READER
June 18, 2015 / Free / Vol. 12 issue 22
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The Threat of a warmer Tomorrow...
Idaho scientists weigh in on the challenge of curbing climate change
There’s a new distillery in town! John Craigie
plays the Panida
(ďŹ nally)
More than a store, a Super store!
Father’s Day is June 21st Why not get dad what he REALLY wants?
Order from us and we’ll assemble and deliver it in 2 days or less, at no extra cost!
Broadcasting in Sandpoint on 106.7 FM and in Digital HD 2 /
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(wo)MAN
Susan Drinkard on the street compiled by
Who is your favorite local artist?
“Sculptor Mark Kubiak.” Anna Nystrom Aeronautical Engineer Sandpoint
“Our children both have degrees in fine arts, so I’d have to say them—Brittany is a painter and does graphic design and Akela makes (silver) jewelry. I like Ward Tollbom’s artwork for its fine detail and accuracy. Recently he painted an owl that is amazing.”
DEAR READERS,
There’s a lot going on this week. The 38th Annual ArtWalk presented by Pend Oreille Arts Council kicks off Friday, so get out there and check out the amazing work from 130+ local artists. Our office is a gallery this year, so don’t forget to stop in, say hello, and grab one of our free stickers. They’re great for car bumpers, little brothers’ mouths, fridge doors... Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. Sunday is your day to kick back and relax. If your dad is close, give him a hug. If he’s not, call him on Sunday and make his day. Also, the CHaFE 150 bike riders deserve a big pat on the spandex for their daunting task this weekend. See them off at the City Beach bright and early Saturday. The solstice is on the 21st, marking the official beginning of summer, even though summer began here weeks ago, it seems. Go out and camp on the longest day of the year. And last but not least... happy birthday, Cadie! I love you bunches and bunches.
-Ben Olson, Publisher
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Woods Wheatcroft (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Scout Seley, Ted Bowers, Dan Eskelson, Jenna Bowers, Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.
Randy Marley Retired Tutor Sandpoint
Subscription Price: $75 per year Advertising: Jen Landis jen@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com
“Vickie Babayco of Sagle, my daughter. She does all kinds of artwork--every conceivable thing. Right now she is working on a top-secret clay venture.”
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.
Yvonne Babayco Retired bookkeeper/ office administration Sandpoint “My daughter, Dion Williams, does fantastic work. She is a painter and does interior design at DW Design Group here in Sandpoint.” Radine Burch Retired Sandpoint
it’s nice to meet you, neighbor “Heather Guthrie.” Kristin Johnson Artist Sandpoint
$10 Lunch special mon-fri 11-4
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 500 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover This week’s cover is an art project by local photographer and artist Woods Wheatcroft. The ArtWalk exhibit at Evans Brothers Coffee House is a display of over 100 flip flop sandals that Woods and friends have fished out of Lake Pend Oreille in the past 3-4 years.
“I’ll have to sleep on it.” Otter Sandpoint
124 South 2nd Ave. sandpoint, IDaho (208)597-7499
www.sandpointpub.com
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COMMENTARY
Riding the rails with my dad (no, we weren’t hobos) By Nick Gier Reader Columnist
When public television’s Jim Lehrer “called” the Super Chief, the so-called “train of stars,” on the Diane Rehm show back in 2010, tears came to my eyes as I remembered my father, who was a trainmaster on the Union Pacific Railroad until 1947. My dad’s first-grade teacher offered to pay his way through college. He was too proud to take the offer, and he went to telegraphy school instead. His first job was on the Chicago & Northwestern, serving his native Wisconsin and then a promotion to the mighty Union Pacific. My dad’s stories were not as exotic as those told about the Hollywood stars and dignitaries who rode the Santa Fe’s most famous streamliner from Chicago to Los Angeles. His stories were certainly not intriguing as the tales Lehrer tells in his novel “The Super,” a Southwest U. S. version of “Murder on the Orient Express.” I was enthralled when I heard my dad describe the Big Boy steam locomotives, 4-8-8-4 behemoths with two articulated sets of four driving wheels on each side. They were especially built for executing the steep grades such as those in Western Wyoming and Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. His descriptions of these huge machines swirling in smoke and steam on Wyoming’s cold winter mornings are seared in my memory.
LETTERS
Haunted Sandpoint...
Dear Editor, I enjoyed your piece on the hauntings at the middle school (the old high school). It just so happens I have a few stories of my own. You see, for five years I was the graveyard (no pun intended) custodian at Sandpoint High from the mid- to late-1980s. My shift started at 10pm, so when the basketball or volleyball team or the staff at Cedar Post went home, I had the entire building all to myself. This left me with plenty of time spent during “the witching hour,” that quiet, silent time from midnight to about three in the morning. Of course, the old gal was never totally quiet. There were always the occasional groans and creaks, and on windy winter nights the main entrance by the principal’s office would shriek and whistle through the doors, the sound rising and falling like the soundtrack in a Gothic movie. 4 /
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I chuckle to myself every time I remember him telling me how he knew whether his engineers had been drinking before the start of their shifts. He would come up right in their faces and ask to check their watches. If he smelled alcohol on their breath, he would send them home to sober up. My parents delayed their honeymoon until my dad could get some time off. They decided to visit San Francisco, and then go up the West Coast on the Southern Pacific. One morning as they topped the Siskiyou Mountains, the conductor walked through the sleeping cars calling out “Happy Valley, Happy Valley.” He was describing the Rogue River Valley, and for my parents it was love at first sight. Back home in Omaha, my brother and I would run away every time my dad would come home from week-long shifts on the UP. We did not know this strange man. The experience broke his heart, and he decided to give up a well-paying job with the best pension anywhere. My parents sold everything that they could not pack into a 1947 Mercury Coupe, made a bed for the kids in the back and they headed for “Happy Valley.” Along the way we stopped to see Grandma Sadie in Evanston and promised that we would send for her has soon as we were settled. One of my earliest memories of Med-
ford, Ore., was a South Pacific steam locomotive sitting at a crossing on the west side of town. My dad’s first workplace was just on the other side. Passenger service in western Oregon was discontinued in 1955, and my parents put my brother and me on the last passenger train from Medford to Grants Pass. It was pure excitement all the way. In the summer of 1958 we decided to visit relatives in Wisconsin. We drove to Portland where we boarded the North Coast Limited, which was operated by the Northern Pacific Railway. My father was just as thrilled as his two sons as we joined the main line at Spokane, climbed over two mountain passes and then on through the Great Plains to Chicago. Dad’s nostalgia really kicked in when we took the Chicago & Northwestern, on which he was a telegrapher, to Madison. Later we learned why the toilets smelled so bad: They had stopped cleaning them so as to discourage passengers and concentrate on the more lucrative freight business. America’s “bottom line” mentality has not always been conducive to the public good, and our neglect of public transportation and basic infrastructure will be our undoing in the 21st Century. In March of 2011 I was helping my Indian graduate student move from Houston to Dillon, Mont.
The shortest route took us along Interstate 84 in Wyoming. For the first time I saw the country through which my dad traveled on the Union Pacific. As I looked at the long coal trains, I recalled that Grandma Sadie’s no-good husband and son worked in the coal mines in the Rock Springs area. As I turned on Highway 30 to Pocatello, I realized that I was following the route of the Portland Rose that my father supervised 70 years earlier. Thanks, Dad, for your love and the great memories. Nick Gier of Moscow has enjoyed the people, the mountains, and the rivers of Northern Idaho for nearly 43 years.
