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PEOPLE compiled by
Susan Drinkard
watching
‘If you could return to any time in your life, when/where would you go?’ “I would like to go back to the time when I had young children—two biological and three traumatized sisters we adopted out of the foster care system in California. I would have had more mercy on myself. I thought I had to have everything going well all of the time.” Katie Holley Retired technical writer, mother, office worker Sandpoint “I would return to the Idaho Primitive Area, now the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. My wife and I and a crew of Forest Service people worked there one entire summer. It was isolated, roadless and beautiful. It was also so much fun.” Dan Lopez Part-time teacher of Spanish at the Waldorf School, but mostly retired Sandpoint “Knowing what I know now, I wish I could go back to the day before our house on the Big Island in Hawaii was completely covered with 60 feet of lava in 2018. We lost everything.” Cindy Vogel Retired/volunteer Sandpoint
“I would go back to kindergarten because I think some of life’s most valuable lessons are learned in kindergarten.” Liz Wargo Univ. of Idaho asst. professor in educational leadership Sandpoint
“I am superior. I do not think of the past, though it was fairly amazing yesterday when I made friends with a deer. He sniffed me. I didn’t mind. He was cool.” Beulah Sandpoint
DEAR READERS, We’ve had just about everything thrown at us this year: a global pandemic, widespread civil unrest, natural disasters and smoky skies here in the north the past week. I always admire those who can handle adversity without breaking. I think grace under pressure is utilizing a perfect combination of strength and flexibility. That means holding the line, but also bending around it when the situation calls for it. That’s why trees are so long-lived and strong – it’s not because they are rigid, but because they have evolved to withstand the worst forces that Mother Nature can throw at them. Sure, some fall, as we saw during last week’s windstorm. But most don’t. Most pass on their genes to the next seedlings, which “learn” how to handle the strong winds without snapping in half. I worry sometimes that trees are smarter than humans, because we can’t seem to shake this idea that we need to be rigid at all costs; that any form of bending is a weakness. Our strength is not in rigidity, but in our ability to bend. Don’t forget that next time you are forced to roll with the punches. With every duck and dodge you become that much stronger.
– Ben Olson, publisher
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208)265-9724
www.sandpointreader.com Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Lyndsie Kiebert (News Editor) lyndsie@sandpointreader.com Cameron Rasmusson (emeritus) John Reuter (emeritus) Advertising: Jodi Berge Jodi@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Chelsea Mowery (cover), Ben Olson, Susan Drinkard, Lyndsie Kiebert, Jean Bansemer, Gretchen Duykers, Terry Owens, Bill Borders. Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Lyndsie Kiebert, Lorraine H. Marie, Emily Erickson, Brenden Bobby, Chris Corpus, Hannah Combs, Cameron Rasmusson, Scott Taylor. Submit stories to: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed weekly at: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $115 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 300 words –Letters may not contain excessive profanity or libelous material. Please elevate the discussion. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publishers. Email letters to: letters@sandpointreader.com Check us out on the web at: www.sandpointreader.com Like us on Facebook. About the Cover
This week’s cover photo was taken by local photographer Chelsea Mowery from her property in Selle. Hoping for clear skies this weekend! September 17, 2020 /
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NEWS
City Council approves Bridge St. land swap
Deal gets ball rolling on broader waterfront redevelopment
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
As the Sandpoint City Council unanimously adopted its long-running Parks and Recreation Master Plan on Sept. 16, the first piece of the city’s Waterfront at Farmin’s Landing concept moved closer to becoming a reality, when council members unanimously approved a land swap that proponents say will fuel downtown redevelopment while improving Sand Creek frontage and laying the groundwork for future plans to ease multi-modal access at the intersection of Bridge Street and North First Avenue. The land swap with development firm Bridge Street LLC will transfer a 3,678-squarefoot parcel of city-owned property worth $410,000 to the company in exchange for a number of direct benefits, including 890 square feet of right of way on Bridge Street valued at $46,673. The company will also remove the preexisting ramp from Bridge Street to the parking area east of First Avenue and build a new retaining wall valued at $182,680; contribute $181,592 toward construction of the waterfront plan — part of the Parks and Rec Master Plan — which includes a new dock retaining wall and stormwater and landscape improvements; contribute $75,000 to a $150,000 city project to build stairs connecting Bridge Street to Farmin’s Landing through Bridge Street LLC’s parcel; and build sidewalk/pavers, including a new curb, ornamental lights and street furniture, valued at $74,055. For its part, the city would kick in $75,000 for the Bridge Street stairs. Sandpoint City Administra4 /
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tor Jennifer Stapleton told the council that Bridge Street LLC., which this year acquired the two properties devastated by the February 2019 downtown fire, approached the city in March with an idea to “kind of turn the property around” by facing it toward the Sand Creek waterfront — in sync with the city’s plans, two years in the works, to first improve stormwater management and take greater advantage of the First Avenue backlot (a.k.a. Gunning’s Alley) as a byway-facing pedestrianand business-friendly “riverwalk” area. “This additional funding from the developer helps us move that forward,” Stapleton said. It is estimated in city planning documents that the properties at North First Avenue and Bridge Street would be worth as much as $16 million when fully redeveloped as a multiuse building with The Hound restaurant on the ground floor, and commercial and residential space above. As such, the city stands to realize $75,200 per year in property tax revenue; a total of $70,000 in development impact fees; and, crucially, a chunk of funding for the Waterfront at Farmin’s Landing concept. Developer Cliff Davis, participating in the meeting via Zoom, said, “My company is currently owner of the biggest eyesore in Sandpoint and we’d like to take care of that as soon as possible,” going on to add that that he hopes his project will “be the first to really incorporate both sides” — uniting North First Avenue with Sand Creek — and bringing “more energy down near the waterfront.” Among the “highest priorities,” Davis said, is to get The Hound “back in business as
quickly as possible.” Owner Ben Higgs, who also owns Powder Hound Pizza on Schweitzer and Idaho Pour Authority on Cedar Street in downtown Sandpoint, touted the land swap as a means toward eliminating dangerous traffic conflicts where the current ramp meets Bridge Street and, “it would allow us to begin the rebuilding process of one of Sandpoint’s favorite restaurants,” which was lost in the 2019 fire. While the council stated no opposition to the swap — nor did any public testimony come out against it — some residents worried about how redevelopment at the site in conjunction with the Waterfront at Farmin’s Landing would affect bicycle and pedestrian access. The central question, as several speakers put it, is how to get an 8-year-old on a bike safely from their home to City Beach. “Let’s answer this question once and for all,” said longtime resident and former bike and pedestrian committee member Rebecca Holland. Sandpoint Public Works Director Amanda Wilson presented a few tentative plans for how to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists in an envisioned reorientation of the “problematic” First Avenue and Bridge Street intersection, saying that in the still-ongoing Multi-Modal Master Plan, “I am confident … that we will be able to find a solution that gets an 8-year-old to City Beach.” Developer Davis said he’s aiming to “start pouring concrete with the thaw in the spring.” Meanwhile, Stapleton said, “We’re looking forward to seeing something rise out of the ground.”
Callahan fire now at 1,200 acres, Bernard fire active on 880 acres Change in weekend weather may offer some relief from smoky skies By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff Bonner County residents — as with most everyone living in the Western United States — continue to suffer smoke-choked skies as large fires burn across millions of acres, primarily in Arizona, California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Yet crews were able to fully extinguish one blaze in Bonner County — the Hunter 2 fire near Blanchard consumed about 740 acres before fire managers announced Sept. 12 that it had been 100% contained. Reported on Sept. 7, the cause of the fire remains under investigation as firefighters continue to keep an eye on hot spots. The team that handled the Hunter 2 fire has since been moved to the Bernard fire, which is burning on 880 acres of steep, timbered terrain in the Echo Bay area southeast of Bayview. The origin of that fire has been determined as human-caused, though it remains under investigation. As of Sept. 15, fire officials reported 91 personnel working the blaze, including the Lolo hotshot crew, other hand crews and several engines supported as available by airborne suppression efforts. According to the fire information reporting website inciweb.nwcg. gov, the Bernard fire, which was reported Sept. 7, is at 20% perimeter containment and threatens some private property, structures and infrastructure at Gold Creek Lodge and Lakeview. An area closure remains in effect. Meanwhile, the Callahan fire, reported at 20 acres on Sept. 8, has become the largest blaze in Bonner County, now burning on 1,200 acres of steep timber and brush south of Smith Mountain about nine miles west of Troy, Mont. InciWeb reported 120 firefighters were at the site of the fire Sept. 16, using a range of equipment including aircraft. Unknown in origin and under investigation, the Callahan fire has forced the closure of roads and trails in the Smith Mountain, South Callahan Creek, Goat Creek, Glad Creek,
Caribou Creek and Smith Lake areas. Fire bosses estimate full containment may not be achieved until Thursday, Oct. 15. Meanwhile, officials are concerned about dry, smoky conditions and lack of precipitation on the Callahan fire, and a warming and drying trend along with light winds forecasted on the Bernard fire. As of noon on Sept. 16, North Idaho skies remained smoky with an air quality index rating of 179 — or “unhealthy” — with the possibility of conditions worsening to “very unhealthy” on Thursday, Sept. 16, according to airnow. gov, which is operated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other government partners. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service forecast for Sandpoint showed smoke through Thursday, Sept. 16, with a high of 77 degrees and a low of 52, and light winds coming from the northeast. By Friday, Sept. 19, those winds may have helped push some of the smoke from the area and conditions are expected to turn partly sunny with a high of 79 during the day. Forecasters give a 60% chance of rain Friday night — mainly after 11 p.m. — with a low of 51. The rain on Sept. 19 will perhaps bring more precipitation over the weekend, with an 80% chance of showers and a high of 65 on Saturday, Sept. 20. Temperatures Saturday are expected to drop to a low of 46 overnight, with a 60% chance of continued showers and patchy fog likely to roll in after 8 p.m. While the rain may be welcome, the Bernard fire update of Sept. 15 noted that those showers will probably not contribute much to dampening the blaze. The fog is forecast to last until around 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21, with a 30% chance of showers during the day and partly sunny with a high of 68. Patchy fog may return Sunday night after 10 p.m. with a low around 44 degrees. For fire info and updates visit inciweb.nwcg.gov. For weather forecasts, visit nws.noaa.gov. For air quality updates go to airnow. gov.
