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PEOPLE compiled by

Susan Drinkard

watching

“What was your favorite pet?”

“My favorite childhood pet was Buddy, our family’s Irish setter. He was with my brother and sister and I growing up—a part of the family.”

Jessi Martin CNA Sandpoint

“My most memorable pet was my first cat. I was 9 or 10 and it was a surprise Christmas present. My mom brought her up from the basement.”

Rylee Dawe Youth director, Assembly of God Church; Farm Bureau Insurance Sandpoint “My favorite childhood pet while growing up in Illinois was Purrcity, a short-haired Heinz 57 gray cat.”

Karrie Holt Personal banker Sandpoint

“My favorite pet was a dog, a Shiba Inu named Charlie. He always watched over me.”

Jade Hennig Server at The Hydra Sandpoint “My favorite childhood pet was a gray-and-black tabby named Tigger. He was like a dog. He would cross a busy street after first looking both ways. We bottle-fed him as a kitten. He was so sweet; he would let my little sister dress him up in doll clothes and tote him around.”

Julee Miller Barista at Tango Cafe Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

It’s nice to see a little snow again. One perk to having a cold, dry spell in winter is ice skating, which I was able to do last weekend at a quiet little slough near town.

Every year about this time, the Reader and Keokee partner to host a local media survey that helps us understand what local media you consume on a regular basis.

This will be the seventh year doing this survey, though last year’s survey was canceled because of the pandemic.

If you have a spare five minutes and an internet connection, would you all mind going to the link below and answering a few questions? We select one survey-taker each year as a winner and award them $100 in dining certficates at Eichardt’s Pub and MickDuff’s Restaurant and Beer Hall. If you’re feeling lucky, give it a shot. As a reminder: We never share your email address with anyone. Thanks in advance.

bit.ly/SandpointMediaSurvey

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Mike DeCesare (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Bill Borders, Annie Spradling, Margie Corcoran, Debbie Elster, Kris Contor, Lyndsie Kiebert.

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Gabrielle Deubendorfer, Katherine Greenland, Jen Jackson Quintano, Brenden Bobby, Claire Christy, Ranel Hanson, Marcia Pilgeram, Kathi Samuels.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $115 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism.

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com

Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

This week’s cover photo was taken

by Mike DeCesare. It’s a piece called “Isolation,” and is part of POAC’s Creations of Quarantine art exhibit.

January 28, 2021 /

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NEWS

Hoodoo Valley rezone application prompts pushback Planning staff to recommend denial at Feb. 4 hearing

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

A proposed zone change and Bonner County Comprehensive Plan amendment is receiving negative feedback from residents in the Hoodoo Valley, who argue that a potential housing development in the area would fly in the face of the county’s documented goal to maintain agricultural lands.

According to application materials submitted Dec. 9 to the Planning Department, the 160acre parcel — located just off Spirit Lake Cutoff — is “mostly forested” and currently zoned Agriculture/Forestry. A proposed redesignation to Rural Residential would allow the property owner, listed on the application as Hayden-based Daum Construction, LLC, to divide the land into five-acre lots. The zone change also requires an amendment to the county’s comp plan, as it does not list Rural Residential as a possible zoning designation for the area.

“The owner acquired this property in the hopes of creating a self-sustaining development in this rural area,” the company wrote in the zone change application.

“The 5-acre pieces being proposed would still maintain the country

feel of Bonner County, while allowing for smaller lot sizes at a more affordable price. Due to the area having so many varied lot sizes, the owner feels this request is reasonable.”

Maureen Paterson, a Hoodoo Valley resident and regular attendee at the regular Tuesday business meetings of the Bonner County commissioners, used the public comment period at the Jan. 26 meeting to urge the board to take a stand against the proposed changes. She said that despite having “very little time” prior to the meeting to make her neighbors aware of the proposal, she had already collected more than 100 signatures opposing the amendment.

“This would be a disastrous precedent,” Paterson said.

Paterson pointed to several “objectives” in the county’s plan that prioritize “retaining productive agricultural lands” and helping residents maintain an agricultural lifestyle.

“I’m just asking you to not allow this to pass,” she said to the commissioners, who have a policy to only listen — not respond — during public comment periods.

“Preserving agricultural zoned land should be a top priority for planning and zoning, according to these objectives,” she added.

Tiffanie Espe of Hayden-based Advanced Technology Surveying, which is listed on the zone change application as a representative for the project, told the Sandpoint Reader that they were “unaware of such a pushback from the community,” and noted that Daum Construction’s property “lies adjacent to an older subdivision where similar lot sizes were created, which was the basis for this zone change request in that the five-acre lot sizes would still be suitable for the neighborhood.”

“There is exponential demand for land in this beautiful area, and not enough property for sale,” Espe continued. “As a result, owners are choosing to subdivide their property. Any time someone is dividing their property, they must meet many requirements the public may not be aware of. Many agencies work on these projects and review from start to finish to make sure everyone is following the same rules. This property would meet all of Bonner County’s requirements for subdivision at a later date.”

Bonner County Planning Director Milton Ollerton told the Reader that his department’s staff report on Daum Construction’s file will be posted to the county’s website on Thursday, Jan. 28, and

County plans to close Heath Lake Road and Highway 95 intersection

By Reader Staff The intersection of Heath Lake Road and U.S. Highway 95 in Sagle will be closing permanently this summer, east of the railroad crossing. Prior to the closure, the Bonner County Road crew will relocate and reconstruct the intersection of Algoma Spur and Heath Lake roads to create better site distance and safer travel for area residents.

The project will be coordinated to coincide with school summer vacation, so as not to interfere with bus route schedules.

As the date gets closer to the construction of this project, the county plans to hold a community 4 /

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that “staff will be recommending denial of this file based on the analysis of the Comprehensive Plan.”

Staff will present the file to the Planning Commission at its next meeting, recommending denial, but the commission ultimately has the authority to make its own recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, which will make the final call.

The Planning Commission is set to hear the staff report on the potential Hoodoo Valley rezone on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m.

Seating capacity at the county

An aerial map of the Heath Lake Road and Highway 95 intersection. Google Maps. the county’s Facebook page for future updates.

building is currently limited due to pandemic precautions, but all Planning Commission meetings are also accessible over phone, Zoom or Youtube.

Information about how to join the meeting through Zoom or phone is available at bonnercountyid.gov/PZHearings. For watching and listening purposes only, hearings are live streamed on the Bonner County Planning YouTube channel.

Lakes Commission meeting slated for Feb. 11

By Reader Staff

meeting for those interested and affected by the closure.

Check the Bonner County website at bonnercountyid.gov or

Maureen Paterson addresses the BOCC at the board’s Jan. 26 meeting.

Screenshot from YouTube.

The Lakes Commission, an advisory board to the state of Idaho advocating for the preservation of water quality in the Pend Oreille Basin, is holding its next meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The meeting will take place over Zoom, with pre-registration required.

Lakes Commission Executive Director Molly McCahon said the the “agenda has yet to be finalized,” but anticipates that the commission and participating public will hear updates on the flexible winter pool operations currently in effect on Lake Pend

Oreille, a NOAA weather forecast, information about construction at the Priest Lake Outlet Dam, as well as updates on the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille river basin adjudication process and the Lake Pend Oreille fishery.

Register to attend the meeting by visiting bit.ly/3iSlfC4.

After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email about how to join the webinar on Feb. 11.

For more information or to receive regular reminders about Lakes Commission meetings, email Molly McCahon at lakescommission@gmail.com.

NEWS

BGH pauses COVID-19 vaccine registration As dose availability opens up to the 65+ age group, local and state agencies urge ‘patience’

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff It’s been a year since North Idahoans began to hear concerns of a novel coronavirus causing widespread sickness and necessitating lockdowns — concerns that became a reality Americans and people all over the world are still navigating today.

The narrative surrounding COVID-19 went from how people could protect themselves to where they could receive a test for the virus. Now, people are focused on what many believe is the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting past this deadly disease: how and when to receive a vaccine.

The two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have begun to roll out across the country, including in Idaho, as the state reported 85,731 people had received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Jan. 27, and 16,843 people had received both doses and are considered fully vaccinated against the virus. In Bonner County, 2,182 people have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 183 have received both doses.

Statewide, new COVID-19 cases numbered 620 on Jan. 27, bringing Idaho’s total since March 2020 to 161,212 and 1,714 deaths.

Bonner County has logged 2,618 cases to date, with 699 currently

active and 27 resulting in death.

Bonner General Health shared in a press release Jan. 27 that Idaho is currently receiving about 21,000 doses of the vaccine per week, with about 2,800 of those being allocated to the Panhandle Health District, which manages the five most northern counties in the state. Of those doses, BGH is receiving about 200 each week.

BGH announced that it would be expanding vaccine clinic hours to Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with each vaccination requiring an appointment.

Providers are working on vaccinating groups included under the state’s 1a and 1b phases, which includes health care personnel; longterm care staff and residents; some home care providers; EMS and first responders; dental providers; pharmacy personnel; safety services; pre-K-12 educational staff; child care workers; and correctional and detention facility staff. Idahoans over the age of 65 are also considered to be in the 1b category, though Feb. 1 is the official date the state has set for that population — some 269,000 people — to start receiving their doses.

BGH shared that there are currently more than 4,400 people on the hospital’s vaccine registration list, with 3,000 of those being people over the age of 65.

“We will not be accepting any

new >65 years registrations until we have made it partially through the 3,000+ we already have in our system,” BGH officials stated.

“Please note this is not an issue of staffing at Bonner General Health.

This is an issue of national supply allocation of the vaccine. As soon as we receive more vaccine allocation, we will re-open registration for the 65+ category and additional 1b categories.”

As of Jan. 26, BGH reported having vaccinated 1,300 people, 172 of whom have received a second dose.

“Our goal, as always, is to serve our community by providing excellent health care close to home,” BGH personnel said. “We will work through this list as quickly and safely as possible. Again, our ability to continue with vaccines depends on our allocation of vaccines. Thank you for your patience and support as we work through this ever-evolving situation.”

Panhandle Health District shared a similar plea for patience on its Facebook page Jan. 25.

“Many people in our community have reached out to us to find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to schedule an appointment,” officials wrote.

