Reader_May18_2023

The week in random review

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

worth repeating

“Better citizens are made in the library than on Facebook.”

— Jen Jackson Quintano, Reader column

“Lumberjill,” May 11, 2023

springtime scaries

Autumn is typically the season most people set aside for giving themselves the heebie-jeebies, but it turns out that transition period from winter to summer is equally freighted with terror. At least, that’s according to an article I read this week from the website Atlas Obscura. It makes sense, though: In the fall, the supernatural forces that bedevil us are getting in their final frights before going into hibernation; in springtime, they’re waking up and stretching their legs. Atlas Obscura compiled more than a dozen features on spring-themed monsters, legends, traditions and ceremonies, from the Bell Witch, Beltane and the burning of the Bӧӧgg to the demon-banishing kohomba yak kankariya dance of Sri Lanka, the Miniwashitu monster of North Dakota, the Night Runners of western Kenya and more. Read it at atlasobscura.com.

food facts

It took me 42 years, seven months and 12 days — and a recent Monday trivia night at Idaho Pour Authority — to learn that bananas do not come from “trees.”

They are actually the fruiting part of an enormous herb, which is distantly related to ginger. I was also somehow unaware that apples, pears, plums, cherries, apricots and peaches belong to the rose family.

old hobbies die hard

Among the most fun I’ve had in recent weeks has been reinvigorating a pastime I put down more than 20 years ago — playing the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000, but this time with my 11-year-old son. I started playing Warhammer 40K back in the mid-’90s, when I was a teenager who poured all his earnings as a fry cook at Serv-aBurger into driving to Spokane and buying super-expensive miniatures to paint and array in battle against a handful of friends. We played hard for a couple of years, until going separate ways after high school.

My by-then pretty sizable Imperial Guard army went into a box to live in various closets in seven different houses and apartments in four cities in three states from the year 2000 until 2023. Now that my son and I are facing off across our kitchen table, it’s like recapturing some of that care-free feeling I had back when my biggest stress was emptying the grease traps and whether my Hellhound flame tank would accidentally explode. And not for nothing, my son is the best game partner I’ve had to date.

DEAR READERS,

Greetings to all and welcome to the annual Lost in the ’50s weekend, where Sandpoint celebrates vintage cars and music from yesteryear. If you’re new to town, check out Page 12 for a full rundown of all Lost in the ’50s events, or Page 18 for a full list of events happening between Thursday, May 18-Thursday, May 25. Please remember to be safe, have fun and respect your fellow human beings.

Special thanks to everyone who turned out to vote on Election Day May 16. It’s always a great sign when our voter turnout is higher than usual.

Finally, if you’re a journalist or are interested in becoming a journalist and have writing experience, please reach out to Publisher Ben Olson at ben@sandpointreader. com. The Reader is considering hiring a reporter to join our crew. Please include any links to work you have done in the past, or attach examples of your writing for our consideration.

In the meantime, enjoy yourselves out there!

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

–Ben Olson, publisher

Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

Advertising: Kelsey Kizer kelsey@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover design), Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Aubree Lane, Lily Simmons, Charlie Wardle, Hailey Roeder

Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Lauren Necochea, Jim Mitsui, Sandra Rasor, Amy Craven, Andy Kennaly, Marcia Pilgeram

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID

Subscription Price:

$165 per year

Web Content: Keokee

The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person

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

Requirements:

–No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com

Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com

Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

This week’s cover was designed by Ben Olson. Happy Lost in the ’50s weekend!

Shea wins reelection to E. Bonner Co. Library Board in heated campaign

Pend Oreille Hospital Board retains incumbents, welcomes new member; W. Bonner school levy fails

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Bonner County voters returned a number of incumbents to office in the May 16 election for trustee positions on the East Bonner County Library and Pend Oreille Hospital District boards, though rejected the West Bonner County School District levy by a narrow margin.

Incumbent EBCL Board Trustee Susan Shea retained her seat for another six-year term with 4,514 votes for a substantial win of 59%, while challenger Stacy Rodriguez drew 3,137 votes, or 41%.

The five-member library board serves as the governing body of the library — including setting and overseeing the local library system’s budget; hiring, supervising and evaluating employees; and working with the library director on policy and operations.

In the hospital trustee race, incumbents Bart Casey, Vice Chair Timothy Cochran and Jim Frank held onto their positions, while voters elected Dwayne Sheffler to become the board’s newest member. Sheffler drew the most votes with 4,573, or 21.99%; followed by Cochran, with 4,527, or 21.76%; Casey, with 4,383, or 21.07%; and Frank, with 4,097, or 19.7%.

Cynthia Buse polled the lowest of the five candidates vying for four hospital board seats, garnering 3,220 votes, or 15.48%.

The hospital board is a seven-member political subdivision of Idaho, which supports hospital facilities within Sandpoint and about two-thirds of Bonner County.

All vote totals are unofficial until canvassed, which Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale said is expected to take place

Thursday, May 25 at 8:30 a.m., in a process that is open to the public in the third-floor business meeting room at the county administration building (1500 U.S. 2, in Sandpoint).

The library and hospital board races both drew 7,770 ballots cast, representing 30.74% of registered voters — an increase from the 28.9% of voters who participated in the 2021 election, which also featured hotly contested open seats on the library and hospital district boards.

As in 2021, the May 16, 2023 election also generated an outsized amount of heat, owing to the library board race, which turned on notions of “obscene” or other materials deemed “harmful” to minors in the library collection.

Rodriguez, who had the endorsement of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee, Idaho True Conservatives, Gays Against Groomers and District 1B Republican Rep. Sage Dixon, among others, made statements at an April 19 candidates’ forum that the First Amendment had been “used as a cudgel to sexualize children,” materials available to minors included “books that would make a sex worker blush” and the American Library Association is run by a “Marxist lesbian” whose “radical dictates” had been adopted by the East Bonner County Library.

Most notably, Rodriguez’s campaign alleged that Shea “believes that stripper poles and drag queens should be allowed in our community libraries.”

That claim, though repeated in campaign text messages to voters and by Rodriguez’s supporters, was categorically rejected by Shea. Meanwhile evidence purported to support the claim amounted to a muffled audio recording that could not be conclusively identified with any

particular individual.

Shea performed best in the more populous Washington, Baldy and Beach precincts, with 568, 385 and 370 votes, respectively. Rodriguez drew her largest vote totals from the comparatively rural Southside, Westmond and Sagle districts, with 308, 200 and 184 votes, respectively.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve East Bonner County Library as a trustee,” Shea told the Reader in a May 17 statement. “I would like to thank the community for coming together to support me. I reaffirm my promise to continue to work hard to serve you. The library is truly one of the best parts of our incredible community. I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow trustees, staff and our wonderful readers to make sure it remains the open, inclusive, innovative community treasure that we all know and love.”

Rodriguez did not respond to a request for post-election comment by press time.

Finally, the West Bonner County School District levy failed with 1,700 voters against (or 51.59%) to 1,595 in favor (or 48.41%) — a margin of only 105 votes, while the levy needed a simple majority to pass.

According to the WBCSD supplemental levy renewal flier, the $4.7 million per year, twoyear replacement funding would have cost $115.95 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.

The monies were intended to support about a third of the operating costs in the district, including about $3 million in salaries and benefits to recruit and retain classified and certified staff; $587,096 for textbooks, learning materials and staff training; $464,413 for athletics, co-curricular and extracurricular

activities; $439,109 for a school resource officer and safety and facility improvements; and $120,000 for the acquisition of a school bus.

Rosedale noted that while the library and hospital board races had a turnout of about 31% of eligible voters, the WBCSD levy received almost 39% of the vote from eligible voters, “so that was a more popular thing to vote on.”

Calling it “very close,” Rosedale said that the success or failure of the levy campaign came down to just a handful of precincts.

“Some were massively in favor of the levy, some were massively against it,” he said. “It really would have depended on which precinct they came from.”

Specifically, in the Spirit Valley Precinct, the vote ran 328 against to 173 in favor, while the Clagstone Precinct garnered 212 against to 72 in favor and the

Edgemere Precinct tallied 213 against to 86 in favor.

Meanwhile, the Lamb Creek Precinct came out 179 in favor to 70 against, with narrower approval numbers in the Oldtown Precinct with 316 in favor to 276 against and in East Priest River, with 283 in favor to 200 against. West Priest River also swung in favor, with 176 votes to 106 against.

The current levy expires June 30.

Overall, Rosedale reported that the May 16 election ended in “a relatively short night,” with all precincts reporting and unofficial numbers tallied shortly after midnight.

“Everything ran smoothly,” he said.

Susan Shea won the East Bonner County Library District trustee seat by a margin of 18%. Courtesy photo.

City Hall gives updates on Travers Park projects

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Members of the Sandpoint City Council and the public took in a presentation May 17 detailing the Phase 1 final design for the James E. Russell Sports Center and Travers Park renovations — an overall project that has been in the works for more than a year since the Russell family gifted $7.5 million to the city for creation of a multi-court sports facility.

City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton announced that a groundbreaking for the sports center — which will house tennis and pickleball courts — is expected to take place on June 30, moving into construction this summer with full completion by spring 2024.

Noting that the city has “pushed very hard” with its various architectural design and planning contractors to move the project forward, Stapleton added that state tennis finals are slated to occur in Sandpoint next year.

“We want our kids to be able to play there,” she said. “The building needs to be complete, with occupancy in the building, so the tournament can happen [there].”

What’s more, Stapleton said the Russell family gift has so far accrued about $150,000 in interest earnings, which the city plans to use to establish the James E.Russell Sports Center Endowment Fund to help support maintenance and operations, with a permanent fund that would accept community memoriams and donations.

“It could be a way that we have a facility that pays for itself and is open to the public for the future,” she said, adding that establishment of the fund will require council approval, with the proposal expected to go before councilors in June.

