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(wo)MAN
Susan Drinkard on the street compiled by
What’s the best piece of advice your mother gave you? “To treat each day as though it were your last—enjoy life! She lived that way.” Drenna Walker-Waters Retired bartender Sandpoint
DEAR READERS,
The Reader, along with SandpointOnline.com, is hosting a primary election candidate forum on Wednesday, May 11. It will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint High School auditorium. So far, we’ve got confirmation from most of the candidates we’ve invited from the state legislative, county commissioner and sheriff’s races. Can’t make it to the forum in person? It will be streamed live online through SandpointOnline.com and available to anyone with an Internet connection. At forum time, go to either www.SandpointOnline.com or www.SandpointReader.com to link to the live stream. The live stream will include a chat function so that those who are watching the forum online can post comments and interact, as well as pose questions they’d like moderators to ask the candidates. Also, Mother’s Day is this Sunday, so be sure to give her a call or stop by if she’s close. Sometimes the best present for Mother’s Day is a hug and a conversation about the good ol’ days. Happy Mother’s Day, mom! I love you.
-Ben Olson, Publisher
“I can tell who you are by seeing who your friends are.” Eric Peterson Technician at Little’s Tires Sandpoint
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Rachel Binderup (cover), Ben Olson, Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Brenden Bobby, Dion Nizzi, Drake, Suzen Fiskin. Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash. Subscription Price: $95 per year
“To treat people how you want to be treated.”
Advertising: Dion Nizzi dion@sandpointreader.com Clint Nicholson clint@keokee.com
Melissa Cronin Stay-at-home mom Sagle
Web Content: Keokee
“Work hard for your money and you’ll enjoy it more. She is an amazing woman—a hard worker. She told me that the more you work, the less time you’ll have to spend it. She also told me not to hit my sisters!” Jose ‘Gomie’ Gomez Tire technician Sandpoint
“Keep a smile on your face even when you are not happy.” Tamhra Gottfried Retired office manager for physician husband Cocolalla
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The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover This week’s cover features an original painting done by local artist and hairdresser Rachel Binderup. Rachel said: “I feel so fortunate to live and create in such a beautiful place. I painted this as an expression of my love for Sandpoint. Please see more at rachelsparlor.com.
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COMMENTARY
The Buddha on judgement and acceptance By Nick Gier Reader Columnist Siddharta Gautama the Buddha was born in Southern Nepal in 563 or 480 BC, depending which scholar one chooses. Buddhists around the world celebrate his birthday in the months of April or May. So Happy Birthday, Buddha! Both Jesus and the Buddha warned about the moral hazards of judging others. We constantly judge people every day, but their reciprocal gaze is probably just as harsh as ours. We cannot even begin to accept others if we have such negative views of them. The reciprocal nature of negative judgments is at the core of this oft-quoted New Testament passage: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged; for with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matt. 7:1-2, NRSV). I like the way this new translation renders the last phrase. Following John 7:25—“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment”—evangelist John Duncan encourages Christians to repent, to clean up their lives, and take the log out of their own eyes (Matt. 7:3-
Too Controversial...?
Dear Editor, Recently I submitted an article to the Reader which, for whatever the reason, they don’t want to run. Too controversial I guess? What follows is my self-censored stripped down version. In response to the Easter issue I suggested Minister Bob may enjoy the book “The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors” by Kersey Graves which can be downloaded for free via the Internet. This book states the first crucified savior was Chrishna (aka Krishna) around 1200 BCE. When one reads about Chrishna’s life, the similarity with Jesus of the NT is
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5). Only after they repent are they then permitted, using the Word of God, to use righteous judgment against others. According to Duncan, when God commands that we are not to speak evil of others, this applies only to good Christians not to “those living in willful sin.” I hope many others join me in thinking that this is surely not what Jesus meant. The Buddha was especially critical of a certain monk Migsala who claimed to know the future punishments of his favorite sinners. The Buddha rebuked Migsala saying “How do you know the complexity of human character?” He went on to say that “whoever judges others digs a pit for themselves.” Those who obsess about the sins of others are usually those most in need of repentance. During the Vietnam War, American officials accused the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh of being a Communist sympathizer; but, pleasing no side in the conflict, he was later banned from entering a unified Communist Vietnam. Since then Hanh has lived in exile at Plum Tree Village in France. The Vietnamese Commu-
nists criticized Hanh for aiding the refugees who fled the harsh conditions in their country. With regard to them he took issue with millions across the world who condemned a pirate who raped a 12-year-old girl. Taking Buddhist non-judgment in an extreme direction, he asks us to step back and think a moment: “If I had been born in the village of the pirate and raised in the same conditions as he was, I am now the pirate but not yet capable of seeing and loving.” For Hanh true compassion seeks understanding not judgment. Just as a tree has been terribly bent by constant winds (an analogy offered by Ram Dass), so too could this man have been consistently deprived or abused as a child. Perhaps it is because that I’m far from enlightenment,
but I think that I have good reasons—just as I have for people who waste our precious energy resources—to condemn the pirate. Hanh’s unconditional acceptance of the pirate ignores the issue of individual personal responsibility, which is fundamental to the law of karma. A doctrine of grace, similar to Christianity, is found in later forms of Buddhism, but I believe that the Buddha would insist that, without exception, people reap what they sow. In response I want to use Hanh’s own teachings to make my case. In his extensive writings on compassion he warns us of “idiot” compassion, which he believes is what therapists call “co-dependence.” This condition comes about as a result of “forgetting that you
are in the compassion equation.” If you allow others “to treat you like a doormat,” you are simply encouraging them to abuse you even further. If we give the pirates in our lives a free pass, it is unlikely that they will ever reform themselves. We must learn to accept others, but we should not do this without any conditions or sanctions at all. In his book “Living Non-Violent Communication” Marshall Rosenberg states: “Accepting others doesn’t mean that we have to like what they are doing. In some cases, when people are behaving in a way that threatens our needs or safety, we may even use protective force.” We should of course always empathize and try to understand, but we are also obligated to seek justice. Compassion and justice are virtues that we all should strive to attain, and that means that we must find the right balance between them.
uncanny. I also recommended “Symbols, Sex and the Stars” by Ernest Busenbark which can also be downloaded for free via the Internet. It was in this book that I learned that the words test, testify, testimony and testament are derived from the ancient practice of swearing to the truth by holding the chieftain’s testicles. In my article I stated that John Boorman’s film “Excalibur” is the greatest repository of arcane or esoteric spiritual knowledge I have seen on film. In the article I compared two scenes from the movie as an example of its esoteric message: Perceval is hanging by his neck from a tree. The spurs of a dead knight hanging above him are
rubbing against the rope. Perceval nears death and has an out of body experience. In full armor he is before the Castle of the Holy Grail with its drawbridge lowering. Once lowered Perceval crosses the drawbridge which then begins to close behind him. Perceval panics and climbs up and over, crashing to the ground just as his body does from the tree. Perceval has failed to learn the secret of the Grail and who it serves. Later on Perceval, still in full armor, is attacked by a mob and knocked into a deep pool of water. Water is symbolic of wisdom and the feminine Sophia. Sophia represents the soul of Man and its spiritual guide. As he is sinking to the bottom Perceval begins
removing his armor. Armor, in this case, represents the outer world that prevents one from connecting to the higher self and real knowledge. Near death, Perceval again has an out of body experience and finds himself before the Grail Castle, only this time naked and without the buffer/filter of the outer world. Perceval learns the secret of the Grail and who it serves. He has pierced the veil.
why we choose or don’t choose to run anything in the Reader. I wonder if you know that there are other people here in this community who submit article ideas to us. Some we publish, some we don’t. You are the only person who takes it as a personal affront when we don’t. You need to get over that. You are a troll, Lee, fishing for a response. You got it. Now leave us alone for another couple of months please.
Lee Santa Sandpoint Lee, It’s been a while. Thank you for again clogging my newspaper with your drivel. I don’t need to explain
Nick Gier of Moscow taught philosophy and religion at the University of Idaho for 31 years.
-Ben Olson, publisher All that said, “Excalibur” is a pretty good movie. -Cameron Rasmusson, editor
PERSPECTIVES Where to Invade Next...
