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PEOPLE compiled by
Susan Drinkard
watching
“If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?” “Bali, because of its culture and it’s pretty there.” Abby Overfelt Administrative assistant Sandpoint
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com
“I would probably go to Nepal, my favorite (foreign) country. Nepal has good food, good people and it is probably safer than many other places.” Norm Interior painter Sandpoint
Contributing Artists: Karen Hempstead (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Schweitzer, Bill Borders, Kaniksu Land Trust. Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Emily Erickson, Mayor Shelby Rogsntad, Chris Corpus, Hannah Combs, Brenden Bobby, Allison France, Patty Hutchens. Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $115 per year
“I would like to go to Boise to visit my uncles and aunties.” Mercy Bickish Age 5 Sandpoint
“Australia. My daughter lives in Queensland on the Sunshine Coast and I have not seen her in over a year.” Julie Menghini Retired Sandpoint
“Somewhere sunny. I would like to go to Greece so I could swim all year long.“ Carolyn Knaack Forest Service Kettle Falls, Wash. and Sandpoint
Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. Free to all, limit two copies per person.
Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics. Requirements: –No more than 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover
Karen Hempstead snapped this week’s cover photo of a peculiar scene she noticed on the beach at Kilroy Bay. Thanks for the cool photo! October 15, 2020 /
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NEWS
Bonner County sees first COVID-19 deaths Statewide coronavirus cases, deaths put Idaho in ‘red zone’
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff The Panhandle Health District announced the first novel coronavirus-related deaths in Bonner County on Oct. 14: a man and woman, both in their 80s. No other details were released. “Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones during this difficult time,” said PHD Director Lora Whalen. PHD also reported six new active cases in Bonner County on Oct. 14, bringing the county’s total to 420 — 83 of which are active. PHD reports 68 deaths related to COVID-19
in the five northernmost Idaho counties since pandemic case reporting began in the state in March. Idaho continues to serve as a hotbed for novel coronavirus transmission, as the state reported 645 new confirmed and probable cases on Oct. 14 — the latest in a snowballing situation that prompted the White House Coronavirus Task Force to list Idaho in the “red zone” for test positivity, further ranking it sixth in the country for cases per 100,000 people in its most recent report. The Idaho Statesman reported the highest single-day case count to date on Oct. 13, with
BGH begins Emergency Department remodel Patient entrance temporarily changed during work By Reader Staff
Bonner General Health began a projected three-month-long remodel of its Emergency Department on Oct. 12, requiring a temporary move of the department and patient entrance. The remodel is funded primarily by a $200,000 grant awarded by the Sunderland Foundation earlier this year. BGH applied for the grant after the funds allotted for the project were no longer available due to a revenue loss during the COVID-19 shutdown of specific services. Hospital Director of Facilities Curtis Johnson will serve as the general contractor for the project, with his facilities team and various subcontractors completing the work. The entrance to the Emergency Department, located at 520 N. Third Ave., will be directly to the left of the existing entry. Patient vehicles will enter the same way — off of Alder Street, between Second and Third avenues. Cars will be asked to yield to any incoming ambulance vehicles. 4 /
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Parking will remain the same, with designated patient parking spots, as well as street parking on Alder. The protocols for entering the Emergency Department will remain the same. A doorbell will be clearly marked for calling a triage nurse, who will meet patients at the door to assess their condition and symptoms. Visitor restrictions will continue to apply, allowing one visitor per patient. Remodeling of the department will include work stations for doctors and nurses, expansion of the paramedic entryway, patient room improvements, updated windows, flooring, lighting and ceiling tiles. Emergency Department Manager Marian Martin stated in a news release that the resulting remodel “will improve the patient flow, experience and protect our patients’ privacy.” “We appreciate the support of our patients, their families and our health care partners during this process,” she stated. For more information, visit bonnergeneral.org.
a record 714 confirmed and probable cases logged by health districts across the state that day. Statesman numbers often conflict with Idaho Department of Health and Welfare — and are often higher than those state-reported numbers — because IDHW publishes its daily report earlier in the day than many health districts release their new case counts. Idaho surpassed 500 virus-related deaths earlier this month, and IDHW reported 516 deaths-to-date on Oct. 14. To date, 44 individuals have died of COVID-related causes in Kootenai County, with three deaths among Benewah County
residents, one death of a Boundary County resident and 18 deaths among Shoshone County residents. Drive-thru COVID-19 testing is available through Bonner General Health Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To access the testing line, hospital officials request patients enter at Third and Alder Streets, line up on the south side of Alder and stay in their cars. Testing is administered on a first-come, first-serve basis. More information is available at bonnergeneral.org. Idaho Gov. Brad Little will host a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 15 at noon
Pacific Time to update Idahoans on COVID-19 in the state. The conference will be live streamed at idahoptv.org.
Community fundraiser set to benefit injured police officer By Reader Staff
The community is pulling together to support the family of Ponderay Detective Sgt. Mike Victorino who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident near Lewiston on Aug. 15. Victorino was on a narrow stretch of road when he encountered loose gravel causing him to lose control of his bike. He was taken to Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston where he underwent brain surgery as well as additional follow-up surgeries. Because of the long recovery ahead, and the financial impact this will have on his family, the community has rallied to hold a fundraiser in his honor this Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. The event, scheduled from
Det. Sgt. Mike Victorino.
3-9 p.m., will feature a pulledpork dinner and a full bar (courtesy of Sweet Lou’s), silent and live auctions, Support Victorino swag, raffles, activities for kids, face painting and a special SPOT bus route for safe transportation to and from the fairgrounds. Donated auction items include a 2020 KTM 300xc TPI dirt bike, a butcher hog with processing, Yeti Coolers, a Traeger BBQ, a Dover Bay stay package, a two-hour scenic flight
over Bonner County, “Honey Do” service from local firemen, Pend Oreille Shores Resort stay package and much more. Monetary donations can be made at Columbia Bank into the Mike Victorino Benefit account. Winners will be drawn during the event for numerous raffles. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance of the event online at Eventbrite or in person until Friday, Oct. 16 at Ponderay City Hall, Ponderay Police Department and Copper Moose Coffee. All proceeds will go to benefit Victorino, a 24-year veteran of law enforcement (serving Ponderay since 2001) and a veteran of the United States Air Force. The SPOT bus route will stop in Kootenai, Ponderay (multiple locations) and Jeff Jones Plaza in Sandpoint regularly between 3-9 p.m. For the SPOT bus special route schedule, visit the city of Ponderay on Facebook or the Benefit Fundraiser for Sgt. Mike Victorino Facebook event.
NEWS
MickDuff’s new space continuing apace
Popular brewpub closing in on key details needed for opening doors
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff It’s been a little more than a year since MickDuff’s Brewing Company owners Duffy and Mickey Mahoney announced they had purchased and would be renovating the historic building at 419 Second Ave. At the time, the brothers hoped to open the space in downtown Sandpoint as the new home of MickDuff’s brewpub in July this year. Of course, everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-spring. “The project was pushed back because of the initial shock and awe of COVID, but also with the booming Sandpoint economy it’s just hard to find subs, electricians,” said Duffy, who serves as MickDuff’s co-owner and CEO. “They’re just out-of-control busy,” added co-owner and Brewing Director Mickey. Yet, standing in the vaulted central area of the Spanish colonial revival-style building — which was dedicated as the Sandpoint Post Office in 1928 and later served as the local library and a title company — the additional time spent on preparing the building for MickDuff’s future flagship location has resulted in a space that would be envied by any brewpub in any city, big or small. “To the naked eye it looks done,” Duffy said, gesturing to the refurbished original maple wood flooring, the rows of brand new booths, meticulously detailed light fixtures and beechwood bartop, railings and dozens of other examples of local carpenter, woodworker and luthier Joel Shoemaker’s expert work. “The whole goal was to make it look as if it was original … and it’s going to last for generations,” Duffy said referring to the bartop. “Joel just did an amazing job.” On a recent tour of the 12,000-square-foot space, the Mahoneys told the Sandpoint Reader that the guts of the kitchen are done; they’re just waiting for equipment. A combination of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S.-China trade war has
made commercial kitchen equipment more difficult to come by — especially as the brothers are committed to using only American-made products. “We’re going to go from one of the smallest kitchens in town to maybe one of the biggest,” Duffy said. Beyond that, they’re working on installing an ingenious steam heating system that will use a hybrid of natural gas and used fryer oil — the latter being funneled from the upstairs kitchen into the boiler room, where it’s piped into a hybrid natural gas-oil fueled boiler and converted to enough low-cost heat to warm the entire building. It’s a design the Mahoneys came up with themselves, nodding to the old adage that “necessity is the mother of invention.” “The building is so big and so old, our HVAC guy didn’t think we could get enough heat without steam,” Duffy said. The brewing operation, which will be housed in the basement along with some office space, a full prep kitchen, walk-in and keg room, comes from Portland Kettle Works — in fact, the Portland, Ore.-based company built the test system for itself to serve its own tasting room. The five-barrel system is an expansion from MickDuff’s previous capacity, but “this has a ton of room — you can fit a
lot more,” Duffy said, showing off the brewery with its ceiling open to the dining room and its original floor constructed from concrete and local lake rock. “They used what they had back then,” said Mickey. There remain many details to complete before MickDuff’s can open its new space, which Duffy said will likely be before winter blows into town. There are seven office spaces in the top floor, which may be rented or at least one converted into a co-working space. In the dining/bar area and bonus room, which together can seat 126 patrons, the TVs have gone up on the walls but the remainder of the decor is still being decided. “We’re trying really hard to do decor that’s not ‘industrial,’” said Duffy. “We had originally been shooting for an English-Irish pub type feel” Despite its large size, the main floor contains a surprisingly small amount of real estate on the walls — in part because of the bank of iconic east-facing windows, which fill the space with natural light. According to Mickey, the brothers have spoken with the Bonner County History Museum about incorporating the building’s long, important past into its present. “They actually have pictures
Left: A peek at the new dining room at Mickfrom the original construction Duff’s. Right: The bar at MickDuff’s awaits mug and could make this kind of a clubbers and patrons alike. Courtesy photos. museum,” Mickey said, adding that other artifacts include the old spittoons that used to grace the they had constructed flanking the building during its incarnation as 24 taps, where mug club vessels the local post office, as well as will be held. blueprints and plans during conIt’s an attention to detail that struction in the 1920s. perhaps wouldn’t have been as The building itself, however, readily accomplished without the is a work of art — including both original features and those that the various delays that no one could have controlled. Mahoneys have created to match “A big goal of the project is that its vintage style. From the subway we’re trying to spend the extra time tiles (new) and heavy metal to do it right,” said Duffy, adding, safe door (old) in the main floor women’s bathroom — which once “I’ll be glad to be done with this project. It’s probably the biggest served as the postmaster’s office thing I’ll ever do in my life — me and, later, the children’s reading and my brother together.” room — to the “mail slots” that
Litehouse collecting food donations for food bank By Reader Staff
Litehouse employee-owners will be collecting food donations for the Bonner Community Food Bank at Super 1 Foods in Sandpoint on Saturdays, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both dates. After a successful food drive last year, which collected thousands of pounds of food for the community, the Litehouse team wanted to continue the tradition. With many area families struggling due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the food
bank has a high demand for items — especially around the holidays. Litehouse team members will be handing out lists of food bank needs along with grocery bags to fill outside the entrance to Super 1. As shoppers check items off their own grocery lists, they are able to purchase additional items for donation. In addition to the food donation, Super 1 shoppers are also able to make a monetary donation directly to the food bank at the checkout. Use code 7545 at checkout to donate $5 to the food bank. October 15, 2020 /
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NEWS
Judge to hear Sandpoint’s motion for fees
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Kootenai County District Judge Lansing L. Haynes is scheduled to hear a motion for attorney fees and costs on Oct. 27, marking the latest movement in the lawsuit Bonner County brought against the city of Sandpoint regarding The Festival at Sandpoint’s no-weapons policy. The suit — which played out over roughly a year — saw its end Sept. 2, when Haynes ruled that Bonner County lacked standing to bring the case to court. Sandpoint filed a motion Sept. 16 asking that almost $94,000 in costs and fees be reim-
bursed. Bonner County filed an objection to the motion Sept. 30, with legal counsel alleging that “no one has won, and all parties lose if clarity on the law is not provided before the next Festival.” While the county argues that the city has no right to limit firearm possession on publicly-owned War Memorial Field during Festival events, the city maintains that it does not limit firearms at all — that the authority to make such rules is transferred to The Festival under the lease agreement. Idaho law does not address leases in its firearm preemption code. Haynes will consider the city’s motion for fees at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
City launches continuous leaf pickup through Nov. 20
By Reader Staff
The City of Sandpoint has scheduled its annual City-wide Leaf Pickup to start Thursday, Oct. 15 — a little earlier in the season than in past years because the program has been modified to a continuous pickup through Nov. 20. Rather than waiting until the end of the season to dispose of their leaves, city residents are encouraged to move leaves onto the street as they fall, and crews will pick them up continuously over the next month. In response to citizen feedback, the city
rented a sweeper more equipped for this type of work than the city-owned sweepers. Crews are hopeful this new approach will have less impact on the stormwater system and prevent large piles of leaves accumulating in the street. The continuous sweeping will replace the single week of leaf pickup performed by large loaders. To ensure this service is successful, the city is asking residents to keep leaf piles knee high or lower. Branches and bagged leaves will not be picked up. For more information, contact the city at 208-263-3428.