Meanwhile, Stapleton also announced that Sandpoint received notice two weeks ago that it will receive a grant of approximately $500,000 from Idaho Parks and Recreation to fund about half of a $1.1 million playground relocation, reconstruction and expansion project at Travers Park, which would result in a play facility and splash pad that goes beyond Americans with Disabilities Act requirements to be classified as fully inclusive for users of all abilities.

“We know we’re getting this grant,” Stapleton said, later noting that there is a

plan to reopen the playground at the new site, reusing as many components of the existing playground as possible. “We are not closing the playground for a year.”

Sandpoint Parks Planning and Development Manager Maeve Nevins-Lavtar presented alongside Troy Bishop, director of design and partner with ALSC Architects, and landscape architect Mike Terrell, focusing on the final designs of the sports center, playground and skatepark — the latter two projects anticipated to get under way in spring 2024, and still in their early conceptual design phases.

Bishop presented a number of architectural renderings showcasing the almost 40,000-square-foot James E. Russell Sports Center, describing it as a “grand entrance” to Travers Park.

He emphasized that the building will be oriented in such a way as to present as narrow a facade as possible fronting Pine Street, in order to have “the least visual impact.”

“I know a lot of people are nervous about this building dominating this park. We do not want to do that, but we are interested in this being a beacon for people to come to the park,” he said. “People probably want to look at the mountains more than our building.”

Featuring natural landscaping for stormwater treatment at the front of the building, a front wall with space for honoring donors and benches made from

wood reclaimed from trees that will need to be removed at Travers Park for the project, public testimony was unanimous in admiring the architectural vision. However, the scale of the structure and its location remained a sticking point for some — particularly for members of the Travers family.

“I just want to say I think these ideas are fantastic. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful building,” said Theresa Stevens, whose father, Frank Travers, was instrumental in creating the park.

“I just really would encourage you to find another piece of property and let us enjoy Travers the way it is, because it’s lovely,” she later added.

Stevens’ sister, Monica Travers-Gunter, wondered if parking would be sufficient and, while applauding the inclusive playground concept, said, “It just needs to not be beside this building.”

“The playground is super, the building is super, but the building is just too big for this beautiful Travers Park — it’s going to completely take away the aesthetics of Travers Park,” she said.

Finally, John Travers agreed that “every park in the city should have this playground,” but, “I’m with my sisters.”

Renderings of the James E. Russell Sports Center showing the overall site plan at Travers Park and facade design for the almost 40,000-sq.ft. facility. Courtesy images.

BoCo Republican Central Committee seeking applicants for county assessor

By Reader Staff

Following the announcement from Bonner County Assessor Grant Dorman that he would resign his office, citing health concerns, effective June 2, the Bonner County Republican Central Committee is seeking letters of interest from those interested in filling the position.

Idaho Code requires that the departing office holder’s political party provide a slate of three nominees for consideration by the board of county commissioners, which chooses one from among the list to serve as a replacement.

The BCRCC is beginning the nominating process now in order to supply names to the commissioners before Dorman’s resignation date. The committee asks that any person interested in serving as Bonner County assessor submit a request to be considered. Minimum qualifications are that the applicant be 21 years of age, a U.S. citizen and have resided in the county for at least one year immediately prior to being appointed.

The function of the office is to assess the value of properties within the county, including personal property, so that all properties are taxed in an equitable manner.

Property taxes are then used to fund local taxing districts, such as schools, libraries, cities, the county itself, and fire, sewer and water districts.

To apply, submit a letter of interest with a resume and contact information to the BCRCC at chair@bonnergop.org, or call BCRCC Chair Scott Herndon at 208-6102680.

“Time is of the essence due to the impending resignation of the current assessor, and the BCRCC would like to receive your letter of interest by the end of Monday, May 22, 2023,” the committee stated in a news release.

Upon receiving letters of interest by the deadline, BCRCC members will conduct interviews with the applicants, after which they will transmit their nominations to the commissioners. The commissioners will have up to 15 days from the date on which they receive the nominations to select a replacement for the position.

The new assessor will be expected to fill the office at that time and serve the remainder of the current elected term, which ends in January 2027. To remain in the position after that date, the assessor will need to file as a candidate to run in the 2026 election.

Johnson Creek Bridge and Road reopen near Clark Fork

By Reader Staff

Engineers with the U.S. Forest Service and contracting officials with the Idaho Department of Lands announced April 27 that work had been completed to replace a bridge that crosses Johnson Creek, near Clark Fork.

Forest Service Road 278, heading south to access Lakeview, Whiskey Rock and other points along the eastern shore of Lake Pend Oreille, has reopened but snow still limits vehicle access in the mountains.

After identifying structural deficiencies, engineers started work in September 2022 to replace the timber bridge built in 1957, located at Mile Marker 0.71 on Johnson Creek Road, immediately south of the Clark Fork River delta.

A new concrete bridge with a longer span will provide access to the Green Monarchs and those accessing public and private lands to the south.

The work was completed through a partnership with the Idaho Department of

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:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is faced with the possibility of taking to court a company that has refused to recall 67 million air bag inflators. The devices can explode and hurl shrapnel, according to NPR. At least two people have been killed and seven hurt by the defective inflators.

Almost 6 million jobs have been added to the U.S. economy since 2021, and unemployment has fallen from 3.9% to 3.4% (the latter last seen in the 1960s), The New York Times reported. Inflation is now at 3.3%, as compared to 9.6% last June. Last October, 20% of Americans polled regarded inflation as the nation’s most significant problem, but now 9% say it is.

According to the BBC, a New York judge recently denied Trump’s lawsuit filed in 2021 against The New York Times, following the paper’s investigation into his finances. The judge said The Times’ reporting was protected by the First Amendment, and ordered Trump to pay attorneys fees, legal expenses and associated costs.

A new study published in Environmental Research: Health puts a price tag on the human cost of domestic oil and gas activity, Axios reported, showing the industry’s costs go beyond climate and air pollution. The study found that oil and gas production alone was responsible for 7,500 premature deaths, 410,000 asthma attacks and 2,200 new childhood asthma cases in 2016. The cost of health impacts, including hospitalization and emergency room care, was estimated at $77 billion annually.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on May 11 ended the COVID-19 health emergency. But, as various media pointed out, people — especially seniors — are still vulnerable to and dying from the virus.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

detract from investments in research and development, and in measures that allow corporations to stay competitive. Another use for buyback funds could be to pay the same tax rate as other Americans, helping reduce the federal debt.

The Guardian recently posted the report, “American Torturers: FBI and CIA Abuses at Dark Sites and Guantanamo,” which includes 40 drawings, sketched from a detainee’s memory, depicting torture that he and others experienced. The drawings include “gruesome acts” of violence, sexual and religious humiliation and “prolonged psychological terror.”

President Joe Biden has been meeting with House Republicans about raising the debt ceiling to avoid defaulting on paying the nation’s debt. Action is needed before June 1 to avoid default and expected economic calamity. The ceiling was raised three times under former-President Donald Trump. Under Trump the nation’s debt rose to nearly $7.8 trillion and was in “crisis” mode pre-pandemic, according to ProPublica. So far, Biden has been able to reduce the debt by $1.7 billion, while to further reduce federal debt, Biden wants $3 trillion in cuts. Avenues for that include permitting Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies (a $200 billion savings), and $30 billion in tax subsidy cuts for oil companies. Biden also supports further funding for the IRS for pursuing wealthy tax cheats, which the Congressional Budget Office said will raise $200 billion.

Another Biden plan: increase spending on inspectors general who look for waste by tracking government spending, which is expected to render $10 saved for every dollar spent. But, Biden said, all these actions are opposed by House Republicans, causing some in the media to doubt their real aim is to address the nation’s finances, and is instead meant to crash Biden’s successes and re-election chances.

Lands and the U.S. Forest Service using the Good Neighbor Authority. The Forest Service provided engineering and contract administration support to complete the complex project.

“This project is another example of the meaningful partnership the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands have in completing projects for land and resource management,” stated Rick Driggs, zone engineering staff officer with the Forest Service.

The contractor for the project was C.E. Kramer.

The EPA has proposed emission caps on existing power plants, NBC reported. Close to all of the nation’s coal and large gas plants would need to reduce or capture 90% of carbon dioxide emissions by 2038, while lack of compliance would force plant closures. According to Food and Water Watch, such efforts have a track record of failure and carbon capture creates more emissions than are captured.

Ban stock buybacks, the Harvard Business Review wrote, arguing that they

A recent CBS poll asked if the nation’s debt ceiling should be lifted. Forty-six percent said yes, 54% said no. But when informed that failure to raise the debt ceiling meant the likelihood of defaulting on current national debts, only 30% said it should not be increased.

Blast from the past: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. president (1743-1826)

The rebuilt Johnson Creek Bridge. Courtesy photo.

BoCo requests grant extension for fairgrounds RV park

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

The May 16 business meeting of the board of Bonner County commissioners proved to be another contentious chapter in the debate over a state-funded RV campground extension at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, during which Commissioners Steve Bradshaw and Luke Omodt voted in favor of two items meant to advance the RV park’s construction on land between the fairgrounds and sheriff’s complex.

Commissioner Asia Williams, Sheriff Daryl Wheeler and a vocal group of regular meeting attendees have long maintained that the land in question has been considered by former boards as an ideal location for expansion and consolidation of both jail and courthouse services under a new justice facility complex. Meanwhile, Bradshaw and Omodt have voted to advance survey and engineering work for the RV park on the contested parcel, stating there could be room in the area for both uses and that a levy for a justice complex would need to be passed by voters at a future date.

Members of the public took to the mic May 16 seeking answers as to why other areas on the fairgrounds weren’t options for the RV park, which would be built with an approximately $473,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Resident Spencer Hutchings asked the board to explain its “obsession” with the land near the sheriff’s office.

“I think I’ve asked this question over the last two, three months probably 30 times and I have yet to get an answer,” he said.