“When enough supply is available and we have sufficiently vaccinated those in phase 1a and the top priority groups in phase 1b …

Here we have Idaho

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff As most Idaho Statehouse watchers anticipated, the fight over the governor’s emergency powers and COVID-19 health orders has become the dominant political story only a handful of weeks into the 2021 legislative session in Boise.

Up to eight separate bills have been working their way through the Legislature, all aimed at limiting the powers of the governor’s office in cases of emergency — specifically as they have been deployed to confront the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Blanchard Republican Rep. Heather Scott recently made headlines with her statement that “the sick emergency is over,” fronting legislation that would immediately lift the current state of emergency, along with potentially relinquishing Idaho’s share of federal pandemic aid.

“If you look at the facts and numbers, by all means the sick emergency is over,” Scott said on the House floor Jan. 25. “There may be a debate about whether we still want to keep getting [federal relief] money; that’s a different story. But the pandemic is over.”

Ire among some lawmakers over Gov. Brad Little’s handling

we can then begin taking appointments and vaccinating those 65 years and older. That is planned to begin in February.”

How, exactly, that large population of seniors will access registration was a topic of discussion as the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare held a press briefing Jan. 26, answering questions from reporters across the state about current distribution protocols.

When asked how the state plans to work with elderly people who may lack access to the internet or the technical skills required to navigate registering for a vaccine, officials said IDHW’s communications team is already looking at ways to reach that population, including working with churches and other groups who could spread the word.

“For those that are remote or are technology challenged, often they have some support system, either through a state-sponsored system or simply through family,” said IDHW Director Dave Jeppesen, adding later: “We’re going to use the existing tools that are out there, and use some nontraditional ones as well.”

Jeppesen said he has yet to hear any clear answer from the federal level regarding why vaccines haven’t been “distributed on an equal per capita basis,” but the Biden administration has said it will look into the issue.

“We have no understanding of why that’s happening and are very concerned about it and have been reaching out to our federal partners to raise that issue and ask them to address them,” Jeppesen told reporters.

That same day, President Joe Biden announced that he would be ramping up vaccine distribution to the states and also providing more timely estimates to state officials as to how many doses would be arriving and when.

The state’s guidance dictating that people 65 and older can access the vaccine within the coming week marks a serious increase in demand for providers — a reality Jeppesen said he hopes everyone will approach with patience and understanding.

“Anyone who is 65 and older who wants the vaccine is going to be able to do so,” he said, adding later: “It’s going to happen, but it’s not going to happen all in the first week, or even the first month.”

Gov. Brad Little will hold a virtual press conference regarding distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 12 p.m. PST. Watch it live on the Idaho Public Television YouTube channel. Those with questions about COVID-19 or the vaccine can contact the Panhandle Health District informational hotline at 877-415-5225

What’s happening at the Legislature this week: Battling over emergency powers

of the COVID-19 pandemic dates back to his initial “stay-home” orders and mandated business closures as the state moved through the phases of its reopening plan last year. Scott, again, made national news last summer for referring to the governor as “Little Hitler” for what she perceived as his executive overreach, while petitions to recall or impeach Little circulated among some particularly outraged citizens.

The notion of removing Little from office over his pandemic policies has once more come to the forefront, with Iona Republican Rep. Chad Christensen taking to Facebook on Jan. 24 to an-

nounce that he is leading an effort to impeach Little, with articles of impeachment forthcoming.

Former Idaho Chief Justice and onetime state Attorney General Jim Jones told the Idaho Falls Post Register in an interview Jan. 25

The Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

Photo courtesy Wikipedia. that Christensen’s effort “won’t work” and looked more like “a publicity stunt” than a legitimate

< see IDLEG, page 6 > January 28, 2021 /

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NEWS

City seeking input at transportation workshops

By Reader Staff The city of Sandpoint is in the final stages of adopting a new Multimodal Transportation Plan and will present recommendations to the public at a series of upcoming workshops.

Input is welcomed about concerns, proposed concepts and solutions affecting transportation, and the plan components will be presented in a series of parts: Part 1 will cover the east-west connectivity, scheduled to take place virtually via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28.

Part 2, focused on a road safety audit for Division Avenue and citywide pedestrian priority network, will take place Thursday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m., followed by Part 3, delving into the Baldy extension and U.S. Highway 2 corridor, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.

Community members are encouraged

to provide feedback and ask questions at the virtual workshops, which can be joined — whether to provide feedback and/or view the proposed concepts and solutions — via a link provided on the city’s webpage at sandpointidaho.gov/home.

The workshop Jan. 28 will include specific discussions on proposed changes at First Avenue and Superior Street, First Avenue and Pine Street, Fifth Avenue and Pine Street, Fifth Avenue and Church Street, Euclid Avenue and U.S. 2-Pine Street, Sixth Avenue and U.S. 2-Pine Street and the Pine Street corridor.

Proposed improvements at First Avenue and Bridge Street and First Avenue and Church Street will also be presented.

Presentation boards featuring proposed improvements are also on display in the lobby at Sandpoint City Hall (1123 Lake St.).

< IDLEG, con’t from page 5 > attempt at impeachment.

For his part, Little has been uncharacteristically forceful in his comments about lawmakers’ drive to lift the COVID-19 emergency. In a surprise televised statement Jan. 22, the governor criticized lawmakers’ arguments that his emergency declaration of March 13, 2020 represents a shutdown of the state or an infringement of Idahoans’ rights, calling them a “myth” that some legislators are “perpetuating” for short-term political gain.

“They’re playing politics, and unfortunately the loser in this shameful game will be you, the citizens of Idaho,” Little said, underscoring that the state of emergency is vital to ensuring the distribution of vaccine supplies from the federal government.

“It means the vaccine rollout is jeopardized, something that is unacceptable in this final stretch of our pandemic fight,” he added.

The Idaho Republican House and Senate caucuses called Little’s remarks “inflammatory” in a pair of written statements, adding that his message “maligns legislative efforts as the Senate works diligently to address the much-needed rebalancing of power.”

Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said efforts are being made to draft legislation that lifts various public health restrictions under the governor’s order while retaining access to federal aid.

The state’s largest business lobby, the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, in a statement Jan. 22 cautioned lawmakers not to jeopardize federal pan6 /

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demic funding by lifting the emergency order — rather, IACI stressed that health orders are what limit public gatherings, regulate business reopenings and have otherwise “created a constraint on the normality of our lives.”

“The emergency order is the pathway to getting that normalcy back,” IACI stated.

Meanwhile, as the various pieces of legislation targeting emergency powers move through the process, former Idaho Republican House Speaker Bruce Newcomb and Idaho Republican Congressman Mike Simpson — himself a former Idaho speaker of the House — came to Little’s defense Jan. 27 in a joint public letter.

“The Idaho Legislature’s attempts to strip not just our current Governor but any future Governor of their ability to lead during an emergency is wrong for Idaho and endangers the lives of Idahoans,” they stated. “... [A] crisis is not the time to dismantle the Governor’s ability to respond quickly during an emergency. A crisis is the time to lead.”

Calling the move to limit emergency powers and lift the COVID-19 emergency declaration “reckless and careless,” Newcomb and Simpson continued: “We urge the Idaho Legislature to end the political jockeying and untruths about emergency declarations and do what is right for the people of Idaho and our state’s economy. Take a step back and think this through. The safety and prosperity of this generation and future generations of Idahoans depend on you.”

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, still pivoting around the U.S. Capitol: Newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden quickly got to work. His first actions, according to a variety of media, included: requiring the federal government to reduce purchases from overseas, in favor of madein-the-USA products, to boost employment; rejoining the Paris Climate Accords; revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit; rejoining the World Health Organization; repealing the Muslim and African travel ban; offering Russian President Vladimir Putin a five-year extension of the New START Treaty, which limits the U.S. and Russia to no more than 1,550 strategic offensively deployed nuclear weapons, each; stopping border wall construction; planning for citizenship for Dreamers; ending the band on transgender soldiers in the military; reorganizing the coronavirus response, such as a mask mandate on buses and planes, on federal property and by federal employees (the response will include using the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard to deliver 100 million vaccinations in Biden’s first 100 days); and overturning aggressive efforts to find and deport unauthorized immigrants.

The Biden administration is already reversing the rollback of vehicle emission standards; reversing the downsizing of several national monuments; ensuring that people who refuse jobs due to COVID-19 safety concerns are not denied unemployment benefits; re-establishing a working group on the social costs of greenhouse gases; continuing a pause on federal student loan interest and principal payments; urging a federal moratorium on evictions; ordering all executive branch employees to sign an ethics pledge; and putting a freeze on all new regulations put in motion by former-President Donald Trump so they can be reevaluated. Actions made via executive order do not require Senate approval though other plans, such as some involving immigration, will.

Former President Donald Trump, in one of his last official acts, pardoned 143 people. Those pardoned included Steven Bannon, who is accused of defrauding Trump’s own supporters, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Before exiting his position as Senate majority leader, Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell told his colleagues that Trump was a central figure in the

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, which resulted in the deaths of five people, noting that “the mob was fed lies.

They were provoked by the president and other powerful interests.” House Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has stated that the House-approved impeachment of Trump — the second such action against his presidency — will begin “soon.”

To impeach Trump again 67 Senate votes are needed. The Washington Post reports that, as of last weekend, 62 senators were in support and others were either opposed or had not made their positions known. Conviction for incitement of an insurrection could bar Trump from ever running for public office.

Court documents filed last week showed that “self-styled militia members” from several states planned to breach the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, aiming to disrupt Biden’s confirmation but also to make “citizens arrests” against certain lawmakers.

So far those charged in the Capitol breach face federal counts of conspiracy, including obstructing government proceedings, impeding or injuring government officers, and destroying U.S. property. According to The Post, the FBI’s “aggressive” investigation is attempting to determine if the Capitol event was a concerted conspiracy or if rioters “got caught up in the moment.” Conversations by the insurrectionists, recovered by the FBI from a two-way radio app, included instructions to seal Congress members in the tunnel where they had sheltered from the rioters and, “Turn on the gas.”

The Proud Boys, participants at the Jan. 6 D.C. riot, sent a welcoming telegram to Biden, commending his administration for being “honest about their intentions.” In a New York Times interview, Proud Boy leaders said they were not happy that Trump had denounced the Jan.6 Capitol violence. They said Trump had “betrayed” them, and would not grant them pardons for their actions in Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Justice attorney Jeffrey Clark plotted to help Trump overturn election results, The New York Times reported. Clark’s last-minute plan to derail election results was thwarted by revelations that Trump pressured Georgia elections officials to change their vote count, as well as by top DOJ officials, who vowed to resign en masse if Trump installed Clark as acting attorney general.

