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PEOPLE compiled by

Ben Olson

watching

SOCIAL DISTANCE EDITION: “Who is your favorite person in the world and why?

“That’s a hard one. If I can pick someone who is dead, I would say Mr. Rogers because he cared so deeply about people or Nelson Mandela because he healed a broken country. Living? the Dalai Lama for his wonderful laugh and gentle spirit.”

Susan Bates-Harbuck Retired Librarian Sandpoint “As a sports fan, my favorite person is Russell Wilson, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He led my Wisconsin Badgers to the Rose Bowl and the Seahawks to two Super Bowls.”

Jim Ramsey Former journalist and USAF fighter pilot Sandpoint “Michelle Obama, for her actions to promote education for women, poverty awareness, equal justice, nutrition and health care. And for her statement, ‘When they go low, we go high.’ May we all do the same.”

Sandra Deutchman Retired Professor of Fine Arts, Wash. State University (retired) Sandpoint “My favorite person would definitely be my wife, Cupcake. Excellent moral character. Something the USA could use more of.”

David Wangbichler UPS retired Sandpoint

“My favorite person in the world, who’s not in my family, would have to be Ben and Cadie.”

Eleanor Hagadone 5 years old Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

It’s another Reader, fresh from our dedicated staff to you. Speaking of Reader staff, we promoted our staff writer Lyndsie Kiebert last week. Lyndsie is now the news editor of the Reader, with a few additional responsibilities to go along with a pay raise. Lyndsie started as an intern with the Reader almost four years ago and we knew we had to hire her right out of college. Since then, she has become an indespensable part of our operation. She has everything we would ever want in a Reader staffer: integrity, intelligence, humor and a strong sense of duty to this community. We are lucky to have her voice in our newspaper.

This week’s edition brings back a truncated version of our normally robust events calendar. If you have events you’d like to advertise, please email them to calendar@sandpointreader.com. The calendar will eventually grow to its former size as more events are offered, so please bear with us during this transition.

Finally, it has been a tough week for us all. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that reasonable people can disagree about many issues. Civil debate is not a dead art, even on social media. Let’s please all take a breath and move forward with love, respect and kindness.

– Ben Olson, publisher

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Jesse Marshall (cover), Ben Olson, Carrie Logan, Lyndsie Kiebert, Janae Raphael, Bill Borders, Mountain River Outfitters.

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Sandy Compton.

Brenden Bobby, Travis Dickson, Cate Huisman, Marcia Pilgeram, Jen Heller, Sandy Compton.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $115 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

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

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

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

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

This week’s cover photo was sent to us by Jesse Marshall. The aerial photo shows Grouse Creek overflowing its banks onto Grouse Creek Road (the roadway is the water course on the left side). Great photo, Jesse!

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NEWS

Gun suit part deux

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

It has been the better part of a year since Bonner County filed a lawsuit against the city of Sandpoint over the no-weapons policy at The Festival at Sandpoint, yet the case remains unsettled. Delayed and rescheduled for reasons ranging from the judge falling ill to the county amending its complaint to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, motions for summary judgment from both sides in the suit are set to go before Kootenai County District Court Judge Lansing L. Haynes at a hearing Friday, June 19, to be held via video conferencing platform Zoom.

While that suit may be nearing its end, another has been filed naming the city and The Festival as defendants.

Brought by Boise-based gun rights lobby group Idaho Second Amendment Alliance; Bellevue, Wash.-based Second Amendment Foundation; and area residents Scott Herndon and Jeff Avery, the new lawsuit alleges violations of state firearms preemption law and corporations code; abridgement of the Second, Fourth and 14th amendments; and “conspiracy to violate constitutional rights” regarding the Second Amendment.

As with the county’s suit, Herndon, et al. v. City of Sandpoint, et al., argues that the city and The Festival broke the law by prohibiting firearms on publicly owned War Memorial Field, which the nonprofit rents for two weeks each August to present its concert series.

According to Idaho law, no municipality may regulate firearms on public property. Yet, the city argues that it has imposed no such regulations, and the policy comes from The Festival, empowered by its lease agreement for the field. The new complaint, filed in district court on May 29, contends that because the city has no power to regulate firearms on public property, it can’t convey that authority to a third party via a lease agreement.

“It was always my intent at the outset to attempt to persuade the city and The Festival of the view of the law represented by 4 /

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our complaint,” Herndon told the Sandpoint Reader in an email.

The issue first came to forefront in August 2019, when Herndon and Avery approached The Festival gates and attempted to enter while carrying firearms.

They were told to secure their weapons in their vehicles before entering, but when they refused — challenging the legality of the weapons prohibition — they were turned away by security with Sandpoint police and then-City Attorney Will Harrington on hand, where they engaged Herndon and Avery in a discussion regarding the policy.

Following an exchange of letters and emails between Herndon, the city and Festival organizers, the Bonner County Board of Commissioners entered the fray, along with Sheriff Daryl Wheeler, who filed suit asking the court for a declaratory judgment on whether the city could empower The Festival via a lease agreement to ban firearms from the premises.

According to Herndon, “we did not achieve a satisfactory resolution last fall via our email and mailed communications, [and] it became our determination to seek a remedy in the judicial system.”

However, he added, “We did not ask the county to take on any such responsibility, and when they made an independent decision to do so, it seemed most reasonable to us to wait to see how their suit proceeded.”

That was how the situation held, with ISAA President Greg Pruitt — who did not respond to the Reader’s request for comment for this story — visiting Sandpoint in late September 2019 to talk about fundraising for a legal fund to bring a separate suit. At that time, he and Herndon both said they would wait for resolution in the county’s suit to pursue another action, but when the county amended its complaint at the beginning of the year, repositioning its argument to center on public safety and putting Wheeler’s department at the center of the complaint, Herndon said the core arguments were lost and standing in the case became muddied.

“We liked their initial com-

plaint, but I disagreed with their more recent direction contained in their amended complaint and subsequent affidavits,” Herndon told the Reader, adding in a separate email that he took issue with the notion that the case turned on the standing of Wheeler and the Sheriff’s Office requiring clarification of the weapons policy in order to enforce any possible arrests stemming from violation of The Festival’s weapons ban.

In the amended complaint, which triggered another delay in the case, the county argued that Wheeler couldn’t arrest or detain anyone for breaking The Festival’s policy without knowing whether that offense was a violation of state law, and — in its affidavits — mused about the possibility of masses of armed individuals showing up to The Festival gates to protest the policy and such protests potential for violent “affrays.”

“I am not personally interested in the ‘affrays’ and demonstrations described in affidavits filed in the county’s case (my knowledge is only of those described in the media by [Tosh] Lanquist [of Kootenai County] and [Steve] Wasylko [of Sandpoint]),” Herndon wrote, referring to a motion for summary judgment filed in late April that contained declarations from Lanquist and Wasylko that should the court fail to rule one way or the other in advance of the now-canceled 2020 Festival, they and many others would gather at the event in armed protest.

At the time, Wheeler called the potential for a gun demonstration “a match in an incredibly dry area.” Bonner County Commissioner Dan McDonald wrote in an email to the Reader in May: “Wouldn’t wisdom dictate that we look to avoid this kind of conflict altogether by getting a formal declaratory judgement?”

Herndon, meanwhile, said that he and Avery have much clearer legal standing in the case — being the individuals turned away from the concert because of the no-weapons policy, and filing a separate suit means “our team does not have to attempt to explain my standing to the court and can simply focus on the core legal

City and Festival hit with another legal suit vs. no-weapons policy

issues raised in our complaint.”

“Jeff and I were always the aggrieved parties most directly affected by the weapons ban, and so we always had the best legal standing for a suit,” he wrote. “I think that our complaint better captures the core issues and will ensure that adjudication happens on the core issues and with the parties that were actually involved.”

Amid ongoing litigation with the suit brought by the county, Sandpoint City Administration Jennifer Stapleton told the Reader in an email that the city had not yet been served with any formal complaint from Herndon and company.

“Just as with the case of Bonner County filing suit against the city over The Festival at Sandpoint’s policy to ban weapons at Memorial Field, the city is learning that a suit may have been filed via social media. We have not, as of this time, been served with papers,” she wrote, adding that, “The only additional statement we have is that the city of Sandpoint does not have a policy banning guns on city-owned property nor does it restrict guns at War Memorial Field.”

Likewise, Festival organizers said they could not comment, as they had not yet seen the complaint.

In a Facebook post, ISAA President Pruitt wrote that he was “frustrated that the county filed when a private entity was willing to do it.”

When asked how the new suit differs from the county’s ongoing action — which has so far racked up legal bills amounting to more than $100,000 in combined expenditures to the county and city — McDonald, responded: “I don’t know. I’m not a party to their suit and don’t know why they would replicate what we have already started. You would have to ask them.”

As for the timeline on the new action, Herndon couldn’t say.

“I appreciate that we are at the time in this process to avail ourselves of the Judicial branch, which is its very purpose in our form of government,” he wrote.

Additional reporting by Lyndsie Kiebert.

SHS graduation to be broadcast on local radio

By Reader Staff

As Sandpoint High School seniors take part in a modified, drive-in style graduation ceremony on Friday, June 5, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many who would typically watch the ceremony in person will instead have the chance to listen in from home.

The ceremony, scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., will be held in the SHS parking lot and attendance will be limited to immediate family. To make sure all can listen in who want to, North Idaho’s Radio will be broadcasting the entire ceremony live and commercial free

Class of 2020 on 1400 AM and 97.1 FM, and digitally streaming on northidahoradio.com.

The radio broadcast will also be handy for those in attendance who may not be able to hear the PA system from their parked cars.

NEWS

Primary 2020 results

Incumbents reign in Republican races

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The unprecedented mailin-only 2020 primary election concluded June 2, with a significant decrease in turnout from the initial ballot requests.

According to Bonner County elections numbers, of those previously reported 15,100 ballot requests, 10,803 valid ballots were recorded. County Clerk Michael Rosedale said that could be for a number of reasons, including the lack of a signature on the back of the form, damaged documents, incorrect or mismarked boxes on the ballot or simply missing the deadline for getting the completed ballot to elections

officials.

Among the complaints Rosedale said came to his office was from voters who requested a “nonpartisan” ballot, which only included options for nonpartisan offices, such as judges. Those voters may have been turned away from submitting their ballots, he said.

Regardless, the turnout was still larger than usual — and “more accurate” for counting, Rosedale said in an interview June 4 with KRFY radio. Four years ago, in a similar non-gubernatorial but presidential year, the county recorded about 32% participation. This time, even with the dropoff of valid ballots, the franchise registered 38.5% — a robust number

considering the unusual circumstances faced by elections workers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Regardless, the power of incumbency made itself felt in the primary returns, with Republican Bonner County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw besting challenger Butch Horton 66.48% to 33.52%. Bradshaw will now face Democrat Steve Johnson in the November General Election.

The other big Republican race, for Idaho representative District 1 Seat B, went to threeterm Rep. Sage Dixon, who took 74.72% of the vote over Gary Suppiger, who garnered 25.28%.

