Reader july16 2015

READER

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The Digital DARK Age...

Will our generation get lost in all the ones and zeroes?

cape horn fire the aftermath

Red Hot Patriot in review

Fiber Optics:

The key to future prosperity in Sandpoint?

More than a store, a Super store!

?we do... s r e x i M G ot

After your trip to the liquor store’s new convenient location next to us, stop in and see our new expansive mixer selection for all your beverage needs!

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(wo)MAN

Susan Drinkard on the street compiled by

Do you find yourself interested in new technology or do you embrace “old school” technology as much as possible?

“I embrace the old. I make jokes about throwing my iPhone into the woods.”

Carrera Swarm General Manager at Mick Duff’s Sandpoint “I’m probably in the middle of the road. I use a lot of technology, but I don’t run out and buy a new computer until it’s necessary, like when Microsoft quit supporting Windows XP.”

DEAR READERS,

Six months ago, we brought this thing called the Reader back into your lives. It’s hard to believe half a year has gone by already, but we’re still here and strong as ever.

In those six months, we’ve grown in leaps and bounds. Starting at 12 pages long and 2,500 copies printed, we are now a robust 20 pages long, with 3,500 copies printed per week. We started delivering to just over 100 locations, and now we’re available at 200-plus spots in the two northern counties.

As this is our “technology issue,” I think it’s appropriate to mention our new website which rolled out just last week. We feature daily news, expanded content from the print edition, and an easy to read design that will always and forever be free, just like the Reader. Check it out at www.SandpointReader.com.

Last week, we saw some amazing numbers online. Thanks to a few viral posts on Facebook, we were able to reach over 70,000 people with our coverage of the Cape Horn fire and the robbery news. We think this is a good indication that more and more people are turning to the Reader to find out what’s happening first. We thank you for that. This is only the beginning.

-Ben Olson, Publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover), Daniel Cape, Dion Nizzi, Angela Euliarte Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Ted Bowers, Sandy Compton, Scout Anatricia, Dan Eskelson.

Dennis Thibault Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Sandpoint

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

“I try to embrace the old because I see so much that’s lost with my teens who are so attracted to technology instead of toward hands-on creative endeavors.”

Subscription Price: $75 per year

Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Advertising: Jen Landis jen@sandpointreader.com Greg Larson greg@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com

Jan Leas Office Manager, Green Mtn Medicine Sandpoint

Web Content: Keokee

The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

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

“I don’t have a computer or a cell phone, so I don’t embrace new technology … but I like fast cars.”

Harvey Aulbach Retired Jewelry Designer Sandpoint

“I don’t have a phone. I do have a broken Kindle. I am not embracing all the new technology because I believe it is taking over jobs. I like old school technology because you couldn’t text. You had to talk to people. Making friends online is not the same as making friends at the beach.

People are breaking up through texting. You can’t always identify people’s emotions through text the way you can when you are in person.”

Kirsten Baker SHS freshman Sandpoint

“I don’t race after new technology. I prefer the old stuff because relationships are stronger without it. I grew up going outside, and nowadays kids are more interested in technology than in doing what kids are known to do—playing and getting dirty.”

Rosie Kummer Student at SHS Ponderay

it’s nice to meet you, neighbor

Lunch 11 - 3 Dinner 5 - 9

$10 Lunch special mon-fri 11-4

HAPPY HOUR! Mon-Sat 3-5pm

$1 off beer, wine & appetizer menu!

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109 Cedar Street (In the Historic Farmin Building) Downtown Sandpoint 124 South 2nd Ave. sandpoint, IDaho (208)597-7499

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

Requirements: –No more than 500 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

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

About the Cover This week’s cover designed by Ben Olson, who still uses cameras with film and types on typewriters and is generally a big pain in the ass when it comes to technology, but he embraces it nonetheless.

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COMMENTARY

Pope Francis, unbridled capitalism and the destruction of the environment

By Nick Gier Reader Contributor Pope Francis’ recent encyclical about the dangers of human-caused climate change has received mixed reviews across the world. The pope criticizes conservative politicians for their “cowardice” in resisting the overwhelming evidence that God’s creation is “being pillaged, laid waste and harmed with impunity.”

Republican presidential have been quick to criticize the Pope. Jeb Bush, who converted to the Catholic faith of his Mexican wife, responded that religion “ought to be about making us better as people and less about [politics]. I don’t get economic policy from my bishops or my cardinals or my pope.” Bush would probably not object to embracing the economics of Francois Quesnay, an 18th Century Catholic philosopher who promoted free markets.

Adam Smith, the founder of free market capitalism in the English world, did not write the “Wealth of Nations” until after his retirement as a professor of moral philosophy. Smith would agree with the pope’s critique of unbridled capitalism. Admiring the rich, and aspiring to be like them, while despising and neglecting the poor is, according to Smith, “the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments.”

The alliance of Christianity and capitalism has been a fairly recent phenomenon. Those Christians closest in time

LETTERS Lions Club gives thanks...

Dear Editor, The Sandpoint Lions Club would like to take this opportunity to thank Schweitzer Mountain Resort and Papé Machinery for their participation in this year’s Independence Day Celebration.

Without the generous gift on a 2015/2016 season ski pass and Papé’s assistance in purchasing a John Deere Gator, the Lions Club would have had difficulty in affording such great gifts to celebrate the birth of our nation.

Thank you students of Sandpoint High School for accepting our invitation 4 /

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to Jesus himself held “all things in common,” and they chose to sell “their possessions and distribute them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). When Ananias and Sapphira held some of their property apart from the group, Ananias was struck dead by God (Acts 5:1-5). Early Christian communism was not a temporary affair, because 200 years later Church Father Tertullian wrote that “we hold all things in common except our wives.”

Greed of course was one of the Seven Deadly Sins, and usury was forbidden until the Protestant Reformation.

Pope Sixtus V (1521-1590) declared that charging interest was “detestable to God and man.” The pope may have been provoked by the fact the Henry VIII of England had signed a law entitled “In Restraint of Usury,” which allowed the practice as long as the interest rate was not excessive.

At the turn of the 20th Century, millions of Christians in Europe were socialists, and many Americans followed the less ideological Social Gospel. In his book “One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America,” Kevin Kruse tells the story of pastor James W. Fifield, Jr., who was very successful in convincing Americans that being rich was a sign of virtue, not vice.

Turning Jesus’ teaching about wealth on its head, Fifield’s Christian libertarianism preserved the “dominance of the monied classes” and convinced the less wealthy to aspire to be just like them.

Conservative commentators are call-

ing Pope Francis a Marxist or a Communist, but he insists that “Marxist ideology is wrong” for spiritual reasons. He does acknowledge that Marx and Jesus joined forces in their concern for economic inequality. Commentators are saying, quite correctly, that Francis is now supporting the theology of liberation, whose theologians claim that Jesus had a “preferential option for the poor.” Previous popes had removed these thinkers from their posts or otherwise silenced them.

Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ immediate predecessor, condemned liberation theology as “a fundamental threat to the faith of the church.”

In a recent speech in Bolivia, Pope Francis apologized for the brutal treatment of Latin America’s indigenous peoples, reversing Benedict’s position defending the Spanish Conquest in a 2007 visit. He also had strong words for unregulated capitalism: “This system is by now intolerable: farm workers find it intolerable, laborers find it intolerable, communities find it intolerable, people find it intolerable. The earth itself–our sister, Mother Earth, as Saint Francis would say–also finds it intolerable.”

Writing for The New Republic (March/April, 2015) FranElizabeth Stoker argues that Fran

cis sides with the early Church Fathers who “emphasized that private property rights obtain only after all human needs have been met, and that the excess of the wealthy truly belongs to the poor.”

I was surprised to learn that House Speaker John Boehner, himself a Catholic, has invited Pope Francis to address a joint session of Congress. In his written invitation Boehner states that Francis’ “gospel of joy” has touched the hearts of all humankind, and that his principles are in line with the “American idea.”

He joins Francis in a rejection of “crony capitalism,” but added his own dislike for the “ongoing centralization of political power in our federal government.”

