Reader march12 2015

READER

March 12, 2015 / FREE / Vol. 12 Issue 8

Hunger in bonner county Scarlette Quille’s Triumphant Return!

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Living Hungry in Bonner County

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The sandpoint eater food column

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[wo]MAN

on the street

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DEAR READERS,

This week we focus our antennae on compiled by an issue that affects a lot of folks here in Susan Drinkard North Idaho; hunger.

This isn’t an issue specific to our you remember a winter as mild as this one? region. The middle class is shrinking “I have lived in Bonners Ferry for 35 years and everywhere. The polarization of wealth I do not recall a winter this mild. I love this early has continued to divide us.

However, in a community like Sandspring, but I’m so worried because we live in the woods and our forests could be in great jeopar- point, where a lot of people come to redy. We burn part of our hillside every June, but tire with incomes earned elsewhere, there this year I burned it in February because it was are many families who slip between the cracks. These are people you don’t see on dry enough. Our trees are already dry.” the brochures, who struggle to make ends LaTresa Pemp meet and keep food on the table.

Produce Manager This week’s story by our indefatigaBonners Ferry, Idaho ble editor Cameron Rasmusson will be the first in a series that will explore liv“I’ve been here since 1966. No, I don’t ing hungry in Bonner County. recall anything like this winter.”

On other fronts, Whitney Palmer Daryl Syth has provided us with another great covSSI er, making this her second of the year.

Sandpoint Think you have what it takes to do a cover for us? Drop me a line. We’re always looking for artists and photographers to “I’ve lived in this region 82 years. I used showcase their work.

Finally, Scarlette Quille has returned to ride in horse and wagon over the long with her column, Single in Sandpoint, wooden bridge to bring cream to the creamback by popular demand. Of all the ery—and eggs and apples—with my family. I don’t recall a winter this mild. I think it previous columns from the old Reader, Scarlette’s was the most asked for. We’re will bring a hot and dry summer.” glad to give you your bi-weekly dosage Are you worried about this?

“No, because we have a lake and a river on of literary smut again, Sandpoint. Scarlette, glad to have you back, kid. both sides of town.”

Marie Klank Retired CNA Sandpoint Assisted Living resident

“I was born and raised here…my dad and my grandfather were doctors in Sandpoint. I recall much more snow, especially around 1948-1952. Snow used to be piled up eight feet high…seems like our winters have become more mild in the 2000s.”

Bruce Wendle Retired Engineer Sagle

“I lived in Garfield Bay for years and years. All the winters were harsh there, so I don’t remember a mild winter like this one. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had snow again this month the way the weather fools around.”

Char Bowey Valley Vista Resident Sandpoint

“Yes, I remember a mild winter. I must have been about 10 years old. I was sitting outside with my dolls and my mom took my picture in January and there was no snow. The following summer was hot and dry and there were a lot of spot fires.”

Donna Peterson Retired LPN Sagle

-Ben Olson, Publisher

TABLE OF CONTENTS commentary

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Nuclear India?

By Nick Gier

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Don’t be a Ferengi!

By Sandy Compton

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Single in Sandpoint is back!

By Scarlette Quille

News

By Reader Staff

feature

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Living Hungry in Bonner County

By Cameron Rasmusson Spring Photo Page

By Ben Olson

calendar

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The Event Calendar

arts & culture

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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

news

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READER

Something wicked this way comes

By Michael Richardson The Sandpoint Eater

By Marcia Pilgeram LPO High School finds its voice

By Ben Olson Albeni Falls Pipes & Drums

By Jodi Rawson

Zach Hagadone (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Whitney Palmer (cover), Daniel Cape, Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Angela Euliarte Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Nick Gier, Sandy Compton, Scarlette Quille, Michael Richardson, Ben Olson, Marcia Pilgeram, Jodi Rawson Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $75 per year Advertising: Jen Landis jen@sandpointreader.com Andrew Sorg andrew.c.sorg@gmail.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

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

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

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

Requirements: –No more than 500 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

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

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

About the Cover This week’s cover by Whitney Palmer was done in watercolor pencil, watercolor paint, and colored pencils. Whitney has a website where you can see more of her work: www. whitneyraepalmer.com. This is her second cover for the Reader, and we hope she’ll provide many more in the months to come. Nice job, Whitney!

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COMMENTARY

Should the U. S. Encourage a Nuclear India?

By Nick Gier For SPR

“The chemistry that has brought Barack and me together has also brought Washington and Delhi closer.”—Narendra Modi India’s new prime minister Narendra Modi broke all diplomatic protocol when he rushed up the steps to Air Force One and gave President Obama a big hug in late January. This is their third meeting, and a veritable bromance is developing between Obama and the leader of the world’s largest democracy.

Everywhere I went in a recent one-month trip to India, I found nothing but praise—from all sections of society—for Modi and his plans to solve India’s major problems. I witnessed some immediate results: hundreds of new public toilets and the reduction of trash in some streets because of Modi’s “My Clean India” campaign.

As Obama looked out on India’s Republic Day parade, he would have observed hundreds of Russian weapons and MiG and Sukhoi jets flying overhead. As a member of the “non-aligned” movement for de-

cades, Indians were condemned for their neutrality as well as for buying most of their arms from the former Soviet Union.

Instead of supporting democracy in South Asia, the U.S. instead forged an unwise alliance with Pakistan’s military dictators. At a national parade in that country, Obama would have seen American F-16s in the air instead of MiGs. Even when under democratic rule, Pakistan’s military intelligence has consistently backed Muslim extremists while the U.S. pours billions of dollars of aid into the country.

At the Republic Day parade, Obama would have also seen Agni missiles, named after the Hindu fire god, which can carry nuclear warheads. In April 1998 India, citing threats from Pakistan and China, resumed nuclear bomb testing in the desert of Western Rajasthan. India has fought and won four wars against Pakistan, but in 1962, India lost badly to China, who still occupies of millions of square miles in the Indian Himalayas.

Hindu fanatics, some holding high posts in Modi’s government, proposed that a new Goddess temple be built near the test site. (This fierce female de-

ity used to lead Hindu and Sikh armies into war.) They proudly proclaimed that with better nuclear arms, Hindus were no longer eunuchs and could now stand up to the world as real men.

In June 1998 I invited a professor from New Delhi’s Gandhi Peace Foundation to visit the University of Idaho. I arranged a Martin Institute panel on the Indian bomb testing, and I assumed that our visitor would join us in condemning his government for escalating tensions in South Asia.

We were all surprised that he supported the testing, and he objected to the flyer I made advertising the panel. It featured a powerful cartoon showing mushroom clouds reflected in the tear-filled eyes of Mahatma Gandhi.

Pakistan now has more nuclear warheads than India does, and it has the missiles to deliver them. Thanks to Chinese-built reactors, Pakistan is producing more plutonium than any other country in the world. Abdul Qadeer Kahn, the infamous father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, secretly gave Libya, Iran, and North Korea vital information about building nuclear weapons.

