June 30, 2016
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Vol. 13 Issue 26
Happy Fourth of July!
Idaho sells
Priest Lake Properties A reader interview with
Bruce hornsby
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(wo)MAN compiled by
Ben Olson
on the street
If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be and why? “A buffalo. They’re sacred to the earth and they’re a herd animal. They live and get along together. There’s amazing power in a herd.” Francesca Dees Farmers’ Market vendor Gold Creek
“A dolphin because I’m hot and I want to jump in the ocean. Plus, they’re really cool. Everywhere in the world where there are dolphins is a beautiful place.” Mitch Rivkin Solstice Farms Bonners Ferry “Oh, that’s a hard one. My favorite animal is the tiger but I’m building a badger mascot costume, so I’ll choose badger. Why a badger? Because I’m a huge nerd and the badger is my ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ character.” Allison Wier Artist/photographer Sandpoint
DEAR READERS,
This July Fourth, we celebrate 240 years of the United States of America. In an election year we get so preoccupied defending our positions and denouncing those who feel differently that we sometimes forget what it is we love about our nation. Below, I’ve decided to give you my own love letter to my country. Hope you enjoy. I love my country because everyone has a chance to be great. You can be born into poverty and rise to the top. Conversely, you can be born into riches and end up homeless. Our destinies are not given, but earned by us—by our parents, by ourselves, by the merits of our actions. It’s up to us to rise above and be something. I love my country because I can choose to disagree with its policies and with those who run it. Seriously, there are so many countries in the world where this is not the case. Look at North Korea, whose citizens are brainwashed into ultimate devotion to their dictator. We are priviliged to be able to disagree with impunity. I love my country because we are allowed to keep our religion and government separated. I’m not trying to be political here, I’m just happy that there isn’t a state-sponsored religion that forces one set of policies on citizens of the U.S. We are all afforded the same freedoms under the Constitution, regardless of our beliefs. I love my country because we are capable of change, yet rooted in tradition. I love my country because we are unafraid to call out injustice. I love my country because we are proud of our country. I love my country because we are more than just the whackos that you see on television. If you ask every American what their top ten dreams are, I’d bet most would include a line about being able to work a job they love and make enough to provide for their family. I love my country because we are made up of all different cultures. This is truly a melting pot. Everyone who was born on our soil is entitled to call themselves an American. Let’s try to keep that in mind and try to love one another a little better. -Ben Olson, Publisher
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
“A lion. They’re courageous, noble and kind.” Hill Mannan Real Estate Agent Sandpoint
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BEN OLSON “Easy, I’m a boss alpha mare. Why? They’re the best ride to have in the backcountry. She knows what’s going on. You want to follow her.” Jeanelle Shields Sandpoint
“I’d be a kingfisher so I can fly and I like to be near the water.” Hannah Ellingwood Farmer New Hampshire
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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) John Reuter (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Allison Wier (cover), Ben Olson, Patrick Orton, Timberline, Billie Jean Gerke, Keith Lanphor. Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Jim Ramsey, Dean Whisler, Chris Mielke, Brenden Bobby, Lyndsie Kiebert, Jason Wiley, Suzen Fiskin, Drake the Dog Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash. Subscription Price: $95 per year Advertising: Jodi Taylor jodi@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com 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 400 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 Fourth of July cover features an original piece of artwork by Sandpoint artist and photographer Allison Wier. You can check out more of Allison’s work at www. weaselsoneasels.com. Thanks for the great cover, Allison!
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COMMENTARY Memo to Trump:
American Muslims do assimilate and they do turn in suspected jihadists
By Nick Gier Reader Columnist Last December President Obama praised sports heroes who are Muslims. A clueless Donald Trump tweeted: “What sport is he talking about, and who?” Trump must have forgotten about his friend Muhammad Ali, whom Trump once called a “terrific guy” and an “amazing poet.” Ali was also a Sufi Muslim, the most peaceful of all Islamic sects. In addition to Ali, there are of course boxers such Mike Tyson, Bernard Hopkins, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Dwight Muhammad Qawi and Hasim Rahman. Each of these fighters were either light heavy weight or heavy weight champions. Three of the top ten scorers in NBA history are Muslims: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. Other NBA Muslim stars are Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Hassan Adams, Larry Johnson, Nazr Mohammed and Rasheed Wallace. Muslims in the NFL are Muhammad Wilkerson, Aqib Talib, Hamza Abdullah, Husain
Abdullah, Oday Aboushi, Az-Zahir Hakim, Ryan Harris, Abdul Hodge, Ahmad Rashad, Ephraim Salaam and Usama Young. Once again Trump has put his small foot in his big mouth. Much more so than their European counterparts, American Muslims have assimilated and have risen to the top of major professions. There are over 180 prominent American Muslims in politics, military, business, art, comedy, film, music, TV, modeling, scholarship, science and journalism. Sayed Raheel Farook, the brother of the San Bernardino shooter, is a decorated Navy veteran. At WSU and the UI there are dozens of Muslim scholars and scientists who have become outstanding members of our community. Shaikh “Ghazi” Ghazanfar had a distinguished career in the UI economics department, and he won many awards both on campus and in the city. Assimilation par excellence! In his incendiary speech after the Orlando massacre, Trump reiterated his plan to
Note to Scarlette...
related to public restroom usage, such as poor sanitation, communicable diseases, drug activity and theft are all but ignored.” “Sending a child into a public restroom unsupervised is a bad choice.” “Legislation doesn’t stop sexual predators.” Great point. What is the solution to your argument then? Fixing our mental health care system? There is always lots of work to be done in the world. I really enjoy the way you write. I can hear your voice in the piece and I want to have a conversation with you about this, which is always a good
Dear Editor, This message is in response to the last article posted by Scarlette Quille of “Single in Sandpoint.” Scarlette, your initial thoughts on transgender bathroom use intrigued me. There were some great arguments that helped me ground my own beliefs around the subject matter. A few that stood out to me: “Since when did public restrooms become a safe place for children and other vulnerable types?” “Meanwhile, the more common safety issues 4 /
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Muhammad Ali.
Donald Trump.
ban all Muslim immigration and added that American mosques should be “respectfully” surveilled. When Ali criticized presidential candidates “who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda,” Trump, incredibly enough, responded that Ali was not talking about him. Trump also claimed that the Muslim community does not report extremists in their midst. But terrorism expert Charles Kurzman responds: “To claim there is no cooperation is false and defamatory to the Muslim-American community.” The FBI states that it has a “productive relationship” with the Muslim community and 20 percent of its tips come from its members. Several examples are
instructive. The mother of 17-year-old Ali Amin, on the advice of her imam, turned in her own son, who is now serving 11 years for supporting ISIS. In 2014 a woman in Minneapolis showed police messages from her brother Abdi Nur. He has been charged with providing material support for ISIS, but he has avoided arrest. Also in 2014, Adam Shafi’s father reported to officials that he thought that his son had been radicalized. The son was later arrested while boarding a plane to Turkey. He was charged with supporting al-Nusra, a Syrian group allied with al-Qaeda. Not all of this cooperation has been reciprocated. Although police departments generally assure their Muslim commu-
sign. However, I am confused because the piece dramatically shifted from talking about bathroom use to breastfeeding in public. You had solid points for the issues presented, but they are issues the reader needs to digest separately in order to develop a complete thought for each one. Thanks for writing and sparking my curiosity. Time to research microbes on public bathroom seat covers.
Do the Right Thing...
Cheers, Hannah Meek Sandpoint
Dear Editor, I am asking the Reader to do the right thing by retracting the vile insinuation Ben [Olson] made that implies I am a Holocaust denier. I have never been and never will be a Holocaust denier. If you print a retraction I will put this behind us. Lee Santa Sandpoint
nities that their officers will be profiling behavior not Muslims per se, one imam reported that, after attending a police meeting, he was later held and interrogated a local airport. Muslims in New York City are still smarting from a 10-year surveillance program that targeted Muslims and their mosques in the way that Trump now suggests. Two suits were filed against the city and settlements are now in place. Hina Shamsi, the director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, declared: “For the first time, this watershed settlement puts much needed constraints on law enforcement’s discriminatory and unjustified surveillance of Muslims.” The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations prefers to police its own. A spokesman explained: “We train our people to be very capable of identifying antisocial behavior and signs of radicalization. We have put into place a team of professionals to help people face that.” The imam of Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was a Pakistani born family physician whose sermons are devoid of any signs of jihadism, so people are convinced that Mateen was radicalized on the Internet. One of his last Facebook posts was: “You kill innocent women and children by doing airstrikes. Now taste the Islamic State’s vengeance.” Trump threatens to kill the families of terrorists and Ted Cruz wants to carpet bomb Syrian and Iraqi cities. Common sense dictates that this will further radicalize disaffected youth in America and Europe. Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy and religion at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Read his columns on the 2016 election at www.NickGier. com/Election2016.pdf.
PERSPECTIVES
Kudos Alexandra...
