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PEOPLE compiled by
Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
watching
“Do you enjoy April Fool’s Day? Why or why not?”
“I don’t like it when people fool me, but I love being the fooler.” Ellie Kiebert Hope
DEAR READERS,
I’m back, though my heart is still sailing somewhere in the Caribbean. I can’t stress how important regular vacations or periods of time off are for the average worker. This job can sometimes feel like a tea kettle gradually coming to a boil, and if you don’t take it off the burner and let some of that steam vent out every once in a while, things can go awry. Special thanks to my staff for kicking butt while I was drinking rum and screwing around for three weeks. We all put in busy weeks even in normal times, but when I’m away the lion’s share of page layout and ad design must be taken on by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, which puts a lot more stress on both her and Zach, since their jobs reporting and writing the news are often difficult by themselves each week. I’m so thankful for the staff we have at the Reader. We’re a small, slightly dysfunctional family, but we get the job done the best we can. If you see Zach or Lyndsie out and about, buy them a beer for pulling double duty for three weeks.
– Ben Olson, publisher
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208) 946-4368
www.sandpointreader.com 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: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com
“I did when I was a kid because you could play jokes on your friends, but as an adult I don’t think it’s funny anymore.” Stephanie Harper Sandpoint
Contributing Artists: Zach and Eleanor Hagadone (cover), Ben Olson, Michael Lucid, Susan Bates-Harbuck, Brenden Bobby, John, Jeremy Welser, Bill Borders Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Emily Erickson, Jim Woodward, Jen Jackson Quintano, Eric Wieland Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID
“Yes, because it’s the only good excuse to pull off the most epic of pranks.” Jacob Holmberg Sagle
“I’m not crazy about it because my job is pretty serious, so I can’t be doing pranks. I don’t mind pranks as long as they are harmless.” Dawn Miller Hope
“Yes, because I enjoy pretending to be a human, especially on the days I’m allowed to.” Chip the hamster Her wheel
Subscription Price: $155 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover
This week’s cover features some natural artwork by young Eleanor Hagadone, age 7, who made a rock into a cat. Brilliant! March 31, 2022 /
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NEWS
Culver’s Crossing set to go before Sandpoint P&Z Affordable housing development would be a first
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff There has been no shortage of headlines surrounding the proposed Culver’s Crossing affordable housing development, fronted by the Bonner Community Housing Agency and its executive director, Rob Hart. During the summer and fall of 2021, when BCHA first outlined its plan to bring 49 homes to six acres west of Boyer Avenue — all of which would be attainable to middle-income buyers — it made the news from Boise to Spokane to Sandpoint. “Landowner, developer partner to keep investors out of new N. Idaho housing development,” the Idaho Capital Sun wrote. “Can a new approach to affordable housing keep the middle class in booming Bonner County?” the Spokesman-Review wrote. As the Reader put it in Part 3 of its “Where are all the workers?” series in September 2021, BCHA’s plan could be “a homegrown solution to affordable workforce housing.” Now the proposal is due to receive its first public presentation before the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, April 5, and Hart is hoping it’s the beginning of a workable pathway to easing the ongoing local affordable housing crunch, which has generated a lot of buzz but, so far, little action. “This will be the first time, as far as I know, that a private person is coming forward to present on affordable housing,” he told the Reader in an interview March 28. “We’re just trying to get a groundswell so folks on the P&Z Commission know this isn’t an ordinary project.” Hart said Culver’s Crossing has already drawn more than 30 letters of support from area residents, who likewise hope that by structuring the development to be available only to average area wage-earners it will mean protecting the local workforce while adding to housing inventory in Sandpoint. 4 /
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“If you’re an investor, a speculator, don’t contact us,” he said, referring to the interview process through which prospective buyers must go before being considered for purchasing one of the Culver’s Crossing homes. “This is just for regular people; this is not Section 8 low-income housing, it’s for working people in the Sandpoint area. That’s who we’re trying to help.” While the greater Sandpoint area has experienced an historic development boom over the past two or so years, the Culver’s Crossing project is unique in that it is a planned unit development on land owned by local resident Nancy Hadley, who has partnered with BCHA to make her acreage available for building. Because of that arrangement, BCHA is able to offer income-based housing geared toward local employees, seniors and disabled residents who make between 60% and 120% of the area median income, which is pegged at about $60,000 per year. According to Hart, homes in the Culver’s Crossing development will come in a variety of styles — including twin and single-family homes — clustered in density among park spaces, a greenbelt and mature trees, which are being retained on the site rather than clear-cut, as is common practice among most housing developments. “It’s a completely different dynamic for how it feels,” he said, going on to describe the proposed streetscape as “non-linear,” meaning the neighborhood will incorporate intentional turns to reduce traffic speeds. “We really want this to feel comfortable, so kids feel safe without cars screaming around the corner,” he said. Ensuring affordability and accessibility to locals is paramount for the project, Hart said, pointing to the housing program itself, which incentivizes buyers to hold onto their homes for at least four years. For instance, during that time, a buyer is free to sell their home in Culver’s Crossing
but Hadley has the right of first refusal to buy back the home for its original sale price, plus appreciation for inflation, depending on how many years the buyer has been in the home. On the first day of the fifth year of occupancy, the occupant is free to sell for whatever price the market will bear. “You’re not going to lose money,” Hart said of selling during the first four years, but, “this is to discourage speculators and investors. What this encourages is people not to flip the homes.” Looking at the local housing market in general, Hart added that inventory isn’t quite the problem that it’s often made out to be — especially by developers, who have a vested interest in bringing more units onto a red-hot market. Rather, it’s the allocation of housing, with a considerable chunk of the residential building stock sitting idle for much of the year in the hands of absentee or seasonal owners. “I would guess that 30% to 40% are not occupied 12 months out of the year,” he said. “That’s how the market works. But what we can do is carve out six acres and say, ‘We can do it different here,’ and we want to find more landowners who want to do that.” Another way that Culver’s Crossing would be different is that BCHA itself handles the transaction, rather than a realtor in the middle, taking commission. While that might suggest real estate professionals would look askance at the project, Hart said that those he’s spoken with have welcomed the model. “We’re talking about something that’s bigger than a real estate company — we’re talking about restaurants that close their doors, chair lifts that don’t operate,” he said. “We’re talking about
the overall health of the city, and if that’s not working, then they can’t sell their luxury homes.” There’s still a long way to go for Culver’s Crossing, though. Hart said the April 5 hearing before P&Z is but one step of many that, if successful, would culminate with approval from the Sandpoint City Council — which he hopes will occur in time to deliver the homes next year. “What we’re doing is we’re saying, ‘Here’s some good planning,’” Hart said. “We’re creating the path that others can follow.”
Rob Hart stands before one of the recently-built homes in Sandpoint through the Bonner Community Housing Agency, which he serves as executive director. Photo by Ben Olson. For more information visit bonnerhousing.org. The Tuesday, April 5 Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint City Hall (1123 W. Lake St.) For more information, and to access the meeting via Zoom, go to sandpointidaho.gov and click on “Meetings” on the homepage.
NEWS
Kaniksu Land Trust secures agreement for Pine St. Sledding Hill By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff As the community grapples with unprecedented population growth and a general sense of change around town, it appears that one piece of Old Sandpoint won’t have to: the Pine Street Sledding Hill, which friends of Kaniksu Land Trust are officially under contract to purchase from the Weisz family. According to a KLT media release issued March 25, the arrangement will “allow the community time to fundraise for the eventual purchase of the property,” which includes 48 acres of forest, meadows, a pond and structures associated with the homestead. The most iconic element of the parcel is the sledding hill, which for nearly a century has served as a gathering place for locals looking to catch some downhill speed — and sometimes air — with their sleds. The Weisz family, which donated 160 acres of its property to KLT’s publicly accessed Pine Street Woods, closed the hill last year due to liability issues.
“It brought tears to my eyes to close the Pine Street Sledding Hill down,” Gary Weisz told the Reader in January 2021. “So much heartfelt regret in doing so, but I guess it is just the end of an era and another part of Bonner County history that silently slips through our fingers.” When the property went on the market last fall, KLT announced plans to purchase it. “Historic farmsteads such as this are disappearing at an alarming rate,” said Regan Plumb, KLT conservation director, at the time. “This one in particular, which serves as the gateway to Pine Street Woods, is very special. KLT is doing everything possible to acquire this land in order to conserve it and to share it with our community.” In the event that the property could be successfully conserved, KLT officials stated that it would “augment the community benefits of Pine Street Woods” by providing new ways to access existing PSW trails, new spaces for educational programming and possibly a dedicated home for Kaniksu Lumber operations. On March 25, KLT announced
that those plans are near fruition. “This is such a win for our community. We are so grateful for the support of our partners,” said KLT Executive Director Katie Cox. “What we have needed all along the way is time and having the property under contract and secure now gives us that. The work ahead of us is going to take the entire community. We know that together, we can do it.” According to the media
release, the property is not fully protected until KLT is able to purchase it outright. Next will come fundraising efforts, as the conservation group has 18 months to raise the necessary money. KLT will share more in the coming weeks and months on how the public can participate in preserving the sledding hill property. “We are grateful to all of our friends who have been supportive in many ways through this
Skiers limber up before barreling down the Pine St. Hill. Photo courtesy Bonner County Historical Society, taken circa 1950s. process,” KLT officials shared. “Stay tuned to learn how each of us can share in making this project happen.” To follow along and learn more about KLT, visit kaniksu.org.
Separate BoCo Planning, Zoning Commission members see approval By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff
Bonner County commissioners unanimously approved the appointment of members to the newly formed — and now separate — Planning and Zoning commissions on March 29, marking a new era for how the county addresses land use decisions. Planning Director Milton Ollerton, who presented the motions at the commissioners’ weekly Tuesday business meeting, said that his office received 18 applications to join the commissions, with some expressing interest in both and some having a preference toward
either Planning or Zoning. The process for each new appointment included the submission of a letter of interest and resume, as well as interviews. Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 12 to approve a change to Bonner County Revised Code allowing the old commission to dissolve and the creation of the two new ones. The move was prompted by the extreme workload being handled by the single commission, as well as the need for an update to the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan. The P&Z volunteers were “burning out,” according to Commissioner Dan McDonald, as evidenced by their support for the two-commission system.
“We haven’t been able to complete the Comp Plan because they’ve been buried in files,” McDonald said March 29, “so this will help Planning to focus more on getting that Comp Plan completed so that we can get [it] enacted, which I think everybody is all for.” Appointed to the Planning Commission are Allan Songstad, Josh Pilch, David Frankenbach, Don Davis, Brian Bailey, Wayne Benner and Debby Trinen. Appointed to the Zoning Commission are Sheryl Reeve, Frank Wakeley, Luke Webster, Jacob Marble and Matt Linscott. Of those members, Frankenbach, Davis, Bailey and Reeve enter their new roles fresh off
of serving the preexisting P&Z Commission. Under the new two-commission system, the Planning Commission will work on updating the Comp Plan and issue recommendations on Comp Plan text and map amendments, as well as county-initiated zone changes. The Zoning Commission will issue recommendations to the county commissioners regarding citizen-initiated zone changes, subdivisions and planned unit developments. The Zoning Commission will also issue official decisions on quasi-judicial files, variances and conditional use permits, which will only see the county commissioners if appealed to that level.