Neither India nor Pakistan (along with Israel and North Korea) has agreed to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Agreement.

In addition to the fear that India and Pakistan will nuke each other, there is also the dreadful possibility that Muslim extremists would get hold of the plutonium and make their own dirty bombs. The CIA claims to know where all this deadly material is, but how could it possibly be sure that it is secure?

Obama and Modi have put the finishing touches on a plan, initially negotiated by the Bush administration, to give India access to nuclear fuel for power generation. The most difficult part of finalizing this deal was to get the Indians to promise not to use the fuel for weapons. The U.S. civil nuclear engineering companies also wanted assurances that they would not be held liable for accidents.

We cannot trust the Pakistanis, and there are Muslim-hating fanatics sur-

rounding Modi, and he has done nothing to silence them. There is, however, one saving grace: the India army is very professional and it can be counted on to be a restraining force in the powder keg that is South Asia.

Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. From 1990-2000 he was also Senior Fellow at the Martin Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Bordering on Complete Sanity: Don’t be a Ferengi!

By Sandy Compton For SPR Ferengis seem to have our world by the throat these days.

If you don’t know who the Ferengis are, you’ve not been paying attention to popular culture for the past 30 years. Which, when I think about it, is just fine.

Popular culture really isn’t very cultural, when it comes right down to it.

The Ferengis are a culture within themselves, fictional beings within the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” television series. I think. Maybe. Could’ve been another “Star Trek” sequel, prequel, whatever. I’m not sure.

I just know they were part of a “Star Trek” series, and they made every decision based on how much profit they could take.

Ferengis.

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You know some, I’m sure.

Folks who are out for themselves and to hell with the rest of the world.

Or universe, for that matter.

In the “Star Trek” universe, Ferengi logic works. That’s just how they are—entirely devoted to the idea of making a buck. Or a transect. Or whatever the unit of currency was in “Star Trek.” They were even sympathetic characters—sort of cute, three-quarter sized dolls with perpetual worry lines and a funny way of talking. Ferengis were OK with viewers because they provided comic relief. Other characters in the series held them blameless because they were Ferengis.

They were prepared to deal with

Ferengi culture on their own terms and use that knowledge to live more successfully.

Star Trekians didn’t take Ferengis too seriously.

They just learned to deal with them and beware of them on a sort of non-emotional basis.

Maybe that’s what we can do with the Ferengis on our planet. There are plenty, you know, who would sell their own mother to make a buck. Consider, for instance, certain energy, transportation and manufacturing companies, the directors of which make plenty of money from Mother Earth by digging holes in the planet and shipping the results overseas to be burned producing “stuff”—by-producing plenty of greenhouse gasses —to ship back to America so we

can buy it at Walmart.

Don’t get me started there.

Ferengis don’t care about the consequences of their actions as long as there is short-term profit and long-term prospects of more.

There are many varieties of Ferengis on our planet. In fact, the percentage of Ferengis in politics and business today worldwide seems inordinately high compared to other eras. Unfortunately, they are disguised as humans and not as recognizable as those in “Star Trek.” But they are still Ferengis, in the game for the sole purpose of personal financial gain. They play by their own rules, and we would be well off to understand what those rules are so we better know how to neutralize their effect.

As somewhat normal human beings, we have some choices about what to do with Ferengis.

We can rail against them, demonize them, burn them in effigy, try to legislate them into submission. None of these things work very well, unless you are Upton Sinclair or Teddy Roosevelt. And, they’ve been dead for a long time. So, our best choice might be simply to choose not to participate in their game, except on our own terms.

We all need stuff. Gasoline.

Clothing. Food. Heat. Shelter.

We all have a choice of where to acquire such stuff. Read the label. Keep Ferengis at bay by not buying blindly. The final say is yours about where you spend your bucks or transects or whatever. Don’t buy stupid stuff just because someone else says you need it. Be a conscious consumer. We have better things to spend our money on than our own destruction.

LETTERS

IN

Illustration by Angela Euliarte

The triumphant return of Scarlette Quille

By Scarlette Quille For SPR It’s been a while, Sandpoint.

For those who don’t remember “Single in Sandpoint,” it’s pretty much a chunk of literary smut smothered with gravy—the reality TV of the Reader, if you will. For nearly five years, I detailed the trials and victories of dating and living single in Sandpoint.

In 2005, I started with the Reader, and I was still writing when they closed up shop. Back then I was focused on finding that diamond in the dating rough, a terrain overly saturated with hicks, hippies and metrosexual vegans.

Turns out the diamond I found ended up being more of a cubic zirconia.

The Reader and my marriage both crashed and burned in the same year. Coincidence? And I took a break: from men, writing, from anything resembling a commitment. It was a dark time. I crocheted on many Friday nights, and I shoved all my cute shoes behind a closed closet door. I couldn’t stand those heeled demons mocking me, reminding me of happier times—a time when I still believed marriage is a positive consequence to dating.

The Reader was gone, and sad as that was, it couldn’t have happened at a better time for me.

I wasn’t in the space to write.

There was no story in my life that I wanted to share. I needed to put on a pair of sensible boots and find the tools to climb out of the hole I buried my former self in.

I took up new hobbies and woke up grateful that I could do whatever-the-hell-I-wanted that day. I

Scarlette talks about being single in Sandpoint (again!), bird whacking, Facebook stalking, and general North Idaho ballyhoo was single again, and it felt like lying on a cloud in heaven while baby angels flew by tickling me with their tiny wings.

I will never understand why people act like being single is a disease. It’s fucking awesome. So is being in love, and neither one is better or worse than the other.

There is no prize for being married, or single, or gay, or a gigolo or whatever floats your boat. We all die and go to the ground just the same, and that’s more true than any relationship.

Having moved into what mental health professionals like to refer to as a “good space,” I started missing writing. Life is better when I have a outlet. I wasn’t sure how to fill that void other than overdoing work emails and later recognizing them as comedy gold.

Sometime over last summer, I began hearing talk of the Reader returning. I accepted it as truth when I picked up a familiar paper on the free press rack. The Reader had reemerged from the ashes like majestic phoenix: talons out, ready to entertain, stir up controversy and inform Sandpoint residents.

I began to wonder if the Reader would want me back.

I imagined my editors Zach and Ben Facebook-stalking me to see if I had hooked up with some other groovy alternative press. I immediately began writing clever status updates just to show “I still got it.” Then people around town started asking me, “Are you going to write for the Reader again?” It was like my high school sweetheart had moved back, and everyone was waiting to see if fireworks would go off again. I didn’t know if I was ready for that. I have grown up gotten older than when I first wrote the Reader. I know how to start a fire, and I own a snow shovel. I used it myself (once). I am practically a hillbilly now.

Am I ready to face that reality and write about it?

I started avoiding the subject of writing for the Reader. I appreciate all the Scarlette “sup-

porters” who approached me, stalked me and angrily demanded a comeback.

Sorry for the delayed answer, but you should know by now Scarlette does things on her own time, barely ever on time, and when I think it’s my idea.

