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PEOPLE compiled by
Susan Drinkard
watching
“Imagine you had qualified to participate in one event at the Summer Olympics. What event would you have chosen?” “High jump, no question. I did it in middle and high school. It’s just fun. It’s jumping!” Grant Pergande Junior at Univ. of Wisconsin Summer intern in Sandpoint Madison, Wisc.
“Gymnastics. Growing up I was inspired by the gymnasts in the Olympics to take gymnastics classes.” Siobhan Valentine Preschool teacher Just moved from California to Coeur d’Alene
DEAR READERS,
I don’t know about y’all, but that cool weather last week was pretty dang nice after such a stretch of hot days. The forecast is calling for another couple of days in the high 90s again this weekend, but it looks to be short lived. Let’s hope for another rainstorm to dampen some of these fires around the region. I’ve never been so excited to see autumn return. With the Festival at Sandpoint wrapped up for the year (check out Racheal Baker’s photos from Week 2 on Pages 14-15), it’s time to embrace these last few weeks of summer before things (hopefully) quiet down a bit around here. POAC’s 49th annual Arts and Crafts Fair will be in downtown Sandpoint this weekend, so don’t forget to head down to check out the fun. There’s a cool free concert at Lakeview Park on Monday featuring the Swing Street Big Band, and a great intimate show at Evans Brothers Coffee Tuesday with traveling musician Izaak Opatz and Sandpoint’s own Little Wolf. So much to do, so little time.
– Ben Olson, publisher “Definitely swimming—100yard breaststroke. I’ve been swimming for 11 years, having just graduated. I did the Long Bridge Swim twice.” Sabrina Wilson Lifeguard at City Beach Student at Boise State Univ. Sandpoint “Competitive reading. I would choose the decathlon because it’s a multi-faceted event in which you have to be talented.” Stuart Christoph Consultant Sandpoint
“I’d have to say the 100-meter dash or beach volleyball.” Joel Aispuro Manager at Joel’s Sandpoint City Council member Sandpoint
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Racheal Baker, Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Susan Drinkard. Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Clark Corbin, Brenden Bobby, Gaelan Evans. Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $135 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.
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NEWS
Mayor’s affordable housing task force begins work Goal is to seek solutions for range of income levels
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff As both regional and national headlines continue to pile up regarding the lack of affordable housing — especially in the Northwest — the recently formed Sandpoint Workforce Housing Task Force gathered for its first meeting Aug. 10, establishing its scope and affirming its commitment to seek housing solutions for the widest possible swath of area wage earners. With its membership selected by Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad, and serving as an advisory group to his office, the task force has begun its work by drilling into the results of a July 13 survey on workforce housing needs sent to all business licence holders in the city and those on the Bonner County Economic Development Committee’s email list. The picture painted by that survey — which drew 127 respondents, representing about 10% of local businesses and nearly 4,000 full- and part-time employees, or 11% of the area workforce — was grim. Respondents said that an estimated 586 potential workers were not hired “at least part-
ly as a result of poor housing availability or affordability.” Meanwhile, an estimated 342 employees left their place of work because of lack of affordable housing. Rognstad told the Reader in an interview Aug. 11 that “we’re in a crisis” and “somebody’s got to do something.” “That’s why I felt compelled to pull this task force together,” he said, “to try and see what we can do as a community to take more direct action right now.” Putting a finer point on it, Rognstad said, “Basically the gist of it is 25% of our workforce is directly impacted because of housing. That’s a lot of jobs.” With the median home sale price in Sandpoint pegged at about $600,000 — compared to an area median income of $64,500 — the situation for both prospective home buyers and renters is dire. According to Rognstad, the typical definition for workforce housing is availability for those earning 80% to 120% of the AMI, though “that definition is fluid,” he said, adding that, “for Sandpoint, I think we’re looking at more than 50% to 120%.” “I wanted to walk [out of the
Aug. 10 task force meeting] hopefully answering one question with the group, and that is: Who are we serving? Are we just serving that 80% to 120%? Because, well, that’s great for the nurses and the police officers and firemen — the people who are gainfully employed and have a very stable income,” he said, “but it doesn’t include teachers, it doesn’t include anyone in the service industry, anyone in retail, etc., etc., which is 43% of our economy.” The goal of the task force then is to “cast as big of a net here as we possibly can, and when we’re talking about providing workforce housing we’re talking about really trying to include everybody.” That said, Rognstad cautioned that whatever recommendations come out of the task force — which would be referred to either the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council, as the case may be — won’t be one-size-fits-all. “Obviously we’re not going to be able to enable somebody making minimum wage to be able to buy a home in Sandpoint,” he said. “But should there be some option for a minimum wage worker to find a
studio apartment or a one-bedroom or a room in a house somewhere? Yes. Absolutely.” Rognstad said the task force — whose members include a range of stakeholders, from large employers to affordable housing experts to community leaders from both nonprofits and county government — are approaching the issue looking at tiers of AMI, with a focus on rental availability and affordability for lower AMI earners and home purchase opportunities for those households in the higher wage categories. “Trying to serve rental housing to the 50% AMI is a completely different package of solutions than trying to enable someone making 80% to buy a home,” he said. “There’s a million ways to skin this cat and it’s really a million different cats.”
Courtesy photo. Though the task force has only recently gathered for its first meeting, Rognstad is optimistic that results — at least in the form of recommendations — will be soon forthcoming. If nothing else, at least the conversation about affordable housing is being had in earnest by those in a position to bring both expertise and resources to bear on the issue. “A lot of it is really just that — bringing everybody together that can have an impact on this issue and enabling them to help solve it,” he said. “The motivation is there, the resources are there. I think, very organically, the solution just comes to the surface through that kind of collective organization.”
Firefighters prepare for hot weekend ahead Poor air quality forecasted into next week
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Fire officials are anticipating increased activity at area blazes over the weekend, as a high-pressure system is expected to bring temperatures in the mid90s to North Idaho, along with a chance of breezy conditions. Nevada Type 3 Incident Management Team officials reporting from the Trestle Creek Complex Fire Aug. 11 shared in a media release that “rising tempera4 /
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tures and lower humidity values will likely cause an increase in activity, torching and short-range spotting.” There are currently 107 personnel working on the nearly 3,800-acre, two-part blaze four miles north of Hope, with firefighting efforts including the use of two hand crews, eight engines, two dozers, three feller bunchers, two excavators, two water tenders and one forwarder — an articulated machine with a cab and log trailer used to clear
roads in forested terrain. “With the rough and steep terrain where both fires are located, direct attack is unattainable with the resources currently assigned,” the management team
< see FIRES, page 5 >
Right: A map of the Trestle Creek Complex fires dated Aug. 10. Courtesy USDA Forest Service.
NEWS
Ethics Chair Dixon provides more details on recommendation to censure Rep. Giddings By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff As the political waves settle following the Idaho House Ethics Committee’s unanimous vote Aug. 3 to recommend censure for Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, some of the details of how that punishment might play out are becoming clearer — as well as revealing what some lawmakers feel are needed changes to the rules governing ethics complaints. Giddings, who is running for lieutenant governor in the May 2022 GOP primary, ran afoul of her colleagues — 17 Republicans and eight Democrats, who signed onto a complaint against her — based on posts she made to Facebook and her official legislative newsletter linking to a right-wing blog that outed the identity of a 19-year-old Statehouse intern who accused former-Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, of sexually assaulting her. Von Ehlinger faced the Ethics Committee in April and subsequently resigned rather than face expulsion from the Legislature — but not before Giddings in her testimony in that hearing seemed to evade answering committee members’ questions about whether she had identified the teen. She first claimed that she had not posted the identity of “Jane Doe” (though that was quickly disproved when screenshots of her Facebook page were entered into the record), then said that she had merely linked to a secondary source. She told the committee in August that she had only “skimmed” the blog — published online by Redoubt News — before linking to it on her Facebook page and in her legislative newsletter. The bipartisan Ethics Committee in August found both her testimony in the von Ehlinger case and her own hearing to be evasive — if not downright confrontational and obstructive — and decided that her conduct had been “unbecoming” of a state legislator and, furthermore, removed her from the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee. She
Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird. File photo.
Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay. File photo.
would, however, remain on the Agriculture and powerful Joint Finance-Appropriations committees. Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, presided over the Giddings hearings as chair of the Ethics Committee. “As we ruminated on appropriate conditions to the censure, or if we would apply conditions at all, there seemed to be a nexus with the Commerce and Human Resources Committee and the actions contained in the two complaints,” he told the Reader in a follow up email Aug. 10. “We could have done more, or we could have done less, but the one afternoon committee was what we settled on.” The committee has 30 days from the conclusion of the hearing to prepare and present a report on its findings to the House, including its reasons for making the recommendation. That report — required under House Rule 45 — is to be delivered to all members of the House of Representatives to inform their deliberations on whether to affirm or dismiss the recommended censure. Dixon said the report is being worked on and will likely “be completed well before the 30-day deadline.” “If the recommendation passes the House, the condition will go along with an official recognition of censure from the body that is read into the House Journal for that day,” he added. Because the House did not adjourn sine die from the 2021 legislative session, it is techni-
cally only in recess and could be called back into session by House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, who is facing Giddings and former-Coeur d’Alene Republican Rep. Luke Malek in the lieutenant governor’s race. It’s anyone’s guess when — or whether — the House will reconvene; though, “At the very latest, it needs to be before Dec. 31, which is when our resolution to recess expires,” Dixon said. “I imagine that they will not
< FIRES, con’t from page 4 > reported. “Therefore, heavy equipment is constructing a contingency line along the south and west sides of the fire. The north and east sides will continue to creep and torch, but there is a low potential of threatening any homes.” As of Aug. 11, the Trestle Creek, Trout Creek and Flume Creek communities remain in a “ready” level evacuation status. Local authorities use a “ready, set, go” model for evacuation notifications, with “ready” meaning to begin preparing to leave your home, “set” meaning that final preparations need to be in place, and “go” meaning to leave immediately. The fire, which started July 7 due to lightning, is currently within one mile of Flume Creek residences and a half mile from
want the Ethics Committee’s recommendation to expire out of respect for the number of members who signed the second complaint,” he added, referring to the so-called “group complaint” signed by members of both the Republican and Democratic caucuses. The committee considered and ultimately dismissed a separate ethics complaint against Giddings filed by Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell, in part because many of its points were also covered by the group complaint and also that it touched on allegations related to defamatory statements made by Giddings against fellow House members. The committee determined those allegations were not within its purview to address. In the meantime, Dixon said the Giddings case has prompted calls to make changes to House Rule 45 — specifically related to confidentiality requirements that make it difficult to thoroughly investigate a complaint, as well as whether the Ethics Committee chair should be selected by the speaker of the House or by committee members. That point became a hot button
during the two-day Giddings hearing, as she repeatedly framed the proceedings as a political move by Speaker Bedke in an attempt to undermine her campaign for lieutenant governor. What’s more, Dixon said there is some lack of clarity on whether respondents can retain outside counsel to represent them before the committee and how House members fit under the Capitol’s Respectful Workplace Policy. “As elected officials, House members occupy a unique space that doesn’t fit exactly under that policy, but still have close interaction with state employees so there is a large gray area that needs definition,” he said. “All efforts to amend the rule place a high priority upon protecting members from politically motivated complaints being brought forth.” According to Dixon, lawmakers plan to meet sometime in the fall to discuss changes to Rule 45, “and hopefully settle on something that can be presented to the body early next session.”
