Reader_May12_2022

2 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

15

The number of minutes it took me to vote early at the Bonner County Elections office this week — including the time it took to re-register under my new name. It was quick, easy and enjoyable, as voting should be. Early voting for the upcoming primary is available 9 a.m.5 p.m. each weekday until Friday, May 13. If you don’t make it to vote early but still need to register to vote, you can on Election Day at your polling place.

quotable

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

— A Rumi quote I sent to my little sister, who just underwent knee surgery and could use some good thoughts from the community.

is a hot dog a sandwich?

Tuesday, May 17 is primary election day. If you haven’t already voted early or by mail, this is the day to cast your ballots. Polling places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and you can look at the last month of Readers to see candidate questionnaires as well as reporting from two candidates’ forums. Sandpointonline.com also has a comprehensive rundown of information available on their Election Central page.

Also, visit krfy.org to listen to audio from recent forums with candidates.

It’s important that everyone cast their ballots in this election. I’ve always said that the more participation we have in an election, the closer it is to being a true representation of our community. If you’ve never voted, or think your vote doesn’t count, it does. I’ve seen races on the local level in recent years that have come down to just a few votes. Your vote counts and your voice counts. Use them both. Finally, the day after the election, let’s all agree to take a break from politics for a few months.

– 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 Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Schweitzer, Susan Saling, Steve and Elissa Rookey, Kevin Monahan, Michael Haus, Susan Bates-Harbuck, Tricia Florence Andrea Berliner, Anthony Pidgeon, Sarah Polmounter Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Kelcie Mosely-Morris, Emily Erickson, Justin Henney, Sandy Compton Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $155 per year

A college acquaintance once posed this question and I am still undecided.

you didn’t need to know this about kangaroo birth

A baby kangaroo — or joey — only gestates for about a month before being born the size of a jelly bean and crawling through its mother’s fur and into her pouch.

There, it stays put and suckles for up to six months before going out into the world. Now you know.

inform yourself (not a political concept)

As a journalist, I take great pride in maintaining a non-partisan professional persona. I love being able to give facts to my readers, and let them draw their own conclusions. Voting, and knowing who you’re voting for, is a great privilege. Some candidates depend upon you being uninformed, or worse, misinformed. Don’t let the candidate who depends on your ignorance win.

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

Don’t forget to vote May 17.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 3

NEWS

Schweitzer announces Phase 1 of worker housing project 84-unit development is a ‘huge win’ for employees, potential boon for Ponderay

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff When Schweitzer announced its Hemlock House employee housing project in Sandpoint last December, mountain officials hinted that there were “bigger projects” in the works. That turns out to have been an understatement, as Schweitzer unveiled plans for another workforce housing development on May 3, consisting of an 84-unit apartment complex in Ponderay that could provide a mix of seasonal and year-round accommodations for upwards of 200 of its employees.

And that’s just the first phase.

The second phase will include even more housing — whether apartments or a mix of townhomes and apartments — additional open space and recreational areas, workout facilities and full-service daycare for employees’ children.

“I think it’s great that we have some of these larger employers looking at this model,” Ponderay Mayor Steve Geiger told the Reader.

Schweitzer Human Resources Director Scot Auld said the plan has been coming together for more than a year, as the housing affordability crunch has only gotten more dire.

“It was becoming a serious obstacle for our employees and even just our business operations,” he said. “We even lost managers over it as the housing boom started to drive people out.”

The Hemlock House project was a first step, Auld said, providing temporary housing for as many as 16 employees. That facility was full all winter long and “a great success, albeit small.”

“It was a great pilot project for us and to have the confidence that, yes, this is something we can do and need to do more of,” he added.

The Ponderay development took shape when developer Eastmark Capital approached Schweitzer about pursuing some projects on the mountain itself. Over the course of several conversations, the developer and Schweitzer officials came to the conclusion that partnering on workforce housing would bene4 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

fit both parties. When Eastmark Capital told Schweitzer that it had an opportunity to make an offer on three parcels of undeveloped land covering three acres west of the intersection of Triangle Drive and Schweitzer Plaza Drive, it all came together.

“The seller also understood what we wanted to do and were very, very supportive as well,” Auld said. “They believed in what we wanted to do. It made the process that much smoother.”

According to Auld, the partners closed on the land last week and have lined up a contractor, with architectural renderings and plans going through the bid process. The Ponderay Planning and Zoning Department told the Reader that the project has already been awarded its special use permit and site plan approval, with the next step being the building permit, which should take a couple of weeks.

Auld said once the paperwork is in order and the site dries out, “we’re hoping to hit the ground running.”

The overall project is estimated at $22 million and completion of both phases is anticipated in at least 12 months. Employees may be taking up residence as early as summer 2023.

“Being able to offer our dedicated staff and their families a place to call home is a huge win for them and for us,” Schweitzer President and CEO Tom Chasse stated in a May 3 news release.

“Our managers and frontline staff are the people who make Schweitzer, Schweitzer and being able to help them continue living in the heart of our community is extremely important to all of us.”

The apartments in Phase 1 will feature a mix of nine one-bedroom, 63 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units, ranging in size from 600 to 1,100 square feet. Auld said that the plan is also to build in gear storage, provide walkways and green spaces, as well as emphasize pet-friendliness.

“Knowing our staff, ski people are dog people, so our goal is to make as many of these units pet friendly as possible,” he said.

Moving into Phase 2, one of the high priorities for the develop-

Photo courtesy Schweitzer. ment is the inclusion of a full-service on-site daycare center — a critical need for employees not only at Schweitzer, but throughout the community.

“When we really looked at the staffing challenges that we’ve been having over the past several years and did our research, two of the biggest obstacles for people coming to work for us are affordable housing and affordable child care,” Auld said. “Anybody with kids in the community understands the challenges of not just finding affordable child care but any child care in Sandpoint.”

As Auld explained, that expense or lack of availability — or both — functions to hinder employees from being able to work certain days or hours, or even work at all.

“It’s really keeping a lot of parents on the sidelines from joining the workforce,” he said, later adding, “Finding people who are able to work 40-plus hours a week is a challenge right now, so the goal here is to help people work more days and really be more full-time summer, winter and year round.”

While providing a much-needed on-ramp to affordable housing for Schweitzer employees — of which there are about 100 yearround and 750 during the winter peak season — the development is also expected to have a big impact

on Ponderay itself.

Noting that the property is located immediately south of Walmart and north of Laughing Dog Brewing, as well as within walking distance of Yoke’s grocery store and Bonner Mall area retailers, Geiger said that, “As far as Ponderay is concerned I think it’s a great fit — right in the middle of all that shopping and easy access to Schweitzer, so it only makes sense.”

An influx of 200 or more new centrally located residents in the near-term — and potentially double that in the long-term — will almost certainly drive demand for amenities and redevelopment surrounding the project.

Geiger said that while Ponderay doesn’t have a downtown core, in the traditional sense, ongoing growth may well spur one to develop.

“That one project there, if it were to bring on 300 people that would be 25% of the population right there,” he said. “There’s so much opportunity out there right now.”

Schweitzer’s project isn’t the only signal of longer-term growth in Ponderay, as Geiger said the city issued more than 110 building permits last year and there are 450 housing units currently going through the process.

“We’ve never done that

before,” he said. “Our town will practically double its population within three or four years once these things are all built.”

That would be a boon to the city, which with its population of 1,200 residents is also the workplace for 3,500 employees providing the basis for a $400 million-plus economy that contributes $24 million per year in taxes to Boise. However, because the revenue sharing model is based on population, Ponderay only receives back $125,000 per year.

All of that makes Schweitzer’s timing particularly important, said Geiger, who as a mayor has worked on issues of employee housing and as a business owner has struggled to find and retain workers. He said what Schweitzer and Eastmark Capital are doing in Ponderay is exactly what more employers need to be doing throughout the area, but they need to act fast to get ahead of the growth curve.

“Can you imagine the cost of living here in 20 to 30 years? This is what companies are going to have to do just to survive,” he said, later adding, “It’s going to be unattainable in another decade for some of these companies to do these things because of the cost. … And we’re going to be in serious trouble if we don’t do something.”

Auld agreed that time is of the essence — not only to serve the immediate needs of employees who are strapped by everything from sky-high rents to the cost of commuting long distances, but to help ensure some future stability for Schweitzer and its workers.

“We feel really confident in this. With the trend we’ve seen in the housing affordability or lack thereof in our area over the past couple of years, we may see some fluctuations or plateaus in pricing or availability over time, but I don’t anticipate us seeing a big reversal in the housing market,” he said.

“It’s going to continue to make it difficult for working families to access affordable housing here, and I’m proud that Schweitzer has the ability and the willingness to take this big step that’s going to really benefit our employees.”

NEWS

BoCo Zoning Commission sees new appointment

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff Bonner County commissioners unanimously approved the appointment of Kristina Kingsland to the county’s Zoning Commission on May 10, making her the fifth and final member of the newly formed board after the BOCC voted in January to split the former Bonner County Planning and Zoning Commission into two separate entities.

With the former joint commission officially dissolved on March 30, commissioners appointed five members to the Zoning Commission and seven members to the Planning Commission on March 29. In the time since, one member of the Zoning Commission — Sheryl Reeve — resigned.

On May 10, Planning Director Milton Ollerton presented a resolution to appoint Kingsland, a Selle Valley resident, to the vacant position.

“Bonner County is my home and I am passionate about preserving the things we love about it,” Kingsland told the Reader following her appointment.

“I want to be a part of a planning and zoning process that considers the needs of the community, the limitations of our resources and realities of our budget to make decisions that set us up for success in the years to come.”

Kingsland said she first applied to be a part of the commissions when the county solicited letters of interest, but wasn’t chosen for either board. She applied again when Reeve vacated her seat.

Kingsland, who has lived in Bonner County since 1976, has been “a very vocal critic of the recent rezoning of 700 acres in my neighborhood,” she said, referring to the application by Pack River Partners, LLC to upzone 700 acres off Colburn Culver Road from the previously allowed 20-acre minimum to 10-acre parcel minimums.

Reclaim Idaho submits signatures for education ballot initiative

By Reader Staff Members of grassroots political organization Reclaim Idaho are confident that their Quality Education Act initiative will make it onto the November ballot after submitting nearly 97,000 signatures from voters statewide.

In order to qualify the initiative — which would generate more than $300 million in additional funding for education and public schools — for the November ballot, Reclaim Idaho needed to collect signatures from 6% of overall registered voters and 6% of registered voters in at least 18 legislative districts across the state.

According to the Idaho Capital Sun, “organizers set a higher goal than the minimum numbers necessary to qualify because they know that up to 25% or 30% of signatures could be rejected because the

person who signed is not a registered voter, didn’t write down their correct address or signed illegibly.”

“This would be the largest investment in public schools that we’ve seen in a generation, without a penny of new taxes for anyone making less than $250,000 a year,” Reclaim Idaho posted to its Facebook page May 2, announcing that the final batch of signatures had been submitted.

“Together, we’ve proven once again that with the right strategy and with enough determination, we can achieve big things,” the post continued.

County clerks have 60 days to verify the signatures, which will then need to be processed again through the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. If enough signatures from enough districts are verified, the initiative will be assured to appear before Idaho voters in November.

“I am glad the commissioners chose to appoint me despite the fact that I have disagreed with them,” Kingsland said.

“I asked for an opportunity to serve my community and I will give it my best effort.”

Part of the impetus for separating the two commissions, according to county officials, was to ensure more time could be given to the much-needed update of the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan.

Under the new system, the Planning Commission will work on the Comp Plan and issue recommendations on associated text and map amendments, as well as county-initiated zone changes. The Zoning Commission will give recommendations on 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.

To stay up on the latest Bonner County Planning applications and other project

Ponderay schedules public meeting on lakeshore connection project

By Reader Staff The city of Ponderay is encouraging residents to participate in their first opportunity to shape the future of access to Lake Pend Oreille during a meeting scheduled for 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, May 17, at the Ponderay Elks Lodge.

The meeting’s purpose is to introduce the project to the public, answer questions and collect input and feedback before moving forward with preliminary design options for an underpass that would connect Ponderay’s commercial and residential areas to the lakeshore and the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail.

The meeting will be in an open-house style format, so residents can drop by anytime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to learn about the project. On hand to discuss the options will be city of Ponderay officials and the staff of Welch Comer

Engineers, the design and engineering consultant hired to develop the final design and engineering documents needed to finance and build the underpass.

The Lakeshore Connection Project is also part of the larger Front Yard Project, which includes the pending Brownfields cleanup of the Black Rock area.

