Reader november5 2015

READER

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/ November 5, 2015

(wo)MAN compiled by

Cadie Archer

on the street

“Who is your favorite filmmaker?”

“I’m a big fan of Quentin Tarantino. The choices he makes visually are very impactful and I like the way he structures dialogue.”

Brett Mullinder Chef at Schweitzer Sandpoint

“Francis Ford Coppola. ‘The Godfather.’ How could you not like ‘The Godfather?’ The horse head in the bed?”

DEAR READERS,

I, for one, am happy this damn election is finally over.

There’s nothing like a local election to bring the crazy opinions out of the woodwork. In the past few weeks, we’ve had to endure hate-filled robo calls, name-calling, vitriolic Facebook posting and enough misinformation to sink a battleship.

Here at the Reader, we’ve been called biased, yellow journalists, one-sided, too liberal, too conservative... you name it, we’ve taken it from all sides.

Elections bring out the nasty side of people. And I’m not referring to the candidates, but the people. This whole election has been one big bummer for me. I’m very happy we passed the Memorial Field local option tax, and also happy that both candidates for mayor of Sandpoint brought an increased number of people to the polls this year. But the social media scars are still raw.

This week, we explored the role social media has in an election, how it has changed the art of mud-slinging, how it has allowed speculation and conjecture to replace facts. Facebook is a great tool for many purposes, but perhaps electing a candidate for office is not one of them. What do you think?

-Ben Olson, Publisher

Suzie Coffman CT Lead Technologist Sandpoint

“Wes Anderson. My favorite movie is ‘Bottle Rocket.’”

Will Anderson Software Developer at Sandpoint.io Sandpoint

“Steven Spielberg. His films are so varied in style. He can have you laughing one minute, crying the next, and then the ‘oh my gosh’ moment; ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”

Jon Hagadone Craft Beer Store Owner Idaho Pour Authority Sandpoint

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Contributing Artists: Lisa V. Maus (cover), Ben Olson, Howard Stoddard, Donna Brundage Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Nick Gier, Scarlette Quille, Claire Honsinger, Mary Maio, Drake the Dog, Dion Nizzi

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Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com

“Ron Howard. He starred in ‘Happy Days.’ He’s given a lot of no-named people the opportunity to be successful in the movie industry.”

“Clint Eastwood. He has done some amazing stuff. He did ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ ‘Gran Torino,’ ‘Unforgiven,’ ‘Flags of Our Fathers.’ I think he’s done better as a director than an actor.

Plus he was mayor of Carmel, Calif.”

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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.

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Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook.

About the Cover

Lisa V Maus, cover artist, has been painting in Sandpoint for over 20 years. She has had over 45 magazine covers, 3 published books, one a bestseller on Amazon in 2015 and is open to art lovers of all genera at her downtown studio on Main Street.

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COMMENTARY The Great Train Wreck:

By Nick Gier Reader Columnist Even the fierce free-marketeer Margaret Thatcher hesitated to do it. As international rail expert Brendan Martin described it: “She starved British Rail investment, but she refused to privatize it.” But finally in 1991 her Conservative Party fellows ousted her, and they liquidated the country’s last major public enterprise.

Between 1993 and 1997 British Rail was sold off to 100 separate companies, which then subcontracted with thousands more. Incredibly enough, at one time 2,000 small firms divided up maintenance on 20,000 miles of tracks.

Many entrepreneurs got into the railway business, including airline magnate Richard Branson. Some became multi-millionaires, but others went bankrupt. The company Sea Containers thought it could succeed just well on land as it did on water, but it went bust on the East Coast Line. After another private company failed on this route, the government placed it back in public hands.

The new railway companies promised lower prices and

Transportation for elderly...

Dear Editor, It is from my personal experience and heartfelt concern that I address a travesty needing attention.

Our community lacks an extremely valuable and necessary service: the transportation of homebound seniors to appointments regardless of whether the patient is on Medicaid or Medicare. We have not stepped up to the plate to provide this valuable service.

Only one company exists that will transport seniors who are on Medicaid. What happens to those on Medicare? If you are wheelchair-bound the only alternative is an ambulance to transport one to the hospital to be seen which is costly and not feasible.

Adding insult to injury, physicians do not do house calls.

I ask the medical/dental and 4 /

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Privatizing British Rail

risen to $6 billion a year, more than British Rail ever had. In stark contrast, the larger, safer, faster nationalized German railway system requires a $1.2 billion annual subsidy.

America’s high-speed Acela attains 150 mph only on 35 miles of track on the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak runs on rails not properly maintained and unsuitable for high-speed traffic.

Bridges and tunnels in the Northeast, half of which are over 100 years old, reduce train speed to as low as 30 mph. European trains cover the distance between Boston and Washington in less than half the time Amtrak does.

The worst bottleneck is the conjunction of tracks under the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey.

Building a new tunnel required funds from New Jersey, but its governor rejected the idea. The existing tunnel was flooded by Hurricane Sandy and salt water corrosion will make it unusable

in the next 15-20 years.

GOP Rep. John Mica is correct to call Amtrak a “third world rail system,” but the reason that the average age of its cars is 29 years and that a train trip from Chicago to Denver takes five hours more than it did 85 years ago, is that congressmen such as Mica have refused to fund a first-world system.

The next day after the Amtrak crash, the House Appropriations Committee voted to reduce Amtrak funding by 15 percent. Long-term infrastructure investment has made the European, Japanese and Chinese railways world class, but ours will remain third world for the indefinite future.

trails in the area that people can enjoy. Scotchman is the highest point in the area and no other trails nearby offer anywhere near the views and beauty of the peak.

I highly doubt there would be a proposed Scotchman Peak Wilderness if there were no Scotchman Peak, a peak now closed to the public. Wilderness will bring more people, rules and control. We will increasingly be told what we can and cannot do, which sounds more like a national park.

Do you know that there are old clear-cuts and roads in the proposed area that have never been reclaimed? The Wilderness Act calls for protecting areas “untrammeled by man.” Logging is obviously not a future threat, as we now can magically transform clear-cuts into wilderness. Curi-

ously, many old logging roads in nearby Lightning Creek have been reclaimed, but those in Savage Creek, which is in the proposed area, have not. As reclamation by excavators sticks out like a sore thumb, perhaps the Forest Service is playing politics here. It also appears to be in direct violation of the spirit of the act.

What if future generations want to utilize a natural resource in the area? A Wilderness designation makes that nearly impossible.

The congressional delegation of Idaho is not in favor of this designation and for good reasons.

Contact them, in particular Rep. Raul Labrador, and voice your disapproval of the wilderness.

better service, but fares (adjusted for inflation) are 24 percent higher than in 1995. Significantly, British fares are 50 percent higher than those on the government railways of continental Europe. Passengers there are safer and travel at top speeds of 186 mph, 46 mph faster than the speediest British train.

Even though British train journeys have doubled since 1995, there still aren’t enough seats for passengers. The British journal The Economist reports that “22 percent of passengers commuting into London and 16 percent of those travelling to Manchester have to stand.”

The British Guardian newspaper reports that the private companies have “punctuality problems, chronic overcrowding and terrible consumer satisfaction ratings.” Poll after poll indicate that a majority of Brits want the government to run their passenger trains.

In 1948 a Labor Party government nationalized the four major rail lines, and over 30 years the main complaints were occasional delays and lousy sandwiches. There were about three times as many annual train deaths under public own-

ership, but most of those were due to signaling errors, now much reduced by better technology. Even so, both Britain and the U. S. are delinquent in installing safety systems, common in Europe, which could have prevented the recent Amtrak accident that claimed seven lives and injured 200.

Significantly, since British Rail went private, there have been more than twice as many Nick Gier of Moscow taught annual deaths due to poor track philosophy at the University of maintenance. For a period of Idaho for 31 years. Read his time there were just as many column on the world’s hightrain fatalities as road deaths, speed trains at www.nickgier. which have always been higher com/020309_BulletTrains.htm everywhere. Public outcry has forced the return of the tracks and their maintenance to public ownership.