Trestle Creek residences. The incident management team overseeing operations on the Trestle Creek Complex has been collaborating with local fire districts to put protections in place for area structures. Roads leading into the fire area are closed to non-firefighting personnel, and a temporary flight restriction has been put in place for non-firefighting aircraft including ultralights and drones. “We’ve also witnessed burning materials rolling down the steep terrain and starting spot fires,” officials shared Aug. 10. “Along with the extremely dry fuel loads in the area, these factors pose a serious safety risk to anyone camping, hiking, fishing, hunting or even driving in the area. The Forest Closure Order prohibits non-fire personnel from being on the roads, being on the trails, or being in the area. Please do not move, drive around or
otherwise interfere with barricades and stay out of these areas.” To stay up-to-date on local fires and evacuations, visit local. nixle.com/bonner-county-sheriffs-office or text your ZIP code 888-777 to receive notifications from local authorities via text message. View updated fire information at inciweb.nwcg.gov. According to the U.S. Air Quality Index, Sandpoint’s air quality registered as “moderate” on Aug. 11, and is expected to remain in that category through Friday. Smoke is anticipated to accumulate as temperatures rise and breezy conditions move in over the weekend, possibly pushing North Idaho into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. Track local air quality at airnow.gov.
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NEWS
Half of all eligible Idahoans vaccinated against COVID-19
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
As the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus continues to ramp up case numbers across the country, the message from epidemiologists and other health care leaders remains the same: The best way to avoid serious illness and death is to seek out a COVID-19 vaccine. While no vaccine is 100% effective and breakthrough infections are possible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that vaccinated people are “far less likely to get severely sick or die than people who are unvaccinated.” Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials reported in July that nearly 99% of Idahoans hospitalized with the virus were not fully vaccinated. As of Aug. 11, 51.2% percent of Idahoans 12 years of age and older were at least partially vaccinated against
COVID-19, as well as 78.6% of those 65 and older. Nationally, those numbers are 68.9% and 90.5%, respectively. In Bonner County, the CDC reports that 36.3% of all eligible residents (meaning those 12 years old and up) have received at least one shot, while 67.5% of people 65 and older have also been partially inoculated. Vaccinations are available at most pharmacies. Visit covidvaccine.idaho.gov to learn more. Bonner County remains in the “high” category of community transmission, as do all of its surrounding counties. Across neighboring states Washington and Montana, most counties are also seeing “high” rates of transmission. Idaho Gov. Brad Little will hold a press conference regarding COVID-19 in Idaho on Thursday, Aug. 12 at noon PST. A spokesperson with the governor’s office informed the Reader that they are “not providing streaming” of the conference, “but the local TV news stations are planning to stream online.”
VA reps to visit Clark Fork By Reader Staff
Representatives from the Bonner County Veterans Service Office will be in Clark Fork Tuesday, Aug. 17 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to answer questions about current veterans’ benefits, assist with ongoing claims and take new claims for benefits for eligible veterans and their dependents. Bonner County Veteran Service Offi6 /
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cer Bryan Hult will be at the Clark Fork Public Library (601 Main St. in Clark Fork), seeing veterans by appointment only to ensure everyone is given quality time. Appointments must be scheduled no later than the Friday prior by calling Lyndsie Halcro at 208-255-5291. If there are no appointments scheduled for this outreach, or weather conditions prohibit travel, the outreach will be canceled.
BitsFrom’n’ Pieces east, west and beyond East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: Big splash: The recent climate report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, approved by 195 governments and based on 14,000 studies, made it clear that climate change is already locked in and will become more intense over the next 30 years. But, with quick action, there is still a chance to prevent the worst. At 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming (the planet has heated up 1.1 degrees C since the 19th century and that is accelerating), scientists say the planet will be hotter with more life-threatening heat waves, severe droughts and die-offs of coral reefs that sustain fisheries. Inaction will result in global temperatures rising as high as 4 degrees C, resulting in floods and heat waves, worse drought and the collapse of existing ice sheets in Greenland and west Antarctica. The biggest greenhouse gas emitters: China, the U.S., the E.U., India, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, Iran and Canada. On proposals to tax only the super rich: As noted by Civic Action, the daily lifestyle of Elon Musk, the world’s second richest person (worth $162 billion), would not change if he paid in taxes what the average American pays, instead of his current 3.4%. According to CA, those with wealth in other nations are taxed more than the wealthy in the U.S. A millionaire Danish entrepreneur told the Pitchfork Economics podcast that on average half his earnings go to the Danish tax system, but in a good year that can be as high as 70%. He remains an advocate of wealth taxes, and appreciates that in his country he doesn’t see people sleeping in the streets. “We have security,” he said, and “everybody can make a pretty decent living.” Two prominent COVID-19-vaccine opponents died recently from the virus: H. Scott Apley, a Texas Republican Party leader who urged people to burn their masks, and radio host Dick Farrel, who died after three weeks in the hospital. Shortly before dying, Farrell texted that he wished he’d gotten the vaccine because “this virus is no joke.” He urged his friends to get vaccinated. The idea that COVID-19 usually spares children is no longer true. From July 31 to Aug. 6, 216 children per day were hospitalized for COVID-19, The New York Times reported, and 20% of new cases are diagnosed among children. The Delta variant appears related to the increased hospitalization, along with lack of
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
approval (so far) for COVID-19 vaccines for those under 12. Symptoms for most children include congestion, runny noses, coughs or fevers. Doctors say it’s obvious the Delta variant is causing the surge in childhood infections, and the CDC has estimated that 80% of new COVID-19 cases are due to Delta. A large study of the drug Ivermectin for treating COVID-19 was withdrawn due to “ethical concerns,” The Guardian has reported. Ivermectin is typically used to address parasites and headlice. The study, from Benha University in Egypt and published on Research Square last November, included plagiarized material, conflicting data, data that appeared to contradict study protocol, inaccuracies about ages and deaths of people studied, and repeats of data between patients. The medical student in London who first noticed irregularities in the study commented that, “Thousands of highly educated scientists, doctors, pharmacists and at least four major medicines regulators missed a fraud so apparent that it might as well have come with a flashing neon sign. That this all happened amid an ongoing global health crisis of epic proportions is all the more terrifying.” The University of Oxford is currently testing to see if giving Ivermectin to people who have COVID-19 prevents them from being hospitalized. Recent testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by former acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen revealed that while still in office, ex-President Donald Trump and Justice Department political appointee Jeffrey Clark attempted to get Rosen to state that the 2020 election had been fraudulent. If Rosen would do only that, Trump said Rosen could “leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen.” Due to no evidence of fraud, Rosen said he did not participate in the scheme, even when Trump threatened to replace him with Clark. When top Justice Department attorneys threatened to resign if Trump installed Clark, Trump backed off. Sources: The New York Times, Washington Post and ABC News. Blast from the past: Early in his career, Richard Trumka said, “If corporations can impose their will on this country, we’ll see a future where oil and gas take preference over children, where education doesn’t matter as much as a dollar … that’s lost all social conscience.” Trumka, born in 1949, was an American attorney and organized labor leader. He died Aug. 5.
NEWS FEATURE
Republican 2022 election races are already red hot
Democrats say they are seeing a lot of pushback to the most recent legislative session
By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun The campaign trail is crowded at the top of the ticket with almost a dozen candidates challenging the incumbent governor just as Idaho moves into state fair season. But here’s the thing: They’re not running for election this year. They’re already running for next year. With six months remaining until the official window for filing a declaration of candidacy ahead of the 2022 statewide primaries opens, several races are already red-hot. “It looks to be potentially a very busy, active primary,” Boise State University Associate Professor of Political Science Jaclyn Kettler said. “It looks like we will have a good number of contested primaries, at least on the Republican side.” Idaho’s 2022 election has far-reaching implications for the future of the state: Idahoans will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, treasurer and state controller. On top of that, all 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature (70 in the Idaho House of Representatives and 35 in the Idaho Senate) are up for election. Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is challenging Gov. Brad Little (who has not yet announced his re-election plans) from within the Republican Party. McGeachin’s challenge creates an open seat for lieutenant governor, which has served as a final stepping stone to the governor’s office and Congress in recent decades. Predictably, that race is already getting competitive. Far-right candidates, including an anti-federal government activist who isn’t registered to vote, are making a push for the state’s highest offices. There are ideological splits within the Republican Party.