I wonder, however, if the Republicans in Congress are actually ready to applaud Francis’ strong “preferential option for the poor.”

to be Grand Marshal of this year’s festivities. Due to your fundraising abilities in “Moose Madness” for several years now, you have made literally thousands of Sandpoint children very happy on Christmas morning.

To our large donors; Idaho Forest Group, Downtown Business Association and Pierce Auto Center for your generous contribution to this event. To all the merchants who purchased raffle tickets, you haven’t been forgotten and we appreciate your help in ensuring the success of this great day.

It has been a pleasure of the Sandpoint Lions Club to present the Independence

Day Celebration to all of the citizens who purchased raffle tickets. Without your support, none of this would have been possible.

Our thanks also goes out to the Daily Bee for your generous support over the years. You have been the Lions Club’s voice to the community. Without your help it would have been very difficult to keep the community appraised of Lions Club events. And thank you Reader for your contribution to this event. To KRFY Radio and Blue Sky Broadcasting for your help in informing the public of our activities. Hopefully, I have not forgotten anyone. If I have, it was not

done on purpose. My sincere apologies for not mentioning you.

Come and visit us our Facebook page and we are now on Twitter. Or contact us our email address is sandpointlions@ gmail.com. If you are interested in supporting your community think about becoming a Lion. Our mottor is “We Serve.” Our telephone number is 2634118. Leave us a message and we will get back to you.

Nick Gier of Moscow taught religion and philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years.

Pope Francis

Dave Banister President, Sandpoint Lions Club

Illustration by Angela Euliarte

PERSPECTIVES Bullies, Stinky kids, Hank Williams, Jr., and the illusion of cool I live a life where on any given day, I may be privy to a conversation between an “adult” and a troubled adolescent. This simple exposure creates daily opportunities for me to: 1: Be instantaneously entertained or horrified by the general stupidity that plagues the average adolescent, and the complete and total lack of “comfort” or “guidance” that we as adults are capable of providing them.

2: Occasionally hijack quality advice from professionals and use it on family and friends, whom I can only presume consider me a genius at this point.

3: Thank the gods that most adults have figured out that hygiene is a key component to positive social interaction. This allows me to live comfortably knowing that I am adult, and when I react adversely to the foul stench of someone who doesn’t bathe or wipe regularly, no one will accuse me of being a bully. We use the “bully” word way too often, by the way. Bullies are dicks, but so are people who smell like a barrel of rotting entrails and sit in publicly shared spaces.

Every bully and every stinky kid has a story, and a lot of former prom queens are popping their kid’s Adderall. The person you are in high school rarely is who you end up being. Somehow, all the cliques in high school manage to reproduce and reappear decade after decade. People find their place in this world.

I overheard a conversation between a teen and an adult the other day. It was basically your runof-the-mill, I-will-never-be-cool-no-one-likes me teenage bullshit. The adult did their best to listen and offer support, and blah, blah, blah… What we all really want to say to that kid is, “GET A GRIP. Popular kids are popular because they are engaged, active and social. Are you any of these

things? Is the answer no? Well then, buddy, those are not your people. You speak a different language. This is a language you can learn, but you will have to work hard. Maybe it will be worth it.

Maybe it won’t.

Cool is a high school fantasy. There are about nine million different ways to be cool once you leave high school, assuming you escape with your sanity intact. And once you leave, LEAVE. Really leave it all behind you, and move on.”

Sadly though, we don’t say this. And that person with the high school popularity complex becomes the girl sitting in the cube next to you at work, droning on and on about how she doesn’t have a boyfriend or a life. Of course, she has no idea why, and you are stuck trying to be supportive, when what you really want to say is: For starters , wax your mustache. That will elevate your sexy quotient, if you are looking for a straight male partner. Secondly, when someone asks you on a date, say yes and quit inventing imaginary scenarios where you are too good or not good enough at something to enjoy it. No one likes to hear you bitch. This may also be why you are in a “five-year dry spell.”

We are too nice. That’s the problem.

Recently I went to a Hank Williams, Jr. concert. I love someone who loves Hank Williams, Jr., so I decided to buy him the tickets for a birthday present. I didn’t think I would enjoy this activity.

I might have actually secretly expressed dread over the upcoming experience. I have a love-hate relationship with country music that started at infancy—my dad loves it my mom hates it. I have felt strangely conflicted about this my whole life.

However, as a child I learned how to live in both worlds. I learned country songs when my Dad drove me to school. I learned every nuance to ev-

ery Aerosmith song ever written when I was with my mother. I chose rock over country because the dudes in high school who liked rock music were hotter than the hicks.

Realizing that this was a terrible reason to hate an entire genre of music, I have slowly began to appreciate country music. After all, any decision I made in high school most likely occurred while wearing stone-washed jeans and blue eyeliner. As one may ascertain from this information, I was not equipped to make sound decisions. Country music deserved justice, a trial by concert if you will.

Hank was my first country concert—I like to go big, if I go at all. First of all, it was one of the best live shows I have ever seen. It took me straight back to riding in my dad’s truck on the way to school, rolling my electric blue eyelids while “Kaw-Liga” blared over the stereo. Hank sang and played a million guitars and outperformed musicians half his age. Surprisingly, I knew A LOT of the songs. It was fun. Those guys who were “hicks” in high school aren’t so shabby now. My companion was never a hick, and he is sexy whether he is singing along with Hank or Steven Tyler. I’m a pretty lucky chick.

Just saying.

After this experience, I have been offering the adolescents in my life, new advice that they will never take.

Learn a little bit of music from EVERY genre.

That way if you find yourself in uncharted territory, alone and in need of companionship, you can strike up a conversation with anyone.

Learning some emo tunes, just in case.

YEE HAAA!!

Scarlette Quille

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NEWS

Cape Horn: The Aftermath

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

While almost 500 fire personnel still fight to contain the Cape Horn fire outside of Bayview, the worst is apparently behind us.

The 2,000-acre blaze has now been reduced to around 1,300 acres and is 70 percent contained, though spot fires and hot spots are still being dealt with. Fire crews made great progress building fire control lines down the Three Sisters Ridge on Wednesday. The ridge makes up the northern flank of the fire.

Last week, I was allowed special media access into the fire zone to photograph and report on the damage.

Evidence of extreme heat was everywhere; power lines melted and sagged, hillsides were barren with charred remains of undergrowth.

Power boxes were burnt to a crisp, and real estate signs were melted beyond recognition. Small puffs of smoke still announced the evidence of hot spots that weren’t extinguished yet. All the while, an eerie midday haze crept over the waters of Lake Pend Oreille and hung over the small town of Bayview.

Last week, evacuated residents

BRIEFS Hearing set for city budget If you’ve got any big ideas on how the city spends your money, you’re in luck.

Sandpoint City Council members approved a preliminary 2015-16 budget of just under $31 million Wednesday, which they’ll open to a public hearing Aug. 19 before official finalization. Overall, the proposed budget is down slightly from last year, with 13 percent of its funds coming from local property taxes.

In a presentation to the council, City Treasurer Shannon Syth detailed a host of city projects coming down the line, including city parking lot improvements, extended sidewalks, equipment for city personnel, public transportation funding and more.

“I think there’s a lot of really great projects in here this 6 /

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were allowed to return to their homes.

“I’m just relieved to be here and fortunate that this oasis of homes was spared,” said Steve Seier, who had just returned to his home earlier in the day. “We’re a pretty tough family in Bayview. We all come together when the chips are down.”

Next door to Seier’s home sat the charred remains of one of six homes destroyed.

A Ford sedan sagged to one side as the tires and paint had been burned off and the plastic melted.

A collection of yard sculptures eerily sits untouched next to the pile of ashes and cinder that was once a home. The scene at once invokes emotions of sorrow and awe, that a force of nature is this powerful.

“When I left, the roof of this place was on fire,” said Seier, pointing to the burnt remains.. “The fire came within 150 feet of me.”

One of the tenets that Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter spoke about during his visit to the site last week was creating “defensible space” to prevent wildfire from threatening homes. A clear example of how defensible space helped prevent a disaster was Carl Costello’s home, just up the hill from the two burned

year, and I’m looking forward to seeing them come to fruition,” Syth said.

