My partner has a way with words. Even though she holds a master’s degree in speech language pathology, she sometimes fumbles while searching for the right words — often with hilarious results. When she first moved here, she called Colburn Culver Road, “Colburn and Culverson.” If she’s holding a cereal bowl, she’ll say, “I have this bucket here.” When referring to a non sequitur, she’ll call it a “non sequester” and while pointing at a power outlet she’ll call it an “extension cord.” It’s funny trying to decipher what the hell she’s talking about, but it’s even funnier hearing the sheer confidence in her voice when making these foibles. After 13 years together, I’ve developed a keen ability to sort out her “non sequesters,” no matter how far afield she goes.
lake etiquette
In all my years of boating on Lake Pend Oreille, the last couple of seasons have been the worst for boating etiquette. Whether it’s due to newcomers not knowing the rules or old salts refusing to follow them, we need a collective refresher on how not to be a menace on the water.
1. Get your equipment and boat ready before you tow it to the ramp and start to launch.
2. Keep at least 200 feet off shore when throwing a wake. “Ride the Core” means wakeboard and boat toward the middle of the lake, not along the shorelines. Not only does a wake damage the shoreline and potentially any other boats docked or moored nearby, but it’s super annoying for anyone on shore. If you think you might be too close to shore, you’re too close.
3. If someone is camped at a spot on the lake, that’s their spot until they pack up and leave. Don’t show up and try to poach a spot 10 feet away. There are dozens of places to camp on this lake.
4. Simply speaking, when two boats meet, the vessel that has the other on their starboard (right) side must give way. Giving way means falling astern of the other vessel, not speeding up to get in front of them.
5. Be polite. Most boaters are just trying to have a good time out there.
stately things
Some quick facts about Idaho:
• Idaho’s state bird is the mountain bluebird; the state tree is the western white pine.
• Idaho’s is the only state flag designed by a woman. Emma Edwards Green designed it in 1890.
• At more than 83,000 square miles, Idaho is the 13th largest state in the U.S., in relation to surface area.
• The first alpine chairlift was built in Sun Valley. That was back when lift tickets were 63 cents.
• The St. Joe River is considered the highest navigable river in the world, with a mouth elevation of 2,219 feet.
• Idaho has more whitewater river miles (3,100) than any other U.S. state.
DEAR READERS,
Raise your hand if you enjoyed that rainy day on Aug. 4. I was sailing back from a weekend of camping across the lake, getting absolutely drenched and loving every minute of it. If I were king, I’d order a rainy day once a week throughout the summer, if only just to keep our forests from becoming tinder boxes.
In this week’s edition, we have another two pages of photos from the final week of the Festival at Sandpoint, thanks to our friend Racheal Baker. Check out her work on Pages 12-13. Also, if you’d like to submit any photographs for our Photos of the Week pages or our cover, we’re always stoked to see your work. Send photos to ben@sandpointreader.com and we’ll give them our consideration. We’re a bit backed up due to the Festival photos taking precedence, but don’t let that deter you.
Wishing you all a great weekend.
– 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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About the Cover
This week’s cover photo was taken in Sand Creek by Karley Coleman. fivemegawatts.mypixieset.com/
County argues over $72,000 severance payment for exiting employee
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
Bonner County Commissioners
Luke Omodt and Steve Bradshaw have recently come under scrutiny by fellow-Commissioner Asia Williams and some members of the public for supporting a $72,000 severance payment to Business Operations Manager, Deputy Clerk and Public Information Officer Jessi Reinbold, who will vacate her position at a to-be-determined date.
The money will come from interest earned on funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The county has not yet disclosed why Reinbold resigned, nor have officials released a statement explaining the necessity of the severance payment. Omodt declined a request for additional comment and Bradshaw did not respond by press time.
“I will say that this was a very hard decision for me and I am very sad about leaving,” wrote Reinbold in an Aug. 6 email to the Reader
“I am hoping that my name is not smeared throughout the media any further,” she added, referring to allegations of impropriety made by the right-wing blog Redoubt News.
“Redoubt (Shari Dovale) prints one sided, misinformed articles on a pretty consistent basis, I have no regard for that publication,” Reinbold wrote.
Personnel matters are ordinarily confidential; however, after receiving permission from legal counsel, Williams made information about the severance public after the Aug. 1 executive session.
“[W]hen someone is asking to receive money out of the taxpayer’s coffers for terminating their own employment, it is prudent for me to
provide the information to the public,” she said.
Williams went on to read a prepared statement, which included excerpts from the findings of two separate investigations into Bradshaw and herself.
She began by stating that Reinbold’s resignation and request for compensation “sort of” stem from the threat Bradshaw allegedly made against Williams’ life in August 2023, which was reported by County Risk Manager Christian Jostlein.
Both Reinbold and Omodt testified on behalf of Bradshaw, but according to the excerpt read by Williams, an unidentified, independent investigator concluded that “Mr. Jostlein’s account is more credible than the accounts of Mrs. Reinbold and Mr. Omodt taken collectively.”
Williams did not clarify how this finding related to the deputy clerk’s decision to step down, or her future severance payment, and did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Williams then summarized numerous accusations made against her by unnamed county employees alleging “harassment and prejudice” and “unkind behavior” on Williams’ part — accusations that she stated she requested be investigated.
“It does not appear that Bonner County’s personnel policies apply to county commissioners,” Williams read from the second investigation’s report of findings.
“Bonner County’s personnel policies do not subject Commissioner Williams to discipline for behaving in a manner that the deputy clerks feel is rude,” Williams read from the report. “That being said, the investigator did not find evidence that
Commissioner Williams engaged in rude and disrespectful behavior.”
Rather, the reported behavior reflected the “frequently opposing political positions taken by” Williams, Omodt and Bradshaw, the investigator stated.
Williams did not outright identify how this finding related to Reinbold’s departure, but she did reveal that her fellow commissioners refer to the severance payment as “prevention of litigation.”
“There is no litigation that has been filed. There is no notice of torte. There is no notice of representation,” said Williams, going on to argue that no payment should be made until and unless Reinbold chooses to sue.
She emphasized that $72,000 is a large sum to pay, especially considering the commissioners had ruled that the budget could not support the $45,000 salary needed to hire an additional custodian for the county’s buildings.
Williams declined to comment further on the topic at the Aug. 6 business meeting, though stated that members of the public have asked if the payment is a “gift” or a “misuse of county money.” She, in turn, submitted those concerns to Prosecutor Louis Marshall, who will reportedly pass them on to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office for investigation.
“If people have a question on that payment, please address that to the attorney general,” said Williams.
Additional reporting by Zach Hagadone.
Bonner County Commissioners, from left to right: Asia Williams, Luke Omodt, Steve Bradshaw. Photo by Soncirey Mitchell.
New law prohibits minors from accessing rape kit exams without parental consent
By Ruth Brown Idaho Reports
A parental rights bill intended to prohibit medical procedures on minors without parental consent could also end up unintentionally protecting sexual predators who abuse children.
The new law, which went into effect July 1, prohibits minors from getting sexual assault exams, or rape kit exams, without parental consent. This becomes problematic if the perpetrator of the child’s sexual assault is a parent, family member or close family friend, according to Deb Wetherelt, Idaho State Police sexual assault nurse coordinator.
Senate Bill 1329 passed during the 2024 legislative session on a party-line vote in both chambers. Proponents of the bill argued that parents should be involved in their children’s medical care. The bill allows for medical care without parental consent only if it’s “in order to prevent death or imminent, irreparable physical injury.”
Gov. Brad Little signed the bill in March, but issued a transmittal letter citing concerns about access to behavioral health and conflicting sections of code.
Wetherelt told Idaho Reports that prior to the law going into effect, any person 14 years or older could give informed consent for the exam.
Sexual assault kits are exams performed by trained nurse examiners after an assault has occurred. The exam involves combing and swabbing the victim’s body for DNA evidence and photographing injuries, and can take four to six hours to complete. The exam’s evidence can assist in both confirming a suspect and ruling out suspects in the assault.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, an estimated 93% of child sexual abuse perpetrators know their victims, and 34% are family members.
Wetherelt hopes that in these situations, a parent would bring the child in and consent to the exam. But that hasn’t always been her experience. She offered the example of a child claiming a stepparent or their mother’s boyfriend had abused them.
“So, what I’m going to do as a nurse, if a child comes in and says, ‘My stepdad did this to me,’ and mom says, ‘She’s a liar, she’s been nothing
but a liar since she’s 8 years old, this is not true. He would never do that.’ And I will tell you that happens all too often as well,” she said.
That doesn’t mean the state can’t intervene.
“At that point, I’m calling law enforcement who will also initiate a call to CPS to do an assessment,” Wetherelt said.
But child protective services assessments take time. The forensic lab will take evidence up to five days after the alleged abuse occurred. If the child reports the abuse two days after it happens, that limits the SANE nurse’s time to get an agreement in place to do the exam, Wetherelt said. Even after five days, once CPS or the court grants permission, a SANE nurse can look for injuries and test the child for sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy; but, by that point, most — if not all — DNA evidence will be gone.
“The bigger piece of that, and for these children especially, is that emotional and mental wellbeing,” she said. “What’s going to happen to that kiddo when she goes home? Mom calls her a liar, and says, ‘Now you’ve got the cops involved. Now CPS is coming to the house. Are you happy?’ Now, those are the things I worry about.”
The lead sponsor of the bill, Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, said in an Aug. 2 email to Idaho Reports that this was not the intent of the bill.
“It was certainly not the intent of the law to limit police investigation of these kinds of crimes,” wrote Anthon. “I will be happy to look at the lan-
guage of the statue to see if a change is needed. To my knowledge, no one from the Idaho State Police has contacted me on this matter.”
Anthon said he planned to reach out to ISP.
Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, voted against the bill. She did not know if sponsors were aware of this effect when they proposed the bill’s introduction.
