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DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

108 billion

The estimated number of homo sapiens born during the past 50,000 years — 7% of whom are alive today. Of those humans, about 52% are younger than 30 and 12.3% are older than 60.

things my kids say

“You might be weird, but you’re still you.”

—Eleanor G. Hagadone, age 7

what we learned about vocab this week

Not only does every modern dictionary provide a definition for “literally” as signifying something metaphorical or as an intensifier before a figurative expression, but the usage of “literally” to mean “figuratively” has been around at least since the 1760s. (Source: merriam-webster.com.)

Meanwhile, “oversight” is defined as both keeping a close eye on something and ignoring it, “dusting” is both adding and removing dust, and “scan” used to mean reading something closely but now means to skim over the details. (Source blogs.illinois.edu.)

the forgotten emancipator

Two days after the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, marking the beginning of the shooting phase of the American Revolution, Virginia Gov. John Murray — the fourth earl of Dunmore — seized the colony’s ammunition supply to keep it from the rebels. The same day, on April 21, Virginia slaves loyal to the British Crown offered to help fight the “patriot” uprising. He rejected their initial offer but, on Nov. 7, issued a proclamation that emancipated any slaves or indentured servants who joined the loyalist forces. Between 800 and 2,000 slaves heeded the call, prompting the Virginia Convention to threaten to hang them unless they returned to their “masters.” Technically, Dunmore issued the first emancipation proclamation in North America, almost 90 years before Abraham Lincoln.

weird realization

Every place at which I’ve lived or worked in Sandpoint since 2004 has been immediately on or within two blocks of Cedar Street.

Every year about this time, we publish a summer camp guide to give parents some information about offerings in the area. There are a lot of great options to choose from, whether you’re interested in sending your kids to a day camp, musical or theatrical camps or something in between. Check Pages 14-15 for the guide.

It’s also election season, which means it’s up to each and every one of us registered voters to pay attention to who is running for the various Bonner County and Legislative District 1 offices. It’s an interesting field of candidates, to say the least.

To help voters better decide which candidate aligns with their take on the issues, the Reader has teamed up with sandpointonline.com and KRFY 88.5 FM to host a two-night candidates’ forum. Monday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. will feature candidates running in contested Bonner County races. Tuesday, May 3 at 5:30 p.m. will feature candidates in contested Legislative District 1 races. Both forums will take place inside the auditorium at Sandpoint High School and are open for all to attend.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Bill Borders Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Emily Erickson, Sandi Nicholson, Craig Foss Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community.

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

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

Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics.

Requirements: –No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

This week’s cover photo of two girls enjoying summer camp comes courtesy of Adobe Stock footage.

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NEWS

Koster appointed BoCo treasurer

Running unopposed in the 2022 election, appointment will be interim until swearing in Jan. 2023

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners voted April 26 to appoint longtime county employee Clorrisa Koster as Bonner County treasurer after Cheryl Piehl, who has held the job for 20 years, submitted her resignation effective May 20.

Koster, who is running unopposed for the treasurer job in the 2022 election, will be sworn into the position May 23 under an interim designation. According to Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale, Koster will still appear on the primary and general election ballots. She will then be sworn into the treasurer’s office again in January, along with all other winning candidates.

Koster had to be nominated by the Bonner County Republican

Central Committee before the commissioners’ Tuesday vote — the second time in fewer than six months that the committee has considered such nominations.

Piehl first announced her resignation in September 2021, with an effective date of Jan. 5, 2022, and shared plans to retire after three decades with the county — two of them as Bonner County treasurer. Under Idaho Code, the central committee offered three nominees for consideration by the commissioners: Grant Dorman, Jacob Farley and Spencer Hutchings. Before the board could conduct interviews, Piehl changed course, sharing with the Reader that “the timing just wasn’t right” for her departure, and that she had “concern for the care” of her office in the midst of December’s busy tax collection period.

At the time, BCRCC Chair

Scott Herndon told the Reader: “Idaho Code certainly allows for county elected officials to change their minds about planned resignations. We will however, in the future, likely wait until a resignation actually occurs before we commence any efforts to send nominees to the BOCC, since Idaho Code always gives us that option.”

Piehl maintained her role and re-announced plans to retire in a letter to the county commissioners on March 29. In the time between, Clorrisa Koster, who has nearly 30 years of experience working in both the treasurer’s and auditor’s offices, announced her bid for treasurer. She has no challengers in the race, and boasts endorsements from both Piehl and Rosedale.

In an email April 21, Commissioner Dan McDonald asked Herndon to send over the

Clorrisa Koster. Courtesy photo.

BCRCC’s nominees for the second round of treasurer interviews.

In response, Herndon said that the central committee held a special meeting to consider candidates.

“The committee agreed to submit just one nominee, Clorrisa Koster,” Herndon wrote.

Commissioners voted unanimously April 26 to appoint Koster to the treasurer position.

Koster told the Reader that she is thankful to both the

BCRCC and BOCC for the opportunity to “return to the office where my career started 29 years ago.”

“I want Bonner County citizens to know that the office will continue to be run with the dedication, professionalism and accountability that they deserve while taking the department forward into the future,” she said. “Transparency, education and providing information to the citizens and taxpayers is key.”

Koster said her “top priorities” as treasurer will be offering secure payment drop boxes for taxpayers, implementing longer work hours when taxes are due and ensuring safety processes are in place to protect county funds.

“As an elected official, I work for you and my door is always open,” she said.

Work begins on Pine Street Sidewalk Project

By Reader Staff On the drawing board for years, the Pine Street Sidewalk improvement project is beginning in earnest with crews now on the job between Boyer and Division avenues, placing traffic controls to close one lane on Pine Street and begin tree removal.

Work began April 26 and is scheduled to occur Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with sidewalk construction expected to begin in May. Crews will work block by block, starting from Division and working east toward North Boyer Avenue.

The city anticipates the entire project to continue through the end of August.

The project is intended to remove and reconstruct old sidewalks, construct new sidewalks and curb ramps, as well remove trees, install traffic controls, and restore asphalt and landscaping 4 /

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with the goal of providing a continuous 2,700-foot pedestrian pathway on the north side of Pine between Boyer and Division.

According to the city, “This critical east-west corridor connects residential neighborhoods, schools, recreation and assisted living facilities on the west side of Sandpoint to the downtown business core. The lack of continuous sidewalk along Pine Street creates a challenge for users.

When [a] sidewalk is unavailable, pedestrians commonly share the roadway with moving vehicles.

“Completion of this project will provide a continuous and accessible pedestrian route along Pine Street, greatly improving safety and mobility.”

Planning for the Pine Street Sidewalk Project began in 2017, when the city applied for an Idaho Transportation Alternatives Program grant, which it was awarded in March 2020. After further analysis, the city put the

project out to bid in July 2021 but canceled the solicitation when no bids came in. The bid went out again in January and was awarded in February to Sandpoint-based CoyotePak Construction in the amount of $369,800.

The project is being funded 92.6% by federal dollars and at least 7.3% by the city of Sandpoint, which allocated funding for the Pine Street improvements in its fiscal year 2020 and 2021 budgets.

Residents along the portion of Pine Street between Boyer and Division avenues should expect construction-related noise during work hours, temporary sidewalk closures and traffic controls. The city stated that later this year it will replace the trees it removes as part of the project. Affected property owners are invited to view replacement options on the city’s approved street tree list and contact Maeve Nevins-Lauter, who manages Parks Planning

and Development and administers the city’s urban forestry program, at mnevinslauter@sandpointidaho.gov or 208-946-2711.

Residents will receive door-hanger notifications 72 and 24 hours prior to work adjacent to their property, as well as advanced notice of work that will affect their driveways.

The city reminded residents that vehicles and other obstructions may not block the public right-of-way, including vehicles extending from driveways where the sidewalk will be constructed. No parking signs will be temporarily installed to allow workers to get to the site.

While the city added that access to homes and businesses will be maintained at all times during the work, driveway access may

An example of infill, which will connect gaps between existing sidewalks.

Photo courtesy city of Sandpoint. be temporarily restricted, in which case the city will notify residents ahead of time.

For more information, including project maps, visit sandpointidaho.gov. For project-related questions, contact Construction Manager Holly Ellis during normal business hours at hellis@sandpointidaho.gov or 208-946-2087. For emergency project-related needs after hours, call Bonner County Dispatch at 208-255-6077.

NEWS

County ARPA funds remain fierce topic of debate BOCC votes to take standard allowance on federal relief funds, but whether the county will spend the $8.8 million is yet to be seen

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County will take a standard allowance of $10 million revenue loss as part of its annual reporting requirement for the acceptance of American Rescue Plan Act funds. Despite the commissioners’ vote April 26 on how the county will report its use of ARPA funds, it remains to be seen whether Bonner County will actually spend the $8.8 million it was allocated under the federal coronavirus relief package.

Meanwhile, ARPA funds remain a topic of contention between commissioners and a group of vocal constituents who see the money as threatening Bonner County’s sovereignty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some critics have argued that the county should cut ties with federal funding altogether.

The decision April 26 dealt specifically with how Bonner County planned to report its annual revenue losses in order to use the funds. Printed in bold on the commissioners’ agenda next to the item, a disclaimer noted: “NOT A DECISION TO SPEND OR NOT SPEND ARPA FUNDS.” The decision was instead about whether the county should take a standard allowance of $10 million in revenue loss annually, or perform a yearly full revenue loss calculation under the U.S. Treasury’s formula. Legal counsel, the county treasurer and auditor all recommended the standard allowance, according to the memo represented April 26.

“Per the [U.S.] Treasury, it presumes that recipients that have received under $10 million have sustained a revenue loss,” said Nancy Twineham, county comptroller. “Because we’re getting the $8.8 million, we are under that threshold. … We

would still, if we chose to use it, have to file on an annual basis what [ARPA funds] we’ve spent on government services, and there are restrictions on the government services. We can’t use it to reduce property taxes, service debt [or] put it into pension funds. There are specific uses that we are required to follow.”

The revenue reporting decision needs to be submitted to the U.S. Treasury by April 30.

According to Commissioner Dan McDonald, “it’s less cumbersome on the county, less costly, less time consuming” to take the standard allowance. He and Commissioner Jeff Connolly — the only two commissioners in attendance at the April 26 meeting — voted to approve the recommendation.

Despite the agenda item pertaining only to reporting requirements and not actual use of ARPA funds, debate arose from critical community members.

“I have submitted a request that the current board make a decision on ARPA spending,” said Asia Williams, a staunch ARPA opponent who is running for county commissioner in District 2. “You guys have received your legal opinion, yet there’s been no decision made. … We need a decision made on this so that we know how to move forward. …The government still sees us as a recipient of that money, regardless of whether we’re spending it.”