NEWS
City P&Z delays recommendation on University Park development
Commission parses open space, traffic and ‘neighborhood feel’ at former-U of I property
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Sandpoint Planning and Zoning commissioners took their first deep dive Sept. 15 into the University Park development, a mixed use subdivision proposed for the 75-acre former University of Idaho property on North Boyer. Yet, after three hours of presentations, testimony and deliberation, commissioners balked at forwarding a recommendation to the City Council — opting instead to postpone that decision until their Tuesday, Oct. 6 regular meeting. Concerns about the project, reflected both in public testimony and voiced by some commissioners, centered on preservation of open space and traffic impacts — as well as design issues related to the “neighborhood feel” of the development, which envisions 133 single-family homes; between 150 and 160 multi-family homes; a 45,000-squarefoot self-storage facility; and 10,000-square-foot commercial shopping center on the site. Sandpoint Planning and Community Development Director Aaron Qualls told commission members that while the project is much larger than what they’re used to dealing with, it follows the same process as any other development — beginning with the draft development agreement they considered on Sept. 15. Representing the applicants — owner-developers Tim McDonnell of K-M Enterprises of Idaho and Derek Mulgrew of M&W Holdings — Jeremy Grimm outlined the four phases of proposed construction, which would be spaced over a five-year period from 2020 to 2025. Grimm, a former Sandpoint planning and community development director and currently of Whiskey Rock Planning and Consulting, emphasized that
“this is a really special site,” noting the long history of the property as a U of I experimental agriculture station and, later, much-used open space for hikers, bikers and cross country skiers. Citing his experience as a city planner who worked on previous proposals at the former-university property, Grimm told the commissioners that the developers have already secured a letter of intent to grant three parcels totaling 16.5 acres to Kaniksu Land Trust as a conservation easement or gift — a conscious effort to meet planning goals first articulated in 2018, when it was proposed that the city acquire the property. “We strive for public access,” said KLT Executive Director Katie Egland Cox, adding that “this project is a huge step toward that goal. … We fully support this development proposal.” Grimm said residential lot sizes would vary between 5,100 and 9,000 square feet — with 51 lots below 6,500 square feet, deemed “affordable.” “[The developers] have really worked hard to make that mixture work,” he said. Where commissioners and several area residents had the most worry was regarding the potential traffic impacts on North Boyer Avenue, East Mountain View Drive and Aspen Way. The traffic study provided to the commission estimated that at full build-out the development would add 292 net new peak hour vehicle trips, entering and exiting the property at four points: two at the southern end of the development directly onto North Boyer and two at the northern end onto East Mountain View — the latter which would be redesignated from a local road to a collector street, funneling drivers from the interior of the site to North Boyer. Traffic was a concern even among some who testified that
they were generally in favor of the project. Supporters highlighted the dire need for more affordable housing in the area; the potential financial benefits to the city in terms of property tax revenue and development impact fees, which Grimm estimated at $300,000 per year and a total of $1.2 million, respectively; not to mention the employment of as many as 126 contractors and subcontractors, Grimm said. Yet, some raised alarms that not only could North Boyer suffer from the additional traffic load, but residents on Aspen Way may find their local road turning into a de facto bypass for motorists trying to avoid delays at the East Mountain View and Boyer access point. “By the time Phase 3 is open I think it’s going to be a real nightmare to get on Boyer from East Mountain View,” said neighbor Debra Ziebell. Fellow neighbor Rob Osborn said that while he had changed his opinion from “neutral” to “in support” upon hearing of the potential KLT land grant, he still feared “ugly incidents, traffic-wise” on Boyer — especially when trains at the crossing near the south end of the development site cause vehicles to back up on the street. One potential fix may be to provide a protected left turn at East Mountain View and North Boyer, while others suggested a roundabout at Airport Way. However, Grimm said that two engineering firms modeled the traffic impact — noting also that the 292 net new trips estimate was based on “a very ambitious plan” at full build — and found that a turn lane on Mountain View “is not necessitated.” “If I was a neighbor to this development I too would be concerned about traffic spilling over into Aspen Way,” said Commissioner Jason Welker. “I can see that being a major problem if there isn’t an option to turn left.”
Welker also raised “neighborhood feel” concerns regarding the potential for a wall going up along a 2,000-foot section of North Boyer, where homes would be constructed on double frontage lots — their back lawns facing the busy street — leading to what Welker characterized as “suburbanized versions of neighborhoods” and “a walledoff suburban subdivision.” Qualls said fences up to seven feet tall are allowed without a building permit as long as they meet the setback requirements. “That is certainly a possibility and probably something we can expect,” he said. Commissioner Cate Huisman echoed Welker’s worry about fences, wondering aloud if North Boyer would turn into one of those “long canyons of plastic walls” that typify some developments in the Coeur d’Alene area. “Do we have any option to apply to avoid North Boyer becoming a canyon of plastic walls?” she asked, to which City
A schematic of the proposed development at University Park, the former U of I property on N. Boyer Ave. in Sandpoint. Courtesy image.
Land Attorney Fonda Jovick reminded the commissioners that the issue before the body was “just preliminary” and did not include hammering out design standards. The commission voted 6-1 to postpone further deliberations, with Commissioner Mose Dunkel voting “nay.” Commissioner Forrest Schuck recused himself owing to once and potential future business relationships with the developers. “Regardless, on Oct. 6, you’re going to have to forward something to City Council — a recommendation,” Qualls said. The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6 at City Hall, 1123 Lake St. September 17, 2020 /
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NEWS
Idaho funnels $150 million in CARES Act funds to education Spending would backfill budget cuts announced earlier this year
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
Gov. Brad Little talks with LPOSD Superintendent Tom Albertson at Sandpoint High School on Sept. 9. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert.
Idaho’s Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee unanimously approved two spending measures Sept. 15 that would funnel $99 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money to K-12 schools and $50 million toward grants to Idaho families as part of what Gov. Brad Little calls the Strong Families, Strong Students initiative. Little announced the spending plans during a Sept. 11 press conference, sharing that the U.S. Treasury had opened CARES Act spending guidelines to allow states to move the federal aid money into education budgets. “We did not hesitate to seize the opportunity to support our schools,” he said. The $99 million going to K-12 schools will serve as backfill for the cuts to the education budget that Little announced earlier this spring. However, under CARES Act rules, the new money will need to be used to supplement pandemic-caused shortcomings. “The great news is that [districts] can use this money to address their unique needs,” said Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra at the press conference. The $50 million dedicated to the Strong Families, Strong Students program will be distributed based on guidelines yet to be set by the Idaho State Board of Education. Idaho families could receive $1,500 per eligible student with a maximum award of $3,500 per family, according to the governor’s office, and can use the funds to purchase eligible educational materials. Applications for 6 /
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Strong Families, Strong Students grants are likely to open in October. “Families continue to face many challenges as they rapidly adapt to changing circumstances in their children’s education,” Little said. The governor fielded questions about how the $50 million sum could not possibly cover every family in Idaho, and explained that the grants are meant mostly for students forced to attend school entirely online due to high COVID-19 case counts in their communities. “We want to make it available to the parents who are most in need and who are making the most sacrifices,” Little said. The proposals moved forward despite objections from Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who sent a memo to committee members prior to the Sept. 15 meeting urging them to postpone the vote. She also shared she would not be able to make the meeting. “Spending $150 million is no small matter and we have not had an opportunity to review fully the details of the proposal nor have I seen any proof that it is even consistent with federal guidelines for the use of CARES Act money,” McGeachin wrote in the memo, obtained by Idaho Education News. McGeachin did not explain why she’d miss the CFAC meeting, but did share on her personal Twitter account that she was headed to an election fundraiser for President Donald Trump in Stanley slated for Tuesday evening, where Donald Trump, Jr. would be in attendance. An online invitation for the event shows tickets to the event were $2,800 per dinner guest.
Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond
East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: Despite pleas from the Federal Reserve for more funding to stop further erosion of the economy, the second COVID-19 relief bill, which needed 60 votes to pass in the Senate, had only 52 votes, The Washington Post reported. The Democrat-controlled House passed a more far-reaching stimulus bill in May, but the Senate did not take action on it. The socalled “skinny” relief bill fronted by Senate Republicans failed when 51 Democrats and one GOP-er lined up against it. The proposal did not include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks and no money for cities and states suffering a decline in revenues. “The threat of eviction, hunger and poverty remains high,” The Post reported, since half of jobs lost in March-April have not been recovered and rehiring has slowed. Meanwhile, the U.S. death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic is approaching 200,000. Smithfield Foods meat plant in South Dakota was recently fined $13,500 in the aftermath of four employee deaths from COVID-19 and close to 1,300 COVID-19 infections in workers, Democracy Now reported. The CDC said recently in its weekly report that adults with confirmed COVID-19 were twice as likely to have eaten at a restaurant in the previous 14 days as those testing negative. The lowest risk was from food businesses with delivery, drivethrough or curbside pickup; the highest risk was where seating capacity was not reduced and tables placed within six feet apart, according to USA Today. As of last week, at least six teachers have died from COVID-19 since schools started reopening in late August, MSN.com reported. The teachers were from Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Bob Woodward’s just-published book, Rage, took its title from a conversation with President Donald Trump, wherein Trump said, “I bring rage out … I always have … I don’t know if that’s an asset or a liability.” Woodward was a key reporter who helped expose Watergate in 1972, which led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation two years later. Trump had been warned not to talk to Woodward, but consented to 18 taped interviews used in the book — he also urged administration members to talk.
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist
Of particular note is Trump confiding that he knew early on that COVID-19 is “more deadly than even your strenuous flus,” but preferred to play down the threat to avoid panic. When Trump is asked if he has a sense that his privilege has isolated him from others’ suffering, and that white people have to work to understand others’ anger and pain, Trump accused Woodward of drinking “the Kool-Aid.” Politico revealed that appointees at the Department of Health and Human Services have been making changes to COVID-19 information from the weekly CDC reports. The changes were intended to create alignment with the downplayed threat rhetoric put out by Trump. Democratic members of Congress have since launched an investigative probe. As of Sept. 14 at least 35 people have died as a result of dozens of large wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington, CBS News reported. Converging with an unprecedented heat wave, blazes have consumed more than 5 million acres, along with homes and entire towns, in the West Coast states, according to The New York Times. California Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed out that fires in his state could foreshadow similar fires all over the nation “unless we get our act together on climate change” and move away from all the “B.S.” fronted by climate science deniers. Several members of Congress have introduced the End Polluter Welfare Act of 2020. If enacted, it would end handouts and tax loopholes created by Congress for fossil fuel billionaires. States have been short of firefighters due to releasing inmates early to lighten prison loads during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his state, Newsom signed a bill expunging former prison firefighters of their records, which now enables them to get jobs as municipal firefighters. Causes of the fires have included lightning, power lines that were faulty or knocked down, and accidents, NBC News reported. Rumors of arson by so-called “Antifa” saboteurs are being flatly denied by law enforcement. To help victims of wildfire, donate to the Red Cross and designate which state should benefit in the memo line of the check: P.O. Box 37864, Boone, IA 50037-0864. Blast from the past: “True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.” Karl Popper, Austrian-born philosopher, academic and social commentator, 1902-1994.
NEWS
Elections workers gearing up to start mailing absentee ballots
Sept. 22 marks National Voter Registration Day
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
November might seem like a long way off, but voting in the 2020 General Election, set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, will soon start ramping up. According to Bonner County Elections staff, sample ballots will be available at the Elections office (1500 U.S. 2, Suite No. 124 in Sandpoint) beginning Friday, Sept. 18 — the same day overseas voters’ ballots will start going into the mail. Domestic absentee ballots will be mailed by Thursday, Oct. 1. Elections workers emphasized that those ballots will go out in batches, “Thus, your neighbor may receive their ballot but you might have to wait an extra day or three.” Absentee voters must request their ballots — they will not be automatically mailed out to voters unless they have been requested. To request a ballot, check voter registration, make changes to registration or track the status of a ballot request, go to idahovotes.gov/online-vot-
er-tools. Absentee ballots may be filled out and returned as soon they are received. What’s more, elections officials recommend that ballots should be returned “the sooner the better for our elections office due to the enormous volume this year.” Meanwhile, as the election approaches, voting-age citizens around the country — including in Bonner County — who have not yet registered are being encouraged to take part in National Voter Registration Day, which this year takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Established in 2012, the day is designed to encourage a concerted effort to spur participation in elections. Nearly 3 million Americans have registered to vote on the holiday since its inaugural observance. This year, the East Bonner County Library District is partnering with the Bonner County Clerk’s office and KRFY 88.5 FM to take part in the national event, Tuesday, Sept. 22, with registration drives at various locations from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will be helping Bonner County voters register, order absentee ballots and answer any questions about voting in the November election 8-8:45 a.m. and 1:10-2 p.m. at the Sandpoint High School lobby, 410 S. Division Ave. Volunteers will also be on hand at the Sandpoint library lobby (1407 Cedar St.), Clark Fork library (601 Main St.) and Bonner County Elections office (1500 U.S. 2, Suite No. 124 in Sandpoint). For residents outside Bonner County, nationalvoterregistrationday.org provides a listing of National Voter Registration Day events — both in-person and virtual — taking place across the country. For more information or questions about National Voter Registration Day, contact Mike Bauer at the Sandpoint library, 208-265-2665. Other election resources can be found at bonnercountyid.gov/departments/Elections, idahovotes. gov and elections.sos.idaho.gov.
