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

The week in random review

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

quotable

“Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it.”

—Albert Camus, existential writer and philosopher

the perfect sound

Well, I did it — I found the perfect sound. My girl always brings along a metal Yeti water bottle when we go for a hike. She usually carries it, because she believes in constant hydration. But, when she stops for a bathroom break or sheds a layer, she hands the bottle to me. This is when the magic happens. As I swing my arm holding the bottle, the metal comes into gentle contact with whatever is in my pocket — most of the time my keys. The contact produces the most beautiful bonnng sound. It reminds me of a monk ringing a bell on a quiet mountaintop. Then, Cadie asks for the bottle back so she can continue hydrating and the perfect sound waits until next time.

The editorial minefield

Idaho gives editors a veritable minefield to walk through every time we publish a newspaper or periodical filled with names, place names and other pitfalls that can get us into trouble with our “red pen warriors.” One thing I’m immensely proud of is that after almost eight years at the helm of this newspaper, I have yet to find an instance of us printing “Boner County” instead of “Bonner County.” We did, however, receive a very polite email from Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo’s campaign manager one time after a story, asking if we wouldn’t mind fixing a typo they encountered. When checking to see what the error was, my face turned beet red when reading our own copy identifying the senator as “Mike Crap.” Also, whenever I type the word “Sandpoint” into the back end of our webpage, it autocorrects to “Sandpit,” which is what we used to call this town in high school when we thought the best thing to do was escape from here. Finally, I remember as kids we would joke that the town of Athol got its name by holding your tongue pinched between two fingers and mouthing a certain word. Ah, words.

love and hate mail

It may be no surprise to many of you, but I receive a lot of, shall we say, colorful correspondence. Some letters come in without a return address, filled with dark, sinister language attempting to scare me out of business. Other times, I get the nicest, most thoughtful notes ever, often accompanied by a donation check. I save them all in a folder behind my desk, labeled “Love and Hate Mail.” So far, love is winning by a long shot, but some of the hate mail makes me laugh. In one anonymous letter (they’re always anonymous letters), after numerous racist claims, the writer finished the letter, “You bike riding asshole.” I almost fell out of my chair laughing.

I’ve certainly been called worse.

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Audrey Dutton, Emily Erickson, Brad Smith, Sandy Compton Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

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

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NEWS

‘I want to create a neighborhood’

Affordable housing project Culver’s Crossing crosses another threshold

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Members of the Sandpoint City Council voted unanimously July 6 to approve the final development plan and preliminary plat for Culver’s Crossing — a first-ofits-kind affordable housing development for Bonner County, which seeks to provide income-based housing for local wage earners, the elderly and/or disabled.

The decision moves the project one step closer to achieving final approval, after which the first of four phases of construction can commence. Full build-out is expected to occur over a five-year period following final approval.

“It will take continuing cooperation among all parties to be successful,” said Rob Hart, executive director of the Bonner Community Housing Agency, which has partnered with landowner Nancy Hadley to develop the project.

Culver’s Crossing envisions 49 dwelling units on 47 lots covering a parcel of about 5.7 acres on the west side of North Boyer Avenue. The land is surrounded by residential to the southwest, commercial to the west and north, and the University Place subdivision to the east across Boyer.

The project started working through the process in April, with a public hearing on the preliminary development plan before the Planning and Zoning Commission. After traffic analysis and other filings through April and May, the P&Z Commission again hosted a public hearing on the project in June, drawing overwhelmingly positive testimony, and commissioners voted unanimously to recommend the City Council approve the final development plan and preliminary plat with conditions.

That led to the July 6 public hearing before the City Council.

The effort comes in the form of a partnership between Hadley and BCHA. The former owns the land and the latter administers the affordability program through which about 60% of the homes 4 /

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will be sold. The remaining 40% of the units would be sold by Hadley at or near market value.

In total, the project includes a mix of single-family and townhomes, along with a three-unit multi-family structure.

For the housing in the BCHA program, prices would be set for buyers who make between 60% and 120% of the median household income, which Hart identified as about $72,000 for a family of four.

However, “in our experience, more than half of the local residents make less than the median income,” he said, adding that the goal is to ensure buyers don’t spend more than 30% of their annual income on housing.

Using a “reverse-engineered” pricing structure, Hart said that an “affordable” home price for a family of four making the median household income and able to put 20% down would end up with a mortgage of about $1,800 per month on a home valued in the $350,000 range — about half the market rate.

“These figures change every year and we know that most people don’t have a 20% down payment,” Hart said, though added that if two people in a household make between $15 and $20 an hour, and have little or no debt, “You could probably buy a home in Culver’s Crossing.”

Under the unique program, homeowners would be encouraged to stay put for at least four years. Though able to sell their homes whenever they choose, Culver’s Crossing residents would be contractually obligated to give Hadley first right of refusal to buy back the home for its original sale price, plus consumer price index in the first two years.

In the third and fourth years, owners could sell back to Hadley for base price plus twice the CPI. At the end of the fourth year, Culver’s Crossing owners “can do whatever they want, but we’ve held the period of affordability for four years,” Hart said.

“If you are wealthy or a speculator or an investor, don’t

contact us,” he added, later noting that prospective Culver’s Crossing buyers are capped at an annual income of $125,000, must be employed locally — defined as “Priest River to Hope and Athol to Bonners” — and live in the home as their primary residence.

“We can’t prevent somebody going on vacation and renting out the home while they’re on vacation, but we can prevent it from becoming an Airbnb community,” Hart said.

Community response to the Culver’s Crossing complex has been so robust, Hart told the City Council that applicants have been entered into a lottery for the opportunity to select one of the homes in Phase 1 to purchase.

Before that, though, they have to go through a rigorous screening process to ensure they qualify under the terms of the program.

Meanwhile, the project is “already facing the headwinds of inflation rates double what we’ve seen in recent years,” Hart said, underscoring that time is of the

essence in gaining final approval before costs increase further and therefore drive up prices.

Hadley also emphasized the long-term importance of the development, noting that “we’ve been working on this for a year.

We have put a lot of time and energy [into it] and it seems like I’ve written a lot of checks for this.”

“When I acquired this property about 20 years ago, I tried to figure out how to develop it without going broke — that’s the first rule — and so that local people could afford a home in Sandpoint,” she added, noting that the people she’d specifically like to serve are young families, people 55 and older, and those employed in middle-income sectors like teaching and nursing.

To that end, the homeowner’s association fees would ideally be kept to the $100-$150 range.

“If we’re trying to provide affordable housing where the house payment is $1,500-$1,800 a year, anything more you add to that is going to be harder and harder,”

A proposed site map of the Culver’s Crossing development. Courtesy image.

Hadley said.

With the council’s greenlight, one of the next steps is securing approval in Boise of the public infrastructure permit — a process that could take up to six weeks, according to City Planner Amy Tweeten.

In the meantime, council members applauded the project for its vision in addressing a critical need.

Councilor Deb Ruehle thanked Hadley and Hart for putting some definition to the “mystical word of ‘affordable housing,’” and Councilor Andy Groat said, “I hope that there are other potential developers who are observing,” and will embark on something similar.

“I am rooted to this community and I’m doing it because it feels like the right thing to do,” said Hadley, a second-generation local. “I want to create a neighborhood out there.”

NEWS

State says health care boards don’t want Idaho Supreme Court to delay abortion ban It is unclear whether boards were consulted on the latest legal filing

By Audrey Dutton Idaho Capital Sun

Three of Idaho’s health care licensing boards have asked the Idaho Supreme Court not to delay the implementation of Idaho’s abortion ban while a lawsuit against the ban makes its way through the court.

Hearings are scheduled for Aug. 3 in two different lawsuits over Idaho abortion laws. In both cases, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest and one of its Idaho abortion providers, Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, sued the state and various people and entities involved in the implementation of the law.

Planned Parenthood named the Idaho Board of Medicine, Idaho Board of Nursing and Idaho Board of Pharmacy in its most recent lawsuit — over Idaho’s “trigger law” that criminalizes abortion services — because those boards can suspend and revoke health care practitioners’ licenses once the ban takes effect.

The boards oversee the education, training and licensure of most of Idaho’s primary care providers, including those who provide abortion care or have patients who may seek abortions. The boards don’t represent doctors, nurses or pharmacists in the way that a trade association does — like advocating for their members before the Idaho Legislature.

But their mission puts them in a unique position when it comes to the abortion law. The boards are charged with ensuring the professionals they license are providing safe and quality health care to patients. They also, imminently, will be responsible for ensuring those professionals do not provide abortions under a law that some health care providers argue is too vague.

The Idaho Board of Medicine, Idaho Board of Nursing and Idaho Board of Pharmacy last week

asked the Idaho Supreme Court to deny Planned Parenthood’s request to put the law on hold in a June 29 filing written by Idaho Deputy Attorney General Dayton P. Reed while the lawsuits are going through the court process.

“There are no proceedings to arrest: no court or board has ever applied [the law],” wrote Reed, representing the state and the boards. “And the [request to delay implementation] seeks to arrest the proceedings of third parties who are not respondents in this case: all Idaho Courts and law enforcement officers.”