Kendra Martin, who regularly comments against use of the ARPA money at county meetings, said she “expected more” from the commissioners when it came to denying the federal funds.

“What saddens me is that in the last six months that I’ve been pursuing this beast, I have seen elected officials suffering from the love of money, which is the root of all evil,” she said.

Bonner County Clerk Mike

Rosedale said that the county simply had a decision to make regarding the reporting requirement, and whether commissioners used the money or not was not a decision he sees necessary at this point.

“This [grant] is no different than any other grant,” Rosedale said. “I’ve heard accusations all the time about this being some evil plot, and I don’t know, but the big question right now is do we take it now or do we give it back now? I say, what is the rush? Why don’t we let time prove it out? If it becomes something bad, we can give it back in the future. If it’s not bad, why give it back now?”

Constituents opposed to using ARPA funds have argued that the law’s alleged ambiguity could obligate Bonner County to adhere to future federal mandates surrounding COVID-19 mitigation — specifically, mask and vaccine mandates — if the money is spent on county business. Sheriff Daryl Wheeler sparked the concerns about “strings attached” to the money when he opted to return ARPA funds from his office’s budget in November 2021.

Commissioners passed a resolution — drafted by Williams — in January that put a hold on ARPA spending until legal counsel could provide “assurance to the public that utilization of these funds will not trigger any type of mandate, specifically

Bonner Co. Commissioners Dan McDonald, left, vaccine and/or mask.”

Jeff Connolly, center, and Steve Bradshaw, far right. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

Bonner County Emergency Medical Services, which has quired to enforce coronavirus-restruggled financially during lated mandates should it accept the pandemic due to inflation and spend ARPA funds. Despite and a dramatic upswing in call that opinion, some constituents volumes, came out against the remain critical and commissionresolution, with EMS Director Jeff Lindsey calling the anti-AR- ers have yet to spend any more of the $8.8 million.

PA movement “a dangerous Rosedale emphasized the theme that keeps getting pushed April 26 decision as a step enforward by some of the public.” tirely separate from spending or While EMS tapped about not spending ARPA funds. $800,000 in ARPA funds to “We get, just like on your taxpurchase life-saving equipment es, [to] choose a standard deducin September 2021 — prior to tion, or you can itemize it. Even Wheeler’s concerns being made if you don’t have any deductions public and any widespread local to itemize, you can still choose debate about ARPA — McDona standard deduction. That’s ald said on April 26 that those monies have been paid back with this,” he said. “This is not about spending. We’re at a fork in the EMS reserve funds. road. The fact that we don’t know County legal counsel anall the exits down this highway or nounced at a Feb. 16 public all the exits down that highway workshop that, after extensive research of case law and consul- is irrelevant. We are at a fork in tation with outside attorneys, the the road, and we have to choose Prosecutor’s Office believed that whether to go left or right. That’s Bonner County would not be re- what’s before the board.”

VA officer to visit Priest River

By Reader Staff Bonner County Veterans Service Officer Bryan Hult will conduct an outreach on Tuesday, May 17 at the VFW Post 2909 in Priest River, 113 Larch St. Appointments can be made between 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Hult will be assisting with ongoing claims, answering questions about current veteran’s

benefits and can take new claims for benefits for eligible veterans and their dependents.

To ensure you are given quality time, be sure to schedule an appointment by calling Mary Lindgren at 208-255-5291.

If there are no appointments scheduled for this outreach, or if weather conditions prohibit travel, the outreach will be canceled.

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NEWS

Bits ’n’ Pieces

Candidates’ forums to be held May 2-3

From east, west and beyond

Photo by Ben Olson

By Ben Olson Reader Staff The Sandpoint Reader, sandpointonline.com and KRFY 88.5 FM will host two candidates’ forums in early May to help better inform voters before the Tuesday, May 17 primary election.

The first forum will take place Monday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint High School auditorium (410 S. Division Ave.). This night will feature candidates from contested races for Bonner County commissioner District 2 and District 3, as well as candidates in the Bonner County assessor’s race.

While candidates from uncontested Bonner County races have also been invited, only those from contested races will participate in the question-and-answer session. Those running unopposed can give an opening statement if they choose to attend.

The second forum will be Tuesday, May 3 at 5:30 p.m., also at the Sandpoint High School auditorium. This night will feature legislative candidates from the Idaho Senate District 1 race, as well as those running in the House District 1 Seat

A and B races.

All candidates in the abovementioned contests have been invited to attend. The forum will begin with opening statements from candidates and will be followed by a question-and-answer session, during which audience members will be invited to submit questions they’d like to be asked of the field.

Moderators will keep the pace (and the peace), and answers will be timed so that the night keeps moving efficiently and ends on time by 7:30 p.m., following closing statements.

Those who would like to attend in person can arrive at the SHS auditorium by 5:30 p.m., but the forum will also be broadcast live on krfy.org and available via Zoom. Check the sandpointonline. com Facebook page for a Zoom link.

Audio from the event will be available to listen to on krfy.org.

The Reader, sandpointonline.com and KRFY promote an open and inclusive forum in which constituents have the opportunity to hear how candidates feel about the issues. No public outbursts or otherwise disruptive behavior will be tolerated.

Dover seeking volunteers to serve on new Historical Committee

By Reader Staff The city of Dover is now accepting letters from individuals interested in serving on the recently established Dover Historical Committee.

According to a news release from the city, “The goal of the committee is to preserve and protect the written, oral and pictorial history of the city of Dover, Idaho,” providing education through research, written publications, displays, memorial landmarks, events and media “that help build a sense of community that honors our more than 100-year heritage.”

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appointed by the mayor and affirmed by a majority vote of the Dover City Council.

Committee members must live within the city of Dover or its area of city impact.

One member of the Dover Historical Committee will be appointed for an initial term of four years, two will serve a term of three years and two members will be appointed for a term of two years. Ad hoc committee members are encouraged and will be considered at the first established DHC meeting.

Letters can be sent via mail mailed to Dover Mayor George Eskridge, PO Box 115, Dover, ID, 83825, or emailed to deputyclerk@cityofdoveridaho.org.

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: Fox’s Tucker Carlson recently promoted infrared light testicle tanning to increase testosterone levels. Experts told Newsweek lower testosterone is linked to obesity, lack of exercise, binge drinking and anti-androgen chemicals found in food, personal care products and household products.

A five-year study collaboration between Yale and University of California-Berkeley paid a group of Fox News viewers to watch CNN for seven hours a week during September 2020. A control group continued watching Fox, according to The Guardian.

At the end there were three news surveys.

They showed the Fox-to-CNN group changing their attitudes on several issues, such as more favorability for vote-by-mail and less inclination to think President Joe Biden is happy when a police officer is shot.

Fox-to-CNN watchers also observed that Fox conceals negative information about former-President Donald Trump.

Last week two new omicron COVID-19 variants were reported to be spreading in New York state and have been detected in six other countries. The new variants are linked to a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases, according to NPR. The BA-1 variant that began in December 2021 spiked fast and infected close to 50% of the U.S. population. BA-2.12.1 may be better at evading the immune system, but vaccination is expected to work well against it to avoid hospitalization “unless there are extenuating circumstances.”

A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found 234,000 COVID-19 deaths since June 2021 could have been prevented if the victims had been adequately vaccinated.

A forthcoming book from two New York Times writers details how two top Republican leaders blamed Donald Trump for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and how they figured the Democrats would do them the favor of disengaging Trump from the Republican Party.

They did not anticipate their plans would be derailed by the influence of Trump’s base of congressional lawmakers.

While Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthy have since backed off on saying they want Trump gone — and denied plans to tell Trump he should resign — an audio recording obtained by The New York Times of a meeting of those Republican leaders has surfaced, and proves they did make the anti-Trump statements.

Russia-Ukraine headlines: “U.S. to ban Russian ships from ports”; “U.S.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

unveils sponsorship program to resettle Ukrainian refugees, discourage travel to U.S.-Mexico border”; “Mariupol mayor says lives of city’s trapped residents are in Putin’s hands”; “More than 300 people, including 90 children, were forcibly deported to Russia from Mariupol”; “[Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky likens Russian filtration camps to Nazi concentration camps”; “Zelensky says peace talks will be suspended if Mariupol defenders killed”; “U.S. officials meet Zelensky, Russia announces ceasefire for Mariupol”; “U.S. secretary of state: Ukraine will be ‘around a lot longer than Vladimir Putin.’”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile — new to Russia’s nuclear arsenal — will give enemies “something to think about.” He claimed the missile is “capable of overcoming all modern means of anti-missile defense,” according to The Guardian.

Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was simultaneously registered to vote in three different states, The Independent reported. Meadows, past chair of the far-right Freedom Caucus, has often complained about illegal voting. According to the U.S. Justice Department, providing false voter information for a national election is election fraud. At this time he’s not been charged. Meadows has also been on the hot seat for attempting to block release of information sought by the House Committee investigation into illegal efforts to keep Trump in office.

Florida has signed a bill to establish an election police force. The state has more than 10 million voters, and referred 75 election fraud complaints to law enforcement or prosecutors in 2020. The $3.7 million program also calls for a $1,000 fine for switching a voter’s party registration without their consent; there had been complaints of older voters being switched from Democrats to Republicans.

The Jan. 6 House Committee will begin hearings in June. Contrary to coup attempts in other countries, committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin said evidence shows “This was not a coup directed at the president, it was a coup directed by the president against the vice president and against the Congress,” NBC reported.

Blast from the past: Former President George W. Bush’s speechwriter, David Frum, wrote in 2018 that, “If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.”

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Town Meeting Day

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist We have officially returned to the time of year when politics loom large in our lives. Our mailboxes are stuffed with postcards summarizing political platforms (or slandering opposing candidates), lawn signs in reds and blues boast varying compositions of last names and stars and stripes, and local newspapers, radio stations, and media platforms share candidate-related features and news stories.

Election season promotes a grand tuning-in by local citizens, calling us to pay attention to the state of our communities and our leaders’ roles within them, and to participate in charting a course to the futures we want to see. If we lived in Vermont, it would also mean attending a Town Meeting Day. Observed on the first Tuesday of March every year, Town Meeting Days are observed by most Vermont towns, during which they elect their municipal officers, approve budgets and address civic issues in a day-long public event. As a state holiday, government offices close, and employees have the right to take leave from work to attend the meeting, per Vermont law.

On Town Meeting Day, residents gather in a community space, discuss ballot items, debate the issues most important to them and vote in person by voice, hand or paper ballot. It’s a tradition that began in 1762 (15 years before Vermont was even a state), and is one of the last remaining vestiges of direct democracy in our country.