Omodt rebutted that he’d

given his answer to the question “repeatedly.”

“We are interested in not putting additional burdens on the taxpayer,” Omodt said, “and making the fairgrounds more self-sufficient.”

In response, Williams pointed to prior comments from Omodt stating that, if needed, the RV park could be demolished to make room for a justice complex should the voters approve a levy.

“It would be, in my opinion, inappropriate to tell the state, ‘Hey, we would like a grant for something that we may potentially have to bulldoze because we are choosing the location because we can, versus making an objective assessment of where we could put [the RV park],’” Williams said. “I have not heard anything more than, ‘We get to make the decision,’ and that isn’t worth having to pay back half a million dollars.”

The board took up a motion May 16 to withdraw from a memorandum of understanding with the Fair Board from 2014 that designated the parcel “exclusively” for fair parking use. This came after the BOCC approved a new MOU in an April 27 special meeting, designating the land for a campground. However, as pointed out by Williams and Fair Board legal counsel Scott Bauer, that April 27 MOU — drafted and brought by Omodt — did not involve the Fair Board.

Chairman Bradshaw said he met with Prosecutor Louis Marshall to verify the new MOU’s legality, and Marshall confirmed that the 2014 MOU would need to be dissolved in a different way. The May 16 withdrawal, which stated that the property “shall not be limited to parking … but may be used for any other legal pur-

pose,” was the “fix” needed in order to free up the land for the RV park, Bradshaw said.

Wheeler questioned why other elected officials hadn’t been consulted on the board’s plan for the land’s use, to which Bradshaw replied: “None of this has ever been done in secret. You just never did like the conversation.”

Several public commenters alleged that Omodt and Bradshaw have a “vendetta” against Wheeler, which led to a heated exchange between the chairman and Shari Dovale of rightwing blog Redoubt News.

“Y’all would rather dump wasted money into a sinking facility [Bonner County’s downtown courthouse] than build a proper facility. Why?” Dovale said. “Because everybody in this county knows that you hate the sheriff and want to poke the bear.”

“There is not a man in this county that would lay his life down for that man right there

quicker than I would,” Bradshaw retorted, to which Dovale said, “I will.”

“You can say it, but I can actually tell you that I would step in front of the bullet for that man. … I will fight for that man and every one of his deputies with every breath of life I have,” Bradshaw said, before calling for the vote.

The withdrawal from the 2014 parking MOU passed 2-1, with Williams casting the lone dissenting vote.

In the second RV park-related item, Omodt proposed a grant extension request be sent to IDPR and a timeline be set for acceptance of project bids. The extension is needed due to the grant’s original June 30, 2023 first-phase construction deadline.

When Bradshaw called for a roll call vote while Williams was still speaking on the topic, Williams threatened to filibuster in order to be heard.

“No, you won’t, because I

will adjourn this meeting in a heartbeat,” Bradshaw said, to which Williams replied: “Then it doesn’t get passed, and I win.”

The vote proceeded, with Omodt voting in favor of the grant extension request before Williams continued to offer an explanation for her opposition.

“I called for a vote, Commissioner Williams. You are done,” Bradshaw interjected, before turning to the clerk and stating: “No answer for Commissioner Williams, I guess.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re breaking the law if you think you can bypass my vote,” Williams said, before wrapping up her statements with a “no” vote.

Bradshaw voted in favor, allowing for the extension request to be sent to IDPR for consideration.

Bonner County commissioners Luke Omodt, left; Asia Williams, center; and Steve Bradshaw, right. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

Bouquets:

• Carol Hanson at the Sandpoint Post Office celebrated a happy retirement on April 28. Hanson is the last remaining postal employee who worked with my dad while he was still alive. She’s been a constant at the post office for 37 years and we wish her all the best.

•Sagle residents are seeing changes to the often hectic intersection of Sagle Road and U.S. 95, with the installation of a traffic light to help ease the difficulty of traffic entering the busy highway. Also slated to open May 19 is the median U-turn giving drivers who want to turn north onto U.S. 95 from Lakeshore Drive and other nearby roads an option to turn right first, travel south and use the new pavement to make a U-turn to rejoin northbound traffic. It’s important to recognize that both of these improvements would not have happened without former District 1 Sen. Jim Woodward’s advocacy with the Legislature, Idaho Transportation Department and the governor. This is the result of having a lawmaker who spent his time and effort advocating for nuts-and-bolts issues like infrastructure in our district, instead of our current senator, who gets bogged down in culture war nonsense that only divides people.

Barbs:

• After the dust has settled on another election in Bonner County, it appears the better angels of our nature have prevailed. Here’s a parting Barb for Stacy Rodriguez, whose campaign in the East Bonner County Library District Trustee race employed some of the same low tactics as Sen. Scott Herndon’s District 1 Senate race against Jim Woodward. Rodriguez wholly invented a claim that her opponent, Susan Shea, supported installing stripper poles in the library, then her campaign blasted out text messages and robocalls to the region doubling down on that delusion. Luckily, Bonner County voters smelled what she was stepping in and voted for the candidate who doesn’t support censorship and smear tactics. Way to go, Bonner County voters.

‘Banning books = banning kids’...

Dear editor, Picture yourself as a child starting to realize your own sexual identity. Maybe you’re sensing you are gay, or transgender. And now you learn that books featuring these same kinds of kids are deemed “bad” and ought to be banned. The message you receive: If these books are bad or wrong… then I must be, too.

Bill Borders Sagle

Tennis community thanks city for new Travers sports center…

Dear editor, Wowser! What a wonderful and kind gift to the community — the James E. Russell Sports Center — donated by the RUssell family and administered by the city of Sandpoint. We say — thank you. We are the tennis community, which includes the Sandpoint Tennis Association and Sandpoint Tennis (LPOSD’s school programs). We commend the manner in which the city, and the family, through the city, have dealt with us. By using civil, forthright and collaborative communication, we were able to find common ground to satisfy all parties’ needs; especially gratifying was the city’s understanding of the needs of the successful and competitive high school tennis team.

Being a county resident, I am keenly aware that the city provides many recreational services that are, otherwise, not available. Furthermore, the city provides the court so that 65 students can participate in tennis, a sport of a lifetime.

Recently there have been implications that tennis’s good fortune has come at the expense of the very popular playground. Our fact-finding with the city indicates the existing playground will be briefly down while it is improved and moved to a new location at Travers Park. The city has indicated that this move is of the highest priority.

Additionally, during this entire project, the skateboard park will have a major improvement and there will be an updated bike skills course. Though this means change to the existing park, the positive outcome will be many youth-oriented activities.

In conclusion, we truly wish to thank Jennifer [Stapleton, city administrator], Maeve [Nevins-Lavtar, parks planning and development manager] and Jason [Wiley] of Sandpoint Parks and Rec. for how they

have dealt with the tennis community. Their dedicated and tireless work will result in this complex becoming another jewel in the crow that is our community.

Thank you,

Paul Rumore STA president Sandpoint

‘Smoke-screen for city’s bad location decision’...

Dear editor,

The Travers Park playground was chosen by City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton’s office to use as the location for a new James E.Russell tennis facility. Not City Council’s decision, not city residents’ decision. When they shifted from the original location choice at the existing tennis courts over to the playground site, they claimed the soil tests made it necessary. But this is not true, according to a public record request that showed both sites are basically the same and suitable for the large, tall building.

In the city’s own 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and every online survey they’ve offered, the community has expressed interest in a multi-use indoor facility for youth sports and after-school activities. Clearly, this is the “community’s vision” in black and white. And the location for any building should rightly be a public decision, since the building will be sitting on public land and will be maintained with public tax dollars.

The dedication of the Russell family’s $7.5 million generous gift to our community should be within the spirit of both James Russell and John Travers, who played youth sports there as young boys.

Our community’s coaches struggle with finding practice space, especially in wet, muddy spring. A much better choice than relocating the playground with its million-dollar price tag, would be to construct a “James Russell Youth Center” in the Great Northern Park directly north of Travers Park and improve the playfields around it. With a 60-car parking lot there, it makes good sense.

The city’s shift to feature all-inclusive play at the playground is simply a smoke-screen to cover their poor location decision for the new building. Let’s save the beautiful open view, shade trees, and open play areas surrounding Travers Park’s existing playground and simply add some nice all-inclusive play features.

Rebecca Holland Sandpoint

COMMUNITY

Innovia invites regional photographers to take part in annual photo contest

By Reader Staff

The Innovia Foundation on May 16 announced the opening of its fourth annual photo contest, with the theme “Together for Good.”

Free and open to photographers of all skill levels, participants are invited to submit photographs to the following six categories: People, Landscape/ Wildlife, Arts and Culture, Community, Nonprofit Mission in Action and Youth (the latter open to photographers ages 17 and younger). Photographs must be taken within Innovia Foundation’s 20-county service area and submitted by Friday, June 2.

“We believe we all have something to contribute to the place we call home. In our work, we are joining together for

good,” the organization stated in a news release. “We invite local photographers to join us in this effort by submitting images that showcase the unique identity and spirit of our communities.”

To benefit the nonprofit organizations serving the region, the first-place overall photographer will receive a $1,000 grant awarded to their favorite 501(c)(3) organization, a canvas print of their photograph and a feature on the Innovia website. Winners in each individual category will receive a $200 grant awarded to a nonprofit of their choice, a canvas print and showcasing on the website.

A full list of contest awards, rules and instructions for submission are available at innovia. org/photocontest. Questions may be directed to Rachel Quick at rquick@innovia.org.

COMMUNITY

KNPS program looks at ‘Little Things that Run the World’

By Reader Staff

The Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society is inviting the public to attend a program Saturday, May 20 titled, “The Little Things that Run the World: Native Beekeeping for Increased Pollination in your Garden and Orchard,” presented by Kara Carleton, a coordinator with the Idaho Master Gardener Program.

