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(wo)MAN compiled by

Susan Drinkard

DEAR READERS,

on the street

Do you think these are the end times?

“No, I am an optimist. I think we will make it through the eye of the needle, but it will be a bit ‘Wizard of Oz’-like first — a little darker before it gets brighter.”

Rally and Noah Grand Substance abuse counselor Sandpoint

Don’t overlook the opportunity to own a cabin with waterfront access and waterfront views, but not waterfront taxes! Priced to sell - set up a showing. This is one of the nicest cabins on the lake. Two docks and a beach. Great sunsets.

MLS 20181903.

$335,000

“No, not at all. I think I’d have a gut feeling about it. Right now there is a lot of political divisiveness, but I believe people will unite again.”

Shawn Jackson Stay-at-home mom Colburn

Carol D. Curtis (208) 290-5947 www.sandpoint.com ccurtis@sandpoint.com

-Ben Olson, Publisher

“Yes, I do. I am Christian, and I think it is the beginning of the Tribulation.”

Myra Prado Social work Bonner County

“No, I am retired, and life looks pretty good.”

Dave Spinney Retired water treatment operator Sagle

Over 50 beer and cider options fresh salads Sandwiches

pizza and more!

111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724

www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editor: Cameron Rasmusson cameron@sandpointreader.com Zach Hagadone (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Taylor Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, John Harbuck, Bill Borders, InciWeb. Contributing Writers: Cameron Rasmusson, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, McCalee Cain, McCale Ashenbrener, Emily Erickson, Travis Icardo, Brenden Bobby, Paul Lindholdt, Jim Mitsui, Amy Craven, Brenda Hammond, Susan Botich, Nancy Gerth, Marcia Pilgeram.

Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Griffin Publishing Spokane, Wash.

Subscription Price: $95 per year Web Content: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned and operated by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community.

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in massive bonfires to appease the gods of journalism.

Free to all, limit two copies per person.

Sandpoint Reader letter policy: The Sandpoint Reader welcomes letters to the editor on all topics.

Requirements: –No more than 400 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers.

Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com

“I do think it is the end of times because of North Korea, missiles, terrorists and Donnie Trump.”

Clay Sleeper 8th grade Sandpoint Middle School Upper Pack River

Cameron’s feature story this week focuses on young voters. This topic was suggested by one of our readers a few weeks back, and we thought it would be a fitting subject matter, especially as the election is now less than two months away.

To paraphrase former president Obama, young voters are the least likely to vote in any election – especially mid-terms – but when they do vote in numbers, they have the incredible potential to enact actual change for the better of the U.S. The biggest threat to our democracy is not Donald Trump’s tweets, or white nationalists rallying, or the “swamp” of self-serving politicians in Washington, D.C., making decisions benefiting the one percent. The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference. When half of eligible voters cast their ballots in an election, we consider that a good thing. We should be ashamed of that number.

If you aren’t registered to vote, please do. Call the Bonner County Elections Office at (208) 255-3631 if you have any questions. They are more than happy to help.

Remember: you hold the power, young adults. If you want to see change in the world, the easiest first step is to take 15 minutes and vote. Who you vote for is up to you, but don’t be a tired cliché. Vote.

READER

Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook.

(208) 263-0966 Corner of First Ave. and Bridge Street Downtown Sandpoint

About the Cover

This week’s cover was designed

by Ben Olson, using some free stock imagery and some imagination.

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NEWS

City rolls out app to boost citizen engagement

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff Before long, the full scope of Sandpoint’s city services will be available with a few taps on a touch screen.

City officials unveiled a new phone app Wednesday designed to make engagement with City Hall a simple and seamless process. Dubbed “Engage Sandpoint,” the app can be used on everything from paying parking tickets or utility bills to reporting problems for city officials to address. According to Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad, the app distinguishes Sandpoint as a forward-thinking city in integrating new technology.

“It’s kudos to our city staff about how willing they are to work with new technology,” Rognstad said.

The app is built using the SeeClickFix framework, which was developed to give individuals an easy way to report problems to their city. Whether the issue is a pothole or a wayward moose, the SeeClickFix technology ensures that the reported problem is delivered to the appropriate department.

Once an issue is reported, the official looking into it can post updates on any corrective

action being taken.

“This helps us determine what are the issues that really need to go to the top of the heap so we can resolve those first,” said Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton.

The app utilizes a smartphone’s GPS capabilities to pinpoint the location of the problem, or the user can input a custom address. Users can also attach photos of the issue they’re reporting. After a simple registration process, app users can receive notifications once the city takes action on their report. However, individuals can still make reports if they wish to remain anonymous.

City officials envision more functionality from Engage Sandpoint than problem reports. Eventually, the city will also be able to communicate to residents through notifications.

That can come in handy if, for instance, traffic is impacted by an accident or city officials need to advise residents of a developing emergency. The ultimate goal is to integrate every aspect of city service into the app, and to that end, the city will be updating it on a regular basis to add new functionality.

The notification system is one of the high-priority features to be rolled out later this month.

“Our intention is all of our forms, functions and services ... can be done at home from your mobile phone,” Stapleton said.

That means residents can use the app to sign up for programs, pay utilities or parking tickets, access city geographic information system maps, inspect details of city finances or access surveys, notifications and newsletters. Eventually, business owners will even be able to renew their business licenses with a few minutes on their phone. Sandpoint is the only city in either Idaho or the Inland Northwest to roll out a public engagement app of this scope and scale, Rognstad said.

“The way we’re implementing this app in Sandpoint goes far beyond what (SeeClickFix) was designed for,” said Stapleton.

“Even among cities that have adopted SeeClickFix, I think we’ve really taken it to the next step in terms of adopting new functionality,” Rognstad added.

The city has talked about introducing an app for about a year, Stapleton said, but it’s only in the past four months that it actively worked to establish the new system. It fit neatly into the priorities established by the Sandpoint City

Council for the coming year, one of which is boosting citizen engagement.

According to Stapleton, city employee Melissa Ward’s promotion to central systems manager was instrumental to getting the project moving.

“She’s really been leading our way to get these systems launched,” Stapleton said.

To download the app, Android users should search for “Engage Sandpoint” on the Google Play store. Apple users, meanwhile, should download SeeClickFix, then search for Sandpoint when the app asks for a city of residence.

“We’re really excited to unleash this app today, and we hope you find it as powerful and rewarding as we hope it will be,” Rognstad said.

A look at the Engage Sandpoint home screen.

Photo by Cameron Rasmusson

Public meetings set for smelter EIS scoping

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

Several public meetings are scheduled for citizens to weigh in on the controversial silicon smelter proposed for construction in Newport, Wash.

The meetings begin next week, starting on Sept. 18 from 6-9 p.m. at Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane. Next comes a meeting at Newport 4 /

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High School, 1400 Fifth St., Newport, on Sept. 19 from 6-9 p.m. A meeting will be held at Priest River Event Center, 5399 U.S. 2, Priest River, from 6-9 p.m. on Sept. 20. There will also be a webinar hosted on at 3 p.m. on Sept. 27 — visit ecology.wa.gov/ for details and a link to the webinar site.

The public comment period runs until Oct. 11 and will help determine the scope of the environmental impact statement to be conducted by the Wash-

ington Department of Ecology.

Described by the department as an “impartial, comprehensive document used as a resource for future decision-makers and the public to evaluate the company’s permit applications,” the EIS will be available to the public in draft form sometime next year for comment. Afterward, officials will release a final version of the EIS in late 2019.

The Newport smelter has generated intense controversy

since it was proposed, with regional residents packing informational meetings to voice their concerns. If approved, the smelter would be built on more than 180 acres and produce up to 73,000 tons of silicon per year. The Canadian company proposing the facility, HiTest Sands, plans to produce the metal by combining company-supplied quartz rock with wood chips, coal and charcoal at extremely high temperatures.

The facility itself would occupy

80 percent of the property acreage, and the tallest building would peak at 157 feet above grade.

According to the Washington Department of Ecology, the silicon production operation would require 170,000 tons of quartz rock and 150,000 tons of blue gem coal and charcoal to be shipped in by train annually. In addition 130,000 tons of wood chips would be transported by truck per year.

NEWS

Students to gather Paving begins on Cedar Street county feedback

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

By Susan Drumheller Reader Contributor Graduate students from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture and Planning will be gathering information via public “listening sessions” and surveys throughout Bonner County on Sept. 20-23.

The students were invited

by Project7B to listen and seek to understand the challenges, character, values and goals regarding the future of Bonner County.

Project 7B is an effort by county citizens to prompt thoughtful discussion around land use issues and encourage involvement in land use decisions in Bonner County and the area communities.

The group received an Equinox Foundation grant to bring in the Architecture and Planning team to conduct listening sessions in the rural areas, in order to learn what people value about their neighborhoods and environs and their relationships with the land.

Students will meet with groups and hold public listening sessions to gather information. They hope to have robust conversations with people in rural areas to learn about their concerns and aspirations for their neighborhoods.

They will also create a survey to collect input, which will be available both online and at in various locations around Bonner County while they are visiting.

The resulting information will be compiled into a document that can be shared with the public and community leaders to help inform discus-

sions and decisions regarding community planning. The goal of the listening sessions is to engage the public in decisions that affect the future of our communities.

For a listening session nearest you, visit Project7B. org or the Project7B Facebook page.

You can also email info@ project7B.org.

Project 7B maintains its Facebook page and website to inform the public about land use issues and other public involvement opportunities.

Despite rain postponing work, the Cedar Street construction project is nearing its final phases with paving this week.

Cedar Street closed to motorists from 6 a.m. to the afternoon on Wednesday as workers raced to beat rainy weather predicted for this week.

The paving work was originally scheduled for Tuesday night but had to be delayed due to the heavy showers that evening.

Crews followed up on their previous work, which successfully completed paving the block between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

“At this time of year, it’s imperative that we pave as weath-

er permits. We will continue to monitor the weather and adjust accordingly,” said Sandpoint Public Works Director Amanda Wilson in an emailed update.

“Light, passing showers are not an issue for us – it’s the heavy rains that we aim to avoid.”

A construction crewmember operates an asphalt paver on Cedar St. Wednesday. Photo by Ben Olson.

Meanwhile, sewer work continues on First Avenue from Church Avenue north through the Main Street intersection.

