10 a.m (invitation only), 6 p.m. (open to the public), doors open one hour prior to performances; $5 suggested donation, kids 12 and under FREE. Panida Theater, 300 N.First Ave., 208-263-9191, panida.org. More info at sandpointconservatory.org.

“Not only do our students reap the benefits of a musical education, the community also gets to enjoy the fruits of our students’ labor through multiple concerts and stage productions throughout the year,” MCS stated. “Finally, strong and resilient communities thrive when their children are engaged in worthwhile activities that support their growth and development.”

Jazz for the masses

Gypsy jazz pop-rockers The Black Market Trust will end POAC’s performing arts season with energetic show at the Panida

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

To say that Los Angeles-based band The Black Market Trust is a jazz band is a disservice. To call it a pop outfit or big band act also doesn’t quite do the job.

In fact, calling The Black Market Trust a traditional-pop-vocal-jazz-bigband enterprise almost feels shallow.

The only way to understand what the well-seasoned five-piece musical group creates is to listen — and to be surprised. Locals will have that chance on Friday, April 21 at the Panida Theater, as The Black Market Trust plays the final show of the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s 2022-’23 Performing Arts Series.

While there are many components in that band’s creative cauldron making up its six-album catalog, two rise to the surface: the gypsy jazz stylings of legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt and the timeless pop classic of the Great American Songbook.

The band’s lead guitarist, Jeffrey Scott Radaich, told the Reader that The Black Market Trust was originally an instrumental gypsy jazz three-piece. He said Reinhardt, a Romani-Belgian musician accompanied by violinist

Stephane Grappelli, was inspired by early-20th century American jazz.

“They wanted to emulate that American jazz but they couldn’t help but wear their European influences on their sleeve,” he said, “which, in turn, created a new sound.”

He said the result is a “fun” jazz — leaning on the vibrant playing of string instruments, completely lacking pretension and appealing to the casual listener.

The Black Market Trust spent its first year sticking strictly to instrumental gypsy jazz, but Radaich said there was something lacking.

“We were having a blast, but we were missing the ability to communicate to the audience with the human voice,” he said. “Musicians always joke about crowds being more entertained watching a mediocre singer than the world’s greatest guitarist but, it’s true. The emotion of the human voice is something that everyone can understand.”

The Black Market Trust

Friday, April 21; doors at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m.; $28 adults, $10 youth. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208263-9191, panida.org. Get tickets online at artinsandpoint. org or at the POAC office, 110 Main St., Ste. 101. Listen at theblackmarkettrust.com.

The Black Market Trust is now known for its stirring and energetic renditions of many classic pop numbers, drawing inspiration from Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and even more contemporary artists like The Beach Boys and The Beatles.

“We said, ‘Let’s not try and hide anything about us and our musical past or influences,’” Radaich recalled. “‘Let’s throw everything in there.’”

The Black Market Trust has since grown to feature five world-class musicians: Radaich, as well as bassist Brian Netzley, drummer Brandon Laws, violinist Nick Coventry and the band’s newest member, pianist Matt Politano, who will visit Sandpoint on his first tour with the band.

As part of their time in North Idaho, members of The Black Market Trust

will partake in POAC’s Ovations education outreach program, meeting with local students to talk about their music.

“It never ceases to amaze me how curious and interested in music kids are,” Radaich said, adding later: “Our pianist, Matt, discovered music from an outreach at his school when he was young, so he is really looking forward to ‘paying it forward’ and hopefully inspiring the next generation.”

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Alanna Dixon, MCS Recital, April 13 Athena Crossingham, Pend d’Oreille Winery, April 26

Since it opened in 2009, the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint has continued to bring culture and beautiful music to Sandpoint.

For its latest event, MCS will feature a voice recital presented by high school senior Alanna Dixon, who will graduate from the conservatory this summer. Dixon has studied voice with Brenda Rutledge and piano with Melody Puller for five years, as well as singing with the ensemble choir. Her repertoire includes lieder, arias and duets from composers

such as Debussy, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Puccini among others.

