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PEOPLE compiled by

Susan Drinkard

watching

“If you could book any artist for the Festival at Sandpoint lineup for 2022, who would it be?”

“I had better say who my wife would want me to say — Dan and Shay — country music artists.”

Tim Colquhoun Banking Gilbert, Ariz. and Sandpoint

“The Rainbow Girls because they are three talented and beautiful badass babes that will make you feel things.”

Laurie Shook Musician Sandpoint/Portland

“The Wood Brothers. We toured with them. They are a folkie, bluesy trio and they’re so fun. I think we need more female performers at the Festival such as Yola, an up-andcoming Black folk star.”

Katelyn Shook Musician Portland/Sandpoint “I would go to the Festival if I could see Maggie Rogers.

She’s a folk/pop singer. We saw her ... in Seattle in 2019, and she was good.”

Serafina Dwyer Artist Kootenai “Zach Bryan. I love his lyrics and everyone can relate to him. It’s just Zach and his guitar playing songs that speak to your soul. I’ve been a fan since he started.”

Kaleigh Bruss Will attend Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

Welcome to the second and final week of the 2021 Festival at Sandpoint. To see photos from Week 1 taken by our photographer Racheal Baker, check out Pages 16-17. We’ll also select photos from Week 2 in our Aug. 12 edition, so check back next week.

There was one last-minute change made to the lineup for the show scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 7. REO Speedwagon was forced to cancel due to positive COVID-19 tests, so Village People will step in the rockers’ shoes to bring some funky disco.

We wish a speedy recovery to the members of REO Speedwagon and hope to see them again at a future Festival at Sandpoint.

Cooler weather and a chance of rain will give some relief to the hot days we’ve experienced over the past month. High temperatures are even forecasted to hover in the mid70s on Sunday. Like many of you, I will breathe a sigh of relief if we can get through this fire season without any new starts.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Racheal Baker (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders, Chris Bessler, Cameron Rasmusson.

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Emily Erickson, Brenden Bobby, Sandy Compton, Cameron Rasmusson.

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.

About the Cover

This week’s cover photo was taken at the Shakey Graves show at the Festival at Sandpoint on July 31 by Racheal Baker.

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NEWS

Evacuation protocols in play near local fires Pioneer Fire 100% contained, while Trestle Creek Complex surpasses 3,400 acres

A photo of the rapid growth the Trestle Creek Complex fire experienced July 31 due to high winds.

Photo courtesy USDA Forest Service.

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Bonner County residents should familiarize themselves with local authorities’ protocol for evacuation, if the past week is any indication of how the remainder of 2021’s unprecedented wildfire season is going to unfold.

Residents in the Trestle Creek area of Hope found themselves subject to the protocol on July 31 when they received notice in the afternoon to be in the “ready” status of evacuation, meaning they should have a plan in place for leaving their homes in case of immediate danger — in their case, from the Trestle Creek Complex Fire, started by lightning on July 7.

Rather than receiving the “set” order next, which indicates that it’s time to take final actions before evacuation, Trestle Creek 4 /

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residents living between Highway 200 and the snowmobile parking area on Trestle Creek Road were notified to “go” — immediately evacuate — at around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 1.

The Bonner County Fairgrounds served as a temporary refuge until around 11 a.m. on Aug. 2, when residents were allowed to go home but remain in the “set” level of evacuation.

A wind event the night of July 31 prompted the evacuations up Trestle Creek, as the blaze saw significant growth and spot fires up to 3/4-mile ahead of the fire. As of Aug. 4, fire officials reported the Trestle Creek Complex Fire to be almost 3,500 acres — it was less than 500 acres a week ago — and 0% contained.

While the original six fires that made up the complex had been at least partially contained, new growth has overtaken those previously contained areas.

However, a fireline still exists, and the containment percentage will increase as the fire reaches and holds at that barrier.

Current firefighting efforts include reopening old forest roads to gain better access to all sides of the fire, and coordinating with local agencies to protect area structures.

On the west side of the county, July 29 saw a new incident two miles north of Priest River known as the Pioneer Fire.

While many area residences were placed on the “ready” and “set” levels of evacuation, as of Aug. 4, none have been ordered to “go.” Also as of Aug. 4, fire officials reported the 355-acre Pioneer Fire 100% contained, with mop-up efforts underway.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The best way to stay informed of any and all Bonner County fire announcements is to sign up for Nixle alerts on your

An aerial view of the Pioneer Fire outside of Priest River.

Photo courtesy Idaho Department of Lands. cell phone. Text your ZIP code to 888-777 to subscribe to the program and receive notifications about all matters of public safety from the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

If your residence is ordered to evacuate, BCSO personnel will also be making house visits to ensure awareness of the situation.

Fires across the Pacific Northwest have created air quality issues in the past week, with Sandpoint ranking in the “moderate” category on Aug. 4, meaning that “if you are unusually sensitive to particle pollution, consider reducing your activity level or shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors,” according to the U.S. Air Quality Index. Air quality is forecasted to remain “moderate” into the weekend.

To track current air quality, visit airnow.gov. For information on fires, visit inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Evacuation Checklist • Have the phone numbers of your local fire district posted in a clear location in the home.

• Maintain two escape routes in case of sudden evacuation.

• Arrange for a common location to go if evacuated, such as the Bonner Co. Fairgrounds, where family can rendezvous.

• Prepare an emergency kit with essentials, including medication, food and water, baby and pet supplies, toiletries, clothing for several days, sleeping bags, a battery-powered radio, flashlights, batteries and phone chargers.

• Make a list of important items to take with you, such as ID cards, passports, bank account numbers, family photos, external hard drives and important contact numbers.

NEWS

Ethics panel recommends censure for Giddings Rep. who shared identity of rape accuser may also lose committee seat

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Members of the House Ethics Committee in a unanimous decision Aug. 3 recommended that Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, be censured for conduct unbecoming a member of the Idaho House of Representatives and removed from her seat on the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee. She would retain her positions on the Agriculture and Joint Finance-Appropriations committees.

The vote by the ethics panel — consisting of three Republican and two Democratic lawmakers and chaired by Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay — came after two days of testimony and frequently hostile exchanges between committee members, the committee’s legal counsel Christopher McCurdy and Giddings.

First elected to represent District 7 in 2016, Giddings has been a consistent lightning rod for controversy — especially since mid-April, when she shared a link on her Facebook account to a Redoubt News blog entry that contained the name and photograph of a 19-year-old legislative staffer who filed a complaint that she had been raped by now-former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston. Giddings subsequently included a link to the same blog entry on her official legislative newsletter, purportedly in order to tell both sides of the story in the von Ehlinger case.

Giddings has since deleted those posts, and the original Redoubt News blog entry edited to remove the staffer’s personal information. Von Ehlinger resigned rather than face expulsion, and while the sexual assault case has been referred to the Ada County prosecutor, no criminal charges have yet been filed.

When asked to testify at von Ehlinger’s own Ethics Committee hearing in late April, Giddings first claimed that she had not shared the teens’ identity, later saying that she had linked to a source that had, and maintained she had done nothing wrong in doing so.

Giddings’ testimony in the von Ehlinger case spurred 17 Republicans and eight Democrats to sign on to a complaint alleging she had not been forthright in her answers to the committee in April and engaged in a form of retribution against “Jane Doe” by helping disseminate her identity — an action that complainants alleged further victimized the young woman and caused demonstrable harm to her.

“We have an obligation to ensure victims of sexual assault are safe and continue to be safe in this institution,” testified Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, who authored the bipartisan complaint, which was filed in May. A consistent theme of the hearings on Aug. 2-3 was that while Giddings had the First Amendment right to share the Redoubt News post, that didn’t necessarily make it acceptable behavior for a lawmaker who serves in an administrative role at the Statehouse — including over interns and other staffers. Yet, both in April and at the August ethics hearings, Giddings alleged that complaints and investigations into von Ehlinger’s behavior and her own were politically motivated — at one point stating the von Ehlinger case was an example of the “Idaho swamp trying to unseat another conservative” and repeatedly characterizing the group complaint against her as the “Bedke complaint.”

House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, will face Giddings in the May 2022 primary election for lieutenant governor, as well as former Coeur d’Alene Republican lawmaker Luke Malek.

In her written statement to the Ethics Committee, which she read into the record on Aug. 2, Giddings claimed that Bedke led the group complaint against her, along with “the entire democrat caucus [sic].”

Green told the committee that Bedke’s name appeared first on the list of complainants only because the signatories were listed alphabetically. What’s more, the complaint had been filed before either Giddings or Bedke announced their bids for lieutenant governor, and eight Democrats signed on

Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird. File photo.

Former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, who resigned rather than face expulsion. File photo.

Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay. File photo.

— not the entire caucus, which numbers 12.

Giddings’ repeated attempts to frame the group complaint as “the Bedke complaint” drew a rebuke from Dixon, who at one point said, “It is not ‘the Bedke complaint.’ You can stop referring to it as that.”

Still, Giddings in her opening statement characterized the ethics hearings as “biased attacks driven by partisan political goals” and “crass attempts by my political opponents to take advantage of the woke, cancel culture movement.”

Following the committee’s ruling Aug. 3, Giddings doubled down on the assertion that the hearings had been orchestrated by Bedke, writing that, “Today’s decision makes a mockery of Idaho’s ethical standards and demonstrates that we are over the target in exposing the rampant corruption of Bedke and his allies. … This kind of unblushing corruption is why I am running for Lt. Governor. It’s time to clean up the swamp Scott Bedke is creating in Boise! [sic]” As committee members repeatedly pointed out, they are appointed to their positions by fellow legislators and are statutorily obligated to take up any and all ethics complaints that come before them.

Giddings also alleged that she had been deprived of her due process rights by not being given the evidence presented against her ahead of time, claimed to be ignorant of the charges against her and only filed a request for

subpoenas of her own witnesses — which included Bedke — five minutes before the 8 a.m. deadline on June 30.

The committee pointed out that it tried as many as eight times in recent weeks to contact Giddings by email and courier in order to meet with her to discuss the case in a private preliminary meeting — the stage at which most ethics complaints are resolved before going to a public hearing — but she did not respond. Furthermore, her claim not to understand the allegations against her was belied by the fact that she drafted a lengthy written response to them, and committee members informed her that it was her responsibility to deliver subpoenas to her own witnesses — some of whom were in the room at the Aug. 2 hearing, yet she did not call on them. Neither did Giddings attend any of the complainants’ testimony on Aug. 2, despite being given the opportunity for cross-examination.

