Reader_Feb9_2023

The week in random review

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Feb. 9

The internet can tell you a lot about what happened on a certain day in history, and I love that. On this day in 1943, WWII’s Battle of Guadalcanal ended with an Allied victory over Japan. On Feb. 9, 1944, American author and poet Alice Walker was born. It’s also the day Princess Margaret, second daughter of King George VI and sister to Queen Elizabeth II, died in 2002. Two events mark the importance of Feb 9, 1996: the synthesization of chemical element 112 by German physicist Peter Armbruster, and the birth of one Lyndsie Kiebert. My mom went into labor at the wake held in honor of my great uncle Marty, and my parents feared they wouldn’t make it to Bonner General thanks to strong runoff threatening local bridges. They made it, I arrived and the world has never been the same — at least for me it hasn’t.

the creative’s burden

“A writer’s heart, a poet’s heart, an artist’s heart, a musician’s heart is always breaking. It is through that broken window that we see the world.”

— Alice Walker, American writer

groundhog’s day tragedy, eh?

Most of us (or, at least, those of us who care) know by now that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Feb. 2, predicting six more weeks of winter. I searched for Groundhog’s Day news stories to learn the results that Thursday afternoon, while serving as a teacher’s aide to a classroom of second-graders who were also excited to learn about Phil’s prediction. Tragically, we stumbled across a Groundhog’s Day story from Canada: Quebec’s resident weather-forecasting rodent, Fred la Marmotte, was found dead in his burrow the morning of the holiday. Event organizers estimated Fred had passed a couple of months ago at the age of 9 — three times the average groundhog lifespan. I shared the news with my students, and we all agreed that he lived a long, happy life.

second-grade jokes

What do you call a dog that’s gotten too hot?

(Yes, the punchline is what you think it is, and it’s a riot among 8-year-olds these days.)

no context iPhone notes, 6/18/20

Tomatoes

Chiles

Peanut butter

Father’s Day cards

Tortilla chips

Sour cream

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Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Jane Fritz, Tricia Florence, Mike Allard, Mark Cochran, Lori Getts, Ron Bedford, Bill Borders

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About the Cover

This week’s cover is all about the love. Happy Valentine’s Day!

BoCo Zoom access ended, P&Z boards remain separate

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Despite being slated as an executive session item to be discussed at the end of a packed agenda, Bonner County commissioners at their business meeting Feb. 7 jumped right into discussing the potential end of Zoom video streaming access to public meetings and hearings.

Commissioner Asia Williams argued that the item should be discussed publicly.

“I don’t see how discussing whether or not to discontinue Zoom is appropriate in an executive session,” she said, noting that more than 25 people were participating in the meeting via the streaming platform, which allows viewers to make public testimony remotely and in real time.

Williams began to quote Idaho Code surrounding executive sessions before Commissioner Luke Omodt called for a “point of order,” which Commissioner Steve Bradshaw recognized as chair of the board.

“‘Point of order’ isn’t used to silence a commissioner,” Williams said.

“Commissioner Williams, I’ve brought it to a point of order,” Bradshaw replied. “Comment is through.”

Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Bill Wilson testified that because the discussion of whether or not to keep Zoom meetings would include his opinion, which would fall under attorney-client privilege, it was a “discretionary” call by the board whether or not to hold that discussion in executive session.

During her District 2 Commissioner Report, Williams encouraged the public to “express their issues and concerns during public comment” regarding the possible ending of Zoom meetings, and particularly whether that discussion belonged in executive session.

She went on to read written comments from several constituents opposed to ending Zoom access — comments that only continued during the meeting’s hour-long public comment period.

Split votes and calls for order punctuate another tense commissioner meeting

Proponents of continued access cited some residents’ inability to travel to hearings due to weather, transportation issues, time crunches, age and health problems, as well as their desire to avoid the packed meeting rooms at the county building.

Bradshaw weighed in during public comment, saying it would be “foolish” to go against legal advice, after which Williams confirmed with Wilson that he was not advising the executive session. When Clerk Mike Rosedale took to the mic to tell the board he believed executive session was appropriate for the discussion, Williams attempted to ask follow-up questions before being cut off by Omodt.

“Commissioner Williams, for someone who is so focused on following the agenda, how about we try it. That would be lovely,” he said, prompting disapproving remarks from meeting attendees throughout the remainder of public comment, including several statements about the alleged “disrespect” Omodt and Bradshaw had displayed toward Williams. Shari Dovale of right-wing blog Redoubt News called it a “sexist issue.”

Many people urged the commissioners to have the discussion publicly about whether to keep the Zoom option. Ultimately, because the board adopted the order of the agenda with a 2-1 vote, that discussion took place in executive session. However, in order to vote on the item, the meeting was reopened.

Upon reconvening publicly, Bradshaw explained that Bonner County could face legal repercussions by offering Zoom participation should technical difficulties occur, rendering entire meetings void or opening the door to litigation from someone who wasn’t able to speak or to hear all of the testimony.

“That would boggle [sic] down government — not make it more efficient and streamlined,” Bradshaw said.

“If we made decisions on, ‘Somebody might sue us,’ we would cease to be a public institution,” Williams rebutted. “We owe our community the availability to participate, and if that availability comes with a risk, we must assess the risk.”

Omodt said he wished to avoid any litigation associated with the continued use of Zoom in favor of channeling county funds toward public safety and infrastructure.

“I firmly believe this is in the best interest of the county, and I’m happy to say, on the record, where I think the priority should be,” he said, adding later: “I’m happy to have this opportunity to put my vote where my mouth is.”

Williams suggested including a disclaimer on agendas to mitigate any legal risk associated with offering Zoom, but the board did not take up that suggestion. Despite public testimony entirely against eliminating Zoom access, Omodt and Bradshaw voted in favor of a motion to end it while Williams voted against.

County officials later confirmed with the Reader that YouTube live streaming of each meeting would remain available on the Bonner County YouTube channel. However, viewers on YouTube can only watch the action, and are not able to participate in the same way that Zoom allows.

Linscott appointed, land use commissions remain separate Also at the Feb. 7 business meeting, Planning Director Jacob Gabell proposed appointing Matt Linscott to the Planning Commission to fill one of two vacancies on the volunteer board. Linscott would be making the move from his current position on the Zoning Commission.

Gabell said the county currently has four or five candidates who have applied for those open seats who are waiting to be interviewed.

“Previously, it sometimes takes months to get a pool of two or three [applicants],” he said. “Recently, we have a lot more folks interested in applying and volunteering on the Planning Commission.”

Linscott’s appointment sparked discussion about whether the board’s current members comprise an accurate representation of Bonner County as a whole.

“Although there may not be a requirement, there is an expectation in the code that we are representing the different areas of

Bonner County,” Williams said, asking Gabell what districts of the county are currently represented on the commission. He said he did not have that information in front of him at the time.

“This is a highly visible section in the county government — one that we have a lot of involvement in,” Williams continued, “and it is best served if we use people from a diverse background from the various districts, even if you’re not required to.”

Public comment leaned heavily toward tabling Linscott’s appointment. Several attendees made note that most members of each land use commission are builders or real estate agents — including Linscott, who works as a realtor — with personal interests in development. Many argued that Linscott’s appointment should be considered after the board decided whether or not to recombine the two commissions, which it addressed later at the Feb. 7 meeting.

Following the comments, Omodt and Bradshaw voted to appoint Linscott, while Williams voted against the motion.

Commissioners later took up a proposal from Williams to recombine the Planning and Zoning commissions, which were separated in March 2022 in the interest of freeing up more time to update the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan. Since then, the county has hired a hearing examiner, which Williams and several community members argue has all but eliminated work for the Zoning Commission.

Bradshaw said he couldn’t support recombining the split commissions based on advice he gleaned from an ethics training at the Idaho Association of Counties conference held the first week of February in Boise.

“Had everybody went to that class, then this would not be a question,” Bradshaw said, clearly referring to Williams.

While all three commissioners attended the IAC conference, Williams told the Reader in a follow-up interview that she had coordinated with Omodt in order to avoid overlap in class attendance and ensure board members brought

back a variety of knowledge. In the screenshot of a text message, Omodt said he would be attending the ethics training, to which Williams replied: “Thank you. I’ll attend a different workshop.”

Williams made a motion to rejoin the Planning and Zoning commissions, but that motion died without a second from either Omodt or Bradshaw.

Motion to change agendizing policy dies

In another item taken up at the Feb. 7 meeting, Bonner County Human Resources brought forth a proposed amendment to workplace conduct policy. It was the second time the proposal had come before the commissioners after it was tabled on a split vote Jan. 24, with Omodt moving that a workshop be held with HR and all three board members.

The amendment would require the board to formulate future agenda items in a public setting as a means to “minimize the risk of secret ‘deliberation’ occurring in the agenda-setting process.” It would also eliminate the possibility of a department head consulting with only one commissioner on future county business.

Williams, who drafted the new policy language, said at the Jan. 24 meeting that the change was meant to keep board members from being “blindsided” and increase county transparency.

Bradshaw maintained at the Feb. 7 meeting that Bonner County’s current agendizing and open meeting policies follow state code.

“I will entertain a motion to deny this, because we have no intention of changing state law,” he said. “It’s not broken; it does not need to be fixed.”

Omodt asked Human Resources Director Cindy Binkerd whether a workshop had been held to discuss the proposed policy change. Binkerd said that upon consulting with legal advisors, she determined a workshop wasn’t necessary for the amendment.

Williams made a motion to approve the amendment, but without a second, her motion died.

City Beach goose hunt approved for second year

Despite only one bird being killed, 2022 event considered a success

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon went all in for the City Beach goose hunt at the Feb. 1 regular meeting of the Sandpoint City Council, where he delivered a report on the inaugural hunt and requested the permit for shooting at the beach be renewed for 2023.

“Those guys had an absolute blast,” he said of the hunters who showed up to fire on geese from a trio of blinds set up at the beach on seven days from mid-December to mid-January.

Coon asked the council to allow the 2023 hunt to occur twice a week for the whole month of November — an earlier time frame than the first hunt and intended to better coincide with the presence of geese at the beach.

“Two weeks before that I think we had 150 geese at the beach,” he said of the 2022 hunt, but the mid-December cold snap resulted in few of the birds sticking around.

As a result, only one goose was shot during the hunt, and it was not one of the animals bearing a leg band meant to indicate it was a bird that had returned to the beach over prior seasons.

“We knew there wasn’t going to be a big harvest,” Coon said, though he still considered the hunt a success.

“I have four goals in life: show up, to learn, to have fun and to win,” he said.

To that first goal, Coon noted that “well over” 100 people applied for a permit to hunt at the beach, and if every hunter awarded a permit through the lottery run by the city had participated — as well as brought along their three allowed guests — there would have been more than 80 participants at the blinds.

As it was, with temperatures dipping to -23 degrees Fahrenheit, there were days when only a handful of hunters actually turned up. Still, Coon reported that there were hunters at the beach every day they were permitted to be there.

“They were just happy to sit

out there in the wind and the cold,” he said. “I think duck hunters are another breed, I’ve come to learn.”

Aside from scheduling the 2023 hunt for November, Coon said his department will work to improve the paperwork process for gathering applications and issuing permits through the lottery, as well as improve signage and communication surrounding the hunt.

“At the end of the day it was successful,” he said.

The 2022 hunt was billed as the “last alternative” to deterring geese from congregating at City Beach — an effort that has gone on for years and employed many methods, as well as spurred no small amount of local controversy.

Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad asked Coon if the hunt had been an effective deterrent, to which the chief replied, “You know what, no. I don’t think this year was a good year for that.”

However, that may not entirely be the point. Later at the Feb. 1 meeting, Councilor Deb Ruehle suggested expanding the number of days open to shooting at the beach

during the Thanksgiving holiday. Coon said that’s likely, but based on advice from Fish and Game, “we don’t want to over-shoot it because then they won’t come back.”

