READER
April 9, 2015 / FREE / Vol. 12 issue 12
d n i l B Ar t by
Dan Earle
@ the Hive
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(wo)MAN
Susan Drinkard on the street compiled by
Do you support the Rock Creek mine? “No ... I moved here three years ago for the quality of life—the beauty and natural resources. I’m in favor of keeping our water pristine.” Michelle Musia Paramedic Sandpoint
DEAR READERS,
Does this week’s Reader seem a little heavier in your hot little hands? Well, you’re not getting weaker, dear reader, we’ve grown. We have expanded our humble little rag from 16 to 20 pages, which means several things: 1. More arts and entertainment content, an expanded news page, and more room for advertising to accomodate our growing demand for space. 2. We now have the ability to really dig in and give you more in-depth features, with more photography and illustrations to accompany the articles. 3. More room for our regular columnists that you’ve grown to love. 4. Less sleep for Cameron and me, but hey, who needs sleep, right? We’ve got a lot of fun issues coming up. Don’t forget to send your Flash Fiction submissions into ben@sandpointreader.com by April 15th to be considered for our fiction contest. Remember, 500 words or less, and you must include the word “typewriter” somewhere in the piece. Also, keep those pet photographs coming. They’re looking great! -Ben Olson, Publisher
“No, I don’t want to see our lake polluted. I like swimming in it.”
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Dan Earle (cover), Daniel Cape, Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, TerraPan Geographics, Angela Euliarte Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Tim Henney, Michael Richardson, Jennifer Passaro, Ben Prez, Ted Bowers, Dan Eskelson
Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash. Subscription Price: $75 per year Advertising: Jen Landis jen@sandpointreader.com Renee Tibbetts calmtigermedia@gmail.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com
“Of course not. We don’t need to pollute or spoil this beautiful area in any way. Mines have long-lasting after effects. We want this lake to be as pristine as it is now for future generations.”
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.
Sally Washburn Retired teacher Hope
Hal Radeke Retired aerospace engineer Tradesman/plumber Sagle
111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com
Ezra Stafford Teacher, artist, bike technician, Community-based mental health specialist Sandpoint
“Anything that impacts our lake negatively I’m against.”
READER
it’s nice to meet you, neighbor
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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.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 500 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!
“It will ruin how beautiful and perfect this place is. I don’t think it will be safe to swim in it if the mine goes through.” Alexandria Brown High school sophomore Sandpoint
124 South 2nd Ave. sandpoint, IDaho (208)597-7499
www.sandpointpub.com
About the Cover This week’s cover is a special piece of art by Hope artist Dan Earle. It is one of 13 original pieces on display the whole month of April at Studio 524 at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters. Go to the opening of “Blind Art” this Friday, April 10th to meet the artist and see his wonderful work. The medium is acrylic paint and ink on paper blinds.
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COMMENTARY
Pear blossoms, marching accordions and side zippers By Nick Gier For SPR
When springtime arrives, I sometimes think of the pear blossoms around my childhood home in Oregon’s Rogue River Valley. On a sunny day with snow-clad Mt. McLoughlin the background, the valley was a sight to behold. During the summers of 1958-61, I picked pears at the various orchards around Medford and placed most of my wages in a savings account. My best day was 150 boxes, and at 15 cents a box that was a good day’s pay. One day my crew boss came by and asked me if I was going to use my savings to buy a jalopy. When I answered that I was saving it for college, he gave me a very puzzled look, as if he just realized that an alien being was working for him.
Growing up in Medford, I learned a rule of thumb about a child’s choice of musical instruments. Those on the East Side studied piano or violin, but those across the railroad tracks learned to play the accordion. All my life I have suffered the indignity of accordion jokes, and not a month goes by that someone doesn’t send me a new one. The all-time worst is a Far Side cartoon with two panels: In Heaven St. Peter is handing out harps, but in Hell the damned are lined up for their accordions. I never did like Donald Rumsfeld, but when he said that going to war with the French was like taking an accordion band on a hunting trip, that was the last reed for me. I now pause for a moment of silence for my two accordion teachers. My first was Eve “Mammy” Prentice, whose husband “Pappy” never said
a word and quietly fixed all the broken instruments, which were many because Mammy insisted on double fortissimo for all songs. All my life I’ve been in recovery from the following psychological injury. When Mammy ordered uniforms for our accordion marching band, she chose girls’ pants with a zipper on the side for everyone. What a blow to tender young boy egos! I have clear memories of the annual Pear Blossom Parade. Our prettiest girl was excused from playing and became our festival princesses enthroned on a float decorated with pear blossoms. Two by two (side zippers on the right) we marched on each side of the float, pumping out some spring-like tune. All that I can say is that at least it was not as silly as Woody Allen playing his cello in the marching band, trying to catch up with his chair
in “Take the Money and Run.” But with those heavy 120-bass instruments, many of us small folk would have enjoyed sitting down just for a moment. I will never forget having to go to see Mammy just before she died. She was dividing up the band fund among all its members. What she said to me is burned in my memory: “Nicky, you didn’t go on many band trips, did you?” Do I need to tell you what I do to people who ever call me “Nicky?” My second accordion teacher was Caesar Mussioli (I’m not making this up!), who came all the way out from Boston with his Cuban wife to take over the studio when Mammy retired at age at the ripe age of 94. Caesar was a great musician, and he could, unlike Mammy, actually play the accordion. Every Monday night we learned music theory from him, and for the first time we played harmonies so beautiful
that we could sooth a terrorist’s heart. Take that, Rumsfeld! The Cuban wife, not used to our quaint ways, left town early on in Caesar’s Southern Oregon career. Boy, did she have a temper! Every Monday night we would arrive for band practice, and we could hear them fighting upstairs. Caesar would come down all red-faced, but always with a big smile from ear to ear. My vision of the entry into Heaven is not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing in the background, but my concert accordion band (300 strong) playing the same note of some medley of Italian favorites. An ancient Eve Prentice will be directing, urging us to squeeze out the notes as loud as we possibly can. Nick Gier of Moscow graduated from Medford High School in 1962 and taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years.
Sometimes they come home By Ben Olson For SPR
In the March 26 issue of the Reader, our esteemed columnist Tim Henney wrote a piece about a lost dog flyer he saw posted around town by Lisa Jayne. The posters triggered old memories of his dog Chester B., who had finally turned up bloody and weak, with a gunshot wound. After a tough night of surgery, Chester B. lived happily for many years after. We’re happy to report that Lisa Jayne’s terrier Junie made it, too. “In the first week of March, Junie was out with my beagle, who broke the door open,” said Lisa Jayne. The small black and white pup failed to come home. Jayne was distraught. She lives on Gold Creek Road where wild animals are prevalent. Worst-case scenarios were running through her mind. “I had flyers made and 4 /
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started putting signs up everywhere,” said Jayne. “I had it written all over my car. I was a major drama queen.” In her canvassing efforts, Jayne stopped at the Pack River Store numerous times to spread the word. “They were so helpful there,” she said. “I got to know a lot of the people at the Pack River Store. I would go in there every day and cry, and a lot of people were talking about it.” Josh Johnson, who had heard about the lost dog at Pack River Store, had a sighting of Junie and tried to catch her, but the scared pup ran back into the woods. He then contacted Jayne and they both returned to the area with flashlights until Junie, bloody and weak, emerged from the woods and ran into her mother’s arms. “She had huge lesions all over her,” said Jayne. “They were scabbed over, and under her front leg a patch of flesh was missing.”
Jayne took Junie to Center Valley Veterinary Hospital, where Dr. Kathleen Caldwell performed surgery. “Junie did present with a number of wounds,” said Dr. Caldwell. “There were a couple on her left flank that were pretty deep, puncture-type wounds, and the pattern was suggestive of a claw or eagle-type talon grabbing her.” Dr. Caldwell said the dog’s size may have been what saved her. “She was probably dropped,” said Dr. Caldwell, “She’s a little bit heavy for an eagle to carry.” “One of the coolest parts about this,” said Jayne, “Is that while I was passing out flyers, I met so many wonderful people. They would give me advice, or sightings, or just encouragement. One of them said to leave a trail of laundry outside for the dog to follow home, so I had dirty laundry spread out all over Colburn Culver Road. I was a major wreck.” How’s Junie doing? According to Jayne, she’s bounced back from the ordeal and is happy and healthy, thanks to all of the people who helped this lost dog find her way home.