The Idaho Capital Sun asked the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses whether the boards’ members or executive director were consulted before the state made its latest filing in the case.

“We won’t have comment on that aspect,” said Scott Graf, public information officer for the AG’s office.

“I can’t comment on any pending litigation,” said Bob McLaughlin, public information officer for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, the umbrella agency that now includes all of Idaho’s licensing boards.

Although the boards have their own attorneys, they also are state entities. So, they can be represented by the Idaho attorney general.

“The Board of Medicine, Board of Pharmacy and Board of Nursing are being represented by the Idaho Office of Attorney General,” McLaughlin said. “The state’s position will be set forth in pleadings filed [to] the court.”

Idaho’s abortion ‘trigger law’ passed in 2020 Idaho’s “trigger law” was passed by the Idaho Legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Little in 2020. It makes abortion services

a felony crime and takes effect 30 days after the U.S. Supreme Court has officially overturned the constitutional right to abortion under Roe v. Wade.

That could mean that, unless the Idaho Supreme Court had ruled on the Planned Parenthood lawsuit by mid-August, abortion providers could be subject to discipline for their work.

Anyone who performs or attempts to perform an abortion can be convicted of a felony with a sentence of two to five years in prison.

If they are prosecuted, an abortion provider can defend themselves by showing the abortion met certain criteria: • to “prevent the death of the pregnant woman”; • was performed in a way that “provided the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive”; • if the pregnant woman, or the girl’s parent or guardian, reports an “act of rape or incest to a law enforcement agency” and gives the doctor a copy of the police report.

However, the health care provider would be required to prove in court that the abortion was, more likely than not, allowed under those exceptions.

There also is no exception when a patient seeking an abortion threatens to harm or kill themselves if they cannot terminate the pregnancy.

Doctors and other health care providers who violate the law — performing, attempting or assisting an abortion — also face professional discipline. Their licenses would be suspended for at least six months on the first violation, and would be permanently revoked if they violate the law again.

For at least the past decade, it has been very rare for the Idaho Board of Medicine, Idaho Board

of Nursing or the Idaho Board of Pharmacy to revoke a license permanently.

How will Idaho’s abortion law apply in real-life circumstances?

Idaho’s health care providers are still trying to figure out how the law will apply in real-life situations.

Abortions can be provided, in theory, by any doctor who is trained in abortion care. Not all doctors do perform abortions through medicine or surgery, though.

But the law may affect the practice of many family doctors, obstetricians and gynecologists — whose patients have, for decades, been able to choose whether to end a pregnancy, either because it is unplanned or for medical or other reasons.

Dr. Loren Colson is a family medicine doctor who provides his patients pregnancy counseling which includes abortion as an option.

“The question for us becomes: When is it considered necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman?” Colson said. “Is it when there’s a complication they could die from? Or [is it when abortion would] prevent a complication they could die from?”

Patients can have complications that he says are unclear in the law: ectopic pregnancies, fatal chromosomal abnormalities, women with a high risk of life-threatening conditions like pre-eclampsia or situations when water breaks prematurely — putting both patients at risk of infection or sepsis, and requiring the mother to either deliver a fetus that can’t survive outside the womb or try to stall delivery and hope antibiotics can stall infection.

There are cases when water breaks prematurely, and the patient must either deliver or try

to hold off delivery and hope that antibiotics prevent infection or sepsis.

The Idaho Academy of Family Physicians “is very concerned” about how the law will affect doctors and their ability to care for patients.

“Idaho’s trigger law is so vague as to result in a series of gray areas in the delivery of care to pregnant patients,” said Liz Woodruff, executive director of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians.

It will likely lead to confusion about how to treat conditions such as: • miscarriages in which the fetus dies but doesn’t leave the uterus; • lethal conditions in a developing fetus, such as when a vital organ like the brain never develops; • and ectopic pregnancies, which are non-viable and dangerous because the fertilized egg is lodged in a fallopian tube.

In a statement June 24, the academy said it “strongly opposes any external interference in [the health care] process as it conflicts with the fundamental medical principle of patient autonomy and infringes upon the patient-physician relationship.”

The policy also would “criminalize the patient-physician relationship and inhibit the delivery of safe and timely comprehensive care,” it said.

The law “will complicate the delivery of timely medical care, putting physicians in precarious legal situations and therefore putting patients at risk,” Woodruff said.

This story was produced by the Boise-based nonprofit news service Idaho Capital Sun. Find more statewide coverage at idahocapitalsun.com.

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NEWS

County rescinds nowake zone extension

Courtesy photo.

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County on June 30 terminated its resolution extending no-wake zones on all navigable county waters to 500 feet. The law surrounding no-wake zones has returned to what’s written in the code: 100 feet on most local rivers and 200 feet on all lakes and the Pend Oreille River.

The original extension resolution, passed June 21, declared that forecasted flooding posed “a threat to life and property” in Bonner County due to “high water levels and a lot of floating debris,” according to Director of Emergency Management Bob Howard.

In the termination of that resolution, signed June 30 by all three county commissioners, Howard declared an

end to the threat.

Lake Pend Oreille officially reached summer pool — 2,062 feet — on July 2, according to data compiled by the Hope gauge and logged on the Northwest River Forecast Center website at nwrfc. noaa.gov/rfc. At summer pool, the lake will waver slightly between 2,062 and 2,062.5 feet under the management of Albeni Falls Dam until the drawdown period in the fall.

Despite the lessening risk of flooding, those recreating on Lake Pend Oreille and local rivers should still be aware of debris in the water and stay apprised of quickly changing weather forecasts. Local authorities request that boaters report any large hazards to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office by calling 208-265-5525 or emailing marine@ bonnercountyid.gov.

VA outreach planned for Priest River

By Reader Staff

Bonner County Veterans Service Officer Bryan Hult will be at the VFW Post 2909 in Priest River, 113 Larch St., between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12. Hult will be assisting with ongoing claims, answering questions about current veterans’ benefits and can take new 6 /

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claims for benefits for eligible veterans and their dependents.

To ensure attendees are given quality time, they are asked to schedule an appointment by calling Mary Lindgren at 208-255-5291. If there are no appointments or conditions prohibit travel, the outreach will be canceled.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

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

A recent sampling: In a recent rash of decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, justices not only revoked the constitutional right to an abortion in a 6-3 decision, but sided (6-3) with a public school coach who prayed publicly at games; ruled (6-3) that Maine cannot exclude religious schools from receiving state tuition funds; determined (5-4) that the U.S. president has full authority to end the “remain in Mexico” immigration policy; imposed limits (6-3) on the EPA’s ability to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act; decided (6-3) to strike down a New York gun law; and said Americans have the right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, expected to impact 25% of the population.

The justices responsible for the most divisive decisions claim if a topic is not in the U.S. Constitution, it has no legal standing — an “Originalist” philosophy.

Politico reported that Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurring opinion to the Roe vs. Wade decision, said fellow justices “should reconsider” past rulings on contraception, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage.

Many see the recent stance by Supreme Court ultra-conservatives as contrary to the Founders’ intentions, such as pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. To re-balance the court, former-Labor Secretary Robert Reich suggested a handful of court reform proposals, including: term limits for justices, enforcing ethics standards, requiring financial disclosures, expanding the court (done seven times before) and rotating justices.

The Jan. 6 House select committee got a riveting earful June 29 from Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to ex-President Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. From that testimony, numerous legal experts have told the media the likelihood that Trump will face criminal charges is heightened, since prosecutors will be able to meet the burden of proof for solicitation to commit a crime of violence and obstruction of Congress, as well as possibly for seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Under oath, Hutchinson shared that Meadows told her on Jan. 2 that “things might get real real bad on Jan. 6.” She also testified that while with Trump and others backstage before the president’s Jan. 6 speech, he was angry that the area for the crowd was not full. When told it was because security was slow because of using

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

magnetometers to screen for weapons, Trump said the detectors should be taken down and he didn’t “f-ing care” if people had weapons because, “They’re not here to hurt me.” Hutchinson said Trump was adamant about joining marchers to the Capitol, and when the Secret Service refused to take him, Trump said, “I’m the f-ing president, take me to the Capitol now!”

Enraged, he reportedly lunged at a Secret Service agent. Hutchinson also testified to a Trump tantrum, wherein the president threw his lunch at a White House wall and broke plates when his attorney general told him the election was not stolen.

Video shown by the House committee included Trump’s former security adviser, Michael Flynn, taking the Fifth Amendment when Committee member Rep. Liz Cheney asked him if he believed in the peaceful transfer of political power. He also pleaded the Fifth when asked if the Jan. 6 Capitol violence was legally justified.

Hutchinson was asked by White House counsel Pat Cipollone to “please make sure we don’t go up to the Capitol; we’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable.” His concerns were “obstructing justice or obstructing the electoral count” and looking like “we were inciting a riot.”

After the riot started, Hutchinson said she heard Meadows tell Cipollone that Trump didn’t want “to do anything about it.”

