Sandpoint Magazine

06/18/2024

Summer's here... and what a great time to check out the small lakes that abound in our area.

The sun is shining on our watery paradise and the new issue of Sandpoint Magazine is jam packed with tips and tricks to help you take advantage of all that liquid goodness. This issue shows you where to find the best places to swim, spots where you can watch water fall in all its glory, and introduc...

06/12/2024

Plans for the reconstruction of the Edgewater hotel at City Beach have been released and will be the subject of a conditional use hearing by Sandpoint City P&Z on Tuesday. Check the renderings and click the link below to hear the 88.5 KRFY Morning Show interview with details.

06/11/2024

What a wonderful treasure hidden right here in town.

The sun is shining on our watery paradise and the new issue of Sandpoint Magazine is jam packed with tips and tricks to help you take advantage of all that liquid goodness. This issue shows you where to find the best places to swim, spots where you can watch water fall in all its glory, and introduc...

06/07/2024

First baby of the season!

There's a new arrival in the osprey nest at Memorial Field: The first chick of the year has just hatched out, visible in Mom's shadow here. You can catch your look at the live nest we**am, click to: ospreys.sandpointonline.com

And if you think our ospreys are pretty neat ... give this post a like or a share!

Nest fans have already named the little one "Roan" - with two more eggs that may hatch out, you can keep up with the hatch action, the namings, and offer your own observations, in the chat feature that's on the osprey cam page just below the live video.

Watch all the action at: ospreys.sandpointonline.com

And a good resource for all things happening at the nest is the Facebook group Sandpoint Osprey Nest Friends

06/04/2024

With 1.25" of rain yesterday, the water is flowing. It's a good time to check out area waterfalls!

The sun is shining on our watery paradise and the new issue of Sandpoint Magazine is jam packed with tips and tricks to help you take advantage of all that liquid goodness. This issue shows you where to find the best places to swim, spots where you can watch water fall in all its glory, and introduc...

05/21/2024

Here's a public service announcement ... it's Primary Election Day in Idaho. Polls are open until 8 p.m., so you have ample chance to go vote!

IT'S TIME TO VOTE. It's Primary Election Day in Idaho, and there are contested Republican races for Bonner County and Idaho Legislature, plus one contested Democratic race for Legislature. Polls are open until 8 p.m. ... do your civic duty and go cast your vote! You'll vote at your precinct poling place. If you're not registered, you can register at your polling place; if you're not affiliated with either political party, you can do that too. Use the handy tool at VOTE IDAHO to find where to vote and check your registration; and see all the candidates and learn more about them, in Sandpoint Online's ELECTION CENTRAL.

• VOTE IDAHO»
www.voteidaho.gov

• SANDPOINT ELECTION CENTRAL»
www.bit.ly/sandpointelections

And... SHARE this post to your own Facebook feed to remind your friends to vote, too.

05/18/2024

An excellent story by Stan Myers explaining why our Panhandle has its interesting shape, and the hard work that entailed.

The sun is shining on our watery paradise and the new issue of Sandpoint Magazine is jam packed with tips and tricks to help you take advantage of all that liquid goodness. This issue shows you where to find the best places to swim, spots where you can watch water fall in all its glory, and introduc...

05/18/2024

If you haven't seen it yet, the new issue is out! You can read our flip-book version here, or pick up a copy at one of 200 locations in the Bonner County area.

The sun is shining on our watery paradise and the new issue of Sandpoint Magazine is jam packed with tips and tricks to help you take advantage of all that liquid goodness. This issue shows you where to find the best places to swim, spots where you can watch water fall in all its glory, and introduc...

05/16/2024

Here's a survey worth the 5 minutes, to add your take on how well our local media does in keeping us all informed ... plus a chance for some free good eats at Heart Bowls and MickDuff's Brewing Co.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

05/11/2024

The heavens put on quite a show last night, and the forecast is for a good chance of northern lights tonight as well.

