Reader_Oct27_2022

The week in random review

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Scary Reader Staff

i have a thing for ghosts

I’m not talking about poltergeists, or even the concept of loved ones back from the dead — I’m talking about the bedsheet-clad, nebulous little cartoon character ghosts. I have tried to explain it and I can’t. I just think they’re cute as all get out; so, in the spirit of Hal loween, I decided to learn more:

shrouded in history

If ghosts are really the spirits of people who have died, wouldn’t they just be wearing what they died in? This is how many ghostly characters were depicted in early pop culture (think Shakespeare), but this imagery shifted when it became harder to differentiate the dead from the living in paintings and performances. Thus, burial shrouds started to — at least in societal understanding — accompany spirits into the afterlife. This would later become an easy way for children to dress as something spooky for Halloween — all they needed was a white sheet and a pair of scissors.

two-thirds of us (might) believe

According to a 2022 poll from YouGov, a British data compa ny, 67% of Americans believe “they’ve had at least one of 13 paranormal experiences polled about.” These experiences in clude everything from a concrete encounter with a demon (10% of polled Americans have apparently been there, done that) to “feeling a presence or unknown energy” (37%, which seems legit). As for spirit and/or ghost sightings, 19% claimed it had happened to them. I only wish YouGov had asked a question more suited to my own purposes: “What was the ghost wearing? If it was in a sheet, was it cute?”

boo-tiful words

“The ghosts of things that never happened are worse than the ghosts of things that did.”

— L.M. Montgomery in the 1927 novel Emily’s Quest

lyrically haunting

“When my depression works the graveyard shift/ All of the people I’ve ghosted stand there in the room.”

— Taylor Swift, from her new song “Anti-Hero,” which uses “ghosting” in the modern sense — i.e. ignoring people, either inten tionally or not — and perfectly en capsulates the overwhelming guilt that comes with mental illness.

DEAR READERS,

Greetings ghouls and boils. Welcome to another Halloween edition of the Sand point Reader. Inside these haunted pages you’ll find a smattering of dark arts, cruel entertainment, devilish bluster and bad news, as usual. We also have a spooky story on Pages 16-27 by Jeff Keenan, who won our 208 Fiction Contest last year, and Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey shared all the Halloween happenings on Page 24.

In non-Halloween news, we also have a two-page interview with District 1 Sen ate write-in independent candidate Steve Johnson on Pages 20-21. To be clear, we reached out to both Johnson and his Republican opponent Scott Herndon for this edi tion, but Herndon declined to participate in the open interview format with the Read er. I’ve always believed that those running for public office have a duty to speak with their constituents, be it through the media or otherwise, so it’s always disappointing when candidates refuse participation. We wanted to include both opponents in these pages, but them’s the breaks. Don’t forget to vote Nov. 8.

–Ben Hell’s Son, publisher

READER

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

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Publisher: Ben Hell’s Son ben@sandpointreader.com

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

Lyndsie Kiebert-Scary (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com

Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus)

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Contributing Artists:

Ben Hell’s Son, Lyndsie KiebertScary, Jennifer and Nathan Wood, Gail Lyster, Zach Hagadone, Rich Cower, Michael Darren, Marita Ramsey

Contributing Writers:

Zach Hagaboneyard, Ben Hell’s Son, Lyndsie Kiebert-Scary, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Emily Erickson, Sen. Melissa Wintrow, Jennifer Ekstrom, Jeff Keenan

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About the Cover

This week’s cover is in honor of News Editor Lyndsie Kiebert-Scary, who told us in her Junk Drawer col umn that she likes ghosts in sheets.

Kinderhaven 2.0

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

For 25 years, Kinderhaven served as a physical haven, shel tering local kids in need as they outnumbered available foster homes. That changed in May, when the longtime institution closed its daoors in the wake of a new federal law.

Now, Kinderhaven is rein troducing itself to the commu nity as something different — though not entirely — as Board President Kathy Chambers shared with the Reader Oct. 24 that Kinderhaven would now be known as the Kinderhaven Foundation.

“We believe we have found the opportunity in this signifi cantly challenging moment for our organization,” she said, re ferring to Kinderhaven’s closure earlier this year in the face of the Families First Preservation Services Act.

The bill, passed in 2018 but not put into effect until late 2021, “was enacted to turn the focus of the current child

welfare system toward keep ing children safely with their families to avoid the trauma that results when children are placed in out-of-home care,” accord ing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It also made group homes like Kinderhaven impossible to operate, seeing as the legislation sought to bolster family foster homes and curtail the use of congregate care settings.

“Despite every possible attempt to the contrary, we must acknowledge our inability to exist within the parameters of the new law,” Chambers shared in a statement Oct. 24.

Now, rather than providing a “safe home,” the foundation aims to provide resources to other local groups that are also seeking to support the children of Bonner and Boundary counties.

“We had the option of just saying ‘We’re done’ — selling the buildings, selling all of the assets and distributing everything around to other local nonprofits,” Chambers told the Reader. “But we thought, children in crisis —

that’s not a problem that’s going to go away.”

Kinderhaven will maintain its 501(c)(3) status and contin ue to fundraise, most notably with its annual Festival of Trees event. The event will return to an in-person gala format at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Dec. 3, and Chambers said seats are filling quickly.

“We weren’t sure how it was going to go, because our story has changed and we didn’t know what kind of support we would get, being a foundation,” she said, “but from the looks of it, I think people are excited — not only to be back live at some kind of function, but also [about] this new way to support other nonprofits.”

Leadership will also look different as Kinderhaven enters its new era. Jennifer Plummer, who served as executive director of Kinderhaven since 2016, will be taking the reins as executive director of the Bonner County History Museum.

“I hope the Kinderhaven

Nonprofit enters new era as a foundation supporting other local organizations, local families

Foundation will have the indeli ble impact on our local commu nity that Kinderhaven did for so many years, and that generations of children to come will ben efit from our current and de cades-long Kinderhaven support ers,” she said. “It is only because of the extraordinary generosity of our Sandpoint community that Kinderhaven was able to help heal so many little hearts over so many years. I am proud to be part of such a caring and sup portive community.”

As Kinderhaven shifts from being a physical location to a supportive entity, its assets will also see a new future. Bonner Homeless Transitions, which provides transitional housing to families in need, is currently leasing Kinderhaven’s group home and using it for overflow housing for women and children.

“Real estate is obviously very expensive, and ongoing opera tions in general are expensive,” Chambers said, noting that the Kinderhaven home was move-in ready for BHT’s clients.

“Everything is there all the way down to cutlery and linens — everything that a family would need,” she added.

BHT Board Vice President Ann Gehring said there may be plans to utilize the new space as a crisis center — the first of its kind in Idaho’s two northern most counties. Currently, BHT clients undergo an application process before securing tempo rary housing. Eventually, it may be possible to provide immediate shelter for people fleeing danger ous situations in the home.

“Now that we have the Kinderhaven building, we may be able to respond to an imme diate crisis, depending on room availability,” Gehring told the Reader. “It will be on a future agenda. Right now, we are mov ing people in and hope to serve many more.”

Former Kinderhaven Executive Director Jennifer Plummer, left, and former Program Manager

Darcy Reimer, right. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

City rolls out in-depth info web page ahead of Nov. 8 ‘tourist tax’ ballot measure

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

Sandpoint residents will be asked at the polls Nov. 8 whether they support increasing the local option tax on short-term lodg ing from 7% to 14% — a ballot measure fronted by City Hall to “leverage visitor investment to meet community needs,” said Sandpoint City Administrator Jen nifer Stapleton at the Oct. 19 regu lar meeting of the City Council.

The LOT, alternately referred to as the “bed tax” or “tourist tax,” was approved by voters in 2014 and went into effect in January 2015, with the intent to funnel dollars from short-term stays of 30 days or less at local hotels, motels and vacation rentals into the cof fers for public safety and parks.

Due to sunset in 2025, the current LOT has pulled in about $600,000 per year. If approved

by 60% of voters, 7% of the tax would continue to go toward pub lic safety and parks, but the 7% in crease on the Nov. 8 ballot would be directed toward funding street and sidewalk projects around the city. In addition, the LOT would be extended to 2035.

The ballot language approved by councilors in August reads:

“Shall the City of Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho, adopt an or dinance providing for an increase of its hotel/motel occupancy tax from its current 7% to 14% and ex tend the period of years for its col lection to end December 31, 2035. This tourist lodging tax applies to all short-term rentals of 30 days or less, including hotels and motels, condos and vacation homes.

“50% of the revenues received will continue to fund purposes ap proved by voters in 2014, includ ing public safety services, public

parks and other infrastructure and capital projects. The remaining 50%, anticipated to be $6,000,000 over 12 years, will be dedicated to the following purposes:”

Those purposes include street pavement, sealing, widening, re construction and associated storm water infrastructure; improve ments to the Pedestrian Priority Network, including maintenance of sidewalks and pathways, as well as reconstruction and exten sions to provide connectivity and increase ADA accessibility and safety; property tax relief; and to cover costs related to enforcement and collection of the tax.

Providing an in-depth view of the specific projects to be addressed by the proposed LOT increase, as well as information on the need for those projects, city staff unveiled an interactive web page devoted to the ballot measure

on Oct. 19, showing everything from the current condition of street and pedestrian infrastructure to maps and narratives of shortand long-term priority areas to frequently asked questions.

Further, the page includes proj ect-by-project maps, descriptions and estimated expenditures for the initial round of work that would be supported by the LOT increase.

The web page is available at sandpointidaho.gov, under “News & Announcements”; has been shared on the city’s social media accounts, the Engage Sandpoint app and city newsletter; and can be directly accessed at city-sandpointid-budget-book.cleargov.com/7291.

“This is perfect,” said Council or Andy Groat. “If I were a citizen that had an opinion about the conditions of our sidewalks and streets, as well as had an opinion about who’s going to pay for it and how we’re going to get there

‘Getting the pulse’

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

As it continues to move for ward on the Comprehensive Plan update, the city of Sandpoint is seeking public input on housing and neighborhoods, hosting a drop-in workshop at City Hall on Oct. 26 and another scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Tango Cafe in the Sand point Center at 414 Church St.

Among the topics to be pre sented are what housing types are allowed and where; zoning maps, including the future land use map under the current Comp Plan; and information specific to accessory dwelling units and how they are, or should, be permitted.

“This is a follow up to previ ous engagement that happened earlier in the Comp Plan process,” City Planner Amy Tweeten said at the Oct. 19 meeting of the City Council. “The purpose of this is both to provide information and

get input back from residents. …

“We all know there’s a housing crisis, and what are different solu tions and where can those go in the community?” she added.

The workshop includes several display boards showing the results of a 2019-2020 housing survey, as well as examples of different attached and detached housing styles and where they are allowed under current zoning. Attendees are invited to express their prefer ences for a variety of those styles using blue- or red-colored stickers on a question board, as well as leave sticky notes with hand-writ ten feedback on what they like about their neighborhood and what could be done to improve it.

“This conversation is really rooted in when we talk about infill, what does that look like and where,” Sandpoint Infrastruc ture and Development Services Manager Amanda Wilson told the Reader at the Oct. 26 workshop at City Hall. “Getting that pulse will

— to be able to go to this and more clearly understand the needs and what this is going to look like, is exponentially better than a pamphlet in the mail.”

Information contained in the LOT online page will also be made available at the upcoming drop-in housing and neighbor hoods workshop, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Tango Cafe in the Sand point Center (414 Church St.).

“Staff has done everything that we can to try to solve this very difficult problem of how do we fund street and sidewalk improve ments in our community when we simply don’t have the dollars to do it,” said Mayor Shelby Rognstad, “and I think we’ve put together the best proposal that we possibly can for the public and the public has every opportunity to make a perfectly informed decision about where their priorities lie.”

City hosts workshop on housing and neighborhoods to inform Comp Plan update

help us inform how we get into the weeds on the future land use map and regulations.”

City of Sandpoint’s infrastructure and development services manager, Amanda Wilson, at an Oct. 26 workshop at City Hall. Photo by Zach Hagadone.

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WORKSHOP, con’t from Page 5 >

Of particular interest is the question of accessory dwelling unit regulations, with the workshop featuring a mini-survey asking residents whether they support the current rules and what, if any, changes they support to them.

Other questions ask whether respondents support incentives to encourage ADU con struction and conversion of existing struc tures into ADUs, if code changes should make townhouse lot construction more viable, whether building heights of two stories should be allowed in all residential districts and if the number of multi-family units allowed as a permitted use should be increased from the current limit of seven.

Wilson said one of the goals of the workshop is also to provide attendees with an idea of what’s allowed on their own block.

“Often people have no idea what zone they live in,” she said. “We have many neighborhoods that look like single-family homes but actually allow multi-family.”

That can — and does — often lead to unpleasant surprises when residents living on a street lined with one-story, detached single-family homes catch wind of a nearby multi-unit development rising two stories above their roofs. Wilson noted that even single-family homes can go up to 40 feet in height in the multi-family zone, which actually covers the bulk of the residential area east of Division Avenue.

“We’re trying to simplify this so people are versed in what’s currently allowed where they live,” she said.

Having that knowledge is intended to inform how residents think future develop ment should unfold in their neighborhoods — and how those preferences can be incor porated into the revised Comp Plan.

And there is much to talk about on the housing and development front. Among the posters at the workshop is a summary of current and pending construction in the city, which includes 309 new residential dwelling units under construction — with in seven active subdivisions and city-wide — as well as 33 commercial permits issued through September.

Tweeten presented on that topic in more depth Oct. 19 with an update on develop ment and building.

In addition to current and pend ing construction, there are permits for 57 single-family residential units, 18 multi-family/mixed-use buildings and seven commercial/industrial projects under staff review. Coming soon will be four subdivi sions totaling 100 single-family units, one planned unit development request for 227 units (Phase 4 of University Place, which will go before the City Council at its Nov. 2 meeting) and one rezone request for a 100-

unit multi-family development.

If that sounds like a lot of development in the pipeline, it’s because it is.

Tweeten showed councilors a pair of bar graphs showing the number of permits issued and zoning applications received on a quarterly basis through 2022, alongside those same figures for 2017 through 2021.