Dixon will go against Democrat Stephen Howlett in November.

For Legislative District 1 Seat A, incumbent Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, will face Democratic challenger Gail Bolin. Legislative District 1 Republican Sen. Jim Woodward ran unopposed but will go against Democratic candidate Vera Gadman in November.

For U.S. Senate, it’s former interim-governor and current Republican Sen. Jim Risch against former Democratic legislator and ontime gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan.

In the First Congressional District, freshman Republican House member Russ Fulcher is seeking a second term against Democrat Rudy Soto.

Cornel Rasor — Army Surplus owner, once Bonner Coun-

ty Central Committee chairman and former Bonner County Commissioner — lost to fellow Republican Charlie Shepherd, of Riggins, for the District 7 Seat B legislative seat.

Perhaps the most interesting local race, however, is the contest between incumbent Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler and Democrat write-in candidate Cindy Marx. Wheeler drew 5,793 votes to Marx’s 518. While that might seem lopsided, as Rosedale pointed out, voters had to both know about Marx’s candidacy — she wasn’t on the ballot — and take the extra effort to write her in on the ballot. “[That is] actually huge for a write-in,” Rosedale said.

stringent orders in furtherance of overutilization prevention.”

In summary, the proclamation states that the order’s objectives, “are unconstitutional and replicate methods used in command-and-control societies such as China. Consequently, the BOCC will not be following the Directive set forth in this Order.”

Though the proclamation pertains only to Stage 2, McDonald told the Sandpoint Reader that he believes the board “will be revisiting the proclamation for Stage 3 and beyond sometime soon,” because “none of the conditions of concern have changed” as the state has transitioned into Stage 3.

The discussion leading up to the split vote on May 28 began with Connolly stating that he didn’t receive a draft of the proclamation until an hour before the meeting. He said he was struggling with understanding the purpose of the document, seeing as Stage 2 was scheduled to end two days later.

In his presentation to the commissioners regarding the proclamation, Bauer said part of the order’s unconstitutionality lies in a

paragraph that states, “to decrease the spread of COVID-19, the cities, counties, and public health districts of the State of Idaho may enact more stringent public health orders than those set out in this Order.” The proclamation also takes issue with the order where it states, “it is essential to slow virus transmission as much as possible.”

Bauer said the language appears to be “laying the foundation for the local government[s] to start imposing any and every mandate under the authority of the governor’s order.”

“When the governor delegates and devolves all of his power to over a thousand local cities and 44 counties to impose any order to minimize infection as much as possible, to me that is an illegal delegation of power,” Bauer said, going on to say that the scope of the state’s testing recommendations is “massively intrusive.”

When Connolly again asked what the proclamation would “accomplish,” McDonald said: “It says Bonner County will not comply. We’re trying to push back on Little and get him to stop and think. We’re pointing out that

what’s been done is unconstitutional. We swore an oath.”

At one point during the meeting, Bradshaw asked hypothetically, “At what point did we elect Brad Little to be God over the state of Idaho?”

“From where I sit, it’s a little soft,” Bradshaw said of the proclamation.

Connolly expressed concern that the proclamation relied too heavily on “assumptions,” and voted “nay” while the other two commissioners approved the document.

Bonner County isn’t the only entity pointing out possible constitutional infringements in the governor’s COVID-19 Stay Healthy orders. McDonald said he received some positive responses from other Idaho counties when he criticized Little’s reopening plan in May, and legislators like Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, have been vocal in calling the state’s pandemic response unconstitutional. As well, Boise-based free-market think tank Idaho Freedom Foundation, whose activities in the capital have drawn criticism for crossing the line into lobbying and spurred the wave of “Disobey Ida-

ho” anti-stay-home order protests in April, has consistently alleged that the governor’s orders are infringing on people’s freedoms.

However, McDonald said that to his knowledge, the county did not look to any outside organizations for help constructing the proclamation’s argument.

“We really believed it was important to look at this de novo [“starting from the beginning”] so it was worked on primarily inside Bonner County,” McDonald told the Reader.

Though county officials said they created the proclamation inhouse, Bauer told the commissioners that he ran the document by a handful of attorneys both in and outside of the county. When Connolly asked whether Bauer asked the Idaho attorney general to look over the county’s argument, Bauer said, “I searched through my normal private channels, and this is what I came up with.”

The Idaho attorney general’s office did not comment on questions from the Reader regarding the constitutionality of the governor’s order or the legal weight of the commissioners’ proclamation.

County issues proclamation opposing state COVID-19 order

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff The Bonner County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation May 28 opposing the Idaho Stage 2 “Stay Healthy” order from Gov. Brad Little, alleging that the directive is unconstitutional.

Commissioners Dan McDonald and Steve Bradshaw voted to approve the proclamation, while Commissioner Jeff Connolly opposed.

The proclamation, prepared by Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bauer at McDonald’s request, points to the order’s ambiguity to argue that measures it outlines threaten to unconstitutionally devolve the governor’s power to smaller municipalities and institute contact tracing and vaccination measures that will infringe on Idahoans’ liberties.

Furthermore, the proclamation argues that the state does not identify adequate evidence to justify its mandates — specifically that the state can’t lean on health care capacity arguments as a reason to allow the governor to transfer power to localities to “enact

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NEWS

What’s happening with the Fourth of July?

Permits still to be issued, independent group lays claim to 2020 festivities

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

As with a host of other long-time community events, including Lost in the ’50s and The Festival at Sandpoint, the annual Fourth of July celebration fell victim to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Sandpoint Lions Club, which had hosted the Independence Day event for decades, announced May 13 that it would cancel the 2020 festivities citing “the health and safety of the community we serve” as its primary concern.

“We look forward to celebrating the Fourth of July with our community next year,” the service organization stated in a news release.

Soon after, however, a group of private citizens organized a Facebook group and mounted an effort to “save” Independence Day — soliciting donations to secure the necessary permits and funds to put on a downtown parade, host a range of activities at Travers Park and stage a fireworks display at City Beach.

Within a few days, the group had garnered more than 1,000 members and, as of June 3, boasted more than 1,500.

Meanwhile, according to a May 27 post by organizer Ron Korn, more than $19,000 had been donated to help pay for permitting fees and to cover the cost of the fireworks. According to fellow organizer Steve Wasylko, the group had raised all it needed to pay for the full range of events as of June 2.

Korn and Wasylko are both well known local conservative activists — the former a vocal commentator on various local Facebook forums and the latter a high-profile organizer of and participant in several gun rights demonstrations in recent years.

Despite marketing materials circulated by the group, it is not a 501(c)3 organization, though it does have nonprofit D status and plans to secure 501(c)3 status in the coming months, according to Wasylko.

Despite the obvious and well known partisan political activities of the lead organizers, Wasylko insisted that, “There’s no political undertones to this whatsoever.

Whoever wants to be in the parade can be in the parade — the commie-socialists of Sandpoint are certainly welcome to have a float in our parade.”

That said, a post on the Facebook group dated May 26 outlined the restrictions on participation in the events, including the parade, festival and fireworks show: “SID organizes and produces sandpoints 4th of July events including the parade, festival, and the fireworks show. We do so to promote all people and businesses who want to unite in celebrating America’s birthday. The common ground being celebrating our nation’s Independence Day, not any personal agendas or special interests. This is a family friendly event.

Individuals and businesses supporting this cause without any divisive message, agenda, or special interests, are welcome to participate. Sandpoint Independence Day reserves the right to refuse entrance into

any of its events if the person, group, or business goes against these policies.[sic]” Wasylko joked to the Reader that, “I’ll even take a turn and all the liberals in town can try and dunk me [in the dunk tank the group has rented for Travers Parks].”

In seriousness, Wasylko said questions regarding the political connotations of the “Save Independence Day Sandpoint” effort were “valid,” adding that “there’s absolutely zero political component to this in the slightest bit.”

“We gladly take volunteers from any spectrum of the community and anybody who wants to help us,” he said. “There’s absolutely no political motivation behind this at all, and ‘Save Independence’ means exactly what it is: The Lions canceled Independence Day, so this group started up to save Independence Day in Sandpoint and that’s frankly what we’re trying to do.”

The group has yet to secure any permits for its events. Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapelton said at the June 3 City Council meeting that officials are waiting for insurance information “that’s required in order for us to continue moving through our permitting process.”

Wasylko said the city has been “super cooperative and helpful,” while the Lions Club has also “been super helpful and they’ve given me pretty much every single bit of info they’ve used to plan the parade for decades.”

That was news to Lions Club President Howard Shay, who told the Reader that organizers on the “Save Independence Day

Spring runoff damages forest roads

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Lake level continues to steadily rise on schedule

Snowmelt runoff and extended heavy rains have resulted in high volumes of water running through creeks in area forests, in some cases damaging U.S. Forest Service roads.

According to USFS officials, Grouse Creek road has seen significant flood damage and is closed upstream from Mile Marker 2.

High water was recently reported at Mile Marker 10 on Lightning Creek Road, but USFS reports that the water has since receded.

However, parts of the road have been eroded.

In addition, USFS roads in the Lakeview area are accessible, but the roadbed is extremely soft in some places.

“Please avoid driving on soft roads and be aware that out-sloped icy mountain roads can increase your risk of sliding off the road, particularly when passing another vehicle,” said Idaho Panhandle National Forests 6 /

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spokesperson Michelle Norton. “In addition, driving on soft roadbeds also can cause significant rutting and resource damage, which results in costly repairs.”

Norton said visitors traveling on forest roads are encouraged to be mindful of changing conditions and snow at higher elevations.

“Be sure to check the weather forecast before venturing out, as we still have snow up in the high country,” she said. “As the snow continues to melt and spring rains create soft trail and road surfaces, it is important to be on the lookout for flood and landslide damage.”

Contact the nearest ranger station for current conditions.

Despite the rising waters in the mountains, Lake Pend Oreille is on track to reach summer pool in mid-June, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — which operates Albeni Falls Dam and manages the lake level — predicted earlier this spring. By dramatically increasing

Sandpoint” group are on their own.

“We don’t have any input on that,” he said.

“As for the future, he’s [Korn] made overtures about next year and ‘passing the baton’ or something, but he’s not contacted me or our board or written me any emails. I’ve told most of our Lions and I’ve emailed them and nobody’s saying that they ever told him that, so I don’t know where he’s getting it,” Shay added. “We never said we weren’t going to pick it back up.”

Though Shay noted that he won’t be president for much longer, the Lions are planning to revisit their plans for next year after July 4, 2020 — “standing right where we are with the news release [and] the news release doesn’t say that we’re handing it over, it says we’re going to see you next year. We don’t have any plans for certain and we would deal with it after the Fourth of July.”

It is immediately unclear when permits might be issued for the various Fourth of July events.

“This group has a pretty steep ramp that they’re trying to climb to be successful in this,” Shay said. “We’ve done this many years with much experience; we’re in the, ‘Wait-and-see-what-they-do’ mode.”

Visit sandpoint4th.com or “Sandpoint Independence Day” on Facebook for more info and updates.