The Ghost of Blondes Past, Present and Future
Dear Editor, We want to tell Alexandra Blackwood how much we liked her writing. Poetic like a song! We all feel like Alexandra sometimes. We are sending her hugs and kisses. Life can be sad and being creative makes us happy. It’s biological! During time alone we invite the angels and our ancesters to help us with our plans. Sadness is no fun, but you describe it perfectly. Thats why we need artistic people like you to share your feelings. We all love “the blues!” Chris and Margaret Smith Bonners Ferry
I believe the universe is conspiring to transition me into my next decade. I have a birthday coming up in three or so months, and I have been planted firmly in denial for a few years now. I would prefer not to descend into a decade that firmly marks the passage of my youth. Although I have been floating through the last decade armed with denial and decent genetics, it seems that the universe would like to end my blissful passage through time by sending me reminders about what the next decade has to offer me, peppered with reminders about what I have left behind somewhere in my twenties. That’s not to mention the questions about whether or not I have found my destiny or true calling. I first became aware of the universe’s conspiracy when I found myself to having spend an evening at the 219 with two women in their twenties. I have no issue spending time with people outside my age group. The young and old have many lessons to teach if you take the time to observe. These lessons are far more pleasant when revealed to you while you are grooving to that kick ass band that plays at 219, often. You know the one with the bearded guy with the sexy raspy voice? Don’t get too excited though. I heard he has a girlfriend, and she’s crazy… Anywho, I digress. Spending time with people in their twenties is always dicey. On one hand you can’t help but be jealous of their youthful vigor, lack of fiscal responsibility, and perky assets. On the other
hand, you can’t help but feel sorry for their blissful ignorance, as the typical 20-something is still hanging on to the belief that marriage is a positive outcome of a relationship. My time with the young blondes was just the beginning of my own Charles Dickens novel. This was the chapter where I was to come face-to-face with the Ghost of Blondes Past. I found myself in the middle of an awkward situational teeter-totter where I was telling one of the 20-something blondes to live a little, hang out, enjoy life and have a drink—you have the rest of your life to water your garden. Then I turned to the next young blonde and told her to be safe, to use a more calculated approach to searching for a man friend. I found myself confused on whether to guide them or kill them when they said things like, “I hope I am as hot as you when I’m old.” In your twenties, life is mostly about balancing things like watering gardens and choosing the right amount of tequila shots before jumping on the back of a Harley and riding helmetless into the night. It’s not an easy world to navigate. Killing them would have been like killing myself 15 years ago, and I don’t want to start a butterfly effect. Educating them was the only path that didn’t involve violence or a massive hangover. I felt like the old medicine blonde in the village, the one charged with responsibility of providing guidance around the spiritual side of bar-hop-
ping. The one that had to teach younger blondes how to use their “gifts”. The Ghost of Blondes Past made a visit to show me that I have reached a certain age and my place in the village has changed. It is time that I started paying back the blonde community for the many nights an elder blonde had to care for and advise me. I could chose to pretend to be 20 or embrace a new role in the village. As painful as the truth is, it’s not cute to pretend like you’re 20, ever. It’s not cute when you’re 16, and it becomes more hideous with every passing decade. You get to be 20 for 10 years, and that’s it. I am OK with the role of advisor, there are some moments in life that are much better to experience as an observer. I’m not sure why it was necessary to send two of them, but whatever, I’m not in charge of my own awakening? Right? The Ghost of Blondes Future’s visit was more subtle. I play softball in women’s league. There is a feisty older lady that is still a baller. She is not joking around. I don’t like to pin ages on people, but I know for a fact she’s over 60 and regularly kicks the asses of women half her age. Kicking ass at sports in your 60s is way sweeter than being good in your twenties. I find myself critiquing my every mistake after a softball game, furious that I pulled a quad rounding second base trying to turn a double into a triple. Seriously, I thought about it all night. I’m not as fast as I was in high school? And I am just realizing
this like 20 years later? I considered making this my final season of softball, and then I saw my feisty 60-year-old competition. She wasn’t crying over a double—she doesn’t give a shit. She is just happy to play, and she knows that having the courage to ball with younger athletes is a far more admirable pursuit than any triple she may have hit 20 years ago. I hear you Ghost of Blondes Future, I can choose to continue kicking ass well into my golden years. Or I can choose to live a life full of ceramic animal figurines and various animal print sweatshirts. It all depends on where your heart is at. My mother balances her responsibilities as a blonde mentor perfectly. She has a milestone decade birthday this month (I will not state the decade as stating another blonde’s age is expressly forbidden in our tribe). A blonde under her tutelage knows better than to be caught out in public without mascara, that you never let your roots go and that crop tops paired with leggings are for babies. She also preaches about the dangers of people who tell a blonde to go to the “dark side”. Basically, anyone telling you that you would look good as a brunette is a jealous, hateful creature with one goal in mind: eradicating the world of platinum goddesses. It doesn’t matter if your hair is “naturally” a different color. If you identify as a blonde and have the discipline to keep it up, you are one of us. My mother will always be my most influential blonde mentor. Her skillset is complex and im-
pressive. Even as a grandmother, my mother can chug a beer, tell a joke and make a pie (simultaneously). She is the queen mother of blondes in this area. Ask anyone. I will never take her throne. It’s not my path. The lessons of cooking and domesticity were lost on me as a young child. I picked up more quickly on lessons involving alcohol consumption and alternative spiritual activities such as skinny dipping. It wasn’t for lack of her trying. I just chose many different paths. Thankfully, none of them involved alternative hair colors that would have led to my exile. My alternative free spirit nature makes following the most basic rules difficult. I suppose that’s why it has taken ghost visitations and decades for me to find my role in the tribe. I could be reading too much into this, or losing my mind with age. If Charles Dickens knew what he was talking about, one more ghost is left to visit me. Ghost of Blondes Present, where are you? Maybe she’s writing this column. What I do know is that aging is inevitable, and spending time dreading it gives you wrinkles. Enjoy your independence and chosen hair color. It’s the Fourth of July, damn it. You have competitions to win, booze to drink and hearts to break! Forever blonde in a world of gray, Scarlette Quille June 30, 2016 /
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NEWS
Idaho sells Priest Lake properties By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
A lot sale in Priest Lake by the Idaho Department of Lands generated $18.9 million for the Idaho Public School Endowment with only one of 39 auctions contested. The auction sale, authorized by Idaho’s Land Board, is part of a long-term strategy to gradually sell off lands in Priest Lake and Payette Lake to maximize benefits for Idaho’s endowments. The funds raised from the Priest Lake sale last weekend will benefit Idaho’s public school endowment. “Currently there is one auction at Priest Lake and one auction at Payette Lake each year,” said Idaho Department of Lands public information officer Sharla Arledge. Almost every sale in the auction sold for the lakefront lot’s appraised value and went to the current lessee. Winning bids among the uncontested auctions ranged from $300,000 to $669,604. In the single contested auction of the sale, a doctor from Coeur d’Alene paid $1.107 million for a property with an assessed value of $740,000. The Spokesman-Review reports that the physician outbid the current lessees of the property, a Washington couple who had leased the land from the state for decades. The auction
winner will pay the previous lessees an additional $44,200 for the value of their cabin. Many lot lessees were upset by the ultimatum to either purchase the land or sell off their cabins. In the comments section of the Spokesman-Review, a member of the family that was outbid said that they had lost generations of memories. “This was my family cabin, we’ve had it for almost 100 years. To say that our family is heart-broken is an understatement,” the individual, posting under the name TristenR, wrote. “We lost our precious family history and a cabin that holds so many precious memories and pride, to greed.” “It is a shame what the state of Idaho has done to these lease holding families, forcing them to either say goodbye to cabins that had been in their families for up to 3 generations or be forced to pay beyond their means (these leaseholders are far from wealthy), many selling off their own homes, to hold on to their family and childhood memories [sic],” wrote another, posting under the name Ajohnson. Authorized in 2014 and extended this year until 2019, the reinvestment plan calls for selling off the remaining lots at Priest Lake and Payette Lake. To date, 228 cottage sites—141 lots at Priest Lake and 87 lots at Payette Lake—have been
sold, generating approximately $97.7 million. The revenue from the sales will be used to invest in timberlands and, to a lesser extent, agricultural land, Arledge said. According to Arledge, the state uses a voluntary auction process in which the lessees nominate the parcel or lot to be auctioned. After the property is appraised and approved for sale, it is auctioned off. By law, the state cannot accept any sale less than the land’s appraised value. Arledge added that the Idaho Department of Lands manages 2.4 million acres of endowment land compared to the 3.6 million acres originally granted. The department has a constitutional mandate to maximize the lands’ value for the benefit of the endowments.
Little to campaign for 2018 governor election By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
The 2018 gubernatorial election is already shaping up with Lt. Gov. Brad Little filing his candidacy paperwork this week. As Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s second-in-command, Little is a former Idaho state senator and a mainstay in Boise politics. Long thought by Idaho political commentators to be the presumptive heir apparent to Otter’s administration, Little’s candidacy is 6 /
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hardly surprising, especially considering Otter has stated he will not seek another term as governor. More curious is who will compete with Little for the top executive office in Boise. Conservative favorite Russ Fulcher, who vied with Otter in the 2014 gubernatorial election, has been mentioned as a possibility, as has U.S. Senator Raul Labrador.[CR]
Lt. Gov. Brad Little.
A rustic cabin on a 1.7-acre Priest Lake lot that sold at auction for more than $1 million. Courtesy of the state of Idaho
Debris enters lake; boaters to use caution By Ben Olson Reader Staff
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials are advising boaters to watch for additional debris in Lake Pend Oreille after a breach in a drift yard facility allowed some logs and debris to enter the lake. The Corps gathers most debris from the Clark Fork before it enters the lake and stores it in the Clark Fork Drift Facility until it can be disposed. A piece of the log boom, a barrier of logs chained together to contain debris, failed late Tuesday, June 28, allowing 20-30 10-foot long by 1-foot diameter logs and some smaller debris to enter the upper lake. “We dispatched a crew and temporarily patched the breach,” said Albeni Falls Dam Operations Project Manager Ryne Linehan. “We’re now focused on monitoring the structure and a permanent fix.” Until the breach is fully repaired, the Corps advises boaters and the public to use caution, and be alert for logs and debris which can float just beneath the water.
Fireworks ban still in place for NF By Ben Olson Reader Staff
The Sandpoint Ranger District would like to emphasize that all fireworks are prohibited in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest year-round. “There are campfires allowed” said Capt. Eric Morgan with the Sandpoint Ranger District. “No closures are in effect right now.” Morgan said that campfires are allowed in designated sites as well as primitive sites: “The important thing is to clear out any debris or flammable fuel that’s around the campfire area where an ember can transition and ignite something that will continue into the thicker forest.” Thanks to June precipitation averages that bounced back from last year’s low, the outlook for fire season remains optimistic. “It looks pretty good,” said Morgan. “We’re sitting at ‘moderate’ now … fuel moistures are high, there is plenty of rain in the high country. We’ll have a cold front moving in the first week of July after these 90 degree days.” According to the Western Regional Climate Center, Sandpoint’s June rainfall total is 2.25 inches for a 100-year average. Last year’s total came in at a mere 0.35 inches—a scant 15 percent of the norm. While this June’s rainfall total came in around 0.58 inches, the extra precipitation and lower temperatures have kept the forests lush. According to meteorologist Randy Mann, it wasn’t so much the precipitation totals that helped this year, but how we received it. “In 2015, all of the moisture came in the first few days, then we didn’t get anything after that,” said Mann. “This month, it was a little more spread out.” Mann said this summer’s weather will be a grab bag, but will mostly resemble a “normal” summer in the Northwest: “We’ll have plenty of warm days, but there will be days with below normal readings,” he said. Mann also pointed out that though wildfire severity is downgraded from last year, it’s still not out of the question: “Although I expect a summer season that will not likely have the long periods of extreme heat and dryness, that doesn’t mean we won’t see our share of wildfires.” One thing to look forward to: “Assuming that sea-surface temperatures continue to cool down, the upcoming winter of 2016-17 should be snowier than normal, which is great news for area ski and snowboarders,” said Mann.