I’ve been thinking about Vermont’s Town Meeting Day

Emily Erickson. this election season because of how different it feels than our “check yes or no” secret ballot voting system. Vermont’s style of democracy feels personal, local and service-oriented.

Town Meeting Day is personal because it removes anonymity from the voting process. If a person feels strongly enough about a topic to speak, they must prepare and present their argument clearly and be willing to civilly debate anyone in opposition to them, as guided by a moderator. Their perspective is not shared without the context of who they are, or their role or history in the community.

Town Meeting Day is also hyper-local. Items brought to the table by community members are often considered at the smallest, most specific scale.

Downtown potholes and the implications of their repair on business are discussed and debated by the parties most affected by them — informing voters’ opinions in real time, before they’re called to decide on the best course of action for that issue.

This direct version of democracy feels service-oriented, like an in-house meeting before hiring an employee. By showing up

and discussing the issues on the ballot and the candidates vying for election, community members can get clear on what they need from a public servant as it relates to that servant’s prospective role — collectively hiring whoever is best equipped to meet those specific needs.

Having an actual Town Meeting Day to cast our votes might be a bit far-fetched for our North Idaho community, but its tenets can certainly be applied to our local political decision making processes. We can seek candidates with personal connection to the topics they’re championing and experience with the issues they’re claiming to be able to solve. We can require locality and specificity, eliminating ambiguous stances and platforms built on topics that don’t directly apply to us. And we can remember that we’re not choosing a leader to disseminate their macro-level agendas, ideologies or philosophies; but, rather, hiring an employee to do the day-to-day jobs required by our community.

We can look for more answers like Sen. Jim Woodward’s and Rep. Sage Dixon’s (whether or not we agree with them) in the April 21 Reader legislative candidate questionnaire, with Woodward stating, “I supported the grocery tax credit increase, which now allows a family of four to purchase $8,000 of groceries tax free annually.”

With similar specificity and relevance, Dixon stated, “Encouraging programs like the Good Neighbor Authority and the Shared Stewardship Board, will help to mitigate wildfire risk, increase access to public lands, and protect our lakes and rivers.”

By contrast, we can be wary of answers like those from Spen-

cer Hutchings and Adam Rorick that are ambiguous at best and, at worst, forcing grand partisan agendas into local races.

Hutchings baselessly aims at working “to eliminate CRT, sexual orientation-related and politically motivated education from taxpayer-funded schools,” as if those topics were cornerstones of Idahoan education. Similarly, Rorick states his reason for running is because he has “seen firsthand how the left’s socialist, tax-and-spend ideology has

destroyed cities and our culture” without substantiating any of his “firsthand” accounts.

In our closest approximation to Town Meeting Day, candidates’ forums will be held for Bonner County candidates on Monday, May 2, and District 1 on Tuesday, May 3 at Sandpoint High School at 5:30 p.m. It’s at events like these that we can ask more of the people we elect to serve us — keeping local politics as relevant, specific and service-oriented as possible.

Retroactive

By BO

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For a meaningful voice, register as a Republican…

Bouquets: • Cheers to the group of local residents I’ve seen standing out

by Highway 2 every Sunday from 1-2 p.m. with signs supporting Ukraine. With everything going on in the world right now, it’s easy to forget the Russian invasion in Ukraine is an ongoing thing, with more civilians being killed every day. I stand with Ukraine.

Barbs: • If you are unable to tell the difference between the opinion and news sections of a newspaper, I don’t know what to tell you. Both have their functions in newspapers, but you must be aware of what you’re reading. That’s why we always have a header above the page that tells people if they are reading a straight news story or someone’s subjective take on an issue. Just because an opinion exists in a newspaper doesn’t necessarily mean the editorial staff agrees with it, either.

Also, just because you don’t agree with a particular opinion does not mean that it is “false.” It is, in fact, possible to read an opinion and disagree with it, but still acknowledge that it is based on factual data or evidence. Why am I writing this?

Because every month we hear from someone complaining that an opinion article is “false” when what they mean to say is that they don’t agree with it. This is basic media literacy, folks.

• This will likely be my last Barb for our outgoing District 1 Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard.

In Scott’s most recent email newsletter, she wrote, “Democrats want to take over Idaho,” while giving some nonsense reasons for why this is the case. Hmm. Idaho is one of the reddest states in the nation.

The supermajority of Republicans has had its way in the Legislature for decades. How this translates into Rep. Scott’s brain that Democrats are “taking over” is beyond me. If any party has “taken over” this state, it’s the Republican Party, which is now in an existential battle between traditional Republicans and the far-right extremists who populate the fringe.

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Dear editor, If this is your first primary in Idaho there are a few things you need to know before you vote.

We have three political parties in Idaho. About 40% of the state are conservative Democrats. They pay taxes but have been gerrymandered out of power. Forty percent of the voters are Republicans and 20% are the Freedom Caucus.

The Freedom Caucus are on the Republican ballot, but they are not Republicans or libertarians.

They used to be the Tea Party.

Here are some of the issues they fought for this year: no certification required for public charter school teachers, no loan forgiveness for rural teachers, no optional full-day kindergarten, less teacher input on curriculum, no to funding libraries — and that is just the craziness of their educational efforts.

Anyone who dares to disagree with them, like Sen. Jim Woodward, will be lied about and called every dirty name in the book.

If you want a meaningful voice you must register as a Republican.

Like a lot of Idahoans, I vote for the person not the party, but independents have no vote. The Democratic ballot is open, but the Republicans make it as hard as possible to vote in the primary. So just go in now and register as a Republican.

Vote on Tuesday, May 17, because that is when the real election is held. Don’t fall for the lies, do your homework and vote for the best person.

Sincerely, Mary Haley Sandpoint

Dorman for assessor…

Dear editor, I attend church with Grant Dorman. He has been an integral part of our church since I started attending in 2017. He has helped write and update our bylaws and ensured our church functioned properly. Grant is analytical, and every decision is made with careful consideration. He did not take the decision to run for assessor lightly. It came with much thought and prayer.

Grant’s experience fits the bill perfectly. He has a B.A. in land surveying and a master’s in business administration. He has always had a passion for property rights. He owned a surveying company for 20 years and had as many as 30

employees. He always treated them with respect, treating them as if they were just as valuable as he was in making the business successful.

I have observed Grant to be thorough and diplomatic in every situation. He studied policy and procedures for the SPOT bus, then worked with the SPOT bus director to lift the requirement that bus drivers enforce mask mandates. He did the same thing with the library director, diplomatically resolving differences regarding mask mandates in a way that set him apart from every person that did protests at the library. Grant is an honorable and respectful person.

Grant will bring this respect and honor to the position of assessor.

Grant has the experience necessary to do it, he will respect your property rights, and most of all, he will respect you as a person. Vote for Grant Dorman on May 17!

Nicole Cummins Sagle

Cherry-picking wolf statistics…

Dear editor, I just read “Setting the Record Straight on Wolves,” [Opinion, April 21, 2022]. Don Gay’s record is not very straight. The adage goes, “Liars figure and figures lie.” Some of the statistics were from 1993, when the population of wolves was not as high as they are today. So to say you will set the record straight by citing statistics is a big challenge. According to PETA, 59 dogs died from being in hot cars in 2021. While in 2019 zero dogs were killed by trappers in Idaho (thewildlifenews.com). Should we ban cars then?

Don Gay blasted the author [Opinion, “Trapping is a legal, useful tool to manage wolf populations,” March 31, 2022, Eric Wieland] about his life in the woods. The author’s life in the woods could be considered a credible source if he was a biologist or a government representative who published a report someone could have Googled. So I will ask Don Gay about statistics. Are there some stats that are better and more reliable than others? For example, Idaho law requires all hunters and trappers to report their kills (too lazy to Google said law). So these statistics have a higher weight. But Idaho does not require wolves to report their kills — low weight.

So to say Mr. Wieland has been misinformed or avoided finding accurate information is calling the kettle black. Sometimes real-world observations are better than statistics.

Hunting and trapping of animals will be an issue as long as humans are around. No one wants a pack of wolves to decimate a population of anything. Be it elk or little kids on a hike. But to say one will set the record straight that trapping wolves is wrong by statistics cherry-picked to support their cause is wrong.

Let’s find common ground and not be so condescending and self-righteous that we lose focus on the more significant issues.

Frank Pisano Sagle

‘We’re all in this together’…

Dear editor, Hello. I love the Reader and look forward to Thursdays. So I was happy to see a big old Earth Hug on the cover [April 21, 2022] and a lovely piece inside lauding and appreciating our beautiful surroundings.

Thanks! I was thinking of Earth Day first being celebrated in 1970.

It was a pretty big deal with community gatherings, entertainment, info on how to save our planet and enthusiastic team players.There was a real sense of hope in the air.

Recycling was big, the speed limit was 60 to save fossil fuels, and population control was understood to keep in balance our dependence on limited resources.

Fast forward 50 years and here we are: climate change in full swing, rampant homelessness and rising inflation, etc.

Let’s be inspired to do what we can for one another and our planet.

Every day. We’re all in this together!

River Burdick Sandpoint

Re-elect Jeff Connolly for commissioner…

Dear editor, The county commissioner’s job is one of great importance to all county residents and taxpayers!

Although the election is a political process, the implementation of the job quickly goes far beyond politics and enters the real lives of innumerable people of Bonner County.

Jeff Connolly is a man I worked with for more than four years and I observed the thought he put into the decisions he had to make. I was impressed by his diligent effort to put personalities aside and make prudent, reasonable decisions for the best interests of Bonner County’s future, residents and taxpayers.

Our county has been engulfed in the tumultuous angst of an unprecedented influx of people, creating innumerable opportunities for people to profit on the division and sale of properties. The almost unfathomable byproduct of a pandemic has been the onslaught upon our local way of life and the overwhelming demands placed upon the fundamental services Bonner County provides to maintain our way of life.

Jeff Connolly has many years of local community and government involvement. That coupled with the decades he worked in forest management, makes him imminently qualified to provide leadership from the commissioner’s office.

I strongly encourage the voters of Bonner County to re-elect Jeff Connolly.

Steve Klatt Sagle

Elect Ron Korn...

Dear editor, Kudos to Ron Korn for spending little and working hard. He is showing by action what kind of commissioner he would be. We need a dedicated commissioner who shows up, works hard and is careful with the budget. During his many years in the Sandpoint area, Ron Korn has continuously served, and often in a leadership role. He is extremely well suited for the office he is running for, and truly has a heart for the community.

Jenn McKnight Sandpoint

‘The slaughter of wolves is an act of ignorance’…

Dear editor, This is North Idaho. This is a place where nature is dominant.