I have commitment issues.

Writing a column is a commitment. Could I arrange some sort of literary booty call with the Reader? I would just send them a column when I had an itch to scratch—kind of skanky, but less daunting. I was pondering my literary commitment phobia for two weeks after I saw my first copy of the new Reader.

Fate is an impatient matchmaker at times. And as she would have it, the very next Friday morning, I stopped in at a gas station for a pre-work pit stop, and there was Ben, my ex-editor. He was stocking the paper racks with a brand new, hot-off-the-press Reader.

Shit. Hell. Damn.

He knew that I knew the paper was back in business. So much for pretend ignorance. Ben and I had an awkward conversation, the kind exes have after a good relationship cut short by geography and life. Afterward, he gave me his card, then looked me in the eye and said something like, “When you’re ready, baby.”

That’s how I remember it, anyway.

I was terrified. I had the invitation, the digits. Now the ball was in my court. I peeled out of the parking lot and on to the icy streets, driving dangerously fast.

What if I write my column and it sucks? What if my relationship with the Reader was just destined to fade out and no matter what kind of black magic I try, it will never be as glorious and passionate as the first time around?

I needed a sign that Scarlette was still around and had plenty more stories to tell.

Where the hell was my sign?

I sped on, insecurity playing over the speakers in my mind’s

stereo. I broke the sound barrier as I hit the second set of railroad tracks on Boyer. Suddenly, two pigeons emerged from the tracks and launched an aerial attack on my vehicle. I hit one of them.

Its feathered body bounced off the side of my car and dissipated into a feathery mess on road behind me. As I watched the body flail out of sight, I nearly missed my turn. I slammed on my brakes and did a full “Dukes of Hazzard” slide into my driveway.

I sat in my car laughing and crying simultaneously. Finally, a sign.

Seriously, Scarlette, you just murdered a ferocious devil bird and 10 seconds later maneuvered your vehicle like Mario-mother-pluckin’-Andretti. You are going to call those dudes at the Reader and tell them what you like, and exactly how it’s going to go down. Scarlette, you are going to go all 50 shades on their asses.

Which is exactly what I did … two days later after a bottle of wine.

So I’m back.

You may have questions as to what exactly this means. So do I. I have a pen name, an issue that is tough for some to deal with. You may think you know me, and if you do know me, or if you do your Special Victims Unit detective work and figure out who I am, please do me one small favor. If you see me at the liquor store on a Wednesday wearing sweatpants and sex hair, refrain from high-fiving me and screaming, “That a way Scarlette, get yours, love the column.”

Remember: I might be using my debit card, feigning an illness or running an errand for Grandma.

It’s good to be back in your arms, even if it is just temporary.

XOXOX Scarlette Quille

Hey Reader Folks, Great job with your cover story featuring Chris Brunkhart. I was unaware that Chris had lived in Sandpoint until I purchased “How Many Dreams in the Dark?”

What an amazing inside look into our rich Northwest snowboard scene! Hope he is doing well. Please pass on best wishes if you speak to him, his work is revolutionary! F-ck cancer, go Chris!

Dave Liberty Sandpoint, ID

Dear Editor, Recently you posed a question about recycling in Sandpoint. I have two disturbing comments. Yesterday when I took my bag of used AA batteries to the Pine Street dump, I was told to just throw them into the dumpster. Secondly, there are blue recycle bins in the lobby at the Dover post office. People dispose of unwanted junk mail and magazines there. The post office employee told me that those items are not recycled; just taken to the landfill.

Constance Walters Sandpoint, ID

Dear Editor, On March 3, the U.S. Congress voted on funding for Homeland Security. The Brian Wilson-style media reported that it was a clean bill. The fact of the matter is that it was not. Contained in the bill was also funding for Obama’s executive order of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

After a week-long dog and pony show over funding by Speaker John Boehner, he co-conspired with Mitch McConnell, Mike Simpson of Idaho and other alleged Republicans to insert the funding for amnesty and then voted for it.

The executive order is illegal. It is beyond the scope of authority of executive action. Such an act requires legislation.

This action of Congress is illegal, a violation of the Constitution and the separation of power of the branches of government.

Simply put, it is conspiratorial, criminal, a violation of their oath of office and an act of sedition and borderline treason.

Regardless of our own opinions of amnesty, there’s a rule of law and legal procedure to be followed. Our Congress has become a den of thieves, cheats and liars. Shame on you all, and especially you un-representitive Mike Simpson of Idaho.

You should resign and perhaps go to jail.

Gary McGarity Sagle March 12, 2015 /

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NEWS

Attempted bank robber still at large

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR It wasn’t exactly a Bonnie and Clyde-style caper. But there’s still a would-be bank robber on the loose after a bungled attempt Friday to rip off Mountain West Bank in Ponderay.

Around 10:25 a.m., an unidentified male entered the bank and asked a teller to speak with the bank manager.

Once the manager engaged the man, he told her he had a gun and demanded cash. “So far, so good,” the suspect no doubt thought to himself. “Bank +

threatened violence = money.”

It seems basic bank security is a variable he didn’t account for, because employees were able to activate an alarm without any trouble. A wrench thrown in his intricate scheme, he promptly switched to Plan B: Run like hell. He fled by foot eastbound onto Triangle Drive without receiving any money.

Suffice it to say, John Dillinger he ain’t.

According to Ponderay Police Chief Mike Hutter, the suspect remains at large. He is a male in his 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build, light brown hair and an

unshaven face. During the attempted robbery, he was wearing an olive one-piece jumpsuit, a desert camo floppy hat and sunglasses.

Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity should contact the Ponderay Police Department at 208-265-4251 or Bonner Dispatch at 208265-5525.

Bank robberies are a relatively infrequent crime but always attract a lot of interest, Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler said. The last incident he remembers is a 2009 robbery of U.S. Bank in Sandpoint, which ended with the suspect being arrested and

“Errr, I’d like to make a withdrawal...”

prosecuted a few days later.

In this case, there’s nothing left but to keep our eyes peeled.

All it takes is one good tip for

the most recent inductee of the Bonner County Bank Robbers’ Club to see his day in court.

Happy 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993 Day!

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR

Kodiak Ellis, 7, makes an autonomous car at the Bonner County Library’s robotics program while volunteer Bob Love looks on.

Voters approve school levy If you saw a teacher looking especially happy Wednesday morning, it was for good reason. Once again, voters turned out to overwhelmingly pass the two-year, $15.7 million levy, guaranteeing Lake Pend Oreille School District another boost in funding. The final tally was 3,497 yays against 1,515 nays.

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The levy will fund onethird of the district’s staff, its technology department and all extracurricular activities.

The money is essentially a local supplement to the district’s state funding. This year saw a vocal opposition to the school levy, but supporters outnumbered them in the end.

In addition, the West Bonner County School District also got a $6 million levy passed with 1,023 yays versus 743 nays. All in all, it’s a good week to be a Bonner County educator. [CR]

Did you know this Saturday is Pie Day? What a terrific idea, Pie Day. Who doesn’t love pie?