The data on permits — which included building permits, zoning compliance and site plan reviews — showed a dramatic increase from 2020 to 2021, rising from about 240 to approximately 375. Already this year that number totals 325, which of course doesn’t include the fourth quarter of the year.

“We are ahead again this year,” Tweeten said, noting that Q3 2022 has greatly out paced Q3 2021. Based on the graph, about 90 permits were issued during this time last year, compared to 145 this year.

By comparison, in 2017, the total num ber of permits issued barely exceeded 150.

The volume of zoning applications is even more dramatic. The city received just shy of 10 such requests in 2017. That num ber rose to about 44 by the end of 2021 and has already been exceeded, with 45 received as of the end of September this year.

Taking in those dramatic figures, Coun cil President Kate McAlister said she was “very disgruntled.”

“Do you know if any of these are actually going to be affordable to the lowwage earners?” she asked of staff. “What I’m finding now is a number of people — specifically younger people — who have tried to sign up for what people are calling ‘low-income housing’ and ‘affordable housing’ are finding that the salary re quirements are from $46,000 to $125,000, and I would like to say that if someone is earning $125,000 a year, why are they considered low-income?”

Noting that “a tremendous amount” of city residents make below $46,000 per year, McAlister added, “I can’t wrap my head around ‘you don’t make enough money to be low-income.’”

Referring to a report on housing commissioned by the city earlier this year, Tweeten said, “The private sector or the market alone is not going to solve the affordable housing issue; it’s going to take a public-private partnership.”

Establishing the goals and objectives of the Comp Plan update will also play a big part in creating the conditions to address affordable housing, making participation in the Oct. 27 workshop all the more import ant, according to city staff.

“It’s a great time to pick staff’s brain,” Wilson told the Reader. “It’s kind of a unique opportunity to have a really in-depth conversation.”

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:

Using the tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy plan to encourage growth didn’t go well for Britain’s now-former prime minister, Liz Truss, who resigned after 44 days. Investors feared the plan would worsen in flation. As well, the plan caused Britain’s financial markets to spiral, The New York Times reported.

President Joe Biden recently summa rized economic performance since he took office, noting that the nation added 10 million jobs and unemployment dropped to a 50-year low of 3.5%, even though economic forecasters had predicted average unemployment of 5.2%. There are 700,000 more manufacturing jobs and companies are investing in new industries. Roads, airports, bridges and ports are being rebuilt.

Biden also recently pointed out that Democrats have reduced the deficit this year by $1.4 trillion — a largest-ever decline. The deficit rose every year under former-President Donald Trump, includ ing before the pandemic, largely due to the $2 trillion tax cut for corporations and the wealthy.

Politifact backed up Biden’s claims, noting that deficits have gone up signifi cantly under Republican presidents since Ronald Reagan, while they’ve gone down under Democratic presidents. The deficit went from $70 billion to $175 billion under Reagan, then to $300 billion under G. H.W. Bush. President Bill Clinton took the deficit to zero, according to Factcheck. org, then G. W. Bush raised it to $1.2 tril lion via unfunded wars. President Barack Obama took the deficit down to $600 billion. Under Trump, the deficit rose to almost $7.8 trillion, making it the third-larg est presidential increase. Pre-COVID, in 2019 the national debt was $23.2 trillion. (Presidents G.W. Bush saw an 11.7% rise, and Abraham Lincoln saw it rise 9.4%, compared to 5.2% under Trump).

Biden cautioned that there’s a pattern of Republicans creating high deficits via tax cuts for the wealthy, then using the shrunken budget to say there are no funds for social programs.

The House Jan. 6 Committee has asked Trump to testify under oath, explaining that, “We have assembled overwhelming evidence … that you personally orches trated and oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

and to obstruct the peaceful transi tion of power.” Committee members have requested that Trump inform them “promptly” if he plans to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.

Trump is also ordered by Friday, Nov.4 to produce pertinent documents and re cords of messages he placed or received at the time of the coup attempt. The commit tee pointed out that seven previous pres idents had testified before Congress after leaving office. One of them was Theodore Roosevelt, who said “an ex-president is merely a citizen of the United States” and should help Congress.

Trump ally Stephen Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison and a $6,500 fine for contempt of court for ignoring a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Committee, Business Insider reported.

Republicans are saying they will make overturning $80 billion for improvements at the IRS a top priority if elected. The Democrat-approved funds are for target ing a massive backlog of unprocessed tax returns, updating decades-old technology, and hiring more auditors. New auditors will review corporations and people making over $400,000 annually, the AP reported.

The IRS said they will adjust a number of rules in response to inflation. While adjustments are made annually, CBS News reported that this change will provide relief for lower tax brackets, with the standard deduction for individual taxpayers rising from $12,950 to $13,850 in 2023.

Blast from the past: The Declaration of Independence embraced the notion that “all men are created equal.” That’s been chal lenged with recent efforts to suppress the vote; accusations of voter fraud and “stop the steal” actions; plans to challenge mid term election outcomes on flimsy evidence; and even recent voter intimidation in Arizo na, where two masked men were armed and dressed in tactical gear at a polling site.

Taking a page from yet-to-be Hal loween, after the 1867 Military Recon struction Act, KKK members dressed up in white, pretended to be the ghosts of dead Confederate soldiers and warned the formerly enslaved to stay away from the polls. Then, in 1898, a successful coup in Wilmington, N.C. overthrew white Populists and Black Republicans who were legitimately elected, with the excuse that they were unfit to run a government. White property owners claimed they would do a better job.

Top right: Fall on Rapid Lightning Road.

Photo by Lori Getts.

Top far right: Jennifer and Nathan Wood took a break from the farm life to celebrate their 20th anniversary with a trip to Massachusetts. They visited Boston, Salem and other spots. “Today we took the Reader to Salem where we visited the site of the 1692 witch trials and other historic sites!” Jennifer wrote the Reader. “Fun fact: Nathan’s 10th great-grandfather was Roger Conant, founder of Salem.”

Photo courtesy Jennifer and Nathan Wood.

Bottom left: A unique fall wreath in Sandpoint.

Photo by Gail Lyster.

Bottom middle: “No school today so the kids went out on a hunt and caught a few good ones!” wrote Michael Darrren, who led a charge by Connor, Evan, Rorryan and MJ to Pine Street Woods where they pulled an astounding 15 tires out of the woods. Great job, crew!

Photo by Michael Darren.

Bottom right: “Since you are reading banned books maybe you would like to join our book club? We’d love to have you,” wrote photographer Marita Ramsey, who saw this Halloween display at a Bonner County home.

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

Bouquets:

•Here’s a Bouquet for all of you who vote in our elections. It’s always a bit disappointing when looking at the percentage of regis tered voters who actually turn out for midterm elections. No matter the outcome, if a robust percent age of registered voters make it to the ballot box, the will of the peo ple is recognized. Don’t be lazy. Don’t think, “What does one vote matter?” Just get out and vote. If you don’t vote, nobody gives a hoot what your opinion is on pol itics, so think of it as cementing your right to complain.

•Bouquets all around to the many households around the coun ty who have gone all out decorat ing for the Halloween season. It’s always fun to drive around and see the creative side of our neighbors on full display.

Barbs:

• It’s unbelievable that in the year 2022, people who outwardly share antisemitic comments still think it’s unfair when they face backlash to those comments. Ye, better known as Kanye West, has been on a long downward spiral. In October alone, he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt to a fashion show (the slogan has been linked to the KKK by the Anti-Defama tion League). Later, in a podcast, Ye bragged, “I can say antisemitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?” He also threatened to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” on Twitter, which ulti mately led to the platform locking his account. A number of outlets have ended their partnerships with Ye, most recently Adidas, which reportedly took a $236 million hit in doing so. Others who have end ed relations with Ye include The Gap, Instagram, Balenciaga, Ye’s talent agency CAA and famed attor ney Camille Vasquez. It seems the world at large is tiring of Ye’s big otry and buffoonery. Good. Words matter, and the words Ye is spewing are hateful, racist and evoke sen timents held by some of history’s worst actors. Enough is enough.

‘Who are we?’...

Dear editor, Between the virus, smoke and an exploding population, it’s hard to be cheery. But I’m not alone. I depend on my community and know that we look out for our neighbors. It’s a big part of why I’ve lived in Bonner County for 35 years.

I want my elected representatives to reflect this community’s values. When our leaders look at issues, I want them to put the needs of the community ahead of personal beliefs.

Steve Johnson is running as a write-in candidate for Idaho Senate. He represents our values. He has educated kids in this county for 42 years. He’s a businessman and contributes through volunteering.

His opponent, Scott Herndon, doesn’t work with people, instead using extreme, destabilizing tactics (like getting the county to sue over guns at the Festival, costing tax payers over $200,000). He wants to defund public education and sell off public land. No more education unless you want your kid to go to private school? No more hunting unless you own land?

We can do much better. Write in Steve Johnson (and fill in the bubble on the left) below Scott Herndon’s name. Vote for someone who thinks we should take care of each other.

Jean Gerth Sandpoint

Dear editor,

I recently went into the website of Steve Johnson — perennial Democratic-turn-write-in-candidate — to see what he stood for. I see he is a local man, a former teach er-turned-logger/rancher, but I do not have a clue as to what he will do for the voters.

I will vote for Scott Herndon — a man that has ethics and takes the moral high ground. Scott Herndon stands in defense of the Second Admendment, is pro-life and defends both the Idaho and U.S. Constitution.

Join me in voting to protect our God-given rights on Election Day and vote for Scott Herndon for state Senate.

John Weyant Priest River

Dear editor,

The current mutated Republican Party has made bending the truth an artform.

Mike Crapo has no viable chal

lenger so he’s made the president his opponent. He has several ads running, which are typical truth-benders in my opinion. One needs calling out. It berates the ad ministration for wanting a fivefold increase in the IRS budget of $80 billion — more, he claims, than the Pentagon. What he fails to mention is that this amount is over a 10-year period, while this year’s Pentagon budget alone is $747 billion.

Crapo portrays himself as a champion of the working class by opposing this, again failing to relate that the GOP has voted to cut the IRS budget over the years so that the agency didn’t have the resourc es to go after large companies and rich tax cheats, as opposed to the returns of average citizens.

It’s estimated that $400 billion more could be collected annually from the rich and big companies. Meanwhile, average individual deduc tions have increased from $12,550 to $13,450 — a bigger refund.

Locally, Steve Johnson for state senate. He’s a lifelong Idahoan, unlike his Republican opponent, who represents a dangerous movement bent on controlling others even when it means lying.

Lawrence Fury Sandpoint

Dear editor,

When I visited with Steve John son, he told me what he stood for with none of the political blah-blah or the fear-and-smear tactics of his opponent, Scott Herndon.

Steve Johnson is passionate about education and how it boosts confidence, introduces new inter ests, opens doors and provides greater earnings opportunities that last a lifetime. This benefits the individual and their families, their community and North Idaho. It makes for a happier life.

Steve Johnson understands we don’t have extra money to pay for the tax hikes Herndon wants. “You work hard for your money,” John son told me, “I want you to keep every dollar possible in your wallet.”

A wise leader, Steve Johnson be lieves that each individual deserves the power to make decisions that affect their human rights.

Join me in writing in the voice of reason, Steve Johnson. Here’s what to do: On the ballot, under Scott Herndon’s name, there is a line for “Write In.” Write Steve Johnson and fill in the bubble to the left.

Let’s vote for Steve, dedicated to

our human rights, and our financial and educational well-being.

Dawnya Clarine Sandpoint

Dear editor, There’s a reason Scott Herndon won the Republican primary for the First District state Senate race last May. He won because we know that Scott is the best person to repre sent the conservative values of our community down in Boise.

Like we do, Scott Herndon understands that our lives and liberties are God-given and need to be protected from big corporations, secret corporate-backed special interest groups and their political influence in Boise. We know that Scott Herndon will stand up to those special interest groups and fight for the real North Idaho values.

If you also want a District 1 senator who will represent North Idaho conservative values in Boise, remember to vote for Scott Herndon in November.

Chris Anderson Sagle

Dear editor, Why is it important to put “Defeat Scott Herndon “ on the campaign signs?

1.He is the guy who sued the city of Sandpoint and the Festival at Sandpoint and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.

2.He is the guy with the bullhorn at the Farmers’ Market screaming obscene comments and forcing his children to carry bloody posters.

3.He is the guy who ran a smear campaign against our effec tive incumbent Sen. Jim Woodward.

4.He is the guy who brags on so cial media that he wants to charge the 10-year-old girl with murder, after she was raped by a 27-year-old and decides not to have a forced birth.

5.He is the guy who wants to eliminate public education.

6.He is the guy who wants to sell our public lands to the highest bidder.

7.He is the guy who wants to refuse the road and bridge repair money we so desperately need.

8.He is the guy who wants to decide what books we can read.

Scott Herndon’s name is on the campaign signs because he is the guy who does not want voters to

know who he really is. He is “that guy.”

Steve Johnson Sagle

Dear editor, Steve Johnson, who is running as a write-in candidate for the Idaho Senate, is a known quantity. As a lifelong resident of our community, a farmer, businessman and educator, he knows the people in his district — Bonner and Boundary counties — far better than his opponent.

He would not vote in the Leg islature for measures that would discriminate against a portion of our population, as his opponent would. As a teacher and administrator in our public schools, he recognizes the importance of education to our com munity to attract businesses we want, and the need to adequately pay and attract the best possible teachers.

He wants to protect our price less public lands and reduce proper ty taxes, which hit elderly residents the hardest.

I’ve known Steve Johnson for a number of years and know him to be a man of integrity. He is exactly the type of man we need to represent us in the Idaho Senate.

So let’s write in Steve Johnson for Legislative District 1 state senator and fill in the bubble next to his name.

Jim Ramsey Sandpoint

Dear editor, In response to the Reader article titled “Herndon blames ID Democrats for alleged campaign sign vandal ism” [Oct. 20, 2022]: Shame on you Mr. Herndon to blame Linda Larson for vandalism with no evidence.

To wrongfully accuse a person of an illegal act using their comments/ opinions from past Twitter and Facebook posts is unprincipled. Lin da would never stoop so low as to carry out or encourage an act like this. She is a reputable, law-abid ing citizen of our county who is conscientious and speaks her mind. Because you don’t like what she says does not give you the right to defame her with false accusations.