Let us respect and understand what makes this place so special.

The slaughter of wolves is an act of ignorance. Nature has a way of protecting itself, a certain balance in the overall plan of life. The ignorant would be advised to read about the wolves and to find out how they (and all creatures) contribute to the beauty of life and to our own existence.

Evie Leucht Sandpoint

Bowman has the people’s priorities in mind…

Dear editor, An answer to prayer has shown up in Bonner County and his name is Dave Bowman! He has fought

< see LTE, Page 9 >

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hard for property rights for the last year at almost every planning and zoning hearing and has helped educate the public and county about planning as his wife, Susan Bowman has been involved in planning for over 20 years. I am fed up with paying for attorney’s fees for lawsuits because the county does things against our revised plan and comp plan that we then have to sue over. How about we get some new county commissioners into office that will follow it and not interpret it differently than the majority of the people who wrote it and agreed upon it in the past.

Keeping our county rural and following the revised code regarding growth, will keep traffic down, help keep down taxes for existing taxpayers and keep school growth under control, until we can build infrastructure.

Vote for Dave Bowman for county commissioner, he has the people’s priorities in mind, and not his own.

Jonna Plante Sagle

Woodward will preserve the ‘real’ Constitution…

Dear editor, I am intrigued with the slate of candidates we have for state office this year. First for Idaho Senate District 1: Jim Woodward, who grew up in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry. An intelligent Navy veteran who started a business and raised a family here. His primary opponent, Scott Herndon worked in Los Angeles County and apparently sees enemies around every corner who don’t agree with his position of birth no matter what… but then is a proponent of guns, an invention that was meant to take lives and nothing more. He sued Sandpoint when they were stopped from entering the Festival at Sandpoint, which ultimately cost the taxpayers more than $250,000 in court costs.

Then we have that little dear: Adam Rorick, former law officer and ne’er-do-well from Portland who has lived here an entire 13 month, (why you old-timer you). He fancies himself as a constitutional law professor and wants to unite against “them evil lefty-socialists” and his version of “real” Americans. No federal lands (code word for corporate takeover of lands for their profit and we don’t get to enjoy them if you are an average citizen).

Oh, and did I mention that he had experience as a “deputy dog” with “constitutional law” experience that the Bible should be put into the schools? Fortunately the rest of us can read the “entire” Constitution. Well, Adam, sorry to say there’s that pesky First Amendment that says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment or religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof,” and that means any states.

Because if you joined the union, guess what?: “ You are the United States!”

Please vote for Jim Woodward to preserve the “real” Constitution.

Larry Fury Sandpoint

A sudden dearth of Democrats…

Dear editor, Your eyes are not deceiving you — the Bonner County primary ballot looks like an all-Republican contest. From county to Congress, all candidates sport the “R” label, with the exception of one diehard Democrat. Give the man credit for honesty; at least he’s not hiding in the RINO ranks.

Before 2011, when the Idaho GOP closed its primary to all but Republican voters, rampant Democrat crossover voting for the most liberal Republican on the ballot influenced election outcomes. Since then, a lot of shape-shifting has created a sudden dearth of Democrats. They began a new life as RINOs, both as voters and candidates. The voter rolls tell the story, but here are a few examples of some local elected officials whose names you may recognize: Former LPOSD Trustee Mindy Cameron — as early as 2012, in a letter to the editor, urged Democrats to register as Republicans “to keep our leaders in the state Legislature.”

(Those were “Republicans” Keough, Eskridge and Anderson.)

Former Democrat Sandpoint Mayor Carrie Logan — published a letter in 2016 urging a vote for Keough. Logan is now a Republican.

Former Bonner County Democratic Party Chair Ken Meyers — now a Republican.

Former Bonner County Democratic Party Chair Sylvia Humes — now a Republican.

Mayor Shelby Rognstad — “Republican” until he switched to Democrat to run for governor this year.

To avoid giving RINOs your vote in this election, consult the detailed voter guide on the website of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee.

Anita Perry Sandpoint

Endorsements…

Dear editor, The primary election is May 17. Last I looked, only about 50% of the age eligible Idahoans are registered to vote. Of those registered voters, less than 50% vote in the primaries. That means that our representatives are selected by less than 25% of the population.

That is not representative government, when 75% of the population doesn’t vote. The arguments, “My vote won’t matter,” “I’d lose time from work,” “No transportation,” yada-yada-yada are all B.S.! All those who don’t vote are simply being spectators when they should be participants. The reason that we have the situation we do is that not enough Idahoans are making their voices heard.

Having vented, here are my recommendations for the upcoming primary. With the GOP primary being limited to those registered as “R’s,” I’ve separated the candidates by party: governor — Brad Little; lieutenant governor — Scott Bedke; U.S. Senate — Mike Crapo; attorney general — Lawrence Wasden; secretary

of state — Phil McGrane; public instruction — Debbie Chritchfield; judge — Rich Christensen; Senate District 1 — Jim Woodward; House 1A — Mark Sauter; House 1B — Sage Dixon; Bonner County commissioner District 2 — Jeff Connolly; commissioner District 3 — Luke Omodt; county treasurer — Clorrisa Koster; county assessor — Jessi Webster.

Boundary County commissioner District 2 — Tim Bertling, commissioner District 3 — Dan Dinning and county coroner — Chad Workman.

On the Democrat side there’s only one name that comes up — Steve Johnson for House 1A. I find it very depressing that only Steve came forward when the GOP has several contested races. Be that as it may, vote.

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

For what it’s worth…

Dear editor, I’ve spent some time looking at all the candidates vying for public office. I try to do as much research as possible. I hope you give serious consideration to the following candidates: Bonner County commissioner District 3 — Dave Bowman Bonner County commissioner District 2 — Asia Williams State Senate District 1 — Jim Woodward Bonner County treasurer — Clorissa Koster Bonner County assessor — Jessi Webster Legislative District 1A — Mark Sauter Legislative District 1B — Sage Dixon Thank you and don’t forget to vote.

Bill Litsinger Sandpoint

A poem: Herndon vs. Sen. Woodward…

Dear editor, Challenger Herndon spews nothing but hate, Sinking ever lower, he’s sealing his fate.

Cluttering the land with massive mistruth, Does he think that will work when we go to the booth?

What is his platform, one might ask?

Libel and slander and make fun of masks?

Never in the gutter the incumbent stands tall, Working so hard for the interests of all.

Thank-you Senator Woodward for four years of service, The upcoming term is dependent on us.

Vote for Jim Woodward on May 17.

Bev Kee Sagle

Have something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters up to 300 words that are free from libelous statements and excessive profanity. Please elevate the conversation. No trolling.

Music Bridges Borders exchange program returns to Sandpoint Cinco de Mayo Community Celebration at Eichardt’s will help raise funds for program

By Sandi Nicholson Reader Contributor

Nerves were heightened last July as we awaited the arrival of the students chosen for the 2021 Music Bridges Borders exchange program. Still in the pandemic, the checklist for restrictions and tight border checks made it more challenging than ever. Despite these changes, our students arrived and we had a magnificent program.

We offered four days of complimentary music lessons to Sandpoint community children to work with the exchange students. More than 20 local children ages 7 to 13 had the opportunity to experience great instruction on each instrument and, by the end of the week, several had chosen a favorite and committed to continuing on their own.

Each exchange student also received a private master class.

A highlight of our program was news of the honor of one of our students having been selected to be first chair oboe of the 2021 San Diego Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The 2022 program is already well underway. We plan to have two to five local Sandpoint students perform in the 2022 music exchange program in addition to up to eight students from Mexicali, Tijuana and (for the first time) Ensenada, Mexico.

The beauty of Music Bridges Borders is the international relationships that are built and nurtured by the reciprocal ebb and flow of giving and receiving between communities. Like music, the program continues to be a language of deepening human connection.

Join us in supporting this important community program by attending the fourth annual Cinco de Mayo Community Celebration and Fundraiser hosted by Eichardt’s and Music Bridges Borders.

The festivities will take place at Eichardt’s, outside in the alley, 212 Cedar St. in Sandpoint starting at noon on Saturday, May 7.

The Cinco de Mayo Community Celebration will be a family event to bring together the community, celebrate local Mexican-American culture and break “tortilla” together.

There will be a taco feed, margaritas and cerveza provided by Eichardt’s. Fiesta costume contest, piñata, a silent auction, salsa dance lessons and all out fun. Sponsors include Ting, Angels Over Sandpoint and Ponderay Centennial Rotary.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

crocodilians, redux

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Particularly longtime readers of this article may remember the second-ever “Mad About Science,” written by a snotnosed brat who ham-fisted his way across a keyboard and, by some miracle, was allowed to be published twice.

To those of you who have moved here recently: You will have the pleasure of enjoying an article that you otherwise wouldn’t realize is upcycled!

Crocodilians are magnificent and terrifying creatures. Few things in the world can humble a fully grown human faster than a nine-foot-long lizard surging from the murky depths full of teeth and fury. Many folks are familiar with the American alligator. America’s worst superhero, Florida Man, seems to do battle with these creatures at least once a week, if the reports are to be believed.

The American alligator can grow up to 500 pounds and 15 feet in length. These creatures are essentially designed to do two things: anchor into prey and apply torque. A fully grown gator has been recorded to have exerted nearly 3,000 pounds of force with its bite. It uses this immense force to clamp onto its prey, then thrashes its tail to roll, twisting the muscles of its prey, snapping bones like cheap pottery, and ultimately drowning it in a mix of swamp water and blood. An alligator then uses its tremendous bite force and strength to rip pieces from the carcass and swallow the bits with relatively little chewing.

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clamping, not chewing.

Not all crocodilians are lumbering giants, however. Some are as tiny and adorable as a primordial killing machine can be. Cuvier’s dwarf caiman is a smaller crocodilian, growing anywhere from two-and-a-half to five feet long. They have large amber-colored eyes and relatively short snouts compared to other crocs. Dwarf caimans will change their diet as they age, spending their early lives eating insects, crawfish, crabs or small fish. As they grow, their palate expands to include larger fish and even mammals foolish enough to draw too near to the water. Similar to alligators, dwarf caimans can’t chew their food, so if it’s too large to fit down their throat, they’ll have to tear pieces off or risk suffocation.

Dwarf caimans are unique creatures when it comes to reproduction. Females build a mound nest from dirt and plant debris and deposit up to 25 eggs inside. She makes sure the conditions of this nest are perfect for her young, as she won’t sit on the eggs but will guard the nest for up to three months while the eggs incubate. A few days after hatching, the baby caimans will leave their nursery and venture out on their own.