My first encounter of the weird kind happened one night around one o’clock. I’d been on the job for only a few months and hadn’t yet made my peace with the various entities which were present in the school. I was walking past the Home Economics room on my way back to the janitor’s closet on the other side of the building. The door to Home Ec, like all the others, was locked, the lights out. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the calm was shattered by a grinding, whirring sound. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My arms got chicken skin. I froze. The sound was coming from inside the room. I soon recognized it as the sound of an electric food mixer. I did not want to enter that unlit, noise-filled room, but I summoned up my courage and unlocked the door. Once inside, the racket from the mixer seemed almost a living presence. It took forever for my fingers to find the light switch, not knowing what was waiting for me there in the dark. To make a long story short, I went
inside, unplugged the mixer, turned out the lights and left the room, locking it behind me. Another time, years later, I was sitting in my janitor’s closet having lunch at about two in the morning when someone (or some thing) whispered my name. “Gifford,” I heard, plain as day. “Get lost,” I replied, not missing a beat. Naturally, no one else was in the building. Then there was an incident which truly left me rattled. I had long since become acquainted with the strange, after-hours oddities which were a part of my work environment. Like the time I was taking a break in the coach’s office, located just off the gym. They had a nice, long, comfortable couch, so I would go in, turn off the lights, and catch a few Z’s. One time, right in the middle of a nap, the overhead fluorescent lights came on, all by themselves. I got the message all right. I was being told in no uncertain terms, “Time’s up. Get back to work.” “All right already,” I said, responding to whatever
playful spirit had called me out. But what shook me to the core happened one weekend afternoon as I was giving my girlfriend a cook’s tour of the school. Leah was a very spiritual lady, in tune with herself and to those forces of Nature which surrounded her. We were alone in the building and had just passed the library when Leah stopped dead in her tracks. For the longest time she said nothing, a questioning look crossing her face. I knew better than to speak. What she said next literally sent chills up my spine, and even haunts me to this very day. Not looking at me, rather at something only she could see, Leah said simply, “A girl was raped here.” It’s been over 25 years since I worked at the old Sandpoint High. And yet the time, the memories, and the strange occurrences that I experienced there are as fresh today as when they happened all those years ago. Cort Gifford Samuels
Illustration by Angela Euliarte
PERSPECTIVES
There are so many things in this world that are far more complicated than they need to be. I find myself questioning my own intellect on a regular basis. I wonder, am I the only person who sees the strange connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena? Let me take you on a journey of unrelated topics that somehow relate and wreak havoc in our daily lives. Let me start with child proof safety gates. Why do the opening mechanisms require the skill level of a master in engineering? Are kids that smart? Seriously? Why do we even have kindergarten anymore? Oh, it’s for your dog, because your dog is your kid. Only not really, because you can totally take your dog to a bar, and when it dry humps other dogs and sniffs everyone’s crotch no one bats an eye. Change the scenario to a kid, and no one’s going to invite you to the party. Disagree? When is the last time a friend told you a story about how they hooked up with someone while their kid sat at the end of the bed watching the sex happen, whilst occasionally licking their “parent’s” toes
Pets ≠ kids, stalkers and other quintessential North Idaho lifestyle choices for encouragement? Dogs aren’t kids. Realistically the only things that dogs and kids have in common are that they eat, shit and hate it when you use that high pitch baby voice when you talk about how “adowable” they look in that ridiculous outfit that you put them in for your own sick pleasure. I think the dog-as-a-kid phenomena plays heavily into many people’s extended singlehood. I have listened to many of my single friends discuss the demise of their latest relationship, and the deal breaker typically has to do with the relationship that their ex had with their dog child. “She didn’t like my dog.” Really? Is that true? Is it possible that she did not like sharing the bed with two hairy, farting, snoring mammals? A canine-human tag team with a mission to toss her underwear on the floor so that the other could promptly chew them up. Was he really “mean to your dog?” Or did he feel like a complete jackass on the days when you forced him to take the dog to Doggy Daycare with its packed travel bag of gluten-free treats? We all have our limits. As soon as the dog parent drops the “he/she wasn’t a dog person” bomb, the room goes silent, there is an audible gasp
and all the other single people at the table pull their dogs out of their purse or whatever, and start reassuring the animal that no one will ever take its place. It’s weird. When I was single in my 20s we totally had social gatherings without dogs. If you specify a no dog clause in an invitation these days, you will be considered hateful and uptight. I will admit though, that was a much simpler time. In the majority of my 20s, cell phones were only for rich people or coke dealers, and the term Brazilian referred to people and products native to Brazil. Singles went out and met their next mistake and didn’t shop for them online. Stalkers really had it hard in those days. They had to physically get into a vehicle or use their own two feet to transfer them around place-to-place hoping to get a glimpse at their obsession. Now they can enjoy all the pleasures of stalking at home with a simple click of a mouse and a few fake profiles. We even make it easy for them by providing our location and other important details about our day. What kind of a person is truly interested in the mundane day-to-day details and updated schedule of another adult? A full-fledged stalker? A jealous ex? A private investigator? Someone from high school who secretly wants to kill
you because your popularity was an absolute injustice? None of these people have your best interests in mind. Please don’t bring your mom into this. Yes, she likes all of your posts. This is because you are a dick and you never call her and tell her these things through actual conversation. She has to resort to using The Face Site, even though she has taken the time out of her life to wipe your ass and knit you sweaters with love in every stitch. What mom doesn’t understand is that being a full-time dog parent, on top of the strict hair removal regimen, hardly allows one the time to take a picture of the salad that you ate for lunch—let alone edit it and post it on Instagram. Each one of these steps is actually a key obstacle to her ever getting human grandchildren. I am not hating on ya’ll. I am just saying, maybe it’s time to stick to the basics. Til next time Sandpoint... I will be busy hurdling over child safety gates, bypassing the lock which would be complicated for a door in the pentagon, in order to share a couch and drink with someone’s canine child on their fourth birthday. Scarlette Q.
POAC exec. director takes job with Food Bank By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Even as Pend Oreille Arts Council prepares to launch its signature ArtWalk event, the high energy and enthusiasm is tinged by a since of sadness with Debbie Love’s announcement that she is leaving her position as organization executive director. Before you go getting any wild ideas, put your worries to rest—Love is still going to be a key community member. In fact, she’s joining the Bonner Community Food Center to further the great
work they do in supplying food for thousands of people across the county. Indeed, she’ll still have a key hand in shaping POAC’s direction, since she’ll be staying with the organization as a board member. Now the search begins for a suitable replacement. If you or someone you know would be interested in working for Pend Oreille Arts Council, contact Kathy Hubbard at kathyleehubbard@ yahoo.com or 264-4029. POAC officials describe the successful candidate as a person who should “have a passion for the arts and educa-
tion; will have experience with the business end of running a not-for-profit including marketing, public relations, grant writing and fundraising.”
Debbie Love. Photo courtesy Marianne Love’s “Slight Detour” blog. June 18, 2015 /
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Dolezal captures world’s attention
NEWS Mighty Mermaids attempt to swim length of Lake Pend Oreille By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Last year, marathon swimmer Elaine Howley made history with her 34-mile swim across the length of Lake Pend Oreille. This year, the massive lake is set to be mastered once again, this time by a group of endurance swimmers called The Mighty Mermaids. A group of women in their 50s and 60s, members Nancy Steadman Martin, Christie Ciraulo, Jenny Cook, Tracy Grilli, Karen Einsidler and Roni Hibben aim to master one of America’s deepest lakes in a relay endurance swim for the books. The swim is set to begin 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 22 at Bottle Hook Bay, the southern tip of the lake. If all goes according to plan, it will end at Sandpoint City Beach around 8 p.m. Swimming a body of water the size of Lake Pend Oreille is no easy task. The team members will battle chilly water and plenty of chop along their 34-mile swim. Fortunately, the Mermaids have serious chops of their own. They won their division in the Trans Tahoe Relay twice as well as the Lake Travis Relay in Texas. They also set age group speed records
The Mighty Mermaids at the completion of the Lake Travis, Austin, TX swim in October 2014. From left to right: Nancy Steadman Martin, Christie Ciraulo, Jenny Cook, Tracy Grilli, Karen Einsidler and Roni Hibben. Courtesy photo. swimming around Manhattan in New York City; the Catalina Channel; the length of Lake Tahoe and across Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. The Mermaids also use their accomplishments to further the cause of worthy organizations. Their New Hampshire swim, for instance, helped raise more than $20,000 for Starlight Children’s Foundation. Projects like that, as well as the intense training they endure together, have forged a tight bond between the members.
As they describe it themselves: “They say blood is thicker than water, but water mixed with some challenges has proven to a very strong connection for the Mighty Mermaids.” While the Mermaids must tackle the waters of Lake Pend Oreille alone, they also have a top-notch support team keeping an eye out for them. Eric Ridgway, himself an endurance swimmer and founder of the Long Bridge Swim, is serving as captain of the support crew and couldn’t be more enthusias-
tic for the upcoming endeavor. “I love how this community pulls together to make these adventures happen and to share them with the hundreds or thousands of others on land and around the region and world,” he said. Joining Ridgway are support kayaker Randy Hixon, sports nutritionist Sunny Blende. In addition, Val and Jackie Kasper will supply the house boat for the support crew.
Library locks in expansion By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Good news: The East Bonner County Library is expanding in Sandpoint. But like most growth, its not without growing pains. Since purchasing the property adjacent to the Sandpoint library building between Oak and Cedar streets, allowing the institution to offer new services. Council members supported the project by offering encroachment into Monroe Avenue rightof-way for the development’s vehicle access and parking. However, they also urged the library board to include a pedestrian pathway in their plans. While Pedestrian and Bicycle 6 /
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Advisory Committee member Molly O’Reilly told council members she supported the development, she was also concerned that kids who use the area to walk to Farmin Stidwell Elementary may be forced onto the busier Division Avenue as a result. “Many kids do use [this area] today,” she said. Marcus Valentine of Architects West, the contractor handling design for the new library building, said he was happy to bring O’Reilly’s concerns to the table as they continue planning the project. “Comments like those Molly
An aerial view of the East Bonner County Library, with the expansion on the left. made in the hearing are exactly what we need to hear,” he said. He also assured council members that the library development would make consid-
erations for stormwater management, Cedar Street frontage improvements, weed management and other benefits.