The voice recital will be open to the public and is free to attend, but reserved seats are recommended as the limited space at the MCS Little Carnegie fills up quickly.

— Ben Olson

7 p.m., FREE. Little Carnegie Hall at MCS, 110 Main St., 208-265-4444. For questions or to reserve seating, please email mcs@sandpointconservatory.org.

The grand piano at the Pend d’Oreille Winery is a storied instrument. Built by the celebrated Decker Brothers company of New York sometime between 1869 and 1870 out of Brazilian rosewood, it has been played by various people — from famous to local performers — since at least the 1920s.

Now it’s homegrown Sandpoint pianist Athena Crossingham’s turn at the keys, filling the tasting room at the winery Wednesday, April 26 with the fruits

of her long study of piano — including a degree in the instrument from Corban University, participation in national piano conferences, career as a piano teacher, and performances at solo and ensemble festivals.

— Zach Hagadone

6-7 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-265-8545, powine.com.

The Black Market Trust. Courtesy photo.

MUSIC

Festival at Sandpoint announces An Evening with The String Cheese Incident

Iconic jam band to take the stage July 30

By Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint announced its next headliner April 18, further fleshing out the lineup for its 2023 summer concert series. The String Cheese Incident will take the main stage on Sunday, July 30.

The past three decades have written a story packed full of surreal experiences, epic moments, groundbreaking involvement and huge accomplishments for this independent jam band from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The String Cheese Incident has been recognized for their commitment to musical creativity and integrity, for their community spirit, philanthropic endeavors and for innovative approach to the business of music since their formation in 1993.

When the band’s growth first started gaining momentum in the 1990s — and as the internet was just beginning to take hold and the major-label business model was failing — SCI decided to make music on their own terms.

Playing a unique blend of rock, electronica, calypso, country, funk, jazz, Latin, progressive rock, reggae and psychedelia, SCI has always boasted a singular sound. Through 11 albums, seven DVDs and countless live recordings from their blistering tour schedule, SCI

continues to forge new fans every show they play.

SCI is renowned for carving out a completely unique approach to the business of music. They are truly pioneers of a new way of “making a band.” With the internet as their tool, SCI was among the first artists to disseminate information online, such as tour dates, release information and other news to their growing fan base.

Early on, the band’s record label, SCI Fidelity Records embraced downloadable music and file sharing, delivering SCI’s “On The Road” series, in which every show the band plays is made available for download. Whether they realized it at the time or not, SCI was inventing grassroots

Courtney & Co., Connie’s, April 22

Courtney Riddle and David Powell make up the duo Courtney & Co., combining Riddle’s honey-sweet voice and Powell’s fingerpicking prowess on the harp guitar. Their songs showcase a shared love of traditional folk, country classics and modern acoustic tunes.

The pair tour around the Pacific Northwest, bringing thoughtful harmonies and intricate covers of old favorites.

— Ben Olson

7 p.m., FREE. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208-255-2227, conniescafe.net. Listen at courtneyandcompany.net.

band development. Today, literally hundreds of bands are using some version of this same approach to build their brand.

The String Cheese Incident’s commitment goes well beyond their immediate community and even beyond the music community as a whole. Early on, the band took a serious interest in giving back to the communities that they visited, and were among the first performers to encourage “green” shows and tours. SCI’s support has helped give rise to such not-forprofit organizations as Conscious Alliance and HeadCount. All the while, SCI has stayed committed to music as a creative endeavor — not just in their recordings, but also in their live performances.

The list of SCI’s special guests and collaborators is long and diverse. Their annual events, such as Electric Forest and Hulaween, and holiday shows, such as New Year’s Eve, have helped redefine the concert experience and have garnered the band a reputation as live music vibe innovators.

An Evening with The String Cheese Incident on Sunday, July 30, is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing room only. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and music will start at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are on sale now for $59.95 at festivalatsandpoint.com.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Naughty Pine, The Hive, April 21

As reggae four-piece Naughty Pine puts it, this “is not your local Bob Marley cover band, but a band jam-packed with original music.”