One of the most unique crocodilians is the gharial, a native to the Indian subcontinent and a creature that very closely resembles its ancestors from a time when our ancestors looked like funny squirrels a few million years after a meteor wiped out the dinosaurs. Gharials sport long slender snouts and rows of razor sharp teeth. They are especially suited to hunting fish. So

well-equipped for hunting fish that gharials seldom leave the water, except to sun themselves or make their nests ahead of the monsoon season. Unfortunately, due to a number of human-related reasons, ranging from mining to agriculture and overfishing, gharials have become critically endangered in the wild. They are a living relic to a time before mammalian domination on planet Earth, and a terrifyingly beautiful creature at that.

Crocodilians are often referred to as living fossils, and erroneously said to have not evolved since the age of the dinosaurs. Many of them have evolved considerably, and just about all of them have shrunk to be able to keep up with smaller, more agile prey. The crocodilians that lurked in the rivers and seas during the age of the dinosaurs were considerably larger than even the biggest ones we see today.

Shockingly one of the largest crocodilians we’ve ever found lived uncomfortably close to the age of humanity.

Deinosuchus was a crocodile that stretched as long as 40 feet and could weigh up to 11,000 pounds. These titans fed on dinosaurs for 10s of millions of years, including snacking on a number of close relatives to the Tyrannosaurus rex from the group of animals known as Theropods. Theropods were carnivorous bipedal dinosaurs that included things like T.rexes, the Utahraptor and even the chicken. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

There is fossil evidence of Deinosuchus teeth marks on fossilized remains of Theropod tails, so we know that

Image courtesy Creative Commons. dinosaurs were on the menu for these big beasts. Scientists have also calculated that it’s likely Deinosuchus was capable of performing the dreaded death roll employed by modern alligators. The amount of torque force generated by an 11,000 pound creature is staggering, and should give you nightmares just thinking about.

The last Deinosuchus died out about 2.6 million years

ago, though the largest of their kind had probably faded many millions of years before that.

Amazingly, they thrived on Earth for 144 million years before hanging up the apex predator jersey for good.

After researching for this article, the only crocs I plan on going around are the ones I put on my feet to go out into the garden.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner Don’t know much about blood?

• Blood makes up about 7% of your total body weight.

• Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen. These cells consist of hemoglobin, a protein that contains iron. Oxygen combines with this iron and gives the characteristic red color to our blood.

• Unlike red blood cells, white blood cells form the defensive system of our bodies. White blood cells are responsible for fighting viruses, bacteria and other infectious diseases.

• Along with white and red blood cells, platelets are also present in blood. Platelets are responsible for blood clotting whenever bleeding occurs because of a cut or bruise. This prevents the unwanted loss of blood.

• Platelets, plasma and red blood cells are constantly produced by bone marrow.

• An adult body contains

We can help!

60,000 miles of blood vessels.

• Humans can have an artificial heart but there is absolutely no substitute for human blood. There is no such thing as artificial blood.

• Pus may seem kind of disgusting but it is actually nothing but white blood cells that died while defending our body against infections.

• The only place where blood cannot be found in the human body is the cornea (eye) because it is capable of extracting oxygen directly from air.

• The supply of blood in the blood vessels located in the nose increases when someone catches a cold. This happens to keep the nose warm. As a result of this, blood vessels dilate and increase mucus production and lead to a runny nose.

• Mosquitoes prefer blood Type O more than other blood types.

PERSPECTIVES

Arbor Day

By Craig Foss Reader Contributor This year, Friday, April 29 marks the 150th anniversary of the tree planter’s holiday, Arbor Day. Did you know that 40% of Idaho is covered in trees? Forests cover more than 21 million acres — that’s larger than the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

One million acres of trees are on Idaho Endowment forestlands, which are managed by the Idaho Department of Lands for the benefit of endowment beneficiaries, primarily public schools. Another 20 million acres of forestland are divided between federal ownership (17 million acres) and private ownership (3 million acres). In addition, Idaho’s communities provide urban forests, benefiting the people who live there.

Forests provide clean air,

remove and store carbon dioxide, send fresh oxygen into the air, provide habitat for wildlife, clean water through our watersheds and opportunities for recreation. Sixty-three percent of Idaho’s water comes from the forests.

Idaho forests also provide more than $2.4 billion in state economic contributions through the timber industry, with a goal of sustainability and stewardship.

Idaho Code requires that harvests adhere to strict environmental rules and reforestation requirements. The process is to manage, harvest, plant and repeat.

Harvested forests are required by state code to be replanted. Last year IDL planted nearly 2 million seedlings after harvests and fires.

For every tree harvested, seven seedlings are planted in its place.

This year efforts are underway to plant 2.4 million seedings on endowment forests.

It is vital that IDL manage

How federal, state, local and private parties collaborate to keep Idaho forests healthy its forests in a sustainable, fire resilient way, as the timber is an investment for the endowments now and for many generations to come. The revenue helps support Idaho’s public schools and other important beneficiaries.

Proper management is imperative for all ownerships, as unmanaged forests are more at risk for catastrophic wildfires that can threaten communities. This is especially true as we see more people move into the wildland urban interface. A catastrophic fire damages the soil, removes vegetation leading to increased soil delivery into streams, decreases the value of the timber and impacts recreational opportunities for many years.

Removing infested and dying trees, thinning healthy stands so trees can grow larger and stronger, and removing ladder fuels allows wildfire to move through the forest floor quickly, resulting in a resilient forest instead of a devastated forest.

Courtesy photo.

Through our No Boundaries Forestry Initiative, IDL works with many federal, local and private partners to manage forestland on federal, state and private land. By working together, entire landscapes, watersheds and communities are being made more fire resilient.

With the increasing frequency of drought, limited fire resourc-

es and severe fire seasons, we all need to take steps to prevent human caused wildfire, increase property resilience to fire,and protect Idaho’s forests. For more information visit idl.idaho.gov and idahoforests.org.

Craig Foss is an Idaho state forester.

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COMMUNITY

The beets are back in town

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

With the onset of sunny spring days, a big part of Sandpoint’s seasonal transition returns this weekend, with the kickoff of the 2022 Sandpoint Farmers’ Market on Saturday, April 30. Market hours will be 10 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday and 3-5:30 p.m. every Wednesday through Oct. 1.

An institution since 1988, when a handful of vendors gathered to sell garden produce, the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market has grown into one of the hottest activities for locals and visitors alike. Featuring dozens of vendors selling everything from locally-grown produce to arts and crafts and jewelry, the market’s opening day signals the official beginning of the warm seasons in Sandpoint.

“Opening day is an exciting day for everyone,” said Kelli Burt, who is entering her fifth season managing the market.

“I get to meet new vendors, check in with returning vendors and reconnect with our customers. It’s like the first day of school

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after summer vacation.”

Burt said the winter season is usually spent reviewing vendor applications, booking live music and applying for grants to help cover costs during the season.

For Burt, the return of locally grown produce is one of the most exciting aspects of the market’s annual return to Farmin Park, at the corner of Third Avenue and Oak Street.

“I really look forward to fresh vegetables at the start of Market season,” she said. “The first few weeks of the market is a really sweet time of getting to know the newcomers and catching up with returning vendors. The market community really is a special place and I love connecting with vendors and customers.”

Burt said this year will see quite a few new vendors, as well as past vendors returning to offer their farm, food and craft specialties.

Local band Oak Street Connection will play live on opening day from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and live music will be featured at every Saturday Market.

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market open for the season April 30

The market is also a proud participant of the SNAP/DUFB program.

SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which bolsters the food budget for people in need. DUFB stands for Double Up Food Bucks, an Idaho program that matches your fruit and vegetable purchases when using the Quest Card. Customers with an EBT can visit the manager’s booth at the market to redeem funds to purchase food from vendors. Thanks to the assistance of the Idaho Farmers’ Market Association, the Community Action League, Kaniksu Land Trust and the Bonner Community Food Bank, the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market is able to double the withdrawal amount of customers up to $10.

According to Burt, the market is more than just a place to buy produce and crafts,

A selection of produce at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market. Photo by Ben Olson. it’s a big piece of Sandpoint’s community.

“The Farmers’ Market is a cornerstone of the Sandpoint community and has been for over 35 years,” she said.

“For a relatively small town we are really blessed with a wide variety of dedicated and innovative farmers. We have a short growing season and farmers are still able to grow an incredible amount of food.”

COMMUNITY

Packed for Portugal

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff On paper, Cindy Marx is retiring. In reality, she is launching on a grand adventure.

Marx will work her last day as executive director of Sandpoint nonprofit Community Cancer Services on Friday, April 29, and then spend the next several months preparing to move herself, her husband, her mother-in-law, two dogs and a cat to Portugal.

“I am so ready for it,” she said with a laugh, taking time to talk to the Reader during her last week in the CCS office.

Over her lifetime, Marx has been a career chameleon — that is, she has done whatever work needed to be done, and she did it well. She has coached gymnastics, worked at health clubs, served as a volunteer EMT, been a ranch hand, done human resources, worked at a winery and, since 2016, been with CCS. “This was my semi-retirement job, and it was something I was passionate about,” said Marx, who moved to Sandpoint in 1990. “I was going to be able to give back to an organization I greatly appreciated, and knew the value of.

I was going to be working fewer hours, making less money, but I was going to be doing something

important in the community.”

Marx knew the value of CCS because she had been a client, fighting breast cancer in both 2005 and 2008. She learned about the organization’s services firsthand, and joined the board in 2014. In 2016, she became an employee and worked hard to implement new software to better manage fundraising. Since then, several local nonprofits have adopted the same programming and recruited Marx to help them do it.

“We were managing our events on yellow legal pads,” Marx said of CCS prior to her being hired.

“It was pretty typical for the size of organization we were, and in the area at the time.”

Marx said that while there are many national cancer nonprofits lobbying for financial support, “they don’t do a lot for small rural Idaho.”

CCS strives to put the donations and grants they earn directly into the pockets of local people fighting cancer by offering gas vouchers, lodging assistance, counseling and other services free of charge.

“One person gets diagnosed with cancer — that affects their family,” Marx said. “If they’ve got kids in school or there’s a teacher involved, it affects the school system. It affects whatever work place they’re working at. It affects the whole community whenever

one person gets this diagnosis. It profoundly affects the person who gets the diagnosis, obviously, but it also affects the whole community. So we support the whole community, and it’s not just Sandpoint — it’s all of Bonner County and all of Boundary County.”

Marx said she has been “amazed and overwhelmed by the support of the community” during her 30 years in North Idaho. She said she’s used her time at CCS to share her own cancer story with clients, urging them to learn lessons from the difficult time.

“In hindsight, when I got my second diagnosis — I’m not a goto-church religious person — but I just looked at the sky and said, ‘What didn’t I get the first time?’”

