Reader march26 2015

READER

March 26th, 2015 / FREE / Vol. 12 Issue 10

Summer Camps:

Where to send your kids for the summer

Sandpoint Trails

Marshall MCLean Band

Set to rock the Panida

LARSON’S GOOD CLOTHES

How long Will it Take For pair of White’s boots The Ice $469.95 value! to MELT? Win a

FREE

Ice will start to melt on The original Smoke Jumper Style #400v - 10” black Made in USA

April 1st

at 1:30pm

(208) 263-2414

327 North 1st Ave. Sandpoint, ID 83864 2 /

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The iced boot giveaway contest has a long tradition at Larson’s. In this historical photo taken in the 1940s, Lloyd Larson (right), and Thor Larson (left), co-founders of Larson’s Men’s and Boy’s Wear, stand with longtime employee Royel Brixen (middle) at the first contest.

(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

on the street

Where is your favorite place to hike in the region?

“I like Gold Hill because of the view of Sandpoint and the lake. Also, it’s not too difficult.”

Lexi DeMers Boise State freshman Multi-ethnic studies Sandpoint

“My favorite place to hike is north of Upper Priest Lake.”

Why do you like it there?

“There are old growth forests and good trails. In the winter I like to hike off the back of Schweitzer. They make some very lightweight snowshoes now that are only $95, made of plastic, but they make it easy.”

Cole Thompson Social Worker Sandpoint

“I like Snow Creek Falls in Bonners Ferry. It’s flat and I like the view of the waterfalls. I just went there this morning.”

Hailey Nutt Psychology major at BYU in Rexburg Sandpoint

DEAR READERS,

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

www.sandpointreader.com This is our tenth issue since coming back from the dead. What are we doing right? How can we do better? We welcome all feedback, good or bad. Your participation makes the Reader what it is, which is a community-driven publication, owned and operated by locals who care about the art, news and culture of our area.

Speaking of participation, we have a few fun issues coming up that call for reader participation.

First, we’re going to focus on Flash Fiction for an issue in April. All you budding writers out there, now is your chance to get your work published.

Flash fiction is a genre of fiction where we give you a theme and you run with it in 500 words or less. One of the best ways to become a good writer is to practice writing short, powerful pieces. There is an art to writing more with fewer words.

For the theme, we’d like you to write 500 words or less on any topic, in any genre, as long as it includes the word “typewriter” somewhere in the work. Don’t know what a typewriter is? I feel very, very sorry for you. Look it up. Winners will have their work published in the April 23rd issue of the Reader. Submissions need to be received no later than April 15th to be considered.

Second, we’d like to do a fun photo spread about pets, so send us photographs of your pets. No parameters here, but we anticipate this will draw a lot of submissions, so make sure you send your absolute best. Submissions due by April 15th.

Finally, we’re going to be doing a poetry issue in May. Send us your haikus, odes, sonnets, prose, etc. Word limit is 300 words, but remember; shorter is better.

You can send all submissions to ben@sandpointreader.com. Get to work!

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) Contributing Artists: T. Kurtz (cover), Daniel Cape, Ben Olson, Phil Hough, SOLE, Cameron Rasmusson, Angela Euliarte. Susan Drinkard, Sonny Moeckel Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Nick Gier, Tim Henney, Scarlette Quille, Ted Bowers, Dan Eskelson, Susan Drumheller Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $75 per year Advertising: Jen Landis jen@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com

Marc DeLaVergne Co-owner Outdoor Experience Sagle

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.

“Round Lake. I grew up 20 minutes away. It was part of my childhood.”

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.

-Ben Olson, Publisher “The Cedar Lakes Basin out of Libby, Montana.”

Jahna Briggs Boise State student, Human Resources Sagle

“Our favorite place is Mineral Point because of the beach and the fine skipping stones at the end.”

Christopher Lunde Teacher Sandpoint

“Schweitzer. It has the best view of Sandpoint and the lake and so many huckleberries. There are hiking trails for different levels of ability.”

Sage Martin General Studies major, U of I Sandpoint

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 done by T. Kurtz, a local artist. The title of the work is “Rocky Inlet” and is done in soft pastel. The original artwork is on display and for sale at Artworks Gallery in Sandpoint, along with more of T’s work. T. said the work was inspired by a photograph taken by Ragnhild Jonsonn.

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COMMENTARY

Bibi’s Blunder, the Bomb, and the Israeli Election

By Nick Gier For SPR

The day that Republicans were falling all over themselves applauding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, 25,000 Israelis were protesting against him in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu called for snap elections two years early after his right-wing coalition fell apart, and he thought that a hard-hitting speech to Congress about the Iran nuclear threat would assure his victory.

Pre-election polls showed, however, that his center-left opponents, led by the Labor Party’s Isaac Herzog, were five seats ahead Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

In an attempt to solidify Israeli’s right-wing parties, Netanyahu declared that he would not support a Palestinian state as it would become a haven for Islamic militants. This undermines the two-state solution, which the U. S. has assumed for all Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Netanyahu’s fear-mongering worked. The Likud Party

surged ahead, gaining 30 seats to the Labor Party’s 24. Netanyahu still has to cobble together another 31 seats in order form a new coalition government in the 120-seat Knessett.

Until he does, he is not yet Israel’s leader.

Netanyahu and 47 Senate Republicans have threatened the delicate negotiations about Iran’s nuclear programs. Secretary of State John Kerry needs the continued support of Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany, who agreed to let the U. S. lead the negotiations and have placed strict economic sanctions on Iran. Most of the world’s leaders share Israeli fears about a nuclear Iran, but the consensus of both Israeli and American intelligence is that it is not currently building a nuclear bomb.

European talks with Iran were going nowhere until the Obama administration took over. Netanyahu took issue with those who criticized his speech before he delivered it, but he thought nothing of condemning a deal with Iran before it has been announced.

The issue of trust was always focused on the Iranian govern-

ment, but now it has shifted.

Can the rest of the world trust Obama to lead, when the Republicans have challenged his constitutional prerogative to negotiate international agreements? Obama is correct to say that the GOP gambit may have encouraged Iran’s hard liners to dig in their heels.

Iran is currently a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has allowed inspections for years, and these will continue indefinitely under any new agreement.

Writing for The Atlantic, James Fallows reports that Iran has reduced its stockpile of enriched uranium, and current negotiations contain a promise to dramatically reduce the number of centrifuges for enrichment. Iran is also expected to permanently modify “the heavy water reactor at Arak so it produces near zero plutonium.”

Israel has not signed the NPT and has never allowed the presence of international inspectors. It also has refused to acknowledge that it has at least 80 nuclear weapons, which can be launched by submarines, jet bombers and guided missiles.

(U.S. officials have been fired

for disclosing these facts.) Israel could destroy all of Iran’s major cities and military installations within an hour. Even the most radical Iranian cleric would think twice before proposing a nuclear war with Israel.

The official Israeli position on nuclear weapons is therefore a lie: “Israel will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East. Israel supports a Middle East free of all weapons of mass destruction following the attainment of peace.”