Blast from the past: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”

Zora N. Hurston, 1891-1960, American author, anthropologist and filmmaker.

PERSPECTIVES

Working toward unity Engaging in honest debate to overcome polarization and violence

By Gabrielle Deubendorfer Reader Contributor I very much appreciated Bonner County Commissioner Dan McDonald’s perspective on 2021 legislation in the Jan. 21 edition of the Sandpoint Reader. Giving conservatives an opportunity to voice their opinion in the Reader is essential at this time for learning from each other and finding common ground. Understanding legislation from the eyes of a county commissioner enables me to act more responsibly.

I wasn’t aware of the issue with the state’s Catastrophic Health Care potentially being eliminated with Medicaid expansion, which certainly presents a problem with the health care gap having moved up the income scale. While I don’t agree with the commissioner’s evaluation of the Affordable Care Act, I fully support Rep. Sage Dixon and Sen. Jim Woodward to find a funding solution that doesn’t pass on this burden to the counties.

In my view it also presents the challenge to fix the ACA to make health care affordable for all.

I also want to commend Reader Editor Zach Hagadone for including McDonald’s and other conservative voices in his article “Just Pure Chaos.” While I disagree with claims about the “scourge of communism” and Antifa participation in the

events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, I was reassured to hear such fervent disavowal of violence and attacks on our government and Constitution.

I also appreciated Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler’s reassurance that Second Amendment rights are not in danger and encouragement to use the legislative process rather than “hyper-partisan bickering” or show of force to address grievances.

Contemplating President Joe Biden’s call for unity, I have noticed that this probably, for most of us, comes down to convincing the other side of our own perspective.

Ben Shapiro on a recent Daily Wire podcast rightly questioned what the president actually meant. After accusing Democrats of just wanting conservatives to follow their agenda, he encouraged engaging liberal neighbors to make them more conservative. On the other hand, I have heard liberals muse how to get conservatives to be more purple.

That to me is not unity.

I hear both McDonald and Wheeler emphasizing finding common ground rather than differences, caring about each other, and finding old and new things that we can agree on. This almost sounds like bleeding-heart conservatism. I am intrigued with Wheeler’s statement, “While one side mostly offends by virtue signaling, the other side responds with saber-rattling.” If we can let each other know how

the other’s attitude is affecting us, perhaps we can find that common ground to actively negotiate policies that are important to all of us, like safe streets and access to affordable health care.

I am all for stopping conspiracy theories, like McDonald says. But for that to happen we have to have some common foundation of what the truth really is. For example, I am greatly reassured that both McDonald and Wheeler are committed to making sure that none of the local groups are planning any armed action. Local business owner Travis Thompson, quoted in the Reader article, didn’t think so either on Jan. 6. Contrary to claims of Antifa instigations, all the arrests made so far have been right-wing extremists.

There might not be specific upcoming local plans of violence, but it is well known that Ammon Bundy’s People’s Rights movement can be and have mobilized on short notice.

Their roots go deep down into rightwing extremism, according to Travis McAdam of the Montana Human Rights Network (mhrn.org). A recent presentation about white nationalism in the Northwest explained how such groups have changed their language and approach to appeal to regular conservative voters who are concerned about government overreach.

You might not condone violence, but supporting people who openly and violently defy our government and Constitution will ultimately give

power to it.

Before you condemn this as propaganda, please do “use your brain,” as McDonald suggests, and get the background of this movement, even if you do not agree with mask requirements (see the video “Kindling Conversation to Meet the Moment” on YouTube).

If our desire for freedom is used to attack our democratic structures and functions, I fear for our future.

Having grown up in post-Nazi Germany, where the horrible history of severe freedom restriction all the way to death for the “wrong” kinds of people was still palpable, I have a different perspective. Having to wear a mask to control an epidemic, in my opinion, is not worthwhile to fight against or engage in violence for.

On Thursday, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m. there will be a national Zoom debate hosted by Braver Angels focused on the American government and divergent facts (participate at

braverangels.org/event/debate). The organization’s debates are not the kind in which those taking part try either to bash or convince the others. Rather, they are about agreeing on some things and maintaining civility.

When people from both perspectives are in a safe space where they are comfortable to voice their opinions and willing to hear others’, perhaps we can go beyond just consequences for those who have enabled or participated in the recent violence. If we humbly examine what comes across as “virtue signaling” or what feels like “saber-rattling,” perhaps we can meet and part like friends again and focus on bettering life in our community and country.

Gabrielle Deubendorfer is the local chapter lead of Citizens Climate Lobby. As a naturopathic doctor her interest lies in creating unity within and without.

Loss of a loved one to COVID-19

By Katherine Greenland Special to the Reader My grandmother passed away Jan. 20 from a COVID-19 related infection. She tested negative twice for the novel coronavirus before entering the hospital for a scheduled surgery. Her procedure was successful and she was making a good recovery. Unfortunately, the pandemic is so widespread that she contracted COVID-19 in the hospital, only days from being eligible for the vaccine. She was moved to the COVID ward where she was isolated from all family; visited only by medical staff in protective suits.

My grandmother had the kind of smile that would light up a

room. Her vitality and passion for life led to a career as a music teacher. She was full of vitality, wearing big hats and brightly-colored socks. Her students adored her. She had been married for 70 years and was the head of a large family. Her time in the hospital was the longest period in her life separated from us.

She was a prisoner to the virus.

She was not able to maintain her daily routines and movement. Her recovery slowed. After a month of isolation, she died from a secondary infection.

It didn’t have to be like this.

My family is in mourning. We all knew her time would come, but we are devastated that we all couldn’t be by her side and say our goodbyes in a good way.

I know my story is not unique to this pandemic. So many families have been separated from loved ones in their final days. Our medical system is stretched to its limits. Other medical procedures are being impacted. We are, all of us, in this together.

I’m so grateful to the doctors, nurses and staff who cared for my grandmother when we couldn’t.

Thank you to everyone who is following public health guidelines to social distance, wear a mask and get vaccinated.

When our family is eligible, we will all get the vaccine. So that one day our children can live free from the worries of pandemic. We can only slow this terrible virus together.

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Women: Thank you...

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • Thank you, Alma at Columbia Bank, for walking me through how to receive stimulus funds.

Everything I’ve heard or read said the word “check” or direct deposit, when I received a Visa credit card, I almost cut it up and threw it away, but I decided to check first with my local bank. Glad I didn’t cut it up or I would have lost $1,200. Again, my thanks and appreciation for Alma walking me through how to get the funds transferred to my local bank account, from the Visa card.

– Submitted by Michael Harmelin GUEST SUBMISSION: • Here’s a Bouquet to Michael Boge for bringing the Banff Mountain Film Festival to Sandpoint for all of these years. It is an annual event that many people eagerly look forward to (myself included).

This year, due to COVID, Michael is bringing the festival online and disbursing the profits to the Panida that has hosted the films.

What a great way to support our beloved theater!

Also congratulations, Michael and Anavel for your successful completion of The Satipo Kids Project and helping many young people get an education that they otherwise would not have been able to have.

– Submitted by Cynthia Mason Barbs: GUEST SUBMISSION: • A Barb to the person at Trinity last night who eavesdropped on my conversation with a visitor to Sandpoint who was asking me questions about where to buy property here.

This person felt behooved to drop a note at our table on her way out of the restaurant, which read: “Overheard you are from Seattle… looking to buy here. Certainly hope you are on the ‘right’ side of things. ;).”

Not only was the visitor very offended, but I was embarrassed that one of our locals felt that this was appropriate. How are we supposed to unify or heal if this behavior continues? Sad for our town.

— Submitted by Jenifer Wirz 8 /

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Dear editor, Women: Thank you for voting out the 45th president of the United States and his administration.

Post-election analysis showed that large percentages of women voted for the Biden/Harris ticket. Top of that list of women was Stacey Abrams, who after losing the gubernatorial race in Georgia, did not go home to pout, but instead built action networks to register voters and get out the vote from the Black community.

She was instrumental in putting the state of Georgia into the blue. And, more incredibly, the results of their run-off elections put the U.S. Senate at a one-vote margin in favor of the new administration.

Latina women also energized their communities and Asian-American women got out the vote. Finally, analysis showed that white women with post-highschool educations went overwhelmingly for our new president and vice-president.

Women: Thank you for grabbing the tiller of State and steering us away from the shoals of authoritarianism, bully-ism and macho-ism. Women: Thank you for steering us out to the blue seas, taking us into the fresh breezes of sanity, truth and democracy.

COMMUNITY

The best things in life are free Free First Saturdays remain a beloved staple at the Bonner County History Museum

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Those looking for a free, family friendly and pandemic-precaution-possible activity can look no further than the Bonner County History Museum, as it hosts its regular Free First Saturday event Saturday, Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During those hours, patrons need only bring themselves, a face covering and a curious mind — admission is free, thanks to sponsors throughout Philip A. Deutchman the community.

Sandpoint “It’s perfect for families, and also for people who are looking for activities that are Dear editor, really cost effective, or that The COVID-19 emergency is not over. People are don’t cost anything,” said dying. Businesses are threatened. Short-sighted legis- Executive Director Heather lators who are not pandemic experts are endangering Upton. “It’s just a really, really beautiful proour lives and our economy. gram that we put on and it’s very special to us.

After Gov. Little lifted restrictions last summer, It’s probably one of my favorites.” infections and deaths increased. Lifting restrictions Sponsors for the next event are Elizabeth now, especially with a new variant of the virus Wargo and Jason Welker. Upton said Free First possibly coming to Idaho, will only increase infections Saturdays are a popular option for those lookand deaths. The two resolutions described below only ing to give the museum a financial boost. require a majority vote and, if passed, are veto proof.