Then discussion about rioters calling for hanging Vice President Mike Pence saw Cipillone telling Meadows, “We need to do something… he [Trump] doesn’t think they’re doing anything wrong, and [Trump thinks] Mike deserves it.”

It took hours for Trump to tell the rioters to go home. Hutchinson said the next day Trump was advised to deliver remarks about national healing, but the president faulted Pence, not the rioters, for the riot.

Concerned that invoking the 25th Amendment would relieve him of the presidency, Trump did offer public remarks, but “this election is now over.” At least two more House hearings are scheduled for July.

In speaking recently at the Reagan Presidential Library, Cheney drew applause when she said “Republicans cannot both be loyal to Donald Trump and loyal to the Constitution.”

Blast from the past: A family in Brazil recently found their beloved turtle in the attic — after the pet had been missing for 30 years. Turtles can live up to three years without food; they suspect theirs survived on termite larvae.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

The Fourth of July

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Growing up, I loved the Fourth of July. Leading up to the holiday, red, white and blue pennants were hung between buildings; grocery store displays featured sales on bomb pops, crackling rock candy and sparklers; and chairs staking people’s spots on the sidewalk began showing up a full day before the town’s parade.

The morning of the Fourth, my siblings and I would wake with the general excitement that comes from knowing the day ahead would be different — better than a regular day. We’d throw on whatever stars-andstripes-themed shirt that fit and devour the special-occasion pancakes my mom was at home from work to flip. With large plastic bags in tow, we’d hit the streets, collecting the handfuls of candy tossed by familiar faces atop decked-out floats and from their open car windows.

Even more than working my way through a bulging post-parade bag of candy, I loved the fireworks. Stretching out glow stick-covered limbs on a large picnic quilt in the grass, my siblings and I would invent a new exclamation for every firework blasted — our “kazaams!” and “ka-blamos!” adding to the cacophony of “oohs” and “ahs” around us.

But, as an adult, the Fourth of July has lost its magic. Being the loving owner of several pets who are boom-averse, the buildup to the holiday is a lot more stressful than exciting. My

Emily Erickson. partner and I preorder a week’s worth of trazodone for each of our pets (an anti-anxiety medication commonly used for dogs and cats), and prepare to quell the waves of distress that will inevitably last as long as people’s DIY firework shows.

This year — after five consecutive sleep-disrupted nights with my dog barking in anger and confusion, stress wagging his tail and whimpering mournfully with every blast, and groggy-eyed mornings prying my cat out from under the bed — I can’t help but reflect on how far from fun the holiday has become.

In my pets’ (and consequently, my own) anxiety, all the lighthearted excitement is sucked out of the affair. And that feels like an apt description of most things these days. The general heaviness of being an engaged citizen in the world has the side effect of stripping things of their benign wonder.

A Fourth of July parade is no longer a simple celebration by a community, an opportunity to engage in playful togetherness through handfuls of tossed

candy and grandiose waving.

It’s also an opportunity (or maybe obligation) to display a stance about the current state of our country and what it means to be an American at this moment in time. I no longer feel the cavalier luxury of grabbing whatever stars-andstripes-themed shirt that fits; but, instead, I feel the pressure of measuring the meaning and impact of my prospective wardrobe choice.

Should I don orange to make a statement about all the lives lost to gun violence over the decades — an epidemic as fundamentally American as the parade itself? Or maybe I should wear pink in solidarity with the millions of women who are feeling less independent this year? Or can I wear red, white and blue after all, not in blind patriotism, but in support of the service members who sacrifice so much for me to have the freedoms I am afforded? Finally, am I ready to spend the energy defending whatever shirt I do put on?

We’re not only asked to carry the burden of all the injustices we see in our community, our country and around the world, but to bring them with us wherever we go — defending and displaying them as extensions of our identity. And the weight of that responsibility to care about everything, all the time, is exhausting.

The alternative, apathetically flitting from day to day, from parade to parade, comfortable in my own entitlement, doesn’t fit quite right either. More than ever, I see myself in my dog’s

reaction to fireworks — barking in anger and confusion, stress-wagging at all the things I don’t understand and whimpering at my inability to immediately alter my surroundings.

For now, I’ll focus on the good things in my life, the people who are kind to me and to one another, and the seemingly tireless work of others dedicated to creating positive change — a metaphorical trazo-

done taking the edge off in my search for the perfect balance between engaged participation and cowering under the bed.

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www. bigbluehat.studio.

Retroactive

By BO

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Courting politics…

Bouquets: • My throttle cable broke while out riding my motorcycle the other day. Two kind bikers stopped to help me rig the cable to work well enough to get me home, plus another car stopped to make sure we were all right. I really appreciate living in a community where people look out for you when you need a hand. Thanks guys.

Barbs: • It was a pretty sad moment last week when I walked across the street and observed a half dozen small business owners sobbing while packing up their stores inside the Cedar Street Bridge because the new owners raised rents beyond the ability for many current tenants to pay. Here’s a big fat Barb for the new owners, Claire and Frank Fox, both attorneys with The Law Firm of Fox and Fox in Los Angeles. I wonder why anyone would bother moving from L.A. to Sandpoint and try to do business in a town like this if they don’t appreciate our small town ways, our integrity and ability to help out our neighbors when they need it. Buying an iconic building in town just to raise rents and impose a bunch of onerous restrictions on small business owners who just want to earn enough to remain living in Sandpoint seems like the plot to a bad ’80s movie. It’s greed, plain and simple. Greed. I’m sick and tired of seeing it in this town. We need to start standing up for ourselves.

Petition the Sandpoint City Council for rent control for residential and commercial tenants. Plea for a moratorium on new housing developments for a year. Advocate for a new system where out-of-towners pay an added tax when buying homes or property in Bonner County so locals can actually compete and — gasp — own a home in their own town. It’s disgusting what’s become of this place. Definitely not the town I was born in and, sadly, probably not the town I’m going to die in, either (unless I keel over from being constantly pissed off about the people actively destroying this beautiful place in order to enrich themselves).

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Dear editor, Women’s rights are but one of countless linchpins of our political system to be dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court. Others will be junked as time rolls by, the court’s speed and glee determined by which political party is in charge, especially after 2024.

The fact that the Court has become a political tool rather than a dispenser of justice, a club of toadies under the spell of one inept justice and his scheming lobbyist wife, should come as no surprise. The late beloved Marc Shields, longtime guest commentator on the PBS evening news, described the court as “just lawyers appointed by politicians.” That was damning enough.

Today it would be “just politicians appointed by politicians. A breed of elected anti-America politicians never before seen here — determined to replace democracy and the rule of law.”

Tim H. Henney Sandpoint

Farce in force…

restored protections for all of the wolf populations in the United States, except the northern Rockies wolves (which includes Idaho and Montana).

As they have been excluded from protections under the Endangered Species Act, the wolves in Idaho and Montana have been killed indiscriminately. In Idaho this means each hunter can kill an unlimited number of wolves as long as they have purchased a corresponding number of tags with no restrictions on how they are killed.

According to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, up to 150 species become extinct every day on this planet.The wolves in Idaho and Montana are heading in this direction.

Let us preserve the few remaining wolves. I don’t want the only images we can see of wolves to be those on T-shirts, hats, blankets, jewelry, cups, etc. I don’t want to show the children in my life pictures of this magnificent creature and tell them all about this animal who used to live here.

I am calling upon President Joe Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to stand up for wolves and restore their protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Dear editor, The staff and Bonner County Planning Commission both recommended to Cynthia Mason deny the amendment to non-conforming Hope use code. Bonner County Commissioners Dan McDonald and Steve Bradshaw both voted in favor of the amendment, and thus the amendment was adopted. Why Dear editor, do we need a staff and Planning CommisThis past Saturday, when opening sion? Seems like the county commisthe door to the Cedar Street Bridge, sioners can approve or deny whatever they please. Are either of those county commissioners even trained/educated on county planning? I think not.

Additionally, the split of County Planning and Zoning into two separate entities, I believe, was foolish at best.

So now we have two departments, all members having been appointed by our outgoing Milt Ollerton, with agreement by our county commissioners.

Looking at these two “new” departments, one can’t help but be a little curious as to how Milt came up with the people he chose. Looks like a stacked deck, including: asphalt pit owners, developers, real estate agents, etc. And now Milt has left Bonner County. Thanks for continuing the screw-ups that have plagued this county for the past few years.

Planning and zoning proposals in Bonner County don’t mean squat, because the county commissioners have final say. Something sure doesn’t smell right in our county.

Anybody else feel the same way?

Sandpoint doesn’t need to be made ‘a better place’…

Michael Harmelin Sandpoint

Restoring protections for northern Rockies wolves…

Dear editor, A court order on Feb. 10, 2022

I came upon a gaping emptiness and a cruel end to the little restaurant called Tastys. The young owners forced out — leaving a bare floor with only black pipes against the wall.

This is what is happening to Sandpoint. The disruption of our town by some of the newcomers who want to “make it a better place.”

It was a better place, a friendlier place.

We do not need to change. The only change to look forward to is a higher consciousness to honor what we already have and to respect it.

