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PEOPLE compiled by

Susan Drinkard

watching

“Is it safe to drive in Sandpoint?”

“Not currently. People just don’t follow the rules. They don’t merge correctly. I won’t let my son learn to drive here because it’s not safe.”

Jen Welton Cat Sanctuary Thrift Store Kootenai

“Driving has been a bit of a challenge, especially on First Avenue because of all the big trucks downtown trying to turn with oncoming traffic and pedestrians. I’ve been hit in the parking lot. Maybe we need pedestrian zones because we have so many tourists; we need to make it a real walking town.”

Edith Gunderson Retired Sandpoint

“It’s easier to navigate here now that the streets aren’t one way. I think most people are conscientious drivers and know we need to watch for pedestrians.”

Merriel Johnson Stay-at-home mom Bonners Ferry “I have lived here for 51 years and I believe it is still safe to drive in Sandpoint. I did just hit my first deer near Wrenco Road.”

Susie Thieme Retired motorcycle shop owner West of Sandpoint

“No! I don’t drive any longer.

It’s not safe. People drive too fast! The speed limit in Sandpoint is only 25 mph. Newcomers drive like they are in a hurry all the time and now the locals are driving like them. Why is everyone in such a hurry?”

Diane Gow Retired Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

Last year, we forgot to even mention Father’s Day, so this year we’re making up for lost time with a few fun articles celebrating dads.

Also, POAC’s 44th annual ArtWalk is kicking off Friday, June 18, so make a plan to cruise downtown to check out more then two dozen venues showcasing local artists’ work. The Reader started as an arts and entertainment alternative weekly, and while we have expanded to include news and “bluster,” so our motto goes, we’re always happy to shed light on the cultural output of this town’s amazing artists. Thank you to POAC for continuing to support art in Sandpoint by hosting the annual ArtWalk event. May it continue for years to come.

Finally, it’s my partner Cadie’s birthday June 18. We plan to head out to nature and spend the weekend under the sun and stars. Here’s hoping the rest of you have an enjoyable weekend. Be kind to one another.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, LPOW, BCHS, Forrest Schuck, Karen Hempstead, Bill Borders, Susan Drinkard.

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Ricci Witte, Sylvia Humes, K.L. Huntley, Steve Holt, Brenden Bobby, Hannah Combs, Will Valentine, Ranel Hanson, Marcia Pilgeram, Claire Christy.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $135 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Cover

We mean it: Have a nice day.

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NEWS

County shoreline code changes on ‘back burner’ Alleged shoreline violations at Boyer Slough prompt reevaluation of enforcement process

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Since the Bonner County Planning Department solicited comments on the county’s shoreline code in November 2020, the issue had seemingly disappeared from the larger local planning landscape — that is, until a development on Boyer Slough brought the topic roaring back into the public conversation in recent weeks.

County Commissioner Board Chair Dan McDonald said June 14 that he wasn’t sure exactly where the Planning Department is in the process of updating the shoreline setback code, but he thought that any changes were temporarily on hold.

“They were considering new language that would be submitted through the P&Z Commission and finally to the BOCC,” McDonald said, “but with the volume of files coming forward, I believe that’s been put on the back burner.”

Planning Director Milton Ollerton confirmed that his department did receive input on the county’s shoreline code when it solicited comments; however, “we have not progressed much further at this point as we continue to research the best ways to address the shoreline moving forward.”

“As most of our time is going toward updating the Comp Plan, the shoreline code will take another year or so,” he told the Reader on June 14. “The one change that will help with the shoreline is the updating of the enforcement codes.”

The possible changes to shoreline code — along with the county’s existing methods for enforcing that code — surfaced recently as residents in the Boyer Slough area witnessed a four-acre parcel along the shore of Lake Pend Oreille stripped of vegetation.

The preliminary plat application submitted to the county Jan. 26 identifies the property owner as Coeur d’Alene-based Tricore Investments and outlines a site plan of eight lots with a single-family home on each. Applicants have named the subdivision “The Cove at Whiskey Jack.”

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In regard to how the project complies with certain objectives of the Bonner County Comp Plan, the application states under the “natural resources” section that the development “will be built in accordance with Bonner County standards and requirements. This development will provide access to Pend Oreille Lake for the homeowners and residents.”

Nonprofit watchdog group Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper publicly voiced concerns about the development’s seeming violation of setback code, and shared that in its efforts to bring the issue to the county’s attention “we got virtually nowhere,” according to Executive Director Steve Holt.

(For more from Holt, see Page 9.)

The Lakes Commission, an advisory board charged with protecting area waterways, told the Reader on June 15 that “the fouracre development on Boyer Slough appears to violate both Clean Water Act rules and county rules. The development should have a federal stormwater permit, the Construction General Permit, which would have prevented the total clearing of vegetation to the water’s edge.”

The Lakes Commission was included in an ad hoc committee

the county created in 2009, which, “after many months of research, came to a shoreline setback compromise of 40 feet with a vegetative buffer to filter stormwater runoff and protect the stability of the banks,” according to Lakes Commission Executive Director Molly McCahon.

“A distance of 100 feet or greater is recommended by water quality specialists, and private logging operations cannot clear cut within 75 feet of streams,” she told the Reader. “We support the current 40-foot setback and vegetative buffer, and hope that if any changes are made, they enable the enforcement and adherence to this important code.”

When asked about the alleged violations on Boyer Slough, Ollerton said: “Clearer codes toward enforcement would be beneficial.”

“The owners at the property in the Whiskey Jack area have been very cooperative to address the concerns,” he continued. “It is difficult to prosecute a misde-

meanor when the owner is doing everything asked to correct the situation. Nevertheless, a more structured penalty schedule would be helpful in these situations.”

When asked about the alleged violations at the Cove development, Drew Dittman, an engineer with project representative Lake City Engineering, said: “It is our office policy not to comment on active jobs. I can tell you this though, my company was hired to prepare an Erosion and Sediment Control and Best Management Practices Plan for the site.”

Tricore Investments did not reply to a request for comment

A schematic of Lot 3 of The Cove at Whiskey Jack along the Boyer Slough.

Courtesy image. before press time.

Ollerton said the “change that will come soonest” to Bonner County shoreline code will be enforcement updates, which are being updated across planning and zoning code. This could include an “infraction process,” he said, “to allow for a more immediate response to violations.”

“The one thing about growth is that it amplifies these situations, which helps affect change more efficiently and sooner,” he said.

Council addresses memorial Field ramps, wastewater plant replacement projects

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Meeting in its newly renovated chambers at City Hall (1123 Lake St.), the Sandpoint City Council heard a handful of updates on long-term projects June 16, including ongoing War Memorial Field upgrades and the much longer-term improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Presided over by Councilmember Deb Ruehele, as Mayor Shelby Rognstad and Council President Shannon Sherman were absent — as well as Council member John Darling — the meeting featured City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton sharing the news that the ramps will be installed at the new dock area by the end of this week.

Meanwhile, restroom plumbing is in the works. ADA accessibility will be accomplished via a pathway leading to the ramps, which will be completed next month.

Stapleton said one of the biggest challenges already facing the new War Memorial Field parking area is cars taking up boat trailer spaces.

“We are ticketing,” she said.

Another big-ticket item on the June 16 agenda was among the first public presentations on the wastewater treatment plant by Sandpoint Director of Infrastructure and Development Amanda Wilson.

Wilson said the timeline for replacing the existing plant “starts now,” and is intended to wrap up

by Fiscal Year 2026.

Ahead, though, are several detailed steps — chief among them, permit renewal. Wilson said that the current permit expires in November 2022 and, while “that seems far away … we start that process this month.”

Aside from the renewed permit, which needs to be in hand by the end of 2022 to meet the proposed timeline, the city will also conduct a rate study, capacity assessment and explore ways to partner with other local communities. According to Wilson, prior efforts to work with area jurisdictions didn’t generate much interest; but, amid the current wave of growth, a regional approach to wastewater management is all the more important.

Looking ahead, Wilson said

the first phase of the project will include identifying three firms to contribute design proposals, followed by a process of validation and a preliminary engineering report. Debt incurred during the course of the project will also be paid off in phases, so “we’re not piling debt on debt,” Wilson said.

The final stage in the process, of course, will be completion of design and construction.

The immediate next steps, according to Wilson, will be a call for letters of interest followed by a series of solicitation meetings and a request for qualifications.

“That’s really the effort that we are [on] full-court press to accomplish so we can meet the rest of the timeline,” she said.

NEWS

State reviews policies as Reclaim Idaho requests updated financial analysis of education initiative

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun Officials with Reclaim Idaho have asked the state to issue a revised financial analysis of their updated ballot initiative language, a state official said.

The initiative, which would boost funding for K-12 education, hit a snag earlier this week when the state released a fiscal impact statement, as required by law, that did not align with the updated ballot initiative language [specifically due to a mailing delay].

The office of the Idaho secretary of state received the request for revisions the afternoon of June 15 and hand-delivered the updated ballot initiative language to the Division of Financial Management to complete the analysis, which is called a fiscal impact statement, Deputy Secretary of State Chad Houck told the Idaho Capital Sun. As a result of this issue, Houck said the Secretary of State’s Office has changed one of its policies and will ask legislators to consider changes to Idaho law to help prevent similar issues in the future.

Houck and Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville said they are happy all sides are coming together to quickly work out a path forward.

“We are pleased that we are able to work with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Division of Financial Management to resolve this issue,” Mayville said in a

written statement. “We’re expecting an accurate fiscal impact statement to be produced within the next 48 hours.”

How did the ballot initiative issues begin?

The issue involves a ballot initiative that Reclaim Idaho officials hope to get on the 2022 ballot in Idaho.

Reclaim Idaho, the grassroots organization behind Idaho’s 2018 Medicaid expansion initiative, filed the Quality Education Act ballot initiative seeking to raise funding for Idaho’s K-12 public school system by increasing corporate income tax rates and increasing tax on individuals making more than $250,000.

Originally, Reclaim Idaho organizers announced the Secretary of State’s Office gave them the goahead to begin collecting signatures last week. But they paused their signature gathering drive after Jair Carrero, an elections specialist with the Secretary of State’s Office, emailed them to point out the requirement for a fiscal impact statement.

A law passed by the Legislature in 2020 requires ballot initiatives to include an independent fiscal impact statement produced by the Division of Financial Management.

“The information received from the Office of the Secretary of State to proceed [collecting signatures] was premature,” Carrero wrote in an email June 11.

The Division of Financial

Management did release a fiscal impact statement for Reclaim Idaho’s original ballot language on the afternoon of June 14, as outlined in Idaho law.

But Reclaim Idaho had updated its ballot language based on the passage of a new law, House Bill 380, which the Legislature passed this year, making several changes to income tax brackets and rates.

That meant that the fiscal impact statement didn’t match the new ballot language Reclaim Idaho was moving forward with in its signature gathering campaign.

As a result, the fiscal impact statement showed passage of the ballot initiative would increase taxes at a much higher rate than Reclaim Idaho officials wanted.

Idaho Secretary of State’s Office changes policy Houck told the Idaho Capital Sun the Secretary of State’s Office no longer mails out requests to the Division of Financial Management for a fiscal impact statement because of the problem with the letter being returned undeliverable in this case.

“That is why we are delivering all those by hand,” Houck said.

He said the Secretary of State’s Office made the policy change “as soon as we got one back [returned undeliverable].”

“It’s the only time it’s ever happened,” Houck said. “At that point, we had no idea that would eventually lead to this conversation where we are now.”

Houck also said the Secretary of State’s Office will recommend legislators review laws dealing with fiscal impact statements. The law doesn’t address what happens if the two review timelines are broken and it “gives no clear indication” to provide a new fiscal impact statement if the ballot language is updated or revised.

“It’s definitely something we need to take a look at from a statutory standpoint,” Houck said.

As for the Secretary of State’s Office giving Reclaim Idaho the goahead to begin collecting signatures, Houck said, “That was a clerical error on our end and that is why it was addressed immediately.”

Given all that, Houck said he is happy the parties agreed to resolve the issue.

“This ultimately is the best resolution we could have come to, especially given how small of a timeline we were looking at to

The Reclaim Idaho Education Mobile. Photo courtesy Reclaim Idaho. address it,” Houck said. “Here is what we’re trying to make happen; we’re asking Mr. Mayville for an advancing of trust, if you will.”

This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, an independent, nonprofit online news organization delivering in-depth coverage from veteran Idaho reporters on state government and policy. It has been edited for length, with the full version online at idahocapitalsun.com and sandpointreader.com. The Idaho Capitol Sun is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by tax-free donations in 22 states. Learn more and follow daily updates at idahocapitalsun. com and statesnewsroom.com.

Free at-home COVID-19 tests now available in Idaho

By Reader Staff The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced June 15 that it has begun offering free, at-home coronavirus tests to Idaho residents, reiterating in a media release that “anyone who experiences COVID-19 symptoms is encouraged to get tested.”

