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PEOPLE compiled by

Zach Hagadone

watching

“What’s your weirdest superstition?”

“I used to wear pink socks every time I played a volleyball game.”

Did you win?

“About half the time.”

Katie Luthy Sandpoint

“I don’t think I have any — I think that people who are more willing to try different things … are more secure in themselves and don’t tend to be superstitious. Maybe they don’t spend time in the craft beer store, either.”

Sarah Wittman Wenatchee, Wash.

“I have a thing with the number nine. My birthday is Sept.

27, 1980, which a stranger once told me is highly auspicious in numerology, being a lot of nines and other numbers that add up to or are divisible to nine. I do not, however, have nine lives.”

Zach Hagadone Sandpoint “Dimes have always followed me around. I find them in strange places, at strange times. If they’re heads up, I always pick them up.

I pick up the ones that are tails down, too, but I flip them over first. Money is money.”

Ben Olson Sandpoint

“A friend told me once in fourth grade that if the first thing I said was “rabbit” when I woke up on the first of the month, it would bring me luck. You better bet I still do it.”

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey East Hope

DEAR READERS,

It’s the second week of Sandpoint Winter Carnival festivities. Check Page 17 for a rundown of events, and Page 18 for our events calendar filled with fun activities.

If you’ve been following the news lately, there are a lot of changes both coming to and currently happening here in Sandpoint and throughout the county. Whether its one of the many housing developments coming our way, or the rezoning issues of Selle Valley, or the road vacation matter at Camp Bay, our neighbors are speaking up far and wide about how these changes are affecting their lives and the makeup of this place we all call home. I applaud all of you taking the time to attend these long, sometimes frustrating meetings, writing letters to the editor and your elected representatives and generally being engaged in what is happening to our home. Amazing things can happen when people unite under a common cause. I encourage you all to stay informed and continue using the power of your collective voices, because we are powerful when we stand together. Conservative, liberal or somewhere between, we all live here together, and we should always seek a solution that benefits all, instead of just the few who stand to make a buck.

– Ben Olson, publisher

READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208) 946-4368

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Woods Wheatcroft (cover), Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Keith Bansemer, Gail Lyster, Dan Earle, Keely Gray, Zach Hagadone, Molly McCormick Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Emily Erickson, Kristina Kingsland, Paul Graves Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community.

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink.

Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.

Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics.

Requirements: –No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com About the Cover

This week’s cover features Justin Landis enjoying a beer while snow camping in a photograph taken by the one and only Woods Wheatcroft.

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NEWS

BOCC denies Camp Bay Road vacation in second go-round with application

Debate over public lake access, high water mark prompts denial

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff The board of Bonner County commissioners unanimously denied an application to vacate a 2,550-foot section of Camp Bay Road before a packed audience Feb. 16, marking the second planning and zoning hearing in as many weeks to run longer than four hours.

It was also the second time the board ruled on the application from M3 ID Camp Bay, LLC, which is developing the lakefront located at the end of the road. The first time commissioners considered the request, in April 2021, they approved it — a decision later overruled by a district court judge who decided that the board “failed to issue an adequately written decision” and failed to acknowledge a potential conflict of interest by then-Bonner County Road and Bridge Director Steve Klatt, who simultaneously served as a consultant on the Camp Bay development.

Alfred and Jennifer Arn brought the petition for judicial review on the grounds that Camp Bay Road provided public access to the lake, and the court agreed, stating that it is “a public road that provides access to Lake Pend Oreille” which “extends from Sagle Road to its termination at the high-water mark of Lake Pend Oreille in Camp Bay.” The court remanded the decision back to the county, which would bring the issue of the high water mark — and therefore the legitimacy of the community’s claim to public access — to the forefront of discussion on Feb. 16. Ultimately, that debate would become the sticking point for the board’s decision to deny the road vacation.

The Wednesday hearing saw more than 40 comments against the road vacation, with the 4 /

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overwhelming sentiment in the brimming Bonner County Administration Building first-floor meeting room being opposition to the action. Planning staff also noted that a petition with “several hundred signatures” opposed to the application had been submitted prior to the hearing — a hearing meant to determine whether vacating the road was “in the public interest.”

“The present and future citizens of Bonner County will benefit more from keeping this public right-of-way than from vacating it,” said Susan Drumheller, of land use watchdog group Project 7B — an entity that has consistently argued that the right-of-way, and therefore public access, extends to the lake.

Drumheller went on to cite a portion of the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which states: “Public recreational accesses and amenities shall not be obstructed or adversely impacted by future development.”

While Doug Marfice, a lawyer representing M3, told commissioners that the public access argument was “misinformation” being spread by “well-meaning but ill-informed citizens,” the Feb. 16 hearing saw dozens of comments identifying the section of shoreline as a widely used public access point.

Many pointed to the decreasing amount of access to Lake Pend Oreille, with lifetime county resident Jennifer Wood stating: “There is so little left on this side of the lake. You can’t walk to the Green Monarchs and jump in.”

Klatt, now retired from his position with Bonner County Road and Bridge, also commented during the hearing, assuring commissioners and the crowd that he “truly was completely hands off” with any interactions between the county and M3 ID Camp Bay, LLC. Public testimony also saw statements from several members of the Green family, whose siblings have long been embroiled

in a widely reported dispute over their parents’ Camp Bay land, now being developed by the eldest brother.

The commissioners’ denial ultimately hinged on the definition of the high water mark — a nebulous measure when looking over the historical records, as Lake Pend Oreille’s shores have seen many changes since Camp Bay Road was established in 1909, due in part to the construction and operation of local dams beginning in the 1950s.

While surveyor Geremy Russell, on behalf of M3, pointed to the road’s original terminus point — or end — above today’s summer pool lake level (also known as the “artificial” high water mark), other local legal professionals testified that precedent and historical record actually place Camp Bay Road’s end at the present-day, legally recognized “ordinary” high water mark — 2,051 feet, or, winter pool lake level.

This discrepancy resulted in

Members of the public gather on the shore at Camp Bay for a barbecue and meeting on Feb. 12 to discuss their opposition to Bonner County’s decision to vacate the Camp Bay Road. Photo by Keith Bansemer.

what Commissioner Dan McDonald called a “quandary” during the board’s deliberation, calling the vacation decision one of the hardest in his five-year stint holding office.

“We’re tasked to stick with the law,” he said. “I appreciate everyone’s opinion and want to preserve more lake access — I get that. But what I’m struggling with is, is there really public access there?”

Commissioner Jeff Connolly called the access issue “the kicker” in his difficulty coming to a conclusion on the file.

Commissioner Steve Bradshaw expressed similar concerns over the debate about the extent of the road’s right-of-way, and ultimately brought forward the motion to deny, which passed with a unanimous vote.

NEWS

Sandpoint City Council looks at Sand Creek waterfront code change

Funds allocated for resort city lobbyist, workforce housing consulting

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Top City Hall staff joined with members of the City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission and the public for a workshop Feb. 16 focused on a proposed code amendment related to redevelopment along the west bank of Sand Creek.

Attendees gathered on Bridge Street adjacent to the Farmin’s Landing property, which the city acquired in 2015 with the purpose of putting in place improved stormwater treatment features, to take in a presentation on the code amendment from Sandpoint Infrastructure and Development Director Amanda Wilson.

Wilson said the rule change is necessary in order to accomplish the goals of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which in addition to stormwater treatment also envisions a number of amenities to improve public access along the waterfront.

At issue is the current code’s prohibition of structures within 25 feet of the artificial high water mark on Sand Creek, defined as 2,062.5 feet — or, as longtime locals might better know it, full summer pool. City staff, taking into account public feedback and in collaboration with groups including the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, are proposing eliminating that prohibition for “structures,” though not buildings.

According to Wilson’s explanation, that means a patio, for instance, would be allowed within the 25-foot creekside buffer but a deck — which requires a building permit — would not be allowed.

That includes anything built into the creek, as she clarified that the amendment would not give free reign for neighboring property owners to cantilever projects over the water. However, if a project proposed within the 25foot setback or with designs on extending into the creek were to surface, it would be subject to a conditional use permit and review by state and federal agencies, making it a high hurdle.

“At no point was this code change about allowing private development to build into the creek,” she said. “That was in no way, shape or form how this started.”

Structures would be subject to a higher standard of review if proposed within the 25-foot buffer and public art installations would be allowed, provided they aren’t too big.

Among the biggest changes to the code amendment, compared to how it had been presented in September 2021, is a new condition that no ground disturbance along the creek would be allowed without a permit. What’s more, Wilson said later at the Feb. 16 regular meeting of the Sandpoint City Council, the city would take the hitherto unusual step of informing relevant state and federal authorities of any building permits in the Sand Creek area.

“Before you touch anything [along Sand Creek], you really need to get in touch with the city,” she said.

City Council members unanimously voted to schedule a public hearing on the code amendment, which City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton told the Reader would

occur on Wednesday, March 16.

In an email to the Reader, Stapleton also said that, “Real estate transactions have occurred east of First Avenue over the past year; however, no applications for development have been received by the city at this time with the exception of the old Arlo’s building.”

Looking farther north on First Avenue, Stapleton added that “it is possible that we may see properties changing hands and potential redevelopments in the near future.

“The city anticipates initial site improvements at Bridge and First beginning this spring for a mixeduse development,” she said, “as well as an application for a similar development at the current location of Zero Point and A&P’s.”

Also on the City Council’s agenda Feb. 16 was a memorandum of understanding with the city of Ketchum to hire a lobbyist who would focus on issues related to resort cities at the Idaho Legislature.

Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad first presented the idea at the beginning of the year, arguing that amenity-rich communities such as Sandpoint and Ketchum would benefit from having a dedi-

cated presence at the Statehouse.

“It’s great to have some professional eyes on the ball,” he said.

Council members voted unanimously to allocate $1,000 toward the $25,000 contract with consulting firm Sullivan and Reberger, which would also be borne by other participating resort cities around the state.

“I think it’s a great value,” Rognstad said.

The mayor also said that $10,700 would be redirected from the Bonner Regional Team to

City of Sandpoint staff and elected officials meet with the public to discuss changes coming to Sand Creek along First Avenue.

Photo by Zach Hagadone. his workforce housing initiative, which began working on solutions to the residential affordability crisis in Sandpoint last year.

That money, in addition to funding from Blue Cross of Idaho, would go toward consultant services.

Legislative redistricting prompts BoCo precinct changes

Commissioners approve precincts, polling places for upcoming elections

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners voted Feb. 15 to establish election precincts and polling places — a routine action, aside from the changes made necessary in 2022 by the Idaho secretary of state’s redistricting process.

“Legislative District 7 is being dissolved, with those voters being moved into Legislative District 1, for the most part,” Elections Manager Clorrisa

Koster told commissioners.