“I was begging people to not pass that bill because not all parents have the best intentions in mind,” Wintrow told Idaho Reports. “You have to have an escape hatch for youth and their health.”
Wintrow said she had concerns that those who brought the legislation didn’t speak with stakeholders thoroughly.
“It is our responsibility to see how it will impact everyone,” Wintrow said of proposed legislation. “In committee, I didn’t see any stakeholders support it.”
Idaho Reports reached out to the governor’s office multiple times for comment and did not receive a response by Monday afternoon.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and is in crisis, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Ruth Brown is a Boise-based writer and producer for Idaho Public Television and its state politics blog, Idaho Reports: blog. idahoreports.idahoptv.org.
A rape test kit. Courtesy photo.
Bits ’n’ Pieces
Preservation Idaho to honor Belwood Building at Orchid Awards in Pocatello
By Reader Staff
Long a downtown Sandpoint landmark, the Belwood Building at 301 Cedar St. will be honored with an Orchid Award from Preservation Idaho at a gathering Saturday, Aug. 10 in Pocatello. Since 1977, Orchid Awards have been given to individuals and organizations around the state for outstanding contributions to historic preservation. Onion Awards, however, are meant to raise awareness about projects that have failed to respect cultural history.
The Belwood Building — which dates back to 1907 when it was a mercantile and later the St. James Hotel — is among the 10 statewide honorees in the 47th Orchids and Onions, earning its accolade in the Contribution to Historic Preservation category for the “tasteful restoration, addition or remodel of an existing building.”
As previously reported, building owners Julie and Steve Meyer undertook a wide-ranging renovation of the building that both preserved its historic character and integrated modern functionality.
The Sandpoint Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation Commission, along with community members Carrie Logan and Steve Garvan, nominated the Belwood Building for the award.
Other Orchid Awards have gone to the Panida Theater in 1986; Nancy Renk as a Distinguished Preservationist in 1991; the Old Power House in 1998; the Archaeology and Preservation Committee in 2002; the Sandpoint Events Center in 2014; the Northern Pacific Railway Depot, Nesbit-Tanner House and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in 2015; and Sandpoint Federal Building (MickDuff’s Brewing) in 2021.
“The Sandpoint community is indebted to the efforts of Julie and Steve for the vision and commitment that they made to preserve and enhance the built environment of Sandpoint,” stated Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm. “Buildings last for generations and help to create and define the public realm that we all enjoy in downtown Sandpoint. Through the passion of the Meyers, this wonderful building will live on for future residents to gather, dine and celebrate, and no doubt will be a landmark for decades to come.”
For suggestions on buildings or projects to nominate for the Orchids, contact Sandpoint Arts and Historic Preservation Planner Heather Upton at hupton@sandpointidaho.gov or 208-946-2705.
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 G20 conference in Brazil, the planet’s top treasury ministers and central bankers agreed to a minimum 2% wealth tax on the super rich, which would affect 3,000 billionaires. That’s expected to generate $248 billion annually for climate change action and poverty. A survey showed billionaires currently pay 0.3% of their wealth in taxes. Greenpeace Brazil commented: “Taxing the wealthy can begin to demonstrate that there is more than enough money [to address climate change]; it simply needs to be channeled away from destruction.”
According to Americans for Tax Fairness, U.S. billionaires’ wealth has more than doubled since passage of Trump’s 2017 trickle down tax law.
Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her vice presidential running mate. Her quick sketch of Walz: growing up in Nebraska, he spent summers doing farm work; he enlisted in the National Guard at 17, served 24 years and used G.I. benefits to become a teacher; when he was 19, his father died of cancer and family members relied on Social Security survivor benefits “to make ends meet”; as a state lawmaker and governor, Walz worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments; he cut taxes for working families; passed paid family and medical leave; passed legal abortion protection after Rowe vs. Wade ended; and, as an “avid hunter,” he passed a state requirement for universal background checks for gun purchases. Various media sources report that Walz is strong on voters’ rights, education and labor. The environmental community is lauding the choice, saying Walz’s record indicates a commitment to further addressing climate change.
The Biden administration just facilitated a 24-person prisoner exchange that involved seven countries and included the release of several detainees from the U.S. Newsweek reported that prisoners returned to Russia included a hitman, a computer hacker and an accused spy.
President Joe Biden has proposed Supreme Court reforms, including 18year term limits for justices, a constitutional amendment to remove immunity for crimes while a president is in office, a binding code of ethics and a Supreme Court justice being appointed by the president every two years.
Trump’s effort to dismiss his election indictment case, by claiming he was
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
prosecuted for vindictive and political purposes, was rejected by the presiding federal judge, The Guardian reported.
Newsweek reported that “Republicans for Harris” aims to reach out to party members who reject Trump’s “chaos, division and violence,” as well as the Project 2025 agenda. At least 16 former Republican Congress members have joined.
Trump has been trying to distance himself from Project 2025, but his V.P. pick, J.D. Vance, has made that difficult. Vance wrote the forward for the forthcoming book, Dawn’s Early Light, written by a Project 2025 “chief architect,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin D. Roberts. However, publication of the book has been delayed until after the election due to widespread public opposition to the contents of the plan.
Vance wrote that the book’s ideas are “an essential weapon” for the “fights that lay ahead.” Project 2025 includes proposals to disband numerous federal agencies, exclude abortion from health care and end many climate change programs. CNN says at least 140 Trump administration workers helped craft Project 2025.
Meanwhile, Project 2025 Director Paul Dans — also a former Trump staffer — has stepped down, further pointing to the unpopularity of the plan, which Rolling Stone called “an unmitigated polling disaster for Trump and Republicans.” However, CNN reported that on a June episode of former-Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Dans said Project 2025 was “gonna be a D-Day invasion plan. ... We’re going to make this happen under President Trump ... this is ultimately his direction and his team’s direction.”
Trump’s recent and contentious interview with the National Association of Black Journalists began an hour late due to Trump’s opposition to being factchecked live, Axios reported.
Blast from the past: Republicans for Harris is a flashback to when northern Democrats parted ways with southern elite slaveholder Democrats and formed the Republican Party. In 1854, the southern Dems called the new Republicans “radicals.” Abraham Lincoln said it was not radical to stick to the principles in the Declaration of Independence — specifically, that “all men are created equal.” Historian Heather C. Richardson points out that Republicans for Harris reject the Project 2025 proposal built by Trump advocates, and want the nation to return to rule of law and to retain democracy.
The Belwood Building, located on the corner of Cedar Street and Third Avenue in Sandpoint. Courtesy photo.
Idaho Secretary of State moves forward on primary ballot measure for Nov. 5 election
Idaho AG Raúl Labrador is attempting to block the
ballot initiative from the ballot
By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun
Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane is preparing for the open primaries/ranked-choice voting ballot initiative to appear on Idaho’s Nov. 5 election ballots, even as Attorney General Raúl Labrador advances a lawsuit attempting to block the initiative.
In an interview July 31 with the Idaho Capital Sun, McGrane said it is his duty to protect Idahoans’ rights to vote and rights to bring a ballot initiative or referendum forward for a vote. Unless or until there is a court order to stop, McGrane said, he will continue to prepare ballots and design the Idaho voters’ pamphlet with the ballot initiative included.
“That’s why we are here, to defend the initiative process and the constitutional right of Idaho citizens to exercise the initiative,” he said. “It is not about the contents of the initiative. It is about, this is a right and we are overseeing the process.”
In Idaho, a ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy where the voters vote on whether or not to pass a law, independent of the Idaho Legislature.
On Election Day, the open primary/ ranked-choice ballot initiative will appear as Proposition 1. It would require a simple majority of the votes to pass.
In addition to the ballot initiative, Idaho voters will also vote on a proposed constitutional amendment known as House Joint Resolution 5, which would add a clause to the Idaho Constitution stating that non-U.S. citizens are not allowed to vote in Idaho elections. The proposed constitutional amendment would also require a simple majority of the vote to pass.
In a 2021 ruling involving a different case, the Idaho Supreme Court called ballot initiatives and referendums “fundamental rights, reserved to the people of Idaho, to which strict scrutiny applies.”
Idaho AG seeks to block ballot initiative from Nov 5 election
Labrador filed a lawsuit in late July alleging that the ballot initiative was deceptively pitched and would violate the Idaho Constitution’s requirement that laws address a single subject.
Labrador is seeking to block the initiative from the election or to force McGrane to invalidate the signatures that were submitted to qualify for the election. Supporters of the initiative, including Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville, said Labrador’s lawsuit is a political stunt that was filed because Labrador is afraid of letting Idaho voters vote on the initiative.
One of the quirks of the case is that the Idaho Attorney General’s Office is representing multiple parties in the case — Labrador, who filed the lawsuit, and McGrane, who is one of the people Labrador sued attempting to block the initiative.
On July 30, McGrane told the Sun that Idaho law states that state agencies and officers shall not be represented by any attorney other than the attorney general. While the governor, the Idaho Legislature and the judicial branch have the authority to hire outside, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office does not have that authority, McGrane said.
The Idaho Supreme Court issued an order July 29 requiring Labrador to show why his attorneys should not be disqualified from representing McGrane. Labrador’s office responded July 30 with filings indicating that Labrador himself is not also representing McGrane and that he appointed other deputies to represent McGrane, insulating them from his supervision and establishing a screening process to keep him and other deputies from learning confidential information about McGrane’s case.
“This decision rested on careful analysis of the statutes and rules that govern the attorney general’s conduct,” Solicitor General Alan M. Hurst and two other attorneys wrote in a court filing.
Reached on July 31, a spokesperson for Labrador’s office declined to comment on the lawsuit but referred the Sun to the previous day’s court filings.
McGrane told the Sun his office has been working closely with its assigned deputies from the AG’s office and feels like their side is being represented fairly. As evidence, McGrane pointed to a motion to expedite the case that his side filed July 24.