Wait, scratch that. This Saturday is actually Pi Day, named in honor of the mathematical constant used, among other things, to measure the circumference of circles. Listen up: You don’t get many Pi Days, since they only roll around when the date—314-15—matches the first five digits of pi—3.1415. So you better make the most of it.

The folks at Sandpoint Library aim to do just that. Among

the many programs they use to encourage student interest in STEM education (science, technology, engineering, math), only Teen Tech Week this year caps off with Pi Day fun. Teen Tech Week is filled with STEM events, from an acrylic sign workshop at MakerPoint Studios (1424 N. Boyer) from 3-5 p.m. today, to the Pi Day party itself Saturday from 2:30-4 p.m. at the library. The party will feature pi-related games, videos and activities, and yes, pie.

“I’m hoping the pie will draw them in,” said young adult librarian Morgan Gariepy.

The week got off to a good

start Tuesday with the library’s robotics program. A popular activity among local students that introduces basic computer coding and engineering skills, the robotics program is part of a statewide Make It at the Library program encouraging libraries to double as maker spaces.

If you have kids or teens in the house, keep Pi Day at the library in mind for a solid weekend activity. It beats rewatching that freaky Darren Aronofsky movie “Pi” (which kids shouldn’t be doing anyway. I mean, come on).

during a mental health episode. The full graduating class included nine Bonner County sheriff’s deputies, three Sandpoint police officers, two Bonner County dispatchers and two Idaho State Police dispatchers, according to Sheriff Daryl Wheeler.

According to Sandpoint Police Department, the new graduates mean seven of the 12 officers have CIT training. In addition, Officer Michael Aerni received an “officer of the

year” honor for helping talk a suicidal woman from jumping off the Highway 95 overpass.

Previously, local mental health organization NAMI Far North oversaw CIT classes.

Wheeler said that changed this year, in part due to NAMI publicly condemning the handling of the Riley case. In spite of the soured relationship, Wheeler said it’s essential that officers continue to be trained in defusing crises.

Local officers pass CIT training

By Reader Staff For SPR Since the officer-involved shooting of Jeanetta Riley last summer, police response to mental health crises has been a major subject of concern. Local law enforcement are hoping to address that with a new round of graduates in crisis intervention training.

This year saw 17 new graduates, who received hands-on training in crisis management

Living hungry in Bonner County

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR

Nakia Galik never knows what to expect when she wakes up in the morning.

One thing is certain: She’s going to spend the day caring for her husband, Edward, as he rehabilitates from the catastrophic injuries suffered in a car crash three years ago. But mornings can also bring encouragement when his mobility, cognition and overall health show improvement. Or they can bring frustration when every task is an uphill battle.

“We don’t really have a life anymore,” she said. “This is our life.”

Just as her husband’s condition is a day-to-day mystery, the family’s finances are equally nebulous. Galik said they’re always around $1,000 behind each month in Edward’s rehabilitation and medical bills, and almost all of what they receive in Social Security and disability insurance goes toward house payments.

Still worse, they make about $150 too much to qualify for most poverty relief programs, placing them in a strange financial limbo. That’s why the Bonner Community Food Center is a godsend for them.

“Without the food bank, we probably wouldn’t have the money for food,” Galik said.

The Galiks are just one example of a local family struggling to make ends meet in North Idaho.

They come in all stripes—single mothers, parents with children, young adults trying to scrape out a living—but all have a common dilemma in securing their next week of meals.

It’s a story all too common for the staff and volunteers at the food bank. While national media touts an economy on the rise, BCFC director Alice Wallace doesn’t see that bearing out in North Idaho.

Last year, the food bank averaged 4,700 clients a month. This year, service requests are increasing, with 60 new clients a month relying on the organization for food assistance.

“Our biggest increase is

among the senior citizen population,” Wallace said.

For many, food budgets take secondary importance to keeping a roof overhead. That’s especially true when the Sandpoint housing market doesn’t necessarily align with many of its residents’ income levels. And while it’s possible to find cheaper housing options in the country, there’s always a trade-off of increased fuel costs, traveling time and wintertime risk during icy or snowy weather, Wallace said.

“It’s really a double-edged sword,” she added.

In the past few years, Sandpoint officials like former city planner Jeremy Grimm have tried to increase subsidized or affordable housing within town.

Complexes like the MillTown Apartments north of Super 1 Foods offer quality facilities where monthly rent caps out at a percentage of income for qualifying applicants. The facility also features convenient access to grocery shopping and the SPOT public transportation system, which Tamie Martinsen of Bonner Homeless Transitions said can be a tremendous money-saver.

“With SPOT, you don’t necessarily need to own a vehicle,” she said. “With so many employers out in Ponderay, SPOT is the only way some people can get to their jobs.”

Still, there aren’t enough subsidized housing units in Sandpoint to address demand, and waiting lists can take years. That leaves many low-income residents stuck with huge housing expenses. And when you’re living paycheck to paycheck, a lost job can spell trouble quickly.

David McGinnis can tell you that based on firsthand experience. After losing his job last summer, he and his son, D.J., soon found themselves without a home as well. They spent a stretch of time camping before he connected up with Martinsen and Bonner Homeless Transitions. Now they’re set up at Blue Haven, a transitional house for struggling families, and McGinnis is making prog-

David McGinnis and his son D.J., 9, outside their home at Blue Haven in Sandpoint

ress in securing a new job.

“It gets pretty rough,” he said. “When you’re applying for jobs, there’s a lot of wait time, and it’s always time you don’t have.”

Putting food on the table when the income just isn’t there is no easy task, McGinnis said.

That’s when the Bonner Community Food Center can be a life-saver. According to Wallace, the organization uses Idaho poverty guidelines to determine eligibility. However, they make exceptions based on each person’s unique circumstances.

In the Galiks’ case, they made just enough to edge them out of consideration, but when they detailed the extent of their medical bills, the food bank staff cleared them for service.

“Every time we walk out of the food bank, we thank God for it,” Galik said.

Wallace and Martinsen don’t have a single, sure-fire answer for improving the livelihood of Bonner County’s most vulnerable residents. However, they see improved access to education as the closest thing to a magic key. Fortunately, Sandpoint is making strides in that department. Since North Idaho College moved its local operations into downtown Sandpoint,

officials have worked steadily to improve class availability.

It’s now possible for students to earn two-year degrees without leaving town.

Another of Martinsen’s priorities is helping job-seekers become better employees. She regularly works with her clients to improve work skills and become more attractive employment candidates. But there’s a give-and-take in every circumstance, she said. Just as potential employees need to offer businesses value, so too do employers need to be sensitive to difficult circumstances.

“It’s nice to have that collaboration between employers and service providers [like me], so we can help employees be better employees,” Martinsen said. “But employers need to be mindful of the challenges they face just to get to work.”