“This will also dissolve the need for three of our precincts — Lakeview, Kelso and Cocolalla precincts — as they were only created to accommodate Legislative District 7.”

As a result, voters in the Lakeview Precinct will be moved to the Clark Fork Precinct. However, their polling place will not change, as both the Lakeview and Clark Fork precincts have previously voted at the Clark Fork-Hope Area Senior Center in Clark Fork.

Cocolalla voters will be moved to the Southside Precinct, Koster said, but see no change to their polling place. Voters from the Kelso Precinct that are now within the Legislative District 1 boundaries will also be moved to the Southside Precinct. They, however, will see a polling place change, now voting at the LDA Westmond Ward in Sagle.

“That is a move for about 25 voters,” Koster said.

In addition, the redistricting process created a portion of Legislative District 2 in Bonner

County, splitting voters currently living in the Edgemere Precinct.

Those split into the new district are now part of the new Clagstone Precinct, but will continue to vote at the Edgemere Grange Hall in Priest River. Further, Koster said that a large part of the dissolved Kelso Precinct ended up in Legislative District 2, and will now be incorporated into the Careywood Precinct and vote at the Careywood Fire Station.

Those with questions can reach the Bonner County Elections office at 208-255-3631.

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NEWS Idaho AG: BoCo ‘likely’ violated Open Meeting Law in ice rink matter

By Reader Staff According to a legal opinion from the Idaho attorney general’s office obtained by the Reader late Feb. 16, Bonner County commissioners “likely” violated state Open Meeting Law by inadequately noticing an Oct. 26 agenda item dealing with the Sandpoint Ice Arena — an $8 million ice rink facility proposed to be built on county land adjacent to the Bonner County Fairgrounds and behind the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office facilities.

The opinion comes in response to a complaint from Sheriff Daryl Wheeler — an adamant opponent of the proposed project — lodged in a Dec. 6 email to Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall. Marshall requested that the Idaho AG’s office investigate the allegation.

The Oct. 26 agenda item, which led to the board voting to enter a memorandum of understanding with the nonprofit behind the ice rink to use county land, read: “FAIR — Darcey Smith 1) Action Item: Discussion/Decision Regarding Lease Agreement, Sandpoint Community Center Corporation.”

“Arguably, the above action item does

not put the public on notice that the discussion at the board meeting was going to involve an ice rink that would be built on a parking lot behind the Sheriff’s Office,” the AG’s opinion stated. “As written, the agenda item appears to involve the ‘fair.’ There is no mention of ‘ice rink,’ ‘parking lot’ or ‘property adjacent to the fairgrounds’ — all terms that would have assisted the public in identifying the probable item of discussion.”

As a result, the BOCC “likely” violated Open Meeting Law, according to AG’s office, and now has “14 days to respond publicly and either acknowledge the OML violation and state an intent to cure the violation, or state that the public agency has determined that no violation has occurred and that no cure is necessary.”

“This office recommends the board consult with its attorney and take steps to cure the OML violation as set out in this report,” the opinion concludes. “This office also recommends the board schedule a training session on the OML, within 60 days, to be conducted by its legal counsel or another attorney familiar with this area of the law.”

Statewide COVID situation continues to improve All Idaho health districts no longer operating under crisis standards

By Reader Staff Last week, state health officials reported that Idaho had met the “peak” of its latest novel coronavirus surge, propelled by the highly contagious omicron variant.

This week, data continued to indicate an improved situation across the state, with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare authorizing all hospitals to exit crisis standard operations. The last among Idaho’s health districts to enter crisis standards of care — those in the southwestern and south-central regions of the state — did so on Jan. 24 in order to preserve resources amid a record-breaking spike in COVID case rates. While there was concern that the trends would push hospitals statewide to re-enter crisis mode, the Idaho Capital Sun reported Feb. 15 that it wouldn’t be necessary because “the omicron-fueled surge of COVID-19 is now receding as fast as it rose.”

According to statewide data compiled

by Idaho Education News, new COVID-19 cases dropped by 10% over the past week. In addition, the backlog of positive test results yet to be processed and included in the 6 /

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state’s current case counts has shrunk from nearly 41,000 to about 33,000.

Percentages of Idahoans over 5 years old receiving initial vaccinations and boosters against the coronavirus are also on a steady rise, according to Idaho Ed News — a welcome trend, after data from IDHW shows that those fully vaccinated and boosted against the virus are 11 times less likely to hospitalized with COVID and 20 times less likely to die from it.

The education-focused news outlet also tracks positive case counts in K-12 school districts across the state. Of the 10 districts included in the latest COVID update, nine reported drastic reductions in active cases, most seeing a 50% or more decrease over the past week.

While Idaho’s pandemic trends are encouraging, health officials are quick to point out that a return to normalcy is far from imminent. While testing positivity — a main indication of virus activity in a population — has decreased from 32% to about 25% in recent weeks, epidemiologists say that 5% or higher means a virus remains rampant.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact.

A recent sampling: According to the managing editor of The WEEK, Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine is not a matter of Russia defending its turf; rather, it would be the result of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s worries that liberal ideas coming from Ukraine could undermine his power. Putin is not likely to care about spilled blood if it keeps him in office. Satellite imagery shows at least 100,000 Russian troops at the Ukraine border. The Washington Post reported that it could mean “the largest land offensive in Europe since WWII.” TIME magazine pointed out that the Ukrainian president has rebuffed Russian efforts to undermine the nation, with Ukraine imposing sanctions and freezing assets of pro-Putin forces, including shutting down their TV propaganda stations.

Regarding Putin’s concern about Ukraine joining NATO, NATO won’t accept a new nation if Russian soldiers have an occupying presence, according to a former U.S. ambassador to Russia. The “unprecedented” pulling together of Ukraine’s allies has surprised Putin. The Daily Beast pointed out that the Biden administration is working on rebuilding NATO and international alliances via diplomacy.

Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates at U.S. borders led Ontario to declare a state of emergency, Politico reported. The emergency measure includes fines of up to $100,000 and a year in jail for illegally blocking roadways and critical infrastructure. COVID-19 restrictions have been tighter in Canada than the U.S., resulting in more Canadians than Americans being vaccinated and Canada’s death rate is lower than in the U.S. Canada’s major trucking associations have said the majority of truckers (90%) are vaccinated and working, according to the Huffington Post. CNN reported early this week that a major blocked border bridge was reopened, and there are plans to lift the recently imposed vaccine passport requirements.

A deeper perspective on the trucker protests: An associate criminology professor at University of Ottawa says it is part of an authoritarian movement funded by U.S. and global interests intent on undermining rule of law. One organizer, Canada Unity, has called for dissolution of that nation’s parliament, to be replaced with an authoritarian far-right conservative government.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

The Guardian reported that the Canadian trucker protest appears to have been organized by QAnon endorser James Bauder, a conspiracy theorist who thinks COVID-19 is a political scam. The Canadian Trucking Alliance noted that many of the protesters have no connection to the trucking industry and have a “separate agenda,” as indicated by the presence of neo-Nazi and Confederate battle flags.

Facebook told NBC News that fake social media accounts supporting the truckers are based in places like Romania and Vietnam.

The Times in the U.K. says it appears air pollution can increase the risk of catching COVID-19. A study of the city of Varese, Italy found that for every microgram per cubic meter increase in tiny airborne pollutants, the chance of COVID-19 infection rose 5%. While it’s possible the rate increase was due to people living closer together, the researchers noted that pollution prolongs inflammation and hinders the immune system, and may even serve as airborne carriers for the virus.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., provided political comic relief recently when accusing Democratic leaders of “gazpacho police spying on members of Congress.” Greene often makes comparisons to Nazis, NBC pointed out, so it’s assumed she meant to say “Gestapo,” rather than accuse the opposition of cold tomato soup tactics.

The North Carolina Board of Elections confirmed they can block Rep. Madison Cawthorn from seeking re-election, due to his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Cawthorn has been challenged by voters who cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment: Anyone participating in or supporting an insurrection against the U.S., including a president, is disqualified from state or federal office.

A new Gallup poll says 61% of Americans favor ending the Electoral College.

Blast from the past: Border protesters appear to be borrowing a page from the CIA. Disrupting a nation’s supply chain not only destabilizes the economy, it also projects an appearance of weakness onto the government in power. In 1972 the CIA funded a 26-day truckers’ strike in Chile, which destabilized the government of democratically-elected Salvador Allende, who was then overthrown by right-wing dictator General Augusto Pinochet, says historian Heather Cox Richardson.

NEWS

Idaho bill would repeal law prohibiting private militias

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff A bill working its way through the Idaho Legislature would repeal the section of state code that explicitly outlaws private militias, triggering alarm from as far afield as the Georgetown University Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

In a Feb. 7 letter addressed to Idaho Speaker of the House Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder, attorneys representing Boise-based law firm Stoel Rives and ICAP wrote that the statute is not only consistent with Idaho’s Constitution and other laws, but according to numerous court rulings — including from the U.S. Supreme Court — does not infringe on the First or Second amendments.

“Idaho’s prohibition on private paramilitary organizations is entirely in keeping with Idaho’s robust regulation of paramilitary and law enforcement activity,” wrote attorneys Mary McCord, of the Georgetown University Law Center, and Wendy Olson, of Stoel Rives and a former U.S. attorney for the District of Idaho.

McCord and Olson concluded by characterizing House Bill 475, which would repeal part of Title 46, Chapter 8 of Idaho Code, as removing “a law designed to protect public safety against the threat of private paramilitary organizations unaccountable to governmental authorities.”

The bill went before the House Transportation and Defense Committee on Feb. 16, where lawmakers voted 13-4 to advance the legislation to the full House without a recommendation either for or against.

The current law, identified as 46-802 “Unorganized Associations Prohibited” and which has been in force since 1927, expressly prohibits groups other than the National Guard, the state militia when called into service by government order or otherwise constituted by the state or federal government from “associat[ing]

themselves together as a military company or organization, or parade in public with firearms in any city or town of this state.” The statute also makes it illegal for municipal governments to support private military organizations with financial or material support.

About 10 residents from around the state testified before the committee — including Sandpoint Mayor and Idaho gubernatorial candidate Shelby Rognstad — with all opposed to HB 475 and some going further to say that the code section should be strengthened to include penalties and enforcement.

“I fully support our local sheriffs, police departments and Idaho National Guard,” said Rognstad.

“We must respect the chain of command, which does not exist under a private militia.”

Boise resident Nicole Brown, who identified herself as an Air Force veteran and volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said repealing the current law would “encourage armed intimidation and the open carrying of firearms in Idaho by allowing individuals to form a militia.”