And hey, if you’re hurting for a little Wednesday night entertainment, one of the proposed budget items is video equipment that will let the council stream its meetings. If that goes through, consider skipping your TV show and tuning in. It’s just like “American Idol,” except with a lot less singing. [CR]

Zodiac Aerospace explosion rocks Newport Authorities are investigating an explosion at Zodiac Aerospace in Newport, Wash., that put five people in the hospital.

According to the Spokesman-Review, the conflagration tore through the structure around 9 p.m. The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but authorities determined the site posed no chemical danger. By Wednesday morning, three were released from the hospital, and one was in stable but serious condition. The final

Remnants of a structure that burned in Cape Horn’s devastating wildfire last week. Photo by Ben Olson. structures by Seier’s property.

In stark contrast, a charred line of earth met directly with a rock landscaping feature, with healthy, green grass just feet away. Costello had worked on creating defensible space on his property for years, keeping combustibles away from his home, and opening up his property to prevent fire jumping from one source to another.

“I lived in Southern California and watched it burn so many times,” Costello said. “The way that you landscape and create defensible space around your home is important.”

By the day’s end, after scrambling up and down charred slopes and gazing up the steep inclines where the wind had blown fingers of fire all up and down the ridge, I got an idea of what kind of hell on earth a wildfire can be. Then I realized that I was taking a safe media tour well outside the hot spots and danger zones where a boulder the size of a Volkswagen could dislodge and crush a fire fighter in a heart beat. I was in no danger. The fire fighters had already cleared this area.

To say the least, the experience was awe inspiring. I always have had a healthy respect for those

individual’s status is unknown.

As a major employer in Newport with more than 100 employees, the Zodiac Aerospace incident is understandably troubling to Newport residents. It’s one of the largest suppliers of aircraft interiors to major aviation companies, and the full extent of the damages are still unknown. [CR]

when New Horizons left Earth in January 2006. Now they’re taking a well-deserved victory lap nearly 10 years later. Enjoy your success, guys, and thanks for the cool pictures. [CR]

Idaho battery powers Horizon spacecraft Planet Earth was treated to an unprecedented look at Pluto this week courtesy of the New Horizons spacecraft.

Of course, you can thank NASA and its scientists for the groundbreaking new photos and data, but spare a little gratitude for Idaho National Laboratory.

KTVB reports that the Idaho scientists developed the special battery that set the spacecraft on its three billion-mile journey to the outer reaches of the solar system.

INL had a hell of a wait to get some pay-off for their hard work.

They were at Cape Canaveral

BGH announces expansion grand opening It’s been a long time coming, but the new Bonner General Health expansion is finally finished and ready to serve the community. Hospital officials announced this week that an official unveiling will take place Saturday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will include an open house to learn more about the expanded health services, including Sandpoint women’s health, women’s imaging services, performance therapy services, the wound care clinic and an anticoagulation clinic. [CR]

brave men and women who do our dirty work, who protect our land and property from this uncontrollable force, who endure the heat and terrible conditions, the life-threatening terrain, the back breaking work. After seeing it first-hand, however, I consider myself honored just to shake their hand, to be occupying the same space as them.

Life seems strangely inadequate when you’ve just walked amongst heroes.

To see the photo essay from inside the fire, access the Reader website at www.sandpointreader.com.

Two-year-old dies in Oldtown motorhome fire A two-year-old child was killed in a motorhome fire in Oldtown Tuesday night.

On July 14 at approximately 8 p.m., a structure fire was reported at 4038 Hoo Doo Loop in Oldtown.

Genevieve Winn, 2, died in the motorhome, which was completely consumed by fire.

The fire began and was contained in the motorhome.

The child was alone inside the motorhome and other unharmed adults were at or near this rural location. Preliminary information indicates the fire may have been caused by electrical wiring, though the cause is under investigation.

Detectives from the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and the Bonner County Coroner were at the scene throughout the night and into the morning. An autopsy has been ordered.

Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased. [BO]

FEATURE

Fiber optics: The key to the future of prosperity in Sandpoint

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Sandpoint has a speed problem—and it has nothing to do with streets.

For the last several years, public officials and private residents alike have explored options to establish more consistent access to high-speed Internet.

Economic development experts have advised local governments for years that businesses of the near future will depend on fast, reliable connections to keep their revenues flowing.

“The Federal Communications Commission has estimated that the demand for bandwidth is doubling every two years and that currently, the typical download speeds needed by business will exceed [50 megabyte-per-second download speeds], which is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive in Sandpoint,” said Aaron Qualls, Sandpoint director of planning and economic development. “According to a recent economic assessment of Bonner County, Sandpoint lags behind the nation and other like communities for affordable, high-speed internet access.”

It’s a problem with vast implications. Earlier this year, for instance, the Lake Pend Oreille School District scrambled to establish alternative Internet service when previous provider Idaho Education Network drowned in a sea of controversy and accusations of government cronyism. Families, meanwhile, are increasingly reliant on strong Internet service for high-definition video streaming

and device connectivity.

“In the very near future, the ‘Internet of things’ will be upon us, and smart devices will be ubiquitous in every home and business,” said Charles Manning, CEO of Kochava. “These devices will need fast and reliable Internet connectivity and will change the way we live.”

Businesses already require snappy download speeds to run complicated data networks or computer operations, a topic on which Manning is very familiar. Kochava provides analytic services for companies using mobile advertising, and while Manning is committed to maintaining Sandpoint headquarters, the lack of quality Internet access has been a challenge.

“Our infrastructure (servers and associated processing equipment) is located in a data center outside of the area simply due to the fact that here in Sandpoint, we don’t have a redundant, high speed fiber connection to the world,” he said.

“Proximity to a data center would accelerate and enhance the growth of new businesses in the area.” “[Local Internet options are] overpriced, slow and at times,

unreliable,” Manning added. “I think that a bit more competition in the marketplace would serve us well.”

But like any infrastructure project, there’s always a financial cost. Complicating the matter further with a fiber optic network is the need for an Internet service provider to offer ongoing service, maintenance and customer assistance. For six years, the city of Sandpoint, as well as other Bonner Coun-

“The city of Moscow has been running its own fiber for years, so we picked their brain a lot on this,” said Mayor Carrie Logan.

It’s no wonder the city is taking initiative on the project. Over years of effort to improve Sandpoint’s Internet access, promising relationships with private businesses have fizzled over time.

The Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, a local agency committed to enhancing the region’s career options and quality of life, was a major player in improved Internet access from the beginning.

The corporation brought public officials and business leaders throughout the region together with a vision of comprehensive Internet service that stretched across Pend Oreille communities.

Perhaps the most promising moment in the push for fiber arrived in 2012, when Missoula-based Blackfoot Communications sat down for discussions as a potential service provider.

The partnership developed to the point where parties invited the public to an informational meeting in September. But then progress abruptly halted. “[Blackfoot] bought some-

“According to a recent economic assessment of Bonner County, Sandpoint lags behind the nation and other like communities for affordable, high speed internet access.”

-Aaron Qualls Sandpoint Dir. of Planning and Economic Development ty municipalities, have courted communications companies to take up the mantle of service provider in a public-private Internet service project.

After several false starts, the city is now taking the matter into its own hands; council members budgeted for the city to roll out its own fiber, an undertaking city workers are engaged in for the next several weeks. By the project’s end, Internet infrastructure will be in place from City Hall to the businesses clustered near Sandpoint Airport.

thing down south in Idaho, and it just didn’t work [from a financial perspective],” said Logan.

While the city has finally pulled the trigger on establishing a fiber network, the issue of securing an Internet service provider still remains, according to Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk. Local officials are in talks with Zayo, a bandwidth infrastructure company, to potentially establish service with them or another ISP company.

When it comes to providing business owners and residents with more options, it’s a step in the right direction. According to Qualls, local officials will likely revisit the issue at an economic development conference hosted by the city, the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation this November.

It’s a healthy conversation to have, according to Manning.

Without the ability to properly harness the power of technology, a world of missed opportunities for Sandpoint are only years away.

“Access to affordable highspeed Internet is simply a requirement in the world today,” Manning said. “If we hope to continue to attract and develop high quality innovative businesses in our area, we need to prioritize this issue.”