I don’t condone the vandalism to your signs, however, without evi dence you cannot blame and post on social media the name of someone

Herndon takes moral high ground…

‘A few observations about the upcoming election’…

‘A wise and gentle voice of reason: Write in Steve Johnson’...

‘Scott Herndon will work to protect our rights’… Write in Steve Johnson: A local man of integrity…

Shame on Herndon for baseless accusations…

Don’t vote for ‘that guy’…

who’s opinions you seem to be intimidated by.

When you campaigned in the primary, you filled our answering machine and mailbox with blatant lies about Jim Woodward and you are continuing in this vein accusing Linda Larson of an act of vandalism.

This certainly is not the behavior of the good Christian you espouse yourself to be. I will be writing in Steve Johnson.

Nancy Kertis Sandpoint

Dear editor, Steve Johnson is a lifelong resident of North Idaho who spent 42 years as a teacher and educator in Bonner County. When he goes to Boise, he’ll fight for us, not for a personal agenda.

Next year Idaho’s state legislators will appropriate $410 million to fully fund public schools. Steve Johnson will vote to send that money to our public schools while Scott Hern don will vote to send the money to private programs, which will weaken public schools. We need to give every child a chance for quality education.

Write in a vote for a state senator who will work for us, and for the good of Idaho. Like Jim Woodward, Steve will carefully listen and consider before he votes in the Senate, responsibly, not rashly reacting. He knows every legislator needs some elbow room and rational discussion to make good decisions that are thought out.

Write in Steve Johnson on Nov. 8 to help defeat Scott Herndon.

Karen Seashore Sandpoint

that minority is critical in keeping the majority somewhat in check.

Vote for Steve Johnson, write-in indepen dent candidate for Idaho Senate. Write his name and fill in the bubble!

Paul Graves Sandpoint

Dear editor,

My fascination with politics began in June 1959, when I attended Boys State in Boise. I still believe public politics is meant to serve the public, not impose narrow, partisan ideas on the citizens of Idaho. So I’m deeply disappointed that the current Idaho Legisla ture is too often ready to impose its collective extremist views on us.

Ironically, traditional Republican philos ophy believes small government is the best government. Currently, Republicans in control are eager to use government to impose their moral and political wills on women’s bodies, on shifting public education funds to private schools, even book banning.

They’re determined to make their private views our public obligations! If elected, Scott Herndon will be leading the Republican charge. I find nothing in his campaign stances to believe anything else.

On the other hand, Steve Johnson still believes government should serve the people, not dictate to the people. If elected, Steve would be in the political minority. But in Idaho politics,

Dear editor,

It’s always amusing when Republican can didate for District 1 senator Scott Herndon is noted for supporting the Constitution. On the contrary, Herndon wants to secede from the federal government and create his own dysto pian society, refusing federal money helping veterans and seniors. He wants to dehuman ize women with strict abortion laws including charging providers with murder. He wants to sell public land, ban books and libraries and public education. Herndon has no agenda to adhere to the Constitution — he wants to make himself the seat of power.

Write-in candidate Steve Johnson un derstands the Constitution. Having lived in Bonner County most of his life and being an educator, he values public education. He has served on the library board and the chamber of commerce. Being a farmer, he understands the value of rural Idaho and maintaining public lands. He will work to reduce property taxes and preserve women’s rights.

Below Herndon’s name, write in the name: Steve Johnson.

Beth Allen Sandpoint

Dear editor, Living in conservative North Idaho, it’s easy to forget the violence and mismanage ment of Democrat-run cities. So what happens if we’re governed by Democrats here?

Steve Johnson was a Democrat for 20 years and as recently as May 2022 was elect ed to the local Democratic Central Committee. They donated $2,500 and explained how to vote for him on their website. He says he’s an independent. So I called him.

I’m a one-question voter— because this an swer reveals everything: “How many genders are there?” I asked. “I don’t know,” he said, “I’m open to there being more than two.” He equated questioning gender identity to racial segregation. Radical gender theory is not a “traditional Idaho value.” It’s wokeness.

Scott Herndon is a real conservative who will advocate for self-government, the rule of law and fiscal responsibility. He understands the legislative process and will be an articu late defender of your liberty in Boise. Scott has already shown courage in standing up to the Boise establishment despite vicious attacks on his family, character and faith.

If you see the real intolerance sweeping

our nation and are concerned about your chil dren’s future please vote for Scott Herndon Nov. 8 to keep Idaho sane.

Dean Cannon Sandpoint

Editor’s note: In the interest of further clarity, Steve Johnson ran unopposed as a Democratic committeeman for the Southside Precinct in the May 2022 primary before filing with the Idaho Secretary of State to of ficially de-affiliate with the Democratic Party. According to the Bonner County Democrats: “To be clear, Steve is not a member of the Bon ner County Democratic Central Committee. To be a member you must be a precinct captain or part of the elected executive committee and he is neither of those things currently.”

Dear editor,

I’m writing in response to the Reader article asserting that Linda Larson was responsible for the vandalism against several of Scott Herndon’s yard signs [News, “Herndon blames ID Democrats for alleged campaign sign vandalism,” Oct. 20, 2022]. This is preposter ous! Anyone who has been fortunate enough to know Linda regards her as someone who works incessantly on behalf of her community.

She has been instrumental in the fight for “Health Care for All,” championing the expansion of Medicare. Thousands of previ ously uninsured Idahoans now have access to health care thanks to her efforts and Reclaim Idaho. Her support of Idaho’s school children helped result in a funding increase for our public education system. As an informed citizen, Linda stepped up to chair the local Democratic Party.

I held my tongue when my mailbox was flooded this past spring with inflammatory literature,derogatory remarks and unsubstan tiated accusations against our honorable Dis trict 1 Sen. Jim Woodward. I feel this latest attempt at demonizing another individual who doesn’t agree with

Herndon’s agenda is in retaliation for her support of write-in candidate Steve Johnson.

This abusive rhetoric has to stop. Civility must be foremost in the election process. Please join me in supporting a reliable, educat ed and decent man by writing in Steve Jonson for state senator.

H.Dorman Sagle

Dear editor, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, has mor phed into just another career politician and Washington insider. The reason he should not be re-elected this November includes his direct support of the new “green energy/in frastructure” bill railroaded through Congress by Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

This mislabeled bill is one example of Sen. Crapo’s many failures and why he should not be representing Idaho any longer. Additional ly, he has done virtually nothing to secure our southern border, investigate and demand elec tion integrity, repeal and replace Obamacare as promised, and maintain America’s recent energy independence.

Mike Crapo is rarely seen in Idaho, prefer ring to spend the majority of his time in other states. It may not be a coincidence that 98% of his campaign funding comes from outside of Idaho. Re-electing Sen. Mike Crapo fits the definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The good citizens of Idaho deserve better than this.

Scott Oh Cleveland Independent conservative candidate for the United States Senate

Dear editor,

Some people believe North Idaho is a place where they can “choose their own adventure” and then force the rest of us to live in the warped delusion they’ve created. Idaho isn’t a fantasyland where someone can undermine the culture and people’s lives to fit their distorted vision of the world. Unfortunately, one of the people who believes he can twist North Idaho into his own fantasyland is running for office.

That person is Scott Herndon. His views on public lands (sell them to the highest bid der), women’s reproductive rights (shut them down) and how to run a campaign (tell as many lies as possible) fly in the face of North Idaho sensibility and common sense.

Those of us who honor our heritage, our bountiful public lands, our freedom from government interference in our private lives and our sacred duty to tell the truth know we cannot vote for Herndon.

We have a choice. We can write-in Steve Johnson. He is everything his opponent is not. Johnson will preserve public lands, protect our privacy rights and tell the truth. Steve Johnson knows that Idaho is a real place, not a fantasyland. He has my vote. He deserves yours.

Patricia Ericsson

Sandpoint

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters up to 200 words prior to Election Day. After, we will revert back to our 300-word policy. Please no libelous statements or excessive profanity. Lies will be fact-checked. No trolls. Please elevate the conversation.

‘We cannot fail our students’...

Steve Johnson believes government should serve, not dictate…

‘Abusive rhetoric has to stop’… ‘Idaho isn’t a fantasyland’…

‘Don’t be fooled by Indie-crat Steve Johnson’...

Re-electing Crapo is ‘the definition of insanity’…

Herndon wants power, not to protect the Constitution…

Science: Mad about

pumpkins

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

It’s that time of the year where every coffee shop smells like one thing and one thing only: pumpkin spice. It’s inter esting that the smells involved with pumpkin spice actually have nothing to do with pump kins, aside from being used to flavor them. None of the spices involved in pumpkin spice even originate from the same continent as pumpkins, yet here we are.

Fun fact: pumpkin spice is a collection of a few different spices ground up together — namely cinnamon, ginger, nut meg, cloves and allspice, all of which originate from Southeast Asia, and primarily Indonesia.

Pumpkins are a uniquely American fruit, and though their imagery is linked to a number of English and Irish harvest cel ebrations, the British Isles had no idea this particular squash existed until sometime in the 1600s. Despite their relative newness to Anglo-American culture, the Indigenous peoples of North America have used pumpkins as a food source for at least 9,000 years.

Pumpkins as we know them are a relatively new breed of squash — large, usually hollow and stuffed full of water, they’re bred to grow to enormous sizes and appear as a spectacle during late October and early Novem ber, only to rot into a disgusting mass before Christmas. The original pumpkin was a small er fruit, much closer in size to the sugar pumpkins we use for pumpkin pie, but likely closer in appearance to other squash

varieties we’ve seen like acorn squash, spaghetti squash or butternut squash, albeit with a much brighter orange husk.

In case you’re wondering why pumpkins are such a bright shade of orange, it comes down to a pigment that’s shared across a number of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and carrots. This pigment is called a carotenoid, and it forms after the green chlorophyll pig ments the plant uses for photo synthesis begin to break down. This designates that the plant is generally no longer supplying energy to the fruit, and also signals to animals that the fruit is ready to be consumed with the intention of spreading the seeds far beyond the area where it was grown.

Did you know that every sin gle part of a pumpkin is edible? Roasted pumpkin seeds are a popular snack, while the starchy flesh makes for tasty fall pies. Even the stem, the vine and the leaves are edible, which isn’t the case for many other fruiting plants. Pumpkin blossoms are used in some dishes, but can be eaten on their own or fried for a little crunch. Squash blossoms are occasionally featured on cooking competitions, where chefs stuff them full of some thing like cream cheese before deep frying into a kind of pumpkapeño popper.

A tasty pumpkin shares a key trait with other fruits and vegetables: The larger a pump kin is, generally the worse it tastes. While it seems logical that larger fruits and vegetables have absorbed more nutrients and minerals that give them a delicious taste, the bulk of larger fruits and veggies is

usually just an excess of water stored inside the plant. The amount of water-to-nutrients grows disproportionately once the fruiting part of the plant ex pands to excessive sizes — this is especially true of members of the squash family, of which pumpkins are a part. Zucchini is another squash that can rap idly grow to tremendous sizes, but rapidly loses flavor once it begins to balloon with water.

Of course, taste is all rel ative, and some folks prefer huge vegetables, especially when you want quantity for something like a fall soup that is mostly flavored by the spices and seasonings you put into it. However, the water content of carving pumpkins is largely why they don’t taste nearly as good as their sugary cousins that we puree into pie.

The history of pumpkin cultivation is an interesting one. The Indigenous peoples of North America used it as the foundation of what they called the “Three Sisters” technique. This method of cultivation used maize, beans and pumpkins growing together to compli ment each other and help the others grow. The maize would grow tall to create a lattice network for the beans to climb, while the pumpkins would vine along the riverbanks to create a strong foundation for the other plants, absorb excess water from the river, outcom pete weeds and keep the ground clear for the beans and maize — almost like an actively growing mulch. Unfortunately, pumpkins don’t store well after eight to 12 weeks, but other varieties of squash can store in proper conditions for months

on end.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably waiting to hear about the history of jack-o’-lan terns. This is an Irish tradition that goes back to the 1800s, and began with a story about a mythological figure named Stingy Jack, a spiteful drunk ard who liked to play tricks on people. Some variants of the story have him striking a deal

with the Devil, others have him making spiteful wishes of an Angel, but all of them have him stuck on Earth in a form of bizarre purgatory where his only guiding light is a hollowed out turnip or pumpkin he must use as a lantern.

Really, I think it’s just fun to eviscerate a gourd and stick a candle inside.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner

•In Mexico, Oct. 31 is called Dia de Los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” when Indigenous Aztec rituals merge with traditions from Spanish colonizers. Celebrants make offerings to deceased loved ones, creating flower decorations and shrines in their homes and at the burial sites of lost family members.

•In Cambodia, where Hallow een is still a fairly new holiday, the popular belief is that the gates to Hell open up around October, allowing souls to walk the Earth. A traditional offering was to give beans wrapped in banana leaves to lost loved ones on Halloween as a peace offering.

•In Austria, Halloween is celebrated as part of All Souls Week, known locally as Seleenwoche Tradition calls to leave a light on in your house continuously for seven days, as well as leaving out bread and water for the souls of passing relatives.

•The famed illusionist Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926 from a ruptured appendix. Houdini agreed with his wife that if he were

to die and found a way to communi cate with her, then she should use the password, “Rosabelle, believe.” For 10 years after his death, his wife held yearly seances on Hallow een in an attempt to communicate with him.

•Halloween is the second biggest commercial and grossing holiday of the year after Christmas. In 2019, more than 172 million Americans celebrated Halloween, with 69% of them giving out candy, on which they spent around $8.8 billion. This averages to about $86 per consumer spent on decorations, outfits and candy.

•In Scotland, Halloween games are often centered on reading into the future to find who you will mar ry. One game called “kale pulling” required women to venture into the vegetable patch after dark, where they picked out a stalk of a random piece of kale. It was said that the stalk of the kale would resemble the build and height of their future lover. The amount and type of soil that surrounded it also would tell the wealth of their future husband.

Don’t know much about halloween?

can help!

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Travel diary: Returning home and escalation

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

We’ve rounded out the last week of our trip abroad with stops in Copenhagen, Hamburg and Amsterdam. In these cities, history is not only found in the museums and on information plaques, but it spools out from their centers — from tower ing churches, along boat-laden canals and between impossibly snug buildings. You can feel the centuries of human effort, de struction, inspiration and collab oration stacked atop each other in each place, and how culture, industry and conflict uniquely shaped each of them.