FEATURE
Timberline Helicopters
Repurposing military Blackhawks for use in the civilian world
By Jim Ramsey Reader Contributor Capitalizing on the availability of surplus military helicopters, a local firm is currently “demilitarizing “ the revered Sikorski UH-60A Blackhawk—tailoring it for a number of civilian heavy-lift utility missions. Timberline Helicopters, Inc., which has called Bonner County home since 2007 and is located at the Sandpoint Airport, is stripping the Army’s troop-carrying helicopter of 600 to 700 pounds of military wiring, installing new avionics and electronics and replacing Army green with a new bright blue paint job. The renovations are designed to equip the former war bird for multi-mission civilian roles including fire-fighting, transmission/utility line construction, cell phone and ski-lift tower placements and other heavy-lift operations throughout the western United States. After working with the Federal Aviation Administration for ten months, Timberline announced last February that the FAA had approved its UH-60A Blackhawk Restricted Category Type Certificate for operation in the U.S. “We also have a growing list of modifications for the aircraft with multiple STCs (supplemental type certificates) in the works to expand the Blackhawk’s capabilities and improve its operational efficiency,” says Travis Storro, Timberline’s chief operating officer. The company has purchased three Blackhawks from the Government Services Administration (GSA). One is finished, certified and in operation by Timberline. Another is undergoing refurbishment and certification, while yet another is waiting to be picked up near
A Blackhawk helicopter owned by Timberline that has been successfully repurposed. Photo courtesy of Timberline. the Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville, Ala. Storro, who previously served as certification manager and director of maintenance for the company, and Brian Jorgeson, Timberline vice president, flew the newly-certificated Blackhawk on a 21-hour roundtrip flight to Louisville, Ky., where it was exhibited at the Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2016. Timberline Helicopters has 35 employees, consisting of helicopter pilots and mechanics and support staff, including field teams that support aircraft working on location. Its sister company, Timberline Logging Enterprises, has 15 employees and manages all aspects of the logging projects. In addition to its existing 12,500-square foot hangar at the Sandpoint Airport, Timberline is adding a new 6,300-square foot hangar for the Blackhawks to accommo-
date its expanding business. It also is looking at upgrading cockpit electronics in the older helicopters to the newer digital “glass” cockpits. “But some helicopter pilots still like the older analog systems with knobs and buttons,” Storro said. Timberline Helicopters evolved as a division of Horizon Helicopters in Laclede. It then began operations under owners Ammy and Brian Jorgenson with a Kaman K-Max helicopter used in logging operations. Moving to Sandpoint in 2010, the company has since added another Kaman K-Max, a Bell UH-1H Huey, a McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) MD530F and a Schweitzer 300CB along with the two Blackhawks to its inventory. Timberline’s utility helicopter operation currently includes fire-fighting, cell tower and power line construction as well as ski lift construction at such
sites as Vail, Sun Valley, Jackson Hole and Lake Tahoe. Last summer, Timberline crews fought forest and brush fires in California for the U.S. Forest Service. “We go anywhere throughout the western U.S. west of Denver,” Storro said. Timberline also offers helicopter charter services. To keep its helicopters flying, the company established itself as an FAA-approved repair station in 2014, allowing it to perform maintenance and modifications on all the aircraft it operates. Storro sees a strong future in utility operations for the modernized Blackhawk. Proven in more than 8 million hours of operation for the U.S. Army and other military and paramilitary fleets, the 36-yearold Blackhawk can lift 8,000 pounds and cruise at 145 kts. (the K-Max, for comparison, lifts 6,000 lbs.).
Built for reliability, the twin turbine-powered Blackhawk has three electrical systems and dual hydraulic systems and has the capability to perform Medivac and other special missions. To handle its current and expected growth, Storr said “we need to hire more people.” He said the company has had to hire people from Washington and Montana and that some workers drive from Post Falls or Coeur d’Alene every day. “One of the challenges we face being based here is the shortage of qualified personnel to support maintenance operations,” said Storr. “There are very few people with Blackhawk experience, avionics experience or aircraft maintenance experience.” For more information about Timberline Helicopters, go to www.TimberlineHelicopters. com. June 30, 2016 /
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OPINION
Proud to still Jumping off the fence be a friend By Dean Whisler Reader Contributor
I was raised in Eastern Washington as the oldest of four children. My parents were both educators and hard-working Christians who I know loved all their children. On the outside I acted and appeared as if everything were normal. I was the “all-American boy”—a star athlete (four-year varsity letterman), Boy Scout, a popular kid at school. I had a girlfriend, and was the good little Christian at church. But inside, I was starting to fill with guilt, shame and confusion. I was anything but normal except to those who only saw the outside. Living as a gay man, my friends, gay and straight, would often tell me I was the perfect example of a person born gay. I didn’t fit many of the so-called stereotypes society associated with gay people. Although far from perfect, I thought my childhood was pretty normal, at least outwardly. But, if you knew the real me and the secrets I started guarding before I even hit puberty, you would understand. I became best friends with a classmate who introduced me to the world of sex. A seed had been planted and it started to consume me and grow like a weed. I also started to detach from my father. From my perspective, he wasn’t like many of the other men in our rural neighborhood. He didn’t hunt, drink beer, play sports or talk about women like my friends’ fathers did. I turned into a sexual predator and engaged with several of my male friends in sexual activity throughout junior and senior high school. 8 /
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One of those boys went to the new church my family started going to. During our sophomore year we started a relationship that lasted through our first year of college. One Sunday, while sitting in church with my boyfriend, a guest pastor preached on various sins – including homosexuality. My friend and I made a vow never to return to church after age 18. I kept that promise for almost 20 years. The battle for my soul had begun. But my life started to unravel within a year. My boyfriend left me, I was drinking more and I discovered drugs. I had outgrown the Inland Northwest, and fearing that my lifestyle would be exposed, I dropped out of college and moved to San Diego. Life in San Diego was good for a few years. My old friend from high school moved there and we were ready to take on gay Southern California. Two of his new friends from another state joined us as well. The four of us were raised in the church and all had vowed never to return. The unhealthy trappings of the gay life soon began to take its toll on all of us. By age 26, I had become addicted to speed and cocaine and was abusing alcohol. And I never found “Mr. Right.” Instead, I began feeding a pornography habit. I was broke, withdrawn and depressed. The AIDS crisis was in full bloom and it hit my circle of friends hard. I made a few positive decisions, including one to get clean and sober at a 12-step program. I also came out to my parents. We reached a middle ground that allowed us to be in relationship. They told me that they were praying for my friends and me. I was confused and a little mad. I thought all
Christians hated me. I thought God hated me. I told them I didn’t need their prayers. My three best friends all died within several years of being diagnosed with AIDS. Although I was able to take care of them, it was a major wakeup call. Before each of them died, they returned to faith. They passed on knowing the peace and love of Christ. The years between the deaths of my friends and my coming back to faith were spent walking on top of a fence. I had issues with both sides. I tried anything and everything to fix the pain that was engulfing my soul: food, drugs, alcohol, anti-depressants, sex, therapy, pornography, money and climbing the corporate ladder. Nothing seemed to bring any lasting peace. After a two-week bout of depression, I humbled myself for the first time in almost 20 years and asked God for help. That was May 30, 1999. I jumped off the fence. I gave up my so-called “gay pride” and humbled myself. My own transformation is not about becoming a heterosexual; it’s about being obedient to God. That’s when changes start to happen. Nor is it about accepting myself in a lifestyle that brings death, disease and destruction to so many. I was set free but that freedom came with a cost. The work He has done in my life has been nothing short of a miracle. Dean Whisler holds a degree in Program Management from Whitworth University and works at the Union Gospel Mission in Spokane. He is the director for CPR Outreach -www.cproutreach.org
By Chris Mielke Reader Contributor
Thank you to Mr. Jim Healey for your essay “Coming Out in N. Idaho.” And thank you to the Reader for publishing the stories others may not. Being an older straight male originally from the San Francisco area, I saw the appearance of hippies, and the development of feminist and gay culture. Once when walking in the Castro, I even received homophobic catcalls. But that was long ago, and, being straight, I didn’t experience the continuing oppression by the majority. Moving here soon after Y2K, Sandpoint seemed like such an enlightened, progressive community. Alas, maybe not so much. And now with the rise of Trumpism and the shooting in Orlando, well, we all had better watch our six. Mr. Don S. Otis, in his letter to the Reader [6/23/16], shows that many false beliefs still exist among even respected members of our community. He may have gathered these myths from discredited psychologist Paul Cameron, the most ubiquitous purveyor of anti-gay junk science, or a 2010 story by Bryan Fischer of RenewAmerica (also associated with gay-hate groups like the American Family Association and the Family Research Group). In 1994, the American Psychological Association (APA) noted that “homosexuality is not a matter of individual choice” and that research “suggests that the homosexual orientation is in place very early in the life cycle, possibly even before birth.” The American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 1993 and in 2004, that “most scholars in the field state that one’s sexual orientation is not a choice … individuals do not choose to be homosexual or heterosexual.” And in 2011, the APA concluded that “most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.” Considering the hostility experienced by gays
from family and community, why would anyone choose this lifestyle? I did not choose to be straight. In 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that “hate crime violence is directed at the LGBT community more than any other minority group in America. Studies done during the past several years have determined that it is the stress of being a member of a minority group in an often-hostile society, and not LGBT identity itself, that accounts for the higher levels of mental illness and drug use.” Richard J. Wolitski, an expert on minority status and public health issues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, put it like this in 2008: “... stigma, and discrimination ... increase stress and diminish the ability of individuals [in minority groups] to cope with stress, which in turn contribute to poor physical and mental health.” A report presented by the Council on Scientific Affairs to the AMA House of Delegates Interim Meeting noted that most of the emotional disturbance gay men and lesbians experience around their sexual identity is not based on physiological causes, but rather on “a sense of alienation in an unaccepting environment.” Several studies at major universities and the Rand Corporation found that LGBT people living in highly anti-LGBT communities and circumstances face serious health concerns and even premature death because of social stigmatization and exclusion. I recall several years ago at work, a gay female co-worker pulled me aside and whispered, “Are you family?” Puzzled, I thought, “Mafia? In the veterinary business?” “No, gay” she explained. Oh, no, I said, my brother was, but I’m not. “You might say I’m a friend of the family.” I’m proud to still be a friend. Chris Mielke USMC NRA ACLU
Mad about Science: By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Well, I work at the library, so I think it’s only fair that I make an article on libraries. What’s scientific about a library? Check the 500s in Nonfiction. But seriously, we might be a science column, but if you haven’t noticed we like to touch base on history, philosophy, psychology— in fact, most things you can put a “y” behind. All right, I’ll admit it, I’m just trying to teach you things and make you giggle. So where do we start? Time for a Wayback Machine! By now you know our penchant for going back in time and looking at things from a new vantage point. So how old is the idea of a library? The oldest collections we’ve discovered are from ancient libraries from about 2600 BC, in ancient Sumer. Don’t ask to check any of these items out here in town,.I don’t think we can get an Interlibrary Loan for a 4600 year old clay tablet (not that Amy wouldn’t be amused to see you request one.). Did libraries work like they do now, back then? Could I check out movies and books in ancient Babylon? Not exactly. In all likelihood, the only way you were going to see any of the collection was if you were a priest, an aristocrat or a merchant. Much of what was kept in these ancient libraries were economic transcripts, receipts for massive purchases and religious texts along with genealogical information on the various gods and rulers of the time. What about the Library of Alexandria? That was an important thing, right? Could I get movies there? No, you wouldn’t be able to check out movies from a library for another 2250 years or so. There’s no reason you couldn’t have seen a play outside, but
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Libraries that’s the best I can give you for now. The Library of Alexandria was a center of scholarly importance in the ancient world, constructed in the third century BC. It was a part of the Museum of Alexandria, basically the engine of Egypt’s Corvette, so to speak. The Library of Alexandria was probably more similar in function to a modern university than a library. They had meeting rooms, stacks of collections, gardens and even a dining area. Sounds a lot like our library, so how is it different? The Library of Alexandria was focused primarily on collecting and translating important works from around the world. Translation is handled exclusively through the publishers of books now, and collection is much easier than it was in ancient Egypt. Back then, you couldn’t just put an order in to Amazon and wait for FedEx to show up by camel. You had to manually collect the items then translate them by hand. It was an incredible feat of political, economic and scholarly prowess for its age, one of the many reasons that it stood for over 300 years. Tragically, the Romans started the downward spiral of the library around 40 BC. The structure, and most of the collection, became the victim of Caesar’s civil war and much of it burned. Over the following 600 years, the library managed to rebuild and enhance bits of its collection until the army of Amir ibn al’ Aas delivered the coup de grace and burned it to the ground. Nine hundred years isn’t such a bad run, though! With some luck and a bit of elbow grease, maybe our library district will last that long.