Two former Israeli Defense Force chiefs—Lt. Generals Dan Halutz and Benny Gantz— do not believe that Iran poses an existential threat; indeed, they believe that Netanyahu’s exaggerations have made the situation worse. Gantz believes that Iran is a rational actor and would not envisage nuclear war with Israel.

Like on most domestic issues, the GOP’s hard position on Iran is not supported by the American people. A University of Maryland poll reveals that 61 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of Democrats support Obama’s attempts to ne-

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu gotiate with Iran.

Netanyahu claims that he has the greatest respect for President Obama and the office he holds. If that is so, why did not he insist that that his invitation come from the president himself? He also declared that his trip was not politically motivated, but it is obvious that the speech was for his American right-wing supporters and for the Israeli voters back home.

He may have won the election, but he has reduced any chance for peace with the Palestinians.

In addition, he may have damaged America’s long-standing bipartisan support for Israel.

Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years.

Never give up hope for those lost pups

By Tim Henney For SPR The bright signs posted on street corners around town and county were heart-wrenching. Black and white terrier. Name of Junie. Lost.

If you can’t imagine life without a dog or two constantly at your side, the bright signs might merely make you curious or temporarily sympathetic. If, however, you need a dog or dogs lying by the fireplace at night; if a dog sniffing, piddling and woofing importantly or diving into the lake after a stick as you hike a forest trail is a necessity; if a mutt smiling from the back or passenger seat as you drive to the dump or to Yokes or Di Luna’s for brunch makes the trip much more fun; if a dog perched captain-like on the bow of your 4 /

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boat makes you laugh; if a dog watching your every move for a clue whether he or she will be included makes you feel loved; if you consider wrestling on the carpet with your dog great sport, as dogs do; if you are one of those people whose lives are made joyous by the companionship of dear, dependent dogs, then those bright signs damn near made you weep.

There are those simple souls among us who cannot fathom a happy existence without a dog at our side. Dogs make us not only merrier, but better people. We agree with the adage, “My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.”

To some folks, a dog serves as both a religion and an ethical compass. Dogs need not replace church, if church is one’s way, but spending Sunday morn-

ing with a dog is not going to get you assigned to the fundraising committee or gossiped about if you show up in a sweatsuit. Dogs are also great for our egos. Miami newspaper columnist Dave Berry gets credit for this: “You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, ‘My God, you’re right! I never would have thought of that!’”

The pleading corner signs meant much to my family and me. We’ve been there. Chester B., a much-loved, expensive, opportunistic, plain brown ragamuffin of a rescue pooch with yellow eyes, escaped from a Sandpoint vet where we boarded him when we left town for a Colorado wedding some years ago. Chester B. was so fond of me (he was part chow and chows are like that), it was almost embarrassing. He (Story continued on next page)

Chester B. in his favorite western wear

Giving advice to someone is like buying them a shot of Cuervo. Sometimes you know they really need it, even though they didn’t ask for it. Other times it’s you just trying to put a new spin on a situation because you are really sick of hearing about it. Either way, giving advice or Cuervo to another person is a gamble. You never really know if the person receiving the shot/ advice is going to: 1. Drink it down, letting the liquor numb their senses ultimately putting them in a better space.

2. Refuse it, in favor of more helpless complaining and weaker liquor.

3. Take it, ask for more, and end up doing the forbidden dance with a toothless stranger, ultimately blaming you, the “giver,” for their unfavorable outcome.

4. Puke it up, placing you

once again at blame, and responsible for cleaning up vomit.

Giving advice has consequences. Taking advice can be just as dangerous. Beware. If you are the type of person who endlessly drones on about how your significant other is truly a monstrous beast because they run the dryer all night, can’t read your mind, haven’t asked you to marry them, dance like a moose on crack or any other perceived flaws, look deep into the eyes of the person you are complaining to. Does that person: 1. Give a shit?

2. Get paid by you to give a shit?

If the answer to these questions is no, then for the love of all that is good and holy, do the world a favor and shut up.

It’s OK to vent, but when it becomes a regular thing, people start to think you actually want to change your situation, and they may feel compelled to venture into the “giving advice” zone. Once you have reached that zone, you will have to consider, take or ignore the advice.

If this person cares about you, the advice may be good, but if they are sick of you they may want revenge. Friends don’t let friends over-vent.

Are you guilty of over-venting?

You will know you’ve reached the over-venting stage when you call your typical sounding boards and none of them will answer. Confused

and saddened by your lack of friends, you will become desperate and turn to Facebook, a more passive audience. The over-venter proceeds to write bizarre posts about their feelings in hopes that someone will take the bait and give them sympathy. If you have made it to this place, step back. Facebook is not a place for sympathy.

Facebook is a place where people secretly judge “friends” with their picture perfect “healthy” lunches, insane political motives and accidental cleavage shots. There is no sympathy on Facebook, and what happens there does not stay there. Sometimes it even makes its way into court or your Grandma’s laptop. Delete your post, take up journaling, see a shrink … keep your venting under wraps.

I digress. I was talking about advice and Cuervo, and not the perils of careless Facebooking.

Strangely I am asked for love advice often. This used to annoy me greatly. Why would anyone want love advice from a twice-divorced free spirit?

Clearly, if I had the wisdom required to find everlasting love and happiness, I would have gotten it right in the last 20 years or so. The advice seekers’ questions used to irritate to a point where I became hostile.

Frightened at what a dick I was becoming, I began to examine the motive of those asking the questions. What I have come to

realize is that these people don’t really want advice. They want to be coached in the game of love. While I may not have the best win/loss record, I’ve managed to stay competitive despite losing seasons and switching teams (that sounded wrong, but I am leaving it). Seeking competitive tips from a veteran, this makes more sense.

Because it is now spring, and the next few months will be filled with lots of singles out and about looking for worthy love opponents, I am going to put you all on a level playing field.

In order to be a fierce competitor at the game of love, you must first understand your opponent. There are many ways to go about this, but the best way is to look at their sock drawer.

Yes, sock drawer.

In the ‘80s, Anne Landers would have told you to “peek” at their medicine cabinet. This is an unreliable source for compatibility, and also it can really throw you off. My parents have medicine in their cabinet from 1986. I personally never open mine, and have no idea what I have stashed in there. Furthermore, just about everyone and their dog takes “meds.” Do you care if they have allergies?

Suffer from occasional constipation? Or partake in various forms of hair removal? B-OR-I-N-G. If you need answers to whether Mr. Golden Smile is the one for you, everything

you need to know is in the sock drawer. Look no further.

First though, examine your own sock drawer. Are there any socks in it? Do you have matched pairs? Are they all stuffed in there? Do you keep a secret stash of anything else in there? Do you have perfectly matched pairs of socks all in a row and color coded? Do you own socks for every holiday?

Are you the type of person who even has a drawer for socks?

Now, take a peek at their drawer.