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ACLU sues state over public defender system

By Ben Olson With reporting by Scout Anatricia Reader Staff

Bouquets: Submitted by Lions Club: •The Sandpoint Lions Club would like to thank Yokes, Schweitzer Conoco, North 40, Walmart, Hoot Owl, Super 1, and Sandpoint Super Drug for allowing us to sell raffle tickets in front of their businesses. You made the Independence Day Celebration possible.

•A bouquet for Michael Spurgin, who earlier this week walked into our office and wrote us a check for $100 “just because I felt like donating to your newspaper.” What a nice and unexpected gesture, Michael. We’re so happy to have readers like you out there.

Barbs: •When you’re walking on a bike path and you hear someone say “On your left!” or you hear the ringing of a bike bell, the correct thing to do is to stick to your side of the path and wait until the bike passes. The incorrect thing to do is to stop in the middle of the path like a deer in headlights or change directions spastically. ‘Nuff said.

•Walmart’s campaign to bring back the “Made in the USA” label is gathering all sorts of press lately. The superstore has pledged to buy $50 billion worth of USA-made products over the next decade. Does anybody else see the irony in this?

Is this the same store that put so many mom and pop shops out of business? Is this the same store that has flooded our country with imported plastic crap from China for decades? While I will always applaud those who buy products made in the U.S., I can’t get behind Walmart exploiting the “Made in USA” label because they’ve essentially driven all the rest of the competition away with their price cutting. Boo. Got a bouquet or barb you’d like to offer? Write me at ben@ sandpointreader.com with “BB” in the subject line.

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Five years ago, the ACLU threatened a lawsuit against the state of Idaho in regards to the public defense system. Last month, citing Idaho’s persistent failure to address the situation, the ACLU made good on its threat when it filed suit.

The class-action lawsuit names Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter as a defendant, along with seven other state officials involved with the public defense system.

There are five plaintiffs named, each with specific cases outlining holes in the public defense system. Some appeared in court without having met their court-appointed lawyers, while others claim to have spent mere minutes with theirs to discuss complex cases involving extended jail time.

“We have been working on this for over five years now,” said Leo Morales, acting executive director with the ACLU of Idaho.

“What we have been doing during that time at the ACLU is trying to work

with the state and pressure them to fix the defective system.”

Right to legal counsel and due process are constitutional rights guaranteed under the Sixth and 14th Amendments and Idaho state code. Morales claims that the faulty system denies individuals their constitutional rights when facing inadequate funding and unfair variances from county to county.

“Every person in this country is deemed innocent until you’re proven guilty,” said Morales.

“That’s a common ideal that, as Americans, we strive to live by.

Today, the realty is that we have a very powerful government, a powerful prosecution team that works with law enforcement and has adequate resources ... and we don’t necessarily have the same on the other side.

“We have an adversarial system of criminal

justice,” continued Morales.

“Both teams must be very well equipped to enter the arena.”

According to Morales, the criminal justice system in Idaho does not afford the same luxuries to the public defense system as it does the prosecution.

Of all the 44 counties in Idaho, only seven have public defense offices. The others either share offices, or rely on a contract with individual attorneys or private law firms. While some counties use a sliding scale to account for the differing levels of financial commitment for defendants, other counties rely on fixed fees, which don’t account for any variance of income levels.

“In 2014, the state passed a law banning fixed-fee contracts,” said Morales, “The reality is, there are still 19 counties that continue to use the fixed fee system.”

It is this variety of public defense options that Morales says creates an imbalance of justice from county to county.

“The Supreme Court has made it very clear that public defense is a state responsibility,” he said. “What Idaho has done is push that responsibility over to the counties, without providing the adequate resources for the public

defender system. The state has been creating study committees after study committees and kicking the can down the road.

Everyone knew what the problem was, but no one wanted to face the responsibility.”

Izzy Robertson, head public defense attorney for Bonner County until 2012, can identify with the alleged defects and believes that Bonner County could use a lot more funding.

Citing examples of cases where she had days to prepare when she needed weeks, Robertson said, “I think we would’ve put on a better show in court and possibly won more cases.”

The lack of resources to hire investigators was also an issue, according to Robertson, though she was quick to point out that she was appreciative for the Police Department because they never “short change” clients and they are thorough.

Idaho is not the only state to be accused of shortcomings within the public defense system.

“This is an issue across the country,” said Morales. “It’s part of a larger systemic problem with criminal justice courts in our country.”

The ACLU also filed suit in Washington State recently, as well as in Michigan and New York.

“The New York case was just resolved,” said Morales.

“The court ruled in our favor this spring.”

Morales hopes the lawsuit against Idaho will help centralize and equalize the public defense system, and provide desperately needed resources to the counties to fund it.

“Most public defenders are doing an amazing job,” he said.

“They really need the state to step in to provide the resources and create some uniformity once and for all.”

The Digital Dark Age

how will future generations view our time when all the evidence gets lost within the ones and zeroes?

01101101011010110101101010010010001100011001011110111110101010010011010011011100101011001100101101010101100101010110 110101010010011010011011100101011001100101101010101100101010110

By Ben Olson formats of documents that 011010011011100101011001100101101 “I remember thinking, Reader Staff 001101001101110010101100110 we’ve created ... may not be ‘This digital photo stuff 11110110011011100101 readable by the latest version will never last,’” he said.

11011011010011010 of the software because backYou know those scrap“Of course, this was when it 0110110100100 books your parents kept on wards compatibility is not al- was 1.2 megapixel and you 000110111001 the bookshelf? The ones that ways guaranteed. couldn’t get a good print out 1000110110 “And so what can happen of them.” had photos of your ancestors, 111010101 all looking slightly morose in over time is that even if we 11011010 Hammersberg urges his 001101 black and white, with their accumulate vast archives of customers to keep their pho1100 funny fashions and poses? digital content, we may not tos safe by storing them in 0111 Well, they may be more im- actually know what it is.” three separate forms: on a 01 Real examples of this oc- computer, on a separate hard portant than you think.

0 Historians often look to cur all the time. Ever had a drive, and, most importantly, 1 early photographic evidence hard drive crash? Or a com- with a photographic print.

1 to denote everyday lifestyles puter stolen when you hadn’t 0 “You don’t have the imof those who have lived in the backed anything up? I have age until you have the print,” 1 past. They look to styles of had both happen, and it’s said Hammersberg. “It’s so 0 dress, early models of tech- devastating to lose a decade of easy to lose the ones and ze0 1 nology, everyday activities photographs and documents. roes. A photograph is some0 Another more famous ex- thing written on paper—what caught on film.

1 Now imagine if those ample lies with NASA, whose comes up on your screen isn’t 1 photographs were no longer early space records have gone real. It’s just electrons.”

1 available. Imagine if all pho- missing or unaccounted for Many horror stories have 0 tographs weren’t available, more than once. Magnetic passed across the counter at 0 or rather, impossible to access tapes from the 1976 Viking Image Maker, usually involv1 because technology has either Mars landing went unpro- ing lost photos or data.

0 failed or surpassed obsolete cessed for more than a de“I had a good customer 1 cade. When they were finally forerunners so quickly as to leave it unattainable.

Enter the Digital Dark Age. What is the digital dark age? Well, we’re in it now. It refers to people’s dangerous habit of storing their keepsake photographs and documents in digital form alone, forgoing any tangible copy.

Google Vice President Vint Cerf is recognized as one of the “fathers of the Internet.”

Recently, he told the BBC that he was concerned that all images and documents we have been saving on computers will eventually be lost because hardware and software becomes obsolete so quickly.

Cerf fears that future generations will have little or no record of the 21st century, creating a “digital black hole,” for future generations to ponder over.

“I worry a great deal about that,” he told the BBC. “Old

analyzed, the data was wholly unreadable because it was in an unknown format and the original programmers had either died or left NASA. The images were finally extracted after the brightest minds in the country spent months struggling over archaic technology. They were lucky they preserved the data.

If they hadn’t, would that mission have been a complete wash?

The fact that all of our precious memories exist as ones and zeroes is a problem Mike Hammersberg knows all too much about.