Festival continues fundraising efforts, benefit concert planned Sept. 18 at Matchwood By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff It’s been about six weeks since The Festival at Sandpoint launched its Critical Relief Fundraiser, pulling in nearly $22,000 with a third of the total coming from donated 2020 season passes. “With over 100 donors, we are feeling the love for The Festival, though still have a long way to go,” said interim FAS Executive Director Ali Baranski, noting that the fundraiser will continue into the fall with a goal of $50,000. Meanwhile, Matchwood Brewing is hosting a Festival benefit concert to highlight its ongoing fundraising efforts. Featuring Coeur d’Alene-based Americana and alternative country band The Powers, the show is set for 5:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18 at Matchwood Brewing, 513 Oak St. in Sandpoint. “The Festival has always relied on the generous donations of our fans, community and business sponsors to survive,” Baranski said. “This upcoming year we will need this support more than ever.”
PHD receives $1 million to fight opioid use disorder By Reader Staff
A $1 million grant awarded to Panhandle Health District will help combat opioid use disorder in the five northernmost Idaho counties through education, outreach and expansion of services. The three-year federal Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Implementation Project Grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The PRxOS (Prescription Opioid Solutions) Project is a community-based collaborative effort with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality associated with local opioid use disorder. This group of agencies and individuals — including health care providers, law enforcement, school administration and others — is dedicated to creating solutions for North Idaho that enable a high quality of life free of preventable disease, disability, injury and premature death. Community concern and the reality of substance use disorder data rates encouraged PHD to mobilize efforts,
community partners and resources. In September 2018, PRxOS was formed from the successful North Idaho Rx Opioid Solution Symposium hosted by the PHD. This event launched conversations and partnerships that have begun to collaboratively establish a cross-sectoral strategic plan. Work groups were structured from best practices used in comparable communities in the United States that have made measurable successes. Four work groups — prevention, harm reduction, access and awareness to treatment, and community resources — have since been compiling data, knowledge and resources to narrow the focus on locally attainable approaches. Being professionally diverse, regionally representative and sustainably addressing local opioid use disorder have been driving values of PRxOS work. “These funds will help us continue with the work we are currently doing and expand resources,” said Kelsey Orlando, PRxOS project director at PHD. Opioids are a class of drugs that are effective for pain relief and commonly
prescribed for acute and chronic pain, post-surgery, during cancer care and throughout palliative care. Increased prescriptions, lack of treatment and recovery resources, and the addictive quality of opioids have led to the increasing number of opioid related overdoses nationwide. The best ways to prevent opioid overdose deaths are to improve responsible opioid prescribing habits, prevent misuse through education, improve access to Naloxone and treat opioid use disorder. The PRxOS work groups meet monthly. People interested in learning more or getting involved should contact korlando@ phd1.idaho.gov. The Spirit Lake Police Department, Marimn Health, Kaniksu Health Services, North Idaho Aids Coalition, Northwest Hospital Alliance, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Heritage Health, Kootenai Care Network, Region 1 Behavioral Health Board, Kootenai Recovery Community Center and Bonner General Health have all committed to helping PHD utilize the grant and implement the prevention program. September 17, 2020 /
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Action plan for reducing division…
Bouquets: GUEST SUBMISSION: • I want to give a shout out and a Bouquet to the one responsible for these signs on the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. They seem to be working. On our walk today, there was not one poop left on the trail. Thank you, whoever you are. — Submitted by Anna Schramm.
GUEST SUBMISSION: I’m an avid Mickinnick trail hiker when here; I’m always amazed by the work that goes into keeping the trail clear through the storms and falling trees. Last week though, I climbed over, under and around at least five fallen trees on Wednesday, only to find the trail clear on Friday. I don’t know who does this, but it must be hard work and they do an amazing job. I’m grateful for the collaborative effort between federal, state and private landowners that have created this gem so close to town. I’m grateful to those that love and maintain it. -Submitted by Jim Imholte. Barbs: GUEST SUBMISSION: • There is an ongoing environmental waste problem with rotting and breaking down docks in the Pend Oreille River near the Dover Bay Marina. This was first noticed a month ago. -Submitted by anonymous.
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Dear editor, I read with dismay several letters to the editor in the Reader and the Daily Bee newspapers this week. Letters from people who are feeling frustrated, helpless and upset about the divisiveness in our community. I too have become increasingly concerned about the direction our county is taking. I feel the current county leadership are in large part contributing to this divisiveness — filing a lawsuit with taxpayer money against the city of Sandpoint and The Festival at Sandpoint, proposing land use code changes that will put industry in rural areas, and defying health and safety protocols that our health professionals have provided. Please consider turning that helpless feeling into action. We have an election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The election includes one of the county commissioner positions. Action Plan: 1.) research the candidates and their positions; 2.) request an absentee ballot and it will be mailed to you; 3.) vote; 4.) we can take charge of our future and turn this divisiveness into respect, tolerance and unity. Vote Tuesday, Nov. 3. Steve Johnson Sagle
Can’t afford ‘four more years’... Dear Editor, I read both former first lady Michelle Obama and Melania Trump’s speeches. What struck me was how alike they were. Both extended condolences to the families of the victims of COVID-19. Melania was the only Republican to do so. Her husband just touted how great he has done. But what really struck me was that both first ladies said Trump is Trump. He has not changed, matured or learned in the job and he is not going to. Melania, of course, thought that was great. Michelle said Trump was simply incompetent. Four years ago, I asked a lot of people why they were voting for Trump. No. 1 answer was, “I hate [Hillary, Obama, liberals, Democrats.” Also, “I like the way he talks — especially how he insults and attacks those I hate.” The second answer was, “Yes, he’s horrible, but I hate abortion and will do a deal with the devil to get rid of it.” (Jesus took a hard pass on deals with the devil.) So, what have four years of hate
and bile gotten us? Abortion? Still here and maybe even more prevalent as Trump has undercut health care. Fires are consuming the entire West Coast. More than 190,000 people have died from a pandemic. Our country had the worst response of any other First World nation. Massive protests started on the first day of his presidency and are happening in every part of the country — 93% of them totally peaceful. The economy has collapsed and government corruption is rampant. Trump’s response is to deny then double down on the hate. Both first ladies agree four more years of Trump will be the same as the last four years. We cannot afford another four years of lies and hatred. It is what it is. Mary Haley Sandpoint
Sheriff Cindy Marx will enforce law, not politicize position… Dear editor, A good sheriff’s department needs a good administrator at the top, someone who is skilled at people management and budgets. Cindy Marx is that person for Bonner County. She has years of experience at Coldwater Creek in human resources and has worked with budgets numerous times. As sheriff, she will see to it that the department runs smoothly and efficiently, show respect and support for the deputies, and enforce the laws instead of politicizing the position. I urge you to vote for Cindy Marx for sheriff. Susan Bates-Harbuck Sandpoint
Trump administration is inciting unrest… Dear editor, Excerpted from The New York Times, Sept. 14, Michael Caputo, 58, installed by the White House at the Department of Health and Human Services, said that the CDC was harboring a “resistance unit” determined to undermine President Donald Trump — engaging in “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic and warning that left-wing hit squads were preparing for armed insurrection. Mr. Caputo said, “There are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well, not until after Joe Biden is president.” He predicted that Mr. Trump will win re-election but his Democratic opponent, Joseph R. Biden Jr., will refuse to concede. “And when Donald
Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin … If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get. ... they’re going to have to kill me, and ... I think that’s where this is going.” He added to The Times, “Since joining the administration my family and I have been continually threatened.” He complained that he was under siege by the media, that his physical health was in question and his “mental health has definitely failed.” (Chris, I think that is pretty clear.) “I don’t like being alone in Washington,” he said, describing “shadows on the ceiling in my apartment, there alone, shadows are so long.” “To allow people to die so that you can replace the president is a grievous sin,” he said. “And these people are all going to hell.” (What about allowing people to die to maintain the Trump presidency? This is classic Trump — you accuse others of what you are doing yourself.) It is Trump and his thugs who are inciting unrest. Chris Mielke Sandpoint
Don’t fall for misrepresentations of Biden-Harris positions… Dear editor, In reading some letters to the editor and viewing some Trump ads, I am in disbelief how anyone could so blatantly misrepresent a candidate’s positions as they have with Joe Biden’s. Joe Biden is a middleof-the-road Democrat who made a name for himself in Congress by working across the aisle with opponents on bipartisan legislation. He helped Barack Obama win solid victories for president in 2008 and 2012, worked to end the recession left by the previous Republican president and helped pass the Affordable Care Act, which gave health care to millions of Americans who lacked coverage. He helped save the auto industry and reduce the deficit caused by our involvement in the Iraq war, leaving a rapidly expanding economy inherited by Donald Trump in 2016. He is not a “socialist, instead is calling for expanding the
Affordable Care Act to cover more Americans. Biden has made it clear he does not favor “defunding the police,” but he believes in better training for law enforcement. He also believes in a comprehensive immigration policy, and in helping reduce climate change — much of the reason for the catastrophic storms, including our current wildfires. And most importantly — he believes in telling the truth about the pandemic we are in, not lying about it to help his re-election chances. Trump has failed in his prime responsibility to protect American lives. He is the wrong person to be president at this time and we need a change. Joe Biden is that experienced and sympathetic voice of reason we need to bring us through this crisis and renew a vibrant economy. Be sure and get your ballot, return it in time, and vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for president and vice president on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Jim Ramsey Sandpoint
PERSPECTIVES
Emily Articulated
A column by and about Millennials
Exactly what we asked for By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist
I rushed from the kitchen to my little office desk, clutching my freshly steeped mug of tea in one hand and throwing open my laptop with the other. It was mere seconds before my scheduled Zoom meeting and, I thought, if I could smoothly set down my mug and smash in my computer password, I could still be on time. Alas, as the condensation on the bottom of my cup made contact with the shallow sill on which I placed it, it was as if the universe was laughing at me. Having only enough time to snatch my laptop out of the course of the teetering mug, I watched as the steamy contents and fragile ceramic chunks splattered across the floor. “Well, shit.” I thought, and then declared, “Today is most definitely an unlucky day.” It wasn’t until later, after my meeting had finished and while I was scrounging for rogue mug shards, that I thought about how absurd a conclusion that was. In reality, the great mug fall of my morning had very little to do with luck, and everything to do with my actions leading up to that event: I chose to wake up late, to rush about my house with reckless abandon and to not pause the extra second it would have taken to find a secure spot for my beverage. When appropriately framing the event, I understood that my misfortune was really exactly what I had been asking for. By acknowledging my role in the
Emily Erickson. mishap, I was setting myself up to prevent something similar from happening in the future. So now, as I’m perched inside writing these words, with the air beyond my walls considered dangerous to breathe, in the year of one unprecedented event after another, I can’t help but apply that same frame of mind to our collective 2020 experience. If the West Coast being blanketed in fire and smoke is the big-picture equivalent of my cascading tea, don’t we have to consider that maybe our current circumstances have very little to do with “the year that won’t quit” and so much more to do with our actions leading up to them? When framed appropriately, our preceding actions to these unprecedented wildfires were to ignore proper land management for decades, routinely suppressing natural burns because they could harm our precious timber harvests and recreation areas. From our carelessness, we additionally introduced invasive, highly flammable plant species to our ecosystems. Even still,
our choices reflect a continued denial of climate change, prioritizing antiquated industry and self-interested businesses over a planet designed to naturally heal itself when properly cared for. When holding ourselves accountable — while holding in tandem the heartfeldt horror for the destruction and loss of property and life — shouldn’t we conclude some of this is exactly what we’ve been asking for? This logic can be applied to the other unprecedented events in 2020. When people were protesting in the streets, fighting for equal rights and justice for the lives lost within their communities — even pushed to riots and looting — shouldn’t we stop asking ourselves, “Could this year get any worse?” and instead question what we did to get here in the first place? When taking responsibility for our actions, we have to acknowledge that it was our country that built its social and economic infrastructure on the backs of enslaved Black people, and which continues to profit off of oppression to this day. It’s been the choice of the powerful and privileged to look the other way when minority communities disproportionately interact with our broken criminal justice system, simultaneously disregarding their stories when they don’t fit the narrative of an attainable “American Dream.” Instead of social unrest being just another 2020 curveball, maybe it’s exactly what we’ve been asking for. When reframing our unprecedented year, I’d be remiss not
to acknowledge how it all got started, with the novel coronavirus pandemic looming over our heads. As the last developed nation standing with high numbers of COVID-19 positive cases in our communities, hanging on to our pandemic struggle with every doubting, mask-protesting fiber of our existence, shouldn’t we acknowledge our role in this unfortunate event? Wasn’t it our leadership at the federal, state and local levels
that failed to take a timely bipartisan stance to keep us safe? As individuals, aren’t we continuing to choose the convenience of looking out solely for ourselves, instead of being conscious of the vulnerable populations within our communities? Suffice to say, I don’t know what the next unprecedented event of 2020 will be, but it will most likely be exactly what we’ve been asking for.