“I’m excited that we got 18 applications. I think the board had a good list of names to choose from and to work with and to interview,” Ollerton said, noting that his office is “extremely busy” and the adoption of two commissions to sift through the workload will be a big help. “These folks are appointed to one, two and three-year terms. The future boards will have the opportunity to review and appoint going down the road,” he continued. “We need these commissions in place. We have work to do. We have public hearings scheduled already in April. We need to do the people’s business.” March 31, 2022 /
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NEWS
Gov. Brad Little signs wildland firefighter hazard pay bill into law
Photo of the bill signing, pictured left to right: Rep. Sage Dixon, Sen. Jim Woodward, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Gov. Brad Little, Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, State Controller Brandon Woolf, Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra and Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller. By Reader Staff Wildland firefighters working in dangerous conditions will have additional compensation, after Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 588 into law March 25. The legislation offers hazard pay, as well as supports an effort to modernize the Idaho Department of Lands’ wildfire management program. Idaho policy makers expressed broad support for the bill, which gives wildland firefighters in the state access to “competitive compensation on par with their federal peers and other Western states when working on an uncontrolled fire or at an active fire helibase,” according to a media release from IDL. District 1 Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle, and District 1B Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, fronted the bill and carried it through their respective chambers in the Idaho Legislature. “Enacting hazard pay has been a team effort, led by Gov. Little, with strong support from the Land Board, Rep. Dixon, Sen. Woodward, industry stakeholders and many other legislators,” stated IDL Director Dustin Miller. “Providing hazard pay is a recognition of the threats our wildland firefighters face while working to suppress wildfires,” he added. “It is also an important tool that helps IDL become the place where wildland firefighters want to make their permanent home, rather than just a place to receive training before moving on.” Little underscored the importance of recruiting and retaining well-trained wildland firefighters — especially as fire seasons become longer and more severe in Idaho 6 /
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and around the country. “It protects our communities, access to our forests and our $2.4 billion forest products industry, a major driver for Idaho’s local and state economies,” Little stated. According to state figures, 40% of IDL wildland firefighters don’t return to work for the agency because of the lack of hazard pay. “This high turnover rate, given training requirements, is costly and potentially dangerous,” IDL stated. “Individuals seeking careers in fire often use IDL to obtain certifications and experience, then move on to obtain permanent or higher paying jobs elsewhere.” Little said that owing to the “inherently dangerous work” of fighting wildfires, mistakes in the field can be and are often fatal. “[R]etaining experienced personnel is crucial for keeping all firefighters safe,” he stated. Of the IDL wildland firefighters who indicated they would leave IDL service, 60% said they would stay on if hazard pay would be provided. IDL Director Miller applauded the legislation. “This bill, coupled with IDL’s budget request, increases our firefighters’ salary, fills a crucial part in modernizing the fire program, and strengthens our ability to suppress wildfires quickly and safely,” he stated. Following Little’s signature on HB 588, wildland firefighters in Idaho are now eligible to receive hazard pay, with new firefighters earning a starting wage of $15 per hour and eligibility for overtime. For more information — including on how to apply for a position as a wildland firefighter — visit idl.idaho.gov.
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: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s neutrality is under scrutiny after revelations that his wife, Ginni, had regular communications with the White House after the 2020 election; she begged them to keep former-President Donald Trump in office, despite Trump’s loss of both the Electoral College and the popular vote, The New York Times reported. Now there is talk of Justice Thomas needing to recuse himself from cases related to Jan. 6, 2021. Thomas was the only Supreme Court Justice to vote against making a cache of White House records available to the Jan. 6 House Committee (Trump had claimed executive privilege to prevent release). The release of 9,000 pages of documents from Trump’s chief of staff revealed Mrs. Thomas’ extensive efforts to overturn the election, which included Q-Anon language. She has admitted to attending the Jan. 6 Capitol rally before it turned violent. The Washington Post reported that Justice Thomas has affiliations with people involved with the Jan. 6 House investigation, including John Eastman, who served as a former clerk for the justice, and was the main strategist in efforts to overturn the election. Eastman has tried to dodge disclosure of documents related to Jan. 6 by invoking the Fifth Amendment and claiming the turnover would violate attorney-client privilege. A U.S. District Court Judge went through the documents and found only 10 that fit the privilege category. The other 101 must be disclosed. The judge described Eastman’s and Trump’s “big lie” campaign as “a coup in search of a legal theory,” according to historian and columnist Heather C. Richardson. As well, The Washington Post has reported that there is a seven-hour gap in Trump’s phone log from Jan. 6, coinciding with the height of the riot. Congressional Republicans have blocked $22.5 billion in emergency aid for 31.2 million uninsured people seeking COVID-19 assistance, The New York Times reported. As a result, uncovered and under-covered patients may be charged up to $195 for a COVID-19 test. Ukraine-Russian headlines: “Longtime aid to Vladimir Putin resigns amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”; “U.S. assesses Russian forces committed ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine”; “Russian military correspondent quits over Ukraine war and
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
says Putin is sending army to ‘slaughter’”; “Ukraine captures one of Russia’s most advanced electronic warfare systems, which could reveal military secrets, reports say”; “Ukraine has suffered $564.9 billion in losses since beginning of war”; “Kremlin TV Hopes Russia’s Unhinged Ukraine War Claim Will Help Re-Elect Trump.” In a speech during his recent trip to Europe, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Putin “cannot remain in power.” While the White House hastened to say the statement meant that Putin’s aggression in Ukraine should not be tolerated, The Daily Beast pointed out that amid Biden’s statement six Russian missiles were fired at Lviv, photo evidence surfaced of Russia’s use of white phosphorous, the city of Slavutych surrendered to save civilian lives, survivors in heavily hit Mariupol were burying the dead in quickly dug graves in apartment building courtyards, and Russian forces abducted staff and the sick from a Mariupol hospital. According to a tweet from a Mariupol woman fleeing the city: “Unfortunately, not many people want to hear about ripped off legs, fecal matter in buckets and dead children with ashes instead of lungs.” More sanctions against Russia were announced during Biden’s recent meeting with the European Council, as well as $1 billion from the U.S. in humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The U.S. will accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and provide $320 million or more to support media freedom, counter war disinformation, and benefit the security of activists and vulnerable groups, various media reported. Accountability for war crimes instigated by Russians is also sought. CBS News reported that one month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than half — 4.3 million — Ukrainian children have been forced to flee their homes. Hearings for Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson revealed interesting views: MSNBC reported that Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn said the Supreme Court’s 1965 ruling lifting restrictions on birth control access was “constitutionally unsound,” and The Washington Post said Indiana Sen. Mike Braun questioned the court’s, rather than states’, legalization of interracial marriage. Blast from the past: The Affordable Care Act became law 12 years ago, providing millions of people with access to health care, prescription drugs and preventative services.
NEWS
Planned Parenthood files petition to block Idaho abortion law
Legislation that would allow family members to sue providers is scheduled to become law on April 22
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris Idaho Capital Sun Planned Parenthood Great Northwest announced in a press release March 30 that the organization filed a petition with the Idaho Supreme Court to block an abortion law that allows civil lawsuits against medical professionals who provide abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound. “The abortion ban blatantly undermines patients’ right to privacy. It also improperly and illegally delegates law enforcement to private citizens, violating the separation of powers and allowing plaintiffs without injury to sue, in violation of the Idaho Constitution,” the organization wrote in the press release. Lawyers from the law firms WilmerHale and Bartlett French filed the petition on behalf of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky and Idaho provider Dr. Caitlin Gustafson. The law is scheduled to take effect on April 22, 30 days after Gov. Brad Little signed the legislation. Little issued a transmittal letter with his signature saying he had significant concerns about unintended consequences and the civil enforcement mechanism itself. Little said he supported the pro-life policy but thought the civil piece would soon prove “unconstitutional and unwise.” Senate Bill 1309 awards no less than $20,000 to the mother, father, grandparents, siblings, aunts or uncles of the fetus or embryo in a successful lawsuit against a medical provider within four years of the abortion procedure. The law is modeled after a similar effort in Texas and is the first successful attempt at the same type of legislation in other states. In September, the U.S.
Supreme Court did not grant an injunction that would have kept the Texas law from going into effect because the law relies on enforcement through private action rather than through the government. Idaho’s law does not include those who might be “aiding and abetting” abortions after six weeks like the Texas bill does. Idaho’s law includes exceptions for medical emergencies and for women who have become pregnant through rape or incest, as long as there is documentation provided to the doctor, such as a police report. The Texas law does not include those exceptions. Planned Parenthood said the ban would not only deny Idahoans a constitutional right to abortion, but it would also eliminate access for those who do not have the time or money to travel out of state for care. The ban will also disproportionately affect communities of color, the organization said. “It should be clear to everyone that the Idaho State Legislature intentionally abandoned the ordinary rule of law when they passed this six-week abortion ban. Then the governor joined their effort to deny his constituents their constitutional rights when he signed the abortion ban into law — despite his own acknowledgement that it was wrong,” the release said. “Unless this abortion ban is stopped, Idahoans will watch in real time as their government strips them of the very rights they were sworn to protect. Everyone deserves to make their own decisions about their bodies, families, and lives — and we’re going to keep fighting to make sure that is a reality.” This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, a Boi-
Protesters demonstrate on Feb. 28, 2022, at the Idaho Capitol Building during rally held by several abortion rights activists, including Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho and Legal Voice. Photo by Kelcie Moseley-Morris/Idaho Capital Sun.
se-based independent, nonprofit online news organization delivering in-depth coverage from veteran Idaho reporters on state
government and policy. The Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by tax-free donations in
22 states. Learn more and follow daily updates at idahocapitalsun. com and statesnewsroom.com.