Cougar Fire nears containment

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff The Cougar Fire, a long-burning wildfire located five miles east of Hope, appears to be near containment according to Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

The fire — which started July 27 due to lightning — is just over 7,800 acres, more than 80-percent contained and is burning mostly in steep, brushy terrain. Control of the fire was transferred from the Phoenix National Incident Management Team to a Type 3 team Tuesday morning, and IPNF reports crews will “continue work on fuel breaks and monitor fire activity.”

Work has resumed on Rattle and Wellington Creek Bridges, so the public should be aware of increased truck traffic from both construction and fire crews on Lightning Creek

Road, IPNF reports.

An area closure remains in effect for the Cougar Fire area.

The closure’s general boundaries are along Forest lands from Scotchman Peak to East Hope, from East Hope to Wellington Creek to Rattle Creek, from Rattle Creek to Lightning Mountain, and from Lightning

Mountain to Scotchman Peak, according to InciWeb. Find a map of the closure area under the Cougar Fire incident page.

“Heavy equipment is in the vicinity of the fire; be alert and keep speed slow,” IPNF shared in the latest Cougar Fire update. “Please respect area closures to protect forest visi-

A ‘thank you’ banner hangs on a fence at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Aug. 23, where the Cougar Fire camp is located. It was signed by members of the community. Photo courtesy of InciWeb. tors, firefighters and construction workers. Hazardous snags and active burning remain in the fire area.”

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PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated

A column by and about Millennials

Political apathy and the old sugar maple tree

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Do you remember the first thing you really cared about?

Not the thing you sort-of cared about, like securing the pink Starbursts from the grubby clutches of your siblings, or protecting the swing next to yours on the playground for only your best of friends (because being in swing-proximity with a near-stranger was an absolute travesty). Not the act of saving all the marshmallows for the end of your Lucky Charms cereal bowl like the little investment protege you were, or even picking out the perfect lunch box with your favorite Ninja Turtle on the front (Donatello, obviously).

No. Do you remember the thing that kept you up at night; the first thing to spark fiery passion inside of you?

For me, it was the big tree in my childhood backyard.

It was an old sugar maple, with a thick, knotted trunk, tall branches, and foliage that would turn vibrantly red and orange in the fall. If I stretched my arms as high as they’d go, my fingers could just barely grab the tree’s lowest limbs, and with a swift hop, I’d be happily swinging from the branches in my rural Wisconsin rendition of the Jungle Book. The tree provided shade, solace, and the most fantastic pile of fallen leaves, primed for jumping in crisp, autumn air.

Under a gibbous moon in the summer before my ninth birthday, my dad’s woodshop, which was nestled between 6 /

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Emily Erickson. the house and our backyard, caught fire. The flames quickly engulfed the building, starting with low crackles and eventually licking their way along the sawdust-ridden floor to the partially filled buckets of varnish at the back of the space.

After the fire subsided, when the engines drove away and the embers turned from red to black, we approached the charred pile of boards and broken tools that bore little resemblance to the building they comprised mere hours before.

With the sour smell of campfire and chemicals hanging in my nostrils, I skirted around the ashes and turned to inspect my favorite tree. It had been only a few feet from the burning building, and although still standing, was charred from the base of its right side to its highest, now leafless, branches.

After a formal inspection, the tree was deemed unsavable.

Standing in the door frame, I watched as each limb was removed from the old sugar maple. I thought about all the times I’d hung from those branches, now being loaded, lifeless, into the back of a truck bed, and

felt a different kind of fire build inside my belly. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring the images of the final chunks of plummeting tree trunk, and I struggled to decipher the emotions I was feeling. They were anger and sadness, mixed with helplessness and a bursting sensation of wanting to make it stop. I cared about the old tree, and was feeling passion for its well being.

Passion, like the kind I felt for my favorite tree, is the force that drives action. It’s the version that’s often fueled by emotion and empathy, and is one of the fundamental elements of being human. Apathy, on the other hand, is a mechanism either strategically adopted or inherently psychological, in which we remove ourselves from the opportunity to feel passionately.

As the United States encroaches on the state of highest political polarization since the Civil War, many people, especially young people, are at risk of adopting political apathy as a way to cope with the fact that, even if they care about something deeply, fewer and fewer options to effect actual change on those things feel viable. So instead of allowing ourselves to experience passion with the potential for exacting the opposite of our intended outcomes, we protect ourselves through political disengagement.

More simply, if we don’t allow ourselves to care, or busy ourselves with things that don’t matter quite so much because it feels like we can’t effect change, then when the things about which we could have cared don’t work out, it doesn’t hurt as badly.

The trouble is, if everyone adopts political apathy, then the systems we have in place to represent the values of the citizens become obsolete.

Instead of getting bogged down by and consequently apathetic toward macropolitics that can feel wildly out of our control, we should seek more opportunities in our communities and our everyday lives that ignite the fires of our passions.

We should allow ourselves to tap into the childlike rawness of emotion and drive at the local level and become active participants in the systems shaping

our worlds. Because everyone engaging, even in small ways, inevitably lends itself to largescale change.

So, let’s grab a ballot, find somewhere to volunteer, read the newspaper and maybe even find an old tree to swing from, all in the pursuit of inspiration and passion. I’ll save a branch for you.

Emily Erickson is a freelance writer and bartender originally from Wisconsin, with a degree in sociology and an affinity for playing in the mountains.

Retroactive

By BO

OPINION

The importance of choice

By McCalee Cain and McCale Ashenbrener Reader Contributors Editor’s Note: This Op-Ed was written from two perspectives – that of a mother and a daughter.

The daughter McCalee was given up for adoption by her mother McCale, and they both decided to weigh in their opinions on the issue of abortion.

McCalee - the daughter: I’m really close with my biological mother, McCale. Since I was born, my parents encouraged an open relationship with her, and I couldn’t be more thankful — that openness has fostered a unique and beautiful relationship not only between her and I, but between all of my families. Nowadays, I get to watch her be mom to my baby brother Arlo. It’s an incredible joy in my life.

With Brett Kavanaugh’s possible nomination for the Supreme Court and the ensuing hubbub regarding the security of Roe v.

Wade as legal precedent, McCale and I thought it was a great time to share our unique perspective on the importance of choice for women.

The other day, we talked about the reasons why she — then 18, the age I am now — didn’t abort me. She tells me that the thought never crossed her mind, and it wasn’t due to some pro-life conviction or fear of hell. She says I was fated to be.

And looking at my life now — my two loving parents, my relationship with McCale and her family, all the people that love me — I think she’s right. My parents Mike and Natalie were fated to be my parents, and I their daughter. McCale was fated to pass me along to them to travel the world and squeeze every last drop of adventure out of life before starting a family of her own.

In my case, McCale’s freedom to choose meant giving birth to me and giving me to my parents.

It was a decision she made of her own volition, with her future and well being in mind. A woman’s

freedom to make the choices that shape the course of her life, to act autonomously in pursuit of her destiny is an essential human right. Without the right to choose whether or not, and when to have a family, women are inherently unequal.

That’s not to say that McCale’s decision was easy. The more we talk about it, the more I can try to understand the depth of the pain her choice brought, but even then I feel that I’m hardly scratching the surface. But everything happened just as it was supposed to, thanks to McCale’s agency and freedom to choose.

For McCale, the answer was open adoption. For other women, the answer may be abortion. Or parenthood. The essential component is the freedom to pursue whatever option a woman deems best for her health and her life.

If every unwanted, unborn child could be delivered and adopted by a family ready to love them and give them the support they need, by all means I believe that should happen. Unfortunately, it’s not always as straightforward as my situation.

Sometimes it can be financially unattainable or unsafe for a woman to carry a child to term. Our adoption system is far from perfect, and there’s a lot more to it than passing off the baby to a set of magical, loving parents. The serendipitous story of my family isn’t a cookie cutter answer for every unwanted pregnancy.

As far as I’m concerned, it wasn’t about me until McCale decided to put me up for adoption.

It wasn’t my story yet. My story didn’t begin until I was born.

Before then, it was hers — hers to live out freely, without being impeded by mine. It’s an extraordinary privilege to have our stories intertwine so intimately in our lives now, but I firmly believe that her story took priority over mine, a mere unwritten blank slate.

Now of course, my story has evolved into a richly colored tapestry of life, as everyone’s does.

But without McCale’s agency to make a decision about what she wanted her life to be, both of our

Birth mother McCale Ashenbrener, left, and her daughter McCalee Cain, right. stories wouldn’t be original. The words wouldn’t be ours.

With the freedom to choose, McCale was able to pursue her destiny. And if that sounds dramatic, it’s because it is. It’s the difference between authentically living out your own story, and having it ripped from your hands and written for you.

McCale - the mother: It never even crossed my mind to have an abortion. I was 18 years old, it was Christmastime during my freshman year of college and I was still with my high-school boyfriend who had stayed behind in our hometown working as a car salesman.

If you drive south from Twin Falls to Magic Mountain there is an eccentric house that transforms an acre lot and trailer home into the epicenter of Christmas joy: twinkling lights on everything, enormous blow-up Santas and reindeer heaving with the air machines that fill them. This particular year, in 2000, they somehow procured camels. And I remember so clearly the dissonance I felt as I sat in the back of the Suburban borrowed from my parents, stoned to the bone with my high-school besties as they gushed about their new friends and crushes and the

life that was beginning to unfold with the freedom of college. And there were lights and camels and this foreboding heaviness because my period had not come, and I could sense something was different in my body. Two days later, in a gas station bathroom, it was confirmed that I was pregnant. And 10 months later in the sweltering heat of August, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

A stern nun did not rush into the operating room and scurry her away as I had always feared. It was an open adoption, after two Lutheran adoption service binders full of what seemed to me people who were obsessed with their pets, I’d found a loving, generous couple in Sandpoint.

I asked that she grow up with music and nature and that I’d hope to know her. My heart was so broken, and every biological urge was grappling with the incongruity that I was not a mother.

The milk and hormones that ran my body made me feel I’d made the greatest mistake of my life.

I wasn’t a mom, but neither was I a carefree 18-year-old college kid. In the throes of this sadness and confusion, McCalee’s parents invited us to come visit not even a year after she was born. I am forever grateful to that generosity and

openness, because 18 years later, our families are extensions of each other, and my biological daughter is truly one of my best friends.