Councilor Justin Dick, who owns Trinity at City Beach, opposed the initial hunt and said he wished there was more science backing up concerns about the amount of E. coli present in the goose feces and surrounding water at the beach — a central argument in favor of chasing off the birds.

“I’m not for this, I wasn’t for it the first time, I probably am not going to be coming through on the second time around,” he said. However, he offered “big kudos” to city staff, Sandpoint police and others for a responsibly organized event.

“I may not agree with how this is going on, [but] I do appreciate the level of concern and management that your team and city staff had for this,” Dick said.

Councilor Jason Welker noted a big part of the reason for the small number of geese that hunters were able to fire on is that when the birds gather at the beach, they

do so on the grassy areas behind where the hunters were positioned facing the lake. He asked if there was a way to rouse the geese to flight, therefore putting them in front of the hunters.

At the Dec. 7 council meeting where the hunt was first proposed, Coon had said that it’s against the law to “harass” the animals in order to shoot them. However, at

the Feb. 1 meeting, Coon said “we do have a plan to get them to take flight,” though did not elaborate.

“The first time’s always hard,” said Councilor Andy Groat. “This was successful because we did learn.”

Councilors Joel Aispuro, Groat, Ruehle and Welker voted in favor of permitting the 2023 hunt, while Dick voted “no.”

Bill would criminalize ‘trafficking of minors’ to receive abortions in

or outside

of

Idaho

Also extends ‘sole discretion’ to Idaho attorney general to prosecute abortion-related crimes

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris Idaho Capital Sun

A bill that would add the act of transporting, recruiting or harboring minors to seek an abortion to Idaho’s criminal human trafficking law was introduced in the House State Affairs Committee on Feb. 7 by Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls.

The bill also gives Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador the authority and “sole discretion” to prosecute a person for violating any section of the section of law around human trafficking or abortion if the prosecuting attorney in the respective county refuses to bring charges.

Idaho’s abortion ban applies to any stage of pregnancy, with affirmative defenses for cases of rape and incest with an accompanying police report and if an abortion is necessary to save the pregnant person’s life.

House Bill 98 would specifically apply to instances of transporting children under the age of 18 to receive an illegal abortion in Idaho or an abortion in a state where the practice is legal, as it is in border states like Oregon and Washington. Abortion is also permitted in up to 18 weeks of pregnancy in Utah while the state’s trigger law is under consideration by the courts.

The bill states that those who recruit, harbor or transport preg-

nant minors “with the intent to deprive the pregnant minor’s parents of knowledge of, and to procure, a criminal abortion” would be in violation of the law and subject to two to five years in prison.

In the event of prosecution, the bill allows affirmative defenses in court for parents or guardians who consented to the transportation of the child, but explicitly states that seeking the abortion or abortion-inducing drugs in another state is not a defense.

The committee did not discuss the bill and agreed to print it. Ehardt provided few details in her introduction, but said it should be something both chambers of the Legislature can agree on.

“We will make sure that we

have top-notch legal authority to deal with this,” Ehardt told the committee. “I don’t think any of us want to see our minors not only trafficked, but in this situation.”

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Kevin Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs; Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa; and Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins. It could receive a hearing in the House State Affairs Committee in the coming days of the legislative session.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com

Canada geese congregate at the Sandpoint City Beach in summertime. Photo courtesy Jane Fritz.

Festival gun ban lawsuit returns on appeal before Idaho Supreme Court

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:

Numerous media reported a one-ton foreign surveillance balloon flying over the U.S., with officials stating it was being “closely monitored.” China admitted ownership, saying it was used for “meteorological and other scientific research.” U.S. officials didn’t buy that: It was flying over areas with missiles and military bases. President Joe Biden started discussions about shooting it down Feb. 1; that operation was delayed until Feb. 4 when the balloon traveled over shallow ocean waters, so debris falling from an altitude of 18.5 miles could cause no harm.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

is a pay-in cap at $160,200, after which an earner pays no more. A counter plan, the Social Security Expansion Act of 2023, calls for stabilizing the program by requiring the wealthy (7% of earners) to pay in beyond the cap. The Republican Study Committee proposed its fix: raise the retirement age to 70, means-testing for Social Security and partially privatizing the program. That plan has no additional pay-ins by the wealthy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported employers added 517,000 jobs in January, while December posted 260,000 new jobs. Unemployment was at 3.4% — the lowest since 1969.

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

An appeal of the 2021 District Court decision in favor of the city of Sandpoint and Festival at Sandpoint over the legality of a weapons ban at the summer concert series is moving through the Idaho Supreme Court.

Justices heard arguments in the case Feb. 6 in Boise, brought by Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle; area resident Jeff Avery; Boise-based gun rights lobby group Idaho Second Amendment Alliance; and Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation.

Herndon and Avery prompted the issue in 2019, when they attempted to enter the Festival bearing firearms and were told to leave their weapons in their vehicles or they would be trespassed from War Memorial Field, which the city owns and leases to the nonprofit for two weeks each summer. Weapons of any kind are prohibited from the Festival.

The incident triggered a lawsuit from Bonner County and Sheriff Daryl Wheeler against the city, which Judge Lansing B. Haynes dismissed in September 2020 for lack of standing. Herndon and Avery filed their lawsuit against the city and the Festival, supported by ISAA and ISAF, arguing their constitutional rights had been violated.

In addition, the Herndon et al. case argued that the city could not convey authority to the Festival, as a leaseholder, to preempt firearms possession protected by Idaho Code on publicly-owned property.

Haynes dismissed that complaint in June 2021, ruling, “There are no genuine issues of material fact as to whether the city has promulgated any rule or ordinance in conflict with I.C. l8-3302J [the firearms preemption portion of state law]; likewise, no genuine issues of fact exist as to whether the Festival has violated state law or any constitutional rights of plaintiffs.”

The lawsuits surrounding the weapons

ban cost the county and city more than $320,000 in fees and attorney bills, with the county ultimately being ordered to reimburse Sandpoint more than $71,000.

In his 2021 ruling in the Herndon et al. case, Haynes sought to settle the argument over the Festival’s right to ban weapons at War Memorial Field, writing, “The city’s lease does not delegate firearms banning authority to the Festival; rather, the city simply leases [the field] to the Festival for the purpose of conducting a music festival. The city’s conveyance of a leasehold interest entitles the Festival to exclusive possession of the property.”

In the appeal, plaintiffs argue, “[T]hey were entitled to a declaratory judgment and summary judgment on the civil rights claims, and the district court erred in applying judicial estoppel. The Plaintiffs also argue the district court erred in denying their motion for an extension of time to object to attorney fees,” according to the court filing.

Idaho Reports wrote Feb. 6 that attorney Donald Kilmer, who is representing the appellants, returned to the allegation that Herndon’s and Avery’s Second Amendment rights had been violated and that a lessee cannot bar firearms from public property.

Attorney Katharine Brereton, of Lake City Law, representing Sandpoint, told justices that siding with the appellants would set a dangerous precedent.

“People who rent from a public housing authority would have no right to exclude someone from their home who is carrying a firearm,” Brereton said, according to Idaho Reports. “… This would effectively deprive people of their right to defend their castle.”

A written decision is forthcoming at an unspecified date.

Instruments in the balloon were blocked from gathering intelligence, and now intelligence will be gathered from the balloon’s equipment. According to the Pentagon, there were at least three such Chinese air vessels spotted during the presidency of Donald Trump. No action was taken.

Two neo-Nazi leaders have been charged with plotting to crash Maryland’s electric power grid in an effort to “destroy” Baltimore, The Washington Post reported. A study program at George Washington University has warned that grid attacks by white supremacists aim to trigger societal collapse.

Various media has stated that House Republicans, in their quest to vote against the debt ceiling (which would renege on paying debts already approved — after voting three times to raise debt ceilings under Trump) have not shared specific plans about what to cut from the government budget.

At a recent business summit in Washington, D.C., former-Vice President Mike Pence spoke of replacing the New Deal “with a better deal.” He said that could be giving younger Americans the “ability to take a portion of Social Security holdings” and place it into a private savings account.

A similar plan was explored by economists under the G.W. Bush administration, which included a member of Bush’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security. They said the idea of privatizing Social Security for higher returns “is false.” (Google details at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: “Would Private Accounts Provide a Higher Rate of Return Than Social Security?”)

Currently, Social Security is funded by employers and employees each paying 6.2% of wages to a payroll tax. There

Blast from the past: With inflation declining and job creation expanding, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the chances of a recession are “low.” Meanwhile, there are similarities to economic conditions from 1933 to 1980.

Former Labor Secretary and columnist Robert Reich calls that era’s policy “democratic capitalism.” The Great Depression brought to light how financial elites created economic collapse via unlimited borrowing, suppressing wages, battling unions and allowing Wall Street to take big risks with others’ money.

To address the devastation of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to have the market serve public purposes, which included boosting unions, stopping out-of-control borrowing and addressing Wall Street’s irresponsible policies. To wrestle control from self-serving financial interests, FDR established Social Security, unemployment disability insurance and established a 40-hour work week. Government spending went to job creation and regulations reigned in Wall Street. High-earners’ taxes were increased and invested in public infrastructure and higher education.

That all changed with “trickle down” policies in the 1980s, when business interests ditched public concerns and focused on economic growth, which then went caused an economic decline for the average citizen. Jobs were outsourced, hostile corporate takeovers grew, wages stalled, monopolies crept back and unions atrophied.

As Reich points out, Biden aims to bring back democratic capitalism, “an era when government organized the market for the greater good.” That has included the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, which has so far created 100,000 clean energy jobs for American workers.

Scott Herndon, left, now a state senator representing District 1, argues with city of Sandpoint attorney Will Herrington, right, outside the gates of the Festival at Sandpoint in 2019 after attempting to enter the venue while carrying a weapon. Photo by Ben Olson.

Idaho panel approves a bill that would make medical care for trans youth a felony Committee heard from out-of-state witnesses, trans kids and adults, and parents

By Audrey Dutton Idaho Capital Sun

Republican lawmakers in an Idaho House committee voted Feb. 7 to restrict the rights of parents to decide on, and physicians to provide, medical care for transgender Idahoans under age 18.

The Idaho House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee voted 14-3 along party lines to send the bill to the House with a “do pass” recommendation. That sets it up for consideration and a vote on the House floor in the coming days of the legislative session.

House Bill 71 makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming care, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It aligns the medical treatments with female genital mutilation — in which a girl must have her clitoris and other parts of her vulva removed as part of a ritual.

Some who testified, and some committee members themselves, noted that the votes conflict with the GOP lawmakers’ longtime support for parental rights and medical freedom — on issues such as immunizations, child protection and child welfare cases, sex education, masks and Idaho’s statutory protection for the practice of “faith healing.”

The bill, brought forward by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa — and co-sponsored by Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian — would make it a felony

to provide gender-affirming hormone therapies and surgical interventions. The bill is also supported by Blaine Conzatti, Idaho Family Policy Center president and lobbyist.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the standard of gender-affirming care for transgender children and teens includes “social affirmation” as the person begins to dress, use pronouns and make other changes associated with gender. Trans youth also may need mental health care. For some, medical care also may include surgeries, hormones or “puberty blockers” that hold off the physical changes of puberty, such as facial hair growth and breast development.

Parents of Idaho transgender children, doctors, mental health care providers, residents and at least one transgender teen lined up to give testimony for two hours leading up to the committee’s debate and vote on the bill.

The list of people who wanted to testify was so long, it would have taken days to get through everyone, said Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, who chaired the committee’s hearing.

Eve Devitt, 17, is a transgender girl whose medical care would be affected by the bill, she said. Devitt also testified in the 2022 legislative session against a similar bill that Skaug sponsored then.