Anyone who is interested in learning about the Lakeshore Connection Project and who cannot attend the May 17 meeting will be able to view materials and a recorded video on the city’s website after the meeting: cityofponderay.org.

Kristina Kingsland. Courtesy photo. files, visit bonnercountyid.gov/departments/planning/current-projects.

Multiple ways to get primary night results

By Reader Staff Want to get Tuesday’s primary election results as they’re released that night?

Sandpoint Online will be posting election returns via its Facebook page as they are released Tuesday, May 17.

Expect the first returns after polls close at 8 p.m., though final results from the Bonner County Elections Office won’t likely be posted until 11 p.m. or later.

Community radio 88.5 KRFY will be reporting results over the air on election night as well. Then, the following morning, KRFY’s “Morning Show” will report election results along with analysis from Sandpoint Reader Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and News Editor Lyndsie Kiebert.

Tune in at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 for that breakdown of the election.

Voters don’t have to wait

until Tuesday to cast their ballots. Early voting is open until 5 p.m. Friday, May 13, at the Bonner County Elections Office, 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint. Voting on Election Day will be at your precinct’s polling place.

Not sure where that is?

Sandpoint Online provides an online voter’s guide with links to determine your polling place, sample ballots and information on local and state races, including links to the Reader questionnaires with all the local candidates. For more info visit bit.ly/sandpointelections.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 5

NEWS

Judge to issue written opinion in public records lawsuit against Idaho Rep. Giddings

Boise attorney Wendy Olson argues in favor of her client, Erika Birch, at a hearing in a public records dispute against Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird. (Screenshot)

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris Idaho Capital Sun Fourth District Judge Peter Barton will issue a written ruling in the public records dispute against Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, following a hearing on May 10.

Giddings, who is running for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary on Tuesday, May 17, is the subject of a civil complaint filed by Erika Birch, a Boise attorney who represented the legislative intern who accused former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger of rape in March 2021. A jury convicted von Ehlinger of the rape charge in April.

The hearing took place online, with Deputy Attorney General W. Scott Zanzig arguing for Giddings and Boise attorney Wendy Olson representing Birch.

Birch’s complaint states she sent a public records request to Giddings on Aug. 19, 2021, for any written or electronic communications between Giddings and von Ehlinger that were related to her client, who is referred to as Jane Doe to protect her identity. Birch’s request encompassed the ethics committee complaint and hearing involving von Ehlinger in March, as well as the ethics complaint and hearing for Giddings in August. Her request also included communications between Giddings and David Leroy, an attorney who briefly represented von Ehlinger during the ethics investigation.

Giddings argued in a response brief that she had no records responsive to Birch’s request, and said she deleted two emails from 6 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

Leroy prior to receiving the request.

Olson argued Giddings’ response to the first request did not comply with the Idaho Public Records Act, and subsequent attempts to reach Giddings went unanswered.

Based on Giddings’ response, it was unclear if her search for records extended beyond her legislative email account, as it should according to Idaho Code.

Olson said Birch didn’t know the emails from Leroy were deleted until that document was filed in court.

“A requester should not have to bring a lawsuit to find out if responsive records exist or were destroyed,” Olson said.

Zanzig said Birch brought the case out of a sense of mistrust of Giddings, and that while Giddings’ communication with Birch was “inartful,” her response was not frivolous or in bad faith. Zanzig said Giddings could not produce records that don’t exist, and asked the judge to dismiss the complaint.

Olson asked the court to rule in favor of Birch and to require Giddings pay attorney fees and a civil penalty.

Barton did not give a time frame for when he would issue an opinion.

This story was produced by the Idaho Capital Sun, a Boise-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.

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: A 2021 survey by payroll services ADP says workers are averaging nine unpaid overtime hours a week, equal to $17,726 annually at a full-time median wage.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics April jobs report: 428,000 jobs were added and close to 95% of jobs lost during lockdown 2020 were regained. Wages were up 5.5%, but that was offset by price increases. How to address higher prices?

Former Labor Secretary and columnist Robert Reich suggests a combo of price controls, corporate windfall profits taxes and “vigorous antitrust enforcement.”

Top anti-abortion groups are planning a national strategy that includes a strict nationwide ban, The Washington Post reported. Currently, Republican anti-abortion lawmakers are considering abortion bans at six weeks and 15 weeks.

Of Republican presidential contenders interviewed by anti-abortionists, so far only one says he wants it left to the states to decide abortion laws individually.

Critics have been fine-combing the 98page draft opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, which suggests undoing close to 50 years of abortion rights.

Alito’s arguments include saying that until the 1973 ruling, banning abortion was the American way, indicating that’s reason it should remain so. He frequently cited 17th-century English jurist Sir Matthew Hale, who executed women for witchcraft, defended marital rape and advocated the death penalty for children as young as 14. Alito’s draft opinion says abortion should be decided by the states and the political leaders their voters elect; but, as The Post pointed out, the Supreme Court has been backing voter suppression laws around the country.

Another fault found in Alito’s draft regards the “fetal heartbeat.” At six weeks gestation there is not a heart, rather, there are two tubes with some heart cells that can vibrate. Another of Alito’s draft arguments is that pregnancy and motherhood are not as difficult as they used to be — yet, the U.S. remains one of the few countries without national paid family leave and only 10 states mandate paid family leave (which would be a moot point for pregnant girls not old enough to hold a job).

Meanwhile, as multiple media outlets have noted, Alito’s line of argument about

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

tradition opens the door for attacks on other constitutional rights, such as the right to use birth control and outlawing interracial marriage. One stated governor has already said he wants to challenge the right to public education for all. And those efforts have already begun. A Washington Post columnist called for clarity, saying this is not a case of “culture wars,” it is “religious tyranny.”

Response to the leaked Alito anti-abortion draft led to erecting a protective fence around the Supreme Court, plus a concrete barricade. Historian and columnist Heather C. Richardson pointed out that in 2014 the Supreme Court struck down a 35-foot buffer zone around Massachusetts abortion clinics, explaining that the zones infringed on the First Amendment rights to protest.

Finally, since the justices had all previously said under oath that they regarded abortion rights as settled law, it is now suggested that hearings be held on whether the justices lied in their confirmation hearings.

Ukraine-Russia headlines: “Intercepted call: Russian admits that he enjoys torturing Ukrainians”; “Five towns liberated in Kharkiv region”; “Sixty feared dead in Ukraine school bombed by Russia”; “Putin’s inner circle fears threat of nuclear weapons use is real”; “Russian TV, online platforms hacked with anti-war message on Victory Day”; and, “Russians can’t make more tanks.”

Blast from the past: The majority of current U.S. Supreme Court justices were appointed by presidents who initially lost the popular vote. Columnists point out that they’re not a reflection of the majority of Americans who favor Roe vs. Wade.

One of the interesting points made about abortion rights last week came from Zero Hour’s Richard Eskow, who recalled that during Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation process, he was asked if he could think of any laws giving the government the power to make decisions about the male body. Kavanaugh said no, but Eskow said the Selective Service law allows using men’s bodies as “instruments of war.” The similarities, according to Eskow: Another’s control of your body can kill you, whether it’s serving unwillingly at war or seeking a dangerous illegal abortion procedure. As well, escaping the draft when it was active was easier to avoid if you were rich or middle class; a person seeking an abortion, with enough money, can go elsewhere if it’s outlawed.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Semantics

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

The leaked draft opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and published by Politico expressed the court’s potential decision to overturn the landmark rulings that established and for decades have defended abortion as a fundamental liberty protected by the 14th Amendment to the Consitution.

In the draft opinion, Alito argued that the right to abortion is neither included in the text of the Constitution, nor a fundamental part of the nation’s tradition and history. Therefore, it cannot be considered an inalienable right, and certainly shouldn’t be protected as such.

By overturning these rulings and returning abortion laws to state-level regulation, the freedom of choice would be stripped or greatly reduced for women in many parts of the country — not to mention, leaving the door cracked to call into question other rights similarly established and previously understood as “settled law” (like interracial and same-sex marriage).

Unsurprisingly, the leaked draft opinion opened a floodgate of media coverage and social media attention — with the battle cries of women’s rights activists clashing against the triumphant praise of the Pro-Life movement — and politicians on both sides of the debate riding the tide of their constituents’ passions.

Since the initial flood of coverage has abated, I’ve been stuck ruminating on the semantics of it all. Specifically, I’ve fixated on the term “Pro-Life” and what the

Emily Erickson. movement would look like if it were to be reflective of its name.

A “Pro” or “For” Life campaign would advocate for free access to health care, especially for pregnant mothers and their children — before, during and after birth. According to a study

by Truven Health Analytics, the national average cost of a vaginal delivery without complications is $30,000 and $50,000 for a cesarean section. This cost does not account for prenatal checkups, any problems before or during birth, or any postpartum or newborn care. Some of these costs may be covered by privately held health insurance or subsidized by taxpayers through Medicaid, but the expense of parenthood stakes its claim early on families through insurance deductibles, hidden fees and uncovered costs, all of which diminish the quality of life for those left footing large bills.

This same Living-Oriented health care would also aim to reduce maternal mortality rates, which the U.S. leads among developed countries, according to a 2019 report by The Commonwealth Fund. The report found that the “U.S. is the only [developed] country not to guar-

antee access to provider home visits or paid parental leave [of any length] in the postpartum period,” which are both factors known to reduce post-birth risks and account for a large portion of the maternal death rate.

Another facet of a Life-Positive campaign would ensure high-quality and affordable child care options for anyone in need of them. Child care waitlists are an ever-growing phenomenon in the United States and costs are reflecting that scarcity. A 2021 Cost of Care Survey reported that parents in their sample spent 10% or more of their household income on child care (3% above what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers “affordable”), making parents turn to measures like cutting work hours or changing jobs to pay less in child care costs and, consequently, risking making life more difficult for them and their children.

A Life-Affirming campaign would invest heavily in social programs and educational opportunities for underprivileged families, working toward a future in which every child, of any background, has equal access to a secure and successful life. Food assistance, housing subsidies and working-family tax credits would be expanded and accompanied by inclusive educational and occupational programs, social and emotional support avenues for children and parents, and ample funding for schools in areas with the greatest need.

And lastly (for now, anyway), efforts by a For-Life campaign would seek to reform our criminal justice and foster care systems, dismantling cyclical criminality and generational poverty that disproportionately affect

people of color, transgender and nonbinary people, people with disabilities, people with serious mental illness, and people living in poverty (and their families). It would also seek to ensure every foster child found a safe and secure home; that foster parents and children alike received adequate support and social and financial resources; and that birth parents seeking custody had access to effective avenues for

rehabilitation, employment and housing.

“Pro-Choice” and “Pro-Life” are just names — labels for deeply nuanced and tender sets of beliefs for many people. But, without efforts like these, no stretch of semantics can bridge the gap between “Pro-Birth” and “Pro-Quality of Life” for every person and child. So maybe, a name change is in order.

Retroactive

By BO

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 7

Researching candidates up and down the ballot…

Bouquets: • A very special Bouquet goes out to Dennis Pence, for giving such a generous donation to the Reader. I can attest that we would not be nearly as functional without the support of our readers on a regular basis. We appreciate your donation and your kind words, Dennis. Thank you.

Barbs: • I realize that as a man, my opinion on arbotion can be taken with a grain of salt. The issue has always divided people, so I’m going to try to hold my tongue, but I will say that the U.S. Supreme Court will be making a mistake if they follow through on overturning Roe v. Wade. This has been a vendetta by the religious right for decades and it appears they are finally close to succeeding. The facts are, however, that about six in 10 Americans believe abortion should be a woman’s choice. It took some shifty moves by the Republican Party — namely when then-majority Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to allow a hearing for President Barack Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court because it came 10 months prior to an election, then forgot all about this when Donald Trump was in office (of course) — to achieve this goal. Why must Republicans always change the rules to win? It’s just like when they lost the 2020 election and passed voter suppression bills across the nation (which will set them up to actually steal future elections).

The irony is cringeworthy. Speaking of irony, with such a vocal push for more rights by “liberty-minded” lawmakers, I find it telling that we are now toying with taking rights away from people and these hoopleheads aren’t saying a word about it. I only wish Republicans cared as much about life after a child is born as they do beforehand. Instead, they spend their time and energy on dumb plans like “repealing and replacing” the Affordable Care Act, which failed miserably despite Republicans taking control of the White House and Congress. It failed because of a common problem with the Republican Party — they sell the sizzle, but can’t seem to find the steak. They instill fear in their party members, but fail to provide anyone with answers or policy decisions to improve our lives. My heart hurts for women today. May we someday crawl out of this dark age.

Voting helps.