LPOSD offers Summer Food Service program

By Reader Staff

An aerial view of the damage to Grouse Creek Road after Grouse Creek overflowed its banks.

Photo by Jesse Marshall. outflows over the past week in response to the heavy runoff and added rain, the Corps has kept the lake level rising at a steady pace.

Summer pool in Lake Pend Oreille is 2,062 feet above sea level. As of noon on June 3, the lake had reached 2,060.3 feet.

Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84 is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children, ages 1-18, without charge.

Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be provided Monday, June 8-Friday, Aug. 21 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Farmin Stidwell Elementary, 1626 Spruce St. in Sandpoint, and Kootenai Elementary, 301 Sprague St. in Kootenai.

More information is available at lposd. org.

NEWS

Area youths protest George Floyd killing Demonstration draws armed citizen escort, turning to evening patrols downtown

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff A group of about 50 teens and twentysomethings marched across the Long Bridge on June 2 to protest the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man killed May 25 by a white Minneapolis police officer. Floyd died following more than eight minutes with the officer’s knee pressed to his neck.

Since the killing, which two autopsies have subsequently called a homicide, more than 75 cities around the country have seen a combination of peaceful protests and violence, with some demonstrations spiraling into riots and looting.

Chanting “no justice, no peace” and “black lives matter,” the demonstrators in Sandpoint organized as a group of friends and acquaintances, many wearing masks against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and trailing a red flyer wagon loaded with snacks and water. They marched in a calm manner, waving at passersby and snapping pictures.

Behind the demonstration walked about 20 individuals — mostly middle-aged men — armed with various makes of long rifles, carrying ammunition and some with sidearms, as well.

Holding a sign that read “Protecting your 1A with 2A,” local concealed carry instructor and vocal gun rights activist Steve Wasylko said, “That’s why we’re here, to protect their rights safely.”

Groups of armed private citizens have become a feature in many recent protests related to the Floyd killing, as officials ranging from President Donald Trump to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich have claimed that “outside agitators” are infiltrating or otherwise leveraging peaceful protests into opportunities for violence and property damage.

Following unrest in Spokane over the weekend of May 30, which saw police firing tear gas as an otherwise peaceful protest turned to property damage downtown, Knezovich pointed the finger at out-of-area members of

the loosely organized anti-fascist group “Antifa” as the instigators.

Trump has also stated that Antifa is co-opting demonstrations, while Walz claimed that white supremacists and other far-right extremist groups have been using the protests to inflame tensions in his state.

So far, little if any hard evidence has been presented to prove widespread infiltration of demonstrations by any particular “outside” organization or group.

Yet, fearing a repeat of the scenes in downtown Spokane, hundreds of armed individuals patrolled the streets of Coeur d’Alene on June 1, claiming to stand as a protective force against would-be infiltrators.

“Coeur d’Alene last night was beautiful,” Wasylko said, going on to refer to worries about “outside people” allegedly coming into the area by the vanload, yet being turned back for fear of being met by armed resistance.

“There have been big reports of outside agitators,” he said.

The mother of one of the Sandpoint demonstrators said she didn’t feel comfortable leaving her daughter alone to participate and marched along with the group.

However, she felt better about her Sandpoint High School graduate daughter taking part in a Sandpoint demonstration rather than in L.A., where she attends college.

“Her doing a march here in Sandpoint, I’m OK with that,” she said.

Another parent, who attended the march to keep an eye on his son and daughter, aged 19 and 21, said simply, “I’m scared,” nod-

ding to a nearby Bonner County sheriff’s deputy and the group of armed individuals standing away from the protesters as they staged in the parking lot of the Bonner County Courthouse.

“I’m not going to let them be here without me,” he said.

The march proceeded and ended peacefully, with some of the demonstrators gathering for a photo on the bridge along with a handful of the armed individuals who accompanied them.

“This is clearly just a lot of school kids wanting to have their say and we fully support them in doing that,” Wasylko said.

However, as the march finished and the afternoon turned to evening, dozens more armed individuals filled downtown, patrolling First Avenue as they had in Coeur d’Alene the night before. The resulting feeling of fear and intim-

idation came out at the Sandpoint City Council Meeting on June 3, as several citizens expressed their distress at being confronted with heavily armed people — many of them from out of the area — when they visited downtown. Concerns ranged from physical safety to potential impacts on downtown merchants who are only now reopening after months of mandated closure due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon addressed the situation during the council meeting, underscoring that “there is no credible threat that we have any of those [extremist] groups headed to Sandpoint. … We have to be diligent to look at those rumors [but] there is nothing credible coming to Sandpoint, nor was there anything credible last night.”

Mayor Shelby Rognstad, too,

A group of about 50 teens and twentysomethings march toward the Long Bridge at a protest Tuesday, June 2.

Photo by Ben Olson. spoke to the issue at length, telling the Reader before the meeting that, “There’s a difference between what you’re legally entitled to do and what is just responsible behavior as a citizen of your community. … What we witnessed last night was irresponsible behavior.”

He continued: “I believe that some of the vigilantes were there believing that they were there to protect the peace and protect the First Amendment … but the reality is you can have the best intentions in the world and still have a harmful impact and be unaware of it, and that’s exactly what we’re dealing with. … Regardless of whether their intentions were good or not, it was clear that their impact was harmful. That’s the bottom line.”

Bonner County logs fifth case of COVID-19

One case, initially credited to Bonner County, has been removed

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff The Panhandle Health District announced two new cases of novel coronavirus in Bonner County on May 29, but later removed one case from its website, bringing the total back down to five cases.

PHD Public Information Officer Katherine Hoyer told the Sandpoint Reader on June 3 that the fifth case was determined to be a result of

travel, not community spread.

“The two cases that we announced on Friday were originally reported as Bonner County cases,” Hoyer said.

“Over the weekend, we were able to do more research and found that one of the individuals actually primarily resides in Kootenai County. That is why the Bonner County numbers went from six to five.”

Hoyer said it can sometimes be difficult to determine a person’s primary county of residence.

“Once we receive notification of a confirmed case from a lab, we connect with that individual to verify their information. This can be difficult for a variety of reasons,” Hoyer said. “Contact tracing is voluntary and we rely on an individual’s willingness to participate. Information provided may be incomplete, incorrect or not provided at all.

Those experiencing homelessness or [who] are in a transient living situation are other possible reasons

it may take longer to determine a primary county of residence.”

There were 97 total cases of COVID-19 reported in the five northern counties the afternoon of June 3. Of those, seven were listed as “undetermined” — meaning, PHD isn’t yet sure where those people reside.

“We are working diligently to gather complete information and when we have it we will release it,” Hoyer said.

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Don’t drag your dogs…

Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • Many thanks to Sandpoint Farmers’ Market vendors and manager. They are being safe,not sorry... and respectful. Support them, please. Saturdays 9 a.m.1 p.m. at the city parking lot on Church Street. Follow the instructions, and “Focal on the Local.”

Submitted by Nannette H. GUEST SUBMISSION: • I am writing to applaud the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market managers, volunteers, vendors and friendly farmers who have kept the Saturday market going this spring. While I miss the music, crafters and dancing children, these will all be back in due time at Farmin Park. Certainly, I cannot be the only shopper who appreciates the time and effort put into making the parking lot work with COVID-19 compliance measures that may keep our community safer. In supporting the Farmers’ Market, shoppers are helping these producers earn something for their efforts to plan, grow and bring in products. Please go out Saturday, purchase some organic salad greens, buy some plants for your garden, and grab some tasty bread or baked goods for your table. Thank the people and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Shop Sandpoint locally and responsibly.

Submitted by Dee Ann Smith.

Barbs • The chatter on social media these past few days has been alarming, to put it lightly. The time and energy it takes to monitor our Facebook page for inappropriate comments, personal attacks and trolling comments is disheartening.

Let it be known: If you don’t act like civil adults on our Facebook page, we’ll block you. It’s that simple. From here forward, I’m only going to be posting public address information on Facebook. If you want to henpeck and gang up on people whose opinions you don’t agree with, go to one of the local forums, because I’ve had it with the incivility I’ve witnessed the past few days.

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Dear editor, We are a town of dog lovers and it makes me smile to see water bowls set out around the shops on First. Almost everyone in my neighborhood not only walks their dogs daily but cleans up after them.

Kudos to you all. On the other hand, it may be that we want their company so much we are putting them at risk.

I think we’re all beginning to understand how horrifying the results can be when we lock a dog in the car even when the outside temperature is fairly moderate. But also putting a dog in the bed of a truck is a terrible idea, too. I’ve seen dogs terrified and struggling or about to jump into traffic too many times to count. It’s just too difficult for them to get a grip, even going 35 miles an hour. I have seen and heard about many tragedies due to this.

Lastly, this new trend of running your dog while you’re biking down the street is not a good thing.

Sometimes it works. The dog is large, in good shape and obviously happy. In other instances, it’s been heartbreaking to see someone gliding down the hot pavement at 10 miles an hour dragging their poor dog. The dog tries so hard but is stressed and exhausted.

Before you hitch up your hound, think about your particular breed and just as important, the shape he/ she is in before you subject them to this. Do they look happy? When I saw a Chihuahua being subjected to this the other day, that was the last straw. Please be smart about this. How would you feel if someone roped you to a machine and asked you to keep up? Could you?

Cynthia Wood Sandpoint

We need to rebuild America…

Dear editor, In my eight decades living on this planet, I fear that we have the worst possible president at the worst possible time.

President Trump insulted our top military generals. Because of his prejudicial language, he also insulted a Gold-Star, Muslim-American family that lost their son, a U.S. Army captain killed in action during the Iraq War. As to our judiciary, Trump labeled Obama-appointed judges as, “Obama-judges,” a remark that Chief Justice Roberts immediately rebuked. Trump now has his hand-

picked, and seemingly obeisant attorney general, who turned the Department of Justice into a “department of injustice.”

Trump attacked our vital free press, by tweeting that the news media “is the enemy of the American people.” Their job is to ask tough questions to get to the truth, and to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

Instead of “Draining the Swamp,” Trump dug a circular cesspool of sycophancy to surround himself. He effectively destroyed the Republican Party — a party that used to stand for the rule of law.

Trump thinks that our Constitution’s Article II allows him to do anything he wants. Apparently, he doesn’t understand “checks and balances.” He has created a “Trumpian dictatorship” that is damaging our democratic republic.

Trump’s denial of climate change has put future generations at risk. He also recklessly denied, and then downplayed the pandemic danger, even when warned early on by national intelligence and CDC professionals. President Trump is responsible for the unnecessary pandemic deaths of our people.

Short of his resignation, I hope that our nation can hold together up to November, when we should resoundingly vote President Trump and his enablers out of office. Then we can return to rebuilding America into the “America” of its professed ideals.

Phil Deutchman Sandpoint

Learn to listen…

Dear editor, I am so proud of our community for carrying out a peaceful protest yesterday [June 2] in response to the terrible death of George Floyd and the countless number of other black men and women who have died as a result of police violence. I am heartened to see reports of peaceful protests in other cities, as well, where police officers march arm in arm or “take a knee” with protestors.

