Reader_March2_2023

The week in random review

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

lyrical messages from the past

“It’s a big old world we live in now/ and how mighty it can be/ And all this time I pictured you standing next to me/ so we could go find things we’ve never seen.”

— lyrics from “Just One Day” by Mighty Oaks, a song I added to a Spotify playlist titled “Hello, March” on March 2, 2016

let it snow

Yes, it’s March. Yes, it is still snowing like we’re wishing for a white Christmas. I do not love winter, but the only thing I love less is brown grass in June. As of Feb. 27, the Pend Oreille Basin’s mountain snow-water equivalent sat at 92% of the median amount typically tracked since 1991. So, let it snow.

one-namers

A hallmark of fame is sometimes a person’s ability to be known by a single name: Madonna, Sting, Shaq, Beyonce, Cher, Bono, Magic. I love that I live in a community where this can apply to largely everyday people as well. In my own circle, most everyone can be known by one name and any overlap is easily mitigated by context. Other one-namers in most anyone’s life: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa. The older I get, the more I recognize the fame of the latter in my own life. (All credit for this rumination goes to my dad, who is famous both to me and to many who know him simply as “Travis.”)

a pleasant stroll through home depot

My husband Alex and I shopped at The Home Depot in Ponderay last weekend, looking for several items to clean, paint and generally update parts of our home. Alex, a carpenter by trade, reminds me of a kid in a candy store during our home improvement errands. He is eager to ask the associates questions, and I’ve discovered that the folks at Ponderay Home Depot are particularly kind and accommodating. During our last trip, we chatted with four different employees and every interaction was plain lovely. We left with everything we needed, plus lots of new knowledge to inform future projects. It was a successful trip, thanks to the sweet people of Homie D’s (as we call it).

no context iphone notes, 9/19/17

There’s tequila on my breath, a shower running hot, the small buzz of his beard trimmer on the other side of the curtain, pleasantries exchanged in a small bathroom on a Saturday afternoon.

DEAR READERS,

Powder days in late February are among the best things North Idaho has to offer. I hope you all got to experience some fun in the outdoors last week, or if you’re not into the whole winter thing, perhaps you found something good on Netflix to watch. The point is, we’re fewer than three weeks away from official spring, so wring as much out of these glorious winter days as you can.

This week’s cover features a photo by Karley Coleman of one of the competitors in last week’s Air & Après big air show at Schweitzer. If you’d like to see more from Karley, check out her work here: fivemegawatts.pixieset.com.

Finally, I’d like to announce a new member to the Reader team: Kelsey Kizer is our new ad rep and is available to help you with any of your advertising needs. Drop her a line at kelsey@sandpointreader.com and ask about how you can advertise in the Reader on any budget.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. See you at The Follies!

–Ben Olson, publisher

READER

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Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com

Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com

Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

Advertising: Kelsey Kizer kelsey@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Artists: Karley Coleman (cover), Ben Olson, Otto Kitsinger, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Bill Borders

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Audrey Dutton, Clark Corbin, Carrie Logan Emily Erickson, Molly O’Reilly

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About the Cover

This week’s cover photo was taken at the big air show at Schweitzer by local photographer Karley Coleman. You can find more of her work at @fivemegawatts on Instagram or fivemegawatts.pixieset.com.

County reverses decision to hire Davillier Law for board trainings

Campaign contributions to Bradshaw, Williams serve as catalyst for ‘disengaging’ firm

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Bonner County commissioners on Feb. 28 repealed an earlier decision to engage an outside law firm for board training purposes, after questions were raised about commissioner campaign contributions made by individuals allegedly connected to the firm.

Commissioner Luke Omodt brought forth a proposal Feb. 14 to contract with Davillier Law Group to create an education training program for commissions and boards throughout county government, after he’d observed what he called “room to improve” in meeting procedures and the carrying out of county business.

Despite pushback from Commissioner Asia Williams, who argued that the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office was already tasked with providing such training, Omodt and BOCC Chairman Steve Bradshaw voted to engage Davillier Law Group to design and implement the program.

Davillier has been in the news locally for representing the county in its failed lawsuit against the city of Sandpoint regarding the Festival at Sandpoint’s policy against weapons at War Memorial Field. On a national scale, the New Orleans-based firm — which also has offices in Sandpoint and Phoenix — has been involved in cases such as the fight against Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, challenges to COVID-19 masking laws and questioning “election integrity” after the 2020 presidential election.

Davillier has current retainers with Bonner County, last updated in July 2022 to increase billing rates for several attorneys.

The firm once again appeared on the BOCC agenda Feb. 28 — this time, in the form of an action item brought forth by Williams to “Review Prior Board Decision Regarding Engaging Davillier Law Group for a Training Program.”

However, the issue prompted discussion earlier in the meeting when constituent Dave Bowman participated in public comment.

Citing concerns expressed by another member of the public on Feb. 21, Bowman noted campaign contributions Bradshaw received from Davillier Law attorneys George Wentz and Mauricio Cardona. Because those donations were made toward Bradshaw’s failed run for Idaho governor, the commissioner brushed them off at the Feb. 21 meeting as unrelated to county business.

“I’m here to tell you it does matter,” Bowman said Feb. 28.

“The whole episode reeks of a lack of transparency, influence peddling and you’ve insulted the very people that you’re here to serve.”

Bowman said he’d filed a criminal complaint with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office “calling for an investigation into the pecuniary transactions” between Bradshaw and members of Davillier Law Group.

“We are over it,” Bowman said, speaking for other members of the public. “We are going to clean this county up and this is just the start.”

The issue of campaign contributions came up in short order as soon as the board reached Williams’ proposal to review the Feb. 14 decision to hire Davillier for board training. When Williams asked if any members of the board had a conflict of interest, Bradshaw said he did, based on the “accusation” from Bowman. Bradshaw went on to ask Williams if she knew Mat Macdonald, to which she replied she did. Bradshaw went on to allege that Macdonald is an employee of Wentz and contributed to her campaign for commissioner, therefore also creating a conflict of interest for Williams.

Williams said she knew Macdonald through the Bonner County Republican Central Committee, on which he serves as vice-chair and

a precinct committeeman.

“I don’t have any relationship with Davillier Law Firm,” she said.

Records from the Idaho Secretary of State’s campaign finance disclosure portal shows a contribution from a “Matt MacDonald” (listed at the same address as Mat Macdonald) of $100 to Williams during her commissioner campaign, accounting for about 1.1% of her total funds raised. Williams received an additional $800 from other officers and precinct committeemen of the BCRCC.

The Reader reached out to Macdonald for clarification on whether he is currently employed by Davillier Law Group, but did not receive a response before press time.

Between August 2021 and April 2022, campaign finance records show that Wentz contributed a total of $4,000 to Bradshaw’s run for governor, accounting for about 4.4% of his total funds raised. Cardona gave Bradshaw a total of $540 between two donations in 2021.

Williams did not state a conflict of interest, and instead said she would consult with legal counsel to make that determination.

Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Bill Wilson then chimed in, stating he was “addressing this for the first time today” and “shooting from the hip.” He said he was friends with Macdonald but was not familiar with his employment, to which Bradshaw alleged Macdonald was a “paralegal” working

for Davillier.

“In that case, it’s a red flag,” Wilson said. “I can’t give you a clear-cut answer on this.”

He recommended that the board consider a motion to disengage with Davillier on the board training issue due to the “uncertain landscape” created by the campaign contributions.

“My recommendation is … that [the decision to hire them for board training] be considered voided and no work be performed by Davillier at this time, until such time as we’ve had the opportunity to really get to the bottom of these issues,” Wilson said. “I would hate to see this decision move forward and possibly have unintended consequences that we can’t predict at this point.”

The Reader asked Wilson in a follow-up email whether that possible “red flag” would also apply to the firm’s existing contracts to do other work for the county, but he declined to comment further, adding that he, “tend[s] to defer public comment to the county’s elected officials.”

Omodt said he had concerns that not hiring Davillier on the grounds that the firm’s attorneys had made campaign donations would violate their First Amendment rights.

“If an individual contributes, of their own free will, the fruits of their labor, then their employer cannot be utilized by county government? I have significant

struggles with that,” he said.

Wilson said that it was not the board’s decision, at this time, to determine whether a state statute violated the Constitution.

Williams restated that her reasoning for wanting to repeal the decision to engage Davillier for board training stemmed from her belief that the prosecutor’s office should be performing that work, but also reiterated that, “A sitting commissioner has actually engaged their services, so from the view of transparency, that’s a valid concern.”

“It’s not apples to apples to say, ‘Asia got $100 from Mat Macdonald and Bradshaw got $4,000$5,000 [from Davillier attorneys] and hired them while he was running and for other issues,” she added, prompting vocal pushback.

“I’ve never hired them for anything. Make your statements accurate,” Bradshaw said. “‘Steve Bradshaw has never hired them for anything.’”

The Reader reached out to Bradshaw to clarify whether his votes to engage the firm for the Festival suit and update retainer agreements in July of last year qualified as effectively “hiring” the attorneys who donated to his gubernatorial campaign, but he did not reply before press time.

Wilson said it was not the time to debate that issue, but rather to undo the board’s prior decision and “set the clock back to zero” and create more time to understand if those campaign contributions created a conflict of interest for either commissioner.

Williams made the motion to disengage Davillier for the board training services and Bradshaw stepped down from the chair to second. Both voted in favor of the motion, effectively rendering the Feb. 14 contract void. Omodt cast the lone vote in opposition.

Additional reporting by Zach Hagadone.

The Bonner County Administration Building in Sandpoint. Courtesy photo.

Pend Oreille Economic Partnership announces new executive director

Longtime local business leader Brent Baker will lead re-branded BoCo Economic Development Corp.

By Reader Staff

In partnership with the city of Sandpoint, the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation revised its bylaws in 2022, drafted a new strategic plan and restated its purpose, mission, vision and goals. In the process, BCEDC rebranded itself as the Pend Oreille Economic Partnership, and, in December 2022, hired Brent Baker as its new executive director.

The Pend Oreille Economic Partnership announced Baker’s appointment officially Feb. 24, as well as set the dates for two upcoming events.

The private 501(c)(6) nonprofit economic development corporation continues three decades of serving area communities by working to “develop a vibrant economy of diverse businesses and industries that offer quality job opportunities and help build prosperity for all in Bonner County,” according to the announcement.

A meet-and-greet to welcome

Baker to his new role is scheduled for Thursday, March 2, where attendees will have the chance to learn more about the Pend Oreille Economic Partnership, its programs and initiatives. Baker will also announce the return of the organization’s economic summit in May, after having been on hold since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsored by The Innovia Foundation, the meet-and-greet — including refreshments — is scheduled from 5-6:30 p.m. at Barrel 33 (100 N. First Ave., in Sandpoint).

Baker’s appointment as executive director continues his longtime leadership in the local business community. A resident of Bonner County since 1977, Baker has been at the helm of a number of companies, serving industries ranging from construction, real estate development and resort management, to ranching and forestry, project and property management, and investment.

Upon retirement in 2016, he took up business consulting, coaching and education, which he continues today. Baker launched

Elevate Now Consulting in February 2020, focusing on elements such as leadership, company culture and innovation.

A certified master executive coach, Baker has also served the community as a member of the Lakes Commission since its inception in 2003 and, together with Sandpoint High School Athletic Director John Knowles, co-founded the SHS Residential Carpentry Program, leading the grant-writing effort to secure its funding.

Also in the education field, Baker co-founded the 501(c) (3)nonprofit Gnomus in 1994, which developed and delivered middle-school science education programs to under-served community public schools. Adopted and administered through the U.C. Berkeley Math, Engineering and Science Achievement Program, the offerings provided by Gnomus were also sponsored by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.