By Scarlette Quille Reader Columnist
Bathroom blues
There has been an issue puzzling me for several weeks now. I try to avoid being sucked in to public discussions about other peoples’ life choices. At least for the sake of my own sanity, as I am rather liberal in a community that is a bit on the conservative side. But seriously? The issue of public restroom usage? Since when did public restrooms become a safe place for children and other vulnerable types? I mean, a LOT of shit goes down in public restrooms. Where do kids sneak off to smoke the reefer in high school? Where do the junkies shoot up in any given park? Where did the concept and usage of “glory holes” come from? What area in any public facility is used by hundreds of people a day to dispose of various bodily fluids however they choose too? The public restroom, that’s where. All of these activities and several more that I can not even begin to cover have been going on in public restrooms for decades. And as a society we have the nerve to be outraged when a person who looks, talks, lives, walks and pays taxes as one gender or another, uses the restroom of the corresponding gender. In all the years I’ve used public restrooms, the only vagina I’ve seen is my own. In fact, I can not recall seeing the vagina of any one else in the CLOSED bathroom stalls next to me. So as far as I know, everyone in there could have a penis, but I really don’t care, because I’m too busy minding my own damn business. But that’s just me. The argument here is that allowing transgender individuals to use public restrooms the same as anyone else will open the doors for perverts dressed as women to waltz into the ladies room. Meanwhile, the more common safety issues related to public restroom usage, such as poor sanitation, communicable diseases, drug activity and theft are all but ignored. I wonder how many sexual predators have been out there waiting for the right legislation, so they can finally victimize people in public restrooms. Men, women and children have been attacked in public restrooms and will likely continue to be, despite the state-of-the-art security system consisting of a sign on the door. I have never seen an armed guard stationed outside a public restroom. This means that anyone can go inside: perverts,
drug dealers, people with explosive diarrhea, just to name a few. Sending a child into a public restroom unsupervised is a bad choice. Legislation doesn’t stop sexual predators. If you believe that you cannot safely use the public restroom, don’t. When that becomes impractical, maybe society will eventually come to grips with the fact that we can’t change who people are by trying to marginalize and control them. The same type of public outrage and discrimination is applied to breast-feeding mothers. Apparently seeing a pair of breasts in public is so shocking and offensive that it causes great discomfort and even appetite loss in some individuals. It’s so bad that some want legislation passed either prohibiting public breast-feeding so that no one is forced to gaze upon a breast or PROTECTING A MOTHER FROM DISCRIMINATION WHEN SHE IS TRYING TO FEED HER INFANT. I guess it depends on how you see it. I have witnessed the bizarre discrimination against breast-feeding mothers first hand. I know people who get super uncomfortable when a woman’s breast is exposed to feed her child, but they enjoy places like Hooters and live for bikini tops falling off when a woman dives into the lake. I have never understood this. When I was breastfeeding my own children I was warned on several occasions how it made people uncomfortable. They informed me where I was supposed to take the baby when we needed to “do that.” When I was banished into separate rooms, bathrooms or my car, I would wonder what the big deal was, but I was younger and easier to control then. Now after breast-feeding four kids, I know the truth. It’s an ugly truth that society isn’t willing to deal with. Fact is, it’s not the mothers that need to be punished and banished from the public eye. The real problem is the baby. Babies are controlling and demanding. They are responsible for their mother’s lack of “modesty.” The mother has been responding to the little dictator’s every need for days on end. She is sleep-deprived and likely wearing a combination of vomit, slobber and baby shit as accessories. She has bigger problems than who is looking at her breasts. The mother is powerless against the baby’s demands, and babies are by nature skilled at mind control. If the mother chooses not to feed the baby when it is hungry, who
Dear Editor, I would like to encourage everyone to go see the film, “Where to Invade Next” by Michael Moore. I have seen the movie twice and look forward to seeing it again when it plays at the Panida this Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. The film is not a war movie as the name might suggest. The “invasion” refers to a type of search for unique policies and beliefs rather than for riches. The movie is brilliantly done and kept me entertained throughout as the team travels to different countries around the world to “capture” their best ideas. I found myself laughing often and occasionally tearing up, which in my mind is the sign of a great show. I highly recommend it for anyone who cares deeply about our country and about our world as a whole. A big shout out to the Panida for bringing this great film to Sandpoint. Linda F. Larson Sandpoint
Coal Trains... Dear Editor, A marked increase in coal train traffic through our area is a step closer after release of an environmental review of a proposed coal export terminal on the Columbia River. The Longview, Wash., terminal’s approval would add up to 16 train trips a day — eight mile-long coal trains arriving daily and eight empty trains returning to Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Colorado where the coal is mined. Many of these trains would pass through Sandpoint and along Lake Pend Oreille on the BNSF railroad. These coal trains, which can lose up to 500 pounds of coal dust per car according to a railroad survey, can contaminate our water with heavy metals, including arsenic and mercury and already are closing railroad crossings to traffic and delaying emergency responders’ access to our communities. The terminal, which would handle up to 44 million metric tons of coal a year for shipment to Asia for coal-powered plants there, would have a significant effect on greenhouse gas emissions, affecting us all, according to a study done by the Washington knows what kind of cruel consequences that child will inflict upon her? Honestly. Sooner or later that mother will have to place her breast into the mouth of a hungry, angry, possibly teething monster, and her choice to postpone the feeding will be used against her. Realistically, what option does the mother have? Face the disapproval of human beings who are uncomfortable with breasts being used as anything non-sexual, or disappointing her master? I do not understand how any human being on the planet would
Department of Ecology. What do we get out of this? Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad put it succinctly when he said, “The proposed coal terminal would mean our community gets dirty coal train traffic—threatening our health, safety, economy and Lake Pend Oreille—without any benefit.” If you want to help to stop this, written comments will be accepted online or by letter. Visit www.millenniumbulkeiswa.gov. James W. Ramsey Kootenai
Clagstone debacle...
Dear Editor, Hats off to Tony McDermott and his April 9 Clagstone article in which he exposed the antics of Heather Scott and Todd Sudick. I applaud his courage to spell it all out! The Clagstone Easement was widely supported by diverse groups that rarely agree with one another, but in this case saw the universal benefits for all. To Heather Scott and Todd Sudick this rare agreement was all conspiracy. Fortunately for the Clagstone Easement and the many that supported it, reason in our legislature prevailed over conspiracy theories, obstructionism and ignorance. I think the voters of North Idaho are tired of the shenanigans of Scott, Sudick and entourage. North Idaho has been through bouts of extremism before and it has been an expensive proposition. It’s time for sensible government with reasonable representatives. Whether a Republican, Democrat or independent, most voters want representation that benefits our area; not elected officials who concentrate on their fringe ideologies and my-way-or-the-highway style. Scott skipped a legislative session to go to Oregon to participate in an illegal takeover of a wildlife refuge, and Sudick has been busy dismantling the Planning Department, prompting one lawsuit after another and unnecessary additional costs to taxpayers. Elected officials can’t please all the voters all the time, but we can expect them to provide good leadership and make informed decisions. Clearly we are not getting either from Heather Scott and Todd Sudick. Diana Dawson Sagle rather share a space with a screeching infant than risk the possibility of seeing a breast. People have to relieve themselves, babies have to eat and beer doesn’t drink itself: Those are the laws of nature. Nature is badass and she doesn’t give a shit about your restroom signs or sensitive appetites. ‘Til next time, SQ
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NEWS Memorial Field open house scheduled By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
The much-anticipated final design for the Memorial Field grandstands and entryway is ready for a public debut. Project planners have scheduled an open house to detail plans and answer questions. The open house will take place 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at Memorial Field. The architect and design team, community liaisons, project advisers and city staff will come ready with planning documents, images and more, providing a vision for the future of the iconic athletic field. If weather proves uncooperative, the open house will move to Sandpoint City Hall council chambers. “I’m impressed with how focused [the planning team members] are on making sure
everything is accounted for,” said Mose Dunkel, public liaison for the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Committee. “This is one of the biggest projects the city has tackled (no pun intended). Along with it being so iconic to so many people, there is a very strong desire to really do it right.” The open house comes in
advance of the May 18 council meeting, when members will consider a bid package to advertise for contractors. From there, the project should proceed according to schedule, with the last day of the existing stadium falling on Sept. 17, construction starting around Oct. 3 and the new facility ready by June 2017 before high
An artist’s rendition of the proposed plan at Memorial Field. school graduation. The stadium’s $2.75 million cost will be funded through a local option tax passed by voters last November. The measure added a 1-percent sales tax to all Sandpoint purchases. “From my perspective, I encourage people with concerns
Primary forum vets candidates Idaho Gives First Friday all day May 5 brings new art By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Do you have a favorite local nonprofit? Chances are, there’s no better time to give them a donation than today: Thursday, May 5. Hundreds of nonprofits across the state are mobilizing for the biggest day of giving in the year, Idaho Gives. Local organizations are no exception—just visit the Idaho Gives website, idahogives. razoo.com, and search for your favorite nonprofit. Idaho Gives is an annual fundraising effort that benefits nonprofits across the state. The incentive to donate is never stronger with the knowledge that your dollars can stretch to their maximum value. For one thing, many organizations have donors that will match all contributions up to a maximum value. For another, each donation has an additional chance of winning your organization additional money through “golden ticket” and “donor appreciation” awards. 6 /
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By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Art fans have a wealth of options just around the corner with a trio of gallery exhibit openings. The Pend Oreille Arts Council “All Things Undressed” exhibit featuring Terrel Jones’ “Declining Nudes” series and many other artists will open May 6-June 3, with a reception set 5:30-7 p.m., May 6, at the POAC Gallery, 302 N 1st Ave. The Gallery at Shibusa Studios, 525 Oak St., will be hosting its final First Friday Reception on Friday, May 6 from 5-8 p.m. Owner Kevin Watson said this opening will be the gallery’s last reception for the gallery, which will close in mid-May. Finally, the Infini Gallery opens its May exhibition Friday, May 6, from 5-8p.m. Refreshments and music will be available.
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
If you’re looking to make an informed vote this primary election, be sure to check out the candidates for yourself. Sandpoint Online and the Sandpoint Reader are teaming up to host a primary candidates forum from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. in the Sandpoint High School auditorium, 410 S. Division St. All candidates are invited to give a statement, but to save time, questions from the audience will only be taken for the contested races. The forum is free and open to the public. Questions can be submitted in advance to ben@sandpointreader.com or in person at the forum. The candidates confirmed to attend will likely change by next week. At this point, we’ve received confirmations from Steve Tanner, Shawn Keough and Ken Meyers for the Idaho State Senate race. Glenn Rohrer is unsure if he will attend. For the Idaho State Repre-
sentative race, the following candidates have confirmed: Kate McAlister, Sage Dixon, Stephen Howlett, Jessica Chilcott and Shannon McMillan. Heather Scott, Priscilla Giddings and Kris Steneck are all unconfirmed at this point. In the Bonner County Commissioner race, Todd Sudick, Jeff Connolly and Dan McDonald have all confirmed, while Lewis Rich is unsure if he will make it. Both candidates in the Bonner County Sheriff’s race— Sheriff Daryl Wheeler and Terry Ford—have confirmed. Sheryl Nuxoll has replied that she will not be able to attend. We have received no response from Carl Crabtree, Bob Vickaryous and Paul Shepherd. Can’t make it to the forum in person? It will be streamed live online through Sandpoint Online and available to anyone with an Internet connection. At forum time, go to either www. SandpointOnline.com or www. SandpointReader.com to link to
to speak up now directly to myself,” said Dunkel. “I feel like I can bring light to most if not all perceived issues. Community involvement is important for this project because it is going to be passed on to our future generations.”
Solar Roadways gathering planned By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Memorial Field isn’t the only city project showcase coming up soon. The Solar Roadways public demonstration project is also set to be highlighted 1 p.m. Friday, May 6, at Jeff Jones Town Square. Project liaisons, including Mayor Shelby Rognstad, City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton, Solar Roadways founders Scott and Julie Brusaw and more, will be on hand to celebrate the project’s Idaho Gem State grant funding and answer questions about the project. the live stream. The live stream will include a chat function so that those who are watching the forum online can post comments and interact, as well as pose questions they’d like moderators to ask the candidates. A recorded webcast will be available after the forum as well, but not until the following day.
FEATURE Aviation program opens new doors for high schoolers By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
There’s a moment that sticks with you when you fly a small airplane for the first time.