“It’s such an attractive item to sponsor …

If the Senate passes SCR101, the governor’s because they are essentially paying for everyCOVID-19 emergency declaration and restrictions will one’s membership for a day, which is really be rescinded altogether. It is possible that Idaho could neat,” Upton said. lose approximately $20 million in federal emergency aid for COVID-19 relief, as well as funds for vaccinaWhen Beth Craven and her husband moved tion implementation. to Sandpoint 14 years ago, she said they Support for unemployment, jobs, education and “wanted to get involved” in various organizasmall business is critical to get us through the short tions around town, with her husband taking a term. If federal funds are unavailable to deal with this, particular interest in the museum. Craven said how are cities and counties going to absorb these costs? that after her husband passed away, she “took The House is working on HCR2, which would up his passion,” and now periodically sponsors remove all limits on gatherings statewide that were the free Saturday event in his memory. imposed due to COVID-19 and void a 10-person cap on “Supporting Free First Saturday gives an attendance for all events, public or private. opportunity to everyone to come visit us and Please use your emergency powers as a voter to see our wonderful exhibits at no cost,” Craven contact District 1 Sen. Jim Woodward (jwoodward@ said. “I also know where my money is going senate.Idaho.gov) and Reps. Sage Dixon (sdixon@ and that is important to me — right back into house.Idaho.gov) and Heather Scott (hscott@house. our entire community.”

Idaho.gov); District 7 Sen. Carl Crabtree (ccrabThose exhibits currently include a temtree@senate.Idaho.gov) and Reps. Priscilla Giddings porary installation titled “The Women Who (pgiddings@house.Idaho.gov) and Charlie Shepherd Shaped Bonner County,” which focuses on the (cshepherd@house.Idaho.gov); House Speaker Scott female trailblazers of the county’s early hisBedke (sbedke@house.idaho.gov) and tory. Permanent exhibits include informative Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder (cwinder@senate. idaho.gov). displays on the Forest Service, trains, logging Protect the governor’s plan to get control of the and the Ice Age floods, among others. virus and open up the economy for the long term.

Craven and Upton agreed that part of the Beat COVID-19 and save the economy — neither joy of Free First Saturday is when someone one before the other, each through the other, each one visits the museum for the first time. for all of us.

“It’s fun because you do see all walks of life come through, and it’s fun every time Nancy Gerth someone says, ‘I’ve lived here my whole life Sagle

Beat COVID-19 and save the economy...

A peek inside a recent exhibit at the Bonner County History Museum.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. and I’ve never been to the museum, I never knew it was here and it’s such a treasure’ — it just gets me so excited,” Upton said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Upton said there are still Free First Saturdays in 2021 that could use sponsorships.

Those interested in supporting an event can contact Upton at curator@bonnercountyhistory.org or call the museum at 208-263-2344.

Those with questions about Free First Saturdays or who are interested in supporting the museum through buying a membership or volunteering can also reach the museum team through those methods.

As the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum continues to navigate the pandemic and find safe, new ways to engage North Idahoans in the stories of the area’s past, Upton believes Free First Saturdays remain an integral part of the museum’s mission: “History Creating Community.”

“It’s a great way to unplug,” she said, “get the family off of their phones and the internet, and go out and have a little interactive educational experience.”

The Bonner County Museum is located at 611 S. Ella Ave. in Sandpoint. The museum is observing COVID-19 precaution protocols, including masking, sanitizing and monitoring the number of patrons in the museum at one time in order to allow for adequate distancing between parties.

PERSPECTIVES

I

spend a lot of time thinking about worklife balance, or, perhaps more accurately, my lack thereof. This is something we’re all supposed to achieve for reasons of health, sanity and longevity. Stress is bad for us in myriad ways, so if we can carve out some time for recreation, introspection and calm, we’ll be healthier and happier for it.

Ideally, one’s work day is not all consuming. Ideally, there is time in the morning for quiet reflection, an exercise break at lunch and then a restful evening at home with the family, away from the office and its demands.

We awaken refreshed after eight hours of sleep and do it all over again. Our bodies are fit and minds happy, our children and spouses adore us, and serenity emanates from every pore. We are winning at life.

My work day feels nothing like this. I’m not sure I am winning.

My husband and I run an arborist business here in Sandpoint, and we’ve spent more than a decade making trees disappear via chainsaws and chippers. The work is not for the faint of heart or feeble of spine. Though, by day’s end, I often feel both faint and feeble.

I race around from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m., trying to feed animals and child, gathering school and tree gear, formulating work flow for the day while getting so caffeinated. We speed to school and then the jobsite. Cut, haul, chip, cut, haul, chip — all the livelong day, until it’s time to pick up the kiddo. Then bid on

Jen Jackson Quintano. jobs, race home, feed animals and child, invoice clients, return missed calls, run payroll, make lunches, tidy the house and fall into bed after reading two pages of a book on work-life balance.

Wake and repeat — this time with admonishments to be more present for my child, my husband, myself.

Every year, I start the tree season with resolutions to keep Fridays free for equipment maintenance, paperwork, bidding on jobs and self care. Every year, I abandon this plan by Week 2, as our schedule fills and I, the people-pleaser, seek to make room for each client. Every year, I have the intention to carry my meditation or writing practice forward from the quiet winter months into the work season.

This is also abandoned in Week 2. In short, for nine months of the year, our business is all

consuming.

I love the idea of setting boundaries for self and family care during peak season, but here’s the deal: As manual laborers, our money-making years are very much finite. Will I still be able to do this work at 50?

Sheesh. I don’t know. The way my body feels now… maybe not. And that’s only nine years away. I love the idea of training an employee to be a foreman, directing the day-to-day backbreaking labor, but our employees so far seem to be transient, leaving us to be the leaders and standard-bearers.

The problem for those in trades like ours is that, barring a second life in a new career, retirement comes much earlier than the officially granted 67 years. If I can only do this vocation until age 50 or 55, then I better work my tail off during the years I have and save up as much as possible. If I have the choice of an afternoon yoga session today or eating a few meals at age 60, I’ll probably choose saving up for food. Let’s pack another job in this afternoon.

My chakras can just hang out in their misaligned norm.

As I mentioned earlier, though, stress takes a toll on the body and mind. I worked harder than ever last year — and our business did well — but it comes at a cost. By November, I am typically a mess. (Word of advice: Always hire an arborist in early spring rather than late fall. We become more expensive and cranky as our bodies wear down.) Thank goodness for a brief off-season to rebalance. It’s

just unfortunate that our work gives us balance on an annual basis rather than a daily one.

So what’s a girl to do for her personal and familial health and happiness in this situation? Lift my nose from the grindstone and trust that my daughter will support us in our declining years?

That’s not a burden I want to place on her. Plan on a lowwage retail job for the latter half of my life? A discount at Home Depot would be nice. Budget for a retirement that solely includes meals off the 99-cent menu at the drive-up window? Or pull a Virginia Woolf and walk into the lake with pockets full of rocks when I have too little and life asks too much?

I am not the only one contemplating this issue. Recently, The New York Times ran an article titled, “Plight of the ‘Physical Worker’: Worn-out Bodies and Little Savings.” The gist is summed up with this paragraph: “The toll taken on the body by strenuous occupations leaves workers at risk of aging out of a paycheck before they are financially ready to retire — or before they qualify for Social Security and Medicare.”

That sounds about right.

So, let’s make hay before the sun ages out, shall we?

I suppose the real balance I should be seeking is not between meditation and machines on a daily basis, but in the workload-longevity ratio as seen over time. What

level of stress — both mental and physical — can I live with for the greatest number of years?

Also, it occurs to me that there is a second kind of retirement savings to consider: my health. How much will I have left in that reserve when it’s time to step away from the chainsaws? The things I love — being active with my daughter and husband, climbing mountains and running trails, biking and backpacking — all require a sound body. Will it have been worth it to save for a retirement that doesn’t feel much worth enjoying? Which is more important in the end, the bank or the body?

I love my work, stress and all. But I recognize that, as the years go by, I grow ever closer to a reckoning.

Jen Jackson Quintano writes and runs an arborist business with her husband in Sandpoint.

Find their website at sandcreektreeservice.com. See more of Quintano’s writing at jenjacksonquintano.com.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

stock exchange

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist “The economy” is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the political arena, as well as public Facebook arguments, but what exactly does “The economy” entail? Our economy is a vast and complicated network of myriad businesses that makes things to be used, consumed or built upon later (a term you will often hear referring to this is “creating value”). Covering in vivid detail what exactly the U.S. economy is would create a staggering tome that would far surpass my few-hundred word limit. Instead, we are going to look at how stocks play into and represent our economy in a tangible way.

What are stocks, and what is the stock market?

A stock is a portion of a company. This portion represents a percentage of ownership of the company, which grants the owner of the stock a number of perks, ranging from a portion of the company’s profits to voting rights when it comes time to name a new chief executive or member on the board of directors. Unlike voting for a publicly elected official, every vote is not equal.

The weight of your vote in the company depends on how much stock you hold. If you own a single stock out of a million, your vote counts as 0.0001% in favor of whatever it is you’re voting on. If a single person or business entity holds 500,000 shares of the business, their single vote will massively overwhelm yours.

While that seems disheartening, you still get to reap the 10 /

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rewards of a business that’s performing well by simply owning the stocks, regardless of the weight of your vote. Each share is a representation of a percentage of the company, so as the company’s value increases, so does the value of your share. If the company is worth $1,000 and you own 1% of the company’s shares, you have $10 in stock. Should the company perform well, or a major trade happens and the company’s value rises to $2,000, you still own 1% of the company, and you now have $20 for doing nothing.

Conversely, if the company fails or goes bankrupt, the value of the shares will fall, and you could lose most — if not all — of that money you had invested.

Interestingly, the shares you buy of a company don’t actually come from the company you’re buying. All businesses don’t start out being publicly traded. Some never need external investment to reach their goals and are able to generate their own finance internally. Others, such as Facebook or Amazon, grew very quickly and needed an injection of funds to facilitate their ability to hire more employees, purchase or lease property, and maintain nationwide distribution. A company’s owner may not sell off their entire stake in the company, but sell enough shares to other investors to facilitate their financial needs while remaining in control of their business.

Any time you buy or sell stocks on a stock exchange, you’re buying and selling from/ to other people, and never the company whose stocks you’re trading.

The price of a company’s

shares will rise and fall for innumerable reasons — there is no clear cut science that will predict the trajectory of a stock’s value, or the exchange system wouldn’t function at all. It’s essentially a form of legitimized gambling, and that uncertainty is precisely what injects value into it.

Throughout the years, people have generally let stock management firms handle their investments for a fee.