McGrane told the Sun that his office is busy preparing for a major elec-
tion Nov. 5 that could feature record voter turnout. McGrane said the Idaho voters’ pamphlet that describes that ballot initiative and proposed constitutional amendment must be designed by Friday, Aug. 9 in order to meet the deadline in Idaho law to mail the pamphlet to voters by Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Additionally, absentee ballots must be designed and printed before they are mailed out Saturday, Sept. 21, so that members of the military may receive and return their ballots on time.
“We have to resolve this fast,” McGrane said. “We don’t get to hit pause or change Election Day. This is a national election.”
How does the Idaho ballot initiative work?
If approved, the ballot initiative would make changes to Idaho’s primary election and general election.
First, it would end Idaho’s closed party primary elections. Since 2011, Idaho has had a law that says political parties don’t have to allow voters to vote in their primary election if the voters are not formally affiliated with their political party. In Idaho, more than 265,000 of the state’s 1 million voters are unaffiliated voters who are not allowed to vote in closed party primary elections. The closed primary law does allow political parties to instead choose to open their primary elections to outside voters, but only the Idaho Democratic Party has done so, a spokesperson for the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office previously told the Sun.
The Republican, Libertarian and Constitution Party primary elections are all closed.
Under the ballot initiative, all candidates and all voters would be allowed to participate in the primary election, regardless of party affiliation. The four candidates who get the most votes would advance to the general election, also regardless of party affiliation.
In addition, the ballot initiative would change Idaho’s general election to create ranked-choice voting, which is also referred to as an instant runoff system. Under that system, voters would pick their favorite candidate and have the option to rank the remaining candidates in order of preference — second, third and fourth. The candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated and those votes would instead go to the second choice of candidate on those ballots.
That process would continue until there are two candidates left and the candidate with the most votes is elected the winner.
In a July 3 letter to legislative leaders, McGrane wrote that it could cost between $25 million and $40 million to replace Idaho’s vote tabulation systems to count ranked-choice voting ballots. But supporters of the initiative said the state doesn’t need to replace its voting systems because there is low-cost software available that could be certified for use in Idaho to count ranked-choice ballots.
This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.
Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane.
Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun.
Bouquets:
• We appreciate all of those who donated money toward the Reader archival project. We’ve reached our goal and will soon begin the process of pulling each edition from 2004 to the present, as well as sending digital files to the library for their online archival page. Thank you to the following individuals for contributing toward this project: Anonymous ($100), Mike Peck ($100), Patty Ericsson ($100), Steve Klatt ($50), Tari Pardini ($15), Dave and Sharon Mudra ($100), Loris and Richard Michael ($100), Julie and Mara Monroe ($50), Robert Frets ($20), Vanessa Velez ($250) Geraldine Fry ($150), Mary Wells ($100), Tim Henney ($250), and Follow, a Community ($1,000).
Barbs:
• A recent caller urged us to remind everyone that they should never leave their pets unattended in a hot car. Not only is it dangerous for the pet, but it’s illegal. Under Idaho’s animal care law, you can be cited with a fine of between $100 and $5,000 and up to six months in jail for a first-time offense. Even if the outside temperature is only 70 degrees, the inside of your vehicle may be as much as 20 degrees hotter, which can be deadly for pets.
• Beware of scammers calling local numbers and claiming to be from the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, though caller ID shows their location in Pocatello. The scammers will say they need to speak about an “urgent legal matter,” and will know your name and address, too. If you receive a call like this, don’t call the number given to you by the scammer. Instead call BCSO dispatch at 208265-5525 to see if it’s legit.
Dear editor,
We all care about the children in our WBCSD community and want the best education for them. Property owners who live here would like to see their tax money for local schools be well spent. According to Merriam-Webster, accounting is the practice of recording and summarizing financial transactions and analyzing, verifying and reporting the results. So, would having someone skilled in accounting be a great asset on the board? Guess what? We have one, and her name is Kathy Nash. Kathy is an accountant by profession and applies those principles to her work as a trustee. She does this for our school district as a volunteer (not paid), as well as having a private business for others.
Being a school board trustee demands tremendous diligence as they have fiduciary responsibility for our tax dollars. It also requires a huge time commitment, since the last meeting lasted from 6 p.m. until after midnight. Additionally, there were over 40 pages in the trustee packet to digest before the meeting. Since Kathy feels it is important to analyze and verify spending, she asked for more time to examine nine pages she had been sent at the last minute. She respectfully recognized it was not the fault of the payroll person, and in fact, she complimented her. She chose to abstain from voting. Another trustee said he had time to read them and made a motion to accept them. This was not only disrespectful to Kathy, it also did not recognize another trustee wanting to do a thorough job of accounting for the district. The motion was passed. Thank you, Trustee Nash, for trying to be the best you can be for the school district. Thank you also for recognizing your fiduciary responsibility to all of us taxpayers.
Kathryn Barlow Spirit Lake
‘Reclaim Idaho’ with open primaries initiative…
Dear editor,
These past two months have provided a bit of fresh air to many of us who take our current political situation the least bit seriously, but it’s time to get back to work! Idahoans For Open Primaries; Veterans For Open Primaries; Republicans for Open Primaries; Mormon Women For Ethical Government; openprimaries. org; and, not least of all, Reclaim Idaho and the more than 2,000 vol-
unteers statewide that have worked to get the Open Primaries Initiative on the Idaho state ballot, are not stopping now! Each and every one of the aforementioned organizations has a website where you can find accurate and verifiable information. We need your help! If you or any of your friends or associates are not aware, please help spread the word. We’ll need every vote we can get!
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has sued the secretary of state to have all of the nearly 100,000 signatures statewide nullified and to remove the initiative from the ballot. Further, his office would provide the defense for the SOS! No kidding, this is how our current state government works! On July 30, the Idaho Supreme Court ordered Labrador to show cause within the next 24 hours why he should not be disqualified from representing SOS Phil McGrane. It would be quite naive to imagine that Gov. Brad Little isn’t aware of the AG’s action and intent.
The entrenched hard-right Republican aristocracy in our state are in control of Idaho’s laws. They like it this way! Ballot initiatives are the only means by which the average voter (even within the agreement of the vast majority of the state) can get legislation on the ballot. Help make our votes count… reclaim Idaho!
Jay Omundson Cocolalla
‘Neglected weedy vacant properties’…
Dear editor,
With the extreme temperatures along with high humidity, it seems more individuals are suffering from severe allergies, respiratory ailments and painful sinus problems. I believe part of the problem could also be contributed from the many vacant properties with overgrown obnoxious weeds being left unintended. Are there no ordinances to control this? If there aren’t, there should be! The property owners should take responsibility, not only for their neighbors’ health, but also to keep Sandpoint beautiful, which unfortunately in some areas, are shamefully becoming an eyesore! On a personal note, for all you bird and bee lovers, please be assured that I’m doing my part to keep them happy and well fed with beautiful lavender plants and a wellstocked “hummer” feeder.
Thank you!
Jo Reitan Sandpoint
‘We the people’ make America great, but ‘we’ must vote to make it so…
Dear editor,
I’m an 83-year-old, retired Navy veteran and I’m disgusted!
I’m disgusted by the hypocritical actions of the GOP. Their candidates, from top to bottom, say they want to protect our “freedoms” while denying women’s health care needs, minorities the right to vote, people’s right to learn the truths of our history, love who they wish and obsequiously defending a proven liar. Our representatives — state and federal — must speak for the majority of their constituents; not be spineless sycophants for a convicted felon.
This November we have a clear choice of either moving forward or going backward. This is a choice of being able to fulfill the promises of our Constitution or to lose our democratic republic. The divisive politics of pitting American against American must end. It must not be “us” against “them.” It’s “we the people” that make this country great.
But politics is not a spectator sport. You don’t win any medals while you’re sitting in the stands. It requires participation. We must all work to preserve our democratic republic. Everyone needs to look at the issues and decide. It is the duty of every eligible citizen to get involved, be informed, register and vote!
Gil Beyer Sandpoint
Open primaries will fix a ‘broken system’…
Dear editor, Attorney General Raúl Labrador filed a lawsuit demanding the secretary of state invalidate all signatures on petitions for the Open Primary Initiative. My tax money and yours will be used to defend Labrador’s ploy. A new PAC is raising money to defeat our initiative in court. Rich people will buy votes.
In only 13 years since Idaho adopted a closed primary system, power has been stolen by Republican Party insiders. Labrador et al. benefit from this broken system. They will do everything in their power to keep it broken.
Taxes and private money (much of it from out-of-state) is used to further the personal agendas of lawmakers and officials.
But with our own money being used against us, how can we elect people to run Idaho who listen to us? Only through the Open Primary Initiative, where everyone (including
Independents) can vote in a single primary, and candidates regardless of party, or no party, can run.
How would you like to see more than one Republican on the ballot in the general election?
Then we can vote for Republicans who will fund schools, libraries and hospitals and support citizens initiatives.
Donate to Reclaim Idaho’s defense of the Open Primary Initiative.
Nancy Gerth Sagle
‘Rain welcome’…
Dear editor,
Here on the upstairs balcony I welcome the summer rain. The murmur of refreshing raindrops on the willow and maple leaves fulfill the collective need for life-giving moisture. The resulting dampness helps keep at bay the potential wildfires, gives us the opportunity to ease our anxiety and reminds us of the graceful beauty of Mother Earth.
Steve Johnson Sagle
In support of Karen Matthee for Idaho House 1A…
Dear editor,
We need more people in a Legislature who can look at both sides of the issues that are facing Idaho. Karen Matthee is that person. She is respectful of other views but knows what matters.
She supports schools and libraries. She is in favor of raising the minimum wage to a level that would make Idaho’s workers able to cover basic needs such as food, housing and transportation.
Let’s give her a chance to turn Idaho around with common sense and respect.
Vote Karen Matthee for Idaho State Legislature.