Clamoring over the wing into that left seat, you’re nervous. That’s understandable. You are, after all, preparing to climb thousands of feet into the air protected by nothing more than a few inches of metal. Getting a sense for the rudder pedals, you taxi the aircraft to the end of the runway, your instructor guiding you along the way. It’s time to take off, and when you pull back the throttle to accelerate, your heart jumps into your throat. Then, pulling back on the stick, you feel yourself lift away from the ground, and you can’t suppress a laugh of pure exhilaration. This is freedom. This is a feeling unlike any other. Talk to enough pilots about flying, and the one commonality is a similar sense of joy. It’s an energy local aviators are harnessing for the benefit of local teens. The hope is to share the excitement of aviation with high school students, potentially paving the way to careers within the field. Now known as the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program, the outreach has proven remarkably successful in its few years of operation. “My personal feeling is that students introduced to and who are active in aviation develop confidence, an awareness of opportunities that are open locally as well
as world-wide and a spirit of team work,” aviator and pilot trainer Ken Larson, who heads up student teaching. The program got its start in 2013 when met with Julie Williams of Forrest M. Bird Charter School to set up an aviation class for high schoolers. The class brought in students from both the charter school and Sandpoint High School. It quickly grew. “The second year, we moved it to Sandpoint High because of the larger demand there,” Larson said. “The program was and still is open to all area students, including home school.” From the beginning, the program was structured around two branches of aviation education. The first semester course illustrates the many careers within the field of aviation, including professional piloting, aircraft mechanics, aeronautical engineering and air traffic control. Guest speakers within aviation industries help bring this lesson alive by sharing their work and stories. The second semester is something of a prep course for ground school, covering the topics any pilot-in-training will need to pass the Federal Aviation Administration knowledge exam required for private pilot or sports pilot licenses. Since a knowledge of basic aerodynamics, weather, navigation and regulations are all essential, the class is a valuable head-start for any student hoping to advance directly from high school into pilot training. For students who opt to participate in the ACES high school club, the options broaden even more. The club features opportunities for
The student-built airplane is currently being displayed at the Columbia Bank building in Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.
flight training, and participants gain a deeper familiarity with the mechanics of small aircraft. Indeed, club members are doing nothing less than building their own airplane, a Zenith Zodiac CH610XL. Already more than 80 percent complete, the airplane needs a few more parts before it’s functional. Larson and club members hope money for the remaining parts will be raised during Idaho Gives fundraising, which takes place Thursday, May 5. Another long-term means of assisting the program and club is set up through Amazon Smile. Simply find the organization—North Idaho High School Aerospace Program, Inc.—on smile.amazon. com and choose it as your beneficiary. This will give the organization a portion of every Amazon purchase you make. Another natural expansion for Sandpoint aviation students is PTECH. Designed as a educational pathway to integrate high school students
directly into jobs, PTECH offers professional training into aviation-related fields. “I think we’ll be working more closely with them, as well as local industry businesses such as Aerocet, Quest and Tamarack,” Larson said. It’s hard to overstate the motivation and drive that the aviation program has inspired in many of its students. For former student Sam Stocking, who moved to Sandpoint High School in his senior year largely because of the aviation program, it helped define his educational goals. “If a student is interested in aviation or just doesn’t know what they want to do, the aviation program is a great stepping stone,” said Stocking. Maggie Kirscher similarly benefited from the generosity of the aviation community after discovering her love of flying. While official aviation classes and flight clubs had not yet been set up when she was in school, she decided to job-shadow Larson on her
own. The experience in part demonstrated a need for a complete high school aviation program. “To have this at the high school—it’s going to change lives,” she said. It’s easy to see why the joy of flight, born at the first thrilling take-off, provides young men and women with the motivation to learn. There’s something special about the experience, and for those natural-born pilots who don’t know it yet, it could be just the answer they’re seeking. “My experience with most students has been tremendously rewarding for me as we see them maturing and focusing on positive things in life,” Larson said. “A great moment, as well, is when a mother thanks us for what we have been able to show her son or daughter.” For more information, check out www.highschoolaerospace.org. May 5, 2016 /
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LPOHS Water Quality project turns heads in Moscow By Ben Olson Reader Staff One thing about living near a lake like Pend Oreille; you tend to care a little more about issues like water quality. It is, after all, our shared backyard. When it comes to shedding light on problems and offering up solutions, a better tactic might be ask the next generation their thoughts. As part of their regular curriculum, Brenda Woodward’s science classes at Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School took part in the Youth Water Summit at University of Idaho in Moscow. More than 250 students from eight different high schools participated in the Confluence Project from April 20-21, each doing local watershed research projects on issues they care about. Students presented their projects to university professors, graduate students, agency scientists and other professionals in the community, who served as judges. The students not only reported on vital issues concerning their watershed, but also proposed solutions to help fix the problems. For Woodward, the issue couldn’t be more relevant; especially since we all share the lake as a vital piece of our community. “I’m a child of the ‘80s, which was really the second coming of the environmental movement,” said Woodward. “It slips in and out of our consciousness, but I believe it’s coming back into fashion to be more concerned about our environment.” According to Woodward, students like hers could easily be the ones who lead the charge. Some of the students’ presentations were downright innovative in their scope. Take Tommie Casteel, 18, and Nicholas Griffin, 17. Their joint presentation tackled the issue of stormwater runoff into the lake. “Lake Pend Oreille is a huge part of our recreation,” said Casteel. “Stormwater is one of our biggest pollutants. When it 8 /
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rains, it carries a lot of toxins into the lake. We wanted to find a solution to that.” The solution Casteel and Griffin came up with was the Jellyfish Stormwater Treatment filter—a filtration system that doesn’t use traditional charcoal-based filters which need to be replaced often. “The Jellyfish filters just need to be cleaned every two to five years,” said Griffin. “You can actually clean them with a hose.” Griffin and Casteel want to fine tune their project before eventually presenting it to the city council for possible implementation. “These Jellyfish filters actually sound better than the bio-filtration the city uses now,” said Casteel, referring to the collection stormwater treatment boxes being built around town. The bio-filters use dirt and other organic materials to help filter stormwater, but Griffin said that this promotes evaporation, while the Jellyfish filters put all the water back into the lake. Another project by Bailey Alvarez, 17, and Nicholas Butler, 16, tackles particles known as microbeads (which I confess I had not heard of before their presentation). “Microbeads are little tiny balls of plastic in shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, that exfoliate and absorb toxins,” said Alvarez. “When the fish eat those toxins, they might die or we could get sick by eating them. They are cancer-causing toxins.” Alvarez said over eight trillion microbeads are released into the watersheds across the nation every day. The problem is so widespread, in fact, that a nationwide ban is set to begin in 2017. “The main issue is that they’re hard to filter out,” said Butler, who helped test different methods to filter the microbeads from water. For Alvarez, it’s important for people to become aware of products that use these microbeads: “If people really care about their watershed, they’ll stop using these products.”
Zach Deason and Bekah Davis share their presentation on flowering rush in Moscow. Courtesy photo. Zach Deason, 17, worked on a presentation that involves flowering rush; an invasive plant species that is evident in both City Beach and Dog Beach. Deason got the inspiration for his solution from a Karate Kid movie, when a bonsai tree taken next to the ocean didn’t do well because the salt water was killing the plant. With his partner Bekah Davis, 17, Deason proposed a new take on getting rid of invasive species like flowering rush: attack them with salt instead of pesticides. “We dug up some flowering rush and put a salt solution on one and left the other alone,” said Deason. After 15 days, the plant treated with the salt solution was completely dead, while the other was healthy and thriving. Deason said the salt treatment would work well for flowering rush because they can be treated on a localized level, as opposed to invasive species like milfoil, which are widespread throughout the lake. The salt solution stays with the plant on dry lake bed and doesn’t harm the freshwater content of the lake. Asked why he chose flowering rush, Deason said: “It was a problem for our lake, and I thought I might as well research the solution.” For their efforts, Deason
and Davis received a first-place award. Joel Mitchell, 16, focused on the issue of road salts for his presentation: “It kills plants so stormwater flows directly into the lake.” Without plant matter surrounding roadways to act as a sponge to soak up a lot of the stormwater, a higher proportion of the runoff ends up flowing directly into the watershed, carrying pollutants with it. Mitchell said over 138 million pounds of salt is used each winter in Idaho, according to the Idaho Transportation Department. His proposed solution? Sand. “Salt is soluble in water, so it works its way into the aquifer,” said Mitchell. “Sand is the best option to replace it because the plants filter out the sand.” Eric Ulbredch, 18, worked on a problem many don’t recognize as a water quality issue: bullfrogs. “They are an invasive species,” said Ulbredch. “They’ll eat anything they can fit into their mouth, including other amphibians, rodents, ducklings. The Canadian border even has people stationed to watch for bullfrogs and kill any they see trying to get across.” Ulbredch also said bullfrogs have a skin disease called chytrid fungus which kills any amphibians they come into contact with. For his field work, Ulbredch
went to Round Lake State Park and attempted to count bullfrogs with his spotlight. “I counted 49 different bullfrogs,” he said. “And that was just on the trail.” Since female bullfrogs hatch up to 20,000 eggs per mating season, it’s easy to see how the species can quickly get out of control and wipe out neighboring species. Ulbredch’s solution was to investigate sterilization techniques some scientists are using to reduce mosquito populations. “The only problem with these techniques is the cost,” said Ulbredch, who said it costs upwards of $2,400 per injection for genetic manipulation. LPO Alternative High School principal Geoff Penrose said this program was very beneficial for his students, and it will certainly continue in the future. “I was very impressed with the level of sophistication of some of these projects,” said Penrose. “I can’t say enough about the benefits of placebased, project-based learning. You can see it with the kids’ eyes.” For Woodward, the project had many positive impacts on her students: “In general, these projects gave them a lot of confidence that we can solve these problems.”