Who is running in Idaho and where do things stand? As of Aug. 2, 12 candidates have taken the preliminary step of running for governor in 2022 by appointing a campaign treasurer. There are nine Republicans: McGeachin, Steven Bradshaw, Ammon Bundy, Lisa Marie, Chris Hammond, Edward Humphreys, Jeff Cotton, Cody Usabel and Little, who has not officially announced a re-election campaign. There are also two unaffiliated candidates, who will not run in the primaries: John Dionne and Robert Dempsay. Melissa Sue Robinson is the only Democrat to have appointed a campaign treasurer in the race for governor. If all Republican candidates follow through and make it on the primary ballot, this would already be the most crowded GOP gubernatorial primary in more than 20 years, according to data on file with the Idaho secretary of state’s office. In the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary, there were seven candidates. Little won with 37.3% of the vote, beating second-place finisher former U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, who captured 32.6% of the vote. In the 2014 GOP gubernatorial primary there were four candidates, in 2010 there were six, in 2006 there were four, in 2002 there were four and in 1998 there were two. The governor’s race isn’t the only competitive primary shaping up. There are three Republican candidates running for lieutenant governor, all of them with political experience, including Speaker of the Idaho House Scott Bedke, R-Oakley; Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird; and former state Rep. Luke Malek, R- Coeur d’Alene. On Aug. 3, the House Ethics and House Policy Committee voted unanimously to recommend the Idaho House censure Giddings for conduct unbecoming of a legislator and strip her of her seat on the House Commerce and Human Re-
sources Committee, one of three committee assignments she has. Getting an early start on a statewide run for office isn’t a new trend this cycle. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Ahlquist announced on March 1, 2017 that he was running for governor — more than a year before the 2018 Republican primary. Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brady announced in a March 26, 2005 interview with the Associated Press that he would run again for governor in 2006. And not everyone who announces a campaign makes it all the way through to the primary election. In November 2005, current U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, dropped out of the governor’s race and instead ran for re-election as lieutenant governor, a campaign he won. What is the Republican outlook? Idaho Republican Party Chairman Tom Luna said the GOP is looking to increase its 86-19 supermajority in the Legislature, grow party registration and have successful election outcomes at all levels of government. “There is definitely more interest in more races and definite-
ly more passion and involvement early across the state,” Luna said in a telephone interview. “As I travel the state and attend political meetings, it’s standing-room only, it’s record crowds. We’re seeing people we haven’t seen in a while who haven’t been engaged, and we’re seeing people that are new, who we have never met.” Much of the excitement among Republicans in Idaho has to do with concerns at the federal level, Luna said. The Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress for the first time since 2009-2010, the first two years of former President Barack Obama’s first term. “There is no doubt that so much has changed in the last six months economically and internationally, with the situation at the border, those are the things we hear people talking about. Gasoline prices that are through the roof, inflation — all those things that a typical family spends the majority of its money on. “In Idaho, people are asking me how we can become involved to make sure Republicans take over the House of Representatives in 2022 and how we get involved to make sure Republicans take back the Senate in 2022,” Luna added. “They recognize the battle
The Idaho State Capitol in Boise at dawn. Courtesy photo. for U.S. House and Senate seats isn’t going to be in Idaho, it’s going to be elsewhere, but they want to engage.” The Idaho Republican Party has pushed back against Bundy’s gubernatorial campaign, with Luna pointing out that Bundy isn’t registered to vote and isn’t affiliated with the Republican Party. Luna predicted Bundy’s presence in the gubernatorial race would have “very little impact.” “I think it’s a fundraising opportunity for him and his family in the way that it was when his brother [Ryan Bundy] ran for governor in Nevada and I think got 2%,” Luna said. “Having said that, everybody has access to the ballot and anybody can run. I think my statement made it clear Republican resources will be focused on registered Republicans and those who have registered and participated in the party.” What are the Democrats’ plans? The Idaho Democratic Party is rebuilding after losing two Boise-based Idaho House seats to Republicans during the most
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The five stages of grief…
Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • Amid the heat, the smoke, the influx of people, the aggressive driving and the long lines, I had a moment this week that made me remember why I love Sandpoint so very much. I had a moment that helped me see that the beautiful, beating heart of this community is still alive and well, even if it is currently veiled by a lot of crazy-making change. I was at Monarch Mountain Coffee getting caught up on some paperwork, and a previous client of ours, Victor, walked in. While chatting, I learned that he just donated $400 worth of water and Gatorade to the local firefighters, delivering the goods himself. Then, after returning to my table from the bathroom, I found an envelope from him, replete with a gift card to Monarch and a note saying, “I firmly believe that each of us can make a difference through simple acts of kindness. What goes around, comes around!” Well said, Victor! More such acts are essential to preserving the soul of Sandpoint. Furthermore, the next person to walk into the coffee shop was local photographer, Don Fisher. Years ago, when we were strapped for cash, I fell in love with one of his prints. Don generously shaved a lot off of the price of the piece so that we could afford to hang it in our home. Everytime I look at this print or see him around town, I am reminded of his kindness and our good fortune to live here. — Jen Jackson Quintano Barbs: GUEST SUBMISSION: • Every trail that my wife and I have hiked this year has been littered with used toilet tissue, either directly on or next to the trail. Many of these trails, such as the Mineral Point trail, are directly next to water sources that can be contaminated by pathogens that exist in human waste. Aside from that, it’s not the responsibility of other hikers or employees of the forest services to clean up your biological waste. If you pack it in, it’s your job to pack it out, period. If you aren’t responsible enough to enjoy nature without damaging it for everyone else, there are many other activities in town that will better suit you. — Brenden Bobby 8 /
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Dear editor, Our country, the United States of America, is grieving. The country we all love is going through the grieving process. Some of us are in the first stage of grief, which is denial. Many of us are in denial about the last five years of chaos and sickness and death. Many Americans are denying the facts and events of these past five years. The second stage of grief is anger. Anger at forces that are beyond our control. Anger at others. Anger looking for someone to blame. The third stage of grief is bargaining. Attempting to justify and rationalize our loss, our pain, our absolute aloneness. The fourth stage of grief is depression. The sense of hopelessness and despair and nowhere to turn and no one to help. We all seem to be at different stages at different times in our communal and national grieving. Each of us, and all of us, try to cope with these intense and personal emotions. Eventually, most of us will get to the fifth stage of grieving, which is acceptance. We can accept the changes, the progress we have made through upheaval and dysfunction and hurtful mistakes we have all made. Acceptance of the hope that we must continually maintain. Acceptance that puts our faith and trust in each other. The country we all love is at stake and it is up to all of us to come together and arrive at that place where we believe in each other, respect each other and love each other. Steve Johnson Sagle
An unintended consequence… Dear editor, This letter is to thank Scott Herndon for the abortion display at the public library. It reminded me how vitally important it is to have access to accurate information and reproductive health care and prompted me to make a large, recurring donation to Planned Parenthood. While I personally don’t think the library should allow displays that contain demonstrably false information, I deeply appreciate every opportunity to be reminded of how important it is to financially support the programs that make access to health care possible for so many people. Thank you, Jessica Tingley Sandpoint
Low vaccine numbers keep the pandemic going… Dear editor, Recently I ran a comparison between the state percentage of fully vaccinated Americans and their state’s IQ. Surprisingly, there seems to be a direct correlation. Which may be an anti-vaxxer conspiracy, or probably just sheer coincidence. For instance, the [state with the highest IQ] is Massachusetts with 104.3. Its full vax rate is 63.55%. Louisiana (IQ 95.3, next to last with 49th) vax rate is 36.57%. Mississippi (IQ 94.2, last at 50th) vax rate is 34.78%. Thankfully, the anti-vaxxers of Bonners Ferry and Boundary County continue to do their part, as you enter Bonners and their beautiful welcoming billboard (which says something like, “Welcome to Trump country, god and guns”). Boundary County has a vax rate of 30%, happily assuring that we can keep the pandemic on the front burner. Contributions to the school system in the name of COVID eradication and/or reason are discouraged. Thanks, sincerely, Brian Stillwater Boundary County
Clearing the air (of greenhouse gases)… Dear editor, In his article on terrariums [“Mad About Science,” Aug. 5, 2021], Brenden Bobby states that, “Industrial and automotive applications produce aerosolized carbon monoxide, which is one part carbon, one part oxygen.” Actually, the major carbon-based gas produced from those applications is carbon dioxide, which is one part carbon, two parts oxygen. Furthermore, it is not aerosolized, i.e., it does not exist as a suspension of colloidal particles or liquid droplets in the air. Carbon dioxide is a gas that is distributed throughout the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is a minor combustion product from properly oxygenated systems that burn carbon-rich fuels. It is also a much weaker direct greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, it is anthropomorphic carbon dioxide that is primarily responsible for the adverse effects of climate change. Unless immediate measures are taken to reduce emissions of this plan-
et-warming greenhouse gas, the heat waves, wildfires and smoke we have experienced this summer will pale in comparison to what the future has in store for us. I thoroughly enjoy Brenden Bobby’s science articles in the Reader. I hope he does not take umbrage at my nitpicking. Jack DeBaun Dover
Idaho tax system is not fair and balanced… Dear editor, No one enjoys paying taxes, but when the tax system is fair and balanced we can at least not get too angry. But what about when residential property owners pay more than commercial property owners? What about when a person who earns $20,000 pays 9.2% of their income in combined taxes, but those who earn more than $410,000 pay just 7.2%. Well that’s just not fair or balanced. The Idaho Legislature just passed two bills that actually makes this situation worse. HB 380 reduced taxes for corporations and allows for the same tax rate to be used for those making $17,000 per year as those making $1 million per year. Shouldn’t those who can afford it and who have benefited the most from the common good pay at least a little more than those who struggle just to get by? Among other things, HB 389 kicks 4,000 elderly off of the property tax reduction program just because their homes increased in value. When the Democrats introduced the Idaho Working Families Agenda, the Republicans would not even allow the bill a hearing. We missed out on increased child tax credits, increased homeowner’s exemption pegged to local housing costs, twice the property tax assistance for the elderly and state funded full-day kindergarten, all by using a small portion of the surplus. If this makes you angry, find representatives who will reduce taxes for us and not for corporations, the wealthy and the well connected. Lee Christensen Sandpoint
The challenge of stillness… Dear editor, I was delighted to read Sandy Compton’s column on listening [Back of the Book, “A Few
Thoughts… on listening,” Aug. 5, 2021]. Having had the privilege of living in the middle of the woods for the past 30 years and having backpacked in the mountains every summer I know what he is talking about. Being still and listening in nature is adventurous, delicious, grounding, joyful and connecting. Being still also is a challenge amid all the chaos in town — I breathe a big sigh of relief turning off the highway on my way home. Being still is difficult amid the chaos of my mind when I immerse myself into researching and writing about vaccines, the political divide and climate change. Being still is even more demanding when I resist being choked and smothered by smoke and heat and having to contemplate leaving my home with advancing fires. As Glada McIntire’s life story says, listening also includes surrender to what is while taking the action one is called to take. Gracefully living with Parkinsons and having one’s singing forest cut down requires a lot of acceptance and openness to mercy. Accepting Sandpoint’s changes, the community’s differences of opinion, the smoke and heat, also requires openness to grace. I, too, have come from the city, live in my own echo chamber and have contributed to CO2 emissions. Grief that is felt after having done what one can does not take away from being still and being receptive to grace and mercy — in inner contemplation, outer immersion in the forest or higher uplifting in the mountains… and in connection with others’ stories. Thanks, Sandy, for a lovely column. Gabrielle Duebendorfer Sandpoint
Got something to say? Write a letter to the editer. We accept letters that are under 300 words. Please refrain from obsessive profanity or libelous statements. Please elevate the conversation.