It wasn’t till I was in my 20s that I looked back on that decision and think: why? With other choices, why did I make that one? Did I believe abortion was wrong? So I got a job at Planned Parenthood and saw from the safety of my reception window who decided to terminate their pregnancy. It was everyone: women in their mid-30s in pantsuits, 14-year-olds with their grandmothers, 20-somethings with their boyfriends. Most were pretty emotional, sad and scared, but some were not. Looking at their charts for most, it was their first time, but some had had multiple abortions. There was only one commonality: They all had a choice in deciding their own future.

I do not think abortion is wrong.

I know well the miracle of what can happen if you don’t abort and that a fetus will eventually become a beautiful living person. But I also know just how fundamentally your life can be changed. I had the great fortune to have a supportive family and to find an amazingly open-hearted adoptive family. And I tried to live my most adventuresome life traveling, river guiding and exploring to make that sacrifice of motherhood worth it.

If I’d married my car-salesman boyfriend, moved back to my hometown, maybe returned to college eventually, I would be a profoundly different person.

This is why choice is imperative, because it is our basic right to choose our own destiny. I did not choose to terminate my pregnancy, and I could never have imagined the beautiful relationship I would have with my daughter. I wish more people considered open adoption. It is our founding principle that we all enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

When government takes away the right for a woman to make choices that fundamentally affect her destiny, we do not fulfill our promise.

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COMMUNITY

GREETINGS FROM THE HIGHEST POINT IN IDAHO Bouquets: • I had a conversation with an 18-year-old the other day who had just registered to vote and was excited about the process. I remember my first time voting. I thought it was this difficult rigmarole you had to go through. Then I went to the ballot box, filled in my ovals and was out of there in five minutes. While voting itself is virtually effortless, make sure you familiarize yourself with the candidates and their stances on the issues.

Young people are the least likely to vote, but when they do in numbers, they make the biggest impacts.

Here’s wishing all of you new voters a pleasant first experience.

•A big bouquet for the 219 Lounge for their new additions to the sound. Mel has not only added sound panels to help soften the sounds outside on the patio, but now they’ve just installed a brand new system inside, too, with sound deadening panels. I can’t wait to hear it inside. The musicians of Sandpoint appreciate the extra effort!

Barbs • Recently, Lee Enterprises, the corporate entity that owns the Missoulian daily newspaper, bought up the Missoula alt-weekly called the Independent. They locked out employees and announced the weekly would be closed for good. Just like that.

After 30 years, this is no way to treat a staff. This is yet another example of how corporate-owned media is all about the bottom line and don’t give a sh*t about the end product. If the Reader was all about the money, we would’ve closed down years ago. We are not in this business to get rich. We believe in print journalism and believe in having an alternative voice in the community. I promise you all that I will never sell this paper to a corporation. I’d rather kill it off and start flipping burgers than bow to the corporate overlords that seem to kill off community journalism any time they get their hands on it. Shame on Lee. 8 /

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Susan Bates-Harbuck brought the Reader to the summit of Mount Borah, Idaho’s tallest peak at 12,662 feet.

Stay tuned this fall/winter when Susan’s article about her husband John follows his journey to hike the highest peaks of every U.S. state.

Photo by John Harbuck.

NIMSEF accepting scholarships for youth ski program

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Got a kid at home who wants to experience the mountain this winter, but you may not be able to make the finances work?

NIMSEF has your back.

The North Idaho Mountain Sports Education Fund is currently accepting applications for local kids aged 7-17 who may qualify for an eight-week scholarship program to ski or snowboard Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

The greatly-reduced tuition

is available for those who may qualify based on economic need and live in Bonner or Boundary counties. Through the program, the child will receive a season pass, bus pass, free lessons and equipment rental via Schweitzer and NIMSEF. The tuition schedule is formatted to allow first-timers a low-risk way of starting their lifelong love of winter sports.

As an additional learning opportunity, NIMSEF requires kids to earn their tuition in a variety of ways, including helping at home and doing chores for

Laughing Matter

By Bill Borders

neighbors and friends Those interested in applying can find forms at www.NIMSEF. com.

Johnson for Commissioner...

Dear Editor, Vote for Steve Johnson for Bonner County Commissioner this November.

Steve is a lifetime resident of Bonner County. He spent 41 years in the public schools as an elementary and high school teacher and principal. He was also a businessman, farmer, homebuilder and a small-scale logger. He knows our county!

His goals are to retain and recruit businesses that pay a living wage; promote transparency and accountability of our County Commission; protect private property

A pack of young skiers hits the slopes at Schweitzer. Courtesy of NIMSEF.com.

rights; and, maintain the quality of life in the county.

Steve is a man of deep character, compassion, kindness and is an excellent listener. A vote for Steve Johnson will not only improve the effectiveness of the Commission, but most importantly, he will improve the political tone that we need in our civil life.

Philip A. Deutchman Sandpoint

Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters under 400 words that are free of libel and profanity. Send to letters@sandpointreader.com

OPINION

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is set to expire

By Travis Icardo Reader Contributor The Land and Water Conservation Fund is set to expire (once again) on Sept. 30 of this year. As a citizen of this great country and more specifically, as a citizen of this great state of Idaho I cannot fathom a single reason why one would not support it’s permanent reauthorization.

“The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established

by Congress in 1964 to fulfill a bipartisan commitment to safeguard our natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. Using zero taxpayer dollars, the fund invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help strengthen communities, preserve our history and protect our national endowment of lands and waters.” This is quoted directly from the U.S. Department of the Interior LWCF website.

Since 1964 the LWCF has funded a variety of recreational opportunities such as the funding of baseball fields and tennis courts in urban areas. It has been invested to protect our public and federal lands such as National Parks and National Forests.

Grants from the LWCF have been used to provide and protect hunting and fishing access as well as to conserve natural landscapes and cultural sites. Funds from the LWCF have benefited every State and nearly every County within our great Nation.

The LWCF is not funded by one cent of our taxpayer’s dollars. Its primary funding comes from profits from federal oil

and gas leases. It’s a simple concept that every citizen of the United States should be able to get behind. A portion of profits from the depletion of one of our natural resources are set aside and used to conserve and protect another.

Having lived in the very diverse North Idaho for nearly 30 years now, my family and I have been fortunate to have gathered an equally diverse group of friends. I have good friends who are Democrats, I have good friends who are Republicans, and I also have good friends who are independents. It doesn’t matter which side of the political spectrum any of them fall on. Each of them enjoys recreating in our great outdoors. In our incredibly divided political environment the Land and Water Conservation Fund is a much needed breath of fresh air that all sides of the political aisle can stand behind with bi(or multi-) partisan support.

What can you do to help ensure that the LWCF is permanently reauthorized this September? Simple. Just pick up your phone and make a call, pick up your pen and write a letter, or sit down at your keyboard and write an email to your congressional delegates.

Send them a message urging them to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. They’ll listen to us. If they don’t, then there’s another message we need to be sending them this November come election time.

Travis Icardo lives in Sandpoint and considers himself a “patriot and conservationist.”

BY THE NUMBERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

12,800 The estimated number of children currently being held in immigration detention centers as of Wednesday, according to the New York Times. The number is a five-fold increase from last summer, when it was reported that over 2,400 children were in custody in May 2017.

DEVON WADE 6:30-9:30pm country

BAREGRASS 6:30-9:30pm

progressive Americana

62,000 The estimated number of people living in Idaho who fall into the “Medicaid gap,” meaning they earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford insurance on the state health care exchange. Voting yes on Proposition 2 on November’s general election ballot will extend healthcare to those 62,000 people.

Sept. 14

OPEN 11:30 am

GAME ROOM UPSTAIRS

The last day that Puerto Rican hurricane refugees can stay in hotels with funding from the federal government.

4% State government websites that passed security tests performed by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. However, Idaho, Kentucky and Massachusetts were the top states for web security.

20 The number of traffic violations a truck driver had amassed in several states before he was involved in a fatal collision when his semi truck slammed into the back of a Jeep in southern Idaho and killed three Idaho airmen.

The truck driver was also killed.

102 The reported number of traffic fatalities on Idaho roads between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 2018, a season which has been dubbed the “100 deadliest days of driving” because of the increase in fatalities.

The Psounbality with Per FRESH FOOD LIVE MUSIC THE BEST NW BREWS

212 Cedar Street Downtown Sandpoint

208.263.4005 A SandPint Tradition Since 1994 September 13, 2018 /

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Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

the golden age of piracy

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Avast, me hearties! Sept.

19 be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! T’ celebrate, I be bringin’ you this article in fluent Pirate. Shove off!

The Golden Age of Piracy be a time from 1650 ‘til 1726 when pirates ran rampant, bringin’ death ‘n’ stealin’ booty from Europe to the Caribbean. Ye might be wonderin’, why did such vagrancy run so merrily? Well, ye salty dog, I’ll tell ye!

The English Crown caught colony fever, spreadin’ the ol’ Union Jack across the seas.

Europe was sufferin’ from civil war, like the Spanish War of Succession. Instability, overreach ‘n’ plenty o’ worthy ships made fer a lit powderkeg, just waitin’ to blow! Trade between colonies an’ the crown were ripe for plunder by sea.

We be havin’ a romantic sense of pirates, now: dashin’ swashbucklers, swaggerin’ buccaneers, charismatic captains three sheets t’ the wind on rum and booty! Pirates weren’t so well liked in their day. Aye, they were thieves an’ plunderers, lawless murderers livin’ lives that were rated ... Arrrr.

This be why their golden age were so short lived. Nations ‘n’ trade companies were tired o’ their hard-earned treasures vanishin’ to the deep blue, ‘n’ they made efforts t’ track the scurvy dogs down ‘n’ bring ‘em t’ dance the hempen jig. For ye green landlubbers, that means the law hung ‘em high with a hempen cord ‘round their salty necks.

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It may surprise ye t’ know the captains of privateers were voted in. They nae be kings nor autocrats, an’ they nary received special treatment. Pirate crews were called freebooters fer a reason. They be free men, unbound by the tyranny of military life ‘r the authority o’ merchant crews. Pirate crews ran ships like yer HOA runs yer neighborhood, with elected individuals ‘n’ councils an’ punishment befitting a crime (against the crew, that is.) The cap’n held absolute rule only durin’ the heat o’ battle, like a Roman dictator.

Bein’ former navymen, pirates had trainin’, insight an’ cuttin’-edge technology an’ ships to thieve an’ plunder.