Initially, the private companies were given government subsidies until they were able to work out the “inefficiencies” of government “maladministration.” The supreme irony, however, is that government aid was not phased out; A group of protesters gather to Bring Back British Rail. Photo courtesy of www.bringbackbritishrail.org rather, it has now

health care community to be cognisant of this vital need for our helpless seniors. A wheelchair-accessible van is needed. It is a feeling of letdown, abandonment and helplessness when one’s health cannot be attended to because one happens to be on Medicare instead of Medicaid. This lack of service is an outrage. We fall shamelessly behind other cities and states.

Where is the compassion and humanitarianism from our local health care community? I have found it to be non-existent.

from our Bonner County Commissioners, there are many residents in Bonner County who are not in favor of this designation. It is time for a reality check on this.

We are told the area must be protected, yet we do not hear from what. The area has survived just fine for all of time, but now Scotchman Peak has become a goat-petting zoo and the trail closed to the public. The real threat to the area is the astounding increase of hikers, since the publicity to create this began. In the past, on a summer weekend, you might see someone else on the trail, while now there have been as many as 45 people on the peak at one time. It has become a city trail-like experience to hike to the peak. That is, when it is allowed.

I have been told there are other

Sandy Lange Sandpoint

Nay on Scotchman Peaks...

Dear Editor, Despite the highly publicized support for the proposed Scotchman Peak Wilderness, including

Stan Myers Hope

PERSPECTIVES its intricacies.

It wasn’t that I wanted to be one of his anointed followers. Even the babies that sat in the very front of the bus knew they didn’t have the guts to sit back there. There was no way you could even look at the last four rows on the bus unless you had been suspended at least once.

The part that irritated me the most was that I couldn’t understand the jokes. There were no encyclopedia entries to enlighten me, and the dictionary only provided answers for words like “fart.” The only way to truly find answers was through an older kid that “had an obligation” to educate you. That usually meant family.

There was no way I could remember all of the words in time to ask my cousins, so I decided to use a few common ones around the house. After all, there were several that were definitely not on the forbidden list. Perhaps my parents didn’t even know these words— otherwise they would clearly be using them to communicate.

Ashamed of the small vocabulary I used to insult my brother, I imagined the satisfaction of wielding words so insulting he didn’t even know what they meant. He had not been fully exposed to this new environment, as he had to sit in the very front with the other little kids.

I decided to allow myself the

use of one of the overheard words, “mofo.” It sounded rather harmless and was typically used in combination with something else. In my 8-year-old mind, this word was probably a harmless stepping stone into social acceptance. I began practicing the word in private.

My cat became a mofo when he scratched me. My bike was a mofo when the chain broke. It was strangely satisfying, and I was becoming more confident.

It was time to hone my skill on less passive targets.

I remember my first voyage into uncharted vocabulary like it was yesterday. I was watching TV after school, and my mother was making dinner. My brother wanted me to drop everything and play with him. I was in third grade, so I’m not sure what made him think I had time for his nonsense.

I was completely ignoring him, as a big sister is entitled to do. Fully ensconced in the role of annoying little brother, he decided to up the ante by launching his Millennium Falcon toy out of his hand and into the back of my skull. My brain accessed the word immediately.

I flipped around and called my 6-year-old brother a “mofo pussy.”

I wasn’t really sure of the combo, or the meaning of either word. But my rage had silenced any restraint.

The room became silent, and

suddenly my mother materialized in the room. She had an expression only enraged predatory animals and human mothers can achieve. “What did you say?” she hissed.

I looked up innocently and repeated my newly acquired terminology. As a child your best defense is always wide-eyed innocence. Her face twisted, as though her mind was overriding her body’s basic desire to rip out my vocal cords. She took on a new tone: “Do you know what that means?”

I answered no and maintained the illusion of complete ignorance.

She then unleashed on my brother and me the most unbearable punishment we had ever experienced. She explained the complete meaning of the term mofo and the definition of the new “P word.” It was a word that was apparently so completely off-limits, so horrible and so offensive that even adults weren’t allowed to say it. Hearing your mother discuss such things was a discomfort I was not willing to endure ever again.

She even critiqued my brilliant combination, dissecting my usage in matter-of-fact fashion and then delivering a final blow: “It didn’t even make sense.”

I was ashamed but exhilarated.

These were specific meanings to at least three words that previously had no meaning. I would definitely be a wealth of information on the next bus ride while I gave a full recap to my friends. We would all move a little closer to the back of the bus for sure. Realistically, the torture I had endured from my mother would pay off in the knowledge to confidently assess a variety of insults. Lesson learned.

Today’s children do not have to

The railroads will continue running coal trains through Sandpoint the way they want to as long as it is profitable. It’s the American way!

If someone really cared enough about the coal dust wafting from the trains they would organize Ghandi-like civil disobedience.

Hundreds of people could block the trains by lying down or sitting on the tracks, or for the yoga folks, standing on their heads. This would stop a coal train and make a more definitive statement to the nation and the world.

This demonstration should include white, brown, black, red, yellow, pink, purple, green and blue people. This would mark Sandpoint as a city that embraces diversity and unity. Hopefully this would put to rest once and for all the perception of our area as a homeland for

pale white supremacy.

Such a demonstration would probably garner the attention of the national news and possibly bring support from one of the large environmental groups.

Of course, a train may accidentally run over and kill some of the demonstrators. The railroad would, no doubt, unofficially consider these deaths “acceptable losses” much like the military does with non-combatant casualties.

The railroads would then quickly sue the survivors for “conspiracy to restrict free trade”, which as we all know is a large corporation’s God Given Capitalistic Right.

And,of course, the liberal, pinko, bleeding hearts would call for charges of corporate-directed murder.

I don’t know if there has been

any measurements of how much coal dust is “lost” per mile of travel from the point of origin to its destination at the docks, but given the choice I would breathe none of it.

My first few years of life were spent in St. Louis where our family rented an apartment in a brick building that was heated by a coal furnace. I recall watching my dad stoke the furnace in the basement, and I remember the large bin in which the coal was stored and the coal dust on the floor. Later in life I cleaned a few coal furnaces and their chimneys. Coal has a sulfurous smell and a distinctively offensive taste when you breath it in. It really is nasty stuff and not good for ingestion by any biological organisms.

I would not recommend it as a gourmet spice, except perhaps, for

My mother taught me how to cuss When I was in third grade, I started riding the bus to school. This was a critical point in my development. It was on this bus ride I learned language is a multifaceted and dangerous tool. Those 20 minutes opened up a world to me I didn’t know existed.

I had always known that some words were “bad,” and no matter how often Mom and Dad uttered them, never under any circumstances was a kid to use that “type of language.” I had often asked what these words meant, and was often told that I didn’t need to know. If my parents refused to give me the definition, I consulted my older cousins who were experts.

On the bus, however, the big kids who sat in the back cussed fluently. The words rolled off their tongues as if they were speaking some foreign language. Their leader was a magnificent brute with a large platinum afro. Everything he said was met with applause and cheers from his followers. His throne was the very last seat on the bus, the one that is smaller than all the others. No one dared to even look at it, let alone sit with him. He spoke a language so colorful, so energetic, so hilarious, that I felt I would surely perish if I didn’t learn

Coal trains...

Dear Editor, Having been out of town for a while I just recently learned that the Sandpoint city council had passed three resolutions opposing the increased coal shipments through Sandpoint.

I think that was a lovely, riskfree gesture that is unlikely to have any real effect on the way the railroad does business in our area.

In my mind’s eye I can see railroad executives drunk on expensive liquor, smoking $100 cigars, rolling around laughing uproariously in their boxcars, or boxers (or both) as they hear of the city’s request for more safety procedures and reduced shipments.

“Do they really think we care?” Another round of laughter!

experience such things. They can simply Google whatever it is they want to know. Their parents will never know. Who knows what kind of imagery would have popped up if I had Googled my terminology as a child? I would have never experienced my mother’s face or seen the look of admiration and horror in my brother’s eyes. When you have a real person teaching you how to grow up, you learn valuable survival skills. You learn that words can be damaging, scary and most of all cause emotional reactions in others. A kid on the bus today might never even speak to another child as they type furiously away on their phone. A kid today can call anyone anything on any social media site and never have to look into the eyes of the person they insulted.

You can read about heart surgery, but does that mean you are qualified to perform it? We have a whole generation of socially unqualified people, practicing things they learned from a box. Smartphones have become the teacher, the friend and the soul of our teens.