In addition, Baker and Bonner County Justice Services Director Debbie Stallcup designed and put

Priest River man guilty of arson in 2022 BoCo fires receives felony sentence

By Reader Staff

Ryan N. Greene, of Priest River, pleaded guilty to six counts of third-degree felony arson on Feb. 16, with a sentence of concurrent five years in prison for each charge and five years indeterminate.

Greene was responsible for several fires that occurred in Bonner County in July and August 2022 at the height of wildfire season, according to Idaho State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl. “Thanks to the rapid and effective response by the West Pend Oreille Fire District and others, a major inferno was averted,” Sandahl stated in a news release Feb. 28 from the Idaho Department of Insurance.

As part of the plea deal, the U.S. government agreed not to bring separate federal charges in connection to the summer 2022 fires. Greene was ordered to pay restitution and court costs of $245.50 per case for a total of $1,473.

Investigators from the Idaho State Fire

Marshal’s Office; Bonner County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Idaho Department of Lands collaborated over a two-month period to identify Greene as the perpetrator. Investigators quickly identified a pattern with the fires in the Priest River area and concluded that they had been the work of a serial arsonist.

Vehicles connected to Greene were seen in the area of three of the fires, all determined to have been human-caused. During interviews with investigators, Greene admitted to using gasoline, diesel and lighter fluid to start the fires.

“Anyone considering arson should know that we will investigate, and we will prosecute,” stated Sandahl. “Arson is harmful to our state and affects state resources. We are appreciative of all the other agencies who assisted us in bringing this individual to justice, and protecting Idahoans from devastating fires and those who start them.”

into place a youth job skills training program at the Bonner County Juvenile Detention Center.

He has served as a school board chairman and fire district commissioner, as well as founded and participated in several other community programs.

“I am presently keenly interested in bringing all my experience to bear for the benefit of our community,” Baker stated. “And it is amazing, because the pillars of economic development include strengthening the public education system, protecting the environment, developing infrastructure, growing a capable and available workforce, housing that workforce affordably, providing tools and resources for existing businesses to thrive and attracting new non-polluting businesses to our community.

“So while I had wondered

about which one area of nonprofit work I should possibly segue to, I stumbled on to this opportunity, where all of those aspects come into play, and where all of my previous experience aligns,” he added. “That is the serendipity.”

To learn more about the Pend Oreille Economic Partnership, visit bonnercountyedc.com.

Incumbent Library Trustee Susan Shea to seek reelection

By Reader Staff

Incumbent East Bonner County Library Trustee Susan Shea has announced plans to seek reelection in the May 2023 election.

Shea was elected to the Library Board of Trustees in 2017. Over the course of her sixyear tenure, Shea has contributed her financial experience to the Library Board, drawing on 45 years of employment in finance.

According to her campaign announcement, Shea’s experience helped reduce the amount of the levy each year and steadily reduce the community’s library tax contributions by declining an annual 3% tax increase.

“Ms. Shea is a strong team player and she works collaboratively with the other four library trustees in order to promote the East Bonner County Library’s vision, ensure its effectiveness and provide excellent library services for our community,” the announcement stated, adding, “The United States Constitution guides Ms. Shea’s commitment to protecting the First Amendment rights of all of our citizens.”

A resident of Bonner County for 30 years, Shea has worked at Coldwater Creek, Timberline Helicopter, Southside Water and Sewer District, and as director of Bonner County’s Indigent and Charity Program. She has been married for 45 years to Dan Shea, who recently retired from the Bonner County Audit Department.

The election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16. Register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot at the Bonner County Election Offices (1500 Hwy. 2, Suite 124, in Sandpoint) or by going to voteidaho.gov. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, May 5 at 5 p.m. Early, in-person voting runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday from May 1 to May 12 at the Elections Office.

Brent Baker was tapped in December as the executive director of the Pend Oreille Economic Partnership. Courtesy photo.

Susan Shea. File photo.

Idaho Senate OKs proposed constitutional amendment on initiatives and referendums

Supreme Court has already ruled a similar bill passed by the Legislature is unconstitutional

Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun

The Idaho Senate has approved a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would ask voters whether to increase the threshold to qualify a ballot initiative or referendum.

On Feb. 27, the Idaho Senate voted 27-8 to pass Senate Joint Resolution 101, which would require 6% of voters in all 35 Idaho legislative districts to sign a petition for an initiative or referendum to qualify for election. The current threshold is 6% of voters in 18 legislative districts.

Initiatives and referendums are a form of direct democracy that allow the voters to act independent of the Idaho Legislature.

An initiative is putting a new law in effect, like Idaho voters did with Medicaid expansion.

A referendum is putting an existing law before the voters to repeal or retain, like the Students Come First laws, the so-called Luna laws.

Idaho Supreme Court previously ruled against similar legislation

In August 2021, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that a previous bill, Senate Bill 1110, that would have also increased the initiative/referendum threshold to 6% of voters in all 35 legislative districts, was unconstitutional because it would have made it nearly impossible to bring a ballot initiative or referendum forward.

In the ruling, Idaho Supreme Court justices called the initiative and referendum process “fundamental rights reserved to the people of Idaho.”

Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, said the new Senate Joint Resolution 101 is different from the unconstitutional Senate Bill 1110 because the new resolution is asking voters to increase the threshold themselves, whereas Senate Bill 1110 amounted to the Idaho Legis-

lature imposing the increased threshold on the people.

“SJR 101 … would not eliminate the initiative or referendum process; it only makes it more inclusive for all parts of our state while making it harder for special interests to venue shop during that phase of the initiative process,” Okuniewicz said during his floor debate.

Okuniewicz and other supporters argued Senate Joint Resolution 101 gives more rural voters a say in the initiative process. But opponents argued all voters, including rural voters, get a say on initiatives or referendums when they are on the ballot. Instead, opponents say the new 6% threshold for all 35 legislative districts simply represents an additional roadblock to even reaching the ballot.

Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said the Idaho Legislature has a long history of restricting the initiative and referendum process.

“When the people use their right, their direct legislative rights, which the constitution allows them, the Legislature doesn’t like it and responds by saying, ‘Well let’s make it harder to use,’” Ruchti said on the Senate floor.

In the end, the Republican-controlled Idaho Senate was able to achieve the two-thirds support required to pass the proposed amendment.

Senate Joint Resolution 101 heads next to the Idaho house of Representatives for consideration.

If two-thirds of the members of the Idaho House also vote to pass Senate Joint Resolution 101, the proposed constitutional amendment would appear on the November 2024 general election ballot in Idaho. It would take a simple majority of Idaho voters to approve SJR 101 in the November 2024 general election.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com

Alabama Republican Rep. Barry Moore has introduced legislation to make the AR-15 the “national gun” of the United States. As of Feb. 23, more than 6,000 people have been killed in gun violence this year alone, according to ABC News.

In the aftermath of the toxic train derailment in Ohio, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced efforts to create new rules on trains transporting hazardous materials, including their braking systems, The Lever reported.

President Joe Biden pointed out that rail companies “spent millions…to oppose common-sense safety regulations.” Government players are also at fault for caving to corporate pressure. Taxpayers, as well as Norfolk Southern, will be paying for it.

A major expose on child labor in the U.S. was recently published by The New York Times, titled, Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S. The report found factories full of underage unaccompanied migrants who have jobs such as making processed foods, working as carpenters, slaughterhouse workers, milking machine operators, rock wall builders and makers of motor parts. Injuries, some severe, often occur early in their employment.

Corporate heads say they’ve been unaware of the problem. Overwhelmed by caseloads, Human and Health Services is unable to ensure safety of the legally entered migrant youth. Only a third reunite with parents in the U.S.; the rest go to relatives or “sponsors.” The latter frequently push the children for thousands in inflated payments. Interviews with caseworkers show about two-thirds of unaccompanied migrant children end up working fulltime. Those enrolled in school may drop out due to exhaustion.

There’s some truth to the complaint “my vote doesn’t matter,” when factoring in the presidential Electoral College, as it can sideline the popular vote when determining who will be president. For states that are predictably “red” or “blue,” a presidential candidate ignores them to focus instead on swing states, representing about 20% of voters. Twice this century a presidential candidate has won office without the popular vote.

Abolishing the Electoral College, according to columnist Robert Reich, would require a constitutional amendment, and is unlikely to pass. The other option: The Na-

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

tional Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Under that idea, each state gets a number of electors, based on their population. The total number of electors is 538; whoever gets 270 electoral votes wins. Under the compact, states with at least 270 electoral votes agree to award all their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote. So far, 15 states and D.C. have joined the compact, totaling 196 electoral votes.

The Roosevelt Institute estimates that more than half of 2022 price increases were caused by corporate profit motive, leading to the term “greedflation.”

New filings in Dominion Voting’s lawsuit against Fox News: top Fox brass knew election denial claims were false, various media reported. They were warned against spreading the lies by a Fox board member and former U.S. leader of the House, but favored capturing viewers over telling the truth. The filing included claims that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch had shared confidential info about then-candidate Biden’s ads and debate strategy with a senior adviser to former-President Donald Trump.

“Anchors” at Wolf News demonstrate the hazards of AI when applied to news media. The site was pro-China and distributed on Facebook and Twitter, according to The New York Times. Evidence that AI was involved became noticeable as the “anchors’” voices were not in sync with their mouth movements. The fake anchors are created using “deepfake technology.”

One episode showed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy surrendering to Russia. A company enabling AI fakes says it’s “as easy as writing an email.” Disinformation experts say the online forgeries have the potential to be misused to set off unrest.

Blast from the past: the Richmond Enquirer in 1856 wrote, “Every school and college in the South should teach that slave society is the common, natural, rightful and normal state of society. Any doctrine short of this contains abolition in the germ: for, if it be not the rightful and natural form of society, it cannot last, and we should prepare for its gradual but ultimate abolition. … To teach such doctrines we must have Southern teachers and Southern school books. It is from the school that public opinion proceeds, and the schools should be set right. No teacher should be employed in a private family or public school at the South who is not ready to teach these doctrines. Parents, trustees and visitors should look into this.”

Idaho budget committee votes to cut funding for child care, family supports Programs were expected to maintain child care wages, reduce risk of child abuse

By Audrey Dutton Idaho Capital Sun

Idaho lawmakers on Feb. 27 removed about $38 million from state budgets for the coming year that would have gone to child care providers and to efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee of the Idaho Legislature voted to approve several of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s budgets after making the cuts. The budgets now go before the House and Senate with “do pass” recommendations.

Cuts to Idaho child care assistance

The committee voted 17-2 to pass a budget without the child care stabilization grant. The $36 million grant from the federal American Recovery Plan Act would have gone to Idaho child care providers between July and September.

Those grants are designated for “access to reliable, high-quality and affordable child care” via one-time cash grants to “help child care providers stay in business,” according to the budget request.

About 3,600 child care providers in Idaho have used the grants to boost wages of child care staff, according to Emily Allen, outreach and policy associate for Idaho Voices for Children.

The funding also supports child care subsidies for low-income families, according to the budget request.

“This is going to devastate a lot of child care providers and a lot of working families at a time when things are just getting back up and running,” Allen said.

Democratic members of

JFAC from Boise — Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking and Rep. Colin Nash, both of Boise — voted against the revised budget. All other members of JFAC, except for an absent/excused Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, voted in favor of the budget.

[Editor’s note: Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, serves on JFAC and joined fellow Republicans in voting for the funding cut.]