Lisa Jayne gives her terrier Junie a great big hug shortly after the scared pup returned home after being lost in the woods for days.
PERSPECTIVES IN
Illustration by Angela Euliarte
Scarlette ponders meteorology, “ski people” and projectile vomit
Snow. The S-word. The cold, freezing projectile vomit of the heavens. There is nothing like spending Easter Sunday wearing shorts and pretending to do yard work, only to wake up on Monday morning to a fullblown winter storm. Monday morning in April … complete with snow flakes and nipple-clenching frigid air. If you haven’t lived in North Idaho long, this can be a very perplexing phenomenon. In most parts of the country, weather goes along with whatever season you are in, and the difference between yesterday and today might be about 20 degrees and a little rain. The seasons gradually shift into one another, and in some areas there isn’t much change in the weather year-round. North Idaho’s weather gods don’t play that tender “love and logic” type of game. They are into hail, fire and brimstone (sometimes all within a one hour span in the middle of June). Spring can be a really touchy time of year for
all involved as you will leave for work one morning in May dressed in the cutest, springy, non-offending floral print work outfit, and by the time you make it to work, there’s three inches of snow. You are forced to do the walk of shame all day as your coworkers think you are a dipshit for not wearing Sorels. As a North Idaho resident, you have no control over this. You will learn that allowing “Mother Nature” to change personalities as often and violently as she wants to, without questioning, commenting on or cursing her, is the only way to stay in her good graces. I can tell you this emphatically. There was a time when I would whine all winter long about how I wanted to be topless on a beach in Tahiti, basking and napping in the sun while a manservant that looks like Ragnar from “Vikings” serves me up margaritas and splits my enemies’ heads with a hatchet. Every time I verbalized this desire, the sky would go pure white and start dumping white shit all over. I learned to keep my mouth shut. In fact, last winter, I did not complain about snow, or winter, or ridiculous plow trucks hellbent on keeping me captive in my driveway. I kept silent. I even went skiing. Skiing was, is, and always will be somewhat of a stretch for me, as I am about as good at skiing as I am baking a quiche. I was talked into facing the slopes and hurling my body down an ice-covered mountain
with only my ass—and alternately my face—to use as brakes, by a handsome ski devil (we all have our weaknesses). I wanted very badly to show him how much potential I had as an open-minded ski bunny. Never mind that I hadn’t been skiing since fifth grade, didn’t even own a pair of ski gloves and was only vaguely aware that Schweitzer offered activities other than drinking at Taps. I went. I did my best. I hobbled around on my ill-fitting rental boots like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man—if he was made of frost and freeze-dried snot. I forced smiles. I was passable to a point, pretty much owning the bunny hill. Mother Nature saw this as a challenge and decided to up the ante. She sent more wind and dropped the temperature. I had to move my entire head to look in any direction, as my eyeballs had frozen beneath my goggles. As I looked forward—never down, never to the side, and never into the eyes of anyone else on the hill that day—I rode the chairlift up the bunny hill for the twentieth or so time. That’s when Mother Nature decided to make sure that I continued to respect and fear her power and never again make the mistake of thinking I had an ounce of control in this winter world. I mistakenly glanced over at some huge chairlift they call “the Quad.” It was stopped, and not just for a minute or two, but for over an hour. As I stared at all the people hud-
dled in groups of four, freezing atop that monstrosity, I nearly missed getting off the lift. I attempted to stand upright at the last minute, which caused me to stiffly careen off the side of the chair ramp thing and into an unsuspecting lifty. He told me that the Quad was broken from it being too cold, and they would have to rescue the people off the lift. My memory is faded from the rescue part of this day, as I headed straight to the lodge and dove swiftly to the bottom of a Bloody Mary. I watched from the lodge as the stranded skiers were basically attached to a rope and had to repel off the chair. That’s how I remember it. My healthy fear of cold weather, snow, ice, and skiing was restored in that moment. However; I did not complain. Not once. I did not ask for summer. I did not curse the weather. I was determined to make my peace with a season that perhaps deserved a little more understanding. Then June rolled around and it started to get warmer. Apparently, not everyone has gotten the memo that Mother Nature doesn’t like to be told what to do, rushed or asked for petty favors. “Ski people” began posting pictures of Schwietzer and snow, wondering, ”When is it going to be ski season?” In July? In August? Really? Really guys? Can’t we just enjoy the season we are in while we are in it? Mother Nature, the weather
gods, whoever is responsible for the weather … we pissed them off this summer, and they decided to take revenge. Storms rolled through town this summer, tearing up trees and houses, and shredding telephone poles. During the big storm, I was in my backyard quickly picking up my sporting goods when a tree split open and landed on my neighbor’s car, crushing it. The snow-worshiping ski people thought this storm didn’t have anything to do with them, and they continued to post things about how this winter was going to be the snowiest of all time. Once again, they rushed Mother Nature and pissed her off. She answered them with a mere puff of snow that was all but gone by the middle of March. Monday’s last little flurry was just a reminder of who it is that is in control. How do we get through this? First, stop the passive-aggressive complaining. Mother Nature doesn’t give a shit about your hashtags. Second, wake up. Take a shower. Stay naked. Do not put on any clothes until you have walked outside and judged the climate for yourself. If it feels deceptively warm, pack your Sorels. And whatever you do, don’t complain about the weather. It’s like insulting a woman’s cooking. XOXO Scarlette Quille April 9, 2015 /
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NEWS
Boundary County seeks computer thief By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR Look, I’m sure being a good criminal is tough. I wouldn’t know, considering I haven’t done much law-breaking outside of my notorious 2012-’13 jaywalking spree that terrorized a town and left drivers extremely inconvenienced. But let’s take a look at this gentleman, suspected of stealing a laptop from the Boundary Computer Radio Shack in Bonners Ferry. Consider how he walks into the store while security cameras record his every move. Observe his commitment to wearing his distinctive, brilliantly blue shoes. Wonder at his bravado staring slackjawed at the camera while he
shoves a laptop under his shirt. Note how he drives away in full view of additional security cameras. Confessing the limits of my criminal expertise, I still must question the efficacy of his technique. According to store service technician Josh Henderson, the computer on display went missing Tuesday at about 12:16 p.m. Security camera footage revealed the man pictured, who may be driving a vehicle with 7B plates. Anyone with information on his identity and whereabouts should contact the Radio Shack store at 208267-1000, the Bonners Ferry Police Department at 208-2672412 or Boundary County Dispatch at 208-267-3151.
In these two photographs, courtesy of Boundary Computers, the alleged thief does the ol’ “snatch and grab” in full view of the security cameras, then drives away with his five finger discounted computer.
Public art goes Officials discuss parking changes awry in New York
By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR There are few more controversial issues in downtown Sandpoint than parking. Whether it’s downtown business owners concerned about the lack of parking on key stretches like First Avenue or residents annoyed with the hard-line enforcement policies of Diamond Parking, the topic inspires varied and passionate opinions. City officials met with business owners and other interested parties Tuesday to discuss potential solutions for parking issues. Discussions specifical6 /
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ly centered on comments made by resident Ben Tate at the March 4 council meeting. Tate was especially concerned with a recent escalation in parking fines from $25 to $50. He also recommended increasing the time allotted for free parking from two hours to three hours. According to Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce President Kate McAlister, the Tuesday meeting laid the groundwork for potential policy changes in downtown parking. City officials plan to draft proposed changes into a presentation that council members will likely consider in May, McAlister said.
