From politics to pandemics, the phrase “unprecedented times” has been used to describe everything that’s happened in the past four years, making it painfully clear why, “May you live in interesting times” is a curse. Given the horrors we’re expected to live through, it’s important to take time each day to ensure your physical and emotional needs are being met. When you have a moment to spare, ask yourself:
“Am I getting enough exercise?”
“Should I follow the shadowy figures beckoning me into the woods?”
“Have I eaten a healthy meal today?”
“Does my schedule allow me enough time to adequately stare into the abyss?”
“Do I feel appreciated by my loved ones?”
“Do my loved ones actually exist?”
“Is my sleep schedule suited to my lifestyle?”
“Have I properly weighed my problems against the apathy of the universe?”
Take time to reflect on your answers — some of them may surprise you.
ics spells ‘icks’
I’ve always suspected that doctors have morbid senses of humor, but my theory was confirmed when I discovered that in the U.S. and U.K., people can be diagnosed with SLS — “Shit Life Syndrome.” SLS doesn’t describe the specific disease or disorder, but rather circumstances like poverty that ultimately lead to recurring health problems. Our rural community’s no stranger to SLS, but I propose a related classification specific to the area — Idaho Childhood Syndrome. If you or a loved one has said, “I don’t need a doctor, it’s only a 104-degree fever”; if you’ve ever duct-taped a wound shut; or if your medicine cabinet has aspirin from 1994, you may have ICS.
I would say talk to your doctor, but we both know that won’t happen.
New hires in the hippocampus
DEAR READERS,
Greetings! Welcome to the second and final week of the Festival at Sandpoint. If you caught any of the shows last week, consider yourself fortunate. Speaking personally, it was the best opening week of the Festival I’ve experienced for a few years.
There is a plethora of information about the Festival in this week’s edition: A festivalgoer wrote an opinion on Page 13; Racheal Baker’s always excellent photos from Week 1 are on Pages 14-15; an updated Festival Bingo card is back by popuar demand on Page 17; and, finally, a rundown of all the shows is on Page 25.
The heat is rolling back into town this weekend and will push into the upper 90s before returning to the 80s early next week.
Finally, I’d like to recognize two milestones: Editor Zach Hagadone has been back with the Reader for five years this month and Reporter Soncirey Mitchell just celebrated her first anniversary with the paper. It’s great to be surrounded by good people.
– Ben Olson, publisher
111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368
Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (emeritus) Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)
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Contributing Artists:
Contributing Writers:
Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby,
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Web Content: Keokee
There’s been a staff change in my brain. I can tell because my dreams, which used to have cinematic plots and narrative arcs, are now clearly written by unpaid interns with no understanding of pacing, character development or the importance of continuity. For example, I recently dreamt I was making gallons upon gallons of soup while reading Macbeth. That’s it. Soup. In the past I’ve had dreams where I was murdered by cultists, eaten by a space octopus, battled pirates in Costco and literally fought God, and this is what I’m left with? I never thought I’d be forced to live out the filler episodes of an HBO show the network won’t let die. To be fair, it could be punishment for the whole “fighting God” thing.
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
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Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.
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About the Cover
This week’s cover photo was taken by the one and only Racheal Baker, whose photos of the Festival at Sandpoint have become iconic.
Suspect being evaluated for competency in arson case
Next hearing for Jennifer S. Meyer set for Aug. 21
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
The next phase in the arson case related to the July 4 fire that leveled the Army Surplus 1 store will come on Aug. 21, when Magistrate Judge Luke Hagelberg is scheduled to preside over a review of the competency evaluation of suspect Jennifer S. Meyer. Meyer, 50, of Sandpoint, had been scheduled to sit for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Justin Julian on July 31, but that hearing was vacated. According to court records, the July 31 hearing was also to include a motion to reduce bail. Hagelberg set a bond of $1 million
for Meyer in her first appearance before the court on July 17, citing “great concerns with regard to flight.”
Bonner County Prosecuting Attorney Katie Sherritt said during the July 17 hearing that a search of Meyer’s residence turned up a bag located near
the door containing about $1,000, a 9 millimeter handgun and ammunition, $1,200 in silver, vehicle titles, passport, birth certificate and college transcript, among other personal documents.
The Reader requested a copy of the search warrant from Sandpoint police, but was denied due to the active status of the investigation.
During that initial appearance on July 17, Meyer stated that she wouldn’t participate via a video call from the jail. Hagelberg then ordered that she be brought to the courtroom in person, where she became uncommunicative — placing her head on a table and staying silent throughout
the proceeding.
Court records show that Hagelberg will preside over the Aug. 21 competency hearing, which is intended to establish whether Meyer is capable of participating in her own defense.
Meyer is being represented by public defender Catherine Enright.
Investigators announced Meyer as the suspect in the case on July 16, crediting tips from the community and “good old-fashioned police work,” including the review of hours of surveillance footage.
The fire devastated the building that for decades has housed Army Surplus on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Oak Street. Making the blaze
even more dramatic — and dangerous — was that it occurred just as the community fireworks display was ending at City Beach, resulting in hundreds of bystanders gathering at the scene.
A reported $500,000 worth of merchandise was destroyed in the fire, including an unknown amount of ammunition, which exploded in bursts as first responders were working to douse the flames. In addition, many personal belongings of owner Cornel Rasor and his family were being stored in the building. If found convicted of first-degree arson, Meyer could face up to 25 years in jail, fines of up to $100,000 or both.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to treat invasive flowering rush in Lake Pend Oreille
By Reader Staff
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials from Albeni Falls Dam will perform aquatic herbicide treatments at six locations on Lake Pend Oreille, totaling a minimum of 28 acres and a maximum of 60 acres, to manage invasive flowering rush.
The Corps will apply herbicides at Riley Creek, Morton Slough, Oden Bay, Pack River Delta and the Clark Fork Driftyard and Clark Fork Delta. For real-time treatment zone updates, go to invasivespecies.idaho.gov/ treatment-plans and select “Treatment Map.”
According to a news release, the Corps will apply diquat dibromide (Reward) and diquat dibromide and endothall (Aquastrike) at the sites between Monday, Aug. 5 and Friday, Aug. 16. If weather delays interrupt applications, then Monday, Aug. 19-Friday, Aug. 23 will serve as an alter-
nate treatment period.
The Corps stated, “There are no fishing or swimming restrictions for any chemicals in the treated plots, after the herbicide applications; however, domestic animals or livestock should not consume water from the treated plots for 24 hours after application.”
In addition, there is a three-day restriction on using water from the treated plots for drinking or irrigating landscape, and a five-day restriction on irrigating food crops. All treatment areas are located at least 600 feet from all water rights and public intake points.
The Corps will post notices on the shorelines of plots being treated 48 hours prior to treatment.
Separate from submerged flowering rush treatments, the agency will apply treatments to noxious weeds on up to 9,000 linear feet of debris control booms at the Driftyard, using no more than 1.5
gallons of glyphosate (AquaNeat).
Only booms with vegetation present will receive spot treatments on individual plants. Herbicide applications at the Driftyard are scheduled for sometime between Monday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 31.
For more information, contact Andrew Huddleston at the Albeni Falls Dam at 208437-3133, extension 7213, or Andrew.J.Huddleston@usace. army.mil); or Taylor Johnson at 208-437-3133, extension 7225, or Taylor.M.Johnson@ usace.army.mil.
Idaho Department of En-
A map of Lake Pend Oreille showing the six locations where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will peform aquatic herbicide treatments. Courtesy image.
vironmental Quality Compliance Officer Mathew Colling can be reached at 208-6664639.
The booking photo of Jennifer Meyer. Courtesy of BCSO.
Sandpoint shows state, federal officials failings of wastewater treatment plant
Mayor Jeremy Grimm: ‘I think everybody understands this is a time bomb’
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm is busy making the city’s case for an overhaul of the wastewater treatment plant at Lakeview Park — most recently bringing representatives from state and congressional offices on a tour of the facility to highlight its deficiencies.
“This is my No. 1 priority as mayor,” he told the group, which included staffers from the offices of Idaho Gov. Brad Little, U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Keller and Associates, the firm contracted to produce the preliminary engineering report for the project, which is expected to be finalized at the regular Wednesday, Aug. 7 meeting of the Sandpoint City Council.
Grimm told the group of “horror stories” about the risk of uncontrolled discharges at the plant.
“We were inches away from this river literally having raw sewage flow into it,” he said. “[The plant is] beyond its useful life.”
Sandpoint’s wastewater
treatment plant has been far past its prime for years. According to an informational page on the city’s website, parts of the facility date back to its original construction in 1955, using components from the Farragut Naval Station — many of which were already aged when they were repurposed. Meanwhile, city officials determined that the plant had reached the end of its functionality at least seven years ago, triggering the development of a 20-year facility plan in 2017.
In 2018, the Sandpoint City Council voted to keep the plant at the Lakeview site and pursue upgrades to critical systems while adding new technology to boost capacity. The price tag for that option is estimated between $59.6 million and $74.9 million. During the tour on July 24, Grimm put those costs at more like $60 million to $80 million and, in an interview with the Reader at City Hall, said he “wouldn’t be surprised if it pushes $100 million.”
“This will be the largest public works project outside of the byway in Bonner County history,” he said during the
tour, noting that upgrades at the site would “take care of us for 40-plus years.”
Grimm said the preferred timeline for completing the project is three-and-a-half years, though it’s going to be a heavy financial lift requiring a combination of local, state and federal dollars. Currently, the city is considering where to identify grant and loan monies, and Grimm added that City Hall will be going to the public for bonding authority in the next year and looking to bump up rates to accommodate “significant debt service.”
“I recognize it’s a huge amount of money,” Grimm said, underscoring that the purpose of the tour was to prime the delegations and state agencies to work with the city on securing grant funding.
The city is planning to submit a letter of interest by Jan. 1 in order to go to the state for funding requests, hoping that between 12 and 16 months from now the project will begin its implementation phase. It remains to be seen, however, whether the work will take place incrementally or include a full teardown and rebuild.
“It’s like flying an airplane
and changing the wings while you’re flying it,” Grimm said.
Until then, Sandpoint residents might not realize it, but the wastewater flushed down their toilets is moving through a system that in some cases is literally patched together and operated by hand.
Plant Supervisor Devan Hull was born in 1984, grew up in Sandpoint and started working at the facility in 2008. He oversees a staff of four operators and is hiring a new employee to focus on pre-treatment. He confirmed Grimm’s “horror stories” about close calls with sludge flowing uncontrolled into the Pend Oreille River.
“We would have had a nice black stream headed toward Priest River,” Hull said of one incident when a combination of weather events, poor drainage of the soil at the site and lack of an equalization tank to control variations in flow levels approached being a disaster.
“I would have packed up and moved to Florida. It would have made national news,” he said.
Hull took tour attendees throughout the plant, pointing out instances where critical
systems are barely being held together. He pointed out that one blower used for aeration dates from the 1940s, but is still functioning despite “eating electricity like candy.”
Control panels in certain places are clearly of Cold Warera vintage, while in the digester — which also features aged pumps and pipes — operators had to purchase a commercial compressor at Home Depot because the previous component failed and there was no time to wait on the shipment of a replacement.
