Reader june7 2018

SHERIFF'S OFFICE HIT WITH WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT • ARTS A ND CRAFTS FAIR RELOCATES DOWNTOWN A FTER 45 YEA RS AT SA NDPOINT CITY BEA CH ARTWORK SELECTED FOR NORTH BOYER ROUNDABOUT • SPD SHOOTING RULED APPROPRIATE USE OF FORCE • A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING INSIDE

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than s for ma in

s the

o ntr station

(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

What are your favorite features of the library’s expansion project?

“The little kids’ area and all the added space.”

Marguerite Jensen Housekeeper at Silverwood Careywood

DEAR READERS,

One thing I often forget to mention is how much influence you, our dear readers, have over this newspaper. When you ask for something, we try to deliver. The other day I was participating in a podcast with one of our readers, and he mentioned he wanted to see more Point/Counterpoint articles. I pointed out that we often have a hard time finding people to contribute to both sides of an issue, otherwise we’d be happy to publish one every week.

Long story short, I’m now presenting you with a handful of topics. If you’d like to weigh in on side or the other, please send me an email expressing your interest (ben@sandpointreader.com). Be sure to list which topic and briefly what your position is. If accepted, we’ll give you the greenlight and a deadline. For starters, though, Point/Counterpoint should be approximately 600 words, and should always seek to elevate the conversation.

We will not consider submissions that troll or belittle the other side of the argument. Include a brief line at the end of the article explaining who you are.

Here’s a quick list of topics. Anyone interested? 1. Will the downtown street renovation in Sandpoint be an improvement? 2. Is there a rental crisis in Sandpoint? 3. With the trade war looming, Mexico recently announced it would assess tariffs on potatoes. Will this affect us here in Idaho negatively or positively? 4. The Arts and Crafts Fair moves downtown after 45 years at the Beach. Good or bad move?

-Ben Olson, Publisher

“I like the new seating in the children’s area.”

Ava McElhoes 6 years old Sandpoint

“I like that there’s more space upstairs, as well as the fireplace there. I also like the new teen center.”

Amanda Lopez Marketing manager Sandpoint

“I like how much bigger it is upstairs. There’s more space to walk around.”

Trystan Helms Ninth grade Samuels

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

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Clifford Dube (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Marjolein Groot Nibbelink, Jodi and Dinah Rawson.

Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Phil Hough, Emily Erickson, Jodi Rawson, Brenden Bobby, Mike Wagoner, Laurie Brown, Marcia Pilgeram.

The waters have receded, the flood is over

Now Open 7 Nights a Week!

Hours: 4pm to 9pm Weds. - Sunday • (208) 264-0443 • Hope, ID

Jethro Shorman 18 years old Sandpoint

“I really like the new kids’ area. It is set up perfectly for them. Everything is little. They even have a little bathroom there.”

READER

Thursday Night Solo Series w/

KYLE SWAFFORD 6-8pm RON GREENE w/ DREY DAVIS

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Blues Night w/ FATTY and the INHALERS 6:30-9:30pm

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $95 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 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

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

About the Cover

This week’s cover features a painting by artist Clifford Dube, whose unique and compelling work is currently being displayed at Evans Brothers Coffee House. Go by and check out the other pieces!

June 7, 2018 /

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NEWS

Sandpoint PD shooting ruled Sheriff’s Office hit with wrongful death suit appropriate use of force

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh announced this week that Sandpoint Police officers Michael Hutter and Eric Clark used appropriate force in a March shooting.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, Hutter and Clark joined with Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon and Coeur d’Alene Police Captain Dave Hagar to detail the events of the shooting, which left both Hutter and Clark wounded by gunshots. According to Coon, Hutter is fully recovered from his wounds and back to his regular work routine. Clark, meanwhile, has recovered from a neck wound but is still healing from a separate injury to the hand. He is on light duty but eager to return to full work responsibilities.

“He’s anxious to get back to full duty, but he’s learning patience,” Coon said.

The shooting incident took

place on March 5 and ended with the assailant, Brandon Kuhlman, dead by three gunshots. Hutter was struck in the chest and thigh, while Clark was hit in the neck and hand.

According to McHugh, Hutter and Clark arrived at the residence of Kuhlman’s grandfather, William Crawford, to conduct a welfare check. Upon arrival, they spotted a gun on Crawford’s hip, and Clark approached to disarm him. At that moment, Kuhlman, located farther back in the house, began firing “without warning or provocation.”

The officers moved outside the residence to a more defensible space and returned fire, while Kuhlman advanced, firing more shots.

Within moments, the firefight was over. Kuhlman retreated back into the house struck by multiple shots and was later found dead. Despite being in the line of fire during the gunfight, Crawford sustained no wounds.

After the gunfire subsided, Hutter and Clark worked to apply first aid and ensure that they and

Crawford were safe. They also anxiously awaited the arrival of medical care and backup.

“It was a matter of maintaining cover and making sure the suspect didn’t reappear and reengage us,” Hutter said.

According to Hagar, both officers demonstrated extraordinary presence of mind during the incident.

“Their action to provide selffirst aid and buddy care were exemplary,” he said.

City officials said the community response in the aftermath of the shooting was overwhelmingly supportive. It made the officers’ process of healing and transitioning back into work a seamless process.

According to Hutter, the incident is also a reminder that even in a quiet town like Sandpoint, it’s impossible to know what will happen in the line of duty.

“You just never know — that’s just it,” he said. “Any particular day, anything can happen.”

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office is facing a lawsuit from the widow of a man fatally shot by deputies last year.

The Idaho Statesman reports that Robin Andrews is suing the office for wrongful death following the death of her husband, Craig A. Johnson, in September. Andrews maintains the office was negligent in training its officers on lawful use of lethal force and violated public records laws in failing to provide her documents related to the shooting. The lawsuit follows a $5 million wrongful death claim Andrews filed last year, which signaled an intent to sue if the sheriff’s office refused payment.

The lawsuit also alleges that Johnson “was shot at least once in the back contradicting the released information that the officers had no choice but to shoot” and that he “was shot a distance away from his cabin, not in his cabin,” the Idaho Statesman reports.

According to the lawsuit, Andrews requested that deputies conduct a welfare check on Johnson at his cabin near Coolin at the southern shore of Priest Lake after he didn’t return her phone calls. Upon arriving, the deputy encountered Johnson, who brandished a pistol and told him to leave the property.

Deputies returned in September to arrest Johnson for felony aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

According to a statement by Idaho State Police, Johnson “exited his residence with a loaded handgun and confronted deputies by pointing a handgun at them, forcing them to respond with deadly force.”

Following the shooting, deputies performed emergency medical treatment and called for an ambulance, which was routed to connect Johnson with a helicopter. However, Johnson died along the way.

Bonner County Sheriff’s Office officials said they cannot comment on the lawsuit because the shooting incident is still under investigation and it is policy to not comment on pending litigation.

Man sentenced in deputy shooting Lake level drops, stability to come

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff A man convicted of shooting two Bonner County sheriff’s deputies was sentenced this week to 50 years in prison.

KREM 2 News reports that Adam Foster, 32, who pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder, will serve 25 years fixed and 25 years indeterminate. The charges stem from a January

2017 altercation in Blanchard, where Foster fired upon sheriff’s deputies Michael R. Gagnon, Justin M. Penn and William T. Craffey after they attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. The attack wounded Gagnon and Penn.

In court, the defense said that Foster suffered from paranoid delusions, leading him to believe he was being targeted by violent

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

blue-painted interior. Proposed

by Seattle artist Troy Pillow, the sculpture will be lit by blue internal lighting similar to the lighting accents along Sand Creek Byway. The budget for the sculpture is $90,000, and an additional $20,000 will be spent on landscaping and infrastructure.

The process to select the Schweitzer Cutoff Roundabout

racists, KREM 2 reports. However, Gagnon, Penn and their family also testified to their struggles recovering physically and mentally from the attack. Both are recovered and back to work.

In weighing both sides of the case, First District Judge Barbara Buchanan ultimately pronounced a more lenient sentence with the possibility of parole due to the mental health issues in play.

City selects roundabout artwork The Schweitzer Cutoff Roundabout will get an aesthetic upgrade by next June following the city’s recent approval of a public art proposal.

The approved artwork, “Celestial Sierra,” is a stainless steel sculpture with an orbital finish and 4 /

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sculpture was exhaustive, with Arts Commission members pouring through 150 applications, 73 of which advanced for evaluation and scoring by a selection committee. After another round of information gathering, the top three candidates received a $1,000 stipend to refine their concepts, a process that ended with Pillow winning the recommendation.

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Lake Pend Oreille peaked at 2,064.2 feet on Wednesday, May 30, and then quickly dropped below summer operating level (between 2,062 and 2,062.5 feet) as of Tuesday evening.

Wednesday trends showed the lake steadily dropping toward the 2,062 mark. Army Corps Water Management civil engineer Logan Osgood-Zimmerman said Wednesday morning that the corps was taking the Albeni Falls Dam off of free flow — in other words, closing the gates — and would likely have flows regulated by afternoon in an effort to bump the lake back up to summer operating levels.

“The inflows are coming down faster than ... how fast we’re able to decrease outflows, so we expect

current Lake Level:

2,062.3 feet

High water marK:

2,064.2 (may 30) to go a little below summer pool, but not for long,” she said.

After talk of this flood season rivaling 1997 (2,065.74 feet) and 2011 (2,064.29 feet), we can officially say the latter was more accurate.

However, the lake historically crests during the first or second weeks of June, so a May 30 peak is early. This is due to the early spike in temperatures creating aggressive runoff. As a result, boaters should be aware that Lake Pend Oreille and connected waterways may see increased debris.

NEWS

After 45 years at Beach, Arts and Crafts Fair moves downtown

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Change isn’t easy. And it’s made even harder after almost 50 years of consistency.

The change, in this case, is the relocation of the Pend Oreille Arts Council Arts and Crafts Fair from City Beach — the event’s home for the last 45 years — to downtown Sandpoint.

POAC Arts Administrator Hannah Combs said since the city of Sandpoint proposed the change in February, she’s worked closely with them to work out the logistics of moving the huge event onto Main Street and Second Avenue. Nearly 100 booths will line both sides of the streets reaching out to First and Third avenues and Church and Cedar streets, which will all be drivable during the event.

This year, the two-day fair will take place Aug. 11 and 12 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sunday. It will take place simultaneously with the regularly scheduled Saturday farmers’ market, and will also occur during a Festival at Sandpoint weekend.

All of those factors contribute to what Combs admits is a chal-

lenge, but she’s approaching the change with a positive outlook.

“New challenges can be a good thing because they make us reexamine how to make the event better,” she said. “Being down at City Beach for 45 years — we had that dialed in. But this should work out really well.”

Combs said working out the logistical kinks is still a work in progress. For instance, she said it takes fair vendors several hours to get their booths set up, so POAC hopes to have booths set up Friday night. They’re working with law enforcement to keep the booths patrolled through Friday and Saturday night. Also, vendors will park in the main city parking lot.