It was great to see such a strong presence of young people who felt strongly enough about this issue to add their voices to the protest.

Some of the signs they carried said “Silence = Violence.” They were right — it is time to speak up and step up. It was encouraging also to see those who attended with guns, with the purpose of keeping peace, associating with the protesters — each recognizing and respecting each others’ rights.

I heard that this was the case in Coeur d’Alene as well, where armed men stood on one side of Sherman Avenue with protesters on the other.

The news reported that there was conversation between them and mutual respect.

This is diversity in North Idaho.

What a great degree of progress it would represent if we can continue to talk to each other — regardless of the labels we wear as a result of others’ perceptions — understand better where each one is coming from and respect our constitutional right to disagree.

Martin Luther King, who absolutely renounced violence as a means of bringing about social change, also said that, “A riot is the language of the unheard … America has failed to learn that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity … our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay … Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”

It is important that we talk to each other; it is even more important that we learn to listen. May this continue to happen in North Idaho.

Brenda Hammond Sagle

We’re in this together...

Dear editor, For those of us who risked our lives to defend our country, our mission was more important than our individual desires. The recent Memorial Day (honoring those who sacrificed their lives) reinforced that message.

In World War II, we overcame shortages, rationing and hardships to support our troops and rid the world of fascism and repression.

Today, with announcements that we have lost 100,000 citizens to the virus — more than the total of American lives lost in Korea and Vietnam — we are in another battle almost as dangerous.

Currently, we are asked to make only a few sacrifices to help slow the epidemic, such as social distancing in private meetings, in businesses, churches, stores and restaurants, and to track and trace the disease.

Following the advice of our medical experts and elected leaders such as our governors doesn’t seem too much to ask. But to listen to our state representative from Blanchard, it seems these small steps are more than we can bear.

And two of our Bonner County commissioners have proclaimed they will defy the state of Idaho’s Stage 2 Stay Healthy order designed to slowly open businesses while protecting all of us from the pandemic.

Strangely that proclamation was advanced the same day Gov. Little authorized the state to move into Stage 3, a further reopening of the economy.

And to all those not wearing masks, please say to those of us who are wearing them, “Thank you for protecting me.”

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

Listen to reason...

Dear editor, I stand with Jane Fritz where the geese are concerned. I adore the geese and I visit them at the City Beach and talk to them weekly (during their Sandpoint season).

This week their fuzzy babies warmed my heart.

So, to the powers-that-be who make local goose decisions: listen to Jane Fritz because she speaks for all of us.

Let people have dogs on leashes with mandatory dog poop pick-up at the City Beach — a win for all local dog owners and a perfect goose deterrent. The alternatives are a waste of money, cruel and stupid.

Jodi Rawson Sandpoint

No need for ‘self-appointed armed guardians’…

Dear editor, When I think the news is as bad as it can get, it gets more distressing. This morning [June 3] it was the article in the Bonner County Daily Bee about the peaceful protest against racism.

County Commissioner Dan McDonald “mobilized his conservative base” to respond and help counter anything that might get out of hand.

Apparently, after the peaceful protest march, McDonald’s wanna-be soldiers (armed adults in tactical gear) posted themselves around downtown Sandpoint to quell any uprisings.

Yikes.

I don’t want any armed citizen in camo gear “protecting” me. Isn’t that what our police and sheriff are hired to do? I don’t see anything comforting in the sight of self-appointed armed guardians. I see intimidation, plain and simple, and I don’t like it.

Georgia York Bonner County

PERSPECTIVES

Let’s work together for a better Idaho future: Abundant salmon, affordable energy and prosperous farms

By Justin Hayes Reader Contributor

On May 13, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game closed fishing for spring chinook along the Clearwater River due to very low returns. The next day, IDFG closed or restricted the season on parts of the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. Tragically for all Idahoans, this has been the norm for many years when it comes to our fish.

If we continue on this path, we may as well brace ourselves for the extinction of these amazing fish. Local communities and the many Idahoans who depend on these fish for their livelihoods are already hurting, so they’ll continue to struggle or decide it’s not worth it and close up shop, severely impacting Idaho’s economy. The rest of us will be denied the chance to cast a line or watch these amazing creatures swim back to where they were born.

Idaho’s salmon play a key role in supporting many species of wildlife and nourishing whole ecosystems, so their loss will be disastrous for the environment, too.

The status quo simply is not working for our fish or Idaho.

Thankfully, Idaho Gov. Brad Little created a salmon workgroup in which Idahoans with diverse interests from all across the state meet to discuss ideas to reverse this trend. I sit on this workgroup and want to share with you my take on how things are going. I’m not speaking for the workgroup, and don’t presume to speak for others.

As I prepare to attend the ninth workgroup meeting later this month, I’d like to note the real progress that I

Photo courtesy Mountain River Outfitters.

feel we’ve made in coming to common agreement about what we are trying to accomplish.

The workgroup has adopted goals for Idaho’s fish that aim for levels of healthy and harvestable abundance, above and beyond mere survival.

Idaho’s salmon and steelhead are being driven to extinction by a combination of many things, and in discussions, workgroup members are advocating that we must address all of these causes. This means tackling the “4 H’s”: habitat, harvests (fishing), hatcheries and hydropower (dams) — and also predators and ocean conditions.

Some of these causes, like habitat, are in Idaho and some of these factors, like dams, are downstream in other states.

I’m encouraged by real progress and agreement among workgroup members that we seek to restore wild salmon and steelhead to real abundance, that we need to look broadly at all of the causes of decline, and that we need to work on issues in Idaho and also outside of our state.

That said, we still have much work to do and we don’t have agreement yet

on many things. We have discussed the need to make the lower Snake River safer for fish as they migrate from Idaho to the ocean and back, but we have not yet found consensus on how. Science tells us that fish need a healthy, flowing river. Some are unconvinced by this and worried about what dam removal could mean to the interests they represent. These are good discussions to be having.

My experience on this workgroup has given me hope and affirmed for me that when Idahoans sit down and talk, opportunities open up. In this spirit of cooperation, I urge fellow members of Gov. Little’s salmon workgroup to keep working to find agreement on the bold actions needed for salmon and steelhead, and for Idahoans.

Hopefully, when our workgroup wraps up at the end of the year we will put forth a series of recommendations that can restore Idaho’s salmon and steelhead, and Gov. Little will accept them. But having a plan is only part of the struggle. For our fish to be restored, the plan needs to be implemented.

Some members of the workgroup

have joined with regional electric utilities and conservation organizations in sending a letter to the four governors of Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana, asking them to further support and help advance a solutions-based conversation on how to save our fish. This is a call for regional leadership.

I also support asking Gov. Little to work with the region’s other governors to move toward a bold solution that not only recovers Idaho’s salmon and steelhead, but also builds a new, green and affordable energy future for Idaho and the Northwest, and ensures farmers continue to prosper as a result of new, regional investments in our collective future.

By recognizing our diverse interests and working together, we can bring back Idaho’s fish and support communities — ensuring a brighter future for all the people of Idaho and the region.

I hope you’ll join us.

Justin Hayes is executive director of the Idaho Conservation League and a member of Gov. Brad Little’s salmon workgroup.

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Mad about Science:

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Everyone knows getting some sick ink is a painful process — you’re being stabbed repeatedly with a needle for hours on end — but have you ever wondered what makes tattoos permanent, and why we started getting them to begin with?

The origin and purpose of skin art in human culture varies from place to place around the globe, so there is no singular answer for why we draw on our skin — but there is a singular answer for how we draw on our skin.

While it appears that you’re just drawing on your skin, the process behind the appearance of a tattoo is very interesting. An artist will use a specially adapted pen that will pierce your skin beneath the epidermis (the outer layer or membrane of your skin) and the dermis (the layer of skin that contains things like blood vessels and nerve endings, sweat glands and so on). This pen will spill a small amount of ink in this layer, and your body will immediately react by sending white blood cells to attack the invading ink. These white blood cells, called macrophages, will devour the ink and become stained themselves. Over time, these macrophages will wither and die, and a new wave of cells will come in to devour the dead, ink and all.

That lower back tattoo your fraternity brothers made you get after losing a bet your freshman year of college is a lot of work for your body.

So what about the history of tattoos? Humans have preserved parchment for several thousands of years, but many have been hesitant to preserve the corpses of their loved ones after death, especially when the skin is one 10 /

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of the first things to succumb to the process of decomposition.

Luckily for us, some extreme elements can help preserve macabre history for thousands of years.

The oldest direct evidence of tattoo art on a human body comes from the Ötzi, the so-called “Iceman,” a neolithic mummy that was preserved in the Ötztal Alps between Austria and Italy.

Disturbing as it may be, his skin was remarkably well preserved, and scientists documented as many as 61 different tattoos on his body. Though none of them said “Mom” in a bleeding heart, they were likely of some form of cultural significance for his time — around 3200 BCE. Getting a tattoo in a time before rubbing alcohol must have been an extremely dangerous practice — one reserved for only the most hardened and fearless members of early societies, as the chance of crippling full-body infection was high. In ancient Samoa, warriors and chieftains wore their ink with pride, as the entire process was made into a ceremony that could go on for weeks.

Infection rates were high and excruciatingly painful, but those who survived the ordeal were held in extremely high regard.

Tattoos weren’t always a sign of how awesome someone was in history. In ancient Greece and Rome, people were marked with tattoos to designate their lot in life as warriors, beggars, traders or slaves. Rising through the ranks of the ancient world was made impossible on purpose; tattoos served as a permanent reminder of your status in society, and attempting to rise above that status was often met with dire consequences.

Ancient Egyptians are believed to have an interesting blend of modern and contemporary

Brought to you by:

uses for tattoos. The royalty had themselves inked for decorative purposes, to show their superiority as well as appear similar to the gods they were trying to emulate.

Priestesses of ancient Egypt were also extensively tattooed, though we aren’t entirely sure why. These were perhaps some form of ceremonial grading, similar to the colored belt system of many martial arts practices, that would show the level of dedication and experience of the priestess. Interestingly, very few — if any — male priests have been discovered with tattoos.

Japan has been a country with an intriguing history of tattoos. Throughout much of its history, tattoos were viewed as a status symbol. As in Samoa, powerful and important warriors would brandish tattoos to show their tolerance for excruciating pain as well as showcasing a living tapestry of their accolades. However, during the Meiji Reformation in the 1860s, the Japanese government outlawed tattoo art, which may have been a response to the incursion of Westerners in Japan around this era. This had the interesting effect of branding criminals and outlaws and buffering them from society. When you step into the part of town where everyone is sporting a multicolored sleeve, you know you have irrefutable proof that you’re walking into the bad part of town.

This stigma from the 1800s has persisted in Japanese culture into the modern day, as the Japanese mafia, known as the Yakuza, is often composed of heavily tattooed men who wear their art like gangs in the West fly colors: showing their affiliation to certain street gangs by wearing specifically colored clothing.