On one occasion, Hull said he had to resort to using a four-inch hose meant for an RV wastewater system to move waste from one part of the plant to another because a pump went out. Making matters worse, the pump failure happened in the winter, and while the hose stretched across the yard outside it froze.
“Most of my past five years
< see SEWER, Page 7 >
Left: Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm, center, meets with Plant Supervisor Devan Hull, left. Right: A clarifier tank at the wastewater treatment plant. Photos by Soncirey Mitchell.
State park reservations to pause Aug. 1-Jan. 6 amid rollout of new reservation system
By Reader Staff
The Idaho Parks and Recreation Department will suspend reservations at Idaho state parks beginning Thursday, Aug. 1, as it transitions to a new reservation system.
During the reservation pause, customers will be still able to book stays for the remainder of 2024. Reservations will reopen at 8 a.m., (Mountain Time), on Jan. 6, 2025, when the new system is launched. The process will require transferring park facility and customer information from the current network to a new system provided by Brandt Information Services, which won a competitive bid to serve IDPR.
According to the department, bookings that have already been made for 2025 will be switched to the new system.
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:
At a recent rally in Florida, numerous media reported that presidential candidate Donald Trump told the crowd that if elected president, they won’t have to vote again. “It’ll be fixed. It’ll be fine.”
The statement was “a notorious hallmark of autocracy,” The Atlantic reported, and one of the latest in Trump’s long authoritarian record, including lying, calling critical reporting “fake,” using his presidency for personal enrichment and his attempts to block Joe Biden’s valid presidential win in 2020.
Following his time as president, The Atlantic added that Trump has made proposals such as executing the nation’s top general and executing shoplifters without trial — “a violation of due process seen only in the most brutal authoritarian regimes,” the magazine wrote.
“At least some of his base” is composed of what political scientists call “authoritarian voters,” who want to get their way “even if it means destroying democracy,” The Atlantic concluded.
According to the Department of Justice, the Sinaloa Mexican drug cartel’s co-founder and alleged leader is in U.S. custody. Another alleged cartel leader was also arrested.
“We apologize for the inconvenience, but the pause will allow us to make a smooth transition to the new reservation system, which is intended to provide a more user-friendly experience,” IDPR Reservation and Registration Program Manager Seth Hobbs stated in a news release.
“Customers will find easier navigation, better tools and new functionality.”
Users will also find an easier booking experience — requiring fewer clicks — more information about parks and events, as well as more pictures of cabins, campsites, yurts and other features and facilities.
For more info, go to parksandrecreation.idaho.gov.
Recently released figures from the Commerce Department show the economy expanded 2.8% in the second quarter, which appears driven by higher wages. As well, inflation is on a downward trend toward a “soft landing,” which means a rare falling of inflation, without a recession — what CNN called “something historic.” CNN reported cheaper prices at the pump and for goods, though food prices increased 0.1%.
More than 350 national security leaders endorse current Vice President Kamala Harris for president, saying she has “more significant national security experience” than the four presidents prior to Biden.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently addressed Congress to defend his country’s nine-months of retaliation against Hamas in Gaza. He asked for bipartisan support of Israel. Various media reported that about half of Congress did not attend. After an initial Hamas attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead, Israel has since then
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
Harris met with Netanyahu last week, and indicated a shift in views from Biden’s. While Harris agreed that Israel has a right to defend itself, The Guardian reported that she added, “how it does so matters.” She denounced Hamas as a brutal terrorist organization, but said we can’t look away or be numbed by Israel’s treatment of people in Gaza.
According to the White House, Israel and Hamas are closer than ever to reaching a ceasefire deal.
The House recently voted unanimously to create a bipartisan task force to investigate the security failures that led to the attempted assassination of Trump, various media reported. As well, the director of the Secret Service has stepped down.
Lacking publicly released medical records, FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress that it remains unclear if Trump was hit in the ear by a bullet or by shrapnel. CNN’s medical consultant advised that such details should be known, since “gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that aren’t immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain.”
Russia plans to target swing states this year via social media to use misinformation and sway tactics, an official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has reported. According to CNN, the goal of the election interference is to undermine support for Ukraine-friendly U.S. politicians who oppose Russian aggression against Ukraine. This year’s propaganda effort is reportedly made easier with AI, with which Russian operatives can mimic U.S. regional accents and pose as residents.
Due to lack of space in past Bits columns, a catch-up: In Snyder v. United States, right-leaning Supreme Court justices ruled 6-3 that a federal bribery law doesn’t bar state and local officials from accepting “gratuities” after an official act favoring the giver. Three justices dissented, saying the ruling defies “the plain text of this statute.”
The Guardian noted that the decision fits with the acceptance of lavish gifts from billionaires to particular members of the Supreme Court who approved the ruling.
Blast from the past: According to the U.S. Constitution, justices “shall hold their offices during good behavior.”
A moose feeds on foliage at Round Lake State Park south of Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.
has been, ‘How can we fix it quickly, efficiently and realize it’s probably not going to last for very long,’” Hull said, adding that there is very little — if any — redundancy in the system when some part of it inevitably breaks down.
“It is crazy how fragile it is,” he said later, noting that a few of the strange items that have ended up in the plant include a bag of clothing and a phone book that someone managed to flush into the system. Dental floss is the worst, as it becomes knotted with other solids and catches on everything else, potentially resulting in the breakdown of pumps or blockage of pipes. Also, Hull added, flushable wipes are not flushable, despite their marketing.
“The real problem is that this place has to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I can’t just turn it off — I mean, I could, but we wouldn’t like the result,” Hull said. “It’s literally the difference between a health hazard and not a health hazard.”
In one part of the facility, where solids are pressed into a low-water-content “cake,” a wrench had to be clamped onto one of the presses to hold part of it together. Ratchet straps also come in handy, while elsewhere a sledgehammer serves as an ersatz control lever.
On top of that, one of the presses — without which the plant can’t process solids — is currently out of commission due to a broken belt, but “you can’t get parts for this anymore,” Hull said, pointing out that the presses themselves date back to 1984.
“It’s constantly running at red line,” Grimm said.
“My guys are really good at making things work with duct tape and baling twine,” Hull added.
Operators also have to perform critical functions like applying chemical treatments by hand and eye.
In the final phase of the treatment process — after the solids have been removed and insects and bacteria in the tanks have done their work — chlorine is added to kill off E. coli, then sulfur dioxide is introduced to dechlorinate the water before it is discharged via a pipe 980 feet out into the river.
There are no automatic flow monitoring or chemical application systems, so operators have to gauge the flows and introduce the chlorine and sulfur dioxide at levels they judge to be adequate for maintaining the proper levels. In most cases, if the facility experiences a water quality violation, it’s because of too much E. coli and not enough chlorine, or too much chlorine and not
enough sulfur dioxide.
“These people are literally operating this with hand levers and real-time hydrology,” Grimm said, noting that a more modern approach would be to put in place a flow meter to provide constantly updating data to inform treatment levels. Another alternative might to be replace the chlorine treatments altogether with disinfection using ultraviolet light.
Despite that low-tech process, the chemical treatment phase is not cheap. The Sandpoint facility lacks the ability for onsite chlorine production, so the gas has to be shipped in large metal canisters, which are operated by a basic gas feed. Given the extreme danger posed by chlorine gas — “There’s enough chlorine in that building to wipe out half of Sandpoint,” Grimm said — only two tanks are armed at a time. The sulfur dioxide costs $3,000
a bottle and Hull said the plant houses well over $100,000 in chemicals.
“I see bills for $20,000-$30,000 every week,” Grimm said.
Perhaps most dramatic, the support structures inside the large metal lid on the solids holding tank gave way at one point, resulting in the lid falling into the tank. Hull said that a crane operator happened to be in the area with the necessary equipment to lift it out, and it now sits balanced on a concrete perch not far away. Hull has asked his operators to stay away from it for safety reasons.
Repairing the lid would cost about $500,000 and buying a new one would run about $1 million — what Hull considered a waste of money either way, since the repairs couldn’t be guaranteed and purchasing a new lid wouldn’t make sense if the whole plant is due to be upgraded.
“I’m concerned with literally keeping the shit in the plant,” Hull said.
Dan McCraken, who serves as North Idaho regional administrator for the DEQ, said that a potential hurdle for securing funding for improvements might be the success of Hull and his staff in keeping the plant functioning.
“Sandpoint has done such a great job of holding things together that it has not gotten the points because it hasn’t had the compliance issues,” he said.
Speaking to tour attendees, Grimm said, “I think everybody understands this is a time bomb,” later adding: “This isn’t a fun, want-to-do project.”
< SEWER, con’t
Top: Plant Supervisor Devan Hull points out a leaking pipe inside the facility. Left: Outdated technology in the plant. Right: One of two solid waste presses. Photos by Soncirey Mitchell.
Bouquets:
GUEST SUBMISSION:
• “The Sandpoint Senior Center wants to publicly thank Cedar Hills Church for their ‘For Sandpoint’ day of service (on July 28). They provided 14 people to help out the Senior Center — seven for outdoor cleanup and seven for indoor help. They did an amazing job! What can we say except thanks and we appreciate your help so much!”
— By Loris Michael Barbs:
• I was stopped at the unmanned construction traffic signal between Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint on Highway 95 when I saw a boneheaded move by the drivers in front of me. The light was red and northbound traffic was moving through their green light. After a break in the traffic, the four cars in front of me all ran through the light, though it was still red and found themselves grill-togrill with northbound traffic. Since there was only one lane, everyone had to wait for an extra light cycle to allow for these four impatient drivers to get out of the one-lane road. Don’t be that guy. Just put on a podcast and chill.
• Whoever keeps taking the bike lock from the front steps of our office, please knock it off. I’ve used that same old lock to weigh down copies of the Reader on the front step since 2015, which people use a lot to grab their weekly copy. A couple of times a year, some drunk idiot grabs it and runs off with it, then abandons it a block or two later. If you remember doing this, just let me know where you tossed it so I can retrieve it. Thieves are the worst, especially when they take useful objects that are otherwise worthless.
Herndon needs help…
Dear editor,
I won’t repeat several letters that appeared here and in the Daily Bee along with last week’s article concerning the Army Surplus Store fire tragedy.
As a former high school classmate of Cornel Rasor, I’ve already expressed my sympathy about what happened, he’s a nice guy. Our politics, shall we say, have differences, but that’s what this country is all about — treating those with differences with respect and coming together in the end, especially when tragedy strikes.
I would like to comment on Scott Herndon’s injecting himself into this matter with his baseless claims about Democrats and Steve Johnson.
It concerns a brief encounter I had with Herndon about eight years ago during his street corner protest days outside a business on Fifth Avenue. He and a woman were standing outside under the store’s sign with their anti-abortion posters. He was yelling through a bullhorn about the evils of abortion. As I came out of the store, he saw and turned to yell at me. I innocently said something to the effect that people had the right to control their own bodies and medical needs. To which he replied: “If you question me, you question God!”
I got in my car and drove away.