Susan Bates-Harbuck Sandpoint
Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters up to 300 words long. Please refrain from writing libelous statements or excessive profanity. Please elevate the conversation. Trolls will be ignored and laughed at. Send letters to the editor to:
letters@sandpointreader.com
This hobbit kills fascists
J.D. Vance and the attempted perversion of The Lord of the Rings
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
Cultures as different as England post-1066 C.E. and Nazi Germany have manipulated myths and stories to substantiate their ideologies and shape their images. This practice is alive and well today. With fantasy media serving as the wellspring for modern mythology, the heirs to the Nazis have been especially fixated on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings almost since the trilogy’s publication in the ’50s.
A recent Politico article, “How Lord of the Rings Shaped J.D. Vance’s Politics,” revealed that Vance — convicted felon Donald Trump’s chosen running mate — credits Tolkien’s work with shaping his conservative political views. He didn’t specify any particular views, but Vance, like many extremists, promotes isolationism, bigotry and Christian nationalism.
It’s disappointing to learn that Sen. Vance’s alma mater, Yale, neither requires nor teaches reading comprehension to its students.
Tolkien famously called Adolf Hitler a “ruddy little ignoramus” and accused him of, “Ruining, perverting, misapplying and making forever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved,” by weaponizing anachronistic ideas about ancient Germanic culture and myth.
That Vance, who has chosen to play Rudolf Hess to the man he once called “America’s Hitler,” could ever imagine his ideologies are in line with Tolkien demonstrates a severe lack of critical thinking skills, and his misinterpretation of The Lord of the Rings is in the same
genre of perversion that Tolkien despised.
Speaking to Politico, Luke Burgis, author and professor at Catholic University of America, stated, “I think it’s fair to say that Vance believes there is real spiritual evil in this world, and it can become embodied in rites and rituals.”
Tolkien’s interpretation of good and evil isn’t nearly so reductive as the us-versusthem mentality that Vance feeds to spur on radical elements of the far-right, whose hatred and divisiveness used to relegate them to the fringes of U.S. politics. In Tolkien’s world, everyone is capable of both good and evil.
LOTR’s antagonists, be they Sauron, Saruman, Gollum or the ring wraiths, all have histories illustrating a time when
they were “good,” before they gave into their greed, envy, fear and pride, and turned on their old allies. Because of this, Gollum is even given multiple opportunities for redemption, though he’s ultimately unable to overcome his corruption.
The former-liberal-turnedright-wing toady Vance could justifiably see himself in those character arcs, if nothing else.
Perhaps Tolkien’s most revolutionary idea is that this freedom of moral choice means that heroes are fallible, and so the only path to peace is through mercy, kindness and cooperation.
The journey to destroy the One Ring and save the “free peoples of the world” from the tyrant Sauron begins with the founding of the Fellowship of the Ring — a group
of delegates from different regions and backgrounds who set aside their disagreements to work toward a common goal. These representatives mirror the separate peoples of Middle-earth who fight and die for one another in their quest for freedom.
These concepts should sound familiar to Sen. Vance — though he’s only been in office for a year and a half — yet he continues to push for isolationism and spew hateful rhetoric with the intention of exacerbating political division.
It LOTR, the work and sacrifices of the many are what give Frodo the opportunity to destroy the One Ring, but even after dedicating himself mind, body and soul, he cannot resist the lure of ultimate power. He fails when he becomes isolated from his
allies and is left unchecked.
The destruction of the ring is an accident that only occurs because, up until then, Frodo showed compassion and mercy to Gollum, a being completely alien to him that he nonetheless chose to empathize with.
Tolkien’s emphasis on camaraderie, cooperation and compassion simply cannot be twisted to justify support for a man who promises he won’t be a dictator “other than Day 1” of his term, and that if he wins, his supporters “won’t have to vote anymore.”
Vance calls Trump “America’s last, best hope,” as if one man given ultimate power
Vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance meets with campaign advisers. Design by Ben Olson, courtesy photo.
Science: Mad about
western tanager
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist
Astute bird-watchers and casual backyard feeders may have the occasional good fortune to witness a brilliant feathered neighbor darting between the branches: the western tanager.
This bird is relatively common throughout the late spring and summer, but they’re a tricky-to-spot forest denizen, unless you really know where to look. The western tanager has a striking appearance, with brilliant yellow plumage punctuated by inky black wing feathers while the males sport bright red faces. The darkness of the wings vanish into the shadows of the conifers while the yellow blends right into the greens of the canopy.
The females are even more well camouflaged, with greengray along their wings and back, and a dull and dirty yellow along the underbelly, head and tail. The females blend right into the boughs of trees.
This bird isn’t particularly fond of seeds and vastly prefers insects and fruit when it’s time to feed. Suet blocks flavored with berries are a great way to attract them to your yard, while bird baths give them a reprieve from the summer heat and a reliable source of water to keep the birds hydrated and interested in your yard.
The stark red feathers of the male are actually attributed to their diet, as they don’t produce the rhodoxanthin pigment naturally. Rather, it’s believed to be processed from the insects the tanager consumes. Rather than excrete the pigment as waste, it becomes a glorious mating display to showcase the tenacity and viril-
ity of the breeding males.
Western tanagers have a staggering range during the breeding season, with some staying as far south as western Texas and others traveling as far north as Canada’s Northern Territories. Preferring coniferous forests, they will actively avoid much of the high desert, including vast swaths of northern Nevada, central Oregon and the Columbia River Basin of Washington state. Filled to bursting with conifers, Bonner County provides ample seasonal housing for the western tanager. During the fall and winter seasons, the bird prefers the sunny climes of southern Mexico, straying as far south as Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The females will lay between three and five eggs per nest. The eggs are pale blue in color and speckled with brown blotches. The female will sit on her eggs for roughly two weeks. Once the eggs have hatched into tanager chicks, both parents will contribute to feeding the young until they’re ready to leave the nest — around two weeks after they’ve hatched.
Unafraid of heights, western tanagers will seldom build a nest lower than 15 feet from the base of a tree — preferably a conifer — while nesting up to 65 feet up at the highest. The female is the premier architect of a tanager pair, creating an open cup from whatever she may find as a suitable material. They like to build the nest where a branch horizontally forks, providing a natural support on two sides.
As mentioned above, these birds like fruit and insects and will do the majority of their foraging in the canopies of trees. They are graceful and agile birds and will actively pursue insects in flight. They also feed on the nectar from
flowers, as well as the pollinators that frequent them. Wasps and bees are a favorite of the western tanager, though it’s not particularly picky when it comes to meaty insects, as it will also consume grasshoppers, beetles and cicadas. Curiously, western tanagers enjoy citrus fruits, which is rare in the natural world, especially in locations where citrus doesn’t naturally grow.
The call of the western tanager is one you would likely recognize, especially this time of year. It’s a short and undulating chirp with frequent pauses. To my ear, it sounds like the bird is saying: “Whip it, whip it, beer!” The call is easily mistaken for that of the robin, especially if the source of the call is invisible from the canopy of the forest.
Western tanagers face similar climate challenges to other birds. Rising temperatures throughout the North American West has increased the risk of fire, which directly endangers young tanagers and nesting locations. Destroyed forest canopies deprive the birds of places to forage and cover from raptors. Heat waves in the spring endanger the nest-bound chicks. Harsh winters don’t bother the tanager, as they spend that time in the tropics anyway.
Are you hoping to track down and spot a western tanager with your own eyes? Now is a great time to get outside and do some casual birdwatching. Come visit me at Pine Street Woods in the main lot on Friday, Aug. 9 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to check out the library’s mobile science center. I’ll have a number of field guides available to explore local flora and fauna, as well as invasive species. Birding backpacks will also be available to check out on the trailhead if you have
your library card with you — these are a part of our Library of Things that contain a pair of Vortex binoculars, a copy of Sibley’s Guide to Birds West, and a community birding journal to mark down any birds you see to share with your community. It’s the only book the library will let you check out that we encourage you to write in!
This citizen science initiative is a great and free way to spend a couple of hours exploring your local ecosystem and learning more about
which critters call this place home. It’s a great way to discover local plants and find what is actually invasive and out of place for our area.
Did you know the white oxeye daisies that sprout everywhere around here are actually invasive? It’s an introduced ornamental flower that spreads aggressively throughout local ecosystems. It isn’t noxious like tansy or knapweed, but it still outcompetes native plants for precious space and resources.
Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner
• Legend credits the ancient Chinese with inventing ice cream, but nobody knows for sure. We do know that iced drinks and desserts were around as early as 4000 B.C.E. when nobles along the Euphrates River built ice houses to cool down during the Mesopotamian summer heat. It wasn’t until the 15th century C.E. when the first European ice creams and water ices (or sherbets) were made in Italy.
• George Washington bought a mechanical ice cream maker for his estate at Mount Vernon in 1784 after the dessert came over from Europe.
• Ice cream parlors replaced many bars and saloons during Prohibition in the 1920s, becoming places to gather and listen to music without breaking the law.
• The Apollo space missions included freeze-dried ice cream on board, but astronaut Mike Massimino said it was “more closely related to a building material than a food.”
• During World War II, Commander J. Hunter Reinburg converted a plane to hold canned milk and cacao, then flew to an altitude where
the temperature dropped below freezing, making ice cream for the troops stationed on the island of Peleliu.
• Ice cream cones were invented by Italian immigrant Italo Marchiony in 1903, but didn’t become popular until the next year when they were introduced to the World’s Fair in St. Louis by a Syrian immigrant named Ernest A. Hamwi.
• New Zealand consumes the most ice cream per capita of any country in the world. Each Kiwi averages 7.4 gallons of ice cream per year.
• The ice cream sundae came about because of religious “blue laws” in the 1800s, which prevented the sale of certain goods like alcohol or soda on Sundays. The soda floats were replaced with chocolate sauce to create the first “Sunday soda,” which became known as the ice cream sundae over time.