“Since I started estrogen almost three whole years ago,

my mental health has gotten significantly better,” Devitt told the committee Feb. 7. “I’ve been able to get myself off of a cliff that I wasn’t sure if I would ever find myself off of. I feel so much better and more complete with myself. In less than 24 hours, I will be going on a plane to go to a consultation for SRS — or sexual reassignment surgery — which is planned to be taking place in a little over a year. I see this as my final step into the body that I should have been born into. This bill threatens to not only bar me from receiving this care, but also from accessing the hormones that have single handedly not only improved but saved my life.”

Several people who testified pointed out the conflict between the bill and the GOP lawmakers’ statements of support for parental rights and medical freedom. So, too, did members of the committee.

Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise, told the committee that he believed the legislation is emblematic of a crisis in American democracy.

“It is really hard for the public to trust us when we use our principles and we follow them selectively,” Mathias said. “… I’m afraid if we pass this bill, it is going to further undermine the public’s trust in us.”

Rep. David Cannon, R-Blackfoot, said he was grappling with the inconsistencies as well.

“The criticism that we, who talk about leaving decisions up to families and parents, I mean, that hits home, and I don’t know exactly what to do with that,” Cannon said. “But in the end, you know, you got to go

with your gut, and I am going to support this today.”

Cannon voted to advance the bill.

So did Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot. She explained to the committee why she believed it should pass.

“As a mom, and somebody who’s the biggest mama bear in the building when my kids are around, we do set some limits on parental rights,” Young said. “And I think, ultimately, that’s the question that this committee is struggling with.”

Idaho law says that some choices are abusive or inappropriate, “even for a parent,” Young said. “… It’s not that we’re being selective; it’s that we’re trying to identify the

bounds and the limits of that particular principle, because all of these principles come into conflict with each other at some time or another. So, just for what it’s worth, for me as a mom, as I weigh this issue, really that’s what it comes down to for me, is determining what are the appropriate bounds and limits of that parental authority.”

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com

MORE FROM THE HEARING

Several health care providers testified to the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee on Feb. 7.

They included Idaho providers who both opposed and supported the bill.

The Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, which represents hundreds of Idaho doctors, opposes the bill, according to testimony.

Several health care provid-

ers from other states offered their opinions — including an ear-nose-throat physician from Missouri, a Tennessee child and adolescent psychiatrist who has weighed in on other states’ transgender-care legislation; and a doctor from Georgia who was “discredited as an expert” on trans health care in a 2020 court ruling, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

“If you care about the rights for parents to choose what is right for their kids, like you stated you did just earlier today, then you will vote against this bill.”

— Eve Devitt, in testimony

to

the Idaho House

Judiciary,

Rules

and Administration

Committee on Feb. 7

Eve Devitt, 17, speaks to the Idaho House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee on Feb. 7. Screenshot courtesy Idaho In Session.

Bouquets:

GUEST SUBMISSION:

•“A Bouquet to the generous and loving people of Sandpoint and North Idaho. On Saturday, Feb. 4, the cleaning crew at the Panida Theater hosted a food drive for the Bonner Community Food Bank at Super 1 for six hours. Grocery shoppers donated 1,291 pounds of food, serving over 1,000 meals. Many thanks to the Panida, Super 1 (especially Steve and the staff), the Food Bank (especially John and Debbie), and the community-minded patrons who helped to make this food drive a success.”

— By Jim Healey

GUEST SUBMISSION:

• “Thank you, Donna Price, for organizing the Bonner County Valentine Cards for Seniors Project. Thank you also to the participating area businesses that serve as drop-off points for the valentines. It is such a kindness to the elders to be remembered in this way.”

— By Cynthia Mason Barbs:

• The city of Sandpoint should begin reaching out to city residents in a meaningful way to get an honest reading of the community regarding “the Couplet,” which is the revamped version of “the Curve” that they’re now pushing down our throats again. Back in the first half of the 2010s, before our City Council voted down this project for good (or so we thought), the city placed hundreds of door-hanger surveys on homes, distributed disposable cameras to poll what people liked and didn’t like about Sandpoint, held two dozen special meetings and eventually landed on the consensus that this project wasn’t right for Sandpoint. This is a much more comprehensive way to arrive at a consensus than the occasional online survey and workshops that, frankly, don’t draw that many participants. Yes, it’s up to city residents to be diligent about what changes our city leaders propose, but city staff should also make it as easy as possible for people to share their opinions about a highway potentially being strung through the middle of town — especially when ITD’s own analysis suggests there won’t be any capacity problems on that stretch of U.S. 2 until 2055.Iencourageyoualltoemailyour city councilors as well as City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton to share your opinion about this project. Find their emails at sandpointidaho.gov

Dear editor,

Two people are suffering from personal anger, depression and fear, which they have not chosen for themselves. They seek help from experts in different areas. One of them is told that help is not available without a mandatory waiting period, parental permission and a doctor’s exam, interviews with the police department and a mandatory video on the effects of treatment. Treatment is available only out-of-state and is expensive. The decision must be made soon.

The other one simply buys an automatic weapon.

The first person will despair over the treatment, lose their job and their partner, but benefit from the effect of the treatment for the rest of their life. The other one will kill more than four people in a grammar school and most likely spend years in jail, depressed, angry and fearful.

Should we help them both by making health care easier? By making it harder to buy guns?

Nancy Gerth Sandpoint

Filters…

Dear editor, I’m of an age where my filters on social discourse are getting worn thin. I recently read an article that reduced to a relatively few words my position on many, many things. The piece said, “We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won’t be offended.”

I am not saying that I’m wholly in either category, but I am tired of being told that people shouldn’t use logic and critical thought to make decisions that shape their lives. There is a tiny minority of GOP elected officials in just about every level of government that promote themselves as fighting for “freedom,” when just about everything they do denies freedoms to specific groups but not including old white men.

They’ve taken away a woman’s freedom of choice; they’ve taken away minorities’ freedom to vote; they’re trying to take away teachers’ freedom of speech. If I were a female minority teacher I’d be pissed. And, we’ve seen what happens when you piss off a large group of women — they vote. That misstep cost the GOP a “Red Tsunami” in 2022.

Call, text and write your representatives, and let them know where you stand loudly and frequently.

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

Dear editor, I just saw on KREM2 news a story about a girl who was bitten on the leg, then hand and wrist by a coyote while skiing on Schweitzer Mountain. She has had to get rabies shots plus others.

Perhaps, however, this could be a new ad for the North Idaho ski area: “How would you like to ski and hunt at the same time?”

James Richard Johnson Clark Fork

Dear editor,

Hey, as to the Curve Part II article in last week’s Reader [News, “Remember ‘the Curve’?,” Feb. 2, 2023], I’m all for it!

Why should we put those resources into repaving the existing city streets that have been abused to the point that they make Forest Service roads look like I-90? I, for one, enjoy wondering if my car’s tires, bearings, joints and frame will hold up another year to those poorly patched potholes, utility digs, ledges and crumbled asphalt all over town.

And, anything to better facilitate more people from Washington, California, Texas, Virginia, Florida and other places who are moving here, investing in land and speculating the cost of housing through the roof so locals can barely afford to keep a roof over their heads the better.

And who cares about the feeling of community? We have to make way for progress, right… for others?

Lawrence Fury Sandpoint

Dear editor,

During the time I lived in Florida, it was not unusual for an alligator to crawl out of one of the lakes dotting central Florida and be discovered under a car at an auto dealership. The local news station would be alerted and send a reporter and cameraman to cover it, and before long an old man driving a beat-up ’56 Chevy pickup showed up, armed with little more than a roll of duct tape, which he used to subdue the gator.

Of course, gators didn’t always cooperate and a wrestling match often ensued, but the old guy was pretty nimble and knew how to avoid getting bit by a thrashing gator. Once the gator was taped up it was tossed into the back of the Chevy and off they went. The reporter closed his report by noting

the gator would be euthanized since it had lost its fear of humans.

I always thought it made more sense to kill the gator first, then haul it off. Why risk Gator Man’s life if you’re going to kill the gator anyway? To answer my own question, it was about optics. No one wants to see an alligator killed on TV, but most people can accept killing one if it’s done out of sight.

I suspect most people feel the same way about hunting geese at City Beach. They want to get rid of them, but not kill them — or at least see them killed. But we’ve tried everything from capturing and relocating to plastic coyotes, and nothing has worked. Besides, there is no shortage of geese in the area. They own the lake; all we humans ask for is a small space at City Beach where we can walk without stepping in feces.

Let the hunters take a shot at it.

Dave Mundell Sandpoint

Dear editor,

In honor of the City Beach geese and the Sandpoint coyotes, a few quotes to reflect on:

“We can judge the heart of man by his treatment of animals.”

— Emmanual Kant

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

“There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness and misery.”

— Charles Darwin

Thank you,

Evie Leucht Sandpoint

many reasons to make it easier to vote! Our democracy depends upon it.

I suggest Mr. Alfieri proposes bills that actually make a positive difference to Idahoans instead of making a problem where there is none.

Ranel Hanson Sandpoint

Dear editor,

On Monday, Feb. 13, at 5 p.m., a Northwest coalition including Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) will host a People’s Hearing on Canadian company TC Energy’s proposal to expand fracked natural gas exported through the aging Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) pipeline and compressor stations that span Idaho, Washington and Oregon. This hybrid town hall, convened online and in-person at the Gardenia Center in Sandpoint, features speakers such as Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and physicians, faith leaders, environmental and climate advocates, and other concerned community members.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which did not hold a public hearing on the controversial GTN Xpress pipeline expansion, could approve this project as soon as Feb. 16.Thousands of citizens, tribal organizations and government officials have commented to FERC against the proposal during 2022, including California, Oregon and Washington attorneys general, Oregon Sen. Merkley and Ron Wyden, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Dear editor,

The Alfieri Bill is an example of the foolishness of some legislators. Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene, alleges that absentee voting allows fraud, but there is no evidence of this. What it does do is make it easier for citizens to vote. What are these guys afraid of? Is it a healthy democracy they want to undermine? Is it their wish to bring us closer to an authoritarian government? Do they fear they will lose any fair election?

Whatever the reason for making it more difficult to vote, it is without legitimate reasons. And there are

Pumping directly under Sandpoint and the Pend Oreille River, GTN Xpress would further threaten rural, Indigenous and low-income communities along the 60-yearplus pipeline route with increased volumes, pollution and releases of flammable, high-pressure gas, like the 23 ruptures and spills of TC Energy’s Keystone tar sands pipeline over the past decade.

GTN Xpress’ additional 3.47 million metric tons of annual carbon emissions also contradict Oregon and Washington laws requiring fossil fuels pollution reductions.

Participants can learn about potential GTN Xpress impacts and provide recorded testimony, by registering to join the virtual conference at bit.ly/peopleshearing_gtn, gathering at the Gardenia Center or contacting WIRT.

Helen

Yost

Wild Idaho Rising Tide Sandpoint

Designing for people, not cars

By Reid Weber Reader Contributor

The city of Sandpoint adopted a “multimodal transportation plan” in 2021, which illustrates general goals, layered maps, objectives and concept drawings of new intersections. It includes depictions that prioritize and weigh varying transportation needs — from walking and bicycling, to highways and tourist traffic.

There are intriguing transportation benefits being considered, like reconfiguring the one-way on Pine Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues as you drive past Utara and are forced into a chooseyour-own-adventure to drive west through town. Another highlight benefiting west-Sandpointians is a proposed reconfiguring and widening of the infrastructure at Great Northern, allowing for a new pedestrian path and better connecting the county to the city by alternate modes of transport.

Beyond these street redesign proposals, the city studied regional through traffic, trying to anticipate how to accommodate two competing goals — regional truck and tourist traffic — with local car trips and the experience of humans moving throughout town by bike or foot.

The regional traveler typically wants to pass through town as efficiently as possible and will stick to the highways. The tourists, of course, enter town via these highways, then, like a local, prefer either walking or are OK with moving about the city at a slower pace.