It’s amazing how quickly a news story can spread with the right hook. In less than a week, the bizarre story of Rachel Dolezal, a former president of the National Alliance for the Advancement of Colored People Spokane chapter, has gone from the subject of stories in the Coeur d’Alene Press and the Spokesman-Review to fodder for blogs, newspapers, TV shows and satire programs across the world. It’s easy to see why. There’s never been a story like the one triggered when Dolezal’s white parents accused her of posing as black. Every emerging detail in the days since have only added layers, creating a kind of weirdness onion that has enthralled the world. Since pretty much every other publication has piled on to the story and the tangential arguments over so-called trans-racialism, we at the Reader say: Have at it, folks. We’ll continue to watch with the same fascination as everyone else. [CR]
Writing camp seeking participants Registrations are now being accepted for Young Writers of the Lost Horse, a creative writing and book arts camp for children and teens, sponsored by Lost Horse Press and the East Bonner County Library District. The conference will take place Tuesday, June 23 to Thursday, June 25, from 1-4 p.m. in the Rude Girls’ Room of the Sandpoint Library. A reading of faculty and student writing will follow on June 25th at 5 p.m. MFA students Katie Pfalzgraff, Lareign Ward, and Elin Hawkin will lead sessions on slam poetry, memoir-writing, nature writing, flash fiction, and fractured fairy tales. Lost Horse Press publisher, Christine Holbert, will teach the art of Japanese stab book binding. Public, private, and homeschooled students in grades five through 12 who live in Bonner County are invited to register for this free event. You may register by contacting children’s librarian Suzanne Davis at suzanne@ebonnerlibrary.org or calling 2636930, ext. 1211 or Lost Horse Press publisher, Christine Holbert, at 255-4410.
NEWS FEATURE
The threat of a warmer tomorrow:
Idaho scientists weigh in on the challenge of curbing climate change
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff As an emeritus professor of geology for Boise State University and Sagle resident, Claude Spinosa loves Idaho. The problem, as often happens in matters of love, is that Idaho is changing, and not necessarily for the better. He sees the state, along with the rest of the globe, growing warmer. Making matters worse is the politicization of the climate change conversation, which only distorts and stretches a topic that should be a matter of data and scientific analysis. After all, you don’t ask a politician or their media allies for a diagnosis on your heart condition, Spinosa said, so why would you do the same on a matter like climate change? “Virtually all climatologists agree: We are experiencing climate change at an extremely fast rate and it is associated with human activities – in large measure related to human use of fossil fuels,” Spinosa wrote to us from an academic trip to Sardinia, Italy. “There is as much agreement with these views among climate scientists as there is among cardiologists that smoking and certain dietary habits are associated with heart disease.” Professors Alejandro Flores of Boise State University and John Abatzoglou of University of Idaho echo Spinosa’s assessment. Both are professors in earth sciences with specializations in climate change, and both say temperature data reflects the scientific consensus of a warming planet. According to Flores, global average temperatures are expected to increase between 3 and 5 degrees Celsius in the coming century. The thing is, drawing regional predictions out of global projections is no easy matter, according to Flores. “The expectation is that we will see substantial regional
warming in the coming decades in ways consistent with the global trends—there’s already observational evidence to suggest that we’ve already seen substantial increases in nighttime low temperatures in the mountains of Idaho,” Flores said. “But it might be punctuated by periods—perhaps up to a decade—where temperatures are close to or even slightly below historical norms.” The trend of rising temperatures bears out in snowfall, a matter keenly felt by local winter sports fans this season. While Flores and Abatzoglou agree it’s hard to extrapolate larger implications out of a single seasons, the unfortunate ski season could be a sign of the times. “It’s exceptionally tough to pinpoint one event and say that it was climate change,” Flores said. “Think of the steroid era in baseball. It’s tough to identify any single home run hit by guys like Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire and say it was caused by steroids. Yet, in retrospect, the t ren d over time is unmistakable.” “The warmth this winter was mainly due to an unusual flow regime that brought warmth to the western U.S. and cool temperatures to the eastern half of the country,” said Abatzoglou. “However, it is likely that [man-made] factors boosted just how warm it was this year by a degree or two.” It’s a threat the folks at Sch-
weitzer Mountain Resort take seriously. According to Dig Chrismer, Schweitzer marketing manager and ski enthusiast, the resort has factored the potential impact of climate change into its strategic planning. While business officials hope that cyclical weather patterns bring many more great sea-
sons their way, they’ve also prepared with increased investment in snow-making technology. “It’s something we have to take seriously and prepare for,” said Chrismer. Warmer weather means one safe bet when it comes to annual precipitation: less snow. For a state that relies on mountain snow packs for not only winter sports but also food and energy production,
that spells trouble. “Although we don’t expect the total amount of precipitation to change significantly with climate change, the manner it which it is received will change significantly with less snow, more rain, higher streamflow in the winter and lower in the summer when water for irrigation is typically used,” said Abatzoglou. “To what extent our dams, canals, ditches, and farms can adapt to the change in climate is an open question,” Flores said. Warmer temperatures could also increase the danger of more severe forest fires, which is troubling on several levels. Outside of the destruction of timber resources and the danger it poses to watersheds, the smoke f r o m wildfires can be very harmful to public health and overall livability. “The summers of 2012 and 2013 were exceptionally smoky down here and in a lot o f the state,” Flores s a i d . “Idaho cities often are near the top of the ‘places to retire’ lists. I don’t know how long that perception can be maintained if we’re subjected to nearly annual occurrences of heavy smoke in some future. Fire could also impact Idaho lakes, leading to more erosion and possible sediment build-up in waters prized for their clarity. “Although these might just be local effects that occur pe-
riodically, the worry is that they’d create a negative perception of the lake in the minds of visitors and potential visitors,” Flores said. “That’s definitely not a good thing.” Despite the fact that state leaders have little political incentive to take action on climate policies, Flores and Abatzoglou agree that the state is actually in relatively good shape when it comes to curbing climate change, thanks to its strong hydroelectric infrastructure and increasing interest in wind farms and solar power. “Since Idaho (and much of the Northwest) gets most of its electricity from hydropower, we have a relatively low carbon footprint per electrical usage,” said Abatzoglou. “This is great so long as our hydrological regimes remain relatively unchanged which is unlikely.” While Idaho hasn’t enacted any commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions like some states have, private businesses and residents may be the key to enacting real change. “I believe that economic incentives to reduce emissions would be a big windfall for moving the needle,” said Abatzoglou. “Companies that figure out how to improve efficiency of energy usage or develop novel renewable energies will likely lead the way.” After all, awareness of climate change is spreading, no matter how twisted up the political conversation can get. The challenge for the future is transforming that understanding into real leadership and action. “The fact that the questions that I’ve heard from folks in the government and private sector—particularly operational folks, people that are having to make plans and decisions—are getting more sophisticated suggests that the understanding is improving,” said Flores. “But understanding can be a long way from action.” June 18, 2015 /
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Scouting around with Scout By Scout Seley Reader Intern Bouquets: •I drive Hwy. 200 every day commuting from Hope to Sandpoint. While going over the Pack River bridge I have for many years frequently seen western painted turtles crossing the highway there. I keep an eye out for them to avoid hitting them and have been known to help them get across safely. In the last 6 weeks I have seen two that were killed trying to cross. It occurred to me that maybe we need a turtle crossing sign there. A few days ago someone put a homemade sign up at Sunnyside Rd. near the Pack River bridge warning people of turtles crossing ahead. I just want to extend kudos to whoever cared enough to put up a sign. Thanks for your kindness! -Submitted by Cynthia Mason Barbs: •Text speak. I’m so tired of people with their stupid text speak. In the beginning of the Reader, we had a writer who wanted to write for us, but I didn’t even consider him because his first line read something like this: “I heard u started up the Reader again, lol, I’d luv to write for u...” Do yourselves and everyone else a favor, people, don’t let the English language die because you’re too lazy to write a few extra letters. Stop being stupid! •On that note, let’s talk about the selfie. I despise even saying the word. We have become a nation of self-absorbed, egotistical, vain people who have nothing to offer except photos of themselves during activities that are not even slightly interesting. Eventually, we’ll hit a tipping point and nobody will care about what anybody else does in the world, creating a new nation of nitwits hellbound on being famous, even if it’s just for what they ate for breakfast, or what statue they stood in front of. Got a bouquet or barb you’d like to offer? Write me at ben@ sandpointreader.com with “BB” in the subject line. 8 /
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Scout here, reporting for duty as a summer intern for the Reader. I will be interacting (pacifying, satisfying, and assaulting) with you through the words in this paper, so I thought you might like to know a little about who you are letting into your brain. As a recent Sandpoint High School grad, I am fresh in the adult world. This internship is my first experience with real, professional writing. The Reader isn’t my first encounter with the real adult world, though: I graduated from high school with a year of dual college credit under my belt and a completed internship with the Idaho Conservation League, Sandpoint extension. I am also a boat rental agent at Sandpoint Marine and Motorsports and an intern for Lindy Lewis, assisting with her Let Your Color Out movement. My plans for this upcoming year are to complete my associate’s degree in communication through NIC, hold a job and maintain my sanity. In the near future (likely next year), I will probably jump from the nest, transfer to a university that offers great scholarships, and attain a higher degree in journalism or broadcasting or some other wordy career. If all else
fails, I can always revert back to my age-15-year-old dream of becoming a bartender. That’s a wordy career, too. Anyway, that’s the gist of the stuff I spewed out to family and friends at graduation who are interested in my future and also who silently judge my school and work ethic. However, to me, the most interesting aspects of a person aren’t their occupations or college plans but rather what their real hopes, fears, quirks and dreams are. What makes people get lost in thought, scream, mutter, sparkle? What do people want out of life?