This makes sense if you want to make money but also want the convenience of not having to chase stock prices in the event that you have a career or responsibilities of your own. In recent years, with the immersion of big data and constant internet connectivity, independent investing has seen a rise in popularity. People who never would’ve been able to invest in the stock exchange 10 years ago are making waves in the markets today.

You may have seen Reddit users making headlines this week as the subreddit r/ wallstreetbets has almost single-handedly driven the price of Gamestop from $17.25 a share to more than $150 per share at one point over the course of a little under a month, despite the fact that Gamestop has been falling in value for the past five years. This was achieved by a few investors grabbing a large number of shares while the value was low — so low that this move was viewed initially as an absurdist joke, a factor that helped push the topic’s visibility on Reddit’s front page, garner attention and inspire others to start buying stocks in the company. This spike in demand

whipped into an investor’s feeding frenzy in the past week as the stock’s price skyrocketed.

The value jumped again when the subject was tweeted by Tesla and SpaceX titan, Elon Musk.

This type of trading has been referred to in media outlets as “short selling,” and is a way for an independent trader to make a risky bet with potentially huge payoffs. Essentially, an investor that wants to “short” will borrow shares from a broker

and sell them for some initial capital, anticipating the stock will fall in value over the next few days. If it does, they snatch up the stock for less than they had sold it for before, then wait for it to rise. It’s a risky tactic — if your bet fails, you not only lose your investment but you’re in debt to the broker. If it succeeds, well… I hope you enjoy your new yacht!

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner ?

Don’t know much about cats

We can help!

• A house cat’s genome is 95.6% tiger, and they share many behaviors with their jungle ancestors, including scent marking by scratching, prey play, prey stalking, pouncing, chinning, and urine marking.

their left feet. No other animals walk this way.

• Cats can jump up to six times their length.

• Cats’ purring may be a self-soothing behavior, since they make this noise when they’re ill or distressed, as well as when they’re happy.

• Cats’ claws all curve downward, which means that they can’t climb down trees head-first. Instead, they have to back down the trunk.

• Cats have an extra organ that allows them to taste scents on the air, which is why your cat stares at you with her mouth open from time to time.

• Cats use their whiskers to “feel” the world around them in an effort to determine which small spaces they can fit into. A cat’s whiskers are generally about the same width as its body. (This is why you should never, ever cut their whiskers). They also have whiskers on the backs of their front legs.

• Cats walk like camels and giraffes: They move both of their right feet first, then move both of

• Cats typically sleep for 12 to 16 hours a day. They’re crepuscular, which means that they’re most active at dawn and dusk.

• Cats mark you as their territory when they rub their faces and bodies against you, as they have scent glands in those areas.

• If your cat approaches you with a straight, almost vibrating tail, this means that she is extremely happy to see you.

• Meowing is a behavior that cats developed exclusively to communicate with people.

• When a cat flops over and exposes his belly, it’s not always an invitation for a belly rub. A cat does this when he’s relaxed and showing trust. Also, when he sticks his butt in your face, it’s not rude, it’s actually a gesture of friendship.

Winter can be a glorious time to snap photos in North Idaho. Whether it’s the pink glow of a sunrise over the lake or the pillows of fresh-fallen snow on evergreen trees, we really live in a beautiful place. Thanks to all of those who submit photos to the Reader for publication – we’re always eager to see what kind of cool shots you guys pull off.

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

Top: A quiet winter sunrise from Pringle Park in East Hope. Photo by Annie Spradling.

Middle left: A birdhouse hangs in the foreground of a winter scene while visiting a friend in Noxon, Mont. Photo by Margie Corcoran.

Bottom left: A December day beneath the Cedar Street Bridge.

Photo by Margie Corcoran.

Far Right: Fresh-fallen snow highlighted in the sudden sunshine of a grey winter day on Lightning Creek Road in Clark Fork. Photo by Debbie Elster.

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PETS & ANIMALS

Creatures, great and small

Notes from a reluctant yet converted cat man

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff This is a quote that I know I use too much; from Winston Churchill — himself known as the “British bulldog,” a man of immense animal appetites and attitudes: “Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” That suffices to summarize my philosophy on practically everything.

I am an animal man. And by that I mean I am a good person.

I indulge dogs, return the sneer of cats (for which they inevitably adore me, despite my general distaste for them) and look pigs square in the eye, recognizing that it takes one to know one.

I grew up on five acres of forest land in Sagle, where deer wandered the yard, grouse dithered in the driveway, a mountain lion one time stalked through the underbrush and a neighbor’s stray cow once woke me up in the night licking my bedroom window.

That’s not to mention the nuthatches and grosbeaks, blue jays and chickadees, the goldfinches and robins, flying squirrels and crows that served as both daily music and constant visitors to our various feeders and trees outside the kitchen windows.

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family had enough pets to fill a minor menagerie. We had a number of dogs — the best dogs that ever lived — and cats, which were, well, cats. We had a snake named Slick and a gecko named Augie, a hedgehog and a family of rats lorded over by mama Rosie, a ferret whose name I forget, a hamster named Harry Houdini, a guinea pig named Buttercup, fish upon fish upon fish, an alligator snapping turtle that eventually grew to the size of a serving platter and somehow escaped into the Pend Oreille River.

We had a newt named Frog, who at 26 years old still lives in an enormous “Taj ma Tank” at my brother’s place, frogs and toads of many exotic and not-so-exotic varieties, a pair of loopy ducks named George and Lenny, an enormous white rabbit named Paul, a couple of super boring anoles named Ozzie and Harriet, ant farms and bone beetles, and a still-unidentified live poisonous spider from Central America that my grandmother mailed us from her home in the Yucatan and which we killed by sticking it in a film canister in the freezer.

To this list I’ll add the thousands of crickets that we used to buy at the pet store as feed for various reptiles and amphibians, but which always ended up all over the house, bringing their night music indoors as a kind of lullaby.

Looking back on all these beasts, I can safely say they were my best friends. My brother kept most of them, but they were all our family members. I guess I loved them all so much — reserving special feeling for our brilliant schnauzer-blue heeler mix Smokey, a better man than any I’ve yet met and whose death is too tragic for me to contemplate, much less write about — that once I lit out on my own in my 20s I steadfastly rejected the notion of having any pets. Ever.

That kibosh has stood for 20 years, despite my kids’ impassioned lobbying for a pet, yet my will has been bigger than theirs.

Between 2010 and 2013 we enjoyed living with my brother and, with him, his once-in-amillion-years quality dog Flint, who stood guard over my son for the first year of his life and left us at a truly advanced age in the summer of 2019.

Flint (along with his cat sister Halo, also R.I.P.) was as close as we’d gotten to having a household pet until this past Christmas. Yes, the puppy-dog eyes of my children finally wore me down and we welcomed a 9-month-old blackand-gray striped tabby cat into our lives a week or so before Christmas Day. To say that I was reluctant is an understatement. One word: poop. Two words: cat poop.

Though, I must confess, I’m head over heels in love with this little animal. She came to us from the Panhandle Animal Shelter with the name Barley.

My daughter, 6, for some reason decided that she ought to be called Harlow, so now she’s Harlow Barley, or Barlow Harley, depending on how quickly you’re saying it.

I tend to call her overly familiar things like “sweetie” and “stinks,” “kitty beast” and also other things when she crawls onto my chest each night and breathes her foul breath into my face. Mostly, though, she and I are daily companions, as she snoozes and farts (gods, she’s a gassy thing), sometimes attacking me with her little fangs and chewing on my slippers as I work.

Currently, she’s curled up next to me and purring like a 1970s Evinrude outboard as I sit in bed listening to David Bowie and writing about her. Such are our Friday nights. She’s asleep, I think, but has one of her white-sock-paws resting on my elbow. She stretches a little here and there, her claws coming out halfway in what I can only assume is a friendly reminder that she’s in charge. Her ears flick a bit as Bowie sings about “life on Mars.”

With so many animals in my life, it’s hard to rank them by affection — and, really, I wouldn’t want to. They live

in my memory as all things that we love do, evoking moments in time and places in space. The smell of wood chips resurrect Buttercup’s weird little guinea pig chirps and grunts and I remember the yellow shag carpet of childhood bedrooms; when I sit by a warm fire in my woodstove, I always think back on Smokey and Flint, who were both well known to warm their old bones by any available flame. (The latter, with his lustrous black coat would lay all day in the grass, heaving great sighs of content, soaking up every ray of sunshine and earning his nickname of “yard pig.”)

Having Barley or Harlow Barley or whoever she is sleeping next to me, though, is a gentle reminder of the great good we do for ourselves and our fellow creatures by loving just for the sake of it. I’m too savvy to think they think like us, and I like animals too much to try to make them into people, but I suspect this sweet little stinker feels something similar.

That goes in varying degrees for all these creatures I’ve had the good fortune to know; except for snapping turtles. Seriously, those things are friends to no one. Watch out if you’re swimming in the river. I’m sure she’s enormous by now.

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OUTDOORS

Dirt-y Secrets

By Ranel Hanson Reader Columnist

“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.” — John Lennon It is so nice to see a little more light. Of course, it is all part of the natural order of things and I suppose we should be grateful to experience anything that is normal in a distinctly paranormal year.

Many of us have turned our attention to indoor horticulture as our outdoor gardens rest and refresh for a vibrant and abundant spring; and, those outdoor plants that have now come inside may have carried with them some fungus gnats or fruit flies. They won’t hurt your plants but they will drive you crazy. They live in the moist potting soil and feed on the organic matter there.

You can get rid of them without chemicals, but sometimes not easily.

Hint No. 1: Sprinkle diatomaceous earth, coarse sand, or even aquarium gravel all over the soil in your pot. All the way to the edge. Make it thick. You see, you are trying to suffocate the little devils, so don’t

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give them any way out. In a couple of days, you’ll notice fewer gnats; and, within a week, no more. For particularly nasty infestations, I have heard that cinnamon works, although I haven’t tried it myself. I would use it in conjunction with the other remedies. If all else fails, you’ll need to repot in new soil, making sure to dispose of the old soil in a sealed container.

Hint No. 2: All birds are hungry at this time of year. Be sure to keep your feeders filled and try to keep thawed water nearby.

Squirrels like those seeds, too, and well-fed birds and squirrels result in healthy babies in the spring.