In the end, collaboration is perhaps the greatest asset Sandpoint has in helping its vulnerable population, Martinsen added. Local nonprofits and service providers have built up a network to spread the community’s limited assistance resources as far as they’ll go.

“I think that’s our real strength as a community,” she said. “We’re actually very lucky

in that regard.”

Galik agrees. Indeed, that spirit of good will is just one reason why she’s proud to call Bonner County her home.

“The generosity of Sandpoint really is amazing,” she said.

Having trouble putting dinner on the table? Sandpoint churches, organizations and businesses do a great job providing options for community meals. Drop by to grab a bite and get to know your neighbors. Here’s a schedule of options compiled by Joann Chronic (our ad director Jen Landis’ grandmother):

Monday: 4-6 p.m.—Assembly of God Church 4-7 p.m.—Hoot Owl Cafe

Tuesday: 11-1 p.m.—Seventh Day Adventist Church

Wednesday: 11-1 p.m.—Gardenia Center

Thursday: 4-6 p.m.—United Methodist Church

Friday: 4-6 p.m.—Sacred Heart Catholic Church March 12, 2015 /

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Paul E. Koch, O.D. All your general eye care needs From treating ocular allergies and dry eyes to the fitting of contact lenses... your eyes should see and feel their best!

•Local and independent optometrist •14 years of experience in Sandpoint •Many insurances accepted

Conquer the Outdoors Again Call and make an appointment today: 208.255.5513

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Dryland: The Movie — FREE screening 7pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee “Dryland” is a movie about a small agriculture town’s struggle to survive. The movie begins at 7 p.m., and will be followed by a Q&A with the directors. Admission is free, but a donation of canned food for the Bonner Community Food Center is appreciated! Sponsored by Monarch Mountain Coffee and Winter Ridge Natural Foods.

Macbeth Contra Dance 7:30pm @ Heartwood Center 7pm - 10pm @ Spt. Comm. Hall See Macbeth as you’ve never $5 suggested donation. Live seen it before! Local playwright music. All dances are taught and Michael Bigley’s adaptation called. Singles, couples, and famiLive Music w/ Ken Mayginnes lies are welcome.

6pm - 9pm @ La Rosa Club Sacred Geometry Symbols Art Reception with Jeff Dunwoody 3pm - 6 p.m. @ Common Knowledge Macbeth Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip 7:30pm @ Heartwood Center 7pm @ La Rosa Come check out their new stage

Yoga Workshop 1pm - 4pm @ Zest Hot Yoga Intro to Power Vinyasa with instructor Nicole Murray.

Santosha 4pm - 7pm

North Ida 5:30pm @ The mont ty’s tax as Live Mus 5:30 - 8:3 Guitar me touch thr funk and Live Mus 5pm @ Id Beer, goo

Live Music w/ Jacob Cummings 5:30 - 8:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Singer songwriter from Washington DJ Cakemix - 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Hop 9am Five cent mun

Live 5pm Com

Wilderness First Aid and WFR Recert March 14-15 - 8am to 5pm both days @ The WaterLife Discovery Center on Lakeshore Drive, Sandpoint — LWM courses rescue professionals, guides, wilderness travelers, and first responders. All courses pro evidence-based treatment guidelines. Each training course is taught by professional ed providers. $175 for WFA and $225 for WFR Recert. Visit www.longleafmedical.com Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Always an infusion of great music, from a variety of local outlaws and roustabouts Karaoke Night 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s Quick, what one-book author is soon releasing a second novel after 65 years?

Film: “Run and Jump” 7:30pm @ Panida Theater A voyeuristic reveal of changing family physical and emotional recovery. An starring Maxine Peake, Edward MacLia Forte, directed by Acadamy Award nomin

Bingo Night 6:30 @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Your crazy aunt Patty may be a loon, but she was onto something with the whole Bingo craze Sandpoint Strikers FUNdraiser 5:30 - 7:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Join us for a night of wine, appetizers and FUNdraising for the soccer team.

Tickets $25 or two for $40. Call 2556365 for info.

Five Minutes of Fame 6:30pm @ Cafe Bodega Writers, musicians, listeners... lend me your ears. All are welcome.

Come at 6pm for dinner!

Mac Blue Lear ward and Call

Open Mic w/ Scott Reid 6 - 9pm @ Monarch Mountain Co All are welcome, come on down a something to steel your nerves? T in stock. Or drink a gallon of coff out of your mouth when you hit th

ful

March 12 - 19, 2015

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

An Evening with Pianist Sean Rogers 8pm @ The Panida Theater Rogers is acknowledged as one of today’s aho Federated Republican Women Meeting local master musicians for the tremendous @ Di Luna’s Cafe emotional power, depth and sensitivity of thly meeting, featured speaker Jerry Clemons, Bonner Coun- his music. He will be joined by tenor balladssessor. For more info Charlene Matheson at 208-265-8773 eer Stephan Craig and musician Gary Eller POAC’s Annual Student Art Show Opening Reception sic w/ The Electric Cole Show 5:30 - 7pm @ POAC Gallery 30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery This show features works by local art students, and reelodies and solos blended with a new age rough the genres of jazz, Latin, rock, blues, mains on display through April 10 at the POAC Gallery St. Patrick’s Day Celebration of Music world 7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe sic w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bond Traditional musicians Colleen Raney and Hanz Araki will be daho Pour Authority joined by bouzouki virtuoso Ryan Davidson for an evening of od tunes, smiling faces... spring is here!

Irish music and songs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Tix $15 pe’s Book and Bake Sale Afternoon Tea at the Museum m - 2pm @ The Memorial Community Center 2pm @ BoCo History Museum e for $1 paperbacks, hard covers for 50 Enjoy a full tea service, a grand selection of teatime ts. All proceeds go to the Memorial Com- delicacies, and a guided tour of the historical fashion nity Center and Panhandle Animal Shelter exhibit, Tales from the Wardrobe. $20/adult, $5/child

a Shop For Life m @ Satosha (212 1st Ave.)

e Music w/ Truck Mills m @ Idaho Pour Authority me watch the master at work

are designed to meet the needs of ovide up-to-date information and ducators and experienced medical for more info

Upcoming Events

March 24 - Ales and Trails @ Laughing Dog Brewery

Join Friends of Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail and

Idaho Conservation League for an evening de-

voted to future plans for the Bay Trail March 26 - “Live @ The Office” with Josh Hedlund March 27 & 28, April 3 & 4

Venus in Fur @ Hope Marketplace March 28 - Marshall McLean Band @ Panida Theater

y dynamics and a story of Irish comedy-drama film am, Ruth McCabe and Will nee Steph Green.

chine Knitting Class e Flag Handweaving Studio rn to knit from Gini Woodd. $95 includes all materials use of a knitting machine. l 263-4600 for more info

King of the Cornhole Tournament 1pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Registration at noon. $20 per team. All registration fees are paid out as cash prizes. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will be the biggest cornholer?