Hammersberg first started working at Image Maker Photo and Video in Sandpoint in 1992, before the days of digital cameras. In 2007, he and his wife Randi took over as owners. In 23 years, he has seen the industry change dramatically.

that came in all the time with film,” he said.

“She went digital and put

See DARK AGE, Pg. 13

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event t h u r s d a y

Festival at Sandpoint Art Unveiling 4pm - 7pm @ Dover Bay The Festival at Sandpoint holds their annual fine art poster unveiling at Dover Bay with live music. Free and open to the public Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6pm - 9pm @ Neighborhood Pub

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f r i d a y

Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins 7:30pm @ Panida Little Theater Ivins was one of journalism’s happy warriors, a quality adeptly captured by Miriam Robinson, who delivers a winningly assured performance in Lyric Stage Company’s generally satisfying production of Red Hot Patriot. Directed by Ron Ragone

17

Sandpoint Farmers Market 9am - 1pm @ Farmin Park Live music by Joan & Gordon

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Live Music w/ Tom Catmull 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery American-roots drivien sound Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 7pm - 10pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Ha Free live music in the courtyard wit of loonies that call themselves Haro

Live Music w/ David Walsh 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Latin-inspired Flamenco guitar music

Schweitzer Mtn Music Festival & Northwest Winefest All day @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort Three great bands are lined up for a fun-filled day of live music, barbecue, arts and craft vendors and wine! Live music includes Owen and McCoy at 11am, Milonga at 1:30pm, an Strictly Business at 4pm. Don’t forget to check out the Monkey Motion™ air jumper, Zi Line, arts and crafts vendors, hiking, biking, chairlift rides, climbing wall, disc golf and more

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DITCH THE FLAME

Evidence of the After Life Show 6:30pm - 8pm @ Inquire Within (5 Bonnie communicates with loved crossed over, only $10, or private r Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Take a load off, drink a beer. It’s o

Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins 7:30pm @ Panida Little Theater Ivins was one of journalism’s happy warriors, a quality adeptly captured by Miriam Robinson, who delivers a winningly assured performance in Lyric Stage Company’s generally satisfying production of Red Hot Patriot. Directed by Ron Ragone

18

s u n d a y m o n d a y

f

Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins 3pm @ Panida Little Theater Live Music w/ Scott Reid 9pm - 12am @ 219 Lounge Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

21 22 23

Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s Finally, a place to showcase how much useless stuff you know. Finally, a purpose!

Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 4pm - 6pm @ Ivano’s del Lago (Hope) Great music in a comfortable setting by t lake, with good food and drink

6th Annual Six-Pack Alleycat Ride 2pm @ Greasy Fingers Bikes ‘n’ Repair A scavenger hunt on your bike. Plan to ride 15 miles. Swag and prizes at the after-arty. $ or more information, call 255.4496. All proce benefit the Panhandle Animal Shelter Karaoke Night 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge

Bingo Night 6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Sandpoint Farmers Market Bingo, beer, popcorn, friendly bar- 3pm - 5:30pm @ Farmin Park tenders, a nice courtyard. Seriously, Live music by Larry Mooney what else do you need?

Dollar Beers!

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

Charley P 7:30pm @ Come on only, Char

Live Music w/ Nate Vernon and Ca 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Vernon is a singer/songwriter based i original songs. Fetzer is a musician sings with Wartime Blues and is know

ful

July 16 - 23, 2015

ife Show Within (516 Oak. St.) ith loved ones that have r private readings for $20

beer. It’s only a buck

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

Tech & Tidbit Thursday 6pm @ Greasy Fingers Bikes ‘n’ Repair Capt. David Ramsey of the Bonner County EMS will demonstrate basic first aid for bikers and provide tips for gear to pack when taking a ride.

Also how to make improvisations in the field

DJ at the 219 mull 9pm @ 219 Lounge Winery Josh and Avery spinning und tunes for your pleasure IGA s Beer Hall Live Music w/ the Cole Show rtyard with the band 7pm @ La Rosa Club lves Harold’s

m Robenerally

and crafts :30pm, and umper, Zip f and more!

(Hope) etting by the

de epair an to ride 12fter-arty. $15, . All proceeds ter

Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip 9pm @ 219 Lounge Local singer / songwriter Open Mic Night 6pm - 9pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee Hosted by Scott Reid

Live Music w/ Ben and Cadie 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 7pm @ La Rosa Club

Foundation for Wildlife Management BBQ Fundraiser 3pm @ Dover Homestead Barn Enjoy dinner, libations, auctions, games, raffles, and fun for everyone! It’s a great night out while supporting Idaho’s deer, elk and moose populations through predator management Panida Garage Sale Fundraiser Live Music w/ Aaron Wilder Band 8am - 2pm @ Fosters Crossing 9pm @ 219 Lounge Get some good stuff and support a Country classics and originals good cause Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip 7pm @ La Rosa Club

Schweitzer Mountain Trail Run 10am @ Schweitzer Mountain Village Registration begins at 9am, with a mandatory meeting at 9:45am. 3.5 and 10 mile trail runs on challenging and scenic trails. Learn more at SMTrailRun.com

Sandpoint Storage Garage Sale and Benefit 9am - 3pm @ Highway 200 in Kootenai All proceeds from food court sales during the event benefitting the Sandpoint Volleyball Club. This is the one day that Sandpoint Storage opens the gate and allows its customers to have a sale from their storage unit

Bodacious BBQ 5pm @ Litehouse Beachhouse (Hope) 32nd Annual fundraiser features a luau. Proceeds will benefit the Hope Memorial Community Center Live Music w/ Dave Hannon 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Summer Sounds 4pm - 6pm @ Park Place Stage Featuring Larry Mooney Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

UPCOMING EVENTS July 24-26 - The Garden of Artistry Invitational Fine Art Show July 25 - Crazy Days in downtown Sandpoint Aug. 1 - Long Bridge Swim

Charley Packard & Friends 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Come on down and see the one, the only, Charley Packard. He’s back, baby!

n and Carly Fetzer of Wartime Blues Winery er based in Missoula, and has penned over 50 musician and artist from Salt Lake City. She nd is known to play the banjo on occasion

Live Music w/ David Walsh 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Latin-inspired music with a flamenco guitar. It’s perfect for dinner and wine on the patio Cards Against Humanity 7pm - 9pm @ Neighborhood Pub The infamous game is back! Come on down for some wings, beer and burgers, and make your neighbors blush. Not for the faint of heart

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Local writer releases life’s work in trilogy

By Reader Staff

After nearly 20 years of research, Sandpoint writer and investigative journalist Bonnie J. Thompson, the daughter of former Logan County State Attorney Roger W. Thompson, has released a tellall trilogy called “Buried Truth.”

The trilogy is a unique true crime saga about one woman’s undying perseverance in a lonely battle for truth and justice.

In “Part One: Backtrack,” Thompson takes the reader back to 1976 when she was a 19-year-old deputy circuit clerk in the Logan County Courthouse.

That year a series of murders unfolded in her hometown of Lincoln, Illinois, and she became a witness to suspicious events and circumstances relating to the Schneider triple homicide, a Manson copycat crime.

Only one 21-year-old man was charged and convicted of the slayings.

Two other men Thompson suspected as accomplices were never implicated and went on to become attorneys.

Years later in 2001, Thompson’s fa-

ther dies a disturbing death, which takes her back to Lincoln.

Following her father’s memorial, she approaches Logan County State’s Attorney Tim Huyett and tells him of her longtime suspicions regarding the triple homicide. She is granted access to the old murder case files and begins her own investigation into not only the Schneider murders but also the murders of Michael Mansfield, Ruth Martin and Jay and Robin Fry. “Bonnie Thompson has done an excellent job of uncovering some deeply buried truths regarding a series of related murder cases,” said Dr. Larry Farwell, forensic neuroscientist and inventor of brain fingerprinting Bonnie J. Thompson is no stranger to the world of criminal law and courtroom drama. Her father, Roger W. Thompson, and grandfather, Donald L. Thompson, were both noted trial lawyers. The Logan County Courthouse provided Bonnie with a very important education, for it was there that she learned the value of truth and justice.