Tattoos have myriad meanings in America, as you well

know. Certain tattoos in certain locations have very specific meanings. The teardrop tattoo is often touted by gang members to showcase how many people they’ve killed. University logos are common for young adults in college towns, repping their scholastic pride (often inspired by a few too many beers). Lower-back tattoos of the 1990s were often made with a sense of eroticism in mind. Written characters from China and Japan are also popular

— particularly among caucasians with comically limited knowledge of what they’re putting on their body forever.

If you’re thinking about ink, just remember the most important thing about getting work done: It doesn’t matter what it will look like in 50 years, unless your artist egregiously misspells what he puts on your body.

No Regertz. Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner e?

Don’t know much about youtub

We can help!

• One billion hours worth of video are watched on YouTube every day.

It’s bigger than Bing, Yahoo!, and Ask combined.

• Every minute, more than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube.

• Seven-year-old YouTube star Ryan, from Toysreview, earned $22 million from his YouTube videos in 2018.

• YouTube has more than 2 billion users, almost one-third of all people on the internet and about a quarter of the world’s population.

• The First YouTube Video was uploaded in April 2005, featuring its co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo. • The July 2012 music video for “Gangnam Style,” by Korean pop artist PSY, was so popular that it broke YouTube’s view counter, which had to be upgraded to accommodate views higher than 1 billion. Almost exactly eight years later, the video has logged more than 3.6 billion views.

• With 11 million dislikes, Justin Bieber’s music video for “Baby” was finally de-throned by another video, which amassed more than 17 million dislikes: “YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind.”

The third place contender at 4.7 million dislikes is “Jake Paul — It’s Everyday Bro (Song) feat. Team 10 (Official Music Video).”

• Sixty percent of YouTube’s 1,000 most popular videos are blocked in Germany.

• The most searched tutorial on YouTube is, “How to Kiss.”

• More than 32 million inappropriate videos were removed from YouTube in 2018 by a team of 10,000 reviewers.

• YouTube star Grumpy Cat earned more money than Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 2014.

• The oldest video of cats on YouTube dates from 1894.

• On mobile alone, YouTube reaches more youngsters (18- to 34-year-olds) in the U.S. than any TV network.

• YouTube is the second largest search engine, right after Google.

PERSPECTIVES

On the Lake: A column about lake issues by the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper

Meet the new associate director

By Travis Dickson Reader Contributor Hello Sandpoint! My name is Travis Dickson and I am proud to be the new associate director with Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper.

Right now you may be asking yourself, what is a waterkeeper? Waterkeepers throughout the world are tasked with the duties of collecting water samples, testing them for signs of pollution and making the results available to the public. Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper also organizes educational events and holds an annual Water Summit to celebrate our lake. Our organization aims to keep Lake Pend Oreille drinkable, fishable and swimmable for future generations through education, community engagement and advocacy.

Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper is more than10 years old and, for the past eight years, we have been conducting our Water Quality Monitoring Program. A colossal amount of work has been done through those years and an extensive dataset has been produced. With gratitude and respect, I wish to thank all past LPOW workers and volunteers for their achievements in developing this program.

The amount of time and effort that has been put into this organization is nothing short of admirable. The information collected from this program not only helps to better understand the health of our lake, but assists regulatory authorities that hold polluters accountable.

I have inherited a very robust dataset produced from LPOW’s eight years of monitoring. The data consists of measurements for 11 variables from 15 locations around the lake. These measurements give us an idea of how “clean” our lake is. I’d like to invite you to visit our website to explore the new data visualization charts that make it easy and fun to explore the “cleanliness” of your favorite swimming holes in Lake Pend Oreille.

I was raised in Bonner County, went to Sagle Elementary School and graduated from Sandpoint High School. Sandpoint is my home and over the years I have developed a deep respect and love for Lake Pend Oreille.

Following my graduation from SHS

in 1998, I left town in search of an education in the environmental sciences. After receiving bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees — and a quick stint working for a few environmental consulting firms — I moved back to Sandpoint in 2014. I have been a volunteer with LPOW ever since.

I am a passionate environmentalist who values human health. Guided by the age-old-adage “you are what you eat, drink and breathe,” I believe that to be fit and healthy you need a healthy source of food, water and air. I believe that the best way to protect our own health is to protect our environment. I am committed to protecting the health of this community, by first understanding the threats to the ecosystem and then advocating for the preservation of our greatest local resource: Lake Pend Oreille.

You may be asking yourself, how can I help LPOW’s initiative? We are a non-profit organization and, of course, open to your donations. After all, the more funds we have, the more testing we can do for the community. But even more valuable are contributions of your time and expertise.

Our door is always open and we are located in suite 212 of the Cedar Street Bridge.

Currently we are gearing up for this season’s water quality monitoring program.

Volunteers are eager and ready for our upcoming orientations, to be held on Thursday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 10 at the City Beach Pavilion. Our first sample date for the season is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16.

Please contact us with questions you have regarding the upcoming sampling season.

LPO Waterkeeper Associate director Travis Dickson takes water quality samples. Courtesy photo.

Again: Thank you to all our volunteers.

This is truly a citizen’s science program for the people and by-the-people.

Please visit our website (lakependoreillewaterkeeper.org), which includes news and events happening around the community. We hope you’ll find this information helpful.

I thank you all for your support. I look forward to contributing to the preservation of our beautiful lake.

Travis Dickson is associate director of the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper.

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ART

Heart in a handbasket

Thanks to her insatiable hands-on creativity, Sharon Gunter is one of Sandpoint’s most versatile artisan crafters

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

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Sharon Gunter’s booth at the Farmers’ Market at Sandpoint is usually a bright, colorful landmark at the main entrance to Farmin Park. Between the selection of tie-dyed apparel; painted textiles; and intricately hand-woven, antler-handled baskets, Gunter offers an impressive and visually pleasing selection of crafts.

For the artisan herself, the market is a chance to interact with “all walks of life.”

“I call it my social Saturday, and sometimes I make money,” Gunter said with a laugh.

The 2020 market — now located in the city parking lot on Church Street to allow for better social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic — has yet to see Gunter’s colorful booth and consistent smile. Gunter said she is waiting until she feels comfortable, though she does plan to bring her business — known as The Basket Case — to the market at some point this summer.

“My booth is very tactile,” she said, adding that browsing through dyed fabrics and baskets requires hands-on investigation not well suited for pandemics.

“I want you to pick it up. I want you to feel the basket. I sell stuff that needs to be touched,” she added.

Gunter’s day-to-day gig is as the art teacher at Farmin-Stidwell Elementary, so when schools transitioned to distance learning in March, she turned to her home studio to do some organizing that she would have normally postponed until summer vacation. She said it’s been a good way to spend her days during what has often felt like a “chaotic” time.

Gunter’s interest in basket weaving took hold in 1978, when she first moved to Sandpoint. She said a neighbor brought over cookies in a handmade basket, and when Gunter expressed interest in the container, the woman offered to teach her how to make her own.

“Baskets will always be a love,” Gunter said, though she admitted that making baskets isn’t as easy as it used to be. “The hands know that I’ve been weaving for this many years.”

Gunter said the three-dimensional and utilitarian nature of basket making is what draws her to the art.

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going to sit on the hearth, it’s going to hold up,” she said. “You’re still going to be able to use it if you want to.”

Gunter said her desire to continue creating isn’t a want — “It’s a need.”

“I get weird if I’m not making something,” she said. “I don’t care even if it’s just at school and it’s just a little watercolor. There’s that satisfaction of making something and creating something.”

Making things and then sharing them with others is at the heart of Gunter’s philosophy. She recalls a couple that once came through her booth and admired her work, though they admitted that they’d been trying to get rid of all the “stuff” they’d collected over the years. They

Top: Sharon Gunter with her usual smile at her Farmers’ Market booth. Photo by Sandpoint Farmers’ Market. Bottom: Gunter’s handcrafted baskets. Photo by Sharon Gunter. didn’t buy anything from Gunter, but did ask her questions. She said their curiosity about the process and appreciation for the work made her feel good.

“It’s fun to be able to share that with people who are interested,” she said.

“That’s what keeps me going, because I love making stuff.”

Learn more about Gunter’s work at sharonsbasketry.com. Contact her at sharonsbasketry@gmail.com.

FEATURE

The Youth Accountability Board needs you

By Cate Huisman Reader Contributor

Our community has a phenomenal tradition of public service. There are hundreds of opportunities for citizens to do everything from serving at soup kitchens to collecting water samples to (these days) sewing face masks. Everyone has something to offer and our community needs all our collective talents.

Bonner County’s Youth Accountability Board, a youth diversion program working in partnership with the Bonner County justice system, needs a few volunteers right now. When local youngsters make the occasional ill-advised decision that lands them on the wrong side of the law, YAB can keep them out of juvenile court. Instead, it gives them an opportunity to think about what they have done and to make changes that will positively impact their lives.

Its aim is not to punish but to redirect.

According to YAB Coordinator Dan Krabacher, “An 11-yearold who stole gum from a gas station doesn’t need to go through probation. They need to recognize they made a mistake and what they need to do to not make those mistakes in the future.”

Young people who become involved with the criminal justice system can come to believe they belong there — that is, that they are “bad kids.” What’s more, contact through the system with other young people who have committed more serious crimes can lead them astray. For many youths who are wishing they’d put a little forethought into their behavior, it’s better instead to interact with adult community members who recognize that these errors are a function of bad judgment, not a bad kid. These are the adults who we need to step up now.

Here’s how the system works: At an initial meeting with the board, the youth is given a contract that usually involves some contemplative writing — often an essay and sometimes an apology

to victims — as well as a number of hours of community service.

If the young person successfully completes the program, the case will not be prosecuted, and they will have no court record.

“The program allows youth to discover things about themselves, especially through volunteer activity,” said board member Denise Zembryki. “Some have never done that, and when we meet with them the second time, many of them have a very positive impression of the good they can do within the community.”

In addition, “The extra guidance from outside is helpful for some of the parents and caregivers,” Zembryki said. “Input from other adults in authority can make an impact.”

Benefits to the county are significant, too: Sending a child through the court system involves the time of clerks, prosecutors, bailiffs and judges, as well as a lot of paperwork. Over the 35-some years of its existence, YAB has kept about 2,600 young people out of the juvenile court system and saved county taxpayers thousands of dollars.

YAB is looking for citizens who like young people, who are team players, and who can support the program and its philosophy.

“The type of people who like it are ones that work together well and recognize how much youth and their families get from it,” said Krabacher.

“Those who are new to the program are often surprised by how thankful the youth are when their diversion programs end.”

The board meets twice a month, and Zembryki recalls feeling

reassured by the support she got from other board members at her first meetings. In addition to attending these meetings, experienced members can become contact persons who meet with youth and families at court to explain the program, and then stay in touch — usually by phone — during the duration of the youth’s contract.

“We do everything we can to make sure they can be successful,” said Zembryki. “We tailor assignments to each youth, hear what their needs are, and get input from parents or caregivers.

We want to be as beneficial to them as we can.”