Tests can be requested by calling 2-1-1. IDHW shared that no personal information is required other than a name and mailing

address.

“Reliable and widely available testing is a critical part of our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said IDHW Division of Public Health Administrator Elke Shaw-Tulloch. “Combined with efforts to increase vaccinations, this important initiative can help to get us back to our usual way of living.”

IDHW is working with VAULT Medical to provide Idahoans COVID-19 PCR testing on saliva.

VAULT tests can be used whether or not a person has symptoms or a known exposure to someone with COVID-19, according to IDHW. The test involves collecting saliva and mailing it to a laboratory that analyzes the sample. Saliva collection can be done at home with the assistance of a trained VAULT Medical observer via a virtual Zoom visit on a smartphone or tablet.

To use VAULT tests, individuals will create an account on their

phone or tablet using their email account. They will then contact a remote observer via Zoom and collect the saliva specimen as the observer watches over Zoom. The saliva sample will then be mailed to VAULT in a self-addressed, prepaid envelope via UPS. Results are available to the tested individual electronically in 24-72 hours.

Test results are also reported to Idaho state or local public health departments by VAULT, per federal requirements for all COVID-19

testing.

IDHW shared that VAULT does not provide medical care, and those experiencing severe symptoms should follow-up with their physician or go to the nearest emergency department.

Call 2-1-1 by dialing either 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588 to get a free COVID-19 test through VAULT in Idaho. Those with questions can contact the IDHW Division of Public Health at 208334-6996.

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NEWS

BCEDC seeking full-time ED

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff As Bonner County — and Idaho in general — is experiencing a boom in new residents, that also means the potential for a major upswing in local economic activity. The Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, a 501(c)6 private nonprofit organization, is a key player in helping determine how and where that business energy will be channeled, and it is looking for a new leader to fill the role of executive director.

BCEDC announced the job opening in a news release June 15, stating that while “Bonner County is projected to experience unprecedented growth in the coming years,” the full-time position will ideally be filled by someone “who can help our mainstay small businesses, targeted industries and local partners adapt to the new era.”

Qualified applicants — who would earn a salary, commensurate with experience, of approximately $50,000 — should have prior working knowledge of local economies similar to Bonner County.

According to BCEDC Economic Development Associate Cameron Rasmusson, who also serves as Reader editor emeritus, the transition to a full-time executive director position signifies that “the board is investing in having a positive impact on the shaping of Bonner County’s economic future.”

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Highlighting the work accomplished by the BCEDC during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included direct support for local businesses, Rasmusson said the organization is focused on continuing to strengthen and expand offerings.

“It’s going to be a fairly quick turnaround,” he said, adding that the board is hoping to have a candidate selected by the end of the month, “so that we can get going on some projects that we’ve been considering for some time — projects that are really going to dig into the current economic state of Bonner County, the opportunities and challenges that we need to overcome, and really do some full-form studies into this wild, changing economy.”

The current board of directors is led by Eric Paull, of Washington Trust Bank, and includes representatives from Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Columbia Bank, Avista Utilities, Whitewater Creek, the University of Idaho, Bonner General Health, Bonner County, the city of Sandpoint, Litehouse Foods, Ting Internet and the Panhandle Area Council.

Ryan Robinson is currently serving as interim executive director, taking over from former-BCEDE Executive Director Andrea Marcoccio, who is also co-owner of Matchwood Brewing.

Applicants are encouraged to email their resume — with their cover letter in the email body — to info@bonnercountyedc.com.

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, much of it about fossil fuels: Methane-filled livestock belches are equal to 850 coal plants burning yearround, but there’s a solution, according to Mother Jones. A new study published in PLoS One reported that one cup of a red seaweed used as an additive to livestock feed can reduce the methane releases by a higher-than-expected 82%.

Seattle is the first U.S. city with a 70% vaccination rate, according to Forbes.com.

The International Energy Agency has declared there should be no new fossil fuel exploration projects in order to meet net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The agency’s report called for quadrupling annual growth of solar and wind by the end of the decade.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels recently reached an all-time high, The Washington Post reported. To avoid catastrophic climate change, scientists told the Post that CO2 pollution must be reduced to zero at the earliest possible date.

Various media reported the Keystone XL pipeline project has been terminated by its Canadian owners after the U.S. permit was revoked. Objections to the crude oil pipeline that traveled through the U.S. interior included aquifer contamination, climate change, pipeline safety, eminent domain, and damage to Indigenous burial and archaeological sites. Those objecting: Native American tribes, farmers, ranchers and environmentalists. Since much of the pipeline work was completed, job losses are expected to be few.

ExxonMobil recently took on three new directors who have a reputation for promoting a strong climate strategy while also creating wealth, according to The Guardian.

ProPublica reported last week on the ultra-rich frequently not paying any federal income taxes, according to evaluation of IRS records. When federal taxes were paid, the true tax rate was 3.4%, in contrast to 14% tax paid by most American households. ProPublica noted that in 1918 only 15% of American families owed any tax; the top 1% paid 80% of the revenue raised. ProPublica’s findings, which included how the rich currently accomplish their no- and low-pay tax feat, are expected to inform current congres-

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

sional decisions about taxing the rich. The IRS opened an investigation into how access was gained to what appear to be leaked IRS documents.

Newly uncovered emails provided to Congress and reviewed by The New York Times show in his last weeks in office ex-President Donald Trump leaned on the Justice Department to investigate election conspiracy theories. One theory was that Italy remotely tampered with U.S. voting machines to switch votes from Trump to current-President Joe Biden. The emails came to light due to the Senate Judiciary Committee investigation of the possibility that the Justice Department aided efforts to reverse the presidential election outcome. The new information “underscores the depths of the White House’s efforts to co-opt the [Justice] Department and influence the electoral vote certification,” said Committee Chairperson Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. House Intelligence Committee Democrats, select reporters and Trump’s former White House counsel were told recently they’d been under investigation during the Trump years for leaking classified information about the former president and Russia. The New York Times reported.

The information came to light when Apple, which had been under a gag order, informed those under surveillance after the order ended. No evidence tied lawmakers to the leak. Several involved with the investigation regarded it as politically motivated. So far there is no evidence any Republican lawmakers on the House Committee were investigated, and Democratic leaders are calling the investigation a “weaponization” of law enforcement at the DOJ. Democrats are exploring ways to re-establish independence of the DOJ from the White House.

A 59-1 vote by state lawmakers in Oregon ejected Rep. Mike Nearman for helping a far-right crowd breach the state’s Capitol in December, according to The New York Times. Nearman’s was the “no” vote. Security cameras showed him letting the crowd, described as “violent,” inside the Capitol.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost the election and will be replaced by Naftali Bennett.

Blast from the past: “You can’t do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

OPINION

Is the ‘bandwagon’ a bad place to be?

Pride is about acceptance and allowing allies to express their support in whichever ways they feel comfortable

By Ricci Witte Reader Contributor

Pride is about acceptance.

There wouldn’t have to be a Gay Pride celebration if we were accepted into society as a default without fear of ostracization, special treatment or retaliation.

Walking down Cedar Street in downtown Sandpoint, as I do every Thursday to get my pastry and paper and seeing the Pride flag swinging from one of Sandpoint’s most beloved public houses, made me feel like I was home — home in a way that I haven’t felt in Sandpoint for quite some time. Like, there is a place I could go to be protected and accepted.

It’s a feeling that generations of LGBTQ people never would have believed they could

experience in their small hometowns.

I declared my excitement to the first ally I ran into. They replied with an unenthusiastic take: “It’s kinda bandwagoning, don’t you think?”

This hadn’t occurred to me.

Yes, obviously, this pub doesn’t operate solely and year-round as a “gay business,” so the presence of a Pride flag in June is like jumping on the bandwagon. However, in a small town, is that a bad thing?

There is a difference between a hometown small business and a giant corporation catering to the LGBTQ community. I still won’t buy Pride merch from Target if I can support a queer small business, but the fact that they have an entire section of Pride-specific wares makes me feel seen and

accepted.

I am fortunate enough to be living in a time when gay rights are in the mainstream conversation and members of the generation that participated in the Stonewall Riots are still here to tell their stories. Many had fled from small towns like Sandpoint to the big cities to seek refuge from violent backlash for expressing their true selves.

June is celebrated as Gay Pride month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, which occurred on the last Saturday in June 1969. The six-day riots in New York City, which occurred from June 28 to July 3, were a turning point in both the U.S. and the world for LGBTQ liberation and freedom.

Yet, 52 years later, a symbol outside a business can often be

seen as political and polarizing.

This is disgraceful — especially when it comes from within your own community. Pride is about acceptance and allowing allies to express their support in whichever ways they feel comfortable.

Thinking about going into this local Sandpoint business for the first time since COVID-19 because of a small gesture of support made me wish more businesses would jump on this bandwagon.

What is the problem with allies showing you their support?

I often wonder, if I had seen this display of solidarity when I was still a weird, closeted and insecure Sandpoint teen, would it have taken me so long to live as my true self?

Would I have left Sandpoint immediately after high school at the expense of personal and family relationships?

I am a strong, secure woman and have rebuilt my life here, but not everyone is as lucky to have the support of their chosen or birth families.

My hope is that the presence of this Pride flag, in the month of June, in small-town America helps people who may feel stuck, scared or out of options to realize they’re not alone. So, please, jump on this bandwagon.

Stand up for voting rights

By Sylvia Humes Reader Contributor

I was born in an age of world war. The country’s citizens made many sacrifices to support that effort — not the least was the lives of their sons and daughters. My immigrant grandfather didn’t let a day go by without saying, “God Bless America.”

He was able to gain his citizenship by fighting for the U.S. in WWI. My father’s father and his family escaped Russia, running by night, hiding by day. They were considered the “other” and therefore not worthy.

I believe it is due to this background that our family was very patriotic. Our most valued possession was the right to vote. My father and I spent countless hours during my formative years talking about politics, philosophy and the art

of critical thinking. In the days long before the internet, I was admonished to search out both sides of every story and, much to my dismay he, would always take the opposite opinion of mine. In later years I realized he was teaching me “how” to think not “what” to think.

Even though his loss still pains me, I am happy that he is not here to see what has happened to this country. We can surely use some of that “critical thinking” now. State after state is striving to make it harder to vote by using a bogus charge of voter fraud as their excuse, even though the last election was certified by their own secretaries of state. They use the rantings of a narcissistic, want-to-be dictator as an excuse to make the process to vote more difficult, especially for the young, the old and, of course, the poor. This

is all for the sake of power and I guess that’s alright with the 70% in their party who agree.

It behooves all of us to stand up — Democrats, Republicans and independents — if we are to stop the destruction of our democracy. Russian President Vladimir Putin is now mouthing the same line as the others who would like to see its demise. Don’t think someone else is going to fix it. It’s beyond time to remove ourselves from lethargy and be accountable.

Tell your senators and representatives that we want to make it easier for all citizens to vote if the true will of the people is to be heard.

We are in danger of losing our democracy. It has never been perfect, but along the way we have strived to make it better. We must work together as Americans and attempt to live up to the

perceived goal of our constitution that, “all [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain

unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” E pluribus unum (out of many, one).

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OPINION

Hope springs eternal for Bonner County An experience with the Bonner Co. Human Rights Task Force

Bouquets: • Here’s a big Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.

May your home construction projects turn out beautifully, your lures remain unsnagged, your snack cupboards stay full and your trucks run forever.

Barbs: • Did you know there are imaginary stop signs all over Sandpoint? I didn’t either, until observing people drive downtown the past year or two. I know you’ve all been in this situation: You’re waiting at a stop sign to enter traffic onto a busy street, such as Cedar Street, and there’s a perfect gap in traffic behind the next car, but they come to a hesitant stop where there is no stop sign. You wave them through and they look at you with that doubtful frown, check the way again, then inch forward through the intersection with confusion.

Meanwhile, the gap you were hoping to enter has now been filled with cars backed up behind his phantom-stop menace, some of them tooting their horns, others just holding their faces in their hands. I see this happening most frequently at Cedar Street and Second Avenue, Oak Street and Fourth Avenue and Church Street and Third Avenue. I’m not sure whether it’s an engineering problem or a lack of awareness of drivers (probably both); but, please, for the love of all that is good in the world, please quit stopping at imaginary stop signs in Sandpoint. I see this happen at least twice a day. It’s a good thing I’m not on the City Council, otherwise I’d move to install ejection devices onto the offending intersections that would send the imaginary stopper flying if they hesitated at a phantom octagon again. Or maybe we can rig up some water cannons. Anything to help the traffic flow better than the current state of cold molasses it resembles now.

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By K.L. Huntley Reader Contributor Last Saturday morning I sat at my dining table, looking at the worn varnish, circles from coffee cups and green marker from the grandchildren’s last visit. I was thinking about manners, customs and subcultures. During the last week I had been listening to many disgruntled locals who were annoyed at the newcomers to Bonner County. Their road etiquette was leaving a bitter taste in many mouths, needless to say, along with a litany of other complaints.

