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(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

Women around the world are marching for women’s rights on Saturday. Will you be attending the rally and march in Sandpoint at noon at the middle school?

“Yes, I am going because women’s issues of inequality of wages, sexual harassment in the workplace and the preservation of birth control options are all important.

People are now listening — a relatively new phenomenon.”

DEAR READERS, Believe it or not, the primary election is only 16 short weeks away. To help better inform you, we are starting an ongoing election profile next week which will run through the primary election in May. We’ll focus on each office, from the governor’s seat to the State Senate and House, to county commissioner races, with profiles and analyses on each candidate.

The goal of this ongoing series is to help you, the voters, better understand the candidates’ positions on issues that affect Idaho.

In other news, the Women’s March II is scheduled to take place in Sandpoint (as well as around the country) on Saturday, Jan. 20. There will be a rally at Sandpoint Middle School with keynote speaker Rep. Paulette Jordan, who is also the Democratic candidate for governor of Idaho. The rally will be followed by a march. Hope to see you there!

-Ben Olson, Publisher

Lynda Gillham Retired Sagle

HOURS: 3pm to close Mon. through Sat.

LIVE MUSIC Saturday, Jan. 20 @ 8-10pm

Scott Reid

Americana Bluegrass at its best!

“I won’t be able to, but I think it’s a good cause. I am too ‘slushed’ in.”

Karen Walthall Retired North of Sandpoint

LIVE MUSIC Third Fridays w/

DEVON WADE 6:30-9:30pm Cornhole Tournament

First Toss - 1pm

KEVIN DORIN presents

Sandpoint’s Original Music Showcase 6-9pm

“I didn’t even hear about it until you just said it, so yes, I totally will go.”

Brittany McDonald Works at Zany Zebra Ponderay

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Taylor Jodi@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Emily Erickson, Brenden Bobby, Diane Wheeler, Kate McAlister, Suzen Fiskin, Tim Henney, Marcia Pilgeram, Brian Baxter, Drake the Dog

Vanessa Velez Librarian Sandpoint

Bethany Cherry Works at Zany Zebra Sagle

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

Contributing Artists: Sandii Mellen (cover) Ben Olson, Phil Hough, Carey Chisholm, Susan Drinkard.

“I have to work Saturday here at the library, but I would be there if I didn’t.”

“I have to work, otherwise I would.”

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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.

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About the Cover

This week’s cover photograph was taken at the tippy top of Scotchman Peak by Sandii Mellen as a group of snowshoers made their way to the summit. Great photo, Sandii!

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A Fear-Based Movement...

Dear Editor, This is a response to Bill Harp’s article titled Why the Redoubt?, which is the final chapter of the Sandpoint Reader’s excellent American Redoubt Series.

Nowhere in Harp’s article was fear mentioned as a motivation for the Redoubt movement. I see fear as the primary motivation for those of the Redoubt.

Several places in the article fear as a motivation is alluded to, e.g., “…larger population densities, environmental concerns, calamitous events, chaos, social unrest, crime” but the word fear was never used.

No one wants to think they are motivated by fear, but the Redoubters clearly are and I see them as fear mongers.

Should there be a “calamitous event” as the Redoubters fear, it is my suspicion that they will not help those who don’t share their values or have not prepared for self-sufficiency as they have. Their reason will be their own first and there is no room for outsiders.

They will circle the wagons and not embrace the Christian value of helping the less fortunate. Their mantra will be: “I prepared, why didn’t you?”

Switching gears, I agree with Ben Olson that “Dunkirk” is a great film.

What was left out of the film is that the Germans had air superiority and could have easily slaughtered all those on the beach, so why didn’t they? What is known is that Hitler ordered his military not to attack but to let them go.

If you liked “Dunkirk” I highly recommend Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit.”

Both films have a similar feel and the same matter of fact style. “Detroit” is about the 1967 riots and the murder and torture of three young black men by the Detroit police. I see “Detroit” as a far more important film than “Dunkirk” as it addresses issues that are happening to this day.

Lee Santa Sandpoint

Response to Mr. Bearly...

Dear Editor, I literally yelped in pain (as if someone punched me in the gut) when I read Tim Bearly’s line in his “The False Profit Motive” that read “Individualism will fail whenever there is money involved.

We need a collectivist approach when it comes to the health of our planet.”

This is completely, 100-percent false, and this vile rhetoric is doing the opposite of what he imagines. Allow me to explain why this preposterous statement is false and why collectivism is actually the reason for all the environmental problems we face.

The reason large crony corporate interests are allowed to pollute so much is because of things like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, which are enforced via government (collectivist) violence, not individuals protecting their 4 /

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property rights. Before these acts were passed externalities — for example a smelter tainting Newport’s water supply — were settled via tort in the same way trespassing cases were.

So, if HiTech’s smelter taints my water, I sue them directly, as an individual, and they have to reimburse me or fix the problem. This gets them to internalize their externalities. The very people who polluted the most lobbied for the “Clean Water Act” because they said it was too restrictive on industries and the economy could not grow via the tort system of respecting private property. These evil acts allowed caps on the amounts of pollution, “reasonable amounts”, yet stripped the power of individuals who are actually affected by these externalities. Imagine if HiTech or whoever else owned not only the land, but also a stake in the water quality and air in the region. They would be much more inclined to care for it because if they ever needed to sell it one day, a polluted watershed would be for much less profit.

Collectivism, AKA, “Our collective mother nature” is precisely what allows companies to use the collectivist’s dream institution (government) to enforce their preferences for pumping pollution into the environment at no cost. These companies are putting tons of money into politician’s hands to get this special treatment that allow them to never pay for any of the pollution they create.

Collectivism is the cause for environmental problems, and private property and profits are the cure.

Thanks, Anthony Capricio Sandpoint

County is Misleading about Scotchman Vote...

Dear Editor, I listened to the Jan. 10 KRFY morning program, during which they hosted county commissioner Dan McDonald.

The bulk of the discussion was about the Bonner County Natural Resource Plan, to which I listened with interest, but when the discussion moved to the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, I was somewhat alarmed at the mis-information given by Commissioner McDonald.

Considering the commissioners just voted to place the wilderness proposal on the ballot in May, and in light of how many years this proposal has been under discussion, I assumed that Commissioner McDonald would have done his homework before being interviewed on the radio. (I really would have hoped he had done the necessary research on this before proposing a ballot vote, as this costs tax payers money and everyone time).

The most egregious remark made by the commissioner was regarding the number of people allowed on the trail at

one time. His statement was: there is a limit to 12 heartbeats on the trail at a time (and by heartbeat he is including dogs). He went on to say, so if it takes on average four to five hours to hike the trail, then “only 12 people can literally use it in a day.” This is blatantly incorrect.

Nowhere in this wilderness proposal is there any limit to the number of people that can be on the trail at one time.

It is true that in any wilderness there are possible restrictions on the size of the party that can start as a cohesive group (usually between 8-12 heart beats, and in some places livestock are included as heart beats, and sometimes dogs are considered livestock) but there can be any number of groups hiking the trail at the same time.

I find it frustrating that one of the heads of our county does not seem to care enough to gather accurate information on what now has been deemed a critical issue for our county (critical enough to warrant a ballot), and I hope he re-evaluates some of his statements and issues a correction.

Celeste Grace Sandpoint

Regarding Oprah Winfrey for President...

Dear Editor, Ben, I am writing with regard to your “Barb” last week in the Reader.

First, let me make myself clear. I am NOT advocating Oprah run for President of the United States. However, I believe you need to think this through before making such a strong statement against her running based on the fact that she is a celebrity who is rich and famous.

There have been many Presidents and Vice Presidents who were, in my opinion, less qualified than Oprah. As far as I know there is no school which educates an individual to become President of the United States.

The true facts are that Oprah came from poverty. She rose above that. She had two strikes against her in this patriarchal society. She was a woman and she was black. She pulled herself up, educated herself, worked diligently and built an empire using her intellect. Should she ever determine that she might run for President, I would have to take a serious look at her.

She is smart. She is goal driven.

She understands many of the problems that this nation is facing and has faced for many years. Who is to say that she hasn’t studied international relations?

Who is to say, she wouldn’t understand trade agreements, Medicare or social issues? I am concerned there is a bias here which you did not recognize. Hope this helps.

Marlene Petersen Sandpoint

Get a Life...

Dear Editor, Local gadfly Daniel R. has mounted his paranoid, conspiracy-seeking hobbyhorse again, this time accusing local notables of being socialists/communists.

Apparently afraid of libel, he even declined to fully name Mindy Cameron, Jane Fritz, Bob Wynhausen, Chris Bessler and Dylan Benefield. I could spend a good portion of my morning extolling the achievements and accomplishments of these folks, but the people who know them are already aware of them, including the many teachers and students who have benefited from PAFE’s grants.

As near as I can tell, Daniel R.’s major activities are viewing hate news websites, harassing the LPOSD with a constant meaningless request for documents, denying climate change and not plowing a neighbor’s driveway because of her political beliefs. Perhaps he should consider getting a life.

Ted Wert Sagle

Me Too...

Dear Editor, What was so shocking about my own “me too” story is that I thought I was unique. I was a badass tomboy, hardly victim material, so I thought I was immune to rape.

I was a student firefighter living in a fire station at the time. When one of the five guys I lived with slipped a drug into my soda, I was no badass. I felt like I was paralyzed as he tore off my clothing and climbed aboard, through my slurring and repeated “No, no, no.”

Sixteen years later and I am nearly whole, though I did struggle over a decade with terror, paranoia and nightmares.

It is awesome that women aren’t as silenced or shamed, but my heart goes out to people like Garrison Keillor.

Grabbing a woman “by the pussy” is a lot different than touching a woman on the back, so distinctions ought to be made. How many men have I “sexually harassed” by touching their backs?

Thanks to Rachel Castor for her article (12/7) on this delicate subject, and thank you, Reader, for consistently sticking up for the underdog.

Jodi Rawson Sandpoint

Why Does Idaho Pay For Healthcare Twice...?

Dear Editor, Idahoans pay federal taxes that go to other states to help fund their Medicaid expansion programs. Then we pay taxes a second time to fund a program called CHCP. According to the

Idaho Press Tribune, “Last year, the Idaho Legislature approved a request for $18 million for the Catastrophic Health Care Program (CHCP) — the program that meets the needs of the medically indigent in Idaho, according to a report on the Idaho Legislature’s website.”

CHCP has requested another $18 million for the 2018 fiscal year, according to the same report.

If you want to stop paying taxes twice and would like your federal tax dollars to stay here in Idaho to help your friends and neighbors get healthcare, please sign the petition to put Medicaid Expansion on the November ballot.

You can sign the petition at Women’s Healthcare — 1215 Michigan St., Ste. C — or Panhandle Art Glass — 514 Pine St. Find out more about how you can help at www.MedicaidforIdaho.org.

Thank you from the 78,000 Idahoans who desperately need medical care.

Lee Christensen Sandpoint

Proposed Changes to Bonner Co. Planning and Zoning Code...

Dear Editor, Do you want an industrial plant near your rural home? No? Then read this: Bonner County zoning codes are currently up for changes without the usual opportunities for citizen input.

Under currently proposed revisions, industrial plants would be permitted in many county zones, potentially including yours. Protection of private property will be weakened.

The Bonner County website says, “The Bonner County Planning Department is committed to protecting property rights and enhancing property values through conscientious land-use planning.” The County Commission appears determined to change that.