Mad about Science:
Brought to you by:
By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist This is it, the post you’ve been waiting for. The biggest, baddest, best of everything. Science, planets, stars, explosions and the explosion that started all other explosions. You’ve watched a show named after it, so now you’re going to learn about what it actually is. This post is highly theoretical; it would be wrong to call it proven fact, because we weren’t there to witness it happen, and there are bits and pieces we are still missing from the puzzle to make it truly fit. Instead, based on our scientific observations and theories, this is the best possible explanation for what could have happened at the beginning of time. In the beginning, everything happened really fast. I mean REALLY fast. Faster than your brain processes information fast. To properly theorize just what happened, scientists had to develop a new measurement of time called Planck Time. In short, it’s 10-43 seconds. That’s a decimal and 43 zeroes in front of a 1. During the first several Planck Times of the universe’s life, everything was hot, everything was bright, and everything was rapidly expanding. All of our favorite atoms weren’t even brought into existence within these first few moments. If you want a visual of what it would be like to be around during the first second of the Big Bang, imagine blinding pure-white light and tremendous, universe-shaking sound and outward movement; like a powerful, explosive wind of the pieces of every atom that will ever be, spraying out like confetti at an exploding clown’s birthday party. It would be just as horrifying as that sounds. Three to 20 minutes into this party, unstable helium atoms attempt to form, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully. The fact that they’re trying is what counts, and it marks an important place in the birth of the universe. The chaos continues on for almost 79,000 years, when the universe is almost completely matter with no space for anything else whatsoever. Basically, the universe is a massive, searing ocean of fusing gas, a sun bigger than all other suns put together. 379,000 years in, hydrogen and helium have finally got their game, and are able to hold electrons to form stable atoms. The gases are truly born! By this time, there may have been some growing expanses of space. Much of the
still-growing universe would likely have been a very, very bright place to live, but not for long. For the next 400 million years, everything goes dark. Hydrogen works its magic in this time, as large clumps, with the help of their electron buddies, start pulling together. Over time, the first stars are born; probably huge guys that burn hot and fast, dying early in huge glorious displays. This is tragic, but necessary. The death of stars means the creation of new types of atoms, including heavier elements like iron, one of the things we need to be alive. Soon, the fledgling universe is awash in an ocean of stars and gravity, a hot and explosive time as everything expands outward. In a way, the universe is evolving. As everything expands, the stars slowly get smaller, but more numerous. Their eruptions are forming heavier and heavier elements, and slowly, stars begin to form planets, swirling balls of molten rock and metal crashing into each other like some kind of colossal roller rink. One day, 9 billion years after the universe started, Earth spends some time in the stellar roller rink and manages to nail a long-dead sister planet named Theia real good. The impact of Earth and Theia is what creates the Moon, which helps balance our planet in its orbit around the sun. The events of the Big Bang are still occurring. The universe is still expanding, and it will continue to do so until it can’t. When the energy finally runs out and matter is too far apart, the Universe
The
BIGBANG
will succumb to what has been called heat death of the universe, first postulated by William Thomson, First Baron of Kelvin, for which the unit of temperature measurement is named. Well, that’s the idea, anyway. We’re still figuring the opposite end of the Big Bang out, but signs are pointing to expansion being the end result. To add to this, I have some fun trivia facts about the Big Bang, and primarily the cosmic background radiation that came from it. About 1 percent of the static on your TV and radio is residual “sound” from the Big Bang. The scientists that first discovered the cosmic background radiation leftover from the Big Bang’s fireball thought it was a misread from pigeon droppings. They still won the Nobel Prize. It accounts for 99.9 percent of all light in the universe, even with the projected 100 octillion stars in the universe. The cosmic background radiation acts as a baby photo of the universe, giving us a glimpse of what everything looked like very early on in the life of the universe. It shows where galaxies were first beginning to cluster together. For a few brief years, the atoms that would make up you, your grandfather, Macho Man Randy Savage, Alpha Centauri, the brain of Steve Jobs, the phone in your pocket right now, the sun and stars on the opposite side of the universe were all a singular mass. One entity. Just let that soak in for a second.
National Home Brew Day is upon us! By Ben Olson Reader Staff Saturday, May 7, is National Home Brew Day. In honor of this gloriously frothy day, MickDuff’s Beer Hall will be having a Brew Day BBQ in their parking lot. The festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. with some home brewing love from our master beer aficionadoes at MickDuff’s. There will be a potluck BBQ once the boys at MickDuff’s get the brew up and running. MickDuff’s will supply a grill and some grillable meat and non-meat items. If you’d like to take part in the potluck, bring a food item to help, such as veggies, chips and dips, fruit or other side dishes. After all, what better way to celebrate home brewed beer than eating meat right off the BBQ.
LIVE MUSIC
turday Friday & Sa Beer Hall N ight @ t he
TRUCK MILLS
Master of the blues/slide guitar
6:30 - 9:30pm
MONARCH MOUNTAIN BAND Energetic bluegrass folk-rock
6:30 - 9:30pm
OPEN MIC NIGHT BREWERY & BEER HALL 220 Cedar St. 209-6700 FAMILY FRIENDLY BREWPUB 312 First Ave.
255-4351
An illustration of the Big Bang.
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Unplug and Be Outside By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Ever feel like you’re too plugged in? Like you get the fever shakes when you lose your smart phone for more than an hour? The Sandpoint Parks and Recreation department is hosting a program next week to celebrate the unplugged lifestyle. “Unplug and Be Outside!” will take place May 10, 11 and 12. Participants are encouraged to step away from their TVs, computers, tablets and phones. The program features a series of free events to empower families to be active and get away from the glowing tubes. Some events include an obstacle course at Lakeview Park, a lacrosse clinic at Great Northern Park, a tennis clinic at the City Beach, bouldering basics at the Sandpoint Rock Gym and many more. Each youth that collects event leader signatures on their passport by attending two or more events during the week, will be eligible for fabulous prizes. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.sandpointideaho.gov or call 263-3613.
Forest Collaborative Meeting By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Since 1993, Sandpoint Property Management has provided property management services to a diverse range of clients. Our trained staff of professionals understands the local market and the highly specialized needs of our property owners and tenants. Our priority is in developing long-term successful relationships with our tenants and property owners, and providing them with exceptional real estate management services, including experienced 24/7 maintenance, fast application processing, electronic bill pay, thorough property inspections, detailed accounting, and aggressive marketing, With a reputation built on integrity and experience, Sandpoint Property Management has evolved into Bonner County’s County leading property management firm.
314 N. 3rd Ave. Sandpoint, ID 10 /
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(208) 263-9233 www.SandpointRentals.com
The National Forest Foundation will be holding a Panhandle Forest Collaborative meeting at the Bonner County Administration Building on Wednesday, May 11 from 12 to 3:30 p.m. The Panhandle Forest Collaborative Approach focuses on involving representatives from diverse perspectives, needs and expertise. The Idaho Panhandle National Forest, primarily within the Sandpoint, Priest Lake and portions of the Coeur d’Elene Ranger Districts. Their goals are to reduce litigation, promote sustainable operations, enhance travel and recreational opportunities, as well as maintaining infrastructure for timber, ranching and recreation. For more information, call the Panhandle Forest Collaborative chair, Liz Johnson-Gebhardt at (208) 448-0210
Bouquets: •A bouquet to our friends at the Festival at Sandpoint for bringing us another great lineup this year. We, as a community, really appreciate having such a cool, unique event as the Festival here in Sandpoint. Keep up the good work, and we’ll see you under the big white tent. •A bouquet in advance for all of you out there who participate in Idaho Gives on May 5. This annual fundraising event for Idaho’s nonprofit organizations is a really great program that many of our favorite nonprofits rely on. Do them a favor and log onto www.idahogives. razoo.com and pick out your favorite nonprofit. Every bit goes a long way. Barbs: •May is National Bike Month, so I reckon it’s time to give myself a barb. I’m not a good bike rider. I break the rules a lot. I ride on sidewalks (slowly). I roll through stop signs (slowly). I ride the wrong way down one-way streets. I try to be safe and not erratic as much as possible, but honestly, when I’m delivering newspapers every week, there just isn’t a way to follow all the rules and get my job done. I guess I feel a sense of entitlement since I ride my bike to work 99 percent of the time and don’t clog up downtown parking with my truck. I also save the emissions my beastly 1980 Chevy pickup puts into the air, which is nice. But still, I get it, it’s no excuse. I’ll do my best to ride safely and within the rules, dear readers. •And finally, a barb to Idaho Rep. Shannon McMillan, who told the Lewiston Tribune that her lack of legislative success is due to President Obama. Come on (rolls eyes dramatically). Take responsibility for your own actions. You’re an elected official, for crying out loud.