Don’t believe me? Try grounding a teen from their phone and see how long you can tolerate the crying and gnashing of teeth like you cut their heart away from their chest.

I am glad my mother taught me how to cuss. She did a phenomenal job. I am pretty sure there is no app for the lessons she taught me about not being an asshole and what it means to cross the verbal line.

Smartphones are making us all dumb. Maybe it’s about time we put the mofos away.

Just saying.

Scarlette Quille

railroad executives.

Cough, Cough, Allan Bopp Sandpoint

Mayoral thank you...

Dear Editor, This is my opportunity to send out a big THANK YOU to the voters of Sandpoint for their 73.3 percent support of the Memorial Field project.

What an awesome outcome!

Planning will begin immediately for the construction documents, schedule, bids and construction.

Thanks again, voters; we honor and respect your trust.

Mayor Carrie Logan Sandpoint November 5, 2015 /

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NEWS

Rognstad, Memorial Field tax win voter approval

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Shelby Rognstad is the mayor elect and Memorial Field is getting new grandstands after a city election characterized by high voter turnout.

The 1,788 Sandpoint residents who hit the polls constituted about 48 percent of total registered voters.

That’s a relatively high turnout for local elections, which historically draws fewer numbers without a statewide or national hook. And it’s far and away better than the 2013 local elections, which brought in about 30 percent of registered voters. According to Bonner County Elections Deputy Clerk Charles Wurm, the high Sandpoint voter interest sharply contrasted an otherwise low turnout election in Bonner County.

“Right now, we’re looking at an above-average turnout in Sandpoint precincts and a below-average turnout everywhere else,” Wurm said.

Probably the most fiercely contested element of the election was the mayoral race, which Rognstad won with 1,126 votes versus Mose Dunkel’s 628 votes. Rognstad capitalized on years of involvement in city government to bring out voters. However, Dunkel energized an enthusiastic core of supporters with a campaign emphasizing government transparency and improved communication from City Hall.

“My opponent ran a strong campaign and I appreciated his commitment to keeping a positive message,” Rognstad said. “I heard his core message of increasing citizen engagement with the 6 /

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city.”

Dunkel, meanwhile, thanked supporters for their efforts on his behalf and encouraged them to stay interested and involved in local government. He believes the campaign was time wellspent in voicing his concerns and ideas.

“What an amazing turn-out by the voters of Sandpoint!” Dunkel said.

“While the outcome wasn’t in my favor I truly believe my voice was heard very clearly. I want to thank Shelby for being a upstanding opponent. Running for office is a huge undertaking, and I have a lot of respect for anyone who stands up to take part.”

Dunkel aims to continue his involvement in public life. Since Rognstad must select a replacement to serve out his remaining term on City Council, Dunkel hopes he’ll consider his application.

“I have made myself available for the council seat that mayor elect Rognstad will vacate in January,” Dunkel said. “This way Sandpoint voters all can be represented at City Hall.”

Rognstad and Dunkel distinguished their campaigns with respectful and thoughtful public appearances and forums. But that didn’t stop ugliness from creeping into the process, most famously with a series of three robocalls that attacked Rognstad as anti-white and a “feminized male.” Both the Rognstad and Dunkel campaigns disavowed and condemned the calls, which are being investigated by the Sandpoint Police Department as potential election fraud.

“Some ugly elements from either inside or outside

our community raised their heads during precinct this campaign,” Airport Rognstad said.

“I hope that Baldy we can stand Humbird united as a community in Sandpoint rejecting those Washington hateful messages.”

The second time proved to be the charm precinct for the Memorial Field Airport grandstands loBaldy cal option tax, which cleared Humbird the necessary Sandpoint 60-percent super-majoriWashington ty with 1,311 votes in favor against 477 votes opposed.

This 1-percent tax on Sandpoint sales will fund the $2.72 million reconstruction of the grandstands and other Memorial Field improvements. After city officials collect the funds for the park, the tax will support other park improvements over its five-year lifespan.

“I’d like to thank everybody for their participation no matter how they voted,” said Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Director Kim Woodruff. “I’m excited about the outcome and ready to get to work.”

The local option tax was a measure of last resort for the grandstands, which have run the risk of condemnation for years. Years of private fundraising efforts generated some money, but not enough to cover full project costs. New tax revenue will allow for redesigned grandstands featuring reduced maintenance

memorial field # of voters in precinct

% voting by precinct

yes

no

total

yes%

no%

80

37

117

68%

32%

287

191

80

271

70%

30%

592

46%

227

117

344

66%

34%

846

41%

373

112

485

77%

23%

817

59%

432

131

563

77%

23%

1074

52%

1,303

477

1,780

72%

28%

3,616

49%

41%

mayoral race MO

shelby total

mo%

shelby%

# of voters in precinct

% voting by precinct

73

52

125

58%

42%

287

44%

97

164

261

37%

63%

592

44%

137

196

333

41%

59%

846

39%

140

339

479

29%

71%

817

59%

177

371

548

32%

68%

1074

51%

40%

60%

3,616

48%

624 1,122 1,746

Here’s a chart outlining the numbers for the Sandpoint election. Most importantly, check out the fact that nearly half of eligible voters cast their ballot. Nice job, Sandpoint!

NOTE: the above chart does not include the absentee ballots, which are factored into the numbers included in the news article.

costs, increased durability and expanded seating from 900 to 1,500.

The city previously proposed the tax in 2012, a measure that won more than 50 percent of the vote but failed to crack the 60-percent requirement. With the tax has passed, Woodruff contacted contractors James A. Sewell and Associates to continue planning the design and construction schedule.

Finally, there were no surprises in the Sandpoint City Council elections, which saw incumbents Bill Aitken, Tom Eddy and Deb Fragoso run unopposed. Respectively, they took 1,267, 1,201 and 1,211 votes to the bank Tuesday night.

986 joins the 208 family We only have a few years before 208’s status as the three-digit symbol of Idaho comes to an end.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission announced this week the state’s new area code, 986, will be phased in starting late 2017. The commission ultimately decided to assign the area code to new phone numbers rather than splitting the state geographically, so if you don’t plan on getting a new number any time soon, you should be in the clear.

My recommendation? Start thinking up creative profanity for the annoyance of dialing the wrong area code, because it’s absolutely going to happen.

[CR]

FEATURE Campaigning by the retweet:

Is social media helping the political conversation or just making it dumber?

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Dean Ferguson still remembers watching the scandal that cost George Allen his election.

Allen, a Republican senator from Virginia, was waist-deep in a narrow and heated campaign for reelection against Democrat challenger Jim Webb. On Aug. 11, 2006, Webb called one of his opponent’s campaign volunteers, a man of Indian decent, “macaca.”

Allen’s use of the term, commonly considered to be a racial slur, was captured on video and shared by countless users of social media platforms. The bad publicity was so widespread, it ultimately sealed Allen’s defeat.

For Ferguson, now the Idaho Democratic Party communications director, the episode was the first time he fully appreciated the power of social media in politics.

What was in 2006 an emerging platform is now, a decade later, one of the most powerful weapons in a politician’s arsenal.

“At the time, social media was so new, it’s taken a while for people to catch up and get expertise,” Ferguson said.

It doesn’t take long to find examples of social media’s place in politics—just take a look at the city election this week. Facebook was a cornerstone of both mayoral candidates Shelby Rognstad and Mose Dunkel’s campaigns.

They used their campaign pages to coordinate volunteers, discuss campaign strategies and detail their stances.

These are useful and effective tools, especially in small races where campaign funds are in short supply. But in many other ways, social media’s influence has had a dark and discouraging influence on political discourse.

Like Ferguson, Idaho Republican Party Executive Director David Johnston has watched the rise of social media with interest. As far as Idaho politics are concerned, he believes the tipping point of the medium’s influence occurred in the 2010 elections and has grown ever since.

“First and foremost, it is important to have a social media

presence,” he said.

“Most social media platforms are free to set up and use, so there is no cost. However, it is important to invest the time and effort to create and maintain genuine and organic content.”

Social media provides an opportunity for a candidate to personalize him or herself in ways that feel more authentic than a carefully prepared interview or staged public appearance.