A positive experience for the human is vastly different than that of the car. The car wants wide open lanes without obstructions or having to slow down, and the human wants a cozier city experience like narrow streets, shop fronts and freedom from traffic. The great spaces of cities that bring people together are usually car-less or prioritize the human over the traffic.

I’m not vying for a world without cars, as a daily user of one, but I am proposing a change in how

the city prioritizes car reliance over the human experience. The human experience is an afterthought given the priority to highway car traffic. This plan, instead of answering, raises the question of where do we want to invest and how should our city grow?

The Idaho Transportation Department has some preconceived ideas about what makes a good road and “flow” of cars through a city; but, again, this is generally at odds with what makes a good city for a human.

For example: The stretch of U.S. Highway 95 through Coeur d’Alene employs traffic light after traffic light as a “solution” to allow for more flow, but its 200 feet of right-of-way creates physical and mental barriers for the human. Similarly, we have our local barriers like U.S. Highway 2 in Sandpoint, specifically between Sandpoint Super Drug and Big 5. People need to carry bright orange flags to even be seen and avoid getting hit crossing those five lanes of steady traffic.

A successful plan will address these existing intersections and widened highways and, if building new ones, put the human first and car second.

There are economic benefits to individuals, businesses and the city by doing this. In an ongoing, decades-long study in Copehnagen — a city that once had downtowns filled with cars, roadways and parking lots — driving a car cost the government 20 cents per mile, but every time a cyclist rode the same distance, it made 41 cents. These savings are based on the reduced cost of infrastructure maintenance, as well as reduced individual health care costs.

Given there is more public investment in health costs in Copehnagen, in the U.S. this money would instead be going into our own pockets.

Walkability and human-centered spaces have shown to positively impact local businesses and employment opportunities. In one of many studies in New York City, converting underused parking into a public park increased nearby retail sales by 172% (compared to

18% throughout the region).

All this is to say, while the general goals of the plan and a majority of the concept designs seem to be in alignment with what Sandpoint residents desire for a future cityscape, there are key areas that still need to be addressed.

Specifically, a reinvigorated “Curve” design — see the Feb. 1 edition of the Reader, “Remember ‘the Curve’?” and google “2011 Curve, Sandpoint” — which would include two separate one-way highway routes slicing through town, dividing downtown from west Sandpoint. These asphalt canyons would be continuations of Fifth Avenue and Cedar Street traffic.

Farther south, it was jarring to see a conceptual new intersection eating into the baseball field. If you look closely enough, you’ll see there are four to five lanes converging on this park.

Is this truly the best plan? It seems that our memories of U.S.

95 flowing through downtown — and now diverted by the bypass — have blurred over the years, as we now are looking at repeating an investment in further spreading highway traffic through town, an issue we “fixed” with the $40 million bypass in 2015.

The concepts in this plan are just that, but they are a guide for future investment, of which the highway couplet expansion increase will cost approximately $1 million. Imagine if this money was invested in humans instead of cars, what would a city look like?

I can imagine a few things, such as more thoughtful highway intersections and slowing traffic to better the experience of our city; growing our housing market; creating an inclusive public market, since we’ve lost one recently; and/ or a location for a true multimodal transit hub with either busses or tram cars that can easily move people throughout the city.

We invest in what will come

true. Build highways for more cars and they will fill that void. As a community, let’s envision and build a city with opportunities for walking, standing and sitting; spaces for people to meet, talk and listen; and for places of play and exercise.

To borrow from Cities for People, by Jan Gehl, “By being sweet to the pedestrian and the cyclist you hit five birds with one stone — you get a lively city, you get an attractive city, you get a safe city, you get a sustainable city and you get a city that’s good for your health.”

Reid Weber is founder and owner of North Root Architecture in Sandpoint. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in architecture from the University of Idaho, a Masters of Architecture from Portland State University and a certificate in Public Interest Design.

Science: Mad about

arquebuses, blunderbusses and muskets

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

We’ve explored the history of firearms before, but several thousand years is hard to cover in a page. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the earliest firearms used widely in European warfare.

The arquebus was one of the first firearms widely adapted for use in late-medieval warfare, with some records of the weapon in Europe dating back to the 15th century CE. The arquebus was a long rifle that used lighter rounds than later weapons like the musket.

These weapons were slow-loading, often unpredictable and extremely unwieldy to use. However, they had some major advantages over projectile weapons of their time. Training someone to use a firearm took less time than training an effective archer. Medieval longbowmen would train for their entire lives to use the weapon, and something as simple as an infected cut on the finger could end their career or even their lives. A soldier could be trained in the use of an arquebus over the course of a few months, becoming proficient enough to inflict similar damage as a longbowman in far less time.

Due to the nature of these weapons, they were extremely inaccurate. There was a reason that gun lines existed for several hundred years preceding the American Civil War. A lone soldier with an arquebus was unlikely to hit a specified target, but a mass of a hundred could fill a group of charging infantry full of holes in a flash of smoke and fire.

A wound from one of these early weapons was a grisly thing. Modern anti-personnel weapons are designed to impact and break apart inside a fleshy target, causing immense internal damage to

kill a target quickly. An arquebus round was basically a miniature cannon ball that blew a hole into something. These shots weren’t always lethal, but they were guaranteed to penetrate light armor and flesh at up to 400 meters.

The firing mechanism of an arquebus was more complicated than later weapons. This was likely due to technological restrictions of the time, particularly in the refinement of black powder.

The arquebus used a matchlock system for firing the weapon. In an extremely simplified version of how this works, the soldier would carry a piece of slow-burning rope, which acted as a match, held by a serpentine lever attached to the trigger. This lever would force the match into the saltpan where it would ignite into the breach of the weapon, detonating the powder they had preloaded and flinging the projectile downrange — hopefully.

The entire process took anywhere from 12 to 28 individual steps to complete, from loading the weapon to firing. Because of this, the arquebus would take at least a minute to fire between shots.

Understandably, generals of their day quickly developed the volley system, in which ranks of arquebusiers would stagger their shots to maximize the amount of time their weapons were firing. After the first rank discharged their weapons, they would fall back behind the second rank and begin the reloading process. The second rank would then fire, and move back while the third rank stepped up to fire.

The exact number of ranks employed varied depending on the number of weapons available and what the military leaders required in the engagement, but there are records of up to five ranks being present in a conflict, which allowed for near-constant cycling of shooters.

The blunderbuss could be considered the predecessor of the modern shotgun, as it would fire numerous pellets, called shot, in a spread to maximize damage and area at close range.

This weapon is often portrayed in cartoons as having a comically large and flared muzzle, which isn’t totally inaccurate. The classic blunderbuss had a slightly flared barrel so that it could be reloaded while on horseback. Early 19th-century U.S. explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark actually had these mounted on the front of their boats, similar to a machine gun mounted on the roof of a modern military humvee.

There existed a handheld version of the blunderbuss — a weapon called a dragon. This is the origin of the word “dragoon,” which was a mounted gunner who would ride quickly and blast an enemy line with their handheld firearm. The weapon was so named because of the large flame that would burst from the muzzle, making it appear as though a dragon were breathing fire onto an enemy line.

The blunderbuss and the dragon utilized a wheellock mechanism for firing projectiles. This was a spring-loaded metal gear that would rotate when the trigger was pulled. As it rotated, it struck a strip of pyrite to create friction and cause a spark, which would ignite powder leading into the weapon and trigger a blast of black powder to fling the projectile downrange. This was considerably more simple than trying to navigate a smoldering rope without blowing yourself or your friends to smithereens.

Muskets evolved alongside the blunderbuss, though their firing mechanism — the flintlock — was simpler and more closely related to the hammer-driven ignition system we use in modern firearms. Muskets came in a huge

variety of calibers, shapes and sizes. By the 18th century, muskets were hurling .72 caliber munitions at targets, though these weapons still weren’t accurate. Musket lines and broad formations remained in use among the large and organized militaries of the time, as muskets still took several seconds to load and volley systems of bunched rifles were more likely to hit targets than individuals.

At least, that’s what the British

Empire believed well into the American Revolutionary War. It turned out that ambushes, subterfuge and guerilla warfare did more to disrupt an army than walking at each other as big, organized, easy-to-hit targets. Spreading their resources thinly across the entire planet probably had something to do with it, too.

Stay curious, 7B.

•The English name Friday comes from the Old Eng lish Frīġedæġ, meaning “Day of Frige.” This is as a result of the Old English goddess Frigg (an Anglo-Saxon interpretation of the Norse goddess Freya) being associated with the Roman goddess Venus.

•In most languages derived from Latin, Friday is rendered in some variation of the word Veneris, from the phrase dies Veneris (Day of Venus). Example: Vendredi in French, Venerdi in Italian and Viernes in Spanish.

•In the U.K. and Australia, Friday is sometimes referred to as POETS Day, which stands for “Piss Off Early Tomorrow’s Saturday.”

•Friday the 13th is considered lucky in some parts of the world, but is a day of superstition for most in the western world.

•It is considered highly unlucky to begin a nautical voyage on a Friday.

•Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving, which was traditionally the first day of the Christmas shopping season. Over the years, many retailers have let up on the retail madness after customers in some stores across the U.S. died after being trampled by rushing crowds eager to get through their doors.

•In Christianity, Good Friday is the Friday before Easter and it commemorates the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.

•Abraham Lincoln was shot on Good Friday on April 14, 1865.

•In Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe, the main character meets a native of the island he’s stranded on, with whom he cannot communicate at first. Crusoe calls him Friday, as this is the day of the week when he meets him. As a result, “Man Friday” or “Gal Friday” is an expression that is used to describe a particularly loyal or competent personal assistant.

Top left: A sunny winter day on what looks like the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail in Sandpoint.

Photo by Tricia Florence.

Top right: A nostalgic photo of the famous Jimmy Wang Shack atop Schweitzer Mountain. “This was taken, I think, in Feburary of 2012 or 2013, after weeks of rime ice formation,” said photographer Mike Allard.

Thanks for the memories, Mike. The Wang Shack, where thousands of ski bums shared beers and shots, was removed during the construction of the Sky House on the summit.

Left: Bonner County resident Mark Cochran brought the Reader to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo. on Jan. 8, 2023.

Middle: “The women’s room at The Hydra. Pretty classy!” wrote photographer Lori Getts. Indeed.

Bottom right: “Mildred! Have you seen my antler?” Taken in Sandpoint in mid-January by Ron Bedford.

That one time AI killed me

Artificial intelligence is so dumb, it might just become human someday

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

“O brave new world, that has such people in it!”

— William Shakespeare (or maybe it was a bot that said this. Who knows anymore?)

Journalists are used to covering demise. Whether it’s the dissolution of a beloved nonprofit organization, the passing of a notable city resident, a favorite watering hole closing shop or the ever-changing nature of a small town in the West, we’re fairly steeped in death. However, it was with some surprise that I was informed last week that, according to an AI-generated article, I died two years ago.

The only consolation came from the fact that I was informed of my own death by my best friend Zach Hagadone, who also serves as editor-in-chief for the Sandpoint Reader. When something enters Zach’s mind, he burrows deep into the topic. It doesn’t matter if he’s writing an article or just increasing his understanding for yucks — he attacks it with gusto.

In this case, Zach was exploring the limitations of the ChatGPT bot, which has made headlines the past few weeks for its ability to spit out text in seconds that it takes us dumb humans hours, even days, to produce.

Zach’s experiment was to prompt the bot: “What is the biography of Sandpoint Reader Publisher Ben Olson?”

[Editor’s note: The bot didn’t know “specifically” who Zach Hagadone was; however, it conceded, “an editor named Zach Hagadone may work for this publication.” It therefore could not conjure a biography, which kind of bummed him out, to be honest.]

The response it spat back was at first laughable, then a bit eerie.