“All evidence used in the hearing was either widely available public documents … or her own words,” Dixon said on Aug. 3.

“Any claim that we did not share evidence with her is moot.”

In her testimony before the committee Giddings adopted a defiant stance throughout, refusing to answer many questions on the grounds that they were “irrelevant” and providing snide responses to attorney McCurdy, such as when he asked Giddings to identify an April 19 screenshot of her Facebook page (“It’s

got my picture on it,” she said) and whether she wrote the April 16 post on her Facebook page linking to Jane Doe’s personal information: “I typed it into my Android phone, I did not write it,” she said. At one point she asked McCurdy, “Where did you go to law school?”

Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, challenged Giddings to, “Just be candid with the committee — just say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Don’t hedge this way and that way and play these semantic games.”

Giddings responded: “If you’re going to accuse me of playing games, do I get the opportunity to accuse you of playing games?”

Dixon intervened, saying, “I think you have.”

“You’ve impugned the committee,” he said. “There’s still evasion going on here. … It’s not giving the appearance of candor and that is a concern.”

The recommendation of the committee now must go before the full House for a simple majority vote. Since the House did not adjourn sine die from the 2021 legislative session, it will be up to Bedke as speaker to reconvene the body to consider the recommendation. That has to happen before Dec. 31, otherwise the recommendation will expire.

According to the Idaho Capital Sun, a substitute motion to expel Giddings from the House could be introduced when the committee’s

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NEWS < GIDDINGS, con’t from page 5 > recommendation goes to the floor.

A request for comment to Dixon on that point, as well as other aspects of the case, went unanswered.

Also according to the Capital Sun, the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence weighed in on the ruling, stating that it “does not demonstrate the level of accountability we expected for absolutely abhorrent behavior of pushing out private information about someone who reported a rape.”

Giddings’ supporters, including the Idaho Freedom Foundation and Redoubt News, have touted her performance during the hearings as a stand against a corrupt Statehouse establishment, with the latter writing in an Aug. 2 post that, “Giddings left the room more popular than when she walked in.” In an Aug. 3 post on its Facebook page, IFF wrote, “This hearing is proof that Ida-

ho’s swamp is out of control.” In a separate post, the organization stated that Giddings “has been unfairly targeted by House Speaker Scott Bedke and his minions.”

In a statement in July, Bedke wrote, “Rep. Giddings is now attempting to deflect and use the [ethics] investigation as a fundraising tactic.”

In a statement to the Reader on Aug. 3, the Idaho Democratic Caucus expressed its gratitude “for the committee’s due diligence in this matter.”

“We know their recommendation was made after an exhaustive investigation and careful deliberations,” the caucus stated.

“As elected officials, we are held to a higher standard, and rightly so — our behavior must reflect that. We have to ensure individuals always remain accountable for their actions no matter their station.”

That said, no House Democrats would comment on whether the ruling is sufficient enough “at this point.”

Bay Trail parking lot reopened for public access

By Reader Staff The parking lot at the Ponderay Bay trailhead in Sandpoint is now open to the public seven days per week, city officials announced July 30.

Located north of the Seasons at Sandpoint condo development and south of the city’s water drinking treatment plant, the parking lot at the trailhead operated under limited hours since May 3 to make way for construction unloading and staging for

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the nearby Seasons building site. The reduced hours were also intended to protect public safety and emergency access to the treatment plant, which had been impeded by construction vehicles and equipment parked on the street.

Though the trailhead parking area has been reopened, the city cautioned that “there may be some short intermittent closures to accommodate material unloading in the upcoming weeks, but generally, the parking lot will be open.”

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: According to a Morning Consult survey, 26% of Americans fit the “highly rightwing authoritarian” mold, which is defined as “the desire to submit to some authority” as well as having aggression toward whomever that authority says “should be targeted.” In that 26% group, 85% are white, 76% are 45 or older, 76% lack a college degree and 55% believe voter fraud put President Joe Biden in office.

The CDC’s recommendation that masking should be resumed stems from data collected after a COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak in Massachusetts. That outbreak caused hundreds of COVID-19 infections, including among those who have been fully vaccinated, CBSnews.com reported.

The CDC director said it now appears that those vaccinated against the original strain of COVID-19, who become infected with the Delta strain (which developed due to lack of vaccination), can carry similar loads of the virus as those not vaccinated.

The Washington Post noted that 75% of those who were infected in Massachusetts were vaccinated, but a minimal number required hospitalization. So far data is not clear as to what extent vaccinated individuals can spread the virus. According to Yale School of Public Health Professor Gregg Gonsalves, “The good news here: If you’re vaccinated, refrain from large group gatherings and mask up, chances are good you’ll be OK.” The Delta variant is responsible for 90% of new COVID-19 cases in Washington state, the Seattle Times reported. The Delta variant was first detected in India in late 2020, where vaccination rates have been exceedingly low. That allowed the original COVID-19 strain to mutate into more readily-spread variants. The Delta variant is now circulating in at least 124 countries.

In the U.K. it accounts for 91% of new COVID-19 cases. Health organizations indicate the Delta variant is up to 225% more transmissible than the original COVID-19 strain, and is therefore as easy to catch as the common cold, influenza or chickenpox.

University of Toronto epidemiologists say the Delta variant poses a 120% higher risk of hospitalization, 287% greater risk of ICU admission and 137% greater risk of death.

In the U.S., hospitalizations have accelerated to levels exceeding the peak of last summer, according to a U.S. House subcommittee report. The CDC has acknowledged that “the war has changed” regarding controlling COVID-19.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

An analysis from Yale University and the Commonwealth Fund reported that 279,000 deaths and 1.25 million hospitalizations have been prevented by COVID-19 vaccinations. An uninsured hospital stay for COVID-19 treatment costs an average $73,300, according to fairhealth.org.

Notable under-oath public testimony from the Jan. 6 insurrection hearings: rioters said on-site that former-President Donald Trump had sent them; rioters claimed “nobody” had voted for Biden; racial epithets were in abundance and law enforcement officers were called traitors; officers were bullied, one experienced attempts to gouge out his eyes, another said he was nearly crushed, one was beaten unconscious and stunned with a Taser repeatedly; rioters sprayed chemicals; they used white supremacist gang signs and white power hand signals and told officers they were going to die. The testimony was backed by footage from body cameras.

More than 500 people have been arrested so far for their role in the riot, which was an attempt to stop the election of Biden as president. One officer testifying said when a hit man is hired and kills someone, he goes to jail, as does the person who hired him. He said Trump was the person who inspired the mayhem at the Capitol that resulted in five deaths. Police officers testified that beyond the horrors of that day, what has also been numbing is the attempt by congressional Republicans to trivialize the event after officers had put their lives on the line to defend them.

Top House and Senate Republicans said they were too busy to watch the first day’s proceedings. Some Republicans tried to blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the day’s carnage, but various media outlets pointed out she has no control over Capitol Police.

Temperatures are rising up to three times faster at the Arctic, and that creates a new complication for global emissions agreements, according to Reuters. Both thawing permafrost and wildfires in the region release even more greenhouse gases. The deeper the permafrost thaw, the more gases released and the more warming that occurs.

Fires and abrupt thawing could increase carbon emissions up to 40% by century’s end, researchers estimate.

Blast from the past: “The nation can lurch backward as quickly as it can lurch forward.” — Dr. Robert P. Moses, 19352021. In the 1960s Moses led efforts in Mississippi to register people to vote. In that state 40% of the population was Black, but few voted due to poll taxes, violence and subjective literacy tests. Many regard him today as the father of grassroots organizing.

NEWS

Council hears budget workshop presentation

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Sandpoint city staff presented a wide-ranging overview of the preliminary fiscal year 2022 budget to council members Aug. 4, including deep dives into several specific projects ranging from personnel to transportation infrastructure, parks and recreation, and a multitude of other big-ticket items related to master planning efforts and other aspects of city management.

The budget workshop revisited many of the nuts and bolts of the July 21 presentation, during which staff proposed and council approved a preliminary maximum budget of almost $40.6 million for FY 2022.

Among the highlights included the city’s desire to hire another police officer, as “calls for

service are up substantially from years before,” said City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton.

Meanwhile, the city is undergoing a “fundamental shift,” Stapleton said, from master planning to implementation.

Among those master plans was the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces plan, which Stapleton said other cities have referred to as a “master plan on steroids.”

Of concern is whether Sandpoint’s population will come in over 10,000 in the upcoming census, which means the city would lose both its ability to levy a resort city tax and go to voters for a local option tax.

“We will likely have one time that we can go back to voters and ask for support,” Stapleton said. “We will not make it through another census under

10,000 [population].”

Longtime Parks and Rec. Director Kim Woodruff applauded the council and staff for their vision in trying to “stay ahead of the curveball … because we’ve got a pretty fast curveball coming at us,” in terms of rapid population growth.

Stapleton also noted that code amendments are due to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission at its Tuesday, Aug. 17 meeting related to redevelopment along the Sand Creek waterfront known as Farmins Landing in downtown Sandpoint. The vision initially centered on stormwater management, but has since evolved into, “A gathering space, a celebration space, a decompressing space, and/or a recreational space as well,” Stapleton said, referring to the area of water-

front purchased by the city from Bridge Street to Gunning’s Alley.

“We believe we can leverage a lot of money for this and this really is a national-type of project,” she said.

Council member Deb Ruehle highlighted the number of projects currently underway, and noted that they are progressing without a full-time city planner. That position has been in flux since the departure of Aaron Qualls in late-2020, with a brief stint by Susan Lauinger from early-May to mid-June this year. Since then, interim Planner Daren Fluke has filled the job, with Development and Infrastructure Services Director Amanda Wilson also standing in for various planning roles.

“I do have some concerns that we don’t have true lead-

ership in that planning area,” Ruehle said. “I’m hoping we can get that position filled relatively rapidly.”

Stapleton said the hiring market for planners is “very competitive right now” and the city will be reposting the position — as well as a listing for a utilities manager — in the next week. Meanwhile, the city is working with a government headhunter firm, which will assist with outreach and marketing, as well as vetting of candidates. Stapleton said the city hopes to have both jobs filled in the next 16 weeks.