But that authenticity disappears quickly if the candidate isn’t willing to invest his or her own time.

“It’s important for the candidate themselves to be a part of social media—especially in smaller races,” Johnston said. “The most successful social media campaigns are those that the candidate themselves take part of and help drive real content and consistently engage it.”

Since everything about social media is public, Ferguson said the Democratic Party cautions its candidates to put their best foot forward. Even something as innocuous as a typo or grammar mistake can look bad to voters “You have to think everything through,” Ferguson said. “Does that selfie of you at McDonald’s really send the right message?”

Even so, a web presence is too important to ignore, and Democratic Party officials connect candidates up with vendors that design campaign websites at affordable prices.

However, social media accounts aren’t some kind of silver bullet solution for politicians, Johnston cautioned. Just because Facebook is effective with some voters doesn’t mean it will reach others. Idaho Republican Party officials warn candidates to not ignore more traditional communication forms.

“Just like in investing, you wouldn’t put all your eggs in one investment vehicle … you wouldn’t want to put all efforts

into one form of communication with voters,” Johnston said.

Facebook in particular is troublesome because there’s no guarantee posts will reach the target audience, he added. Paying an advertising fee to “boost” the post increases the likelihood of people seeing it, but even then, it’s easy for the message to get lost in the shuffle of constantly updating news feeds.

“It’s sort of like those very crowded business streets where there are so many signs for businesses that it all blurs,” Johnston said. “It’s difficult to cut through the noise and connect with people.”

The instantaneous quality of social media can spread information very quickly. But is it information you want to spread in the first place? Many believe this characteristic has dumbed down political discourse, encouraging pandering and grandstanding over nuanced and thoughtful conversation.

“We have all experienced those people who are brave behind a keyboard,” Johnston said. “Before, it used to be that an idea would get more developed before being shared. Now, the second an idea pops in someone’s head, they can post it on social media. So the maturity of the conversation has definitely decreased.”

It’s also notorious for spreading inaccurate information. The ability to customize the media you

see creates an echo chamber that limits exposure to challenging or contrary ideas, Ferguson said. And if a person agrees with the essence of an article, video clip or meme, they’re often less than diligent in fact-checking it. The silver lining is that if bogus information spreads quickly, it can be corrected just as fast.

“This can even be an opportunity to start a conversation,” Ferguson said.

Idaho Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said she tries to direct conversation on both her official political Facebook page and her personal account in productive directions. She isn’t afraid to use editor’s privileges when the discussion gets out of hand.

“I utilize the delete function on those comments where the commenter is not interested in twoway and constructive discussion,” she said. “In very rare instances I have blocked people from being able to access my pages.”

Inaccurate information and dumbed-down conversations are one thing, but the impulsive quality of social media posting can be downright dangerous in the right circumstances. Immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing, for instance, users of the popular discussion forum Reddit wrongly accused an innocent man of being the perpetrator. And following the shooting of Trayvon

Martin by George Zimmerman, film director Spike Lee famously tweeted an address he thought belonged to Zimmerman. The only problem: It was the wrong address, and the elderly couple who lived there received threats and harassment.

That kind of ugly behavior, somehow justified in a fit of political self-righteousness, is alive and well in Idaho politics. Politicians and activists of all ideological stripes have faced abuse and violent threats from those who disagree with them, including Keough.

“On the whole, I believe that social media is a positive addition to political discussion and accessibility to elected officials and the political process,” Keough said. “My hope is that the level of civility will rise, not only on social media but across the spectrum of communications.”

Ferguson has the same hope.

He believes reason and level-headedness have a way of winning out, and that’s still the case even at the speed of the social network.

“I think, especially in person-to-person conversations, the people who are yelling the loudest lose listeners,” he said.

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Recovery isn’t a destination, it’s a process

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Bouquets: •A bouquet goes out to American Laboratory Theater for the fantastic job they did with last week’s “Rocky Horror Show” at the Panida Theater.

It’s such a great experience to see theater done well, and the cast and crew of “Rocky Horror” nailed it. Everyone pulled their weight, the songs were great and the costumes and acting were superb. Great job, everyone! I can’t wait to see what they do next.

•Way to go, Sandpoint, for keeping Memorial Field alive!

I am pleased to give my extra 1 percent to see these grandstands revitalized instead of torn down and forgotten. Memorial Field is the heart of this community, and we can now look forward to a facelift that will be enjoyed by our future generations.

Barbs: •You may have already read our feature on page 7 involving the role of social media in elections. It has been an ugly, exhausting process trying to keep up with the steady stream of vitriol that was generated by Facebook during Sandpoint’s mayoral race. I had to constantly defend the Reader from multiple unfounded attacks stating we were biased, that we were one-sided, that we were somehow part of a multi-state liberal conspiracy to ensure one of the candidates wasn’t elected. Let me tell you, I’m exhausted, and I didn’t even run for office.

I’m disappointed in the name-calling, the baseless attacks, the low tone of a good portion of the comments and the general ill-will this election generated from the public. So here’s a barb to all of you out there who pointed a finger or called someone a name. It seems to me that it only happened because we’re now able to hide behind the cloak of social media. I miss the days of face-to-face communication.

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A group of concerned citizens met Wednesday at the Sandpoint Community Hall to discuss North Idaho Crisis, the new 24 hour crisis hotline that will offer supportive listening to those in need of mental health crisis assistance.

“I’m so pleased with the number of people that came out,” said program director Catherine Perusse. “The community members want to learn about mental health and make changes in our system, which is broken.”

North Idaho Crisis, which is slated to become operational in January, is a 12-month pilot program consisting of an after-hours crisis hotline answered by a local, masters level mental health clinician. The clinician then has the option to forward the caller onto 911 if the situation warrants.

According to Perusse, it’s a positive step for this community to address the prevalent issue of mental illness in North Idaho.

“Mental illness lives everywhere,” she said. “It affects all colors, creeds, economic levels.

It’s a biological illness, but if you happen to live in poverty as many do here, it’s tough to get effective treatment. There are very limited resources in the community. For a lot of mental health needs, you still have to travel 50 miles into Coeur d’Alene.”

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Far North President Amber Snoddy, having the ability to educate families dealing with mental illness is a priority in Bonner and Boundary Counties.

“People need a place to come and talk,” said Snoddy. “Families need to know so many things when they have mental illness in the family. Quite often, people don’t know what questions to ask. When they can learn the right questions to ask, then they can get answers.”

While people might be willing to call a free hotline, Perusse said sometimes they are more reticent to contact a governmental agency such as the Department of Health and Welfare

when they need assistance.

Along with NAMI Far North and Bonners Partners in Care Clinic, the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (BCHRTF) has been instrumental in getting North Idaho Crisis off the ground.

At Wednesday’s meeting, BCHRTF presented NAMI Far North with a check for $5,757 to cover the first month of operational expenses, including the cost of phones and the staff to operate them.

“It was so cool and generFrom left to right: Amber Snoddy (NAMI Board President), Catherine Perusse (NAMI Board, Crisis Line ous of them,” said Perusse. “It Project Manager), Brenda Hammond (BCHRTF Secretary and Past President). Photo by Donna Brundage. demonstrates the commitment said Perusse. “Northwest states Between the efforts of the that the Task Force has to this tend to rank in the top 10 for Bonner County Human Rights community. We need ten more suicide primarily because of Task Force, Bonners Partners in groups just like them.” lack of access to mental health Care Clinic and NAMI Far North, Perusse also added that care, lifestyles and culture that the hope is to provide help when NAMI Far North is actively are very independent, and acit is needed and reduce these seeking more donations to cess to means.

There are usually numbers in the near future. get the pilot program off the guns around in our homes.”

Amber Snoddy put it best; ground. If interested in donatIn the last 10 months, there “Recovery isn’t a destination, ing, see the end of the article have been four suicides in it’s a process.” for contact information.

Sandpoint, a number far above Mental illness is no stranger the norm. Also, suicide is the To donate or for more info to Idaho. For decades, Idaho second leading cause of death about North Idaho Crisis, call has ranked in the top 10 in for Idahoans age 15-34 and (208) 597-2047 or email namithe nation for the number of males age 10-14.