Who better t’ fight the royal navy than members o’ the royal navy? Th’ idea that pirate vessels were barnacle-encrusted skiffs be a thing of fantasy.

Ye don’t fight a tank with a 1960 VW Beetle, ye fight it with another tank! Successful swashbucklers hauled plenty o’ plunder, enough t’ keep their ships maintained. Havin’ a history o’ maintainin’ ships in service must’ve helped.

Eyepatches an’ peg legs be a staple o’ pirate lore. Th’ practice o’ medicine around 1700 was miserable. Wounds that resulted in amputation likely didn’t include prostheses. On the open sea, sterile places t’ amputate didn’t exist, an’ the nutrition needed t’ heal were scarce. Grievous wounds probably ended in death, which may o’ been a mercy from the hard life at sea. Who would dare itch their stern with a hook fer’ a hand?

Every pirate fears a threat o’ the keelhaul. Keelhauling was a form o’ punishment, where the offender was dragged from one side o’ the ship t’ the other.

By that, I mean dragged below the keel o’ the ship, ground against the barnacles that cut ‘em t’ shreds, an’ let the salt water burn their wounds. There be little t’ say that pirates did this t’ their own, but the royal navy did, t’ the point that it were even brought before Parliament t’ be stopped.

There be many famous names from the Golden Age of Piracy. Henry Morgan, Welsh captain, raider o’ Panama City.

Morgan were a scourge to the Spanish settlements o’ the Caribbean, so much so that the English crown intervened t’ arrest him ‘n’ bring him t’ justice. Much t’ the surprise of the crown, the commoners o’ England revered him as a hero, an’ rather than face justice, was knighted an’ offered t’ be the first governor of Jamaica. In case ye be wonderin’, yes, that be him on yer’ bottle o’ rum.

A pirate more infamous than Captain Morgan terrorized the seas. Edward Teach, but ye’ may know o’ him as “Blackbeard.” He were a shrewd an’ calculatin’ man, known fer intimidatin’ his enemies before battle. He dressed in all black with pistols strapped t’ his chest, an’ fuses burning in an’ around his hat like some kind o’ demon of the deep. Blackbeard amassed a fleet, but was eventually hunted down t’ have his head removed and his body sent t’ the locker. His head made its final voyage upon the bowsprit o’ its captor’s sloop

fer all the world t’ see.

Before we shove off fer the locker, ye should know for whom this insufferable speech is responsible: The patron saint o’ pirates an’ the father o’ the pirate “language,” Robert Newton. Robert Newton was an English actor who played the part o’ several pirates in cinema, such as Long John Silver in Disney’s “Treasure Island”

and Blackbeard in “Blackbeard the Pirate.” This p-arr-ticular dialect be a variation o’ West Country English, comin’ from the seamen of southwest England.

An’ now, as we disembark, I share with ye’ a final joke.

What’s a pirate’s favorite letter?

The C, of course!

Random Corner tes?

Want to know more about Pira

We can help!

• The English word “pirate” is derived from the Latin term “pirata” which means sailor or sea robber and from the Greek word “peirates” which literally means “one who attacks ships.”

• The ancient Greeks regarded piracy as a viable profession and considered it an entirely honorable way of making a living with literary works such as the Iliad and the Odyssey making many references to the abduction of women and children to be sold into slavery.

Yup. Perfectly honorable.

• Julius Caesar was once kidnapped and briefly held by Cicilian pirates and held prisoner. When the pirates asked for a ransom of 20 talents ($600,000 in today money), he scoffed at them and demanded they ask for 50 talents.

• Whilst incarcerated by pirates, Caesar treated them like his subordinates and somehow managed to gain their respect. However, he told them that when he was released, he would return, hunt them down and crucify them. Upon his release, Caesar made good on his promise, raised a private navy, and killed all the pirates, who hadn’t taken him seriously and didn’t even bother to leave the island where Caesar had been held. Caesar got his 50 talents back.

• Many pirate communities operated as limited democracies, instituting a system of checks and balances similar to the one used by the present-day United States.

FEATURE

Young Voters

Will their voices be heard this November?

By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Staff

There’s a voting powerhouse in the U.S. with the ability to transform the political landscape — if anyone can get it to turn out, that is.

Young Millennial voters — particularly those in the age 18-29 category — have the potential to play a major role in hard-fought Congressional elections this November. Problem is, the age group is notoriously difficult to activate. And despite the bizarre circumstances of the modern political era, that doesn’t look to be changing. A poll from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Atlantic indicates that only 28 percent of young adults said are “absolutely certain” they’ll vote in this year’s elections. That’s especially dire compared to the senior demographic, which said with absolute certainty they’ll vote to the tune of 74 percent.

The general sense of apathy concerns local educators. In the Sandpoint High School Social Studies Department, teachers have been working to inspire civic interest in their students.

But with America seized by an intensely polarized political climate, that’s easier said than done.

“Given the weird times we’re in and the polarization, I’m seeing apathy and disillusionment among students,” said teacher Debbie Smith.

That certainly reflects SHS senior Mason White’s experience.

White is among the 56 of 219 SHS seniors who will turn 18 before the Nov. 6 election. But she says gauging her peers’ political engagement is difficult precisely because of their reluctance to accept its social risks.

“I think there is a lot of insecurity as far as (my peers’) politi-

cal opinions go,” White said.

“Right now we are pretty polarized, and kids are scared that if they say something, they’ll get jumped on or made fun of,” she added.

There are two sides to that coin, though: While political animosity makes conversation difficult, the unusual and controversial nature of modern politics can also make it easier to engage students.

White said her political awareness began a year and half ago, due in no small part to the unprecedented nature of the times.

“I think the past year and a half has been the only time that I’ve paid attention — not only to politics but everything that’s happening around me,” she said.

Between the reluctance to talk politics and a prevailing apathy, it’s difficult to know just how many students are paying attention.

“The kids who are most vocal are usually in the minority, and we have a silent majority,” said SHS teacher Erica Haynes.

White echoed that observation. Because so many of her classmates keep their engagement in government and civics classes to a minimum, it’s difficult to speak for them.

“There’s a whole section of the student body that I can’t speak for,” she said.

Because she’s been attentive to current events, White said she’s excited to vote in the 2018 election. For the rest of the high school’s eligible voters, SHS teachers said they’re working to get them interested in time for

the election. And that starts in the classroom. SHS teacher Brian Smith said education can go a long way to reducing student apathy.

“I think one of the barriers to voting is feeling informed, so hopefully what we do helps bridge that gap,” he said.

To that end, the high school’s social studies curricula are structured to prioritize election-pertinent topics. The idea is to give students the baseline knowledge they need before important elections roll around. Teachers start with the fundamentals of the U.S. Constitution and then get into concepts of political ideology anchored by real-life examples from the issues of the day.

“We’re talking about ideology. We’re talking about political beliefs — liberal versus conservative,” Brian Smith said. “We present it in an all-sides kind of way, so students can make up

their own minds.”

Closer to election dates, teachers highlight how the voting process works and make sure their students have the resources to easily register if they are eligible.

There’s also a practical incentive for students to brush up on the voting process: It can help ensure that they graduate without issue.

“We have a civics exam that seniors have to pass in order to graduate,” SHS teacher Kent Leiss said. “That also motivates students because they know they have to pass that to graduate.”

While teachers across the country work to spark political awareness out of a sense of civic responsibility, partisan activists are reaching out to young voters as a matter of self-interest.

Polling data from Pew Research Center shows that 68 percent of young women and 47 percent of young men prefer Democratic candidates. With the stakes at

their highest in this year’s midterm election — a Democratic takeover of one or both chambers of Congress would have grave implications for the Donald Trump Administration’s ability to pursue its agenda — left-wing activists are hoping to excite young voters in the states that matter.

“Right now the ‘blue wave’ is being powered by suburban professional women, but to fully capitalize on 2018, Democrats need to energize young voters and voters of color,” Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report told Vox. No matter what happens in November, local teachers are simply focused on encouraging young adults to be informed and interested voters. And while youth apathy is a serious problem, they said there’s cause to take a more optimistic outlook, too.

“I’ve been surprised about how smart and educated my students really are,” Leiss said

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event t h u r s d a y

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Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Good until the keg’s dry

f r i d a y

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The Lark and the Loon in concert 7:30pm @ Di Luna’s Cafe A songwriting duo taking inspiration from prewar blues and jazz, Irish dance music, sea shanties and traditional American music as well

s a t u r d a y

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s u n d a y

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m o n d a y t u e s d a y

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w e d n e s d a y t h u r s d a y

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Live Music w/ The Ronaldos 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery An eclectic mix of music spanning six decades Live Music w/ Truck Mills 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority The blues man is in the house!

Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Soulful melodies, blues and soul Live Music w/ Dustin Drennen 5:30-8:30pm @ Ice House Pizza Acoustic music in Hope!

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Meets every Sunday at 9am

Live Music w/ Muffy and the Sandpoint Jazz Society 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Always fun, always different Live Music w/ Larry Myer 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Ron Kieper 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Sandpoint saxophonist

Dollar Beers!

8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Live Music w/ D 6:30-9:30pm @ M Country night at t Live Music w/ Em 9pm-12am @ 219 Famed musician/p son, whose music wide, plays the N

Live Music w/ BareGrass 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Sandpoint Farm A progressive Americana/blues band 9am-1pm @ Far Shop for locally Live Music w/ Emerson Band more, plus, chef d 9pm-12am @ 219 Lounge provided by mark Famed musician/producer Don- Maya Goldblum nie Emerson, whose music has been heard worldwide, plays the Niner for the first time! The last Free Communit 12-3:30pm @ 13 of a two-night show Presented by Ca Live Music w/ Oak St. Connection All are invited to 4-6pm @ Laughing Dog Brewery drinks, outdoor f Piano Sunday w/ Bob Beadling 4-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live piano music from the grand

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Wind Down Wednesday 5-8pm @ 219 Lounge With live music by blues man Truck Mills and guest musician John Firshi

Summertime Favo 10:30am-12pm @ Everyone is welco summertime books discussions of fav provided by the Sa

Better Breathers Club Meeting 1pm @ BGH, 413 N. Third Ave. Ste 101 Call (208) 265-1045 for more information

Live Music w/ Chris Lynch 8-10pm @ The Back Door Bar

Night-Out Karaoke 9pm @ 219 Lounge Join DJ Pat for a night of singing, or just come to drink and listen

f

The Scenic Half • San A half marathon and a across the Long Bridge ber of Commerce. (208

Lifetree Cafe • 2pm @ Jalepeño’s M This week’s topic: “Miracles or Coin

Trivia Night 7-9pm @ MickDuff’s Bring your brains and try not to dull them with beer too much. It’s on!