Maj. Steve Stokes, who serves as general counsel for the Idaho Military Division, presented the bill, which he said stemmed from Gov. Brad Little’s “Red Tape Reduction Act.” Since his election in 2018, Little has made striking laws off the books a top priority of his administration, routinely trumpeting the notion that Idaho is the least regulated state in the U.S. — a statement backed up by research from George Mason University, which reported in November 2021 that the Gem State has only 35,000 regulations in its code.

HB 475 was one of a handful of statutes brought to the committee by the Idaho Military Division, all intended for the chopping block as an effort to reduce “legal barriers for Idaho people,” Stokes said.

He told the committee that the current militia-related law applies to civilians, rather than the operations of the Idaho Military Division;

doesn’t contribute to the ability of the government and the Military Division to defend the state or help with disaster preparedness; and is “over-inclusive” with “vague” and “unenforceable” language.

While Stokes said in late January that the statute runs afoul of the First and Second amendments, as well as portions of the Idaho Constitution, he softened that assessment somewhat on Feb. 16, saying, “I acknowledge that there is case law … upholding provisions that are similar to 46-802,” yet later added that, “as written, I believe … it would have a hard time passing constitutional scrutiny.”

Furthermore, Stokes argued that the kinds of activities proscribed in the code section are already forbidden and penalized in the Idaho Terrorist Control Act, which makes it illegal to conspire “to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate any citizens in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the constutitons or laws of the United States or the state of Idaho.”

The Terrorist Control Act also prohibits the assembly of one or more individuals “for the purpose of training or instructing in the use of, or practing with, any technique or means capable of causing property damage, bodily injury or death with the intent to employ such training, instruction or practice in the commission of a civil disorder.”

For those who testified before the committee Feb. 16, the specific language prohibiting private militias was a critical reason why it should be retained.

Saying that he agreed the current law is too vague “and should be tightened up,” Meridian resident and Army veteran Joe Evans added that, “We are already looking at a great degree of violence as a relationship to labor laws, racial issues, and a number of other things. … I feel that repealing this law at this time without a replacement in place would be bad form.”

Ben Saterlee, of Boise, said, “I can think of no time in our

nation’s history when a law like this is more needed,” adding that repealing the statute would serve as a “greenlight” for vigilantism and intimidation.

It is also the same law that ICAP cited in a letter to Bonner County Commissioner Dan McDonald and Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad in June 2020 following the militia presence at a local Black Lives Matter demonstration. At the time, armed individuals claimed to be on hand to protect participants in the BLM march, but organizers — most of them in their teens or 20s — said they felt intimidated and did not welcome their presence. The number of individuals carrying firearms and in many cases wearing tactical garb increased in the late afternoon and evening, many of them traveling from out of the area and forming patrols ostensibly to guard downtown businesses from a rumored threat of damage.

“This isn’t a theoretical concern for us,” Rognstad told the committee, referring to the militia activity in June 2020. “Many people in the community felt harassed and intimidated. …This was a dangerous moment for our town.”

Testifying from Coeur d’Alene, resident Shawn Keenan called a similar militia presence in his community during the summer of 2020 an “occupation” by as many as 400 armed men and women whose goal was “simply to intimidate.”

An unidentified man carrying a long rifle and ammunition arrives at a protest held by teenagers at the Bonner County Courthouse on June 2, 2020. Photo by Ben Olson.

“We were terrified, let’s just be honest,” he said.

Committee member Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, said that parts of the current law are “very necessary,” particularly the stipulation that communities can’t fund or otherwise support militias.

“I would be very concerned that a group might move into a very small city and … through an election influence city policy in a way to support a very influential militia group in that city.”

Ponderay Republican Rep. Sage Dixon, who also serves on the House Transportation and Defense Committee, told the Reader in an email ahead of the Feb. 16 meeting that, “Without delving deep into constitutional law, [the current statute] does appear to be an infringement on the right to assemble and the right to bear arms.

“I also have worked on legislation, at the request of constituents, which was prohibited by 46-802,” he added. “I am not fearful of armed citizens exercising their constitutional rights, and am grateful for the proposed change.”

The bill now goes to the full House, though it was immediately unclear when lawmakers would take it up.

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We need a more communityminded sheriff...

Bouquets: • I’m giving a Bouquet this week to the cast and crew of the upcoming Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater’s production of Young Frankenstein. I’ve personally worked with several people involved in the production and have nothing but great things to say about both their ability and their passion for putting on great plays at the Panida. The musical comedy will play on the Panida’s main stage Feb. 19-20 and again next week on Feb. 26-27.

Opening weekend will have vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test requirement to attend, but the Feb. 26-27 shows will be open without requirements. Break a leg, guys!

Barbs: • Walking around residential neighborhoods in wintertime Sandpoint can be a challenge.

Pedestrians will often walk along a cleared sidewalk for one block, only to be met by a six-foot wall of snow on the next block. So, if you want to walk anywhere, most just walk along the curb on the street. When we have a fresh smear of wet snow on the ground like we got on Feb. 14, passing cars send big wakes of slush onto anyone walking within a few feet of the street. Whenever I drive by someone walking in the street, I try to pull over to the opposite side of the street or, if another car is coming, I’ll try to slow down so as not to soak them. I notice a lot of others doing the same and always appreciate the simple gesture of kindness. Then there are the ones who just blaze past at 30+ miles per hour, blasting anyone nearby with wet snow and slush, soaking them from the waist down. I know most people don’t intentionally spray pedestrians, but it really sucks when it happens to you. The neighborly thing to do is slow down when driving by a pedestrian in the wet stuff. Won’t you be my neighbor?

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Dear editor, After reading the article in last week’s Reader about our myopic sheriff’s questioning why we would prioritize recreation over jail space [News, “The ice rink(s) cometh: As sheriff continues to oppose Sandpoint Ice Arena, another rink project surfaces in Ponderay,” Feb. 3, 2022], I had to wonder if he ever pondered the opposite scenario.

What if we had more recreational opportunities — maybe we wouldn’t need so much jail space?

If would-be miscreants had healthier outlets for their energy maybe they wouldn’t turn to crime and drugs for recreation. Based on what we’ve seen come out of the Sheriff’s Office in recent years, I expect that’s too much of a leap in thinking for the current occupant.

I think it’s time we elect someone with a more community-minded approach to steer that ship.

Tom Russell Sandpoint

Camp Bay development goes against original owners’ wishes…

Dear Editor, My name is Kathy Lefor. I am the granddaughter of John van Schravendyk and the great-granddaughter of Anna van Schravendyk, 1902 homesteaders, and the daughter of Jeanne Green.

The homestead land consisted of 400 acres and 3,000 front feet of property at Camp Bay. After 120 years of being in our family, my brother, James Green, the majority shareholder in our family’s business, sold the property to M3.

Unfortunately, my mother’s well stated plans for the property have not been honored. She wanted the forest protected in a conservation easement, but instead it has been clear cut. She wanted the leased cabin sites maintained, but instead they were destroyed, and the land is now being parceled for large estate homes. To add to these travesties, a gate is now being proposed

by M3 across Camp Bay Road, which would block public access to Lake Pend Oreille.

My mother told everyone and documented her desires for the land she inherited in her trust. Amendments to her trust stipulate: “If the property is not placed in a conservation easement within 12 months

of the surviving grantor’s death the property will go to the Gamlin Lake Cemetery, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.”

Obviously, this did not happen.

Who is responsible for ensuring a deceased woman’s wishes are honored?

I know my mother would be very happy to see the community action that is taking place, because my mother was a conservationist. She deeply valued her Idaho heritage and the land she was gifted. She wanted it preserved in its natural state. Blocking public access to Lake Pend Oreille was the last thing she wanted to happen. She wanted the local citizens to enjoy the benefits of a natural environment.

Kathy Lefor Green-van Schravendyk

Beaverton, Ore. (formerly Sagle)

Camp Bay private property rights jeopardized via ‘slippery slope’…

Dear editor, A series of articles in the Bee, the Reader and on social media concerning the commissioners’ unanimous vote to vacate a portion of Camp Bay Road are incorrect.

Here are some of the facts and additional information that were not presented: Camp Bay Road easement was established in 1909, which makes it an easement for roadway purposes, with no access to the lake. The littoral and wharfage rights are owned by the landowner, not the county or the state. The legal precedent for this argument has been set by the courts in past cases.

The county is paving Camp Bay Road from Sagle Road to the project, with each party paying for 50% or $830,000. The developer proposed this and had no obligation to do so.

Attorney’s fees were not awarded by the judge. The county reimbursed the court costs to Fred Arn. Judge Meyer remanded vacation primarily on two counts: the conflict of interest of Mr. Klatt, note that he no longer works for Roads and Bridges, and to “come up with a more developed written decision for the court record.”

The mission statement of Project 7B is to be non-partisan, however this requires disclosure of all of the facts.

Can you imagine if Bottle Bay County Road was treated in the same manner? This Camp Bay case

is a slippery slope jeopardizing private property rights all around the lake.

Commissioners, please remain diligent and continue to protect all citizens’ private property ownership rights.

Jim Frank Camp Bay, Sagle

Editor’s note: The court did in fact order Bonner County to reimburse court costs to Fred Arn, despite a paragraph in this letter claiming it didn’t.

Masks are constitutional…

Dear editor, I see where Jalon Peters wants to add the U.S. Constitution to the list of guiding sources for the school board. Great idea, since the preamble of the Constitution states in part: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect union… Promote the general Welfare…”

Following the Constitution means that all governing bodies have the obligation to “promote the general welfare” of the American population. Mask mandates and required vaccinations protect us all, therefore they are constitutional despite what we hear from FOX “News” and all those wacko conspiracy theories.

Both of these public health measures are absolutely supported by scientific research. If they had been followed by more of us a year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic would have been history by now. We have killed over 900,000 Americans (and counting) and yet many are more worried about their personal freedoms than taking measures that would save American lives.

Ken Thacker Sagle

Begging the question Dear editor, One little question cuts like magic through all of the tangled stuff in man’s world. It will make us uncomfortable, because it cuts to the bone. Also, it will touch the core heartbreak of our time. If we don’t believe that our world (or ourselves) can

get better, it won’t. However, if we do believe it can all get better, and act like it, it just might!

Life is funny that way. And it’s funny this way too: We can only believe what we can first imagine.

Every one of us answers one question: How would you like this world to be? Not what is wrong and whose fault is it? No excuses, no blame, no reasons why it can’t happen, just pretend it! Then, as short and sweet as you can, tell the world. Because that’s the idea: One question for the world, and hearing our answers, all the world around... especially the children’s answers.

Here we all are, 8 billion people trying to survive global “civilization” that’s killing our planet — a civilization much of which nobody likes. This certainly begs the question: What would we like? Our technology today makes it possible for us all to be like a family around a little fire, and ask each other and ourselves: How would we like our world to be?

We the people of this world could do this, and no one could stop us.