April 10 - Shook Twins @ The Hive. Waldorf School

Fundraiser with opening band Mama Doll Cards Against Humanity 7pm @ Neighborhood Pub The game for the socially stunted

offee and show us what you’ve got! Need They sell beer, and have plenty of it fee and yell the first thing that comes he stage. Hey, it’s your world

Five Course Irish Beer Dinner 6pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall MickDuff’s is teaming up with Two Lakes Catering for a five course Irish Beer Dinner. Pre-registration and pre-payment only, must reserve by Monday, March 16 and space is limited. Cost is $40 and $35 for muggers!And no, this doesn’t mean purse snatchers.

ned trattoria y-ow l i m Fa

Open for Lunch

Monday - Friday @ 11am Open for Dinner

Open Tuesday - Saturday

102 S. First Ave. Sandpoint, ID

105 S. First Ave. Sandpoint, ID

7 days a week @ 4:30pm 208-263-0211

5pm

208-255-2100

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! g n i r Sp ly nseasonab u r u o f o In honor eek, here w t s la r e th warm wea lp shake e h to s to o h are a few p se winter blues. tho the last of en Olson Photos by B

(Top) Irelyn Blaser, 3, plays with her brother Bosten (currently hiding under the slide out of the photograph) on the playground equipment at the City Beach.

(Middle Right) Kim Helms and Kellie Smith cleaning out the display in front of Petal Talk on Cedar Street.

(Bottom Right) A bulldozer dumps a load of sand at the City Beach. According to City Parks & Recreation Department director Kim Woodruff, the Sand Redistribution Project is an annual ritual that may date as far back as the 60s.

(Top Left) Jayla Hatfield, 2, prepares to launch down the slide at City Beach.

(Bottom Left) Dinah Rawson, 10, swings with her mom while killing an hour before her choir class.

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“It’s an erosion issue,” said Woodruff. “Because of a combination of wind, waves and current, the eastern edge gets scoured, and sand has to be harvested from the southern side and moved over.”

Something wicked this way comes Hear ye, hear ye... knaves, scoundrels, theater lovers.

Come see ‘Macbeth’ as you’ve never seen it before!

By Michael Richardson For SPR When I think of Shakespeare, I think of old English, required class credits and artistic soliloquies. That wasn’t the impression I got when I approached the set of Unknown Locals’ production of “Macbeth.”

I walked by a man playing a war beat from a highland drum. I overheard something macabre about fetching severed heads. I saw two combatants with swords and shields spar and then tussle to the ground, only to continue fighting with hand to hand to leg to foot martial artistry.

Directed and envisioned by Michael Bigley, “Macbeth” is an original take on the classic tale of a Scottish general whose hunger for power leads to death and tragedy. Traditional integrity is combined with a modern arrangement designed to make the story exciting and easy to follow.

“Kids will be exposed to Shakespeare in a way they wouldn’t otherwise,” said Bigley.

Given that “Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s most violent works, combat choreography is essential to the play. Bigley enlisted a local martial artist expert, Cory Repass, as assistant director and fight choreographer. Repass is a practitioner of taekwondo, weapons combat and has studied Shaolin abroad.

He works individually with each actor, helping them bring genuine combat to life, utilizing a fighting style he invented specifically for the play.

“I combined old world Viking and Scot style with kung fu and other oriental aspects to create a fantasy feeling,” said Repass. “We don’t have anyone in the show with martial arts experience except for the guy who dies three times.

Keep an eye out for the guy who swings once and then dies three times.”

That’s no exaggeration. “Macbeth” stays true to its text while adding deliberate elements of suspense and ambiguity through casting and timing.

“There are more characters than there are actors,” said Bigley. “It almost seems like it’s taking place inside Macbeth’s head.”

The Unknown Locals adaptation of “Macbeth” doesn’t change the story so much as it views the events and characters from a different angle and a new lens. Just what that will look like on

stage is a highly guarded secret.

“No spoilers,” said Skye Palmer, a sentiment echoed by the majority of cast and crew.

I asked Palmer what I could say about the play without giving away the story.

“Blood, sweat, and tears,” said Palmer.

I laughed. She laughed. She wasn’t kidding.

“We rented actual stage swords that are designed to take actual blows,” said Repass. “There have been actual wounds and blood drawn during rehearsals.” “[Jeremiah Bigley] was broken in a million pieces during practice—he was made of glass,” added Palmer, referring to the actor who plays MacDuff.

Like me, you might have to leave your expectations for Shakespeare at the door this time around. “Macbeth’s” combat complements verbal monologue and dialogue with a very literal edge.

“He unseam’d him from the nave to the chops.”

“All the actors picked it up fast,” said Repass. “It’s a real treat seeing my creation on stage.”

Unknown Locals’ production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” opens Friday the 13th at the Heartwood Center.

Show times are March 13, 14, 20 and 21. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the door or at Eve’s Leaves.

For more information on Macbeth and a sneak preview video, find Unknown Locals on Facebook.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater Our new food columnist Marcia Pilgeram takes us on a three-meal tour of her favorite restaurant haunts in Sandpoint

By Marcia Pilgeram For SPR From feeding a dozen hired men on the family ranch in Montana to operating a train with three levels of dining, my life has mostly revolved around food and travel. As a private chef, I fed celebrities and billionaires in far flung locales, but truth be known, it was more gratifying serving meals to tired and hungry (and appreciative) fire fighters, deep in the woods. Somewhere along my way, I wound up in travel management. I turned in my apron, and so began my life on the road. It wasn’t uncommon for me to spend 100 nights

a year away from home. Between appointments, free time was spent quizzing locals for the oldest or most typical diner where I could eat like a native.

I embraced my many culinary adventures, but in my heart I knew holidays with the frequently arriving grandchildren aced life on the road. Back on Idaho terra firma, my food life was satisfied by community volunteer projects where, on more than one occasion, I ran into Cameron Rasmusson (editor of the Reader), and we swapped ideas for a culinary column in the Reader.

As Cameron and I exchanged thought-provoking emails about the column, I took my annual February sojourn to Chicago to see my daughter, Casey. Chicago isn’t exactly known for its fabulous February weather, so friends and strangers alike find it odd that I choose to visit during this, the unkindest time of the year.

My usual response is that I am taking advantage of the low cost air-fare during the frosty season. I love and adore Casey, and she knows she’s the primary reason for my trip; that it happens to fall during Chicago Restaurant Week is just good timing. Enough said.

I’ve always believed in the importance of eating local, and on my way home from Chicago I began to think about some of my favorite places right here in Sandpoint. These iconic, home grown eats came to mind: Hoot Owl for breakfast: What messy-haired highschool kid hasn’t moseyed through the Hoot Owl in PJ bottoms to join similarly-frocked friends for a Hashbrown Supreme? Mine did. Recently I had friends down from Calgary. Their first request was a chicken-fried steak at the Hoot Owl. It had been on their

minds since their last trip here four years ago. Since I hadn’t had one in eons either, I power walked to the Hoot Owl to join them in this guilty indulgence, hand-pounded and slathered in savory country gravy (I should have walked home too).

