Reader_May30_2024

The week in random review

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

Adulthood rites

Though growing up mostly means crying, making your own doctor’s appointments and crying while making your own doctor’s appointments, there are also some unforeseen benefits like having money and freewill. As a matter of fact, you can essentially do all the things you wanted to do as a child with little to no repercussions (unless you were a really messed up child). I trace my ascension to adulthood to a warm, September evening in a California Party City that was going out of business. It was a school night and I’d already brushed my teeth, but I decided I needed sour gummy worms and there was no one to tell me no. Scanning the aisles, I stumbled across what would become a prized possession: a metal Spider-Man lunch box. I remember thinking, “God, I wish I could buy that. Too bad I can’t ask my mom.” Then it hit me — adults can buy their own Spider-Man lunch boxes. It was a revelation that opened my eyes to the possibilities of my new existence. I’ve since bought whole cakes, crowns, a sword and various candles with smells such as “Damp Cavern” and “Cave Troll” for no reason other than they make me happy. What’s the point of being grown up, working and paying bills if not to be childish for the joy of it?

Food for thought

Every time I began a new class or attended a new club in college, I would be forced to answer boring icebreaker questions like, “What’s your dream vacation?” or, “What are your hobbies?” Yawn. In an effort to spice things up, I started thinking of and suggesting my own icebreaker questions, which revealed infinitely more about my classmates’ souls than the boilerplate stuff people with doctorates came up with. Feel free to use these at your next function — but don’t steal my answers:

1.What’s the biggest animal you could beat in hand-to-paw/fin/tail/wing combat? (If I’m feeling ambitious I could take on a goose.)

2.What’s something you hate for absolutely no reason? (Colorado.)

3.If you had to have a body part amputated, would you pay to have the bones cleaned and displayed in your house? (Yes, obviously. I put a lot of work into those bones.)

Follow up: Would you eat the meat beforehand? (No, but I would let someone else eat it — if it were legal. Calm down, Rep. Scott.)

4.What do you want to happen to your body after you die? (I want my carbon to be made into a diamond and set into a sword that I would then haunt.)

5.What’s something that isn’t edible that you’ve always wanted to eat? (The forbidden blue road salt calls to me every winter.)

DEAR READERS,

Before I tell you about this week’s cover, guess what it is. Give up? It’s pollen that has fallen onto the surface of a puddle of water, creating cool patterns. This usually happens around this time of year. Sometimes you can literally see the pollen exploding from the tree branches, which is always fascinating. The photo was captured by talented photographer Karley Coleman of 5MW Photography. You can check out more of Karley’s work at fivemegawatts. mypixieset.com. Thanks, Karley!

Also, if you haven’t taken our media survey yet, you can win $100 worth of dining bucks at Heart Bowls and MickDuff’s. Use the QR code in the ad on Page 7, or visit this link: bit.ly/SandpointMediaSurvey-2024

–Ben Olson, publisher

READER

111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368

sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com

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

Soncirey Mitchell (Staff Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com

Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey (emeritus) Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

Advertising: Kelsey Kizer kelsey@sandpointreader.com

Contributing Artists: Karley Coleman (cover), Ben Olson, Tom Trulock, Bill Borders, Rupert Laumann, Cyndy Mansur, Amy Anderson

Contributing Writers:

Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Rep. Lauren Necochea, Jennifer Ekstrom, Marcia Pilgeram, Sandy Compton

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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 soybased 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

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About the Cover

This week’s cover photo is by Karley Coleman. Check out her work: fivemegawatts.pixieset. com

Lakes Commission issues statement concerning delay in reaching summer lake level

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Lakes Commission Chair Ford Elsaesser issued a statement expressing concerns regarding the slow refill of Lake Pend Oreille due to maintenance issues at Albeni Falls Dam.

“The economy of our waterfront community rises and falls with the level of the lake and impacts every business and person,” Elsaesser wrote in a May 24 letter addressed to stakeholders, members of the public and the media. “While we enjoy both passive and active recreational opportunities all year round, the summer season is what we depend on and what sustains our economy through slow times.”

According to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Kathryn Sanborn, Lake Pend Oreille reached 2,057 feet by Memorial Day and the Corps hopes to reach full summer pool by the end of June — approximately a month later than usual.

The slower-than-normal sea-

sonal refill is due to one of the spillway gates at Albeni Falls Dam being removed and replaced to perform maintenance and water flows reduced to guard against flood risk during the repair work. However, the Corps discovered metal flaws in the gate that was removed and, since all the gates at the dam were made at the same time, of the same materials and exposed to the same environment, they all now require closer inspection to ensure similar flaws are not present.

“Because that gate that is out being rehabbed was built at the same time as the other 10 gates ... we have to recognize that there is a likely chance that some or all of these other gates also have the same defect,” Sanborn told the Reader Elsaesser wrote that while the commission understands the Corps’ need to emphasize safety, “our greater concern is the impact these lower-than-normal lake levels will have on the communities that surround the lake. Our hope is to help foster interest from the public on this issue and send

that feedback to the governor of Idaho, the Idaho attorney general and all elected officials tasked with representing the people of Idaho, the economy of Idaho and holding the federal government accountable to the laws they promised to uphold when Albeni Falls Dam was built.”

Touching on the impacts

the delayed summer pool is having on the local economy, Elsaesser urged the public to contact elected leaders such as Gov. Brad Little, Attorney General Raul Labrador as well as all three Congressional leaders in Idaho to let them know about specific concerns.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding a public meeting to address the issue at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way). For those unable to attend in person, a virtual option is available at bit.ly/4dUlXe1.

Kootenai County jury rules in favor of drag performer in defamation suit

Right-wing

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Kootenai County-based right-wing blogger Summer Bushnell has been held accountable for a video she posted to her political site “The Bushnell Report” that defamed a drag performer in 2022.

A jury decided May 24 that Bushnell had defamed area drag performer Eric Posey (a.k.a. Mona Liza Million) when she posted a video featuring a

blogger Summer Bushnell ordered to pay $1.1M for false claims of indecent exposure

portion of his performance at the June 2022 Pride in the Park event in Coeur d’Alene that had been edited to blur Posey’s pelvic area, suggesting that he had exposed himself in public — including to children.

Upon further examination of the raw video from the event, it was clear that Posey had not exposed himself, and the jury awarded Posey $1.1 million — $926,000 in compensatory damages, as well as $250,000 for punitive damages

related to the professional harm and emotional distress resulting from Bushnell’s multiple unfounded claims of indecent exposure against him.

Posey filed the lawsuit in September 2022, and was represented by Boise-based Stoel Rives, with former-U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho Wendy Olsen as one of his lawyers.

Bushnell was represented

< see BUSHNELL, Page 5 >

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Kathryn Sanborn answers questions about spillway operations with Albeni Falls Dam in the background. Photo by Ben Olson.

Summer Bushnell. Image courtesy of Facebook.

City to break ground on Phase 2 of Travers skatepark expansion

Planning and Development Director Welker provides update on playground, James Russell facility

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

The city of Sandpoint will join Dreamland Skateparks and the Bonner County Skatepark Association on Thursday, May 30 for a 3:30 p.m. groundbreaking on Phase 2 of the skatepark expansion project at Travers Park.

Dreamland has begun construction on the second phase of the expansion, which comes 19 years after completion of Phase 1 — a.k.a., “the Concrete Lake.”

According to Sandpoint Community Planning and Development Director Jason Welker, the skatepark will double in size over the next two months, “with a new ‘street’ skate area being built directly north of the Concrete Lake.”

The $402,000 expansion is funded from the city’s Parks Capital Improvement Fund and a $52,00 donation from the Bonner County Skatepark Association.

The city also has grant applications pending in the hopes of raising about $70,000 for LED lighting that — while

by Sandpoint-based attorney Colton Boyles, who previously worked with Davillier Law and had been involved with the initial drafting of a letter to the city of Sandpoint challenging the Festival at Sandpoint’s no-weapons policy, which evolved into a lengthy and expensive legal battle that ultimately resulted in the city’s victory.

For her part, Bushnell has insinuated herself into Bonner County politics on more than one occasion, posting content on her website critical of Bonner County Commissioners Luke Omodt and Steve Bradshaw, and even funded anti-Omodt attack ads during the most recent May primary

not budgeted for — would enable the park to stay open after dark.

“We invite anyone who values this awesome amenity to attend the groundbreaking ceremony,” Welker told the Reader in an email.

Crews are expected to complete the work at the skatepark by the end of August and the newly expanded skatepark should be open by early September. The Concrete Lake will remain open for the duration of the project.

ward the southeast corner of the building in the next week. During that time, parking and pedestrian access will be disrupted to the rest of the park, though officials expect that will be restored within a week and a half.

Meanwhile, the City Council recently approved a bid from Ginno Construction for the Travers Park playground project, which will result in a 20,000-square-foot playground with more than a dozen play structures, a splash pad and donated sculptures.

“We’re also working with the Sandpoint Rotary club on an effort to either rehab and reinstall or possibly build a completely new Rotary pavilion to incorporate into the playground,” Welker said.

Ginno Construction’s bid came in below the $1.2

election through her Awesome Sauce PAC.

In the Posey case, the prosecution focused on Bushnell knowingly altering the video in order to support false claims of indecent exposure.

As early as the summer of 2022, the Coeur d’Alene prosecutor’s office declined to press charges against Posey for indecent exposure, writing in a news release that, “The unedited recordings did not depict any exposure of genitalia,” and, “The allegations of indecent exposure or other crimes cannot be supported by the evidence.”

According to media reports — which ranged from the Coeur d’Alene Press to The New

million budget for the project, with half of the funding provided by a Land Water Conservation Fund grant awarded to the city in 2023.

Construction on the playground is expected to kick off in June or July, with completion estimated in the fall — other than the splash pad, which isn’t expected to be open until 2025.

Finally, Legacy Building Solutions finished construction of the core structure of the James E. Russell Center and work has moved on to interior finishings, with subcontractors focused on HVAC, lighting, framing for the lobby and reception areas, as well as restrooms and the

York Times — Boyles described Bushnell’s statements to the jury as “close to the line” of defamation, but not enough to warrant conviction. The Press reported that Bushnell admitted under oath that she had never seen Posey’s “fully exposed genitals,” despite earlier claims to the contrary, while Boyles argued that it remained his client’s “honest belief” that Posey had indeed displayed his genitals in public.

Jurors didn’t agree with arguments from the defense at the end of the five-day trial, which concluded after about three and half hours of deliberation. Posey’s attorney Olsen said the verdict “demonstrates a clear message to this communi-

community room.

“[S]oon we’ll start to see interior walls go up, along with windows, overhead doors on three of the four sides of the building and other interior work that will bring the building toward its final completion,” Welker said.