Want to help? Ask yourself, bravely and honestly: How would you like this world to be? Then share your answer on Facebook at “One question for the world.” You can also hear this idea imagined as a children’s book, How the World Got Better, by Greg Flint.

And remember: What we believe, we can achieve. And we can only believe what we can first imagine.

Greg Flint Bonner County

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. Send letters under 300 words to letters@sandpointreader.com.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

The Meta-Wordle dichotomy

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

An alert from my news app buzzed, with a headline from The New York Times reading, “Out With the Facebookers. In With the Metamates.” Clicking into the article, while simultaneously chiding myself for allowing push notifications on my phone, I read about an announcement from Mark Zuckerberg.

The billionaire Facebook founder released a change to his employees’ monikers — the tradition of nicknaming employees being common across many major tech platforms (i.e., Googlers, Amazonians and Yahoos, to name a few). But with the company transitioning away from Facebook and to Meta, calling its employees “Facebookers” no longer made sense. Hence, “Metamates” were born.

Meta Platforms Inc., or “Meta,” was unveiled in October 2021, a rebrand described as better reflecting the current and future direction of the company — a future less focused on its social platforms (especially as phone apps) and more dedicated to building a future in which our virtual and physical worlds become relatively seamless.

This future virtual space, dubbed the “Metaverse,” will be crafted by developers across tech companies, all creating different facets of our new world. Zuckerberg envisions holograms replacing our physical devices like TVs and computers, and we, ourselves as holograms, attending work

Emily Erickson.

meetings, seeing concerts and visiting loved ones without having to physically be there to experience time together.

Zuckerburg further details what our lives would look like when collectively pulled into the Metaverse in his founder’s letter: “You’ll move across experiences on different devices — augmented reality glasses to stay present in the physical world, virtual reality to be fully immersed, and phones and computers to jump in from existing platforms. This isn’t about spending more time on screens; it’s about making the time we already spend better.”

But, as we’re seemingly hurtling toward an increasingly virtually integrated future, wherein we’ll swap our physical bodies and experiences for digital replicas (despite an alarming amount of sci-fi movies playing out the potential dire consequences of such an existence), there’s also the rise of Wordle.

Wordle, a simple online game in which users have six chances to guess a five-letter word, went viral in January this year after its creation in October 2021 (around the same

time of Meta’s release).

Josh Wardle developed the game for his partner, and hosted it on a basic website before its recent acquisition by The New York Times — which, to the media company’s credit, has maintained the game’s simple playing experience and no-frills design.

With six rows of five black boxes, a standard keyboard of white letters, and green and yellow fills used to indicate correct letter use and position, the game couldn’t be a further cry from the fully immersive digital experience touted by Zuckerberg.

With only one play allowed per day and without a timer or countdown, its motivation is temporary stimulation to be enjoyed at the user’s own pace.

“I think people kind of appreciate that there’s this thing online that’s just fun,” Wardle said in an interview with The Times. “It’s not trying to do anything shady with your data or your eyeballs.

It’s just a game that’s fun.”

Wordle doesn’t accommodate binge-use, isn’t a hub for advertising and isn’t meant to remove a person from the world around them. Yet (or perhaps, because of this), it’s widely used around the world.

This push and pull of Meta and Wordle — of technology propelling us into new paradigms, and of the seeming course correction of simpler digital experiences, is telling.

Technology will always be able to afford us greater ease, comfort and methods of entertainment, but as we become more integrated with it, our fundamental humanity is at risk for exploitation, and even

alteration — and we can’t help but react to that.

As the parts of our brains and bodies wired for physical experiences are deprived, and as our relationships with others become less tangible, we’ll create opportunities to swing back to simpler ways of living and of restoring physical connection. As we grow closer to a paradigm in which the Metaverse is real, we’ll also romanticize and prioritize basic human experiences as well.

We can’t always stop the train of technology, and, often, it isn’t productive to try. But we can be conscious of the things that make us truly feel good, connected and present, at the same time remaining critical of the things that promise to alter our experience of the world around us. We can be agents in a reality where we accept the gifts of the Metaverse while also demanding the boundaries and basics upon which Wordle was built.

Retroactive

By BO

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

gladys west

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist How many times have you been in an unfamiliar place and whipped out your phone to check your GPS? Maybe it was on a road trip, maybe you were in another town for business, visiting a friend or looking for some stellar food on the open road.

This incredible achievement that has added so much convenience to our lives may not have been possible without the help of a brilliant woman of color.

Gladys West was born Gladys Mae Brown on Oct. 27, 1930 in Sutherland, Va. Much of her childhood was spent harvesting crops alongside her family and peers, a fate that was common for Black Americans in former rebellious states nearly 70 years after the Confederacy lost the Civil War. Even at a young age, West knew that life had more in store for her, if only she was able to reach it.

West realized that schooling and education held the path out of the field. Her teachers saw tremendous potential in her — particularly in her aptitude for mathematics — even at a young age. She graduated valedictorian from her high school and was awarded a scholarship to Virginia State College, later Virginia State University.

West earned her M.A. in mathematics while teaching for a few years after graduating from college, and was eventually offered a position in the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory in Dahlgren, Va. This was a field that was almost exclusively dominated by white men at the heart of a segregated southern 10 /

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state, yet West was eager to hold her own in an environment where there were only three other people of color. She certainly did just that in the lab, and continued working there for the next 40 years.

It was here that she met her husband, Ira V. West, who was one of the only other Black mathematicians on base. As it stands, they’ve been married for more than 60 years and have a number of scholarships dedicated in their name to help high school students around the country — and especially in Gladys’ home state of Virginia — pursue their college ambitions.

Early in her career at the Naval Weapons Lab, West’s brilliance was clear to her peers. She was able to calculate complex mathematical equations by hand while many of those around her needed to log their equations.

She was soon tasked with programming some of the earliest computers available. These were complicated machines that are nothing like the machines we use today, which have an immense amount of space to store information and calculations.

The computers of 1959 were essentially large switchboards whose switches represented binary code, while some had loaders into which you would place paper punch cards with equations, triggering the process into running the equation and creating a primitive program.

The computer engineers reading this are laughing at my wildly simplistic explanation, but that’s fine — these were specialized devices created for extremely specific purposes and that’s far above my level of expertise. If you have extensive knowledge

of how the computers from the 1950s to 1970s worked, let me know and we’ll turn it into an article together.

The closest approximation I can make with my admittedly limited knowledge of computer science is this: While modern coding languages like C# operate using commands such as start, stop, if, if then, etc.

The early computers operated strictly through numeric calculations that first had to be performed by a human, and the human in this case was the exceptional Gladys West.

To put into perspective just how brilliant of a mathematician she was, she was a programmer for Project 29V, a project to track Pluto’s motion in relation to Neptune using the Naval Ordnance Research Calculator, which required more than 5 billion calculations to be performed during the course of 100 hours of computer calculation. As anyone who’s ever performed any form of programming knows, a single error anywhere in your code will create a compiler error and force you to spend minutes, hours or even days dredging through lines for your mistake.

By 1978, West had become the project manager for SEASAT, the first generation of satellites that would track ocean data and, thanks to West’s calculations, was even capable of measuring the depths of the oceans. This laid the groundwork for the team to create extremely accurate models of Earth by measuring gravitational forces on the geoid, or the shape of the oceans under the gravitational effect of Earth.

Interestingly, the concept of

the geoid was more than two centuries old, but could never be proven or recreated accurately until the 1970s, thanks to computers and mathematicians like Gladys West. This is another extremely complicated subject we’ll need to revisit another day.

West’s work was the basis for what would eventually become the Global Positioning System, or GPS that has completely revolutionized modern living.

As anyone who’s ever gone

on a road trip knows, travel is about more than just navigating a two-dimensional plane. We need to be able to account for inclines, weather patterns and the pull of gravity on our vehicle — particularly when driving through mountain passes. Without Mrs. West’s incredible calculations, we may never have been able to overcome these challenges with the immense precision that we do today.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner n?

Don’t know much about popcor

We can help!

• The scientific name of popcorn is zea mays everta. It has existed for 5,000 years and is the only type of corn that will pop.

tickets — especially in the U.S. It also makes moviegoers thirsty, which helps sell soft drinks at the snack bar.

• Popcorn kernels are 4% water, and it’s the water that causes popcorn to pop when heated up.

• Popcorn pops when it reaches a temperature of about 347 degrees Fahrenheit.

• In the 1800s, popcorn was often eaten as a cereal with milk and sugar.

• Popcorn is high in fiber and low in calories, fat and sugar (as long as you don’t pour a bunch of butter and cheese on top).

• Popcorn was introduced to cinemas and theaters in 1912, although the owners were not too keen on selling it because they thought it would be a distraction from the film.

• Early cinema owners were pleased to see popcorn selling well, but were concerned about competition from non-theater sellers. It turns out, peddling popcorn to a wider audience outside of theaters increased overall demand for the snack.

• Today, popcorn alone realizes a greater profit than film

• Popped popcorn comes in two shapes: mushroom and snowflake. Cinemas generally prefer snowflake because it pops bigger and they can put less in a box and it will still look full.

• The biggest producer of popcorn in the U.S. is Nebraska, which turns out about 250 million pounds each year. That’s a quarter of all the popcorn made annually in the U.S. • Popcorn can fly up to three feet when popping.

PERSPECTIVES

How the magic ended

By Kristina Kingsland Reader Contributor Once upon a time there was a magical land called Bonner County. It had majestic mountain ranges with thousands upon thousands of acres of public forests. It had creeks and rivers and lakes including the largest lake in Idaho. The waters were fresh and clean, soothing the eye and the soul, offering refreshment and reprieve from the heat on warm summer days. There were elk and moose and deer, there were eagles and hawks and woodpeckers, there were bears and bobcats and coyotes.

The people of Bonner County were brave and strong and honest, they had God in their hearts and they cared about each other. They lived in big houses and little houses, they lived in new houses and old houses, they lived in log houses and they lived in trailer houses. Some people lived in the forests, some people lived on the farms, some people lived near the waters and some people lived in the towns. The people were nice, they waved from their cars and they smiled in the stores, they said good morning on the sidewalks and they stopped to help when they saw a neighbor in need.

The weather was wild but wonderful. In the spring the snow melted in the valleys and they turned vibrant shades green, the flowers bloomed a rainbow of colors and the bright white snow clung to the mountains as it swelled the creeks and rivers into rushing torrents of frothy water. The summers were warm where the sun smiled down on the land. The gardens grew, the children played in the refreshing waters and the people bustled with activity because even in the warmth of summer the people of Bonner County knew that winter was coming. Autumn was a time of abundance, the hay was in the barn, the garden goodies were making their way to the shelves, the children were excited to be starting a new year of school, and the people were admiring the beauty in the changing colors of the land and the lowering rays of the sun.