Carleton has always been fascinated by plants, yet came to be a horticulturist later in life. She currently works for the University of Idaho leading the Idaho Master Gardener Program in Kootenai County. She also trains volunteers within her plant and insect diagnostic lab and provides soil test interpretations for

local gardeners and hobby farms.

The KNPS program is intended to help participants learn what is known about native bees, how they live and how to be a native beekeeper.

Hosted at the East Bonner County Library’s Sandpoint branch (1407 Cedar St.), the program is available to both in-person and Zoom audiences. In-person attendance features coffee, tea and treats available starting at 9:30 a.m., while the presentation begins at 10 a.m.

Those wishing to view the program on Zoom are asked to register in advance at bit. ly/BeesMay20.

The event is co-sponsored by East Bonner County Library District and Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, and is free and open to the public.

Dover to host citywide cleanup event

By Reader Staff

Dover City Hall will host an open house and citywide park cleanup event Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 699 Lakeshore Ave. in Dover.

Mayor George Eskridge and Dover City Council members will be rolling up their sleeves to help with the beautification project.

Residents and area community members are encouraged to gather with their neighbors to clean recreational paths and roadways near their homes, as well.

Eskridge also recently signed a proclamation designating May 20 as the date the city of Dover will celebrate Arbor Day, and will use grant funds awarded to plant trees in Dover’s city park.

Light refreshments will be served at the May 20 cleanup. Participants are asked to bring their own gloves, rakes, shovels or gardening tools.

If small groups would like to participate, they are invited to contact City Hall at 208265-8339.

Science: Mad about

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

I think everyone’s overdue for a little comfort food, and what better food to comfort one’s soul than chocolate?

Chocolate has a long and storied history, dating back to at least 1000 B.C.E. Chocolate comes from processing the beans of the cacao tree native to the Amazon basin. The trees themselves were cultivated as crops by many Mesoamerican civilizations, including the Aztec, Maya and Toltec peoples. Cacao was such an important part of Mayan culture that important people were often buried with bowls of cacao beans to take into the afterlife. The beans were also used as a currency, as well as being consumed in a liquid form for religious ceremonies.

You may be envisioning a garbed priest chugging an ice cold glass of chocolate milk, but it was likely this stuff was more like cocoa-beer or some kind of fermented syrup. Modern chocolate beverages are mixed with milk and cane sugar to sweeten them, neither of which were likely readily available to the Aztecs for religious ceremonies. Imagine drinking a 98% cacao chocolate bar with no sugar and a warm bottle of unsweetened kombucha — suddenly it makes sense why this was reserved for special occasions.

Aside from the amount of sugar added to a chocolate bar you’d find at the local grocery store, the process to create this tasty treat hasn’t changed much in 3,000 years. Cacao pods are harvested from trees and cut open to extract the beans from the fruit. The beans are then fermented and dried before they are sent off

to be roasted. During the roasting process is when the beans become chocolate brown, it’s also the point in which the cacao begins transitioning into cocoa — worth noting, this distinction is fairly minor, and it’s similar to the difference between lava and magma, cocoa is simply refined cacao while lava is just magma that reaches Earth’s surface.

After the roasting process, the beans are run through a machine to be cracked and winnowed. This breaks away the inedible shell around the bean to extract the part intended for consumption. This process can be a little complicated now that much of it is automated. The roasted beans are fed into a machine by a hopper and then agitated by metal teeth to separate the nib from the shell.

As you can imagine, separating the nibs from the shells by hand would be a nightmarish prospect when you’re accounting for the sheer amount of chocolate being produced to meet market demands, so a machine was developed to do it for us. This machine vibrates the nibs and the shells on a series of screens that filter out larger chunks of shells, allowing nibs and fine shell particles to fall into a chamber where a vacuum whisks away the tiny shell particles.

Once separated from the inedible material, the nibs are fed into a grinding machine where they’re rolled for several days until they transform into a fine powder. Cocoa powder is used in a number of applications from health supplements to pouring into a mug of hot milk. Often during the grinding process, other materials such as milk, sugar or water are added to change the consistency of the cocoa to influence the final output of the product, making it smoother or

sweeter. This is called conching.

The next step is to temper the chocolate. This involves heating the chocolate to just the right temperature so that it has melted, but hasn’t burned. This gives the manufacturer the ability to pour the chocolate into a mold to form it into a desired shape, such as a bar or a bunny. You can effectively temper chocolate at home using a double boiler, which is effectively a set of two pans. The pan closest to the heat is filled with water, while the top pan is filled with chocolate. The water helps control and even the spread of heat while you stir the chocolate, keeping the chocolate from burning anywhere it touches the pan.

If you’ve learned nothing else scientific from this article, here’s a fun term to impress your friends: tempering chocolate is an example of “reversible change.”

If you were to temper chocolate and pour it into a mold, you could temper it again and pour it into a different mold to change it repeatedly. However, if you put that same chocolate into some baking flour and make a chocolate cake, no amount of tempering will return that chocolate to a bar state. That is an example of “irreversible change.”

Can you think of some examples of reversible and irreversible change in your everyday life? Chocolate is unique in that it’s an organic compound that can undergo both forms of change. Something like a peanut or a tomato or their byproducts cannot. Water is fairly unique in that it can undergo reversible change, but it’s extremely difficult to force it into a state of irreversible change. Throwing a bar of chocolate into an industrial forge will char it and break it down into baser compounds of

hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. Throwing an ice cube into that same forge will cause the ice to melt and evaporate, but as soon as those compounds enter an area that’s considerably cooler, they will reform back into water. This reversible change is the

•While the 1950s isn’t exactly known as an era of civil rights, a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka — deeming segregation of Black and white students into separate schools unconstitutional — paved the way for the civil rights movement a decade later.

•The first TV dinner was introduced in 1953, consisting of a Thanksgiving-style turkey meal, complete with cornbread stuffing and peas. The frozen meals were made first by the Swanson company.

•Rock and roll was introduced to America in the 1950s. The term was coined by Cleveland DJ Alan Freed, and teenagers across the country grew fond of it. Incidentally, Freed’s career nosedived in 1958 when it was shown he had accepted payola (payments from record companies to play specific records), a practice that was controversial, albeit ubiquitous, at the time.

entire basis of the water cycle, and life as we know it on planet Earth — including the life of the cacao tree that provided the beans for the chocolate bar you’re currently craving.

Stay curious, 7B.

•New Zealand-born explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first known summit of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, on May 29, 1953. Since then, 6,338 people have summited Everest, while another 320 died in the process. Because of the extreme temperatures and costly removal, many climbers’ bodies remain on the mountain.

•McDonald’s hamburger chains go back as far as the 1940s, but the franchise started on April 15, 1955 under Ray Kroc, who developed the modern fast food model we see today. The first burgers sold for 15 cents each.

•The film Ben-Hur premiered Nov. 18, 1959 and went on to become one of the most successful movies in history. It won a total of 11 Academy Awards — a feat that wasn’t broken until nearly 40 years later by the film Titanic in 1998.

Cacao beans being processed into chocolate on the island of Grenada.

Photo by Ben Olson.

Democrats deliver for Idaho, Republicans try to take credit

Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise Reader Contributor

When we invest in the building blocks of a strong economy, Idahoans win. Democrats’ Investing in America Agenda — including historic legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan — is delivering results for our state.

These investments are unleashing domestic manufacturing, funding infrastructure projects, and spurring record small business growth. In short, the Democrats’ economic plan is getting our economy back on track.

For decades, Idaho has been losing manufacturing jobs, in critical sectors like semiconductors, to overseas competitors. Last year, Democrats in Con-

gress led the effort to pass the CHIPS and Science Act — legislation to create jobs in Idaho and secure our domestic supply chains. This bill led to a historic $15 billion investment by Micron to construct a new facility here, creating an expected 2,000 jobs. Idaho Republican Reps. Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson, and Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, voted against the

Act, despite the positive impacts on Idaho’s economy.

Democrats are also rebuilding Idaho’s long-neglected infrastructure. Over five years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide $2 billion to improve highways and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs in Idaho. Already, $1.2 billion in funding has already been announced for 139 infrastructure projects across the Gem State.

Projects include much-needed upgrades at Dworshak Dam and Reservoir, improvements to the terminal building at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport and wildfire risk reduction. Again, Idaho’s Republican Congress members opposed these important investments.

Thanks to strong Democratic leadership, we are also getting Idaho back to work and support-

ing small businesses. Idaho’s unemployment rate has dropped to 2.6% with 67,000 jobs created since President Joe Biden took office. And the number of new Idaho business filings has broken records, with 58,000 new business applications filed over 2021 and 2022.

Through the American Rescue Plan, emergency relief helped keep 303 restaurants and bars and 830 child care operators open across Idaho. Unsurprisingly, no Idaho Republican in Congress supported this crucial lifeline to our small businesses.

Our congressional Republicans consistently choose partisan obstruction and the desires of far-right interests over Idahoans. But that doesn’t stop them from trying to take credit when Democrats deliver. At groundbreaking ceremonies and on

social media, they can be seen regularly touting the benefits of legislation they opposed.

Democrats will continue focusing on bolstering the middle class and creating good jobs. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are now threatening a government shutdown that would destabilize our economy — a prolonged shutdown would kill an estimated 44,000 private sector jobs in Idaho.

It’s time our congressmen stop playing politics with our economy. Idahoans deserve lawmakers who will fight for them.

Rep. Lauren Necochea is the House assistant Democratic leader, representing District 19 in Boise on the Commerce and Human Resources; Environment, Energy and Technology; Revenue and Taxation; and Ways and Means committees.

Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo.

’50s

Lost in the ’50s weekend has arrived

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Get ready for the sound of vintage motors revving, doo-wop music blaring over loudspeakers and a couple thousand people milling about downtown Sandpoint — it’s about to be Lost in the ‘50s weekend. While some locals use this weekend as an opportunity to get in touch with nature far from the madding (or maddening) crowds, others flock downtown to soak up the action that’s been a part of Sandpoint history for 36 years.