Retroactive
By BO
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OPINION
Football, fear and the facts
Rumors surrounding rocks thrown at school bus in Clark Fork exemplify the damage speculation can do
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff On Friday, Sept. 11, an unidentified projectile hit the Lakeside High School football team’s bus as the team departed Clark Fork. It broke through two windows as the bus was just about to exit town after winning a football game, and no one was seriously injured. The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office investigated alongside the FBI, and announced Sept. 14 that two juveniles had confessed to throwing rocks at the bus. Motives are not yet clear, and felony charges are being sought. School administrators from Plummer — where Lakeside High School is located — released a statement about the incident on Facebook Saturday morning, two days before the announcement about the confessions. As a CFHS alumna and current volleyball coach for the school, my heart dropped into my stomach when I read it. I shared the news along with a statement that I was angry, embarrassed and sad. But over the two days that transpired before any evidence came to light, the irresponsibility of some people — most of them complete strangers, detached from the Clark Fork and Plummer communities — came to light as rumors began to spread. Soon, these baseless rumors were being spread as fact, and the danger of speculation reared its ugly head. When the story hit Twitter, I saw how quickly the lines blurred
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between news and speculation. People were quick to throw around the words “racists,” “sore losers” and “ongoing hate.” All too quickly, that a bus had been struck by an unknown object — breaking windows and scattering glass on the teenagers within — turned into a story about Native American students being shot at in white supremicist hicksville. When I attempted to steer people back on track, I was repeatedly admonished for being defensive and/or, simply, wrong. Don’t get me wrong — I can see why this issue of race might be brought up in relation to this incident. As Idaho Education News pointed out, the student population of Lakeside High School is about 60% Indigenous, while Clark Fork High School’s population is roughly 90% white. In addition, North Idaho is no stranger to white supremicist ideas and incidents. Like many, I have used the sensitive climate surrounding racism in 2020 as a learning opportunity. I am aware of my upbringing in a very white part of the world and the biases that come with that upbringing. I am striving to be more understanding of how my worldview might be influenced by these circumstances, and working to identify, correct and learn from my blindspots each time I’m confronted with a difficult situation involving race. I do not deny my ignorance — I embrace it as a chance to grow. But there is one area in which I’m not ignorant: the power of story.
I have a university degree in how words make people think and feel — rhetorical analysis — and a minor in journalism. I use this education every day as I build fair and informative narratives. Where I begin is where every good journalist begins: the facts. During the Twitter storm, my very professional integrity even came into question. One user accused me of being a “whataboutism” journalist, while yet another urged me to step back and try to be “objective.” I understand my implied bias by being a part of the Clark Fork community, but to claim I’m being unobjective by waiting for absolutely any scrap of evidence? That logic is beyond me. When speculation begins to seep into the narrative, it’s like a messy game of telephone — where do the facts end, and the theories begin? When those theories immediately jump to a hate crime — when in fact, all
we knew directly following the incident was that an unidentified projectile shattered two bus windows — the only thing that can come of it is anger. If it does turn out that racism was the motive, there will be plenty of time to be justifiably angry. In the meantime, it’s important that we give thanks that no one was seriously hurt and consider how we, as a broader community, can mitigate such irresponsible, dangerous incidents in the first place. I will not deny the sometime-animosity between towns and schools that have competed against one another in sports for decades — but that same tension can be found between Clark Fork and Mullan, or Wallace. However, there also exists mutual respect and understanding. We are rural communities, above all else. We all want what is best for our kids. When a Lakeside athlete died last year, the Clark Fork football team attended his funeral. The
gesture was welcomed, and appreciated. The narrative of racial hate and competitive rage that’s come to the surface following the bus incident reduces the complexity of human relationships down to something flashy, fearful and aggrieved — all without any evidence to back up that narrative. Accusations directed at an entire town without any evidence are irresponsible, and unchecked sensationalism made this already horrifying incident worse. As I promised on Twitter over the weekend, I was one of the first to share that the culprits had been taken into custody. If those juveniles’ intentions were racist, I will do the same. I am not in the business of shielding my community from hard truths — I’m in the business of finding, simply, the truth.
FEATURE
From Bonner County to outer space
A SpaceX earth station on Colburn Culver Road brings into question planning policy, future of Selle Valley
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff North Idaho may soon have a connection to a worldwide effort to launch a space-based internet service into every nook and cranny of the planet. Starlink, an initiative by private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company SpaceX, would use a series of “gateway earth stations” hooked up to existing fiber optic internet systems to ultimately provide internet to even the most remote places in the world. But Bonner County’s earth station, located on Colburn Culver Road, has become the topic of extreme scrutiny. Many residents have expressed concern that the site hasn’t been adequately studied, and its classification as a “solar” operation under county code is inaccurate. Above all, Selle Valley residents see the SpaceX operation as in direct conflict with desires outlined in a recently revamped comprehensive plan that puts keeping the area rural as a top priority. Starlink meets Sandpoint Initial outrage over the project focused largely on 5G, which Commissioner Dan McDonald contends will not be a part of the Starlink hardware installed on Colburn Culver. He did note, however, that the county’s planning department is spearheading an advisory committee to study 5G, “as there is a great deal of misinformation out there about it.” “That being said, we have repeatedly established there is no 5G at this site,” McDonald told the Sandpoint Reader in late August. “It uses fiber optics for communication from the satellite download. This is the same technology that has been in use since the ’70s and the communication portion to each home would be through a home-mounted satellite dish like those that have been in use for decades.” Providing the fiber and constructing the actual site is Coeur d’Alene-based internet company Fatbeam. Property owner John Mace told the Reader that Fatbeam approached him about leasing his property for the SpaceX site and, to his knowledge, the infrastructure is in place. According to Planning Director Milton Ollerton, the project area consists of a 240-square-foot enclosure over gravel, hosting hardware used to communicate with SpaceX satellites. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has described the antenna “ground stations” as looking “like a UFO on a stick” — a bulbous white structure enclosed around a device that will communicate with what could eventually be
42,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to Parabolic Arc. Neither Fatbeam nor SpaceX replied to requests for comment regarding the number of antennas being utilized at the site, or when the site will become active. The debate on the ground At the core of the issue is how and why the Bonner County Planning Department defined the structures under Title 11 — which regulates building permits — instead of Title 12, which handles land use. The issue took center stage at a public hearing Aug. 14, during which Bonner County commissioners heard an appeal from several residents who believe the department’s decision to define the SpaceX antenna structures as “solar” rather than as “communications towers” was inaccurate and needs correcting. During the hearing, Ollerton shared that his department became aware of the site when a neighbor reported the start of the construction. Bonner County issued a stop-work order June 10, and determined that the project required a building location permit. That permit, applied for by Mace and Fatbeam, was approved July 10. After working with Fatbeam to better understand the design and purpose of the antennas placed on the property, planning staff determined that the SpaceX equipment would be “communicating upward and not across the landscape like an antenna on a tower would,” and since the devices were secured to the ground, they were most comparable to solar panels, as defined by county code. Because solar operations are allowed in all zones, the SpaceX site did not require analysis under Title 12. Therefore, the project did not require a conditional use permit, public hearing or a “formal review” against the comprehensive plan — only a BLP. Had the site been classified as a communication tower, such procedures would have been in order. “This is a communication enterprise,” said Selle Valley resident Jared Johnston during the hearing, “and comparing it to a solar array is absurd.” Several appellants referred to a sign posted at the SpaceX site warning people of radio frequency fields possibly exceeding “FCC rules for human exposure,” and questioned how such an operation could be allowed in an area zoned agricultural. Selle-Samuels Sub-Area Planning Committee Vice Chair Charles Pope told the commissioners that even if they weren’t considering his group’s proposed comprehensive plan updates — which have been in the works for more than three years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic — the decision to classify the site under Title 11 “doesn’t pass
the common sense test on multiple levels.” “The only thing solar about the SpaceX wireless backhaul site that they both point up in the sky,” Pope said. “Mr. Ollerton swung and missed this one, and now he and/or you, our elected public servants, have the ability to make it right.” Commissioners voted unanimously to uphold the building permit. “It’s definitely not a tower. It doesn’t fit that description at all. Does it fit ‘solar panel?’ I struggle with that myself,” said Commissioner Jeff Connolly before the vote, adding that he doesn’t believe there is anything unlawful going on behind the scenes to force the BLP through. “There’s no malicious intent or anything else,” he added. “The FCC, now, making sure that our community members are healthy and not affected by these things — that’s a conversation, but it’s a different conversation.” Looking ahead The appellants — which are now referring to themselves collectively as the Save Selle Valley group — filed a request for reconsideration with the Bonner County commissioners on Aug. 28. Norman Semanko, an attorney representing Save Selle Valley, told the Reader that after 60 days with no action from the board, that request will expire on Oct. 27. The citizen group would then have 28 days to file an appeal in state court, if they choose to do so. “It is the County’s determination that a conditional use permit is not required (along with the BLP) that is the real issue,” Semanko wrote Sept. 14 in an email to the Reader. “The group maintains that the property is not currently zoned for use as a SpaceX earth station site.” What’s more, Semanko wrote that the Save Selle Valley group also filed a petition Sept. 4 with the FCC, “seeking reconsideration of SpaceX’s federal permit for the Colburn site (a temporary 60 day permit which expires on September 28) and asking that it be revoked for failure to comply with the applicable FCC Rules.” Semanko said that key components of the group’s request to the FCC include SpaceX’s “failure to adequately determine the population numbers in the area or to account for
The SpaceX earth station located on Colburn Culver Road. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert. certain critical infrastructure, including the existing Amtrak passenger rail service that passes through the area, as well as the key highways in the area.” In addition, SpaceX has not yet obtained a long-term FCC license for the Colburn Culver Road earth station, and “the group can oppose that application if and when it is accepted for filing by the FCC.” Tensions between members of the Selle-Samuels Sub-Area Planning Committee and Bonner County officials continue to ramp up, over both the SpaceX project and the committee’s comprehensive plan updates. Several committee members used the public comment portion of the commissioners’ Sept. 15 business meeting to air those concerns. Allegations of altered maps included in the committee’s proposed comprehensive plan documents came to light, which some said appear to be an attempt by the planning department to “undermine” the committee’s efforts. Selle Valley resident Fred Omodt pointed out that the SpaceX project site was not included within the boundaries of the new maps. Ollerton told the Reader that the misprinted maps are likely due to a computer error, and that he wasn’t made aware of the issue before the meeting. “They quickly got themselves whipped up over a conspiracy created by themselves as opposed to acting like adults and finding out what actually happened,” McDonald told the Reader in an email following the meeting. “As we found out, it wasn’t some evil plot by Planning or the Commissioners, it had nothing to do with SpaceX, it was an issue with printing. A completely innocent mistake.” Meanwhile, members of the Selle-Samuels Sub-Area Planning Committee will host a “Read The Plan” open house Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oden Hall, 143 Sunnyside Road, where copies of the the committee’s finished comprehensive plan — submitted to Bonner County Planning in February — will be available to read. September 17, 2020 /