The board’s schedule is constructed so members can set up windows of commitment and also reserve times away for travel or to address family or health needs.

As Krabacher put it: “We scramble and trade. We’re very flexible. Our job is to cover all the bases as a board.”

“You don’t have to be an expert,” Zembryki pointed out.

“You just have to be a caring, supportive adult.”

Tales from the YAB files

By Cate Huisman Reader Contributor

Most of the kids who come before the Youth Accountability Board have committed run-of-the-mill, “what-were-you-thinking” kinds of errors, such as shoplifting or drinking, that are often associated with peer pressure. But a few over the years have been shown remarkable initiative, if not clear thinking.

One legendary story from early in YAB’s existence is that of the group of youths who taped together a bunch of firecrackers, lit the fuses and tossed the bundle into a toilet at the City Beach bathhouse.

They anticipated a geyser of water. Instead, they blew the toilet to pieces. Some say that a sympathetic city employee tried to lessen the burden of their restitution by searching for a deal on a replace-

ment fixture.

Although it’s not recorded how those particular perpetrators were discovered, lack of forethought has more than once prevented youths from keeping their transgressions associated with their identities.

One youngster’s offense blew apart his backpack and spread his homework — with his name on it — at the scene of the crime.

Then there was the driver who gunned the getaway pickup from Harold’s IGA with a stolen case of beer in the bed, forgetting that the tailgate had been removed. Both the beer and the driver’s snowboard remained behind on Cedar Street, where law enforcement retrieved them. When the driver told his mom that his snowboard had been stolen, she posted a notice in hopes of recovering it — on the bulletin board at Harold’s.

Cate Huisman served on the Youth Accountability Board from approximately 2003 to 2008. The current chair, Dan Krabacher, is her husband. Readers who want to serve are encouraged to contact him at 208-290-6319 or dan. krabacher@gmail.com.

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events THURSDAY, JUNE 4

June 4 - 11, 2020

Trust Vets Meet-Up 4-6pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Members only

FriDAY, JUNE 5

Live Music w/ Truck Mills & Carl Rey 5-8pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Blues from two Sandpoint legends

STAGE & SCREEN

Panida opens its doors to Bozeman Film Festival of Shorts

SHS Graduation 5:30pm @ watch live at SHS Facebook Also listen live on 1400 AM KSPT

SATURDAY, JUNE 6 Live Music w/ Lucas Brookbank Brown Duo 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Folk, blues, Americana and more Forrest Bird Graduation Car Parade 12-12:30pm @ Sandpoint city streets Forrest Bird Charter High School will have a graduation car parade for their 38 high school seniors. It will start at SHS and end at City Beach via: North on Division Ave., east on Chestnut St., south on Boyer Ave., east on Church St., south on First Ave., east on Bridge St.

Sand Creek Paddlers’ Challenge 10am @ City Beach Pavilion The 12th annual evrent, for families and serious racers alike. Pre-registration at the Sandpoint Parks and Rec. website.

Check-in from 9-9:30, pre-race meeting at 9:30, race starts 10 a.m. $10/boat Upper Pack Market 9am-1pm @ Yard next to Samuels store A farmers and crafts market every first and third Saturday of the month

SunDAY, JUNE 7

Piano Sunday w/ Annie Welle 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Everything from solo jazz to original works

monDAY, JUNE 8

Lifetree Cafe 2pm @ Jalepeño’s A filmed interview with former Ethiopian prime minister Tamrat Layne tells about his controversial “Encounter with God.”

tuesDAY, JUNE 9 wednesDAY, JUNE 10 ThursDAY, JUNE 11

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By Ben Olson Reader Staff

A still frame from Fire in the Cardboard City, one of the 17 short films showing at the Bozeman Film Festival of Shorts at the Panida Theater on June 13. Courtesy image.

The Panida Theater has been dark for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, Granbad is a short film about a dyslexic but the marquee will again light up for boy who inadvertently shows a bully that it the first event in more than two months Saturday, June 13 with the Bozeman Film isn’t “soppy” to love your grandpa and like spending time with him.

Festival of Shorts.

In Girls Section, a quiet revolution is Featuring a collection of 17 short films growing in remote northern Pakistan as that celebrate independent filmmaking, girls in the region, for the first time, are creative expression, and emerging and eschallenging tradition for their right to go tablished voices, the festival specializes in to school. films that educate, encourage and inspire The Panida will be practicing social audiences to get involved and take action distancing during the event, asking pato protect our planet. trons to enter through the left front door Part of the Bozeman International and the newly arranged concession stand.

Film Festival, the screening will kick off Panida Executive Director Patricia with a 45-minute block of short films Walker said patrons will then move down starting at 7:30 p.m. After an intermisthe left aisle, “where patrons will see sion, the second portion of the evening every other row has been marked off.” will commence with another 45 minutes After the films, patrons will then exit of films. up the right-side aisle and stay left to exit The films vary widely, from animated the theater out of the front entrance. to live-action shorts. Among the offer“We will be posting the normal signs ings, Fire in the Cardboard City is a of, ‘If you’re sick, don’t come in please,’ critically acclaimed animated short The and will show the six-foot marks to begin New Yorker called “a mini with and believe and disaster movie that feels The Bozeman Film hope that our clientele like a joyride.” understands and honors Festival of Shorts Horns Out features the requested rules of 77-year-old Montana helping each other remain Saturday, June 13; 7:30 p.m.; climber Maurice Horn healthy,” Walker said. $13.99.

Panida Theater, 300 N. asking existential questions First Ave., 208-263-9191, get about sense of place, identickets at panida.org. tity and mortality, while

HISTORY

An underground mystery

Construction work unearthed rooms beneath the Abbott Block — but what is their history?

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

When Heather Upton, interim director of the Bonner County History Museum, received a tip that secret rooms had been uncovered beneath the Abbott Building on First Avenue in Sandpoint, she responded as most history lovers would: with excitement and curiosity.

“I immediately thought, ‘Oh, secret rooms — there [was] amazing, nefarious things going on down there,’” Upton said with a laugh.

As it turns out, Upton was likely on to something.

The Abbott Building — located at the corner of First Avenue and Bridge Street — suffered from a large fire in February 2019. The structure has since been torn down, and amid cleanup and renovation, a series of underground rooms came to light.

According to research from local historian Dan Evans, newspapers of the time painted a clear picture that the rooms beneath the Abbott Building and neighboring Walker Building — which were connected by an underground hallway — comprised an illicit gambling hub in early Sandpoint.

One story, from December 1915, detailed a gembling raid in which sheriff’s deputies guarded escape routes and cut phone lines while breaking up a gambling ring beneath the Walker Store. One gambler is reported to have escaped out the back of the building by sliding down a drain pipe and “vaulting across” Sand Creek, “evidently too frightened to think of warning the First Street resorts, thinking only

of making good on his own escape.”

In 1924, an article titled “Officers Raid Gambling Den,” recounted how law enforcement found “gambling going on full blast, about $80 being on the table in the game.”

Local historian Nancy Foster Renk is also well versed in the many iterations of the Abbott Block. Aside from the known gambling that took place in the basement, Renk said the space once served as a meeting place for the Sandpoint chapter of the Industrial Workers of the World or “Wobblies” — the organized labor group responsible for the local 1917 lumber strikes.

The governor of Idaho at the time, Moses Alexander, even met with IWW members in the Abbott basement.

As far as other purposes for the mysterious underground rooms, Renk said anyone’s guess is as good as hers.

“They certainly could have been [used] to hide booze during Prohibition or for some other illicit purpose,” she said.

“On the other hand, they could have a much more prosaic use.”

Based on the well-documented bootlegging and corruption happening in Sandpoint at the time — including the 1923 conviction of Bonner County Sheriff William Kirkpatrick for seizing and reselling more than 100 cases of bootleg whiskey — Evans said that “the basement rooms in the Walker and Abbott blocks were no doubt a location involved in the drinking of bootleg liquor.”

“You know that those rooms were involved in that,” Evans told the Reader, “[but] it’s hard to say why they built them in

the first place.”

Why build hidden, underground rooms? Perhaps a more direct question: Why not? If anything, history buffs a century later itching for a glimpse of early Sandpoint will have a great time musing about the building’s wild past. Plus, discoveries like this remind Upton why preserving Bonner County history is not only important, but also a lot of fun.

“We can’t renovate these rooms, but we can document them and make them a part of our history,” she said.

Top and middle: Workers excavate the “secret” rooms under the Abbott Building during demolition after the Feb. 2019 fire. Photos by Carrie Logan.

Bottom: The Abbott Building on First Avenue and Bridge Street after the fire. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert.

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DRINKS

Wine, women and wicked ninja skills The Bonner County Wine Ninjas Facebook group is spreading joy — one stealthy gift at a time

Bonner County is seeing an influx of ninja activity.

These ninjas do not practice mixed martial arts, but are instead known to carry mixed bags of drinks and snacks. Though, there is one thing these local ninjas have in common with ninjutsu warriors: they’re sneaky — or, at least they try to be.

Bonner County Wine Ninjas is a Facebook group through which women both give and receive gifts, with an emphasis on anonymity. It’s meant to work in a cycle — one woman receives a gift, so she makes plans to “ninja” someone else, continuing the process by covertly delivering a package of her own.

As indicated by the group’s name, alcoholic beverages are a mainstay in many ninja gifts.

However, other drinks, snacks, home decor and other cute trinkets are also regularly given.

Ashley Tauber started the Bonner County group after being a part of the Boundary County Wine Ninjas and experiencing the fun herself.

“I got a great gift on my porch

and knew I had to share this with Bonner County,” she said.

Though the group was created in late May, Bonner County Wine Ninjas has already amassed nearly 1,000 members, with new people joining each day. All corners of the county are represented, and new posts are made daily, seeking women who haven’t yet been “ninja’d.”

Clark Fork resident Jade Gors joined the group and made plans to ninja several people. She thought it would take some time before she’d be “ninja’d” herself; but, in a matter of days, she found goodies on her doorstep.

“Since being ninja’d, it makes it that much more exciting to do it for someone else, because you know how it feels,” she said.

Tauber said that giving can be even more fun than receiving.

“I’d say the best part is being a ninja,” Tauber said. “Just knowing you’re bringing joy to someone’s day is very rewarding.”

Plus, there’s a certain thrill that comes with the whole operation — especially when attempting to be a truly stealthy wine ninja.

“Being sneaky [and] trying not to get caught is what makes

Library announces 2020 Summer Reading kickoff

By Reader Staff Although East Bonner County Library District branches remain closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its annual Summer Reading Challenge began June 1.

The 2020 theme for the popular program is “Imagine Your Story.” Participants can register for the challenge to track their progress, win badges, unlock games, challenge themselves or their friends, and earn certificates and free books. There is a challenge for everyone, including pre-K, childrens, teen and adult 16 /

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divisions.

Reading over the summer helps prevent the so-called “summer slide,” which is the loss of achievement gains made during the school year as kids lessen their amount of reading time during summer vacation. With schools closing early this year, reading over the summer is even more important.