Like the Fourth of July? Thank the Lions Club By Ben Olson Reader Staff
That was cool. So what about library cats? It just wouldn’t be a published article in the age of the Internet without mentioning cats. Yes, library cats! They are most definitely a thing. So why cats? Why not dogs, or lizards, or geese? Cats are unique predators. They’re tame, they’re pretty predictable and they’re social when they want to be but mostly keep to themselves. We have evidence of library cats being used in ancient Egypt, as long ago as 300 BC. It turns out that vermin like rats and mice really like eating paper and destroying vast quantities of human information. It also turns out that cats really like hunting rats and mice. Even after vermin stopped being a problem thanks to advanced construction and regular maintenance, library cats stuck around. These adorable little vermin hunters got a promotion from janitorial duty to PR managers. Word on the street is, it came with a pretty big pay raise (but they’re sensitive about it, don’t bring it up). There’s a lot more to libraries, but we’re on a number crunch, and I’m currently lamenting the lack of a library goose. Maybe if you stop by the library and check out a book about libraries, your knowledge on our wonderful institutions will grow, and your thirst for knowledge will be quenched. Personally, I’m still lamenting the lack of a library goose.
If you enjoy the Fourth of July festivities that take place every year, it’s always helpful to give credit to an organization that has been giving back to the community for more than half a century: The Sandpoint Lions Club. From the first float of the kids parade to the grand finale of the fireworks show at City Beach, the Sandpoint Lions Club is there. “Our primary emphasis is serving the community,” said former president Tom Dabrowski. “For all of the activities we do, all the money comes back to the community and donated to people who need help. It’s a gratification we get being able to help other people.” Dabrowski pointed out that the majority of fundraising for the Lions Club comes from their annual raffle. This year’s grand prize is a Polaris side-by-side ATV. The second-place prize is $2,000 in “Bonner Bucks,” which is a shopping spree any place in Bonner County. The third prize is $1,000 cash, and the fourth prize is an unlimited season pass donated by Schweitzer Mountain Resort. This year, the Lions have added a fifth prize: two day passes donated by Silverwood Amusement Park. Tickets will be sold at the following locations: Thursday, June 30 at Super 1 Foods in Sandpoint and Pierce Automotive in Sagle; Friday, July 1 at Yoke’s in Ponderay; and Saturday at Walmart in Ponderay. On Monday they will be selling tickets before, during and after the parade. “We’ll be selling tickets all the way up until the drawing just before we shoot off the fireworks,” said Dabrowski. Though most of the funds for the Fourth of July festivities are raised through the raffle, the Lions Club also depends on donations from the community. “We get money from donors every year,” said Dabrowski. “For example, Mr. Ben Stein gives us money every year to help pay for fireworks. We also get money from the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, from
local businesses. The donations are very helpful.” This year’s Fourth of July festivities kick off with the annual Kids’ Parade at 9 a.m. The Lions Club reminds children to stage at the City Parking Lot across from Joel’s Mexican Food by 8:45 a.m. The Grand Parade—themed “America on Parade”—begins at 10 a.m. and features Wendy Sater as this year’s Grand Marshall. Dabrowski said the Lions chose Sater this year because of her unflagging dedication to the community: “We really appreciate all that Wendy has done for Toys for Tots, and how she hosts a soup kitchen every week for anyone that wants to come in and get a free meal. She’s always involved with charitable organizations.” After the Grand Parade, there will be live music by Fiddlin’ Red at the City Beach, followed by belly dancers and a BBQ hosted by the Elks Club. Before dusk, the spectators begin showing up in droves to spread out blankets and lawn chairs at City Beach in anticipation of the fireworks, and this year is supposed to be another good one. “The show this year will be as big as last year, and last year’s show was the biggest in years,” said Dabrowski, we pointed out that the fireworks alone cost $15,000, not including all the other peripheral expenses that are involved with putting on the show—all of which is funded by the Sandpoint Lions Club. For Dabrowski, the reason they raise so much money through the raffles, the flag programs and the Toys for Tots in winter is because of the satisfaction club members feel when they give back to their community. “When you see a kid who doesn’t have a toy start to smile because they suddenly have something really nice from the Toys for Tots, that’s all it takes,” said Dabrowksi. “It’s the same for the Fourth of July. I like to walk the parade route before the parade and shake the hand of every veteran I can find. That’s the reason we’re doing this.” June 30, 2016 /
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‘Dough’ film finds redemption in unexpected places By Reader Staff
Bouquets: •Last weekend, while hiking up near Caribou Creek, my girlfriend and I noticed some fresh trees that had fallen across the trail. They had been freshly cut and the trail cleared. Cadie said something like, “These people that clear the trails are truly the unsung heroes, since they never get any recognition for the work they do.” It’s true. Hikers are always thankful for those who clear the trails, but rarely do we get to give credit where credit is due. If you’re one of those noble few who keep the trails free of fallen trees, give yourself a pat on the back. We all appreciate your hard work. •A bouquet to those righteous dudes you see at the bottom right of this page. Nate Perez, Alex Vassiliadis and Patrick Taylor have been traveling around the country in a chicken car (you may have seen it around town last week), raising money for mental health. It’s called the Mental Illness Awareness Tour, and the trio plan to visit 48 states. Also, a bouquet to Justine Murray at La Chic Boutique, who hosted the chicken car boys and ended up raising $400 for NAMI Far North in six hours out of her downtown shop. Way to go!
Pot in brownies we’ve heard of. Pot in challah bread? Not so much. “Dough” tells the story of Nat, an old curmudgeonly Jewish baker (Jonathan Pryce) struggling to keep his small Kosher bakery open, and an immigrant kid named Ayyash (Jerome Holder) from Darfur who gets work as the baker’s apprentice. The opener shows the baker’s morning ritual, starting at 4 a.m., in conjunction with what the kid is up to at the same time (getting into potentially big trouble at a nightclub). The second sequence comes later in the film when the baker and the kid attempt to break into the main office of a sinister grocery-chain in order to steal back some possibly compromised muffins swiped from their store. The wonderful Jonathan Pryce lives a life of routine. He spends days at his bakery, watching his customer base dwindling away as the demographics of his neighborhood shift. He has movie nights with an old pal (“Singing in the Rain” was his late wife’s favorite). He turns down the persistent romantic advances of a vivacious recent
widow (Pauline Collins) who is determined to add a bit of color back into his world. Other plot twists along with his shop in danger include how he has lost his apprentice to the competition. Ayyash’s mother sweeps the floors in Nat’s bakery, and when Nat loses his apprentice, she suggests he try her son out in the position. Ayyash fled Darfur with his mother, and he’s hanging out with a bad crowd. They desire to sell drugs - not for the purpose of using them - just for the money. Nat and Ayyash treat each other with suspicion,
borne out of religious prejudice. Ayyash helps bring the spring back to Nat’s step and solving the dilemma of not enough customers is creatively solved. Bouncing through a conflict with an evil real estate developer who actually cackles with glee after a meeting with Nat. The film is not subtle, and telegraphs “who people are” with the broadest of strokes. Jonathan Pryce (well known for his roles in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Game of Thrones”) does not disappoint in his role and delivers laughs and a solid character. Where
does the pot come in? Ayyash’s attempts to start dealing drugs for extra cash provides a funny plot-twist when he comes up with the idea to put it in the challah bread dough right before Shabbat is celebrated. “Dough” is a warmhearted and humorous story with a good heart finding redemption in unexpected places. “Dough” will be showing at the Panida on Saturday, July 2 at 4:20 and 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 3 at 3:30 p.m. Unrated. www.panida.org
Barbs: Nary a barb today.
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CLUCKIN’ GOOD TIMES: Nate Perez, Alex Vassiliadis and Patrick Taylor are drawing a lot of attention these days, largely thanks to their chicken car. It’s their vehicle for a tour of the lower 48 states raising awareness and money for mental health issues. With their help, local business La Chic Boutique raised $400 in six hours for mental health nonprofit NAMI Far North.
BECAUSE THE SKILLS PIPELINE ISN’T GOING TO FILL ITSELF.