Rotary donates $50K to LPOSD after-school, literacy programs By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff The Rotary Club of Sandpoint donated $50,000 to the Lake Pend Oreille School District on Oct. 7 to benefit after-school programs and reading intervention for local students. The sum came from Rotary sponsorships — some of which were intended for the 2020 CHAFE 150 bike race, which was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Several organizations and businesses opted to donate their sponsorships regardless of the cancellation. “We could not have done this without your support during these challenging times,” said past Sandpoint Rotary President Mel Dick in an email to members. According to presentation materials from LPOSD officials, the $50,000 will fund after-school programs, which “provide literacy 6 /
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support, homework help, a healthy snack, social-emotional connections, physical fitness and hands-on STEM activities” to students, as well as be used to purchase materials needed for reading intervention programs. “We are so thankful for the support of Sandpoint Rotary,” LPOSD Director of Teaching and Learning Andra Murray told the Sandpoint Reader. “Their grant funding allows over 100 families to participate in after-school programming during these challenging times. In addition, this partnership also funds reading intervention materials for use in grades K-2, and ongoing staff training. Thanks to Rotary and CHAFE sponsors for making this possible.” Along with the announcement of the donation, Dick shared that the 2021 CHAFE 150 race is planned for Saturday, June 19, 2021, and that he and his team are “already busy planning next year’s event.”
Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond
East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: The presidential debate scheduled for this week was canceled, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. A proposal to have a virtual debate, due to President Donald Trump’s positive case of COVID-19 and Republican attendees’ non-compliance with mask wearing, was rejected by Trump. Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett began this week in the Senate on an accelerated timetable. “Why the rush forward?” asked Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. “Well, the answer isn’t pretty. There’s a promise to big donors that must be kept. When David Koch ran for vice president, he campaigned on getting rid of Medicare and Medicaid. Imagine his fury when Obamacare passed. His groups are spending millions right now on this nomination.” Barrett has drawn criticism about her neutrality due to her written response to the NFIB vs. Sebelius ruling, where she said the Affordable Care Act should have been struck down as unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case Nov. 10 questioning constitutionality of the ACA. In his recently released book, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, speculates that the president will resign if he loses the election and will then pressure Mike Pence to pardon him for crimes he faces in New York State, Business Insider reported. Cohen told MSNBC last week that would be the reason that U.S. Attorney General William Barr attempted to replace the Manhattan U.S. attorney with the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who is a Trump golfing friend. Cohen was found guilty in 2018 of campaign finance violations, tax and bank fraud, and lying to Congress — acts he claimed were done to shield Trump. The White House says Cohen is a “disgraced felon” and a liar. More speculation about a postTrump election loss: Paul Krugman, one of the world’s most influential economists, expressed concern in The New York Times that Trump will refuse to accept the results of the election if he loses, not only inciting violent rebellion from supporters but also sabotaging the U.S. economy during his remaining time in office. Economic concerns include Trump refusing aid to state governments, which
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
have so far been forced to cut 900,000 jobs due to declining tax revenues; refusing aid to families facing hardships due to loss of jobs; and refusing aid to struggling businesses. The warnings about triggering a major recession are also coming from Wall Street analysts and the chairman of the Federal Reserve. Republicans say they’re resisting aid because it would bail out “high-crime, poorly run Democrat states,” but Krugman claims those states “have lower crime rates, on average, than Republican states.” There have been 215,418 deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 as of Oct. 12. A week ago the figure was 210,426 deaths, according to stats from The New York Times. The FBI issued an internal report saying there is an imminent “violent extremist threat” posed by far-right domestic terrorists, suggesting that the 2021 inauguration could be the “potential flashpoint,” The Nation revealed. Those under surveillance, the FBI memo says, “indicate a propensity toward violence … that cause mass casualties, used by a small number of attackers.” Blast from the past: Since 1969 Democrats have appointed four U.S. Supreme Court justices and Republicans have appointed 15 — four installed by presidents who lost the popular vote. While the U.S. Constitution does not name a size for the court, the current number of nine has been with the nation since 1869, and it is not illegal to add more. In 2016, Republicans said that if Hillary Clinton were elected they would not allow her to fill any Supreme Court vacancies, leaving the number smaller than nine. Under President Barack Obama, they also refused to fill a March vacancy with his proposal, saying it was too close to the November election. The Republican focus on obtaining seats on the court sympathetic to their beliefs has resulted in five of the current eight members being members of the Federalist Society. That would be six if the current nominee is approved before the election. Formed in 1982, Federalist Society members of the court have voted to permit businesses to make unlimited contributions to political campaigns and to gut the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, which campaigned for the last two Federalist Society appointees, is now campaigning for Trump’s Federalist Society nominee. (History from Boston University’s professor of history, Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, Ph.D. from Harvard.)
PERSPECTIVES
Emily Articulated
A column by and about Millennials
I really don’t want to write about politics By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
Opening the creaky door, I heaved myself up into my newly acquired good, old truck. The broad, cracked, faux leather bench spoke of its many years being well used and loved, and I mumbled a reminder to myself to bring a blanket for the seat next time I took it out. Turning over the key, the engine roared around me, shaking the cab and my entire body inside. I gripped the large, grooved wheel and pulled the gear lever until it clicked into drive, slowly easing my foot onto the gas. In a cacophony of crunching gravel, engine rumbles and creaky, worn metal, I rolled the truck onto the road. As buildings and homes and the edges of town meandered past my windows, and as little yellow dashes on the road extended beneath me, I began to sink into that warm place where thoughts swirl and ideas grow, creeping out from their hidden places because they finally have the freedom to do so. When the thought swirls and tendrils in my brain grew heavy enough to cling to one another, forming a single question, I wondered aloud, “What should I write about this week?” Those thoughts extended into a reflection of the way I write, and how I try to connect through vulnerability, perspective and by giving voice to the things that take up the most real estate in my mind when I sit down at my computer. Like a film reel, my brain began flickering through images of candidate signs peppering lawns, voting reminders stuffed in mailboxes, debates booming
Emily Erickson. on primetime TV, text message inquiries about my plans for Nov. 3, and declarations of political allegiance from friends and acquaintances on every social platform — solidifying into a single image and topic: Politics. But, like a film reel abruptly running out and burning up, I concluded, “Absolutely not. I will not write about politics.” Flipping my blinker and turning onto a long stretch of backroad, I wriggled in my seat until I reunited with blissful unawareness; where my body acted of its own volition as if anchored to my destination, and the deep part of my mind again consumed my consciousness. I considered: Maybe I could write about politics, but in a way that examines the high-stakes
nature of this election, with supporters of each party feeling like a victory by the other is the end of the world as we know it. Because of the intensity of the perceived (or actual) repercussions, the support of the candidate across the aisle feels like an assault on all that we hold dear. When the way we vote is so wrapped up in our identity and values, how can we possibly come back to a societal middle ground after it’s all over? As my foot moved from the gas to the break, preparing for another turn, I reconsidered. “No, I really don’t want to write about politics.” Then, tall swaying trees began to blur in my side vision, and white and gold storybook clouds dolloped the sky before me. As I noted the way beams of light peered around a cumulus edge, another angle crept into my mind. What if my writing about politics was really just a nostalgic reflection of the first time I voted? I could describe the nervousness that filled my chest on voting day, and how my sweaty hands held my driver’s license, all because I’d never done anything so very adult before. With humor and self-deprecation, I could share how I dropped my pen inside the voting booth, promptly exiting its curtained in-
terior with a single ballot bubble still unfilled, all because I was fearful that if I bent to pick it up, it might look like I was peeping into the voting booth next to me. As I described the way it felt to slide that important piece of paper into its designated slot, just maybe, I’d quietly remind someone of the beauty of democracy. Or maybe, in writing about politics, I could circumvent politics altogether; speaking to the importance of empathy and our desperate need to cling to kindness now more than ever. I could share my personal struggle with maintaining the perspective that my
neighbors are a woven tapestry of past experiences, unique struggles and complicated histories, all contributing to their social convictions and political stances. I thought: “When more people operate from a place of empathy, prioritizing listening over speaking and kindness over judgement, isn’t that how humanity is restored?” But as I pulled the big truck into its destination, shaking my head as if to clear it from the swarming thoughts, I decided with finality, “No, I really don’t want to write about politics.”
Retroactive
By BO
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A vote for Sheriff Cindy Marx is a vote for common sense...
Bouquets: • Here’s to all the hardworking local retailers, restaurateurs and small business owners who worked hard all summer long serving the teeming hordes of tourists. I see and hear your exhaustion after this strange busy season of tourism and I wish you all some respite this fall and winter. We all enjoy a vibrant downtown, but we also enjoy this quiet period of time between seasons just as much. Here’s hoping you are all able to carve out a little time for yourselves and your families before winter is upon us. Barbs: • I’ve never quite seen a time like this before in Sandpoint. Over the summer and fall months, I’ve had so many locals approach me to share their frustration with the trajectory our town is headed in recent years. Whether showing disdain for the heavy numbers of out-of-town tourists exhibiting rude behavior or lamenting the fact that they are unable to afford the skyrocketing real estate prices, it’s clear that something needs to change here. In some western resort towns, there is either an extra surcharge tacked onto home and property sales made from out-ofstate residents, or a reduction of price for locals so they can better afford living in their community. The surplus could be used to support infrastructure, or public arts perhaps. While I understand that tourism is an important industry here, I also realize that we are foresaking our local population to cater to the growing herds of tourists who graze in our “pasture.” It’s sad to hear about the many locals who have decided to pack up and leave town for good. These are people who have contributed to the vibrant nature of our community for so long, but they either can’t afford to live here anymore or they can’t stand the mean-spirited political climate that exists here. I long for the Sandpoint of old, before we were so damn eager to sell out our soul for some bucks. 8 /
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Dear editor, In a couple weeks we have a chance to drastically change, for the better, the direction that our country and county is headed. This letter is addressing the election of Bonner County sheriff. The current county sheriff, Daryl Wheeler, considers himself a constitutional sheriff. While I am not a constitutional expert, I am guessing, or hoping, that the great minds that drafted both our U.S. and state constitutions, put something in these constitutions that might allow for common sense to prevail for the common good. If they did not, maybe it’s time for an amendment to address that. I am specifically referring to Sheriff Wheeler’s challenge of Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s actions for the pandemic. The governor’s use of common sense and science, is a clear example of doing what is good for public safety. Another example of Sheriff Wheeler’s lack of common sense played out several years ago when he, aided by Heather Scott, overruled a veterans official who had decided that a troubled veteran should not be in possession of guns. Most gun advocates always say that we don’t need more gun laws, that we just need to enforce the laws we already have. While I do not recall all the details of this specific case, I put my faith in the ability of the professionals at the VA to make decisions based on medicine/science and not politics. When we have local officials (Wheeler and Scott) making decisions based on politics rather than science, I call that a total lack of common sense. I am urging Bonner County voters to vote for a change in county law enforcement. Cindy Marx will be a big improvement, plus it might also save your life. Vote in common sense with a vote for Cindy Marx. Marty Stitsel Sandpoint
We can — and must — do better on climate change... Dear editor, We, in North Idaho, have been relatively lucky regarding the effects of climate change. For the most part, we have avoided the widespread destruction caused by forest fires, flooding, hurricanes and other forces that have become more frequent and more damaging as a result of man-made pollution. Even though we have — so far —
avoided the worst effects of climate change, it is incumbent on all of us to do whatever we can to reduce our carbon imprint and all actions that increase pollution. I support continued efforts to increase public transportation and reusable recyclable product packaging. I also support research into ways we can improve our recycling efforts in Bonner County, ways to reduce our collective footprint that takes a daily toll on our part of the world and ways to eliminate fossil fuels from Idaho’s power grid in the near future. In addition, I support energy-efficient standards for housing and commercial buildings here in Bonner County. We can do better, and we must do better protecting and respecting our home, Mother Earth. Steve Johnson Candidate for Bonner County commissioner Cocollala
Not another four years... Dear editor, A man like Trump, with his only desire for money and power, is a man without a heart or soul! He’s a disgrace as a man let alone being allowed to run our country! Not another four years! Jo Reitan Sandpoint
Paulette Jordan will help start healing state, nation… Dear editor, The events of the past few months have laid bare the fact that Sen. Risch no longer truly represents Idahoans. His, along with his fellow GOP senators’, continued failure to do anything for his constituents as to the pandemic and the economic fallout that followed is a clear reason to send him home in November. He had the chance to rectify a huge mistake in February but he slept through the impeachment trial and then dutifully followed McConnell’s lead and voted to acquit the president. In the last nine months the only accomplishment of the GOP-controlled Senate has is to confirm judges while ignoring the pain that every American is suffering during this pandemic. The hole that this administration has dug in our society and economy is deep and will take a long time to fill but we must start now. I’m 80 years old and I fear the effects of these past four years will affect my
children and grandchildren for years and years. We can make a start to heal our state and the nation this November when we elect Paulette Jordan to the U.S. Senate. Gil Beyer USN retired Sandpoint
Misrepresentation… Dear editor, The Oct 9, 2020 Daily Bee front page and Page 3 appears to be indicating that VFW Post 2453 endorses Heather Scott and what she said at the meeting on Oct. 8. The VFW is not politically affiliated, nor does it endorse any politician or political party. The VFW Hall was rented by a group that had Heather Scott as their speaker. As a former VFW Post 2453 post commander; senior vice-commander, junior vice-commander and life member of the VFW, I denounce any attempt at affiliating the VFW with said article. I personally oppose Heather Scott and the rhetorical crap she utters. This person is a divisive individual that pushes her philosophy on everyone — talk about a tyrant. I am submitting this letter from me, not as a representative of any organization, but as an individual American veteran. I personally endorse Gov. Little’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I believe wearing a mask, social distancing and staying away from others when feeling ill can help slow down this virus. In closing, I reiterate, the VFW does not endorse any political candidate or party. Michael Harmelin Vietnam veteran Sandpoint
Disinformation directed at Dixon… Dear editor, Spreading disinformation about your opponent is the tool of someone with no argument. And that’s what the supporters of Rep. Dixon’s general election opponent — who’s launched a write-in campaign based solely on half-truths and rumors — are doing by misrepresenting his stellar record. Why would they misrepresent his record? Here’s why: Most of his policy positions are nearly identical to those of Dixon’s. So rather than run on his own positions, Dixon’s write-in opponent is spreading untruths on everything from Dixon’s position on vaccinations to his donor list. For
starters, they say he’s pro-vaccination and beholden to Big Pharma. But nothing could be further from the truth. If they’d have had the courtesy to ask, they’d know that Dixon’s own children are unvaccinated, and that those “big corporate donations” he’s received are so minuscule that they couldn’t even buy a full-page ad in a local newspaper. So much for being pro-vax and owned by lobbyists. How you present yourself to your potential constituents reveals your character. And while his opponent presents himself as a trustworthy conservative, he does things like showing up uninvited to an invite-only candidate forum and verbally abusing its hosts. Rep. Dixon has displayed nothing but honesty and integrity during his time in office, and those who know him well hold respect and admiration for both his commitment to liberty and to his constituents. On Nov. 3rd, please vote Sage Dixon. Anita Aurit Sandpoint
America! Avoid air pollution... Dear editor, Here are some features of fascism: scapegoating; rhetoric of fear, anger and resentment against targeted minorities; the cruelty of separating families, sending them to concentration camps for maltreatment, then releasing them back home as a lesson for their community to self-deport; fealty to “The Leader” (Hitler, “Der Fuehrer” and Mussolini, “Il Duce”); power worship; attacks on science and truth; as Nazi Propaganda Minister Goebbels said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it”; appeals to a mythic past of greatness; and creation of violent, paramilitary groups, such as Hitler’s Brownshirts, and Mussolini’s Blackshirts. In parallel, Trump scapegoats Mexicans and Muslims. His mythic slogan, “Make America Great Again,” code for “Make America White Again,” scapegoats Black- and Latino-Americans. He foments white fears for his own political gain. His cruel “policy” of separating immigrant children from their families was deliberately designed to also force Latinos into self-deportation. His “dictator envy” for Russia’s Putin, Turkey’s Erdogan and other international despots reveals his “power adulation.” Are some of his supporters also lured by an attraction to “The Leader’s” power?