My real hope is that when I am an old woman, I shall wear purple and sit on the sidewalk and eat pickles and cheese, just as the poster in my mom’s bathroom describes. I want to be erratic and sloven. But modern life doesn’t allow such frivolousness. I must DO first. Walk the adult walk first, then eat pickles and cheese. Lots of cheese. As a young adult, my greatest fear is to not do enough or be enough before I die. On one hand, I want to sit on the sidewalk today and eat pickles, and on the other hand, I want to live such a full life that I don’t
have time to look back and wonder if I did enough. I have not yet come to a firm conclusion of what I want out of life. After all, life, love, and adventure don’t come with exact answers or clear paths. My goal is to find a balance. That’s all that life is really, it’s just finding the balance between living extraordinarily and taking the time to eat pickles. My dream is that my quirky hopes for pickles and fulfillment will balance out, and I will become an old woman who is satisfied, enlightened and full of dill.
Learn how to spray a bear: (and other life saving techniques)
The Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and Idaho Fish and Game are teaming up on July 2nd to promote awareness about grizzly bears in North Idaho and share general conflict avoidance techniques. The presentation and training will be conducted by Brian Johnson, grizzly bear information and education conservation officer with Idaho Fish and Game and Lydia Allen, Idaho Panhandle National Forests wildlife program manager. Topics covered will include, a brief history of grizzly bear population declines, grizzly bear ecology, grizzly bear versus
black bear identification, general conflict avoidance techniques and food storage requirements on national forest lands. The presentation will also include a discussion on the origins and use of bear spray, followed by an opportunity for participants to practice using an inert bear spray training canister. Participants will be entered into a drawing to receive a free bear spray holster. “Be Bear Aware” is scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on July 2 at the Sandpoint Ranger Station, located at 1602 Ontario Street. The event is open to the public but is limited to just 30 participants. Pre-registration is
A grizzly bear and cub. Photo courtesy of Idaho Conservation League. required and is available online at www.idahoconservation.org or by calling 208-265-9565. A minimum suggested donation of $5 is encouraged to help
cover the cost of bear spray training canisters. For more information, visit: www.idahoconservation.org or call (208) 265-9565.
38th Annual
June 19th - September 11th, 2015 By Ben Olson Reader Staff In the late 1970s, Sandpoint was just beginning to embrace its status as an “arts community.” Populated by a lot of backto-land’ers freshly escaped from the urban sprawl for a quieter, more pure lifestyle in a small mountain town, the blossoming community found itself rife with artists of all mediums. Enter the Pend Oreille Arts Council. Starting with just a handful of galleries and a few art exhibits, POAC began promoting visual and performance art in Sandpoint in order to provide local artists with venues in which to show their work. Now in its 38th year, ArtWalk in down“All Trades” by Jeff Hughart town Sandpoint continues to be a premier showcase for local artists in the area. The opening for the summer-long art exhibit takes place Friday, June 19 and runs until September 11. “POAC has always been supporting local artists,” said Carol Deaner, Chairman of the Visual Arts Committee for POAC. “Our main purpose is to get venues for local artists to hang their work, and ArtWalk is an opportunity for people to meet the artist and, most “Burmese Goatherd” by Alan Barber importantly, to buy directly from them.” “There were six to eight galleries in the beginning, and almost 20 artists,” said Debbie Love, POAC’s Executive Director. “This year, there are 26 galleries and 132 artists. We’ve come a long way.” Interested in taking part in ArtWalk? It’s easy to get involved. Opening night is Friday, June 19, but if you can’t make it then, the art will remain until September 11. Go to POAC’s office on First Avenue (right next to the Panida Theater) and grab a brochure with all 26 galleries listed with a map, and take a self-guided tour. ArtWalk’s featured artist this year is Connie Scherr, whose painting of a City Beach lifeguard station will adorn the numbered posters denoting an ArtWalk gallery location. Wherever you see a poster downtown with a number on it, you’re sure to find a venue featuring an ArtWalk participant. “We also have a passport program,” said “Oana Rumania” by Clancie Pleasants Love. “If you get a stamp at all of the six fea-
tured galleries, you can turn it into the POAC office and put into a drawing for season tickets, and a basket full of local gift certificates.” A few new gallery locations offer fun twists to the program. “One of our venues is a clothing store in town,” said Deaner, “The owner goes to Vietnam a lot and draws the sketches of what she wants to manufacture and they make it in Vietnam and she brings it back,” said Deaner. “This year she’ll have a space with the conceptual drawing, she’ll have the materials, and then the dress will be made and the model will model the dress. That’s different isn’t it? But it’s art.” Another new venue is a joint effort between the Sandpoint Reader and the Farmin Building’s owners Dan and JoAnne Farmin, whom the Reader leases an office from. “The Reader is in the Farmin Building on the second floor,” said Deaner. “We have this funky old office space that we are hanging really far out abstract art. We don’t have a lot of abstract artists in this town, so we’re really thrilled to have this young artist with all this imagination. You know, for a long time, people were just hanging pastoral scenes of Sandpoint; moose and eagle and fish. This is a step outside the box.” The selection process for artists is as easy-going and relaxed as the summer-long event. “Sometimes we’ll seek people out if we know of someone,” said Love. “The wonderful thing is, they come to us most of the time. Now that we’re downtown in a great location on First Avenue, we have people coming in all of the time and they’ve heard of Sandpoint because of our art, it tends to attract a lot of artists.” “Some of these artists have never hung their work anyplace, they’ve always just been closeted painters,” said Deaner, “We help them along and teach them how to prepare the art to be hung, and how to hang it. People are doing really funky things now, and that’s what we’re all about.” Visit www.artinsandpoint.org for more information, or drop into the POAC Gallery at 302 N. First Avenue in Sandpoint to pick up a brochure with a map.
“Red Shoes” by Lesley Gadsby
“Untitled” by Josh Knaggs June 18, 2015 /
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event Cool Clothing? ies? r o s s e c c A e m o Awes Sassy Cards? Crazy Gifts?
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! d n e k e e w s i h t rts Summer Fun sta ear up here! G 317 North 1st Avenue • Open 7 days • 208-263-2178 like us on Facebook!
Zandoozles Toys & Gifts Summer fun starts here!
Introducing the Skuut Balance Bike! The perfect first bike for kids 2-5.
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Plus Lots of other outdoor favorites!