8 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

Dear editor, In the April 28 edition of the Sandpoint Reader, Bill Litsinger almost got it right [Letters, “For what it’s worth…”]. As Bill stated, he spent some time looking at all the candidates vying for public office. I too have done my research and, as a former business owner and lifelong Bonner County resident, I have witnessed the influx of new residents moving to the Great State of Idaho.

Some of these new residents have decided to run for political office with the intention of making extreme changes in our existing laws. Many of these changes could drastically affect our way of life in a negative way. Several of these individuals haven’t lived in Idaho for more than 10 years.

After reading and listening to what these new residents are promoting I would like you to consider voting for the following candidates in this upcoming primary: Bonner County commissioner District 2 — Jeff Connolly; Bonner County commissioner District 3 — Luke Omodt; Bonner County treasurer — Clorissa Koster; Bonner County assessor — Jessi Webster; Bonner County clerk — Mike Rosedale; Bonner County coroner — Robert Beers; Idaho Senate District 1 — Jim Woodward; Idaho House District 1A — Mark Sauter; Idaho House District 1B — Sage Dixon; governor — Brad Little; lieutenant governor — Scott Bedke; attorney general — Lawrence Wasden; secretary of state — Lawerence Denney; state controller — Brandon Woolf; state treasurer — Julie Ellsworth; superintendent of public instruction — Debbie Critchfield.

Research your candidates and remember to vote!

Jon Hagadone Sagle

An urgent message for the people of Bonner County…

Dear editor, Hello, my name is Pat Gunter. I am a third-generation Idahoan that raised 3 children in this beautiful county and now I am helping my fourth-generation children raise my fifth-generation grandchildren. My family has lived here since 1923 and we continue to choose to live in this area because of the quality of life that a rural way of living provides.

I have an urgent message for the voters of Bonner County. The current county commissioners have continued to ignore the voice of the people in Bonner County. They have taken over five years to incorporate the five Subarea Committee plans to finish the

Comprehensive Plan. To add insult to injury, our commissioners have disbanded the Planning and Zoning Commission, split it into two groups in order to rubber stamp more density increases. This action will swiftly push the density of the county to a crisis level, which will result in massive taxation on the back-end to pay for the infrastructure that will be required.

My greatest concern is that those who have already paid for the current infrastructure will be shouldered with the burden of paying for all the new infrastructure required to handle the high density that our current commissioners are encouraging. This is a recipe for the elderly and working families to subsidize the developers and many of us will be taxed out of our homes.

Because of all this, I urge you to do three things: 1) Contact your County Commissioners and ask them to stop rubber stamping higher densities.

2) Follow land use issues on Keep Bonner County Rural: keepbonnercountyrural.org.

3) Most importantly, help Dave Bowman to get elected in the District 3 commissioner race. He is the only D3 candidate that has promised to stop the high density. Bowmanforcommissioner.org.

Thank you!

Pat Gunter Sagle

Sauter stands above the rest in District 1A House race…

Dear editor, I had the opportunity to attend the Reader’s candidate forum for District 1 Senate and House races on Tuesday, May 3. The race that interests me most is for the open seat for the House of Representatives (Seat A). The candidate that was able to separate himself from the rest was Mark Sauter.

Mark answered crowd-generated questions ranging from labor shortages to federal government overreach to critical race theory with thoughtful and intelligent remarks. Mark was able to provide specific examples of what he plans to do when elected to the position. While describing his policies he was able to boast his conservative values through example rather than bluster. For example, regarding federal government overreach, Mark was the first candidate to discuss how the state may be in a better position to utilize federal lands. Regarding CRT he was the only candidate who was able to accurately speak about it while noting the conversations he had with educators. Finally the most enlightening remark he made was in response to the labor shortage we have in the district. Mark was able to connect the dots between education, housing and employment in a straightforward way.

Mark Sauter will represent District 1, Seat A responsibly, honestly, kindly and intelligently as a traditional conservative Republican. Please vote for Mark Sauter.

Bob Presta Dover

Consider the context surrounding ‘qualified candidates’…

Dear editor, A recent Sandpoint podcast featured an interview with the founder of “North Idaho Voter Services” (NIVS), Diana Dawson. This is one of several groups with opaque titles and innocuous mission statements which have sprouted in the recent past.

NIVS wants to be seen as being in the business of “electing qualified candidates through voter participation and providing voter information.”

Innocuous enough.

To bolster its credibility, NIVS claims to have come up with “concrete information on North Idaho voter preferences.” No further details on that except non-specific wording about surveys, focus groups, polling, demographics, etc. The impression is of a carefully compiled word salad.

More than a hint where this is headed, though, is verbiage on the website implying that anyone not in line with their “research” is “far right” and “extreme.” The veil is finally lifted when you hear Ms. Dawson’s podcast statement on how she wishes voters to behave: “Too many people are choosing candidates in the wrong way. Instead of really looking at their qualifications, they’re more concerned about their ideology or if they will support certain corners of the party.”

Are you ready to live in “The World According to Dawson”? Because she means to implement her pre-determined vision, and she means to do it in her “10-year plan,” as Diana Dawson announced on the podcast.

So, when NIVS shows up to ply you with its slate consisting of its “qualified candidates,” please realize the context given by the founder herself.

Kristen Stycket Ponderay

An urgent message for the people of Bonner County…

Dear editor, My husband Ron and I enthusiastically endorse Sage Dixon for re-election to the Idaho House of Representatives 1B. We have known Rep. Dixon to be a solutions-oriented thinker and a man of integrity for the entire eight years we have known him. Rep. Dixon has worked diligently for District 1 while serving in the Idaho House of Representatives and is the right choice for the May 17 primary. Rep.

Dixon has a proven track record of working with the constituents of District 1 to reduce regulations and pass legislation that protects the rights of parents while benefiting our state.

He has been one of the most effective conservative legislators in the Idaho House. In 2021, he worked with IdaHope Families as he championed and passed House Bill 191 to provide for a delegation of parental powers and a retention of parental rights in Idaho.

Please join with us on May 17 to reelect Sage Dixon to the Idaho House of Representatives 1B. Christina Denova Sandpoint

Dixon: Integrity in action…

Dear editor, I’d like to thank Rep. Sage Dixon for his continual support for the Lake Pend Oreille School District’s Early Learning Center. We have had a dream of creating a smaller, more adaptive playground for our youngest special needs students. After hearing my story about trying to raise funds for this project, Rep. Dixon committed to giving us the proceeds from a walking contest he participates in annually in Boise.

He has purposefully participated and earned the money knowing it would go to this project because he believes in it.

He has shared with me his childhood memories of having a special education teacher for a mother and his fond memories of helping with her volunteer work for the Special Olympics. This project is close to his heart.

We are now ready to break ground on the project that Mr. Dixon contributed the first dollar towards over five years ago. He has raised over $5,000 toward our goal of $20,000 for fencing and play equipment. Thank you from all of us! I personally appreciate his attentiveness to our county and his calm presence. He has approached his leadership responsibilities with courage and integrity. He has remained attentive and approachable, listening and responding to the concerns of our county and beyond. Another thank-you from my family. We will be casting our vote for Sage Dixon on May 17.

Kathy McDonald Sunnyside

Sauter will bring solutions, not ‘sound and fury’…

Dear editor, I encourage everyone voting in the Republican primary May 17 to join me in supporting Mark Sauter for House District 1 Seat A. I had the opportunity to meet and listen to Mark last month during the candidates’ forum in Bonners Ferry, and I was impressed with his thoughtful, practical answers and comments.

Unlike other candidates in the

< see LTE, Page 9 >

< LTE, Con’t from Page 8 >

race who were “full of sound and fury,” but signifying not much of anything else, Mark was no ideologue.

Instead he offered common sense solutions, not reactions to the latest “trigger words.”

So on May 17 please vote for Mark Sauter for District 1 House Seat A. Thank you, Robin Lundgren Bonners Ferry

Had enough of BoCo Republican Central Committee rhetoric…

Dear editor, I am writing with concern about the direction that the Republican Party is taking. I was brought up in a Republican family and my father, Don Samuelson, was elected not only to the Idaho Senate from Bonner County but also as the only governor from North Idaho ever elected.

What is evident from the brochures and election pamphlets is that truth and integrity are missing from many of the brochures. For example, we received the Bonner County Republican Central Committee Voter Guide in the mail. It will serve to help me choose to vote for anyone but those candidates. Their rhetoric follows our past president who spewed lies and division throughout our country. Enough!

I choose to honor the simple truths that I learned from my parents: truth, integrity and honesty.

Bullying and threats of violence have no place in our wonderful USA. So my votes will go to Luke Omodt, Jim Woodward and Jeff Connolly, along with others who do not embrace the politics of what is now called the “Official Bonner County Republican Central Committee.” Vote, people, and help us reclaim the morality of our country and our state.

Donna Samuelson Foth Sagle

who say they are for your values, but aren’t in actuality, vote Todd Engel for state representative 1B on May 17.

Faith Brenneman Sandpoint

Republicans should vote for Republicans, Democrats for Democrats…

Dear editor, Many of my fellow Democrats have encouraged me to register Republican in an effort to select the most reasonable Republicans, the least-smelling Trumpeters, in the primary since Dems are a lost tribe in Idaho, especially North Idaho.

I don’t think I agree with that tactic. I remember my mother’s admonition that bad moves for short-term gains can foul the long-term and deliver unanticipated consequences. In spite of the current foul state of the Republican Party, I’m going with my mother this time.

Call me naive. Changing party affiliation to thwart Trumpeters feels too much like Republicans doing all they can to thwart fair voting altogether. It feels kind of dirty and, on a practical level, it won’t affect much. Let Republicans select Republicans and Democrats select Democrats and do battle on that more honorable front.

As a rider to the above, I have heard and read that the Idaho Republican Party intends to do all they can to virtually wipe out the Democratic Party. That would be a deadly consequence for healthy government.

I remember years ago when former Gov. Batt, a Republican, admonished Democrats to buck up and work harder to win office because the imbalance in the Legislature was dangerous for all. Founding Father and second President John Adams, wrote “unbridled majorities are as tyrannical and cruel as unlimited despots.”

Lawrence Blakey Sandpoint

Sage Dixon on ‘life’...

Candidates ‘completely ignorant’ about critical race theory…

Dear editor, Sage Dixon has shown a mixed bag of stances, when it comes to the issue of being “pro-life.” On the one hand, he has been recorded as voting “yes” on Idaho’s vitally important “heartbeat bill,” which “prohibits abortion procedures once a fetal heartbeat can be detected.” On the other hand, he has most recently voted “no” on a bill which “prohibits abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.” I think every conservative Republican would agree that the proposed overturning of Roe would be a groundbreaking, historic accomplishment for our federal Supreme Court. Why, then, would our local representative have voted against the prohibition of abortion in the state of Idaho? If you are tired of statesmen

Dear editor, Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.

What I heard from the local candidates forum was a sea of ignorance.

Not one candidate could even define the concept and each clearly had not even a basic understanding of these sociological concepts.

To say, “I am against critical race theory” is a completely ignorant statement. It isn’t something one is for or against. It is like saying “ I am against math.” It was very disconcerting to hear such ignorance and it is very disturbing how a party can get

led down a merry path of distraction again… taking the bait again… hook line and sinker.

Cheryl Sauter Sandpoint

Do you really know your candidates?...

Dear editor, After attending the latest forums, I’ve discovered it pays to pay attention. All of the information provided is available for everyone to see; the Farm Bureau, BCRCC, Bill Litsinger and Sandpoint Reader all have recordings.

Let’s start with Mr Harter. He admits he’s been arrested three times.

Go to his website and decide for yourself. At the Sandpoint library BCRCC forum he said he will raise your taxes 3% every year he’s in office. At the Farm Bureau forum in Blanchard he said he wants to give public land away to our children so they can remain in the area. At the Sandpoint Reader forum he admits he filed for bankruptcy on his current out-of-state business.

Mr Harter claims to be a Christian yet at every turn he runs a dirty campaign, IMO, not very Christian.

At a BCRCC meeting, Redoubt News captured a video of Ron Korn, a previous member of Search and Rescue. In the video, the sheriff makes a statement regarding Korn and his involvement with the taking of donated military equipment that was intended for the sheriff’s department, not a private entity. The sheriff has invited concerned citizens to read the documents for themselves, please do.

Furthermore, the video shows an exchange with Korn and Dan Rose regarding Korn not registering his businesses with the secretary of state, to which Korn replies “he’s a handyman” and does not have to register his business.

IMHO, the above candidates are not qualified to run Bonner County.