LPOSD selects Dr. Becky Meyer as new superintendent By Reader Staff After a months-long search and more than a week of interviews, Lake Pend Oreille School District trustees announced March 24 their selection of Dr. Becky Meyer to serve as the next superintendent. According to the district, trustees selected Meyer in a unanimous vote, and she will begin her duties effective July 1, following the retirement of current Superintendent Tom Albertson. “Thank you to all who participated in this process and we are eager to welcome Dr. Meyer,” district officials stated in their announcement. Meyer’s welcome will be more of a “welcome home,” as she served LPOSD beginning
in 1994 as K-12 counselor for the district, in which role she continued until 2001 before transitioning to the position of assistant principal at Lake Pend Oreille High School. In 2002 she became LPOHS principal, then moved to Sandpoint High School, where she served as principal until 2014. Meyer was assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for LPOSD from 2014 to 2016, and is returning to Sandpoint after working as superintendent of the Lakeland Joint School District, which has a population of 4,200 students. Meyer earned her Ph.D. in education from the University of Idaho and superintendent endorsement from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. She has previously
Dr. Becky Meyer. File photo. served on the Professional Standards Commission for the Idaho State Department of Education, as well as the LPOSD Guiding Coalition and the State Educator Evaluation Task Force. For more information on the district, as well as the superintendent search and board of trustees, visit lposd.org. March 31, 2022 /
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Beyond good and bad…
Bouquets: • One of my favorite things to do in the springtime is spend a sunny day at Schweitzer. This past week, I was lucky enough to enjoy three sunny days. I love wearing sunglasses instead of ski goggles. I love seeing people in T-shirts and bathing suits. I love the bittersweet feeling of watching the final days of the winter season slowly merge into spring. Here’s to all you hooligans enjoying the sunshine at Schweitzer these last days of the season. Thanks for making these days fun. Barbs: • This time of year is one of my favorites. Winter gently hands over the reigns to spring. The warm days melt the apocalyptic dirty snow berm on the curbs, tulips push up through the hard garden soil. You can almost hear people whistling “Zip-a-DeeDoo-Dah” as they walk down the busy sidewalks dowtown. One part of this season that always gives me a bit of a pause is the incredible amount of litter that emerges after the snow melts beside the roads. If you’ve driven south of Sandpoint in the past week, you probably noticed all the trash alongside the highway. It’s worse this year than I’ve ever seen it before. I’m sure most of the litter is accidental, stemming from trash flying out of the back of a pickup bed. But it always gives me a rotten feeling inside when I see the collective results of our wasteful habits. We can curb these sloppy habits by securing our loads when on the highways, and if you’re one of those people who tosses cigarette butts or soda cups out the window when you’re finished with them, roll this paper up tightly and smack yourself right upside the head with it. Kudos to all of those local organizations which volunteer to clean up our roadways with the Adopt a Highway program. It really needs it out there. 8 /
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Dear editor, I have always appreciated the Reader’s commitment to reporting on local events and giving many folks the opportunity to express different views. In a past article in the Sandpoint Reader, Ben Olson described inflammatory language and splitting the population into them (bad) and us (good) as major tools of demagogues. Therefore, I was surprised to read Zach Hagadone’s “Two Years of COVID” article in the March 17 issue. It actually hurt to read it — I am seriously wondering if he perhaps was high on something? Splitting Sandpoint residents into those who acted according to Zach’s COVID code of ethics, displaying reason, restraint, empathy, “spirit of community care” and those who “wip(ped) their inconvenience into a deadly brew of poisonous grievance politics that brought the country closer to civil war than any time since 1860,” does not foster a ”spirit of community care.” The “latter type of people” is then blamed for having made “everything worse” with regards to the epidemic. Never mind that epidemics have their own trajectory, influenced by many complicated factors. To continue having the Reader be a community paper that honors and welcomes different perspectives as opportunities for learning rather than inflammatory demagogic separation, one might recall Rumi: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.” Tending our own gardens, we can welcome fertilizer from other gardens and grow flowers together. Gabrielle Duebendorfer Sandpoint
The ‘wildfire of development’… Dear editor, Never thought I’d say this, but I miss the cattle trucks rolling through town down First Avenue. I miss the smell of cow shit and hay wafting on the spring and summer breeze. I miss funky ol’ dust-covered, mud-splattered pickup trucks everywhere. I even miss logging trucks groaning through because it meant folks were making a living in the embrace of nature. I’ve lived both lives in my time and I firmly believe people who work outdoors are happier than people who work indoors in a cubicle star-
ing at a computer screen all day. I miss these things because it meant we were in this life together as working people using our hands and brains. The spirit was: to each his own. If your house is on fire, I’ll help put it out. If my house is on fire, you’ll help me put it out. Developers look at land and see money. Farmers and gardeners see a way of life held together by custom, kinship and crafts. A lot of lies are bandied about these days. The worst is, there’s nothing we can do to stop this wildfire of development. Adrian Murillo Sandpoint
million. Shocking! What’s actually shocking is that anyone believes critical race theory is taught below college level. The truth is that the bill was to increase funding of early literacy programs, incidentally allowing local school districts to spend some of it on allday kindergarten. (By the way, literacy is defined as the ability to read and write, in case that’s unclear.) But I guess the truth doesn’t matter if you’re perfect. Jim Woodward tells the truth. Vote for him. Susan Bates-Harbuck Sandpoint
Truth and untruth…
Herndon is the best choice for District 1 Senate…
Dear editor, According to the campaign literature we got in the mail, Arlene Herndon, Scott’s “perfect wife,” believes that Sen. Jim Woodward voted $6 million to teach CRT to kindergartners. That’s $2 million per letter! If they need to be taught the remaining 23 letters of the alphabet, it would take another $46
Dear editor, Sen. Jim Woodward recently voted against a bill (House Bill 666) in the Legislature that would protect our children from pornography. This is from Priscilla Giddings newsletter: “H666 Inappropriate Content in Library Books: This legislation prohibits the distribution of harmful materials to children. Harmful
materials include obscene depictions in movies, books and other media. Current Idaho code provides an exemption for schools, public libraries, universities and museums and this bill would remove that exemption.” Yet, his flashy post cards would make you believe the opposite. It is a huge lie, Sen. Woodward. Also, Sen. Woodward voted for COVID-19 vaccine discrimination last week. Senate Bill 1381, the Coronavirus Pause Act, passed the Idaho Senate last week and passed the House, but he voted against it. Did you know his voting record is worse than most Democrats? Last year he refused to back the Legislature’s ability to rein in the governor’s unconstitutional action. His was the deciding vote and he backed down. Voters, you have a choice! Vote Tuesday, May 17! Here is his website to do your own research on Scott Herndon: herndonforidaho.com. Vote for Scott Herndon for Idaho Senate District 1. Maureen Paterson Priest River
PERSPECTIVES
Emily Articulated
A column by and about Millennials
Gossip, and the Oscars By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist The 94th Annual Academy Awards aired this past Sunday, March 27; and, despite Hollywood’s best dressed, most celebrated stars gathering as they do every year to accept awards and be entertained on national TV, the big takeaways from this year’s show were far from usual. In his Oscars monologue, wherein it is tradition for the performing comedian to direct jibes at the rich and famous in attendance, Chris Rock performed a bit about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head — a hairstyle decided by her medical condition, alopecia. He joked that he couldn’t wait to see her in GI Jane 2, which famously featured a bald Demi Moore. But, as laughter sounded around the audience, Jada’s husband, Will Smith, charged on stage and slapped Rock across the face — an unscripted act followed by exclamations from Smith to Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f*cking mouth.” More interesting (to me, anyway) than the confrontation itself — or even that it was captured on live TV — was the explosion of coverage, dissection and speculation that followed. Every news station, podcast, publication and social media account had a hot take, a meme or an official statement about “The Slap,” as well as Smith’s apology and the potential aftermath of the event. The coverage was a sensation, a gossip-like dissemination of theories, responses and stances on something that happened between people living a life most of us can’t even dream of comprehending at an event designed to
Emily Erickson. flaunt the chasm between regular people and the most extravagant in our society. Which made me wonder, why did everyone seem to care so much? In the sociological tradition of Structural Functionalism, originating with French sociologist Emile Durkheim, every part of society plays a critical role in maintaining the systems to which they contribute. Everything and everyone has a function, and gossip, or sensationalized small talk, is no exception. In this tradition, the four functions of gossip are sharing information, providing entertainment, fostering friendship and establishing influence or social control. Using Durkheim’s framework to explore The Slap and its subsequent reactions, our widespread cultural investment in it begins to make a bit more sense. By way of sharing information, much of the discussion about The Slap was geared at providing context for Smith’s unresolved trauma, he and his wife’s relationship, the Oscars as an event and Rock’s punchlines. In sharing information about the exact set of circumstances that caused a highly-regarded and historically non-violent individu-
al to act out in a violent manner, we seek to establish warning signs, collectively deciding on what to look for and what to avoid in our shared future. In providing entertainment, covering a scandal with such excess allows us to delight in the disruption, temporarily distracting ourselves from the heaviness of our regular programming. Headlines about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock are a welcome reprieve from the stories we’ve been inundated with for years: about the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis, inflation and political peacocking, giving us something to fixate on that doesn’t dramatically or even directly impact our health, safety or security. At a time of rampant division, sensationally talking about The Slap offers common, relatively benign ground for us all to stand upon; fostering friendship or fellowship in a way that can feel otherwise inaccessible, especially right now. By having conversations about celebrities, people so far removed from our everyday lives, we’re establishing ourselves as a group that is fundamentally different from them. We talk about their “other-ness,” speculate about their lives and their behavior, in order to accentuate what we share. Finally, in establishing influence or social control, we’re using coverage and discussion of the Oscars incident to reevaluate our unwritten social rules — the social contracts we all subscribe to — that have felt less and less defined over the past few years. By asking questions like, “Is Will Smith just going to get away with hitting someone on live TV?” and “Did Chris Rock go too far in making a joke about a medical condition?” we’re also
asking, “What are we, collectively, willing to accept apologies and make excuses for?” and “What is ‘too far’ in this new paradigm of ‘cancel culture’ and political correctness?” We use situations like these to redraw our lines in the sand and reestablish what we find culturally acceptable, forgivable or irredeemable. The Oscars coverage will run its course, or maybe already has, but our response to it provides a
glimpse into where we are and what we care about as a society — the GIFs reflecting back a bit of ourselves on repeat, if only we pause to examine the possible depths behind a smack across the face. Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.
Retroactive
By BO
March 31, 2022 /
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Mad about Science:
Brought to you by:
honey By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist Have you ever wondered what goes into making a delicious spoonful of honey? I have two simple words for you: bee vomit. Bee vomit is an extreme oversimplification of what honey actually is, but it’s also not far from the truth behind your favorite sweetener. It all begins with flowers. Flowers produce nectar to attract bees, keeping this liquid substance behind the plant’s primary sex organs in their flowers that are covered in pollen. This forces a forager bee to rummage around the flower, which causes grains of pollen to transfer onto the bristles of the bee’s body. A single bee may visit as many as 1,500 flowers per day, accidentally transferring pollen grains as it goes along, which triggers another reaction in the flowers allowing for the formation of seeds — a topic for another day. A bee uses its proboscis, which is like a built-in drinking straw, to suck up some of the plant’s nectar and into its crop, which is a space the bee uses similarly to how we use our mouths for slobbering all over our food before it travels to our stomach. In this compartment, the forager bee introduces an enzyme called invertase to the nectar. In its pure form, nectar is primarily sucrose, a form of sugar called a disaccharide, which is formed from two simple sugar molecules: glucose and sucrose. It also has a high water content, unlike honey. The invertase enzymes from the bee’s salivary glands work in a similar fashion 10 /
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to how lactase enzymes work in the human gut. While lactase cleaves the lactose sugar found in milk into two simple sugars, invertase splits sucrose into glucose and fructose, which is easier for bees to convert into energy. However, the process doesn’t stop there. Forager bees return their haul to the hive and regurgitate the sugary substance for house bees. The house bees repeatedly ingest and then regurgitate this substance; and, often, pass it along to other house bees over a 20-minute period. Each time the bees do this, they add new enzymes to the mixture and further break it down. Once it has reached a specific consistency, the bees regurgitate the mixture a last time into a honeycomb and fan it with their wings to force any remaining water to evaporate from the substance until it forms something resembling honey. In an apiary, where people collect honey from bees for sale, a human removes the honeycombs from the hive and scrapes them into a container — often with large chunks of wax and debris still inside. The apiarist takes this collected honey, wax and debris to a drum that is designed to spin and separate the debris from the honey using centrifugal force. Because the honey is a different weight and density than anything else trapped inside, it separates inside of the drum and is easily retrieved by the processor. This isn’t a perfect process, as you will sometimes find random bits of gunk inside of your bottle of honey. That’s perfectly fine. Honey has an extremely low water content, which makes it exceedingly difficult for bacteria
to propagate and allows you to leave it in your cabinet without the need for refrigeration. This does not mean that honey will never spoil, but it does mean that it will take a very long time to do so. When honey goes bad, it begins to ferment because of yeast that’s suspended in the honey. Over time, the sugar molecules inside of the honey begin to crystallize. You’ll notice this happening in your honey bottle, as the very bottom turns a milky white color and won’t squeeze out of the bottle. The more crystallized honey you have in a jar, the faster the rest begins to follow suit, which also fosters fermentation from the yeast. There are a vast number of reasons why your honey may crystallize. Sugar naturally wants to crystallize, and it usually begins to do so around objects that aren’t sugar, such as bits of wax. Once this process starts, changes in temperature foster the reaction. The more crystals present in the substance, the faster it begins to crystallize all the sugar around it. It’s very similar to the apocalyptic “gray goo” scenario, another fun topic about which to ask your local librarian. Most of the time, there’s nothing wrong with crystallized honey. You can submerge your jar in a pot of warm water and it should melt some of the crystals back into a liquid form — though if your jar is plastic, you need to be extremely careful so as to not melt the plastic, which is something you do not want mixed in with your food. If you use honey as a sweetener, you can carve off a chunk of the crystallized honey from the mass and dunk it into your
hot drink, stirring it in to sweeten the whole drink and not just the bottom of your mug. It’s worth noting that if your honey starts to smell funny or has a sour taste to it, you should dispose of it. This means that it’s started fermenting and it’s no longer safe to consume. While it’s possible to convert fermented honey into mead, this is only done under controlled condi-
tions, where the brewer knows exactly what kind of yeast is used to ferment the honey. Rogue yeast from store-bought or farm-to-table honey could yield unpredictable and unsafe results. Stay curious, 7B. This topic was suggested by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey. Thanks, Lyndsie!