< see LTE, next page >
< LTE, con’t from previous page > Trump continuously lies and repeats debunked conspiracy theories. His contempt for science has escalated the dangers of the pandemic and climate change. He refuses to unambiguously condemn violent, neo-Nazi and white supremacy groups, some of whom want to incite racial civil war. For many years, the Southern Poverty Law Center has continuously warned us about these domestic hate groups. Why have so many of us not noticed the noxious odor of fascism emanating from Trump’s behavior and tactics? America! Do not follow the downward trail into Trump’s fetid air. Take the trail, with Joe Biden, that leads upward to the fresh air of democracy. Philip A. Deutchman Sandpoint
An open letter to Rep. Dixon… Dear editor, I see that in this election you have a write-in opponent, Dan Rose. I was pleased to see it for two reasons. First, because I happen to know Dan as a conservative Republican who has made an important, positive difference in our district in so many ways. He is a trustee on the Bonner General Hospital taxing district board, is active in the Bonner County Republican Central Committee, participated in the successful efforts to defeat the Scotchmans Peak wilderness designation proposal and the Avista-Hydro One merger, and still finds time to volunteer in the community. He is also the kind of Christian who stands up for his faith when it is under attack, as during the governor’s shutdown of churches as “non-essential.” This leads me to the second reason I support his candidacy. You also present yourself as a Christian, ending every legislative update and video I’ve seen with “Lord Bless,” and some supporters refer to you as “godly.” Yet you were silent and did not oppose the governor’s shutdown. You did not find this unconstitutional attack on freedom of religion and freedom of assembly that egregious and declined to participate in the recall of the governor. You also declined to attend the June 23 session called by legislators on their own in an attempt to end the shutdown. Actions speak louder than words. “Lord Bless” rings hollow when you don’t defend your faith. For these reasons I will gladly give
Dan Rose my vote on Nov. 3. My wife said she would join me in writing in Dan Rose on her ballot. David Banning Clark Fork
For planet’s sake, vote out Trump… Dear editor, Donald Trump recently and erroneously proclaimed himself “the environmental president,” as he announced extensions of existing bans on oil drilling off Florida’s coast. After all, unsightly oil rigs would certainly detract from his Mar-a-Lago Resort. Several days earlier, contradictory Environmental President Trump approved oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR); the last truly wild refuge in our nation. Oil drilling there will blight the landscape, disrupt centuries-old wildlife populations and open that environment to development. ANWR oil reserves are limited, will not last long and will only represent a small percentage of total U.S. oil production. Will a relatively small amount of oil, for a short period of time, be worth the loss of a pristine, ecologically balanced wilderness? Trump has announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord. He’s in denial of climate change and science, which alerts us to it. Trump’s administration is weakening, or reversing, regulations regarding: coal leases on public lands; fuel economy; greenhouse gases; hydrofluorocarbons; methane emissions; power plant and refinery emissions; purity of the Great Lakes, oceans and coastal waters; smog; and water pollution, to name a few. One hundred reversals of environmental rules are underway — 68 completed and 32 pending. For sources, a complete list and explanations, refer to: nytimes.com/ interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html. Environmental protections are for everyone; especially future generations. Trump denies science, favors powerfully wealthy corporations and vindictively slashes regulations enacted during earlier presidencies. His environmental policies are counterintuitive and regressive. Trump is not acting on behalf of most Americans, nor considering future generations. Environmental President Trump is an environmental fraud. His lack of environmental concern is the tip of a melting iceberg. Stop Trump’s reversal of environmental policies! Help save planet Earth! Show your environmental concern! Vote him out! George Edward Priest River
Consider the American Solidarity Party... Dear editor, I’m writing just in case there are people like me who cannot bring themselves to vote for either of the major party presidential candidates. I’d like to offer a third way: the American Solidarity Party. I encourage you to look it up. Check out their platform with an open mind, and consider voting for their presidential candidate Brian Carroll, who is a certified write-in option on Idaho ballots.
COMMUNITY Rotary accepting applications for Youth Exchange program
Ben Gregory Sagle
All is not lost... Dear editor, The U.S. Supreme Court is a place where the people of the United States have a voice. But you have to have “standing” to argue your case. If supreme court candidate Amy Coney Barrett joins five other conservative judges on the court they will deny standing in most, if not all, environmental cases. Barrett often denies standing. In one case she wrote: “The plaintiffs can’t repackage an injury to [a Chicago] park as an injury to themselves.” Forget about whether you agree with her position on climate. The people of Chicago did not even get a chance to be heard. Barrett’s record means the children suing the federal government over climate change will not be allowed to argue their case. Nobody’s voice will be heard on climate. Barrett’s past judgments are only one example of federal overreach of states’ and individuals’ rights regarding the environment. Trump has changed 100 environmental rules so that they contradict legislation that is in place. But all is not lost! The U.S. Constitution establishes ways for the other two branches of government to undo the effects of court judgments. We can rejoin the climate accords. We can appoint people to run the EPA that will enforce rules. A new president can change environmental rules back, so that they are again legal. Having a new head of the Department of Justice would go a long way to change the tide. Vote for Biden and Harris who have a plan for climate justice that takes into account the economy and COVID-19. Ask your senators to vote against her nomination. Jim Risch: 202-224-2752, Mike Crapo: 202-224-6142 Vote for Paulette Jordan to take Risch’s place as our U.S. senator. Nancy Gerth Sagle
By Reader Staff Traveling the world is often the best way to see and experience other cultures. Living in another country is even better, as full immersion is a surefire way to expand your view of the world. The Rotary District No. 5080 is now accepting applications for its Youth Exchange program, placing students in homes in more than a dozen foreign countries for an entire school year. The Youth Exchange “offers young people the opportunity to experience the cultures, problems and accomplishments of people in another country,” according to Rotary’s application. “Participants return home with a broader view of the world and a deeper understanding of themselves.” The exchanges typically last an entire academic year, varying from 10 to 11.5 months depending on the host country. Students depart in July/September and return after the end of the academic year. To be eligible, students must be between 15 and 18 years old on Aug. 1 of the departure year. Students who have graduated high school as of Aug. 1 of the departure year are not eligible. Students should be academically above average, articulate and demonstrate community leadership skills. The countries offered include: Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Switzerland, Thailand and Taiwan.
Youth Exchange students pose with Rotary displaying flags from their host countries. Courtesy photo. The Youth Exchange costs approximately $6,250 paid in four installments. This includes round trip airfare, full medical insurance, visas, outbound orientation for youths and parents, any orientation sessions in the host country, personal business cards with a photo and district patches, pins and regalia. Other costs not covered include: a refundable $300$500 emergency fund, passport fees, travel expenses for visa acquisition, a required blazer, school uniforms where required, optional tours and personal miscellaneous expenses in thenhost country, and language camp or schools. Preliminary applications should be completed before the end of October, with the first two Saturdays in November slated for interviews of applications. Completed applications and a non-refundable $500 payment are due Dec. 1 marks to the Rotary district. For local families interested in hosting foreign exchange students for three to four months must qualify for a background check, participate in a home review and training, and must provide room and board and a home environment for the visiting student. For more information, contact Diana Erickson, District No. 5080, outbound chair, at diana@ rotary5080ye.org. October 15, 2020 /
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OPINION
Mayor’s Roundtable By Mayor Shelby Rognstad Reader Contributor Last Thursday I had the privilege of presenting the State of the City address before the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce at its first in-person luncheon since the pandemic began. I appreciated hearing of the progress in Kootenai and Ponderay from Mayors Lewis and Geiger. Pack River Store was recognized by the chamber as business of the month. Pack River Store set a leading example, along with several other local restaurants and the lake Pend Oreille School District, creating a bagged lunch program to make sure that no one went hungry in Sandpoint. The program was so well supported, it continues today. Despite the unprecedented economic, health and political interruptions brought on by the pandemic, the people of Sandpoint continue to show phenomenal resilience. Businesses have stepped up to feed those in need, citizens have stepped up to make hundreds of masks during the mask shortage early in the pandemic. The city leveraged CARES Act funding to minimize COVID’s impact on the city budget while saving Sandpoint taxpayers $1 million in property taxes. Despite the economic shutdown from COVID, business activity for the year remained remarkably strong. Data
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from local option tax rolls showed more than a 4% increase in economic activity over last year. This, along with responsible, effective budgeting means the city maintained levels of service and stayed within budget. Bonner County’s frivolous lawsuit against The Festival at Sandpoint and the city served as little more than a distraction. The court ruled that the county has no standing, a decisive victory for the city and The Festival. The city has since filed a motion for recovery of attorney’s fees to reimburse Sandpoint taxpayers. Improvements in administration have continued over the last year as the city continues organizational restructuring and improvements in technology. The contract with Lake City Law was just renewed. Contracting out for legal services proved to be a wise move, saving the city $150,000 and deepening the range of legal resources available. The city is now contracting for information technology and GIS services. We expect similar results, improved services at a lower cost to taxpayers. The resulting savings have allowed the city to add positions where needed. The Sandpoint Police Department has added two new community resource officers. These positions improve the city’s response to code enforcement and free up officers to better respond to criminal issues.
State of the city: Resilient
Savings from administration restructuring have also allowed for investments in technology, creating efficiencies and improving customer experience. You can now create a utility account, pay a bill, register for a rec program, submit a building permit application or do any other city transaction through our website. Notable capital improvements were celebrated this year. Phase 2 of the Downtown Streets Project and the new turf at War Memorial Field were the most significant accomplishments. Phase 3 will see continuation of work on First Avenue south from Church Street and will likely begin in 2022. Other capital projects include significant improvements in wastewater infrastructure that will continue through 2021. This year will be known as the city’s master planning year. The city’s first Parks and Recreation Master Plan was approved in August. It represented an impressive degree of public input and participation and resulted in a new vision for City Beach, the Downtown Waterfront, War Memorial Field and the sports complex at Traver’s and Centennial parks. Environmental Assessment was completed for the Little Sand Creek Watershed and next year a recreation plan will be developed for that 4,000 acres of city owned forest habitat. Other master plans nearing completion include Arts, Culture and Historic Preserva-
tion — the city’s first. The Multimodal Master Plan addresses all modes of transportation in and around the city. The Capital Improvement Master Plan envisions infrastructure growth for all city utilities. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan is also nearing completion. Of all the plans, it has perhaps the greatest influence on how the city manages growth, maintains affordability, quality of life and historical identity. Idaho and this region in particular are continuing to see unprecedented growth. This growth puts strain on all of the city’s resources, its systems and people. It can change our quality of life, our level of service, our very identity as a community. The timing of these planning efforts could not have been better. Sandpoint is ready to face the challenges that growth brings. If there is one thing that was made clear over this past year, this community will continue to thrive and remain resilient even under the most difficult circumstances. Please join me for the Mayor’s Roundtable to discuss all this and more this Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. on Zoom: bit.ly/2FqljJQ; meeting ID: 899 1901 7586; passcode: 306303. You can also watch on Facebook Live through my page, Mayor Shelby Rognstad. Please subscribe.