Please be informed voters, listen to stories straight from the horse’s mouth. Nothing I have said is fabricated, all sources have been cited and available for public knowledge.

If you’re not mad, you’re not paying attention.

Vote Dave Bowman District 3 and Asia Williams District 2.

Sincerely disappointed, Theresa Hiesener Priest River

Herndon vs. Woodward…

Dear editor, Please consider these key differences between Jim Woodward and Scott Herndon when choosing our next senator: Do you want to prevent biological males from competing in girls’ sports?

See Bill H500/2020.

Do you want to prevent illegal

immigrants from having driver’s licenses? See Bill SCR107/2021.

Do you want to stop funding critical race theory in our schools? See Bill S1193/2021.

Do you want parents to have the choice to opt-in to human sexuality instruction for their children? See Bill H249/2021.

Do you want to keep the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches and avoid governor overreach of emergency powers?

See Bill H135/2021.

If you answered yes to the above, vote Herndon. All you need to do is look at Woodward’s voting record to see that he wants the opposite for Idaho.

Jennifer Cramer Sagle

Idaho GOP is misunderstood…

Dear editor, The new folks here seem to assume that Idaho Republicans are a far-right, ultra-conservative group. We are not like the Rust Belt states, nor the Confederacy. Our history is rooted in demographics, which are often at odds politically.

Specifically, union miners and ranchers have very little in common.

Over the years, our GOP has threaded the needle by governing as moderates from the centrist viewpoint. This formula works for us and creates no need for bipolar Democratic and Republican parties. This explains our Republican grip on the electorate for many years.

Frankly, Idaho Democrats could hold their convention in a phone booth. I do not say that disparagingly; it is just a matter of fact. If they could frame themselves as more centrist, victories might come their way.

To the newbies, I say stay the hell out of our politics until you learn what being a real Idahoan is all about. Once you do, you’ll be treated with open arms.

If not, you’ll be viewed as the plague.

To the locals, I say you had better show up at the polls on May 17 and vote like your life depended on it. Even if you’ve never voted, hate politics and politicians… vote! Vote for the folks with deep, generational roots here.

Like never before, our ballots are filled with candidates having minimal residency and extremist views that run contrary to Idaho values. Locals: Get out there and vote!

Gerald B. Higgs Bonners Ferry

Dorman and the ‘3 P’s’…

Dear editor, Grant Dorman is all about the 3 P’s: Respect for Privacy, Property Rights and People!

Grant has always had a passion for Property Rights. He believes “property rights are fundamental to the

pursuit of happiness.” He will respect your property rights.

Grant believes in Privacy. Assessments on your property are necessary to make sure your share of the property tax burden is fair. Grant will ensure you are notified before an assessment takes place on your property. Unfortunately, an assessor doesn’t have the authority to lower property taxes, but they are responsible for making assessments accurate and fair.

Grant has a deep respect for People. All who know Grant know him to be diplomatic, thoughtful and kind. He will help you through the process of your assessment, and if you feel you need an appeal, Grant will be there to walk you through it.

Grant is running for office because his knowledge and experience fits the position perfectly. He has the time to dedicate to it, and feels it is important to bring respect to the position of Bonner County assessor. Vote for Grant Dorman on May 17!

Nicole Cummins Sagle

Sauter has what it takes to lead in Boise…

Dear editor, I am a man who believes in Jesus, the sanctity of life and the core principles authored by the founding fathers of this great republic. I also believe that we the people need representation that will support those values. What we do not need are representatives with an agenda or alliance to people or groups that stray outside those lines.

What the Great State of Idaho needs now is a proven leader. North Idaho needs Mark Sauter for House Seat 1-A. Mark is a proven leader and community servant. Mark’s 30-year career as a fire chief and fire fighter along with his experience in city management afford us the real leadership and representation this area needs for House Seat 1-A. Of all the candidate forums I have attended, Mark has focused on the factual issues facing Idaho. Mark has not stooped to political mudslinging and pledging allegiance to other candidates, like some of his opponents. He sticks to the issues facing this state and all its people. Mark will operate in the framework of a traditional Republican and offer solutions and the demanding work necessary to understand and address those issues.

This election cycle may be the most important we have seen in this state in an exceptionally long time. It is time to elect an individual with the necessary credentials to represent the people of this state and lead us forward. That is why I’m casting my vote for Mark Sauter, House Seat 1-A. Butch Horton Sandpoint

< see LTE, Page 10 > May 12, 2022 / R / 9

< LTE, Con’t from Page 9 >

A voter for Cynthia Weiss…

Dear editors, Recent ordeals and restrictions have exposed the worst factions of our politicians, bureaucrats and citizenry. Idahoans were not spared the mental, emotional and economic anguish. We lost our livelihoods, businesses and more.

We the People need a proportionate response to government overreach.

Enough with states being coerced and gradually controlled by fed’s gifting “carrots.” Loads of federal cash “carrots” are waved in states’ faces.

“Strings” of legal verbosity are included where “the devil is in the details.”

This is enforced with federal “sticks” of discipline compelling compliance with decrees that drag legislators and officials around by the nose.

“Decrees,” not congressional laws, have been enacted by overzealous leaders and bureaucratic “controllers” whose penchant is shifting our national consciousness and changing the “law of the land” in unimaginable ways.

Our founders wisely inserted a

little known, additional check and balance into our Constitution. It allows the individual states to collectively take control back from an ineffectual Congress and unrestrained fed. The Article 5 “Convention of the States” (COS) clause is We the People’s last constitutionally legal action against encroaching federal tyranny.

Cynthia Weiss has years of experience in business, education and battling the “the swamp.” Vote for Cynthia Weiss: The balanced choice for House District 1A to support states’ rights in education, economics, governance, the U.S. Constitution and COS. Deanna Benton Sagle

Sauter is in tune with N. Idaho issues and concerns…

Dear editor, I would like to extend my support for Mark Sauter for Idaho Legislature District 1A. I have known Mark for several years and he is a dedicated public servant. Mark is a retired municipal fire chief with years of putting the people first before himself.

When I was fire chief of Selkirk Fire,

Mark was instrumental in providing his expertise to the fire department.

Mark Sauter was directly responsible in helping reduce the threat of fire through community risk reduction of hazardous conditions in the communities of Sagle, Careywood, Cocolalla , Bottle Bay, Garfield Bay, Laclede, Wrenco and all areas in between.

Mark also served as president of the Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association (an unpaid position). In 2019 alone, Mark volunteered over 750 hours researching EMS-related issues in Bonner County. Mark is highly educated and very much in tune with northern Idaho issues and concerns. Please vote for Mark Sauter on May 17.

Ron Stocking Selkirk Fire chief (ret.)

Sandpoint

Vote, vote, vote… but not for Herndon!...

Dear editor, Shallow and narrow Scott’s interests and slate, Deeply unqualified for the job in

I BROUGHT THE READER

Left: “We had a great time visiting Sandpoint native Fawn Miller in her new home of Yelapa, Jalisco, Mexico and enjoyed reading The Reader together!” Pictured left to right (back): Amy Borup, Patrick Feyen, Mac Macdonald, Susan Saling, Kurt Feyen and Emory Feyen; (front): Rangel Rodriguez and Fawn Miller with “Silvio” and “Toby.” Photo submitted by Susan Saling.

10 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

the state.

Twisting the truth is his only strength, Defaming opponents; slandering at length.

What is his record and whom might he be?

Please let him lose so we don’t have to see.

Gifted of tongue and a boisterous voice, A few might follow and that’s their choice.

Peel back his mask of Christianity, And learn what his gunfight has cost the city.

Choose wisely next week for the man we send south, Knowledge and integrity — or a dishonest mouth.

Voters, you have until May 17 to choose the best candidate for Idaho Senate District 1. Your choice is Scott Herndon or Jim Woodward. Who goes to Boise next January as our senator will be decided in the upcoming May 17 primary election.

Voting in the primary is often overlooked and its rules can be confusing. This election is pivotal for our county and state, so be informed and vote.

For a non-partisan explanation

of your eligibility, registration and voting information, please visit the state’s information site at voteidaho. gov. And, by the way, a vote for Woodward is a vote for the best.

Bev Kee Sagle

Harter has real leadership ability…

Dear editor, At our tiny point on the map of history, the political battle for Bonner County has started.

It is typical mud-slinging. The outcome hinges entirely on education over indoctrination and the amount of intelligence delivered to the common voter.

We need generals, and not everyone qualifies. I’m backing Rich Harter, not because of his captivating rhetoric or prizewinning image, but because he acts like a general.

He exhibits unwavering commitment to the objective. (Keeping the left out of our pockets and out of our lives.)

He has a long provable history as a committed service-oriented man, and a diligent and well informed activist.

I have watched as his detractors have thrown stones from behind the cover of anonymity and have watched his steadfast march to the truth and

< see LTE, Page 11 >

Right: “Recently our son, Cairn Rookey, got to go to Washington, D.C. to celebrate his upcoming 13th birthday. He made sure to take a Reader with him.” — Steve and Elissa Rookey.

< LTE, Con’t from Page 10 >

the consequence of every cowardly blow thrown against him.

Frankly, it insults my high school diploma to see grown men who want my vote, quietly plotting a boobytrap, hoping to rise on the backs of the fallen as many of his detractors have done. They use Facebook, not as a platform for honest public discourse but, rather as the bathroom wall of America, with zero accountability and no real threat of discovery.

Harter has been outspoken with his sheepdog mentality of keeping the wolves off the flock.

His methodology appears to be very basic: “Stand up America… starting here, starting now — with me.”

Jay White Clark Fork

Jessi Webster will get the Assessor’s Office ‘back on track’…

Dear editor, I’ve worked with Jessi Webster for the last five-plus years as she manages the Commissioners’ Office. Within that job description, she is a sworn clerk as well. Her duties are not only to manage the Commissioners’ Office but to also manage the workflow from all other elected officials and departments. Her management ability is top notch. She is a problem solver and has earned the respect of not only our office and the commissioners, but all of the other departments as well.

Jessi is well versed in the con-

trolling state statutes for all the departments and has also been instrumental in determining the proper processes required to stay in line with the statutes.

Her ability to manage processes and people will serve the people of Bonner County well, as there are certainly some much-needed corrections that have to be made in the Assessor’s Office.

Jessi is tough but fair and will do a good job of getting the Assessors Office back on track. Jessi is also a fierce defender of private property rights and will protect the citizens of Bonner County.

These are just a few reasons why I believe Jessi Webster is the most qualified candidate for Bonner County assessor. Please join me in supporting Jessi Webster.

Dan McDonald District 3 Bonner Co. commissioner Sunnyside

Trust McGrane to protect Idaho elections…

Dear editor, Our nation is founded on the Constitution, which stipulates that we are a nation of laws. If we believe laws have been broken and we have been wronged, we can take our claims to a court of law and present evidence to prove our case. Donald Trump claims there was massive election fraud. His lawyers filed over 60 lawsuits chal-

lenging the elections. But they could produce no evidence to support his claims, so they weren’t upheld.

The two women running for Idaho secretary of state support Trump’s unsupported claims (lies) that the election was fraudulent. They want to be in charge of Idaho’s elections. If they believe in one politician’s falsehoods, would they jimmy Idaho elections to produce the results some other politician wants? Can’t trust ’em.

Instead, please make sure our elections aren’t tampered with and vote for Phil McGrane for secretary of state.

John Harbuck Sandpoint

Reject men who seek to divide us…

Dear editor, There is a new strain of civic discourse in our county, imported from the poisoned well of national politics: ad hominem attacks, non sequitur arguments, guilt by association, shallow caricature and unfounded innuendo.

Republican voters ought to reject these tactics as nonstarters, and insist on reasoned arguments and solutions that operate in good faith within our local and state institutions.

Specifically, Scott Herndon and Rich Harter should not be rewarded with votes for divisive campaigning that’s all heat and no light. Speak plainly gentlemen, and propose

I BROUGHT THE READER Left: Michael Haus recently traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, where he toured the historic buildings.

Here Haus is seen in the Römerberg, a public space in Frankfurt where the Römer building complex — the seat of Frankfurt city administration since the 15th century — is located.

Photo courtesy Michael Haus.

solutions. Casting aspersions without reasoned critique belies weakness rather than strength. Inescapable truths: Bonner County will continue to grow in population, most kids will go to public schools and government services need revenue to serve us well. If your only answer is “elect me, I’m a real conservative. The system is corrupt and I will fight against it from within,” then you bring nothing to the table for your constituents.

A house divided against itself cannot stand, so put forth logical proposals and stop sowing division for political gain. We would all like to hear your positive vision of what our community might look like under your leadership. Or maybe it might look like your campaign thus far: strife, blame and mischaracterization.