Random Corner Don’t know much about?
We can help!
• Spring was formerly referred to as Lent, but changed to “springtime” around the 1300s, then shortened to spring.
myth claimed an egg could be balanced on its head during the spring equinox. Unfortunately it’s just a myth.
• Lovebirds beware! According to a study on Facebook, early spring is when couples are the most likely to break up, along with the two weeks before Christmas.
• Baby birds are born with the ability to sing, but they usually don’t learn how until spring, when they hear other birds chirping while looking for a mate.
• The spring or vernal equinox is one of the only two times (the other being the fall equinox) when the sun rises due east and sets due west. In the North Pole, the spring equinox marks the start of six months of uninterrupted daylight. The opposite is true for the South Pole, where the spring equinox ushers in six months of darkness.
• This year’s Daylight Saving Time happened on Sunday, March 13. It might be one of the last times we “spring forward” our clocks, as the U.S. Senate passed a bill eliminating the changing of clocks. The bill must still be approved by the House and signed by the president before it takes effect and, even then, it might not take effect until the end of 2023 to allow airlines and broadcasters to give their input for a smooth transition.
• Usually the earliest spring flowers to bloom each year are tulips, daffodils, irises, primrose and lillies. • Some years ago, a popular
• Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.
PERSPECTIVES
Legislative update Toward the end of the session and beyond By Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle Reader Contributor The second session of the 66th Idaho Legislature is nearly complete. Every year, the Idaho Legislature meets starting in January and normally ends in March. Last year, the legislative session ran exceptionally long. This year, it looks like we will finish in the typical time frame. The House and Senate recessed on March 25 for the purpose of waiting out the veto window. Both bodies are scheduled to resume on Thursday,March 31 with the intention of adjourning for the year. At the time of this writing, I do not know if there will be an effort to override any vetoed legislation. In a few weeks, I will provide a summary of significant legislative action for the year. I can provide some near-final spending numbers. The Idaho state budget will total somewhere close to $12.7 billion. Of this total, around $4.6 billion is our Idaho income tax and sales tax dollars, known as general funds. Approximately $5.7 billion is federal tax dollars. Finally, $2.4 billion will come from dedicated funds. Examples of dedicated funds include the gas tax, hunting tags or fishing licenses and camping fees. Dedicated funds are collected by a specific agency and stay within the agency to provide a service to those who are paying the fee or tax. Federal tax funds are provided as a grant to the state for a specific purpose. General fund use is determined by the Legislature each year. As an example, the K-12 public schools budget will total $3.4 billion this year. Federal funds will provide $943 million of that money, $129 million will come from dedicated funds and we will use approximately $2.3 billion of Idaho general funds. The Transportation Department is distinctly different in its funding. With a
total funding of just more than $1.1 billion, federal funds will provide almost $400 million. Approximately $700 million will come from dedicated funds, such as the gas tax and vehicle licensing. General funds dollars typically do not flow into the Transportation Department budget. Shifting from the current legislative session, I will share some of the other activities I participate in as your state senator, typically during the summer and fall months. For three years now, I have been a member of the LINE Commission. The Leadership In Nuclear Energy Commission supports the activities of the Idaho National Laboratory through recommendations to the governor on state policies and actions. The commission has its origins in the 1995 Settlement Agreement between Idaho and the federal government regarding nuclear waste in Idaho. As a former Navy nuclear submariner who trained at the Idaho National Laboratory, I find the work valuable to the state because of Idaho’s significance to the U.S. nuclear energy industry. My goal in working on the commission is to push for a national solution to the spent nuclear fuel issue. Currently, I am serving on the Governor’s Cybersecurity Task Force. The task force has the mission of providing recommendations on cybersecurity measures in Idaho to ensure the safety of electronic data and systems, both public and private. A task force report is coming out this month. Last year, I served on the Idaho Content Standards Review Committee. Parents, teachers, State Department of Education employees and legislators all met for extensive amounts of time to review and modify the Idaho Content Standards for our K-12 education system. The Legislature is in the process of approving the results. The Public Defense Commission is tasked with ensuring that indigent public
defense meets the requirements of the U.S. and Idaho constitutions. I joined a year ago, as a legislative member of the nine-member commission, serving with Boundary County Commissioner Dan Dinning, who represents Idaho counties on the Public Defense Commission. The Legislature is currently working on a new funding model for public defense that will shift the tax burden from local property tax to the state. I am actively taking part in the discussion and may sponsor the legislation in the Senate. I also participate in Pacific Northwest Economic Region activities. Many Idaho legislators take part in PNWER programs to establish and maintain relationships with counterparts throughout the area. Those relationships were beneficial this year, when a Washington legislator proposed taxing all fuel moving through Washington state. Much of our fuel in Idaho comes through Washington. One of our Idaho legislators was able to express to the Washington Legislature, through a previously established relationship, the significant economic harm the Washington tax would cause to Idaho. The Washington tax proposal was defeated.
In addition, through PNWER, I was able to spend time in the White House explaining to staff the positive results of the Good Neighbor Authority program, which allows the Idaho Department of Lands to assist in managing federal timber lands here in Idaho. Finally, I serve as chairman of the Idaho Council on Indian Affairs. The council is a forum for communication and decision-making between the state of Idaho and the five Native American tribes of Idaho. The State-Tribal Relations Act of 1999 established the council and set guidelines. We are currently scheduling the next meeting for June at the Fort Hall Reservation near Pocatello. As always, I appreciate the opportunity to represent our northern two counties. Please never hesitate with questions or comments. Jim Woodward is a second-term Republican senator from Sagle. He serves on the Joint Finance-Appropriations and Education committees, and as vice chair of the Transportation Committee. Reach him during the 2022 legislative session at 208332-1349, 208-946-7963 or jwoodward@ senate.idaho.gov.
Ponderay Rotary’s Duck Derby this weekend By Reader Staff After two years of COVID-19 hiatus, the famed Duck Derby is back Saturday, April 2 during Spring Fling weekend at Schweitzer. The fundraising event, sponsored by Ponderay Rotary, invites participants to purchase raffle tickets and “hunt” for rubber ducks scattered throughout the lodge area. The event starts at 9 a.m. and runs through noon, capped off with selection of the grand prize. Tickets are $5 for one grand prize raffle ticket and seven ducks to look for. “Hunters” take their found ducks to the Ponderay Rotary tent to see if they have
found instant-winning ducks for a variety of prizes, including the opportunity for a Schweitzer ski pass. More than $3,500 in instant prizes will be available for participants. All tickets will be put in the raffle for more than $5,000 in grand prizes. You don’t have to be present to win one of the grand prizes. Proceeds benefit Rotary’s Educational Scholarship Program and its community health and wellness programs. Tickets can be purchased from any Ponderay Rotary member or at ponderayrotaryclub.com on the Duck Derby page. Call 208-290-0213, email ponderayrotaryclub@gmail.com or go to the website for more information. March 31, 2022 /
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PERSPECTIVES
“That seems like a lot of money to prune some trees,” he said. “You’re right,” I said. Because he was. Guess what: Inflation sucks. You know what else sucks? Let me enumerate the suckage: • War and all its attendant evils, higher fuel prices being by far the lowest on the totem pole but also the most directly felt at 5,000 miles’ remove. • Living in a town that’s been “discovered.” Discovered not so much in the way that penicillin was discovered and saved millions, but more in the way that the New World was discovered and then efficiently annihilated and rebuilt in service to the Old World. • The ever-expanding wealth gap, wherein the bottom 50% of earners own but 1% of the wealth pie. 1%. Seriously. Half of us are quibbling over a crust crumb. Wealth inequality is also age-related, with householders over 60 possessing 12 times as much wealth as younger families. With so many retirees moving and buying here, with that influx increasing home prices on the daily, well... Thanks, Boomer, say the young families. • The so-called housing shortage, which, as I’ve mentioned before, may not be so much a shortage as a poor allocation of housing resources. Take a tour of Lakeshore Drive or Bottle Bay Road. Count all the darkened windows and empty driveways. Picture your six friends who are currently crammed into a two-bedroom. Picture them spaciously spread out in one of the darkened homes instead. Think of all those darkened homes. Discuss. • My daughter’s favorite soup just jumped to $5 a can. Five 12 /
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Jen Jackson Quintano. dollars for some tiny pasta stars constellating in a tomato-based sky. Five dollars for 200 calories that will immediately get burned climbing the school’s tree. WTF. Inflation is what. Let me acknowledge that there are many other things that suck in this world — violence in action and word, climate change, poverty and hunger, authoritarian rule — but the scope of this article is limited. The scope of this article pertains to the costs related to tree pruning and why a former customer now finds our pricing problematic. As a small business owner, I’m witnessing a new imbalance in our balance sheet. That teeter-totter of earnings and expenditures now has a teenage bully on the expense side. That kid should probably have a job, but he’s instead hanging out on the little kids’ playground, terrorizing the lightweights with his heaviness. I feel like I’m the little kid stranded on the upward
end of the teeter-totter. I feel like I’m trying to build a ladder made of tree work and faith. I desperately want to be fair with our prices. And I think I am, but fairness operates by new rules this year. Fairness has to be measured against the $200 we now put in the fuel tank multiple times a week — the fuel tank in one of our trucks. We have three work trucks. We also have a chipper and a quiver of thirsty chainsaws. I feel like confetti should rain down on us occasionally at the Schweitzer Conoco to celebrate our dedication and service to its pumps. We also hired two new employees who are in need of housing. If they can’t find housing, we won’t have employees. They currently can’t find housing. If they do find housing, most of their paycheck will go to said housing. We are paying entry-level employees $8 more an hour today than we did just three years ago, and that increase still doesn’t stretch to meet the needs of Sandpoint’s housing market. Let me tell you about Sandpoint’s housing market. One of our employees is planning to camp out Upper Pack for the duration of the summer. For real. Another of our employees has been searching for housing for a month, but to no avail. Her best option thus far was a place under renovation, offering no water or septic. Even that fell through. The place with no place to poop got scooped out from under her. There is nothing affordable available, and I can’t pay an entry-level employee more than I already do. Another story about Sandpoint’s housing market: Dear friends of ours have been renting
in south Sandpoint for six years. She grew up in the area. He is a school teacher. They have four kids. In October, their rent will more than double. Did you see that? More. Than. Double. Will a family with deep roots here have to sever those roots? I hope not, but perhaps. This is the story of living in Sandpoint. Thus, it is also the story of employing people in Sandpoint. Housing is the black hole into which I could pour nearly limitless funds and still not make it tenable for my workers. This is the story of living in Sandpoint. This is the story of employing in Sandpoint. And now, this is the story of raising prices in Sandpoint. Our diesel costs more, our employees cost more, the basic goods and services supporting our business cost more. In the past month, I’ve received multiple emails from vendors alerting me to the increased prices of their offerings. Those prices were passed on to them, are passed on to me, will be passed on to you. Ad infinitum. According to a recent report, 89% of small businesses have raised their prices by 15% or more in response to inflation. We’re a
part of that trend. Sadly. But necessarily. What else is there to do? I entered this work season with a strong desire to operate from a place of generosity. We’ve had a good few years. I want to be attentive to the community that has supported the growth of our business and the well-being of our family. I want to be accommodating. I want to be kind. I want to give back. And then I look at the business expenses on our credit card, compare that number to the one in our bank account, and the margin doesn’t leave much room for generosity. The margin gives rise to generosity’s inverse: fear. I do my best to price jobs not from a place of fear but a place of fairness. However, I can’t help but price jobs from the place that is the real world — that is Sandpoint — where inflation meets a destination town, tugging mightily on everyone’s bottom line. Jen Jackson Quintano writes and runs an arborist business with her husband in Sandpoint. Find their website at sandcreektreeservice.com. See more of Quintano’s writing at jenjacksonquintano.com.