Live Music w/ Reese Warren 7:30pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Parents Grie 5:30pm @ BG Call Lissa at

Magic Wednesday 6-8pm @ Jalapeño’s Mexic Enjoy close-up magic show ander right at your table, w amazing edu-tainment for a

Girls Pint Out Night 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Cool chicks, great beer, no dudes!

Trivia Tak 6pm @ Pen Enjoy a f musical clu answers lea ucational tr

ful

September 13 - 20, 2018

time Favorite Reads -12pm @ Sandpoint Library is welcome to “speed-share” favorite me books they read this year. Enjoy brief ns of favorite books and refreshments by the Sandpoint Friends of the Library

usic w/ Devon Wade 30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall night at the Beer Hall usic w/ Emerson Band am @ 219 Lounge musician/producer Donnie Emerose music has been heard worldays the Niner for the first time!

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

Reader recommended

Intro to MIG Welding 6-9pm @ MakerPoint Studios Learn the proper use of a MIG welder. Session is $71 ($2 discount for city residents

Sandpoint Contra Dance 7-10:30pm @ Spt. Community Hall Contra dancing is community dancing for all ages, in the New England tradition, featuring live music with great local and regional bands and lively callers. $5 suggested donation

oint Farmers Market pm @ Farmin Park or locally grown produce, artisan wares, and plus, chef demonstrations and lots of samples ed by market vendors. Enjoy live music with Goldblum and Bright Moments Jazz

ommunity BBQ and Food Drive 0pm @ 136 Calvary Way (Clark Fork) ed by Cabinet Mountain Calvary Chapel. invited to enjoy live music, plus food and outdoor family activities, and more

Talking Pictures Art Reception 5:30-7pm @ Evans Brothers Coffee Inspired by the Met exhibit, “Talking Pictures: Camera Phone Conversations Between Artists”, Sandpoint artists bring you their interpretation of this innovative exhibition.

Sandpoint Cornhole Classic Tournament 10am @ A&P’s Bar & Grill Register at 9 a.m., bags fly at 10 a.m.. Singles or doubles, prizes! Call A&P’s for more info: (208) 263-2313 - $30/player Scenic Half Registration Party 2-5pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall The first 100 runners to pick up their packets receive a free beer! The race is Sunday, so watch those hangovers Clean Comedy Show Fundraiser 5:30pm @ Memorial Community Center This is the American Heritage Wildlife Foundation’s third annual major fundraiser; appetizers provided, drinks available, amazing silent auction items on display. $20/person, proceeds go toward AHWF. (208) 266-1488

518 Oak St. Sandpoint

We’re clearing space for Nordic ski gear arriving in November.

Great deals on most items in shop, including bikes.

Half • Sandpoint hon and a 10k fun run with outstanding scenic views ng Bridge presented by the Greater Sandpoint Chamerce. (208) 263-2161 for more information

epeño’s Mexican Restaurant es or Coincidences”

rents Grieving the Loss of a Child Support Group 0pm @ BGH Hospice conference room l Lissa at (208) 265-1185 for more information

ay ño’s Mexican Restaurant magic shows by Star Alexur table, with intrigue and ment for all ages

Sandpoint Farmers Market 3-5pm @ Farmin Park Shop for locally grown produce, shop artisan wares, eat good food and enjoy live music by David Walsh

Trivia Takeover Live pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery njoy a fun-filled game where musical clues and point-wagering nswers lead to an interactive, edcational trivia experience. Free!

SoupTember 5pm @ Farmin Park Sandpoint Community Resource Center hosts SoupTember. There will be 13 restaurants participating, plus live music, games, and lots of fun!

Sept. 21 Randy McAllister - Brews & Blues @ Panida Theater Sept. 22 Hope’s Annual Oktoberfest Celebration @ Memorial Community Center Sept. 22 Live stand up comedy show @ 219 Lounge

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LITERATURE

Book review: ‘How to Cuss in Western’

By Paul Lindholdt Reader Contributor These deft essays remind me of Patrick McManus, the former Sandpoint resident, EWU professor, novelist and humorist. He collected his writing in books that began with “A Fine and Pleasant Misery” in 1978. Not that Mike Branch sounds like McManus; rather that he’s part of an enduring succession of outdoor journalists. From 2010 to 2016, for High Country News, Branch wrote an online column that he dubbed “Rants from the Hill.” In that column, he described life with his wife and daughters on 6,000-foot-high “Ranting Hill.” This year, the family came down from the hilltop to live again in Reno, the same year McManus passed away.

Ordeals of biblical proportions afflicted the Branch family during its hilltop sojourn. Roads washed out, wildfires forced retreats, gophers and packrats pestered, snowstorms hurled down. Their solar abode caught fire. Such accounts blur and blend with those in the sister volumes “Raising Wild” and “Rants from the Hill.” The family underwent a fine and pleasant misery in the high Nevada desert.

Just as the ancients chased acclaim on that mountain named Parnassus, Branch sought wisdom and inspiration in the Silver Hills that serve as setting for most of these short essays. The locale will invite comparisons to Mark Twain, who lit out early for the Nevada Territory with his brother Orion and wrote up the tall

tales that pepper “Roughing It.” Twain practiced slapstick. He awarded an angry bison the ability to climb a tree and a coyote the speed to activate a sonic boom.

He poured on the self-deprecation when he tried to give up smoking. Branch pours IPA, rye whiskey, and a frequent “tumbler of sour mash” while breathing satisfaction for the domestic life.

His gift for humor arises in wellturned phrases and ironic scenes. In “Sh*t Happens,” a rowdy account of digging for a lost and forgotten septic tank, he likens the tank’s four-year pump-out cycle to our presidential elections. Elsewhere, he confesses grudging and curmudgeonly affection for his daughter’s hedgehog, after dubbing the prickly critter “that most precious of Christmas miracles: an unwanted pet.” He tunes a golden ear to language sounds in the meditative essay “Lone Tree” where, he writes, “I zigzag stealthily through the sage maze toward its welcoming shade.”

Like Antaeus in Greek mythology, Branch is best when in close contact with planet Earth. Indoor settings – a Department of Motor Vehicles office, for instance, or a Reno casino – slow the pace and blunt the wit. His outdoor scenes, though, writhe with life. One of the most tender and accomplished among them is “Desert River Music.” With a guitarist friend in downtown Reno, he blows a harmonica and mounts an impromptu concert for homeless folks.

Another essay, a broad satire in the tradition of Twain, takes as its title “Will the Real Fake John Muir Please Stand Up?”

That story transports readers to a Chautauqua where entertainers impersonate the immigrant Scottish writer by sporting beards and brogues with varying degrees of authenticity. Branch makes his narrator a strict inquisitor to flush out the phoniest of the fake John Muirs.

You might not know which to prefer: the erudite storyteller with the massive vocabulary, or the good old boy who confesses he’s also a bit of a gearhead.

But you need not choose between the two.

In “What Would Edward Abbey Do?” you may absorb lascivious details about the myth of Sisyphus, luxuriate in the philosophy of Carl Sandburg, and hang with friends at a corral fence to watch a

Top left: Author Mike Branch seen in a rare indoors appearance. Top right: Michael P. Branch, “How to Cuss in Western (And Other Missives from the High Desert).” Boulder: Roost / Shambhala, 2018. 198 pp. paper $14.95.

donkey spook itself by farting. Resting on that fence, leaning and loafing at ease “on a sunny day with a six-pack,” Branch writes, “you will discover the true meaning of the term ‘quality entertainment’.”

Reviewer Paul Lindholdt is a professor of English at Eastern Washington University whose latest book is “The Spokane River.”

are you reading this? so are 5,000 other people... ‘nuff said

Call Jodi Berge at (208) 627-2586 To learn how easy it is to advertise in the READER 14 /

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support an informed community

Pre-game with Chris Chatburn and Steve Youngdahl at 5:10pm

LITERATURE

This open Window

Vol. 3 No.11

poetry and prose by local writers edited by Jim mitsui

like the symptom of a brain tumor I wake up to the smell of burning rubber I’m in my bed and it’s a September morning The wind whips the trees and the willow looks like it is driven mad Fire fighters are cursing their horrid luck and Montana keeps burning Our sun holds forth stubbornly, a blood orange beauty Last night, we boated back from Warren Island The moon kept watch behind us Like a carnelian pendant it glowed, the goddess wearing it, obscured by smoke

the moon is yin and yang, tonight

she passed away in idaho Someday folks will say of me.

Those west of the Rockies might say “up there,” while those back East will say “out there in Idaho.” But all will give the impression of remoteness-of isolation--potato fields and blowing dust or vast expanses of frozen nothingness.

a slanting balance of black, white—delicate as a pendant, hanging just above the shadowed skyline.

How little they know of the damp evergreen fragrance of the forest; mountains framing the horizon on all sides; sun playing on the waters of the lakes; deer standing motionless in the snowy orchard; golden spires of larch among the dark fir.

They will not have seen the picture of me grinning with the biggest fish our family ever caught-(except for the halibut my daughter caught In Alaska.)

Sometimes, the light distracts you.

From absence can emerge the real mystery, hidden. The root, the beginning of every thing.

Swollen dark yin is peering out from behind the bright sickle of yang.

See the power in this.

How unlikely the relatives back in Detroit and East Lansing, Indianapolis and Chicago could imagine a little town of less than 10,000 with the best music, art and poetry, the best local food, hospital, library any where. Even more incredible people-friends who cook for you when you’re sick-give you hats when you’re bald, and reserve beds in their homes with warm blankets when you need a nap.

-Brenda Hammond Brenda grew up in Michigan and ended up in Sandpoint. She is a veteran member of the Bonner County Human Rights Commission, and teaches a parenting class.

This poem captures the essence of humanity in a small town and how most of the rest of the country thinks that all of Idaho is like Southern Idaho’s potato country.

And the root of moon? A jewel of celestial dust, cohesion densely joined, neither black nor white, actually.