• Brain freeze happens when something cold touches the roof of your mouth, causing blood vessels to constrict and dilate. Avoid it by warming the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
A male western tanager.
Courtesy photo.
would be willing or able to secure the personal freedom and happiness of those he lords over. Tolkien’s writings outline 61,000 years of struggles wherein power must be wrested from the corrupt individuals who seek to hoard it, yet apparently those stories were lost on Vance, who sees himself as a shepherd of humanity akin to Gandalf.
His venture capital business, Narya, is named after the wizard’s ring of power, which is said to strengthen hearts to resist tyranny and despair. Those ideals ring hollow in the face of Vance’s fear mongering in an effort to deliver power to a self-proclaimed dictator.
His ignorance follows in the footsteps of his mentor, Peter Thiel, who named his tech company Palantir, after the crystal balls that appear in LOTR and the extended legendarium. The palantíri gave users the power to see and communicate with one another, and though not inherently evil, they were famously used by Sauron to corrupt the once just Saruman and drive Denethor II, the steward of the largest kingdom of men, to madness, despair and death.
Finally, Vance has chosen to invest in Anduril Industries — named after Aragorn’s sword — which develops military software that makes it easier than ever to kill remotely and remorselessly. Naming a manufacturer of death machines after one of Tolkien’s great symbols of hope and redemption shows that these men fail to grasp one of LOTR’s core philosophies:
“I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
Vance warping The Lord of the Rings to suit his needs may sound like a small crime, but humanity is a race of storytellers. The reason cultures continue to weaponize myths is because they are the easiest way to spread an ideology; and, if they’re popular enough, they inform and alter our culture.
Anyone interested in Tolkien is vulnerable to indoctrination through disinformation and unfounded interpretations of his stories. By poisoning the root text of modern fantasy, sophomoric dogmatists like Vance also open the door to bigoted practices in the genre as a whole, giving anyone who yells loud enough the ability to shape representations of marginalized groups and control the narratives that become the popular myths of our society.
All photographs taken during the final week of performances at the Festival at
To
Sandpoint.
Photos by the one and only Racheal Baker.
COMMUNITY
Ribbon cuttings celebrate local retailers
By Reader Staff
The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce is busy these days, welcoming new business Wine 4 U to Sandpoint and marking T-Mobile’s new location in Ponderay.
Chamber representatives joined Wine 4 U owner Beth Giacomo for a ribbon cutting and grand opening of her wine shop at 1218 N. Division Ave., Suite 101.
Giacomo launched her business in Sandpoint about three years ago as an online wine seller. She then added a subscription-based monthly wine club, concierge services to help customers stock their wine racks and cellars, and sold hand-curated gift baskets. In addition, the business hosted private
group wine tastings, open-to-the-public monthly wine tastings the third Monday every month at The Back Door (111 Cedar St.), and now adds a physical location to allow customers to check out the wines and wine accessories on offer.
For more details, email info@ wine4uonline.com.
Meanwhile, the chamber celebrated T-Mobile’s new location at 300 Bonner Mall Way, Suite 144, in Ponderay.
The nationwide telecommunications company marked the grand opening of its corporate store at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay by welcoming store staff, district management and the chamber with a ribbon cutting.
For more info on the Chamber, visit sandpointchamber.org.
BY THE NUMBERS
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
$96.7 billion
Amount in federal, state and local taxes paid by undocumented immigrants in 2022, according to a new study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The study also found that undocumented immigrants paid more in taxes than the top 1% of earners in 40 states.
1.3 million +
The number of total acres burned in Oregon due to wildfires in 2024, which is on trend to set a state record for the amount of acres affected by wildfire. At press time, 34 large fires are currently burning across the state. More than 30 homes and 60 structures have been claimed by fire this year.
FEATURE Leading the library
A conversation with Incoming East Bonner Library Director Vanessa Velez
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
When the former director of the East Bonner County Library resigned in early 2024, trustees embarked on a monthslong nationwide search for a replacement. After interviewing a number of candidates, it turned out the right choice had been there all along.
Vanessa Velez, who more than once served as interim director, was selected for the job in mid-July. She now leads 45 or so employees who serve a population of about 40,000 people — as many as 1,000 of whom may cross the library threshold on any given day.
Velez, 41, has worked at the EBCL since 2006 — the year she moved to the Sandpoint area after earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature from Yale and spending a few years in Switzerland (where she’s a dual citizen).
Despite her international and university travels, Velez is no stranger to the Inland Northwest — born in Colville, Wash., she attended high school in Northport, Wash. and came to Sandpoint because her best friend from home had relocated here.
She first lived in a cabin in Laclede — not far from the Klondike Bar — and worked as a server at the former-Beach House (now Trinity at City Beach) and the Coldwater Creek retail store. Once the summertime trade dried up, Velez moved closer to town and thought she’d get involved with the library — first applying to volunteer.
However, with four years of experience working in access services at the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale, she was a shoe-in for a paid position, starting out as a library page and desk attendant. Six years later, in 2012, Velez enrolled in an online master’s program in library and information science at the University of Washington, which she completed in 2015.
A few weeks into her official role as EBCL director, Velez sat down with the Reader to talk about what drew her to the job, how she views the role of public libraries, how libraries have faced technological and political challenges, and answered the toughest question of all: what’s her favorite book.
The following interview has been shortened for length.
Sandpoint Reader: What attracted you to library work?
Vanessa Velez: “The first thing would be the books. I was a lifelong reader and surrounded by books at home but also the library that we used was the Colville library, which was teeny tiny — I’m pretty sure it was just built out of what used to be someone’s little house. A thousand square feet maybe, and I just remember spending a lot of time there and what we could take back from the library supplemented everything: my education, imagination, everything.”
SR: How would you describe the role the library plays in the community?
VV: “Discovery, exploration, connection, those are the tagline terms I would use. You can roll in by yourself and look for something yourself or you can ask for help and get an extra level of interaction from a staff person, maybe get some more
discovery and learn how to use some tools that you didn’t know about. Or you can take it a level further and access a program — take your kids to story time or attend an informational session or a book reading.
“We take it further than some libraries do. We have the Lifelong Learning Center, which is actually kind of unique with public libraries. Not many public libraries have a tutoring department like we do that goes through all ages. You have children getting extra attention for whatever — literacy, math, science — up through adults studying for their citizenship exams or learning English or learning other languages if we have tutors that can fill that niche. That’s an extra service that we provide.”
SR: What’s something about our local library that people might not know, but should?
VV: “You can do 3-D printing and explore virtual reality and attend a lot of different programs. ...
“When you’re looking for some-
thing to do, don’t forget about the library. Check the calendar. Library stuff is always free and you can get the same level of instruction and interaction from a paid program but it’s free for attendees, so it’s just super accessible. You’re not expected to buy anything, it’s all free services.”
SR: Because you’ve already paid for it through the taxing district.
VV: “Exactly. The value I would say is massive, though. When I look at my own tax bill I’m always kind of blown away by the dollar portion that goes to the library district, and I think, ‘Well, I checked out three books and pretty much made that up.’”
SR: Can you paint a picture of the on-the-ground impact of our library district?
VV: “The Lifelong Learning Center is unique. The garden is also apparently a unique aspect. We just had a representative from the ICFL [Idaho Commission for Libraries, which gives support for libraries around the state] come up on a North Idaho tour and he was super blown away by the garden. Not only is it an attractive space just to hang out, it’s also a showcase for local landscaping and garden plants.
“And the connections and the education that can happen from a space like that have been huge. Not only showing people what you can grow here in this region, but having programs providing techniques and allowing people to come together and share tips. ... Now you have this network that you can tap into and that was created just from a library program.”
SR: The old fashioned view of a library was a quiet, dusty place where you have to ‘shush’ and the job of a librarian is to sit at a desk and stamp your book; but that’s not what librarians do, is it? When did that shift occur?
VV: “In the ’80s, culturally, it was the me-me-me decade and I believe that libraries at the time were dealing with a bit of an identity crisis and potentially losing funding for lack of perceived relevance to their communities. So if you were just dusty book repositories, what is your value at that
< see VELEZ, Page 17 >
EBCL Director Vanessa Velez at the Sandpoint branch of the library. Photo by Ben Olson.
point? That’s a time when libraries got into providing more popular materials — even more on the entertainment side of the spectrum, including other formats. As that developed, it became, ‘How can libraries step in to provide other services that are no longer being provided?’ like social services that were being gutted at that time, too. ...
“That concept of the ‘third place’ or the ‘third space’ was also developed a few decades ago and that’s that the library can be the third place or space — you have home as your first, work is your second and what’s your third? For some it may be church, it may be a local watering hole, but it can also be a space like the public library, and so libraries started looking at what their communities needed and started filling those roles.”
SR: That also coincides with the rise in personal information technology in the form of home computers, so you have this confluence of technology and a hostile political climate, which forced libraries to adapt?
VV: “Yeah, and because libraries are still generally seen as trustworthy organizations and are apolitical — or should be — they’re not immune obviously to changing political climates, but they shouldn’t be controlled politically. Unfortunately there’s a little bit of that going on, but the idea that they’re aside from that is something we want to hold onto.”
SR: What’s it like to be a librarian in Idaho right now? I’ve read that something like 60% of librarians in Idaho are talking about leaving the state. What’s the mood?
VV: “It’s variable. It’s a bit depressing to be attacked for providing the services that you have provided for decades and that most community members still want you to provide. I was hesitant to even apply for the position, but 10 years ago it wouldn’t have even been a question. I would have been like, ‘Oh yeah, in a heartbeat.’ But in this current political climate it does make it more fraught and stressful and just the time wasted responding to anti-library legislation is significant.”
SR: And it’s still unfolding. How do you plan to manage the implications of House Bill 710 [the ‘harmful materials’ bill now known as Idaho Code 18-1517B] since it went into effect July 1?