Marx said with a laugh. “That was one of the things that led me to be here. I needed to shift my life, I needed to shift my job, I needed to get to a place where I was giving back. That was my big life lesson.”

To learn more about Community Cancer Services, visit

Cindy Marx, known for her work with Community Cancer Services, retires

communitycancerservices.com.

Stay tuned for information about Marx’s retirement party (which will double as a CCS fundraiser) later this summer.

Cindy Marx enjoys a snack in Portugal while visiting in October. Her family will move there after she retires from Community Cancer Services. Courtesy photo.

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FEATURE

2022 summer

CAMP GUIDE

Looking for somewhere to send your kiddos this summer? Whether you’re looking for day camps, overnighters, music, theater or outdoor activities, we have a lot of great options in North Idaho. Here is our annual Summer Camp Guide highlighting some popular choices for summer camp.

Compiled by Ben Olson Reader Staff

Schweitzer Summer Adventure Camp Ages 6-10 First week of camp is June 20-24, Last week is Aug. 15-19 Hiking, crafts, swimming, village activities.

208-263-9555 x 2271 schweitzer.com Camp costs $250 ($225 for Schweitzer passholders) per child, per week, and includes transportation from the bottom of the mountain. Campers get to hike, ride the chairlift, play games in the village, climb the rock wall, sluice to find gemstones, swim daily, use the trampoline jumper and more.

Registration begins online May 1.

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Twin Eagles Summer Camps Ages 6-18 Six different camps over six weeks.

208-265-3685 twineagles.org Day camps: June 13-July 15 Ages 6-13 Nature Adventurers Day Camp: June 13-17 Wilderness Survival Day Camp: June 20-24 Forest Arts: July 4-8 Crafts and Foraging Day Camp: July 11-15 Overnight camps: Late July-Aug. Ages 10-13: July 24-29 Ages 13-18: Aug. 2-7 Day and residential. Deep nature connection men-

toring. Wilderness survival, nature awareness, animal tracking, primitive skills, natural crafts, wild edible and medicinal plants.

Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education (SOLE) Ages 4-17 June-August Outdoor science day camps, outdoor leadership day camps and outdoor leadership backcountry expeditions.

928-351-SOLE (7653) soleexperiences.org info@soleexperiences.org During the summer months, 501c3 experiential education nonprofit Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education utilizes local landscapes to help youths unplug

< see CAMP, Page 15 >

< CAMP, Con’t from Page 14 > and reconnect to develop a sense of belonging and affinity for nature. Summer programs have a thematic design so every “SOLE Experience” is unique session to session, year to year. All camp sessions are led by credentialed staff and feature low instructor-to-student ratios, ensuring that participants’ needs are met.

Music Conservatory of Sandpoint 110 Main St., Sandpoint 208-265-4444 sandpointconservatory.org Summer Academy 2022 Session 1 — July 11-22: Piano, percussion, marimba, ukulele, musical theater and flute (in collaboration with Bella Noté).

Session 2 — Aug. 1-12: Choir, youth orchestra, handbell, instrument art factory and advanced orchestra.

Music theory is taken each session regardless of the number of majors chosen.

Two majors per session: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Single major per session: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (varies by major) Summer Academy Orchestra Camp The Magic of Symphony, with guest conductor Jan Pellant.

Tuition: 1 Major (half day in 1 session): $175 2 Majors (full day in 1 session): $225 3 Majors (1 full session + half day): $325 4 Majors (full day in 2 sessions): $400 Ask about sibling discounts.

Register at sandpointconservatory.org/summer-academy-2022.

Sandpoint Waldorf School camps Contact the Sandpoint Waldorf School for more information and registration forms. 208-265-2683

admin@sandpointwaldorf.org Sun, Dirt and Bugs Day Camp Ages 4-6 years July 5-30, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Summer is meant to be spent outdoors! At SWS, children enjoy summer days of imaginative play under the guidance of early childhood staff: Eleni Williams, Jennifer Strong and Brenna McCourt. Activities include nature walks, water play, cooking, gardening, crafts, storytelling, music and more. Snacks are provided. Students bring their own lunch, sun protection and swim wear (so they can get wet in the sprinklers).

Weekly enrollment available. Camp size is limited to 12 students.

Celebrating Cultures around the World Ages 6-12 July 5-30, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cost: $220/week July 11-Aug. 5 Each day, attendees will focus on a different culture through crafting, gardening, drama, playing games and stories. Olga Lambert, SWS handwork teacher, and Hiroko Tanaka, SWS Japanese teacher, will be instructing the children in cultural crafts and cooking. garden teacher and Pedagogical Director Julie McCallan will lead the children in tending the garden and harvesting from it. For lunch each day, she will guide the children in preparing a traditional meal from the culture of the day. The children will compile their own recipe book and perform a play at the end of each week. The entire day will be spent outdoors, with time in the afternoon for water play and outings.

Jeglum from Spokane, Wash. Violin, viola, cello and bass students are invited to participate. Attendees must be able to read music well and have played their instrument for at least two years. Students will have the option to participate in adjudications and a master class. The camp will also have a fiddle and improve workshop as well as a Suzuki Book 1 Rep class for students who are still learning to read music. Students will tie dye their camp shirts for the final performances on Friday evening and at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 6.

Cost for this camp is $195, which includes camp shirt and materials. Early bird registration $175, due

by July 20.

Camp will take place in Sandpoint. To register and for more information email info@suzukistringacademy.com or visit suzukistringacademy.com.

Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater Youth Summer Camp July 11-Aug. 6 Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. lporepertory@gmail.com lporep.com LPO Repertory youth summer camp will be a full production experience for the young thespian.

Students will experience all there is to a theatrical production from auditions to set design and ultimately a performance in the historic Panida Theater. This year’s production will be an adaptation of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan by Greg Sodaro. Ages 8-17. Registration opens May 15.

Summer Strings Festival 2022 Aug. 3-5 208-304-9085 suzukistringacademy.com info@suzukistringacademy.com The Suzuki Strings Festival three-day intensive highlights an orchestra with guest conductor Michele

All photos on facing page and this page submitted by Dennison Webb from Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education.

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COMMUNITY

Idaho Trails Association teaching free Backpacking 101 course

By Reader Staff The Idaho Trails Association will host a free, three-hour Backpacking 101 presentation Thursday, May 12 in Sagle.

Beginners and seasoned hikers alike are invited to learn more about backpacking from 6-9 p.m. at a shop owned by ITA Board Member and Crew Leader Tom Dabrowski, located at 877 Heath Lake Road.

Attendees will learn the basics of backpacking and get hands-on experience with the needed gear, as well as gain instruction in different backpacks and other important equipment, what to carry for an overnight

Photo by Ben Olson. or even a week-long trip, how to pack your backpack, tips for making your load lighter and how to stay safe in the backcountry.

RSVP for the free class at idahotrailsassociation.org/event/trail-talks-backpacking101-in-sandpoint.

LillyBrooke Family Justice Center to host Kids’ Fair

By Reader Staff LillyBrooke Family Justice Center will host its second annual Kids’ Fair on Friday, April 29, opening its doors to the community in an effort to spread awareness about local services for victims of domestic violence.

LillyBrooke Family Justice Center is a facet of the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office meant to serve as a safe haven for victims of family violence, including child abuse, sexual assault, stalking and more.

The center, located at 227 S. First Ave. in Sandpoint, offers a place for crisis intervention, counseling, forensic interviews, and a place to file police reports or civil protective orders. By offering these services in

Free seedlings given away for Arbor Day

By Reader Staff As part of the celebration of Arbor Day, the Idaho Department of Lands has partnered with the Idaho Forest Products Commission to provide free seedlings to the people of Idaho. On Friday, April 29, every IDL office throughout the state will offer seedlings while they last.

Seedlings will be available at the following locations: IDL Pend Oreille Lake Supervisory Area (2550 Highway 2 West, Sandpoint); All Seasons Garden Center and Floral (31831 Highway 200, Kootenai); IDL Kootenai Valley Forest Protective District (6327 Main St., Bonners Ferry); and IDL Priest Lake Supervisory Area (4053 Cava-

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a single, secure location, LillyBrooke staff hopes to decrease local domestic violence and strengthen offender accountability.

The 2022 Kids’ Fair gives the community a chance to visit LillyBrooke facilities and learn more about the center’s mission.

The event, taking place from 2-6 p.m., will feature games, prizes, face painting and a DJ playing music requests. There will also be free BBQ food and ice cream. Kids will have a chance to interact with police, firefighters and emergency services personnel at the fair.

To learn more about the 2022 Kids’ Fair and stay up-to-date on any event changes, find LillyBrooke Family Justice Center on Facebook at facebook.com/teamlillybrooke.

To learn more about LillyBrooke, head to lillybrookefjc.org. naugh Bay Road, Coolin).

In addition to the role played by forests in protecting watersheds, producing oxygen and providing habitat for wildlife, urban forests also provide benefits to communities, including: • Absorbing the sounds of traffic by 40%; • Keeping neighborhoods seven to nine degrees cooler; • Reducing energy costs up to 25% by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds; • Increasing the property values of homes; • Absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

IDL and the Idaho Forest Products Commission encourage Idahoans to do their part this Arbor Day and plant a tree.

FOOD & DRINK

Passing the pint Meet the new owners of Idaho Pour Authority

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff When Erin Brannigan heard that Idaho Pour Authority owners Ben and Jeannie Higgs might be looking to sell the craft beer store located on Cedar Street in downtown Sandpoint, he saw a rare opportunity.

“I told [Ben] that I was interested in buying and bringing in two of my best friends,” Brannigan, an employee of the store, said — those friends being local couple Josh and Dani Hedlund.

As for the “why,” Brannigan summed it up pretty succinctly: “We are huge fans of Sandpoint and huge fans of beer.”

After closing the store for a couple of weeks to ensure the proper licensing was in place, the new owners will host a grand reopening of Idaho Pour Authority on Saturday, April 30. The store’s hours are noon-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and 3-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

After weeks of waiting, the crew is excited about getting back to what they love: sharing craft brews with a varied cast of customers, from friends to regulars to those visiting from out of town.

“We accept all-comers and I think it’s been like that the entire time,” Brannigan said, adding later: “The customers are really excellent people from all walks of life.”

Though the Hedlunds have never had a chance to work at Idaho Pour Authority, they’ve been longtime fans of the business.

“I’ve always wanted to work here,” Dani said. “It was time for something new, and this opportunity popped up.”

The chance to “carry the torch” for original owners Jon Hagadone and Vicki Reich, as well as Ben and Jeannie Higgs, was part of the appeal for Josh, Dani and Brannigan.