For me, it often takes being in places with such obvious history — the burn scars of war, the cen turies-old stylings of buildings, the ornate infrastructure — to remember that I’m also a partic ipant in creating this moment in history. Every large-scale, sweep ing moment captured in history books happened in tandem with innumerable small moments — moments that were both the result of and contributed to the next large event. Like the process of laying the bricks, small pieces of history are plastered together until they form an entire wall, an entire block, an entire city.

As I prepare for my long flight home, I can’t help but reflect on the history that’s being creat ed — the bricks that are being laid — in our community and the moment I’m about to drop back into. Specifically, we’re coming up on the District 1 Idaho Senate race, and the impact of candidate Scott Herndon’s confusing and concerning campaign.

Herndon’s platform touts his mission to “restrain encroach

ments on individual liberty from all levels of civil government,” while simultaneously advocating for loss of liberties for many of his constituents. Namely, as a woman who hasn’t (yet) entirely ruled out the idea of someday getting pregnant while living in Idaho, my individual right to life-sav ing measures feels more than a little encroached upon by his “no exceptions” abortion stance.

Currently, the Idaho Trigger Law protects women’s right to terminate a pregnancy in the cases of incest, reported rape and to save the life of the mother.

Herndon’s “abortion abolition” mission advocates for removing all such protections, even in the case of an unviable fetus, making getting pregnant a risky and

dangerous endeavor for women in Idaho. This stance is ironically described as “equal protection of all human life from womb to [in my opinion, early and complete ly preventable] tomb.”

Beyond my right to life-sav ing health care, Herndon’s cam paign seeks to further jeopardize my liberties — like my access to public lands (instead, hoping to sell them off for profit and strip them of their resources), and quality and comprehensive pub lic education for the kids in my community that meet any sort of national standards.

His language and his goals are hypocritical at best; and, at worst, have the potential to escalate into — albeit hard to imagine — even more extreme stances by the people embold ened by his black-and-white beliefs (like, I don’t know, some thing as ridiculous as banning drag performances in public spaces around the state).

We are in the middle of shaping our history, of laying the bricks that our future selves and future generations will have to walk and build upon. These seemingly small moments, like showing up and voting in a mid term election, have a collective and profound impact on the lega cies we create and leave behind.

In direct contrast to Scott Herndon, write-in candidate Steve Johnson is running on a fair-minded and community-con scious platform that reflects his understanding of what it means to be a North Idahoan — to look out for one another, to be resourceful, to love the land we’re lucky enough to enjoy and to leave our communities better than how we found them.

On Nov. 8, I’ll be contribut ing in my small way to history

by voting against the myopic and extreme version of Idaho that Herndon envisions — and all the escalation it invites — instead placing a brick in the foundation of the kind of state I’m proud to call home.

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.

Retroactive

BO

Emily Erickson.

Pulling back the curtain on fear mongering

Drag ban push is ‘newest red herring’ from right-wing Idaho’s ‘confrontational politics handbook’

By Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise Reader Contributor

The latest attack on everyday Ida hoans from Blaine Conzatti and his farright GOP cronies has gone public: The same special interest groups banning abortion, banning books and using their backroom connections in government to ban anything that doesn’t meet their strict moral codes, now want to ban drag shows.

Not surprising, this latest attack — like the critical race theory dog whistle — comes right out of their confronta tional politics handbook: use something that is commonly misunderstood or not quite mainstream and infuse it with de rogatory images to instill fear in folks that middle America is under siege and your white picket fence will be the next thing to go.

Drag is their newest red herring to at tack a segment of the population that they

feel threatened by — the LGBTQ com munity. This fear mongering is harmful and fuels misun derstanding and hostility, which leads to the kind of violence we have seen recently in our community: pride flags be ing stolen and burned or Boise’s LGBTQ community center’s windows smashed and broken.

People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender belong here and deserve to live a life free from discrimination and disdain from their government. We must continue to fight back against hateful attacks that prey on people for political

gain. We have to expose what extremists are doing and push back against their intentional, far-fetched misrepresentations and replace that with common sense, rea son and a healthy dose of respect for the dignity of all Idahoans.

The potential ban on drag shows is just another excuse to erode and limit people’s rights. Last session, they tried to jail doctors and nurses for providing gender-affirming care for children under their parent’s supervision — a violation of parental rights. Before that, a bill to ban transgender ath letes from participating in sports. Before that, they passed bills to pre vent people from chang ing their gender marker on their birth certificate, which resulted in an expensive lawsuit that taxpayers paid. Before that, they rejected 24 hours of testimony and

voted on party lines to reject legislation to include sexual orienation and gender identity to Idaho’s Human Rights Act that makes discrimination illegal based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, mental or physical disability.

Even after Steven Nelson was lured to Lake Lowell in 2017 by hate-fueled predators and mur dered because he was gay, I couldn’t get a bill introduced to add sexual orientation to the hate crimes statue in Idaho. The feds brought hate charges, but Idaho authorities couldn’t.

Legislators refused to create laws that would charge violent murder ers for their crimes, and now have the audacity to criminalize free speech.

The misguided push to make theatri cal dress-up performances an enemy of the people and to use that tactic to block progress, because saying outright that you fear gay people, is shameful. The new GOP won’t be happy until their prescrip tion for morality is filled and everyone has to live by their rules or face getting thrown in jail.

What is at the heart of this attack? Well, being gay doesn’t meet the new GOP definition of a “traditional family,” and a certain group of political extremists want to outlaw people and practices that don’t meet their prescribed moral code. This group prefers jails over justice.

A drag performance does not appeal to everyone, and it’s fine to find entertain ment elsewhere. Nobody is being forced to watch.

Instead of pulling the curtain on theatrical stage performances, let’s pull back the curtain and expose the hate and lies that are having deeply harmful effects on Idahoans beyond a little stage per formance. Don’t fall for it, Idaho. We’re smarter and better than that.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, pre viously served three terms in the Idaho House (2014-2020) and currently sits on the Senate Health and Welfare, Judiciary and Rules, and Transportation commit tees.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise. Courtesy photo.

‘The new GOP won’t be happy until their prescription for morality is filled and everyone has to live by their rules or face getting thrown in jail.’

— Sen. Melissa Wintrow

Water quality update from ICL

By Jennifer Ekstrom Reader Contributor

This summer, the Idaho Conservation League took the reins of a program that Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper imple mented for the past 10 years, and began monitoring water quality in Lake Pend Oreille. Through the program, dedicated citizen-scientist volunteers monitored 13 sites for 11 different water quality param eters — adding up to 715 data points that provide a clear snapshot of the health of our magnificent lake. This data supports our advocacy work to keep Lake Pend Oreille swimmable, fishable and drinkable for all.

Lake Pend Oreille is vast and beautiful — it’s 1,149 feet deep with 111 miles of shoreline. While the lake’s great volume means it can assimilate quite a bit of pollution without detrimental effects, the water closer to the shoreline is more vul nerable to pollution that can be generated by human activities on the land nearby. This water, generally within 50 feet from the shoreline, and specifically the area that light can penetrate to the lakebed, is called the “nearshore” area.

More than 25 years ago, it was deter mined that under the Clean Water Act, the nearshore area of Lake Pend Oreille was at risk of not meeting its beneficial uses for primary contact recreation. In other words, it was at risk of not being “swim mable” due to increasing citizen concerns and reports about algae and weed growth.

Thanks to this citizen involvement, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) wrote an improvement plan called a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), and water quality standards were developed for the nearshore area in 2002. The goal for phosphorus, which feeds algae and weeds, is 9 micrograms per liter.

The implementation section of this document is a detailed cleanup plan for pollution caused by human activities. The purpose is to curb pollution that flows into the lake, feeding the algae and weeds that diminish our opportunities to enjoy and recreate in this special water body. It includes specific management actions, which, if executed, would ensure the lake continues to offer the opportunity to enjoy it into the future.

Nutrient pollution such as phosphorus comes from a variety of sources, includ ing sediment released from earth-dis

turbing activities, fertilizer appli cation on crops and lawns, septic systems and sewer discharges.

The cleanup plan includes specific actions that are needed by Bonner County, Panhandle Health District, Idaho Department of En vironmental Qual ity, Army Corps of Engineers and others, with time lines and funding sources identified, to address and limit the nutrient pollution. Included are mandatory septic inspec tions and upgrades, science-based buffer zones for waterfront development, sewer treatment facility connections for devel opments, constraints on fertilizer use and extensive public education.

ICL’s water quality monitoring pro gram’s purpose is to better understand the current health of this nearshore area — and to help assess how well that cleanup plan was working.

Preliminary results from the 2022 monitoring season show that phospho rus remains a problem. Coupling those results with recent toxic algae blooms and continued invasive weed growth, we know we have work to do.

An IDEQ-led review of the TMDL is coming up soon. The water quality data and the TMDL review will help guide ICL in how we prioritize our advocacy work in the future.

We will use this information to make sure the agencies are accountable for ac tions that were outlined for them 20 years ago. This lake is too precious to lose and, along with our citizen-scientist team, we are holding the line to keep it swimmable, fishable and drinkable.

Stay tuned this winter for a full review of the summer’s water monitoring results, in comparison to the past 10 years.

Thank you to the citizen-scientists who make the water quality monitoring program work!

For more information contact Jennifer Ekstrom, North Idaho Lakes Conserva

tion associate with the Idaho Conserva tion League, at 208-318-5812 or jek strom@idahoconservation.org.

Citizen scientists Don and Sue Helander participate in the Water Quality Monitoring program on Lake Pend Oreille. Courtesy photo.

Banned Books in Review: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

More than 1,600 books across 32 states were banned during the 2021-2022 school year alone. In Idaho, 26 titles were banned across three school districts, underscor ing a trend spearheaded largely by right-wing religious groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters, as well as sexual and racial situations. In an attempt to shed light on this development, I have pledged to read all 26 books banned this year in Idaho and share with our readers what they are all about, why they were likely banned and what we are missing by promoting censor ship of the written word.

The author

American novelist Toni Morrison was born in 1931, with her works later earning several prestigious awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award for Song of Solomon, the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.

Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, Morrison was one of four chil dren from a working class Black family. Her father moved from segregated Georgia to the inte grated town of Lorain, Ohio after witnessing two Black businessmen who lived on his street lynched.

She enrolled in Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1949, where she encountered race-segregated restaurants and buses for the first time. After graduating in 1953, she married, had two children, divorced and eventually began working as an editor for L.W. Singer, a textbook division of Random House. In 1967 she became the first Black senior editor in Random House’s fiction department. It was in this capacity that Morrison played a vital role in bringing Black litera ture into the mainstream, fostering a new generation of Black writers. She passed away in 2019, leaving behind 11 novels, seven children’s books, two plays and a handful of other works.

The book

The Bluest Eye was Morri son’s first novel, set in her home town of Lorain, Ohio. Published in 1970, the book was favorably reviewed at first, but did not sell well until the City University of New York placed The Bluest Eye on its reading list for a new Black Studies Department. Other col leges soon followed and the book gained a footing.

Filled with rich language, raw emotions and bold statements on race, socioeconomic equality and gender, the book tells the story of 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove, who prays for her eyes to turn blue so she will be as beautiful and be loved as all the blonde, blue-eyed white children.

Told through the eyes of multi ple narrators, the novel is divided into four sections named for the different seasons. Pecola is sent to live with another Black family, the MacTeers, because she was, “a girl who had no place to go,” after Pecola’s father, Cholly, burned down the family’s house.

Claudia and Frieda MacTeer befriend the similarly aged Pecola, who, though she is also Black like them, is teased because she is poor, ugly and has a dysfunctional family life, discovering that she’ll never be “beautiful” or as desired as white or light-skinned Black children.

The book culminates in a tragic situation for Pecola, in which her father Cholly rapes her and the townsfolk largely shrug, conclud ing that “she probably deserved it.”

After the rape, Pecola con sults with a spiritual healer called Soaphead Church, who claims he can perform miracles for the Black community. When Pecola asks him for blue eyes, Soaphead ini tially sympathizes: “Here was an ugly little girl asking for beauty,” Morrison wrote. “A little black girl who wanted to rise up out of the pit of her blackness and see the world with blue eyes. His outrage grew and felt like power. For the first time he honestly wished he could work miracles.”

The novel ends after Pecola, tossed aside by her family, friends and community, loses her mind. She becomes pregnant with her fa ther’s baby, which dies after being born prematurely.

Highlight

One powerful section of the book involves Pecola’s mother, Pauleen, who works as a ser vant for a wealthy white family. Claudia and Frieda visit the white family’s home to locate their friend Pecola, surprising a young white girl who informally calls her servant “Polly” instead of “Mrs. Breedlove.” It comes to pass that Polly begins liking her time working in the white family’s

home more than time with her own family.

In one scene, Polly bathes the white child. Morrison writes about how they use a porcelain tub with infinite hot water from silver taps and fluffy towels. She then compares it to bathing her own children in a zinc tub, with buck ets of stove-heated water smelling of firesmoke, flaky gray towels washed in kitchen sinks and dried in a dusty backyard. The compar ison between races is vivid, harsh and emotive.

Why it was banned

The Bluest Eye has been chal lenged and banned by numerous school districts in recent years. Reasons cited have included, “sexually explicit material,” “lots of graphic descriptions and lots of disturbing language,” and “an underlying socialist-communist agenda.” One complaint simply called it a “bad book.”

It’s true, some passages are difficult to read, as are any depic tions of sexual abuse involving children. The scenes are not gratu itous in nature, though, and fairly brief, but help the reader feel the pain and anguish that comes from sexual abuse — especially when it comes from inside the family.

When Morrison accepted her Nobel Prize in 1993, she spoke of “Laureates yet to come,” say ing that, “Their voices bespeak civilizations gone and yet to be; the precipice from which their imaginations gaze will rivet us; they do not blink nor turn away.”

Final thoughts

My first thought after reading just a couple pages of Morrison’s novel was, “How in the world would anybody ban this book? Think of what they’re miss ing.” Morrison’s scenes are painted with a rich brush. It’s a difficult book to read, because it doesn’t make you feel good. That’s fine, be

cause we don’t read books to feel better about ourselves, but to step into a perspective we wouldn’t normally have otherwise.