VV: “We’re in compliance with it, as stated in the law, and we haven’t yet had to respond to a challenge under the law, so I guess that remains to be seen. ...
“Other libraries have had requests for relocation under the law and they haven’t seen yet how they have come to pass. The law does include a 60-day timeframe for a decision to be made. Even if some libraries got a request on July 1, we wouldn’t have seen that timeline run out for another month or so.
“The thing is it depends on your ability to absorb risk or respond to risk. The thing with smaller libraries that have pretty meager budgets, they don’t have the ability to pay legal fees. We do have a certain budget for legal fees — which is sad that we even need that and it has increased this year — but we have the luxury of being able to budget for that, whereas smaller libraries don’t have that option. ... We can kind of wait and see what we have to do.”
SR: But this traditionally hasn’t even been an issue, has it?
VV: “No, no, no — we already had a reconsideration request process in place, like most libraries did, and we might get two a year. It’s not common.”
SR: What’s your favorite part of going to work at the East Bonner County Library?
VV: “ I just really love it when any service or program we provide has created a positive impact in somebody’s life. We get comments, at a minimum weekly, about how grateful someone is that they have gotten access to a book they wanted or were able to 3-D print a part for something that they were building or attend a program that they learned something from, or got tutoring for their kid who was struggling in a class. ...
“The library creates connections that get people jobs, and that’s huge. That can set someone up for a lifelong trajectory that they maybe wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
SR: We have all this technology, but at the core of it is the books. What keeps books around?
VV: “It’s a way of preserving and transmitting information, but also snapshots of life, imagination — also how to do something. In librarianship, when you’re learning how to recommend things to readers, you talk about the concept of ‘mirrors, windows and doors.’ So a ‘mirror’ can be something that reflects your experience back at you; a ‘window’ might be a peek into another type of life or another type of world; and a ‘door’ is a portal to something even further into that.
“You can read for comfort, or you can read for a challenge or you can read for a combination of any of those things and I think that’s what’s so
magical about books. ...
“Books are at the core, but it’s really that transmission of ideas across time that captures that.”
SR: Now for the hardest question of all: What’s your favorite book?
VV: “I’m honestly not sure I can answer that. You would think that over the years I’d have a go-to answer for that, and everytime I’m like, ‘Uh, uh, uh, what’s the last book I read that was really good?’ ...
“I’ll mention the Earthsea trilogy by Ursula Le Guin. She is such a beautiful writer and she always pushed the envelope with a lot of her concepts, but also had a very strong humanitarian core to her writing. It has everything — it has a protagonist that you want to cheer for that has a lot of learning to do but has a good heart, and dragons. The message of it is that you can’t run away from yourself, and you can be on this epic journey toward something and right a wrong that maybe you caused — that you have to deal with aspects of yourself to complete that journey in any kind of true way.”
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com
Kombucha Workshop
5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33
Learn how to make your own kombucha and take home your own SCOBY
THURSDAY, august 8
Artist Reception: Mary Esther Hooley 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Marcus Stevens
6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Live Music w/ Moneypenny
6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip
7-9pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Live Music w/ Jacob Robin 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Live Music w/ Jordan Pitts
6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ
Live Music w/ Zach Simms
5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Indie, soul and pop
POAC Arts and Crafts Fair (Aug. 10-11)
9am-5pm @ Downtown Sandpoint
Artist booths, food vendors, multimedia artwork on display. Proceeds support POAC
Sandpoint Chess Club
9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am
Cottage Market 10am-4pm @ Farmin Park
August 8 - 15, 2024
West Coast swing lessons
4:15-5:30pm @ The Yellow Room, 102 Euclid Ave. No partner necessary. Ages 8+. $5-10 donation
Game Night 6:30pm @ Tervan Trivia Night 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
FriDAY, august 9
Concert: Life During Wartime
8:30pm @ The Hive
A dynamic band bringing the music of the Talking Heads to life. $30/$35
Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes
6-9pm @ 1908 Saloon
Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 8-10pm @ Baxter’s Back Door
SATURDAY, august 10
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6-8:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Matt Lome
6-9pm @ Barrel 33
Hikes, Bikes and Brews
12-3pm @ Schweitzer (Rowdy Grouse yurt)
Kid-safe axe throwing competition, costumes, prizes and more
Live Music w/ Hannah Meehan
7-9pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
SunDAY, august 11
Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s Up close magic shows at the table
Summit Nature Hike
POAC Arts and Crafts Fair (Aug. 10-11) 9am-5pm @ Downtown Sandpoint
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi
7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Outdoor Experience Group Run
6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome
Bonner County Fair (Aug. 13-17) Bonnercountyfair.com
Live Piano w/ Jennifer Stoehner 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market
3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park
Live Piano w/ Peter Lucht 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Sip ’n’ Shop to Benefit Friends of Panida 4-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Portion of proceeds support Panida
Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Alice in Wonderland play (Aug. 9-10)
6:30pm @ Panida Theater
The end result of a 3-week Summer Theatre Production Camp by LPO Repertory Theatre
Live Music w/ Brendan Kelty & Friends 8-11pm @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ The Sevens 8-10pm @ Baxter’s Back Door
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park
Alice in Wonderland play (Aug. 9-10) 2:30pm @ Panida Theater
Live Music w/ Miah Kohal Band 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Outlaw rock ’n’ roll
1:30-2:30pm @ Schweitzer A free hosted tour of the Summit View Loop Trail Sandpoint Swing Dance • 6pm @ Sandpoint Comm. Hall 1-hour hustle basics dance lesson at 6, then general dancing from 7-9. $8 at the door. All welcome
monDAY, august 12
LPO Rep A Christmas Carol auditions
6pm @ Community Resource Envision Ctr. General cast auditions for ages 8+. Sign up at lporep.com
tuesDAY, august 13
LPO Rep A Christmas Carol auditions
6pm @ Community Resource Envision Ctr. Sign up at lporep.com
wednesDAY, august 14
Pinochle Wednesday 9:30am @ Sandpoint Senior Center
Open Mic Night 6pm @ Tervan Tavern
ThursDAY, august 15
West Coast swing lessons
Weekly Trivia Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Ballroom dance lessons
5:15-6:15pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Drop-ins welcome for all levels
Benny on the Deck concert series 5-7pm @ Connie’s Lounge Featuring guest Steve Livingstone
4:15-5:30pm @ The Yellow Room, 102 Euclid Ave. No partner necessary. Ages 8+. $5-10 donation
Game Night 6:30pm @ Tervan
Trivia Night 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Amphilochios: Saint of Patmos & Sacred Alaska
7pm @ Panida Theater Documentary films. More info at panida.org
Schweitzer’s Movies on the Mountain returns
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
Schweitzer will keep the party going every Friday night in August with free, family-friendly films screened on the lawn outside of the Crow’s Bench (64 Great Escape Lane). The Movies on the Mountain program begins at twilight — around 8 to 8:45 p.m. — on Friday, Aug. 9 with a showing of Disney’s G-rated Jungle Book.
“We highly encourage people to bring their own lawn chairs, beach chairs and blankets. Also, grab a bite at Crow’s Bench ahead of the show. They are open from noon-8 p.m. on weekends,” said Taylor Prather, Schweitzer’s marketing and communications manager.
Future showings include Star Wars
IV: A New Hope on Friday, Aug. 16 and Lilo & Stitch on Friday, Aug. 23. There’s no advanced signup required, and attendees are welcome to bring their own snacks or buy the food, drink and fresh popcorn available for cash purchase. For more information visit schweitzer.com.
POAC’s Arts and Crafts Fair to feature more than 120 artisans
By Reader Staff
People who were children when the Arts and Crafts fair debuted at City Beach are now bringing their grandchildren to the bigger and better fair in downtown Sandpoint 52 years later. This year, the Pend Oreille Arts Council is hosting more than 120 vendors, all with handmade, unique wares.
The show runs Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m and Sunday, Aug.11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors will set up their tents from Main Street east of Farmin Park to First Avenue and across Second Avenue from Cedar to Church streets.
Artists and crafters come from all over the country to participate in the show. Whether shoppers are looking for clever gifts or trying to find treasures for themselves, the fair is tailor-made for their discerning style. From metal art to pottery to jewelry to fine art to yard art, the show has something for everyone’s taste and budget.
Speaking of taste, food vendors will
LPO Rep marks end of summer camp with performances of Alice in Wonderland
By Reader Staff
The Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre is capping off its three-week Summer Theatre Production Camp with two performances of Alice in Wonderland on Friday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Panida Theater (330 N. First Ave.).
Friday’s show will take place at 6:30 p.m., with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Doors open an hour before both performances and tickets cost $25, available at panida.org or at the door.
Local kids ages 8-17 took part in the camp, which introduced them to the full theatrical experience — from auditions to prop-making and light set creation. They’ll use those skills to present a stage version of author Lewis
Carroll’s classic tale of Alice, who (literally) goes down the rabbit hole to a strange world full of curious creatures and embarks on a fantastical adventure.
LPO Rep is a well known local theater company that has put on a string of standout performances in recent years, most recently a stage adaptation of Legally Blonde in May. Up next, the troupe will be holding general auditions Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13 for a production of A Christmas Carol. Go to lporep.com for more information.
The upcoming Alice in Wonderland performances are presented by the Panida and LPO Rep, and the summer production camp was made possible by the Bonner County Fund for Arts Enhancement.
Angels Back to School program aids local schoolchildren
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
be on hand to serve lunch and snacks.
“This show grows every year and we’re thrilled that we have lots of returning artists along with several new and extremely original and inventive booths,” POAC President Dyno Wahl said. “We’ve been doing this show for a long time, and I think — no, I know — this year will exceed everyone’s expectations.”
Wahl said that the number of applications to participate this year was more than expected.
“This has given us the opportunity to choose the best of the best artists and crafters. We’re excited to see downtown filled with tents offering incredible and unique items,” she said. “I hope to see all of you there.”