“Ben Olson was the publisher of the Sandpoint Reader, a weekly newspaper serving the town of Sandpoint, in the Pacific Northwest,” the bot began. “He was born and raised in Sandpoint and had a deep love for his community and its rich history.”

I had a smile on my face while reading up until the end, when ChatGPT decided my time on this earth had come to a close.

“Olson passed away in 2021 at the age of 55,” I read, spitting out the water I was drinking. “He left behind a legacy of excellence in journalism and a deep connection to the town of Sandpoint. He will always be remembered as a dedicated publisher, journalist and friend to his community.”

Needless to say, I’m not 55 years old, nor am I dead. While I appreciate the empty praises this bot heaped on me, it’s yet another example of why we’re not quite doomed when it comes to chatbots creating journalism — they’re completely unable to access any facts or information that haven’t already been reported, written down and shared by a real live journalist with a pulse.

Regardless, my premature virtual demise got me thinking some dire thoughts.

If you don’t know much about the ChatGPT bot or artificial intelligence in general, it’s rapidly becoming the largest existential threat to artists and creators we’ve ever witnessed. Begun as a curiosity, AI has now been lauded as a breakthrough that will save time and money. In reality, AI is yet another way we are destroying humanity, one “innovation” at a time.

Visual artists are already reeling

about the AI takeover of their discipline. Websites like Midjourney and Night Cafe make the arduous process of creation as simple as a few keystrokes. What hitherto took hours, days or weeks can now be accomplished in a moment after typing a few prompts into a software program — no talent necessary.

Type “Van Gogh sky with pigs” into the prompt and, three seconds later, the website kicks back an original piece that not only looks stunning, but can be tweaked to satisfy any number of parameters.

It’s so good, in fact, that AI-generated art is capable of winning awards over real artists.

When Jason Allen entered the Colorado State Art Fair’s competition in the category of “emerging digital artists” in late 2022, his entry was made using Midjourney. And it won, much to the chagrin of his competitors.

“It’s over,” Allen told The New York Times. “AI won. Humans lost.”

The award earned Allen just $300, but the blowback he spurred by beating real artists with a software prompt was enough to rattle the cages of the art world.

“This thing wants our jobs,” tweeted RJ Palmer, a movie and game-concept

artist. “It’s actively anti-artist.”

Visual artists like Kelly McKernan are beginning to take matters into their own hands, filing a lawsuit against the website DeviantArt, to which she had posted her original paintings for 20 years. McKernan found that when AI-generators went online in 2021, many people were typing “in the style of Kelly McKernan” when prompting AI to create a new piece.

“There’s more and more images with my name attached to it that I can see my hand in, but it’s not my work,” McKernan told NPR. “I’m kind of feeling violated here.”

DeviantArt allowed its users to pay a monthly subscription fee to get access to the AI art generator, trained on images from artists like McKernan. It didn’t pay the real artists a single cent, though, bringing on a lawsuit filed by McKernan alleging that DeviantArt and AI companies violated copyright law by compressing billions of images and storing the information, which it then used to make new works.

That’s the main downfall of AI-generated art (at least for now): When AI creates art, it is trained to steal the work of current working artists.

It’s true that Pablo Picasso once said that while, “good artists borrow, great artists steal,” the emergence of AI-generated art and writing might trigger a redefinition of plagiarism in order to make it easier to create content with AI instead of humans. Why bother? Because money.

While sites like Midjourney and others are unsettling artists around the world, ChatGPT has caused the same upheaval in the world of journalism and creative writing.

Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT also started as a novelty, but has quickly grown into a threat to creative writers everywhere.

Utilizing “large language model tools,” ChatGPT can indeed produce articles and original pieces of writing — including my own obituary — but the technology isn’t exactly there yet.

There’s a saying that if you put enough monkeys and typewriters in the same room, one will eventually recreate Shakespeare. The difference between infinite monkeys and ChatGPT, however, is in the

An image generated by AI when entering the prompt, “Van Gogh sky with pigs.” Image courtesy Night Cafe.

way the latter creates language.

Chatbots like GPT are powered by large amounts of data in order to string words together in a meaningful way. They not only tap into vocabulary, but also understand words in context, helping mimic speech patterns.

There are companies attempting to use AI for good, like a bot called Rentervention, aimed at supporting tenants while dealing with landlords. There’s also the DoNotPay service, a “robot lawyer” that helps resolve customer service disputes and even offers representation in courtroom traffic cases. Yet, the vast majority of AI for writing purposes is seemingly engineered to replace writers.

Many media companies are already utilizing AI for content generation. Buzzfeed recently caused a stir when it announced ChatGPT creator OpenAI would help produce quizzes and other forms of content. Instead of doom and gloom, the news actually drove a brief 200% spike to Buzzfeed’s stock price.

How does this all relate to AI killing me? Reading my own death notice, as rendered by ChatGPT, revealed some critical failings of the technology.

“Olson was a journalist by trade and had always been interested in the power of storytelling,” it “wrote.” “He started his career as a reporter for the Sandpoint Reader, quickly rising through the ranks to become an editor and eventually the paper’s publisher.

“Under Olson’s leadership, the Sandpoint Reader continued to thrive, despite the challenges posed by the digital age,” the bot continued. “He was a strong advocate for quality journalism and believed the role of the press was to hold those in power accountable and serve as a voice for the community.”

It was about this point when I realized the truth about ChatGPT. Just like those useless Buzzfeed articles, written by either a human-like bot or a bot-like human, there was a tiny bit of substance surrounded by a heap of nonsense. It’s almost like when you hear someone talking in a dream. It’s definitely language, and some words are recognizable, but most of the substance of the conversation is lost because nothing really makes sense.

While some of the things the bot recited about me were accurate, the statements were shallow, held very little conviction and were extremely light on facts.

It was just truthful-sounding enough to pass cursory examination, but ultimately a work of fiction.

We have no business opening this Pandora’s box. Art, whether it’s a surreal

painting, a detective novel or a newspaper article, is the very thing that defines humanity. Without the ability for humans to access the pathos of our dumb, beautiful world, we’re truly lost souls pissing into the abyss.

AI-generators are proving, once and for all, that the free market truly does not care about humans. In order to save a few bucks and see the stock jump, we

are literally selling the last vestiges of the human experience to the highest bidder, all to satisfy the perception of growth and innovation.

While AI isn’t currently passable without a human’s touch, as the years progress, we might just find a way to make our own existence unnecessary. That’s what scares me the most.

dumb of the week

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

For the past couple of years, there has been a collective delusion affecting some Northwesterners known as the “Greater Idaho” movement, in which a rural portion of Oregon wishes to secede from their state and join Idaho to form a new, “greater” Gem State.

We’ve mostly ignored those efforts in the pages of the Reader because, frankly, the so-called “movement” is really just a pipe-dream of libertarian and MAGA-Republicans in Oregon who have been flooding regional newspapers with press releases that suggest secession is just around the corner.

I hate to break it to anyone who believes in this crap, but it’s not going to happen.

Yet, while the Greater Idaho movement certainly deserves a mention in the Dumb of the Week column, this week’s award goes to Idaho Republican Reps. Judy Boyle and Barbara Ehardt, who have co-sponsored a bill to invite Oregon to begin talks with the Idaho Legislature about relocating their state line.

The movement seeks to incorporate more than a dozen of Oregon’s more conservative-minded counties into Idaho. Proponents whine about having no representation in Salem and being overshadowed by liberal Portland, so they want to escape to the right-wing safe space of Idaho.

While the movement has enjoyed some success in the electoral process, it’s still many miles from achieving its goals.

No matter how many of the counties vote in favor of the movement, a successful secession movement would require approval from both state legislatures, a change to the Idaho Constitution and an intervention by Congress. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. It would also require decades of intense discussions between the two states about managing natural resources, Indigenous treaty rights, as well as sticky questions like the legalization of cannabis, which is a major economic force in Oregon.

The fact that we are wasting a single moment entertaining this fantasy in the Statehouse — let alone lending it an air of gravitas in the form of proposed legislation — is testament to the ineffectiveness of our hard-right lawmakers. We should be talking about important issues, such as education funding, property tax reduction, housing and health care, just to name a few far more pressing topics.

Meanwhile, Idaho doesn’t even want the people who move within the current state boundaries to live here. Do we really think Idaho voters are going to agree to having our state expanded 74% in land area and 21% in population?

Dream on.

Writing the book about snow safety

Throwing Stones in a Glass House shares highlights from a career battling avalanches

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

To say Liam FitzGerald spent his career battling avalanches is putting it lightly. His long career began in 1968, when he got a ski patrol job at Squaw Valley Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe, Calif. (now renamed Palisades Tahoe).

“The funny thing was, I couldn’t even ski when I got the job,” FitzGerald told the Reader. “It was a pretty unusual situation.”

The winter of 1968-’69 turned out to be quite a heavy snow year, launching FitzGerald into the fascinating phenomena of avalanches. He never looked back.

“I grew up in the Bay Area and spent four years in the military in Arizona, so I never spent any time in the mountains except a month or two the previous season when I got hired on as ski patrol,” he said.

The heavy snow that first year turned out to be a blessing.

“Luckily it snowed so much that year, a lot of what I did was hiking around, breaking trail through deep snow, throwing hand charges to start avalanches,” FitzGerald said. “By the end of the season I’d survived and become more or less competent, and in some cases even skied out an injured person in a toboggan. I’m quite lucky I survived the whole thing, really.”

FitzGerald migrated from the Sierra Nevadas over to Utah, taking a job with Snowbird Ski Area in 1971, becoming the Snow Safety director during that resort’s opening season.

Snowbird, along with nearby resort Alta, is fairly unique in the ski world thanks to its above-average annual snowfall.

“The 50-year average annual snowfall from November 1 to April 30 is 500 inches, which is a pretty good number over that span of time,” FitzGerald said. “So far this winter they’ve had 480 inches, so it’s quite a banner year down there.”

The heavy snowfall, combined with steep terrain and narrow canyons presents a perfect storm for avalanches. After a few years mitigating avalanche dangers for skiers, FitzGerald found he was hooked. He also kept a daily journal of

weather, snowpack and avalanche events from 1972 to 2014, when he retired and moved to the Sandpoint area with his wife Pam. Those daily notes would ultimately assist him in a new endeavor — writing a book about his experiences with avalanche control.

“I was lucky enough to have experienced a lot of what seemed to be exciting, humorous and in some cases, sad events, and I thought there would be a story that people might be interested in,” he said.

With the encouragement of his wife, FitzGerald began writing a book that would eventually become Throwing Stones in a Glass House: A Career Battling Avalanches in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

“What interested me in avalanches?” FitzGerald asked. “It was the fact that the environments are so inherently dangerous and that young, enthusiastic ski patrollers are sent out into the mountain to try and tame the environment to the level where it’s possible for a few thousand people to recreate in that particular area. It’s how fast things can change, and what a formidable force of nature avalanches can be, as well as how hard they are to predict and how deadly they can be.”

FitzGerald said his own experience in a slide left a lasting impression on him.

“I was caught in one that was pretty

large and carried me about 850-900 vertical feet,” he said. “It tossed me around a lot. The first thing you notice once you get caught is how fast you move downhill in such a short period of time. You’re engulfed by the dust cloud that accompanies most large avalanches. Then there’s the feeling of absolute helplessness. There’s absolutely nothing I could do whatsoever to direct where I was headed or help prevent any trauma I might incur. … In really large avalanches, you’re just a stick floating in a raging river.”

It’s not just on the ski hills where avalanche prevention was paramount, but also on the narrow, dead-end mountain road through Little Cottonwood Canyon that led from the millions of people in the Salt Lake City area to the ski resorts. It was after 27 years working at Snowbird that FitzGerald made the transition to the Utah Department of Transportation, managing the Highway Avalanche Safety program in Little Cottonwood Canyon, one of the most avalanche-prone roadways in North America.