That includes the epoxy and striping for the four tennis courts and 14 pickleball courts housed by the 40,000-squarefoot building, which is paid for with a $7.5 million private gift from the Russell family.

Infrastructure work is continuing in front of the building, with trenching for a stormwater drain connecting to the city’s sewer system on Pine Street and continuing to-

ty that you have to be truthful,” according to the Press.

Bushnell’s post — which relied on edited footage taken by Jeremy Lokken — came amid the nationwide outrage over the arrest of 31 white nationalist Patriot Front members who had gathered from around the country to violently disrupt the Coeur d’Alene Pride event, but whose plans were disrupted by a last-minute arrest.

The publicity surrounding that event helped boost Bushnell’s notoriety, but also made Posey a widely known figure in the LGBTQ+ community.

“The verdict and outcome were what we hoped for, and we deeply appreciate the jury’s dedication and careful consid-

Welker said that “work is ahead of schedule” for the Russell building, and it remains within the original $7.5 million budget — despite “some unforeseen change orders relating to site excavation and rising material costs.”

Once interior work is concluded, the final phase will include exterior finishes and landscaping, including a steel-and-wood facade on the front of the building, with lumber donated by Idaho Forest Group.

A 40-foot steel awning with tongue-and-groove wood paneling will also be installed, intended to provide about 6,000 square feet of covered outdoor public space.

Ultimately, Welker added that the project is on track to be open to the public no later than Thanksgiving 2024, and “likely earlier.”

eration of the facts presented,” the North Idaho Pride Alliance stated in a news release.

“In light of recent events, our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Idaho is stronger than ever,” added NIPA, which organized the 2022 Pride in the Park event. “We will persist in our efforts to provide resources, education and advocacy, fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding.

“Together, with the support of our allies and the broader community, we will continue to stand against hate and work towards a future where everyone can live authentically and without fear.”

< BUSHNELL, con’t from Page 4 >

A rendering of how the James E. Russell Sports Center will look after completion. Courtesy of ALSC Architects.

Carol Deaner retires as POAC board president

By Reader Staff

For nearly five decades, the Pend Oreille Arts Council has been a cornerstone of the Sandpoint arts scene, with a dedicated team of working board members at its core. Carol Deaner, a pivotal figure in POAC’s success, recently announced her retirement after years of service as board president.

Despite initial plans to step down completely, Deaner’s expertise and dedication led to her retention as “immediate past president” — a role she was persuaded to take on by staff and fellow board members, including incoming President Dyno Wahl.

Deaner’s legacy extends through POAC’s Kaleidoscope Program, formed in 1992 in collaboration with the Community Assistance League. Kaleidoscope brings art classes to Lake Pend Oreille School District elementary schools and has enriched the lives of more than 20,000 Bonner County third- through sixth-graders.

POAC board members and staff appreciate Deaner’s contributions, as well.

“Carol Deaner has had a profound influence on my life and career,” said Arts Coordinator Claire Christy. “Her guidance and support have meant everything to me, and I can wholeheartedly say that I don’t know where I would be without her. She fostered my potential in ways I never could have imagined. I will forever feel grateful and incredibly fortunate to have learned so much from her and will carry that into my work in the future.”

Wahl was elected by fellow board members as the new president of POAC, bringing four decades of nonprofit experience.

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 U.S. economy is currently the strongest in the post-COVID world, but a Harris poll shows many citizens remain unaware. The Guardian said 56% incorrectly think the U.S. is experiencing a recession and blame President Joe Biden. An NBC study showed those who follow national news and media favor voting for Biden, while social media and YouTube followers favor Donald Trump or Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Using a combination of existing programs, the Biden administration recently announced it will cancel student loans for another 160,000 borrowers, according to ABC.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in nine U.S. kids now has an ADHD diagnosis, amounting to an estimated 7.1 million children.

In west Antarctica, the world’s widest glacier is experiencing a “vigorous ice melt.” CBS reported that the eventual collapse of the glacier would result in a two-foot rise in sea levels. Additionally, hundreds died recently due to “blistering” temperatures. Extreme heat took lives in Gaza, India and Bangladesh. April was the warmest month on record.

Executive Director Tone Stolz envisions a dynamic partnership in advancing POAC’s mission.

“I am looking forward to working with Dyno in this position, and I know we will make a formidable team in propelling POAC to new heights,” said Stolz.

POAC invites the community to join in congratulating Deaner on her transition while welcoming Wahl into her new role as POAC president at the

County hosting informational meeting on noxious weeds and invasive species

By Reader Staff

Bonner County will host an aquatic noxious weeds and invasive species informational meeting on Thursday, June 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 U.S. Hwy. 2 in Sandpoint).

The meeting is open to the public and no pre-registration is necessary. The agenda is posted on the Bonner County Noxious Weeds webpage at bonnercountyid.gov/noxious-weeds.

Officials noted that the meeting is unrelated to Albeni Falls Dam operations, nor the resulting lake levels.

“That will not be addressed, nor will questions be entertained on that matter,” officials stated. “The topics addressed will adhere to the posted agenda.”

Contact Noxious Weeds Manager Chase Youngdahl with questions or for further info at chase.youngdahl@ bonnercountyid.gov or 208-255-5681 ext. 6.

Severe storms over Memorial Day weekend killed 23 people and injured hundreds in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Virginia, various media reported.

The latest “tragic error” in the Israel-Gaza war came with strikes on Rafah, previously designated a “humanitarian” area. The Guardian reported that the 1 million or so people fleeing Rafah had already fled other areas targeted by Israel in the north. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaho called it a “tragic error,” that, like others, he said is under investigation. At least 45 people were killed and 200 were injured. Foreign leaders have called the devastation “barbaric,” outrageous and no longer “justifiable.”

After the 2023 toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern will pay a $15 million federal fine and another $500 million for safety improvements and community health issues, Fortune reported. The company will also set up a $25 million, 20-year health care fund. Meanwhile, the CEO received $13.4 million in compensation last year. Norfolk Southern also faces a lawsuit from the state of Ohio.

Two years after the Uvalde school

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

shooting in Texas, CNN said victims’ families announced a $2 million settlement with the city. The 18-year-old shooter, using legally purchased guns, killed 19 children and two teachers. It took 77 minutes for responding officers to confront the shooter.

CNN research showed price-inflated shrimp was not at fault in the Red Lobster bankruptcy. Rather, it was a takeover by a private equity firm that forced above-market rate lease payments on their restaurants — $190 million in 2023 — and underinvestment that hollowed out the company. To stop similar business carnage, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has introduced the Stop Wall Street Looting Act.

According to a Data for Progress poll, 80% of Americans are in support of Congress passing a tax hike on corporations that pay their CEOs at least 50 times more than their median employee.

Donald Trump’s recent reception at a Libertarian National Convention featured delegates booing and insulting him as he begged for their support, The Guardian reported. Libertarians advocate for small government and individual freedoms. A person with a sign reading, “No wannabe dictators!” was removed. Trump softened the crowd by saying he’d commute the life sentence of the founder of Silk Road, an online market for illegal drugs. Post-convention comments included objections to Trump raising the federal deficit, printing money and aiding the “pharma regime.”

According to CNN’s chief legal analyst, Trump faces more than a decade in prison if found guilty by New York jurors of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. A unanimous vote is required for either a conviction or an acquittal. Deliberation by jurors was scheduled to begin this week.

Trump told TIME that, if re-elected, he will deport 15 to 20 million unauthorized immigrants. Economists told CNN that could worsen worker shortages, reignite inflation, trigger a recession and force the Federal Reserve to keep borrowing costs high for longer. Businesses would need to raise wages and prices, as native-born workers cannot meet the demand for workers.

Blast from the past: Alabama passed an anti-immigration bill in 2011 that resulted in unpicked crops rotting in the field. Up to 80,000 unauthorized immigrants left the state, resulting in Alabama’s GDP falling by up to $10.8 billion. Tax collection amounts also fell.

Newly elected POAC Board President Dyno Wahl, left, stands with longtime President Carol Deaner outside POAC’s new location at 313 N. Second Ave. Courtesy photo.

Far-right GOP primary wins make supporting democrats essential

By Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise Reader Contributor

Democracies are unhealthy without a balance of power between the parties and accountability at the ballot box. Sadly, Idaho’s ruling party is steadily moving deeper into extremism, fueled by low-turnout closed primaries that attract extreme conservative voters far outside the mainstream and millions in out-of-state spending from far-right extremists.

The results of the Idaho primary election illustrate this deepening shift in the GOP. Fifteen Republican incumbents, including longterm GOP leaders, were defeated. Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder was once at the conservative edge of his Republican caucus. Just a decade ago, his colleagues determined his bill mandating transvaginal ultrasounds for patients seeking abortion care went too far. Winder just lost his primary to a far-right politician who parachuted into Idaho from California.

Megan Blanksma, the once House Republican majority leader, sponsored the draconian abortion ban with no exception for the health of the woman, causing patients to be airlifted out of state in medical emergencies. Blanksma also supported the book bounty bill that led a rural library in her

district to close its doors to children. Still, she wasn’t conservative enough for the far-right, and her extremist opponent won.

The Idaho Senate, historically a backstop for extreme legislation, slipped further into the hands of the far-right two years ago, and this trend continued with this year’s primary. While far-right figures like Scott Herndon and Chris Trakel lost, more far-right Senate candidates will be on the November ballot than ever before. One of those is Brandon Shipp, of New Plymouth, who believes rape victims should be forced to carry the pregnancy and that women traditionally submit to being “under” their husbands when they marry them.

These values starkly contrast with those of most Idahoans, including Republican voters, highlighting the dangers of today’s

insular Idaho GOP.

Idaho deserves leaders who solve problems, not create them. Idaho’s small but critical Democratic caucus has reliably blocked some extreme Republican policies. If Democrats don’t gain seats, the surge of far-right Republicans coming out of the primary threatens Idaho’s ability to reject costly school voucher schemes, keep Medicaid expansion in place, halt general Medicaid cuts, fund the Launch scholarships that propel students to build career skills employers need, and much more.

November is our last chance to

shape Idaho’s future for decades, and the far-right primary election wins have heightened the stakes. It’s no wonder that so many traditional Republican voters no longer recognize their party. The only way to curb runaway extremism is to hold the Idaho GOP accountable by electing Democrats this November.

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

Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo.