Like so many other activities, Summer Reading has gone online this year. Register at ebonnerlibrary.readsquared.com to sign up.

Download the app to log in and track participation on the go. For more information, contact Kimber Glidden at kimber@ebonnerlibrary.org.

send them a private message asking for their address, rather than choosing to post it openly in the group or in the spreadsheet that the group administrators provide.

In the end, the Bonner County Wine Ninjas’ goal is simple: to spread joy. Gors said the best part is that despite all the “terrible things we have going on around us right now,” this group is focusing on lifting one another up.

“This just goes to show that people from all walks of life really can rally together to make each other feel better,” she said.

it so fun,” Tauber said. “It’s like a little adrenaline rush.”

The group has been working hard to address safety and privacy concerns. For one, the group is “hidden,” meaning that

it can’t simply be searched for on Facebook. People wishing to join must be invited by those who are already in the group. Second, many participants request that anyone wishing to ninja them

Those interested in joining Bonner County Wine Ninjas can contact group moderator Alisha E Kowalski via Facebook Messenger. While the wine group is exclusive to women, a Bonner County Beer Ninjas group has also been started to get men in on the action.

CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It was another fun week of humorous captions in my inbox.

Thanks readers. I need a bit of comic relief We selected a winner and some honorable mentions. The winner is Larry Hoffman, who will receive $50 in dining and drinking bucks from Eichardt’s Pub. Thanks for your submissions everyone. We’ll do this again soon.

Iyla Raphael and the chicken Bigwig. Photo by Janae Raphael.

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Honorable Mentions: “It was at this moment Bigwig knew he didn’t wanna be Iyla’s wig.”

-Michelle Shorman “2020: the Bluebird of Happiness is replaced by the Quarantine Chicken.”

-Bill Platt

Winner!

“Iyla will be really, really happy when her regular hair stylist can open again.”

-Larry Hoffman

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater Special deliveries

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist With a complete sense of accomplishment, I’m happy to report that my epic road trip from Sandpoint to Chicago was accomplished in two days (with an overnight, car-camping stop in Dickinson, N.D.). Considering it used to take me two days just to drive to Portland, no one was more surprised than me.

There’s nothing I love more than roadside stops — especially ones that include local and regional food stuffs along any given route — but since I had to stay as isolated as possible, it wasn’t practical to sample the wares, like thick-sliced swirl rye bread from Wheat, Mont., or salty cheese curds (so fresh they squeak) from Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, Wisc.

So, I just kept driving. I didn’t even stop for coffee, though I must admit I was tempted to after my failed efforts to brew a steaming cup with my recently purchased car-camping coffee kit. The first problem I encountered was with the power inverter (which converts 12V DC to 110V AC). It didn’t provide enough power to heat the single-cup immersion water heater.

Instead, I blew a fuse. Luckily, when I called my auto support person (a.k.a. my son, Zane), I was relieved to learn it would not cause further issues with my electrical system.

I wanted to pretend that I was savoring an iced Americano or cold brew, but as I crunched down into freeze dried coffee crystals, floating in cold water, I struggled to remain in my artisanal coffeehouse fantasy.

At least the snacks I prepared and layered in my cooler (by degree of perishability) were predictably tasty and sustained me as I drove past at least a half dozen Wisconsin cheese stands, 18 /

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all calling out to me. Another time I would have succumbed to the blinking signs that offered up to six free samples but, seriously, this was a mission-driven trip with little room for frivolities.

I arrived for Mother’s Day with plenty of time to help my daughter Casey and her husband John prepare for the birth of their second child and spend countless hours faux baking with my adorable 2-year-old grandson, Samih.

It was Casey’s turn for an easy birth and, on May 21, our prayers were answered with the delivery of a perfect baby girl, Miss Runa Ray Gammal.

Normally, we would have picked up delicious, ethnic food takeout from favorite nearby eateries, but, sadly, for this trip it was not possible. So I carefully planned our menus then, armed with a grocery list, I forwent my visits to food emporiums like Mariano’s (famous

for an in-store wine bar — with wine cup holders in the grocery carts) and Eataly (with hundreds of pasta choices) and instead learned to navigate Instacart and Whole Foods deliveries.

For three weeks, I spent my days baking and preparing vegetarian dinners (though occasionally satisfying my carnivorous ways with the addition of a little meat in my portions).

My time in Chicago was a delicious combination of nourishing family and nurturing babies.

Samih and I had a morning ritual of long walks, past a neighborhood fire station, where he endeared himself to the crew with energetic and animated waves.

It disappointed me to turn down their offers of hopping on an engine with him, but with a newborn at home and at-risk paternal grandparents (who have yet to hold their new granddaughter), we

Carbonara

had to decline their earnest offers.

On past visits, when Casey and John left for work, Sam split his time between staying home with me and going to day care while I spent time working (or exploring the city). This time, other than our daily walks, COVID-19 cloistering kept us all confined to their third-floor walk-up condo, with lots of time on our hands.

We installed a suction bird feeder to the front window and were delighted to receive a cardinal on the first day. Between Runa’s feedings and diapers, Casey and I played endless matches of Scrabble while John entertained Samih. We planted a potted herb garden on the back deck, which Samih overwaters with enthusiastic abandon and now provides us with fragrant greens for our many cooking projects. I taught John my technique for perfect French onion soup, showed Casey how to roll

sushi and, after myriad cream-pie making sessions, delighted Samih with frequent beaters to lick.

About a week before I left, Sam discovered the setting sun outside his west bay window and the corresponding pocket of light cast upon the eastern wall. He squealed with joy as we put on amateur shadow puppet shows and he wildly waved his hands in the fleeting orange glow.

One of the culinary highlights was carbonara, adapted from a recipe I brought back from Italy years ago, that has become a family favorite — if you’re a meat-eater (like me), toss in a little crisped prosciutto.

I left them with a freezer full of meals and they left me with a heart (though a bit broken) that beats happily for the experiences we recently shared. Ciao for now.

This vegetarian pasta is a classic Italian dish that is perfect for brunch, lunch or supper.

If you prefer, crisp up finely chopped bacon or Italian ham and toss in with the Parmesan.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS: • 1 pound spaghetti • 1 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, pressed and minced • 1/4 cup dry white wine • Reserved pasta water • 4 eggs, beaten well • 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese • 1 pinch sea salt • black pepper to taste • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Scoop out 1/2 cup pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cover and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and heat in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add wine and cook 1 minute.

Add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Slowly add reserved pasta water, then beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and toss again. Add

salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with chopped

parsley or basil sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan served tableside.

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DRINKS

The Art of Diffusion

By Jen Heller Reader Contributor It’s the age of LaCroix, and one of the telltale signs of the times is how difficult it is not to just drink our way through piles of future rubbish. In a world where almost 2 billion people lack reliable drinking water, it’s kind of mind-boggling that we turn to so many sources of hydration other than delicious, clean water from the faucet.

Those of us raised in conservative homes treasure our ability to feel guilt about most of our behaviors. Accordingly, I couldn’t help but laugh when I gave myself a solid mental scolding the other day for buying a single can of sparkling water at the supermarket. “What a waste of money and resources!”

But seriously, what did that water with bubbles and a splash of flavor really do for me that my faucet couldn’t? Why do I occasionally buy a cup of coffee on my way to work when I could just

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brew it at home? Why do we feel the need to spend money in a way that consumes even more metal and plastic, and does nothing to benefit us nutritionally?

To avoid future self-scoldings, I took up the art of infusion — which can also be called diffusion, depending on your perspective and the goal of the process. On any given weekend around my house you might stumble across two or three giant glass jars brewing mystery substances. This is what they contain: Sun tea Tea is a word we use to describe any sort of dried leafy/flowery substance that soaks in water for a period of time to make it taste different. And no, you don’t need sun to make sun tea, just time.

The fastest way to facilitate diffusion of any substance in water is to heat the water, so that the molecules move about more rapidly and uptake the invading solute faster. Sun and light heat

the water slowly and smoothly; but, on a rainy day, a gallon jug of water on the counter will eventually become tea regardless. It may just take a little longer. Let it sit at room temperature until it has reached the desired strength, then move it to the fridge.

Because I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine, I stick mostly to herbal or caffeine-free mixtures for my tea concoctions. Winter Ridge has some small linen drawstring bags that can be filled with their bulk teas — I find four of them work well in my two-gallon tea jug. I often mix a variety of teas to create new and interesting blends each week. Rooibos goes quite well with gingerbread spice.

Tip: Never fill a tea bag, tea ball or any infusing container more than half full. Your leaves, fruit or seeds will expand as they absorb water, and all things diffuse faster when there is enough space for molecular movement.

Fruit- or herb-infused water There are a variety of special pitchers you can buy that have inner compartments, into which you can place last year’s blueberries from Riley Creek or peach slices from the Peach Man. I also like cutting herbs from my garden and surprising my taste buds with new blends.

For instance, mint has no enemies in the herbal world, and I’ve paired it with anything from rosemary to basil or oregano for an easy beverage with a bit of zip.

Don’t forget: warmth is your friend. Let the pitcher sit at room temperature for at least a few hours before you “freeze” the process by sticking the whole thing in the fridge to chill.

Tip: If you invest in a special pitcher (which, I suggest, is totally unnecessary), make sure you get one with an infuser container that has holes in the lower edges and bottom. Otherwise, the strongest flavor will get trapped in the inner container when it drifts downward

from your fruit or herbs.

Cold brew coffee I will never forget the first time I tried cold brewed coffee. The slow nature of cold brewing leaves behind the harsher tones and much of the acidity of coffee. For folks prone to heartburn or other stomach issues, cold brew allows for a tasty caffeine intake without the side effects.

Full-caf, half-caf, decaf — it’s all good. Just buy a bag of beans from your favorite local roaster and ask them nicely to grind it for you (same coarse grind as you would use for drip coffee). You can invest in a cold brew jug, or it’s easy to rig your own setup with a mason jar at home. Just ask Google.

Tip: Cold-brewed coffee comes out pretty concentrated, so feel free to add water without feeling like a wuss. If you’re more of a hot coffee person, no worries — cold brew heats up in a most delicious fashion.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Jen Heller

Music and matrimony

READ

Besides (of course) the Reader, the News page of sandpointonline.com has been vital to my understanding of local events for nine years and counting. I love the easy access to the top stories from a variety of media and print sources. Whoever curates that page does a great job — kudos, and thanks.

The wild world of wedding music

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff I’ve been thinking about what music I might play at my wedding since I was 12 years old and succumbed to many years of watching fairytale love stories.

Many girls dream about their future husband, or their perfect white dress. I would play “Simple Man” on repeat and visualize slow dancing into the night. (That may be the most North Idaho sentence I’ve ever written.)

Now, amid the planning of my actual wedding, I’ve enlisted Pinterest’s help. I don’t plan to hire a band or DJ, but instead to rent sound equipment and play music from my own device. Ideas abound on the internet’s most popular virtual bulletin board service, so I figured I may as well see what kind of DIY wedding music wisdom might be floating around.