In the past, citizens were offered many opportunities to contribute to changes such as these. The County held evening workshops in many locations, published progress reports, and tried hard to keep you informed and include your ideas.

Zoning for industrial uses is only one of many changes underway. Today’s Commission may be doing the legal minimum to notify the public of their activities, but they are trying to ram this through quickly without your knowledge and without incorporating your ideas.

If elected Bonner County Commissioner in November, I will transparently conduct public business. Today’s commission is doing the opposite.

Call the commissioners at 208-2651438. Ask for a copy of the proposed changes and demand an open process!

Steve Lockwood Sandpoint

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Who wants to play... ‘Dating as a Millennial?’

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist You’re sitting in the hot seat, sweat beading in your palms.

The audience is looming over you and the heat of the light beams feels heavy on your face.

Regis’ million dollar question is still ringing in your ears, “Millennial, how will you find your life partner?”

You stare at the screen before you. The tick of the time clock grows louder with each passing second, but you will yourself to hone in on your illuminated options. Okay.

A) Meet your soulmate the oh-so-romantic, old-fashioned way: reaching for the same memoir at a bookstore, exchanging smiles at a brewery while discussing the elements of a perfectly-crafted porter, or accidentally touching towels while wiping off the sweat you splattered on the floor of your kickboxing class.

B) Scan every known social media site (except Myspace, obviously) in search of someone within semi-reasonable proximity who appears to be a perfect match and proceed to “like” just the right amount of content to appear interested, yet not creepy.

C) Create an amazing dating profile on (insert name of any contemporary dating app or site) and prepare to navigate a tumultuous sea of right and left swipes, cryptic messages, creepy replies, commitment phobes, casual sex-driven freaks, and the possibility of discovering a good match for you (if they manage to hold a conversation outside of text, that is).

D) Go ahead and rescue another dog because everlasting love doesn’t exist. Just look at your parents. And your friends’ parents. And the news. And the statistics.

Emily Erickson.

When considering your options, you rely on a mixture of personal experience, social theory and logic.

You contemplate answer A, knowing meeting your partner out of happenstance seems to be obvious. Of course, the ideal way to meet the love of your life is, naturally, through a grand collision of circumstance and fate.

This is the way it has been done since the beginning of love-driven matchmaking and what your Netflix rom-com roundup demonstrates time and again.

But in games like these, the obvious answer is usually flawed.

You know that as a Millennial, you put off settling down and having kids longer than previous generations. You feel increasingly unprepared for such steps due to educational and occupational pursuits and hurdles, as well as greater debt and cost of living.

But despite your unpreparedness, you still feel the pressure of your impending time clock.

In addition to Grandma’s snide remarks about not being so picky and proposing already (she’s educated and fertile, after all), Millennials all experience a poignant transition in their social media newsfeeds, with the photos of their peers and friends donning red solo cups and sharpie face

art flashing into engagements, weddings and babies… so many babies, seemingly overnight.

The continuous bombardment of “Save the Dates,” and daily exposure to ever changing last names drives you to forgo the slow game of answer A, and forge on down the list. We live in a world of immediate gratification, after all.

When considering answers B and C, the social media site scanning and dating profile options, a prominent Social Psychologist, Barry Schwartz, comes to mind. In 2000, Schwartz proposed the “tyranny of freedom” theory: the notion that too many options, or absolute freedom of choice, can be debilitating rather than liberating.

After the introduction of social media and online dating, the necessity for proximity was virtually eliminated when seeking a life partner. Previously, you’d find your match within relatively limited social circles, whether it be your hometown, college, workplace or church group. The pool from which you were drawing was much smaller than the world of choices we have today.

As Schwartz proposed, this bounty and ease of access to unlimited options generates both unrealistic ideals as well as a general feeling of being overwhelmed. Tiny flaws in potential partners that previously would be considered minor shortcomings become deal breakers, as there is always the prospect someone else, someone better, just a swipe away.

Suffocated by all of the options, the supposed compatibility that doesn’t come to fruition, and a perpetual “grass could be greener” complex, you continue on to consider answer D. Maybe the concept of ever-

lasting love is something we’ve created and romanticized, but isn’t actually attainable for most people, if at all.

According to “The Science of Happily Ever After” author Ty Tashiro, Ph.D., Millennials grew up watching nearly 50 percent of the marriages in their parents’ generation end in divorce, with another 10 percent being permanently separated and 7 percent remaining together but unhappy.

So, Millennials grew up understanding that marriage is a one-in-three wager of half of your worldly possessions that you and your partner can beat the odds and find life-long happiness.

Brushing aside the likelihood

that D is probably the most logical answer, you reevaluate all of your options because, despite the statistics, you are an optimist, like the rest of your generation.

There are certainly worse odds than one in three.

The tick of the clock bangs on your eardrums, and Regis asks for a final time, “Millennial, how will you find your life partner?”

Is it too late to phone a friend?

Emily Erickson is a freelance writer and bartender originally from Wisconsin, with a degree in sociology and an affinity for playing in the mountains.

Retroactive

By BO

please... we are not human.

Stop dressing us in these ridiculous outfits.

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COMMUNITY

STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT Bouquets: • I want to recognize my amazing staff for a moment. Editor Cameron Rasmusson has been with me the moment I decided to bring this weekly back from the dead. His integrity as a journalist is only matched by his ability to turn a phrase. I appreciate having Cameron tackle the news page every week, as well as his larger features that are always insightful and well-researched.

Staff writer Lyndsie Kiebert interned for us in the summer of 2016, and we liked her so much, we hired her immediately after she graduated from University of Idaho. Lyndsie has become a savvy journalist and has taken an immense weight off my shoulders by joining our editorial staff. I am so thankful to have her energy and her professional abilities in the Reader.

Jodi Taylor has been our ad director since the summer of 2016. I knew right away that she would be a great fit for the job, and I wasn’t disappointed.

I appreciate Jodi’s gentle confidence.

She is such an important part of the team – without her, we wouldn’t be able to keep the lights on around here.

There are dozens of others who help make the Reader what it is every week. I thank them all, as well as you, our dear readers, for picking us up each and every week.

Barbs • The Bonner County Board of Commissioners hit a foul ball last week when they sought to put a Scotchman’s Peak wilderness designation vote on the 2018 primary ballot. It is a well-known fact that, after the Idaho GOP closed their primaries to only party members, Republicans vote in much higher numbers than independents and Democrats. In the May 2016 primary, 5,728 Republicans voted compared to 885 Democrats. In the May 2014 primary, 5,141 Republicans voted to 681 Democrats. The overall voter turnout for primaries – which hovers around 30 percent – is usually quite a bit lower than in the general elections. In the 2012 general election, 74 percent of eligible voters turned out, while 2014 saw 57 percent and 2016 saw 80 percent. If the Commissioners were interested in a fair, representative vote, they would call for it on the general ballot instead of wasting our time and money putting it on the primary. Commissioner Dan McDonald? Are you reading this?

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Joseph and Jennifer Price pose with William Joseph Price, the first baby born at Bonner General Health in 2018 and William’s big sister Evelyn.

William was born on Jan. 8, 2018 at 6:53 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20” long.

Jennifer said, “We had an amazing experience having our baby at Bonner General Health. The doctors were great, and they followed our birth plan. There were birthing options available at Bonner General that we weren’t aware of, we added some to our birth plan and that made our experience even better.”

Courtesy Photo.

Women Honoring Women hosting sip ‘n shop

By Reader Staff

Looking to unwind after the holidays and reconnect with friends? Come by Pend d’Oreille Winery on Thursday, Jan.18, from 4-7 p.m. and enjoy wine, shopping and visiting with friends while also giving back to the community.

Women Honoring Women is hosting a Sip ‘n’ Shop that will benefit its scholarship program for graduating seniors and a continuing post secondary scholarship.

“Scholarship donations are always accepted,” said Women Honoring Women’s President Kari Sacccomanno, who adds that the group has awarded a total of 37 scholarships since 2002. Women Honoring Women recognizes, on an annual basis, “Women of Wisdom” — women 65 years of age and older who have given back to the community in various ways through volunteer efforts. The organization also does its share of supporting young women through the scholarship program.

According to committee member Marlene Rorke, they receive approximately 40 to 50 scholarship applications each year, including those for continu-

ing college students. “Application forms can be picked up at the Sandpoint High School counselors’ office for all Bonner County high schools,” said Rorke.

There are six criteria considered when awarding scholarships — leadership, inspiration, love of learning, vision/collaboration, community service and grace, courage and integrity — the same criteria that the committee looks to when choosing the Women of Wisdom.

“We use the same rubric and score sheet,” said committee member Jeralyn Mire. “We do have some lively discussions, and it is often very hard to chose.”

For many students, the scholarships received can make the difference in deciding not only which college to attend, but in some cases whether or not they will actually pursue post-secondary education.

Lauren Sfeir is one of the recipients of the Women Honoring Women scholarships. Lauren said she is grateful for the award.

“I will make sure that your decision will not go to waste and hope to represent Sandpoint in my undergraduate studies,” wrote Lauren in a thank you note to the committee.

She also shared that the Women Honoring Women organization has motivated her to want to serve her community even more and hopes to be remembered one day as someone who left a mark on the world, just as many of the Women of Wisdom have done.

Mark your calendars as you won’t want to miss this great opportunity to connect with friends, do some shopping and give back to the youth in our community.

The Sip ‘n Shop will take place at Pend d’Oreille Winery from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, with a portion of the proceeds

SHS graduating senior, Lauren Sfeir, addresses the Women of Wisdom Gala Luncheon attendees in May 2017, thanking them for her scholarship. Courtesy photo.

going to the Women Honoring Women scholarship fund.

Mixed-Bag Ballroom dancing offered

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Have you ever wanted to learn ballroom dancing but never had the time? Now’s your chance.

Sandpoint Parks and Recreation is offering Mixed-Bag Ballroom dancing sessions the first and third Thursday of the month from February through May, 2018. The classes will be held at the Sandpoint Community Hall from 6-7 p.m. Fees are $10 per month per person, with

a minimum of four participants needed for each session.

Classes will vote on two or three dances to practice and learn that evening. The on-site coordinator will be available to suggest, demonstrate and teach new and unique skills. Styles include ballroom, Latin and country-western dances.

Pre-register for by Jan. 26 to start the first class on Feb. 1 at www.SandpointIdaho.gov/parksrecreation, or call (208) 2633613 for more information.

FEATURE

RINO: A new species of voter

Closed Idaho GOP primaries bring to light not the elephants or donkeys of the state, but the RINOs

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer Long-time Hope resident Mark Heisel is a registered Republican.

While he holds economic and social beliefs that may traditionally fall on the bluer end of the spectrum, he contends that at this phase in his life — 73 years old — he is an independent.

Some might say Heisel is a RINO (Republican In Name Only). Heisel would say he’s a realist.

“I don’t think my (political beliefs) have changed, but I guess I’m more of a realist as far as how to make my vote count,” he said.

And like many people who register Republican for the sake of voting in the Idaho GOP’s closed primaries, Heisel doesn’t advertise his status as a RINO — until now. He is one of an unknown number of registered Republicans in the state of Idaho who probably wouldn’t have registered red had the GOP not closed their primary in 2012.

When he and several others were asked to be interviewed for this story, Heisel was the only one to come forward.

“There were some discussions among certain people who do what I do who didn’t want to ‘come out of the closet,’ so to speak,” he said. “To me, it’s a subtle attempt at voter suppression.”