Hint No. 3: No talk about birds is complete without talk of bees — specifically, my mason bees, which are hibernating in my refrigerator crisper. They seem fine, although earlier, I did have a mold issue and had to buy some anti-mold spray. By the way, if you have any interest in these super pollinators, you can go to crownbees.com and get lots of great information as well as supplies and bees. We need all the pollinators we can get (our food supply depends on it) and these little guys are such easy

Hints for overwintering the plants, birds and bees keepers. No stinging, no honey, and they pollinate more efficiently than honey bees.

They are the Taylor Swift and Beyoncé of pollinators!

Hint No. 4: More bird talk. In the last column, I told readers about the American Heritage Wildlife organization (reached via americanheritagewildlife.org or 208-2661488). They do wonderful work with all kinds of wildlife, from coots to skunks to squirrels and all in between. They need volunteers and money. Feeding those hungry mouths is expensive. They do not deal with raptors, but there is a great organization that does. See below.

Hint No. 5: This other worthy cause is the Raptor Freedom Project. Raptors are birds that hunt, such as owls, hawks, eagles and osprey. RFP organizers Mya Jinright and Judi Lundak specialize in helping raptors who are in trouble. Injured, fallen nestlings, illness — all of these situations can be attended to by the Raptor Freedom Project (166 Mountain View Road, Clark Fork 83811, 509-590-9437).

Injured birds need to be treated by qualified people with experience. Please don’t

try to help by yourself, because you may be injured or further injure the bird. Donations are always welcome.

Meanwhile, my primroses are blooming outside. Isn’t that amazing? It is January, after all. But a rainy and warm one so far.

So, the other side of that beautiful coin is that the slugs are also alive and kickin’. Of course, not literally kicking, but I’d love to see them try. I scattered a few more egg shells and salt until we get the cold weather and snow. That will drive them into hiding, but I guarantee they’ll be back in spring.

Seed catalogs have begun to show up in the mailbox. It is so nice to spend some time in front of a fire or cozied up in a blanket as you dream and plan for the upcoming growing season; but, I urge you to remember our local garden centers as you plan. They will be well stocked and ready to help you to choose seeds and plants to make your summer bright and beautiful. Shopping locally supports our community and our friends and neighbors, after all. We are certainly all in this together.

“See” you in February!

Art for the era

POAC’s Creations of Quarantine exhibition celebrates the art of North Idaho during the pandemic

By Claire Christy Reader Contributor Many important works of art have been born of suffering, including during COVID-19 quarantine. While self-isolation may not be over for everyone, the Pend Oreille Arts Council has called on its artist-members to share their quarantine creations with the community. Many artists tried a new medium, started creating again or found work representative of current events.

One of Anna Cool’s three submissions, “No Room,” shows a health care worker carrying a female figure away from a hospital.

“Many loved ones needed help. They were sent away to fight alone, to fear without guidance, and to grieve in isolation,” she said. “My painting attempts to capture that despair and anguish; to never forget and to perhaps be a reminder toward the importance of being prepared.”

For Jan Rust, who submitted a collection of abstract work, Creations of Quarantine marks her first showing as an artist.

“My collection for the quarantine show reflects my exploration of abstract expressionism using oil and cold wax, weaving and mixed media,” she said. “Two of the paintings were created as a testimony to family activities during the pandemic. ‘Bonfire’ refers to the many bonfires my son built for family gatherings during the pandemic. ‘The Statement’ refers to the profound thoughts and perceptions shared by my youngest grandsons during our time at home.”

Three pieces by Lesley Gadsby are featured as well — two of which illustrate crowded city streets with unmasked figures.

The third, “Edgar and the Boys,” shows an unkindness of ravens.

“Two pieces are light in color and picture buildings with figures. They represent both before and after quarantine, a time when we could be with friends, dining, shopping, hugging,” she said. “The third painting is chaotic and somber in tone, representing 2020.”

Denys Knight, a copper artist, said about her single submission, “Remains of the Day”: “A drawer in my copper/fold forming/flame painting studio holds scraps, fragments, and bits leftover from the many pieces I have created over the past months.

These remains are a confusing jumbled mess in the drawer. Relating to what happened over the past 11 months, I felt the desire to create something beautiful out of the chaos.”

“The Nobody Inn, Six Feet Apart, 1901,” by Barry Burgess, is a small but powerful part of the show.

“In March of 2020, our world came to a standstill. We live six feet apart, wear masks or don’t, and live life in anxiety,” he said. “A new history is being made. … Like the strife found in the editorials of the local papers, I envisioned a war of maskers and anti-maskers. The only true way to solve the issue was to create a restaurant, bar, B&B or tavern where anyone could go, but nobody could be in. I designated it, ‘The Nobody Inn.’” A “fabrisaic” — fabric assembled in a mosaic style — by Jenni Barry, “A Capricorn’s Dream of Seattle,” is the largest piece in the show.

“When everything shut down in March, depriving us of all travel, communities everywhere were essentially in their own bubble,” she said. “Seattle was the first to experience this because they had the first cases of COVID-19. Seattle is one of the cities that I would love to visit and suddenly it seemed so out of reach — just like a dream. This piece is my way of sending well wishes to all who feel isolated and in a bubble.”

Two black-and-white photographs, submitted by Mike Decesare, perfectly capture isolation.

“The lonely, uncertain reality brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the creation of my photographs, ‘Alone’ and ‘Isolation,’” he said. “The world around us may look the same, but COVID has temporarily made so much of it solitary, distant

Top Left: “The Nobody Inn, Six Feet Apart, 1901,” by Barry Burgess. Courtesy image.

Top Right: Assorted works by Anna Cool as they hang in the POAC office.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert.

Bottom: A wool weaving piece by Janis Rust called “Untitled.”

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. and out of reach.”

Those interested in seeing the Creations of Quarantine exhibition can find it on display until March 1 at the POAC Gallery, inside the Music Conservatory (110 Main St., Ste. 101). Call 208-263-6139 to schedule a private viewing.

Claire Christy is the arts coordinator for the Pend Oreille Arts Council.

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COMMUNITY IPNF accepting applications for summer recreation events

By Reader Staff

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Commercial recreation events on National Forest lands in North Idaho must be permitted, according to an agency news release, and users have until the end of the month to submit an application.

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests has two open seasons each year for people who wish to apply for a special use authorization to conduct any type of commercial recreation use on the National Forest. For events occurring this summer and fall (June 1 through Nov. 30), the application period will remain open through Jan. 31. The National Forest will host another open period from Aug. 1-30 for winter season events that occur between Dec. 1 and May 30.

A commercial recreation activity is defined as one in which the applicant charges an entry or participation fee, or for which the primary purpose is the sale of goods or services. Examples can include horse riding, bicycle, motocross or triathlon races; jeep rallies; dog trials; fishing contests; rodeos; adventure games; youth treks; wagon trains; or concerts. A permit is required for these types of events, regardless of the number of people involved in the activity.

According to NSF, non-commercial groups do not need a permit as long as their attendance is limited to fewer than 75 people. Groups of 75 people or more need to obtain a special use permit from the Forest Service, even if they do not have a commercial purpose. The Forest Service requires a permit from groups of 75 and more so it can put in place a plan to manage things like trash, bathrooms, parking and other measures necessary to manage large gatherings.

Depending on the size or duration of the activity, other documentation, licenses or insurance may be required. Recreation events will also be subject to state and county COVID-19 mitigation protocols.

To find out more about commercial recreation permitting on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, contact your nearest ranger district office, or visit the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Events/Commercial Permitsâ&#x20AC;? page on the NSF website: go.usa.gov/xAffc. / January 28, 2021

STAGE & SCREEN

Wilderness comes home with Wild and Scenic Film Festival

By Reader Staff Breathtaking vistas. High adventure.

Stories that celebrate both nature and the human spirit.

It’s what the wilderness experience is all about and that’s what’s on offer with the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.

Presented by the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, the annual lineup of the best nature films the world has to offer is back — albeit in a virtual format this year 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30.

The film festival is one of FSPW’s regular annual events; but, of course, 2021 is far from a regular year. In keeping with the times, viewers can tune into the film festival this year from the comfort of their own homes. Visit scotchmanpeaks.org/events to buy tickets, then follow the provided instructions to stream the festival on the night of the event.

There are nine short films on the roster this year, but that’s just the beginning. Hang out afterward for a live Q&A session with professional filmmakers like Erik Daarstad, David

Festival goes virtual in 2021

Rennke and Joe Foster.

Utara Brewing is also teaming up with FSPW to offer ticket and food bundles. Festival “goers” will be able to pick up Utara beer, naan pizzas and the brewery’s famous curry pot pies — a specialty menu item just for the occasion — with which to enjoy the films.

Organizers stressed that food tickets are limited, so order soon.

For a little extra excitement, pick up some raffle tickets. Items up for grabs include a backpacking pack from Six Moon Designs, a daypack from Peak Designs and Klean Kanteen travel mugs. Raffle tickets may be added to your film festival order upon checkout at scotchmanpeaks.org/events.

“So order up those tickets and food.

Throw on some pajamas. And get

Wild Toddler Chronicles: Legacy, produced by Brian Lewis, is one of the films featured in this year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival. ready to lose yourself in some amazing stories of wilderness adventure,” FSPW festival organizers stated. “It’s a one-ofa-kind film festival and, this year, it’s coming right into your home.”

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

Bon appetit, Mr. President

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

This past couple of weeks felt like a carnival ride, filled with hills and chills, and spills and shills. And per usual, when I feel angst, I feed my anxiety — not with eating but with cooking. Let me tell you, I was cooking my heart out.

I made myriad batches of brown-butter chocolate chip cookies to deliver to friends as get-well gestures or edible tokens of appreciation. I roasted marrow bones for broth and rolled pasta dough into long sheets before cutting them into wide noodles. I peeled, sliced, sautéed, caramelized and froze dozens of onions, ready for batches of hearty French onion soup or savory bread pudding. I whipped meringue a mile high for soft and gooey homemade marshmallows, and pricked and scored several pans of heartshaped shortbread.

My kitchen (and a fair amount of red wine) brought me much comfort and, by gosh, so did the powerful and poignant Inauguration of our 46th president, Joe Biden, and our new vice president, Kamala Harris. We have accomplished much, folks.

I’ve been thinking a lot about another woman who also shattered a glass ceiling in the White House when she became the first family’s first female executive chef: Cristeta Pasia Comerford.