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Mad about Science:
Brought to you by:
covid-19 misinformation By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist This week’s subject was suggested by the library’s lifelong learning coordinator, Mike Bauer. Thanks, Mike! COVID-19 is a volatile subject right now. It’s still a relatively new disease and all of the facts surrounding it are still evolving on a daily basis. While most of us are already confused by the glut of changing information, there are also active misinformation campaigns blowing up our social media feeds. The purpose of these campaigns isn’t immediately clear, but are believed to be driven by the same factors that inspired yellow journalism (a.k.a. “fake news”) in the past: profiteering from sensationalism and seeding discord to propagate a number of political agendas to build momentum for a certain type of political alignment or candidate, or just to cause general chaos among the population. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of something you’ve read online, particularly in your social media feed, always ask yourself this question: “What does the poster of this content have to gain by my consumption of this information?” If you’re still unsure about something, please speak with a local librarian. Librarians have been on the front lines of the misinformation war for as long as we’ve collected books to share knowledge. Speaking from experience, librarians take on intense amounts of training to discern the legitimacy of information spread by social sources — particularly on social media. Some of the misinformation surrounding COVID-19 has been propagated by government officials who either have no idea what 12 /
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they’re talking about, or seem to be willing participants in these active misinformation campaigns, which turn fact-checking into a heated political fight. Today, we will take a look at some of these examples. My intention isn’t to upset some people’s political sensibilities; my intention is to research and share facts from scientists. If this article upsets you, I would suggest discussing it with a librarian or a professional in the medical science field. Injecting Disinfectant While it’s true that disinfectants like bleach can kill the SARS-COV-2 virus, it also kills our own cells at an equal rate. Chlorine bleach damages cells by oxidizing matter within the cells and causing them to break down, effectively killing them. Because of that, it’s virtually impossible for bacteria and viruses to build up an immunity to chlorine bleach. Injecting disinfectants into your bloodstream causes your blood cells to break down, effectively poisoning you. Ultraviolet Radiation UV radiation does a fantastic job at killing bacteria and viruses. We have developed extremely useful water filters that barrage water with ultraviolet radiation, killing the bacteria and making it safe to drink. It also breaks down the cells in our body. A sunburn happens when UV radiation damages the DNA of our skin cells, causing them to break down and in essence poison the surrounding area, causing swelling and sloughing of the dead skin cells, which we observe as peeling. Our skin cells are specially adapted to produce a pigment called melanin, which is responsible for the bronzed hue we take on when we start to tan. Our lung cells are very specially adapted to perform a certain task — no
part of which includes interaction with focused ultraviolet radiation. Exposure to large amounts of UV radiation in our lungs results in the same kind of damage as a sunburn, but which opens avenues for rapid bacterial infection (pneumonia) in two of our most vital and sensitive organs. Concentrated exposure could actually increase the odds of complications from COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine Also known as Plaquenil, this is an immunosuppressant and antimalarial drug. It’s two largest uses are to help treat people suffering from lupus and malaria, respectively. Lupus is a complicated autoimmune disease, which basically means those suffering from lupus have a hyperactive immune system that will attack other cells of the body. You’ve heard me talk about my celiac disease before — that is also an autoimmune disease where my body attacks the gluten protein in wheat, and ends up dealing collateral damage to my intestinal cells. Malaria is passed by a parasite that exists within mosquitoes, mostly in tropical areas. There has been no evidence that hydroxychloroquine does anything to help prevent or treat COVID-19, and the FDA actually recommends against using it for this reason. Horse Dewormer This one recently made the rounds in our local social media feeds, and even caused a panic buyout of horse medication in several local farm and feed stores. Horse deworming medication is designed to kill multicellular parasites such as roundworm and tapeworm, similar to the ones you’ve seen extracted from humans on medical television shows. These parasites feed off the blood of animals by boring into their intestines, but their eggs
are small enough to slip into the bloodstream and travel to virtually any connected organ, including the heart and brain. These are not viruses, and the medication to treat them has absolutely no effect on the SARS-COV-2 virus. Similarly, taking antibiotics to treat viral infections is not only useless, but dangerous, as it helps strengthen bacteria that survived the treatment, leading to drug-resistant strains of bacteria like MRSA.
This doesn’t scratch the surface of the immense amount of misinformation floating around the internet right now. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask for help from the library. The staff is there to help enlighten you in a safe, judgment-free zone. Trust me, I tend to ask them a lot of stupid questions, and they haven’t laughed me off the property — yet. Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner ?
Don’t know much about cars • There are an estimated 1.4 billion cars in use around the world today. By 2035, experts estimate that number could be between 1.7 billion and 2 billion. • China produced 28% of the approximate 92 million automobiles manufactured in the world in 2019. The U.S. contributed about 12% with almost 11 million automobiles produced in 2019, while Japan turned out 9.6 million vehicles, accounting for 10.5% of the worldwide total. • The “new car smell” is composed of over 50 volatile organic compounds. Most of the interior of an automobile consists of plastic held together with a number of adhesives and sealers. These are the materials that release the VOCs, via out- or off-gassing. • Were cars able to drive to the moon, it would take fewer than six months to get there at 60 miles per hour. • The average car has 30,000 parts. • 92% of all new sold cars in Brazil are able to use ethanol as fuel,
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which is produced from sugar cane. • When the 10 millionth Model T rolled off the assembly line in 1924, half of all cars in the world were Fords. By the end of the ’20s Ford had produced more than 15 million Model Ts — a record that wasn’t broken until the 1970s, by the Volkswagen Beetle. • Volkswagen owns Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Audi, Ducati and Porsche. • The average American spends about 38 hours a year stuck in traffic. • The lifetime odds of dying in a motor-vehicle crash are 1 in 106. • When the car radio was introduced, some states wanted to ban it arguing that it could distract drivers and cause accidents. • There are more cars than people in Los Angeles. • Sweden’s Volvo made the threepoint seatbelt design patent open and available to other car manufacturers for free, in the interest of safety. It saves one life every six minutes.
HISTORY
‘The city of our dreams,’ one school at a time By Chris Corpus and Hannah Combs Reader Contributors She lay in bed, musing about the churches, schools and civic centers that would one day replace the wild land that surrounded her cabin in every direction. She would be there to see it all happen, side by side with L.D. Someday she would get to see more of her husband, but for now she needed to sleep. They traded shifts at the Northern Pacific depot at dawn. Her eyelids had just closed when the three taps came again at the dark window, tap, tap, tap… tap, tap, tap. She leapt up, threw on some clothing and went outside to investigate, searching the grounds with a revolver in her hand. Never knowing fear, she yelled out, “You can’t scare me!” Ella Mae Farmin’s husband, L.D., worked nights as stationmaster of the depot, and she faced nightly harassment by a would-be “jumper” who tried to spook her off the land. That’s who’d been tapping at her window. Considered by many as the civic mother of Sandpoint, Ella Mae, L.D. and their young son moved to Sandpoint so she and her husband could pursue opportunities with the Northern Pacific railroad. At the time, they could still apply for land in Bonner County through the Homestead Act, so the Farmins claimed 160 acres just west of Sand Creek for their own. If they worked the land for five years, it would be granted to them fair and square, so long as it wasn’t “jumped” by a squatter. Fortunately for the town of Sandpoint, Ella Mae’s wouldbe squatter couldn’t outlast her indomitable spirit. Back before Sandpoint was a town, it was merely a spur the railroad used to get sand for their locomotives. Then it became a Wild West depot stop on the new Northern Pacific railroad once the company completed the bridge across the lake. The entire town fit on the east side of Sand Creek. Restless and rootless men came and went in search of work or adventure. The railroad-leased land
A brief history of Bonner County schoolhouses Part 2
provided a hotel and other places to stay, hot meals, various dry goods, groceries and, of course, saloons. But no schools. Eventually, workers for the railroad and the blossoming lumber industry poured in and now included settlers with families eager to put down roots. The Farmins were among the loudest voices demanding that children be educated and that saloon-goers go to church, but at that time there were no established schoolhouses or churches. Sandpoint’s earliest known teacher, Pappy Smith, had been taking advantage of unused space around the railroad town (including a former saloon and dance hall) to lead several children in the “rudiments of education” as early as 1885. Now it was time to make a lasting commitment to education by building a proper schoolhouse. After guarding it fiercely for years, the Farmins formalized their land claim and platted large portions of it as a town site on the west side of Sand Creek. In 1894, the community built the first schoolhouse on donated Farmin property at the corner of First Avenue and Church Street. The one-room structure served as the heart of town gatherings, with everyone looking forward to Christmas pageants and the yearly end-of-school picnic. Shortly thereafter, a four-room school named Central was built beside it. Many considered it an extravagant waste of money, saying that a building so large would “not be needed for years, if ever.” Yet with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1892 and Spokane International Railroad in
Left: Sandpoint School, the first school building built for a school, as seen in 1898-1899. It was located at the northwest corner of First Avenue and Churcb Street. The building to the right is Central or Defenbach School, and the building in the corner is the teachers cottage. Donated by Lucille Brisboy. Right: Photo of Farmin School being torn down. Photo first published in the Pend Oreille Review. 1906, Sandpoint had grown enough by 1907 to erect the grandest school building in the area — the three-story Farmin School. The Farmin family intended to donate the large plot of land, but they had to raise funds for the building by selling another property. Always civic minded, Ella Mae thought the property should go to a local church, but they needed to raise $500 to purchase it. In her effort to help them fundraise, Ella Mae’s iron will was once more put to the test. After campaigning for donations, she was still $50 short when a wealthy saloon owner offered to make up the difference. As a teetotaler, Ella Mae was morally affronted, but “the temptation was too strong” and she conceded that “with the understanding that we are going to put you out of business just as quickly as we can, I will take the money, and thank you.” With multiple schools in town, a formal school district was created — complete with a school board and superintendent, Henry T. Irion. Henry’s wife, Nell K. Irion, taught first grade at the new Farmin School and was regarded with awe, respect and a touch of fear by her students.