“We’re still trying to figure out minor details, but I think we’re all looking forward to having great crowds,” Combs said of POAC, the farmers’ market and local businesses. “(The Arts and Crafts Fair) could be a great bridge between the farmers’ market and shopping on First Avenue.”

City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said moving the Arts and Crafts Fair from the beach to downtown is part of a larger plan to make downtown Sandpoint the main event hub. Stapleton said

taking pressure of beach recreators, freeing up the City Beach parking lot and ushering event goers downtown toward brick and mortar businesses creates a win for everyone involved.

“Everyone loves the views at the beach, but we have a beautiful downtown, too,” she said. “It comes down to, ‘How can we create a vibrant downtown and support our businesses through this construction?’ It creates symbiotic benefit.”

Stapleton said such a big change won’t come without lessons, but that everything learned this time around will make future events go more smoothly. She said even with all the logistical challenges — like unloading, loading, parking and more — POAC has been open to the change.

“I really can’t commend the POAC board enough,” she said.

“The easy answer is to say, ‘No, we’re sticking to the status quo,’ but they’ve been great team players.”

June weather to determine fire season

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Predicting nature may ultimately be a fool’s errand, but being prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at us — especially when it comes to fire season — is something the U.S. Forest Service tries hard to do.

USFS Idaho Panhandle National Forests spokesperson Shoshana Cooper said they use a national outlook to get an idea of what the coming months may hold. Predictive Services and the National Interagency Fire Center produce the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook (NSWFPO) each month, and Copper said it’s a resource USFS watches closely.

The June NSWFPO predicts North Idaho, Montana and North

Dakota — which the NSWFPO calls the “Northern Rockies” region — will see “normal significant” fire potential this season, based on the average snowpack and precipitation. The report sees that potential increasing as the warmer months wear on.

Regardless of current predictions, Cooper said the region’s fire outlook is still largely a mystery until June plays out.

“If June is dry, then we can expect a more significant fire season, despite what happened in April and May,” she said. “If there’s little or no precipitation in June, and higher temperatures, heavier fuels dry out much quicker.”

She said July’s NSWFPO report will be more indicative of what people can expect in August and September.

Photo by Kari Greer.

“Every year is different, but some of the same trends happen each year,” she said. “In June, the temperatures we get are indicative of what the rest of the summer will look like for us.”

Cooper said predictions for the Northern Rockies do not take into consideration fire outlook in Canada or Washington, which is where most of the smoke that plagued Sandpoint last year came from.

A projected map of the downtown layout.

Courtesy image.

Reeder Bay Campground Electric vehicle closed for season charger to be installed downtown By Reader Staff The Reeder Bay Campground, next week located on the Priest Lake Ranger

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

The city of Sandpoint will install an electric vehicle charger, capable of charging two cars at once, in downtown Sandpoint next week.

City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said the station will be located in Jeff Jones Town Square near the Solar Roadways installation. She said the city worked with Avista to make Sandpoint’s EV charger a reality.

Through Avista, the city was able to purchase the charger at wholesale cost and use the same installer Avista uses for such EV charging installations all over the region.

The charger is universal, meaning it should be compatible with any electric car. It will be connected to the city’s Wi-Fi network, allowing them to track utilization.

“This is the kind of smart city technology other cities are using. We’ve received a number of emails from people traveling through asking if there’s an EV charging station in town,” Stapleton said. “And, because people have to wait a couple hours for their cars to charge, it will get those people downtown.”

District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests will be closed for the 2018 camping season while the campground is upgraded to flush toilets.

“We ask the public to please be patient during construction,” said District Ranger Felipe Cano. “We are really looking forward to offering the public modernized facilities.”

Part of the funding to convert the vault toilets to flush toilets was made possible through an Idaho Parks and Recreation Recreational Vehicle Grant.

The campground is located within the Granite Reeder Sewer District. This upgrade has been planned for several years.

Construction began last fall after the campground closed for the season, however due to the extent of the project and short season for construction projects of this nature, the contractor will need to complete the project this summer.

All other campgrounds at Priest Lake remain open this season. For additional information, please contact the Priest Lake Ranger District at (208) 443-2512.

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OPINION

Let’s talk about the vote

By Phil Hough Reader Contributor

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, and others, have been involved for many years in the effort to protect the Scotchman Peaks as wilderness to ensure it will always stay the same. Naturally, we are disappointed by the outcome of the recent Bonner County advisory vote.

We are proud of, and want to thank, our board, staff, campaign partners, volunteers and the many supporters who ran a campaign that was run with honesty, integrity and hard work. We stayed with positive messages and continued to build community and partnerships. Local voices from diverse backgrounds stepped up, including timber folks, mountain bikers, hunters and anglers, conservative politicians and business people, a growing coalition of folks dedicated to conserving this special place.

Ideology sometimes overwhelms consideration of issues on their merits. Unfortunately, in this election, misinformation spread quickly. Inaccurate information about land ownership or management, particularly false claims about fire management and search and rescue, left some voters confused or uncertain about what wilderness designation means. While some voted against the proposal on principle, others who voted against it likely did so because of confusion and uncertainty caused by this misinformation. When not sure, a “no” vote may seem to be the safer option.

Despite this, over 4,800 supporters voted in favor of wilderness. This is a number to be reckoned with, not ignored, especially considering the many obstacles in the path of a victory. Despite the outcome, or perhaps because of it, this vote has strengthened the bonds of the community of folks dedicated to wilderness.

Clearly, many people care deeply about public lands. There is also a clear need for more education about public lands, natural resources and recreation management.

We are dedicated to providing a better understanding about the need for wilderness, its challenges,

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opportunities and values, including the freedom, hope and promise it provides.

While it takes congressional designation to fully implement the forest plan’s vision of wilderness, this vote does not change the current management of the Scotchman Peaks by the U.S. Forest Service. We will continue to be strong advocates for preserving the wilderness characteristics now while looking to the future for designation. And we will work to keep these wild lands as they are right now, open to all people, closed only to motors and machines (except when needed for fighting fire or for emergencies involving health and human safety).

We have been doing “boots on the ground” work for 13 years to make sure that trails stay open to the public. This work is as important now as it would be after wilderness designation. With

shrinking budgets, volunteers are needed to keep trails open. We will continue to train volunteers in the use of pulaskis, cross cut saws and other tools and organize field days to build and maintain trails suitable for hikers and horses.

Our hiking maps and volunteer-led hikes will continue to offer opportunities for individuals to explore the area.

Our weed warriors will continue to monitor and work on mitigating weeds (to help, pick up a copy of our Scotchman Peaks/ Cabinet Mountain weed guide.)

Our Mountain Goat Ambassador program, in partnership with the forest service and Idaho Department of Fish and Game will continue to deploy volunteers to educate people about safe and responsible behavior around mountain goats, making the trail safer for both. This program is vital to keeping the area wild and

keeping it open to the public.

Our Winter Tracks program over the last four years has provided unique wintertime, outdoor education for over 700 kids from over 14 schools, from four counties and three states, teaching tree identification, animal tracking, animal behavior and biology, orienteering and avalanche awareness, so they can appreciate the natural landscape.

We will continue training volunteers in Wilderness First Aid (over 60 in the last five years).

The path to wilderness legislation is often long, but we are committed to building a stronger community of supporters and providing the boots on the ground care-taking and natural resource education needed to get there and needed to taking care of the wilderness character right now. It is just too important.

We need places that are wild

and free, places unaltered by the hand of man, places with the freedom to roam in awe and wonder of the wild outdoors. We will work to leave a legacy of wild country to this next generation and all future generations.

The community of wilderness supporters and stewards is growing, but there is always room for more people. To help keep Scotchman Peaks open to the public, come swing a pulaski, become a Mountain Goat Ambassador and educate hikers, or become a Winter Tracks volunteer to touch the lives of area students in winter months, or just come join us for a hike!

Find out more at www.ScotchmanPeaks.org.

Help me to Understand...

know. I must be missing something and the only people who can make me better understand the reason or reasons are those who voted against the SPWA. I hope that one or more who voted against the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area will please enlighten me with a one or two logical, but not political, reasons why they voted against securing something I feel would be extremely valuable to our community and future generations.

Have those who voted against wilderness experienced the quiet peace of that special place? I don’t believe one could vote no had they entered one of these nature cathedrals. I encourage you to do it. It just might open minds and hearts if you let it. Thanks to those who will continue to work for wilderness.

down. An ominous black arrow pointing at Sandpoint. The message in the anonymous ad on the back cover of the May 24 issue is clear and grim, but lacking in facts. Instead, it points to a website, StopTheSmelter.com to “Get The Facts.” That website — also anonymous — features the same unidentified image of belching smoke along with pleas for money for CANSS, Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter, so maybe they are the authors.

I searched the website for the location of those erupting smokestacks, but that fact was missing. The site does include a helpful link to Ramboll Environ’s proposal for predicting how plant emissions will be carried by the wind.

That work is not done yet, but their proposal includes a historical wind rose for the plant site--i.e. the direction the wind has blown in the past. Is Sandpoint really downwind of Newport? Well, yes, almost 3 percent of the time. Far more often the wind has blown to the north over the Selkirks (12 percent), or south-southeast through south-southwest toward Coeur d’Alene, Spokane Valley or Spokane (about 10 percent each).

Smelter opponents squander their credibility by publishing such fiction. I sympathize with the anonymous writers on one thing however: not in my backyard.

Put those smelters in Alabama or Mississippi with the rest of them. Better yet, put them nowhere. Let the price of solar cells drift upward and save us from the clutter of solar arrays on our roadways.

Dear Editor, I was shocked when I saw the voting results on the proposal to designate Scotchman Peaks a wilderness area in Idaho. How could a majority of my voting peers in Bonner County vote against an issue I thought was a “no brainer?” Who could possibly be opposed to preserving a small portion of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest for my grandchildren and their grandchildren? First, I thought, well 5,672 (5 percent) to 4,831 (4 percent) is a small majority of approximate 20,000 or about 27 percent of those on the voting rolls in Bonner County.

I immediately became critical of the approximately 50 percent who did not make the effort to vote. Then I realized the voting results are still a majority of those who voted, and I like to think we live in a democracy and that the public has spoken. But I am still perplexed why!

Follow the money! That is always a good place to start. I know who funded the passage of this proposal, the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, their members and their plethora of volunteers with donations of their time and money, but I do not know who funded the opposition. The opposition had to be organized and had to have substantial funding but by whom and what were their reasons for opposing the creation and protection of a small area of natural beauty?

Where did I go wrong? What is it I do not understand? Why would so many people be opposed to the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area? I would honestly like to

Tony Lewis Sagle

A Sad Result...

Dear Editor, For me, the sad result of folks voting against the preservation of the unique Scotchmans Peak area makes me wonder if the proud legacy of Idahoans as conservationists has ended. Whereas people were once willing to sit down and discuss issues regarding keeping these treasures landscapes as they are, they are now standing and shouting down opinions with which they disagree.