Winter was a time of celebration, a time for charity, a time of camaraderie and a quiet time of contemplation. In winter the people played in the snow and worked in the snow and hid from the snow in the welcome warmth of their homes.

Life was good and it went on year by year, changing and growing bit by bit, and word of the magical land called Bonner county spread far and wide.

People came and saw the majestic mountains, they swam in the refreshing

waters, they admired the beauty of the moose and the eagle and the bear.

People came and they made friends, they waved and they smiled. People came and they said “Life here is good! This place is beautiful, its people are friendly and I want to be one of them!”

People came and they came and they came. Bonner County grew and it grew and it grew. People who were brave came and people who were strong came and people who were honest came, these people had God in their hearts and they cared about each other and they cared about the magical land. The people who came bought houses, they bought big houses and little houses, they bought old houses and they bought new houses, they lived in the forest and they lived in the country and they lived by the water and they lived in the towns.

The people drove vehicles, they drove trucks and they drove tractors, they drove Subarus and they drove Toyotas, they drove four-wheelers and they drove snowmobiles.

Life was good and it went on year by year, changing and growing bit by bit, and word of the magical land called Bonner county spread far and wide.

People came and skied the majestic mountains, they boated on the refreshing waters, they admired the happy people and they said “wow, I could make some money here!”

People who were smooth talking opportunists came, people who knew how to use the letter of the law to avoid the intent of the law came, people who thought they were smarter and more deserving than other people came. These people had greed in their hearts and they did not care about other people and they did not care about the magical land. These people bought land where they cut down all the trees, they found ways around the law to subdivide the land without contributing to the services, they found ways to cut the land up into parcels smaller than what the people of the magical land had declared should be done. These people made money and they inspired the people of the magical land to make money and they inspired the people of the magical land to have greed in their

A view of Camp Bay through the windowpanes of the historic homesteader cabin on the property. Photo by Ben Olson. hearts. These people drove vehicles, they drove huge trucks and fancy tractors, they drove Porsches and Mercedes-Benz, they drove little red sports cars that got lost in the pot holes and spun out in the snow.

Life went on year by year, changing and growing bit by bit, and word of the land called Bonner County and the money to be made there spread far and wide.

People came and they waited in the lift line to ski the majestic mountains, they went to swim in the refreshing waters but there was a no trespassing sign, they could not get a reservation at the restaurant with limited wait staff, yet still they said, “This is the best place I have ever seen!”

Those people did not know what the people of the magical land knew, they did not know the joy of waving from their cars, they did not expect a smile in the store, they did not want to say good morning on the sidewalk and they did not care if their neighbor was in need because they had never known how good it feels to care.

And the people from the magical land asked each other, “How do we bring the magic back?”

Kristina Kingsland has lived in North Idaho since 1976, attending Sagle Elementary, Priest Lake Elementary, Sandpoint Middle School and graduating from Sandpoint High in 1985. After traveling and living in Cape Cod, Alaska, Hawaii and the San Juan Islands, she realized what a special place Sandpoint is and moved home in January 1990. She is an associate broker with Evergreen Realty.

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PERSPECTIVES

How to honor Black History Month in Bonner County

By Paul Graves Reader Contributor We’re in the middle of Black History Month, whose foundation was laid in 1926. It wasn’t until 1970, however, when students at Kent State University chose January and February to both honor and learn about Black history in the United States.

Then, in 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

So how do we in Bonner County — an area that is 96+% white — honor an ethnic group that is .3% of our total population (118 out of 47,110 persons)?

My short answer: Very intentionally and very respectfully.

I know that’s possible for many of us. I also know it’s far more difficult for a noticeable portion of our county residents.

Further, I suspect that even those who want to honor Black History Month may have a limited awareness of the amazing, positive impact that Black persons and communities have had on our nation.

I respectfully offer a few suggestions for anyone who is ready to learn more about an integral part of our history that we too often neglect. But I caution you: Learning more about this history, in whatever form it might come your way, could be damaging to your implicit biases.

However you choose to become more aware of Black history, approach it with courageous humility. Be willing to be humbled by our nation’s systemic racism as it existed historically and continues to persist.

I know that many people choose not to believe in systemic racism, but I cannot escape seeing it in countless ways. I cannot pretend to be unaffected 12 /

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by it. My head needs to keep learning.

My heart needs to keep learning as well.

Perhaps that’s true for you, also.

Learn from books and videos. Sandpoint’s wonderful library currently has a helpful display of Black history resources right next to the grand stairway.

It represents an extensive collection of books and videos that reflect some of the nation’s rich, tenacious and agonizing history of Black Americans.

I hope you will visit that display.

Become more aware of the ugly — and hopeful — truths implicit in it.

You’ll find books like In Search of Our Roots, A Slave No More and The Long Walk to Freedom, or DVDs like African American Lives and Black America Since MLK. Maybe because I’m a pastor, my favorite uplifting DVD is The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song.

I also recently became aware of some YouTube presentations called TheoEd Talks — a series of faith-based short talks similar to TED Talks. Two of the installments I watched were by Black women eager to close the racial gaps that exist in our country. (And, by

extension, in Bonner County).

Austin Channing Brown is a social justice activist and author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. Her YouTube talk was titled, “The Double-Sided Pursuit of Racial Justice.” Her measured but passionate tone added to her invitation for white persons to engage with Black persons in healthy relationships.

Dr. Chanequa Walker Barnes is a professor of practical theology and pastoral counseling at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. Her TheoEd Talk was titled, “Pathological Whiteness: Diagnosing the Hidden Wound.”

In her gracious tone, she gently zinged her audience with a question asked of a Black American audience by W.E.B. DuBois in 1903: “How does it feel to be a problem?” Before I knew it, she also posed that same question to me, and every white person who watched her talk.

You see, a significant truth-piece of racism toward any ethnic group is this: Racism really begins not with the ethnic group, but with those who think that

Courtesy photo. group and individuals within that group are the problem.

When we cannot bear to admit we just might be part of “the problem” of racism, we’re possibly eager to dismiss our seemingly small part in letting racism exist, including in Bonner County.

However, that courageous humility I mentioned earlier provokes this essential reminder: We all have so much more we need to learn about American Black history.

If you haven’t learned anything about Black history in any way during February 2022, it’s not too late. Become more aware of that history, and you just may also learn something about yourself. That would be a great start.

Paul Graves is a retired United Methodist pastor and longtime Sandpoint resident, where he served on the City Council and as mayor. He also works as a geriatric social worker, serving as “Lead Geezer-in-Training” for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging issues.

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

Right: A resident moose takes a break on Ella Avenue in Sandpoint before seeking another winter snack down the street. Photo by Ben Olson.

Bottom right: Snowshoers stop for a snack at a viewpoint on the Ross Creek Cedars road to take in the beauty of Ibex Peak, just across the border in Montana.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

Bottom left: A snowy typewriter scene captured by Gail Lyster. Cool shot, Gail!

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COMMUNITY

Plein air gathering scheduled for Feb. 19

By Reader Staff The Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society program, “Plein Air Painting: An Intimate Way to Enjoy Wildland Beauty,” presented by Ed Robinson and Sandy Compton, will take place Saturday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m.. The program will be offered both in-person at the East Bonner County Library’s main branch (1407 Cedar St. in Sandpoint), and virtually on Zoom.

Coffee and treats will be available starting at 9:30 a.m., and the meeting will be recorded for later viewing on the Kin-

nikinnick Native Plant Society’s YouTube channel. The program is co-sponsored by the East Bonner County Library District and Sandpoint Parks and Recreation. To register for the online version of this program on Zoom, visit: bit.ly/KNPS-PleinAir. Plein air painting is executed on-site in the great outdoors. The presentation will include a discussion of the tools, process and media often used for plein air work and several examples of plein air work will be shown. The presentation will discuss the important part plein air painting has played in

Event features presentations by Ed Robinson and Sandy Compton

conservation, as well as how the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness has integrated plein air painting into several activities — including the aptly named annual “Extreme Plein Air” hike.

Ed Robinson worked in the Idaho panhandle as a forester for the Idaho Department of Lands for more than 35 years, retiring as area manager for the Pend Oreille Supervisory Area. He is a lifetime outdoor enthusiast with interests including fly fishing, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, astronomy and plein air painting. In retirement he is a part-time artist and teaches tree identification, forestry skills and other aspects of outdoor life as a volunteer for the Friends of Scotchman Peaks. Robinson is on the board of directors for FSPW.

Sandy Compton was raised at the southern edge of the Scotchman Peaks and began hiking there when his parents made him walk up an old road into the upper reaches of Blue Creek at age 3. He has worked as a surveyor, reporter, editor, waiter, caterer, advertising salesman, hotel manager, magazine and book designer, logger, sawmiller, trail builder, outdoor educator and wilderness advocate. He has also written and published several books through his company, Blue Creek Press, and helped other authors make theirs a physical reality. He retired two years ago from Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, where he was program coordinator for a decade, and now spends his time skiing, golfing, hiking, working on rebuilding the cabin he grew up in, and writing and publishing more books for himself and others.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Panida meeting touches on vision for future of both theaters Camps square off on selling versus keeping Little Theater

By Ben Olson Reader Staff After almost two decades of “kicking the can down the road,” in the words of one Panida board member, the theater’s board of directors hosted a public meeting Feb. 10 to discuss the vision and planning for both the Little Theater and the historic theater next door on First Avenue. About 50 people filled the room at the Little Theater and heard three presentations from the Panida board and staff.

“The board will not be voting on the future of the Little Theater at this meeting,” Board Chair Jim Healey said. “Like you, board members will be listening and hearing each of your voices on this matter.”

While no decision was made, the biggest topic of conversation centered on whether to sell the Little Theater.

Managing Director Veronica Knowlton first presented an overview of the Panida’s finances, estimating monthly expenses for both theaters at around $13,000 — most going toward salaries and professional services.

“However, 2021 saw a steep decline in expenses and an exponential increase in grants,” she said.

Knowlton then said expenses to operate the Little Theater averaged just under $200 per month, most of that going toward insurance premiums.

“Gratefully we don’t have a mortgage anymore and, since we’re a nonprofit, we don’t have to pay property tax,” she said.

Knowlton said the main theater generates about $12,210 per month in revenue, a third of that total for rentals, amounting to an average $490 loss per month.

“For every dollar we earn, we spend $1.16,” she said. “However, we have turned a profit on the bottom line the last six months.”

Knowlton said she hopes to change the focus from fundraising as the main revenue generating effort, instead “increasing the profitability of the space.”

She said the Little Theater could earn up to $30,000 annually 16 /

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to further support the main theater, mainly by increasing the amount of rentals as well as renting out the retail space in front of the building, which could possibly earn $1,500 per month.

“My ask is time,” she said.

“We’ve held the [Little] Theater for 19 years. I would simply ask for time that this would be a profitable venture.”