The same dust draping the corner shelf here, the unread book there, lonely eyelashes of the sleeping, gently shut against the curving body of the cosmos.

In the midst of legions of stars, yang sings like a silver scimitar flung from its sheath of night. Yin is all about silence. Warrior, monk.

Looking up, notice.

The specific, the ubiquitous.

-Susan Botich

The vision of panelized, realized.

-Amy Craven Amy is a veteran of this column. In addition to her gift as a writer, she’s an accomplished singer, music teacher, and opera fan. Amy recently returned from an ambitious trip that included England, Ireland, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia. This poem , however, is back home and captures the essence of our smoky summer.

Send poems to: jim3wells@aol.com

Susan moved here from Northern Nevada after a camping trip to North Idaho. A published poet she’s a relative newcomer to this column. She and her husband have been fixing up a home here in Sandpoint. This poem captures the essence of the moon, especially during our recent smoky nights.

www.mehomes.net (208)264-6700

Dan McMahon, Gen. Contractor dan@mebldg.com September 13, 2018 /

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OUTDOORS

Eight family members hike Scotchman as FSPW Goat Ambassadors New goat habitat signs remind Scotchman hikers to keep their distance

By Reader Staff For most of the month of August, few hikers braved the smoky skies to hike Scotchman and very few goats were seen. Now that the smoke has dissipated to a great extent, the hikers and goats — and goat ambassadors — are back.

Over Labor Day weekend, the Harrison family of eight from Coeur d’ Alene hiked Scotchman as Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Goat Ambassadors.

All wearing FSPW volunteer hats and USFS T-shirts, they had a wonderful time interacting with other hikers, helping with the cooperative mountain goat education program.

The Forest Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game and FSPW share the goal of educating the public about safe hiking in mountain goat territory. Hikers are encouraged to wave their arms, yell and smack their hiking poles together to encourage the goats to keep

a safe distance. The goats are seeking salt and have learned that humans are a source.

Mary Franzel, FSPW Mountain Goat Ambassador Coordinator reminds people about goats: “They are wild animals and as such, are unpredictable. Their horns are sharp and they can bite – hard. Hikers are encouraged to be very careful to not spill when eating near the summit and to never leave food behind.”

The many hikers weekend hikers also encountered a new Mountain Goat Habitat sign. Provided by the U.S. Forest Service and installed by Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, the new sign asks people to, “Please keep at least 100 feet between you and the goats, even if they approach you.

Do not feed, leave food or allow them to lick you or your sweaty equipment. Please help keep the trail open and safe for you and the goats. Thank you!”

“Our volunteers this summer deserve a big thank you,” said Franzel. “They have done an

outstanding job, and the Forest Service has received quite a few positive comments about them on the goat survey cards at the trail head sign.

September and October are great months to hike Scotchman.

The temperatures are cooler and the views are amazing with fall

colors. There are still a couple Sundays available volunteers — September 16 and 23 — who would like to hike as an Ambassador. It’s very easy and, as the Harrison family showed, can be lots of family fun. Email Mary@ scotchmanpeaks.org for more information.

The Joa and Kristie Harrison family from Coeur d’ Alene teamed up to be a FSPW Mountain Goat Ambassador “swarm” on Labor Day. (left to right: Alahna (19), Elijah (10), Kristie, Alyssa (8), Adison (13), Joa, Isaiah (15) and Isaac (17)

World’s best chainsaw artists to compete in Libby, Mont.

By Reader Staff Twenty of the world’s finest chainsaw artists will descend upon Libby, Mont., next month to compete in the Second Annual Kootenai Country Montana Chainsaw Carving Championship. The event, to be held Sept.

21 - 23, 2018, will feature championship chainsaw sculptors from five different continents.

The event originated in 2017 as a means to draw more tourist traffic to northwest Montana.

“We had a great time and a fantastic community response last year,” said organizer Paul Bunn, owner of Libby’s Venture Inn. “We think it’s a great way to show off the wonderful area in which we live and celebrate our rich heritage of forestry and timber.”

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The slate of carvers includes artists from the United States, Argentina, Japan, Moldova, Slovakia, Lithuania, Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe. There is also a strong regional presence of Northwest artists, including John Schulz (Idaho), Josh Blewett (Oregon), Jacob Lucas (Washington), Susan Miller (Oregon), Les Smith (Montana) and Todd Coats (Montana). The other American carvers are Dennis Beach (Pennsylvania), Joe Dussia (Pennsylvania), Mark Colp (California), Steven Higgins (Missouri), Abby Peterson (Kentucky) and Dawna Ceriani (Pennsylvania).

The international artists are Adrian Bois (Argentina), John Hayes (Ireland), Garry Shand (Scotland), Bongo Love (Zimbabwe), Tomas Vrba (Slovakia),

Alex Pricob (Moldova), Raimondas Uzdravis (Lithuania) and Hikaru Kodama (Japan).

“We have really grown our international field this year, which I think is a testament not only to the popularity of this art form, but also to the quality of the event we produced last year,” Bunn said. “We’re bringing back many of the artists who competed last year and we expanded the field from 15 to 20 because we received so many applications and requests to compete. The word is getting out that Libby is the place to be!”

The carving will begin live on Libby’s Mineral Avenue Friday morning, Sept. 21, and conclude at noon Sunday, Sept.

23. Each artist will complete one large masterpiece competition

entry and three smaller, one-hour “quick-carve” pieces. All of the pieces produced during the competition will be available at live auctions scheduled for 2 p.m. on

Last year’s grand champion Steven Higgins, works on his piece. Courtesy photo.

Saturday and Sunday.

For more info visit www. carvemontana.com.

ENVIRONMENT

‘Fired Up’ meeting on wildfire smoke draws crowd

By Nancy Gerth Reader Contributor

Over 50 participants and 20 volunteers gathered last Saturday and filled the new double meeting room at East Bonner County Library for “Fired Up,” a community discussion of our response to fires and smoke, and the prospects for the future. The event was sponsored by 350Sandpoint.org.

Panelists were: Jeff Connolly, Bonner County Commissioner; Bob Howard, Bonner County Emergency Management; Milton Ollerton, Bonner County Planner; Vernon Roof, Commissioner Northside Fire District; Erin Mader, Idaho Forest Group; Nate Rogers, Fire Warden, Idaho Dept of Lands and Matt Butler, Panhandle Fire Management Officer, U.S. Forest Service.

Mark Sauter, Fire Marshall for Selkirk Fire District, attended with pamphlets on fire safety for our homes. Information was available from all the agencies participating in addition to the Medicaid Expansion initiative and Gabrielle Dubendorfer who provided insight into fires, smoke and

our health. Links will be posted on the website: www.350Sandpoint.org.

The discussion, moderated by Chris Hecht and Jean Gerth, enlightened the audience on the particulars of each organization’s role in fire response, and the high level of existing cooperation between agencies. Most panelists said that response was adequate during a normal fire year or for about 80 percent of the fires, but that there is not yet enough resources or planning for the extreme events that are expected in the future.

Vernon Roof, who comes with exten-

sive experience with the Santa Rosa fires, emphasized repeatedly the need for more volunteer firemen (to volunteer, contact: Northside Fire District, 208.265.4114, or Selkirk Fire District, 208-263-3502).

Much of the information included details about the operations of the agencies.

One item of particular interest was the free fire assessments for home and forest owners. The county is currently conducting discussions with the public in some areas.

The county has identified opportunities for risk assessment and management, for example a for a free-of-charge grant: Com-

Panelists speak before audience members at last Saturday’s “Fired Up” meeting at the Sandpoint Library. Courtesy photo. munity Planning Assistance for Wildfire -CPAW (https://planningforwildfire.org).

Minutes of the meeting and a video provided by Chuck Smith will be posted on www.350Sandpoint.org and plans are already in the works for more discussions on the same topic.

Anyone who has expertise to offer, or who would like to volunteer to help organize more discussions like this one, please contact info@350Sandpoint.org.

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FOOD

The Sandpoint Eater

Loose on the Palouse

By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Food Columnist I took a trip to Moscow last weekend, down the familiar route of Highway 95. Lots of Sandpoint residents (especially U of I parents, students and alumni) are well acquainted with this lovely stretch of road, and if you’re like me, you never tire of it. I especially love the drive in the fall, over the gentle rolling hills of amber wheat fields, recently harvested, with newly baled straw, stacked in neat rows, as far as the eye can see.

It’s not uncommon to see photographers taking aim along the route — the Palouse region is vast, fertile and the perfect backdrop for endless photoshoots, for amateur and pros alike.

Moscow is picturesque itself, reminiscent of Andy and Opie’s Mayberry, where, strolling down Main Street, everyone seems to know each other, and they don’t hesitate to stop for a lengthy conversation. From May through October, part of Main Street is closed for their Saturday Market, which is filled not only with produce and crafts, but some pretty tasty foods, like Indian curries, Mexican tamales and flaky Middle Eastern baklava. I imagine many of the ethnic food offerings can be attributed to the international student and teaching population residing in Moscow. If you’re looking to whip up your own tasty feast, visit the little Asian market, Phung-Mart.

It’s well stocked with authentic spices and herbs (including frozen kaffir lime leaves for spicing up your curry).

This trip to Moscow was an anomaly as there were no adorable grandchildren to cook for (or dote over). They were off on their own adventure with their dad. For the 18 /

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first time in eons, I had one-on-one time with my first born, Ryanne.

We had plenty of time for long walks, endless talk and, sans children, time to linger over several delicious meals (all of which my generous daughter insisted on buying, as a well-earned thank you, for my months of cat-sitting duty while she was gallivanting through the South of France).

There are no shortage of interesting spots to eat in Moscow.

Sister restaurants, Bloom and Nectar, both located downtown, serve innovative and fresh American-style fare and one-of-a kind signature cocktails. One evening, we chose Nectar and started with light and frothy cocktails, served in vintage-looking stemware, like my ones my grandmother used at Thanksgiving. We savored those cocktails whilst polishing off the signature charcutier platter and an

order of simple, but tasty, bread and butter. The next morning, we walked back to the city center and dined al fresco at Bloom for brunch. Both meals were delicious and delightfully served by knowledgeable staff.

Entrepreneurial restaurateurs Brett and Nikki Woodland are innkeepers as well, and operate the newly restored, Monarch Motel, a fun mid-century modern inn, steps away from Nectar. It’s retro-cozy and they offer all kinds of amenities (and they’re pet-friendly).