While Heisel would love to vote for a strong Democratic candidate in a general election or primary for that matter, he said he finds his vote will matter more if he helps elect a moder-

ate Republican in the primaries.

This decision made even more sense, Heisel said, as he saw the Idaho GOP lean further and further right in the last few years.

“If you’ve got a state with a majority of people who would never vote for a Democrat, then you need some Republicans who are moderate who can get elected,” he said.

But is it the place of a non-Republican to choose those candidates? That’s the question that accompanies these closed primaries, and according to an Oct. 2017 statement from Idaho GOP Chair Jonathan Parker, the answer is certainly no.

“We believe that when the Idaho Republican Party is given the opportunity to nominate candidates chosen by Republicans, our nominees will be able to effectively lead our State into the future to make Idaho ‘the shining city on the hill,’” he wrote. “I welcome all

individuals to affiliated with the Republican Party who share our common-held beliefs in limited government, personal responsibility, lower taxes, and additional freedoms; however, we just ask that Democrats and independents not expect to choose our candidates for us.”

Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, said in an email that she agrees wholeheartedly with Parker, saying that he “perfectly expressed the feelings of actual Republicans in Idaho.”

Scott has seen herself at the center of the RINO issue, particularly in October 2016 when she sent out a campaign email that encouraged her supporters to identify registered Republicans with non-GOP signs in their lawns.

“If you see Democrat signs go up in your neighborhood, please write down a house number and street name,” the email, published on idahodems.org, reads. “We are trying to figure

out which ‘Republicans’ may really be Democrats in disguise on the voter logs.”

And voters like Heisel aren’t the only ones being called RINOs. Republican politicians are under the fire of the label, too.

District 1 Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, knows all too well.

“I guess my perception is that people who don’t agree with my votes on one bill or another have chosen to use ‘RINO’ as a derogatory label because in their view I somehow am not following the letter of their interpretation of the State Republican Party Platform or their interpretation of our State and Federal Constitutions and laws,” she wrote in an email. “In all of my legislative work, I read the legislation, listen to the voters and residents in our district — regardless of party affiliation — use common sense and vote accordingly on the bill that is in front of me at the time.”

Keough, who will not run for reelection this year, said she only sees the label as a way to shame people away from participating in the political process, including voting.

“I believe the use of the RINO label, or any label really, is nothing more than childish name calling and does nothing to elevate or encourage civil solution-oriented discussions about the issues of the day,” she said.

While registering Republican without necessarily holding conservative views is certainly a moral issue for some, University of Idaho professor of politics and public administration Brian El-

lison said what RINO voters are doing is not out of the ordinary.

“From an academic perspective, people should be free to join the party they choose,” he said. “It’s perfectly appropriate for a liberal to register as a Republican and hope to move the party toward the center.”

From an academic standpoint, Ellison said, the RINO label is essentially meaningless.

“It’s a concept that conservatives use to try to intimidate less conservative members of their party,” he said. “Anyone who calls out a ‘false’ Republican voter is playing a game that (is) significantly different from a concern for genuine governance or the health of the country, state, county or town.”

In the end, Heisel said, it comes down to the difficulty people are finding in having relationships with people who don’t agree with them.

“I have friends who don’t share the same views as I do, but to quote my father, ‘A man’s religion and politics are his own business.’ And that doesn’t mean that you’re walking around in your own little cloud,” Heisel said. “What that means is you have to get by in this world with the people that are here.”

But even with all the rationalization and realism Heisel uses to justify his Republican registration, he knows there will be people who think what he’s doing is wrong.

“You talk about somebody gaming the system — I’m not the one that’s gaming the system,” Heisel said.

Energy Optimization / Footprint Reduction Residential - Commercial - Industrial

Design20FIRST.com

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NEWS

Rhodes breaks silence County hears comments on Nat’l Resource Plan amid police investigations

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer

The Natural Resource Plan will live to see another set of revisions after Wednesday night’s public hearing. This was the last public hearing regarding the NRP, which was authored by the Bonner County Natural Resource Committee.

The meeting began with a public comment period, which lasted over an hour. A discussion between the commissioners and the Natural Resource committee followed, after which the commissioners decided to spend the next month polishing the document prior to an adoption vote at an upcoming business meeting.

Dan Rose spoke in favor of the plan, noting that “elections have consequences” and because conservative commissioners are currently elected, the resulting plan is also conservative leaning.

Still, he emphasized the document’s value to both sides of the aisle.

“This plan allows even liberal people to use it,” Rose said.

“We all gain by having this plan approved.”

The plan is useful because it is meant to use the Federal Coordination Clause to guarantee Bonner County a seat at the table with state and federal bodies look to work with the area’s natural resources, according to District One Republican Chairman and Senate candidate Danielle Ahrens. Ahrens spoke in favor of the NRP. “This document is applicable and supports both sides, so we

By Cameron Rasmusson and Ben Olson Reader Staff

An estimated crowd of 50 people listen to Bonner County Commissioners discuss the Natural Resource Plan. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. can have a voice,” she said.

Herb Weins, who has attended most of the NRC committee meetings over the last four years, expressed his support for the plan and reminded the crowd they had opportunities to be involved prior to the final public meeting.

Idaho Department of Lands representative Tom Fleer expressed a neutral position on the NRP and thanked the committee for changes they’d worked on together between the last two drafts, but reminded the committee changes still needed to be made honoring pre-existing endowment land policies.

More than 20 people made statements opposing the adaptation of the NRP. Susan Drumheller, who has actively opposed the plan through continued correspondence with the commissioners, said she sees the plan as a political statement.

“Some people here are saying this plan gives us all a voice,”

she said. “If this gives us a voice, it’s not my voice.”

Brad Smith with Idaho Conservation League said he wondered to what degree the county would be bound to the policies in the plan when coordinating.

“We understand there are no teeth in (the plan),” Commissioner Glen Bailey said. “But we would hope (state and federal agencies) would consider this plan.”

Karen Sjoquist, who said she works for the Idaho Department of Lands but attended the meeting as a private citizen stating her own views, said she sees the plan as a waste of time and money.

“This is a document in which the county is setting goals and objectives for state and federal lands,” she said.

Women’s March II planned for Sat.

By Reader Staff

One year after the historic 2016 Women’s March, the community is gathering to commemorate its anniversary.

The North Idaho Women’s March II, a non-partisan event that aims to harness the power of women in the community to create positive social change, 8 /

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and encourage women to run for political office, begins at noon Saturday, Jan. 20, at Sandpoint Middle School, 310 N. Division St. Rally keynote speaker State Rep. Paulette Jordan has publicly announced her decision to run for governor. There will be opportunities for women and men to take action on issues of education,

health care and human rights. The march follows the rally. Bring friends, bring signs ... and yes, men are included! Sponsored by the non-partisan North Idaho Women’s March Committee. For more information, e-mail bec3holland@gmail.com.

New revelations about Scott Rhodes, the person of interest in a racist propaganda campaign investigation, continue to pile up.

According to research by Southern Poverty Law Center, Rhodes was revealed to go by the alternative name Scott Platek and has records of residence in Eugene, Ore., and San Francisco, Rohnert Park and Los Angeles, Calif. Under the name Scott Platek, Rhodes had several federal and state liens lodged against him in California. Combined, the liens total over $24,000. SPLC found no evidence of a criminal record.

An anonymous caller to the Sandpoint Reader who identified as a relative of Rhodes said the name Platek is the surname of Rhodes’ adoptive family.

Rhodes broke his silence last week for the first time since the Sandpoint Reader broke the story of his investigation by police in both Sandpoint and Alexandria, Va. He told the Spokesman-Review the stories were hit pieces by local media and “extreme leftists” targeting him for his opposition to refugee resettlement.

“There has been an outrageous attempt by two small town papers to mislead readers to infer that I have something to do with actual crimes,” he wrote in an email to the Spokesman-Review. “Further, a single phone call to a public office holder, if truly made from my shared offices as alleged, is not a crime if the content was as they describe.”

Rhodes also told the Spokesman-Review he was considering a lawsuit against the Sandpoint Reader and the Bonner County Daily Bee. Rhodes completed a Foreign Registration Statement with the Idaho Secretary of State in May, 2016 for an LLC named American Discovery Publishing. According to the Idaho Secretary of State, the business license was administratively canceled in Aug. 2017 for failure to file an annual report.

Rhodes continues to occupy an office suite at a business complex on Division St. in Sandpoint.

A still frame showing Scott Rhodes from a video obtained by the Sandpoint Reader through a public records request from the City of Sandpoint.

Sandpoint police investigated Rhodes for his possible connection to the distribution of racist fliers, which has been ongoing in town for more than a year. He is also a person of interest in targeted campaigns against local Bonner County Human Rights Task Force members, journalists, business owners and politicians. He was banned last year from setting foot on Lake Pend Oreille School District property after dozens of CDs containing racist propaganda were placed on cars in the parking lot.

Rhodes is also under investigation in Alexandria, Va., following a series of harassing phone calls made to the city’s mayor and several council members.

“It’s an ongoing investigation and I’ve been advised not to comment any further,” said Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg when reached by the Reader. “The city of Alexandria is a city of kindness and compassion and we’re a city that’s not only tolerant but rather embracing and accepting where diversity is a value. We denounce bigotry and hatred in all forms.

These are core values of our beloved historic city.”

“Bonner County residents, including the youth, have shown over and over that they will not tolerate racist, bigoted or anti-Semitic actions and materials,” wrote Bonner County Human Rights Task Force president Lynn Bridges in a prepared statement. “Not in our town, not in our state.”

NEWS

Exploratory drilling proposed near Lake Pend Oreille

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment on a pair of exploratory drilling holes proposed by Pend Oreille Silica, Inc. Proposed for the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille on Green Mountain, the company aims to drill two holes of about 100 feet deep and six inches in diameter to a maximum allowance of 200 feet, according to U.S. Forest Service Minerals and Geology Program Manager Kevin Knesek.

The drilling is an exploratory effort to determine the level of silica within the property, an objective that has created some public confusion.

“I’m not so sure people un-

derstand this is not a prequel to a mine in any way,” Knesek said.

Knesek said the drilling is primarily meant to gather silica reserve data, an essential step in ascertaining the true value of the property. The ultimate objective could be anything from putting together a mining proposal to selling off the property.

“There’s some evidence to suggest that the reason they’re doing this … is for the sake of selling it,” Knesek said.

According to a property listing on Colliers International, the 640-acre property has an additional 1,700 acres mapped and ready for staking and claiming, with a total potential claim area of 2,340 acres. Within this claim area is an estimated 21 million tons of high-quality silica, the listing states.

It’s too early to reflect on the nature of the public comments U.S. Forest Service is receiving about the proposal, Knesek said.

However, the staff has seen a variety of opinions, both positive and negative.

“In general we’ve heard from folks that are saying, ‘We don’t want to see this,’” he said.

“Others are saying, ‘Thumbs up, let’s go.’”

The U.S. Forest Service may follow the first comment period with a second, he added, which will take place after information from the first has been compiled.

To comment on the project, email comments-northern-idpanhandle-sandpoint@fs.fed.us .

According to an email sent out by Lake Pend Oreille Alliance, the deadline to comment is Jan. 19.

A map of the proposed exploratory drilling. Courtesy Google Maps.

Syth, Luttmann to step down as city department heads

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff The city of Sandpoint is losing two department heads in the coming weeks.