Who got a neat shot of the northern lights last night? Here’s a photo by a staffer taken a bit after midnight from the vicinity of City Beach; if you got a good one, feel free to share in the comments. If you missed the show, tonight is predicted to be nearly as good. The sun’s Coronal Mass Ejection that hit Earth's magnetic field last night was the biggest geomagnetic storm in almost 20 years -- an extreme (category G5) event. It is subsiding now (currently category G4), but it is not over. More CMEs are expected to hit Earth's magnetic field during the next 24-48 hours, and they could push the storm back to extreme levels. Get current aurora borealis info at the SpaceWeather website:

https://spaceweather.com

Another good resource to track real-time aurora borealis events is the Aurora Alerts website:

https://www.softservenews.com/Aurora.htm

And here is NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center:

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts-dashboard

(photo by Chris Bessler)

05/02/2024

Our Memorial Field osprey pair are going great guns, and laid their third egg over night. That's a pretty full nest right there ... though it's possible they could have a fourth. Which actually is not a good idea, as if they all hatch the chicks must compete for food in the nest. Check the post, and follow the link to see the live nest cam at ospreys.sandpointonline.com »

And now there are three: The very business-like osprey pair at Memorial Field produced their third egg over night, a notable stretch of egg-laying as Sandpoint Online's Nestwatcher Robin Werner wrote this morning:

"Just like clockwork, Keke laid the 3rd egg at 23:31 Wednesday, which is three days from No. 2. This is the first time since I have kept track for 12 years, that the eggs have been laid almost at the same time (very, very close) for all three. Usually it's one in the morning, late afternoon for another and at night, but never the same time for each egg. Two things additionally about Keke: she squeaks when she lays an egg, and she has been swaying back and forth after laying the last two eggs."

It's more rare, but an osprey pair will sometimes produce four eggs. We'll see if Keke and mate Keo go the extra egg ... and everyone can watch for these upcoming months as they incubate and (we hope!) raise their chicks this season, on the live we**am: ospreys.sandpointonline.com.

There's a chat feature on the streaming page where everyone can add comments and observations; and also, a great place to stay apprised of happenings in the wild world of our ospreys is the Sandpoint Osprey Nest Friends page (click to join the group to be able to read and contribute posts).

04/26/2024

The esteemed Mr. Gunter, senior, (very senior as we learn here) is playing with son Paul and wife Tami tonight to raise funds for Food For Our Children. Dave's one of the original contributors to Sandpoint Magazine back in 1990. Might be worth a listen!

Tonight's concert at the Panida has been billed as a reunion for members of the Bridges Home band, and also a fundraiser for Food For Our Children. But those who heard yesterday's KRFY Morning Show with musician David Gunter and FFOC founder Dennis Pence discovered they've been burying about 1/3 of the lede: It's also Gunter's 70th birthday. Right there is a good reason to see how such an old fella can do on stage. (Though hey, he's only 10 in dog years.) Concert starts at 7 p.m., get tix at Jalapeno's, or online, or at the door.

See more about Bridges Home on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bridgeshome

Check out Food For Our Children: www.foodforourchildren.org

Listen to podcast of KRFY interview with Dave and Dennis: www.bit.ly/KRFY-BridgesHomeConcert

04/24/2024

Anyone want hotter and drier this summer? Yeah, neither do we. But here's the National Weather Service's summer outlook.

Not really what we wanted to hear: The two-week forecast issued today by the National Weather Service is for a 40-50 percent chance we'll have above normal precipitation and seasonally average temperatures going into May. But the three-month forecast is for below average precipitation and above average temperatures this summer. Dig into the data and details at: www.weather.gov/hun/climateforecast

04/19/2024

For those who remember when internationally renowned – and occasionally controversial – artists Ed and Nancy Kieholz lived and worked from their studio in Hope back in the 1970s-90s there's a fine story by frequent Sandpoint Mag contributor Carrie Scozzaro in this week's The Inlander about a new exhibit of their work at WSU. Check it:

www.sptmag.com/InlanderKienholz

First Ed, then Nancy, passed some years back, but in our Winter 1992 magazine, writer Susan Drinkard had an excellent Q&A interview with the couple. Go read it:

www.sptmag.com/KienholzInterview

And for the Sandpoint Magazine's 30th anniversary in Winter 2021, when several longtime contributors looked back at stories they'd done over the decades, Susan tells a behind-the-scenes story of something unusual that happened in the course of her interview with Ed Kienholz:

www.sptmag.com/KienholzMemory

The photo here from the Inlander story shows one of the large Kienholz installations they titled "Mine Camp."