Another $43.1 million to fund child care stabilization grants from March through July has yet to be voted on by JFAC. That also comes from federal ARPA funds and has already been sent to Idaho for distribution. However, child care providers across the state fear that it, too, will be axed by the Legislature, said Allen, who said she has heard there’s not enough will to take it up in JFAC.

Child care providers knew the ARPA funds would come to an end; they just didn’t expect it to happen so soon, Allen said.

Without the funding assistance, they expect “to need to increase tuition rates, like, immediately” if they want to keep their employees, she said.

Parents leaving the workforce because of unaffordable child care would affect the economy, she said.

“Working families … don’t have a lot of budget wiggle room at this point,” she said.

In an emailed statement to the Idaho Capital Sun after the vote, Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s Press Secretary Madison Hardy said the governor “recognizes that access to affordable, reliable child care benefits Idaho families and the state’s economy while providing stability in today’s volatile workforce.”

“As Idahoans continue to feel the effects of historic inflation, continued inability to access

childcare services could significantly impact new parents’ ability to reenter the workforce and financially support their growing families,” Hardy said.

Cuts to family support in wake of abortion ban

The committee on Feb. 27 also passed a budget without $2 million to support and educate families that are at risk of ending up in the child welfare system.

It was among Little’s budget priorities for the year. His administration said it would support “evidence-based child abuse and neglect prevention programs” and offer parenting resources.

Examples of that support included training on adverse childhood experiences, a cluster of experiences that can hinder a child’s healthy development and lead to ongoing problems throughout their life.

Last June, Little applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — a decision that triggered Idaho’s near-total ban on abortions.

“However, we fully acknowledge this monumental moment in our country’s history means we must confront what we know will be growing needs for women and families in the months and years ahead,” Little said in the June statement responding to the Supreme Court decision.

“We absolutely must come together like never before to support women and teens facing unexpected or unwanted pregnancies,” he said. “Families, churches, charities, and local and state government must stand ready to lift them up and help them and their families with access to adoption services, health care, financial and food assistance, counseling and treatment, and family planning.

“We are being called to support women and our fellow community members in extraordinary new ways, and I’m confident Idahoans are ready to meet this responsibility with love and compassion,” Little added in June.

The revised child welfare budget without that $2 million

passed through JFAC unanimously.

Hardy responded to the budget committee’s decision, saying the governor “has worked with legislators, the medical community and the pro-life community to address” the need for more support to keep at-risk families from entering the child welfare system.

“He trusts that the Idaho Legislature will put forward alternative solutions that support the needs of Idaho women and our communities,” Hardy wrote.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

Members of the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 27 voted to approve budgets that omit funding for child care assistance and child abuse prevention. Here, members are pictured at a meeting on Jan. 11. Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun.

Bouquets:

•I appreciate it when people show a bit of decency when out on the roads. I was stopped waiting for a train on North Boyer and, after the gates lifted, a long line of cars was moving south, leaving another long line of cars waiting to turn onto Boyer from Baldy. I’ve been there before — it takes a while for the backed-up traffic to clear so you can actually turn. One guy in a white truck on Boyer stopped and waved through about five of the waiting cars on Baldy, and I saw the relief on all their faces. It always makes me feel like we’re in this together when someone recognizes that a simple action on their part can make a big difference for someone else. Empathy is a beautiful thing, especially in a world that seems to be devoid of it.

Barbs:

• I was disappointed to see that both of our state representatives voted in favor of House Bill 124, which removed student IDs from among the types of identification accepted to vote at Idaho polls. Both Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, and Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, voted along party lines to pass the bill on to the Senate. The bill is yet another attempt for Idaho Republicans to make voting more difficult for citizens. If it passes, this means you can vote with a concealed carry permit, but not a student ID. That shows our priorities here in Idaho. It’s worth noting that the impetus for this bill — and dozens of others around the nation — is the yearslong effort mounted by former-President Donald Trump and his sycophants to convince the rest of the country that there was and is widespread election fraud. Scores of court cases have proven there is no truth to those claims, but Republicans continue passing voter suppression bills so they can remain in power — even in supermajority states like Idaho.

Driving to distraction…

Dear editor,

Most bills now do little but distract voters from the real work legislators are elected to do.

The education voucher bill, just advanced out of the Education Committee to the Idaho Senate floor, will cut into money passed into law during a special session called by Gov. Brad Little a few short months ago. The money was intended for public schools, and the voucher bills want to fund private schools. The special-session law was a last-minute scramble to compromise with a citizen’s initiative proposed to fund public schools.

The majority of voters wanted that bill to fund public schools and the Legislature knew it and so they passed Little’s bill.

Last week, almost twice as many Idahoans testified against the voucher bill as were in favor.

The main effect of the bill is to distract voters, and instead focus our attention on a divisive issue and propose an answer that will divide us even more.

To get the Legislature to address our needs and be able to compromise, we have to vote for people who are likely to do so.

Just a reminder: Don’t get distracted. Keep signing and voting for citizens initiatives. It works. That’s how we got Medicaid expansion and public school funding.

Nancy Gerth Sagle

Getting the ‘perma-grin’ going…

Dear editor, I really enjoyed reading Sandy Compton’s story about his experience learning to ski [Back of the Book, “A Few Thoughts… On achieving perma-grin,” Feb. 9, 2023]. Learning to ski as an adult is not easy. He points out the gear and the skis he used made it even more challenging to learn.

Today we have shaped skis and fabulous gear to wear. Sandy most likely learned to do Stem Christies, which I cannot even imagine doing.

I too learned as an adult; in fact I was 52 years old. I am not sure what kept me going, as it took me forever to feel in control and to keep from falling. I had the perma-frown. The perseverance pays off though.

Once you can figure out how to link some turns and experience a bit of speed you are hooked. There is nothing in the world like it.

What would I recommend for beginners? Well, as Sandy points out, taking lessons is paramount. I suggest a series so one gets fully committed to the task. Find a group that is at your own level. Do not ski with a spouse or friends that are experienced and aggressive; they will likely get you into trouble on the hill. You may even quit after the experience.

Schweitzer has some great opportunities for learning, and they take care of runs to keep them groomed and ready for beginners and intermediates. Once you master the blue runs you can even ski a groomed black at Schweitzer.

It’s a great way to become part of the community and meet new people who have the perma-grin going.

Chris Kraisler Sandpoint

Dear editor,

It’s interesting that only three of eight jurors for the downtown design competition are from Sandpoint. The remaining five — primarily from Portland, Ore. — may have relevant experience, but do they have a deep understanding of local conditions or adequate knowledge of the myriad master plans that have already been completed?

In order for locals to have buy-in of projects affecting their future, one would think the city administration would want local participation and leadership in the selection of those who will design Sandpoint’s future infrastructure. One gets the feeling that the city administration considers locals unknowledgeable and not worthy of guiding their future. In my experience with selection committees, I cannot recall one instance where a committee member was not from Sandpoint. There appears to be a pattern with the administration of hiring staff employees, contractors and design professionals from outside of the area. I hope the elected City Council will not blindly accept what is offered them by the administration, and I am hopeful they question the recommendations coming from these unelected officials. I’m also hopeful that council will choose to involve more Sandpoint citizens in the selection of the downtown design professionals. I recommend that council members involve their own local contacts to gain input on what a selection committee should look like.

There have been many master plans developed in the recent past for City Beach, the downtown waterfront, downtown revitalization, transportation, water, wastewater, the Little Sand Creek Watershed, etc. Each has a lifespan that should be followed. I’m not sure what value a new global master plan will accomplish that cannot be accomplished by following through on existing plans. Council could save a considerable sum by utilizing plans already developed.

Sandpoint has many talented and qualified professionals. I urge council to encourage and utilize their expertise.

Kody van Dyk Retired Sandpoint Public Works director Sandpoint

Thanks for a successful Toys for Tots…

Dear editor,

The Sandpoint Lions Club would like to convey their deepest gratitude to the amazing Sandpoint community for helping us make the 2022 Toys for Tots program a huge success! With your help, we were able to provide special gifts to 818 children throughout Bonner County.

This year was a test to our hearts. Hearing the many stories of families losing loved ones, jobs and housing drove home the deep sense of loss our community has experienced during this past holiday season. Since the COVID pandemic began, the holiday season has become a hardship for many families. We are proud of our ability to provide help to those in need and we cannot contribute to the prosperity of our community without your generous donations, especially the volunteer time.

Throughout the year, the Sandpoint Lions Club continues to help our community maintain the small-town feeling that is Sandpoint. We serve our area by creating and hosting several events for our community, including the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Lakeview Park, the Sandpoint Fourth of July celebration parade and fireworks display at City Beach, the Halloween Maze and a monthly bingo night. We also provide eyeglasses and hearing aids to those in need.

We are incredibly proud to serve our community. With your help and support, we will continue to serve our community for years to come.

With our sincere thank you,

Janice Rader President,

on behalf of Sandpoint Lions Club

Dear editor,

I am curious to know the names of current members of the Bonner County Planning Commission. I’ve looked at sites online that show different lists; including different member names. As a public service, could the Reader determine and publish the names of the current members of the Planning Commission, along with their professions and qualifications to serve on the Planning Commission?

While you’re at it, do the same for members of the Bonner County Zoning Commission. Then please explain the difference between the two commissions and why Bonner County has two such commissions.

My experience has been that planning and zoning usually go together. I know you’ve addressed some of this in earlier issues but would appreciate a follow-up. I and others have concerns about the integrity of these two commissions and whether or not one knows what the other has decided upon, or who comes first in the decision making process.

Members of these two commissions, for better or worse, have a lot to do with the eventual growth and development of Bonner County. Eyes should be upon them and their actions routinely questioned.

The Planning Commission is currently addressing an application for a proposed commercial development and dense housing on one-acre parcels in an R-5 Rural Residential Zone. The development plan is contrary to the Comprehensive Plan. It should not be approved. Eyes open!?

George Loustalet

Priest River

Editor’s Note: The names and contact information of the current Bonner County Planning Commission include: Don Davis (don. davis@bonnercountyid.gov), Dave Frankenbach (dave.frankenback@ bonnercountyid.gov), Michael Leita (michael.leita@bonnercountyid.gov), Matt Linscott (matt.linscott@bonnercountyid.gov), Allan Songstad (allan.songstad@bonnercountyid. gov) and Deby Trinen (deby.trinen@ bonnercountyid.gov).

Zoning Commission members are: Robert Clark (robert.clark@ bonnercountyid.gov), Jacob Marble (jacob.marble@bonnercountyid.gov), Frank Wakeley (frank.wakeley@bonnercountyid.gov) and Luke Webster (luke.webster@bonnercountyid.gov).

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Timeline of a life

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

We knew the house was old as we picked our way across the rubble-strewn floor. Having been informed of its recent demolition, we were granted permission to explore the building before it moved from the beginning stages of takedown to complete destruction.

A knocked-in wall exposed the strata of a century’s worth of building material, flaky layers of wallpaper recalling the many lives spent with those patterns as their backdrop. Sawdust insulation spilled from exposed studs, evoking thoughts about the people who nailed together the boards, and the countless North Idaho nights those same people must have spent tucked away against the elements, finding warmth and comfort within the structure.

Three of us stood looking at what had been the oldest remaining house in Sandpoint, its shell juxtaposed against the pile of newly clear-cut trees and the soft flow of traffic on North Boyer. We felt hollowed out, the loss becoming more personal the longer we stared.

Unaware of where it would take us, we decided then to become a team of explorers — Hannah, the historian; Reid, the architect; me, the writer; and, soon thereafter, Cynthia, the community member, journeying together into a desire to learn more about the people who once called the old building “home.”