A few weeks ago, we ran an issue focusing on the upsides and downsides of public art. While we found several residents with a variety of opinions on the subject, we figure Sandpoint can consider itself lucky it hasn’t experienced the plight of Celoron, New York, where residents are terrorized by a statue of famous comedian Lucille Ball wrenched from the flaming jaws of hell itself. To me, it looks a little like Eleanor Roosevelt crossed with possessed Regan MacNeil from “The Exorcist.” Activists in Celoron, Ball’s hometown, are organizing a campaign to have the statue removed, saying it disturbs guests and frightens children. Adjectives like “hideous,” “inexplicable” and “Lovecraftian” are being thrown around. Even the statue’s sculptor has renounced his creation. It’s a cautionary tale of what can happen when public art crosses paths with cosmic terror. [CR]
Inlander announces Volume lineup For the best showcase of regional music talent, it’s tough to beat the Inlander’s Volume Music Festival. This two-day music extravaganza fills Spokane’s top music venues full to bursting with nonstop live performances across nearly every genre. The popular alt weekly announced a lineup Tuesday featuring more than 90 acts performing across eight different downtown Spokane venues. The festival takes place May 28-29. The lineup features Sandpoint favorites like the Marshall McLean Band and Mama Doll as well as a host of other great artists. For the full rundown, visit the Inlander website at www.inlander. com. You can also pre-order a $20 weekend pass. [CR]
Washington Elementary trespass raises alarm Something fishy was afoot at Washington Elementary on Tuesday. According to school and city authorities, an unwelcome individual was removed from school property after being discovered distributing religiously and politically charged materials. Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon said a 17-year-old homeschooled minor went on to school property during a recess. He was soon discovered distributing tracts—one entitled “Are Roman Catholics Christian?” He is now forbidden from accessing Washington Elementary property. However, word quickly spread around town with much more serious implications. Several sources reported the unwelcome trespasser was an adult distributing graphic anti-abortion materials. Either way, many parents worry about the security implications the incident raises. [CR]
NEWS FEATURE The Rock Creek Mine battle continues By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR
The legal battle over the Rock Creek Mine isn’t just a project for Mary Crowe Costello. It represents a solid chunk of her life’s work. Costello has spent decades working to halt the proposed mining operation, projected to take place in the Cabinet Mountains of Northwest Montana. Now, after years of court filings, appeals, setbacks and glimmers of hope, another milestone event in the battle over the mine is on the horizon. The U.S. Forest Service is preparing to issue an environmental impact statement, expected sometime early summer, covering its full effect on the Idaho Panhandle. Once it’s released, the public has an opportunity to comment, and afterward, Costello expects yet another round of courts, lawyers and appeals. “This is why I’ve been doing this for 20 years,” Costello said. For Costello and supporters of the Rock Creek Alliance, the stakes demand an endurance to fuel decades of work. They see the outcome defining the fate of the regional environment, its ecology and its wildlife. “That’s my problem with the Rock Creek Mine: location, location, location,” said Bill Borders, who describes himself as a pro-mining individual in general. “Does it really make sense to commence what would be one of the largest mining projects in North America a few miles upriver from Idaho’s largest lake?” Indeed, the Rock Creek Mine is staggering in scope. Projections put the mine at moving 10,000 tons of rock and discharging three million gallons of wastewater into the Clark Fork River every day. And with the mine situated only about 25 miles from Lake Pend
Oreille, which receives the large majority of its water from the Clark Fork River, the risk of perpetual pollution is too high for some local residents. “Three million gallons of waste water pouring into our water every day forever doesn’t seem like a good idea,” said project opponent John Edwards. Costello sees approval of mining operations as endangering both water quality and quantity. The mine’s water demands would result in significant dewatering of regional lakes and streams while representing a perpetual source of pollution, she said. The resulting drawdowns and contaminants would consequently impact regional wildlife. One of the most concerning factors to Costello is the loss of essential bull trout spawning environments. Compounding the issue further are separate mining operations proposed or operating within the West Montana-North Idaho region. The nearby Troy Mine continues to operate in nearby Lincoln County, and another mine, Montanore Mine, is proposed to the east of the Rock Creek site. The cumulative impacts of all three mines on wilderness dewatering and contamination are gravely concerning, Costello said. Rock Creek Mine supporters cite the economic and industrial benefits of operations. In addition to the 10,000 tons of copper and silver yielded per day, the mine would create almost 300 jobs, according to a 2012 Missoulian article. Proponents also stress that waste water would be treated and discharged through a perforated pipe to meet quality standards. Rock Creek Mine also has a new standard-bearer as proponents and opponents anticipate yet more years of legal scrab-
A map detailing several mining facilities north of the Clark Fork River, in the Cabinet Mountain Range in Northwest Montana. Map courtesy of TerraPen Geographics. bling. The previous company pushing for the Rock Creek Mine, Revett Minerals, was recently acquired by the significantly larger Hecla Mining Company in Coeur d’Alene. It’s just one of several times the Rock Creek Mine interest has transferred to a new company, and although Hecla Mining Company has more financial resources at its disposal, Costello isn’t worried. “This has changed hands
so many times, but the overall plan isn’t going to change,” she said. Her primary concern is making sure the public stays engaged, especially once the the U.S. Forest Service releases its EIS for public comment. For a conflict as sustained as the Rock Creek Mine legal battle, keeping the public engaged can be a struggle, she said. On the other hand, people like Borders see every reason
to stay alert. “Put this mine where it wouldn’t endanger one of the nation’s largest lakes and a region’s entire economy, and I’d be all for it,” he said. For more information about the Rock Creek Alliance, visit www.rockcreekalliance.org.
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Tennis anyone? No? How about a song? By Tim Henney For SPR
A recent edition of Reader featured a story by the redoubtable Cameron Rasmusson about area summer kids’ camps. As an alumnus of the Mother Of All Summer Camps, at least in Southern California back in the day, I must comment. And pose a query and some counsel. Camp O-Ongo, high in the San Bernardino Mountains near legendary Lake Arrowhead, was a venerable, privately owned, not inexpensive summer camp for boys and girls. Together. Same campus, different cabins. Camper ages spanned 8 to 18. Most stayed a month, some longer. Some staff members were only 19 or 20—kids themselves, but in college. As one might imagine, keeping boys and girls separate following the nightly campfire as they groped their way through the dark toward their cabins caused the owner and his program director (me, in 1954) to have heartburn and headaches. More than a few times during each of more than 50 summers did the owner, A.C. Preston (and in later years, his son), flashlight probing the pines and willow trees, stumble upon lusty teenagers in compromising positions. Compromising, at least, for the pre-’60s. That is to say, hugging and holding hands. Maybe even kissing. Today I suppose they’d be necked as jay birds. I was an O-ongo camper during World War II summers. A decade later, I was a staff member. In 1950, after a summer as cabin counselor for 10-year-old boys with whom I lived ‘round the clock, I sought and got the job of tennis instructor— twice the pay and a lot more fun. Moreover, you didn’t have to be in your sleeping bag when taps played. When you did retire, you slept on the staff porch with fellow “Special People.” No nettlesome campers. After taps you could stay in the large, timbered lodge playing cards, reading, or cultivating whichever female staff member you were in love with that week (as a staffer you were strongly advised,
at risk of death, not to pursue older girl campers. Hitting on female staff peers was sinister enough). Still, summer in the mountains amidst all the piney air and starry nights with 20-year-old hardbody UCLA coed counselors in shorts dashing hither and yon, pounding the tether ball, performing a swan dive at the pool, can make even the most straight arrow male staff member feel pangs of horniness. I mentioned Special People. Staffers who taught tennis, swimming and such were elevated to Special People by the owner: “Would the Special People please meet with me right after breakfast?” A psychologist would rake ol’ Pres over the coals for slamming his non-special people like that today. He died some 40 years ago, never suspecting that he probably scarred for life the psyches of hundreds of hapless, less-than-special cabin counselors. Some of the kids I taught in tennis grew up taking lessons from tennis coaches who actually knew how to play or even had their own home courts. Inasmuch as I didn’t know how to play very well, teaching them proved awkward. I had played precious little tennis prior to being named coach at Camp O-ongo. Showing future senior management potential, however, I had memorized a book “Use Your Head In Tennis” during freshman college year. Thus, when interviewed by Pres for the post I could talk a terrific game. But when I took the court with these entitled, athletic little whippersnappers, the chickens came home to roost. The kids beat the crap out of me. Camp O-ongo had a stable of horses, a swimming pool, and instructors in those activities. It also featured riflery, archery, handicrafts, tennis and nature. It had a weekly camp paper which, for several summers, I wrote and read—with considerable drama and verve—at campfire. But the thing that set Camp O-ongo apart and made it mean so much to so many for the rest of our lives was the singing. Probably because I was inept as a tennis coach, Pres anointed me unofficial song leader during the several summers I was on staff. We
Lifelong friendships are launched during summer camp. The 1950 “O-ongo Umptet,” above, sang at campfires and for the Lake Arrowhead Rotary Club. They sang together for decades after. The author is the one in the stolen sweatshirt. 8 /
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Captain Kidney and the Gut crew of Mountain Land Pirates. The author is the overgrown child in the back row.