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Idaho Gives at IPA 5-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Show some love for your favorite Idaho nonprofits
Throwback Thursdays at the 219 7-11pm @ 219 Lounge Featuring live music with Brian Jacobs and friends Cinco de Mayo Idaho Gives party Monarch Open Mic Night 5:30-8:30pm @ Hope Memorial Center 6-8pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee Dinner is free and open to the public Hosted by Scott Reid, all are welcome
f
Winter Rid 6pm @ Win Learn how t Learn the R Learn the da ane Peters. learn the We
Lil’ Smokies Ben 7:30pm @ Panid A benefit concert turing the Lil’ Sm Telluride Bluegra Live Music with Devon Wade tion. Special gue 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Ludiker will be o Sandpoint-based country singer Open Ho 6-9pm @ Grand Opening of Sandpoint Farmers’ Market KSAD Walk for a Cure Food, be 1pm @ Long Bridge Grill 9am - 1pm @ Farmin Park music an The Farmers’ Market is back after a long winter! Kindred Spirits Against DiaCome by betes Motorcycle OrganizaLive music with Musha Marimba Live Mus Plow Day Benefit w/ Antique Tractors tion sponsors. Cost is $10 5-7pm @ 9am @ 1/2 mile down Algoma Spur Rd., Sagle
Infini Gallery May Exhibition 5-8pm @ Infini Gallery Join us for another amazing evening of refreshments, live music by Andrew Taylor and artwork defining our dynamic community Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
Final First Friday Reception 5-8pm @ Shibusa Gallery (525n Oak St.) This will be the last reception at the gallery, which is closing in mid-May
The Panhandle Antique Tractor and Engine Club is hav- Free First Saturday at the Museum ing a benefit. They’ll be selling burgers, hot dogs and 10am-2pm @ BoCo History Museum drinks to raise money. Proceeds go toward the Bonner Enjoy free admission to check o wardrobe from 1940-1959. Sponsor Co. Museum’s future equipment display in Kootenai by Summit Insurance Community Health and Safety Fair Fly Tying Group 10am-2pm @ Bonner General Health parking lot All are invited to enjoy health, recreation and safety 1pm @ Sandpoint Library The Fly Tying Group meets the first an organizations and activities. Lots of fun events for third Saturdays at the Sandpoint Libra adults and kids alike Game Night at the Niner Sandpoint Chess Club Cy 9pm @ 219 Lounge 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee 2p Meets every Sunday at 9am. All are welcome A Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Learn the Night Club Two Step – 7pm @ SWAC Learn a beautiful dance for slow dancing from Diane Peters. 610-1770 for info
ag mo do
Winter Ridge Speaker Series Trivia Night Ales for Trails 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s 6pm @ Winter Ridge 4-7pm @ Idaho Pour Au Spring sandwiches: spring flavors come Presented by the Pend KRFY Morning Show together with some delightful recipes Club. Proceeds benefit th 8am @ 88.5 FM Featuring Grand Teton Karaoke Night music, raffle prizes and c 10pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge Primary Candidates Forum Alexander Valley W 5:30pm @ Sandpoint High School Auditorium The Reader and Sandpoint Online host a Primary Candidates Forum 6pm @ Forty-One S from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the SHS auditorium. All candidates are Enjoy a five-cours invited to give a statement and questions will be fielded by those with complementary win opponents. Free and open to the public. Also streaming live on Sand- is $65 per person, n and gratuity. call 265 pointOnline.com, with real time question submissions Jazz ‘n’ Java Throwback Th The Conversation 6-8pm @ Monarch Mtn. Coffee 7-11pm @ 219 L 6-8pm @ Ivano’s Ristorante All players welcome! Sit in with a Featuring Jason Wiley, of the Sand- Featuring live m rhythm section, play solo, or just listen point Parks and Recreation Depart- and drink specia “Our Sacred Obligation” film ment, talking about the new summer 17th Annual An 7pm @ The Little Panida Theater event “The Sunday Celebration.” This 7:30pm @ Pani ICL hosted screening of this film deal- is a FREE monthly event open to all 11 award winni ing with coal/oil trains want to miss! S
ful
May 5 - 12, 2016
A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com. Reader recommended
inter Ridge Speaker Series Idaho Gives! m @ Winter Ridge A special day of fundraising for Idaarn how to make herbal infused oils ho nonprofits. Go to IdahoGives.org earn the Rumba – 7pm @ SWAC to donate to your favorite Idaho nonarn the dance of romance from Di- profit, help make a difference e Peters. 610-1770 for info. Also, Dollar Beers! arn the West Coast Swing at 8pm 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
West African Kora performance 3:30 & 6pm @ Sandpoint Library A FREE performance/education demonstration featuring Sean Gaskill. Children’s program at 3:30pm, adults/general show at 6pm
okies Benefit Concert Free Community Track Meet @ Panida Theater 3:30-5:30pm @ SHS track field fit concert for KRFY 88.5FM, fea- Brought to you by Sandpoint Parks and he Lil’ Smokies, winners of the 2015 Rec., SHS Cross Country, and SHS Track e Bluegrass Festival band competi- Team; an open track meet for anyone from 9 ecial guests Doug Bond and Terry to 14 years of age. For more info 263-3613 will be opening. $15 tickets Live Music with The Dayfalls Open House at Embody 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge 6-9pm @ Embody (823 Main) Food, beverages, performances, live Jake Robin’s electronic dance project music and dancing! All are welcome! SCRC New Volunteer Orientation Come by and see what we’re up to! 12pm @ SCRC (231 N. Third Ave.) Live Music w/ Doug Bond & guest The Sandpoint Community Resource Center has openings for volunteers! 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
Museum y Museum check out . Sponsored
Eichardt’s Keg Blow Out Party 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Our annual Keg Blow Out Party featuring live music by the Beat Diggers FOL Book Sale 10am - 2pm @ Sandpoint Library Find great deals on books, CDs DVDs the first and Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip oint Library 5:30-7:30pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
r Valley Wine Dinner orty-One South five-course dinner with ntary wine pairings. Cost person, not including tax ty. call 265-2000 to RSVP
Tales From the Wardrobe 12pm @ Spt. Library Explore fashion in Bonner County in the 1940s and ‘50s. Free with light refreshments provided
Kentucky Derby Party 2-5pm @ Bernd Barrel Come celebrate the Derby with a Southern style buffett and one “Official Derby drink of your choice.” $25 per person. There is limited seating, so call 2631596 to reserve your spot Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante
CycloFemme 2pm @ Eureka Annex Parking Lot (next to Evans Brothers) A Global Women’s Cycling Day created to honor and encourage women to ride their bikes. Grab your mother, sister, grandmother, kids or BFF and join us for a casual ride (any bike will do) on the bike path to Dover and back. Guys are also welcome
o Pour Authority the Pend Oreille Pedalers Bike benefit the Watershed Crest Trail. nd Teton Brewing Company, live izes and complimentary appetizers
Embody Grand Opening 7pm @ Embody (823 Main) Join us for a Ayni Despacho Ceremony blessing the community, honoring the Earth.
Mother’s Day Pancake Breakfast 7-11am @ Elks Lodge A Boy Scouts fundraiser. Come down with Mom and enjoy pancakes, sausage coffee and juice. $6 adults, $4 kids, mothers eat free. Proceeds benefit BSATroop 111
Available at:
25% off any photochromic lens purchase
*Limited to one set of lenses, Rx or plano; discount also applies to accompanying frame. Valid only with coupon. Expires 6/21/2016.
Citizen Scientist Meeting 4:30pm @ LPOW office (109 N. 1st) Join Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper to learn more about how to volunteer as a Citizen Scientist with the Water Quality Monitoring Program this summer
Spring Sandwiches 6pm @ Winter Ridge Natural Foods Instructor Raquel Kaelin will bring spring flavors together in delightful sandwich recipes for grilled portabello sandwich with artichoke tapenade and chickpea salad sandwich. FREE!
May 14-15 John Craigie @ Di Luna’s.
May 14 Li ve Comedy by wback Thursdays at the 219 Learn the Rumba – 7pm @ SWAC Ra ndy Liedtke @ m @ 219 Lounge Learn the dance of romance from Diing live music with Chris Lynch ane Peters. 610-1770 for info. Also, the Panida Thea ter
ink specials Annual Animation Show of Shows m @ Panida Theater ard winning short films you don’t o miss! See story on p. 19
learn the West Coast Swing at 8pm Dollar Beers! 8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry
May 19-22 Lost in the ‘50s!
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Garrisiollnor’s Ke r! ďŹ nal tou a level, Orchesetsrtra section, Orch ow X R
More than a store, a Super store!
Free Bone Density Scanning May 6th and 7th 8am - 3pm Other lab work available at reduced cost Open 7 Days a Week!
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COMMUNITY
Opening day at Farmers’ Market
Primary Candidates FORUM wednesday, may 11 5:30pm - 8pm
By Dion Nizzi Reader Staff Beginning it’s 28th year this Saturday, the Farmers Market at Sandpoint has become an ingrained local institution. Twice a week, area farmers and craftsmen display and sell the literal fruits and vegetables of their labor in the splendor and convenience of Farmin Park, often accompanied by glorious spring and summer weather and melodic local musicians. It’s a process that local farmer Emily LeVine will be participating in for her eighth straight year, and she’s seen some changes. ”We’ve grown every year,” she said. “The community has been very supportive. It’s actually pretty amazing, considering the size of our town, what a strong market we have. Everybody who comes to the market has such great things to offer.” “We take pride that everything sold at our market is locally grown or made.” she continued, “The grower is the vendor and customers can get information about the product directly from the grower. In addition there is no re-sale of products at all in our markets, which is not always true of a lot of farmers markets in the country. That makes ours very unique and fresh.” This time of year is always exciting for Emily. “The month of May is usually pretty busy because we have a lot of farmers with plant starts. So many local people who grow their own gardens come and participate early. That’s a really great part of the market,” she said. “Once summer vacations begin, things really kick in. With the amazing weather we’ve had, we expect to see a lot more early produce, a dizzying array of produce.” The newest thing going on at the Farmers Market this year? “More hot food available,” she said. “There’s more meat:
Photo courtesy of Sandpoint Farmers’ market. chicken, beef, pork, lamb. Two blueberry vendors, goat cheese and dairy products at every market. We’re also grateful to have many great craft vendors at the market. We are a farmers market, so becoming a craft vendor is a little harder. Make your own product from locally made products, and you’ll fit right in. We’re backlogged on craft vendors, so the quality is phenomenal. We also have master gardeners come by once a month to our information booth. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions. So please ask!” A challenge for the market every year though, is the idea that it’s too pricey. Emily begs to differ. “There is a common misconception that food at the Farmers Market is more expensive,” she said. “Every vendor sets their own prices, so it’s worth it to shop around. The produce prices always seem to be on par with the grocery stores organic section. Some are lower, and there are some products that are consistently lower.” “Not everybody knows, but we accept food stamps through the SNAP program.”, Emily continued. “We’ve done it for five years now. You can purchase produce, milk, eggs, dairy and even plant starts. Food to grow at home. The process is simple to participate in. Go to the booth of the market manager, and we can process your cards in exchange for “market dollars”. It’s a pretty smooth process and helps a lot of people. We want to make sure people know about this program and use it to help feed their families.” Farmers Market at Sandpoint hours: Wednesdays 3-5:30 p.m. Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
sandpoint high school auditorium Want to meet your candidates for the state legislative and county primary races? Come to this free forum hosted by the Sandpoint Reader and Sandpoint Online. There will also be a question and answer session for those candidates in contested races. Can’t make the forum? Have no fear, live streaming is here. SandpointOnline.com will be live streaming the forum to anyone with an Internet connection. The live stream will include a chat function so that those watching the forum online can post comments and interact, as well as pose questions they'd like moderators to ask the candidates.
On May 17th
On the Democratic Primary Election Ballot
Vote to make Idaho better! Legislative District 1 State Representative Position B
Stephen F. Howlett ( write-in ) Check the box & vote
Paid for by the candidate, Stephen F Howlett - treasurer May 5, 2016 /
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Calling all citizen scientists By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper (LPOW) is now accepting volunteers to become citizen scientists for their Water Quality Monitoring Program (WQMP). This marks the fifth field season of the locally-run project to protect and preserve one of our most precious resources; the lake and river. The project is an effort to measure changes in water quality across the Lake Pend Oreille Watershed over time. If you are interested in participating in this long-term stewardship project, LPOW invites you to attend their vol-
unteer information meeting on Tuesday, May 10 at the LPOW downtown office (109 N. First Ave.) from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Since 2012, the WQMP has tracked changes to water quality conditions at designated sites across the lake and river, gathering critical water quality information from June through October each year. This program is driven by volunteer citizen scientists, whose input year after year is helping to build a solid understanding of local waterways, documenting current water quality conditions and creating a reference point for any future changes that might occur. Interested parties should be someone who is interested in
stewardship of waterways and have a high level of responsibility for collecting accurate samples. “We’ve had everyone from artists to high school students to retired scientists do this,” said program director Kelsey Brasseur. “The number one thing is for people to be attentive to detail.” While it helps for volunteers to have access to a boat to access collection sites, it’s not a requirement. “We’re willing to work with people,” said Brasseur. “We do have several sites accessible by kayak or canoe from private launches, and we also have a canoe and a sit-on-top kayak for volunteers to use, so there
May is National Bike Month By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Along with being one of the prettiest months, May is also National Bike Month. We’ll be featuring bike content all month long, including repair ideas, good trails, rules of the road and other two-wheeled fun. For now, here’s a short list of fun events to celebrate Bike Month in style. Bike Rodeo Thursday, May 12, at Traver’s Park 3:00 p.m. This is a fun event for ages 6-12 to prac-
tice their biking skills and learn safety rules. Please bring your bike and helmet. Sponsored by Sandpoint Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee Bike-to-Work Day Wednesday, May 18. Start your day with a ride to Outdoor Experience for their free pancake breakfast served from 7-10 a.m. Yum! And during the day, if you feel a little slump at work, ride on over to Evans Brothers for a complimentary cup of coffee.