Ryan Dignan Sandpoint

Sauter is needed for ‘responsible leadership’ in Boise…

Dear editor, We have a crucial election coming up on May 17 and the opportunity to make some important choices for the future of North Idaho.

When I attended the North Idaho Way candidate forum, Mark Sauter was the only candidate for the vacant House seat that addressed the pressing issues that face our county: job retention, growth, business support, workforce education and public safety.

As a business owner and father, these are the issues affecting our daily lives and what I want our representatives to be caring about.

I will be voting for Mark Sauter for the Idaho Legislature, Seat 1A on May 17, please join me. We need responsible leadership.

Scott Schriber Sandpoint

‘Don’t wrestle with a pig’…

Dear editor, I remember my dad saying if you wrestle with a pig you’ll both get dirty and the pig will love it. I admire Jim Woodward‘s integrity and his decision not to get in the mud.

Steve Johnson Sagle

Herndon and Engel: ‘extremists for liberty and limited government’…

Dear editor, This election is pivotal for North Idaho. We can either go down a dark path to despotism in re-electing establishment candidates backed by big corporate special interests, or we can elect true grassroots candidates who will fight for We the People against government overreach and who will stand firmly for liberty and our state and national constitutions.

Scott Herndon and Todd Engel are two men with the real moral character and backbone we need for such a time as this. The establishment sycophants label them “extremists.”

Well, they are extremists for liberty and limited government as intended by the founders of this great state and nation, which is a badge of honor, not a smear!

Please join me in voting Scott Herndon for senate and Todd Engel for state representative seat 1B on May 17.

Christopher Herndon Sagle

Left: Six-year-old Scarlett Monahan “makes delivery” of the Reader in her adorable scooter with front basket on Sunday, May 8. This is probably the cutest thing we’ve seen all month.

Photo by Kevin Monahan.

We have made every effort to give as much space as possible to include your election-related letters to the editor.

Since we print them first come, first served, we were not able to publish all submitted letters. Remember to send your letters well in advance when it is primary or general election season.

— Reader staff May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 11

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

Virtual reality applications

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist We learned about the origins and function of virtual reality last week, but what about its applications?

It’s a common belief that virtual reality is only for gamers and that it serves no purpose for anyone else. This couldn’t be further from the truth. VR has immense potential for countless fields outside of gaming. As is true of many forms of technology, the newest stuff will tend to find greater popularity in entertainment before finding new applications elsewhere.

Entertainment Entertainment remains one of the greatest beneficiaries of the technology, blending the ability to manipulate your environment with the safety and security of staying at home.

The pandemic temporarily altered the ability for people to go out and enjoy a movie or play at a theater. While many of us opted to retreat to our shadowy dens and drown our loneliness in binge-streaming, the social experience of going to a theater and seeing a performance with loved ones has been sorely missed. Yet, even as restrictions have eased, many prefer the convenience of staying at home and streaming the new flick from the comfort of their couches.

Virtual reality offers users a compromise, allowing them to stay home while still being able to attend a theater with friends remotely. Using a VR headset, you can emulate the experience of sitting in a theater and even talk with your actual friends viewing remotely from their own headsets.

This has applications far beyond the pandemic cinema landscape, 12 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

as it offers friends on different coasts a chance to meet up regularly and share an experience.

This technology also benefits the live performing arts. Audiences can watch and interact with comedians, stage actors and even musicians with a front row seat from anywhere in the world. This is especially helpful for people who may be hospitalized for extended periods, elderly people in facilities or people with physical disabilities who struggle to get in and out of venues but still want to enjoy live entertainment.

Some programs allow people to attend a show and only communicate with one another using body language and hand gestures.

This program makes it so the audience can’t talk over the performers, who can spawn objects into the space and even directly interact with the audience by throwing things for them to catch and interact with, or changing the environment to an otherworldly space that may not be possible in a traditional theater.

Sports and fitness Sports fans and players have a lot to gain from virtual reality, and professional athletes have already been adopting virtual reality for training. Gone are the days where players spend hours in front of a projector retracing their steps; now they can jump straight back into the game to see what they could have done to improve.

They can also run simulations to train for upcoming games based on data fed to the programmer by scouts and analysts, which gives the players heightened awareness of opposing players’ strengths and weaknesses while actively testing what tactics could work against the opposition in real-time.

People who want to improve their physical fitness can use VR and AR to do things like

running on a glacier or exploring trails around the world from the comfort of their own home.

Other benefits to VR training include being able to dynamically track your heart rate and calories burned, or metrics such as your distance traveled or amount of weight lifted. A program can take this data and feed it into an algorithm that is suited for your body, to help you increase muscle definition or lose weight more effectively.

Health care The benefits of using VR and AR applications for the field of health care are incalculable.

Surgeons are able to review three-dimensional scans of patients before operations, which can save lives by reducing the need for exploratory surgeries.

Medical students can review the structure of the human body in real-time and even interact with individual organs without the need for a cadaver. Epidemiologists can study how viruses infect cells by watching simulations in real-time, giving them a vantage of the microscopic world our species has never experienced before.

Patients can visit doctors remotely in a three-dimensional space without needing to go to an office or rely on giving their doctor accurate information without proper visual demonstration.

This was done recently on the international space station when NASA flight surgeon, Dr. Josef Schmid, appeared on the station as a hologram. Crew on the space station were able to interact with Schmid by using an advanced camera and a set of eyewear called a HoloLens. This technology has far-reaching implications beyond health care, as engineers and inventors can consult people in developing countries and help

them build life-saving infrastructure like water purification systems or renewable energy generators without having to make a trip across the world or depend on an unreliable cell phone or radio.

Are you curious about exploring virtual space with your own eyes? Don’t forget to swing by the Sandpoint library for Sandemonium on Saturday, May 14 from noon to 4 p.m. The VR room will be open to the public

during that time, as well as a number of really cool programs and meet-ups including a cosplay contest to close out the event. If you want to dodge the crowd, that’s fine. Beginning Thursday, May 19, the library will have the VR room open from 3-5 p.m. every Thursday.

Stop by the library and say “Hi” on Saturday!

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner ical parties?

Don’t know much about polit • The only president who didn’t have to declare a political party affiliation was George Washington, because parties as we know them today didn’t exist when he was elected into office.

• The Democratic Party is the oldest continuous political party in the world. It started as the Democratic-Republican Party in 1791. Former presidents who affiliated under this party include Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and John Quincy Adams. Eventually, the party changed its name to the Democratic Party.

• Political parties are more ubiquitous than you might imagine.

Some lesser known parties include the Surprise Party, launched by comedian Stephen Colbert and Gracie Allen; the American Vegetarian Party, which came after meat shortages from WWII; the United States Pirate Party to prevent online censorship; and the Boston Tea Party in favor of worldwide military withdrawal, legalized marijuana and ending legalized government surveillance.

We can help!

• The two-party system has dominated U.S. politics. The Democratic or Republican parties have won every presidential election since 1852.

• The elephant and donkey symbols for the two parties came from political cartoons. During the 1828 presidential campaign, Democratic candidate Andrew Jackson was often referred to as a “jackass” by his detractors. Jackson incorporated the donkey in his campaign to represent his stubbornness against opponents.

In 1864, an elephant was shown in a political cartoon celebrating Union victories. It was then continuously used by political cartoonists to represent Republicans.

• President Barack Obama was the first Democratic candidate to receive more votes from college-educated voters than the opposing Republican candidate.

• In 2012, a study conducted by Hart Research Associates found that 52% of college students think the two-party system is not working and the country needs a third party.

PERSPECTIVES

Humbled by a 9-year-old

By Justin Henney Reader Contributer

About a month ago I was on a new-ish mountain bike trail in the amazing trail system called Pine Street Woods. I was climbing slowly and noticing all the granite outcroppings that I miss when I ride fast. It was one of the first warmer days since the snow melted and there were some outstanding scents of pine and sap from warm Ponderosa Pines. I like to smell stuff and I love to ride my bike, so I was pretty happy.

Then I came across some other cycle lovers, the Landwehrs. Dad Jamie and sons Solen, 9, and Dakota, 12, were on a ride to scout the new trail called Chaos Theory, which was opening the next day. Being somewhat of a slacker in the social media arena, I was unaware of the new trail. So Jamie asked me if I would like to go down it with them.

I usually ride uphill or stick to the cross-country courses, so I went last, behind Solen. I was instantly impressed by the legendary trail builder and cyclist Scott Rulander’s work. I felt like I was concurrently riding a piece of artwork and a roller coaster, minus the safety measures. Equally impressive, if not slightly more so, was the skill and confidence of young Solen just ahead of me.

I had heard tales of his older brother and his mountain bike prowess, but not as much about

the little brother, which is often the case.

Solen was brilliant as he rolled and finessed his way down the course. For those of you not familiar with or brave enough to go down Chaos Theory, it has tight turns and short declines of 40-50% gradients. If your dropper post is not down all the way, your weight back and confidence at least measurable, it’s gonna get ugly fast. But not for Solen. His dad and big brother coached him from below some of the steepest drops/declines as I looked on in fear and some disbelief at what I was seeing.

Solen humbled me and reminded me that I can learn a lot from a 9-year-old. He also reminded me to push myself out of my comfort zone as I did my best to keep up with him.

And he did all this without saying a word, just a few laughs.

Since my day of being tutored by Solen, I have gone down Chaos Theory many times and increased my speed and confidence. It has been so much fun.

This past Saturday I took a teen recently out of a correctional facility up on the trails.

We went down the latest masterpiece by Rulander, Jason Welker and Ezra Stafford, and I felt very comfortable showing him the ropes.

He was thrilled with this new healthy activity, which I hope can take the place of some old unhealthy ones.

Thank you Landwehrs and especially you, Solen.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 13

14 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

ELECTIONS

Make your vote count in the May 17 primary election Also be sure to sign the back of your absentee ballot, he added.

A question Rosedale said he’s been asked recently regarding in-person voting — either early or on Election Day — is whether voters are allowed to bring another person or reference materials with them into the booth to help them vote.

The answer: “Absolutely, you can.”

According to Rosedale, Idaho law says that voters may have anybody assist them that they want, and notes are allowed — as long as they’re cleaned up.

“You can’t leave anything [in the voting booth] because that is electioneering, and that is against the law,” Rosedale said.

“Whatever you take in with you, take out with you, too.”

To see sample ballots, a complete list of polling places and more information regarding the May 17 primary, head to bonnercountyid.gov/elections.

An election sign located in Bonner County.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

TIME FO OF R

P E A

A

PAP

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Bonners Ferry 208.267.1718

DNIM

L L AM S A

FO

M A

T N U O

C E

have a closed primary aside from the Democratic Party. Those registered as “unaffiliated,” but With the primary election who choose a partisan ballot on less than a week away, the Election Day, will have their Bonner County Elections office voter affiliation automatically is gearing up to ensure that each changed. ballot — whether cast through Also important to note, the absentee process, during Rosedale said, is that whatever early voting or at the polls on ballot a voter selects on their Election Day — is counted on absentee request form will be Tuesday, May 17. the ballot they’re “locked” into Regardless if voters refor the election. quested their absentee ballot “You can spill coffee on prior to the May 6 deadline, are your ballot, come back and ask planning to vote early at the for another ballot — it has to be Bonner County Administration the same ballot,” he said. “You Building (still happening on can spill coffee on it again, and weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. come back — it has to be the through Friday, May 13) or are same ballot.” looking forward to visiting their As for those absentee ballots polling place on Election Day, — don’t wait until the last minBonner County Clerk Mike ute to drop them in a mailbox. If Rosedale wants voters to know: an absentee ballot isn’t received “It’s the exact same ballot.” by county elections officials by Of course, that’s true to a 8 p.m. on Election Day, it won’t point. Because this is a primary count. election, the party with which “If you have an absentee you’re registered determines ballot, get it back in,” Rosedale what ballot you’ll receive. That’s said. “Don’t try to beat the clock because, in Idaho, all parties at the very end.”

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

TEST

VA

TAKES

DENTAL

Priest River 208.448.2321

5

MINUTES

FAMILY MEDICINE

Sandpoint 208.263.7101

PEDIATRICS

kchnorthidaho.org

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 15

COMMUNITY Kaniksu Community Health honored as chamber Business of the Month

By Reader Staff The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce honored Kaniksu Community Health as its April Business of the Month, recognizing the health care provider for its commitment to “providing care that is accessible to everyone.”

Kaniksu Community Health began in 2002 with a mission to treat every member of the community, regardless of their circumstances.

“It was a great start, yet it quickly became evident the community needed more,” the chamber stated in a news release.