NEWS FEATURE < GOP, con’t from page 7 > recent election in 2020. Democrats named new leadership within the party, selecting Fred Cornforth as party chairman in March and hiring former Obama campaign organizer Jared DeLoof as executive director in May. DeLoof said the focal points for 2022 are picking up seats in the Legislature, putting forward quality candidates to run for each statewide office and recruiting candidates to offer Idahoans choices and competitive races up and down the ballot across the state. DeLoof pointed out the superintendent of public instruction races have been the most competitive statewide races in recent years. It’s also the last statewide post held by an Idaho Democrat; Marilyn Howard was re-elected as schools chief in 2002. The last Idaho Democrat elected governor was the late Cecil Andrus, who is the state’s longest serving governor and won a fourth term in 1990. DeLoof thinks the tide could turn though. “We are seeing a lot of interest and a lot of people do not like what they saw in the last legislative session and they are stepping up,” DeLoof said in a telephone interview. “There is probably half of the Republican caucus that is far outside the mainstream of what actual Idahoans believe in, and it’s some really extreme stuff.” So far that interest hasn’t translated to a raft of progressive candidates. But DeLoof said it is coming. He said he’s talked to a couple of candidates who “will probably toss their hat in the ring” in the race for governor. He also thinks prospective legislative candidates are waiting to step forward until the state finishes the redistricting process of redrawing legislative and congressional district boundaries based on U.S. Census Bureau data. “We will leave no stone unturned and not turn away from any fight,” DeLoof said. “We are moving ahead and growing our party and building every day.” What are things to watch for? From a political science perspective Kettler, the Boise State University professor, said there are several interesting things she will be watching as the 2022 campaigns and elections play out. One of them is an ideological split within the Republican Party. “We’ve got ideological splits within the party; we can identify in several of these primary races, those kinds of factions,” Kettler said. “We have kind of the more establishment conservatives of the Republican Party — think of your Littles, your Bedkes, those type candidates. Then you have what seem to be farther right challenges coming from farther right of the spectrum — Mc-
Geachin or Giddings or those types of candidates.” Kettler said the differences show how the candidates or elected officials approach the role of government. “Obviously Republicans tend to prefer smaller, more limited government, but there are some disagreements over almost seeming to share a more anti-government view that would be more favorable for defunding elements of our state or local government,” Kettler said. Kettler will watch the governor’s race closely and is interested in seeing what Bundy’s impact on the race will be. “It will be interesting to see how much support he does end up having for his campaign,” she said. “His supporters are very vocal and involved, but don’t appear to be a huge proportion of the population. “I’m interested in McGeachin and Bundy both being in the race and if they are competing for some of the same voters,” Kettler added. “You would think with their ideology there might be some overlap between their voters. But how they differentiate between each other will also be interesting.” Aside from Bundy and McGeachin’s presence at the top of the ticket, Kettler said it’s notable that Little has drawn as many challengers as he has, given his status as an incumbent from the dominant party and the fact that Idaho is sitting on a record state budget surplus. “Usually with a great economy and especially with an incumbent, incumbents don’t face especially strong primary challenges,” Kettler said. “But so far it appears to be a very active race.” Kettler said there could be multiple reasons for the crowd of challengers, including general frustration with the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, ideological splits already present within the party and the realities of supermajority dominance in Idaho that often force Republicans to challenge each other if they hope to move up to higher office. The primary elections are expected to take place May 17. But the primaries could be delayed if the state’s redistricting process bogs down or winds up in a drawn out court battle, preventing state and county election officials from enough information to print up ballots well in advance of the primary election. This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, an independent, nonprofit online news organization delivering in-depth coverage from veteran Idaho reporters on state government and policy. The Idaho Capitol Sun is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by tax-free donations in 22 states. Learn more and follow daily updates at idahocapitalsun.com and statesnewsroom.com. August 12, 2021 /
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Mad about Science:
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clocks By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist When someone thinks about a complicated mechanical device, one will generally envision a clock. Anyone who has ever peered into the guts of a mechanical timekeeper knows that it is stuffed to the brim with weights, gears and springs in a very precise layout. It’s true that clocks are pretty complicated — at least if you’re trying to build one yourself with no prior knowledge, but that can be said of just about any mechanical device. Trying to build a car engine, or even something as small as a mouse trap, is no simple feat. However, the idea behind the clock’s function is remarkably simple; and, even with all of the math and technology involved, it remains a fairly simple thing to explain. Let’s begin with pendulum clocks. A bit of a rarity in the digital age, pendulum clocks don’t frequently circulate anymore because of the difficulty in assembling them now that digital clocks and our phones have taken the role of timekeepers. But make no mistake, they are still around. The most recognizable example of a pendulum clock is the classic grandfather clock, which is often the centerpiece of whatever room it inhabits. Most grandfather clocks have a great deal of craftsmanship put into the woodwork, and even more into the faces. The working guts of most grandfather clocks are usually a brass amalgam, mixed with iron or other 10 /
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metals to not only maintain a golden lustre, but also counteract the effects of thermal expansion and contraction so the clock will maintain accurate time. Most grandfather clocks are quite delicate, and the oils from our hands will tarnish the brass inside, leading to discoloration of the metal and even throwing off its ability to accurately record time. Most grandfather clocks that aren’t battery-operated require you to turn a key or crank in order to keep the clock functioning. This crank is attached to a spring inside that stores the energy you’ve transferred with the crank. The spring is attached to a weight, which is drawn up closer to the spring and acts as a battery to store the energy from the crank. Over time, gravity pulls down the weight, which causes the spring to turn a set of power gears that convert the stored energy into usable energy for the clock. Multiple timekeeping gears are turned by the power gears, each with a different diameter to regulate different speeds: a second gear that moves 60 times per minute, a minute gear that moves once every 60 seconds and an hour gear that moves gradually over the course of 3,600 seconds. You may be wondering why the weight doesn’t just unspool immediately and release all the energy at once, and that is where the pendulum comes into play. The pendulum works by converting energy from stored potential energy into kinetic energy until it reaches the apex of its swing, then it reverses the process. Because
of the law of conservation of energy, even as the pendulum swings shorter distances as it runs out of energy, it also slows down and takes the same amount of time to complete a swing, thus allowing the timekeeping device to remain consistent. The pendulum is attached to a fork-shaped device inside of the clock called an escapement that forces the power gear to release energy at the same intervals and prevent the weight from free-falling and spending all of the stored energy at once. Digital clocks function a bit differently from mechanical clocks. Whereas the pendulum acts as the oscillator, the object that keeps a uniform pace in the device. In a digital clock, power from your wall oscillates 60 times per second, often referred to as 60hz — this is often seen in computer monitors and tells you how many times per second the screen refreshes. Portable digital clocks will use a specially designed quartz disc that oscillates whenever it is slightly bent or energy is applied to it. Energy from the oscillation runs through something called a counter on the clock’s circuit, which divides the oscillations by 60 to count individual seconds by converting them into binary numbers. These binary numbers are then fed to a display called a seven-segment display converter, which then shows us the classic segmented numbers we see in most digital displays, such as digital alarm clocks or the timer on your oven.
Unfortunately, pendulums, quartz discs and wall-supplied power sources can be unreliable time keepers if you’re trying to be very precise. Scientists developed the atomic clock in the 1960s, sending cesium atoms down a tube to be blasted with a precise radio frequency. This causes the atoms to oscillate between two energy states after exactly 9,192,631,770 cycles of radia-
tion. While that may sound like a lot of time, that is the standard for exactly one second. An atomic clock is so precise that it would take more than 100 million years for it to be off by exactly one second. If that’s a little trippy and overwhelming, I can’t blame you. There’s a reason I’m not a professional clockmaker or an atomic scientist. Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner al parks?
Don’t know much about nation Yellowstone National Park • is believed to be not just the first national park in the United States but also the first national park in the world. • Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota has some of the oldest rocks in the U.S., dating back 2.5 billion years, which is even older than some geologic formations in the western U.S.. • Every fall, Alaska’s Katmai National Park hosts “Fat Bear Week” and crowns the park’s fattest brown bear. The aim of the contest is to highlight both park and wildlife conservation. • Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada is larger in area than the country of Switzerland and is the world’s second-largest national park. It was created in 1922 as a sanctuary for the last bison population in the nation and aboriginal residents. • 375 goats were airlifted from Olympic National Park in Washington state after they trampled
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tourists because they had developed a taste for human urine. • The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act makes it illegal to harass, disturb or otherwise molest manatees. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrested a Florida father after he posted photos of himself hugging a baby manatee out of the water and letting his daughter sit on it. • There used to be a “Cursed Lava Rocks” display at the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park visitor’s center featuring lava rocks stolen by tourists, then mailed back to park rangers along with stories of the string of bad luck these tourists received since the rocks were in their possession. • Point Pelee National Park includes the southernmost point of mainland Canada. Because of its location at the crossroads of two major migration flyways, 347 to 360 different species of migratory birds have been recorded in the park and more than 100 species stay there for breeding.