Point being, Mr. Herndon suffers from the serious condition known as narcissism. I would violate my word count if I tried describing the symptoms. It also goes hand in hand with another condition that Mr. Herndon apparently also suffers: he’s a prevaricator. Again word count would stand in the way of a description here.
Needless to say, Mr. Herndon doesn’t need our admonishment, but our sympathy with the hope that he seeks counseling for these conditions now that he won’t be having to travel down and back to Boise starting this coming January.
Lawrence Fury Sandpoint
‘Random
thoughts’…
Dear editor, I would like to offer some random, unrelated thoughts.
Call it luck if you will, but it wasn’t “the hand of God.”
Entire civilizations have been done in by vengeful monsters claiming a special relationship with God.
“Any government that does not acknowledge the dignity of any human is not OK” — Edward Abbey.
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.
“If the fetus you save is gay, would
you still defend its rights?” — Bumper sticker seen in Eugene.
“Stop pretending your racism is patriotism.” — Bumper sticker on my car.
They carry bibles in their right hand and guns in their left.
“No woman should be compelled to bear a child against her will, compulsory maternity amounts to rape by the state.” — Edward Abbey.
And one last thought: Part of being a responsible gun owner is knowing when to leave it at home.
I love the Reader. Thank you.
Bob McKeon Sandpoint
In praise of participation…
Dear editor,
Over the past month or so something miraculous has been going on in this end of the county. Because of selfish people refusing to vote for the much-needed levy, our activities programs (sports, drama, clubs, DECA and others) were without funds. The Booster Club stepped up and asked the community to help with donations to fund activities so that our youth could partake and enjoy what is rightfully theirs. So with those donations and other adjustments such as “pay to play,” adjusted gate fees, etc., our youngsters will be able to be youngsters for now.
This is not a permanent fix. It’s only for the present. We still have a shortfall that only a levy or a change in state funding for education can fix.
The handwriting is on the wall, you better read it and pay attention to what it says. The mentioned donations are an act of love for our children and community. So I ask all parents and guardians to point this out to our youngsters. It was done for them. They can repay everyone by putting out the effort to partake. Talk your classmates into joining you and and going out for sports and enjoy the activities that are available.
Priest River kids are just as good as any of our opponents. But to prove that we must join together and get after it.You will be working the rest of your lives. Take the time now and make it happen. Enjoy school now and take advantage of what it offers you.
Ernie and Helen Schoeffel Priest River
Karen Matthee supports fixing our school facilities…
Dear editor,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Karen Mattee, the Democratic candidate for District 1, Seat A. As our state faces a critical juncture, I believe Karen Matthee is the leader we need to address the issues facing our state.
I support Karen Mathee for her commitment to supporting our public schools. Sandpoint Middle School was closed this past year due to flooding and electrical issues. Karen supports making state funds available to fix our schools — not over 10 years, as Gov. Little wants, but now, as there are decades of neglect to make up for.
Karen supports creating a permanent fund in the state treasury to support public school facilities. Funds could come from the $5.2 billion in sales tax exemptions that have been in place since the ’60s and are overdue for review. If just 10% of those were ruled obsolete, it would free up half a billion every year for schools.
Karen Matthee has pledged to prioritize integrity and openness, ensuring that the voices of everyday Idahoans are heard and valued. Karen Matthee will work tirelessly to improve the lives of all Idahoans.
Mary Rowe Sandpoint
‘Ridiculous’…
Dear editor,
In his editorial, Gil Beyer’s summation of the Supreme Court’s “immunity clarification” is beyond ridiculous to the point of hysteria [Perspectives, “Mass voter turnout needed in Nov. election to avoid Trump’s ‘Day 1’ dictator promises,” July 18, 2024]. Mr. Beyer falsely claims the ruling allows the president, without consequences, to take bribes, order Seal Team 6 to assassinate political rivals and order the military to stage a coup.
The crux of the court’s ruling is “official acts.” Bribery is not an official act and bribery is specifically cited in the U.S. Constitution Article II, Section 4 even before high crimes as an impeachable offense. Impeachment and removal is the Constitution’s leading (not exclusive) remedy for all the aforementioned crimes and was a main point of the court’s ruling. It might be helpful for the readers to read the Constitution.
Order Seal Team 6 to assassinate an American political rival? What military personnel would not know immediately that is an illegal order and understand they personally are not allowed to comply and would be charged with murder if they did? One has to wonder who would not think the president would be immediately impeached and removed from office for such an act and as an “unofficial act” criminally prosecuted. Remember presidents have been impeached for far less.
Order a coup? Please, come down to earth. Again, this would be an illegal order. Additionally, can anyone truly believe the tiniest fraction
of military leadership let alone the men and women of the arm forces would comply? This order would also obviously be an act of treason, which is mentioned before bribery in the impeachment clause. Furthermore, Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution calls for the execution of those convicted of treason. I would hope Mr. Beyer would think execution to be a “consequence.”
If it were possible I would be speechless.
Sincerely,
David Barnes Sandpoint
Editor’s note: Gil Beyer’s summary of the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling is in line with analysis from legal scholars — including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who dissented to the decision. As Sotomayor wrote, “When [the president] uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution.
“Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.” Former White House counsel Neil Eggleston also agreed that the immunity ruling could be extended to the issuing of military orders — up to and including ordering action against a political rival. “That was the hypothetical that people thought would cause the court to think it couldn’t possibly go that far,” Eggleston was quoted in a July 3 article on thehill. com. “I think they did. … It seems to me that issuing orders to the military is like the core function of the commander in chief power. So I’m just not sure how that’s not exempt.” The University of Virginia published an analysis on July 17 that suggested such a ruling would have shielded former-President Richard Nixon from prosecution for “most of his crimes” related to the Watergate scandal, including obstruction of justice. As for the Constitution, the UVA analysis concludes, “Criminal immunity for former presidents didn’t exist [in the 1970s]. It’s not in the Constitution. It’s not in any law passed by Congress. There was no such thing before July 1, 2024, when the Supreme Court majority invented it.”
Send letters to letters@sandpointreader.com. Please keep them under 300 words. No trolls. Please elevate the conversation. Please check your facts before writing a letter to the editor, because we will.
Emily Articulated
Femininomenon
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
A young girl raised her hand and was called upon by former-President Gerald Ford. It was 1989. The girl asked, “Mr. Ford, what advice would you give a young lady wanting to become president of the United States?”
He responded, “Well I hope we do have a young lady at some point become president of the United States. I can tell you how I think it will happen because it won’t happen in the normal course of events. Either the Republican or Democratic political party will nominate [and elect] a man for president and a woman for vice president.
“In that term of office, the president will die, and the woman will become president under the law or Constitution. Once that barrier is broken, from then on, men better be careful because they’ll have a hard, hard time ever even getting a nomination in the future.”
I was driving back from a run in the Selkirks, talking to a friend about the upcoming presidential election, and described my inkling that if President Joe Biden was going to drop out of the 2024 race, he’d have to do it within the next few days. We talked about our shared dread leading up to November and reminisced about feeling excited for a candidate – something that felt far away, tied to college and our early-20s.
Then my phone pinged, signaling a return to service, and didn’t stop pinging for a minute straight. Notifications filled my phone screen with Biden’s withdrawal letter headlining every major news outlet, and his endorsement for Kamala Harris 30 minutes later effectively locking her in
as the Democratic nominee and champion.
As the day unfolded, I watched my social media platforms overflow with content, as one celebrity and Democratic leader after another pledged their support for the vice president. The momentum felt palpable, like the air growing heavy before a storm, epitomized by a downpour of memes, TikTok videos and youth culture veritably “sounding off.”
The phrase, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” has gained particular resonance. Used in a speech by Harris last year, the broader statement is a challenge to young Americans to realize that, “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” and to get engaged.
Harris’ “coconut tree” quote was quickly repurposed, remixed and shared as an emblem of her relatability — representing a reprieve for young people who are repeatedly asked to participate in systems in which they’ve never been able to see themselves.
With similar sentiment, singer-songwriter Charli XCS posted on X, “Kamala IS brat,” a tweet that has since garnered more than 300,000 likes and 42,000 reposts.
But the momentum around Vice President Harris wasn’t just in meme format. In the
first week of her campaign, 170,000 people signed up to volunteer, matched by $200 million raised — 66% of which came from first-time donors, as reported by the Harris campaign. Zoom meetings with coalitions of identity groups broke the platform as they streamed in solidarity with the V.P. (with the recent “White Dudes for Harris” reaching 190,000 participants).
Of course, all this enthusiasm hasn’t occurred without pushback and a general questioning of whether we’re a country “ready” to elect a female president — a fear I also couldn’t help but entertain. But any vestiges of doubt I experienced have been washed away with a sense of right-ness. Because now, more than ever — and certainly more than in 2016 — is the perfect time to elect a female president.
Since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, and as the GOP continues its march against reproductive rights (now expanding the conversation on abortion restrictions to IVF and contraception), women’s issues are at the forefront of this election story.
Exacerbating this is the Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, infamously using “childless cat ladies” as a pejorative and arguing that only parents can care about the country, as they’re the ones with a “direct stake in it.”
And finally, with the top of the Republican presidential ticket being a man deemed liable for sexual assault by a jury in 2023, and an agenda to continue to turn back the clock on progress and equality, the time has never been more ripe for female leadership.
Only a woman, especially one who is energizing and mobilizing young people with all her relevant experience, could
rise with such authenticity to contrast a campaign built on systematically stripping away women’s freedoms. And only a minority woman could represent the myriad groups of people who have come to expect the worst from legislation and policy designed to directly affect them.
For the past eight years, the Democratic Party has been stuck in a cycle of choosing presidential candidates that upset the least amount of people, counting on voters to dread-march to the polls to “protect the soul of democracy” (in stark contrast to the
Hulk Hogan-level of excitement Republican voters have been enjoying). They’ve been trading youth and energy for mild neutrality — for upholding the status quo.
But, at a time when “unprecedented events” are the precedent, it feels good to match all the change and upheaval in the world with one that we get to choose. Because President Ford may have been close to predicting how a female would become president. But a reality in which we get to make that history ourselves? That would be so much sweeter.
Retroactive
Emily Erickson.
Science: Mad about
deadly paint
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
You may know a little about my favorite hobby: miniature painting. It’s not an incredibly dangerous hobby, but it comes with its own set of risks. 3-D printing the miniatures with photopolymer resin exposes the unprepared user to airborne carcinogens with the potential for yet-uncertain long-term effects to health. Superglue can break down into cyanide gas when exposed to heat. Using an airbrush spreads a fine mist of acrylic in the air, which can end up in the lungs or eyes if not using proper protective equipment.
Painting has traditionally been a surprisingly dangerous hobby, despite the seemingly relative safety of standing in one place painting. Recreating accurate colors on canvas requires specialized chemical pigments that can pose a risk to humans. One of these is cadmium.
The element cadmium is used in a huge variety of applications. Artists have frequently used cadmium in yellow pigment. Being a lighter color, yellow is notorious among artists for turning out rather transparent when applied with a medium. In order to achieve maximum vibrancy, an artist must apply many layers of yellow over a surface or base coat in white and paint yellow over it. Yellow is a color that doesn’t traditionally exist in a vacuum — it’s often a representation of sunlight flickering off the surface of other materials, such as waves or glass at sunset. Pure white looks very strange when applied in these
scenarios, and oil paints will blend together when applied at similar times, which dilutes the white and makes the yellow harder to apply. Cadmium solves that problem, but it comes with a cost.