That meant adding dental, behavioral health, pediatric and VA care, as well as extended hours and more locations — including clinics in Priest River and Sandpoint.

Over the course of the past 20 years, Kaniksu Community Health has continued to expand, adding even more programs including in-school behavioral health in Bonner and Boundary County schools, outpatient opiate-addiction and substance abuse therapy, a mobile clinic that will deliver health care to the most rural areas of the two northern counties, the achieve-

16 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

Kaniksu Community Health’s Director Olivia Luther, left, with Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce President Kate McAlister, right. Courtesy photo. ment of a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical home and, most recently, with its new purpose-build integrated clinic in Sandpoint.

Ranked in the top 10% of community health centers in the nation, Kaniksu Community Health accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and self-pay patients, with a sliding scale program available for those meeting income guidelines. Regardless, no patient will be turned away due to inability to pay.

For more information visit kchnorthidaho.org.

To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader.com.

Right: Looking downstream at the Pend Oreille River. “We hiked up Hayes Gulch last week and got a view of the lake. The water was doing its spring turning over and it looked like an aurora below. Absolutely amazing.” — Susan Bates-Harbuck.

Below: “Had to stop and catch this shot on a rainy morning.” — Tricia Florence.

Bottom: “One of my hiking friends (Shirly Moore) had a milestone birthday last week. We hiked Dog Beach trail with gloves and bags and collected a huge volume of trash as a way to honor her and our respect for the lake. I wish more people would secure their loads as they race down the highway.”

— Andrea Berliner.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 17

COMMUNITY

Litehouse grant supports new bikes for local youth

By Reader Staff Sandpoint’s local trails organization and cycling club, Pend Oreille Pedalers, has launched a program in partnership with Litehouse Foods and Bonner County Bicycles aimed at getting new mountain bikes into the hands of local youth and introducing them to the sport of mountain biking by providing scholarships to POP’s after-school mountain biking clinics.

Now in its third year, POP’s youth program runs three times per year, including six-week after-school clinics in the spring and fall, and two weeks of summer camps in August. While the nonprofit club keeps tuition as low as

possible, organizers stated that it was apparent that there was a large segment of the local population for whom enrolling kids in a mountain biking program was not realistic due to lack of adequate equipment and the financial barrier of even the modest tuition POP charges for its programs.

To help make the sport more inclusive and introduce mountain biking to a new demographic, POP reached out to the Litehouse Giving Committee last summer to seek support for a bicycle grant and youth scholarship program.

With support from Litehouse, POP was able to procure six 24-inch Kona mountain bikes through local bike shop Bonner County Bi-

cycles, which is co-owned by POP Board member Ezra Stafford. Last fall, BCB placed the order for new bikes and, when they arrived this spring, Stafford volunteered hours of his time to assemble them and help get them up to Pine Street Woods, where POP’s clinics are based.

The six-week spring clinics kicked off May 2 and May 3 with 48 local youth enrolled.

Six 8- and 9-year-old children — including three students each from Washington and Farmin Stidwell elementary schools — were provided full scholarships and given their new bikes on the first day of the program. Upon completion of the six weeks of clinics, all six children will take home

their new bikes.

POP is hoping to offer another round of bicycle grants and scholarships for the after-school program this fall, and invite any other local businesses or charitable organizations that are interested in expanding the inclusiveness of outdoor recreation among underserved youth in Bonner County.

For inquiries or to express interest in supporting youth mountain bike grants and scholarships, contact POP Executive Director Jason Welker at jason@pendoreillepedalers.org.

More information about POP’s youth programs can be found on the organization’s website, pendoreillepedalers.org.

Photos courtesy Sarah Polmounter.

Little Black Dress gala raises funds for homeless organization

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Housing insecurity is an unfortunate reality in North Idaho. Beginning its life as Bonner County Homeless Task Force in 1991, Bonner Homeless Transitions first opened its shelter in Sandpoint in 1994. In

18 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

the decades since, the nonprofit organization has provided transitional housing and program management services to homeless families and victims of domestic violence in Bonner County.

Support this worthy organization with the annual Little Black Dress gala on Saturday, May 14 from 6-9 p.m. at the Bonner

County Fairgrounds. Dinner will be catered by Ivano’s. Beer, wine and cocktails will be available for purchase for the social hour at 6 p.m. There will also be silent and live auctions featuring local art and experiences, with proceeds going to support homeless women and families in Bonner County. Dinner starts at 7:30

p.m. and the live auction at 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Program Manager Joanne Barlow said the gala is one of two important annual fundraisers for the organization, the other being the Avenues for Hope held during Christmastime.

“This is a really important fundraiser for us,” she said. “We don’t receive any funds from federal, state or the community, except for individual donors.”

Barlow said it’s common for people in Sandpoint to overlook the homeless issues because it’s not right in front of them like in major cities.

“I call it the hidden homeless,” Barlow told the Reader.

“When people come here from other cities, they’re used to seeing homeless people on the street and in tents. You don’t see that in Sandpoint. There are tents, but they are in the mountains. We have a huge homeless population here and it’s growing.”

Funds raised at the event will go to support the Blue Haven, a

complex in Sandpoint consisting of two adjacent residences, one owned and the other leased, which have nine units with the capacity to house up to 14 adults and 18 children.

Barlow said the mission of Bonner Homeless Transitions is to meet emergency housing needs and transition residents into permanent housing — but “transitioning on has become more and more difficult due to the housing situation,” Barlow said.

“People are coming from a situation where they were in housing and now they can’t afford to rent something for $2,000 a month, but they make too much for subsidized housing, so they’re stuck in this gap somewhere between,” she said.

“When wages go up, it can also knock them out of subsidized housing.”

Only 50 tickets remain for the event and must be purchased online at bonnerhomelesstransitions.org. They will not be available for sale at the door.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 19

OUTDOORS

One last run

A month after ski season closes, Schweitzer is still epic

By Ben Olson Reader Staff You know it’s going to be a good time when the biggest question of the day is whether to pack along two cans of beer or three. These are the important questions Cadie and I asked ourselves while packing our gear in the parking lot at Schweitzer on May 8. It was a ghost town up there, the ski season having ended a month prior.

A few hardy souls wandered about in the blowing groppel as we strapped snowboards to our backpacks and took the first of many steps required to reach the top of South Bowl for an activity that is uniquely local in Sandpoint: hiking up Schweitzer to ski down an untouched powder run in May. It’s not every year that you can get away with such a plan so far from the close of ski season.

Conditions have to be just right for good snow — namely cool temperatures at elevations so the rain we get in the valley falls as snow on the mountain tops.

Most people who know what they’re doing will skin up the hill. Skins are strips of fabric that attach to the bottom of skis to give traction while climbing up an incline. Without skins you’re subject to post-holing and sliding with every step if the conditions aren’t right. But it’s still doable — you just run the risk of tramping down the skin path with your bootsteps (sorry, guys).

The first time you hike Schweitzer post-season, it seems impossible. The top of the triple seems like it’s miles and miles away when you’re looking up from the bottom. Never before has a chairlift seemed so appealing. The best tactic is to put your head down and do it. We stopped at every chair 20 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

Cadie Archer enjoys a beer and a view of South Bowl.

Photo by Ben Olson. tower to catch our breath, then peeled off to follow the old Chair 1 line through the trees.

About 40 minutes later, we reached the top of the Basin Express lift, firmly in the midst of a mountain wonderland. Fresh snow had fallen recently, then the wind swept it clean across the runs on South Bowl. Everything looked fresh and new, with only a couple of tracks marring the untouched alpine glory. It’s rare to see our home ski hill in this untrampled state.

As we prepared to make the final push up the ridge to the summit, we watched a lone skier make his run down Face. His turns were neat and orderly, equal-sized as he grew closer and closer to us from such great heights. When he reached the bottom of the Triple, Cadie let out a howl that must’ve been heard across the entire quiet mountain. We heard him howl in return and left him to finish the run in peace as we

turned back to the climb.

We had every kind of weather imaginable that day, none of it lasting more than 10 minutes before transitioning to something else. We had rain down low, gropple, light hail, sunshine, wind, snow, blizzarding snow, calm and finally sun as we reached the shack at the top of the Triple to sit and share a couple beers overlooking the glory that is our home. I was glad I brought three tallboys, because Cadie only brought two of hers. Sharing is caring.

With a clear view spanning from Canada to Montana and points south, it’s really one hell of a fine place to drink a beer before barreling down the mountain.

After lubricating our brains, it was time to square away our packs, strap on the snowboards and let gravity do its thing. The snow was excellent, especially for mid-May. It was soft on top, a bit harder underneath but

we felt no bottom digging in.

There’s just something spiritual about an untracked mountain before you. I imagine great explorers feel the same thing when they stand before an undiscovered corner of the Earth.

It’s so beautiful it almost feels bad blemishing the perfection with our tracks. Almost.

It’s important to mention that there are risks when skiing in the backcountry, and Schweitzer post-season is very much considered backcountry.

If you get caught in a slide or get buried somehow, there will be no ski patrol to rescue you.

Always prepare yourselves with the knowledge and equipment required to adventure safely in the backcountry. The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center is an excellent local organization tasked with educating backcountry skiers and snowboarders on safety in the backcountry. Visit idahopanhandleavalanche.org for more

information on this group.

With hoops and hollers, Cadie and I made our way down Face with wide, swooping turns in the spring powder. We looped around Midway and ducked into lower Sam’s Alley and gently made our way the long way back to the village. On any given day in winter, we’ll take a dozen or more runs and enjoy every one of them, but there’s something special about taking one run after more than an hour of effort to get there. You earn every turn you make.

At the bottom, we highfived, hugged and kissed one another, both of us breathless after such an epic run. Peering back up at the summit, now shrouded by ominous black clouds, I said farewell to this special mountain where I’ve spent the majority of my winters recreating.

It was one hell of a last run.

COMMUNITY Sandpoint Chamber names Cherie Coldwell as Volunteer of the Month

By Reader Staff

Cherie Coldwell, the executive director of Sandpoint Area Seniors Inc., is the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Month.

Born in Thailand, Coldwell became a world traveler at a very young age growing up as an Air Force brat. She later became a non-commissioned officer in the Air Force herself, which allowed her to travel even more. After her time in the Air Force, she spent more than 11 years as a pediatric nurse in Pennsylvania.

Coldwell landed in Sandpoint after some retired Air Force friends told her to visit the area. She spent four years as coordinator at Priest River Lamanna High School and, in 2020, took on her current role as executive director of SASi. “Cherie has done an outstanding job at the Senior Center, especially for getting the job right as a worldwide pandemic hit,” the chamber stated in a news release. “The Senior Center means so much to its regular visitors.

For a lot of them it is the entirety of their social life. Balancing all the programs as well as the Meals on Wheels program while keeping everyone safe is nothing short of amazing.”

Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. Executive Director Cherie Coldwell, left, with Bob Witte, right. Courtesy photo.

Coldwell’s community involvement hasn’t been limited to SASi. She has volunteered her knowledge as a nurse and EMT to teach life-saving and health care skills to local highschool students and been a regular volunteer at the chamber’s annual Beerfest event. Coldwell has also volunteered as one of Santa’s Elves for Winter Carnival and checked vaccination cards at the Panida this past winter. On top of that, her service includes cooking and delivering meals to homebound seniors. Finally, Coldwell is a part of the current cohort of Leadership Sandpoint, which will be holding its annual Cinco de Mayo Fundraiser on Thursday, May 5.

For more information visit sandpointareaseniors.org.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 21

events May 12-19, 2022

THURSDAY, May 12

Ice Age Mega-Floods presentation • 6-7pm @ East Bonner County Library Join Tony Lewis with the Ice Age Flood Institute Coeur d’Alene chapter, who will give a presentation focused on the cause and effects of multiple ice age floods that originated right here in North Idaho around 18,000-14,000 years ago. Free and open to all Live Music w/ Kerry Leigh Full Draw Film Tour (film) • 7pm @ Panida Theater 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

FriDAY, May 13

Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 7-9pm @ The Back Door Live Music w/ Brenden McCoy 6-8:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live Music w/ BTP 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Maya and Joe 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Flamenco de Raíz 7pm @ Panida Theater An intimate evening of passion and soul with special guest Manuel Gutiérrez. $20

SATURDAY, May 14

Live Music w/ Ben Vogel 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Smart guitar-centric pop with rock energy

The Weekend Sailor film 7pm @ The Panida Theater Doors open at 6pm for this film about a weekend sailor who entered the first headSandpoint Farmers’ Market to-head sailing race around the world.