PERSPECTIVES
Summer, I’m breaking up with you By Ben Olson Reader Staff It’s official: My love affair with Summer has ended. We are no longer on speaking terms, and it’s anyone’s guess when relations will be repaired. Chances are it’ll never go back to the way we were. My romance with Summer began long ago, when I was a snot-nosed kid and Sandpoint was just a small town somewhere in North Idaho. Back then, Summer was the ultimate season for everything that mattered to a young kid. There was no school for three months, warm weather spells were easily managed with two or three swims a day, camping trips took our huckleberry-stained fingers deep into the mountains and so much more. Nights we’d spend lying atop our chicken coop roof, watching the stars circle around the sky like they were glowing diamonds. Days were lazy affairs filled with baseball games, barbecues, grasshopper collection missions and the occasional adventures in the mountains. My dad was an avid Chicago Cubs fan when I was growing up, so he would cart us along on epic cross-country trips to visit baseball parks that were slated to be torn down, culminating — of course — with a visit to the hallowed ground of Wrigley Field. Returning to the next grade in September, the new teacher would often ask us kids what we did over summer vacation. Shoot, I’d think, what didn’t I do? Summer was the absolute best season, hands down, no comparison. Somewhere in the mid-2000s, the relationship I had with Summer — once considered as unbreakable as peanut butter and jelly — was beginning to show signs of strain. Instead of idyllic days, I found chaotic downtown streets jammed with people asking how to get to City Beach where they believed they could photograph a moose. Instead of warm spells, we started to get hot spells, then dangerously hot spells, then surface-of-the-sunRed-Alert-days-in-June hot spells that left us hunkered down in our air conditioned homes, wondering when, if ever, it was safe to go outdoors again. Instead of a handful of wildfires that occasionally left the air hazy, we faced fire seasons that sometimes spanned from May to October, with months on end plagued by smoky skies that left your
throat feeling like a threepack-a-day smoker. Bars were adult playgrounds with the occasional new faces to strike a fancy, now they’re more like airport restaurants packed with strange people we’ve never seen before. Summer, what happened to you? Who hurt you? Is it my fault? Will we ever have that towering love affair again? Anymore, Summer and I are barely on speaking terms, especially after the last few years of weariness. I now acknowledge the solstice with a sneer, already counting the days on the calendar for my new fling, Autumn, to come back into the mix. Running the sweaty gauntlet of honking horns and out-of-state plates on the eternal search for a parking space, we reach a once-quiet swimming hole that now resembles a Where’s Waldo book, except now we play “Where’s the Local?” instead. I can usually spot them, sitting in the shade with their faces buried in a book, a cleverly disguised booze seltzer drink by their side, avoiding everybody and everything. But it’s getting harder and harder, especially when our city seems bound and determined to transform Sandpoint into a theme park for rich people who spend a week a year here, instead of looking after the middle class ones who stick it out year round for generations. That’s OK, we’ll just go camping in the woods when Summer starts getting too popular, right? Think again, pal, the coveted camping spots we’ve curated and shared among friends for years have been blasted all over Facebook by well-meaning locals who don’t realize what they’re doing. Come Thursday there ain’t a single place to pitch a tent between here and the Edmonton Mall. I suppose we’ll just go take a hike, then. Right, Summer? Wrong! If you can find a parking spot at the many local trailheads, it’s usually on the side of a county road with two of your wheels pitched into the ditch at such an angle that your passenger flies out when they open the door like they just got sucked out of a jetliner. Navigate the throngs of hiking pole-clad weekend warriors examining the trail map with intense scowls, and you’re left
Courtesy photo. leapfrogging little plastic bags filled with dog poo along the first 1/2 mile of trail and douchebags blasting terrible music from Bluetooth speakers hidden in their backpacks. Did I mention how hot it was, too? Just checking. The romance I once had with Summer usually ended every year around Labor Day, when our affair became yet another entry in the long scrapbook of life, each page filled with incredible photos and stories from adventures we once had together. The last few years, that scrapbook is filled with serial-killer style stream-of-consciousness scribbles and lists of Sandpoint buildings, businesses and friends that were bulldozed, closed down or have moved away, leaving this once-familiar Summer time of love and familiarity now a walk through a town that sort of resembles Sandpoint, if we were a suburb of Miami in the pre-days of the post-apocalypse. It’s not for lack of trying that our relationship has ended. Summer occasionally surprises me with a spell of tolerable days, and Monday nights are sometimes pretty quiet around town, but a relationship cannot sustain itself on these rare glimpses of our former glory. We both knew the end was coming, yet avoided the inevitable until the time came when Summer just got too full of itself and left me standing here wondering if Autumn was going to do the same in the future. All signs point to yes, if the last year of our tumultuous relationship is any indication. So I bid you farewell, Summer, you are no longer my main squeeze. You were once a hot fling I relied on every year, but now you’re just a sweaty, unrecognizable mess. Autumn, you have my number. Give me a call.
The winningest American gymnast of all time launched a worldwide discussion about mental health when she bowed out of almost every one of her events at the Tokyo Olympics last month. Sharing with fans that she experienced the “twisties” — the inability to tell up from down while twisting in the air — as she prepared for the Games, Simone Biles said she did not feel safe competing. After consulting with team doctors and sports psychologists on site in Tokyo, Biles — who was the favorite to win the individual all-around competition, as well as golds on multiple apparatuses — chose instead to only compete on balance beam, earning a bronze medal with a dismount far below her previously established capabilities. Americans are extremely desensitized to the incredible athletic feats we witness on a regular basis. As the 2020 Olympics (pushed to 2021 due to COVID-19) approached, Biles decorated promotional material with her confident smile and gravity-defying flips — some of the moves so complex and so new that they are named after her. It appeared that the reigning Olympic all-around champion would be bringing her A-game to Japan, making her the American face of the Games. So when the Texan walked away from her events and opted instead to cheer for her teammates from the sideline, people were appropriately surprised. The surprise I can tolerate; the speculation and judgement needs to stop. While I surround myself with mostly empathetic and mental-health-aware people, the haters slipped through the cracks. I noted a friend of a friend spouting off online about how Biles had let down her country and only quit because there weren’t enough people in the stands at the Games. Others simply called her a coward. Biles risks her life every time she steps onto the competition floor, as does every other gymnast. Therefore, I’m encouraging everyone to live by a simple rule: Once you can perform a Yurchenko Double Pike vault or successfully land a Biles (double layout with a half twist) or Biles II (double backflip with a triple twist) in floor exercise on an international stage, you’re entitled to have an opinion about Simone Biles’ decision to prioritize her mental health at the Tokyo Olympics. Until then, sit down and shut up. August 12, 2021 /
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PERSPECTIVES
The Sandpoint flood
Rather than build levees against newcomers, build an ark to protect community values
By Gaelan Evans Reader Contributor The other week the Outdoor Experience Monday run crew was hanging out at MickDuffs. The conversation turned quickly to one of the most recurring ones of the moment: How Sandpoint is changing and locals are getting pushed out. It’s a common frustration. That this beautiful, once hidden gem of a small town is being overrun, like a picnic spoiled by a nearby ant hill. The citizens of Sandpoint, the ones that call it home year round, love this place because it is more than where their vacation home is. It’s more than a beautiful lake, an incredible mountain or its thousands of acres of wilderness to explore. On a summer night you can hear live music all over downtown. On the full moon you can grab your bike and a beer and ride around with a hundred new friends. It’s where you go to an event and see everyone you know. When you walk down the street, go to the grocery store or show up downtown, it always feels like you belong. Sandpoint is a community. I have to confess, I am one of the newcomers to Sandpoint, having just moved here four years ago from the Midwest. I come from the land of small town charm, and one of the things I love about Sandpoint is that it feels like home. I was lucky enough to catch just a taste of the old Sandpoint. Where the ends of the spectrum come together because they all just want the same thing: to enjoy a quiet life in the mountains peacefully. I was enamoured with the hilarity of the town’s quirky bipolar personality. That the gun range
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was across from the health food store. That there are equal parts brand new Subarus with mountain bikes and rusted out, lifted trucks with chainsaws in the back. That for every cowboy with a handgun on their hip, there is a hippie on their bike riding home from the Farmer’s Market or to yoga. I was inspired that small businesses abound and all the chain stores are pushed to the edge of town. That if there are more than three inches of fresh snow, most people are probably taking off work. Dogs are really the ones that run this town and are almost everywhere (I’ve never seen dogs in a grocery store before Sandpoint.) The fact that so many of the kids that grow up here leave and come back, because — I hear it over and over again — there just isn’t anywhere else like it. This isn’t just a vacation town. This is a place people love to live. However I was startled when I got here. The thing that everyone one in Sandpoint seemed to have in common more than anything, was the rallying cry “Californians suck” (or its colloquial, French, “F-ck Californians”). Don’t get me wrong, after four years of living here I can’t say that I disagree with the sentiment. I’ve experienced it first hand. The stories of rudeness and entitlement are becoming more common at the stores and restaurants. The owners of the new houses are difficult and causing headaches for the workers serving them. They’re buying up all the homes, raising the rent and pushing out the middle class. People are flooding in, desecrating the small town lifestyle and destroying what makes this place special. The
locals feel like the out-of-towners are ruining the culture. The same complaints are heard all the time: “Why did they bring with them the big city/California mindset they left to get away from?” “If they want it to be like California, why didn’t they just stay there?” But getting upset doesn’t fix the situation. And what else are they supposed to be? Who should they be when they come here? The thing is they’re not going away. It is going to get worse — now matter how bitter we get, or how many “Idaho’s Full” bumper stickers there are. The flood is coming. So what’s to be done? Tragically, it feels like too many people want to build a levee; to try and hold back the flood and pretend like everything can just keep going on the way it always has. But why don’t you ask New Orleans how well levees work? When the water gets too high and the levee breaks, it’s the locals who will drown. So how do we hold onto the things that keep this place from being just another Aspen, Vail or Park City? How do you get the
people who come here to leave their old mindset at the door? Instead, perhaps we take a lesson from Noah. Perhaps we can build an ark. What if we took the best parts of Sandpoint, gathered them together and created a vessel in which they can survive — no matter how high the waters rise, the values that matter can ride out the storm. Instead of, “We hate the outsiders,” cry, “We Love Sandpoint.” Instead of chastising, “That’s not how we do it here,” show them, “This is how it’s done here.” This is really a selfish endeavor. It’s not about getting all woo woo and saying love the people who are coming in and causing problems. It’s about saying when you come to Sandpoint, you act like Sandpoint; creating a passion for an identity that outsiders cannot ignore, rather than making them actively want to leave theirs behind. They can escape the individualist, big-city mindset. Make the small town, community spirit part of the attraction. Imagine being a local is an exclusive club that would cause the outsiders to do anything
to be a part of. Because when it’s us vs them, and it comes to a fight, the people moving in can simply pull out their wallets and bludgeon the locals to death. Especially if the attitude they receive is “Screw you, get out,” why wouldn’t they? Instead, we need to find a way to incentivise them to pull out their wallets and do anything to make it stay the same. When people visit they should know that there is an expectation; that this is a place that comes together, where being an asshole isn’t allowed. Now, I’m not a PR guy so I’m not saying these are the answers. But imagine if everyone that lived in town worked together, under a common mission, to proudly carry the banner: “Sandpoint: The most neighborly town in Idaho.” “Sandpoint: The cleanest, friendliest, happiest town in Idaho.” “Sandpoint: Where people love to live.” If everyone who lived here walked and talked that mission — and every person who visited saw it — what kind of place would that be to live in and visit?