To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader.com.
Above: “This is a chorusing male Sierran Tree Frog (they are the ones you can hear all around town right now). I took the picture a couple days ago.” Photo by Michael Lucid. Top center: In this funny photo by Susan Bates-Harbuck, she commented: “Deer need Yaktrax. At least they do for our driveway.” Far right: Brenden Bobby took the Reader on a recent vacation. He’s standing on the beach at the end of the Ossagon Trail in the California Redwoods. Bottom left: “In years past, Royal Shields had called me about the light on the flag at the Bonner County History Museum. I had done a repair to the light and it worked until I noticed it wasn’t working late last year. I went to the electrical supply place I’ve been going for years. Stoneway Electric Supply donated an LED flagpole light. I installed this new light while thinking of Royal [who passed away in September 2021]. This story is about the light, Royal and Stoneway for their generous donation.” Photo and words by John [last name withheld]. Bottom right: Jeremy Welser climbed Mount St. Helens on March 25 and posed with a recent edition of the Reader from the summit. Excellent job, Jeremy! Photo taken by a climbing companion.
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OUTDOOR
Fill ’er up
As the level of Lake Pend Oreille begins to rise, it’s worth knowing how the refill process works
By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff
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The sun is shining, birds are chirping and the muddy shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille will soon start slowly disappearing beneath the waves. Lake Pend Oreille is on the rise — or at least it will be, on the official lake refill start date of Friday, April 1. Those in the know understand that refilling Lake Pend Oreille is no straightforward business, as many variables, including snowpack, temperature and precipitation, will dictate how quickly the lake refills and whether North Idaho’s cup will runneth over — i.e., a flood year, which the lake and surrounding waterways last experienced in 2018. The refill process aims to avoid flooding and, with that in mind, those managing operations at the Albeni Falls Dam on the lake’s west side are always hesitant to outline any solid dates for the refill period — specifically, when Lake Pend Oreille will reach summer pool, or, 2,062.5 feet. “All of my answers are going to be started with, ‘It depends,’” said Upper Columbia Senior Water Manager Leon Basdekas, who oversees operations at Albeni Falls Dam under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Still, the broad strokes of the lake refill process follow a basic timeline. Refill begins on April 1, as the dam begins to close its gates to allow spring runoff to accumulate upstream. From there, things are flexible, depending on the year. “How that refill looks really depends on how the runoff comes in,” Basdekas said. “It isn’t going to be in a straight line at a set target date. “It’s more about when the flood risk has subsided,” he added. All signs are currently pointing to a fairly normal year in terms of flood risk, which will likely mean Lake Pend Oreille reaches summer pool by mid-June. “We are keeping an eye on things and will adjust that refill date to when we think that the flood risk has passed,” Basdekas said. “It might come a little bit sooner, and it might come a little later — it really just depends on if we keep a cool spring, for example, where that snow just stays up there, then we’ll have to keep the lake a little lower. If it comes off earlier, faster, we could hit a refill date earlier.” When it comes to what areas of snowpack have an influence on Lake Pend / March 31, 2022
Oreille, “it’s not just what’s happening here locally” that you have to consider, Basdekas said. Also important to track while mitigating flood risk are potential precipitation events. “The bulk of the watershed is actually in Montana, so we really have to keep an eye on what’s happening up there,” he said. “Right now, we’re looking at pretty close to an average year in terms of snowpack in the watershed. But, in this area, we can get those late-spring, early-summer storms that we need to be aware of and be ready for. They can come on and put a lot of inflow into the lake late in the refill season, so we need to be aware of that and that’s a challenge that we have every year when we’re refilling the lake.” Basdekas said that current forecasts anticipate North Idaho will see a “slightly better chance of being cooler than normal and slightly wetter than normal” over the next month. What this will mean for the lake is variable. “We look at these things, [but] we don’t make decisions on them,” he said. “We keep them in the back of our mind, but we’ve seen them change, too. It’s difficult.” The Corps balances several considerations while managing Lake Pend Oreille’s annual spring refill, among them downstream environmental conditions and recreational opportunities dependent upon lake level. In a March 14 media release, Lakes Commission Executive Director Molly McCahon made reference to her organization’s continued efforts to encourage
The “crawling” tree stumps exposed at low water near the Clark Fork Delta. Photo by Ben Olson. the Corps to bump up the lake’s refill date during years when flood risk is minimal. “We think that when we are experiencing an obvious drought or non-flood year, Lake Pend Oreille should be brought to summer pool just ahead of [the] Memorial Day holiday weekend so our community can benefit from all amenities a stable summer lake level provides: boat launch access, fishing, fish habitat, dock moorage, marina facilities, hotel stays, restaurants, shopping — you name it,” she wrote. In regard to those recreational concerns, Basdekas said that the Corps has tried in recent years to make the refill process “more dynamic,” looking to “adjusting refill on the fly, rather than targeting a certain date.” The Lakes Commission, a board tasked with advocating for North Idaho’s waterways, will hold a meeting in the coming months to update interested parties on various lake-related issues — a meeting during which Basdekas said the Corps will give an update on dam operations and the refill process. Though no date is set, the meeting is anticipated for early May. To be added to the Lakes Commission’s mailing list and receive meeting notifications, email lakescommission@ gmail.com. For updates on dam operations, you can also email UpperColumbiaWM@usace.army.mil and request to be added to that list.
OPINION
Trapping is a legal, useful tool to manage wolf populations By Eric Wieland Reader Contributor A few years ago I was hunting on the west side of the Selkirks. It was a crisp September morning, the frost was still clinging onto the beargrass, where the sun hadn’t yet burned away the shade. Rowdy, my German shorthaired pointer, ran down the gated road in search of grouse. Shortly after beginning to hike behind Rowdy, I noticed lots of wolf tracks and scat on and off the road, the freshness of which varied from a year ago to just a few days old. About a mile in, I encountered a freshkilled cow elk. There was fresh wolf sign everywhere. The ill-fated elk has been disemboweled from her hind end. Her demise was almost certainly not a quick one. I decided to take a spur trail back to the truck, since I had my dog with me and wolves will take any chance they can get to kill domestic dogs. As we circled around on the trail, I discovered a second elk — another cow — who met an identical fate as the first. Wolves had disemboweled her from the hind end and left her to rot. Unfortunately, this type of waste has been a common occurrence in the Inland Northwest in places like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington and Oregon. This is not my only experience with seeing wolves decimate ungulate populations, often without consuming most of the animals they kill. To be clear, I am not a wolf-hater. I’m not a “the-only-good-one-is-a-dead-one” type of person. I am a promoter of management. There needs to be a balance. Speaking of balance, and in response to Jane Fritz’s “Wolves in Trouble” Perspectives article [Sandpoint Reader, March 17, 2022], I’d like to bring to light a few points that were not mentioned. Yes, Idaho has been directed to eliminate 1,350 of the estimated 1,500 wolves in the state. However, when wolves were first reintroduced to Idaho more than 25 years ago, the management plan set by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that the entire state of Idaho’s wildlife and ecosystem could support roughly 90 wolves, or 10 breeding pairs. Let that sink in for a moment. That means the state of Idaho has 16 times more wolves than it can sustain. Reducing the number to 150 wolves in the state would be the best thing that ungulate populations in Idaho have seen in the last quarter-century.
Trapping of wolves has proved an effective way to curb the proliferation of gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. With increased trapping, wolf numbers have started to reach a plateau. Unfortunately, this is a plateau that cannot be sustained for much longer — a plateau that is 16 times higher than the state of Idaho can support. Pro-wildlife organizations like the Foundation for Wildlife Management (F4WM), Idaho Trappers Association, Idaho Houndsmen Association and Intermountain Fur Harvesters have helped to implement recent changes in laws regarding wolf trapping. Yes, as Jane Fritz’s article states, wolf trapping is now allowed year round in Idaho. What was not mentioned is that in most areas of North Idaho, trapping on public land is only permitted in the fall and winter months, so as to minimize conflict with other outdoor recreationalists. Trapping on private land with landowner permission is now permitted year round in the Gem State. Trappers typically employ foothold traps with wide, laminated jaws to target wolves. These laminated jaws are wide so as to increase the surface area coming into contact with the target’s leg and therefore causing minimal damage to the foot, besides maybe a slight bruise. Notice I said the target’s leg. Wolves. And other predators such as coyotes and bobcats, if we are talking trapping in general. This means that domestic dogs can sometimes get caught in these foothold traps. Some trappers place signs up in areas stating that there is trapping in the area. Other trappers do not. While signs certainly may help other outdoor recreationalists to consider running their dogs in a different area, signs can also draw unwanted attention. Certain extremists and anti-trappers look for these areas and will steal traps, intentionally spread human scent around sets and otherwise illegally disturb sets. From the Idaho Fish and Game trapping regulations: “It is unlawful: To destroy, disturb or remove any traps belonging to others.” Trappers work hard and put in a lot of time, money and labor into helping manage Idaho’s out-of-control population of Canis lupus. Signs in the area stating trapping is occurring can undo a lot of this hard work. I am not saying that signs are a bad thing. I place signs in certain areas, but mostly I do not. My own dog will occasionally get caught in traps I have placed. I take him with me to check my sets. What we need to remember is that Idaho has a leash
law for dogs. If you are truly concerned about your dog stepping on a trap, then obey the law and keep your dog on a leash. If you wish to run your dog off-leash, as many of us do — myself included when hiking in summer or hunting in fall — then know that there is a chance your dog may be caught in a trap if it’s during the fall or winter. Idaho Fish and Game has instructions on how to release your dog from a trap if you are unsure. Or you can reach out to the Idaho Trappers Association for instructions. Idaho’s ungulate populations desperately need effective wolf management. Trapping is one of several key tools needed to get ungulate populations back to a healthy number.