Chef Comerford began her culinary stint at the White House in 1995 and was promoted to executive chef by First Lady Laura Bush in 2005 (replacing outgoing Executive Chef Walter Scheib).

Since then, the Filipino-American Comerford has served four White House administrations. I’d like 18 /

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to think one of her first official duties for her fifth first family was whipping up all those chocolate chip cookies that First Lady Dr. Jill Biden passed out to the National Guard — a tasty gesture of the Bidens’ thanks.

The “first chef” is both the personal cook to the family and the public chef for all official entertaining. Though they have many other chefs to assist them, the responsibility of the head job must be overwhelming. I was lucky enough to tour the White House, decorated for Christmas, in 2016. According to whitehousehistory.org, every year since 1969 the White House has featured a magnificent gingerbread house that grows more ornate every year, weighing as much as 400 pounds. When I spied that elaborate, edible creation, I secretly yearned for a tour (or even just a glimpse) of

the White House kitchen.

I’m also fascinated by culinary history; and, in my cookbook collection, is one written

by René Verdon: The White House Chef Cookbook. Verdon, who was the White House executive chef during the Kennedy administration, played a pivotal role in introducing French cuisine to America. He was interviewed, in French, by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy herself.

(Mrs. Kennedy’s employment offer was turned down by my favorite French chef, Jacques Pepin). I love all the delicious, anecdotal tidbits served up in Verdon’s cookbook.

Other White House chefs have authored cookbooks as well: White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen, by Andrew Friedman and Walter Scheib, and Dining at the White House: From the

President’s Table to Yours, by John Moeller.

Several White House chefs (including Comerford) have a lengthy track record in the first kitchen, some staying as long as 20 years. The one with the shortest stint was Spokane-born, third-generation chef Jon Hill.

According to The Washington Post archives, he was barely there long enough to wet his whisk.

First Lady Nancy Reagan found his food and presentation to be disappointing and he held the position for fewer than six months.

Verdon, similarly, did not stay long after the first family of President Lyndon B. Johnson moved into the White House (I can only imagine what a contrast of palates that was to please). In fact, Verdon, who passed away 10 years ago, once told The Post, “You can eat at home what you want, but you do not serve

Fresh Crab Quiche

barbequed spareribs to ladies in white gloves.”

In his book, I did learn that real men do eat quiche. According to Verdon, one of President Kennedy’s favorite lunch dishes was Quiche of Seafood Newburg, which the chef prepared often for the Kennedy family.

And talk about timing — Dungeness crabs are late this season but have arrived in our local markets. Buy a two-pound crab and have them clean it for you. It will yield just about the right amount of crab meat for this delicious quiche. A posthumous thanks to Chef Verdon for his original recipe, which I have adapted.

I don’t know what Chef Comerford will be cooking up for the Bidens, but I am sure it will all be delicious. I can’t wait for some recipes. Bon appetit, Mr. President. God bless America!

Serves 4-6

Perfect for breakfast lunch or supper, pair with a sparkling white wine. To keep crust from getting soggy, pour the leftover bit of egg whites (from the shells) into the crust and rub to coat entire crust.

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

• 1 (9-inch) pie crust — rub with egg white, pierce all over with fork and parbake for 10 minutes • 4 oz. grated gruyere (Swiss) cheese • 1 cup of fresh shelled Dungeness crab meat (gently squeeze to remove excess moisture) • 2 finely minced green onions • 1 cup heavy whipping cream • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard • Pinch of nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt • Dash of white pepper • 3 beaten eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Parbake crust for 10 minutes, remove and reduce oven heat to 350.

Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, lemon zest, mustard, nutmeg, salt and white pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.

Top with the crab meat and sprinkle with the scallions. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

Bake until set, about 40 minutes.

Let rest for about 20 minutes before serving.

FOOD

Seeking your own breakfast nirvana

New Mexican-themed Breakfast Cantina offers a different take on the most important meal of the day

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

As Ron Swanson once said, “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food.” With the opening of Breakfast Cantina in Ponderay in December, local foodies have much to be happy about when it comes to their first meal of the day.

Executive Chef Patrick Shepler — who is also the chef at Farmhouse Kitchen BBQ across the highway — said he and his staff put a lot of thought into a menu that hopes to put a different spin on the most important meal of the day.

“It’s a fun one,” Shepler told the Reader. “It’s a little different, but it seems to be going pretty well.”

When deciding in which direction to take the menu, Shepler said he landed on Mexican-themed fare because, “Who doesn’t love tacos?”

Breakfast Cantina focuses on breakfast bowls, tacos, burritos and more. Most recently, the restaurant added fresh-squeezed orange juice and smoothies. Shepler said by far the most popular item on the menu is the breakfast burrito with chorizo and eggs.

“That one outsells everything three to one,” he said. “Also, the pork carnitas are the most popular taco and the Oregon berry is the most popular smoothie flavor.”

Shepler’s breakfast burrito comes with chorizo, eggs, crispy potatoes, a blend of cheeses, and cilantro wrapped in a tortilla and grilled to give it that perfect crunch. Sometimes chorizo can be overpowering and dominate the flavors, but Breakfast Cantina seems to have landed on the perfect chorizo that is loaded with flavor, but mild enough to play well with the other ingredients.

The breakfast tacos are a unique take on a familiar food, featuring scrambled eggs, roasted chiles, cotija cheese, salsa roja, cilantro and crema on grilled corn blend hard-shell tortillas. An order comes with two tacos heaped full with ingredients, so it’s totally shareable if you want a lighter breakfast, but chances are you’ll want to keep both for yourself after the first bite. Plus, any taco on the menu can easily be transformed into a burrito, making this a perfect grab-and-go spot for skiers heading up to Schweitzer or those wanting to snag a quick meal on the way to work.

The Chilaquiles bowl can best be described as breakfast nachos, with chorizo black beans, salsa roja, cotija cheese and two fried eggs on top of a bed of crispy tortilla chips.

For those seeking lunch fare, the Cantina offers items such as

avocado tostadas, avocado and black bean quesadillas, chicken mole, shredded beef and veggie tacos, which can also be served in burrito form upon request. All items can be personalized with meat and veggie options.

Breakfast Cantina’s smoothies are an especially tasty addition to the menu, made with fresh ingredients and loaded with flavor. Smoothies come in a variety of flavors, including Oregon berry, strawberry banana, orange creamsicle and chocolate peanut butter. The restaurant also sells beer, cocktails and freshsqueezed orange juice.

In the age of COVID-19, it’s essential to give customers easy ways to order curbside or pickup. Breakfast Cantina has an online ordering system that is a breeze to navigate. Simply log onto their site at breakfastcatina. com and the system will guide you toward your own breakfast

nirvana.

Shepler said the online ordering system has been working out great since he opened the doors at the eatery on Dec. 9.

“The public seemed to pick it up extremely quickly,” he said.

“The minute we showed we had it, we started getting flooded with orders. We couldn’t be happier with it.”

Shepler said he’s even seen an influx of customers phoning in their orders from the drive-thru line at Starbucks next door.

“We get people calling and ordering while they’re in line at Starbucks,” he said. “They go through the line, order the food, grab their coffee and then grab their food on the way out, and they have coffee and breakfast ready to go.”

Shepler’s chef experience comes from working at a variety of restaurants in Coeur d’Alene, including high-end steakhouses,

The pork carnitas tacos at Breakfast Cantina.

Courtesy photo. seafood restaurants, brunch places and French-style bistros.

“Most of my background is either working for chefs in the area or trial and error,” he said.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate to work with some talented people … it’s allowed me to have a little versatility in my portfolio. I’ve learned from everyone I’ve spent time with in the restaurants.

Every day you have something new to learn.”

Breakfast Cantina is open Wednesday-Sunday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

It is located at 477100 Hwy. 95 Suite C in Ponderay (next to the Starbucks). Call 208-597-7073 for more information, or view and order from its online menu at breakfastcantina.com.

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events

January 28 - February 4, 2021

THURSDAY, January 28 FriDAY, January 29 Winter Food Distribution event 11am-1pm @ Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church In partnership with 2nd Harvest of Spokane, this winter emergency food distribution event will be held in the church parking lot - rain, snow or shine. Enter through Lincoln Ave. side of the parking lot and exit onto Pine St. No documentation necessary. 208-263-7516

FSPW Round Lake Stewardship Hike @ Round Lake State Park Led by Friends of Scotchman’s Peak Wilderness volunteers. Visit the FSPW Winter Hike page to sign up Live Music w/ Okay Honey 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Spokane’s premier brewery and winery band featuring a folk-inspired duo

SATURDAY, January 30 Live Music w/ Kevin Gardner 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Of Spokane-based band Spare Parts performing solo at the Winery Banff Mountain Film Festival (virtual) Tickets available @ mountainfever.us This year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival is available to stream online, with two programs available with 8-9 films each.

Programs cost $15/each or $28 for a bundle of both. mountainfever.us for tickets

Wild and Scenic Film Festival 6:30-8:30pm @ online Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness present a virtual outdoor recretaional film festival. Win outdoor gear and speak with local artists like Erik Daarstad. FSPW is partnering with Utara Brewing to offer ticket and dinner bundles for the night.

Tickets are limited and available to buy online: scotchmanpeaks.org

COMMUNITY

YMCA launches free RESET challenge

Designed for whole health and available to all in the community

By Reader Staff

Who doesn’t want a reset to begin 2021 off stronger and healthier? The YMCA of the Inland Northwest invites everyone in the community to participate in the Free Reset Challenge to be active 150 minutes each week for six weeks — Feb. 1-March 14 — designed to help transform spirit, mind and body.

All activities can be done in your home or in the community (as allowed

by COVID-19 restrictions). Participants will receive free links to YMCA Live and On-Demand virtual fitness classes, exclusive virtual content for healthy living taught by nationally recognized coaches and inspirational stories to stay motivated.

“Now, more than ever before, we need to recharge and refocus,” said

YMCA of the Inland Northwest President and CEO Alan Lesher. “The COVID-19 pandemic has worn us down and isolated us in so many ways. This challenge provides an opportunity for individuals and families to get active and healthier. It’s the perfect time to take back our lives, reenergize, achieve goals, and feel better and stronger.”

Opt-in by texting RESET to 866-9396227. Challenge begins Feb 1. Three texts a week will be filled with workouts, motivation, challenges and more.