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With a volley of fireworks and a symphonic crescendo, the Festival at Sandpoint wrapped its 2021 concert series. Here are some highlights from Week 2 from local photographer Racheal Baker. To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@ sandpointreader.com.
All photos on Pages 14-15 were taken by Racheal Baker. See more of her photos at: rachealbakerphotography.pixieset.com
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COMMUNITY
Bonner County Fair kicks off Aug. 18
‘Painting with fabric’: Annual quilt show scheduled for Aug. 14-15
By Reader Staff The 95th annual Bonner County Fair will begin Wednesday, Aug. 18, with gates opening at 10 a.m. This year, the event — themed “Lettuce Turnip The Beet” — will bring all of the exhibits, food and entertainment North Idahoans know and love to the fairgrounds, located at 4203 N. Boyer Road. Main events featured at this year’s fair begin with a Summer Nights Concert with Copper Mountain Band on Thursday, Aug. 19. The Copper Mountain Band is known for high-energy country and classic rock music, and has been performing together for more than a decade. Next, on Friday, Aug. 20, spectators can experience the thrill of the Challenge of Champions Bull Riding Competition. Tickets to this event are $12 for adults and $8 for kids (ages 6-12) on pre-sale and $15/$10, respectively, at the gate. The fair will conclude on Saturday, Aug. 21 with the Sandpoint Smash Demolition Derby. Tickets to this event are $15 for adults and $10 for kids on pre-
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
sale and $17/$12, respectively, at the gate. Pre-sale tickets for all of the above events can be found at Carter Country, Les Schwab, North 40, Columbia Bank (Sandpoint and Ponderay locations), Sandpoint Super Drug and the Bonner County Fair Office. Also find tickets online at bonnercountyfair.com or at the gate. Gates open each night at 6:30 p.m. and the action kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Aside from the main evening events, the Bonner County Fair will feature
Photo by Cameron Barnes.
livestock shows, various exhibits and several contests, including a contest for best mullet, best mac ’n’ cheese, a skillet-throwing competition, a water balloon toss and more. A full list and schedule of events can be found in the 2021 Bonner County Fair Book, available around the county’s businesses or online at bonnercountyfair.com. For more information contact the main fair office at 208-263-8414.
Izaak Opatz and Little Wolf to play at Evans Bros. By Ben Olson Reader Staff Montana-based singer-songwriter Izaak Opatz will join Sandpoint’s own indie folk duo Little Wolf for a show at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. Describing his genre as “Nora Ephron rom-com-earnestness with a sense of humor,” Opatz founded the country-rock band The Best Westerns in 2011, earning a following among both rock and roots fans, playing everything from bars in small towns to gigs at larger theaters in Missoula. Opatz claims the band was formed by a group of friends primarily so they could sing while wearing cowboy hats. Opatz released his debut solo album Mariachi Static in 2017, inspired by Mojave Desert camping excursions, life on a Glacier National Park trail crew, late night ping-pong tournaments and love. He has opened for some notable acts, including Langhorne Slim and James 16 /
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Izaak Opatz will play Evans Bros. with Little Wolf Tuesday, Aug. 17. Courtesy photo. McMurtry. Opening for Opatz is Little Wolf, featuring Sandpoint locals Josh Hedlund and Justin Landis. Hedlund’s extensive body of songwriting has earned him a following in Sandpoint and beyond for the better part of two decades, and Justin Landis is a well-recognized figure in the Sandpoint music scene. Check out more of Opatz’s work on YouTube and other music streaming services.
Courtesy photo.
Search back far enough and chances are you’ll find a quilter in your family tree. Joining layers of fabric together into a tapestry or blanket is an ancient form of expression, with the earliest known quilted garments depicted on Egyptian pharaohs as far back as 100 BCE. While quilting has a utilitarian function — after all, who doesn’t like a warm, snuggly blanket? — modern-day quilting has focused more on the fabulous art forms that individual quilters create. Each quilter has the opportunity to take their passion and interests and turn them into a functional display. The Panhandle Piecemakers Quilt Guild presents the annual Festival of Quilts on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 15 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the VFW Hall (1325 Pine St. in Sandpoint). Admission is $5, but husbands and children under 10 get in free. This year’s featured quilter is Linda Evans, who said she started quilting with her grandmother and mother when she was just 10 years old. A 20-year U.S. Army veteran, Evans said she enjoys quilting because it brings like-minded people together to enjoy this age-old art form. “I love to look at the quality of work that is done,” Evans told the Reader. “There is a lot of precision and art to it. I consider it painting with fabric.” Each year, the Festival of Quilts holds a challenge that helps quilters get out of their box and create works they wouldn’t normally produce. This year’s challenge is “Sing Me a Song.” “The challenge is to make a quilt that represents a song that you liked,” Evans said. “I’m a country and western fan, so my challenge quilt was called ‘I Got a Tiger by the Tail,’ and I did a tiger with long tails that go along the quilt. We had some really cool challenges turned in.” Along with approximately 80-100 quilts on display, there will be vendors and many handmade items for sale. For more information, contact Becky Stone at 208-603-0403.
COMMUNITY Angels Over Sandpoint Back to School program revs up for the school year By Reader Staff It’s getting to be the time of year when Sandpoint families are preparing their children for another school year, which means it’s time for the Angels Over Sandpoint’s Back to School program. This annual event, sponsored by the nonprofit organization, distributes backpacks and school supplies to Bonner County families in need. In partnership with Staples, the Angels Over Sandpoint is able to donate backpacks and school supplies thanks to grants and donations from the community. Bonner County families who would like to receive school supplies for their children should call Community Action Partnership at 208255-2910 to register their children no later than Friday, Aug. 20 to receive details on when to pick up supplies. Last year, the in-person event was canceled due to COVID-19, so the Angels are thrilled to be able to hand out supplies to children again this year, face-to-face. The
Angels Over Sandpoint volunteers and Bonner Co. families gather for the annual Back to School program. Angels said they will be following current recommended COVID-19 guidelines from the CDC when handing out supplies. Please be prepared to wear a mask if necessary. To donate to the Angels Over Sandpoint please visit angelsoversandpoint.org or mail donation checks to: The Angels Over Sandpoint, PO Box 2369, Sandpoint, ID 83864. Don’t miss the Angels’ upcoming events, including the Lazy .08K “Straight Outta Quarantine” race on Sat., Aug. 28 at MickDuff’s Beer Hall and the return of The Follies on Oct. 1-2. These events help fund the many community outreach programs the Angels host each year.