Bike Swap Saturday, May 21, at Eureka Institute building (513 Oak St.). Those used bikes and bike accessories that are taking up space can be converted to cash. Check-in your used gear from 9-11 a.m. A newer ride can be snapped up for a bargain at their sale from noon until 2 p.m. Sponsored by Pend Oreille Pedalers
Random Thought: When jogging, we put on special clothes so people don’t think we are running from or to something. 16 /
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are options.” For more information about the program, check out the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeepers’ website at www.lakependoreillewaterkeeper.org or call 208-597-7188.
Citizen scientists Bruce and Judy Butler collecting samples on the lake. Photo by Becky Reynolds.
Final Shibusa Art Opening this weekend By Ben Olson Reader Staff
The Gallery at Shibusa Studios will be hosting its final First Friday Reception on Friday, May 6, from 5-8 p.m. Owner Kevin Watson said this opening will be the The Gallery at Shibusa Studios. Courtesy photo. gallery’s last reception for the gallery, which will close in mid-May. “I’ve really enjoyed the last two years and the support of Cooper, Carrie Scozzaro, Elana the community, but it’s time Westphal, Tom Woodward and for me to make time for other Kevin Watson. activities,” said Watson. “I “There are a wide variety work full-time for a publishof mediums represented here, ing company and having the with some thought-provoking gallery and studio has been a pieces,” said Watson. “It’s relifelong dream, but it doesn’t ally a privilege to feature work leave much time to pursue by these artists.” other projects. I’ll still create The Gallery at Shibusa art, but I want to explore some Studios is open Saturday from other disciplines.” 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located The opening will feature the at 525 Oak Street, in the former work of several local artists, Darigold building in the Granaincluding David Baranski, Nan ry Arts District.
The Straight Poop:
Idaho th r o N in s e ss e ndly busin ie fr g o d r fo st e The qu
By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist
Where am I taking my humans today? The cherry blossoms are blooming—time for the Mister and Missus to experience Kyoko Sushi and Noodle Bar in the Cedar Street Bridge. Wowza, look at those Japanese parasols hanging from the ceiling! My Google research indicates that the transformation of the vacant storefront into this charming Japanese café took less than a month. The shoji screens with cherry blossom print outline the main seating area and create a sense of privacy from the bridge foot traffic. This configuration allows Kyoko to be a dogfriendly place! Paws up! The Mister and Missus were fans of Junior’s first sushi restaurant, Oishii, in Sandpoint circa 2007. Hence, Kyoko’s décor, mostly red, white and black, brings back memories of that restaurant. Junior has been cooking for 20 years. He started in the restaurant business at 14 as a prep cook. In 2013 he brought his culinary expertise to a restaurant group in Gillette, Wyo., and his family stayed. Junior longed to return to Sandpoint to open a sushi restaurant that was simple and small, where
his friends could gather and experience a one-on-one conversation with the chef. His passion is feeding people great fish and FLOS (fresh, local, organic and sustainable) products. Junior told me the myths about sushi. Most folks assume that sushi is raw fish— “bait on a plate.” However the word sushi is defined as “pickled rice” (rice with vinegar and sugar). The menu caters to all dietary needs. There is no farm-raised fish on the menu. Fish is flown in from Japan and Hawaii four to five times a week, and it is time-stamped between water and restaurant delivery. The average time from water to restaurant is 20 hours. Now that’s FRESH! All fish is dispatched using the century old Japanese custom of Ikajima to preserve the taste, texture and freshness of the fish. Junior grew up with dogs in his family. He is aspiring to get a French bulldog. I love this guy. He thinks dog-friendly! He says, “Take us on walks. We are your best friends and your fur babies. Don’t leave us at home or chained in the yard. Take us with you whenever you can. We are part of your fami-
ly and want to enjoy the good life with you.” Junior gazes out onto Sand Creek daily and observes dogs and their owners. Dogs love water, walking on the Sand Creek trail and swimming in the creek. He encourages folks to come to Kyoko with their dogs, say hi, and have a bite to eat. So what makes Kyoko a dog-friendly place? There is always a fresh bowl of water, and dogs are welcome on the path through the restaurant and outside of the seating area directly in front of the restaurant. The tables next to the shoji screens are the best because I can see the Mister and Missus during dinner. And outside seating is coming this summer. Sushi, family and dogs unite! While you are at Kyoko, check out the original favorites from Oishii, and the best selling BroRoll, AKA The Pink Roll (named for Junior’s brother). It’s an epicurean delight: tempura shrimp, avocado, real crab, spicy tuna and special sauce all rolled up in soy paper. It’s so easy to eat while walking the trail. Buy one, get one free Tuesday to Thursday evening on sashimi, nigiri and rolls for dine-in only. Also mention you’re a 7B resident and get the kamaaina (Hawaiian for local) discount any other time (only one discount at a time, please). And coming soon, THE DRAKE ROLL. Just in time for the Kyoko’s one-year birthday bash during Lost in the ‘50s weekend. Kyoko Rules:
Owner Junior Solis with Drake. 2. Wipe your paws before eating sushi 3. Drinks served to fur babies in ‘to-go containers’ 4. Dogs are welcome on either side of the shoji screens 5. All family members are welcome 6. Complete all dog business outside Not permitted: 1. Paws on the furniture 2. Butts in the seats 3. Doggie bar service
1. Leashes required on the bridge
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Opening hearts and minds hope for humanity By Suzen Fiskin Reader Columnist
I used to be a news junkie. I spent hours every day ferreting out the nasty details of greed, corruption and just plain stupidity that have us on a global collision course with extinction. I was not a happy camper. Late last year, I hit a wall in my life and made a commitment to myself to learn to be a much happier human. I stopped focusing on the seemingly insurmountable problems we face and went on a quest for solutions. The most satisfying combine the logic of science and the intuitive grace of heart. On my quest, I’ve found some (r)evolutionary ideas that have filled me with hope where there once was none. Let me share my favorite so far. We were sold a bill of goods with Darwin’s survival of the fittest. It’s been used as an excuse for some of the cruelest and most violent behavior that a class system can bestow. In the past decade, this dismal theory of separation, struggle and competition has been busted. If we look to nature, it isn’t every animal for itself. Cooperation has actually proven to be a most effective survival strategy. Even with humans, when the spit hits the fan as in a disaster like Katrina or 9/11, we tend to have an outpouring of compassion as we come together to help one another. Peer-reviewed science now tells us that we are a collaborative species, yet the media, schools and business interests have been painfully slow to change. They have too big a vested interest in keeping us stuck in the fear of the status quo. As Einstein said – you can’t solve a problem with the level of thinking that created it. We need some new thinking . . . big time! Enter the wonderful heart and mind of Dr. Bruce Lipton, the best-selling author, speaker and international authority on the new biology linking the body, mind and consciousness with science. In his ground-breaking book, “The Biology of Belief,” he shatters the idea that we are prisoners of our DNA. Instead, he proves that 95 percent of the time our fate is driven by the reactions of our cell membranes to their environment. Rather than being stuck with the genetic hand dealt to us, we have a responsive system that we can influence with our choices. There’s a reason I’m sharing this. Hang on to your hat! Building on how cells work, the good doctor opens the door to a new understanding of evolution and how humans fit into the scheme of things. Dr. Bruce offers a fascinating, hope-filled and logical path for how we can evolve out of the mess we’ve made of our world. 18 /
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For the first billion years on this planet, bacteria were the only game in town. Bacteria are the basic building blocks for all of life as we know it. These single-celled wonders mutated for eons until their little membranes couldn’t get any bigger without bursting like overfilled water balloons. This membrane is where their intelligence lives. In the world of biology, you’re either green and growing or brown and dying. When the bacteria stopped growing, they started dying until evolution jumped in. Groups of bacteria gathered and formed new communities wrapped in a shared membrane. These were called amoeba. No longer single-celled, they formed divisions of labor like we have in our bodies. Some cells did respiration, others digestion or elimination, and so on. With membranes over 1,000 times the size of bacteria, the amoeba mutated into a wealth of complex forms. This went on for another billion years or so until they expanded as much as they could. They, too, began to die off until evolution kicked in and clusters of amoeba formed new communities housed under a shared skin. One of these life forms is the caterpillar, which is made up of 7 billion cells with a sophisticated division of labor that mimics a city. When in growth mode, there’s full employment and the economy’s great. When it hits its maximum size, it stops eating. With less food coming in, digestive cells get laid off. Soon everything slows down and other body systems lay off more cells. Pretty soon there’s chaos. The system isn’t growing, cells are out of work and life starts falling apart. (“The sky is falling . . .”) This state of disarray awakens the dormant imaginal cells that come the rescue. These cells are in charge of metamorphosis, and they respond very differently to the chaos. They have a new vision and lay out a fresh plan to get beyond the bedlam. Under their guidance, the existing cells evolve into a butterfly, leaving behind old ways of life and beliefs that were no longer sustainable. There are 7 billion humans on earth. Each of us is like a separate cell, and, like all life forms, we have bumped into the limits of our growth. We are at the same demise stage as the caterpillar, and have come to a fork in the road. We can choose to become extinct by clinging to our old fearful ways, or we can reorganize, collaborate and shift our focus to create our Butterfly Plan. We are primed to evolve into a magnificent new super-organism called
Humanity while forming an unimaginably different and sustainable world. The Internet is our shared neurology. Oh, the possibilities we can co-create working together! We’re right on schedule for our imminent evolution. The good news is that we have all the technology we need right now to feed every mouth, provide clean water and energy for everyone, replenish the earth, and solve our other dilemmas. We just need to solve our biggest crisis – our crisis of thinking that we are separate from the earth and one another. It’s time to embrace collaboration rather than competition as our birthright. Each one of us can become the imaginal cells for Humanity in creating a New Earth. The choice is ours, and I say, “Let’s go for it!”