With a mere 13 percent of our public lands having been designated wilderness — where one can get away from the noisy fast-paced world to relax, reflect, observe, listen and be restored. To be reminded that we are part of this beautiful creation brings a sense of stewardship to care and protect our water, air and ecosystems that give us and the rest of creation a quality of life. The other 87 percent of our public lands allow recreational vehicles, mining, logging and grazing.

River Burdick Sandpoint

We Applaud Military Vets...

Dear Editor, Replying to the “Regarding SPORTS” letter dated 5-4-2018 by USAF retiree Brent Bidus, the SPORTS Group would like to thank this veteran for his service to the country. Military careerists and decorated war veterans are the greatest of all for their service to the nation, whereby liberals, moderates, and conservative have the First Amendment freedom of expression to address their differences verbally or in writing, hopefully in a peaceable manner.

And military veterans make the greatest sacrifices of any group to the nation; we applaud them!

Sincerely, Ron Adamik For Safety-Peace Officers Retired to Sandpoint (SPORTS) Sandpoint

Smokestacks Misleading...

Dear Editor, Twin smokestacks belching black smoke. “DOWNWIND” and “poison air” in the brightest red ink the Reader can lay

Phil Hough is the executive director of the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.

Alan Barber Sandpoint

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Welcome to the Jungle

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist You’re in the jungle. Light is flickering through the canopy of leaves, painting colorful streaks across the dirt floor. You turn your neck to the left and see a pack of hyenas cackling in excitement and erratically pawing the earth surrounding a dead carcass, blood painting their snouts.

Amidst the feeding frenzy, you notice a calculated swish of a tail in the trees above the pack. Following the golden pendulum with your gaze, you spot one grand paw, and then another, and then a thigh, and finally, the body of a massive lion, licking his lips in anticipation of his coming meal.

Hearing a voice calling to you, you turn your head to the right, immediately ducking to avoid the loose arm of a swinging orangutan, joining his friends in the branches above your head. Still searching for the voice, your head is swivelling and your ears are straining to make sense of the commotion enclosed within the canopy.

Until you hear it again. And it becomes clearer and clearer.

“Ma’am, what can I get you to drink tonight?” Suddenly you realize you’re not in the jungle.

You’re in a bar. Surrounded by Millennials. Oh god.

If you’ve ever strayed into A&P’s after 11 p.m. on a weekend night here in Sandpoint, you understand how difficult it can be to discern the differences in the scene described above and the social setting of rowdy residents engaging in alcohol consumption.

As a Millennial that earns grocery money by pushing

Emily Erickson. boozy cocktails on my patrons, and personally enjoying a plethora of malty beverages (I am from Wisconsin, after all), I am in no position to judge the drinking habits of my peers.

That being said, there is an article-worthy dynamic between Millennials, our society and alcohol consumption. If you scroll through popular accounts on social media sites, you’ll inevitably see a bikini-clad group of cheering girls, with their ring leader on bended knee, vice-gripping a beer-bong filled with half a liter bottle of Barefoot Rosé.

Accompanying these videos are the photos featuring glazed, half-eye opened, flat-brimmed wearing dudes with t-shirts reading “Black Out King,” and “Saturdays Are For the Boys,” liked and shared by droves of frat-house heroes.

When thinking sociologically, there appears to be a romanticization of excessive alcohol consumption, especially within the Millennial population, perpetuated by our concept of appropriate social interaction and ultimately, by social media.

Instead of riding that ohso-perfect happy buzz train achieved through mixing in a friggen water in between goblets

of wine, we strive for getting “effed up,” because that’s what we’ve seen reinforced as being “fun,” and “youthful” (because we all know, nothing is more exciting than scraping a sobbing Becky off of the toilet paper littered public bathroom floor).

We are programmed to pregame our social events, not just to save a few dollars or for extra laughs, but rather, because we aren’t comfortable interacting with one another until we are wrapped in our warm and fuzzy alcohol-induced confidence blankets. And when properly wrapped, we have a documentation-ready device at our fingertips, geared at sharing our “carefree” drunkenness with the world.

Having lived in the most binge-drinkingest region in the United States, Northeast Wisconsin, I am no stranger to alcohol not just being an addition to the social scene, but rather, being at the heart of it.

Because of my exposure to the widespread celebration of boozing across all ages, I think it’s worth, at the very least, exploring if this romanticization of alcohol is another society-wide trend, simply highlighted by the Millennial compulsion to share everything we do.

Maybe it’s just as common to see a Gen-X Todd calling for another round of Jameson shots while tipping off his barstool chair, or to see Baby Boomer Linda knock over her third extra dry Kettle One martini in an attempt to order a bottle of wine, as it is to see drunken Millennials flailing about like the metal balls in a pinball machine.

And perhaps it’s because we Millennials feel compelled to post how fun and carefree our

lives are on social media, simultaneously shotgunning a PBR and ordering take-out tacos for the world to see, that we’re just more prone to taking the fall for this societal-wide romanticization of excessive drinking behavior.

Because, given the stories I hear from the drink-slinging side of the bar, there were quite a few Todds and Lindas back in the day that would have given the Millennial Brads and Chads a run for their beer money. They just didn’t have a smartphone on hand to catch themselves and their peers in the act.

Now, before I get accused of being an uppity prude, it’s worth noting that I can hang with the

best of ‘em when it comes to drinking beers, especially if there is a cornhole board in the vicinity. But cultivating opportunities for thinking about the ways in which we participate in creating our own culture and reality is definitely a worthwhile endeavor, even at the expense of sounding hypocritical.

So next time you see a Todd falling off his stool, Linda scrambling for her strewn olives or Becky’s mascara starting to well within her tear ducts, consider maybe this drunken jungle isn’t exclusive to Millennials, but rather, our society as a whole. And for the love of god, order them a water.

Retroactive

By BO

Sheepsters...

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COMMUNITY

Adult Softball league starting soon

By Reader Staff Bouquets: • I love our readers. They are some of the kindest, most inventive and fun-loving people in Sandpoint. We are slowly seeing cover designs trickling in for our ArtWalk cover design competition. We receive very kind phone calls and emails from people just wanting to express their thanks for the Reader. And one other feature has popped up recently that is fully driven by our readers. Almost out of nowhere, people began sending in photos of themselves reading the Reader in far-off locations. We never solicited these photos, but they continued to come to us, and we love printing them. If you bring the Reader on your upcoming vacation, snap a photo and shoot it on over to us anytime. And thanks for reading this little rag.

•Speaking of our readers, I’d like to give a shout-out to our most far-reaching subscriber.

Marilyn Gauzza of Arlington, Va., is officially the furthest-away subscriber to the Reader. This lovely woman in her 90s reads the Reader every week and loves to call her son, George, in Sandpoint to discuss the local happenings. Thanks for reading, Marilyn!

Barbs • I’ve had this happen at least a dozen times since the end of winter: I’m on the bike path running parallel to Fifth Avenue and a vehicle attempting to pull into traffic has inched forward so far that they are blocking the crosswalk entirely. They are also so close to the bike path entrance that those riding on the path are forced to wait for them while the vehicle waits for an opening in traffic, or you have to curb hop behind the vehicle to get by. Sometimes people will realize they are causing a problem and back up to let you through with a polite wave, but most often, the driver either pointedly ignores your presence or shrugs as if to say, “It’s not my problem.” But it is. Quit taking up the crosswalk space, dude-brah.

Stop behind the line.

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READER SPOTTED IN SWEDEN

Sandpoint Parks and Recreation is gearing up for another fun season of Coed Softball!

Play will be Monday through Thursday beginning in early July through August. There will be a minimum of 14 games for each team. Games are played at Travers Park Fields #1 and 2.

Register online before the June 10 deadline at www.sandpointidaho.gove/parksrecreation.

The cost is $300 / sponsor fee + $360 / player’s fee. Sponsor and players’ fees are due in full at the Captains Meeting Thursday, June 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

Completed rosters will be due the first night of play

Marjolein Groot Nibbelink brought the Reader to Sweden and read it alongside its local sister publication, the Umeå Tidning. “Here we (my mom and I) are on a ferry to the island of Holmön (left), and later by its Bergudden lighthouse (top). Courtesy photos.

Youth sports camps offered

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint Parks and Recreation is partnering with Skyhawks to offer youth sports camps this June.

The Tiny Hawk Soccer Camp for kids age 3-4 offers two sessions: Session 1 is June 18-22 for $69 and Session 2 is July 2-3, 5-6 for $49. Each session meets at Travers Park from 8-8:45 a.m.

This camp is designed specifically for pre-school aged kids to introduce the essentials of soccer through games and activities, balance exploration, hand/eye coordination and skill development. Participants must be toilet trained in order to participate.

Deadline for registration is June 11 for Session 1, or June 26 for Session 2.

The Mini Hawk Soccer, Baseball and Basketball Camp for those age 4-7 also offers two sessions with the same dates, but meeting at Travers Park from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Cost for Session 1 is $129, or $119 for Session 2. To register for either of the camps, visit www.sandpointidaho.gov/parksrecreation or visit the P&R office at 1123 Lake St. in Sandpoint.

Ahoy, matey! Learn how to sail

By Reader Staff

Greetings, land lubbers!

Sandpoint Parks and Recreation and the Sandpoint Sailing Association will be offering an advanced sailing lesson for ages 10 to adult.

There are two sessions available: Session 1 features classes from June 18-21 from 12-2 p.m.

Session 2 takes place from Aug.

13-16 from 12-2 p.m. Registration deadlines for Session 1 are June 13, and Aug. 8 for Session 2.

The fee for classes is $39 per person, and those who live in Sandpoint city limits get a $4 discount. The fees cover everything you need to participate.

Participants are to meet at the Windbag Marina on Fred’s Deck. Log onto the Sandpoint

Parks and Recreation website to register.

Creations hosting special needs art classes

By Reader Staff Creations on the Cedar St. Bridge is hosting a special summer art class for those with special needs.

The Discovery Through Art Special Needs Class serves up to 15 participants and their caregivers each class.

Art instructors Mary Maio and Shery Meekings meet each individual student where they are at cognitively and physically,

and the students build a foundation of art skills, practice fine motor skills and build self-esteem and creativity. The program fills an important community need for creative classes that serve our special needs community.

The art program is funded by grants from Team Autism 24/7 and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, along with support from Creations and art student fees.

Discovery Through Art classes will be held Tuesdays at 9 a.m., June 12 through July 31. Special needs children and adults are welcome to attend.

Participants will explore a new art medium each week.

Drop by Creations on the Cedar St. Bridge to register for your art class punch card, or email creationsforsandpoint@ gmail.com for more information.