400 Schweitzer Plaza Dr. Ponderay, Idaho •265-7242•
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In the Field Flat Repair Bonner County Farm Tour 6pm @ Greasy Fingers Bikes n’ Repair 8am - 5pm (call University of Idaho Extension Bring your bicycle and learn how to fix a County office at 208-263-8511 for registration flat tire on the trail/road in this free class The tour stops include a blueberry farm, a qua ranch, a weed presentation, a forestry site, a hors “Anita” documentary film stration and more. Pre-registration is $30 per pe 7:30pm @ Panida Theater Cinematography by local Erik Daarstad
20th Anniversary Party and Winery Music Coffee With 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 8am - 10:30a Featuring live music by One Street Over Sheriff Whe Sandpoint Relay for Life of concern, o 6:30pm @ BoCo Fairgrounds “Anita” doc Support the American Cancer Society Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 7:30pm @ P Live Music w/ Not Quite Punk 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante Cinematogra 9pm - 12a @ 219 Lounge Summer Sounds Sandpoint Farmers Market 4pm - 6pm @ Park Place Stage 9am - 1pm @ Farmin Park Live music by Monarch Mountain Band Live music with Ken Rokiki AARP Defensive Driving Class 20th Anniversary Party and Winery Music 8am @ Sandpoint Senior Center 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery To register, contact Dick Vail 263-4492 Featuring live music by Spumoni Blues Artwalk Opening Downtown Sandpoint Check out ArtinSandpoint.org for a full list of venues where you can browse the local art
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Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip 7pm @ La Rosa Club Holistic Fair 11am - 5pm @ Inquire Within Summer solstice preparation event War Bonds - Stories from WWII 1pm @ Sandpoint Library Auhor discussion with Cindy Hval
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Battle of the Bulls 7:30pm @ BoCo Fairgrounds Annual bullriding and barrel racing contest with 25-35 pro bull riders. Gates open at 6pm, barrel racing tryouts at 7pm. $10 adult / $4 kids
Live Music w/ David Walsh 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Chess at Evans Brothers 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters Every Sunday at 9am. All welcome, free!
Jacey’s Race Benefit Concert 6pm - 8pm @ Ponderay Events Center Featuring live music by Devon Wade
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
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Karaoke Night 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s “Add the Words” the movie 7pm @ the Panida Theater A movement that will not be silenced Get Teed O Josh Adams Reggae Wednesday Bingo Night 8:30am @ 8pm - 11pm @ 219 Lounge 6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Four-perso Come on down and sit outside with your faKPND Pint Night Healthy H vorite beer It’s almost like the islands! 5pm - 7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 7pm @ Hol Sandpoint Farmers Market Fun and prizes are a guarantee. FeaLearn abou 3pm 5:30pm @ Farmin Park turing live music from David Walsh ucts you us Live music by Emily Baker Summer Sampler 5pm - 8pm @ Farmin Park Yap Hosted by The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, a tasting event that’s 4pm second to none – gathering up the area’s finest restaurants, breweries and wineries Bri in downtown Farmin Park. This year’s event is a foodie’s perfect way to kick off the dle summer season; along with delicious bite-sized samples of gourmet cuisine, enjoy mu a Litehouse-sponsored Cooking Competition where local chefs battle for the win It’s A Jungle In Here Theater Camp June 22-26 @ The Panida Theater Camp held daily from 9am to 3pm, with a full musical theater production of “The Jungle Book” at the conclusion. Directed by Jeannie Hunter of Growing Dreams and SHS. Register at the Panida
ful
June 18 - 25, 2015
Extension, Bonner gistration and info) rm, a quarter horse site, a horse demon$30 per person
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com. Reader recommended
Live Music w/ Zach Pohl Open Mic w/ Scott Reid 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 6pm - 9pm @ Monarch Mtn. Coffee Austin-based soul/folk musician Come one, come all! Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 9pm - 12am @ 219 Lounge 20th Anniversary Winemaker Vintage Retrospect Dinner 6pm - 9pm @ Bistro Rouge The event features wines dating back to the early Pend d’Oreille Winery days
ffee With Cops m - 10:30am @ Ponderay Starbucks eriff Wheeler invites you to join him to discuss topics concern, or to have a friendly chat and a cup of coffee
nita” documentary film 0pm @ Panida Theater nematography by local Erik Daarstad Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 7pm @ La Rosa Club
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Live Music w/ Truck Mills 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Great original blues. Opening night for Art Walk. Complimentary appetizers provided.
SASi hosts Circle of Life 11am - 1pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center North Idaho Cup Reps from 20+ health care facilities will 5:30pm (SHS Alumni Women vs. Rapids Women Premier) gather to share information on services 7:30pm (Green Monarch FC vs. Rapids Men Premier) available in Sandpoint. Free lunch! @ War Memorial Field Celebrate the 2015 Women’s World Cup-Canada and watch Third Friday Live Music high level soccer here in Sandpoint. The premier games 5:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall feature ex-professional, semi-pro and collegiate players
Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante Bonner Mall Farmers Market 9am - 1pm @ Mall Parking Lot
David Logan Memorial Fundraiser 5pm - 10pm @ Granary Building (next to Evans Bros) Although cancer took him from us, everyone remembers the big guy with that incredible sense of humor and love of the game of soccer. Live music by Miah Kohal Band
CHaFE 150 Bike Ride Sandpoint to Montana back to Sandpoint A 150-mile trek that starts and ends in Sandpoint, winding through the Cabinet Mountains. Sponsored by the Sandpoint Rotary, and benfitting LPOSD students on the autistic spectrum, this event is always a favorite. For 150 mile riders, the ride begins at City Beach in Sandpoint at 6:30am. For 80 mile riders, ride begins in Troy, MT at 9:30am (PST). For 30 mile riders, ride begins at City Beach at noon. After party goes from 3pm - 8pm at Trinity at City Beach
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Field Day Fridays 9am (MST) @ Ross Creek Cedars parking lot A class on Old Growth Ecology led by Brian Baxter, sponsored by Friends of Scothman Peaks
June 25 - Summer Sampler June 27 - John Craigie @ Panida Theater June 27 - Queen B. Drag Show @ Eagles June 27 - Chili Cook-Off @ Trinity Lawn
silenced Get Teed Off with Cancer Golf Tourney :30am @ Sandpoint Elks Golf Course our-person scramble 18 holes Healthy Home Company Presentation pm @ Holiday Inn (Ponderay) earn about the dangers associated with prodcts you use daily. Free and open to all Yappy Hour 4pm - 7pm @ Pine St. Bakery Bring your dog and enjoy a Panhandle Animal Shelter benefit with live music, beverages and fun
June 28 - Chili Cook-Off @ Trinity Lawn June 28 - John Craigie @ Reader Office June 28 - 7B Sunday @ Schweiter
Oil Train Forum 5:30pm - 7:30pm @ Heartwood Center Learn the latest on the transport of Bakken crude oil by rail through North Idaho Dads That Read “Camp Out” 6pm @ Sandpoint Library Join us for a fun campfire reading of “The Princess Bride Summer Kick-Off Weekend 8pm - 10pm @ 219 Lounge Featuring stand-up comedy by Justin Hayes and Morgan Preston. $10 cover donated to Team Laughing Dog’s 24 Hours for Hank Fundraiser. Live music by Truck Mills after the show
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To submit your own pet photos, please send a photograph and a little bit of information about your special friend to ben@sandpointreader.com. Please put “PET PHOTOS” in the subject line.
-Louise-
NEW EXPANDED HOURS: Monday - Friday 7am - 6pm Saturday - Sunday 8am - 5pm
524 CHURCH STREET SANDPOINT, ID
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This is Louise the Caribbean Bush Kitty. She was born on St. John US Virgin Islands in 1996 and experienced quite the adventure until we adopted her in 1998. She started off as a stray in Fish Bay and was already such a cool cat she made it into a book (“The Wild Life in an Island House” by Gail Karlsson). I realized this years later as I read the book here in Idaho and her description of a stray cat called “Ringtail” sounded oh so familiar. I emailed the author with photos of Louise and she and her children were so thrilled that Ringtail survived and lived a great life! From Fish Bay she was adopted by my friend who then moved on to a charter catamaran. Louise made it very clear she was not a sailing cat, dove into the Caribbean Sea off Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and swam ashore! That’s when I got the call asking if I’d take the coolest little Siamese Bush Cat ever and of course I said yes! Louise took the ferry back to St. John and lived for 7 more years with us in our island shack. Then we decided to move to Sandpoint. So after never using a litter box, never even being in a house that had doors, Louise got in a crate and flew with me 18 hours. She got out of the crate in Sandpoint and almost seamlessly entered her next adventure as an Idaho mountain cat. She took one 3 day walkabout and we were devastated, thinking coyotes got her. Then late on the 3rd night she came howling back, covered in pine pitch, never to leave the yard again! She’s still healthy at almost 20 years old and we are savoring every day we have with our famous adventuress! Betsy Canfield Sandpoint
STAGE & SCREEN
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Despite what the Kardashian and Duggar families would have you believe, we really are living in the golden age of television. Scripted dramas and comedies in particular have become so sophisticated and cinematic in their storytelling that it’s almost impossible to keep up with everything that’s worth watching. Now that we’ve hit the middle of the year, here are my picks for the most notable shows so far. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO Comedian John Oliver’s talent as a news satirist was obvious from the moment he first appeared as a “Daily Show with Jon Stewart” contributor. It wasn’t until he filled in as substitute host for Stewart in the summer of 2013 that he proved he could carry a show. “Last Week Tonight” is the perfect fulfillment of that promise. Freed from the constraints of a daily production, Oliver and his staff have time to delve deeply into stories that are often as surprising and informative as they are hilarious. The result is a half-hour more informative than almost anything on the 24-hour news networks—and a hell of a lot funnier. “Better Call Saul” on AMC When Vince Gilligan, showrunner of the near-unanimous critical and popular success “Breaking Bad,” announced a spin-off centering on the supporting character of crooked lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob
Odenkirk), no one quite knew what to expect. And almost no one expected a show that was this moderately paced and thoughtful, drawing out new levels of character shades in “Breaking Bad” favorites. “Mad Men” on AMC Wrapping up a critically beloved show is no easy task. It’s even tougher when it’s a show as character-driven as “Mad Men,” a chronicle of excess and existential despair in a 1960s advertising agency. A round of applause, then, to showrunner Matt Weiner for delivering a final season that, while meandering at times, finds a satisfying ending for the majority of its exceptional cast. The final season can be an exercise in melancholy, especially for protagonist Don Draper (Jon Hamm) who must reap the fruits of his infidelities and substance abuse. But the final episode finds a sense of hope that is quite remarkable.