Suzen Fiskin is a lifelong entrepreneur who’s exploring her old passions to see what sparks her rockets of desire. A photographer, writer, speaker, designer, hypnotherapist and success coach – she’s excited about what’s next! If you have any questions, or need any of the above skills, please find her – (208)572-0009 or suzenfiskin@yahoo.com
Papa: Hemingway in Cuba By Reader Staff
Ernest Hemingway was one of the most important writers of the 20th century. The legendary Hemingway was on-hand as a journalist, covering many of the century’s biggest events: World War I, World War II and the Spanish Civil War. He was also present in Havana for the Cuban Revolution. If you don’t know much about that period of time in his life, the new film “Papa: Hemingway in Cuba” will take us all back on that journey. The film opened last week at the Panida Theater, which was chosen as one of 300 theaters nationwide to premier the film. The movie stars Adrian Sparks (who first portrayed Hemingway onstage in 2005) as the legend affectionately known as “Papa” in the telling of this true story. Tracing back through his time there, with the focus on his friendship with a younger Denne Bart Petitclerc (Giovanni Ribisi) we meet Eddie. At first Eddie is intimidated by the old man, whose bushy beard and barrel chest admittedly create an imposing image, but he quickly finds that the real Hemingway is shy and somewhat self-conscious. Early in their first meeting Hemingway declares “less is more” and asks him to choose a number between one and ten. When Petitclerc picks the number six, Hemingway starts scratching away with a pen and paper to write a story in six words. The powerful results prove that the famous writer never needed an excess of words to get a point across. His writing style in his novels “A Farewell to Arms,” “The Sun Also Rises” and “The Old Man and the Sea” changed literature forever.
Directed by the producer of the Academy Award winner “Crash” and “The Illusionist,” “Papa: Hemingway In Cuba” is a true story about the relationship. It is the first Hollywood film to be shot in Cuba since 1959. It is a slow build but pays particular attention to detail as the story progresses. Set during the Cuban revolution, the film co-stars Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly with a cameo by Hemingway’s granddaughter, Mariel Hemingway. The film was shot on location in Havana and inside Hemingway’s estate, Finca Vigia. Filming in Hemingway’s actual home helps the performances from the main actors come alive and knowing that going in will give Panida patrons an extra level to watch for. “The only value we have in life is the risks we’re willing to take,” says Hemingway in the film. This adventure shows one period of time he was taking those risks. Recovering from various old injuries in Cuba, Hemingway suffered from depression and was treated for numerous conditions such as high blood pressure and liver disease. He wrote “A Moveable Feast,” a memoir of his years in Paris, and retired permanently to Idaho. There he continued to battle with deteriorating mental and physical health. Early on the morning of July 2, 1961, Ernest Hemingway committed suicide in his Ketchum home. This film gives us an insight into the tormented part of his genius. “Papa: Hemingway in Cuba” plays at the Panida Theater the following dates and times: 5/5@7:30; 5/7@3:30 and 7:30; 5/8 3:30; 5/10@6:30; 5/11@ 1:30; 5/14@1:30 Rated R (for language, sexuality, some violence and nudity).
STAGE & SCREEN
Animation Show of Shows a creative showcase By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
One of the things I love about animation is its heightened sense of reality. A medium of storytelling filtered through pure imagination, animation done right makes fantasy more fantastic, emotion more poignant and humanity more human. That sense is evident in every frame of the “17th Annual Animation Show of Shows,” a curated collection of the year’s best work in animation shorts. Featuring submissions from all across the globe, the “Animation Show of Shows” demonstrates that people really do have more commonalities than differences. For “Animation Show of Shows” curator and Acme Filmworks founder Ron Diamond, the short film collection is an attempt to address a lack of showcases for animators. Since animation shorts aren’t hot commodities for distributors, there isn’t a major economic incentive to get them into public theater screenings. By contrast, the “Animation Show of Shows” travels from theater to theater, landing May 12-14 in Sandpoint for screenings at the Panida Theater. The showings takes place Thursday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, May 13, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 14, at 3 p.m. The collection is family-friendly and appropriate for all ages. Over the course of nearly two decades, the “Animation Show of Shows” has become an annual staple for animators and animation lovers alike. According to Diamond, the final collection of films is confirmed in September just before Oscar buzz is beginning to build. It’s an important factor for him, since his aim is to craft a tonally coherent collection rather than ride the award-bait season. “It’s a chance to really focus on films that will complement each other,” he said. “We want to weave together an entertaining program and leave the audience feeling enriched as they leave the theater.”
A still frame from “Love in the Time of March Madness.” Courtesy photo. Since the shows typically include the best shorts that animation has to offer, however, it’s no surprise that there’s often crossover with eventual Oscar nominations. This year is no exception, as the collection caps off with Don Herzfeldt’s bitingly funny, Oscar-nominated “World of Tomorrow.” The short is set around a encounter between 4-year-old Emily Prime and her time-traveling, third-generation clone. Like many other Herzfeldt shorts, the film is both hilarious and sobering, a meditation on technological isolation buoyed by the spontaneous dialogue provided by Herzfeldt’s 4-year-old niece. The other films in the collection demonstrate a similar energetic creativity despite differing moods and themes. “Love in the Time of March Madness,” a personal essay by co-director Melissa Johnson on her experiences as a nearly six-and-a-half-foot woman, won many San Diego Comic-Con fans who understood the awkwardness of their own unusual appearance or behavior. “It’s not about being more than six feet tall,” said Diamond. “It’s about being different.” Likewise, Iranian animators Babak and Behnoud Nekooei strike upon universal experience with “Stripy,” an ode to off-
beat individuals within rigidly structured worlds. A Walt Disney homage with a warm heart, “Stripy’s” whimsy and charm doesn’t diminish its counter-cultural heart. Each of the “Animation Show of Show’s” 11 shorts is a labor of love, and they warrant the experience of a proper big-screen viewing. Do yourself a favor and drop by one of the Panida Theater showings next week. You’ll be amazed at what a gifted artist can accomplish within a few short minutes.
Little Theater
May 5 & 6 @ 7pm
“where to invade next?”
Michael Moore’s latest documentary film
May 5 @ 7:30pm / May 7 @ 3:30 & 7:30pm may 8 @ 3:30pm / may 10 @ 6:30pm / May 11 @ 1:30pm
“Papa: Hemingway in cuba” film Friday, May 6 @ 7:30pm
the Lil’ smokies - krfy benefit concert winners of 2016 telluride bluegrass band competition
May 12 @ 7:30pm / may 13 @ 7pm / may 14 @ 4pm
17th annual animation show of shows friday may 13 @ --pm
allegro dance recital saturday may 14 @ 7pm
live comedy with randy liedtke
A still frame from “Stripy.” Courtesy photo.
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Bluegrass benefit concert for community radio By Ben Olson Reader Staff
How did it all begin with the Lil’ Smokies?
Community radio is alive and strong here in Sandpoint, thanks to thoughtful programming and a dedication to grassroots coverage of news and music. You can show your love for 88.5 FM KRFY Panhandle Community Radio by attending a special bluegrass benefit concert at the Panida Theater Friday. Award winning bluegrass band the Lil’ Smokies will be playing the Panida Theater Friday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. with special guests Doug Bond and Terry Ludiker. We gave the Lil’ Smokies dobro player Andy Dunnigan a call and interviewed him about the upcoming show, life on the road with the band and their recent big win at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
It was about six or seven years ago. We all met at a party, of course and ended up staying up all night playing music until the sun came up. We all had similar taste in music … it was a hobby. We’d get together and play at our mandolin player’s woodshop. It was just fun. We started doing gigs and busking around town in Missoula. We were primarily a cover band then. In the last few years we started honing in on the original music and touring full time.
BO: How’d you get connected with the KRFY Benefit show? AD: We played the Hive about six months ago and got hooked up with them through that. We really enjoyed playing in Sandpoint. It was a pleasant surprise, actually. It’s nice going into those shows with no expectations and be blown away. That was exactly what happened in Sandpoint. This is pretty close to your home turf in Missoula, too. Do you think there’s a Northwest Bluegrass following up here? Yeah, it’s really close to home in regards to the distances we’ve been traveling lately. And yeah, I think there is a following in the Northwest. It’s an amalgamation of a lot of different types of bluegrass – traditional, jam grass – there’s all this evolution happening. You get a lot of it up in the northwest … it’s got a distinct flavor and incorporates a lot of different genres. I think bluegrass is in its adolescent phase. There are different sects of bluegrass so to speak. It’s really cool to be on the frontier of that. 20 /
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Are you all full time now or do you still have side jobs? No, we’re all full timing it now. We’re traveling so much now, we all took the plunge. After winning the Telluride thing, it was an indicator we were on the right track. It’s been a lot of fun, but scary, too. What has the transition been like, going from playing part time to making this a career? It’s been incremental. There’s always been maybe the shard of that possibility lingering in the air that we could make it. In the last few years, we started recording the first album with original music. Writing and playing original music was the tipping point. For us it became a lot more fun. The last year, after everyone took the plunge, it propelled us to a more serious level … but it is scary. We’re not making bags of cash by any means, but we’re rich with experience. You won the Northwest String Summit in 2013 and then the Telluride Band Competition for 2015, which is one of the biggest awards in bluegrass. What was it like to come out on top there? It was pretty surreal. Obviously the Telluride thing, which is arguably the biggest festival in the U.S. as far as bluegrass
The Lil’ Smokies will be playing the Panida Theater on May 6 to benefit KRFY 88.5 FM community radio. Photo by Kirsten Cohen Photography.
goes. It was a milestone for us as a band. Personally, I went to Telluride in 2005. I was just starting to play music. I had just graduated from high school. I remember seeing the band competition and all the players, so I went back in 2006. I didn’t go back until just last year. In 2005, I was just barely playing music – I just started playing guitar. It was a full circle moment to come back and win that. I think it really was a contributing factor for all of us
to quit our day jobs. Do you have any words of advice for budding musicians who are maybe unsure whether they want to keep playing or not? Yeah, I think the number one rule that we’ve always had is to keep it fun. I’ve always thought – practicing by myself or playing as a band – that there’s been a level of enjoyment or fun. Once that starts
going, you’ve got to take a step back and re-examine or change your perspective. If it’s fun and it’s satisfying your existential purpose in life, you’ve got to keep doing it. That would be my advice to anyone wanting to travel down this crazy, weird road. Check out the Lil’ Smokies at the Panida Theater on Friday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Atkinson/Jess guitar show at the Bing By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff
Musical sparks are sure to fly when local classical guitarist Leon Atkinson joins forces with brass specialist Larry Jess. Set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, the special presentation of the Friends of the Guitar Hour combines two unique talents into a musical showcase. Tickets are $32 and available online at ticketswest. com. Atkinson is well known within the local music scene. A lifelong guitar student, he has traveled the world performing and teaching guitar. He has played Carnegie Hall and Broadway shows, not to mention shared the stage with famous artists like poet Langston Hughes. Jess, meanwhile, has worked as a Spokane musician
Leon Atkinson playing the Tonedevil Leon Atkinson Model Classical Harp Guitar. Courtesy photo. for more than 40 years, racking up a host shows with famous artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, Bob Hope, The King Family, Ben Folds, Patti Austin, Peter Nero and more. The Spokane Brass Works
ensemble will be on hand to back the two musicians. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a great night to watch musicians at the top of their game. For ticket information, go to www.ticketswest.com.