City Treasurer Shannon Syth is fast approaching her retirement date of Jan. 31 following a long career managing the city’s finances. Meanwhile, Public Works Director Ryan Luttmann is moving on from his post to pursue a career in the private sector on Feb. 2.

An open house to celebrate Syth’s more than 15 years with the city is set for 3-5 p.m. Jan. 31, and the public is invited to extend their well wishes. The open house will also feature a formal presentation from Mayor Shelby Rognstad. As she moves into retirement, Syth looks forward to many adventures on the road in her RV. “Shannon has been a great leader for the city keeping us safe and protected from our own doings,” Rognstad said. “You

Sandpoint Public Works Director Ryan Luttmann. Courtesy photo.

City Treasurer Shannon Syth.

Photo courtesy Facebook.

provide so much wisdom and guidance and have done so much to not just protect our interests financially but also always seeking opportunities for us to save our taxpayer dollars and always have a vision for the future.”

Luttmann will join Century West Engineering, which is expanding its business and planning to open an office in Sandpoint. Luttmann replaced Kody

Van Dyk as Sandpoint public works director after he retired, officially taking on the job in February 2016.

‘I am very thankful for the professional and personal development opportunities that the city provided me during the last two years,” Luttmann said. “I have enjoyed working with the city, and I appreciate the support I have received from the Public

Works staff as we have completed a wide variety of projects during my tenure.”

According to Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton, Luttmann leaves the city with several high-profile projects under his belt.

“Certainly the two-way reversion implementation, Phase I downtown revitalization plan and Schweitzer Cutoff Bridge and roundabout come to mind,” Stapleton said. “He’s also successfully kicked off our wastewater facility planning effort which our consultants, JUB Engineering, will update council on next month. He has been a strong supporter of the City Council and mayor’s strategic priorities to improve our community outreach and citizen engagement efforts.”

Stapleton added that the city staff and administrators are working with newly-hired Human Resources Director and Risk Manager Nicole Goes to review current job descriptions

and organization structure. A new position should be posted by next week.

“All of us at the city wish Ryan and his family the best in his new endeavor and look forward to a continued positive working relationship into the future,” said Rognstad.

Luttmann is excited to tackle the new challenges and opportunities he’ll encounter in the private sector.

“Century West is thrilled to have Mr. Luttmann join our team,” said Century West Executive Vice President Dennis Fuller. “He will be located in our Sandpoint office and will be integral to serving municipalities and airports in the North Idaho region. Mr. Luttmann’s past experience, his knowledge of the region’s needs and challenges and his relationships in the area will allow Century West to better serve the region.”

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Mad about Science:

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist A certain event regarding American and Japanese relations happened in the news recently, and I can tell you, it certainly didn’t paint Americans in the best light.

I sure can’t fix the problem, but I can help contribute to the solution. I want to focus on one of the most identifiable landmarks of Japan, and tell you why it’s so awesome.

To further honor Fujisan and the country it calls home, I’ll be breaking with custom and presenting measurements in metric followed by imperial, along with a change to the date layout that might hit an American eye a little oddly. Fair warning!

Let’s get started!

Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, and an active volcano. It stands at 3775.86 meters (12,388 feet) and is 100 kilometers (60mi) southwest of Tokyo.

I’ll put that into a perspective unique to the Pacific Northwest. Mount Rainier is 4392.47 meters (14,411 feet) tall and 86 kilometers (54mi) south of Seattle. If you’ve ever been to Seattle and seen The Mountain, you can only imagine how Mount Fuji must dominate the horizon in Tokyo, too.

Fujiyama is an active volcano, though it doesn’t seem to be in any real risk of erupting.

Its last documented eruption was from Dec. 16, 1707, to Jan. 1, 1708. Kabuki theatre, an elaborate form of singing and dancing stage drama, was at the height of its popularity at the time of the eruption. Ukiyo-e, 10 /

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Brought to you by:

mount fuji

the woodblock art that basically defines Western interpretation of Japanese culture was growing in popularity at this time, too. Japan was also ruled by a shogunate at this time (the shogun was basically a dictator, whose authority supersedes the Emperor… sort of. It was intentionally confusing).

This particular eruption was powerful but not particularly destructive. It ranked a 5 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, putting it on par with Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Pompeii had the unfortunate flaw of being built right under the exploding mountain, so that probably explains the fact that you don’t often hear the two compared.

Nevertheless, the eruption of Mount Fuji was pretty impressive. Historians of the time documented several centimeters of cinders and ash coating the entirely of Edo (which would be renamed Tokyo in 1868) like snow.

Mount Fuji holds the title of being the most-climbed mountain in the world. Over 200,000 people reach the summit every year, each taking one of four trails to the top. This is an especially impressive number given the climbing season is only two months. Outside of July and August, the weather becomes too inhospitable for people to climb.

The ascent to Fuji’s peaks (there are eight in the crater, with the highest being the highest point in Japan) is not a walk in the park. When taking the most popular route, Yoshidaguchi, the ascent can take between eight and 12 hours.

Keep in mind, you still have to get down!

Art has tried to capture the mountain’s beauty for centuries. Sometimes, Fujiyama has had a funny way of hiding in plain sight without us even realizing it was there.

Look at “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Hokusai in 1832.

This is perhaps one of the most prolific prints to ever come out of Japan. Everyone knows that wave. Did you notice Mount Fuji sitting in the direct center, dwarfed, yet unflinching before the fury of nature?

I bet you also didn’t know that Atari uses a stylized Mount Fuji as its logo. Kinda’ looks like an “A” doesn’t it?

If travel is on your mind and Mount Fuji is on your bucket list, I have a pleading, groveling request for you. If you’re planning on visiting another country, please do your research about the customs and culture. Try to learn at least very basic terms for travel.

“Where is the bathroom?”

“How do I find my train?”

“Thank you for your hospitality!” And so on. We have a multitude of books at the library on subjects relevant to travel, language and foreign customs.

We live in a tourist town, so we should know better than anyone how bad it makes us feel when someone visiting treats us and our area like garbage.

Everyone gets lost sometimes when traveling, and no one has ever had a perfect vacation. It’s okay to admit that you’re confused and need help.

It’s okay to make mistakes or slip up on some customs. This

is why just about every language in the world has a word for: “I’m sorry” (it’s gomen or gomen-nasai in Japanese, in case you were curious).

What is never OK is openly mocking a culture you’re visiting, treating language barriers as the fault of another person’s intelligence or exploiting a person’s hospitality for the sake of profiteering.

When traveling, we are visitors in someone else’s home.

What we do sets an example and a standard for others after us.

Let’s be the best ambassadors we can be; with a little effort, a lot of humility and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, let’s set that bar so high no one can reach it to pull it down.

If you’re ever in doubt, just take a page from Fujisan’s book: Be patient, stoic, unflinching, and even The Great Wave of Kanagawa won’t be able to move you.

Random Corner n?

Don’t know much about japa We can help!

• In Japanese, the name “Japan” is Nihon or Nippon, which means “Land of the Rising Sun.” • Japan has the third longest life expectancy in the world with men living to 81 years old and women living to almost 88 years old.

• Japan consists of over 6,800 islands.

• Japan has more than 3,000 McDonald’s restaurants, the largest number in any country outside the U.S. • Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s film “The Hidden Fortress” was the basis for George Lucas’ famous film “Star Wars.”

• Sushi has been around since about the second century A.D. It started as a way to preserve fish in China and eventually made its way to Japan.

The method of eating raw fish and rice began in the early 17th century.

Sushi does not mean raw fish in Japanese. It actually means rice seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and salt. Raw fish sliced and served alone without rice is called sashimi.

• Japanese Kobe beef is famous worldwide for its succulence and taste.

The Japanese cows this beef comes from receive daily massages and, in summer, are fed a diet of saké and beer mash.

• Japan has around 5.5 million vending machines with one on almost every street corner. There are vending machines that sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, wine, condoms, comic books, hot dogs, light bulbs, bags of rice, toilet paper, umbrellas, fish bait, fresh eggs, porn magazines, and even used women’s underwear.

• Yaeba, or crooked teeth, are considered attractive in Japan—so much so that girls go to the dentist to have their teeth purposefully unstraightened.

POINT / COUNTERPOINT

the follies

A unique and vital annual fundraiser or a moral blight on the community?

Editor’s note: We received an op-ed submission critical about the annual Follies variety show from Diane Wheeler and decided to invite Angels Over Sandpoint president Kate McAlister to submit an op-ed of her own in support of the fundraiser. Have an opinion on this topic? Write to us at letters@sandpointreader.com.

The folly of it all

Helping those in need is the real event

By Diane Wheeler Reader Contributor

By Kate McAlister Reader Contributor

Our culture has entered a stunning paradigm shift. If you told me a year ago that bad behavior behind closed doors would actually be punished, I’d never have believed it. But here we are, and while we are here, I believe it is time to examine what happens behind closed doors in our own community.

The most notable example of this is an event that takes place every winter in our community theater. For several evenings, grown-ups have the opportunity to meld a little political satire with much vulgarity. The followers of Bacchus from far away are welcomed with open arms, while the dignified members of the community are discouraged from attending. No wonder, not everyone wants to see their neighbors prancing across the community stage in their underwear, let alone be confronted by one of the main participants who said, “She would dance naked in the street if it would help to feed the poor.”

Every year, local businesses are hit up for support. In the past, teens from the local high school were recruited to display their talents at the beginning of the show, but were carefully whisked away before the real fun began. Last year adult tryouts were held at the local Forrest Bird Charter School. Sadly,

In 1997, when long-time Sandpoint resident Kathy Pelland died tragically at the hands of an oncoming drunk driver on the Long Bridge, a group of friends, the original Rude Girls, formed the Angels Over Sandpoint (AOS) to carry on her giving spirit. We are now 70 hardworking individuals strong and continue to raise money to give back to the citizens of Bonner County.

AOS have raised over $1.5 million and contributed money and time to neighbors in need. We give away approximately $120,000 each year countywide. The organization’s overhead is less than 1 percent, (national average is 20 - 37 percent). This means every dollar donated goes directly to programs, scholarships and our neighbors in need.

Our biggest annual fundraiser is The Follies, the first weekend of March.

This one event supports the bulk of the good work we do year-round. Tickets are sold out within the first two weeks after release. We specifically market “the Follies are not for everyone.” Only those 21 and older can purchase a ticket, and the ads say “raunchy, ridiculous and risqué.” The show is not a secret.

Some say regarding the Follies, “The end does not justify the means.” In my opinion it does. The means are justified when a victim of domestic violence has a safe place to go; when 800 kids in our county get a new backpack filled with school supplies; when veterans get much needed dental care; when individuals starting over get a grant to move their lives forward; when local high school students get a scholarship to pursue their dreams; when families need help getting to and from medical appointments outside of Sandpoint, and for those in our county who have fallen on hard times and just need a little help.

Individuals ages 25-90 perform in the show, from both Bonner and

Diane Wheeler.

some attendees of local churches have had a hand in the folly themselves.

The most clever part of this folly is that it is all done for the children’s sake.

Really? Neglected, abused and poor children desperately need assistance, but they could also use better modeling from the adults in the community. Since there are plenty of ways to fundraise without behaving badly, I appeal to the better Angels of Bonner County to pull down the curtain on this event. And as we turn away from this folly, I pray that the next charitable enterprise will edify our culture. Thank you for listening!

Diane Wheeler is a Bonner County resident.

Kate McAlister.

Boundary counties. The attendees are as diverse as the performers and everyone has a good time. Every performer also buys a ticket to the show.