I believe that’s the biggest loss that comes from censoring books like these: the loss of perspec tive. I read books for many of the same reasons I travel internation ally — mainly the exposure to cultures and climates I would not have had otherwise being born a middle-class white kid in North Idaho in the 1980s. To experience Morrison’s identity, if only for a couple hundred pages, is like step ping inside someone else’s skin to see how they view the world. It’s not always neat and easy to live in another’s shoes, but if we are to evolve further into compassionate, caring human beings, we must first understand those elements that we use to divide ourselves and work from there.

To read The Bluest Eye and come to the conclusion that it had to be banned means the reader took nothing from Morrison’s painfully meticulous writing. It is a raw and powerful novel that I never knew existed until it was banned, which is the ultimate irony when it comes to censorship; try as one might, the moment you try to ban a book, it grows larger than it ever would have before.

Toni Morrison, left, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. The Bluest Eye, right, was her first novel. Courtesy photos.

Nøkken A Halloween story

By Jeff Keenan Reader Contributor

The water is too cold for visitors and she under stands your reluctance to visit. Nonetheless, she wishes you would see her. She has promised to fix her hair if you can ever come by.

You have never come by.

The rooms are all made up and the beds creased and damp. Her friends and family have forgotten her and gone their own ways, in search of food, leaving her to pucker and puff up in the water. She pretends she doesn’t mind, but I happen to know that she does.

I gathered my warmest clothes and traveled north for three days by train, four hours by chartered carriage, then walked the rest of the way to her lair. I don’t know why I did it — it really should have been you to pay her a visit, but you will not respond to my let ters anymore and remain aloof at community gatherings. Somehow, I felt it necessary, somehow, that I make my way to her — to care for her or whatever it might be. I’ve always been one to take care of others over myself — you’ve seen the scars and can attest to that.

This is the misfortune of the gifted and the cursed: to be welcomed into the cold and the unpleasant without regard to the damage done. Anyway, I’m too damaged now to go back, so I hardly think about it anymore.

Do you?

Maybe I’ll never know what you really feel.

There is no trail to the frosted shores of her waters. I had to bring thick gloves and a piece of wood from the ruins of my shed to blaze my way out to her. It was much more work than I had expected, and much more work than I had wanted to do, and much more work than I have done recently, so my hands grew blistered and split and my arms

and legs went floppy and tired by the time the icy moon rose behind the bare branches of her trees.

The water doesn’t really have a name anymore — though the acclaimed regional scholar, Liso lette Westergaard, claims it retains the archaic name Fagertärn.

Named or not, no one visits. And Nøkken is lonesome.

I arrived on a long night, frosty mist twinkled in the moon light, but Nøkken was nowhere in sight. I pitched my canvas tent and wrapped myself in layers of reindeer skin and slept the night in the airs — my fathers would be greatly pleased to see my courage and my fortitude.

To tell the truth, it was terrible that night, lying awake and star ing at the canvas and cupping my hands in my crotch and breathing into the damp skins — frosted with each inward breath and drip ping wet with each exhalation.

I felt more than alone.

My sleep was hardly sleep at all — and my thoughts blend ed with near-dreams and grew progressively strange as the night wore me into exhaustion and con fusion. My near-dreams carried

my mind along the surrounding fields and hills on the back of one of your father’s Dølehest purebreds — it all seemed quite real and made me feel as though I was perhaps nearing a breakdown of my mental faculties, being exhausted and cold as I was.

I rode the dark horse across the swampland. Nearing the waters of Fagertärn, we, the dark horse and I, did not tarry. We dove headfirst into the icy water. Blades of cold cut me and sent me into a panic as I dreamed that I awoke in my little tent.

The cold was unbearable.

Then I saw Nøkken’s face. She leaned over me and opened her mouth, releasing her pale tongue. I opened my mouth, allowing her to slide down my throat and into my stomach, where she consumed whatever it was that was left inside of me. I pretended to fight, for my own sake, but really had no drive to stop her.

I then found myself afoot in the moonlight. Nøkken stood be fore me: those long black locks of hair and those shadow eyes. She was beautiful! To me, she was. She was just as I remembered her.

Somehow, I altered, becoming beautiful in her presence and the world was magnificent.

The pond rippled.

The grass tickled the lynx.

A bird kissed the mirror and laughed.

The bird could see the bald spots on my head.

And the bird got knocked about by the hail stones coming down.

I ran in search of shelter — any shelter. I paused at the base of a tree and tried to accept the pain, but to no avail. I knew that this hail might be the end of me. So, I ran.

She heard my feet on her frosty shores and she tickled the lynx with her grass and the lynx bit off my long nose.

I awoke, again, still in the near-dream, and found your father’s Dølehest purebred lying next to me in the tent, bleeding to death and whinnying.

When I awoke — for real this time — the tent was empty and it was hailing outside. I heard soggy footsteps and breaking twigs and crackling leaves and I shouted, Who’s there?

She did not respond, but froze in place, dissociating from reality like she always used to back then — when things got intense or loud or too many people were around. We knew Nøkken better than anyone, in those days at Skyggesjøen.

Nøkken was very unpopular, but so were we.

She didn’t care for anyone or anything.

Even for those who rattled her cage or impressed her, Nøkken did not care. So, Nøkken one day commanded our teacher, Miss Andreassen, to put objects into her various holes — which many of us had never heard of before. After that, Nøkken vanished from school.

She was a legend.

No one dared to outdo her.

She was unbeatable: to take things further than that just wasn’t right.

Then Nøkken, or so was told, traveled north and was never seen in Trælnes again.

You have probably forgotten her, haven’t you? Everyone does. Even I did for a time. But if you close your eyes and tune in, you might see her there in your mind’s eye.

Nøkken lived in the woods behind her stepfather’s home all through that spring and summer; it was the best time of her life. Magic occurred. She hunted and thanked the animals for their lives and their nutrients and for making her stomach stop its painful call. Learning to live off of the plants was the worst. She threw up often and blacked out for a period and came to with her lips covered in thick mucus and yellow foam.

Nøkken changed that year, for the worse, and never went back to the way she was back when we loved her. When she was young and ready to kill for you. It was back then that we were able to love. I wish we could go back to that time sometimes.

She died out there in the

forest. Stranding herself in the mess of the world.

Even I forgot about her for many years. Until one autumn morning, I remembered her and had no choice but to find her.

I could hear here crying that night, camped out by her unnamed shores. She sobbed deeply for hours and I would have helped her, had I known her whereabouts or the direness of her condition. All I could do, I concluded, was to await the approach ing day and to search for her in the light. And so I lay in the darkness of my tent, soaking in drips of dampness and wrapped in skins, listening to the altered cadence of her wails — something had changed in her, I had no doubt of this. Her voice sounded thicker, heavier. She was once like the ballerina, Giselle, in love and nearly mad, ready to break at any moment. And like that handsome lord to his beloved Giselle, you lied to Nøkken and drove her over the edge of madness and into the abyss — this unnamed lake to be specific.

There was nothing to be done for her, so I lay there waiting and waiting for the dawn, listening to Nøkken as she waded through the mucky, grassy water, sob bing and crying out at sparse intervals. I sighed, wondering what I’d had in mind when I’d come up here, but could only remember the sweet smell of her hair in the springtime, that spring we came to Trælnes upon your father’s elegant Døle hest purebreds. It was the first and last time I ever felt elegant in my life.

Heads turned when we rode through the streets and smiles abounded and we felt happy to have arrived. I saw Nøkken first. She was so beautiful then, with her twiggy arms and legs and silky black hair down her back and dresses and ribbons and scarlet flowers in her hair and a circle of giggling little girls mocking her and her dark beauty.

I eventually gave in and crawled out of my tent and onto the shore and called her name. There was no response for some time. A frog jumped into the water. Shiv ering birds sang their morning songs. The shy sun peaked its head over the horizon, and, as it did, I saw a glow just beneath the surface of the water. The swamp grass and algae obscured my view of her. I’d not seen her in years. I was anxious to see what had become of her.

Lisolette Westergaard claims that Nøk ken ran away in the middle of September, when the weather was fair. It was during a warm spell that Nøkken ran away and never returned.

The note she left behind, on her bedside table, was addressed to you — but you have refused to read it. It’s too late to change anything now, but I have included a replica of the letter anyway. The original, written on thick parchment in a desperate and deeply pressed hand, has vanished:

Do not forgive me, please. It’s in my arms that birds do not sing and it’s in my arms that your heart grows cold, but do not forgive me, please. I set the slop-buck et by the pig-pen, where the pigs cannot reach it — they will be dead when you return and you, in turn, will likely starve this coming winter. My hatred is thick as your mother’s crystalized honey. So, do not forgive me, please.

All of this was my fault, though you have told me otherwise in order to ap pease my shattered nerves; there is no way around it: I have forced myself into this mold and will have to live in it for the rest of this wretched existence. I told you that it was your fault the last time we spoke, and it was in all earnestness that I spoke these words, but upon further reflection I have concluded that it was me, everything was.

I hate myself more than you could ever possibly hate me. I don’t blame you. My hatred for you is somehow blended with this sickening longing and love for you. Do not ever forgive me, please!

Your heart will love another sometime and they will love you and everything will be better for you and your heart will warm again.

You have already forgotten me and our love has grown numb with the vacancy of it. I am so full of hatred and I will surely sink.

Love and Hate, Nøkken

I have left you and Nøkken out of my published memoirs explicitly to protect you and her from shame. And, once you have heard the rest of my story, you will understand that we must continue to keep this situation secret in order to protect my family’s name.

To you, however, I must make my con fessions — as you confessed to me, before these things were lost in your memory. My confession might seem silly to you, and at any other time in my life I would have laughed at myself for believing any of this, but now I understand the power that she wields and I am, like you once were, taken by her: I love Nøkken and she forever carries the unseen of my soul.

Do not laugh, for she has carried the unseen of your soul for many years.

I have sensed it there. I make no mistake in concluding that you must have loved her once and that since you appear to have no memory of your love for her, that part of you must be missing now. You might remain unaware of this missing piece, until the day of your death, when the lynx shall travel to you, to return what you have lost.

Nøkken? I called across the water. The shine of her wet hair appeared first, fol lowed by her black eyes, staring blankly. It’s me, I said, Emil I have traveled far to see you. Is that you, Nøkken?

Her head went back under the water and ripples swayed the cloudy sky and the lily-pads and the swamp grass. I shivered at the thought of her skinny arms and legs in that icy water. The ripples faded and the clouds reformed on the mirrored surface.

A pair of king eider with their strange heads and their black-and-white wings took off with a splash and a flutter. Stepping away, I called out to her again, Nøkken? My breath swirled in the morning sun, partially hidden behind a grey blanket of cloud. There seemed to be no one there. She did not wish to see me — or, I thought, maybe she didn’t remember me.

Then, as if in a trance, I removed my overcoat and my vest and my shirt and my shoes and my socks and my slacks and my suspenders and my under garments and waded out into the icy water. I can’t explain why. It seemed like my only option. My bare feet were numb before I’d even set foot in the water and soon they throbbed. My skin tightened and my teeth chattered. My heart raced as the water rose past my aching knees. Then, without warning, I lost my footing and fell into the cold.

Her clammy hands pulled me into the deep and kissed my mouth, tongu ing my cheek. She towed me ashore and cast me out of the lake. I spit up water and coughed and spit up some more and coughed and gagged and kept on in this manner for quite some time, my muscles and joints seizing. I curled up into a ball on the shore.

And there she appeared before me: now fully exposed, afloat over the water, her bare fish-belly white shoulders held high, exposing her naked chest, her twiggy arms, and her albino pubis.

She gurgled thick water from her mouth as she spoke, Why did you come here? she asked.

It-t-t’s m-m-me, I sputtered.

Her eyes — the shadows of what they once were — smoldered and scowled. You’re nothing, she groaned. I felt hot blood rushing to the edges of my skin; she excited purpose into my aching body!

I stood, shivering wildly. She began lowering herself back into the water and I panicked. Wait! I shouted, I’m Emil. Y-yyour friend, ah-huh-huh-at Skyggesjøen!

She paused, halfway in the water. Her gaze, like a heavenly choir, twisted butter flies inside me — just as it did back then! And suddenly, I forgot the cold.

You’re not Emil, she spurted the last of the water from her lungs.

I am, I assured her. I’m Emil.

Her hair dripped algae as she drifted out of the swamp; her pitched forward hips protruded and stretched her ivory skin; her twiggy knees shook and her long, twisting toes bent at the surface of the water. She trembled in the open air.

I was shaking uncontrollably. I put my hands out in invitation for her to join me. She refrained and simply floated there, like a drunken marionette, dripping and emaciated.

Then, she almost smiled at me.

I can only imagine how I must have looked: hunched to one side with scoliosis — smiling my cleft-lipped smile, con stantly shifting from one clubbed foot to the other — wearing that long comb-over, wet and barely concealing my psoriasis.

Somehow, in that moment by her un named shores, I felt beautiful.

And when she smiled her grey-toothed smile, I knew that happy days had come again.

Jeff Keenan was the first-place winner in the Reader’s inaugural 208 Fiction contest in January 2022, in which any and all writers were invited to submit a work of fiction totaling exactly 208 words for consideration by a panel of local judges. Awards included $150 in cash for first place, and second and third place finish ers received gift certificates courtesy of the Reader and its advertisers. Dates and details for the 2023 edition of 208 Fiction will be announced at a later date. Read all of the winning 208 Fiction pieces for 2022 at sandpointreader.com/208-fiction-2022contest-results.

Bikes, mud and beer

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It’s safe to say that cyclocross bicycle racers are a different breed from the rest. While the thought of lapping road bikes on a dirt track filled with obstacles, creek cross ings and mud holes big enough to swallow a person whole might not appeal to the general public, for cy clocross riders, it’s the reason they jump out of bed in the morning.

Sandpoint’s own cyclocross race, known as the Crosstoberfest, will take place Saturday, Oct. 29 at Hickey Farms. This year marks the second in which the race will take place at the farm as part of its month-long Harvest Fest celebra tion in October.