The leading farnorth@yahoo.com suicides per capita. cause of death is accidents.

“It’s a northwestern issue,”

Sandpoint Reader supports Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

I don’t know about you, but the natural environment is one of the biggest reasons Ben and I love living in Sandpoint. Even a total desk jockey like me can appre-

Photo by Clay Jacobson.

ciate looking out the window to a gorgeous landscape of mountains and trees.

That’s why we love what Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness is doing.

Scotchman Peaks is an invaluable part of the natural environment for the region.

The Friends’ diligent efforts to secure wilderness status for this untamed mountain paradise is a gift to future generations.

What’s the point of wilderness status? It means the Scotchman Peaks are protected in perpetuity from being sold off or developed. It also will enable the preservation of its wilderness characteristics and the countless flora and fauna that rely on it. You know you’d

be sad to lose those iconic mountain goats, even if you’re one of the unlucky, bitten few.

I suppose I have a double motive in endorsing the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, having grown up in Libby, Mont. Wilderness designation isn’t just important for Sandpoint—it’s a benefit to this entire tri-state region. I like knowing kids will have the same opportunities to explore the natural world I did.

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness has already secured endorsements from dozens of regional businesses, politicians, nonprofit groups and government organizations.

Ben and I are happy to add the Reader’s name to the list. You can bet our stamp of approval will make those politicians in Washington snap to and take notice. And if not … well, we figure we can’t do any harm.

Saturday Nov. 7

@ studio 524 (evans brothers coffee)

Marshall mclean 7pm Josh hedlund $10 chris staples

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8 1 . v o N , y a d s e n d e W 8pm @ the Panida Theater “On top of modern string music.”

$15

-Bluegrass Today

“A very modern indie rock approach to bluegrass.”

-Daily Herald - Provo, UT

“Blending bluegrass roots and energy with a modern musical progressivism” – KUNights.com - Lawrence, KS “Rising stars of the acoustic string scene” – BluegrassLA

event t h u r s d a y

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–Tickets available at– Eve’s Leaves, Eichardt’s Pub, Panida.org, TicketsWest.com

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Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry Monarch Open Mic 6pm - 9pm @ Monarch Mountain Coffee Hosted by Scott Reid. Come one, come all! Held on the first and third Thursday of every month

Live Music w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bond 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority A Night to Remember 5pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds A fundraiser hosted by Ponderay Rotary Club and Community Cancer Services. Wine tasting, dinner, a live and silent auction, and more fun activities. Tickets $75/each

f

Thursday Night Football Party 5pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery Laughing Dog Brewing in Ponderay h the Rock 103 Thursday Night Football P hosted by Tracy Bell - featuring the Cle land Browns at the Cincinnati Bengals

Wild & Scenic Film Festival 7pm @ Sandpoint Events Center Theater Presented by the Idaho Conservation Le This film festival celebrates the natural and world through environmental and adventure that illustrate the Earth’s beauty, the challe facing our planet, and the work communitie doing to protect the environment. Tickets $1

Jim Payne Book Signing Par 12pm - 2pm @ Vanderford’s B Payne’s book “Worlds to Disc new genre of adventure writing Dinner and Movie: Add the W 4:30pm - 7pm @ Sandpoint C Sandpoint Film Festival This special evening is dedic 12pm @ Panida Theater There will be three blocks of short films screened, start- Laura Bry, and is also a fundra ing at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm. Tickets are $20 for an all-day, County Human Rights Task F all-access pass that includes the festivities, or $7 per block Words” film. Suggested donati Live Music w/ Ben & Cadie Live Music w/ Marty Perron & Doug Bon 5pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority 5pm - 8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery The dynamic duo featuring cool covers and Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante Friends of the Library Book Sale 10am @ Sandpoint Library Sandpoint Chess Club All proceeds promote the programs and 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am. All are welcome activities of The Library Mug Member Monday @ Neighborhood Pub MickDuff’s Beer Hall Open Mic — 7pm Beer club mug members get 2 draft pints for $5 Every second Tuesday of the month. Host Remmetter, MickDuff’s is excited to welco Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills fun and open night of playing at the Beer H 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub “Why Do We Vaccinate?” suppor Jule’s Art On The Go 12:30pm - 2:30pm @ Evans Brothe 4pm - 7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Join Julie Ellis for a few hours of recycled art crafting Are you a new parent, soon-to-be p and make your own masterpiece from recycled products ing to connect with other parents Then this support group meeting is Karaoke Night Trivia Night 2 for $22 @ Neighbor 9pm - Midnight @ 219 Lounge 7pm - 9pm @ MickDuff’s 2 entrees and an appy Bingo Night “Max” film 6:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 7:30pm @ Panida Theater Charley Packard & Friends A film about a traumatized m 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub from Afghanistan who is adop Keep the Pint Night — 6pm - 8pm @ Neighborhood Pub late handler’s family in the U Join us for visiting Ninkasi Brewery. Delicious food with $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 stude great beer, free pint glasses and raffled prizes!

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Farmers Market at Sandpoint Holiday Market 10am - 3pm @ Forrest M. Bird Charter High School Find all-local produce, meats, cheese, baked goods, crafts, and gifts! Plus live music, booths from high school students, and more! Shop for seasonal goods and more ... come join us

Sandpoint Rock Gym Open House 4pm - 8pm @ Sandpoint Rock Gym Sandpoint Rock Gym, across from Evans Brothers Coffee, hosts an open house. Join us for a few minutes or a few Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub hours! There will be tours, climbing, fun and prizes for all.

Good until the keg’s dry Meet some of the SRG members, find out about membership options, and have a good time! Free and open to the public

The C 6pm Janen for th select for Id been

ful

November 5 - 12, 2015

rty y onderay hosts Football Party ng the CleveBengals

A weekly entertainment guide to keep you on your toes. To list your event free, please send an email to calendar@sandpointreader.com.

Sandpoint Teen Center Benefit Dinner 5:30pm @ Sandpoint Teen Center This fundraiser is part of the culinary program and is designed to provide training for teens towards qualifying for a food handling certificate. Tickets are only $10 for the entire family

Theater vation League. atural and wild adventure films the challenges ommunities are Tickets $10

Reader recommended

“He Called Me Malala” film 7:30pm @ Panida Theater After the Taliban tries to kill her for speaking out on behalf of girls’ education, Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai emerges as a leading advocate for children’s rights and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. This is her story

Live Music w/ Electric Cole Show 5pm - 8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Guitar melodies and solos blended with a new age touch through the genres of jazz, Latin, rock, blues, funk and world

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 6pm - 9pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 7pm @ La Rosa Club BinderCon Writers Conference 4pm @ Sandpoint Library “Moms Who Write; Writers Who Mom” and “Cultivating & Owning A Complex Beat” followed by a Q&A led by author Charli Mills

Neighbor Day gning Party Live Music at Studio 524 6pm @ Neighborhood Pub erford’s Books 7pm @ Studio 524 (Evans Bros.) $1 beer and Cards Against Humanity A house show in the Evans Brothers ds to Discover” is about a Live Music w/ Cole McAvoy ure writing; social kayaking!

Studio, featuring Josh Hedlund, Mar7pm @ La Rosa Club shall McLean and Chris Staples Add the Words Sandpoint Zumbathon ndpoint Community Hall 10am - 12pm @ The Heartwood Center g is dedicated to the memory of The 6th Annual Sandpoint Zumbathon! Proceeds benefit Community o a fundraiser to help the Bonner Cancer Services. Cost is $20 in advance. 208-290-2600 for more info hts Task Force and the “Add the Free First Saturday at the Museum ted donation is $8 10am - 2pm @ BoCo History Museum

Doug Bond ery overs and originals le

All are welcome to visit the museum free of charge; made possible by the generous support of Marilyn and Paul Stanton Fall Hiker Fest and Trails Celebration (or “Ruck”) 9am - 4pm @ Bonner County Admin Building If you are a long distance hiker, local hiker looking for new destinations or an arm-chair adventurer who enjoys hearing about inspiring journeys, ams and this will be an exciting and fun filled day! Free and open to the public Palette’s Uncorked c — 7pm - 10pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall nth. Hosted by Crooked Fingers, Rick Price and Mark 5pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe d to welcome all local artists over 21 years of age for a Wine, Dine & Be Artsy $35. For reservations call 263-0846 he Beer Hall

” support group ns Brothers Cafe on-to-be parent or seekr parents in Sandpoint? meeting is for you!