Bouquets:

• I’d like to thank so many of our readers for being wonderful people. This is a tough job, and we often find ourselves burning out at various times of the year due to the heavy workload, the constant deadline cycle and the toxic politics we have to wade through. While there are always haters who can’t help but hate, they are always outshone by the ones who are supportive, constructive and helpful in their interactions. We appreciate our readers and advertisers for keeping us driven and somewhat sane through it all. If you want to support our paper, the best way is to patronize our advertisers’ businesses and tell them you saw their ad in the Reader

Barbs:

• Several people contacted me over the weekend to tell me about the “incident” involving a physical altercation between Spencer Hutchings, Dan Rose and Mike Franco. The fracas apparently centered around politics, as usual. The vast majority of us manage to live our lives without getting thrown out of public meetings, without getting arrested for assault and/ or battery, without berating public and elected officials because they don’t agree with us, and without getting into physical fights over ideas. It isn’t the Democrats, the centrists or the traditional Republicans stirring up all this noise. It’s the furthest right flank of the GOP that are so caught up in their own grievances and victim complex that they forget there are others who just want to live and let live. I’m over all the drama. Just like in school when a teacher has to take attention away from the other students to deal with an unruly pupil, these needy malcontents suck all the oxygen out of the room and force everyone to live in their fearful, ignorant reality. Can anyone truthfully say that these extremists have made our lives any better? Anyone?

Dear editor,

More than old novels, old movies, old cars, old smells or old faces and places, old songs remind me of grand old times — and of great new ones. As, for instance, on May 21 in North Idaho when Jim Woodward and his fellow straight-arrow candidates won political slugfests against below-the-belt opponents who don’t like public schools, libraries, the rule of law, the honest media, truth, equality, the Constitution or apparently anything that has kept America a planetary dream for 250 years.

In this instance, the song is “Happy Days Are Here Again!” — an aged and melodious sing-along classic of the Democratic Party and first popularized as Franklin Roosevelt’s campaign song in 1932. (This writer was 1 year old, yet can’t remember the occasion.)

“Happy Days” belong to all of us today.

“Happy days are here again… the skies above are clear again… so let’s sing a song of cheer again… happy days are here again.”

Good job, North Idaho!

Tim H. Henney Sandpoint

Spare gates?…

Dear editor,

I cannot believe that an organization such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would not have a spare gate in stock for situations such as this fiasco.

Maybe now they will stock at least two or three gates for future problems such as this one was.

Was it not just last year that you refurbished this gate that is now failing?

Jim Corcoran Sagle

Publisher’s note: From the news story “Army Corps expects 2,057ft. lake level by Memorial Day,” Reader, May 23: “Sanborn said after the spillway gate was pulled and replaced with a spare maintenance gate, contractors stripped away the paint and found a metal defect. Because the gates are original from the 1950s when the dam was built, Sanborn said the need to perform a closer inspection of all the gates was paramount, since they are made of the same metal and endured the same wear and tear as the defective gate.”

Dear editor, I would like to apologize to all the people who have to follow me on the Long Bridge. I have found that if I travel faster than 45 miles per hour over the 29 speed bumps, I get a headache!

Sorry.

Arthur Haley Sagle

Applause for ‘Party Pooping’…

Dear editor,

Your “Back of the Book” piece entitled “Party Pooping,” is stellar! We think you captured the dynamic perfectly. Thank you.

Dick and Diane Cvitanich Sandpoint

We need instant runoff, not open primary elections…

Dear editor,

‘Open primaries?’ If the Sandpoint basketball team is going to play Moscow, should the the folks from Moscow be able to choose the starting lineup for Sandpoint? No. Should Coeur d’Alene residents be able to vote for Bonner County commissioners? Of course not. Nor should folks from other political parties be able to choose the candidates for your party!

The real issue is that we need more choices — more viable parties — rather than try to invade and manipulate the two monopoly parties. But in order for that to happen, elections must be decided by a majority of voters. Which requires runoff elections between the top two.

“Ranked choice voting”? Absolutely not! The convoluted computer algorithms, no matter how they structure and manipulate them, still can and do choose candidates who the majority does not want.

Each party should choose their candidates. And when no candidate in the election receives a majority, then hold a runoff between the top two — not a big deal to do.

Say “no” to open primaries and “no” to ranked choice voting — they are both enemies of the democratic process; they destroy democracy rather than strengthen it.

Steve Hall

Sagle

What makes a ‘politician’?…

Dear editor,

Recently a man I respect told me that he is “proud to be an American” and asked if I feel the same. I

COMMUNITY

KRFY invites support through spring membership drive

By Reader Staff

Tune into 88.5 KRFY for an on-air community radio celebration as the station seeks to recognize the volunteers and sponsors who make their operations possible, and bolster their roster of local supporters.

The membership drive begins each morning at 8 a.m. with musical programming featuring live DJs behind the microphones, and live music in the studio at 4 p.m. with local artists, ending on Friday, May 31.

KRFY’s slate of local programming also aims to recognize valued supporters by interviewing some of the local nonprofit organizations that underwrite the station’s operations.

Panhandle Community

responded that I’m very grateful for the freedoms and opportunities this country affords me, and I feel very loyal.

Then he mentioned his disdain for politicians.

“Hum,” I responded, “Without them and meaningful elections, we would have an autocracy.”

I was also very aware that most of the folks we voted for (and against) earlier this month have occupations other than the positions we elect them to (or not). Are they “politicians” because they ask us for the opportunity to serve in our government?

This conversation reminded me that our differing views of what matters in our civic world are interesting and important to share.

Molly O’Reilly Sandpoint

On ‘authenticity’…

Dear editor,

As the election gets closer, our politicians are changing their minds faster than the weather. No one cares what their constituents want, but just keep smiling and talking out of both sides of their mouths. The border crisis is on the minds of many. Trump says he can solve

Radio has now been broadcasting for 13 years in North Idaho at 88.5

FM and — unlike commercial or public radio — receives no funding from advertising or any larger network of stations, and operates as an independent nonprofit.

“This means that 100% of the operating budget for the station relies on donations from local organizations, businesses and individual listeners,” KRFY stated in an announcement.

Find the station at 88.5 on the FM dial or stream from anywhere at krfy.org. Financial contributions are accepted on the website, and operators will be standing by until the conclusion of the membership drive at 208-265-2992 to take requests, comments and donations.

it. He couldn’t finish the wall, so he’s going to send them all back — then what, tear down the wall? The system is broken. And now they’ll promise you anything to get your vote. Authentic promises, yeah right.

The former president has scared all of his minions so now they march down to the courthouse with red ties standing there instead of doing their jobs.

One thing I do know, when someone tells you who they are, believe them. Especially when they quote Hitler!

The former president said he claims Biden had a plan to have him assassinated. Do you believe him?

Nikki Haley flip-flopped. She’s voting for Trump. Her statements are chiseled in Jello! If John McCain was still around, he would show all of us what it means to stand for truth. But we all heard a former president say, “I don’t like people that are captured.”

And after we’ve honored our men and women giving the ultimate sacrifice, we know what real authenticity means. They were not “suckers and losers.”

Bruce Duykers Sagle

Activation of international treaty brings hope for Idaho’s Kootenai River

By Jennifer Ekstrom Reader Contributor

The thought of Fernie, British Columbia conjures images of a quaint Rocky Mountain town that’s a haven for adventure and travelers; full of small-town charm, gorgeous recreation and an international vibe. But there’s a dark underbelly.

Pollution from mountaintop removal coal mines near Fernie, B.C. is harming fisheries and water quality in the Kootenai River in Idaho. For decades, a corporation called Teck Resources has been blasting Fernie’s nearby mountains to exploit coal, and shipping most of that coal across the world to be burned for steelmaking. In addition to the climate impacts, pollution downriver is undermining the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho’s efforts to restore endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon and burbot fisheries. It has been impossible to stop the polluting practices since they originate across the international border. Not anymore. The problem is now set to be addressed on the international stage.

The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 has been activated to resolve the coal mine pollution dispute. Under the treaty, the International Joint Commission (IJC) serves as the independent body that is tasked with resolving water pollution disputes between the United States and Canada. For the first time in 40 years, it is now authorized to go to work to protect water downstream of B.C., despite the fact that there are mines in B.C. polluting waters that flow into Alaska, Washington, Montana and Idaho.

And, for the first time ever, tribes and first nations have their rightful seats at the dispute resolution table. The governance board includes representatives from the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, the state of Idaho, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the state of Montana, the United States government, the four governments of the Ktunaxa Nation north of the international border, the B.C. government and the Canadian federal government.

While this IJC referral is a huge success and a major milestone, the work of reducing pollution is just

beginning. A key goal of the process must be the installation of mitigation technologies at the speed and scale necessary to protect downriver fisheries from selenium poisoning. According to a recent study by the United States Geological Survey, selenium pollution levels have quadrupled since 1985, and nitrates have increased 600 times. Both of these pollutants can harm fish, aquatic life and people. An ongoing cleanup plan must be implemented to manage the contamination forever, and no new mining should be permitted until the water pollution levels go down.

The stakes are high. A recent report by independent consulting firm Burgess Environmental Ltd, calculates that it will cost at least $6.4 billion to reverse rising selenium concentrations.

To complicate things, Teck’s coal assets will likely be sold this summer to a bad actor multinational corporation called Glencore. Glencore’s terrible track record includes environmental and human rights violations, and it is already responsible for a Superfund site at its Columbia Falls Aluminum Smelter in Montana. The

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up our nation’s most contaminated places, and the corporations responsible for the pollution are not always required to pay.

For example, downriver from Idaho in Washington state, after the Kootenai River flows into the Columbia River, the EPA recently recommended a Superfund designation due to lead pollution from Teck Cominco’s smelter in Trail, B.C. Teck Cominco is not being held accountable to fund all of the cleanup in that situation. Who will pay for the mine contamination in the Kootenai River that Teck has created and Glencore has bid to continue?

It’s critical that adequate financial assurances are in place before Glencore is allowed to buy Teck’s coal assets, so taxpayers in the United States don’t end up paying that bill also. The IJC has the power to ensure that the corporation reaping the profits and causing the pollution also pays for the cleanup.

Due to the scale of the problem and uncertainty about cleanup, we need assurances that no new mines

or mine expansions will occur until the current problem is fixed. Despite the unresolved pollution, B.C. started a permitting process for a new mountaintop removal coal mine in the same watershed, called the Crown Mt. Coking Coal Project. The Idaho Conservation League and many of our partners have asked the province to deny the permit.

The IJC has a mighty task in front of it, and we are sure this independent commission — with the leadership of tribes and first nations — is the right one for the job. The Boundary Waters Treaty is very clear in its intent, that “waters flowing across the boundary shall not be polluted on either side to the injury of health or property on the other.” The Idaho Conservation League agrees — every Idahoan deserves clean water. Your support will help us ensure Idahoans’ voices are heard as this dispute is resolved. Please consider becoming a member today!

Jennifer Ekstrom is North Idaho director for the Idaho Conservation League.

The Elk Valley Coal Mine in Fernie, B.C. Courtesy photo.

Science: Mad about

The radioactive ‘wild boar paradox’

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

By now, pretty much everyone should be at least familiar with the disaster that befell the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on April 26, 1986, when its Reactor No. 4 exploded and released enough radioactive contamination that health experts theorize it may have been responsible for elevated global rates of cancer.