9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Sponsored by the Sandpoint Sailing AssoFresh produce, artisan goods, live music ciation, ther will also be door prizes and a

by Monarch Mountain silent auction. $10 ticket price Sandemonium Lite Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 12-4pm @ Sandpoint Library 7-9pm @ The Back Door After a two-year break due to COVID, Live Music w/ Oak St. Connection this fandom celebration returns bringing 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall together fans of anime, science fiction, fan- Online Registration Youth Summer Camp tasy and e-sports. Celebrate with cosplay, @ lporep.com contests, fan meet-ups and more! Free and Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater is open to all: sandemonium7b.com bringing “Peter Pan” to the Panida! This is a completely immersive theatrical expeSandpoint Women’s March rience for young actors 8-18. All students 1pm @ Sandpoint City Beach will be cast in the show and spend time in This march is in support of women’s camp creating props, costumes and more. rights, the right to accessible birth control Camp runs July 11-Aug. 6: lporep.com and the right to safe and legal abortions Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

SunDAY, May 15

Blend your own Bistro Rouge party @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Blend your own Bistro Rouge directly from the barrels. Reservations required: 208-265-8545

monDAY, May 16

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “Dealing with the Loss of a Loved One.”

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

tuesDAY, May 17 wednesDAY, May 18

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market Voices Out Loud (Sandpoint Pride) 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park 6-9:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Live music by John Firshi An evening of open mic poetry, songs, dreams, visions, ideas from the queer/trans Live Music w/ Samantha Carston and allies community 6-8pm @ The Back Door Campaign event featuring Sauter, Woodward, Omodt, Dixon, Connolly, Koster 4-7pm @ The Dover Barn • Burgers, drinks and music

Disc Golf Clinic • 5:30-7pm @ Baldfoot Disc Golf Course, 10076 Baldy Mtn. Rd. This clinic aims to teach new players basics & help the experienced improve their game

ThursDAY, May 19

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet in concert • 7:30pm @ Panida Theater Live jazz concert from the acclaimed jazz quartet. $27 admission. panida.org 22 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

STAGE & SCREEN

Rooted in emotion

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

play percussion.

Jaeger, who was born and raised in the U.S. and fell in love with flamenco after Theater-goers will have the chance to years as a rock ’n’ roll artist, is the group’s visit the south of Spain without leaving producer, lead guitarist and back-up vocalSandpoint when Flamenco de Raíz takes the ist. He said that while touring as Flamenco Panida stage on Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. de Raíz, he is often the only non-Spaniard. for a night of authentic entertainment.

However, rather than that fact making him “We try to give people in the States a feel like an outsider, Jaeger said he feels taste of the real deal,” said Eric Jaeger, “empowered” to be able to play alongside a producer with Flamenco Seattle and a such incredible talent. founding member of the performing group “I get to work with the best artists in Flamenco de Raíz. the world, and it took a lot to get to a place Jaeger has been performing with dancer where I could do that,” said Jaeger, who and multi-instrumentalist Encarnación for trained for many years in Spain to perform 25 years, and together, the married couple flamenco. “I had to earn it the hard way.” tours under the name Flamenco de Raíz — Flamenco stemmed from the gitano, or “flamenco from the root.” In their Sandor “gypsy,” subculture of Spain, similar to point show, the group will the way that blues music also feature special guest Flamenco de Raíz stemmed from Black comManuel Gutiérrez. munities and musical tradiFriday, May 13, 7 p.m.; doors “[As a] trio, we’re able tions in the U.S. In the same open at 6:30 p.m.; $22 in to do three voices, two guisense that the blues style is advance, $25 day of show. tars and percussion, because Panida Theater, 300 N. First applied to music in a more Manuel and Encarna are flexible way than more clasAve., 208-263-9191. Get both triple threats,” Jaeger sical art forms, Jaeger said, tickets at panida.org or at told the Reader, noting that flamenco can be used as a the door. Learn more about Encarna will sing, dance Flamenco de Raíz at flamenguide for creating original coseattle.com. and play guitar while Guticompositions that utilize the írrez will sing, dance and genre’s overall attitude.

Flamenco de Raíz to perform at the Panida on May 13 “We try to cover the full range of emotions in our performance of flamenco — the ups and downs, the beautiful and the happy and the sad and the whole spectrum of what flamenco is,” he said. “It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride.”

As a result, Flamenco de Raíz is known for nonstop, passionate performances that showcase the artists’ varied talents and love for the music.

“With our event calendar full of annual events, it’s fun to bring something different to the Panida stage,” said Panida Director Veronica Knowlton. “I’m grateful that as we continue to recover from a rough year of event cancellations and theater closures, we can grow diverse and unique programming.”

“From a family-friendly concert, to romantic date night out, flamenco has something for all ages,” she added.

Jaeger said that he and Encarna love to perform for new audiences, and he hopes that all who come to the Panida on May 13 will get a taste of the magic that enticed him to dedicate his life to flamenco.

“Our experience has been that flamenco is universal — anyone can feel it,” he said.

“Anyone can feel the power of that music.”

Encarnación, a dancer and musician with Flamenco de Raíz. Courtesy photo.

Sandpoint Sailing Association presents The Weekend Sailor Outreach and fundraising event will benefit SSA

By Reader Staff Do you have an interest in sailing but aren’t sure where to start or how to learn?

Plan to attend an outreach event hosted by the local sailing club, and learn how easy it is to get involved and start sailing. The Sandpoint Sailing Association presents an evening of film and fun that includes the screening of the feature film The Weekend Sailor. There will also be additional short films, a raffle and prizes from local merchants, restaurants and the event sponsors.

“We’re hosting this event to let our community know just how easy it is to go sailing with the SSA in Sandpoint,” said SSA Commodore Chris Ankney. “We’re inviting anyone interested in sailing to join us to learn how they can get involved and get out on the water this summer, for a very nominal cost. The event is open to the public and tickets are on a sliding scale so no one will be turned away due to the ticket price. Come join us and find out how to get involved with a fun local nonprofit group.”

The Weekend Sailor tells the inspiring story of Ramon Carlin, a weekend sailor

who entered the first head-to-head sailing race around the world as a no-name underdog. In his 50s, with a crew that included his wife, son, family and friends, Carlin overcame all obstacles to not only complete the race against competitors that included elite teams sponsored by the British Royal Navy and other nationalities, but to defeat every competing nation and win the race.

The screening will take place on Saturday, May 14 at the Panida Theater. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start. Beer and wine will be served. There will be door prizes and a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the sailing club. Suggested ticket price is $10, on a sliding scale — pay what you can. No one will be turned away.

There will be three total films shown during this event. A 10-minute short film will introduce attendees to the Sandpoint Sailing Association, which will be followed

by Therapeutic Sailing with Dogsmile Adventures, a fun foou-minute short. Finally, attendees will have the opportunity to screen the just-completed 10-minute Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper short film, “State of Lake Pend Oreille 2022.”

This event is sponsored in part by Connie’s Cafe and Lounge, Larson’s Clothing Store and Seattle-based sailmaker Ballard Sails.

To learn more about the Sandpoint Sailing Association, visit sandpointsailing.org.

Sailboats on a downwind run on Lake Pend Oreille.

Courtesy photo.

May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 23

GAMING

Get nerdy with it

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

The days of using “nerd” as a pejorative term are long gone. In Sandpoint, the nerds are here to stay, and they’re proud.

Nerds of every variety are invited to unite at this year’s Sandemonium event on Saturday, May 14 at the Sandpoint Library from noon-4 p.m. The event, which launched in 2015 as part of the library’s teen summer reading program, serves as a sort of comic-con for locals interested in characters and stories from pop culture beyond just comic books.

“The overwhelming interest and passion for cosplay, anime, gaming, sci-fi, fantasy and all things nerdy was so strong in the local teen community that a board was formed to create the first ever Sandemonium event where everyone could celebrate their inner — and outer — nerd,” said Cassandra Koszarek, current vice president of the group’s board.

“Sandemonium has since continued to provide a safe space where locals can have a comic-con experience,” she continued, “and hopefully make new friends with shared interests.”

In 2022, Sandemonium will be free to all attendees.

“Access was our primary motivator to make this year’s event free,” Koszarek said. “We wanted to make sure anyone could attend and discover what Sandemonium is all about. Partnering with the library venue is ultimately what made it possible to do the event with no cost to attendees.”

This year’s event will feature meet-ups throughout the afternoon for people interested in everything from manga to eSports, as well as panels, tabletop gaming and the chance to try out the library’s virtual reality system. Local vendors will also be on site to display their creations, and the event will culminate with a cosplay contest.

While one costume will earn Best In Show and $50 cash, all partici-

Sandemonium 2022 is free, at the library and happening May 14

pants will receive a prize.

A complete list of Sandemonium activities and times are available at sandemonium7b.com/ sandemonium-2022.

As for Koszarek, she said she is most looking forward to the cosplay contest.

“The cosplay contest is always the most exciting part of any con event, and that’s true for Sandemonium,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the creativity and talent that we have in our community, and attendees also love seeing their favorite characters brought to life.”

Sandemonium 2022 will be held Saturday, May 14 from noon4 p.m. at the Sandpoint Library, 1407 Cedar St. Learn more at sandemonium7b.com.

Photos at right: Attendees at a past Sandemonium event get into the spirit.

Courtesy photos.

‘Eldritch Horror’ board game is a Lovecraftian delight

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Board games are often cast as the communally healthier alternative to online or console gaming. There’s an implication that “staring at a screen” — whether you are playing with other people or not — is antisocial when compared to physically gathering around a table and playing a game out of a box.

That feels like a false dichotomy, having more to do with cultural biases than anything else.

The reality is that board games, especially in the past 10 or 15 years, have evolved in complexity to such a degree that the tabletop doesn’t feel so far removed from the computer screen — even to the point that many of them can be played alone.

“Eldritch Horror,” by game designers Corey Konieczka and Nikki Valens, is one of the best examples of the co-operative mystery/ adventure game in at least the past decade — a boast backed up by its 24 /

R

/ May 12, 2022

raft of nominations for best thematic game, best co-op game, best artwork/presentation and overall best game when it was released in 2013. It’s also ranked 96 overall out of 22,394 titles on boardgamegeek. com (last place is “Tic-Tac-Toe”) and in 30th place out of 1,270 thematic games rated on the site.

Ranking and ratings aside, “Eldritch Horror” more than earns its acclaim — even one year shy of its 10-year anniversary — though I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit it wasn’t until about a month ago that I discovered it for myself at the absolutely stellar and aptly named Strategy & Games store in the Silver Lake Mall in Coeur d’Alene.

Writ large, “Eldritch Horror” is an homage to the works of early-20th century horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, who in recent years seems to be experiencing something of a cultural renaissance, not least of which through the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

In the game, up to eight players choose from 12 characters — all with their own back stories, attri-

butes, abilities and tools — who are tasked with working together to investigate mysteries on a global scale with the goal of stopping one of several Ancient Ones whose arrival spells the destruction of our world.

Each of these cosmically horrific entities comes with its own level of threat, specific mysteries and effects, which are played out across a range of card decks that throw players into unique situations and pose their own challenges. All the while, interdimensional gates open up in locations around the world, through which pour hordes of monsters that serve as the advance soldiers of the coming apocalypse.

Investigators must strategize together to collect the necessary clues to unlock the mysteries surrounding the Ancient One, all the while fighting back those lesser minions and closing their gates to keep the earth from being overrun by evil.

Game creators Konieczka and Valens dig deep into the literary mythos of Lovecraft’s work to create narrative arcs that feel far

more immersive than any board game ought to be, with richly detailed and stylistic components that make “Eldritch Horror” as aesthetically pleasing as it is enjoyable to play.

It does require a time commitment, however, with the average game lasting between 120 and 240 minutes. If that’s too much for multiple players to manage, “Eldritch Horror” is just about as satisfying to experience by yourself, controlling more than one character on their

Courtesy photo. shared quest to save the world.

(And if you want to spin even further into the void, there are multiple playlists of ambient Lovecraft-inspired music designed specifically to accompany game play and made available on YouTube.)

For its ingenious dynamics alone, which support a depth of play that barely diminishes with repeated games, “Eldritch Horror” is an eldritch delight.