Could your socks find happiness in this drawer? Or would they feel confined, judged and unworthy? Ask yourself these questions, and you will have the answers that you so desperately seek. Resist the temptation to spruce up your sock drawer and create an alternate sock reality for yourself. This will only cause you pain and sorrow.

Own your sock drawer and only make modifications to enhance your sock experience and life.

Once you have completed this exercise, your training has begun, Grasshopper.

If the sock exercise is really too much for you, maybe you should just take the shot of Cuervo.

Go team!

XOXO SQ

(Continued from previous page) was my shadow. He pried open a gate at the vet’s and started searching for us. We flew home from Colorado as soon as we heard Chester B. was on the loose. We told the airline people it was an emergency and asked them to change the return date on our $800 tickets. They asked what sort of emergency?

We said our dog was lost. The airline charged us another $800 or so. In retrospect, we ought to have told them our kid was lost (although that might not have worked either, because

our kids were then in their 30s and 40s). We still think honesty is the best policy, but we quit that airline forever.

Daughter Heidi Gatch rushed to Sandpoint from Park City, Utah, to join our Sandpoint family in the search. Posters were posted, ads were published and tears were shed as family members crisscrossed the county and town, hollering, for two weeks. Then a compassionate guy from Ponder Point phoned to say he had read our ad and glimpsed a brown dog

apparently spending nights in his boat house. But this dog didn’t seem to have a tail.

Chester had a splendid tail, and we had said so in the ads.

On a stormy summer night we piled into cars and sped down the mountain toward Ponder Point. We spread out in all directions in a pounding rain, shouting for Chester. Son Justin combed a neighboring forested lot. Chester, bloody, came weakly creeping to him through the storm. He had been shot. He had crossed highways and railroad

tracks and faced who knows what kinds of crises during two weeks in the wild. His bushy tail was gone. Late that same night the vet from whose quarters Chester had escaped performed emergency surgery. Chester B. lived many happy years after that, with a cute little rounded brown rump where his bushy brown tail had been.

So, mama Lisa Jayne and heartbroken 14-year-old son Ike, keep looking. Hang in. Junie is probably out there, waiting and hoping. Chester was.

(After the above story was submitted, Junie was found in the vicinity of the Pack River Store off Rapid Lightning Road).

By Scarlette Quille For SPR

Tim Henney retired in 1986 as corporate public relations director of “the old” AT&T in NYC when it was parent company of the erstwhile Bell Telephone System. He claims he never did understand how the telephone worked.

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Illustration by Angela Euliarte

Scarlette gives advice, shots of Cuervo and examines the sock drawers of would-be lovers... just another day in the life

IN

NEWS

Arts Alliance, Creations merge into cool new entity

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR

Rounding into the Easter season, it’s only appropriate Sandpoint experience its very own story of resurrection. Sure enough, the Arts Alliance is back from the dead.

Nearly a year exactly after it closed its doors, the organization is teaming up with Creations, a popular youth arts and crafting space in Cedar Street Bridge.

The two organizations are joining forces by combining mission statements—the Arts Alliance’s commitment to arts education and Creations’ emphasis on art supplies and experiences for

kids—to create a new, unified entity.

“It’s great, because we had something cool going on, and they had something cool going on, and now we’re combining that cool,” Creations director Shery Meekings said.

“It’s one giant cool,” added Arts Alliance director Carol Kovalchuk.

According to Kovalchuk and Meekings, they struck upon the idea when Meekings required 501c3 status to apply for grants.

As luck would have it, the Arts Alliance’s status was still valid.

They began legally merging the organizations in the fall and only completed the process this year.

Creations will keep doing the work that made them a hit with the community. Families will still have the crafts environment and play space that makes it a popular destination with kids.

The children’s clothing and toy store, the smoothie bar and the cafe—which now offers halfpriced meals for kids thanks to a grant—are both better than ever.

Meanwhile, Meekings and Kovalchuk are working to bring back the arts classes that made the Arts Alliance an important local educational source. They believe the first classes will show up this summer, followed by more in the fall.

“It’s nice to have the free

County supports Scotchman Peaks Bergdahl charged

By Cameron Rasmusson it’s another show of support to For SPR

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness is enjoying a good month by anyone’s standards. Earlier in March, they received support from Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who endorsed their plan for Congress to designate the Scotchman Peaks. Now they have support on the local front with Bonner County commissioners also recommending Congress sign off on the proposal.

For the nonprofit, which is committed to achieving wilderness status and the federal protections that entails for the picturesque mountain region,

further sway federal lawmakers.

Supporters of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness filled the commissioner meeting room to encourage officials toward a favorable decision. They emphasized how the beauty and recreational value of the peaks added appeal to the region and could encourage others to settle here.

Likewise, wilderness designation for Scotchman Peaks fits into the Idaho Conservation League’s hopes for Bonner County. According to staffer Brad Smith, the wilderness designation would achieve protections for one of their highest priority regions in the county.

Bonner County Commissioner Cary Kelly leads a group of hikers up Scotchman Peak 6 /

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with desertion

The strange story of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. Army POW rescued from captivity in Afghanistan last May, is only getting stranger. The Washington Post reports that the Idaho resident has been charged by the Army with desertion and misbehavior toward the enemy.

Prior to his release, Bergdahl and his family received gestures of support from all over Idaho, including here in Sandpoint. In 2013, for example, supporters and officials dedicated a newly-planted tree near City Hall in his honor.

However, support turned to skepticism for some following the Obama administration’s brokering a prisoner trade for Bergdahl. In exchange for his release, five Taliban detainees were released from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The exchange was met with criticism from some politicians, who questioned its wisdom and legality.

Controversy than centered on Bergdahl himself when members of his unit alleged his desertion led to his capture. With the Army formally charging the soldier, there’s no doubt his legal battle will be a tumultuous and controversial affair. [CR]

program, but I think bringing back the more structured program, where people can learn how to draw or paint, is valuable too,” Kovalchuk said.

Meekings believes the team-up only means good things for Creations, which experienced a surge in popularity last year. After overcoming a dry stretch that forced them to either expand or close down, Creations caught on with the community, charting more than 40,000 visits in 2014. Meekings is excited to see what the future holds with even more events and services to offer the community.

•BRIEFS• Tax changes proposed in House

State legislators tackled the always-controversy-free subject of taxation Wednesday, ultimately producing a proposal that would raise some taxes and lower others.

The Spokesman-Review reports that Rep. Mike Moyler, R-Star, introduced the proposal that would remove the grocery sales tax, kill the grocery tax credit and raise the gas tax by 7 cents. It would also lower the income tax bracket for Idaho’s highest tax bracket from 7.4 percent to 6.7 percent.

Revenue from the gas tax hike would be split 60-40 on state and local highways, the Spokesman-Review reports.

The tax proposal has already made a splash, with some a little shellshocked by an Idaho Republican lawmaker introducing an ostensible tax increase. Moyle counters that the proposal is a tax increase in 2016 but effectively a cut in 2017. [CR]

Jaclyn McDaniel plays at the Creations equipment at the Cedar St. Bridge.