Many people may also already know about the “exclusion zone,” an area of about 1,000 square miles established around the power plant in which very few — if any — human inhabitants remain.

Being located near the abandoned city of Pripyat in northern Ukraine, Chernobyl’s surroundings were always rich in wildlife and have remained so, despite the legacy of the 1986 explosion. Plants, animals and insects of many varieties survived the initial bombardment of radiation, which peaked at about 20,000 roentgens per hour (exposure to more than 200 roentgens will cause serious radiation sickness and upwards of twice that will likely result in death).

Not only that, but species have been returning to the area for years, both on their own and with the help of rewilding efforts.

The presence of so much contaminated flora and fauna has for decades provided scientists with the unique opportunity to study the short- and long-term effects of high- and low-level chronic radiation exposure. Though mutations and birth defects are elevated among the lifeforms in the zone, exposed animals have experienced steady declines in the radioactive contamination in their

bodies, as the various chemicals spewed by the meltdown have either dissipated or progressed toward their half-life.

That hasn’t been the case with the boars, however, which have consistently registered high levels of the cesium-137 isotope in particular. Cesium-137 is a byproduct of nuclear fission and has a halflife of about 30 years, which means the isotopes expelled by Reactor No. 4 should be more than half decayed by now — having been in the environment for nearly 40 years.

Yet the boars remain as contaminated as if they had just received a relatively healthy dose.

The phenomenon stumped researchers for years — even more so as heavily irradiated boars were discovered roaming the wilds of southern Germany, bearing enough radioactive contamination to make them unsafe to eat. (Which is a big deal in pork-loving Deutschland.)

It wasn’t too much of a stretch to assume that the fallout from Chernobyl had affected German boars, considering that the release of material from the power plant — which included heavy amounts of radioactive iodine-131, cesium-137 and strontium — landed on more than 40% of Europe.

Still, the idea that the boars alone were retaining high levels of contamination 807 miles west of the site of the disaster and almost 40 years later remained a mystery.

That changed in 2023, when radioecologist Bin Feng proposed another theory: Maybe the boars weren’t contaminated by Chernobyl alone, but also absorbing fallout from the nuclear weapons testing that took place in the decades

before the Chernobyl disaster?

As an August 2023 article from the American Association for the Advancement of Science pointed out, 500 of the 2,000 nuclear bombs tested during the Cold War were detonated in the atmosphere, scattering contamination far and wide that settled, then sank into soils.

Researchers in the study looked at the meat from 48 boars in Bavaria and found that a whopping 88% were too contaminated to pass German food safety regulations.

With the level of contamination established, the scientists narrowed in on the precise isotopes in play, and thereby uncovered the smoking gun. Both cesium-137 and cesium-135 were present in the boars’ meat, but those isotopes are created in different amounts depending on if they came from a nuclear reactor or a nuclear weapon. Further analysis of the samples showed anywhere from 10% to 99% of the cesium present came from nuclear bomb detonations.

But that seemed strange, too, considering that the height of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing was in the 1960s — 20 years older even than the Chernobyl contamination.

To answer why 21st-century German boars were full of almost-60-year-old radioactive fallout, researchers looked at the animals’ diet — specifically, truffles.

The theory goes something like this: Cesium from the bomb blasts settled on the forest floors around Europe, then sank further and further with rainfall, sealing it in underground layers. Fungi have extremely large and complex root structures, which are also especially receptive to absorbing the constituent elements

in their environment.

The truffles of the Bavarian woods — just as the mushrooms in the timberlands surrounding Pripyat — tapped into those lower layers of contamination and have been transporting the cesium from more than half a century ago back to the surface, where it’s been gobbled up by the boars.

While other animals that don’t rely on mushrooms as a foodstuff have spent the past several decades sloughing off

Chernobyl contamination generation after generation, the boars have been basically sucking Cold War bomb waste out of the ground with a fungal straw. Which is just as disgusting as it sounds, and a good reminder that even if we think our radioactive sins are buried, they have a way of resurfacing. Stay curious 7B (and maybe skip the wild Bavarian bacon).

Regular columnist Brenden Bobby will be back next week.

Random Corner

• The English word “alphabet” comes from the Latin for the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet; alpha and beta. However, they used to be pronounced aleph and bet

• The most commonly used letter in the English alphabet is E. The least is Z.

• Speaking of Z (which comes from the Greek zeta), it used to have a long vertical line capped at both ends similar to a modern capital I, but over time the top and bottom lines elongated and the vertical line slanted. Also, around 300 B.C.E., the Roman Censor Appius Claudius Caucus removed Z from the alphabet because it had become archaic. He also removed S and added G. Z didn’t make it back into the alphabet for another 200 years, when it was reintroduced into the Latin alphabet.

• There was once a 27th letter to the English alphabet. For years, the & symbol (known as the ampersand) was the final letter. It was pronounced “and” but recited

with the Latin per se, meaning “by itself.” One would read the last letters as, “X, Y, Z, and per se and,” which became “X, Y, Z ampersand.” By the late 19th century, the ampersand had mostly been phased out of the alphabet.

• The dot over the letter I is called a “tittle.”

• A sentence that contains all 26 letters of the English alphabet is called a pangram. Examples include the famous line, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” A shorter one is, “Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.”

• The official term for capital letters is majuscules, and lower-case letters are minuscules

• A lipogram is a text that deliberately excludes a particular letter of the alphabet. Ernest Vincent Wright’s novel Gadsby: Champion of Youth (1939) is a story of more than 50,000 words in which the letter E never appears (except on four accidental occasions).

Right: Yvette McGowan’s eighth-grade students at the Sandpoint Waldorf School brought the Reader to Costa Rica on a class trip.

Middle left: 2024 Angels Over Sandpoint Art Scholarship recipients Aubree Lane and Emele Dillon, (middle left and middle right, respecitvely) were each awarded $1,000 by Angels Over Sandpoint members Penny Cole, left and Brittany Erickson, right. Courtesy photo.

Bottom left: A close up view of pre-flowering lupine after a rain storm. Photographer Tom Trulock wrote, “The leaves brought the water to the core and the surface tension apparently held the water in a marble-sized ball, I presume for consumption.”

Bottom right: Rupert Laumann and Cyndy Mansur brought the Reader to Scotland. Here they are at the north end of the Hebridean Way bike route, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

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

COMMUNITY FSPW launches summer hike season

By Reader Staff

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness are kicking off their series of summer hikes with a forest ecology-themed trek Monday, June 1 on the Pillick Ridge Trail.

Led by Kootenai National Forest Cabinet Ranger District Silviculture Forester Jon Colby, the hike offers an opportunity to delve into the diverse ecosystems of local forests. The event is free and open to anyone curious to learn more about trees who wants to spend a day in the forest.

Other hikes offer the opportunity to learn about archaeology, forest fires, birds and hiking with kids. Volunteer hike leaders, Megan Leach and Juli Thurston will be leading a hike about foraging for edible food in July.

“I spend my free time getting kids and adults outside because I personally have benefitted so much from our local wild lands,” stated Juli Thurston, volunteer hike leader. “I

want to make sure everyone else in our community can experience that same joy, peace and exhilaration the Scotchmans offer.”

The free summer hikes are guided and tailored for both beginners and experienced hikers.

Bolin. “We offer a variety of unique experiences outdoors so that we can provide an adventure for anyone and everyone in our community.”

To view the full summer hiking schedule and sign up to join the Friends, visit: scotchmanpeaks.org/ hikes-events-schedule.

“Every hike is a chance to connect with neighbors and connect with our wild backyard,” stated FSPW Outreach Coordinator Brooke

Hikers enjoy the view midway up Star Peak. Courtesy.

KRFY 88.5 FM hosts Community Radio Day celebration

By Reader Staff

Video may have killed the radio star, but it’s alive and well here in North Idaho. KRFY 88.5 Panhandle Community Radio is hosting Community Radio Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at Little Carnegie Hall inside the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint. The day is a celebration of live radio, with live music performed by local groups.

Live music will be offered throughout the day, with the first performance starting at 10 a.m. featuring a TBD artist. Five-piece band The Accidentals will take the stage at 11 a.m. followed by Global Gumbo playing world music, blues and jazz at noon.

Singer-songwriter duo Little Wolf featuring Josh Hedlund and Justin Landis will play their thoughtful mix of indie folk at 1 p.m. followed by Sandpoint’s favorite party band Right Front Burner with Paul Gunter, Dave Pecha and Alvah Street playing all the groove, funk and rock you can handle.

There will also be an all-day local trivia quiz with fabulous and bizarre prizes, vinyl records on the airwaves and snacks available.

The KRFY studio. Courtesy photo.

MCS Gala Weekend celebrates summer

Students, faculty give three performances

By Reader Staff

The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint will host a series of concerts Friday, May 31-Sunday, June 2, with multi-instrumental performances from students and faculty alike.

What began in 2022 as a celebration of the grand reopening of the Little Carnegie Theater has blossomed into an annual tradition that highlights the skills students have spent all year developing, and the instructors who mentor them.

The Gala Weekend begins with a free Friday performance by the student Rock Ensemble from 6-7 p.m., with the Junior Rock Ensemble as the opening act. Students will perform hits by rock legends such as Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and Elton John. Saturday from 7-9 p.m., MCS’s top students will take the stage, with

singers, flutists, pianists and violinists performing a variety of classical and contemporary songs.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students either online at sandpointconservatory.org or at the door (110 Main St., in downtown Sandpoint).

Finally, the popular Summer Serenade fundraiser rounds out the weekend on June 2, giving audiences a glimpse of the MCS faculty’s skills. Instructors will perform a selection from Ludwig van Beethoven, Cyril Scott, Ernest Chausson and many more composers, filling the evening with timeless music.

Treat yourself to expertly executed classical music and enjoy an evening enthralled by the whirlwind of sound. Tickets to the Summer Serenade are $25 for adults and $10 for youth at sandpointconservatory.org.

National Trails Day project scheduled at Pine Street Woods

By Reader Staff

Trail lovers are invited to join Kaniksu Land Trust staff at a National Trails Day event that aims to make one of the trails at Pine Street Woods even better.

Volunteers will converge on the upper parking lot at Pine Street Woods (11915 W. Pine St.) at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 1 to receive information, work assignments, supplies and refreshments. Shortly thereafter, teams of volunteers will get to work on trail reconstruction, tread work and sign placement on the Pine Street Woods Mushroom Trail.

No experience or special skills are needed. Training and equipment will be provided. KLT has a few pairs of work gloves to lend, but bringing your own is encouraged.

Find more details and the link to register at kaniksu.org/volunteer.