MUSIC

Family, legacy and all that jazz

Brubeck Brothers Quartet will conclude POAC Performing Arts Series with Panida show

Timeline, “salutes that monumental tour by playing new arrangements of those compositions writChris and Dan Brubeck, ten and inspired on that Eurasian namesake members of the Brujourney,” Chris said. beck Brothers Quartet, originally The Brubecks have built a became jazz musicians because legacy of jazz music that persists it happened to be the Brubeck to this day — a legacy that will family business. be on full display as the Brubeck As for that origin story, it’s the Brothers Quartet plays the Panida definition of humble beginnings, Theater on Thursday, May 19 as the Brubecks lived “life on at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Pend the road” as children of traveling Oreille Arts Council’s annual Perartists. forming Arts Series. This is the “My parents traveled with a final show of the 2021-’22 series. trunk and would get a cheap hotel According to Chris, he and room. Inside the trunk was camphis younger brother Dan — “an ing gear, including foldable cots, amazing drummer,” in Chris’ and my brothers would stay in the words — dedicated themselves large hotel closets,” Chris Brubeck to their instruments and “became told the Reader. “As an infant, I good enough to take the stage” would go into a dresser drawer with their father by the 1970s. nestled in with lots of blankets that “We played and recorded at my parents would bring.” major jazz festivals and were After years of hard work, well received by audiences all the elder Brubeck’s “talent and over the world,” said Chris, a perseverance were recognized,” composer, trombonist and bassist.

Chris said, and his “The music was father, Dave Bruvery good, and the Brubeck Brothers beck, appeared on family energy was Quartet the cover of Time wonderful and magazine in 1954. Thursday, May 19; 7:30 p.m., unique.” open at 7 p.m.; all tickets He then embarked doors After touring $27. Panida Theater, 300 N. on a three-month with The Dave First Ave., 208-263-9191. Get tickets at artinsandpoint.org, State Department Brubeck Quarpanida.org or at the door. tour in 1958. The tet for decades Learn more at brubeckbrothers. newest Brubeck and recording com. This is the final show of Brothers Quarabout two dozen the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s 2021-’22 Performing Arts Series. albums, Chris has tet album, titled

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

now teamed up with Dan, pianist Chuck Lamb and guitarist Mike DeMicco to create the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, which performs at concerts and festivals across North America and Europe.

As part of the quartet’s visit to Sandpoint, they’ll be conducting a workshop with the Sandpoint High School Jazz Band. Students will also receive tickets to the Panida show as part of POAC’s Ovations Educational Program.

“I love meeting young people who care about jazz,” Chris said. “It is wonderful that these students have a passion for this music and bust through the popular culture norms of the day to study and appreciate such a complicated art form.”

Chris said that regardless of

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet.

Photo by Anthony Pidgeon.

how far away students may be from a “big jazz city,” impressive young musicians can be found anywhere. He said he’s been able to see students develop their talent and go on tour many years later, or become teachers who “turn a new generation of their students onto jazz.”

“That means the jazz torch has been passed. That has been what the art form is all about since the beginning,” Chris said. “Jazz is America’s only original art form.

We Americans should be proud of that. The rest of the world respects us for it, as jazz is a musical reflection of the ‘melting pot’ democracy and philosophy we have projected to the world since we became a nation.”

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Brenden McCoy, Matchwood Brewing, May 13

Justyn Priest, Eichardt’s Pub, May 18

Vulnerability and craftsmanship are a few qualities that will make a singer-songwriter memorable. Brenden McCoy has both in quantities to spare.

McCoy offers a mix of covers and originals, with his original works always leaning into a unique blend of old and new rock influences. He has flexible and impassioned vocals, which are able to cross genres and tones with ease. Perhaps most notable is the artist’s guitar work, improvising

In a March 24 profile on Justyn Priest, the Spokesman-Review wrote, “if you’ve been around the local scene, you’ve heard Priest’s name — or, better yet, heard him shred.” We’d like to extend that definition of the “local scene” from Spokane to Sandpoint and, specifically, the stage at Eichardt’s Pub. Priest is fast becoming a favorite, especially following his opening set for the Scott Pemberton O Theory at the Panida Theater and

and finger-picking at lightning speed, always keeping the listener on their toes.

McCoy plays throughout the region and posts videos of a variety of his work on both Facebook and Instagram. Find him at facebook. com/brendenmccoymusic, @brendenmccoymusic and on Spotify.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey 6-8:30 p.m., FREE. Matchwood Brewing Company, 513 Oak St., 208-718-2739, matchwoodbrewing.com.

a show at Eichardt’s during the 2022 Sandpoint Winter Carnival.

Those who caught those shows will know all about Priest’s electrifying blend of blues-rock and Northwest folk-funk-country.

Those who didn’t won’t want to miss this one.

— Zach Hagadone

This week’s RLW by Ed Ohlweiler

READ

Read your hero’s heroes. Start with your favorite author and discover their influences. This is easy in the case of my current favorite, Rick Bass, because he published The Traveling Feast, in which he traveled around preparing meals for all of his writing heroes (authors in general are pretty forthright when it comes to praising their idols).

Choosing one from the dozen or so — Lorrie Moore — I find out that her biggest influence is Alice Munro, whose biggest influence is William Maxwell, someone I’ve never heard of but may be worth looking up. Kind of a fun game, huh?

LISTEN

On the bumpy road of life, sometimes it’s nice to just unwind with some Celtic harp. The music itself is so unique and rejuvenating, like dipping your feet in a babbling brook. And the instrument itself is an enigma: I guess it has a soundbox of sorts, but not commensurate with the fullness of the sound that is really, when you think about it, created from thin air — like magic! I like Maiden’s Prayer by Lisa Lynne, but you can’t go wrong with anything by Alan Stivell as well.

WATCH

When the world lost one of its truly great men, Thich Nhat Hanh, in January I got caught up in, well, life and never got to grieve or celebrate the man. Now I find myself doing just that. A Vietnamese monk who lived in exile, he touched thousands of people and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. Nhat Hanh (“One Action”) lived an exemplary life of selfless service. Check out Walk With Me at the library or A Cloud Never Dies on YouTube. The Oprah interview is also a good immersion into his life’s works.

7 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-263-4005, eichardtspub.com May 12, 2022 /

R

/ 25

BACK OF THE BOOK

From Pend d’Oreille Review, May 3, 1912

OLD CITY LANDMARK IS DESTROYED FIRE BURNS ORIGINAL OF OLD HOUSE OCCUPIED

BY FARMIN FAMILY One of the old landmarks of the city was destroyed by fire Friday evening when a house occupied by W.C. Hills at 1007 Lake street and owned by Joseph Helms went up in smoke. The Hills family were not at home when the fire started and its origin is unkonwn.

The house formerly stood on the creek bank near the Cedar street bridge and was occupied for a good many years by L.D. Farmin and family. It was sold to Mr. Helms and moved to its present location when the block of brick stores was built on its old site by Mr. Farmin a few years ago. The original house was built about 17 years ago and was made by the moving together of two wooden shacks which were on the place originally and was built to replace the original Farmin home made of bridge ties and which was destroyed by fire.

Mr. Helms carried $600 insurance on the house.

26 /

R

/ May 12, 2021

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist When my grandparents landed in Montana long, long, long ago, they brought with them some interesting sensibilities. They were of the pioneer type, but missed the big push into the country and so ended up being, in reality, settlers. They arrived 34 years after the Northern Pacific, more or less, and so found other folks on the ground already. But not on the ground that they moved onto.

They were conservative in a liberal sort of way, and they passed those views on to many of their grandchildren. Being a member of the cadre who lived the closest — just down the hill and across the highway — I got some of them myself.

I think a main focus in life for them might have been to be just fine with what they had and not too concerned with having a bunch more. That view was probably reinforced by ushering a batch of kids through the Depression. Just the fact that they managed to hold on to the place my cadre still calls home speaks to their ability to make ends meet.

Grandma was a teacher and amateur scientist; an insect, stamp, coin and rock collector; and insatiably curious about the larger world. We watched the first moon landing in her living room. Grandpa was a farmer, teamster, jack-of-all-trades and Grandma’s rock handler. In the years that I knew them, they had — in my memory — only one car, a huge old Nash that Grandpa drove very carefully while Grandma, who never learned to drive, supervised. They traveled quite a lot, taking trips to visit family in Kansas, whence they came; and to California and Arizona, to where Grandma’s sisters moved to get out of Kansas.

STR8TS Solution

On conservatism

Their greatest adventures — besides surviving the Depression in the Emerald Empire, which is how Grandma referred to western Montana and northern Idaho — were their 1910 honeymoon to Yellowstone Park and two trips to Mexico in their “retired” years.

They were married for 56 years, until Grandpa died at 86. Grandma lasted another decade, and passed at 94. Other than what they put together with their own hands, they didn’t have much more when they died than they did when they came to Montana, but, in every way, they lived a successful life. They raised six kids (and lost one in infancy.) By diligence and not a little luck, they managed to pay off the land they bought from the railroad. And, they passed the land to our cadre in a reasonable way. We were the kids who collected the eggs and filled the wood box, and our parents were the pair that kept track of and assisted them in their later years.

Sustainability was not a buzzword then, but they managed their property and their lives to be sustainable. Grandma taught school, gardened, tended her collections, wrote books and nurtured her grandkids by educating them and making sure they had molasses cookies (she called refined sugar “white death.”) Grandpa raised Guernsey milk cows, and sold a few calves every year to help pay the taxes. He planted an orchard that still bears fruit. He built every building on the place with the materials at hand, never threw a piece of metal away that hadn’t been used at least twice and logged the place somewhat continuously for all the time he lived there. He cleared his fields, but the forest left over was always — and still is— a forest.

We live now in a world my grandparents wouldn’t understand, somewhat of a throw-

away world, in which things that aren’t “the latest” are jettisoned wholesale to make room for more “stuff.” As a matter of fact, I don’t understand it all that well, myself.

I find myself thinking, “I just don’t get it,” about rampant consumerism, the titillating nature of marketing, advertising and entertainment, and the seeming preference of some for ignorance over enlightenment.

Nothing seems as real as Grandma’s collections and molasses cookies or Grandpa’s fields and buildings.

Maybe that’s because those things were personally made, and built to last. And, the records and remembrances they left behind tell me they never stopped learning. That’s the kind of conservatism that I can understand.

Sandy Compton’s website is at bluecreekpress.com. His books are at local bookstores and the Ledger office in Thompson falls.

Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution Whenever I start thinking that I am not living up to my potential, I remind myself of the old farmer and his fight to the death with the insane pig. It’s an exciting story, and it takes my mind off all this “potential” business.

Solution on page 26

Solution on page 26

communiqué

Woorf tdhe Week

By Bill Borders

/kuh-myoo-ni-KEY/

[noun] 1. an official bulletin or communication, usually to the press or public.

“After the communiqué was released by City Hall making it illegal for dogs to bark after 10 p.m., many called to complain. ”

Corrections: Believe it or not, we haven’t heard of any corrections from last week’s edition. We’re as surprised as you are. — BO

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Cast a ballot 5. A clearing 10. Breathe noisily 14. Component of steel 15. Goes ballistic 16. Dwarf buffalo 17. Creative writing 19. Towards the back 20. Grassland 21. Different 22. Sacred hymn 23. Asserts 25. A small island 27. Mongrel 28. Program airing 31. Compel 34. Dismissed 35. Honey insect 36. A Great Lake 37. Uninterested 38. Scheme 39. Small amount 40. Cables 41. Meadow 42. Boosts 44. Air movement device 45. Talking bird of poetry 46. Wing flap 50. Add up 52. The business of selling goods 54. Type of primate 55. Stiletto or wedge 56. Chief plotter

Solution on page 26 58. Rear end 59. Group of eight 60. Animal fat 61. Prying 62. S S S 63. Ages

DOWN 1. Fancy home 2. Bay window 3. Complete 4. East northeast 5. Food shredder 6. Wood strips 7. Chills and fever 8. Backsides 9. East southeast

10. 3.26 light-years 11. Inedible 12. A young horse 13. A place of cultivation 18. Scoundrel 22. Implored 24. Behold, in old Rome 26. Sleigh 28. Rubber wheels 29. Marine mammal 30. Be inclined 31. Celebration 32. By mouth 33. Having no rider 34. Police work 37. Chomp

38. Durable wood 40. Not straight 41. Untrue 43. Region between hills 44. Branches of knowledge 46. Seaweed 47. Radiolocation 48. Drama set to classical music 49. Geeks 50. Comparison connector 51. Designed for flight 53. Picnic insects 56. Fish eggs 57. Beer May 12, 2021 / R / 27

Sandpoint's Only Free Public Charter School Now accepting applications for the 2022-23 school year!

Available seats in grades 6-12

FBCS IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR

Established 2001

Forrest M. Bird Charter School - a free, public charter school grades 6-12 - is currently accepting enrollment applications for the coming school year. FBCS is a project based, mastery education middle and high school with options for Advanced Opportunities, dual enrollment with local colleges with small class sizes and a small school community.

Scan to learn more