Evie Leucht Sandpoint

Roe decision is ‘just not right’…

Dear editor, Didn’t the three newest “Supremes” say Roe vs. Wade was “settled law”? Weren’t they under oath during those hearings? Now Collins and Manchin are wringing their hands and saying they were misled. Isn’t it perjury to lie and could potentially lead to removal from the bench?

In reality, absolutely nothing will be done by the Congress as it is currently constructed. It seems that it’s now accepted practice to lie.

Texas Republican Rep. Gohmert acted surprised to learn it’s a crime to lie to the FBI. After all, we recently had a president that publicly, certifiably lied thousands of times and some people still voted to re-elect him.

With the overturning of Roe vs.

Wade, women are reduced to being treat-

ed as property rather than humans. For all the “gains” of the 20th century, women are still subservient to the will of men in the 21st. And, that’s just not right.

As the father of three daughters, I expect them to make their own decisions. All women should be able to choose if they are pro-life, pro-choice or neither. It should be their decision.

No branch of government, organization, group or sect should force any decision on them. The state definitely has no place in those decisions, so stay out of them. Women must be given equal rights.

Women — and men too — circle Nov. 8, 2022 on your calendar. Then, in the voting booth, tell everybody how you feel. Change can happen if we all register, get informed and vote in our best interests.

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

‘A true phoenix tale’…

Dear editor, Dorothy Prophet’s piece [Perspectives, “A personal story,” June 30, 2022] was totally inspiring and thought provoking. Considering how she has risen to be a leader in our community, a force of creativity and charity, and source of strength for women like me, her vulnerable tale of surviving abuse resulting in abortion is a true phoenix tale.

Jodi Rawson Sandpoint

PERSPECTIVES

Diverse group hatches proposed winter recreation plan

By Brad Smith Reader Contributor My dad and uncle met up in Sandpoint in 1983 after hearing about the beauty of Lake Pend Oreille and the surrounding Selkirk and Cabinet mountains. The allure of great fishing, hiking, skiing and other outdoor recreational activities piqued their interest. That trip resulted in my family moving to North Idaho in 1986.

Like my dad, many area residents were sold the moment they reached the south end of the Long Bridge.

Our local outdoor amenities have kept me here. While I prefer casting a fly to catch trout, hiking to an alpine vista and skiing a quiet slope, many of my neighbors prefer trolling the lake for kokanee, touring a forest road on a four-wheeler or sledding powder on a snowmobile.

Fortunately, we are blessed with hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. Our national forest lands are large enough to provide opportunities for everyone.

It is important to remember that we also share these lands and waters with wildlife and fish. I became interested in wildlife and conservation when I sighted a caribou at Beehive Lake several years ago. Though we are no longer fortunate to have caribou, we do have wolverine, grizzly bear, lynx, mountain goat, and many other fish and wildlife species.

These animals have no voice — so we humans have a responsibility to find a balance between our own desires to use the landscape and the needs of wildlife.

Our local communities have grown

substantially in recent years and so too has the number of recreationists. That’s one of the reasons why the Idaho Panhandle National Forest is embarking on a process to develop a winter recreation management plan for the Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry and Priest Lake Ranger Districts. With the advent of more powerful snowmachines, winter recreationists are able to access areas of the backcountry where humans rarely if ever traveled in the past.

A group of snowmobilers, backcountry skiers, trappers, outfitters, guides and conservationists began meeting last fall to try and identify areas of common ground for the winter recreation plan. As a representative of the Idaho Conservation League serving on this group, I was skeptical at the outset that we would agree on much.

There are a lot of passionate feelings involved when it comes to recreation areas and restrictions we might place on our use of the landscape to protect wildlife.

Fortunately, the efforts of this group paid off. We recently achieved near unanimous support for a proposed winter recreation plan that I believe strikes a balance between the demand for winter recreation opportunities and needs of wildlife on our local national forest lands. Our proposal includes a mix of areas that will be open to snowmobiling and areas where it will be restricted to provide secure habitat for wildlife.

The ultimate decision on the winter recreation plan will be made by the Forest Service. The group that worked to identify areas of common ground are only providing recommendations in the form of a proposed plan. The Forest Service will be asking the

greater public for input in the near future — a public notice and comment opportunity may come as soon as August. I am also told that the agency will host open houses for people that want to learn more.

People from across the spectrum will certainly find aspects of the proposed winter recreation plan that they don’t like.

But hopefully the compromise hatched by our group is one that most everyone can live with. There will be snowmobilers who don’t like some of the proposed closures and restrictions. There will also be wildlife advocates that feel like the plan doesn’t go far enough to protect wildlife.

Negotiating the proposed plan felt like a diplomatic exercise in nuclear disarmament at times, but I for one feel proud of the group for coming together in good faith to devise a proposal that recognizes the diverse interests in these lands.

In a time when our country is so divided, I find hope in initiatives like this.

The purpose for establishing the national forest system was to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people from our public lands. If the winter recreation plan was just a snowmobile plan or if the plan didn’t provide for any access at all, then it would not be in service to the greater good. If you take the time to review it when it opens up for public input, then I hope that you will agree that we have crafted a plan that you can support or at least live with.

Brad Smith is the North Idaho Director of the Idaho Conservation League.

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

high winds

By Ben Olson Reader Staff We have an inside joke in the Reader office. On Wednesdays, our deadline day to put out this weekly effort, a few hundred tasks all come together before we send the paper off to our printers. Despite all odds, this little miracle usually happens without a hitch and we’re drinking a beer before the sun goes down.

Then there are the dreaded “high winds” days, as we call them. These are the days when it seems like a sudden gale blows everything off our desks, knocks out the power and maybe a tree falls through the roof, and we have to sort everything out before finally putting the paper to bed.

“High winds today,” one of us will warn the other as they walk into the office, expecting a calm deadline. Cursed high winds, they’ll strike when you least expect them.

As fate would have it, our weekly Mad Scientist Brenden Bobby is recovering from an illness this week and I thought it proper to guest-write his column about that very subject: wind.

Under pressure To understand wind, you must first understand pressure.

The tilt of Earth’s axis toward the sun means unequal heating of its surface. Imagine a container of water placed on the equator. It receives direct overhead sunlight, while another, identical container placed in the Arctic Circle only receives a fraction of that light, and thus a fraction of the heat.

Cold air is denser than warm air. It sinks, creating high-pres10 /

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sure areas. Warm air is less dense and rises, creating low-pressure pockets. Air will most always flow from high-pressure to low-pressure areas.

Because the Earth spins, anything floating above the surface — such as air — appears to follow a curved pattern of movement called the Coriolis effect, which is responsible for the prevailing global wind patterns we have understood for centuries.

The Earth essentially has alternating bands of high- and low-pressure areas — high pressure at the poles, low at the Arctic Circle, high at the tropics, low at the equator and repeated for the opposite hemisphere. The global winds are created as the air from high-pressure air moves into low-pressure areas, spinning as the planet rotates. The boundary where these pressure areas meet are called fronts. While weather patterns vary over time, these prevailing global winds have been harnessed by human beings since ancient times.

The easterly trade winds, for example, have been used to oceans by different cultures around the world for centuries.

Local wind patterns occur because land and water absorb the sun’s heat at different rates.

During the day, air above the town of Sandpoint will heat up faster than the air over Lake Pend Oreille. The warm air over town expands and rises, and the heavier, cooler air rushes in to take its place. This creates wind. At night, the cycle is reversed. The air cools more rapidly over land than it does over the lake. This is why you might feel like the water is warmer than the air when swimming after the sun goes down on a cool summer night, or why you

notice your campfire smoke by the lake changes directions when the sun goes down.

Wind = power The same force that fills the sails of mighty ships can rip trees out of the ground by their roots, destroy buildings and maybe even save you a little money on your airline ticket.

The jet streams are strong, fast winds in the upper atmosphere blowing about 300 miles per hour. Airlines routinely fly at high altitudes to ride in the jet streams, which saves time, fuel and also provides a less turbulent ride.

Wind speeds don’t normally reach that high closer to the surface of the Earth except for events like hurricanes and tornadoes. Hurricanes begin as a tropical disturbance — an area of low pressure somewhere in the trade winds that sometimes builds into a depression. They can then progress into a storm and potentially a hurricane with a pronounced spiral of rain bands around the eye of the storm. Wind speeds in hurricanes have been measured as high as 254 mph, while tornadoes have been recorded as high as 302 mph. High winds indeed.

Wind has been used as a power source for thousands of years. Early forms of windmills used to crush grain or pump water, while modern turbines harness the power of the wind to create electricity. Wind energy supplied more than 8% of the total U.S. electricity generation in 2020, with especially windy states like Kansas, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Oklahoma generating more than 30% of their annual power from wind farms.

A wind is a wind is a wind There are some pretty cool terms to describe different types of wind. A “mistral” is a cold wind that blows over the northwest Mediterranean coastline when pressure differences funnel it through the Rhone Valley. A “sirocco” is a hot, dry, dusty wind that moves air from the Sahara into northern Africa and Italy. A “chinook” wind carries warmed air down the Rocky

Mountains and quickly raises the temperature in the valleys below.