We discovered the house was built in the late 1890s by John Elsasser and his brother William, a pair who traveled from Texas to Idaho on the promise of “free land” granted by the Homestead Act. The brothers claimed side-

by-side 160-acre parcels — land on which they’d eventually build their identical residences and transform from tree stumppocked forest into plots worthy of the title “homestead.”

An excerpt from An Illustrated History of North Idaho — 1903 revealed more about John Elsasser’s life, noting, “In 1891 Mr. Elsasser married Miss Ollie Campbell, whose parents live in Texas, and to this happy union three children have been born; May, James T. and Lora. Mr. Elsasser is a man of good principles, is a fine neighbor, a loyal friend, a true and upright man and a patriotic citizen, having gained the good will and esteem of all.”

Although the record summarized John’s life up to that point into a few neat paragraphs, it left us even more curious about all the living that occurred between those milestones big enough to make it to print.

Now, after spending nearly two years on the project, we know that a summary is a hard place to adequately capture the character of a person.

Like the plausible adventurous spirit that led John and his brother to Idaho in the first place — their choice of traveling

by horseback, despite having access to the train, revealing so much more than a caption about their journey ever could. Or, how it must have been an entrepreneurial drive that led William and him to saw, grind and blow up tree stumps to turn their land into an acclaimed orchard, to establish local mines and become leaders in their community.

Despite the many newspaper articles dedicated to the Elsassers, the columns still couldn’t hold the words to describe what John must have felt for the loss of his child, Paul, who died before he reached the age of 1, or how he navigated the unfathomable year in 1903 when he lost his mother, a sister and a brother to typhoid — then later, his wife to Bright’s disease.

The texts left us reading between the lines in speculation about all the business success that followed that horrible year. Perhaps John threw himself into work after such profound losses. Instead, the reports in the Northern Idaho News on May 13, 1904 simply stated, “The Elsasser orchard has been in full bloom this week, and many people have been out to see the apple and pear trees in all their spring beauty. The Elsasser brothers have added quite a few new trees this season to their already large orchard.”

Even more so, an obituary titled, “Bonner Pioneer Dead in Cabin” couldn’t possibly fit an entire life, offering instead, a timeline — a brief record of a man, originally from Texas, living to 77 and dying in his cabin, now sharing a headstone with the wife he lost so many years before.

Learning about a stranger’s life, from a time period I’ll never know, has prompted me to reflect

on the records that are made of lives — timelines stringing together moments so big that they’re forever etched into our stories, and all the regular-sized living that occurs between those milestones that will never be recorded thus succeed us.

I can’t help but wonder about the tangible pieces of my own life that may be left behind, and which, if any, might be bulldozed to make room for new legacies, new timelines with “we tore it down” in the unrecorded space

between more significant moments in theirs.

The project-turned-exhibit entitled “Storied Futures,” has become an exploration of development and preservation; about people taking opportunities to carve their mark — for better or worse — into their surroundings, and our duty to examine their (and our own) impact. It will be on display at Evans Brothers Coffee from Saturday, March 11-Tuesday, May 2.

Emily Erickson.

Science: Mad about

Vinyl chloride

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

In the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, a substance called vinyl chloride has been making headlines and appearing all over social media feeds. What is vinyl chloride, is it safe and what are the potential environmental impacts of the train derailment?

Answering all of these questions with absolute certainty is nearly impossible, but there are a few things that we do know.

What is vinyl chloride? It is a manufactured colorless gas used in the production of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC — a type of plastic you’ve likely seen most commonly in the form of white or pastel-green water pipes. PVC has an immense number of uses, ranging from water pipes to catheter tubes. PVC isn’t a known human carcinogen and has even been safely applied to things like food trays. The safety of this material only applies after polymerization, however, once vinyl chloride has been processed and manufactured into polyvinyl chloride.

Before polymerization, vinyl chloride exists as either a gas or liquid at extremely low temperatures. Vinyl chloride monomer, often referred to as VCM or chloroethene, is an extremely flammable and carcinogenic material with effects on biological anatomy that haven’t been fully explored and are still not completely understood.

VCM exists as a volatile liquid below 7 degrees Fahrenheit or under immense pressure. This means that it will transfer back into a gas with an explosive force, making it extremely flammable — especially when its container is compromised. A number of

fail-safes are in place to contain vinyl chloride during storage and transportation. It is contained in a set of two pressurized spheres when it’s stationary, with a buffer zone between the spheres lined with detectors to monitor whether any of the substance is leaking into the buffer zone. If it is, it’s pumped into a subterranean storage area until the leak can be safely addressed.

During rail transportation, it is transported in large black pillshaped chemical rail cars. These rail cars carry a vast array of different chemicals, while some are even left intentionally empty to ensure identifying the substance within is virtually impossible without proper authorization. The thought behind this is that it will help minimize the chance of theft or domestic terrorism — if bad guys can’t easily target highly explosive rail cars, they’re less likely to do irreparable harm to communities and the environment. It’s similar to setting a box full of dog poop outside to punish potential porch pirates.

Aside from its explosive volatility, the biggest threat of vinyl chloride is through inhalation. An extremely small amount of VCM — as little as 500 parts per million in breathable air — will begin to cause symptoms.

The more vinyl chloride that is inhaled, the more rapid and enduring the symptoms of its exposure become.

Inhaling vinyl chloride causes a number of symptoms, including weakness; abdominal pain; gastrointestinal bleeding; acrocyanosis (the effect of your extremities becoming pale-bluish, as though you’ve been exposed to extremely cold air, due to constriction of the blood vessels and lack of oxygen); and a particularly aggressive form of liver cancer. Contact with the liquid form of

vinyl chloride will cause immediate frostbite.

Despite vinyl chloride evaporating into a gas at a very low temperature, it’s possible for large amounts of it to contaminate a water supply. This can wreak havoc on local ecosystems as well as human communities. As it enters the environment — such as after a train car full of it derails and breaks open — some of it leaches into underground water sources. The bulk of it may have exploded or evaporated at the crash site, but very large amounts can still spill into the environment and cause problems. This contaminated water is sucked up by human wells and water systems and enters human homes and businesses, where it is released into the air in its gaseous form, causing the aforementioned symptoms if it is present in a sufficient enough quantity.

There is extremely limited information about how this substance behaves after contaminating an ecosystem — particularly its effect on aquatic wildlife — but it’s widely accepted that it’s extremely lethal to anything that breathes it in, whether that’s through the creature’s skin, gills or lungs. Vinyl chloride exposed to open air generally evaporates over the course of several hours, unless the temperature is extremely low. It persists longer in water, especially if it leaches into subterranean aquifers or water systems for humans. VCM will break down naturally, but it will form other carcinogenic compounds like formaldehyde as it does so.

This substance has also been observed to reduce sex drive in men and shrink the testes of male animals that are exposed to it for a long period of time. Women who have been exposed to it for extended periods have had

irregular menstruation periods. People who actively worked in plants that produce PVC plastics have sometimes experienced a deterioration of the bones at the very ends of their fingers, which seems to be linked to the same blood flow restriction that causes acrocyanosis.

There is a tiny amount of vinyl chloride in the air around us at all times. This is caused by a number of factors, from microscopic amounts breaking off

from everyday PVC items, to our proximity to landfills or chemical plants. In very small amounts, our liver is able to filter out the compound with absolutely no adverse effects, but large quantities and extended exposure is almost certain to cause severe long-term effects. As cigarette smoke also produces vinyl chloride, your exposure to this compound goes up significantly if you, or someone close to you is a smoker.

Stay curious, 7B.

Corner

•The modern idea of celebrating our birthdays with cake originated with the ancient Greeks, who got the idea from something the ancient Egyptians did. The Egyptians had a tradition of commemorating a pharaoh’s coronation as a god or goddess, which they called a “birthday.” In ancient Egypt, cakes were considered sacred and created as unburnt sacrifices and bloodless offerings to deities, kings and heroes. Inspired by this practice, the Greeks first offered cakes to Artemis, their moon goddess.

•The Greek cakes were made as baked pieces of bread, biscuits and honey-sweetened sponges called meli. In addition, they also placed candles on the cake to make it glimmer like a full moon in honor of Artemis.

•Since the Middle Ages, Germans have celebrated Christ’s birth with Nativity displays, Christmas trees and a birthday cake. The birthday cake was later added to children’s birthday celebrations. In the 1400s, kids’ birthday parties were called “kinder fest,” where par-

ents made cakes in the morning and put a candle on the cake to indicate the child’s age and year.

•In the following centuries, the price of goods like sugar dropped significantly thanks to global trade and technological breakthroughs. In the 1800s, birthday parties became more commonplace and “modern birthday cakes” were born.

•In Mexico, the first slice of birthday cake must be given to the person you love the most.

•Traditional Danish birthday cakes are in the shape of a person, called Kagemand for a “cake man” and Kagekone for a “cake wife” or “cake woman.”

•The iconic Jewish birthday cake is known as ugat yomledet. It’s a chocolatey, moist sponge cake with frosting or whipped cream on top, and must be eaten with milk or dunked in it like an Oreo cookie.

•Iconic chef Julia Child once said, “A party without a cake is just a meeting.”

Hwy. 2 ‘Couplet’ concept is ‘just nuts’

By Carrie Logan Reader Contributor

The Idaho Transportation Department and the city of Sandpoint (non-elected officials) have been talking about “the Curve” or “Couplet.” How did this project raise its ugly head again? My contact at ITD said: “The city has expressed interest in trying to build the Couplet project again, although there is nothing in the ITD ITIP [capital plan] currently. I would surmise it would take participation by the city [Dub’s purchase?] to get that project off the ground again.”

In response to a query from me about who in the city started this conversation, my contact stated that there has been continuous discussion over the years, primarily at BCATT (Bonner County Area Transportation Plan, attended by some city staff) and that specific project discussions have reignited when the city was able to obtain Dub’s property and completed their transportation plan.

Why was the city pursuing this dead horse when the council had made a decision? Why is council again being asked to go along with a five-lane intersection that cuts off our town’s residents from each other and, in the process, hacks away part of Dub’s field?

How is this all in the people’s best interest?

I moved to Sandpoint in 1989, when it

had a population of just about 5,300 people. Highways 2 and 95 ran right through town, utilizing a one-way circuit. There was one stoplight in town — at the intersection of Second Avenue and Cedar Street — and a flashing yellow hanging light at Superior Street and First Avenue, as it is now.

The light at First Avenue and Pine Street was added by ITD sometime in the ’90s and, upon return of the streets to the city of Sandpoint, removed it.

I used to go to Ivano’s when it was on the corner of Lake Street and Second Avenue, and always enjoyed when waiter Greg served our table. When he brought out your food he would make a sweeping motion over the plate to direct the aromas to you. We used to call him “Mr. Whaff Whaff.”

When the restaurant moved to the corner of First and Pine, he couldn’t “Whaff” over your food outside because of the competing aromas from the cattle trucks and logging trucks with their diesel fumes. It was nasty.

There had long been a desire to return control of the streets to the city, and many thought with the completion of the byway that would happen. But not yet. First ITD tried to implement “the Curve” project, which many of you remember involved running a one-way road from Cedar southwest toward Boyer Avenue and intersecting with

a five-lane road — horrible and soundly rejected by the City Council and residents.

Still, the city wanted control of its downtown streets back; and, after a twoyear negotiation process, we had our current configuration.

Along with that, and based on a suggestion from a citizen at a workshop — where the public was allowed to speak and contribute — Fifth Avenue was converted to two-way traffic. ITD refused to put the Church Street stoplight we have now at Pine and insisted that the block between Fourth and Fifth avenues be one-way to the east.

