How real estate shapes a community
By Raphael Barta
Reader Contributor
In a prior existence, I lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, where I was a vice president for the ski resort development company Intrawest. At the …
Category: Opinion
Opinion
Bumpy road: A brief history of the proposed Sagle asphalt plant and what’s happening next
By Cate Huisman
Special to the Reader
The saga of the proposed asphalt batch plant in Sagle continues. It’s a window into how governments make land use decisions and how …
Many wild questions
By Phil Hough
Reader Contributor
Nothing is more wild than our imagination. Blank spots on the map are places to explore; we enter them not knowing what we will find. …
Our turn: Together we can do better
By Mark Sauter
Reader Contributor
Last month the Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association (BCFCA) held three public forums. The BCFCA pointed out, in multiple, evidence-based ways, how Emergency Medical Services …
Engage Sandpoint: A missed opportunity
By David Phillips
Reader Contributor
Projects fail for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes the expectations are set too high; sometimes the allocated time or resources are insufficient; sometimes the tools …
City waterfront giveaway
By Kody Van Dyk
Special to the Reader
The city of Sandpoint draft Parks Master Plan identifies disposing of city-owned green space located east of the Edgewater Best Western Hotel. …
The Baloney Detective
By Tim Bearly
Reader Contributor
Images of an Orwellian dystopia are often evoked when we hear the term “big government.” The mere uttering of the phrase can function as a …
Touched by the change
By Robin Lantrip
Reader Contributor
It started with a brisk chill in the morning air. The meadow began dressing in longer birch and fir shadows. The evening scent held a …
Language: Observations from a crotchety, grumpety, old physics prof
By Philip A. Deutchman
Reader Contributor
Would you think that language has anything at all to do with sound, rhythm or musicality? Take English, for example. It has been my …
Working toward civil discourse
By Brenda Hammond
Reader Contributor
The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force recently sent a questionnaire to all the candidates for city office, asking their positions on a number of …
Letters
- The Commissioner We Need… Dear Editor, Bonner County needs the right county commissioner. Steve Lockwood has observed what is going wrong, he cares and he has the know how and experience to help address our needs and set it right. We need our property value protected by appropriate zoning to prevent unwanted and destructive uses next door. ...
- Witches Got a Bad Rap… Dear Editor, The political cartoon by Bill Borders in last week’s issue did elicit a chuckle from me, and as I gave it ground in my mind’s eye to see the house falling, the socked feet curling and all of Munchkin Land rejoicing, my chuckle grew to a hearty laugh. A few ...
- True Colors… Dear Editor, Greetings. I am confused by the colors assigned to the major parties in the elections: blue for Democrats and red for Republicans. I have always thought the Democrats were the Reds, the Commie sympathizers. How did this get turned around? But wait. Maybe the colors are prescient of the future. After all, we have ...
- County Road Work… Dear Editor, A question of how the county decides which roads are improved has recently been raised. Road improvements by Bonner County need to be based on objective, consistent criteria. Those criteria, understood by all, should include traffic counts, current road condition, school bus routes, safety, and connectivity in the system. If ...
- Lockwood for Bonner Co. Commissioner… Dear Editor, There is a long-time friend of the community, who will work for ALL county residents and will bring a breath of fresh air to our County Commission. His name is Steve Lockwood. Some highlights: Steve is a strong advocate for public education and has served on the Lake Pend Oreille School ...
Reader in Print
Special Report
TIMBER WARS: Six-part series, February-November 2022.
GO READ IT»
WHERE ARE THE WORKERS?: Five-part series, September-October 2021.
GO READ IT»
THE AMERICAN REDOUBT: Seven-part series, November-December 2017.
GO READ IT»
STANDOFF AT RUBY RIDGE: 25 Years Later. Five-part series, August-September 2017.
GO READ IT»
Curious about what media the locals use? Check our 2018 Local Media Survey. GO SEE »
Community Calendars
Coming up this week! Don’t miss Science fun, the Backcountry Film Festival, Insanity Fab, and more! See the full list of events in the Community Calendars:
⋅ ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS»
⋅ CIVIC EVENTS»
⋅ MOVIE SHOWTIMES»
⋅ SPORTS & OUTDOOR EVENTS»
⋅ YEAR CALENDAR»
Sandpoint in Pictures
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who’s work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
