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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Huckleberries Hears …

... That City Hall is still buzzing about the meltdown at City Council by HHagadone Corp knucklebreaker John Barlow over the Blackwell Island annexation proposal. As one council member told Huckleberries afterward, Barlow talked his way out of a sure-fire approval for the annexation request by copping a 'tude when questions about a city boat slip and bike path came up. But that wasn't the worst of it. As the discussion continued with Barlow sitting in the audience, he clearly could be heard by the council as aiming a "bullshit" in the direction of Finance Director Troy Tymesen. And that still wasn't all. Council members, Tymesen, and city officials are still debating whether Barlow had a finger extended when he made an odd hand gesture in Tymesen's direction for not publicly backing a point he had made. And that's still not all. This weekend, maybe beginning with the Coeur d'Alene Press editorial page, Hagadone is going to take Mayor Sandi Bloem, the council, and City Hall for "declaring war" on his company and him. (Read: for daring to ask the company questions of Barlow and the company rather than automatically kowtowing like councils in the past have done.) Big boys have big feelings. Remember that when you seeing the Press open fire on Her Sandiness and City Hall this weekend. And be grateful that there are two newspapers in town, so you can find out what's really happening.



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.