“It’s an honor to keep their legacy going,” Josh said. “I think this place is an institution at this point.”

The new crew admires the Higgses for keeping the business going — es-

pecially as they purchased the business only weeks before the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020.

“They’re just such good people in general,” Brannigan said. “It’s been a pleasure working with them. They did not fold in the face of adversity.”

There are currently no plans to change the offerings at Idaho Pour Authority, so customers can expect the same wide selection of beers (over 300 different kinds), as well as wine, seltzers, ciders, cheese platters and locally made pub pretzels.

It’s the kind of variety and quality that “you can’t find anywhere else around this area,” Dani said.

There will also continue to be live music at the store, as well as fundraisers for local nonprofits. It’s those community-based events that have made Idaho Pour Authority the “institution,” in Josh’s words, that it remains almost a decade after opening.

This will be Brannigan and Josh’s second business venture together, as they co-owned

From left to right: Erin Brannigan, Josh Hedlund and Dani Hedlund have taken over ownership of Idaho Pour Authority. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

Main Street Music in the early aughts.

Josh said he is looking forward to getting back into the downtown scene.

“We’ve had an outpouring of support from the community, and from the downtown business family, which is what I missed for a long time — not being a part of that family,” Josh said. “It’s fun coming to work downtown everyday.”

Idaho Pour Authority is located at 203 Cedar St. The store will host a grand reopening under new ownership on Saturday, April 30 when the doors open at noon. Learn more at idahopourauthority.com. Also follow the store on Facebook and Instagram.

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events

April 28 - May 5, 2022

THURSDAY, April 28

Bonner Co. Farm Bureau Candidates’ Forum • 6pm @ Clark Fork Hope Senior Ctr. Meet candidates for Bonner Co. positions. 1001 Cedar St., Clark Fork Cornhole • 6pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall: Every Thursday. $10 w/ 6-game guarantee

Lost in the ’50s Fundraiser • 4-8pm @ I Saw Something Shiny A DJ will be spinning ’50s tunes, silent auction, raffles and fun. 313 N. First Ave.

FriDAY, April 29

Live Music w/ Luke Yates & Chrissy Lee 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 7B Baggers Cornhole Club Tournament 6pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds sandpointcornhole@gmail.com for info Kids Fair 2022 2-6pm @ LillyBrooke Family Justice Ctr. Back for the second year with games, prizes, free BBQ, face painting and ice cream. Located at 227 S. First Ave. Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 7-9pm @ The Back Door Bar Live Music w/ Amaya & Alexa 5-8pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

Live Music w/ John Firshi 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Eclectic mix of skillful guitar songs Downtown Sandpoint Spring Fling 10am-6pm @ Downtown Sandpoint The Sandpoint Shopping District’s annual spring sale, with 29 downtown shops, retaurants and bars participating. Visit downtownsandpoint.com for more info Celebrating Making Do reception 5-7pm @ Sandpoint Organic Ag. Center A collaborative and educational textile exhibit. Reception Friday night 5-7 p.m., open house Sat. April 30 12-4 p.m.

SATURDAY, April 30 Live Music w/ Sweet Lillies 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Colorado-based string band Live Music w/ BTP 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ KOSH 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Acoustic vocal/soloist with wide genres Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 7-9pm @ The Back Door Bar

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market Opening Day! 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park They’re back! Shop for fresh produce and artisan goods every Sat. and Wed. BCRCC debate for County, State 12:15 & 2:35pm @ Sandpoint Library Candidates for Bonner Co. commissioner race from 12:15-2:15pm, candidates for State Rep. 1A from 2:35-4:35pm

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Rally to support Ukraine 1-2pm @ Hwy 2 bike path by Superior St.

SunDAY, may 1

monDAY, may 2

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “Lump: Personal Forgiveness” Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

Candidates’ Forum for Bonner County 5:30pm @ SHS auditorium All candidates from contested races in Bonner County have been invited for this candidates’ forum hosted by the Reader, sandpointonline.com and KRFY. Unable to attend? Tune in to 88.5FM

tuesDAY, may 3

Candidates’ Forum for Legislative District 1 races • 5:30pm @ SHS auditorium All candidates from contested races for Idaho Senate and House in Dist. 1 have been invited for this candidates’ forum hosted by the Reader, sandpointonline.com and KRFY. OE and Longleaf Wilderness Safety Series • 6-7:30pm @ Outdoor Experience Musculoskeletal injuries and splinting. Register at longleafmedical.com/oe. $25/class Shelby Rognstad campaign fundraiser • 5-8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Two time periods available for dinner. Register here: fb.me/e/1JvsY9fPY

wednesDAY, may 4

Live Music w/ Jake Raider 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park

ThursDAY, may 5

Artist Reception for Karen Robinson • 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Stop by to meet Karen, appreciate her artowrk and enjoy a glass of wine 18 /

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COMMUNITY

Celebrate Making Do collaborative exhibit opening at SOAC

By Reader Staff Bits and pieces of fabric, flour sacks, snips of ribbons and repurposed buttons all contributed to the creative housewife’s ability to “make do” when clothing their families in the early 1900s. These fiber artistic talents are being highlighted at a unique exhibit at the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center (10881 N. Boyer Road).

A reception will be held for this educational textile exhibit from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, April 29, with hors d’oeuvres served

by Ivano’s Catering. An open house is also scheduled for Saturday, April 30 from noon-4 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

All ages are invited to attend both events.

This gallery showing is a collaborative effort between the University of Idaho Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences, POAC, Bonner County Historical Society and Museum, the Sandpoint Organic Agricultural Center and Pend Oreille Arts Council. Members of the Bosom Buddies Quilting Group will be

Jan Stolz, left, and Linda Aavedal, right, at a collaborative exhibit at Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center. Courtesy photo. in attendance to explain how women used quilting techniques both in the past and present day.

“This exhibit celebrates the meticulous art of creating the essential fabrics of life,” POAC Art Coordinator Claire Christy said.

“Antique, vintage, and modern-day textiles and furnishings, accompanied by informative descriptions, educate viewers about the history behind each piece. This is an extraordinary exhibit you won’t want to miss.”

For more information visit artinsandpoint.org or call the POAC office at 208263-6139.

STAGE & SCREEN

The many gospels of the Caped Crusader

New release The Batman adds little to its foundational text

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Watching Batman movies is starting to feel like going to church. Every time we have a new interpretation of the “Caped Crusader” on TV or in theaters, we dutifully sit for a retelling of the same story and line up behind our various preferred sects. There are the Adam West-ian Originalists, the Reformed Keaton-ites, Clooney-ates and Kilmer-ist Skeptics, as well as followers of Bale-ist Revivalism and the odd adherent to the Affleck Heresy.

This isn’t even taking into account the devotees of Animated and Expanded Universalism, who encompass any number of schisms ranging from Justice Leaguers to Suicide Squadists and Joker-ists to worshipers of the Cult of Harley Quinn.

Now we must add Existential Pattison-ianism to the ever-expanding Batman canon.

Released in theaters in March and now streaming on HBO Max, Robert Pattison dons the mantle for his titular turn in The Batman, but offers little to alter the foundational text.

Directed by Matt Reeves, this iteration of Batman is as grim, seedy and overcast as the darkest chapters in Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy,” but lacking those films’ essential inventiveness and verve.

That hasn’t mattered much at the box office. The film has already grossed $365 million in the U.S. and garnered a respectable 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still, with its almost three-hour runtime, The Batman feels like it should have accomplished more than simply giving us another version of broody Bruce Wayne, another put-upon-but-steadfast Alfred (Andy Serkis), another slinky-deadly-ethically-iffy Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) and another harried last-good-cop Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright).

Despite these all being fine performers, they fail to break in any significant ways from the templates established by Nolan’s singular vision 17 years ago. The notable exceptions are with Gotham’s villains.

John Turturro provides an unexpected mingling of menace and paternalism as crime boss Carmine Falcone. Colin Farrell submerges himself entirely in the role of Falcone’s henchman Oz, a.k.a., the Penguin, meanwhile providing the only glimmers of humor in this otherwise bleak environment of urban decay and rain-bloated skies.

Courtesy photo.

The real standout is Paul Dano as the Riddler. Dano brings a truly unsettling level of unhinged malevolence to the character, pushing him from the prancing goofball portrayed by Jim Carrey in 1995’s Batman Forever into a serial killer with a twisted moral mission.

The Riddler conceals his identity in a clunky leather suit, murdering Gotham’s political leaders in ultra-violent ways that are often reminiscent of the maniacal torture devices in the Saw franchise. He then leaves deviously contrived clues and cards for Batman at the crime scenes, drawing him further and further into revealing the conspiracy that has resulted in the city’s physical and moral rot.

Meanwhile, the Riddler’s online followers construct an army of ersatz mini-Riddlers itching to dish out similar Old Testament-style punishment against the “liars” who have turned Gotham into a sewer of corruption.

Amid this upswell of popular violence — and the mounting evidence that the Riddler really is hacking away at the city’s criminal superstructure — Batman is forced to consider his own moral ambiguity as a self-appointed law enforcer. That’s nothing new in the world of Batman and Pattison portrays these ruminations with a particularly doleful variety of angst, which is juxtaposed against the single-minded self-righteousness of Kravitz’s Catwoman. Both become tedious long before the end credits.

Uninspiring and rote, the ostensible heroes in The Batman never quite leave their own mark on their long-familiar characters.

Following that, I suspect Existential Pattison-ianism will end up as an offshoot of Bale-ist Revivalism, perhaps even one day to be overshadowed by the Dano-ic apostles of the Riddler.

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MUSIC

Festival at Sandpoint announces final acts for 2022

The Revivalists, Gregory Alan Isakov featuring Shook Twins and the Spokane Symphony round out the bill

By Ben Olson Reader Staff The Festival at Sandpoint concluded its ongoing announcements of upcoming performances for the 2022 concert series, set to take place from July 28-Aug. 7.

Chart-topping rock band The Revivalists will kick off the twoweek concert series on Thursday, July 28. The eight-piece band is known for their energetic take on rock, with inspirations leaning toward folk, pop and soul. Formed in 2007 in New Orleans, the band had been grinding for a decade when their now platinum-selling single “Wish I Knew You” took off, setting a record for most single-week spins ever at Alternative Radio and becoming a mainstream phenomenon with nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

New hit songs from their fourth studio album Take Good Care, including critically acclaimed “All My Friends” and “Change,” have become instant fan favorites and are adding to their more than 410 million total streams.

The Revivalists have played a number of notable television shows, including Austin City Limits, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, TODAY and more.

General admission tickets will be $54.95. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the music begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Festival at Sandpoint also

announced the Grand Finale lineup, featuring the Spokane Symphony, a professional orchestra that is no stranger to the big white tent.