Although she often considered pursuing a degree in law, she found herself more drawn to music, writing, and investigation. In her spare time she performs as a professional singer/songwriter/guitarist, and she particularly enjoys singing jazz and blues standards.

Thompson is self-published and is releasing her trilogy in an eBook download PDF file format Her new trilogy can be purchased through her website: www.buriedtruthtrilogy.com.

DARK AGE, con’t from p. 9 all her images on a computer and one day came into the shop in tears. She had transferred her images from one computer to another, which crashed after six months, and she didn’t have a backup.

They couldn’t recover anything. She lost every single one of her pictures, and she was devastated.”

While Hammersberg wonders what the future will hold for camera shops like his, he also worries about what the future generations will deduce about our time.

“I’m worried about my daughter Michaella,” he said. “In 60, 70 years, where will her grandchildren find the images of this time, of her children?”

Nowadays, everything happens in the “cloud,” which is a buzzword that essentially means the software and services you once stored on your individual computer is now stored and accessed through the Internet.

While there are many benefits of cloud computing—ease of data recovery, worldwide accessibility of data and services—the essential flaw is that if the Internet goes down, your services and data are not available.

What happens if the Internet fails for good? Will we roam the vast wasteland of America in steampunk vehicles and fight tribal wars over dwindling resources? Will we collapse into a post-apocalyptic meltdown and enter the age of cannibalism? Will we die out because

we’re too stupid to do anything without about us, in a thousand years, by looking asking Google first? at a bunch of broken plastic, shredded Imagine we are wiped out as a civili- copper wires, cathodes and microchip zation, much like the Anasazi, a Native pieces ground into nothing?

American culture that emerged in the That’s just what they would know Four Corners area of the United States about us... nothing. around 1200 BC. So what do we do? Well, we start findThese early Puebloans were hunters and ing a way to leave something tangible gatherers who lived in shallow pit houses, behind. We make prints of our treasured while the later civmemories and ilizations carved “I’m worried about my daughter ... In keep them safe in whole towns out sixty, seventy years, where will her scrapbooks and of nearby cliffs shoe boxes. grandchildren find the images of this like those found at Cerf is promotMesa Verde. ing a bigger plan. time, of her children?”

Around 1300 He wants to pre-Mike Hammersberg BC, they abanserve every piece doned their cliff houses and scattered. of software and hardware so that it never Nobody really understands why, though becomes obsolete—just like what happens some scholars think that a population ex- in a museum—but in digital form. plosion coupled with a drought and poor “The solution is to take an X-ray snapfarming methods harkened the collapse. shot of the content and the application and The point is, we know about the Ana- the operating system together,” he told the sazis because they left artifacts behind; BBC, “with a description of the machine pottery shards, woven baskets, reed san- that it runs on, and preserve that for long dals, rabbit fur robes, grinding stones periods of time. And that digital snapshot and bows and arrows, and lest we for- will recreate the past in the future.” get, the homes they had carved out of a The concept, which Cerf refers to as mountainside. “digital vellum,” may be the only tangiHistorians are able to piece together ble way to preserve the photos that matwhat type of people the Anasazis were, ter, aside from making a print, which, if what type of society they had, what they stored properly, will last indefinitely. ate, how they lived.

“If it’s important to you, make a Now imagine if nothing was left print,” said Hammersberg. “I want my behind. What could historians deduce great grandkids to see who I was.”

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imagemakerphotoandvideo.com July 16, 2015 /

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Let’s be Frank about the Earl-Y days: Part 3

By Ted Bowers Reader Columnist In this final article about the “Early” days, I thought I would talk about some of our more memorable jobs with Boles Construction.

The Oddfellows remodel We got the original contract to convert this venerable landmark to the Head Start center. It involved creating a commercial quality kitchen, a large classroom, bathroom and a second exit to meet code requirements. There was some interior framing to achieve this and a lot of drywall to hang, tape and finish, then paint. Jay and I were still novices at drywall, and to be “frank,” Earl wasn’t much of a teacher.

We were of the school of “smear a lot on, then sand it down.” It seemed like the drywall went on forever, and we were either covered with mud or working in a cloud of dust. We went a little crazy at times, flinging handfuls of drywall mud at each other to fight off the boredom. That part of the job, however, was a piece of cake compared to what was involved in

creating the second exit. There was an old furnace room in the basement next to the classroom that had its own entrance from the street. The problem was that a 10-inch thick, 80year-old concrete wall separated the rooms. Our job was to jackhammer a doorway through that wall.

Two days of bone shaking, ear shattering labor left us with ringing ears and fingers the size of bananas. I guess nobody had heard of concrete saws back then?

The Jennestad bathroom remodel Ole Jennestad, proprietor of the Jennestad Clothing store in downtown Sandpoint, was a key figure in the history of the area. He got his start in the clothing business in the 1930s by providing the logging camps with clothing supplies: boots, pants, coats, etc. Being a tough, strong-willed Norwegian, he began by skiing to the camps with a pack on his back full of these supplies. Eventually, he accumulated enough to start his store downtown, and that is where I first met him. He was in his 80s or even 90s by then, still tall and straight. He was a dour

old guy who seldom smiled and his sales philosophy was to stand and stare (glower, even) at you there while you browsed through the store.

His daughter worked in the store as well, and she wasn’t much happier than Ole, so shopping there was a bit of an ordeal. When I found that we had gotten the job of providing his home with a downstairs bathroom, I was apprehensive about the atmosphere on the job, but it progressed smoothly and we seldom saw the Jennestads while we worked. Part of the project was to demo an old garage at the back of the house.

Up in the attic I discovered an old pair of wooden cross country skis, the ones Ole used to deliver goods decades ago. They were huge—over six feet long—and heavy. I thought of him slogging uphill on these skis with a heavy pack on his

grandpa’s fields. A huge black bird resembling an oversized raven, came out of the sky and took the hindmost grouse.

Again and again, it swooped in, grabbed a grouse and consumed it. But it didn’t really eat it. It just chewed it up.

The predator bird revealed itself as not flesh-and-blood, but, rather, a machine with black metal feathers sporting large triangular teeth, like those of a shark. As each succeeding grouse was taken, the others moved off far enough that they couldn’t hear the bones of their brethren crunching.

On the other side of the thin strip of forest where the grouse were, the land drops into the Blue Creek canyon. In the dream, an eagle came up out of Blue Creek, soaring into the sky on a thermal. It dove on the black bird-machine, raking it with its talons, to no obvious effect, but the bird-machine rose to the attack, and an air battle ensued.

The bird-machine was bigger and faster, but the eagle was more maneuverable, able to pull tight turns and fly in spirals, while the black bird could only make big loops or long arcs. The eagle never retook the offensive, it just stayed out of harm’s way.

In the end, the bird-machine faltered and fell in a straight dive to the ground, where it crashed into a crumpled metal mess. I intuited that it had run out of fuel. The eagle flew on.

The grouse kept feeding. The dream ended.

The bird-machine could be our crazy, greed-riddled, image-driven, non-stop, as-long-as-I-get-mine-everything-isfine culture. It’s chewing up folks and spitting them out.

The grouse could be us. You and me and the guy down the street. We just want to get by and eat our fill. We can’t be bothered with the plight of the last guy or gal or kid in line. Until we are the last one in line, of course. Then, OMG! So, who’s the eagle?

That could be us, too, if we so choose.

Willing to take up the cause of others, able to resist our crazy culture and wise and agile enough to stay out of its way.

Probably, all of us are a combination of the three. If you drive a car or use electricity, you’re arguably part of the machine. And, unless you’re Jesus or Mother Theresa, you likely suffer bouts of complacency regarding the plight of the neighbors.

back and was able to imagine in a small way the amount of fortitude this old man had—a humbling experience.

It was a privilege to have worked on these and many other remodels in Sandpoint. I’ve seen a lot of the town’s history, demoed some of it and had a small hand in creating some as well.

Bordering on complete sanity: The bird machine

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist

Has it been hot, or is it just me? OK. Damnably hot. Not hellishly hot, yet, but still.

A friend pointed out yesterday that if global warming isn’t real, a great majority of the world’s scientists are idiots.