Neighborhood Pub d an appy for $22

Theater matized military dog ho is adopted by his y in the U.S. Tickets , $5 student, $4 kids

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Sip & Shop for WOW Scholarships 4pm - 8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery A fundraiser to benefit the Women of Wisdom (WOW) Scholarship Program organized by the Women Honoring Women Committee (WHW). The winery will donate back 10% of all sales during this event to the WOW Scholarship Fund. The Sip & Shop event features a special appearance by singer Maia Sharp, who performs at 5 p.m. for a KPND-sponsored music performance

SOLE & IPAC Fundraiser 5pm - 8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education and Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center host a fundraiser with Georgetown Brewing. Celebrate a new community partnership between SOLE and IPAC with food, raffle prizes Georgetown beer and live music by Marty Perron and Doug Bond

The Conversation (with Janene Grende) 6pm - 8pm @ Ivano’s Ristorante Janene Grende has completed several paintings for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, been selected as the Ducks Unlimited artist of the year for Idaho, and her horse-inspired paintings have been shown at the American Academy of Equine

Panhandle Forest Collaborative Meeting 1pm - 4:30pm @ County Administration Building The Panhandle Forest Collaborative is a collaborative group that actively seeks to involve representatives from diverse perspectives, needs and expertise.

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Looking for something fun to do in November?

By Claire Honsinger Reader Staff Founded in 1999, National Novel Writing Month (known as NaNoWriMo to the initiated) offers a challenge to authors of any skill level: write at least 50,000 words of a book-in-progress during the 30 days of November.

Here’s how it works: Someone contacts the NaNoWriMo organization and offers to host a “Write-In” in their community. That community gets added to the website as a “Write-In Location.” The word spreads, and writers of all genres meet up to encourage and challenge each other, both in person at the Write-In location and

Write a novel!

at home, during lunch and whenever they can squeeze in a minute. Participants create an account on the NaNoWriMo website, where they can upload their work to have their word count verified each day, besides having access to thousands of other participants and mentors.

A veteran NaNoWriMo writer and author of the science fiction “Silo” series, Hugh Howey wrote 80,000 words of his “Wool Omnibus” during NaNoWriMo. Howey is on the NaNo Writers Board and posted on the organization’s blog earlier this month: “Writing is neither as hard as we make it

out to be nor as simple as we’d like it to be. It takes sustained daily effort, and the sustained bit is tricky … The truth is this: Writing a novel is about daily sustained effort. Two hours a day isn’t so bad. It’s the not missing a day that gets you.”

NaNoWriMo helps by encouraging you to write every day. You give your inner editor a month-long vacation and just write stuff down. Some people approach November with an outline and clear profiles of their characters, and some people wing it, trusting the story will emerge. Either way, if you sit down and write

every day, you can’t possibly mess it up.

In order to “win” NaNoWriMo, you only have to write 1,667 words per day.

That’s not so much, actually. It’s doing it every day that makes the difference. That’s where NaNoWriMo is really nice. You have a group of people committed to their own work, and at the same time, to your success as well. Plus, it’s fun!

Evans Brothers takes coffee to a whole new level

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Portland is known for many cultural exports, not least of which is the artisinal coffee movement. The city played an important role in inspiring the independent roasteries that now dot the country. Rick and Randy Evans were two of the many coffee lovers who contributed their own coffee blends to the movement.

It was appropriate, then, that Portland was the scene where the Evans proved their standing in the artisinal coffee community. Coffee Fest, a bastion for coffee culture since 1992, debuted the America’s Best Coffeehouse contest this year, and Evans Brothers was one of the few roasteries selected to compete. Just being selected would have been an honor, never mind nabbing third place, Rick Evans said.

“It was a gratifying experience to be recognized in front of our peers and to compete among elite coffee companies, some of which we have admired for years,” he added.

Evans Brothers was one of six roasters narrowed down from applicants all over the western U.S. The decision came after a 30-day customer voting process

and secret shopper visits.

“Our customers came through in a big way for us,” Evans said.

The competition kicked off in late October, with semifinals beginning on the weekend starting Friday, Oct. 23. The Evans Brothers crew had to work a cafe set up on the trade show floor under the scrutiny of customers and judges.

“It was a high energy, fun environment, along with being pressure-filled as every move was scrutinized,” Evans said.

“We just did our thing, played our own music, had a great time interacting with everyone, and served our favorite coffees.”

For Evans, their third place finish is a proud moment. But it’s also a learning experience.

The feedback from the experts should prove invaluable as they continue to hone their craft and improve their product.

“Competing in this type of event always makes us better at what we do,” he said. “We got detailed feedback from the judges and hope to return to win first next year.”

The Evans Brothers team at Portland’s America’s Best Coffeehouse Competition in which they took third place. From left to right, Randy Evans, Daniel Gunter, Nicole Burrato, Tasha Stevens and Rick Evans.

There’s nothing like a hands-on approach to your work. For Randy Evans of Evans Brothers Coffee, that means traveling to Brazil to get up close and personal with the coffee beans that make up his blends.

His 10-day trip in September to the largest coffee producing country in the world ran the gamut from small holder farms to huge estates and multi-national buying centers. In the end, however, it was the people that were the most important element of the trip. Personal relationships with their suppliers are a key element of the Evans Brothers business, Evans said.

“Our goal is to establish relationships with the people producing our coffee, and to provide transparency about the product we work with,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to get connected with some really quality farms and producers doing great things with coffee.”

Several days with Brazil’s vibrant culture and beautiful people was a treat in itself. However, the business was just as productive, with Evans and company arriving just as the coffee plants were in bloom.

“They were absolutely beautiful, white cherry blossoms, like snow covering the

coffee plants, and they smelled of jasmine,” he said.

A few days with Santo Antonio Estates, where Evans Brothers has purchased beans before, proved particularly valuable.

Evans walked away with an even greater appreciation of the agricultural process and an excitement to get back to work.

“Making that connection with the producers, seeing the care and passion involved to produce amazing coffee, is just as invaluable as a roaster,” he said.

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Hand made in the USA:

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Nowadays, it seems like everything is made overseas. The personal touch that once defined American made products has gone missing, especially in the textiles industry where the consumer usually has no clue where their item was manufactured or what conditions the employees work under.

One local artisan is trying to change that, one stitch at a time.

Sandpoint local Kimberly Stoddard has been sewing all of her life, and first began with leather in 2009, when she made chaps for a Halloween costume.

“I thought it was so cool,” she said of her finished product. It intrigued her so much, in fact, that she started sewing leather handbags exclusively and built her own company, 14x Bags.

“The first bag I made was a gift for a friend,” said Stoddard. “I did the hand stitching with X’s to reinforce it. There were 14 of the X’s. Since fourteen is my lucky number, that’s what I decided to call my company.”

Stoddard makes each bag by hand, and utilizes genuine leather combined with recycled and vintage elements. The leather stock originates from the United States, most often from the Tandy Leather Factory in Spokane.

“I try to incorporate vintage textiles,” said Stoddard. “I appreciate the look and texture they provide. Overall, I’m just trying to do something unique and different.”

Some of Stoddard’s bags feature twists like hair-on-hide and modern minimalist styles merging with a vintage leather feel. One of her most popular styles is the “Hobo” design, which is slung across the body like a messenger bag.

Since 2009, Stoddard has done very well with her hand made wares, selling over 700 bags. Over 500 were sold on Etsy alone, and the others from her shop on the second floor at the Cedar Street Bridge Market.

“I always wanted to have a show room to show local people my work,” said Stoddard. “It’s nice to talk with people about the process, and they really like meeting the person who made their bag. Sometimes they’ll come in and buy a bag and take a photo of the maker. It’s really important to some people to know where their products come from.”