When I typed in my initial search — “wedding songs” — I had only dancefloor tunes in mind.

I expected a selection of playlists showcasing both slow and fast songs, hoping to stumble across a few classic dance tracks that I hadn’t yet thought of and would appeal to all ages.

Instead, I found a smorgasbord of themed lists: songs to walk down the aisle to; songs to walk back down the aisle to; songs for

LISTEN

first dances, father-daughter dances and mother-son dances; cocktail hour music; grand entrance music; bouquet toss music; and songs to cut the cake to.

Keep in mind, I am someone who has music playing at almost all times in my everyday life. But cake-cutting music? This is a new genre even for me.

As with most aspects of a modern wedding, someone has thought of everything when it comes to matrimonial music.

When I finally did find a playlist meant purely for reception dance party use, I cringed while sifting through overplayed pop songs from 2010 and mainstay choreographed dance numbers. I

admit that there is value in playing songs that everyone knows.

However, there are songs we all know because we love them, and songs we all know because they are just so damn catchy. I plan to find the difference and pick songs accordingly.

For instance, if anyone catches me adding “Chicken Dance” to my wedding playlist, promptly deactivate my Spotify account.

Still, I found a few useful and cute ideas. For instance, some brides provide a “song request” card with the invitation. Single friends can request their favorite jams, while couples can request their own first dance song in hopes of dancing to it at the wedding.

Microphone? Check. Outdoor string lights? Check. “Chicken Dance”? Chec... wait a minute. Courtesy photo.

Not bad, Pinterest.

This initial dip into the world of wedding planning did teach me a big lesson: ideas are only ideas.

No one has already planned the perfect array of songs for my wedding — that’s up to me. It’s going to take some work, but thankfully I’ve been preparing for this since I was old enough to envision my own union while overplayed classic rock ballads provided the soundtrack.

I can’t promise this won’t be the case next summer, thanks to my fiance’s love for Prince.

What’s your favorite movie soundtrack?

By Ben Olson Reader Staff There have been a lot of musical diversions during the coronavirus pandemic. People have been posting their top 10 albums on social media, which is a challenge in itself (there is so much good music out there).

I propose a new challenge: What’s your favorite movie soundtrack? Here are a few of mine, in no particular order.

Garden State How many of you heard The Shins for the first time after watching Zach Braff’s indie film Garden

State? Braff earned a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for his collection of indie songs from artists like The Shins, Coldplay, Colin Hay, Thievery Corporation, Iron & Wine and more. The soundtrack acts as an unnamed character in the film, painting a portrait of the main character’s struggles and triumphs.

Dazed and Confused A compendium of classic rock hits from the greats, the soundtrack for Dazed and Confused complimented the ’70s feel of the film. The album was on a regular rotation in my car’s CD player during high school.

Dirty Dancing Yeah, I just went there. My sisters and I watched Dirty Dancing religiously while growing up, and when I found a cassette tape of the soundtrack at a thrift store a few years back, it was like tapping into those early memories all over again. The film is set in the 1960s, and the music is an upbeat mix of memorable tunes that helped sell 32 million copies. Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

Heartworn Highways This documentary film follows singer-songwriters in the early folk and country music genre. The

soundtrack is phenomenal, with amazing selections by Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, David Allan Coe, Steve Young and the Charlie Daniels Band. I own it on vinyl and listen to it on rainy days.

O Brother Where Art Thou This soundtrack won a Grammy for Album of the Year for directors Joel and Ethan Coen.

For good reason, too. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the soundtrack re-creates the sound and feel of Depression-era folk and country, with gloomy murder ballads and half-ironic anthems of hope.

On gray rainy days, I’ve been sequestering myself in the kitchen and putting on This American Life, to learn how the hard-hit areas of our country have been doing. It’s tough listening at times, but so important in the quest to replace chaos with empathy. Better yet, if you need a good belly laugh, try the episode titled “Fiasco!,” which features, in quick succession, a Peter Pan production gone wrong, an epic battle pitting cop vs squirrel and instructions on how not to perform stand-up comedy at a cancer benefit.

WATCH

During our month of staying at home, we watched hours and hours of Better Call Saul. Vince Gilligan’s show trots out a whole lineup of characters from Breaking Bad, but Saul stands fine on its own two feet — as I can vouch, having not seen a single episode of Breaking Bad. Picture a slow-simmered stew: the base would be bad family blood with a heavy dash of legal backbiting and some heaping scoops of gray-area decision making. Add a pinch of well-timed humor, and you’re set for hours of intrigue.

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...about getting someplace versus being someplace From Northern Idaho News, June 3, 1908

GAS PLANT TO GO IN BEFORE FIRST OF YEAR WILL BUILD ELECTRIC RAILWAY TO KOOTENAI From all indications there will be something in the way of new industries being put into this city during the coming year. At the council meeting last night an extension to the gas franchise was granted and a bond of $1000 is to be furnished by the Pend d’Oreille Iron Works, the company who had the franchise before. The old franchise was amended so as to read the plant should be completed and piping gas to various parts of the city not later than Jan. 1, 1909. The parties behind the proposition evidently mean business as the bond is to be put up inside of ten days.

Al Filson, in the interest of parties promoting the electric street railway to which the attention of the council was called through the introduction of an ordinance at the last meeting, was present and offered an amendment to the first ordinance as drafted, changing the time of completing of the work from September 1, 1909, to twenty two months after the passage of the ordinance. A number of the council members were not familiar with the ordinance. A number of the council members were not familiar with the ordinance so were given a copy of the same and in all probabilty some action will be taken at the next regular meeting.

A resolution was offered by Alderman Ames, and being supported by Alderman Martin, was passed, that the city treasurer be authorized to allow ten per cent interest on all city warrants issued from date until otherwise ordered by the council.

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/ June 4, 2020

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist

profusion cast a purple haze in a sunny spot above the road cut. A range cow’s prodigious bones lie dispersed along the edge of the fill.

The critters who benefited I’ve learned over time by its demise are many and that though I sometimes diverse, and the neighbor hike to get someplace, who lost the steer takes such I more often hike to be things in stride. He’s a livesomeplace. This allows and-let-live kind of guy. me to be lazy and to stop A pileated woodpecker to smell the Oregon grape Sandy Compton. shies into the dark woods blooms if so inclined. Or below the fill. Golden Canine finds a deer ruminate on how large is the bear that left femur to chew on while I consume a single, the pile of poop I didn’t quite step in. I like incredibly tasty glacier lily. A raven throws to meander. Objective isn’t as important as its dancing shadow across our path. Three perspective. Pushing hard for a peak is OK, nice morels end up in my pack. Arrowleaf but it often requires expending much extra balsamroot and Indian paintbrush conduct effort. If I want to do that, I can stay home their annual spring beauty contest, which and split wood. is always a tie. Cougar scat full of whiteI’ve not always felt that way; only for tail deer hair and fragments of bone of the the past 30 or 40 years. same lie bleaching in the sun at irregular In pursuit of being someplace, Golden intervals. Far from the other remains of the Canine and I recently wandered up an old snowshoe hare, I find a single, perfectly road on the west face of Star Peak. It’s intact rear foot, complete with incredibly being reclaimed by the forest, though some soft fur and four diminutive claws. It goes thoughtful person keeps it user-friendly into my pocket. beyond the Forest Service gate by clearing The most intriguing thing I found, blowdown and trimming back young trees though, I might have missed if I had been encroaching on the prism. It was constructfocused on a summit instead of what I ed for logging so long ago that the ensuing might find at my feet. I almost did miss scars have all but disappeared. Holes in the it, but something in my mind said, “What roadbed reveal where stumps left in the fill was that?” I went back a few paces to see. have rotted out. Mysterious spur roads lead “That” was a snail. off, attractive enough to explore next time I appreciate snails. They remind me that we venture in that direction. some things just take time. We can hurry Bits of life and death decorate the tread. and worry and push and pull, trying to Shards of hide and bits of white fluff mark make things happen — faster! But in many where something hungry consumed a things, only time and steady effort make a snowshoe hare. A list of suspects is short but impressive. A colony of ants confidently difference.

This snail seemed to have something to builds a residence in the center of the path, say. It was perched on one of the mountain as if to say, “What bear?” Shooting stars in

STR8TS Solution

lion’s decaying scat; looking all territorial; eyestalks and neck stretched out as if to say, “Mine!” OK, snail. Whatever. You can have it. I have my lucky snowshoe hare’s foot to show for the day, and whatever attraction you have to mountain lion scat and contents thereof, I do not share.

Later, though, I think about the cosmic significance of a snail standing guard on mountain lion scat; one of Creation’s slowest creatures sitting atop the leavings of one of its fastest, containing the remains of another almost as fast — but not quite.

And here I am with a snowshoe paw in my pocket. Maybe it’s a variation on the tale of the tortoise and the hare.

I could conjecture about that for a long time, if I wished, but I think I’ll just go home and sauté the morels. It’s enough that I was led to notice and given a moment to just be somewhere.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution He was the kind of man who was not ashamed to show affection. I guess that’s what I hated about him.

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

Laughing Matter

Woorf tdhe Week

whelked

By Bill Borders

/hwelkt/

[adjective] 1. ridged like the shell of a snail

“The snail’s whelked shell was damaged in the heavy wave.”

Corrections: In the May 28 Reader, I wrote that Sandpoint Waldorf Teachers stay with their classes until sixth grade, but that wasn’t accurate. Waldorf Schools graduate after eighth grade, not sixth. Apologies for the error. -BO

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Party thrower 5. Arboreal snake 10. Style 14. Bright thought 15. Disney mermaid 16. Footnote note 17. Crisp round cookie 19. Catch 20. Barbarian 21. Unemotional 22. Complete 23. Spruce up 25. Coney 27. Poetic dusk 28. Cleaning with a broom 31. Lazybones 34. Gather 35. Petroleum 36. Agitate 37. Trim 38. Hoodwink 39. It comes from a hen 40. Tempter 41. Moat 42. Seashore 44. Take in slowly 45. Lure 46. Tedium 50. A promotional statement 52. Lascivious looks 54. Frozen water 55. Emanation 56. A superficial person

Solution on page 22 58. Decay from overripening 59. Relative of a giraffe 60. Warmth 61. If not 62. Anxious 63. Contributes

DOWN 1. _____ and lows 2. Ignominy 3. Ringworm cassia 4. Children’s game 5. Sable 6. Malicious burning 7. Short skirt 8. Swimwear

9. Mountain 10. Accident 11. Offensive 12. Found on rotary phones 13. Border 18.

Banana oil, e.g.

22. Small songbird 24. Bobbin 26. 365 days 28. Mixture of rain and snow 29. Bites 30. Delight 31. Angers 32. Venician magstrate 33. Threads

34. Apparitional 37. A cleansing agent 38. Numbskull 40. Uterus 41. Not last 43. Ointment 44. Incursion 46. Toots 47. Ate 48. Group of eight 49. Encounters 50. Baseball great, ____ Ruth 51. Quiet time 53. Distinctive flair 56. Point 57. “Eureka!”

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