sang at Sunday chapel services, squatting on log benches among the conifers with “filtered views” (Realtor jargon) of the distant Mojave desert below. Today a filtered view from the former chapel would be not of desert but of teeming ant hills of people, gleaming cars (Californians don’t drive dirty cars), cheek-by-jowl housing developments, strip malls and Walmarts: the existing new SoCal. Singing preceded and followed every meal in the lodge: “Let every good camper now join in a song, vive la compagnie, success to each other and pass it along, vive la compagnie...” “If you get to heaven, before I do, just cut a hole, and pull me through...” (Corny, certainly. But maybe better than really vicious computer games?). “This is table number four, number four, number four, this is table number four, where is number... seven!” There were about 25 tables, and that song could become tiresome. Divided into two “teams,” one team of 50 or so diners would bellow, “What did Idaho boys, what did Idaho, I ask you now as a personal friend, what did Idaho?” In response, the other side would boom out, “She hoed a Maryland boys, she hoed a Maryland...” Some songsters could finesse their way through most of the states: “How did Flori-die boys? She died in Miss-ouri.” “How did Wiscon-sin boys? She stole a Newbraskey.” “Where has Ore-gone boys? She’s taking Okla-home.”And so on. A spirited, musical geography lesson. Before founding Camp O-ongo, Pres led a YMCA boys’ camp nearer Los Angeles. Upon leaving, he took the Y songbook to higher mountains, as well as rough-and-tumble games like capture the flag and the spooky campfire initiation into the King of Siam’s intimidating realm. Older boy campers with fearsome-
ly painted faces and cumbersome tin badges, looking more like Samoan losers than Siamese warriors, came clanking into the campfire area chanting, “Oh Waa, Ta Goo, Siam...” Get it? Those who didn’t were made to wear the noisy, embarrassing ornaments themselves for days, sometimes weeks. I did, in 1944. A hip psychologist today would hammer the camp owner on that one, too. It wasn’t just the pine-scented mountain air and starry skies that inspired O-ongo girls and boys to sneak a furtive snuggle. It was also the amorous songs. Especially at campfire, in the dark. To wit: “I wanna be a friend of yours, umm and a little bit more...I want to give you all I’ve got, umm and a little bit more.” And, “Tell me why, the sky’s so blue, and I will tell you, just why I love you.” And, “Come and sit by my side if you love me, do not hasten to bid me adieu, just remember the O-ongo mountains, and the one who has loved you so true.” More than a few lengthy love affairs (and weddings) were first ignited at an O-ongo campfire singalong. In the dark. So were lifelong friendships, certainly in my case. These songs might have been a little too slow. Too square. Too boring. Not loud enough. Not sufficiently awesome. Yet, they were who we were—we who were lucky enough to have been there. And generations later, it is who we are. What we best remember. So tell me, Sandpoint area summer camp directors: Is yours a singing camp? And listen up, parents: If you want happy summer memories to last a lifetime, send your camper to a camp that is. Tim Henney retired in 1986 as corporate public relations director of “the old” AT&T in NYC when it was parent company of the erstwhile Bell Telephone System. He claims he never did understand how the telephone worked.
We’ve gotten a great response to our call for your pet photographs. Instead of putting them in just one issue, I’ve decided to feature one or two every issue as long as we have the space. To submit your own pet photos, please send a photograph and a little bit of information about your special friend to ben@sandpointreader.com.
This is Wiley. She is 16 1/2 years old and recently retired from her career as school dog at my preschool/kindergarten in Sandpoint. Wiley was a school girl for 16 years and is loved by many children and parents in Sandpoint. She made it her job to soothe crying children with kisses, teach children that were frightened of dogs that canines are lovable, and let them lay down with her while they soothed themselves by stroking her fur and sucking their thumbs. She was their watchful guardian; making sure they stayed in the boundaries of the play yard, and she checked out any stranger that walked through the door. This photo was taken on the beach at Bowen Island, BC, during spring break last week. I know her many Sandpoint children and parents would like to know she is still around though retired from the classroom. Cynthia Mason Sandpoint
Thurs. April 16th
Tony Furtado
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263-0846
featuring fresh local ingredients
Tony Furtado is an indie record label’s dream artist. He has lived primarily on the road for the last two decades. He is gregarious, engaging and entertaining, on and off stage. He’s been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar, and his own creative interpretation-hybrid of Americana and indie folk/rock is engaging and captivating.
Tickets $15/adv, $18 day of show Show @ 7:30pm Doors open @ 5:30pm w/ dinner served before the show
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Cedar Street Station Sandpoint, ID 83864
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Scott Kirby Benefit Concert 4pm & 8pm @ Panida Theater “Main Street Souvenirs” is a multi-media stage performance featuring live piano music, a spoken narrative, and a video presentation. Funds raised will benefit the Panhandle Animal Shelter. Kids attend free at matinee @ 4pm, 8pm show - kids $10, adults $15
Biggest Comedy Tour Ever 8pm @ 219 Lounge Come see national touring comedians Morgan Preston and Jason Stewart attempt to set a world record for most comedy shows in a year
Goat 5:30p Speci Scotc Goat nir m sic by
Live Music w/ Bridges Home Li 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 8p Dave and Tami Gunter play their A favorite folk / celtic tunes po Sandpoint Contra Dance of 7pm - 10pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall Enjoy live music with Crooked Kilt, wit dances called by Emily Faulkner, while com munity dancing in the New England tradition Live Music w/ Johnny Knapp & Dan Thomason Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 5pm - 8pm @ Ice House Pizzeria (Hope) 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Join friends for familiar favorites where the only Sing us a song, piano man thing better than the pizza is the view! King of the Cornhole Tournament Live Music w/ Runaway Symphony 1pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Register at noon, $10 per team, rain or shine, 7pm @ The Pearl Theatre (Bonners) Indie rock band from Moscow known cash prizes, good beer. I am cornholio! “Ocea for intricate, deep textures with bold, Dementia Support Group 7pm @ four-part harmonies and inventive 2pm @ The Bridge Assisted Living Starri rhythms. Tickets $12 adv / $15 door The group will focus on sharing stories about DamNation Film Screening & Discussion 7:30pm @ Sandpoint Events Center Join the Idaho Conservation League and Idaho Rivers United for the powerful film that explores the change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our future is bound to health of our rivers
of dementia caregivers. Please join us! son. F
River Bend Artists Guild Second Annual Artist Showcase Day 2 10am - 5pm @ Gallery at the Barn (6095 Dufort Rd. in Sagle) Learn the Cha Cha! 7pm @ SWAC (but you don’t have to be a member) Call Diane at 610-1770 to sign up or for more information
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Weekly infusion of blues from the Man
Karaoke Night 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s Test your useless knowledge and watch how it flitters away after your fifth beer Bingo Night 6:30 @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Cards Against Humanity 7pm @ Neighborhood Pub Triple dog dare you
Sip and Shop Fundraiser 4pm - 9pm @ Pend d’Oreille W Fundraiser benefitting Kanik works with interested landown and Northwest Montana to pr resources and recreational valu
Five Minutes of Fame 6:30pm @ Cafe Bodega Writers, musicians, listeners... lend me your ears. All are welcome. Come at 6pm for dinner Tax Filing Deadline (du du duuuu!) Don’t forget to file!
Live Music w/ Tony Furtado 7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Tony Furtado is an indie record label’s dream artist. His own creative interpretation-hybrid of Americana and indie folk/rock is engaging and captivating. Tickets $15 adv / $18 day of show
O 6p A
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April 9-16, 2015
t Hop Ale Release pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall ial release of the Friends of chman Peaks Wilderness inspired Hop Ale. Get yours in a souvemug while supplies last! Live muy the Muggles and Jake Robin
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com. Reader recommended
Learn the Tango 7pm @ SWAC Call Diane at 610-1770 to sign up or for more info. You don’t have to be a SWAC member to take the class
The Conversation 6pm - 8pm @ Ivano’s Ristorante Featuring sculptor Steve Gevurtz. The intent of the Conversation is to enrich our artist community by cultivating conversations on and about the creative processes for all the visual, literary, and performing artists in and around Sandpoint
Evidence of the Afterlife Show 6:30pm - 8pm @ Inquire Within (516 Oak St.) Medium Bonnie Whiting communicates with loved ones that have crossed over. $10 admission Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 7pm @ SHS Auditorium Growing Dreams Productions presents the Ian Fleming musical. Tickets $12 adult / $10 12-under Blind Art show opening 5pm @ Studio 524 at Evans Brothers Coffee Featuring the work of Dan Earle Used Bike Garage Sale Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 9am @ Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority They are busting at the seams with used Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Masters of jazz meet master of beer bikes! All inventory is discounted selection. A match made 2pm @ SHS Auditorium (matinee) in heaven 7pm @ SHS Auditorium an Heaven” film Tickets $12 adult / $10 12-under @ Panida Theater River Bend Artists Guild Second Annual Artist Showcase ing Jet Li, this is a great film 10am - 5pm @ Gallery at the Barn (6095 Dufort Rd. in Sagle) t a father’s love for his autistic Fundraiser for Team Autism 24/7 Featuring works from artists Jerry Yates, Sharon Yates, Kim Powers, Glenda Kochen and Ellen Pfalzgraff. Join them at this unique and beautiful setting along the banks of the Pend Oreille River. Free admission. Dinner & Music w/ Ben Baker 8pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
ive Music w/ Shook Twins & Mama Doll pm @ The Hive benefit for the Sandpoint Waldorf School. Sandoint’s favorite duo Shook Twins return for a night f fun, with Mama Doll opening. Tickets $20 Selkirk Society Band “Paper Planes” film th 7pm @ Monarch Mountain 7:30pm @ Panida m- Live jazz. $5 admission n!