Another set of sibling eating establishments, Sangria Grille, a Peruvian-style restaurant at the Palouse Mall, and Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana, located in the heart of downtown, are a couple more of my favorite Moscow eateries (and yes, we also enjoyed locavore fare at both on my recent visit). Owners George Skandalos

and Carly Lilly are also getting into the lodging business; they recently purchased the downtown Moscow Hotel and are relocating Sangria to that location.

If you’re a traditionalist, there’s the Breakfast Club, and if you were a U of I student or parent, you’ve probably sat outside, regardless of weather, waiting for a coveted Sunday morning table (it’s my go to spot for birthday breakfast outings with the adorables).

Ryanne and I had plenty of opportunity to walk-off our meals, and though I love to boast of our scenic and well-designed “walking town” trails here in my beloved Sandpoint, Moscow also has some great trails and Ryanne made sure I saw (and walked) most of them. Paradise Path winds along Paradise Creek, and links the city’s two long railtrails, on opposite ends of Mos-

cow. After one particularly long walk, I informed my first born that when we returned home, if my trusty iPhone app had logged more than eight miles, I’d reward myself with a nightcap. Luck was on my side when I presented her with proof - 8.6 miles on my trusty phone! With an eye roll, she was off to bed as I enjoyed my trophy bedcap.

Even if you don’t have a favorite daughter to hang out with and harass, I recommend a weekend get away to Moscow to enjoy some truly great Palouse dining.

And don’t forget to try one of those delicious cocktails at Nectar. They were so darn tasty that I came home and dusted off the 1952 Guide to Pink Elephants: 200 most requested mixed drinks on alcohol resistant cards. I’ve included the recipe for one of my favorites, the Pink Lady. Cheers!

Pink Lady Cocktail Recipe I love the revival of vintage cocktails, especially the Pink Lady, which was rumored to be the favorite drink of the legendary Jayne Mansfield.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 1/2 oz gin • 1 egg white (or equivalent egg white powder) • 1/2 oz Grenadine • Cracked Ice

DIRECTIONS: Pour the egg white, grenadine syrup and gin into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake the hell out of it until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into a chilled glass to serve. Garnish with a maraschino cherry, candied strawberry, and a lime or lemon twist.

Variations: Clover Club: add the juice of 1 lemon.

Pink Shimmy: add 1/2 oz heavy cream

Makes one tasty cocktail

STAGE & SCREEN

Where even the wallflowers dance

Monthly contra dances start up again this week, offering fun for all ages and experience levels

By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff Community. Tradition. Fun. Experience it all by attending a contra dance in Sandpoint, and get a glance into what makes dance organizer and caller Emily Faulkner love bringing contra dancing to Sandpoint.

“Contra dancing is my ticket to joy,” she said. “(It) works every time.”

Contra dancing is an old New England dance form characterized by live music and the fact that there’s no need to bring a partner — every dancer will pair with a different partner for each number. Figures are taught and called for each dance, so prior dancing experience is not required. The next contra dance is this Friday, Sept. 14, 7-10 p.m. at the Sandpoint Community Hall.

“In the most old-fashioned form of the tradition, new people are attended to by the experienced dancers, and wallflowers are noticed and invited to dance,” Faulkner, a New England native who has been teaching contra dance in Sandpoint for seven years, said. “One doesn’t languish on the sidelines for long, and I’m trying to keep (that tradition) alive.”

Sandpoint contra dances are sponsored by Faulkner, Lost Horse Press and Sandpoint Parks and Rec. Lost Horse Press Publisher Christine Holbert said she first experienced contra dancing some years back in Clark Fork.

“I just said, ‘wow, this is so much fun — why don’t we have these on a regular basis?’” she said.

At that Clark Fork dance, Holbert met Faulkner, and with some organization, the current run of Sandpoint dances took shape.

“Little children can learn (the dances), all the way through older folks.

We love the fact that people bring their babies, and for teenagers it’s a safe environment,” Holbert said. “There are so few things for teenagers to do in this town, so I’m happy to be sponsor.”

Faulkner said contra dancing is for anyone “who can walk, count to eight and knows their right from their left.”

“It’s very satisfying to bring people together to dance,” Faulkner said.

“Community building is about dropping the superficial boundaries we have between each other. So you’re a homeschooler? So you’re a hippie? So you’re fourth-generation Bonner County? So you’re from California? Apart from dancing to really good music, you’re interacting and it’s non-verbal. I’ve made a lot of friends that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Contra dances are held at the Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Avenue, on the second Friday of each month from September through July. Suggested donation is $5 per person. Faulkner recommends comfortable, breathable clothing, as the dances can be “fairly vigorous” at times, she said. Newcomers should arrive promptly at 7 p.m. for an introductory dance.

Learn more by finding Sandpoint Contra Dance on Facebook, and call (208) 263-6751 or email sandpointcontra@gmail.com with any questions.

Contra dancers shake a leg at a recent dance at Sandpoint Community Hall. Photo by Emily Faulkner.

Sept. 14 @ 5:30pm | Sept. 15 @ 7:30pm | Sept. 16 @ 3:30pm

“Yellow Submarine” The Beatles’ The classic sing-a-long remastered Tuesday, September 18 @ 7:30pm

“American Dresser”

presented by the new york film critics society with Q&A after show

Sept. 20 & 22 @ 7:30pm | Sept. 23 @ 3:30pm

“Won’t you be my neighbor?” film friday, September 21 @ 7:30pm

Brews & Blues with Randy McAllister little r h t eate

Sept. 22 @ 7pm | Sept. 23 @ 3pm

“modified” documentary film wednesday, september 26 @ 7:30pm

“bad reputation” film about joan jett sept. 27 @ 7:30pm | Sept. 28 @ 5:30pm Sept. 29 (little theater) @ 1:30pm | Sept. 30 @ 3:30pm Hand Poured Soy Candles Sourced in the USA Email us at: Sevenbeewicksco@gmail.com

Manhattan Shorts - You Vote Film Tour saturday, september 29 @ 7pm

sadie sicilia in concert

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COMMUNITY

‘A Writers’ Toolbox’ series begins at Library

By Reader Staff The first of four classes plus a daylong event in “A Writers’ Toolbox” series starts Thursday, Sept. 20, at the East Bonner Library. All events are free and open to the public.

Tailored to writers of different genres, levels of manuscript completion and publishing, the series is co-sponsored by Idaho Writers’ League/Sandpoint Chapter and the East Bonner County Library. Indie Authors’ Day, held across the country by local libraries, will be Oct. 13 with a full day of writers sharing their experience and knowledge with other writers – beginners or seasoned – in workshops, panel discussions, writing exercises, tips on writing, and readings by local writers.

The four classes/workshops (all held on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the

Men’s Volleyball Leagues open

By Reader Staff

Attention gentlemen: Sandpoint Parks and Recreation will be offering a men’s volleyball league on Wednesdays starting Oct. 3. Games will be played at the Bonner County Fairgrounds main exhibit building.

The registration fee is $50 per person, and online registrations must be received

by Sept. 16. To register, visit www.sandpointidaho.gov/parksrecreation.

All participants will meet Oct. 3 at the Fairgrounds to divide into teams.

For more info, call (208) 263-3613.

library) include: “Developing Your Characters,” Sept.

20, to be led by Tom Reppert, author of novels “Assassin 13,” “The Captured Girl,” “The Far Journey” and “Past Murders.” The award-winning author’s writings also include educational essays and short stories. A former Green Beret, Reppert has M.A. degrees in creative writing from Colorado State University and Professional Writing from USC. “Who Needs a Plot?” Sept. 27, to be led by Jim Payne, prolific local writer of articles and travel books highlighting his adventures around the world, such as “Chasing Thoreau,” which follows the path of a voyage made by Henry David Thoreau in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and “Worlds to Discover,” featuring voyages n the Connecticut, Chattahoochee and Ohio rivers, as well as on Chile’s Bio Bio River. Payne is a former professor of political science at Yale, Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins and Texas A&M.

Copper Creek Rd. closure

By Reader Staff

Copper Creek Rd. #2517 on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District is being temporarily closed at milepost 2.41 for public safety while a culvert is being replaced on Copper Creek. The public will still have access to Copper Creek Falls from Highway 95 and the remainder of #2517 road will still be accessible from Deer Creek Rd. Repairs will likely be completed by Sept. 26.

Firewood raffle to support PSNI

By Reader Staff Panhandle Special Needs is hosting a raffle to raise funds towards its mission to support the disabled community in Bonner and Boundary Counties.

Among the items PSNI is raffling off are two cords of split firewood, an iPad Mini and a women’s basket full of wine, cheese, jewelery and assorted home and garden goods.

Tickets are one for $5 and three for $10, and can be purchased around town throughout the month and continuing through the end of November at plac20 /

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es such as North 40, the Hoot Owl, Kokanee Coffee, Yokes and Super 1.

Tickets will also be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at PSNI’s office, 1424 N. Boyer Ave. All proceeds from this year’s annual firewood raffle will go directly to PSNI’s Sandpoint facility where they serve over 100 individuals with disabilities through a variety of independent living skills and vocational training programs.

Call PSNI at (208) 263-7022 for more information.

“Selling to Your Niche Market” Oct. 4, to be led by Captain Bill Collier, former View Nam helicopter pilot and author of two action-packed memoirs set during that period.

And, “Finding Your Niche – Before You Start Writing” Oct. 18 to be led by local writer Mary Haley, who has penned

several YA (young adult) and teen novels.

Although registration is not required, it is heartily suggested so that instructors will know how many materials to have prepared. For registration, more information or questions, contact bonniemcdade@gmail.com.

NAMI Far North hosts guest speaker

By Reader Staff NAMI Far North is pleased to host Debra Townshend from Sandpoint Community Resource Center (SCRC) as their September speaker of the Month. Townshend will speak at the Bonner General Health classroom, 520 N. Third Ave., on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m.

SCRC is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to link people with needed social services in Bonner and Boundary Counties. They coordinate with

the local service community, volunteers and organizations as resource advocates for those they serve.

“It is our goal to be a highly visible presence in the community so that everyone in need of services will call or stop by to receive a friendly and knowledgeable response and referral,” SCRC wrote in a press release.

Everyone is welcome to the meeting.

Please call NAMI Far North with any questions: (208) 597-2047.