Their data showed that the intersections of Church and Oak streets with Fifth Avenue at peak hour would be problematic but not impossible. Council felt a short delay at peak hours was tolerable. It didn’t make sense to council to invest huge amounts of money to create more lanes and lights for a “problem” that was time limited.

Implicit in all of these negotiations was the understanding that through trucks east and westbound were to use Fifth Avenue and the U.S. 95 Sand Creek Byway. Most trucking companies do so, but some errant loggers insist on using Church and the city has never ticketed them for that.

If you look at the data that is attached to the city’s Multimodal Transportation Master

Plan, it shows the only congested/failing intersection right now that would be affected by the Curve is at Fifth and Pine (Euclid Avenue) and shows little improvement with the Curve. Why in the world would you want to spend all that money, cut a town in half and create more delays and added lights? It’s just nuts to me. If you also look carefully at the transportation plan, there is a truck route designated to include Pine Street east and west! So the trucks will be rolling through town again.

What do we do if we oppose the Curve/ Couplet? Contact City Council members in person if you can or write/call them. City Council members — elected officials — should be having these conversations with ITD, not appointed staff.

Council has the determining say on whether this happens or not and they should not be cowed into accepting it because of a flawed transportation plan that was put together in 2021 with very little input from the public and included no discussion about the Curve/Couplet.

Carrie Logan was elected to two terms on the Sandpoint City Council (2008-2014) and served as mayor from 2014-2016. She also previously served five years on the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission.

City must engage in real public involvement on ‘Couplet’ concept

By Molly O’Reilly Reader Contributor

The Multimodal Transportation Master Plan that the city of Sandpoint proclaims favors all methods of getting around equally and was developed with “extensive public involvement” is flawed. You will read here of two deficits that mean it should be regarded merely as advisory.

First, it proposes a five-lane stretch of Highway 2 where none exists today. Half of pedestrian deaths in this country are on fivelane roadways or wider. Nowhere near half of all walking/rolling trips are on highways. Sandpoint has already had two people on foot die on its five-line highway. So, this is not a plan that favors all methods of getting around equally. It prioritizes fast through traffic in Sandpoint.

Second, the “extensive public involvement.” The online survey that formed an important basis of “involvement” did not mention “the Couplet” or a five-lane highway. It’s likely that almost nobody paid attention to a project 20 years in the future. The concept seemed fuzzy and slipped past without notice.

Pardon the history, but it’s relevant: In

2004, the Sandpoint City Council formed the Pedestrian Advisory Committee. In 2010, then-Mayor Gretchen Heller combined it with the Bicycle Committee, and the Sandpoint Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee was formed and enshrined in City Code, Chapter 6. That chapter describes the committee and its duties. You can find it online at sandpointidaho.gov under “City Code” at the top of the homepage.

In November 2018, city staff told the committee it would not meet again, and that council would remove it from the code in January. Planning was newly underway for the transportation master plan, and any interested committee member could participate in the ad hoc committee.

I signed up and received emails for three meetings, which I attended. Interestingly, the staff emails to committee members blind copied us all, so we didn’t know who was included except by seeing others in meetings. Council did not approve committee members. There was no public announcement of meetings so they could satisfy the Idaho Open Meeting laws and Sandpoint’s committee handbook procedures. No documents were sent in advance.

Staff took notes — there were no minutes (which, under city procedure, we would have approved at the next meeting and then would be sent to council). We never saw the notes, did not elect a chair and addressed only the issues staff presented. After several meetings, I “fell off” the list, meaning I was unable to learn when meetings were to be held. So, I don’t know what happened after that.

Attend the Sandpoint City Council workshop on Wednesday, March 15, 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Sandpoint City Council Hwy. 2

workshop

A Sandpoint citizen advisory committee with 14 years of experience advising the city about walking, ADA and cycling was abruptly shut down as multimodal transportation planning began. True citizen involvement begins early in developing a plan. It does not mean answering some general questions in an online survey or reviewing a final draft and commenting after it’s too late to shape the plan.

Wednesday, March 15, 5:30 p.m. Sandpoint City Hall Council Chambers, 1123 Lake St., 208263-3158, sandpointidaho.gov.

Find a PDF of the Multimodal Transportation Master Plan at bit.ly/3mfswkQ.

You may hear staff explain how expensive it is to change the transportation plan. Will they explain: The negative effects of encouraging highway traffic through Sandpoint? Additional traffic and crime policing costs? Business and neighborhood losses and disruptions? Health impacts of pollution and loss of walking/cycling opportunities? Tying the project to needing a downtown parking structure?

We need a vigorous public discussion of all impacts of a serious highway through the heart of Sandpoint. This decision will shape Sandpoint for at least a century. Please include us all.

Today, the City Council should initiate a very vigorous public process before making any controversial decision based on the plan. The Couplet is likely the most significant decision this council will make.

Molly O’Reilly is a member of the Project 7B Steering Committee, board member of the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance, past board member of America Walks and a former member of the city of Sandpoint Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Former mayor: ‘How is this all in the people’s best interest?’

COMMUNITY

Angela Tennison honored as Chamber’s volunteer of the month for February

By Reader Staff

Angie Tennison is the February volunteer of the month for the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, which noted not only her leadership of the local Community Resource Officers, but her overall willingness to lend a hand to the community when needed.

Chamber officials highlighted two stories of Tennison’s volunteer spirit:

The first began when Tennison and her work partner saw a woman looking down on her luck — shoeless, no less — in the middle of winter. After talking to her, Tennison found out the woman had some developmental issues and was living on the streets.

Her blankets and shoes had been stolen, and she’d been kicked while on the ground — knocking out one of her teeth in the process. Making matters even worse, the same people knew when she received her Social Security check and would routinely steal it from her.

Tennison called Better Together Animal Alliance and the organization donated whatever the woman needed, including clothes, shoes, boots, blankets and other items. Tennison then took to Facebook and

started gathering further donations, which provided the woman with a hotel room for two months as well as a phone. Tennison went on to contact Samuels Apartments, a low-income housing project, to find her new friend a more permanent place to live, going so far as to help the woman with all the paperwork required for the application.

The second story involves a woman who was close to death and, as a final act, made sure her animals had food to last until they could be found. This woman drove herself on what she assumed was her last ounce of strength to the fire station to tell the firefighters there to take care of her animals.

After she was admitted for treatment, local firefighters brought hay to the horses and made sure they were OK. Tammy Miller, with Selkirk Fire, then reached out to Tennison. After gaining permission from the woman to give help, Tennison again went to work. She purchased hazmat suits to clean the woman’s home. Gathering dumpsters and cleaning supplies, Tennison also got volunteers to help with her cleaning efforts. The woman is now staying on Tennison’s property while she recovers from her medical condition.

When asked by the chamber if Tennison

wanted to share anything with the public about these instances, she said she wants the community to know that she does these things on her own time, not using taxpayer dollars. She also shared her gratitude for all the parties who stepped in to help her and these folks who were down on their luck.

“No, I don’t help everyone — I only help those who are willing to help themselves move forward,” she said. “I feel I am being led to do this. Too many people turn their backs on people and I won’t.”

Rotary’s ‘Flowers for Futures’ sells floral baskets to benefit community programs

By Reader Staff

The Rotary Club of Ponderay is again offering hanging flower baskets for sale, with funds raised to benefit local educational opportunities, service projects, and health-and-wellness initiatives.

The large baskets include an array of flowers and cost $45, with a retail value of $75. Twenty dollars of each purchase is classified as a tax deductible donation. Purchased baskets can be picked up Wednesday, May 10 — just in time for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14.

“For 17 years, the Rotary has supported scholarship opportunities for high-school graduates and those who wish to continue their education, giving between $12,000 to $26,000 in scholarship monies to students each year,” stated Ponderay Rotary Treasurer Kari Saccomanno in a media release.

This year’s goal is to distribute more than $25,000 to applicants. Applications can be found online at ponderayrotaryclub.com and through Sandpoint High School at sh.lposd.org.

“These baskets sell very quickly because people love being able to help our community at the same time as getting something beautiful that will last a long time,” Saccomanno stated.

To order: ponderayrotaryclub@gmail.com.

YMCA’s Day of Giving

Funds raised March 7 will support the Y’s ongoing mission to support local

By Reader Staff

The YMCA of the Inland Northwest is highlighting its second annual YMCA Day of Giving on Tuesday, March 7. The one-day event provides communities with an opportunity to give to their local YMCA.

“The Spokane and Bonner County communities always step up when there is a need, and we are hopeful for a big response this year,” stated YMCA of the Inland Northwest President and CEO Alan Lesher in a news release. “All funds raised on the Day of Giving ensure those in greatest need welcoming place for families to play, those seeking improved health, well-being, community and belonging can find their Y, and programs continue to support youth, teens, families and seniors locally each year.”

Donors can make their gifts or learn more by visiting any YMCA of the Inland Northwest branch on March 7, or contribute online at ymcainw.org/donate.

Since its launch in 2015, the YMCA Day of Giving has raised almost $3 million nationwide, and more than $950,000 in 2022 alone.

“This year, the YMCA looks forward to the continued support our communities have provided over the nearly 140 years we’ve operated in the region, as we continue to help those in need throughout the Spokane and Sandpoint areas,” the organization stated. “Over 50,000 people visit YMCA branches and participate in YMCA programs locally each year.”

Dollars raised on the Day of Giving go to support the YMCA association to which they were given, where they can continue to benefit their local community.

For more information, visit ymcainw.org or contact YMCA Financial Development Director Jesse Zumbro at 509-777-9622 ext. 4210 or email jzumbro@ymcainw.org.

Courtesy photo.

Parks and Rec. programming for March

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces will be offering the following programming in March 2023.

• Contra dance series. Dance your heart out to live music and meet your neighbors. Previous dancing experience is not necessary, all ages are welcome and you don’t have to bring a partner. Taught by Emily Faulkner, in partnership with Parks and Rec., dances will be held at the Sandpoint Community Hall (204 S. First Ave.) from 7-10 p.m., the second Friday of each month in 2023, except in August. Beginners are encouraged to arrive on time for an introductory lesson at 7 p.m. Wear comfortable, breathable clothing and non-marking shoes in which to dance. A $5 donation is suggested for each session (musicians need to eat, too).

• Youth track and field. Kindergarten-sixth grade. Sandpoint Track Team athletes and coaching staff will lead the events and conduct the competitions at the Sandpoint High School track. Each division will have limited participation based on availability of coaches and volunteers. Program dates are Monday, March 20-Friday, May 5. Participants choose either Mondays or Wednesdays for a once-a-week practice from 6-7 p.m. Track meets will be held on Fridays: April 14, April 28 and May 5. Times are TBA. Registration deadline is Sunday, March 5.Participation fee is $45/person. Scholarships are available. Contact Parks and Rec. for more information.

• Boater education introductory course. Paddlesports America offers this class to meet the boater education needs for operating a paddlecraft, specifically: a canoe, kayak or paddleboard. The course will cover general information about paddlecraft and maintenance, information to make your paddlecraft experience safer and more comfortable, tips on how to be a courteous paddlecraft operator, and laws and regulations. All skill levels are welcome. Class will be held Saturday, March 25 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Sandpoint City Hall Council Chambers (1123 Lake St.). Registration deadline is Sunday, March 12. Program is FREE, but pre-registration is required.

• Open gym basketball for adults

and youth. Open gym is held on Sundays at Sandpoint High School (410 S. Division Ave.), continues through Sunday, March 12. Adults play 4:30-6 p.m. and pay a $2/player fee at the door. Youth (grades 3-12) play 3-4:30 p.m. for FREE.