The event started as a dream of Sandpoint business owner Carolyn Gleason, and has grown to be known as the unofficial kickoff to the busy tourist season, with locals and visitors alike flocking to appreciate the vintage cars, good times and golden oldies.

Below is a quick rundown of events from Friday, May 19-Saturday, May 21, which are part of the official Lost in the ‘50s festivities.

For a complete list of other events this week, see Page 18.

Friday, May 19

Vintage/classic car parade

6 p.m.

Downtown Sandpoint

The kickoff to Lost in the ‘50s is the crowd favorite vintage car parade and street dance. The parade begins at 6 p.m., with the route looping east down Church Street, north up First Avenue and west up Cedar Street. Joining the parade are many old favorites and new entries, all of which are vintage or classic cars. To say they don’t make ‘em like they used to is the understatement of the day during this parade. The parade is free to attend and welcomes car fans of all ages. Just find a spot along the route and hang out

to watch the magic roll by.

Immediately following the parade is the popular street dance, held at Second Avenue and Main Street. Sway to the doo-wop ballads, jump to the rock ’n’ roll favorites, and dance the night away in your poodle skirts and saddle shoes. The dance is free to attend and open to all ages.

Fairgrounds show: Jay Siegel’s Tokens, La La Brooks and Rocky and the Rollers

7:30 p.m.

Bonner County Fairgrounds

Sing with me now: “In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.” Who doesn’t know that iconic tune? Come see Jay Siegel’s Tokens, an American doo-wop group that gave us “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and other chart-topping hits of yesteryear.

Also on the bill is La La Brooks, the honeyed-voice original lead singer of the Crystals who gave us such hits as “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me.” Brooks was also a member of the Broadway’s original cast of Hair

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m. with Sandpoint’s returning heroes Rocky and the Rollers. For tickets, call 208-265-5678.

Saturday, May 20

Vintage car show

9:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

Downtown Sandpoint

Marvel at downtown Sandpoint transformed as hundreds of hot rods and classic rides park up and down the blocks on First, Second and Third avenues and Main and Cedar streets. Don’t forget to bring your camera to snap a photo of history, but please don’t touch the cars without the owners’ permission. There will be music, food vendors and fun under the sun. It’s 100% free to wander and check out all the cars, with

the awards ceremony immediately following the car show.

Fairgrounds show: Jay and the Americans

7:30 p.m.

Bonner County Fairgrounds

Join Top-40 champs Jay and the Americans as they play their hits, including “Come a Little Bit Closer,” “She Cried,”

“Cara Mia” and so many others you’ll remember dancing to while listening on your record player or radio.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30 p.m., with Rocky and the Rollers laying down those golden tunes of long ago. For tickets, call 208-265-5678.

Sandpoint during a past Lost in the ’50s weekend. Photos by Ben Olson.

This open Window

poetry and prose by local writers

edited by Jim mitsui

Bonner General Hospital was small when I was born there, replaced by a modern version when my children were born. By the time my grandchildren arrived it had been enlarged and modernized.

An integral part of the community, babies have been delivered there for over 70 years. And yet, despite Sandpoint’s huge influx of people (so many people!) in the last 30 years, because of extremism and politics in Idaho, the hospital is struggling.

No doctor will take the chance of delivering a baby there.

I saw the headline weeks ago:

As Of May 2023, No More Babies Will Be Born at Bonner General Hospital.

Impossible I thought, sad I thought, A travesty I thought,

I wrote an angry-ish tirade on my Facebook account. Many thumbs up, angry face, sad face, emoticons later I knew all of my friends agreed.

For a young mother to have to drive to Coeur d’Alene or, worse yet, Spokane.

To have to drive that distance for all the prenatal appointments and to deliver her baby?

hotel by the airport

Hotel by the airport, elevator up, room 225. King size bed.

Walk outside, next door, restaurant closed, bar open, cold sandwich, turkey on rye, salad, honey mustard dressing, sterile mayo pouches tear open on fingers. Water with no ice, paper straw, toothpick wrapped for individual use. Run back to room in rain storm, windy, restless night, light sleep not deep. Got up before early alarm, 3:50 a.m. Shower, dress, organize, and out.

Hotel lobby busy, foreigners, and a flight crew away from home, lukewarm English muffin, wimpy toaster. Butter?

Something in a packet. Used two.

Packaged hot cocoa mix, reminder of why I packed my own homemade mix, tomorrow will be better. Heavy bags stashed by table, collect food, then sit. Don’t talk. Eat.

Go out to car, dirty clothes stay. Locked. Walk in morning dark, black ice, careful. Inside long line for bag drop. Big groups. Checked in five pounds under. Whew! Security line long, don’t look tense. Take off belt. Anxious pits, sweaty. Raise arms for body scan. Microwaved. Backpack in crate. Rollers. X-ray. Searched by hand. Who put a pocket knife in my toothbrush bag? Not mine. Do people plant these? Throw it away. Get to departure gate, now boarding. Sit for group 3. Put on belt. Vague memory of Christmas present, a pocket knife. Time to go.

What if she has no car, or she and her husband have just one car? How does that affect her finances, time off from work for her and for her spouse. How to deal with children already in the home, all the hard things made harder.

What if she is due in January and the roads are dangerous? How many women with difficult financial situations will just skip those important prenatal appointments?

I’m was very glad my babies are all born,

Palpable, palatable, placeable, placable, pedagogical, palatial, pompous, partial, plenty, pleasant, plain, plaything, plastic, pathetic, prim, professional, proper, patrician Pin a adjective upon me Pin a mood

Pin a name tag

Pin a diamond

Pin the tail on the donkey I’ve felt that sting before I’m falling, I have fallen, I fall I fell, I was felled, I feel — too much yet not enough

There’s smoke wafting by the house

There’s smoke rising from bombings in Mariupol There’s smoke in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico

There’s smoke where there’s fire

There’s smoke spewing from the divide

Blues (not in my backyard)

all my grandchildren are born, no great-grandchildren anticipated yet. And then the Easter surprise the little family of four filed in to say hi.

I saw it first, the “Big Sister” emblazoned on my granddaughter’s T-shirt. My brain struggled for a moment.

“That’s not right, she’s the youngest, she’s not the big sister.” I looked at my daughter-in-law she smiled, I smiled, exclamations, excitement, hugs all around.

In November there will be a new baby to cuddle, everyone knows I love a fresh baby.

And then I remembered the hospital, the doctors’ fear of being sued or worse charged with a crime.

My daughter-in-law can’t even get an appointment in Sandpoint no doctor will take on a pregnant woman.

Coeur d’Alene doctors are busier already, so her appointment is weeks out.

Her family doctor encouraged her to eat well, take her vitamins and wait.

They must wait to hear the heartbeat, wait to see the ultrasound.

At least it’s not in my backyard is suddenly squarely in my front yard.

It’s blocking my fucking view and I’m pissed!

Sandra is that rarity, a native of Sandpoint. She writes poetry, loves to work in her yard, and is easy to smile.

a pondering

Over abortion education

race immigration economics defense law and order taxation

voting

incarceration sexual identification the Constitution Smoke is pouring from our heads

Who will douse it, drown it, drench it Who will squash it, slosh it, spill it Who, how, what, where, why, when

Amy is a transplanted Baltimore girl who has lived in Sandpoint since 1999. She is getting ready to move to a house in the Syringa Heights area with Rob and is anticipating the experience of unpacking her own stuff after being in limbo for the past six months. She is thankful for the kindness of friends.

— Sandra Rasor

— Amy Craven

— Andy Kennaly

An author, pastor, spiritual director and beekeeper who lives in Sandpoint. Andy explores contemplative faith through sermon, poetry and story on themes of spirituality, beekeeping, life and nature

there was a hospital • The nimby*

Litehouse YMCA, city of Sandpoint seeking lifeguards for the season Shortages due to long gaps in training have potential to affect swimming safety

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

An integral part of the summer season in Sandpoint involves recreating in Lake Pend Oreille, which requires a number of lifeguards to ensure everyone exits the water safely at popular swimming holes like Sandpoint City Beach. However, a shortage of qualified workers has both Litehouse YMCA and the city of Sandpoint scrambling to fill lifeguard stands. With drownings reported in the lake just about every year, swimmers’ safety remains a top priority.

“We’re short guards for the season,” said Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Supervisor Jason Wiley. “I need between 11 and 16 lifeguards to run the beach at full capacity.”

Several factors have contributed to the declining numbers of lifeguards, though the primary reason for the shortage relates to the lengthy COVID-19 pandemic.

“The national shortage of lifeguards has been going on for a while,” Wiley told the Reader. “People are looking at ways to fix this. We’ve raised our wages to try to keep up with things.”

The city of Sandpoint “shares” lifeguards with Litehouse YMCA and vice versa, meaning the two entities help each other keep fully staffed by interchanging guards as needs arise.

Litehouse YMCA Executive Director Heidi Bohall underscored to the Reader the impact of the pandemic — particularly regarding getting new guards into the employment pipeline.

“There was a two-year gap where no lifeguards were trained,” Bohall said. “If you think of that on a broader scale, we’re now living with the consequences of that training gap.”

Prospective lifeguards must complete a 20-hour class through the Red Cross to become certified, but those classes weren’t offered during the height of the pandemic.

“Kids who already had the training went off to college, so now we don’t have that pool that we usually pull from,” Bohall said.

Bohall said a shortage of guards has the potential to negatively affect the community.

“It means we will have nobody to teach swimming lessons, nobody to guard our bodies of water, whether at the pool or lake,” Bohall said.

While keeping swimmers safe is the obvious first priority of lifeguards, a second impact involves swim instruction.