Arguments both for and against keeping the Little Theater focused on profitability and access.

“All of us had assumed the Little Theater was the albatross around the neck of the big theater,” said Dyno Wahl, speaking on behalf of the Pend Oreille Arts Council. “We see now that isn’t so much the case.”

Later during the meeting, musician Katelyn Shook said, “[T]his is a very important venue in town. It’s really the only one left of this size that cultivates a listening environment. … I know 100 acts that can’t play a big venue like the Panida because nobody knows them and it would be too expensive for them to play.

There’s nowhere else in town they could play.”

According to Board member Jimmy Matlosz, concessions made more than sponsorships or donations in the past five years, adding that, “The Little Theater can generate revenue. … Selling the Little Theater should be the last resort.”

Matlosz outlined a quick list of fixes and improvements that were needed in both theaters, which includes simple items, like painting and brightening up with lighting, as well as more expensive repairs like roof work, sprinkler system upgrades, flooring and others.

Matlosz said while some improvements will require substantial money, others can be tackled with elbow grease.

“It will take an army and a village to do this,” he said.

Panida staffer Doug Jones reminded people that the Little Theater building is in dire need of structural repairs.

“It’s not just going to happen by rolling up your sleeves,” Jones said. “It will take a lot of fundrais-

ing and real money spent if you want to make it the vision you’re seeing here.”

Knowlton said a recent inspection by Selkirk Fire buoyed her opinion of the state of the building.

“I asked them point blank, ‘How likely is this building to be condemned?’” she said. “They said the foundation had some damage, and there are improvements to be made, but we are not in any immediate danger short of an earthquake or fire. We had a few minor violations, but structurally we are sound.”

One main area of concern is the roof of the main theater. One estimate of $180,000 has been received, but the board said more bids are needed before landing on that number.

The final portion of the meeting saw a presentation by Chris Bessler, a former board member, on developing a strategic plan for the Panida, which he said will help identify and outline specific costs needed for future capital campaigns (full disclosure: Bessler’s company Keokee co-owns the Reader with Ben Olson).

“We had a community meeting June 7, and since that time we’ve been wrestling with questions of the Little Theater and the bigger question of how we can enhance the big theater,” Bessler said.

“The bottom line is it requires a lot of money … and some crucial groundwork is needed before we can execute that capital campaign.

We need a long-term strategic plan for the main and Little Theater.”

Bessler outlined a draft strategic plan, which focuses on four main goals: community enrichment, cultural and artistic, opera-

Photo by Ben Olson. tions, and finance and infrastructure. The draft plan was mostly a snapshot of what a strategic plan would look like, but the underlying goal of a future plan would be to capitalize on the upcoming 100year anniversary of the Panida, which occurs in 2027.

Bessler suggested the board create an ad hoc committee to build out and finalize a strategic plan with action plans to achieve each goal. With that groundwork laid and an emphasis on specific goals, he said the Panida could then launch a major capital campaign.

“There’s no question the main theater is the top priority, but we can also do things with the Little Theater to help accomplish those priorities,” he said. “It would be terribly short-sighted to lose this asset.”

Cline gave a report from the fundraising committee, which generated $53,000 during the successful “Unite to Light the Marquee” to restorate the defining feature of the Panida’s historic facade. Cline set a goal of raising $200,000 during the June meeting, where discussions of selling the Little Theater first emerged, but said that campaign wasn’t successful because there hasn’t been a commitment by the board to keep the Little Theater, which he said has cultivated an uncertainty with potential donors.

“The majority of the board was for selling,” Cline said. “As an individual board member, looking at this theater about to be sold, I was shocked and concerned. I wanted us to hold off on selling and get the community together

with cooler heads.”

Cline floated the idea that the Panida could obtain a low-interest loan for $200,000 to help pay for a project such as opening up a pass-through between the Panida’s main lobby and the Little Theater.

“If you got a SBA loan for 30 yars at 3% interest, to work and handle that loan takes only about $733 per month. If I would pay $100 per month and get six other people to donate the same, we could poke a hole in that amount in just the first year. … We could connect these lobbies, maybe put some tables in here and people could see what they were paying for. Alcohol is a cash cow. It has a 400 to 600% markup. If we sold during intermission and gave people a place to be at intermission or after the show, we’d have a lot more money.”

Hannah Combs, who has served POAC and the city as a past-member of the Arts Commission, said: “Based on what I have seen here tonight, the staff and board of the Panida have restored my trust in the Panida and faith that it has a bright future. … I have faith now that you will make the decision in the best interest of the Panida.”

Sandpoint City Councilor Jason Welker reminded people that the new parks plan for downtown Sandpoint will undoubtedly see dramatic changes to First Avenue in the near future.

“The vision is to reorient First Avenue towards Sand Creek,” Welker said. “Having this potential frontage along Sand Creek with this location would be super valuable.”

Healey shared emails from some who encouraged the sale of the Little Theater, reading snippets from several.

Terry Meyers, a former Panida board member, wrote with concerns that the Little Theater hasn’t generated much profit in its 19 years, and that it has sunken into “disrepair and neglect.” “Consider that it’s time to cash in on the investment gains and use those profits to fund the main theater,” he wrote.

Another email, from Stanley Bernbaum, called the Little Theater

< see PANIDA, Page 17 >

COMMUNITY

Sandpoint Winter Carnival — Week 2

By Reader Staff Spearheaded by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, the Winter Carnival is an annual two-week-long event highlighting some of our fun winter traditions and activities. Here are events for the second and final week: Friday, Feb. 18 Headwaters at Eichardt’s Pub BareGrass reinvented. An Eichardt’s favorite. Music starts at 7 p.m.

Miah Kohal at MickDuff’s Beer Hall Sandpoint’s outlaw country rock band let by Miah Kohal will perform at the Beer Hall from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 Winter Carnival Cornhole Classic at MickDuff’s Back for its eighth year, the Cornhole Classic is the World Series of Cornhole for area tossers. Pre-register at noon on Scoreholio. Courts open at 11 a.m. There’s a $20 fee, six-game minimum. Come as a single and you can play with four random people during round-robin games, then get a random partner to compete in a double-elimination tournament.

Family Day at The Granary at Matchwood Brewing Co. and Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters 513 Oak St. in Sandpoint.

Runaway Symphony at Matchwood Brewing Co. Runaway Symphony’s music is a unique form of what some would call indie rock. It is full of polished harmonies, soul-stirring

guitar riffs and lyrics that connect with audiences, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

5-9 p.m. More info at mattoxfarm.com and runawaysymphony.com.

John Daffron at MickDuff’s Beer Hall John Daffron — a.k.a. Johnny Guitar — is back at the Beer Hall, 6-9 p.m.

Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at the Panida Theater Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. More info and to purchase tickets, go to LPOrep.com. Presented by Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater Co.

Embody Studio dancers performing at the Third Ave. block party during the opening weekend of Winter Carnival festivities in Sandpoint. Photo by Dan Earle.

Sunday, Feb. 20 Coca-Cola ‘Let it Glow’ Fireworks show at Schweitzer Schweitzer and Coca-Cola are celebrating President’s Weekend with the Coca-Cola “Let it Glow” kids’ parade and fireworks show. Schweitzer will hand out free LED battery-powered “torches” to all the kids who pre-register and then lead the whole group down the Ridge Run for a nighttime LED parade followed by the fireworks show. The parade is open to all ages to join for free, but you have to pre-register at eventbrite.com or at the Schweitzer Activity Center. Space is limited.

The Sweet Lillies at the Longshot $15 cover charge. Doors open at 6 p.m. and music starts at 7 p.m. Eichardt’s and Smokesmith Bar-B-Que will have food available for purchase. More info at mattoxfarm.com.

Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at the Panida Matinee at 3 p.m. — doors open at 2 p.m.

< PANIDA, con’t from Page 16 > a “nonperforming asset that is a drain on the Panida.”

Michael Boge, who hosts the annual Banff Film Festival at the Panida, lauded the board’s decision to hire Knowlton, and argued that members should, “Support her by putting the Panida in a better operating position by tossing the dead weight of the Little Theater.”

Longtime local Realtor Chris Chambers addressed the board at the end of the meeting, saying that fundraising in Sandpoint has always been achievable if the goals are set clearly.

“There’s a silent army out there that doesn’t come to these meetings, but if you

ask them, they’ll step up and help. They’ll write a check,” he said. “You can sell this and have all the money, but you’ll go through it quick. If you make a million and a half, it’ll go down to $500,000 real quick after repairs. … Money is not scarce in this town. It’s abundant. You can ask for it.

“Twenty years down the road, we won’t have this asset to sell if we need to,” he added. “I encourage everyone to take a step back and give the Little Panida Theater a chance to hatch now after 19 years. Give Veronica a chance to do what she was hired to do. It’s not anybody’s fault that we’re here, but here we are. If we can keep this, let’s do it.”

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events

February 17-24, 2021

THURSDAY, February 17

Sip and Shop for Waldorf School 4-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Sandpoint Waldorf School

FriDAY, February 18 Live Music w/ Headwaters 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub BareGrass revisited!

Live Music w/ Miah Kohal 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Sandpoint’s outlaw country rock band Live Music w/ Doug and Marty 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Guitar and mandolin duo

Living Voices: Through the Eyes of a Friend 7pm @ Panida Theater Presented by POAC, this history-comes-alive performance will tell the enduring, inspiring story of Anne Frank. $16. panida.org

SATURDAY, February 19

Live Music w/ Wiebe Jammin’ 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 5-8pm @ Taps Lounge at Schweitzer Indie rock originals and some covers 8th Annual Winter Carnival Cornhole Classic 11am @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Come as a single and you can play with 4 randoms. $20 - 6 game minimum Live Music w/ John Daffron 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall John Daffron (aka Johnny Guitar) Live Music w/ Slo Motion Walter 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge

Young Frankenstein play 7pm @ Panida Theater Join LPO Repertory Theater for their hilarious take on Mel Brooks’ musical comedy, starring Andrew Sorg, Kate McAlister, Ashley López and Holly Beamen, this one is not to be missed! Directed by Keely Gray. $25. Tickets at lporep.com

Live Music w/ Runaway Symphony 5-9pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. An indie rock band of another kind. Also playing is Karli Ingersoll’s band Windoe.

Show sponsored by Vyve Broadband

Family Day at the Granary @ The Granary

Live Music w/ Brad Keeler 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Covers from the past 10 decades as well as originals from a lifetime of music

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Sleigh Rides and dinner at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch 5pm @ Western Pleasure Guest Ranch Sleigh rides can be scheduled for 5-6pm, dinner served at 6:30pm with live music from Devon Wade. $110/adults, $65/kids.