EBONNERLIBRARY.ORG
CLARK FORK • SANDPOINT • BOOKMOBILE
Information & Inspiration
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Live Music w/ Ben Olson (solo) Throwback Thurs Summer Sampler 7-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 7-11pm @ 219 Lou A collection of B-sides from Ben 5-8pm @ Farmin Park Featuring live mus Come down to Farmin Park and see Olson of Harold’s IGA and friends, plus dr the great selections from Sandpoint’s Dollar Beers! Yappy Hour annual Summer Sampler (formerly 8pm @ Eichardt’s 4-7pm @ Pine St. Bakery PAS benefit with live music, known as the Taste of Sandpoint). Free Dog Agility with F to attend, samples $3-7. Bon appetit! 10:30am @ Sandpo drinks and great furry fun Live Music w/ Running with Scissors Liv Duke Evers Band concert 6-9pm @ Trinity at City Beach 9pm 8pm @ Panida Theater Sit by the lake and listen to some good live Seattle-based duo with an emphasis on Alw tunes while you prepare for the weekend rock n’ roll, with blues-flavored pop melo- tha Live Music w/ Devon Wade mo dies. $21 tickets at Panida.org 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Britchy Liv First Fridays with Sandpoint’s country star, 5:30-8:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 6pm Devon Wade. Free and open to 21+ Summer Sounds Live Music w/ Bright Moments Live Mus 4-6pm @ Park Place Stage 6-9pm @ Trinity at City Beach 6pm - 9pm The Park Place Stage is located at Sit by the lake and listen to some good jazz Sandpoin First and Cedar (in front of Arlo’s) and while you prepare for the weekend 9am-1pm features live music by Mobius Riff Live Music w/ Scotia Road Great loca Live Music w/ David Walsh 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall food and l 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority A great place to listen to music and drink Books by Flamenco guitar player extraordinaire locally brewed beer 10am-2pm Live Music w/ Still Tipsy and the Hangovers “Dough” film Get genre 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge 5:30 & 8:30 @ Panida Theater Fun rockabilly swing band with jazz overtones A film about overcoming prejudice Sponsored Live Mu from Sandpoint. Check them out! 5:30-8:30 Game Night at the Niner 9pm @ 219 Lounge Come down and take part in game night with Racheal Live Music w/ Bruce Bishop and Drew 6-9pm @ Trinity at City Beach
Learn to dance the Swing – 7pm @ SWAC Learn the Triple Time East Coast Swing from Diane Peters. 610-1770 for info
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s
Karaoke Night 10pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge
Live Music w/ Rob Moss 11am-1pm @ Loaf and Ladle Rob Moss will be playing an acous part of the Sunday Brunch Music Loaf and Ladle (124 S. Second Ave.)
Seniors Day 9am-12pm @ Bonner Mall Walk the mall, listen to speakers, learn health tips, e ter drawings, play bingo and enjoy free refreshment
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Great local produce, fun arts and crafts, yummy food and live music by Arthur and Mia Goldblum Open Mic with Scott Reid 6-8pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee Held on the first Thursday of every month, hosted by Scott Reid. Come one, come all Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 6-9pm @ Trinity at City Beach Sit by the lake and listen to some good tunes while you prepare for the weekend
Turnt up Wednesday with Josh 9pm @ 219 Lounge DJ music and great drinks
Winter Ridge Speaker Series Sandpoint L 6pm @ Winter Ridge 8pm @ Sand Simplicity in the care of the chron- A free Teen S ically ill or dying Get In The G Throwback Thursdays at the 219 has been mu 7-11pm @ 219 Lounge clues and use Featuring live music with Brian Ja- out whoduni cobs and friends
ful
June 30 - July 7, 2016
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
ack Thursdays at the 219 Mystery Writing Workshop for Linda Hackbarth Lecture @ 219 Lounge 7pm @ Bonner Co. History Museum Kids with Author Mary Haley g live music with Brian Jacobs Local author and historian Linda 3pm @ Sandpoint Library ds, plus drink specials Hackbarth will speak about the Pend Mystery author Mary Haley teaches eers! Oreille area in the 1860s, the topic of an hour-long workshop on writing ichardt’s Pub her book, “Trail to Gold.” Free Ad- followed by a reading. Registration ity with Feisty Pets required, 263-6930 ext. 1211 mission, open to all @ Sandpoint Library Live Music w/ Miah Kohal Band Blitzen Trapper and Frontier Ruckus concert 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge 9pm @ The Hive s on Always a great time with MKB, and now A great night of music, with contemporary rock band melo- that the tent is in place on the patio, no Blitzen Trapper headlining and Michigan folk rock band more worries about rain or cold nights Frontier Ruckus as openers. Expect great alt-country, folk rock and pure rock ballads from these fantastic Live Music w/ Chris Lynch bands. Tickets are only $15, with VIP booths still availy 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante able. Doors open at 8 p.m., the fun starts at 9 p.m. Do it! Infini Gallery First Friday Opening Reception Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6-9pm @ Infini Gallery 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante Check out July’s crop of more than a half dozen artSandpoint Farmers’ Market ists at Sandpoint’s newest gallery, Infini, at 214 Ce9am-1pm @ Farmin Park dar Street in Sandpoint Great local produce, fun arts and crafts, yummy Live Music w/ John Hastings food and live music by Folk Remedy 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Books by the Box Sale Free First Saturday at the Museum 10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library Get genre books by the box for pocket change. 10am-2pm @ Bonner Co. History Museum Hays Chevron in Clark Fork sponsored this free Sponsored by the Friends of the Library admission Saturday. View Era III of the “Tales Live Music w/ Mike and Shanna from the Wardrobe” featuring the 1940-1959 era 5:30-8:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
le an acoustic set as h Music Series at ond Ave.)
@ SWAC wing from
Independence Day Celebration Downtown Sandpoint The fun starts at 9 a.m. with the Kids Parade, followed by the Grand Parade at 10 a.m. with this year’s Grand Marshall Wendy Sater. The fireworks kick off at City Beach at dusk. Happy Fourth of July everyone!
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Live Music w/ Devon Wade 9pm@ 219 Lounge Celebrate the Fourth on the patio with Sandpoint country artist Devon Wade
First Tuesday at Eichardt’s 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub alth tips, en- A monthly live music event hosted by freshments Jake Robin, always with a special guest
with Josh Adams
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Clark Fork Life Sized Clue Game 7pm @ Clark Fork Library A free Teen Summer Reading activity to help you Get In The Game & Read! The library director has been murdered! Come search the library for clues and use your powers of deduction to figure out whodunit at the Clark Fork Library Branch, 601 Main St.
ndpoint Life Sized Clue Game m @ Sandpoint Library ree Teen Summer Reading activity to help you t In The Game & Read! The library director s been murdered! Come search the library for es and use your powers of deduction to figure whodunit at the Sandpoint Library Branch
Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Truck Mills 6-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
July 8-10 Classic and Antique Boat Festival @ Sand Creek Boardwalk July 9 Sandpoint Beerfest @ Trinity at City Beach July 14 Festival at Sandpoint Art Unveiling @ Dover Bay
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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.
-jackJack is a heeler mix who really likes his food. Because he likes his food so much, he has been experiencing difficulty keeping up with the horses on trail rides. Last summer we hoisted his butt into the saddle to carry him out of Peewee Creek. Rusty, the foxtrotter whom Jack likes to harass as all heelers do, reacted with wide eyes and a turn of his head. Rusty was a good sport, however, and faithfully carried Fat Jack and his master Mike back to the trailhead. Billie Jean Gerke Sandpoint
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MUSIC
SummerFest or bust SummerFest always brings smiles and good times to the crowd. Photo by Patrick Orton.
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Intern Tucked in the forests of North Idaho, a few things can be expected—plenty of wild animals, logging roads, an abandoned shack here and there, maybe a Sasquatch sighting. Less expected might be a weekend-long festival of performers from across the United States, gathered to celebrate music, nature and companionship. And yet, on the Sagle peninsula of Lake Pend Oreille, Sandpoint SummerFest rocks the woods annually, furthering the unique character of the Idaho Panhandle. Sandpoint SummerFest takes place over the weekend of July 8-10 and is put on by the Eureka Institute, a local nonprofit organization that executive director Steve Holt said prides itself on promoting life-long learning. SummerFest is in its 18th year—and still one of a kind. “It’s a super unique music festival,” said Eureka Institute board president John Edwards,
emphasizing the fact that acts at SummerFest perform on a wooden stage in a grass amphitheater—part of the institute’s 40 acres of property on the peninsula. “There is no other venue like it,” he added. Even more unique, the event is limited to 400 people. Tickets are available via a link on the institute’s website, and prices vary depending upon days attended, camping plans and whether the attendee desires all-access to food and drink provided by Eichardt’s Pub on site. Other details, such as the institute’s request that attendees leave their pets at home, can also be found on their website, along with an hour-by-hour schedule of events Friday through Sunday. “[Saturday] is a heck of a show, as far as variety,” Edwards said. He said that despite SummerFest being advertised as a music festival, it is not band-exclusive. Local dance and theater troupes will also grace the stage Saturday, including the Gypsy Divas and the American Laboratory Theatre.
Still, music makes up the bulk of the entertainment over the weekend. When it comes to finding acts for SummerFest, Edwards admits that the process is not cookie-cutter, but instead evolves as bands are contacted or contact him. “My dream list morphs into the lineup,” Edwards said with a laugh. “I’ll contact a band, and their agent might say they can’t, but ‘you guys should listen to this band,’ and I end up listening to a band I’ve never heard before.” Edwards said this year’s SummerFest lineup is highlighted by its diversity. Texan band Whiskey Shivers—who Edwards said describes themselves as “high energy trashgrass”—Oregonian electronica band Yak Attack, Seattle punk soul rockers Down North and many other bands with both local and non-local roots will perform throughout the weekend on one of two stages at the venue. Rather than experiencing a lull between sets, bands will play back-to-back on separate stages—something Ed-
wards said keeps the environment consistently energetic. He also noted SummerFest’s kid-friendly nature, with the implementation of children’s activities throughout the weekend and a performance by the Grammy-nominated band Trout Fishing in America, known for their family-friendly tunes. Holt stressed that the purpose of the music festival is not only to bring the community together beneath the basis of good music, food and company—it’s also one of the Eureka Institute’s major fundraisers. Proceeds go on to benefit the Construction Basics Initiative, a program that, according to the institute’s website, is meant to “provide under-served and at-risk students with the necessary life skill set and confidence in their ability to become a valued and productive part of society.” Young people who partake in the program learn to build and maintain infrastructure, while also serving the community. “I feel like [the festival]
brings community awareness,” Holt said, noting that SummerFest also serves to remind locals about what the Eureka Institute is doing for the area. Several local programs meant to promote connections with nature and community are the brainchildren of the Eureka Institute, with the Construction Basics Initiative barely scratching the surface. Edwards said his favorite thing about SumemrFest is the sense of smallness, which provides the opportunity to get to know almost everyone in attendance once the weekend comes to an end. “You’re with your community, you can dance front and center because everyone else is. You make friends and connections,” he said. “SummerFest is like fine wine—it gets better every year.” SummerFest is July 8-10, 2016. Early-bird ticket rates are still available. Contact Steve Holt at the Eureka Institute at (208) 265-4000 or at (208) 597-6391. June 30, 2016 /
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SPORTS July with Sandpoint Parks and Recreation By Jason Wiley Sandpoint Parks and Rec July is a busy month for Sandpoint Parks and Recreation. It’s tough to keep on top of all the varied activities offered this month, so here’s a quick guide to help you choose. For more information about each activity, call the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation office at 263-3613 or visit them online at www. cityofsandpoint.com. Youth and Adult Tennis Lessons Lessons for ages 4 and up. High School Tennis Camp Participants get the opportunity to work with some of the best college coaches
and professionals in the state. These pros will be dedicated to the personal development and improvement of each player. Open to existing/incoming high school players or by special permission of instructors. July 11-15, Register by July 1, $75/person Swim Lessons Session #1 – Mon-Thur, July 18-28. Registration Deadline, July 8. Rails to Resort Join us on Saturday, July 9, for a bicycle hill climb race up Schweitzer Rd. $15/rider, Onsite registration/check-in from 9:30-10:45 a.m., 11 a.m. race start. Runing and Speed Clinic
Prevent common sport and athletic injuries while increasing performance with MVMT:GYM’S speed and movement clinic. July 19-21, register by July 14, $55/person. For ages 8-13.