Race organizers Charles Mortensen, of Syringa Cyclery, and Jason Welker, of trail-build ing organization Pend Oreille Pedalers, told the Reader that Jason Meshberg is to thank for cementing the location at Hickey Farms after they lost the previous venue at the University of Idaho property on North Boyer — now undergoing a transformation into a housing development.

“We looked on Onyx where you can see property boundaries and noticed Hickey Farms is way bigger than the areas they use for the Harvest Festival,” said Welker. “Meshberg made initial contact with the Holt family [which owns

Hickey Farms] and here we are.”

Despite its novelty for some, the concept of cyclocross actually goes far back in bike racing history.

“It really started in Europe — Belgium, probably — at the beginning of the last century,” said Mortensen. “Road racers would do it to train in the off-season. They’d ride road bikes across fields and do these cross-country cyclocross training rides. That eventually evolved into a discipline.”

“Cyclocross is considered one of the more odd forms of racing,” said Welker. “Very few people are full-time cyclocross racers. It’s a race that happens in the worst, muddiest part of the year. It’s the mountain biking off-season and the road biking off-season.”

Riders will traverse the 1.8mile track and try to complete as many laps as possible in the 45-minute time frame before collapsing in a heap of sweat, mud and smiles at the end of the race.

The Crosstoberfest race — along with the popular 3/4-Minus Cykel tur (Danish for “bike ride”) and the Fat Bike race in winter — are con tests that speak to the adventurous spirit of the bicycling community.

“What those races all have in common is they all inflict serious pain and suffering,” Welker joked.

“For the Cyclocross, you’re on full sprint for 45 minutes, then you just collapse on the finish line. But, five minutes later, your feet

are warming up by the bonfire and you’ve got a beer in your hand and a smile on your face.”

With rain in the forecast, the creek crossing at Hickey Farms should provide for a great spec tator perch from which to watch racers navigate the muddy waters, lap after grueling lap.

“Cyclocross is very specta tor-friendly,” Mortensen said. “It’s by far the most spectator-friendly event. People who participate in cyclocross races in urban areas like Seattle and Portland will just make it a big party, drinking all day long, heckling the racers. It’s like the European soccer of cycle races.”

The race is split between sever al divisions, starting at 9:30 a.m. with the kids’ race, featuring riders aged 5-9 years old.

“Anybody can sign up on the day of the race,” Welker said. “The kids’ race is free and any bike is fine for them to use. Even strider bikes. The race is a couple hundred yards looping around Hickey Farms.”

Next up is the junior event starting at 10:30 a.m., which is a fast-growing category of riders, thanks to the number of teenagers getting into the sport. The Junior Category is divided between ages 9-14 and 15-18, with a massive field of entrants expected, thanks in part to youth clinics hosted by POP.

When asked what it’s like to watch this new generation of

Crosstoberfest is a bicycle race that stands apart

riders taking on the sport, Welker said, “That’s what this is all about. POP is in the third year of doing youth clinics right now. The existence of kid-friendly trails at Pine Street Woods has exploded the popula tion of kids who can ride trails right now.”

After the junior events, the older kids take their turns on the track. These categories are based on experi ence, with Categories 1-2 filled with “almost professionals” and Categories 4-5 for the more casual riders. Also, the Masters Category is a very competitive 40-50-yearold men’s division.

Medals will be awarded to winners of each division, also split between men and women.

Kylie and Bob Presta, of Pend d’Oreille Winery, donated an excellent prize of a custom-labeled bottle of wine for the winners of each category — except juniors, naturally. Matchwood Brewing Co. donated a keg, and Hickey Farms has also been a great partner, ac cording to Welker and Mortensen.

The Crosstoberfest race is not only a great time and fun compe tition, but a fundraiser for POP to aid its mission of building and

GOLFING FOR A CAUSE

maintaining trails in the region.

“We have so much going on with the city right now with our Watershed Recreation Plan,” said Welker, who also sits on the Sand point City Council. “A lot of these funds go right towards building trails. … We spent over $20,000 on trail construction this year, and if we didn’t have fundraisers like this, we would’ve run out of money and they would’ve sat there unfinished.

“We do these races because they’re important to our culture and our community,” said Welker.

The Hidden Lakes Ladies Club has been traveling to golf at various courses for the past 16 years, and donating to local commu nity causes along the way. In October, the club donated $500 to the Bonner Community Food Bank, as well as $300 to the Clark Fork Food Bank.

The club plays weekly golf from May to September, and has other social gatherings throughout the year. For more information about the Hidden Lakes Ladies Club, contact Sue Helander at savue56@gmail.com.

Left: Sue Helander, left, and Arleen Lothian, right, present a check for $500 to Bonner Community Food Bank Director Debbie Love. Courtesy photo.

Right: From left to right, Linda Warren, Linda Rocque, Jill Chapman, Clark Fork Food Bank Director Dawn Madsen, Misha Van Booven, Toni Tessier and Janis Goff stand with the club’s recent $300 donation. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

A Crosstoberfest rider navigates the creek crossing at the event last year. Photo by Rich Cower.

New board members also elected at annual meeting Panida’s Century Fund off to a good start

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It was a productive annual membership meeting Oct. 20 at the Panida Theater.

Vice President and Treasurer Tari Par dini introduced a slate of new applicants to the board, including Michele Burkey, Sara Christenson, Donna Guthrie, Teri Kroll, Gail Mico and Gail Trotta. Those in atten dance voted to confirm the six to the board, as well as Katelyn Shook and Zabrielle Dillon, who were both serving as interim board members.

The additions bring the board to its max imum of 13 people — the largest the Panida board has been in many years.

“We’ve had a small board, smaller than this, and the board members have been stretched very thin,” Pardini said. “As a result the committees have not actually been able to even reach out and bring in members. We’ve been so busy trying to tread water. Now my hope is we’ll … do our work in committees and report back to the board.”

Managing Director Veronica Knowlton gave her annual report, highlighting the theater’s increase in usage numbers.

“Last year, we hosted over 80 events, welcomed over 10,000 people through our doors,” she said. “We brought back the Global Cinema Cafe, we introduced a pro gramming mix of one free event each month, we had a youth talent show, live productions, film screenings. It was a busy year.”

Knowlton said a few facilities improve ments were accomplished over the year, including an upgrade to the dressing room, replastering, rewiring and organizing the pro jection booth — the booth was later dedicated to longtime Panida staff and supporter Doug Jones — and the makeover to the Panida Lit tle Theater spearheaded by Shook and Dillon.

“Staff volunteers tore into this project with

the most stunning results,” Knowlton said.

Knowlton also said to expect an an nouncement in the coming months to secure a tenant on an extended lease agreement for the front portion of the Little Theater.

Chris Bessler gave a multimedia presen tation on the Panida’s Century Fund, which aims to raise $1.9 million over five years, with the completion to coincide with the Panida’s 100th anniversary in 2027.

“I’ve been using the term ‘audacious’ for this effort seeking to raise so much money for these long-deferred renovation needs,” Bessler said, showing the audience a slide show of photographs. “Our urgent need is to meet our first-year goal of $273,000 to replace the Panida roof, which is leaking.”

Additional photos showed a perilous period in the Panida’s history during the early 1980s, when the fate of the historic theater was uncertain. One photo show ing the Panida’s marquee with the words, “Building for sale” elicited a few gasps from the audience.

“Along came Susan Bates-Harbuck, and Laurel Wagers and Jane Evans,” Bessler said. “They decided they were going to save the Panida Theater. In 1985, they kicked off a campaign to raise the money to get a down payment, got a bank that went along with it to carry the mortgage and began the campaign to save the Panida.”

Their efforts were successful and the Pani da again experienced a resurgence of support. But, Bessler said, the years of deferred main tenance have caught up. Some needs listed for the main theater include a new roof, sprinkler system, upgrading the electrical service, enlarging the lobby with a pass through to the Little Theater, new concessions facilities and enlarging restrooms, to name a few.

In a little more than a week since an nouncing the Century Fund, Bessler said the theater has already raised $8,820, which, thanks to a pledge to match $200,000 worth

of donations under $5,000 by Ting, means the effort is already $17,640 closer to the Phase 1 goal to raise $273,000 in the first year. Over the course of the year, with early money from donors, foundations and grants, the theater has raised a total of $167,775.77 toward this first-year goal.

“Kari Saccomanno, the local Ting man ager, put this [donation match] together and we’re so thankful for that,” Bessler said.

“We can see from these first-week figures how huge that is,” Knowlton said. “Ting’s generous match just pumped up our first donations by double.”

Starting this week, the Panida will be providing a weekly report on donations, she said, in hopes that all those who hold the Panida dear will contribute — and see their contribution doubled.

“I’ll put it out there,” Knowlton said. “Every donation, in every amount will help us give proper care for this wonderful old

Finally, the board outlined the tiers of membership available for the public to help support the Theater. The various levels of donations include free popcorn, free entry to second Wednesday events and 10% off, with rewards increasing with each mem bership tier.

The “Friend” level is for donations $25+, “Supporter” is $100+, the “Good Neighbor” is $250+, the “Benefactor” is $500+ and the top tier is the “Karen Bowers’ Standing Ovation,” for donations over $1,000.

To learn more about how to become a Panida member or to make a tax deductible charitable donation, please visit panida.org.

The Panida Theater in 1943. Photo courtesy Bonner County History Museum. theater.”

Candidate interview for District 1 Idaho Senate race: Steve Johnson

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

Editor’s note: The Sandpoint Reader usually publishes a candi date questionnaire before the prima ry and general elections, but since there is only one contested race in our district this year, the Reader reached out to District 1 Idaho Senate candidates Scott Herndon (Republican), and Steve Johnson (who is running as an independent write-in) with a request for an inter view for the Oct. 27 edition of the Reader. Unfortunately, Herndon’s campaign declined to participate in an open interview format.

Background, family and career

Steve Johnson was born in 1949 in Longview, Wash. John son’s family moved to North Idaho in 1957 when he was just 6 years old.

“Mom and Dad didn’t have much money back then,” Johnson told the Reader. “They had a cou ple thousand dollars; and, when they found an 80-acre farm for sale, they purchased it for $3,750.”

Johnson said a big inspiration for his lifelong love of education came from his father, who did not finish high school.

“He always dreamed of having a farm,” he said. “As a younger man, he was always able to work in the woods, in sawmills and such, but when WWII came, he ended up with a back disability from some things that happened … After WWII, he wasn’t able to do some of the physical work he did before, so he and my mom encouraged me and my three brothers to have a backup plan. I considered education a really good backup plan.”

Johnson attended public school in Bonner County, graduating from Sandpoint High School alongside his wife Marguerite in 1968.

“In those days, Southside Ele mentary went to the eighth grade, as all country schools did until the 1960s or so,” Johnson said. “I had a teacher named Jim Stoicheff, who was a really good teacher

for me and principal. I decided in eighth grade, in his class, that I wanted to be a teacher.”

Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in education from the Uni versity of Idaho, and ultimately ended up returning to Southside Elementary — but not before a stint in Eugene, Ore., where he taught school while his wife at tained her master’s degree. It was there that the couple decided they wanted to have kids.

“We applied to the state of Oregon for adoption and wait ed almost a year before we got a call from Portland,” Johnson said. “They told me they have a hardship case — three siblings with the same mother — and they wanted them to stay together after being through foster homes. We told the case workers we’d take them home ... when we met again, Jeremiah, Heide and Dennis came home with us. We went from hav ing zero children to three children in 24 hours.”

After both Johnson’s and his wife’s parents experienced health problems, the family moved back to the family farm and built a log home. It was some years after this when Marguerite became preg nant with Jennifer, the couple’s fourth child.

“I’ve pretty much been there ever since,” he said. “The first person who hired me was Jim Stoicheff.”

Johnson taught elementa ry school at Southside, as well as Northside, Priest Lake and Farmin-Stidwell elementary schools, ultimately serving as principal for Southside.

“Most of my 20-plus years of elementary teaching were here in Bonner County — 10 of those as principal,” he said. “Then I was not in teaching for a while. I built houses and ran the family farm.”

Motivations for running for office

Johnson said he was inspired to public service early on, thanks to having Stoicheff as a teacher and principal. Stoicheff was a

well-respected Democratic state lawmaker, serving as the longtime representative for Idaho’s Legisla tive District 1 from 1984 until his death in 1999.

“It sort of clicked for me at an early age that public service was important, as Stoicheff was going down to the Legislature and became the minority leader,” he said. “That probably had some impact on me. Also, growing up, [public service] was a topic of conversation around the dinner table, as well as conditions and things happening around the country. There were also a lot of discussions about how to make a living — and, even though Dad never finished high school, he was really conscious of his lack of opportunity. He really encouraged us not just to make a living, but to make a life — to have something meaningful in your life instead of just paying bills. Education, for me and my brothers, we found to be a very meaningful endeavor.”

Stance on issues

Johnson’s website lists his stance on a handful of issues that face voters in District 1, including property tax reduction, infra structure, education and positive leadership.

“I’m real concerned about property taxes,” Johnson said. “There are some who have inher ited property — in some cases, hundreds of acres — and rather than a developer making money, they’re dividing the acreages up themselves.”

Johnson said he was alarmed when he saw a five-acre parcel in his neighborhood sell for $48,000 a couple years ago, and noticed a similar piece selling this year for $200,000 more.

“That’s scary,” he said. “Mom and Dad wanted to keep our 80 acres in one piece where we can farm and selectively log it, so it’s a concern when property taxes go up.”

As one solution to help ease property tax relief, Johnson looked to the homeowner’s exemption.

“I want to double the home

owners’ exemption, which is up to the state Legislature,” Johnson said. “It currently maxes out at $125,000, and I’d support at least doubling that.”

He also believes the state should provide more guidance and resources when it comes to comprehensive planning.

“There should be some kind of incentive if you preserve farm land and rural character,” he said. “There needs to be a comp plan and respect for individual property rights, but we’re all part of the same society and there’s only so much farmland.”

Johnson cites infrastructure as a large part of his agenda, should he be elected to represent District 1.