“Wolf Hall” on BBC Two/PBS The right lead actor can sometimes carry an entire show on his or her own shoulders, and the historical mini-series “Wolf Hall” finds its Atlas in Mark Rylance, a legendary British stage actor. His turn as Thomas Cromwell, the English lawyer instrumental in King Henry VIII’s English Reformation, is subtle and beguiling. Based on the novel of the same name, “Wolf Hall” follows Henry VIII’s divorce of Catherine of Aragon and remarriage to Anne Boleyn from Cromwell’s perspective. While the series outcome is etched in the stone of history, Cromwell’s machinations and turns in and out of Henry’s favor keep the drama taut. “Daredevil” on Netflix Tired of superheroes yet? I’m feeling the fatigue, and I’m someone who enjoys the odd “Avengers” movie. If you’re worn out by the excessive computer generated imagery and cluttered cast, “Daredevil” turns out to be the unexpected antidote. Grounded by a small but likable cast of characters and tossing aside CGI in favor of real stunt
Crossword Solution
work, “Daredevil” finds surprising humanity in its comic book story lines. It doesn’t hurt that it has the best action you’ll see on the small screen this year, including a five-minute, single-shot fight scene that set the entire Internet abuzz. “Game of Thrones” on HBO A landmark series for turning the fantasy genre mainstream on TV, “Game of Thrones” wrapped up its weakest season last Sunday. That’s not entirely surprising, considering this is the first season the showrunners have faced without total narrative guidance from author George R. R. Martin’s unfinished book series. That said, “Game of Thrones” is still far from ignorable. It boasts perhaps the best production values on television today. And it’s remarkable how its twists and turns can spur national conversations on everything from the use of sexual violence as a narrative technique
to the nuances of raising young dragons. “Hannibal” on NBC It sounded like a bad idea to everyone: a loose adaptation of novelist Thomas Harris’ characters from novels like “Red Dragon” and “Silence of the Lambs” for network TV. How surprising is it, then , that “Hannibal” is not only arguably superior to its film counterparts but also, in my estimation, the best show currently airing on TV? Color me shocked. Stumble on an episode of “Hannibal” and you’ll wonder why they’re airing an arthouse movie on NBC. The show is visually inventive and undeniably beautiful, even as it delves into the horrors of serial killer Hannibal Lector. Mads Mikkelsen underplays the title character with subtle brilliance, and like protagonist Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), you too may fall under his diabolical spell.
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By Ben Olson Reader Staff Hands down, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Over three and a half billion people consider themselves soccer fans. It is played by 250 million people in over 200 countries. Why is it then, that the U.S. hasn’t embraced the sport outside of small clubs and hardcore fan bases? Probably for the same reason that we are one of three countries in the entire world that refuse to employ the metric system. The other two? Liberia and Myanmar (Burma). Soccer in Sandpoint has had a colorful history. Competitive clubs like Sandpoint Strikers begin teaching the skills of the game to youths. Sandpoint High School boys and girls teams have continued to dominate over the years, with an impressive combined 14 state championships within the past 15 years. Out of this abnormally high following of players and fans was born the Green Monarch Football Club. The Mighty Green Monarchs could be called a brotherhood of ball strikers. A drinking club with a soccer problem. A collection of like-minded individuals who wreak havoc on visiting soccer clubs around the region. Formed around 2002, the Green Monarchs began as a loose knit soccer club first called North Idaho United.
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“It was mainly Sandpoint guys, with some Coeur d’Alene guys also,” said Lawson Tate, GMFC member. The main draw of the soccer club is to take part in inter-village soccer matches with other towns around the region, many of which take place in Canada. The ultimate showdown every year happens at JulyFest in Kimberly, B.C. “JulyFest is Kimberly’s big celebration weekend,” said Lonnie Williams, GMFC member. “They have all these festivities; a battle of the bands, the Canadian Western National Bocce ball tournament, extreme downhill long boarding races, and a big soccer tournament that has men’s, women’s and masters.” “The other events precede the soccer tournament by two days,” said Tate. “So the town is pretty lubed up by the time soccer shows up.” “It’s a fun party weekend with some pretty serious soccer,” added Williams. What began as an excuse to travel and party a little bit, hopefully gaining a win to pay for the trip, has turned into a grudge match for pride. “When we first started going up there, we were super intimidated because we were really
young,” said Tate. “Then we started winning all these trophies.” The winner of JulyFest receives a “Happy Hans” trophy, and gets bragging rights until next year’s event. Tate carries nine of the coveted trophies around in the trunk of his car as constant reminder of the team’s victories.
“They have something like 40 teams that compete, most all of them Canadians,” said Tate. “They’re a little concerned that we’ve won nine out of the last 13 years.” When asked why Sandpoint seems to have had such an inordinately high number of soccer stars in recent years, Williams said, “It’s the blue collar tough
The Monarchs celebrate after a 2013 win at JulyFest. Photo courtesy GMFC.
roots, playing against way bigger schools, and having some pretty quality coaches over the years, both as directors and coaches.” Tate and Williams said coaches like Randy Thoreson and Ed Bock laid a foundation for techniques that passes on to each generation. It becomes a cycle, or a “family.” “When you have a small community where there are 6 or 8 really core kids in high school,” said Tate. “They grow up playing against high caliber players. It’s like hitting fast forward on development.” “We’ve made a name for Sandpoint soccer,” said Williams. “So what if we’re a tiny community of a bunch of ski bums and loggers, who cares? We’ve got a pretty extraordinary group of athletes for a town this size.” The Mighty Green Monarchs now find themselves defending their reputation as winners. “There’s a kind of aura,” said Tate. “People are psyched out by us. Everything’s always stacked against us. We get no calls, everyone is out to beat us every game. They’re all jacked up thinking they’re going to be the ones to knock us off, so ev-
eryone brings their A-game.” One tactic the Green Monarchs use to psych out their rivals is the stiff-armed beer chug. “We’ve never been tossed out of a game yet for this,” said Tate. “When one of us scores a goal, the scorer has to go to the sidelines and take a full mug of beer, and pour it into their mouth with full arm extension, without bending their elbow. It’s really demoralizing for the other team. It’s embarrassing for them, really, because we keep scoring on them and having to drink more and more.” “The training is year round and full body,” added Williams. “From the liver to the legs.” In the meantime, they’ll make busy hosting their stateside nemeses at an event called the North Idaho Cup on Friday, June 19 at War Memorial Field. “There’s a team out of the Flathead Valley [The Rapids Premier] that is our arch-rival,” said Tate. “It’s good to have teams to play that are quality. We despise them, but at the same time love them for being there.” The Green Monarchs will play the Flathead Valley Rapids Men Premier, and another game will pit the SHS Alumni Women against the Rapids Women Premier. Admission is $5 or $2 if you’re a Sandpoint Strikers participant. The festivities begin at 5:30pm, so head on down and show your support.
The impressive array of “Happy Hans” trophies displayed on a GMFC jersey. Photo by Ben Olson.