HISTORY
Hunting for history with the Elks
Once thought lost, Grand Exalted Ruler chairs discovered in time for local Elks’ 100th anniversary
By Chris Corpus and Hannah Combs Reader Contributors The weightlessness of being carried in father’s arms. A blast of sharp winter wind whistling through the crack of the door at his back. A glimpse of the warm, dark ceiling as father lays you in the seat of the tall, wooden chair. Mother’s crinoline rustling as she tucks the blanket under your chin. The click of her heels merging with the sweet sound of a waltz as your eyelids slowly droop. For a few Sandpoint residents, some of their earliest memories are a sensory whirl of evenings spent nestled in one of the Grand Exalter chairs at the original Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376, located in the building where Jalapeno’s restaurant now resides. Installed for the lodge opening in 1937, the six Grand Exalted Ruler chairs vary from four to six feet tall, are made of sturdy oak and are upholstered in dark, rich material. Though not ostentatious in any way, they lend gravity and authority to whomever sits in them. A centerpiece of the décor in the lodge, on most days the chairs served as a solemn piece of the tradition and ceremony of the Elks club. Every now and then, the club — known as much for its social activities as for its brotherhood and community service — was transformed into a lively ballroom. A local Elk and former Sandpoint mayor, Dwight Scheffler, remembered the grand old chairs during his childhood. His Sandpoint lineage goes back to the very early 1900s, and his grandfather and father were both proud Elks. During celebratory gatherings, it was common for Elks to bring their children to the affairs, and set them up in the meeting room while they socialized in the lounge. Dwight remembers falling asleep in the chairs while his parents danced late into the night. Sometimes an object as simple as a chair can spark beloved memories that turn into precious stories. These stories are shared between families and friends and sometimes preserved for future generations to hear. One of the most meaningful — and challenging — tasks that the Bonner County History Museum undertakes is teasing out these stories when critical pieces are missing. The Sandpoint Elks recently celebrated their 100th anniversary at the Elks Lodge. In preparation for the centennial event, the Elks approached BCHS about creating an exhibit on the history of the Elks in Sandpoint. Digging into the history of the original lodge on Second Avenue brought back many memories from the long-timers in the club. In particular, they wondered what had ever happened to four of the six chairs that
had once graced the old building. The building was sold in 1999 and the Elks Lodge moved to its property at the Sandpoint Elks Golf Course. Through the transition of time, four of the chairs seemingly disappeared. Museum researchers set to work combing the archives for articles and artifacts from the Elks’ long local history, and in a wild burst of serendipity, discovered that the four missing chairs had been housed in the museum’s archives for years. One chair had been holding court in the museum storage for years, but without its mates, few had ever understood its import. Perhaps the most impressive piece of all, three chairs built side by side as one piece, were in off-site storage, one in (literally) a million pieces in the museum’s collection. Curator Heather Upton said that while she had often glanced at the piece with curiosity, no exhibit she was working on had prompted her to look into its history too closely, until now. The triplet chairs stayed in storage for more than 20 years, apparently waiting for this perfect moment — the 100th anniversary — to reveal themselves. Happily, the four ceremonial chairs came back home to the Elks Lodge just in time for the centennial event. Much of our history, and many of our most precious stories, are most richly told when they are supported by the objects and photographs that bore witness to our lives. We can’t live forever, so we can’t tell our grandchildren’s grandchildren about the exciting dances we went to or the community projects we participated in. But the objects, photos, diaries and artifacts we leave behind can tell our stories and keep them as exciting as when we lived them. The museum curates many exhibits in spaces around town to bring these objects, and their stories, to new communities and audiences. By bringing objects like the Elks chairs out of storage and into the limelight, these stories stay relevant from generation
to generation. History comes alive in the form of buildings, stories, and significant objects and artifacts. Sandpoint is rich in history thanks to the vision of its residents past and present, and the preservation efforts of the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum. We hope the story of the chairs from the Sandpoint Elks Lodge encourages Sandpoint businesses and families to donate items and photos to the museum. Even the simplest objects help keep our history alive, link the past to the present, and remind us of why Sandpoint remains a remarkable place to call home.
Museum Administrator Hannah Combs, Sandpoint Elks Exalted Ruler Linda Tatlock and BCHS Executive Director Heather Upton sit in the longlost Exalted Ruler chairs, recently discovered in the museum’s collection. Courtesy photo.
Brought to you by the Bonner County Historical Society. Research provided by Chris Corpus, Heather Upton and Dan Evans. Special thanks to Dwight Scheffler for participating in BCHS’s oral history program. To share your story and artifacts with the museum, make an appointment by calling 208-263-2344.
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Mad about Science:
Brought to you by:
mosquitoes By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist This week’s subject was requested by an anonymous reader. Thanks, mysterious reader! There is no love for the vampiric mosquito. Nothing sucks worse than heading out on your new boat in the summer just to be exsanguinated by a swarm of tiny bugs. Luckily we don’t live in a tropical climate, so mosquitoes are only a temporary nuisance in North Idaho. Unfortunately for us, winter doesn’t mean the complete end of mosquitoes. They are capable of shutting down their vital functions for extended periods of time to survive extreme temperatures, in a process called diapause. Depending on what kind of mosquito it is, this can happen at virtually any of the mosquito’s four life stages: egg, larva, pupa or adult. Diapause is a major factor for why mosquito populations are so difficult to control. When conditions become unfavorable, the mosquitoes just hibernate until they’re favorable again — not unlike pausing your game until you figure out the solution to a difficult timed puzzle. A mosquito begins its life of terror in an egg, laid in a cluster on a floating raft produced by a fertilized female mosquito. This egg cluster floats around on the water’s surface for up to 48 hours before the mosquito enters its second stage of life: larvae. Mosquito larva swim around in the water eating algae, bacteria or anything else it can suck up in the water. Despite being aquatic, they can’t breathe underwater and need to surface regularly to siphon air, like a 12 /
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dolphin or a whale. This stage lasts for around a week before the mosquito transforms into its pupal stage. The mosquito is a pretty boring creature during the pupal stage. While it had spent its time carb-loading as a larva, it spends its pupal time developing into an adult. A pupal mosquito looks like a weird little Facehugger from Alien. It can swim during this stage of life, but doesn’t feed — it spends this portion of its life just trying not to die. After a couple of days, the body will break open and the fully formed mosquito we all know and hate will emerge to wreak havoc on unsuspecting campers everywhere. Adult mosquitoes are herbivores, not that you would ever know, since it seems they spend so much of their free time sucking our blood. The vampiric nature of the mosquito is a trait only females possess. Proteins and iron in vertebrate blood provide ample building blocks for mosquito eggs, so every bite lays the foundation for the next generation of nuisances. Female mosquitoes possess myriad tools for seeking blood. Most vertebrates produce carbon dioxide as a waste source when they breathe, as well as hundreds of unique scents that are imperceptible to humans but light us up like a neon vacancy sign at a sleazy motel to the mosquito. Between the concentrations of carbon dioxide around us and these unique aromas, the mosquito can not only locate humans, but find the best places to bite us where they will get the highest concentration of blood in one bite — all without any understanding of vertebrate anatomy or even possessing decent
vision. The mosquito has compound eyes, like most flies, which makes it good at tracking motion but lackluster at differentiating detail. If a human were to have compound eyes, it would be an extremely disorienting experience — like looking through a semi-transparent disco ball that had been sand-blasted. Unlike humans, small invertebrates like flies and mosquitoes don’t have a lot of storage space for a large and complex brain, so their senses and processes are markedly different and simpler than ours. They don’t need sharp detail, because their other senses have developed to compensate for that shortcoming. After a mosquito bites you, you’ll notice the area around the bite becomes bumpy and itchy very quickly. This is simply an allergic reaction — your body freaking out after being pierced and injected with mosquito saliva. Though it’s difficult to refrain, you shouldn’t scratch the bite as it only makes it worse. Your body thinks it’s still under attack and will react more intensely and the itching and swelling will get worse. If you end up breaking the skin, it can even become infected leading to much worse complications than an irritating itch. Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance — they’re actually the most lethal animal on the planet, with the highest human body count of any other animal, except other humans. While exsanguination by mosquitoes is not likely, they are prime vectors for diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, Zika and more.
Why don’t we just wipe them into extinction, then? There are a few factors. Humans are exceptionally good at driving species into extinction, but that is rarely a good thing. The extinction of mosquitoes would cause a massive chain reaction we cannot even begin to comprehend. Mosquito larva feed fish during their early stages of growth, which go
on to feed birds and other large predators as they grow in size. The adult mosquito is a major part of the diet of bats, which not only suppress mosquito populations, but feed predators and scavengers alike. At least winter is coming, and that means a few weeks of reprieve from the relentless itching. Stay curious, 7B!
Random Corner lumbus? opher co
Don’t know much about christ
• Researchers disagree, but some estimates suggest that when Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas in 1492, they were already inhabited by between 60 million and as many as 112 million people. Regardless, by 1650, Indigenous populations in the Americas had fallen to fewer than 5 million people. • Leif Erikson is regarded as the first European to land in North America, nearly 500 years before Columbus. • On June 30, 1503, Christopher Columbus beached his two last caravels and was stranded in Jamaica. The indigenous people of the island welcomed Columbus and his crew and fed them, but after six months, the natives halted the food supply. Columbus had on board an almanac authored by Abraham Zacuto of astronomical tables covering the years 1475–1506. Columbus told the peoples’ leader Cacique that God was angry with their treatment of him and his men and would provide a sign of displeasure by making the rising full moon appear “inflamed with wrath.” After the lunar eclipse and the red moon appeared on schedule, the Indigenous people were fright-
We can help!
ened into continuing supporting Columbus’ men after he told them that God had “pardoned them.” • More than 3 million people perished from war, slavery and labor in the mines in Hispaniola under the rule of Christopher Columbus. • Christopher Columbus once punished a man found guilty of stealing corn by having his ears and nose cut off and then selling him into slavery. • In 1990, South Dakota officially renamed Columbus Day to Native Americans’ Day to shift the focus of the holiday to one honoring the various Indigenous peoples of South Dakota. In 1992, Berkeley, Calif., was the first to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a result of an organized protest against a planned celebration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ landing. Columbus remains a problematic historical figure due to his own personal involvement in the slave trade and the abuse of the Indigenous people he encountered. It’s also controversial to remember him for “discovering” a part of the world where many different and complex cultures had already been living for thousands of years.
See you later warm, sunny days! It looks like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really in the thick of the fall season now, with the first snowfall reported on Schweitzer Mountain Resort. To submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader. com.
Top: Isaac Emerson attempts to ollie over a construction barrier in downtown Sandpoint on Oct. 12. Photo by Ben Olson. Far right: Snow starts to pile up on the chairlift at Schweitzer. Photo courtesy Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Immediate right: An early snow fall at Schweitzer Mountain Resort blankets a sculpture in the village. Photo courtesy Schweitzer Mountain Resort.
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ELECTION
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE 2020 General Election U.S. Senator Race Jim Risch, Republican (incumbent) 1. According to an August 2020 Gallup poll, only 21% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing — and that number has only topped 30% twice in a decade. To what do you attribute this lack of public confidence in elected federal legislators and how do you propose to change it?
Age: 77
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Birthplace: Milwaukie, Wisc.