BY THE NUMBERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

$1.1 million

The amount a Kootenai County jury awarded Eric Posey, a drag performer who was defamed by far-right blogger Summer Bushnell, who falsely accused him of exposing himself to minors during a performance in 2022. Bushnell posted a doctored video of Posey’s performance with a blurred spot that she claimed covered his “fully exposed genitals,” despite knowing the video was edited and contained no nudity. The video remains on Bushnell’s website and Facebook page. Bushnell was represented by controversial attorney Colton Boyles, who was also involved in the failed lawsuit against the city of Sandpoint over the Festival at Sandpoint’s no-weapons policy. The lawsuit cost the county and city taxpayers more than $320,000.

13 million

The number of acres in the Powder River Basin across Montana and Wyoming. On May 16, the Biden administration announced it will end coal leasing in the basin, which currently generates 251.9 million tons of coal, or about 44% of the nation’s annual production. Climate advocates hailed the move as a win, while Republican lawmakers declared it another battle in the “war on coal.”

November 2033

The month by which Social Security trustees predict the retirement program’s trust fund will be exhausted, threatening a cut of around 21% in benefits for nearly 60 million retirees and family members. Last year, the Social Security Administration moved the depletion date up from 2034 to 2033.

46.7%

The percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot in the May 21 primary election, an increase from the 43.8% who participated in the 2022 primary. Nearly 15,200 votes were cast on May 21.

‘I will raise such a war-cry against you as shall be remembered forever’

Historical women who shaped history with a blade

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

Thursday, May 30 marks the 593rd anniversary of the execution of Jeanne d’Arc for her part in the Hundred Years’ War and the supposed heresy of wearing pants as a woman. In honor of the teenager who gave her life to reclaim France and shape history, here are the stories of a handful of female leaders and warriors who carved out places for themselves — often with the sword — in patriarchal history books.

Jeanne d’Arc: The Maid of Orléans Whether from Hollywood or Shakespeare, most people are familiar with the name of one of France’s greatest heroes — Jeanne d’Arc (anglicized as Joan of Arc) — because of her bitter end. Before she was burned at the stake in 1431 at the age of 19, Jeanne was a peasant girl growing up during the constant bloodshed of the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. At the age of 16, Jeanne, believing herself to be guided by the Christian Saints Michael, Catherine of Alexandria and Margaret of Antioch, left her simple life as the daughter of a tenant farmer and began a military campaign that would result in the coronation of French King Charles VII. England’s occupation of much of modern-day France north of the Loire River, including the city of Paris, jeopardized Charles’ claim to the French throne. Disinherited by his father and unable to enter the city of Reims where monarchs were traditionally crowned, Charles’ reign was unpopular and unprofitable until Jeanne burst into his court demanding to lead an army into the besieged city of Orléans.

Jeanne reportedly dictated a letter, attached it to an arrow and shot into the English forces at Orléans, proclaiming, “You Englishmen, who have no right in this Kingdom of France, the King of Heaven sends you word and warning, by me Jehanne the Maid, to abandon your forts and depart into your own country, or I will raise such a war-cry against you as shall be remembered forever.”

According to Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words, this letter was delivered Sunday, May 5, 1429 and Jeanne led the French to victory in Orléans the following Wednesday. After leading successful military campaigns that carved out territory in Northern France, including the city of Reims — which paved the way for Charles VII to fully expel the English in 1453 — Jeanne was captured by English allies and abandoned by her king. She was later tried as a heretic for claiming to speak to saints and, as is prominent in the court records, for wearing men’s clothing as a military leader. The trial was a political stunt meant to undermine Charles VII’s new reign, nevertheless, Jeanne suffered a year of mental anguish in

prison before her execution. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the Catholic Church officially pardoned her and canonized her as a saint. In her final testimony before being sentenced, the 19-year-old Jeanne declared, “If I were at the place of execution, and I saw the fire lighted, and the [wood] catching and the executioner ready to build up the fire, and if I were in the fire, even so I would say nothing else, and I would maintain what I have said at this trial until death.”

Shih Yang: Terror of the high seas

Savvy business woman, sex worker and pirate Shih Yang, later known as Zheng Yi Sao, began her career aboard a floating brothel in the South China Sea in the late 18th century. She became perhaps the most successful pirate in history shortly after marrying her former client, Zheng Yi, who was a respected leader among Chinese pirates in his own right. According to Overheard at National Geographic, Yang rose to power during an innovative time for piracy. Prior to the late 1700s, Chinese piracy was relatively low-stakes work for fishermen in the off season and didn’t entail much blood-

shed. That changed when regional pirates earned profit and military experience during the Tây Sơn wars in Vietnam, which paved the way for fulltime piracy and transformed the industry into something more recognizable to modern audiences.

Following the death of her husband, Yang took over leadership of China’s Pirate Confederacy, running it as a successful business by punishing insubordination and rewarding loyalty. Research by historians Dr. Dian Murray and Dr. Ronald Po suggests that at the height of her career, Yang commanded a fleet of more than 1,000 ships with as many as 70,000 underlings. By comparison, the English pirate Edward “Blackbeard” Teach likely commanded several ships with only a few hundred men.

After nine years controlling the South China Sea and battling seafaring powers like the East India Company, Portuguese Empire and the Qing Dynasty, Yang became so powerful that the Chinese Navy had no hope of defeating her confederacy. In an effort to bring peace, the Qing government brokered a deal that allowed Yang to retire with no repercussions while

still maintaining between 20 and 30 ships and much of her plunder, according to Po. Yang spent the rest of her life rich and happy, living off the proceeds of her numerous gambling dens and brothels.

Æthelflæd: Scourge of the vikings Popular media like Vikings and The Last Kingdom are fond of sensationalizing the might of medieval Scandinavian invaders, but despite Hollywood’s flare for the dramatic, the fact remains that few leaders had the military and political acumen to repel the vikings.

By the late 800 C.E., viking invaders had escalated from simply raiding villages to assuming control of much of modern-day Scotland, Ireland and England — which is where Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, came in.

Queen Æthelflæd succeeded her husband in 911 C.E., becoming ruler of central England’s kingdom of Mercia, which bordered the Scandi< see HERSTORY, Page 17 >

Top left: Joan of Arc by Albert Lynch (1903). Top middle: Illustration of a battle between pirates and merchants in the South China Sea from a Qing scroll. Top right: Æthelflæd depicted in the 14th century Cartulary of Abingdon Abbey. Courtesy photos

COMMUNITY

Building butterfly waystations

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Mighty Monarch Conservation Group plants milkweed propagation garden for migrating monarchs

By the time Idaho had adopted the monarch butterfly as its state insect in 1992, the migratory insects were already starting to grow scarce in the northern part of the state. The Mighty Monarch Conservation Group is aiming to change that.

“Our state butterfly is no longer seen in North Idaho because of our state habitat,” said Mighty Monarch member Perky Smith-Hagadone. “Their historic range was from Idaho up to B.C., but they’re gone now because the only plant the monarch will lay its eggs on is milkweed.”

The Mighty Monarchs are a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization tasked with the mission to plant native milkweed gardens around the region so that the monarch butterflies will return to lay their eggs as they had once before.

Specifically, the monarchs prefer to lay eggs on Asclepiadaceae, or showy milkweed. It’s a stout, perennial that has large, oval leaves and ostentatious, spherical clusters of rose-colored flowers that monarchs absolutely love.

“I heard a monarch can sense or smell milkweed hundreds of miles,” Smith-Hagadone told the Reader

(Disclosure: Perky Smith-Hagadone is the mother of Reader Editor Zach Hagadone.)

While it used to grow in abundance throughout the region, the increased development and use of pesticides led to the eradication of milkweed over time. That, in turn, caused the monarchs to bypass this region in search of healthier plant populations in which to lay their eggs.

The Mighty Monarchs met at the WaterLife Discovery Center on Lakeshore Drive May 17 to plant a 25-foot-by-19-foot propagation garden of showy milkweed. It’s just one of many projects the organization is promoting to bring monarchs back to North Idaho.

“Our group met two winters ago and we hit the ground running,” Smith-Hagadone said. “We now have 130 people on our mailing list, we participate in a ton of educational events and give out free milkweed seeds to educate people on how to grow it and why it’s so good.”

The Mighty Monarchs helped plant

a pollinator perimeter garden at the Sandpoint library, which contained all native plants and milkweed. They also put in six pollinator gardens at Pine Street Woods with a seventh on its way, thanks to a grant from the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society. There’s also one planted at Northside Elementary School — where Smith-Hagadone served as principal before her retirement at the end of the 2019 school year — and the group has assisted with countless other gardens on private properties throughout the region.

“The idea behind a propagation garden is that after about a year, milkweed spreads like mint,” Smith-Hagadone said. “You can dig it up without killing the host plant, and then you can transplant it. So, with this garden, we’ll have a free source of milkweed to give to property owners and organizations that want to plant their own.”

Smith-Hagadone said the Mighty Monarchs are an army of volunteers who are eager to plant new gardens around the area. The one planted May 17 was paid for with funding by Idaho Fish and Game.

“Our organization can’t pay for anything because we don’t have any money, but if someone wants to put in a garden and pay for it, we’ll gladly do the work,” she said. “We had about 16 people that showed up for planting day [May 17] and it was so fun. We all had a ball.”

It’s Smith-Hagadone’s hope that property owners will jump on the bandwagon and begin planting native gardens on their own land, providing what are called “monarch waystations,” so the butterflies have what they need on their annual continental migration.

“While milkweed is essential, the monarchs also need other native flowers to feed on once they emerge as an adult on the migration route,” she said. “Since moths and butterflies only lay eggs on native plants, birds also highly depend on caterpillars of these insects to feed their babies, so it’s a trickle-up effect that has caused a lot of problems that we’ve seen going to these sterile landscapes.”

Smith-Hagadone said native gardens are a cinch to put in, often requiring only occasional watering to maintain them. She said the Mighty Monarchs are coordinating with another organization called Wings Rising based in

Coeur d’Alene that has a similar mission to get milkweed gardens planted in Rathdrum and Coeur d’Alene.

“They’ve been doing this back east where the monarch population is doing better because of legislation,” Smith-Hagadone said. “We’d love people to look up how to become a monarch waystation and we’ll help walk them through all the requirements.”

It’s important to Smith-Hagadone and the other Mighty Monarchs because populations of monarchs, as well as other pollinators like bumblebees, have been on the decline in recent years.

“The monarchs are getting to the point where they can’t recover from a catastrophe,” she said. “They used to number anywhere from 3 million to 10 million, but now it’s down to like 300,000. ... They say we’re down to about 1% of the original population.

“So much about the environment just kills your heart,” she said, later adding, “We’re all hungry to do

something to make a difference, but often don’t know what. Then, when you have something as positive as this, people get so enthusiastic and open to new ideas and plants. It just makes you feel good.”