There’s a new distillery in town By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Victor Vachon isn’t the type of person who can put in eight hours pushing paper at a desk. He’s worked in law enforcement. He’s served overseas in the military. And he’s much more comfortable being shot at than dragging himself day after day to a job that only serves to give him a paycheck. It’s no surprise, then that when his priority of raising a family made him reconsider his career path, he searched out a new occupation that would satisfy his restless mind and creative drive. That’s how Mill Town Distillery, Sandpoint’s very first liquor distillery, came into the picture. Vachon has nurtured a longtime interest in the art of
crafting high-quality liquors. Five years ago, he decided to turn his interest into a full-time profession with the help of his wife, Jessie and business partner, Bryan Egland. Of course, starting up a distillery is no simple task, especially in Idaho, where a state liquor board maintains tight control over liquor sales and licenses and federal regulations also come into play. “If the feds say it has to be so, there’s really no way around it,” Victor Vachon said. Not only is the permitting process arduous, it’s also risky, with the state requiring a turnkey operation established before a licensing is even considered. Considering the equipment necessary to begin distilling on a significant scale, the venture required serious investment before any revenues were possible. Fortunately, Victor was able to save significant money by constructing his own still capable of boiling hundreds of gallons of liquid at a time. The Vachons are drawn to the nature of distilling. Far from a rote process of taking your ingredients, running them through a recipe and calling it a day, distilling requires precise temperature and constant supervision to achieve the desired qualities. For that reason, Victor also decided to take the road less traveled with Mill Town Distillery by starting with whiskey. The vast majority of distilleries open with a selection of gins and vodkas, which Victor said are comparatively simpler to make and also are not typically aged. The goal with vodka in particular is to make it as tasteless as possible, a far cry from the careful balancing of characteristics that goes into making whiskey.
Jessie and Victor Vachon, owners of Mill Town Distillery. Photo by Ben Olson. “We had a hard time fitting into someone else’s mold, so we decided to do whiskey first,” Vachon said. “It was also an opportunity to show talent as a distiller.” The Vachons, however, love nothing if not a proper challenge. And they rose to meet it with a pair of unaged corn whiskeys, each with dramatically different qualities. First came the 217. Like all unaged whiskeys, it’s a clear liquor that utilizes a corn mash. “That’s why I selected corn whiskey, but I also like the characteristics that come along with it,” said Vachon. With this variation, Victor aimed to make a smooth whiskey that would blend well with mixers. He had to sacrifice complexity of flavor in order to accomplish this, but the result is a smooth-drinking liquor that just about anyone can enjoy. On the other hand, Wild Man, a whiskey made using the same mash, is intended for whiskey enthusiasts. It has more innate flavor and a characteristic whiskey burn that settles in the back of the throat. This, Victor said, is a whiskey to sip and appreciate. Wild Man is something of a proof of concept for Victor— and it’s emblematic of why he started with whiskey rather than the more conventional vodka. “It’s a little like painting a
wall white versus doing a mural,” said Vachon. Drawing out that individual character is a process with many different influences. The ingredients are important—the Vachons use mountain spring water and high-quality corn for their mashes. Temperatures and still operation are also essential. Making the cuts—removing undesirable portions of alcohol from the final product—is one of the most important steps, determining flavor, harshness, alcohol content and more. Mill Town Distillery whiskeys are available throughout Idaho liquor stores, with the first rum soon to join the selection. The Vachons and Egland are in the process of working with local bars and restaurants to make sure their products are stocked. It’s an exciting time as they look forward to the future. The role of local distillers is one the entrepreneurs are excited to fill. After all, Sandpoint is a community that values its artisans and the personal touch that comes from expertly crafted coffees, wines, beers and more. It’s a community defined by a passion for their art—and at Mill Town Distillery, they certainly have that in abundance.
Fun Facts about
whiskey
•To E or not to E? Generally, the Scots (and Canadians) spell it “whisky” and the Irish “whiskey.” The Irish Immigrants took their extra “e” to America, which is why we mostly spell it “whiskey” here in the states
•The water of life Whisky was given its name from the Gaelic beverage “uiscebeatha”, which translates to “water of life”
•Variety There are over 5000 types of Single Malt Whiskey
•Whiskey = health food? Moderate use of whisky can bring many benefits to the human metabolism. It can prevent stroke, dementia, heart attack, clotted arteries, increase good cholesterol and fight against cancer cells
•Big five The five largest regional made whiskies are Scotch Whisky, Irish Whiskey, Kentucky Bourbon, Canadian Whisky and Tennessee Whiskey
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” -Mark Twain June 18, 2015 /
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Let’s be Frank about the Earl-y days: Part 1 By Ted Bowers Reader Columnist
Cute title? Well, Frank and Earl were the old guys that trained us. If you’ve read any of my articles, you’ve met Earl and know he was the boss. Frank was the lead carpenter. When I first went to work with them in 1974, Earl was 69 and Frank was 67--both tough old nuts who’d worked all over. Earl worked the oil fields, ramrodding crews, and, from what I was able to pick up, was a hard driving roughneck who lost a finger in a drilling rig (it was the ring finger on his right hand--an interesting aside is that I lost
the same finger myself over a decade ago) Frank was a Carpenter and a farmer most of his life who helped build Farragut Naval Base and the Noxon dam, where he met and began working with Earl. After that, Earl built Conifer Court, which consisted of his little 2 bedroom home and 4 separate 1 room cabins, all nestled in a grove of conifers. He rented the cabins, supplementing his income as a builder as he established himself in Bonner County in the 1950’s and 60’s’. He and Frank worked together throughout that period, I guess hiring young people from time to time when the job required. In 1974 I had just arrived in town and was living on Fish Creek Rd., neighbors with my friends Randy Rouse and Jay Watson. Earl was starting a good sized remodel in Dover and needed some young muscle.
Randy meant Frank outside of Connie’s restaurant in Sandpoint when Frank noticed the Colorado plates on Randy’s truck. Frank had worked in Colorado during the Great Depression, so he struck up a conversation with Randy. One thing led to another and Frank found out that Randy was looking for work. To make a long story short, Earl hired Randy and Randy eventually within a few days brought Jay and I on to the job as well. Randy didn’t hang around for long with Earl, but Jay and I stayed for quite a few years--Jay for five and I for six, until Earl passed away. Frank passed a year or two before Earl, so we were the lucky guys who spent those last few precious years with our teachers. Frank and Earl were in many ways polar opposites. Earl was loud, talkative and profane,
Jay Watson (left) and Earl Boles (right), 1979. Photo oourtesy of Ted Bowers. and liked a beer now and then, whereas Frank was quiet, spiritual and never uttered a swear word or touched alcohol. Earl was a people person, who handled the business and dealt with the customers and chewed tobacco. Frank was the carpenter who organized the work and trained us in the trade for the most part. He smoked Lucky Strikes--no filters. Earl had the “colorful” language, with such
phrases as “crookeder than a dog’s hind leg” or “tighter than your sister’s black cat’s ass” Frank would just shake his head and mutter “that Earl” Together they were unbeatable. They taught us so much more than mere carpentry, we two wandering lost souls who unknowingly stumbled into these Angels In Disguise.
Don’t hurt yourself: tips for healthy gardening techniques
some gentle stretching to loosen leg, back, shoulder and arm muscles. Never be in a hurry to “get the job done.” For several reasons, haste makes waste. Reader Columnist Using properly sized, well built tools is critical. One of the most common mistakes I see Oh, my aching back! If I had is using a rake with too short a known about the techniques be- handle. This requires bending low when I was a young, “ma- too much—raking should be accho” landscaper, I would now complished in a mostly upright have a stronger, less painful position. Yes, you must bend body. These tips will help you some at the waist and rock back complete your landscaping and and forth, but the more vertical garden work with minimal in- you are, the easier it will be on jury to your body. With proper your back. The large finish rakes, often work technique, posture and attitude, landscape and garden made of aluminum or magnework can be very invigorating sium, usually have sufficiently long handles. But some of the to both the body and soul. Yes, attitude does play a steel garden rakes sold at local part—leave the pressures of hardware outlets are sized for work and other daily responsi- children! If you have more than bilities out of the garden. This just a few square feet of raking will help release muscle ten- to do, invest in a quality tool. sion. To further relax muscles Shovels also should have a sufand prepare them for work, do ficiently long handle. 16 /
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When using a shovel to move large quantities of material, position your body and your work so you don’t have to turn or twist. For example, if you’re shoveling topsoil into a wheelbarrow, set the wheelbarrow facing your target (where the soil will eventually end up) and in a position relative to the pile that allows you to scoop, lift and dump without twisting. One of the worst back injuries I suffered occurred when I was spreading very light, fluffy compost over a lawn area. The weight was minimal, but the repeated twisting did me in. Perhaps the most important technique you should work on is becoming ambidextrous. I normally rake with my left foot forward, with my right hand near the top of the rake handle—I believe this is common for right-handers. It will feel extremely awkward at first, but learn to rake with your right foot forward (or vice-versa if you’re
left-handed) and opposite hand positions. The awkwardness will lessen considerably after awhile, and you’ll be working your muscles in a different way, helping to strengthen them and prevent injury. Alternate your stance and hand positions at regular intervals. It was harder for me to learn to shovel with the other foot, but I finally got it. I believe that this technique will allow me to keep active in the garden for many years to come. Landscaping work usually involves a fair amount of lifting, so be sure to bend your knees and lift with your legs. Be careful not to twist with a heavy load. Don’t be shy about asking for help with lifting—believe me, a “macho’ landscaper is often an injured landscaper. And don’t for-
get common sense. When you get tired, take a break. If you are sore, your body is telling you to take it easy. If you’re not in a hurry to finish the job, your project will be more enjoyable and your muscles will slowly, naturally gain strength. By planning out your projects in advance, using the techniques above and relying on quality, well-designed tools, your landscape work will help you become stronger, healthier and happier.