Residence: My family has lived on a farm southwest of Boise for the last 48 years. Government service: I have served two terms in the U.S. Senate, where I’ve supported Idaho’s small businesses as chairman of the Small Business Committee and worked on national and international issues important to Idaho as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. As Idaho’s 31st governor, I passed a 20% reduction in property taxes, wrote Idaho’s Roadless Plan, and built two new nursing schools. As lt. governor, I worked to bring businesses and jobs to Idaho. I was elected to leadership in the Idaho Senate, serving as majority leader and president pro tempore, and worked across the aisle to improve the lives of Idaho families. I began my career in public service by serving the people of Ada County as their prosecuting attorney. Profession: Small business owner, farmer and rancher, attorney. Education: University of Idaho, B.S. degree in Forestry (Forest Management) and University of Idaho College of Law, juris doctor degree. Family: Married to Vicki for 52 years, three sons and three daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren. Fun fact: I was the first governor to open a governor’s of-
fice in Coeur d’ Alene to serve the people of North Idaho. In the Idaho Senate, as the Republican majority leader, I became close friends with the Democrat Senate Minority Leader Kermit Kiebert from Hope. As a result, my family and I spent many weeks in North Idaho with the Kieberts. My favorite times were hunting the wily elk in Lightning Creek with my sons when they were young. My close friendship with Kermit Kiebert lasts today. Who says Republicans and Democrats can’t get along? 14 /
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The Congress is deeply divided on the direction of the county. The Republicans are fighting to defend the free market system and stop the government intruding into every aspect of our lives. As the extremists in the Democrat party gain more influence, they are pushing the county into socialism. This causes strong feelings on both sides. Each of us must treat one another with respect, no matter how passionately we fight on the issues. I frequently reach across the party divide to enlist support from my Democrat colleagues in the Senate on legislation that is important to Idaho. I have been successful in building bipartisan support on issues, including efforts to stop another pandemic like the coronavirus from ever reaching our country again, fighting catastrophic forest fires and supporting small businesses. 2. What do you see as the top three most important issues facing the nation and how do you propose to address them? • Preventing Another Pandemic – As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I am leading the objective, with bipartisan support, to ensure we can get to the truth immediately to stop a pandemic like this one from ever spreading through our country again. China’s corrupt communist leaders lied about the coronavirus and delayed the Word Heath Organization from getting information needed to stop the spread. That cost thousands of American lives and destroyed millions of American jobs. It cannot happen again. • Jobs and Rebuilding the Economy – As a leader on the Small Business Committee, I am passionate about this issue. We must keep small businesses open and return our economy to the unprecedented growth we
experienced immediately preceding the pandemic. Tax cuts and deregulation will help support small business, create new jobs, and lead us out of debt. • Affordable Health Care – Every American deserves access to a health care plan that is affordable, covers preexisting conditions, and gives them the freedom to choose the doctors and the care that is right for them.
UK to Germany. Meanwhile, the West has experienced another year of catastrophic fires, which are attributed to climate change and misguided forest management. What will you do to help restore the nation’s prestige abroad and tackle the energy and natural resource policies at home to make Americans — especially those in the West — feel secure?
3. Related to that, what are the top three most important issues facing Idaho, and how do you propose to address them at the federal level?
Internationally, the president has taken steps to stop other countries from taking advantage of the United States. One of the reasons for the low favorability rating in Europe is a result of the President obligating our European allies to pay for their fair share of NATO expenses, which they have refused to do since WWII. I support the president’s efforts to push back against any country that tries to take advantage of the generosity and support of the United States. Catastrophic fires can be reduced with better forest management. I cosponsored, and the Senate has recently passed, legislation to change the funding mechanism which will allow the natural resource agencies to better manage the forest landscape, thereby reducing the number and intensity of these fires. My degree in Forest Management gives me a technical understanding of this issue that is so important to Idaho.
In addition to those listed above, the most important issues facing Idaho that I am working on include: • Forest Fires – We need leadership to better manage Idaho’s forests to prevent devastating wildfires. I’ve joined bipartisan legislation to give the Forest Services the tools they need to reduce the fuel load and protect Idaho’s forests and communities. • Water – The Columbia River Treaty is expiring, and it is imperative that Idaho’s interests are protected. As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the passage of this treaty falls squarely on my shoulders. I will ensure Idaho’s interests will prevail. • Education – Educating our next generation is always a top issue in Idaho. I will see that control stays with the state and local districts, and away from the federal government. • Support and Deregulation of Small Businesses – Bringing new jobs to Idaho workers depends on the growth and success of small businesses. I have led the fight for policies that help Idaho businesses grow while eliminating stifling regulations. As a conservative, I know the best way to stimulate the economy is to let Idaho families keep more of their hard-earned money. 4. International opinion of the United States has plummeted among our closest allies — Pew Research puts the U.S.’s favorability rates at between 41% and 26%, from highest to lowest being the
5. The president has indicated that he may contest the results of the 2020 election should he fail to win reelection. Will you stand by him if he refuses to accept a loss in the 2020 election, as he has indicated will be his posture? For 240 years, the United States has had a peaceful transition of power with the election of a new president. I will support the legitimacy of the outcome of the 2020 election. A resolution to support the peaceful transfer of power recently passed the Senate with a bipartisan unanimous vote and the House of Representatives with huge bipartisan support.
ELECTION
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE 2020 General Election U.S. Senator Race Paulette Jordan, Democrat
Age: 40 Birthplace: Born in northern Idaho near Coeur d’Alene. Residence: Currently resides in Plummer. Government service: Elected to Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council, elected to seat as member of Idaho House of Representatives. Profession: Entrepreneur, board member of the National Indian Gaming Association and founded two nonprofits: Save the American Salmon and Idaho Voice. Education: University of Washington. Family: Two children. Fun fact: Paulette was the youngest ever elected member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council.
1. According to an August 2020 Gallup poll, only 21% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing — and that number has only topped 30% twice in a decade. To what do you attribute this lack of public confidence in elected federal legislators and how do you propose to change it?
work with colleagues across the political spectrum to pass legislation more rapidly than the Senate had in the past.
Partisanship and gridlock. We need to do a better job reaching out to our constituents about their priorities and reaching across party lines to get to “yes” more often. I’ll be an independent actor in the Senate and intend to answer to Idahoans, not party leadership. I intend to find common ground with colleagues throughout the West so we can form a coalition to pass legislation that will lift up our region.
Health care, COVID, Education, Public Lands and Fire Prevention
2. What do you see as the top three most important issues facing the nation and how do you propose to address them? Health care, Economic Recovery, COVID Response On health care – We need to boost the Affordable Care Act with a focus on more data and better outcomes so we can move from a disease management system to a preventive care system. On economic recovery – We need more reforms to remove red tape for small businesses so they can bounce back faster than they’ve been able to after past economic downturns. On COVID – We need to work toward rapid delivery of vaccines and other medical equipment to speed recovery and prevent the spread. On each of these issues, I want to
3. Related to that, what are the top three most important issues facing Idaho, and how do you propose to address them at the federal level?
In addition to what I mentioned above, on public lands: There’s a bipartisan bill sitting in the Senate that will protect public lands and manage forests so we can dial down rapidly spreading wildfires. I want to cosponsor it and be a champion to pass that legislation.
Idaho and throughout the country, and I’ll encourage it. 5. As a member of the Senate, what would be your substantive response to President Donald Trump refusing to accept a loss in the 2020 election? I’m not concerned about this outcome, but I would call on members of his party to remind their constituencies of the importance of peaceful transfer of power to our democracy.
4. Your opponent serves on committees overseeing the United States’ foreign relations, energy and natural resources. International opinion of the United States has plummeted among our closest allies — Pew Research puts the U.S.’s favorability rates at between 41% and 26%, from highest to lowest being the UK to Germany. Meanwhile, the West has experienced another year of catastrophic fires, which are attributed to climate change and misguided forest management. What will you do to help restore the nation’s prestige abroad and tackle the energy and natural resource policies at home to make Americans — especially those in the West — feel secure? I support re-entering the Paris Agreement, which I know the United States will do under new leadership next year. We also need to re-enter the World Health Organization. We need to increase foreign direct investment in
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ELECTION
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE 2020 General Election
U.S. Representative – 1st Congressional District
Rudy Soto, Democrat
Age: 34 Birthplace: Nampa, Idaho. Residence: Nampa, Idaho. Past government service: U.S. Army National Guard non-commissioned officer in Field Artillery and Military Police units (2008-2018); legislative assistant, U.S. House of Representatives (20162018); Hatfield Legislative Fellow, U.S. House of Representatives (2013-2014). Profession: Former legislative director, National Indian Gaming Association. Education: B.A., Portland State University. Family: Rudy lost his father and younger sister recently. He is grateful to be near his mother, five siblings, and many nieces and nephews. He has a serious girlfriend who he hopes to marry. Fun fact: If elected, Rudy will become the only Native American and Latino veteran member of Congress. 1. According to an August 2020 Gallup poll, only 21% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing — and that number has only topped 30% twice in a decade. To what do you attribute this lack of public confidence in elected federal legislators and how do you propose to change it? 16 /
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Most legislators are self-serving career politicians, and political posturing has taken the place of pragmatic problem solving. My opponent, Rep. Fulcher, is ranked the 16th most partisan member of Congress out of 435, according to the Bipartisan Index produced by the Lugar Center at Georgetown University. This makes it no surprise that he has passed no bills and made no progress on advancing legislation for Idaho. I believe that there’s more that unites us as Americans than divides us. That’s why I’m committed to joining the Problem Solvers Caucus. The caucus is a group of Republicans and Democrats committed to working across the aisle to solve our nation’s pressing issues. From there, I will work hard to advance bipartisan legislation. I have also pledged to limit myself to three terms in office. I’m running to replace Fulcher’s failed leadership and lift the voices of Idahoans. That’s why I haven’t taken any corporate PAC money, and I’m proud to have my campaign funded by over 1,500 individual small contributors. We need legislators to act as public servants, not politicians. I’m dedicated to putting my constituents and country over political parties and special interests. 2. What do you see as the top three most important issues facing the nation and how do you propose to address them? Improving access to health care, revitalizing our economy and fixing our dysfunctional government are my top national priorities. Health care access is personal to me. After my father lost his factory job, he lost his health insurance, got sick, didn’t receive timely treatment and lost his life shortly after. I believe all Americans deserve access to quality and affordable healthcare. That’s why I support establishing a public option which will compete with the private health insurance industry and lower out of control healthcare costs. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy, with millions experiencing housing and food insecurity. We need to get folks fully back to work as soon as possible. I will
fight for long-term solutions, including the passage of a national infrastructure package to create living wage jobs and support small businesses. Finally, our government needs to get back to work for the American people. I’m committed to putting partisan politics aside and restoring people-powered representation to Washington. 3. Related to that, what are the top three most important issues facing Idaho, and how do you propose to address them at the federal level? Healthcare, infrastructure, and education are the most pressing issues facing Idaho today. The passage of Medicaid expansion was key to connecting tens of thousands of Idahoans to quality care. When elected, I’ll advocate for broadband investment so that rural communities can access telehealth and community health outreach services. We need infrastructure that supports our growth. I support using federal funding to rebuild our infrastructure through public private partnerships that will create living wage jobs and keep the American dream alive for Idahoans. Investment today will yield transportation, public safety, and economic benefits for decades to come. I will prioritize fixing our broken education system. Idaho ranks dead last in the nation in per-student spending. Young Idahoans are entering the workforce unprepared for an evolving economy. Many lack a fighting chance at meaningful opportunities to climb out of poverty, and I know firsthand the power of the public education system to transform one’s life. I’ll fight to better fund our schools and expand access to community college and career and technical opportunities. 4. Your opponent serves on committees that oversee natural resources, forests, public lands, education and labor. The West has experienced another year of catastrophic fires, attributed to a combination of climate change and misguided
forest management. Meanwhile, U.S. students owe an average of more than $32,000, and the majority of U.S. workers are earning less in real terms than they were 40 years ago. What will you do to tackle the natural resource policies to help slow the devastating fire conditions we see with increasing frequency while also easing the education debt and stagnant earnings of American students and workers? This year’s fire season has been a frightening look into our future if we continue to disregard the maintenance of our public lands and the effects of climate change. As a former staffer who worked on the House Natural Resources Committee, I’ve witnessed the disconnect between federal and state leaders on the management of public lands. I’m a big proponent of stewardship contracts which bring together local stakeholders to maintain forest lands and reduce danger from wildfires. Additionally, we need to pursue our solar and wind energy potential in order to reduce our emissions and create sustainable economic opportunity. We also have a student loan crisis on our hands. Too many college graduates are overburdened with debt, which prices them out of homeownership, entrepreneurship, and the American dream. I’m one of them. I will advance legislation which will expand college tuition assistance and student loan forgiveness options in exchange for national service. 5. As a House member, what would be your substantive response to President Donald Trump refusing to accept a loss in the 2020 election? We have no reason to doubt the integrity of our elections anywhere in the United States. If President Trump loses the election, he will have no choice but to accept the results because the peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our constitution. As a House member, it would be my duty to work with the entire Congress to ensure that the president accepts what our constitution requires.
ELECTION
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE 2020 General Election
U.S. Representative – 1st Congressional District
Russ Fulcher, Republican (incumbent) 1. According to an August 2020 Gallup poll, only 21% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing — and that number has only topped 30% twice in a decade. To what do you attribute this lack of public confidence in elected federal legislators and how do you propose to change it?
Age: 58 Birthplace: Meridian, Idaho. Residence: Meridian, Idaho. Past government service: Two years as U.S. congressman, 10 years as state senator. Profession: Current: U.S. congressman. Previous: Tech industry executive, real estate broker. Education: MBA and BBA from Boise State University. EE certificate from Micron Technology. Energy Management certificate from University of Idaho. High school diploma from Meridian High School. Family: Three fabulous adult children: Meghan, Benjamin and Nicole. Fun fact: Yes, I DO have a life.