“This federal infrastructure bill that was passed, that’s billions of dollars that we sent to the federal government that can come back to road improvements, bridge im provements, water systems, broad band internet,” he said. “There are all kinds of things we desperately need and can put to good use. There are a group of people — in cluding my opponent — who say they’re not going to accept any federal money at all. If we don’t accept it, it goes to other places, like California or Washington. It seems ludicrous not to receive the money we’ve already sent in and put it to good use. It’s not just

logical, it has the potential for a tremendous economic impact. If you don’t have decent roads and decent water systems, how are you going to keep the businesses we have and attract new businesses?”

Johnson said he is confused by the push by some to refuse accep tance of federal money.

“No. 1, it’s not federal money, it’s money we’ve already sent to the government to be put to good use,” he said. “I don’t understand it at all. Supposedly there’s some fear that they would make us wear masks, but it’s been determined by state agencies over and over again that this is not a possibility. It’s not going to happen. I’m just confused by somebody who keeps acting like it’s not needed.”

Regarding education, the Reader asked Johnson about the fact that Idaho is often ranked last or near last in funding per pupils — specifically the counterargu ment by some that this metric does not alone dictate the performance of schools.

“[Funding per pupil] is cer tainly not the sole factor, but it certainly makes a difference if you can retain effective teachers and have decent buildings,” he said.

“Any company of good size has to recruit people, and when they see schools with leaking roofs and a school system that doesn’t

District 1 Senate write-in candidate Steve Johnson. Courtesy photo.

have what looks like interest and support from the community, it’s pretty hard to attract quality peo ple. Quality businesses demand quality people.

“When I was education chair for the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, we had businesses asking about education. They asked, ‘What are your schools like?’ and ‘What are the percent ages of students who go on to do something else?’ Education is an important part of our economy,” he added.

Addressing the $410 million funding bill put into place by the Idaho Legislature after Reclaim Idaho’s Quality Education Act citizens’ initiative led a successful campaign, Johnson said he hopes the legislators’ hearts were in the right place.

“I’m an idealist,” he said. “I hope they realized the [Idaho] Constitution says you need to provide good quality free schools for populations for the next generation. I think there is a good majority who believe in that. Unfortunately, there are those who don’t. My opponent has said he doesn’t support public education.”

Johnson said one caveat to the $410 million funding is that the money is not specifically ear marked.

“The next Legislature has the opportunity to use that money as they see fit,” he said. “Some people, I don’t believe, understand that. [The Legislature] can decide to put it into other programs. They have a lot of leeway, and quite a group of them might not want to put it into public schools. One who wouldn’t put it into public schools is my opponent.”

On his opponent

When asked why he would be a better choice for District 1 state senator, Johnson told the Reader his roots in North Idaho give him a calling to support the community.

“I feel this is truly my home,” he said. “You live in one place long enough, it becomes part of your identity. I’ve been here since I can remember. I want what’s best for my home. Not division, polarization and crooked, distorted campaigns. It’s one thing to run a campaign or be a person who talks about the issues, that their ideas are better than others, but I was stunned, as well as a good number of people, when [two-term incum bent District 1 Republican Sen.]

Jim Woodward lost. I saw some of the postcards that my opponent sent out and they were consis tently, deliberately distorted. I’ve never seen it happen in all the time I’ve been here. It was such an ugly personal attack, and not hardly talking about issues at all. It was pretty much a smear campaign.

“Even though he got more votes than Jim,” Johnson con tinued, “I think there was quite a backlash to it. I’m part of that backlash who felt that this isn’t the way we win elections.”

Johnson cited low voter engagement as a critical reason that Woodward lost the May 2022 Republican primary election to Herndon.

“I think it’s a reflection of people who are really busy and really working hard,” Johnson said. “They just assumed — like I did — that the better candidate is supposed to win. You just assume that’s what’s going to happen. You get busy, you don’t vote … they sort of assumed they didn’t have to get too involved because [longtime former Dist. 1 Republi can Sen.] Shawn Keough had been in for a long time and did a really great job. Woodward had been in for four years, why would they need to be engaged?

“I think it’s a big wake up call that this actually happened,” he added. “I want to make sure this doesn’t become a precedent, where people can exploit other people’s fears and lack of time that people can devote to following campaigns. It’s kind of a luxury. We’re worried about gas prices, food prices. For a lot of people, it’s an extra thing to worry about who is representing them.

“At the same time,” Johnson continued, “I don’t want to excuse people. All of us are busy, but this is important. … This has led to a coalition of what I call moderate responsible Republicans who are very supportive of my campaign, as well as moderate reasonable Democrats and independents. I think that’s the best of all pos sible worlds. It’s a lot of people working together who normally, unfortunately, haven’t worked together a whole lot.”

When asked to cite a positive characteristic of his opponent, Johnson said, “I’ve seen pictures of him with his family, and it looks like he’s got a lovely family with healthy children and it’s im portant to be a good family man.”

As far as criticisms go, John son listed a few alarming trends he’s noticed on Herndon’s cam paign materials.

“A number of his ideas on social media are in line with this group called the Redoubt, where they almost want Idaho to secede from the union and become a sovereign state,” he said. “That to me is just fantasy and unrealistic. To spend time in the Legislature beating the drum for things that aren’t real or productive when we have so many real needs, like roads, bridges, that the govern ment is expected and actually obligated to do.

“I’m concerned there will be a lot of wasted motion, what’s been termed ‘culture war’ stuff,” he continued. “I have two daughters, both of child-bearing age, and one of my real concerns is there might be enough people [in the Idaho Legislature] to make our current abortion ban even worse. I heard [Herndon] on one video bragging about having no exceptions for the life of the mother … in addition to charging whoever gets health care to terminate a preganacy with murder.

“The thought of a 12-, 13- or 14-year-old girl getting raped by a horrible person and getting pregnant — adding to her trauma with a possible jail sentence — is just ludicrous,” Johnson said. “It’s a waste of time and energy to be focused on that, in my opinion.”

Because Herndon has made his religious faith a large part of his campaign, the Reader asked what role religion should have in soci ety, as well as in the government.

“My experience is that religion can be a wonderful thing for a whole bunch of people, including myself, but your religion is your opinion,” he said. “There’s a big difference between having your personal opinion and turning it into law that commands the rest of our society. That happened back when the pope was the supreme ruler of Europe, it’s happening in parts of the Muslim world where it’s a theocracy.

“As long as you’re in that group, then everything is fine, but how does that fit into a multi-fac eted society like we have?” he added. “To me it’s dangerous and I think way back to our Founding Fathers and Mothers. I think they saw the danger of that and they emphasized the idea that religion is not the same as government.”

Johnson encouraged voters to

not only check out his stance on issues, but also look at his oppo nent’s pages to see if their stances align with voters.

“Look at the media, look at our website, stevejohnsonforidaho. com, and read and re-read it to see if it’s meaningful to you and some thing you can agree with,” he said. “Try to maintain an open mind about things. [With] an indepen dent candidate, in my opinion, it’s really important to do your research on the person you’d like to repre sent you and see if they are running a legitimate kind of campaign and if they’re walking the walk or just talking the talk,” he continued. “I feel like I’m pretty sincere and gen uine and believe in the people here. I believe in our future and I hope I can represent us.”

How to represent those who don’t vote for him

When asked how he would represent the segment of the district that didn’t vote for him, Johnson said he would focus on bridging some of the divide between the parties as an inde pendent.

“I don’t know if there’s ever been an independent in the Idaho State Legislature, so I’m still learning how that would work with committees and caucuses,”

Johnson said. “I imagine if you’re not in either party, you can go back and forth between Democrats and Republicans to caucus, which would ideally be my goal — to be a liason or intermediary between two groups to make government work. This polarization, espe cially if each side is not willing to compromise, is terrible for government.”

Johnson acknowledged that winning a write-in campaign is an uphill battle.

“Realistically, even if God forbid I don’t get enough votes, I hope it’s at least a message to my neighbors and the whole community,” Johnson said. “It’s a message that it wasn’t a mandate for this person [Herndon] — that there’s some real concerns about the behavior he has exhibited, and we will be watching what he does.”

In conclusion, Johnson said that he hopes to be a representative for all constituents in District 1.

“My goal would be to serve everybody equally,” he said. “If people are resistant or not appre ciative of the idea of compromise, it’s pretty hard to please every body all the time. … Personally, I’d like to do what I can to make their lives better.”

THURSDAY,

Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 6pm @ The Blue Room

Misery (live theater)

7pm @ The Panida Theater

Live Music w/ John Daffron 6-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall

FriDAY,

A theatrical adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel, starring Kate McAlister and Ken Wood. Tickets $25

Live Music w/ Hannah Siglin Duo 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Halloween Party at the Fairgrounds

5:30-9pm @ Bonner Co. Fairgrounds

Free games, a spooky tunnel, free pump kin decorating, treats, costume contest

Hickey Farms Harvest Festival 2-5:30pm @ Hickey Farms

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz

4-7pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Zach Simms 6pm @ The Blue Room

SATURDAY,

Live Music w/ Bridges Home 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Live Music w/ Hardwood Heart 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Hickey Farms Harvest Festival 10am-5:30pm @ Hickey Farms Closing Day! Thanks for a great year

Misery (live theater)

7pm @ The Panida Theater

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 5:30-8pm @ Drift (Hope)

Crosstoberfest race and beer fest

All day @ Hickey Farms

A unique race for all ages. pendoirellepedalers.org for more info

Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 7-9pm @ The Back Door

Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 4-7pm @ Barrel 33

Live Music w/ Doug & Marty 6pm @ The Blue Room

Sandpoint Chess Club

Thursday Trivia Night 5-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse

Fall Family Carnival Party

5:30-7:30pm @ Litehouse YMCA

YMCA welcomes families and friends with carnival games and prizes, gym ac tivities, bounce houses, crafts, face paint ing and more. Join fees waived Oct. 28-30 Sandpoint Rotary’s Pints for Polio 5pm @ 113 Main St. (Old Truby’s bldg.)

Raise a pint to help the Sandpoint Rotary conclude World Polio Eradication Week

Live Music w/ Steven Wayne 7-9pm @ The Back Door

Woods Wheatcroft studio opening party 5pm @ 104 S. Second Ave. Check out Woods’ photography, plus live shoegaze music by new band Blird

Live Music w/ Nights of Neon 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge No cover. Come dressed for the season!

Old-Time Fiddlers jam session 3-5pm @ Sandpoint Senior Center A group of old-time fiddlers who meet monthly to jam Sandemonium 12-4pm @ The Sandpoint Library Free comicon events throughout the library. Cosplay contest, gaming, panels, meetups and more Howling at the Moon Party 8pm @ A&P’s Costume contest, big prizes and more Halloween Cabaret 7pm @ Pearl Theater (Bonners Ferry) A spooky variety show. $15

Pumpkin Huck Fundraising Tourney 7:30am @ Baldfoot Disc Golf Course Save your local disc golf course

SunDAY, october

9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Misery (live theater)

3pm @ The Panida Theater

Sunday Tabletop Game Day 12-8pm @ Paddler’s Alehouse

Live Music w/ Ken Mayginnes 1-4pm @ Drift (Hope)

monDAY, october

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi

7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Group Run @ Outdoor Experience

6pm @ Outdoor Experience

3-5 miles, all levels welcome, beer after

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalapeño’s “Our Busy, Busy Lives”

North Summit Trunk or Treat 5-7pm @ North Summit Church Trunk or treating in the south parking lot

Festival of Treats at the Museum and Sandpoint Lions Club Halloween

4-6:30pm @ Bonner Co. Museum / Sandpoint Lions Club

Treats by the yellow caboose and a “Scary Maze” at the Sandpoint Lions Club next door. Theme is “glow-in-the-dark funhouse.” Corn dogs, popcorn, hot cocoa and candy!

wednesDAY,

Live Music w/ Cadence Knepper

6-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

ThursDAY,

Live Music w/ Aaron Golay & the Original Sin • 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Misery is off the chopping block

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

The Oct. 11, 2018 edition of the Sandpoint Reader features candidate interviews, news of a bobcat sighting on the Long Bridge and an article an nouncing the cancellation of a local theater production featuring the title: “‘Misery’ play gets the axe.”

Anyone familiar with the Stephen King novel Misery will appreciate the play-on-words in that headline — props to Editor Emeritus Cameron Rasmusson for that one — and also remember the article with dismay. Cade Prophet Memorial Productions, which was slated to put on a play adaptation of Misery later that month, was forced to cancel in the face of a rights dispute.

Misery (R)

“At the time, we didn’t have an option. We just couldn’t do it,” said CPMP founder and director Dorothy Prophet. “I told [Warner Brothers], ‘If you ever get to the point where you’ve settled your dispute and

we can get the rights, let me know.’

“I really didn’t think I’d ever hear from them again,” she said, “but earlier this year, they got in touch with me.”

Misery is back on — and just in time for Halloween — with Kate McAlister reprising her role as murderous villain Annie Wilkes and Ken Wood starring opposite her as captive author Paul Sheldon. While some may be familiar with the 1990 film adaptation of King’s novel, Prophet said the upcoming produc tion of Misery, slated for Friday, Oct. 28-Sunday, Oct. 30 at the Pani da Theater, sticks closer to the book. The performance is rated R, and not suitable for children under 16.

Friday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 30, 3 p.m.; doors open 30 minutes before the show; $25. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., 208263-9191. Get tickets at the door or panida.org. Learn more at cadeprophet.org.

“We, in doing the theater version of it, have put Annie back into Stephen King’s version of it,” she said. “She has no redeeming qualities. She is just horrid.”

McAlister, one of Sandpoint’s hardest working and well known thespians, called playing Annie “an

interesting journey to say the least,” adding that her usual characters are “much lighter.”

“It is definitely emotionally drain ing playing a serial killer,” she said, adding that it’s been a “challenge” maintaining the character’s darkness.

“She has been killing people since she was 11, when she burned down her house with everyone in it — except for her of course,” McAlis ter said. “Good thing she is fictional.”

Misery marks Wood’s first local performance in a leading role, which he said he’s looking forward to.

“I have a ton of trust in Kate, which is so important given that we are the only two actors on stage for this production,” he said. “In any live performance, you have to know and have faith in your fellow performers, because if you get lost or miss a line, they are there to back you. Kate is an absolute profession al on stage and I couldn’t ask for someone better to be on stage with.”

In Misery, Annie Wilkes cares for Paul Sheldon following a car crash. She is the self-proclaimed “biggest fan” of the bestselling romance writ er, but when she finds out that Paul plans to kill off her favorite character,

things take a gory turn.