An unintended consequence is the Follies have a positive economic impact. The Follies has a large following outside of Sandpoint, from as far as Seattle and Chicago. Visitors fill hotels, shop and eat at restaurants.

This is freedom of choice at its finest. No one is forced to go and only ages 21 and older can attend. We check IDs, give out wristbands, have security and even provide free rides home.

I am proud to be part of the Angels, and I am proud to be part of the Follies.

If we can do this funny little show, let people laugh, have a good time and in the end significantly help those in need, then the show must go on.

“Live, laugh, lighten the load” is our vision statement, and the Follies fall within these words. If this event is offensive to you, please understand the choice is yours to not purchase a ticket.

Helping those in need is the real event, and that is what Angels do best.

Kate McAlister is the president of Angels Over Sandpoint, a nonprofit organization that presents the annual Follies variety show.

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More than a store, a Super store!

MONDAY-FRIDAY 8AM-8PM • SATURDAY 8AM-6PM • SUNDAY 10AM-6PM

All of your pharmacy needs •We can text you when your refills are ready to pick up •5 minutes or less wait time •Strep and flu testing within the pharmacy...

Only 5-10 minutes!

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Live Music w/ Truck Mills 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Truck is a master of the blues guitar

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Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Girls Pint Out 7pm @ Panida Theater 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool Chicks! Great Beer! No Dudes! Come out for one of the coolest weekends of Join Vicki at the big table fro an evening the year! Each of the three nights has a different film. Advanced tickets $16, or $19 at the tasting and talking about Winter Beer door if any are left!

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Ron Keiper Jazz Friday dining music w/ Tom D’Orazi 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 5:30pm @ The Farmhouse and Silo Bar A master of the jazz saxophone Tom is a great talent to listen to on the guitar Live Music w/ John Firshi Live Music w/ Josh Hedlund 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Firshi plays a variety of awesome tunes 6-8pm @ Cedar Street Bridge Wine Bar Josh is one of the most talented singer-songLive Music w/ Brian Jacobs writers to come out of Sandpoint... ever 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

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Live Music w/ Oak Street Connection 6-8pm @ Cedar Street Bridge Wine Bar A fun duo with a variety of great tunes Live Music w/ Ben and Cadie 9pm @ 219 Lounge Ben and Cadie of Harold’s IGA will play a duo show at the Niner with B-sides and originals they don’t normally cover as a band Live Music w/ Scott Reid 6-8pm @ Back Door Bar Americana and bluegrass at its best Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Live M 6:30-9 Celeb

Live M 9pm Blueg

North Idaho Women’s March II 12pm @ Sandpoint Middle School All are invited to the North Idaho Women’s March II, a non-partisan event that will harness the power of women in our community to create positive social change, and encourage women to run for political office.

Rally keynote speaker State Rep. Paulette Jordan has publicly announced her decision to run for governor. There will be opportunities for women and men to take action on issues of education, health care, and human rights. March to follow the rally bec3holland@gmail.com for info

K @ T t T 8 a 4 m a

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Restaura Lifetree Cafe is an hour of stories and conv sation to feed your soul

Night-Out Karaoke Tuesday Backgammon Tournament 9pm @ 219 Lounge 5pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Join DJ Pat for a night The tournament takes place every of singing, or just come Tuesday with beer specials and prizes to drink and listen

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

L 8 D g o

“Evolution and the Global Women’s March” 10am @ Gardenia Center A presentation by Suzen Fiskin, columnist for the Reader

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Wind Down Wednesday 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge With live music by blues man Truck Mills. Relax together with friends and colleagues at the end of the day

f

Trivia Night 7-9pm @ MickDuff’s Resta The weekly trivia night at M is a popular choice for Tuesd Grab a seat early, they go fa

Live Music w/ Reese Warren 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Reese is one hell of a guitar player

Bike Movie 6pm @ Grea Happening e the bike sho with bikes in

Five Alarm Funk in concert 8pm @ The Hive A Vancouver-based band eight men strong and over a decade deep into a career that has seen five acclaimed albums and burning up stages across the country on six national tours. $15 in advance and $18 at the door

Crafterno 2pm @ Sa Enjoy free lantern cr info, conta

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January 18-25, 2018

A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.

Reader recommended

Fit and Fall Proof 11am-12pm @ Cedar Hills Church A free fitness program is designed for older adults to improve flexibility, mobility, balance and strength Alzheimer’s Support Group 1-2pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Families, caregivers and friends of those with Alzheimer’s, dementia and any related Live Music w/ Devon Wade disorder are welcome to attend Clark Fork Crafternoon 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 3pm @ Clark Fork Library Celebrate Third Fridays with some country music!

Enjoy free family fun and make a Live Music w/ Muffy and the Riff Hangers craft to take home 9pm - 12am @ 219 Lounge Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Bluegrass, blues, newgrass, swing and country 7pm @ Panida Theater Live Music w/ Joseph Hein Band 8-11pm @ 219 Lounge Dreamy harmonious sounds with an energetic uptempo rhythm influenced by songs of yesteryear’s AM country and R&B gold

men’s ll harmunind enoffice. aulette cision portuion on human c3hol-

Kaleidoscope Volunteer Training Workshop @ Sandpoint High School Art Building Taught by Pend Oreille Arts Council’s Artistic Director and Sandpoint High School’s Art Teacher, Heather Guthrie. Class times are: 8-10:15 a.m. (3rd Grade Volunteers), 10:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (4th Grade Volunteers), 1:304:15 p.m. (5th & 6th Grade Volunteers). For more info, attendees can email: kaleidoscope. art.education@gmail.com Sandpoint’s Original Music Showcase 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Hosted by Kevin Dorin, All are welcome to come out and enjoy a night of all-local talent, playing original music. Free!

Reader

s Restaurant and conver-

•Custom Jewelry •Repairs

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 7pm @ Panida Theater Come for the awesome films, stay for the popcorn and cold beer. Different films every night! Sponsored by Mountain Fever Cornhole Tournament 1pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall First toss at 1 p.m. Cost is $20/team, $10/person. Cash and prizes. 208-209-6700 to sign up

NFL football playoffs • 1:30-4:30pm @ 219 Lounge Bob Witte of KPND and the 219 will be hosting the NFL NFC and AFC conference championship games featuring Patriots vs. the Jaguars at 12:05 p.m. and the Vikings vs. the Eagles at 3:40 p.m. Tons of prizes to give away, drink specials, food by Edelwagen Food Truck out back.

Geezer Forum 2:30-4pm @ Columbia Bank uff’s Restaurant free forum hosted by Paul Graves night at MickDuff’s A Intro to 3D Printing for Adults e for Tuesday night. 5pm @ Sandpoint Library they go fast!

Learn about and design your own 3D printable object

ke Movie Night m @ Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair ppening every Wednesday in January, bike shop will be showing movies th bikes in them! BYOB. Free!

Fine Jewellers & Goldsmiths

Cedar St. Bridge Public Market 10am-2pm @ Cedar St. Bridge Come enjoy indoor shopping on the bridge spanning Sand Creek

Open Mic 5-8pm @ SKåL Taproom Musicians and comedians welcome! Open mic is held every Wednesday

Jan. 26 Mayor’s Roundtable @ 8 a.m.

Cedar St. Bistro

Jan. 26 Dodgy Mountain Men @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Jan. 26-27 “De ath of a Intro to CNC Plasma Cutter & Design Crafternoon: Winter Luminaries Small Town in 6-9pm @ MakerPoint Studio 2pm @ Sandpoint Library Enjoy free family fun with an artistic Learn a basic understanding of how to the West” play @ lantern craft to take home. For more run the CNC plasma and how to design Panida Theater info, contact Suzanne at 208-263-6930 projects on the machine. 263-3613

Thursday Ladies Night $1.00 off all drinks Unique selection of Excellent Wines Local Beers On Tap

Yummy Tapas Menu

Wine $ Cheese Sampling Wine & cheese sampling Saturdays 12-3p.m. p.m.

Saturdays 12-3 Open 5 p.m. - Closing Thurs. - Sat.

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7Bistro:

Unique international cuisine

Peter Hicks stands before the new location for 7Bistro in Ponderay. Courtesy photo.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Peter Hicks opened a one-day-a-week take-away restaurant called Curry in a Hurry a couple years back. Though tucked in a back alley and operating out of a shared commercial kitchen space, the eatery defied all odds. Word of mouth quickly established it as one of Sandpoint’s best kept secrets.

“I’ve never really been that good at advertising, so we relied a lot on word of mouth,” said Hicks.

Hicks said he learned to cook Indian food out of necessity.

“I was touring there with my Indian fusion band, Aradhna, and no one in the band could cook at all,” he said. “So we asked our Indian friends if we could spend an afternoon cooking a few of their favorite dishes with them.

We did that in four or five different homes and learned how to cook some incredible vegetarian dishes, but better than that, it ushered me in to the family of Indian food.”

Last summer, however, after Curry in a Hurry successfully debuted a food booth at the Festival at Sandpoint, Hicks suffered a setback when the shared kitchen space sold.

“I knew it was coming, but it was sad to go out of business, especially after our success at the Festival,” said Hicks.

Hicks began formulating a plan to revive the curry eatery, while also offering other world cuisines. He met with Mandy Evans, executive director of the Panhandle Animal Shelter, and started construction on a 37-foot truck trailer which will set up permanent camp outside the shelter to establish a new food court mecca in Ponderay. The trailer has been completed and is ready to open for business.

The ultimate goal is to offer a revolving choice of international cuisines, which will operate on specific days of the week out of the shared space. Picture a food co-op, where each 14 /

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restaurant shares costs and space, and each day you can enjoy a different world cuisine.

“I’m really excited about the cooperative aspect,” said Hicks. “If we can pool resources, we can make this happen.”

Hicks is actively seeking restaurateurs to join forces with 7Bistro to offer food options every day of the week.

“We’re looking for uniqueness and quality,” he said. “Unique international cuisine. I’ll work with people to get them established. Right now I’m talking to someone interested in doing Mediterranean food, which I hope goes through.”

Until other restaurants join 7Bistro, Curry in a Hurry will be open five days a week to get to know the kitchen and space. The old iteration of Curry in a Hurry offered food on Monday evenings, which most customers pre-ordered online and picked up after work.

7Bistro will join two other food trucks – Tacos Tacos and Preferred Pastries – which Hicks said will help cement the Animal Shelter area as a Ponderay food court.

Curry in a Hurry will be open starting Monday-Friday, Jan. 22-26 for dinner takeout with the same favorite dishes, plus some new entrees. The hours will also be similar to before, with pre-orders taken the day before and the eatery open from 4-6:30 p.m. for pickup. Walk-in orders are also welcome.

This week’s menu features chicken tikka masala, saag aloo (spinach and potato), coconut chicken curry and Dal. “I like to think of this as a business incubator of sorts,” he said. “Come in and try something for six months to a year. It could launch into opening your own place, you never know.”

7Bistro will be available in the parking lot of the Panhandle Animal Shelter on Kootenai Cut-Off Road in Ponderay. For info, check www.sandpointcurry.com or email info@sandpointcurry.com.

PERSPECTIVES

It’s Time

By Suzen Fiskin Reader Contributor

This article is inspired by the second Global Women’s March this Saturday, Jan. 20, here in Sandpoint and around the world.

Last year I covered the first march for the Reader from Los Angeles, the day after the presidential inauguration.