For those interested in learning more about the Mighty Monarch Conservation Group, as well as how to plant their own native garden, contact the group at themightymonarchs@gmail.com. Also, the Mighty Monarchs will have a booth at the annual KNPS Native Plant Sale Saturday, June 8 from 9 a.m.-noon at the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum on South Ella Avenue near the Bonner County History Museum.

Top: Mighty Monarch volunteers install a milkweed propagation garden on May 17 at the WaterLife Discovery Center. Bottom left: Showy milkweed in bloom. Bottom right: Perky Smith-Hagadone, left, doles out assignments to volunteers prior to planting. Photos by Amy Anderson, Selkirk Conservation Alliance.

2024 Women of Wisdom celebrates 25th anniversary

By Reader Staff

The Women Honoring Women committee is celebrating both its 25th anniversary and the announcement of its 2024 Women of Wisdom: Jean Elsaesser, Linda Gibbs, Ina Loman, Carlene Peterson and Marcia Pilgeram.

“Over the course of their lives, these five women have contributed to the betterment of our community through their leadership and service and have served as inspirational role models in Bonner County,” the organization stated in a news release.

Since its inception in 1999, Women Honoring Women has recognized more than 135 honorees who were nominated by community members. To be nominated as a Woman of Wisdom, candidates must be 65 years or

older, possess vision and achieve goals through collaboration, love to learn and demonstrate a commitment to serving our community.

In addition, honorees show dedicated leadership that results in admiration and respect from others, and serve as an inspiration to others and an example for future generations of women.

The ideal candidate “faces life’s challenges with grace and courage, and lives with dignity, integrity,” the organization stated, noting, “the fact that there are so many exceptional women in our community makes the selection process difficult.”

The 2024 Women Honoring Women committee members are: Sue Brooks, Barbara Buchanan, Cassandra Cayson, Kathy Chambers, Patti Clemons, Deanna Harris, Alana Hatcher, Jenni Hewitt, Julie Jurenka, Carrie

LaGrace, Pat Lewis, Barb Merritt, Jeralyn Mire, Marlene Rorke, Sandy Ross, Tina Sleyster, Diane Stockton, Sally Transue and Cherie Warber.

This year’s Women of Wisdom will be honored at the 25th anniversary gala brunch, hosted at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way).

Reservations are being accepted until Friday, June 7 and available by contacting Diane Stockton at 208-2906362 or stockton_diane@yahoo.com. Tickets are $30.

“We invite all family and friends to attend our Gala Brunch to recognize these outstanding women and to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Women Honoring Women,” the organization stated. “Please plan to attend to honor these extraordinary women and the many women who have come before them.”

Berkeley Cox awarded Erik Bruhjell Memorial Scholarship

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint High School senior, Berkeley Cox, is the recipient of the Bonner County Democrats’ Erik Bruhjell Memorial Scholarship.

“It’s hard to think that your vote matters in a country of 333 million people, but it does,” Cox said during the May 21 scholarship ceremony.

“This year I decided to use my voice, my passion for justice and my desire to work hard for what I believe in to try and make a change at the state level,” she said.

During the final months of her senior year, Cox worked as an intern to help Jim Woodward win the primary election for the Idaho Senate.

Cox will be attending Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., majoring in political science with the goal to become a lawyer.

Scholarship Chair Sylvia Humes, during the May 21 scholarship ceremony.

< HERSTORY, con’t from Page 15 >

navian-controlled Danelaw. Though Mercia valued its queens, Æthelflæd’s rise to power was unprecedented in Medieval England.

“She was given the same education as her brothers, and the crises of her childhood must have given her a schooling in the realities of politics and war,” said British historian Dr. Clare Downham in an interview with BBC News

Æthelflæd initiated a time of English prosperity by not only building up defenses against viking raiders, but leading her armies on expeditions — which she planned — to regain lost land and bring the inhabitants of the Danelaw to heel, according to historian Frank Stenton. She became the first English monarch to capture one of the Danelaw’s five main strongholds, Derby, in 917 C.E., and her military campaign was so successful that leaders surrendered the city of Leicester without opposition, with Danish-ruled York pledging her loyalty soon after.

Æthelflæd’s fame lasted long after her death, as shown in 12th century historian Henry of Huntingdon’s verse, translated by Thomas Forester, “Heroic Elflede! great in martial fame, / A man in valour, woman though in name; / Thee warlike hosts thee, nature too obey’d, / Conqu’ror o’er both, though born by sex a maid. / Chang’d be thy name, such honour triumphs bring, / A queen by title, but in deeds a king. / Heroes before the Mercian heroine quail’d: / Caesar himself to win such glory fail’d.”

History’s important women weren’t all pious and tragic like Jeanne d’Arc — they were pirates, generals, healers, poets and practitioners of all manner of careers that were as diverse as the women who occupied them. Popular culture often presents a myopic view of the past where women are confined to kitchens and brothels; and, while housewives and sex workers were valuable members of their communities, it’s important to remember that they didn’t represent the extent of women’s achievements.

The next time internet trolls complain about historical inaccuracy in period pieces — or, ridiculously, fantasy media — when they include female characters, remember that women have stood side-by-side with men throughout history.

Women’s history is human history, and as long as people take the time to learn it, it will survive despite misogynistic attempts to erase it.

Berkeley Cox, with Bonner County Democrats’

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com

Bingo Night

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Cribbage Club

7pm @ Connie’s Turbo Trivia ($5) 7pm @ Connie’s

Game Night

6:30pm @ Tervan

Live Music w/ Ian Newbill

6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Live Music w/ Jacob Robin

5pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Jordan Pitts

6-9pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Carl Rey & Truck Mills

6-9pm @ Smokesmith BBQ

Blues, BBQ and beer, the perfect trio

Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments

6-8:30pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Live Music w/ Heat Speak Trio

8-11pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Featuring Dario Ré

Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments

6-8:30pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes

5-8pm @ 1908 Saloon

Live Music w/ Zachary Simms

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Legally Blonde The Musical

7pm @ Panida Theater

Live Music w/ Double Shot Band

5pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Legally Blonde The Musical (matinee)

2pm @ Panida Theater

Magic with Star Alexander

5-8pm @ Jalepeño’s

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Outdoor Experience Group Run

6pm @ Outdoor Experience

3-5 miles, all levels welcome

tuesDAY, June 4

Live Piano w/ Carson Rhodes

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Piano influenced by Billy Joel

Live Music w/ Marcus Stevens

6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

Game Night

THURSDAY, may 30

May 30 - June 6, 2024

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public meeting (see Page 4 for more)

6-8pm @ Ponderay Events Center

Representatives from the Army Corps will inform the public on restricted operations at Albeni Falls Dam, with topics including current operations, snowpack and inflow forecasts. 401 Bonner Mall Way, Suite E

FriDAY, may 31

Live Music w/ Pamela Benton

5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Incredible electric violin

End of the Year Rock Ensemble

6-7pm @ Little Carnegie Hall (MCS)

Firehouse doors will open for this show

Live Music w/ Joey Beltran

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

A troubadour in the purest sense, playing a fun show that shouldn’t be missed

SATURDAY, June 1

Community Radio Day

10am-1pm @ Little Carnegie Hall (MCS)

Celebrate live radio with live music!

Local bands playing all day, local trivia quiz and fabulous bizarre prizes

Live Music w/ The Waiting

8:30pm @ The Hive

Playing the music of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. $25/$30 day of show

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market

9am-1pm @ Farmin Park

Live Music w/ John Daffron

6-9pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Hannah Meehan

6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

SunDAY, June 2

Live Music w/ Jerry Dalke (folk)

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Sandpoint Chess Club

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

monDAY, June 3

National Trails Day Pint Night

5-8pm @ Utara Brewing

Talk focusing on recreational activities

Legally Blonde The Musical 7pm @ Panida Theater

A night of laughter, love and unforgettable songs. Presented by LPO Repertory Theatre. $25

Legally Blonde enters final week

By Reader Staff

The Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre production of Legally Blonde The Musical is returning to the Panida Theater for its closing weekend, with performances scheduled for Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m. as well as a matinee showing Sunday, June 2 at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the acclaimed musical are $25 and can be purchased at panida.org.

Friends of the Library Monthly Book Sale

10am-2pm @ Sandpoint Library

Enjoy great deals on gently used books and other media at the library

Woods Wheatcroft collage art show

6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

A closing party featuring live collage and DJ Spitify spinning the beats

Jason Perry Band album release party 9pm @ 219 Lounge

Jason Perry always brings a party with his funk, rhythm and New Orleans dirty bird groove. No cover. 21+

MCS Summer Serenade

5-6pm @ Little Carnegie Hall

See Page 14 for more info

Choosing Harmoney: A Series of Talks by Monastics at Sravasti Abbey

6-8pm @ Create Arts Center, Newport, Wash. (Mondays June 3-24)

Abbey monastics will share insights on meditation and thought-training practices to keep the heart open and calm in difficult situations. Also includes a short guided meditation and Q&A with a group discussion

wednesDAY, June 5

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market

3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park

Fresh local produce and artisan goods

Benny on the Deck concert series

5-7pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Special guest Jake Robin

ThursDAY, June 6

6:30pm @ Tervan Bingo Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Live Piano w/ Dwayne Parsons

5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Storytelling piano tunes

Open Mic Night 6pm @ Tervan Tavern

Live Music w/ Double Shot Band

5pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Aquatic noxious weed informational meeting

5:30pm @ Bonner Co. Admin building

Meeting on aquatic noxious weeds and invasive species

Based on the book Legally Blonde by Heather Hatch, which also produced a 2001 feature film of the same name, the musical version of the play follows the story of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. When Elle’s boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law, Elle is determined to get him back, ingeniously charming her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex, but with the support of some new friends, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

Featuring a cast of familiar characters from the Sandpoint theater scene, Legally Blonde The Musical will also showcase several newcomers to the stage.

“Opening weekend was a lot of fun!” said LPO Rep founder Keely Gray. “We had amazing audiences who brougth energy and enthusiasm ... we are definitely looking forward to next weekend and hope to see even more pink than we did last weekend.”

To learn more about LPO Rep, visit lporep.com.

Legally Blonde The Musical

Friday, May 31-Saturday, June 1 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 2 at 2 p.m; $25. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208-263-9191, get tickets at panida.org. Visit lporep.com for more information.

Cribbage Club

Unfrosted is not grrreat!

Jerry Seinfeld’s first (and hopefully last) film proves why we shouldn’t listen to him about comedy

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Watching Jerry Seinfeld’s new movie Unfrosted, which is supposed to be a comedic counterhistory of the invention of the Pop-Tart, I’m reminded of an incident a long time ago when I ordered a bowl of Cream of Wheat in a diner in Clark Fork and ended up waiting for a solid 30 minutes for my food to emerge from the kitchen. I was with friends, including Publisher Ben Olson, after a long, debaucherous weekend in Montana and had an especial need for something nourishing for breakfast.