03/30/2024

The recent news that Amtrak is undertaking a study to revive its former "North Coast Hiawatha" route through southern Montana to Sandpoint – where it could connect to our daily Empire Builder train – is a reminder just how deeply embedded trains are in the Sandpoint zeitgeist, from our very founding until today. To see how how much trains have been embedded in our history and culture, browse the stories in our Summer 2014 Sandpoint Magazine feature package, Trains Everywhere:

www.sptmag.com/Flashback-Summer2014

And to read more about the proposed North Coast Hiawatha route through southern Montana to Sandpoint, read this piece from the Montana Free Press:

www.bit.ly/NorthCoastHiawatha

03/22/2024

Last Saturday the U.S. Navy launched its brand new Virginia-class attack submarine, the USS Idaho, and the ceremony included a christening with water collected from Lake Pend Oreille. That's because the Navy's submarine acoustic research detachment is based in Bayview - to say nothing about the role our lake played as host to Farragut Naval Training Station during WWII. See what other secrets our lake may hold, in the Summer 2016 Sandpoint Magazine story, Deep in Pend Oreille:

www.sptmag.com/Flashback-S2021

03/22/2024

The Festival at Sandpoint this morning announced another powerhouse musical act coming for the summer concert series: Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Maren Morris will take the stage July 31. Rooted in country, her music blends elements of pop, R&B and hip hop. In addition to a Grammy win among 17 nominations, Maren has won five ACM Awards, five CMA Awards, three Billboard Music Awards. She has also broken streaming records, performed on late night TV multiple times, guest-hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and toured the world over, selling out iconic venues across the globe. She has released three critically acclaimed albums; most recently, Maren shared The Bridge, an EP featuring two new songs "The Tree" and "Get the Hell Out of Here" and played a series of sold-out fan club shows to celebrate.

Ticket presales open March 28; see more and hear some clips of her music, at www.festivalatsandpoint.com/maren-morris

03/14/2024

St. Patrick's Day is coming this Sunday, and when you think "Irish" in Sandpoint, MickDuff's Brewing Co. comes first to mind. Since brothers Duffy and Mickey Mahoney opened their Irish-style brewpub on First Avenue in 2005, they've made a large mark on Sandpoint. They subsequently opened their Beer Hall location on Cedar Street and, in 2019-2020, undertook restoration of the historic 1928 Federal Building at 419 Second Ave. Now it's MickDuff's thriving principal location, and their careful restoration brought the classic building back to life as a public house of fine food and craft beers... just the place to hoist an ale on St. Paddy's Day! Read about how the brothers revitalized Sandpoint history from the Summer 2021 edition of Sandpoint Magazine, in The Soul of a Building»

www.bit.ly/Flashback-Summer2021

PS: And this weekend, MickDuff's has music every night including an 18th anniversary party on St Patrick's Day; get the details at their MickDuff's Brewing Co. page.

03/11/2024

The James E. Russell Sport Center became a matter of some controversy last summer, leading up to the City Of Sandpoint elections, contested by some due to its location at Travers Park. But, funded with the Russell family's $7.5 million gift, construction has continued and on Wednesday, March 13, the city is hosting a public Q&A with the project team from ALSC Architects, who will share a revised court layout.

The session is 5:45-7 p.m. at Community Hall at 204 S. First Ave., with a Zoom link also provided.

The project scope includes the design and construction of a new indoor mixed-use court facility (14 pickleball and 4 tennis courts). The interior design allows for other uses beyond court sports such as indoor walking and yoga and a variety of recreational uses. The facility also includes a new community-use room with a capacity for 50 people, which will open to a covered plaza on the south side of the building.

Construction is underway, scheduled to be completed before end of the year.

Here's the link on the City website with the link to register for Zoom: www.sptmag.com/RussellQA

Read Sandpoint Magazine's story with Russell family members, from the Summer 2022 edition shortly after their gift was announced: www.sptmag.com/RussellCenter

03/07/2024

This crazy El Nino winter – all the warm and wet weather before the re-arrival snow and cold temps again just as March got here – was foreseen at least in part in the Winter 2017 Sandpoint Magazine. Stories took an in-depth look at the way winter has been changing around here, and included memories from the truly epic winter of '68-69. Click to read The Future of Snow»

www.sptmag.com/Flashback-Winter2017

03/06/2024

The Festival at Sandpointhas snagged an epic act for the upcoming summer concert series: Blues Traveler will play Thursday, July 25. The blues, folk and alternative rock band has piled up three gold-selling records, one platinum LP, and the 6x-platinum opus "Four" highlighted by the Grammy award-winning “Run Around.” Most recently, in 2022, they notched another Grammy nomination for best traditional Blues album for "Traveler's Blues." The group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla, and keyboardist Ben Wilson. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 8; see more and get in line for those tix at www.festivalatsandpoint.com »