I didn’t have time to formulate what I was going to write as I had made a commitment to help out the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (boy is that a mouthful) at its table at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Sandpoint.

Members were setting up early in the rain.

By the end of the day my attitude did a complete turn-around, along with the weather. It was a wonderful experience rubbing elbows with humanity (once again) and my faith in the general public was restored. Folks of all ages stopped by, frequently just smiling and saying, “Thank you.”

Thank you for reminding all of us that we are humans sharing the same environment, the same air, the same planet. Several people were just visiting Sandpoint, some snowbirds, but the surprise was the multiple young people, just out of college, who told us they decided to make their home here.

They were a breath of fresh air as the clouds dissipated and the sky turned blue. They were hopeful as they joined the BCHRTF, and even some registered to vote.

One young man strode up to the table and my first thought was, “Uh oh — our first hostile,” and was I delightfully surprised when he dropped a few dollars in the glass donation jar, shoved a sticker in his blue jean pocket and grinned as he strode off saying, “Idaho needs more of this!”

Yes, he was right. Throughout the day we never did encounter hostility. Questions, yes, but

hostility no. Some wanted to know which churches in the area supported human rights. Some wanted to know where else they could volunteer. Two families said they moved to surrounding communities because they saw “Love Lives Here” signs and that was what they were searching for.

My heart felt lighter and I realized this is a happy place, that the road rage incidents people had shared with me during the week were the exception.

A few nights before I was watching an interview with Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a philanthropist and medical doctor who actually invented one of the cancer cure drugs. He had been raised during apartheid in South Africa, however he smiled and explained that through it all the community in which he lived was filled with happy people. Rather than be discouraged he was encouraged and sought education as a way out.

We should all be grateful to this brilliant individual as he continues to work in the field of biochemistry seeking cures for all kinds of diseases including COVID-19.

Dr. Soon-Shiong additionally explained that the reason he bought the Los Angeles Times newspaper was because of his strong belief in not only freedom of press but honesty and integrity in the news business — not so much opinion but facts. I noticed during his interview how much he smiled, sharing a deep sense of joy in living.

Now my thoughts came full circle and the realization that personal happiness and inner tranquility are the driving force behind courtesy. I was taught that when someone comes to your home you always offer them something to drink and inquire if they are hungry. A concern for the other person’s needs and welfare, not your own. Ask not what your company can do for you, but what you can do for your company.

Kindness isn’t the attitude that someone is entitled to the road they are driving on, but that we are all on the same terra firma. I have spent most of my adult life

on narrow roads and one-way bridges. And no, that is not how I was raised, but it was how I was educated moving to a small town in California that had a population less than my Los Angeles High School. The unwritten code there, and every other little town I have lived in since is, you stop, you smile, someone backs up and when you eventually pass — you wave. It can be a small wave, but you do use all your fingers. You stop for dogs, chickens, old people and wobbly children on bikes.

The speed limit is for your safety and those of the deer, moose and bear that you may also occasionally have to stop for, as it is quite unpleasant to scrape them off your grill. Slow down and enjoy the journey. I had a frowner pass me the other day only to have me roll up behind them at the first

Courtesy photo. red light. I couldn’t suppress my laughter. My first thought was, “Not from around here.”

For the newcomers to Idaho, welcome. You came here to seek a different lifestyle and I happily met so many of you last Saturday.

Welcome.You can enhance our little corner of the world and make it a better place — not the same as where you came from, but one you had hoped for — one, perhaps, you had thought was fiction. An area that is courteous, respectful, friendly and most of all happy.

You can contact the BCHRTF through bchrtaskforce@gmail.com or better still, find your way to the Farmer’s Market in Sandpoint on a Saturday morning, regardless of the weather.

OPINION

As if Boyer Slough hasn’t had enough Why have any codes related to protecting the environment if we are not willing or capable of enforcing them?

By Steve Holt Reader Contributor While Bonner County’s decision regarding changing the shoreline code has been seemingly postponed, the county’s ability to completely ignore certain environmental codes is prevalent. Boyer Slough, located just west of Kootenai Point on Lake Pend Oreille, faces numerous water quality issues, including wastewater discharge, agricultural runoff, repeated herbicide application and annual algae blooms.

Recently, the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper office received a call alerting us about a four-acre parcel that had been completely denuded of vegetation all the way down to the shoreline, including the grading of a road within the shoreline setback. This action by the developer completely runs contrary to the purpose of Bonner County Environmental Standards, Code 7.1, which states its purpose as being, “to preserve both the quality and quantity of Bonner County water resources,” in addition to reducing erosion and sedimentation into waterways.

According to the preliminary plat application submitted to Bonner County, the developer is seeking approval of a subdivision consisting of eight single-family lots.

Even though the application has not been approved, the removal of trees and vegetation — as well as extensive road grading — have taken place in preparation for residential development.

Grading, stormwater management and erosion control are all regulated activities

by Bonner County Revised Code, which clearly states that it is unlawful for any person or entity to proceed to conduct any activity or initiate construction on any structure — including excavation, site preparation or leveling — without complying with the section and having the required stormwater management and grading plan (BCRC 12-720.2 (F) & 12-720.4).

It is also clear that at the time of an application for a new subdivision, the applicant shall develop a grading/stormwater management plan to be reviewed concurrently with the subdivision application, which was never done or even applied for (BCRC 12-722.1 (A)(B)).

If I cited every code that was in violation or contrary to BCRC I would use up my entire word count. However, if you’re jonesing for some reading pleasure, you might start with these: Subchapter 7.1 — Shorelines, Subchapter 7.2 — Grading, Stormwater Management and Erosion Control.

After all this, one would think that

bringing awareness to the county would elicit some sort of action. I suppose we should think again. After spending a significant amount of time on the phone with the county planner, compliance officer and their superior — as well as submitting an official complaint along with other neighboring property owners — I’m sorry to say that we have gotten virtually nowhere. At one point I was actually told there was a fine line between what was occurring and a logging operation, not requiring a permit, and not much they could do.

There is a fine line: It’s the 40-foot setback and respect for the vegetative buffer.

It’s working closely with developers to make sure they understand when and what they can and can’t do, before it happens.

The developer also should have also been informed by the county that the preparation for the subdivision is subject to the EPA’s General Construction Permit, as it disturbs more than one acre of land adjacent to the shoreline and that needs to be applied for, as well.

With all of this one would have to ask: Why have any codes related to protecting the environment if we are not willing or capable of enforcing them? Which codes will the county be ignoring next?

While the overall water quality of Lake Pend Oreille is healthy, we all need to stay vigilant in advocating for clean water in order to prevent the degradation of our

Recent changes to the Boyer Slough.

Photo courtesy LPOW. precious aquatic resources.

Several months ago, the county requested certain stakeholders to submit comments regarding what types of development within the shoreline setback and vegetative buffer that they would be comfortable adding. A number of organizations submitted comments suggesting we not only needed to hold onto the limitations that already exist, but to bolster the code and adopt a more comprehensive enforcement strategy. That seemed to have silenced the county for the moment, but I anticipate that the topic will be returning shortly.

These codes are designed to maintain water quality, reduce the potential for nutrients entering our waterways, protect fish and wildlife habitat, and preserve our drinking water sources. If we are not steadfast in our belief that water quality is important and participate in the discussion, we fear the potential loss and/or complete disregard for the few laws assisting us in the fight for clean water will simply disappear.

If you are interested in finding out additional information on this topic please feel free to contact our office at 208-597-7188 or send an email to steve@lpow.org.

Steve Holt is executive director of Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper.

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Mad about Science:

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

ancient fast food

The concept of grabbing a quick bite to eat isn’t a modern invention. People were busy during antiquity, and while the texts of the Middle Ages taught us that people valued optimizing every facet of their lives and minimizing waste, the centuries of Roman rule in Europe painted a very different picture.

Despite what Star Wars taught us, that empires are all evil and ruled by megalomaniacal, power-hungry creeps, history has shown us that there are genuinely beneficial reasons for empires to have sprung up and persisted for some time throughout the ages.

Among them is affordable access to goods — particularly of the imported variety. It was this wide access to plentiful and affordable food that led to some of the first fast food joints springing up in the world.

These shops were referred to as thermopolia, and they were often attached to the entrance of a Roman apartment building, called an insula. Many shops were attached to the front of these apartments, acting similarly to strip malls today. Thermopolia were strategically placed in these locations so that busy Romans would swing in for a bite to eat on their way to and from work.

You might be wondering why these Romans didn’t save some money and prepare their own breakfast, instead? The answer to that is simple: Romans didn’t have access to refrigeration like we do today. While they did often keep a number of ingredients at home to have meals prepared, such as salted meats and dried herbs, it was simply more economical to get a juicy slab of 10 /

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Brought to you by:

meat and some wine from a vendor that specialized in procuring and producing it than to store and prepare it themselves.

It’s important to consider social class when discussing these establishments, as some of the implications for class have stuck around over two-thousand years in regards to fast food.

Thermopolia catered to the lower and middle classes, respectively, often under the same roof. The upper classes of Roman society could often afford servants and slaves, as well as the storage space required to house ingredients for home-cooked meals.

Thermopolia exploited the class system of ancient Rome to its fullest, generally offering a selection of food on a tiered pricing system. Fermented fish sauce, called garum, and tree nuts were generally on the lower end of the scale — similar to a familiar franchise’s “dollar menu.” Those that were willing to spend a bit more and show off the excess of their middle class station could purchase lentil soups, baked cheeses or meats cut straight from the bone, similar to modern shawarma shops. Hot wine was also a staple of these businesses.

Most establishments of the time had a fairly simple layout: an open area where customers could gather and wait to order, and an L-shaped stone counter with large holes cut into the surface where pots or jars, called “dolia,” would be placed. There was a space beneath the dolia where wood fires could be built and maintained through the day to keep the contents hot, or left vacant if they were meant to be kept cool. This practice has evolved into the hot bars you see at most contemporary grocery stores and buffets.

The concept of franchising may be a modern invention —

most thermopolia were family-owned and operated — the concept of branding is a tale as old as time. Some establishments were very basic, designed exclusively for patrons to take their food and leave while others allocated a little extra real estate in the back for customers to sit and dine-in. A number of these dining locations we’ve excavated from the ruins of Pompeii show elaborate frescoes that indicate the owners were wealthy, and they wanted their clientele to know it. We see this frequently today, with a number of fast food chains offering “the best deals”, while others want you to believe you’re paying for a more classy, high-end experience.

These differences were illuminated by the taberna and popina, respectively. These shops existed as a form of thermopolia, but each with stark differences from one another.

Taberna, from which the word tavern originates, functioned similarly to today’s food trucks, often forming a stall directly attached to the front of a Roman single-layer residence, called a domus. It would be like having a hot dog stand directly outside of your front door, every day.

Popina were establishments designed with the lowest classes in mind, often selling basic “grazing” food such as bits of bread and olives, but specializing in wine, both hot and tepid.

These establishments often grew seedy reputations, due to the nature of the people that frequented them. They were essentially the dive bars of Rome.

It’s intriguing to look back at this time in human history and compare it to our own, as well as the Dark Ages that followed the fall of the Roman empire.

The metropolitan areas of the

An ancient Roman thermopolia. Photo courtesy Wikipedia. empire lived to great excess, and were capable of affording building shops where food could be wasted, but still profited upon. Throughout Europe, much of this disappeared in the wake of the empire’s collapse as the everyman took upon themselves the burden of maintaining their own supply of food and drink.

Wastefulness and excess was frowned upon by most people, likely because of the influence of the growing Catholic church

(which indulged in its own displays of gross excess).

Now, it seems we’ve returned to a time and comfortability mirroring ancient Rome, where it’s easier for most of us to exchange an hour or two of work’s pay for a quick bite to eat, rather than store and prepare it ourselves.

Unlike the Roman Empire, we have a lot of wax paper and plastic to contend with once we’re done.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner? mmer solstice

Don’t know much about the su

• On the summer solstice, the sun’s path across the sky is curved — not a straight line. It appears to rise and keeps veering to the right as it passes overhead. This is quite different from the laser-straight path the sun moves along in late March and late September, near the equinoxes.

• The solstice sun stands directly over the Tropic of Cancer.

That’s how the Tropic of Cancer got its name — it’s the northernmost line connecting all places on Earth where the sun is ever straight overhead. That’s because, a few thousand years ago, the solstice happened when the sun was in the constellation of Cancer the Crab.

• At the solstice, the midday sun is highest up in the sky (or, lowest if you live in the Southern Hemisphere). But did you know that the sun’s highest point is getting lower and lower over time? That’s because Earth’s tilt is slowly decreasing.

• The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words sol “sun” and

We can help!

stitium “standing.” On the summer solstice, the sun’s path stops advancing northward each day and appears to “stand” still in the sky before going back the other way.

• It may be the “longest day,” but it’s not the latest sunset — nor the earliest sunrise. The earliest sunrises happen before the summer solstice and the latest sunset after the summer solstice.