For those who work and play downtown, note that the streets of the fair will be closed to vehicle traffic Friday, Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. until Sunday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. Cars parked in the area will be towed. Access to the City Lot will be on Church Street only.
For more information, visit artinsandpoint.org or call 208-263-6139.
Since 2002, the nonprofit organization Angels Over Sandpoint has spearheaded a program that ensures local school children always have necessary school supplies. The Back to School program is a massive philanthropic effort that starts with a literal truckload of supplies delivered to various locations and displayed for local families to obtain before the school year begins.
Angels Over Sandpoint volunteers stuff more than 1,000 backpacks with all the supplies students will need to succeed.
The Angels offer several different pickup dates and locations for families to obtain the supplies, including:
• Wednesday, Aug. 14, 4-7:30 p.m. at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School (1626 Spruce St., in Sandpoint);
• Thursday, Aug. 15, 9 a.m.-noon at Farmin Stidwell Elementary School;
• Thursday, Aug. 15, 5-7 p.m. at drive-up locations in the parking lots of Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School (502 N. Main St.), Sagle Elementary School (550 Sagle Road) and Kaniksu Community Health PR Clinic (6509 U.S. 2).
Angels co-chair Chelsey McQuoid said the annual Back to School program is a favorite for the dozens of volunteers who help make it happen.
The Angels rely on direct fundraising, grants and corporate sponsors to raise money for the program.
“Staples is our biggest community partner,” McQuoid said. “They give us significant discounts when ordering our supplies. Ryan Wells and his team are phenomenal and so helpful.”
McQuoid said the Community Assistance League and the Innovia Foundation each awarded the Angels with grants of $5,000, and Kochava gave the Angels $1,000.
“Our local mailing campaign raised a little over $17,000 last year, which is what we use to purchase supplies for this year’s event,” McQuoid said.
She also wanted to thank the Lake Pend Oreille School District for providing locations for the Angels to give away the supplies.
“It’s a really fun event to watch all those kids come in with smiles on their faces,” McQuoid told the Reader
For more info on the Angels Over Sandpoint, visit angelsoversandpoint.org.
Photo courtesy of Schweitzer.
A family picks out backpacks at a previous Back to School giveaway. Photo by Ben Olson.
By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist
The Sandpoint Eater Get out of town!
declarations of ownership from The St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.
Two weeks ago, I was exploring the wilds of the Canadian Rockies as a guest of Rocky Mountaineer — the luxury touring train that operates several routes in Western Canada.
We started my favorite day with breakfast in Banff, visiting iconic Lake Louise and breathtaking Lake Maligne, touring Athabasca Glacier in a mammoth snow coach and visiting Fairmont Hotel’s beautiful Jasper Park Lodge. At day’s end, Patrick, our Brewster Tours motorcoach driver, delivered us to Jasper, where we spent two nights before catching our Whistler-bound train.
On our second evening, I joined a couple of longtime travel friends, Bill and Tom, for cocktails. They celebrated 52 years of marriage, and visiting Banff and the Canadian Rockies had long topped their bucket list. They both agreed it did not disappoint. After cocktails, we headed to The Birch Kitchen for dinner.
Summer in Jasper is not unlike summer in Sandpoint, but it is on a much larger scale: overcrowded with tourists, its infrastructure bursting at the seams.
Our dinner conversation was lively, discussing the marvels of all we’d seen the previous few days, and eagerly anticipated our upcoming train journey. I am trying to remember what my friends ate, but I had a delicious shrimp Louie salad. Rumor has it that the shrimp (and crab) Louie (or sometimes “Louis”) salad was created for the fame of Louis Davenport, of the Davenport Hotel in Spokane. However, you will hear similar
Regardless of its provenance, it’s a favorite of mine, and when I see it on a menu, I eat it. As we lingered over dinner, a gust of wind whipped down Jasper’s main street, carrying chunks of debris and causing a short power outage.
On our walk back to the hotels, we commented on the smoke and haze that was settling in and hoped our Canadian Rockies views from the train wouldn’t be affected. We hugged goodnight at their hotel, and I continued several blocks before reaching mine.
I wasn’t in my room for more than an hour when an emergency warning siren went off in the hotel and then on my phone. We received notice that an immediate evacuation order was in place. Because our group of about 40 people was divided by regional subgroups and occupied two
Shrimp
different hotels, our communication wasn’t great.
We assembled in the lobby to await further instructions, and it was a melting pot of travelers. Many were tourists who spoke little or no English. Their tour had ended for the day, and a new coach would pick them up in the morning. There were bikers and hikers, young families with infants and wheelchair-bound elderly parents. We all milled in the lobby or the smokefilled parking lot, waiting for instructions. Even the hotel workers (many foreigners on a summer work visa) were uncertain what to do. Some people tried checking out, and others just fled for their vehicles, if they had one.
Many of us felt the need to help in some small way; comforting those who were paralyzed with fear, handing out masks and water. I was thankful that several guests ran up and down the hallways,
pounding on doors to alert and awaken especially sound sleepers (I wouldn’t have thought of that).
Finally, a coach arrived for us, with our familiar and beloved driver, Patrick, at the wheel. Though he was technically out of legal driving hours for the day, exceptions are made in emergencies. We settled on the couch and spent the next three hours going nowhere. Some of the guys on my coach ran to the other hotel we were occupying, led the rest of our group to the coach and loaded their bags before we had moved a block.
It was more than nerve wracking — 25,000 people were evacuating, and all exits led to one road. Finally, after seven hours, we arrived at the Community Centre in Valemount, B.C., 70 miles from Jasper. The center was full, but we found a haven with the folks (heroes) at New Life Centre. There were four evac-
uation centers set up, offering free food and coffee. There were no shrimp Louie salads, but plenty of hot coffee, peanut butter and bread. And a toaster! Honestly, nothing ever tasted better.
I watched those tireless volunteers prep fruit, make soup and sandwiches, fill water bottles and hand out endless hugs. I will forever be grateful.
The next day we made our way to Kamloops, and spent a couple of nights there before boarding the long-anticipated train to Vancouver. Crazy enough, one of the meals onboard the train was a lovely, chilled shrimp salad and I took that as a good omen.
And yes, I whipped up another one as soon as I got home. I think the Louie dressing makes the salad, and I hope you’ll like the recipe for mine.
(or crab) Louie dressing
Make several hours in advance and chill well. A Magic Bullet works really well for preparing this dressing. Enough dressing for 3 or 4 individual salads.
Add all ingredients to a blender or Magic Bullet and blend until smooth. Taste to correct the seasoning to your liking. Store covered in refrigerator for up to a week.
MUSIC
Festival at Sandpoint recap
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
With a flash of fireworks and a crescendo from the Festival at Sandpoint Orchestra, the popular summer concert series wrapped its 41st season on Aug. 4. The Reader tracked down Executive Director Ali Baranski, who shared insights into this year.
“We had really strong ticket sales this year,” Baranski told the Reader
While Baranski noted a “record-breaking July,” it’s too early to give final attendance numbers, because several refund requests are still being processed after Gavin DeGraw canceled his performance on Aug. 3 due to laryngitis.
“We also had record-breaking ticket sales for our grand finale: ‘How to Train Your Dragon in Concert’,” she said.
One show that stood out in many younger Festivalgoers’ minds was the Big Boi and Trombone Shorty performance on July 27.
“The Festival ... received a lot of positive feedback for the Big Boi/Trombone Shorty show — for both acts — as well as we enjoyed reading the article by Kaleb Keaton in the Reader [Perspectives, “The right kind of change,” Aug. 1, 2024],” Baranski said.
“Since I started booking in
2020, there has always been exploration into all genres,” she added. “At the end of the day, and due to our limited dates, what ends up booked comes down to a lot of luck and the chance that a tour happens to be routed through the Inland Northwest during our limited dates. Only about 10% of the offers we send out end up confirming, so this was not our first offer into the hip-hop genre, and it won’t be the last.”
This summer marks the second year under a new stage, after the iconic white tent was scrapped due to safety concerns before the 2023 concert series. Baranski noted it was an especially difficult year for setup.
“Due to the Microsoft outage, the stage tech’s flight was delayed several hours, meaning our stage set-up was delayed several hours,” Baranski said, noting that every hour counts when setting up the venue.
The excessive heat also contributed to the difficult process.
“The extreme heat during load-in meant that we were ending days early, as the heat — especially on the artificial turf — was not safe to have crews on in the afternoons,” she said. “We also had injuries and health concerns that left us without key seasonal
staff members for the majority of their supervisory duties. It was one of the hardest set-ups we’ve experienced in recent years; however, I could not have been more proud.”
When asked whether the Festival would remain at Memorial Field in the future, Baranski said that it’s complicated.
“The Festival at Sandpoint is seeking property for a new venue, however, this is a multi-year project, so we plan to remain at Memorial Field for the near future,” she said. “We will only move when the perfect property is found, procured and after a lengthy planning, fundraising and development process.”
Many challenges remain with hosting a concert series at Memorial Field. Baranski said city park fees increased by 60%, the event decking required to rent each year to protect the new artificial turf costs an additional $100,000+ and the new stage setup must be rented each year since the Festival can’t buy a stage for a pop-up venue.
“In short, our costs in the past four years to remain and operate at Memorial Field have increased tenfold and now exceed $200,000 annually,” Baranski told the Reader. “We love the location of Memorial Field, being on the water, the ease of access
for those on foot, bike or our very close shuttle. We love the history of our location and the proximity of Lakeview Park. However, financially, it is no longer feasible to remain here long-term.”
Baranski said she’s grateful for all of the Festival’s supporters, volunteers, sponsors and donors.
“As our costs keep increasing rapidly, our community is rising to the occasion,” she said. “We received record sponsorships and donations again this year — our third year in a row — and could not be more honored by the confidence, trust and support we’ve received year after year.