Joel’s for Lunch: Turns out when my daughter Ryanne and family come up from Moscow for the week-end, there’s a little stretch to “we’re arriving after lunch.” My grandsons have spilled the beans; a carne asada burrito fix at Joel’s is their first stop. And my visiting Chicago son-in-law is known to eat two meals there in a single day.

Can’t say I blame any of them.

Casey can never decide between all the vegetarian burrito choices but my personal weakness is their fish taco (extra napkins please). Each flavorful bite is a little more delicious than the last. No one was surprised to learn they were competitors in a national burrito bracket competition, least of all me.

Trinity for Dinner: They had me at my first bowl of corn and crawfish chowder.

Gathering up my family and spending patio time with The Adorables (grandbabes) is one of my greatest summertime

pleasures. Whether we show up by bike or boat or car, we grab a table at the railing and set the kids up beachside with balls and buckets while we sip a cool drink and share some savory appetizers before the difficult decision—turf or surf?

I’m always tempted by the pan-seared scallops (but they also serve the best New York strip in town). If we’re lucky, there’s some live music on the deck and life just doesn’t get any better than that.

While my mainstays seem like they’ve been here forever, I’ve seen myriad restaurants come and go the past twenty years. Some were especially short-lived, like a pretentious steakhouse where the hostess recommended next time we “call in advance for a reservation.” Really? The place was empty.

So what gives a restaurant staying power? What’s a common trait amongst my favorites? They’re all known to be community givers. And each place has its own unique, communal feeling of space where people gather and eat.

In the next column, you’ll gain some real insight into these eateries.

Colcannon: a St. Patrick’s Day recipe from the ancestors

By Marcia Pilgeram For SPR

Here’s my favorite potato recipe, as well as a nod to my Irish ancestors, the Doyle and Murphy clans. More than 30 years ago (way before my first trip to Ireland), Ella, a dear friend’s sister visiting from Ireland, taught me to make this dish. There’s no better way to serve potatoes, and I prepare this savory dish every St. Patrick’s Day, as well as every other holiday. It’s my staple for [my daughter] Casey, the vegetarian.

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Ingredients •3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and peeled •2 sticks softened butter •1 1/4 cups hot milk (or half and half) •Freshly ground black pepper •1 tsp salt •1 head large head of cabbage, cored

and chopped •6 green onions, finely chopped Boil potatoes as you would if preparing mashed potatoes. When tender at a fork, drain and chop coarsely with a knife before you mash. Mash thoroughly until fluffy (no lumps). Add 1 stick of softened butter in pieces. Grad-

ually add hot milk, stirring all the time.

Season with fresh ground pepper.

Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it’s very tender. Add 2 tablespoons butter and cover with lid for 2 minutes.

Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into very small pieces.

Add cabbage and half the green onions to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently. Spoon into a large serving bowl.

Make several indentations with the back of a wooden spoon. Put a pat of butter into each and sprinkle with the rest of the chopped green onions.

Leftovers make a wonderful filling for pierogis, empanadas or cocktail pastries.

LPO High School finds their voice at the Music Conservatory Story and Photos By Ben Olson For SPR Yes, you can: three simple words that could make or break a life in music.

No one ever told Karin Wedemeyer she couldn’t do anything.

A German native turned California resident, the director and co-founder of the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint (MCS) graduated the University of California, Los Angeles and performed as a dramatic soprano all over the world for 20 years.

It was only fitting to instill this same positive motto to the pilot music program for students of the Lake Pend Oreille High School.

“It’s a message we want to hand down to our students,” Wedemeyer said. “Maybe they heard one too many times they can’t. Here, they can.”

When Wedemeyer and co-founder Ruth Klinginsmith started MCS in 2009, it seemed everything was against them.

The economy had just crashed, the housing market had collapsed; times were dire.

With a $5 budget and buckets of elbow grease, MCS opened its doors to private vocal and music instruction, school-funded programs and community-oriented classes. They have never looked back.

Late last year, MCS approached the LPO High School to inquire about interest in a mu-

sic program.

“We’re always looking for ways to expand our electives,” said LPO High School Principal Geoff Penrose. “When the Music Conservatory approached us, we said, ‘Why not have our own singing class?’”

Currently, LPO High School is a “turnaround model” school, making it a beneficiary for a federal grant for general instructional improvement.

“In this case, the grant is there to help kids get involved in the arts,” said Penrose. “I believe in the power of music. The first step was to get these kids singing.”

Who better to teach them than SHS grad and Sandpoint native Sarah Caruso, a veteran of theater and vocal instruction.

“My goal is to help provide a positive activity in a safe environment,” said Caruso.

“It’s important to get classical vocal training,” said Caruso.

“You have to learn the basics. It’s like learning how to hold a paintbrush before you start painting like Picasso.”

The class meets five days a week for one hour. A dozen students are bused to MCS, where Caruso takes them through the daily routine of proper posture, breathing techniques, stretching and vocal exercises.

The class also teaches music theory, the system of intervals, and how to read music.

“All songs are made of intervals,” said MCS instructor Laura

Laura Clark plays the piano while LPO H.S. students share a laugh. Instructor Sarah Caruso, middle, joins in the fun.

Clark, who helps teach technical information, as well as plays piano for the class. “If you can recognize the intervals, you can use it to read music and sing along in the correct pitch. You learn how a song is put together.”

For junior Justin Coop, 17, the class was a hard-won battle for the students. He plays in a metal band called Unholy Overdose and hopes his new vocal techniques will help him in his music career.

“We had to fight for it,” he said. “Two years ago, when I started singing in a band, I wanted to start vocal lessons, but never got around to it. Now I’m able to learn while getting school credit.”

The pilot program is slated to wrap up on March 25 at the end of the quarter. After that, Penrose said they will be examining the

results of the program to see if it may be extended.

“Preliminarily,” said Penrose, “We’re seeing that most of the students in the singing class are attending school more regularly, and earning better grades.”

“I hope the program continues,” said Wedemeyer. “It’s important to find self-expression.

We need to give young people the art of self-expression. If we don’t, they may find it in another outlet that may not be so positive.”

A recital is scheduled for March 26, 7p.m. at the Gardenia Center to showcase student progress. It is free and open to the public. To learn more about the Music Conservatory or inquire about music or vocal classes, visit www.sandpointconservatory.org or call 265-4444.

Albeni Falls Pipes and Drums offers Irish Spirit

By Jodi Rawson For SPR

Get in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with the Albeni Falls Pipes and Drums! You’ve probably already seen them if you have celebrated any regional summer event. The talented drummers and bagpipers of this Sandpoint-based group are instantly recognizable, especially when their dancers lead the way with light, spritelike feet.

For such a well-traveled group, the band started out small. Back in 2000, half a dozen locals dove into this ancient art. Bill Prater and Ed Gould,

two original members, say they were retired old timers with nothing better to do, so they taught themselves Scottish bagpiping and drumming. Since then, they have grown in numbers, variety and skill level.