Upcoming Events
April 18 - Zoso @ The Hive The Ultimate Led Zepplin Experience
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Zandoozles Toys & Gifts
April 23 - Justin Lantrip - “Live @ The Office”
Winery ksi Land Trust, an organization that ners and organizations in North Idaho rotect, maintain, and enhance natural ues that contribute to our quality of life Replant Your Refund Day 11am - 8pm @ Baxter’s Restaurant Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society hosts an all day event at Baxter’s, who will donate 5% of the day’s proceeds to KNPS
Open Mic Night with Scott Reid pm - 9pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee All are welcome, bring us your goods!
May 1 - Charley Packard Benefit Concert @ Panida May 8 - The Wishing Boot Fund concert @ Panida Country concert to benefit Tammy Davis with music by Devon Wade BYU-Idaho Collegiate Singers 6pm @ Panida Theater With nearly 50 singers full of vibrant energy and inspiration, this concert promises to be a memorable experience. Admission $5 adults, $4 students, $3 kids
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang pm @ SHS Auditorium Growing Dreams Productions presents the Ian leming musical. Tickets $12 adult / $10 12-under
Tech & Tidbits Thursday 6pm - 7pm @ Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair Training for a Gran Fondo. The key to a successful and fun ride is being prepared! This free class held every third Thursday to help you get the most out of your biking experience
Sandpoint's most complete toy store! Plenty of free parking! Zandoozle 400 Schweitzer Plaza Dr. Ponderay, Idaho •265-7242•
les Zandooz a child’s Can add almost name to Any toy!* *just ask for details
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FEATURE Dan Earle Sheds light on ‘Blind Art’ By Ben Olson For SPR
To Dan Earle, the opportunity for art is everywhere. Whether it’s his Matisse-inspired figurative drawings of the human body, or sculpted reliefs on art vases, or colorful abstracts channeling the work of masters like Picasso, Earle brings emotion and depth into everything he touches. In the show “Blind Art” at Studio 524 at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, Earle sheds some light on yet another creative endeavor; painting on blinds. “When we first moved to our home in Hope, my wife’s parents were coming to visit from New York,” said Earle. “My wife said there was no way her parents would be comfortable without window coverings, so I went out and bought these cheap paper blinds and hung them.” Earle realized that the blinds would probably hang in the windows long after his in-laws had left. Always on the lookout for new creative projects, his mind began to wander toward the next idea. “I was looking for a project,” he said. “I thought it would be fun to paint on them.” Thus Blind Art was born. The process is a simple one. Earle stretches out the blinds until they are a flat canvas, and, using acrylic paint and ink, begins the creative process. He usually starts without a plan, instead relying on the materials to influence him. “I try to set a goal that every piece will be different, then I go for it,” said Earle. “Sometimes I sketch a primary design, sometimes I just launch right into it. Every one is different.” He places the piece on a low table, allowing himself the space and freedom of movement. “It engages the emotions more,” he said. “I’m a big fan of the Jackson Pollock movement art.” To Earle, one fun part of finishing a piece is seeing how it reacts when he unflattens and hangs it with the corrugations. “Sometimes it totally changes when you bring out the corrugations,” said Earle. “Also, when you hang them on the wall, they look solid, like a painting, but if you hang them over a window, you’ll see it change again and become 12 /
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more translucent. You’ll see a layering effect and discover the process of how it was created.” Discovery is a mantra that Earle brings to every creative project he touches. In fact, his studio is called Studio Decouvrir, which is French for “discovery.” At 74, Earle has more energy than artists half his age. He is the perfect example that a true artist has never learned too much. At 69, he applied and was accepted for a masters program in New York. He studied under Garth Evans at the NY Studio School and also Anthony Antonios at the National Academy of Art. “There I was with all these 20-somethings,” he said. “That was a rich experience, to submerge myself and work 10 hours a day, six days a week.” “I want to be like that guy when I’m his age,” said Woods Wheatcroft, photographer and curator of Studio 524 at Evans Brothers. “He’s carved out this freedom for himself. He chooses his creative path, and I love that about him. He’s totally young in spirit, and that fits our style at the studio.” Studio 524 at Evans Brothers is rapidly becoming known as a go to place for a different take on art. Situated in a sleek, comfortable room with white walls and great lighting, the studio offers the opportunity to see work up close and personal, in a relaxed setting. “We like to think of ourselves as a more accessible place for art,” said Wheatcroft. “We don’t do formal mailings and invitations, we just rely on word of mouth and social networking to promote our shows. And we’re always on the lookout for the next show.” It was Wheatcroft who initially pushed Earle to finish the pieces on blinds and do a formal art show. “A couple years back, we were doing a lot of themed shows,” said Wheatcroft. “We pick a theme, like ‘Yellow’ or ‘Tree’ and artists would respond to these different themes. Dan would show up and do his piece on a blind, and I thought it was rad that he was using household blinds and painting on them.” Earle’s self-discovery is evident in his ever-changing work, ranging from sculpture to paint to figurative sketching. He has studied under Sandpoint’s
Dan Earle (above), stands before one of his thirteen original pieces of art at Studio 524 at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters. Photo by Ben Olson. Elaine Amsterdam Farley, watercolorist Zoltan Szabo, and Gary Faigan at the Academy of Realist Art in Seattle. “I like learning and being part of different projects,” said Earle. “I can’t just do one thing.” Each project brings him closer to discovering the delicate balance between the chaos of creation and the mind’s tendency to find order. The opening for the “Blind Art” show is Friday, April 10 from 5-8 p.m. at Studio 524 at Evans Brothers Cof-
DITCH THE FLAME
fee Roasters. The show will hang until April 30. It is free and open to the public, and donations will be gladly accepted. To view Dan Earle’s artwork online, go to www.fineartamerica.com and search for Dan Earle. Curators Woods Wheatcroft and Suzanne Waldrup encourage artists to contact them for consideration of future shows at Studio 524 at Evans Brothers Coffee. Email woodswheatcroft@ gmail.com for more information.