A “zephyr” is a soft, gentle breeze. Finally, a “willy-willy” is a local whirling wind in Australia that raises small columns of dirt, or dust devils, from the ground.

May all your high winds days be zephyrs instead of hurricanes.

Random Corner ndence day?

Don’t know much about indepe • U.S. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on July 4. Adams and Jefferson died on the exact same day: July 4, 1826. Monroe died five years later on July 4, 1831.

Meanwhile, Calvin Coolidge is the only U.S. president to be born on the famous date.

• The Continental Congress voted on July 2, 1776 to declare independence from England. It wasn’t until two days later (on July 4) when the Congress formally adopted the Declaration, with the Liberty Bell ringing to celebrate the historic event. Because the vote took place on July 2, John Adams believed this should be the day Americans celebrate independence each year.

He was so stubborn about the date, he declined invitations to appear at events on July 4.

• Fireworks have been part of Independence Day celebrations in the U.S. as early as 1777, but fireworks displays had been used widely in other countries on special occasions for many years prior.

We can help!

• The Fourth of July didn’t become an official national holiday in the U.S. until 1870. Furthermore, federal employees weren’t paid for the holiday until 1938.

• The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped — not rang — 13 times every Independence Day to honor the original 13 colonies. The famous bell hasn’t been rung since Feb. 26, 1846, on George Washington’s birthday, due to the hairline fracture that turned into a large crack that couldn’t be repaired.

• Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs hosts a hot dog eating contest for competitive eaters every year on this holiday. The competition lasts 10 minutes with one goal: to eat more hot dogs than anyone else. Joey Chestnut won the men’s division, eating 63 hot dogs and putting one animal rights protester in a headlock who had rushed the stage. Miki Sudo won the female division, scarfing 40 dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

FEATURE

Water safety habits are a life preserver

By Ben Olson Reader Staff The rivers and lakes of Idaho are a natural draw for those seeking recreation, but they can have a treacherous side. When news broke that four people had gone missing after a boat capsized on the Pend Oreille River last week, many feared the worst. Four bodies were ultimately recovered from the river.

There are an estimated 3,960 unintentional drownings in the U.S. every year, which works out to about 11 drownings per day.

Idaho’s average drowning death rate of 1.74 deaths per 100,000 places it ninth in the nation, with the national average from 20152019 around 1.23 deaths per 100,000. More tragically, Idaho placed second in the nation in 2017 and again in 2021 for accidental drowning deaths of children aged 1 to 9 years old.

Bonner County Coroner Robert Beers told the Reader that Bonner County has recorded 19 drownings since 2017, averaging two to four per year. Two drownings have been recorded in 2022 so far, not including the four fatalities in the recent boating crash on the Pend Oreille River because it is still an open investigation.

With bodies of water around every corner in North Idaho, practicing water safety is not only a good habit, but a potentially life-saving choice as drowning deaths increase during the busy summer months.

Litehouse YMCA Aquatics and Wellness Director Olivia Langs told the Reader that parents can start swimming lessons for their children as early as 6 months old.

“They become acclimated to the water so they don’t have as much fear of the water,” Langs said.

Litehouse YMCA offers swim lessons year-round, with preschool and elementary school lessons Monday-Thursday throughout the summer and less frequently in shoulder seasons.

Langs said it’s vital to learn swimming and water safety habits because of the prevalence of water in North Idaho.

“We have so many bodies of

water all over, between Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Coeur d’Alene, all the other lakes, the rivers, creeks, ponds — it’s just really important to have water safety and instruction to all kids until we are maybe able to incorporate it into our physical education classes in school,” she said.

Working in conjunction with the Long Bridge Swim, Langs said Litehouse YMCA is dedicated to making sure “all of Lake Pend Oreille School District is educated,” when it comes to water safety.

Langs said a shortage of lifeguards — both at YMCA and the City Beach — has exacerbated the problem.

“During COVID, lifeguards weren’t able to renew their certification,” Langs explained. “The Red Cross pushed it out so your certification was valid an extra year, but now they are expiring and some people have chosen to not get recertified. It’s all around the nation, not just here.”

Langs said to remember old sayings like, “swim with a buddy,” and, “reach or throw, don’t go if someone needs help in the water,” to ensure everyone has a safe day.

Lakes Commission Executive Director Molly McCahon released a statement July 1 mentioning the recent fatal boating incident on the river.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the tragic boat accident on the Pend Oreille River early this week,” McCahon wrote. “Tragedies like this bring heightened awareness to dangers on the water and we hope everyone will practice extreme caution when recreating on or near the water.”

McCahon shared a few life-saving rules while on the water: do not attempt to boat or swim in high river currents, everyone should wear a lifejacket on the water, keep a close lookout for large floating debris, follow the speed limit and “rules of the road” for Bonner

County waterways, and be aware of extreme cold water temperatures from recent snowmelt.

Per Bonner County boating regulations, the speed limit for Lake Pend Oreille should be “reasonable but not in excess of 50 mph on Lake Pend Oreille, Pend Oreille River, Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake and 35 mph on the Clark Fork River and Come Back Bay.” Sandpoint resident Claudia

Morris witnessed the boat crash last week, telling KXLY, “We were on the deck watching the river and we heard an incredibly loud boat coming down at a high rate of speed. Unfortunately, the boat right outside our house caught wind, and the wind forced the boat to come up and ultimately flip over.”

McCahon also urged boaters to follow no-wake zone policies, which means boats must travel not more than 5 mph, nor with more than a 6-inch wake, whichever is greater when 200 feet from the

A pair of sailboats on Lake Pend Oreille. Photo by Ben Olson. shoreline or structures.

“Please be safe and enjoy our beautiful waterways,” she said.

Boaters are encouraged to sign up for boating safety classes with the Bonner County Sheriff Marine Division. Call 208-263-8417 for more information about these classes and for any other boating related inquiries.

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

Both pages: The Sandpoint Lions Club hosted another excellent Independence Day Parade in Sandpoint on July 4. Both pages of photos show just a glimpse of the community spirit on display.

Photos by Ben Olson.

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COMMUNITY

July Parks and Rec. programming

By Reader Staff Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces will be offering the following programming in July 2022: Beginner pickleball. For ages 18 and up, pickleball is a recreational social sport played with a paddle and a plastic ball over a 34-inch net on a badminton-sized court.

Equipment will be provided, but participants will need court shoes. Water, sunglasses and a hat are suggested. Five sessions are available and held at Lakeview Park pickleball courts. Sessions are held on select Saturdays this summer from noon-3 p.m. Register by the Thursday prior to your selected session.

Fee: $22 ($3 non-resident fee).

Youth tennis lessons. For ages 4-high school. Most Parks and Rec. tennis lessons are in one-week sessions and run from Monday-Thursday with Friday available for rain make-ups. Lessons average one hour and are held at the Lakeview Park tennis courts. Sessions are offered weekly through Monday, July 25. Times vary depending on the age group selected. Register by the Thursday prior to first class. Fee: $23 ($3 non-resident fee).

Adult ladies golf. Join Mike Deprez Monday nights this summer for ladies golf clinics. Fees include range balls. Session 2, Mondays July 25-Aug. 22, is a five-week clinic. Participants meet at the Elks Golf Course (30196 ID-200, Ponderay). Register by Thursday, July 21. Fee: $100 ($5 non-resident fee).

Junior beginner sailing. For ages 1018. Students will learn sailing and safety basics and then head out on the water for hands-on experience. Personal flotation devices are required, but students should be comfortable in deep water. Session 2 runs Monday, July 11-Thursday, July 14, from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Register by Wednesday, July 6. Participants will meet at the Windbag Marina on (Fred’s Deck). A mandatory swim test will be administered at the City Beach lifeguard headquarters at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 8. Fee: $45 ($4 non-resident fee).

Adult tennis lessons. Most Parks and Rec. tennis lessons are in one-week sessions and run two days a week with Friday available for rain make-ups. Lessons run 5:30-6:30 p.m. and are held at the Lakeview Park tennis courts. Register by the Thursday

Courtesy photo. prior to the first class. Fee: $22 ($3 non-resident fee).

Ultimate Frisbee league. For ages 16 and up. The league is coed and all skill levels are encouraged to participate. Online registration is still available. The league requires a minimum of 20 players to begin.

After season start, and through October 2022, players should arrive at the field during the date and time of play prepared to sign an on-site waiver. League play is held on Great Northern Field 8, Thursdays from 5:30- 7:30 p.m. Fee: $20 per player.

Register for any Parks and Rec. program at secure.rec1.com/ID/city-of-sandpoint/catalog, at the Parks and Rec. office at City Hall (1123 Lake St.) or calling 208-263-3613.

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FOOD & DRINK

Sippin’ suds at City Beach Enjoy some cold ones at the 8th annual Chamber Beerfest

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff In a time marked by so much divisiveness, it is good to remember something that many Sandpointians have in common: a love of beer.

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce knows this, and is giving everyone a chance to celebrate that love on Saturday, July 9 as it hosts the 8th annual Sandpoint Beerfest on the lawn at Trinity at City Beach.