“For me, Misery talks about catharsis,” Prophet said. “Paul Shel don, in the begin ning of the show, is an egotistical, spoiled rotten, misogynistic asshole. … He’s just icky. But at the end of the show, after Annie has broken him, he’s a very different person. He has gone through a genuine change. Ken Wood plays that very well.”

Wood said he hopes that the au dience can feel Paul’s desperation.

“In this show, he is not only bed-ridden and dependent on Annie for survival, [but] he is also addicted to painkillers,” he said. “He has gone from a life of fame to being completely broken. I hope the au dience feels that and how even in a hopeless situation, my character still has a will to live and survive.”

McAlister said her favorite part about preparing to perform Misery has been spending time with Proph et and Wood.

“Doing theater creates a trust bond,” she said. “I was never

athletic, but to me, theater is my team sport. It takes every person — whether it’s out front acting, or stage crew or set builders, and espe cially the director.”

Prophet started Cade Prophet Memorial Productions in honor of her son, Cade, who died in 2017. He loved cats, so part of the produc tion company’s mission has been donating proceeds to the Panhandle Animal Shelter, now known as Bet ter Together Animal Alliance.

“We want to encourage people who knew Cade, or those who have only heard of him since his death, to look for ways to pay it forward ev eryday,” Prophet notes on the CPMP website. “We can help turn the tide. We can find and celebrate the good, encourage the positive and be kind.”

Cade Prophet Memorial Productions brings King’s story to the Panida Halloween weekend

Kate McAlister and Ken Wood share the stage in Misery. Courtesy photo.

From spooky to simply fun

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Scary Reader Staff

Whether you celebrate the spooky season with gore or choc olate — maybe both? — there’s a local Halloween event with your name on it. Here are just a few:

Friday, Oct. 28

Annual Bonner County Fairgrounds Halloween Party

4203 N. Boyer Ave.

5:30-9 p.m.

Hit up the Bonner County Fairgrounds for a family-friendly night of games, pumpkin decorat ing, treats, a costume contest and a “spooky tunnel.” This event is free.

Misery @ the Panida Theater

300 N. First Ave.

7 p.m. (doors open half an hour before the show)

Kate McAlister and Ken Wood star in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 novel Misery — a scary story just in time for the scariest weekend of the year. Mis ery is presented by Cade Prophet Memorial Productions and ticket proceeds will benefit the Better Together Animal Alliance. Read more on Page 23.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Pumpkin Huck Fundraising Tournament

10076 Baldy Mountain Road

7:30 a.m.

Disc golfers of all levels are invited to enjoy the sport on the local 18-hole Baldfoot Disc Golf Course during this special tournament. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. and all participants must attend a 9 a.m. meeting before play begins.

Hickey Farms Harvest Festi val Closing Day

674 Hickey Road

10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Pick out your pumpkins and support local vendors at the last day of the harvest festival at Hickey Farms, which will also host the annual Crosstober bike race with the Pend Oreille Pedal ers the same day.

Halloween Cabaret

7160 Ash St. in Bonners Ferry

7 p.m. (doors open half an hour before the show)

The Pearl Theater in Bonners Ferry will host a “delightfully spooky variety show” the Saturday before Halloween. Circus acts, dancing and music will highlight the night. Tickets are $15 in ad vance at ashleylopez.com/hallow een, or $18 at the door — if there are any left.

A round-up of Halloween 2022 events

Misery @ the Panida Theater

300 N. First Ave.

7 p.m. (doors open half an hour before the show)

Howling at the Moon Party

222 N. First Ave.

8 p.m. to late A&P’s takes Halloween seriously, with its annual cos tume contest (which promises big prizes), along with food and drink specials. This is a 21+ party.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Misery @ the Panida Theater

300 N. First Ave.

3 p.m. (doors open half an hour before the show)

Monday, Oct. 31 Festival of Treats 611 S. Ella Ave. 4-6:30 p.m.

The Bonner County Historical

Society and Museum is hosting this family-friendly event around the yellow caboose at Lakeview Park.

Sandpoint Lions Club Hal loween 2022

609 S. Ella Ave.

4-9 p.m.

After enjoying the Festival of Treats at the museum, head next door to the Lions Club’s glow-inthe-dark funhouse-themed event to enjoy a haunted maze, corn dogs, popcorn and, of course, trick-ortreating for candy.

North Summit Trunk or Treat

201 N. Division Ave. 5-7 p.m.

Candy and hot drinks will be on tap at this family-friend ly event, hosted in the church’s south parking lot.

This week’s RLW by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

Lights on in Little Carnegie

Conservatory Concerts presents ‘Evening in the Gardens of Spain,’ a showcase of classical Spanish piano music

By Reader Staff

The season may be drifting in drizzles and chills, but the Music Conservatory of Sand point is heating things up Fri day, Nov. 4 with a selection of classical Spanish piano music.

Featuring Matthew Go odrich and special guest Melody Puller at the piano, the “Evening in the Gardens of Spain” concert will take place at the conservatory’s new Little Carnegie Hall performance space (on the ground floor of 110 Main St.), highlighting Spain’s golden age of piano music at the turn of the 20th century.

The second in the inaugural Conservatory Concert Series — which kicked off in Sep tember with a performance of 20th-century Parisian pieces for flute and piano — includes works by Spanish composers Antonio Soler, Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Grana dos and Joaquín Turina.

talents of both Goodrich and Puller, the former who serves as director of Music and Per formance at the conservatory.

Goodrich is a piano perfor mance graduate of Oberlin Col lege Conservatory, and earned his doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington under the direction of Robin McCabe. Following his university doctoral re search, he performed French and Spanish piano repertoire over the past decade through out the United States, and has been a North Idaho resident for two years this November.

piano gifted to the conser vatory by a music-loving donor from the Olympia, Wash. area.

‘Evening in the Gardens of Spain’

Puller will join Goodrich onstage for a rollicking piano duo by Manuel de Falla, two Spanish dances in which the energy never lets up. Puller is head of the Piano Depart ment at MCS and a frequent performer, most recently with North Idaho Philharmonia’s performance of the complete Branden burg Concertos.

7-9 p.m.; $30 general ad mission, $15 students. Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, 110 Main St., 208-265-4444, sandpointconservatory.com.

“Evening in the Gardens of Spain” begins at 7 p.m. and will showcase the

The concert Nov. 4 will also feature the new est addition to Little Carnegie: a Steinway Model B grand

“I cannot wait to per form this pro gram on our beautiful new instrument,” Goodrich stated. “With its distinc tive sparkly timbre, it is the ideal partner for showcasing the technical wizardry, vivid colors and rhythms, and tradi tional dances woven into this delightful, too-seldom-ex perienced music.”

“Evening in the Gardens of Spain” will be accompanied by a specially selected variety of Spanish wines for purchase before the concert and during intermission. Seating is lim

ited and tickets are available at sandpointconservatory.org/ events or at the conservatory.

The Conservatory Concert Series resumes its program ming in Little Carnegie in early 2023, with a mid-winter offer ing planned for February.

A fall day in the Inland Northwest looks like orange autumn leaves reflected on wet backroads; it smells like damp earth and wood smoke; it sounds like the acoustic ar rangements and soothing vocals of Hannah Siglin.

Siglin is a songwriter and guitarist — as well as an herb alist and farmer, according to her social media — hailing from Spokane, Wash. and known for

delighting regional audiences with her intricately crafted folkstyle music. Inspired by nature, Siglin captures the shifting of the seasons in her melodies and lyrics. As a duo, she performs with guitarist Lane King.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

5-8 p.m., FREE. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., 208-265-8545, powine.com.

There are few — if any — local or even regional musical acts as polished either in vocals or musicianship as Son of Brad, a.k.a. Daniel Mills. Based in Coeur d’Alene, Son of Brad takes his stage name in homage to his eponymous father — a jazz mu sician who performed with greats like Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and others.

That kind of talent clearly runs in the family, as Son of Brad casually shreds through guitar riffs that would give lesser players con

niption fits, all while laying down rhythms that flow with ease from contemplative to balladic, groovy to bluesy, indie-pop to rock-infused.

Catch Son of Brad at Mick Duff’s Beer Hall and see (or hear) how a true expert makes it look (or sound) easy.

— Zach Hagadone

6-9 p.m., FREE. MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Beer Hall, 220 Cedar St., 208-209-6700, mickduffs.com. Listen at sonofbrad.com or https:// www.reverbnation.com/sonofbrad.

…out loud. If the opportunity presents itself to read to a child, a loved one or a class room full of students, do it. I occasionally pick up a book and read it aloud to my elemen tary-aged students, and nothing — not videos, computer games, nothing — makes them quiet down like listening to a story. One teach er I had, Mrs. Ineck, read aloud to my seventh-grade class after lunch, and it was the most relaxing, imag inative part of my day.

READ LISTEN

A lot of bands are constantly reinventing themselves in hopes of staying rele vant. However, some of the best remain relevant by staying ex actly the same.

One of those bands is Death Cab for Cutie, which is well into its third decade of releasing music. The band’s newest record, Asphalt Meadows, displays the indie rock ers at their absolute, predictable best. “Here to Forever” and the ti tle track are solid, while “I Don’t Know How I Survive” is a sleeper DCFC classic.

WATCH I’m stuck in a TV rut, and I’m not really all that mad about it. Each Wednesday, I watch a new episode of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, and each Friday, a new episode of The Great British Bak ing Show on Netflix. The 13th season — called “Collection 10” on the streaming platform — fea tures lovely people and even love lier baking skills. Between my two weekly episodes — one from a vi olent, dystopian series and the oth er an uplifting reality bake-off — I am a well-balanced viewer.

Hannah Siglin Duo, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Oct. 28 Son of Brad, MickDuff’s Beer Hall, Oct. 29

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint

From Northern

KOOTENAI IS GROWING

Building has started in earnest in the new town of Kootenai. Within a few months Sandpoint will, if the present construction rush continues and there is every indication that it will, have a flourishing town as a neighbor.

G.W. Otis has started building a boarding house; the drug store of Ed Allen is rapidly nearing completion; Easlick & Jewell have just started the construction of a building to be occupied for a sa loon; Hunziker and Wissenburg, formerly of Snohomish, Wash., will commence a hardware store this week; George Lalone has purchased lot 5, blk. 11, and will build what will probably be the first cottage in the new town; Goodner & Powell of Spokane will start work about November 1 on the erection of a general store; the Humbird Lumber company will commence at once the construction of a 60 room hotel for Mr. Paynter of Miles City, Mont.

In addition to those mentioned above several other purchasers have announced an intention of building residences and busines buildings. The sales of both residence and business lots have been large the proper ty people who intend to improve and not to speculators. The crew of men working on the townsite has been increased to 30 and the whole area will be stumped and cleared before the snow flies as well as the side walks and street grade completed.

The steel pipe for the water mains will be here this week and work will then start at once on the installation of the water system. Water will be secured temporari ly from the Humbird mains in the old townsite of Kootenai and later from the Sandpoint Water and Light company.

BACK OF THE BOOK

I wanted a barn cat I got something else entirely

By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Reader Staff

I’m a dog person.

Most people can make assertions about what kind of person that makes me, and they’d likely be right. I am outgoing, ener getic and enjoy the company of other peo ple. I am drawn to sports, competition and high-intensity environments. I love verbal affirmations, and have been known to hang my head out the car window on a nice day.

It also means, of course, that I prefer dogs over other animals. Loyal readers know the unhealthy obsession I have with my cattle dog, Mac, so I’ll refrain from writing another ode to her unmatched canine perfection. Besides, in the spirit of Halloween, I’ve decided to share more about the spookiest creature in my house: Pistol, the black cat.

Pistol came to us in 2018 at an estimat ed five years old with a name and reported knack for killing rodents. While I adopted him to be a barn cat, I’d overlooked a major flaw in my plan for this new addition to the family: my then-boyfriend, now-husband Alex is — painfully and unequivocally — a cat person.

Let me paint a picture: It’s 5 a.m., Alex rolls out of bed and Mac follows. With flashlight in hand, my husband takes on the noble duty of letting out the dog in the cold dark of morning. I stay in bed, and would fall quickly back to sleep, if it weren’t for Pistol. In his mind, his human father — who he slept next to all night — has abandoned him, and the howls ensue.

Back in the house and starting on the coffee, Alex’s entire morning routine features Pistol at his feet until their daily goodbye. This ritual comes full circle each day, too. As soon as I can hear Alex’s truck coming up the driveway after work, so can Pistol, and the howling commences. It only stops when my husband comes through the

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door and the two are reunited.

More than once, I have watched Alex stoke the fire with Pistol tucked securely under his arm, staring into the flames with the kind of self-satisfaction only detectable on the face of a happy cat. One recent night, arriving home late from coaching a volley ball game on the road, I witnessed Pistol sleeping beneath Alex’s outstretched hand, purring the night away. When I crawled into bed, disturbing their precarious cuddling, I got a claw to the arm.

This barn cat has not once stepped foot in the barn on account that Alex wouldn’t have it. I’ve come to terms with this, mostly because Pistol earns his keep. Living in an old farmhouse, mice are a fact of life. Since Pistol came on the scene, the only fact of life is the occasional mouse carcass shown off proudly outside the bedroom door. I’ve also watched him take down a rogue, indoor bat. That earned him quite a few points in my book.

While our relationship might be more formal than the daily love fest between him and Alex, Pistol has grown on me in many ways. The simple presence of a cat has made our home warmer. He wrestles with Mac, stalking her around the house until she relents and paws back at him. People ask whether I’ll get another dog for Mac to play with, but the truth is that Pistol beats her up enough. It’s safe to say that she isn’t bored, thanks to him.

It would be disingenuous to say I’m a dog person and Alex is a cat person, and that’s that. People are complex, and Alex and Mac have an incredible bond.

Does the same go for me and Pistol? Not entirely. Am I thankful to cohabitate with a feline who keeps himself clean, eradicates the pests and provides the kind of passive-but-secure companionship that only cats can provide? Absolutely.

Here’s to you, Pistol. You’re a good boy.

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Probably the saddest thing you’ll ever see is a mosquito sucking on a mummy. Forget it, little friend.

Pistol, who is definitely not a barn cat. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey.

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