The budget proposal will go back before the City Council at its regular meeting Wednesday, Aug. 18. To access a digital version of the budget, visit sandpointidaho.gov.

Bonner County sees ‘high’ COVID-19 transmission rate Gov. Little urges Idahoans to get vaccinated to secure a ‘normal school year’

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The U.S. hit a major milestone in the fight against the novel coronavirus on Aug. 2, announcing that 70% of American adults had received at least one dose of a vaccine against the disease.

President Joe Biden and his administration had hoped to reach the goal by July 4, but instead announced the news a month late with “no celebration,” “nor a setting of a new target,” according to PBS Newshour.

The milestone comes amid an increasingly bleak turn of events in the pandemic, which has so far spanned 18 months, as the more contagious Delta variant of the virus makes its way through largely unvaccinated populations across the country. NPR reported that the Delta variant is 225% more transmissible than the original strain of COVID-19 and, according to Reuters, 97% of infected Americans entering hospitals are unvaccinated.

While vaccinated people are capable of contracting COVID-19 — something known as a “breakthrough” infection — research shows that their symptoms are typically less severe.

“This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky told NPR. “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk.”

Idaho ranks next-to-last based on the number of residents with at least one dose of a vaccine, just above Mississippi. As of Aug. 4, 78.2% of Idahoans 65 years of age and up were at least partially vaccinated, as well as 50.4% of all people 12 and up.

Nationally, those numbers are 67.7% and 90%, respectively.

Gov. Brad Little on Aug. 3 urged more Idahoans to seek out coronavirus vaccinations, which are available at most pharmacies for walk-in appointments, in

order to secure some normalcy for the state’s student population come fall.

“Simply put, we need more Idahoans to choose to receive the vaccine for kids to have a chance at a normal school year, one that is entirely in person, without outbreaks and quarantines,” Little told reporters during an Aug. 3 press conference.

Still, while across the country authorities debate whether COVID-19 vaccines should be mandated, Little has stood firm against any such regulations in Idaho. The governor went so far as to sign an executive order April 7 banning so-called “vaccine passports” in Idaho, effectively outlawing the ability for any state entity to limit access to public services based on whether someone has received the vaccine.

“Idaho law does require Idahoans receive a COVID-19 vaccine and, while I strongly encourage Idahoans to choose to be vaccinated, it is a person-

al choice and some Idahoans because of their age, medical condition, or religious objection are unable to receive a vaccine,” the executive order stated.

According to Bloomberg, state officials are reporting that the current rate of infection among Idaho kids ages newborn to 4 is 53 per 100,000 — up from just 16 per 100,000 two weeks ago.

There is currently no vaccine authorized for children under 12 years of age. While the surge in national cases has prompted the CDC to recommend masking up in schools this coming academic year, that decision is left up to local school boards.

“It’s really incumbent upon the adults in their lives and older teens to be vaccinated to

sort of cocoon these kids away from the risk of becoming infected,” state epidemiologist Kathryn Turner said at the Aug. 3 media briefing. “Does it worry me? It does.”

The CDC is also recommending that all adults — vaccinated or not — wear masks in public indoor settings in U.S. counties experiencing “substantial” and “high” rates of transmission. As of Aug. 4, the CDC ranks Bonner County in the “high” category — the most extreme rate of transmission — and Boundary County as “substantial.”

See current Idaho COVID-19 data at coronavirus.idaho.gov.

Those seeking a vaccine can visit covidvaccine.idaho.gov to learn more.

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Sandpoint needs to toughen up...

Barbs: • When Bonner County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw — known for his big hat and not much else — announced his run for Idaho governor last week, I could only shrug and grin. It was when I read Bradshaw’s press release, in which he wrote, “We will not deem patriots as ‘domestic’ terrorists, nor will we deem a political gathering an ‘insurrection,’” that I stopped smiling.

There’s a lot to unpack with his statement, but to start with this: Stuff it, Bradshaw. Echoing many on the lunatic fringe of the far right, Bradshaw is attempting to revise history by claiming the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by frothing Trump supporters was a mere “political gathering.” It wasn’t. Watch the many videos. There are quite literally thousands of people shoving and some yelling racial epithets to Capitol Police officers, there are people using flag poles with the very nation’s flag they claim to be defending to gouge out eyes and bludgeon law enforcement personnel, there are rioters breaking windows, screaming “Hang Mike Pence.” There was even a gallows built outside, in preparation for what many thought was the next revolution. It wasn’t. Instead, it was a stain on our country and a clear sign that Trump’s America had lost its grip on reality — and decency. I wonder; if someone storms the Bonner County building, breaks windows, beats staff members over the head with a flag and pepper spray the electeds, is that also a “political gathering”?

Bradshaw is largely inneffectual as a commissioner, so I’m wondering where he gets off thinking he’s somehow qualified to represent the entire state. His biggest claim to fame is supporting the doomed lawsuit Bonner County filed against the city of Sandpoint regarding the Festival at Sandpoint’s no-weapons policy — a lawsuit that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and fizzled out in court for lack of standing. He is the epitome of the old saying, “All hat, no cattle.”

Best of luck in the big leagues, Bradshaw. You’ll certainly need it.

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Dear editor, [Addressed to Publisher Ben Olson:] Thank you so much for establishing an “alternative newspaper” in our town. This is a place where anyone can express their ideas and opinions without any real censoring, except by the editor, who gets to choose what he wants to be representative of his paper.

Once again, I am writing to say and plead with all locals who care about Sandpoint, “The Small Town With A Big Heart”: Please give up the “niceness” of North Idaho and get tough. If we love and care about our home, we will have the courage to speak up, write letters, go to City Council and county meetings, and not be blindsided by the greed, selfishness and politicized motives of the people moving up here.

We need to wake up and see what’s happening here. Yes, we have big hearts, but we also have courage and toughness to not let ourselves be deceived and to be strong enough to take a stand for principles, along with love.

Don’t stay silent, Sandpoint, out of the desire to be “nice and kind.”

This is the time to keep our eyes open and to be empowered to take a stand for the beauty, purity and soul of Sandpoint and not to stand mutely by and watch her being destroyed by greed and power. Let’s be known as “the small town with great courage and strength to stand up for what we know is right.”

With deep sincerity, Bev Newsham Sandpoint

Marking the Biden admin’s successes...

Dear editor, Despite what some critics say, the Biden administration has accomplished a great deal in its first six months in office.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped families put food on the table and pay their rent.

Also in the plan, the child tax credit — $3,000 to $3,600 per child — is providing relief to most working families with children at home.

These efforts have helped spark economic recovery in nearly all sectors of our economy.

The law also provides an additional $8.5 billion for rural health care providers for expenses and lost revenue attributed to COVID-19 — allowing for increased vaccine distribution and medical supplies.

And now it is likely Congress will agree to Biden’s infrastructure improvement package (which Trump could never get off the table) to repair our roads, bridges and crumbling infrastructure — a program that could rival in scope Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System of the 1950s.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are dealing with the root cause of immigration problems — working to improve conditions in Central American countries, which are the source of most illegal immigration.

And finally we have a leader in Biden who has the courage to stand up to Putin and promise the Russian leader he will face consequences if he continues to interfere with our elections and our infrastructure.

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

The higher the score on ‘Freedom Index,’ the less lawmakers care…

Dear editor, Bonner County just issued the second wildfire evacuation order in less than a week. This made me wonder how my family members who live near the Trestle Creek fire would get an evacuation notice with unreliable cell service and no access to the internet. Why, with the years of revenue surpluses, haven’t our legislators invested in those services for our rural communities?

Could it be because of the Freedom Index score? The FI score was created by the Idaho Freedom Foundation in order to control legislators. You see, the IFF rates every bill by asking one single question: Does the bill grow or shrink government? If it grows government, then the IFF issues a vote no order to all Republican legislators along with their list of talking points.

Legislators who dare to defy the order are punished by receiving a lowered Freedom Index score. The scores are then used to attack those legislators during the next primary election.

Idaho has an $800 million surplus and the IFF will approve one single use of our money: tax refunds that favor corporations, the wealthy and the well connected.

The IFF never allows our state revenues to be used to save lives or to improve the lives of Idahoans by bringing broadband to rural communities because they simply don’t care about those things.

If you want legislators who do care, be sure to look at their Freedom Index score. The higher the score, the less they care.

Lee Christensen Sandpoint

Sandpoint belongs on the list of small-town horrors…

Dear editor, Great review on Werewolves Within [Stage and Screen, July 29, 2021] noting that it checks “all of the psycho-social boxes of small town horror, leavened with a hearty and welcome dose of absurdist comedy.” One small addition. I think Schitt’s Creek should be on your list of similar shows about small towns.

Oh, and the upcoming, soon-to-be-released, Sandpoint — Spacetown.

Bill Stuble Dover

GOP Legislature is out to destroy public ed…

Dear editor, Recently a fundraiser was held to benefit panhandle schools. The goal was to raise $300,000 to meet the demands of the 21st century.

It isn’t yet known if the goal was met but that doesn’t matter. Why? Because it shouldn’t have been necessary to raise private money to support our kids and schools.

The Legislature is sitting on approximately $600 million and they won’t even approve a pay raise for teachers. I now believe that the GOP-controlled Legislature is out to destroy public education.

The GOP spends a lot of time and effort trying to micromanage the curriculum and prevent our educators from teaching reality-based history.

What we truly need is for the voters to oust these troglodytes and replace them with people who are willing to enter the 21st century. It doesn’t matter if our representatives are Republicans, Democrats or independents, but they must be willing to work together for the good of all Idahoans.

Together we can do great things.

Our biggest task as parents is to prepare our children for their future. The current majority of legislators won’t allow us to do that. This must change — for the good of our children and the future of Idaho.

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

Far-right politicos should ‘hit the road’…

Dear editor, Why is it that human beings go from one extreme to the other? Why not work toward a midpoint balance?

Ever heard of “Separation of Church and State”? Why then do so many potential candidates for office start with the statement, “I’m

a Christian”? I don’t care about your religion, I want to know what your politics are. Will you really represent the people that voted for you or will you stick to ‘the party’ line?

In my opinion, the following people have absolutely no business running for office and pretending to represent the voters: Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin (get a job where you’re not just spouting the far-, far-right agenda and instead represent all people of Idaho); Priscilla Giddings of White Bird, you’re running for lieutenant governor, what a joke (you outed a 19-year-old for filing a rape charge against a member of your party, giving out her email, home address, phone number, etc. You don’t represent anything other than the party line); Ammon Bundy and Scott Herndon, hit the road and don’t you come back no more; oh yeah, and please take Heather Scott and Steve Bradshaw with you.