MUSIC John Craigie plays the Panida (finally) By Jenna Bowers Reader Contributor
Hanging out on a sunny Portland afternoon with John Craigie, we got to talking about his much anticipated upcoming show at the Panida, the difference in mood between acoustic and electric guitars, and the trouble with animation. Craigie, for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing his performance, is a gifted songwriter and a talented storyteller. His live shows evoke laugher, tears, and just about every emotion in between. I’ve seen him play dozens of times and it’s always a moving experience; I never pass up an opportunity to catch a Craigie show (and neither should you!). For Craigie, playing the Panida stage is the poetic culmination of years of singing to Sandpoint audiences great and intimate. It all started more than eight years ago, when he met Sandpoint natives Katelyn and Laurie Shook at a gig in Spokane. They became friends immediately, and they let him in on a little secret: Sandpoint is where it’s at. They invited him to join them for a show at Stage Right (a former incarnation of the Panida’s Little Theater) and he was hooked. “I met the community, I loved it. I just kept coming back,” he said. From the Pend d’Oreille Winery to the Downtown Crossing to the Shook Shop house shows, The Little Panida to Di Lu-
na’s, Craigie has suffused the Sandpoint circuit. He’s shared the stage with local favorites like Charley Packard, Josh Hedlund, Holly McGarry, Jen and Justin Landis, Justin Landtrip, and Harold’s IGA. He even lived there. “In the summer of 2010, I spent five weeks in Sandpoint; at that point in my life, it was the longest I’d spent anywhere in nine years,” Craigie said. “It was the closest place I had to home.” Intent on having a true Sandpoint experience, Craigie lived at the Shook’s house, worked construction for Ted Bowers and bartended alongside Ben Olson at the Downtown Crossing, in addition to playing gigs all over town. “I became really connected,” he said. “I love the town so much.” Last November, Craigie got his first taste of the Panida stage when he opened for the Shook Twins. “It was really magical,” he said. “I’m so excited to be coming back.” Craigie recently moved to Portland, Ore., after more than a decade of calling the road his home. He always
liked the city. “The shows here were my favorites, similar to Sandpoint, I felt the connection with the people. It felt like home,” Craigie said. “It was time for a base and Portland just made sense, I had already met lots of friends through playing shows with the Shook Twins, there’s an airport here and as a west coast native I feel comfortable on this side of the country.” When I asked if he thought he would tour less now and maybe settle down a little, he quickly explained that he has no plans to slow down. “If anything, having a home base makes touring easier,” he said. “My life feels less chaotic, my mind is more settled.” Craigie is a prolific artist, releasing an album a year. His latest, “Working On My Farewell,” is a haunting and ambient record. He had written all of the songs on his trusty acoustic guitar, but when it came down to it, the sound wasn’t right. “It wasn’t embodying the sadness or the space I wanted to create,” he said. “By chance I found myself playing around on an electric guitar one day and it was the sound I was looking for, more moody, atmospheric, dramatic.” He spent the winter and spring touring in support of the album and playing a hollow-body electric guitar instead of the hand-painted acoustic guitar his fans had come to expect. For the Panida
show, he plans to have both guitars, so he can play a variety of songs. His album releases alternate between studio and live. The live albums give Craigie a chance to record his funnier songs and stories, which he says come across better with the audience’s reactions. Another live album will be out next year. Between all of the touring, songwriting and recording, Craigie stays busy with his musical career. I ask him if there’s any time to pursue other passions and he lights up. “I’ve had this idea for an animated series in my head for a couple years,” he said. “It’s called ‘What’s Next?’ about the afterlife, and I’m starting to be more serious about it. I’m getting deeper into it, imagining stories and musical cues; I’ve written the script for the first episode. But it’s so daunting. I have this specific vision for it, but I don’t know how to find someone who could animate it the way I imagine it. It seems insane, but I just have to talk to people, find out what it takes.” After reading the script, I can confirm it’s everything a Craigie fan would expect: hilarious, relevant, touching, clever, irreverent and sweet. I can’t wait to see it. In the meantime, the life of the touring musician will continue. He looks forward to his time in Sandpoint, one of the places he calls home. He’s excited and gratified to be playing the Panida. “Some towns you just show up and play the big room, but it’s so much more meaningful to walk the path,” he said. “I know there will be people who’ve been at all the shows; that means a lot to me.”
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
READ
“The Journals of Lewis and Clark” edited by Bernard DeVoto is a fascinating read from front to back. It’s a trove of historical information (and fun to read the awful spelling by the explorers). The 1804 expedition remains one of the most daunting, exciting and incredible feats in the modern age, especially because after 30 months of travel up and down unknown riverways, there was only one man who died (of appendicitis).
LISTEN
Last week, my band played at MickDuff’s Beer Hall and invited a last minute guest band share the set with us (and show us up!). Joseph Hein and the Following Fog is a touring band from Olympia, Wash., that was touring through and hadn’t been able to get a gig in Sandpoint (despite multiple emails to promoters in the area). They had a fresh, unique sound with elements of the Velvet Underground, Cotton Jones, and maybe even a little John Lennon thrown in for good measure. Check them out on Bandcamp. com. Very worth your time.
WATCH
Supporting our locals is what we do here in Sandpoint. What better way to show support than to check out “Anita” at the Panida Theater this weekend? Local cinematographer Erik Daarstad worked on this documentary film that is “Not just the story of a woman objecting to demeaning treatment from her employer, but the story of a woman who told the truth with “honesty, dignity, and courage.” This documentary film covers Anita Hill’s challenge to ThomClarence Thom as’ Supreme Court Justice nomination in 1992, opening up issues of sex sexual harassment to the world. June 18, 2015 /
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w o N & Then compiled by
Ben Olson
Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same. Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.
The rear of Sandpoint Saddlery, a First Avenue business. View looking west from Gunning’s Alley.
c.1980s Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
CROSSWORD ACROSS
The same view today. To the left, Powerderhound Pizza (formerly Bricks and Barley) occupies the corner storefront. The Back Door Bar used to be center top floor (with the white paneled garage door), the back of the Downtown Crossing used to be lower left (and before that, when the publisher of this newspaper was bar manager, the back of the old Downtown Crossing was top right). This block has seen a lot of turnover through the years.
2015
Corrections: No bungles to report this week. Instead of a correction, how about a Will Rogers quote? “I read about eight newspapers in a day. When I’m in a town with only one newspaper, I read it eight times.” -Will Rogers 18 /
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1. Grain to be ground 6. Gusted 10. Information 14. Juliet’s love 15. Magma 16. Holly 17. Type of poplar tree 18. Send forth 19. “Your majesty” 20. Vile 22. Care for 23. Snagged 24. Restricts 26. Zero 30. Din 32. Disturb 33. Dissenting 37. Avid 38. Filled to excess 39. Region 40. Vital 42. A simple seat 43. Anagram of “Arson” 44. Reddish brown 45. Flash 47. An unskilled actor 48. Soil 49. Avatar 56. Decorative case 57. Anagram of “Silo” 58. Unsuccessful person 59. Gambling game 60. Module 61. Breathing problem 62. Biblical garden
Solution on page 13 63. Rewards for waiting 64. Slender
DOWN 1. Alumnus 2. Thorny flower 3. Rapscallions 4. Dribble 5. This evening 6. Sheep sound 7. Young sheep 8. Wicked 9. A different kind of mattress 10. A purified liquid
11. Extraterrestrial 12. Small slender gulls 13. Cut down 21. Small portable bed 25. Snake-like fish 26. Microwave (slang) 27. Mimics 28. Applications 29. A coming into being 30. Test versions 31. Cain’s brother 33. Shower 34. Press 35. A noble gas 36. Big party
38. Surveillance 41. Neither ___ 42. Alike 44. Unhappy 45. Located 46. Wrinkled fruit 47. Legions 48. Apollo astronaut Slayton 50. Short skirt 51. Radar signal 52. Brood 53. Feudal worker 54. Require 55. Found in a cafeteria
I hope I never do anything to bring shame on myself, my family or my other family.