This year’s Beerfest is slated for noon to 5 p.m. and will feature three local breweries: MickDuff’s, Matchwood and Laughing Dog. Regional outfits like Post Falls Brewing Company, Timber Town, Trails End and Mad Bomber will also be in attendance. There will be

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more than 20 beers, ciders and seltzers on tap.

“This is, of course, a much smaller Beerfest than other local events, like Schweitzer’s Fall Fest, but past attendees love it because it is small and they can talk to the breweries, enjoy the weather and listen to great music,” said Chamber President and CEO Kate McAlister. “We have folks from Spokane who attend every year and wouldn’t miss it.”

The 2022 Beerfest theme is “tiki,” and the first 500 ticket-holders will receive a tiki glass upon entry. Sandpoint’s favorite funk-disco-rock-groove band Right Front Burner will provide live tunes from 1-4 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs to the event.

McAlister said the Chamber is

thankful to Beerfest sponsors Hendricks Architecture, Sweet Lou’s, Ting, Sandpoint Law, Blue Sky Broadcasting and North Idaho Title.

“We couldn’t do it without their support,” she said.

Also integral to Sandpoint Beerfest are the volunteers.

“The majority of our volunteers have been with us since we started eight years ago. We really never have an issue getting volunteers for this event — must be the T-shirt,” McAlister said. “We are very thankful for all of them. It’s great to have volunteers you can count on.”

Go to events.beerfests.com/e/sandpoint-beerfest-2022 to buy tickets, or grab them at the gate the day of the event. Tickets are $50 in advance or $60 at the gate. Attendees must be 21

years of age or older. Attendance will be limited to the first 750 people. Email info@sandpointchamber.com or call 208-263-2161 with any questions.

COMMUNITY

One more race

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

On Sunday, July 10, Sandpoint will experience what Jacey Lawson calls “race day magic” — that is, the feeling of love and community that surfaces during the annual Jacey’s Race.

More than 20 years ago, Lawson — 4 years old at the time — was diagnosed with a Stage IV Wilms Tumor. Out of that experience, her family was inspired to launch Jacey’s Race: a nonprofit benefiting kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The organization centers on the annual race, which this year will feature 5K and 1K routes both beginning at Sandpoint High School.

The 2022 event will benefit 10-year-old local Riley Albertson, living with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“Our whole family is so incredibly honored to have Riley be the beneficiary for Jacey’s Race this year,” Tasha Albertson, Riley’s mom, told the Reader. “Obvi-

The 2022 Jacey’s Race, benefiting Riley Albertson, will be the organization’s last

ously this is a situation that no one wants to go through, however we continue to be absolutely blown away by the generosity of this community and the amazing people God has put into our lives because of it.

“The team at Jacey’s Race has been so supportive,” she added. “They check in often to see if there is anything we need or to just lend a listening ear, but the most valuable part has been that Riley is able to see how his community is standing behind him.”

Lawson said the support the Albertsons are feeling speaks directly to the heart of the family philosophy within Jacey’s Race.

“There is a special bond that happens behind the scenes between our beneficiary families, our volunteers and even our community members,” she said.

“It’s hard to put into words the feeling that bubbles up when the current year’s beneficiary family steps onto the scene on race day. Knowing that every single person who shows up at the high school that Sunday morning is there for them and seeing their faces light up at that very fact

is a priceless moment.”

Lawson said she has fond memories of her own time as the beneficiary during the first race in 2001, and “having my friends from school run up to me and hug me after many weeks of being away from them in the hospital.”

“This memory comes up every year as I watch the same situation happen for the current beneficiary kiddos,” she said. “It is also a beautiful thing to feel connected to masses of strangers and not feel like strangers at all because we are all united by a single cause.”

The 2022 Jacey’s Race will be the organization’s last, Lawson said, as race director Nanci Jenkins — Lawson’s mom — is going back to school and can no longer commit fully to the demands of running a nonprofit. While the family struggled with the decision, Lawson said “we all want to support her in her dreams and allow her the chance to excel.”

In addition, Lawson said many board members are seeing changes in their lives

that would make the commitment to Jacey’s Race more difficult.

“The entirety of our board believes that we have accomplished what we set out to do, and that was to raise awareness and support in our community for these families,” she said. “We have seen a huge change in the resources, assistance and acceptance that families in need receive.”

Lawson said she believes that the “magic” of Jacey’s Race will persist far beyond the final race day.

“We hope that that magical feeling will be passed from us through our community members who have attended the race for many years and will continue to create magic in other ways,” she said.

The 2022 Jacey’s Race is Sunday, July 10 at Sandpoint High School (410 S. Division St.). The 5K begins at 8:30 a.m. while the 1K begins at 9:15 a.m. The event will also feature vendors, an auction and various children’s activities. Register at jaceys-race.com.

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events

July 7 - 14, 2022

THURSDAY, July 7

Wine and Dine Beneath the Pines • Various @ Pine Street Woods Stroll through Pine St. Woods and stop along the way to enjoy 5 paired wines from Pend d’Oreille Winery. 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. $125/person

FriDAY, July 8

Free Community Food Distribution Live Music w/ Bon Bon Vivant 11am-1pm @ Christ Our Redeemer 7-10pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Lutheran Church, 1900 Pine St. Sandpoint Live music in an outdoor setting, but a Free food distribution while supplies last. fantastic band (see Page 21 for more info) Please enter through Lincoln Ave. side of Live Music w/ Scott Dodson the parking lot and do not arrive early 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin CDA-based performer. Classic rock, etc.

7-9pm @ The Back Door Trails and Tails • 11am-12pm @ Pine Street Woods The Geezer Forum & Kaniksu Land Trust brings weekly outings held every Friday through Aug. 19. Volunteers needed! 425-577-1197

SunDAY, July 10

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Magic Night at Jalapeño’s 5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant Starring veteran magician Star Alexander

Jacey’s Race • 8:30am @ Sandpoint High school This will be the last ever Jacey’s Race! This competitive 5K for runners and walkers, and 1K for kids, raises funds for local children with cancer or life-threatening illnesses Train Watch Workshop • 4pm @ Gardenia Center wildidahorisingtide.org for more info

monDAY, July 11 Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Art in the Park with Cedar Hills Kids 12-2pm @ Sandpoint City Beach Pavilion A FREE arts and crafts activity afternoon at the Beach, sponsored by Cedar Hills Church. All prep work done so you can create together as a family! Free!

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after Annual Tailgate Sale 8am-1pm @ Memorial Community Ctr. 415 Wellington Way in Hope. Sponsored by the Whispering Pines 4H Club Blind Beer Tasting 6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Hosted every second Monday, offering a chance to try something new. $15

tuesDAY, July 12

Trails and Tails • 11am-12pm @ Pine Street Woods The Geezer Forum has partnered with Kaniksu Land Trust on these weekly outings held every Friday through Aug. 19. Volunteers needed! 425-577-1197 Honeysuckle live on KRFY • 8pm @ 88.5 FM KRFY Community Radio New York-based indie folk band Honeysuckle, featuring Sandpoint’s own Holly McGarry, will play a special show on KRFY. Don’t miss this one!

wednesDAY, July 13

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Live music w/ Scott Reid Live Piano w/ Bob Beadling 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Benny on the Deck • 6-8pm @ Connie’s Featuring Sydnie Knepper Open Mic 6-10pm @ The Tervan Live Music w/ Samantha Carston 6-8pm @ The Back Door

ThursDAY, July 14

Speakeasy with LPO Rep company 7-10pm @ 219 Lounge Join LPO Rep Theater Co. as they transport you back to the 1920s for an interactive evening of song, dance and comedy.

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Summer Music Series: Little Hurricane 6pm @ Farmin Park Head down to Farmin Park for the second installment of the FREE Sandpoint Summer Music Series, featuring Little Hurricane. Stay tuned to next week’s Reader for a story about this awesome band

Mobius Biology 12-2pm @ Sandpoint Library Join us for interactive learning with Mobius Discovery Center. Learn about fisheries, river health and the ocean Stop Oil Trains Spotlight 10pm @ Downtown Sandpoint

Live Music w/ Brendan Kelty Trio 5:30-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 6-8pm @ The Back Door Aiyanna Wellness Spa Grand Opening @ 30410 Hwy 200, Suite 100 Check out our new building with relaxing chair massages, mini facials, mocktails and more. info@nimassageacademy.com Live Music w/ Miah Kohal Band 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Outlaw country and classic rock w/ style

SATURDAY, July 9

BeerFest 12-5pm @ Trinity at City Beach Sample local and regional brews at this festive beach party, which doubles as a fundraiser for the Sandpoint Chamber.