A gray wolf (Canis lupus) looks from between two trees in the winter. Courtesy photo.
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OPINION
Where have all the mugwumps gone? By Ben Olson Reader Staff
“The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other.” — Bertrand Russell In my U.S. Government class at Sandpoint High School, our teacher Terry Iverson used an interesting word for students who fell in the middle of the political spectrum: mugwumps. The first week of class, he stood in front of us seniors, his round Gandhi-style glasses and mischievous grin twinkling as he eyeballed the fresh crop of young minds to argue with. Iverson argued in the Socratic method, asking intriguing questions to elicit responses beyond the typical monosyllabic teenaged dialogue of graduating seniors. He paraded in front of class, preparing us for the world of politics and government that existed outside our carpeted school walls. For many, it was their first exposure to politics. “I want you all now to stand up and take new desks,” Iverson announced, summoning us from our seats with outstretched arms. “I want you to think about where you are on the political spectrum. Are you to the left? To the right? Are you liberal, conservative? How intense are you about your politics? Those who are more staunch will sit further up, those who are more wishy-washy will take the back rows.” We all scurried about, filled with hormones and doubt, watching what our fellow students did. I ended up somewhere in the middle row. Iverson’s eyes focused on me like a hawk. “What do we have here?” he pounced on me and a few of the others in the center. “A bunch of mugwumps.” “What’s a mugwump?” someone asked. “I’m glad you asked,” he put a finger in the air. “A mugwump is someone whose mug is on one side of the fence and wump is on the other. Can’t decide what they believe, so they just perch there like a toad.” “It’s not that we can’t decide, it’s just that I think identifying yourself as liberal 16 /
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The Great American Mugwump, who sits on a fence with his mug on one side and wump on the other. Courtesy photo. or conservative by where you sit down is kind of dumb,” I said. His eyes drilled in closer on his target. “Ah, a big mugwump this one,” he said to me. “You’ll sit here, right in front so I know who to yell at.” And so it went, my first real foray into politics through Iverson’s U.S. government class. We covered all the basics, from the Declaration of Independence to important eras in politics, Congresses and presidents who bent and shaped the political makeup of the United States. Throughout our year together, Iverson continually hammered me, along with others, when we disagreed with him on a point or impressed him with a counterpoint. It was these engagements with Iverson that led to my interest in the mechanisms of government and politics. It was a fascinating dance that we played to achieve something in the middle that appealed to the widest swath of people. There were bumps and diversions along the road, but we mostly tried to keep going straight and gain some ground along the way. I was always proud of my status as King Mugwump. There was an actual Mugwump party, which split from the Republican Party in the 1880s to fight against party corruption, but Iverson gently stole the term and used it as a pejorative, lambasting noncommittal students who refused to stand up for their convictions. Iverson’s mugwumps might side with Republicans on fiscal matters, but also agree with Democrats on issues of human rights and social equality. They might talk equally with those seated at the far left or far right, hearing their points without immediately digging in their heels from word one. A mugwump might strongly believe in an issue, but they’re able to empathize
with those who feel differently because their positions aren’t that far apart. It was a simpler time then, when many of us were able to argue without anger. Many readers today might think I’m pulling their leg when I tell them that North Idaho regularly sent Democrats to the Statehouse prior to the mid-1990s, but it’s true though. We even had a Democratic Congress member as recently as the 2010 primaries. The Democrats and Republicans were different animals back then. The socalled “Lunchbox Democrats” were more aligned with nuts-and-bolts issues like infrastructure, education and workers’ rights. The Republicans of that era were more interested in fiscal matters like tax cuts, budgetary matters and, to some extent, pursuing a more limited government. The “wokeness” of the left and the batshit crazy conspiracies of the right were evident to a degree, but only among those closer to the fringes of their respective parties, (to be fair, there is no equivalence between the actions of the far left and far right, because one seeks to correct past injustices while the other seems to only create new ones). In the past, though, most operated somewhere in the moderate middle: prime mugwump territory. As we travel further and further from those somewhat moderate days before the red wave of the 1990s, Idaho has since turned into a fever swamp of ideological quicksand. Where have all the mugwumps gone? Looking at the slate of candidates who have thrown their hats into the Bonner County and District 1 legislative races, the mugwumps are few and far between. Scanning through some of the Republican candidates, I see a rogue’s gallery of extremists hoping to brand their narrow
ideologies as normal. There’s a candidate who was sentenced to jail for pointing a weapon at federal agents during the infamous 2014 Bunkerville standoff in Nevada; an abortion abolitionist who spearheaded one of the two lawsuits that tried (and failed) to take down the Festival at Sandpoint because of its no-weapons policy; a gun store owner from California; a person who traveled to Washington, D.C. for the rally on Jan. 6, which culminated in an attempted insurrection to thwart American democracy; and the leader of a local militia who lurked around downtown Sandpoint after a Black Lives Matter protest, armed and garbed in battle dress to stave off a fictional “Antifa” invasion. Taking a wider view at Idaho gubernatorial candidates, we have an anti-government activist who orchestrated an armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in 2016, a cowboy pastor who also led the charge in the failed gun lawsuits against the city of Sandpoint and another who just made the national blooper reel for doubling down after speaking at a white nationalist conference. It’s one hell of a group of candidates, to be honest — one of the strangest groups of extremists vying for normalcy that I’ve seen in all my 41 years living here. As the adage goes, if you toss a frog in a pot of boiling water, it’ll hop out immediately. Put the same frog in a pan of cold water and slowly warm it to a boil, and that frog will stay in the pan until you’re eating frog legs for dinner. By getting involved with electoral politics, these extremists are attempting to normalize their abnormal views — watering them down to the point where we don’t bat an eye when someone says or does something objectively offensive, inappropriate or downright illegal. They hope that by attaching themselves to the ever-important “R” on the Idaho ballot, they’ll slip into office and begin slowly turning the dials further to the right. Some argue that the state of Idaho needs to keep tilting further to the right because the Democratic Party is skewing further to the left. This is yet another gaslighting tactic to encourage Republicans to stick to the party line, no matter how bizarre it becomes. The truth is that the Idaho Republican Party has bifurcated between the old guard — which still includes a few mugwumps — and this loud batch of angry fanatics who believe they can convince us that their hardline < see MUGWUMP, Page 17 >
< MUGWUMP, con’t from Page 16 > views are normal. They aren’t, nor will they ever be. The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre spent some time in his book Being and Nothingness discussing good-faith actors and bad-faith actors. Those acting in good faith are sincere with their intentions. They employ fair, honest rhetoric to argue their points, regardless of the outcome of the interaction. Bad-faith actors are essentially liars who know they are lying, but also believe their untruths because that’s what it takes to convince others. As Sartre put it, “I must know that truth very precisely, in order to hide it from myself the more carefully.” Bad-faith actors have infiltrated Idaho politics. With their gaslighting ways, they pass resolutions restricting the teaching of certain history because of “critical race theory,” though many are unable to define what CRT actually is. They pass restrictive voting bills, claiming it’s to keep our elections secure, though there still has never been any evidence of widespread, intentional voter fraud. The real reasons behind these and many other actions are more nefarious, but they can’t come out and say the quiet part out loud. Not yet, at least. If they were good-faith actors, they’d argue against critical race theory because it makes them uncomfortable with their own history as white people. They’d argue that stricter voting laws were needed to ensure the Republican Party stays in the majority, no matter who gets disenfranchised in the process. Beware the bad-faith actors. They may have an “R” next to their name and use the correct buzzwords of conservatism, but in truth they are just trying to bring Idaho closer to fascism out of fear that some semblance of balance might actually exist in this state. The best path forward is the way of the mugwumps. They’re still out there. They’re just by nature not as loud and angry as the radicals on the left and right. Better to vote for a moderate in a different party from yours than an extremist pretending to be something they’re not. One of the most important tenets of our democracy that I learned from Iverson’s class is the system of checks and balances that keeps our country from swinging too far to one side or another. The best checks and balances exist with you, the voter, to ensure extremists stay on the fringes where they belong. This is an opinion article by Ben Olson. His opinions are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Reader staff.
COMMUNITY
April Parks and Rec. programming
By Reader Staff
Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces will be offering the following programming in April 2022: Upcoming March registration deadline: Lou Domanski Chess Festival. Join fellow chess enthusiasts for this one-day tournament on Saturday April 9 at the Sandpoint High School commons (410 S. Division Ave.). Divisions include: Elementary (entering grades 1-6) for $5, Middle/High School (entering grades 7-12) for $6 and Open division for $7. Register by Thursday, March 31. The tournament uses the Swiss system and is coordinated by James Stripes. Bring lunch and be ready to play all day. Trophies awarded for each division. Programs beginning in April: CPR/ AED with Optional First Aid. For ages 16 to adult or ages 12-15 with an adult guardian. American Health and Safety Institute’s CPR/AED with optional First Aid is a gen-
eral community course for individuals with little or no medical training, who need CPR/ AED and or First Aid card for work, OSHA requirements, school or personal knowledge. This course meets American Heart Association guidelines. Classes are offered every other month on the first Monday. Register by Tuesday, April 5 for the Monday, April 11 class. Located at Sandpoint City Hall Council Chambers (1123 Lake St.), class meets 4-6pm for CPR/AED and 6-8pm for First Aid. Fee: $35 CPR/AED, with additional $25 First Aid option. April facility spotlight: The Sandpoint Community Garden is managed by the city of Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department. Located near the intersection of Boyer Avenue and Pine Street, the Community Garden offers both 4-foot-by-8-foot ($26) and 7-foot-by-7-foot ($31.50) plots. The Community Garden is available to both novice and experienced gardeners. In addition to providing increased access to fresh foods, gardening improves mental health,
Litehouse YMCA promotes, hires new leadership
promotes relaxation and, in a community garden setting, it provides an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. A limited number of plots remain open for the 2022 growing season. For more information, to check plot availability or reserve a plot, go to sandpointidaho.gov/ parksrecreation. The City of Sandpoint Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department also acts as a clearinghouse to connect the public with other recreational opportunities in our community. Visit the online activity catalog to view listings. 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 Parks and Rec. program registration, other community programs, and facility reservations, visit the website, stop by the Parks and Rec. office located at 1123 Lake St., or call 208-263-3613. Panhandle Health District recommends following CDC guidance, stay home if sick, reduce physical closeness when possible, wear a mask if possible and cleaning hands often.
By Reader Staff The YMCA of the Inland Northwest is pleased to announce the following people have been promoted and hired at the Litehouse YMCA: Heidi Bohall, branch executive, Litehouse YMCA Heidi Bohall has been an integral part of the YMCA team for the past three years as the Membership and Wellness director at Litehouse YMCA. She has been a longtime resident of the Sandpoint community and always believed the Y is a perfect fit for the area. Bohall graduated with a B.A. in community recreation and went on to receive a master’s in education. Her experiences as a former YMCA of Greater Seattle youth development director, third-grade teacher and outdoor recreation program facilitator have provided ample skills to take on this new leadership position. She plans to further integrate the YMCA into the community by collaborating with other organizations to best meet the needs of Sandpoint and Bonner County. Kayla Ireland, Membership and Youth Director, Litehouse YMCA The YMCA recently promoted Kayla Ireland as the new Membership and Youth director at Litehouse YMCA. She has been with the Litehouse Y for the past three years, most recently as a manager on duty.