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events August 12-19, 2021
THURSDAY, August 12
Sandpoint Summer Music Series w/ Lucas Brown & Friends and Matt Mitchell 6pm @ Farmin Park (free outdoor show) Presented by Mattox Farm Productions. Two stellar Spokane performers converge! Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
FriDAY, August 13
Live Music w/ The Powers 7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Part of the Sounds Under the Silo series Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 8-11pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Devon Wade 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Shook Twins and John Craigie 6:30pm @ Location after ticket purchase A special outdoor show with Sandpoint’s own Shook Twins and traveling folk singer John Craigie. Buy tickets at shooktwins.com Live Music w/ Mike Wagoner & Utah John 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
SATURDAY, August 14
Live Music w/ John Firshi 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Jake Robin 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Live music w/ Brendan Kelty & Friends Live Music w/ BareGrass 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Festival of Quilts (judged quilt show) 9:30am-6pm @ VFW Hall, Sandpoint
POAC Arts and Crafts Fair (Aug. 14-15) 9am-5pm @ Downtown Sandpoint The 49th annual Arts and Crafts Fair, presented by POAC. Free admission. Artwork and crafts from local and regional artists, with proceeds benefiting POAC Nostalgia Prom 7:45pm @ Beet & Basil Come dressed in your favorite decade! Tickets at lporep.com. Dancing starts at 8
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am
POAC Arts and Crafts Fair (Aug. 14-15) 9am-4pm @ Downtown Sandpoint
SunDAY, August 15
monDAY, August 16
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi Swing Street Band - free outdoor concert 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 6pm @ Lakeview Park Enjoy a free concert sponsored by the Outdoor Experience Monday Night museum with Sandpoint’s own Swing Street Group Run – All levels welcome Band in Lakeview Park. Free admittance 6pm @ Outdoor Experience Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Filmed interview w/ Stan Romanek, who has reported more than 100 UFO encounters”
tuesDAY, August 17
Live Music w/ Isaak Opatz and Little Wolf • 6pm @ Evans Brothers Coffee Country-rock singer-songwriter Isaak Opatz, with Sandpoint locals Little Wolf (Josh Hedlund and Justin Landis) opening. An intimate show open to all
wednesDAY, August 18
NAMI Far North Idaho general meeting 5-7pm @ VFW - 1325 Pine St. Sandpoint Benny on the Deck - Live Music 5-7:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge patio Weekly live music with Benny Baker. This week’s guest: Miah Kohal Live Music w/ LoGee 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Bonner County Fair (Aug. 18-21) See website for hours @ BoCo Fairgrounds See BonnerCountyFair.com for a full listing of events for our county fair Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Live music Michelle McAnich
ThursDAY, August 19
Live Music w/ Truck Mills 7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Sandpoint’s eminent blues guitarist
Sandpoint Summer Strings Festival Aug. 19-21 @ Sandpoint Christian School suzukistringacademy.com for info
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Sip and Shop w/ Live Music by Red Blend 4-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Fundraiser for the Friends of the Panida Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
ARTS
Artistry in the streets POAC’s 49th annual Arts and Crafts Fair to brighten downtown Sandpoint Aug. 14-15
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Though the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s annual Arts and Crafts Fair does not typically take place until late summer, POAC Arts Coordinator Claire Christy said that the massive art vendor event appears on her todo list in January, illustrating the magnitude of the fair’s impact on Sandpoint. “The commotion of booth set-up is when it becomes real,” Christy said. “Everyone is charged with excitement and energy for the weekend ahead. Vendors who come back each year are reuniting. I get a sneak peek at all the wares for sale. I spend months communicating with vendors via phone calls and emails, so it’s nice to meet them in person and put faces to names. I find it rewarding to feel like I am a part of something the community looks forward to.” The 2021 Arts and Crafts Fair — POAC’s 49th annual — is slated for Saturday, Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will take place at Second Avenue and Main Street. Nearly 100 artist vendors will set up in the street, meaning that parking on Second Avenue between Cedar and Church streets, as well as on Main between First and Third avenues, will be blocked off starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13. Christy said this year’s vendors will showcase and sell their artwork in media including painting, drawing, clothing, jewelry, ceramics, home décor, hats, wood carvings, wooden furniture, blown glass, yard art, beauty products, specialty foods, henna tattoos, ceramics and more, making the event a true showcase of all that the regional art scene has to offer. “When we select artist vendors for the show, we choose vendors who make their goods personally,” Christy said. “We avoid mass-produced items and imports. Our goal is to showcase artisan-made goods.” One local artist who will have his work on display at the Arts and Crafts Fair is Randy Wilhelm, who told the Reader that he’ll have his acrylic, watercolor, pastel and charcoal work on display at the upcoming event. “My subjects range from scenery and wildlife to historic and iconic Sandpoint, as well as a few pieces with some political undertones,” he said, noting that he’ll be offering prints as well as originals. Wilhelm estimates that he’s participated in about a decade’s worth of POAC Arts and Crafts Fairs, and has enjoyed interact-
ing with friends and meeting new people who want to talk about his creations. As a longtime art teacher in the community, Wilhelm also enjoys visiting with former students who stop by his booth. “I think the Arts and Crafts Fair is important because it really shows what a wide range of artists we have in the area, and it gives people another reason to come downtown and do some early Christmas shopping, wink, wink!” Wilhelm wrote to the Reader in an email. Mike DeCesare, a Spokane-based photographer, will also man a booth at the 2021 Arts and Crafts Fair, showcasing limited edition, signed and numbered, landscape prints, as well as some sustainably-sourced maple wood bookmarks featuring his work. DeCesare called the annual event a “community treasure.” “The show is important, because art lovers and collectors like to see art in person and meet the person who created the artwork,” he said. “A bond — relationship, if you will — forms between an art lover and a piece of art. Seeing art in person, and meeting the artist, removes the anonymity and moves the artwork from something you might see to something you might love to see every day.” The Arts and Crafts Fair will also feature Azar’s Greek Food (both Christy and Wilhelm confirmed that the gyros are amazing), Jupiter Jane’s Traveling Café and the Panida Theater’s ice cream booth, to ensure that shoppers have plenty of fuel to visit each and every vendor. Admission to the event is free, though funds from booth fees go to support POAC’s visual and performing arts programs for area youth. “I love to see how many individuals from our community come out to support these artisans,” Christy said. “Many people start their holiday shopping with us at the Arts and Crafts Fair. “The support from the community for our artist vendors is so valuable,” she added. “Especially in times like these, when we see these small businesses struggling to get by.” For more information contact POAC at 208-263-6139 or poactivities@gmail. com. Find a full list of vendors, and learn more about the nonprofit, at artinsandpoint. org. POAC would like to extend a special thanks to the 2021 Arts and Crafts Fair sponsors, including Inland Forest Management, KPND, the Sandpoint Reader and the Bonner County Daily Bee.
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FOOD & DRINK
For the love of new brews
Idaho Pour Authority’s monthly blind beer tasting event aims to expand beer drinkers’ horizons
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Nothing beats a cold one after a long Monday at work. Lucky for locals, Sandpoint’s bottle shop and taproom Idaho Pour Authority knows this, and is offering a handful of tasters once a month at the store’s blind beer tasting events, held the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Idaho Pour Authority owner Ben Higgs estimated that Aug. 9 marked the sixth blind beer tasting event at the store. “[It’s] something to do on Monday nights, first of all,” said Higgs, who facilitates the tasting events. “Also, [we wanted] to start to build a little community of beer lovers and expand people’s knowledge of beer in general.” The theme for August’s blind beer tasting event was Belgian ales. Participants, about 12 in all, gathered around the back tables of the establishment and prepared to put their noses and taste buds to the test — myself included. The procedure was straightforward. We would all sample four-ounce pours of six different beers, then guess — based on a list of beer names — in which order we tasted each. The Belgian beers on display Aug. 9 included pFriem Belgian Style Dark Ale, Du Bocq Blanche de Namur, Huyghe Delirium Tremens, Trappistes Rochefort 10, North Coast Pranqster and Unibroue Maudite. None of us — aside from Higgs — knew in what order they were being presented. Each participant was offered an official beer scoring sheet on which to keep notes. The sheets featured a sidebar
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with suggestions for how to most professionally describe scents, flavors and mouth-feels in the world of beer. This was exciting, considering my prior experience with beer tasting included phrases like, “This is hoppy,” and, “This is not hoppy.” The score sheets, borrowed from the American Homebrewers Association, offered terms like “diacetyl” (tasting like butter or toffee) and “phenolic” (spicy, smoky or tasting like plastic). While I had previously reserved the term “skunky” for the 2-year-old PBRs on my porch, it turns out that light-struck is an actual term in beer tasting, meaning “similar to the aroma of a skunk.” While one participant expressed his disgust that anyone would want to achieve that flavor in a beer, another piped up to say he didn’t mind a little light-struck touch in his beer from time to time. The conversation remained lively, with Higgs leading the way. He encouraged us to chime in about the scents and flavors we picked up during each round, then offered his own observations (without giving too much away). I sniffed, sipped and scribbled my way through the hour-long event, spilling only one taster in the process. The other participants at my table were a mix of local friends and friendly visitors to town, all of us eager to correctly guess the order in which we tasted the six Belgian beers. Though I had my hopes up that begin-
Some frothy offerings at Idaho Pour Authority, with the blind beer tasting scorecard at hand. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. ner’s luck would see me through, I did not guess a single beer correctly. The man to my left claimed the top prize, guessing four correctly and earning a beer glass, along with two cans of a nice Belgian ale to celebrate his hard-earned victory. We applauded him while knowing we were all winners, because we got to sample some nice beers on a Monday night. Higgs said that the theme for September’s blind beer tasting has not yet been chosen, but he plans to announce it on Idaho Pour Authority’s Instagram, Facebook and website sometime after Monday, Aug. 16. Overall, the blind beer tasting was a success — elevated enough to occupy the most experienced beer connoisseur, but in a laid-back atmosphere to make a newbie like me feel welcome. Cheers. Check out Idaho Pour Authority’s next blind beer tasting event on Monday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at 203 Cedar St. in downtown Sandpoint. Blind beer tastings cost $15 and are held the second Monday of each month. Those with questions can reach Idaho Pour Authority at 208-597-7096 or info@idahopourauthority.com. Learn more at idahopourauthority.com.