Live music w/ Right Front Burner Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Sandpoint’s indie rock trio playing originals and groovy covers Live Music w/ Nick Wiebe 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Lively, energetic fun music Live Music w/ The Liabilities 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Led by the Packwood Bros., playing oldschool R&B, funk and classic rock Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 7-9pm @ The Back Door

Tailgate Sale in Hope 8am-1pm @ Hope Memorial Community Ctr Look for some great finds at this annual sale, sponsored by Whispering Pines 4-H Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Fresh produce, artisan goods, live music

by Ponderay Paradox

Mobius Biology in Clark Fork 12-2pm @ Clark Fork Library Join us for interactive learning with Mobius Discovery Center. Learn about fisheries, river health and the ocean Stop Oil Trains Outreach 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Bonner County Garden Tour 2022 10am-4pm @ Various local gardens See 7 inspirational in-town gardens in this self-guided tour. Learn more at bcgardeners.org

STAGE & SCREEN

You’re gonna need a bigger screen: Catch Jaws at the Panida Theater within the plot of Jaws — the most obvious interpretations keying into its similarities with Moby Dick.

Some movies only get better However, many other cinewith age. Fewer still become even philes have suggested that Jaws more allegorical. Jaws, the iconic is a cautionary tale about humans’ 1975 thriller directed by Steven propensity to invade environments Spielberg, is one such film. in which they don’t belong; that Adapted from the 1974 novel it’s a metaphor for the trauma and

by Peter Benchley, Jaws is on its catharsis of the Watergate scandal; surface a movie about an enorthat it’s a story about nature pushmous, ravenous Great White shark ing back against the world-ending that terrorizes a New England threat of nuclear war; that it’s a beach community until it is class drama, exploring how memhunted and killed by a motley trio bers of the lower- (Quint), middleconsisting of a crusty old seadog, (Brody) and upper-economic a snarky oceanographer and an strata (Hooper) grapple with the every-man cop who is, ironically, enormous socio-political and afraid of the water. natural structures in which they’re As with its enmeshed. aquatic antagonist, Jaws (R) (For an exthere is of course cellent summary Wednesday, July 13; doors at 6:30 p.m., screening at 7 p.m.; much, much more and explanation $5 general admission, FREE for going on beneath of those themes Panida members. Panida Theater, the waves. Rafts 300 N. First Ave., 208-263-9191, and more, read of critical essays, get tickets or become a member the 2020 essay reviews and film

by Olivia Rutiof the theater at panida.org. school theses have gliano titled, “On been written about the Endless Symbolism of Jaws, the deeper meaning(s) lurking Which Owes its Dark Soul to

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Moby Dick,” at crimereads.com.)

One interpretation that I particularly like — and one that Spielberg himself identified as a critical piece of the story — is that Jaws is an indictment of capitalism’s favoring of short-term profit and convenience over human lives.

That point should be clear enough to anyone who’s ever seen the film: the sleazy mayor knows there’s a killer shark stalking the shoreline of his resort community, but refuses to listen to the dire warnings of his own police chief to close the beach — especially heading into the Fourth of July weekend, when the tiny community of Amity Island will see its biggest influx of tourists.

What’s more, the mayor and his fellow town leaders actively downplay the threat by willfully misrepresenting or ignoring the evidence, dismissing legitimate concerns as hysteria and outright lying to the public by insisting that everything’s fine — even as people are devoured in spumes of blood and seawater.

In 1975 that probably played as a direct jab. Viewed 47 years later, amid the COVID era and the long tail of the truth-averse Trump presidency, Jaws feels even more pointed toward what Rutigliano described in her essay as satirizing or condemning “the potential inconvenience of facts.”

In our time, to that could be added climate change, unchecked wealth and property accumulation, and even the Supreme Court. Or maybe it’s just a horror movie about a gigantic, overly intelligent and vicious fish. But I don’t think so.

Otherwise it wouldn’t be considered among the most essential popular films ever made — to many students of cinema, even regarded as “a perfect film.”

Ultimately, it may be that Jaws is so resonant because

the shark represents anything the viewer wants it to be, whether that’s the pitilessness of nature, Richard Nixon or a 20th-century Moby Dick.

Whatever you want the shark to be, there is no denying that Jaws is one of the most entertaining spectacles ever put on film — even better to see it in all its gory glory on the big screen July 13 as part of the Panida Theater’s Second Wednesday Summer Film Series. Sponsored by Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 general admission and free for Panida members (find out how to become a member at panida.org).

Bonus: Wear your “best Hawaiian shirt, outrageous personal floaty or best Quint impression” and prizes will be awarded to the first-place winner in each category.

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COMMUNITY BTAA adoption fees waived until July 16 Community assistance is needed to find homes for cats and dogs

By Reader Staff Like most animal shelters across the country, North Idaho’s Better Together Animal Alliance is experiencing an increase in adult animals arriving at their animal care center and staying for more extended periods of time.

To help create space and provide some relief for animals and staff, adoption fees at BTAA for all adult animals are waived July 2-16 thanks to a generous sponsor.

“There are many factors contributing to our increased dog and cat population in the care center,” said Devin Laundrie, operations director at BTAA. “We are seeing financial, health and housing instabilities play out in our community. People are having to make hard decisions to surrender their loved pets.

“Our goal is to keep pets out of cages,” she added. “We do our best to provide a comfortable environment, but it isn’t a home and can be stressful. We need people to come in and adopt. We need help getting these wonderful pets back into homes.”

While not everyone is in a position to adopt a pet right now, there are other ways to help and support these animals and find them homes during this time.

You can visit bettertogetheranimalalliance.org/adopt and share some of the animal

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profiles to your social media accounts, or send them to friends or family members who are looking to adopt. Those interested should also consider becoming a foster home for animals in the community. When you register as a foster through BTAA, all food, supplies and medical support are provided — you just provide the home and care. Visit bettertogetheranimalalliance.org/foster to register.

Community members can also donate to BTAA. This could be a financial contribution or in the form of food or other supplies. Visit bettertogetheranimalalliance.org/ways-to-give to see how you can support animals in our community and check out BTAA’s supply wish list.

Another way to help is to volunteer as a dog walker, cat room attendant or lend a hand with other duties around the animal care center. Visit bettertogetheranimalalliance.org/ volunteer to learn more and apply.

“We have so many fantastic dogs and cats that would make great additions to any household,” Laundrie said. “I’m hopeful we can rally together to find homes for each one of these animals.”

Learn more about adopting a pet at BTAA by calling their animal care center at 208-2657297 ext. 100 or visiting bettertogetheranimalalliance.org/adopt.

MUSIC

The pursuit of living well

New Orleans band Bon Bon Vivant brings genre-bending indie dance rock to Sandpoint

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Rather than list influences or genres, vocalist and songwriter Abigail Cosio takes a different approach when describing the sound of New Orleans-based band Bon Bon Vivant.

“People may not know bands, may not know genres, but if I say joy, celebration, irreverence, a little bit of spooky, a little darkness” — people can understand that.

Cosio is the frontwoman of Bon Bon Vivant, which also features her husband, saxophonist Jeremy Kelley. The two met in Los Angeles in the early 2000s when Kelley went to see Cosio — at the time a solo artist — play a gig. Though he’d been playing in bands and navigating the L.A. music scene for some time, Cosio left an impression.

“Just to hear the lyrical content of Abby’s music, and the melodic structures — I was just like, ‘I have to be in a band with this person,’” Kelley told the Reader.

“That’s not changed over time.”

The pair decided to leave California during the 2008 recession and landed in New Orleans, planning for a “lost year,” as Kelley put it. It’s been well over a decade since that leap and, in that time, Cosio and Kelley — along with a rotating cast of other musicians — have found their niche in the

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

READ

Anyone who pays attention to the contemporary literary world knows the name Anthony Doerr. The author — who lives in Boise — won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2014. As a lover of short fiction, I’ve discovered that Doerr’s work remains powerful even in bitesized pieces. My favorite story of his is “The Hunter’s Wife,” which beautifully weaves nature, magic and human vulnerability. Read it in his 2001 short story compilation The Shell Collector, or find it online at theatlantic.com.

LISTEN

Big Easy as Bon Bon Vivant. The band’s name is a play on the term “bon vivant,” used to describe someone who enjoys living well.

“We went from one lost year to see what it was like, to staying, and now we’re in parade bands and all kinds of things,” Kelley said, noting that being “invited into that culture” has been a “gift.”

“It’s been an awesome journey,” he added.

That journey is bringing Bon Bon Vivant to Sandpoint over the weekend, with a show slated for Friday, July 8 at Matchwood Brewing at 6:30 p.m. The band will also play Sandpoint Summerfest on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Bon Bon Vivant boasts a sound rich with the swaggering jazz one would expect from a New Orleans

band, but the music’s texture does not stop there. Apart from the emotions Cosio used to describe it, Bon Bon Vivant’s music is “cabaret meets indie meets dance music,” she said.

What’s undeniable is the craftsmanship that goes into the final product. Cosio’s throaty, expressive vocals defy genre, and the personality of the horns makes each song unique.

Bon Bon Vivant may not be easy to categorize, but the band’s dedication to putting on a vibrant live show places them firmly among the must-see bands in Sandpoint this summer.

While touring can be grueling, Cosio and Kelley agreed that they love playing music in the Pacific Northwest.

New Orleans band Bon Bon Vivant will play Matchwood Brewing Co. on Friday, July 8. Courtesy photo.