Ongoing, adversarial partisanship in Congress is the reason for the low approval rating. Unfortunately, it is a reflection of society in America. There are two general political philosophies at conflict in America. One believes citizens and families should have independent decision making authority, and that government should exist to serve the people. The other believes the government should make primary decisions and government programs are the best way to provide services – thus relegating the role of citizenry to paying taxes into the system. In other words, it’s a representative republic vs socialism – and I strongly believe in the former. History clearly teaches us that anywhere socialism has been embraced, individual liberty and prosperity has been trampled. Sold under the lie that one can get “something for nothing,” socialism creeps in like a cancer; and by the time the populous realizes what they’ve done, it’s too late. A huge part of my job as a representative for the people of Idaho is to promote policy that bolters our republic, and halt policies that promotes socialism – and that’s what I do. 2. What do you see as the top three most important issues facing the nation and how do you propose to address them? • Adversarial partisanship in Congress and in American society (which
includes social unrest in some major cities) – See the answer to question No. 1. But we also need to engage our families, communities, churches and service organizations to understanding the true source of our prosperity and stand for our republic form of government. • Economy – Short-term, extend the PPP plan to get through this pandemic. Long-term, make the small business tax cuts permanent, and maintain a trade policy, especially with China, that is fair for Americans. We also need to promote educational choice policies to encourage an educated workforce and immigration reform to ensure safety and a fair tax burden for existing citizens, and a naturalization process that ensures people aspiring to be Americans • Federal debt – No one reading this in 2020 will be alive when the federal debt is paid off. Short term we need to level-off current federal spending as much as possible, then take any economic growth revenue and use it to pay down debt. Longer term we need to “grandfather in” the current population to the social security program as promised, but for new participants, reform the system so it can be sustainable. 3. Related to that, what are the top three most important issues facing Idaho, and how do you propose to address them at the federal level? • Economy – see question No. 2. • Health care costs and access – Look no further than your current insurance premium (as compared to pre-Obamacare era) to realize that we need to employ a market-based health care system that puts the decisions into the hands of patients and their families. Competition and transparency are the key and I have a plan for this.
• Federal land management – Unlike most states, Idaho is dominated by federal land ownership (nearly two-thirds of the land mass). The federal government does not have the resources to properly manage them – so they don’t. So everyone loses: wildfires rage due to excess fuel load, the environment and wildlife suffer due to massive carbon emissions and death, and taxpayers pay funds for fire crews. I have proposed legislation that would employ the wisdom of local stakeholders into management practices and reduce the stream of endless, senseless lawsuits filed by law firms gaming the system. 4. The West has experienced another year of catastrophic fires, attributed to a combination of climate change and misguided forest management. Meanwhile, U.S. students owe an average of more than $32,000, and the majority of U.S. workers are earning less in real terms than they were 40 years ago. What will you do to tackle the natural resource policies to help slow the devastating fire conditions we see with increasing frequency while also easing the education debt and stagnant earnings of American students and workers? See third point in question No. 3. 5. The president has indicated that he may contest the results of the 2020 election should he fail to win reelection. Will you stand by him if he refuses to accept a loss in the 2020 election, as he has indicated will be his posture? Elected officials, including the president, will abide by the election results – and of course I support that.
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events
October 15 - 22, 2020
FriDAY, october 16
Live Music w/ Truck Mills & Carl Rey 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Truck and Carl make a great blues duo Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 8-10pm @ The Back Door
Hickey Farms Harvest Festival 10am-5:30pm @ Hickey Farms U-pick pumpkins, crafts, live music, produce and more.
SATURDAY, october 17
Live Music w/ Turn Spit Dogs 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Premier Men’s Soccer Match 6pm @ Memorial Field Sandpoint’s Green Monarchs vs. Spokane United. $5 for 13 years and up to attend Live Music w/ John Firshi 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Acoustic originals, obscure covers and more Panida Annual Membership Meeting 6pm @ Panida Theater Come meet the new candidates for Panida’s Board. Door prizes throughout the night, popcorn and libations and the annual report will be presented. Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 8-10pm @ The Back Door
An Evening in Support of Mike Victorino 3-9pm @ Bonner County Fairgrounds Ponderay Det. Sgt. Mike Victorino was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and has undergone brain surgery. This will raise funds to help support Victorino’s recovery. Silent and live auctions, live music, kids’ activities, raffles, dinner and cash bar. $10
Matchwood Brewing 2nd anniversary 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Specialty barrel-aged beer release, brew-totable community pig roast to benefit Food Bank, pumpkin carving contest and live music by BareGrass from 5:30-8:30pm Live Music w/ Kevin Dorin 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
SunDAY, october 18
Piano Sunday w/ Peter Lucht 3-5pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
monDAY, october 19
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
Monday Night Run Posse (free) 6pm @ Outdoor Experience
tuesDAY, october20 wednesDAY, october 21
Live Music w/ Ben Olson 7-10pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
ThursDAY, october 22
Clue – live theater on the main stage (Oct. 22-25) 7:30pm @ Panida Theater This mystery, comedy taken from the pages of the screenplay with the same name, which was taken from the board game with the same name will be on stage at the Panida Theater October 22-25. This great cast will have you wondering whodunnit from the front door opening until the last gun shot is heard.
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HALLOWEEN FEATURE
The bells of Corfe By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Some places feel tired and are none too happy about it. There’s a restless, frustrated feeling to those places — as if they kick in the night. Corfe in south-central England, in the county of Dorset, is such a place. Located on a hill in a defile of the Purbeck Hills, which ramble south crisscrossed by ancient Roman roads and barrows to the dramatic chalk cliffs of the Jurassic Coast, is Corfe Castle, a fortress whose works predate even William the Conqueror and was blasted by Roundhead sappers in the 17th-century English Civil War. Today it juts over the small village — constructed from bone-colored stones salvaged in part from the ruin — like a mouth full of shattered teeth. The most haunted place I’ve ever visited was not Dachau or Auschwitz. Neither the cave where Socrates committed suicide in Athens nor the slave dungeon in the bowels of the fort at St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was Corfe Castle. My wife and I visited there on our honeymoon 14 years ago this month and, while it sounds silly, even now I return to it and remember the indistinct terror I felt there on an ill-advised late-night walk below the battlements that I am convinced brought me and my wife and me into contact with displeased spirits from the past. Begun as an Anglo-Saxon stronghold, Corfe is a site of murder, treachery, torture and warfare. St. Edward the Martyr was assassinated there by his own stepmother in 978 CE. The eldest though unrecognized son of King Edgar the Peaceful, Edward had been crowned king three years before he visited the royal castle at Corfe and greeted his stepmother Queen Ælfthryth beyond the gates of the castle. As the story goes, Ælfthryth wanted Edward out of the way so her son, Æthelred later called “The Unready,” could
ascend to the crown. She served Edward poisoned wine and had him stabbed to death there on the cobbles. Since recognized as a Catholic saint, the St. Edward, King and Martyr parish church at Corfe stands not far from where the unfortunate young king met his end. About 300 years later, King John — that King John, the villain of Robin Hood myth — let almost two dozen French prisoners starve to death in Corfe’s dungeons, while King Edward II found himself locked up there awaiting his murder. Finally, during the English Civil War in the mid-1600s, the Bankes family — led by Lady Bankes — resisted two sieges by Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary troops, only to be betrayed by a lady employed in the castle who allowed the roundheads into the stronghold and led to its downfall and ultimate demolition. Centuries later, locals still claim to see the headless “lady in white” wandering the castle grounds. In the day, it’s a quaint place. In the night, you want to lock your windows and put the covers over your head. Of course, we didn’t do that. We started with a few drinks in the Greyhound Inn, which bills itself as the most photographed pub in England (given that it’s in the foreground of almost every photo of the castle). One night, following our pints of bitters and ploughman’s plate, we figured we’d take a misty, romantic walk around the lower parts of the castle — one of those obviously bad decisions that people make in horror movies. We were swallowed by inky blackness the moment we descended the stone stairs to the sunken moat around the castle — the weak street lamps of the High Street blotted out by a thick canopy of trees. What once had been a robust flowing water course had dwindled to a little algal-smelling stream whose murmurings in the darkness sounded irritated. The temperature on the footpath along the stream — itself invisible in the dark — was noticeably cooler with an ancient smell of rotten, loamy soil.
Fewer than a dozen blind steps down the path and every instinct in me said this was no place to be at night. Every time I’ve ever felt that “watched” it’s turned out that I was being watched. I expected any moment to feel a wet hand wrap around my ankle and pull me down among the slippery rocks in the nearby water. “This is pretty spooky,” I said with entirely too much fake playfulness. “OooOohhh.” I did not convince myself, nor do I think I convinced my wife, who I remember was hot-stepping right on my heels. As we continued on our way, I became increasingly sure — outstripping any attempt to rationalize my fear — that we were being followed, even surrounded, by a waiting malevolence that couldn’t quite decide what to do with us. It felt threatening but quiet, hiding itself in the splashes of the little stream, which sounded exactly as it would if someone were wading and walking against its current a few feet behind us. To this day, I don’t like to think about what I may have seen had I looked back down the pitch-dark path. We tried to keep up some more banter to cover our terror, breaking the bizarrely quiet closeness with lame jokes and strained laughter, but eventually found ourselves nearly jogging to get out of that
A ghost story
ancient ditch. When we did, we came to a narrow road with signs posted to beware of thieves. Absolutely certain that we would not be returning to the Bankes Arms by the way we came, we decided to brave the bandits and cross a field that we’d seen earlier in the day. It wasn’t the same field, and we bushwhacked blind through copses of gnarled oaks until stumbling into the town graveyard — which was filled with grazing sheep that we first took to be, well, not sheep. We scrambled over low stone walls until finally bursting through a hedge on a street a few blocks from the Bankes Arms. We decided we deserved a nightcap. Back at the Greyhound, we had a whiskey or two and laughed about our frightfulness. Buoyed by the drinks, we crossed the deserted, mist-slick square on the way back to our room. Looming over us was the old St. Edward church — looking like a black obelisk rising in the sky. We noticed the gate was ajar, and so thought we’d poke our heads in for a quick look around. The moment I stepped into the churchyard, the bells sounded in the belfry — and not the way they should have. This was no rhythmic chiming of the hour. I can only describe it as a cacophony of clanging and wrenching; ear-splitting and discordant. My wife and
The Corfe Castle looms over Corfe in south-central England in the county of Dorset. The Bankes Arms Hotel the author stayed at is in the foreground at right. Courtesy photo. I jumped back and sprinted to our room, the angry pealing following us all the way to bed. I looked out the window, through the mist, and instantly heard the bells fall silent. By my watch it was neither the top nor the bottom of the hour; nor was it a quarter hour or any other time that would reasonably require the chiming of any bell. Doing what we should have done to begin with, we jumped into bed, closed the drapes, pulled up the covers and turned on the television like some kind of talisman against evil spirits. We checked out the next morning following a nervous meal in the breakfast room, taking a moment to ask about the bells. The old woman at the front desk looked at us through narrow, suspicious eyes and said she had no idea what we were talking about — that the bells at Corfe were pulled by hand and all the ringers elderly people who would have been warm in bed, particularly on that chilly, misty night. What’s more, she hadn’t heard a thing.
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OUTDOORS
Sandpoint: More than just an alpine town By Allison France Reader Contributor Sandpoint has long been known for epic alpine skiing. Snowboarders and downhill skiers flock from around the country to get a taste of winter in this hidden paradise of North Idaho. Among these snow bunnies there have always been a handful of die-hard Nordic skiers, and now with the development and expansion of Nordic ski trails at Pine Street Woods, Sandpoint is the perfect place for beginners to enjoy the sport as well. The term “Nordic skiing” conjures up an array of images. For some, it’s a childhood memory of trudging through deep snow in freezing temperatures with long slender boards attached to their feet. For others, it’s a distant image of thick Norwegian sweaters and thermoses full of glogg while gliding through scenic Scandinavia. Few picture the sport as it really is, right here, in Sandpoint, Idaho. If you want to learn more about Nordic skiing can offer for you and your family, attend the Winter Welcome event Oct. 24, from 2-5 p.m. at Pine Street Woods. Sandpoint Nordic Club has partnered with Kaniksu Land Trust to provide several kilometers of beginner-friendly groomed ski trails at Pine Street Woods. The Outdoor Recreation Center, located next to the parking lot, is home to more than 130 sets of skis that can be rented for the day, week or the entire season, and 40 pairs of snowshoes that can be rented daily. In addition to the trails
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at Pine Street Woods, Sandpoint Nordic Club supports grooming for skate and classic skiing at the Lakeshore Trails just southwest of town. There you will find 10 to 15 kilometers of rolling beginner to intermediate trails with both meadow and forested terrain. Sponsored by Sandpoint Nordic Club, first-time skiers can attend a Learn-To-Ski clinic while those who have some familiarity with skiing, but want to improve, can sign up for a Level 1, 2 or 3 group lesson. Experienced skiers looking for more technical guidance can book a lesson with former U.S. Ski Team member and Olympian Rebecca Dussault, who offers individual and group lessons along with a new masters training program. Social skiers can attend a full-moon ski or get out for the weekly headlamp group ski. Youth that are interested in an after-school program can join either the recreational, development or race team, depending on their desires and skill levels. Sandpoint Nordic Club also works with teachers from schools throughout the community to get youth outside and on skis. The program allows third- through sixth-graders access to equipment and a brief lesson on the basics of skiing. The goal is to get youth — and ultimately their whole families — outside, moving and having fun throughout the winter. COVID-19 has changed a lot of norms for the community and the club will be following state and local guidelines to keep programs safe for those who are able to attend this season.
Meanwhile, the Winter Welcome event will feature beer; pizza from Mandala Food truck; local vendors; a raffle; and a casual, socially distanced stroll along the Wide Trails at Pine Street Woods. Reconnect at a safe distance with kindred snow spirits and find a community to laugh (and sweat) with
Young Nordic skiers learn their skills at Pine Street Woods. Photo by Kaniksu Land Trust. through the long winter months. For more information — including memberships — visit sandpointnordic.com. Sign up early and secure a preordered Sandpoint Nordic Club mug.