Cadmium sulfide is safe to use when suspended in a medium, which is a binding agent that allows for pigment to be spread across a surface. The dry powder pigment presents a risk of inhalation, which can cause myriad issues ranging from increased risk of bone fractures and cancers.
A greater risk comes from cadmium yellow paint being washed down a drain and later absorbed by plants intended for consumption. Ingestion of cadmium causes liver and kidney damage, weakens the skeletal system and presents the risk of a whole host of cancers. It’s easy enough to say: “Just don’t wash the paint down the drain,” but the brush must be cleaned between uses. With acrylic paint, this is done with water in a cup or a jar, while oils require a powerful solvent like turpentine or mineral spirits. It’s possible to set paint water in a clear container in the windowsill to let it evaporate over time, but you’ll still have cadmium in that container.
Green is another color with a lethal history. It has sickened and slain paupers and emperors alike, and has been used to create beauty and floral facsimile while harboring a dangerous secret.
Scheele’s green was a popular pigment in Victorian England — particularly useful for creating copies of flowers and plants out of dyed silk that the upper crust purchased at great expense to bring class and natural beauty to their homes.
As has been the case for much of human history, value was extracted from misery, as poor flower-makers toiled away for England’s elite while literally decomposing in the process.
The workers’ fingernails cracked and turned yellow while lesions crept up their arms as they crafted the floral facsimiles, because the pigment used in Scheele’s green was laced with arsenic. It was created by heating sodium carbonate (soda ash) with arsenious oxide and copper sulfate. This made it beautiful, but also made it very easy to inhale and become stuck to every surface of the workers’ skin.
Scheele’s green was a color all its own and it mimicked nature very well, and was also used in wallpaper, which was even found in Napoleon’s home in exile on St. Helena. This was his favorite color, and it’s believed that his exposure to moldy wallpaper may have played a major role in his death. Napoleon died of stomach cancer, likely caused or exacerbated by arsenic exposure, which was confirmed when scientists tested a lock of his hair.
The most infamous of all lethal paints may have played a part in the slow demise of another historic European monarch. It’s a paint that’s produced to this day and carries with it a dark stigma, a direct inversion of the brilliance of its hue: lead white.
White lead is an extremely vibrant and durable paint. Similar to yellow, white pigment often struggles to cover surfaces with uniform opacity. This causes lower layers to peek through, creating unfortunate shadows on ridges or caking multiple layers of
white to ruin the texture of the piece. This was solved by lead carbonate. It’s so good at vibrant coverage that it was applied for many uses well beyond painting.
Queen Elizabeth I was famously depicted with an almost porcelain hue to her skin. This look was achieved by her use of a makeup called Venetian ceruse, which was produced using a lead carbon-
ate pigment. She was putting lead in powder form all over her skin, which certainly must have been absorbed through her pores throughout her life.
White paint is still in use to this day, though its production and sale is strictly controlled. The world didn’t understand the toxicity of white lead until 31 years after Queen Elizabeth’s death.
Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner
• Music, or more specifically sounds, make plants grow faster. Sound frequencies of 125 hertz and 250 Hz induce the production of fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase and rubisco small subunit genes, which are vital for photosynthesis.
• The oldest known musical instrument is the Neanderthal flute, estimated at 50,000 years old. It’s made of cave bear bones.
• Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield released the album Space Sessions: Songs from a Tin Can containing original songs — and a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” — all recorded in space.
• The world’s longest musical performance is happening right now. Composer John Cage died in 1992, leaving instructions to play his piece Organ2/ASLSP (As Slow as Possible) as, um, slow as possible. The performance started in 2001 in Halberstadt, Germany and has been going continuously ever since. While some believed the organist should literally “die while playing” the song, the group in charge of the performance found a solution: small
sandbags to hold the keys down. They expect the song to finish in the year 2640.
• Ludwig van Beethoven started going deaf in his 20s and was almost completely deaf by the age of 44. Despite this obvious obstacle to his musical career, Beethoven went on to compose numerous legendary works, including his fifth and ninth symphonies.
• The first band to play all seven continents was Metallica.
• Lisztomania is a term that describes the intense fan worship directed toward 19th century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, who was such a master on the piano, he attracted rabid fans who would try to pluck a strand of his hair after a performance. To prevent balding (and pain, no doubt), Liszt bought a dog with the same colored fur as his hair and started handing out dog hairs instead of his own.
• Frisson is a strong emotional feeling that music lovers experience when listening to their favorite songs.
Queen Elizabeth I and her famous porcelain hue. Courtesy photo.
Voices in the Wilderness
By Marlin Thomas Reader Contributor
A promising forecast had me excited about getting into the Cabinet Mountains, despite having just finished a trip there 10 days earlier. And so, I found myself once again lacing up my boots , strapping on my split board and organizing a few friends to join me in trekking into the mountains for an adventure.
Over the past five years, I have come to love spending time in the winter chasing ice climbs in the Cabinet Mountains. My focus had mainly been on the Granite Lake area at the foot of A Peak. Granite Lake is a good hike in the summer; but, in the winter, with changing snow conditions and an extra three miles of snow-covered road, it can sometimes feel like a long nine miles with a pack. That effort, though, is one of
the reasons it is such a special place.
After five hours of skinning, stepping over downed logs and several creek crossings we were finally rewarded with our first views of A Peak.
The first glimpses of A Peak are distant and always partially obscured by the trees.
A half mile from the lake you get a decent view, but it isn’t until the last moment when you pop out of the forest and stand on the frozen lake that it really becomes visible. A Peak dominates the landscape, rising 4,000 feet above Granite Lake. Its north face is a 3,000-foot wall of rocky ribs and snow-covered couloirs with thin smears of ice connecting various features. In the foreground, smaller walls, gullies and hills rise above the lake’s frozen surface.
Every time I get there, I just stop and stare, tracing potential climbing routes like
Dreaming of ice climbing in the Cabinets — even though it’s the middle of summer
drawing lines on a map. This trip was no exception and we spent a few minutes taking in the views before setting up a camp.
The next day dawned clear and cold — a perfect day for ice climbing. After eating a quick breakfast, we loaded up the climbing gear and skinned out across the lake. Every few minutes we would stop and point out different features. Our objective for the day was a new route in the middle of a large wall directly above the south end of the lake. While it appears small in the landscape, the wall still rises almost 1,500 feet above the lake.
At the base of the wall, we stopped to put on our crampons and climbing gear. I started leading upward, following the curtain of ice flowing down the wall. After several pitches of climbing, we reached a cave in the face. The ice poured from an
overhang and created a pitch of ice behind the main flow. It was wild climbing in the back of the cave. In some spots the ice was thin enough to allow light through to illuminate our way. After climbing that pitch and several other features in the area, we rappelled back to the ground.
Back at camp, we found ourselves laughing and telling stories while eating dinner in the tent. As I looked around at my friends, I was reminded how these outdoor spaces pro-
vide opportunity for such great adventures. We were having the time of our lives deep in the backcountry with temps well below freezing, while making friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.
Marlin Thorman is a firefighter in Spokane. During his days off he spends his time climbing and exploring the wilderness of Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Medical providers fear new law will increase teen health issues
By Karen Matthee Reader Contributor
Health care providers throughout Idaho are sounding an alarm: A new law threatens to increase unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse and mental health issues among our youth.
“The Consent and Privacy for Minors Act is vague and untested in the courts,” said Cynthia Dalsing, a certified nurse midwife in Sandpoint for 25 years. “This law will put a chilling effect on all health care providers providing the best and safest care for their minor patients.”
In addition to impacting testing and treatment for STDs and a rise in teen pregnancies, Dalsing said the law could delay identifying minors at risk for suicide or in an abusive setting.
Senate Bill 1329 was passed unanimously by Republican lawmakers in both the Idaho
House and Senate this past session. Only Democratic legislators voted against the bill. Effective July 1, the new law requires parents and guardians of patients aged 17 and younger to consent to any and all treatments and gives parents complete access to their children’s medical records. Parents also need to be present at check-in and check-out for appointments.
Under the old version, minors aged 14 and older were legally allowed consent to certain treatments without the parents’ permission or knowledge and were able to keep certain records private.
Even Gov. Brad Little expressed concern about S.B. 1329 on the very day he signed it — March 21, 2024. In a letter to Senate President Scott Bedke, Little stated that he feared the legislation would “create confusion for medical professionals and complicate their ability to deliver necessary care to all Idahoans and
protect patients’ confidential information.”
Little also urged “stakeholders to closely monitor any negative consequences this legislation has on our youth accessing the behavioral health supports they need.” He said he expected the bill to be amended if “unintended barriers” occur.
Dalsing noted that the law’s lack of a formal mechanism to monitor its effects is also worrisome.
Recently, a Sandpoint therapist who sees minor patients told me she is especially concerned that LGBTQ youths will not seek help for depression when they are not supported by family members at home. She fears the result will be more suicides among that population.
Tabitha Barron, a women’s health nurse practitioner in Sandpoint, said most of the adolescents she sees are daughters of current patients who have already given
consent for the girls to meet privately with her.
“I recognize that I’m lucky that way,” she said.
But roughly 10% of the minors she’s been seeing — up until July 1 — were coming without their parents’ knowledge.
“Their parents don’t know
they are sexually active,” Barron said. “But they are not making risky choices. They’re being smart and taking care of their bodies.”
Barron has not seen any of those patients since July 1, and she worries about them.
“They’re not getting STD screening, no birth control. I can’t reach out to them and know they are safe,” she added.
When I talk to these providers, I hear the frustration in their voices. They care deeply about their patients and want to protect them — it’s what they are trained to do. But S.B. 1329 hampers their ability to provide the best possible care for all their patients.
At the very least, we need a system to monitor the impacts of this legislation — sooner rather than later.
Karen Matthee is the Democratic candidate for House Seat 1A.
Karen Matthee. File photo.
Photo courtesy of Marlin Thomas.
By Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise Reader Contributor
Our nation was founded on the enduring principles of freedom, personal liberty and the opportunity to leave a better life for our children. However, the proposals within Project 2025 threaten these ideals and the future of our state. Driven by the conservative Heritage Foundation and Republican operatives, this radical plan threatens to dismantle the progress we’ve made and undermine our economy, education, health care and fundamental freedoms.
One of the most alarming aspects of Project 2025 is its economic policies that call for massive tax breaks for the richest Americans and corporations while slashing resources for our communities. According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 1% would see an average tax cut of $100,000 annually, while middle-income families could see their taxes rise by as much as $1,200. The proposal could lead
Project 2025 agenda will harm Idaho families Legislative update
By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Dover Reader Contributor
I hope your summer is going well. The lake is up and warm, the skies are mostly clear, we have had a little rain and the temperatures have cooled (at least for a couple of days). The Festival has started its second weekend program. Life is good in North Idaho if summer is your season.