Love that kind of perverse logic. Sort of.

Even if it does scare the hell out me. Not run-and-hide scared, but where-are-wegoing-with-all-this scared. If I extrapolate out far enough on that curve, we’re all going to die.

Oh, yeah. That’s right. We’re all going to die anyway. That and birth, by whatever means, are the two universally held life experiences of all living things.

On this planet, anyway. And global warming probably won’t kill all living things, but it might kill all the mammals.

Of which we are a part. A very vulnerable part. Don’t believe me? What will you do when your well runs dry?

If you don’t want to think about such important matters today, you may want to skip over to someone else.

Once upon a time in a dream, I watched a covey of grouse feeding in a fringe of trees at the edge of one of my 14 /

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Illustration by Daniel Cape

But once in a while, we might all be eagles.

Sandy Compton’s new book, “The Scenic Route: Life on the Road Between Hope and Paradise,” is available at Vanderford’s in Sandpoint, or online at bluecreekpress.com.

STAGE & SCREEN

‘Red Hot Patriot’ in review

By Scout Anatricia Reader Intern

One of the most challenging roles in theater is performing in a one-person show, and even more difficult is portraying an iconic character and getting it right. I know this from personal experience. Miriam Robinson has taken up the challenge bringing Molly Ivins to life in Ron Ragone’s production of “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins,” written in 2010 by twin journalist sisters Margaret and Allison Engel.

Molly Ivins was a proud Texan who loved exposing corrupt politicians through her journalistic talents. She believed everyone should be accountable, especially if you were an elected official or a journalist. It was Ivins who coined the nickname “Shrub” for President George W. Bush. She had more than a few things to say about Mr. Bush, both when he was governor of Texas and President.

When I asked why he chose this play, Ragone replied, “My wife saw it at the Geffen Theater in L.A. and when she came home she told me I had to produce it for Sandpoint. So I am.”

He chose Robinson as the lead after seeing her performance in “The Counselor,” an original play by local playwright Teresa Pesce.

“There are also some similarities between the two,” he said. “Miriam is roughly the same age as Ms. Ivins and had a very similar relationship with her father. These experiences have made Miriam an even better fit for the role.”

As an audience member, I enjoyed the personal touch of having some of Ivin’s memories come to life through photos of poignant moments on the screen behind her. An explanation went along with each photo, and it was fun to see familiar faces to the American life and Ivins’ involvement with them.

The theme of father/daughter angst is apparent, and Ivins expounds on their relationship throughout the play. Being political opposites—she proclaimed she was a “liberal by choice”—created the most pronounced wall between the two stubborn Texans. In the end, the two never made amends, which haunted Ivins for the rest of her life.

The stage is set resembling a journalist’s office filled with file cabinets, a desk, the sound of a teletype machine

and of course, the Texas state flag. Robinson is also dressed for the part and obviously comfortable in the role, wearing jeans, a denim shirt and cowboys boots.

“I don’t like playing Molly, I LOVE playing Molly,” Robinson said. “She had the courage to do things most women of her time wouldn’t do. She was courageous. She respected everyone even if you didn’t agree with her. She was a hell of a woman.”

Although Robinson has the only speaking part, she is joined sporadically by Conrad Mearns who serves as

the “Coffee Kid” in the play. He simply comes to the stage, rips off the teletype messages and lays them on the desk.

There are no small roles in theater, and in fact, this mute role plays a major part in the surprise ending. You have to attend to see what I am talking about. Very clever.

In the same vein as “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Ivins felt society learned through humor. While laughing at her witty repartee, we inadvertently learn something about ourselves and, hopefully, get involved.

Miriam Robinson as Molly Ivins. Photo by Dion Nizzi.

Molly Ivins was a vivacious character with an amazing wit, and it comes through loud and clear in this performance. Thank you Ron Ragone for producing and Miriam for bringing her to life. I recommend this performance as a great night out. Go to dinner and then the theater—you don’t want to miss it. Brava!

On a side note: For me, this play reminded me of my friend Laura Bry and her passion to get others involved in local and national politics. She and Molly would have been great friends. When you see the play, and if you knew Laura, you will understand. Laura Bry was also “a hell of a woman.”

“Red Hot Patriot” opened last weekend, with performances continuing this weekend. Check it out from July 17-19, with showtimes starting 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a 3 p.m. matinee Sunday at the Panida Little Theater.

Tickets cost $14.

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Windbreaks add beauty and energy efficiency to your property

Reader Columnist

A properly designed windbreak has a profound effect on the physical and economic well-being of both humans and animals. Research has shown that heating costs can be reduced by up to 40 percent, since reduced wind velocity results in reduced air infiltration in homes and outbuildings. The shelter created by a windbreak provides a safer and more pleasant outdoor work and play area.

A five-year study in Iowa indicated that cattle sheltered from the wind gained an average of 80 pounds more per year and consumed 129 pounds less feed per hundredweight of gain than cattle not sheltered. Other animals, including game, find food and habitat within the windbreak, especially if diverse species of plants are used. Windbreaks also block blowing and drifting snow, reduce soil erosion and provide a pleasant visu-

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in November, 2016 You may sign at the following locations: •Common Knowledge •Vapor Planet •Vapor Depot •Eichardt’s Pub

Let’s all be part of Idaho’s shift to common sense. www.legalize208.org 16 /

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al barrier throughout the year.

Strategies and techniques used in the creation of windbreaks vary depending on site specific conditions and the owner’s requirements. Given adequate resources and sufficient area, a multi-row windbreak with a lot of plant diversity is ideal (see Fig. 1). Rows should extend well beyond the width of the area to be sheltered, and spacing between rows should account for mature plant width and maintenance practice between rows.

Placement of the windbreak should allow for the blockage of the most severe winter winds; in much of the country this would be to the north or northwest of the homestead. In areas where troublesome winds come from more than one direction, the windbreak can be planted in a “V” or “L” shape. Recommendations for the distance from windbreak to homestead (“D” in Fig. 2) vary from state to state, but average from five to seven times the height of the tallest mature trees. That distance should be measured from the row of tallest evergreen trees to the center of the protected area.

So if the tallest trees reach 30 feet at maturity, distance would be 150 to 210 feet. Though the five-row system will provide very efficient shelter, even a one-row windbreak will provide significant benefit. If limited to just one row, evergreen trees should be specified.

In the northern Plains states, however, windbreaks should be planted with five or more rows to block the extreme high winds and blowing snow.

Though it is best if no roads or work trails penetrate a windbreak, if absolutely necessary these paths should proceed through at an angle rather than parallel to the wind direction. Even at an angle, a path is susceptible to heavy snow buildup, and if close to parallel to the wind direction, the path will allow a funnel of strong wind to penetrate.

Diversity of species, even within the row, is important both from cultural and aesthetic perspectives. Culturally, diversity will provide some level of insurance if one species comes under attack from insect or disease. Aesthetically, diversity provides more interest in the landscape, especially during long, visually bleak winter months. In addition to the above, diversity in plant selection can provide food and habitat for a wide variety of birds and animals. Plant selection should be made with full knowledge of soil types, which may vary even within the site.

Two rows of evergreens, of different height as indicated in Fig. 1, will provide better protection than one row, and each additional row will contribute to further improvement of the windbreak. Though exact choice of plants should be made

on a site-specific basis, at least some of the following suggestions will work for most sites.

Consult with local soil conservation or county extension agents for plant suggestions based on specific soil type, hardiness zone, topography, exposure, etc.

Windbreaks Rows 1 and 5 Highbush Cranberry, Forsythia, Spirea, Honeysuckle, Barberry, Privet, Sumac, Redtwig Dogwood, Lilac, Currant, C h o k e c h e r r y, W i n t e r b e r r y, American Plum, Caragana Windbreaks Row 2 Redcedar, Arborvitae, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Serbian Spruce, Dwarf Blue Spruce, Jack Pine Windbreaks Row 3 White Pine, Douglas Fir, Norway Spruce, Shortleaf Pine, Austrian Pine, Red Pine, White Fir, Concolor Fir, Ponderosa Pine Windbreaks Row 4 Pin Oak, Honeylocust, Hackberry, Red Oak, Black Walnut, Black Locust, Beech, Russian Olive, Siberian Elm, Silver Maple, Green Ash Note that in a multi-row system the evergreens should be on the windward side of the deciduous trees, and the best wind deflection occurs with a rising plant height as shown in Fig. 1. Aside from the aesthetic and wildlife food val-

ues of the small shrub rows, these faster growing plants will provide some measure of wind and snow protection long before the slower growing trees.