Any of you folks heard the phrase, “A woman’s right to choose”? “No abortion for any reason,” be it incest or rape or whatever, according to Scott Herndon. There are more than 400,000 children in the foster care system on any given day in the U.S., think about it.

Michael Harmelin Sandpoint

Enough already…

Dear editor, How much pressure can Sand Creek take? Please, city administration, don’t try to describe this change to the setback as facilitating economic development. We all know it’s a boon to developers — not to the creation of good-paying jobs. Any business spaces created back there will be staffed by minimum-wage folks who already can’t live on those wages.

Of course water integrity/quality is also in jeopardy. Already there is untreated water running in the creek because the city has delayed installing a pretreatment facility on Sand Creek on the property for which Farmins Landing was purchased.

The city administration keeps making these decisions/plans to accommodate developers and tourists.

The focus instead should be on the residents’ needs. You saw this with the decisions on Memorial Field, sale of City Beach property and sale of Sand Creek waterfront on Bridge St. Was that last developer the same one who has instigated this incursion into Sand Creek?

Planning and Zoning will have a public hearing on this code change on Aug. 17, which could allow encroachment into the creek. Show up and express your opinion.

Enough already!

Carrie Logan Sandpoint

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

How about this weather?

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

As we’re all far too familiar with right now, living in a place that is susceptible to extreme weather and environmental patterns is humbling. Multiple times a year, we’re reminded that we are not as in control of our surroundings as we’d like and, when it comes to nature, we reap what we sow.

To live with this harshness, a reserve of heartiness needs to be just below our surface, readily accessed when we’re pushed beyond the limits of comfort or convention. It’s an adapt-or-crumble attitude that drives people to organize indoor game nights, purchase smoke filter exercise masks and spend more time bobbing in the lake (because we just need a few minutes outside). We carry on, living in tandem with the heat and the smoke because we have to.

In addition to tapping into our reserves of heartiness, extreme weather precipitates another type of survival behavior: small talk. Although it gets a bad rap, small talk — especially about the weather — can serve important functions for how we navigate our social worlds. A quip about the AQI can form a building block for connection with a stranger, fill the nervous quiet before a dentist appointment or demonstrate genuine, albeit truncated, curiosity about the experiences of others.

It also goes without saying that not all versions of small talk are created equally and talking about the weather isn’t one-size-fits-all — there are many varieties with their own levels of effectiveness.

The most obvious form is “meaningless” small talk. A rhetorical question like, “How about this weather?” is posed, usually without direct eye contact and

Emily Erickson. while the asker’s body is still in motion. It comes not from a place of interest or with the intention of eliciting a response but, rather, serves as a thinly veiled admission that, “I’d rather not be talking to you, but it felt inappropriate to pretend you didn’t exist.”

Then, there’s “searching for common ground” small talk. Like a gentle probe into someone’s consciousness, the question, “Climate change, am I right?” asks so much more than how one is fairing in all this weather. It is a question asked with a little bit of danger, determining if your conversation partner subscribes to a different set of beliefs and values than you do.

Of course, there’s also “social anxiety” small talk, usually engaged in with a person or group of people you view as a life raft in a sea of conversational or situational discomfort. It’s a, “You’re the only person I know at this event so let’s break down the last decade of fire season behaviors year by year, in excruciating detail,” type of conversation.

Social anxiety small talk is a helpful, yet fragile version

of communication, broken by the simplest of distractions or a poorly timed trip to the bathroom.

Another version of small talk is the, “You’re my kind of awkward” variety. It’s conversational bites shared between people who are familiar with one another, signaling comfort and peppered with humor or shared experiences.

“Hello” is replaced with “All this smoky air is making my sweat smell weird, how’s yours?” or “I need you to be honest. Do you think jumping in the lake counts as a shower?”

Then, everyone has been the unfortunate recipient of “one-sided” small talk, in which we

become an unwitting sounding board for another person’s word vomit: “This smoke has really made it hard for me to mow my lawn. I hate staying indoors, but I got a new air conditioner, so that helps. I might order a pizza later, but only if it can get delivered.

Well, OK, bye.”

Finally, there’s “genuine” small talk, a version of conversation only shortened by circumstance, not from a desire for it to be abbreviated. It’s an expression of thoughtfulness and care, posed

with attentiveness and the goal of listening. A phrase like, “I remember your mom has COPD, this fire season must be really hard for you all,” not only takes up conversational space, it demonstrates your genuine interest in another person’s life and experience.

So whether you love to talk about the weather, or opt for the averted-eyes small-talk-avoidance route, I hope you’re finding a way to make it through. Stay safe, be well, and “tell your mom I said hi.”

Retroactive

By BO

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

Terrariums

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: plants are amazing.

Some plants have adapted to live for an unfathomably long time — think about Pando, the 108-acre aspen clone that is at least 80,000 years old. You’ve seen me muse time and time again about how awesome it is that plants can easily graft on the limbs of other plants, as you may have seen in the six-way apple trees available in most nurseries.

You can even seal a plant in a jar and watch it grow for decades.

A completely sealed ecosystem in which a plant exists is called a terrarium, and the size of a terrarium can vary from a simple mason jar to the world’s largest, a 2,000-pound “forest in a jar” in Poland. That’s right: The same Poland that inspired The Witcher series, with a climate not too dissimilar from our own here in North Idaho, also houses a massive jar full of tropical plants that are completely self-contained and thriving.

A terrarium and a greenhouse are both designed with similar principles in mind. A layer of transparent plastic or glass allows light to pass through. Upon striking a surface, some of the light is reflected away, while the rest is absorbed and converted into heat energy. Darker objects absorb more light, which creates more heat. That’s why the black leather seats in your car feel as though you’re sitting on the surface of a stove this time of year.

Back to the topic at hand: The short wavelengths of light easily pass between the molecules of glass, but the longer wavelengths 10 /

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of heat cannot.

This is called a “greenhouse effect” and it can even happen at a global level. Plastic sheeting is made out of precisely configured molecules of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which are also naturally abundant in our atmosphere. Industrial and automotive applications produce aerosolized carbon monoxide, which is one part carbon, one part oxygen. As it comes together en masse, it acts like the plastic sheeting of a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to pass through, but limiting the amount of heat that can radiate off the planet’s surface and back into space. As more and more fuel is burned, more carbon monoxide is released and creates a thicker insulating layer, allowing less and less heat out.

Now think about how those processes apply to a terrarium.

To exist, plants require three factors: water, nutrients and light.

A proper terrarium houses both water and nutrients — as well as the plant — while the sun provides the light. You may wonder how a plant will get new nutrients and water when it’s sealed in a glass jar, and put simply: it doesn’t need to.

Plants are great at recycling.

In the wide open world, nutrients get used up when a plant creates fruit and seeds, which will usually be carried off and deposited somewhere else by wind, water or animals. This allows the plant’s offspring to find a new place to grow with fresh nutrients and other plants that don’t share the same genetics. In a terrarium, the nutrients don’t have anywhere to go, so the plant can just repeatedly use the same set of nutrients over and over again.

The same is true of water.

Water is a delicate thing, existing in its vital liquid form at a very precise temperature range between 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Compare this for a moment to the surface of Venus, which hovers around 900 degrees Fahrenheit — hot enough to evaporate water instantaneously. It’s this delicate trait of water that allows a terrarium to sustain a plant. As sunlight hits the water and heats up the surface, the molecules begin to evaporate; however, since they’re trapped inside a glass jar, they have nowhere to go and will begin to coalesce near the top to “rain” back down onto the plant.

This “contained garden” was popularized by an image that occasionally makes the rounds on social media of David Latimer and his 10-gallon spiderwort-ina-jar. Though spiderwort may be a hardy plant, it’s not the only type of flora that thrives in a terrarium.

Thinking of making your own terrarium? Self-contained gardens can make wonderful and attractive hobby pieces while remaining extremely low maintenance.

Here is all you need to get started: • A jar or glass case. The objective is that you must be able to keep the container airtight once everything is assembled; • Enough rocks or pebbles to cover the bottom, as well as enough peat moss and topsoil to fill one-third of the jar; • A seed or cutting of your choosing — keep the size of container in mind, you don’t want to have a cedar tree growing in there; • A little bit of water. Enough for the plant to grow, but not so

much that it drowns it.

Simply create a layer of pebbles across the bottom of the jar, place your peat moss and topsoil overtop of the rocks, pour in your water and plant your seed.

For the first two weeks, you may want to cover the spout of the jar with something like a rubber glove to keep it airtight while you gauge whether or not the plant will need more water. If the plant seems happy after two weeks, replace the rubber glove

with a permanent seal and enjoy your no-maintenance houseplant.

If you’re really feeling creative, try planting multiple types of plants and see which ones thrive the best in this setup.

After that, sit back, relax and enjoy the fact that you’re doing the same work that astronauts are doing on the International Space Station.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner d games?

Don’t know much about boar • The board game Candy Land was invented to cheer up children living in polio wards. Polio paralyzed many of its victims and the game offered the illusion of movement, allowing the sick children to lose themselves in the sweet imaginative world of the game.

• The rules to Monopoly clearly state that if a player lands on a property and doesn’t buy it, it immediately goes up for auction to the highest bidder.

• During a game of backgammon in the year 480 CE, the Byzantine Emperor Zeno had a dice roll that was so unlucky that he had it recorded and we still know of it to this day.

• The game Twister was nearly killed in its crib when the Sears catalog rejected it for being too sexy.

Just as the makers were about to give up, the game was saved by Johnny Carson, who played Twister with blonde bombshell Eva Gabor on The Tonight Show. A day later its sales soared into the millions.

• Cribbage was a favorite game

We can help!

of submarine crews during World War II, and the cribbage board once owned by Admiral Dick O’Kane has been handed down to the oldest submarine in the Pacific fleet for the past 75 years.

• The original version of The Game of Life board game, made in 1860 by Milton Bradley, had the possible outcomes of suicide, poverty and ruin.

• The game Yahtzee was invented by an anonymous Canadian couple, who called it The Yacht Game because they played it on their yacht. Edwin S. Lowe, the same man who introduced bingo, exchanged the rights to the game for 1,000 gift sets to the couple in 1956.