BUSINESS
Giving goods a new life
Brooke Moore invests ‘attention and care’ into her collection at Azalea in downtown Sandpoint
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
Brooke Moore, who owns Azalea Handpicked Style on First Avenue in Sandpoint, doesn’t forget a piece of clothing. That’s thanks to her belief that each and every consigned good that makes it into the back room of her shop deserves another chance to become someone’s favorite. “People are always surprised that I remember every item of clothing, and I take a lot of pride in that because I literally give attention and care to every single item that comes in,” Moore said. “I’ve always believed in quality over quantity.” That attention and care can include anything from laundering to lint rolling to shaving fabric that’s begun to pill. “I think everything belongs to someone,” Moore said. “It’s important to give things a new life, and to carefully give them a new life.” Sometimes, the extra love a piece of clothing receives at Azalea can include mending. It’s a practice that Moore has become more invested in over the years. “It used to be that when items came in that needed mending, I wasn’t able to take the time,” she said. “Now I think it’s important to take the time.” With the help of a seamstress, Azalea is able to stock clothing that has a lot of life left to offer, if only given the chance. Moore said that in her experience, people often love a piece of repaired clothing because of how a mend can make it unique. “It does give everything a little story, and gives it character,” she said. That character extends beyond Azalea’s clothing collection. The store also stocks locally and sustainably made retail goods including soaps, jewelry, baby toys and greeting cards. Moore said some of the most popular products as of late include dryer balls made of local alpaca wool — a sustainable alternative to traditional dryer sheets — and beeswax candles made by a local beekeeper. Whether hanging from a clothing rack or displayed on the tables through-
out the store at 324 N. First Ave., Moore said every item found in Azalea is chosen with intention and care. “I love that people still come in everyday that live here and have lived here, and have never been in,” Moore said. “It’s so fun to have people not just come in and do a circle and leave, but to spend time picking up everything and looking at it, feeling it. “My ideal shopper would be somebody that came in and spent an hour just feeling everything and smelling it and knowing how much care goes into everything,” she added. “Everything is intentional: where everything is, where it’s set up — the hangers, the lighting.” Ultimately, the hope is that the customer leaves with a treasure — maybe
Top left: Brooke Moore tidies up her shop Azalea Handpicked Style on First Ave. in Sandpoint. Top ight: An example of the creative patchwork on a sweater. Above: A flower sewn into a garment to cover up a hole. Courtesy photos. a brand new artisan good, or maybe a piece of well-loved, consigned clothing, ready to embark on its new life. Azalea’s current hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. To learn more about the store’s consignment process and to book an appointment, find Azalea Handpicked Style on Facebook. Also browse the store’s current selection on Instagram: @azaleasandpoint.
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Taking downtime in stride Pend Oreille Arts Council updates Main Street gallery space
By Reader Staff
Since 1978, the people behind the Pend Oreille Arts Council have made it their mission to bring art to Sandpoint. When Executive Director Tone Lund and Arts Coordinator Claire Christy started at POAC in February 2020, they knew they were inheriting a legacy. Just as they were settling into their new positions, COVID-19 made its appearance in the U.S. The following shutdown turned the art world upside-down. The need for the arts remained, and in some ways, it was greater than before. Artists were at home creating, while others were looking for art to remind them that beauty still exists. “We had to figure out how to move forward while staying still,” POAC President Carol Deaner said. “I tasked Tone and Claire with coming up with a
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unique and attractive way to exhibit the quantity of art that our local artists were producing.” During the shutdown, renovations were taking place all over Sandpoint. Restaurants and retailers made changes to their spaces, hoping to reemerge better than before. POAC staff decided to follow suit with renovations to the nonprofit’s small gallery space. A vision came to mind: a gallery space unique to Sandpoint, and something special for viewers to see upon their return. POAC staff decided on a salon-style gallery. Salon-style
hanging started in the 17th century at the Royal Academy in Paris. Year-end exhibits displayed the work of both students and masters, resulting in a large volume of paintings to arrange. The artwork was hung from floor to ceiling in groupings. “Using this style of hanging would not only create a space unique to Sandpoint, but would also allow several local artists to show a variety of mediums, subject matter and sizes,” Deaner said. When hanging artwork salon-style, a problem presents itself: displaying artwork from
floor to ceiling, and rotating it frequently, would cause the walls to quickly become freckled with nail holes. Brian Grise, of Grise & Co. Woodworking, consulted on the issue and suggested a French-cleat hanging system. Typically used in wood shops and garages, Frenchcleats lend themselves well to art galleries. It’s secure enough to hold heavy pieces, and the picture hook attachments allow the artwork to be replaced and relocated easily. Today, the variety of artwork filling the walls at the POAC gallery takes the viewer on a vi-
A panoramic view of the revamped gallery space at POAC in downtown Sandpoint. Courtesy photo. sual adventure. The small space displays work from local painters, photographers and jewelers. A mural of blue herons adorns the front door, and an osprey surprise waits in the back. There is sure to be something for everyone at the POAC gallery. See the gallery in person at 110 Main Street, Suite 101, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., or peruse the artwork on display 24/7 at artinsandpoint.org.
STAGE & SCREEN
You, at the Panida, with live theater
Clue comes to the main stage with local stage production
evolution with both a musical and a stage play — the latter adapted from Lynn’s screenplay by writer, It’s no mystery that people love comedian and actor Sandy Rustin, which Sandpoint audiences will Clue. The murder-mystery game have a chance to experience — originally an English creation Thursday, Oct. 22-Sunday, Oct. 25 called Cluedo — originated in on the Panida mainstage. the 1940s and shortly thereafPresented by Panida Playhouse ter hopped the pond as a Parker Brothers product and a long life as Players and Blue Sky Broadcasting, Clue will be directed by a cultural icon. Clue was evenBecky Revak with some notable tually acquired by Hasbro, and local stage veterans in their roles — long predating our current pop culture climate where video games as the iconic guests-turned murder frequently morph into action flicks suspects to the ill-fated dinner party at Mr. Boddy’s mansion. — in 1985 came to theaters as a Among the cult classic dark players will be comedy of the Clue on stage (PG) Kate McAlister same name writThursday, Oct. 22-Saturday, Oct. 24, (who audiences ten and directed 7:30 p.m. each night; Sunday, Oct. by Jonathan Lynn 25, 3:30 p.m.; doors open 30 minutes may remember prior to the show; $16 adults, $14 from a number (with an assist of local plays, from John Landis) loyalty star card holders, $8 youths 18 and under. Panida Theater, 300 including and starring Tim N. First Ave., 208-263-9191. Get Drinking HabCurry. tickets at the door, Eve’s Leaves, its) and Andrew Clue has Evans Brothers Coffee or panida. org. Entrances and exists, as well as Sorg (who has since continued seating, will be socially distanced. both directed its multi-media
and acted in several productions, as well as numerous turns in the annual Follies variety show). Tervan Tavern owner Russ Sabin will take a turn not only on the stage but also designed the set, which, as any Clue knows, is a critical part of solving the “who, with what and where” components of the mystery. The key character of the butler, who guides (or misdirects, as the case may be) the audience and actors through the mystery will be played by Dean Thomas. Panida Theater Executive Director Patricia Walker said the Clue crew faced some hurdles early on, having to initially start rehearsals over Zoom, “and as you can imagine it’s been tough to pull off during COVID, but there is a stellar cast.” The upcoming two-hour, PG-rated Clue production will utilize a lot of movement and the full stage — to an even greater degree than many past local live theater shows. Being a rapid-fire
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Proust scholar who is Kinnier’s brother-in-law, moves in with the family after attempting to end his life after a relationship ends badly. The highlight of the film is young Olive, played by Abigail Breslin, an awkward ray of sunshine who oddly has a dream to participate in a beauty pageant. The film follows the rollicking, emotional road trip the family takes to Olive’s pageant, showing how even in bizarre circumstances, a damaged family can still band together with love for one another and give a big F.U. to the powers that be. It’s a movie that grabs you with its humor, but keeps you with its honest attempt to show that feeling good isn’t just about ladling on the cheese sauce.
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
(pardon the pun) comedy-mystery, the humor requires spot-on timing and expertly delivered dialogue. “It’s a really great production,” Walker said, adding that while Mr. Boddy certainly won’t be safe,
audience members will be with socially distanced entrance and exit policies, as well as seating spread out with every other row taped off. Whodunit? You won’t know unless you go.
Feel-good movies – without all the cheese Let’s face it: 2020 sucks. As we all find ways to supplant the constant bad news with ways to enrich our souls, feel-good movies often distract from the crushing reality of the mean, dark world. The problem is, many “feel-good” films are often confectionary nightmares full of clichés and dumb premises that only serve to make you more melancholy because such tripe was even produced. In the spirit of wholesome distraction without the cheese, here are my favorite movies that leave you feeling more whole without compromising your artistic integrity. No guilty pleasures here — only great films that make you feel good. Up (2009) I was one of those kids who rarely watched animated movies, so it’s no surprise that my adult years have been filled with first viewings of animated classics that
many of you have seen dozens of times. When I watched the Pixar masterpiece Up for the first time, I was struck with how good I felt about the world afterward. Beginning with the emotional devastation that the elderly Carl Fredrickson feels after his lifelong companion passes away, Up lifts its viewers with the story of this broken-hearted old man’s friendship — and wild adventure — with a lonely child who gives him a reason to smile again. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) There’s a lot going on in Little Miss Sunshine. The movie starts by immersing the viewer in an unhappy family’s life as they struggle with their individual demons. The father, played perfectly by Greg Kinnear, is a washed up motivational speaker whose positive affirmations fall flat in the face of his own struggles. The son, played by Paul Dano, has taken a vow of silence until he can become a fighter pilot and get the hell out of his unhappy existence. Steve Carell, playing the gay Marcel
Amélie (2001) If you weren’t lifted up even a little bit after watching Amélie, you should probably check your pulse, because you’re walking around dead, man. While the charming oddball Amélie, played by French actress Audrey Tautou, secretly helps people who are
living unhappy lives, she is woefully unprepared to face her own issues until she finds love. While I am usually opposed to anything resembling a romantic comedy, Amélie is so much more than that. It’s whimsical in just the right amount, portraying Amélie’s shy Parisian life with a fanciful quality that is bolstered by a talented ensemble cast of French actors that pepper this film with equal parts of humor and pathos. There’s a good reason this is the highest-grossing French-language film released in the U.S. Groundhog Day (1993) Who among us hasn’t felt as if we’re living the same day over and over again, especially during these turbulent months of 2020? What first appears to be an odd-
Audrey Tautou plays Amélie in the titular film from 2001. Courtesy photo. ball comedy starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, Groundhog Day is actually an uplifting movie that provides an amazing release in the end when Murray’s vain weatherman character finally overcomes his mundanity by figuring out the deficiencies of his own life. Underneath the heavy subject matter that many have likened to a philosophical allegory of life is a comedic tour de force by the master Bill Murray, who carries this film on his shoulders until his character’s glorious redemption in the end. October 15, 2020 /
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FOOD
Sandpoint Curry extends offerings to Clark Fork, Priest River By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff After a brief hiatus, Sandpoint Curry is back to slinging Indian eats through an online ordering model, with pick-up options each Friday in Sandpoint, Clark Fork or Priest River. The man behind the cuisine, Pete Hicks, said his self-described “inconsistent business model” has — shockingly — not been a deterrent for people seeking Sandpoint Curry. “I’m amazed that people have stuck with me, and I appreciate it so much,” he said. Sandpoint Curry’s current operating
style is much like how it was when Hicks started the business more than four years ago: people order ahead of time, and pick up those orders at a specified time and location. Right now, Hicks is accepting orders online at sandpointcurry.com until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, and orders are available to pick up on Fridays at either Scotchman’s Coffee in Clark Fork from 3-4 p.m.; Evans Brothers Coffee in Sandpoint from 4-6 p.m.; or in Priest River at 448 Holley Glen Rd. from 4:30-7 p.m. — just specify the desired pick-up location in the “notes” section of the order form. Current offerings include cabbage and potato curry, coconut chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, dal and garlic butter
naan. Various portion sizes are available. “I love cooking food, but more than that I love connecting with people in this town and community,” Hicks said. “That’s always the bigger picture in my
mind.” To stay up to date on Sandpoint Curry’s ordering and delivering schedule, find them on Facebook or visit sandpointcurry.com.