Photo by Cameron Rasmusson.

Panida offers ‘critic camp’

Here’s a good question: Why do you like your favorite movies?

Tough question, huh? It’s not easy to intellectually break down why a movie works or doesn’t work beyond intuitively forming your own opinion.

Good thing the Panida is here with Critic Camp, a unique opportunity to learn how film critics analyze the technical and narrative languages of film. It sounds to me like a fascinating experience (I’d be all over it if I didn’t have some news rag to deliver).

Participants will learn how to deconstruct characterization, narrative, themes, pacing, camerawork and more in this one-of-a-kind class hosted by Becky Revak, a professional with 20 years of movie writing and 30 years of movie production experience.

The cost is $10 and includes a two-hour workshop, a ticket for either “Paper Planes” or “Black and White” and popcorn. It all happens 11 a.m.

Thursday, April 2 at the Panida Little Theater. [CR]

Summer camps: The Most fun way to learn

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR If you’re looking for childhood memories at their most nostalgic, it’s tough to top summer camp.

Gritting your teeth against the cold as you splash into a chilly lake, running through a tense game of capture the flag, learning new skills at the archery range or the craft room: Camps offer a shared youth experience that imprints a time and place in a person’s consciousness. And more than ever before, camp organizers see the experiences as an opportunity to instill lessons or values you can’t get in a classroom.

“I know from my own experience that some kids just didn’t learn well in a traditional setting,” said Dennison Webb, director of Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education.

For just about every summer camp organizer, the spring months are when planning ramps up in earnest. It’s an experience Jason Wiley at Sandpoint Parks and Recreation knows all too well as he begins planning the department’s sponsored programs. One of the city’s most important partners in this task is Sandpoint West Athletic Club, which co-sponsors several events. SWAC also operates the Summer Adventure Camp, which begins in June and sends kids out on fun, educational field trips.

Wiley’s other main spring

concern is the Sandpoint Summer Activity Booklet. Perhaps the most comprehensive look at available activities for kids and parents alike, the booklet is a major annual project that keeps Wiley juggling dozens of events and contributors. The scope of the project requires a lot of office time from Wiley, but he tries not to let it distract him from developing programs like the first- and second-grade basketball class Little Dribblers, a recent favorite of his.

“I told myself, ‘This is too fun. I’m not giving this up,’” he said.

Sure enough, most camp organizers fell into their responsibilities through their personal passions. Webb, for instance, developed a love for the outdoors in his youth and built upon that connection to develop SOLE, which serves as an education and personal improvement model for youth throughout the region.

Experiences range from threeto 21-day excursions that focus on different personal growth exercises, including leadership building, science knowledge and self-motivation.

“Being able to share your passion for the outdoors while simultaneously assisting those you serve so they can develop their outdoor skills, leadership skills, academic skills or themselves is extremely rewarding,” Webb said.

Likewise, the Eureka Institute offers experiential summer

A guide shows a young camper the view from Harrison Lake trail in the Selkirks during SOLE’s Leave No Trace Workshop. Photo courtesy of SOLE camps focused on key areas that encourage art and learning. Youth adventure camps get kids out into nature, while workshops hone in on areas like construction, dance, music and more. It’s a naturalistic approach to the arts that emphasizes a closeness to nature.

Educational opportunities are also the driving influence for Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper’s Watershed Discovery Camp.

Headed up by Kelsey Brasseur and Shannon Williamson, the camp experience connects students to Lake Pend Oreille on a deeper level both intellectually and emotionally. Activities blend learning opportunities like water quality monitoring with activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, arts and crafts.

“We feel there’s a great need to provide kids with a deeper understanding of water quality and waterways,” Brasseur said.

Religious and spiritual leaders often find that a closeness to nature can enhance their connection to the divine, and local camp offerings take advantage of that common connection. Cocolalla Bible Camp, for instance, blends the gospel into a traditional camp experience of swimming, activities, games and more.

“It’s a high-energy, upbeat experience,” said camp director Dirk Darrow. “The kids are busy from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed.”

Like Wiley, Darrow be-

gins intensive preparations for camp season well before the winter snows have disappeared.

One of the the most important tasks is working with the young adults that will serve as camp staff. These are divided into two types—the counselors that work with kids on a day-to-day basis and the “Timothy” staffers that handle grunt work throughout the camp. The idea is to give kids an engaging week that, above all, is safe. It’s also a chance for Darrow to reach out to kids with troubled backgrounds or less-than-ideal home lives.

“We want to take the extra effort to make sure their experience is positive,” Darrow said.

Cocolalla Bible Camp, SOLE, Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, the city of Sandpoint and several other local summer camp or event providers maintain scholarship programs, which open up activities to kids from low-income households. If you’re worried you might not be able to afford the fees to send your child to camp, check in with administrators to learn their scholarship program details.

Scholarships are a consideration that help make summer camp a near-ubiquitous shared memory for people of all ages.

Considering Sandpoint’s good fortune when it comes to natural resources, administrators see the value in using camps to connect as many as possible to North Idaho’s waters, forests and lakes.

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event t h u r s d a y f r i d a y

Firkin Friday Fundraiser April 3rd, 2015 * 5pm Drink fetchingly good beer and raise money for Team Laughing Dog’s Race Across America

Laughing Dog Brewing Tap House 1109 Fontaine Drive, Ponderay, Idaho •Opportunity to buy your raffle tickets for a Seasons Pass to Schweitzer Mountain Resort!

•Play the ring toss for great prizes!

•Buy your bicycle pint glasses!

d trattoria owne y l i Fam

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

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5pm

208-255-2100

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“Live @ The Office” w/ Josh Hedlund 6pm @ Sandpoint Reader Office The beloved Sandpoint songwriter performs your favorites in the perfect setting. Tickets are $5 and go on sale Monday the 23rd. Buy them at the Reader office at 111 Cedar St. Suite 9. Space is limited, so don’t miss out

Keeping Your Bedroom 5:30pm @ Winter Ridge N Part of the Winter Ridge S free class hosted by Laura the importance in getting

Live Music w/ Ben & Cadie 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Two people, 14 instruments... tons of beer

Performer’s Circle 7pm - 9pm @ The Pearl Theater, Bon Boomarang Baby Boomer Comedy Bash Jam session where local folks get t make music. Join in or come to liste 8pm @ Panida Theater Three great performers; David Gee, Kathy mission, but donations are always we is open, serving food and drinks Simmons, and Marc Yaffee. Tickets $12 Marshall McLean Band 8pm @ Panida Theater Don’t miss this show!

Marshall McLean Band is one of the best acts in the northwest right now. Tickets $12 in advance, or $15 at door. See story on page 11 for more info

Winterfest 11am - 6pm @ Schweitzer Mountain Resort $10 gets you a souvenir Winterfest glass and 4 taste tokens. Live music from the Dimestore Prophets and a dozen beers and ciders on tap from Centenniel Distributing

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Palm Sunday Breakfast — 8:30am - 10am @ First Presbyterian Church, Sand This is one of the group’s major fundraisers of the year. Come for breakfast, stay

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Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Great collection of local blues jammers who meet every Monday night in the name of good music, good food, and good beer.