• In India, the summer solstice ends the six-month period during which spiritual growth is supposedly easiest.

• You may wonder why, if the solstice is the longest day of the year — and thus gets the most sunlight — the temperature usually doesn’t reach its annual peak until a month or two later. This is because water, which makes up most of the Earth’s surface, has a high specific heat, meaning it takes a while to both heat up and cool down. Because of this, the Earth’s temperature takes about six weeks to catch up to the sun.

HISTORY

Taking the sand out of ‘Sand Point’

How Sandpoint’s namesake substance helped the region’s railroads

By Hannah Combs and Will Valentine Reader Contributors

“‘Sandpoint’ suggests and always will suggest to the outsider a dreary waste of blowing sand,” wrote George R. Barker, editor of the Pend d’Oreille Review newspaper, in 1913.

Today we may scoff at this ungenerous description of the natural beach from which Sandpoint takes its name. We might chuckle at the alternate names townspeople proposed to replace Sandpoint, including Corbin City — intended to draw railroad business from D.C. Corbin and the Spokane International — or Lucerne, after a beautiful lake in Switzerland but ultimately deemed too romantic a name to “tickle the fancy of the old timers.”

In the early 1880s, according to Mel Nesbitt, a child at the time, “the bathing beach was a mountain of glistening white sand with a few pine trees on its crest.” The sand was deposited by the currents sweeping around the point and down the river.

The Kalispel and other Salish tribes regularly camped on the pristine beach; but, by the turn of the century, the iconic “sand point” was no longer the natural beauty of years past and neither was it yet the idyllic, manicured spot we know today.

When the Northern Pacific railway came through in 1882, the shore of Lake Pend Oreille swiftly turned into an industrial center. Docks popped up to service the steamboats hauling building supplies from the south end of the lake. Then lumber mills sprang up to produce railroad ties and other building materials. A town grew along

both sides of the NP track to house the railroad workers, their families, visitors, lumbermen and merchants.

Barker’s biting criticism of the name Sandpoint continues: “[Sandpoint] is a misnomer and a relic of a bygone day when the Northern Pacific went into the lake to procure sand for its right-of-way and the town that grew up along the track took the name of the siding.”

Though it’s unlikely unstable sand was actually used for a right-of-way, by the time the NP rail line was complete, the bounty of fine, silky sand to the east side of the track was certainly singing its siren song to the company. Why would a powerful company like the Northern Pacific be so enchanted by mounds of mundane crushed stone?

At the time, hauling tons of freight in a single trainload was possible through the use of powerful steam engines. Though steam engines were an efficient method of transportation, they could sometimes be foiled by the lack of friction between the steel wheels (drivers) on steel rails.

Despite their inherent power, the driving wheels would lose adhesion with the rails and would slip, flattening the rail.

Sometimes a steam engine simply couldn’t muscle its way up

a steep grade or even get started.

Think of trying to climb a steep hill on a bicycle from a dead stop.

It’s tough but doable with enough exertion. But what if the bicycle was hooked up to dozens of bike trailers loaded with brimming growlers? Impossible.

The secret ingredient to starting a train and climbing a grade is fine, dry sand.

The profile of a steam engine is topped by a medley of figurative and literal “bells and whistles,” as well as two distinct domes. In front of the “steam dome” is the “sand dome.”

When the engineer identified a challenging patch of track — such as a rail slick from rain, wet leaves, dripping oil or a steep grade — they would release sand from the dome. Fine, dry sand would run down narrow piping and drop just in front of the drivers, sprinkling the track and providing just enough traction to help the train keep moving. Today’s diesel engines still use sand for traction.

One story from railroad history describes a locust infestation on the Great Plains, when insects were so numerous they covered the tracks. When an engine ran them over, the oils from their bodies completely greased the rails. Without the traction provided by the sand, the trains would have been liter-

ally halted in their tracks.

On the rail lines that crossed through the Rocky Mountains and Cascades, steep grades were hard to avoid, making sand essential. Yet it was difficult to come by a reliable inland supply until the NP tapped the potential of the sandy shores of Lake Pend Oreille. The sand at Sandpoint’s beach was deemed perfectly suited to serve the Northern Pacific’s rail line.

Though the fineness of Sandpoint’s sand was desirable, one characteristic was absolutely essential: The sand had to be bone dry to be effective.

The Northern Pacific set about building a “sand spur,” or deadend track, off their main line near the Sandpoint depot, down toward the beach.

Next to it, they built a “sand house.” The damp sand was stored in a fenced area next to a small building. Inside, sand was shoveled into a furnace and dried. The sand was then loaded into gondola cars and transported to a sand tower. An engine at a maintenance facility would sidle into a sanding spur, stopping under the sand tower while a hostler or fireman filled its sand dome.

With so much industrial activity happening on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, it’s no wonder that the citizens of early

Left: A model of a sand house built by Mark Paulson. Right: A diagram of a steam engine, including its sand dome (18) and sand pipes (29). Photos courtesy Bonner Co. History Museum.

Sandpoint were eager to draw attention away with a more “distinctive” name. At some point, it seems that the Northern Pacific was at risk of over-extracting from the beach. Mel Nesbitt remembered, “Only congressional action on request of the local citizens’ petition presented in person

by W.F. Whitaker [the first state senator from Bonner County] stopped the devastation.”

The “dreary waste of blowing sand” was eventually restored by the healing river currents. Over the years the area has been reimagined many times, becoming the recreational space we all know today. From Indigenous camping grounds to a sand pit to City Beach, the face and shape of our “sand point” has changed frequently.

Through it all, despite decades of disagreement, the name Sandpoint has stuck around.

This article is brought to you by the Bonner County Historical Society and generously sponsored by Kendon Perry and Farm Bureau Insurance Associates. Research provided by Will Valentine and the Bonner County History Museum.

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COMMUNITY

Sandpointian to represent Idaho in National DYW Finals

By Reader Staff Sandpoint’s resident Camille Neuder will represent Idaho at the 64th annual Distinguished Young Women National Finals this month — a historic event for Sandpoint, as it’s the first time in the program’s history that a local participant has been named the Distinguished Young Woman of Idaho.

Neuder’s time as Idaho’s Distinguished Young Woman has been a busy and fulfilling journey. The announcement that the National Finals would use the digital format again this year came in late March, but Neuder had been preparing long before then while carrying out her many duties in the local program, which took place March 13.

“Our DYW of Sandpoint committee is so proud of Camille and her many accomplishments,” wrote co-chairperson Aundrea Wolf in a news release. “Truly there are no words to describe her strength, talents and work ethic, and it has been such an honor for us to be by her side every step of the way.”

Founded in 1958, Distinguished Young Women is a free program that encourages

participants to reach their full individual potential. The organization’s mission is to empower young women by providing more than $1 billion in scholarship opportunities, developing their self-confidence and participating in Life Skills Workshops that prepare participants for success after high school.

As the countdown to Nationals quickly approaches, Neuder provided some insight on her journey so far. When asked about the news that Nationals would go fully virtual, and how that experience differs from an in-person program, her first response was: “There was definitely a level of disappointment. I was really looking forward to having a large-scale show after the virtual state program, but more than that, I was really hoping to be able to meet the other women and be a part of the community projects the National experience typically entails.”

Overall, Neuder said she is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the National program, no matter the form in which it has come. However, the virtual experience did present some challenges.

“I think the most difficult part about a virtual program is that life doesn’t stop while you are all of a sudden trying to add more things to it,” she stated. “Typically, flying across the country to Mobile, Ala., the only thing on our plates would be focusing on DYW,” Neuder said. “So, I’m grateful for the additional time to practice and feel prepared before each recording, and I have really grown to appreciate the worth that every

VA outreach resumes in Clark Fork

By Reader Staff The Bonner County Veterans Service Office will resume its regular outreach with area veterans after a hiatus due to the pandemic. Bonner County Veteran Service Officer Bryan Hult will be at the Clark Fork Public Library, 601 Main St. in Clark Fork, between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29. Hult will see veterans by appointment only to ensure everyone is given quality time.

Appointments must be scheduled no later than Friday prior to the meeting by calling Lyndsie Halcro at 208255-5291. If there are no appointments scheduled for this outreach, it will be canceled.

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Camille Neuder.

Courtesy photo.

person has and to value all of the different forms it comes in, including my own.”

The 64th annual Distinguished Young Women National Finals will be streamed for free all three nights, Thursday-Saturday, June 24-26, at 5 p.m. Visit DYWNationalFinals.com each night of the show and stream for free to cheer on Neuder.

For more information about Distinguished Young Women, contact Tara Principe, national headquarters marketing and communications director, at 251-4383621 or Tara@DistinguishedYW.org or visit distinguishedYW.org.

Clark Fork city-wide garage sale June 19

By Reader Staff With the window for spring cleaning past and the summer season in full swing, the citizens of Clark Fork are hoping that the household items they’re ready to part with will become someone else’s treasure during the third annual city-wide garage sale on Saturday, June 19.

The sale is slated to last from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with garage and yard sales scattered throughout the town. Participating addresses will be listed on flyers available at local gas stations, according to organizer Shannon Daugherty Cunningham.

“Three years ago I began this to provide the opportunity for Clark Fork to have successful garage sales by making it an event for the community,” she said. “Each year it has gotten better with more community participation and more visitors shopping.”

Clark Fork is located about 25 miles southeast of Sandpoint. To get there, take Highway 200.

COMMUNITY

Cheers to the locals

Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce to host Summer Sampler June 24 in Farmin Park

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff When Sandpoint isn’t operating at full summer capacity, welcoming tourists from all over the world and serving itself up as a perfect mountain town getaway, it is home to a robust base of year-rounders: the people who own the businesses, work at them and enjoy them no matter the season.

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce hopes to shine a spotlight on those locals with its annual Summer Sampler at Farmin Park on Wednesday, June 24 from 5-8 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to sample food and drink offerings from the town’s robust restaurant scene, as well as have the opportunity to win raffles, including tickets to the upcoming Festival at Sandpoint. Proceeds will help benefit the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

“I would say Summer Sampler is the unofficial kick-off to summer,” said Chamber Membership Specialist Ricci Witte. “We cater this event to locals in particular, advertising only in our area.”

Admission is free for all ages, but those hoping to nibble on samples will have to buy tickets for $1 each at the entrance.

According to the organizers, food and drink samples will be priced between 3-7 tickets at each individual booth. Those hoping to buy alcoholic samples must present an ID. There will also be live music from beloved singer-songwriter trio Baker, Thomas & Packwood, made up of locals Benny Baker, Ali Thomas and Sheldon Packwood.

While summer of 2020 saw Sandpoint teeming with tourists escaping COVID-19 restrictions in their home states, it’s events like Summer Sampler which will set the tone for the return to semi-normalcy for the area’s locals in 2021.

“We want to see some familiar faces,

The Summer Sampler at Farmin Park. Courtesy photo. remind them what is available downtown and get the locals back into our bars and restaurants,” Witte said.

Those with questions about the 2021 Summer Sampler can contact the chamber at 208-263-2161.

Bonner General Immediate Care has a new location

By Reader Staff Bonner General Health recently announced the move of its Immediate Care Clinic from the Ponderay location to 520 N. Third Ave. in downtown Sandpoint.

The new clinic is located on the south side of the hospital building. The entrance is to the left of the Emergency Department, on Alder Street, between Second and Third avenues.

With the continued growth at BGIC, the new location allows for extra space to treat patients, more staff and effortless transfer of patients who require a higher level of care.

“The BGIC team is excited to continue

offering quality patient-centered care in collaboration with our additional service lines and equipment at Bonner General Health,” BGH wrote in a release. “Because we never know when immediate health care services will be needed, our same caring staff will continue serving patients seven days a week.”

Beginning June 21, 2021, Bonner General Immediate Care Clinic will see patients seven days a week at 520 N. Third Avenue in Sandpoint.

Hours will be: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Priest River Ministries-Advocates for Women seeking volunteers

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Beyond providing free victim services and shelter for women and children in need in North Idaho, Priest River Ministries-Advocates for Women also offers three clothing closets which are open to the public: Phoebe’s Place in Spirit Lake, Tabitha’s Closet in Sandpoint and Lydia’s Place in Priest River.

“If you are needing clothes for a job interview or your kids are growing faster than you can keep up with,” their website reads, “please come by.”

While Tabitha’s offers only children’s clothing, Phoebe’s and Lydia’s have clothing for men, women and children along with towels, linens and bedding.

“All centers have personal care and

household items for those in need. Everything is free,” said Rhonda Encinas, the organization’s executive director — though not without pointing out that “not one person working here is more important than the rest.”

“It really does take all of us to do this work effectively,” she added.

To ensure the work happening through the ministries remains effective, Encinas said PRMAFW is seeking volunteers to staff the Priest River clothing center — Lydia’s Place, located at 6501 Highway 2 — by working one day a week.

Volunteers are responsible for checking in clients and helping them find clothing and household items for their families.