• The German-born board game, The Settlers of Catan, sold out its first 5,000 copies so fast that the creator, Klaus Teuber, did not receive a first edition. He did receive the satisfaction, however, of knowing that his game could possibly be the biggest board game since Risk.

PERSPECTIVES

Lifelong learners

By K.L. Huntley Reader Contributor I was a lucky kid, being my dad’s favorite sidekick. I followed him like an adoring shadow, going anywhere and everywhere I could with my 6-foot giant. He was my hero in so many ways. I held onto his reassuring legs when we walked through protestors to see the Russian Ballet and held his hand tightly as we excitedly attended the last Ringling Brothers Circus in the big tent. Dad and I had a standing date every Friday night until I was in my late teens.

One of our special and routine outings was a museum located in the downtown section of our city.

The first thing I would always do, accompanied by the twin emotions of fear and curiosity, was to run into the darkened taxidermy room and check out the enormous 9-foot-tall Kodiak bear standing on its hind legs. I was repeatedly curious to once again see the living monster and be reassured it was secured behind what I hoped was double thick glass. Just in case, dad stood behind me, also enthralled by the immensity of the world’s largest bear.

The years went on, my dad and I stopping by every historical monument we could find in our travels and dropping into an

eclectic collection of museums — ones he could afford and ones that would have us. It was such a day years later that together we took my two young sons and their cousin Chris to a museum near the grandparent’s home.

We were ambling quietly down the halls of display when a recognizable, high-pitched voice broke the monastic silence echoing off the walls. It was my son Marcus loudly exclaiming “Jeezus Christ Chris, you got to come and see this!”

Dad and I turned to each other with knowing eyes as we both broke out in grins accompanied by chuckles. What was it? A tyrannosaurus rex? A taxidermied Komodo dragon? I honestly don’t remember — whatever it was it was thrilling, merited sharing and obviously elicited quite a bit of excitement.

The whole incident was replayed in a different environment yesterday at the Clark Fork Library. I had taken my two grandchildren there to get some books. The library was relatively quiet when the 8-year-old excitedly discovered one of the new STEM kits. Again, in good old family tradition, he yelled out excitedly about his find. A treasure had been discovered and everyone needed to know. Slicing through the traditional library hush I heard,

along with everyone else, “Jeezus Christ — look at this!”

Heads snapped up, familiar faces smiled and several folks poked their heads around the shelves to see what all the excitement was about. No one shushed him! They all knew the excitement of discovering something new at a museum, a library or one of those historical landmarks along the highway. The child wasn’t admonished for breaking the “quiet” rule.

He reminded everyone present of the joy in discovery and the thrill of learning.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. Our local library and branches have kits available covering everything from magnets to fossils. They are fascinating and I didn’t see an age limit on the check-out form. We brought home the space kit, blew up the colorful spheres and hung them in order across the kitchen beams while reading about the different planets, stars and the first

astronauts. What fun! When the young attention spans began to wane we went onto the computer, the International Space Station and the explanations on how to use the bathroom in outer space.

That is one way to get the potential lifelong learner’s attention and keep the curiosity bug singing.

We only have one museum in the area but we do have a beautiful, huge, expanded museum called a library. If you can’t make

This little card opens all the doors.

Courtesy photo. it to downtown Sandpoint there is a branch in Clark Fork and a friendly Bookmobile that actually has eight stops across the county.

They will be more than happy to deliver you a new world, a new adventure or a new horizon.

I hope you also discover an exciting, eye popping something that stirs you to want to share: “Get a load of this!”

Friends of the Library announces August book sale

By Reader Staff The Friends of the Library has a ready solution for anyone who has felt driven indoors by the recent high heat and smoky skies: read a book — or books.

FOL is hosting its August book sale Saturday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering everything from paperback westerns to fiction and mysteries, as well as a selection of collectible classics.

“Our shelves are overflowing,” the organization stated in a news release, noting that prices

are 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hardcover books.

“Your patronage makes it possible to continue our dual mission of supporting the library and putting books in the hands of the community at prices that make it easy for anyone to realize the incredible pleasure of reading,” FOL stated. “As always, it will be our pleasure to see all of you once again.”

The sale will take place at the East Bonner County Library, 1407 Cedar St. in Sandpoint. For more information call 208-2636930 or visit ebonnerlibrary.org.

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OUTDOORS

Fly like an eagle

Birds of Prey Northwest releases young eagle into the wild

By Reader Staff The record heat wave that has blanketed the Northwest has caused large numbers of young eagles and other raptors to fall or jump from their exposed nests to escape the searing sun. Area residents have been finding young bald and golden eagles, merlins, Cooper’s hawks and red-tailed hawks on the ground below nests where they can’t survive.

When Donna and Randy Lunsford found a dehydrated and starving young eagle near their Pack River home a couple weeks ago, they took quick action.

The Lunsfords contacted the Birds of Prey Northwest raptor rescue and education group, which got to work rescuing the bird. The group said the number of rescue birds at their facility has ballooned from the usual 40 birds on site to 140.

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BOPNW traveled to Sandpoint on July 31 to release the young eagle into the wild. The bird was strong enough to fledge — or take its first flight — and was released back near its nest on the Pack River, where its parents are still in the vicinity and will likely resume their care and feeding.

After the release July 31,

BOPNW gave two presentations at the East Bonner County Library with a number of rescued eagles, hawks and owls for those attending to see up close.

The huge spike in rescues has greatly taxed the resources of the nonprofit. Those who might want to donate can learn more at birdsofpreynorthwest.org.

Top left: BOPNW biologist and founding director Janie Veltkamp releases the young eagle into the wild near Pack River.

Top right: The eagle was strong enough to fledge, or take its first flight.

Bottom right: Janie Veltkamp, middle, holds the eagle while Donna Lunsford, left, and volunteer Teriann Poutre look on. Photos by Chris Bessler.

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COMMUNITY

Bonner County Rodeo kicks up dirt Aug. 6-7

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Mention the word “rodeo,” and odds are that horses, bulls, saddles, ropes, buckles and maybe even clowns come to mind. But for 2021 Miss Bonner County Rodeo Hayven Chase, rodeo is all about the people.

“What I enjoy most about rodeo is the community,” she told the Reader.

“Everyone is helpful and I enjoy all of the interactions I have.”

With this year’s Bonner County Rodeo slated for Friday, Aug. 6-Saturday, Aug. 7 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, 15-year-old Chase — whose aunt introduced her to rodeo at a young age — is most looking forward to continuing to build those community connections in regional rodeo.

“I love representing the sport of rodeo, the western way of life and agriculture as a rodeo queen,” the two-time queen said. “Being Miss Bonner County Rodeo gives me a unique opportunity to interact with all generations, young and old, and give them the opportunity to learn something new or ask questions they may have.”

The 2021 Bonner County Rodeo is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo

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Cowboys Association. Events featured at this year’s rodeo will include roping, bareback, bull and bronc riding, and much more, along with women’s barrel racing sanctioned by the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. each night, and the rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. There will be food vendors on site.

Tickets cost $15 in advance and $18 at the gate for adults, and $8 or $10 for kids ages 6-12, respectively. Purchase tickets in advance at the Bonner County Fairgrounds Office, Carter Country Farm and Feed, Columbia Bank, Les Schwab Tire, North 40, Sandpoint Super Drug, Wood’s Hay and Grain, and the Tractor Supply in Oldtown, or online at sandpointbonnercountyrodeo. com. Tickets will also be available at the gate, subject to availability.

The Bonner County Rodeo comes just two weekends before the Bonner County Fair, this year with the theme “Lettuce Turnip the Beet.” The 2021 fair events are slated for Wednesday, Aug. 18-Saturday, Aug. 21.

When asked what she most looks forward to as the beloved weekend approaches, Bonner County Fair Director Darcey Smith couldn’t pick just one thing.

“Oh boy, I look forward to it all,” she said.

“The bulls, horses, contestants, the spectators, the food.”

None of those components would be possible without the hard work of the Bonner County Rodeo Committee, she said.

2021 Miss Bonner County Rodeo Queen Hayven Chase. Courtesy photo.

“We have a wonderful rodeo committee that puts in Learn more about the Bonner Councountless hours preparing for this rodeo,” Smith said. “We owe them a huge ty Rodeo and buy tickets at sandpointbonnercountyrodeo.com. amount of thanks for all they do each year to make this event happen.”

Ponderay Sunday Market seeks vendors Next market held Aug. 8 outside Ponderay Events Center

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff When the original organizers of the holiday markets in the Ponderay Events Center decided to take operations to Cocollala, Melissa DaLuca — a salon owner in the building who often used the markets as a way to sell her homemade soaps and jewelry — saw a need to keep markets alive in Ponderay.

“I just kind of picked up the reins,” she said.

Then, when the pandemic wreaked havoc on the artisans’ ability to sell their goods leading up to the 2020 holiday season, LaDuca decided to organize a few summer markets to supplement. That supplemental effort, launched in May 2021, has since grown into a monthly event all its own, featuring food trucks, live music and a growing number of enthusiastic vendors.

Right now, the market features a variety of craftspeople, as well as some sales consultants for products like Scentsy and Tupperware.

“I’m going to be really flexible with people,” LaDuca said, recognizing that representatives for those types of companies are not allowed at the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market.

While the Ponderay Sunday Market was not originally meant to last beyond the sum-

mer, LaDuca said there are already plans to keep it running for years to come.

“It was just to help out the vendors that I had in my holiday markets, so that they would have something to do for the summer. Then it just grew; we started to pick up other people, then we ended up with food trucks, then we ended up with live music,” she said. “It went really well, and we were like, ‘Maybe we’re onto something here.’”

Right now, the schedule will remain the second Sunday of each month May-December, with late fall and winter dates held inside the Ponderay Events Center. The market will then take a hiatus January-April.

Check out the next Ponderay Market on Sunday, Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Ponderay Events Center parking lot (401 Bonner Mall Way). The August market will feature food from Felker’s Northern BBQ and Sweet P’s Shaved Ice, as well as live flute music from Chilaili Wachiwi of White Thunderbird Music Group.

The Ponderay Sunday Market is currently seeking vendors. Those with questions, or who wish to apply, can reach organizer Melissa LaDuca at ponderaymarket@gmail. com. Also find the market on Facebook under “Ponderay Sunday Market.”