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Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 7pm @ La Rosa Club The hardest working jazz musicians in the great state of Idaho

Karaoke Night 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge Trivia Night 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s What local brewery just won Inlander’s Best of for “Best Bar” and “Best Restaurant”? Come to Trivia night and see for yourself Bingo Night 6:30 @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Cards Against Humanity 7pm @ Neighborhood Pub Double dog dare you

Beginning Gardening 1 Workshop 6pm - 8pm @ Ponderay Events Center This first session will look at planning, choosing your location, preparing the soil, seed selection and starting seeds. Cost $10 Open Mic w/ Scott Reid 6pm - 9pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee Held every first and third Thursday of the month, all are encouraged to attend

Kootenay 9:45am Presented Kootenay ence and

Film Boot Cam 10am - 3pm @ March 30 - Apr Open to studen In this action-p shoot, and edit the aspects of b ditioning for th a sound design. ater, instructors been teaching th 5 years. Cost is more informatio

Easter Bake Sa 8am @ Bonner Bake Sale starts the basket draw fins, cupcakes, Education Fund drawing are now

Easter Egg Hunt & Gather 6pm @ Cedar Hills Church Traditional Easter Egg Hunt 7:07pm. Cedar Hills will als day, April 5th at 8, 9:30 and

ful

Sacred Natural Foods Speaker Series. In this a Clemmons, learn about a good night’s sleep

March 26 - April 2, 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

Open Mic Poetry 6pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee Poets, writers, spoken word artists, acoustic musicians. All are welcome

Live Music w/ Grace and Tony “Punkgrass” 7:30pm @ Di Luna’s She played bluegrass. He played punk… when Grace and Tony White met, they fell in love and the music just followed after. Tickets $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Dinner service starts at 5:30pm

Live Music w/ Emily Baker Venus in Fur 5:30pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 7pm @ Hope Marketplace, Hope, ID nners Ferry Mellow and bright, a Sandpoint native who has Another great Tony-Award-Winning together and been captivating folk listeners for many years play by American Laboratory Theatre, en! Free ad- Anime Club directed by Jesus Quintero. Tickets elcome. Cafe 3pm - 4:30pm @ East Bonner County Library $15. Not intended for all audiences A club for anime enthusiasts that meets every (that means it’s GOTTA be good) Friday. Includes movie screenings and refreshments. Call 263-6930 ext. 1245 for more info Venus in Fur (see above listing for info) sed Book Sale 7pm @ Hope Marketplace, Hope, ID 0am - 2pm @ Bonner Mall in Ponderay Live Music w/ Ken Maygrimes pen to the public to sell your books - no cost 5:30 pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery nd tables provided. Not selling? Buy as many as Folk from good folk ou can fit in your trunk! Always great prices and g selection. A bibliophile’s paradise!

Live Music w/ Truck Mills 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority y Camas Project Presentation The blues master goes to work 11:30am @ Sandpoint Community Hall

d by the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society. Eva Johansson and Valerie Huff will discuss the y Camas Project, the ecology and distribution of camas, lessons learned from our citizen scischool projects, and show beautiful pictures. Free admission, public welcome

dpoint y for the service at 10:30am

mp Gardenia Center ril 3 nts 11-15 years of age packed camp, students will write, cast, a short film in one week – learning all blockbuster film production – from auhe camera to storyboarding and creating . Hosted by American Laboratory Thes Jillian Kramer and Zak Adams have his popular camp in Idaho for more than s $150 for the week. To sign up or for on email filmbootcamp@gmail.com

Upcoming Events

April 5 - Easter Egg Hunt at Lakeview Park,

sponsored by Spt Lions Club April 8 - Pints for Clear Water Fundraiser at Idaho

Pour Authority (LPO Waterkeeper hosted) April 10 - Shook Twins @ The Hive. Waldorf School

Fundraiser with opening band Mama Doll

Not a show to be missed!

April 26 - “Live @ The Office” with Justin Lantrip

at Sandpoint Reader Office May 1 - Charley Packard Tribute Benefit Concert

at Panida Theater

ale and Basket Drawing r General Health s at 8am, runs throughout the day, and will conclude with wing. Choose from a delicious variety of cakes, pies, mufbreads and specialty items; proceeds benefit the BGH d and volunteer expenses. Tickets for the Easter Basket w being sold for $1 each, or 6 for $5. Don’t miss it!

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t, followed by Thursday gathering at so have an Easter gathering on Sun11am

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O , h c o K . eds E e n l e r u a c a e y P le era

n All your ge

•From treating ocular allergies and dry eyes to the fitting of contact lenses •Your eyes should feel and see their best •Local and independent optometrist •14 years of experience in Sandpoint •Many insurances accepted

Keep Your Vision Up to the Task Call and make an appointment today: 208.255.5513

Larson’s Boot Melt Giveaway 1:30pm @ Larson’s Department Store Come celebrate the 75th anniversary at Larson’s by winning a FREE pair of White’s Boots ($469.95 value). They’ve frozen a boot in a block of ice. Guess when it will melt and win.

Bring a can of food for the Food Bank, too!

Alzheimer’s Support Group 1pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center Held on the first and third Thursday of each month. Free respite care available during group session with advance reservations. Contact Jan Griffitts for more information at 290-1973 or email jan@looptravel.com

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Sandpoint Trails Community hikes to remember

By Susan Drumheller For SPR

We like to get around.

Whether it’s to Dog Beach, City Beach or the tippy-top of Scotchman Peak, it’s often trails and pathways that take us. In fact, some places can only be reached on foot in North Idaho – and that makes them all the more special.

The trails in the larger-Sandpoint area are well-loved and well-used, and becoming more so all the time. Trails and pathways are part of the fabric that hold our community together, keep it healthy and bring us closer to nature.

In fact, a fondness for biking got the nod this week when Laughing Dog Brewing owner Fred Colby announced the brewery’s newest beer—Trailride Pale Ale—a sessions beer to be served up in time for the summer trail riding season.

Once tapped, it won’t be long before one of Greasy Fingers’ Full Moon Fiasco bike rides winds up at Laughing Dog’s tasting room to test the new brew.

And no doubt, riders will take our newest bike and walking path in town—the Creekside Trail—to get there.

Sandpoint isn’t yet on the map as a destination for mountain biking, trail running and other trail-related activities (although Sandpoint was featured in Mountain Bike Action magazine last fall). But our outdoorsy reputation could blossom following a flurry of trail planning currently underway.

Trail advocates from local nonprofits and city, county, state and federal agencies have begun meeting regularly to complete a county-wide trail plan that will document the trails we now have and help support future projects to better connect us to special places and to each other.

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technical support of The Trust for Public Land. A community survey kicked off the effort last fall and found solid support for creating more non-motorized trails.