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What happens to our recycling when it leaves the curb? By Ben Olson For SPR What happens to those recyclables when they leave the curb? How are they sorted, where do they go after that? These are questions that pique our curiosity at the Reader, so this week we signed up for a tour of Waste Management’s SMaRT (Spokane Materials and Recycling Technology) Center outside of Spokane to see behind the scenes what happens to our recycled trash. The $18 million, eight-acre single-stream recycling facility opened in 2012 to allow customers to recycle a broader assortment of materials, resulting in dramatically higher recycling rates. It has already had an impact on the region. “In Spokane County, 56 percent of all material thrown away gets diverted to recycling,” said Vaughn Roadruck, WM’s Recycling Education Representative. “We are the largest recycler in the Pacific Northwest and North America,” said Robin Freedman, Senior Communications Manager with Waste Management. “Our company processes 15 million tons of recyclables a year, and locally, at SMaRT Center, we are processing approximately 60,000 tons a year.” The facility is like a giant Rube Goldberg machine. In a large warehouse full of activity, the machines are all interconnected through a system of conveyor belts, with around 40 employees bustling about the “line,” as it’s called. “Think of it as a giant sorter,” said Roadruck. “All recyclables end up on the floor, are mixed together, and pass through the line to be separated into individual bales.” First, trucks arrive from points all around the map, including Washington east of the Cascades, North and Central Idaho, Montana, and even Canada. They pass through a set of scales, then off-load their materials into a collection area where a bulldozer mixes the materials. During our tour, a truck from Sandpoint was dropping off a load. Before entering the line, the materials pass a set of human pre-sorters. “They’re looking for items like rope, chains, heavy objects, garden hose,” said Roadruck. “Anything that might get stuck in the machines and do damage.” The materials then pass through an intricate system of belts and machinery, each with a specific job to sort out various types of materials. One is a series of rubber-toothed wheels on an axle that separates old corrugated cardboard. Another is a machine that essentially pulverizes and separates glass, although that is still one of the tricky areas of recycling. “The challenge with glass today is that there is limited demand for this recycled
product,” said Freedman. “It is inexpensive to make new glass, yet Waste Management partners with cities to maximize recycling and it is an important recyclable material for our customers. Therefore, sometimes, to be a good sustainability partner, we end up paying for glass to be recycled.” Uses for recycled glass are in road applications, as a soil stabilizer in landfills, even as filler for public planter boxes, which had to be discontinued for safety reasons. There are a few no-nos when it comes to recycling, which employees of the sorting facility are eager to point out. “People still like to bundle their recyclables into plastic bags, which they shouldn’t do,” said Roadruck. “The plastic gets stuck in the machinery.” Other annoyances include caps to plastic and glass containers, which invariably end up in the general pile of pulverized glass. The sorters have found everything from dead animals to dirty diapers to brand new tool kits still in the packaging. “It’s amazing what people throw into the recycling bin,” said Roadruck. Employees aren’t allowed to scavenge any materials, however, no matter how enticing those dead animals or punctured car batteries might be. There are magnets and air separators, an eddy current for separating aluminum, machines that separate plastic into individual grades. One machine, known as an optical scanner with a price tag of around $1 million, separates plastic into various grades. At the end of the line, each material enters a baler and is packed together and stacked in like piles for the market. Some of the scrap goes to local mar-
Vaughn Roadruck (above), stands before stacks of baled recyclable material, ready for the market. The SMaRT Center sorts more than 250 tons of recyclable material daily. Photos by Ben Olson. kets, such as Inland Empire Paper Company near Spokane. A good share of the aluminum is sold to companies like Anheuser-Busch, but the lion’s share of the scrap material is exported to China. In fact, one of the top US exports to China is recyclable scrap material. According to the Washington Post, the US sold over $10.8 billion worth of paper and metal scrap to China in 2011. It actually makes a lot of sense. China had been sending so many consumer goods to the US, their cargo containers were returning empty. US companies have since begun filling these containers with cardboard boxes, waste paper and other scrap. In February 2013, however, China began an initiative called “Operation Green
Fence” to raise the standards of the recyclable material they were importing. Because of high levels of contamination, a portion of the scrap they were importing ended up in Chinese landfills. Chinese ports turned away shipments because of contamination, forcing the exporters to foot the bill for the return, though, according to Freedman, the SMaRT Center never had anything rejected. “Operation Green Fence changed the industry and the way we viewed plastics and recycling,” said Freedman.
Pre-sorters sift through the belt-fed line of recyclable materials, removing items that may damage the multi-million dollar machinery.
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Record-seeking comedian hits 219 By Michael Richardson and Cameron Rasmusson For SPR
Morgan Preston (top) is attempting to set the Guinness World Record for most comedy shows in a year. He will appear with Jason Stewart (bottom) at the 219 Thursday night at 8 p.m.
It’s difficult to capture Morgan Preston’s flavor of comedy. That’s largely because his act isn’t static or canned. It fluctuates depending on his venue and audience—an adaptability that comes in handy given Preston’s tireless touring schedule. In fact, he aims to set a Guinness World Record for most paid comedy gigs performed in a year, a goal that produces every kind of audience imaginable. “All of it is psychology,” he said. “You have to plug into the people and make them realize [you’re] in charge. Even in Boston, if there’s a guy with a lot of testosterone, I have to be able to go toe-to-toe with him.” Preston has some impressive credentials. He’s toured with Bruce Willis’ blues band, performed at Reno, Nev., on one of the largest stages in the world and worked with Weird Al Yankovich. It all stems from an interest sparked at 8 years old in Missoula, Mont., where he practiced a variety of street performances. The years of experience honed
A Creative Mind Weekly Creative Writing Workshops to Begin at the Heartwood Center with poet Jim Mitsui Story and photos By Jennifer Passaro For SPR
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his ability to stay on his toes and read his audience “A lot of people try to stick with the act even if it bombs,” he said. “That gets me nowhere. I like to mess with people and change with the mood. If I start going off on something or somebody for 30 minutes and people are engaged, I’ll do that.” A personable and engaging presence, Preston loves traveling for the sake of traveling, and comedy is one way to maintain that lifestyle. Not even a 2008 car accident that left him seriously injured could dampen that enthusiasm. His passion for comedy and for meeting new people keeps him on the road—and it could earn him a world record. “You got to just do [what you love],” he said. “Find a way to make it pay.” Comedians Morgan Preston and Jason Stewart perform at the 219 Lounge tonight at 8 p.m.
So you’ve spent the winter writing a 35-page novella about a woman weathering the dark, cedar-dampened season. And now enters a lake monster, Sasquatch (you’ve forgotten you aren’t exactly Sharma Shields) or a love affair that’s beginning to feel too much like grocery store paperback material. You need a writing workshop. And not just any writing workshop. You need Jim Mitsui’s poetry workshop. An accomplished poet, teacher and college professor, Mitsui will host community writing workshops every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at the Heartwood Center. You can sign up for a five-week interval for $40
or simply drop in for $10 per session. The workshops are open to anyone at any age with any level of experience. Mitsui’s instruction centers on poetry to expand writing of all genres. “I use poetry as a working base because I believe that writing poetry helps develop and improve all sorts of writing,” Mitsui says. “In no way am I trying to develop poets; everyone has the potential and ability to write poetry.” Instead Mitsui will use poetry exercises to mature the writer’s use of imagery, detail, interest and overall writing strategy. “The thing about a writing workshop,” Mitsui says, “it’s not self indulgent.” “Writing is learning,” Mitsui continues. “It is an ongoing process.” I met Mitsui for morning pour-overs at Evans Brothers, finding him near the back with a coffee mug held in both hands. The image brought back a poem he wrote some years ago: “Sitting at a booth/on an August morning,/drinking dark coffee,/writing
in my journal,/a bundle of cornflowers/wrapped in newspaper/ beside me…” The poem continues: “Commerce sailing/in and out/of Elliott Bay/as traffic blurs/on the Alaskan Way Viaduct—/ all those people following their keys home.” Mitsui’s poems articulate travel. They track the day’s scent, trailing its currencies, minding its exchanges. They capture a meaning with a grace so refined, your own day is altered when you look up from the poem. “I believe in practical things,” Mitsui says. “Writing should have a purpose, be useful.” Mitsui grew up in Odessa, Wash., his family the only minorities in the small farming community. His family spent two years imprisoned at the Tule Lake Relocation Center in northern California during World War II. Afterward, Mitsui’s father worked for the Great Northern Railroad for 47 years. Mitsui obtained a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and later a master’s degree in English from the
University of Washington. He taught high school English for 34 years, and then college-level creative writing courses and community workshops. He has taught high school students and retired doctors, published poets and Alzheimer’s patients. Mitsui retired from formal teaching in 1999 and moved to Cocolalla Lake with his wife, Lilly. After a stint in Arizona, the couple moved to Sagle permanently last year. Mitsui has published four collections of poems, “From a Three-Cornered World” being the most recent with another on the way. He also published work by 22 of his students—a collection spanning sixty years, four generations, and the breadth of the United States. “The thing about poetry,” Mitsui says, “is that most poets write the truth … A lot of it is just observation and just being aware of the present.” “Poets are a bit like photographers in that way,” he continues. “They will often write about what they see.”
Main Street Souvenirs
By Ben Olson For SPR Like music? Like art? Like small town America? You’re in luck, my friends. During this benefit concert for the Panhandle Animal Shelter, pianist, composer and visual artist Scott Kirby will take you on a tour of the American Heartland. Main Street Souvenirs is a multi-media stage performance featuring live piano music, a spoken narrative and a video presentation. The visual “projected” dimension of the program will accompany both the narrative and the music throughout, and will consist of Kirby’s original artwork, his video footage, his photography and archival photos. The narrative, also written by Kirby, reflects a thematic progression, weaving different concepts about small town American life together with musical, visual and literary examples which illustrate these themes. Kirby has appeared at every major ragtime festival in the U.S. and if that’s not enough, then expands to include the marches of John Philip Sousa, the songs of Stephen Foster, Latin-American styles, Afro-Cuban rhythms, European romanticism, rock ‘n’ roll and original works ranging from the syncopated to the impressionistic.