I crisscrossed the streets of downtown LA with over 750,000 other people. It was heartening that at least a third of them were men. There was a tapestry of humanity — every size, shape, age, ability level, creed and color enjoying our rally, united in our desire for equality and social justice for all.

There was a sense of joy in the crowd that was infectious. There were tweens with tats, octogenarians, jugglers, boomers, millennials, rappers, clowns on unicycles, kids and dogs in matching costumes, wheelchair Romeos and surfers. Only in LA! It was an amazing experience.

Over 4 MILLION people participated in the marches across the globe that day without a single arrest anywhere. Amazing.

Last week, I watched the Golden Globe Awards with a Mona Lisa smile on my face seeing the sea of female celebrities, all clad in black, showing their solidarity to end gender inequality, harassment and sexual predation. Many male and female glitterati wore black and white “Time’s Up” pins to make their commitment known to all.

While the entertainment industry is leading the way towards righting the wrongs and rebalancing gender bias, the darkness being exposed exists in every sector of life.

It is in businesses of every size, schools and universities, places of worship, families, government, and beyond. This hunger for truth needs to infiltrate all walks of life for the benefit of us all.

It will take some new and expanded ways of thinking to get past our past. Gender bias is even built into our language. It’s been part of the fabric of our culture from its inception. It’s in our Declaration of Independence where “All men are created equal.” The people of the world form man-kind. And a man would never want to do anything “like a girl.” The examples are endless. One need only explore his-story to catch a clue.

News flash: Merriam-Webster’s dictionary has declared “feminism” to be its word of the year for 2017! This is from the unparalleled spike in searches for the word’s meaning prompted by the viral growth of

the #MeToo movement.

Simply put, feminism is the belief that men and women are entitled to equal rights personally, professionally, economically, and every other way. That’s it: equal rights.

The word fell out of favor in the ‘70s when some folks in the media, in their efforts to squash the women’s movement, linked feminism to the word “radical.” Kind of silly, really. Radical equality. One well-known guy created his own slur of “femi-nazis,” as if a woman craving fairness is an evil destroyer. #MeToo is removing the barriers that women have had on the path of equality for eons. Finally there is a listening for the words that have longed to see the light of day. “Times Up” is another meme to say that it’s time for a tsunami of truth. This truth will set us ALL free.

The age of modern feminism is upon us.

It’s not just women, it’s also the men who have had enough of soul sucking competition, fear and separation. It’s about people joined in a shared voice that speaks of collaboration, social justice, and personal freedom. Who amongst us doesn’t want world peace? It’s a call to restore balance with ourselves, one another, and our environment.

With this in mind, I invite you to join us for the Global Women’s March in Sandpoint at noon this Saturday, Jan. 20. It starts with a rally at the Sandpoint Middle School, 310 S. Division St., and the march will follow the rally.

The organizing group’s description of the event is: “A non-partisan event to harness the power of women in the community to create positive social change, and to encourage women to run for political office. Rally keynote speaker, State Rep. Paulette Jordan, has publicly announced her decision to run for governor. Also includes opportunities for women and men to take action on issues of education, health care, human rights.”

So, yes, I’m a feminist, and I hope you are too because it’s time to stand united. It’s time to raise our voices and take an active role in shaping our community. It’s time for equal opportunity and rights for all. It’s time to come together and create a better world. It’s time.

Suzen Fiskin is a professional speaker, happiness coach, and the author of the book “Playboy Mansion Memoirs: from the Sexual Revolution to Personal Evolution.” She helps people open their hearts and minds while they rewire their brains to be happier humans. suzenfiskin@yahoo.com.

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COMMUNITY

When You’re Smiling

By Tim Henney Reader Contributor The sun was out in Sandpoint when I wrote in a recent Reader about locals who go about their days with a smile.

I paired them with tunes from a library of treasured vinyl albums. Now it’s snowy and gray, yet our sidewalks, stores and offices remain populated with happy people.

In a trip about town, few grumpsters are encountered. Those who are may just have piles. Or, unless they are among Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell’s fellow economic elites, they might anticipate higher income taxes.

An infrequent frown is understandable.

My 1957 bride thinks cooking sucks.

And my aged chef’s shoulders grow weary from hoisting heavy cast iron skillets required in our kitchen. So we eat out a lot.

Part one of this piece about optimistic people started, appropriately, at the Pine Street Bakery. Now part two begins with a Saturday night dinner at Thai Nigiri. Our favorite face at this marvelous downtown eatery is that of sushi/sashimi chef Vincent.

Vince is Thai. When we approach the sushi bar he bows his head slightly, palms pressed together and beams.

It’s called waiing, and we know we’re welcome.

What cheerful vinyl fits Vince? How about the Carole King or James Taylor delivery of “You’ve Got A Friend.”

“Winter, spring, summer, fall / all you have to do is call / and I’ll be there / you’ve got a friend.”

A jivey old tune by Louie Jordan and his Tympany Five, “Saturday Night Fish Fry,” also comes to mind: “You don’t have to pay the usual admission if you’re a cook or a waiter or a good musician.” But wait. Sushi is raw, not fried. Scratch that one.

It’s 9 p.m. and time to go next door to the 219 Lounge. Tonight we are hosting house guests who wonder what’s going on as we walk past.

A large, effusive greeter who looks like an NFL tackle opens the door. His name 16 /

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Lindsey Larson, left, of Larson’s Department Store and Vince the sushi chef at Thai Nigiri, right, take a moment from their work to smile at the camera. Photos by Ben Olson.

is Matt. He laughs and asks for IDs (I am the oldest person ever to perform in the annual Sandpoint Follies, and I suspect we are the most ancient couple ever welcomed to the 219). Barging past Matt, this fine old vinyl pops into my head: “In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening, tell ‘em I’ll be there…If there’s something to eat and we’re still on our feet, if I can climb out of bed, put a hat on my head…”

I reach back into the happy past, to Camp O-ongo in the San Bernardino Mountains, for another one: Vive L’Amour. “…a friend on the left and a friend on the right, vive la compagnie… in hearty good fellowship let us unite, vive la compagnie…”

An old Fats Waller number also fits: “Come in, cats, and check your hats, I mean This Joint Is Jumpin’.”

And out jumping them all is cute Cadie, on stage playing everything from drums to uke and belting out vocals to boot. Cadie makes me think of the Ella Fitzgerald epic, “It Don’t Mean A Thing If You Ain’t Got that Swing.” And maybe because of her ongoing glee, she also conjures up this Three Dog Night hit: “Joy To The World, all the boys and

girls, joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea… joy to you and me.”

Next morning I’m back downtown needing a new pair of winter boots.

Lindsey of Larson’s has just the thing and her smile makes me wish I owned stock in the company. Maybe the new boots make me think of 1951 basic training. Whatever the inspiration, this song from “the war to end all wars (1914-1918)” fits Lindsey just fine: “What’s the use of worrying, it never was worthwhile, so Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag And Smile, Smile, Smile.”

Sometimes happy Sandpoint people gather in flocks. The spirited, sociable receptionists at the Family Health Center for instance. They enjoy their jobs so much they make you almost thrilled to be seeing the doctor. “Happy Talk” from the Broadway musical “South Pacific” is perfect for them. Later, when I check into the hospital reception room for a blood profile, an array of genial ladies – Sherry, Wanda, Peggy, Carol and Linny – beckon me to sit a spell. We gab about climate change, oil tankers crossing the lake and health insurance.

Then into the adjoining needle room

Part 2

where smiling Sarah, Becky, Taylor and Robin assure me there are actually more painful, high risk procedures than drawing blood. I pull through, climb back into my car and start humming the Bee Gees’ “You Should be Dancing.”

Heading toward Sew Pro I segue into another melody appropriate to all those vivacious hospital ladies: “Shoo-BeDoo-Be-do-da-day,” by Stevie Wonder.

Owner Jumpee is elsewhere when I drop by to retrieve expanded trousers for an expanded self, but hearty helper Louise, who’s worked there eight years, is no slouch. It’s fun doing business with both. A big band number by Les Brown, vocal by Stumpy Brown, seems fitting: “Look Up, look up, when everything’s looking down…whenever you’re low, let everything go, come out of that gloomy frown.” (High school steady Mary Ashcraft and I jitterbugged to that band, and that song, at the Hollywood Palladium in 1949. That’s why I own the record).

As long as I’m in the neighborhood I pop in to see Jen at Pend Oreille Vision. She sees me enter and starts laughing. What the hell! I tell her my glasses are loose. She says they aren’t.

Even though the show was last March, we giggle about The Follies. Jen led a cheering squad of buddies who stomped and screamed when I bellowed out a vile college song from 1953. Matching Jen with a choice vinyl is a cinch: From the Broadway blockbuster “42nd Street”: “A Sunny Side To Every Situation.” Also, this Peter Paul & Mary classic has Jen written all over it: “If I Had A Hammer … I’d hammer out love between, my brothers and my sisters, all over this land.”

Beginning in 1951 the author edited an Air Force base newspaper in Georgia, a college newspaper in California, and corporate publications in New York before retiring in 1986 as director of public relations of the original AT & T, parent company of the former Bell Telephone System, the world’s largest corporation at that time.

STAGE & SCREEN

‘Death’ comes back to life

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Writer

Ben Olson’s “Death of a Small Town in the West” returns to the Panida stage to remind us all what happens when someone f*cks with Sandpoint

Editor’s Note: This play was written by Ben Olson, who is co-owner and publisher of the Sandpoint Reader. He is shamelessly using this newspaper to promote his play. Shame, shame.

In the nearly eight years since “Death of a Small Town in the West” saw a stage, playwright Ben Olson has grown older, wiser and possibly even more likely to wield a pitchfork if someone poses a serious threat to the unique little town that is Sandpoint.

“The fact of the matter is that people live in Sandpoint, they love the fact that it is Sandpoint,” he said. “It has its own character, and this play speaks to that in a very absurd way.”

“Absurdity” is a word that Olson, director Madeline Elliott and co-writer Chris Herron all use pretty freely to describe the play.

“People should be surprised that they’re laughing at this stuff,” Olson said. “It’s my way of poking fun and poking the hornet’s nest.”

“Death” is the story of a town under threat of extreme change — that town being Sandpoint — as a developer attempts to level the town and rebuild in his own image.

“You really are forcing people to root for domestic terrorism,” Herron said, laughing. “If somebody actually looks at it that way, they could have a weird moral dilemma. Is it the resistance, or is it terror? All it’s missing is space and a princess and it could be ‘Star Wars’.”

While Olson said the upcoming shows will follow the original script pretty closely, there is a fair amount inspired by recent Sandpoint happenings — the two-way streets, for instance, become ammo for comedic use.

Olson said he’s bringing back “Death” because while his creative writing has taken a backseat in recent years, he liked the idea of putting on another play. Elliott and Herron, founders of local production company Unknown Locals, became involved at Olson’s request.

Though Elliott wasn’t around for the first production of “Death,” she said she was excited for the opportunity to work

Some of the cast of Olson’s “Death of a Small Town in the West” working on their lines during rehearsal.

Photo by Ben Olson. on a “Ben Olson play.”

Though Olson noted that certain things have changed in Sandpoint over the last decade, they haven’t changed so much as to make “Death” irrelevant.

“The fact that this play can almost seamlessly be produced 10 years later is a testament to the fact that things don’t change that much, including change,” Olson said.

The cast will feature active local theater figures like Kate McAlister and Eric Bond, as well as many others that Elliott, Herron and Olson are all excited to have involved.