Such planning has a good chance of paying off in the long run by boosting our health and the local economy. Consider: • A 2012 study of two community rail-trails in West Virginia found the trails resulted in greater physical activity for community members. According to the study, 23 percent of respondents didn’t exercise regularly before using the trails and 60 percent reported exercising more since using the trails.

• A 2011 visitor study for Golden and Rossland, B.C., found that mountain bike trail systems in those areas drew visitors who would otherwise not go to the area. In Rossland, the Seven Summits trail was clearly a draw, where visitors spent an average of $63 (Canadian) per day and stayed a median of three days each.

• A 2012 statewide study in Vermont found that cycling and pedestrian related activities were associated with $53.9 million in direct economic impacts and 1,095 jobs.

The current array of local natural trails and paved pathways provides solid footing for a robust trail system that’s sure to reap economic dividends as the network grows and word gets out. In addition to the Creekside Trail, here’s a sampling of other local trails getting a lot of love these days: • Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail – A trail count last summer found daily use at more than 200 walkers and bikers along this out-and-back shoreline trail. Since securing waterfront for public use, the Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail are now focused on trail improvements

Deb Hunsicker on the Bee Top Trail, looking out at the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area. Photo by Phil Hough.

and eventually connecting the trail to Ponderay with a railroad underpass.

Take a survey to help with future trail plans at www.pobtrail.org; • Long Bridge and Sagle Bike Path – This trail connects Sandpoint to Dog Beach and everything south of the Pend Oreille River. A trail count one rainy Sunday last fall recorded 500 users of the trail that day. North Idaho Bikeways and Bonner County have teamed up to apply for funding to repair this critical connection to Sagle.

• Scotchman Peak – It’s becoming a locals’ rite of passage to hike to the top of Scotchman Peak, a four-mile trek teetering above Clark Fork. The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness have teamed up with the U.S. Forest Service to rebuild the first, and steepest, stretch of this trail, making it a little longer, but easier on the knees. Volunteers will be needed for this and other trail projects. Go to www.scotchmanpeaks.org for more information and to sign up to volunteer.

That’s hardly an exhaustive list, and nor is the following list of dream trails now gaining traction in the hearts and minds of Bonner County residents: • Watershed Crest Trail – Last month, the Sandpoint City Council unanimously endorsed the plan to build a 25mile epic mountain bike trail that would circumnavigate the city’s watershed and connect Schweitzer to Sandpoint. The Pend Oreille Pedalers bike club and Selkirk Recreation District plan to start work on the trail this summer.

• Pend Oreille River Passage Trail – This trail would link the west part of Bonner County with the Dover Trail, providing a safe and sinuous bicycle route from Oldtown to Ponderay. The

Priest Community Forest Connection is leading a concept-planning effort for the 27-mile trail with the help of the National Park Service. The route also follows U.S. Bike Route 10—a proposed designated bicycle touring route across the northern tier states, including Washington, Idaho and Montana.

• Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail – This long-distance hiking route will span from Glacier National Park to the Olympic Peninsula. Designated by Congress in 2009, the trail is one of the few east-west routes in the nation and passes through the Panhandle, but exactly where through the Panhandle remains to be seen. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is appointing an advisory council to make recommendations on the exact route and management of the trail.

By developing world-class routes, like the Watershed Crest Trail and the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, the Sandpoint area will draw visitors looking to explore new outdoor opportunities. Just as important are those local trails that help us get around town without jumping in our cars. Those are the trails that make a place more livable.

So, let us raise a glass to our growing trails, the many people who are weaving them all together, and the joy we find on them. Cheers!

Susan Drumheller is an avid hiker, mountain biker and skier, staff member of the Idaho Conservation League, Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail board member, and secretary of the Trail Mix Committee. She can be reached at sdrumheller@idahoconservation.org.

STAGE & SCREEN Quintero, Sá break new ground in ‘Venus in Fur’

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR

Chances are good you know married couple Jesús Quintero and Carolina Sá. Chances are also good you’ve never seen them like you will in “Venus in Fur,” Quintero’s latest stage production.

A two-person play written by famed playwright David Ives, “Venus in Fur” centers on Thomas Novachek, a New York City writer-director of a new play, and Vanda Jordan, a fiery actress who reads for a part in the production. Utilizing the play-within-a-play structure favored by writers all the way back to Shakespeare, the play explores the intersection between reality and fiction and the shifting balances of power between the two characters.

For Quintero and Sá, the play represents somewhat new

territory, even if this isn’t their first time working together on a production. In fact, the two met in Miami when Quintero directed Sá in a play.

“We established our relationship first professionally, and then personally,” said Sá.

On the other hand, this is the first time they’ll be working together since moving to Sandpoint. And it’s a hell of a first project, a bewitching, twisting production that puts a new flavor on the Tony Award-winning Broadway play. For Sá, the project is something of a love letter to the community, and she and Quintero are putting their money where their mouth is. Proceeds from the play will benefit the Eureka Institute, a local charitable organization.

“I want to reciprocate the care this community has shown us,” Sá said.

‘Venus in Fur’ will be performed 8 p.m. March 27 and 28 and April 3 and 4 at Hope Marketplace, 620 Wellington Pl. Viewer discretion advised—content is recommended for 18 years of age or older. Tickets are $15 and available at Eve’s Leaves or www.americanlabtheatre.com.

Carolina Sá, appearing in “Venus in Fur”

MOVIE PICKS An Australian import that explores life and loss through, of all things, a paper plane competition, “Paper Planes” looks like it might have the right ingredients to warm your heart when it hits the Panida Theater next week.

Starring a cast of fine talent from down under, including Sam Worthington and David Wenham, “Paper Planes” revolves around young Dylan (Ed Oxenbould), who aims to become the champion of the World Paper Plane Competition in Japan.

He faces opposition from his paper plane rivals, a school bully and a grieving father (Worthington), still wounded from the loss of Dylan’s mother. If family healing through the art of paper folding strikes your fancy, this is sure to be your ticket.

GET HARD

On the other hand, sometimes you just need a bunch of raunchy jokes, which “Get Hard” looks to fulfill in spades. Early reviews haven’t been especially kind, but fans of Will Ferrell or Kevin Hart may still want to check out their new comedy at Bonner Mall Cinemas.

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A different kind of spoon, man

By Ted Bowers For SPR

I’m a spoon-maker. I shape fruitwoods and hardwoods into spoons, spatulas, knives, scrapers, something we call a kitchen stick, and the occasional ladle.

I started making spoons during a particularly dark period in my life. A series of events, largely of my own doing, had left me alone with myself, lonely and depressed. Songwriters sometimes do their best work during tumultuous times. But not being much of a songwriter, I turned to another outlet. Being a woodworker and a cook and having always wanted better wooden utensils than the cheap ones commonly available, I tried my hand at spoon-making and found I had a knack for it. I also found that it filled a creative need and provided me with a healthy activity and a better attitude.