“The pool [at YMCA] cannot stay open if we don’t have lifeguards,” said Bohall. “As far as swim instructors, we can’t offer swim lessons for families when we have a shortage of lifeguards. … If you think about that on an exponential level, you build the snowball and we might have an entire community where swimming is lacking. That creates weak swimmers. When we live around water, that’s not good.”

Bohall said working as a lifeguard is a rewarding experience that lasts a lifetime.

“I was a lifeguard,” she said. “I probably had two to three saves a summer, usually little kids under 5 years old. People don’t

Elks Youth Golf ready to tee off

By Reader Staff

The Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 is gearing up for another year of its popular summertime Youth Golf Program. Registration is open Saturday, May 20 beginning at 9 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis for two classes, July 17 and July 21, of 16 beginner golfers, ages 8 to 12.

Begun in 2012 with a $10,000 impact grant from the Elks National Foundation, the program has continued to provide free golf clubs, shirts, hats and instruction for hundreds of local kids over the past 11 years.

“Golf is a special sport that teaches honesty, integrity, patience and fair-play, and is a game that can be played for a lifetime,” program coordinators stated.

Both classes will take place at the Elks Lodge and golf course in Ponderay (30196 Idaho Highway 200). Early classes are from

realize how important it is to have lifeguards until you go through an experience like that. You’re not just sitting on a stand tanning. You’re literally saving lives.”

Wiley noted that the minimum age for open water certification for lifeguards is 16 years old. He said pay for lifeguards is competitive and the job is also a fun and

interesting way to spend your summer. Applications are available on the city website at sandpointidaho.gov. For further questions, applicants are encouraged to call 208-263-3613.

An unattended lifeguard stand at the Sandpoint City Beach. Photo by Ben Olson.

Courtesy photo.

9-10:30 a.m. and late classes are from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

For more information, call the golf pro shop at 208-263-4321.

Planting the seed

EBCL hires seed library and garden coordinator in effort to encourage more education, community involvement

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

There’s a green thumb hard at work in the Sandpoint library’s garden.

Hired this spring to take the community space to the next level and help improve education surrounding the seed library, Anna Hebard attended organic farm school in Whidbey Island, Wash., where she learned all the ins and outs of being a seed grower and saver.

Beyond her gardening chops, she said her knowledge will serve her well as she takes over management of the East Bonner County Library District’s seed library: a catalog of actual seeds that patrons are welcome to check out and plant in their own gardens.

“[I have] the passion for what it takes to be a seed saver,” she told the Reader. “It’s a lot of dedication, wanting things to thrive.”

Hebard said that the seed library is

seeing a lot of use, but not a lot of replenishment. In order for it to operate as a real library, patrons need to save seeds at the end of the growing season and return them to the stacks.

In the interest of correcting this incomplete cycle, Hebard will host an introductory seed-saving class on Friday, June 2 at the East Bonner County Library’s Sandpoint branch (1407 Cedar St.) from noon-1 p.m.

“It can be [intimidating] for folks who might not understand open pollination, or what would happen if plants cross-pollinated,” she said. “I really just want to open the discussion around [seed saving], and in the fall I want to do more of a hands-on demonstration.”

Getting more people involved in the seed library will also lead to more resilient seeds, Hebard said, which is vital in an area with such a short growing season.

“Once you grow one seed out to be a whole bunch more seeds, you’ve

adapted that seed to our area, with its weather conditions and soil type,” she said.

As for the Sandpoint library’s community garden — which has been entirely volunteer-run in recent years — Hebard has been busy propagating plants in the library’s greenhouse. She said she hopes to focus on food growing in the garden this year, since the library is part of a nationwide initiative to provide public access to healthy foods.

“There will be signage saying, basically, this is a public space and you are free to harvest whenever you’d like,” she said.

Hebard said she is interested in partnerships with other groups or individuals in the community who might want to get involved by managing their own garden bed within the space. She also hopes to host more demonstrations, such as one about container gardening for those who live in town and may not have room for a tradi-

tional, sprawling garden.

As the fruits, veggies and flowers of the library garden grow this spring and summer, so will Hebard’s ideas. She said that she aims to help locals remember that the garden and seed library are meant to be utilized.

“We all live in this beautiful place to be closer to nature,” she said.

To contact Anna Hebard about garden collaborations or to ask questions about the seed library, email her at anna@ebonnerlibrary.org. Those interested in volunteering their time to either the seed library or garden should visit ebonnerlibrary.org/volunteer to sign up. Also reach the Sandpoint library with general questions by calling 208-263-6930.

Top left: Anna Hebard tends the garden at the East Bonner County Library District’s Sandpoint branch. Top right: A plaque mounted to the garden’s greenhouse. Photos by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

A new generation of artists

Local high school students will show off their art chops as the Pend Oreille Arts Council hosts its 19th annual Student Art Show, kicking off with a reception Friday, May 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Umpqua Bank Community Plaza (231 N. Third Ave.).

Art teachers and POAC organizers team up to give budding artists the opportunity to learn about framing and displaying their work, as well as how to write an artist’s biography and share more with art viewers about their creative process.

POAC Arts Coordinator Claire Christy said the annual student art show is one of her favorite exhibits of the year.

“The students exhibit courage in showcasing their creations, passionately conveying their ideas through art,” Christy told the Reader. “What sets them apart from professional artists is their freedom from concerns about commercial viability or fitting a buyer’s aesthetic preferences. As a result, I believe the Student Art Show presents some of the most emotive and uninhibited artworks each year.

“Providing students with opportunities like this to express themselves is crucial, in my opinion,” she added.

— Words by Lyndsie KiebertCarey, photos courtesy of POAC

Top left: “Classy Catsby” by Aubree Lane.

Above left: “August 1969 Savoy poster graphite study” by Lily Simmons.

Top right: “Inattentive Crow” by Charlie Wardle. Above right: “Untitled” by Hailey Roeder.

Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin

6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Game Night

6:30pm @ Tervan Tavern

Live Music w/ Bright Moments

3-5pm @ Barrel 33

Sandpoint’s prolific jazz band

Live Music w/ Devon Wade Band

7pm @ The Hive

A country party with the Devon Wade Band. 21+ $10

Live Music w/ The Cole Show

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Funk, rock and jazz grooves

Live Music w/ Chris Paradis @ BlueRoom

Live Music w/ Blird

8-11pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Blird is the electronic shoegazey side project of Harold’s IGA

Live Music w/ Bright Moments

5:30-8pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Live Music w/ Marty & Doug

1-4pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Guitar mandolin duo

Live Music w/ Big Phatty & the Inhalers

6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Into the Woods, the classic musical 7pm @ Panida Theater

$25 general admission

Live Music w/ The Liabilities

2-5pm @ 219 Lounge

No cover. Smokesmith BBQ food

Jim Messina in concert

7:30pm @ Panida Theater

Trivia Night

5-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse

POAC Annual Student Art Show

5:30-7:30pm @ Umpqua Bank

Opening reception for the annual Student Art Show presented by POAC, at the former Columbia Bank Community Plaza

Live Music w/ Benny Baker

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Miah Kohal Band

9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge No cover, outlaw country rock

Spring Fling Fundraiser

8am-1pm @ Hope Elementary

The 12th annual event, featuring a yard sale, plant sale, BBQ lunch and bike rodeo with proceeds benefiting programs to enrich student learning. 208-255-7232

Dance Into Summer

7-10pm @ Sandpoint Comm. Hall

A ’50s rewind dance, with doors at

6:45pm, a one-hour rumba basics

lesson at 7pm and general dancing

8-10pm. All levels welcome. $8/ea

Emergency Preparedness Fair

9am-3pm @ LDS Church

Classes and vendor booths on everything prepping

Live Music w/ Justyn Priest Band

9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge No cover. Smokesmith BBQ food

Birds and Burritos

6-9am @ Pine Street Woods

THURSDAY, May 18

Burger Dock’s 4th birthday!

All day @ The Burger Dock

Free fries offered all day!

FriDAY, May 19

Into the Woods, the classic musical

7pm @ Panida Theater

LPO Repertory Theatre presents Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical play on the Panida main stage. What happens after we make our dreams come true? $25 gen. adm.

Bingo Night

6-8pm @ Sandpoint Comm. Hall. All proceeds go to Sandpoint Lions Club. $1 per card. 10 games

SATURDAY, May 20

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market

9am-1pm @ Farmin Park

Fresh produce and artisan goods, every week! Live music by BOCA

Fiddler on the Roof Jr.

5&7pm @ Little Carnegie Hall

Adaptation of the classic Broadway musical, following a Jewish man and his five daughters in Russia around the year 1905. $10/ adults, $5/students. Held at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint

Live Music w/ Hardwood Heart

farewell tour w/ Lucas Brown

7:30pm @ Heartwood Center

Join this 3-piece bluegrass band for a farewell show as they move onto the next phase. $18/door

SunDAY, May 21

Cribbage Night

7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

May 18-25, 2023

Live Music w/ Doug Bond and Marty Perron @ BlueRoom

Lost in the ’50s Vintage car parade and street dance

6pm @ Downtown Sandpoint

The fun weekend begins with a vintage car parade in downtown Sandpoint. The route loops east down Church St., north up First Ave. and west up Cedar St. Immediately following the parade is the always popular Street Dance, held at Second Ave. and Main St. Both events are free to attend — come as you are.

Lost in the ’50s Fairgrounds show: Jay Siegel’s Tokens, La La Brooks

7:30pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds

Join Jay Siegel’s Tokens from “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” fame, plus La La Brooks, original lead singer of the Crystals. Rocky and the Rollers starts it all off! For tickets, please call: 208-265-5678

Lost in the ’50s Vintage car show

9:30am-3:45pm @ Downtown Sandpoint

See downtown Sandpoint transformed as hundreds of hot rods and classic rides will be on display up and down Main and Cedar streets, as well as First, Second and Third avenues. Music, fun, food vendors — it’s all free. Awards to follow the car show.