That’s the truth, with the Tri-Cities, Wash.-based outfit turning out lyrics-driven, impeccably scored horn-and-organ-heavy grooves — especially on its current album Workin’, whose title track is an excellent introduction to what Naughty Pine’s sound is all about.

Naughty Pine will bring its Northwest flavor of reggae to Sandpoint’s biggest live music stage at The Hive, celebrating the “Season Bender” of this winter’s stoke on

Schweitzer Mountain. Send your pics of the season to The Hive and they might make it into a slideshow to accompany the concert. Sandpoint’s own RFB will open the show from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

— Zach Hagadone

Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8:45 p.m.; $10 (plus taxes and fees) advance, $15 at the door; 21+. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-9209039, livefromthehive.com. Limited seating, first come first serve. Get tickets at bit.ly/3A6tljM. Listen at naughtypinereggae.com.

One of my most cherished collec tions of books is The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, a four-volume set containing every comic strip by Bill Watterson in its 11-year history, as well as plenty of extras to make your day. When the weight of the world feels especially heavy, or if I just feel like a nostalgic trip back to when life was a bit more fun, I turn off my phone and plop down on the couch with Calvin and Hobbes. Soon, all is well. It’s a spendy purchase, but if you’re a fan of Watterson’s, it’s worth every dang penny.

READ LISTEN

It’s always a good week when I get to recommend a local musician in these pages. Kevin Dorin has built a following in Sandpoint with his unique mix of blues, indie rock and soul. Dorin released a music video on YouTube featuring a new song he wrote called “I Am Not Afraid.” Not only is it a fantastic song, but Dorin’s animation and editing skills make this video a great way to spend five minutes of your time. Head over to YouTube and search for Kevin Dorin to listen, or if you like typing out links in your browser, here you go: youtu.be/TzN87MxSkZY.

WATCH

Widely recognized as one of the best films ever made, The Bridge on the River Kwai is one of those movies that gets better every time you rewatch it. This 1957 epic based on the novel by Pierre Boulle won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, for its portrayal of a prisoner of war camp in Burma. The Japanese captors forced British and American prisoners during World War II to construct a railroad bridge over an important river crossing, at times showing the brutality of war and others the camaraderie of soldiers put in a brutal situation.

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

The String Cheese Incident.

Photo by Dylan Langille.

From Pend Oreille Review

April 19, 1918

BOOTLEGGERS LEFT AUTO

Clarksfork river ferry was the scene of another bootlegging automobile overhauling when on Thursday of last week Constable Dougherty arrested a man who gave the name of James Wilferd Smith. As a consequence of the arrest the sheriff’s office has in its possession a 6-cylinder Page automobile.

Two men drove onto the ferry with the machine. After crossing the river from the west, the two were in too great haste to run off the ferry and before the landing was made, with the result that the machine went into the water. Smith undertook to convey some of the consignment of booze up to the town and Constable Dougherty apprehended him with six sacks of contraband. Meanwhile Smith’s companion has gotten the automobile out and started west. He got about three miles when the automobile broke down and it was abandoned and found by the constable.

Louis Foster, a Clarksfork youth who was helping Smith carry his packs up to the village, took alarm when he found that Smith had been arrested, rode away in his father’s automobile and at last accounts was still going. It is claimed Foster was using his cary to carry the booze up from the ferry.

Smith was brought to Sandpoint and on Saturday was bound over to the district court by Probate Judge Whitaker. He furnished a cash bone of $250 for his appearance.

Smith and his unknown companion were from Spokane.

22 / R / April 20, 2023

A logger’s daughter’s Earth Day

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

When I look at my garden, my mind works in annual cycles. I’ll put tomatoes in this spot, I think, because it gets great afternoon sun. I’ll try to grow more carrots, and leave less room for cucumbers. This year, I might even refrain from planting my squash so close together that, by August, they manage to take over two raised beds in a tangle of unruly vines.

When I look at my garden, I can see my summer harvest.

When my dad looks at a piece of forestland, he can see the next several decades.