I got into it in earnest. I wasn’t just making spoons, after all—I was creating something of beauty. I sanded and polished them until they gleamed and felt

like satin to the touch, eventually accumulating many more than I needed. Good thing they made great gifts.

This improved relations with family and friends and improved my attitude toward life. In some small way, shaping spoons helped me reshape my life. I still make them today, when I find the time and it is as joyful a pastime as it ever was. My wife Gini has since joined me in designing and making utensils, and our work inhabits many of our loved ones’ kitchens. I’ve even sold a few, although the vast majority have gone for gifts and donations.

This little story leads me to thoughts of how lives are shaped by our past and ourselves. I was born and raised on a farm in Illinois. That in itself defines much of who I am—close to the earth, I’m a hands-on kind of person.

My social life was somewhat limited because of distance from town. My babysitter was an Amish woman, and we lived among a strong community of Amish farmers. My parents were educated and encouraged us children to get college degrees.

Being a good son, I complied

with their wishes, but as soon as I graduated and was on my own, I turned to what I always had loved—building stuff with my hands.

My early life had shaped me before formal schooling got to me. I’m grateful for my education and the ideas and experiences it introduced to me. It polished my communication skills and introduced me to the wide world and all that means. I made lifelong friends in college, people who shaped my life both then and now.

When I came to North Idaho, I was searching for stability—a home, a community, a career.

Shaped by the revolutionary ‘60s, I was politically progressive and long-haired. I wanted to be accepted for who I was and found that to be challenging in Sandpoint in the early ‘70s. I was lucky to find a job as a carpenter’s apprentice with old-timer Earl Boles, who was greatly amused by my appearance and unbothered by my inexperience.

He hired three of us hippies and got a kick out of displaying us to his cronies at Connie’s Cafe every morning on our coffee break.

grow less dense but much lankier than usual. Pruning will also affect mature size and thus spacing; for instance, some boxwood can be sheared tightly to occupy an area as small as one foot, or loosely trimmed in a natural form to occupy a two-to-three foot space.

When placing plants near a structure, think of future maintenance and repair work that may occur. Tradesmen are sometimes not cautious around plants—give them plenty of room to work.

Remember to consider mature height also. Many arborists keep quite busy topping or removing trees that should not have been planted in a particular location—especially under or near utility lines.

Consider the primary views of the landscape. We can design the most aesthetically pleasing beds, but if they’re not visible from main viewing areas, what’s the point?

Equally, if not more important, consider the view from inside your home—we spend much of our time indoors, even in good weather.

Your view from inside should draw you out to the natural world.

Also consider hardscape placement. A pond, waterfall, fountain or other water feature should be located so the soothing sights and sound can be enjoyed from both indoor and outdoor living areas and oriented for the best possible effect. In summer months, we love going to sleep to the sound of our waterfall.

Give thought to future maintenance of the landscape. Will you be using a riding mower or walk-behind? Are your beds and lawn areas designed for ease of mowing? Think about how your maintenance chores will be affected by the design. The graphic to the right will help.

Shade trees have a definite value in the lawn, but plan for ease of mowing. A large mulched basin around the tree will not only make for easier mowing but will also eliminate tree damage and contribute to its health by providing better moisture and fertility.

Especially for the first few years, the mulched basin should extend to the drip line of the tree.

In an effort to provide an “exciting” landscape, novice design-

An array of spoons hand-carved by Bowers. Photo courtesy of Ted & Gini Bowers.

I worked and trained with Earl for six years, literally until the day he died. He was kind, tolerant, funny and unaffected by stereotypes, both mine as a “hippie” and those of other persuasions. If a person was good, he or she was fine with Earl. If they were assholes, he didn’t waste his time with them. I have continued to use the lessons learned from old “Early,” playing my part in helping to shape young lives. I’ve used skills learned from him to shape my own life as well, both personally and professionally. We should all

be so fortunate to have elders to guide and shape us through our formative years.

As we grow older and hopefully wiser, we can and should play a greater role in shaping our own lives. I find I have less interest in influencing others unless it is to be a better human and role model, but that’s up to them.

Ultimately, it’s up to us to take charge of shaping our lives.

ers will use colorful perennials and flowering shrubs to excess.

It’s fine to include color, but also ensure a pleasing, unified landscape by the proper use of form, texture, scale, repetition and other elements of design. Include evergreens, up to one-third of plants total; they will provide structure and interest during our long, gray winter months Each site is unique, as are the desires and expectations of the

owners. Gather all your ideas, facts and figures together before you actually undertake the design.

Remember to plan twice and plant once.

Ted and Gini Bowers own and operate Bowers Construction in Sandpoint. Website: sandpointcontractor.com

Garden Corner: Design is crucial for future maintenance

By Dan Eskelson For SPR

We all make mistakes—we’re human—but we can learn from others’ mistakes to greatly reduce our own. My most recent design mistake was believing a claim that a certain “hardy wisteria” would survive in my zone 4 microclimate. I let my desire for that beautiful vine overwhelm my plant knowledge and common sense.

Following basic design principles and strategies will help you avoid the most common design mistakes and create a garden that is pleasing, efficient and as low-maintenance as possible.

Placement of plant material is crucial. I often see plants that are placed too close to structures or to each other. Consider the mature size of each plant and space accordingly. Yes, it may look a bit sparse for the first few years, but that is so much better than having to chop them back unnaturally or remove them when mature.

Exposure can also affect plant size. When placed in a shadier-than-preferred site, plants may 12 /

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Dan Eskelson owns Clearwater Landscapes and lives in Priest River. Have garden questions? http://clearwaterlandscapes.com/ questions

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Susan Drinkard

Marshall McLean Band set to rock the Panida

McLean (left) and bassist Justin Landis (right) at a recent show at the Bartlett in Spokane. Photo by Sonny Moeckel

By Cameron Rasmusson For SPR

When Marshall McLean arrived in Sandpoint early this year to shoot a music video, he didn’t have many expectations, good or bad.

There weren’t any firm plans in place, for one thing.

And it was his first time working with WanderMan Media videographer Spencer Norris, a high school buddy of Marshall McLean Band drummer Jesse MacDonald.

Packing up the cameras hours later, they knew they’d accomplished special—and not just because the first music video for band’s debut record “Glossolalia” was in the bag.

Something about the the shoot captured the heart of their featured song, “Coat of Many Colors.”

With the video edited, polished and ready to show off, the Marshall McLean Band returns to Sandpoint on Saturday for a music video release show at the historic Panida Theater.

“It’s a little unusual to do a show for a video release,” McLean said. “But we wanted to showcase what we did, and we couldn’t think of a better place to do it than Sandpoint.”

Joining them for the performance is the exceptional Anna Tivel, a folk and Americana singer-songwriter from Portland, Ore. Often performing under the name Anna and the Underbelly, Tivel always delivers a memorable show with her distinct singing voice, multi-instrumental proficiency and lyric-driven songs.

“She’s definitely one of our favorite performers,” said McLean.