Smokesmith Bar-B-Que opens in Ponderay… and beyond ‘We never expected it to be this popular or welcomed’
By Patty Hutchens Reader Contributor When you have a passion about something, success can easily follow. Just ask Sean Smith and Katie Campbell, the owners of Smokesmith Bar-B-Que. Sean and Katie, engaged to be married next year, have teamed up to create some of the best barbeque around. Sean worked in Montana before moving to Sandpoint, where he has worked in the human resource department of Litehouse. Katie is the former manager of the tasting room for Pend d’Oreille Winery and currently serves as the beer and wine manager for Winter Ridge. But creating wonderful food is where their passions truly lie. “We both really enjoy creating simple, delicious food and sharing it with people,” Campbell said. The two began their quest to open Smokesmith Bar-B-Que a little over a year and a half ago. Searching for the right fit to create their mobile food truck, Smith and Campbell purchased a white box truck in November 2019 and spent all winter and most of spring converting the truck themselves — relying on YouTube how-to videos for portions of the project — into what is now a full-service take-out restaurant. Smokesmith Bar-B-Que opened July 7 on the grounds of Panhandle Animal Shelter in Ponderay, and their immediate success far exceeded their expectations. “Everyone in Sandpoint and the surrounding area are always excited and sup24 /
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portive of new businesses,” said Campbell, and Smokesmith Bar-B-Que is no exception. “We truly had no idea what to expect. It has been extremely humbling,” she said. While Smokesmith has daily specials, it is widely known for exceptional beef brisket and pulled pork. Smith and Campbell smoke their meat onsite — a process that takes approximately 18 to 20 hours, with hard wood collected from the area, adding unique and mouth-watering flavors. The couple recognized that opening a new business during a worldwide pandemic was quite scary, but they assured their customers that they abide by every sanitary measure that is required by Panhandle Health District and more. “There are no self-serve condiments,” said Campbell, adding that they provide hand sanitizer to all their customers and have touchless transactions. “There are also no more than two people in the food truck at any one time.” They encourage people to text or send a Facebook message if they would like to place an order ahead of time. Also, larger orders should be paid ahead of time to ensure a speedy process when picking up the order. “We are working on getting online ordering set up and should have that available soon,” Smith said. Their pulled pork and beef brisket can be purchased as a “sammich” and is also available in quantities of up to and over 10 pounds if you want to take it home for a party or more. They offer creamy coleslaw, spicy baked beans and cornbread.
While the truck is at Panhandle Animal Shelter Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. (or when sold out), Smokesmith also does events downtown at MickDuff’s Beer Hall. Like all good business owners, the couple has given a very appropriate name to their truck. “We endearingly named him Eddie,” said Campbell, referring to the iconic character Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation. Smith and Campbell share that they have already hosted numerous catering events for anywhere from 10 to 200 people. “It’s an affordable, casual way to go,” said Campbell. “We do not do plated events; instead it’s a buffet style.” With everything, including their unique spicy, honey sweet and Carolina vinegar sauces made from scratch, the menu offers something for everyone. And their macaroni and cheese? It’s not just for kids, it’s an
Sean Smith is ready to take your order at Smokesmith Bar-B-Que. Courtesy photo. adult favorite as well. Smith credits the owner of Drummin’ Up BBQ in Coeur d’Alene with mentoring him during the process of formulating his business plan. “It’s been very helpful to have a mentor during this process,” he said. Both Campbell and Smith are appreciative of the support they have already received in the short time they’ve been open and look forward to making friends with even more customers. “It doesn’t feel real. We never expected it to be this popular or welcomed,” Campbell said. “We are extremely grateful.” To see the full menu, go to Smokesmith Bar-B-Que on Facebook. You can also follow the food truck on Instagram.
MUSIC
Swan songs By Ben Olson Reader Staff Autumn is a time of change, but it’s also a season full of conflicting feelings about death and dying. As trees prepare for the coming cold months, their leaves emit a fiery swan song of reds, yellows and oranges, falling to the earth before the snow covers them over until spring. As in nature, music often produces some of the most poignant final efforts by artists that left before their work was completed. In the spirit of changing seasons and death, here are some of the best posthumous albums ever released. Pearl — Janis Joplin It’s hard to find a more emotive voice than the late Janis Joplin. When she died of a heroin overdose in October 1970 at the age of 27, Joplin had almost completed recording her second studio album, which was released three months after her death as Pearl. Joplin recorded with the Full Tilt Boogie Band, her final touring unit, and the posthumous album contributed some of her most iconic songs to the world, including “Me and Bobby McGee,” and her a cappella masterpiece, “Mercedes Benz.” Joplin sang on all tracks in Pearl except “Buried Alive in the Blues,” which was released as an instrumental track because she had yet to lay down the vocals before her death. “Mercedes Benz” remains the last song she recorded before her untimely death. The album stands the test of time as a beautiful final effort for a soulful performer whose voice still echoes off the canyons of musical greatness.
Life After Death — The Notorious B.I.G. Aptly named, the final album from East Coast hip-hop star Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G., cemented the performer’s place in the hip-hop world. Life After Death was released just two weeks after Biggie was murdered at 24 years old. Life After Death contained the chart topper, “Mo Money Mo Problems” featuring a Diana Ross sample and P.Diddy’s lyrical contributions. The album ended up going platinum 10 times over, leaving Biggie’s legend firmly in place as a hiphop icon. MTV Unplugged in New York — Nirvana (Kurt Cobain) After establishing itself as the quintessential grunge rock band of the ’90s with studio albums Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero, Nirvana showed its softer side with an acoustic live performance on the MTV show Unplugged. The performance was an iconic statement from frontman Kurt Cobain, which showed he was more than just a rocker, and was very well received by all who tuned in to watch it live. MTV Unplugged in New York was released to critical acclaim a year after Cobain’s suicide in 1994 at the age of 27. Containing acoustic renditions of Nirvana’s most influential songs, as well as a handful of covers like “Man Who Sold the World” by David Bowie that were arguably as good or better than the original, MTV Unplugged in New York served as a final effort by a band whose leader left the world too soon.
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
The best posthumous albums ever released Sublime — Sublime Most people first heard of Sublime after frontman Bradley Nowell’s death of a drug overdose preceded the release of the titular album that cemented the southern California ska-punk band’s reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Their first two studio albums — 40 Oz. to Freedom in 1992 and Robbin’ the Hood in 1994 — had set the band on an upward trajectory, but it was their third self-titled album released in 1996 that contained their most iconic songs that went mainstream, including, “What I Got,” “Garden Grove,” “April 29, 1992” and “Same in the End.” Some critics claimed that the album was “slightly overrated” due to Nowell’s death at 28 prior to its release, but speaking as someone who grew up listening to this album nonstop in high school, it was a phenomenal piece of musical history that still holds up to this day. From a Basement on the Hill — Elliott Smith When beloved singer/ songwriter Elliott Smith was found dead in his home in 2003 with stab wounds and no clear explanation as to the cause of death, it sent waves of sorrow to his many fans who grew to love the fragile, emotive singer’s songwriting. From a Basement on the Hill was released a year after his death at 34 years of age and contained 15 unreleased songs compiled by his former producer and his ex-girlfriend. It was the only one of Smith’s albums that cracked the Billboard Top 20 album chart, coming in at No. 19.
The Dock of the Bay — Otis Redding Otis Redding’s seventh studio album was released after he died in a plane crash in 1967 at the age of 26. The Dock of the Bay contains singles and B-sides dating back to 1965 as well as Redding’s biggest hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” In 2003, the album was ranked 161st on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all times. Ritchie Valens — Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valenzuela, who performed under the name Ritchie Valens, had a long career ahead of him when he died in a famous plane crash in 1959 at the tender age of 17. In what has become known as “The Day the Music Died,” Valens perished alongside fellow musicians Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper in a plane crash in an Iowa cornfield. Valens was on the plane after he won a coin toss with Holly’s backup guitarist Tommy Allsup, and Waylon Jennings (who was Holly’s bassist at the time) voluntarily gave up his seat to The Big Bopper, who was sick with the flu at the time. At the time of his death, Valens had yet to release his first studio album, containing hits like “La Bamba” and “Donna,” which helped the album shoot to the top of the charts when it was released after his death.
READ
Denis Johnson is easily one of the most underrated authors of the 21st century. His dark, mysterious, prose is so textural and cryptic at times. At others, you can’t help but find the absurd humor in the situations in which his characters find themselves. After having the opportunity to see Johnson’s typewriter in a private collection in Bonners Ferry (Johnson lived in Bonners with his wife before his death), I’ve been re-reading my favorites from his collection. Resuscitation of a Hanged Man is my jam this week.
LISTEN
I’ve written about Jason Molina before. His most well known musical project, Songs: Ohia, is a masterful collection of songs by this aching songwriter who died too early. I was pleasantly surprised to see a new album pop up on Spotify called Eight Gates, which contains Molina’s last collection of studio recordings before his death due to complications from alcohol abuse in 2013. Great to hear his voice still singing through the trees.
WATCH
After I saw it had won an Emmy, I started watching the odd episode of Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. After a few episodes I was hooked. The show is everything the critics say it is: witty, warm and filled with the right blend of wisdom and wisecracks. The show is all about the Rose family losing their immense wealth and being forced to move to a dreary small town — named after the founding family, the eponymous Schitts — they once purchased as a joke. It’s as heart warming as it is ridiculous, and fully worth your 22 minutes to watch an episode.
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BACK OF THE BOOK
Presentation breaks down dos and don’ts of hiking with dogs From Northern Idaho News, Oct. 31, 1916
PRIEST RIVER BRIDGE OPENING CELEBRATED Priest River did herself proud last Saturday in the dedication of the new bridge which the county has just completed there. The celebration consisted of a parade, some addresses, the formal dedication exercises, athletic contests and a dance in the evening. Many from the surrounding towns of Newport, Laclede, Sandpoint and elsewhere were present to assist in making the celebration a success. With John Schermerhorn as marshall of the day and Lee Berry as master of ceremonies, the celebration began with a parade in teh morning in which there were many auots and the school children from all the schools. Miss Smith, the daughter of L.V. Smith, was crowned queen of the day and after the crowning the key of the bridge was presented to her on behalf of Bonner county. There was a procession across the bridge where Mayor Hanson made an address, and he was followed by G.H. Martin, who spoke for Mr. Lindsley. After this the schoolchildren executed a very beautiful folk dance on the bridge and Mr. McBride was introduced as “chairman” of the county board. He corrected the statement, saying that that matter had been setlted by the courts. A chicken dinner was served by the ladies and there were numerous athletic events in the afternoon, as well as a dance. 26 /
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By Reader Staff
It’s a well-known fact of life — almost everything is better with a dog around. That includes hiking. Taking your furry friend out for a day in nature is great fun and exercise for everyone involved. Of course, preparing ahead of time will help guarantee a good experience for both you and your pet. Long-distance hiker Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa knows all about it. At an upcoming presentation co-hosted by Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness and Idaho Trails Association, he’ll break down how to have the best experience with your dog outdoors. It all happens Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 6-7 p.m. PDT, 7-8 p.m. MDT online on Facebook Live. Just check out the Facebook pages at facebook.com/ ScotchmanPeaks or facebook.com/ IdahoTrailsAssociation to tune in. With 10,000 miles of hiking experience, Allgood knows a thing or two about hitting the trails. He got his start in the ’90s and has worked as a ridge runner on the Appalachian Trail. As the president emeritus of the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West and the
vice president of sales and marketing for Six Moon Designs, it’s safe to say that hiking is his life. Allgood hiked more than 6,000 of those miles with canine companions, starting with his first dog, Erwin, who he found on the Appalachian Trail in 1996. Nearly 25 years later, he and his furry friends continue to educate hiking enthusiasts across all levels of experience.
STR8TS Solution
Sudoku Solution
Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa has years of experience hiking with dogs. Learn all about it Tuesday, Oct. 13 on Facebook Live. Courtesy photo.
Crossword Solution
Whenever I hear the sparrow chirping, watch the woodpecker chirp, catch a chirping trout, or listen to the sad howl of the chirp rat, I think: Oh boy! I’m going insane again.
Solution on page 26
newfangled
Woorf tdhe Week
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Laughing Matter
Solution on page 26
CROSSWORD By Bill Borders
/NOO-FANG-guhld/
[noun] 1. of a new kind or fashion.
“I’ll never get used to these newfangled cell phones coming out these days.”
Corrections: In our story about the University Park decision in the Oct. 8 edition, we incorrectly spelled the names of Sandpoint Planning Commission members Forrest Schuck and Slate Kamp. We regret the error. – ZH
ACROSS 1. Pilotless plane 6. Alpha’s opposite 11. Ebbed 12. Rejoinder 15. Idolize 16. Obligated 17. Anagram of “Ail” 18. Performing 20. Regulation (abbrev.) 21. Conspiracy 23. Give as an example 24. Small amount 25. Evasive 26. Part of a skeleton 27. Formally surrender 28. Trickle 29. Beer 30. Consumer of food 31. In rankings, worse than 99th 34. Glorify 36. Affix 37. Circle fragments 41. Midday 42. Midway between white and black 43. Tidy 44. Small city 45. Disable 46. If not 47. Ancient unit of measure 48. Deprive through death 51. Card with one symbol 52. Mythical animals
Solution on page 26
54. Personification 56. Spire 57. Clocked 58. Adjust again 59. Skid
DOWN 1. Inhabitant 2. A pasta dish 3. In song, the loneliest number 4. Infamous Roman emperor 5. Biblical garden 6. Showy 7. Gnatlike insect 8. Type of sword
9. Mouth (British slang) 10. Astraddle 13. Move unsteadily 14. Border 15. Sexually assaulted 16. Travel plans 19. Reprimand 22. Cyclone 24. Colorless odorless gas 26. Curse 27. Feline 30. Countercurrent 32. A large vase 33. Swelling under the skin
34. Bless 35. Fluffier 38. Connected by kinship 39. Series of small waterfalls 40. Drive 42. January’s birthstone 44. As a result 45. European blackbird 48. Hits 49. Tanks 50. Wicked 53. C 55. French for “Friend”
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