PERSPECTIVES

Shedding light on Hellen Keller

By Ed Ohlweiler Reader Contributor

Let’s imagine that Hellen Keller were not deaf and blind. Let’s forget temporarily that infamous defining moment around the well pump with Anne Sullivan, all the people she inspired by that, and all the people who wanted to see her institutionalized prior to that. Let’s just disregard adversity altogether.

What we have left is perhaps one of the greatest thinkers to grace the 20th century. Keller lived life with a depth of wisdom most of us can only aspire to, yet this is often overshadowed by her achievements in overcoming hardships.

We know this to be no small feat, yet we often seem unwilling to move beyond it.

But to immerse yourself in her writing is to open a gateway to joy, gratitude, concern, wonder, empathy — a kind of far-reaching effort to embrace all the world offers and a drive to help where needed. The fact that she considered herself primarily an author just reveals her humility—you could easily add philosopher, humanitarian, motivational teacher, civil rights activist, social worker, world traveler, Christian, patriot and socialist to that.

Obviously, the way we get to know Hellen Keller is through her writing (you can find YouTube clips of her speaking, but they were often accompanied by translators or captions). In addition to her books, the Helen Keller Archives contain over 475 speeches and essays that she wrote on topics such as faith, blindness prevention, birth control, the rise of fascism in Europe and atomic energy. Several things about her writing stand out beyond the pure eloquence. Right away, one cannot help but notice the depth of her reading. It appears she has a working knowledge of all of history and has read authors from ancient Greece to the present, from famous to obscure. (Once she was falsely accused of plagiarism and Mark Twain and Alexander Graham Bell came to her defense.)

There are other things that stand out as well. There is an insightfulness in her writing that is just plain uncommon.

There is an artistic use of poetic imagery that perhaps serves as her palette of col-

ors. There is not a trace of self-pity — on the contrary, her pieces are laced with graciousness and gratitude. “What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness!”

To read Hellen Keller is also to read philosophy. As she writes, “Philosophy is the history of a deaf-blind person writ large. From the talks of Socrates up through Plato, Berkeley and Kant, philosophy records the efforts of human intelligence to be free of the clogging material world and fly forth into a universe of pure idea.”

Certainly there is a thread of determination that permeates both her life and her writing. She was always a champion for the underdog, whether it be for the factory worker, the women and minorities, those unable to vote, victims of war, poverty, or hunger, the diseased, the deaf or the blind. She met every U.S. president in her lifetime, from Grover Cleveland in 1888 to her death in 1968. She was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to Japan in 1948 by General MacArthur (on the heels of Hiroshima and Nagasaki).

She also helped co-found the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920.

And, yes, she was a socialist. Socialist shaming is not just a recent event in America — it was much worse back then. In fact, were it not for her notoriety, she probably would never have survived the McCarthy era. But her dedication to what she felt was right rendered McCarthy, I like to think, a mere bump in the road to greater things.

She was a diehard patriot who supported American accomplishments and fought to improve its shortcomings. Her writings on socialism can be found in the collection “Out of the Dark.”

Also of note is the collection “Optimism.” While it would take some time to read the entire panoply of her writings, all but her books are offered for

BY THE NUMBERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Up to 50 years

How long Blanchard resident Adam Deacon Foster could serve in prison for shooting two Bonner County sheriff’s deputies in 2017. Judge Barbara Buchanan opted to impose a 50-year term, the first 25 years of which are fixed.

$10,000

free online. What’s more, the internet at times seems a showcase just for Hellen Keller quotes—it appears that she has more quotable quotes than almost anyone on the internet.

Or quotes about her: “The two most interesting characters of the nineteenth century are Helen Keller and Napoleon Bonaparte.”

-Mark Twain

WANT TO INCREASE BUSINESS? THE READER PRINTS 5,000 COPIES EVERY WEEK, AND REACHES SANDPOINT, PONDERAY, BONNERS FERRY, PRIEST RIVER, NEWPORT, HOPE, CLARK FORK, SAGLE, BAYVIEW AN AND OUTLYING AREAS. CALL JODI BERGE AT (208)627-2586 TO GET A FREE QUOTE

SINCE 2004 (WITH A SLIGHT HICCUP)

The amount of money that Vermont is offering people who telework to move there. The state will reimburse them for the cost of moving and renting a co-working space as well as computer software, hardware and internet access.

4,645

Estimated death toll in Puerto Rico in the months after Hurricane Maria, according to researchers. The island has officially declared only 64 fatalities.

44

How many years ago that Wyoming let people hunt grizzly bears, which were a protected species in the Yellowstone region until last year. The state will resume grizzly hunting this fall.

$3.4 billion

Annual taxes that states and local governments could gain now that the Supreme Court legalized sports betting last month.

Dec. 4, 2017

The day the Thomas fire – which officially burned out last week – started in California. It was the largest wildfire in the state’s modern history.

julY 1, 2018

The date when Idaho will take over regulating pollution discharge into the state’s lakes and rivers from the federal government under an agreement signed Tuesday by Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Mad about Science:

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist The crossbow: one part gun, one part bow, 10 parts awesome. So good at maths.

When you think of a crossbow, you probably imagine a soldier from the Middle Ages.

That’s fair: It was a highly popular weapon while we were all dying of plague, and there are reasons for that, but it’s actually much older. Archaeological evidence suggests armies in eastern Asia may have been using crossbows as early as 650 BC. They’ve even found triggers and other bits and pieces with the Terracotta army.

It may surprise you to know that the Greeks used crossbows as well, which would later be developed into ship-mounted ballistae — artillery big enough to sling leg-sized bolts through ships and city walls. The Romans would go on to adopt this technology as well.

So why were ancient cultures so crazy about crossbows? All of the great myths have dudes (and dudettes) shooting a bow, but you don’t often hear about great gods firing some mechanical contraption. A bow took a considerable amount of work to shoot accurately. It took practice, strength and endurance to be able to keep firing. J-Law and Stephen Amell make it look like child’s play on the screen, but firing arrows accurately for hours at a time will wear you out, and it takes a lifetime of practice to get good enough to pull off shots while moving or being shot at.

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crossbows easy as point and shoot.

In gods, our ancestors saw strength and skill with a bow to be testament to their immense powers. On the battlefield, generals preferred being able to marshal an entire army inexpensively while still maintaining a semblance of deadly precision. When they had bowmen, they were a lifetime investment, and losing one meant you had to start all over; if your crossbowman died, his friend could just pick up his crossbow and hand it to someone else as easily as I pass you a game controller.

That is, if we’re playing on a couch while actually being shot at.

The way that a crossbow works is pretty simple. You set the trigger, which locks against the nut in the stock. There’s a notch in the nut so you can pull the string back through it. This is where the energy transfer happens, by drawing back the string you’re also pulling back the lath, or the bow arms and converting mechanical energy into potential energy. When you pull the trigger, it allows the nut to roll forward and let the string slip out of the notch. Once that happens, the stored energy is released and the string hurls the bolt downrange, transferring some of that energy into kinetic energy, which carries the projectile.

Outside of a high school physics classroom: When you pull the trigger, the string is released and flings the projectile at the target, then everyone cheers as Daryl bags another walker.

There were even some de-

Brought to you by:

signs for repeating crossbows, a weapon designed so that all you’d have to do is re-draw the string, as another bolt would fall into place to fire after the first vacated the chamber.

Rather than using spring-loader mechanisms or expended gas, ancient engineers were wise enough to let gravity do all of the work. Whether or not this caused frequent jamming is anyone’s guess.

In the days of old, a crossbow was generally made of wood, as it was flexible and did a good job of storing a lot of mechanical energy, while also being cheap to produce. Nowadays, most crossbows are made of a carbon composite material, plastics and metal. A high-end hunting crossbow is capable of firing a projectile at 350 fps (feet per second). I couldn’t find information on the projectile speed of a medieval crossbow, but I did find some cool videos on Youtube of dudes firing them at suits of armor.

Long story short, you really don’t want to be on the receiving end of a bolt. It doesn’t look fun.

It might surprise you to know that militaries around the world still use crossbows. You won’t see Marines dropping hostiles with them, though.

A weapon that spits out 30 rounds of searing metal in a few seconds vastly outperforms your measley three to six bolts per minute. However, they have other specialty uses. Let’s say a narrow alley seems like it could be a hotbed for tripwires or other IEDs. Rather than just trying to creep through it, soldiers use cross-

bows that fire grappling hooks, then drag them back with a reel. The hooks are designed to catch rogue tripwires and detonate the devices with no loss of life. Like fishing for explosions.

Soldiers in Central America use them to set zip lines in the jungle for rapid downhill travel, which sounds super fun.

During World War I, the allies used a special crossbow

called a Sauterelle that was designed to lob grenades into enemy trenches. It wouldn’t take long for the armies of either side to figure out it made more sense to launch them with explosions and created mortars for that purpose instead.

Do you own a crossbow?

Ever go hunting with it? Personally, I haven’t, but after a little research, I sure can see the appeal!

Random Corner Don’t know much about sleep?

We can help!

• Humans spend a third of their life sleeping. That’s about 25 years.

• Parents of new babies miss out on six months’ worth of sleep in the first two years of their child’s life.

• The record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days. It probably involved Netflix binge-watching.

• An experiment in 1998 found that a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain’s sleep-wake clock.

• Sleeping less than seven hours each night reduces your life expectancy.

• Before alarm clocks were invented, there were “knocker-ups” who went tapping on client’s windows with long sticks until they were awake.

• It’s impossible to sneeze while sleeping.

• Sleeping on the job is acceptable in Japan, as it’s viewed as exhaustion from working hard.

• Sea otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift away from each other.

• Cats sleep for 70 percent of their lives.

• You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

• In darkness, most people eventually adjust to a 48-hour cycle: 36 hours of activity followed by 12 hours of sleep. The reasons are still unclear.

• Dysania is the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.

• The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

• Research has found that the more visually creative a person is, the lower the quality of their sleep.

EDUCATION

Q & A with Sandpoint Middle School principal Casey McLaughlin

By Jodi Rawson Reader Staff

information about them. Students are often not mature enough to deal with this on their own, and they need help working through the social pressures that come with growing up. It was different when I was in school because we could escape from social pressures when we went home.

My seventh-grade daughter says her principal is very well loved and greets everyone by their first name (even though the Sandpoint Middle School population is at full capacity). A leader that cares as much as Casey McLaughlin is worth catching up with.

SR: From your perspective, how is LPOSD superior to other school districts?

Sandpoint Reader: As principal of the Middle School, could you address some of the highs and lows of your job?

Casey McLaughlin: The biggest highs of my job are the people. Getting the opportunity to work with students and to see their academic and personal growth is incredibly rewarding. Working with teachers and staff is also rewarding. It is an incredible experience to work with others in order to grow professionally.

We get to work together to find the very best ways to solve problems and to make learning more impactful and irresistible for our students.

The only real low is that as a principal I spend less direct time with students than I did when I was teaching and coaching.

Creating relationships with kids is the greatest thing in the world and I miss having some of those opportunities.

SR: What are some of the challenges that students are facing today that you did not face in school?