Film “DamNation” explores the impact of dams in America
Times change, and attitudes change with them. Take dams, for instance. They used to be a symbol of American greatness, and why not? The notion of changing the natural landscape honed since the dawn of time through ingenuity, engineering mastery and a crapton of concrete possesses a certain power. For many, however, dams now represent a dangerous level of hubris that might be doing us more harm than
good. That’s the central premise of “DamNation” a conservation-themed documentary that explores the role of dams throughout history and the increasing awareness that national destiny may be more closely tied to health of the country’s rivers than previously thought. “DamNation” investigates the thousands of dams operating throughout the country today, weighing the good they do for populations against the harm
they cause the environment, waterway health and wildlife habitats. See the film for yourself at an event sponsored by Idaho Conservation League and Idaho Rivers United. The screening will be held at Sandpoint Events Center, 102 S. Euclid. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the film starts at 7:30 p.m. with a discussion to follow. Tickets cost $8 each. For more information go to www.idahoconservation.org, or call (208) 265-9565.
Main Street Souvenirs will show Thursday, April 9 with a free matinee for children at 4 p.m. and the regular showing at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for children, $15 for adults. No discounts for adults who act like children.
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What’s your favorite tool? By Ted Bowers For SPR
I admit, I have a tool fetish. I see a tool that is elegant in design and function, well crafted and just plain pretty—I gotta have it. Whether I would ever use it or not makes no difference. Know what I mean? If you do, then you have it too. There are a lot of us out there, and not just men. My lovely wife has it easily as bad as me— sometimes over the same tool, and sometimes over something like a can opener. No kidding: She found this really cool manual can opener that was polished chrome, solid and svelte and graceful in its lines and design— like a hood ornament, only functional. I wanted it too! You get the idea. We all have our favorite tools. I have many more than one.The ones I tend to like the most are simple and inexpensive, yet do so much with
so little. In my trade, hammers and squares are obvious choices, but even a piece of string has its merits. Stretch it between two stakes and it defines a building line. Or how about a plumb bob? I mean, damn, it points straight to the center of the earth! When I first went to work as a carpenter’s apprentice, I was introduced to the “wonder bar,” a marvelous little tool for taking things apart. Old Frank, the master carpenter I worked under, described it thus: “It’s a wonder bar. First you wonder what it’s for, then you wonder where it’s at!” It turned out to be one of the most important tools in my kit and still is ... except I wonder where it’s at. I love to go to the board store and covet all the new shiny tools, but I love just as much the hidden rusty treasure of a yard sale find. Over the years, I’ve come across certain designs and brands that are no longer
in production and to find one of those is almost as sweet as a whole truckload of key lime pie. A Stanley all-steel sliding t-bevel square found at one yard sale almost made me wet my pants, I was so excited. When you set that sucker at an angle and tighten down the thumb screw, you can drop it off a building and it won’t budge a 32nd of an inch. That’s quality! Tool innovations revolutionize industries and drive advancements in technology and civilizations, all the way back to the Stone Age, when man first picked up a rock to split open a deer’s thigh bone to get to the marrow. In just my lifetime, my trade has been radically changed by advancements in tools and techniques (technique, by the way, is another favorite topic of mine—you’ll be seeing an article or two about it in the future). The one that comes to mind as one of the more recent is the impact driver for driving screws. The compound sliding miter
saw is another. It can be argued that some of the old skills are being lost because of the ease with which tools make some tasks. Maybe so, but only the skill and artistry of the user creates the finished product. Still, a builder’s calculater may have replaced the framing square for roof layout, but there is nothing more captivating than watching a master carpenter who knows how to use a rafter square. Maybe I’m old-fashioned or just plain dumb, but I still like simple—a two dollar set of
What is a natural landscape?
topography is the foundation for further landscape decisions. The natural landscape is inherently low maintenance because plant material is chosen for it’s adaptability to the site; native plants, or plants which have provFor SPR en themselves locally, do not need extensive site modifications to thrive. Plant material is also chosen for a natural, free-flowing Common buzzwords these form; severely pruned and manidays are “natural”, “organic”, cured shapes have no place in the “environmentally responsible”, natural landscape. “ecology” and other terms relatThe natural landscape often ing to how we tend to our envi- limits the size of lawn areas; turfronment. Regarding our role as grass requires a large investment stewards of the land, what are in irrigation, food, chemicals, the best strategies and techniques fuel and mowing time. In the natto ensure that the integrity and ural landscape, turf is reduced as health of our surroundings are much as possible. preserved for future generations? Instead of large turf areas, What is a natural landscape? the natural landscape uses native A natural landscape first con- plants, ornamental grasses, hardy siders each site as specific; that perennials, bulbs, wildflowers is, our landscape design deci- and other well adapted plant masions must be predicated on the terial. Plantings can be designed conditions of our local surround- in large asymmetrical groupings, ings and should enhance these with bold color statements. Yearsurroundings. A good under- round interest is a prime concern standing of local climate, soil and for the natural landscape. 16 /
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With ongoing drought here in the west, it is wise to consider lawn alternatives instead of resource-hogging manicured turfgrass areas. Unless you need your lawn for tuning up your golf game, replace at least part of it with low maintenance plants. Drought tolerant grasses and wildflowers, once established, are great lawn alternatives. They will make your life much easier and will reduce your landscape maintenance costs greatly. Mowing is reduced to one cutting in the fall, and watering can be reduced considerably. You can customize the native plantings with a wide variety of grasses and wildflowers to suit your specific region, soil and personal preferences. Here are a few lawn alternatives that can be grown in our region: Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Purple Coneflower, Clover, Gayfeather, Daisy, Lupine, many ornamental grasses and wildflower blends customized for our area. Another good argument for reducing your lawn area is chemical use. Chasing the elusive goal of a weed-free lawn, Americans
apply 67 million pounds per year of toxic chemicals to their lawns! Many of these pesticides are probable carcinogens, and children are the most susceptible to harm. Since I just recommended reducing lawn size, you won’t have much concern for lawn irrigation, right? Well, we Americans do like our lawns, and I suspect they will be around for awhile. Some folks believe that watering daily is necessary to keep the lawn green. Actually, this is about the worst thing you can do, since it encourages shallow rooting. The best practice is to water as deeply as possible, as infrequently as possible; this will vary by
Some of Ted’s favorite tools, in all their simplistic wonder scribes lives in my belt. I may need it only two or three times during a job, but when I need it to trace a cut around a curve or other odd shape, nothing can replace it. Now, I wonder where it’s at? ... probably hiding with the wonder bar. Ted and Gini Bowers own and operate Bowers Construction in Sandpoint. www.sandpointcontractor.com.
soil type and other site-specific conditions, though here in the arid west, a common schedule for summer is 30 to 60 minutes per area, two to three times per week. Each site is different, so experience is the best teacher. Deep, infrequent irrigation will encourage the roots to seek the cool moisture deep in the soil and will actually make the plants more drought-hardy. If you’re now on a daily schedule, or if you have new seed or sod, gradually increase watering time and decrease frequency until you’ve developed a deep root system. Garden Questions? Visit http://clearwaterlandscapes. com/questions.
