Huckleberries Online

MikeK: Remembering Lee Shellman

Posted by DFO

Dec. 12, 2009 6:27 a.m. • 14 comments

Mike Kennedy: Late summer of this year he came by my office and told me he supported me in my re-election and apologized for the events of four years ago as he had come to regret his involvement in the opposing campaign. I thanked him and told him an apology was unnecessary - politics is a tough business and that I had buried the hatchet, too. We disagreed in the past but I think he was an honorable man with passion and was open to taking a second look. I respected and appreciated that. It showed me a lot of character on Lee’s part because I think it took a lot for him to seek me out quietly and privately as he did. It was among the more sincere and encouraging things that have happened to me in local politics. Full post below.

Question: In a small community like those in North Idaho, it isn’t hard to get crosswise with someone over an issue or politics or some other nonsense. Sometimes, the feuds go to the grave. Occasionally, age mellows them. Who is someone in your community that you came to appreciate after initially having a bad impression of him/her?

Four years ago I was re-introduced to Lee Shellman in the midst of a political scrape. He was supporting one of my opponents and took off after me with gusto - ads in the newspaper attacking my residency, phone trees, etc etc, though we really didn’t know one another beyond at most a passing acquaintance.

During the ensuing four years we had occasion to work together on some city business and parks issues, and in light of unfair political attacks on some of our mutual friends, we found ourselves on the same side of the table. I had hoped that his view of me had evolved, as mine had of him. It probably didn’t hurt that he saw me at several Vandal football games (though I’m not an alum) and he figured I couldn’t be all bad.

Late summer of this year he came by my office and told me he supported me in my re-election and apologized for the events of four years ago as he had come to regret his involvement in the opposing campaign. I thanked him and told him an apology was unnecessary - politics is a tough business and that I had buried the hatchet, too. We disagreed in the past but I think he was an honorable man with passion and was open to taking a second look. I respected and appreciated that.

It showed me a lot of character on Lee’s part because I think it took a lot for him to seek me out quietly and privately as he did. It was among the more sincere and encouraging things that have happened to me in local politics.

I wish Lee’s family all the best as they cope. His death is sudden and surprising, and the community will miss Lee’s involvement and energy - regardless of party or political outlook.

14 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

nic on December 11 at 10:23 p.m.
How long until the openCDA folks allege that Mike made up this story?
Bent on December 11 at 10:43 p.m.
Nice post Mike …
spokelooneh on December 11 at 10:56 p.m.
Wow, shades of the Lee Atwater death bed confession:

““I was wrong to follow the meanness of Conservatism. I should have been trying to help people instead of take advantage of them. I don’t hate anyone anymore. For the first time in my life I don’t hate somebody. I have nothing but good feelings toward people. I’ve found Jesus Christ – It’s that simple. He’s made a difference.”

http://news.spreadit.org/lee-atwaterlee-atwater-s-deathbed-confession/
Stickman on December 12 at 9:48 a.m.
Nice post Mike…
LarrySpencer on December 12 at 10:57 a.m.
Wow. Mike, you must think everybody is as gullible as the people around you in the Democrate party are.

Either that or you think people are just plain stupid.

Care to tell us which one it is?
Arch_Druid on December 12 at 11:32 a.m.
I guess that Spencer doesn’t like it when members of the GOP can actually change their minds. Let’s put it bluntly, THIS GOP changed my mind more than 20 years ago and have refused to budge from it since.
IdahoDad on December 12 at 11:52 a.m.
Wow, Larry, are you just flat out calling Mike a liar?
Bigguy on December 12 at 12:30 p.m.
Lee Shellman convinced me to run for office - I won in the primary but did not win the general - in an effort to move the local Republican party more towards the middle of the political field. Although I have not had any communications with Lee for several years, I still considered him a friend. He was willing to take a stand and work to change what he believed needed changing.

Leave it to Spencer to change the tone of this thread from one of fond remembrances for a friend to one of cynicism and name calling.
wheels on December 12 at 1:05 p.m.
I think the point of this was to show respect for a great Republican and community leader.Lee and his wife,Becky have been involved in anything that would make CDA a better place for 25 years and more that I know of.Let’s not take this down the wrong road please.The Shellmans have been friends for a long time and Lee will be deeply missed by everyone who knew this wonderful man.RIP Lee.
hmoffsuite on December 12 at 1:14 p.m.
Nice, wheels. Very appropriate.
MamaJD on December 12 at 1:18 p.m.
This thread seems to be the blog equivalent to a wake where it is customary to share stories and come together in the common interest of remembering a mutual friend regardless of political viewpoints. Larry, can’t you wait until a more appropriate time to call Councilman Kennedy a liar? If you can’t wait, couldn’t you do it on a different thread?
DFO on December 12 at 1:58 p.m.
@ Spencer; MamaJD is right. This thread is about people respecting Lee Shellman — not throwing mud. You have a habit of calling people a liar simply because you don’t want to believe what they’re saying. Afterward, you don’t admit you’re wrong when proven wrong. Unless you have facts to the contrary, you need to go elsewhere to spew your venom in this instance. I deleted your last post and will throw you in the cooler for at least the weekend if you continue with the same tone.
mike_s on December 12 at 2:03 p.m.
Some people.
OfCoffee on December 14 at 9:13 a.m.
I had lunch with Lee the day he passed away. He was going strong, this time in service to the University of Idaho, to the end. Great man. Great family. Feisty in all the right ways.

To answer the question that DFO put out there on this thread -
“Who is someone in your community that you came to appreciate after initially having a bad impression of him/her?”

To me, that would have to be Dave Oliveria.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.