Workers will also be asked to sort and hang donations. Lydia’s is open Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Encinas said that PRMAFW’s mission is to “assist families in crisis.” She noted that the organization primiarily provides support services for women and children who have exprienced domestic or sexual violence, and well as those involved in human trafficking.

“We offer all our services free of charge regardless of age, religion, ethnicity or orientation,” Encinas said.

“We build relationships with women and encourage them on their journey toward well-being.”

To get involved or to learn more about Priest River Ministries-Advocates for Women, call 208-448-2800 or email prm. afw@gmail.com. Visit the organization’s website at prmafw.org, or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/prmadvocatesforwomen.

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We always enjoy publishing your photos, but sometimes more timely matters take precedence. Here are a few photos from a couple weeks ago that we meant to publish earlier. Keep them coming!

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

Top left: Forrest Schuck writes to the Reader: “So I’m reading about Jaguars in the Reader and the house lion reaches out to remind me that he, too, is a fierce predator.” Photo by Forrest Schuck.

Top right: Karen Hempstead writes to the Reader: “Studding Davidson’s Penstemon, spring bloomers, spilling from the rocky crags of the Green Monarchs. I took this photo from my kayak. So amazing! We live in an amazing place.” Photo by Karen Hempstead.

Right: Peeking over the construction barrier to the old Arlo’s building on First Avenue, which was condemned in 2018 and has recently been demolished. That tree mural is one of my favorites from old Sandpoint, also. Photo by Ben Olson.

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Sandpoint at its artsiest

Pend Oreille Arts Council’s 44th annual ArtWalk kicks off June 18

By Claire Christy Reader Contributor The sun is shining, school is out and the tourists have arrived.

That means ArtWalk season is upon us.

This year, the Pend Oreille Arts Council has teamed up with more than 25 local businesses and nearly 100 local artists to host this community-wide event for all ages.

Ting Internet has generously sponsored the brochure that serves as a guide to all of the ArtWalk locations. Visitors can pick one up at any participating location or view it on POAC’s website at artinsandpoint.org. Visitors are encouraged to visit each venue and enjoy local retail, restaurants and art. Opening receptions are Friday, June 18 at 5:30-8 p.m., and the ArtWalk tour is set to beautify Sandpoint throughout the summer until Sept. 3.

ArtWalk participants will see a varied range of artwork by local artists. Some venues will be exhibiting the work of POAC’s artist members. Others use ArtWalk as an opportunity to promote their artists in residence. From Ed Robinson’s Plein Aire work at Outdoor Experience to Rebecca Vader’s ethical taxidermy at Eichardt’s Pub, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Venues like Wolf & Bell and Whiskey Jack Pottery allow visitors to connect with local artists who own downtown storefronts.

At the POAC Gallery at 110 Main St., we have a diverse display of work ranging from jewelry

by Mary Gayle Young to bronze sculptures by Steve Gevurtz.

Columbia Bank Community Plaza at 231 N. Third Ave. is a stop on the map worth noting.

With a group exhibit of ten artists, viewers can enjoy a variety of painting and photography styles.

The works of the Geezer Drawing class will be on display as well.

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POAC and hosted by the Sandpoint Area Seniors Center. POAC will be serving complimentary wine, but all ages are encouraged to stop in and experience the exhibit.

POAC is also welcoming some new venue participants in 2021.

Bluebird Bakery is a beautiful space on the corner of First Avenue and Cedar Street. Candace Hultberg-Bennet, a local photographer, is featured in this clean and serene location.

The 44th annual ArtWalk will be the first to include tattoo shops on the map. Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Emporium and Black Elk Collective have carefully curated their collections. These stops are visually stimulating and full of artwork to peruse.

Carousel of Smiles is also a new stop on the map this year.

The location features a wooden carousel that hasn’t operated since 1952; restoration is underway by a group of local artists. It will become a permanent fixture in

Sandpoint upon its completion.

Cropper & Co. Barber Shop will be featuring Barry Burgess for their first ArtWalk. With a fun and energetic staff, they have artwork to match.

As always, ArtWalk is a family-friendly event, but please note: If you plan to bring the kiddos with you, the 219 Lounge can’t welcome them in to view the murals

by Nan Cooper, Maria Larsen and Jeff Rosenkrans. Be advised the tattoo shop stops may have partial nudity included in the artworks.

There is a performing arts component to ArtWalk this year.

Art as Theatre, a series of oneact plays written and directed

by Teresa Pesce, will have its opening night on Friday, June 25, at the Panida Theater. Artworks

by Suzanne Jewel, Scott Kirby, Pat Ragone and Connie Scherr inspired Pesce to write Art as Theatre. Visitors can see the work on display at the Little Panida Theater for the opening receptions of ArtWalk. On June 25, visitors can

get another look at the artwork and mingle with the artists at another reception preceding the plays.

The second reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Little Panida, the show to follow in the main theater at 7:30 p.m.

After the year we’ve had, we could all use a leisurely night of socialization and art as a community. Your attendance and support mean a lot to the local businesses, artists and those who aid in making ArtWalk happen.

I often compare working with artists to herding butterflies. As an artist myself, I get it. We spend much of our time chasing inspiration, creating our own realities on canvas and working our day jobs.

When it comes to appointments, sales and paperwork, we would rather skip it all and spend our time simply creating.

Even so, I find organizing Art-

Top left: A collection by Daris Judd.

Top right: Sculptures by Steve Gevurtz.

Above: Part of the collection by Jenni Barry. Courtesy photos.

Walk to be one of the best parts of my job. I appreciate each venue that signs on to support POAC and each artist who dares to display their work for the public.

I am honored to spend my time herding butterflies. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen, and thank you to all who show up to enjoy it.

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

It takes two

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

With big life changes often comes a hankering for a new challenge. This is true for Hope residents Kathy and Denny Gorup, who launched head first into life as artists after retiring in recent years.

As Kathy recalled, “When we retired, we thought ‘OK, now we can do what we really want to do,’” which she said turned out to be focusing on their respective art forms. While Kathy works on her elaborate acrylic paintings, Denny creates hand-turned wooden bowls on a lathe.

The Gorups will show their artwork together at an artist’s reception 3-6 p.m. on June 19 at the Memorial Community Center in Hope (415 Wellington Place). The show, which will center around Kathy’s landscape paintings and Denny’s wooden bowls, is appropriately titled “Gorup & Gorup:

A partnership of creative spirits.”

The reception is free to attend, and there will be appetizers, wine and other refreshments available.

There will be a presentation and Q&A session around 4 p.m.

Neither Kathy nor Denny will be the first to say that they’ve mastered their medium — in fact, both are more likely to share the mistakes and frustrations that come with trying something new.

While Kathy has dabbled in art her entire life, acrylic painting was uncharted territory until recently.

“That was something like a goal for me — to do something that was a completely new skill,” she said, “and it took a few years to get to where I could stand what I was doing.”

As for Denny, the reception marks his first public art showing. He said he tried hand-turning bowls many years ago, and decided to invest in the necessary equipment after retiring. The

Memorial Community Center in Hope to host Gorup & Gorup art reception June 19 learning curve has been steep, he said, and sometimes bowls catch while spinning, and “they’re no longer on the lathe — they’re on the other side of the shop.”

“It’s just like anything — you make a lot of mistakes, and not always the same one,” Denny said.

“There’s a million catches and things that can happen.”

While Kathy’s paintings have changed and improved during her time working with acrylics, she is currently going through a landscape phase — though her creations are anything but commonplace.

“A lot of them are made up landscapes — things from my imagination,” she said. “I use photographs, but then I take off and make it my own world.”

Denny’s creations are a statement on what can be done with the natural world, while keeping in mind that the knots and grain in the wood will ultimately win out.

“The wood can talk,” he said. “Your shapes are important, but there are so many grain patterns, and lights and darks and knots … I just find it totally fascinating.”

The upcoming art reception is just the beginning for Gorup & Gorup.

“I have a lot to learn and a lot of things that I want to do with it,” Kathy said, referencing her overall work with acrylic. “The more you do, the more your mind opens up to more possibilities.”

The reception is the first of its kind at MCC, as the board of directors works to find new ways to involve the community in the multi-faceted building. The center is also home to the Hope Preschool, various club meetings, and is available to rent for special

A set of wooden bowls handmade by Hope artist Denny Gorup. Courtesy photo. events.

Part of the proceeds from any art sold from the Gorup & Gorup collection will benefit MCC. Find the Memorial Community Center at 415 Wellington Place in Hope. Kathy Gorup’s paintings will remain on view through July 5. Call MCC at 208-264-5481 for more information, or email mccinhope@gmail.com.

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GARDENING

Dirt-y Secrets Blooms, birds and bees

By Ranel Hanson Reader Columnist June is the month of blooms, birds and bees... and mosquitos (think of those pesky biters as bird food). It’s also the time for weeds — lots of weeds.

I have been fighting horsetails. Fun fact: Native Americans used them to scrub pots and called them “scouring rush.”

There is no winning against these weeds — only fighting.

The good thing about them is that if you have them, you know your soil is acidic. That means all of the acid-loving plants will flourish in your garden: azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, phlox, dianthus, allium and many others.

If you aren’t sure (and are lucky enough not to have horsetails), an easy test for soil acidity is as follows. Mix 1/2 cup each water and baking soda. Add a tablespoon of your soil and see if it bubbles. If it bubbles, it is acidic. To test for alkalinity, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to two tablespoons of soil. If it fizzes, you have alkaline soil. Alkaline soil is best for clematis, crocus, forsythia, lilacs, and others.

We can’t talk about weeds without talking about mulch. It not only holds moisture for your flowering plants and vegetables, but discourages those weeds.

Mulch makes for good hiding places for slugs, too, so I put eggshells underneath. They don’t like the rough terrain eggshells create.

I have just started to use straw for mulch, though everyone else has used it all along. Make it thick for most effectiveness. Grass clippings work, too, although they can bring weeds. Beware lawn chemicals. Bark looks great, but doesn’t keep those weeds from sprouting through it, unless you put weed cloth under the 18 /

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bark. Eventually, soil collects in the bark and weeds take hold again on top of your weed cloth.

No matter what you do, we battle weeds in June. On the bright side, If you keep at it, they grow more slowly in July.

Keep the fertilizer coming this month — especially for those hanging baskets. Douse them with a good, natural liquid fertilizer every other week for healthy foliage and lots of blooms. The old standby, fish emulsion, is easy and one bottle will last the summer. Don’t forget the garden plants, while you are at it. A nice top-dressing of compost is helpful, too.

One of my favorite plants is the dramatic, aromatic and lovely wisteria. They like a rich, evenly moist alkaline soil. This year, I was so sad to see that my wisteria had died. Last year, in the early spring, I traded my daughter for her vigorous wisteria by offering her my concord grape vine, which was also thriving. She freed that wisteria by digging out its huge tap root and root ball (which was five feet down!). We quickly and gently transported it to my backyard arbor where I had readied its new home. I soaked it, administered vitamins, and lots of water.

It looked wonderful and grew healthily all summer under my watchful eye. Then, in the winter, it slept. I eagerly anticipated beautiful purple blossoms this spring. May. Nothing. Not a sprout and the whole trunk looked dry and dead.

Then came the first of June.

Still nothing. I gave up. I bought a new very vigorous and blooming wisteria. Brought it home and began digging out the old vine.

But wait — a tiny, tiny green sprout right above the roots. Then another on the trunk. That vine wants to live. So, now I have two wisteria and haven’t quite decid-

Wisteria in full bloom. Courtesy photo. ed where to put the new one. The moral of the story? Be patient with your wisteria. They can be slow to establish, but once they take root, watch out.They need

strong support, too.

All the birds are busy raising babies. Some even are raising their second batch. For the fourth year in a row, the bird house

right next to our front door has another group of sparrow babies.

They are noisy when hungry and poor mother bird is catching as many bugs as she can, but she is running on empty. They seem not at all bothered by the ins and outs of the front door and just keep cheeping away demanding more delicious bugs. Any day now, they will fly and mama will get a brief respite before the third batch arrives. Swallows, house finches and all the other bird mothers are busy nurturing the next generation.

July will bring more heat, probably little rain and lots of sunshine, so, as Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Live in the sunshine, swim in the lake, drink in the wild air.”

HOLIDAY

Father’s Day 2021 Every dad gets his day on Sunday, June 20, when we make an especial effort to honor the patres familias in our lives. Be they the dads we have by biology, the dads we’ve acquired by circumstance or the father figures we chose, these are the most important men in our lives, whom we love, revere and sometimes fear. Here are a few thoughts on dads from the Reader editorial staff, who send their best wishes to all the fathers out there.

FATHERLY FACTS Learn something new about dads and the day we celebrate them

A Spokane woman came up with Father’s Day. Sonora Smart Dodd, who was just 16 years old when she lost her mother in childbirth, helped raise her five brothers alongside her Civil War veteran father, William Smart. To honor her father later in life — and after hearing about the newly recognized Mother’s Day — Dodd suggested a Father’s Day be commemorated, and brought the idea to the Spokane Ministerial Alliance. The first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane on June 19, 1910, shortly after Dodd and her new husband welcomed their son, John Bruce “Jack” Dodd, into the world.