Lost in the ’50s Fairgrounds show: Jay and the Americans

7:30pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds

Jay and the Americans will lead this fun-filled night of nostalgic music, with Rocky and the Rollers starting everything off right. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets available by calling 208-265-5678

KNPS program

10am @ Sandpoint Library

“The Little Things that Run the World: Creating Plant Communities and Habitat for Northern Native Bees” presented by Kara Carleton

Magic with Star Alexander

1-4pm @ Jalepeño’s

Up close magic shows at the table

Fiddler on the Roof Jr.

2pm @ Little Carnegie Hall (MCS)

Live Music w/ Rob Pierce, John Kolbe and Ashley Wendlend @ BlueRoom

Magic with Star Alexander

Jim Messina and band will perform a onenight-only concert from his storied career with Loggins & Messina, Poco and Buffalo Springfield. Tickets SOLD OUT

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Live Music w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Birding expert Rich Del Carlo will lead an early morning bird walk to help you identify local and migrating birds by their sounds and appearances. Coffee provided by Evans Bros. $40

monDAY, May 22

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience

6pm @ Outdoor Experience

3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

wednesDAY, May 24

Live Piano w/ Jason Evans

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Pool League 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

$10/adults, $5/students

5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s Up close magic shows at the table

Sandpoint Chess Club • 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market

3-5pm @ Farmin Park

Live Music w/ Chris Paradis

6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

ThursDAY, May 25

Cribbage Night 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

5-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse Game Night 6:30pm @ Tervan Tavern

Trivia Night

Mrs. Davis is one of the smartest, weirdest new shows around

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Among his famous “Three Laws,” iconic science-fiction author and thinker Arthur C.Clarke included the aphorism, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” That bit of wisdom sprang front-and-center into my mind within the first half of Episode 1 in the Peacock streaming series Mrs. Davis, which arrays religion, magic and artificial intelligence in conflict — that is, three forms of narrative power vying for belief, beguilement or both, but mostly control — in a show that’s so bizarre, surreal, funny, bloody and plain smart that I was immediately hooked.

Whew. Summarizing this show is the definition of a fool’s errand.

For instance, in the first five minutes or so, a bunch of Knights Templar are burned at the stake in 14th-century Paris, followed by a gore-spattered sword battle between a group of nuns and some other French knights, during which it’s revealed that the nuns have been guarding the Holy Grail. The last-standing nun is then to take it “across the sea” to keep it safe.

Smash cut to a deserted tropical island in the present day, where a bearded castaway named Arthur Schroedinger and his cat (nudge, nudge) are preparing to launch a DIY rocket flare, and have apparently been using the Grail as a mortar to grind up cat turds and tree bark to make gunpowder. The flare works, calling in a passing freighter that picks him up.

Aboard the ship, Schroedinger learns that he’s been gone for 10 years and, in that time, a global artificial intelligence algorithm has conquered humanity, ending all conflict, solving environmental crises and generally giving everyone everything they could ever want.

The ship’s captain asks Schroedinger if

Peacock streaming series contemplates religion, magic and artificial intelligence

there’s anything he wants, and hands over the red earbud she’s been wearing to communicate with the A.I.

Another smash cut catapults us to a lonely highway in the desert outside Reno, Nev., where a prostitute and her John are racing through the night en route to their rendezvous. Things take a horrifying turn — literally — when a cow pops up in the middle of the road, causing a collision with a billboard that results in the prostitute’s head being lopped off in an outrageous geyser of blood.

As the client freaks out, and the cops show up seemingly from out of nowhere, a nun in full blue habit rides out from the darkness on a white horse and reveals in short order that the whole thing is a con — the prostitute is alive in the trunk (the headless body was a dummy) and the cops are her accomplices. Are they crooks? Not exactly. As the nun, named Simone, says with obvious disgust, they’re magicians

I’m not kidding, all of this occurs in the first handful of scenes — before we learn that Simone lives in a nunnery in the Nevada wasteland and is the last person on Earth who has rejected the A.I., which everyone refers to as “she” or “her,” but which Simone is emphatic is an “it.”

To call this a brilliant setup doesn’t do Mrs. Davis justice, as it teases, satirizes and explores some of the most fundamental questions we have regarding what to believe, whether to believe it and just how much free will we really have.

Even more enticing is the philosophical argument unpinning much of the conflict in the show, which considers to what extent religion, magic and A.I. are all simply algorithms of varying complexity.

Religion, after all, is an information system based on the creation of “truth” via textual transmission — itself a technology, albeit ancient — and the consumption of which results in forming the basis for indi-

viduals’ beliefs and actions. Likewise, magic is an information system based on visual transmission, tricking (or forcing) individuals’ preconceptions into believing “truth” that isn’t “true.” Finally, A.I. combines a vast range of information types into systems that create and replicate whole edifices of “truth” independent of individuals’ control. Regardless, as any of these information

systems become sufficiently advanced, they start to look a lot like magic.

It’s a mind-bender but one that we most desperately need to contemplate — all the better that we may do so in Mrs. Davis at the elbow of a swashbuckling nun.

Courtesy image.

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

Once spring had finally sprung, I walked around the yard to see how my perennials fared through the crazy winter (and aborted attempts at spring). I belong to a North Idaho gardens Facebook group (why I don’t know — the only bit of green thumb I possess is when some residual avocado is caught under my nail).

Sadly, the young clematis I bought to replace the more than 20-year-old one that passed a couple years ago did not make it. And oddly, my years-old, hardy parsley does not appear to have survived winter either The pride of my yard, a pair of giant rhododendrons offering gorgeous hot pink flowers on either side of my front porch, is also nothing to brag about this season.

However, I took much comfort when I rounded the corner to the shady side of my yard, and there — as always — my mother’s rhubarb plant was thriving. I look forward to spotting those tiny bright buds bursting through the earth every year. Little brings me greater joy than this connection to memories of my longpassed mother, Fern.

I’ve dug it up and hauled it westward more than once, replanting it throughout the many seasons of my life. Over the years, I’ve also dug up young buds to ship to family and friends, and Fern’s mother plant seems to thrive wherever it resides. I have a couple other rhubarb plants that I purchased, but they must not feel the same connection to me, producing more leaves than stalks, and they pale compared to the vibrant pink stalks of Mom’s plant.

Whenever I pull a young stalk

The Sandpoint Eater Taking stalk

to eat, I immediately recall being a kid at my grandmother’s house. Even now, a tender stem causes me to pucker up in anticipation of that first sour bite. And I can recall, too, my grandmother’s constant reminder not to feed the poisonous leaves to the horses (it’s also not wise to eat stalks that have frozen before being harvested, as the oxalic acid in the leaves seeps down and can impart poisonous properties to the stalks).

For sure, this sturdy sourand-tart perennial is my favorite pie fruit of summer (in the U.S., rhubarb was initially classified as a vegetable for taxation purposes, but was reclassified as fruit in 1947)

I loved rhubarb even when it wasn’t cool to do so, but now, I feel like it’s the new Brussels sprout — once shunned but

suddenly beloved by all. It’s no longer just for jams, pies and cobblers. Cocktails with rhubarb syrup abound, served on the rocks or blended to frothy perfection, even garnished with thin little stalks that pull double duty as swizzle sticks.

Rhubarb chutneys and compotes are the perfect accompaniment to just about anything. Chutney is ideal with cheese boards and charcuterie, while the sweeter compote can be served over ice cream, yogurt or crisp meringues for a perfect spring Pavlova.

I cringe when I come across overgrown and untended patches that have gone to seed, thinking of all the possibilities that will not come to fruition. It wasn’t that long ago that I used to knock on doors, inquiring about the possibility of bartering a cobbler in exchange for access to an

untended patch. More often than not, I left with arms full of large stalks that I’d stem, steam and filter into syrup for margaritas, flavored vodka and Italian sodas.

Occasionally, when I used to travel to cook for clients in gated communities (and couldn’t find a patch to poach), I had to resort to purchasing rhubarb. Unfortunately, it was often dry and limp and always expensive.

So I’d take it back to the kitchen, cut off both ends, soak the stalks in warm water, then shock them with an icy water plunge (which usually restored the crispness and moisture level).

Wimpy rhubarb is also tough to cut, and it’s best to cut it as soon as it’s picked. As soon as it’s rinsed, I cut mine into oneinch pieces, lay it on a parchment paper-covered sheet pan and freeze. Once frozen, I fill

Roasted rhubarb recipe

gallon-sized freezer bags with the fruit for future use. I love coming up with new recipes, and once added some of the frozen cubes to a smoothie. Unfortunately, I’m here to tell you it was a terrible idea.

As I continue with my rhubarb recipe quest, I have come up with a delicious (and now favorite) way to prepare it: roasted with red onions and sweet vegetables, like yams or beets, that complement the tart rhubarb. Ginger is also an excellent addition. I’ve learned the rhubarb cooks (or it’s mush) in less than half the time of the other ingredients, so I add it toward the end. Lucky for those who don’t have a patch, you can head to our Farmers’ Market to find some bright, crispy, tart stalks. Stock up and start cooking.

This dish is a wonderful balance between sweet and tart caramelized vegetables. It’s a delicious accompaniment to grilled meats or perfect piled on a bed of arugula. You can substitute golden beets for the yams. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

•1 teaspoon kosher salt

•¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch wedges

•1 large yam (about ¾ pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

•3 tbs olive oil

•2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

•8-10 young rhubarb stalks, rinsed and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

•⅓ cup of brown sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place prepared onions and sweet potatoes in large bowl. Add olive oil and toss vegetables to coat.

Reserve bowl and remainder of oil.

Place vegetables on the prepared sheet pan, in a single layer, and lightly season with salt and pepper, Roast for 15 minutes.

While the onions and yam are in the oven, place rhubarb and ginger in the bowl and toss until rhubarb and ginger are coated with residual oil. Add the ⅓ cup of brown sugar, and toss to coat rhubarb.