“The ski areas in Little Cottonwood — Alta and Snowbird — their lives depend on the road that connects to Salt Lake Valley,” FitzGerald said.

There were some differences working for the transportation department as opposed to working at the ski resort.

Instead of chucking charges to start slides, FitzGerald was now using military artillery, firing live ammunition into starting zones three to four miles from the gun position. Also, making a decision to close the heavily traveled road was much more complicated than shutting down a ski hill due to avalanche troubles.

“This was the first place in North America where active avalanche control work was carried out,” he said. “It’s the birthplace for avalanche research and control. I started my career right in what would be called the ‘golden age’ of avalanche control, when the ski industry was itself taking off.”

FitzGerald said looking back over his career proved to be “a fairly intimate and oftentimes emotional journey,” which allowed him to relive experiences that would ultimately find their way into his book.

“For the general public that isn’t involved in the ski world, avalanches are something you might just read about,” FitzGerald said. “But it’s also associated with the magic of snow and how complex a substance it is. There’s a lot that most people don’t know or understand about it that makes it a unique, unpredictable, mercurial substance. It’s also never overkill to remind people who travel in the backcountry that they have a personal responsibility to conduct themselves in a certain way and to be as informed as they possibly can before they go there.”

Finally, FitzGerald said his book also serves to shine a light on the onerous work done by those who control and educate about snow safety.

“The job that ski patrollers and avalanche professionals do around the world is amazing,” he said. “They put themselves in harm’s way so other people can work or travel or recreate in an environment that if not for their efforts, would be quite hazardous.”

Throwing Stones in a Glass House was published by Booklocker.com and is available for purchase at that website, as well as Amazon and other online booksellers. Locally, it will be available soon on the shelves at both Vanderford’s and the Corner Bookstore.

Author Liam FitzGerald and his book, Throwing Stones in a Glass House. Courtesy photos..

By Mike Wagoner Reader Contributor

‘Take Care of Your Back, Mike’

My dad was a good man… fairly reserved… conservative… a silent thinker. When he did say something folks tended to pause and listen.

We did a few projects around our place when I was growing up… physical stuff. I tended to use these occasions to show off a little… anxious to reveal to him just how sturdy and strong his son was. You know… guy stuff. One day when I picked up a sheet of ¾ plywood he said, “Wait a minute… let me help you with that,” at which time I assured him I had it — no problem. That day during our lunch break he looked at me and said, “Take care of your back, Mike.”

“What do ya mean?”

He had been a pre-med student in college when he found himself married with my older sister on the way and thought he had better just get a job. But he always remained a student of the natural and biological sciences.

He said: “Our species are all runnin’ around on their hind legs… a very recent

development within the geologic history of mammals and, unfortunately, our backs haven’t had time to catch up. Look at all the others: cows, horses, deer. They’re on all fours… their backs are horizontal like the cable of a bridge and, as a result, their organs, bones and muscles are supported laterally — never forming too much pressure on any one point.

“Our backs are basically built the same way, but are vertical so the vertebrae in our spine are prone to become compressed like a stack of pancakes. Nerves come out from in between the vertebrae to other parts of our body and, when they get squeezed because of gravity or a load of some kind, it can hurt.”

Many years have gone by since that day.

I also developed an interest in the sciences and became a teacher. The summers, however, found me building decks, rebuilding docks on Priest Lake, pretty much bein’ a dude with a truck full of tools.

Well I’d better sign off here or I’m liable to be late for my chiropractic appointment.

Legislative update

By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint Reader Contributor

The weather here in Boise is a little better since the bone-chilling temperatures have passed. Now it is more like the Sandpoint I miss: 20s at night and 30s in the day.

As many of you know, I don’t have family in our district, so I don’t have the same responsibilities as other legislators. Instead of flying/driving home for the weekend, I work on my legislative work and get prepared for the upcoming week here in Boise. I receive about 40 emails a day, nearly seven days a week. I get to walk my dog, too.

I understand I missed some town hall meetings last weekend. I saw the pictures posted on Facebook on Saturday evening. I hadn’t heard of the event. I have started to plan for a visit later this month.

When I return to our district, I want to talk to our voters and get feedback on the three property

tax bills introduced last week. House Bills 77, 78 and 79 all have different mechanisms to reduce residential property tax. The final tax bill may end up including a piece of each of the bills. I’m sure we will have other issues to discuss as well.

This week we heard HB 24 on the floor of the House. After nearly two hours of debate, the

Legislature voted narrowly to pass the bill. The bill is a workforce grant for high school graduates (GED-holders, too) of $8,500 for those students who wish to “go-on,” getting further education and/or trade certifications. Our state has had other financial offerings in the past for different types of training and college tuition. However, HB 24 increases student options.

The workforce grants must be used within four years of graduation, spent in Idaho and on Idaho education/training. If the training is not completed, the state will call for the return of the grant funds.

Our business community believes we need to get our “go-on” rate (students who get specific job training, certificates and/or college degrees) up to 60%. Our current rate is around 40%.

HB 24 is a policy, the actual funding approval will come through the Joint Finance-Ap-

propriation Committee (JFAC), so there will be fiscal restraints and considerable oversight of the program to begin the program and to monitor it. The final price of the bill is yet to be determined and approved.

The state Workforce Development Council develops a list of the “in-demand” careers that the grants can be used for annually. We have representatives from our district on the council, including Idaho Forest Group and Kochava.

Career counseling is offered at our schools and there are online toolkits to help students find their own career paths.

HB 24 addresses many issues for our district. It helps our students with their financial needs. Inadequate funding is reported as the No. 1 roadblock for students interested in “going on.” The grant does not fully fund very many of the workforce training programs, so students will still need to pro-

vide funds to finish their education (a.k.a.: have some “skin in the game” in their own education).

Trained entry-level workers can help to fill the vacancies and ease the labor shortage affecting our industries. When I’m out in our community, the No. 1 issue I hear from employers is the need to fill vacancies in their workforce. I know Idaho Forest Group — with approximately 500 employees in our district — strongly supported this project. I voted for HB 24.

With thoughts about President Lincoln, had I had more time, I would have written a shorter piece this week.

Rep. Mark Sauter is a firstterm Republican legislator from District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Judiciary, Rules and Administration committees. Contact him at MSauter@house.idaho.gov.

Outdoor education class offered on local winter ecology

By Reader Staff

Join in on a day of learning about the winter ecology of the area, including the interactions of local wildlife and their environment.

strategies and evergreen identification, then head into the field.

The guided group will take road tours to between two and four types of areas, in which it will hunt as a team to find tracks, sign and scat of area wildlife; look for and identify birds; and identify both evergreen and deciduous vegetation.

Participants are asked to come prepared with full gas tanks, proper layers, lunch, water, good boots, snowshoes if possible, hats and gloves, cameras and binoculars. Ski poles can be helpful walking in deep snow.

Reserved for adults, the class will undertake short hikes on private lands, wrapping up at about 2:30 p.m. Senior citizens are welcome. Slots will be limited to a small group, and all participants must pre-register. No pets.

The class is sponsored by Libby Hostel Base Camp. For accommodations, see The Venture Inn and The Country Inn, and find the Libby Hostel Base Camp on Airbnb.

For more information, email b_baxter53@yahoo.com or call 406-291-2154.

Sandpoint Teen Center now open Tuesdays and Fridays

By Reader Staff

The outdoor education program takes place in northwestern Montana, with attendees meeting on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 9 a.m. (Mountain Time) in the Viking Room of the Venture Inn at 1015 U.S. Highway 2 in Libby, Mont. Participants will review a brief set of handouts describing animal tracking methods, winter birding from 3-5 p.m.

The Sandpoint Teen Center announced Feb. 7 that it has a temporary location at the Sandpoint Senior Center (820 Main St.) open on Tuesday and Friday afternoons

“We will have healthy food, board games, art projects, and a warm place to socialize and get out of the weather,” the center stated in a news release.

The SPOT bus runs from the

Sandpoint Middle School and Sandpoint High School to the Senior Center every hour. The Sandpoint Senior Center closes at 3 p.m. daily, so the Teen Center staff and volunteers will be running the food, games and art activities.

Rep. Mark Sauter. File photo.

STAGE & SCREEN Panida announces return of artist Graham Nash to the main stage, launches ticket sales

By Reader Staff

Tickets are on sale now for a special concert featuring the return of legendary artist Graham Nash to the Panida Theater.

The concert, set for July 7, marks nearly 20 years since Nash — the founding member of both the Hollies and Crosby Stills and Nash — played the Panida. Hosted by Too Far North Productions, the performance will be the most intimate show of Nash’s current tour, with tickets limited to fewer than 500 seats.

He will be joined by his longtime musical partners Shane Fontayne (guitar and vocals) and Todd Caldwell (keywords and vocals), taking the audience on a musical journey that spans the ages, performing favorites from across his 60-year career.

“Last time I brought Graham Nash to the Panida was when Karen Bowers was the managing director [of the Panida],” said Craig Heimbigner, of Too Far North Productions. “There was an opportunity for Graham Nash to perform in the Inland Northwest this summer and I thought the Panida is an ideal home for him to perform and share 60 years of songs and stories.”

Current Panida Managing Director Lauren Sanders said the timing couldn’t

be better for Nash’s return to the theater.

“This last weekend I had a Sandpoint community member say to me, ‘I miss the days when Graham Nash was at the Panida, hope more acts like him come around,’’’ she said. “Little did they know he is playing at the Panida this summer.

“We’re thankful Too Far North Productions thought of us as a venue to host this incredible show,” Sanders added. “We can’t wait to have Graham Nash music playing from the Panida and to have our partnership with Too Far North Productions grow.”

Nash’s show also comes at an historic time for the Panida, as the theater prepares for its centennial in 2027 with the Century Fund — a fundraiser with the goal to raise $1.9 million to restore the Panida and prepare the venue to step into its next 100 years.

“The Panida has so much momentum right now,” said Panida Board Member Katelyn Shook. “We’re so honored to host Graham Nash this summer, and we’re going to keep the shows coming — so keep your eye on the Panida,” she added.

Get tickets at panida.org while they last — most sold out in the first few hours, but there were a few VIP packages available as of press time.

The legendary Graham Nash will perform on July 7 at the Panida Theater. Courtesy photo.

MCS offers a musical February

February 9-16, 2023

THURSDAY, february 9

Cribbage League • 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

This is an ongoing league with nightly prizes

FriDAY, february 10

Last Chance Band in Concert

w/ LiteFeet dance lessons and DJ

6pm @ The Hive

Last Chance Band is an energetic hard-driving country band who has won multiple awards for their sound. The night starts with dance lessons with LiteFeet for $8 from 6:30-8:30pm, with music starting after. $10 at the door. livefromthehive.com

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes

Live Music w/ Matt Lome

4:30-7pm @ Barrel 33

Folk rock, originals and covers

Live Music w/ Luke Yates & Christy Lee

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Country, North Idaho style

Live Music w/ BTP

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Featuring Benny Baker, Ali Thomas and Sheldon Packwood playing classic rock

5-7:30pm @ Drift (in Hope) Karoake

8pm @ Tervan Tavern

SATURDAY, february 11

Valentine’s Day Bingo Fundraiser

12pm @ Sandpoint Area Senior Center

Great prizes, raffle, silent auction to support the Senior Center. Chili at noon, bingo at 1pm. 208-263-6860

Western Pleasure Snowshoe Roundup @ 1413 Upper Gold Creek Rd.