As Catherine Moon Littlefield remembered, “There were no exceptions to the rule of disciplining one’s bladder to coincide with recess.” During the 10 years of Henry T. Irion’s tenure, enrollment more than tripled, reaching nearly 1,000 students served by three brick buildings and 33 teachers. The Humbird school was one of the three, built in 1909 by the Humbird Lumber Company to accommodate the 80 families who worked at the mill and lived in “Milltown.” The beautiful brick building was eventually renamed Lincoln. It remains standing as Lake Pend Oreille High School. The beautiful brick building on Euclid — today known as the Sandpoint Business and Events Center — started serving high-school students in 1922, graduating 36 seniors. Its last graduates enjoyed pomp and circumstance in 1954, numbering 121 — the largest senior class in its history. Happily, it still stands, mostly because it landed on the National Historic Buildings list for Idaho, and Baker Construction and Development had the vision to restore it to its grandeur. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the iconic Farmin
School. Despite its imposing façade, it seemed to suffer from structural deterioration. L.G. “Bud” Moon remembered playing basketball in the third-story gymnasium, that “it was shaking the whole building apart.” Conditions became so bad that, in the late ’60s, a hoax photo was published showing the school on fire while children waved from the windows. The effort to incite action (and perhaps alarm) worked, and the building was shortly thereafter sold and demolished. Nothing remains of the grandest school of Sandpoint’s history, but Ella Mae’s vision can still be seen throughout the city and across the county. In her city of dreams, education is valued highly by the students, the parents, the teachers and the community members — even the saloon keepers. Brought to you by the Bonner County Historical Society. For more stories about Ella Mae, Nell K. Irion and other amazing Bonner County pioneers, visit the exhibit, “The Women Who Shaped Bonner County,” at the Bonner County History Museum, 611 S. Ella Ave., in Sandpoint. September 17, 2020 /
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FEATURE
Fifty years along the shore The past and future of Edgewater resort
By Cameron Rasmusson Reader Contributor Since its donation to the city of Sandpoint by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1922, City Beach has drawn tourists from around the world. The Edgewater Resort has housed those tourists for about half of those nearly 100 years. Perched on the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille near the gateway to City Beach, the hotel continues its long tradition as a family owned and operated business to this day. But times are changing. The Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department has big plans for expanding services and amenities at the beach. Meanwhile, the Cox family, which runs the Edgewater Best Western through its company Sand-Ida, plans to renovate the hotel and double its occupancy. A proposed land swap, slated for a final decision by the Sandpoint City Council later this year, could be the key to unlocking both potential futures. “This deal works from the spirit of [a leasing agreement] we have with the city,” said Adrian Cox, one of the family members behind Sand-Ida. “It changes things up a fair bit, but functionally, it’s not so different from what we’ve had going on for decades.”
The early days of Sandpoint tourism Almost as long as City Beach has attracted tourists, there has been a hotel on the land now occupied by the Edgewater. Before the Edgewater came along, travelers in need of shelter sought out the Lakeshore Tourist Park. In the 1940s, tourism to Lake Pend Oreille was expanding rapidly. Several factors contributed to its heightened popularity. Beginning with widespread popularity of the Model T between 1908 and 1927, Americans were increasingly mobile. But it wasn’t until the 1930s when the modern 14 /
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U.S. Highway 95 provided a safe, comfortable route to Sandpoint for the car-owning population. A slew of magazine articles — including features in TIME and Life — boosted Lake Pend Oreille’s fame as an ideal fishing, boating and swimming destination. Events like the growing K&K Fishing Derby contributed to that reputation — especially after a Lake Pend Oreille angler bagged a record-setting, 37-pound Kamloops rainbow trout in 1947. According to the Bonner County History Museum, the Lakeshore Tourist Park was among 27 resorts and hotels that popped up along the Lake Pend Oreille shoreline by the late 1940s. With its convenient location within Sandpoint next to City Beach, it soon became one of the most popular local lodging options. “The park featured eight completely modern cabins with toilet and wash bowls, kitchens and a good mattress on every bed,” Hannah Combs and Chris Corpus of the Bonner County Historical Society wrote in a July 2020 article for the Reader. “It boasted a fine bathing beach and bath house. It helped that civic leaders solved the problem of the annual spring floods by cleaning up driftwood debris and raising the level of the beach.”
A family enterprise After the Lakeshore Tourist Park came the Northshore, a hotel that existed for only a few years. According to Adrian Cox, his grandfather, Bob Cox, purchased the bankrupt enterprise in the late 1960s, expanding it by 30 rooms and laying the foundation for what it is today. Bob Cox served as a pivotal figure in Sandpoint during the ’50s and ’60s. A businessman whose influence grew with the town’s burgeoning reputation as a tourist destination, he was a player in the early days of Schweitzer Mountain Resort and the local hospitality industry. The elder Cox established Sand-Ida in the late 1950s,
initially to manage the Travelers Motel. “He was a pretty influential dude around town,” said Adrian. After Bob Cox’s death in the 1980s, his son Allen — Adrian’s father — and his brother took over management of Sand-Ida. Adrian recalls being immersed in the hotels and convenience stores under the Sand-Ida umbrella. “We definitely grew up filling pop machines and sweeping parking lots and things like that,” he said. Shortly after Allen Cox died in a car accident in 1995, the business passed to Adrian and his four siblings, all of whom have an equal stake. In 1998, after years of running an in-house restaurant at the Edgewater, the Cox family leased out their dining and kitchen space to prominent local restaurateurs Jim Lippi and Barney Ballard. In 1999, Sand-Ida struck a franchise deal with Best Western to operate under the international brand’s banner.
Looking to the future The Cox family sees continued great potential in the Edgewater and, over the past decade, they’ve aligned their business interests to pursue that potential. Two years ago, Sand-Ida sold the Quality Inn to invest resources in a planned expansion from the Edgewater’s existing 54 rooms. “That’s quite small by hotel standards,” Cox said. “So that’s the main goal: Expand it, make it bigger.” But where to expand? That’s where the land swap with the city of Sandpoint comes in. Under the terms of the proposed deal, the two entities would exchange the 2.15-acre Edgewater RV park property south of City Beach for the 1.5-acre green space that lies between the hotel and the waterfront. “From an economic development perspective, the swap will support construction of a brand new vibrant, thriving hotel and
restaurant that offers in-demand meeting and event space and contributes to our overall economy,” said Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton. “It is anticipated that the current structure will be demolished in September 2021 and the new hotel and restaurant will open 18 months later.” “From a public park perspective, the land swap will allow the city to begin engineering and design to begin Phase 1 of the City Beach concept, which will likely be the new boat launch and parking area,” Stapleton added. “We have already identified potential grant funding that will support the project.” The deal would give the Edgewater the space it needs to add rooms and, among other things, it allows the city to introduce dedicated boat trailer parking on Sand Creek — a move that would help alleviate much of City Beach’s parking congestion. “That’s really one of the biggest problems at City Beach — the parking — so this works for everyone,” Cox said. It also allows the Edgewater to expand without displacing popular local restaurant Trinity at City Beach. In fact, that’s the main reason Sand-Ida has pursued this particular route toward expansion, Cox said. “We are very mindful that we want this to be an asset to the town,” he added. Trinity owner Justin Dick said the swap will open many improvements for his restaurant. These include a new kitchen and expanded dining area with ADA compliance, expanded parking, energy-efficient heating and air conditioning and more. “[This is] a great example of a public-private partnership for the benefit of our community, the city of Sandpoint and many local businesses besides Trinity and the hotel,” Dick said. Yet, not everyone believes the land swap is in the best interest of all parties. Former Sandpoint Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk
said the benefits of the land swap are weighted toward Sand-Ida, putting the city’s valuable green space in the hands of a private entity. “The proposed City Beach Master Plan and Land Trade envision utilizing the RV Park for a boat launch and trailer parking,” Van Dyk said. “Access in and out of the RV Park is difficult and often blind to traffic entering City Beach from the west. In my opinion, the proposed RV Park utilization is dangerous and unnecessary. Moving the boat ramp is a sound idea, but moving it to the west end of existing city property at the beach is safer and less rife to conflict at the [railroad] bridge.” Furthermore, Van Dyk said there are legal ambiguities built into the original donation of the green space to the city from Northern Pacific Railway. A corrected deed from May 1975 states: “should the premises cease to be used for park purposes … this instrument shall become null and void, and the premises immediately revert to the grantor, who may forthwith resume possession.” Van Dyk said it’s unclear what this means for the proposed deal, and BNSF, the company that supplanted Northern Pacific, hasn’t returned his requests for comment. According to Stapleton, the public will have a chance to share its thoughts on the proposed deal soon enough. “The [Sandpoint City] Council first needs to declare values for the properties and schedule a public hearing,” she said. “We anticipate this taking place in October with the public hearing to consider approval of the swap taking place in November.” Should the deal go through, it will be the next big milestone for a hotel that has seen nearly 50 years of sunrises and sunsets along the waters of Lake Pend Oreille. Cox said he looks forward to watching how it all unfolds. “That’s a pretty darn good compromise when you have a situation where everyone wins,” he said.
Here are some photos that made the cut this week. If you’d like to submit a photo for a future edition, please send to ben@sandpointreader.com.
Top: Firefighters from Sam Owen and Clark Fork Fire Districts walked the Long Bridge on 9/11/20 with flags to show support for first responders who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks. From left to right: Eagle Schacht, Timo Schacht, Cecil Jensen, Grant Bansemer and Austin Theander. Photo by Jean Bansemer. Middle left: A pileated woodpecker checks out the wood on Bruce and Gretchen Duykers’ deck. “Hope he doesn’t put it on his menu!” Bruce wrote. Photo by Gretchen Duykers. Middle rIght: Lady Liberty Pier at Sandpoint City Beach as swimmers get in their last backflips before the cold weather (and smoke) rolled in. Photo by Terry Owens. Bottom left: HannaMae Kee sits in a 500-year-old church pew wearing vintage clothes she found at the Bonner County Museum yard sale on Sept. 12. Photo by Susan Drinkard. Bottom right: Sandy Bessler and Suzanne Jewell relax on the beach at Maiden Rock after a raucous kayaking paddle in high winds “going the wrong way.” This was just a couple days before the smoke rolled into the region. Photo by Susan Drinkard.