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LITERATURE

Navigating a good life

Sandpoint author Richard Sonnichsen pens new book, Adventures in Good Living

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

When Richard Sonnichsen graduated from the University of Idaho “100 years ago,” he swore he’d never go back to school.

But when his employer urged the forester-turned-FBI agent to pursue a doctorate degree in his late 40s, Sonnichsen once again found himself hitting the books.

“During that time, I did a lot of writing,” he said. “I sort of got hooked on it.”

Sonnichsen has now authored five books focused primarily on what he calls “social commentary” — drawing inspiration from his own experiences to provide readers a fresh perspective on a variety of social topics.

“I am trying to influence people, and if I could do that here or there, entertain a little, that’s my goal,” he said. “That’s been fun for me. I enjoy putting words together and putting sentences together and trying to dissect the human condition from the vantage of an octogenarian.”

His latest release is titled Adventures in Good Living: A

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User’s Guide to Living a Happy And Meaningful Life on Planet Earth. Despite the weighty title, Heron, Mont.-based publisher Blue Creek Press shared in a media release that the book isn’t incredibly heavy, but instead feels like receiving “good advice from an old and experienced friend.”

In Adventures in Good Living, Sonnichsen takes the opportunity to impart his hard-earned wisdom with a personal twist by addressing parts of the book to his grandchildren. He shares his best advice on drinking and dating — “two of the major social activities in life.”

“I walked down those roads myself without much guidance,” Sonnichsen told the Reader, adding later: “I thought if I could pass on a little of what I’ve done and what I’ve observed, that would be interesting to my grandkids.”

Another major theme in his new book is urging others to “live life slowly,” taking time to consider what really matters amid a world rife with “social stimuli” and peer pressures.

“We just don’t know how to sit down and shut down and stop and think about things,” Sonnichsen said. “I want to urge people to contemplate a little bit about who they are and where they are, and if they found their own authentic identity, rather than outsourcing their entire life to somebody else.”

Sonnichsen doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but in his 80-plus years, he believes he may have something worthwhile to say.

“It’s not a how-to book, but it’s a how-to-think-about-things book,” he said of Adventures in Good Living. “There’s no chapter that says, ‘Do the following 10 things and [life] will be wonderful,’ but if you stop and think about things, life might become

a little more fun and you might be a little happier and find some meaning in life.”

What does that “meaning” look like?

That depends on the person, according to Sonnichsen.

“From my perspective, there’s no grand purpose in life other than what you want to make of it,” he said, “and you need to spend some time doing that.”

Find Adventures in Good Living and Sonnichsen’s other works at Vanderford’s Books (201 Cedar St. in Sandpoint) or online at amazon.com.

Top left: Author Richard Sonnichsen enjoys an outing on Lake Pend Oreille.

Top right: Sonnichsen’s new book, Adventures in Good Living. Courtesy photos.

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This week’s Photos of the Week page is all about the Festival at Sandpoint.

Local photographer Racheal Baker donned the Reader media pass again for us this year, and we’re so happy to present some of her amazing photos from Week 1.

To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader. com.

All photos on Pages 16-17 were taken by Racheal Baker. Look for more of Racheal’s excellent work in next week’s Reader. See more of her photos at: rachealbakerphotography.pixieset.com

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events August 5-12, 2021

THURSDAY, august 5

Festival at Sandpoint: Gladys Knight 7:30pm @ Memorial Field A true iconic R&B performer, Gladys Knight will not disappoint. Opener: Sandpoint-born Sam Tru!

Keeping up with the Waterkeeper 5:30-7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. The first of a monthly series, with presentations about topics pertaining to our watershed. This week: Current land use issues.

Sandpoint Songfest sneak preview • 7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Thom Shephard and Coley McCabe will join North Idaho songwriter Sam Leyde

FriDAY, august 6 Festival at Sandpoint: Young the Giant 7:30pm @ Memorial Field Indie pop and rock band that will get your booty groovin’, with Biddidat opening!

Live Music w/ Birds of Play 7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Free live music outside for this ongoing Sounds Under the Silo series

Bonner County Rodeo (Aug. 6-7) 7:30pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds PRCA/WPRA rodeo, with gates opening at 6:30pm each night. Also women’s barrel racing, food vendors and more! Tickets: sandpointbonnercountyrodeo.com

SATURDAY, august 7

Festival at Sandpoint: Village People 12pm & 5pm @ Memorial Field Village People will play after REO Speedwagon had to cancel due to COVID, playing disco hits. Opener Lucas Brookbank Brown.

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Live music w/ BOCA Long Bridge Swim 9am @ Lake Pend Oreille The annual swim along the Long Bridge, with packet pick up scheduled from 6:307:30am. Longbridgeswim.org

Free First Saturday at the Museum 10am-2pm @ BoCo History Museum Enjoy free admission to the Museum. This month sponsored by Kim Keaton and Julie Reister-Keaton

Wings Over Sandpoint Fly-In 8am @ Sandpoint Airport Regional pilots fly into Sandpoint Airport for this 15th annual event, with a breakfast from 8-10am and aircraft display. $8/adult, $4/kids under 12. Sponsored by the Sandpoint EAA Chapter 1441. 208-255-9954

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 8-10pm @ The Back Door Live Music w/ Ponderay Paradox 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Music w/ Jason Perry Band 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge

SunDAY, august 8

Festival at Sandpoint: Grand Finale 7:30pm @ Memorial Field Enjoy a family matinee starting at noon, with the Grand Finale featuring Spokane Symphony featuring Whitney Claire Kaufman at 5pm Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Ponderay Outdoor Market 10am-3pm @ Ponderay Events Center The market is held the 2nd Sunday of every month, featuring live music, food vendors and more. Free and open to the public

monDAY, august 9

Outdoor Experience Monday Night Group Run – All levels welcome 6pm @ Outdoor Experience Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant Blind Beer Tasting of Belgian Ales “Coping with Grief: Find Your Path to Peace” 6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

wednesDAY, august 11 Live Music w/ Patrice Webb 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Live music TBD 20 /

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Benny on the Deck - Live Music 5-7:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge patio Weekly live music with Benny Baker.

This week’s guest: Jesse Bennett

COMMUNITY Still time to register for Long Bridge Swim

By Reader Staff As with many other community events, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Long Bridge Swim to take a hiatus in 2020. The 26-year tradition is back for 2021, scheduled to take place Saturday, Aug. 7 with a 9 a.m. start time.

“Our decision last year to cancel the 2020 swim came after due consideration of the many factors arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, and our desire to keep swimmers, volunteers and spectators safe,” organizers wrote on their website. “We have applied all that same criteria this year in making our decision to proceed with our 2021 race. We will be practicing all recommended health precautions to keep our swimmers safe, both in and out of the water.”

The last chance to register is Friday, Aug. 6. Cost is $55 and swimmers can register online at longbridgeswim.org or in person Aug. 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Sandpoint High School (410 S. Division St.) — the same time and place as early packet pick up.

No registrations will be accepted on race day.

Regular packet pick up is scheduled for Aug. 7 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. at SHS. Following that will be a mandatory safety meeting at 8 a.m. at the high school.

Swimmers will take a shuttle from the school to the south end of the Long Bridge, where the 1.76-mile swim will start.

Local swimming enthusiast Eric Ridgway founded the Long Bridge Swim in 1995, growing from a group of 78 to more than 720 swimmers. Always held on the first Saturday in August, spectators are encouraged to post up on the Long Bridge and watch their swimmers’ progress.

Funds raised from registrations go to offset event expenses, as well as support for swim lessons for local kids.

“The mission of our initiative is to see that no child in Bonner County gets past third grade without learning to swim,” organizers stated. “Especially in these challenging times for all nonprofit organizations — to say nothing of confused times for children in their schooling and extracurricular activities — we hope for additional donations to support this life-saving and life-changing program.”

For more information visit longbridgeswim.org.

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FOOD & DRINK

Chasing the sparkling waterfall

An extremely scientific study of which sparkling water tastes the best

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Despite an explosion of popularity in the past five years, sparkling water isn’t exactly a Johnny-come-lately in the drink department. In the ’80s, Perrier practically invented the “designer beverage” by blasting carbonation in an elegant glass bottle and selling it for exorbitant prices to celebrities and real estate moguls so they could casually crack into a bottle and show off their status. This was when buying water in a bottle was considered upper crust, whether it had bubbles or not.

In the age of soft drinks, though, anything not crammed full of sugar was decidedly a niche market — that is, until the past half decade when sales of sparkling water shot skyrocketed 40%, turning it into a $2.2 billion a year industry.

It’s anyone’s guess what finally tipped this market over the edge, but it most likely has something to do with a growing population of consumers looking for a healthier fizzy beverage without added sugar, a spike in popularity among younger generations and slick marketing campaigns aimed to find alternatives to the big whale that was once the soft drink industry.

These start-up companies have lobbed enough harpoons into the sugary drink biz to leave their mark on the market.

There were limited options available as recently as a few years ago, but today’s supermarket aisles have been transformed by many new brands, including upstarts owned by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Here’s a rundown of some of our favorite brands and flavors, with tasting notes on these thirst-quenchers of the modern era.

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Perrier Might as well start with the OG. Throw on your togs and twist open a fresh Perrier and you’ll immediately feel that power ’80s carbonation go straight up your nose — as did many other substances in the ’80s.

Perrier has a sharper bite than other sparkling waters, with an almost salty or bitter aftertaste that oddly makes you want to keep drinking to avoid it. Pairs great with Hall and Oates on the record player with the volume real low.

Topo Chico Hailing somewhere from the dusty mountain springs of Monterrey, Mexico, Topo Chico has a legion of thirsty followers that swear it is the bee’s knees of sparkling water.

I’ll admit it has a heck of a sparkle, without such a salty undertone, and a nice hint of citrus on the finish. But whenever the hipster herd attaches to a product, it enters a second stage of proving up to the hype. The mustachioed masses encountered a hiccup in 2017, however, when Coca-Cola acquired Topo Chico and brought the bell curve back down to the corporate middle. An owner of an Austin, Texas dive bar even reportedly posted an Instagram video of himself hurling a bottle of Topo Chico against the outside wall of his establishment in protest.

That’ll show them. Now go clean up that broken glass. Pairs with a hangover quite well.