The 10th anniversary Snowshoe Roundup at Western Pleasure. 5K and 10K with both recreational and competitive opportunities. runwild65@gmail.com

Live Music w/ Baker and Packwood

7-9pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Headwaters

8-11pm @ 219 Lounge

Sandpoint Chess Club

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Karoake

8pm @ Tervan Tavern

Live Music w/ Ian Newbill

6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Country and classic rock

Live Music w/ Yotes

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Neo-rockabilly, a hint of Johnny Cash and a smattering of Americana flavors

Live Music w/ Zach Simms

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Soulful favorites

Comedy Avalanche w/ Travis Nelson

8pm @ Panida Theater

Live comedy with touring comedian Travis Nelson. Panida.org for tickets

Karoake 8pm @ Tervan Tavern

SunDAY, february 12 monDAY, february 13

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

Pool League at Connies (Mondays)

6-9pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Magic with Star Alexander (Sundays)

5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s

Up close magic shows right at the table

Sandpoint SongFest Winter Pop-Up and Conservatory Concert Series on tap

By Reader Staff

It’s Winter Carnival time, and the musical opportunities abound. From Friday, Feb. 17 to Sunday, Feb. 19, Sandpoint SongFest enlivens downtown with concerts featuring resident songwriters, a songwriting workshop and the first Conservatory Concert of 2023. All events are held in the Little Carnegie Hall at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint (110 Main St.).

The weekend kicks off with the Conservatory Concert on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. MCS will host the southern Oregon-based Michal Palzewicz Trio as a stop on its Pacific Northwest tour. The trio is known for its eclectic, original sounds, blending classical, folk and contemporary elements via cello, banjo, guitar, mixed hand percussion and steel pan. Jacqui Aubert, founder of Ashland Folk Collective, lauds the trio as “exceedingly talented, creating music so enchanting it’s easy to get lost in it. Exceptional!”

On Feb. 18 and Feb. 19, concertgoers have an opportunity to attend any or all of three concerts, with each event showcasing three Sandpoint-based SongFest

artists who will share their music with an up-close-and-personal audience while recounting the stories behind their songs.

The lineup of songwriters includes Justin Landis, Beth Pederson with Bruce Bishop, Brendan Kelty, Sheldon Packwood, Jake Robin, Molly Starlite, Patrice Webb, Mikkel Lee of Aether Project and Kerry Lee Diminyatz.

Showtimes are Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. The performances offer intimate, cabaret-style general admission or VIP seating, as well as a curated selection of regional wines and microbrews available for purchase.

Daniel Sherrill, of the Michal Palzewicz Trio, will present a special SongFest workshop, “The Songwriter’s Journey: How Do I Start? When Is It Done? What’s in Between?” at 1 p.m. on Feb. 19.Students, musicians and the general public are invited to learn about the art of creating songs and hone their craft at this ticketed event.

Seating is limited and advance tickets are recommended for all events. Tickets, VIP seating, and package options are available at bit.ly/3RIutSQ.

North Idaho Philharmonia presents ‘Postcards from Europe’

Featuring works by Bach, Händel and Beethoven

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint area community.

People’s Hearing on GTN Xpress

5pm @ Gardenia Center and online

Testify and learn about Northwest gas pipeline expansion either online or at the Gardenia Center. wildidahorisingtide.org

tuesDAY, february 14

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz • 5-9pm @ Baxter’s on Cedar

wednesDAY, february 15

Live Piano w/ Bob Beadling

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Open Mic Night at IPA 6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

ThursDAY, february 16

KNPS fundraiser at IPA • 12-9pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Each glass raised will help Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society make the Arboretum more user-friendly with new plant ID signs. Raffle baskets full of gift certificates and tickets can be purchased throughout the week, with drawing on Feb. 16

Since its inception in late 2021, the North Idaho Philharmonia has wowed audiences with its unique ensemble sound. Under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Jan Pellant, NIPH has offered some of the finest symphonic works to Sandpoint, including selections from Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Dvořák.

Pellant will lead a special performance Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Panida Theater titled “Postcards from Europe,” which will include J.S. Bach’s The Art of the Fugue (Contrapunctus I.-IV.); Händel’s Harp Concerto and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.

A native of the Czech Republic, Pellant has served as artistic director/conductor to many different symphonies around the world, including the Lexington Chamber Orchestra, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Pellant’s vision for NIPH is to create a unique sound and showcase the cultural talents he’s seen come out of the

The performance will also feature celebrated solo harpist Sophie Baird-Daniel, whose “technicolor” sound has been praised by Gramophone magazine. Baird-Daniel spends part of her time in San Francisco and the other in Seattle. She has been in high demand as a soloist and featured in numerous performances with professional orchestras such as the Seattle Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, Houston Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet. Baird-Daniel was a participant in the prestigious 2018 International Harp Contest in Israel, a quarter finalist in the 2016 International Dutch Harp Competition and won the silver medal at the 2017 Vancouver International Music Competition. She trained under world-renowned harpist Judy Loman at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada.

For more information about “Postcards from Europe,” and to purchase tickets in advance, visit sandpointconservatory.org and panida.org.

Love on screen

Some of TV’s best depictions of infatuation, passion and good ol’ bromance

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Valentine’s Day is saturated with imagery of romantic love, and I’ll admit I’m a sucker for using the holiday as an excuse to buy my husband chocolates and write a sappy card.

Apart from romance, though, many people’s earliest introductions to the holiday included giving cards to classmates in celebration of friendship. Local initiative Bonner County Valentine’s Cards for Senior Citizens calls this to mind as it aims to ensure everyone feels the love — the camaraderie and community kind, anyway — by receiving a card from a stranger each Valentine’s Day.

It’s no secret that most story plots are propelled by relationships. This is particularly true of TV plots, which depend on love

— whether it be reciprocated, lost, forbidden, complicated or wholesome — to keep viewers invested in the lives of the characters. Here are some favorite examples of the many flavors in which that love can come.

Weird love

From Craigslist roommates to best friends to lovers, bubbly school teacher Jessica Day and low-achieving bartender Nick Miller of 2010s sitcom New Girl took viewers on a ride of dorky encounters and improbable chemistry. After two seasons of awkward “will they, won’t they” buildup, it all culminated in the hallway of the show’s most essential setting — the L.A. loft in which Jess is the “new girl” roommate — when Nick uncharacteristically grasped Jess by the arm and pulled her in for a kiss. The move defied all expectations and

was reportedly met with applause from the show’s cast and crew. The couple went on to have their ups and downs, but the foundation of the kiss made it obvious that the two nerds, as different as they seem on the outside, were meant to be together.

Epic love

There are love stories that are so fanciful that they either make viewers believe in soulmates or make them want to vomit. Enter Claire and Jamie: the main protagonists of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander book series and subsequent TV adaptation. Some inadvertent time travel and complications of war find the couple married, and the rest is (literally) history, as they live through some of the biggest events of the 1700s. The two are passionate, hard-headed people as individuals and, together, fiercely loyal and deeply compatible. In

literary or television form, Claire and Jamie exemplify everything epic love can be: tender, volatile, safe and scary. It might not be your everyday love story, but that’s why it’s worth watching.

Friendship love

I have long ruminated on the powerful depiction of friendship captured between Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear, two of the principal characters in Craig Johnson’s Longmire mystery novel series and the TV show it inspired. Walt is the white sheriff of a rural Wyoming county and Henry is his lifelong best friend — a Native American who grew up in and is still strongly involved with the county’s reservation population. Without jurisdiction on the reservation, Walt often relies on Henry to help him

Stand-up comic Travis Nelson to headline Panida Theater

By Reader Staff

Some people are big on the comedy and some people are big on the comedy scene. Travis Nelson is both: A well-regarded stand-up who tours across the U.S. and Canada, he belongs to the Blunt People comedy group, released a special by Dry Bar Comedy in 2021 and racks up loads of views on his YouTube channel. He’s also 6-foot, 9-inches tall.

Described as “technically a giant,” Nelson writes on his website that he “was

raised where Kurt Cobain learned to smile, in Grays Harbor, near the rainforests of Washington state.” He also credits a “lack of sunshine and abundance of caffeine” for fostering his “obsessive personality.”

Nelson’s absurdist takes on life — including the difficulties of skydiving when you’re almost seven feet tall — have earned him fans at comedy clubs, theaters, colleges, cruise ships and bars across the continent.

Phillip Kopczynski Presents Comedy Avalanche will bring Nelson to the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave.) on Saturday,

Feb. 11, with Davey Wester as an opener. Wester is a self-described “blue collar comedian” and a paid regular at the Comedy Store in West Hollywood. He has also appeared on the comedy podcast Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the PG-13 show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 “double date discount” (minimum of four) and $40 VIP, which include reserved seats, a signed poster and swag bag from the performers. Get tickets at panida.org.

connect the dots on transboundary crimes. Henry seems to be one of the only people who understands Walt’s genuine salt-of-the-earth demeanor, and the two share a mutual respect that defies race or class. Still, their relationship becomes a foil for larger issues around government complacency, vigilante justice and moments when doing the right thing doesn’t always mean following the rules. To watch them work through it is a testament to the love found in true friendship.

New Girl’s Jess and Nick, left; Outlander’s Claire and Jamie, center; and Longmire’s Walt and Henry. Courtesy images.

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

Last week, many generous individuals paid $150 a plate (or more) to attend the Bonner General Health Foundation’s 15th annual Heart Ball, then shelled out thousands of dollars for sublime slices of chocolate masterpieces.

There’s no such thing as too much chocolate. However, the dessert auction wasn’t just for chocolate lovers, as there were 26 decadent desserts in nearly as many flavors, wowing the crowd and commanding extraordinary prices.

The top five cakes drew oohs and ahhs and nearly $30,000. That’s a lot of dough (and a lot of batter).

The maximum bids bought the following creations: chocolate butterscotch torte donated by Pack River Store, $8,000; red velvet layer cake with cream cheese frosting presented by The Idaho Club, $5,200; peanut butter cup mousse pie donated by The Fat Pig, $5,000; raspberry lemon cream cake contributed by Joe’s Philly Cheesesteak, $4,500; and delightful decadence for the chocolate lover presented by The Hydra Steakhouse, $4,500.

It took more than a village to prepare the fairgrounds for this elaborate event. It was more like a small army of tactical volunteers, fortified with an entire room of fresh flowers, glue guns and glitter — as well as décor and design oversight from Howard and Georgia Simmons. The team spent three days transforming the venue into a fairytale-like setting.

I didn’t venture far from cake setup and table-setting duties, so I am never exactly sure what all the guys were doing hanging

The Sandpoint Eater It takes a cake (and a village)

from ladders, hauling in massive pieces of equipment, stringing cords and cables, and generally doing a lot of stuff that looks dangerous (but I think the show can’t go on without them).

Later, all those helpers returned, transformed in fancy gowns and polished garb for an evening that started with plenty of cocktails — thanks to our favorite mixologists from Trinity at City Beach — which included the Pretty in Pink signature cocktail and tray-passed appetizers, followed by a threecourse gastronomic sensation: chilled lobster amuse-bouche, tea smoked duck breast salad and 24-hour braised beef with whipped brie mashed potatoes.

According to diners, the epicurean meal provided by Alex and Brittany Jacobson of Pack River Store and their crew of

30-plus helpers was over-the-top delicious (I didn’t have time for more than a quick bite of that braised beef, but I’m still thinking about it and hope to find it on a future menu at PRS).

Guests were generous with their money, and the core of more than 30 volunteers was generous with their time, including all the beautifully dressed and poised young ladies from HOSA-Future Health Professionals (formerly called Health Occupations Students of America). To learn more about their organization visit hosa.org.

One of my pet peeves — it tops my list, actually — is people complaining about teenagers; and, after spending the evening with this bevy of youthful helpers, who greeted guests, handled the coat check and helped us with the fast-paced dessert

auction, I’m here to tell you the state of our youth (and future health care workers) could not be in better hands.

I’m not sure of the final dollar amount raised. Still, I know everyone who attended was generous beyond measure, and it will make a considerable dent in the funding for an additional 3-D mammography machine for Bonner General Health. If you’re inclined to donate toward this lifesaving equipment, you can still do so at bonnergeneral.org/ foundation.