McLean sees Sandpoint as a natural choice for the video release show. It is, in many ways, a second home for the Spokane-based band. Indeed, Sandpoint is instrumental in the band’s history. It was here McLean met local musician Justin Landis, and the resulting collaboration eventually evolved into a larger project.

Initially unsure where they would shoot the video, McLean, Landis, MacDonald and Norris ran into Steve Holt, who allowed them to shoot in the Old Granary building. The setting adds an austere quality to the video which, when combined with the photography’s muted color palette, injects even more dimension and atmosphere to “Glossolalia’s” opening track.

“The response so far has been very positive,” Landis

said. “People are surprised by the professionalism of the production. It sort of brings the song to life.”

The video arrives a little under two and half years after the release of “Glossolalia.”

Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, “Glossolalia” has generated its fair share of positive reviews and and enthusiasm from the Inland Northwest music community. In January, the album took the “best local release” honor in the 2015 Bartlett Awards, while the Marshall McLean Band earned best band honors in the singer-songwriter category. And this month, Pacific Inlander readers declared them the best original band in the Best of the Inland Northwest Reader’s Poll.

It’s great momentum for the Marshall McLean Band as they tackle their second album. With a solid catalog of McLean’s sophisticated songwriting at their disposal, much of the legwork on the sophomore release is already complete. They just need to get in the studio and begin the long process of recording and mastering an album.

Unlike “Glossolalia,” McLean said they’ll likely avoid a Kickstarter this time. He’s has been following the debate among musicians as to the ap-

propriate use of crowdfunding for albums. From his perspective, they’re great tools to get projects off the ground, but once that is accomplished, artists should aim to become self-sufficient.

“I think part of being serious about music is treating it as a business owner would treat a business,” he said.

The hope is that the quality of the music will support itself, and so far, the signs are looking good. In fact, the show Saturday will include a solid mix of well-known McLean favorites and new material yet to be recorded. The performance promises to be a love letter to a town that’s been instrumental in the maturation of McLean’s music.

“We’re really excited for this show,” McLean said. “It was a blast when we played the Panida last year.”

See the Marshall McLean Band perform live 8 p.m. Saturday at the Panida Theater.

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at Eichardt’s, Eve’s Leaves or at the door. They’re also available online at www. marshallmcleanband.com or www.panida.org. Check out the “Coat of Many Colors” music video at www.vimeo. com/118605350

READ

Last week I attended the Festival of the Book at the University of Arizona in Tucson where I heard famous writers such as Gail Sheehy and Noam Chomsky speak.

I attended one panel discussion on book clubs and recommendations for good fiction reads: ”Above the East China Sea”

by Sarah Bird; “Girl in Translation” by Jean Krak; and “Gemini” by Carol Cassella were recommended among others. And my recommendation is my all-time favorite, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. It is soulful, lyrical, and deeply wise fiction set in an all-black southern town in the 1920s.

LISTEN

When I walked into the Long Ear last Tuesday, Chelsea put on Rhiannon Giddens’ newly released solo debut, “Tomorrow is My Turn.” After hearing the first three songs I bought it.

You may know Giddens from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a folk group from Durham, N.C., she helped found 10 years ago. Produced by T Bone Burnett, this CD is mostly covers—Nina Simone, Odetta, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Dolly Parton—where she shines in diverse genres of gospel, blues, country, and jazz. My favorite here is “She’s Got You,” the song made famous

by Patsy Cline. Giddens’ voice is just beautiful with big vocal power. No tomorrow about it, she has taken her turn.

WATCH

It is deemed one of the top 10 documentaries ever made. I saw it years ago and it haunts me still. “Grey Gardens” is the story of the mother and daughter duo, both named Edith Bouvier Beale, who are the eccentric and reclusive relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis who lived in squalor with cats, raccoons, and no running water at Grey Gardens estate, an affluent neighborhood in East Hampton, New York. It was made in 1975 by Albert and David Maysles; they used a “direct cinema” technique that allowed the women to tell their own stories. It is truly fascinating.

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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’s photo is another submission by the Tam O’Shanter on Cedar Street. 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.

An interior photograph, taken inside the Tam O’Shanter.

c.1930s

The same shot taken today. Lookin’ good guys!

2015

New listings from SandpointClassifieds.com.

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VEHICLE FOR SALE: 1995 Buick Park Avenue Ultra 1995 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. White. $3,000. Drives like a dream. An affordable luxury car. Wide doors for easy access and exit. 116k miles, needs a little TLC but quite driveable. Clean, no dents. Call Bill at 208-610-0873.

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RENTALS: House For Rent 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom House for Rent: Great neighborhood close to fairgrounds.

Hot tub, sprinklers and many extras...

Large great room, covered patios. Furnished or can be empty. Utilities paid by renter. No smoking/No Pets. Posted by janismc on Mar 20.

STUFF FOR SALE: Vintage Iron Garden Gates Beautiful heavy duty iron gates. These are very cool gates. Aprox. 28w x 60” tall $350.00 for the pair. Happy to answer any questions and instruct on how to install. OBO txt or call 255-8332.

Posted by usawild on Mar 22.

RENTALS: House For Rent in Bonners Ferry 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, family room, close to schools, full basement family room large pantry, 2 car garage, lots of storage, no smoking, pet on approval w/ extra deposit. 1st, last & deposit. $800/ month $500 deposit. Available April 1st. 2674562. Posted by beckyanne on Mar 17.

STUFF FOR SALE: 8’ x 16’ Storage Building 8’ x 16’ storage unit. Metal sides, metal slant roof. Solid and Sound. Must be moved. See it at 399 Selle Road, just one half mile East of Hwy 95. Look for 399 written in white on the telephone pole and a small red reflector at the driveway. then call Bill at 208-610-0873. $1000.

Older Mobile home there also for sale.

Posted by captbill on Mar 21.

WANTED: Used Electric Lawn Mower I want to buy a used Electric Lawn Mower. Posted by SandySue on Mar 22.

Corrections: In last week’s (wo)Man on the Street, Jon Rich said “economic downturn” not “downtown.” Dang that auto-correct!

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If you’re in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at the enemy, throw one of those small pumpkins. Maybe it’ll make everyone think how stupid war is, and while they are thinking, you can throw a real grenade at them.

EMPLOYMENT: FOH Manager at Forty-One South Front of House Manager available at one of North Idaho’s premier upscale dining restaurants. FOH Mgr will direct and supervise daily operations of the Front of House staff including bussers, hosts, servers and bartenders by providing professional leadership and training to personnel. Please apply in person or submit resume via email to fortyonesouth@ gmail.com. No phone calls please. Posted by 41south on Mar 19.

sandpoint’s premier

craft beer store

OVER 3OO BEERS IN STOCK PLUS 12 ROTATING TAPS

2O3 CEDAR STREET DOWNTOWN SANDPOINT, ID

2O8.597.7O96 | IDAHOPOURAUTHORITY.COM

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the original sandpoint hipsters March 26, 2015 /

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