La Croix Pamplemousse If you can get past the playfully tacky name — which means “grapefruit” in French — this is a good goto for soda addicts who desire that carbonation fix but don’t want toosweet flavoring. Overall, it’s just above average but a solid workhorse, or bourreau de travail, if you prefer the French. La Croix is the gateway drug of the sparkling water market for many of us recovering soda addicts.

Pairs with a still-icy cooler in the morning after camping when you’re not quite ready for the hair of the dog.

Bubly PepsiCo’s magnum drinkus to the world is the playful Bubly sparkling water, which has cans that either smile or frown at you depending on whether you’re standing on your feet or your head. It compares closest to the La Croix flavor rainbow, but Bubly’s flavor technician seems to have had a bit of a heavy hand. Pop open one of its sweeter varietals and it smells like one of those Mr. Sketch scented markers we all used to huff during grade school.

Pairs with... Mr. Sketch scented markers and four banana popsicles in a row on your front porch.

Spindrift strawberry/raspberry lime Now we’re talking.

Spindrift is like the guy who comes to the party and kicks open a door to a whole new room, which may or may not have a bouncy castle in it. Taking off on the carbonated water craze, Spindrift takes it one step further by adding real fruit juice, which gives each flavor a tinge of color and natural sweetness that establishes a new island of compromise between sparkling waters and soft drinks — without the sugar.

Well, there’s a little bit of sugar from the fruit juice, but we’re not monks, are we? The raspberry lime has a pleasant pink color and a unique balance of taste, where the lime brightens the edge of the tart raspberry. The grapefruit tastes just like you squeezed a fresh grapefruit into your can, and strawberry is any home bartender’s friend when making cocktails. Strawberry pairs well with reposado tequila, preferably on a boat somewhere with your top off.

Waterloo Auspiciously named after the village where Napoleon got his ass handed to him, Waterloo is relatively new to the sparkling beverage scene.

Where La Croix made its fortune with big, throat-burning bubbles

and a strangely accepting metallic finish, Waterloo tastes both more effervescent and smoother at the same time. The vanguard flavors like lime and grapefruit are smoother than average, but they really knock it out of the park with grape and blueberry, which are both delightfully different, yet elegantly familiar — like a strange pair of underwear in your drawer that have no origin story. Pairs with a stroll down to the Third Street Pier to swim as the sun goes down.

Aha orange + grapefruit As we have embarked on this quest for the ultimate bubbly libation — chasing the sparkling waterfalls, if you will — it would be anticlimactic not to declare a clear winner. If you’re going to twist my arm, I toss the crown to Aha orange + grapefruit flavor, which is everything sparkling water should be. Crack open the top and it smells like you just peeled an orange. Take a sip and feel the magical parade of bubbles carrying the exact right proportion of oranges and grapefruits on their shoulders like conquering heroes. The bitter notes of grapefruit are smoothed by the grounded orange zest, giving a fizzy finish without much aftertaste. Don’t read the can, because it’s made by Coca-Cola, and also don’t look at some other flavors, in which Coca-Cola has begun adding caffeine. Shhh, just come over here to flavor country. Come to the orange + grapefruit corner and hunker down for a while.

Your quest is over, bub.

FEATURE

Reinventing health care

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Contributor Sometimes, a ground floor view is exactly the perspective one needs.

That’s true for individuals, and it’s true for organizations as well.

That includes Kaniksu Health Services. Following a year of immense health care challenges, the community health organization is looking forward to 2022 with a new name and new facility. For organization officials, it’s a step in keeping with its founding principle: a community-based organization understands its community’s needs best.

“After nearly 20 years, our image needed a little refresh,” said Kevin Knepper, Kaniksu CEO. “We have come a long way in the last 19 years. We’ve grown, and the community has grown with us. It was time to turn over a new leaf and create a new name and image that matched who we have become.”

What’s the new name to better fit that image? After an extensive rebranding effort, organization leadership settled on Kaniksu Community Health. Organization leaders believe it’s a more approachable name for what they hope is a more approachable organization — one that works with its community residents to solve health problems in a manner befitting their needs and their pocket book.

“Regardless of how you pay, or the complexity of your conditions, we will help you find solutions,” KCH representative Olivia Luther said, citing one of the organization’s foundational tenets. “We serve everyone in Bonner and Boundary counties, whether you are covered

by Medicare or Medicaid, have private insurance, are a self-pay patient or one of our country’s veterans. If there are any concerns about how you will pay for services, talk to us.

We’re here to help.”

Working patients through the obstacles that often block health care access — particularly a lack of insurance and other financial issues — is one of the reasons community health centers have become a popular health care model, particularly in rural areas. Structured as nonprofit organizations, health centers are governed by a

local board of which more than half the members are patient consumers themselves. The idea is to provide care oriented around the patients’ needs, reducing strain on hospital emergency rooms by emphasizing wellness and preventative care.

No doubt, that mission will be aided by a development perhaps even more dramatic than the rebranding: a new, centralized facility located in the heart of Bonner County.

Super 1 Foods shoppers have no doubt seen and heard the construction for themselves. Located right across the street from the grocery store, the 26,200-squarefoot facility gathered together all of Kaniksu’s services into a single location spread across 2.66 acres.

“We are excited to centralize patients’ health care by joining the medical, dental, pediatric, behavioral health and VA teams on one main campus,” said Knepper.

“Having all of our services co-located alongside each other allows Kaniksu to offer comprehensive care from several perspectives in one convenient location.

“The new state-of-the-art Sandpoint clinic will allow us to increase efficiencies while offering all of our services to patients of all ages under one roof,” he said.

Named after former Kaniksu CEO Victoria McClellan King, the new clinic is funded in part through a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, taking advantage of a program designed to kickstart rural projects.

“This centrally located site will provide easy access for residents of Bonner County as well as keep the close proximity to the hospital that is vital for pediatric support,” said Knepper. “Patients will be able to access the clinic via foot, bicycle, automobile, SPOT bus or just about any mode of transportation available. The Ponderay, Sandpoint Pediatric and VA clinics are all currently operating with limited space and parking, and a combined clinic — with fully integrated services — will be a true benefit to Kaniksu’s patients and the community.”

The new clinic will open with enough space for Kaniksu Community Health’s family practice, pediatric, dental, behavioral health and

VA services. It also allows for more expansive community engagement, with rooms outfitted for group activities, nutritional classes, health presentations and more.

On top of all that, the new building may be ready for service sooner than anyone anticipated.

Not even the COVID-19 pandemic could slow progress on construction. According to Luther, construction is actually ahead of schedule.

If work continues apace, Kaniksu staff anticipate wrapping up the project in November, moving operations in December and opening the new site by Jan. 3, 2022.

It’s a big change, one emblematic of almost 20 years of growth.

From humble beginnings as a small Bonners Ferry family clinic in 2002, Kaniksu began charting new milestones year by year, growing into the five clinics under its umbrella today. Whether patients are looking for family medicine, pediatrics, dental care, behavior health or veterans’ services, Knepper said Kaniksu has worked to provide care tailored to each individual.

Knepper said Kaniksu staff are proud of the work they’ve accomplished during that time.

Kaniksu Community Health is ranked among the top 10 percent of community health care clinics in the country, and Knepper added that he’s particularly proud of Kaniksu’s efforts in reducing uncontrolled diabetes among patients from 36% to 14%. Likewise, last year, Kaniksu reported the highest level of control in the state for the hypertensive population at 75%.

The rebranding and construc-

With a new name and facility, Kaniksu reimagines community health

tion projects are organization milestones, to say the least. But Knepper said that Kaniksu’s priorities haven’t changed. The organization’s foundational principle of meeting patients where they’re at still reigns supreme.

Starting in January, they’ll just have a little more working space.

“The rebrand places the ‘community’ in the center of our name, just as it is central to everything we do,” Knepper said.

The Kaniksu Community Health leadership team, from left to right: Gina beck, director of behavioral health; Dr. Charlotte Weeda, CMO; Dannette Reiter, director of business operations; Meagan forge, HR director; Kevin Knepper, CEO; Dr. Adam weaver,dental director; Erin Bass, FNP; Dr. Hailey Rose, pediatric chief of staff; Olivia Luther, director of marketing and community relations.

Photo by Cameron Rasmusson.

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MUSIC

Festival at Sandpoint: Week 2

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

With one week of fun behind us and one week to go, these four shows are sure to close out the 2021 Festival season in Sandpoint with plenty of style.

Thursday, Aug. 5 Gladys Knight w/special guest Sam Tru Gladys Knight has come a long way since she first made her mark on R&B history in the early 1960s as the frontwoman of Gladys Knight & The Pips. The soulful vocalist has seen unmatched success in the ensuing decades, whether it be her group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the 1990s or her consistent chart toppers and award-winning creations as a solo act who continues to tour.

Opening the night will be Sandpoint native Sam Tru, now a Pacific Northwest-based musician boasting a soulful sound and voice comparable to Amy Winehouse and Sara Bareilles.

General admission tickets are $69.95. Gates open at 6 p.m. Early entry tickets are $94.95. Gates open at 5:45 p.m. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 6 Young The Giant w/special guest Biddadat Alternative rock powerhouse Young The Giant will light up the Festival stage with the same high-energy, sonic soundscapes that have made them a music festival mainstay across the country.

Acts gracing the big white tent this coming weekend

The quintet celebrates the 10th anniversary of its self-titled debut album this year — a milestone on a journey highlighted by growing popularity and daring development in musical style.

Groovy three-piece Biddadat, featuring two born-and-raised Sandpointians, will kick off the show with dance-worthy alternative tunes.

General admission tickets are $65.95. Gates open at 6 p.m. Early entry tickets are $90.95. Gates open at 5:45 p.m. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 7 Village People w/special guest Lucas Brookbank Brown The Festival announced Aug. 4 that rock legends REO Speedwagon, originally slated to light up the tent Saturday night, had tested positive for COVID-19 and opted not to tour to Sandpoint. Instead, American disco greats Village People will be making the trip to North Idaho to share timeless, groovy hits like “YMCA” and “5’ O’clock In the Morning.”

Spokane singer-songwriter Lucas Brookbank Brown will open the night with his signature blend of bluesy indie folk.

According to Festival officials, individually purchased tickets for the REO Speedwagon show can be used to attend Village People, or any other remaining concert, including Gladys Knight on Thursday, Aug. 5, Young the Giant on Friday, Aug. 6, or the family matinee or grand finale on Sunday, Aug. 8. Season pass, patron and

sponsor REO Speedwagon tickets are only valid for the Village People show on Saturday, Aug. 7 and do not qualify for refunds.