Bonner County Transportation Plan open house planned

By Reader Staff Bonner County Road and Bridge has invited the public to an open house regarding the Bonner County Transportation Plan.

The open house will take place from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the first floor conference room of the Bonner County Administrative Building, 1500

Highway 2 Sandpoint.

Members of the public are invited to drop by any time between 4 and 6 p.m. to view draft exhibits regarding the county’s short and long term transportation priorities and provide feedback to the team developing the plan.

Call Bonner County Road and Bridge at (208) 255-5681 for more information.

MUSIC

Sadie Sicilia returns for another Panida show Two different groups will play, along with special guests

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

It’s easy to take for granted how special it is to grow up in a musical family. For Sadie Sicilia — formerly Sadie Wagoner— the experience has helped shape the new direction she has taken as a performer.

Sicilia will be returning to the Panida Theater’s main stage for another special concert on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.

“There will be two different acts,” Sicilia said. “Plus something special.”

The first performance will be by Queen Suite, a duo featuring Sicilia and piano player Desiree, who goes by a single name only.

“Desiree is a classically-trained piano player who has been playing since she was four years old,” Sicilia said. “We play a wide variety of genres including jazz, ‘40s standards and more modern time music, but we put a classical twist on them, because that’s how she’s trained on the piano.”

Sicilia said Queen Suite will also play a few originals, with a “jazzy, soulful vibe” to them.

“It’s very different from what I’ve done in the past,” she said.

For the second act, Sicilia’s full band, Sadie Sicilia and the Reckoning, will fill the main stage.

“This time around, we’re doing more of my originals than we did at my last concert,” Sicilia said.

The band plays a hybrid of funk and rock and roll, featuring Terry Martin on drums, Reese Warren on guitar, Chris Lynch on keyboard and Jenai (who also goes by one name) on bass.

Jenai also happens to be Sicilia’s mom.

Sadie Sicilia and her two bands, Queen Suite and Sadie Sicilia and the Reckoning, will play the Panida Theater Sat. Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. Courtesy photo.

Sicilia gained attention in Sandpoint playing with her dad, Mike Wagoner, but she’s grown up with music in her family since she can remember.

“My mom has always been there to save the day, because our bass player bailed out,” Sicilia said. “It’s amazing — when I was younger I took for granted (playing with my parents). I didn’t really know how special it was. Just now, in my life, I’m just realizing how cool that is.”

Sicilia began playing at a young age, mostly with her dad because her mom lived in Tennessee.

“But now my mom moved to Spokane, so I’m getting to play music with her again,” Sicilia said.

While it’s been nice to experience playing with her parents, Sicilia has fully embraced spreading her wings to make her own mark on the music scene.

“I’ve definitely achieved getting out on my own,” she said. “Meeting Desiree has been an incredible thing. We have our own PA and do our own gigs. I remember the first gig where my dad wasn’t there to help with the sound and I was terrified. … I’ve become more confident setting up sound and also being the entertaining one to talk to the audience. That was always my dad’s role. I’ve learned from the best there.”

The departure from playing primarily covers is another

realm Sicilia is working on “Over the years we’ve played a lot of covers, and people love it, and that’s great, but I want to be an artist and write my own songs and have my own ideas,” Sicilia said.

“I’ve always seen choreography as part of my performance, and this show will have some dancing.”

As another special treat, Sicilia invited the Sandpoint High School Choir to join her onstage for a song or two.

“With my music, I’m always trying to advocate mental health awareness,” she said.

“There are a couple of kids at SHS that I’ve wanted to get involved, because when I (dealt) with my mental health issues, I was able to talk to my dad, who also experienced it when he was young. It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in it. These kids might not have a parental figure to talk to. I really wanted to use this concert as an opportunity to reach out to them and raise awareness in the community.”

The SHS Choir will join Sicilia on a song she wrote, performing it acapella with just vocals and harmonies. They will also join the full band on another selection.

Sadie Sicilia in Concert will be Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Panida Theater. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, and can be purchased ahead of time at Panida.org, or in town at Eichardt’s Pub and Evans Brothers Coffee. Any leftover tickets will be available for purchase at the Panida box office the night of the show.

This week’s RLW

by Lyndsie Kiebert

READ

I’m about halfway through “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Wells, and I can say all the suggestions I received to read this book were in good faith.

It’s a memoir about Wells’ upbringing, moving from rundown house to rundown house in the deserts of the west and navigating an impoverished childhood with an adventurous alcoholic father and free-spirited artist mother. The mixture of romanticism and resentment is interesting. I can already tell this book will break my heart in the best way.

LISTEN

I’m the token country music listener at the Reader, but c’mon people — I grew up in Clark Fork. Right now I’m loving up-and-comer Jordan Davis’ album “Home State.”

The singles “Take It From Me” and “Singles You Up” are good, but the album shines in other areas, like tracks “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot” and “Leaving New Orleans.”

Davis brings a subtle, sweet angle to songwriting in popular country music, and I hope he gains some recognition for this very complete first LP.

WATCH

Alaska-based reality TV star Marty Raney made an appearance at the Festival at Sandpoint this summer, causing my boyfriend and I to fangirl just a little. The semi-celebrity sighting prompted me to rent National Geographic’s “Ultimate Survival: Alaska” from the library, and I was reminded both how cool and scripted those outdoor, thriller reality shows are.

If you’re looking for an easy watch and maybe you’re wondering who that tall, strapping, white-haired cowboy was at the Amos Lee show, I suggest “Ultimate Survival” or Raney’s Discovery channel show, “Homestead Rescue.”

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From Northern Idaho News, Feb. 28, 1922

WITNESS PHENOMENAL FLIGHT OF A METEOR As H.F. Schedler and County Agent P.T. Fortner were returning into Saturday night from attending a potato meeting north of here, they witnessed the remarkable flight of a meteor across the heavens.

The display occurred just at midnight as the two were in the vicinity of Ponderay. In relating the occurrence they state that suddenly it became as light as day about them and they had a splendid view of the meteor as it swept across the eastern horizon, its course being south.

The meteor itself was a flaming fire red while its tail, seeming to the men to be 3,000 feet long, was of an exceedingly pretty blue. Its course was arched, much as that of a skyrocket would be, and to the men it seemed that it landed in Lake Pend d’Oreille.

As it came down, and it seemed to them that it was about to strike the earth, both men admit having involuntarily braced themselves for the jolt. No jolt occurred, however, and after some deliberation on the subject they arrived at the conclusion that the heavenly visitor was just as likely to have landed in the Atlantic ocean as in Pend d’Oreille.

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sept. 21-23, 2018 | libby, montana

Finally, A Confession

Okay, I give up. I wrote the anonymous New York Times letter about Trump. I said I was a White House bigshot because it might carry more clout than being some insignificant old fart in Sandpoint. The letter was Tippy’s idea. She’s my dog and she’d be a much better President than Trump. But then so would Marge or Homer Simpson. Tippy read that Trump hates dogs, along with nature, poor people, happiness, truth and everything else. That made her throw up (see photo).

Tippy vomits every time she sees Trump on TV. So do I. Especially when he salutes. Anyone who admires racist KKK members and neo-Nazis and has dodged the draft five times ought to be barred from saluting men and women in uniform. Anyone who can’t speak a sentence without lying and accusing and has never had a true friend makes me barf. Anyone who knows nothing about history, hasn’t time to read a book and prefers the National Inquirer to the New York Times makes me puke. Tippy too. How could such a creep become President? Ask his pal Putin. Or ask the crooks Trump depends on for advice (or revisit Germany at the start of the 1930s).

C’mon, folks, this guy is a verified villain. A thug. A dictator wannabe. By far the most vile human being ever to occupy the office.

Those cowardly staffers and legislators who still support Trump know it but are too self serving to say so. “To hell with the United States,” they whisper. “Let’s protect ourselves, our perks and our power. Heil Trump!”

When you deport or jail me, Mr. Predator, can Tippy come too?

20 international carvers 3 days of live carving live auctions food court & beer garden

Crossword Solution

--- Tim H.Henney, former Republican, Sandpoint, Idaho

Paid for by Tim Henney.

To me, clowns aren’t funny. In fact, they’re kinda scary. I’ve wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad.

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Does something 5. Subarctic coniferous forests 10. Stop 14. Tropical tuber 15. Shoemaker’s awl 16. Poems 17. To begin with 19. Journey 20. Excluding 21. Days of the month 22. Iron 23. A white crystalline alkaloid 25. Scallion 27. Not cold 28. Flood 31. More or less 58. Life stories ‘nuff said 34. Becomes a member 59. Museum piece 35. Directed 60. Church alcove 36. A titled peer of the realm 61. Being Call Jodi Berge at (208) 627-2586 37. Backsides 62. Heretofore (2 words) To learn how easy it is to advertise in the READER 38. Small amount 63. Require support an informed community 39. Genus of macaws /kawr-dl-YAIR-uh/ 40. Exploded stars DOWN 41. Flax fabric [noun] 1. Redress 42. Tangles 1. a chain of mountains, usually the principal mounof the 2. Billiards bounce 44. Fitting tain system or mountain axis of a large landmass.

3. Hackneyed 45. Keyboard instrument “The Rocky Mountains serve as North America’s cordillera.”

4. Soak 46. Remainder Corrections: We had an incorrect header on the 330 N. First Ave. building 50. Hebrew unit of weight 5. Renter 6. Winged feature last week. It wasn’t “Stage and Screen,” but was supposed to read 52. Angry 7. Small island “Community.” Small point, but we like to fess up when we make a mistake.

54. Slime -BO 55. Colored part of an eye 8. A black, brittle asphalt 9. One or more 56. Primary

are you reading this? so are 5,000 other people...

Word Week

cordillera

Solution on page 22 10. A souped-up car 11. Epinephrin 12. Dregs 13. Sounds of disapproval 18. Fool 22. Skittles 24. Boom 26. Religious sisters 28. Scintillas 29. French for “Head” 30. Biblical garden 31. Wings 32. Brought into existence 33. Cantatas 34. Young people

37. ___ fide 38. Bearing 40. Near 41. Unit of luminous flux 43. Hogfish 44. Notice 46. Bog hemp 47. Slack-jawed 48. Like the Vikings 49. Trifled (with) 50. Scoff at 51. Goddess of discord 53. Depend 56. Historic period 57. Buff

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