Reserve a spot by calling 208-263-9066

Young Frankenstein matinee showing 3pm @ Panida Theater A matinee showing of LPO Repertory Theater’s production of this musical comedy Sweet Lillies in concert 7pm @ The Longshot The Sweet Lillies will play a special concert at the Longshot, with the Brenden Kelty Trio opening.

SunDAY, February 20

monDAY, February 21

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

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

tuesDAY, February 22 wednesDAY, February 23 Live Music w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Piano w/ Athena Crossingham 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

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STAGE & SCREEN

‘It’s alive!’

Young Frankenstein musical to play at Panida next two weekends

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Doors will open for the Sunday, Feb. 20 matinee show at 2:30 p.m. with showtime at 3 p.m. The folFor Keely Gray, the phrase, lowing week’s performances will “The show must go on,” is espebe Saturday, Feb. 26 and a matinee cially appropriate when it comes show Sunday, Feb. 27 with door to the upcoming production of and showtimes the same as the Young Frankenstein. Gray’s nonprevious weekend. profit theater organization, Lake Directed by Gray, Young FranPend Oreille Repertory Theater, kenstein is a musical that is guarfirst planned to present the play based on Mel Brooks’ classic com- anteed to bring laughs. Starring a legendary local cast, including edy film on Halloween 2021, but Andrew Sorg, Kate McAlister, COVID-19 complications forced Ashley López and Holly Beamen, the production to postpone. this hilarious musical is sure to “LPO Repertory Theater inbring down the house. corporated in December of 2019, “The greatest thing about this and this is slated to be our first production,” Gray told the Reader. play is that all the music was written by Mel Brooks,” Gray said. “I “Originally, we thought it would didn’t know this before.” be a fantastic idea to bring Young Gray said Frankenstein to the play follows Sandpoint for Young Frankenstein (PG-13) Brooks’ iconic Halloween 2021, Saturday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m.; Sunday, movie, with but then COVID Feb. 20, 3 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 26, the main story reared its ugly 7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 27, 3 p.m. $25. mostly remainhead. … Luckily, Panida Theater, 301 N. First Ave., 208-263-9191, panida.org. A ing the same the Panida had COVID-19 vaccination or negative with the addithese February COVID-19 test is required for entry tion of musical dates available.” during opening weekend. No vacciYoung Frannation or test is required for entry for numbers written

by Brooks kenstein will take the showtimes on Feb. 26-27. sprinkled in the main stage of where they fit the Panida Theater best in the story. over the next two weekends, Since it’s a high hurdle to fund with opening night on Saturday, a musical, Gray held a speakeasy Feb. 19. Doors will open at 6:30

fundraiser in 2021 to help fill the coffers to take on this production.

“We’ve raised over $15,000 and our production budget is dang near close to that,” Gray said.

“Musicals can be very daunting.

Most plays that don’t have any music, you just pay to perform them to honor the playwright so they’re compensated for their work. Musicals are a whole different bag of tomatoes. There’s the music, the story, the dialogue and, often when you purchase a musical, you also have to buy specific choreography. Musicals in general are astronomical in price.”

Adding on the set design, costumes, makeup, printing and additional costs, it’s easy to see how the price tag to stage a musical like Young Frankenstein can easily climb. But it’s all part of the show, Gray said, whose mission with LPO Repertory Theater is to be a

“true blue” community theater that puts on high-quality productions with dynamic set design, expertly rehearsed songs, and choreography and a backstage crew and cast dedicated to putting on the best show they can.

Courteny Roberts will be stage managing, Hannah Combs and Chris Quayle have been tapped as costume designers. Paige MacDonald has taken on the task of choreography. In addition to directing, Gray is also acting as lighting and set designer, with her husband Alan helping build the set.

“Our choreographer Paige is just incredible,” Gray said. “She came up with some of the most fun, most interesting choreography I’ve ever seen.”

Gray was also complementary of the Sandpoint Envision Center, which allowed the cast a space for the majority of rehearsals and

The cast of Young Frankenstein during dress rehearsal. Photo by Keely Gray. blocking.

“Courtenay is also an incredible stage manager,” Gray said.

“She’s so professional. It’s insane that they just started with the show two weeks ago. All of these guys on the crew just stepped in seamlessly and joined the family.”

Gray hopes Young Frankenstein is the start of a long run of productions by LPO Repertory Theater.

“In the future, we really hope to bring Sandpoint four to six shows per year when we hit our peak. … There are times as a director and founder of the company, when you can get stressed about all the minutia, but one thing I’m really proud of is we all really like each other and enjoy spending time together. For the first show, I couldn’t have asked for a better group.”

POAC presents Living Voices at the Panida Through the Eyes of a Friend performance will tell the story of a young Jewish girl living under Nazi rule

By Reader Staff As part of its longstanding partnership with touring multimedia performance company Living Voices, the Pend Oreille Arts Council will present Through the Eyes of a Friend on Friday, Feb. 18 at the Panida Theater.

With a mission to bring history to life on stage, Living Voices combines live performance with archival film to represent diverse perspectives from the past that resonate today.

Through the Eyes of a Friend is a feature of the nonprofit’s annual Performing Arts Series and will take the main stage at 7 p.m.,

parallelling the life of Anne Frank through the historically accurate composite character of Sarah Weiss — another young Jewish person growing up in Germany at the onset of World War II. Weiss is based on the real testimonies of many who knew Frank, as well as other victims and survivors of the Holocaust and the war.

Like Anne Frank, Sarah is a young Jewish girl in Amsterdam when Hitler comes to power in the 1930s, whose experience under Nazi rule, in hiding and through the concentration camps also reflects Frank’s familiar and widely known story.

“Our long relationship with the incredible Living Voices program continues with this latest production of Through the Eyes of a Friend,” said POAC Executive Director Tone Lund. “This play remains faithful to Anne Frank’s life and her world, and POAC believes it is an important story to share. We hope you’ll join us for live theater at the Panida.”

Living Voices is also a part of POAC’s Ovations program, a free outreach effort that provides quality educational experiences in the performing arts for students in the community who would not otherwise have these opportunities. A study guide focused on the

history of the times will accompany performances in multiple schools in the Lake Pend Oreille School District prior to the public performance at the Panida Theater on Feb. 18.

All tickets are $16, and are available at the POAC Office (110 Main St., Ste. 101 in downtown

Image courtesy Pend Oreille Arts Council.

Sandpoint). Those interested in tickets can also call 208-263-6139 or purchase them online at artinsandpoint.org.

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MUSIC

All genres, all heart

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Julie Gussaroff, founder of Colorado-based string band The Sweet Lillies, couldn’t imagine her life any other way than on the road, making music and sharing it with anyone who will listen.

“It’s a drive that, if it’s in you, it’s strong,” she told the Reader.

“It’s a strong drive for us.”

That drive is bringing the band to The Longshot on Sunday, Feb. 20, with the local Brenden Kelty Trio opening the Mattox Farm Productions show, which is set to begin at 7 p.m.

The Sweet Lillies is composed of Gussaroff on upright bass, guitar and mandolin; Becca Bisque on viola and percussion; and Dustin Rohleder on guitar.

All three contribute vocals, and all members play a part in the band’s songwriting and overall creative process.

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The result is a sound heavy on “genre-bending,” as Gussaroff put it, featuring everything from “Americana and folk to hip hop, rock ’n’ roll, bluegrass” and more. The Sweet Lillies, while giving the appearance of a string band, go beyond the stereotypes of that image.

“We love all types of music,” Rohleder said, “so, when we write, whatever we’re feeling, we write that. We’re not stuck on any one thing. We don’t think of ourselves that way.”

Just as all three members of The Sweet Lillies bring a different musical style to the mix, each brings a different background.

Gussaroff said that she draws inspiration from her childhood in an impoverished part of New York City to her songwriting.

For Bisque, an upbringing in the mountains informs her creations.

For Rohleder, farming, land and family are inspirations. The com-

bination of these experiences have a common thread, according to Gussaroff.

“We write a lot about the experience of being a person, basically, in different capacities,” she said.

“The human experience — whether it’s being in love, whether it’s missing a loved one, whether it’s building your first home, or how humans interrelate with each other and with the world around them.”

The Sweet Lillies will stop in Sandpoint as part of a busy tour across the West sharing those stories of connection with soulful, foot-stomping string music as the conduit.

“We hope that people feel how much we love what we do,” Gussaroff said, “and how excited we are to share it with all of you.”

Colorado string band The Sweet Lillies to rock The Longshot Feb. 20

Doors open at 6 p.m., and music starts at 7 p.m. with openers Brenden Kelty Trio. The Longshot is located at 102 S. Boyer Ave. in Sandpoint. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $8 for youth.

Purchase tickets at mattoxfarm. com. Eichardt’s Pub will have beverages for sale at the show, and

Photo by Molly McCormick.

Smokesmith Bar-B-Que will offer food. Capacity will be limited, and music will be played through the Longshot’s outdoor speakers for those who want to enjoy the tunes from the lawn. Listen to The Sweet Lillies at sweetlillies.com.

MUSIC

‘A whole new horizon’

Sandpoint’s Justin Lantrip releases new album Flood Gates

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Many artists have a story about how they entered their chosen art form. For Sandpoint singer-songwriter Justin Lantrip, that story is a love story.

“I fell in love, basically. It’s pretty simple,” he told the Reader.

“It changed something inside of me when I heard profoundly amazing music. I know that it transcends something of our daily lives that is so rigid and bears down upon us all the time.

[Music] makes things dissipate.”

Lantrip has been chasing that feeling for 15 years now, writing and recording music because he felt called to do so. He will release his fourth album, Flood Gates, on Feb. 20.

“Music just blew my mind and made me feel like I was connected to something beyond myself,” he said. “I wanted to seek that more and more the more in love with music I became over time.”

Lantrip is a singer-songwriter who can’t be categorized into a single genre, drawing inspiration from artists like Father John Misty, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne and Nathaniel Rateliff.

“You just kind of write what comes to you,” he said. “You can’t necessarily help it. You can certainly try to mimic something, and early on I certainly did try to mimic things, but I like to let sounds figure themselves out in a way.”

Flood Gates marks a deeper musical collaboration for Lantrip, who drew on longtime local artist

Matt Donahue’s extensive background in music production and talents as a multi-instrumentalist for the new work.

“He’s got a whole different sense of perspective, and a different palate to work from,” Lantrip said of Donahue. “It was much more back-andforth in that sense — more bouncing off somebody else instead of just trying to imagine what I think it should sound like. It [became], ‘What do we think it should sound like?’”

That collaboration made Flood Gates into a process of evolution.

While Lantrip brought the initial components to the studio, Donahue wasn’t afraid to push each song to its potential.

“When I heard the tracks with just the guitar and vocals, I knew that I could bring something to the table,” Donahue said.

The result of that teamwork is a rich and textured album brimming with concepts Lantrip has been wrestling with for as many years as there are tracks on Flood Gates: 10.