For individual REO Speedwagon ticket purchasers who do not wish to attend Village People or the other performances, full refunds will automatically be issued starting Wednesday, Aug. 11. Donating tickets back to the Festival, a nonprofit, is also appreciated.

General admission tickets are $69.95. Gates open at 6 p.m. Early entry tickets are SOLD OUT. Early entry gates open at 5:45 p.m. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 8 Spokane Symphony and Whitney Claire Kaufman The final Sunday of the Festival at Sandpoint will feature two seperate shows, the first of which being an hour-long family matinee at 1 p.m. titled “Music from the Movies,” featuring musical favor-

Gladys Knight will play the Festival at Sandpoint Thursday, Aug. 5. Courtesy photo. ites from well-known family films.

Later in the evening will see the Festival’s wine tasting and grand finale — which will also feature “crowd-pleasing favorites from both stage and screen” — culminating with fireworks to celebrate the end of the 38th Festival season.

Sunday’s musical entertainment comes from the Spokane Symphony, conducted by Morihiko Nakahara, and Whitney Claire Kaufman, a former Broadway singer and regular vocalist accompanying countless symphonies and orchestras worldwide.

Family matinee: Tickets are $9.95. Gates open at noon. Concert to run 1-2 p.m.

Grand finale: General admission tickets are $39.95. Youth (Ages 12 and under) $9.95. Gates open at 5 p.m. Wine tasting from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Music starts at 7:30 p.m.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Sandpoint SongFest sneak preview, Matchwood Brewing, Aug. 5

Listen in for a preview of Sandpoint SongFest artists, performing Thursday, Aug. 5 at Matchwood Brewing. In advance of the main event — which is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 16-Saturday, Sept. 18 — organizers Thom Shepherd and Coley McCabe will join North Idaho singer-songwriter Sam Leyde at Matchwood.

Shepherd and McCabe, better known as nationally recognized country-rockers Thom and Coley, have a long list of accolades to their names, including duo kudos from the Trop Rock Music Association to the CMA of Texas to film credits and contributions to Grammy-winning

albums.

Leyde, meanwhile, is an award-winning singer-songwriter whose Americana, country and blues-infused sound has wooed audiences throughout the region.

Enjoy this sample of things to come and mark your calendars for September, when a full slate of top-notch performers take the stage to benefit the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint.

— Zach Hagadone 6 p.m., FREE. Matchwood Brewing Company, 513 Oak St., 208-718-2739, matchwoodbrewing.com. Get more info at sandpointsongfest.com.

Jason Perry Band, The 219 Lounge, Aug. 7 Jason Perry is nothing if not versatile. The Spokane-based musician is known for his varying gigs across the region, from solo acoustic shows to energetic, uptempo performances with his funkrock band and a host of other groups, keeping local venues hopping late into the night.

Perry will bring the latter vibe to the 219 Lounge on Saturday, Aug. 7, when the Jason Perry Band is slated to rock the Niner’s summer stage

into the wee hours of Sunday.

Combining soul and funk influences with an effortlessly groovy rock and reggae sound, Perry shares a unique style with the Pacific Northwest sure to get even the stiffest of lounge-goers tapping their feet.

— Lyndsie Kiebert 9 p.m.-midnight, FREE. The 219 Lounge, 219 N. First Ave, 208-263-5673, 219.bar.

Learn more at facebook.com/ jasonperrymusic.

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

Fans of John Steinbeck have undoubtedly read his classics, including Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row and The Grapes of Wrath. A lesser known work by Steinbeck that deserves a second look is his 1947 novel The Wayward Bus, a character study of a disparate group of bus passengers in postwar California. It’s like a long short story that doesn’t resolve but, rather, shows a slice of these different passengers’ lives in a way only Steinbeck could manage.

LISTEN

The early 2000s were the heyday of electronic indie rock music from the likes of The Postal Service, Mogwai and The Album Leaf. One often overlooked duo is Uzi & Ari, founded by a Mormon from Salt Lake City with a golden voice and incredibly catchy earworms that exemplify the electronic, lo-fi beats that defined this era of indie rock. Their best album was 2008’s Headworm, which can be listened to front to back without skipping a track.

WATCH

... video footage from the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

It’s hard to watch, but I think it’s important for everyone to know the truth about that horrific day in our nation’s history, especially after several GOP lawmakers have attempted to reframe the insurrection as “overblown” by the media.

If you’re one of the unfortunate few who believe this riot was justified, or somehow exaggerated by the media, please go to YouTube and type in “Capitol insurrection footage” and spend an hour watching some of the videos. Video footage does not lie, and if you still think it was a “normal tourist visit,” after watching, you might want to reevaluate your life.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

From Northern Idaho News, July 22, 1924

NEW STORE BLOCK ON FIRST AVENUE Work on the erection of a new store building for the J.C. Penney company will start within a few days, according to the announcement of the local manager, E.C. Wilkinson, all arrangements having been completed for the work.

While the building is not being erected by the company itself it is being built for them. The location is the King property at the head of First avenue, nex t to the bridge, at the head of First avenue, nex t to the bridge fronting south.

The building will be one story, 50x100 feet, built of hollow building tile, with a half basement and modern throughout. The front will be of the J.C. Penney design, with two entrances, one on each side, and between them large show windows 12 feet deep.

The ceiling will be 18 feet high, allowing ample room for a balcony. The ceiling itself will be of metal. The roof will be of the truss type, and there will be no pillars or posts for support.

It is estimated that the building will cost between $25,000 and $30,000 and will be occupied by November 1. The lease which the Penney company has on its present quarters at Cedar and Third has a year to run yet, but they decided not to wait before moving.

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... on listening

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist

Our friend Glada McIntire recently moved further into her true realm when she became pure spirit and left her shell behind. I say “our,” because Glada had many friends, and some are my friends as well. I am not privy to details of her transition, but I would hope she accomplished that final shedding in an old growth forest — in a rainstorm.

Glada was Canadian. At one time, she lived in the States, but she removed to her home country because Canada has a health care system that works, and Glada had Parkinson’s Disease, with which she lived gracefully and successfully for quite some time.

Glad was younger than me. She had white-blond hair, a translucent skin that allowed pink tones to shine through and a sort of distracted demeanor. She was, I believe, seeing and experiencing things that most of the rest of us can’t. Glada was, above all else, attuned to the planet.

Glada once took on an entire national government — Canada’s — over a stand of old growth trees because she heard the forest sing. The story is told completely in Sacred Trees, Sacred People of the Pacific Northwest, by Sharon McCann. The gist is that to prevent the logging of her singing forest, she used all of the avenues of the public comment process available,

STR8TS Solution

including testifying at hearings. In her testimony, she spoke both as a scientist and a witness to a sentient planet. Glada had a degree in forestry and she worked in the woods.

The day the forest sang to her, she and her husband were planting trees across a valley from a toe slope virgin cedar forest. In her hearing, the forest asked for mercy — as if it knew the plans that industry had for it.

Glada did her best to keep those plans from coming to fruition; but, in the end, she and the others who campaigned with her were denied. The forest received no mercy. It was clear cut.

Not everyone gets to have experiences like having a forest sing to them. But some of us do, and I wonder if that is true because some know how to really listen.

Those who do, listen not only with their ears, but with their eyes and nose and tongue and tactile senses. It is a practice.

It takes practice, and the prerequisite is being still. That doesn’t necessarily mean sitting still, because it is possible to walk and be still as well. In fact, it is possible to run and be still, but I think walking or sitting are the best opportunities to listen.

Listening at a deep level while running could result in getting banged up.

I have never heard a forest sing, but I have listened to wilderness speak. It has

many voices, from the deep rumble of water tumbling off a cliff to the high hiss of utter silence. Between are the thrum of darting hummingbirds, the chatter of falling rain, the whine of hungry mosquitoes, the laughter of streams at play in their beds, the raven’s croak, the strident cries of eagles and hawks, the hushed passage of hunting owls, the yips and yaps of coyotes, and the howls of wolves. A small sampling, at that.

What are they trying to say to us?

Glada heard the forest asking for mercy, but I am not sure what I hear, except, “Be still. Be a part of what you hear. Be one with this you hear. Be still.” Perhaps if we learn to be still, to listen and to be one with what we hear, the planet will have mercy on us.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution I think college administrators should encourage students to urinate on walls and bushes, because then when students from another college come sniffing around, they’ll know this is someone else’s territory.

Solution on page 26

Solution on page 26

natant

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/NEYT-nt/ [adjective] 1. swimming; floating.

“The natant lillies covered the pond’s surface along the shoreline.”

Corrections: No typos last week! Stay tuned, we’re human.

— BO

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Fragrant oil 6. Level 10. Ammunition 14. Water park slide 15. Rant 16. Godsend 17. Cantaloupe for example 18. Baking appliance 19. Swing around 20. Graniteware 22. Horse feed 23. Be victorious 24. Gift of the Magi 26. Decisive moment in a novel 30. Slumber 32. Neighborhood 33. Downburst 37. Cain’s brother 38. Self-reproach 39. Bright thought 40. In a coveted manner 42. Annuls 43. 9 9 9 9 44. Unable to 45. Damp 47. Woman 48. A hollow cylindrical shape 49. Contemplative 56. Lascivious look 57. Visual organs 58. Point of greatest despair 59. Brute

Solution on page 26 60. “Darn!”

61. Calcium carbonate 62. Sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit 63. Hearing organs 64. S S S S

DOWN 1. Apex 2. Not now 3. A city in western Russia 4. “Smallest” particle 5. Restoration 6. Displeased look 7. Magma 8. Affirm

9. A run-down apartment house 10. Soaking up 11. Back tooth 12. Oral cavity 13. 1 1 1 1 21. 59 in Roman numerals 25. Aye 26. Attired 27. Part of the outer ear 28. Frosts 29. Slacker 30. Travels on water 31. Easter flower 33. Country bumpkin 34. Norse god

35. Start over 36. Spar 38. A moon of Jupiter 41. 18-wheeler 42. Cornice 44. Feline 45. Blockade 46. A drama set to music 47. Central points 48. Raindrop sound 50. Tropical American wildcat 51. Costly 52. Sailors 53. Midmonth date 54. Briskly (music) 55. Historical periods August 5, 2021 / R / 27