Stoddard’s showroom in the Cedar Street Bridge is minimally decorated 14 /

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How one local artisan is featuring locally hand made leather bags

Kimberly Stoddard stands before her creations at 14x Bags in the Cedar Street Bridge Market. Photo by Howard Stoddard. and fun to stroll through. Incorporating While she hasn’t dabbled yet into her desire for high-quality recycled ma- selling her bags at the local Farmers’ terial, the bags are displayed on a wall Market, Stoddard expressed a desire made from repurposed pallet planks. for Sandpoint to establish a Christmas She makes the bags out of the back of Artists’ Market. her show room, and her husband How“I’d love to see Sandpoint put that ard sometimes pitches in and helps with together,” said Stoddard, who envisions photographing the finished products. the market as a show case for local It’s sure a step up from her tiny artisans to sell their products in one laundry room, which is where Stoddard location during the holiday season. began her leather stitching journey.

“It’s amazing I was able to fit all my To check out Kimberly Stoddard’s material in there,” she said. “Lugging 14x Bags, go to her shop on the second that 200 pound sewing machine around floor of the Cedar Street Bridge Market, was interesting.”

334 N 1st Ave. in Sandpoint.

Stoddard said it took her almost three months to finish her first bag.

Now, almost seven years later, she has honed that down to about eight hours per bag.

“I didn’t have many of the tools I needed when I first started,” she said. “I’ve been accumulating them here and there.”

While Stoddard’s bags are primarily women’s styles, she said she is eager to enter into men’s items such as shaving kits and passport holders.

“Different leather goes into making men’s bags and other items,” she said.

“I’m looking into it.”

With a baby on the way and the looming gift-giving season around the corner, Stoddard is working doubly hard to generate enough bags to last the season.

A Kimberly Stoddard creation. Photo by Howard Stoddard.

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STAGE & SCREEN Sandpoint Film Festival Celebrating local filmmaking, one scene at a time

By Cameron Rasmusson & Mary Maio Reader Contributor

We’ve all heard of Sundance, Cannes and Toronto film festivals, where the stars and journalists go to carouse and hype the most exciting new films. But are they true film festivals?

Mary Maio would say no.

Well, maybe that’s overstating it somewhat. But Maio, an animator and filmmaker, believes Sandpoint has a festival in its truest form, one that brings community members and artists together in a celebration of all things film.

“During the festival, all enjoy seeing the filmmaker’s labor of love on the big screen,” Maio said.

If Sandpoint Film Festival is one thing, it’s a labor of love. When Lakedance International Film Festival packed up shop and left town to become the Edmonds International Film Festival in Edmonds, Wash., local movie lovers saw a cultural void to fill. The result was a new festival, one that inspired movie lovers throughout the community to pick up their cameras and take a stab at filmmaking.

The festival began in the Little Theater but eventually outgrew the smaller venue, taking its rightful place on the full-sized screen of the historic Panida Theater. The caliber of filmmaking grew with event. International filmmakers began submitting films boasting impeccable craft and well-constructed narratives, upping the ante significantly.

While excellent filmmaking is all well and good, Maio believes the community spirit is what makes Sandpoint Film Festival a more authentic experience. To that end, here’s Maio’s breakdown of all the fun ahead: On Friday, Nov. 6, the Sandpoint Film Festival will host Meet the Filmmakers mixer at the Cafe Trinity at City Beach, 4:30- 6 p.m. with hors d’ouvres and wine.

On Saturday, Nov. 7 from 8-10 a.m. is Sit and Sip with the Filmmakers at Creations in the Cedar Street Bridge. The event will include coffee, biscotti cookies and smoothies.

The Sandpoint Film Festival screening will begin 12 p.m. Saturday at the Panida Theatre with block one, then at 3 p.m. with block two and finishing at 6 p.m. with block three. During the breaks between blocks, the Little Theater next door will be open to the film audience and filmmakers for no-host wine, beer and concessions. Take this opportunity to critique and share insights on the films.

At 8:30 p.m. in the Panida is the awards ceremony. This year, Frontier Communications will present the Idaho Filmmakers Award. Festival officials will award the best films of each category. And after voting, the audience from each block will decide on the three audience choice awards.

To wrap up the festival will be a post-production party at 9 p.m. with a no-

host bar at Cafe Trinity on City Beach.

This year, seven local films will be screened: “Techno Madness” by director Mary Maio, “Give Up The Ghost” by director Rob Lindner, “Spread The Virus” by director Hailey Hines, “Interview With Erik Daarstad” by director John Maio, “The County Poorhouse” by director Aric Spence and “I’ll Take Oliver” by director Becky Revak.

Each social event is $15 and each block is $7. But for $20, one can purchase an all-access pass with $10 going to the non-profit selling the tickets.Tickets are available at Creations, Sandpoint Vegetarians (call 265-5412), from any Sandpoint Boy Scout or on the web at www.panida.org. Go to www.sandpointfilmfestival.com for more information or call 290-0597.

Do I have something on my face?

Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 12pm - 8pm

Sandpoint Film Festival 3 blocks: 12pm, 3pm & 6pm Nov. 11 @ 7:30pm & Nov. 14 @ 1:30pm

“Max” film

A salute to veterans and service dogs

Nov. 12 & 13 @ 7:30pm

“Sex, death and bowling” film Saturday, Nov. 14 @ 7pm

warren miller’s “Chasing shadows” the 66th snow sports film from Warren Miller

Wednesday, Nov. 18 @ 8pm head for the hills and trout steak revival two great bluegrass / americana bands in one night!

FRIday, Nov. 20 @ 7pm

saxsatoinal concert Saturday, Nov. 21 @ 7:30pm

Sandpoint Reader fundraiser support your favorite alt-weekly with four great bands mama doll, harold’s iga, josh hedlund and charley packard

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The Straight Poop: The quest for dog-friendly businesses in North Idaho

By Drake the Dog Reader Pet Columnist Where am I taking my humans today?

I’m strolling downtown singing along with Pharrell Williams to his paw-stompin’ tune, “Because I’m Happy.” So on this fine afternoon, “come along if that’s what you want to do” to the Lisa V. Maus Art Studio located at 109 Main Street in Sandpoint. Yowza, there is so much color in here!

Lisa says color makes people and dogs happy. Just ask her four-footed family-- Foxy, a Shiba Inu, and TyeDye, an Australian Shepherd. This colorful bunch provides happy inspiration for Lisa’s paintings.

Foxy and TyeDye have been my BFFs since I adopted the Mister and Missus in June.

When we are not sitting for our portraits, we love to take walks, swim in the lake and get treats from the neighbors.

Lisa has lived in Sandpoint for over 15 years. She was raised in California at her family’s winery, Butterfly Creek. Her parents wanted her to become a winemaker, so when she was young, she studied wine-making in France.

When she was was in the fourth grade, her parents took her to France to see the art and gardens of Claude Monet. And, voila, she was hooked (just like when I hooked the Mister and Missus at “hello” during the Yappy Hour at the Pine Street Bakery). She taught herself to paint, and the rest is history. She won her first national award when she was 12, and her vineyard paintings are the most viewed on Google.

I am doing the “shakapaw” in the studio, adjusting my beret and “pawsing” for my portrait among the aspen fall foliage (shhhhh, no drooling, as this is my holiday gift for the Mister and Missus).

As I settle into my model role, I notice that Lisa’s “secret sauce” is like that of the Im16 /

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pressionistic French masters.

She mixes the paint right on the canvas and then she flicks the colors back and forth creating colorful art that’s the bark! Wow, that doggie in the picture looks just like me, because I’m happy!

Lisa is such an amazing person. She will teach you how to paint, either in studio (with wine) or if you prefer to DIY she has two books (available in the studio and on Amazon), “How To Create An Artist Income in One Hour A Week” and “The Five Keys of Perspective.” Buy the books. She guarantees results.

Before my nap on this awesome fall dog day afternoon, Lisa reads me some poems from her latest poetry book, “Life is Supposed To Be Fun.” Her paintings come alive with the poems that inspired them.

Happy, happy, happy!

Lisa V. Maus Art Studio So here’s the Straight Poop when you visit the Lisa V. Maus Studio: 1. Bring your imagination— it’s contagious and inspirational.

2. Sit quietly with good manners. Lisa spends a lot of time on composition and spreads photos all over the floor. Don’t mess with the photos. Sometimes the composition step takes her two weeks to two months….then she gets inspired and finishes the painting in two days (I wonder if she gets a treat?).