I’ve been a water skier for more than 50 years. It’s one of the reasons I moved here in 2012. Despite the exposure to injuries that come with skiing, I’ve had a mostly injury free experience. That all changed in late June. I fell on my first ski ride of the season and seriously injured my leg.
If you are aware of how fortunate we are to live in a small town with such “big-league” care available, you can move on to another Reader article now. This article is my way of noting how important our health care system is and how thankful I am to those who provide the services. I’m grateful for the care I’ve received since my injury and believe our medical community deserves such recognition.
The treatment process started immediately after I climbed back into the boat. I had no control of my leg and
to a $3.5 billion decrease in federal revenue over the next decade. This loss would likely result in severe cuts to programs we trust, like Social Security and Medicare.
Our children’s education is also at risk. Project 2025 proposes diverting public funds to private and religious schools through voucher schemes, which would drain resources from public schools that serve the majority of Idaho children. Rural districts, already
couldn’t stand on it. I reached for my cell phone and texted my primary care physician with my preliminary observations. Within a couple minutes, she called me. She also contacted one of our local orthopedic surgeons. She advised I didn’t need to go to the emergency room; instead, the surgeon would see me when I arrived at his office.
As a retired paramedic, I was thankful I wouldn’t be unnecessarily taking up bed space in the ER.
After arriving at the surgeon’s office, I was evaluated immediately and a treatment plan was developed. I was scheduled for surgery at 6:30 the next morning at Bonner General Hospital. The doctor and his staff were all posi-
struggling with limited resources, would be particularly affected. Additionally, the elimination of preschool supports, including Head Start, would result in nearly 3,000 children losing access to this critical early learning in Idaho.
The health care provisions within Project 2025 are equally alarming. The rollback of health care protections would allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The plan includes substantial cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Currently, more than 200,000 children, people with disabilities, seniors and individuals facing low wages rely on Idaho Medicaid for health care. Slashing Medicaid funding could result in approximately 30,000 Idahoans losing coverage. Repealing the ACA with no replacement could leave more than 100,000 Idahoans without health coverage, increasing the strain on emergency rooms and driving up costs for everyone.
Reproductive freedoms are also un-
der threat. Project 2025 calls for severe restrictions on access to contraception, in vitro fertilization and abortion care. In Idaho, where women are undergoing medical evacuations across state lines for emergency pregnancy complications, a nationwide abortion ban would have dire consequences.
Project 2025 and the politicians who support this extreme vision represent a profound threat to the core ideals our nation was built upon. As Idahoans, we must stand against this extreme agenda and choose a future where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up, where every child can get a strong start, where we can all afford health care and where we protect freedoms rather than take them away.
Rep. Lauren Necochea is the House assistant Democratic leader, representing District 19 in Boise on the Environment, Energy and Technology; Resources and Conservation; Revenue and Taxation; and Ways and Means committees.
In praise of local health care providers
tive, professional and encouraging.
The next morning, I arrived at the hospital and was met by friendly staff and prepped for my surgery. Coincidentally, my anesthesiologist was a water skier, too. The nurses were knowledgeable and efficient. Before I knew it, I was in post-op awakening to other friendly and professional staff. My ski partner picked me up for the ride home.
In fewer than 24 hours, I had seriously injured my leg, been evaluated, had function-restoring surgery performed, been assigned to a highly rated physical therapy practice and started my recovery — all of this done in Sandpoint by many I would call neighbors and friends.
I think most of our medical community members are here by choice. Some have grown up here (my doctor, for example) and returned after finishing their education and training. Many more have found reasons to move here and be a part of this place.
The draw of the outdoor activities here brings in (and keeps) many. Sometimes it’s accompanying a loved one who is returning home. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting we are very fortunate to benefit from the attractiveness of our area and the dedicated professional services provided by our
medical community.
To date my recovery has gone well. I don’t think it’s just good fortune. Every time I get a chance, I thank those who are helping me heal. It may take me a year before I ski again, but we have the resources here to give me the best chance to make that hope a reality.
I am well aware of shortfalls we have in other areas of our health care system. Our women’s health care needs improvement. I am committed to advocating for the changes necessary to improve our women’s health care choices and treatments.
I am currently working on a draft bill to address many of the problems and hoping I can carry the bill after getting the votes to go back to represent our community in Boise for the 2025 legislative session.
Questions or comments? Let me know at msauter@house.idaho.gov, or talk to me when you see me around town or at the fair this summer.
Meanwhile, enjoy the next couple months of our coveted North Idaho summer!
Rep. Mark Sauter is a Republican legislator representing District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Judiciary, Rules and Administration committees.
Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo.
Rep. Mark Sauter. File photo.
The right kind of moves
The Festival at Sandpoint scored with booking Big Boi
By Kaleb Keaton Reader Contributor
For those of you who have been playing the Reader’s Festival Bingo, I did you a few favors this past Saturday night. Wearing the band’s T-shirt? Hit. A hippie guy dancing by himself? Check. Poop smell? Absolutely. But it wasn’t coming from the treatment plant.
As soon as Big Boi of Outkast hit the stage (alongside special guest Sleepy Brown) I literally crapped myself. What proceeded was the best festival show I have ever attended. I’ve been looking forward to going since it was announced months back.
I got into Outkast back in middle school when me and my buddies were ripping their albums off Kazaa and I’ve been addicted ever since. One of my biggest draws to Outkast was how unique and groundbreaking their music was. As you progress through their discography, eventually it becomes harder and harder to even classify them as hip-
hop. Soul, funk, big brass and electric sounds are all woven throughout a tapestry of musical ingenuity and genius. I’ve been telling everyone I know what an incredible opportunity it was to have such an icon come to town. And he most certainly did not disappoint. Despite being an opener and per-
forming for a fraction of the crowd that he has seen throughout his career, Daddy Fat Sax was every bit the professional that you would expect him to be. He delivered hit after hit, putting on some nasty dance moves and feeding off the crowd. I’m still getting my voice back; the entire show I was screaming lyric after lyric and felt my soul get touched by having the music I love fill my ears.
After Big Boi wrapped up, it was time for Trombone Shorty to impress. He also demonstrated incredible showmanship and at one point left the stage and was performing in the thick of the audience. By the time it was all said and done, you could tell on the faces of those leaving Memorial Field that they had attended a gem of a concert.
You have to give it up to the Festival for putting this on. Thanks for
rolling the dice on some diversity and culture that traditionally hasn’t been the norm within the venue.
My friends and I grew up listening to rap while cruising the beach, fantasizing what it would be like to be a part of their world. Never would I have imagined back then that one day they would come into ours. To have such musical talent perform in my hometown gives me a distinct sense of pride.
Say what you will about the 7B, but when it comes to entertainment we host legends.
I’m glad the Festival took a shot on something less conventional. It’s the perfect example of Sandpoint making a move in the right direction when it comes to change.
From left to right: Big Boi, Sleepy Brown and DJ Cutmaster Swiff. Photos by Racheal Baker.
All Festival at Sandpoint photos taken by the inimitable Racheal Baker (below). Photo by William Krause.
Idaho Trails Association seeks volunteers for trail projects in North Idaho
By Reader Staff
The Idaho Trails Association is calling on outdoor enthusiasts and community members to join efforts to maintain and preserve hiking trails in North Idaho.
The association is seeking volunteers to participate in several upcoming one-day, weekend and weeklong trail maintenance projects, geared toward individuals, families and groups. All ages and abilities are invited to participate. No prior trail maintenance experience is required, and experienced crew leaders will provide all necessary training and tools.
Upcoming projects include:
• Moose Mountain: Saturday, Aug. 10. Volunteers will work up toward Moose Mountain In the Cabinet Mountains on this one-day project.
• Pend Oreille Divide: Thursday, Aug.t 15-Sunday, Aug. 18. Packers will help carry in gear for a four-day, three-night backpacking project on this section of the Idaho Centennial Trail.
• Hughes Fork: Wednesday, Aug. 21-Sunday, Aug. 25. This five-day project includes all meals and the help of local horse packers.
• St. Joe Lake: Sunday, Sept. 8-Saturday, Sept. 14. The State Line National Recreation Trail stays high along the Idaho/Montana Divide, overlooking mountain lakes, with sweeping views clear to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park on this weeklong project.
• East Fork Boulder Creek: Saturday, Sept. 28. Join ITA on National Public Lands Day to work up the East Fork Boulder Creek Trail.
To sign up for a trail project or to see all of ITA’s volunteer opportunities, visit idahotrailsassociation.org/projects.
Week 2
Making a splash at the 29th Long Bridge Swim
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
Local athletes and adventurers can beat the heat Saturday, Aug. 3 with the 29th annual Long Bridge Swim. This 1.76-mile trek from Sagle to Sandpoint is a time-honored tradition that’s grown to nearly 10 times the size of the original 78-person event in 1995.
“We’re almost at 700 registrations for this year, so we’re nearly back up to our pre-pandemic numbers. In fact, I think we will be this year,” said Race Director Jim Zuberbuhler.
The massive undertaking is run by a team of more than 250 volunteers who set up the event, as well as transport, feed and ensure the safety of all participants.
“I really like the idea that we have at least a hundred people every year
who do this for the first time, and a lot of them don’t know if they can swim across the lake. That’s really exciting — to be able to provide enough support that we can do that,” said Zuberbuhler.
The organization’s overall theme is safety. In addition to ankle trackers and volunteers with counters on both ends of the bridge — ensuring that everyone who goes in comes out — there are more than 70 safety kayaks paddling alongside the swimmers, 10 bridge spotters monitoring from above and a sheriff’s boat complete with a dive team in the unlikely event of an emergency.
The Long Bridge Swim also works all year to bring swim lessons and lifeguards to Bonner County with the aid of local sponsors.
“We serve about a thousand children a year with our safety swim program — our three-day program for
third-graders,” said Zuberbuhler. “We serve the kids from Southside all the way out to Clark Fork, all the way up to Bonners, all the way out to Priest River, so we’re very busy all year round and it’s all volunteer.”
Local swimming holes are suffering from the national shortage of qualified individuals willing to staff the lifeguard stations. Anyone able to serve as a lifeguard, swim instructor or assistant is invited to reach out via longbridgeswim.org.
fresh fruit & vegetables baked breads & sweets eggs & cheese mushrooms & honey jewelry & pottery flowers & frocks soaps & salves fine arts & crafts
“A big thank you to our volunteers and our sponsors and to participants. It takes all of those folks to make this work,” said Zuberbuhler.
To register and see the full schedule visit longbridgeswim.org. Registration is $55 if completed by Thursday, Aug. 1, after which the price will increase. There is no race day registration.
Enjoy LIVE MUSIC in the shade as you shop booths from local farmers, artists, and craftspeople.
located in Farmin Park
Wednesdays 3-5:30 PM
9Saturdays AM - 1 PM
Florida man makes beer run with gator in hand
An unidentified Florida man was caught on video walking into a convenience store with an alligator in his hand, looking for beer.
“Y’all ain’t out of beer are you?” the man asked the clerk. He then walked to the back of the store and approached another customer.
“Is he taking the last bit of beer?”
Florida Man yelled. “You aren’t taking the last bit of beer are you?”