and Recreation, Brother Music and Creations for Sandpoint for an afternoon of family friendly live music from local groups. This free event is open to everyone. Sundays at Farmin Park from 1-5 p.m.
Show Camp (ages 7-14) Come spend some time this summer acting, singing, dancing and putting on a show for family and friends. August 1-5, register by July 25, $95/ person.
Musicality for Dance Understanding the structure and rhythms of the music that we dance to can greatly enhance dance experience. July 9, Register by July 8, $15/ person.
All About Bugs (ages 8-14) We will explore the world of bugs, their utility, uniqueness, and ingenuity. July 25-29, register by July 18, $85/person. Sunday Celebration Come join Sandpoint Parks
Walk with Ease Walk with Ease is an evidence based walking program designed for people with or without arthritis. No matter if you need relief from arthritis pain or just want to be active, this six-week program can teach you how to make physical activity part of your everyday life. Session #2 July 19-Aug. 26, two times offered. Register by July 8 $15/ person.
Featured Park: Sandpoint City Beach This 22-Acre Park was donated to the city in 1922 by the Northern Pacific Railroad and is now one of the focal points of Sandpoint. The park has been developed over the years by volunteer labor, donations, and city, county, state and federal funds. City Beach is used for several community special events including large arts and crafts fair, the Lion’s Club Fourth of July activities, as well as numerous picnics and family reunions. City Beach offers one picnic shelter available for reservations, Marsha’s Snack Shack, two municipal marinas that 16 /
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offer both seasonal and visitor moorage, a free public boat launch, tennis courts, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, restrooms and a children’s playground.
Recent improvements to City Beach include the remodel of Marsha’s Snack Shack in 2013 and completion of the Windbag Marina Refurbishment in 2016.
Ultimate Ultimate is a non-contact active sport full of fast paced action and is very aerobic. This league is co-ed and all skill levels are welcome. Monday and Thursdays, from 5:307:30 p.m. at Great Northern Park.
Nordic Club holds fundraiser to buy trail grooming equipment By Reader Staff The Sandpoint Nordic Club is calling on the community of Sandpoint to help raise money to purchase grooming equipment so that grooming cross country ski trails in town can continue. For the past few years, the club has utilized borrowed equipment to groom classic and skate ski trails at the University of Idaho Extension on North Boyer road. Grooming “beginner level” ski trails close to town has been very popular with local residents. It’s not unusual to see 20 cars in the parking lot at the U of I Extension after work. Parents of kids in the Youth Ski League, which pulls together 35-40 kids twice a week, really enjoy the easy access to the trails for after school workouts. “Grooming in town has changed the face of cross country skiing in our community,” said board member Rick Price. “The equipment we’ve used in the past is no longer available to us to use so we made the decision to purchase club-owned equipment,” said club president Nate Kanning. “Having clubowned grooming equipment will guarantee groomed beginner ski trails in our community for the future.” Generous donations from local residents, the Nordic club board, Bonner General Health and the Wishnick Foundation have already raised close to half of the fund raising goal. The club’s board of directors urges Sandpoint residents to help them reach their goal. “Every dollar donated gets us closer to our goal,” said board member Vicki Longhini. “If you enjoy skiing on groomed cross country ski trails in town, please help us reach our goal and keep the grooming going for next season and the future.” The Sandpoint Nordic Club has set us a donation site at Go Fund Me, www.gofundme.com/ sandpointnordic. Information on the club can be found at www. sandpointnordic.com.
SPORTS
Pickleball: the fast growing sport with a funny name By Ben Olson Reader Staff
If you’ve never heard of pickleball, get ready, it’s coming. The sport has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. With more than 13,000 indoor and outdoor courts in the U.S. and over 2.46 million participants, the fun activity with the even funnier name is here to stay. And no, it has nothing to do with pickles. For Don Helander, owner of Sandpoint West Athletic Club (SWAC), pickleball is a sport that appeals to all ages. “There is a little less movement and impact than in tennis, so it appeals to the 50-plus crowd,” said Helander. “But honestly, anyone can play. You can take it as hard as you like.” The sport is a hybrid between ping pong, tennis and badminton. You can play singles, triples (two on one) or doubles on a court that is roughly the same size as a doubles badminton court. Paddles are made of a lightweight composite material such as aluminum or graphite, and balls have holes in them to slow their flight. There is a seven-foot zone referred to as the “kitchen” where players are not allowed to step. This no-volley zone helps keep the playing field fair, without players dominating the net. With the courts much smaller than tennis, it’s possible to
Ellen Westfall and Gary Noble (near side) battle against Bob Krummert and Mack MacKinnon (far side) at SWAC last week. Photo by Ben Olson.
outside of SWAC to accommodate pickleball and has seen the interest from the community increase. While pickleball is available for SWAC members, it’s also open for non-members and first timers. Non-members can play for $4 on the two available courts. Wednesday evenings are designated for free play after 5 p.m., so if you’d like to give it a shot without forking over the modest fee, this is your night. SWAC even provides demo paddles and balls. “I really like to see stuff going on out here once our Adventure Camp is through for the day,” said Helander, as we sat watching the pickleballers going at it. “It’s like you’re the tennis player of your youth, but scaled down,” said Bob Kummert of Hope. “Every time you have at least a two or three stroke ralley. There are magical recovEach game usually ends with smiles and paddle high fives. Photo by Fiona Hicks. eries. It’s really fun.” have the same level of intensity and volleys without the sprinting and high impact movement. “I got hooked the first time I played,” said Mack MacKinnon from Sagle. “I grew up playing tennis and this is very similar. It’s really good exercise, but less impact than tennis.” Helander recently converted a couple of basketball courts
The game certainly is fast-paced and fun, but it’s the social side of the game that appeals to quite a few players. “It’s the friendliest sport I’ve ever seen,” said Ellen Westfall of Hope. “Nobody is screaming or yelling. It’s always a good time.” Though it is enjoying a surge in popularity, especially throughout the southern states, pickleball was actually invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island near Seattle. Joel Pritchard and his two friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum returned from a golf game and tried to set up a badminton game but couldn’t find the shuttlecock. They improvised with a Wiffle ball and lowered the net, then fabricated the paddles out of plywood from a nearby shed. The result was pickleball. Some sources say the name “pickleball” was named after the Pritchard family dog Pickles, but it was most likely
named after the term “pickle boat,” which refers to the last boat to return with its catch. Pickle boats often contained oarsmen that were chosen from the leftovers of other boats. Interested in trying pickleball? Head over to SWAC at 1905 Pine Street to enjoy open play. You can also call them at 263-6633 for more info. Remember, Wednesdays after 5 p.m. are free. A City League takes place every Thursday evening. Contact Sandpoint Parks and Recreation at 263-3613 to sign up. “I’d really like to see this sport grow,” said Helander. “I want to let people in Bonner County know that pickleball is here to stay.”