• Schweitzer Twilight skiing. Final dates for the Own the Night Twilight Ski Program are Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 from 3-7 p.m. Fee: $20 at schweitzer.com. Tickets are valid for the date specified during purchase. Half the proceeds from online ticket sales, made under the option to support Sandpoint Parks and Rec., will benefit the department’s youth scholarship program.

Bring your eTicket QR code to a Schweitzer pick-up box located on the ticket window or Ski and Ride Center decks to redeem your ticket for the day. After your order is complete, there will be a link to your eTicket(s) on the confirmation email. Download the eTicket on your phone for paperless redemption at the pick-up boxes. If you will not have your phone, print the eTicket voucher(s) with the QR code and bring to the pick-up box for redemption.

• Community Garden plots available. Last year’s plot tenants in good standing received first right of refusal on their plot for the upcoming 2023 season. Online reservations for remaining Community Garden plots are currently available for a limited number of 4-foot by 8-foot and 7-foot by 7-foot plots. The Community Garden is located at U.S. Highway 2 and Lake Street. Plot fees are $26 for a 4-foot by 8-foot and $31.50 for a 7-foot by 7-foot plot.

• Lou Domanski Chess Festival registration. Join fellow chess enthusiasts for a one-day tournament on Saturday April 8 at the Sandpoint Community Hall (204 S. First Ave.). Divisions include Elementary (first- through sixth-grade) for $5, Middle/High School (sevenththrough 12th-grade) for $7 and Open division for $10. Register by Thursday, March 30. The tournament uses the Swiss system and is coordinated by James Stripes. Trophies awarded for each division.

• Work for Parks and Rec. Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is hiring seasonal parks maintenance

workers. Positions pay $16.63-$17.33 per hour, starting as early as mid-March. Eight-month, seven-month and threemonth positions available. Apply online at governmentjobs.com/careers/sandpoint. For more information, call 208-263-3613.

The Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department also acts as a clearinghouse to connect the public with other recreational opportunities in the community. Visit the online activity catalog to view listings in this category. Outside organizations and individuals wishing to list their activities are encouraged to contact Parks and Rec. with their program information at recreation@ sandpointidaho.gov.

For questions about Parks and Rec. programming, go to sandpointidaho.gov/ parksrecreation, visit the office at Sandpoint City Hall (1123 Lake St.) or call 208-263-3613.

COMMUNITY

Washington Trust Bank honored as chamber business of the month

By Reader Staff

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce recently announced Washington Trust Bank as its business of the month for February, highlighting the 121-year-old institution’s “four generations” of “integrity and commitment to community.”

With more than 40 centers and offices in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, Washington Trust is the oldest and largest privately-held commercial bank in the Northwest.

“Being independent, they are able to set their sights on long-term goals rather than quarterly results,” the chamber stated. “They stay focused on doing the right thing for their clients and the communities they serve.”

Not only does Washington Trust serve the community as an institution, its employees are active in local volunteer efforts, the chamber stated.

Led by Branch Manager Nate Rench and Assistant Manager Connor Curry, their department sponsors the free Summer Concert Series in Farmin Park each year.

Rench is a member of Kiwanis and serves on the board of the Bonner Community Housing Agency, which works on

photo. projects to bring affordable housing to the Sandpoint area. Curry is a member of the Chamber Ambassadors group and a community volunteer for chamber events.

Eric Paull, local vice president and relationships manager in commercial banking, is a board member and current chairperson of the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency, a board member of the Kootenai-Ponderay Sewer District and Bonner County Development Corporation, and a member of the Sandpoint Rotary Club. His department sponsors the annual CHAFE 150 event, Panhandle Alliance for Education and the Festival at Sandpoint.

Conner Currey, left; Bob Witte, center; Nate Rench, right. Courtesy

Grant cycle open for BoCo Human Rights Task Force

By Reader Staff

The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force is opening its annual grant cycle, seeking applications from community nonprofits, educational institutions and governmental agencies to fund programs and projects related to human rights.

Grant amounts can range up to $8,000, with the average award totaling $2,250. Dollars may be used for the development and implementation of such programs, supporting the mission of the BCHRTF: “To affirm the American principles and ideas of the inviolable dignity and worth of each human being and recognize that everyone is equal under state

and federal laws and constitutions.”

Submissions will be accepted through Thursday, April 30, with applicants asked to describe how their project would focus on one or more of the following areas and benefit Bonner County:

•Provide information, education and programs designed to increase awareness of the importance of non-discrimination:

•Eliminate prejudice and prevent harassment;

•Celebrate the value of racial, social

and cultural diversity.

BCHRTF invited applicants who have ideas about promoting awareness and understanding of human rights “that will help foster a more inclusive and welcoming community,” and who “wish for more equity and less discrimination based on the labels we give each other and the division that they create.”

Read about the BCHRTF mission, goals and guidelines at bchrtf.org.

The past in present tense

Local author’s novel The Last Conquerors conjures an adventure set in 16th-century Peru

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The old literary adage, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” is often attributed to Mark Twain. It’s hard to confirm that, but it makes for a good story. At the very least, Twain also supposedly said, “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.”

Both old saws are particularly apt when applied to the historical fiction genre, as it blends real-life places, incidents and personalities from the past with the creative license of a contemporary author.

Writer Rick Reed has done just that with his novel The Last Conquerors, published in 2022 and centered on the life of Sebastian Velazco, a fictional character who leaves his home in Seville, Spain for the Western Hemisphere in 1572.

As a conquistador, Velazco journeys deep into the Indigenous lands — participating in and ultimately turning against

the brutality and tyranny of the Spanish invaders. Though he prospers from the aggression, even doing his part to help overthrow the last independent Inca ruler, the real-life Tupac Amaru, Velazco’s transformation from a conqueror to a cohabitant with the Inca in post-Pizarro Peru provides the overarching narrative theme. His love affair and marriage with an Incan woman — whose past is more complicated than it appears — provides the critical early catalyst for his change of perspective.

Layered throughout are events both suspenseful and adventurous, violent and mystical, real and fictitious.

“It’s pretty literal that he’s one of the last conquistadors and he doesn’t really want to be killing people,” said Reed, who published the novel under the nom de plume R.M. Reed. “He sees the value in the land versus the gold — and farming, and he finds a beautiful woman. He sees that there are other things that one can do well with.”

The world in which Velazco moves

rarely sees things the way he does. Some characters are more sympathetic than oth ers — a good-heart ed viceroy (based on a real character) versus a wicked (fictional) governor — along with varying shades of moral gray displayed by persons ranging from Indigenous nobles to Spanish priests to thieves and, as Reed’s synopsis hints (no spoilers here), “perhaps even the Inca gods.”

It’s a fraught historical period to explore, with the legacy of the “conquest” still a matter of fierce debate in the Americas and beyond, and Latin American politics to the present day still rooted in those debates.

Reed said he didn’t really confront that notion directly, preferring to approach his characters on something like their own historical (or historical-fiction) terms.

“Not all these guys were bad. Some of them had a heart and some of them didn’t. Pizarro didn’t,” he said, adding later, “We like to think of ourselves that we try to do the right thing, but a lot of times it’s done wrong. I don’t think the Spaniards were really concerned about whether it looked like the right thing.”

Of greater interest for Reed was the research necessary to give historical heft to the small details that bring his vision of 16th-century Peru to life.

A Master’s degree holder and teacher of Spanish at the Monarch School in Sandpoint, Reed has spent a lifetime reading National Geographic “cover to cover” in both English and Spanish, taken a course in Latin-American history and visited Spain.

His exposure to that culture and past — combined with his academic research and writing skills — not only led to what he called “an epiphany” when the basic story of The Last Conquerors unfolded in his mind, but set him off on his research journey.

“My learning was really more active as I was writing; I’d think, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to know about that?’ And with Google, it was at my fingertips,” he said.

“The research is so much easier than it was.”

That effort is borne out by the little things that come together to make a believable historical setting, such as the Incas using soap made from agave — “No Spaniards would know about that,” he said — to the use of Toledo steel for Velazco’s ancestral sword. There’s also Reed’s description of the earthy smell of the sails on Spanish ships, due to their fabric being made of hemp at the time, and even the beer-like beverage chicha consumed by the Incas.

“People would chew it and spit it and chew it and spit it and chew it and spit it until it ferments,” Reed said.

He made sure to incorporate the complexity of Inca society and beliefs — “How the Incas thought of the condor as what people carried off to the spirit world, the jaguar being a symbol of power, their reverence for their ancestors,” he said.

Finally, there was the form in which Reed decided to phrase his narrative — unlike the often passive voice of academic writing, he chose to put everything in the present tense, providing a sense of urgency to the events he portrays.

“It gave me so much more license for creativity,” he said.

The Last Conquerors, by R.M. Reed, is available for $22 at Miller’s Country Store, Vanderford’s and the Corner Book Store in Sandpoint; Bonners Books in Bonners Ferry; The Well-Read Moose in Coeur d’Alene; and 2nd Look Books and Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane. Reed also hosts a Spanish language gathering at Evans Brothers Coffee on Wednesdays at 2 p.m., where he offers books for sale.

Late Tuesday Enjoy Mardi Gras cuisine any time of year

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It might seem like Mardi Gras is one big party filled with beads, booze and public debauchery, but the origins of this annual event actually date far back to medieval Europe. The celebrations began as a Catholic holiday called Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday” in French), which refers to the ritualistic eating of rich food and meat before the traditional 40 days of fasting that accompany the season of Lent.

Before it was a Catholic holiday, pagans around the world celebrated spring and fertility rites of passage that included celebrations, feasting and debauchery of all sorts. In other parts of the world, this period of feasting is generally referred to as “Carnival,” which officially ends on the day of Mardi Gras (which fell on Feb. 21 this year).

Also referred to as “Shrove Tuesday” or “Pancake Day,” Mardi Gras was common in Italy and France. These traditions eventually came to our shores thanks to French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville, who landed about 60 miles south of what would become New Orleans in 1699. He landed on the eve of Mardi Gras, naming the place “Pointe du Mardi Gras.” After establishing Fort Louis de La Mobile (now Mobile, Ala.), in 1703 the tiny settlement celebrated North America’s first Mardi Gras.

The festivities expanded through the years, encompassing parties, fancy balls and (of course) the now-iconic parades. That continued until the 1760s with Spanish control of the city. The new authorities took a dim view of the immoral goings on, and worked to stamp them out. Those prohibitions stayed in place even after the French took back New Orleans from the Spanish by treaty in 1800.

However, things started to change — again — when French leader Napoleon Bonaparte sold New Orleans (and the rest of the lands regained from the Spanish) to the newly created United States government under the terms of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. After that, the public celebration became recognized, but still not looked kindly upon by the civic moralizers. That is, until 1837, when revelers engaged in the first Mardi Gras parade on record in the U.S.

Alas, the lavish celebrations again fell out of popularity about 12 years later, and it wasn’t until 1857 when a secret group named the Mistick Krewe of Comus strove

to give new life to the holiday once and for all with a themed parade and ball.

This time, it stuck. Celebrations and parades began to attract larger crowds and more secret “krewes” formed, each adding their own flavor to the annual revelry.

Newspapers announced Mardi Gras ahead of time, floats became more elaborate and expensive, and their themes became more exotic and intricate over time. Finally, in 1875, Louisiana Gov. Henry Warmoth signed the “Mardi Gras Act,” establishing Fat Tuesday as an official holiday in the state and the Big Easy the epicenter of all the colorful chaos.