MUSIC
Summer Music Series is back with dual headliners Lucas Brown and Friends will play with Matt Mitchell Music Co. at the free concert downtown By Ben Olson Reader Staff Music is often best served al fresco. What better way to hear a free outdoor concert than checking out the Sandpoint Summer Music Series in Farmin Park? Due to a last-minute cancellation by the pop/soul group Super Sparkle due to COVID-19, Lucas Brown and Friends have teamed up with Matt Mitchell Music Co. to perform a double headliner show in the park. The free concert begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12 at Farmin Park in Sandpoint. Fresh off his performance opening for the Village People at the Festival at Sandpoint, Brown is a Spokane native whose mix of folk, rock and pop has been compared to the Lumineers, Tallest Man on Earth and Jason Isbell. Aside from his solo work, Brown is also known as the guitarist for the funk band Left Over Soul, frontman for the blues-rock act BREADBOX and a member of the hip-hop collective Kung Fu Vinyl. Sandpoint music lovers might
recognize Matt Mitchell from his work with the bands Trego and Folkinception, a dynamic group of talented Spokane musicians who put on one hell of a show. Trained classically on piano since the age of 4, Mitchell first picked up a guitar as a teenager and has built a strong foundation of narrative-rich sounds inspired by folk and Americana-roots music. When not playing with his bands, he performs and tours regularly as a solo act, and will be dabbling with Brown and Friends to ad-lib a unique set on the Farmin Park stage. Presented by Mattox Farm Productions, the Sandpoint Summer Music Series is a free concert series made possible thanks to sponsorships from Washington Trust Bank, POAC, KPND, Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, the Gaddess Family and more. Food will be available from Mandala wood-fired pizza and Blue Finger Farms Food, and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will be provided by Eichardt’s Pub.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint
Imagine a softserve ice cream machine. One flavor on its own is a treat, but the swirl? Far superior. Such is also the case with Portland-based folk singers Shook Twins and John Craigie. A gig featuring one or the other is a treat, no doubt — but together, they are a bona fide delicacy. Shook Twins, made up of Sandpoint-raised musicians Katelyn and Laurie Shook, are best known for their dreamy brand of folk music, rich with harmony and soul-searching lyrics. Craigie, a good friend of the Shooks
and regular Sandpoint performer, is one part passionate song man and one part comedian, making for laugh-out-loud, in-yourfeels live shows. Those hoping to see the Shooks and Craigie in Sandpoint on Friday, Aug. 13 will need to buy a ticket online before the exact location of the show is revealed. — Lyndsie Kiebert 6:30 p.m., $25. Whiskey Jack Property, address shared upon ticket purchase. Buy tickets at shooktwins. com.
READ
… a female author. I was window shopping at a bookstore recently when a new release caught my eye. Everything about the cover appealed to me, and upon reading the back, I knew the storyline — about two sisters, a farm and a small town — was right up my alley. I was sold until I saw that the author was a man, fresh off an MFA program. Am I the only one who thinks that a story told from the perspective of two women might be best served by, say, a woman? Let’s elevate female voices.
LISTEN
Top: Lucas Brown. Courtesy photo. Bottom: Matt Mitchell. Photo courtesy helloiamkb.com
Shook Twins and John Craigie, Whiskey Jack Property, Aug. 13
This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert
The Swing Street Big Band, Lakeview Park, Aug. 16 Sandpoint’s own Swing Street Big Band will bring its signature boisterous, throwback sound to Lakeview Park for a free concert at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 16, in an event sponsored by the nearby Bonner County History Museum. Playing events around North Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana, the Swing Street Big Band strives to duplicate the beloved Big Band jazz sounds of the early 20th century.
The ensemble consists of full trumpet, trombone, saxophone and rhythm sections, accounting for that full sound for which it’s known. Organizers encourage concert attendees to bring a chair and a friend to enjoy the show. — Lyndsie Kiebert
Billie Eilish dropped her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, on July 30. The 19-year-old singer shared on social media that the album is her favorite project ever and, upon first listen, it is clear why. Happier Than Ever is seductive, sad, bold and sure-footed. Every young woman changes in their teen years and, since the 2019 release of her first album, Eilish has only grown stronger.
WATCH
I experienced my first Gilmore Girls marathon in high school. My best friend introduced me to the fast-paced, unfailingly witty show, based on an inseparable mother-daughter pair who speak in fluent movie quotes and satirical, rhetorical questions. The cast of sassy, strange characters and small town setting create an alternative world that’s easy to fall in love with — and one that I find myself revisiting whenever I need a comfort show fix. Find Gilmore Girls on Netflix.
6 p.m., FREE. Lakeview Park, 901 Ontario St., bonnercountyhistory.org. Learn more at swingstreetbigband. com. August 12, 2021 /
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BACK OF THE BOOK
Work dreams Träumend in an age of trauma By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
From Northern Idaho News, August 10, 1915
MALCONTENTS ARE BACK ON THE JOB PAVING STRIKE OF COUPLE OF DAYS IS OFF AND WORK IS RESUMED The strike on the cement work on the street paving, which was pulled off last Thursday afternoon, ended yesterday morning. A number of the malcontents started to work again with a vim when the whistle sounded and a good crew was working all day. The boys claimed that they were not getting paid enough and wanted $3 a day for their work. The company raised their wages from 25 to 30 cents an hour. The foreman for the contractors stated that as soon as the men were worth $3 a day he would be willing to pay it, but he said he had to baby many of the men and was behind in his work as a consueunce and that hereafter men who want a job would have to hit the ball. Work since yesterday morning seems to indicate that the men are hitting the ball and that the best of the workers are back at work. No further trouble is expected. 22 /
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It is well known that among the most boring conversation topics are other people’s dreams. From the NPR show This American Life to Amy Schumer’s standup to Scientific American to TIME magazine to The Guardian — all have in some way addressed the notion that aside from the weather and your (or especially your relatives’) health problems, your nocturnal musings are the dullest pieces of information you can inflict on anyone. Fair enough. Most people’s waking lives are dull at best, why shouldn’t their dreams be so, too? I find that of myself — especially after almost exactly 17 months of working from home. In that time my morning commute has consisted of getting out of my bed, going downstairs to make coffee, getting the coffee, going back upstairs to take a shower and get dressed, then returning downstairs for more coffee, walking the 33.5 feet from the coffee pot to my “home office” (yes, I was so bored I measured the distance using a pile of yard sticks that my teacher wife has in our house for some reason) and sitting down to work. At the end of the day, I “clock out” around 5 p.m. and walk 15.25 feet to the couch. After six or so hours spent walking between the couch and kitchen, it’s back up the stairs and into bed to repeat the process. With the line between work and life so thoroughly erased — eradicated is a better word — it’s no wonder that my dreaming life has become dreaming work. That is, I have nothing but work dreams. For instance, I dream of any number of the newsrooms in which I’ve worked: I walk up the stairs to the current, disused, Reader offices and find myself at the Boise Weekly. I’ll walk among empty desks on
STR8TS Solution
deadline, realizing that nothing has been done for the next week’s issue (always due to the printer in fewer than eight hours), and hastily have to corral a staff that consists of reporters with whom I’ve worked over the past 20 years. That accomplished, I go downstairs to have a smoke and suddenly I’m standing outside the Idaho Business Review. I reenter the building and I’m in the Idaho Capitol bureau of the Associated Press, somehow blowing up the fax machine and spraying black toner over half the office — an incident that actually occurred nearly 20 years ago. We never get the paper out, as I always wake up before any ink hits the newsprint. I have full-blown managerial meetings with staff members, we plan complete stories and I console disconsolate art directors, even fire people, then nothing — the dream is a passion play of foiled preparation. What does it mean? Sigmund Freud, of course, stands alongside Karl Jung as the greatest interrogator of the significance of dreaming in the western intellectual canon. Freud, in his 1899 analysis Die Traumdeutung (The Interpretation of Dreams) explicitly linked dreaming with labor, rooting his dissection of the “latent” and “manifest” content of the unconscious in the term traumarbeit — literally, “dreamwork.” There’s an enticing-seeming connection between the German traum for “dream” and the word “trauma,” but they are not related — the latter is of Greek origin (“of or pertaining to a wound”), while German is for the most part its own beast (the Krauts have many words for many types of pain, none of which sound like “trauma”). Yet, trauma and traumarbeit have much in common. According to a 2020 study from Heidelberg University, more than 70% of respondents to a 1,695-person study reported having work-related dreams. Of those, almost 30% were “somewhat negative,” compared
to about 23% for all dreams, and almost 3.6% were very negative, compared to 1.6% for all dreams. As the conclusion states: “The findings indicate that every fifth dream is related to current or previous work. … The emotional tone of work-related dreams was related to stress and the emotions related to work in waking life.” That’s a big “duh,” but science works that way — no matter how obvious, the empirical evidence has to be gathered. That our träumend (“dreaming”) is heightened in both context and content by trauma is well known. Search “COVID dreams” and you’ll come back with more than 2.7 billion results in .73 seconds. At the top are headlines from The New York Times, Yale Medicine and a host of other sources that boil down to a simple fact (backed by science) that a good number of us are simmering in stress levels that spill over into bedtime. To borrow and mangle from Gershwin, there are “nice dreams if you can get them.”
Crossword Solution
Sudoku Solution If you work on a lobster boat, sneaking up behind someone and pinching him is probably a joke that gets old real fast.
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
By Bill Borders
ACROSS
1. Chewy candy 6. Offensively bold 11. Russian currency 12. Least difficult 15. Lasso 16. Staircase railing 17. Reverence 18. Kayak 20. Genus of macaws 21. Messy dresser 23. Beers 24. Rope fiber 25. Peddle 26. Make unclear 27. Novice 28. Chocolate cookie 29. Aye 30. Cony 31. Exceeds 34. Close-knit group 36. Record (abbrev.) 37. Type of sword /soh-DAH-duh/ 41. Not closed 42. Wan [noun] from Portuguese 43. Trips around a course 1. a deep emotional state of melancholic of the 44. Goad longing for a person or thing that is absent. 45. Dry riverbed “She looked back through the yearbook with saudade, remembering the old days.” 46. Flutter 47. Autonomic nervous system 48. A vehicle that races No corrections to note this week. Thanks for playing. —BO 51. Card with one symbol 52. Interconnected systems 54. Cloth maker
saudade
Word Week
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Laughing Matter
CROSSWORD
Solution on page 22 33. Museum piece 34. Outer covering of the eye 35. An ardent early supporter 38. Discussion 39. Effeminate 40. Banana oil, e.g. 42. Bundle 44. Twinge 45. Merchandise 48. Part in a play 49. Cobblers’ tools 50. Harvest 53. Hairpiece 55. American Dental Association August 12, 2021 / R /
8. Largest continent 9. Female sib 10. Ancient Greek mistress 13. Homily 14. Snare 15. Lariat DOWN 16. Handrails 19. Valleys 1. A type of fishing boat 22. Of unmixed ancestry 2. Halo 24. Reflexive form 3. A law enforcement of “him” agency 26. 8 bits of data 4. Flaccid body fat 5. Abominable Snowman 27. Faucet 30. Cut into cubes 6. Holder 32. A large vase 7. Rates 56. An area of northern Israel 57. Burdened 58. Excrete 59. Surplus
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