The man then grabbed a 12pack of beer while other customers laughed.
Florida man sprays women with roach spray and uses nunchucks over loud music
Florida man Larry Adams tried — and failed — to go Chuck Norris on a handful of his neighbors, covering them with roach spray and wielding nunchucks in anger over the volume of their music.
The alleged victims — five women — told police they were sitting in a car listening to music to celebrate their friend’s 18th birthday, when Adams exited his apartment and told them to stop with the noise. Adams then fired the roach spray on the womens’ faces and bodies and threatened them with nunchucks, striking the vehicle before accidentally hitting himself in the head.
“When the nunchucks inadvertently struck the defendant in the forehead, the defendant then threw the nunchucks at [the car],” a Daytona Beach police officer wrote in the police report.
Adams was booked on similar charges four years prior.
COMMUNITY Bizarre Bazaar hosting sale ahead of move to new location
By Reader Staff
Volunteers at the Community Assistance League’s “upscale retail” store Bizarre Bazaar are boxing up their inventory in anticipation of moving to a new location at 114 S. Boyer Ave.; and, in an effort to minimize the number of boxes and vehicles it takes to make the move, are offering shoppers deep discounts.
Through the end of August, almost every item — excluding jewelry — at Bizarre Bazaar’s current location at 520 Church St. will be 30% off.
“Consider it our great big estate sale,” the organization stated in an announcement.
New merchandise will be displayed daily. Meanwhile, donations will no longer be accepted at the Church Street location. Donations will resume at 114 S. Boyer Ave. — adjacent to Smokesmith Barbecue and across Highway 2 from Dub’s Drive-In — on Aug. 30.
CAL announced the move in early June, stating that the nonprofit would work through the summer preparing the new space to feature improved interior display areas, better lighting, no stairs to climb and more parking.
For almost 50 years, CAL has raised money to put toward local grants and scholarships, giving more than $2.3 million to the community since 2006. While monetary donations are welcome by the organization, the bulk of the funds it gives through its programs comes from the proceeds of Bizarre Bazaar.
The move to South Division Avenue is intended to secure a longer-term lease and provide greater stability for its fundraising efforts.
“After nearly 15 years at the current location, we are feeling a tad bittersweet about leaving the Church Street space; it’s been home for a long time,” the organization stated in June. “But at the same time, change can be exciting and we look forward to creating an inviting, fresh retail space.”
For more information, visit calsandpoint.org.
Danielle Resso named chamber’s July volunteer of the month
By Reader Staff
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce has honored Danielle Resso as its July Volunteer of the Month. According to Resso’s nomination letter, which the chamber shared in its announcement, “Danielle sits on multiple boards in the community. In addition to those board positions, Danielle also volunteers her time to help with various events, community projects and individual projects. She is always willing to jump in, without question, and with a sweet smile on her face. She embodies what a true volunteer is.”
Resso has volunteered with the Food Bank, the Envision Center, and at chamber events such as the Summer Sampler and chamber grounds cleanup. Resso participated in the Hike for Ethan, is a board member with the Teen Center and volunteers for barbecues at the center. In addition, she serves as a chamber board member.
Aug. 2, 8-10pm
Friday,
• Bright Moments Jazz
Danielle Resso, left, with Chamber President Mickey Quinn. Courtesy photo.
101 Women fall grant cycle opens
By Reader Staff
A $10,000 grant award is once again up for grabs to area nonprofits. The Sandpoint 101 Women organization recently opened its fall grant cycle and encourages Bonner County nonprofits to apply for the award at 101womensandpoint. com by the Oct. 1 deadline.
The fall grant cycle focuses on nonprofits providing arts, education, recreation and environmental services to the community. The award is open to a wide variety of nonprofits that operate in Bonner County — only religious or political groups are excluded from receiving the award.
101 Women is a membership group made up of 101 women living in Bonner County. Each member donates $200 per year, and that modest donation is then leveraged to create two $10,000 awards. The grants are presented to two nonprofits at the group’s membership meetings in the spring and in the fall. The fall seasonal grant will be awarded at the Nov. 21 membership meeting.
The top three finalists will be selected after a vetting process, which includes grant application reviews and site visits, and will provide a presentation at the meeting. The presentation will include a summary of the group’s purpose and need for funding.
At the meeting, the 101 Women membership will then cast their votes to choose the winning organization.
Previous recipients include Bonner Homeless Transitions — with the goal to help individuals and families who are homeless, in danger of becoming homeless or who lack adequate housing reach self-sufficiency and independent living — and Sandpoint Nordic Club, which provides cross-country skiing to area youths who otherwise would not have the opportunity.
Interested nonprofit organizations can find more information about grant cycles and applications at 101womensandpoint.com. Member information and registration are also available at the group’s website or by emailing 101womensandpoint@gmail.com.
POAC reception offers a sneak preview of the Artist Studio Tour
By Reader Staff
The Pend Oreille Arts Council will host a reception featuring the works of participants in the annual Artists’ Studio Tour. Attendees are invited to the POAC Gallery at 313 N. Second Ave. on Friday, Aug. 2 from 5-7 p.m. to see paintings, jewelry, metal work, photography, fiber art, drawings and ceramics.
The Artists’ Studio Tour will run this year from Friday, Aug. 30 through Sunday, Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The Aug. 2 reception will provide brochures and directions for the self-guided, no-cost tour.
Meanwhile, POAC’s 52nd annual Arts and Crafts Fair is set for Saturday, Aug. 10 and Sunday, Aug. 11, when more than 120 artists and crafters will take over downtown Sandpoint’s city streets to ply their handcrafted wares.
Visit artinsandpoint.org for more information or stop by the gallery in Sandpoint.
Shower Thoughts
If a tomato is a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?
Our jaws only bite upwards, so you can’t actually “bite down” on anything.
Sharks have been on the Earth longer than trees. Humans are the only species that pay to live.
Your first birthday is actually your second birthday. “Do not touch” would be scary to read in braille.
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com
Festival at Sandpoint: Lee Brice
7:30pm @ War Memorial Field
Country music star on the Festival stage. Gates open at 6pm
Game Night
THURSDAY, august 1
Wild Robot Final Party
1pm @ Sandpoint Library
Trivia, robot building, lawn games, tie dye and ice cream. Geared for ages 5-12 but all are welcome
6:30pm @ Tervan Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Auth. Live Trivia
7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
FriDAY, august 2
Festival at Sandpoint: Jason Mraz & The Superband
7:30pm @ War Memorial Field
Pop and soft rock star Jason Mraz, with opener The Molly Miller Trio starting at 7:30pm. Gates open at 6pm
Live Music w/ Snacks at Midnight
9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge
Killer Tacos food truck on site. 21+
Live Music w/ Hannah Boundy
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Festival at Sandpoint: Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw
7:30pm @ War Memorial Field
Grammy-winner Caillat and multiplatitum country singer-songwriter DeGraw. Gates open at 6pm
Live Music w/ Nobody Famous 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Concert: Kristy Osmunson w/ special guests
9pm @ The Hive Sandpoint-born Kristy Osmunson from country duo Bomshel
Live Music w/ The Sevens 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Festival at Sandpoint: Grand Finale — How to Train Your Dragon
7pm @ War Memorial Field
Final performance of the Festival with Sandpoint Orchestra. Free face-painting 5-6:45pm. Taste of the Stars from 5-7pm. Gates open at 5pm
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Trivia Night
6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Health Hikes
8:30am @ Pine Street Woods
Benny on the Deck concert series
5-7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 8-10pm @ Baxter’s Back Door
Live Music w/ Double Shot Band
5pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes
6-9pm @ 1908 Saloon
Concert: Saltwater Sky w/ Jordan Pitts
8:30pm @ The Hive West Coast country rock
Live Music w/ The Endless Switchbacks 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6-8:30pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
Live Music w/ John Daffron
6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Matt Lome
8-10pm @ Baxter’s Back Door
Live Music w/ John Daffron
6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Dario Ré 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33
SunDAY, august 4
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am
Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh 3-5pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Cottage Market
10am-4pm @ Farmin Park
August 1-8, 2024
Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments
5-8pm @ Pearls at Beyond Hope
Live Music w/ Tim Snider 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-8pm @ Pearls Beyond Hope
Friends of Library Monthly Book Sale 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library
Featuring art books, cookbooks and cooking magazines. Mystery shelf is full and sale includes adult graphic novels
Bonner County Rodeo (Aug. 2-3)
7:30pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds Also women’s barrel racing
Live Music w/ Son of Brad 6-9pm @ Barrel 33
29th annual Long Bridge Swim
8am @ Sandpoint High School (staging)
Mandatory safety meeting at 8am at Sandpoint High School
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park
From Sandpoint with Love: Opera 8-10pm @ Little Carnegie Hall, MCS Opera singers Brenda Rutledge, Alanna Dixon and Zoë Miller joined by guest singers Joel Cummings and Erik Contzius. sandpointconservatory.org
Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s
Live Music w/ Jennifer Hartswick Band 8pm @ The Hive Trumpeter and vocalist Jennifer Hartswick. $15
monDAY, august 5
Outdoor Experience Group Run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome
tuesDAY, august 6
Live Piano w/ Carson Rhodes 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
wednesDAY, august 7
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park
Featuring guest Ponderay Paradox
Open Mic Night 6pm @ Tervan Tavern
Kombucha Workshop
5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33
Learn how to make your own kombucha and take home your own SCOBY
LPO Rep “A Christmas Carol” auditions 4-6pm @ Studio 1 Dance Academy Ages 8+ encouraged to audition
Pinochle Wednesday
9:30am @ Sandpoint Senior Center
Live Piano w/ Dwayne Parsons 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
ThursDAY, august 8
Artist Reception: Mary Esther Hooley 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Game Night 6:30pm @ Tervan
By Mike Wagoner Reader Contributor
Got some good news and some bad news
I was raised in Walla Walla… a nice town to grow up in I still venture back there now and again to sing in a couple of the many wine rooms that line the main street. There aren’t any TVs in ’em and most of the clientele are way over 21, so findin’ myself surrounded by smartphone zombies just doesn’t happen, therefore an interaction with the audience can usually be established just like the ol’ days.
I had an uncle… my dads’ brother who lived near us who had a fair piece of land up in the Blue Mountains and after he and my dad both retired, they started a little firewood business not a lot, just a few cords here and there. I was in town when they got goin’ with it, teaching at the old school where I had attended years earlier, and if they went up after a load on a weekend, I usually went with them. They had grown up on a small farm on the outskirts and were real use to workin. It was two good ol’ country boys and me.
Some years passed and as time really started to bite at their heels the operation slowed down. They were in their mid-80s at this point and this was when I really began to marvel at their old guy strength. No wasted movement no hurry.
When we would arrive on the mountain in the mornings, they moved pretty good as the morning turned into early afternoon it was sorta like The Matrix. Like I said no hurry but eventually a respectable pickup load would develop and we would head back down that old mountain
road… me sittin’ in the middle between them like always until we finally arrived back at my uncle’s place to the wood stash. Sometimes this would be the hardest part of the day for me, ’cause it was time for them to get out of the truck after workin’ and then sittin’ a while. There I’d be trapped between them with a screamin’ bladder about ready to burst. The truck doors would slowly open with a tired creak one leg would eventually touch the ground they both would gingerly swivel bring the other leg over and down slide closer to the edge of the seat and then that final lunge would happen. “Free at last thank God almighty… free at last.” I would disappear between a couple spruce trees.