“Every song on there is definite-

ly meaningful to me. They all came out of this tumultuous last decade that I’ve had, and they all came from a pretty deep emotional state in general,” he said.

Title track “Flood Gates” exemplifies the sincerity in both Lantrip’s vocals and lyrics — a perfect marriage that makes itself present throughout the album, even as it eludes any one genre. Standout “All’s Well” rises and falls, taking the listener along for the ride through a soundscape of moody guitar and mesmerizing harmonies. Of all 10 songs on the album, Lantrip pointed to “The Only Enemy” as one he is especially proud of, having seen it through from a loose idea to a particularly well-produced track.

“It felt like it just worked — you know, sometimes it just works,” he said of the song.

With Flood Gates completed and poised for its audience, Lantrip feels nothing but anticipation — not necessarily for how people will receive the album, but for how this milestone will pave the way for

Justin Lantrip, left, and Matt Donahue, right. Courtesy photos. more creation.

“The great thing about finishing something is that it opens up a completely new horizon for whatever’s next. I’m looking forward to writing more. I’m looking forward to maybe doing some touring and creating a live show that exemplifies at least partially what I captured on the album, and maybe beyond,” he said, noting that the songs on Flood Gates are likely to evolve and take on new life as he and his band play them live.

“I like moving forward and trying to continue to get better and make even more unique sounds,” he added. “It’s nice, once you finish something — it’s just a whole new horizon to start with. It’s exciting.”

Justin Lantrip’s new album Flood Gates will be released on Sunday, Feb. 20. Access the pre-order and find other ways to support the artist at justinlantrip.com.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Headwaters, Eichardt’s Pub, Feb. 18 Formerly known as BareGrass, Headwaters is a Sandpoint-based group playing a pleasant mix of bluegrass, Americana and progressive folk. The band was renamed after some personnel changes, as mandolin player Luke is headed to the Berklee School of Music in Boston.

Featuring Jared Johnston on acoustic guitar and vocals, John Firshi on acoustic guitar and vocals, Mick Taylor on drums, and

John Edwards on upright bass and vocals, Headwaters starts where BareGrass left off — playing a fun mix of originals, as well as altrock, blues, country, funk and jazz covers to fit any occasion.

This show is part of the Winter Carnival festivities.

— Ben Olson 7-10 p.m., FREE, 21+ after 10 p.m. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com.

Brad Keeler, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Feb. 19 It is widely understood, though not scientifically proven, that music can be a form of time travel.

Everyone has at least a few songs that mentally transport them back to a very specific time and place.

Spokane-based singer-songwriter Brad Keeler has a whole century-worth of them.

Playing at the Pend d’Oreille Winery on Saturday, Feb. 19, Keeler will bring his catalog spanning more than 100 years of covers of everything from old-time standards, swing and Tin Pan Alley

tunes to roots, folk, blues and alt country. More than that, Keeler performs originals that encompass more than 30 years of songwriting — all of which he delivers with a warm-yet-world weary lyrical style and immaculate acoustic guitar work.

— Zach Hagadone 5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., Ste. 101, 208-265-8545, powine.com. Listen at reverbnation.com/bradkeeler.

More info at bradkeeler.net.

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

If you haven’t read the 1979 sci-fi/ humor classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, you’re missing out on some pure joy.

Irreverent, hilarious and on point, Adams’ opus follows the unlikely hero Arthur Dent on his misadventures as the Earth is destroyed by an alien race to make way for a hyperspace bypass. I love the snide humor, the dry wit, the explanations loaded with tongue-in-cheek facts. Don’t panic, you can find it anywhere books are sold, bartered or loaned.

LISTEN

Tom Waits Radio on Spotify is a fun trip down the dark side of the musical moon. Waits has always operated outside the norms of popular music, with his genius lyrics and approachable degeneracy. When you listen to a cultivated playlist based on his music, the result is pure gold, including songs

by Warren Zevon, Nick Drake, Nick Cave, Bill Callahan, Gillian Welch and so many more.

WATCH

We are smack dab in the middle of the true crime heyday, with so many people eagerly gobbling up any new docuseries that comes down the pike on streaming services. If you feel you’ve exhausted your list, check out That Chapter on YouTube. Led by an Irish lad named Mike who is a bit too clever with his jokes for my taste, this channel makes up for his awkwardness by presenting some of the greatest 20-30 minute documentaries on true crime cases that made national news, as well as some that flew under the radar.

He has hundreds of whodunits, so there’s plenty to satisfy anyone’s morbid curiosity.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

The other side of 20 From Pend Oreille Review, February 28, 1913

GREEK SHOT THROUGH ABDOMEN IN DRUNKEN BRAWL IN HOUSE OF ILLFAME As a result of a fight that occurred in a house of illfame, conducted by two colored women in Kootenai between the hours of 10 and 11 o’clock Tuesday night, Augustus Nostroas, a native of Greece, who is employed at the Northern Pacific roundhouse at Kootenai, is laying at the point of death in the city hospital and his assailant, Mamie Fonda, colored, is occupying a cell in the county jail. Nostroas was shot through the intestines by a bullet from a 22 caliber revolver.

It is a question, according to all reports, as to whether Nostroas was the man that the shot was intended for. It is stated that there was a large crowd of men in the house conducted by the women on the night of the shooting and all were drinking quiet heavily.

Someone started a rough house and one of the colored women attempted to put them out of the house.

They resented this move and after they were on the outside attempted to again gain entrance. The Fonda woman grabbed a revolver and pointing it toward the ceiling pulled the trigger twice, but the cartridge in the gun did not explode. Then from all reports, she lowered the gun, some of the onlookers claiming that she aimed it at Nostroas while other claim that Nostroas grabbed the barrel of the gun, but in any event the cartridge exploded, striking the victim below the stomach, entering the intestines making four holes in them. The man was made as comfortable as possible, but it is doubtful as to his recovery. It was reported that Nostroas were on the best of terms.

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By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff I have long pointed to my relative youth as a main pillar of my identity.

My residency in a retirement town and Boomer-dominated county has long made me feel like a shiny little unicorn.

I’ve grown accustomed to shocking people when I arrive at events in a professional capacity, capable of passing for one of the high school students I coach. It also helps that I work at this newspaper beside two guys who are, despite their denial, Over The Hill — and old, crusty souls to boot. Each of these elements has contributed to my vision of myself: female, writer, dog mom, youthful.

However, I think my latest milestone puts me too far from “youth” on paper to make it a claim to fame any longer. I turned 26 last week, and the occasion has me reflecting on what it means to be on the downhill side of my 20s.

The universe stacked its odds against the probability of what most would consider a “good birthday” by dropping the date on a Wednesday: Deadline Day, or as we know it here at the Reader, the weekday anything and everything can — and will — happen just before all 24 pages need to be buttoned up and ready for printing.

As my husband left for work that morning, he gave me a hug and wished me a happy birthday. Just before he shut the door, he added: “Sorry that it’s a Wednesday.” By now, the people in my life are well trained to give me a wide berth — and an extra word of encouragement — on Hump Day. What’s more, a contentious land use hearing also happened that day, requiring a deadline news story. I guessed it would last at least four hours. It lasted a little longer

STR8TS Solution

than that.

Still, by all accounts, it was a wonderful birthday. I felt celebrated all week long thanks to kind messages, sporadic gifts and a weekend birthday party. Plus, the work I had to show for all that time spent at my computer prior to deadline was a nice reminder that I’ve been busy the past eight-plus years of adulthood learning how to be a better and better reporter who can handle things like long, important meetings on deadline with minimal bitching and moaning.

When the 4.5-hour hearing came up during conversation at my birthday party, my 8-year-old nephew (who has apparently been alive for as long as I’ve been an adult?) was shocked to learn that I spent my birthday watching, taking notes and writing a 1,000-word retelling of the hearing’s testimony and result.

“It wasn’t all bad,” I assured him.

“Someone’s got to watch it and write about it so that everyone can read about it the next day. That way they spend five minutes getting informed instead of half the day watching the meeting.”

In the back of our minds, all of us salty reporters know the importance of our jobs.

Still, I surprised myself with the simple summation. I’m lucky to do what I do, and part of why I feel that way are the countless community members who read the Reader and thank me for my work each week. I know you guys don’t want to watch a long meeting, so let’s all thank Publisher Ben Olson for paying me to do it for you.

Here’s to our readers, here’s to my inner circle and here’s to 26 — 52 more

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey as her alter-ego: the volleyball coach. Photo by Dan Earle.

Wednesdays and countless more stories.

It’s a good life.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is “God is crying.” And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is “Probably because of something you did.”

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

cockade

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/ko-KEYD/

[noun] 1. a rosette, knot of ribbon, etc., usually worn on the hat as part of a uniform, as a badge of office, or the like.

“The officer’s hat featured a bright feather cockade rising two feet above his head.”

Corrections: Due to an editing failure in the Feb. 10 edition of “The Sandpoint Eater,” we inadvertently referred to scallopini when what we meant was veal picatta. We apologize for the error.

We’d rather eat either than crow, which is what we’re doing now.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. All excited 5. Throat-clearing sound 9. Covered with a layer of dust 14. Storage cylinder 15. Russian parliament 16. Habituate 17. A sense of enjoyment 19. Outsider 20. Indolence 21. Produce 23. In a dream-like manner 25. A native of east London 28. Former North African ruler 29. Uncooked 32. Discrimination of the elderly 33. Sharp high-pitched cry 34. Daughter of Zeus and Demeter 35. Low-fat 36. Historical period 38. Ripe 39. Not more 40. Crow 41. Bring into harmony 43. South southeast 44. Petroleum 45. As a substitute 46. Being the basic part 48. Tobogganists 50. Kingly 54. Nymph 55. Transubstantiate 57. Lofty nest

Solution on page 22 58. Anagram of “Note” 59. ___ vera 60. Creates 61. Chocolate cookie 62. Short sleeps

8. Unnaturally frenzied 9. So very much 10. To untwist 11. A set of garments 12. Pine or spruce for example DOWN 13. Hankering 1. Vipers 18. Avoids 2. Aquatic respiratory 22. Pachyderm organ 24. Rectified 3. Margarine 25. Phones 4. Hides of a goat 26. S-shaped moldings 5. American Dental 27. Stop Association 29. Scoundrel 6. Famished 30. Rink 7. Master of 31. Walked through ceremonies water

33. Ouch!

34. Rancher 37. Fan palm 42. Russian emperors 44. Music from the ‘50s and ‘60s 45. Crazy 46. Creepy 47. Mistake 48. Kind of bean 49. Lie in wait 51. Goddess of healing 52. At the peak of 53. Dregs 54. Skirt’s edge 56. Prefix meaning “Modern”

February 17, 2021 /

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