“It feels like [being on] a pirate ship,” Kelley said. “You drive around meeting all these interesting people and having all these experiences. You’ll be completely affirmed at a show, and then the van, just as you’re pulling out for a four-hour drive, loses a water pump. It’s like a little roller coaster all the time.”

“It’s a life of constant progress and constant challenge and constant re-evaluation of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Cosio added. “It’s visceral.”

Listen to Bon Bon Vivant at bbvband.com and follow the band on Facebook to get tour updates.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Brendan Kelty Trio, Matchwood Brewing, July 7

Scott Dodson, Pend d’Oreille Winery, July 8

Kick back with some good tunes and great brews Thursday, July 7 as Sandpoint’s own Brendan Kelty Trio brings the fun to Matchwood Brewing Co. The trio, consisting of Brendan Kelty, Pete Hicks and Jeremy Kleinsmith, plays a rip-roaring mixture of Americana, bluegrass, rock, folk and indie. With Kelty’s soulful expressions on the guitar and microphone, Hicks laying down an energetic bassline and Kleinsmith banging the tubs for

On his website, Coeur d’Alene-based singer-songwriter Scott Dodson is described as having “a keen eye on bringing out the melodies in each and every song” that he plays — that includes both a huge catalog of classic and contemporary hits, as well as originals created over 40 years of writing and performing.

Sample Dodson’s repertoire, which spans from The Beatles to Garth Brooks to Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and more,

all he’s worth (you may recognize him as the drummer for Sandpoint’s favorite dance band, Tennis), this group plays a fun mix of covers and originals to keep the party going.

— Ben Olson 5:30-8:30 pm., FREE. Matchwood Brewing Co., 513 Oak St., 208-718-2739, matchwoodbrewing.com. Listen at brendankelty. bandcamp.com.

and you’ll find that that’s accurate.

Playing solo acoustic guitar, he goes straight to the heart of what makes those tunes so special. On top of that, he brings a refined vocal sensibility that echoes Paul Simon’s lilt and timbre — a perfect Pend d’Oreille Winery pairing.

— Zach Hagadone

I’ve fallen back in love with American indie rock band Lord Huron — more specifically, the band’s incredible 2015 release Strange Trails. This isn’t to say that I ever fell out of love with the band, but this season of my life seems to pair exceptionally well with the wistfully adventurous tracks on this particular album. Tracks like “Meet Me in the Woods” and “Love Like Ghosts” remain standouts on a record that shines with originality even seven years after its debut.

WATCH

Netflix recently dropped a docuseries titled Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, which takes a look inside the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints under the leadership of Warren Jeffs. This series is artfully done and incredibly unsettling, doing a deep dive into the abuse suffered under theological justification. If you find this series interesting, I also recommend the book Breaking Free — a memoir by one of Jeffs’ daughters, Rachel, who lives in North Idaho.

8-5 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-2658545, powine.com. Listen at scottydodson.com.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

From Northern Idaho News, June 30, 1931

MRS. ALTMAN DENIED USE OF CAR FOR TWO YEARS ENTERS A PLEA OF GUILTY TO CHARGE OF RECKLESS DRIVING AND WILL SELL HER CAR Mrs. Albert Altman who had been arrested on a charge of reckless driving her car the complaint having been sworn out by Mrs. C.H. Brad, the wife of the man killed in the automobile accident when Mrs. Altman’s car and that of Brad collided last week on the Cocolalla road, entered a plea of guity when brought into court.

The judge told her she would not be allowed to drive a car for the next two years and advised her to dispose of her car. Mrs. Altman agreed to sell her automobile and not drive one for two years and was released.

Mrs. Brad, who has been staying here and in Coeur d’Alene since the accident in which her husband lost his life, has made arrangements to have the body shipped to Butte, Mont., for burial and it will be shipped Wednesday morning.

It is said she will enter suit against Mrs. Altman for damages sustained by the accident, but this is not certain as yet as Mrs. Altman is a widow woman with small children to look after and with no money to pay a judgment.

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On abortion and sex education

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist In John Prine’s song, “Way Back Then,” he sings, “I am out undoing all the good I’ve done.” That could be a theme for the past few years in the United States.

Environmental laws passed “way back then” are weakened; international agreements are abandoned; traditional friends are snubbed; and rancorous, argumentative politics have settled into every level of government.

I have my theories on the causes of all this, one being that the rising resistance to progressive thinking by a dogmatic, entrenched, seemingly intentionally ignorant group of power mongers is actually the thrashing death throes of far-right extremism. One can only hope, right?

In the meantime, though, the current U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision made by a former version of itself on June 24 — the 1973 ruling in Roe vs. Wade. As much as the U.S. has been focused of late on the later decision concerning the right of women to have an abortion, I don’t feel compelled to go into the history. I will just say that I believe the justices who voted to reverse the 1973 finding were, for a couple of reasons, wrong.

First, I don’t believe the reversal reflects the law or the overall will of the American people, but represents the personal feelings of the justices themselves, which is contrary to how constitutional law is supposed to work. In spite of the vociferous opposition to abortion rights by

STR8TS Solution

the political and religious right, a sizeable majority has supported and accepted that right for almost 50 years.

Second, I do believe that the loss of any hard-won right is a move in the wrong direction, unless it stems directly from a mandate from the people affected by that loss.

It’s worrisome. What other reversals might be considered? For instance, how does the current court feel (personally) about Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka?

Personally, I am not a fan of abortion.

It’s an invasive medical procedure, hard on the body of someone going through it and on the psyche of those who make the decision to have one. But I am also not likely to be affected by an unwanted pregnancy at this point in my life. So, it’s none of my business, in the same manner that the decisions and facts of gender orientation are not. I don’t think it’s the business of a Supreme Court justice, either — or the neighbors’ — but the concern of those involved in what is always a unique situation.

A related issue that I feel is my business — and the business of many others — is the matter of public education about the joys and consequences of sex. I think a reasonable response to the argument about abortion is teaching young people about the possible — OK, probable — results of intercourse and the responsibilities involved, as well as ways to prevent not only pregnancy but sexually transmitted diseases. There are plenty of people on the planet already, too many in some places.

The solution to many world problems — including global warming — is reducing the planetary birth rate.

It’s interesting to me — in a morbid sort of way — that the people and institutions most vocally dead set against abortion are also those who yell the loudest when the idea of sex education in public schools is presented; not to mention the thought that we should modify America’s gun laws, if for no other reason than to keep our children safe. There are some almost schizoid contradictions here.

Enforcing Levitical laws on current society is not the job of any modern court, political group or religious institution.

Besides, making abortion illegal will not make it unavailable any more than liquor was during Prohibition, just more chancy.

Read more of “A Few Thoughts” at bluecreekpress.com/write-on.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution

If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming and tripping ang begging for mercy, then yes, Mister Brave Man, I guess I am a coward.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

draconian

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/drey-KOH-nee-uhn/

[adjective] 1. rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.

“By overturning Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court is ushering in a new draconian era of interpreting American laws.”

Corrections: Nothing to report this week, friends.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Harvest 5. Not earlier 10. Declines 14. Sea eagle 15. Not below 16. No charge 17. Exacerbated 19. What we walk on 20. Dung beetle 21. Above the horizon 22. Heads (slang) 23. Fashionable 25. Kiss 27. Fire residue 28. Kitchen appliances 31. Thither 34. Slug 35. Seven in Roman numerals 36. Grasped 37. Get together 38. Penny 39. Be in debt 40. Flowerless plants 41. Breathing organs 42. Unfastens 44. Armed conflict 45. Complete 46. Graduation certificate 50. Not dead 52. Deservedly receives 54. Male adult 55. Adoration 56. Exhilaration 58. Cain’s brother

Solution on page 22 59. Late Superman actor, Christopher ______ 60. Curved molding 61. Reflecting optimism 62. Type of viper 63. Low in pitch

DOWN 1. Absorbs written material 2. Grain disease 3. Irate 4. Each 5. Plushy 6. Disconcert 7. Carry

8. Evening Prayers 9. Crimson 10. Consequence 11. Make neither profit nor loss 12. Existed 13. Adjusts 18. Come up 22. Big party 24. Animal fat 26. Riot spray 28. Veers 29. Finger jewelry 30. Seats oneself 31. You (archaic) 32. Axed 33. Optional school courses

34. Baffled 37. Plateau 38. Ringlet 40. Destiny 41. Oversight 43. Adorable 44. Cold season 46. Pilot a car 47. Alpha’s opposite 48. Flowing tresses 49. Initial wagers 50. Winglike 51. Timber wolf 53. Passed with flying colors 56. Chapter in history 57. Gang July 7, 2021 /

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JULY28-31 AUGUST3-7 THE REVIVALISTS LINDSEY STIRLING

KALEO

WITH ALLAN RAYMAN

CHRIS JANSON

WITH CARMEN JANE

WITH LOCASH

THE BEACH BOYS

MT. JOY

LISA LIVESAY

FAMILY MATINEE

SOLD OUT

WITH THE MOSS

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV

PINK MARTINI FT. CHINA FORBES

SPOKANE SYMPHONY GRAND FINALE + WINE TASTING

WITH SHOOK TWINS

• •

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208.265.4554