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Opening hearts and minds Telling ourselves a different story
The quest for dog-friendly businesses in North Idaho
By Suzen Fiskin Reader Columnist If I were to ask you to tell me about yourself, odds are that you would launch into the story of your life. It’s probably the same tale you’ve honed and shared over the decades. We all do it. What if we chose to experience our lives differently? What if we decided that we wanted to get beyond our history and move onto something more uplifting, more exciting, more inspired? One way to start that new path is to stop telling our old stories. Stop sharing the dramas of our childhood. Move past memories of who did what to whom, and create a different reality. Check out these three people who refused to be bound by the tales they were told, and who made a difference in the lives of many others by telling themselves a different story. Andy Didorosi was a 25 year old entrepreneur in Detroit, a city reeling with General Motors’ departure. It’s like a ghost town with 70,000 abandoned buildings, 31,000 homes, and 90,000 vacant lots. Poverty and crime abound. Even the city declared bankruptcy in 2013. Not exactly the environment most people would think of for creating a thriving business! Andy was ticked off when the city nixed building the promised light rail down a busy corridor. He knew that people still needed transportation to get to their jobs and schools. Rather than bailing from his crippled home town, Andy told himself a different story. Rather than seeing Detroit as a relic, he saw a place “full of resources waiting to be activated.” He mustered up the cash to buy an old bus and had an artist friend paint it in wild colors. He started the Detroit Bus Company as the only driver, charging just enough to keep it running, take care of his humble personal needs, and stash a bit of cash to reinvest in his company. Today, Andy’s company has taken over a 90,000-square foot factory warehouse. The DBC uses 10,000 sq. ft. of the space and shares the rest with up and coming artists. They offer free door-to-door service to kids, giving them a safe, reliable way to get to classes. They run historical city tours, rent out buses, and have routes in many areas of the city. “Our mission is to get every Detroiter a ride to where they need to go. Bar none.” And they do because one guy believed “I wanted to put the city back on wheels.” And he did. Next we have a young man named Jack Andraka who was a high school freshman in Maryland. A close family friend died rather suddenly of pancreatic cancer. When Jack asked why the cancer wasn’t detected earlier, he was told that this strain of cancer was very hard to detect early on. The lab 18 /
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The Straight Poop:
tests were very expensive, slow and hadn’t been updated for 50 years. Jack believed there had to be a better way. This 14-yearold boy decided to find an early marker for pancreatic cancer. The test had to be cheap, quick and available to everyone. He approached the problem with an entirely new point of view and came up with a solution. He emailed 200 scientists at universities to develop his research and received 199 rejections. What could a 14-yearold kid know? One professor at nearby John Hopkins University said yes, and Jack’s theories were proven correct. This dipstick paper test is 168,000 times faster and 26,000 times cheaper than the old diagnostic. It also works to detect ovarian and lung cancer. Jack won a $75,000 American Ingenuity Award at age 15 and will change an untold number of lives because he told himself the story that he could find a better way. Our last story is about a girl in Pakistan. In 2009, her educator father offered his 11year-old daughter’s services to the BBC. Malala wrote a blog about what it was like to be a girl in school under the Taliban occupation. She would discretely pass her handwritten articles to a go-between to keep her identity secret. Malala believes that every girl has the right to an education. “I am the 66 million girls in the world denied an education.” When 12-year-old Malala’s identity became public, instead of hiding, she stepped up and gave TV and print interviews. She and her family received death threats on a regular basis. When riding on a school bus two years later, a Taliban gunman boarded the vehicle and pointed his gun at the children, “Which one is Malala?” When he found her, he shot her in the head. She almost died. Once again, this amazing young woman refused to be stopped. Since her recovery, she speaks all over the globe, and has been on Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” every year since 2013. She has won dozens of awards and honors. On her 16th birthday in 2013, she spoke at the United Nations. “The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born ... I am not against anyone, neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group. I’m here to speak up for the right of education for every child. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all terrorists and extremists.” In 2014, she won the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest winner in history. In her words, “There’s a moment when you have to choose
Panhandle Animal Shelter
By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist Where am I taking my humans today? The Mister is washing and waxing the convertible, and the Missus is getting all pawfect so we can go to the pawty at the Panhandle Animal Shelter’s Yappy Hour at the Pine Street Bakery today from 4-7 p.m. I remember this day last year when my PAS trainer bud dressed me up in the yellow “Adopt Me” PAS vest. I was so nervous and afraid because I was at the shelter for a while, loved the folks there and had begun to settle in. I’m a routine kind of guy, and like Sheldon (AKA Mr. Bazinga), I do not like change. However, today, I’m feelin’ tail-waggin’ good and ready to celebark both the one-year anniversary of when I adopted the Mister and Missus and my fourth birthday! Mandy Evans, the executive director, shared that PAS has served our community since 1993. The mission is to diminish the number of lost, abandoned, neglected and abused dogs and cats through adoption, education, and the identification of missing pets. This no-kill shelter (which means that they do not euthanize for space), has improved their adoption processes, lowering the average daily housing rate from 98 dogs and 175 cats to 35 dogs and 50 cats monthly. This means my buds are happier, healthier and find their forever homes faster. Be sure to check out the new Home to whether to be silent or to stand up.” Malala is my hero. Andy and Jack are inspirational. All of them told themselves a different story on the inside than everyone told them on the outside, and all of them have changed lives. Stories are the way wisdom has all ways been shared throughout the ages. We all have the power to choose different stories for ourselves and our world. Imagine what we can co-create . . . Now hold that thought! Suzen Fiskin is a marketing maven, life coach, and inspirational speaker. She’s also the author of the book, “Playboy Mansion Memoirs.” If you have any questions or comments, here’s how to find her – (208)572-0009 or suzenfiskin@yahoo.com
From left to right: Emery Evans and Mandy Evans posing with Drake at the Panhandle Animal Shelter. Home website, which will match fur babies to forever homes without packing a bag and staying at PAS. And thanks to a grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation, there is a new Help Line that offers folks assistance so they don’t have to put their four-footed family members up for adoption. Check out the website for more info on all the cool programs PAS offers. Paws up to the 23 member PAS staff! Woof! Woof! Pssssst, I know where they hide the treats in the newly expanded dog-friendly PAS Thrift Shop! Sometimes the Missus has separation anxiety when she brings in donations. Her BFF says that this is paw-fect behavior, as the shop provides the financial support that is needed to run the PAS. I’m getting a bit verklempt now, so I’ll finish up this dog-friendly experience by sending love and slobbery dog kisses to the Mister and Missus, and the staff of PAS. Together they gave me and my kitty sister, Mika, and a second chance at life and a wonderful loving home. The BEST things in life are rescued! PAS and Thrift Shop Rules Hot diggity dog: •Leashes required •Take a new fur baby home •The fire hydrant outside is just for you! Leave it: •Curb your enthusiasm (manners please) •Your time… volunteers are needed! •Bags of food
MUSIC
Duke Evers Band rocks the Panida
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff The Duke Evers Band is on a roll. Over the past few months, the Seattle-based indie rock trio has tackled frequent tours and the recording of their first LP. According to Joshua Starkel, singer and guitarist for that band, it’s been a long road working out their style and collecting a following in Seattle. But with an album on the way and a partnership with a record label secured, 2016 is shaping up to be a landmark year for the Duke Evers Band. No less auspicious than their first album is their first performance in Sandpoint, set for Friday evening at the Panida Theater. “This will be the first time any of us have played in Idaho before,” Starkel said. “[My bandmate] Kyle was the one that reached out to the theater—we’re trying to play shows and test the new record.” To hear them describe it, the Duke Evers Band “arrived on this planet to combine power riffs with sly licks and good looks.” True to form, the band combines the catchy energy of their music’s bluesy pop melodies and rock ‘n’ roll spectacle with a winning stage presence. It’s a dynamic Starkel takes seriously, and one that usually leaves a strong impression on audiences. “People can see how genuine it is, and it’s very infectious,” said Starkel. With Starkel on guitar and vocals, Kyle Veazey on drums and vocals and Dune Butler on bass and vocals, the musicians pack a lot of sound into their three-person outfit. According to Starkel, the band has a fluid style very much inspired by their musical obsessions of the time. Bands like Tame Impala and Queens of the Stone Age propelled the trio as they wrote and recorded songs for the forthcoming album.
The recording process itself was the sort of breathless experience that no one in the band quite anticipated. Whisked down to a recording studio in San Diego, the trio pounded out 12 original songs and two covers in a matter of days. From morning until evening, the band subsisted on music. “It was a lot of fun—our hotel connected right to the recording studio, so we’d wake up and record all day,” said Starkel. “It was definitely a different vibe down there, which I think influenced some of the songs.” Carving out a space within Seattle’s busy music scene is no easy task, but the Duke Evers Band has earned its following. All three members come from towns outside the Washington city but relocated to pursue their musical ambitions. After participating in a few projects that fizzled out, the three eventually found the answer they sought in the Duke Evers Band. While there’s no telling where the future will take them, Starkel said they’re excited to find out. “You just kind of jump in if [music] is what you want to do,” he said. “We don’t really strive to be like anyone else. We just do what we do and have a good time doing it.” Catch the Duke Evers Band 8 p.m. Friday, July 1, at the Panida Theater. Doors open at 7 p.m. To buy tickets online, visit the Panida website at www. panida.org. Check out the Duke Evers Band’s music at https://dukeevers.bandcamp.com/ or follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thedukeeversband/.
The Duke Evers Band is Kyle Veazey, Joshua Starkel and Dune Butler. Courtesy photo.
Thursday, june 30 @ 6pm
Cinema paradiso - dinner and a movie july 1 @ 8pm
theSeattle-based duke evers band indie rock duo july 2 @ 5:30 & 8:30pm / July 3 @ 3:30pm
“Dough” film
Wednesday, July 6 @ 6:30pm
“destination idaho” film
featuring a special q & a with director karen day
july 7 @ 7:30pm / july 8 @ 5:30pm july 9 @ 3:30, 5:30 & 8:30pm
“meddler” film
sunday, july 10 @ 6:30 pm -- free!
Shakespeare at the BBC – “THE TAMING OF THE SHREW”
gallagher’s final tour (september)
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FOOD
MOBILE GOURMET
Sandpoint’s Beet and Basil joins the food truck revolution
By Ben Olson Reader Staff Remember when food trucks used to be places where you were afraid to eat? You would find them parked on dark city streets, grease traps overflowing and a perpetual funky smell surrounding them. My, how times have changed. In the past ten years, the American food truck has gone from roach coach to gourmet cultural phenomena. According to mobile-cuisine.com, the mobile food industry has shown consistent growth for eight years straight, with over $1.2 billion in annual food truck revenue recorded for 2015. With good reason, too, since some of the best cuisine that I’ve eaten over the past few years invariably comes from a truck. Sandpoint has embraced mobile gourmet as well, with a food court popping up on Oak Street across from Farmin Park, and a collection of food trucks at the Evans Brothers/Granary parking lot. The newest kid on the block is Beet and Basil, located right smack dab in the middle of the Granary parking lot, between the Granary building and the warehouse. You can usually smell the delectable flavors from a block away. Follow your nose—it won’t lead you astray. Beet and Basil is the brainchild of Jessica Vouk, head chef at Spud’s Waterfront Grill. Besides working full time at Spud’s and raising a family, Vouk decided to take the food truck industry by storm last month with the opening of Beet and Basil. Vouk’s inspiration came after missing the global food she was eating while living and working as a chef in Seattle: “I missed a lot of the food I could get in Seattle. I wanted to go for a global flavor, local flair type of thing where we offered street food from around the world and make it healthier. We use a lot of organic ingredients.” The menu at Beet and Basil 20 /
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The smiling crew at Beet and Basil (from left to right): part time employee Lydia Tollbom, partial owner Kylee Rodriguez and owner/chef Jessica Vouk. Photo by Ben Olson. is influenced by the worldly cuisine Vouk has been inspired by during her career as a chef. There are cuisines from all over the world on her menu, which evolves weekly. There’s the Vermicelli Bowl, which features organic fresh greens, vermicelli noodles, cucumbers, pickled diakon and carrots, mung beans, noc chom dressing and chicken or tofu. Or the Beet Ball Wrap, featuring fried beet fritters, tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh greens, slaw, lemon vinaigrette, harissa aioli and a flour tortilla. While some items will remain, there will always be one or two new items every week, so keep checking back to see what new wonder Vouk has cooked up for us. My favorite is the Bahn Mi Sandwich, which comes with chicken or tofu on a rustic French roll with mayo, Sriracha, hoisen, slaw, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots and
jalepeños. But then again, I’ve only just begun to go through the menu. For Vouk and business partner, Kylee Rodriguez, the aim is to offer healthy menu choices that don’t seem healthy at all at first bite. “We’re really big on using meat as a flavor, but focusing on the veggies,” said Rodriguez, whose portion of work includes social marketing and fraternizing with the customers. “Jessica makes all her own sauces, too, and they’re so good.” At first glance, you might just fall in love with the truck Vouk and Rodriguez picked out. “It’s a 1961 Ford school bus,” said Vouk. “It has quite a history, actually.” The bus was formerly owned by an interpretive ballet troupe from Moscow before being sold to a man in Libby, Mont., who took his family traveling in it. From there, it was sold and used
for a gourmet food truck French cuisine Portland, Ore. before being purchased again by Penny’s Pit Pub & Grill in Rathdrum. It was from Penny’s Pit that Jessica purchased the truck. “It was already set up as a food truck, but we had to gut it completely and start from scratch,” she said. From there, it was truly a family affair that got Beet and Basil off the ground. I mean, with all four wheels on the ground. I mean… you know what I mean. Vouk’s husband, Jeremy Holzapfel, designed the logo and family friend Cole Tonnemacher painted the truck along with a handful of other crucial tasks. “It’s funny, we invited everyone over for a BBQ in our backyard for beer and tacos,” said Vouk. “Once they were all there, we lured them into helping us hoist this 1,000 pound oven into the bus.”