02/28/2024

The annual K9 Keg Pull Sunday drew a few hundred dogs 'n' people on Sunday, ample proof that Sandpoint has a copious canine culture. The Summer 2016 edition of Sandpoint Magazine delved into the phenomenon in depth, in answer to the question: How did our town become a dog's best friend? Read about it in our classic Gone to the Dogs issue:

www.sptmag.com/Flashback-Summer2016

BTW, the Keg Pull is put on each year by Eichardt's Pub Grill & Coffee House as a fundraiser for Better Together Animal Alliance. Want to see a slide show of fun photos from this year's keg pull? Click to it: www.sptmag.com/KegPull2024

02/28/2024

As announced this morning! Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are returning to The Festival at Sandpoint on July 27. A hit when he played the Festival in 2014, Trombone Shorty and his hard-edged funk band throw out big brass-band notes with rock and jazz dynamics. Hip hop and rap artist Big Boi will open. Tix go on sale March 1, but see more right now at www.festivalatsandpoint.com»

02/26/2024

Yesterday's K9 Keg Pull, the annual event that wraps up Winter Carnival and is put on by Eichardt's Pub Grill & Coffee House as a benefit for the Better Together Animal Alliance, was a tad wet but pretty darn fun for a good crowd of dogs and people.

02/22/2024

The Festival at Sandpoint announced yesterday that country megastar LEE BRICE will headline the August 1 show in the upcoming two-week summer concert series. Click to sample some of his chart-topping tunes – including "One of Them Girls," "Rumor" and "I Hope You're Happy Now," and then mark your calendar for tomorrow, when tickets go on sale.

AUGUST 1, 2024 AUGUST 1, 2024 LEE BRICE The Festival at Sandpoint | Thursday, August 1, 2024 ON SALE FEBRUARY 23 lee brice General Admission: $69.95* on sale February 23 Genre: Country About When Curb Records recording artist Lee Brice isn't selling out arenas, writing and recording songs, or buildi...

02/21/2024

In a winter with decidedly mixed results for mountain snow, this week's Flashback is a nostalgic look back to a winter when the snow was abundant... but snowboards were still a relatively new phenomenon at Schweitzer. Those who like to ride will appreciate perspectives in the Winter 1999 "To Air is Human" edition of Sandpoint Magazine. Click to read the classic story, Schweitzer By Board»

www.sptmag.com/Flashback-Winter1999

02/14/2024

If you like living in Sandpoint, chances are the Panida Theater is one of the reasons why. This morning on 88.5 KRFY's Morning Show, new ED Robb Talbott and EC Katelyn Shook talked about their work and what lies ahead at the historic theater. Click to hear the recorded podcast.

What's up at the Panida: Today on the 88.5 KRFY Morning Show, new Panida Theater staffers, Executive Director Robb Talbott and Events Coordinator Katelyn Shook, told about their backgrounds and their work at the Panida, and what's to come for Sandpoint's historic theater. Find the recorded podcast on Spotify , or click to listen: www.bit.ly/panida-staff

02/14/2024

SANDPOINT MAGAZINE FLASHBACK: TALES FROM THE EDGE. In this up-and-down year for skiers and riders, the snow gods have provided nine inches o' powder at Schweitzer these last three days – with more predicted. It makes for a timely flashback to Winter 2007:

www.sptmag.com/Flashback-Winter2007

Check the cover story by Sandy Compton, "Stories from Ski Patrol." It's a good read even 17 years later, from the front lines of snow safety and avalanche protection on Schweitzer Mountain. Plus, for some backcountry adventure, be sure to read the story "The Selkirk Crest Traverse." Click to read at www.sptmag.com/Flashback-Winter2007

06/15/2023

I've been seeing lots of questions about the road work at the train overpass on Fifth Avenue. Learn all about it here, along with other city road work. https://sandpointmagazine.com/story/a-multimodal-curve/ That particular project on Fifth is lowering the road underneath the train bridge so that bigger trucks can travel on Fifth Avenue instead of cutting through down on residential streets as they're doing now.

In 2021, not long after communities went into lockdown due to the COVID pandemic, the city of Sandpoint adopted a multimodal transportation plan to provide an overarching guide to the development of city streets. A major consideration was routing traffic through town in the safest and most efficient...

05/19/2023

Houston, we have a problem. :( There is a mis-identified photo in the county fair story. I identified a photo of James Morasch as being a photo of Wyatt Burnett. I have included both photos below... Wyatt is on the left, James is on the right, and both young men deserve recognition for their hard work at the fair.