Today, there are more than 40 members. Dancer Joanna Holub’s excitement cannot be contained. “This is my life!” she says. As a result, five younger Holub siblings have joined the guild. Holub has been a dedicated student for a few years and is now dancing difficult duets with teacher Laurie Gawel.

Like Holub, Gawel’s life also revolves around dancing.

“From [age nine] up was Highland dance [for me],” she says.

“I lived at dancing school ... ate, slept and breathed dance.”

Intense and aerobic, Highland Dance was originally done by warriors 400 years ago.

Gawel’s sons, 24-year-old Victor and 19-year-old Edward, are both skilled dancers and martial arts masters. Like their mom, they are altruistic teachers, helping beginners like little Joshua Holub on the drum line.

This group is all-inclusive, and they are eager to share and teach. “The more people we reach, the more this ancient art will be passed on,” says Gawel, a bonnie Irish librarian.

For her, this is a way to connect with her roots, her youth and her heart. At 50 years old, her feet and her enthusiasm are still strong as ever. “I am happy to explore Irish step dancing,” she said. “It seems to complete me as a person.”

Check out the Albeni Falls Pipes and Drums Band at Bonner Mall this Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. For a performance of huge variety. In addition, Rathdrum Irish pub, O’Malley’s hosts this talented group at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., on St. Patrick’s Day—Tuesday, March 17.

This week’s RLW

by Ben Olson

READ

Do you long for the days of whaling ships and oceanic adventure like I do? Whilst shopping at a thrift store, I came across a beautifully illustrated book called “Log Book For Grace: Whaling Brig Daisy, 191213” by Robert Cushman Murphy.

I’d never heard of it before, and, after reading it, found I was pleasantly surprised by this real-life “Moby Dick” adventure.

The author, an ornithologist, married a woman (Grace) and promptly set out on a sealing expedition for two years to South Georgia and beyond.

The book covers the dying days of the whaling empire, and balances the author’s naturalist sensitivity with an obligation to report the facts. Very good read if you long for those scrimshaw days of yore like I do.

LISTEN

When you find a new band or artist that moves you, it’s like picking up a hundred dollar bill on the sidewalk.

Who put this here? Has it always been here? Where can I find another?

When I first heard Shakey Graves, I thought, simply, “Yesss.” Another hundred dollar bill.

Shakey’s seamless blending of blues, folk, and Austin-rock, combined with thoughtful, imaginative lyrics have continued to launch his career. It is without a doubt that he’ll be a household name soon.

His best album of the three released is “Roll the Bones.” It’s one of those albums you play over and over again compulsively until people shake their heads and start looking at you with concern. I’m not embarassed.

WATCH

I went through a Beat Generation phase that lasted for many years. I read everything Kerouac wrote, hitchhiked all over the country, lived like a bohemian and thought myself a man of experience.

Then I grew out of it.

Last weekend, while watching “Howl” written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, and starring James Franco, who plays a great young Allen Ginsberg, I felt a surge of nostalgia.

The film jumps all over the place, covering live readings of “Howl,” the trial that made Ginsberg and the Beats famous, and early life occurences of the young poet. It’s free to watch on Hulu.

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w o N & Then compiled by

Ben Olson

Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same. This week we’re featuring a photo submitted to us by the Tam O’Shanter on Cedar Street, home of the frosty schooners. Thanks guys!

Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers (special thanks to Olivia Morlean, Will Valentine, and Allen Robertson). If you have any scrapbooks or old photographs taken in Bonner County that you would like to see Then & Now’ed, please submit them to the Museum so they can digitize and return the photographs to you. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.

Cedar Street, looking east. The Tam O’Shanter is to the right, with the old Texaco Station to its right (out of frame). To the left of the Tam is the Cady & Piers Ford used car lot, then Connie’s Cafe (which used to have a beveled front, which is why those front booths today are so odd... that used to be the sidewalk). On the left side of the street is the old Chevron station.

c.1950s

The same view today. The Tam O’Shanter has occupied the same building since 1932, making it the oldest bar in operation today. The brick wall of La Quinta Inn can now be seen on either side of the Tervan, and Connie’s Cafe is still down the street with the same sign.

2015

No corrections this week.

Instead, a short poem

by Harry Horseman: 14 /

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Boredom in the Bathroom The greatest relief in life, the convenience of a newspaper

New listings from SandpointClassifieds.com.

Login to find more classified ads.

FREE STUFF: Pro Bono Child Counseling Rene Jourdan - Masters Level Intern at Walden University and Licensed Social Worker offering Pro Bono Counseling at North Idaho Children’s Mental Health (NICMH). Available Mondays and Wednesdays, also available in Priest River. Call NICMH to schedule 208265-6798. Posted Mar 8 by renesmile.

RENTALS: Quiet, Cozy Mountain Home Cute and well maintained 1,000 sq. ft.

2 bed, 2 bath, totally laminated flooring.

All electric with W/D, DW and ref. No garage or car port, no smoking. A pet might be negotiable. Water and trash included. $700 per month plus a $700 security deposit. Posted Mar 9 by tdidion.

RENTALS: Cozy A-Frame Cabin For rent, cozy 1 BR cabin available May 1st, 6 mo lease. Perfect for a couple. 4 miles from Sandpoint, close to ski mountain, furnished, washer/dryer, radiant heating. $650/mo + electricity + small road plow fee in winter. $325 refundable deposit. Will consider pet. 208-5975678. Posted Mar 3 by cindypeer.

FREE STUFF: North Idaho Magic Mystery Wood Amazing magic mystery wood actually produces heat when burned. If you’re not a wood snob, come get all you can carry.

Call 265-8911. Act now and get a second load free! Posted Mar 8 by csmc63

If you ever reach total enlightenment while you’re drinking a beer, I bet it makes beer shoot out of your nose.

EMPLOYMENT: Shipping Dept. Packing Part Time position open in Shipping Department for a packer of orders for my busy online store. Hours are dependent upon number of Sales and your availability for needed shifts. The duties would be to assist with the shipping and packing of the orders to be sent out daily. Some experience is preferred but training will be provided. Please submit your application and resume to marcandjudy@frontier.com. Posted Mar 11 by pepsibymom51

A book by Allan Bopp “There’s thinking inside the box and then there is thinking outside the box.

And then there's the world of Bopp, no box. Or more appropriately, what if there was no box? This book takes you on a journey of how consciousness, which never dies, actually creates the universe not the other crea way around.”

-Grant Darrow, Amazon Review “Unexpectedly cool and insightful.”

-Richard Lane, Amazon Review “Do not rush through this book.”

-John B. Moss, Amazon Review Now available at Vanderford’s, Common Knowledge, Bonner’s Books and Amazon

DITCH THE FLAME

PONDERAY, ID 110 TIBBETS DR. #3

263-1972

•VAPING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY BUDGET •THE LARGEST SELECTION FOR THE BEGINNER TO THE MOST ADVANCED

March 12, 2015 /

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