CM: The challenges are massive.

CM: I feel incredibly lucky to be in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

When I think about what sets us apart, I quickly land on the staff. I have had the opportunity to work at the high school, middle school and elementary level. At each opportunity I have found myself surrounded by people who have a relentless desire to improve and get better at what we do in order to best serve our students.

People care greatly about children and our community, and this is what makes our district unique and amazing.

SR: In what ways do you feel LPOSD needs improvement?

Principal Casey McLaughlin.

Many students face serious obstacles in their lives that I and my peers did not necessarily face as teens. One example is having constant access to social media.

Not all students are ready for the difficult social and emotional consequences that arise when people post unkind or untrue

SR: Could you talk about growing up in Sandpoint? How has it changed over the years?

CM: Sandpoint is still the beautiful place where I grew up. We have more stop lights and a few taller buildings, but it still has a small town feel. I remember this town as one where my friends and I could safely walk around all summer going to the beach, the Pastime for French fries, and Harold’s IGA for apple fritters.

My parents never had to worry about my safety (just my food choices), and now having kids of my own, I feel that same sense of safety.

The only negative change is that we seem to be more focused upon what divides us instead of what we have in common. This is not unique to Sandpoint.

However I certainly feel it because of my role in the schools.

CM: We always have areas where we can improve. We are always looking for better and more innovative ways to teach and to help students to reach their potential in life as well as academics. I have had the opportunity to be a part of a strategic planning team which is looking forward to where we should be focused for the next five years. This is one of the

Injectors Car Club hosts BBQ fundraiser for SASi

By Reader Staff The Injectors Car Club will be hosting a fundraiser for the Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. on Wednesday, June 13, at Burger Express in Sandpoint.

Between the hours of 5-7 p.m., 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to SASi. Also, it will be a good chance to check out the local classic cars in the parking lot as well as seeing club members take a turn at serving the public that comes in. If you have a classic car, be sure and bring it to show the public your efforts and meet new friends.

The Injectors Car Club has a common thread in helping out community groups since it first fired up in the 1960s as a club.

From cruising to the local senior facili-

reasons I love our district: We are willing to admit that we do not know it all, and we are in a constant search to become better at what we do.

Bring your computer back to life!

We have a large staff, so you never need an appointment!

•21 years of doing tech support in Sandpoint •Decades of combined experience

ties to raising money for Hospice, Toys for Tots, the Food Bank or Community Cancer Services at the annual car show, giving back has been a big part of what the Injectors do.

Courtesy photo.

For more information on the Injectors Cruise Night benefiting SASI contact Gary Vanhorn at (208) 263-9780 or email www.sandpointinjectors.com.

•Fast turn around and quality work •Capable of handling all business and home technology needs June 7, 2018 /

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event

we are open during construction come in and have a beer!

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Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

Thursday Night 6-8pm @ MickD As seen with T d’Alene’s Kyle S Hall for a speci Show. Also, food

Mountain Havoc 2 Noon - 11pm @ Bo Come out to the Pu Ranch north of Bon vehicular violence! live filming for TV. all weekend long, fr food and good time Pond Live Music w/ Oak St. Connection Live Music w/ Bridges Home BBQ 6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery City Americana, Celtic, roots and everything between teers Live Music w/ Brian Stai Live Music w/ Tobi D’Amore 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority lawn and Eric’s Dawg House Soulful Americana paint 4pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Live Music w/ Casey Ryan Stor Singer songwriter and front man of the Bone 9am 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Indie singer-songwriter out of the Chimes playing a special show at Laughing Dog this Sandpoint Farmers’ Market ties, Pacific Northwest who was a top 200 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” olds Shop for locally grown pro- Hist Blues Night with Fatty & The Inhalers duce, shop artisan wares, eat 10-1 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall The trio of Steve Rush, Chris Paradis, and Ali Maverick some good food and enjoy live A fr music by Bright Moments Jazz usin Thomas offer an evening of dancing and fun

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Leftover Salmon in Concert 9pm @ The Hive This veteran jam band is making their maiden voyage to the Hive, with Dodgy Mountain Men opening. $20 in advance, $25 at the door

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Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 6-8pm @ Cedar St. Bistro Wine Bar Live Music w/ Ron Kieper Trio 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Music w/ One Street Over 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Father and daughter duo - R&B, soul

Live Music w/ Beat Diggers 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge Sandpoint rock band Live Music w/ Ron Greene with Drey Davis 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall A full fun sound

Bay Trail Fun Run Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee @ Lawn in front of Trinity at City Beach A family-friendly 5K and 10K along the shores of Lake Pe Meets every Sunday at 9am Oreille and Sand Creek. POBTrail.org. 208-265-9565 Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Night-Out Karaoke 9pm @ 219 Lounge Join DJ Pat for a night of singing, or just come to drink and listen

Wind Down Wednesday 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge With live music by blues man Truck Mills and guest musician Mike Elliott Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

The Enchanted Library Dance Recital Different groups from Allegro Dance Stud

The Enchanted Library Dance Recital 6:30pm @ Panida Theater Different groups from Allegro Dance Studio will be dancing at each performance Wednesdays w/ Bennie 5-7:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Weekly music on Connie’s deck with Bennie Baker. This week’s special guest: Chris Lynch

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Tap Tuesday @ T $5 for your first be

Adventures in Wonderland 6:30pm @ Panida Theater Studio 1 Dance Academy end-of-year performance. Tic ets are $18 adult, $8 student

Trivia Takeover Live 6:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Teams encouraged but not required. Wine and beer specials also. Free and open to the public

Yarn and The Slocan Ra 7pm @ Panida Theater Returning to the Panida Th olina-based Americana ba the Slocan Ramblers, a yo British Columbia. Learn m

ful

June 7 - 14, 2018

day Night Solo Series w/ Kyle Swaffard @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall n with The Other White Meat, Coeur e’s Kyle Swaffard is heading to the Beer r a special Thursday Night Solo Series Also, food by Curry in a Hurry

A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.

Reader recommended

Firkin Friday 5pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Brewers brew a new beer, tap the Firkin, and the brewers hang out and talk about the beer! Pints are $3 until the Firkin runs out

n Havoc 2018 pm @ Bonners Ferry KRFY Annual Membership Drive t to the Purcell Trench 8am-8pm @ KRFY 88.5FM rth of Bonners for pure Brewers brew a new beer, tap the violence! They will be Firkin, and the brewers hang out ng for TV. Tons of fun and talk about the beer! Pints are $3 nd long, free camping, until the Firkin runs out good times Ponderay Community Clean-up Weekend and BBQ BBQ at 4pm @ Jesse’s Park City of Ponderay hosts a clean up weekend with voluneen teers offering assistance with a variety of tasks including lawn care, solid waste removal, pressure washing, minor painting projects, weeding and more. 208-265-5468 Stories and More one 9am-10:30am @ Sandpoint Waldorf School og this free event includes a puppet story, seasonal activiket ties, play and a light snack. Open to 1-, 2- and 3-yearolds and one parent or caregiver. RSVP: (208) 265-2683 ro- Historic Building Tax Workshop eat 10-11:30pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall ive A free public workshop on restoring historic buildings azz using tax credits. Free and open to the public

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Live Music w/ Tom D’Orazi and Denis Zwang 6-8pm @ Farmhouse Restaurant (Ponderay)

Kootenai Refuge Photography Adventure 9am-12pm @ Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge While exploring the refuge, learn photography tricks and techniques from the area’s best!

Daughters and Sons Day at the Range @ Bonner County Shooting Range Bring your kids ages 8-18 to the Outdoor Shooting Range for a free day of safety education, shooting and family bonding. (208) 263-3613

Yoga on Tap 11am @ Laughing Dog Brewery One hour class that ends with the group having a beer together. $12 includes your first beer POAC Art Party 5pm @ Tango Cafe Enjoy music and dancing, a gourmet buffet dinner catered by Tango Cafe, wine, beer and cocktails, plus Kaleidoscope and Ovations exhibits, a silent auction, awards presentations and more!

Tickets are $85 per person. 208-263-6139 Mountain Havoc 2018 8am-11pm @ Purcell Trench Ranch Come watch a bunch of fun mud and race events Ponderay Community Clean-up Weekend and BBQ CityofPonderay.org for more info Mountain Havoc 2018 8am-6pm @ Purcell Trench Ranch

Recital • 6:30pm @ Panida Theater ance Studio will be dancing at each performance Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalepeño’s Mexican Restaurant An hour of conversation and stories. This week’s topic: “Trade Wars”

sday @ The Back Door our first beer, $1 for your second

nderland Theater Academy’s mance. Tick8 student

Wino Wednesday @ The Back Door 1st glass regular price 2nd glass only $2

The Conversation 6-8pm @ Ivano’s Ristorante How can The Conversation meeting help artists even more?

Free and open to the public

locan Ramblers in Concert Theater Panida Theater, Yarn is a North Carericana band. They’ll be joined by blers, a young bluegrass band from a. Learn more at MattoxFarm.com

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park Buy produce, shop local wares and listen to live music by Oak St. Connection

Therapuetic Thursday 3pm-close @ The Back Door 1/2 off drinks for ladies

June 15 Thom and Coley @ Panida Theater June 16 CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo June 16 Challenge of Champions @ Bonner County Fairgrounds

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COMMUNITY

Over 50 beer and cider options fresh salads Sandwiches

pizza and more!

(208) 263-0966 Corner of First Ave. and Bridge Street Downtown Sandpoint

Standing Guard: New goose deterrent decoys set up at City Beach

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Coyotes at Sandpoint City Beach?

Well, sort of.

Sandpoint Parks and Recreation is trying out a new goose deterrent system with the placement of several coyote decoys at the Beach. The decoys were placed on the lawn last week, and according to Parks and Rec. director Kim Woodruff, they are showing positive signs.

“We purchased seven of them, with five or six more coming by Thursday,” said Woodruff. “We’ve seen success in the first week. We’re very pleased with the results.”

The decoys also have bushy tails that are sprayed with coyote urine scent to deter geese from feeding on the lush City Beach grass and leaving droppings behind.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and the geese have been a challenge as long as I can remember,” said Woodruff. “They’re eating the grass, but there

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are no predators to deter them.”

Woodruff said the Parks and Rec. commission explored different options, including one in which the grass would be sprayed with grape extract, which messes with the digestive system of the geese. But, he explained, this option is much more labor intensive and expensive than decoys.

“It’s about $15,000 a season for the grape extract option,” he said. “But, every time you mow, you have to spray the grass again. Every time it rains, you have to spray again.”

The coyote decoy option “will cost under $1,000 when it’s all said and done,” said Woodruff.

The decoys are chained to the ground to deter theft, but they can be changed from standing to sitting position and are periodically moved by city staff so that geese don’t get used to them.

Also, Woodruff said, the decoys will be augmented by Randy Curliss’ trained

One of the coyote decoys standing guard at Sandpoint City Beach. Photo

by Ben Olson. live dogs, which will begin regular patrols to chase the geese away from the Beach.