Everyone else’s food came out long before mine. I even watched them eat the majority of their biscuits and gravy, omelets and bacon before my hot cereal finally arrived. When it did, the server shrugged and simply said, “Cook couldn’t get it to do what he wanted it to do.”

It was probably the most terrible and baffling breakfast I ever had. That’s Unfrosted — though in this case, the “cook” is mega-millionaire comedy icon Jerry Seinfeld, “it” is whatever this movie was supposed to be and what it “do” is suck in so many terrible, baffling ways.

Out of respect for readers, I’ll keep the plot summary as brief as possible: Set against the backdrop of a simpering late-Boomer-nostalgic early 1960s, the Kellogg’s and Post cereal companies are duking it out in Battle Creek, Mich. for dominance of America’s breakfast tables. Why anyone cares about this is unclear. Kellogg’s is winning (led by Jim Gaffigan); Post is losing (led by Amy Schumer). I won’t bother with using the characters’ names, since 90% of the reason for this film’s existence is to serve as a vehicle for cameos.

Into the mix is Seinfeld as a chipper young 70-something-year-old “idea man” who dreams of one day being able to afford a sod lawn (“har har,” the suburbs). He’s never been able to crack the concept of a toaster pastry, but soon finds out that Post has but only because they stole his material... uh, research. Then with one-dimensional sidekick Melissa McCarthy in tow, it’s a race to see who can roll out what becomes the first Pop-Tart. Again: Who cares? Well, Seinfeld sure as hell does. Remember Jerry’s apartment in the Seinfeld TV show? Remember how it had about 50 boxes of cereal on the shelf in about 45% of all the scenes? Jerry Loves Cereal. Why? Because it’s funny! Breakfast! It’s a meal that’s not lunch or dinner, and it has two words in it like “break” and “fast” because you “break” your “fast” while you were sleeping and it’s funny, with its eggs and it bacon and all that stuff that have you ever noticed you don’t eat any other time of the day and isn’t that weird and funny! Hahaha! See, it’s funny! It’s funny!

Therefore, we are asked to consider a world that turns on breakfast foods — from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the nightly news with Walter Cronkite (the latter being the only reliably entertaining part of the film, along with a deadpan Mad Men skit starring John Hamm and John Stattery as their characters from that now almost-10-year-old series).

Normally, hilarity would ensue. Instead, it’s an unrelenting psychic assault of mundanity, dead-eyed cringe, half-assed butt jokes and outright lameness that is so vapid and mindlessly, arrogantly stupid (and freighted with gassy, outdated self-importance) that it feels malicious.

Seinfeld literally made his name playing an insufferable, whining misanthrope. It is

clear that he was not acting and, sitting atop his mountainous fortune accrued from decades of homebound, bored binge-watchers, looks down on us all with pure hatred. No one who loves their fellow creatures — or even has a touch of regard for them — would make a movie like this. Certainly no one with any respect for comedy, and only Jerry Seinfeld could have made it. There is simply no reason for it to exist otherwise. The provenance of this film is so clearly one of Seinfeld’s schticky setups — “What’s the deal with ... ?” — that it feels like he’s robbing from himself.

Meanwhile, those bits of “observational” comedy were the worst parts of Seinfeld, and to see one of them allowed to grow to such freakish enormity as Unfrosted is frankly monstrous. When Jerry delivers a line like, “The beauty of cereal is you’re eating and drinking at the same time with one hand,” as if it’s some kind of devastating bon mot, you know he’s lost the plot. Or, more likely, never had it unless Larry David handed it to him.

Yet, this is the comedy that Seinfeld has been so strident in defending against the “extreme left and P.C. crap and people worrying so much about offending other people,” which he told The New Yorker’s David Remnick has ruined comedy.

Get this: It turns out that Jerry Seinfeld — whose other main contribution to comedy has been going on self-congratulatory Sunday drives with his celebrity pals in his fleet of luxury vehicles — thinks comedians just can’t be funny anymore because some sensitive soul will get mad at them.

The number of reasons why this is not true are too staggering to recount (there is more biting, whip-smart, gut-punching and downright

raunchy comedy on TV now than ever before). It’s also too obvious to merit much exploration other than to point out that he is a very rich white man bemoaning “cancel culture” in an interview with a magazine that publishes more than 1.2 million copies and logs many millions more monthly web visitors while he’s promoting a movie that he wrote, directed and starred in and Netflix is streaming for him.

It’s hard to believe he’s not putting on an act. Comedians are supposed to be self-reflective and observant. He has to know he’s no Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Redd Foxx or George Carlin. Everything else aside, Seinfeld has been famously inoffensive throughout his entire career. He has never said or done anything in his comedy that remotely challenges anything, other than low-talkers, close-talkers, puffy-shirt owners or big-handed women. His whole persona has always been “about nothing,” which is really the opposite of what comedy should be.

And that’s why, despite what hand-wringers like Sein feld say, audiences don’t care about so-called offensive material in and of itself. They just don’t like comedi ans who aren’t funny. Think of the “anti-woke” crew: Tim Allen, Howie Mandel, Dennis Mill er, Bill Maher, Rosanne Barr, Rob “Deuce Biga low” Schneider, Jimmy Carr, and (to lesser extents) Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle.

With the exception of Chapelle, these are hardly august names in the pan theon of contemporary American comedy history. As The New Statesman

September 2023, the world of anti-woke comedy is above all “tedious,” with its “jokes” rooted in what amount to an extended complaint that its practitioners might be held accountable to their audience if what they say isn’t funny. Meanwhile, the people who bemoan “cancel culture” are the same ones who stamp their feet over declining moral standards in every other aspect of life.

There is no pleasing these people other than to surrender to them. They love to frame themselves as daring truth-tellers with their lazy misogyny, transphobia and irritable “back-in-my-dayism,” but they’re really just shallow assholes. As Tennessee Williams put it, “All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness.”

I won’t say that Seinfeld is “cruel,” but I will say that he is among the last people to whom we should listen for thoughts on the current state of comedy. His first and hopefully last movie is so bland and toothless, it should have been about unseasoned oatmeal. And if you think

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist

In all past years, I counted on my magnificent, blooming rhododendron to announce the beginning of our long-awaited summer in Sandpoint. Alas, this year, the pride of my yard has sadly disappointed me (and my neighbors), and not a single pink blossom is present. I had it trimmed back this spring (for the first time in more than 20 years), but we also had that hard freeze this winter, so I don’t yet know where to lay blame. I’m still hopeful it might surprise me with a spray of pink next month.

Fortunately, there are other “summer is (maybe) coming” benchmarks we can look to — Lost in the ’50s, the opening Saturday of the Farmers’ Market and, my favorite, the reopening of our iconic lakeside eateries.

Pearl’s on the Lake and The Float House are already open, and It won’t be long before Trinity at City Beach opens its doors on Friday, June 7. Though they’ve changed names and menus over the years, these beloved waterfront locations remain the same. Whether biking up to Trinity for a quick bite and a brew or boating to Pearl’s for a complete celebratory gathering, there’s nothing like a sunset cocktail-on-the-deck vibe!

I am darn grateful to have friends with boats, because even though I can drive to any of those establishments, nothing is more pleasurable than mooring into a slip and tying up for an evening of

The Sandpoint Eater Summer in Sandpoint

lively libations and conversations with good pals. After operating a summer tourist train for more than 10 years, I greatly respect these seasonal restaurants. It’s a hectic pace all summer, and then there is a lot of work to close up at the end of the season. Winter doesn’t provide much income and then comes spring, and it’s time to plan menus, refresh and reopen, reestablish supply chains and rehire for the season. Fortunately, places like Pearl’s, Trinity and The Float House have the know-how to do just that. I think they must all be pretty good employers, too, because I see many of the same kitchen staff, servers and bartenders (like my favorite mixologist, Lance of

Trinity) year after year.

I’ve already been peeking at their menus and am happy to see some of my favorites will be available — especially Trinity’s peach burrata caprese paired with a chilled pinot grigio. Pearl’s also has a pretty tasty beet and burrata salad, and I look forward to cutting into one.

Everything tastes better with burrata — a decadent mozzarella stretched around a small pouch of cream and creamy curds to form a ball and sealed off with a trademark pinch. Burratina is an even smaller version that can be eaten in one rich and creamy bite.

I first sampled burrata about 10 years ago at Eataly on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and was forever

hooked after one creamy bite. Thanks to its popularity, you can find it more readily available locally, and if you’re keen to learn to make it, there are hands-on classes at culinary shops such as Eataly and Sur la Table. If you prefer to stay home and learn the art of stretching cheese, you will find many online classes (learning to make it is on my shortlist, and I hope to attend an in-person class next fall).

While I don’t yet know how to make burrata, I certainly know how to enjoy it. I had more than my share on recent trips to Spain and especially Italy, where it was created more than 100 years ago in the southern Italian Murgia region. Generations

of burrata makers continue to produce this cheese in the tradition of their forefathers. It’s a complex cheese with a short shelf life, making it more expensive than mozzarella. In Italy, it’s eaten on pizza, in pasta and caprese salads, and on its own, served with bread, basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. I like it best when it’s served at room temperature. Hopefully, I’ll see some of you this summer at one of our lakeside restaurants (do yourself a favor and try my favorite salads). Or, who knows? Maybe I’ll catch you at a local cheese counter. Either way, I hope your summer in Sandpoint indulgences will include some creamy Italian burrata!

Heirloom tomatoes and burrata salad recipe

This is such a pretty and tasty salad. Make just before serving. I think it has the best flavor when the tomatoes and burrata are at room temperature. Feel free to add chopped nuts or olives atop a bed of arugula. Serve with fresh baguette. Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: DIRECTIONS:

• 4 medium heirloom tomatoes (different colors)

• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (save a few for garnish)

• 4 oz ounce burrata cheese ball

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar

Slice tomatoes about ¼ thick and place on a ceramic (non-metallic) platter. Sprinkle with chopped basil, sea salt and pepper. Add ball of burrata and drizzle platter with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve soon. If you prefer, you can use chopped chunks of tomatoes and tear the burrata into pieces (I prefer to keep whole). Leftovers should be refrigerated and eaten within a day.

MUSIC

Festival concludes 2024 lineup with Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, The National Parks

By Reader Staff

The Festival at Sandpoint has made its final lineup announcement for the 2024 Summer Series, adding Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors with The National Parks on Sunday, July 28.

Longtime staples of the Americana scene in Nashville, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors have spent 15 years of non-stop touring, collecting a number of critically acclaimed albums along the way — as well as features by NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, CMT, Jimmy Kimmel Live! (twice) and more.