The first federally recognized Father’s Day was in 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a presidential proclamation. The holiday became official in 1972, after President Richard Nixon signed a law that named the third Sunday each June as Father’s Day. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 72 million fathers in the country, and 29 million of those are also grandfathers.

Also according to the Census, 2 million single fathers have kids at home in the United States — constituting 20% of the

Dad-ecDOTes A lot of dads are jokesters — mine really isn’t. I scratched my head and gave him a call to ask if he had any top-of-mind “dad jokes,” but he didn’t. I didn’t recall any from childhood (other than the classic “pull-my-finger” routine, which appears to have skipped a generation and is now completely owned by my 6-year-old daughter), but what I do remember is my dad being a storyteller.

I think this is a central function of dads: They are Keepers of the Narrative. Drive around town with a dad (especially my dad and now me) and you’ll hear who lived in which houses when, which places used to be fields and are now houses, where any number of personal or otherwise

Dad-isms Sonora Smart Dodd. Courtesy photo. nation’s single parents.

In seahorse relationships, it is the father who carries and births the babies after the female deposits its unfertilized eggs into the male.

Scientists have observed a male beaver in Martinez, Calif., who lost his mate and ended up taking on a single parenting role with his three offspring. All reports say he’s doing a great job.

According to a survey by Zero to Three Policy Center, which advocates for healthy early development of babies and toddlers, 90% of dads say that fatherhood is their “greatest joy” and 73% “say their lives began when they became a dad.”

— Lyndsie Kiebert

Stories of and defined by fatherhood important events occurred… you name it. The streets keep no secrets from an attentive dad.

One of my favorites my dad told me when I was very young was about a man who back in the day peed across the entire width of Pine Street (in a continuous arc) roughly between where the Sand Bar (nee Roxy’s) and Utara are now. I tell this story to my kids every time we pass by the alleged scene of the feat.

Stories of big winters, incidents of driving too fast or dangerously, secret places way out in the woods where the stream fishing was especially good, awesome cars that he once owned — these are among the gems of a dad story.

I also loved any story about

my dad’s dad, which is another key duty of dads in general: Telling stories about their own dads. Those ones underpin the continuity of family history.

The best stories, at least in my experience, were the ones my dad would make up at night, when my brother and I were going to bed. “Tell us a story,” we’d ask, and he’d oblige. I can tell you from my own experience that this is much harder than it sounds.

I suppose that goes for most aspects of fatherhood, and maybe that’s the real story of the best dads: They make it look easy.

— Zach Hagadone

Phrases that only dads say

Dads have always had a way with words. I’m pretty sure when you become a dad you are handed down a bible of bad jokes and nonsensical sayings to pass onto your children. No matter what the situation, dads have the unique ability to package a pithy saying to either make you groan, laugh or shake your head in embarrassment. But it works!

Decades later, we still smile and remember those words coming out of our fathers’ mouths.

Whenever we were angry as children, my dad would offer these profound words: “It’s better to be pissed off than pissed on.” Sometimes when waking us up in the morning, he would say, “Wake up, the world’s on fire, you gotta get up and piss on it.” It’s funny that I’m just now noticing my dad’s most frequent utterances involving urination.

Phil Hough shared one of his

father’s sayings in a short anecdote: “In 1994, the Pacific Crest Trail was not nearly as popular as it is today. When I set out to hike the 2,700 mile trail, my dad came along for the first week. He was headed home, after I resupplied, and I was headed out solo for the rest of the adventure. He left me with these words of advice: ‘Don’t do nuthin’ dumb.’ One size fits all for the many challenges that were to lie ahead.”

Reader News Editor Lyndsie Kiebert added the following: “My dad is a very well-read, profound person who used to leave me handwritten notes with random, thoughtful sayings on them growing up. Somehow, none of those things come to mind today. Instead, I think of the catchphrase we plan to put on his headstone: ‘You gotta be shittin’ me!’”

Instead of a particular saying,

Dann Hall shared some memories of his own father, famed photographer Ross Hall, whose blackand-white photographs documented early Sandpoint: “When Papa-Ross was in his eighties he suffered from alzheimer’s. One morning he snuck out of Condo del Sol at two in the morning looking for mountains to climb.

As dad passed the 219 tavern, a patron stumbled out the door, recognized Ross, and guided him back to the Condo.”

No matter what words of wisdom or folly your pop bestowed upon you, here’s wishing you all the best Father’s Day. Remember, “if it wasn’t this, it would be something else.” Or perhaps, “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” OK, that’s enough.

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LITERATURE

Paul Graves’ children’s book follows his feline’s adventures to a new home Sox Looks For Home available at local bookstores

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Paul Graves has spent a good portion of his life advocating for the elderly population in Sandpoint, but when his beloved cat Sox went missing after a move, he saw it as an opportunity to reach out with children.

A former pastor and Sandpoint mayor, Graves published a children’s book called Sox Looks For Home, through Keokee Publishing, documenting the adventures of his cat Sox after he and his wife moved across town.

“Part of what inspired me is the frustration of real-life experiences,” Graves told the Reader. “We moved to a new home from our longtime home by Farmin Stidwell … on Labor Day 2019. We have this wonderful orange tabby Sox and we kept him in as we kept other cats when we moved.”

But, the first chance that Sox got to check out his new digs, he disappeared.

Graves said he and his wife, Sue, made a poster and took it around the neighborhood. After three days of futile searching, they eventually checked their former house, which was across busy Highway 2.

“To make a long story short, he did go back,” Graves said.

Some of Graves’ former neighbors said they saw Sox, and Graves was able to reunite with the lost feline before the escape artist took off again... and again.

“He ran away two more times,” Graves said. “These three runs took place over a little more than two months. The last time we got him back, he was gone for two weeks.”

The final escape culminated in Graves using a live trap, which caught Sox without incident.

“We put him under house arrest for six

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months then,” Graves said, who surmised the culprit was a fence that wasn’t made escape-proof at their new home.

It was a visit to the North Idaho Animal Hospital where Sox receives veterinary services that spurred on the idea to put Sox’s escapades into a children’s book.

“They said, ‘I know that you write, Paul.

Why don’t you write that into a story?’”

Graves said. “I initially dismissed it, because I’ve never tried writing a children’s story.”

But a good writer always knows how to sniff out a good story, and Graves ultimately put pen to paper to tell the tale of Sox the escape artist. He tested it out with some children, who all made good suggestions on how to improve the tale.

Graves put the word out to find an illustrator that could bring his words to life. A good friend from Pullman, Wash., gave him the name of a young illustrator and it turned out to be a perfect match.

Graves teamed up with Julie Coyle on the project, which led to a budding friendship.

“We’ve become really good friends with Julie and her husband Dan over the course of this project,” Graves said. “We keep telling her we’ve drawn up adoption papers for her.”

Graves took photos of the route between homes to give Coyle a visual cue for her illustrations.

“I was trying to see through the eyes of a child,” he said. “They like motion, and it was a simple, straightforward story. Keep it simple stupid. And yet I also discovered I couldn’t get rid of the more sophisticated conceptualization of my life — this has multiple levels in terms of meaning. As I edited the story, I began to realize that I was talking about a universal experience for people; finding a home.”

Graves, who spends his time with Elder

Above: A sample page from Sox Looks For Home. Right: Paul Graves at home with Sox. Bottom right: Illustrator Julie Coyle poses with Sox. Courtesy photos.

Advocates — an outreach organization he leads to focus on elderly issues — acknowledged it was a different experience writing for a younger audience.

“Part of it was to let myself go back to my own childhood,” he said. “I wanted to experience for myself what the cat might have experienced on the journeys, especially going from the one house to the other. …

There are also a good number of similarities that people have drawn between children and older adults” The book is a visual delight, with Coyle’s dynamic drawings of Sox and his route bringing up nostalgic images of the old “Family Circus” cartoons, in which the little kids would leave dotted line trails across their yard. The result is a story filled with adventure, some peril and an ending that could even warm the heart of a dog-lover.

Sox Looks For Home, written for kids aged 6-11, is available for purchase at Vanderford’s, The Corner Book Store, as well as other local bookstores. It is also available at various online book sellers like Amazon, but both the author and local bookstores benefit more when it is purchased locally.

For more information, visit keokee.com or soxlooksforhome.com.

OUTDOORS

Schweitzer opens for summer season June 18

By Ben Olson Reader Staff After a short respite from winter, Schweitzer is kicking off its summer season Friday, June 18, which will conclude Sept. 6 on Labor Day. Marketing Manager Dig Chrismer said the period of time between winter and summer is usually filled with maintenance projects that are hard to conduct during the winter and not until “everybody took an exhaustive deep breath after the winter season ended.”

Chrismer said the construction project on the new Humbird hotel is in full swing, with a completion date scheduled for winter 2021’22. One caveat is that the construction has affected the main parking lot capacity.

“Look for signs directing you where to park when driving up to the mountain,” Chrismer told the Reader. “We’ll also have some arrangements made for people with special needs to get up to the village area.

We ask that everyone be patient and flexible with this short-term situation.”

The usual amenities will be available for summer recreation, including chairlift rides to the summit, the sluice box for the kids, the trampoline jumper, disc golf, geocaching, kids crafts, the climbing wall and more. For the outdoors enthusiasts, everything from hiking to huckleberry picking to mountain biking is available all summer long.

“The trails have finally started to get the attention they need and deserve,” Chrismer said, hinting at some new trails and connections that will be announced soon. “The one I can tell you about is a new pump track near the yurt and Great Escape Quad, which is fun for kids and beginners. Look for that to be completed by the end of the season.

“We definitely saw an increase in recreation last summer, which is great,” Chrismer said. “Other resorts put in mountain coasters and artificial recreation, but we like to think of Schweitzer as a more natural park than amusement park. We want to

Riding the Great Escape Quad in summer.

Photo courtesy Schweitzer. maintain a natural experience, with attention given to trails and hiking. There’s also a new shelter at Colburn Lake for people to use while fishing.”

One amenity not offered this season is the zipline, which will be closed due to lack of staff.

Chrismer said Schweitzer has been affected by lack of staffing like many other service-oriented businesses in the area, and urged anyone who wants to join the Schweitzer team to look up job postings on their website.

“We’ve upped our wages the past six months,” Chrismer said. “We know it’s an expense to drive up the mountain. The bigger issue, I think, is lack of housing. …

That’s one of the key issues for us, to find places for people to live who work here.”

Both WineFest and the Huckleberry Fun Run are scheduled for this season, with a possibility of FallFest as well.

“Our concern with FallFest isn’t COVID necessarily, but the parking issues,” Chrismer said. “We want people to have a good time, and it’s super frustrating to get up here and not access what you want to access.

We’ll let you know if FallFest ends up happening or not soon.”

As always, recreational activities on Schweitzer are free and open to all. Chairlift tickets and summer passes are available for purchase, but families can hike, pick huckleberries and ride their bikes up the mountain free of charge during the summer.

Other activities to consider are horseback riding, hosted E-bike rides, kids crafts and party pails and more.

“The mountain is looking amazing,” Chrismer said. “We’re buffing out the berms on the mountain biking trails, making things smoother, getting ready for the season.”

To learn more about Schweitzer’s summer season, visit schweitzer.com.

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events June 17 - 24, 2021

THURSDAY, June 17

Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Alex and Maya 7-9pm @ The Back Door

Open Mic Night 6:30pm @ The Longshot Musicians, poets, comedians — all are welcome. Sign ups start at 6:30

FriDAY, June 18 ArtWalk Opening Night @ Downtown Sandpoint Over two dozen venues will showcase local artists’ works for POAC’s annual ArtWalk. Take a stroll and check it out Live Music w/ Red Blend 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 8-10pm @ The Back Door Wine Flight and Lawn Games All night long @ The Longshot

Suzuki String Academy concert 7pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Students will perform downtown in the evening and a final concert at Matchwood at 7pm. Free and open to all Live Music w/ Mike Thompson Duo 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Smooth jazz and pop/rock/folk Artist Reception 5:30-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery For artists: Denys Knight, Dan Carpenter

SATURDAY, June 19 Live Music w/ Larry Hirshberg 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Luke Yates 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ LoGee 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 10am-1pm @ Farmin Park Produce, arts, crafts and more. Live music

by Ian Gaddie Outdoor Concert w/ Maya & Alex 8-10pm @ The Longshot

Injectors Auto Club BBQ 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Check out some classic cars, grab a burger or hot dog and play some mini golf! Live music w/ Brian Jacobs Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 8-10pm @ The Back Door

Live Music w/ Truck Mills Duo 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Truck is joined by Carl Rey

SunDAY, June 20

Piano Sunday w/ Dwayne Parsons 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Interactive Bingo 6-7:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

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

monDAY, June 21

Outdoor Experience Monday Night Group Run – All levels welcome 6pm @ Outdoor Experience Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “How to Live Before You Die: Embracing Life to the Fullest”

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

tuesDAY, June 22

wednesDAY, June 23 Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Live music by Truck Mills Live Music w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Jake Robin 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Benny on the Deck live music 5-7:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Benny Baker and guest Chris Lynch Live Music w/ Samantha Carston 7-9pm @ The Back Door

ThursDAY, June 24

Fundraiser for CCS 1-3:30pm @ Suzuki String Academy With Simon Pranaitis. For registration, email info@suzukistringacademy.com 22 /

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Piano worship music workshop 1-3:30pm @ Suzuki String Academy With Simon Pranaitis. For registration, email info@suzukistringacademy.com

COMMUNITY

Innovia Foundation honored as May Business of the Month

By Reader Staff The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce honored Innovia Foundation as its May 2021 Business of the Month.

Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Executive Director Phil Hough presented the certificate to Innovia board member Geraldine Lewis at the May 10 general membership luncheon. Innovia has been a member of the chamber since March 2018.

A community foundation focused on 20 counties in eastern Washington and North Idaho for the past 46 years, Innovia’s mission is, “To ignite generosity that transforms lives and communities.” The organization collaborates with communities throughout the region to identify and address local needs and priorities.

Innovia Foundation was a cornerstone in the region’s climb through COVID-19

shutdowns and pandemic relief. In the past year, its community grants in both Bonner and Boundary counties included 14 awards totaling $129,000. Innovia also helped fund two rounds of small business recovery grants in the northernmost counties and three rounds of COVID-related grants of almost $100,000 each.

Innovia is also looking to the future health of area communities, with active campaigns focused on civic leadership, youth and education, health and well-being, arts and culture, quality of life and economic opportunity. It recently launched the 5% Campaign, aimed at directing 5% of generational wealth transfers back into community-focused programs.

For more information about Innovia Foundation, visit innovia.org or call 509624-2606.

STAGE & SCREEN

Dads on film

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Stereotypes abound when it comes to “dad movies”: Dads love war movies, so the culture tells us. Dads like films about history in general: knights and pirates; explorers, space- and seafarers, and cowboys; good-guy outlaws and bad-boy archaeologists. They’re also into underdog athletes and self-made tinkerers who one-up The Man by their own ingenuity; the put-upon working stiff who (by dint of his intrinsic qualities and the demands of his time) makes good against all odds; and old, wise masters who guide the next generation of dads through a hero’s journey of tribulation to become better than them and, by nature, themselves. One thing I’ll submit: Dads like a movie that makes them cry.

Think deep on the notion of a “dad movie” and you’ll end up interrogating a lot of other ideas about masculinity and emasculation; sensitivity and vulnerability; history and narrative empowerment; law and lawlessness; regret and aspiration; politics and control; failure and success; and, ultimately, “what it is to be a man.”

Perhaps it’s the patriarchy, but the idea of a “dad movie” tends to encompass Movies writ large. At the risk of delving too deep into sloppy pop-psychology, it’s not much of a stretch to say that dads like movies as a rule. As an art form, film encompasses a lot of the things with which dads traditionally identify: high technology, big money, spectacle and peak performance.

These stereotypes are instructive, but it’s interesting when you ask a dad about what they consider a “dad movie.”

When I asked my own dad (the legendary Jon Hagadone), his top “dad movies” trended toward what I thought they would: Star Wars (the original trilogy, of course), Indiana Jones (with The Last Crusade

The curious case of the ‘dad movie’

being perhaps among the archetypal dad movies), detective and mystery films, The Old Man and the Sea (the 1958 Spencer Tracy version), Little Big Man (one of Dustin Hoffman’s greatest roles) and pretty much any documentary (though especially ones by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick).

Of course, my dad’s taste in movies has profoundly informed my own — I agree 100% with all of his choices. I asked a few others, including also-legendary local dad Bob Witte, and was surprised at how often I heard Field of Dreams mentioned (a few moms as well called it The Dad Movie).

My father-in-law, Dan “The Man” Packard (easily in the top 1% of all dads ever), echoed an FoD affinity, as well as anything with Harrison Ford. My wife, Danielle, offered Silverado as a film that she associates with her pops.

In a genre-buster, Sunshine Goldmine co-owner, expert jewelerman and father of two, Matt Kinney offered A Christmas Story — the “Old Man” in the film is, of course, the avatar of all crapulous dudes who just want to get through the day with a minimum of B.S.; but, of course, that never happens… and they love it.

Ever thorough, I asked on Facebook, “What is a ‘dad movie’; and, dads, what’s your favorite ‘dad movie’?” Within about 30 minutes I received more than 30 comments from dads and moms alike.

Among the entries were Vacation, The Croods, Ghostbusters (original version), Fletch and Caddyshack, which puts Chevy Chase in three out of five ultimate dad movies and Bill Murray in two. The Big Lebowski came up a few times, as did Mrs. Doubtfire.

As local dad, former-disc jockey and angler extraordinaire Glenn Lefebvre wrote, “I define ‘Dad Movie’ as a movie with a dad or a general buffoon as the main character. A comedy and that highbrow

Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining didn’t exactly win ‘Dad of the Year.’ Courtesy photo. humor that dads like me are known for.”

Other responses: It’s a Wonderful Life (per retired Fire Chief Mark Sauter); Matilda and A Series of Unfortunate Events, via health care administrator and man-abouttown Steve Sanchez; local radio host Bill Litsinger said Rio Bravo; U of I Professor, mom and author Ryanne Pilgeram (speaking on behalf of her husband and fellow-Prof. Russ Meeuf, who is a dad of three, an author and specialist in media studies) entered Back to the Future; while Boise-based filmmaker Ron Torres suggested a number of movies, including A River Runs Through It, Big Fish and Royal Tenenbaums. (The titular Royal Tenenbaum is something of a spirit animal of mine.)

Local technologist/artist Mike Peck had The Good Dinosaur and Lion King (the latter another popular choice). Peck’s explanation: “The fathers die in both of them and the son is left alone to get by… not sure I like the theme of either of them now that I think about it. Hopefully I can prepare and test my son’s ability prior to

dying from a stampede or rushing river.”

Other dads who responded to my call suggested that the “dad movie” is a movie that is generally inappropriate for a kid to watch (Predator, for instance), but which is OK to watch with dad. Having just had my children watch Dune, I agree.

Trying to get as much input as possible on this, I button-holed my letter-carrier — the indefatigable Matt Smith — as he was dropping off the mail, and without much pause he said The Empire Strikes Back and, as if I didn’t like him enough already, added Lawrence of Arabia, which is one of my favorites for its sheer scope, swagger and sensitivity, exemplified by the timeless Peter O’Toole. (One of my dad-movie picks: The Lion in Winter, with O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn as King Henry II and Queen Eleanor, for whom my daughter is named.)

So what are we to make of this “dad movie” typology? For one thing, notably absent from these responses was the horror genre. The real world is scary enough, it seems, and dads want to keep things as safe as they can. (Though I contribute The Shining as the ne plus ultra of bad dadness.)

There are films here with lovable, yet frequently flawed, male leads. There is a fair bit of pathos inherent in the central dad figures — underscored with several themes of redemption from “bad dad” to “good dad.” Many are epic, in some senses emotionally, others artistically, while humor is a consistent key element.

It seems dads — at least these dads and the moms who made them dads — are curious, funny, strong, vulnerable, adventurous and (clearly) people who honor dad-dom and the films that inform it.

Murder mystery musical slated for Pend Oreille Playhouse

By Reader Staff

The Pend Oreille Players Association and the Kalispel Tribe present, Something’s Afoot — a murder mystery smusical with a satirical take on Agatha Christie novels.

Performances are Friday-Sunday, June 1820; and Friday-Sunday, June 25-27, 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 for

adults, $10 for seniors and military, and $7 for children 18 and younger.

The box office is open Thursdays, 5-6:15 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 30 minutes before each show. The Pend Oreille Playhouse is located at 236 S. Union Ave., Newport, Wash. Call 509447-9900 or email mail@pendoreilleplayers.com for more information.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater Melon calling

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

Who doesn’t love a good watermelon? Nothing screams summer quite like a watermelon (OK, maybe ice cream), and sweet watermelon moments happen for me every summer.

One of my favorite times will occur in early August, when the family and I gather in the mountains of Montana.

It takes some serious shopping for me to find the perfect melons for our summer soiree.

Once our caravan arrives at our remote retreat, the big boys (the oldest two grandsons) will haul the heavy melons down the bank of the icy cold creek. We’ll place them into an oversized, old wicker basket, where the steady mountain stream will keep them chilled until we’re ready to crack them open. Over the years, we’ve only had a couple of mishaps caused by the littlest of humans and the largest of creatures.

Our annual retreat requires two watermelons, one for the highly competitive watermelon-eating contest (part of our Summer Olympic series, which historically ends with some bruises, bruised egos and occasionally a few tears).

The other one is saved for my talented son-in-law Russ, who will carve it into an intricate showpiece with an audience of mini experts, worthy of my best summer buffet.

Watermelon carving is a massive event at several summertime Watermelon Festivals you’ll find scattered throughout the country.

Carvers take their craft seriously, and you’ll find sculpted melon masterpieces that are nearly 24 /

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museum-worthy objets d’art.

Most of these festivals tend to be in the Deep South, where watermelons grow like weeds.

Good thing that they’re cheap and plentiful because the carving tool sets won’t leave you with a lot of spare change.

They come in every size and color, too. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most enormous watermelon on record weighed 350.5 pounds and was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tenn. On the other end of that scale is the Little Baby Flower melon. It’s a pink-fleshed beauty that ripens very quickly, and Saveur Food Magazine states that this gem never exceeds more than four pounds.

Of the more than 100 varieties of melons grown, Sultan is one of the sweetest varieties and

measures 12.3 on the Brix scale (the food industry scale that measures the number of sugars in fruits, vegetables and juices).

Besides being a fun, seed-spitting, speed-eating and carving fruit, watermelon is packed full of vitamins C and A and it’s really good for keeping us hydrated on a hot day. I miss the big, black watermelon seeds from my youth and, though my mother always warned me not to eat them, it turns out that they’re packed full of nutrients, too (if you can find a seeded watermelon, go right ahead and swallow those seeds).

There are many tried and proper criteria for choosing the right melon. I don’t have a knack for the knock or thump method and, quite honestly, I can’t hear the difference between a “ping” and a “pong.”

Many folks swear by either of the techniques mentioned above, but not me. I look for a nice, even green-striped color on the top, a lovely buttery yellow, ripened-in-the-sun bottom and a brown (not green) stem. The melon should also be dense and feel quite heavy; otherwise, it might be past its prime — drying out or getting mealy (watermelon is 92% water).

Once you’ve lugged it home, remember to wash it well. The Food and Drug Administration reminds us to wash all fruit before serving, but it’s imperative with fruits like melons, which spend their life on the ground, in the dirt. Anything on the skin of a melon will travel inside as soon as a knife is inserted.

Most of us eat watermelon as a snack, but the fruit is a key

ingredient for some delicious recipes. Roasted seeds are popular in Asia, and spicy, sauteed watermelon rind is popular in India.

Closer to home, watermelon pickles are a tasty summer condiment in the South. Even closer yet, Lindey’s Steakhouse in Seeley Lake, Mont. has been serving up sides of pickled watermelon rinds on their steak platters for as long as I can remember. Surprisingly, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a well-seasoned steak and crispy hash browns.

At my house, I’m after the sweet red flesh, which I cube up for a family-favorite salad — it’s a real palate quencher on a hot summer day.

Whatever method you go about for selecting the perfect watermelon is your choice.

Greek Watermelon Salad

This salad is juicy, salty and crunchy, and goes with almost any summertime meal. Seasoning the watermelon with salt enhances the flavor and reduces the wateriness of the melon.

INGREDIENTS: Salad : • 4 cups fresh, seedless watermelon — rind removed and cut into chunks • 10 oz Greek feta cheese (in brine), drained and cut into cubes • 1/4 fresh mint, stems removed and leaves chopped • 1/4 fresh oregano, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted • 1 large, firm cucumber, peeled and sliced (use crinkle cutter, if available) Dressing: • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice • 1 tbs honey • 1 tsp flaked sea salt • 1 tsp fresh cracker pepper

DIRECTIONS: To prepare this watermelon feta salad recipe start by removing the rind and seeds from the watermelon, then cut the flesh into square chunks, sprinkle lightly with salt, toss gently and drain in a colander until ready to use.

Cut the feta cheese into small cubes. Slice the onions into paper-thin slices and place in the bowl with feta, add the chopped mint and oregano leaves, add the olives and set aside.

Peel and slice the cucumber, cut into half-moons and place in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare dressing by pouring olive oil into a small bowl, slowly whisk in lemon juice and honey until emulsiPlace watermelon into a serving fied. Add salt and pepper to taste. bowl or onto a platter. Pour the rest Pour the dressing over the feta of the salad over top and toss well mix and toss well. again.

Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint or oregano. Serve immediately.

STAGE & SCREEN Sandpoint-based cinematographer’s latest work released Jimmy Matlosz aims to bring future film company vision to life in North Idaho

By Ben Olson Reader Staff If you’ve spent more than a minute in North Idaho, you may have commented how it seems this region is beautiful enough to be a film backdrop. For Sandpoint-based cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz, using North Idaho as a location for shooting feature films is a dream that gets closer to a reality every day.

Matlosz founded The Idaho Film Company in 2019, with the goal to encourage other film productions to consider this region for filming on location. One major hurdle is the lack of tax incentives that many states provide film production companies. Idaho has so far refused to consider these incentives, which can sometimes make or break the decision to film here.

“The first thing I get asked if I want to shoot a movie in Idaho is, ‘Do you have film incentives?’”

Matlosz told the Reader. “When we say there aren’t incentives, they say, ‘Oh, no thanks. We’re going to shoot in Oklahoma or Mississippi or Kentucky,’ but those places don’t look like North Idaho.”

Matslosz has a vision to bring a couple of feature film productions to North Idaho each year during the shoulder seasons, which he says will bring economic benefits to local businesses.

“I’ve lived here now for 12 years, and the first time I was ever here was at the end of the 1990s,”

Matlosz said. “I said, ‘This is a giant backdrop for a movie.’ We have all four seasons, living up here and knowing how to work in the seasons is fantastic, as well as knowing locals and having access to locations.”

The elephant in the room, Matlosz said, is the fact that many who live in North Idaho aren’t eager to share this region on the silver screen with the rest of the world.

“There’s a part of me that says we could shoot in Sandpoint and say it was ‘shot in North Idaho’ and let everyone else figure it out,” he said. “[Robert] Redford did that with A River Runs Through It. He didn’t divulge the location, but there was speculation it was the Yaak River.”

Matlosz’s latest project, a film called F.E.A.R. set in the more desolate regions of the Pacific Northwest, is an action thriller that follows a young family facing a group of bandits that steals the last of their supplies. With time running out, they must form an alliance with the outlaws to protect their children.

F.E.A.R. was co-written by star Jason Tobias and director Geoff Resiner, produced by Action Figure Entertainment and shot by Matlosz.

The first day of shooting, Matlosz said, set the tone for the entire project, with 18 inches of freshly-fallen snow blanketing the ground.

“It was an absolute blessing to start on a snowstorm the first day of production,” Matlosz said. “The

Above: Cinematographer Jimmy Matlosz on set while filming F.E.A.R. Right: F.E.A.R. is available to stream on iTunes. Courtesy photos. beauty of that: You can’t afford to buy that. … That set the tempo for the rest of the movie. We thought, ‘We can do anything’ at this point — we started with the worst-case scenario and we made it work.”

Matlosz said F.E.A.R. will appeal to the zombie post-apocalyptic aficionados, but he also sees it as a film with deeper metaphors.

“When I read the script, I saw the subtext,” Matlosz said. “What would you do if your child was sick? Arguably you could say the zombies and marauders are a metaphor for doctors and lawyers and bill collectors coming after you.

That was what I was seeing in my

head when I was making the film — it wasn’t just a zombie movie, it was a family survival movie.”

F.E.A.R. is available to stream on iTunes, Amazon and YouTube.

For more information about F.E.A.R., visit the Instagram page @F.E.A.R._themovie. For anyone interested in collaborating with Matlosz and the Idaho Film Company, visit the Instagram @ theidahofilmcompany. To see more of Matlosz’s work, go to dpmatlosz.com.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Injectors Club BBQ, Sandpoint Hard Rock Potluck Picnic, Farmin Park, June 20 Senior Center, June 19 Missing those classic cars after another year of no Lost in the ’50s? Head over to the Sandpoint Senior Center’s parking lot on Saturday, June 19, for the Injectors Auto Club’s fundraising barbecue. There will be live music by Brian Jacobs, burgers/ hot dogs, salads, desserts and classic cars on display. There will also be mini golf open to all ages and the DayBreak Center

will host an open house.

Food is $5 per plate and drinks are $1 each. Special thanks to Wood’s Meat Processing and Super 1 for their support.

Funds will help feed Sandpoint Seniors.

— Ben Olson 10 a.m.-2 p.m., FREE, Sandpoint Senior Center, 820 Main St. in Sandpoint, 208-263-6860, sandpointareaseniors.org.

The annual Father’s Day Hard Rock Potluck Picnic will bring the rock to Sandpoint’s Farmin Park on Sunday, June 20, at 1 p.m.

This free show dedicated to hard rockin’ dads will feature live music by local bands CobraJet, Jacob Vanknow Music with Ray Northwest, and new groups Side Trip and Idaho

Small Potatoes.

The fun starts at 1 p.m.

Bring chairs, blanket and your own picnic supplies to enjoy this free show in style.

— Ben Olson

This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone

READ

There are few true “socialist media” examples on which to base illiberal mudslingers’ favorite anti-truth pejorative. Convenient for them, because if anyone reads the work of I.F. (“Izzy”) Stone, in his trailblazing 1953’71 I.F. Stone’s Weekly — ranked 16th among the top 100 works of 20th-century journalism — they’ll see a socialist producing some of the finest reportage of his, or any, era. Read the full collected works at ifstone.org.

LISTEN

Andrew Bird’s brand of chamber pop, replete with strings and horns, has been such a winner over the decades that it can hardly be called “indie” anymore. Yet his technical virtuosity has in the past made his work a little inaccessible to the mainstream. The 2016 album Are You Serious (Bird’s 16th record) ably threads that needle between too-smartfor-its-own-good and sonically inviting. Learn more at andrewbird.net and find individual tracks on YouTube.

WATCH

The world will run out of oil before it runs out of Star Wars spinoffs. No matter how small the character, no matter how brief their screen time or absurdly abstruse the plot point (or lack thereof) someone at Disney will find a way to turn it into a standalone series. Enter: The Bad Batch, an animated series based on a handful of clone soldiers from a few episodes of the animated series Clone Wars based on the prequel film Attack of the Clones based on the cheese dreams of George Lucas. Stream it on Disney+.

1 p.m., FREE, Sandpoint Farmin Park, Oak Street and Fourth Avenue, Sandpoint.

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BACK OF THE BOOK

Even at their most inept, dads are the best From Northern Idaho News, June 20, 1922

REUBEN JOHNSON, PIONEER, PASSES LOCATED A HOMESTEAD AT CLARKSFORK IN 1890 — AGED NEARLY 79 YEARS Reuben Johnson, the well known pioneer of the Clarksfork valley, died at his home in Clarksfork village on Friday, his funeral being held on Sunday at the Methodist church, conducted

by Rev. John G. Brugger, with interment at the Owen cemetery.

Mr. Johnson was born in Flint, Michigan, in September 1843, and was therefore nearly 79 years of age at the time of his death. The first 37 years of his life were spent in Michigan.

Ten years previous to coming west he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Kozart, and in 1890 the couple came to Idaho, settling on a homestead just across the river and southwest of the site of the present village of Clarksfork. There they lived for ten years, when they sold out and purchased the home where they have since resided in the village. When Mr. Johnson and wife came to Clarksfork there was not so much as a cow trail on the south side of the river, and the only way they could get across to the village was by a row boat or by walking over the Northern Pacific railway bridge.

Mr. Johnson spent the principal part of his life in farming, though for a time he conducted the Grand Central hotel in Gorrunna, Michigan. He was the last of a family of 11 children to exchange time for eternity.

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By Ben Olson Reader Staff When I was a kid, I remember no authority more powerful and all-knowing than my dad. When you skinned your knee or needed help with a last-minute school project, mom was always a great resource, but for the other “dad-ly” matters like how to bait a fishing hook or how to change your car’s oil, dad’s word was gospel.

It was only after growing up and watching my friends become dads when I realized that maybe my dad didn’t really know what the hell he was talking about all the time.

Having no children of my own — a decision that seems to be the one we’ve stuck with — I’ve watched with hilarity some of the “dad advice” my friends have dispensed to their own children.

Most of the time, their words stuck true to the “dad tone” of authority, but when the little tykes scamper off with their world a bit brighter thanks to dad, I see what happens afterward, which is sometimes a shrug from dad, other times a comment that suggests they really don’t know if what they said was true, but it sounds like something a dad would say. Most of the time, I think they just want the kids to play somewhere else so they can finish drinking their beer in peace.

It reminds me that dads are not all-powerful, no matter how much they swagger and try to act like it. I can remember times in the past when my dad got us into some precarious situations. Like on a summer road trip to visit baseball parks around the country, he turned down a one-way street in Philadelphia and damn near killed everyone in the car to accomplish one of his patented short cuts. Or another time in Chicago when he was too cheap to park near Wrigley Field so he parked miles away in a seedy neighborhood. After the baseball game,

STR8TS Solution

while walking back to the car, we witnessed the aftermath of a shooting. I still have vivid memories of someone’s body hanging out of a passenger window. “They’re just playing around,” he told my cousin and me, hurriedly rushing us across the street.

Or the fact that he was usually too cheap to spring for hotel rooms while we traveled, so we all slept in the car at rest areas and washed in the bathroom like vagrants.

I could go on, but a short story about a father written by my good friend Jenna Bowers exemplifies the fact that while not all dads are good at everything, they sure leave lasting memories.

Jenna wrote the following about her dad, Ted Bowers, who remains one of my favorite people who has lived on this earth.

After my own father died about 15 years ago, Ted stepped up and was there for me as a surrogate father until his own death a few years back. Jenna’s memories make me smile to remember the kind, gentle, man that was Ted Bowers: “We went on lots of camping trips as a family. A few times we would borrow a boat to get to the more remote places on the lake.

I was pretty young, so my memory is blurry, but the story has been told many times.

“We set out on what seemed to be a lovely summer day. When we got into the middle of the lake we ran out of gas. It was a pretty big bummer, because this was way before cell phones. We started paddling, hoping someone would come along and help us.

“Then, from across the lake we could see the storm quickly rolling over the water.

Before long we were being tossed and turned in some of the biggest waves I’ve ever seen on the lake. Water was pouring into the boat so we were bailing as well as paddling. This seemed to go on forever.

Eventually we washed up on a desert beach

and made a miserable camp in the rain.

“The next day dawned sunny and beautiful and another boater came along and shared some gas with us. The story got around and we earned the name ‘The Baskets’ because, apparently, we were a bunch of helpless basket cases.

“The name endured as our family continued to have ridiculous mishaps, usually involving the wilderness. ‘The Baskets go boating,’ is the one that started it all.

“My dad was extremely capable and competent in most areas, but all the misadventures we encountered on the water led many to speculate that he was cursed when it came to boating. Eventually a boat-related malfunction claimed one of his fingers.

He was thankful it was on his right hand so that he could still play guitar and bass.”

Whatever type of father you are, whether you know everything or just claim to, here’s wishing you all a Happy Father’s Day.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution There used to be a house on our block that we thought was haunted, because you’d hear people screaming inside and because people who went in never came out. Later on we found out it was just a murderer’s house.

Solution on page 26

Solution on page 26

ravelment

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/RAV-uhl-muhnt/

[noun] 1. entanglement; confusion.

“The ravelment that ensued after contradictory orders was a sight to behold.”

Corrections: Nothing to see here, folks. Thanks for playing.

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

ACROSS 1. Oodles 6. A pinnacle of ice 11. Drying cloth 12. Latticework 15. French for “Boat” 16. Dispute 17. Consumed food 18. Women 20. Japanese apricot 21. Singer Ives 23. Mimics 24. Baseball great, ____ Ruth 25. Murres 26. Norse god 27. Car 28. Lascivious look 29. Cap 56. Tawny-brown 30. Building addition heron 31. Marxist 57. Scallion 34. Declares 58. Gladden 36. Cover 59. Circumvent 37. Midmonth date 41. Connects two points 42. Walking stick 43. Roman emperor 44. Responsibility DOWN 45. Satisfy 1. High level of respect 46. Radiate 2. Clique 47. French for “Friend” 3. Reverence 48. Pardon 4. Unhearing 51. Citrus drink 5. Swing around 52. Fearless 6. Burgled 54. Server 7. Sea eagles

Solution on page 26 8. Umpires 9. Completely 10. Average weather conditions 13. Refrigerator 14. Anagram of “Ties” 15. Acacia 16. Surrendered 19. Gentlewoman 22. Thievery 24. Loosely woven fabric 26. Units of resistance 27. Autonomic nervous system 30. Deputy 32. Mineral rock

33. 9 9 9 9 34. Graduates 35. Debase 38. An accuser 39. Causing erosion 40. Seed spreader 42. Eyetooth 44. Plaster 45. Intelligent 48. Region 49. 2 2 2 2 50. Pull 53. Faster than light 55. 3 in Roman numerals

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FREE POPCORN! Bring this coupon in for a free small popcorn throughout June

ExpiresJune30,2021