The group performs pieces from a multitude of genres and origins, emphasizing the tremendous talent of each performer. The Grand Finale will take place Sunday, Aug. 7.

Conducting the Spokane Symphony will be Morihiko Nakahara, who has spent 15 seasons as the music director and conductor of the South Carolina Philharmonic, 16 years as resident conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra and director of Orchestral Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

He is well-known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire.

As the annual tradition goes, a fireworks display will mark the end of another season of music, typically set to go off in tandem with the final strains of the Spokane Symphony’s grand finale.

General admission tickets will be $39.95 and kids 12 and under get in for $9.95. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and there will be a complimentary wine tasting from 5-7 p.m.

The music will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Rounding out the announce-

ments this week is one that is sure to generate some whoops and cheers.

Indie-folk singer-songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov will be playing with special guests, Sandpoint’s very own Shook Twins on Friday, Aug. 5.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa and now calling Colorado home, horticulturist-turned-musician Gregory Alan Isakov has become an impressive presence on the indie-rock and folk scene with his five full-length studio albums, including Evening Machines, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album.

Isakov tours internationally with his band and has performed with several national symphony orchestras across the U.S. In addition to owning his independent record label, Suitcase Town Music, he also manages a small farm in Boulder, Colo., which provides produce to CSA members and local restaurants.

Since their 2008 debut You Can Have the Rest, Shook Twins

Clockwise from the top: The Spokane Symphony, The Revivalists, Shook Twins and Gregory Alan Isakov. Courtesy photos. combine folk, Americana, cinematic instrumentation and hummable melodies that have captured Sandpoint’s hearts. Twin sisters Katelyn and Laurie Shook are joined by Niko Slice, Aber Miller and a rotating quiver of dynamic drummers. They have performed at Red Rocks Amphitheater with Isakov and Ani DiFranco, in addition to sharing bills with The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, Sarah Jarosz, The Wood Brothers and many others.

This is one you don’t want to miss. General admission tickets are on sale for $49.95. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the music begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit festivalatsandpoint. com or email info@festivalatsandpoint.com.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint The Sweet Lillies, Eichardt’s Pub, April 30 This past February, Colorado-based string band The Sweet Lillies were booked to play The Longshot in Sandpoint — that is, until their van broke down mid-tour.

Those who planned to see the lively three-piece play during Winter Carnival will now have a second chance as The Sweet Lillies take over the Eichardt’s stage on Saturday.

The band, which draws on appreciation for all genres to create its unique Americana sound, features Julie Gussaroff on upright bass, guitar and mandolin; Becca

Bisque on viola and percussion; and Dustin Rohleder on guitar.

The Sweet Lillies tour extensively to share their love for music with communities across the country, and according to an interview with the Reader leading up to the band’s canceled February show, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey 7 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com. Listen at sweetlillies.com.

KOSH, Pend d’Oreille Winery, April 30 Coeur d’Alene-based KOSH will return to the Pend d’Oreille Winery — where he has become a favorite performer — for another set of classic and contemporary covers and tributes.

Formerly of the San Francisco area, KOSH’s pedigree includes ’80s metal band Tsunami and he has shared the stage with the likes of Bret Michaels, Metallica, Heart, Billy Squier, Lover Boy, Hagar and Cheap Trick, among others.

Given his resume, it’s a feature of KOSH’s act that he can span musical styles and eras in a way that looks effortless, but those who know better recognize as the product of talent honed by long experience shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greats.

— Zach Hagadone

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

You’ve likely seen the movie, but have you read the book?

Astronaut Jim Lovell combined forces with Jeffrey Kluger in 1994 to pen the memoir Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, which became the film we all know and love. Lovell’s book is a great companion piece to the 1995 film, providing a lot more detail to the events leading up to the doomed voyage. The book is a fantastic story about science, space and human perseverance in the face of catastrophe.

LISTEN

I’m not much of a fan of his politics, but Billy Corgin’s band The Smashing Pumpkins is one of those nostalgic treats for me. When I hear Corgin’s nasal voice and the overdriven guitar riffs, the sounds combine to take me right back to the mid-1990s, when I was a lost teenager trying to figure out where I fit in this big world. The Smashing Pumpkins provided remastered versions of all their albums on Spotify, so check them out. Siamese Dream will always be my favorite.

WATCH

When the case of Michelle Carter made it to the news in 2015, I was confused and appalled by what she was accused of. Thanks to the Hulu original series, The Girl from Plainville, I’m able to further understand this complicated case and what Carter’s role was in encouraging Conrad Roy’s suicide over text messaging. Understanding that this re-creation probably takes some dramatic liberties to keep the series moving forward, I think Hulu did a great job explaining everything.

Actress Elle Fanning even looks exactly like the real Michelle Carter in this series. It’s uncanny.

5 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-2658545, powine.com. Listen at koshmusic.com.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

Passenger seat past From Pend d’Oreille Review, April 22, 1910

DOPED BUT NOT ROBBED LUMBERJACK GIVEN ENOUGH KNOCKOUT DROPS TO KILL FIVE MEN Patrick Myers, who has been working on a log drive on the Clark Fork river near Cabinet gorge, arrived in the city Monday, and started in to celebrate. After taking several drinks in the saloons on this side he went across the creek where he visited several resorts. He states that he had only one drink on the east side. He returned to the west side and knew nothing from then on until he awoke in his room in a lodging house at the corner of First avenue and Cedar street where he was taken by some of his companions.

Feeling sick at the stomach he had a physician summoned who at once realized that the man had been administered knockout drops.

By using a stomach pump a great deal of the poison was taken from Myers’ stomach a sufficient quantity it is claimed, to have killed four or five men. Myers says he has no idea in what place he was doped. Before leaving the lodging house he left most of hismoney with his landlady and was minus only what money he “blew in.” Myers has entirely recovered from the effects of the poison.

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By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff It is a spring evening, nearing sunset, after a warm day. The smell of sun-baked lakebed and blooming skunk cabbage fills the car, carried by a loud rush of air through the lowered driver’s-side window — uncomfortable at 60 miles an hour, but not as uncomfortable as the uncharted territory occupying the passenger seat.

I roll up the windows and keep my eyes fixed on the highway in the sudden silence.

Time to say something.

“It’s pretty cool you quit biting your nails,” I offer.

She glances toward my hands — the left slumped on the steering wheel, the right on my knee — and sees the tattered cuticles on my 26-year-old hands.

“Yeah, sorry — it didn’t last long,” I say with an apologetic half smile.

She, the 12-year-old Lyndsie, picks at the silver nail polish on her brittle thumb nail and fights the urge to nibble at the fragile corner.

I keep my eyes on the road for the most part, though I can’t help but glance toward the passenger seat every so often to take mental notes. The black sweatshirt with holes in the cuffs for her small thumbs, casually hiding her perpetually sweaty palms.

The pink-and-black, dice-patterned Converse — a great find on eBay in 2008. Her bangs, partially grown out but not yet long enough for a ponytail, turned to wild whisps in the chaos of the windows-down car ride.

Her hands grapple absentmindedly, kneading and chipping. Her right knee bounces up and down.

“Do you have any questions?” I ask.

It seems like a relevant thing to say, but it sounds weird as it leaves my mouth — as if I would have any answers at all about how

STR8TS Solution

we got here, where we were going.

Silence. Then: “What song is this?”

Not “where do you live now?” or “are you and Caleb still madly in love?” or “did you get into the University of Montana?” or “why does your car smell like coffee and wet dog?” or “where are we driving to?”

But — “What song is this?”

“Oh, um, it’s called ‘Constant Headache.’ It’s by Joyce Manor, I think.” I glance toward my phone’s screen for confirmation. The album’s cover, and the four children on it — one of them looking directly at the camera — look back at me.

“I like it,” she offers.

Drowsy electric guitar and angry drums rip through the speakers. The lyrics are about unrequited love or a failing relationship, or something like that. It doesn’t matter. The vocalist is devastated in a way that makes the most obscure song memorable, and worthy of the playlist.

She hasn’t experienced anything close to devastating. She’s years away from fully feeling the song’s pain. Maybe I should prepare her.

“Me too,” is all I can muster.

The album came out in 2013. By then, the Lyndsie in my passenger seat will be 17 years old, a junior in high school. The tattered black hoodie will be in the back of the closet, the sneakers donated, the bangs grown out to full length.

We drive on.

Courtesy photo.

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey was inspired to write this work of fiction after considering what it would be like to meet her younger self.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution I guess one of the funniest memories of my grandfather was the time I was at his house and that tied-up man with the gag in his mouth came hopping out of the closet and started yelling that he was really my grandfather and the other guy was an imposter and to run for help. Who was that guy?!

Oh, well, never saw him again.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

carouse

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/kuh-ROUZ/ [verb (used without object)] 1. to engage in a drunken revel.

“After his team won the championship, Bert caroused around downtown into the early hours, ending up in the drunk tank at the police station.”

Corrections: No mistakes, gaffes, typos or dunderheaded booboos to report this week, folks. Take heart, there’s always next week. —BO

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Not barefoot 5. Specter 10. Catholic head 14. Guile 15. Sound 16. Tranquil scene 17. Act of showing affection 19. Standard 20. How old you are 21. Explosion 22. Diversions 23. Lay of the land 25. Overact 27. And more 28. Peed 31. Plenty 34. What something costs 35. Estimated time of arrival 36. Slim and muscular 37. Saltwater 38. Pack to capacity 39. East northeast 40. Proceeding 41. Adhesive 42. Refute 44. Not thin 45. Excuse 46. A communication 50. Engaged 52. Minimal 54. On behalf of 55. Diva’s solo 56. Enticement 58. Cravings

Solution on page 22 59. Nimble 60. Rear end 61. Wise 62. Discourage 63. P P P

DOWN 1. Perspiration 2. Door pivot 3. Not younger 4. D 5. Tasty clove 6. Not animal 7. Lyric poems 8. Melding of powdery metals 9. Youngster

10. Mexican party item 11. Mileage counters 12. Combustible pile 13. Shade trees 18. Diminish 22. Departed 24. Depend upon 26. Rodents 28. Liquid bodily waste 29. French for “State” 30. Woman of rank 31. Blown away 32. Short skirt 33. Foreshadowing 34. Prerogative 37. Doofus

38. Felines 40. Electrical distribution system 41. Noodles 43. Satisfy 44. Suppurate 46. A tree, leaf or syrup 47. Ardent 48. Long-necked migratory bird 49. Sea eagles 50. Methods 51. District 53. Broadcast 56. Small amount 57. Faucet April 28, 2021 /

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