Today, Mardi Gras is as big as ever, regularly drawing more than 1 million visitors to the streets of New Orleans for the parades and parties. The annual event has contributed $164 billion to the New Orleans economy, which has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Katrina, which did more than $100 billion in damages to the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Even though this year’s Mardi Gras has already passed (and provided you haven’t given it up for Lent), there’s no reason not to enjoy some of the holiday’s signature

cuisine. This twist on the classic Cajun dish jambalaya is tasty and — bonus in the frozen north — will keep you warm and satisfied.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA — NORTH IDAHO STYLE

This Cajun jambalaya recipe was cobbled together using various recipes online, including one by Emeril Lagasse. What makes it North Idaho style is the substitution of local Wood’s smokies. We normally don’t use chicken with this recipe because it’s unnecessary, but traditional jambalayas have sausage, shrimp and chicken. If you want to stick to tradition, include ½ pound boneless diced chicken thighs. Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

• Half pound of peeled, deveined shrimp, chopped

• 1 tbsp cajun seasoning

• ¼ c. olive oil

• 1 c. chopped onions

• 1/2 c. chopped green peppers

• 1 c. chopped celery

• ½ c. chopped carrots

• salt and pepper to taste

• 4 cloves of chopped garlic

• ½ c. chopped tomatoes

• 4 bay leaves

• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce

• 1 ½ c. long grain jasmine rice

• 3 ½ chicken stock

• 2 Wood’s smokies (jalapeno cheese flavor)

• Chopped green onion for garnish

Toss the shrimp (and chicken if using) with Cajun seasoning to coat evenly and set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy pot like a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until vegetables have softened. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and Frank’s Red Hot and cook for a few more minutes. Then stir in rice and broth.

Bring rice to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender — usually about 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp (and chicken if using) as well as the Wood’s smokies. If you’re not into extra spice, use

the regular Wood’s smokies instead of the jalapeno cheese flavor.

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and allow the jamba-

laya to continue to steam for 10 more minutes before serving with green onion for garnish.

A wood engraving with watercolor by James Earl Taylor, showing the March 6, 1867 procession of the “Mystic Krewe of Comus” in New Orleans.

March 2-9, 2023

THURSDAY, march 2

Cribbage League • 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

This is an ongoing league with nightly prizes

Festival announces Train with Better Than Ezra

Trivia Night

5-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse (Ponderay)

Wild and Scenic Film Festival • 7pm @ Panida Theater

Join Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness for their annual curated collection of independent films about wild places and people working to protect them. General admission tickets $15. Reserved seating packages also available. Also a raffle!

FriDAY, march 3

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ One Street Over

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Rock, electronic, romantic and pop

The Follies! (SOLD OUT)

8pm @ Panida Theater (doors at 7pm)

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes

5-7:30pm @ Drift (in Hope)

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz

5-7:30pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ John Firshi

6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.

A transcendent experience with 6 strings

40th annual Gun ’n Horn Show

12-6pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds

Also Sat. 3/4 from 9am-3pm and Sun. 3/5 from 9am-3pm. $5 admission

Live Music w/ Steven Wayne

7-9pm @ The Back Door

SATURDAY, march 4

Live Music w/ Zachary Simms

6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz

7-9pm @ The Back Door

Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh

7-9pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ The Cole Show

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Funkin’ rockin’ jazzy movin’ grooves

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz

7-9pm @ The Back Door

Sandpoint Chess Club

Friends of the Library monthly book sale

10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library

There will be a special sale on media, with many DVDs for your viewing pleasure

Live Music w/ Jason Perry Band

9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge

Funky rock or perhaps rocky funk

Clark Fork Chaos Market

10am-3pm @ Clark Fork Filling Station

Monthly gathering on first Sat. of month

SunDAY, march 5

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Meets every Sunday at 9am

Magic with Star Alexander (Sundays)

5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s

Up close magic shows right at the table

monDAY, march 6

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience

6pm @ Outdoor Experience

3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

Pool League • 6-9pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Every Monday night

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “Lives of Jesus”

tuesDAY, march 7

Cookie Decorating at the Beer Hall

Sign up at instagram: @sawyers_bakery

wednesDAY, march 8

Live Piano w/ Dwayne Parsons

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Open Mic Night

6pm @ Tervan Tavern

Vintage Second Wednesday: North by Northwest • 7pm @ Panida Theater

ThursDAY, march 9

Cribbage League • 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

This is an ongoing league with nightly prizes

Artist Reception: Lori Salisbury

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Oscar Shorts (March 9-12)

7pm @ Panida Theater

Animated films on Thursday, documentaries on Friday and live action Saturday

Tony Furtado dinner concert

6pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe

Celebrate their first concert in 3 years with Tony Furtado and his soulful singing. $75 includes dinner and show, which starts at 7:30 p.m.

By Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint announced another show from its 2023 concert lineup. Train with Better Than Ezra will take the stage on Saturday, July 29. Tickets for Train with Better Than Ezra are on sale now.

With more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks sold worldwide, multi-Grammy Award-winning band Train is following up its Sail Across the Sun cruise by hitting the road throughout the summer, bringing audiences hits from its almost-three decades of live performance.

Train released its 11th studio album, AM Gold, in May 2022 and recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its self-titled debut album. Released Feb. 24, 1998, Train featured the band’s debut single, “Meet Virginia,” which led to its first radio hit and first Top 20 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Since its formation in 1994, Train has seen 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100, 12 albums on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and sold more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide.

The band’s global hit “Hey, Soul Sister” continues to reach new milestones — it was the No. 1 best-selling smash and most downloaded single of 2010, achieved RIAA Diamond status in 2021 and is now 11x

Platinum, and in 2022 surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify.

The band is comprised of frontman Pat Monahan (lead vocals); Hector Maldonado (bass, vocals); Jerry Becker (keyboards, vocals); Taylor Locke (guitar, vocals); Matt Musty (drums); Sakai Smith (backup vocals); and Nikita Houston (backup vocals).

Joining Train will be Better Than Ezra.

Formed in 1988 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, the later New Orleans-based band scored a No. 1 hit in 1995 with “Good.”

Led by founders Kevin Griffin on lead vocals, guitar and piano, and Tom Drummond on bass and backing vocals, success has followed success with further hits like “Desperately Wanting,” “King Of New Orleans” and “Closer.”

And of course, there’s Taylor Swift’s cover of “Breathless” in 2010, which underscored the band’s enduring presence as one of the 100 Greatest Alternative Artists of All Time, as Billboard put it in 2018.

Tickets for Train with Better Than Ezra are available at festivalatsandpoint.com.

Train with Better Than Ezra, underwritten by Idaho Forest Group on Saturday, July 29, is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing-room only. General admission tickets are $74.95. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m.

Train. Photo by Brooke Clark.

Better Than Ezra. Courtesy photo.

‘The place to be’

The Follies returns to the Panida stage with a ’70s theme and a timeless mission

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Dust off those bell-bottoms and prepare for debauchery all in the name of a good time and a good cause, as the Angels Over Sandpoint hosts The Follies at the Panida Theater for the first time since 2020, this year boasting a Studio 54 theme and 17 hilarious acts consisting of Sandpoint’s own talent.

Organizer Kate McAlister told the Reader that the Studio 54 theme was chosen because, in the late ’70s, it was “the place to be — just like The Follies.”

“We did try to get rid of the theme aspect about 10 years ago and the attendees revolted,” she said. “I think we all just like to dress up in costume once a year and have a good time. We always let the audience know what the next year’s theme will be at the end of the show. Some attendees are very serious about it and start working on their costumes right away. I know several people who had special ’70s outfits made for this year.”

The Follies

shows Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 7 p.m. for general admission. Each show starts at 8 p.m.

As of Feb. 28, Saturday tickets were sold out, but a few Friday tickets were still available at Eichardt’s Pub (212 Cedar St.).

General admission is $30, while VIP tickets are $50.

As always, The Follies — billed as a “politically incorrect variety show” — is rated “R” for “risque, racy and ridiculous,” and tickets are only available to those 21 and older. This year’s Follies acts include a roller skating number — think roller disco — as well as regular skits like Whipped Flurds, parody songs and some stand-up comedy. The Follies’ house band, Right Front Burner, will also be holding it down.

“We don’t know what we would do without them,” McAlister said.

Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4; doors open at 6:30 p.m. for VIPs and 7 p.m. for general admission, shows start at 8 p.m. each night; limited tickets may still be available at Eichardt’s Pub; Panida Theater, 301 N. First Ave., 208-2639191. For more information go to angelsoversandpoint.org.

Those costumes will be on display at the Panida during two

The Follies is an annual fundraiser for the Angels Over Sandpoint, a nonprofit dedicated to helping community members in need in a variety of ways. They offer support with rent and utilities; offer small, specific project grants to other local

nonprofits; give out scholarships to students; and also run an annual backpack program providing families with brand new backpacks stuffed with all the school supplies kiddos need to start the school year on the right foot.

“The average nonprofit overhead is about 35%,” McAlister said. “We are at less than 10%.

“We don’t have an executive director or a building, or even an office,” she continued. “It is a dedicated group of locals led by a great board of directors. Basically, every dollar you give to the Angels goes right back into the community.”

McAlister said she’d like to thank Publican Jeff Nizzoli and the crew at Eichardt’s for their support of the Angels; Follies Director Dorothy Prophet for her hard work on the show — “Sometimes it’s like herding cats,” McAlister said — Follies “tech guru” Paul Gunter, who took over for the retired and much-loved Dave Nygren; and the Angels volunteers, “without whom we could never pull this off,” McAlister said.

Next year’s Follies will mark the show’s 20th anniversary and will have the theme, “The Circus.”

“We are looking forward to celebrating a 20-year run and a 20-year sold-out show, all in an effort to help those most in need in our community,” McAlister said. “Long live the Angels.”

Panida to show North by Northwest for Vintage Second Wednesday

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Murder. Travel. Mistaken identity. A climatic chase scene across the iconic rocks of Mount Rushmore. A menacing aerial stunt. A lot of really great suits. These are the things that make Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film North by Northwest a cinematic masterpiece.

The classic film is screening at the Panida Theater on Wednes-

day, March 8 as part of the theater’s Vintage Second Wednesday series. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the movie starts at 7 p.m. The showing is free to Panida members and $5 for general admission.

Popcorn will be sold for $1 and bar drinks will be half off.

North by Northwest (NR)

Wednesday, March 8; doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.; $5 general admission, FREE for Panida members. Panida Theater, 301 N. First Ave., 208263-9191, panida.org.

North by Northwest follows New York City ad executive Roger Thornhill, played

by Cary Grant, as he’s mistaken for a government agent and then relentlessly hunted down by spies. The hunt leads all players West and, on the journey, Thornhill falls for the stunning but mysterious Eve Kendall, played by Eva Marie Saint. Action, romance and suspicion abound, all leading up to that Mount Rushmore chase.

The movie is widely considered one of the best in Hitchcock’s late filmmaking career, leading the way for further development of the now ubiquitous action and spy film genres.

To learn more about Vintage Second Wednesday and find out how to become a Panida member, call the theater at 208-263-9191 or visit panida.org.

Courtesy photo.

Cary Grant in North by Northwest. Courtesy phto.

MUSIC Vintage Martin guitar up for auction to support Music Conservatory of Sandpoint

By Reader Staff

According to the Martin Guitar Company, its iconic product is “playable history; part of a long line of legendary instruments stretching back to the company’s beginnings in 1833.” Nearly 200 years old as a company, Martin guitars have been “strummed by Civil War soldiers around campfires [and] helped shape the sound of modern music at the turn of the 20th century.”