“They’re trained to chase the geese, but not attack them,” he said.

Woodruff reminded readers that the goose dogs are specially trained and wear markers identifying them as work dogs – dogs on or off leash are not permitted at City Beach. Also, there is a city ordinance in place prohibiting any feeding of wildlife, including geese and seagulls.

“Any way we can reduce the fecal matter on our beach, we’re excited to do that,” said Woodruff. “This is one of the major complaints I have received in my office. The beach crew that are down there every day are pretty optimistic so far. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

CAL presents Community Cancer Services with $2,508 check

By Mike Wagoner Reader Contributor

Y

ou know what makes me wanna get a newer rig? The Long Bridge. The first time I side-stepped around disaster was when I was coming home from a gig at night from Sandpoint to Sagle in my ‘87 Ford Ranger during the kind of blowing snow storm that ol’ guys sit on benches and talk about.

I lost the passenger side wiper first, but the other one got me home, only to not work at all the next day. Bad wiper motor.

Second time I’m headed into town on the bridge in my ‘94 just after a snow plow made its first pass, leaving a bank of snow on that “narrow enough for a shoulder,” so pulling over for any reason would not be an option.

A Newer Rig

By Reader Staff

It was about the time when this was occurring to me that my truck began to sputter, die, start again, die, then start up again. I made it to the other side in second gear. Bad ignition module.

Yup, I’m thinking a newer rig... payments once again.

Once again the generous women of Community Assistance League have stepped up to help support our local Community Cancer Services group.

The funds were collected at CAL’s annual spring luncheon and given to CCS last month to support the important work that CCS does to help those

Courtesy photo. folks in our community that are faced with a cancer diagnosis.

Pictured above (center right) is CAL Social committee chair Tina Reynolds presenting a check for $2,508 to CCS Vice President Teresa Lunde. Surrounding them are some of the dedicated members of the CAL Social committee.

‘Othello’ comes to Sandpoint

By Reader Staff

Shakespeare returns to Sandpoint for the fourth year this Summer when Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performs “Othello” at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Sunday, Aug. 19.

This event is hosted by Lost Horse Press, an independent nonprofit press that publishes contemporary poetry and makes available fine literature of all genres through cultural, educational and publishing programs and activities.

The gates at the fairgrounds will open at 3 p.m., with the play starting at 6 p.m. People are encouraged to arrive early with chairs, blankets and picnics. The performance is free and open to the public. This event is made possible by a generous grant from the Bonner County Fund for Arts Enhancement in the Idaho Community Foundation.

As an added treat, Cimarron Tribal Belly Dance—a dance troupe based out of Spokane that celebrates the fluidity and beauty of the dance—will perform throughout the afternoon.

Lost Horse Press will continue the collaboration they initiated last summer with the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint: This year, their young music stu-

dents will perform the opening concert for “Othello.”

During its upcoming summer tour throughout Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota and Washington, MSIP will perform — for the first time in the troupe’s 46-year history — William Shakespeare’s “Othello,” directed

by Kevin Asselin, and “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” by guest director Steve Cardamone. The company features 10 professional actors selected from national auditions who tour without technical assistance to bring professional live theater to rural communities. MSIP is a nationally recognized outreach program of the College of Arts & Architecture at Montana State University and is the only Shakespeare company to reach as extensively into rural areas. It is the only company in the state that offers its performances free to the public, guaranteeing accessibility to all.

For more information on the play and a complete tour schedule, visit the company’s website: www. shakespeareintheparks.org. For information about Shakespeare in Sandpoint, please contact local host Lost Horse Press at (208) 255-4410 or email losthorsepress@mindspring.com.

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LIBRARY EXPANSION IN PICTURES

Top left: A couple of pint-sized gamers enjoy the new hangout room.

Top center: A local magician wows the crowd of kids, both young and old.

Top right: Two library patrons are all smiles in the new expanded young adults play area.

Bottom left: The large expansion leaves plenty of room to be filled with more materials. Behind the bear and to the left is the new virtual reality room.

The vision of panelized, realized.

www.mehomes.net (208)264-6700 16 /

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Dan McMahon, Gen. Contractor dan@mebldg.com

EDUCATION

alternative /awl-TUR-nuh-tiv/

Classroom, community and career all meet at Lake Pend Oreille High School

Part 3

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff

Ninety kids. Ninety stories.

Geoff Penrose, principal of Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School, takes that philosophy to heart, and it’s something proven in just one conversation with two LPOHS seniors.

Jessica Inman and Alex Merideth had very different paths leading up to — and during — their time at the alternative school. Still, they’ll take the same path today, June 7, across the Sandpoint Center stage as they receive their high school diplomas.

Inman made the move to LPOHS as a freshman after an episode she describes as “losing her mind” at her old school.

“I was failing all my classes. I had a lot of anxiety,” she said. “I threw my papers, flipped my desk and punched some lockers going down the hall.”

After a recommendation from a counselor, Inman considered going to LPOHS. Her mother, one of the alternative school’s first graduates when the school was first founded, wasn’t sure if her daughter should make the move based on the reputation the school had acquired since her time there.

Inman went to LPOHS, and said she found herself the subject of those exaggerated stereotypes.

“Quite a few people ask me if I have a drug problem, if I have a child or if I’m pregnant,” she said. “That’s not me at all.”

At LPOHS Inman said she learned to handle her anxiety and found the academic support she needed.

“I used to be afraid of the world,” she said. “This school has entirely changed my mindset.”

A lot of that transition had to do with her relationship to LPOHS staff — namely counselor Sara Gosling.

“She knows just about every detail of my life,” Inman said, adding she’s had past issues with relationships and emotional connections in general. “She’s taught me how to still protect myself but also give to others.”

Merideth came to LPOHS as a freshman after already hearing from friends how much they loved it. He admits now that he may have purposefully acted out in order to convince his parents to transfer him to LPOHS. But Merideth learned quickly that the acting out would stop at his new school.

“This school is a choice,” he said. “If you don’t put in the work or the time, you’re gone.”

Merideth’s high school career hasn’t been a traditional straight line. When his

Alex Merideth, left and Jessica Inman, right, in their graduation caps and gowns. Courtesy photos. father became so sick he could no longer work, Merideth quit school in order to work full time and support his family. He said LPOHS told him he could always come back to finish his credits when he was ready.

“I was told the door was always open,” he said.

Merideth said even after the last five years of being in and out of school, he sees the life of a teenager in high school as far harder than working and paying bills.

“High school is the hardest part of it all, because you’re putting in all this effort and work into your future, but you’re not seeing any of that reward now — but later on, it is your golden ticket,” he said. “I realized that, so I came back to finish up.”

And these students don’t just have their own stories — they know one another’s well. When Inman talks about LPOHS helping her gain control over her anxiety, Merideth vouches for her. When Merideth

mentions the ways in which Penrose has supported him through his education, Inman nods along, familiar with Merideth’s fiveyear high school journey.

“We are such a tight community,” Inman said of LPOHS, “but we don’t get along all the time.”

Merideth let out a laugh in agreement: “Yeah, we’re a family, but you get all the dirty parts of family, too. You have drama, and crying, but also the love.”

Both students agreed that although LPOHS may have a reputation as the “troubled kid school,” they have countless people in the community supporting them. Inman, who hopes to attend North Idaho College in the fall to work toward an elementary education degree, said she received $10,000 in scholarships through LPOHS alone, and $12,500 total.

“That just shows what this school is about. This is going to change my entire

future,” she said. “I have a chance at who I want to be.”

LPOHS graduation is Thursday, June 7 at the Sandpoint Center at 7 p.m.

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OUTDOORS

Old Growth Ecology Hike offered

Gardening with Laurie:

Marvelous Mulch

By Laurie Brown Reader Columnist

Mulch is something most gardeners know about but may not know how to use.

There are several reasons for using it; in winter, it insulates the ground and prevents frost heaving and protects plants from low temperatures. In summer, it smothers weeds and reduces water use by slowing evaporation. It also keeps plants clean — especially nice with spinach or lettuce — and prolongs the life of soaker hoses or drip lines by keeping the UV rays off. You can get a longer asparagus harvest by pulling the mulch off half the bed early, allowing that part to warm up and uncovering the rest a couple of weeks later. On the downside, critters like rolly-pollies, earwigs and slugs find straw or leaf mulches a nice home.

There are two classes of mulch: organic and inorganic. In this case, “organic” doesn’t refer to pesticides or lack of, but that the mulch has carbon in it – bark, leaves, straw, newspaper and cardboard.

“Inorganic” includes gravel, lava rock and rubber mulches. Organic mulches will break down and eventually turn into soil; inorganic ones won’t (at least, not within our lifetime).

There are a few mulch basics. Largesize mulch, like rocks and bark, should be avoided in areas you will be digging in frequently, like vegetable beds that are tilled every year. You will have to rake these mulches out before digging, then put them back when you’re done. That gets a big “nope” from me – I’m lazy. Don’t let mulch touch the stems/crowns of the plants; you want moisture held in the root zone, not against stems, where it can lead to rot. Don’t mulch over areas you have seeded, or the seeds may not germinate.

Mulch will stop most annual weeds from germinating, but does nothing against perennial weeds like quack grass and thistles. Don’t put mulch on warm weather crops until the ground has warmed 18 /

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By Reader Staff

Image courtesy rockystone.com up — keeping the soil cool retards the growth and ripening of crops like tomatoes and squash. You’ll need about two to four inches of mulch to smother weeds (blocking all light from the seeds) and to keep soil moist. Don’t bury the plants!

Especially don’t bury trees with mulch; it WILL kill them to have the trunks buried past their normal soil level. The various mulches all have pros and cons.

Rocks, like gravel or lava rock, sink into the ground over the years and is very painful to kneel in to work. It absorbs heat and might be a good choice around heat-loving plants. Rock lasts for years.

“They” say you should put it over ground cloth so it doesn’t sink into the ground, but I hate that stuff. Unless it has very deep mulch over it, weed seeds that blow in germinate. They either live in the soil that works up through the ground cloth or sink their roots down through it and become impossible to remove without cutting the cloth.

Wood chips/bark will decompose slowly and work down into the soil. It has a lot of nutrients in it, but it has to decompose for plants to use it. I like the look of it, but many don’t.

Leaves are free in autumn. Whole leaves can catch air and blow away; they are easier to use if you run over them with a lawn mower before raking them into the beds. Do not use them if the plants they are from have disease.

Straw is cheap, but is very inflammable so I wouldn’t use it against buildings.

Great for vegetable gardens because it decomposes quickly. Do NOT use hay, as it has seed heads in it. As soon as it gets wet, a bale of hay can turn into a Chia Pet. Cardboard and newspapers need to be held down to keep them in place. It will decompose; modern inks use no lead and are safe in food areas. It can create a solid barrier, so leave room around the stems/ crowns for water to get into the soil. It’s ugly, so most people cover it with leaves or straw.