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COMMUNITY
Family fun fills Ponderay Neighbor Day By Reader Staff
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Ponderay Neighbor Day is back by popular demand, bringing people together around ponies, snow cones, crafts, live music, local food and fun activities for the whole family. Be prepared for a little magic this year — courtesy of magician Starr Alexander, who will be performing mini-magic shows throughout the afternoon. Another novel addition to the day will be an axe-throwing booth sponsored by the city. Events start at 1 p.m. and continue until 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Harbison Field behind the Hoot Owl Restaurant off Highway 200 in Ponderay. Returning to the stage is the Miah Kohal Band, while Sweet Lou’s will be hosting a beer garden and serving up pub food favorites. Food vendors also include gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches from Selle Valley Creamery, ice cream from Sun Bear, 7B Barbecue and more. Family friendly activities include a climbing wall, petting zoo, inflatables, pony rides, a North 40 fly fishing booth and a craft activity courtesy of The Home Depot. A dunk tank sponsored by Ponderay police, heavy equipment displayed by Pape Machinery and Independent Highway District, and retail and craft vendors will help fill in the mini-“Main Street” laid out in Harbison Field. Parking again will be off Emerald Industrial Park Drive, with limited parking behind the Hoot Owl. Admission is free, but participants will be asked to practice social distancing and take advantage of the multiple hand washing and sanitization stations donated by Ace Septic Tank Services to prevent the possible spread of the COVID-19 virus. Ponderay Neighbor Day is an opportunity to come together as a community in the location of a future underpass to provide safe access to the lakeshore. Public outreach about recreation and connection projects, including the lakeshore connection and the Field of Dreams regional sports and recreation complex, have been among the objectives of the event. This past summer, the city applied for a federal BUILD planning grant to fund the design and engineering of an underpass at the Harbison Field location, which would allow pedestrian and bicycle access to the lakeshore. This is not the first time the city has applied, but city officials point out that large federal grants often take multiple applications for success. This year, the city also launched the Front Yard Project, the planning and cleanup of the Black Rock area, which is contaminated with heavy metals due to historic mining operations. In 2019, the city applied for and received a Brownfields Mul/ September 17, 2020
tipurpose grant for $800,000 in hazardous substances funding to address much needed planning, assessment, and cleanup activities within the historic smelter area. With the Front Yard Project and an undercrossing — partially funded by the city’s 1% local option tax, approved last year by city residents — the city could potentially create park amenities along the shoreline. Ponderay is inviting public input on how that area could be designed to serve the public. Much like a front yard is a place to gather and recreate, Ponderay’s waterfront is a place where the community one day will safely gather to enjoy the lake and each other’s company. Residents who stop by the mini-City Hall at Ponderay Neighbor Day to learn about the Front Yard Project will be entered into a free raffle. Drawings will be made at the tail end of the event for a Stihl chainsaw donated by Pape Machinery, an Ozark Trail high performance cooler donated by Walmart and a night’s stay at the Outdoors Inn, donated by Ponderay’s newly remodeled motel on Highway 200. Ponderay Neighbor Day is funded
Images from Ponderay Neighbor Day events in the past. Courtesy City of Ponderay. through generous sponsorships from local businesses and organizations. For instance, Avista donated power to the site, which is needed by some of the event’s vendors. Other “Skyline” sponsors include Ting, Mountain Metals, The Retreat at Bay Trail, Selle Valley Construction, HMH Engineering, In & Out Painting, Mountain West Bank, P1FCU, Ace Septic Tank Service, Pony Go Round, KPND Radio, Kootenai Ponderay Sewer District, Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail and the city of Ponderay. Additional sponsors include Litehouse Foods, DSS Backyard Events, Pape Machinery, Sandpoint Furniture Carpet One, Taco Bell, Idaho Forest Group, Sandpoint Building Supply, Construction Northwest, Lake Premix, Safeway and Waste Management. Additional sponsors and vendors are still welcome. For more information, visit the city’s website at cityofponderay.org/ponderay-neighbor-day/ or call Ponderay City Hall at 208-265-5468.
COMMUNITY
Kaniksu Land Trust seeks re-accreditation Public comment period on application now open
By Reader Staff Kaniksu Land Trust is applying for renewal of accreditation, which it first achieved in 2016, from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance that recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national standards of excellence. A public comment period is now open, followed by an extensive review of KLT’s policies and programs. “The seal of accreditation assures our community that Kaniksu Land Trust is adhering to the highest standards and is guided by ethical practices, solid fiduciary responsibility and a strong governance model,” KLT Executive Director Katie Cox stated in a news release. “Tending land forever is a task that requires our community to have confidence in our organization. Having strong policies and programs in place demonstrates that we can take on the
important role of protecting natural places and working lands forever.” The commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Kaniksu Land Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards, visit landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices. To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit landtrustaccreditation.org or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation. org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 36 Phila St., Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866. Comments on Kaniksu Land Trust’s application will be most useful if received by Monday, Oct. 5.
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events September 17-24, 2020
THURSDAY, September 17
Terra Incognita Gathering • Sept. 17-20 Musical performances by Eric Allison, Queen Bonobo, Cedar and Boyer, Vance Bergeson, Nights of Neon, B Radicls, Josh Hedlund, John Firshi and more. Tickets $20/ day. Tickets avail terraincognitagathering.eventbrite.com
FriDAY, September 18
Live Music w/ Doug Bond & Marty Perron POAC Artist’s Reception: Doug Fluckiger 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery 5-6:30pm @ Columbia Bank Community Plaza Doug’s graphite drawings are a sight to be seen Live Music w/ Devon Wade 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall
SATURDAY, September 19
Sandpoint Regatta Head of the Pend Oreille Regatta 12pm @ Bridge St. Bridge to Cedar St. Bridge @ The Mudhole (Priest River) “Whatever Floats Your Boat” fun time and 10th annual regatta - rowing clubs from the fundraiser for the Sandpoint Chamber. To NW and Canada compete. PORPA.org register, visit sandpointchamber.org. $25/ Pend Oreille Harvest Festival person on your team. Awards for overall Sept. 19-20@ 68 Old Diamond Mill Road winner, most creative and most epic fail. Oldtown’s unique festival with artwork, Live Music w/ Benny Baker crafting, produce and more, including a beer 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery and liquor garden, live music and food Sandpoint Farmers’ Market Get *Pine Street Woods* Plowed 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park 4-10pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. The Market is back at Farmin Park! Drink beer and raise money for Pine St. Woods to get plowed this winter. Live muPonderay Neighbor Day 1-6pm @ Harbison Field (behind Hoot Owl) sic by BareGrass, raffles. Free Free kids activities, carnival games, tastOpen House - Embody ings, demos, live music, food and drink. 9-11am @ Embody Center for the Healing Arts Free and open to everyone New yoga, dance and embodiment classes Live Music: Pamela Jean & Dewey Dorough Live Music w/ Bright Moments Jazz 5-8pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall 8-10pm @ The Back Door
SunDAY, September 20
Piano Sunday w/ Peter Lucht 7-9pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
monDAY, September 21 Monday Night Blues Jam w/ Truck Mills 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Lifetree Cafe 2pm @ Jalapeño’s Restaurant “Concussions: A Former NFL Player Speaks Out.” Free admission
Monday Night Run Posse (free) 6pm @ Outdoor Experience Rock Creek Alliance fundraiser Sept. 21-Oct. 4 @ Idaho Pour Authority Stop by IPA between Sept. 21 and Oct. 4 to help support protecting Lake Pend Oreille
tuesDAY, September 22 wednesDAY, September 23
Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park The Market is back at Farmin Park!
ThursDAY, September 24
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COMMUNITY
Party to plow
Local outdoor nonprofits host fundraiser at Matchwood Brewing to pay for Pine Street Woods snow removal
winter. KLT Executive Director Katie Egland Cox said her organization, as well as POP and Kaniksu Land Trust’s Pine Street Woods SNC, feel it’s “critical” to keep access to the woods open during the winter for the health might be a serene summer destination for and happiness of the community. The Outdoor hiking, biking and enjoying the peace that Recreation Center located at the Pine Street North Idaho’s forests have to offer, but the Woods provides ski and snowshoe rentals, and fun doesn’t end when the snow flies — in ski clinics and Fat Bike group rides are on the fact, some would argue that the fun starts agenda for the upcoming winter. when the woods are covered in white. “Just as Pine Street Woods offers our Those looking to take advantage of skicommunity a forested getaway for trail and ing, snowshoeing and Fat Biking at the Pine education adventures during the summer, Street Woods have an opportunity to keep we eagerly await the wintertime joys that the area accessible as KLT, the Pend Oreille Pedalers and Sandpoint Nordic Club host the will be experienced in the snowy forest and on the groomed trails,” Cox Get *Pine Street Woods* said. “Pine Street Woods, Plowed party at Matchwood Get *Pine Street which provides our comBrewing on Saturday, Sept. Woods* Plowed munity the opportunity 19 from 4-10 p.m. for outside adventure just Featuring live music from The event will feature minutes from home, takes a live music from BareGrass, BareGrass; Saturday, Sept. 19; 4-10 p.m.; Matchwood Brewing, slightly different form in the beer specials, raffle baskets 513 Oak St., 208-718-2739, winter. From cross country and commemorative glassware for sale, with proceeds matchwoodbrewing.com. Learn skiing, to fat tire biking and more at kaniksu.org. snowshoeing, we are excitgoing toward the cost to ed to watch the woods come keep the road and parking alive when the snow falls.” lot leading to Pine Street Woods plowed all By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
STAGE & SCREEN
Thermo-nuclear family By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff In the immediate days following Sept. 11, 2001, I sat for a junior-year class called “Apocalyptic Literature” at then-Albertson College of Idaho. I remember the professor dropped a pile of newspapers on the seminar table, saying our previously assigned texts wouldn’t be enough — that the record of our contemporary existence described “apocalyptic literature” in a more immediate, and historically important, moment. Almost two decades later, so many pieces of real-time media feel like they can be classed as apocalyptic literature; among them, the HBO Max series Raised by Wolves, from executive producer Ridley Scott, who directed the first two episodes. The mind behind the Alien franchise, as well as the iconic film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Blade Runner and The Martian, among many others, Scott has long trafficked in Armageddon and extremis. Raised by Wolves fits hand in space glove with his earlier works, and — based on the first few episodes — tailored for our times. Set in the 22nd century after a reli-
gious war has burned Earth to a cinder, the show’s aesthetics conjure Mad Max-meetsApple Store. In this slick and dangerous reality, humanity has fled aboard a literal Ark, called Heaven, shot into the ether to preserve the last remnants of the species under the dominion of a theocratic order of latter-day crusaders. Bound for Kepler-22b, these “Mithraics” enter orbit at their new Eden a dozen years after a pair of androids — aptly named Mother and Father and sent there by the Atheist faction — have already tried and failed to raise a litter of human children. Of the six kids in the colony, only one remains and Mother is malfunctioning — dangerously so, as she appears to be a weapon of war halfway repurposed into a caregiver. Campion (Winta McGrath), the only child to survive the harsh climate and doubtful parenting of Mother and Father, is a living metaphor for humanity’s struggle to survive the capriciousness of a universe that is by turns uncaring and malevolent. The androids, meanwhile, evoke all the failings that human parents feel on a daily basis: whether our kids are being adequately fed and clothed, what kinds of ideas we’re
Ridley Scott’s HBO Max series Raised by Wolves is a sci-fi post-apocalyptic drama for our time
planting in their heads and what they might grow into, whether our efforts at protecting them do more harm than good. Not to spoil things, but a struggle for the continued existence of humankind ensues between the Mithraic and Atheist way of child rearing, the former led by marooned Mithraic Captain Marcus (Travis Fimmel) and Mother (Amanda Collins). The former brings an ambivalent menace to his role as a conflicted warrior, a mood that fans will recognize from his turn as Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings. The latter is positively bone-chilling in her cyber-Tiger Mom
A still frame from Raised by Wolves. Courtesy image. intensity. (Talk about “mom voice,” this Mother has some pipes.) In the year 2020, with everything in the West on fire, a continuing pandemic, unabated political division and all the struggles that attend those disasters, Raised by Wolves is an apocalyptic piece of art for our time — particularly as it relates to the fraught nature of parentage in these messed up times. Some critics call the show plodding, didactic and/or confused, but, again, that seems par for the course these days.