MUSIC
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
2016 Festival lineup released By Ben Olson Reader Staff
One of the best parts of spring is hearing the release of the Festival at Sandpoint’s lineup. This year we’re treated with another great cast of performances under the white tent. Here’s a quick summary of what to expect this summer: Thursday, Aug. 4: Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, with Sandpoint band Bridges Home opening. Grammy Award winning singer and keyboardist Bruce Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, gospel, rock, blues and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and seamless improvisations. His 1986 No. 1 debut hit, “The Way It Is,” still gets stuck in my head whenever I hear it. Friday, Aug. 5: Railroad Earth with Rabbit Wilde. Railroad Earth is a roots and Americana-based newgrass jam band from Stillwater, New Jersey. They combine elements of bluegrass, rock and roll, jazz, celtic and more and the virtuosic band members are known for their extensive live improvisation and lyrical songwriting within an acoustic base. Super Saturday, Aug. 6: Emmylou Harris with the Brothers Landreth and the Powers. What can I say about Emmylou Harris other than WOW. Emmylou is one of the
most decorated artists in music with 13 Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association, a No. 22 ranking on VH1’s 100 Most Influential Women in Rock and Roll and the No.5 Ranking on the CMT’s list of 40 Greatest Women of Country Music. Sunday, Aug. 7: Family Concert with the Festival Community Orchestra “Peter and the Wolf.” Thursday, Aug. 11: Angelique Kidjo with Afrosonics. Angelique Kidjo is a Beninese-born American Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and activist, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Friday, Aug. 12: Nitty Gritty Dirty Band with Luke Bell. NGDB will be visiting Sandpoint as part of their 50th Anniversary Tour. With over 30 albums under their belt, this will surely be a night of fun.
Saturday, Aug. 13: Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals with Tom Freund and Sadie Wagoner. Known to worldwide audiences for his guitar-playing skills, distinctive vocals, inspiring live performances, and activism, he is a three-time Grammy Award winner in three different categories with greatest hits including “Diamonds on the Inside,” “Burn One Down,” “Steal My Kisses,” and “Pink Balloon.”
West African Kora performance at Library By Ben Olson Reader Staff The Sandpoint Library is honored to welcome Sean Gaskell—a West African Kora musician—for two performances/educational demonstration. A children’s program will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, followed by a 6 p.m. pr4ogram for adults and families. Both performances are free. Gaskell will perform traditional songs in addition to some of his own personal compositions on the Kora—a 21-stringed harp instrument. “We feel extremely fortunate to have Sean here,” said Mike Bauer, adult programs and life-long learning coor-
dinator for the library. “This is a really unique opportunity for us.” The Kora is native to the Mande peoples who live within the countries of Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Guinea Bissau. The music is traditionall played by oral and musiSean Gaskell. cal historians known as Griots. The Kora is a melodic and seemingly peaceful instrument, which is somewhat contrary to its musical repertoire. Many songs tell ancient stories of war and hardship, while others praise people of high political status and those who helped expand the Mande Empire.
Sunday, Aug. 14: Grand Finale - “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Gary Sheldon, featuring soloists VAdim Neselovskyi (piano), Hailey Fuqua (soprano) and Jason Moody (violin). Special thanks to Dyno Wahl and her fabulous staff and volunteers who keep bringing these great artists to our humble little town by the lake.
Auditions held for Festival’s Community Orchestra By Reader Staff
The Festival at Sandpoint is holding open auditions for instrumentalists to perform in the Family Concert Orchestra. Students, amateurs and professionals alike are invited to audition one of two days for the Family Concert, which will perform at the Festival at Sandpoint on Sunday, Aug. 7 at Memorial Field. Auditions will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at Alder St. and Fourth Ave. in Sandpoint on Tuesday, May 10 between 4 and 6 p.m. and also on Wednesdsay, May 11 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Those who attend auditions are asked to bring whatever repertoise they’d like to play. The orchestra will be divided into two groups for the concert: the Chamber Orchestra will include more advanced musicians for certain selections of the program, and the Full Orchestra will include other eligible musicians. Conductor Gary Sheldon will lead an exciting program called “A Musical Zoo,” including Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals, “Summer” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Wagner’s “Under the Double Eagle March” and John Williams’ “Cantina Band,” from the film “Star Wars.” For more information about auditions, call the Festival at Sandpoint office at 208-2654554.
Crossword Solution
READ
Many of us recognize George Orwell for his fiction (“1984,” “Animal Farm,”) but one of his best works is the nonfiction book “Homage to Catalonia.” The book is Orwell’s personal account of his time serving in the militia during the Spanish Civil War. While reading “Homage,” you understand a lot of Orwell’s writing better, especially his rejection of totalitarianism and his embrace of democratic socialism. The experiences and commentary alone make this book a worthy read.
LISTEN
I’ve always loved Modest Mouse, but I also enjoy hearing different bands cover their material. Iron Horse’s album “Pickin’ on Modest Mouse” is one of those that you can listen to on a long road trip over and over again and still enjoy. I’ve never been a huge bluegrass fan (I like bluegrass, but I don’t feel it in my soul), but this album converted me. Fans of the “Pickin’ On” series can also hear Iron Horse cover dozens of other bands, including Tom Petty, Neil Young, Metallica and many more.
WATCH
If you’re one of the few who haven’t seen “The Revenant” yet, check it out. I wanted to see it badly in the theater but never could make it. Now that it’s out on video, I finally made time to rent it and was very happy I did. You’ll recognize distinct locales like Kootenai Falls in western Montana. But you’ll also get swept up in the story of Hugh Glass’ struggle for survival and revenge. I was compelled by this tale when I read it decades ago. Now I’m complete after watching the film.
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w o N & Then compiled by
Ben Olson
Each week, we feature a new photograph taken from the same vantage point as one taken long ago. See how we’ve changed, and how we’ve stayed the same. Historical information provided and verified by Bonner County Museum staff and volunteers. The Museum is located at 611 S. Ella — (208) 263-2344.
1948
The same location today. This spring, the low water level was around the same as it was in 1948, so Randi’s daughter Michaella took this photo. Thanks guys!
2016
Woorf tdhe Week
woodnote
/WOO D-noht/
[noun] 1. A wild or natural musical tone, as that of a forest bird. “The birds called their woodnotes across the forest at dawn.”
Corrections: I made a few mistakes last week. There was an “and and,” a “laying” instead of “lying” and I also mispelled Imen McDonnel’s first name in a photo caption. Sheesh. My English professor in college would be horrified. Oh well, their is always next week (kidding!) -BO 22 /
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CROSSWORD
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
This week’s Then & Now is submitted by Mike and Randi Hammersberg of the Image Maker. The shot below was taken for the Sun Social, a paper column in Spokane, in 1948. It is Randi’s family gathering at the family home on Lakeshore Drive before she was born (near Murphy Bay). At that time there was no dam at Albeni Falls, so this was the lake level all the time.
ACROSS 1. A long narrow opening 6. Possesses 10. Piece of glass 14. Hawaiian veranda 15. Ship 16. Flying saucers 17. Not together 18. Arab chieftain 19. Steals 20. Luscious 22. Barbershop emblem 23. Derisive laugh 24. Scribbled 26. Attach 30. Secret agents 32. Scallion 33. Roared 37. Somersault 38. Contending 39. Portuguese folksong 40. Hartebeests 42. Melodies 43. Charges per unit 44. Relating to cats 45. Mystic 47. Family 48. Flippant 49. Catastrophe 56. 53 in Roman numerals 57. Modify 58. Tortilla chip 59. Savvy about 60. Pervert 61. Clobber
Solution on page 21 62. To fancy (archaic) 63. Wild Tibetan oxen 64. Feel
DOWN 1. Attired 2. Sexual assault 3. A Freudian stage 4. Concern 5. Cookhouse 6. A religion based on sorcery 7. Uterus 8. Found on a finger 9. Scattering 10. Meaningful
11. In progress 12. Chivalrous 13. Being 21. Buff 25. Scarlet 26. Ancient market places 27. Soon 28. Sediment 29. Permissiveness 30. Startles 31. Jests 33. Sort 34. Hindu princess 35. Biblical garden 36. An amount of medicine
38. In a consecrated manner 41. Flee 42. Renters 44. Hale 45. River through Paris 46. Produce a literary work 47. Friends and acquaintances 48. Farm equipment 50. Notion 51. Ill 52. Container weight 53. Computer symbol 54. Units of resistance 55. No
Someday I would like to make a movie that makes people laugh and makes people cry, and then makes them leave the theater in a quick and orderly manner so that others may come in.
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Butterfly Wings
utiful a e b f o Lots SAY waYS TO U
Like a butterfly emerges And unfolds its graceful wings, A child grows and develops With the love a mother brings. I'm thankful for the times When you encouraged me to try, For God gave me my wings, But, Mom, you taught me how to fly.
YO s THAfaNbuK lo us o w er
d clever giis annts unique pla
•7.58 ac. w/lodge home + guest house on Bull Lake, MT
•Only ONE HOUR EAST of Sandpoint, ID •Year around access via low-use Montana Hwy 56 •3 sides of property touch 96,000 acres of U.S. Congress
Designated Wilderness incl. wildlife mgmt. system
•Sports Afield Trophy Properties/Broker: WAYNE HEATON (406) 210-1100
Auuor, Robin Fogle
208.265.7900 www.petaltalk.com
Open Monday-Saturday 9-5:30 And Mother’s Day from 10 - 3 May 5, 2016 /
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