Meanwhile, the eponymous frontman is an Emmy Award-winning artist with music featured in more than 75 of the most-watched shows on TV. Also among Holcomb’s projects are the Moon River Music Festival — which draws crowds of 10,000 people each year to Chattanooga — and Magnolia Record Club, a monthly vinyl subscription service.

The band’s sound flows from a catalog of vibrant, honest songs that explore the full range of American roots music, celebrating community, collaboration and contemporary American roots music. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors’ ninth album, Strangers No More, expands the band’s mix of timeless songwriting,

modern-day Laurel Canyon folk, amplified Americana and heartland rock ’n’ roll.

“All The Money in the World,” with its deep-pocketed groove that showcases The Neighbors’ musicality, is punctuated by blasts of brass, marking the band’s first song to feature horns.

“That’s On You, That’s On Me” makes room for barrelhouse piano, slide guitar and the greasy grit of a juke joint rock band. “On a Roll” and “Possibility” are Springsteen-sized rock ’n’ roll melodramas that wail and exalt — their cinematic arrangements built for the large rooms that Holcomb regularly plays these days.

Now it’s Sandpoint festival goers’ turn to get acquainted with Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, and will certainly not leave the show as strangers.

Also taking the Festival stage on July 28 will be The National Parks — the Provo, Utah-based quartet of Brady Parks on vocals and guitar, Sydney Macfarlane on vocals and keys, Cam Brannelly on drums, and Megan Parks on violin.

Emerging from BYU in 2013, The National Parks deal in cinematic indie folk-pop powered by soaring harmonies, organic orchestration and luminous electronics.

The band has generated more than 200 million streams

and maintained momentum with a sold-out headline tour and the 2021 album A Mix for the End of the World pt.1. The group has since expanded its vision with a fifth full-length offering, 8th Wonder.

Gates open Sunday, July 28 at 6 p.m., with the music starting at 7:15 p.m. General admission tickets for Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors and The National Parks are $54.95 (before taxes and fees), available at festivalatsandpoint.com.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

Pamela Benton, Pend d’Oreille Winery, May 31 The Waiting, The Hive, June 1

Classically trained musician Pamela Benton takes her art to new heights with electrifying performances that make you question why there aren’t violinists in every rock band. Her original jazz, folk rock and new age pieces highlight her expertise on the electric violin and guitar, which she juxtaposes with her soft vocals. As her website

says, “Pamela’s violin is an extension of her soul.”

Grab a dance partner and a glass of local wine and dedicate the evening of Friday, May 31 to her diverse stylings.

— Soncirey Mitchell

5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-2658545, powine.com. Listen at pamelabenton.net.

Bozeman, Mont.-based band The Waiting has been bringing the music of Tom Petty to lucky fans throughout the West for the past 11 years. More than a tribute band, these experienced musicians tailor hits by Petty, the Heartbreakers and the Traveling Wilburys to their strengths and whims, personalizing and updating the music. Petty fans,

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

I read something recently regarding the “best debut novel” ever. There were some great contenders on the list, but I had to land on two winners: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. The Hobbit was up there, too, and so was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. To think of ever writing something that great, let alone as your first work, is amazing. What’s yours?

LISTEN

rock ’n’ rollers and anyone looking for a good time should visit the Hive on Saturday, June 1 to party like it’s 1976.

— Soncirey Mitchell

Doors at 7 p.m., music from 8:30-11:30 p.m.; $25 adv., $30 day of; 21+. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave, 208-920-9039, livefromthehive.com. Listen at thewaitingmontana.com.

We all have those “high-school albums” that spur nostalgia every time you hear them. One of mine is the 1994 album Wildflowers by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Song after song, these gentle reminders of a long time ago still bring a smile to my face and remind me of good friends I’ve lost along the way.

WATCH

If anyone wants a clearer understanding of the recent push by some political extremists around the country to eradicate so-called “obscene materials” from our libraries, watch John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, which aired May 5 (you can find it on YouTube called “Libraries”). He not only covers the foolishness fueling the issue, but also highlights the librarian from Boundary County who resigned over the “atmosphere of extremism,” after the community banned several books that weren’t even in the library to begin with.

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors will join The National Parks on The Festival at Sandpoint main stage Sunday, July 28. Courtesy photos.

From Northern Idaho News, May 30, 1911

PRIEST RIVER MAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOT

BY DRUNK FRIEND

W.O. Stevens, a laborer from Priest River is at the City hospital in a serious condition as a result of being accidentally shot by his employer, Geo. Johnson, who was under the influence of alcohol.

The accident occurred last Wednesday morning at the home of Johnson, who resides on a ranch about 11 miles north of Priest River. Stevens, Johnson and a neighbor by the name of Gogelsong had been drinking alcohol and carousing all night and were in an intoxicated condition at the time of the accident. Early in the morning preparations were made for breakfast and Stevens went to the spring which is some distance from the house for a pail of water and during his absence, Johnson and Gogelsong amused themselves by shooting through the front door at a mark. As Stevens entered the house, Johnson fired the ball striking Stevens in the thigh of the right leg.

The injured man was taken to Priest River where a local doctor dressed the wounds and was then brought to the City hospital at this place where he is being attended by the county physician.

It was the opinion of the doctors that the leg would have to be amputated but as the injured man was under the influence of alcohol it was thought better to wait a few days. The man is improving at the present time, but it is thought that the amputation will be necessary for the complete recovery of the patient.

BACK OF THE BOOK

By Sandy Compton Reader Columnist

Bruce Springsteen recorded “57 Channels and Nothin’ On” in 1992. We’ve made incredible — ahem — “progress” since. Thirty-two years later, there are over 100 networks, some of which broadcast on multiple channels; giving us so many choices that even the internet doesn’t know how many we have. In fact, the internet is home to its very own channels.

Not all channels come with advertising, but most do. Vehicles that make your neighbors jealous while making you, your kids and your pets ecstatic — and improve your sex life. Drugs for every ailment known to humans, carrying disclaimers about what they might do to you that are longer the list of what they might do for you. But they will also improve your sex life. Fast food, slow food, lawn food, dog food, cat food and stuff that looks like food but really isn’t. Beer, wine, hard drinks, soft drinks, golf balls, golf clubs, golf courses, golf vacations, vacation rentals, cruises, airlines, lasik surgery, dentists, toothpaste, toilet paper made fun and insurance. As well as lawyers, just in case you wish to sue advertisers who don’t live up to their promises.

Some advertisers even have their own channels. But, that’s plenty.

My wife and I had a television back in the day. To put that timeframe in perspective, I know what a test pattern looks like. We watched the Muppets when each show was brand new — I still love Kermit. Football occupied Sunday days and Monday nights. Baseball was on Saturdays. Golf was on way too often, but that was before I played golf and came to appreciate the nuances of the game.

Our television was an RCA color portable with a huge 25-inch (diago-

STR8TS Solution

On television

nally measured) screen. It had a plastic handle on top to make it portable, but it still weighed 60 pounds. If the sound was turned all the way down, which was achieved by turning a knob — remotes were still in the realm of The Jetsons — the hum of electricity running through the various tubes could be heard. It got between three and five channels, depending on where we were living.

About the time we might have been able to afford a “console” television — with a 35-inch screen encased in a stylin’ faux-walnut cabinet that weighed 150 pounds — we divorced and the RCA went with my wife. I never replaced it, and I’ve been without one since.

My favorite telemarketers over the years have been those from Dish Network who call to tell me about their latest, greatest deal. About two sentences into their pitch, I interrupt.

“Excuse me, but there’s something I think you should know.”

It gets quiet, and then they ask, “What’s that?”

“I haven’t had a television since 1979.”

Almost every time, the line would go dead with a “click,” but one young woman, after a few seconds of shocked silence, asked, “What do you do?”

“Whatever I want,” I said, which may not be completely true, but I’m not riveted to a TV set, either.

I don’t miss it much, except during baseball and football seasons. I really don’t even miss it then, because television has become ubiquitous. It’s in almost every bar, restaurant and public waiting place in America. Watch television while you get your tires rotated, get your oil changed, wait for the to-go pizza to land on the counter or for the receptionist to call you into consultation with the lawyer about suing the cruise company that advertised on Hulu.

Sudoku Solution

All in all, though, the Boss is still pretty much right. There’s not much on. It seems like the bulk of content is breathless titillation, doomsday, sensationalist news or weather “reporting” — “We’re all gonna die!” — serial violence, serial killers, serial advertising or serial zaniness disguised as humor.

Some good programming does exist. I admit that if and when I check into a motel or hotel, I turn on the TV. But if I spend the next 15 minutes or so looking for something remotely interesting to watch, and don’t find it, off it goes. Maybe I don’t take enough time, but the ratio of good stuff to mindless drivel is way out of balance. Maybe I’m beginning to feel like I’ve seen it all before.

Someone once called television chewing gum for the mind. In my case, the chewing gum has reached that point all chewing gum comes to: it’s become a stiff, tasteless blob, one you have to spit out or swallow. I advise spitting it out. Swallowing everything on television will make you ill.

Crossword Solution

I wouldn’t be surprised if someday some fishermen caught a big shark and cut it open, and there inside was a whole person. Then they cut the person open, and in him is a little baby shark. And in the baby shark there isn’t a person, because it would be too small. But there’s a little doll or something, like a Johnny Combat little toy guy — something like that.

Solution on page 22

Laughing Matter

By Bill Borders

[adverb] 1. to a sickening or disgusting degree.

“The political hacks complained ad nauseam after the election, claiming every loss for their party was due to voter fraud.”

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Explosion 6. Masticate 10. Frolic

14. Kind of beam 15. Fail to win 16. Speed competition 17. Farewell

18. Anagram of “Neat” 19. Makes a mistake 20. Grief

22. Curved molding 23. Raise

Clothe

25. Anagram of “Slam” 29. Spoke

31. In a devout way 33. More than a couple

Charred 38. Illusion 39. Went in

Type of fungus

Eternally 44. D D D 45. Not above

Light wood 50. Hodgepodge 51. Victorious 56. Eat sparingly 57. Mormon state

Cache 59. Border

Distribute

Spooky

Solution on page 22

Lyric poems

Besmirch

Dull

Stow, as cargo

Largest continent

Fortune teller

Veracity

Transparency

Solution on page 22 10. Ordered beforehand

Huge

Units of land

Affirmatives 21. Large rock

Satan

Abbey area 26. Legal claim

Castle defense 28. Steady

Truthful

Lands and wealth

days

Regret 32. Goat antelope

Assess

Chills and fever 36. Not more

First presented

Burps 43. Abandon

Foreshadowed

Omit

Feudal lord

Murres 55. Lascivious look 62. Exploit

Donkeys 51. Japanese wrestler

Flower stalk 53. Golfer’s cry