“We’ve ended up with a really dynamic cast,” Elliott said. “They’re bringing a lot to it.”

“Death of a Small Town in the West” will show four nights, Jan. 26 and 27, as well as Feb. 2 and 3. All shows are at 7 p.m. and doors open half an hour before.

Tickets are available at Eve’s Leaves, Eichardt’s and online at www.panida.org ahead of time, or at the door. Advance tickets are $10 while door tickets are $12. Part of the proceeds from “Death” will support the Unknown Locals and the Sandpoint Reader.

Olson said this play is rated R. If you choose to bring children, be prepared for some language and situations that probably aren’t kid-appropriate.

Jan. 18-20 @ 7pm

banff mountain film festival world tour Jan. 26-27 & Feb. 2-3 @ 7pm

“Death of a small town in the west” play

An original play of doom in three acts • written by Ben Olson and Chris Herron, directed by madeline Elliot

Thursday feb. 8 @ 6:30pm

lowest pair in concert and jake robin little athe sultry country folk duo out of Olympia, Washington with Jake robin opening

theater

Saturday feb. 10 @ 8pm

little theater the midnight goats: improvised musical comedy

Wednesday feb. 14 @ 6:30pm

classical guitarist leon atkinson thursday feb. 15 @ 7:30pm randy mcallister

and the scrappiest band in the motherland east texas road house blues and soul

friday feb. 16 @ 8pm

petty fever

a tribute band to tom petty and the heartbreakers

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

Legendary cookies

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist Is there anything more quintessentially American than a chocolate chip cookies? Apple pie, you say?

Nope. The apple pie was around for centuries before we branded it “all-American.”

The original chocolate chip cookie hailed from the Toll House Inn, located in Whitman, Mass., in 1936. The recipe was invented by inn owner and American chef Ruth Graves Wakefield, who was looking to distinguish her butterscotch nut cookie apart from the others by chopping up bits of a Nestlé semisweet chocolate bar and adding to the dough. After the recipe was published in a 1938 cookbook, it became a favorite in all Massachusetts homes. Soon, the entrepreneurial Wakefield entered into a marketing agreement with Nestlé and, in exchange for her recipe on the back of every chocolate bar, she received a lifetime supply of Nestlé chocolate.

By 1941, Nestlé began to manufacture chocolate chips, a modern convenience for the cookie-making housewife.

When WWII broke out, soldiers from Massachusetts who were stationed overseas shared their cookies from home, which became a favorite of all the servicemen. Soon, all the soldiers were posting letters home, asking their mothers or sweethearts for these delicious cookies, filled with chocolate morsels. The craze for these cookies continued long after the war and they still remain an all-American classic.

My mother made them by the dozens, and, in preparation, I remember watching her as she covered the kitchen countertops with newspapers. Once the cookies came out of the oven, she’d deftly slide them off the cookie sheets onto the paper-lined counters. I can’t remember which I loved more, sneaking scraps of the raw 18 /

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dough when she wasn’t looking or grabbing a piping hot cookie to shove in my mouth (guaranteed to burn my tongue) when she was busy with the oven. I might not have been as covert as I thought, as I can still recall her kitchen mantra, “put that back!”

When she was done baking, there were mountains of cookies that she’d carefully stack into Tupperware and place in our freezer. Soon thereafter came the admonishments, “Who’s been in the cookies?” She was no fool, and when we got a new chest freezer, we may have had the only household that actually used the lock and key feature (she also removed the picture tube from the TV when I stayed home sick).

When I started making chocolate chip cookies for my own children, my wise mother passed along this insider tip: “Make them

small, because when you tell them they can take one, they will always take two.” I told you my momma was no fool.

The chocolate chip cookie remains the most popular cookie in the U.S., and you can find one nearly everywhere. There are national chains that sell them freshly baked in malls, and if you’ve ever checked into a Doubletree hotel, you’ll receive a warm, freshly baked cookie along with your room key. You can buy (or sell) buckets of fundraising cookie dough, and if you don’t want to bother with the baking, you can purchase chocolate chip cookies online from a dozen outlets. This treat hasn’t lost any popularity in Massachusetts either, and 20 years ago, to honor their favorite cookie, Massachusetts declared it the Official State Cookie (sadly, we don’t have a state cookie here in Idaho).

There’s even an urban myth about Neiman Marcus’ chocolate chip cookie recipe that has gathered a lot of popularity over the years. The legend claims Newman Marcus charged a customer $250 for the recipe, rather than the $2.50 she had expected. The customer was so incensed at the price, she shared the secret recipe near and far. At the time, Neiman Marcus didn’t even offer a chocolate chip cookie, but soon thereafter their PR department came up with the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, which they were happy to share, gratis.

Besides the Neiman Marcus recipe (calling for half flour/half ground oats), and the traditional Toll House recipe, which has been on the backside of every bag of a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate chips for more than 80 years, today there

are dozens of other variations.

Kicking it up a notch, the popular Cook’s Illustrated recipe calls for browned butter, while the recipe of famous chocolatier Jacques Torres of the New York Times calls for two types of flour (cake and bread) and a 24-hour chilling period.

When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, everyone seems to have a favorite recipe, technique and opinion. So, whether you’re a fan of soft and chewy or thin and crispy, bake up a batch this week-end. It’s a great antidote for the winter blues.

My recipe which yields 16 generous cookies (sorry, Mom) is an adaption of everything I like about other recipes that I’ve tried.

I usually make a double batch and freeze the extra dough so I can bake off a handful as needed. I don’t even have to lock my freezer.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Yes, this recipe does call for melted butter and both baking soda and baking powder. These cookies are crispy outside and soft inside – and delicious!

INGREDIENTS: •Scant 2 cups all-purpose flour (dip and level) •1⁄2 tsp baking soda •1⁄2 tsp baking powder •1⁄2 tsp salt •3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted •1 cup packed brown sugar •1⁄2 cup white sugar •1 tbs vanilla extract •2 tbs hot water •1 egg •1 egg yolk •2 cups semisweet chocolate chips •optional: 1 cup chopped and toasted pecans

DIRECTIONS: •Preheat the oven to 325 degrees •Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

•Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

•In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, hot water, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips (and nuts) by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1⁄4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

•Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven (rotating pans halfway thru), or until the edges are lightly toasted and the centers are soft. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Yields 16 Generous Cookies

16

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OUTDOORS

Friends of Scotchman Peaks 12th winter hike series to begin

Snowshoe hikers pause near Lightning Creek during a FSPW winter hike. (Photo by Phil Hough

By Reader Staff From snowshoe stroll to extreme adventure; the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness winter hikes program has featured both ends of the spectrum and most levels in between over the past dozen years. Once again, this winter promises to be all of that.

“In the past, we’ve had winter hikes for just about every level of fitness,” says FSPW Executive Director Phil Hough, “from a walk along Lightning Creek road — groomed in the winter — to late winter climbs to Scotchman and Star Peak. Those are a little more ambitious.”

“A little more ambitious” is somewhat of an understatement.

The rating system for FSPW’s hikes in the Scotchmans is E for Easy, M for Moderate, S for Strenuous and S+ for S+upid, a tongue-in-cheek warning that some hikes are for the very fit only. Both the Scotchman and Star hikes are rated S+, but there are a lot of other options, including hikes into the Ross Creek Cedars and other lower elevation walks on unplowed roads that have often been “groomed” by snowmobiles.

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says Hough. “It’s very quiet, and a snow-pack changes how the planet looks considerably. Animals actually seem more present, because their tracks stand out.

It’s fun and illuminating to get a chance to study their trails.” As well as make your own.

Hough leads the first hike of the season on Jan. 20 along Lightning Creek to Regal Creek Trail, where a modicum of effort will take the group to a panoramic view of the Lightning Creek canyon and the visage of Bee Top Mountain. Other hikes include a foray up the east end of Pilik Ridge on Jan. 27, two hikes into Ross Creek, and several explorations of the southern edge of the Scotchman Peaks proposal.

“We also have opportunities for others who want to lead hikes,” said FSPW program coordinator Sandy Compton. “You can craft your own winter walk, or we can help you with suggestions about places to go.”

To learn more about the FSPW winter hike series, sign up for a hike or propose a hike for the 2018 winter season, visit www.scotchmanpeaks.org/hiking/ For more specifics about leading hikes, write to sandy@ scotchmanpeaks.org

Animal tracking classes offered

By Brian Baxter Reader Contributor Close to a couple of decades ago, Kari Harker Dameron, Sandy Compton, and myself sat at Toby’s Susan B. Anthony Bar in Noxon, Mont. We were exhausted. We had just completed offering our first Animal Tracking Class sponsored by Cabinet Resource Group.

As we sipped our well-earned beers and dried off near the warm fire, we conversed about how to expand winter outdoor education programs in our area.

Remembering Plato’s quote, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” we continued our skull session. The puddles from our icy boots expanded on the floor, the pitchers were refilled and our dreams gained impetus.

Fast forwarding a few years, and by hard work and the grace of God, this humble writer got a few good breaks and increased his involvement in wildlife research.

With thanks to Tim Their, John Weaver, and Clayton Apps, Baxter gained experience and started Silver Cloud Associates, an outdoor education company.

Along the way, winter programs were expanded to include winter ecology, winter birding, and children’s programs. Paralleling this metamorphosis, the Friends of Scotchman Peaks came into existence from roots of CRG. With help from core CRG members and the hiring of Phil Hough as executive director, FSPW has flourished as a leader in outdoor education programs. Wayne Kasworm and Gerry Brown helped this grateful columnist gain additional experience and formulate his objective, non-political style of teaching.

As of this writing, FSPW has been blessed with a talented trio of ladies whom are helping coordinate an extensive array of outdoor educational programs for adults and kids this winter in Montana and Northern Idaho. Britta Mireley grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota before heading to the University of Wyoming for her

B.S. in Marketing. She also holds a Masters of Tourism Administration from George Washington University. Britta and her husband moved to North Idaho from the front range of Colorado in 2015.

Britta enjoys working with FSPW because she wants to make a difference in the world and protect this unique area for future generations, specifically her 1-year-old daughter.

Britta and I designed and lead a program exploring the wonders of the ancient cedar grove in 2016.

She also has a special knack for co-leading outdoor education programs for younger children, as evidenced by the smiles on their faces and the sense of bewilderment in their young eyes.

Annie Gassman was born and raised in Helena, Mont. She attended Montana State University in Bozeman, and graduated with a degree in Environmental Biology. While in college she worked for organizations such as The Water Course, Project Wet, and helped research and develop children’s curriculums and booklets. After college, she married a forest service guy, and traveled all over Montana.

Due to the remoteness of these locations, opportunities for environmental biologists were limited, so she improvised and worked on cattle ranches and even became the post master in the tiny town of Otter, Mont.

Mrs. Gassman enjoys working for FSPW because it allows her to share her passion and love of the outdoors with adults and kids. Some of her fondest memories are her wilderness adventures and she wants to be able to show her kids the amazing places that are out there and let them build their own memories. Annie passionately feels that saving wild places in their natural condition is the only way future generations will experience the “Wild West.”

Nancy Schmidt grew up in

Brian Baxter, in orange, helps set up a lynx hair snagging station with Mead Alternative High School student Monday, in camo jacket.

Photo by Carey Chisholm.