I stayed in Walla Walla right up until the end doin’ the best I could to keep both my folks out of the nursing home as long as I could. My dad outlived both my mom and my sister so, in the end there I was livin’ in the old house I had grown up in with a roommate my dad.
It was during this twilight time when he began to tell me things about his life I had absolutely no knowledge of, and it was at this point that a whole new type of love developed between us.
One evening a man of 93 years, racked with back pain, sat across from me and said “I got some good news and some bad news.” “What’s the good news?” “With your genes you’ll probably live a long time.” “What’s the bad news?” “With your genes you’ll probably live a long time.”
BY THE NUMBERS
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
4 out of dozens
NBC News reached out to 44 of the dozens of people who served in Donald Trump’s cabinet, asking for their political endorsements. Only four of 44 claimed they were endorsing Trump in 2024. The others include former-Vice President Mike Pence, who said he could not back Trump for a second term, “in good conscience.” Former-U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Trump is not “fit for office because he puts himself first.” Former-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley called Trump a “wannabe dictator.” Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House aide to then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, said that if Trump was elected again, “I don’t think we’ll be voting under the same Constitution.” Retired four-star General James Mattis said of Trump, “His use of the presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice.”
389,791
The number of acres burned so far in the Park Fire in California, which began July 24 after Chico resident Ronnie Dean Stout II pushed a car over an embankment. The car burst into flames and started the blaze, now listed as the fifth largest wildfire in state history. The Park Fire has claimed 277 structures, damaged another 29 and been listed at 18% contained. Stout faces life in prison if convicted, thanks to other serious felonies on his record.
73
The new price, in cents, of the U.S. Forever postage stamp, representing an increase of 5 cents that went into effect on July 14. The stamp’s price last went up in January and the most recent increase will be the sixth price hike since January 2021.
1976
The last presidential election before 2024 without the names Bush, Clinton or Biden on the ballot.
265,000
The number of Idaho’s 1 million registered voters who are unaffiliated with a political party, which does not allow them to participate in closed party primary elections. Idahoans for Open Primaries successfully gathered enough signatures to place their initiative eliminating closed primaries on the 2024 ballot, which will be listed as Proposition 1. However, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador filed a lawsuit seeking to block the initiative, alleging it was deceptively pitched and violates the Idaho Constitution’s single-subject requirement — a claim Idahoans for Open Primaries rejects.
77%
The portion of Americans who believe that there is more crime in the country than the year before. Also, 63% felt there was either a “very” or “extremely” serious crime problem in America. The data shows, however, that violent crimes are declining sharply. Murders surged by nearly 30% across the nation between 2019 and 2020 and overall violent crime rose 5% during the same period. By 2023, national violent crime incidents declined 12.2% relative to the year before. Property crimes, on the other hand, rose by 6.7% in 2022, marking the first increase since 2001.
Long live Furiosa
2024’s Mad Max spinoff/prequel is an apocalyptic car crash worth watching
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
It is clear to me that I made a grievous mistake by not seeing Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga when it screened in theaters in May. I don’t have a reasonable excuse for this lapse in judgment. I grew up on Mad Max movies — I must have seen the first one when I was 10 or so years old, 11 years after it premiered, and even still own a VHS copy. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Mad Max 2, but I agree with many others that Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome represented something close to a shark jump. Still, it’s a classic.
So it was with great excitement that I viewed the 2015 reboot Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy as the titular road warrior Max Rockatansky and Charlize Theron as the scene-devouring Imperator Furiosa — the latter an erstwhile commander in the post-apocalyptic religio-political commodities cult of the sinister Immortan Joe.
That Furiosa begged for her own spinoff was apparent by the end of Fury Road. Now comes the film bearing her name and representing the origin story of a character that has well and truly supplanted Rockatansky as the “Mad Max” we never knew we wanted, but are overjoyed that we have. Even luckier for us, Furiosa is now available to rent on Amazon for under $10, so there’s really no excuse not to see it — though, if you’re like me, you’ll wish you’d shelled out the theater prices for the full experience. No less than ebert.com gave it four stars and referred to director George Miller’s latest installment of his 45-year-old franchise as, “simply one of the best prequels ever made.” Rot-
ten Tomatoes gives it a 90% critics’ rating and 89% among audiences.
Like Fury Road, Furiosa is a sumptuous, gravity defying, ultimately bonkers monument to crazed action filmmaking that would be tedious if not for the meticulous attention to world building that serves as its ground wire.
When we left Furiosa — the character — at the end of Fury Road, she’d broken with Immortan Joe to liberate his “breeder” wives and, in the process, upended his tyranny. In Furiosa — the film — we meet our anti-hero as a child, stolen from her paradisiacal home removed by culture and geography from the gas-and-bullets-obsessed shitshow playing out on the wretched, desertified Earth outside.
Furiosa’s captor is biker gang warlord Dementus, whose name needs no explanation. Played with infectious, strutting, psychopathic gusto by Chris Hemsworth, Dementus totes around young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) as a trophy quasi-daughter, though she’s traumatized into silence and tending the seeds for a harvest of vengeance that knows no limit.
Over the course of 15 years, as Dementus makes his play for control of the Wasteland fortresses of Gastown, the Bullet Farm and Immortan Joe’s power center in the The Citadel, Furiosa grows into an adult, played with seething intensity by the always impeccable Anya Taylor-Joy. She ends up as a vassal of Immortan Joe, then a student to Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke, channeling Mel Gibson’s original Max), who teaches her the ways of road war and offers the first human relationship since her kidnapping.
These parts and pieces add up to a series of showdowns that get as fre-
netic and jaw-dropping as they are weirdly emotionally affecting.
Furiosa is — like its predecessors — a story of all-consuming revenge, a bit of rumination on what turns humans into monsters and, ultimately, how to survive among those humans-turned-monsters. In that way it’s uncomplicated but that doesn’t
make it stupid, like so many other blockbuster franchises. It pulls almost no punches and, in its bombastic grit, somehow delivers us a human story among the carnage.
I wish I’d seen it in the theater, but I’m glad I saw it at all. And will see it many more times, I’m sure.
Courtesy photos.
FOOD
There is a free lunch, and it’s pretty good
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
The notion of a “free lunch” stretches far back into U.S. history.
At one point, the “free lunch” was a common tradition at saloons across the nation. Patrons who purchased at least one drink were often treated to a spread of food, which was usually high in salt to encourage more beer-drinking.
Rudyard Kipling wrote in 1891 that he had come, “upon a bar-room full of bad Salon pictures, in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the ‘free lunch’ I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt.”
As it happens, after the “free lunch” phenomenon came the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” meaning there’s always something attached — even if it’s supposedly free.
In Robert Heinlein’s novel The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, he wrote about the acronym TANSTAAFL, or, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,” otherwise, “these drinks would cost half as much. ... [A]nything free costs twice as much in the long run or turns out worthless.”
Well, I’m here to say there is a free lunch in Sandpoint, and it’s pretty darn good.
To say it has become more expensive to live in Sandpoint is the understatement of the decade. With home prices and rents increasing across the board, a competitive housing market often manipulated by out-of-town buyers paying cash for properties sight unseen and a shrinking population of locals struggling to make ends meet, Sandpoint isn’t always the paradise you read about in the tourist brochures. There are real people here who aren’t on vacation. Instead, they’re struggling to survive and provide for their families. There is some help. As far back as I can remember, there are places that serve free lunch almost every day of the week, no strings attached. It’s just one of the many quiet ways local nonprofit organizations, churches and businesses are always looking out for those in need.
In that light, here is a schedule of the weekly free lunches offered around greater Sandpoint. Special thanks to all the organizations and businesses that offer these lifelines to our community. Also, if someone you love is experiencing food insecurity, know that there are options. The Community Resource Envision Center is one of many resources to help those in need match up with organizations that can help. Call 208-920-1840 or email cred@credidaho.com for more info.
Mondays
• 4-5 p.m. — Free dinners at Sandpoint Assembly of God, 423 N. Lincoln St., Sandpoint.
• 4-6 p.m. — Free dinners at the Hoot Owl, 30784 Highway 200, Ponderay.
Tuesdays
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Free lunches at Agape Cafe in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2235 Pine St., Sandpoint.
• 4:30-6 p.m. p.m. — Free dinners, Sandpoint Assembly of God’s Newport location, 1428 W. First St., Newport, Wash.
Wednesdays
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Free soup lunch at the First Presbyterian Church Rainbow Cafe, 417 N. Fourth Ave., Sandpoint (formerly held at the Gardenia Center).
Thursdays
• 4-6 p.m. — Free dinners at the United Methodist Church, 711 Main St., Sandpoint.
Fridays
• 4-6 p.m. — Free dinners at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 601 S. Lincoln Ave., Sandpoint.
Saturday No offerings
Sundays
• Noon-1 p.m. — Free lunches at the VFW Hall, 1325 Pine St., Sandpoint (only offered third and fourth Sundays of the month).
• 1-3 p.m. — Free Community Meal at Bonner Gospel Mission, 762 Triangle Drive, Ponderay.
MUSIC
Week 2 of the Festival at Sandpoint
Here’s who’s taking the stage during the final run of 2024 shows
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
The Festival at Sandpoint’s 41st annual summer concert series is coming to an end with a week of highly anticipated shows for fans of all ages, including a family friendly screening of DreamWorks’ How To Train Your Dragon. Below is a breakdown of the final acts of the 2024 Festival.
Tickets are available at festivalatsandpoint.com.
Thursday, Aug. 1
Lee Brice w/Madeline Merlo
Country music fans will recognize Lee Brice, whose Platinum-selling tracks like “Memory I Don’t Mess With,” “One of Them Girls” and “Rumor” have earned more than 3.7 billion on-demand streams. This Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award-winning artist has seen his music covered by household names like Garth Brooks and Jason Aldean, and continues to update and reframe his sound, launching the acoustic “Me & My Guitar Tour” earlier this year. Anyone who doesn’t consider themselves a country fan will still enjoy his popular hits, which have been featured on show’s ranging
from NBC’s Today to ABC’s The Bachelor.
This is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing room only. General admission tickets are $69.95 before taxes and fees. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 2
Jason Mraz and The Superband w/Molly Miller Trio
International sensation Jason Mraz is a favorite among Sandpointians for his mello pop with reggae and R&B influences, which have become staples of farmers’ markets and modern hippie scenes across the country. His current tour celebrates his eighth studio album, Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride, which draws on the hallmarks of pop to explore middle age and a changing worldview. Through his music and home farm, Mraz champions inclusivity and equality in the arts and causes related to food security.
This is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing room only. General admission tickets are SOLD OUT. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m.