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SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Sandpoint’s funky float
Chamber revives an old-school Sandpoint tradition with the Sand Creek Regatta
came to Witte with the idea last year, inspired to bring back a tradition from the 1970s and ’80s: the Chamber’s It’s time to strap together a makeBusiness Raft Race. shift watercraft and think buoyant “[My wife and I] did some research thoughts, as the Greater Sandpoint down at the Bonner County Museum Chamber of Commerce hosts the Sand and found some pretty fun pictures of Creek Regatta: a race “put together by businesses like Melody Muffler in their locals, for locals, to celebrate being Viking ship, capsized,” Knepper said. together again.” “We wanted to bring back a community Chamber Member Specialist Ricci event where businesses can participate Witte hopes the regatta will serve as an and enjoy some locals coming out to opportunity for business owners and cheer them on.” locals to reconnect as the tourist season Registration for the Sand Creek Recomes to an end in Sandpoint. gatta is $25 per participant. All water“I’m excited to see craft must be handmade Sand Creek Regatta and human-powered our town’s people,” she said. “I want to capture Saturday, Sept. 19; 12 p.m.; — no existing watercraft $25 per person on a team. that comfortable feeling will be allowed except Race begins at the Bridge of seeing friends and acfor floatation devices quaintances at our major Street bridge. 208-263fewer than 12 inches in 2161, sandpointchamber. summer events and shar- com. Please follow physical diameter. ing a uniquely Sandpoint distancing guidelines. Vessels will launch experience together.” under Bridge Street, Lifetime Sandpointian Jon Knepper turn around at the Cedar Street Bridge
By Lyndsie Kiebert Reader Staff
Sam Owen Fire District imposes immediate fire restrictions By Reader Staff Due to the increasing wildfire danger within the Sam Owen Fire District, commissioners hosted an emergency meeting Sept. 12 and adopted fire restrictions to take effect immediately. The following activities are prohibited within the Sam Owen Fire District any time fire danger levels are “Very High” or “Extreme”: • Building, maintaining, attending or using any open fire, campfire or stove; • Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a designated recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials; • Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails, other than those on the property of and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service or U.S. Bureau of Land Management or within the city limits of Hope and East Hope. 20 /
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The following acts are prohibited from 1 p.m.-1 a.m. (A patrol is required for one hour following cessation of all work as described below): • Operating a chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine for felling, bucking, skidding, processing, road building and woodcutting during industrial operations or firewood gathering; •Blasting, welding or other activities that generate flame or flammable material. Exemptions apply to individuals with a written permit from the chief of the Sam Owen Fire District that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act; those using a fire solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels within a contained device for cooking; any federal, state or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty; and all land within the city boundaries of Hope and East Hope.
and finish at Bridge Street. Awards will be given to Most Recyclable Craft, Most Epic Fail, Race Winner and Most Creative. This year’s theme is “Whatever Floats Your Boat!” Spectators are asked to practice physical distancing along the Sand Creek Trail, the public dock and the two bridges. Bob Witte, of KPND, will announce the race on Facebook Live for spectators both in person and at home. Funds from the event will be used to purchase personal floatation devices for boat ramps and beach areas around Sandpoint. Knepper said there is a “clear need in the community” for free and easily accessible PFDs. “We have seen a few accidents this past summer and it needs [to be] addressed,” he said. “We hope to provide additional life jackets to anyone who needs them with no expense to the borrower.” The 219 Lounge is hosting the official party following the regatta, featuring live music on the patio and a special regatta-themed cocktail. Witte and Knepper agreed that the Sand Creek Regatta is a tribute to Sandpoint’s past, while hoping to inject a little old-school fun into the present. “This is what Sandpoint was like in our youth — weird, funky town events, and caring for your community,” Witte said.
COMMUNITY
LOR Foundation and KRFY team up for the 2020 U.S. Census By Reader Staff As the Sept. 30 census deadline draws near, 88.5 KRFY Community Radio announced it has received a $1,000 Instagrant from the LOR Foundation to help get the word out to ensure a complete and accurate count. The LOR Foundation works to enhance livability in rural parts of the Mountain West, while KRFY broadcasts serve the rural communities of North Idaho — areas that have historically been undercounted in the census. Tune in to KRFY at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, to hear what area leaders have to say about the 2020 census and why it’s vital that everyone be counted. KRFY is reaching out to community and civic leaders and organizations via recorded interviews to find out why an accurate count is essential to North Idaho. The mayors of Sandpoint, Ponderay and Dover will be interviewed along with county and state elected officials. The station will also air a conversation with regional 2020 U.S. Census Bureau spokesperson Misty Slater. There are a number of ways to access the 2020 census: • Fill out the census online at 2020census.gov or follow the 2020 census link on KRFY’s website; • Fill out and send the mailer that you received in early April; • If you are unable to respond online or by mail, call 844-330-2020 and take the census over the phone. For more information visit krfy.org or the station’s Facebook page at facebook.com/KRFY88.5.
Idaho Writers League conference goes virtual By Reader Staff The Idaho Writers League annual conference, set for Saturday, Sept. 26, will be a virtual online event for the first time in 80 years. Billed as, “The virtual writers’ conference your characters would send you to,” writers and authors of all genres, experience levels and ages are invited to join in a full day of workshops, chat cafes, an open mic and the announcement of writing contest winners. Keynote speaker Jack Castle is a bestselling fiction author and “man of adventure,” whose experiences range from a stint as a globe-trotting professional stuntman to lecturing as a criminal justice professor. Castle’s novels have been ranked among the top 100 bestselling books on Amazon and are available worldwide in e-book, print, iTunes, Kobo, and from Barnes and Noble. Conference workshop leaders will present on branding, fiction writing, entering contests to win, igniting creativity, making money with writing and poetry for everyone. For more information and registration, go to idahowritersleague.net. Cost is $55 for IWL non-members.
This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone
READ
Since it was produced sometime between 1,000 and 1,300 years ago, the epic Old English poem Beowulf has been translated about 300 times and remixed into whoknows-how many other artistic media. Now it has received a “feminist” reinterpretation from Maria Dahvana Headley, which critics agree restores the bawdy, raucous, profane verve to the foundational work.
LISTEN
One of the darker pleasures of living through our particular time of upheaval is finding soundtracks to our personal apocalypses. The Dead Brothers are my current favorite. Self described as, “The one and only Death Blues Funeral Trash Orchestra,” the band’s sound is a grim, rollicking amalgam of doomstruck fun and existential dread, which is about as good as it gets these days.
WATCH
Season 2 of Amazon original series The Boys started adding episodes each Friday in recent weeks and, true to form, it’s even more subversive, side-eyed and gallows-funny as its kickoff. In the new installments, our heroes have turned against The Seven, whose moral bankruptcy is becoming impossible to ignore. Part of me thinks The Seven are the heroes we deserve, but The Boys argues otherwise.
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BACK OF THE BOOK The
From Pend Oreille Review, August 26, 1910
BONNER COUNTY PAYS HEAVY TRIBUTE TO FOREST FIRES While Bonner county has no such sad story to relate as its neighboring county of Shoshone as a result of the visitation of forest fires, it has been struck a bad blow by the fire demon and from all parts of the county comes news of loss of homes, ranches and rimber. In only one case is there known to have been a human fatality within the confines of Bonner, that of two men under Assistant Supervisor Stahl of the Pend d’Oreille forest, who burned to death Saturday in a fire which surrounded 32 men of a government patrol in a gulch three miles west of Cabinet. The South end of the county clear from the Kootenai line through to Lake Pend d’Oreille, covering an area from three to seven miles in with and fully 20 miles in length, was swept by flames Saturday and Sunday and was burning fiercly in several places Tuesday afternoon. ...The fire fiend wrought its worst havoc at Sagle and Cocolalla Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, brining devastation to that entire section laying waste a large number of ranches and their buildings and making homeless a large number of people. At Cocolalla the fire swept down Huckleberry mountain from the west, fanned by a wind blowing 20 miles an hour, and sweeping northward and eastward it nearly wiped out the little village of Sagle and left many of the farmers in that section to face desolation and ruin. 22 /
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Late Night Buddhist
Get on your bikes and ride
By Scott Taylor Reader Columnist A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of joining a mountain bike outing with four of the many athletic, kick-ass ladies who inhabit this beautiful playground in which we live. I call them “kick-ass” not only because they’re amazing, capable and admirable in their own right, but also because most of them can kick my ass in any chosen athletic activity: mountain biking, skiing, hiking/ trail running, paddleboarding, climbing, etc. (except ping pong — insert wry smiling emoji here). They had chosen to try biking a trail high up in the Cabinets that was well known for hiking, not so much for mountain biking. We soon discovered why as it turned into a hike-a-bike; the trail was narrow and deeply worn into the bear grass, making pedaling impossible in some places. There were impassable stone steps, tire-shredding pointed rocks and talus falls. In places the trail edged steep slopes where an errant swerve could mean a sudden loss of several hundred feet of elevation, ass-over-teakettle style. I guess it was what serious bikers call “technical.”
It was this quality that demanded precise control of your bike (something I’ve yet to discover; I’m constantly leaving bits of skin and blood on trailside trees, or struggling to keep my front wheel on the ground and out of the huckleberry bushes when grinding up a climb), and prompted my new friend Tammy to philosophize about how negotiating a bike trail is like navigating our way through life. “You know, I’m so focused when I’m riding,” she said. “I don’t think about obstacles, I don’t look at the places I don’t want to go. I see where I want to be, I point my front tire there, and I go. I wish I were that focused on the direction of my life.” You said it girl! We can focus on the hazards, cower from the cliffs, curse every step trudging uphill, or we can choose to see the path that leads to wherever we aspire to dwell: success, triumph, peace of mind, happiness. In Buddhist philosophy the path to enlightenment, liberation and happiness is known as the “Middle Way.” The Chinese philosophy of Taoism — Tao meaning “the way” — also describes a path that leads to happiness and con-
STR8TS Solution
Sudoku Solution
tentment. It was this “Middle Way” that I should have been focusing on when I was bombing downhill back to the cars, trying to keep up with Sue, and struck a rock with my pedal that slammed my knee up into the top tube of my bike. After several minutes of lying in the trailside brush writhing — alternately wailing and moaning — the ladies helped me back on my bike and I coasted, semi-crippled, down to the trailhead, where a cold beer and a couple of Advils soothed the pain. So whether we heed Freddie Mercury’s — and appropriately, in this case, Queen’s — call to action or travel our path by some other mode, we’re more likely to reach our chosen destination if we focus on where we want to go, rather than where we don’t. Choose happy!
Crossword Solution
Laurie got offended that I used the word “puke.” But to me, that’s what her dinner tasted like.
Solution on page 22
Solution on page 22
ineffable
Woorf tdhe Week
By Bill Borders
/in-EF-uh-buhl/
[adjective] 1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible.
“What is that ineffable force we feel when waking early before dawn?”
Corrections: Nothing to note this week. Thanks for reading. –BO
Copyright www.mirroreyes.com
Laughing Matter
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Beach 6. Unit of land 10. Ailments 14. Continuation of the coat collar 15. Murres 16. Tidy 17. Before 18. Fender blemish 19. Arrived 20. Rovings 22. Largest continent 23. Renegade 24. Work dough 25. Uterus 29. Asserted 31. Greed 59. Feudal worker 33. Becoming gradually 60. Auspices narrower 61. Duck down 37. A long narrow ship 62. Back 38. A feeling of intense 63. Dispatched unhappiness 64. Move stealthily 39. Voter 41. Lewd 42. Hardy coarse-haired sheep 44. Anagram of “Seek” 45. Opaque gems DOWN 48. Joined together 1. Shredded cabbage 50. Emanation 2. Laugh 51. Being of questionable 3. Not closed authenticity 4. Absorb written 56. 3 material 57. Big party 5. Church officer 58. Nigerian monetary unit 6. Hearable
Solution on page 22 7. A type of curved shape 8. Curl 9. Dines 10. Cause to glow 11. Rental agreement 12. Female demon 13. Place 21. Atomic pile 24. Caps 25. Hourly pay 26. Egg-shaped 27. Man 28. He builds with bricks 30. Bettor 32. Smidgens
34. Stink 35. Sea eagle 36. Colors 40. Violent disorder 41. Pariah 43. China clay 45. Cowboy movie 46. Handbag 47. Drome 49. Units of force 51. How old we are 52. Anguish 53. Conceal 54. District 55. Frolic
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