Working to create the next century of musicians, the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint will be auctioning a 100-yearold Martin guitar at its annual fundraising gala, titled An Evening in Vienna and scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at the Sandpoint Events Center (102 Euclid Ave.). The event starts at 5 p.m., dinner will be provided by 113 Main Street and a live orchestra will provide the musical sounds of the evening.

Following dinner and a silent auction, there will be a live auction where the vintage guitar will be featured, along with several other unique items and experiences.

The 1922 00-18 Martin guitar being auctioned has an appraised value of more than $12,000, with an appraisal valuation of mint condition (Value 5) for playability and excellent condition (Value 4.5) for structural soundness, needing no maintenance or repairs.

Tuners, nut, interior bracing and purfling are completely original to the instrument. The instrument’s overall rating is valued at 3.8, due to cosmetic details.

To find out more about the guitar and other auction items, call Curt Hagan at 208-290-7833.

To purchase tickets for this event, stop by the conservatory at 110 Main St. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For tickets, also call 208265-4444 or email katherinec.mcs@ gmail.com.

The 1922 00-18 Martin guitar being auctioned off at the annual MCS fundraising gala Saturday, March 11. Courtesy photo.

MUSIC

Live music returns to Di Luna’s

Portland folk artist Tony Furtado will play local cafe’s first live show in three years

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

Tony Furtado isn’t one to write a setlist. When the banjo-slaying singer-songwriter looks forward to his live performances, he knows there’s an essential element he can’t yet consider: the audience.

“There’s two loves I have with the playing and creation of music. One is recording, which is fun, but in a way, it is very solitary,” Furtado told the Reader. “But when you get on stage and perform that music, there’s a two-way interaction you have with the audience and yourself. … It’s very social. It provides the opportunity to be very generous with the art. You’re feeling what you’re putting out, and I really thrive on that.”

In return, Furtado said, he feels what the audience gives back — hence, no setlist.

“I’m inspired, a lot of times, by what I’m feeling back from the people who are there listening,” he said.

The result is a conversation, spoken entirely through the medium of song.

March 9, as the eatery hosts its first live music in three years. Tickets, which are nearly sold out, cost $75 and include both dinner and entertainment. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner slated to be served a half hour later. Furtado will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., rounding out an evening sure to satisfy all of the senses.

Furtado, who has played the Di Luna’s stage in the past, told the Reader he is inspired to return thanks to the venue’s reputation as a true listening room, and lauded the restaurant for its commitment to showcasing high-caliber folk musicians.

“It’s just such a nice environment to play music that people actually listen to,” he said. “People that come there know that they’re coming to see a show and listen to the music.”

Tony Furtado @ Di Luna’s Cafe

Thursday, March 9; doors at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., music at 7:30 p.m.; $75, includes dinner and the show. Di Luna’s Cafe, 207 Cedar St., 208263-0846, dilunas.com. Call for tickets and reservations. Listen at tonyfurtado.com.

Furtado looks forward to having such a musical conversation at Di Luna’s Cafe on Thursday,

Furtado can certainly be counted among the high-caliber talent known to play Di Luna’s. Inspired at age 12 by the Beverly Hillbillies and a grade-school music report, the artist — originally of Pleasanton, Calif., and now of Portland, Ore. — took up the banjo and proved himself rather adept at the instrument, earning top prize at the 1987 National Banjo Championship in

Kansas. What followed has been a lifetime of musicianship, including record deals, several critically acclaimed albums and artistic partnerships with well-known musicians across genres.

Furtado said that while the various stages of his career have taken on different flavors, he tends to describe his work as Americana folk, casting a wide net to best capture the bluegrass-meets-bluesmeets-folk sound accomplished with banjo, slide guitar and more.

For the Di Luna’s show, Furtado will be joined by four-time

national fiddle champion Luke Price, adding another instrumental and vocal layer to Furtado’s sound. The pair has been touring together off and on for more than a decade.

“He’s just such a solid musician and a really great harmony singer,” Furtado said of Price. “We have a lot of fun going back and forth with the instrumental stuff, too.”

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Kerry Leigh, Connie’s Lounge, March 3 Ron Kieper Trio, Eichardt’s, March 3

Local music lovers are invited to “March into Connie’s” for a live set Friday, March 3 featuring folk/Americana/country/ blues performer Kerry Leigh.

A Sandpointian with a musical pedigree extending back to Northern California, Leigh’s style is as expertly crafted as it is infused with an easygoing, melodic delivery.

Leigh’s originals can be happy-go-lucky, winsome and

wistful, country-tinged with a sly side of blues and even a little rebellious. No matter what, they’re always 100% Kerry Leigh.

— Zach Hagadone

7-9 p.m., FREE, 21+. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208-255-2227, conniescafe.com. Listen at kerryleigh.bandcamp. com or reverbnation.com/kerryleighdiminyatz.

One of Sandpoint’s favorite live music acts, the Ron Kieper Trio, is bringing its impeccable jazz stylings to Eichardt’s Pub for a Friday night set March 3. Eponymous band leader Ron Kieper is a lifetime resident of Coeur d’Alene but among the most highly respected performers in the Inland Empire.

An alto saxophonist by trade, Kieper is a consummate performer, touring throughout the region in groups both big and small —

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Careu

including with the Bob Curnow Big Band. It’s with his trio, which includes a rotating lineup of some of the best jazz artists around, that Sandpointians know him best, and one of the best places to get to know him is in the low-lit comfort of Eichardt’s.

— Zach Hagadone

7 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com. Listen at ronkieperjazz.com.

I recently read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree for the first time since childhood. This time, I read it to a class of first-graders. What I remembered as a sweet story about the relationship between an apple tree and a boy who grows into an old man over the course of the book was actually deeply sad — but the lesson that can be derived remains powerful and potentially uplifting. After reading, I asked my students if they saw themselves more as the boy or the tree. Their answers were surprising.

READ LISTEN

I always love when I stumble across a song and it leads me to a treasure trove of music. It happened recently when I came upon “Archie” by Dublin-born singer-songwriter Sorchia Richardson. The song doesn’t even register among the artist’s top 10 most-listened-to tracks, which bodes well for the rest of her collection. “Archie” starts as an understated indie rock retelling of a teenage encounter and grows into a sprawling, guitar-wailing track that’s equal parts melancholia and composure.

WATCH

Director Taylor Sheridan propelled to stardom in recent years with the popular Paramount series Yellowstone and has continued that momentum with a couple of limited prequel series about the Dutton family — the main characters of the Yellowstone universe. The first of those series, 1883, is the story of the Duttons’ journey West on the Oregon Trail. Starring big names like Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, 1883 leans into the brutality of the era. Still, the transformative beauty of the journey is captured by the narration of teenage Elsa Dutton, portrayed incredibly by Isabel May. Warning: grab the tissues.

Tony Furtado will return to Di Luna’s Thursday, March 9. Courtesy photo.

HIGH EXPLOSIVE ENDANGERS LIVES IN MYSTERIOUS FIRE

A mysterious fire and accompanying explosion of either black powder or dynamite occurred at 7:30 o’clock Sunday morning in rear of the Himes photograph gallery and the Idaho Furniture company’s store on First street. The explosion resulted in the scattering of the fire and thus saved a bad fire loss and a few minutes’ delay on the part of the fire department no doubt saved the lives of several men. The explosion was heard throughout the city and broke panes of glass a block away.

The family of R.B. Himes living in the Teape house facing on Second street and with its rear directly back of the Himes gallery were awakened from slumber by the crackling of flames in the woodshed of their home. When they got out it was to find their kitchen in flames. Mrs. Himes had presence of mind sufficient to turn in a fire alarm by the telephone and the firemen got to the fire a few minutes later. However, there was a delay, the driver getting the alarm as “Second street” and, thinking he might have a long run, stopping to hitch onto the sleighs instead of the wagon. When the coupling was made, there was a kink in the hose and the firemen went back to the hydrant to get a new start, and while in that act the explosion occurred.

The fire destroyed the kitchen of the Himes home and the woodshed, as well as a shed in the rear of the furniture store. The loss of the Himes home amounted to about $200 and was covered by insurance. The Idaho Furniture company’s loss amounted to about $60. There was also shattered glass in many adjoining stores.

On dogs

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

This month marks my dog’s fifth birthday. I’ve come to learn in the past five years that, when it comes to knowing and loving an animal, people either get it or they don’t. I count myself lucky to be among those who get it.

This wasn’t always the case. I wasn’t an animal-crazy kid. My family had a variety of cats and dogs in my youth, but those animals attached their loyalties to other people — mostly my sister, Leslie, who has always gotten it.

And it’s not like I gave those cats and dogs much reason to love me; we maintained professional relationships. The dogs barked to let me know there was someone in the driveway, and I paid them back with the milk and last few cereal bits in my breakfast bowl. The cats — they existed. I gave them a wide berth and they repaid me by not scratching my ankles.

This is how it went, until I met my husband, Alex.

Alex, who grew up on a farm, has also always gotten it. He got in trouble more than once as a young child for wandering too far from home to visit the neighbor’s cows. He had a dog that he still talks about like they were walking the barn road together yesterday. He had a cat who he still has a hard time talking about.

When he asked me, after less than a year of dating and about six months of living together, if I wanted to get a dog, I honestly wasn’t sure. He showed me a post online about a litter of accidental puppies near his childhood home, where we’d be visiting in the coming days.

“We can just go look and you can see what you think,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also insisted we stop at

If you get it, you get it

the bank for some cash — “just in case.”

We parked in a driveway leading to a yard populated with 8-week-old black-andwhite puppies displaying the best kind of chaos. I stepped onto the lawn with an open mind and crouched down.

Out of the blur came one of the puppies, headed straight for me. She, at full speed, leapt into my lap, wiggling uncontrollably. Her huge brown eyes, masked in black, locked with mine.

It was like we’d met before — like she’d been looking for me, and finally found me.

I know that sounds crazy, but if you get it, you get it.

That puppy came home with us, and she became Mac: ball chaser, couch queen, peanut butter connoisseur, farmhouse protector and best friend. She is serious and silly, loving and independent. We speak our own language, just the two of us. She and Alex have their own special bond as well. Everyday, after work, he receives the homecoming of a lifetime.

As I write this, cross-legged on the couch, Mac snoozes to my right. I look at her, thinking about how much I love her, and I start to cry. She opens one eye, disturbed by my sniffles, and sees my tears. She then lifts her paw, rests it on my thigh and proceeds to drift back to sleep.

How could I possibly not get it?

While I didn’t adopt Mac from a shelter, I now understand the absolute magic of forming a bond with a pet and would encourage anyone with the means to consider adopting from the Better Together Animal Shelter. To see what animals are currently up for adoption, go to bettertogetheranimalalliance.org.

If you’re not in the place to adopt but still want to support animals in need, consider donating. It is easy to set up a monthly dona-

Sudoku Solution STR8TS Solution

Crossword Solution

What would annoy me if a space visitor ever came to our planet would be if he kept talking about things in “his world.” Your world? We don’t give a flying hoot about your world!

Mac is a great comfort during the ups and downs of newspaper work. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

tion. Join me by going to the shelter website and finding the “Donation” button.

Laughing Matter

By Bill Borders

strigiform /STRIJ-uh-fawrm/

Word Week of the

or pertaining to owls.

CROSSWORD

underscore her association with wisdom.”

Corrections: Do not stare too long into this box, or this box will stare back.

“In the fresco, Athena appears surrounded by wide-eyed strigiform figures, probably to

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22