Everyone in the community is invited to participate wherever you are. YMCA membership is not required to participate.

The YMCA will provide inspirational motivational tools to set the foundation for healthy habits. Visit ymcainw.org/ reset-challenge to learn more.

SunDAY, January 31

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am Bingo Night at the Winery 6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Free to play, with limited occupancy/ seating. Fun prizes, great food and wine

Piano Sunday w/ Athena Robinson 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Bingo at the Winery 6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Free to play with limited seating. Prizes!

monDAY, February 1

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Outdoor Experience Monday Night Group Run – All levels welcome 6pm @ Outdoor Experience

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Angels Among Us: Stories of Miraculous Encounters”

Come Valentines with Us With all that feel-good hormone release...

What a great way to celebrate as a couple

...aaaahhmazing!

REJUVENATE AT NORTH IDAHO’S PREMIER DAY SPA Mention this ad for $10 off any massage or spa treatment when you book in February? Spots go fast so book now!

Book Online or call (208) 263-3211 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

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Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm

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Closed Sunday & Monday | Groups Welcome

MUSIC

Historic fire station doors to be opened with help of Idaho Heritage Trust Grant

By Kathi Samuels Reader Contributor

The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint has been awarded a $10,000 matching grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust for the first phase of work to restore and open the historic fire station doors at 110 Main St. in downtown Sandpoint.

The 100-year-old iconic building became the permanent home for the school in 2019, and includes a vision to renovate and create a Center for Arts & Culture in downtown Sandpoint — stimulating access to arts and culture in the most participatory way possible.

After months of lockdowns and community limitations, MCS cannot wait to open these doors — not just a little bit, but all the way.

The instant that MCS has the capacity to swing the doors wide open, the community will be invited to participate in a daily myriad of musical and artistic musings.

Local art is already on display courtesy of fellow project partner and tenant the Pend Oreille Arts Council. Once entering the open-air gallery, or when passing by, visitors will have the pleasure of listening to orchestra rehearsals, sit in on theater performances or perhaps catch a glimpse of a student practicing on a concert-quality Bosendorfer piano.

Music and art are meant to be shared.

Idaho Heritage Trust matching grants are awarded annually through requests coming from all over Idaho with an emphasis on smaller communities. The Conservatory hopes this initial gift will spark similar generosity from other potential partners. Already, Avista Foundation and the Ida-

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert

READ

A friend recently gifted me a copy of The Ted Trueblood Hunting Treasury — a collection of stories from legendary Idahoan outdoorsman Ted Trueblood, who served as editor of Field and Stream from 1941 to 1982. I can’t believe that I haven’t delved into his work until now. As someone who loves writing about hunting and the heritage and lessons that come with it, it appears I should have been studying under Ted all along.

LISTEN

ho Forest Group have stepped forward to join the effort. MCS also acknowledged the design expertise of Kris Contor at Architecture 311.5 and Nikki Luttmann from Seven Bee Interiors.

For more information and to learn how to get involved with the Center for Arts & Culture project at MCS, stop by the MCS office for a tour or call 208-265-4444.

Rendering courtesy of Kris Contor/Architecture 311.5

Kathi Samuels serves as president of the board for the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint.

Many are touting English singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone as “one to watch” in 2021, and I absolutely agree. The 21-yearold’s debut EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, sounds sure-footed and raw — the stuff of far more established artists. Humberstone leans on her clean vocals to carry the emotional weight of her songs, creating a dark pop sound free of fluff. Check out tracks “Drop Dead” and “Deep End.”

WATCH

Where relevant cultural history and unbearable teenage awkwardness collide, there is Derry Girls. The Netflix original, which tells the story of a group of teenage friends navigating everyday life during the political conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1990s, dropped its second season in late 2020. While I’m no expert on The Troubles, I am certainly an expert in what it’s like to comeof-age as a female adolescent, and Derry Girls nailed that second part with startling and hilarious accuracy.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

On snobberies From Northern Idaho News, Jan. 28, 1908

POLICE OFFICERS MAKE A RAID ON AN OPIUM JOINT Saturday afternoon Officers Traue and Walker obtained information which led them to believe there was an opium den existing in the city. As a consequence they made preparations for a “haul” and went to an old shanty near the Northern Pacific track on the lake where, upon forcing an entrance, they found a couple of bunks with a man in each.

The occupants of the shack had evidently made all preparations for “hitting the pipe” as they had their paraphernalia strewn out on a chair which was sitting in front of the bunk. Upon entering the officers immediately took in the situation. Officer Walker taking charge of the outfit before the “dreamers” had an opportunity to hide any of it. The officers commanded the fellows to get up and dress, and in a dazed condition they obeyed. They were taken to the city jail, where they remained until Monday morning at which time they were brought before Police Judge Costello.

One gave the name of Harry Sinclair and pleaded guilty to the charge of violating city ordinance No. 72, which prohibits the use of opium. A fine of $10 and costs was imposed by the judge, amounting in all to $15.

The other gave the name of George Newton and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was however convicted and fined $20 and costs, in all $26.50. Being unable to pay the fine they were taken to the county jail to serve out their sentences 22 /

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By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff In a previous life I was a newly married 27-year-old — with no kids — living in a gorgeous brick-and-hardwood apartment on Ninth Street in Boise. The apartment was a little too gorgeous, located a block or two behind the Idaho Capitol, thus my wife and I were broke after a few months, having blown through what was left of our wedding money after a two-month European honeymoon.

While my wife attended grad school and worked at a mid-range clothing store for professional women, I spent most of my days — only changing out of my bathrobe a few minutes before she returned home — laying around reading books, drawing political cartoons for the Sandpoint Reader v.

1, and watching the same handful of DVD’s over and over again. I also spent a lot of time sipping gas station wine and simply assuming that I’d land some high-profile, well-paid writing gig… somewhere.

It was a pretty low-wattage existence, though I seem to remember thinking that I was having a lot of fun. Eventually, however, it was necessary to hang up the bathrobe and actually expend the energy to seek that awesome gig. Despite my efforts, I wasn’t hired by any of the newspapers or magazines to which I applied.

In the summer of 2007, the closest I was able to get to a writing job was working at a bookstore on Main Street in downtown Boise. That bookstore is long gone, but I still remember it with some fondness, especially after recently finishing the limited Netflix series Pretend it’s a City, featuring rambling conversations with legendary New York raconteur and writer Fran Lebowitz and iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

As the show makes clear, Lebowitz is

STR8TS Solution

Did you buy Twilight in 2007?

Don’t feel bad about it

a zealous reader and collector of books — she has more than 10,000 volumes in her own much-more-gorgeous apartment in the Big City. A committed luddite, Lebowitz revels in the discernment and discovery of brick-and-mortar bookshops, now severely endangered by online retailers, ebooks and, to a degree, the podcast craze.

I agree wholeheartedly with Lebowitz, though perhaps “discernment” is too light a word — she is a self-described “snob,” though as a righteous snob, looks down on lesser “snobberies,” like those revolving around wealth and status. Rather, her snobberies are human, in that they have more to do with attitudes and philosophies, and a big one (which I share) is whether or not people read books.

During my stint as a bookstore employee, I sold a lot of Twilight novels — they were all the rage, but I noticed a distinct trend, in that they were being purchased almost entirely by white ladies of a certain clear upper-middle economic, social and age demographic.

They also all purchased these books in the same way: entering the shop with a swift, confident stride, then quietly slipping into the YA section after a flashy show of thumbing through titles by writers like Nora Ephron, Toni Morrison and Joyce Carol Oates. After a few minutes, these patrons would furtively arrive at the register and slide Twilight across the counter to me, oftentimes cover down, and apropos of nothing assure me, “It’s for my daughter.”

“Great,” I’d say, ringing up the book, which I remember was extremely expensive when it first came out.

“She loves these silly kinds of things, but at least she’s reading,” they’d respond, apparently not satisfied that I believed them.

“Yeah, we sell a lot of these,” I’d say.

“Would you like a paper bag?”

They always took the bag, folded it over

and invariably shoved it in their purse or some other form of baggage before a final worried glance my way and a clipped, silent exit.

Was I being a snob? Maybe a little (OK, a lot), but hey, at least they were reading and for that I now see they had nothing to be ashamed of. As Lebowitz points out, there’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure — just pleasure — and as we grind through this almost year-long pandemic, we could all use more of that.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution

When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

ad hockery

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/ad -HOK-uh-ree/

[noun] 1. reliance on temporary solutions rather than on consistent, long-term plans.

“Because of its reliance on ad hockery fixes instead of permanent solutions, the company folden just two years after its initial public offering.”

Corrections: Hooray, we made our first typo of 2021. On last week’s cover, we had written the date as “2020” when it obviously was supposed to read “2021.” Trust me, we don’t want anyone to go through that year again, so apologies on all fronts for this gaffe. – BO

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Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Test versions 6. Type of sword 10. Send forth 14. Big 15. A crumbling earthy deposit 16. Solitary 17. Large body of water 18. Colored part of an eye 19. Historical periods 20. A peninsula 22. Camber 23. What’s happening 24. Infections of the eye 25. Behold, in old Rome 29. One who lures 31. Polecat (archaic) 33. Neck artery 37. Wander and feed 38. Farm fecal matter 39. Peculiar 41. Unit of sound intensity 42. Whole number 44. Carryall 45. Scrawny one 48. Step 50. Not this 51. Daughter of a step-parent 56. Hindu princess 57. Prompts 58. 3-banded armadillo 59. Therefore

Solution on page 22 60. Skin disease 61. Fluid 62. Small songbird 63. A musical pause 64. Affirmatives

DOWN 1. Coalition 2. Every single one 3. Tall woody plant 4. Food thickener 5. Feel 6. Distinguished 7. A father or mother

8. A person who disputes 9. If not 10. Powered by electricity 11. Type of eel 12. Absurd 13. Exams 21. Overindulge 24. A pinnacle of ice 25. F F F F 26. Henhouse 27. Medical breakthrough 28. Gauntness 30. Photo devices 32. Senescent

34. Brass instrument 35. Angers 36. Expunge 40. An informal term for money 41. Sunken 43. Putting surfaces 45. Scatter 46. Small trout-like fish 47. Cooktop 49. Personal journal 51. Stigma 52. Disgorge 53. Bronzes 54. Sea eagle 55. Beams

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