Grass clippings may have weed seeds, but it decomposes quickly and is a good source of nitrogen – so good that it can actually start heating up if piled too deep.

DO NOT use if the lawn had Weed and Feed on it!

Friends of Scotchman Peaks will be sponsoring a free hike into Ross Creek Cedars Natural Scenic Area Saturday, June 16. The purpose will be to study the ecology of mature and old growth forests.

Join assistant hike co-leader Pat McCleod from the Montana Native Plant Society, and professional outdoor educator Brian Baxter for a day of fun and discovery! They will examine and identify the flora and fauna of old growth timber stands, including some 500- to 1,000-year-old cedar groves. Focus will also be on characteristics of mature forests, their wildlife and the adaptations that enable local wildlife to survive in these unique habitats. The group will meet at the Ross Creek Cedars entrance parking lot at 9 a.m. MST, 8 a.m. PST. Please come prepared for the day with proper hiking footwear, water and lunch.

This hike will wrap up about 2:30 p.m.

MST, 1:30 p.m. PST. To register, and for more info and directions contact Annie at annie@scotchmanpeaks.org or (208) 265-4236. More info can also be seen on the website at www.scotchmanpeaks.org.

LITERATURE

Local photographer highlights India in new book

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Although Tina Friedman has traveled to 34 countries and immersed herself in dozens of distinct cultures, nothing quite prepared her for India.

The people she met, the experiences she had and the pictures she took resonated deeply with Friedman, a local author and photographer. While the destination tested even her considerable travel experience — transportation is difficult to arrange, traffic is chaotic and the country is famously crowded and polluted — the stunning locations and generous people made it a journey well worth taking.

“If you go without any expectations of how things should look, and your heart is open in a loving way, you will receive so much in return,” Friedman said.

When planning her upcoming book “Faces: The World and I,” a meditation on her world travels captured in the people she met along the way, Friedman knew she couldn’t neglect India, the second-most populous country in the world. However, her method is to travel solo, and friends warned her it was a difficult country to tackle alone. That plus a health issue prompted Friedman to put off the trip, but once she resolved those issues, she was ready for a new challenge.

“I felt so energized afterwards, which gave me more emotional and spiritual strength as well,” she said. “And I felt it was time to complete my book of the photos I have taken over my lifetime — of faces from around the world.”

From the chanting of monks in a monastery at the Himalayan foothills to the splendor of the Taj Mahal, the sights and sounds of Friedman’s trip were among the most amazing she’s experienced. But it was the people that made the trip truly unforgettable.

“Most of the people that I encountered in India and all the other countries I’ve traveled through are very friendly, loving and hospitable,” Friedman said. “In India, people continuously invited me into their homes (or huts) for a cup of Chai — and it didn’t seem to matter that we didn’t often speak the same language. We always found a way to communicate.”

In one memorable moment, a perfect stranger even approached Friedman on the street and kissed both of her cheeks. It

was an unexpected kindness that resonated deeply with her.

“I was so shocked, so I kissed her back — and felt my heart expand into such a loving place!” she said.

Friedman, who is well-known in town for her coffee table book “Sandpoint: A Small Town with a Big Heart” that raised money for six local nonprofits, will break down her six weeks of travel through India at a series of Sandpoint library presentations. The presentations will take place in the new meeting room and will feature both stories and photos from the trip.

“I would like for people to learn that our world is not so scary as it’s made out from the media,” Friedman said.

Part one will take place Wednesday, June 20, from 4-6:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 23, 2-4:30 p.m. It will cover the following locations: Sikkim, the foothills of Himalayas; Varanasi, the spiritual city of India; Agra, the location of the Taj Mahal and Jaipur, the 10th most populous city in the world known for its pink color scheme.

Part two will take place Tuesday, June 26, from 4-6:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 30, from 2-4:30 p.m. It will cover the following locations: Pushkar, the site of the famous Pushkar Camel Fair; Udaipur, which houses

Top: Tina Friedman. Right: Over the course of her travels, local photographer Tina Friedman captured many faces of Indian residents, which she intends to publish in a forthcoming book.

Courtesy images.

many historic forts and palaces; Jaisalmer, the socalled Golden City which features the Jaisalmer Fort and Camel Safari and Amritsar, the city known for its Golden Temple.

CHAFE 150 readies for 2018 ride

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

For biking enthusiasts, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

That’s right: CHAFE 150 is right around the corner, and that means bicyclists from around the country — and even the world, if trends from past years persist — will descend on Sandpoint come June 16. A race that has grown in scope every year, CHAFE 150 offers something for bikers of every skill level, from hardcore endurance competitors to casual pedalers. As with previous years, riders can select between a 150-mile route, an 80-mile route or an almost-30mile route depending on their skill level and preference.

This year introduces reduced rates for youth riders. Youth registration is $50 for the 80- and 150-mile routes and $20 for the 30-mile route, with an additional $25 required in raised donations. Adult registration is $75 for the longer routes or $45 for the 30-mile. Adult riders are required to raise a minimum of $50 in donations.

Those donations will be given to Lake Pend Oreille School District for local education.

According to CHAFE officials, excitement is already heating up for the ride.

Riders are getting creative with their team name choices, with Spoke n’ Hot, The Young and the Breathless, Blazin’ Saddles and Worst Pace Scenario being among the more colorful selections.

The ride starts 6:30 a.m. at City Beach for 150-mile riders, 9:30 a.m. PST/10:30 a.m. MST at Troy, Mont., for the 80-mile ride (buses for Sandpoint riders load from 7-7:30 a.m.), and noon at City Beach. Those who aren’t riding can still support the cause by turning out for the after-ride party at Sandpoint City Beach Park. It begins at 2 p.m. when the first riders finish, ends when the last riders arrive around 7 p.m. and includes food by Trinity, a beer and wine garden and music.

Taylor Ailport, at 7, was the youngest chafe rider ever in 2016. Photo

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

The Secret Picnic

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist Decked out in fascinators grand enough for the recent royal wedding, a crowd of fashionable party-goers, including my guest Doug and I, waited for final instructions that would take us to our destination: a top-secret picnic spot in Paris. The sites are always beautiful and often historic for our exclusive party, dubbed “Dîner en Blanc.”

“Dîner en Blanc” is an event that began as a modest affair in Paris in 1988. A few close friends planned an al fresco picnic-reunion below the Eiffel Tower, and to simplify finding one another in a mass of fellow Parisiennes and tourists, they agreed to dress entirely in white apparel.

And thus, “Dîner en Blanc” was born. Thirty years later, the elegant picnic dinners are held in most major cities around the world, each with thousands of attendees. Besides the Eiffel Tower, past Paris venues have included the Carrousel du Louvre, the esplanade of Notre Dame and Champs Elysees.

As busloads of white-clad party goers began passing us, waving and honking, our group (and pre-designated leaders) of 100 or so was filled with palatable energy, laughter and reverie. In anticipation, champagne corks could be heard popping all around us!

I first heard about “Dîner en Blanc” about five years ago, after daughter Casey attended the first event held in Chicago. Tickets are highly coveted and difficult to procure (though once you’ve gained entrée to your first soiree, you are assured a seat at the next year’s event, and you can add two friends to an invitation waitlist). The picnic locations are always top secret, the pubic setting only revealed at the last minute. The covert gathering spot is reached via bus, metro and by foot.

Since learning of the event, I’ve been waitlisted for a handful of them. Besides Chicago, I’ve tried to gain entry to the Seattle, Vancouver 20 /

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BC, and Portland events. So you can imagine my excitement when the prized email hit my inbox informing me that I’d won the lottery drawing for a pair of tickets to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of “Dîner en Blanc.” In Paris!

The tickets, which are only offered in pairs (you must bring a tablemate), are first offered to attendees of past events and then to people like me, whose name continues to show up on their most-wanted list.

I had myriad reasons why it wasn’t logical for me to attend a picnic in Paris, France. It took a full minute of contemplation before I completed and submitted my application, as visions of champagne and pâté danced in my head.

I had two months to plan the menu and table arrangements for Doug and me. With great anticipation, I began to scour flea markets and thrift stores for an elegant, vintage place setting for two. Linens and proper dishware are requirements, and in each city, the “Dîner en Blanc” team makes the logistics easy by providing rentals for tables and chairs and even catered picnics for purchase. But for me, planning the menu, and gathering pieces for the table was half the fun.

If prizes are ever awarded for packing prowess, surely, I’ll win the grand prize. I carefully wrapped each treasure and packed them, along with a detailed and prudent note to TSA, to be gentle with my vintage ware (I often wonder how those notes are received. Maybe they have me on the “crazy chef” watchlist: for years they’ve been frequent recipients my food/accessory-handling manifestos).

There are only a handful of rules for “Dîner en Blanc”: Come rain or shine, you must come. You must come clothed in white, from head to foot, and your table-for-two, chairs, picnic basket and tableware must all be white.

You must stay until the event ends and leave your spot as you found it (including hauling your trash).

No beer and no spirits — champagne and wine only. And proper manners throughout this civilized event are a must!

Our group finally got the word to start moving, pulling our carts

behind us as we followed our leader, Rosie, through cobblestone-lined streets until finally before us, on acres of green manicured grass, were rows after row of billowy white clothed tables, for as far as I could see. The secret location was at last revealed: Les Invalides, the 19th century monument of the French Capital. We were in good company.

The gold-topped monument houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and other notable Frenchmen.

We had 15 minutes to sit down and setup our tables. For us, it included chargers, two sets of crystal plates, three sets of stemware, linen cocktail and dinner napkins, place cards, flowers, candles and a salt cellar with miniature spoon. A small cooler was filled with our carefullyselected gourmand choices that took literally took me hours of perusing before my final selections (it’s so hard to shop for two)! No one can begin until the famous napkin twirl.

Spirits were high and so were 30,000 twirling white napkins as we com-

menced to party, like civilized ladies and gentlemen.

The attire ranged from sophisticated formalwear to French shabby-chic flowing white dresses and seasonal white suits. The omni-present hats included fedoras and top hats for men and tiaras and fascinators for women (I wore Ryanne’s simple wedding tiara, which I had mistakenly referred to as a hairband, before she corrected me). Guests with champagne flutes in hand strolled through rows and rows of tables, scoping out the fashions, from simple to way over the top.

For me, the night was all about the food, such exquisite looking cuisine I will always remember: blinis and caviar, wheel after wheel of miniature cheeses that were soft and oozing, pâtés, prosciutto, beautifully garnished Salade Niçoise, chilled baby lamb chops drizzled with mint sauces, lobster medallions en croûte and crusty French baguettes on every table (placed end to end would, they would likely reach Paris to Ponder-

ay). French pastries were decadent cream filled, fruit or ganache-top creations, masquerading as works of art.

For hours in the heart of the city, we ate and drank and laughed and sang. Under a perfect pink sky, we raised our glasses often, celebrating the night and our neighbors at nearby tables. Fast friendships were forged and contacts shared. Our tablemate, Ethan from Detroit, even confided to us that he would propose to girlfriend Angelia before the night was over.