Shook Twins arrive at the Hive By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR
For Laurie and Katelyn Shook, Wednesday was an anniversary worth remembering. Exactly one year ago, Sandpoint’s favorite musically-inclined identical twins released their most recent album, “What We Do.” Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, the album marked Shook Twins’ most ambitious project yet. Certainly, it was their highest profile work, a project that found them recording at Bear Creek Studio with producer Ryan Hadlock, the sound engineer behind records from The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, Fleet Foxes and many more. “It’s definitely been our best-selling record so far,” Katelyn Shook said. “It feels like we’re being taken a little more seriously.” “What We Do” features Shook Twins’ quirky, instrumentally rich indie folk polished to a pristine shine. And while the songs sound great on the album, they’re immeasurably more fun performed live. Don’t believe me? Check the band out at The Hive on Friday for their Sandpoint Waldorf School fundraiser and see for yourself. On stage, the twins’ multi-instrumental talent truly shines, especially with top-notch backing from bandmates Kyle Volkman and Niko Daoussis. They’ll also receive support Friday from Sandpoint’s Justin Landis. Keep an eye out for the band’s signature giant golden egg, a random gift from a stranger and a fan favorite. As far as eggs go, this one has some impressive stage charisma. While the Shooks are making waves in Portland, Ore., they haven’t forgotten
their hometown of Sandpoint. No matter Katelyn (left) and Laurie (right) Shook return to Sandhow far they travel or which renowned point this weekend for a night of fun for a good cause. musicians they perform with—and Proceeds will go toward the Sandpoint Waldorf School they’ve played with some pretty impressive names—there’s nothing quite like support a holistic education.” Mama Doll joins Shook Twins for the the feeling of being back among family Friday performance. The Spokane-based and friends. band went through some personnel “It’s like we have an unhealthy relationship with this town,” Shook said. changes last year and now includes Sarah Berentson, Claire Fieberg, Kris Hafso “We can’t stop going back to it.” Sandpoint shows are a fixture in and Sandpoint’s own Jen Landis. Special Shook Twins’ active touring schedule, guest Bart Budwig will join the band on but this will be the first fundraiser for trumpet. “We’re really excited,” Landis said. the band. It was brainstormed by the Shooks’ close friends, Waldorf parents “We’ve been working on this new conNicole and Jimy Black, who saw a op- figuration and think it’s really coming toportunity to help some students and treat gether.” See Shook Twins perform Friday at Sandpoint to a great evening in one fell swoop. Nicole Black said the commu- The Hive, 207 N. First Ave. Doors open nity truly rallied to make the fundraiser at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and are available possible. “I think it’s wonderful how the town at the door or in advance at Eichardt’s. has come around the school,” she said. 7B Boardshop and Sandpoint Waldorf “I’m glad the Shooks are so willing to School.
Shook Twins’ ‘What We Do’ in review By Ben Prez For SPR
Evolution can be costly. For many bands in search of a sonic identity that fits a career—or at least a break-out record—the growing pains (for example, the prolific My Morning Jacket switching from haunting folk to stadium-ready southern rock to falsetto funk and back to rock) can leave their sound almost unrecognizable from one album to the next. Breathtaking as these experimentations can be, a little continuity goes a long way in keeping a fanbase excited for the next record to drop. With “What We Do” almost a year old, Shook Twins seem to have navigated this pitfall with ease. With each release, they’ve tinkered with textural instruments, shifted from the whimsical to the personal in their
lyrical subject matter, and now casually sing through a telephone/microphone and utilize a vocal looping pedal. Thoroughly road-tested, this latest batch from the harmonizing sisters of Sandpoint has pushed them out of their aesthetic comfort zone while nurturing the tight vocal weave that drew local listeners from the start. “What We Do” opens with the incredibly catchy “Thoughts All In,” a buoyant pop catalyst complete with rolling banjo, warm electric guitar strums and a hooked-out chorus punctuated with quick fiddle strokes. In “Hooks,” the narrator laments the troubles of moving on from a lost love: “So many lives have died inside of you…” she sings, with back-up vocals piped in through tiny speakers, giving the song a wistful vibe. On “Shake,” a post-apocalyptic fable about a survivalist couple in planet
earth’s time of reckoning, the twins push their lyrical boundaries. Later, on “Daemons” the instruments interpret the dark subject matter with trembling swells and uneasy plucking patterns as deep male back-up vocals provide a cinematic envelope for the descending familial vocals. Overall, the album flows and keeps the listener captivated. As Shook Twins continue their dizzying tour schedule and drop in to the Hive for their latest Sandpoint show, the question of what comes next from this band still brings curiosity.
This week’s RLW by Matthew Weatherman and Jenna Bowers
READ
Perhaps most famous for “Jesus’ Son,” a collection of short stories that was adapted into a film starring Billy Crudup, Denis Johnson almost won the Pulitzer for his novella “Train Dreams.” Set in North Idaho, this magical tale follows a loner as he deals with the realities of being the last of a dying breed in a country that doesn’t seem to need him anymore. The year “Train Dreams” was shortlisted, there was no Pulitzer awarded for fiction, a fitting outcome for a story about lost dreams.
LISTEN
Annalisa Tornfelt, singer and fiddler for the Portland-based band Black Prairie, has put together an impressive collection of heartfelt old-country ballads for her ‘front porch’ album “The Number 8.” Recorded on an analog 8-track, the album has a deceiving simplicity, mostly Annalisa with her “Black Beauty,” an Arch-top Kraft guitar. Listen close, you can hear a secret: the nyckleharpa, a Swedish harp. The stand-out track “Found a Song” will give you the hope that after a breakup, all you might need is a song, maybe this one.
WATCH
Remember 1989? Acid washed jeans, feathered bangs, leotards and smoky rooftop dance scenes to shirtless sax solos? If any of this sounds awesome to you, then you’ll be jazzed to hear that “Teen Witch” is streaming on Netflix. Part supernatural origin story, part teen romance, and part amazing musical, “Teen Witch” is one of those movies that’s so bad it’s good. If nothing else, watch it for the incredible rap battle scene “Top That” which will make you feel things. April 9, 2015 /
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w o N & Then compiled by
Ben Olson
Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same. Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers (special thanks to Olivia Morlean, Will Valentine, and Allen Robertson). If you have any scrapbooks or old photographs taken in Bonner County that you would like to see Then & Now’ed, please submit them to the Museum so they can digitize and return the photographs to you. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.
The Northern Pacific depot in Sandpoint, with Cedar Street Bridge in the foreground. You can see the smoke from a passing steam engine behind the boxcars to the left of the depot, and a person walking over the bridge.
c.1920s
The same view today. The Cedar Street Bridge now blocks the view of the Northern Pacific depot, but it’s still there in the same spot. In the distance, you can see the Seasons development behind the Sand Creek Byway.
2015
Corrections this week: In Patrice Webb’s article about open mic nights last week, Tom Kramer was referred to as Tom Napolitan. Although Tom and Robens Napolitan are married, they have separate last names. Sorry Tom! 18 /
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New listings from SandpointClassifieds.com. Login to find more classified ads.
RENTALS: 2 BR Mother-in-Law Unit Country setting within city limits. Features oversized bedrooms and living spaces, plus plenty of storage. Available now. Landscaped yard/garden space and other amenities. No inside smoking. Pets will be considered. References are checked. Call (208) 304-8806 for further details. $700/month. Posted Apr 7 by fredakin. VEHICLES: 1976 Chevy 3/4 Ton Pickup Not a daily driver as it sits right now. Needs work. Would be great for a mudbog truck! It runs and drives, but will need work on the transmission. If you want it for a daily driver you will need to get a new windshield, do the tune up and tranny work, and it’ll be good to go. Needs some body work as well but that’s just cosmetic. $1000. Posted Apr 6 by JenWaltering.
Instead of half-mast, maybe you could fly a flag at threequarter-mast for a guy who’s in a coma. Then, if he gets worse, the flag gets lower, or if he gets better, it starts to move up, so you can just look at the flag and see how he’s doing.
STUFF FOR SALE: Sheep Rams $100, ewes $110. Shetland/ Barbados mix. Beautiful array of fleece colors and textures, including all black. Great for fiber arts. Will clear your weeds and some brush. We need to thin the flock, so we are looking for good homes for these lovely sheep. Posted Apr 8 by KitCooley.
A book by Allan Bopp “There’s thinking inside the box and then there is thinking outside the box. And then there's the world of Bopp, no box. Or more appropriately, what if there was no box? This book takes you on a journey of how consciousness, which never dies, actually crea creates the universe not the other way around.” -Grant Darrow, Amazon Review “Unexpectedly cool and insightful.” -Richard Lane, Amazon Review “Do not rush through this book.” -John B. Moss, Amazon Review Now available at Vanderford’s, Common Knowledge, Bonner’s Books and Amazon
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Thank you to the downtown businesses who participated in our April 6th kickoff event!
READER
Join the Relay For Life movement today! We need volunteers to join the Event Leadership Team. We need participants to fundraise and enjoy this life-changing event. We need the Bonner County community to help us finish the fight against cancer! Visit us online at facebook.com/RFLbonnerid or relayforlife.org/bonnerid for more info and to register For questions, contact Whitney Jones, Community Manager at 509-242-8291 or whitney.jones@cancer.org April 9, 2015 /
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