Heidi Bohall, left, Kayla Ireland, center and Olivia Langs, right.
Growing up in Sandpoint allows Ireland to have a unique understanding of this community that will be key in her success in this role. She plans to help the Y become more engaged in the area as well as implement new programming for youth of all ages. She is committed to the mission of the Y and looks forward to bringing her experience and energy to this new role. Olivia Langs, Aquatics and Wellness Director, Litehouse YMCA The YMCA recently hired Olivia Langs as the new Aquatics and Wellness director at Litehouse YMCA. Langs previously served as program director for Aquability, as well as managed the aquatics center in Boise. Additionally, she helped to run the city pool in Bonners Ferry and served as the lifeguard trainer. She is looking forward to streamlining the Aquatics Department and re-implementing a solid swim lesson program. She is also eager to use her past knowledge and passion for adaptive swim programming to further assist the community.
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events
March 31 - April 7, 2022
THURSDAY, March 31
Live Music w/ Justyn Priest 7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Tap Takeover w/ E9 Brewing All Day @ Idaho Pour Authority Community fundraiser for SOLE from 5-8pm and live music w/ Joe & Maya from 6-8pm
FriDAY, April 1
Live Music w/ Meredith Lane Band 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Folk/R&B songwriter from Oregon Live Music w/ Headwaters 6:30-9pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. The new BareGrass band! Local music Live Music w/ One Street Over 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Songs from across the decades and genres
Field of Dreams at the Panida 7pm @ Panida Theater Baseball season begins with this classic Home and Garden Show network dinner 5:30pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds A networking dinner at 5:30pm for vendors and business leaders and more! baldymountain.media for more info Live Music w/ Devon Wade 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Sandpoint country artist
SATURDAY, April 2 Live Music w/ Rob Pierce 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 7-9pm @ The Back Door Home and Garden Show (April 1-3) 10am-5pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds There will be booths from local vendors with everything for your home and garden. baldymountain.media for more info Crip Camp documentary @ the Panida 7pm @ Panida Theater *FREE* An endearing story about a summer camp for disabled teens. Fundraiser for PSNI! Live Music w/ John Daffron 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
Live Music w/ Harold’s IGA 4-7pm @ Tap’s Lounge at Schweitzer Indie rock originals and some covers
Ponderay Rotary’s Duck Derby 9am-12pm @ Schweitzer A fundraising event sponsored by the Ponderay Rotary. Lots of fun! “Derby hunting tickets” (raffle tickets) are $5/each. Over $3,500 in instand prizes available, with $5,000 in grand prizes! Schpring Finale at Schweitzer All day @ Schweitzer Duck Derby from 9-12, kids’ scavenger hunt from 10-2, pond skimming from 1-3pm, live music at Taps 4-7
SunDAY, April 3
Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am
Home and Garden Show (April 1-3) 10am-4pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds
monDAY, April 4
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “God’s faith in us.”
Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after
tuesDAY, April 5
Outdoor Experience & Longleaf Wilderness Safety Series 6-7:30pm @ Outdoor Experience Environmental Preparedness and Protection class. Register at longleafmedical.com/oe Virtual Town Hall: Shelby Rognstad, write-in candidate for Idaho Governor 6pm @ electshelby.com Link to virtual town hall available at website listed above
wednesDAY, April 6
Live Music w/ Jake Robin 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Live piano w/ Dwayne Parsons 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
ThursDAY, April 7
April artist of the month reception for Nicole Black 4-6pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Black is a Sandpoint native with a longtime presence in the local arts community. Her style was developed through her love of patterns and abstract. Come check it out! 18 /
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COMMUNITY
Human Rights Task Force offers two scholarships for 2022 By Reader Staff The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force is once again offering two human rights scholarships to graduating seniors in Bonner County. The scholarships are available to public, private and homeschool students. The amount of the Darby and Amber Campbell Memorial Scholarship varies from $500 to $2,500, depending on the number of scholarships awarded. The amount of the Erik Robin Bruhjell Memorial Scholarship varies from $500 to $1,500. The mission of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force is to promote and secure mutual understanding among all people. “BCHRTF recognizes that it is the racial, social and cultural diversity of our people that makes Bonner County a rich and worthwhile place to live,” the
organization stated in a news release. In order to apply, the student is asked to submit the common application as well as the Campbell and/or Bruhjell application. Both BCHRTF applications ask the student to write thoughtful essays on human rights as well as to respond to questions on the application. The student’s involvement in activities supporting human rights and financial need are also considered. Applications are available on the BCHRTF website at bchrtf.org and on local school websites. The deadline for applications is 9 a.m., Monday, April 11 at the student’s high school counseling center. Applications may also be submitted directly to the task force by the same deadline at: BCHRTF Scholarships, P. O. Box 1463, Sandpoint, ID 83864. For more info or questions, contact BCHRTF at 208-290-2732 or bchrtaskforce@gmail.com.
STAGE & SCREEN
A 30,000-foot trust fall By Ben Olson Reader Staff
There are some films you probably don’t want to watch before embarking on a long airplane trip. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing should be right at the top of that list. The documentary directed by Rory Kennedy was released at the end of February on Netflix. The film follows the events that led to 2019 airline crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, both of which involved the controversial Boeing 737 Max airplane. The crashes, which occurred five months from one another, killed a combined 346 people after an updated feature to the Boeing 737 Max malfunctioned and sent aircrafts into dives that were virtually impossible for pilots to pull out of — mostly because they knew nothing about the system that had been added to the 737 Max. Watching the documentary, one feels almost as if they are strapped into an airliner at 30,000 feet, putting their trust 100% in the pilots, the airplane manufacturers and the company that once enjoyed a stellar reputation before this incident uncovered the deception that led to the deaths of almost 350 people. The film begins by covering the heyday of Boeing, which emphasized safety, excellence and ingenui-
ty over all else for several decades. “Those three virtues were seen as the key to profit,” Kennedy said in the film. “It could work, and beautifully. And then they were taken over by a group that decided Wall Street was the end-all, be-all. There needs to be a balance in play, so you have to elect representatives that hold the companies responsible for the public interest, rather than just lining their own pocketbooks.” The turning point in Boeing’s history, as Kennedy alluded to, was when the company merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, with Boeing named as the surviving company after a $13 billion stock swap. In what was described as a “clash of corporate cultures,” Boeing’s engineers and McDonnell Douglas’s beancounters went head-to-head. The result was a move away from Boeing’s expensive, ground-breaking engineering toward what some critics called a more cutthroat culture devoted to keeping costs down and foregoing innovation for the cheaper option to update older models. “The fatal fault line was the McDonnell Douglas takeover,” wrote Clive Irving, author of Jumbo: The Making of the Boeing 747. “Although Boeing was supposed to take over McDonnell Douglas, it ended up the other way around.” Pressured by the increased rev-
enue of rival aircraft manufacturer Airbus, Boeing was fresh out of the merger when the company began to emphasize profits over safety. Instead of revamping the workhorse of the fleet — the 737 — Boeing added more fuel-efficient engines to the existing airframe, which also helped cut costs because pilots would not have to be trained on the newly upgraded airplane. Because the engines were larger than the previous 737 model, Boeing had to tack on a new system called the “Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, “or MCAS, which tilted the nose of the aircraft down to help prevent stalls when climbing at a certain angle. It was essentially a software fix for a hardware problem, but the MCAS system often relied on single sensors, which if they were malfunctioning, could send the aircraft into a dive. Through their investigation, the documentary filmmakers cited minutes from meetings with Boeing, in which company leaders discussed externally referring to the new system as an upgrade to
Downfall documentary shows the deception and greed behind Boeing’s 737 Max disaster
the speed trim system. Internally, however, the company referred to it as MCAS. This was mainly to save Boeing money from having to train pilots in the new system. As a result, when a sensor malfunctioned, a pilot had a mere 10 seconds to figure out how to save the plane from the dive, by turning off a system they didn’t know was even on the airplane. If they couldn’t figure it out by then, the plane would enter an uncontrollable dive, as the two planes did in 2019, killing everyone on board. Downfall is a sad story about how the insatiable greed of corporations leads to the death of trusting
Crash victims’ family members gather to spread awareness for Boeing’s faulty 737 Max aircraft. Screenshot from Downfall. airline passengers. Though the issue has since been fixed and 737 Max planes brought back into service, Boeing’s reputation — along with their precious stock price — has tanked after this fiasco. The company has spent more than $10 billion as a result of the 737 Max fiasco and it’s anyone’s guess how long it will take for the company to rise to the level of excellence by which it was once defined. Stream it on Netflix, but be advised that it might make you a little more nervous when boarding your next flight.
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COMMUNITY
Living and growing
Home and Garden Show happening at the fairgrounds this weekend
By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff When Emily Neff, owner of Baldy Mountain Media and publisher of Lake Pend Oreille Neighbors Magazine, began to take note of all the new faces and businesses popping up around North Idaho over the past year, she saw an opportunity for connection. “I’ve always loved connecting people. Ever since I was little … That’s one of the reasons why I actually got into magazine publishing, because I’ve always loved connecting people,” she said. “It’s just fun — it’s fun helping people in that way and I’m pretty good at it.” That spirit of connection will be alive and well at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3
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One of the many vendor booths at the Bonner County Home and Garden Show, planned for this weekend at the fairgrounds. Courtesy photo. as Baldy Mountain Media hosts the Home and Garden Show, showcasing businesses and nonprofits dedicated to anything and everything home-improvement or cultivation related. While other organizations have previously hosted the local Home and Garden Show, the event hasn’t happened in recent years. Neff, who has also hosted a local Health and Wellness Fair, is taking over in 2022. “I just knew we needed it,” she said. The Home and Garden Show will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Featured booths will include businesses and other organizations specializing in shades and blinds, solar energy, gutters, tree service, furniture, fire prevention, gun safety and much more. “It will definitely be different from years past because we’ve got a lot of new businesses,” Neff said. The event will also feature family-friendly activities, raffles and prizes, food from Local 41 Farm and educational presentations. For a schedule, visit the webpage baldymountain.media. There will be a suggested donation of $1 at the door, which will benefit the Bonner Community Food Bank. Alternatively, Home and Garden Show attendees are welcome to bring a nonperishable food item. To learn more about the Home and Garden Show, as well as Baldy Mountain Media, head to baldymountain.media. Those with questions can reach Neff at emily@ baldymountain.media.