My dad is a logger — sawyer, lumberjack, keeper of the woods. I grew sensitive as a child to the assumptions people would make about my father when I shared what he did for a living.

“Your dad cuts down trees,” I recall someone saying on more than one occasion, a hint of self-righteousness in their voice.

They were right — and he’s damn good at it. My dad is an artist and the chainsaw is his brush. However, it takes some training to fully appreciate his masterpieces.

I’m not about to argue that the most pristine woods feature stumps, slash piles and skid trails — or maybe I am. All I’m saying is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if the beholder knows a lick about responsible forest management, they will learn that the logger is an essential member of the ecosystem.

I won’t pretend to be unbiased on the issue of forest management. I have long romanticized my dad’s job, having spent hours of my childhood in the log landings dotted above Hope. It was (still is) a regular chore to serve as chauffeur when my dad moves equipment between local jobs; I always marvel at the narrow roads truck

drivers manage to navigate in all seasons as I head to pick him up and drive him down the mountain.

While others look for heads-up pennies, I consider encountering a loaded log truck a good omen.

My favorite scent is my husband’s clothes when he finishes a day of logging with my dad: sweat and sawdust, gas and oil, dried sap and damp duff.

In preparing to write this, I convinced myself I may not be as qualified as I originally thought to speak on the benefits of logging as a tool for keeping forests healthy. So, I called my dad.

One of the great things about having a dad who works for himself is that he picks up his phone 90% of the time. I often hear a chainsaw or piece of heavy machinery idle and then rattle to stillness before the familiar and curious, “Hello?” This time, though, it was late afternoon, so he answered without any audible evidence that I interrupted his business day, which usually starts at sunup.

“I’ve called to conduct an impromptu interview,” I said.

“So is this off the record?” he asked, to which I replied, “No.”

He laughed, and I explained that I wanted to share something in the paper about logging for Earth Day, but I didn’t know if I was qualified, so I decided to call an expert. I could hear him recoil at the notion that he was an “expert” in anything (humble to a fault, this man), but we managed to have the philosophical discussion I needed to get the gears turning.

During this conversation, the idea that my dad can see the future came to mind — the future of the woods, that is. Logging of private land is often used for short-term economic gain; it’s a financial move of which my dad is often part. Any trepidation toward that practice should be mitigated if

Sudoku Solution STR8TS Solution

you can see the forest as a long-term crop.

When my dad fells a big, money-making cedar, he does so in such a way that the young trees around it — older than me, but young, if we’re talking in logger-years — aren’t damaged in the act. This lengthens the skidding and processing time, but ensures a productive and healthy forest for the next generation.

This is just one example of how logging can be done responsibly, and doesn’t even touch on the responsibility that we — as humans who have chosen to build our infrastructure on the edges of massive swaths of forests — have to mitigate fire and disease. But that’s a topic for another time.

When my dad talks about his practices, he uses words like “care,” “patience” and “knowledge.” He doesn’t spend a day in the woods without considering what he’s leaving to the next person who will inhabit the land he taught me to love.

I can’t think of anyone who celebrates Earth Day as well as my dad.

Crossword Solution

Basically, this is the way the economy works: I do a service for you, and you pay me, even if you claim you didn’t want the service and that I “ruined” something of yours.

CROSSWORD

Laughing Matter

By Bill Borders

cakeage /KEY-kij/

Corrections: In the April 13 article, “‘Fine dining in a casual atmosphere,’” by Ben Olson, the word “palette” was used when it should have read “palate.” Damn autocorrect. Thanks for catching it, Forrest.

1. a fee charged by a restaurant for serving a cake brought in from outside

“The server levied a $10 fee for cakeage when the dinner party host revealed their own platter of jelly rolls.”

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

FBCS IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR

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• Small class sizes of22 students orless.

• Focus on student-family-teacher relationships.

• Strivesto fosteraccountabilitythrough high behavioral standards.

• Aproject-based philosophywith a master-learning focus.

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Sandpoint's Only Free Public Charter School

Now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year!

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Established 2001