Remove pan from oven, turn heat down to 375 F, and carefully spoon rhubarb onto the hot pan around the onions and yam. Continue roasting until tender and caramelized, about 10-15

minutes longer. Watch carefully so sugar does not burn. Remove pan from oven and let sit about 10 minutes. The liquids from rhubarb will thicken.

Serve hot over grilled meats, or chill and serve over a bed of greens. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days.

MUSIC

The time travel soundtrack

Iconic acts featured at this year’s Lost in the ’50s

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

American pop culture has proven again and again the power of nostalgia. Movie remakes, band reunions and the return of past fashions have dominated the mainstream as people — wearied by a pandemic, contentious political climate and everything else that comes with being functioning adults — have sought the comforts of the past to ease the ails of the present.

Carolyn Gleason and her army of volunteers were way ahead of the curve, and this weekend will celebrate the 36th year of Lost in the ’50s: Sandpoint’s very own blast into the past meant to reminisce over and celebrate the fashion, cars and music of the era.

As for the music, Lost in the ’50s will bring four acts to the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. Doors will open for both shows at 6:30 p.m., with music kicking off at 7:30 p.m.

Friday night will feature Jay Siegel’s Tokens, best known for their soaring harmonies and the 1960s hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” as well as La La Brooks, the original lead singer of ’60s girl group The Crystals. Brooks is known for injecting the vocal life into hits like “Then He Kissed Me” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.”

On Saturday night, ’60s vocal group Jay and the Americans will make its Idaho debut at the fairgrounds, gracing vintage music fans with hits like “Come a Little Bit

Closer” and “This Magic Moment.”

Both Friday and Saturday concerts will feature Rocky and the Rollers — known as the Lost in the ’50s “house band” thanks to the decades-long booking partnership and friendship between Gerry “Rocky” Seader and ’50s organizer Gleason.

Rocky and the Rollers is an internationally touring rock ’n’ roll band known for backing up some of the industry’s most successful acts.

Seader told the Reader in 2022 that he still gets “goosebumps” each time he takes the Lost in the ’50s stage, and enjoys the community camaraderie evident at the long-running and well-loved annual event.

“This is my favorite show to do, period,” he said. “I’m not just blowing smoke, OK? This is my

favorite show to do — period — every year.”

Tickets to both the Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 Lost in the ’50s concerts are $55 per night. Purchase tickets by visiting Second Avenue Pizza (215 S. Second Ave.) or by calling 208-2655678 (LOST) or 208-263-9321.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music begins at 7:30 p.m. each night at the Bonner County Fairgrounds (4203 N. Boyer Road in Sandpoint). Attendees must be 21 years of age or older. For updates, go to facebook.com/lost50s.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Devon Wade Band, The Hive, May 19 Blird, Eichardt’s Pub, May 20

True country music lovers blast the sound of down-home living year round. The rest of us — that’s to say, those who dabble in the genre — might need some warmer weather and longer days before our inner boot-scooter is ready to once again rip up the dance floor.

That makes mid-May the perfect time for the Devon Wade Band to play a summer kickoff show at the Hive the same weekend as Sandpoint’s unofficial

summer kickoff: Lost in the ’50s. Playing a mix of originals and covers, DWB leans into the qualities that define country music: good energy, good company and good ol’ real life.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

Doors at 3 p.m. for Lost in the ’50s festivities, show at 8:45 p.m.; $10 advance, $15 at the door (plus taxes and fees); 21+. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-920-9039, livefromthehive.com.

There will be plenty of opportunities for Sandpointians to put their glad rags on and rock around the clock for Lost in the ’50s, but local trio Blird will be offering something a little different Saturday, May 20 at Eichardt’s Pub.

The side project of Sandpoint indie band Harold’s IGA, members Cadie Archer, Ben Olson and Josh Vitalie offer up electronic lo-fi shoegaze with a beat, and also throw in a few Harold’s tunes

for good measure. Blird’s is an inventive sound that somehow transcends the boundary between mellowing and rocking out — think of it as getting Lost in the Now.

— Zach Hagadone

8-11 p.m., FREE. Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., 208-2634005, eichardtspub.com.

I read a number of different authors in the “genre fiction” category, meaning detective novels, courtroom dramas and the “low-hanging fruit” of the critical world. Every once in a while, I’ll stumble upon a gem like the 2003 novel Lost Light by Michael Connelly (of The Lincoln Lawyer fame). Featuring an ex-detective named Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch obsessed with solving a cold murder case from his time as a detective, Lost Light has literary appeal wrapped in a plot-driven story that keeps you guessing.

READ LISTEN

Fans of the show Portlandia might recognize the theme song “I Feel It All” by Atlanta-based musician Ernest Greene, who plays under the band name Washed Out. Dig deeper into the smooth synth sound and catchy guitar leads of Washed Out and you’ll discover a unique sound that lives somewhere between synth, psychedelic pop, indie and lo-fi EDM. The 2020 release Purple Noon has more of a pop influence, but still has that cool, calm vibe — almost like listening to your headphones under a warm blanket.

WATCH

Adult animated shows have the potential to be great, but usually fall short, leaving me wanting a bit more. With HBO Max’s Fired on Mars, I’ve been thoroughly entertained. Luke Wilson does the voice acting for the main character, Jeff Cooper, a graphic designer hired to live and work in a colony on Mars owned by a start-up corporation called Mars.ly. After Jeff is fired from his job and deemed redundant, all hell manages to break loose. I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen from show to show with these wild plot swings. It’s entertaining, jaded and hits just right.

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

Clockwise from top left: La La Brooks, Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Rocky and the Rollers and Jay and the Americans. Courtesy photos.

From Pend Oreille Review, May 19, 1911

MASKED MEN ATTEMPT TO ROB DEPOT EARLY MONDAY MORNING

Two masked men made a futile attempt to secure money and valuables at the Great Northern depot early Monday morning. D.H. Kenney, third trick operator, was the only employee of the railroad at the station at the time of the attempted robbery.

About 2 o’clock Kenney had occasion to leave the office and entering the waiting room, was surprised to find it occupied by a masked man who promptly pulled a revolver, covered the operator and ordered him to throw up his hands. About this time another masked man appeared on the scene. The first robber turned Kenney over to his accomplice while he proceeded to go through the operator’s pockets. No valuables were found on Kenney’s person and only a bunch of keys, which were his personal property, were found. The robbers made a thorough search of the office looking for valuables, but were unable to unlock the ticket box with the keys secured from Kenney. They asked the operator where the money was kept and ordered him to unlock the ticket box. Kenney told them that the second trick operator had sent all the money to Spokane on the afternoon train and that there was nothing of value in the office. The hold-ups took Kenney at his word, leaving behind them some $40 which was locked up in the ticket box. “Say, don’t put that in the paper,” said Kenney to the Review reporter. “Those fellows might see it and come back again and clean the place up.” Kenney was able to furnish a good description of the would-be robbers and claims that both men seemed nervous and were probably amateurs.

BACK OF THE BOOK On simple joys

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

I listened to the creek roar past as I attempted to unlace my double-knotted boots. The sound of freshly melted snowpack rushing over rounded mountain granite drowned out every other noise — the dog panting next to me; my husband navigating blowdowns in the nearby woods in search of morels; my sister, also creekside, seated five feet away and shedding her own boots.

I got one boot, then the other, tucked safely between some dry rocks and proceeded to peel off my socks, balling them up and shoving them into a single boot with childish abandon. They’d be a problem for later — an off-the-mountain problem, like text messages or showering.

Pivoting to my left, I dropped both of my pale, winter feet into the creek. Only the water heard me as I exhaled a sharp, “Brrr, that’s cold!”

The chill shot to the tops of my sweaty shoulders, and soon, the tips of my ears. I spent 10 minutes playing a game I learned very young: I dipped my feet for as long as I could stand it, and, once I was sure my bones were the same temperature as the smooth stones beneath my toes, I’d lift them back into the sun. Dip and lift, dip and lift. The creek washed away the sticky heat of the hike, as well as the dark numbness of winter.

I smiled to myself as I watched my pup and sister experience the same sensation — Leslie performing her own routine of dipping and lifting while Mac

hopped off and onto the bank, helping herself to small sips of the world’s freshest water while she was at it.

The simplest joys rear their sleepy heads in spring. They reveal themselves in the scent of the grass just as the morning sun hits it and in the breeze coming off the lake, teeming with movement and new life. These simple joys exist in the sound of birdsong and booming thunderstorms; the taste of rhubarb and wild mushrooms. They babble from beneath several feet of untouched mountain snow and ramble over waterfalls, under sun-bleached cedar stumps and past exhausted feet and paws, soon to spend a short-lived summer on Lake Pend Oreille. Simple joys abound in spring.

In my mind, this time of year in North Idaho is a short window onto actual perfection. I stand under the blossoming branches of an apple tree planted so long ago that it has seen triple my number of springs, looking up, and my eyes well. I can no longer make out the difference between the rustling petals and the bees bumbling between them. I am overwhelmed by the perfection, and struggle to believe that anyone else has ever noticed this window.

Still, I know they have. I can’t be the only one who, when given the opportunity to do “whatever I wanted” on a sunny May Sunday, told my husband we’d be lacing up our boots and traipsing up a mountain.

“And I want to put my feet in some water afterward,” I added — a simple request for a simple joy.

Sudoku Solution STR8TS Solution

Crossword Solution

When I think of some of the things that have been done in the name of science, I have to cringe. No, wait, not science, vandalism. And not cringe, laugh.

Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

Laughing Matter

CROSSWORD

By Bill Borders

Word Week of the

of words.

“While most students were dreading the standardized test, a few plucky logophiles were excited to learn the words that would likely appear in the reading section.”

Corrections: Nothing to note. Either the red pen warriors took a week off, or we really did get it right this time. —LKC

Solution on page 22 Solution on page 22