In addition to the above mentioned benefits of windbreaks, wise tree placement can also provide energy savings and greater creature comforts in summer months. As shown in Fig. 2, trees can be used to funnel summer breezes toward living areas; both evergreen and deciduous trees will serve this function, but for aesthetic purpose a combination of both may provide the best design solution.

The establishment of a windbreak is undoubtedly a major investment, but considering the long term economic, aesthetic and social returns, it is an investment that will benefit several generations.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Cameron Rasmusson

Fundraiser features Festival at Sandpoint artists Owen and McCoy

By Scout Anatricia Reader Intern

Imagine yourself on a beach, surrounded by friends, strangers, compassionate people and the sweet sound of a local band ringing through the evening air. If this sounds ideal to you then stop

by Shangri La at The Beach hosted by Lindy Lewis, a fundraiser for Underground Kindness.

Recent high school graduates Owen and McCoy will be performing and representing Sandpoint High School. As a classmate, I’ve been watching them play at the lunch tables since eighth grade.

They’ve come a long way in a short time, landing an opening gig for Wilco at the Festival at Sandpoint this summer. If you’re interested in a sneak peek of next month, you’re definitely going to want to stop by and check them out!

Better yet, you’ll be supporting a good cause. Underground Kindness is a nonprofit organization started by Lewis and supported by community members around Sandpoint. The short and sweet of Underground Kindness is that it serves as an empowerment program for students. Lewis describes her program as a way to, “present perspective and permission for self-acceptance and acceptance of circumstances”.

Underground Kindness does this by presenting students with “compassionists,” people who hold “a place of grace and compassion for self and others,” in the words of Lewis’ book, “Recovering Alpha Female.” In grades seven through 12, these compassionists discuss topics such as self-esteem, nutrition, yoga and manifestation of thought with students.

Lewis said she was surprised by not only the positive feedback from students but also from appreciative teachers and

There are some famous pairings out there in the world; Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny and Cher, peanut butter and jelly.

Charley Packard and Eichardt’s. It’s hard to think of one without the other.

Last week, legendary Sandpoint performer Charley Packard returned to play his regular Wednesday night gig at Eichardt’s Pub. After more than a year off battling cancer, Packard is back, with his sweet, lonesome songs that will bring a tear to

I lived in Missoula for many years, so I was curious as anyone to see how popular writer Jon Krakauer would handle the town’s recent, highly publicized rape trials and allegations that the city insufficiently investigated and prosecuted rape reports. In “Missoula,” Krakauer tells the harrowing story of women who not only experienced the trauma of sexual assault by men they trusted, but were then further violated by an uncaring legal system and victim-blaming public.

The book is gripping and rage-inducing in equal measure.

LISTEN

John Darnielle, the creative force behind prolific folk outfit The Mountain Goats, has explored a range of songwriting subjects, from Biblical musings to black metal to H.P. Lovecraft. But his latest, “Beat the Champ,” is unusual even by his standards, a look at human frailty and struggle through the lens of professional wrestling, of all things.

Darnielle uses songwriting as a medium to channel his exceptional storytelling instincts. With that kind of backbone, “Beat the Champ” becomes another album highlight in a career full of them.

Owen and McCoy playing live. Photo courtesy the Festival at Sandpoint. they can feel safe and welcome. community members.

“I learned that you really do have the Due to the success of Underground Kindness, the Shangri La at The Beach concert is ability to think for yourself. You are the serving not only as a fundraiser but also as only one who can change your mind to live a celebration for 312 classes accomplished, a better life,” reads one student testimonial from the Underground Kindness website, plus success in the juvenile center.

Many students from Sandpoint High www.inspiringgrace.org If you feel that supporting Underground School have expressed deep appreciation for the talks and yoga practices that Lewis and Kindness in our middle school, high school, her compassionists give. One student recent- alternative high school and juvenile center ly released from the juvenile center said that is important, then be sure to stop by Shangri doing yoga with Lewis was his release from La at The Beach on Thursday, July 23 from the loneliness and self-disgust that he felt on 6:30 p.m until sunset.

Bring a blanket, a picnic, and a $25 doa daily basis. He appreciated that Lewis held space for him and made him feel important nation to help continue classes! Plan to enjoy a lovely evening while supporting Unand worthy of someone’s attention.

In some cases, Underground Kindness derground Kindness. provides a sense of self-worth that students For more information contact Lindy at simply don’t get anywhere else. Many live Now available to stream on Netin homes where families don’t hold space for lindy@undergroundkindness.org flix, “Nightcrawler” combines an them or make them feel significant, so it is amazing performance by Jake Gylimportant to have a program full of grace and lenhaal, effective characterization compassion that gives kids a moment where and high-tension suspense into one of the best movies of 2014. Gyllenhaal plays Louis Bloom, a former thief who throws himself into the dark world of trawling for accident your eye one moment, and make you and crime video to sell to the evelaugh like hell the next. ning news.

This spring, Packard sold out the More than once during the movie, I was reminded of the Scorsese Panida Theater with a tribute show feaclassic “Taxi Driver,” not least in turing over 20 performers playing their Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of a man on favorite Charley Packard tunes. amthe fringe of society, am At Eichardt’s on Wednesday nights, misbitious yet woefully mis you can expect Charley in usual form; guided.

By the time the funny, insightful, and often with a friend film reaches its logical or two sitting in with him. conclusion, you won’t He usually gets going about 7:30 p.m. have enjoyed getting to If you haven’t heard him for awhile, head know Bloom, but you on down to Eichardt’s and let his songs eiwon’t forget him ei of love and loss take you away. Glad to ther. have you back, Charley.

Charley’s back at Eichardt’s

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

READ

WATCH

Crossword Solution

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w o N & Then compiled by

Ben Olson

Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same.

Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.

The Power House, center, and the Bonner County Courthouse, right, during the flood in the spring of 1948. The 140-foot tall smokestack can be seen behind the Power House.

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

1948

ACROSS

The same view today. The Power House building is now home to a bevy of professional offices.

2015

Corrections: We don’t have any corrections this week. No misspellings either.

Nothing to report, nothing to see here.

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1. Hairdo 5. Intoxicating 10. Possess 14. Decree 15. Put out 16. Region 17. Aquatic plant 18. Starters 20. Anagram of “Irately” 22. Bloodline 23. African antelope 24. Donkeys 25. Frank 32. Vibes 33. Akin 34. Historic period 37. Nile bird 38. Come together 39. Beer 40. Directed 41. Go by car 42. More prudent 43. Unceasingly 45. Tiny 49. Central 50. Ointment ingredient 53. A native member of a state 57. Enteric 59. Memo 60. A young lady 61. Habituate 62. Annoying insect 63. Cheers 64. Doled out 65. Collections

DOWN

1. A long way off 2. Dossier 3. Indian music 4. Earaches 5. Gap 6. Catch a glimpse of 7. Venomous snake 8. Affaire d’honneur 9. Abominable Snowman 10. Fogs 11. Territories 12. Margin 13. Relieves 19. Absurd 21. Hotels 25. Bucket

26. Lubricate 27. Desiccated 28. Terror 29. Drink garnish 30. Toys with tails 31. Barely manage 34. At one time (archaic) 35. Bobbin 36. Askew 38. A large vase 39. Fasteners 41. Certain aromatic herbs 42. Pause 44. Grinned 45. Morally reprehensible

Solution on page 17 46. Craze 47. Jittery 48. Loamy deposit 51. Bit of gossip 52. 3 times 3 53. Concern 54. Area 55. French for “State” 56. Catches 58. Cashew or almond

In my next life, I hope I come back as a parrot, because I already know quite a few words.

s u o m a f d l r o w Try our tartar sauce!

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