The grand finale, with more than a dozen orchestras playing in the background, was an explosion of flickering fire from the thousands of sparklers we twirled to light up the night.

A weekend in Paris left no time for personal shopping, but I brought back fond memories I’ll never forget.

From now on, whenever I prepare my favorite Salade Niçoise, I’ll think of the night in the city of light. Even if you’ve never there, I think you’ll love this classic French salad.

Farewell Paris, it was a great party.

Niçoise Salade Recipe This French-inspired salad makes a delightful and pretty summer lunch, especially now, with the abundance of garden fresh parsley. Nicoise olives are not readily available in Sandpoint. You can substitute other small, French olives (or do like me, and haul them home from Pike Place or other suitable markets). Make the dressing first and refrigerate. Plate/compose the salads artfully and serve with crusty French bread.

Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS: • 1-2 Tbs fresh lemon juice • ¼ tsp mustard • 1⁄2 cup good quality olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste (makes about 1⁄2 cup) ---Shake all ingredients vigorously in a pint-sized canning jar.

INGREDIENTS: • 1⁄2 pound new potatoes, quartered • 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley • 1⁄4 cup pitted nicoise olives • 1⁄2 onion, thinly sliced • 1 (6 ounce) can tuna in olive oil • 1⁄3 pound fresh green beans rinsed, trimmed and blanched • 2 Tbs lemon juice •¼ cup olive oil • 3 cups mixed salad greens • 4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered • 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered • 1 tablespoon capers • 8 anchovy filets

DIRECTIONS: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.

Drain and cool.

In a large bowl, whisk olive oil and lemon juice, whisk to combine, then add potatoes, parsley, olives, onion, tuna and green beans.

Toss and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

In large bowl, toss greens with vinaigrette and top with chilled potato mixture. Garnish with eggs, tomatoes, capers, anchovies and lemon wedges.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert

Reed siblings featured in Spring Concert

By Jodi Rawson Reader Contributor On the weekends the Reeds go out busking. They play long, haunting memorized solos, fast duets and familiar pop songs.

With cash in their cases, they are professionals.

During Lost in the ‘50s, Max Reed played at Evans Brothers, and Fiddlin’ Red gave him a standing ovation.

“Perfect tone,” he said.

Jesus Quintero featured them in the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” because who doesn’t love a brother and sister violin duet?

Nichol Reed, 19, has been playing violin since age 10 and Max, 15, started playing a couple years later at age 8.

They love playing and performing and that might be the best element (I have been a fan for years), but their tone and their repertoire have improved dramatically. Before the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint (MCS) occupied the old City Hall building, the Reeds were taught by MCS co-founder Ruth Klinginsmith.

Nichol was the Distinguished Young Woman from last year

Want to see, hear and personally take part in the inner workings of our town’s community radio station, 88.5 KRFY? Your chance comes up Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, when KRFY conducts its annual membership drive with live broadcasts on display for all to come watch, and even give a shout out to someone or something.

From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days KRFY will be broadcasting live at the station, at 323 N. First Ave. Disc jockeys will be queu-

It may seem cliché to suggest a book like George Orwell’s “1984” during today’s sociopolitical climate, but aren’t clichés cliché because there’s truth in them?

Censorship, misinformation, hyperbole — it’s all there. But my fascination with “1984” right now really comes down to two words: alternative facts. At it’s core, the novel is one hypothesis of what happens when such a concept rules society. Sure, “1984” might be an exaggeratory omen, but it makes for some entertaining and thought-provoking reading.

LISTEN

Max and Nichol Reed, with their violins. Photo by Dinah Rawson. because she is beautiful, smart (4.1 GPA), talented and a great communicator (in two languages). Nichol was featured last year at the Festival of Sandpoint, and she received their scholarship, as well as scholarships from Rotary and CAL. She is wisely staying local and getting initial credits through NIC. Gifted in the sciences, she thinks she would like to educate herself in nursing, but music, she says, will always be a part of her life in some way.

Mark Reiner, the Pend Oreille Choral and Orchestra director, is featuring them in a Vivaldi Concerto June 14 and 16 at the First Lutheran Church.

They have been dedicated to the community orchestra for years and Reiner appreciates “their whole family, their mom Elenor is so supportive.”

Elenor Reed has an infectious passion and she is a big fan of her kids. They are dual citizens with passionate Spanish conversations. Elenor drives Max

to Spokane to work with Dr. Baldwin in the Spokane Youth Symphony weekly. Max is owning his violin, and is starting to train in other types of performing arts-acting and dance.

Catch these awesome performers June 14 at 7 p.m. and June 16 at 3 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 526 S. Olive Ave. Otherwise you might hear their violins in the heart of town or wafting out towards the City Beach from the lawn in front at Trinity.

KRFY 88.5 hosting annual membership drive

By Reader Staff

READ

ing up the music in between live performances each hour by local musicians and interviews with KRFY supporting underwriters and leaders of community organizations.

Visitors to the broadcast studio are invited to come watch, hear the in-studio concerts, and may be able to even give their own on-air shout out to family and friends.

Of course, the event is also a fundraiser for KRFY. There will be volunteers on the phone bank for listeners to call in to (208) 265-2992 anytime during

the two-day drive, to become a member or make a donation.

KRFY has three part-time employees and is almost entirely powered by volunteers, from the broadcasters to production and technical personnel. KRFY Station Manager Suzy Prez said the goal is to raise $20,000 in donations during the drive, crucial to fund the ongoing operations of the radio station.

“This membership drive provides a primary funding source for our budget,” said Prez, “We hope we can involve virtually anyone who appreciates the value that

commercial and corporate free community radio brings to our area. We are a diverse community and our goal is to represent all the music, information and views recognizing that richness.”

Prez added: “We hope people stop by on June 8 and 9, say hello, meet the crew, tune in at 88.5 KRFY – and become members and supporter of our treasured community radio.”

The age of synth-pop-infused moody rock music is only gaining momentum. A go-to band for me is Wild Nothing, and perhaps their most complete album is their 2012 release “Nocturne.”

Every track is laced with a euphoric angst that feels warm and fuzzy but undeniably sad at the same time. The album’s highlight tracks are “Nocturne,” “Paradise” and “Disappear Always.”

WATCH

My lack of internet and pathetic DVD collection means a lot of repeat watches. For the second time in the last six months, my boyfriend and I are watching the Harry Potter series.

No matter how many times I relive the saga, I’m amazed at the world J.K. Rowling created. And now, as I write this in my recliner at home in front of the television, I’m watching Dobby die for the 863rd time. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

June 7, 2018 /

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From Northern Idaho News, May 7, 1918

SHERRIF’S FORCE INSPECT CAMPS During the past two weeks, members of the sheriff’s office have visited practically every lumber camp in the county for the purpose of ascertaining first hand information regarding camp and labor conditions.

At the present time it is estimated that about 2,500 men are employed in the camps of the county and but 16 of the men so working were found to be disloyal to the government. These men are being held for further investigation which in all probability will be conducted by federal officers.

For some time considerable alarm has been caused among lumber contractors in the county regarding the threat on the part of the I.WW . .s that they would burn their blankets on May 1, but as yet no demonstrations in this direction have been encountered by the officials of the county who have been making investigations. The drive by the sheriff’s office is far from complete however, as it is their intention to make periodical visits to the camps throughout Bonner for the purpose of keeping in direct touch with laborers working in the lumber industry and to further see that no unlawful agitation is carried on by men who will be employed from time to time.

From the most reliable information, Sheriff Remer and his deputies are determined that men who prefer the I.WW . . organization to that of the government order of L.L.L.L. must not make Bonner county their home.

While workers should sign willingly in the latter organization, it is not absolutely necessary, although those refusing must take the oath of allegiance before witnesses, and failing they will be advised to move onto a more lenient county.

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Crossword Solution

June 7 @ 7:30pm | June 8 @ 5:30pm June 9 @ 7:30pm | June 10 @ 3:30pm

‘Isle of dogs’ film

A STOP ANIMATION FILM BY ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR WES ANDERSON

JUNE 9 @ 11AM

FORREST M. BIRD HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION JUNE 11-12 @ 6:30pm

allegro dance recital JUNE 13 @ 6:30pm

studio 1 dance academy: adventures in wonderland thursday, june 14 @ 7pm

YARN with Slocan Ramblers Little Theater

Friday, june 15 @ 6pm

‘lavoy: dead man talking’ Friday, june 15 @ 7:30pm

Thom Shepard Acoustic Concert saturday, june 16 @ 3pm

DanceWorks Recital

If I could be any kind of dog, I think I’d be one of those little yappy dogs, because while you’re sitting there on the couch trying to sound real smart, I’m just sitting there, yapping away. Just yappin’ and yappin’, and there’s nothing you can do about it, because I live here.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS

READER

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Woorf tdhe Week

mump

/muhmp/

[verb] 1.to sulk; mope.

2.to grimace.

“Quit mumping around the house and get outside in the fresh air!”

Corrections: In last week’s article about Mountain Havoc, we listed there will be live music (there won’t) and we also wrote there was a day rate available on Friday (it’s only available on Saturday and Sunday). Sorry for the misleading information. -BO

1. Rice beer 5. A slippery smoothness 10. Fourth sign of the zodiac 14. A ball of yarn 15. Dining room furniture 16. Anger 17. Denial 19. French for “State” 20. Purchase 21. Askew 22. Whiskers 23. Spruce up 25. Muse of love poetry 27. Poetic dusk 28. Keepsake 31. Heroic tales 34. Edge tool 58. Feudal worker 35. Fuss 59. Catapulted 36. Half-moon tide 60. Fuss 37. Bunches of hair or grass 61. Outbuilding 38. Implored 62. Fall guy 39. Sphere 63. A large amount 40. Territories 41. Wingless bloodsucking DOWN insects 1. Picket line crossers 42. Lodgers 2. Scrapbook 44. Grippe 3. East African country 45. Equestrian 4. Female sheep 46. Eyelet 5. Flower part 50. Hairstyles 6. Language of 52. Snow house ancient Rome 54. Hearing organ 7. Nile bird 55. A set of garments 56. A moderately quick tempo 8. End of business sales

Solution on page 22 9. Cognizance 10. Bring into existence 11. A type of explanation 12. Food thickener 13. Wagers 18. Fence “doors” 22. Possess 24. Harvest 26. Carpets 28. Couches 29. Notion 30. Fishing poles 31. Prig 32. Relating to aircraft 33. Flannel

34. Insurgent 37. Tall woody plant 38. Damson 40. Contributes 41. Not the ceiling 43. Rampaged 44. Having a hoarse voice 46. Secluded valleys 47. Parisian subway 48. Consumed 49. Moves briskly 50. Applications 51. Shove 53. Oversupply 56. Venomous snake 57. Eastern newt June 7, 2018 /

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