From Sandpoint with Love, Little Carnegie, Aug. 3
Our community is rich with talented folk, blues and Americana musicians, so a classical opera soiree is a rare and special treat. The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint will bring together singers Brenda Rutledge, Alanna Dixon, Zoe Miller, Joel Cummings and Erik Contzius to perform stunning renditions of excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian opera Rigoletto, among other
favorites. If you’ve never had the pleasure of being brought to tears by the raw emotion of opera, despite being unable to understand the lyrics, just know this — it’s worth the price of admission.
— Soncirey
Mitchell
8-10 p.m., $25 for adults or $15 for students. Music Conservatory of Sandpoint Little Carnegie, 110 Main St., 208-265-4444, sandpointconservatory.org.com.
Saturday, Aug. 3
Colbie Caillat and Gavin Degraw
There isn’t a millennial alive who doesn’t have fond memories of singing and swaying along to Colbie Caillat’s platinum-certified “Bubby” or Grammy-winning “Lucky,” which she sang with Jason Mraz. Her delicate pop songs first rose to prominence via the website Myspace, and those humble beginnings have snowballed into 15 billion global streams and a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Album chart.
Caillat shares the stage with multi-platinum singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist Gavin DeGraw, whose duet with Caillat — “We Both Know” — earned him his first Grammy nomination. He’s celebrated multiple platinum hits including “Chariot,” “I Don’t Want To Be” and “In Love With a Girl,” which showcase his signature blend of pop, soul, country and folk.
This is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing room only. General admission tickets are $64.95 before taxes and fees. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 4
How to Train Your Dragon
The kids fantasy film How
to Train Your Dragon follows an unlikely friendship between a young Viking-in-training, Hiccup, and the dragon Toothless, who must overcome their species’ deep-seated feud to save their world from a powerful enemy. The film features an Academy Award-nominated score by John Powell — who has provided the soundtracks for films as diverse as Ice Age and The Bourne Identity — and will be brought to life by the Festival at Sandpoint Orchestra under the Spokane Symphony’s Resident Conductor Morihiko Nakahara.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Innovia Foundation will provide free face painting from 5-6:45 p.m. For an additional $9.95 (or $12.95 day-of), adults 21+ can also enjoy the Taste of the Stars sampling, featuring pours from regional breweries, wineries and distilleries from 5-7 p.m.
This will be a seated show, meaning the area in front of the stage is for general admission, short chair and blanket seating. General admission tickets are $44.95 in advance or $49.95 day-of for ages 13+ and $12.95 in advance or $14.95 day-of for ages 12 and under before taxes and fees. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the music starts at 7 p.m.
Jennifer Hartswick Band, The Hive, Aug. 4
A concert with trumpeter and vocalist Jennifer Hartswick is the closest thing you can get to a time machine. Her soul music transports audiences to the genre’s peak in the ’60s and ’70s, with a flare that can be emotionally charged, relaxing or downright sexy.
She’s only stopping by Sandpoint for one night on her international tour, so don’t miss the chance to kick
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
back and vibe with an old soul who’s impressed the likes of Tom Petty, Christian McBride and the Big Gigantic.
— Soncirey Mitchell
Doors at 7 p.m., music at 8 p.m., $15 online or $20 at the door, 21+. Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-920-9039, livefromthehive. com. Listen at jenniferhartswick. com.
READ LISTEN
Chuck Palahniuk is one of those authors who swing for the fences with every paragraph. Sometimes he misses, but more often he connects — as with his magnum opus Fight Club. In Beautiful You, Palahniuk writes about a new line of sex products that guarantee female orgasms, but there are some, um, interesting consequences. It’s weird, it’s funny and it’s classic Palahniuk.
I love finding the perfect artist to type into Spotify’s “Radio” feature, which gives a curated playlist with similar vibes to the song or artist you type in. Some of my favorite cues for Spotify Radio are: “Helado Negro,” “Talking Heads,” “Ruby Haunt,” “Broken Social Scene” and “Múm.”
WATCH
As far as action movies go, Point Break is about the best you can get. The Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze film by Kathryn Bigelow (fun fact: I once worked for her while I was in the film business in L.A. and was so proud when she won the Oscar for The Hurt Locker) tells the story of Johnny Utah, a young FBI agent who infiltrates a bank robbing gang of surfers and struggles to keep both parts of his life separate. A remake unfortunately tarnished this excellent film, but it pales in comparison to the original.
From Northern Idaho News, July 25, 1919
WOMEN ESCAPES FOREST FIRE; THREE LITTLE ONES WITH HER
Mrs. J.W. Lantz, whose home was destroyed in the path of the Wrencoe forest fire last week, has been in Sandpoint this week looking for employment. The fire destroyed the Lantz home, their barn, four calves, four head of cattle, five head of hogs and the season’s pulpwood on the skidways which represented Mr. Lantz’s summer work. The fire occurred at 6 o’clock last Wednesday afternoon. Fire Warden William Phalon was at the house at noon and had the midday meal with the Lantz’s. It was thought at that time the fire had passed and would not molest them. In the afternoon, embers from a log started up the blaze again in close proximity to the house. At 3:30 Mrs. Lantz took her two little children and the yearold babe of a sister and set out in front of the flames and made her way with the children to a neighbor’s house in safety. Fifteen minutes afterwards when a neighbor tried to get to the Lantz home by the same route he turned back, the way being entirely blocked by the forest flames.
“Our loss it total,” said Mrs. Lantz Tuesday while in Sandpoint. “My piano was among the household affects destroyed and the music of a lifetime’s selection went up in the flames.” Mrs. Lantz was formerly a printer and would like to find employment in her trade if possible.
BACK OF THE BOOK
By Sandy Compton Reader Staff
In the July 3 edition of the Reader, I confessed to gathering odd words and the names of short-lived famous people from American Heritage Dictionary’s booster seat edition. For two-plus years, I’ve put them in a notebook for further research. I’m not done with the dictionary (two-thirds of the way through “P” at “pronate”), but research has begun.
People of the Month are Southern writer Flannery O’Connor, who died at age 39 of lupus; and Alexander the Great, who died at age 32 in 323 B.C.E. of nobody is quite sure what.
Mystery Word of the Month is: “antiferromagnetic,” an adjective meaning designating or exhibiting a form of magnetism characterized by an antiparallel alignment of adjacent electron spins in a crystal lattice. If you understand this, you may have a master’s degree in physics. It’s fun to say, but very hard to use in everyday conversation.
Don’t even bother with “ferromagnetic.” It’s a shorter word with a longer definition that makes less sense. Historic explanations of Alexander’s death don’t quite make sense, either. In the 12 years between his 20th birthday and his death, he conquered much of his known world — from Egypt to the Himalayas. He planned and fought long campaigns and married wives and daughters of his conquered enemies, many of which he murdered — the enemies, not the wives. Then he died, which took 11 days, during which many of his soldiers filed past in tribute. There are many theories of the cause of deaths, some of which involve poisoning by one enemy or another (of which there were plenty),
STR8TS Solution
On a big word, Flannery O’Connor and Alexander the Great
and some suggesting more mundane causes — typhoid fever, acute pancreatitis, West Nile virus, meningitis or Guillain-Barré syndrome. Plutarch notedthat whatever killed him, Alexander spent his last days in mute and increasing agony.
Brave and brazen, he received many severe wounds in combat. He was also a heavy drinker, and spent a day and a night before onset of his final illness carousing with two friends — Nearchus, a naval commander; and Medius of Larissa, one of his senior officers.
After Alexander’s death, his empire immediately began to disintegrate. There were even arguments about who would bury him, not to mention succeed him. Two years after he died — in 321 B.C.E. — his empire fell apart. It took 40 years of war to stabilize the Middle East again.
Twenty-two-and-a-half centuries later, on March 25, 1923, Mary Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah, Ga. It’s interesting, to me at least, that we share a birthday. She became much more famous than I — at least so far — as a renowned writer of “Southern gothic” novels and short stories. A compilation of her stories won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1972. However, in an ironic twist she might have scripted herself, she died eight years before of a disease to which she had a predisposition. Her father died of lupus in 1941, a few months before her 16th birthday.
Diagnosed with lupus in 1952, she lived another 12 years — seven more than expected. In those dozen years, she published two novels and numerous short stories, and wrote scores of letters. It is thought that the lupus affected most of her writing, which is dark, with twisted, arcane plots and
Sudoku
Solution
sometimes sordid endings. Complications are piled on her characters until they either break or die or both.
She was also a cartoonist, which she began when she was about 5 years old. While attending Georgia State College for Women, she contributed to the student newspaper. Many were blackand-white linoleum prints, and one seems to be a self-portrait. A woman with glasses sits alone on a chair facing the viewer as couples dance around her. The caption: “Oh, well, I can always be a Ph.D.”
As a woman who grew up in the mid-20th century South, she was overtly racist, though somewhat conflicted about it. In one letter she wrote: “You know, I’m an integrationist by principle & a segregationist by taste.” But in a letter to her mother, she also defended her friendship with a Black person she met in college.
What have Flannery and Alexander have to do with each other? Not a lot, except that they lived large and died young. Flannery fought culture and lupus. Alexander fought the whole world.
Here’s a good joke to do during an earthquake: straddle a big crack in the ground, and if it opens wider, go “Whoa! Whoa!” and flail your arms around, like you’re going to fall in.
Crossword
Solution on page 26
Laughing Matter
By Bill Borders
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Be suspended from above
5. Din
10. A bushy hairdo
14. Margarine
15. Angers
16. Snare
17. Gloomy ill-tempered feeling
19. Canvas dwelling
20. Finish
21. Bird sound
22. Haven
23. Delivers from danger
25. Farm
27. Unusual
28. Bad loser
31. Opium source
34. Prolonged loud noises
35. North northeast
36. Follow orders
37. Pleasantly without extremes
38. Bristle
39. 2000 pounds
[adjective] 1. mysterious; cryptic
Solution on page 26
Solution on page 26
59. Durable fabric 60. Carve in stone 61. Former spouses (slang) 62. Aromatic compound
63. What we walk on Word Week of the
“The letter contained a sibylline message that only she could decipher.”
Corrections: The only correction we recognize from the July 25 edition is the fact that we didn’t have a pithy statement in the corrections box about how there were no corrections.
40. Shoestrings
41. Birch relative
42. Reversals
44. Influenza
45. Hawaiian greeting
46. Recidivate
50. Melodies
52. Large Asian country
54. Fifty-two in Roman numerals
55. Seaweed
56. Shivering
58. Hide
DOWN
1. A 4 base hit in baseball
2. Companionless
3. Geeks 4. Sticky stuff 5. Imbued
6. They connect points
7. Away from the wind
8. Toilet rooms
9. S
10. Affix
11. Refreshed
12. Hindu princess
13. Chooses
18. Examine
22. 1 1 1 1
24. Replicate
26. Military
28. Undersides
29. Anagram of “Neat” 30. Darling 31. Flower holders
32. Double-reed woodwind
48. Subsequently 49. Spectacle
50. Adhesive strip
51. Genus of gorse 53. Ache
56. South southeast 57. Type of umpire
33. A star with 5 points 34. Lumbagos 37. German baroque composer 38. Aspersion 40. Neighbor of Vietnam 41. Seaweed 43. Sheepish sounds 44. Wheel cover 46. Chain of hills 47. Gentry