3. If you want a personalized painting for a holiday gift—start now.

4. If you get antsy while “pawsing” and need a potty break, go outside and clean up your mess.

5. No barking in the studio.

6. Please do not drink the wine.

7. Bring your own water bowl.

8. And most important: No licking the brushes or paintings!

Lisa Maus with Drake, left, TyeDye, center, and Foxy, right.

Wild and Scenic Film Festival honors adventure Celebrate the natural and wild world with an evening of award-winning environmental and adventure films at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour in Sandpoint.

The festival makes its onenight-only showing, Friday, Nov. 6 at the Sandpoint Events Center Theater, 102 S. Euclid Ave. in Sandpoint.

This unique film festival features independent documentary films from around the world that illustrate the Earth’s beauty, the outdoor adventures waiting to be experienced, the challenges facing our planet and the work communities are doing to protect it.

Brought to you by the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) with funding from Patagonia, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival is the largest environmental and adventure film festival in North America. The films on tour are selected from the best

of the films shown at this year’s Festival in Yuba City, Calif., and are designed to educate, inspire and motivate audiences about issues that matter.

This year’s selections will take audiences to some of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet and introduce them to the courageous individuals who are working to protect and preserve these places for future generations. The films instill a deep appreciation and a sense of wonder for the natural world that surrounds and supports us.

It’s been a couple of years since the Wild and Scenic Film Festival last played in Sandpoint and ICL decided it was time to bring the tour back to an eager North Idaho audience.

“This festival has it all– high-octane adventure films, offbeat comical flicks, profound documentaries examining an environment in peril and

inspirational stories of people and communities making a difference,” said Nancy Dooley, ICL’s community outreach associate. “ICL is thrilled to host the Wild and Scenic Film Festival this year—come get inspired with us!”

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival will take place Friday, Nov. 6 at the Sandpoint Events

Center Theater (102 S. Euclid Ave. in Sandpoint). Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and $8 for children age 12 and under, or purchase a special $30 membership to ICL and receive a ticket to the show, a year membership and entry into the member-only raffle.

Doors to the film festival open at 6 p.m. and the films will begin at 7 p.m.

MUSIC

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

There’s a new open mic in town

By Dion Nizzi Reader Contributor

The Tuesday night out options in Sandpoint just got a little more entertaining. Rick Price and Mark Remmetter have put together a monthly open mic night at MickDuff’s Beer Hall beginning Tuesday, November 10th and continuing the second Tuesday of every month. The evening starts at 7:00 p.m.

After playing together casually for 25 years, the duo started playing a few open mic nights at The Pearl Theater in Bonners Ferry and eventually ended up playing on a regular basis at venues here in Sandpoint.

“We started just playing casually in each other’s living rooms, and we thought we were getting to the point where we wanted to do more,” said Price. “Open mic nights really gave us an opportunity to get better and have more fun with it.”

It just seemed like a natural progression for the two to start up their own event.

“We thought it would be a good idea to put together another opportunity to add to the entertainment choices in town,” Price said.

They’ll be performing as the duo “Crooked Fingers,” a name that came from their working life background.

“Mark and I have similar hands,” he said. “We both work in the trades. He’s an electrician, and I do carpentry and contracting work, so over the years, work and arthritis have given us similar hands ... crooked. It fits us.”

Price’s son Devin, a ukulele player and luthier, will also be playing. Price describes his son’s style as

“reggae ukulele,” so the night indeed promises to be eclectic.

Price and Remmetter play a mix of rooted Bluegrass music, both traditional and modern as well as some country swing and even a little Lynyrd Skynyrd.

“Our music is all over the map, but we’re mainly rooted in bluegrass,” he finished.

The event will follow traditional open mic standards.

The evening is open to any music style and sign-up sheets will be available for playing blocks. Musicians are encouraged to sign up when arriving.

Crooked FIngers will open the evening playing a short set and will then open the stage up to additional performers from the sign-up sheet. Musicians should expect to play a threesong set before the next performer starts.

The opportunity will be there for additional sets as the evening winds down, and of course, it’s likely that pure jamming opportunities will come around as well. Amps, microphones and sound will be available for a quick plug-in and acoustic sets are certainly welcome. For more information, you can email the duo at crookedfingers7b@gmail.com.

MickDuffs just seemed like the perfect location for the duo to begin hosting their event.

The plan is to have the one Tuesday night a month idea develop into a couple of times a month.

“We’re encouraging people to bring a dish and make the evening a pot luck,” said Price.

“We think that’ll give the night a real home town feel.

Just people coming together, hanging out and sharing food, drinks and entertainment.”

READ

In commemoration of Veteran’s Day coming up, my favorite book about war is “Civil War Stories”

by Ambrose Bierce.

Bierce was a character. He was a soldier in Sherman’s army, and though he criticized war, he also loved it. Mark Twain considered his story “An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge” the best short story ever written. That’s a high compliment.

Late in life, in his 70s, Bierce disappeared in Mexico where he is rumored to have traveled with Pancho Villa’s rebels. He was never seen or heard from again.

LISTEN

can you hear me now?

Crossword Solution

“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival always makes me think of Vietnam (no small thanks to the scene in “Forrest Gump”).

“War” by Edwin Starr is one of those songs you can’t help but sing over and over again. In fact, when I first met my girlfriend, we stayed up on the porch all night singing it. Ah, memories.

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” was the rallying song of the Union Army during the Civil War, and will always remain a strong, catchy melody.

WATCH

Terrence Malick’s adaptation of James Jones’ novel “The Thin Red Line” is a masterpiece in tone.

Malick, who is well-known for his slow, methodical filmmaking pace, was able to show key battles of Guadalcanal not from the overhead looking-back perspective, but from the point of view of the soldiers on both sides of the fighting.

You care equally for the emaciated Japanese soldiers as you do for the Americans, as both endure incredible hardships in the Pacific.

With an amazing emsemble cast and a thoughtful take on each man’s place in war, “The Thin Red Line” has always been one of my favorite war films.

November 5, 2015 /

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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.

First Avenue, looking north. The Stockholm Bar (on the right) is where Starbucks is located today. Note the horse-drawn carriage on the left.

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

c. 1910

ACROSS 1. Pit 6. Swear 10. Does something 14. Eccentric 15. “Do ___ others...”

16. Bucket 17. Paging 19. Within 20. Stop the flow of a liquid 21. Female sib 22. A young male horse 23. Mayhem 25. Ridges of sand 26. Expect and wish 30. Hard glossy coating 32. Not precise 35. Milky 39. Lacking neatness 40. Sullenly 41. The junction between two neurons 43. A breed of dog 44. Skin pattern 46. Being 47. Knot 50. Sea eagles 53. Hindu princess 54. Genus of macaws 55. Not complex 60. Bright thought 61. Resembling incest 63. Sediment 64. Shopping center 65. Take forcibly 66. Tall woody plant 67. Toboggan 68. Cheerful

The same view today, over 100 years later.

2015

ferhoodle

Woorf tdhe Week

/fer-HOOD-l/

[verb] 1. To confuse or mix up.

“I believe you’re ferhoodling me with someone who cares.”

Corrections: Well, we had a few typos in the last issue. A few repeated words. A dangling participle or two. At least we spelled Reader right. Nobody’s perfect.

18 /

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DOWN

1. Austrian peaks 2. Ship 3. Eastern discipline 4. Whirl 5. Phase 6. Slice 7. Occurring together 8. Impassive 9. Male offspring 10. Beekeeping 11. Religious law 12. Name of a book 13. Small slits 18. “Eureka!”

24. Animal doctor

25. Style of interior furnishings 26. Snake sound 27. Unique 28. Hireling 29. Refugee 31. Fabricated 33. Dismay 34. Vesicle 36. Twin sister of Ares 37. Beers 38. Stringed instrument 42. Continuing forever 43. 2,000 pounds 45. Seer

Solution on page 17 47. Grain to be ground 48. Lowest point 49. Anoint (archaic) 51. S 52. A stomach exercise 54. Goals 56. Cogitate 57. Decant 58. Lie in wait 59. Catch a glimpse of 62. A late time of life

Instead of mousetraps, what about baby traps? Not to harm the babies, but just to hold them down until they can be removed.

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