While there aren’t many locations in Sandpoint that allow mobile food trucks, Vouk and Rodriguez feel lucky to be in the Granary parking lot. “We picked a good spot,” said Vouk. “We’re right next to Evans Brothers. They have a great parking lot community. And there’s [fellow food trucks] Jupiter Jane’s and Soul Picnic nearby. It’s a fun parking lot.” Beet and Basil is located in the Granary parking lot (right next to the “before I die” signs) and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can eat on their grassy patio, or order food to go. 208304-9470. Also, check out their Facebook page to see weekly changes to the menu.
MUSIC
A Reader interview with Festival at Sandpoint artist
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Bruce Hornsby BH: Winston Churchill said it best: “The best case against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” It’s a very cynical statement, but with a lot of truth to it. Education, being informed, and being open-minded, willing to see several sides of a problem are always preferable to actions based on an uninformed position. It takes work, but it will always help us move forward.
The legendary Bruce Hornsby will be kicking off 2016’s Festival at Sandpoint concert series on Thursday, Aug. 4. Recently the Reader was honored to have a short conversation via email with the Grammy-winning musician about his newly released album “Rehab Reunion,” his time playing with the Grateful Dead, the fickle pop charts and his deep roots in music.
BO: You’re kicking off the Festival at Sandpoint this year, and a lot of people are really excited to see you perform live. Can you give a sneak peak at what we can expect from the show?
Ben Olson: Let’s talk about the new album, “Rehab Reunion” that just released June 17. You threw us a curve ball and decided to record an entire album not on the piano, but the dulcimer. Tell me about how this came about. Bruce Hornsby: This album has been coming ever so gradually since about 1996 when I bought a dulcimer at the Galax Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention. The instrument started making small appearances on several of my records from ‘98 (Spirit Trail) on, and from 2009 on we have had a stripped-down dulcimer-based acoustic set in the middle of our concerts for the last seven years that has become increasingly popular. I started writing more songs on the instrument, we were playing them live to great response, and it became clear that this record needed to be made. BO: Do you feel you write songs differently with the dulcimer than you have with the piano? BH: I like that the limitations of the instrument (and the limitations of my mediocre playing ability on it) force me to write simple music—never a bad thing. “Rehab Reunion” is really NOT about virtuosity, it’s about songwriting and creating a certain style within the constraints of an old-time traditional instrument. BO: You had a couple of guest appearances on the album that really added some flavor to the new album, including Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples. What was it like working with them? BH: I asked Justin to sing on
Bruce Hornsby has his hands full. Photo (c) 2016 Keith Lanpher. “Over The Rise” when I was in Eau Claire. I heard his great falsetto sound (that I knew from his records) in my head, and when he sent his track back to me it sounded just like I thought it would. That doesn’t happen very often. Mavis and I just had a great time recording, a lot of laughs and joy in the room. What a beautiful spirit she has! I gave her very little direction; she really didn’t need it. She already knew the song, a least a little, and it seemed to be a very natural fit. I just had her sing it through a few times, not many, and I put the performance together later. I just wanted her to enjoy her time singing it. BO: You spent a good portion of your career playing with the Grateful Dead. Any fun stories you’d like to share from those wild days? BH: Mostly I remember the chills I used to get playing certain songs, “Wharf Rat”, for instance. I remember playing the accordion standing next to Garcia playing “Iko Iko” at Mile High Stadium in Denver, and just whooping and hollering as he just played his ass off over those two chords for many minutes. I could go on.
BO: After the commercial success of “The Way It Is” with the Range (which is still one of those songs that takes me right back to childhood, running through the sprinklers in my front lawn), you embarked on more of a solo career in the ‘90s that departed from the mainstream direction you were heading. The critics and fans alike applauded this move. Tell me about what it’s like to be on top of the charts and pack it in to explore new depths in your songwriting ability. BH: The “charts” are never to be trusted. If one lives and dies by the fickle vicissitudes of the pop world, one will surely die sooner or later. I’m a lifelong student, always in search of new inspiration, improving my abilities and broadening my range of knowledge and influences. So those next records, and all the subsequent ones, have been about that pursuit. BO: Your songs often tackle important themes such as civil rights, race and religion. How do you think we’re doing in the U.S. now as opposed to the mid-eighties when you launched your career? Better? Worse? Same same?
BH: Spontaneity in performance and a broad musical range. The Noisemakers band is made up of players who bring something to the musical party that has a lot of depth, a lot of gravitas in several different musical areas, whether it’s a great groove and feel, great improvisational melodic sense, an ability to come up with musical parts on the spot that meld with the rest of the band, someone who is sensitive to the interstices, the spaces between other parts, and a good listener, because we just wing it a lot, and the players need to be aware what’s happening in the moment and react quickly and well to that. BO: Final thoughts: What advice do you have for a young musician just starting out in the music industry today? BH: My time as a student in Miami was such a seminal time for me, so important to my development as a musician. I had a great, tough teacher, Vince Maggio, who I still consider to be my teacher. Playing gigs all over the area putting myself through school, jam sessions in the Foster Building virtually every day, on and on. I’m a lifelong student, always looking for new inspiration, and always looking to improve what I do and push it to new areas and new heights.
This week’s RLW by Jen Heller
READ
Your hipster friend who lives in a tiny house just signed up Parks and Recreation’s sailing classes. And her birthday is coming up. What better gift to give her than... a gigantic new coffee table book that will fill half her living space? “The Ashley Book of Knots” is beautiful, fascinating, overwhelming and serves as a great paperweight. Or dog leash anchor. Or childsitter. Over 600 pages of almost 4000 knots, this book is guaranteed to keep you tied up (groan) during the long gray days of winter.
LISTEN If you missed Moscow’s Bigger Boat when they sang at Idaho Pour Authority last year, first of all... you really missed out, so start begging Jon and Vicki to host them again. Bigger Boat’s a capella sea shanties are spot-on and passionately performed. For anyone who won’t be sailing down to Moscow anytime soon, try the driving Irish punkrock-folk tunes of Flogging Molly. Their 2011 release Speed of Darkness has a good level of pirate-y energy, and some decent commentary on political unrest and economic disparity.
WATCH
Warning: this is not an intelligent video. But it’s hilarious. Type “sail cat” into youtube.com, and make sure your sound is turned on before you hit the play button.
Catch Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers at the Festival at Sandpoint on Thursday, Aug. 4. For tickets. call 265-4554 or visit www.FestivalatSandpoint.com. June 30, 2016 /
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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 Farmin Building at Second Ave. and Cedar Street, looking south. The postcard this came from read: “Farmin Bank Building, Under Construction by Foster & Mountjoy, Architects. This is one of the many fine structures erected during the summer of 1907 in Sandpoint, Idaho, by this firm of architects and builders.
The same building today. C.M. Brewster & Co. Real Estate occupies the corner office, while the Sandpoint Reader has an upstairs office (on the left).
2016
Woorf tdhe Week
prink
/pringk/
[verb] 1. To fuss over one’s dress, especially before the mirror. 2. To deck oneself out. “Lulabelle prinked for hours before the big ball.”
Corrections: No flubs, no misspellings, no dangling participles. Actually, we may have dangled one or two of those. But no major life-changing corrections this week. Enjoy the holiday weekend! 22 /
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/ June 30, 2016
CROSSWORD
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
c. 1950
ACROSS 1. Thumps 6. Give the cold shoulder 10. Church benches 14. Golden 15. Anagram of “Note” 16. Reflected sound 17. Very prickly woody vine 18. Among 19. Top of a house 20. Found on cave ceilings 22. Coagulate 23. Secluded valley 24. Offensive 26. Petty quarrel 30. East southeast 31. Family 32. Impish 33. So be it 35. Leaf opening 39. Tartarus 41. Marine 43. A drama set to music 44. Fleet 46. Calyx 47. Russian fighter 49. Tall hill 50. Former lovers 51. Ring around the nipple 54. Narrow opening 56. Oceans 57. Circuit 63. Long ago 64. Decay from overripening
Solution on page 20 7. Candidate 8. Module 9. Decorate 10. Portion 11. French school 12. Shout 13. Wuss 21. Tidy 25. Ascend DOWN 26. Palm starch 27. Kind of school 1. Checks 28. Pang 2. Offended 29. Thermoregulator 3. Murres 4. Found on rotary phones 34. A short novel 36. Chalcedony 5. Scrawny one 37. Bog 6. A respected leader
65. Disney mermaid 66. Bright thought 67. Not first 68. Cuts into cubes 69. Vesicle 70. Being 71. Display
38. Cards with 1 symbol 40. Found on a finger 42. Faultfinder 45. Sore 48. Distort 51. Savory jelly 52. Prepared 53. Relieves 55. Batrachians 58. “Oh my!” 59. Relating to urine 60. Type of cereal grass 61. Observed 62. If not
I’d like to see a movie where a guy is going to die when the sand runs out of an hourglass, but then at the last minute an ant stops the sand from running out. Then the rest of the movie is about the ant.
Answering those hard questions in life. like “Is a slap in the face better than a kick in the butt?”
Photo by Woods Wheatcroft.
Wildernesstsate E Lake ,5 49,000 $2
•7.58 ac. w/lodge home + guest house on Bull Lake, MT
•Only ONE HOUR EAST of Sandpoint, ID •Year around access via low-use Montana Hwy 56 •3 sides of property touch 96,000 acres of U.S. Congress
Designated Wilderness incl. wildlife mgmt. system
•Sports Afield Trophy Properties/Broker: WAYNE HEATON (406) 210-1100
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