“Though to pop up a venue on a football field and put on nine high-calibur concerts in 11 days while coordinating over 600 volunteers and over 50 seasonal staff is no small feat, it is all worth it,” she continued. “Every year there are moments that make me ... misty-eyed while witnessing our crew dig deep and achieve the impossible during load-in, seeing thousands belt every word of their favorite artist — these are the moments when I remind myself that the Festival at Sandpoint is a catalyst of joy, community and connection, and I wouldn’t trade my job (or lack of sleep) for the world.”
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint
Life During Wartime, The Hive, Aug. 9 Moneypenny, Smokesmith Bar-B-Que, Aug. 9
Sometimes, the closest we get to hearing iconic bands live is a local artist covering one of their songs. Then there’s Life During Wartime, a Portland-based band playing the music of the Talking Heads. If you closed your eyes you’d think David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison were playing at the height of their popularity. The energetic band
flawlessly perform hits that you’ve all danced along to for years, decked out in costumes and utilizing fun props that add something special to this tribute show.
— Ben Olson
Doors at 7 p.m., music at 8:30 p.m., $30 online or $35 at door, 21+. Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-920-9039, livefromthehive.com. Listen at ldwband.com.
It’s possible that Smokesmith Bar-B-Que has landed on the perfect musical accompaniment to its namesake culinary offering. Missoula, Mont.-based blues-rock quartet Moneypenny is, simply put, precisely the kind of music that should be offered as a side at every barbecue joint worth its salt (and pepper). Moneypenny does everything a high-octane blues-rock outfit should: jumping guitar, scorching harmonica and rock-solid
This week’s RLW by Soncirey Mitchell
READ
According to both Goodreads and The Guardian, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien ranks among the top 10-20 books people pretend to have read. I’m a massive Tolkien nerd and I’m also willing to admit that the trilogy took me a while to finish. Don’t let the pacing discourage you, if you’re a fan of damn good stories and want to understand the roots of modern fantasy, there’s no better way to spend your free time.
rhythm. Don’t believe it? Go to the band’s website and check out its sample tracks — in particular, “Southbound” and “Messin With the Kid.” Catch Moneypenny at Smokesmith and you’ll wants seconds and probably thirds.
— Zach
Hagadone
6-8 p.m., FREE. Smokesmith Bar-B-Que, 102 S. Boyer Ave., 208920-0517, smokesmithidaho.com. Listen at mopennymissoula.com.
LISTEN WATCH
Several words come to mind when listening to the indie rock band Mother Mother: odd, peculiar and, above all, bizarre. They’re a truly unique listening experience that blends punchy, guitar-heavy rock with melodious interludes that contrast with their dark subject matter. The song “Burning Pile” — performed in a childish, singsong voice — got me hooked, but “Hayloft” is the one I’ve had on repeat for the past week.
BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime asks the question: “What if two idiots decided to investigate history’s greatest crimes?” The answer is eight seasons of friends Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej joking their way through explanations of gruesome deaths, all while solving absolutely nothing — it’s in the name. Their theories range from the intriguing to the idiotic, but the irreverent banter between the co-hosts is the real star of the show. Watch on Amazon Prime, Hulu or Youtube.
From Northern Idaho News, July 8, 1932
MAN WITH JUG LOST HIS WAY
A three-day search for William Doyle, 80-year-old inmate of the county poor farm, ended Monday morning when Mr. Sherwood found the old gentleman asleep in a hay cock west of Dover.
Instructed by Jake Eitelbuss, superintendent of the farm, to take a jug of water to some men at work in a nearby field, Doyle set out on his errand. He explained that he “lost his direction” in his jaunt and started wandering about. Saturday morning he was seen at the Helmholz home on West Pine. Mrs. Helmholz notified Mr. Eitelbbuss, who arrived a few minutes later only to find that the old man had disappeared in the brush.
A search was made of the wooded area, but with no avail. Doyle spent Saturday night in the woods and was seen Sunday morning at the Williams gravel pit, where he filled his water jug and went on down the Great Northern tracks, always eluding his searchers.
Hungry, wet and cold, the old gentleman had scarcely enough strength to walk when found Monday morning. He was given some hot coffee and a small amount of food and taken to the poor farm, given a hot bath and put to bed.
“We fed him carefully,” Mr. Eitelbuss said, “because he had been three days without food giving him not milk and broth, but this fare did not meet with his entire approval, because when dinner time came Monday night he had dressed himself and was at his regular place at the table. He said he wanted some solid food.
“We got him back to bed and he spent a very restful night,” he continued. “This morning I asked him how he felt and he said, ‘I’m feeling bully.’”
BACK OF THE BOOK
Defending the ‘weird’ from the ‘lame’
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
After a lifetime of being called “weird,” it’s strange to see that word having its cultural day in the sun, though being deployed to such devastating political effect. “Weird” is a schoolyard insult that is so effective because it’s amorphous. “Weird” is as much a feeling as it is a state of being; it signifies the casting out of a person, place, thing or even idea from the channels of the norm.
Of course, that makes it subjective and freighted with the context of its usage on a case-by-case basis. That said, I generally like “weird” things, and don’t automatically assume it’s a pejorative. I’m a lover of the uncanny and mysterious — an avid reader of “weird fiction” and, as a kid, wished that I could somehow join the Addams Family. I have pictures of vultures on my walls, listen to podcasts about medieval necromancy and own an accordion.
If all that’s “weird,” and many have called such things thus, then I’m happy to bear that descriptor. I always have been. Which is why I’m wary of “weird’s” current cache as a rhetorical roundhouse kick to people like Donald Trump and J.D. Vance — two men who are manifestly unfit for any position of authority, and I wouldn’t even want to be caught in an elevator with, much less see serving as the president and the vice president of the United States, respectively. They are an insult to “weirdness.”
I get it, though. “Weird” is disquieting but a little silly, and therefore deflates the target — simultaneously denigrating and rendering it harmless. That’s why it works so well against au-
thoritarians. A rabid dog is one thing, a weird one is another. There’s something comical about the “weird,” and if there is one thing that authoritarians hate, it’s comedy.
Trump hates Kamala Harris’ laugh because he’s probably never laughed in his life, other than in instances when his foot is on someone’s neck. The abject horror with which the conservative chattering class has responded to the Harris campaign’s signature joviality is symptomatic of the essential brittleness of its ideology. This is not unusual among tyrannical types, whether they have power or not.
Joseph Stalin was rumored to have loved a joke, but always at someone else’s expense. Adolf Hitler was famously unhumorous, and despised above all the reporters of the Munich Post, who in the early days of his thuggish ascension to political power saw immediately what a boob he was, and what buffoons everyone around him and who supported him were, and pointed this out with all the subversive glee that they could muster. He had their offices destroyed and locked up as many of them as he could. He couldn’t take a joke.
I’ve been a student of history for as long as I’ve been considered “weird,” and in many ways that’s probably related, and so I’m aware of the hazards of Stalin-Hitler comparisons. However, I also know that the office of the United States presidency holds powers more awesome and potentially destructive than any ever dreamed of by those dictatorial paragons. I know that’s not lost on Trump. If he gets his hands on those levers again, he has made no secret of his desire to use them against his enemies, and they are
those who have made fun of him. Who have called him “weird.”
Again, though, I must come to the defense of the “weird.” Trump and his faux hillbilly (neck)beard Vance are not “weird”; they are, like Stalin and Hitler, deeply “lame.” Stalin was so self-conscious of his acne scars that he forced Soviet photographers to airbrush his image whenever it appeared. Not doing so meant the gulag for any honest proto-photoshopper. Hitler subsisted on a diet of beans, cabbage and mineral water (and drugs), thus he was constantly farting.
With Trump, it’s that his hands are huge, his crowds are huge, his skin is flawless in its orange immensity, his hair is real and the best hair and, due to his massive consumption of fast food and soda, his presence has been said by some to also be announced by a cloud of flatulence, which during his criminal hush money trial reportedly left his lawyers gagging.
None of this is “weird,” because it is not uncanny or mysterious, nor is it even interesting. It is lame, as in misshapen and pathetic, wounded beyond repair, tedious and defective. If they are “weird” in any sense, it’s in uncoolest of ways. They’re not the Addams Family, they’re The Hills Have Eyes. They are people you wouldn’t want your kids to spend time with. If they sat next to you on a flight of any duration, you’d inwardly groan and wish you could sleep on planes.
All that said, if we’ve come to the point where we’re actively insulting these people with schoolkid taunts, we ought to be more circumspect about the disparagements we use. It would be a terrible shame if the “weird” ended up as a casualty of the “lame.”
Laughing Matter
Solution on page 22
By Bill Borders
lethargic
Word Week
of the
/luh-THAHR-jik/
[adjective]
1. drowsy; sluggish; apathetic
“The hot weather made everyone lethargic, so we decided to postpone the hike.”
Corrections:
Last week, we wrote the Festival at Sandpoint celebrated its “42nd season” recently, but it’s actually the 41st season. Sorry for the error. — BO
When I think back on all the blessings in my life, I can’t think of a single one, unless you count that rattlesnake that granted me all those wishes.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Desert plants 6. Gave birth to 11. Fruit of the oak tree 12. Extraordinary
Imbecile 16. Flashy
17. Appropriate
18. Large flightless bird 20. Driveway surface 21. A place to swim 23. Miami basketball team 24. Rubber wheel
25. Sea eagle
Bargain 27. Which person?
Stair
29. Circle fragment
Fixes socks 31. Secretariat, e.g.
Beach 36. Large flightless bird
Combines 41. Sail holder 42. Baby’s bed 43. Illustrated
Compassion
Hang around
Indian dress
Ever last one
Think likely
Pale
Baronages
Affectionate
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
Presumes
Growing old
Dispatches
Blockade
DOWN
Garage alternative
8. Talk effusively
Fire residue 10. Fee paid for instruction 13. Alerts 14. Stringed instrument 15. Flowing garments