Pittsburgh, Pa., and earned a Bachelor of Science in Parks and Recreation from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

Nancy’s academic degrees and qualifications are both extensive and impressive. She has worked in community recreation as a YMCA Director, a Director of Parks and Recreation, and as a health club manager. Schmidt has been employed as an educator and counselor since moving to Idaho in 2007. Nancy is a runner, and enjoys snowshoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, hiking, and is also an avid outdoor enthusiast. A longtime “Friend” of FSPW, she is happy to take her passion and love for the outdoors and utilize her skills to help programs that provide experiential outdoor education.

Nancy heads up the winter tracks program, helping to coordinate this awesome team. To find out more about the FSPW winter programs, see the website at: scotchmanpeaks.org/stewardship/winter_tracks.

Join us for a slide presentation entitled “Essence of Animal Tracking” on Friday, Jan. 19, 5 p.m. at the Venture Inn in Libby, Mont., with an optional field tracking session the next day meeting at 9 a.m. at the Venture Inn. All classes are FREE!

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert

Don’t miss Joseph Hein Band tonight at the Niner

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

A couple years back, a friend called and asked if I could help a band traveling through town find a last-minute gig. My band, Harold’s IGA, was playing at MickDuff’s Beer Hall on the lawn (it was summer), so we told the band to come on down and open for us.

Little did we know it would be this awesome group led by Joseph Hein, who held court on the Rhodes organ and amazed the crowd to no end. There must’ve been half a dozen bandmates playing all kinds of instruments – bass guitars, horns, lead guitars, keyboards – you name it.

When we took the stage after their set, it felt like we were the unfortunate band who played after the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. They were that good.

Hailing from the Palouse region of Washington, Hein’s music has a soulful, warm sound that reminds me a lot of Lou Reed, except more upbeat, more accessible.

His latest album, “AM Gold,” which was recorded solo, showcases his songwriting prowess.

Hein, who just moved back to Pullman two years ago, formed a five-piece and morphed his sound.

“I switched over to playing guitar,” said Hein. “I like it better standing up and dancing around instead of hiding behind the organ.”

Joseph Hein contemplating at home with jars that may or may not contain whiskey. Courtesy photo.

Kim Barnes always startles me with her concise, powerful prose.

The perfect, bitesized example would be her essay “Work.”

In the form of a list, she paints a picture of what work has meant to her throughout her life, from her mother’s meticulous pie-making to her own experiences chopping wood and selling Tupperware. As with all of Barnes’ writing, the essay becomes less about work and more about what it means to be human.

Read “Work,” and so much more, at www.kimbarnes.com.

LISTEN

Hein said the new formation is more upbeat and fun, with lots of old horn parts reworked with keyboard and synthesizer effects.

“We’re just starting a monthlong tour,” he said. “Last time we played the 219 it was on a Tuesday night and there were a bunch of people that came out and danced. It was an enthusiastic crowd.”

If Hein’s new band is half as good as his last arrangement, you shouldn’t miss this show.

Check out Joseph Hein Band at the 219 Lounge tonight, Jan. 18 from 8 to 11 p.m. Listen online at josephhein.bandcamp.com.

Five Alarm Funk at the Hive

Five Alarm Funk doing what they do. Courtesy photo.

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Dan McMahon, Gen. Contractor dan@mebldg.com

One of my go-to albums to come out of 2017 is “Haggarty”

by Covey.

British songwriter Tom Freeman fronts the four-man band from Boston, whose first LP features ten seamless tracks. Call it indie, call it folk rock — whatever it is, it sounds like a melancholy evening drive home. Echoing guitar, easy beats and raspy vocals make Covey easy listening for this moody staff writer. Highlights include “Same White Shoes” and “Eyesore.”

WATCH

The vision of panelized, realized.

www.mehomes.net (208)264-6700

READ

Get your sweatbands and bottles of water ready, there will be a Five Alarm Funk party next week at The Hive.

The Vancouver-based band of eight have one common goal: to make you sweat on the dance floor. With grooves that march on for days, infectious horns, crushing percussion and psychrock guitar leads, Five Alarm Funk is more of an experience than a concert.

The octet has rocked dance floors across the world for over a

decade, releasing five acclaimed albums and gaining a following as one of the greatest dance bands touring right now.

Show openers Shakewell are a “funk brotherhood” of longtime friends and collaborators who play funk, neo-soul and rock n’ roll.

Five Alarm Funk will play The Hive on Thursday, Jan. 25.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Shakewell will open. General admission tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door. Check out www.

LiveFromTheHive.com for more information.

I might have a small addiction to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts.

Seeing a band or musician take a minimalist approach to their music in a cluttered, adorable office can be really impressive.

Some of my favorite low-key Tiny Desk Concerts include The Oh Hellos, Banks and Daughter. The one I can’t stop watching is Paramore. Hayley Williams’ stripped voice is raw and sad in the absolute best way. Catch them all on YouTube.

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The Straight Poop: The quest for dog-friendly businesses in North Idaho Sandpoint Chocolate Bear From The Sandpoint Bulletin Thursday, July 30, 1942

73 Men Will Leave August 7 to Take Up Army Service Seventy-three Bonner county men who were accepted by the medical examining board in Spokane last week after taking their final physical examination, will be inducted into the army at Fort Douglas, Utah, early next month, it was announced by the selective service board.

Heretofore all inductees have gone to the induction center at Fort Lewis, but this group will go to Fort Douglas for induction instead.

They will leave Sandpoint on the Northern Pacific at 3:35 p.m.

Aug. 7 for Fort Douglas where they will be outfitted and assigned to their training camps.

Meanwhile the men are enjoying a 14-day furlough.

At state selective service headquarters in Boise Saturday, Brig. Gen. M.G. McConnel, state selective service director, said Idaho has 1120 class 1B registrants who will be called in increasing numbers in future months.

10 Per Cent of Quota McConnel said the August draft list will be augmented by the medical board’s call of 1B registrants equal to 10 per cent of the month’s 1A quota, and a general call of 66 1B men proportioned throughout the state.

In September the medical board will again take 1B men in number equal to 10 per cent of the month’s 1A quota and local boards will add another 10 per cent of 1B men to the list, he said.

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By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist

Where am I taking my humans today?

The Mister is celebrating his birthday (525 in dog years), so I’m fetching him his favorite gift. Can you guess where I’m going?

•It takes about 400 of these beauties to make one pound of this lip-smacking treat.

•Each “mother plant” produces approximately 2,500 of these.

•Research shows that this droolin’ stuff can be enjoyed as part of balanced, heart-healthy diet and lifestyle — and it’s good for your brain!

•Farmers loose on average 30 percent of this crop each year.

•This product comes from a fruit tree.

•It was once used as currency.

•There are over six national days to celebrate its wonderfulness!

The tweets are coming in. It’s a dogeat-dog world, and I’m wearing my chocolate-covered milk bone underwear!

We’re on our way to visit Carrie Powell, owner of Sandpoint Chocolate Bear.

Carrie and her husband, Dennis, opened the shop at 204 N. First Ave. in 2011.

When they moved from a small mining town in Michigan (the land of fudge and candy stores) to Sandpoint, they realized that our town was missing a candy store.

“I can do chocolate, because I have been a semi-professional chocolate eater and amateur candy taster all my life,” she said to Dennis one day… and the rest is melt in your mouth, hand-made wonderfulness.

Carrie enrolled in the Ecole Chocolate School in Vancouver, B.C., and became a certified chocolatier – one of the few in America. Their kids, Amber and Gage, are learning the business and researching recipes.

Carrie is dedicated to her craft, and is always searching for more fun facts about chocolate. She adapts some of her family recipes to tempt the taste buds of the gourmet chocolate lover.

Dennis, the head chocolate artisan, and main taste tester, is the creator of the bean-to-bar chocolates that are sourced worldwide. These folks are passionate

about their craft. Every chocolate flavor is tasted by multiple testers (need any more?) before they are released. Some of these pawfect offerings have made tails wag, knees buckle and hearts stop.

Proceed with caution!

Carrie uses only high-quality Van Leer chocolate from Belgium, and no emulsifiers, which are palm oil wax.

Hence the chocolate is harder to work with, setting a limited time to create the masterpieces.

“It takes more skill,” said Carrie.

“That’s why I just do chocolate.”

So what’s the deal with dogs and chocolate? Shadow Girl, their 12-year-old lab bulldog mix, loves chocolate. She eats it whatever she can sneak a piece. However, it’s the caffeine that irritates dogs, and it’s a weight and balance thing.

Last holiday season the crew packaged chocolate gift packs in metal tins. While they were snuggled under the Christmas trees, dogs would pop off the lids and have a little snack. All survived. As Snoopy’s dad (Charles Schultz) says, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

Locals and tourists love the dark chocolate caramel covered with sea salt, Huckleberry truffles, and Aztec chocolate, (cinnamon and cayenne), which goes well with red wine. What a great gift for Valentine’s Day! Heart Boxes are pawsibily the best because you can pick your favorites.

Don’t forget to check out the sipping chocolate and chocolate spices – Chocolate Aztec, Chocolate Garlic Joy, and Cajun. Orders are accepted via phone, website (no smell-a-vision), and in the shop.

Chocolate Bear owner Carrie Powell and Drake in the chocolate shop.

4. Sniffing the chocolate is pleasurably allowed daily.

5. Get your picture taken with the Chocolate Bear.

“Life is like a box of chocolates.”

Eat some every day!

Crossword Solution

Sandpoint Chocolate Bear Dog Rules: 1. Well-behaved chocolate-loving leashed dogs please.

2. Sipping chocolate — humans only.

3. Nose art not allowed on the glass cases.

If I ever become a mummy, I’m going to have it so when somebody opens my lid a boxing glove on a spring shoots out.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS

Woorf tdhe Week

patrician

/puh-TRISH-uh n/

[noun] 1. a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.

“Her patrician background helped elevate her to the top levels of government” Corrections: I just noticed that our Jan. 4 issue had Dec. 28 written as the date on the page numbers. D’oh! I’m surprised nobody called and pointed it out! You’re slacking, red pen readers. -BO

1. Arboreal snake 6. Electric light 10. To cast aside (archaic) 14. Beside 15. Two-toed sloth 16. Leer at 17. Having purpose 19. Murres 20. Certify 21. Website address 22. Honey insects 23. Beach 25. Warn 26. WW1 plane 30. Light up 32. Progressive 35. Deprive of oxygen 67. Formally surrender 39. Leopardlike cat 68. Marsh growth 40. Agency 41. Resin of the maritime pine 43. From elbow to wrist 44. Third sign of the zodiac DOWN 46. L L L L 1. Mother 47. Housemaids 2. Assist in crime 50. Burdened 3. Food from animals 53. A grimace 4. Curse 54. Sphere 5. Faulty 55. Meal 6. Insect 60. Ride the waves 7. Roll out 61. Temple 8. Honors 63. Brother of Jacob 9. Male cow 64. Bit of gossip 10. Crossbar on a wagon 65. Courtyards 11. Approve 66. Peddle

Solution on page 22 12. Aviator 13. Banquetv 18. Greatest possible 24. Petroleum 25. French for “Love” 26. Plod along 27. Printer’s unit 28. Cain’s brother 29. Greatly pleasing 31. Part of an ear 33. Hemp cords 34. “Smallest” particle 36. Make well 37. Nobleman 38. Certain card games or liquors 42. Measure in a lab

43. Repair 45. Apprehended 47. Church recesses 48. Rodent 49. Hearing-related 51. Mistake 52. Monetary unit of Macedonia 54. Ear-related 56. Head 57. Unit of land 58. Skidded 59. Popular hot beverages 62. An uncle

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