I know it sounds cliché, but the generosity of our community never ceases to amaze me. In the past 30 years, I’ve knocked on doors, hosted and volunteered at fundraisers, baked, bartered and bought more than my share of raffle tickets to support myriad causes here. I’m not alone.

Chocolate mousse recipe

This decadent chocolate mousse is fast and easy to make, and fancy enough for any fine dinner finale. Unlike many mousse recipes, it’s eggless so it can be enjoyed by most everyone. Use good quality chocolate bars and 40% heavy whipping cream.

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

•8 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

•1 tsp pure vanilla extract

•½ salt

•2 tbs liqueur or espresso (optional)

•3 cups heavy cream divided

•¼ cup powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a light boil, reduce heat, whisk in salt and vanilla. Turn off heat and add the chopped chocolate, then whisk until smooth (add optional amaretto, espresso or Kahlua at this point), whisking until smooth.

Cover and chill in the fridge until just cool — 15 minutes or so (don’t leave too long or it will become too stiff to fold with whipped cream).

Beat last 2 cups of heavy cream and powdered sugar in a stand-up mixer on medium-high speed until you have stiff peaks. Save ½ of the whipped cream in a storage container and refrigerate until assembly.

Fold the chocolate into the mixing bowl of the remaining cup of whipped cream and gently fold by hand until the remaining whipped cream is incorporated and there are no streaks of cream.

Scoop into 6 or 8 glasses or small bowls, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, pull from fridge and let sit out for 15 minutes or so. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate curls and fresh, plump raspberries.

There’s so much good in this community. You can always count on Sandpoint citizens to show up and shell out their hardearned money to improve the lives in our community. There are a lot of big hearts living in our tiny hometown.

Speaking of hearts, don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is coming. If you plan to dine out, I hope you’ve already made your reservation at one of our fantastic local restaurants. I can’t think of an establishment that didn’t provide a cake — or buy a cake (or two) — so be sure and thank them for their generosity.

If you don’t have time to make an auction-worthy dessert to finish your romantic evening, try my silky and delicious chocolate mousse recipe. It’s simple to make but fancy enough to serve your favorite Valentine.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Festival at Sandpoint announces Gary Clark Jr.

By Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint has released another update on the 2023 concert series, announcing Feb. 7 that Gary Clark Jr. will play under the iconic white tent on Friday, July 28.

Steeped in the grand tradition of the American songbook, Gary Clark Jr. has emerged as a 21st-century rock ’n’ roll and blues virtuoso who blends reggae, punk, R&B, hip-hop and soul, reshaping the genre for our time.

He’s been doing his thing since he was a kid in Texas, but made global waves in 2014 following his first Grammy Award: Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Please Come Home” from his 2012 debut Blak And Blu. Clark ascended to greater heights in 2019 with his third full-length album, the sensual and socially conscious This Land, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Top 200 — his third consecutive Top 10 debut.

This Land garnered acclaim from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and many more.

Clark has topped bills at festivals and venues like the Hollywood Bowl, made appearances sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones and performed at the White House for the Obamas. In 2020, Clark cleaned up at the Grammys, taking home Best

Rock Performance, Best Rock Song (“This Land”) and Best Contemporary Blues Album. He performed “This Land” backed by The Roots during the ceremony, releasing the live version as a single.

To date, Clark has six Grammy nominations and four wins. He has performed on national TV, making stops at Saturday Night Live and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, among others. He is currently working

on a follow-up to This Land, continuing to experiment and push the possibilities of American roots music.

Tickets for Gary Clark Jr. are available at festivalatsandpoint.com. The show will be a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing-room only. Tickets are $54.95 before taxes and fees. The gate will open at 6 p.m. and the music will begin at 7:30 p.m. The Festival at Sandpoint is

READ

I’ve undoubtedly recommended this book before, but it bears repeating: No One Belongs Here More Than You, a collection of short stories by Miranda July, is one of those books that sticks with you, but to explain why feels nearly impossible. When my little sister asked to borrow a few titles from my bookshelf over Christmas, I told her that Miranda July is a must-try. July’s ability to capture humanity is unmatched. You just have to read it to believe it.

LISTEN

implementing a few key changes to venue policies and procedures to enhance customer safety, security and overall experience. These important updates include: no guest re-entry and hard-sided coolers, rolling coolers, wagons and strollers will not be permitted into the venue.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Last Chance Band, The Hive, Feb. 10

The Coeur d’Alene-based Last Chance Band has its rock-infused modern country sound dialed in — so much so, that every one of their tracks sounds radio ready (indeed, its songs on Spotify have racked up hundreds of thousands of plays).

Chance Long (vocals and guitar); Steve Harms (guitar, piano, mandolin, vocals); Lance Shew (bass and vocals); and Sandpoint’s own Nick Halpin

Yotes, Eichardt’s Pub, Feb. 11

(percussion and vocals) released their first single, “Dirty,” in 2019, followed quickly by a string of other originals — all filled with a big Northwest country sound that Hive-goers won’t want to miss their chance to experience.

— Zach Hagadone

Doors at 6 p.m., show at 8 p.m.; $10; 21+. The Hive, 207 N.First Ave., 208-920-9039, livefromthehive.com. Listen at thelastchanceband.com.

Too often the term “Americana” becomes shorthand for “beardy banjo band,” when the genre can mean so much more. Yotes, a.k.a. Ryan Yates, is an Olympia, Wash.-based one-man powerhouse who adds layers of complexity to the Americana descriptor by leaning on 1950s country, neo-rockabilly from the ’80s and more than a hint of Johnny Cash (he once toured the country in a Cash tribute group).

His jumping delivery and driving guitar will turn Eichardt’s into a rollicking roadhouse on Saturday, Feb. 11, which is exactly what Saturday nights were made for.

— Zach Hagadone

7 p.m, FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com. Listen at yotesmusic.com.

I recently started a playlist of songs I love to sing, full of earworms with fun vocals or memorable lyrics. Some highlights include “Nineteen,” a Tegan and Sara cover by Hayley Williams; “Black River Killer,” a loping folk tale by Blitzen Trapper; and “Immune” by Jensen McRae, an early-COVID ballad about losing a quarantine-reliant relationship when the then-hypothetical vaccine became available.

WATCH

I just watched the 1989 film Parenthood for the first time and was blown away that I’d never heard it mentioned among the many ’80s and ’90s movies considered vital to that era of American filmmaking. Steve Martin is father Gil Buckman, but he’s only one piece of the star-studded cast playing a dysfunctional family finding the balance between successful parenting and simply keeping it together as people. If parents searching the dumpsters of an arcade for their kid’s $200 retainer doesn’t scream “real problems,” I’m not sure what does.

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

Gary Clark Jr. will play the Festival at Sandpoint Friday, Feb. 28 at War Memorial Field. Courtesy photo.

From Northern Idaho News, Feb. 11, 1908

MORAL WAVE HAS STRUCK

INMATES OF HOUSES OF ILL FAME ARE IN POLICE COURT THIS AFTERNOON

The moral wave has again struck Sandpoint.

This morning warrants for arrest of the inmates of the houses of ill fame in the city were issues by the authorities and served by the chief of police. The complaint was made by Ed. Whitehead, the charge being the violation of city ordinance No. 70.

Those for whom warrants are out for Rags Shannon, Julia Porter, Lillian Evans, Flossie Hawby, Lou Chapman and Dollie Long, Dixie Colton, Loris Moore, Jennie Edwards, Mabel Hall, Frankie McDonald, May Foster, Willow Herman and Irene Creamant.

The cases will come up in police court this afternoon.

BACK OF THE BOOK

On achieving perma-grin

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist

Long ago, my girlfriend and her sister took me skiing at Schweitzer Basin. Sort of. They got me in a pair of leather boots that connected — temporarily — to a pair of Head 210s. They took me to the top of the “learning” slope and said, “See ya later. Have fun.”

They did see me later. I did not have fun.

This is what I learned. Having no clue how to turn, I learned that the fall line is where one falls. Often. After two disastrous trips on the chair, I resorted to the rope tow, and learned that, when you fall, let go of the rope. I did not learn how to ski.

Then, it rained. My jeans, soggy from falling down the fall line, became drenched, turning my long handles a lovely denim blue. My fashionable and unsuitable suede jacket gained a couple of pounds. Ice water ran down my neck and coursed into my socks. I walked back to the lodge — long, black torture devices over my shoulder — and clumped around in my aqueous boots, trying to look cool and failing. I had perma-frown.

I vowed that I would never, ever, ever ski again.

I kept that vow for 20 years.

Two decades later, minus the girlfriend, I was a waiter at Green Gables Hotel, where my fellow workers insisted that I learn to ski. “You have a pass!” they commanded. “Use it!” I was reluctant, to say the least, but they shamed me into it. Thank the snow gods.

Employees could join group lessons for free. I did and lucked out; I was the only person in the group. The learning slope — a.k.a. the bunny hill — had moved next to the sanctuary of the day lodge, plastic boots had been developed and ski teaching theory

had evolved. My skis were 50 centimeters shorter than the 210s.

A kind and patient man showed me how to lock myself into a snowplow and make my way down the bunny hill — push left, go right; push right, go left. He also taught me how to put my skis back on, which was good. They came off quite often.

After a few days of successfully traveling — sometimes tumbling — down the bunny hill, I took a ride on Chair 1. Midway unload was a black diamond run in itself. It was all learning curve. I was really, really glad I knew how to put my skis back on.

Much to my surprise, and in spite of serial yard sales, I got hooked. I skied every day for the rest of the season. Every day. If there was night skiing, and I didn’t have to work, I skied until the lights went out.

After more practice, I made a Schweitzer beginner’s common pilgrimage. I rode the Great Escape, skied down the Great Divide, suffered a spectacular yard sale on Down the Hatch, found my way to Vagabond, and followed it to the Outback and Chair 5 without further catching an edge or crossing tips.

I found increasingly steep places to fall down the fall line: the S-curve pitch on Snow Ghost just off Kaniksu; the last steep fall on Zip Down; Lower G-3. Charlie’s Run. More and more often, I made it down these little chunks of black diamond without having to put my skis back on. I even achieved perma-grin, a condition caused by pure joy — opposite of perma-frown.

On the last day of that season, I was wandering intermediate groomers and wondering how best to end the year. I stopped at the top of No Joke, a “real” black diamond I had never dared. As I stood there, a friend pulled up next to me. He was four inches shorter than me, and standing on a pair of 210s. He grinned and said, “What are you

Sudoku Solution STR8TS Solution

waiting for?” and launched into No Joke. I followed. It was groomed. I survived, and I didn’t have to put my skis back on.

Next, we rode Chair 6 to the top and skied steep and scary Upper Kaniksu. Last run of the day, he led me down a sunwarmed, slushy Stiles. I had to put my skis back on. Twice.

I still had perma-grin.

There have been many days of perma-grin since. I bless the friends who kept at me until I agreed to take that lesson. It’s one of the best things anyone has done for me — much better than leaving me at the top of the bunny slope to fend for myself.

I still have to put my skis back on once in a while. And, I still visit learning slopes, where I sometimes get to coach a beginner.

“Push left, go right,” I say. “Push right, go left.”

It’s one of the best things I can do for anyone. Perma-grin is my reward. Theirs and mine.

Sandy Compton has been skiing longer than he didn’t after that first ugly day. He’s also been writing for all that time. His books and essays can be found at bluecreekpress.com.

Crossword Solution

Before a mad scientist goes mad, there’s probably a time when he’s only partially mad. And this is the time when he’s going to throw his best parties.

Solution on page 22

Laughing Matter

Solution on page 22

By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

tenacious /tuh-NEY-shuhs/

Word Week of the

[adjective]

“The team remained tenacious even as their rivals came closer and closer to winning the game.”

Corrections: Nothing to note this week. Thanks for playing. — BO

7.Song

1. holding together; not easily pulled asunder; tough.