MUSIC
This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
Generations of ’50s
Lost in the ’50s will light up Sandpoint, after a two-year hiatus, on May 20-21
By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff When the coronavirus pandemic waylaid every event in the spring of 2020, Carolyn Gleason assured the people of North Idaho that there would be a 35th Lost in the ’50s. Again, in 2021, with the continued closure of the U.S.-Canada border and many people’s unwillingness to travel threatening to hamper turnout, Gleason once again deferred Lost in the ‘50s. However, one thing was clear: she wasn’t finished with the event. “[W]e will live to see another ’50s,” Gleason told the Reader in 2020 — and she was right. The 2022 Lost in the ’50s will take place Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21. The traditional downtown parade and street dance will happen on Friday evening, with the car show scheduled for Saturday. As for the iconic live music of Lost in the ’50s, the Bonner County Fairgrounds will be rocking on both Friday and Saturday nights. Friday, May 20 will bring singer and actress Darlene Love to the fairgrounds stage — a figure who Gleason sees as integral to the entertainment of the ’50s and ’60s. Though her career spans decades, Love is best known as part of the Blossoms and occasional lead vocalist for the Crystals, recording with producer Phil Spector in the early ’60s. Having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, Love worked with
the likes of Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick and the Beach Boys over the years. “This woman is rock ’n’ roll,” Gleason said. In her acting career, Love performed on Broadway and held the role of Roger Murtaugh’s wife, Trish, in the Lethal Weapon film series of the ’80s and ’90s. As for Saturday, May 21 at the fairgrounds, The Righteous Brothers will take up the mic, featuring original member Bill Medley. Gleason recalls the last time Medley came to Lost in the ’50s, about four years ago, as a particularly special performance. “Sandpoint has got something that no one else has,” Gleason said, “and I don’t know what it is.” Both nights of live music will feature mainstay Lost in the ’50s performers Rocky and the Rollers. Gleason said the East Coast rockers are “over the top,” have been selling out large shows as of late and have “backed up every artist”
she can “possibly name.” “For them, it’s like coming home,” she said. “They’ve been doing it for so long that they’re just part of the family. This is their family.” “Family” is an indisputable theme of Lost in the ’50s, with Gleason serving as the hard-working matriarch. Just as the event will live to see year 35, Gleason will see the fruits of her labor light up Sandpoint once more. The wheels for 2022’s festivities are already in motion, as Second Avenue Pizza — Gleason’s business — hosted the annual Lost in the ’50s breakfast fundraiser on March 27. “It was the best breakfast we’ve ever had, emotionally, and went over better than it’s ever gone,” Gleason said, noting that people came from as far afield as Rathdrum, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene to support the fundraiser. Gleason also noted support from downtown business people present at the breakfast, which meant a lot to her after years of
Photo by Ben Olson. working to ensure that many Lost in the ’50s events remained in downtown Sandpoint. Gleason said that she feels compelled to continue Lost in the ’50s so that local kids can recognize the generations before them, and maybe their own years of being dressed up in poodle skirts might lead to a love for the iconic Sandpoint weekend. “They grow up and they go, ‘I love this event. This is the best,’” she said. “That, to me, has been worthwhile.” To keep up-to-date on all things Lost in the ’50s, head to facebook.com/lost50s. Tickets for the weekend’s live music go on sale Friday, April 1 and can be purchased at Second Avenue Pizza or over the phone at 208263-9321 or 208-265-5678. If no one answers, be sure to leave a message, and someone with Lost in the ‘50s will get back to you.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Meredith Lane Band, Eichardt’s Pub, April 1
Tim G, Idaho Pour Authority, April 6
Fresh from performing at Treefort Music Fest in downtown Boise, Moscow-based singer-songwriter Meredith Lane and her band will fill Eichardt’s with her outstanding infusion of pop-rock, R&B and bluegrass. Formerly of Enterprise, Ore. — where she released her first album at age 17 — Idahoans should be grateful that she hopped states. Her second album, Commissioned Love Songs,
Hailing from Colorado and based in Spokane, singer-songwriter Tim G is no stranger to stages across the country, having plied his trade as a provider of both original music and classic covers for the past two decades. Tim G’s repertoire takes in a multitude of genres and time periods, running the gamut from the Grateful Dead to Jason Mraz, as well as catchy originals like “I Think I’ll go to Idaho.” No matter
released in 2021, is a polished, hook-rich and utterly original effort that feels light years more sure-footed than any sophomore album should. Don’t miss this one, or you’ll soon be planning a trip to Moscow. — Zach Hagadone 7 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com. Listen on Spotify or soundcloud.com/meredith-brann.
what, he brings his easy-going style and friendly stage presence to every performance. When Tim G thinks about going to Idaho, think about going wherever he’s playing. — Zach Hagadone 6-8 p.m., FREE, 21+. Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar St., 208-597-7096, idahopourauthority.com. Listen at timgmusic.com.
READ
I have most certainly recommended Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing in this column before, but this instance serves as a warning: read the book now, before the movie comes out in July and you’re tempted to be a movie-before-the-book person. Because let’s be honest — no one ever reads the book after seeing the movie. The trailer just dropped for the WTCS film (featuring an original Taylor Swift song), and it looks like it will be amazing. As good as the book? There is only one way to know.
LISTEN
In my life, winter marks a major rut for finding new music. I fall into old habits, and old playlists. Somehow, the sun recharges my capacity of sifting through new artists and releases so, this week, I offer a smattering of discoveries worth sampling: “Little Sleep” by Joe Kaplow, “Wild Child” by The Black Keys, “The Bottom of It” by Fruit Bats, “Motel 6” by River Whyless, “Keeping Time” by Sam Lynch and “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” by Father John Misty.
WATCH
Sometimes the only cure for an anxious mind is a nature documentary. I recently discovered Animal, a Netflix original featuring narration from stars like Rashida Jones, Rebel Wilson, Anthony Mackie and Bryan Cranston. Each episode of the two seasons released so far highlights a different category of animal, such as apes, dolphins or birds of prey. The episode about big cats was interesting, but the one about bears has my heart. Find Animal on Netflix. March 31, 2022 /
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BACK OF THE BOOK
Confessions of a journalist who is terrified to spell your name wrong From Pend Oreille Review, March 31, 1922
STOCKHOLM RAID NETS 48 QUARTS Chris Peterson, proprietor of the Stockholm soft drink parlor, and his nephew, Archie Peterson, were arrested by Deputy Sheriff’s Kuchenbecker and Decker as the result of a raid at the Stockholm yesterday morning, when 48 quart bottles of white moonshine liquor were confiscated. They were arraigned before Probate Judge Martin at 1 o’clock yesterday afternoon on separate charges of having intoxicating liquor in their possession, entered pleas of not guilty, waived preliminary hearing and were bound over to the district court. Bond was fixed at $500 each. The raid took place shortly after 9 o’clock. Deputy Kuchenbecker secured a search warrant for the Stockholm at 8 o’clock but found the place locked up and no one about the premises. He dropped in at a store on the opposite side of the street and shortly after 9 o’clock he saw Archie Peterson unlock the door and go in. He immediately crossed to the Stockholm but found the door locked. He went to the door of the garage, a few paces away, and tried that. This was also locked, but Archie was in the room, he states, where several cords of rickwood were piled behind a counter. Archie raised his head above the counter and the deputy motioned him to come forward and open the door. Instead, Archie went out through a back door and a chase ensued. The deputy witnessed Archie throw a case of bottles into the creek. He arrested Archie and retrieved eight full quarts from the snow. 22 /
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By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff
On a Wednesday evening, walking away from the office after sending another issue of the Reader, my heart pounds. Despite nearly five years of this weekly rhythm — plan the layout, schedule phone calls, do interviews, transcribe audio, write stories, edit, design, edit again and print — I feel paralyzed with fear. Sometimes this fear lasts the entire way home. Sometimes I can diffuse it with a good playlist or a call to my husband. Sometimes, I wake up at 1 a.m. convinced that I misquoted an elected official, misprinted an event date or (worst of all) spelled someone’s name wrong. This is hard to admit, but in the world of reporting, this fear is commonplace — even considered “part of the job.” In the years before I abandoned Twitter, I’d discuss coping mechanisms with journalism professionals all over the country. Some of that advice: watch a good TV show, meditate, make plans to go out on the town after deadline or call your mom. I’ve adopted my own coping mechanisms over the years: yoga, podcasts and beer, to name a few. Oftentimes, the only solace is that my job is not necessarily life or death. Sick, right? I talk myself into accepting any hypothetical mistakes I made by being thankful that I’m not a surgeon, fire-
STR8TS Solution
fighter or cop. This is partly because of my anxious, perfectionist tendencies. I knew this about myself before I entered the field of journalism. However, I think the looming fear of printed errors exists because people expect perfection. In all honesty, I think they should — to a point. I wouldn’t accept errors from a contractor building me a home or a hairdresser coloring my hair. However, corrections in those cases are often possible. Once 4,000-plus copies of an error are printed and distributed around town, that’s it. We can all agree that retroactive online story edits aren’t going to fix the damage already done. I think the difference between expectations of perfection in journalism compared to other professions is how people react to errors. A mistake printed in 10-point ink is, ironically, often made out to be gigantic. What’s more, when a reporter makes a mistake, it is used to discredit everything else they’ve ever written or intend to write. This is why I read and re-read my work. I review edits and apply more. I triple check dates and names and re-listen to audio to ensure quotes are precise. This is tiring work, but worth it. I take pride in my accurate and clean work. Still, my stomach feels like it’s migrating into my chest whenever we send the final product to the printer. I share this not for pity, but may-
be for some grace. At the Reader, we wield tens of thousands of words each week, and have only three sets of eyes looking over them all. To his credit, Zach does most of this painstaking work. Despite our best efforts, mistakes slip through. For every kind correction we receive from a reader, there are far more rude people, ready to let us know how sloppy and unprofessional we are. Must be nice to be perfect, eh? My skin gets thicker each week, but those 1 a.m. panics still happen. Just know I’m triple checking your name spelling — in my notes, on the audio and definitely by Google searching you. Thanks for reading.
Crossword Solution
Sudoku Solution I remember how my great-uncle Jerry would sit on the porch and whittle all day long. Once he whittled me a toy boat out of a larger toy boat I had. It was almost as good as the first one, except now it had bumpy whittle marks all over it. And no paint, because he had whittled the paint off.
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
rufescent
Woorf tdhe Week
By Bill Borders
/roo-FES-uhnt/
[adjective] 1. somewhat reddish; tinged with red; rufous.
“He looked over at the rufescent river and wondered how the fish could see anything in all that muddy water.”
Corrections: No corrections to note this week, folks. Thanks for playing.
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Laughing Matter
CROSSWORD ACROSS
1. Wood strips 6. Territory 10. Snakes 14. Sea 15. Double-reed woodwind 16. Minute opening 17. Divvy up 18. Gait faster than a walk 19. Farm equipment 20. Full of twists and turns 22. Roof overhang 23. Marsh plant 24. Be afraid 26. Parsley or sage 30. Unit of energy 31. Driveway surface 32. Aroma 33. Perished 35. Audio communication device 39. Illness 41. After sunset 43. Rob 44. Rational 46. Walking stick 47. Youngster 49. Prohibit 50. Otherwise 51. He shoots arrows 54. At the peak of 56. Welt 57. Bring light to 63. Anagram of “Care” 64. Impoverished 65. Devotee
Solution on page 22 66. Carpets 67. Individual 68. Drama set to classical music 69. Anagram of “Rose” 70. Anagram of “Seek” 71. Sea swallows
7. Shorten 8. Midday 9. Hate 10. Beauty 11. A type of renewable energy 12. Put to the test 13. Stitched 21. Requires DOWN 25. Worry 1. Euphemism 26. Brick boxes for death 27. Rewrite 2. Dull pain 28. Thorny flower 3. Rip 29. Out of breath 4. Stringed instrument 34. Modifies stuff 5. Contemptuous look 36. Found on 6. Games of chance rotary phones
37. Hotels 38. Curved molding 40. Balm ingredient 42. Snake poison 45. Large edible marine gastropod 48. Not just double 51. Mindful 52. Happen again 53. Freight 55. Plane driver 58. Glance 59. No 60. Affirm 61. Anagram of “Rent” 62. Ages
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